The Merchandiser by Chad Schimke – When a merchandiser becomes preoccupied with decorations, he gives in to his chilling obsession. Second best will have to do, but he makes the most of it. Fear meets perfection in this unnerving tale, set against a backdrop of stark film noir. Read ‘The Merchandiser’ today!
The Costumer by Chad Schimke – Life’s rough in NYC in 1989, especially when all you really need is someone to talk to. Don’t go it alone, pick up the phone - because time, time, time will tell… when it’s safe to go back home. Step inside the costumer’s closet backstage on opening night, for the worst New Year's Eve of your life. Snap to it because time is running out. Read ‘The Costumer’ today!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LYRJHJC
Hallowmas by Chad Schimke – Kids decorate a haunted house for a holiday get-together on the spookiest night of the year. They’re unaware that a creeping stranger is watching them through the window. On All Hallow’s Eve… a night when supernatural entities roam free. Read ‘Hallowmas’ today!
Behind the Walls by Chad Schimke – Distant communities try to come together after the Die Back. But every time, the story ends up the same way. Food ran out, brigands attacked, or people couldn’t stand living together again, after the apocalypse. Why not here? At Litogot Township. An ex-military man makes it his mission to find out. Read ‘Behind the Walls’ today!
Midwinter by Chad Schimke - When the first edge of the setting Father Sun touches the horizon, the High Priest lights fire to the wicker man. A Teryn stands on the shoulders of his ancestors during Winter Solstice on Salisbury Plain. Follow the tale of the lone pine, from the bluestone cliffs of South Wales, to the hamlet of Feldmid. Read ‘Midwinter’ today!
Vivified by Chad Schimke - When a young father doesn’t have access to his car, he decides to take a train ride. No biggie, he’s a successful business man used to making hard decisions. But a deadly incident will force him to reexamine what’s truly important. Living his best life, and then … dead. Find out what happens next in this weird paranormal short story. Read ‘Vivified’ today!
Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Writer's Digest Books
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn RandTEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY BLOG POST - In 2011, I wrote my very first blog post, which felt like shouting into the wind. I started without even being sure my posts would be read. I had a blog, but what do I write about? One thing I knew – I’d write about what interested me, that would also (maybe) resonate with readers. I had no sponsorship, collected no monetization, and still don’t. Not being beholden to anyone gave me the latitude to only write about what held my interest. Ten years later, my blog receives over one million hits yearly. Wow that’s a lot! But a decade ago, as I sat down to write, I yearned to understand how postings were being perceived. I read every comment, learned how to check post metrics, and viewed the responses. I learned how different platforms vary, and the value of building a dedicated site with a mailing list. Audience feedback helped shape my tastes, which narrowed over time; toward horror, scifi and dark fantasy books and movies. I never envisioned so many eyes would be on my stuff, when I started this little blog. But what has blogging done for me, you might ask? I can’t go into every skill I learned along the way. Much of them were technical, and learning in this electronic era is never truly done. Lettering and layout in digital design led to taking up drawing and painting again. I'm also getting back into creating tiny DIY miniatures. Writing posts sharpened my voice in essays, while writing fiction developed my storytelling. That’s all good, but what will the next decade of posts be about? You’ll have to stick around to find out. The recent signed paperback contest was a huge success which I’ll be repeating. The only way to get the next invite is by signing up on my mailing list.
THE PORTRAIT OF MR. W.H. - The Portrait of Mr. W.H. by Oscar Wilde is a great compact little book. I have the pocket edition. It’s not a full book, but more like a novelette: longer than a short story, shorter than a novella. There are two pieces contained within. Part 1.) The Portrait of Mr. WH. It advances the idea that Shakespeare’s Sonnets are dedicated to Willie Hughes (Mr. WH). The intrigue centers on a purported portrait of an effeminate male actor depicted in female roles. Not unusual in Shakespeare’s days, since only males were allowed to perform on stage of the Globe Theatre in Elizabethan England. Part 2.) The Ballad of Reading Gaol. It’s very dark, apparently the last work completed prior to his death. The poem is organized in six sections with images of trials, prisons, wardens, guards and the hangman’s gallows. There is conflicting information as to whether the poem’s genesis was his imprisonment for A. moral reasons or B. loss of a libel case. Nonetheless, the mood is severe, reinforced by the poem’s melodic structure. Wilde’s quotations are brilliant short witticisms, his plays are societal intrigues constructed of effervescent dialogue and his involvement in the aesthetic movement promoted gilding the lily, in other words, art for art’s sake.
BLACK SUMMER SEASON 2 - Where we last left off, our single mother attempts and fails to kill a fast-running zombie. Not only that, she also has to worry about her daughter’s safety too, as they have been hiking the snowy mountain trail together. Both fight their way to the door of a house, and finding it locked, are permitted to enter after a brief delay. Welcome to your temporary new home. Unfortunately, risking fate at the hands of their new housemates might be worse than death by zombie. What does all this mean? It means the formidable talent that is Karl Schaefer is back at it again. Black Summer season 2 is the best zombie movie of 2021 and probably the best zombie series of all time. I watched the whole thing in one sitting, start to finish. The action and fight scenes worked as well as the 1st season. But the “lulls” in-between worked even better. Both lead actors were great before, and even better now. That’s it, I could keep going. I’m not going to spoil the story. Created by Karl Schaefer, Netflix released 8 episodes in June 2021, as a follow up to the 1st season in 2019. My hunch says the show will certainly be renewed for a 3rd season and beyond. Here’s to more original post-apocalyptic series and movies! Yeah all that, and the series title is misleading. It’s ironic, I suppose.
Black Summer season 2 https://www.chadschimke.com/2021/06/black-summer-season-2.html
Black Summer
season 1 https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/04/black-summer.html
Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
HALSTON - Roy Halston Frowick was born in 1932, to a stay-at-home mom (Hallie Mae Holmes), and CPA father (James Edward Frowick). Early on, Halston had developed a flair for creating hats and clothing for his grandmother, mother and sister. He was raised in the American heartland: born in Des Moines, Iowa; and later residing in Evansville, Indiana.
He left after high school, to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. From there he got his break in fashion as a milliner, in the Midwest, and later, New York. He reached international renown in 1961 with a tiny pink pillbox hat, worn by Jacqueline Kennedy at the inauguration of JFK. Once hats fell out of fashion, he quickly moved on to clothes in 1968, by opening a Madison Avenue boutique.
In the 70s, clothes needed to be sexy but luxurious, which he achieved by building a fashion house not originating from Europe. The first American luxury designer made clothes special, by doing things differently. Bespoke fabrics, vibrant tones, cut on the bias, hidden buttons and closures, muted minimalism, which can be dressed up or down, by changing outerwear, belts, or bags. At his peak Halston grew his business with media promotions (WWD’s 1973 Battle of Versailles) and a series of mergers/ licensing deals (Bergdorf Goodman, Max Factor, Norton Simon, JC Penny, Ezmark, Revlon). During this time he was often seen out at Studio 54; in the company of Liza Minelli, Liz Taylor, and Andy Warhol.
In nightlife and romance, he was associated with sometimes lover Victor Hugo, who along with cocaine would become Halston’s undoing. Tapped out, running low on ideas, he could no longer produce a best-selling product by just dialing it in. As business declined, so did Halston's creativity, which fueled his addiction, in a spiral of self-destruction.
His 1983 JC Penny deal arrived at a point in his aesthetic where everything became beige and boring, and sales were reflective of this. A year later, his own company fired him and he lost rights to design under his own name. Somewhere before, or after or during, he tried to buy his company back, but was unsuccessful.
Soon after being forced into retirement, came news that his HIV test result was positive. Out of the limelight, Halston spent his final days touring the California coast. With a chaufferer doing the driving, of a Rolls Royce, naturally. He died of AIDS in San Francisco in 1990 at the age of 58, just 2 years after receiving the diagnosis.
Online interviews will drag up old footage of Halston, with his particular vocal fry and physical affectations. These clips will be compared to Ethan McGregor, now showing in the recently released 5-part Netflix limited series. I have appreciated McGregor’s previous acting. But I can’t grasp why this role wouldn’t have gone to a gay actor who would have done a better job? Here, I disagree with this casting choice. That aside, the acting is serviceable, and I watched the whole thing in one sitting.
Halston wasn’t an affectation, a turtleneck, a cigarette, sunglasses, or a costume. He despised cheap costume trickery, and refused to settle for something tacky. It's ironic that tackiness led to his demise. All he ever wanted to do was create something beautiful. Roy was an all-American boy, a product of his own creation, possessing a vision of effortless simplicity which embodied a lifestyle. He was the first, the best, and set the course for everyone to follow.
