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When Gary Brandner finally cast the monster from his mind, and then onto paper, he gave it a familiar form. By that time, werewolves weren’t uncommon to see in Brandner’s industry, however, the late fiction author wanted to break the monotony. So rather than having a single werewolf pop up in a small town, 1977’s The Howling featured a whole community of werewolves. This small twist on the growing genre helped make Brandner’s first horror novel a success as well as attract the attention of Hollywood. Now, sure enough, creative license is part of the deal in these page-to-screen adaptations, yet Joe Dante’s ‘81 rendering is so distinct from its basis that it’s practically a different beast.

The Howling is a far cry from 1933’s The Werewolf of Paris, the Guy Endore-penned novel that many consider to be the Dracula of werewolf literature. Brandner’s...

Soap opera fans know and love Chris McKenna for his memorable roles on Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful and his current role as recast Brennan on General Hospital. Now, the talented actor is now stepping into a new role behind the scenes! McKenna recently took to Twitter to share some thrilling news that his latest project he’s been writing is officially moving into production. And that’s not all! It involves horror, Hollywood, and a fan-favorite ‘90s icon!

From Daytime Drama to Horror Thrills

According to The Hollywood Reporter, McKenna’s new project is an adaptation of World of Hurt, based on the chilling works of horror novelist Thomas Tessier. The screenplay, penned by McKenna himself, is set to star The Sandlot legend Patrick Renna. The project is being developed by Hambino Media, a newly established production company co-founded by Renna, actor Kyle Howard, and actress-turned-marketing exec Lynsey Bartilson Moore.

Patrick Renna, a longtime actor with credits across film and television, is teaming with actor Kyle Howard and actress/marketing executive Lynsey Bartilson Moore to launch a production banner that has a slate of scripted and unscripted projects in the works.

The banner, titled Hambino Media, nods to Renna’s breakout role in 1993’s sports comedy The Sandlot.

Among the planned non-fiction projects is an untitled series in development with the MLB, an untitled series with Golf Digest as well as two untitled projects with Blind Nil, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ production company.

Renna, Howard and Moore are also developing a half-hour comedy series set in the world of fan conventions titled The Big Con, with Ethan Sandler and Adrian Wenner writing and Victor Nelli to direct. The Hambino Media team is also working on developing a feature treatment of World of Hurt, based on the fiction of horror novelist Thomas Tessier,...

Prepare to confront your deepest fears with the upcoming Fear of Clowns, an anthology of clown-themed horror stories that’s headed our way just in time for the Halloween season.

Published by Kangas Kahn Publishing on September 17, 2024 and edited by veteran Kenneth W. Cain, the collection brings together a macabre assortment of tales crafted by master storytellers from around the world. Watch the trailer below for a sneak peek…

From the eerie streets of small-town America to the shadowy corners of urban legends, Fear of Clowns explores the darkest recesses of the human psyche through the lens of one of humanity’s most common phobias. Each story is crafted to evoke visceral reactions, plunging readers into unsettling encounters with the painted-face.

“I was worried going into this one that we’d get a lot of killer clown stories,” said editor Kenneth W. Cain. “But I was pleasantly surprised with the variety and range of tales.

More talent is on its way to the upcoming anthology film based upon the stories of Thomas Tessier, World of Hurt, and we have all the details you need right here without having to suffer through any pain at all. Well... some pain is okay, but don't blame us if you get really messed up.

From the Press Release

Producer/actor/writer Tom Malloy (pictured) has just signed on to bring his extensive and multifaceted producing skills to Thomas Tessier’S World Of Hurt horror anthology.

“My whole life I’ve been an avid fan of scary and horror movies,” Malloy said, “and the idea of bringing Tom Tessier’s stories to the screen was exactly the project I was looking for. And when I saw the caliber of the talented directors involved, I was in!”

Tom not only produces; he also acts and writes. He brought all three skills...

Tom Malloy signs on as a producer for Thomas Tessier’S World Of Hurt anthology

New York, NY, June 24, 2014—Producer/Actor/Writer Tom Malloy has just signed on to bring his extensive and multifaceted producing skills to Thomas Tessier’S World Of Hurt horror anthology.

“My whole life I’ve been an avid fan of scary and horror movies,” Tom said, “and the idea of bringing Tom Tessier’s stories to the screen was exactly the project I was … Continue reading →

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Yet another director has been added to the growing list of those who will be working on an anthology based upon the work of one of the most acclaimed writers on the horror scene right now, Thomas Tessier. Read on for the latest on World of Hurt!

From the Press Release

Fresh off of being selected as one of the Top 12 Canadian Short Films of 2013 by The Shorts Report for “Stalled,” Karen Lam is set to adapt Thomas Tessier’s short story “In Praise of Folly” from his Ghost Music (Cemetery Dance Publications). Lam is the fifth of five directors signed to the Thomas Tessier World Of Hurt project.

“What I love about ‘In Praise of Folly’ is how the real and fantastic worlds intersect,” Lam said. “Magic and horror exist all around us—we just need to know where to look.”

“In Praise of Folly” concerns a visit by...

Another director has been added to the growing list of those who will be working on an anthology based upon the work of one of the most acclaimed writers on the horror scene right now, Thomas Tessier. Read on for the latest on World of Hurt!

From the Press Release

Devi Snively, a participant in AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, is set to adapt Thomas Tessier’s short story “The Ventriloquist” from his Remorseless (Sinister Grin Press) collection. Snively is the fourth of five directors signed to the Thomas Tessier World Of Hurt project.

“I’m a puppet enthusiast so I was expecting one thing from ‘The Ventriloquist’ based on the title,” Snively said, “and then discovered it was about an entirely different kind of puppet that proves far scarier than your average Charlie McCarthy or Chucky variety—I just adore surprises.”

“The Ventriloquist” is the story of Robbie, 21, who...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes photos from Utero, The Last Halloween, and Phantasmagoria, release details on The Horror at 37,000 Feet starring William Shatner, casting news for The Divine Tragedies, and much more:

First Details on Utero: “Writer/Director Bryan Coyne’s (Harvard Park and Incarnate) new film Utero started production this week in Los Angeles.

Independently financed by Coinopflix, the movie stars Jessica Cameron who is also producing along with her Truth or Dare partner, Jonathan Higgins. Former Platinum Studios Exec (Cowboys and Aliens, Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night) Richard Marincic also serves as a producer on the film.

Utero is about “an agoraphobic unwed mother who finds her psyche unraveling as she becomes convinced that her unborn child is more monster than human.”

Cameron’s latest film Truth or Dare, is playing...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes an exclusive clip from the film, The Case of Mary Ford, first details on The Three starring Lew Temple from The Walking Dead, a new candle line from Horror Decor, a review of The Poisoning and The Returned, a Q&A with artist Naisa Gomez, and much more:

Exclusive Clip from The Case of Mary Ford: “Greece, 1910. Maria (Tamar Karabetyan) is a young Greek girl in a fishing village on the Black Sea. The village match maker betroths her to a young fisherman Adonis (Branko Tomovic), who is in partnership with the true object of Maria’s affection, Giorgos (Yannis Stankoglou). One stormy night Giorgos and Adonis’s boat capsizes and Adonis is lost at sea. With no source of income Giorgos sets of for America promising Maria he will return for her.

He's one of the most acclaimed writers on the horror scene right now, and five of his stories are about to come to life in the form of a terrifying anthology film. Read on for all the details about Thomas Tessier's World of Hurt!

From the Press Release

For the first time, five of Thomas Tessier’s short stories will be brought to the screen in the 2014 anthology film Thomas Tessier’S World Of Hurt.

“It’s every writer’s dream to find people who want to take your story and turn it into an excellent movie that is faithful to the original material,” Thomas Tessier said. “I feel very fortunate indeed to have that—times five!”

For more than three decades, Tessier has been writing acclaimed novels and stories of horror, suspense and the uncanny. Peter Straub has called Tessier’s novels, “Excellent… frightening…something very special in the field of horror.

"Dread Island", the title of the debut novella from Idw Publishing's Classics Mutilated collection, caught our eye for obvious reasons. After learning that it was written by Joe R. Lansdale and doing a little more digging into what Classics Mutilated is all about, we're even more intrigued.

From the Press Relesae:

Classics Mutilated offers a different take on the current monster-lit trend by challenging a coterie of major talents to twist fantasy and horror elements with classic tales and icons, creating all-new stories. Lansdale's "Dread Island" showcases the collection's unique tone by featuring Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in a new adventure, with bizarre fantasy and supernatural elements out of both H. P. Lovecraft and Uncle Remus.

"I wrote 'Dread Island' based on my love for Mark Twain," reveals Lansdale, "which collided with my interest in Lovecraft, and the fact that the Uncle Remus tales may have been the first stories I ever read.

As if the last announcement was not enough for all of you Comic Hordes!

Check this out:

Idw Launches Literary Mash-Ups with

Limited Joe R. Lansdale Novella

Full Classics Mutilated collection coming in October

San Diego, CA (July 15, 2010) – Idw Publishing is proud to announce Classics Mutilated, an all-new prose collection of genre mash-up stories by top-tier authors, coming in October. At San Diego Comic-Con, Idw will debut the original novella “Dread Island” by noted horror and crime writer Joe R. Lansdale, as an exclusive preview of the upcoming collection. Lansdale will be featured at special autograph sessions at the Idw booth #2643 throughout the convention.

Classics Mutilated offers a different take on the current monster-lit trend by challenging a coterie of major talents to twist fantasy and horror elements with classic tales and icons, creating all-new stories. Lansdale’s “Dread Island” showcases the collection’s unique tone by featuring Huck Finn...

Idw announced that at this year's Sdcc they will launch a preview of Classics Mutilated, a collection of prose genre mashup tales in the vein of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  "Dread Island" by Joe R. Lansdale, will give readers an exclusive early look at the book "featuring Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in a new adventure, with bizarre fantasy and supernatural elements out of both H. P. Lovecraft and Uncle Remus."

"I wrote 'Dread Island' based on my love for Mark Twain," reveals Lansdale, "which collided with my interest in Lovecraft, and the fact that the Uncle Remus tales may have been the first stories I ever read. And then there were comics. I always saw 'Dread Island' as a kind of comic book in prose, the old Classics Illustrated look. That's how it played out in my head."

"Available in October, the full Classics Mutilated collection will feature...

Horror fans love this time of the year. For those of us not living in La, there's the chill in the air, the colorful leaves, pumpkins everywhere, dead cornfields to explore … if you dare. So, in honor of Our official holiday, I have come up with a list of books and some movies every horror fan should at least take a look at, if not outright add to your book or DVD library.

Without further ado (and in no particular order):

Creepy Places to Visit:

Creepy Crawls: A Horror Fiend’s Travel Guide by Leon Marcelo, Santa Monica Press, 380 pages

I Love this book!! Leon Marcelo travels the world, literally, to find places of horror both real and fictional. Rome to visit the Dario Argento Profondo Rosso Shop then to George Romero’s Pennsylvania and H.P. Lovecraft’s New England. Marcelo also covers Stephen King country, Poe’s Baltimore,...