by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER EIGHT, PART THREE]

[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW]

[Previous Chapter]

The chances were good that the bodies would still be in chemical freeze at the Central Morgue, where Antonio Stelwyn and his wife had gone to identify their son. Haggerty had spent more than his share of time there and knew all the examiners by name, since his presence was required whenever a press under his jurisdiction had been judged unclean and he’d requested an autopsy.

As Elsa pulled the Corvair back onto the beltway, Haggerty popped another celtrex, reached into the storage compartment, and retrieved the com they’d taken from Corbin. “I’ve reconsidered your suggestion to contact agent Keenan,” he responded to Elsa’s questioning look. “We need to at least pretend to trust someone.” He punched in the code for Consuela’s office at BBI.

Keenan picked up at the first tone. “Haggerty?” he asked.

“What did you find at the Last Supper Club?”

“A dolphin in a tank and a dead girl in a dungeon with your DNA on her,” he answered. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors staying out there, Haggerty. Come in, tell me what you have, and I promise we’ll use all our resources to get to the bottom of this.”

“I’d love to, agent Keenan, but I’m as suspicious of my superiors at BBI as you are of me. I don’t know if I can trust anyone, you included.”

“I understand your concern,” Keenan said. “But it’s my job to—”

“My only concern is staying free long enough to prove the triple press was staged with criminal intent and prevent more copycats. So why don’t you help me by doing your job? Find the club’s owners and investigate everyone at BBI, especially Consuela. And run an autopsy on that girl with full toxicology. Because unless you or someone else cracks this case, I’m going to keep trying to.”

“Damn it, Haggerty, if you don’t—”

Haggerty disconnected the com and threw it out the window. “This is getting to be a habit,” he said. He laced his fingers together, extended his arms, and cracked his knuckles. The celtrex did little to dissuade what felt like a squadron of ants climbing all over his skin, but he couldn’t afford to indulge them just yet.

“That went well,” Elsa said.

“We’ll see,” Haggerty replied. “If Keenan comes up with anything I requested, he just might be trustworthy. Until then . . .”

The car’s control panel went dark. The engine seized. The car barreled powerless down the belt. Realizing the steering column was no longer under her control, Elsa reached for the emergency brake. Haggerty gripped the roll bar and braced his knees against the dashboard as the Corvair’s state-of-the-art manual braking mechanism engaged, thrusting the vehicle into a screeching fishtail. It jostled and jumped three slots, narrowly avoiding a collision with another car, then came to a jarring halt in the center lane. Smoke from the radials engulfed the interior and the surrounding beltway.

“Get out,” Haggerty shouted. “Before the emergency lane sweeps us!”

Warm clean air rushed into his lungs as they dashed across the belt to a slim maintenance walkway. He bent low, hands to his knees, taking long, deep breaths as the belt section beneath the Corvair broke free and slammed the car into the emergency lane amid a shower of safety foam.

“So much for trust,” he told Elsa. “They must have found DeAngelo and run the VIN number. Damn!” They had only a few minutes before the com call gave Keenan a fix.

Haggerty looked over the side of the walkway. A smaller pedestrian belt ran some sixty feet below. He’d never survive that steep a drop.

“Jason, there.” Elsa said. He turned and saw that she was scanning the edge of the beltway in the direction they’d come from. Her optical scanning systems must have picked up something his human eyes hadn’t noticed.

“What is it?”

“A crude maintenance ladder connecting the belts. It is less than half a mile back.”

The dim wail of sirens approached from a distance. Haggerty and Elsa ran for it. Haggerty’s lungs were in perfect condition but his determination faltered. Before they were halfway to the ladder he wanted to stop and dose. He reached for the unit clipped to his belt and clutched it tight as they pounded their way down the walkway. The sirens grew louder.

“We’re not gonna make it,” Haggerty spat.

“The hell we’re not,” Elsa said, gripping his shoulder and elbow and urging him forward.

Three police cruisers came into view as they reached the ladder. Elsa went over the rail and began to descend. As Haggerty followed he realized he’d left the stolen black box in the Corvair’s storage unit.

They rushed along the belt toward a switchpoint, encountering a half-dozen citizens, none of them wary. But it wouldn’t take long for platform scanners to find their trail once they were identified.

“The Code Six fugitive has changed his face with plastiche,” a female anchor on graveyard shift at Global Networks NewVada reported on an infocrawl as they jumped the rail at Mandalay Junction. Haggerty’s new face flashed across the screen. He pulled his hood forward. “Jason P. Haggerty is considered very dangerous. If you see him, do not attempt to apprehend him. Instead, please call—”

Two male JCs on airboards sat across from each other, their backs to the rails on the swiftly running belt, oblivious beneath Indranet telecast visors. Haggerty and Elsa moved ahead of them unnoticed.

* * *

“I see the morgue allows my kind,” Elsa said as they stood watching lowtech android attendants in blue overalls move past two armed and armored policemen through the doorless entrance of the lonely gray building.

“Not without an I.D. wristlet,” Haggerty told her. “Let’s look at the docks around back.”

They moved quietly down an alleyway to a loading dock currently in use, hiding behind a waste disposal unit while two male attendants lifted a coffin off a conveyor belt into a waiting limousine. Haggerty hoped it was not Tyler Stelwyn’s body, as the macabre solution to gain entry occurred to him. Again he might have the Indran woman to thank.

We need to get you one of those wristlets and a set of overalls, Elsa, he linked.

Before he could protest, she was walking toward the attendants. She stopped one of them, communicating via infrared transfer. Haggerty was startled to observe him unclasp his wristlet and hand it to Elsa, then sit motionless on a nearby bench. The second attendant continued loading as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Elsa secured the wristlet on her arm and returned to Haggerty. I’ll be able to obtain a uniform in the storage shed a meter to the left of the gate, she informed him.

How did you manage that?

by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: Zoetica Ebb / Zoetica

Mission Statement: A cosmonomad on a mission to explore uncharted worlds and harvest the strangest of plants for my documentation and public education.

Medium: Oil, ink, graphite, digital - for now. I'm going to be dabbling in sculpture for next year's Conjoined in 3D exhibit at Copro Nason.





Aesthetic: I'm exploring my fascination with Chapter 8 of À rebours and the concept of alien flora. My paintings are modeled after antiquated botanical illustration.

Notable Achievements: Owner of popular art and style blog, Biorequiem, co-founder of Coilhouse Magazine, designer of the GHST RDR jacket and skirt, creator of custom tattoos, SG staff photographer since 2006. Look for my next piece at the March 17th reception of Gag Me With a Toon at WWA Gallery in Culver City, and check out "Alien Botany" - my brand new limited-edition prints.

Why We Should Care: How many real-life Cosmonomads do you know? Come ON.

I Want Me Some: Visit: Biorequiem.com/shop





















***

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by A.J. Focht



Who needs an army when you have a Hulk on your side? The newest trailer for The Avengers aired this weekend as part of the Super Bowl ad lineup. The Avengers will be released this May and each trailer just makes it looks better and better.



Amazing Spider-Man also released its second trailer this last week. After the CGI wreck they released first time around, this second one was a pleasant surprise. A new trailer wasn’t the only thing to come forth from the Amazing Spider-Man camp, more photos and characters bios were released on the official website. Spider-man is looking up, but I still don’t know if it will be able to stand against The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises.

It’s starting to look like Hollywood is going to be packed with superheroes in the summer of 2013 as well. The Wolverine has a July 26, 2013 release date, joining The Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, and Thor 2 for the 2013 summer superhero season. Now, I love my superhero movies, but if Hollywood keeps putting them out at this frequency they are going to burn us all out. I personally have tired of the old X-Men series since the third movie bombed.

The big event happening over at Marvel Comics this year is Avengers vs. X-Men, but there is one other major happening -- Spider-Men. Not much was known about this till the last week when Marvel released a graphic of two Spider-Man logos meshed together. It is clear the logos are that of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Most are complaining, assuming they are bringing back Peter Parker in the Ultimates universe that Miles Morales now acts as Spider-Man in. I would like to raise a new theory however, they are introducing Miles Morales into the main Marvel line, or Earth-616. As the Ultimates universe is a variation of their main verse (the one Amazing Spider-Man takes place in), I argue that Miles Morales could exist in that world to. If he became a Spider-Man there, we would then have three Spider-Men, including the new Scarlet Spider. That puts Marvel half way to creating some Spider-Man knockoff of Batman Incorporated.

Marvel’s Spider-Men logo was small news compared to DC officially announcement of Before Watchmen. The series will star the Watchmen heroes in events that happen before the graphic novel Watchmen. There will be seven books total: Rorschach, Minutemen, Comedian, Dr. Manhatten, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, and Silk Spectre. Each issue will also feature a two page back up story of Curse of the Crimson Corsair. There has been a lot of talk about the whether or not DC should publish these comics. Allen Moore, the creator of Watchmen, had a falling out with DC and does not want them to use his properties. However, from a legal standpoint DC have retained the rights.

After losing their first choice for the female lead, the Evil Dead remake has cast Jane Levy (pictured in our header) to fill the role. Levy will be playing Mia, the equivalent of Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams. Hopefully this casting sticks as they only have about a year left since the film releases on April 12, 2013.

Despite the a low domestic gross total, Robert Rodriguez intends to make good on his promise to make two more Machete films. That dream is coming even closer as he has teamed up with producer Alexander Rodnyansky to begin work on the second film in the trilogy. Despite its low gross totals, the first film was a cult success and it almost doubled its cheap budget.

by Ryker Suicide

Ingredients:


(Serves 8 - I like to form the meat patties and freeze them for quick meals later.)

3 lbs ground turkey

1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cup-ish of Sriracha sauce, plus more for drizzling

4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

4 slices thick cut bacon

3/4 cup chunky Bleu Cheese dressing

2 large sweet onions, julienned

8 thick slices of your favorite cheese (personally I am a big fan of muenster with this recipe)

8 whole grain hamburger buns

Romaine lettuce or arugula

beefsteak tomato, sliced.

Directions:


1. In a pan, cook bacon. After bacon is cooked, remove and sauté julienned onions in bacon fat letting them caramelize slowly. While onions are cooking, start preparing turkey meat.


2. In a large mixing bowl, mix half of the Sriracha, Worcestershire, and pepper. Add in ground meat. Do not over-mix, and form into 8 patties. Refrigerate while onions finish cooking.


3. When onions are done, remove from pan. Either pan sear turkey burgers, or grill (to preference) until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Set burgers aside. Add cheese while cooking, or after, to preference.


4. In a small bowl, mix together remaining Sriracha sauce and bleu cheese.


5. Now it's time to assemble! Spoon some of the Sriracha-bleu cheese dressing on bottom bun and add turkey cheeseburger on top. Add two half strips of bacon, and a portion of caramelized onion. Top with another spoonful of Bleu-Sriracha dressing. Feel free to drizzle with more Sriracha. Add top bun, serve with lettuce and tomato on side.

Eat and enjoy!!!

by Nahp Suicide


[Holley in Maybe Baby]

Holley is from United Kingdom. She has been with SuicideGirls since 2008, and is both a model and a photographer.




How did you first get involved with SuicideGirls?

My friends had known about it for a while. I looked into it, LOVED the idea, shot myself a set, and the rest is history!



What's your background photography-wise?

I have a few photography qualifications, including a photography and digital imaging degree. 



What was the first photo you had published?

It was promotional images of a famous drummer for a drum case company a few years ago!




[Galda in Ophelia Fancyr]

How would you describe your style?

Arty and retro 



What gear do you use?

I use a Nikon D3, my favorite lenses (50mm and 35mm), and a reflector.

How important is Photoshop in your final images?

It used to be really important, but now I use it a lot less. Mainly now for the colors in the images and blemishes.



What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing sets?

Alissa and Cherry inspire me. I love how cinematic Cherry's work is and how crisp and amazing Alissa's work is. Also the model can be great for inspiration!




[Leon in Observations]

What is your favorite image?

Image 39 from Leon - "Observations

." [above]

Tell us why it's your fave and how you achieved it?

It's my fave because Leon showcases SG perfectly for me. She's so full of confidence and looks so happy here! I shot this set with natural light and used my reflector to bounce light back onto her face.



Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph that you haven't? (And tell us why)

There's too many.
I'd love to shoot either Annalee or GoGo. They are fascinating beautiful models.
Non SG wise? One day I'll have a live shot of Dave Grohl published.


[Saiylor in In Ribbons]

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by Damon Martin

It was all Dave Matthews doing.

As Kevin Smith took the stage at the Scotiabank Theater in Toronto while he was streamed out to hundreds of movie theaters across North America, the Clerks director admitted that it was years ago when he was at a movie, he saw a special announcement about a one night only Dave Matthews Band concert that would show all over world simultaneously in cineplex after cineplex.

The inspiration stayed with Smith for years. He dreamed of being able to go to his audience in a similar way, and this week he finally got his Dave Matthews moment. Kevin Smith: Live from Behind debuted on Thursday night, when the writer/director, along with good friend Jason Mewes, performed live in front of an audience in Canada, while reaching an audience of millions around the globe.

The concept was simple; Smith and Mewes would conduct a live taping of their podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old, and then they would move to a question and answer session. The questions would come from the live audience in Toronto and also via Twitter.

The 3-hour plus event showcased Smith and Mewes in their element. From a disturbing story about how Smith got obsessed with taking care of his daughter's tortoises, including how he stopped turtle rape (you had to see it to understand it) to Mewes waxing intellectual about the first time he penetrated a vagina, and how girls don't really have bushes anymore.

To look back, there really was no starting point to the show, but Smith and Mewes played brilliantly off of each other, and what was nothing more than a casual conversation between friends, turned into over an hour of entertainment for a live audience.

From there, Smith went into what most believe is his most perfect form of storytelling. His Q&A sessions, which are stuff of legend, including his iconic Hall H performance every year at San Diego Comic Con, and it's undeniably where he really shines.

For two hours straight, Smith, along with Mewes, answered question after question from the live and internet audience. Smith didn't shy away from anything. From funny and self-deprecating to serious and uplifting, Smith held the audience in the palm of his hand for over 180 minutes. When it was over, everyone would have gladly stayed for another three hours.

Smith has openly stated that after he makes his next move Hit Somebody, which begins filming later this year, that he is retiring from filmmaking. While many became sad at the prospect of losing such a funny and unconventional filmmaker, Smith's true talent lies in other areas.

He's built a podcast empire, with shows that typically rank as some of the most downloaded on all of iTunes, his public speaking gigs routinely sell out, and then he comes up with gems like Live from Behind where the audience can literally be anywhere and enjoy Smith's own brand of humor and candor.

The film generation may look at names like Tarantino or Scorcese when speaking about the greats of the last 25 years, but when all is said and done, with ideas like Live from Behind, Kevin Smith may be the most creative mind the entertainment world has seen in the last few decades.

If you missed Live From Behind the only thing I can say is the next time Kevin Smith does a live show, podcast or video stream in your town, run don't walk to see it. Even if you've never seen Clerks, Chasing Amy or Mallrats, just sit back and enjoy because it's really a viewing experience everybody should have at least once.

by SG's Team Agony feat. Rin

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Rin in Voyeur]

Q: My best friend fucked my ex boyfriend the day we broke up. We weren't really friends before he and I broke up, and a week later she tried to convince me to have a threesome with her and her boyfriend. When I told her I wasn't interested she told me that she fucked my ex. Should I be alright with it since we weren't really friends until the next week after he and I split? Should I be mad? Because I'm fucking furious and I'm not sure if I should be mad at her, but I know I should be at him because he lied to me and told me that he was still in love with me. What should I do? And I'm aware that this doesn't have much to do with SG, I just don't have any girlfriends that I can talk to about this and it’s tearing me up.

A: Your friend sounds like kind of a jerk! First off, she tries to 'convince' you to have a threesome (instead of just asking and then accepting your answer) and when you say no, she tells you about having sex with your ex. It seems like she did it to hurt you after you turned her down, and that is never cool. Although you said you don't have many girlfriends, perhaps you should start looking for a best friend who has more respect for you than this current one seems to! It's worth investing in friends who treat you like gold.

As for the dude, what a total dickbag. It's emotionally manipulative for him to say 'I love you' when he fucked someone else the day you broke up! That kind of behavior is so destructive and because of it he doesn't belong in your life in any capacity.

Your anger at both of them is completely legitimate. They acted in ways that were completely hurtful! My advice to you is to allow yourself to feel anger from the situation, but then to let it go and move on. If this was just a one-time douchey move for your best friend, then it's worth discussing with her why her actions were so hurtful to you. Really examine your relationship with her, though: girlfriends are there to support and care for us when we need it, not to have sex with our exes and throw it at us later. It might indicate a long-term pattern of disrespect and that is absolutely not what friendship is about.

Rin

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Blogbot



Millionaire Matchmaker, glam-goth reality TV star, mother, all round awesome person, and longtime friend of SG, Rachel Federoff, recently became a spokesperson to raise awareness for the dangers of the choking game. It’s estimated that between 250 and 1,000 children die each year from the practice, however hard statistics are difficult to come by since many coroners record such deaths as suicide. This is one the reasons Federoff got involved and reached out to SG, since she’s currently championing a petition and letter writing campaign to persuade our government to devote resources to the issue so it can be properly investigated. Though numbers a hard to come by, the choking game seems to be especially prevalent in middle school aged children, with the median age of death from it being just thirteen. We checked in with Federoff to find out more.

Question: What inspired you to get involved in raising awareness for the dangers of the choking game?

Rachel Federoff: I met two ladies on Twitter who are uber fans of me, Barb Dibben and Neecy Jarman. Neecy lost her 13-year old son from this awful act and told me about it [see ABC News report]. Being a mom, I was, of course, devastated to hear about it, and knew exactly what he died from as I had a close childhood friend die from it in high school. I felt it was so important to help spread the word on this and, as of Monday, the ladies asked me to be the spokesperson for this. I was so honored and touched to help be a part of making the world aware and hopefully stop more children from dying.

Q: Can you tell us more about the organization you'll be acting as spokesperson for?

RF: I will be working with Neecy and Barb and other non profit organizations such as the DB Foundation (Dangerous Behaviors). Both ladies received grant money from Pepsi Co. and we are looking at having the first national conference.

Q: It's shocking that kids are playing this "game" at such a young age. Why do you think that is?

RF: It's so crazy to me that people are so unaware of this as it's been going on forever. I knew plenty of kids that did it growing up. I think kids are always looking at new ways to get "high." If it's not whip-its, it's pot or whatever. Now it's getting high by strangulation. They think it's harmless but it's not. They really do think it's just a game, and when you're young you have that "I’m going to live forever" mentality.

Q: And I guess kids being kids, there's a lot of peer pressure involved...

RF: Absolutely, especially at middle school age like Neecy's son. He was just thirteen. That's why it's so important that parents are aware of this behavior and have open relationships with their kids. Parents need to teach their kids that it's not a game and will not make them "cool" if they participate. When I saw friends doing it I thought it was stupid and dangerous so I stayed away from playing.

Q: What resources are out there to give parents a better understanding of this issue? Are there any websites you could recommend?

RF: Sadly there just isn't enough and that's why people have no idea this exists and what it is. But there are some: GaspInfo.com and ChokingGame.net.

Q: What can people do to help?

RF: We are currently asking everyone we can to sign a petition and send letters to congress to make them open their eyes that the choking game needs to be addressed seriously. The more signatures and letters we send the better. All you have to do is go here. Also we’re asking people to post the link on their Twitters and Facebooks and anywhere else. We have over 1000 letters already! I also created a cause page people can join for more info and support.

Q: Finally, you know I have to ask; Millionaire Matchmaker is my guilty pleasure for many of us at SG. I'm totally addicted. What can we expect from the new season and when will it air?

RF: LOL Well it looks like we are scheduled to start filming Season 6 in March or April. As for when it airs, I have no idea yet. So many people are having Millionaire Matchmaker withdrawal. We're coming back, so hang in there!


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by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER EIGHT, PART TWO]

[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

Onstage, Zephyr strutted before the frenzied audience. The kids ran to his side and dosed. Tyler fell along with the others, his face ecstatic. The crowd screamed. This was the point where Corbin had halted their first review. Haggerty watched now as Tyler spasmed, moving in close and trying to read the boy’s mind through his eyes. The crowd kept screaming. Haggerty silently counted out the predictable physiological shutdown he’d witnessed in thousands of recorded deaths. Something was wrong. Did Tyler’s eyes register shock? The unit continued recording, going on and on for what seemed like eternity. At length the projection showed Elsa’s hand reaching for the unit on the stage. The transmission finally went black as the box entered the minthizine case.

“It appears that Tyler Stelwyn was still alive when I retrieved his unit,” Elsa said.

“There was no one at the press site to certify that vital signs had ceased before the bodies were removed,” Haggerty said, sitting back against his vault. “It troubled me at the time but I attributed it to crowd control and unusual circumstances.”

“Tyler Stelwyn may not be dead,” Elsa suggested.

Haggerty felt a surge of hope, immediately dashed. “His parents identified Tyler’s body at the morgue. Whoever staged this made sure the boy died.” Reluctantly, he retrieved the white box hidden beneath his sweatshirt and handed it to Elsa. “This is from the club. Analyze the contents, compare it to the drug you found at the scene, and return the unit to me.”

Elsa dealt with the closures of a dress not designed for her unique needs and ported the unit. As Haggerty expected, the drugs matched. He clipped the unit to his waistband as Elsa rearranged her dress, then laid his head against the shelf and closed his eyes.

“Now we know why those involved want the recordings erased, Elsa. We’re dealing with murder. Not merely of the son of the wealthiest man in NewVada but of Teardrop and Sunset, and accessory to murder of every copycat. The recordings prove it. But who can we show them to? We don’t know who to trust.”

“Have you considered enlisting the aide of Detective Woyzeck?”

“Woyzeck broke procedure at the triple press and had his gun ready to arrest me before the viewcast aired naming me as the chief suspect. Help me to figure this out, Elsa, if you can. Your logic boards may work better than my reasoning right now. Let’s go through what we know or have cause to believe.”

Elsa nodded consent.

“Max invented the drug, so he’s involved. Corbin’s arrival at the club proves she’s involved with Max. So was the lead singer of Clone Jesus, who came to the club and invited Traci to a party. Traci involved Teardrop and Regina’s brother, which seems to implicate Regina, although it’s clear from Sunset’s recording she had no idea he planned to press. And if I had any doubt about that, her reaction to the viewcast of the concert removes it completely. We’ve deduced that none of the kids knew that pressing at the concert would kill them, although we can’t be sure yet what Zephyr knew.”

“We haven’t accounted for Tyler Stelwyn, Jason. Why was he there? Was someone as wealthy as he likely to be involved with Teardrop and Sunset?”

“We don’t know that he was, Elsa. Neither of them was in his recording before the concert. He may have met them there for the first time. Probably he was involved with Clone Jesus for the high life — the drugs, the celebrity, the hotels, God knows what else. And we know from Regina’s pairplex that the other kids were fans of the group. Their manager, Shintag Lake, is probably involved. He told me he provides whatever the band members request, no questions asked. Woyzeck’s boss did his best to accommodate Lake’s demands when he had him in custody. He may also be involved.

“But who is big enough — or stupid enough — to risk incurring the wrath of Tyler’s father?” Haggerty wondered aloud.

“The Triads? We know that they protect Max’s club.”

“The Triads have worked out their arrangements with law enforcement to everyone’s satisfaction. I can’t believe they’d risk bringing the entire establishment down on them. Who would profit from that? It’s likelier that Antonio Stelwyn is in league with the Triads, and if they were even distantly responsible for his only child’s death, he would stop at nothing to extinguish them. No, everyone in his right mind fears Antonio Stelwyn. The only person I can think of who might not is Consuela. She didn’t bat an eye at the pain the Stelwyns revealed in her presence.”

“It was Consuela who told the media you killed Dr. Zabrowski.”

“Correct. And it was Consuela who hired Corbin and according to Corbin sent her after us, supposedly to save us.”

“Do you think Dr. Zabrowski’s death is connected to the triple press, Jason?”

“We can’t rule it out. But if so, what was the link? He hadn’t seen the recordings. He’d had no direct contact with any of the witnesses or victims. But he told me he was going to ask the Surgeon General to control the media’s reporting in order to prevent an explosion of copycats. That was before Consuela sent me off to interview the band members.”

“Who could possibly argue with his request for media restraint, Jason?”

“Someone who wanted the media coverage to be as extensive as possible, Elsa. Someone with something to gain if Doug’s scenario of a contagion of suicides played out. Or something to lose if it didn’t!”

Haggerty went pale. “It’s too absurd,” he said. “It’s grotesque.”

“What, Jason?”

“Think about it, Elsa. Doug would have required authorization from his direct superior to contact the Surgeon General. After Consuela sent me to the precinct, Doug would have told her about Cobain Syndrome and his intention to try to stop a wave of suicides. Was Doug killed to prevent him from going to the Surgeon General?”

“Do you believe that Consuela engineered the triple press?” Elsa asked.

“Can you think of another explanation for Doug’s death?”

Elsa considered what had been said and answered no. “But why would Consuela want children to kill themselves, Jason?”

“Maybe it wasn’t Consuela’s design,” Haggerty said. “What if she was carrying out orders? BBI is a subsidiary of the State Department of Public Health. Could the State itself want a rash of youth suicides as some bizarre means of population control?”

“Then why send agent Keenan to investigate?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time one branch of the government didn’t know what the other was doing.”

“If we present him the information we have retrieved thus far, he could clear you.”

“If Consuela and her superiors at BBI are involved, agent Keenan will be given false information against me. And whatever they come up with will be very convincing. This unit loaded with Happy Styx isn’t enough to prove my innocence. If anything, it could have the opposite effect.”

“But coupled with Tyler Stelwyn’s review —”

“You don’t understand the circumstantial evidence, Elsa. I had access to the units. They know I was with Regina and that she knew Teardrop. I stole a piece of evidence from the triple press site and withheld your copies of the recordings that suggest it was murder. We have to assume that those boxes have been erased. I’ve eluded the police and failed to turn myself in despite a Federal demand to do so. The fact the media was told I was responsible means someone in power wants to guarantee all this gets pinned on me. And the only way for them to ensure that is to have me dead. I’m even in possession of a dispenser of the same illegal drug that killed them.”

“But if you are in the custody of the Federal Bureau —”

“Then whoever is wielding this power can get to me and clean up their tracks after I’m out of the way. I can’t take that chance. There’s still something missing. We don’t know why Clone Jesus was involved or what Max has to gain. Let’s get out of here, Elsa. I’m not giving up until I’ve found out and exposed the monsters who think murdering children is sound social engineering.”

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

Related Posts:
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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part One

by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: Dylan Borgman / Seahorse

Mission Statement: I decided on portraiture a long time ago at an art museum. I realized how every time I'd look at a painting the first thing I'd ask myself is who is this person and why did someone take the time to paint them? People are fascinated by each other. What are they doing? Why are they doing that? The answer to that can often be found in the person's face.

That's how I fell down the rabbit hole. I started painting large oil paintings of people caught in the middle of awkward expressions. My paintings were imposing and bizarre, and while I liked the darkness and the strangeness I could convey with paint, it also dragged me down emotionally. Eventually, I decided that my scope was too narrow and that I wanted to try depicting other emotions you don't see every day like arousal. So my work suddenly took a turn into photographing Suicide Girls.

It's not such a strange transition. I've always also been a professional photographer. I base my paintings on photography, and ever since I began painting, I’ve been working with real people in uncomfortable situations. What I like about working with Suicide Girls in comparison to most of the so-called "erotic" models is that most of them have no formal modeling training and unlike most gigs, SG lets the community voice their opinions before a model is accepted so you end up with a lot of very motivated, courageous, and unique individuals.

A few months ago, an illustrator and friend of mine, Steve Curucu, who does a lot of nudes, even some with SG's, inspired me to try another stab at painting. So that's what I've been experimenting with the past few months with some very interesting results.



Medium: I started in oils working on a large scale. Most of my paintings are six feet wide or larger. Then later I got used to a Wacom tablet. Now I use both. My digital artwork is a blend of photography, illustration, and painting, but I don't limit myself by medium either. I weld, I work with beads, wire, rope, origami, I sculpt in clay, I program, I sew, I develop, I write - the list goes on. And of course I'm a photographer, that's the other side of my creative life.



Aesthetic: My painting aesthetics tend toward Joseph Turner, Vincent Van Gogh, Chuck Close, and Rembrandt. It's worth mentioning that they all share the virtue of being incredible color theorists, which is something I aspire to be. CF Payne was a local artist where I grew up and he was a big inspiration for me. His work is photographically based, and he works with multiple mediums layered one on top of another to create beautiful portraits. Illustrators also play a big part of my aesthetic. People like Bill Watterson, Ralph Steadman, and of course my father who is a cartoonist as well, all played a seminal role in getting me interested in art in the first place.



Notable Achievements: My work has been shown at the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Montgomery Art Center in Claremont, and I received the Golden Galaxy Award in 2001. Articles about me and my work have appeared in The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati Magazine, and Fixie Magazine.



Why We Should Care: I think people intrinsically care about art. You don't have to tell someone to appreciate a beautiful painting; they do it on their own. I've come to the conclusion that for me, art is about communicating to others the emotional energy of a moment that I have experienced. That's why I use strong colors and iconic expressions. If I've done this successfully then others will care because it reminds them of their own feelings or experiences. It's also why I like SuicideGirls. It's a community of extremely creative people communicating with one another visually as I do.



I Want Me Some: If you're interested in prints or originals contact dylan@dylanborgman.com or go to my web site DylanBorgman.com and click "contact."







***

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by Laurelin



There are a lot of things I remember about certain people, and a lot of things I’m sure I forget. A lot of the things I remember I wish I didn’t, some things make me smile, things remind me that I’m human, that things change, people change. I remember tracing outlines, wanting my fingertips to remember every dimple, every muscle line, every tattoo. I remember smells, sounds, songs playing before I drift off to sleep, songs playing in clubs when our eyes meet across the dance floor and I can just breathe in a beat. But always with these memories, I remember that things change.

I feel like I have already lived a lifetime of change when it comes to my friend Ben. I remember the first time I ever saw him, a fleeting moment of eye contact in a filthy frat house and I thought, “who is THAT…” and he was gone, and it didn’t matter because whoever he was, this was my boyfriend’s frat house. Ben and I wouldn’t talk much that summer, but I always remembered him.

Fast-forward to a year later, long after my boyfriend and I had broken up, and I was turning 21. It was a Tuesday night, and as the lights flashed for last call at my first bar my best friend Lisa ran up to me. I was drunker than I’d ever been before, and she was smiling as she gestured towards the door.

“I found him,” she said, “for your birthday. I found him, that guy from the frat house.” And there he was, she had found him somehow, and that was the beginning. It was a fairy tale in a sense, a sorority girl in a pink lettered sweatshirt and a smirking sarcastic guy with tattoos, something that didn’t make such sense but would be all and none of the sense I knew from then on.

It seems so far off now, but all those year ago I did love him, or I thought I did. We dated, we were inseparable, we would hit a rough patch and take a break. We would fight, like really fight; screaming and crying, nights where I would just want to die if he wouldn’t speak to me again. I did things that I haven’t done since and will never do again, things I can’t even say out loud let alone type. I am the most ambitious person I know, but I remember I wrote him a letter, saying that I could lay with him forever and be happy with everything I never did. Time stood still and moved like liquid at the same time. It wasn’t right, perfect to no one else but me. Then one day, he was gone.

When I say gone, I mean gone. Years together and then just gone, disappeared, fallen off the planet. It was one year almost to the day until I heard from him again. I can’t say what happened in that year; but finally, after indescribable hurt, I was eventually healing. Everything that’s happened to me since that moment has seemed like nothing I can’t conquer, every break up since then has been tough, but almost laughable. It was the longest year of my life, and then one day, it was over. 12 months later I looked down at the glow of my flip phone and recognized his number. I should have known better than to answer it I’m sure, but the apology on the other end of the phone was really a long time coming.

Add a few more years, a lot of bad choices (meeting his father for the first time while I was drunk at work at a strip club in a naughty nurse uniform), and a few good choices (endless concerts, dancing all night, swimming at the beach by moonlight, traveling to Ireland together) and we somehow found ourselves over the worst, over the on and off dating and finally, just plain friends. I don’t know when I stopped loving him, but somewhere along the line I finally found ME, and I realized that while I had always thought there was no me without him, that wasn’t the case at all.

Ten years later he would have the perfect description of what happened to us between now and then: “You moved to Boston, you found this life, this strong personality and you stopped being that small town girl from Rhode Island, that girl who just wanted someone to love her.” Our strong personalities clash, and one afternoon a few weeks ago I made a call, and he must have recognized my number. Ten years later, after yet another year of not speaking, I’m finally looking at him from across my bar. We’re both smirking with tattoos now, and I see our life together in a blur of colors, sounds, hurt feelings, songs and traced outlines. We order a round of shots and I rest my head on his shoulder, finally with my best friend again after all this time.

“How do you guys know each other?” my friend asks, pulling up a bar stool. Ben and I look at each other.

“It’s a long story,” I say, smiling.



***

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by A.J. Focht



Many a rumor about the upcoming The Avengers film has been laid to rest. On January 31, the official Avengers Twitter had a chat with fans answering the most pressing questions. For a portion of the chat, Joss Whedon was on hand and the ‘For JW’ tag started trending. One of the rumors squashed was talk of an Amazing Spider-Man cameo. Whedon personally put this rumor down.

More information has come out about Arrow, the Green Arrow pilot in production by the CW. Instead of tying the show back to Smallville and trying to capture that audience, they have really reworked the Green Arrow's story. Oliver Queen’s mother is still alive and he will have a little sister that seems to be a catalyst for most of the trouble he has to stop. Some DC characters will show up, such as Black Canary, but they will not play their superhero roles, at least not as of yet. The part of Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow has been given to Stephen Amell.

Marvel’s major comic event this year, Avengers VS. X-Men will be starting this March. Marvel has released a sneak preview of the Avengers VS. X-Men #0 where all the problems will start. This first issue sets up the crucial roles of Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers. The two most powerful ladies in the Marvel universe will be going head-to-head, each with a super powered team to back them.

Speaking of new comics, IDW Publishing, will be starting a Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms comic series. D&D fans have a chance to have their characters featured in the comics. You can find all the rules for the character creation contest here.

One of the biggest names in comics, Stan Lee, is launching his own website. You can sign up for updates from the site and a chance to win autographed merchandise right now, but the full site won’t launch till February 8. On top of contests and games, the sites main function will be behind-the-scenes looks into Stan’s new projects.

Zoe Saldana talked Star Trek 2 in a recent interview. While she couldn’t say much, she all but told us that there is more to come between Spock and Uhura. Star Trek writer Robert Orci also came out with a few comments, these ones directed at fans. In a fan driven industry like Star Trek, the fans are the best and worst part of it, and Orci has had enough of them second guessing him. In short, Orci pointed out that they did well with the first remake and that success has earned them a lot of leeway with the studio. He doesn’t promise the movie will be good, but he does promise it will be exactly what they want it to be.

On a final note, you can stop holding your breath waiting for Blizz Con 2012 to be announced, it’s not happening. Blizzard Entertainment would rather focus on releasing Diablo 3, Heart of the Swarm and Mists of Pandaria than wasting their time organizing another convention. This doesn’t mean they don’t love their fans and the convention will be back in 2013. As someone who has personally attended multiple Blizz Cons, they should take a break. Doing it yearly means they never have enough new news to justify bringing out thousands of fans from around the world. Hopefully, this way they will have something substantial to show us next time.

by Ackley Suicide

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Ackley Suicide in Project Exploration]

This week Ackley dishes on the tasty truth behind SG's Some Like It Raw group.

Members: 370 / Comments: 817

WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: It's a great place to get recipes and info on raw foods and see how it’s changed the lives of different SG Members.

BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine."

MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: We are kind of "Anti Heat" when it comes to cooking, wink wink, but we eat more than twigs and berries - I promise.

WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: I encourage anyone and everyone to join. Find out how you can add a little more life in your diet. See my before and after results here!!!


***
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by Nahp Suicide


[Dwam in Parallelism]

Dwam is from France. She has been with SuicideGirls since 2008, and is both a model and a photographer.




How did you first get involved with SuicideGirls?

I just applied (as a model).
As a photographer, it started when Sweety and Maedusa asked me to shoot them a multi. 




What's your background photography-wise?

I don't really have any proper background. I experimented a bit when I was in art school, then I just tried. However I assisted P_Mod for a while, and gathered as much knowledge as I could. 




What was the first photo you had published?

Hahaha, a band's picture in a local paper, nothing glorious.


[Dwam and Charlie in Self Timer]

How would you describe your style?

I don't know! Do I have a style? 
I think I like to see the girls impersonate a character, to create scenes, and to tell some stories. 



What gear do you use?

A Canon 550D, and a 15-55 and 50mm lens most of the time. 




How important is Photoshop in your final images?

It depends. Sometimes I play around with Lightroom, for color correction mostly, to add a mood or an ambiance. I also drew and added graphic effects on a few sets. Otherwise I edit as little as possible. I want to see real people, not plastic dolls. 




What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing sets?

Literature and movies, mainly. And the girls! Sometimes the girls evoke images and scenes, or sometimes I've got a very precise idea myself. Then I look for the girl that would best fit the idea. But usually I ask them if they have any idea, mood, or theme in mind, so we can work on it together. 






[Nemesis in Dorian]

What is your favorite image?

This one. [above]

Tell us why it's your fave and how you achieved it?

Well, it's a picture of Nemesis, one of my favorite people I met through the site, and it sums up pretty much everything I love: gender queerness, literature, timeless feelings. It's also a great memory. I love it. 




Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph that you haven't? (And tell us why)

There are tons of people I wish to meet and work with. But right now on the top of my mind I think of Glitch, Chunni, Lumo, Adria, Opaque, Shanti and Malloreigh. Just because!


[Dwam in Sun With A Moustache]

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by SG's Team Agony feat. Jaeci

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Jaeci in Be My Lover]

Q: I started dating my best friend about a month after we got back to college. I've known her since last year, and I guess we've always had feelings for each other. After about two and a half months we broke up. It wasn’t supposed to be a permanent break, but she made it a break up. I don't even talk to her anymore and I can't stand seeing her. It just hurts. I tried to keep busy, and between work and school it was working, but not really anymore. I've tried talking to my other guy friends, but that doesn't help much, and I don't have many girl friends to talk to. I'm not over her. I've tried talking to her, but I can't find the words I want to say when I do. I just want to be over her and move on, but still part of me wants to be with her. It's frustrating. What do I do?

A: This kind of problem normally resolves itself with time...but not all of us are so patient. These brilliant words of wisdom are for anyone who just can't get over an ex despite a short romantic relationship.

• 1. Find a wing (wo)man -- be selective -- and make some plans to go out somewhere you might encounter some moderately attractive people.


• 2A. Take a shower before you go out. Don't trim/groom/shave everything perfectly though, it'll a guarantee you will not get laid.


• 2B. Get yourself off before you go out. It will help you relax, I swear.


• 3. Make sure you look spiffy. Wear your second favorite underwear -- wearing your hottest stuff is another guarantee no one will get in your pants.


• 4. Let your wing (wo)man remind you that there is plenty of fine tail out there (and by fine tail, I might be referring to a super stellar (wo)man who could possibly, eventually be into you if (s)he doesn't feel negatively objectified by your sexual advances. Treat all fine tail with respect.)


• 5. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get yourself some action. Be smart and use protection -- the last thing you need is something iffy going on south of the border. Do not think about your ex while you're having sex with someone new. Do not say your ex's name. Do not cry. Do not tell new bedmate you love him/her. Do not ask for Fruity Pebbles/Tofurkey on rye/whatever your ex's favorite post-coital snack was.


• 6. If you stay at his/her place, remember your manners. Be a gentleman -- if (s)he stays over, offer a coffee in the morning. Ladies, we can behave like gentlemen too.


• 7. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Happy rebounding

Jaeci

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Justin R. Beckner



Jeremy Kasten has forged a name for himself in the filmmaking business as a brilliant, ego free person whose resume includes producing, directing, and editing films and feature content. Some may remember Kasten’s work on the Suicide Girls Must Die film or The Wizard of Gore which also starred several Suicide Girls along with Crispin Glover. When he’s not directing feature films, he spends his time editing behind the scenes footage for major films including Step Brothers, Spider Man 3, and Water for Elephants to name but a few. We caught up with Kasten to discuss his most recent work, The Theatre Bizzare which opens January 27th, 2012 in select cities.
The Theatre Bizzare takes a rare and unique approach to the horror genre. The movie is comprised of six segments, each with its own director: Buddy Giovinazzo (“I Love You”), Douglas Buck (“The Accident”), David Gregory (“Sweets”), Karim Hussain (“Vision Stains”), Tom Savini (“Wet Dreams”) and Richard Stanley (“Mother of the Toads”). Jeremy Kasten was given the demanding job of tying all the segments together with a cohesive storyline of his own featuring the legendary Udo Keir.
For cities and screenings, check out The Theatre Bizzare Facebook page. If you’re a fan of horror films, you won’t want to miss this summit of brilliant directors doing what they do best.

Justin R. Beckner: May I start off by saying how much I enjoyed The Theatre Bizzare. I’ve always been a fan or horror films and I’m not quite sure why. Why do you think people are so drawn to horror films? Why do people like to be scared from time to time?

Jeremy Kasten: I think movies in general are cheap thrills. There are lots of ways people get thrills – there’s chick flicks where you get emotionally attached to the character and then you get worked up. Then there’s the shock factor which goes all the way back to silent film, The Kiss, where people were first seen kissing in a film. I think horror taps into that primordial part of our brain that responds to fear because fear is a part of us. There’s another way horror affects us in a more surreal way where a film can replicate the experience of having a nightmare. It’s like when you have a nightmare and you wake up and you’re happy to be alive, So I think horror movies can tap into our fears and affect us in that kind of way.

JB: The Theatre Bizzare is a very unique movie in that it is several short story style films within a film – each with its own director. How did all of the directors come together for this unique style of film?

JK: David Gregory and the executive producers handpicked the directors to make the film. I came on after all the films were written and a couple of the directors had already made their films but they did not have a director for the wrap around at that point. I suspect that because of the film The Wizard of Gore, which I did with SuicideGirls, they knew I could deliver a theatrical Grand-Guignol quality to the wrap around part and hold the movie together. They knew they wanted it set in a theatre, they knew they wanted some sort of lead character who would pull you through all of those short stories and give a sense of grounding to the overall story. So I got together with Zach Chassler who is my creative partner who writes a lot of my movies and he had some great ideas. I knew I wanted to do something automatons so we put our heads together and we came up with the idea that became what you see in the film after Udo [Keir] came in and added his own specific and phenomenal sensibility to it.

JB: I noticed several connections between HP Lovecraft stories and the stories in the film. Was that an intentional parallel or simply the result of each director’s influences showing through?

JK: HP Lovecraft has been a huge influence on every horror filmmaker in the twentieth century. I don’t know if it was intentional but it’s hard to look at a horror movie from the era that Lovecraft is known and not see an influence on the movie. I know that there are a couple scenes in a couple of the films that are pure Lovecraft influence – it’s not like anyone talked about it, but it’s certainly there. David Gregory took away a lot of the constraints on the directors for this film and I think that freed them up to let that Lovecraft influence shine.

JB: Did you and the other directors work in close proximity throughout the making of the film?

JK: I’m not sure anybody knew each other until this film happened. I knew David Gregory, the producer – he brought me on – but I didn’t know any of the other directors and I’m not sure that they knew each other. We’ve been to film festivals and done panels together and we all get along very well but there was not of communication among the filmmakers leading up to the movie other than reading each other’s scripts. Because I was doing the wrap around I was given all the scripts and was able to get a glimpse at a couple of the films before making the wrap around. We really all met at the first film festival the movie was at. There wasn’t a lot of communications between us until the movie was done. Since the movie has been done, we’ve formed some friendships that I think will last a long time. I was really glad to have the opportunity to work alongside some filmmakers that I admire and some of them I’ve even been influenced by their work.

JB: The Theatre Bizzare opens on Friday, January 27th, where can people go to check out this movie?

JK: It’s opening in select cities which can be found on the film’s Facebook page or at Shocktillyoudrop.com. Its opening this weekend and then they’re doing a platform release over the next couple weeks in other cities. Then eventually it will be coming out on DVD and will be available in that format as well. But if you look on the Facebook page and the film is not paying in your city, you can demand it on there and a theatre chain in your city will be more likely to book it. That’s the way it goes these days in the movie business. All the theatre has to do is pay for a person to run the projector, so if they know people will show up it makes sense for them to book the movie for a couple days. So if you’d like to see The Theatre Bizzare and it’s not in your town, I’d encourage you to be vocal about it and demand it on the Facebook page.

JB: You mentioned previously that you worked with SuicideGirls in the movie The Wizard of Gore. How was that experience?

JK: I have to say, it was really an amazing experience because when I first started that project, SG was not the brand that it has become today, it was still very much coming up. As one of the producers and editors of the Suicide Girls Must Die video, I joined that after they shot it, I was lucky enough to work with Sean and Missy on that project and get closer to SG and seeing what it had become was pretty amazing.

JB: With all the directing, producing, and editing, you’re a busy guy. What have you been working on lately aside from The Theatre Bizzare?

JK: Last fall I did the recut for the movie 11/11/11 and that came out on 11/11/11 of this past year. So it was a movie that had a really obvious promotional release date which made for an intense end of the summer for me because we basically did a total recut. But it was really cool and I learned a lot. Now I’m back doing what is essentially my day job which is where I produce and edit behind the scenes specials for movies. I’m currently working on Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter and Men in Black 3 which is going to be out this summer.

JB: Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, that sounds pretty awesome.

JK: Yeah, it’s gonna kick ass. It’s by the guy who did Nightwatch which was the movie that really broke him out and then he did Daywatch. He’s pretty much a genius.

JB: Do you have any advice to people who may want to enter the filmmaking business?

JK: I would say if you’re going to do it, take yourself seriously – don’t half ass it. I think a lot of people dip their toes in the water and think that maybe they might want to try to make a movie. You’ve got to commit to it and really go for it and make every effort to know what you need to know for something, that makes a big difference. The people who are successful are usually the ones who immersed themselves and educated themselves about something. In order to break the rules, you have to know what the rules are; that’s a big part of filmmaking now in an age where everything is so wide open as far as independent films go.

JB: I really want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Do you have any final thoughts comments or plugs?

JK: I guess I’d like to say about this movie that I was most pleased about was what a pleasure it was to work with one of my heroes. I’ve always been a huge fan of Udo Keir, and it was a privilege to work with him because he’s so much fun and he’s so good at what he does. That was really special to me, it was a dream come true.

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER EIGHT, PART ONE]

[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

“It’s a cemetery,” Elsa stated flatly as she powered the Corvair down a dilapidated section of deserted beltway.

“My family’s final resting place,” Haggerty said. “Pull up to the gate.”

She drove alongside a security fence lined with laserwire to an autoterminal. Haggerty told her his code. She entered it on a keypad and the gate swung wide.

The place was deserted, as Haggerty hoped it would be; at this early hour few patrons ventured out to visit the departed. Haggerty assumed android groundskeepers had monitored their arrival but unless he summoned one via a call button or committed some act of vandalism, he doubted they would hinder him and Elsa.

They stopped at a restroom. “Keep watch while I change out of these filthy clothes and clean up,” Haggerty told his assistant.

He stood shaking on weak legs, his skin burning over spastic muscles, staring at his awful reflection in the restroom mirror. The tuxedo reeked of sewage. He clutched the white box in his hands, staring at the numeral “3.”

It took seven doses to kill and Traci had used one, rendering the unit nonlethal. There was no danger if he dosed again. He needed a clear head and right now he didn’t have one. His skin itched, his mouth was dry, his limbs trembled. He couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think. And he needed to think. He needed to calm the craving and concentrate on gathering the evidence required to prove him innocent. He hesitated a moment, then pressed. The unit ticked up to “4.”

With a moan he resisted the orgasm threatening to engulf him. The effort brought him to his knees. It was several moments before he was able to force himself to his feet and strip.

The sink provided as much of a shower as he was going to get. It was a long way from what he needed but Haggerty was satisfied he’d washed away enough of the stench to not draw undue attention in public. He dressed in the stolen cargo pants and sweatshirt, concealing the white box beneath it. He stuffed the ruined tux into a garbage bin and rejoined Elsa, who waited by the car.

“Is everything all right, Jason?” she asked. “You were in there longer than I expected.”

“I’m fine,” Haggerty said, and wasn’t lying. The Happy Styx infusing his system had stabilized his body, leaving him certain that he could do what needed to be done.

They walked along a path, their steps activating pinlights every few feet ahead as they proceeded. Moonlight reflected on the slick gravestones around them. The mere mention of this place had horrified Haggerty as a child. The trip here two years ago with his father had devastated them both; returning alone the following year had drained what little spirit Haggerty had left. Now the place felt welcoming, oddly comforting. They halted before the structure with his surname engraved above the entrance.

“Please see if you can open the lock without breaking it, Elsa,” Haggerty said.

She placed a palm against the ancient key-style lock and in moments the door opened. The vault self-illuminated as they entered, triggering climate control. Haggerty had planned on arriving here today but not on his feet. The irony didn’t escape him; he felt strange anyway.

“Elsa, give me a moment to pay my respects to my family.”

He ran his hand along his mother’s engraved stone. “It’s me, Mom,” he said quietly. “I miss you.” He touched another shelf. “I’m sorry I haven’t come by as often as I should, Dad. I know exactly how you felt now and I forgive you.”

“They were both very nice people,” Elsa said.

Haggerty knew it was a programmed response but he appreciated the gesture. He guessed that he mattered to Elsa in some mysterious way, although surely his biological parents did not.

“They had me when my father was sixty,” he told her. “That was late for those times. I was one of the last children born in NewVada before people needed to register to have kids. They were approved later but they felt one was enough. They were doing their part to keep the population in check.”

“Conscientious Citizens,” Elsa said.

“Model citizens,” Haggerty corrected. “But yes, when CC status was formally instituted they were among the first in our cityblock to seek it.”

He moved to the simple silver plaque adorning the next tomb. “Oh Lorraine,” he said softly. “If only you didn’t act so quickly. I understood and forgave you. If only I knew that you’d forgiven me.”

Elsa said nothing this time. Did she understand that respectful silence was what Haggerty would appreciate most? He took two more steps, the most difficult of all. The final stone bore the name of his son. Haggerty had no words left.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Elsa said quietly. It seemed she might say more but Haggerty forestalled her by moving to an empty shelf.

He ran his palms across the shelf with morbid fascination. “This is where they’ll put me when I’m done.”

Elsa came and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I hope that won’t be for a long time to come, Jason.”

He turned to look at her. Elsa was so childlike, her motives pure, her mind unable to grasp the emotional aspect of the facts he’d just given her about the weight of his loss, the erosion of his will to continue.

“Hopefully,” he said, not wishing to alarm her. He wondered if she knew he was lying. “Now let’s review those recordings and find out what everyone’s so eager to erase.”

* * *

Haggerty took a seat on the stone floor, draping an arm across his upturned knee.

“Play Teardrop’s first. Full room projection.”

Elsa’s irises whirled into motion.

They were backstage at the concert. Haggerty could see the audience straining against barricades beyond the wings. He reviewed the girl’s death and found nothing new.

“Play Sunset’s recording,” he told Elsa.

The small mausoleum grew notably smaller. Sunset stood bare-chested before the hotel bathroom mirror. “Dawn, it’s me,” he began, confirming Corbin’s revelation that Dawn was part of Regina’s given name; the boy’s final message had been directed to her. “Someday you’ll probably see this,” Sunset continued, “and you’re gonna think I’m a grokless idiot . . .” The transmission ended with the boy pressing onstage.

Haggerty rubbed his eyes. If anything, the recording proved Sunset was a willing participant, leaving a last testament to his sister. But something about the message didn’t feel right. Haggerty told Elsa to run it again.

The scene played out once more. “But I love my life . . .” the boy was saying.

“That’s it, Elsa,” Haggerty said. “Pause the recording.”

“What did you see, Jason?”

“Sunset said love, not loved.”

“I do not understand the significance.”

“The significance is that Sunset used the present tense. He didn’t say his life was over and he loved it for what it had been. He hadn’t stopped loving it — and he hadn’t decided to end it. People who still love their lives don’t press, Elsa. I don’t think Sunset knew he was going to die.”

“I understand how that interpretation can be placed on his words, Jason. But it makes no sense. He was holding an armed black box that was recording. What else could he have expected to happen when he pressed?”

“That’s what we need to find out, Elsa.” Haggerty dug at his thumb pad. “Let’s see if Tyler Stelwyn’s recording has anything useful.”

They were in another hotel room. Haggerty recognized Cherub on the couch behind Tyler.

“Hey, it says it’s recording!” the boy said as he played with the box.

“Turn that thing off,” an unidentified male voice ordered from across the room. “Ya wanna kill yourself?”

“Maybe,” Tyler answered, laughing, then told the recording device about partying with “the enlightened, the infamous Clone Jesus.”

The transmission ended abruptly when the voice demanded that Tyler “turn the bloody thing off!”

The next installment began with the armed unit adjusting for light inside the closet, presumably in the same hotel. As Tyler moaned in prolonged sexual ecstasy, his envious fellator inquired where she could get whatever he was dosing.

“Do you think he was using the same drug as Sharyn?” Elsa said.

“I’m sure of it,” Haggerty said.

He briefed Elsa on what had happened at the Last Supper Club, omitting the fact that he’d been forced to dose himself and was currently under the drug’s influence. She might decide to protect him from himself and remove the drug from his possession. He couldn’t allow that and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop her.

“And you believe the boxes used in the triple press were also loaded with the drug?” Elsa asked.

“Yes, but I need to prove it. Skip back to when Tyler climaxes. Slow the action to half time and magnify. Bring up the contrast and brighten the room.”

Haggerty walked slowly around the image, moving closer for a better angle and kneeling beside the brunette, studying her as she serviced Tyler Stelwyn. The boy’s hand was on the unit as he thrust his hips. “There it is,” he said under his breath. “Elsa, review and enhance visual on the button hand and isolate for the sound.”

As it replayed, it was revealed in all certainty; the visual of the boy’s thumb pressing, the audible pop of the delivery mechanism.

“There’s our evidence, Elsa. Tyler pressed and lived. That box had been reloaded with Happy Styx and Tyler knew it. But he didn’t know the drug could be lethal.”

“You said Traci understood it would kill her, Jason.”

“What if Tyler and Teardrop and Sunset believed Happy Styx was harmless?”

“How could someone control the number of doses to make sure the lethal dose was taken onstage?”

“Perhaps the units were only made available at specific times, so they couldn’t press too often. Sharyn said Teardrop and Sunset had only been gone two weeks, and according to Traci you can detox as long as you don’t overuse. Whoever is behind things could have managed it so the kids thought it was part of the show, that they were making a statement. Remember Tyler’s calling Clone Jesus ‘the enlightened.’ ”

Onstage, Zephyr strutted before the frenzied audience. The kids ran to his side and dosed. Tyler fell along with the others, his face ecstatic. The crowd screamed. This was the point where Corbin had halted their first review. Haggerty watched now as Tyler spasmed, moving in close and trying to read the boy’s mind through his eyes. The crowd kept screaming. Haggerty silently counted out the predictable physiological shutdown he’d witnessed in thousands of recorded deaths. Something was wrong. Did Tyler’s eyes register shock? The unit continued recording, going on and on for what seemed like eternity. At length the projection showed Elsa’s hand reaching for the unit on the stage. The transmission finally went black as the box entered the minthizine case.

“It appears that Tyler Stelwyn was still alive when I retrieved his unit,” Elsa said.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

Related Posts:
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five

by Blogbot


["Honey" - Manko]


["Blue So Blue" - Blue]

Artist / SG Member Name: Vivid Vivka a.k.a. Vivid Suicide

Mission Statement: I sling paint, and if someone likes it...that's a bonus.


["Brim"]

Medium: Acrylic, pen, marker, wood, canvas, spray paint, coffee grounds, blood, sweat, spit, tears.

Aesthetic: Naked and distorted. Usually with big hair, empty eyes, a lot of pink.


["Yellow" - Yellow]

Notable Achievements: I believe three people have my work tattooed on their persons. To me, that’s a helluva achievement and intensely flattering. Ink aside, I have a BFA from the College for Creative Studies, in Detroit, MI. I majored in Illustration with a graphic background. I’ve made pieces for childrens’ hospitals in Detroit, had a few gallery shows, and had my work stolen for a ton of shitty band/party flyers. (Stop. Doing. That.)

Why We Should Care: 9 out of 10 viewers agree: it's art.


["The Queen of Crows (and Three Little Insects)"]

I Want Me Some: Much of my past art projects can be found on my DeviantArt (as well as many of my modeling photos). For prints and originals, I sell my work at vivka.etsy.com (more originals up soon...kinda sold out right now). Proper website and webstore to be unveiled with glitter and sparkles around mid 2012.


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["Dead Fish // Live Fish"]
***

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