Interest Spates Catalog by Magnoli Props

[Indy Magnoli]

I'll get started post haste

No rush... we're still early days here! I've added the "Dial of Destiny" to our work list in any case.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Here's my mock-up design for the cover. Pretty happy with the matching/not-so-matching with Tobin's style.

 

[Thieveskingali]

Guess ill throw a suggestion or two

Could go with Herbert West–Reanimator in some way? Feels like one of the more obvious things honestly

Though I want to ask, how cheesy you thinking of going? or historical?

I could recommend something like Golden bat from japan?

Or maybe for a more odd historical thing, how about the catacomb saints of europe?

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Almost anything will fit the theme, as long as it's in the ghost/horror/magical genre. If you want to specifically contribute with a particular article, let me know so I can add it to our list.

 

[Thieveskingali]

I'm unfortunately not a good writer. More of a amateur digital artist, I could send a image to you to see if downsizing it or turning it into a low quality grayscale could work for a article or just as some filler image if need be.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

I think ChatGPT can come in very handy for producing good quality articles. For the example above, this is the prompt I gave it to start:

Write an article for a 1930s style tabloid periodical (magazine) in the style of H.P. Lovecraft about the events of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as though it is an historic event, focusing on the magic rocks and supernatural qualities of them, without mentioning the character of Indiana Jones by name. Keep it within 500-550 words total.

It took a couple of follow-up tweaks, including doubling the length to make it a two-page article instead of the originally-intended one-page version, and then I did a manual edit, removing superfluous paragraphs and adding a few other details to make it more natural. In the end though, ChatGPT did all the heavy-lifting, so it's a good tool if you know how to use it.

 

[bondoking]

Do you think gillman from the Amazon article fits the criteria? Creature from the black lagoon related

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Yes, I think that'd be a good inclusion.

 

[jasonw2112]

Interested!
I may be able to contribute.

Something I just picked up, was Peter Ackroyds book on ghosts, saunces, and the history of Dan Ackroyds Grandfather. It gives details about a lot of mediums from the past, in it's beginning. Not sure what is usable. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there. I can't be the only one who has read it? I'm half way through right now.

 

[jasonw2112]

Oh, one other thing. The town in which I live is very old! We have a movie theater, that would have actors, before they were in movies. Vodvil acts. Charlie Chaplin, W. C. fields, Laurel and Hardy. ect. Not to mention the stage was used to store soldiers bodies.with many other tales. Many tales of different spirits or ghosts in that building. I have been very borderline on the subject, until, my Wife ( than girlfriend) seen something are selves, I can't explain. Anyway, thought buildings might be of interest.

The Majestic Theatre is the oldest continuously operating theatre in America. The building of the Masonic Hall on the present site of the Majestic Theatre (in 1853) marked the beginning of better entertainment in Chillicothe

What is the history of the Blood Alley in Chillicothe Ohio?


It is infamously known as Blood Alley, due to the fact that the Majestic was used as a morgue for soldiers who died during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak at Camp Sherman.

There's many other stories about the theatre. I could also provide pictures.

 

[bondoking]

Yes, I think that'd be a good inclusion.

Great put me down for that one then

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Another point for those writing articles: We'll have a note on each page/article stating the date of original publication of the article in Spates' "Nameless Horrors". So, it'd be good if you could provide the date you think your article should appear (if it is a "current event" for example). If it's not (an article about some old event), you can just leave it off and I'll slot it in perhaps where other articles are lacking. I'm thinking the original periodical would be published quarterly, so January, April, July, and October. To keep things consistent, let's say they're published on the third Friday of that month. So simply pick the year and month you'd like your article to originate from and look up the date of the third Friday for that time.

 

[TheotherJones]

That makes sense. I was thinking dates would be a good idea since we'd be jumping around in time.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Originally I was thinking of organizing the articles chronologically (from date of publication), but now I'm thinking of just listing them alphabetically based on the title of the article as I do like the idea of the dates being all out of sequence. Either way, I'll still do a full index at the back, I think.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

...and now I'm thinking to maybe arrange chapters by topics. Something like:

Spiritual Entities
Monsters and Creatures
Haunted and Cursed Places
Strange and Amazing People
Unexplained Events
Magic Artifacts and Relics
Other Topics

Once we have our full list of articles, we can see how best to organize them and if we have any "light" sections that require some beefing up.

 

[TheotherJones]

I think topics is the way to go. I feel like a lot of these real books do that.

 

[edspengler]

My Magnoli Tobin’s is lonely…so count me in.

I heard there’s another book that can go with it too… in addition to Spates.

 

[edspengler]

Here's my mock-up design for the cover. Pretty happy with the matching/not-so-matching with Tobin's style.

Any thoughts on perhaps incorporating some of the traditional design into the cover art? It could be subtly done but would be a great nod to the comics.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Did you notice the forehead of the skull?

 

[edspengler]

Did you notice the forehead of the skull?

Nice!!