The Gothic Works of Glenn James

Parole Parlate: The Spoken Word - Glenn James to take part in Open Mic Night in Worcester

Worcester will see the opening of a new Open Mic Night this coming Tuesday with the first session of 'Parole Parlate' upstairs at Little Venice. Organised by the Worcestershire Literary Festival, and running in conjunction with Apples and Snakes, Parole Parlate is Italian for 'The Spoken Word' and takes its name from an affectionate reference to its venue.

Glenn will be reading two new short stories as part of an evening devoted to showcasing new performance poets, writers and stand up comedians. The line-up is as follows:

Adrian Mealing & John Denton, Heather Wastie, Catherine Crosswell, Glenn James, Maggie Doyle, Amanda Bonnick, Tony Judge, Diana Harrison, Janet Smith and David Calcutt.

Doors open at 7pm and there is no charge for attending. Little Venice stands next to The Royal Bank of Scotland and is across the road from the RSVP Bar.

Glenn will be reading 'Founding fathers' (About Bram Stoker, Vlad the Impaler, and his very own Skaler) and also a Gothic 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' of his own devising, 'Pass the Remote'.

Talking Hobbits & Dragons: Live Reading of The Hobbit for Children in Need - Worcester

Glenn is taking part in a live relay reading of J. R. R Tolkien's classic novel 'The Hobbit' in aid of Children in Need, at Worcester Central Library on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th November 2010.

Staged by Worcestershire Literary Festival, the event will be opened by none other than the MP for the City Robin Walker, who will kick off the reading. Also involved will be BBC Hereford and Worcester's Howard Bentham, Poet Maggie Doyle, Nicki Hitchcock of Worcester Library, and from the WLF itself Lisa Ventura (the Festival Director), Owen Fleet, Jason Snow and Andy Timms.

Glenn has organised the event, which was inspired by a much loved broadcast when he was a boy of 'The Hobbit' by Jackanory, who staged it for one of their anniversary shows. Tolkien has been a lifelong inspiration, and when growing up Glenn often went walking around Mosley Bog in his native Birmingham, which is said to have inspired The Shire.

The event is free, and at Worcester city Library on Foregate Street. We ask only that you either please sponsor us on the WLF's Just Giving Fundraising Page or make a donation to the collectors on the door.

Or we'll tell Smaug...

Halloween Shivers Online: Two New Short Stories for the Dark Season

We are commemorating the dark season by publishing two of Glenn's Short stories online, for Halloween. One is the second instalment of Glenn's three shorts about Skaler's life as a Musician, 'Addicted to Love', (featuring his group 'Chorus Angelaum'.) The other is a darkly Pagan nightmare called 'Crookbarrow'.

'Addicted to Love' is a very mischievous comment on the media's obsession with sudden fame, looking into how vampires with a passion for music might handle the attentions of a would be Simon Cowell.

Then 'Crookbarrow' is a darkly realised tale, (partially semi-autobiographical!), and taken directly from one hell of a dream Glenn had when he moved to Worcester...

New Halloween Cards: Halloween Assignation and Ghosts, Murders & Scandals

In celebration of Halloween, and the 5th Anniversary of the Launch of 'Ghosts, Murders and Scandals', (which Glenn illustrated) we are launching three new cards for this year's dark season.

'Halloween Assignation' is an image which has haunted Glenn for a long time, a scene of two vampires meeting romantically on Halloween in a crypt. The vamp featured is his character Mabb, a mischievous and feisty character who is one of the girls in Skaler's Undead Rock Group 'Chorus Angelaeum'. She will soon be seen in Glenn's forthcoming short story 'Addicted to Love'.

We are also launching two illustrations featured in Ghosts, Murders and Scandals to celebrate the book's 5th anniversary. It proved enormously popular, and we are constantly complimented on the illustrations, so we thought it would be a fitting way to celebrate. The cover illustration of The Old Victorian - Lady Ghost (the old lady on the stairs), and The White Lady of Grafton Manor (the witch walking across the lake) are now available in all our usual formats via our online store and growing number of stockists, as well as our other Halloween cards At The Pin's Head, The Midnight Un-Masking and The Witchfinder: general.

Drac By Popular Demand: Reception of the Dracula Talk and Planned Encore

Glenn's Dracula Talk was held as planned, dead on midnight on the 7th of August, leading into the early hours of Sunday the 8th. This was the exact time in the novel, on the date Stoker named, that the storm breaks which shortly brings The Demeter to the Beach in Whitby, heralding the Count's arrival.

Alas there was no storm, but it was also the anniversary of the filming of Marc Warren's 2006 BBC adaption of Dracula in Worcestershire, so the occasion was well and truly marked.

The talk was very well received, and Glenn enjoyed delivering it very much. So much so that we are contemplating holding it again, hopefully during November, due to a lot of enquiries we have received from Dracula affectionardo's who were unable to attend, either due to having early starts or a variety of travel issues. We were planning to hold the talk again in time for Halloween, but due to the massive developments with the Worcestershire Literary Festival (in which we are heavily involved), this is sadly just not practical.

Please watch this page for further news, but we can assure everyone who has enquired that we fully intend to stage An Evening with Count Dracula again in the near future. Please contact us if you would be interested in attending the event in Worcester.

Comes the LifFest: Worcestershire Literary Festival, 17th - 27th June 2011

Fans of the Gothic Works will have noticed that we have been uncharacteristically quiet for a while. This is due to our strong involvement in the upcoming Worcestershire Literary Festival in 2011.

Glenn is heavily involved as the Press Officer, and Angela as the Website Designer and Finance Officer, whilst both of them have recently been invited by the Festival Director Lisa Ventura to become Deputy Festival Directors.

The Litfest team's ambitions are high, and the event has snowballed enormously since its inception in June this year. It promises to be an event of some considerable importance.

The commitment is important and prestigious, and we hope you will bear with us if it causes us to apply the brake a little on the Gothic Works for the time being.

An Evening with Count Dracula

In an event which will fascinate fans of everything to do with Bram Stoker's spine chilling classic 'Dracula', Worcester's Gothic Artist and Writer Glenn James will be giving a talk about the Legendary vampire, on the annual anniversary of his arrival in England.

Focusing on the Count's prolific career as a movie icon, and the most notable portrayals in his first: 100 years on the silver screen, it promises to be an entertaining and darkly revealing experience.

Glenn, the creator of the vampires Skaler and his arch nemesis Prince Germane, has made the Undead something of a speciality, and will be giving his talk at midnight on the 7th of August, at the AiR Cafe Bar and Restaurant.

Tickets are �4.00 and are available from AiR, Worcester Tourist Information, and online.

John Barleycorn: New Pagan Design release for Lughnasadh

With the upcoming Harvest Festival of Lughnasadh on the 1st and 2nd August, our next design celebrating the Pagan Festivals of the Year is Glenn's drawing 'John Barleycorn'.

Following the ancient belief that there was a spirit of the cornfields who is sacrificed every year, as the harvest takes place, Glenn's drawing features a personification of the corn spirit, wearing Victorian mourning, and smiling ironically whilst holding an ominous looking sickle.

This is a hugely evocative piece, with a beautiful view of the harvested fields and hayricks beyond John Barleycorn, and flaming wheels rolling down hill to set light to the stubble in the ancient fashion. We hope it will prove a popular new addition to the Pagan gallery, and it is available in the usual formats of Greetings Cards, A4 Prints, Postcards, Fridge Magnets and Keyrings from our online shop and growing number of stockists.

Cavern Gothic: 2nd Online Stockist

The Gothic Works is beginning to spread online, as the work has been taken on by a 2nd online stockist, Cavern Gothic based in Kent.

It is a small, family-run business, whose primary store is The Cavern Tattoo & Piercing Studio which had stocked some Gothic collectables. However, recently they decided to sell online and set up Cavern Gothic.

They sell unusual curiosities, ornaments, conversation-pieces, collectables, e.g. chalices, goblets, candle-holders, oil-burners, clocks, door-knockers, lamps, fairy & dragon figurines, swords, furniture and much more in dark Gothic style.

Gothic Fairy: Moon Watcher

Glenn has often been asked if he has ever drawn any illustrations of elves or fairies. His Skaler work has not delved into this area of mythology, so until fairly recently this is an avenue he has not explored.

It is a fascinating area of folklore and he was inspired to create his own take on the Fairfolk. He felt that he wanted to draw something which recalled the much darker and more threatening reputation that these supernatural beings used to enjoy. The result was MoonWatcher, a sharply armed sprite peering from the leaves of an oak tree, under a full moon.

The Gothic Works Goes To Avalon

Avalon is a delightfully situated New Age shop sited in the centre of beautiful Evesham, and ran by Ellen and Tonia.

A well regarded centre for everything to do with spiritual enrichment, they also stock a fine coven of large decorative witches, which are suspended from their ceiling in full flight on their broomsticks. They carry a full range of crystals, and have some beautiful Green Man imagery.

Avalon is about a ten minutes walk from the railway station, and there is plenty of available parking in the surrounding area, and we urge you to explore the centre of Evesham whilst there and make a delightful visit sublime.

Dracula's Landing

To celebrate World Goth Day, we wanted to officially announce the launch of Glenn's drawing which is his interpretation of Count Dracula.

Dracula's Landfall, Whitby 1885 shows the Count making his first steps on an English Beach, after his famous shipwreck in the Yorkshire seaport in the late 19th Century. A windswept and triumphant Count, long white hair blowing in the gale, stalks towards the observer. The drawing is featured in our Legendary Ghouls gallery, where you can find out all about the inspirations behind Glenn's interpretation of the character.

The drawing was developed in consultation with the Dracula Experience, where it is available as prints and postcards. It is now also available from our online shop in the full variety of formats.

Dracula is (c) copyright of Bram Stoker.

Aphrodite Wands: 3rd Northern Stockist

The Gothic Works is now on sale in Aphroditewands in Horwich, Bolton, your one stop supplier of new age products in the North West. They stock everything from wands, angels, crystals and fairies, to herbs, potions and tarot; everything you need for your spiritual wellbeing.

A small, family-run business who frequently visit countries round the world getting to know other people's cultures, ethics, religions, backgrounds and upbringing. They aim to provide a unique friendly service online and in-store, to share knowledge of the spiritual realm whichever religion, faith, belief, background or upbringing, to provide Magical tools to help any anxieties, worries, difficulties or problems.

The Wyrd Shop: 3rd Stockist in Scotland

We are proud to announce that we now have a 3rd stockist in Edinburgh. The Wyrd Shop is Scotland's oldest occult and esoteric store located in the Old Town of Edinburgh.

They cater for all traditions including: Traditional Witchcraft, Wicca (Gardnerian, Alexandrian and newer traditions), Druidism, Shamanism, High Magick, (including Hermetic, Thelemic and Goetic tools and texts, Northern Tradition (including Asatru, runework and Seidr), Egyptian Paganism (including statuary and other items for those following Isiac paths, Egyptian Wicca and Sethian Magick), Celtic traditions and any other Pagan path you can think of!

They also have an online store selling in excess of five thousand items and which features book reviews and a problem page.

Sumer Icumen In: First Pagan Card for Midsummer

Glenn's first design for a card for ancient Pagan Festivals celebrates Midsummer.

Named 'Sumer Icumen In', the drawing sees The Green Man and Green Lady garlanded and crowned with wreaths of oak leaves, and emerging from tree trunks. They are holding hands in a loop for the circle of new life, and through their joined hands can be seen the sun rising over Stonehenge for the Solstice. They both have young corn in their hair and around their wrists, and both flanked by a symbol of the smiling sun.

This is Glenn's first Pagan card, and we hope it will be popular. Please help to spread the word and let any Pagan or Wiccan friends you may have know about the design, and that it is available from our online shop and our growing number of stockists.

New: The Pagan Gallery

For some time Glenn has wanted to explore Pagan themes and Myths in his work, and the establishment of the Pagan Gallery will provide a place where his work can be showcased as he builds up his portfolio of illustrations and artwork. Starting with the drawing 'Sumer Icumen In', designed for the Midsummer Solstice. He will steadily release designs for cards, and prints, etc, specifically for the ancient Pagan and Wiccan Festivals of the year.

We are delighted to develop this new project, as Glenn's Pre-Raphaelite Goth Style lends itself readily to Pagan themes, as anyone familiar with his passionately realised drawing of 'The Green Man in Purgatory' will have observed.

The Green Man is important to Glenn's work, in and outside of his Skaler project, and it is fitting that the new Gallery will provide him with a specific home on the site.

The Gothic Works Goes To The Art Side

The Art Side is a Worcester based art gallery that offers a selection of artwork by various local artists, both established and completely unknown. One of the main aims in launching The Art Side is to make artwork accessible to all, and allow all artists an outlet for their work.

The art gallery can be found in a converted area of the bookshop M & R Books (Worcester Books) upstairs in The Gallery (formerly Market Hall).

We are very pleased that owner Noel Ferris agreed to stock Glenn's artwork here, as well as books relating to his work via M & R Books.

Hit The Shelves: M & R Books

We are proud to now announce that M & R Books (Worcester Books) are an official stockist of 'Ghosts, Murders & Scandals of Worcestershire' by Anne Bradford, which as you know is illustrated by Glenn. So pop into the shop for your copy.

M & R Books is Worcester's only independent book shop. They stock a large range of quality used books, rare and out of print books, and will try to find books that you are trying to get hold of. Situated in the heart of Worcester City Centre upstairs in The Gallery (formerly Market Hall).

Darkest Nuptials: Gothic & Pagan Wedding Invitations - Coming Soon

The Gothic Works are due to release the first of our series of Gothic and Pagan Wedding Invitations for sale. This will mark the first in the series of our forthcoming items designed for Weddings, Handfastings, or exchanges of vows, which we hope will help make the day you are joined one of the most memorably dark of your life. For all the right reasons!

Developed in conjunction with Gothix Gifts of Telford, the first in our series of designs features a Gothic Bride and Groom in a churchyard at dusk, flanked by bat-winged Cherubs. This is our first invitation available for sale, and we will be developing a series of five or six alternative designs for the invitations, from which you can choose for your service.

The first design is in the last stages of development, and we will be announcing its availability for sale shortly, so please watch this space.

Blessed Be: New Series of Pagan and Wiccan Greetings Cards - Coming Soon

The Gothic Works will be launching a new series of cards for Ancient Wiccan and Pagan Festivals and celebrations.

Glenn has become increasingly aware of a lack of Pagan cards related to the great Pagan festivals of the year, which Pagan friends celebrate, and everyone seems to have a really difficult time finding appropriate cards to send to send out to celebrate these occasions.

With this in mind he will be developing a series of Pagan and Wiccan Greetings Cards, celebrating the great festivals of Pre-Christian times, and these will be available for sale via our online shop and our growing number of stockists.

The first design will be available for Mid-Summer this year, and we will be making an announcement shortly as soon as the first design is finalised. Eventually there will be a range of alternative designs available for each occasion, and each will of course be announced in time for the appropriate season. Please watch this space or our social networks pages for announcements.

The Gothic Works Goes To Angela's Home City

The Gothic Works continues to pay tribute to its roots, this time at Angela's Home City of Stoke-on-Trent. After living there for the first 21 years of her life, it is only fitting that our latest new store to stock the work should be based in Stoke. We both have a fondness for the City and visit regularly as Angela's family live in the area.

Spellestial Esoteric Gifts is located in Longton and is a gift shop with a difference, offering gifts and clothing plus esoteric and exotic, high quality yet low priced wicca, gothic, feng shui, dragons, fairies, angels, bath products and much more to a wide variety of customers throughout the local area.

Spellestial is a family business ran by Druu Hughes and was inspired by his late father, William H Collins.

Dream Catcher Sells The Gothic Works

We are pleased to announce our 2nd stockist in the South. Dream Catcher in Kent, is a place of inner vision which sells many items to promote a peaceful and tranquil environment.

As well as selling Jewellery, Music, Wind Chimes, Books, Tarot Cards, etc, they also provide other services such as Tarot and Clairvoyance Reading, Aromatherapy, Massage, Reiki, Reflexology and Mediation.

Workshops are also held here, and include Crystal Workshop, Fledgling Tarot Days, Shamanic and Clairvoyance Workshops.

WCR Radio: Glenn appears on 'Inside Tracks' - 20th May 2010, Repeated 26th & 27th May 2010

Shortly after the 10th anniversary of his having left WCR Radio to begin work on Skaler, Glenn was invited to appear on Pete Whitehouse's 'Inside Tracks' Programme (101.8 WCR fm).

Glenn has quite a history with WCR, having been extremely active as a radio producer and writer during the mid to late 1990's, when the station was running its late great magazine show for BBC Radio WM, and bidding for its independent license. He was an active contributor to the BBC Show, and originated 'Cold Tea and Biros' (the writers' forum) himself, and 'Absolutely Fatuous', a wildly silly comedy show along with Raja Basu.

Speaking to Pete about his life and his gothic works, Glenn spoke very warmly about the formative influence the station had on his writing, his play 'Shadowfell', and the Abfat days. The show will be broadcast on the above dates, and we hope to be able in due course to bring you a download of the programme.

The Crystal Cauldron: 2nd Northern Stockist

The Gothic Works is now available in the North West of England thanks to The Crystal Cauldron in Stockport, Cheshire, who has undertaken to stock The Gothic Works both in store and online.

A Witchcraft/Wiccan shop that has everything you need to Practise The Craft - Athames, Besoms, Cauldrons and Cloaks, as well as Pagan/Gothic Clothing, Yule Cards, Journals and Artwork.

However, it is more than just a shop, there is a temple where you can get in touch with your Goddess/God, meditate, light a candle etc and it is also a teaching school where seekers can ask questions and also find great teaching from experienced Traditional Witch's of the Old Ways.

New Stockists Page

We are pleased to announce that due to our increasing number of stockists, we have had to re-design our Stockists Page. We have added an interactive map, which enables you to click on a region to see a list of stockists in that area.

We hope that our browsers find this a useful way of locating our stockists wherever they live.

Please note that at present we only have stockists in the UK; however we are looking into exporting The Gothic Works, and as such hope to be including international stockists soon.

First Online Stockist: Gothix Gifts N Scents

The Gothic Works has expanded into online stores, the first being Gothic Gifts N Scents, an online gothic gift store owned by Mim and Mark, based in Telford.

They sell a wide range of products to cater for the gothic, emo, rocker, punk, new age, pagan and esoteric cultures.

We are always open to new suggestions for the works, and Mark and Mim explained that they have a great demand for Gothic Wedding Invitations. We have developed our first design in consultation with them, and it will be available from Gothix Gifts N Scents shortly. This will be the first of a series available for Gothic occasions, of which we will notify you in due course. Thanks to Mark and Mim for their excellent advice.

The Gothic Works Goes South: Celestial Star

Our first southern stockist is Celestial Star; a spiritual gift shop in Kent ran by Sue.

They offer a range of gothic curiosities and gifts including dragons, clocks, skulls, reapers, amazing fairies, lighting, swords and daggers, goblets candle holders, crystals, books, tarot cards, Egyptian artefacts, dragon fountains, crystal beds, jewellery, Wiccan equipment, feng shui cures and much more.

They also have Tarot Readings and Smudging Ceremonies in the Traditional Native American way.

Rate & Review The Gothic Works: Qype

The Gothic Works now has a business page on the popular review website Qype. Here you can view our contact details, brief description of our business and photos of the artwork. From here Qype users can rate and review our business, which would not only help to provide information to our browsers, but also invaluable feedback for us.

So please if you like the work we are doing, don't be shy, log on to Qype and let us know what you think?

Qype was founded in Germany, in November of 2005 and since then has gone on to become the largest user-generated local review site in Europe.

The Dracula Experience, Whitby, Yorkshire

We are enormously proud to announce that the Dracula Experience, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, has today undertaken the sale of a drawing of Glenn's inspired by Count Dracula.

The world famous Dracula Visitor Centre and Museum, based in the port where Bram Stoker had his King Vampire make landfall in England, is located on the harbour near to where the Count stepped ashore in the form of a wolf on Tate Hill Sands.

Rudi Barman, of the Dracula Experience, was kind enough to express an interest in Glenn drawing a design specific to Dracula's connection with Whitby, and this the artist undertook.

The resulting piece, Dracula's Landfall: Whitby 1885 was drawn to coincide with Whitby's Gothic weekend for Beltane. We sincerely hope that fans of Stoker's great novel will enjoy this personal interpretation.

The new drawing will be on the Legendary Ghouls Gallery & available for sale shortly.

AiR Cafe Bar and Club, Worcester

The revolutionary new Cafe Bar and Club AiR opens its doors to the public on Monday 26th of April. AiR combines a relaxing cafe bar and restaurant with a club and Art Gallery all thrown in. What more could you want all under one roof.

We are sure that it will prove a hugely invigorating and refreshing centre for the arts in Worcester and the three counties, and we would like to wish Dean and Mark every success with their venture.

We are very proud that Dean has asked Glenn to be one of their first Artists in Residence, and we have worked hard with himself and Mark during the last two weeks to assemble a collection of work for sale at the venue. This includes our first selection of large scale prints (up to 103 x 103 cm in size), a wholly new development for The Gothic Works.

Dean encountered Glenn's work at Changes 4 Life at Sidbury, Worcester. We would like to express our warmest thanks to Julie & Deana of Changes 4 Life for putting Dean in contact with us, to Dean for asking us to be involved, and for making the work look so stunning.

The Gothic Works on Sale in Scotland

In an historic event, Black Hart Entertainment, Scotland's most acclaimed walking tour and storytelling company, has undertaken to sell The Gothic Works in their two shops in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.

Their walks include the world-famous 'City of the Dead Tour' - featuring the MacKenzie Poltergeist, the best documented poltergeist in history.

1. The Black Mausoleum:

In this dark dungeon on the site of the old Witchcraft shop in Candlemaker Row you will find obscure hand crafted presents, discount tickets for the City of the Dead Graveyard and Underground tours and the world's largest selection of Greyfriars Bobby souvenirs.

Candlemaker Row is reputed to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

2. The Creepy Wee Shop in the Graveyard:

Open every day and also after each graveyard tour - just in case you're not freaked out enough and want a souvenir.

Sells a selection of the same stuff as The Black Mausoleum, to satisfy your inner ghoul.

It's just inside the gates of Greyfriars Graveyard and used to be a funeral parlour. Nice.

Glenn's Gothic Inspirations Take Flight: Newspaper Article

Following the Gothic Works going on sale in a growing number of stockists in the Midlands, the Worcester Evening News ran a story stating that the work is finding an expanding audience.

The article also focused on the growing online interest both via the website and social network pages.

Gothic hi5

You can now find us on the social network, hi5, where you can view artwork, read updates, and more. So check us out.

hi5 is a global destination where young people meet and play. As the world's largest social entertainment destination, its focus is on delivering a fun, interactive, and immersive social experience online to their users around the world.

Share The Gothic Works

You can now share content from The Gothic Works site via social networks and e-mail, as well as bookmarking the same for your own use. This is due to a clever Share This button from AddThis which appears at the top of each page.

From here you can bookmark and share content on over 200 social networks, from ones you will have heard of such as Blogger, Digg, Facebook, Linked In, MySpace, StumbleUpon and Twitter; and some you may not have heard of, like Fooxweb, NetLog, Squidoo, Xanga, Wovre and ZooLoo.

Gothic All A Flickr

The Gothic Works now has its own photostream on Flickr, where you can view all of the artwork and share it with your Flickr friends. Our photostream includes descriptions of each drawing for your information and you can even view the artwork in the form of a slideshow.

Flickr is a hugely popular way to store, sort, search and share your photos online. Flickr helps you organize that huge mass of photos you have and offers a way for you and your friends and family to tell stories about them.

The Gothic Works on Video: You Tube

Having a very dark interest in art and film, we very much want to share our views and inspiration, and to this end The Gothic Works can now be found on You Tube. For everyone interested in Glenn's Work you will find items of interest like his interview by the BBC's Nathan Turvey, broadcast on Midlands Today on the 5th October 2006, on the occasion of his drawing of Prince Germane being exhibited in a show at the Museum of H.R. Giger in Switzerland.

This gives something of a window into Glenn & Angela's tastes and inspiration, as we have added our own playlist, and links to films, trailers and T.V Adverts. You will find links to superbly dark songs like 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by the Bauhaus from the start of 'The Hunger', and the haunting overture sang by Ethel Ennis's, for the wonderfully silly classic 'Mad Monster Party', narrated by the immortal Boris Karloff. There is the overture to 'Phantom of the Opera', the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's 'Dracula', and early legendary classics of the cinema such as F. W Murnau's 'Nosferatu', and the early Universal Horror movies, especially those featuring Boris Karloff. For connoisseurs of television, you will also find an advert featuring the deeply sinister Judderman.

If you love anything dark and ghostly then join us, and let us know of your own moonlit inspirations.

Looking through the Gothic Lens: Squidoo

We are pleased to announce that The Gothic Works of Glenn James now has a lens on Squidoo. On our lens you can find the latest news, our rss feed and twitter updates, slideshows of the artwork and videos. There is also a guestbook, so please feel free to leave any comments. We will of course be adding more features in due course. This platform is an ideal way of pulling together various interactive elements from across the web.

Squidoo is the popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create lenses online. Lenses are pages, kind of like flyers or signposts or overview articles that gather everything you know about your topic of interest and snap it all into focus. Like the lens of a camera, your perspective on something. Feel free to create your own lens.

Ask Us Any Question: Formspring Me

Have you ever wanted to ask Glenn a question, but not been sure if you should? Well here's your chance, you can now ask Glenn or Angela any question anonymously, or you can leave your name if you want. This is thanks to a new social facility called Formspring Me.

Just click on the link at the bottom left hand corner of any page on our site and you will be redirected to our Formspring Me Page. Here you can post questions, see answers, and browse historical Q&A.

So if you want to know how long it takes Glenn to complete a drawing, where his ideas come from, what his favourite horror movie is or how Angela copes with working and living with a Goth? Then please ask away.

The Search for Skaler: Google Site Search

We have now added a search facility on our site. This is powered by Google and we hope that browsers will find it a useful facility in locating information they require quickly.

So if you want to search for Skaler, any pages showing any information relating to Skaler will be accessible at the touch of a button.

So please search away.

New: Product Information Page

By way of illustration, if you will forgive the pun, we have today launched a Product Information page. In terms of providing as much information about our work as possible, this does exactly what it says on the tin. Providing a good comprehensive explanation of each of the items we sell, and the constituents which go up to make the finished whole.

This therefore provides detailed information about the makeup of our Prints, Greetings Cards, Postcards, Fridge Magnets and Keyrings. There is a photograph profiling a group of the items together, and we endeavour to hope that this will prove an informative insight, allowing prospective purchasers to see before they buy.

Online Wholesale PayPal Shop: Now Available

We have today launched our Online Wholesale PayPal Shop, which will enable new and current stockists to order products direct from our site, at wholesale prices. Payments can be made by Credit/Debit Card via PayPal.

This covers the full range of our items available and new releases will of course be added at the appropriate times. We hope that our stockists find this facility a useful and convenient aid.

New Drawing - Lord Id: SkyFather (Vampire Creation Myth)

Lord Id: SkyFather forms a vital contribution to the Skaler Mythology, as it depicts a scene directly related to the creation myths of the civilisation of all Born Vampires in Skaler's world.

The Born believe that their race was created by an immense bat called Lord Id, who was so mesmerised by Lady Luci, (daughter of the Sun and Moon), that he bit her. This impregnated Luci, and caused her to give birth to the first vampire, first werewolf, and then the Undead races.

For this, Id was cursed with an uncontrollable thirst for blood, and grew to an Olympian size. The Goddess Eternity set the world in his mouth, which he is condemned to carry every day towards the sun. This is how Id is shown in Glenn's drawing, and crowned by the Citadel of Pelgalion, the Born vampires' Valhalla.

Now On Sale: Gothic Fridge Magnets & Keyrings

We would like to announce the launch of our new range of Fridge Magnets and Keyrings, featuring the current range of drawings available.

A natural development on our earlier magnets, these frame the images in a sturdy plastic frame which is solid, easy to clean, and which displays the work to wonderful effect.

The Fridge Magnets and Keyrings will be available from our online shop and our growing list of stockists.

Gothic Wholesale: New Wholesale Pages

We have added a wholesale section on the website, in an effort to assist anyone interested in stocking The Gothic Works for sale. Here you will find information for prospective retailers, such as details of our wholesale package, ordering information, price list, faqs and a downloadable order form. You can also request a free sample pack from these pages.

We are in the process of setting up an online wholesale shop via PayPal, to enable new and current stockists to order our products at wholesale prices. This will be announced in due course.

About Us: New Webpage Incorporating Profiles & Biography

We have added a new About Us page detailing how the business started back in 2004, the roads travelled and how it has expanded into what it is today.

From this page you will find links to Glenn and Angela's Profile Pages, Glenn's Biography and pages detailing Glenn's Beginning & Style, Medium, Drawing Technique and Influences.

Lindy Lous in the News: Express & Star Article

Wolverhampton's leading Newspaper, the Express and Star ran a story on The Gothic Works being on sale in the city.

The article focussed on the history of Glenn's associations with Wolverhampton and the fact that his 1999 radio play 'Shadowfell' was inspired by the Tudor House, Lindy Lous. This was broadcast on BBC Radio WM as part of the last Wolverhampton Community Radio Show of the Century.

The story mused upon the very bizarre coincidence that 10 years later, his work has gone on sale in Wolverhampton for the very first time, at Wolverhampton Books and Collectables, which is housed in the very same Tudor house which inspired his play.

'Shadowfell' was Glenn's first attempt at a full length supernatural story, and along with 'The Green, Green Grass of Home', a short vampire story for radio, they were the natural precursors of his Skaler work.

The article carried a good photograph of Glenn with David Wilsdon, proprietor of Wolverhampton Books and Collectables, holding some of Glenn's A4 prints.

Gothic Babel Fish: Google Translate Added to The Gothic Works Site

In an effort to make The Gothic Works as user friendly and accessible as possible, we are pleased to announce that Google Translate has been added to the website.

We receive hits from fans of the gothic genre from all over the world, and this innovation is an important aid to help everyone access the work, from Taiwan to Tipperary.

We hope that this will be of assistance, and just wanted to say welcome to any new browsers who will be able to view the site in their own language for the first time. We hope you enjoy the work.

Problems Opening Short Stories in Acrobat Reader 9

It has come to our attention that some people are having problems with this reader, if so please: - 1. Open Reader, 2. Click on Edit, 3. Click on Preferences, 4. Click on Internet from the menu, 5. Unclick 'Display PDF in Browser'

2nd Short Story Online: The Geritoff's House

In tribute to the fact that Glenn's work is now on sale at Wolverhampton Books and Collectables, his second short story published online is one inspired by the Tudor building housing the bookshop.

Known locally as Lindy Lous, the house is one of the oldest original structures in the centre of Wolverhampton, and is surrounded by a wealth of local myths and legends.

Standing empty for many years when Glenn was a student, he was always fascinated by the stories about this enigmatic structure, which also inspired his radio play, Shadowfell.

Set within the Skaler mythology, The Geritoff's House introduces a fascinating creature who is one of Glenn's own creations, and who we think will cast a chill over readers passing derelict buildings in forgotten corners.

According to Glenn: First Skaler Short Story Goes Online

We are proud to announce that Glenn's very first short story about Skaler, titled 'According to Bill', is now available online through the short story pages of our website.

Skaler is Glenn's primary subject in his writing, an 800 year old troubadour and renegade squire, who is still on the run from the ancient vampire DreamWalker, Prince Germane. Skaler is still a musician, and he takes a very mischievous approach to the afterlife. This is no ordinary vampire but a true free spirit, with issues he is determined to resolve, and 'According to Bill' is his first real appearance in short fiction.

The Story was delivered to an appreciative audience of about 200 by Glenn in 2006, at the inaugural opening of the Speakeasy Writers open mic night, in Worcester, and has been published online by Newsblaze and The Student Operated Press in June 2008.

This is Glenn's first short piece to be published on our website, and we aim to publish one of his stories each month. Announcements will be made in due course.

We value your opinion, so please feel free to let us know what you think of the work, on either our forum page and/or Facebook page.

Stockists Page

We have now added a Stockists Page to the site. This provides a list of the stores who now stock The Gothic Works. This list is continually expanding, so watch this space.

It gives details of the proprietor's names, location, contact, and website details, and a handy description of the establishment.

We hope that this will be of assistance to anyone wishing to contact them, and with any enquiries you might have about what they have to offer.

Spellbinding: The Gothic Works Goes To Nuneaton

After braving the gathering snow, Glenn was made very welcome by Lisa & Jeff Wale, proprietors of our seventh stockist, Spellbound Gifts, in Nuneaton.

A family run business situated in Abbey Green, Nuneaton for the last six years, is forging ahead, with loyal customers coming from as far afield as Rugby and Leicester. This real find of a shop, aims to cater to all spiritual needs and offers an enormous range of goods right across the spectrum, as well as Holistic treatments. They have a particularly fine range of Green Man plaques, and we highly recommend the Neighbourhood Witch signs.

(Especial thanks are also due to John and Kevin of Quickfit, who not only gave him directions from the station, but actually a lift to their premises.)

2nd Birmingham Retail Outlet: Zen in Moseley

The Gothic Work is now on sale at Zen, on Saint Mary's Row, in Moseley, in the middle of one of Birmingham's most artistic communities.

This is an area Glenn knows well, as a young art student he would go walking around Moseley Bog when thinking about developing his own work, a site well known to have inspired the Shire in J.R.R Tolkien's Middle Earth Saga. He later lived in Moseley for two years whilst his ideas were taking shape, and left just after Zen actually opened.

Zen is a market leader in the provision of spiritual therapies and products and has recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. With another store in Brindley Place, Zen has built up a reputation for not only educating and informing, but also for providing first rate readings, therapies, hosting events, courses & workshops, as well as selling exquisite gifts & jewellery.

Glenn's range of Greeting Cards has already gone on sale, and will be followed shortly by a selection of his A4 Prints.

Blown to the Wolves: Glenn's Gothic Works to be stocked by Wolverhampton based bookshop

Glenn's work is now for sale at Wolverhampton Books and Collectables.

David Wilsdon's treasure trove for bookworms is based in the legendary Tudor house known as Lindy Louis, on the corner of Saint Johns Street.

Glenn has a long history with Wolverhampton, having been a University student there and then later a radio producer. When the shop was empty back in 1999, it was the inspiration for Glenn's ghostly radio play broadcast on BBC Radio WM, Shadowfell.

The Gothic Works Goes Social

In an effort to spread a little darkness in our own inimitable way, we are pleased to announce that you can now follow us on Facebook, My Space and Twitter.

Please use the buttons at the bottom of our site to be directed to the relevant pages.

We will be adding more social networks soon, so that all who are interested can have a look, or should we say a tweet (or possibly a good long howl at the moon).

Keep In Touch: RSS Feed Now Available

We are pleased to announce that you can now subscribe to our Gothic Works newsfeed.

A rather nifty new facility which means that if you would like to keep abreast about what we are doing, subscribing to the feed will keep you bang up to date with all the news instantaneously without having to navigate to the website.

We hope that this will prove to be an informative and useful service for everyone who has a keen interest in the work.

Enchanted: Gothic Works Is Now On Sale in Tamworth

We are delighted to reveal that the work has gone on sale in Enchantica Crystals, in Tamworth.

Ran by Gail Lea, the New Age Shop based at Bolebridge Mews, Tamworth, is a cosy, comfortable, higgledy piggledy place with an inviting atmosphere and a wonderful smell.

They have an extensive tumbled crystal selection and can help you to choose the right crystal for your needs.

2nd Worcestershire Stockist: Changes 4 Life

At the end of a fantastic week, which has already seen the work go on sale at two new establishments across the Midlands, we are thrilled to announce our sixth stockist to date, and we would like to say how grateful we are to all the businesses concerned.

Changes for Life, in Sidbury, Worcester was founded by Julie Dyde and Deana Jenkins, who had a deep desire to set up a spiritual centre in Worcester. They offer a wide range of services, which includes Indian Head Massage, Cosmic Ordering, Clairvoyant Evenings, Angelic Reiki Healing, and Psychic Tarot Card Reading, to name but a few. As well as stocking a fabulous range of crystals, minerals, jewellery, books, incense, oils, etc.

Here Be (More) Dragons: In Case of Fire

A mischievous addition to Glenn's new series of Dragons is In Case of Fire, which shows a formidably sardonic firedrake regarding a cheeky Knight with a Fire Extinguisher standing on his finger.

Glenn believes his Dragon drawings will naturally fall into two camps: outright mischief, like this new drawing he had had in mind for a while, or full on fantasy drawings.

We hope that our extinguished friend will raise a grin, if not an inflagration, and please look out for the piece in the usual formats through our stockists or our online shop.

Open All Hours: Launch of Online PayPal Shop

We are delighted to announce the launch of our Online PayPal Shop.

You can now purchase copies of Glenn's dark work online via PayPal and pay by debit/credit card.

Tremendous thanks are due to Angela James for her hard work and innovative IT skills for setting up the facility.

The system is easy to navigate, and we hope it will prove a useful facility. Please keep us in mind for unusual cards and gifts all year round.

Here Be Dragons: Marlborough Knight

Following a long standing ambition, Glenn has added a new piece of work to his range of drawings featuring a Dragon.

The illustration, called Marlborough Knight, features a particularly wicked beast lighting a cigar, and using an unhorsed Knight as a lighter.

As well as creating a fearsome looking dragon, this piece has given Glenn plenty of scope to exercise his mischievous sense of humour, and we hope that fans of his work will enjoy what will be the first of many in the series.