Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mommy, My Eye by J. S. Lawhead


Mommy -
You said I'd have two eyes.
Today I have nine.
Two in my head.
Four in my hands.
And three where the sun don't shine.

Mommy -
I just grew a few more.
They hurt something awful.
They break through the bone,
they break through my skin,
and land right on top of my waffles.

Mommy -
I'm getting more and more.
The pain is getting so much worse!
I hear little voices,
they laugh at me when I cry,
they say I'm going to rot in a hearse.

Mommy -
My new eyes are starting to see things
that my other eyes can't see.
I see things that look like little children
who died in a hospital fire.
They say they've come for me.

Mommy -
My eye!
why aren't you doing anything?
Wh...
You're not my Mommy!
Help!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Jeremy Robert Johnson Reviews


Jeremy Robert Johnson is amazing. He is one of the best authors I've ever read and a really nice guy. After having read three of Jeremy Robert Johnson's books, he has surpassed almost every other author on my favorites list. Which, until recently, had not changed in about seven years. He has gone above William S. Burroughs and Kurt Vonnegut. He has risen to the top, and he may very well stay there forever. He will be shelved among the greats. He is a literary genius. His words paint pictures that will make you laugh. They will make you cry. And they will make you want to tear your eyes out. And you will be glad you did, because you will know that the last thing you ever read was the pinnacle of literature.

We Live Inside You is a collection of short stories, some of which will make you want to crawl right out of your skin and watch from a distance. At once enthralling and grotesque. These stories will leave you wondering what is actually going on inside you. Just don't wonder too much late at night. You may not be able to sleep it off.

Angel Dust Apocalypse is another of Jeremy's collections. The imagery is sharp and beautiful. Some of these stories will leave you with a hole in your heart, others will leave you with a hole in your brain. Angel Dust Apocalypse is deeply original.

Extinction Journals is a Novella that is a continuation of The Sharp Dressed Man at the End of the Line, a short story from Angel Dust Apocalypse. The novella can stand alone, so The Sharp Dressed Man at the End of the Line does not need to be read first. Extinction Journals takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and the protagonist is a man named Dean who is wearing a suit made of live cockroaches.

Each of these books deserves five out of five stars, two thumbs up, and a large trophy. I can't wait to see what Skullcrack City has in store.



Sunday, May 24, 2015

First Experience


Bizarro is a more than just a genre. It is often a group of people that can be labeled as a family. And like being a family, we don't choose who our bizarro brothers and sisters are. Unlike a family however, we haven't always been bizarros. We had to come from somewhere. So where did you come from? How did you get here? What was your first bizarro experience and why did you stick around? If you would like to tell us how you came to be, answer in the comments section. As for me:

I'm in the Air Force. Oklahoma City. 0730 hours. Ready for PT. Physical Training. Sun still low in the sky. I'm talking to Airman SomeDumbFuck and from ten feet behind me I hear, "...a labotomized torso. And he fucks her. Then he fucks all the other torsos once a month. He gets them pregnant, and every month there is a new baby. "

"Wait a second. What's this?" Is my piqued interest response. I knew that this kind of thing is the push that literature needed.

"Edward Lee," replies my NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge.)

"I have to read this," I'm sure I blurted this way too enthusiastically. I hadn't really noticed yet, but before I even arrived, the group surrounding the NCOIC was disgusted. Distraught even. The shock factor was what the NCOIC had in mind. The looks I got after my enthusiastic response were priceless.

Soon, smoke breaks with the NCOIC transform from Evaluation Performance Reports to tales and reviews of extreme horror (I prefer the term "splatterpunk") and the bizarre. We make new stories and story ideas as we in- and exhale. Weave new webs of malice and mayhem and what-ifs. Oh, the what-ifs... My mind, nay, my life, changed forever. For the better? Probably not.

I am forever indebted should forever shun this evil man that has perverted my mind with baby Jesuses that thrive inside assholes, people with fishbowls (including the fish) for heads, strippers that strip off their skin, clowns that give away coupons to fighters, vaginas that are haunted. It's all in there. I can never get it out. And that makes me happy.

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Winner of the Box of Bizarro Drawing


Now, the moment that some, but probably not a lot, of you has been waiting for. The winner of the drawing for the free Box of Bizarro is Teresa Pollack. And the crowd goes wild. Teresa, I hope you enjoy your Box of Bizarro. From those of us here at Box of Bizarro (its really just me), good night to all and have a Bizarro Tomorrow.

Call of Duty by Craig Bullock


My name is Colonel Jack Jameson and I have issues. Goblins. Yes, goblins! Now from what I can gather they are at war within my brain. There are two factions: the Novas and the Zants. I am sided with the Zants; we are trying to win back control of the side of my brain that regulates my emotions.

As it stands the little swines are currently in control of my frontal and temporal lobes. They are camped towards the right hemisphere. 

Now this is Private Tom's reasoning, so don't take my word for it. According to him, this massively impacts my emotions and artistic abilities. Worse, he figures, this affects my sexual desire and is the cause of my memory loss and lack of social skills.

At first I was sceptical of Tom's claims, but thinking back, I couldn't actually remember the last time I cried...I have a plan!

I watch Watership Down. A classic, I'm sure you agree. I think I enjoy the film, and man have them little guys got some spirit, but I'm still not crying.

Next, I beg my neighbour to re-enact the scene from Ghost - you know, the one with the modelling clay. After much persuasion, Julie agrees to my awkward pleas. But again, I come up short. I hope for a full-blown mother of all erections and ,bless Julie, she didn't half try, but sadly, not even a twitch. I don't even feel guilty that she has to finish herself off on my bed before leaving a little, well, let's say, agitated.

In a last ditch attempt to salvage my creativity, I even bring out the old paint by numbers set Linda brought me to keep me occupied. After much sweat and little amusement, I put my brush down, again defeated. Not even the bitter disappointment of still being able to see the number sixteen clearly visible through the fifth coat of duck egg helps my mood.

As I stare at my reflection, I begin to feel a little warm and dizzy. "Only temporary," I tell myself , "just them damn goblins raging in my hypothalamus."

The little fuckers advance, and have been attempting to take the cerebellum all week

Yesterday the swines let off a bomb the size of a walnut, shrapnel piercing the area responsible for sexual arousal and partially deafening me in the process.

According to the report, I "stood in the supermarket sporting a giant erection whilst licking the front of a fire alarm, slowly stroking" myself. That's when I must have blacked out. I think one of our boys knicked the brain stem. Either that, or making eye contact with a mother's giggling twat of a son and politely saying "Hello," caused her concerned fist to come hurtling my way.

Please note, this sort of thing is becoming a regular occurrence. The longer this war goes on, the more damage my brain takes. Despite my comrades' best intentions, friendly fire still fucking hurts.

If I'm honest, it's all starting to wear me down a bit. The bags under my eyes appear bigger each morning and the migraines are getting worse.

Tom says the war would be over much sooner if I just took charge and got my own hands dirty for a change. Despite his lack of respect for his Colonel, I have to agree and concede.

I reach out and, behind my packet of clozapine, I find the syringe of morphine. With one last salute to my goblin comrades, I plunge the cool liquid into my veins. I wait while I hope it takes effect and contemplate my life without this curse. A life of so-called normality, maybe even a chance to settle down and plan my future.

Next I reach for the saw, the light shining off the blade like a ray of blissful sunshine. I begin work on the cranium, feeling the serrated blade grinding against bone. The noise is deafening but bearable. Whilst working my way around, I joyously break into "Amazing Grace" to counterbalance the grating sound of the blade.

Blood is gushing down my face and blurring my vision. The taste of metallic victory spurs me on. Upon feeling the saw connect with its starting point I let it drop loudly into the defiled sink.

I rub the blood from my eyes and stare in dizzy excitement. I grab my hair and pull upwards; with a wet slurping noise my skull breaks free, revealing the field of operations.

With my fingers I begin to probe around the frontal lobes in search of Nova's HQ, but find nothing. I begin to pull squishy chunks of brain out to get a better angle, and I'm still left empty handed.

I frantically begin to search other areas, probing and tearing with anger. Surely the little bastards can't hide forever. I reach the cerebellum, their last known location. My vision is beginning to darken and the pain has subsided to a continuous burning sensation. With all my remaining effort I probe my fingers in as deep as possible. That's when I feel my fingers hit something sharp! With the glee of a small, if not very weak child, I remove my treasure. The last thing I see before collapsing is the shell of an empty walnut.

I lie on the floor ready for my passing when I faintly hear the sound of scratching. Briefly, I'm aware of a small foot in my ear. I open my eyes one last time to see George the mischievous Gnome doubled up laughing.

In the distance I hear the door slam, and George runs off as my eyes close. From what seems like another world I hear the screams of Linda, my support worker.

Guess I'm not so fucking mad after all!  


Thursday, May 21, 2015

The Drawing


Five of my very lucky fans have a chance to receive a free Box of Bizarro. You guys have heard what was in the first one. You liked it enough to want your own. Here is your chance. And remember, not every box can be the same, but every box will be more than awesome. The five entrants whose names are in the drawing:

  • Teresa Pollack
  • Brandy Hamilton
  • Juston Hearon
  • Matthew Vaughn
  • Donald Armfield
The winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks and good luck.