Nicholas Diak's Blog, page 35

Exotica Moderne #2 Release and Launch Party

It looks like issue #2 of House of Tabu's Exotica Moderne magazine just got released! AND there is going to be another launch party! Just like back in August, there will be a launch party over at the Tonga Hut and there will be another special mai tai glass. I'll be in attendance autographing issues again. Here are the details from the House of Tabu Facebook page:

NOW AVAILABLE:The second issue of the swankiest print magazine devoted to the art, music and madness we all love! With an expanded page count, Exotica Moderne #2 is graced once again with cover art by a beloved Tiki artist. This edition's cover was created by Ventura’s Tiki TOny Murphy along with a feature article about this popular artist and his life. We’re also highlighting the intricate figurative work of Dean Hacker and the artistic endeavors of Sheryl Schroeder. On the music side, Jeff Chenault finally gives us his interview with Plas Johnson and you can also discover the exotica stylings of Vibra Cubana and more. Jay Malone once again joins us with a feature on the tiki-laden comic book, "Hawaiian Dick," and Jason Craig provides us with his scene report on Portland's Tiki Kon.
All of this plus our regular features including:
Tiki with RayCocktail HourMoving in StereoPrivate OasisWith commentary, comics, pinups and more!
We'll be at Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar & Lounge in River Grove, Illinois on Sunday, November 4th for Lowbrow Aloha, starting at 12pm CST. Grab a copy while you're there and check out our other wares. There will be plenty of other great vendors and the cocktails will be flowing.
Exotica Moderne #2 Launch Party!We had such a great time with the launch of the premier issue of Exotica Moderne at LA’s oldest tiki bar, the Tonga Hut Tiki Lounge, that we’re doing it again! If you’re in the area on Saturday, November 24th, come and hang out with Tiki TOny Murphy and have him sign a copy, plus contributor Nicholas Diak will also be on hand as well! There will be a special edition Tiki TOny/Tonga Hut/Exotica Moderne Mai Tai glass designed just for this occasion - pick one up and have it filled with a special cocktail created just for the evening. Watch for details.

Horror Sale at McFarland

My publisher, McFarland, is having a Halloween sale on horror titles. If you use the code HORROR25 between now and the 31st, you'll get a 25% discount. Two books that I've contributed to are eligible for this discount:

Michele Brittany's Stoker-nominated Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film SubgenreKevin Wetmore's Uncovering Stranger Things: Essays on Eighties Nostalgia, Cynicism, and Innocence in the Series

More information about this promotion can be found at McFarland's website: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/halloween-sale-horror-books/

Appearance in Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.

Earlier this year I got to be an extra in the Netflix show Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever. Both Michele Brittany and I were asked to man the Roadhouse Sons book during the comic book convention scenes of the show.



Now it looks like the Netflix show has been released! Scanning through episode 8, you can't see Michele or I, but you can see the Roadhouse Sons booth many times in the background (which we would be at, pretending to sell stuff to other folks). Here's a screen capture: look to the red shirts hanging on the wall, that's the Roadhouse Sons swag:


It was really cool to be involved in the filming of the show, seeing the magic of how it all happened. Also, Barbra and Bryant and their Fanbase Press booth was in a couple of shots too. How cool is that! Thank you to Mia Moravis for asking Michele and I to run their booth for the faux-comic-con!

More information about Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever. can be found at the Netflix's site for the show: https://www.netflix.com/title/80207486

Panelist at LA Comic Con

Convention season is winding down for the year and this will probably be my last appearance at one until next year. I'll be part of the Fanbase Press Presents: Swords, Sandal, Sorcery and Other Worlds panel at the LA Comic Con. The panel will be at 2:00pm in room 409. In attendance will be Tiffany Carmel Lake (Stelletwal series), D.J. Kirkbride (The Once and Future Queen), and Josh Henaman (Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman) with Michele Brittany moderating.

A Facebook page for the event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/186164408951806/
The convention's website can be found here: https://www.comicconla.com/

Exotica Moderne 2, Halloween Haunts and Voice of Olympus

Hello folks!

Lots of stuff happened this week, a little delay on my end on posting here.

First, I contributed an article to the Horror Writers Association's Halloween Haunts blog called "Gamers' Guide to Halloween Video Games (That Actually Take Place on Halloween)". It can be read here: http://horror.org/gamers-guide-to-halloween-video-games-that-actually-take-place-on-halloween-by-nicholas-diak/
Next, I had a brief appearance on Hercules Invictus's Voice of Olympus program, basically introducing myself. That can be streamed/downloaded here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/surn/2018/10/16/voice-of-olympus

And finally, the big, big news: The next issue of House of Tabu's Exotica Moderne magazine comes out in November! Here is the cover:



Details about the issue can be found here: http://www.houseoftabu.com/product/exotica-moderne-2

Appearance on Voice of Olympus - Assassin's Creed

Sorry folks, a few days late on this one, but I was a guest on Hercules Invictus' Voice of Olympus program this past Monday. In this episode I talk about the new Assassin's Creed: Odyssey neo-peplum game. It can be streamed/downloaded here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/surn/2018/10/09/voice-of-olympus

Fundamental Comics: Tintin and the Crab with the Golden Claws

Once a month over at Fanbase Press, they do a feature called Fundamental Comics where they highlight a, well, fundamental comic. Super import comics that are important to the canon. I contributed this month on Tintin: The Crab with the Golden Claws. I'm an unabashed Tintin fan so it was great to write about this:

http://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/featured-series/item/9314-fundamental-comics-the-adventures-of-tintin-the-crab-with-the-golden-claws-and-cosmopolitanism

Cocktail Nation - House of Tabu and Shout Out

Ken Holewczynski of House of Tabu is interviewed on the newest episode of the Cocktail Nation podcast talking about the debut issue of Exotica Moderne. Yours truly gets a shout out for his Fritz Lang article! Have a listen:

https://cocktailnation.podbean.com/e/cocktail-nation%c2%a0-505%c2%a0-exotica-moderne/

Mandy - Article on the Metal Influence

YES!! \m/

I so loved this movie so much I had to bust an article about it ASAP. I wrote a piece that explores the different metal elements of the film Mandy and it is published over at Fanbase Press. Check it out! \m/

http://www.fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/reviews/item/9291-mandy-movie-review

Sword of Ages #5 Reviewed

My review of Sword of Ages #5 from IDW has now been published over at Fanbase Press:

http://www.fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/reviews/item/9287-sword-of-ages-5-advance-comic-book-review