Feature Category: Interviews

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Sir John Gielgud is one of Britain’s most revered actors, the star passed away aged 96 in 2000 but little did anyone know that he had left one secret behind that would be causing a commotion almost sixteen years later.

In 1976, Sir John was appearing on the New York stage in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land alongside Sir Ralph Richardson, and during this time he wrote a screenplay. The only person who knew about it was erotic filmmaker Peter de Rome, whom Gielgud penned the story for him to direct. The film was to be called Trouser Bar. Flash forward several decades, and de Rome mentions the script to David McGillivray, a popular writer, producer and playwright, most famous in the cult film world for penning films for Peter Walker in the 1970s such as House of Whipcord and Frightmare and for Norman J. Warren (Satan’s Slaves and Terror). As a close friend of de Rome, the revelation of the Gielgud script excited him greatly. Particularly due to the subject matter and tone.
It’s this content, however, that has meant the short film, which was completed last year following de Rome’s death, may never see the light of day. The John Gielgud Charitable Trust have taken umbrage with the subject matter of the legendary Knight’s work and forbidden it to be shown anywhere. Amusingly, the short features cameo appearances from Nigel Havers, Julian Clary and the legendary comic writer/personality Barry Cryer. We caught up with Mr McGillivray to find out more about Trouser Bar, and to try to get to the bottom of the Trust’s stubbornness in refusing to allow the film to be shown.

STARBURST: When you were made aware of the script, did you instantly think ‘this must be made’?
David McGillivray: I wanted right from the very start for Peter de Rome to make the film, but he was insistent that he didn’t want to get back behind the camera and I failed to persuade him. After he died, then I decided I had to. It was such an important script. And that’s why I’m in all the trouble I’m in now!

So how is the legal side going?
It changes week to week. I got another letter from them this week. They now head all their letters ‘not for publication or circulation’ so I can’t tell you what they’re about, but I was astounded when I read it. I contacted my lawyer, and she just responded ‘OMG! This is hilarious’. So she will be formulating a reply, I’ll see what response that gets, but this is obviously going to run and run. It’s a long term project and I see no light at the end of the tunnel at all.

It’s such a shame, as it’s a piece of writing from one of Britain’s most revered and important actors…
Plus he never wrote another script – he was never a dramatist. This is his only known screenplay and that is why it’s so important. He was a prolific writer, especially of letters. His collected letters, which I read constantly, form an enormous fat tome, but he only showed any interest this one time in 1976 in writing a film. It’s just happenstance that the film was never made. At that time Peter was very prolific, and I don’t know why he never made it.
It’s my interpretation that the John Gielgud Charitable Trust is trying to suppress the film. I haven’t got any proof of that; initially, they claimed it was a copyright issue. I don’t believe that’s true, because of what Ian Bradshaw said to the Daily Mail. As it’s a matter of public record, I can repeat that he found the whole project inappropriate. Now that suggests to me that they are trying to cover up a work by Sir John Gielgud, and I don’t understand that at all in this day and age. I don’t know why they would want to do that. I’ve made an offer; I’ll give the Trust a substantial donation in return for the rights to show this film, but at the moment, they’re not interested.
If I’d have known what was going to happen, I would still have done it. I believe in what I’m doing. I want people to see this film. I think that ultimately, it will be released, but I can’t tell you when.

It would be a shame for something so unique and important to never see the light of day…
The script could so easily have been lost, it was just chance that made Peter mention that Sir John Gielgud had written him a screenplay. When I saw it, I was absolutely astonished. But if Peter hadn’t have mentioned that, the script could easily have ended up in the dustbin. It’s a great honour for me to be able to make this film for Sir John and Peter.

The world sees homosexuality different these days, so it would also be a great chance for people to get – in a non-salacious way – a better insight into Sir John’s life and thoughts.
That’s my intention. That’s why people would be so interested in the film because we only really know Sir John as an actor. He was a very private person and he didn’t reveal anything about his private life until his letters were published posthumously. Here, though, is a film about what he truly loved, which was clothes. He had a clothes fetish; he was particularly interested in certainly materials. He makes it very clear in the film what he wanted the actors to do and what he wanted them to wear. It was something that was very important to him. Why shouldn’t this be shared with his millions of fans around the world?

Have you had any input from BFI?
The BFI has been very supportive to a degree. They are huge supporters of Peters; his films are now in their archive. I think they want this film made as much as I do.

Is it that the content of the film be considered too hardcore for the audience?
I’ve been very naughty up until now in always referring to Trouser Bar as Sir John Gielgud’s gay porn film. By the standards of the day (i.e. in 1976, when he wrote it), the film probably would have been regarded as porn, but it’s very much in keeping with the style of the softcore porn that was around in the mid-‘70s. At that time, probably, the softcore film industry was at its height and these were the sorts of films that Sir John Gielgud would have been seeing. He was very fond of pornography indeed, and he writes continually about going to cinemas in order to see porn films. So it was no accident that he came across Peter de Rome. He went to Peter’s parties, he saw Peter’s films and enjoyed them, and as a result of that, he wrote Pete the script.
So, the film is certainly made in that style. The director had a problem with that, he’s only made hardcore up until now and he found it difficult getting his head around the entire concept of softcore porn. I grew up with it, I wrote about it so I probably had more of an idea about what Sir John wanted than the director.
Sir John was a very funny man, indeed. His letters are very amusing and his sense of humour comes over in the film, I think. There are gags in it. It’s essentially an erotic fantasy, but it’s also a comedy, an art movie, it’s a lot of things. I think people are going to be absolutely fascinated by it, I think it’s completely unique. He didn’t indicate that he wanted unsimulated sex, so there’s no hardcore footage in this film, I hope that doesn’t disappoint some people.

Sir John appeared in Tinto Brass’ Caligula, of course, which was released with hardcore scenes in…
I reckon this is something else the Trust lawyers are finding very hard to cope with. The fact that he did appear in Caligula, but not only that, he loved it. There are 2 or 3 references with regard to Sir John telling people – for example, his co-star Malcolm McDowell – how much fun he was having on the film, because there were so many naked people on it; he was in his element. He was a cheeky old gentleman, and made no attempt to hide that amongst his personal circle of friends.

We shall keep STARBURST readers up to date with the trials and tribulations of getting Trouser Bar released as the story progresses.

Bernard Rose in an English filmmaker who graduated from directing music videos for artists such as UB40 and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, to writing and directing cult 90s horror Candyman. He now returns with his take on the classic Frankenstein tale.

Starburst: I think the first question has to be why Frankenstein, and why now?

Bernard Rose: I’d never read the book, so when I did, it struck me there were a couple of things that had either not been done before, or had been misrepresented. The first was that this wasn’t a book about digging up and reanimating corpses, that was James Whale’s invention. We all now think that’s what Frankenstein is about. The book actually states Dr. Frankenstein studies the bodies. The point Mary Shelley was making is that he is trying to create life and that’s what science is truly about.

S: The book is very much a father and son story, but you’ve made it more mother and son, and you seem to be focussing more on the consequences of that relationship and the creation’s actions.

What I loved about the book were the chapters that were told from the monster’s point of view, so in a sense I’ve just adapted those, and quoted from them directly. In terms of Elizabeth, I gave her some of the supposed attributes of Mary Shelley and it’s fascinating that she wrote about man’s desire to create life when it’s something women do routinely.

S: When you sat down with the story, were there specific moments and scenes that you wanted to update?

Like with Tony Todd’s character, the blind beggar is in all the films and the book, and here it’s still very much the same but in a different environment. I wanted to hit the big scenes people know but I didn’t want it to feel like I was just re-treading the same steps.

S: How did you balance the creature’s sympathy against his violence?

I think the point in the novel, and also in Karloff’s portrayal, with his humanity, is that the monster doesn’t know anything so he just reacts to how he’s treated. He doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done to him, but when he does it then he’s more successful as he’s almost superhuman. Then he suffers with terrible remorse.

S: You’ve had a diverse career spanning big budget blockbusters and also smaller independent films and we wondered how you think the filmmaking process has changed during your career?

In one sense everything has changed but in another nothing has. People are still watching the same old shit! And it’s hard to say everything has changed when the biggest film of the last year was another Star Wars film!

S: You were a digital pioneer and now there is nostalgia sweeping Hollywood.

There’s a part that’s great in keeping things alive, and I’ve been doing 35mm screenings of Paperhouse myself. But you can’t cut a film non-digitally now so that part has really changed.

S: As someone who has returned to the horror genre at different times over the years, what are your thoughts in it now?

The horror genre has always been extremely imitative. Halloween came out and we had dozens of slasher films, but Halloween is still Halloween. I’m more into the idea of adapting 19th Century texts, as there’s something interesting there and I want to do them in a really visceral way.

S: Is that where your future filmmaking lies?

I’m going to trawl my way through the horror literature of the 19th Century one by one. There’s a lot of gothic but a lot of that is the creation of Hammer and other interpretations. When people were writing at that time they were just writing the world as they knew it and therefore the texts can be adapted to any period. The horror literature of that period is incredibly strong. They were inventing a new genre and it was an era obsessed with death and spirituality.

Frankenstein is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray, and you can read our high praise of the film right here.

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We caught up with Mark Killey, the senior producer of Chronicle: RuneScape Legends, to find out more about the game…

STARBURST: Why did you develop a card game?
Mark Killey: We actually started out by making a variety of different game prototypes based on RuneScape, some of which were focused on questing and the idea of a game where you created adventures that could be automatically played out. For one of those prototypes we tried using cards as a delivery method for the quests and that’s how Chronicle: RuneScape Legends was born. We then proved the concept with a physical card game before making a digital version.

How is it different from Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone?
At its core, Chronicle has a unique mechanic that we’ve not seen in a card game before. Players fight up to four of their own cards at a time across five chapters in a magical chronicle, which resembles a pop-up book of sorts. The game behaves more like an RPG where the cards have drops or associated costs. The unknown element is provided by the actions of your opponent, as they might play cards that trigger effects that directly impact yourself, such as stealing gold or modifying some of your cards’ stats. The game is built around sophisticated card synergies, but your opponent’s actions layer a level of risk/reward on top of that because whatever you have planned could be interrupted by your opponent, ruining all your best laid tactics.

The competitive side is handled in a novel and clever way. Why this approach?
We only wanted to make a card game if we could do something new with the genre. Focusing on what we feel is an innovative, new core mechanic for a strategy card game gives us the best chance to stand out from the crowd.

How will the playable characters expand as the game develops?
We’ve already revealed our next two characters (or ‘Legends’), a vampire and slayer master, and our goal is to add new Legends and maps on a regular basis that will be thematically linked. Each will have a particular play style and lots of specific cards related to those mechanics. We feel that we’ve only really scratched the surface of what can be achieved with the game’s core systems.

You really get a feel for the different play styles of the heroes. What was the biggest challenge in making this happen?
Balance! Balancing a game like Chronicle is a massive challenge. The Legends all have the same base stats so their variety comes from their custom cards and these tend to have multiple associated values. When you then factor in the way that the card synergies occur within Chronicle, everything gets very complicated. We have been playing the game in our studio now for a number of months, and whenever we thought the game’s balance was settling down, a new deck style would emerge that exploited specific card synergies in unexpected ways. This is going to keep happening in the closed beta too and is something we’re looking forward to working with the community on.

How will the booster decks work?
Booster decks can be purchased with the game’s soft currency system or (if you’re really lucky) as a reward for winning a match. There are five cards in each booster pack, split between those that are character specific and those that can be used by anyone. Chronicle also has a sophisticated crafting system, in which cards can be dissolved into precious gems that are representative of their rarity level. The different types of gems can also be exchanged with each other to help you craft the cards you want.

What’s to stop players with the most cash getting the best advantages?
Chronicle is an extremely tactical and psychological game. Having the best cards is no guarantee of victory if your opponent outwits you. From my own experience, since launch I’ve lost many a game to new players with the basic decks, despite having custom decks myself, purely because they outsmarted me!

RuneScape has always had the crunchiest and most entertaining rules systems. How is this reflected in Chronicle?
We feel that RuneScape is, at its core, quite a cerebral game that requires a good degree of planning and strategy from a player in order to get the most out of it. Chronicle is hewn from the same stone and requires a similarly thoughtful approach before you are able to master it.

The character models look lovely. Will we ever get physical versions of these pieces?
Funny you ask that – we had a 3D model of one of the characters printed as an experiment. It’s certainly something we’d look into if there was demand from the players.

Will this new game expand the ongoing story? What should we expect to see next?
The two games do not share anything in a narrative sense, but they both obviously contribute to the broader RuneScape family of games.

To find out more about CHRONICLE:RUNESCAPE LEGENDS or to register for the beta, go to www.rschronicle.com

Jasika Nicole is best known for her role as Astrid Farnsworth on the dimension-crossing sci-fi program Fringe, as well as her voice work as former intern, now mayor, Dana Cardinal on the mysterious podcast Welcome to Night Vale. It was announced last month that Nicole would star in the first new podcast from Night Vale creators Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Entitled Alice Isn’t Dead, the new limited series débuts on March 8th. We were fortunate enough to speak with Ms. Nicole about her work… 

STARBURST: The performances of yours with which people are most familiar always manage to be far more layered than they first appear to be. We’re thinking of everything from Astrid on Fringe — especially Alternate Astrid – as well as the evolution of Dana Cardinal on Welcome to Night Vale. Given that these changes can sometimes take years, what does it require to bring these changes to bear in a realistic way, especially given the rather fantastic situations? 

Jasika Nicole: I honestly don’t consider Astrid’s character on Fringe to have been very layered – one of my big issues with the show was that Astrid was very one-dimensional! She had all these great qualities – kindness, compassion, intelligence, and tenacity – but you never got to see any complicated sides of her. You never got to experience her character outside of the lab, or away from the Fringe team or understand her background or why she was the way she was. 

Alternate Astrid could have been the exception – she was written as an autistic character and had a really different experience and understanding of the world than ‘over here’ Astrid, but the most character development you saw from Alt Astrid happened in the span of one episode and then it was never seen again. So, I don’t consider either of those characters to have required much insight to portray on my part. 

Specifically, with ‘over here’ Astrid: after five seasons she was pretty much the same in the last episode as she was in the first, and there just wasn’t a lot of growth or opportunities to play challenging things with the character. Dana, on the other hand, certainly has experienced a lot of development from episode to episode which has been super fun to play, but for me, voice-over work doesn’t necessitate the same kind of preparation and effort that playing a character on film and TV does. You emote in a different way, you connect to your body in a different way, your face engages in different ways, and you use your breath differently – it’s kind of apples and oranges. I think my work in WTNV is easy compared to what the writers do on that show. 

How did you come to work with the Welcome to Night Vale folks? Was it related in some way to your work on Fringe? 

I was friends with Jeffrey Cranor for a few years before I joined WTNV. We were introduced by our mutual friend Kevin R Free and I had seen Jeffrey in several shows with the Neo-Futurists. 

Was it exciting to see what an evolution it’s been for Intern Dana to end up as mayor? Did you know this would happen? 

I didn’t know it was happening, and I felt very proud for her. 

Dana Cardinal’s appearances in the Night Vale universe these days seem to be a little more distant. Is the use of phone calls, etc. a way to compensate for you being so busy? 

The great thing about voice-over work for me is that it’s pretty easy to fit it into my schedule regardless of what other work things I have going on – I can set up my computer and microphone virtually anywhere that’s quiet to record. So, if Dana is ever absent from the storyline, it’s the choice of the writers. I think that their work is deliberate and thoughtful, and I appreciate how they don’t overwhelm the listener with supporting characters all the time. The world of Night Vale is distinguished by Cecil’s voice, and using the other character’s voices sparingly makes their appearances so much more unexpected and exciting. 

As a writer yourself, do you wish you had more time to create? It seems like it’s been a long spell since your last comic. 

I have plenty of time to write, but I only do it when I feel inclined and that inclination is sporadic at best. If the inspiration doesn’t hit me, I don’t force it. Being able to keep certain artistic endeavors as hobbies as opposed to trying to make money and expand my career from them is a privilege that I am very grateful for.

Given the way you create, however, is there a give and take – a particularly satisfying acting day counterbalancing not being able to DIY some new things, for instance? 

I bring either my knitting or a sketchbook with me whenever I work on set, so I always have something to keep my hands busy and feel productive. No full day on set feels satisfying if I don’t have a separate personal project to focus on. 

What seems most exciting about your upcoming work – both Alice Isn’t Dead and Suicide Kale – is that it presents you front and center as a gay woman of colour. Does being involved in the creative side of the process allow you more options to have a character that reflects you, personally? 

I have not been involved in the writing or conceptualising for Alice Isn’t Dead – Joseph approached me about the project months ago asking if I was interested, and I immediately said yes without knowing very much about it. It isn’t based on me personally or anything I have experienced. 

One of the many things that I love so much about Joseph and Jeffrey’s work is that they create a very nuanced and detailed framework for the stories that they tell while still allowing the listener to envision themselves and people they know within that world. And this is evidenced by all the fan artwork that WTNV has inspired – I have seen the character of Cecil portrayed as a monster, as a woman, as a man, as a child, and as a multitude of different races and creeds. Cecil is none of those things, and Cecil is all of those things, and I think that is why so many people are compelled to listen to this kind of work. 

I want the fact that I am a queer woman of colour who is voicing the main character in Alice Isn’t Dead to be acknowledged by the listeners because visibility is important and powerful, not just for the group being represented, but for the world at large. And then I hope that all the listeners, no matter their gender, non-gender, race, ability or sexuality, can find a part of themselves in the story, whether it’s a feeling or an idea or an actual character. This is the whole reason that we listen to stories – to find connection and understanding that reaches beyond our own insular experiences. 

Who else will be involved at the series’ inception, in terms of writing and acting, of whom we ought to be aware and take notice? 

Joseph is writing the episodes of Alice Isn’t Dead, Disparition is producing the show and creating all the music, and so far I am the only voice of the show. 

Tell us more about Suicide Kale. It looks like it could either be a comedy or a drama, but nevertheless intriguing.

Suicide Kale is a dark comedy that is almost entirely improvised. Brittani Nichols, a friend of mine who is a really talented writer and comedian, came up with the concept and then we met with a bunch of our other friends who have various jobs and talents on the production side of things. We sat in my living room one morning and brainstormed about how we could make a project together with a practically non-existent budget and in a short period of time. 

Three months later, we had a finished feature-length film, and we have been submitting to various festivals around the country. I have never felt so proud and excited about the work I have done – this was a truly incredible experience for me, and I hope it’s the first of many more projects like it.

Jasika Nicole stars in ALICE ISN’T DEAD, starting March 8th, and you can look for SUICIDE KALE at festivals in your neck of the woods. More information can be found at jasikanicole.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @jasikanicole.

Alan Sinclair, who records under the aegis of Repeated Viewing, has easily joined the cadre of musicians recording film score inspired sounds. Like Umberto, Videogram, Antoni Maiovi, Pentagram Home Video, and others, Repeated Viewing pays homage to classic genre film scores, while also creating something entirely new. Sinclair’s Horror of Bexteth Hill 7-inch on Lunaris was one of our favorite releases of last year, and we’re really excited about all of his upcoming releases. We spoke to him to find out more… 

STARBURST: What’s your musical and film background? 

Alan Sinclair: My family’s full of musicians, jazzers and classical bods mostly, so I’ve had music around me since my early days. As a teenager, I got into metal and punk, as well as the harsher end of electronic music and did the usual haphazard out-of-tune band stuff. I moved to Glasgow in 2002, and became involved in the noise/improv scene, droning and contact mic’ed bucket-style stuff. Repeated Viewing came about in about 2009 through a desire to return to conventionally ‘playing’ instruments again. 

My taste in movies varies quite a bit, but it’s safe to say I tend to lean towards horror, experimental, and generally weird cinema. Spending the ’90s watching the endless BBC post-pub repeats of the Hammer movies and the Bravo satellite channel’s nightly selection of Italo/Asian/Troma splatter flicks probably helped warp my brain in right (or wrong) direction… 

Was there a specific instance which led to combining music and film? 

I wouldn’t say there was a specific instance, more a slow drip of influence from years of watching movies and obsessing over the soundtracks. I guess I just found myself at a point some time ago that I had the equipment and desire to give it a go. 

You’re one of the rare musicians to come up with imaginary film scores and actual film scores. What’s the difference between the processes? 

Not much, actually! Most of my soundtrack contributions are based upon existing material that’s been tweaked to fit the needs of the movie. I generally have an idea of whatever vibe I want to create with a new piece of music, so whenever somebody’s asked me for a few tunes, I simply consult the Repeated Viewing mood library! I figure the way Tangerine Dream came up with the score for the Sorcerer is the best option: Friedkin gave them the script and asked them to create the music prior to the film being shot. That turned out pretty well! 

How did you come to do the score for The Three Sisters? What attracted you to the film? 

The director, Dáire McNab, dropped me a line shortly after I posted a few tracks on my Bandcamp page and asked if I’d consider letting him use some of my music in his movie. He did an early edit of a scene using one of my tracks which tickled me somewhat so it was a no-brainer. I have to say the fact that Giovanni Lombardo Radice was involved also played a part in making my mind up – not a bad scoop for a giallo homage. Dáire’s super-talented and a very nice guy, so the whole process was great. 

For your Lunaris single, how did you come to decide on that atmospheric introduction with the howling wind? It’s absolutely brilliant. 

I wanted to go for an old school brit-horror vibe on that one and what could be more classically spooky than a howling wind? Besides, I live in Scotland so it’s the natural soundtrack to my windswept existence.

What’s the community like amongst the film music-inspired? I’m curious as to how much interaction you have with Umberto, Maiovi, and the like. 

Actually, it’s pretty open and friendly, which is pleasant given that many music ‘scenes’ can sometimes be a bit closed and ego ridden. The Giallo Disco guys and Umberto are lovely and have been very supportive of my stuff – having them rework The Three Sisters tracks was great. The same goes for all the labels I’ve worked with, all very dedicated and honest folks. No one’s made the kill list yet! There’s a lot of great film music-inspired music out there right now so it’s a good time if you’re into this stuff.

Will there ever be – has there been – a live performance aspect to your music? 

As of yet, nope. I technically retired myself from live gigs about 4 years ago – not really sure why, but I think I was a bit fed up after years of lugging gear around for minimal reward (what a grump!). Another local band has actually offered some assistance in performing my tracks live – that might be interesting. It’s not completely off the radar, so watch this space. 

Any upcoming projects you’d like to share? 

My next release is a full-length tape, Street Force, which is coming out via a new cassette label, Spun Out of Control. That should be out by the time you read this. A vinyl version of the Three Sisters OST is coming out some time later this year via WeMe/Wil-Ru records and I’ve also got an LP, Frozen Existence, coming out via Lunaris. The release dates for both of those are in the hands of the printing press queue, I’m probably currently sitting in line behind a Hanson reissue or something. There’s also a few more releases, collaborations and scoring duties brewing, more on those later though… 

More information on Repeated Viewing can be found via Bandcamp and Facebook.

At the beginning of February, American neo-noir author Richard Thomas launched a Kickstarter project to fund the launch of Gamut, an online magazine of neo-noir, speculative and literary fiction. Closing at the end of the month, at the time of writing, the Gamut Kickstarter has raised nearly $30,000 but will need to raise $52,000 to be successful. 

Thomas is offering annual subscriptions to the magazine and a lot more, with a focus on publishing genre-bending, hybrid fiction that utilises the best of genre and literary voices. What’s more, Gamut is intended to offer a new market for dark fiction and genre authors, paying twice the standard professional rate. Over the past eight years, Thomas has written and published: over 100 short stories, at magazines such as PANK and Cemetery Dance; three novels—including Disintegration and Breaker at Random House Alibi; and three short story collections. Starburst first reviewed Thomas’ work in 2013, calling his short story collection, Staring into the Abyss, ‘a merciless book that wastes no time in uncovering humanity’s sordid underbelly.’ 

Thomas, also editor-in-chief of Dark House Press and co-editor with Chuck Palahniuk and Dennis Widmyer of the transgressive fiction anthology Burnt Tongues (a Bram Stoker finalist), has secured a wide range of contributors for the first planned year of Gamut, including Stephen Graham Jones (Mongrels, William Morrow), Benjamin Percy (The Dead Lands, Grand Central Publishing), Lucy A. Snyder (Soft Apocalypses, Raw Dog Screaming Press, Bram Stoker Award Winner, 2014) and Helen Marshall (Gifts For the One Who Comes After, ChiZine Publications, Shirley Jackson Award Winner, 2014). 

STARBURST spoke to Richard Thomas to find out more about what Gamut will have to offer to genre readers and how some of the most recognisable artists in horror and fantasy right now will figure into his plans. 

STARBURST: You’ve probably spoken extensively about it by this point, so let’s cut to the chase – tell us about a standout story that you’re excited to publish in Gamut.
Richard Thomas: Most of the stories haven’t been written yet, I trust the authors involved to write new fiction for me. BUT, I do have a list of reprints I’m going after. With Stephen Graham Jones, it could be anything, he has so many excellent stories, same with Brian Evenson. I will probably reprint a few stories from Exigencies, which I edited, since they haven’t gotten enough attention. The first story in that anthology Wilderness by Letitia Trent was just selected for the Best Horror of the Year anthology, edited by Ellen Datlow, so that’s one for sure. Usman T. Malik just won the Bram Stoker Award last year, in short fiction, the first Pakistani author to ever do that. So, I may ask for his story from Exigencies, too. And, I just finished editing a collection by Dino Parenti, so I definitely want to steal a story or two from his work. Dark, haunting, surreal, emotional stories – that’s what they all write. 

There are some excellent artists involved in Gamut, including former British Fantasy Award-winning Daniele Serra. How important will commissioned art be to the magazine and what is it about the contributing artists that really spoke to you?
It will be very important. Luke Spooner will be doing original black and white illustrations for every story we publish. He and I have had a great relationship at Dark House Press (where I’m Editor-in-Chief). He did objects for The New Black, full-page drawings for After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones (Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson finalist), and landscape art for Exigencies. He gets my aesthetic, and has a way of tapping into the heart of the stories. Daniele Serra is amazing, he did the cover art for Exigencies, so I’ll use him for some of the more complicated conceptual stories, since he’s more abstract. George C. Cotronis did a few covers for Dark House Press as well, in addition to my short story collection Staring at the Abyss (Kraken Press) and I love his collage style of art, so cool, so edgy. Bob Crum is designing our website, and he does some surreal work that is really vivid. And Jennifer Moore, who did the cover photo for The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers will add photography as well. She does beautiful, haunting work that I know will look great. 

The credential that most recommends you as the driving force behind Gamut is your experience in selling short stories, which have been published alongside authors such as Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Jack Ketchum and Neil Gaiman. Is there still a big market for genre writers to sell short stories?
Thanks. There are some great markets, but it’s not huge when it comes to horror. That’s why I write across genres – fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime, Southern Gothic, magical realism, and literary. I think there is definitely a need for more markets that pay professional rates. We’ll pay ten cents a word, which is double the current standard. I can really only think of a few places that pay more than that – at least, ones that are open to submissions. That being said, there are dozens of genre markets that pay pro rates – and even more publications out there in the literary community. But you really have to break through; I mean the acceptance rate is like 1% (or lower). It’s about getting to know the editors, the aesthetic, the stories they like. I still have quite a few white whales I’m chasing down. There have been some excellent opportunities with small presses lately, especially in anthologies, you just have to keep your eyes and ears open. I think there definitely is a need for a publication like Gamut. 

Some of the most obvious inspirations on your writing are transgressive authors like Chuck Palahniuk and Will Christopher Baer. What is it about transgressive fiction that attracts you and why do you think it appeals to so many genre readers?
Great question. I like to put my readers in a moment, sometimes a difficult moment, and figure a way out. What’s it like to be abused, and how can you survive? What does it mean to lose everything, including your hope, but then discover it’s not entirely true? I want to move people, emotionally, have an effect on them, for them to finish a story, or novel, and go, “DAMN! That was intense.” And then go hug their kids, or have a good cry, or call up a lost love – embracing the idea that they still have time to change, to forgive, to chase their dreams, to be forgiven. There are many taboo subjects in transgressive fiction, and how we challenge the norm, how we rebel against conventional thought and outdated philosophies – that’s how we evolve. Fight Club woke me up, Perdido Street Station filled me with wonder, All the Beautiful Sinners stunned me, The Wasp Factory shocked me, and Annihilation inspired me. 

The hard sell – if Gamut isn’t funded, what’s going to be the one thing that you’ll be most sorry not to publish?
The exciting new work of marginalised authors who are trying to break out, that may never get their opportunity to shine.

I’ll tell you a little story. A woman that I don’t know, at all, just raised her pledge from $30 to $100 to $2,000. I was shocked. I sent her a note to say thank you for the generosity, that it was really appreciated. You know what she said? “Make it happen.” So, I will do everything I can to make Gamut succeed, I can’t let her down, or the authors that are counting on me to create this new publication. 

My staff and I are furiously running around behind the scenes – Mercedes donating books and sewing blankets, Dino woodworking coasters, Heather offering up editing services, Casey making videos, while I personally reach out to ever author and reader I’ve ever talked to. I have done eight hours of podcasts, 20+ interviews, and sent press releases to hundreds of people. I’m even talking to a few ‘angel investors’ behind the scenes – just in case. We’ve had people at Medallion Books, Written Backwards, and many individual authors, offer up donations in order for this to succeed. It’s inspiring.

I cannot let this fail. So I’ll pose this question to your readers—are you in yet? And if not, why not? Be a part of something here, be a patron of the arts, and help to create something wonderful.

Composer Tim Wynn has a diverse array of titles to his credits. He’s probably best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series of computer games, as well as the long-running Supernatural TV series. However, his latest work might be his highest-profile yet: Wynn took over from Michael McCann to become the lead composer for the rebooted XCOM series. XCOM 2 just dropped recently (read our review here), and we spoke with Wynn about his composing work and the latest XCOM instalment. 

STARBURST: Were you familiar with the XCOM series before starting work on the music for the games?

Tim Wynn: As a gamer, I had heard about it but I didn’t have first-hand knowledge about the XCOM universe. 

How did being in charge of the soundtrack for XCOM2 change your approach after working on music for XCOM: Enemy Unknown?

With XCOM 2, there was a different focus on how the story would play out. The music would attempt to highlight the plight and isolation of XCOM while still having heroic elements. The look of the game also played a major role in how the score ultimately sounded. Even though XCOM lost, there was still ‘order’. The music had to underscore both elements. 

Was there a need to follow the themes put in place by Michael McCann, or could you go in a different direction?
We wanted to introduce new themes from the first game. The story was new and the thought was the themes would be too. 

I know that the press release says that it ‘continues the legacy sound of the acclaimed reboot,’ but was there any consideration of taking a hard right turn into something different – or is it better to evolve the themes with new ideas, rather than start from scratch?

I think given the success of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, we didn’t think the score should be vastly different. It should be more an evolution of the sound from XCOM: Enemy Unknown rather than a remaking. New colours, new themes and energy but should still feel similar to the previous game. 

What is the difference between music for turn-based games such as the XCOM series, and more active games such as Command & Conquer?

It mostly came from the battle music. For XCOM 2, I created battle tracks that had two different styles that would play at the same time. The music will cross fade depending on whose turn it is. Other than that the approach is the same. The in-game cut scenes and menu music are linear much like Command & Conquer. 

Given that a lot of your music for games and television has been action-oriented, is there something that attracts you to that?

As someone who plays games, I guess I am comfortable writing music that gets your blood moving. I really love writing melodies and such but writing complex action music can be just as fulfilling. It’s really about what the project requires. 

Alternately, your film work has been on the dramatic side. Does this allow you to work on themes you might not be able to approach your other work?

When I start to write themes for film or TV, I always come up with a handful of variations. I like to hear how they can evolve before committing to them. It’s similar to how I approach game scores too. If you write good themes, they will work for any genre. It’s really about how they get used that is different. In film and TV, all the inspiration you need is on the screen and the music doesn’t need to loop. 

What upcoming work are you currently working on?

I am currently finishing up a new fantasy game with Creative Assembly and starting a new TV series with Disney coming later this year. 

XCOM 2 is out now for Windows, Linux, and OS X. More information about Tim Wynn can be found at his website.

Jennifer Lynn Warren is somebody rapidly making a name for herself in the world of horror and beyond. Likely best known for 2011’s brilliant Creature and for her turn alongside Kathy Bates in American Horror Story: Coven, the talented Pennsylvania-born actress is soon set to start shooting on Elias’ Ayla, a tense horror that looks at what happens when a long-dead sister is brought back to life years later. We were lucky enough to catch up with Jennifer to discuss Ayla, the role of women in horror, working with the legendary Kathy Bates, and a whole host more.

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