Women in Horror: Featuring The Horror Honeys

As you may know, February is "Women in Horror" month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions about being a "Woman in Horror." This time we have a group of the women who were kind enough to answer our questions, the fantastic Horror Honeys. Lets see what they said about being a “Woman in Horror”…

-When did you first become a horror fan?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: Junior high

Horror TV Honey Lisa: I was around 12 when I saw A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 and there was no going back from there.

Supernatural Honey Suzanne: Elementary school. My babysitter introduced me to Stephen King.

Revenge Honey Linnie: When I was little, I would sit outside the door to my grandpa's TV room and secretly watch Stephen King movies along with him. So probably when I was 6 or 7.

Slasher Honey Chassity: Since 10. My uncle snuck me a copy of Scream, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Head Honey Kat: I was a bit of a creepy kid, at 4 I was determined that I was going to marry Vincent Price.  

-Was there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of happen naturally?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: Happened naturally after I hooked up with my original sister in screams, Linnie, and her passion increased mine!  

Horror TV Honey Lisa: Completely happened by accident via a random Twitter interaction.

Supernatural Honey Suzanne: I always wanted to do something in the genre, but writing really happened through my twitter connections.

Revenge Honey Linnie: I'd been writing about darker things since I was in middle school, but I didn't have an outlet for it until I met Jocelyn, and then we eventually both became Horror Honeys! The environment encouraged me to pursue more work in the horror world

Slasher Honey Chassity: Happened naturally. I talk about horror all the time on social media. Then I met Lisa and she’s been hooking me up with amazing horror opportunities ever since.

Head Honey Kat: It kind of just... happened. I never really had a plan to be a horror writer/journalist/author/movie-obsessed weirdo, but itsbeen a wonderful rollercoaster ride.

- What does having a "Women in Horror" month mean to you?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: Not sure yet, seems like a fairly new construct?

Supernatural Honey Suzanne: In theory, it’s great, but since women are really making huge headway in horror, it seems a bit… insulting.

Revenge Honey Linnie: I think Hannah Neurotica did a fabulous thing when she spearheaded the movement. But it's up to all of us to make sure people remember we're here all year. Not just in February.

Slasher Honey Chassity: I feel like it’s existence shows good intentions, but draws attention to how unfortunately rare women in horror are.

Head Honey Kat: The goal of WiHM is to eventually cease to exist, and I applaud that wholeheartedly. The struggle that women in horror face to be recognized on the same level as our male counterparts is sometimes a painful one and we put up with a lot of shit. I hope that WiHM will open people’s eyes to the fact that it really shouldn’t be necessary to highlight our gender when it comes to horror, but celebrate the fact that the genre is growing in diverse ways and that we have something valid and unique to contribute.

-Is there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: Locally I love Jill Sixx(Call Girl) who is doing her own thing big-time!

Horror TV Honey Lisa: Dpyx-I think we will all be hearing a lot from them in the future. Also, more people should know what Stacy Pippa Hammon is doing.

Revenge Honey Linnie: Gale Anne Hurd is a huge role model of mine. She has been the unsung hero behind so many horror and sci-fi films over the years, and rarely gets the credit she deserves. Also, Emilie Autumn because she's pure magic.

Slasher Honey Chassity: For me, this is an impossible choice.

-How do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: I hope less victimhood, more independence (i.e., You’re Next, which I LOVED).

Horror TV Honey Lisa: I don't feel that it has changed very much. I think what has changed is the amount of women who are vocal about being a part of it and that is what will begin to shape things for the better.

Supernatural Honey Suzanne: I think women writers and directors are proving that they can create smart, thought provoking and scary films that don’t have to rely on gore or pointless nudity to draw an audience.

Slasher Honey Chassity: Women are becoming more and more heroic, to me. And by that I mean that they dominate sometimes and even rescue the men. Positive moments for women in horror are less and less accidental and coincidental. Final Girls are more and more proactive. These days, we get strong women who have always been strong, versus seeming to luck into their roles and their strengths because of circumstances.

Head Honey Kat: I think being vocal is a big part of the change. Women make up a HUGE percentage of the horror audience, and we’re not afraid to express ourselves when it comes to what we love and hate about the genre. The best and most organic kind of change comes from within, and bringing a different perspective to the genre is a key element of female voices in the horror arena.

-What do you think the future holds for women in horror?

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: More women writers and directors, ideally!!!  

Horror TV Honey Lisa: I think that depends entirely on how we choose, as a group, to direct that.

Revenge Honey Linnie: Hopefully, we will get to a point when "women in horror" is no longer a distinction that needs to be made. We just are horror.

Slasher Honey Chassity: I think that with more and more women in horror, we’ll see a change. A shift to more unique, defining roles and more creative, never-before-seen ideas for horror films, and moving away from a time when everything is regurgitated.

Head Honey Kat: Horror is a genre that is constantly in flux, and I hope that women can find not just their niche, but a platform to share their unique experience that isn’t pushed aside, dismissed or discounted on the basis of gender. Equality is always the goal, however far away it might be.

Being that this is PromoteHorror.com, please feel free to plug your current/next horror project.

You can find The Horror Honeys at www.thehorrorhoneys.com for news, reviews, podcast, and attitude!

They also have a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the Haunted Honey Roadtrip! ~ http://igg.me/at/honeyroadtrip/x/8208537

The Horror Honeys is a collection of strong minded, badass women with foul mouths who are in love with all things horror. We write, live tweet, interview, rant and rave about everything we love (and hate) about the horror genre. 

The Horror Honeys are Full-On Female Fronted Horror, without all that bullshit about being a victim. (bio from their site)

For more information, again please visit:

www.thehorrorhoneys.com

Twitter handles for the Honey's who supplied answers:

Hardcover Honey Jocelyn: twitter.com/jbrivard

Horror TV Honey Lisa: twitter.com/lcfremont

Supernatural Honey Suzanne: twitter.com/suzebee04

Revenge Honey Linnie: twitter.com/linnieloowho

Slasher Honey Chassity: twitter.com/ChassMM

Head Honey Kat: twitter.com/horrorhoneys

You can also find them on Facebook!