#240: Ashley Cullins - Author of Your Favorite Scary Movie

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes author Laurel Hightower to the podcast to discuss their upcoming novella Killer VHS: The Long Low Whistle and more! Hightower is the Bram Stoker-nominated author of The Long Low Whistle, Whispers In The Dark, Crossroads, Below, Every Woman Knows This, Silent Key, and The Day of the Door, and has more than a dozen short fiction stories in print. The Long Low Whistle hits bookstores everywhere on November 4, 2025 from Shortwave Publishing. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes comic book retailer Paul Eaton to the podcast to discuss banned or challenged graphic novels for Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Typically held during the last week of September (this year October 5-11), the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. The theme of this year’s event is Censorship Is So 1984 — Read for Your Rights. The most common justifications for censorship provided by complainants were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and covering topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes award-winning screenwriter, comic book writer, and author Eric Heisserer to the program to discuss his debut novel Simultaneous and much more! Heisserer is the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Arrival (2016), as well as Bird Box (2018), A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), The Thing (2011), Final Destination 5 (2011), Bloodshot (2020), and more. He is also the creator of the television series Shadow and Bone. As for the print medium, Heisserer is credited with writing comic books such as Shaper (Dark Horse), Lone Wolf 2100 (Dark Horse), Zombie Tales (BOOM! Studios), Secret Weapons (Valiant), and more! His debut novel, Simultaneous, hits bookstores everywhere on October 28, 2025 from Flatiron Books. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes comic writer, actor, and singer Utkarsh Ambudkar to the program to discuss his comic The Guy in the Chair and much more! Utkarsh Ambudkar is known for his acting roles including Pitch Perfect, The Mindy Project, Ghosts, and World’s Bestwhich he also co-wrote. The Guy in the Chair which he co-wrote with Hannah Rose May is his comic book miniseries debut. His fifth season of Ghosts is set to premiere on October 16, 2025 on CBS. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes back comic book retailer Paul Eaton to the program to discuss Jaws as we all celebrate the films 50th anniversary in 2025! When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper and grizzled ship captain Quint offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature. Jaws was written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, based on the novel by Benchley, and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody, Robert Shaw as Quint, Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper, Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody, Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn, Carl Gottlieb as Meadows, Jeffrey Kramer as Deputy Leonard Hendricks, Susan Backlinie as Chrissie Watkins, Lee Fierro as Mrs. Kintner, and Peter Benchley as Interviewer. The feature film celebrated 50 years this June 20, 2025 as it was released in theaters on June 20, 1975. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes Rebekah McKendry and David Ian McKendry to the program to discuss their comic series Barstow and much more! Rebekah is a filmmaker, writer, producer, director, and academic who has established herself as a prominent figure in the horror and science fiction genres. She has directed films such as Glorious starring J.K. Simmons; Elevator Game; All the Creatures Were Stirring (which she also wrote); and more. Rebekah also co-wrote the horror film reboot of the 2000 film Bring It On with writer Dana Schwartz entitled Bring It On: Cheer or Die. David Ian is a filmmaker, writer, producer and director who has written such films as Glorious (which he wrote alongside our friend Joshua Hull); Elevator Game; All the Creatures Were Stirring (which he also directed); and more! Together, Rebekah and David Ian have written a comic miniseries for Dark Horse entitled Barstow. The collected edition of the series hits bookstores everywhere on September 23, 2025. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes comic book creators Jeremy Haun and Mike Tisserand to the program to discuss their comic Murder Podcast and much more! Haun is the creator of The Realm, The Beauty, The Red Mother, and The Approach, and more. His other projects include Batwoman, Constantine, Wolf Moon, and Knight Terrors: Black Adam. Jeremy has worked for nearly every publisher in the industry as well as doing self-publishing via Kickstarter. In 2025 he launched Ignition Press. Tisserand began his career in animation in 2006 and has worked as a 2D and 3D animator, designer, storyboard artist, and head of story on productions for Disney, Dreamworks, 20th Century, Nickelodeon, and Netflix on projects including The Dragon Prince, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Big Hero 6: The Series, among others. Together the two have created Murder Podcast which hits shelves on September 10, 2025 from Ignition Press. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes author Ashley Cullins to the program to discuss their book, Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror and more! Cullins is an award-winning entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School, Ashley began her career in broadcast news before making the jump to print. Your Favorite Scary Movie is her first book. Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror is available at bookstores everywherefrom Dutton Books. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes back author Brian McAuley to the program to discuss his latest novel, Breathe In, Bleed Out and more! Brian grew up in Weird, NJ on a steady diet of Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes. He received his BA in Creative Writing and Horror Theory from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study before getting his MFA in Film from Columbia University. As a WGA screenwriter, Brian has written five films for the Lifetime Network in addition to writing and producing the award-winning thriller Dismissed for BoulderLight Pictures. He sold his TV series pitch Affliction to Syfy Network in a pilot development deal and penned an episode of Fuller House (episode 12) for Netflix. Brian’s debut novel Curse of the Reaper was published through Simon & Schuster and named one of the Best Horror Books of 2022 by Esquire. His Christmas horror novella Candy Cain Kills released in 2023 through Shortwave Publishing with the sequel published on November 12, 2024. His latest novel, Breathe In, Bleed Out, hits bookstores everywhere from Poisoned Pen Press on September 2, 2025. Brian McAuley is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Screenwriting at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School of Arizona State University. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com

This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes back comic book retailer Paul Eaton to the program to discuss The Toxic Avenger film from 1984! Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. A 98-pound nerd from New Jersey lands in a vat of toxic waste and becomes a benevolent monster. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose. The Toxic Avenger was produced and directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman (Samuel Weil) from a screenplay by Joe Ritter, based on a story by Kaufman. The film stars Mitch Cohen as Melvin Ferd / The Toxic Avenger, Andree Maranda as Sara, Pat Ryan Jr. as Peter Belgoody, Jennifer Babtist as Wanda, Robert Prichard as Slug, Cindy Manion as Julie, Gary Schneider as Bozo, Mark Torgl as Melvin pre-mutation, and Kenneth Kessler as the voice of The Toxic Avenger. Troma Entertainment released the film initially on April 14, 1984. During the next year, it had a long run as the midnight movie on the single screen of the Bleeker Street Cinema in New York City. Two years later on April 4, 1986, the film opened on 45 screens and earned $140,000 for its opening weekend. The movie released by Troma on VHS and Betamax in 1986 and for the first time on DVD on March 25, 1998. Troma released the film on Blu-ray on August 12, 2014. The Toxic Avenger is getting a reboot written and directed by Macon Blair releasing on August 29, 2025 which stars stars Peter Dinklage as the title character, alongside Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon. You can stream the 1984 classic on Prime Video. Facebook: https://facebook.com/capestightspod Twitter: https://twitter.com/capestightspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/capesandtightspodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/capesandtights.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@capesandtights Website: https://capesandtights.com