ZombieMall.com 2014 Wrap-Up and a little exploring into what can be expected in 2015. 2014 was a crazy fun year for ZombieMall! We reviewed books! We reviewed movies! We even reviewed some scary ass coffee! We added a shopping cart, made some vampire stakes, and posted out some Zombie University Diplomas! We took in just […]
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Here… We… Go… A New Year! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is behind me and I’ve been able to finally catch up on some reading. Me catching up reading also means me being able to type out some reviews, so let us jump right into it! Enjoy 2015 folks! Many years ago […]
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Just a small bit of advice for you Zombie Apocalypsers out there during the winter season. Sometimes I like to take walks and on this particular day I got to thinking about zombies and snow. This is the result. 965 total views, no views today
965 total views, no views today
This could be a long read folks…So I’m going to cut it down into smaller Parts for an easier read. In short I wanted to categorize what different types of zombies are out there so when you encounter one you know how to deal with the situation. There is the Romero zombie (as seen in […]
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Here at ZombieMall, not only do we know zombies but we also know vampires!
I started crafting hand made vampire stakes several years ago, using them mostly for cos-play and never really considered making them for anyone other than myself.
That thought process is done and I’ve made several for others. In fact, they have become such a hit I’ve made several for whomever wants them.
You can find them over on my Etsy page:
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ZombieMall.com 2014 Wrap-Up and a little exploring into what can be expected in 2015.
2014 was a crazy fun year for ZombieMall!
We reviewed books!
We reviewed movies!
We even reviewed some scary ass coffee!
We added a shopping cart, made some vampire stakes, and posted out some Zombie University Diplomas!
We took in just shy of about 800,000 unique hits over the past 12 months. Not too bad, but I really want to increase traffic.
This is where I need to reach out to you.
I need more stuff to review!
Do you have something that you want reviewed? A book that you have written, perhaps? Or a movie that you have made? Shoot me a message and let me know the details, I’d be more than happy to give it a whirl!
Contact me via email ( dead@zombiemall.com ) or via our Facebook page: ZombieMall Facebook
I have two sites that I do my reviews on, and in some instances, where they fit, I cross post them. GameMasters.com hosts pretty much everything from games to movies to books to electronics. ZombieMall.com hosts pretty much everything horror related.
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I missed the chance to see Horns in the movie theater. I wanted to see it on the big screen for a couple of reasons, but mainly I just wanted to see it.
It came out on DVD not too long ago (well.. okay, not too long ago as of my writing of this review – it came out on January 6th, 2015) and I finally managed to grab a copy.
Horns is based on the book (albeit a bit loosely), Horns, by Joe Hill. Joe Hill, in an attempt to distance his name from his father, is the son of Stephen King. His full name is Joseph Hillstrom King. You can certainly see where his pen name came from. I get why he did this, he wanted to succeed based on his own merits rather than ride on the coat-tails of his father.
Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure that it matters any more. He’s good at his craft, and I will most certainly read his books. I’m sure that, like some of his dad’s writings, some will be a big hit with me and some will be a miss. I’m not too worried about it, and I doubt Joe will lose any sleep over whether or not I read (or don’t read) something of his.
There are plenty of differences between the book and the movie, locations are a little different, characters are a little different, but the overall story is the same. I feel comfortable in saying that if you liked the book you will probably enjoy the movie. As I mentioned, it’s not an exact copy of the book and a lot of the symbolism in the writing was lost in the visual of the movie. That said, however, if you have not read the book you won’t notice!
If I had to sum up Horns into a category, I don’t think I could. It’s a little bit of horror, a little bit of romance, and a little bit of who-dun-it.
Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Heather Graham and David Morse are among the more stand out actors (and actresses) in Horns.
Let’s Get Real:
We all have had that one love in our life, that one that we loved and lost. The one we think about, but try not to think about. Ignatius (everyone calls him Iggy or Ig – played by Daniel Radcliff) has found such a love in Merrin (played by Juno Temple). She is his everything.
When she is found dead, the town thinks that Ig did it. Ig awakens one morning to find horns growing out of his head. No one seems to think anything of it, but almost everyone feels compelled to spill their most intimate secrets to him.
I typically don’t like to give a step by step, blow by blow account of what happens in the movies I review, and I’m not going to do that here, but I will say that Horns provides a run ride in watching Ig deal with his new found power.
I’ve seen several reviews that attempt to mirror this movie to the pseudo-vampire movies, Twilight. While Harry Potter Horns is not, neither is it Twilight (well, okay my little slam against those shimmering vampires – I watched the 1st one and none of the others – oh.. and vampires do not fucking sparkle).
They are different movies after all. While casting Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame and Joe Anderson of Twilight fame, I’m positive the casting was done to pull in those respective movie’s fan base. In the end it is all an attempt to make cash, right?
The Nitty Gritty:
Nudity, there is some. Not much, but there is some. There is a little Radcliffe ass and a little Juno ass and boob. It’s a little uncomfortable where they placed it, because the scene that comes (no pun intended) just before it is a flash-back of them being kids. It’s just a strange transition.
Gore, is there gore? Yeah. Blood, open wounds, missing fingers, and a blown up head. Yeah, there is blood and guts. It is rated R.
There is a disturbing assault scene in which we see how Merrin is killed, I didn’t care for that, never have.
The special effects were really good, everything actually looked in place. Did that come out right? What I mean is.. well.. you know how some CGI in movies just looks fake? The CGI in Horns is really good.
DVD Extras:
It just has one extra and that is the Making of Horns. It’s not exactly a making of, as it more of just a long advertisement for the movie. There is not really much substance to it, a couple of clips from the movie, Joe Hill talks a bit about the characters, and a few of the actors are interviewed about their characters.
About 13 minutes in we do get to see some good behind the scenes stuff with how they made the horns and fitted them to Radcliffe.
The Making of Horns is just over 18 minutes long.
And that’s it.
No commentary, no deleted scenes, nothing else.
As I understand it, the Blu-Ray offers nothing else other than the Making of Horns.
Wrap-Up:
All in all, Horns is a fun ride. Yeah, there are things I would have changed, and elements I would have explored more of, but by the time I got done with it, it probably would not be the same movie at all.
Horns runs 120 minutes and is rated R for sexual content, some graphic nudity, disturbing violence, language, and drug use.
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When I first sat down to watch Kevin Smith’s Tusk, I didn’t really know what to expect. I mean, I kindav knew what it was about (a guy tries to turn another guy into a walrus) and I was familiar with how it came to be (it was sparked by an idea that Kevin and cohost Scott Mosier riffed on during their Smodcast podcast), but I had no idea if this was going to be a serious approach to horror or if it was going to make fun of and poke at the genre.
Immediately the movie drew me in, as I was able to identify with the main character, Wallace, because he is a podcaster. A podcaster, you see, is something that I do as well. Perhaps you have heard of my podcast, ZombieMall.net?
Oh? You don’t know of it? That’s okay, I suffer from not being consistent with it. I also have discovered that I do much better when I have someone to riff with as opposed to just jabbering away solo. Being stuck out in the middle of nowhere, it’s difficult to find someone who will consistently hang out with me to do a weekly podcast… Sorry… I digress…
Wallace.. a podcaster.. has a cohost played by Haley Joel Osment of Forrest Gump and The Sixth Sense fame. Together they riff back and forth cracking vulgar jokes and having laughs. And fuck me if they don’t boast that they made $100k on their podcast. I’m going off on a slight tangent here so please forgive me… Yes, Tusk takes place in a fictional world. With that said, I have to believe that many elements included were based on some form of reality. One such is that a podcast CAN make $100k! I actually have to pay to keep mine up and going. I need to be schooled so bad on the concept of how to make money with a podcast.. Okay, okay, sorry for that. Back to topic.
Tusk also features Michael Parks, Johnny Depp, and Genesis Rodriguez. For those paying real close attention there are some cool scenes with others in Smith’s world, Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp. Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn, and his wife Jennifer also show up. There is also a cool cameo appearance by Epic Meal Time’s Harley Morenstein.
The Concept:
Wallace has a hit podcast and travels to Canada to interview the Kill Bill Kid, a guy that posted a video online showing him goofing off with a sword and accidently chopping his own leg off. Once in Canada, Wallace finds that the KBK killed himself, leaving Wallace with no interview content for his podcast.
While taking a piss Wallace runs across a flyer from a man, Howard Howe, who has a room to rent, and in exchange he just wants to be able to talk about his past adventures at sea. Wallace feels that this could be a gem in the rough for his podcast and takes a trek out to meet this guy.
Wallace meets up with Howard and begins a conversation. From that conversation things pick up speed and holy shit… and what the fuck… A walrus with TUSKSSSs!
WTF Indeed:
About ¼ of the way into the movie I started to suspect that perhaps Kevin Smith was making fun of the horror genre. A little further in and I was no longer sure of that. By the time it was over I could not decide what I had just watched. Like I mentioned, at first I kindav suspected he was poking fun at the horror genre, but upon finishing it, there just was no evidence that he was doing that. This was not a parody film, it was a very serious take on horror.
I think I might classify it is a dark horror peppered with a shade of humor?
I will say this, the buzz on the internet drops viewers into two categories:
Those who love it and those who hate it.
I fall into the 1st, I loved it. It actually went where it teased to go. You don’t see that happen in movies very often. You know, where the bad guy makes a threat but the good guys stop him in time? Yeah, well, Tusk follows through, and I think that is why I like it so much.
The Extras:
The extra features (both DVD and BlyRay have the same extras) are certainly worth getting this movie for. Several behind the scene videos, hosted by Jason Mewes, show how Tusk came to be. Certainly great material for those looking for extra insight as to how movies get made.
We also have 2 deleted scenes, both of which are introduced by Kevin explaining why they were not used.
There is also a commentary track from Kevin Smith.
In Closing:
If you are looking for something fun and something bizarre, Tusk is certainly a movie to add to your collection.
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I got The Mind is a Razor Blade by Max Booth III and when I opened it, you won’t guess what happened next!
I turned the page! I kept doing that until I had finished the book! OMG!
Okay.. I’ll admit it, I’m not very good at doing a grab like other websites are. You know..
“This man found a box and you won’t believe what was inside!”
or…
“A woman bought a house and won’t believe what she discovered in the basement!”
Oh well. I’ll try another time.
Okay, where was I? Oh yeah.. I read The Mind is a Razor Blade by Max Booth III. What actually happened next didn’t actually happen after I read it, it started to happen during the very first chapter.
What happened ZombieMall? What happened??!?
Well.. In the 1st chapter our main character wakes up in the pouring rain, naked, and next to a river. He also has no memory of who he is. THAT is when a seed was planted, THAT is what actually happened next that I mentioned a few sentences ago…
ZombieMall.. you have gone off the deep end. You are talkin’ gibberish now.
Okay, let me back up..
I read Max’s book Toxicity a while ago. Then I read his novella, Black. The moment I picked up The Mind is a Razor Blade, I started to suspect something. I started to formulate a theory.
Yeah? Go on..
My theory is that all three of the writings are connected. As in.. they all take place in the same universe… I’ll explain..
A lot of writers create an entire universe in which their tales take place. Look at pretty much anything Stephen King writes; the most recent example that rolls off the top of my head, IT and Under the Dome – in IT there is a symbol in the cave, above a door, where they find the creature. In Under the Dome, that same symbol shows up. It’s a tiny connection, but a connection it is.
Back to Max’s books; Toxicity introduces a drug called Purple. When inhaled it causes one to “see” things. In this instance it is black flies. It also causes one to go into a strange trippy frenzy in which almost anything can seemingly happen. One moment you can be flying, the next you may see zombies. And there is Johnny Desperation… (wait for the bonus!)
Fast forward to The Mind is a Razor Blade.. While flies are not here, there are black spiders. BrianSpiders, uh er.. I mean BrainSpiders. We also have a character named Indigo.. Kindav a, how should I put this, a ring-leader, of sorts. He seems to be a head guru for a cult following a demon they call Conundrae. And there is.. (wait for the bonus!)
The world in which this all takes place seems.. oddly familiar as well. When our lost soul awakens and starts to stumble around the city we see total chaos. Almost as if…
Ahh.. but I gotta wait to explain that.. THAT’S the bonus at the end of the review!
NOW, step backwards to Max’s novella Black. Charlie and a demon. Not flies, not spiders, but oh yes, indeed there are thousands of insects.. and.. of course.. there is the demon. While it’s never given a name (at least not that I can recall), for the sake of my theory, I’m going to consider it to be Conundrae.
Did that blow your mind?
Put simply, Max has weaved a very complex universe (and in only 3 books!). Yes, I may be trying to read way too much into all of this, but isn’t that the point? I mean.. If you like something you read, isn’t it your job to explore every shadowy corner contained within those writings?
But ZombieMall, there is not much of a review here! And what about the bonus?
If you have failed to see my review here, then to be totally blunt, you have missed the entire point of what I have written. And the bonus.. the bonus will be given in just a moment.
For now let me break it all down; Would I put this much thought and consideration into trying to connect these books together if I didn’t enjoy them? Hell no! Hell yes, I loved The Mind is a Razor Blade, and just because of my personal theory I WILL get Max’s next book just so I can confirm it for myself.
I’d say that, all in all, makes this one hell of a review, it’s a damn good book. Go buy it, hell buy all of his books.
You can get it here: The Mind is a Razor Blade
The Bonus
Okay kids, this bonus is for the Max Booth III fans. My theory that at least two of Max’s books are connected turns out to actually have some merit. Check this shit out; Johnny Desperation is actually in both Toxicity and The Mind is a Razor Blade. It took me 3 reads to catch it (plus some prompting from Max himself), but oh yes, Johnny is most certainly confirmed as being in both books. Plus there is this little bit that Max told me during a little chat:
Max Booth III: “Razor actually takes place as an aftermath of the drug introduced in toxicity. But I’ve never told anyone that before. Haha.”
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Howard Boling is a friend from way back. Warhammer 40k, rolling dice, painting miniatures, and general bullshitting is what we had in common… at first.
I discovered he was a wrestler (yes, what you guys call “fake” wrestling – but there is nothing fake about it) and kick-boxing. Occasionally we would spar; his favorite technique was to kick my shins until I could no longer stand. Come to think of it… I don’t think that I ever actually landed a single kick or punch on him…
That was always okay, I never wanted anyone to let me win. I wanted to win because I was better than the person I was going up against. In this instance, he was the teacher, I was but the learner.
A few months back I learned that Howard had published a book. I had no clue what it was about (at that time), I just knew that I wanted a copy because I figured that he could, once again, teach me something.
What I got in the mail was both a lesson and a book.
Hell’s Castaway by Howard Boling.
Within is not a tale of fiction, oh no. It is very much real.
As I read page after page, I realized that Howard was once again teaching me a lesson. Again he was the teacher and I was the student.
What did he teach me? It breaks down like this…
Hell’s Castaway is a book of poetry. It is dark and it is full of pain, and it is from the heart. That is what I learned, Howard had pain in his life, just as I had in mine. I never knew of this torture within him when I met him all those years ago.
I am sure we all have days that we just want things to stop, but we move on. We have hope that things will get better. That is what Howard taught me after all these years. No, not to have hope, but that others out there suffer just as I had, that there are others out there that were just like me.
I’ll let Howard’s words sum up my final thought:
You can purchase Howard’s book at Amazon.com here: Hell’s Castaway by Howard Boling
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Here… We… Go…
A New Year!
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is behind me and I’ve been able to finally catch up on some reading. Me catching up reading also means me being able to type out some reviews, so let us jump right into it! Enjoy 2015 folks!
Many years ago I was visited by something. “You are describing some kind of alien.” is what some have said. For me, they have become family.
It started with a bolt of lightning moving through my window while I was listening to a Spiderman record on my record player…
Over the years they would visit and teach me things. The most recent visit took me into their ship in which they showed me some of the methods involved in teleportation and time-travel. Yes, these are the good guys. But I digress…
My point is, these guys are among us, they are out there, and not all of them are the good guys.
I will also state that my ‘outer-world family’ are not exactly represented in Sean T. Page’s Alien Invasion Owner’s Resistance Manual. Published by Haynes (yep, the same Haynes company that does all those vehicle manuals – so you know this book means business!) this manual details various Slins out there.
What’s a Slin? I’ll get to that in a moment. ..
The important thing here is; grab this manual, you will need it. Grab it before those that be make it disappear.
That said…
This manual contains redacted entries. I literally spent a few weeks with a black light and a couple of top secret chemicals (okay, it was lemon and whiskey) just to read what those that be are trying to hide.
In my visits with my ‘outer-world family’ I was told about what they call Slins (told you I’d get back to em). Slins is their word for the other alien races out there that are intent to cause the Human Race harm.
When you read this manual you will never see mention of the word Slins. THIS is what makes the manual all the more credible, in my opinion. I know of that word, the one my ‘outer-world family’ uses as reference, and I know how Sean’s manual describes them. They are the exact same, and when you have two totally unrelated instances describing the same thing, well, it just adds up and leads to a more credible source.
It details many of the other types of aliens out there, the Greys being the most commons (think X-Files and Whitley Strieber’s Communion), although my ‘outer-world family’ are of similar physique and build they are not intent on invading us, no, they actually are more interested in helping us to grow very much like the Asgard as portrayed in the popular tv show Star Gate from a few years back(in fact, they even claim that that’s where the writers received inspiration for their show – from my ‘outer-world family’!). But… again… I digress.
Sean’s manual also goes into detail about the Little Green Men, Reptilians, Insectoids, and Nordics.
There is some frightening stuff in here, don’t allow my quick breeze over these topics fool you.
I think the copies of this manual that are out there may not be meant for the general population. I say that because many of the pages within have personal writings upon them. Almost as if some government official has expressed their own opinion about this potential invasion.
I suspect there is some guy behind a desk at the Ministry of Alien Defense that may very well be sweating his balls off over this manual having been published. There is some seriously sensitive information among these pages! I again urge you to grab a copy before it gets purged from the System!
Ministry of Alien Defense? What is that?
Well.. The explanation is in the name itself. Simply put, M.A.D. was put together to help defend against any Extraterrestrial threat. They even have some of my ‘outer-world family’ on the pay-roll. Think… Men in Black, only the European branch. Actually.. scratch that, the Ministry of Alien Defense has been around a lot longer than the MIBs. A LOT longer. They have secrets upon secrets. And… damn it, there I go digressing again… Sorry ‘bout that.
It’s great that this manual has fallen into the hands of civilians. While a large section of it instructs the military on how to respond to such an alien invasion, there is also loads of tips for everyone else on how to prepare and stay safe.
Sometimes the World Government thinks that the best way to keep us safe is to keep us in the dark, and perhaps in certain instances that may work, but with the information contained upon the pages of Sean’s manual, well… it may just save your life.
This manual can be ordered on Amazon here: Alien Invasion Owner’s Resistance Manual
You can also listen to my in depth interview with Sean T. Page on our sister site here: Author Sean T. Page Interview 10-10-14
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I’ve been in the realm of horror for a very long time. I really can’t recall the 1st horror movie I saw, although if I had to guess it was probably a classic like The Creeping Flesh or The Blob (original), possibly even The Exorcist. I was born in 1973, the same year that The Exorcist came out (and no.. I didn’t see it the year I was born), but I know that by the time I hit 9th grade I had seen it.
I’ve also seen many a horror websites come and go. Some have been great sites, others not so much.
What I have never been able to understand is why the ones that went.. went.
I established ZombieMall.com in 2006. I currently have it registered through to the year 2020. Yep, I’ve got a vision for this beast. And guess what? Once it gets close to time for this puppy to expire, I’m going to renew it for another long length of years. I’m in this trench for the long haul.
Perhaps the others lacked the passion? Mayhaps they lacked the budget to keep their sites running (although I can’t see that really, I mean.. $15.00 a month for hosting a website and $15.00 a year for registration if you go yearly – c’mon that’s cheap!). Either way, I never understood why some sites just up and disappeared.
Dude, what the hell is your point? Your title says Horror Geeks Magazine. Tell us about that already!
Yes, yes, you are quite correct. In an effort to get to the “meat” of the article, I needed to paint a little bit of a back drop.
Okay, it breaks down like this: ZombieMall.com has always been a site that I use to promote others in the horror genre. We have had grand opportunities to interview various people in the horror community; from authors, artists, and directors, to musicians, clothing designers, and comic book writers. Their works have been a blast to review and share with our readers.
You are getting off track again. Horror Geeks Magazine? Have you forgotten about that?
No, no, no, I’ve not forgotten. I’m done painting the back drop, now I’m ready for you to feast upon the flesh.
Horror Geeks Magazine is the newest horror mag out there. Only 3 weeks old at the time of this article being written, and already it’s website has had over 4,000 visitors.
This is where I pull the Saw tie-together of everything I wrote above (go ahead and queue up Hello Zepp, I’ll wait… got it? okay, here goes…)
I want Horror Geeks Magazine to stay around for a LONG time. I believe in what they believe in; bringing horror fans great information about horror.
I do not want this site to be a phantom ghost in a year or two.
It’s a FREE online magazine and that’s a great price at any price for the amount of rich content they already have.
Visit the site, give it your love and support, and help spread the virus word.
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Stressed Zombie Outbreak Sign : $24.00
Made from .040 aluminum, this 18″x12″ sign will let everyone know that the area is unsafe and is teeming with zombies.
Great for your home Bar, or any bar for that matter. Perfect for the door to your room, let everyone know to STAY OUT!
Click the flimsy looking fence above to see a larger image
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I had an opportunity to throw some questions at Max Booth III (you know, the author of Toxicity and The Mind is a Razor Blade) and he responded by throwing some cookies at me. I like cookies, so we sat down and ate of them. He also gave me some answers to my more burning questions.
Keep in mind that as you read this there may be spoilers about some of this works…
ZM: Maddox Kane, was he arrested or did he manage to find a way to go free?
MB: Nope, not tellin’. I left Maddox’s fate intentionally open. What do you think happened?
ZM: Addison Kane, How much $$$ was actually in the bag? I mean, I know that Ruth sated it was about 1/4 of the winnings.. but how much was it?
MB: Enough to start a new life. I never figured out exactly how much. I don’t think it really matters, to be honest.
ZM: Addison is not exactly a “good guy” and seems to have some underhanded dealings with her father, but knowing her background we certainly see how she got to where she is, how do you think Maddox would react knowing she lied to him?
MB: If he had known the complete truth, then he might not have gone back to King, and most of the events in the book would not have happened. I don’t think he would have been too angry or anything, either. He’s too concerned about being a good father.
ZM: King, Is he still making and selling Purple?
MB: Yes. Unless, of course, Maddox escaped custody and murdered him. You may never know!
ZM: Goths, They seemed to be able to “handle” Purple better than Johnny. I state this only because they more or less warn him of the things he is going to experience before it starts happening to him. When we see Johnny try Purple, it grips him fast and does not let go. Did the Goths see The Fly as well?
MB: Most of the screen-time with the Goths is purely hallucinogenic, except for their introduction in the school hallways.
ZM: The Fly, Was it real or was it just brought on as a “hallucination” from Purple? Did the world end for everyone or just for Johnny?
MB: The Fly was a complete hallucination brought on by the Purple. Or maybe it’s not. Maybe the Fly exists and the Purple opened Johnny’s eyes, like the sunglasses from THEY LIVE. Of course, I know, but I ain’t sayin’. Because, you see, I’m a jerk. The world ending is purposely vague.
ZM: Did you read my title for the 2nd book, Toxicitii ? You’re totally gonna use that title aren’t you? Aren’t you? The Fly said you would.
MB: Toxicitii will be the title, yes. Good call.
ZM: I know that you have written flash fiction before, were any of the characters or elements from that a foreshadow to what Toxicity became? Like, has The Fly or Purple or Kane been in anything previous? Does anyone from Toxicity show up in The Mind is a Razorblade?
MB: No, not really. Although I do have a flash piece coming out soon called “Kurt Cobain Murdered My Father” that is about somebody addicted to Purple. Look for it in Post Mortem Press’s anthology, 44 Lies by 22 Authors. Also, Johnny makes a brief cameo in Razorblade, yeah. Kind of early on in the book, for maybe two or three paragraphs.
ZM: I’ve gotten most of my answers for Toxicity, but next I’d like to delve into some.. other areas.. We may jump around a bit… What does the Demon Blak do once he comes up to the surface?
MB: Probably gets a slice of pizza.
ZM: Toxicity was, to me, a bit of a dark comedy. In The Mind is a Razorblade, is it a bit more gritty than Toxicity?
MB: I would say that The Mind is a Razorblade is more horror-themed than Toxicity by a long shot. Razorblade could also be called a dark comedy, but there’s a lot less of a Tarantino feel to it and more of a Phillip K. Dick feel.
ZM: I’ve got to ask a forced question, please don’t torture me because of it.. How much of your inspiration comes from the people you encounter while you are at work? Can you cite anything specific that got translated into one of your books or stories?
MB: For Toxicity and The Mind is a Razorblade, not much of my customer service history came into play. I will say that I’m currently working on a novel about a hotel night auditor, and that obviously comes from my own hotel experience.
ZM: Next I want to ask you about the process. No, not the process in how you write, I think every writer is different when it comes to that, but rather.. I want to know the process you found to actually GET published. I’m not looking for the “secret entrance” for a writer to finally see their work in print, but rather, what advice can you give to someone who has decided to get published? What is the wrong way and what is the right way to approach a potential publisher to pick up their work?
MB: My advice is to research your markets. If you see a company you like, approach some of the authors they’ve published in the past. Ask about their experience with the company. Figure out exactly what you want the publisher to do for you. What can you gain by going with them that you can’t by going with somebody else? For example, I was really excited to go with Post Mortem Press for my first novel because they are constantly touring around the country at book conventions, selling your book at places you would have never been able to without their hard work. That’s not something every publisher will do. The wrong way to pick a publisher is by agreeing to any terms and conditions and going with the first person to send you an acceptance letter. There are a lot of bad publishers out there. Most of them don’t know any more than you do. So do your homework. Don’t be greedy to see your name in print. Do it right, even if it’s slow and hard and bloody.
There you have it folks (that’s such a cheesy line, but it never fails to work for wrapping things up), a great interview with Max Booth III! Be sure to check out our review of Toxicity and be sure to stay tuned for a review of his newest novel, The Mind is a Razorblade! Remember it’s due out on September 18th and details to order it can also be found towards the bottom of our Toxicity review.
Stay Scary!
-ZombieMall
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February 25th, 2015
ZombieMall 
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