Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

Heartbreak Manor combines the talents of Damien Worm, Steve Niles and Monica Richards!Wicked Horror is excited to reveal character designs by Damien Worm of October Faction fame! It’s for a collaboration with 30 Days of Night co-creator Steve Niles called Heartbreak Manor, an all-new graphic novel with a haunted house, a holiday setting and plenty of gothic excitement.The 100-page hardcover book is written by Niles, illustrated and colored by Worm, and edited and lettered by goth icon Monica Richards (Faith and the Muse), who is also working with darkwave artist Anthony Roumanis to create a 30-minute Heartbreak Manor Original Soundtrack.It…

Clearly, for many, social media is deeply embedded in their everyday lives, shaping how they initiate, maintain, and interpret their interpersonal relationships. Although such digital platforms offer some opportunities for connection, communication, and community-building, much research highlights their potential to produce social isolation. Rather than strengthening social bonds, excessive or maladaptive social media use actually undermines relationship quality, diminishes emotional intimacy, and fosters a sense of social disconnection—perhaps even alienation. However, there are practical strategies that can mitigate this digital isolation and promote healthier, more meaningful interpersonal engagement. The concept of “alone together,” described by Sherry Turkle,1 illustrates how social…

Mexico usually hits a wall when it plays on the opening day of the World Cup.Of the seven previous occurrences, El Tri’s record is five losses and two draws. Mexico gets another shot Thursday when it hosts South Africa to kick off the 48-team tournament.”We must break that trend,” coach Javier Aguirre told a news conference Wednesday at the Azteca stadium.”I did not know about that,” he said of the winless sequence, “but I’ll mention it to the guys. It’s a good reason to tell them we need to go out there and win the match. Let’s hope we break…

This is a guest post by Jesse Homan, a Dialectical Behavior Therapy therapist and trainer. He is passionate about humans and how we all connect with each other, our communities, and the planet. A few months ago, I hosted (and participated in) an immersive weekend retreat in rural Washington with other therapists. As a way of nurturing ourselves, we cooked meals together, created eco-art, sang, played games, and participated in a guided forest bathing session. The retreat was co-created by participants, each of us sharing an activity with the group. For my part, I handed out Holga 120mm cameras so…

If you’ve ever worried about your child’s eating—or their weight—you’re not alone. Many parents feel caught between wanting to protect their child’s health and not wanting to create stress, conflict, or shame around food. In that moment, it’s natural to tighten control. We remind them to take another bite of vegetables, suggest they’ve had enough, or quietly track how much they’re eating. It comes from love. But what many parents don’t realize is that these strategies often backfire. Over time, pressure and restriction can make children more focused on food, less aware of their hunger cues, and more resistant at…

Now available as one of Screambox’s latest Bloody Bites, The Blue Diamond is an 80’s set sci-fi, horror, comedy short film that is well worth your time! Directed by Sam Fox, written by Addison Heimann, and starring Desiree Staples and Barbara Crampton, I caught up with Fox, Staples, and Crampton to discuss the making of the film: Sam, how did this project come together? Sam Fox: Backstory is: Desiree and I were on our fourth year of the film festival circuit and yearning to have the party keep going because [otherwise] we had to go back to our sad, dull…

A senior manager tells her team the company is returning to the office five days a week. Before she finishes, an employee says, “So you don’t trust us.” She responds: “That’s not what this is about. Productivity has dropped, and collaboration is weaker.” Another pushes back: “Productivity dropped because we’re overloaded, not because we’re remote.” She adds data. They add counterexamples. Within minutes, each side has stopped trying to understand the other and started listening for weaknesses. The more each explains, the more rigid the other becomes. This is the moment disagreement hardens. We are often trained to make stronger…

Wicked Horror is looking for new writers — and that includes YOU!Wicked Horror is a great site, no doubt about it. And we’re looking to add even more content and coverage — more reviews, more interviews, more retrospectives, more think pieces, more listicles, more EVERYTHING. Which means YOU could have a seat at the proverbial table here. We’re officially looking for new writers to come aboard the Wicked Horror mothership and we want a variety of different voices and perspectives to lend their talents to the site. OK, the boring stuff first. It’s a non-paid gig, BUT if your work is selected…

The issue that connects much of my work as a sex therapist is surprisingly simple: Meaningful consent requires meaningful understanding, and that understanding is impossible when important information is withheld. This is why I became so invested in accurate hormonal and body education for women and wrote a book about it, and why I’m now deeply engaged in conversations about AI attachment and connection. Whether we’re talking about women’s healthcare or AI companionship, the pattern is often the same: People are given limited information and incomplete transparency, and the result is individuals left to deal with the consequences on their…

Salem draws around a million visitors every October for a holiday built on the worst thing that ever happened there. June is quieter. It should not be. On the morning of June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop was carted from the town jail to a rocky ledge west of the village and hanged, the first execution of the Salem witch trials. That was 334 years ago today, and Salem is marking the date. Eight Days in June The accusations had been stacking up since winter, and by late spring the jails in Salem and Boston were packed with people waiting on…