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Blaze and Be Afraid: Must-Watch Horror Animators for the Ultimate High

Movies, TV, books, podcasts and live showings provide us with a wealth of horror classics and new entries to enjoy, particularly after lighting up one or several joints. But much like innovations in consumption tech, horror has evolved to include a new class of productions to enjoy.

Digital animators have thrived over the years, creating massive online platforms and expanding the reach of animators and designers. Many are now the creators of some of the best visuals in films and video games–and it all can be found on social media.

After conducting years of exhaustive research, aka getting high and watching scary stuff online, these are some of my top horror animators to check out.

Lights Are Off

First up is the animator that kickstarted my most recent plunge into horror mediums: Lights Are Off.

Holiday season 2021 is when I came across a wonderfully horrifying video featuring Krampus, and I thought to myself, “I need to see more of the hellscapes this animator has envisioned.” And I’ve never been happier with my decision.

Lights Are Off delivers a portfolio of diverse scares. Shorts include horrific injections into regular happenings, like going to a parade, taking the kids to the aquarium, traveling across the Bay, paddle boarding, working on the farm, and many others. Thalassophobia, or the fear of deep water, is a commonly explored topic by Lights Are Off and several others on the list.

Be sure to check out shorts on classic figures like The Easter Bunny. Stick around for the weird stuff, too, like the smiling creep at the window and the murderous fungus.

Check out Lights Are Out on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Their monster survival game, Zoonomaly, is expected to drop in the coming weeks.

Borisao Blois

Borisao Blois can make anyone fear the water. Fan of ice fishing? Let Blois’ horror shorts fill your mind with scenarios that definitely can’t happen, right? Enjoy scuba diving? Think again after Blois delivers deep sea fears with Cthulu, ningens and other frights. If you’re seeking a more extended dose of deep-sea scares, I recommend checking out Blois’ The Bloop vs. El Gran Majá. It will conjure up oceanic Godzilla or Clash of the Titans vibes.

While I’ve been shouting out Blois ocean-based horrors, their work using sci-fi, quasi-reality, nightscapes, manga and others highlights the capabilities of this talented animator.

Check out Borisao Blois’ work on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

David Firth

Back in the day, way back, like 2005, viral content wasn’t as commonly sourced—especially in the WTF category. So, when we got weird shit, we held onto it. One of the earliest viral entries my stoned friends and I came across was David Firth’s Salad Fingers. It freaked the shit out of us.

Maybe it was because I had just started smoking weed, and two hits got me feeling like several dabs would today. Or, perhaps it was because 2008 was a less crazy time—we hadn’t even gotten designer drug-addled zombies by then.

But folks flipped out when Salad Fingers hit the likes of Ebaumsworld and Newgrounds. Not because it was anything over the top or shocking. It was just weird—and at 18 and newly into weed, strange was enough to get the job done. Then again, this is the opinion of a dude who thought Donnie Darko was deep and coherent for several years.

Firth’s continued at Salad Fingers over the years while launching various other shows through his Fat Pie productions.

Steve Cutts

Steve Cutts is a well-known UK-based animator and illustrator. At it for over a decade, Cutts has rightfully earned a significant following using the horrors of man as a driving theme. Be it visual or still image, Cutts’ work places the blame at humanity’s feet through an array of striking scenes of what we’ve done to the planet and what future generations have inherited.

Additional works from Cutts highlight other horrifying aspects of life, including the rigors of the daily rat race. You may also be frightened by the electronic remix of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, but that’s a different kind of scary creation.

And in less horrifying scenes, Cutts’ Anytime is ice cream time is a wonderfully trippy meets tragic journey from the delicious treats’ perspective.

Check out Steve Cutts’ work on YouTube and Instagram.

Aleksey__N

Aleksey__N is a 3D artist and designer who creates a range of stunning horror mixed with sci-fi and action. Aleksey’s tragic scenes from the Golden Gate Bridge could dupe a few stoned friends or family members who love posting hate about the area on Facebook—until Godzilla shows up. But what truly stands out are the graphics. The high-quality 3D works are some of the more realistic, top-notch works around.

Aleksey__N’s work spans genres and scenes, often mixing reality and fantasy in the form of sci-fi, destruction, and two of my personal favorites: dinosaurs and megalodons. And they provided the long-sought-after proof confirming the moon landing was fake.

Check out Aleksey__N’s work on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Alex Howard

I’m a massive fan of Alex Howard’s depictions of everyday frustrating scenes, like when your flight has to take caution of 50-foot humanoid skeletons roaming nearby. Or, when your perfectly curated snow shoveling job is ruined by some kid and a bunch of debris getting sucked up into a UFO.

Howard’s dark world contains a range of giant monsters and forces, including a massive electromagnetic Wechuge that would be awesome to see from a reasonable distance away.

Check out Alex Howard’s work on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Simone Vezzani

Simone Vezzani is an Italian visual artist who makes some of the more stunningly jarring scenes on the list. Vezzani’s collection of striking dark art ranges from bodily damage and mutilations to scenes that would make most of us stop, say ‘what the fuck,’ and then crap our pants.

Vezzani’s work is some of the most realistic, striking animations I’ve encountered, blending classic art, everyday scenes and other familiar settings with surreal concepts that veer into horror and sci-fi.

Check out Simone Vezzani’s work on TikTok, Vimeo, Instagram and Twitter.

Shortest Blockbusters

Shortest Blockbusters’ multitude of nightmares is wide-ranging and often contains more than one type of scare in many shorts.

There are a ton of different types of horror going on with this creator. I’d recommend starting on some scenes featuring Sasquatch, half-decayed giants, Santa, murderous muñecas, underwater mega beast fights, big ol’ creeps in the dark, wendigos and even some famous faces like Michael Meyers and Ghostface.

Keep stumbling down the rabbit hole, and you’ll find tons more—including moving depictions of Iran as citizens clash with leadership over women’s civil rights in the country.

With stellar, diverse works and millions of followers on social media, it’s no wonder Shortest Blockbusters has partnered with major film studios, music groups and video game studios.

Check out Shortest Blockbusters on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Discover More

And that’s the list, though not in its entirety. Use this list to help kick things off for your trip down the horror rabbit hole. I could keep going, but this list has to end somewhere.

Now, it’s up to you—and me if my editors want a second installment created. But for now, it’s up to you.

Explore the depths online for yourself. Do what most of us do best, and start doom scrolling on your favorite social apps. Those algorithms will catch on soon enough and start delivering these and other animators to ya’ real soon. And isn’t that really the scariest thing on this list?

The post Blaze and Be Afraid: Must-Watch Horror Animators for the Ultimate High appeared first on High Times.

Madchild and Raven Black added to Gathering Lineup

We’re just over a month away from our big ass family reunion! With that, details, artists and events are gonna be rolling in like hot cakes! This weekend, both Raven Black and Madchild have been announced as performing at the gathering! Both acts are no strangers to the Juggalos, as they’ve both held slots at the gathering, and Raven Black most recently playing last year’s Hallowicked! Let’s get ready, the gathering will soon be upon us!

from Faygoluvers

Ptazeta en Exclusiva: Rap Desde los 14 Años, el Freestyle como Refugio y el Sueño de Fumar Weed con Wiz Khalifa

Nota por Javier Hasse publicada originalmente en El Planteo. Más artículos por El Planteo en High Times en Español.

Síguenos en Instagram (@El.Planteo) y Twitter (@ElPlanteo).

“Empecé a hacer rap con 14 años y siempre me gustó la música en general, y bueno, el rap era mi género favorito y el freestyle también”, comenta Ptazeta en una entrevista con El Planteo. En la conversación, comparte detalles sobre su carrera, su relación con la música, el freestyle, el cannabis y la historia detrás de su colaboración con Bizarrap, el famoso productor argentino.

Curiosamente, cuando surgió la oportunidad de conectar con Bizarrap, Ptazeta no tenía música en las principales plataformas de streaming. “Lo que hacía era subir videítos de un minuto rapeando en redes sociales. Uno se hizo súper, ultra, mega viral, especialmente en Twitter. Entonces, la gente empezó a mencionar a Bizarrap”, explica. Así fue como el famoso artista llegó a conocer a Ptazeta.

Contenido relacionado: Entrevista a Snow Tha Product: Bizarrap, Persistencia, Weed y el Camino al Éxito

La session con Biza llegó más tarde, cuando Ptazeta adquirió mayor visbilidad. Pero la rapera reconoce el mérito de Biza, el hecho de que mantuviera su palabra, y el que meses después del contacto original, volviera a ella para concretar una colaboración que le cambiaría la vida.

“Cuando salió la idea de la session por primera vez, nunca había viajado fuera de casa, ni siquiera a España continental. Si a la gente le pareció grande, imagina lo que fue para mí”, recuerda.

De free style a su style

Ptazeta comenzó a explorar el mundo del rap gracias a su pasión por el freestyle y las batallas de gallos. “A mí siempre me ha gustado escribir, cuentos, ideas, lo que fuera. A raíz de la improvisación, dije: ‘hombre, puedo sentarme a escribir una canción ayudándome de la improvisación’, y me di cuenta de que es lo que más me gusta en el mundo“, afirma. Aunque ya no practica tanto el freestyle en modo batalla, la artista confiesa que sigue disfrutando de la improvisación como método de composición.

“El freestyle fue mi refugio y terapia, me ayudó a superar momentos difíciles y a expresar lo que sentía”, explica.

Contenido relacionado: Ptazeta Revela a su Freestyler Favorito

A pesar de tener un gran respeto por todos los artistas del género, hay tres freestylers que la vuelven loca. “Hay tres personas que me gustan, pero mi corazón está dividido entre Klan, es impresionante ese señor, y Zasca”, confiesa. El tercero en la lista es el argentino Dani Ribba.

La respuesta

Hace unos pocos días, Ptazeta y el rapero argentino Lit Killah unieron fuerzas para presentar su innovador y explosivo nuevo single, La Respuesta. La canción combina rap y música electrónica para crear un ritmo poderosamente bailable, mostrando la identidad única de ambos artistas, que son referentes en la escena latinoamericana actual.

El el videoclip, filmado en Buenos Aires, Argentina, se puede ver a ambos artistas en un automóvil perseguido por la policía, disfrutando del momento a pesar de ello y revelando La Respuesta. La grabación del video duró aproximadamente 15 horas y contó con la participación de policías reales.

“La verdad que fue una cosa increíble, tanto la sesión porque estuvimos muy a gusto en un primer momento, como la grabación del videoclip”, comenta.

Contenido relacionado: Hablamos con la Rapera Sofía Gabanna: ‘El Rap Es una Forma de Vida, No Es una Moda’

En todo esto, la opinión de su productor, Juacko, fue fundamental. “Siempre tengo su opinión muy presente, para mí es mi hermano. Así que partí de esa base: si a él le parece buena persona [Lit Killah], a mí también”, declara.

De hecho, Ptazeta y Lit Killah se conocieron gracias Juacko. Su primer encuentro en un estudio de Miami hace año y medio dio lugar a La Respuesta. La canción, cantada en un mix de inglés y español, está hecha para disfrutar entre amigos y conectarse con el ritmo incontenible, llevando al público a un éxtasis musical.

Consumo responsable

Adentrándose en el tema del cannabis, Ptazeta admite que le gusta fumar, pero reconoce que es algo que puede ser perjudicial para su salud: “A mí me gusta mucho fumar y estoy acostumbrada a fumar y escribir, la uso para entrar en contacto con mi musa. Pero no puedo ser hipócrita al decirte que no afecta mi cuerpo, mi mente, mi garganta, mis pulmones, me produce catarro, me produce gripe”. De hecho, la artista afirma que está buscando un equilibrio entre fumar por placer y fumar por vicio.

Además, habla sobre la percepción que la gente tiene de ella en relación al consumo de cannabis. “La gente, cuando me ve, muchas veces siente como que quiere fumar conmigo porque me asocia a fumar”, dice.

A fin de cuentas, para Ptazeta, todo se trata de encontrar un equilibrio, entre el goce y la salud, entre la vida personal y la laboral. “Para mí, lo más importante es el equilibrio entre mi vida personal y mi vida laboral, porque si no tengo ese equilibrio, me cuesta mucho. Hacer yoga y meditar me ayudan mucho a mantenerme centrada”, declara.

Contenido relacionado: Andy Chango sobre Amigos, Drogas y la Hipocresía del Mundo Cannábico: ‘A mí me Aburre Soberanamente Hablar de Porro’

Ptazeta también se muestra a favor de la legalización del cannabis para uso medicinal. “Con lo que haga la gente y yo, nunca rindo mucha cuenta. Para mí, todo lo que no sea dañino para la sociedad, cabe. Yo creo mucho en eso, apoyo a la gente que lo necesita”.

Finalmente, al ser consultada sobre con quién le gustaría fumar un porro si pudiera elegir a cualquier persona de la historia, Ptazeta no duda en responder: “Con Wiz Khalifa… Siento que a mí me provoca esa sensación Wiz Khalifa, como que yo quisiera fumarme un porro con él”.

El Finneas de Ptazeta

Hablando de su colaborador Juacko, el Finneas a su Billie Eilish, Ptazeta declara: “Es mi compañero, es mi hermano. No me sentiré nunca más cómoda con nadie en el estudio como siento con él, además siento que él me conoce musicalmente al hilo. El me cogió cuando yo nunca había entrado a un estudio”.

Esto es muy cierto. La artista menciona a su amado productor en todos sus temas. “Dale Juacko vamo a darle”, es una de sus más reconocidas rúbricas.

Pero, a pesar de estar acompañada por Juacko desde el día uno, la cosa no siempre ha sido fácil. En una industria dominada por hombres, la cantante se ha sentido frustrada por las expectativas y dobles estándares que enfrentan las mujeres en la música: “Yo soy así. No quiero ser menos exagerada, me parecería feo. A mí me sale decir esas cosas guarras que digo. Y también mola mucho esa parte de que la gente se impresiona, aunque en realidad ya no debería dar impresión, debería ser algo muy normal”.

Contenido relacionado: Activismo, Afrodescendencia y Hip Hop con Luyara Tink: ‘El Movimiento se Fue Tergiversando’

Y agrega: “Si eres mujer y te gusta esto, tienes que ser muy fuerte, tienes que estar muy segura de ti misma porque te van a criticar todo lo que hagas, pero tienes que ser fuerte y seguir adelante. Estamos demostrando en todos los ámbitos, como el trabajo, el deporte o la música, que tenemos un lugar”.

Al reflexionar sobre su éxito y cómo ha cambiado su vida, menciona su sencillo Estoy Bien, que escribió durante un momento “turbio” en su vida. “Fue una época un poco turbia para mí porque fue como entre el principio del boom… Yo no entendía muchas cosas, no entendía el por qué del comportamiento de la gente, por que cambiaba su comportamiento… Esas cosas a mí sí que me hicieron como mucha dualidad y mucha pelea por dentro”, recuerda.

Pero ahora, ahora Ptazeta está bien.

Las grandes ligas

Hablando de estar bien, Ptazeta hoy está firmada bajo el sello Interscope Records, famoso por trabajar con artistas como Eminem, Dr. Dre, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5, Sting, U2, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Bad Gyal, Tame Impala y muchos más.

Sobre esta experiencia, la artista comparte sus temores iniciales (“no quería firmar con nadie”) y destaca la importancia de la calidad humana de las personas con las que trabaja. “Tienen una calidad humana que no había visto en otras personas; entonces, para mí, eso es lo que más me vale”, dice sobre el equipo de Interscope.

Contenido relacionado: Entrevista Exclusiva a Duki: ‘Me Regalan Porro para Vérmelo Fumar’

Llegando hacia el final de la charla, la rapera se adentra en sus influencias y colaboraciones soñadas, mencionando a artistas como Wiz Khalifa, Eladio Carrión y Rosalía, entre otros.

Habiendo sido una visionaria, una savant, desde el primer día, Ptazeta adelanta lo que cree que se viene en la música latina: predice un furor por la mezcla entre el género del corrido (mexicano) y el trap.

“Al final, todo eso se compone de una letra que está a base de una rima que es una poesía; entonces, al final, todo es rap para mí, y yo considero que las personas que escribimos en sí, hacemos poesía, sea lo que sea. Aunque haga reggaeton, cumbia o música clásica, yo me considero rapera”, concluye.

Más contenido de El Planteo:

NTC: Freestyle, Feminismo y Faso… Sin Complicaciones
Rosa Pistola, la DJ Más Picante de México
Akapellah Habla de Weed: ‘Le Tengo Miedo al Alcohol, Prefiero el Cannabis’

The post Ptazeta en Exclusiva: Rap Desde los 14 Años, el Freestyle como Refugio y el Sueño de Fumar Weed con Wiz Khalifa appeared first on High Times.

The Veteran Chronicles: Gotta Grow

I am incredibly proud to bring you another former United States Marine 0311 rifleman (like myself) to this month’s Veteran Chronicles: Tom Rand.

Rand is a Marine Corps veteran, activist, proud father, and husband who was born and raised in Reading, Massachusetts. At the ripe young age of 17, Rand bravely stepped on the yellow footprints at Parris Island, South Carolina, a tradition that all recruits undergo in their transition from civilian to U.S. Marine. He was immediately deployed to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983, and when he returned home, he was stationed at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, for the duration of his service.

Today, Rand will proudly tell you that he has broken free from the chains of big pharmaceutical companies and the addiction that often comes with those very strong chains—chains that very few veterans can break. Now, Rand proudly pays allegiance to longtime Korean War veteran brothers for leading him down the path toward medicinal cannabis. That’s all it took to open his eyes wide to the healing powers and possibilities of cannabis.

Nearly a decade ago, Rand proudly picked up the nickname “Tom Cape Gardener”—a reference to Rand’s mission to help any and all veterans who wanted the opportunity to grow their own cannabis. Rand reaches out to other local growers and producers in search of donations, such as used equipment, seeds, lights, ballasts, etc., to give to his fellow veterans for free. Rand has never charged a veteran a penny for anything that has been donated. As Rand likes to put it, he does it “all for a handshake,” a motto he has used since the founding of his organization.

Five years ago, Rand realized his mission wasn’t a solo journey. Rand needed assistance from other patriots and veterans, which led to the creation of his organization, Patriots Helping Vets. It initially began as a Facebook group that helped him network with veterans and civilians in his community. Patriots Helping Vets now brings together those who are willing to jump on board with the organization’s mission: “To provide U.S. veterans the equipment, support, and education for horticultural therapy.” Rand and his organization are currently working on becoming a 501(c)(4) nonprofit charity to officially give more veterans nationwide the opportunity to become a self-sustaining, productive grower in their gardens. Ultimately, Rand empowers veterans and teaches them how to cultivate their own herbal medicine.

High Times: How many years passed after your military service before you learned about the healing properties of medical cannabis?

Tom Rand: I learned about the benefits from using cannabis medicinally about 25 years after getting out.

Do you believe that we will see the end of cannabis prohibition in your lifetime?

I would like to see it repealed and allow every citizen the ability to grow [cannabis] and get the true benefit of horticultural therapy. I don’t have much faith in our government to legalize it without it being a shit show.

What organizations or individuals have been a staple in providing donations or volunteering to help foster and grow your mission?

My family has always been my biggest supporters. My wife, Marty, and kids, Josh and Mary, helped make my dream into a mission. Ian Schlesinger from Purpose Genetics has provided thousands of seeds over the years. The Massachusetts cannabis community, without their support I don’t know where my mission would be. The Harvest Cup, New England’s best cannabis cup, and MassCann [and] The Boston Freedom Rally. Anthony B has always been in my corner with supporting our mission, donating hundreds of clones every spring to give out. We had a lot of help along the way unbreakabowl.com, stoneddust.com, and Pot Pockets have helped with giveaways throughout the years. Stem Haverhill has been incredibly supportive. To see where we have come from to having Growers Choice Horticultural lighting, Petratools, MicrobeLifeHydro, ChilLED grow lights, The Soil King, Project Delta 518, Brothers Grimm Seeds’s Rick [Campanella] always goes beyond to show us support. Now the misfits help steer the mission in the right direction. They consist of Shar, Rick, Jeremy, Josh, Mary, Ian, Dari, Joe, Joseph, Ronnie, Elton, Kyle, LaToya, and Dan. It’s amazing to see the passion they have towards our mission.

In one word, please describe the current state of legalization in Massachusetts.

Unfair. The [veterans] that have a true passion of growing medicine have a lot harder of a time, it seems, than the greedy bottom liners. The ones [who] suffered the most from the dark ages have the hardest time to open a grow operation or dispensary. I had the privilege to follow Big Ed and Ed Desousa’s journey of following their dream. After a lot of hurdles and hoops to go through, they created RiverRun Gardens, which produces some of the finest cannabis in the state. Why? Because they have pride and passion for their products.

What year did Massachusetts legalize medical and recreational cannabis?

Medical passed on November 6, 2012, and recreational on December 15, 2016.

Did the state of Massachusetts add any benefits to veterans as part of its legalization programs? Anything such as free medication or free authorizations for vets programs?

None that I’m aware of, but we have always helped veterans with free meds and FECO [full extract cannabis oil], along with passing on donated lights, nutrients, clones, and seeds. We just recently teamed up with Dr. Marion McNabb from The Cannabis Center of Excellence and Gibby’s Garden [who] launched the first Massachusetts Veterans Cannabis Access Research Project. Veterans can enroll and complete a baseline survey and have the opportunity (only 450 qualifying veterans) can receive two 1/8 ounces of flower, two pre-rolls, and a 15 ml of tincture for only $2.

Where do you see Patriots Helping Vets in 2032?

Hopefully we will be legally helping every veteran from every state to grow their own meds. We want to eventually have co-ops across the nation that covers operating expenses [and] then donate the balance of harvest to local veterans [who] can’t grow or afford to buy this wonderful medicine. Become more involved with the lobbying of the right for every veteran to grow their own meds at home. I truly believe that if a state only allows sales but not home grows then that’s just fucking taxation. Community cannabis gardens [should be allowed] across the country with classes and workshops all for free to veterans—they’ve paid too much already to be charged a penny.

What is your all-time favorite strain of cannabis?

Maui Waui, aka Maui Wowie, is by far my most beneficial strain.

Any mentors you would like to praise or give thanks to?

Dr. Howard Irwin for bringing my soil game to a whole new level with using natural local resources. Harold and Keith for showing me what this wonderful plant was really about. They taught me instead of growing a ton.

This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue of High Times Magazine.

The post The Veteran Chronicles: Gotta Grow appeared first on High Times.