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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

On the program for my first academic conference as an independent scholar. Gonna be speaking at #pcasacas on that devil shit. #horrorscholar #horrorsky #southerngothic #pcas #acas

Saturday, Session 14
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
S 14.1 Milford Jeremiah Award: Featured Speaker [Fleur de Lis A] - AV
Chair: KarylAnne Fischer, PCAS/ACAS President
● “From the Plantation to the Chicago Tribune: the Gothic as Narrative Strategy.” -- John W. Byers,
University of Mississippi
S 14.2 Vampires and Horror Adaptation [Fleur de Lis B] - AV
Chair: U Melissa Anyiwo, University of Scranton
● " Predator and Prey: Sexual Peril and the Vampiric Possibility in Charlotte Lamb's Vampire Lover --
Abigail Cordwell, University of Mississippi
● Last Girls and Lost Girls: Black Women, Vampirism, and the South's Unfinished Histories -- U
Melissa Anyiwo, University of Scranton
S 14.3 Southern Gothic 13: Contemporary Southern Gothic Culture [Regal Suite] - AV
Chair: Bethany Weston, University of North Texas
● Mud, Myth, and Method: Cracker Aesthetics and the Peripheral Genius of the Rural American South
-- William (Bill) E. Hill, Jacksonville University
● “Deep Into the Woods”: Occult Memphis Rap and the West Memphis Three Murders -- Cullen
Wade, Independent Scholar
● “I Wrote My Own Script”: Colliding Southern Gothic Dialogues in Suzannah Hebert’s Natchez --
Bethany Weston, University of North Texas
S 14.4 Video Games and Gaming [Fleur de Lis C] - AV
Chair: Susan Bergeron, Coastal Carolina University
● Finding Treasure, Catching Frogs, and Writing Haiku: Video game side quests and building
immersive spatial narratives -- Susan Bergeron, Coastal Carolina University
● The Players’ Right-Hand Man: Leon Kennedy’s Link to the Shifting Ideologies of Survival Horror
and the Players Who Control Him -- Ryon Byrne, University of Texas at Dallas
● “They’ve done it in complete s

2026 Conference
THE POPULAR CULTURE ASSOCIATION
IN THE SOUTH
and
THE AMERICAN CULTURE
ASSOCIATION
IN THE SOUTH
October 15-17, 2026
The Royal Sonesta
New Orleans, LA
KarylAnne Fischer
President
Heather M. Porter
Sherry Ginn
Program Chairs

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Got my contributor copies of @crossroadsfolk.bsky.social issue 2! (Plus a few more to trade for chewing gum if you’re holding) Can’t wait to dig in! #horrorsky #booksky #zinesky #zine #folkhorror #hiphop #cassetteculture

Three copies of “Crossroads: Folk Horror in the United States” issue 2

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Coming up on the 1-year anniversary of my contract with @mcfarland.bsky.social for this humble addition to the horror studies shelf. Perfect 5 on Goodreads! (Easy to do when there’s 3 ratings, I’d love a lower average tbh)

The cover of Cullen Wade’s S(p)lasher Flicks

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

#fdos Year 13 but wait…there’s more… I’m piloting HORROR STUDIES this year! Don’t know of many who are teaching multi-modal horror studies at the secondary level. Any other horror educators interested in updates as I start this journey?

A first-day-of-school photo of me holding up a “Year 13” sign. Below, a photo of my new Horror Studies syllabus (inbox me for a copy!)

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Ok I know from context clues it’s a person with a broom & …custodian hat? But I’m not the only one who sees horns & a pitchfork, right?

A sign from an Amtrak train bathroom with a pictograph of a custodian & the message “Be considerate of the next passenger, and clean up.”

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

One teacher appreciation gesture that would truly make me feel appreciated is if you would refrain from sending me AI images to infest my nightmares. WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE FACES

An ai-generated image listing teacher appreciation week raffle winners with some bizarre haunting faces in the background

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I've been putting this off, because it's the last, so let me just say that these have been a joy! More importantly, the print zine (with a bonus review & bonus writeup cut from S(p)lasher Flicks for space!) is on my Ko-Fi shop. #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky #openhouse #poolreviews #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 103: Open House (1987)
This is a gorgeous lagoon-style pool that blends in with the grounds, with a lovely waterfall feature. I have a feeling that some of the rocks are fake, in a mini-golf course kind of way, which would cost it major points in terms of being fun to swim in. Aesthetically, though, this is a triumph.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Damn, have I really not posted a pool review in 5 days? It's a good thing we're almost done, because I guess I'm *close* to overstaying my welcome. Only one more left! #poolreviews #colossal #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 102: Colossal (2016)
I don't think I need to repeat how unsafe it is to jump into a pool so leaf-covered you can't see what's in there, but my admonition against having a pool you can leap into from an upper story probably does bear repeating.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

We're getting to the end of this journey, scary swim team. Only 2 pools left. Say hello to Detroit again, then say goodbye. #dontbreathe2 #poolreviews #horrorsky #splasherflicks #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 101: Don't Breathe 2 (2021)
This is another case where, if you can see past its condition, there's a very nice pool to discover. I'm pretty sure the sign at the deep end indicates a depth of 22', which gives it a major advantage over most residential pools. Re-mount that springboard, break out the mop, & you're in business.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

It's on just the tip of my tongue, but the cockamamie thing is so hard to grasp it's driving me nuts. #poolreviews #poisonivy3 #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 100: Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (1997)
There's something suggestive about the shape of this pool, but I can't quite wrap my hand around it.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

If a motel in a horror movie has a pool, it definitely isn't somewhere you want to stay. #poolreviews #splasherflicks #badthings #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 99: Bad Things (2023)
The indoor pool could use some opening up. I don't think dark-colored wall tiles are a good idea when the space already feels kind of cramped. The outdoor pool has some nice sky blue accents, but really should be covered in the winter.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Bruuuuuuh did the trees in this poster always say “feed”? Is this new? How the hell did I miss that?

Poster for the 2020 film Gretel & Hansel

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Welcome back, scary swim team. Seems like pool fences in horror movies are kind of a feast or famine thing. #feverdream #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 98: Fever Dream (2021)
This is about as minimalist as you can get, & not in a sleek modern way. As in The Stepford Wives, I'm not sure how you can avoid getting your grass clippings in the pool. Amanda is right to worry about the kid falling in, because there's literally nothing to stop that from happening. The phrase "concrete pond" has never been more apt.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Cat People movies are 0 for 2 when it comes to pools I'd want to swim in. #poolreviews #catpeople #remake #splasherflicks #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 97: Cat People (1982)
Not as bad as the one in the original film, but that is a very low bar. At least this one has...a window? & a higher ceiling but still, a pool should not feel claustrophobic. The brown tile work, especially around the edge, is really nice though.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

One thing I (Cullen Wade) have never done in my life is hop a fence at night to trespass into somebody's pool. Yes I feel like a fraud, but you know what? You're never too old & summer is almost here. Anybody wanna come with me? #poolreviews #piranha #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 96: Piranha (1978)
It's hard to assess this as a swimming pool since, by daylight, it's clearly more of an industrial holding tank. On closer inspection though, it was probably converted from a pool, so those poor kids can be forgiven.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

What's up scary swim team? Modern architecture leaving you cold? Loosen things up with a humble pool. #splasherflicks #theglasshouse #poolreviews #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 95: The Glass House (2001)
Minus the flat-edge coping on two sides, this pool is more traditional than you'd expect from the ultra-modern look of the rest of the house. The warm color of the decking & the modest furniture make it downright homey.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I just realized that's not the diving board side. Oh well, it still shouldn't be there. #poolreviews #poltergeist3 #splasherflicks #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 94: Poltergeist III (1988)
This one is all about the view. Very few pools are so dire that they couldn't be redeemed by that vista--which is good, because there's some kind of weird spigot-looking trip hazard where the diving board should be.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I'm one of those weirdos who thinks Shyamalan's Lady in the Water is a horror film but Trap is not. #poolreviews #splasherflicks #filmsky #horrorsky #booksky #ladyinthewater #mnightshyamalan

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 93: Lady in the Water (2006)
When a pool suggests a heart shape without actually being heart-shaped. Kind of a melted guitar pick. You know I'm not the biggest fan of cantilevered coping, but that can be forgiven. My only note is it seems a tad small for an apartment complex of this size.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

And with that, we've reached the last of the movies people keep asking me about. It's mostly deep cuts from here on in, folks! #filmsky #booksky #horrorsky #lettherightonein #poolreviews #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 92: Let the Right One In (2008)
I promise this is the last time I'll mention this: we in North America should be taking notes from the Scandinavians on proper lighting for a public swimming pool. The pastel colors on the bleacher fronts also help to make this a cheerful environment.
The water level could be higher, but that's a design choice, not neglect.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Oh no! I missed a day yesterday! Guess we get an extra day of fun. #swimfan #poolreviews #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 91: Swimfan (2002)
I didn't go to high school in the New Jersey suburbs, so I don't know how common it is for schools there to have repurposed public bathhouses from the 1940s with balconies & intricate mosaics but I can't help feeling like I missed out.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

No choice but to post Velicity from Evil Bong 2. You read that right. VELICITY.

A brunette woman with big earring looking g into the camera with a strange expression, half smile half grimace, while an equally ambiguously-happy looking man stands behind her.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

"It's a movie, just go with it" is not a thing in my world, but if I were to extend that courtesy to any filmmaker, it would be Tony Scott. #filmsky #horrorsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #thehunger #lesbianvampires

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 90: The Hunger (1983)
Without an establishing shot for context, we'll never get clarity on (a) what this fancy restaurant that overlooks a clothing-optional swimming pool is all about, (b) why said pool is so bare-bones & industrial-looking, & (c) why the lights are off.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

@svengoolieofficial.bsky.social reminded me last week that Son of Frankenstein is even more nonsensical with the accents. #poolreviews #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #twilightzone #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 88: The Twilight Zone: "The Bewitchin' Pool" (1964)
Pool is so dang big they can't even fit the whole thing in one shot. Extremely excessive for a 4-person family. Also, unrelated, but I could never figure out why the parents talk like Mid-Atlantic yuppies but the kids sound straight outta the Georgia pines.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

In order for it to work, you have to believe in it, & I believe that this movie works. #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #frightnight

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 87: Fright Night (2011)
Not sure why there's a full pool at a vacant house (especially in the desert), but I like the tile work. It's hard to be certain but I think that's a sun bench in the corner, which is always a nice feature.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Another Monday, another '80s slasher with pretty good gender politics. Have a great week, scary swim team! #mortuary #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #slasher

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 86: Mortuary (1983)
Even a well-known critic of pools with ocean view like me has to admit the slinky shape of this one is quite appealing. It is also, however, too big for a single-family home, & between the stonework, decorative planters, & deck furniture, it's a bit cluttered on the house side.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

I was out of town yesterday so I missed posting a pool review. I know I've let you down. No gesture can atone for this failure, but as a token of my remorse, have a threefer. #thestepfather #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 84: The Stepfather (2009)
3 pools to discuss here. The strange shape of the school building makes me feel like I'm in an airplane hangar. Aunt Jackie's pool (top) is minimalist loveliness except that aggregate cantilevered coping I worry about keeping clean. The Hardings' pool (bottom) is modest & lovingly landscaped, & I'm a sucker for a tiered deck.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Every time I’m in Georgetown I gotta go pay my respects to poor Father Karras.

Me standing at the bottom of the staircase in Washington DC made famous by the film The Exorcist.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Another movie I was lukewarm on at first, but gets better every time I watch it. Great pool, great song choice, & the scene they appear in is destined for canonical status--if it's not already there. #thestrangerspreyatnight #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 83: The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
In theory I shouldn't like this one very much. Undistinguished concrete slabs on the deck & cheap aluminum coping are things I've complained about with other pools. But motel pools (a category that broadly includes RV parks) play by different rules. Nostalgia value matters, & the way the neon trees play off the stone wall gives this a lot of character.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I don’t think I have many Virginia ppl on here, but yall can see me & @elizabethbroadbent.bsky.social cuttin up at 2nd Act Books in Charlottesville on 3/19. It’s a @nighttidemag.bsky.social super teamup! #horrorbooks #instore #horrorwriters

A flyer for “Chlorine & Kudzu: Southern Gothic meets Swimming Pool Scares” a book event on 3/19 in Charlottesville, VA with authors Cullen Wade and Elizabeth Broadbent.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Don't know why but I somehow skipped #81 yesterday, which is extra tragic because this is one of my favorite pools. #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky #alltheboyslovemandylane #keepyouramberslandertoyourself

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Where does Li Tolqa fall on your ranking of horror movie vacation destinations on a scale of "Nope" to "Absolutely fucking not"? #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #infinitypool

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 79: Infinity Pool (2023)
The film's title is a misnomer, since there are at least 2 infinity pools at this Li Tolqa resort. One is an undistinguished rectangle, the other is this compellingly midcentury space-age job with lilypads for lounging. I know which one I'd spend my time in.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Sorry I couldn't get a clear screengrab of the illogical but iconic scene where her majesty Hari Nef nailguns a proud boy to death underwater. #assassinationnation #filmsky #horrorsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 78: Assassination Nation (2018)
A modest backyard pool, just big enough to frolic around in with a few friends & to allow for some depth variation. I can't help but think the deck could use some adornment. Tile work is kind of boring too, but on the plus side, when empty this would be a very fun pool to skate in, if you're into that.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Hey you look like you might be interested in a physical version of these pool reviews (all 104 of them), plus a bonus essay that will only ever appear in zine form. Plus you get it free if you purchase my book directly from me? Dang. #poolreviews #splasherflicks #confessions #horrorsky #booksky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 77: Confessions (2010)
Even without the puke-green water, leafy surface, & dead body, this pool would still be gross. The naked cement deck & stamped skimmer plates in utilitarian coping make this look more like an industrial reservoir than anything meant for humans.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

What's up horror hipsters, time for another reminder that disliking a perfectly fine remake does not, in & of itself, make you cool. #splasherflicks #carrie #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky #poolreviews

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 75: Carrie (2013)
Water volleyball is not a bad choice for a high school gym class activity, but the coach should have provided an alternate opt-out assignment. Also not sure why there appear to be no ladders or steps.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Good evening scary swim team, here's one of the best pool movies that doesn't get talked about as a pool movie due to the misfortune of there being almost no pool scenes in it. #deathvalley #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 74: Death Valley (1982)
Consistent with its locale as a hotel pool in the middle of the desert, this has the look of an oasis, with the irregular paving stones & the lush vegetation. Ecologically, though, unless it's built atop an actual oasis, some kind of xeriscaping would be more appropriate.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

It's the last time we'll be talking about ANOES, & even though I stand by what I said in the review, it's a pretty good pool. #anoes #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #splasherflicks #poolreviews

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 73: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)
I hate to be a broken record here, but a facility like this needs natural light, especially if you're gonna surround it with dark red brick walls. A space this big has no business feeling this cramped.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

I'm sure someone who knows #Barcelona better can furnish info about this pool. It broadly resembles the Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc where the 1992 Olympics were held, but that one never fell into disrepair. Barcelonins, què dieu? #poolreviews #asmodexia #horrorsky #booksky #splasherflicks #filmsky

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 72: Asmodexia (2014)
I'm puzzled as to what this dilapidated place used to be. The bleachers around the pool & what appear to be diving platforms suggest that it's a sporting facility, but the adjacent structures look like a large hotel. The pool also seems to slope down to its maximum depth at the diving area & then slope back up again, like a much larger version of a modern sports pool. Very odd.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I don't normally break character to talk about extra-diegetic things but this is actually an exterior! Dante's crew built a two-sided set around an outdoor pool & the whole thing was open to the air. How cool is that?? #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #splasherflicks #poolreviews #gremlins

S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews
Day 70: Gremlins (1984)
I'm going to give this YMCA the benefit of the doubt & assume there are windows (probably a skylight) that we just don't see in the scene's framing, because the idea of a YMCA pool with no natural light is absurd. Also, the red stripes on white walls make it look weirdly medical.

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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

If you’ve been enjoying my #poolreviews, can I interest you in the whole collection in full-color #zine form, plus a bonus essay not available elsewhere? #horrorsky #booksky #splasherflicks

Two xeroxed zines, one with a green cover & one with a yellow cover, titled “S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews: a supplement by Cullen Wade.” The yellow copy is slightly open & you can see a full-color image inside.

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