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It’s Christmas, dammnit, and Horror Heals is decking the halls with horror, heart, and holiday cheer.
This episode marks the relaunch of one of our most beloved Christmas conversations, featuring horror icon Jill Schoelen, actress, fan favorite, and now holiday music maker. Jill joins us to talk about returning to creativity after stepping away, why the horror community remains one of the most welcoming spaces around, and how Christmas music can coexist beautifully with a love of all things spooky.
We dive into Jill’s holiday release, Christmas Is Forever, including her joyful original song Mingle and Jingle, which is all about showing up for life, leaning into connection, and letting the season pull you back into the moment.
We also talk about one of the most fun horror holiday collaborations you will hear all year, Here Comes Santa Claus, featuring a lineup of horror royalty including Barbara Crampton, Judie Aronson, Diane Franklin, and more. It’s festive, playful, and proof that horror fans know how to bring the light when it counts.
Along the way, Jill shares thoughtful insight into why horror resonates so deeply with so many people, how fear can be cathartic rather than harmful, and why physical media like vinyl still matters, especially when it comes to art made with intention.
If the holidays are joyful for you, this episode adds to the fun. If the holidays are complicated, this episode reminds you that you are not alone.
Because horror has always been a home for outsiders, survivors, and people who feel deeply. And yes, even at Christmas.
Stream Jill’s music, support independent artists, hug your fellow weirdos, and remember, when someone asks, is horror good for mental wellness, you tell them, of corpse it is.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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Black Christmas may have turned fifty last year, but its power has never faded. This episode is a relaunch of one of Horror Heals’ most important holiday conversations, revisiting why Bob Clark’s bleak, unsettling classic still feels disturbingly real decades later.
Corey and Kendall are joined by Lynne Griffin, who played Claire, one of the most enduring images in horror history. Together, they explore why Black Christmas refuses to age out of relevance, how fear of the unseen hits deeper than gore, and why this film continues to resonate with audiences who feel like outsiders.
The conversation moves beyond nostalgia into fandom, conventions, mental wellness, and the surprising comfort horror can bring during the darkest time of year. Lynn reflects on the strength of the film’s women, the strange intimacy of fan connections, and why horror fans often form some of the most compassionate communities.
This is not just a Christmas horror movie. It is a ritual. One that asks us to sit with discomfort, uncertainty, and survival.
And if you are still wondering, is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Wicked, we bring you something rare and unexpected. Years ago Corey sat down with Gregory Maguire for a candid, hilarious and deeply thoughtful conversation about the moral complexity of Oz, the origins of Elphaba, the impact of politics on fantasy, and the loose ends that make his work feel so human. The original audio has been lost to time. But with the help of AI we rebuilt the conversation from Corey’s transcript. And because it is Horror Heals we could not resist adding a twist. The recreated Corey voice is performed as a British woman named Imogen, which gives the entire interview a surprising charm.
What makes this conversation special is how timely it still feels. Gregory speaks openly about public rage, war, art under pressure, and the ways fantasy helps us process the truths we cannot face directly. He talks about readers who misinterpret his work, fans who adore his characters, and the younger audiences who discovered Wicked through the musical and wanted more. He also shares early and often painful stories from his first book signings, which proves that even bestselling authors start small.
Corey opens the episode by explaining why The Wizard of Oz has always carried a streak of horror. Baum’s original books, the classic MGM film, and the darker modern retellings all share unsettling elements. Flying monkeys. Bewitched forests. Shifting reality. Dreams that turn against you. For many of us, Oz was our first exposure to the uncanny, long before we had the vocabulary for horror. It is no surprise that fans of Wicked often overlap with fans of the horror genre.
This special episode blends nostalgia, literature, Oz lore and the darker emotional themes that make Wicked endure. Whether you came for the witch, the musical, or the monsters under the yellow brick road, this conversation shines a light on why Gregory Maguire’s world continues to resonate.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse, it is.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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Women in Horror are reshaping the genre, from the lingering dread of The Exorcist to modern Final Person heroes like Naru in Prey. In this episode, Kimberly Ramsawak, creator of Horror Concierge and founder of Horror and Her, joins us for her first podcast appearance to talk empowerment, representation, and why horror is the most emotionally honest genre around.
We explore Kimberly’s horror origin story, including The Exorcist at age six, the rise of women-led horror commentary on Substack, how identity and empowerment show up on screen, and why original storytelling matters more now than ever. We also talk Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Predator Badlands, and Jordan Peele’s upcoming remake of The People Under the Stairs.
If you love smart horror conversations, slow burn dread, women finding their power, and creature feature nostalgia, you will love this one.
Who is Kimberly Ramsawak
Kimberly is the creator of Horror Concierge, a Substack newsletter for women horror fans and creators. She is also the founder of Horror and Her, a coaching business that helps women build powerful newsletters and communities centered on their unique horror perspectives.
What we talk about in this episode
• Kimberly’s horror origin story and how The Exorcist became her lifelong favorite
• The link between horror and empowerment for women
• Why Substack is becoming a home for horror voices and creative community
• How to turn horror writing into a movement
• Why horror fans were more resilient during the COVID pandemic
• The growing diversity in the horror world
• The need for original storytelling and fewer remakes
• Kimberly’s favorite final person and why Naru from Prey stands above the restFavorite moments
• “I was six when my dad sat me down to watch The Exorcist and Thriller. He told my mom, ‘They are going to learn not to be afraid of anything.’”
• “Everyone writes reviews. What is your hill to die on? That is your horror voice.”
• “Horror fans already survived the zombie apocalypse in our minds. That is why we handled COVID better than most.”Why this episode matters
Kimberly shows how horror can be both a creative outlet and a path to healing. Her approach reminds us that when we confront what terrifies us, whether it is societal expectations or personal fear, we make space for growth, power, and reinvention.
Listen if you have ever
• Hidden your horror fandom at work
• Wanted to write about horror but did not know where to begin
• Needed a reminder that fear can be fuel
• Wished more women and creators of color shaped the horror landscapeConnect with Kimberly
Substack: https://horrorconcierge.substack.com?utm_source=horrorheals
Horror and Her: https://horrorandher.com?utm_source=horrorhealsFollow Horror Heals
YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@horrorhealspodcast?utm_source=buzzsprout
Instagram: https://instagram.com/horrorheals?utm_Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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What happens when an actress who played make-believe among the stars helps real astronauts reach them?
In this special tribute episode of Horror Heals, Corey honors the life and legacy of June Lockhart, who passed away at 100 after a century spent balancing the light of Hollywood with the wonder of the cosmos.
For most of us, June will always be the fearless matriarch who kept her family safe aboard the Jupiter 2 in Lost in Space, or the comforting mother who taught generations of kids kindness through Lassie. But her reach extended far beyond television screens and soundstages.
In 2013, NASA awarded June the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for her decades of advocacy and inspiration. Her fascination with space was not an act, it was part of who she was. She spoke with astronauts, attended launches, and became a true ambassador for curiosity itself.
June also made her mark in the worlds that inspire this show: science fiction and horror. She brought heart and humor to the cult favorite Troll (1986), blended domestic warmth with cosmic dread in Lost in Space, and carried the poise of old Hollywood into the age of aliens, monsters, and magic. She proved that even in the strangest worlds, empathy matters most.
Corey shares his family’s personal connection to Meet Me in St. Louis, a Lockhart classic that his grandparents introduced to him and his siblings on SelectaVision, and reflects on how June’s artistry linked generations through story and imagination.
In this episodeJune’s evolution from Broadway debut to interstellar pioneerThe Lost in Space legacy that launched real-life dreamsHer forays into horror and fantasy, including Troll and other genre-bending rolesWhy NASA called her one of its brightest starsHow she turned compassion, curiosity, and courage into a century-long careerThe enduring power of imagination as both escape and healing
Why this episode mattersJune Lockhart’s story reminds us that horror and science fiction are never only about fear, they are about possibility. She showed that the same spark that lights a campfire ghost story can also ignite a rocket.
Her legacy is proof that curiosity can be sacred, that kindness can exist in the face of the unknown, and that our best stories, the dark ones, the cosmic ones, and the human ones, are all connected.
Listen nowJoin Horror Heals for a heartfelt journey through the life of June Lockhart, the actress who helped us face the void, love the strange, and look to the stars.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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Beatrice Boepple (Amanda Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street 5) joins Horror Heals for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had about horror, trauma, empathy, and why these stories matter so much.
Before the interview, Corey shares what happened at ScareFest: Beatrice had her entire day’s earnings stolen, money earmarked for her son’s college fund, and was later targeted by an extortion attempt. But the horror community showed its true colors. Fans, staff, vendors, and fellow guests rallied around her and helped recover nearly every dollar. This is what our horror family looks like: compassion over cruelty, solidarity over selfishness.
Beatrice opens up about being a lifelong empath who once avoided gore, how yoga and horror unexpectedly intersect in her life, and why so many fans connect to Amanda Krueger’s trauma and survival story. She talks about her book The Krueger’s Curse, the deeper backstory she created for Amanda, her experiences playing Pamela Voorhees in fan films, and the surprising impact of convention culture.
We also discuss her close friendship with Mark Patton (Jesse from Elm Street 2), his health challenges, and how listeners can help support him during treatment.
This episode digs into bullying, survival narratives, final-girl empowerment, horror community acceptance, and how characters like Freddy and Jason resonate so deeply with fans who grew up as outsiders. Beatrice’s insight is raw, warm, and profoundly healing.
Horror isn’t about cruelty; it’s about community. And Beatrice Boepple is proof.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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What happens when the VHS kid who found safety with scream queens grows up and becomes the cosplay that inspires the original star?
If horror has ever been your coping tool, your comfort movie, or your mirror when life got loud, Gregory’s story shows how channeling fandom into creativity and community can lift your mood, build resilience, and connect you to people who truly get it. This episode turns nostalgia into a wellness practice you can actually use.
Key takeaways:
Turn comfort watches into creative fuel: how Gregory transformed Friday-night rentals into cosplay, commentary, and connection.
Community heals: ways conventions, photo shoots, and creator shout-outs can reduce isolation and boost self-worth.
Own your origin story: reframing “outsider” energy into confidence, boundaries, and an everyday wellness ritual.
Gregory Van Abelar joins Corey to talk horror as therapy, community, and art. We dig into Gregory’s famed Angela cosplay from Night of the Demons, including the moment Amelia Kinkade herself cheered him on and later collaborated with him for charity events. Gregory traces a throughline from being a horror-loving loner who found friends in scream queens, to creating shoots at sacred genre sites like the Monroeville Mall, to landing on the Night of the Demons 3 Blu-ray commentary. We also hit Night of the Living Dead lore, the new Tom Savini director’s cut, and why revisiting classics can feel like checking in with an old friend. Most of all, Gregory shows how horror helps you survive the hard chapters and celebrate the weird, wonderful you.
How a Scream Queen Saved MeHighlights:
Angela forever: first cosplay, junior-high courage, and navigating homophobia without dimming your shineThe Amelia effect: meeting Kinkade, instant kinship, and teaming up for animal charity workCommunity as medicine: why creator recognition and con culture can be life-givingMonroeville Mall memories and keeping horror landmarks aliveNight of the Living Dead talk, the Savini cut, and why remakes can heal tooFinal people we love: claiming Angela’s last line as a “final girl” crownPractical ways horror fandom supports mental wellnessPress play to hear how Gregory turned VHS-era comfort into real-world courage and community, and steal his rituals for making horror part of your mental wellness toolkit today.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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The world feels heavy. Anxiety is high, headlines are grim, and creative burnout is real. This week, Horror Heals host Corey Stulce sits down with Lee Murray ONZM to talk about how horror can help us process the darkness instead of drowning in it.
Lee Murray is proof that horror can wear a crown and still draw blood. The Aotearoa-born author, editor, poet, and screenwriter has snagged five Bram Stokers®, a Shirley Jackson Award, and the Prime Minister’s Award for Fiction. Her monsters whisper truth, her ghosts quote poetry, and her stories remind us that terror and tenderness often share the same heartbeat. Learn more: leemurray.info
Lee has built a global reputation as one of the genre’s most thoughtful voices, writing about grief, loss, and trauma with honesty and heart. In this conversation, she and Corey explore how creating (and consuming) horror can actually make us kinder and more resilient. They talk about writing from anxiety, building community in a chaotic world, and how fear can become a tool for healing.
This episode isn’t just for writers or horror fans. It’s for anyone who feels overwhelmed, disconnected, or creatively stuck. Lee’s message is clear: the monsters aren’t here to hurt us. They’re here to help us understand ourselves.
The World Feels Like a Horror Movie. Here’s How to Survive It.What You’ll LearnHow horror storytelling can serve as emotional processing for grief, fear, and anxiety.Why confronting darkness creatively is healthier than avoiding it.How Lee Murray’s own experiences with anxiety fuel her award-winning work.The role of community and connection in healing through horror.How to balance creative ambition with mental wellness.Why horror fans might be the most emotionally self-aware people on the planet.
Why This Episode Matters Right NowBetween global uncertainty, collective burnout, and the constant churn of bad news, conversations about mental wellness are everywhere. What sets this episode apart is its focus on how horror, a genre built on fear, can actually bring comfort, clarity, and community.
Lee Murray’s perspective feels especially relevant as artists, writers, and fans look for ways to stay grounded while the world feels unhinged. Her reminder that storytelling can transform anxiety into empathy lands like a lifeline in uncertain times.
About Lee MurrayLee Murray is an award-winning author, poet, and editor from Aotearoa, New Zealand. She is a four-time Bram Stoker Award winner and the co-founder of the HWA New Zealand branch. Her work includes novels, short fiction, and anthologies that blend horror, fantasy, and the deeply human experience of fear and loss. Her collections and collaborations have inspired a generation of writers who view horror as both art and medicine.
Learn more at Lee Murray’s official website or follow her on
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and what better way to celebrate than to explore its legacy as a queer lifeline.
In Part Two of our conversation with the creator behind Queer for Fear, we dig into how "Rocky Horror" is more than a midnight movie. It is a rite of passage, a community builder, and a warm blanket for queer horror fans across generations. For Heather, "Rocky Horror" is a personal comfort film she revisits again and again. For Kendall and Corey, it was their very first Halloween together, one dressed as Eddie, the other as Frankenfurter. And for countless others, it was the first time they walked into a theater and felt truly seen.
We also talk about the power of camp to transform trauma, the complicated legacy of "Sleepaway Camp," the evolution of horror conventions from exclusionary to inclusive, and the dream of a traveling queer horror convention where the spirit of Rocky Horror lives on.
In This Episode, You’ll Hear:
Why "Rocky Horror" still matters 50 years later and why it feels just as transgressive todayHow camp helps queer fans reframe trauma into joy and survivalThe push and pull of problematic texts like "Sleepaway Camp" and why nuance mattersConventions as healing spaces for fans and celebrities alikeThe fantasy of a traveling queer horror convention with sequins, karaoke, and midnight screeningsWhy This Episode Matters:
Half a century later, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" still has the power to shock, unite, and heal. Part Two celebrates how horror, and "Rocky Horror" in particular, creates spaces where queerness, trauma, and joy collide into something unforgettable.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey sits down with Heather, the force behind Queer for Fear. Part One of this two-parter dives deep into the queer relationship with horror, the villains we secretly love, and how the genre became a lifeline for outsiders looking for a mirror in pop culture.
Heather shares her personal journey of grief and discovery, from the death of her brother to finding both healing and community through horror. We talk about growing up as queer Gen X kids obsessed with VHS covers, discovering horror through films like Fright Night and Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and why the Wicked Witch of the West may be one of the greatest queer icons of all time (sorry Dorothy, but stealing shoes off a corpse is a bad look).
This conversation is funny, heartfelt, and full of chills—the perfect reminder that horror isn’t just about monsters on screen, it’s about survival, identity, and connection.
Queer Horror, Wicked Witches, and Why We Need MonstersWhat You’ll Hear in This Episode:
Why Heather started Queer for Fear and how horror became the center of her academic and creative workThe Wicked Witch as a queer villain icon—and why Glinda might actually be the real monster in The Wizard of OzThe healing power of horror as a trauma processorThe messy joy of growing up in the 80s horror aisle, when VHS covers were pure nightmare fuelReclaiming films once mocked (Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Fright Night) as part of queer horror canonHow horror conventions evolved from “black-shirt bros” to radically inclusive spacesWhy You Should Listen:
If you’ve ever felt like the weirdo in the room, this episode will feel like home. Heather’s insights are sharp, hilarious, and deeply moving—a reminder that horror heals not just through screams, but through belonging.
Links & Resources:
Follow Heather on Instagram: @queerforfearCheck out Heather’s book: Queer for Fear: Horror Film and the Queer SpectatorThank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall sit down with psychotherapist and horror enthusiast Candis Green. From her childhood obsession with Halloween and witches to her professional use of Jungian dream work and archetypes, Candis shares how horror became both her passion and her therapeutic lens. She opens up about why she watches horror movies alone in the dark, what dreams reveal about the psyche, and how horror conventions create space for sensitive souls. The conversation also dives into her podcast, Mental Health is Horrifying, and why Sidney Prescott from Scream remains her all-time favorite final person.
What We Cover:
How Candis merges psychotherapy with her love of horrorThe role of Jungian approaches, archetypes, and dream work in her practiceWhy watching horror alone can be a form of self-careHorror on a spectrum: from Hocus Pocus to TerrifierThe healing power of horror conventions and communityHer lifelong love of Halloween, witches, and Salem (including her honeymoon there!)The inspiration behind Mental Health is HorrifyingHer favorite witch in pop culture and her dream aestheticWhy Sidney Prescott is the ultimate final person
Guest BioCandis Green is a Registered Psychotherapist in Toronto, Canada. Drawing from Jungian approaches, she integrates dream analysis, archetypes, and creative tools into her practice. She’s also the host of Mental Health is Horrifying, a podcast exploring how horror movies act as modern-day collective nightmares, helping us confront and process our deepest fears.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall are joined by filmmaker Andrew Jara, who opens up about creating a horror film rooted in his own experience with anxiety, panic attacks, and the slow, quiet devastation of grief.
🎬 Andrew’s film The Empty Space isn’t your typical genre fare — it’s a deeply personal exploration of mental health, told through the lens of horror.
💭 Together, we dive into what anxiety really feels like, why horror is the perfect medium to express emotional chaos, and how the horror community can be one of the most supportive spaces for those struggling with invisible wounds.
Corey shares his own panic attack experiences, Kendall reflects on the surprising therapeutic value of scary films, and Andrew reveals how horror helps him say what he can’t in real life — and why sometimes the scariest part of a movie is the part that feels familiar.
In this episode:
What a panic attack really feels like — and how it’s portrayed in horrorThe making of The Empty Space and why Andrew stopped waiting for permission to tell his storyRepresentation in horror: the power of seeing your struggle on screenWhen horror triggers... and when it healsHow genre films help us face emotions we don’t have words forFollow Andrew Jara:
🎥 @andrewjara
📽️ The Empty Space
Let’s keep the conversation going:
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @horrorhealspodcast
💌 Subscribe & review wherever you get your screams — it really helps others find the show.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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This week, we're slicing through the surface of the horror world to spotlight something truly revolutionary. Corey and Kendall sit down with filmmaker, podcaster, and horror disruptor Ariel Baska, whose life was forever changed the first time they locked eyes with a certain glove-wearing nightmare fiend. (Yes, we’re talking about Freddy Krueger—because of corpse we are.)
But Ariel didn’t just fall in love with horror—they reshaped it. As the founder of Access:Horror, they’ve created a hybrid film festival and industry summit that unapologetically centers disability and queerness in genre storytelling. And it’s not just inclusive—it’s “so inclusive, it’s scary.
This year’s fest is stacked:
🔪 Ten killer short films.
🧠 A panel on Blackness and Disability in Horror.
🎤 A live performance by Maya Azucena.
🎬 All shorts streaming for the first time ever on Shudder.
💀 And a silent auction that includes a literal piece of the Blair Witch house.
We talk about what it means to be the monster and the final girl, how horror became a lifeline for Ariel, and why this year’s Access:Horror is arriving at a moment when disabled communities need bold, creative resistance more than ever.
If you’ve ever felt like horror saved your life, this episode is your love letter. And if you haven’t yet? It might be the one that opens the door.
🎙 About Our Guest: Ariel BaskaAriel Baska is a queer disabled filmmaker, podcaster, and the founder of Access:Horror. They are also the host of Ride the Omnibus, a show exploring media through a social justice lens. Ariel’s upcoming documentary, Monstrous Me, produced by Lilly Wachowski, dives into their personal relationship with horror, disability, and the monster that started it all: Freddy Krueger.
Ariel’s building spaces in horror that don’t just welcome people with disabilities—they center them. Their work isn’t performative. It’s personal, political, and pointed like the end of a clawed glove.
🕯 Access:Horror 2025 — Details📍 In-person: August 1, DCTV Firehouse Cinema, NYC
🌍 Streaming worldwide
📺 Streaming partner: Shudder
🧠 In partnership with: George A. Romero Foundation
🎤 Hosts: Ariel Baska, Sharai Bohannon, Xero Gravity
🏆 Awards host: Phil Nobile Jr., Editor-in-Chief of Fangoria
🎟 Tickets & info: accesshorrorfest.com
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
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This week on Horror Heals, we’re joined by debut horror author Grace Daly, who once called herself “a coward to the core.” Jump scares? No thanks. Gore? Absolutely not. But everything changed when Grace's chronic illness forced her to confront a very real kind of body horror—one she couldn't turn off, mute, or escape.
In this powerful and unflinchingly honest episode, Grace shares how her diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome cracked open a terrifying but oddly comforting door into the horror genre. We talk about finding catharsis in blood and guts, the comfort of monsters when your body feels like the enemy, and why disabled voices are crucial in horror storytelling.
We also dive into:
The surprising role of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil in her healing
Why horror comedy makes brutal truths easier to face
Menstrual blood, dismembered limbs, and other “normal” things
Her upcoming debut novel The Scald Crow and the joy of haunting the Midwest
And yes—how being a full-size candy bar house is a sacred Halloween duty 🎃Grace proves you don’t have to be fearless to face the dark—you just have to be ready.
📚 Guest: Grace Daly
Grace is a former IT project manager turned horror writer who lives with multiple chronic invisible illnesses. Her debut novel The Scald Crow drops this October and blends Irish folklore, body horror, and razor-sharp humor with unflinching honesty about disability and identity.
💬 “My body is a horror show. So I figured—I might as well write one.”
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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What happens when childhood nightmares become your calling card? In this episode of Horror Heals, scare actor Omar Ortega joins Corey and Kendall to talk about growing up inside a family-owned video store, how Nightmare on Elm Street haunted his imagination, and how horror evolved from fear to fuel.
Omar opens up about his journey from VHS kid to veteran scare actor, sharing the emotional highs and behind-the-scenes lows of working in iconic haunts like Universal Studios Hollywood and LA’s Haunted Hayride. From bad fan placement to drag in the dark, this conversation digs into the ways horror helps Omar process rage, build confidence, and offer guests a uniquely immersive experience they’ll never forget.
Whether he’s channeling Madman Marz, playing The Butcher, or embodying the spirit of Divine in full wig-slap glory, Omar reminds us that scaring others can be healing — and horror is far more than just a seasonal thrill.
Because… is horror good for mental wellness?
Of corpse it is.
Confessions of a Scare Actor🎭 In This Episode:Omar’s horror origin story: family movie nights, Halloween II, and Freddy nightmaresWhat it's really like to audition as a scare actor at Universal StudiosThe power of performance: transforming breakups, frustration, and rejection into compelling charactersHonoring Janelle Monáe’s haunted vision and finding surprise joy in queer expressionVHS nostalgia, underrated sequels, and why Nancy Thompson remains a top-tier Final GirlA brilliant take on The Exorcist… as a drama?
🧠 Horror-Healing Themes:Emotional catharsis through character workChanneling anger and grief into immersive performanceFinding identity and power in horror personasThe unique thrill of being seen in the shadowsCommunity, resilience, and the evolution of haunted house acting
🩸 About Our Guest:Omar Ortega is a Los Angeles–based scare actor and lifelong horror fan who has spent nearly a decade performing in haunted attractions like LA’s Haunted Hayride and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Raised in a family-run video store, Omar fell in love with horror from a young age — and now channels that passion into immersive, emotionally charged performances that blur the line between fear and therapy. He’s played everything from brutal butchers to haunted drag queens and believes that horror is a powerful vehicle for release, reinvention, and connection.
🎙️ Horror Heals is the podcast that asks:
Is horror good for mental wellness?
Of corpse it is.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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Send a text
This is not your average horror podcast interview.
In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Corey and Kendall sit down with author and illustrator Drew Huff, whose work isn’t just inspired by trauma, it is shaped by it. Drew speaks openly about the lasting effects of growing up with an alcoholic father, and the surreal, devastating responsibility of handling his estate after his sudden overdose. At 22, she was the next of kin, and the only one left to clean up the mess.
We trace the emotional terrain between that loss and her debut horror novel Free Burn, a splatterpunk epic soaked in unresolved rage, haunted inheritance, and the desire to break generational cycles. We also dive into the dark underbelly of creative industries, as Drew recounts her experience being emotionally manipulated and professionally exploited by a predatory freelance editor.
We talk about how The Shining saved her. How Doctor Sleep helped her forgive. And how Pet Sematary revealed the quiet truth of grief: that we sometimes choose destruction over despair, because destruction hurts less.
This is a conversation about being queer in a community that doesn’t always feel like yours. About leaving behind the security of a paycheck for the hope of a future. About the monstrous parts of ourselves we write not to hide, but to understand.
The Weight of the Ghosts We Inherit🖊️ About Drew HuffDrew Huff (she/her) is a queer horror and speculative fiction author and illustrator based in Washington State. Her debut novel, Free Burn, was released by Dark Matter INK in 2024, and her next cosmic horror release, The Divine Flesh, arrived March 2025. Her work explores themes of grief, addiction, emotional inheritance, and queer rage—with stories that don’t flinch from life’s ugliest truths.
She is currently preparing to relocate from a conservative hometown to Seattle in pursuit of creative community and healing. Drew is living proof that horror can be both a weapon and a mirror—and that survival doesn’t have to be silent.
📖 Books Mentioned:Free Burn (2024) – Rage-fueled, grief-scarred splatterpunk debutLandlocked in Foreign Skin (2025) – Queer sci-fi novella about isolation, identity, and transformationThe Divine Flesh – Cosmic horror meets spiritual collapseSweetthing (WIP) – Sapphic vampire tale and religious satireExodus (2026) – Halloween-themed horror with a monster family at its coreRun to Beat the Devil (WIP) – A character’s slow realization she’s become the very monster she feared
🧠 Topics Covered:The emotional violence of losing an abusive parent without resolutionThe actual cost of grief (financial, psychological, existential)Processing trauma through horror—why King gets itMental health hierarchies: why people shut down at “the hard stuff”Writing characters who are harder to love than the monstersQueer loneliness in rural America—and finding strength outside the mainstreamRebuilding your life from scratch at 26—when itThank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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Send a text
What do you get when you cross two horror-loving writers, a glow-in-the-dark monster, and a six-year-old in a Jason mask? A conversation that’s equal parts creepy, creative, and surprisingly grounded.
Vienna and John join Corey (with Kendall in the main episode) to talk about their upcoming gothic novel Victoria Frankenstein, how horror shaped their relationship, and why fear is sometimes the most honest tool for growth. From Halloween chaos and killer clowns to writing trauma into fiction and raising spooky kids, this episode dives into horror as a lifestyle, a lens, and a language.
They break down their reimagined Frankenstein mythology (no erotica here, thank you), their DIY book design process, and how horror helps them, and their daughter, understand red flags, emotional safety, and the world at large.
Scream Together, Dream Together🕷️ Topics Include:A new Frankenstein myth rooted in science, not sorcery (and glowing veins!)Vienna’s goth-mom origin story and John's fear-as-community philosophyHorror as emotional training: how spooky movies taught survival instinctsTrick-or-treat streets, horror cons, and the great Fear Street defenseRaising a “spooky girl” with good boundaries and better costumesBuilding a book series as a couple without killing each otherFavorite final people and why Ready or Not still slapsHow the Horror Heals podcast sparked personal reflection
🔬 About Victoria FrankensteinVienna and John’s debut novel reimagines Mary Shelley’s monster through a gothic-sci-fi lens, centered on a woman forced to rebuild her life after unleashing something she may not be able to stop. There’s bioluminescent blood, a juggernaut creature, and zero apologies for staying rooted in real science. Book one of The Dread Legacies series drops October 1st.
📚 Referenced in This Episode:Fear Street trilogyReady or Not, The Others, Killer Klowns from Outer SpaceDream House, Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkVictoria Frankenstein: The Dread Legacies, Book One (pre-order coming soon)
👻 Stay Connected:Follow Vienna and John on Instagram: @dreadlegaciesThank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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In this cathartic and wonderfully chaotic episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall sit down with cult horror icon Sean Whalen, best known as Roach from Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs, to talk about sock monsters, emotional healing, and his directorial debut, Crust.
Sean opens up about how Crust was born out of a deep depression following his divorce, and how he used humor, horror, and a laundry-dwelling murder sock to process grief and rage. The conversation dives into mental health, chosen family, fan community, and why horror may be the only genre where you never “age out," you just become more beloved.
From the early days working with Wes Craven to Sean’s plans for his next film (Swipe — it’s wild, just wait), this episode is a raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly uplifting look at how horror creates space for healing, connection, and unapologetic weirdness.
Sean Whalen Spills His Guts On Depression, Directing & the Power of Horror🧠 Themes We Explore:Using horror as therapy for depression and griefHow Crust became a love letter to weirdos and survivorsThe importance of horror conventions and chosen familyFans who don’t just support you, they show up with merch moneyThe power of unconventional final girls and character actorsWhat Wes Craven taught Sean about humanity in horrorThe emotional realism behind The People Under the StairsUpcoming horror project Swipe, featuring… a bladed dildo? Yep.Why horror fans are the best fans (and Sean agrees!)
🩸 Mentioned in This Episode:🎬 Crust (2024) on Tubi🧦 The People Under the Stairs – IMDb🎥 Late Night with the Devil, Smile 2, The Substance, and other indie horror gems💡 Sean on TikTok – where horror meets hilarity
👻 Final Person SpotlightEvery episode, Corey and Kendall ask their guest: Who’s your favorite final person in horror?
Sean’s pick? Laurie Strode from Halloween — a misfit who survives because of her quiet strength and vulnerability.
(Also, she knows when to stab and when to scream.)
🎤 Guest Bio: Sean WhalenSean Whalen is a veteran character actor and fan-favorite in the horror world, with credits in The People Under the Stairs, Twister, Hatchet III, Never Been Kissed, and many more. With over 30 years in the industry, Sean recently made his directorial debut with Crust — a horror-comedy born from real-life heartbreak and a whole lot of indie spirit. He’s known for his deep connection with horror fans, his dark sense of humor, and his ongoing mission to make meaningful, weird, and heartfelt films.
🔗 Connect & SupportFollow Sean Whalen:📸Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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Send a text
What if your deepest trauma gave birth to the monster that saved you? In this revealing and powerful episode, we sink our teeth into a transformative conversation with a horror author and former teacher who quite literally wrote his way through pain—by creating werewolves.
After surviving a devastating car accident that left him with a broken back and a new reality filled with PTSD, nightmares, and cognitive setbacks, our guest found traditional therapy wasn't enough. What helped him claw his way out? Horror. Writing. Monsters. And a full moon’s worth of metaphor.
We explore how horror stories—particularly werewolves—became a vessel for healing, expression, and identity. From early literary love affairs with The Hobbit and Tales from the Crypt, to sneaking horror flicks as a kid, to launching a publishing press for authors seeking catharsis through darkness, this episode shows how horror isn’t just scary—it’s sacred.
A Werewolf Saved My LifeWhat We Talk About in This Episode:
How a real-life trauma led to the creation of therapeutic monster fictionWhy werewolves are the perfect metaphor for mental health and transformationThe evolution from fantasy reader to horror writerGrowing up on Poe, Price, and Friday the 13thThe damaging effects of book banning—and why horror should be in the classroomWhy horror helps kids process anxietyHow creative outlets can be more effective than traditional therapy for someLaunching a new horror anthology series, Dead Avenue, to showcase healing through fearLinks & Resources:
🐺 Visit Reader2Writer.com to explore books and the new Dead Avenue anthology
📚 Interested in writing horror as healing? Keep an eye on Reader to Writer Press for future submissions
🎧 Follow Horror Heals for more stories where the shadows offer shelter
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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Send a text
In this episode of the Horror Heals podcast, Corey and Kendall are joined by the talented horror author Rachel M. Martens, who has made a career out of writing stories that not only thrill, but also serve as a therapeutic outlet. From childhood favorites like Scooby-Doo to deep dives into the gothic classics, Rachel’s love for horror has been a consistent thread throughout her life, and it's one that has helped her process trauma, overcome personal struggles, and ultimately find her voice as a writer.
Therapy in Terror: Why Horror is Good for the MindRachel shares how writing horror has been a method of healing, helping her transform painful experiences into powerful, haunting tales that resonate with readers. She takes us on a journey through her writing process, including the influence of Edgar Allen Poe and classic gothic horror, and how her characters evolve as they battle their own demons. We also discuss her Poe series, which blends psychological horror with deeply personal themes of PTSD, depression, and healing, creating a world where the darkness isn't something to shy away from, but something that empowers.
Throughout this conversation, Rachel’s passion for horror as a tool for mental wellness is clear. She explains how horror, whether through books, movies, or writing, allows us to confront our fears in a controlled space, providing us with the strength to face what’s lurking in the shadows of our own lives.
If you’re a fan of horror or just want to hear more about how creative expression can help us heal, this episode is a must-listen!
Guest Bio: Rachel M. Martens
Rachel M. Martens is a talented horror author whose work delves deep into the shadows of the human experience, blending gothic horror with psychological thrillers. Her passion for horror, which began in childhood, has shaped both her writing and her personal journey of healing. Drawing inspiration from classic figures like Edgar Allan Poe and the works of gothic horror legends, Rachel’s stories explore themes of trauma, grief, PTSD, and the strength found in confronting darkness head-on.
Rachel is the author of the Poe series, a gothic thriller that brings to life the terrifying and empowering world of a young woman battling a family curse, all while grappling with her own emotional scars. Her writing is not just a creative outlet but a form of catharsis, allowing her to process personal struggles and offer readers a sense of empowerment through powerful endings and haunting tales.
As an active member of the horror community, Rachel has embraced the camaraderie found at conventions and events, connecting with fans and fellow authors alike. With each book, she continues to inspire those who turn to horror for both entertainment and healing, proving that sometimes, the scariest stories hold the most transformative power.
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
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