Hot Picks

- There's No Such Thing as Zombies 2020

- Ready for My Close Up 2019

- Dream Hacker 2025

- Love and Comminication 2022

- If I Could Ride Again 2025

- Freak Off 2025

- Lavender Men 2025

- Lost Cos 2023

- Sound of the Surf 2022

- The Stillness 2025

- Frankie Freako 2024

- The Texas Witch 2025

- Cannibal Mukbang 2023

- Bleeding 2024

- No Choice 2025

- Nahual 2025

- Bitter Souls 2025

- A Very Long Carriage Ride 2025

- The Matriarch 2024

- Oxy Morons 2025

- Ed Kemper 2025

- Piglet 2025

- Walter, Grace & the Submarine 2024

- Midnight in Phoenix 2025

- Dorothea 2025

- Mauler 2025

- Consecration 2023

- The Death of Snow White 2025

- Franklin 2025

- ApoKalypse 2025

- Live and Die in East LA 2023

- A Season for Love 2025

- The Arkansas Pigman Massacre 2025

- Visceral: Between the Ropes of Madness 2012

- The Darkside of Society 2023

- Jackknife 2024

- Family Property 2: More Blood 2025

- Feral Female 2025

- Amongst the Wolves 2024

- Autumn 2023

- Bob Trevino Likes It 2024

- A Hard Place 2025

- Finding Nicole 2025

- Juliet & Romeo 2025

- Off the Line 2024

- First Moon 2025

- Healing Towers 2025

- Final Recovery 2025

- Greater Than 2014

- Self Driver 2024

- Primal Games 2025

- Grumpy 2023

- Swing Bout 2024

- Dalia and the Red Book 2024

- Project MKGEXE 2025

- Two to One 2024

- Left One Alive 2025

- Burgermen 2020

- Talk of the Dead 2016

- A Killer Conversation 2014

- First Impressions Can Kill 2017

- Star Crash 1979

- Strangler of the Swamp 1946

An Interview with Kevin Gentilcore, Creator, Writer and Artist of Teenage Love Zombies

by Mike Haberfelner

September 2011

Quick Links

Abbott & Costello

The Addams Family

Alice in Wonderland

Arsène Lupin

Batman

Bigfoot

Black Emanuelle

Bomba the Jungle Boy

Bowery Boys

Bulldog Drummond

Captain America

Charlie Chan

Cinderella

Deerslayer

Dick Tracy

Dick Turpin

Dr. Mabuse

Dr. Orloff

Doctor Who

Dracula

Edgar Wallace made in Germany

Elizabeth Bathory

Emmanuelle

Fantomas

Flash Gordon

Frankenstein

Frankie & Annette Beach Party movies

Freddy Krueger

Fu Manchu

Fuzzy

Gamera

Godzilla

Hercules

El Hombre Lobo

Incredible Hulk

Jack the Ripper

James Bond

Jekyll and Hyde

Jerry Cotton

Jungle Jim

Justine

Kamen Rider

Kekko Kamen

King Kong

Laurel and Hardy

Lemmy Caution

Lobo

Lone Wolf and Cub

Lupin III

Maciste

Marx Brothers

Miss Marple

Mr. Moto

Mister Wong

Mothra

The Munsters

Nick Carter

OSS 117

Phantom of the Opera

Philip Marlowe

Philo Vance

Quatermass

Robin Hood

The Saint

Santa Claus

El Santo

Schoolgirl Report

The Shadow

Sherlock Holmes

Spider-Man

Star Trek

Sukeban Deka

Superman

Tarzan

Three Mesquiteers

Three Musketeers

Three Stooges

Three Supermen

Winnetou

Wizard of Oz

Wolf Man

Wonder Woman

Yojimbo

Zatoichi

Zorro

You are presently in the process of releasing a web-comicseries called Teenage Love Zombies. In a few words, what is it about?

 

I like to tell people it is a romantic rock n' roll horror comic.

 

Now how did you come up with the wonderful title Teenage Love Zombies?

 

I really wanted a title that was kind of a throw back to the old 50's and 60's era sci-fi and horror titles. Something that wasn't ambiguous as to what the story was about. I threw some ideas around and just decided to see what the story had in it: teenagers, some romance and zombies - Teenage Love Zombies.

 

What were your main inspirations for Teenage Love Zombies?

 

Like with the title I love the old sci-fi and horror movies. I wanted to have that sensibility to the story. Not a lot of complicated story twists or high concept characters. Just a fun zombie story with a little bit of a different approach. I love the visuals of Frankenstein and Dracula and even the Hammer Horror films. Cobwebs, mad scientists with outrageous laboratories, dark castles and the living dead but with a sense of humor about it like the old EC Comics, Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror etc. The other main influence was music. I am a huge music lover especially of Horror Rock like The Misfits and Blitzkid and Psychobilly music. Psychobilly has this cool greaser meets horror vibe to it and I love that look.

 

How would you describe the overall style of the comic?

 

I went to college for animation so my style is kind of animated. I love using bright bold colors which is tricky with a horror story. I try to play with the color of things a bit, make it a bit unrealistic at times.

 

Your comic's website, and what made you choose the net as a publishing platform?

 

I was going to do it traditionally and do one large printed book. As I was getting ready to start it I was retooling the story and realized I have a larger story to tell and it might take a while to get it done. I just started reading some web comics and was really inspired by some of the creators and the stories they were telling. With the web the gates are wide open. You can do anything you want with a comic on the web and that idea freed me where I was stuck and gave me so many other ideas for things I can do with the story.

 

Is it true that Teenage Love Zombies was originally planned to be an animated musical? Would you like to elaborate on that, and what happened to these plans?

 

It was originally a musical. I had written music with friends and everything. I had some animation done for it as well. It seemed at the time like such an ambitious project that I axed the musical part of it and was just going to do an animated feature. Being a one man team it just seemed like I would never finish it in an animated form. I really love the story and I wanted to get the story out before I died so I thought about doing it as a comic. I am not sure why I didn't plan it as a comic in the first place because the more I thought about it and reworked it the more it made sense to pursue that path.

 

Why did you set your story in the 1950's?

 

I love the style of that period. I have always been a little stuck in the past with things I enjoy. I think that era is instantly recognizable and that it is a perfect match for a horror themed story. It was also heavily inspired by Pscychobilly which plays with that imagery a lot.

 

How would you describe your approach to zombies (e.g. slow vs fast ones, traditional voodoo-style zombies vs the flesh-eating variety, ...)?

 

I am a zombie fan in all their forms. While my personal taste is for a slower Romero style zombie, I think the newer fast zombies have their place too. Way further down the line in TLZ some traditional voodoo style zombies play a big part in the story as well. My approach to zombies in the story is a bit different than they have been shown recently. I am not saying I have invented some new kind of zombie more like I am mixing a lot of different zombie elements together.

 

The series is still in mid-story. Any hints regarding what's happening next?

 

Things have been building for a while now and it is about to get a little crazy.

 

Besides Teenage Love Zombies, you are also one of the driving forces behind Creephouse Comics. How did that company come into being, and a few words about the company's co-owner William Tooker?

 

William and I go back a few years now. We met at a now defunct local artist group and stayed friends after it dissolved. We both have similar interests and had been trying to work on a couple things together. Creephouse Comics sprang from us needing a place to call home for our collaborations. I love William's writing and his take on horror and I wanted to be the guy who put it to pictures.

 

What can you tell us about the comics you have done for Creephouse Comics?

 

So far we have done two books that are available, Spirits in the Well and Grandfather Bones. So far all the Creephouse Books are poems Will has written put into comic book format all dealing with horror and the supernatural. Both are kind of like a Tales From the Crypt story where there is a lesson to be learned, in a morbid sort of way. They are definitely a throwback to more of a classical approach to horror. We are also working on a new series called Never Send a Monster, which will be an anthology style comic, again in the poetry style, dealing with 3 different kind of monsters all with a lesson to be taught. I am about half way through with the first story of that book.

 

You have also done quite a bit of work for Marvel Comics of late. Would you like to elaborate on that?

 

I have been doing a ton of sketch cards for Marvel properties trading card sets. Upper Deck has the license for the Marvel movie trading card tie ins and they hire a bunch of artist to do a series of one of a kind sketch cards. I draw right on the cards that have the official Marvel branding on them then send them back the originals. They randomly put them in packs of cards and use them as an incentive for collectors to buy the set. They are a ton of fun and I love drawing these characters I grew up with and still love. Recently I did sets for Thor, Captain America and a Marvel Universe set.

 

You have also been responsible for the artwork of the comicbook series Ray Harryhausen Presents: Back to Mysterious Island. What can you tell us about that project, and how do you bring Ray Harryhausen's creations to the comicbook-panel?

 

That was my first published work. It was kind of a nerdy dream come true, being an animation student and being a huge Harryhausen fan. The story was written by Max Landis, son of director John Landis. I was given complete creative control on the look of the book. The story was kind of like Jurassic Park meets the Harryhausen cast of Monsters. Mystery Island is where Captain Nemo kept all the fantastical creatures he came across in his adventures. Years later the island is abandoned and the monsters are loose so I got to draw a lot of the more famous creatures like his cyclops and ymir. Some of them I changed a bit but most of them I wanted to keep close to the original because those designs are classic.

 

Any other of your comics you'd like to talk about?

 

I am always working on something new. I have a couple ideas I am tossing around now but nothing close to done yet.

 

How did you get into comicbook drawing in the first place, and did you receive any formal education on the subject?

 

I have been reading comics since I think 3rd grade. We had a friend who was into them and drawing his own characters so we all started to do that as well and it has just stuck. I was interested in art and comics all throughout my primary years, always drawing in class and never really getting interested except for in art class so when it came time to go to college, art school seemed like the obvious choice. I went to the Art Institute of Colorado for animation where we had a heavy focus on traditional art (drawing, 2D animation), and when everybody moved on to 3D, I kind of stayed with 2D.

 

Somehow, your comics never seem to stray too far from horror. Is that a genre you are particularly fond of, and your genre favourites (in comics, literature, film, whatever else)?

 

Horror is my favorite genre. I am a huge horror fan and everything it has creeped into, literature, films, comics, music, video games and anything else. I am just drawn to that. I do prefer genre stories to, say, regular drama but I love anything that is a good story. My other favorites are comedy, animation and noir.

 

Apart from doing comicbooks, you have also had your hands in film production, at least occasionally. Would you like to elaborate on that?

 

I have an interest in film but I have been more devoted to comics as of late and I like where I am. I have a lot of close creative friends so I am always willing to help out. Kristian Day [Kristian Day interview - click here] made a movie a couple summers ago out in Des Moines during the 500 year flood. Both of our interest in film drew us together and he asked me to produce and help out on shooting. He raised the money, wrote the script and directed, and I helped pick the cast and get everybody there and to the shoots on time and everything else that needed to be done. Kristian is an amazing guy and a talented filmmaker and that was the best summer of my life. Back here in Denver one of my good buddies Dan Crosier has been working on developing a couple film projects. He asked me to be the producer on his short Sons of Soil he shot last October to help raise money for a feature length version. We shot the whole thing on his family's farm and had a blast. One day I would like to get back to film but like I said, comics are my true love and I am happy doing this now.

 

Comicbook artists who inspire you, and your favourite comicbooks?

 

I love so many artists and I am sure my answers change every time I am asked this but Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, Darwyn Cook, Jeff Smith, Al Williamson, Greg Capullo, Eric Powell, Doug Tennaple and Skottie Young.

Some of my favorite comics are Swamp Thing, The Goon, The Walking Dead, Hellboy, BPRD, Invincible, Fables, House of Mystery, Chew, Bone, Fear Agent, The Dark Knight Returns and Ghost Rider.

 

And since this is primarily a movie-site, your favourite films?

 

First and foremost, the original Star Wars-Trilogy especially The Empire Strikes Back. Others are Blade Runner, Halloween, Night of the Living Dead, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Thing, The Fog, Pan's Labyrinth, District 9, Monster Squad, Spirited Away, Suspiria, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Alien, Godzilla, Young Frankenstein and Bubba Ho-Tep.

 

... and of course, movies you really deplore?

 

Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned)

The links below
will take you
just there!!!

Find Kevin Gentilcore
at the amazons ...

USA  amazon.com

Great Britain (a.k.a. the United Kingdom)  amazon.co.uk

Germany (East AND West)  amazon.de

Looking for imports?
Find Kevin Gentilcore here ...

Thailand  eThaiCD.com
Your shop for all things Thai

Oh man lol. I hate movies like cookie monster loves cookies. Anything that takes itself too serious or movies that talk down to you and assume you are an idiot. I really dislike these self important actors and directors who think they are doing you a favor by showing this particular person's struggle or other such character pieces. Usually most things that get nominated for Oscars. They just seem soulless. Don't get me wrong I love a good popcorn flick and to just shut my brain off sometimes, but I think that while that is good fun there doesn't seem to be much recently that asks the opposite.

 

Your website, Facebook, whatever else?

 

TLZ can be found at www.teenagelovezombies.com.

Creephouse is at www.creephousecomics.com.

My personal site is www.kevingentilcore.com.

You can also find my art on DeviantArt at funkyeti.deviantart.com.

Facebook is facebook.com/kgentilcore and Twitter is @KevinGentilcore and @Creephousecomic.

 

Anything else you are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

 

Thanks for the interview! If you are in Denver or nearby I will be at the Mile High Horror Film Fest on Oct 7-9 selling some horror art and scaring children and in November all the awesome local comic talent will be at Cow Town Comic Fest on November 12th!

 

Thanks for the interview!

 

© by Mike Haberfelner


Legal note: (re)Search my Trash cannot
and shall not be held responsible for
content of sites from a third party.




Thanks for watching !!!



 

 

In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
Luana Ribeira, Rudy Barrow and Rami Hilmi
special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

Amazon

Amazon UK

Vimeo

 

 

 

Robots and rats,
demons and potholes,
cuddly toys and
shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

is all of that.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to
-
a collection of short stories and mini-plays
ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic
to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle, all thought up by
the twisted mind of
screenwriter and film reviewer
Michael Haberfelner.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

the new anthology by
Michael Haberfelner

 

Out now from
Amazon!!!