Issue 1 May 2015
In this issue… Cover Articles Black Dahlia Murder The Blood Countess Disney? Not What the Brothers Intended Opening the Black Box: Double eyelid Interview What to Read Into the Woods ArtAches The Devil & Daniel The Alternative Vision Poetry Pages Dealing with the Loss of a pet Plague INC Game review Welcome to Deviant South Pixels in your hair! Gothic Era Top 20 charts
3 7 13 16
24 26 28 31 33 35 37 39 40 43
About the Cover Shoot
T
he Shadows Magazine has been operational for almost a year. Almost operational… We are nearing the start of a whole new era with the publication of our first independent magazine and in this edition we are inspired by the black forest tales of medieval castles, poisoned apples and fiery red capes in the enchanted woods. We are, however, more interested in the darker tales told by the brothers Grimm who made all these fairy tales we know of today, popular.
This issue is also our celebration of sorts. A passion that cannot die and a vision we are fighting for even with all the challenges we had to face this past year with building up to this climatic event that draws our thoughts together. So, in celebration of our first independent Magazine issue and because this is TSM’s birthday, we decided to use the model that made issue one’s front cover of May 2014.
With a red hooded cloak, and a camera in the woods we created what you saw on the cover of this magazine. Smiling Cherries photography did a good job, both with the photography and the editing. Mandy Melancholy graced us with her beauty as the model and she also designed the costume for the shoot with Little Red Riding Hood as her inspiration drawn from researching ideas on Pinterest.
Like the story of Little Red, we too had to remain oblivious to our challenges and just carried ourselves through the dark forest. We fought the wolf, and now we are where we need to be… at a growing rate, stronger and passionate about what we do, about your talents and, as to be expected, about music.
-Raven
Black Dahlia Murder The story of the unemployed 22-year-old waitress has inspired dozens of books, Web sites, a video game and even an Australian swing band. The origin of her nickname is unclear. Some say her friends started calling her the "Black Dahlia" because of her fondness for the colour black and in reference to a 1946 movie called "The Blue Dahlia." Whatever its provenance, the press ran with it, and doing so, made Elizabeth Short a legend. "The Black Dahlia" was a nickname given to Elizabeth Short, an American woman who was the victim of a gruesome murder in January 15, 1974, Los Angeles, California. Born July 29, 1924 in Hyde Park, Boston, to parents Cleo and Phoebe Short. Short was born with respiratory problems that developed into asthma and bronchitis as she got older. Cleo made a good living building miniature golf courses until the depression in 1930, with his business suffering, Cleo decided to fake his suicide and abandoned Phoebe and their five daughters. He parked his car by a bridge and took off to California. Authorities and Phoebe believed Cleo committed suicide. Later, Cleo admitted that he made a mistake, contacted Phoebe and apologized for what he had done. He asked to come home. Phoebe, who had faced bankruptcy, worked part-time jobs, stood in lines to get public assistance and raised the five children alone, wanted no part of Cleo and refused to reconcile. Despite her parents' difficulties, Elizabeth continued to keep in touch with her father. At 19, Short took a train cross-country to move in with her father, who was living in Vallejo, a city just above San Francisco, and working at the Mare Island Naval Station. She was growing up to be quite an attractive young girl and like many young pretty girls, Elizabeth developed an interest in modelling and the movie industry and set her goals to someday work in Hollywood. She hoped the move to California would enable her to break into movies.
There is much debate about where Elizabeth spent her remaining years. It is known that in Santa Barbara she was arrested for underage drinking and was packed up and returned to Medford. According to reports up until 1946, she spent time in Boston and Miami. In 1944, she fell in love with Major Matt Gordon, a Flying Tiger, and the two discussed marriage, but he was killed on his way home from the war.
Elizabeth's last known address in Hollywood was the Chancellor Apartments at 1842 N. Cherokee, where she and four other girls roomed together. Robert Manley was 25 years old and married, working as a salesman. According to reports, Manley first met Elizabeth in San Diego and offered her a ride to the French house where she was staying. When she was asked to leave, it was Manley who came and drove her back to the Biltmore hotel in downtown Los Angeles where she was supposed to be meeting her sister. According to Manley, she was planning to go live with her sister Berkeley. Manley walked Elizabeth to the hotel lobby where he left her at around 6:30 p.m. and drove back to his home San Diego. Where Elizabeth Short went after saying goodbye to Manley is unknown. On January 15, 1947 Elizabeth Short was found murdered, her body left in a vacant lot on South Norton Avenue between 39th Street and Coliseum. Homemaker Betty Bersinger was running an errand with her three-year-old daughter when she realized that what she was looking at was not a mannequin but an actual body in the lot along the street where she was walking. She went to a nearby house, made an anonymous call to police, and reported the body. When police arrived on the scene, they found the body of a young woman who had been dissected, displayed face-up on the ground with her arms over her head and her lower half placed a foot away from her torso. Her legs were wide open in a vulgar position and her mouth had three-inch slashes on each side. Rope burns were found on her wrists and ankles. Her head face and body was badly bruised and cut. There was little blood at the scene, indicating whoever left her, washed the body before bringing it in the lot.
The crime scene quickly filled with police, bystanders and reporters. It was later described as being out of control, with people trampling on any evidence investigators hoped to find. The Los Angeles Police Department has all but given up hope of ever closing the Dahlia case. The department has more urgent crimes to investigate, and the killer has likely been dead for years. After more than 70 years after Elizabeth Short was murdered, mutilated and put on display in downtown Los Angeles, investigators think they’re on the verge of solving the case. The Black Dahlia murder, a cold case that’s left detectives, writers, filmmakers and the public scratching their heads for decades, could be solved when test results from a specimen obtained from the home of one of the original suspects come back from the lab. Former LAPD Detective Steve Hodel has joined up with retired police Sgt Paul Dostie and Buster, a Labrador retriever that’s been trained in sniffing out signs of human decomposition. Detectives speculated that the murder had been committed by someone with medical training because of the accuracy of the incisions. No arrests were ever made, although police dismissed more than 50 false confessions and received countless tips. Steve Hodel now points the blame at his father not only because he worked as a surgeon in that area, but also because he had a romance with Elizabeth that may have turned ugly, possibly even violent. The Daily Beast reported that Hodel suspects his father was responsible for nearly a dozen other murders of young women in Los Angeles, leaving their bodies at locations across the region. George Hodel’s home was bugged by the police after the crime and at one point he was heard telling an unidentified visitor, “Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead.” Steve Hodel now credits his father’s connections in the police department with helping him get away with the crime. -
written by Cherise Janse van Rensburg
The Blood Countess Known as the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bàthory has murdered over six hundred female servants, but what is the truth behind this fem fatale? The sun peaks through a window in the castle's main tower. Elizabeth can't help but to admire her own beauty in the mirror in front of her as one of her servants brushes her raven black hair. At first glance the loving mother seems calm and incapable of hurting an insect, yet the petrified servant anticipates the change. A single wrong move can turn the Countess into a harpy. Instead of focusing on when she was to fault, the servant should have focused on being flawless. By accident she pulls too hard at the raven hair. A grunt escapes the Countess' lips and as the servant was about to start begging for mercy, the Countess stands up. Glaring at the servant, Elizabeth strikes out, grabbing onto her lower jaw. The sound of breaking bone followed by a blood curdling scream can nearly be heard throughout the Castle of Čachtice. The Countess calls upon her trustworthy Fickò, the only male servant she has, a deformed dwarf. She exists upon the sound of a snapping neck.
Weeks past and the Countess notices a strange occurrence. It seems that were the blood of the servant fell, the blood somehow rejuvenated the skin. Thus began the era of the Blood Countess... The making of the world's most renowned female serial killer: On August 7, 1560, Elizabeth Bàthory was born into the most powerful Hungarian family of the fifteen hundreds. Alone in 1560 The Bàthory clan had seven princess and a king of Poland in their family tree. Unfortunately the Countess was also born into an age of war. She was born in a country at war. During that time the Protestants and Catholic empire were raging a religious war. Elizabeth grew up watching her relatives slaughter enemies in the most savage of manner. At the age of six, her father brought her into the court yard one day to witness one of these savage acts. The soldiers caught a gypsy near the castle. They tied him down in the court yard. Her father and his men tortured the gypsy for days on end, until finally they decided that they will put him out of his misery. A horse was led in and Elizabeth was commanded to slit his throat. The men quickly cut open his belly and stuffed the still living gypsy into the warm corpse of the horse. He was sown inside the corpse and left to die. Experts believe that years of inbreeding within the Bàthory clan has led to mental illnesses as well as epilepsy. Though that was merely the start of the making of the world's most renowned female serial killer.
Right: A portrait of Elizabeth Bàthory (Copyright of Wikipedia)
Right: Ferenc Nádasdy, spouse of Elizabeth Bàthory and father of Tamás Nádasdy (Copyright of Wikipedia)
A union of sadists:
At the age of fifteen in May 1575, Elizabeth Bàthory married a fabulously rich and handsome warrior, Ferenc Nádasdy (1555 - 1604). It was an arranged married between two powerful families within the clan. The Bàthory clan believed no other person of any rank or majesty was good enough for them, thus they married within the clan. The union was said to be a strategic success with over five thousand guests attending. As soon as nightfall came, Ferenc led Elizabeth into the darkest side of humanity. Ferenc was a sadist and took great pleasure in torturing servants sexually as well as physically. Soon, the sadistic couple would torture young female servants together. They would tie girls out in the blazing sun, honey being smeared over every inch of their naked bodies. The girls would soon succumb to wasp stings. Yet, there was no mercy when her husband was away at war. Elizabeth kept running a sadistic enterprise when Ferenc wasn't around. During the Blood Countess' reign, only one minister was brave enough to write a letter of protest against the maltreatment of the girls. Since peasants had no rights in the sixteen hundreds, his letter was regarded as taboo. On the 4th of January 1604, at the age of 49, Ferenc was killed whilst being away at war. This left Elizabeth Bàthory in charge of ten castles as well as a state. To the world she seemed a powerful icon. A loving mother, fearless ruler and a wise woman. Her power over the land and its people was absolute. A beautiful face shelters the horror within: After the death of her husband, Elizabeth became bored and frustrated. Soon her sadistic behavior got out of hand. She acquired the help of her four most trusted servants, Dorotya Semtész, Ilona Jó, Katarína Benická, and János Újvár, a male deformed dwarf also known as Fickò. With their help Elizabeth murdered over 600 female servants in the span of a mere 35 years. It was said to believe that no two killings were alike. If a servant didn't iron the clothes properly, Elizabeth would melt her face off with the exact same iron. She would keep them locked up in huge cages that had springs thrusting out as to impale the girls if they moved.
Left: In the middle of winter Elizabeth would let the naked girls stand in various manners in the court yard. She would have her three minions pour cold water over their bodies until they froze to death and became "statues". (Copyright of Wikipedia) The downfall of a Countess and Soprano: Upon attending a local church once, Elizabeth stumbled upon a locally known Soprano. The woman was said to have impressed Elizabeth so much that she was asked to do a private concert within the Castle of Čachtice. This was the first time the Soprano performed for royalty. Under Elizabeth's gaze, she had a nervous breakdown and was unable to perform. Elizabeth went into fit of rage and beat the Soprano to death. After this Elizabeth became more and more reckless. She started abducting girls from noble right which drew attention. The summer of 1610 brought an official enquiry concerning Elizabeth's actions. On December 19, 1610, Elizabeth was arrested and a few days later placed on trial. The trial was conducted by an agent of the king, Count Thurzo and though the trial was only for show it was initiated for a conviction and the confiscation of her lands as well. One week following the first trial, a second trial was convened on January 7, 1611. During the second trial Bàthory's journal, which held many accounts described in detail and in her hand writing, was submitted as evidence. The journal recorded 650 victims. Bàthory's accomplices were sentenced to be executed, manner being determined by their roles in the tortures. Dorotya Semtész and Ilona Jó had their fingers ripped off with hot pincers before being burned at the stake. János Újvár (Fickò) was immediately beheaded. Katarína Benická had her eyes gorged out and breasts cut off before also being burned at the stake.
Elizabeth herself was sentenced to solitary confinement in her beloved Castle of Čachtice. The room in which she was imprisoned contained no doors nor windows, only a few slits for air and a small opening for food and water. On August 21, 1614, Bàthory passed away due to natural causes and was buried in the lands at Ecsed. The deeper mystery: Even though folklore and myth claimed that Elizabeth bathed in the blood of her victims, absolutely no evidence was found to prove the statement. It was proven though that all of her victims were female. Her lesbianism was later to be blamed on an Aunt Clara that helped to raise her. Even before her marriage at the age of fifteen, Elizabeth was sexually active which is believed to be why most of the corpses found, had their sexual organs mutilated.
After her death, it was ruled that her name will not be spoken for one hundred years. Penalty for this act would have resolved in decapitation. To this day she is known as "The Hungarian Whore" in the streets of Csejte, Kingdom of Hungary (today known as ÄŒachtice, Slovakia).
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DISNEY?? Not what the brothers intended Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were German brothers and scholars who wrote a collection of tales in the 1800’s. Most of the popular Fairy tales we know today and 90 percent of the Disney classics are their stories. Well sort of. They Grimm legacy was basically a collection of folk tales they collected from peasants to middle-class or aristocratic acquaintances. Some of the tales probably originated in written form during the medieval period with writers such as Straparola and Boccaccio, but were modified in the 17th century, and again rewritten by the Grimm’s. The brothers kept on adding to the collection Jacob established the framework, maintained through many literation’s; from 1815 until his death, Wilhelm assumed sole responsibility for editing and rewriting the tales. He made the tales stylistically similar, added dialogue, removed pieces "that might detract from a rustic tone", improved the plots and incorporated psychological motifs. The brothers and in particular Wilhelm, additionally added religious and spiritual motifs to the tales. He believes that Wilhelm "gleaned" bits of old Germanic faiths, Norse mythology, Roman and Greek mythology and from biblical stories that he reshaped. The Grimm’s' legacy contains legends, novellas and folk stories, the vast majority of which were not intended as children's tales, children were not initially considered the primary audience. The stories in Kinder- und Hausmärchen include scenes of violence that have since been sanitized. For example, in the Grimm’s' original version of "Snow White" the Queen is Little Snow White's mother, not her stepmother, yet even so she orders her Huntsman to kill Snow White (her biological daughter) and bring home the child's lungs and liver so that she can eat them. The story ends with the Queen mother dancing at Snow White's wedding wearing a pair of red-hot iron shoes that kill her. Another story ("The Goose Girl") has a servant being stripped naked and pushed into a barrel "studded with
sharp nails" pointing inwards and then rolled down the street. The Grimm’s' version of "The Frog Prince" describes the princess throwing the frog against a wall instead of kissing him. To some extent the cruelty and violence may have been a reflection of medieval culture from which the tales originated, such as scenes of witches burning, as described in "The Six Swans". a friend of the bothers Ludwig Achim von Arnim an 18th century romantic was deeply concerned by the content of some of the tales such as those that showed children being eaten and suggested they be removed. Instead the brothers added an introduction with cautionary advice that parents steer children toward age-appropriate stories. Despite von Armin's unease, none of the tales were eliminated from their collection, in the brothers' belief that all the tales were of value and reflected inherent cultural qualities. Furthermore, the stories were didactic in nature at a time when discipline relied on fear and it is possible that tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel" were written to be "warning tales" for children.
Tales with a spinning motif are broadly represented in the collection. These stories reflect the degree to which spinning was crucial in the life of women in the 19th century and earlier. Spinning and particularly the spinning of flax, was commonly performed in the home by women. Although many stories begin by describing the occupation of a main character, as in "There once was a miller", as an occupation spinning is never mentioned, probably because the brothers did not consider it an occupation. Instead, spinning was a communal activity, frequently performed in a Spinnstube (spinning room), a place where women most likely kept the oral traditions alive by telling stories while engaged in tedious work. In the stories, a woman's personality is often reflected by her attitude toward spinning: a wise woman might be a spinster and the spindle was the symbol of a "diligent, well-ordered womanhood In some stories, such as "Rumpelstiltskin", spinning is associated with a threat; in others spinning might be avoided by a character who is either too lazy or not accustomed to spinning because of her high social status. The brothers Father and grandfather died when they were very young and this could possibly be the reason for the Grimm’s' tendency to idealize and excuse fathers, as well as the predominance of female villains in the tales such as the wicked stepmother, and stepsisters in "Cinderella", They were lovers of literature collectors and fantastic authors and I don’t believe their tales were intended to end up as Disney blockbusters. The brothers saw the world
the way it was they brought the cruelty of human beings to life while still showing that sometimes there might be an inch of good left in some people, Every now and then a hero might actually arise above the cruel, twisted nature of human beings. The fairy tales we grew up were twisted to hide us from reality. 5 stories that never got mentioned or turned into Traditional “fairy tales� because they were just too dark are: The girl without hands, The three snake leaves, The hairs bride, The singing bone and The death of the little hen. These are actually really good stories and they have life lessons. They are definitely worth looking up.
In my personal opinion Disney glamorized these wonderful tales and made them into romantic love stories that misguide children into believing that real life is like a fairy tale. I would like to end with the last line from the death of the little hen. "...and then everyone was dead." The end. Wesley Rees- Booyse
Opening the Black Box As the launch for Double Eyelid’s new video, Black Box from their album Seven Years, approaches, I thought to share some light on this unusual glam Goth project based in Toronto, Canada. The launch will be celebrated with the music event organizer 132 Projects on May 14 at Nocturne and it will be an event worth attending. In light of this launch, Vocalist Ian Revell, Has agreed to take part in an interview.
I had the honour of watching the preview you sent me and as a fan of your music, I was instantly impressed. As an artist I noticed, in the visuals, that a lot of newspaper clippings and the videography of what seems to be inspired by journalism. What inspired that style of video? “Thank you – but the style for the video came entirely from Keishi Kondo, the director, it was his vision. His intent was to use the newspaper clippings and photos to flesh out the details of the story he was trying to tell. In fact, he was being quite ambitious – he packed a lot into those six minutes. There is a story, but it’s told through images and symbols, in a non-explicit way, which I like because it gives you something to reflect on afterwards rather than laying everything out and tying it up neatly. In fact, this approach spilled over into his work process – on the way home after the last day of the shoot, Lovina (lead actress) and I were texting each other because we were only then starting to realize the meaning of some of the things he’d had us do. It’s a good match for my lyrics as I’m usually trying to work with a couple of layers of meaning.”
Still Image from their previous Video, Dead is better.
Double Eyelid has had quite a few amazing videos before, why is this one so important to you as a band?
“We’ve had two major videos; this is just the second. They’re both important – in some ways, the first one was more important because it helped put us out there. Reaching people around the world has always been an important goal for us, and videos help us do that. We didn’t want to be trapped in the rut of being a ‘local band’ if you know what I mean. The Toronto scene – we’ve made some friends there and the bookers have kind of tolerated us but we’ve always been the “black sheep” in that crowd. So we did our first video with the idea that we could transcend all of that and I’m still amazed at how well that worked. But the videos are more than just a means for promotion – a video is a way to extend the music through someone else’s vision. It’s like a remix – a fusion of ideas. Collaborating like that is a richly rewarding experience. After working with Steven Cerritos on the first one I was hooked. There will be more.”
The album “Seven Years” seems to be a favourite amongst music fanatics, but I’m sure everyone really wants to know where the name "Double Eyelid" comes from. “In 2004 my partner and I wanted to get away from everything so we went to South Korea to work as ESL teachers. One day, a little boy in my class came up to me and said: “Teacher! You have double eyelids!” Of course I had no idea what he meant, but then a Korean friend explained it to me – the “double eyelid” is a crease in the eyelid; common among Europeans but quite rare in Asians. So it resonated – it was a way of describing something ‘different’ about me as a foreigner, an outsider in Asia, and captured the feeling of ‘strangeness’ that I never really got rid of while I was there. Long after returning home I found it had stuck with me and so it became our band name.”
The Double Eyelid website states that the band formed as an experimental staging of hamlet. Is a lot of your music inspired by literary works and famous compositions? “We did actually form for an experimental staging of Hamlet; that was our first gig. An old friend of mine was running a sort of punk theatre – she had a vision for a version of Hamlet in which Hamlet was female, and instead of having the ‘play within the play’ part where the actors come to the court and put on a show she wanted to have bands. But it was a six-week run so she was asking bands if they could do it for 2 or 3 nights each. She asked me if I had a project – I didn’t, but I was working on some songs and thought this could be a good way to kick things off. As far as what I’m inspired by – lyrically it tends to be fairly personal rather than drawing from literature. Though musically of course it’s referencing many things. All of the influences go into a blender and something new comes out – but people who understand what we’re doing will be able to pick out the individual ingredients. But we try to take a really ‘free’ approach - we start with a blank canvas, so to speak – because it’s a project, not a band, so it’s not constrained in any way, even in terms of which instruments we use and things like that.
We don’t really care too much about genre categories, either; though I’m grateful for the ‘goth’ audience that has embraced us.”
Guitarist, Karl Mohr doing his thing.
Keishi Kondo is a well-known director, but is working with different artists a challenge for you? “Working with a director on a video is a big leap of faith because the project is ultimately in their hands – it’s their medium. So it’s quite nerve-wracking at times. The key is making sure you work with talented people who can deliver something great in the end, and we’ve been really lucky there. We are working on a remix album right now and it’s a similar scenario – you’re putting your ideas into other people’s hands and seeing what they do. But I’ve been excited by a lot of what we’ve gotten back from the other artists so far and I’m really looking forward to releasing it when it’s ready sometime this summer.”
Black Box official video is launched this may and I cannot wait for the vintage magic you are bringing to the music industry, but what was the greatest challenges you faced during the filming?
“The greatest challenge is always to stay within the budget! And “people management” because it’s more to coordinate. When we made the record it was usually one or two people in the studio at a time; for the video shoot it was getting 10 people or so to show up at the same place so that leads to headaches inevitably …”
If Double Eyelid would fight for any cause, what would it be and why? “We did actually support one charity by donating a track for a compilation – it was the Sophie charity, which is a goth-focused anti-bullying group in the UK. In terms of my own personal activism – I think we’re lucky to live in a pretty decent society but we need to try and make it better. I would like to see free higher education for all because most of the social inequalities we see now are class-based and free higher education would make things fairer. That’s just one thing off the top of my head – of course there are many ways to change the world for the better …”
What can we be expecting from you during the rest of 2015? “We’re doing live shows again after what turned into a bit of a break last winter. A remix album with a number of interesting (and some well-known) collaborators is coming out in the summer. There is talk of a tour in Europe starting in late October but the details are still being worked out. I’ve been writing for the next album and we’ll likely start recording that near the end of the year, or in early 2016. It’s a bit premature to talk about what that at this time, but we are Double Eyelid. Expect the unexpected”
Black Box (music and lyrics by Ian Revell) Lost in the blazing heat Of an endless summertime I wandered far from home To follow the thinnest line She found me broken down Dying of thirst, in pain
Delight spread across her face And before I knew it - I was in love again And when the winds blew cold I brought her into my home We made a shelter there
I kept her safe and warm But I was soon to find
That we were not alone She had a secret side - she didn’t know it It was hidden inside a Black box
I tore my world apart trying to find it Looking to unravel, all the secrets of her mind But the further I went, the more confused I became Inside the lie was the truth just realigned The black box... It rained on the day I knew That we had gone too far
I thought that I had control But I was just a passenger She looked deep into my eyes As we headed for the drop
She said they’ll never understand us Until they read the black box...
Director: Rob Marshall Running time: 2hr 5min Genre: musical and performing arts Released: Dec 25 2014
Originally the musical Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine, the tale is told with a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales which involves the tales of Jack and the beanstalk, Rapunzel, Little red riding hood and Cinderella. It has a different plot twist and keeps you wondering how it all fits together. The baker and his wife tries to begin a family, but discovers a witch has cast a spell over all the men in his family thanks to his mother’s cravings during her pregnancy. Marshall made bold choices concerning the cast. The performances were rather good, but they lacked emotion. If Marshall had a composer like e.g. Danny Elfman to re-do the music, it would have been more bearable to watch. I was quite surprised to see it did so well, with several golden globe and Oscar nominations. Marshall’s hard work paid off in the end after all, in the beginning of 2015 the musical won an A.F.I award for movie of the year.
My rating:
.
3/10
How you like them apples??
Serapion Nasosov, an artist that invokes powerful emotions in beautifully twisted ways.
All his work seems wonderfully mesmerizing, but they have powerful messages of great struggles, which Nasosov had faces in his life.
By Aimee Grabe
The Devil & Daniel Johnston
"Weird" is what most people thought of when they saw Daniel Johnston's artwork, but let's not judge a book by its cover. Who was he really? Johnston was born on the 22 January
1961 in Sacramento, California, the youngest of five children.
When Johnston was younger he appreciated musicians such as Bob Dylan, Queen, David Bromberg but his favourite was the Beatles. He claimed he always wanted to be a Beatle. But he was very disappointed when he found out he could not sing. But that didn’t stop I’m from living up to his dreams.
Johnston had been composing music from a young age.
It was only after high school that he attended an art branch
near his family’s home. He began to spend most of his time in the basement writing and recording. When he was on his way
Some of Johnston`s art
back from a show and he had a psychotic episode. He believed he was Casper the friendly ghost. As a result he was put into a mental hospital and diagnosed with schizophrenic bipolar disorder. A lot of people believed the he wrote his music when he was imbalanced, due to his bipolar. His bipolar is now under control and he is very healthy but his artwork and music still play an important role in many artist’s inspirations. Interest in Johnston increased when Kurt Cobain (lead singer of the former band Nirvana) wore a T-shirt of Johnston`s album art ‘Hi How Are You’. Cobain listened to Yip/Jump album and was also one of his favourites. In 2006 a documentary was released on Daniel Johnston called ‘The Devil and Daniel Johnston.’ On 13 March 2012 Johnston released his first comic book ‘Space Ducks- an infinite comic book of Musical Greatness.’ Johnston also designed all of his album art himself with the typical impaled eyeball, which was his trademark since childhood. Johnston has released at least 25 albums. And he released his lasted album on 6 October 2009 ‘Is and Always Was.’
Johnston’s infamous trademark.
www.curiology.co.uk
The Alternative Vision -Conrad
Darkest greetings dear reader, I was once asked how I personally see the term “Goth�. I hope that you all have heard of the history and cruelty in the ages passed, but we live in a subjective modern world of opinions and ideas now and by technicality, no one can claim to know what Goth really means anymore so maybe you would like to share your thoughts to theshadowsmag@gmail.com, but for now kick back and just enjoy a moment of enjoyable vision. Lifestyle: Most alternative scenes are considered a phase of adolescence, especially Goth, but for most this is
untrue. For Goths it’s a lifestyle other than most alternative scenes. This means that the true Goths actually evolve the style, music taste, and love of darkness and then evolve with it. Even though our careers make it difficult to express ourselves professionally Goth people don’t hide. Gothic lifestyle is not the way we dress, but more the way we live. There are many different types of Goth. I mentioned earlier that it evolves, which means there are more Gothic types than you can even attempt to Google but if you find yourself somehow fascinated in specifying to a specific genre of the dark lifestyle, here is a short list of modern-day gothic styles. Corporate Goth (Usually for the ambitious workaholics)
Cabaret Goth (The Genre being expressed in this issue of TSM) Romantic Goth Victorian Goth Fetish Goth
Cyber Goth Obviously music is a great influence in the Gothic evolution. There are no laws of what music creates the Gothic taste (that would depend on your personal taste of music) but generally, the music ranges from nu-wave to dark wave or industrial metal to the blackest of death metal. There is even a musical genre dedicated specifically for the Gothic lifestyle… I’m sure we all realize how obvious it is for it to be called “gothic” Not everything in this subculture is all dark and not everything is religious or activist. We are normal people with an alternative way of thinking and living. The choices we make in life aren’t the options life presented to us and that is what makes us unique, mysterious and wonderful. That, dear reader, is how I see the gothic lifestyle. That, Darklings and Monsters, is my Alternative Vision.
Undead Eyes of tears, short of breath You invoked The Raven The guardian of death Grimed and hollowed Your fight was lost Into the beast you were swallowed Bitten by resurrection so cold of heart You hide in the darkness Where you'll never depart No taste so bitter, no scent so foul Left solitary cursed In the midnight prowl And when daylight comes you hide evermore It leaves you vulnerable Aching and sore. This is the blood thirst The monster within inside The thing from which no one can hide
There will always be that one special thing That desire so deep it burns from within A greed so profound It shapes and moves the ground When you can do nothing else but smirk When there are no options But live where the shadows lurk. Where your mind conjures and dreams Thoughts of cries and screams Where your blood is dry and your soul is cold There you'll be for a thought sold There you'll be for the Raven's tale The deadly poem told. -Anonymous Author
Dealing with the loss of a pet
Y
ou know those families where all the children could ever want was a pet, but no matter what the parents are adamant that they are not getting any pets? The mother might say “Oh, but they smell” or “I’m allergic to those things”. Yeah, my family is not like that at all. We simply cannot have enough pets. We keep expanding our family by adding new children to it – children in the form of dogs, cats, rabbits… anything cute that we think might need love of some sort. If one of us feels that we can fill the void within this pet with love, or that he or she can fill a void in us, we get it, and you would think after a lifetime of loving and losing our children, we would get used to the inevitable loss of a pet, but that couldn’t be more wrong. I have lost so many of my babies in tragic ways, like that time my mom accidentally drove over my puppy’s head, or like when my dog ate my kitten, or more tragically, when I came home from school to find that my rat had eaten my baby pigeon, whom I saved from the dogs just two weeks earlier, through the bars of his cage (how little Button got out of his enclosure is still a mystery). More recently, a week ago to be exact, I lost another one of my children. Much less traumatic than the previously mentioned ones, but still very tragic. My pet rat (no, not the same one that ate my Button) was two and a half years old already and I knew he was getting close to his dying day, because Fancy Rats have a maximum lifespan of three years. Pretzel was a Siamese Rat, a beautiful rat with the same markings as a Siamese cat. He was extremely ill – he was losing his eyesight at first, then he got a bad skin condition that made his skin oily and scaly and made him lose his gorgeous hair. At last he lost the ability to move his hind legs and for the last while of his life he had to drag himself around like some zombie that drags its guts behind him after having its lower body ripped off. So, I’m sitting here trying to think of a way I can console not only myself, but anyone else out there who has lost a pet recently or perhaps need to know how to deal with the death of a pet in the near or far future. It seems like a very common reaction for animal lovers to feel guilt. Somehow you feel as if you could have done more for your pet or maybe you couldn’t afford the medical bills that could help your pet a little while longer. I know I feel guilt right now. I know in my heart that I did everything in my power to help little Pretzel, but I still feel guilt settling down inside me. I spoke to some of my family members and friends and the following feelings seem to be natural experiences after losing a pet: guilt, sadness, regret, loneliness or even a lack of purpose. It is important to remember that some people only have their pets to keep them company. Some pets are not only a companion, but also a co-worker – a guidance dog, for instance would be considered a coworker. Throughout many years of babysitting I have also picked up that when a child’s pet dies, the child will often also blame him- or herself for the pet’s death, so as a parent
it is important that you speak to your child and explain that the death of their pet is not something they caused, unless of course the child deliberately drowned their kitten or something like that, but that is something different entirely. Because to so many of us our pets are more like family members than just some animal, it is natural to feel lonely, not only because you have lost your most sincere companion, but also because most of the people around you will not understand your loss or your response to the loss you are experiencing. Nevertheless, it is important to deal with your loss in your own way to help you move on or somehow accept it. Just like with the loss of a fellow human being, sometimes this sudden death is so unexpected that it takes you a while to realize that this person had died. Everyone has different ways of dealing with death, but what you need to try to avoid is keeping it inside, because that always becomes sticky and becomes unbearable later on. Some ways to deal with it would be to hold a little ceremony for your pet, making a scrapbook or photo album, writing a story or poem about your pet or even painting something. Of course, there are many other ways to deal with this death, but it is important to find your own way to make yourself feel better. Do not care about what people around you think or say about holding a small ceremony for the burial of your pet or however you decide to handle it, because honestly, it none of your business what others say behind your back and if they say it to your face, just point out that it’s none of their business either. I spoke to my nurse friend and she said that the grieving process is made up of different steps, or stages, namely depression, aggression, bargaining, denial and finally acceptance. Of course these stages are considered important for the loss of a friend or family member, but as I pointed out earlier, for some the loss of a pet can be just as tragic and can have the same effect on any person. It is important and normal for someone to experience all of these stages and it is considered a healthy experience. I hope that this has helped any of your out there that has lost a pet recently too – I know this random explanation and exploration has helped me feel a little bit better about the loss of my dearest Pretzel. I also went ahead and looked for any online support groups for anyone who may feel the need to speak to someone about their loss. I found this website: http://www.petloss.com/, so please feel free to visit this site if you feel the need to. They have little candle lighting ceremonies and chat groups too.
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From the genius one man developer Ndemic creations came plaque Inc. a unique simulation game for the iPhone. The game shocked critics when it was downloaded over 25 million times and was a runner up in the IGN Game of the Year 2012 awards for 'Overall Best Strategy Game Overall. It was the 15th most downloaded paid iPhone game of 2012 in the U.S. and the 5th most downloaded paid iPhone game of 2013 in the U.S. Ndemic then branched out to the P.C with Plaque Inc. evolved. This is one of the most unique games I have ever played. Most games, no matter the genre the player usually takes on the role of the hero where the main objective of the game is to save the world, get the girl etc. this game however is quite the contrary the object is to kill the planet LITERALLY. When the last human being on earth is dead, you win. Fans of simulation games will enjoy this as the best way to describe it is a plaque simulator. The player controls a plague which has infected patient zero. The player must infect and kill the whole world population by evolving the plague and adapting to various environments. However, there is a time pressure to complete the game before humans, the opponent, develop a cure for the plague. The game has fantastic replay ability as the player starts with one type of virus then unlocks a different one each time they complete a game by eliminating humanity each strain comes with different features and challenges. There are also a lot of unlockable Genes that can be used in every new game.
The creator definitely did their research and the game is very realistically simulated a lot of strategy is required in order to succeed airports, harbours, climate and even economic conditions have to be considered When developing your virus. One also needs to be careful when developing symptoms for they have a different impact in different circumstances.
As the game starts you name your virus then choose which country the plaque starts in. you then pop bubbles to get DNA points to start with then you use these points to make the plaque spread faster to earn more points When developing your plaque you have use points that you earn in the game to do the following: change how it’s transmitted, develop symptoms and develop resistances. The order in which you this is up to you but if you don’t think strategically humanity will survive. Sometimes when developing symptoms the disease starts killing too quickly and if all the infected die before the planet is infected you lose.
Overall it’s a fun game that can keep you busy for hours. And there are game modes to suit your mood. If you just feel like killing off humanity in your own way without much of a challenge then play on easy. Then there are modes where humanity puts up one hell of a fight and it’s quite a challenge. Ndemic are currently developing a version for the Xbox 1. But for now I recommend giving the pc game a try. It can be downloaded from steam and a few other sites. – Wesley Reeves My Rating:
7/10
T
he amazing thing about the internet is that you can find anything from a broken umbrella to a dead policeman for sale and these days we don’t even need to leave our rooms to do all the shopping our credit cards allow us to do. I am a person who frequently enjoys exploring the vast majority of alternative online stores and sometimes I wish I had an unlimited credit card that I don’t even pay for, because the things you find online is amazing. Top hats, goggles, rings, chokers, coats and even fangs and coffins.
H
owever, you can’t get the service off the internet that you get from actual stores. With TSM being a global based magazine (because the internet is global) it almost seems pointless sharing physical addresses, but if you ever find yourself in safari-less South Africa, pop in at Deviant South in Uitenhage Eastern Cape. This quaint little store has a collection of things that would blow your mind and as expected, the person behind the counter will help you find what you are looking for with a smile… and some wit. The most popular Items are the anatomical print clothing and the Alchemy jewellery.
I
f you are unable to ever travel to South Africa, perhaps afraid of lions or
hippos, then check out their online store, which would be equally as helpful as the attendant, aside from the courtesy smile and wit you’d be missing out on.
Creativity
seems
to
be
ever
evolving. When we look at the trends of today, it certainly does not have a lack of imagination. In the past people had enormous wigs on their heads with all sorts of
decorations cluttering the bed of hair. After that, no hair and before we could even polish the bald heads, hair was in again. Last year, brightly coloured rainbow hair was
the popular thing to do.
decorative bows and flowers in
I took the liberty of doing some
them. The more curls you could line
research to find this year’s next big
in
more
thing and I was pleasantly amazed
important you were. Then hair was
with Pixel block hair dyes. Basically,
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your hair, but instead of tiny streaks
Punked Neon offers their services at
of bright between the dark, little
their salons if you want hair so
blocks ranging in opacity is created
awesome, the universe pixelates it.
making it look like you have pixelated hair. It looks so amazing the universe censored it like they
For information about their stores,
censor naked people on The Sims,
salons or products phone
thus the pixilation.
Or email to info@punked.co.za
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“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want your children to be more intelligent. Read them more fairy tales.” – Albert Einstein
During the month of May we will be hosting a competition in collaboration with Punked Neon Hair Dye, Voodoo Eye Contact Lenses and the band of choice for this issue, Double Eyelid. The competition will be an annual event for our contribution to the World Goth Day, but this competition will serve a greater purpose. It is to raise awareness of our individuality. So Until 22nd May 2015 you can post a selfie of your gothy self on our facebook wall. Winners are chosen by the likes and shares the selfies generate. You may post as many as you like, but it will only qualify as part of the competition if it has the tag #ForSophieLancaster We are honouring the Lancaster Foundation through this campaign and we hope to have your greatest support. Follow the pages of our sponsors to see what prizes are up for grabs!
Contact us for any information, suggestions or ideas‌ even if you just want to show us something you find interesting. We would love to hear from you.
Email Raven (Editor in Chief) theshadowsmag@gmail.com Cherise JVR (creative director) info.tsm@gmail.com
@theshadowsmag facebook.com/theshadowsmag theshadowsmagazine.tumblr.com/ instagram.com/theshadowsmag/
A special thanks goes out to Burn The Witch Photography for supplying us with the most magical photos of forests. You are wonderful and I sure hope you will be ready to take on the cover shoot for us soon. Thank you Marlise Magna for your hard work and dedication to quality. Without you we would be lost. Welcome to the team!