This Friday, March 12th, Austin’s legendary interactive, film, and music conference, South by Southwest, returns. With a history that reaches back to 1987, SXSW is an Austin institution. Since adding film and interactive programming in 1994, the conference and festival has become one of the nation’s premiere pop culture events.

This year, SXSW boasts a noticeable horror bent. The Midnighters film series showcases movies that are scary, sexy, and controversial, from rock ‘n’ roll vampire movie SUCK, which stars Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, and Alice Cooper, to Canuxploitation classic Cannibal Girls and the Gaspar Noé-helmed Enter the Void. The SX Fantastic series is a special programming track created by the fine folks at Fantastic Fest, Austin film festival celebrating the terrifying, controversial, and bizarre.

Click here for a full schedule of all films that will be screened next week!

The horror-themed fun doesn’t stop at theater, though! This year, the film conference features panels such as Slasher Films for Slasher Budgets: Making Microbudget Horror and Zombies, Vampires & Monsters: Fostering Loyal Genre Communities. With such a strong horror presence this year, it’s no wonder Austin is becoming a center for all things scary!

We’re only a few short days away from the Sixth Annual STAPLE! Independent Media Expo! That’s right! Please join committee members Nate Southard, Lee Thomas and Gabrielle Faust THIS WEEKEND! They will be in attendance taking registrations and handing out information on how you can join the 2011 horror convention in the ATX!

As always, we’re kicking things off in style with the traditional pre-party Meet and Greet at Austin Books and Comics, 5002 North Lamar Boulevard, this Friday, March 5th at 8pm. This is a great chance to chat with all your favorite STAPLE! Guests and Exhibitors in a casual setting at one of the best comic shops in the country.

Then Saturday morning, March 6, it’s STAPLE! Doors open at 11am, the show ends at 7pm and there’s great Programming all day! It starts off with two Q&A sessions: Guy Davis (BPRD, The Marquis) at noon, Andy Runton (Owly) at 1:30. Next up is a presentation by Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Adventures) entitled “Twenty Common Cartooning Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them”, at 3pm. Last, but certainly not least, at 4:30 it’s an amazing performance of The Intergalactic Nemesis: The Living Comic Book – must be seen to be believed!

As if that weren’t enough, the party keeps on going that night at the Shangri-La, 1016 E 6th St. (just EAST of I-35) with the STAPLE! After Party Live Art Show and benefit for KOOP Radio, with DJ Digg, DJ LD and NET WT! Doors at 8, show starts at 10pm.

And if you just can’t wait for all the fun, then check out the STAPLE! Podcast page http://www.staple-austin.org/podcast/ where we’ve just posted FIVE brand new interviews with Guy Davis, Andy Runton, Joel Watson (Hijinks Ensue), Chris Schweizer and Jason Neulander (Intergalactic Nemesis), and get a little preview of all the great stuff coming up at this year’s STAPLE!

Black Static Magazine and WHC 2011 Short Story Contest:

In conjunction with Black Static Magazine, we are proud to announce the World Horror Convention 2011 Short Story Contest. Writers from around the world will be able to submit their most engaging and terrifying short fiction to our judging panel for the chance to have their story published.

And we do mean published! The winning entry will appear in the collectible WHC 2011 Souvenir Book, alongside work by Sarah Langan, Joe Hill, Steve Niles, Peter Crowther, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Keene and other top genre names. In addition to appearing in the Souvenir Book, the winning entry will be republished in Black Static Magazine and will be paid industry professional standard of .05 per word.

GUIDELINES:

1. Must have a WHC 2011 full membership or supporting membership at time of story submission to participate. No exceptions.

2. WHC 2011 committee, contest judges, and their families are ineligible.

3. We are seeking stories 500 – 4,000 words. Though this contest is open to international authors, all submissions must be submitted in English.

4. Traditional manuscript format: Double-spaced; 1-inch margins; paragraphs indicated by indent not extra line space; 12-point type presented in a clear, readable font (Times, Times New Roman).

5. On the first page of the story, please include Story Title, Author Name and Contact Information, and Word Count. A cover letter is not necessary and will not be forwarded to the judges.

6. This will be a blind submission, meaning author names and identifiers will be stripped from the document before being presented to judges. Page number and story title should appear in the Header.

7. Open submission dates – August 31st-Oct. 31st, 2010 (Midnight, Central Standard Time). Any submissions that arrive before or after the submission period will be deleted, unread.

8. No reprints. No simultaneous submissions. No multiple submissions. If a story is found to be in violation of any of the above, it will be disqualified from the contest.

9. Authors will receive confirmation that their stories have been received. Due to the nature of the contest, we will not be sending out rejection notices. We understand this is an inconvenience to authors and apologize (The committee is comprised of authors and empathize, but due to the nature of the contest, it just isn’t possible). Please consider your story under consideration until the winner is named. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 27, 2011.

10. Electronic submissions only! An email address for submissions will be announced the week before the open reading period begins.

11. Confirmed judges – who will pick the 3 finalists from the story submissions:

Nicholas Kaufmann – author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated General Slocum’s Gold, as well as Chasing the Dragon, Walk In Shadows, and (as Gabriel Hunt) Hunt at World’s End. www.nicholaskaufmann.com

Weston Ochse – won the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel, and has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Long Fiction, as well as the Pushcart Prize for short fiction. His most recent novel is Empire of Salt. www.westonochse.com

Mary SanGiovanni – author of the Bram Stoker-nominated The Hollower and its sequel, Found You. She has a Masters in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives in NJ with her son. www.marysangiovanni.com

Wrath James White – acclaimed author of Succulent Prey, The Resurrectionist, The Book of a Thousand Sins, His Pain, and Population Zero. http://wordsofwrath.blogspot.com/

12. The winning title will be chosen from the 3 finalists by one of WHC 2011’s Guests of Honor.

13. We ask that you not contact the judges in regard to the contest. They might get grumpy. Please direct all questions to Lee Thomas at info [at] whc2011.org. (And no, that’s not the submission address).