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The Corey Press

@coreypress / coreypress.tumblr.com

Handcarved Madness from Salem, MA

We’re Still Here!

What Happened at Wyvern Rock? is my now ongoing Zine Quest zine focusing on bringing the world of High Strangeness to the realms of High Fantasy. This issue focuses on Strange Places akin to Skinwalker Ranch, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Dyatlov Pass. The zine includes tips on how to weird up your game, regional strange effects, and a Strange Place you can use straight out of the box! The whole thing is illustrated with my hand carved blockprints. Check it out! . Psst! If you made it this far, please like, share, tag your local weirdo, psychically project, or do whatever else to help me get the word out. The Algorithm is a harsh mistress and getting these niche of a niche projects out is a struggle!

The Night the Skeletons came to LLLIIIIIIFFFFFEEEEE

So if you’re like me and have been shouting lines from I Think You Should Leave from Netflix for the past two weeks, you end up staying up late one night carving a skeleton who has recently come to life seeking bones, worms, and hair pulling (UP but not OUT).

If you’d like to justify my great use of time, you can get a wealthy skeleton (Bones AND Worms!) from my Threadless shop.

You played D&D all those years and learned a little something about courage. Now it’s time to learn a little bit about High Strangeness and how it can bring out the weird in your High Fantasy campaign. Aliens, cryptids, missing time, screen memories, UFOs, and more!

We’re already funded and the first stretch goal, a 16 page in-universe zine detailing a John Keel-like halfling’s investigation into Wyvern Rock, has been unlocked!

Keep Libraries Weird - Hand carved double block print to wood by Drew Meger in Salem, MA.

I'm giving a talk in the fall to a bunch of librarians where I am going to plead with them to keep their libraries weird. I've noticed a trend of late where the strange fringe books are being weeded but not replaced. I get it - if you think you can get 10x the circulation from a seventh copy of a James Patterson book than a single copy of a UFO or cryptid book then it's hard not to go with still yet more Alex Cross. The effect of this is a homogenization of libraries - we already see this as librarians chase best practices and slowly convert libraries to a more retail feeling environment. Fringe stuff, weird stuff is nowhere near as popular as mainstream materials by definition and we do have to make every budget dollar count. Still, shouldn't libraries seek to inspire wonder? A few curated weird books is all I ask. Maybe focus on local legends, hauntings, UFO sightings, or whatever floats your boat. Keep your library unique to your community. Keep it weird!

If you have any stories about the weird and inspiring things you’ve discovered in a library, please share them!

Demonic Tutor. Hand carved, bound in ink, and pressed to wood by Drew Meger in Salem, MA.

My Magic the Gathering obsessed seven years old got to pick my recent carve. “Do your favorite Magic card,” he said. So here we go. Actual Demonic Tutor shown for reference.

I have one extra pressing of this, just added it to my Etsy shop for you cunning Tumblr folk in particular.

If you are the first past the post, mention this post to get some free stuff.