Women in Horror: Part Sixteen
Hello & welcome back to our feature special series for WiHM!
You’ll all have noticed a gap in the posting of these articles & I can only apologise for that. I’ve been down with a horrible virus & couldn’t get any work done…but I’m back now & ready to finish what we’ve started!
Today we welcome author & editor Sandy DeLuca. This lovely lady barely needs an introduction, author of Messages from the Dead & Hell’s Door amongst many others, artist & anthologist. For our series she decided to concentrate on a Woman in Horror from the world of film, rather than the print…
Gale Anne Hurd of “The Walking Dead”, an Inspiration for Women in Horror
Simon Abrams asked Robert Kirkman the following question regarding “The Walking Dead”, “Why are all the strong female characters either crazy or dead?”
His response, from issue No. 289 of “The Comics Journal”: “I don’t mean to sound sexist, but as far as women have come over the last 40 years, you don’t really see a lot of women hunters. They’re still in the minority in the military, and there’s not a lot of female construction workers. I hope that’s not taken the wrong way. I think women are as smart, resourceful, and capable in most things as any man could be … but they are generally physically weaker. That’s science.” (The Village Voice, April 3, 2013).
There have been numerous articles written regarding sexism within the hit TV series “The Walking Dead”. Some journalists believe that most of the female characters are seen as companions and are somewhat subservient to the male characters, and guys ultimately make all the decisions. The toughest chicks, Michonne and Andrea, are outsiders for the most part, loners who run against the grain of the traditional female.
Many people believe that the show requires more female scriptwriters, the ladies who can truly express how a woman would react when her own life is on the line, as well as those she must protect.
That may be so, but take a look inside the TV show’s cast and crew and you’ll find some talented female producers, directors, set designers and editors. One of my favorites is Gale Anne Hurd. She serves as an inspiration to all women in horror, as well as in the film industry. Her climb to the top hasn’t been easy, but she’s proven that,with enough determination and tough female grit, a woman can do anything just as well as her male counterparts.
One of the first jobs Hurd had in the entertainment industry was cleaning chemical toilets, and when producing the movie “Aliens” she was confronted with deliberate sexism. At the time she was married to James Cameron, the movie’s director.
Hurd said, “We had a very, very well-known Oscar-winning production designer who came in, and couldn’t look me in the face, and said, ‘OK, who’s really producing this movie?’ She said, “And I said”, ‘I am.’ “He said”, ‘No, no, no. You’re married to the director, and you’re a woman. You couldn’t possibly be producing this film, and I don’t want to waste my time with someone that can’t make the decisions.’ “And I said”, ‘Well, it’s wonderful meeting you, and I just want you to know, you won’t be the production designer on this film.’
She went on to say, “As a woman starting out in Hollywood, as a producer, there were many obstacles to overcome,” she said. “And there were many times when I questioned whether I could overcome those obstacles. And in common with the characters in my films, you do find that inner strength to carry on, to persevere and, ultimately to succeed.” (ABC News, February 28, 2006, by ABC News Internet Ventures and the Terminator Files)
Her career has been long and filled with success. She joined New World Pictures, serving as an executive assistant to Roger Corman. She worked her way up and eventually became involved in production. She founded her own production company, called Pacific Western Productions, back in 1982. She produced a number of Hollywood movies, and on her list her are: “The Terminator”, “Aliens”, “The Hulk”, “Alien Nation”, “The Relic”, “Raising Cain” and “The Abyss”, just to name a few. She has also had a hand in writing several Hollywood scripts, including “The Terminator”.
In 1998 she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award, given to outstanding women in communications and media, who have worked to inspire and uplift other women. (Made in Atlantis-Filmmakers Biographies)
The list of Gale Anne Hurd’s accomplishments and honors is long and impressive, and she truly serves as an inspiration to all women in horror, as well as in all aspects of the creative world.
When asked by Vanessa Berben, Entertainment Writer for Huffpost, “Getting serious for a second: You are one of my idols, I really look up to you and what you’ve accomplished in film and TV — do you have any advice for women who want to step behind the camera?”
Hurd answered, “Never give up — but make sure you’ve done all of your homework so that when opportunity knocks, you’re ready for the challenges and obstacles you’re bound to encounter.” (HuffPost TV,Vanessa Berben, October 14, 2013)
Gale Anne Hurd is truly an inspiration to women in horror, because her efforts have helped to elevate other women, motivate them and embolden them to go on despite the difficulties we all encounter, and that’s why she gets five stars from me.
Sandy DeLuca has been a painter since 1985. Her worked has been exhibited in college galleries, hair salons, tattoo parlors, bookstores and traditional galleries. Her art has been purchased throughout the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. In addition, she has painted cover art and interior art for publications which have reached worldwide audiences.
She has been a writer since the late 80’s, penning nonfiction articles and photography for magazines and newsletters–throughout the 90’s. One of her claims to fame is writing under the pen name Autumn Raindancer. Two of her poetic chants were published under that pen in the popular New Age book TO RIDE A SILVER BROOMSTICK (Silver Ravenwolf).
She created GODDESS OF THE BAY publishing in the late 90’s, producing several anthologies and a string of small press magazines. From 2001 to 2003 she edited and owned DECEMBER GIRL PRESS, producing novels and short story collections.
She was a finalist for the BRAM STOKER for poetry award in 2001.
At present she is a fulltime writer and painter. She’s written and published five novels, two poetry collections and several novellas. Her most ecent novella HELL’S DOOR, will be released from DARKFUSE in September, 2013. She is assistant curator at NEW HOPE GALLERY, in Cranston, RI and continues to exhibit her art in local venues.
My fiction is composed of fear, heartache and isolation. Feelings derived from experience and from the tales of friends, loved ones and strangers–from imaginings inspired by mystical and magical studies–events from the news and history. We all have a dark side and we’re all afraid of something. I explore that darkness and fear with words. I welcome readers to travel into the dark with me. Come on a road trip from Providence to Florida with a madman. Travel to new York City in the midst of a crippling blizzard where a dark magician has risen from Hell. Live inside a darkened house with frightened young girls who have been touched by a demon. Experience murderous love triangles and walk beside serial killers. Some will not understand. Others will not return and some will come back to walk with me into the abyss. I invite you to take a journey with me and I hope you join me again…
