Goth news and new Halloween, gothic and horror links. Bringing you into the darkness since 1993!
March 21, 2012
Dark Beverages for Goth Entertaining
Serve something perfectly dark for your next soiree or dismally elegant dinner party. While all the following taste more or less as delicious as any other wine or spirit, they're sold in such incredibly cool packaging, you'll want to display the bottles on a nearby table.
Bats Blood Wine
Bats Blood wine is made in Banat, Romania (an area the makers assure us is part of historic Transylvania.) It comes elegantly packaged in a coffin-shaped, red lined box.
Crystal Head Vodka
My best friends gave me this for my birthday last year. I loved it, and rationed it as carefully as I could bear. Finally when it was empty, I found it makes a great vase for a single rose, or a Day of the Dead style marigold bouquet.
Crystal Head Vodka on Facebook
Kraken Black Spiced Rum
I love spiced rum anyway, but it doesn't hurt that this packaging design evokes Cthulhu, steampunk and Victoriana. The website has a sense of humor, too - they even make a Kraken rum app game for smartphones. Anyway, I like to serve Kraken at my cocktail parties, leaving the bottle visible on the buffet so people can enjoy the cool dark nautical label.
Kah Tequila
"Kah Tequila was designed to pay reverence and honor to Mexico and its people." This Day of the Dead-themed tequila comes packaged in beautifully decorated skull-shaped bottles. Flavors include Tequila Blanco, packaged in a white skull; Tequila Anejo in a black-and-white bottle; Tequila Reposado, in a devil-decorated bottle; and a special limited edition Tequila Extra Anejo, in a skull shaped bottle decorated with Swarovski crystals.
Vampire Vineyards
Now I know you've heard of these guys. Besides Dracula wine, Vampire wine, and Chateau du Vampire wines, they also produce Vampire vodka and Trueblood Pinot Noir. (My favorite is the Vampire Cab Sauv).
http://www.vampirevineyards.com
Vampire Vineyards, on Facebook
Also some beverages of interest:
Trader Joe's produces and sells their own "Dearly Beloved Forever Red" wine in an El Dia de Los Muertos decorated bottle. Your local store may have a bottle or two left even this long after the Halloween season, if you're lucky.
Owen Roe Winery in the Pacific Northwest bottles a Sinister Hand grenache.
I'm amused by Armida Wines' line of Poizin wine bottles.
What might you serve as dessert to go along with your creepily bottled beverages?
How about a chocolate skull?
http://www.chocolateskulls.com/
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin
March 12, 2012
New Goth and Horror Links for March 20, 2012
DARK ART:
Don Kenn Gallery
I can't tell if this artist's first name is John or Don. Anyway, he draws fabulous monsters and spooky creatures, usually on post-it notes. From Denmark, he's a television writer and director.
DARK COMICS:
And Then There Were Zombies
This zombie webcomic updates every Monday and Thursday. The comic is set two years after zombies take over the world, and a band of human survivors has taken over a backwoods Pennsylvania house.
Paranormal
The Spooky Isles
"The Spooky Isles is a website dedicated to horror & supernatural in the UK & Ireland, including ghost stories, horror films and haunted and mysterious places!" I have been so impressed with this site's Twitter feed lately - they share the most interesting links and articles. The website is also excellent, covering spooky books, spooky films, spooky places, and paranormal news. Check out one of their recent guest posts, British Death Through the Ages.
Dark Side of the World
Vampire Lounge and Tasting Room
Ooh, from what I can see of the decor here in the photos, I love it! This lounge is located in Beverly Hills, and serves Vampire Vineyards wines. (The wines have evocative names such as Dracula Zinfandel, Trueblood Napa Valley Syrah, etc.) You can rent the upstairs lounge out for private parties, too. This looks like such a lovely place to stop in for a drink.
http://www.vampire.com/vampirelounge/
DARK SHOPS:
Cherise Clothing
This shop is located in Finland. They sell women's clothing, including lingerie and cocktail dresses, plus vintage pieces, hats, and even vintage sewing patterns. My favorite thing here is their Vendetta coat which they make to order.
DARK BLOGS:
Color Me Goth
"The not so daily ramblings of a goth of color." Dismantlynn is a college student who blogs about her life, goth music and fashion, and things that interest her lately. Check out her post about University of Michigan's zombie university class, and her fashion tips for warm weather goths. Check out her bustle skirt crafting project she's been working on!
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin
March 2, 2012
13 Newish Zombie Links
1. Zombie Lane
A silly zombie-themed Facebook game with almost 2 million players. A good way to waste time while you're bored and waiting for your friends to log on and comment on shit you just posted.
http://www.facebook.com/zombielane
2. Zombie Ammo
Zombie targets you can buy to practice shooting at. That sounds so much fun! I wouldn't mind taking a few pot shots at their creepy clown targets, too.
3. Zombie Zone News
A well-designed website with lists of zombie books, movies and comics; frequently updated news on all things zombie; info on zombie events; and several very active forums.
http://www.zombiezonenews.com/
4. Zombie Ranch Comic
An online webcomic about a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls - and their zombie herd. The comic is updated every Wednesday.
http://www.zombieranchcomic.com/
5. Zombie Roomie Comic
"John was looking for someone to split the cost of rent but got more than he bargained for when George, a zombie, became his roommate." Updates are posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
6. Zombie Science 1Z
"Zombie Science 1Z is a spoof lecture on the real science behind the undead." This is a touring entertainment show you can book for your next party or event. UK-based.
http://www.zombiescience.co.uk/
7. Long Beach Zombie Walk
The next Long Beach Zombie Walk downtown street fest will take place Saturday, October 27, 2012. It will feature a live concert and a Thriller dance mob.
Long Beach Zombie Walk on Facebook
http://twitter.com/zombiewalklb
8. Seattle Zombies
Sadly, this website hasn't been updated since fall 2011. But I bet once we get closer to ZomBcon there will be a lot going on here on this blog.
http://www.seattlezombies.com/
9. Monroeville Zombies
This museum, gallery and attraction is at a mall near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There's a Maul of Fame, a boiler room zombie walkthrough, a zombie boutique shop, and they're soon adding a zombie shooting gallery.
http://www.monroevillezombies.com/
10. Zombies of Montana
Info on upcoming zombie events in Montana, including a zombie prom and a zombie walk in May 2012.
http://www.zombiesofmontana.com/
Zombies of Montana, on Facebook
11. The Zombie Years
A post-apocalyptic zombie horror comic set in Florida. You can also view a short film, Thanks, Grandpa" that was used as a prequel for the webcomic.
12. The Zombiephiles
There's a lot going on here. "The Zombiephiles is an intermittently-updated, occasionally hilarious zombie blog discussing zombie survival tips, reviews of zombie movies, zombie comics and books, and general zombie culture." The site is packed full of things you'll want to check out if you're into zombies.
13. The Zombie Rights Campaign
"The world's premier advocacy organization for the differently animated." A humorous website, accompanied by a blog with pretty interesting posts on the topic.
http://zombierightscampaign.org/
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin
New Goth and Horror Links for March 2, 2012
1. Heart Shaped Skull
Aaron Alexovich's art and comics. Meet Serenity Rose, a sexually confused witch; singer and sorceress Vicious Whispers; and learn how to get back issues of Eldritch!
http://www.heartshapedskull.com/
2. Malaysian Lolita Club
"Gothic regional resources." This group has regular meetups and events.
Malaysian Lolita Club Group, on Facebook
3. The Bloody Best Project
http://www.thebloodybestproject.com/
The Bloody Best Project, on Twitter
4. House of Vampires
Jessica's blog about vampires in literature, film, movies, and videos. She also runs a vampire messageboard.
http://houseofvampires.wordpress.com/
5. Sophistique Noir
"Dark fashion for the mature." VictorianKitty teaches those of us over 30 how to dress in a sophisticated goth manner whether for our careerwear or clubwear. This is a highly recommended blog. I'm enjoying it so much.
Each month has a theme (this month's is gray) and you're encouraged to submit a photo of you dressed up. The photography here is excellent, and there are a lot of gorgeous fashions to drool over. I can't imagine how she finds the time to put together so many quality, interesting, useful posts day after day! If you're an eldergoth, a corpgoth or someone interested in classy, grownup goth fashion, you'll want to bookmark this site and put it in your RSS reader for daily visits.
http://www.sophistiquenoir.com/
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin
March 1, 2012
New Goth and Horror Links for March 1, 2012
1. Gravestoned
Amy O'Neal's excellent blog sharing her gravestone explorations. Recent posts include some interesting headstones from a cemetery in Ohio; a photo of a siltstone marker; and a beautiful epitaph hymn.
http://gravestoned.blogspot.com/
2. Shadow Element
Derek Emmons' gallery of dark fantasy photomanipulations. My favorite is Steampunk Halloween.
http://shadowelement.deviantart.com/
3. Holly's Horrorland
Holly collects and creates horror-themed curiosities. There's a lot of vampire content here. She also runs interesting contests, such as the Mad as a Hatter Model Competition.
http://hollyshorrorland.blogspot.com/
Holly's Horrorland on Facebook
4. Boston Area Goth/Industrial
If you live in or near Boston you already know about this group. Otherwise, it's great if you're planning a trip or vacation to the city and want to attend a local goth event while you're there.
Boston Area Goth/Industrial Group, on Facebook
5. Skullsville USA
This shop sells goth, punk, Victorian, skull-and-skeleton themed accessories, beads, and jewelry.
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin