THE OBLIGATORY STATEMENT OF INTENT

Welcome to the beginning of the new FrankenGeek Press blog. This blog is a production of one John Rose (me), who created The MonsterGrrls, a novel self-published under the imprint name of FrankenGeek Press, and is a great story about four teenage monsters sent to a human high school. If you haven't already gotten a copy, well, you should.

This blog is a bit different from our sister publication, The Morlock Heights Harbinger, in that it is personally written by the publisher, and is an attempt to communicate some thoughts about the creation of these characters and their world, what I plan to do in the coming months with the Grrls, show some archival material (and do we have archival material? You bet we does, honey chile) and maybe rant a little bit about how weird everything is becoming, which is not always a bad thing. We're going to start off with five things about me:

1) I was born in Meridian, MS, and grew up in a house a good ten miles out of town, in a rural section populated with woods, trees and forests, where birds sang every morning and squirrels and other forest creatures frolicked in the treetops, and there was little fuss or bother from the outside world. I saw the flaw in this right away, and began working on getting out. Maybe some people can live in the middle of nature, but I'm not one of them. I need cars going by on the road and next-door neighbors who wave hello as they walk by on the street, kids playing in the front yard of their house and dogs barking to each other, and friends that I can gather with. I need the noises of other people living, and I have those things where I live now, in a neighborhood in Greenwood, MS.

2) I have an extremely low tolerance for what drive-in-movie critic Joe Bob Briggs refers to as bullstuff, and there have been occasions where my personal relationship with other people and the world at large has suffered because of it. Bullstuff is more and more prevalent in society these days, and with the coming of the Internet, the average daily percentage of bullstuff entering modern life has increased by about 5000 percent. Gentle reader(s), I pledge to you now, with my mind and my heart, that I shall try with all my being to avoid bringing bullstuff unto you.

3) I used to listen to a great deal of music. Because the majority of my musical heroes are either dead or inactive and music in modern times has become a quagmire, I no longer do this. Some of the bands I still listen to and am unrepentant about enjoying can be found here and here.

4) I read a lot and have tons of books that I haven't read yet. Whether I will live long enough to read them all is anybody's guess.

5) I like Blogger and use it exclusively. This is not any sort of plug; it's just true. I've tried that damn Myspace thing twice already, and, well... jeez. (Though I have heard good things about Yahoo 360...)

Check out more weird stuff from the Press at www.monstergrrls.com.

POST MORTEM: Well, there is a page for me now on Yahoo 360, but to be honest... don't wait up. If you want the news straight up, come to this blog or the Harbinger. We'll leave a light on in the crypt...

HAPPY ANNIVER-SCARY, MISFITS!

We are pleased to announce that today, April 18, 2007, is the 30th anniversary of one of our favorite bands, the Misfits!

Begun by Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only way back in 1977, the Misfits have survived breakups, personnel changes and countless other obstacles to become one of punk rock's greatest and most influential bands. The Misfits have continued into the Internet age with Misfits.com, their own website, and Jerry Only still heads and plays in the band, though Danzig and previous members have moved on to other things. For our own part, we love the Misfits and can often be found grooving to both their classic and new music, and the MonsterGrrls are proud to claim the Misfits as a major influence and inspiration on our own fiendish fang-faced frivolities! ("They even look a lot like Morlock Heights' own Teenage Undead! Super-cool band!" --Frankie)

Now, the Misfits will soon relaunch their website with a cool new look, new features and special content from their own archives. Click the link above to visit their site and preview the way-cool new 30th Anniverscary logo by Dave Burke of Monster Fetish, and keep checking back with us here at The Morlock Heights Harbinger, as we will proudly announce when the new site is launched! It's all a part of keeping the American Nightmare alive!

Click the photo above to learn more about the Misfits' music at Amazon.com!

ANOTHER SATISFIED READER!

We're pleased to post this wonderful email letter from Charla Miley, an old high school friend of mine and a MonsterGrrls reader in Jackson, MS. Last year I attended a high school reunion and brought a copy of The MonsterGrrls to show the class of '86. Her email was titled "Monster Girls Rule!"

John,

Hey there! Tom Beck sent me a list of NE emails last week, and I was so glad to see yours on there. I ordered your book right after the reunion, and I have to tell you, I think it is absolutely amazing. No kidding, I was into it right from the beginning. I was excited about the thought of reading something that someone I knew had written, but I was not prepared for it to be so good. I loved the pop culture references. I don't know anything about monster/vampire lore, but I was certain that your references were hilarious to anyone who did.

I think the biggest evidence of praise is that my younger brother loved it. He called me laughing his head off about the part where Emily and Theo say they want to rule the world. That reference had escaped me, but apparently my brother was a big Animaniacs (I think that is the show, right?) fan. The only problem is that he took my copy and "loaned" it to his brother-in-law, who is a teacher a SEHS. He is teaching on Mississippi authors, and has apparently been referencing your work in his class. Maybe it'll translate into some sales. At least it will for me, because I don't think I am going to see that copy again. Not to inflate your head too much, but the book was very, very good. I can't wait for the second book to come out. October, right?

Your website is great, too. By the way, which teacher did you ask about doing the werewolf paper for--Mrs. McCraney or Mrs. Boyd? I just laughed imagining either one's reaction!!

Anyway, I just wanted to pass this along to you. You are very talented, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Charla

I appreciate Charla's kind words very much. Any other readers of the book are welcome to share their thoughts at fangclub@netdoor.com, or post a note on our guestbook at www.monstergrrls.com.

Pleasant screams, everybody...