PRESENTING! The 2021 Gothtober Countdown Calendar artists! We are honored to share 31 days with this spirited gathering of mischievous souls.
1 – Eva Azenaro Acero
2 – The Thomas Family
3 – Rosie Merritt Romick
4 – Dressed for Space
5 – Auntie Lyla
6 – Emily Hansen
7 – Megan Hobza
8 – Lore Poudrier
9 – Pauly G
10 – O’Malley & Dibbell
11 – Yuki Okada
12 – Asher Slasher
13 – Justine Cross
14 – Julianna Parr
15 – Lori Meeker
16 – Smilee Barnacle
17 – Mrs. & Mr. Bliss
18 – Horror Movie Survival Guide
19 – The Witchy Witches
20 – Mellocreme Fairchild III
21 – Lopez and Tolliver
22 – Del Norte
23 – Jenny Walsh
24 – Mike Rainey
25 – MoJoHoJo
26 – The HoneyLabs
27 – The Chambers Family
28 – Lisa McNeely
29 – Michael Gump
30 – Barry & Nancy
31 – Jeff Levine
Day 2 – Mom, the Kid, and the Tester
This mother daughter duo have been working together the past few years on various Gothtober pieces. Heather (aka Mom) is a chef, published cookbook author and food blogger by night, but by day works as the admissions coordinator at day school where she lives. C (aka the kid) is a 15 year old artist who is ecstatic to once again be attending high school in person this year. The Tester (aka Dad) is a professional chef and culinary instructor. The trio lives where others vacation on the beautiful CA Central Coast just minutes to the beach, mountains and beyond. Mom spends time testing out new recipes, writing cookbooks, and dragging the rest of the family along for fun. The Kid is rarely seen without her sketchbook, and has spent a good part of the last year selling art commissions on Discord and ToyHouse. Dad, when he is not cooking is kayak fishing, riding his bike, and working on his 20′ boat. Happy Halloween.
link – www.slocooking.net
DAY 3 – Rosie
Rosie Merritt Romick is a Queer Artist living in LA. As an administrative wizard turned Stick and Poke artist, Rosie loves to work with people to use their imagination and create tattoos they will happy with to carry by their side for many, many years to come. Taking on stick and poke art as a pandemic passion, Rosie is still early in her journey but hopes to find a shop to call home in the near future. Enjoy these spooktacular tattoo flashes!
DAY 4 – Dressed for Space
Dressed for Space are ready. They have come from the future so they can go to the future. Future-past riders on this lazy-hurtling round rocketship planet, nothing can keep them from their true purpose, which is f*cking around as much as possible and calling it art.
DAY 5 – Aunt Lyla KaRug
You. Aunt Lyla is from Cooterville, South Texas, but enjoys coming to Los Angeles to visit her nephew Jeffr’y, who works at a disreputable homosexual bar on Sunset Boulevard. She works part time for the Dept. of Homeland Security, Name Tag Division (Supervisor), and has a traveling one-woman show that she tours every few years.Currently, Aunt Lyla travels out to Los Angeles the second Saturday of every month, where she hosts a Happy Hour Karaoke, at said homosexual bar on Sunset Boulevard. She is thrilled to death to be part of Gothtober 2020, and gives thanks to Miss Julianna Parr, for all of her fabulousnessness. Contact Aunt Lyla at TexasLovesLyla.com
DAY 6 – Emily Hansen
Emily is a mother, a creator, and an educator. She made her Gothober debut in 2017 with a video called Dia de la Quinceanera. Earlier this year, she started writing a book called Mothers of Cinema, which is about important women film directors in film history whose contributions you may not know. This gave her the idea for her countdown of 13 women that the Halloween/horror/thriller fans should (and may not) know. 13 women in 3 minutes is a bit of a challenge, so check out her website for more information about these women!
DAY 7 – Megan Hobza
Megan Hobza is the co-founder of a time bank, a free store, an urban farm, a farmers market, an artist collective, an unschool, and an LGBTQ center. She was the founder and chef of the Urban Dinner Socials experimental locavore pop-up restaurant, editor-in-chief of Sustainable City News, and board chair of The Whole Place, a free cooperative nonprofit incubator. She coaches and plays with a 15-member team competing in the international charitable photo/video contest known as GISH; in 2019, her team was awarded Runner-Up. Follow her adventures in art on
Twitter: @WhatItsCome2
DAY 8 – Lore Poudrier
Lore is writer, death doula, and witch in Burbank, California. Preforming as the queer coquette, Fleur the Tease, they bring their queer art and magic to shows such as Planet Queer, Cabaret Consensual, and coproduce Lipstick & Flannel (as well the members only show Siren Speakeasy) with their partner Mae Lust.
@fleur_teases
@donutfoxabout
DAY 9 – CODY JARRETT (Local Criminal and Filmer)
Shocking! Brutal! Chiaroscuro lighting (my wife just taught me how to pronounce that)! Escape to Tijuana! That’s all you need to know about this hard-boiled mammer jammer for now!
DAY 10 – Sibyl O’ Malley & Dominique Dibbell
Sibyl is queer theater artist whose practice includes writing, directing, teaching and community organizing. Dominique is a writer/performer/voice-over artist who likes moustaches. Together they are twice as gay and three times as funny.
DAY 11 – Yuki Okada
Yuki Okada is an artist, a writer and an eater of tasty foods. She works as a graphic designer and illustrator in Los Angeles and is currently trying to run away to a beautiful island with her dog, where she can make art and eat delicious shave ice on a regular basis. She enjoys podcasts and television very much, especially shows about very angry dragons. She created a blog about one such show where art, tv and snacks collide in a big happy mess. Happy messes are indeed her jam.
DAY 12 – Asher Slasher
Asher Slasher is an undead artist who makes art to remember what it’s like to be alive… or was it to remind him why he’s undead in the first place? It’s been centuries and doesn’t remember anymore.
DAY 13 – Justine Cross
Justine Cross is femme queer dominatrix in Los Angeles. She owns Dungeon East a gorgeous BDSM studio in DTLA with the infamous YES MISTRESS sign. Justine is an educator, a provocateur and all around bad ass Bitch who also runs BDSFemme – an all women’s play party. In a state of rainbow panic and glitter, she organized and hosted the LA Kink Pride – a series of events and classes conducted entirely online. Her favorite things to do include happy hour oysters, going to virtual strip clubs and not dressing up like a slut on Halloween – because that’s the *other* 364 days of the year. Please visit her website: LosAngelesDominatrix.com; Follow her on insta @thejustinecross; cashapp $justineplays – which directly goes to her favorite strippers of @cyberclowngirls for the Wednesday night show that she watches with the memory of her dead cat (she was is in her 30s) and sometimes her girlfriend.
DAY 14 – Julianna Parr (aka Danny Torrance)
Julianna (aka JP) [she/her *POC/LGBTQ +/TCB] is an illustrator, designer, puppet maker, fabricator, writer, director, animator, bartender, reverend, general artistic nuisance, and certified romance activist.
She is dedicated to visually, culturally and socially changing the world through creative procedures.
JP created an arts nonprofit called SparkleBlob, an organization that cleverly tricks people into making and experiencing art.
SparkleBlob’s programs include Gothtober, DocuMART™, LA Marathon Super Sloppy Chili Cheese Dawgs, CraftNight, and SparkleBlob’s Annual Holiday Puppet Show.
She is Head Candy Corn of Gothtober.com now in it’s 19th year.
DAY 15 – Lori Meeker
Since childhood, Lori has been painting, sewing and crafting up a storm in a multitude of mediums. She began her artistic career right out of Th LA County High School for the Arts, crafting costumes for TV and film ( The Drew Carey Show, Austin Powers, Desperate Housewives) and for theater (Long Beach Opera, Pasadena Playhouse, Eclectic Company Theater) Most notably Lori received 2 Ovation nominations for Costume Design for her work with The Rogue Artists Ensemble (Wood Boy Dog Fish, Kaidan – Walls Grow Thin). She is also the creator and producer of Welcome to Meadowlark Falls, an immersive holiday event that is inspired by, and lampoons Hallmark Christmas movies!
Lori is a long time employee of Trader Joe’s, working as a sign artist and muralist for over 20 years.
She is also a long-time collaborator with Sparkleblob, and Gothtober! Lori is proud to be selected for this year’s Gothtober, and could not be more grateful to the community JP has created with this and all the wonderful ribaldry of Sparkleblob!
DAY 16 – Spooky Bonercle
Spooky Bonercle is one of the many personalities of Smilee Barnacle. By day, Barnacle runs Barnacle Bros. Sculpture & Custom Fabrication. By night, when not asleep as Snoozy Dreamsicle, he is creeping around the localities of Los Angeles and the Bay Area seeking soul mates and yard-sale deals. His eye for the impeccable can always find some trouble to get into.
DAY 17 – Mrs. & Mr. Bliss
Mrs & Mr Bliss: Two fools introduced by an adequate cupid eight years ago, making art together and adjacent since.
With all the irksome uncertainty floating about, the Blisses up and packed out of the city of angels early this year, opting for the unease and adventure of a life on the move. With their wicked skills and motley charms thus mobilized, they scare up mural, portrait, and design work, and other sundry employ in thirsty hamlets across the land.
They invite you to follow their journey on the gram:
@poopernagel
@farl
Websites: breonbliss.com www.farleycrawford.com
DAY 18 – Horror Movie Survival Guide
Horror Movie Survival Guide is a weekly podcast where two unlikely gorehounds and long time chums, one a hardcore horror fan with a notebook to prove it, and the other finally coming out of the creepy horror fandom closet – watch and talk about horror film from a survival point of view. We ask the question – how can *we* end up as the final girl? Join Julia Marchese and Teri Gamble as we take a deep dive into everything from OG horror to newly released films (but preferably classics on VHS). We’ll talk about obscure details that no one else notices, spin off into alternate casting universes, crush on some foxy, dodgy fellows (and creepy uncles), and arm ourselves with the knowledge necessary to become The Final Girl.
DAY 19 – The Witchy Witches
The Witchy WitchesAll hail the Halloween Season! This year the sisters of the coven hit the big slab with our hundred mile coffee doing double nickel in our reefer go-go juiced 10 wheeler headed for the Haunted Truck Stop. You never know what these hopped up harlots will conjure with their brand new gayly forward to video spell made just for you! As the curtain between worlds grows thinner and the new year is upon us the witches wish you a bountiful harvest! See you in the gang showers honey!
DAY 20 – Mellocreme Fairchild III
Lady Mellowcreme is an LA-based multimedia artist who enjoys wearing socks, voiding warranties, puppeting, conducting delicious kitchen chemistry experiments, and confusing hardware store clerks who ask her “What will you be using this for?”
DAY 21 – Lopez and Tolliver
Madin Lopez is an LA born-and-raised sci-fi junkie who loves Hip Hop, cartoons, and puns. This self proclaimed Blerd takes on the story telling medium with a social justice lens.
Tolliver is a multimedia artist (but mostly a singer) who grew up on the southside of Chicago and dreams of becoming a pescatarian who eats fried chicken on the side. He’s very tall and thinks dentists offices should pay YOU to come in.
DAY 22 – Del Norte Presents
Can it be?!
10 years of presenting Del Norte Presents presentations!?
Certainly a good round-number year in which to let our faces (and banana costume) take a rest.
We had many plans to present ourselves, but these props of ours turned out to be pretty chatty. And sometimes you gotta let the work speak for itself!
In lieu of banana costumes, please accept an introduction to our presenters (for once). Em and MARGAR used to be neighbors living on the same street. Now we’ve diaspora-ed, strategically expanding our empire in places that will keep us in close proximity to sparkly accessories and hot peppers. We probably have day jobs, but that’s not what gets us out of bed in the morning, or keeps strangers and friends enthralled at parties. When not roaming the western states, we convene over burritos to discuss Gothtober ideas and Halloween costumes that we always forget about until the last minute.
Thankfully, our closets are mostly filled with costumes and we’re equipped with sharp tongues to whip up a backstory faster than you can ask us “what are you supposed to be?”
DAY 23 – Jenny Walsh
Jenny Walsh is sharpening sticks, licking frogs and playing tricks. Later she’ll be boiling meats, spitting bees and baking treats. Halloween is ne’r a bore, for those who darken Jenny’s door.
DAY 24 – Mike Rainey
Mike Rainey is an international cat-sitter who has looked after 60 different cats on four different continents. After spending the first 18 months of the pandemic in the land of the Hobbits followed by the land of Vegemite sandwiches, Mike is back in the US. Sadly, he is temporarily catless.
If you think Mike looks familiar, you might recognize him from such serious theatre works as Thelma & Leweeze: The Musical, Beachez: The Musical and Pat & Charlie: Solid Gold Lamé Cabaret (which is hopefully so obviously a musical that it doesn’t need to tell you in the title). These were all directed by Head Candy Corn JP, with The Honeylabs (a very serious theatre ensemble) at the legendary Cavern Club Celebrity Theater in Silverlake.
By trade Mike is a motion graphics artist/animator/all-around video guy. Reels etc. at https://mografmike.com
DAY 25 – MoJoHoJo
Once separate entities, Monica Howe and Joe Jordan first made contact through a now-defunct social network called Friendster. The ensuing years took them on separate, far-reaching journeys, culminating in a star-crossed rendezvous one Friday the 13th. Just months later, they were forced into a quarantined coexistence by a deadly pandemic and have since fused into a single super-being with a shared heart but separate heads and a disturbingly uneven limb ratio. Together, they concoct strong cocktails and occasional artifacts of curious delight.
DAY 26 – The Honeylabs
Honeylabs is going multi-media with its second short flick for Gothtober.com! You can usually enjoy the Honeylabs as a live theater company that performs at The Cavern Club Celebrity Theatre.
Linda Santiman and Nancy Kissam have produced and starred in Beachez, the Musical!, Thelma and Leweeze, and Pat and Charlie’s Solid Gold Lame´ Cabaret. The Honeylabs love JP, Gothtober, and Halloween for all the right reasons.
DAY 27 – The Family Chambers
Christy Chambers lives with her favorite red bearded Ogre and their smelly 17 year old giant in a small village in Germany. She spends her days making art with teenagers and entertaining the locals. For fun she wanders the deep dark fairy tale forests to photograph moss and poisonous fungus. She is also working on a degree in stinky cheese and regional wines.
Brian Chambers lives with the lady above, He failed at being a nihilist and spends his days making video games. He routinely hunts for treasure in the local German forest and prefers beer from Bavaria.
Nigel Chambers lives with the family above and after consulting with his comrades, does not approve the public distribution of his bio as it might compromise the mission.
DAY 28 – Lisa McNeely
Lisa McNeely is a renaissance woman, a jack of all artistic trades based in sunny hellish LA! She has recently been illustrating some children’s books, so keep an eye out for titles such as “Away to the Woods” and “Plop”. She is also releasing her debut album “Winter’s Due” this year. A graduate of Dell Arte International School of Physical Theater, Lisa can be found in puppets, in drag, in music videos acting a fool all about town. I’m a clown, I like to play and make things, Enjoy!
Insta: @wisa_woo
Stephen McNeely aka SATAN, is Lisa’s younger brother and constant muse. An all around artist, prolific illustrator and musician. Check out and support his good work.
Follow his magic on instagram: @stephenmcneelyart @thegreatsadness
DAY 29 – Michael Gump
Is also known as Bob Bugs. He makes art the likes of which you’ve never seen, and twice that you’ll never forget.
DAY 30 – Barry and Nancy
Barry Morse and Nancy Sandercock are CalArts graduates who like to collaborate on needle crafts, performance, and little films.
DAY 31 Halloween!!!!
Jeffrey Levine
Jefe Levine
High Priest of the Unhallowed Tomb,
Arhat of Forbidden and Ruinous Tomes,
and Psychopomp of Lost and Tortured Souls.
Creator of compelling contraptions and enthralling graphospasms.
His long dark shadow stretches across the City of Lost Angels,
unseen and yet ever present.
Find his mark here;
Insta
Website
GOTHTOBER STAFF
JULIANNNA PARR- Head Candy Corn of Gothtober
Julianna Parr she/her is the mastermind, the kraken, the Head Candy Corn of Gothtober.com
She rounds up the black cat clowders, scoops out the eyeballs, arranges the broomsticks, calls up all the spiders, searches for the very best in fresh blood for the calendar, and brings it back for all of us to enjoy for 31 beautifully godforsaken gruesome days.
CRISTIN PESCOSOLIDO – Gothtober’s High Priestess of Web
Who set up and maintains Gothtober’s servers? Who helps compress and upload content to the calendar? Who helps suss out Gothtober coding emergencies? The bubbling cauldron is only as good as it’s witches, and we’ve got one of the best: Cristin Pescosolido! If you haven’t read her full bio, check out Day 2!
link: https://sobo7.com
TIM HALBUR-
Gothtober’s Phantom of Sound
Tim Halbur is a sound obsessive and musician who is currently bewitched by soul organ trios, bitter amaros and journals of arctic exploration.
He is responsible for the Gothtober’s themed soundtrack accompanying the calendar.
Gothtober’s Architecture
This year’s 2021 calendar features the original coding of Michael Soderstrom from 2015, which has since been modified by both Laura Mann, and Cristin Pescosolido. Sound for our most recent calendars was done by Gothtober’s Phantom of Sound, Tim Halbur. Our PR wolverine is HR PufnPuff. All illustration and design is by Julianna (JP) Parr
This calendar is made possible through our Gothtober artists, and our donors. We’re a 501c3, nobody’s makin’ money off this crazy thing, we do it because we love it, and we love you, and we believe in “together art.”