WE MAKE THINGS THAT ARE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL see our stories Castle Of Epiphany by Joseph B. St John Through the clouds of Candlewood, ancient castles appear. Locked in a balance of imperfection, they reach to a heavenly sky. I grab my sword and head toward the celestial gates. The Castle of Epiphany stands the largest amongst... Read More Markers by Alan Caldwell Image by LaCasadeGoethe from Pixabay Ike knew the instant that he saw the face on the screen that it was his father’s, the strong chin, the black hair, greased and slicked back. He hadn’t been paying much attention to... Read More Why is Oklahoma University Softball So Dominant? Image by Kelsey Vere from Pixabay BY SGC STAFF With the OU Sooners soon joining the SEC and the UT Longhorns, we wanted to do an article focusing on what the Sooner’s Women’s Softball program will bring to the... Read More Trane Played…by Joseph B. St. John Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay John Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina and is unarguably one of the most important people in the history of Jazz. If you have never heard his music... Read More Holiday Stepping Stones by Deneen Azzolino The holidays are such a hard time for anyone who has lost a loved one. For me I have Thanksgiving, Matthew’s Birthday, Christmas, New Years and then the month of February, the month he died. This has always been... Read More The Importance of College Football in the South Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay By SGC Staff This a quote that aptly expresses the deep-rooted connection between college football and the people of the south and it comes from a College Football Hall of Fame... Read More My Grieving Stones by Deneen Azzolino Part II of the Stepping Stones Project See Part I here. To start, I’m not an expert in grieving. This is my personal journey and how I handled the grief in my life. You will read there are 7... Read More Stepping Stones by Deneen Azzolino There is nothing worse than losing a child. No matter what age they are. That child is always a piece of you. The bond between Mother and child is something that never can be broken and the bond between... Read More Fall in New England by Deneen Azzolino During the fall season in New England a simple drive to see family can turn into a wonderful opportunity to take pictures of the magnificent colors of Autumn! These pictures were taken in Sturbridge Massachusetts and Thompson Connecticut. I... Read More Going Down by Joseph B. St John Photo by Hans @ Pixabay Wading through the Johnstown Flood the water running through my brain, I stood calm, collected hoping for the distant shore. Looking for the answer, looking through the rain, is this all to reason or... Read More The Colors of Fall in Connecticut by Deneen Azzolino There is nothing quite like a walk on a beautiful fall day. There are vibrant colors everywhere you look. It is one of the things that I truly love about living in New England. It is like you are walking in one of the Art Masters... Read More Historic Fort Wetherill Now by Deneen Azzolino This was my first time at Fort Wetherill and I happened to be there for my youngest daughters senior pictures. To be honest, I knew nothing about the history of the Fort. When I drove up and stepped out... Read More Why Did Oklahoma and Texas Decide to Head to the SEC? Image by Keith Johnston from Pixabay by SGC Staff There have been numerous changes in the college sports landscape over the past several years. The ones that had to be the most surprising would have to be OU and... Read More SGC Classic: Corporal Terrie Songer Makes History This is a blast from the past. From my first paper, THE REAL STORY, this article from October 3, 2012 documents Terrie Songer as the first female supervisor to serve at the Columbus Police Department. Terrie would retire for... Read More July 8, 1889: The Day Mississippi was the King of Boxing by Joseph B. St. John Three long trains from New Orleans wrapped around the bend with gamblers, fight fans and the lovers of violence. It was July 7, and with no destination known, the travelers sat in their own perspiration and counted the beads... Read More Acton, Maine: A View Through a Mother and Daughter’s Eyes by Bella and Deneen Azzolino One of the most popular posts we have on SGC is photography. It garners a lot of traffic and people are generally interested in nature as a topic. Much to my surprise, there is a great respect of the... Read More Change A World Before My Eyes by Joseph B St John Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay Change a world before my eyes. Change the color of the stars. Stare off into the sun and rhyme a lullaby. The cold ice drops off every word. A cool ridge climbs... Read More The Photography of Mya St John: Making Art Out of Clouds Looking at nature is the best way to see how much of our own world is the inspiration for some of the greatest art the world has ever seen. Our skies, landscapes and backdrops are more fantastical then anything... Read More Classic Poetry: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (text of 1834) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge This Epic Poem of Coleridge needs no introduction but did you know that Iron Maiden did an equally epic song. If you did not, read the poem and then listen to the song posted at the end. You are going to... Read More New Romance #9 (Jan. 1952) Romance Comics success in the “Golden Age of Comics” cannot be overstated. It was a staple of any comic newsstand. Before the advent of TV, romance stories permeated print media and were one of the best sellers even outselling... Read More COLORS OF A LIFETIME by Joseph B. St. John Image by Joe from Pixabay Silence breaks the thunder. Warm, billowing masses of air stream through the night. Clouds like children gallop the skyline. A pale, refreshing breeze envelops my skin. Darkness covers all except for twilight’s flickering light.... Read More Pack n Play by Alan Caldwell Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay Ricky rode an XLCR across the great plains in 1978, a decade before cosplaying business men took to flying into Sturgis and waiting on their Fatboys to arrive by truck. The next year, he slid that... Read More Western Bandits #01- (1952) Western Bandits is a perfect example of “Golden Age” comics and the Wild West. Based on “True” stories and legends from the West, this comic has it all. This book shows why comics were so popular in the 50’s.... Read More Heartland By Joseph B. St John Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay Raging through the Heartland in a cream colored Cadillac, I saw the light’s ray illuminate the dust from my dashboard. Running through Springsteen, Nebraska, I lost my innocence somewhere between Route 85 and 95.... Read More Palms by Alan Caldwell Image by Jackson David from Pixabay The father told the boy they would put the Christmas tree up Friday night. The father even retrieved the box with the disassembled plastic tree and the box with the lights and ornaments... Read More Children of the Rain by Joseph B. St. John Image by 준원 서 from Pixabay Run through the sunlight’s core Children of the Rain Smile little and feel the heat Breathe a new day Comfort in the fact That nothing spends the night- Nothing that can be felt... Read More Heroic Comics #85 (July 1953) It would be an understatement to express how important “War Comics” were in the Golden Age of Comics. It was the backbone of the industry. Post WWII America was still basking in the Glory of the Victory of War. ... Read More William Blake and the Wonder of Nature and the Supernatural by Joseph B St John “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula (NIRCam Image) When I first saw the images from the “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, I was amazed by the beauty and surrealism of our Universe. It... Read More The Magnificent Art of Lilianna Azzolino Welcome to the Wonderful, Whimsical, Mystical Art World of Lilianna Azzolino. Lilianna is from Webster, Massachusetts and working on becoming a professional artist. Her work is creative, daring and sparked with a toned down gothic awareness. She has a... Read More Ivanhoe- Fawcett Movie Comics #20 December 1952 During the Golden and Silver Age of Comics, many publishers printed comics of classic literature as we showed last week with the Invisible Man. However, another avenue they took during this time was doing comic book interpretation of movies... Read More Classic Poetry: If by Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you... Read More 1963’s Super Comics Fantastic Adventures #18 – H.G. Wells’ “The Invisible Man” This week’s classic comic is a Special Edition. It is 1963’s Super Comics Fantastic Adventures #18 and it features a re-telling of H.G. Wells’ “The Invisible Man.” The creators of the comic were; Pencils: Ross Andru, Inks: Mike Esposito... Read More Classic Poetry: Annabel Lee by EDGAR ALLAN POE Annabel Lee by EDGAR ALLAN POE It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she... Read More Violent Vickie Releases the DIVISION REMIXES On May 6th, SGC favorite Violent Vickie released the DIVISION REMIXES LP featuring remixes by Kontravoid, Fragrance, Blood Handsome, in3briant, Dimension 23, Maduro, Ben Arp (C/A/T), Barium Network, Solem Youth, Niet!, Di Auger, Torturetekk, At0shima 3rror, 40 Octaves Below, 20... Read More Happy 4th of July from SGC Image by Alexey Hulsov from Pixabay America’s Day of Independence! Amen! Image by donations welcome from Pixabay On this 4th of July, let’s take the time to read the Declaration of Independence. Yes, take the time to read... Read More Who Colors the Nighttime Skies? by Joseph B St John Image by Benjamin Thomas from Pixabay Who colors the nighttime skies? Who hangs the morning’s dawn? Somewhere between Heaven and Hell Lies the cold reality of life. A moment of chance sits in the balance. A second... Read More True Crime Comics #6 June-July 1949 “Little Angie Big Boss” True Crime has always been a best seller and in 1949 that was a stone cold fact. Horror and True Crime Comics were outselling everything, including superheroes. Stories about crime were everywhere and long before TV, there was a... Read More Classic Poetry: Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) Kubla Khan Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea.... Read More Megadeth is Back with “We’ll Be Back” Loudwire reported on June 23, 2022 that Megadeth had released a new song: The first new Megadeth song from their imminent sixteenth album, The Sick, The Dying… and the Dead! arrived early on Thursday (June 23). The rippin’ track is called... Read More The Traveler by Joseph B. St John Image by Oleg Gamulinskiy from Pixabay Running through the atmosphere, lost, tired and bewildered, the traveler moves to another time. Pulling aimlessly at his memory, he stands alone and lonely, watching the stars and moon fall around him. ... Read More Tomato Soup by Alan Caldwell Image by Petra Tant from Pixabay The Woman wiped the blood from her thighs and sat on the folded feed-sack sheet to absorb the flow. She took the Child who had been inside her for about three months and... Read More Planet of the Apes Returns to Marvel CBR announced that Marvel Comics would return to publish the Planet of the Apes franchise. Marvel Comics has announced that Planets of the Apes is returning with new stories launching in 2023. Having first published Planet of the Apes comics’ stories in 1974,... Read More Change A World Before My Eyes by Joseph B. St John Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay Change a world before my eyes. Change the color of the stars. Stare off into the sun and rhyme a lullaby. The cold ice drops off every word. A... Read More Spy Smasher No. 2 (Winter 1941) This “Golden Era” comic transports us back to time when America was preparing for war in Europe and beyond. It’s the winter of 1941 and Fawcett Comic’s Spy Smasher is already fighting Nazi Germany. Like all the superheroes of that... Read More Bubbles By Alan Caldwell Image by Trinh Nguyễn from Pixabay The Man shook the blue Ball Mason jar and watched the small clear bubbles form and then quickly dissipate. The Man knew that strong whiskey could never hold its bubbles and that weak... Read More Morning Rain by Joseph B. St. John Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay Caress the morning rain. Surrender to the moisture’s cool comfort. Expression and time moves toward continuum. The dampness erases the burdens of the soul. Pull yourself toward the heavens. Feel your skin... Read More Plastic Man in the Game of Death (1943) by Jack Cole This week’s classic comic is Plastic Man in the Game of Death created by the legendary Jack Cole. This is a true “Golden Age” tale from one of the Masters. This story shows all the humor and creativity that... Read More Middle C by Alan Caldwell Image by Martyn Cook from Pixabay The Girl used her index finger to strike the center key over and over again. The solitary note rang out through the empty country church. Every Sunday, while the bulk of the congregants... Read More The Black Terror 01 – Feb 1943 The Black Terror 01 – Feb 1943 In keeping with SGC’s commitment to the “Golden Age of Comics,” this edition will introduce a very popular 1940s superhero, Black Terror of Nedor Comics. Published in 1943, this comic focuses on... Read More No… His Name is NOT Shazam The Marvel Cinematic Universe has eclipsed anything that DC Comics has done in the movie business and Marvel’s domination has a strange deja vu quality to it. It happened before in the 1960s-70s, when Marvel overtook DC Comics as... Read More Gothic Sunrise by Joseph B. St. John Image by Mrexentric from Pixabay Gothic sunrise sitting prone, alone– mesmerized by life’s encouragement. Water, cool and easy, reflecting the light of a still dawn. Colors, purple, blue and orange, calling from the sun. A wet mist covering the... Read More Desire by Joseph B. St. John Black Mountains roam across the sky. The moon hides its distance shore in a bask of remembrance. A man clothed in deep blue and gray walks purposefully through the night. Steel eyed and gaunt, his pale reflection stands... Read More The Marvel of Marvel Comics and Culture (Video) #60s, #70s, #babyboomer, #Marvel, #MCU, #CaptainAmerica, #Comicbooks, #Comics Marvel Rules! Just like the old days, Marvel was Number 2 and then kicked DC Comics’ #$^%*&a% butt. The following link will help you follow along: Comic Books – They... Read More SGC: Robert and Joe talking about Missing our World, 1960-70s – It was so Rogue (Video) #60s, #70s, #NFL, #Rogue, #TVcommercials, #babyboomer If you were raised in the 1960s or 1970s, you understand that the good old days were not always good, but they were fun. They were also damn rogue. The following videos will... Read More Southern Gothic Creations: A New Beginning – Lets Talk About Culture #marvelcomics, #DCcomics, #MarvelUniverse, #MCU, #Comicbooks Today’s Episode will discuss Marvel Comics and movies and living long enough to understand it all! Maybe? The following links will help you follow the program: True Crime: True Crime Comics (1947-48) Comic Books... Read More Edward Edwards: “To Tell the Truth” and the Ultimate Conman By Joseph B. St. John One of the fascinating things that happen when you begin to report on “True Crime,” is that whether or not you want to admit it or not you start to become an “Armchair” profiler. Even after 30 plus years... Read More Nine Classic True Crime Stories Everyone Should Read by Joseph B. St John Continuing our “True Crime” series on SGC, I have compiled a list of nine books to get anyone started on their true crime journey. These are not just books that I consider to be... Read More America’s Obsession with True Crime: It is Not as New as You Think By Joseph St. John There is no denying that America is obsessed with true crime, but it is nothing new. Also, it is not necessarily bad. People should be interested in the legal system and how criminals are affecting... Read More True Crime: True Crime Comics (1947-48) By Joseph B. St. John As SGC kicks-off its series on true crime, I am including one of the classic True Crime comics for our readers to review. It is an eye opener. It is True Crime Comics from... Read More Do Not Photo by Khamkéo Vilaysing on Unsplash Do not be afraid of the dark Even if it rains, And you have no one to hold Or anyone to hold on to Do not be afraid of the dark Do not embrace the... Read More In Loving Memory of Vickie Reed Above: Vickie (left) with her dear friend, Ashley Vallette Over the years, you have the opportunity to meet many people, but only on a rare occasion do you meet someone who shares your creative flair. Vickie was one such... Read More An Essay of Time and Water Photo by giuseppe Peppe on Unsplash An essay of time and water, a celebration of memory intertwined through our minds and riding a crafted sunset. Life passes easy from time to time. A colorful dream eased in to a peaceful sleep –... Read More The Clock Reaches Zero Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash When the clock reaches zero, Whisper quietly. Move in close divine. Breathe a gentle kiss- in rhythmic time. Joseph St John Read More In Defense of Conspiracy Theories It is easy to see a project like SGC or 40+&Fit and think that is a one-man show. However, there are many people in the background who help to make the operation run. As with all my media adventures,... Read More The Prince, The Yellow Tiger Photo by Hans-Jurgen Mager on Unsplash Sun, like water- colors are vivid, pink and green, hallow blue. The prince rides the yellow tiger. One eyed and valiant, the beast sets boldly against the sunset. Strong and vibrant, the golden man glides across... Read More The Officer Survival Creed: A Tool For Life Last week, I had an opportunity to teach at the Hampton Roads Criminal Justice Training Academy and it is always great to be teaching new recruits. The men and women I meet every time at the academy make me... Read More The Field Of Corn Green (Green Corn by Vincent Van Gogh) Swirling blue on canvas. Images appear vaguely through the paint. Faces through the clouds look over the field of corn green. Cypress impale the morning air Rolling hills move toward the west. A... Read More Jim and The American Night Lost next to the Earth’s highway the stranger stands firm, unscathed hunting the American Night. He pulls off his shirt. The hot air breathes life on his tired skin. Abandoned, lonely, he walks defiantly across the black asphalt. A... Read More “Red, White and Blue” – Lynyrd Skynyrd “Red, White and Blue” first appeared on the Vicious Cycle album by Lynyrd Skynyrd and was written by Johnny Van Zant, Donnie Van Zant, Brett Warren, and Brad Warren in 2003. It is one of my favorite songs by... Read More 7 Photo by Ivan Diaz on Unsplash Riding through the plains, Outlaws and Rebels locked in gold’s quest. Sunshine abandoned- Horses pull and force their way onward. Colt steel stands firm blazing a harden trail. The riders move toward the Mexican Line. They... Read More Happy 4th of July, Americans! On this 4th of July, let’s take the time to read the Declaration of Independence. Yes, take the time to read the original content. If you love America, take the time to understand America. Download a copy here: Declaration-of-Independence... Read More SGC News SGC and her sister sites are growing! Stand by for more information. Read More “Heartland” A little art now for the art site: Photo by Chad Peltola on Unsplash Raging through the Heartland in a cream-colored Cadillac, I saw the light’s ray illuminate the dust from my dashboard. Running through Nowhere, Midlands, I lost my innocence somewhere... Read More To Honor Our Vets From time to time, SGC and our sister publications will take the time to honor our Vets. The men and women who have served our country should be honored every day in our hearts and in our minds. Freedom... Read More Don’t Confuse Compromise with Surrender by Joseph B. St John There is always a battle between being forceful and being passive. It is always part of any equation when dealing with work or your personal life. When do you push and when do you... Read More A Little Critical Thinking Will Go A Long Way by Joseph B. St. John Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and... Read More Freedom – It Sounds Good To Me Freedom. It is a strange word and means many different things to many different people. For some, freedom is a freedom from responsibility and for others it is having a few hours for themselves. This word has a strange... Read More The Law An Open Letter from SGC: Be Smart One of the interesting things about the Internet is that anyone can be anything. Sometimes, it is done innocently. Sometimes, not so much. Knowledge is good but understanding the knowledge you have... Read More Upon Butterfly Wings Photo Credit: Yuichi Kageyama on Unsplash by Joseph B. St. John In the space of one morning, I saw the tiny doves fly into the sunrise. One after another, they disappeared into the brightly colored coat of the sky. Dew laid... Read More Church in the Moonlight by Mark Poe The distant glow of flood lights gave a point to follow through the thin path amongst the underbrush of the swampy surroundings. The chorus of the creatures of the night was joined by the crackling speakers... Read More Comic Books – They Never Were for Kids Growing up in the late 1960’s and 70’s, superhero comic books were a big part of my life. It was a weekly pleasure to pick up my preferred titles: Batman, Spiderman, the Fantastic Four and my personal favorite, Captain... Read More Pilgrimage by Ron Parlato Pilgrimage is an event held in many towns in the Deep South to celebrate the antebellum period of cavalier manners, graceful elegance, and spacious homes. It is a time for the owners of these homes to... Read More Why Monsters Matter Photo by Max Kleinen from Unspalsh Unfortunately, there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and... Read More Earl Hutchins by Ron Parlato My name is Earl Hutchins and I own the Hutchins Run B&B in Linings, South Carolina. It’s about as much of a bed and breakfast as Hadley’s Rest, a sorry piece of lumber that’s only good... Read More Deep Hole Everyone knew it as the Deep Hole. It was a spot on the edge of a sandbar in the St. Francis River that had washed out over time. The water was still and deep. The bottom was soft and... Read More Violent Vickie Attacks the “CIRCLE SQUARE” Continuing our tradition of supporting Independent music artists, SGC is proud to support Violent Vickie’s latest track. Over the past several years, SGC has made a commitment to independent artists. The number of outstanding performers that exist outside the... Read More Natchitoches by Ron Parlato My name is Elizabeth Bolen and I own the Owens Mill B&B in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My guests come here for the Christmas Festival of Lights, an event a lot like Mardi Gras, with krewes, floats, and... Read More Eudora by Mark Poe The emotions swirled in his head, as the tires thumped on Highway 18 leading Tommy home again. It was the same path he had driven many times, but never before for this purpose. His grandfather had... Read More The Dark and Light of Tennessee Williams Long before I arrived in Columbus, MS, over 10 years ago, I had heard of Tennessee Williams. The Glass Menagerie was one of the plays I read in freshman Literature class in college. I enjoyed the play and my... Read More Dolls by Ron Parlato Amanda Leigh, like most little girls, liked playing with Barbie dolls. She liked to dress them, comb their hair, and strut them around in their high heels. “Barbie sends the wrong message”, said a feminist critic.... Read More Ol’ Man Ray by Mark Poe The first time I saw the old man he was sitting in a ragged armchair on a drooping front porch that matched his persona. Weather-beaten and worn down by time, the boards of the floor and... Read More Submissions Are Now Open! Have you missed reading exciting, well-written stories with a Southern Gothic theme? Looking to enjoy some stimulating artwork, photos, and videos? Well, hopefully your wait will soon be over! After numerous requests from loyal readers and our talented contributors,... Read More The “Green House Near Loveville” Is An Exciting Read William Crute draws upon a background ranging from the FBI to the Special Forces, from classroom English teacher to artist and gallery owner. His new novel, Rainbow Isle, joins three previous novels — Morgan Makes Money, The Greenhouse... Read More WELCOME TO THE WAY BACK HOME Welcome to the way back home Welcome to a soft afternoon’s rain Did you see the heartache? Did you see my back break? Did you see the blood race down my swollen face? And did you see the glory?... Read More “Welcome to the Circus” We invite you to enjoy the photography of Addie Talley. Read More The Artwork of Joe McGown A Dream Within a Dream - Edgar Allen Poe Joe MacGown creates a world that balances the real with the fantastical. His artwork streams a new consciousness that is neither locked into the surrealism of Salvador Dali nor... Read More Seven Deadly Sins Anger, envy gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and vanity – How we love you all! How we love the sweet taste of vengeance inside your soft soul reign! Each one gives a reason for the reasons that we love... Read More Bulltrogg’s Parade By Joseph B. St. John I sat alone waiting for the fright of night to begin, alone like always in the summer’s warm charm. I stared over the concrete barricades of my fortress. Putting my wildness aside for a... Read More “Twisted Fairy Tales” Enjoy Addie Talley’s artistic photography. Read More Lawn Chair by Mark Poe I have a lawn chair named Matthew. Matthew is as much a part of my family as the rest of this farm. Just as every pecan tree or chicken coop or storage shed that sits on... Read More SGC Entertainment A True Crime Site
