VODKA O’CLOCK 1545
HOWIE NOEL, CREATOR OF “TARA NORMALâ€
AMBER LOVE 26-OCT-2015 I thought of the perfect guest for Halloween week, HOWIE NOEL, creator of TARA NORMAL! Howie was on Vodka O’Clock back in 2013. We get into some spooky subjects this time. He was one of our contributing artists to the Superhero Weekend charity auction which helped us raise $4000 for the court appointed advocates for foster kids.
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Download on iTunes, Stitcher, or listen here. Good lord, I say “like†a lot so if you’re drinking to that, you’ll be hammered in five minutes.
WEIRDSHIT-O-RAMA
Howie is a huge fan of THE WALKING DEAD so we talk about that a bit. He’s also involved in TAPS, the ghosthunters located in our region.
We tackle several urban legends and other weird shit like the Winchester Mansion, taxidermied pets, the Jersey Devil, new planets, floating cities, and the chupacabra. There was a Jersey Devil sighting about 2 weeks ago. Welcome to the Hellmouth – it’s really in New Jersey.
Is Amber having a moat installed?Â
Anyone else have fun at funerals? Do you have traditions or phobias about them? Do you worry that the mortician is stealing all the jewelry off the bodies? We talk about it! No subject is sacred on Vodka O’Clock.
“You bring Crisco to a funeral. Everyone knows that!†~Amber Love
Howie recites the origin of the Jersey Devil so if you didn’t know, this is the place to learn. We’re all about educating listeners on bizarre stuff.
“He’d have really strong thighs. I think that’s important.†~Howie Noel (take that anyway you like)
Disgusting foods have their own share of the conversation to make this episode extra gross.
TARA NORMAL COMIC SERIES:
If SCOOBY DOO’s Velma and Daphne had another gal pal, it would be TARA NORMAL.
In this interview, you can hear about Tara’s early stories, the web comics, and where the characters are now.
In the second book, Tara runs into a new character named Charlton who has special powers. The thing is, Charlton uses his powers to get a hit reality TV show and make money – things Tara opposes.
Of all the possible monsters Howie could include, there may only be one vampire who is inspired by a friend of his currently going through cancer treatments.
Tara is a female lead character who is great at inventing gadgets and using the technology available to serve the public. She’s not interested in how to make money from her skills and ghost-punching abilities. She’s not too superpowered to be unrelatable.
PARANORMAL RESEARCH:
If you’re interested in exploring real ghost hunting, Howie recommends visiting the TAPS website (unfortunately, their contact page isn’t working). Howie said you could also send him questions.
It’s common to raise spirits during home renovations. (Yay for me living in this Winchester hovel!)
In this episode, Howie explains how to use a flashlight to interact with spirits.
MERCH:
Howie shared his advice on taking the step from the creator of a comic to marketing it through other things like shirts and buttons.
CONS:
Howie will be at Walker Stalker convention in Atlantic on Oct. 31
LINKS:
Twitter @hcnoel
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.