Nightmares, Comics, and Travel Plans

Aside from waxing nostalgic for ’80s movies and updating my blog layout, there’s been quite a bit stirring in my corner of the world.

A Nightmare on Van Ness Street

Some of the most exciting news I received recently is that my film, Everything I Needed to Know About Zombies I Learned From the Movies, will be participating in A Nightmare to Remember International Horror Film Festival.


The fest takes place Saturday, June 18 at San Francisco's Opera Plaza Theater. Join us for three hours of indie shorts, trailers, and general horror movie shenanigans, all presented by Horror Hostess Miss Misery (an awesome woman I had the pleasure of meeting at Wondercon this year). If you can’t make it, please wish me luck!

Panel by Panel

In other horror-related news, I also spent a good deal of time working on my very first comic book project. I learned a huge amount about comic scripting in a very short amount of time thanks to an excellent, patient editor (Enrica Jang, who is a marvelous comic writer herself. Check out her comic Azteca).


At this point, it’s all in the (very capable) artist’s hands, and soon I’ll have a link to share. All I can say is that it involves zombies (natch) and a certain favorite storyteller of mine.

Summer Plans

As if a film festival and comic project weren’t enough, there’s some big news on a more personal front: the Professor and I are in the midst of planning our first international trip together! We’ll be spending two weeks this summer in beautiful Thailand (mostly in Bangkok), hosted by some very generous friends. It still feels very surreal, but incredibly exciting.

Photo by D.Alyoshin

We haven’t had an adventure of this caliber since…well, ever! So, any tips and tricks for these newbie globe-trotters is most welcome.

Secret Breakfast Ice Cream

What a great weekend. Got some work done on some important projects, started a new co-op video game with the Professor (yay Lego Harry Potter), and went to the first outdoor dinner party of the season. Productive, relaxing, and fun.

The food at the party was delicious: roast lamb with mint sauce, oven-roasted purple potatoes, and sauteed mustard greens. However, what keeps haunting me is the ice cream that one of the guests brought for dessert.


I'd never even heard of Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream before yesterday. This made me doubly sad since it opened just a few blocks from one of the offices I used to work for back in my nonprofit days.

We sampled two flavors, Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee and Secret Breakfast. What's so secret about this breakfast? Perhaps it's the toasted cornflakes. Or maybe it's the Jim Beam.

I am not a whiskey person at all. But the combination of creamy sweetness, crispy cereal bits, and bourbon bite had me almost swooning.I'd never had anything like it. Paired with the coffee flavor, it was the perfect decadent breakfast-themed dessert.

I think a visit to my old work-stomping grounds may be in order soon. Check out this list of flavors that Humphry Slocombe offers. I'm so very curious about the Russian Imperial Stout flavor. Or the Peanut Butter Curry. Or Government Cheese. Or...

[Photo by Krista Garcia]

WonderCon 2011

I’m still feeling a bit loopy from a cold that’s had me on the ropes for a few days, so forgive me if I don’t make much sense. Today is my first day wearing real clothes (as opposed to pajamas) since Sunday.

So, aside from sniffling and coughing, what have I been up to? A little of everything: some crafting, some writing, some gaming, some good lifestyle changes. It’s been a busy time.

The pinnacle of the past few weeks was definitely San Francisco’s WonderCon. It boasts the same geeky spectacle as the huge San Diego Comic Con, but on a slightly more manageable scale.

I spent a glorious two days networking with other filmmakers, writers, artists, and crafters. I got to see some great costumes:

Potter Puppet Pals!

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Meet some interesting people:

Lloyd "Troma" Kaufman

The Mistress of the Dark herself.

And shop for some cool stuff:

Spoiled Cherry

The highlight of it all, though, was meeting Max Brooks.



He’s the man responsible for the Zombie Survival Guide, as well as World War Z (one of my favorite books). He gave a great talk. He’s funny, intelligent, geeky, and genuine. The kind of guy you want on your team for pub trivia night.

When I went to Comic Con last year, I gave him a copy of Everything I Needed to Know About Zombies I Learned From the Movies. Honestly, I had half expected he hadn’t watched it.

Imagine my surprise when he said that he had enjoyed it very much. It had creeped him out. It reminded him of an early Romero film, and he could see the passion of the cast and crew behind it. Gathering up my courage, I then asked if he’d be willing to give me a quote for the film. Right there, on the spot, he scrawled one out on the back of the DVD jacket:



Holy crap! My little six minute zombie comedy was not only watched by the man who helped revive the zombie genre, but actually endorsed. I’m still on cloud nine over that! Perhaps it's time for a cover redesign...

It was hard to top that. The rest of the Con was just gravy. Interestingly enough, the second I got into the car to go home Saturday, my voice gave out and I got slammed with the full cold. It's like my body knew it could finally give in and be sick after holding it back for days.

I'm slowly catching up on my writing and other projects. April is officially Script Frenzy month, and I am so far behind. Wish me luck!

Parrot Perspective

Yesterday I found myself inexplicably in the depths of the midwinter blues. Despite the lovely weather -- which offered clear, blue skies and mildly warm breezes -- I couldn't shake the feeling of restless melancholy. Blame the writer's block, perhaps.

I dragged myself to my weekly appointment in North Beach, and managed to emerge feeling a bit better. I still had a funky miasma about me, though, one I was sure would plague me for the rest of the day.

Until, I cut through my favorite little park. Though it's only a one-block plot of grass and trees, it's close enough to the water to get a nice salt wind. Even more importantly, it's home to one of the flocks of famous wild parrots.

Normally, they're up high in the eucalyptus trees, chattering and fluttering about. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found them all no more than a foot above me, perched in the flowering cherry blossom trees.




It was a riot of color and song, their vibrant green and red feathers standing out among the delicate pink blossoms. They feasted on the flowers with impunity, oblivious to the crowd they were drawing.

It's amazing what a gorgeous sight like this can do to lighten your mood. Especially when you look around and see that everyone else has the safe goofy, child-like grin on their face. And I do mean everyone: the tired nine-to-fivers, the hipsters, the tourists, and even the too-cool teenagers. Some were whipping out their smart phones and cameras, others were just standing there drinking it all in. We'd look at each other and smile, linked in temporary camaraderie.

It's moments like this that gently remind me that there is beauty in simplicity, and that things don't have to be as complicated as I make them out them to be. I left the park feeling lighter, happier, and 99.9% funk-free.

Thanks, little parrots.

San Francisco Dickens Fair 2010

Today is the day I put away my Christmas decorations. Which means I have one last chance where I can legitimately share photos of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair without it being completely irrelevant. Yup.

I'll admit, the husband and I were a little skeptical at first. We've been to our share of renaissance faires (both as participants and spectators), and were a little over the historical cosplay scene. Not to mention, neither of us are "Christmas-y" people, and Dickens was never either of ours' favorite author. Three strikes, yes?

Well, one thing trumps that all, and that's family. My brother and his lovely girlfriend have been actively involved in the Dickens Fair for years now, and have all but begged us to come see what its all about.

Refusing to disappoint my one and only sibling for a third year in a row, Lefty and I trekked out to the ass-end of San Francisco in the pouring rain to check out this bastion of Victorian holiday cheer.

The verdict?

We're getting costumes next year. Because this was too much fun not to be an active part of.

It's colorful without being campy, cheery without being obnoxious. Steampunk abounds, and spectators come in creative costumes ranging from the loosely inspired to the historically accurate. The participants are having a genuinely good time, which puts the spectators in a good mood. It was just...fun.

Lefty and I spent most of our time down at the "docks" with the riff-raff, quaffing cider, munching hot roasted almonds, and watching some pretty impressive live performances at Mad Sal's.

We also spent a lot of time hanging out with my brother and the guild he's part of, the Legion Fantastique. They portray characters from the works of Jules Verne, and their booth is an adventurer's hall full of treasures and curios. They had shows every hour or so blending "science, exploration, and imagination," including a "live giant squid feeding." You can see Archie the giant squid peeking at the audience in the photo above.

My brother Xander plays Michael Strogoff. His Russian accent is pretty convincing. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see him in his element. Really. How could I say no to this face?

You can see the rest of the photos below.

And now, I decree Christmas is officially OVER. Away with the stockings and ornaments until next season!

May Madness

It's definitely been an action-packed few weeks. Between job hunting, hosting out of town friends, and helping keep the Professor (a.k.a. the husband) sane during finals month, I've had my hands more than full.

Doesn't mean I haven't found time to knit, though, and I actually completed a pair of projects, which makes me quite proud.

Coffee Talk (with Linda Richman)

The most recent is a classy little cozy for my French coffee press:

This was born of practical reasons, more than aesthetic. Though pressed coffee is awesome and delicious, it also gets cold really quickly. I found a quick and easy pattern on Design*Sponge, and within a couple weeks, I had a lovely little cozy.

I used a trio of random vintage buttons I had in my collection. I picked them out in dim light, though, so I didn't notice until the next morning that the bottom button was brass colored! I kind of like it, though. Non-conformist button.

Flower Power

I also whipped up another little dishcloth, as a Mother's Day Gift for my Mama.

It may be hard to see the design, but it's flowers in bloom. I'd seen this free pattern on Kris Knits months ago, and knew my Mama would love it. I was right.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

You may remember the Striped Scarf of Awesomeness, which I completed JUST in time for the end of the 2009 baseball season. Well, it's 2010, and last week was the Striped Scarf of Awesomeness' first field trip to AT&T Park.

It was also my friend Erin's (center) first foray to the stadium. He flew in from Milwaukee to watch the Giants vs. Padres series, and it became a mini film-crew reunion at the ballpark when Abena joined us for game 2. Garlic fries, $9 beer, and many laughs were had by all. Good times.

Writing Update

Last I wrote, I had entered into the NYC Midnight Screenwriter's Challenge. I'm still waiting to hear the results of the first heat, but I'm feeling really good about the script I wrote. I got lucky: my genre was horror. More than anything, it felt good to have a goal, a disciplined writing routine, and to come out the other end with a script I may want to produce.

It's strange. Writing is like exercise to me. I bitch and moan about starting it, but once I have, I feel great. If I go too long without doing it, I start feeling weak and cranky. With all the craziness, I haven't had much time or energy for writing or exercise. But I've got that listless crankiness setting in, which means I'm overdue. For both. Gym today. Writing tomorrow.

Eye: My Zombies Invade San Francisco!

My short zombie-comedy -- Everything I Needed to Know About Zombies I Learned From the Movies -- is having its West Coast Premiere at San Francisco IndieFest's Another Hole in the Head Film Festival this June!

We're opening for feature film Reel Zombies on:

Saturday, June 6, 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, June 10, 5:00 p.m.
Roxie Film Center, San Francisco

Buy tickets here!

Come for the short, stay for the feature. You'll laugh, you'll scream...you'll get to watch the director (me) pass out in the theater! Good times!

*****

Seriously, folks, I am so flippin' nervous/excited I don't know where to begin. This is not only our West Coast premiere, but the hometown screening. HoleHead is probably my favorite film festival ever, so to be included in this year's line-up is an extra-special treat. Join us! First person to come up at the screening and tell me they saw this on my blog gets a free DVD copy of my film!

Eye: Sculpture at SFSU

"Solid Silence"

Clustered together tightly, an invisible warmth hummed under the bound stones hours after the spring rains ceased. No longer just cold ore and accidental geometry, the rocks had new purpose, a greater meaning in their placement between the concrete walls.

They were alive, as alive as stones could be, beauty and meaning infused in their granite skin like rebar tattoos. They were art.

Quietly absorbed, quietly forgotten.

Eye: Sights of SoMa

"Street Gallery"

The artists came in the night, one by one. Each left their mark on the condemned wall, weaving name and style together as one. When the dawn came, the artists vanished, leaving only their epithets for the waking city.

A gallery of scaffolding, canvases of concrete, dreams as bold and fragile as a fine mist of paint.

Eye: Spider's Delight

"Abandoned Aloe"

Only the spiders kept vigil, shielding themselves from the crystalline rain under the plant's sturdy fronds. They knew it was only a matter of time before their home shriveled in this industrial wasteland, but to the tiny arachnids, the slow creak of decay would span generations, and even the husk of their organic palace would serve as monument to their own eternal survival.