While at Scarefest last month (the largest horror and paranormal convention in the U.S.), I was invited by Bryan Renfro to do an interview on his weekly podcast Movie Meltdown.  This one was a real treat for me since, in addition to talking about my career and upcoming projects, we discussed the movie Aliens at length in a segment Bryan calls “Sofa Theater Feature.” Aliens is my favorite movie of all time, so getting to explore it with another aficionado was a perfect capper to my Scarefest experience. Lance Henriksen is also interviewed in this episode; his segment begins about 32 minutes in and mine at about 64 minutes.  I love how much attention Bryan gave to the movie...

As a comedian, I had to appreciate seeing this image of Deadpool in May’s Marvel Previews. Comic Leo Gallagher was widely known for his watermelon-smashing stage show back when I was climbing the stand-up ranks in the ’90s, but he was also something of a whipping boy. Though he was selling out huge theaters at the time, comedy purists rolled their eyes at his corny jokes and prop-heavy repertoire. Many snide remarks were made at his expense, but Gallagher achieved something that few entertainers ever have: the status of an icon. He made himself so familiar that his image is a shorthand cultural reference, and this Deadpool comic is proof of that a full twenty years after Gallagher’s rising...

A bundle of cash is a powerful emotional trigger.  In fact, human brain scans have shown that the idea of money stimulates the same primal pleasure centers as food, sex and cocaine.  So what does this tell you?  That if you’re going to use prop money in your film or photograph, you must make it look as real as possible for maximum impact.  Here is an abridged how-to guide to making a top-notch bundle of prop money: By a package of manilla-colored paper at your local Staples office supply store.  Have employees in the Copy Center cut it into 6 1/4″ by 2 5/8″ slips.  This will run you $40-$45 altogether. Get a stack of 100 one-dollar bills. Compress...

Last week I had the pleasure of joining Ben Jackendoff and Alexis Diana on their infectiously geeky show ComiCast.  I always think of my love for science-fiction as being born in the basement, so this simple, informal environment put me in a great frame of mind.  If any of you were wondering about my science-fiction roots, or how I came to write The Brain Eater’s Bible, you might enjoy this interview; I am introduced at about the 17-minute mark.  Thanks Ben and Alexis, and best of luck with the show!   Watch live video from trigglatv on Justin.tv

If Blackhawk Down with aliens is a mash-up you’d like to see, then get your tickets now for Battle: Los Angeles.  Too often, studios try to make a popcorn, sci-fi actioner, only to blow it completely in spite of a giant effects budget (Skyline managed to piss off even easy-to-please genre fans).  But Battle: LA knows its wheelhouse and goes all out to deliver in that arena.  Shaky-cam firefights with extra-terrestrials on a convincing, battle-torn streetscape is money in my book, and I got all I could handle.  Aaron Eckhart does a nice job of anchoring the cast with his role as a square-jawed, veteran Staff Sergeant.  His chops as an actor come in handy when he sells a few...

Some good friends of mine invited me to do the voice of FDR in a trailer for their upcoming shooter, Dino D-Day, which will be released this March through Steam.  I love the faithful attention they put into the media and propaganda of the WWII era.  The conceit of the game is best encapsulated in two words: Nazi dinosaurs.  In this inspired alternate reality, Nazis have revived extinct raptors, T-Rexes, and other nasties, and trained and equipped them for battle.  I was able to play-test an early version of the game and loved the rush of trying to bring down a charging triceratops by pumping rounds into it with my Garand.  Look for Dino D-Day next month… the guys...

My book, The Brain Eater’s Bible, is also a stage show – a scientific PowerPoint presentation on the dangers posed by a zombie pandemic.  I give the talk at colleges and science-fiction conventions, and had a great time at the NACA West conference this weekend, meeting with students to warn them about the PACE virus apocalypse.  For those of you who are beginning writer/creators, I would highly recommend this kind of direct interaction with potential readers, especially those outside of your own social circle.  You’ll get invaluable face-to-face insight into how your work will resonate with fans.

The human skull is an iconic symbol of horror and can be used to great effect if you’re building a macabre world. I made this distressed cranium on the cheap from a $25 plastic model kit. After assembling it, I filled the seams with Magic-Sculpt and sanded them, then stippled the skull’s surface with MMD Green Putty to give it a crusty texture. Finally, I painted it an orange-brown to simulate the protective coating used by archaeologists to preserve bone. I like this particular kit (which is hard to find nowadays but appears to be available here) because the teeth are cast individually. There are a couple of human skull kits available from Lindberg that you can get at...

As a creative professional, one of the biggest challenges I’ve had to face is that of “optimistic misinformation”.  Often, when I work on a project, my colleagues will pump up my hopes, telling me how likely the project is to become huge and how much money I’ll make when it does.  What they are saying is usually not true, of course, but I don’t hold it against them. I’ll give you an example:  Early in my career I booked a pair of national commercials for Budweiser, a landmark accomplishment for me at the time.  Both of the spots would feature me prominently and were to run in heavy rotation on network TV.  Since I was a starving artist, I wondered right...

When you’re a kid, playing with dolls and action figures is a great world-building exercise. The toys provide a nice jumping-off point, leaving it up to your imagination to create the characters, story, weather, and terrain. Your living room becomes a massive green screen where amazing vistas can be mentally painted in. When I see clever animations like this featuring toys from my childhood, it strikes something in my creative core. It realizes the fantasy I had that my toy figures would come to life and embark on extraordinary adventures.