Alexandre Philippe

Crowdfund This: Fried Comics’ ‘Red Xmas’ #1!

by Derek KraneveldtNovember 10, 2014

Well, I know what I want for Christmas. Just listen to this synopsis:

Kris Kringle just lost his wife in a tragic toy accident, and now he’s out to make all those little brats pay! When Santa-skeptic FBI agent Ellie Tewksberry finds her son Byron among the missing, she must fight alongside her wannabe-elf former husband to save him – and Christmas!

It’s called Red Xmas, and it’s a five-issue limited comic series by the insane dudes over at Fried Comics. Yep, these are the guys that brought you Deadskins and Pregnant Bitches of War, the series that Y: The Last Man and Saga creator Brian K. Vaughan called “A comic as audacious as its title.” and our very own Jonathan London deemed “The most messed up comic you should be reading.”

Red Xmas #1 is well on its way to production, and Fried Comics’ has decided to go with the crowdfunding route for the series this time around. Backers will be able to get their hands on digital AND print editions of the book, as well as tons of other goodies like exclusive TPB’s of Pregnant Bitches of War and Deadskins. Crazy things like editor credits and having ‘Your Name Presents’ on the front of every issue are also available if you’re feeling very generous, but just remember that every single dollar that you can offer up counts towards their modest $3000 goal… which they’re already 2/3 of the way to with 9 days remaining.

Want to know where your money’s going? It’s pretty simple:

Glad you asked. FRIED Comics only seeks enough to pay our artists a decent wage for their hard work and deliver copies to our backers.

Of course, a portion of our funds will go towards Kickstarter fees and taxes (on the project. Not, like, our personal stuff).

And if we’re fortunate enough to raise more than our goal, all additional money will go towards production of future issues.

Not bad huh, they just want to pay their artists and get this insanely unique book in people’s hands.

Fried notes that “RED XMAS #1 is well-into production and on track for a Christmas release in digital form. We’ve picked out our printer and will have materials in the mail shortly thereafter.” So backers won’t even have to wait long to get their first taste of this new Santa.

You can head to the Kickstarter campaign page here, take a look at a couple of sample pages below, and look below that for the short and sweet Kickstarter video! Just remember that this Christmas, Santa must die, so join the execution!

‘Doc Of The Dead’ To Open The Stanley Film Festival!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 26, 2014

Briefly: Following the film’s awesome debut at SXSW (watch the pre-premiere video here), and an epic premiere during Epix’s Zombie-thon, we’re ready to keep sharing Doc of the Dead with as many people as possible.

The Denver Film Society just announced the opening night film for this year’s Stanley Film Festival, and guess what film it is?

Yeah, it’s Doc of the Dead. Awesome, right? You can take a look at the full announcement below, and if you’re in the area, be sure to let us know if you’ll attend!

The Stanley Film Festival (SFF) produced by the Denver Film Society and presented by NBC Universal’s Chiller, announced today its Opening Night film and several special event highlights and experiences taking place at the four-day event (April 24-27). The Stanley Film Festival celebrates the best in independent horror cinema at the hotel that inspired The Shining. The Festival will host a full slate of films, panels, competitions, and special events – all at the beautiful and historically haunted Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Film Festival will open Thursday, April 24 with a Gala Presentation of an original documentary from EPiX, Doc of the Dead. Directed by Colorado filmmaker, Alexandre O. Philippe (The People Vs. George Lucas), the film explores the evolution of the zombie genre in film, television and literature, as well as its impact and influence on pop culture. The film features footage taken at the 35thStarz Denver Film Festival’s “George Romero’s Zombie Town Hall Meeting.”

“We are thrilled to open this year’s Festival with a locally-produced film. The Denver Film Society is excited by the strength of the work we are seeing come out of our home state and we cannot think of a better way to celebrate the iconic status of the Stanley Hotel than with a film produced right here in Colorado,” says Denver Film Society Festival Director, Britta Erickson.

In addition to the Opening Night film, SFF announced it will host a series of events, sure to satisfy even the most dedicated horror fans. Throughout the Festival, “players” of the Horror Immersion Game will use multiple media platforms and game elements to delve deep into a mystery/horror narrative that uses the Stanley Hotel and the Festival as a vehicle to engage its participants in a story that seamlessly exists concurrently with everyday life. On Friday evening, Fangoria Entertainment and ShockTilYouDrop.com will bring their Dead Right Horror Trivia from Los Angeles to Estes Park. Saturday evening, Glass Eye Pix will present The Stanley Edition of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE with hosts, Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid, featuring two brand new tales performed at the Historic Park Theater in town by special guests with films at the Festival. Additional events include a Murder Mystery Dinner Friday evening, Zombie Crawl Saturday afternoon, and a Big Wheel Death Race on Sunday morning, all at the Stanley Hotel.

“While we are incredibly excited to announce our full film line-up next week, we are just as ecstatic to unveil some of the atmospheric and interactive special events that will immerse our guests completely in the horror experience” says Landon Zakheim, Stanley Film Festival Program Director. “The entire weekend is designed to work as one big dark carnival.”

The Stanley Film Festival will celebrate their programming announcement this evening with an advance screening of the film Oculus at the Reel Mountain Theater in Estes Park. The film will be followed by a post screening Q&A with Director Mike Flanagan, producer and SFF alum Jason Blum and Producer Trevor Macy and an after-party at the Stanley Hotel.

FEATURE PRESENTATIONS:

● Doc of the Dead – USA (Director: Alexandre O. Phillipe, Featuring George Romero, Simon Pegg, Bruce Campbell, Max Brooks, Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero, Robert Kirkman) – Could there be a real zombie outbreak? If so, Doc of the Dead can help you prepare. This definitive guide to all things undead delves deep into the evolution of the zombie genre in film and literature, as well as its impact and influence on pop culture, to deliver a comprehensive, fast-paced, highly entertaining look at a contemporary social pandemic of global proportions.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

● HORROR IMMERSION GAME Bleeding seamlessly into the atmosphere of fear and suspense we are excited to announce the Stanley Film Festival’s Inaugural Immersive Horror Game, a real horror/mystery narrative using the Festival itself as its medium. Those who follow the clues opt in to the game, becoming the protagonists of an engaging and creepy interactive thriller culminating in an irreproducible climax you can never unsee.

● Glass Eye Pix Presents TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: The Stanley Edition An ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror from JT Petty (HELLBENDERS) to Simon Barrett (YOU’RE NEXT), and Kim Newman (ANO DRACULA), featuring players from Ron Perlman (HELLBOY), to Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM), and Mark Margolis (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). The Stanley edition will feature performers culled from the film lineup. Join horror impresarios Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden as they invite you to close your eyes and… listen. Learn more at talesfrombeyondthepale.com

● DEAD RIGHT HORROR TRIVIA HOSTED BY FANGORIA ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOCKTILYOUDROP.COM Do you consume horror as voraciously as zombies eat flesh? The hit Los Angeles horror event comes to the Stanley Film Festival! Join Fangoria’s Rebekah McKendry and ShockTillYouDrop.com’s Ryan Turek and test your horror knowledge in eight rounds of terrifyingly titillating trivia. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror. Trivia will be held early Friday evening at the Wheel Bar in Estes Park. Come with a team or join one there. All are welcome.

● MURDER MYSTERY DINNER Murder is afoot at the old Stanley Hotel. Guests of the festival are welcome to register for a night of intrigue and deception unraveling over a wonderful three-course meal as they become their very own detectives.

● BIG WHEEL DEATH RACE Guests will racethrough the expansive grounds of the Stanley Hotel on their very own adult sized big wheel, just like Danny Torrance. Festival pass holders will have an opportunity to race using adult sized big wheels on a course that runs the grounds of the Stanley Hotel. Registration will take place at the guest relations table for teams of four for a relay style race between 32 teams to determine one winner who will walk away with a complimentary stay at the Stanley Hotel.

● EYE HEART BRAINS ZOMBIE CRAWL When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth. And, now you can too. Converge upon the Stanley Film Festival in style by participating in a good ol’fashioned Zombie Crawl hosted by Eye Heart Brains, purveyors of the world’s largest zombie gatherings. The death march will move along The Stanley Hotel grounds and through the neighboring streets of Estes Park in search of brains. BRAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNS!!

IMPORTANT DATES:
April 3: Full Program Announced & tickets go on sale to the public
April 7: Press Accreditation closes
April 24: Festival Begins

To keep up to date with the Stanley Film Festival visit www.stanleyfilmfest.com, “Like” SFF on Facebook (Facebook.com/StanleyFilmFest), “Follow” SFF on Twitter and Instagram (@StanleyFilmFest), join the conversation using the hashtag #StanleyFilmFest

http://youtu.be/gZHLS2PwMKs

Couldn’t Make It To SXSW? Here’s What Happened Before The ‘Doc Of The Dead’ Premiere!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 14, 2014

Briefly: Just a few days ago, the Geekscape co-produced Doc of the Dead premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas (Jonathan’s hometown) to some pretty stellar fan reactions.

Overwhelmingly positive reviews for the documentary have also been rolling in, which we’re of course very excited about. Now, most of the world hasn’t had a chance to see the documentary yet (we do sincerely thank every single person that attended the SXSW screenings), but remember that those of you in the US will get your chance on March 15th (more on that later).

We had to take some footage from SX to show all you ‘Scapists. Helping to create and craft Doc of the Dead has been an amazing privilege, and we’re so happy to see so much positivity emanating from the finished product. Take a look at the footage from the premiere below, and let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing in the full feature.

Now, US readers, the film will premiere on EPIX at 8PM Eastern on March 15th during a 24-hour zombie marathon that will also include the television premiere of last year’s much-better-than-expected World War Z. Here are the details, straight from the press release:

Premium entertainment network EPIX announced today that Doc of the Dead will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10 and on EPIX on Saturday, March 15, at 8PM ET. The feature length EPIX Original Documentary, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, examines the rise and evolution of zombies in film, television and literature and the impact on pop culture. Many of the genre’s most influential figures are featured in the film, including the “Godfather of the zombie genre” George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), actors Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead), producer Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and acclaimed author Max Brooks (bestsellers The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z).

Doc of the Dead premieres on EPIX March 15 at 8PM ET as part of an all-day Zombie-thon celebrating the full range of zombie movies from a newly re-mastered HD version of director George Romero’s seminal cult classic Night of the Living Dead, with a special introduction by Max Brooks, to the world television premiere of this summer’s blockbuster addition to the zombie movie cannon, World War Z starring Brad Pitt.

Here’s a schedule for the Zombie-thon, or more importantly, where Doc of the Dead sits on that schedule:

6:00am – Zombies of Mass Destruction
7:35am – Night of the Comet
9:15am – White Zombie
10:30am – House of the Dead 2
12:10pm – Zombies of Mass Destruction
1:45pm – Night of the Comet
3:25pm – White Zombie
4:35pm – House of the Dead 2
6:15pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
8:00pm – Doc of the Dead (World TV Premiere)
9:30pm – World War Z (World TV Premiere)
11:30pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
1:15am – Nightmare City
2:45am – Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
4:30am – Zombie Lake

Watch An Exclusive Clip From The Geekscape Co-Produced ‘Doc Of The Dead’, Featuring Actor Kane Hodder!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 8, 2014

Briefly: Doc of the Dead is nearly here!

We let you know back in January that the film would be premiering at SXSW along the likes of Veronica Mars, Jon Favreau’s Chef, and plenty of other exciting features. Now, we’re just two days away from its SXSW premiere (Jonathan is in Austin right now in fact), and we couldn’t be more excited to show it to the world.

Of course, most of us (myself included) won’t be making it to SXSW this year. You lucky folks in the United States won’t have to wait long to see the film, however, as the documentary will premiere during EPIX’s Zombie-thon on March 15th (that’s just ONE WEEK away)!

To celebrate the pending launch, here’s an EXCLUSIVE clip from the film. It features Kane Hodder, best known for playing Jason Vorhees in Friday the 13th parts 7, 8, 9, and 10, as well as Victor Crowley in the Hatchet series, reading an ACTUAL LETTER from THE ZOMBIE WAR! Didn’t read about it in the history books? Then watch this clip to learn more about it, then head below for all the info about the upcoming Zombie-thon!

Doc of the Dead premieres on EPIX March 15 at 8PM ET as part of an all-day Zombie-thon celebrating the full range of zombie movies from a newly re-mastered HD version of director George Romero’s seminal cult classic Night of the Living Dead, with a special introduction by Max Brooks, to the world television premiere of this summer’s blockbuster addition to the zombie movie cannon, World War Z starring Brad Pitt.

Here’s the schedule!

6:00am – Zombies of Mass Destruction
7:35am – Night of the Comet
9:15am – White Zombie
10:30am – House of the Dead 2
12:10pm – Zombies of Mass Destruction
1:45pm – Night of the Comet
3:25pm – White Zombie
4:35pm – House of the Dead 2
6:15pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
8:00pm – Doc of the Dead (World TV Premiere)
9:30pm – World War Z (World TV Premiere)
11:30pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
1:15am – Nightmare City
2:45am – Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
4:30am – Zombie Lake

We can’t wait for you to see the film!

The Geekscape Co-Produced ‘Doc Of The Dead’ Will Premiere On EPIX Next Month!

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 12, 2014

Briefly: Doc of the Dead is coming!

We let you know back in January that the film would be premiering at SXSW along the likes of Veronica Mars, Jon Favreau’s Chef, and plenty of other exciting features. Today, we’re announcing the television premiere date for all of us normal folk who can’t attend SXSW and/or don’t live in Austin (like me… though I’m in Canada so that’s another story altogether).

The film will premiere on EPIX at 8PM Eastern on March 15th during a 24-hour zombie marathon that will also include the television premiere of last year’s much-better-than-expected World War Z. Here are the details, straight from the press release:

Premium entertainment network EPIX announced today that Doc of the Dead will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10 and on EPIX on Saturday, March 15, at 8PM ET. The feature length EPIX Original Documentary, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, examines the rise and evolution of zombies in film, television and literature and the impact on pop culture. Many of the genre’s most influential figures are featured in the film, including the “Godfather of the zombie genre” George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), actors Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead), producer Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and acclaimed author Max Brooks (bestsellers The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z).

Doc of the Dead premieres on EPIX March 15 at 8PM ET as part of an all-day Zombie-thon celebrating the full range of zombie movies from a newly re-mastered HD version of director George Romero’s seminal cult classic Night of the Living Dead, with a special introduction by Max Brooks, to the world television premiere of this summer’s blockbuster addition to the zombie movie cannon, World War Z starring Brad Pitt.

Here’s a schedule for the Zombie-thon, or more importantly, where Doc of the Dead sits on that schedule:

6:00am – Zombies of Mass Destruction
7:35am – Night of the Comet
9:15am – White Zombie
10:30am – House of the Dead 2
12:10pm – Zombies of Mass Destruction
1:45pm – Night of the Comet
3:25pm – White Zombie
4:35pm – House of the Dead 2
6:15pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
8:00pm – Doc of the Dead (World TV Premiere)
9:30pm – World War Z (World TV Premiere)
11:30pm – Night of the Living Dead w/Introduction by Max Brooks
1:15am – Nightmare City
2:45am – Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
4:30am – Zombie Lake

Sounds like a great day, doesn’t it? As Jonathan revealed in the announcement last month, he “wrote and directed the ‘Geekscape segments’ in the movie, which you’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em, and my Geekscape business partner Georg Kallert produced them. Who knows, you might even see a Geekscape character or two pop up in the film!”

Take another look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’re excited to see it. International distribution plans are still in the works, but we’ll be sure to let you know those details as soon as we can.

http://youtu.be/gZHLS2PwMKs

‘Pregnant Bitches Of War’! The Most Messed Up Comic You Should Be Reading!

by JonathanOctober 29, 2013

You know that old piece of advice “you are your friends”? Well, great. Because honestly, I’ve always tried to live by it. But then I read the first three issues of the controversial comic book series ‘Pregnant Bitches of War’ (gee, how could that be controversial!?!) and realized I might need to keep better company. This book, co-written by our Doc of the Dead director Alexandre O. Philippe, is pretty fucked up. It revolves around five women who happen to be at the wrong pregnancy support group at the wrong time (and space) in the wrong building when almost 100 years in the past Nikola Tesla triggers a time machine that sucks them into adventure… and pre-Nazi Germany!

I’ll sum up issue 1 by telling you that it includes a pre-dictator Hitler as well as some mammary sucking and a ton of guns and bullets. There really were moments in the book where I looked at the page and said to myself ‘now that’s really fucked up’ only to turn to the next one and find that it had just been topped. But that’s not to say that this is shock just for shock’s sake. This is actually a pretty good book! It’s really well written, the plot is insane yet the artwork and the pacing keep things very clear and engaging. A lot of comics over the past decade have tried their hand at becoming the next ‘Preacher’, with its outrageous story yet captivating characters. Only ‘Pregnant Bitches of War’ has gotten close. So it’s fitting that ‘Preacher’ cover artist Glenn Fabry did one for the series.

Issues 2 and 3 maintain the same breakneck insanity that issue 1 delivered and they actually notch it up a few times. Alexandre and his co-writer Clay Adams do a really great job of starting each issue with a disorienting reintroduction to the plot then yanking the merry-go-round to a stop right as you’re about to hurl only to start the insanity up again in a few panels. I’ll be honest. The ending to issue 3 made me queasy and it’s been a while since a book did that. Through all of the titty sucking, time traveling and rampant violence of the first three issues I found myself realizing that I cared about these characters and experienced their horrors alongside them. And the book does get pretty dark even as it’s careening around each turn. It’s one of the most unpredictable things I’ve ever read.

And again, this is not shock for shock’s sake. This is a really fun book with defined characters and a unique voice. Could it have skirted controversy by having a female creator on board (Issue 3 doesn’t have a cover due to creative objections by the artist)? Would this book have happened with a female creator on board? Well, Alexandre’s French so that has to count for something…

I urge everyone reading this to click through to the Fried Comics page where you can find the full first issue to try out. Hell, they’re only 99 cents, so if you don’t like it I haven’t even cost you a Snickers bar. Honestly, give it a read and try and tell me you’ve ever read anything like this book. Then also try telling me that you didn’t like it even in the least bit. It’s wrong, it’s twisted but it’s well done. You’ll probably find yourself as surprised as I did. Pregnant Bitches of War is a sweet title and one that’ll sure leave a taste in your mouth (and that taste is the taste of Nazi breast milk). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go rethink my friendship with Mr. Philippe.