Virtual Changes
The upside down… the disconnect to social media is thrilling and I feel good. I was hesitant at first, but it was the right choice to end some of the negativity in life. I backed up all the GBs of data so my pictures and posts are not held hostage to some Tron-like great deleter of bits and bytes. I feel a renewed sense of creativity in be free of the doom scroll. I am still a part of the virtual world with this website and other creative ventures on the horizon. Speaking of virtuosity, I have really enjoyed the influx of online content of Comic-Con, DC Fandome, and Fantasia to name a few.
Fantasia had a tribute on August 27th to Stuart Gordon with his wife, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon and friends that was surprisingly moving with unheard stories of early college days and the beginnings of The Organic Theater to Re-animator and his final play Nevermore. The panel included Dennis Paoli, Brian Yuzna, Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, and Barbara Crampton and was quite personable and real in a feeling of loss. Stuart passed away in March and there has yet to be an in-person memorial due to the pandemic. When I was a teenager, I met Stuart briefly at a Houston International Film Festival screening of From Beyond in 1987, I had rented the tape the week before and saw the film at least seven times. The fuschia toned film has creatures and bodies that shift and change, almost melt, at will. I had a fairly severe sunburn and my face was red and almost blistered. I joked with him about it and to this day I do not know if I gave him a startle at first. He relaxed and excitedly went into detail about his upcoming film The Teenie Weenies. (The film later became Honey, I Shrunk the Kids when he sold the screenplay to Disney.) I felt foolish and starstruck at fifteen. The thing was he actual took the time to talk with me and that has always meant a lot. The moment ranks with my top three horror celebrity moments along with meeting Dario Argento, who was gracious, and showing Clive Barker my tattoos both at a Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors in 1998 and 2005 in New York City respectively. I found it amazing to have a virtual touching moment with the Stuart Gordon panel, especially at the end, all these years later.
One of the most important important ongoing virtual events I attend long distance, with my friend Josette, is Number’s live streaming on Twitch courtesy of DJ Wes Wallace. Friday’s are Classic Numbers Livestream (New Wave and Punk 80s) and Wednesdays are Insides where he plays entire record sides or 45s of featured bands. Social rituals without the hate. The music brings back and creates times, past and future, of dancing with myself on a dance floor or my living room floor—the times of being part of a tribe even in isolation. Josette and I have spent more virtual time together in the last six months compared to the decade before. The stream is our lifeline to the world.
Bits and pieces of virtuosity include: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter being most excellent on a Bill & Ted Comic-Con panel, Harry Manfredini talking about the cassette shortcomings of recording 1983s Spring Break soundtrack at Fantasia, as well as a tease of The Batman at DC Fandome that weirdly reminded me of The Crow. And I thoroughly enjoyed the drive-in hit The Wretched at home since there are no drive-ins near me. All of these moments and more without the negativity of social media is quite refreshing.
I have also been updating my website with content to explore the history and future of my writing. Follow my blog to receive free PDFs of my horror short story Under the Moonbow and the first few chapters of Wild Boys!
DS
