No Robert Englund but one angry boob

So, today's post was going to be about the upcoming atrocity that is the new Nightmare on Elm remake. Basically it takes the original, jazzes up the effects and kills it promptly. The new producer, Michael Bay (who was also responsible for last year's dire Friday the 13th remake) then promptly dances on the grave of the original while urinating uncontrolably, that's about the long and short of it.

So instead of that dreadful abortion of a film I'm going to give you another option, a short film that only clocks in at two and a half minutes, so even if you don't like it you won't feel like a large part of your life has been torn away, and with a title like Boob how can you go wrong?

Frankly it's one of the best horror concepts I've seen in a while, it's roughly along the same lines as the crap-tastic 1996 German film, Kondon des Grauens (AKA, Killer Condom) but with less gigolos and more tits.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a silicone breast implants discovers life after a Frankenstein's monster style jolt of electricity this is the film for you:



The design studio behind the piece, Honest, is also responsible for a number of other short films, and although none of them quite meet the genius of Boob the rest of their work is still worth a look:
http://stayhonest.com/work/

Upcoming band preview Fridays!

Ok, I admit it, it's not the catchiest title in the world, maybe unsigned Sundays would be better, but Sunday's two days away and people need to hear about unsigned bands from places they've never been to!

So, let's kick off the joy that is Upcoming Band Preview Friday's or UBPF (catchy right?) with a bunch of guys from my home town. "You're biased!" I hear you say, well, when I say you I meant the imaginary audience I hear in my head... Anyway! no bias here, I'd rather pick a band from somewhere more exciting, but nooo, I'm in a local mood.

So if my laptop finally stops deciding that it doesn't want to be friends with the router, I'll introduce you to... (dun dun daaaahn!):

Faceshredder!

Faceshredder have been going for some time now and are one of the North East of England's best hardcore / metal bands (though they probably don't want calling metalcore...). Don't be put off by the photo of them either, what they lack in hair they make up in riffs and pure stage presence.

Despite the odd gap / hiatus / lazing around, the band are up and touring, and you can check out their dates and music on their Myspace (which people apparently still use...) 

http://www.myspace.com/wearefaceshredder

Greg 'Craola' Simkins Interview!

Greg 'Craola' Simkins is famed for his artwork, whether it's his stunning graffiti work, with crews like LA's CBS and WAI, or his fine art work, blending renaissance and surrealist elements with handfuls of modern pop culture references.

Craola's art can be seen across the world thanks to his work with clothing companys such as To Die For and Zerofriends, but fans can now get their hands on merchandise direct from Craola from his new Imscared label.

I caught up with Craola and asked him about the label, his art and more:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MS: So, what attracted you to creating your own clothing brand?

Craola: I have been working on graphics for various brands since about 1992. It just made sense to work on something more focused.

'Mary Becoming Annette'

For a long time you've worked on designs for other clothing companies, how different is it working on designs for your own label?

The majority of companies I worked on in the early years weren't always things I would wear myself. It was good to be working, don't get me wrong, I appreciated the opportunity to earn some income while making art. There was a lot of art direction and watering down that went on, as well as my own limitations. The exceptions being in more recent years "To Die For" , "Upper Playground" and "Zero Friends" who I enjoyed a great working relationship with and plenty of creative freedom. Working on my own label is very similar to working with them, but instead, it is my ideas and my name at stake. I started my "Imscared" website in 2002 or so as a showcase for my artwork. Greg Simkins.com was already taken, so "Imscared" just made sense with the type of work I was making. When we started talking with my friends at "To Die For" who head up the production and are the driving force behind the line, about what we would call it, many different names came up, "Blak Rabbit" was one I liked, "Ima Monsta" made sense as well as a few others, but "Imscared" worked best. It is great to have such an awesome team who I share so many interests with and live relatively close also.

Your art style is very distinctive, what's the inspiration behind your characters?

The majority of them are a good mix of animals, cartoons and comics with a little fine art, tattoo imagery and graffiti thrown in. It seems like they keep changing though and I don't hold to one set of criteria, just let the imagination lead me.

'Winter On The Sea Of Glass'

Having included everything from Batman to Pacman in your work, what, for you, is the appeal of using pop culture images?

I believe that I am a product of my environment, having grown up with these images has forever infused them in my creative data base. It isn't always a conscious process. There is that readily accessible bank of emotions and feelings associated with a pop icon as well that can add to the story if placed appropriately. Throwing Yogi bear in a scene brings his back story into the image you see in front of you. Using pop culture imagary brings there backage with them into your juxtapozition.

Your paintings also include a lot of surrealist and renaissance elements, are you influenced by any artists in particular?

Yes, Caravaggio has always been a favorite as well as Hieronymous Bosch, Salvador Dali, Rembrandt, Jan Van Eycke, Albrecht Durer, Magritte, as well as others.

'It Wanders'

As both a fine art and graffiti artist, have you found that any of the skills and techniques transfer from one to the other?

Yes, but I think that is true with just about any skill set in life. Making art is a practice in problem solving and one aspect always lends itself to the other. Working as a texture artist on video games for five years day in day out on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and some 3D Studio Max I thought was going to dull my manual skills with a pen, brush and can. It just enhanced them.


There are a lot of young artists out there who'd love to make the jump to painting for a living, was it a difficult step for you or was it your ambition from day one?

I didn't start painting with the intention of doing it for a living. I did it because making art is the only thing I have ever been somewhat good at and completely obsessed with. I can't not paint. It still blows my mind that I am doing this and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to d so. It wasn't easy wrapping my head around it and quitting my stable job in video games. But it was a now or never situation and I am glad we (we being my wife and I) made the choice to try it. I wouldn't say it is for everyone, lots of hours and stress like everything else in life, but it is the most fulfilling work I have ever done.

'The Puppet Pathos'

Do you have any tips for any aspiring artists out there?

Make sure it is something you are obsessed with and can picture yourself doing for a long time. Don't try to take short cuts but take the time to learn and do it right. Don't expect to be rich from it either. Make sure you are making art for the right reasons, it needs to be something you can't live without doing.

Are you working on anything new you'd like everyone to know about? Any collaborations coming up?

Still pressing forward with the "IMSCARED" line and everything that goes along with it. I have my first book being released later this year with Presto Publishing and working on some larger scale paintings. In June I will have a new body of work in a solo exhibition at Joshua Liner Gallery in New York as well, so lots of work to do.

The Genie

And finally, if you had to name 5 artists that you think the readers might not have heard of, but should check out, who would they be?

How about I give you 10. You probably already know these artists, but they are my favorites so I am going to name them anyways: Alex Pardee, Gunnar, Adam Hathorn, Deph, Bob Dob, Mars-1, Oliver Vernon, Lola, KMNDZ, and Steven Daily...that's not to mention Dabs and Myla, Matthew Bone, Travis Louie, Jason Maloney, Augor, Kris Kuksi, and Belin, whoops that makes 18...



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks alot to Greg 'Craola' Simkins for the interview, and you can view his work and browse his online store at www.imscared.com

All images included in this post are © Greg Simkins

Coming up

Just a heads up, tomorrow will see MS' (oh god my blog name shortens to that of a disease) first interview, with none other than fine art / graffiti god Greg 'Craola' Simkins!

So if you're a fan of his work, or just want to learn a little more about the man behind the paint then be sure to check in tomorrow.

In the meantime, here's a little Municipal Waste, combining a couple of my favourite things, thrash and the awesomely crappy film making talents of Troma:

Let's Get This Going

Welcome to the first ever post on the Musical Scares blog!

Hopefully you'll soon be pawing at the screen in a junkie-like fashion, waiting for the latest news, reviews, ramblings and interviews, from the worlds of music, art, horror and more.

So, to get things started, here are the answers to just about every question you could have about Musical Scares and myself:

Q: Who are you anyway?

A: I'm a writer, did the writing not give it away? I live in Newcastle, a friendly city in the North East of England and home to Newcastle Brown Ale. I enjoy candlelit dinners (in castles) long romantic walks (around castles) and listening to / playing music (seriously, if someone has a castle, I'll be there in a shot, unless it doesn't have spires, then screw you, you spireless bastard).

Q: Are you slightly castle obsessed?

A: I just like castles is all! I blame just about every old horror film out there, I swear, according to those films you couldn't get moved for castles, they were like city centre pigeons but without the love for bread.

Q: Okay, enough castles, what's this blog all about?

A: To be honest it's just an excuse to write about everything I like and interview some cool people. Musical Scares will cover music including Punk, Hardcore, Metal and straight up Rock.

The blog will also cover art, essentially anything that tickles my fancy (and oh how it likes tickling) with features and interviews on a range of artists from a range of mediums, from painters to illustrators and sculptors to tattooists. Of course there's one more thing that'll be covered, the greatest form of cinema ever, Horror. This might stray now and then and the pretentious horror buffs will probably choke on their fake blood at some of the things that are featured, but I aim to cover anything that stands out, even if it just makes me laugh.

Q: So what's lined up for the blog?

A: Just like any good horror movie, I'm not going to break the suspense until the last minute, that and to keep you checking on my blog at all hours just in case I've added something that you just can't live without.

Q: Speaking of adding things, how often will the blog be updated?

A: The blog will be updated daily (roughly). This does not account for catastrophic computer failure, disinterest or the blog developing a demonic personality of its own, causing it to post messages of hate against old people, babies, old babies (ala Benjamin Button) and the dreaded 'Ginger One' from Girls Aloud.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopefully that clears everything up, thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for another harrowing installment of Musical Scares!