Zombie takeover starts here. Village Invasion, Part II

What better way to round up 2011 than with the long overdue recap to the most zomBeriffic event on the East coast which invaded the quaint Village of Saugerties, NY for a second time this October. I figured I'd best be getting this out to the masses before the end of the year actually, you know, ended. So in my most evil fashion I bring to you--Village Invasion, part II!

A mob of dancing zomBies.

I'd like to thank all of YOU, the most zomBilicious bunch a ghoul could ever want, for coming out 1000 plus strong for scaring the life out of anyone you could and especially those who came out to photograph the entire death march through the Village of Saugerties. It was big, I mean THE BIGGEST I think Saugerties has ever seen when it comes to total zomBified take over and for this, I thank you from the bottom of my blackest heart. 



The mastermind behind it all.
Your zombie--Captain Cruella,
courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.



This year saw many new additions in particpating shops along side those who never batted a decaying eye to my first year zomBie insanity. We had Sugartown Vintage Boutique whose owner, Ms. Ashley Drewes, created special window decor complete with it's own zomBie fashion line and The Vault of Horror T-shirts. Sugartown also held a special screening of the Evil Dead, where Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror hosted the whole horrific event. Main Street Restaurant, The Dutch Ale House and Brianna's Full Belly Deli concocted a plethora of dark and delicious delights that titlated the senses for humans and zomBies alike. Lucky Chocolates decked themselves out in full on gore with a butcher shop and a finger food section complete with chocolate fountain. If you didn't stop there, you really missed out!

General  Smoller and the CDC,
courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.

Dave's Wine and Coffee Bar hosted the groovilicious Voodelic once again, this time rounding out their act with a black lite extravaganza and ghoulie Go-Go dancers. Inquiring Minds Bookstore hosted Hudson Valley writer and zomBie expert, Linda Zimmerman. The Hudson Valley Dessert Co. baked up brainy cupcakes and sported a most cadaveresque appearance which literally had the masses lined up and out the door. Another first timer, The Village Apothecary, got so into the spirit of things they handed out the antidote with nurses and zomBie hunter swat teams roaming the streets. They even had a most amazing store window display. I'm looking forward to next year Mr. Smoller...I say bring it on! We also had Vincent Price's,The Last Man on Earth, projected onto the Reis parking lot building thanks to the highly skilled and equally excited horror fanatic Perri Naccarato, owner of The Computer Guys, who really took charge of the entire thing. He even added his own town wide zomBified decor. Many thanks to Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror and to Perry for their amazingly good taste in horror movies-- Bravo boils! If you were roaming the streets you also just might have wandered into the lens of  JD Fielding of JD Fielding Photography,who came out last year with snap happy fiend, Del Higgins. Many thanks for shooting some of the nights horrific happenings-- the images are outstanding!



The Vault of Horror's Brian Solomon capturing all the gore on video.
Courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.

Another addition was Tyrannasaurus Rocks! who set up and played at the Donlon Auditorium rocking out the night with a laser light show and one kick ass female drummer who guided us into a performance from the one, the deadly, the zomBie GaGa. There' only one word to describe her and that word would be--zomBilicious.The Donlon also hosted The Healing Tree Massage Therapy group who read Tarot for any who were brave enough to know what fate was in teir future. Many thanks to Alicia Viola and all who gave a donation and helped support my crazy world zomBification plans!

Saugerties has become a true destination for those who have a passion for the undead. The second annual Village Invasion has shown me that. The talent, dedication, and skill of amazingly grotesque appearance from an entire Village of people, ( even those who came from out of town!) that zomBies are here to stay. Keep bringing your dedication to the craft of being horrific, Kittens. I'll keep rallying the masses. Viva la ZomBie and here's to next year!

Thanks to Diane Sirios for this beauty. The Village Invasion II
best overall costume winners! This totally kicked ass. Keep up the stellar work!

The talk-nerdy-to-me zomBie group. You guys can talk brains to me
all day long. Thanks Jess Miron, you ghouls deserved best couple!

The Official Village Invasion II Press Release & Map!

The Village of Saugerties is once again bracing for the ultimate zombie pub crawl, as the 2nd Annual Village Invasion is poised to take the Hudson Valley by storm on Saturday night, October 22. Last year, nearly 1,000 zombie enthusiasts from far and wide donned their ghoulish best to roam the streets and patronize local businesses. And this year, they’re coming back—hungrier, and in greater numbers. Not only that, but this year, the event will collect donations to help the victims of Hurricane Irene, which recently hit the Valley extremely hard.

“Some towns were completely washed away by the deluge here in the Hudson Valley, and it has left many homeless and even townless,” says event organizer Cruella Moxham, a.k.a. Captain Cruella. “I'll be setting up a donation drop box at select locations, with all the details of how you can help and what items are needed most.”

Nearby hotels are booking up, as Cruella gets the word out across a multitude of social media platforms including Facebook (http://facebook.com/CaptainCruella), Twitter (http://twitter.com/captaincruella) and Blogger (http://cruellascrypt.blogspot.com). The event kicks off promptly at 7p.m. along Main and Partition Streets, with many businesses staying open late to take part in the festivities.

Much like last year, this year’s event will offer many reasons for folks to show up and have a good time. For the second year running, Kingston-based funk-rock band Voodelic will be playing at Dave’s Wine & Coffee House. Additionally, just down the street at the Donlon Auditorium, Tyrannosaurus Rocks will be bringing down the house with what they call Zomstock, a parody of that other famous event that occurred in the area back in 1969. Also at the Donlon will be the night’s highly anticipated costume contest at 10p.m., with awards to be given out in categories like Most Gruesome Zombie and Best Celebrity Zombie (contest to be preceded by a performance from “Zombie Gaga”, winner of last year’s costume contest.)

As costumed cavorters make their way around town, they will encounter events happening at many other nearby establishments. Sugartown Vintage Boutique will be presenting a special screening of cult classic The Evil Dead, hosted by award-winning blogger Brian Solomon of TheVaultofHorror.net. Meanwhile outdoors, the Vincent Price favorite The Last Man on Earth will be projected for all to enjoy. Acclaimed artist Peter Smith will have his works on display, including his popular zombie T-shirts. Local bars like the Partition Street Wine Shop, Main Street Restaurant and Dutch Ale House will be doling out zombie-themed cocktails. The Village Apothecary will even be joining in the fun, handing out doses of the “zombie cure” to the public.

“I'd like our gathering to be the very first zombie event where we literally take over an entire village,” ambitiously proclaims Captain Cruella, who has become a bona fide internet celebrity over the past year thanks to the Village Invasion and other activities, including the series of horror films she hosts at the Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut. “Through dedication to the cause and all things horrifying, I know that my followers and I can do it. And it’s all for a good cause. So spread the word and Viva la Zombie!”

Over the course of the past decade, zombies have infiltrated pop culture as never before, with movies such as Resident Evil, 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead gaining cult followings; just one week before the Village Invasion, AMC will present the season premiere of its Walking Dead TV series—further proof that the zombie has hit the mainstream. Part of the phenomenon has been the rise of a colorful and devoted subculture of zombie-lovers that has helped popularize public zombie walks worldwide.

Those interested in participating in this year’s Village Invasion are encouraged to visit http://www.crawlofthedead.com/crawls/info/village_invasion_ii/ for more information, as well as the official Facebook event page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133979686675020).

Click the map for a larger, printable version!

Tha Voo wants you! And the Zombies do too!

What does phosphorescent fishnets, black light reactive body paint, a north-meets-south funkified attitude and zombies have to do with each other? If you were to ask Little Earl Lundy from Hudson Valley band, Voodelic, he could probably tell you it's a lot more than you'd think.Voodelic's music has been described as spicy funky soul stew and believe me, if you've never heard of them or been to a live show, it is that and much, much more. Recently I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with little Earl, who is the formidable lead singer for Voodelic, about their future plans, their newest album Conjure, and of course about zombies.

One of the best shots of the night taken by uber talented, JD Fielding Photography!

 
Last year you performed in all your glory at Dave's Coffeehouse and Wine Bar. How was that experience for Voodelic? It's not everyday a band gets to perform in front of a packed house full of zombies.
Well, we've played for some packed houses and we've played in front of some real zombies. Last years Village Invasion was definitely a first for us! Here's hoping October 22nd will bring in another house full of zombies!

Where do you get your inspiration from, as you're currently the most unique band in the Hudson Valley.
Musically speaking, Voodelic's inspirations are a big ol' mix. There's funk and R&B, gospel, 70's hard rock, and a kind of psychedelic swamp. 

Whose idea was it to don crazy voodoo get-ups that react to black light? And do you guys think it's enhanced your popularity?
I'm afraid that would be my little obsession. I started messin' with the black lights 'round about 2006, and every year I've just added more and more. Last year I think we did four black light Halloween shows. I've learned a lot through trial and error. The costumes have gotten pretty--colorful . As far as popularity goes, folks really do seem to get off on the whole black light thing. Voodelic is an experience band anyway, and adding another layer to that experience lets the audience get a little deeper into--Tha Voo. 


How do ya'll describe your music? And when are we to expect a world black light dominated tour?
That question gets asked a lot. I don't know maybe, Southern-Gothic Funk? A black light dominated tour, huh? Well, I'm ready baby!  But I'm not sure the other boys would welcome that path, maybe if the money was right--HAHA!

What was it like playing at Mountain Jam? Were there any brushes with greatness that really stuck with you? Playing Mountain Jam was magical. It was certainly the biggest stage and the biggest crowd we've played to, plus it was an incredibly beautiful day. The problem was waking up the next morning and realizing it wasn't gonna happen again that day.

It's been almost a year since the last Village Invasion, what have ya'll been up to?
Well, we went back into Millbrook Sound Studio and started recording stuff for a second album. Paul Orofino, the owner and engineer there, is just an amazing cat to work with. He's very intuitive with a great set of ears.

Considering we have a certain thing in common as the band Voodelic has it's fingers deeply embedded in New Orleans style voodoo folklore and early zombie culture also derives from that same ilk. Would you consider Voodelic and the Village Invasion a perfect match? And is your preference the George Romero flesh eating zombies or the Haitian voodoo revenge type zombies?
Why yes Cap'n, I certainly would! I don't know if it's a match made in heaven or hell, but it's a good'n for sure. I do not wanna ruffle any zombie-type feathers (as I'm pretty sure this audience is all about Saint Romero's sacrament), but the Haitian voodoo/Mississippi hoodoo zombies is my thang!

You're calling your gig on the night of the Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead, Night of the Living Voo is NOTLD your favorite zombie movie and if not, what is?
Of the modern bio-hazard zombie flicks, I'm a big fan of Danny Boyle's vision in 28 Days Later. Of the Voodoo variety, well, The Serpent and the Rainbow ... was a great ... book.

What can we expect from Voodelic in the future?
I don't do no scrying baby! The future can be a dangerous and unlucky subject but as for Voodelic's immediate future? I see black lights, LOTS of black lights!

Killer photo courtesy of Del Higgins Fine Art Photography!

Voodelic is playing this year at the Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead at Dave's Coffeehouse and Wine bar on October 22nd. Be sure to stop in, shake your booty, and tell'em the Captain sent ya! If you can't make this most zomberiffic event, ( I can't imagine what better things a corpse would have to do besides dance your pants off to the glorious sounds of Voodelic) You can boogie down these other nights!

10/10-FREE show at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY
10/22-Night of the Living Voo, BLACK LITE SHOW
10/28-Oasis in New Paltz, NY - BLACK LITE SHOW
10/29-The Fernwood, Palenville, NY - BLACK LITE SHOW
11/28-FREE show The Bearsville Theater, recorded for Vassar Radio!

Grave Matters II

It's that time once again ghouls and boils for a brainy babbling of epic proportions from the one, the only, the very dead Captain Cruella of the Carnivorous Cadavers. There's quite a bit on my mind this time so grab a cocktail, sit back and enjoy the slimy slippery slope!

• The Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead is in full on promotion mode and I'm delighted to tell you about the additional shops opening their doors for your corpses to shamble through this year. The Dutch Ale House, Main Street Restaurant, Inquiring Minds Bookstore, Sugartown Vintage Boutique, Dave's Coffee and Wine Bar, The Hudson Valley Dessert Company, Partition Street Wine Shop and the list just keeps growing! I'll be presenting a map once again and giving shout outs to the shops, pubs and restaurants participating in this years Crawl. In these online mentions I'll be talking about what they'll be offering to all you ghouls and boils with detailed information about their devious plans. I'll also be discussing the gifts I've been fortunate enough to receive from online and local merchants who love all things horror, and what treats are in store for the winners of the costume contest. ( And I'm always willing to accept more! Hint, hint...)  I'm also embarking on a very special donation drive for those who were flood victims from Hurricane Irene. If you weren't aware, some towns were completely washed away by the deluge here in the Hudson Valley and has left many homeless and even townless! I'll be setting up a donation drop box at select locations with all the details of how you can help and what items are needed most, so keep checking in! As always, we'll be crossing our rotten fingers for good weather as I've been planning and plotting with Brian Solomon, of The Vault of Horror, and Perri Naccarato of The Computer Guys, some movies to be projected on the Reis Building in the parking lot where the Crawl will begin. Speaking of The Vault of Horror, be sure to visit Cruellas Crypt along with his blog to see what horrendous plans he has up his sleeves for this night. It's sure to be gorrific! See you in Saugerties, NY on October 22nd at 7 pm, Kittens! And as always, Viva la Zombie!

You can imagine that this much water is never a good thing.

• Exciting news! You might have seen several posts about the Vault Keeper and I about us traveling to NYC to be in a pilot for a television series. Well it looks like things are moving right along and you might end up seeing our faces on yet another medium--cable television! Many thanks to Double Wide Media for the camera time and to the uber talented Kevin Maher for asking us to participate. He either thought we were perfect for it, or just perfectly nuts. Check out this photo for the promo! -Faints-

• The Rosendale Zombie Festival in the quaint little town of Rosendale is nearly upon us! My best ghoulie, Lara Hope, convinced me that a zombifying booth was in order. So this year I'll be there with my very own SFX table. Come drag yourself to my booth, say gaaaaaargh! and for $5 you will get the whole gory treatment! Booth opens at 11 am. So get there early and pick up a Village Invasion II flier and keep on spreading the infection!

• If you follow my daily zomBie shenanigans I'm sure you're more than aware of my human counterpart and Vault Keeping partner, the brainy half of the Terror Team, Mr. Brian Solomon, who just so happens to be participating in the ridiculously hilarious Kevin Geeks Out, Rip-off Cinema! at 92YTribeca on Thursday, September 15th at 8 pm.  Here's a paragraph I pulled from his Facebook page talking about the event, if this doesn't make you want to go...you're just not fit to eat! Kevin Geeks Out is the comedy-variety show hosted by writer-comedian Kevin Maher—a confabulation of vintage film clips and videos, new finds, guest experts, games and curiosities. To geek out with Kevin you don’t need to be a geek, you just need to love cool stuff This month, Kevin Geeks Out about Rip-Off Cinema, chronicling the “knockbusters” that attempt to capture the magic of E.T., King Kong, War of the Worlds and other big-budget blockbusters. The two-hour cultural cavalcade includes trivia, snacks, prizes and guest speakers presenting rare film footage and TV clips you won’t find on YouTube or Netflix! I've had the opportunity to brain storm with The Vault Keeper about the Halloween rip-offs he'll be covering, and let me tell you...it's not to be missed! You can buy tickets here and we hope you drag yourselves out and mingle with us!

Hide your children, the zombies are BACK!

 That's RIGHT! The Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead is in full steamroller ahead mode and we're working our fingers to the bone in order to bring to all you ghouls and boils a most gorrific time!

Please spread the infection as I'd like our gathering to be the very first zombie event where we literally take over an entire village! Through your dedication to the cause and all things horrifying I know we can do it. So Spread the word and Viva la Zombie!

Keep checking back here at CruellasCrypt, The Vault of Horror, the FB Cruella Moxham and Captain Cruella of the Carnivorous Cadavers fan page on FB, AND Crawl of the Dead for the freshest information regarding the devious delights planned throughout the town.

See you in Saughoulties, NY on October 22nd at 7pm Kittens!

Celebrating the 1st Cruella Anniversary--Direct from the Crypt!

Grave Matters

Grim greetings ghouls and boils! As you might know from reading my Facebook updates I've always got so much to talk about and it seems that I can never quite find the time to really post what's been brewing in my rotten head in bloggerville. After much zomBeriffic debating and an accidental decapitation, (totally my bad) I decided to take the advice of B-Sol of the Vault of Horror. I’ve broken my ramblings down into little snippets of brain bursts that spill forth from my extraordinarily evil mind. So without further adieu, I present to you my newest interweb folly I’d like to call… Grave Matters. Enjoy!

SUCKTASTIC.

·       I have been without cable television for just about eleven years now and I recently started watching a few HBO shows due to B-Sol turning me on to Game of Thrones and more recently, TrueBlood. While I thoroughly enjoyed the Game of Thrones, I can honestly say that even though I only watched one episode this past week of TrueBlood, if I didn’t see it again I certainly wouldn’t lose sleep over it. I guess I'm old fashioned in a sense where while I do enjoy the eye candy running around, I just can't handle all this sugar coated unbelievable supernatural crap. It feels like they just threw it all in there for the hell of it. I don't even know what it was attempting to do besides make it bad, and I don't mean bad in a good way. My first time seeing this I saw fairies, shape-shifters, witches, disco drag queens and vampires. All they needed were werewolves, which  I was later told by Mr. Solomon that indeed *sigh* they did have them, they just somehow didn’t make it into the season premier. Perhaps they thought their appearance might be too much?Really?!  You lost me Sookie. Sorry.

 

·       This past weekend the Terror Team stumbled upon Derby Day here in Connecticut, which just so happens to be the home of the fairly well known haunted Sterling Opera House. TAPS Paranormal Investigation Team and the Above the Realm Paranormal Investigation Team (who is the house PIT of this magnificently haunted place) have all investigated it and let me tell you, this was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had in a place that was purported to be haunted. We ended up getting our very own personal tour the following night, complete with perplexing photos, inexplicable sounds, first hand visual oddities and B-Sol with his very own encounter! Be sure to check it out over at the Vault of Horror's site as he posts this in a few days as we continue to weed through and upload all the data we collected.

You know you wanna taste of Troll II. Come on, have some.

·        TheAvon Theater in Stamford, Connecticut has some killer lineups this summer jam packed with some superb classics such as Alligator, It Came from Outer Space, Rabid and Troll II. Be sure to come and see us for Alligator on July 7th at 9 pm, win some Avon Theater passes and some other really swanky swag from some of the coolest online horror folks we know! This time I promise not even the end of the world will keep me from being there. Pinky swears!

·       The Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead is in full swing! Make sure to check in periodically here in the Crypt for more info, how to become a sponsor and all the creeptastic arrangements and events I’m working on to make this year bigger, better and BLOODIER! October 22, 2011 at 8 pm should be written down on your calendars. It’s the zomBipocalype after all!

·       Are you on Tumblr? If so, (shameless self promotion coming right up) go and follow Cruellasconcoctions! It's chocked full of unique and distinct cocktails either from the past or made with some pretty obscure liquors. Go check it out, but be warned...it's for those with discriminating palates.

·       I’d like to direct your attention to Post MortemFX, a new latex appliance and special effects design team that is going to slay the market with quality latex appliances and haunted house props. Owned and operated by JD Ellis and Brie Conn, these two evil forces proudly hand sculpt, pour, and paint every single appliance in house. They even have a spectacular collection of wounds a human might sustain from a zombie like myself. If you’re ever in their neck of the cemetery, Post Mortem FX appliances are currently being sold at Century Costumes in Orlando, Florida or you can order from them online. Their site is new so keep checking for updates as they post freshly concocted appliances regularly. If you do order from them, tell them the Captain sent ya!

Rock Bands and Zombies. On the set of a music video shoot!

Greetings kittens! As you may or may not have been aware I had been counting down the days until I was going to be dragging my corpse on to the set of a music video shoot. I was extremely excited as Blondie is a childhood favorite of mine, yes THE Blondie. Leading up to the big weekend I had been back and forth with the production company as to what I might be doing and how I could assist. I've worked in film before and have a background in special effects make-up. I was more than willing to be of help and realize now that I'll be rethinking those tactics if and when I ever do another shoot, I'll get back to that later.

The usual hurry up and wait game occured as it does at any shoot as the crew shot different scenes in seperate areas of the building and the surrounding areas. The time waiting did enable me to meet some really amazing people and I'd say out of the entire experience at least I walked away with that. I met another larger than life online presence, the fantabulous Isis Vermouth, who I secretly stalk online. Suppose my secret is out now kitten, I truly adore you! I did get to meet the band and hang with what I later found out to be some of their closest friends and learned that one of their sons is a fan of mine! Holy crap, really?!

The down side to all this is that I was so busy being asked to help with make-up that I started to feel like that's all I really ended up there for. I showed up as myself, Captain Cruella, as I was asked to do. I'm not a gory zombie nor am I a 1980's club going personality. I'm me. I'm unsure that my look fit what they were needing and instead of asking me to change to fit the look, they just ended up not knowing what to do with me. It went from me asking if I could assist to me being the make-up go-to person. I wouldn't have minded but after 7 hours of that I decided it was really time to bail, especially since I'm not being paid for time as make-up person and no one was reimbursing me to replenishing my supplies. I showed up on time, in costume and ready to go, unlike the majority of extras that I ended up doing make-up for--who by the way will be in this music video. Seems kind of shitty right? I'm not a diva but I did really feel slighted and it ruined my happy to be here feeling. I ended up walking off set when the producer yelled cut during a club scene. I couldn't go on pretending I was excited to be there as that feeling had diminished hours before.

To end on a positive note, overall I did have a great time. The people were fantastic and it was an experience of a lifetime. Even though I know I won't be seen in this video at least my skillful make-up work will be and I can now add a Blondie music video under my rotten belt. Viva la zombie and keep on rockin'!

Here are some more shots from the music video shoot, enjoy kittens!

Don't mind us we're just laying about with the other dead bodies.

Some of the beautiful people in thrilling outer wear.

Isis Vermouth and her zombilicious partners in crime.

What's a little blood between best ghoul friends?

The lovely Estelle hanging with Allen Midgette, the real Andy Warhol impersonator!

The Gore Gore dancers!

 

Mingling with the props on our down time.

Trying to stay warm on set which is sort of silly since we're all a bunch of the undead.

And here's the music video. I some how managed to be in it for about 5 seconds. Yay!

Blondie-Mother

Plus here's some footage from behind the scenes!

Blondie behind the scenes

Village Invasion Part Deux - Bigger, Better, BLOODIER!

**cue evil music**

Greetings, Kittens! I find myself once again here in the Crypt to talk to you all about a little shindig I'm putting together. You may have heard of it... The Village Invasion-Crawl of the Dead... II?

Yes indeedy! It's happening once again in the quaint Village of Saugerties, New York! It's going to be bold. It's going to be big. And best of all? It's going to be bloodier than before! I have all sorts of devious plans hidden up my sleeves and I'll be working diligently alongside my partner in crime and Terror Team-mate, Count Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror, concocting all sorts of ghastly goodness for all you boils and ghouls.

As always, we cannot do this alone! We need YOU, my dear minions, to make this event more zombilicious than before. Bring us your worst, your most gruesome, and above all help us spread the infection. This is your zomBirthday kittens, so let's celebrate all that's macabre with a garbled party cry of "Braaaaainsssssss!"

If you have a business you think would benefit from our endless promotion, or are a local business owner in the Village of Saugerties, and you'd like us to talk incessantly about you leading up to the Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead event being held on Saturday, October 22 at 8p.m., please contact us! We're always looking for sponsorship for prizes, and we're currently working up a promotions package to give us zombie overlords a way to keep bringing satisfying and meaty substance to the masses. We promise we won't disappoint you kittens. As you already know--we're practically VIRAL!

TShirtBordello Takes Over the Crypt

HELL-o Kittens! I know it's been quite some time since I've posted here in the Crypt. I'll use the excuse that I've been very busy working on new projects, which isn't all that far from the truth, as it's a real reason for my absence lately. I'll be blogging a bit about that in future posts detailing all the gory goodness I've been in the thick of. However, this post is about my ghouls over at Tshirtbordello.com.

Don over at the Bordello was sweet enough to send me a care package so we could share some really great prizes at some of the events myself and Count Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror have been hosting. The package arrived a few weeks ago, and here's a look at all the goods.

Upon opening my package, the scent of pure awesome came wafting out and yeah, it was indeed just that. I received several T-shirts, some kick-ass posters, key chains and this really killer zombie outbreak tape. (I'm thinking that I'm gonna need more of this, Don--the town I'm currently stalking is kinda big.)

Anyway, I'm pleased to say that the T-shirts were printed on heavy cotton, and the prints were outstanding. The posters, especially the Zombie Outbreak one, were printed on high-gloss, thick paper, and may not make it out of the Crypt, as I've grown rather attached to them. As for the key chains, I get complimented on them regularly. Who knew you humans actually looked at my car keys?

Currently, Tshirtbordello is running a special on their T's. It's buy-3-get-1-free, and if you sign up for their newsletter, you're automatically entering into the running for a daily free T-shirt giveaway! As far as I'm concerned, free T-shirt equals fantabulous, kittens. Also, if you send them a shot of yourself wearing one of their gorrific threads, you could wind up famous or infamous, and end up on their new site. As for me? Yup--I'm hooked. Now all I need is this, and my wardrobe will be complete.

Thanks to Don Meyers for being majorly zomBlicious and sending this zombie broad a box full of treats, instead of tricks. We here in the Crypt hope to see all of you kitty kats at one of our future events, and who knows? Maybe you'll end up with a Tshirtbordello redrum T-shirt like mine!

Tshirtbordello on Facebook
Tshirtbordello on Twitter

CRYPTCAST! Talking Nunsploitation with Miguel Rodriguez!

Greetings, kittens, and welcome to another very special podcast directly from inside the Crypt. This time, B-Sol and myself were joined by none other than our beloved West Coast counterpart, Mr. Miguel Rodriguez of the outstanding Monster Island Resort podcast. I gave Miguel the option of choosing anything in the world he would want to talk about--so I guess I should've expected he'd come up with something outrageous and interesting. And he certainly didn't disappoint...

Have a listen below, as Miguel, Brian and I go in-depth on that most maligned and misunderstood of exploitation subgenres--NUNSPLOITATION! That's right, we're getting into the habit right here in the Crypt, so join us, won't you? In addition to the embedded player, you can go right here to directly download the Cryptcast for your listening pleasure...

CRUELLACAST! EXCLUSIVE Interview with Filmmaker "Zombie" Dave Reda!

I may be the undead Captain of the Carnivorous Cadavers, but never let it be said that I'm the only zombie superstar out there doing my thing. On the contrary, there are a handful of individuals who are nearly as fabulous as myself, and one of them is surely "Zombie Dave", a.k.a. Dave Reda. Dave is a California-based filmmaker who has been making quite a few waves as of late with his most recent short film, Horror of Our Love. My Terror Teammate Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror and I recently had an opportunity to chew the fat--and the gristle--with the mastermind of Elftwin Films... Listen in, won't you?



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Eat Your Heart Out for Valentine's Day at Sugartown Boutique!

There's a reason I chose Saugerties, New York as the site of both of my recent zombie-themed extravaganzas, the Village Invasion and the Ghouls' Yule. It's quite literally one of the coolest towns in America, and there are always interesting things going on there. One of the things that makes it so special is the unique flavor created by all the local businesses in the area.


One such local business is Sugartown Vintage Boutique, owned and operated by Ashley Drewes. It's a funky establishment located in the heart of town, and I'm proud to announce that I'll be appearing there on Sunday, February 13 for a special event known as "Eat Your Heart Out"! There will a photo shoot happening, and a makeup demo given by your truly, so come down if you have the chance. In the meantime, I took some time out to chat with Ashley all about her store and the upcoming event...

Captain Cruella: First of all, thank you for taking the time out to chat with me about your fantastic little place.

Ashley Drewes: It's my pleasure!

Cruella: As someone who is a former shop owner, I'm always interested in finding out what exactly drives someone to open a shop. So why Sugartown Vintage Boutique, and WHY Saugerties?

Ashley: I grew up in Saugerties. It's my home, and I always wanted it to be cool. But it was actually always really boring. I left town at my first opportunity, but when fate brought me back, I knew I had to make the most of it. And lucky for me, Saugerties has started to get really cool--even being rated one of the top coolest small towns in the country! There's so many new shops and restaurants. And I wanted to be a part of it, this cool change. The name Sugartown was born from Saugerties.
When many of my contemporaries left Saugerties, the people they met out in the world couldn't spell or pronounce "Saugerties" so I often heard Saugerties lovingly called "Sugartown." I thought "that's perfect!" Because it reflects my love for this town, and it's kinda groovy.

Cruella: What's been the biggest challenge in running this shop so far, and how have you tried to market yourself so you can stand out in the crowd of boutiques in "Sugartown"?

Ashley: My biggest challenge was figuring out my niche. And truthfully, I don't think I've found it yet. So my next attempt was just to please everybody. I wanted to have a shop that was accessible to men and women of all sizes, and also to have unique gifts and accessories. And I wanted it to be affordable. I wanted to feature the creative talents of my friends and local craftspeople. And I think I've started doing all of that, and as time goes on, my inventory grows to continue meeting those goals.

Cruella: Impressive! I know I loved all the items I've acquired at the shop so far, and I can't wait to shop there again!

Ashley: Thank you!

Cruella: You are most welcome ghoulie! So talk to me about "Eat Your Heart Out" being held in your shop on February 13, and tell me what was the reason and the inspiration behind it all.

Ashley: When I was a kid, my favorite thing was to have a "dress up party." And I still to this day love getting dressed up with my friends for various events, and then having those photos as proof that I clean up nice! I thought what better way to introduce my store then to invite the world to come in and try on all the funky threads. Having you in attendance to do a makeup demo with Rock A Betty is just the most delicious icing on that cake. And having a photographer there means flattering photos for all.

Cruella: I am truly excited to sink my teeth into the makeup demo and clothe myself in some new threads for the event!

Ashley: Me too! You'd make a great mod zombie!

Cruella: Surely you jest ghoulie, and the boutique no doubt will help me achieve this look!

So for the record we have a photographer, Mr. Jd Fielding in attendance to shoot for several hours, McKinsey from RABB with make up samples, Brian Solomon of the Vault of Horror coming to cover the event, as well as myself doing makeup demonstrations and clothing modeling.

Ashley: Yay, Brian's coming!

Cruella: So much going on from 1 pm to 3 pm! And I know, this motley crew of "events" folks is quite outstanding right? What else can one expect on this day from the SVB?

Ashley: Well, there will be an opportunity to sample the LEAP Organics Skin Care & Soap line sold at Sugartown--the only shop in the area to carry this line, in fact!

Cruella: Zomberiffic!

Ashley: Also, I've been knocking on my neighbors' doors here in Saugerties, to see if any fellow shop owners have samples, coupons, etc. to add to the mix--truth be told, it remains a surprise even to me what we'll have to give away!
But I promise everyone's going to have a blast, and walk away with a sweet treat or two from Sugartown!

Cruella: NO doubt this will be one fantastic event. So now that you've been open for a few months, tell me what's in store for the future of SVB and where do you see yourself going from here?

Ashley: Well, February 26 from 7-9 there will be a concert and art show featuring some amazing local musicians and one very talented artist, Angelina Peone (also a Saugerties native). The winter months (being a bit slower) are a great time to collaborate with other creative people, and I have the perfect space at the store to have these kinds of events. I think this is going to be lots of fun, too. By spring, I plan on having an even larger inventory, and I'm excited to say I'll be featuring postcard prints from my friend David Radovanovic, a Saugerties photographer and graphic designer.

Cruella: It’s such a great area filled with so many talented people, and it’s really wonderful to see shops embracing the local talent for their inventory.
I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to chat with me, and I also want to direct people to your Etsy site because even if you DON'T live in Saugerties, NY you can STILL purchase items from a really fun person from a really fun store. Hats off to you, Ms. Drewes, and let it be known you're totally solo in your endeavors. Another hard working ghoul I hold close to my cold black heart.

Ashley: Aw, thanks, Cru!

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