In her first podcast interview EVER, horror writer/artist Skyla Macy talks about her weekly newsletter, “Slasher;” her analog horror series on YouTube, “Tear Erosion;” her horror-themed art and cosplays; as well as her background with horror (including how horror runs in her bloodline!). Host Lauren Spear was first introduced to Skyla Macy when she submitted a guest post to HorrorFam.com and immediately recognized Skyla as a gifted contributor to the horror genre. If Skyla keeps going, she’ll succeed — and anyone who watches this milestone episode can say “I knew her when!”

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends! Spread the word!! You can also help support our content by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/HorrorFam

LINKS for More Skyla Macy:

• Skyla Macy’s “Slasher” Newsletter: https://slasher.substack.com/  
• Skyla Macy’s Horror Shirts for Sale: https://spadefantasy.threadless.com/
• Skyla Macy’s “Tear Erosion” Analog Horror Series: https://www.youtube.com/@spadefantasy
• Skyla Macy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spade_fantasy/
• “Slasher” Newsletter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slashernewsletter/
• Skyla Macy on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/spadefantasy.bsky.social

FULL Written Transcript: HorrorFam.com Podcast Interview with Skyla Macy

*HorrorFam.com Podcast intro music plays*

Lauren Spear: Hi! I’m Lauren from HorrorFam.com and you’re watching or listening to the HorrorFam.com Podcast. This is episode number twenty-nine and my guest today is Skyla Macy! She’s a writer, and an artist, and a digital content creator who has an analog horror series on YouTube called “Tear Erosion,” and she runs a newsletter called “Slasher” where she writes about horror topics on a frequent basis and they’re always really great to read.

Annnnnd… here she is! Hi, Skyla!

Skyla Macy: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

Lauren: Well, uh… *laughs*

You do a LOT of things! Which one would you like to talk about first?

Skyla Macy: Probably my newsletter, because that’s the one I focus on the most.

Lauren Spear: Okay! Let’s talk about your newsletter!

I really liked your most recent post. You were talking about colors in movies!

Skyla Macy: Yeeeesss!

Lauren: You were talking about the reds in Suspiria, the green in Saw, and how Mexico in real life versus Mexico in the movies — how they always use these kind of yellow…

Which, I don’t know about you, but I personally associate yellow with poison and toxicity!

Skyla Macy: Yeah! Yeah! I always thought those were funny. Because, like, why are we… Why are we saying that Mexico looks poisonous? I don’t like that. Like… *laughs* It always has that weird filter! And I’m like, “That’s weird.” But okay. I guess. I see.

Lauren: And I suppose your background as an artist helps with that too! You always come up with these interesting connections that are fun to read about. That one was a good example of that, I felt, because I was like, “Ohh! She’s noticing the colors!” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Thank youuu!! *laughs* It does help a lot, actually! Because, like I said in that specific newsletter, it’s how different colors make you think of different emotions.

Like with green in Saw. Like, you’re thinking, “Oh. Disease. Radiation.” Things like that. And it’s just interesting to see! If they’d gotten rid of that filter, and it was just white, you’d be like, “Oh. It’s just like a normal hospital. Okay.”

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Yeah… *takes a pause to mentally compare her previous hospital visits to the Saw franchise’s world*

Oh! I forgot to mention that Skyla Macy has also contributed a couple of guest posts to HorrorFam.com! So, if you’ve been on there for a while, you may have read her article on The Monument Mythos or… Her most recent article on there was examples of Capitalism in Horror and some movies that demonstrated that.

Skyla Macy: Yeah!

Lauren: So, if you liked her writing style on HorrorFam.com, you’ll love her newsletter as well!

Skyla Macy: *chuckles*

Lauren: It’s a lot of very similar stuff!

And…

How did you get into horror?

Lauren Spear (continuing): What made it appeal to you?

Skyla Macy: So, I actually got into horror when I was…

Well, okay. Let me back up! *laughs*

So, when I was a kid, me and my dad would do horror marathons. Which, as an adult now…like…maybe I shouldn’t have been. *chuckles* But here we are!

Like, my dad would have me… My FIRST horror movie was Dead Silence!

Skyla Macy (continuing): And, from there, we did The Ring, Hellraiser…

Hellraiser I DEFNITELY shouldn’t have been watching!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Probably not! Depending on your age. *laughs more*

Skyla Macy: But it wasn’t until, like, high school that I really started to admire horror and have an appreciation for it. Because that was when…

My goal was to watch cult classics! So, some horror movies ARE cult classics. And I just stumbled upon the gold mine of slasher movies and realized that I really love watching people die in stupid ways. Soooo…

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: My husband can attest to that! He really likes the ones where people… He loves the Friday the 13^th [franchise], Saw – all the ones where he’s just like, “Yes. They had it comin’.” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: No, he’s right! He’s right. They usually do!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren Spear: And…

For your analog horror series, “Tear Erosion”…

Lauren Spear (continuing): …what…? Can you describe that a bit more to the audience?

Skyla Macy: Yeah!

So, “Tear Erosion” is essentially… It takes place in the ‘80s and it’s about an anti-depressant medication. And, essentially, they went through all these trials… Realized that there was a LOT of side-effects, but it’s Big Pharma so they don’t care. They released the drug anyway and promoted it as “This will help you! You’ll feel better again! You’ll be happy and everything will be fine!”

And, in reality, it really makes people cry to the point that it erodes their cheeks. And have permanent scars. And, in some cases, also, like, blackouts. Or, with the first episode, a guy killing his entire family! Sooo… *chuckles*

Lauren: Those are some pretty gnarly side-effects! *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yeah!! *laughs*

Lauren: Yeah. *laughs* At first I was like, “Hmm. Yes. Relatable. Relatable.” And then I was like, “Hm. Well. My experience wasn’t quite THAT bad!” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yeah. It did come about when I was in sort of a darker place in life. When I was in-between jobs and I was like, “I feel like I don’t know where I’m going in life!” And it just came to me. And I was like, “Ya know what? …Why not?? I’ll put my emotions into THIS.”

And that’s one of the things I really love about horror: You can use your emotions and put them into a terrifying story that a lot of people can relate to.

Lauren: Oh, absolutely.

That’s actually one of the things that’s come up a few times on this show! That people were like, “Well… I lost my job. And then I thought… HORROR!”

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: That’s kind of my story too, to be honest! *laughs* I got laid off from my job and my husband and I were like, “Well, if not now – when?”

Skyla Macy: Wow!

Lauren: “Go get building your dream website and let’s see if that works!”

Skyla Macy: Awwwwwwwwwwwwww! I love that!!

Because, personally, I’m really…

I have a job right now, but I’m, you know, LOOKING to do my own thing. And I just love seeing success stories like that! It makes me really happy. *chuckles*

Lauren: Well… *sheepish laugh* I’m trying!!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: *giggling* Okay, Everyone, sign up to Patreon.com/HorrorFam so we can get some more income in here!

Skyla Macy: YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS! DO IT!!

Lauren: And then we can start paying some of these writers! *gestures to Skyla* You can stop being a guest [writer] and quit whatever you’re doing now and come work for me. *laughs*

But, yeah! I love that, for so many of us, horror isn’t, like, scary. It’s like… This is our comfort.

Skyla Macy: Yeah!

Lauren Spear: This is our…

This is what we go to when the horror happens TO us!

Skyla Macy: Yeah! I actually recently, in my… Which one…? It was in one of my recent newsletter issues! I can’t remember which one, for some reason. But, recently, I dove into that and how a lot of people turn to horror when things are getting crazy in real life.

Like in the Great Depression, a lot of people were going to watch horror movies — like the classic Universal Monsters — because it’s like, “Well, it’s easier to face THESE monsters than waiting in the bread line.”

Lauren Spear: Yeah. Exactly!

Skyla Macy: Yeah.

Lauren: I love that you bring up those topics in your newsletter. That’s really great.

I also liked… *chuckles* You sometimes have videos embedded into your newsletters as well! Which is a fun element, too. I liked your “Spring Cleaning” one!

Skyla Macy: Yes! *chuckles*

Lauren: Did you want to talk about any of that…?

Skyla Macy: Recently… Like with my “Spring Cleaning” one – that was super fun! Because I was trying to…

Now that I’m doing this thing, I try to release a trailer for each month now. And it’s so fun because I try to make it on theme with the month! And I was thinking about March and how there’s not a lot going on in March other than St. Patrick’s Day. But it is the beginning of Spring!

So, I was like,

“Oh! You know what? What IS Spring in horror??”

Skyla Macy (continuing): And I started thinking about it. And there’s Midsommer, Wicker Man – that’s kind of all we have! But they’re very similar in theme. So, I figured I could do that. And it was really fun to write!

Lauren: Yeah! And I liked how you had the… It was sort of the Instagram Reels inspirational – with all the flowers and everything – and then it’s like, “Wait. These things that she’s suggesting for ‘Spring Cleaning’ could also be used for other things!”

Both: *laugh*

Skyla Macy: Yeah! I love… The trailers, I think, are really fun now! Because it definitely gets people interested and intrigued. Because it’s like, “OH! I know THAT movie and I know THAT scene… What’s she going to write about though? What’s this going to connect to??”

Or, like, in February I did it connecting to the Super Bowl. With Final Destination. And I’m sure people were like, “What does THAT have to do with THIS? What are we doing with that?!” *laughs*  

It’s a great way to make people excited for the newsletter!

Lauren: Yeah! That’s a great idea! It made ME excited. I was happy.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Oh! Before we get too much further: Can you say the address to sign up for your newsletter and such?

Skyla Macy: Yes! It’s Slasher dot com… Oh no! Sorry. It’s Substack… uh… Slasher dot com slash Substack…? I think? Or Substack dot Slasher??

It’s on Substack!

Lauren: *laughs*

Skyla Macy: It’s Slasher! *laughs*

Lauren: Okay. See… *gasping for air from laughing* I’m glad I’m not the only one!! Because I was about to do [the web address] but then I was like, “What was it??” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Nah, I can’t remember if it’s Substack first or if it’s Slasher… No! I think it’s Slasher dot Substack dot com!

Lauren: We’ve gotta get you, like, a REAL domain name that you can like…! *uses her hands to signify merging the newsletter with a domain*

Skyla Macy: *laughs* I know!! You can buy one on there! I’ve been too lazy to do it. But I need to. I need to.

Lauren: *Empathetically* It’s an expense.

Skyla Macy: It is!!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: So, first, YOU need to set up a Patreon. Get some money from THAT. And then get a domain name to direct people to the newsletter! *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Good point! Patreon coming 2025!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Great idea! …I say to myself. *pats her own head* Good job.

Skyla Macy: *laughs*

Lauren Spear: Let’s see…

Your art! Let’s not forget to talk about your art!

Lauren Spear (continuing): Because you also have a lot of art for sale – via t-shirts and things like that! Did you want to talk about those?

Skyla Macy: Sure! I’m actually wearing one right now!

Lauren: Oh, that’s great! *squints to see better* I remember that one!

Skyla Macy: My Mickey Mouse!

Lauren: Yeah! *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yeah! So, yeah, a lot of my art, at least on my Threadless store, which is… *thinks* Spade Fantasy dot com slash Threadless. That one I know. I think? We’re gonna pretend that’s right.

ANYWAY! *laughs*

Lauren: I’ll be sure to add little banners that say [the correct web addresses].

Skyla Macy: *through laughter* Thanks! Yes!!

*regains composure* A lot of those [designs], I try to do things a lot more people are going to like in terms of aesthetics. So, I have, like, a “Girl Power…but it’s HORROR” collection. And a lot of that has to do with the horrors of womanhood or things that have to do with feminism in that sense.

But I also have more fun stuff like this *gestures to her shirt* where it’s just Mickey Mouse in the They Live style because, you know, Walt Disney is just a giant monopoly now.

Lauren: *chuckles* It kind of goes along with your “Horror in Capitalism” [article].

Skyla Macy: Yeah! *laughs* Exactly.

Lauren: So, yeah! Mickey Mouse went into the Public Domain – at least the Steamboat Willy version – so…

Skyla Macy: Yeah! Yeah.

Lauren: That one must’ve been a fun one to do and know that, like, “Hey, I’m in the free-and-clear!”

Skyla Macy: I know! Exactly! Because, like, Walt Disney… They are VERY crazy about their copyrights. So, to be like, “OH! Can’t do anything about it NOW, can you, Mister Mouse?” *laughs*

Lauren Spear: And…

Did you go to school for art or…?

Skyla Macy: So, originally I was going to. I actually got accepted into Ringling, which is a school down in Sarasota. TWICE, actually! But I couldn’t get the funding, unfortunately.

And, from there, I actually instead decided to do creative writing. And that’s kind of a lot where… I’m kind of NOT mad that I didn’t get to go to school for art. Because it pushed be towards writing and now I have a newsletter that I LOVE – so it was kind of a good thing, honestly! *laughs*

Lauren: Yeah! Now you’ve got BOTH skills!

Skyla Macy: Yeah!

Lauren: It’s perfect.

My mom was similar. She got accepted into prestigious art schools and then realized that she didn’t have any money. So, she didn’t go!

Skyla Macy: Yeah!! *rueful chuckle*

Lauren: It didn’t stop her!

Skyla Macy: Aww! That’s so nice. I love that!

Lauren: Yeah. And me, personally, I graduated high school and then… that was it. [Other than a couple random classes at Community College and a year of dental trade school that went nowhere. I highly recommend Basic First Aid training! But otherwise, my only formal education/diploma ending with high school has been A-okay!!].

Skyla Macy: Yeah. I mean, college is sometimes overrated. So… *shrugs*

Lauren: Yeah.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Um… yeah… *awkward chuckle, praying for a thought to enter her brain*

Oh! I liked your news… You did one that was a video where you were talking about

Your childhood fears…?

Skyla Macy: Oh!! *laughs* Yes.

Lauren: I liked the part where you were talking about the deep ocean. And you were like, “They should just let them chill there.” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yes! I still stand by that.

Lauren: Yeah.

Skyla Macy: Because when you… Especially when you’re on the coasts, you know… Florida… And you’re in California! And they’re all like, “There’s sharks.” And you’re like, “No. I will NOT be going into the water.” *chuckles* I do not want to be ‘ate’ by Bruce [the shark from Jaws].

Lauren: Yeah.

Skyla Macy: I do not want that.

Lauren: No, no, no. You’re also on the coast. You’re in Florida! Right…?

Skyla Macy: Yes!

Lauren: Yeah. So you’ve got all kinds… All kinds of critters there!

Skyla Macy: Sharks! Jellyfish! Jellyfish show up a LOT – and I don’t want to get stung. I’m terrified.

But, yeah. That video is mostly me trying to do something fun. Because I’m like, you know, “Why not?” And then…

I am trying to bring back the Jump Scare videos! I’m just trying to find the proper balance for how I want to do it. But they are fun to do!

Especially… One of my favorite ones to do was the first one, actually! When I was talking about the remake of The Crow. And me just, you know, talking about how bad the trailer looked. And I was like, “WHY are we doing this? Nothing about this screams good.” I feel like we should just let Brandon Lee rest. Stop this madness.

Skyla Macy (continuing): And I did it dressed up as The Crow, too, so that made it more fun, to be honest.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren Spear: Yeah.

You do some cosplay as well!

Lauren Spear (continuing): Like your Crow costume. And you’ve done some other stuff too. You’re always looking very fashionable.

Skyla Macy: *laughs* Thank you!

Lauren: We’re both wearing our merch today. *laughs*

Skyla Macy: YAAAASSS! As we should!!

Both: *laugh*

Skyla Macy: Yeah, so, with the cosplay, I actually just started in 2020…Three?? 2023 is when I think I did my first cosplay.

My first cosplay was Patrick! Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. And that’s still, like, my main cosplay because he’s my favorite character. So, I’m like, “That’s the one! Always doing that one.”

Skyla Macy (continuing): But, since then, I’ve done The Crow, Jack Skellington, and I’ve also done…

Who was the other person I’ve done? Why can’t I remember my other cosplays?!

Well, I’ve done others. But those are the main ones that I usually do! *laughs*

Lauren: You…

You said that Patrick Bateman is your favorite character – why is that?

Skyla Macy: So, in high school, when I was gaining my appreciation for horror, that was like the first… Well, not THE first, but one of the first ones was American Psycho where I was like, “Huh!”

It made me… It was one of the ones that made me go, “There’s something about this.” And I realized that it was because, in high school, I was one of those people who felt like, “Oh, I have to fit in with everyone or they’re going to say something about me. I can’t stand out!” And, when I watched that film, I was like, “Oh. If I fit in, and just decide to become everyone else, I kind of lose my sense of self. I’m gonna lose my own identity.” Like, I’m never going to be anyone other than THAT person that exists.

Skyla Macy (continuing): So, yeah. The reason that I love Patrick is that it’s… He is basically everything that I DON’T want to be! Which is a weird reason to love a character. But it always reminds me: I don’t want to be like him!! But I do love him because he’s funny and charismatic… But I don’t want to be like him in terms of being a terrible person and having no sense of identity!

And… yeah! It’s one of those things. It’s why I love horror so much! Because it has those moments where it’s like, “Wowww! That. Really. CHANGED me!”

Lauren Spear: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I… I was thinking of a few characters that I felt that way about throughout my life. Where it’s like, “Ohh. I resonate with this character! …I shouldn’t.”

Skyla Macy: YEAH! Literally!!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: I also noticed you have a lot of Evil Dead toys behind you! *gestures to the Funko Pops, NECA action figures, and assorted other horror toys on the shelving behind Skyla*

Skyla Macy: Yeah. I do!

Because my top three are

American Psycho, the Evil Dead franchise, and They Live!

Skyla Macy (continuing): So, yeah, I have a lot of ‘Ash’s around. *chuckles*

Lauren Spear: I have a Fright Rags t-shirt that’s a They Live shirt. And it looks normal, at first, but then if you take a photo with a flash, it shows up all the “Obey” and, you know, all that stuff. It’s really cool! *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Oh my God! I need that!!

Lauren: Yeah.

Skyla Macy: I need. Oh! I have to. I have to get that now! Because that’s REALLY cool!!

Lauren: It is! Their t-shirts are the best. *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Omigod.

Lauren: I own, like… I think I own 15 t-shirts right now. And 11 of them are HorrorFam.com shirts and then the others are all Fright Rags. *chuckles*

Skyla Macy: Oh my God. I love that.

Like, I’ve been looking at Cavity Colors and stuff – which is another horror [shirts webstore] – but I need to look into Fright Rags! Because I’ve heard of them, but I haven’t really looked into their merch, so…

Lauren: Oh, they’re so good! Uh…Not sponsored. *laughs* But they’re so good!! They’re 100% cotton and they’ve got all these cool designs…

Skyla Macy: Not sponsored… but if you WANT to…!!

Lauren: *laughs* But if you WANT to, you can!

Skyla Macy: You’re open to it. *laughs* Exactly!

Lauren: I would not object. *laughs*

Okay! So, we’ve got about eight minutes left. So, before we get distracted with other things…

Skyla Macy: Yes!

Lauren: Please let people know where to find you!

You already mentioned that you’re “Slasher” on Substack. But you’re “SpadeFantasy” on YouTube, right?

Skyla Macy: Yes.

Lauren: And that’s all one word.

Skyla Macy: Yeah.

Lauren: I think it’s YouTube dot com slash AT Spade Fantasy.

Skyla Macy: Yep yep.

Lauren: And that’s “spade” like a card.

Skyla Macy: Mmhmm!

Lauren: Or like a garden spade. *gestures smacking a bad guy over the head with a spade/shovel*

Skyla Macy: That’s true! Yeah. *laughs* “Like a garden spade…”

I’m also… You can find me… Like, I’m on Instagram at Spade slash Fantasy. And I actually just recently created an Instagram for my newsletter and so that’s going to be @SlasherNewsletter.

And I’m also on Bluesky at Spade underscore Fantasy. Or… SpadeFantasy all together…?

But, yeah! That’s pretty much it. I think?

Lauren: *chuckles* Well, was there anything else that you wanted to talk about that’s caught your interest lately?

Skyla Macy: You know, I have… As far as catching my interest, I just realized that the newsletter issue I was talking about earlier was also about how horror movies are going back to basics. With, like, monsters and gore and slashers. And I just think that’s really cool! Because it’s all of the stuff that I love, so I’m happy to see that. *giggles*

Lauren: Yes. Me too. *chuckles* I’d love to see even more monsters though.

Skyla Macy: Yes!

Lauren: I miss the monsters.

Skyla Macy: Oh! Are you excited for the Dark Universe at Universal?

Lauren: Yeahhh. I want to go. I need to lose some more weight though! I was looking on the Universal Studios websites and stuff and you need to have like a… What was it? A 44-inches or under waist? And I’m like… *pats chonky belly* Almost there. Almost there. *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yeah. I am VERY excited for the actual Castle Frankenstein ride! Because it’s going to have ALL of the classic monsters, so… I’m very hype to see Creature of the Lagoon. Because…

That actually runs in my family!

Skyla Macy (continuing): My grandfather… My great grandfather, actually, was the bus driver who drove all the actors to and from the set for that movie.

Lauren Spear: Aw, no way!

Skyla Macy: Yeah! Horror is in my bloodline, apparently. *laughs*

Lauren: Ah, that’s so cool! *laughs*

I knew Ben Chapman! He was the land Creature.

Skyla Macy: Oooh! What?!

Lauren: Yeah.

Skyla Macy: Okay. That’s so cool.

Lauren: Yeah. Ricou Browning was the one who did all the underwater stuff.

Skyla Macy: Mmhmm.

Lauren: And then Ben did the on land stuff! *chuckles*

Skyla Macy: Ohhhhh! Okay!

Lauren: That’s cool that you’ve got horror in your bloodline though!

Skyla Macy: *laughs*

Lauren: I wonder, if you dig a little deeper, if you’ll find other people.

Skyla Macy: I know! I do wonder…

Lauren: Just… sometimes you don’t wanna dig TOO deep though… *chuckles*

Skyla Macy: TRUE!

Lauren: “Oh no. I’m in a True Crime!!”

Skyla Macy: Yeah!! I don’t want to go TOO deep because I’m scared there might be some kind of killer. And then I’m like, “Oh. I didn’t want THAT kind of horror!!”

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Noooo! *chuckles*

I know, in one of your other newsletters, you talked about True Crime and how that’s not really quite your cup of tea either.

Skyla Macy: Yeah.

Lauren: Same.

My husband listens to those and he’s like, “Whoa!”

Skyla Macy: *laughs*

Lauren: “You’ll never guess what happened this time!” And I’m like, “Ennhhhhhgggg… Tell it to me in a way that’s okay for me to hear?”

Skyla Macy: Yeah! *laughs* That’s how my best friend is! She loves True Crime. And I’m just like… I don’t. It scares me!! True Crime does scare me.

Lauren: Yeah!

Skyla Macy: Horror doesn’t! Because it’s fake.

Lauren: Yeah!! Exactly! Exactly.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren Spear: Yeah, it… I actually wrote an article on HorrorFam.com about how, like, horror ISN’T scary – everything ELSE is! *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Exactly. And it’s completely true. *laughs*

Lauren: Well, thank you!

Oh! And you did a speed painting of They Live one time! And…

Is all of your art digital or do you do physical art as well?

Skyla Macy: So, most of my art is digital but there is a few that I like to do traditional.

The nurse painting on my Threadless store is actually traditional.

But, yeah, I rarely do traditional. It is usually digital.

Lauren Spear: What got you into doing digital art? I guess you’re self-trained, right?

Skyla Macy: Yes, I am!

Lauren: How did you get into that?

Skyla Macy: So, when I was a kid, I watched a lot of speed paints! *laughs* And I was like, “That’s so cool! I want to be able to do that!!” And I literally BEGGED my parents like, “PLEASE get me a tablet! Please get me a tablet!”

And, from there, I’ve grown. I went from a tablet that you have… *gestures at her lap/table* and then you look like this *mimics peering up at a monitor while drawing down below* To, like, an actual monitor that I can physically draw ON!

And, yeah. It’s a lot of… It’s a lot of fun! And it’s a lot easier than traditional [art] because I can Undo. *laughs*

Lauren: That’s true!

Skyla Macy: *laughs*

Lauren: One of my problems is that I always mix up too much of whatever paint I’m using. And then I’m like, “Well, now I’ve got to paint something ELSE because I don’t want to waste this!”

Skyla Macy: SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE??

Both: *laugh*

Skyla Macy: Yeah. That too! I can paint digitally, but as soon as someone’s like, “Here’s a paintbrush!” I’m like, “I don’t know what to do with this.” I don’t know how that works!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: You’re like… *mimics painting and then stops abruptly* “Uh-oh. Undo! …UH-OH!!!”

Skyla Macy: I KNOW!! *laughing hard* I’m so…

This is the thing with digital artists! When we do do… When we do actually draw traditionally — and I have done this — we’ll be like, “Aw. I don’t like how that looks.” And… I’ll go to hit Undo! And I’m like, “Wait. This is a piece of paper. I can’t undo that.”

Or, I’ll try to zoom in! And I’m like, “This is a piece of paper.” And I just sit there. Because I’m like, “Damn. I look stupid. I’m the ONLY person in this room, but I look STUPID!” *laughs*

Lauren: I embarrass myself constantly. *chuckles*

Skyla Macy: It’s the human experience!

Lauren: Absolutely.

Both: *chuckle*

Lauren: The… *laughs* Basically the entire foundation of horror: The Human Experience.

Skyla Macy: Literally! *laughs*

Lauren: Um… *thinks* AUGHHH! I lost my train of thought!

Skyla Macy: *chuckles at Lauren having a Human Experience in Real Time*

Lauren Spear: You know…

You’re the fourth woman to be on this show, and the FIRST one to be seen on camera!

Lauren Spear (continuing): Um. Besides me.

Skyla Macy: Yeah??

Lauren: Yeah!

Skyla Macy: Oh!?

Lauren: It was Diana Prince, who’s “Darcy the Mail Girl” on The Last Drive-In.

And then there was Grace Murphy, who showed up with Ryan Murphy, to talk about Your Horror Show. And then…um… That’s… That’s the name of it. Not YOUR… *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Yeah! *laughs*

Lauren: And then Heather Landry, who did THIS art! *points at the t-shirt she’s wearing*

Skyla Macy: OH!

Lauren: And now YOU!

Skyla Macy: *falls back, stunned* What?!

Lauren: *laughs*

Skyla Macy: Oooookaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I feel like I’m in the line of wonderful, beautiful, successful women. So, I LOVE that!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Yeah! My husband was like, “Wow! A milestone!! You’re getting a woman on camera!” *laughs*

Skyla Macy: I’m the first woman on camera! *raises arms victoriously* I made a milestone! Omigod!

Lauren: Well, is there anything else that you’d like to say before we’ve gotta wrap this up?

Skyla Macy: Ummmmmmmmmm… Nah? I think we’ve kind of covered everything! So, I’m good!

Lauren: *grabs her own head* I REMEMBERED MY QUESTION!

Skyla Macy: Okay!

Lauren: How often does your newsletter update?? Because I know that it’s frequent, but… *waves hands to indicate the wibbly-wobbliness of timey-wimey* Time is weird.

Skyla Macy: Yeah! I try… I aim at weekly. Usually it’s around the weekend, but sometimes, you know, life gets in the way.

And, like, my latest issue was a double issue because I missed a week. And I was like, “No. I don’t want to do that.” So, I just published a double issue.

But usually it’s a weekly weekend newsletter.

Lauren: Okay! That’s kind of what I thought. But, you know, the 2020s… I can’t keep track of time anymore.

Both: *laugh*

Skyla Macy: I understand. A lot of historic events.

Lauren Spear: All right! Well, I guess that’s about it!

Skyla Macy: This was so great!

Lauren: For anyone watching or listening: That was Skyla Macy! And you can find her newsletter “Slasher” on Substack. And you can find her at “Spade Fantasy” on YouTube, and on Instagram, and on BlueSky. Annnnnnnnd… check her out!

Thank you, Skyla!

Skyla Macy: Thank you! It was so wonderful talking with you.

Lauren: You too! Byyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Skyla Macy: Byyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeee!!

*HorrorFam.com Poddcast Outro music starts to play*

*music is interrupted by Tina Spear meowing, announcing Bloopers/cut footage*

-CLIP ONE-

Skyla Macy: Your hair is so pretty!!

Lauren Spear: Oh, thank you!! It’s a wig.

Skyla Macy: OH!

Lauren: You can buy this hair and have it for yourself!

Both: *laugh*

-CLIP TWO-

Lauren Spear: I was talking to my friend Shanie in London *mimics texting* and I was like, “I did my eyeshadow, but I always forget that I have very hooded eyes!” I did all this cool purple and stuff… *lifts glasses and closes eyes so Skyla can see* …and then it’s like… *sits back and opens eyes* As soon as I open my eyes, you can’t SEE it!!

Skyla Macy: I know!! I have hooded eyes too.

Both: *laugh*

Skyla Macy: It’s so painful!

-CLIP THREE-

Lauren Spear: Wigs are so much more… predictable!

My real hair is curly. So, sometimes, it’s like, good. And it’s like, “Ooh. This is NICE!” And then the next thing you know it’s like PHHHHLLLRRRRRTTTTTTT *hands expand out from head erratically to indicate out-of-control frizz*

-CLIP FOUR-

Lauren Spear: *pointing to the guest announcement board* For the Writer / Artist, I didn’t realize until I was making this that I don’t actually have a “slash!” So, I put a little sunshine. I thought that would go with the “Sky.” *sheepish chuckle*

Skyla Macy: AWWW! *laughs* That’s cute!!

Lauren: But if you don’t like it, I’ve got a little screaming face! *laughs*

-LAST CLIP-

Lauren Spear: *pointing to the “brick” backdrop behind her* I’m actually a LOT closer to it than it looks! So, once I’m in, I’m strapped in. It’s literally Scotch taped on either side, because it’s not as big as it looks. *laughs* So, I have to curl it in around me!

*outro music plays again with ending card thanking everyone for watching*

Photos for this transcript were provided by Skyla Macy/Spade Fantasy Art; except for the movie stills and posters, which were purchased via MovieStillsDB and CineMaterial.