Zombiefest was a great time. People were really impressed with our set up and the debut of A Child's Guide to Death. It was great having so many of our authors on hand. Plus everyone working the con was super helpful and the zombie walk broke another record! See all the pics here. Or read the article on Mike Arznen in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

For a limited time the book is available for a $3 discount on our site.

Unlike some classics A Child’s Guide to Death not only ages, but also ends childhood in a single sitting! Because if you make a wish upon a star it doesn’t matter who you are...you’re still gonna die.

NEW SIZE WITH 20% MORE DEATH!

November 14, 4:00-5:00 pm
Towson University Fall Reading Series
Towson Room of the
Albert S. Cook Library
8000 York Road
Towson, Maryland, 21252-0001
Ronald Damien Malfi reading from Via Dolorosa

December 1, 11am & 3pm
Jeremy Shipp Signings
11am to 1pm - Lone Star Comics, 504 East Abram St, Arlington, TX
3pm to 5pm - Lone Star Comics, 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln. Dallas, TX

A second poem, Three Spider Sisters, from The Troublesome Amputee will be included in the Dwarf Stars Award anthology and is eligible for the Dwarf Stars Award which is given by the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA).

What inspires you about Jeremy Shipp's writing?
I was introduced to Jeremy's strange world some months ago on MySpace. The one thing that struck me immediately was that his stories wouldn't leave me alone after reading'em. I think that's the best characteristic of anyone who writes. The resonance.

How did the Egg project come about?
We were carrying on, thru MySpace messaging, something about a renegade garden gnome. Out of the blue, I asked him if he had a short story or script laying about that he wasn't using anywhere. He said no...but he would write one for me. Personally, I thought it would be a couple of weeks before I saw anything. A few hours later I recieved, in my regular e-mail, eleven pages of pure originality that I just couldn't ignore. It had my full attention! I had to go walk around a bit, an attempt to digest the script and wrap my mind around it. Until anyone experiences the story, there really is no way to describe it. It is entirely too atmospheric and specifically textured for me to translate in words. Jeremy built EGG as a blueprint for the visual experience and, if executed properly, will thoroughly toss the viewer into strange new territory. Bar none.

The film is currently in pre-production. Describe the process, what exactly does pre-production involve?
Since EGG is so dissimilar from standard approaches in the writing process, the same follows for pre-production. I've had to secure an old southern mansion for interiors and exterior shooting and a really creepy abandoned feed mill. We shot some stills of the locations the other day and the ones of the feed mill were a bit hurried. There's something inherently scary about it. Something there is just wrong. Part of the upper structure looks like it's been ripped apart by a tornado and the jagged ends that remain move about in the wind, producing noises that can only be described as nightmarish. The place just seems alive! We took the shots and left rather quickly! Also involved is casting. There is a part for a young person and we have to be cautious of what we expose them to, even under the guise of "it's only make believe, it's not real". The formative years can never be erased and will always affect us, be it in a positive or negative way. It's important for us to handle that aspect with (do I dare?) kid gloves. We do have a couple of really horrific graphics involved with EGG. Some of it will be created organically for the sets, and some may possibly be CGI. The graphics girl is running some specific tests for us to evaluate for realism and pungeancy. I've never had to cast a mime before, but that's just another element that's required for EGG. All filmmaking is like this, but with Shipp we get to dive a bit deeper into the creepy stuff!

What are your plans for Egg once it is finished? Will you be entering it in any film festivals?
We have plans for all the big and mid-sized festivals all over the world. Jeremy himself is excited about the prospect of having his work viewed by those who are unaware of his works and even those who don't actively read books or literature as a part of their everyday lives. I quit reading for many years due to the mainstream authors becoming bland and repetative...all of it seemed so fucking predictable. This is why EGG is such an important venture. It's an experiment that has managed to captivate all that Jeremy and I have invited in for it's fleshing process. To further it's horizon, I'll be submitting to cable entities such as IFC and Sundance. They seem receptive of fringe and experimental storytelling, very much like Raw Dog.

Do you have any other projects in the works that our readers might be interested in? How can they find out more about X-1 Productions?
Most of my previous work has been with bands and promotions. I've been reluctantly holding off making movies for some time. Style developement, script strength and opportunities have all been factors in my decisions for the way my company has developed. Now the band thing is so popular for web applications, it's starting to attract producers with big money for larger productions. Fun and exciting as it may appear, my heart is in storytelling for the big screen. I am currently involved with larger music-based productions and an independant movie called 'Infidelity' with Patrick Martin and S.M.Nelson. All of this stuff is working out very nice for X-1 Productions and it just goes to prove the old theory that if we, as artists, concentrate 90% on the creative process and 10% sleeping with our dreams...we'll never have to worry about where the next meal is coming from. Everything falls into place.