Beautiful vampires abound

A vampire made People magazine's most recent 100 Most Beautiful People List. Or at least a person who plays a vampire did. Robert Pattinson took spot number 10 on the list, and he might also mark the first time a Hogwarts student made People's cut of the beautiful folk (but don't quote me on that, I'm not 100% sure). I feel compelled to listen to The Beatles' "Baby You're a Rich Man," which asks the musical question, "How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?" I'll include a clip of The Sippy Cups' version of the song at the bottom of this post in honor of all the pretty people.

In more beautiful vampire news, Marta Acosta of Vampire Wire has launched her Ultimate Hawt Vampire Poll in the form of a contest, so head over there and cast your vote.

If you feel that it's what's on the inside that counts when it comes to the undead, I think I'll prepare a poll for the most horrifying-looking vampire in the future. Grotesque bloodsuckers need some love, too.

Two new movie trailers and some ghostly links

I added director Park Chan-wook's Korean vampire movie Thirst to my list of upcoming vampire films last week, and I learned from Vampire Wire that the film will be premiering at Cannes. Thirst sounds like another classy, potentially award-winning vampire flick, which is always exciting (see my previous post about vamps and Oscars). Here's the trailer:



If you prefer a little more gore in your vampire tales, head over to Vampire Movies to see the graphically bloody trailer for Japanese director Yoshihiro Nishimura's Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl.

I've been revamping my seance novel lately, so my mind has been on ghosts and historical settings. Coincidentally, the website Haunted San Diego gave a shout out to Suburban Vampire, so I'll return the favor here. I'm a former San Diegan and my seance novel takes place in the city, so the site intrigues me to no end, but the paranormal news offered over there extends beyond Southern California hauntings. They offer a "daily digest of investigations, book and movie reviews, news and information," so be sure to check it out if the topic of ghosts interests you.

On the historical end, SciFiGuy mentioned SteamPunk Magazine on his blog. If you're a fan of the genre--or if you have no idea what Steampunk is all about--you'll find everything you could possibly want at the magazine's homepage.

Last but (hopefully) not least, I revised my own web page that discusses Harry Houdini's link to seances. I created the page to tie in with my novel Voices Airy, which is the book I'm now turning into the young adult tale, The Spirit Seller (for those of you who helped me with the working title, that's the name I'm keeping for now. Thanks for your input!).

Music Monday: Crying Blood from Lesbian Vampire Killers

I'm not sure if we'll ever see much of Lesbian Vampire Killers stateside due to the abysmal reviews, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the song that (I'm told) plays during the British comedy's opening credits: "Crying Blood" by VV Brown. If you want to see the "Crying Blood" video that contains scenes from Lesbian Vampire Killers, you'll need to head over to YouTube (they've disabled the embedding feature), but here's the regular version that's still an interesting, high-energy blend of modern and 60s sounds. Warning: There's nothing at all gory about this clip, but the song will stick in your head (which isn't necessarily a bad thing in this case).



Download "Crying Blood" at LastFM

UK MP3:

Suburban Vampire stimulus plan

My newspaper today was plastered in bleak, bleak, horribly depressing economic headlines. My response, naturally, was to dig up some vampire humor to counteract all the negative vibes zapping joy from the world. Here's an amusing little mock news feature about suburban vampires called "Creatures of the Nice." If that doesn't work for you, I've thrown in "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's Life of Brian. If you're still down--plus you can't get enough Twilight news--head over to the Entertainment Tonight site and watch their New Moon exclusives.







iTunes:

Are you getting tired of the vampire craze?

I was just looking at my list of upcoming vampire movies, and I counted 52 films/TV shows being released between 2009 and 2011. They range from the smallest indies to The Twilight Saga, but, still, that's quite the plethora of vampire entertainment! Add that to the online series and the hundreds of vampire books being published, and you have to ask, "Will the vampire craze die out?"

Speaking from personal experience, I know publishers have become wary of picking up vampire novels due to the sheer number of them out there. If vampire burnout occurs, it's unfortunate for the projects following in the shadow of Twilight, especially when many projects began before the Twilight phenomenon (ahem, again, I speak from experience).

How do the readers and moviegoers feel? Are you getting sick of the undead? Although I have the Vampire Crossover Music Video Contest poll running on Suburban Vampire right now, I've squeezed in a mini-poll that asks, "Are you getting tired of the vampire craze?" Because this is a vampire blog, I know my results will be a little skewed, but I'm curious to see the responses.

Taylor Lautner @ People / Me @ HorrorBlips

If you tried finding my earlier post about helping Taylor Lautner get his own celebrity page at People, sorry that link is no longer working. I tried installing People's widgit, but it caused my blog to load too slowly. If you'd like to vote for him, head on over to People's Celebrity Directory.

In other news, HorrorBlips asked for my input on summer horror films for their article Horror Bloggers Predict the Summer Hits. I was honored to be involved.

True Blood sneak peek and Jennifer's Body

The official season 2 trailer for True Blood is now available over at TrueBlood.net. Be sure to check it out if you're curious what's in store for the HBO series once it starts back up on June 14. The DVD for Season 1 will be available May 19, and it's already available to preorder.

Has anyone seen the poster for the new Diablo Cody-penned movie, Jennifer's Body? The film sounds like it will be a great dark comedy, but unfortunately the poster looks soooo much like the original True Blood ad. According to a summer 2008 post at the movie blog RopesofSilicon.com, the posters debuted within just days of one another, so their similarities may very well be just a huge coincidence. Hopefully, moviegoers won't mistake Cody's tale of a killer cheerleader as a True Blood rip-off.

Music Monday: Barackula

In the same spirit of yesterday's post about author Seth Grahame Smith's upcoming novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, I'm presenting a clip of last year's online movie Barackula - The Musical as today's Music Monday. According to Barackula.com, "Barackula is a short political horror rock musical about young Barack Obama having to stave off a secret society of vampires at Harvard when he was inducted into presidency at the Harvard Law Review in 1990." So, we've got two vampire-hunting presidents at this point. This all brings a whole-new meaning to Theodore Roosevelt's famous use of the proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick."



iTunes:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I guess the need to come up with completely unique spins on the old vampire legend has reached new heights. According to my latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Seth Grahame Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, just signed a two-book deal that will include the novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The magazine said the upcoming twisted tale "will ultimately offer a metaphor for the ills of slavery."

Lincoln purportedly dreamed of his own impending death. Did he ever foresee the day when he'd be portrayed as the next Buffy?

The title and poll obsession continues

As I'm getting deeper into the revamp of my small-press historical seance novel, the need for a satisfying working title is haunting both me and the friends I'm bugging for input. Naturally, I've turned to a poll (what else would a poll-obsessed Web woman do?). I'm doing a complete overhaul of the book that would make it more accessible to a young adult audience. My current top title choices are The Spirit Seller, The Haunted Ones, and Beautiful Darkness, and the poll is located at CatherineKarp.com. Thanks for any and all input!

P.S. The photo I've attached to this post was taken by my sister at San Diego's haunted Whaley House.

Dracula Con

Thanks to Dracenea at Rabid Reflections, I discovered Dracula Con, which will be held next week, Saturday, April 25, 2009, at the Arcadia Theater in Windber, PA. Pre-Dracula Con festivities start this week, as noted in the following post from the event's website:

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the evenings leading up to Dracula Con, the Windber Hotel will be screening classic vampire movies to candlelight in their private blood-soaked lobby. Come join us for the cinematic experience, every night, 10pm and midnight. (Serving Vampire Wine, Bloodweiser Beer, and even Absinth.)

You'll have to head over to Draculacon.com (say that five times fast!) to see the full listing of pre-convention activities, along with all the featured vampire films, info about an American Red Cross blood drive, and the impressive list of guest speakers. It looks like a fantastic event. I wish it was being held a little closer to Oregon than Pennsylvania, but I hope vampire fans who live nearby get the chance to go.

I posted a 2009 vampire event page a couple months ago, but I somehow left this one off. I'll add it to the list.

Correction to poll

I was informed that one of the videos got left off the version of the poll I originally posted this morning. Blogger won't allow me to edit polls after someone has already voted, so...to the two people who voted before this moment: would you mind submitting your vote again?

Vampire Crossover Music Video Contest

I volunteered my blog as a polling site for a Vampire Crossover Music Video Contest that's being run by Suburban Vampire visitor Zahir. Here are the original rules: "This is a contest to create a music video which involves crossing over between two different fictional worlds. Any two--just so long as a vampire is somewhere involved."

I'll post the original entry rule video here, and you can watch all the entries at the contest's page at YouTube. You can then vote either in my sidebar or at UndeadWhispers.

THE LOST BOYS kills the 80s vampire competition

The Lost Boys demolished its competition for favorite 80s vampire movie in my latest poll. They led the pack the entire time and ended up with 65% of the votes. In a competition with such a major lead (like any poll I run with a Twilight choice to vote upon), I'm always curious to see the second place winner. In the case of 80s bloodsucker films, it was a tie between The Hunger and Fright Night, but each movie only received 7% of the votes. Here are the full results:

1. The Lost Boys (65%)
2. A tie:
- Fright Night (7%)
- The Hunger (7%)
3. My Best Friend Is a Vampire (5%)
4. A three-way tie:
- Near Dark (4%)
- Vampire's Kiss (4%)
- Other (4%)
5. Once Bitten (2%)
6. A tie:
- Transylvania 6-5000 (1%)
- A Return to Salem's Lot (1%)

Yes, a 90s vampire poll will be forthcoming. However, I offered to post a poll for a video competition over the next month, so you'll have to re-watch Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, and even Dracula - Dead and Loving It in the meantime.

P.S. Ignore my previous post about a major change in the blog's look. I discovered a three-column blog layout won't work well for these ever-important, earth-shattering polls I'm squeezing into my sidebars.

Blog remodeling

I've been playing around with the Suburban Vampire layout in anticipation of trying to convert it to three columns soon, so I apologize if you showed up while things were looking a little odd and messy. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the current layout, but I'll see if it grows on me.

I'll blog about the end of my 80s vampire movie poll soon. My house is chaotic because of the installation of new windows, and my brain has been focused on revamping one of my small press books, which I'm turning into a YA novel about early-20th-century seances. So, blogging has been put on the back burner today.

Odds and ends

If once-a-week vampire music isn't enough for you, Marta Acosta of Vampire wire has posted vampire and werewolf playlists, courtesy of Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos. I'll bookmark the list for future Music Monday ideas.

The upcoming vampire indie movie Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead has been featured in Seventeen magazine, which will perhaps speed up the process of getting this film in theaters. The magazine compared Jordan Galland's vampire/Shakespearean theater comedy to Twilight, even though the trailers suggest it's nothing at all like Meyer's tale, but if the comparison helps, so be it.

The 80s vampire movie poll ends tomorrow morning. Gotta run...

BloodyDisgusting.com joining in on 80s vampire fun

BloodyDisgusting.com is also celebrating a little bit of 80s vampire nostalgia this week: they're now running a clip from one of the movies listed is my current poll: My Best Friend Is a Vampire. They include a mature audience warning on the clip, but the scene consists of a chipper-looking 80s teen awkwardly asking for a gruesome item from a grocery store butcher. Mainly, he looks as embarrassed as if he were trying to buy condoms.

BloodyDisgusting.com's My Best Friend Is a Vampire clip

P.S. My 80s vampire poll closes Thursday morning (8:00 am Pacific Time).

Music Monday: Night of the Vampire

I'm going back in time to one of the earliest vampire rock tunes: The Moontrekkers' "Night of the Vampire" from 1961. The song was originally banned by the BBC because of its creepy sound effects that included a coffin opening and a bloodcurdling scream. Joe Meek, a legendary figure in the music world and a dabbler in the occult, produced "Night of the Vampire" six years before he shot both his landlady and himself dead. He was obsessed with seances and Buddy Holly, and he was said to have left tape recorders in cemeteries to capture the sounds of the dead. Even if you don't think "Night of the Vampire" is all that scary compared to modern vampire music, you have to admit the song's history certainly increases its eeriness. For more info about Meek, including info about an upcoming movie about his life, Telstar, check out The Joe Meek Appreciation Society.

Vampire Marketplace: Suburban Vampire T-shirts / Lost Boys action figures

I just stumbled upon a CafePress store called Suburban Vampire T-shirts. I have nothing to do with the shirts whatsoever, but I definitely feel compelled to mention them for obvious reasons. Their website says of the shirts, "Inspired by ads from the 70's and 80's, this line of smiling female vampire t-shirts reveals one truth, from soccer moms to politicians, vampires are out there." Why didn't I think of this? cafepress.com/suburbanvampire

Also, if you're one of the many people voting for The Lost Boys as you favorite 80s vampire movie in my current poll, I've found some Lost Boys action figures for you. They remind me of the Remains of the Day lunchbox in Waiting for Guffman, but I suppose there are far geekier action figures you could choose out there. I've discovered both Davids and Michaels. Maggots not included.

Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell & Blood Type

I've been notified of two new upcoming vampire movie/TV projects. One is holding an April 16 event that will include a chance to appear in the film, and the other will become a new series involving an actor from Transformers.


1. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. Indie rock group Crush is coming out with a vampire film based on their rock opera Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. The band will hold a related event on April 16 that includes a best dressed vampire contest where the winner will win a cameo in the film. Here are the details:

Date: April 16th 2009
Location: Bordello Bar, 901 E 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Time: 9pm
Performances: Crush, Shelby "Belfast" Jones, DJ Satoki

For more info, visit www.thecrushmovie.com.

2. Blood Type: Actor Mark Ryan (Transformers, The Prestige) is working on a new vampire sci-fi show. Here are the details from his blog:

Written by John Matthews and Wil Kingham, BLOOD TYPE is a multidimensional new take on the ancient story of Vampires. Two very different Vampires form an unlikely alliance to hunt for a girl who holds a terrible secret in her blood. The show revolves around the struggles and conflicts of two alternative universes, one ruled by vampires where humans are feudal slaves, kept as a subjugated food-source, and our own reality, where vampires are only perceived as creatures of myth and legend, their real interaction with our world a well kept but deadly secret.

For more info, visit mark-ryan.blogspot.com. I also happened to notice that Mark Ryan has written and directed a musical adaptation of one of my favorite novels, Wuthering Heights:

Best-dressed vampires

Boxwish.com published a list of the top ten best-dressed movie vampires. Their pick for #1: Gary Oldman's Dracula. Oldman's combination of Victorian gentleman/1970s rock star fashion is definitely a standout vampire look...and it won the film's costume designer an Oscar. However, his other look in the film (the one involving the odd hair that resembles a big white heart or someone's backside on top of his head) would keep me from picking this vampire's wardrobe as number one. Boxwish's picks are good ones, however, so make sure you head over and take a peek at their slide show. Two eighties films on my current poll, The Lost Boys and The Hunger, made the list.

Vampire costumes are actually one of my future poll ideas. If you have any picks that didn't make it on BoxWish's top ten list, let me know and I'll consider including it on the future poll. I might venture to add Bela Lugosi's caped vampire attire. Sure, it's become a vampire cliche, but it's iconic and has certainly stood the test of time. How many vampire Halloween costumes did you see this past year that still looked like Lugosi's getup vs even the Cullens' fashions?

The Vampire's Wife, Chapter One

Because I sometimes do things a little oddly, the last time I offered a sneak peek of The Vampire's Wife it was an excerpt from Chapter Eight, not the beginning of the novel. The nice folks at The Vampire Film Festival offered to publish a scene from the book, but Chapter One didn't seem vampire-ish enough for a Vampire Fest website. So, I'm now personally offering an excerpt of the first chapter of my comic tale of a bookstore owner, her vampire husband, and Southern California suburbia.

Opening line: The very first time I went out with a guy, my date streaked the senior prom and broke his foot. Read more.

Music Monday: Adam Ant and Vampires

In celebration of my current 80s vampire movie poll, I'm featuring 80s rock star Adam Ant, who ventured into the world of vampires in the 90s. Not only did he release a song called "Vampires" on his 1995 album Wonderful, but he starred in a 1993 romantic comedy called Love Bites: The Reluctant Vampire. The blog Taliesin Meets the Vampires has an in-depth review of Love Bites with a nice selection of photos from the film, and you can watch the movie at YouTube. If you're more in the mood for the 80s version of Adam Ant, in which he strutted around music videos dressed like pirates and highwaymen, wearing eyeliner (think Captain Jack Sparrow without the rum and set to music), I'll also include a clip of one of his early hits, "Stand and Deliver." For further Adam Ant costume enjoyment, check out one of Marta Acosta's previous Vampire Wire posts, Dress Like A Pirate for Fun and Profit! One more thing about the Anster: I saw him in concert at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA, in the 90s, and he looked and sounded mighty fine. Be still, my beating heart.

Anita Blake also coming to TV

Another popular vampire book series is coming to the small screen, this time as an IFC telefilm: Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Congratulations to Hamilton, who has said of the deal, "I’m thrilled to be bringing my characters and world to television for the first time...I can’t wait to see what we can create together." For more info, please read the official press release. Calling all actresses who can portray a strong, hard-boiled vampire hunter of Mexican/Anglo descent--your big break is coming. Hurry up and hone your ass-kicking talents for those casting agents.

Interview with The Mitch Hansen Band

Joining me today is Mitch Hansen of The Mitch Hansen Band. Last week this Twilight-inspired group from Atlanta, Georgia, received the top vote in my TwiRock Battle of the Bands, so I wanted a chance to spotlight their work, find out more about their connection with a certain bestselling vampire series, and see exactly what they think about the term "TwiRock."

CK: Congratulations on getting the top vote in my Suburban Vampire Battle of the TwiRock Bands. You clearly have a devoted following, and I'm not surprised after hearing your music. Thanks so much for stopping by to answer some questions.

MH: No, thank you and thanks to all of your readers who voted for us. We really appreciate the support for us at Suburban Vampire! You have a very cool site with some awesome readers, so I’m happy to take some time to chat.

CK: According to your blog, www.themitchhansenbandblog.com, you've been writing music since you were twelve. Had your songwriting ever been inspired by literature or other works of art before Twilight came along?

MH: Actually, no. This was my first foray into literature or artwork-inspired music. Most of my songs from my childhood were just about life situations or my own personal emotions. So, what you see in our Twilight-inspired songs only represents a portion of the songs that I’ve written over the years.

CK: What do you think it is about The Twilight Saga that has garnered such a devoted following and inspired so many musical groups? What drew you in particular into the series?

MH: I think so many people identify with the Twilight series for a couple of reasons. First, I think a lot of people can relate to Bella’s character. In today’s society, people are very self deprecating and many readers may see a little of themselves in Bella. She’s not a supermodel, she’s a bit awkward, and slightly clumsy, yet Edward sees her as the most beautiful person in the world. Who doesn’t want to be made to feel that way? Male or female, who isn’t looking for their “Edward?”

Second, I think the theme of forbidden love is timeless. Everyone loves to root for the relationship that by normal standards couldn’t, wouldn’t, or even shouldn’t be happening. It’s a story about beating the odds, and who doesn’t love that?

CK: On your blog you said that when you posted your first Twilight-inspired song on MySpace in 2007, you had no idea "how the public would react to such a crazy idea." What has been your reaction to the Twilight music craze that's exploded over the past year? And are you fond of the term "TwiRock"?

MH: I was glad to see there are others out there as crazy as I am! But seriously, it has been really cool to see so many others who share a passion for music and Twilight. Music is great that way! It can be about whatever you want and it only has to have relevance to you, but if other people enjoy it, that’s even better.

It’s funny that you mention the term “TwiRock.” I’m a bit divided when it comes to that. On one hand I think it’s a very unifying term that denotes being part of a large movement involving a lot of really cool people with a passion for Twilight. On the other hand it might be a turn-off for some music listeners. Without giving it much thought, a listener might think the group is just a bunch of amateurs without ever really hearing the music or the lyrics, so they may go into the experience with certain preconceived notions about the quality of the songs. Or they may choose to not listen to it at all because of those preconceptions. My goal from the beginning with this project was to make Twilight-inspired rock music that could appeal to everyone. That’s why I chose a totally generic band name and why (with the exception of Jacob Black) we don’t reference characters by name in our songs. I don’t want to alienate potential fans because of the subject matter for our songs. I want to help rock music fans appreciate Twilight, and possibly help Twilight fans appreciate rock music. So, to answer your question, I think it’s a unifying, positive term that can have unintentional negative effects.

CK: I imagine it must be an utterly surreal experience for authors to discover they've inspired musicians. Has Stephenie Meyer ever commented about any of your songs?

MH: Actually, yes. That was kind of how we got on the map in the first place. Originally I contacted Stephenie’s brother who runs her website and asked if they could include us in the links section. I guess word got to her about our stuff, because she posted a blog on her MySpace page praising the song "Jacob Black." After that our MySpace fan base increased exponentially. That was back when there were just a couple of us doing this and she would take turns playing our stuff and their stuff on her MySpace profile. There are too many groups for her to do that now, so understandably she can’t promote any of us publicly anymore.

CK: Would you mind telling us a little about the members of your band?

MH: Certainly. Currently there are two official band members now. I sing lead and play rhythm guitar and Brent Cook plays lead guitar. Brent is an excellent guitar player with a great ear. I wrote all of the currently released songs before he joined the band, but his talent has really helped with the crafting of new material. His playing has definitely taken our songwriting to new heights and we’re excited to share those songs with you in the future.

We’re also in the process of adding a 5-string bass guitar player and drummer. If you know any in the Atlanta area, tell them to look us up.

CK: One of the most obvious ways The Mitch Hansen Band stands out from other Twilight-inspired groups is because it was started by, to use your own words, "a grown-up, family man." I would think that might help you attract fans other than the typical demographic of teenaged, female Twilight devotees. Does that seem to be the case?

MH: Yeah, I certainly don’t fit the profile of the usual Twilight fanatic, do I? Again, this goes back to my original goal: first and foremost, to create good rock music that everyone can enjoy, but that has a deeper meaning to fans of the series. I really couldn’t tell you if I’ve been successful to that end, but I’d like to think that I have. Hopefully time will prove that my efforts weren’t in vain.

CK: What does the next year hold in store for the band?

MH: Well, as I mentioned, Brent and I are constantly in the process of crafting new material, so I’d bet you can at least expect to hear some new songs over the course of the next year. We’ll be playing a few big shows over the summer, including TwiCon in Dallas. We’re playing an acoustic show at the Summer School in Forks Symposium in June. We’ll be headlining a big show for the release of the New Moon film in November, too, but I’m not sure if it’s been announced yet, so I won’t say where or who’s involved. We have a lot of other cool stuff coming down the pipe that I’m pretty sure that I can’t talk about yet, so be sure to stay tuned to our blog at www.themitchhansenbandblog.com.

CK: Any parting comments for your fans?

MH: I just want to give a huge “thanks” to all of our fans. You all are the best! What started as a “just for fun” weekend project has grown into something really special and we owe it all to you. Hopefully once we get some official band mates we’ll be able to get out on the road and thank you all in person! Keep on rockin’ and be sure to always check out our blog for the latest band news.

CK: Thanks so much for joining me at Suburban Vampire. Good luck with all your upcoming endeavors...and congratulations on your exploding career.

MH: I’ve had a blast, so I should be thanking you. Really, thanks for having me!

CK: You're certainly welcome.

BUY THE MITCH HANSEN BAND'S CD/SONGS HERE.
The Mitch Hansen Band Blog
The Mitch Hansen Band on YouTube

New poll: Bring out your big-haired undead

I've posted a new poll tonight: What is your favorite 80s vampire movie? I was inspired to create the poll when I caught part of 1987's cult classic Near Dark about a month ago and realized it came out the same year as The Lost Boys. Both films contain similarities besides late-80s fashions: a young man is seduced into a gang of ruthless vampires by an alluring female; he receives peer pressure to attack his first human victim; there's a creepy little vampire boy involved. I've read that vampire stories tend to be a reflection of a time period's culture, so perhaps it's not surprising the two films can be so closely compared (heck, I was in high school in 1987--I remember peer pressure of the 80s!).

The decade saw everything from David Bowie as a desperate vampire (The Hunger), an early Jim Carrey comedy (Once Bitten), "death by stereo" (The Lost Boys), and Nicholas Cage when he was still fun and quirky (Vampire's Kiss).

If you have a favorite vampire film from the era of Reagan and teased bangs, feel free to vote in the sidebar. And don't be afraid to sound out in the comments section if I left your top choice off the list. I'll more than likely feature other decades in future polls, so be sure to return if the 80s isn't your favorite decade of the undead.

Vampire Marketplace: Gothic bank checks

I'm launching my first Vampire Marketplace Wednesday. Per a visitor request, today's theme is bank checks. If you're looking to add a Gothic/paranormal touch to your spending, here are various places to shop. Incidentally, I wasn't able to find checks that specifically contain vampire designs, so please let me know if you have a link to a store that sells them.

checksinthemail.com: Nightmare Before Christmas and Disney villain check designs.

efairies.com: Gothic fairy designs (see sample on this post). I've personally ordered items from efairies and have never had any problems with the site.

gothchecks.com: Gothlings, Tolkien, and even Elvira checks.

styleschecks.com: Halloween-themed collection (witches, bats, pumpkins, and spiders). They also sell checks containing Amy Brown's Gothic fairies.

Note: I'm not affiliated with any of these companies, nor can I vouch for their products and service. If you'd like to share your own vampire/Gothic/paranormal products, please send me a note at suburbanvampire at gmail dot com.

Suburban Vampire becoming Suburban Puppy Dogs

There comes a time in everyone's life when blogging about bloodsuckers and fangs becomes a little too icky, and we'd prefer to turn our thoughts to happier, cuddlier subjects...like puppies. That time has come for me. Therefore, starting tomorrow, Suburban Vampire will become Suburban Puppy Dogs. Instead of presenting Music Mondays featuring disturbing titles like "Taste of Blood" and "Cry Little Sister," I'll share clips of tunes such as "How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?" "Bingo," and that Christmas song with dogs barking along to "Jingle Bells." And my Upcoming Vampire Films segment of the blog will switch to Upcoming Doggy Movies That Make Us Laugh and Cry So Darn Much. There'll be no more need to discuss dark films of the future with twisted titles like Suck; I'll instead spotlight movies more along the lines of Beethoven's 19th. I'm also steering away from writing novels about seances and suburban vampires. All references to my book The Vampire's Wife will, therefore, be removed, and I'll be blogging about my much, much lighter work in progress, My Dog Is So Darn Cute (that's really my dog's picture attached to this post--isn't he so darn cute?!). I hope you'll be happy with the changes and continue to visit. Let's face it, doggy poop is gross, but not as gross as dreaming of strangers such as Robert Pattinson and Gerard Butler sucking on your neck.

One more note about the switch: April Fools.
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