Hello,

THE SUGAR CLAWS IS FINISHED:

I released my halloween submission on the 2'nd of October and it ended up winning third place which is awesome, I really am glad newgrounds didn't take it down due to the content like deviantart did.

HERE IS A CONVENIENT LINK!

I knew from the get go it wasn't going to be as well received as "Cooljaw: Dreaming Darkly", at the same time though I thought it would get a garner a little more attention than it did.

I think the artwork is better than in "Cooljaw", the programming has significantly improved, I spent more time on the extras, the writing is more sophisticated, plus the animated sequences are smoother.

I suppose if I needed to make a guess as to why it hasn't done as well as "Cooljaw", it would need to be maybe the pink layout turned people off, the story wasn't as long, and the plot itself may have been too serious for most people. Also "The Sugar Claws", has a drastically different feel than "Cooljaw" does so people who read "Cooljaw" and were expecting something similar may have been disappointed.

It's frustrating, I wish more people would have taken the time to review it, the reason I create stuff is so people can view it and tell me what they think... When you spend your scant free time making stuff it's always nice to have some feedback.

Regardless I'm pleased with the finished result, I think it's my best written work to date, and my skills all round have improved because of it, plus I got to make it without compromise, and I'm sure eventually the people that will get something out of the story will find it.

WHAT IS HORROR?

So I got into a discussion with a friend a few days back, who basically felt there was little merit in the horror genre. In a way I would need to agree with her, I mean if you take a look at the "Saw" franchise or the "Final Destination" series, they've basically regressed into a form of violent pornography.

Where is the content in these films? I mean they do have interesting premises, but at the end of the day the stories are basically just used as fodder to present gory violence. These films use their stories as an excuse to present violence, instead of using violence to better convey a message.

I still love horror films, when they're done right no other film genre can match there substance, or power, the horror genre is a perfect medium to present complex themes through the use of allegorical, and symbolic devices.

When used effectively the horror element can burn it's message into ones mind, take for example the tragic, and disturbing finale to "Requiem For A Dream", the anti addiction message wouldn't hold as much power if the subject matter was dealt with kid gloves, it's the film brutal unflinching honesty that gives it an impact.

That doesn't mean a film needs to be violent to be horrific, take for example the French film "The Vanishing", it's a film that's dark without the need to present any violence. It's a study of a malevolent mind and theorizes as to why people commit the crimes they do, while at the same time captures the grief and desperation of the people affected by said crimes.

"Se7en" is considered by some to be a nihilistic horror film without a message, I on the other hand disagree, it's a critique on religious extremism at it's very base, but deeper than that it asks the question as to why despicable crimes happen, and why people try to make a difference even when their efforts are seemingly in vain.

Then there are films that are akin to nightmares, "Eraserhead" comes to mind, with it's shocking and salient imagery, it invokes the fear associated with marriage and childbirth, the purpose of a film like this seems to be a way of making people face their anxieties through the use of a surrealistic narrative.

My all time favourite horror film is "Jacob's Ladder", I think it's the one horror film that's left the biggest impression on me, from it's intelligent premise, to it's fantastic art design, and heartbreaking ending. It's a film that makes one pontificate about their precious mortality, and the importance of the things we care about while we're alive.

At the end of the day good horror films are a way of making one think about concepts they would rather not, there is value in that, there isn't much value in watching someone get sliced up without any reason...

Only a sadist can find merit in something so soulless.

NEW PROJECTS!

I have a couple of things I'm working on a detailed description on these projects can be found listed below:

- "Shark: Black"
Is still in production and will most likely be the project I will be putting my time into next, most of the prior work on the film has been scrapped.

This will be my first fully animated project, and I am aiming to get a tank award nomination, it will be released during one of the "Winter Flash Offs". I'm going to be releasing a trailer next year.

- "Celx Requins: Anamnesis"
A collection of artwork, articles, and short animations released by me, will probably be released in 2013

- "A Twisted Transparency"
My final comic in my "domestic malaise", trilogy takes place after both the events in "CoolJaw" & "The Sugar Claws", and will tie up some loose ends from both stories while exploring new characters and a new diegesis...

The comic revolves around a series of bizarre crimes, and hints as to what this story revolves around are found in both "The Sugar Claws" and "Cooljaw". I'll get around to working on it at some point.

- "Cancer"
A political, black comedy comic, this will be worked on whenever I feel like it and will have a 100 issue run...

Other stuff!
I will be doing more art portal stuff, as well as fixing up old submissions, in particular "Cooljaw: Dreaming Darkly" will have it's music swapped with stuff from the audio portal.

Thanks and have a happy halloween!
Sincerely,
- Celx