Wave Your Shriek Flag High!

If you're like me (and really, who isn't?), you grew up reading horror magazines like Fangoria, Gorezone, Toxic Horror, Slaughter House, and Rue Morgue. Chock full of the latest in terrifying films, movies, music and books, these were indispensable guides to the latest in ghoulishly good fun, must reads for those of us needing to be on the cutting edge of... well, the cutting edge.

Well, there's a freaky new kid in town, and he's shrieking as loud as he can.

ShriekFreak Quarterly is the newest independent horror mag to hit the newsstands, and it is delivering everything that horror fans like myself have always been hungry for; the freshest red meat of the horror entertainment realms.

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of issue #1 when it first came out. A friend had recommended the issue's article on EC Comics, and I always try whatever my friends tell me to. I found much more than I bargained for. Not only were there plenty of industry interviews and currnet reviews of the latest in horror films and novels, but there was enough eye candy and original fiction to keep me entertained as well as informed.

Appetite sufficiently whetted, I pounced the minute issue #2 was available, and was happy to discover that the quality material wasn't just an out-of-the-gate fluke. These guys have the taste, and they won't be satisfied until they've shared it with everyone.

Neither will I. Issue #3 just hit the stands, and now I am more than just a fan and subscriber; I'm also a contributor. The Deaditor in Chief over at the ShriekFreak headquarters (rumored to be located in the refurbished morgue of an abandoned asylum somewhere in northern Connecticut) has been kind enough to welcome my into the freaky family. My article on the moral lessons to be found in horror films, "What Would Jason Do," proudly appears alongside other great material such as Renee Downton's indepth interview with Sid Graves, Antonia Wilson's look at serial killer films, and the impressively creepy artwork of Martin Blanco.

Times are tough, and entertainment budgets are stetched to the limit. But if you find yourself able to spend some cash, and need a fix for the carnal cravings that all horror fans feel, I urge you to pick up the latest issue of ShriekFreak. It will more than muffle the chattering wails of the monster monkey on your back.