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This Katamari Feels Fundraisersish

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(That’s probably because you rolled up nothing but interesting crowdsourced projects and fundraisers!) Crowdfunding and fundraising are two awesome things that I think the internet does really well. This week, I’m sharing some things I’ve supported lately. Kaleidoscope: Okay, so yes, I am starting with my own project! Kaleidoscope is an anthology of diverse contemporary YA fantasy stories that I am co-editing with Alisa Krasnostein of Twelfth Planet Press. We’re putting together an awesome collection of stories with teen protagonists by authors such as Ken Liu,

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My Superpower: Zack Drisko

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My Superpower is a regular guest column on the Skiffy and Fanty blog where authors and creators tell us about one weird skill, neat trick, highly specialized cybernetic upgrade, or other superpower they have, and how it helped (or hindered!) their creative process as they built their project. Today we welcome Zack Drisko to talk about how Not Being Satisfied relates to Ava Snow Battles Death… My superpower is the ability to not be satisfied. If I do a good job at something, instead of being able to enjoy it, my superpower identifies every single flaw and says, “Try again, dick. Maybe you tricked other people into thinking that you have talent, but you didn’t fool me.” This power might seem uselessly damaging to my self-esteem, and it often makes me a pain in the ass to be around, but here’s the thing: it pushes me to be better.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

169. Sharknado (2013) — A Torture Cinema “Adventure”

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode169TortureCinemaMeetsSharknado/SandF%20–%20Episode%20169%20–%20Torture%20Cinema%20Meets%20Sharknado.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSharks, tornadoes, and perverts, oh my!  In our first ever live recording of Torture Cinema, Shaun, Jen, Julia, and Mike take on the infamous Syfy monstrosity, Sharknado.  And, as always, we include a silly skit from the depths of Shaun’s brain right smack dab in the middle.  Make sure to catch the bloopers at the end! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 169 — Download (MP3) Intro and Discussion (0:00 – 2:22:40) Sharknado (2013)(IMDB) You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible.  Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks!  Thanks for listening.  See you next week.

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On Genre’s Surrealist Tendencies

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I just finished re-watching Groundhog Day (1993) (the Blu-ray 15th Anniversary edition, if you must know).  One of the things that makes this film so fascinating, even upon seeing it more than once, is its remarkably bizarre narrative.  You might say it is positively surreal in form, dragging us, and the main character, Phil, into repetitious situations without any way to ground ourselves in the real (pun not intended).  There are no fancy explanations for Phil’s “curse,” and in the process of watching him struggle with his identity in this new world order, we get a glimpse into a part of the human spirit that perhaps gets lost in the day-to-day hustle of life, just as Phil does at the start.  What may seem monotonous can be changed by human action:  we can change what we do,

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The Disquieting Guest: Sequels from Stony or Fertile Ground

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I saw Insidious Chapter 2 last weekend. When discussing the film industry, and particularly the horror film industry, complaining about sequels is about as useful an endeavor as seeking to arrest the rotation of the earth. Given that Insidious was one of the most profitable movies of 2011, a follow-up wasn’t just inevitable, it was a command from God Almighty. According to Box Office Mojo, on a paltry $1.5 million budget, the film brought in a  take (world-wide) of $97 million. For say, Iron Man 3 to have been similarly profitable, it would have had to make over $13 billion. So, of course, Chapter 2 has come along, and its more-generous-but-still-chump-change $5 million has already turned into over $70 million, and counting. Obviously, more is on the way. Almost as inevitable as its existence is the fact that Insidious Chapter 2 is a disappointment. While it has a few effectively chilling jump scares, and some nice

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