When something captures your attention for most of your life it makes sense to get involved with whatever that thing may be. For us, that was horror.
Within a very short time we were able to cover incredible festivals, exhibits and events almost full time and were really starting to get momentum with reviews, interviews, features and deep dive lists. We saw this project as a way to editorialize and archive the things we loved so much about the darker side of cinema and art.
With our small but dedicated audience we were able to generate attention around films and happenings that mainstream publications usually ignored and we were humbled by the articles and creators we were able to meet and speak with.
Horror has one of the more dedicated fan bases I’ve been a part of, but also more recently mostly in part to social media obsession – it’s become quite a toxic space. What once was an eager community with a DIY show and tell attitude has become (for some not all) a very depressing space full of gatekeeping and hate for insignificant or avoidable issues like who said what first or “this person on x social media platform hurt my feelings”. This sensibility makes it hard for creators to feel comfortable or inspired to continue to create within the community.
Before Covid-19 became a global issue, we began planning trips to other cities and festivals all over North America to start covering broader topics that still fall under the umbrella of horror and the bizarre – However the universe had other plans for everyone and everything, including Screamish.
Although Screamish will never “die”, for now it cannot exist the way it’s supposed to. And to be completely honest we feel like it’s run its course as our main interest right now.
Luckily, we are based out of Toronto, Canada.
One of the most incredible cities in terms of its biodiversity, communities, hidden gems and downright bizarre but intriguing stories and personalities at every turn. To those asking will horror coverage still happen yes of course. But it is with heavy yet excited hearts we are announcing a pause on screamish.net as we migrate over to strangecomforts.com
Screamish will still live on the new site but as one of many pillars that will form our new platform for modern storytelling.
Stay tuned for tons of strange updates shortly.