Theatre Windsor will be spooking it up with their Haunted House held at Tecumseh Mall throughout the dates and times listed below.  Theatre Windsor, ‘a theatre for everyone’, is a non-profit community theatre group.  If you’re in the area and in mood for a scare, pop in to the mall and show your support.

Friday, October 26:  5-9

Saturday, October 27 :  1-5

Sunday, October 28: 1-5

Monday, October 29: 5-9

Tuesday, October 30: 5-9

Wednesday, October 31: 5-9

Bring your kids in costume on Hallowe’en for some spooktacular treats at participating retailers throughout the mall between  5:30 & 7pm.

Suggested donations of $2.00 for admission.

Projects: Past & Future

I was sixteen years old, when first I used the Twisted “T” logo.  At that time it was a gimmick, a tag I used on my comic portfolios.  Every few months I would prepare a new short story, a new hero, and a new villain.  I’d prepare a handsome little package, and send it off to comic book studios under the “Twisted Studio” banner.  I remember a mideval plot called “The Dark and The Fallen”,  “Outlaws 3″ a western tale, and my earliest “Gallar”. Eventually, I came up with one story that would stick with me.  The Underground became a favourite of mine, and of those people closest to me.  Still, no replies came from any of the industry executives.

Through the years, I continued my work on The Underground, achieving some small amount of local acclaim.   Continuing with this series and the Twisted Studio banner, I had two books published.  The insectoid story was sold from Southern Ohio, to Niagara Falls.  The story was revamped over the years, my accumulated creative team poured hours upon hours of research into the title.  Every corner of the buggy universe was flushed out, and we found new ways to promote it and attract our audience.  Still no big break to the industry came, and at some point my confidence began to waver.

In spite  of this the Studio continued, and even expanded to include a lifelong friend, and fellow creative-mind Dave Rocha.  Dave came on to our team as writing support, and brought with him new passion, new inspiration.  We pushed forward harder than ever with the Underground.  We opened consideration for, and began production on another title for the Studio.  Tecumseh became our second official title, though we still had not attracted the attention of the big comic book publishers.

We did however, begin to attract other local entrepreneurs.  Our promoting methods, our use of social media, and our passion for our projects was appealing to others in a way that we had not anticipated.  Then it hit me.  Our passion for own projects has brought us to opportunites to help with other local projects.  What I may have viewed as failures in the past were really stepping stones.  They were necessary lessons, to bring us to where we are today.  Our progress is evident in the projects and ventures that we’ve been asked to assist.    This is the greatest part of Twisted Studio’s journey so far, is the ability to utilize our skills to help others.  We’ve learned from the portfolios of a sixteen year old, the early publications of The Underground, and the research we’ve completed for Tecumseh.  We are stronger than we’ve ever been, and the future is bright. 

With plans for board games, card games, merchandise, and other comic book titles; Twisted Studio is gearing up for the next portion of its exciting journey. Personally I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned, and relationships forged along the way.  At the same time I can’t wait for what’s waiting round the next corner.

Who won the war of 1812? That is perhaps the most complicated question you could ask concerning  the war. There were four major participants in this war arranged into two sides. It was a war that the United States declared against Great Britain and her North American allies and colonies. The war and it’s result went down differently for each participant.

The United States started the war and it’s aim was to stop Britain from impressing it’s sailors (A war time practice of boarding neutral ships and forcing any English speaking sailors into the royal navy), stopping trade across the ocean to France and inciting Native unrest in the Great Lakes region. The States aimed to stop the latter and increase it’s territory by wiping out Native rebellion and by invading Canada.

By the time the war was over in 1815, the US boundaries were unchanged but impressment had stopped due to lack of need (Napoleon had been defeated in Europe). Native unrest was quelled for the most part and Tecumseh was dead but warfare with the tribes continued for 50 years. Canada had not been conquered.

None of the American war aims were actually solved by the war. The one thing they did win however was a national identity. The victory at the Battle of New Orleans convinced the Americans that they could repel a full on British invasion despite it having occurred after the war was over. Directly from this forgotten war the United States also published a new national anthem which was written about the successful defense of Fort McHenry. In Great Britain and Canada they won steadfast allies in every global conflict in the next 200 years.

Great Britain lost men and resources but little else. They maintained the status quo. The only peace demand they had to give up was the creation of a First Nations state buffer zone as proposed by Brock and Tecumseh. They won due to their successful defense of the Canadian Colonies. Their possessions in North America were unsuccessfully invaded several times. The only land in Canada that was occupied by the invaders were Essex and Kent counties in southwestern Ontario; which were given back in the treaty of Ghent returning the border to that of a prewar state.

Canada did not have much say in this war as it was not yet a nation but the Americans and Loyalists living in Upper Canada at the time would identify Americans as invaders that burned down their houses and destroyed their crops. Canada was not conquered by the US and was allowed to develop into the nation it is today. By the end of the war Canadians did not yet have a country and didn’t really have much of a national identity as a result. What they did know is what they weren’t. They weren’t Americans.

The First Nations had a unique culture that did not believe in land ownership as the Europeans and Americans did. Instead they believed in common ownership and use by the whole which lead to land loss and removal issues with the Americans. Under the leadership of Tecumseh, the majority of First Nations of the great lakes had joined the British in the hopes of gaining a permanent homeland surrounding the lakes. In negotiating the treaty of Ghent the only peace condition dropped by the British was the creation of this native state in “Indian country”. This land was absorbed by the United States which is now parts of Pennsylvania and New York as well as the entire areas of modern Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Great Britain, Canada and the United States all came out of this war as winners in their own ways.

The only real losers of the war were the First Nations.

If you wish to learn more about Tecumseh’s struggle please stay tuned to www.twistedstudio.ca.

It’s that time of year!  The fall leaves crunch under your footsteps as you pass by storefronts adorned with ghosts and ghouls.  Costumes are everywhere, and scary movies are on every channel.  Yes, its Hallowe’en our favourite time of year.  Nobody knows the season better than Windsor’s own Cash Wampum, and he’s proud to tell you about it on his web series Horror 101. 

Recently, Dave Rocha sat down to ask Cash some questions about his eerily entertaining episodes….

Dave:  Can you tell me a little about what Horror 101 is?

Cash:  Horror 101 is an audio podcast out of Windsor, Ontario that focuses on some of the best horror movies from the last few decades that our listeners may have missed, especially hidden gems.  It’s a mission to expose great horror.  If even one person becomes a horror fan or falls in love with a horror movie because our show promoted it, then our job is done.

Dave:  Who are some of the big names you guys have featured?

Cash:  We’ve attended one convention as the crew from Horror 101 and we had a fantastic interview with Tony Todd who’s best known in the horror circle for playing Candyman.  He was a great guy to talk to.  Very knowledgeable and a fantastic actor.

Dave:  Where are you based?

Cash:  Windsor, Ontario

Dave:  What’s some of the work you’ve done in the past?

Cash:  Before starting Horror 101 I was the videographer for a local paranormal investigation group called Spectral Solutions.  I would follow the investigators around with the camera and edit a video, highlighting the event.  This was challenging and time consuming but also a lot of fun to do.

Dave:  When is your next podcast and what is the topic?

Cash:  We just put out our 13th episode which aptly featured the first two Friday the 13th movies.  Our next show should be out a couple of days before Halloween, which will focus on a true hidden gem of Halloween fun, a great little film called Trick ‘R Treat from 2007.  We’ll be discussing why you should watch that one and we’ll also share some old personal Halloween tales.