SilverShamrockShake

It has been brought to my attention that during the previous year's event promotion, AI was used to create at least some of the promotional materials. As the person that originally ran this blog and used to create the graphics for the first couple of years, I have found this information incredibly disappointing and disheartening, as I'm sure all of you have as well.

In order to rectify the situation I have taken sole possession of the blog and completely cleared it to give all of us a fresh start, and will be running Spookfest myself this year.

I'm going to state this here and clearly so that everyone knows where I stand on this situation and what the Spookfest potential future team's stance is:

This is a gen-AI free space. There is no room for gen-AI in creative spaces. We do not condone theft of artwork by or the astronomically detrimental environmental impact of AI. No further posts, works or submissions will contain AI as far as can be controlled, and if we are made aware of the use of AI in anything that may be shared by us, it will be immediately removed.

That out of the way, there will be a Spookfest 2026, and I really hope that you'll join me in October to celebrate the spooky season with fabulous creations of your own. I am committed to making this year the best Spookfest yet!!!

Shit... why do you always ask hard questions bud, OK... I'm going to get real.

So as a kid, I liked wolves for the same reason a lot of kids do.... they were cool as fuck. They were the loner animal. Strong, dangerous, independent, surviving out in the wild on their own terms.

Then I had Hodgkin’s disease as a teenager and I think my relationship with the idea of the wolf changed a little. I felt isolated a lot after that. I felt resentful even. Different. More inside my own head. So the “loner wolf” thing became less about “that animal is badass” and more like “maybe I can still be okay even if I feel painfully alone.” There kind of helped me get through those hard times.

What’s funny is that as I got older and actually learned more about wolves, I realized most of what we thought about them for years was wrong, REALLY WRONG. The whole “alpha wolf lone dominance” thing mostly came from stressed captive wolves, not real wild behavior. Real wolves are social as hell. They’re family animals. Cooperative. Protective. Emotional. They raise young together, grieve, play, travel as a pack.

And honestly? I think that made me love them even more.

Because at this point in my life, I don’t actually think I’m a true loner. I just think I’m somebody who’s always felt a little wild and a little out of place, while still deeply needing and wanting connection, community and acceptance. That feels a lot closer to what wolves actually are.

- sneezed wrong

- turned your neck a little too fast

- slept weird

- took the trash out to the curb and stepped at a slightly different angle than usual

- breathed

- failed to breathe properly

- breathed in the wrong stuff. Allergy time

- looked too hard at something too far away