Just a couple of days into 2025, but already a lot has happened that I should probably address here.

In my year-end wrap-up, I mentioned some new projects that would be coming to fruition, and some of those have already begun. Unfortunately, the end of 2024 saw the conclusion of two of my ongoing columns. Something Weird on TV, which covered, well, weird horror on TV, drew to a close after several years at Signal Horizon, where I had written about such titles as Friday the 13th: The Series, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Tales to Keep You Awake, Beasts, and Hammer House of Horror. At the same time, my Horror as Folk column, which covered folk horror through the lens (primarily) of Severin’s All the Haunts Be Ours boxed set, also wrapped up at the end of the year.

However, January 1 saw the launch of a brand new column at Signal Horizon, one that I’m very excited about! In an essay original to Glowing in the Dark, I explored the link between midnight spook shows of the ’40s and ’50s and the gimmick films of William Castle. The Dark Seance will be a continuation of that exploration, as I examine the history of the gimmick film, its connection to the Blackouts (or Dark Seances) of the midnight spook shows, the parallels between stage magic and the movies, and much more.

The first installment is already live, and I hope you’ll join me for this weird and far-ranging discussion in the coming months.

One column that is still going strong into 2025 is my regular Grey’s Grotesqueries as part of Weird Horror from Undertow Publications, the latest issue of which is currently up for pre-order, and which will include my column discussing weird little guys, from illuminated manuscripts and medieval gargoyles to Gremlins and beyond.

Various factors have also encouraged me to do a “soft launch” of my new Patreon. Orrin Grey Meets the Monsters is something of a return to form for me, as it has a similar remit to my old Vault of Secrets column at Innsmouth Free Press, which was eventually collected into the books Monsters from the Vault and Revenge of Monsters from the Vault.

Which is to say that, Orrin Grey Meets the Monsters will see me writing, each and every month, about a classic (or not-so-classic) vintage horror film from prior to 1975 or so. There are several free samples already up on the page, along with a sort of mission statement.

[EDIT: Looks like I posted this a little too soon. It turns out that both Monsters from the Vault and Revenge of Monsters from the Vault officially went out of print on January 1. So, for the time being, if you don’t already have them and want them, you’ll have to get them from third-party sellers – or, better yet, just subscribe to Orrin Grey Meets the Monsters, where I’ll be covering some very similar ground!]

The idea here is to create a source of recurring income that is more under my control. Seismic shifts in the industry have seen me losing several regular clients over the past year or so, and I’m looking into ways to create steady income streams that aren’t as reliant on the whims of a publisher (or, as is often the case, a publisher’s investors), by instead appealing directly to fans.

For now, Orrin Grey Meets the Monsters will include one essay per month that’s only accessible to paying members, as well as some other tiers and options as I put a few finishing touches on things behind the scenes and the “soft launch” becomes more official. If we get enouch subscribers to generate $200 per month, that monthly essay will become a biweekly one, so subscribers at every level will get twice the value.

The first few free ones all happen to be about vampire movies, because Mark of the Vampire (1935) is where I started my Vault of Secrets column all those years ago, and I happened to have recently received Blu-ray copies of I vampiri (1957) and The Vampire (1957) and The Vampire’s Coffin (1958) around the time I was putting this idea together. But I will be covering a wide range of horror, thriller, and monster movies over the coming months, with the only restriction being that they will all be from before 1975, and most from before 1970 – my particular area of both keenest interest and personal expertise.

Last but not least, I mentioned on social media that I closed out 2024 with a reprint sale, and I’m happy to say that it has already gone live. My story “In the Blue Room” was originally published in Spoon Knife 8: Smoke & Mirrors back in May, and it’s now been reprinted in The Dark, where you can read it for free. Though if you like it, or anything else The Dark is doing, I encourage you to support them by buying the issue.

“In the Blue Room” is a story about a Pepper’s ghost illusion that goes horribly wrong during a college production of Hamlet. Like spook show Blackouts, Pepper’s ghost illusions are another one of those weirdo topics that I’m passionate about, and I had a lot of fun writing a story about one.

I think “In the Blue Room” does a decent job of explaining the basic idea, but if you want to learn more about Pepper’s ghosts, there’s plenty of cool writing about them online – including instructions on how to make them at home! I’ll also be touching on them in a future installment of The Dark Seance.

That’s it for now but, as you can see, 2025 is off to a busy – and hopefully promising – start! If you enjoyed anything that you read here, like any other freelance creator, I appreciate your support in whatever form it takes. Talk about my work, signal boost, buy my books or request them at your local library, subscribe to my Patreon… anything and everything helps me to make more stuff like this!