Hallowe'en

Happy Halloween! As a wee treat, here's a preview of our promotional postcard for the new project, put together by our artist Andy Lee. It's good eh?

Part of our Tales of the Oak project is the production of a comic of scary local stories, due for release next year. We've based the comic format on the classic EC horror comics of the 1950s. Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror and Haunt of Fear showcased "twist in the tale" stories, with over the top artwork. The comics have been copied and parodied many times since.

One of the more popular elements of the series, was that the stories were introduced by 3 different hosts, the Crypt Keeper, the Old Witch and the Vault Keeper, all trying to outdo one another with their tales of terror. We've added an Inverclyde twist to our version, our hosts are Auld Dunrod, Granny Kempock and Captain Kidd.

Our comic isn't going to be as controversial as the EC classics, but there are some good scares in there already - we've got cursed treasure, evil trolls, Catman in the railway tunnels, poisonous oaks, serpent worship cults and moorland ghosts. We'll share a few sketches next month and maybe even a few pages before Christmas.

If you are interested in the history of the Tales from the Crypt series, this documentary is excellent, and also shares a few of the stories. (so be warned...horror ahead...)

If ye like yer scares a bit more "U" rated, then have a listen to Wee Nasties instead

Scary Sharing

Busy today? C'mon see us at The Dutch Gable House, the shop's open and you can still grab free copies of the Identity graphic novel while yer there telling us yer spooky stories...

Tell A Story Day

Herne at camp, by Ross Ahlfeld

Today is Tell A Story Day. Be sure to do your bit.

Here's one from me. This is sort of a cheat, on account of the fact that it's a poem telling a story, so if that's not yer thing, there's quite a few wee stories you can hear FREE on Auld Dunrod's soundcloud.





And if you liked that, you may also enjoy Santa's Little Werewolves.

Story Gathering - This Weekend

Come see us and give us a wee fright.

The Dutch Gable Shop will also be open for yer Christmas shopping needs.

Live from the Witch Trials

So far this October, we've recommended a visit to the Edinburgh Dungeon and given you your very own Witch Trial to perform. You can read the sad story of Inverkip Witch Mary Lamont in the Identity Graphic Novel.

And over on my own blog, feel the wrath of the Troubleshooter General or discover A Cure For Witches.

If you're looking for a whole evening of scary stories, then check out Ether books, you can download sixty free scary stories, including one from myself.

Rounding off a month of witch recommendations, The Eccentronic Research Council and actress Maxine Peake have recorded 1612 Underture, an old school concept album based on the Pendle Witch Trials. The krautrock road trip has the band travelling round the North of England exploring the truth of the Pendle Witches, and their legacy today. Highest recommendations, especially the Cameron bashing of "Ghost of Old Lizzy Southerns Returns"




In a similar vein and just cos...The Fall...



And finally...a wee bit of Monty Python....

Minnie Dean

These are 2 pages we scripted for the Identity Graphic Novel, about the sad and sinister case of Minnie Dean, Greenock born woman, hanged in New Zealand for murdering children in her care.

Minnie remains a bit of a "bogeywoman" for many in New Zealand, but as is often the case in such situations, some doubt is now cast on her guilt. In 2009, a headstone was finally laid at the spot believed to have been her previously unmarked grave. The traditional Maori ceremony brought together both descendents of Minnie and her supposed victims.

Hats off to Greenock punk legend Louis Pastore  (now turned Pirate folkster in Shinbone Al)  who first alerted us to this story. Check out Louis's own local heritage researches on GreenockPunks77 and Kingdom of Strathclyde.

Story Gathering

Come help us out next weekend at The Dutch Gable House, this isn't the storytelling club, this is your chance to help us uncover a few scary local stories we haven't heard before...