The Direct Current #2: Cine-Excess Conference & Dark Academia

 

Hello my lovely underlings,

I have just returned from a trip overseas, where I perused England's finest gallows, gothic architecture, greasy spoons and Wetherspoons. If you hear any rumors about a new plague going around, just know that it was already there when I arrived, and I had nothing to do with it. 

The occasion for the trip was to attend this year's Cine-Excess Film Festival and Conference in Birmingham, England. The theme of this year's conference was "Re-Animated: Reviving Cult Film’s Dead Objects" and I was invited to present at the in-person symposium, on the panel "Multimedia Excess: Animation, Television and Theatre". 

I presented a 20 minute paper entitled “Ghosts of Televisions Past: Horror Hosting and Nostalgia in the Internet Age” where I discussed the tradition of horror hosting, its characteristics and the ways that it is being adopted by modern-day creators, who use nostalgia and retro media practices as a means of resisting or counteracting the effects of streaming and the internet on media.

The Direct Current: Shockwave Newsletter #1

Hello my lovely underlings,

I do apologize for the lack of connection from my channel as of recent weeks (although I have always adored the sound of TV static). I have been enjoying a sojourn in my home of the red velvet void and have only recently emerged back into this world. Pay no mind to the fresh notches carved into my pistol, as they are entirely unrelated. 

You may be concerned that I have gone into hiding due to some grave embarrassment or threat to my livelihood. While I regret to disappoint, my absence can instead be explained by the overexertion that total excellence can often cause. I would like to share with you some of the achievements (some fresh and some quite stale) that have brought me steps closer to the realization of my wicked plan (wouldn't you like to know?).