Those who have been following The Vault of Horror for some time now will know that I usually don't really make it very much about me, unless I'm writing about some way in which my personal love for horror films has affected my life. Well, in this case, consider yourself warned: I'm making an exception. Because I'm so damned proud of the 2011 Vault of Horror/Captain Cruella calendar, and I want to talk a little bit about the experience of making it happen.
If someone had told me just a couple of years ago that I'd be the subject--even the partial subject--of a calendar, I'd have thought they were a few Elm Street kids short of a soul pizza. But as with so many other things, my crossing paths with the inscrutable and implacable Captain Cruella helped open doors and make previously unimagined things possible. And so there we were, the subjects of a professional photo shoot, putting together an actual 12-month calendar, and enjoying every minute of it.
First and foremost, thanks must go out to the incomparable Del Higgins, a fine photographer with a true gift--and this is coming from someone who has organized and run photo shoots for the covers of major newsstand magazines. Del is the real deal, and it was a pleasure working with him. The ideas he brought to the table, together with the concepts and enthusiasm of the good captain and myself, resulted in a series of photos of which we all are very proud.
I think anyone who is a fan of the Vault, and/or a fan of Cruella (yeah, that's right, I'm talking to all you creeps out there, listen up) would honestly get a laugh out of what we've put together. A Christmas card shot that's Andy Williams meets Return of the Living Dead; a New Year's image that answers the question, What if Mad Men took place during the zombie apocalypse; cooking a human leg on the barbecue for July; and then there's my very own April portrait, in which I take on the part of Marion Crane in the famous Psycho shower scene. Yes, it took Del and Cruella quite a lot of work to convince me to do it, but in the end, the sacrifice of my pride and credibility led to a hilarious picture that's probably worth the price of the whole damn calendar, if I may humbly say so.
The Vault of Horror has been quite an adventure for me these past three and a quarter years. I've gotten to write about things about which I'm immensely passionate; I've gotten to experience horror in a way I never did before; and I've crossed paths with individuals who have truly enriched my life. The making of this calendar is, without question, one of the highlights of my time in this crazy world of horror blogging. I'm supremely thankful to my beloved Terror Team partner Captain Cruella for using her awe-inspiring facilitative abilities to make this happen, and for inviting little old me along for the ride.
So here's the hard sell. If you think you might like one of these babies (and I know it's already January--live a little, life's all about taking chances), the ordering info is posted right on the right-hand sidebar. You can order directly via PayPal, or shoot me an email if you'd like any more information. And if you order one, by all means let us know what you think!
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And while we're focusing on shameless self-promotion, I'd like to proudly announce that The Vault of Horror has been nominated for a second time in Total Film's Movie Blog Awards, in the category of Best Fan Blog. It's extremely cool and gratifying to be noticed in this way, and I'd like to point you all in the direction of the awards so you can go cast your vote. I'm flattered to be in the company of such sites as Zombos' Closet of Horror, Kindertrauma, Chuck Norris Ate My Baby, The Lightning Bug's Lair, From Midnight with Love and Zombots, amongst many others. The winners will be announced by the end of the month, so go make your voice heard now!