Tag Archives: horror

Supporting the Arts through Kickstarter

I’m a big fan of Kickstarter and of crowdfunding in general. I think its ability to connect creators with the public is phenomenal, and sites like Kickstarter help fill the gaps left by our current government grant systems. This is why I’ve backed projects like New Nebula: Volume One, The White Review, Floodgate Poetry Series Vol. 2, and Fireside Magazine Year 3, and why I’m currently backing projects like Maxx Giffen’s The Transformation Project and SPROUTLINGS: A Compendium of Little Fictions. Most if not all of these projects are by independent artists and small presses.

Of course, I also create Kickstarters; I’m running one right now. The Quilliad Press is a small press project that everyone in our collective has been involved with in some way, and we’re proud to say that we are huge supporters of independent artists, emerging writers, and our fellow small presses and art organizations. Our submission call for art by Canadian writers and artists for our Halloween-inspired sixth issue is running concurrently with our Kickstarter, and both end today, October 20, at midnight EST. If you’re interested in the literary scifi, horror, apocalyptic fiction, and magic realism that will be in our sixth issue, as well as the dark, magical art, or the chapbooks, art prints, and personalised poetry we’re offering at backer rewards, check out our project page: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1765917797/the-quilliad-press-and-issue-6. Every cent goes toward publishing and promoting Canadian writers and artists.

Hopefully you’ll check out some of these projects. And then, maybe, you’ll start one of your own.

Sarah Varnam,
Manager of the Apple of my Odd Eye artists’ collective
Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Quilliad Press

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Apple of my Odd Eye at the Strange and Astounding Show

Apple of my Odd Eye spent the weekend at the Strange and Astounding Show in Oshawa. This was the first year for a new horror and science fiction convention, and while the venue was hard to find, the vendors and entertainment were fantastic (and in many cases, fantastical). Creepy costumed figures wandered through the event, past vendors selling art, games, jewellery, animal skeletons, and clothing; photo op booths complete with props and makeup artists; and a gaming tournament.

We grabbed a few photos while we were there, including a selfie with Krampus!

Here are a few shots of our booth:

Here’s the rest of the show:

If you’re curious about any of the vendors in the pictures above, you can click on the links in the business-card gallery below:

It was fun to see some familiar faces–like Steamgummi with her steampunk jewellery and Propraetor with his dark illustrations. It was also nice to meet new people, such as Ryan Howe, who I chatted with about the tattoo business (Apple of my Odd Eye might start selling flash pages soon!), brushes, and ink for at least half an hour. The addition of the wandering monsters and the photo booths that made this a convention rather than just a craft show were nice touches as well.

If you missed us at the Strange and Astounding Show, you can find us at the Bazaar of the Bizarre: Frostbite Edition 2014 on Sunday December 14 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m at the Pia Bouman School for Ballet (6 Noble Street, near Dufferin and Queen) in Toronto.

-Sarah

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