Dare to be different, I always say.

I love to actively seek out and experience the unique, the quirky, the off-the-beaten-path type of stuff, especially in the world of fine arts and entertainment.  While radio is attempting to shove what they want to be the “next big thing” down the public’s throat, I scour music sites like eMusic, CDBaby, and (to a lesser extent) iTunes, trying to find artists and bands that I actually want to listen to based on my own personal preferences, not what someone else is telling me to do.  I can use wonderful independent or wider-ranging film services like Vimeo or Netflix Instant to find lesser-known movies and hidden gems that aren’t afforded the luxury of national marketing campaigns.  Amazing authors working with a smaller press or self-publishing their work are just a few clicks away from discovery on sites like Smashwords, Goodreads, and of course Amazon.  Finding that singular, largely-unknown and under-rated slice of goodness really makes me feel like I’m privy to something special, something that I can confidently tell others about and proudly say “’I found this first…I found this on my own.”

That’s my feeling in a nutshell about “Debbie Does Dallas,” the stage-musical version of the kitsch-tastic 1970s pseudo-porn movie of the same name.  The iteration I had the pleasure to witness is currently running on stage here in Indianapolis, at Theater on the Square on Mass Ave.  The fine folks at TOTS are no strangers to pushing the envelopes with their shows, as I having at one time performed in a TOTS production while being on stage in nothing but a dance belt, a well-placed marijuana leaf, and a smile, can directly attest to.  “Debbie” tells a familiar tale: a young, bright-eyed and innocent youth goes on a voyage of self-discovery and personal change while trying to follow a dream.

The only difference between “Debbie” and Shakespeare, really, is that Debbie’s dream is to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, the “’personal change”’ she and her fellow high-school cheerleaders go through is more related to hormones than anything else, and their voyage of self-discovery is just that, in the most literal and physical sense.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, both the show and the cast are clearly having a great time letting loose in front of the audience.  The content itself is intrinsically cheesy and entertaining – the story is firmly entrenched in the free-wheelin’ 1970s and there’s no getting around it – but it’s the surprisingly nuanced performances by the cast that really bring the show’s irresistible charm to life.  Performing live comedy, especially the goofy, out-of-your-natural-element kind, is incredibly hard to do, and the actors and actresses in “Debbie” all shine in their own ways, playing to their characters’ singular quirks.

In the title role of Debbie, Emily Bohannon exudes the perfect balance of innocence and a growing understanding of sexuality and how the world revolves around it.  She’s cute as a button, unequivocally likable, and effortlessly carries the weight of most of the show’s musical numbers (it seems the show’s creators focused what little musical numbers there were primarily on the lead character, although the second act does feature some fun tunes for the entire cast to perform).  Maria Meschi plays Lisa, Debbie’s “frenemy” co-cheerleader; she does a fantastic job of playing a subtly evil high school girl, and she also gets the chance to show her vocal prowess in a second-act solo.  As Roberta, Linda Heiden absolutely nails the classic ditzy-cheerleader persona from top to bottom, and Andrea Heiden and Betsy Norton round out the cheerleading squad with excellent play off of each other as blissfully-unaware almost-lesbians.

My, what a large...loofah you have.

There are guys in the show, too.  Zachary Joyce portrays Rick, Debbie’s boyfriend and star high school quarterback; Joyce plays the role to spot-on perfection, presenting (physically and mentally) as the typical ‘70s porn-star leading man, replete with awesome moustache and an odd indifference to getting into sexytime situations with both guys and girls.  Ryan Dunn and Rich Tunnell both play double-duty as H.S. football players and a variety of other male-adult characters, with Dunn earning a special mention for playing a host of random but always-entertaining personas.  Rounding out the cast is Carl Cooper, who seems right at home in the finest of retro clothing as he also plays multiple roles of the Dallas Cowboys’ owner, a seemingly-innocent candle-store owner, and a not-so-innocent older man who first turns the girls on to the fact that “Teen Services” can mean a lot more than a simple innuendo.

The true mastery of the cast’s performance lies not in the “main” moments of dialogue and music, but in the small moments of comedy and “subtle” acting in between their words and when the primary attention of the audience is supposed to be directed to a different part of the stage.  Bohannon, Dunn, Joyce, and Linda Heiden particularly excel in this area, and it is this attention to detail and dedication to “acting through the end of the scene” that helps create a totally enjoyable experience for this show.

Choreographed with chintzy aplomb by Erin Cohenour (special mention to the tap-dancing glory of the song “The Dildo Rag”) and directed with a zealous embrace of all things tacky by Andrew Ranck, “Debbie Does Dallas” is a show that should certainly make you laugh and – pardon the innuendo – make you want to come again and again.  If porn mustaches were a rating system, this would be a 5-’stacher for sure.  Yes, it’s an adult-themed show, but with this knowledge beforehand, you can obviously make your own choice to either relax and have fun with it, or simply pass on seeing it if you’re that concerned about what the ladies at the Bridge Club might think.  Personally, I highly recommend the first option, and then tell the card-playing ladies to lighten up and enjoy life a little bit.

Tickets, performance information, and more can be found on the Theater on the Square website.

So, here is an excerpt from the beginning of the guest review on The GORE Score from NY Times best-selling author Jonathan Maberry. To read the full review, skate on over to http://www.thegorescore.com Enjoy!

Guest Review by Jonathan Maberry

Hello all!

I’m delighted to be a guest reviewer here on the G.O.R.E. Score.  And thanks to Tony Schaab for the weirdness that is MAY-Berry Month here on the site.  There are some disturbed individuals associated with this site—staff and readers; but luckily various forms of treatment are available.
 
Instead of reviewing a single book (as I was invited and, dare I say, expected to do), I decided to provide my MUST HAVE list for best horror reading and viewing. These are the horror works I feel have great enduring merit and laid the groundwork for the best of today’s creepy storytelling.  It’s not a complete list by any stretch, but for me, all of these are 10/10.  There isn’t a weak one in the bunch.

Top Things to Consider when Picking a Publisher

1. What do their other books look like?  Take a moment to look around the publisher’s website (WARNING: if a publisher doesn’t have a dedicated website for their company, they are missing out on a key way to sell the books they publish) or search their books on Amazon.  Do the covers of the publishers’ other books look like a cover you would want on your book?  Most companies use only one or a small handful of cover artists, so the odds are good that (if you decided to publish with this company) the cover for your book will have a similar design or theme as the already-for-sale books.  It’s true what they say: “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” but in an increasingly populated marketplace, a shoddy cover is a surefire way to make potential buyers pass you right by without even bothering to discover what your book is about.
2. How are their other books doing in sales?  This is not always a perfect indicator, but if you hop on Amazon and see that all the books from this publisher are languishing at the 2-million-ranking mark or higher, odds are good that not a lot of promotion for these books (and, in turn, yours when it comes out) is going on.  On the flip side, if you see good sales numbers, the company could definitely be doing some excellent marketing to go along with a solid book.  Of course, an author can many times go out and whip up a sales storm, so make sure to take those numbers with a grain of salt; go out and pick up a copy of a magazine that is specific to the genre you are writing in (for example, if your book is horror, than go grab a Fangoria or Rue Morgue) and see if the company has any ads out there.  Of course, the easiest way to get direct book sales numbers – if you have the gumption – is to simply ask the publisher directly for this information.
3. Does the publisher have a publicly-noted good/bad reputation?  Visit an online forum or author’s club, or once again hit up Amazon and take a look at the conversation threads attached to any of the publisher’s book’s pages.  The website Preditors & Editors is a great resource to find honest information from other authors as well.  Good publishers will have people singing their praises; bad publishers will have people with many horror stories to tell you.  Both kinds may be slightly embellished, but you can usually take any trends you find out there as a pretty solid indicator of the truth.
4. What are the terms of the deal they are offering?  This seems simple enough, but in reality there is actually quite a bit to consider here.  In addition to how much money per book you will make (and NEVER take an agreement that asks you for money up-front!), be sure to find out how many free copies of your book you will get sent to you upon release, and what kind of a discount you can have if you order extra copies of your book.  Be sure to note the length of time you will receive royalties and how long the book remains “exclusive” with the publisher.  Most publishers will offer you royalties from book sales for a set amount of time (3, 5, or 10 years, as some standard examples) but will ask to keep the book in their library “for as long as there is public demand for the title” (i.e., forever).  After your royalty period ends, I strongly encourage you to ensure the contract states that the exclusive rights also end, allowing you to sell the book on your own or publish it with another company, even if a version stays with the original publisher – you should always be able to get paid for your book!
5. Are they professional in their communication with you?  This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at the kind of things a publisher may say to you in your e-mail or phone call communication.  Good manners, mutual respect, and excitement about your work are key – also of great importance, that a publisher is well-spoken and knows correct grammar and spelling!  I used to work with a publisher who wrote the most haphazard e-mails you’d ever see: line breaks at the wrong place, misspellings so plentiful I’d sometimes be confused as to what was being said, and not a single capital letter to be found.  If a person who runs a “professional” company can’t even be bothered to present as professional to you, how do you think he/she treats the products (i.e., your book)?  Also of note: be wary of someone who constantly badmouths other authors/publishers/companies.  If he/she speaks so unprofessionally and poorly about people he/she doesn’t work with, how do you know he/she doesn’t say the same about you to others?

Hopefully these pieces of information will be helpful to you as you go on your search for the “right” publisher.  There are many out there, so take your time and don’t necessarily feel the need to jump on the first offer you get simply because it’s there.  You know the value of your work – make sure you get your fair slice of the pie!

For those unfamiliar, “Survivor” is a social-experiment, strategy-based competition game that takes place within the confines of a reality show, shot over the course of 39 days. Player start in two tribes, usually set in an exotic or tropical location, and have to compete against the other tribe in challenges, with the losing group going to Tribal Council and being forced to vote one member out of the game. Eventually, the two tribes merge and the challenges change from one tribe having “immunity” to individuals winning and having that immunity, which protected them from being voted out at the next Tribal Council. Eventually, the game gets down to the final two or three players, who then go before a jury of the most-recently voted-out players, who then cast their vote for who they feel is the most deserving remaining player. That player wins the game, and oh yeah – the $1 million prize that comes with it.

If it sounds like a show that may not exactly be for you, I encourage you to watch a few episodes when the show returns this Fall and see what you think. The social dynamic of the game is very intriguing, and an oddly-enthralling counterpart to the “reality show” vibe given off by the challenges and the monetary prizes. I’ve seen every episode of each of the 22 seasons, and you’d better believe I’ll be right there for the excitement this Fall of season #23!

In any case, things are going well, even if they are very busy.  The new horror and sci-fi review site, The G.A.S.P. Factor (found online at www.TheGASPFactor.com) launched last week and is already seeing excellent traffic coming through!  I’m truly excited to be working with this talented team of authors as their editor, and I’m looking forward to this project continuing to grow and become more and more successful as time goes on.  If we stay with our targeted timelines for submitting reviews and posting them on the site, by January or February of 2012 we should have enough to make a very large first volume in a book series collecting the reviews!  We’ll hope to put over 100 reviews in each book, so the reader will definitely be getting their money’s worth!

The G.O.R.E. Score, my first review site, is still going strong, and it’s amazing to me every day that I’ve been able to build this type of site and following from scratch.  We get tons of hits every day, which is awesome, and the first two books collecting the first and second 50-odd reviews are already out!  The third volume in that series will most likely be “hitting the shelves” around the same time as Vol. 1 of The G.A.S.P. Factor, which is going to keep me a very busy little boy this coming Fall and Winter!  But busy in a good way, definitely.

Like I said, just a few quick little updates for you, and now I’m back to work writing!  Always writing.  Until next, I remain your humble servant.  Peace out!

Amelia had a great time as well.  She absolutely ate up the Dora the Explorer and Barbie exhibits – she even got to be in one of the Barbie fashion shows and “strut her stuff” on the runway, with Daddy’s help, of course.  She was a bit more pensive in the Egyptian and Dinosaur exhibits, but she took it all in without a single moment of crying or crabbiness in over four hours, which is awesome.  We capped the day off with a carousel ride, and she looked like such a big girl sitting on the horsey and holding on to the pole with both hands while looking around and smiling at the other riders…I have to admit, I got a little “lovey” on her.   I know she is only 14 months old, but it all truly has gone so fast…she amazes me every day with how much more of a “real person” she is becoming.  The sense of wonder you can see in her bright blue eyes as she looks at things with that sense of young-child curiosity and innocence…it is truly a miracle and a singular joy in my life every time I get to see it.

Okay, that’s all I have for now, I think – just a quick check-in before I get back to posting new reviews for my not one but TWO review sites – as of tomorrow (Monday) morning, TheGASPFactor.com goes LIVE!  It’s an exciting time, for sure, so be sure to swing by and check out both sites, won’t you?

http://www.TheGOREScore.com

http://www.TheGASPFactor.com

Currently Listening to: DJ Sammy "Heaven" (2002)

The G.O.R.E. Score is gearing up for another special event next month, and one that I’m really excited about. During the month of May, I’ll only be reviewing items written by NY-Times best-selling author Jonathan Maberry! Jonathan is an incredibly talented writer, and he’s infinitely personable and always willing to connect with his fans directly, as evidenced by his many hours spent posting and replying to messages on Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Jonathan has written fiction and non-fiction novels, as well as been a featured writer on many zombie (and non-zombie)-centric comic books, so May will still give everyone a good dose of different media types, even though they’ll all be written by the same author.

As a special treat for everyone, Jonathan has graciously agreed to wrap up “May-berry” by being The G.O.R.E. Score’s first-ever guest reviewer! Although we’re keeping the finer details under wraps until we actually post the review at the end of next month, suffice it to say Jonathan will be wowing you not only with his writing skills but with his knowledge of zombies as well. It’s easily an event you won’t want to miss!

In addition to May featuring Jonathan, who was my “Award-Winning Author” counterpart in this year’s Dead Letter Awards (he won the Shambler award, the lifetime achievement award for excellence in the zombie community, and I won the Fresh Meat award for best newcomer to the genre), May is also the final month for the Great G.O.R.E. Giveaway! We’re giving away TONS of zombie books, movies, and more, including the Grand Prize of a brand-new Nook eReader! There’s no purchase necessary to enter and you can get multiple entries! To learn more about the competition and enter to win, click here to visit the “Win Stuff” page on The G.O.R.E. Score site.

May’s going to be a great month at The G.O.R.E. Score! I hope to see you all there!

Last weekend, I traveled with my “entourage” (read: my three awesome cousins and my brother) To Virginia to take part in the filming of the remake of the “classic” Ed Wood film “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” I am an Associate Producer for the film, and I am working with the director, John Johnson, on being involved on another aspect of the film that I can’t quite talk about just yet, but I definitely wanted to check out the actual shooting of the film, so the five of us all piled into a minivan and made the nine-hour haul from Indianapolis (and surrounding areas) to the filming location.

Even better than just visiting to say hello, though: we actually got to play zombies in the “major horde” scene of the film! In the story of the film, the “Plan 9” remake takes place on Halloween night, so many of the zombies were costume-party-goers that were bitten and turned. So, when you watch the movie (hopefully out sometime later this year or early next), know that I’m related to Cowboy Zombie, Penguin Zombie, Blue-Faced Zombie, and Cake-Faced Zombie. And when you see the cross-dressing zombie in the lovely pink prom gown…know that you’re watching my acting genius at work, baby.

I’ve got pictures a-plenty…you can see them posted on my Facebook author page soon! If you’re not a fan of my on Facebook yet, visit the link and click “Like,” and you’ll be all signed up and ready to rock!

You’ll be hearing more from me in the upcoming week’s regarding my “other” involvement in the film, just as soon as I’m cleared to post it wide for the world to see. Talk to you again soon, friends!

This brand-new anthology will seek to answer those questions.  With Wood’s original film being a public-domain title and a “serious” remake of the movie currently in production, the time is right for the world to know what happened on those fateful days, months, and years leading up to the events shown in the original Plan 9.

WHAT IT IS: Before Plan 9: Plans 1-8 from Outer Space will take place within the continuity of the universe originally established by Ed Wood’s 1959 film Plan 9 from Outer Space.  It will contain eight different stories, each tale detailing one of the 8 plans attempted and failed by the aliens.  It will also contain a Prologue and an Epilogue, written by me, to not only help bind the stories together but to also tie the stories in to the original film.

WHAT WE WANT: A unique story set in any point in history, from the beginning of time up through 1959, that focuses on and describes one and only one of the eight Plans.  This is important to note; stories that do not meet this very important requirement will not be considered for inclusion.  So, as an example, if you have a story in mind that tells the tale of the first two Plans, your story will not work; while you can write about other plot points and story lines, the main focus of your tale should be one plan only.

WHAT YOU GET: Each of the eight authors selected to have their stories included in the book will receive a one-time payment of $50.00 and one free author’s copy of the book upon its release.

DETAILS:

• Stories can be written from a variety of standpoints (the aliens, human civilians/military, etc.) and may include elements of one or more genres (horror, science fiction, humor, etc.).
• Word count must firmly fall between 7,000-10,000 words; stories that are longer or shorter than this set guideline will be returned to the author unread.
• It is YOUR CHOICE if you decide to write your Plan as one that could be any of the eight Plans OR if you reference the Plan you are writing about as a specifically-numbered plan.  That is to say, if you are dead-set that the story you are creating is about the very first plan, Plan 1, that is fine; just know that in doing so, you will not only be up against all stories written as a non-numbered Plan but are also directly competing with all other stories submitted that were specifically written as Plan 1.
• IMPORTANT: Please submit your story as a Word Document (.doc) or an RTF file (.rtf).  DO NOT use fancy fonts anywhere in the document; use a general font such as Arial, Times New Roman, or other “normal” font.  Please double-space, number your pages, and put the following information at the top of the first page: your name, your e-mail address, your phone number, story word count, and story title if you have one (titles may or may not be used in the final version of the book).  If your story was written to be a specific Plan number, please include that information as well.

The DEADLINE for submissions for this anthology is 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 15, 2011.

NO MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS and NO REPRINTS will be considered for this anthology.  Since the nature of these stories is so specialized, we are seeking your one best, unique tale; take as much time as you need before the deadline to make your story the absolute best that it can be.

     Plan 9 from Outer Space is a public-domain movie and as such is available for free and legal download from a variety of sites, and it is also available on DVD.  I HIGHLY encourage anyone who is planning on submitting a story to watch the original film before you begin writing, in order to re-familiarize yourself with the storyline and details that Ed Wood has established for this universe, in addition to fully understanding why the aliens are attacking the humans (the reason is given towards the end of the film).

Send all submissions to tony@tonyschaab.com.  Please make the body of your e-mail a brief cover letter, outlining any previous works or publications you wish me to be aware of.  I will send an e-mail confirming receipt of story, but will not be offering any acceptances or rejections until after the submission deadline has passed.

Any further questions you may have surrounding the nature or specifics of this project, feel free to send them to me at the e-mail address above or post them on this thread, as I will be checking back often.  Thank you, and I look forward to reading your creations!

–Tony Schaab

 I’m Tony Schaab, creator of the award-winning review site www.TheGOREScore.com, and I’m embarking on a brand-new review project set to launch soon.  Unlike The G.O.R.E. Score, of which I am the sole author and reviewer, for this new project I’m searching for a talented team of a select few authors to join in routinely reviewing general-horror and science-fiction cinema!

The new project is called The G.A.S.P. Factor, and will be located online at http://www.thegaspfactor.com/.  Much like The G.O.R.E. Score, The G.A.S.P. Factor will provide readers with a detailed review, called Factor Files, centered around four distinct categories.  The intent is that the reviews will be less centered on the reviewer’s opinion alone and moreso on the breakdown of the four different sections, leading to a professional and detailed review that will help set The G.A.S.P. Factor apart from other review sites.

What does this mean for you as a writer and potential Factor File staff member?  Not only will you be a part of a ground-breaking new site that is based on a review system with a proven history of success, you will also gain a new avenue for publication!  The G.O.R.E. Score is not only an award-winning website, but the reviews featured on the site have been packaged into a best-selling book series.  “The G.O.R.E. Score: A Review Guide to All Things Zombie, Vol. 1” has been as high as #18 on Amazon’s Reviews and Guides list, and Volume 2 in the series recently completely sold out its initial preview printing for the HorrorHound convention in Indianapolis.  In this same vein, The G.A.S.P. Factor will be printed as a companion book series and is expected to see much of the same success that its sister series, The G.O.R.E. Score, has.

In addition to all this, there will be a revenue-sharing option built into the contract for any writers brought on to The G.A.S.P. Factor project, so not only will you be a part of an amazing new review site, you will also be a published author with the opportunity to earn additional income based on the book’s success!

I’ll be asking only a select few authors to join me on this endeavor.  To inquire about how you can submit a written audition piece to be considered as one of the new G.A.S.P. Factor staff writers, send an inquiry e-mail to me at tony@tonyschaab.com, and I will respond with specifics regarding your next step.  This is a first-offered, first-served opportunity; I am looking to put the writing staff in place as soon as I have found the few authors whose submissions are approved and have signed their contracts, so DON’T DELAY!  E-mail me today and see if you’ve got what it takes to write for The G.A.S.P. Factor!  I look forward to hearing from you.