About TheoFantastique

Enjoying Halloween in Salem

Welcome to TheoFantastique. My name is John Morehead. I am the creator of this website which represents the result of a lifelong interest in the fantastic from my childhood in the 1960s, teens in the 1970s, and my continuing enjoyment and exploration of such things as an adult into the 21st century.This interest was first sparked by my childhood viewing of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, then nurtured by 1950s sci fi/horror films, further developed by the fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen, and then the Universal and Hammer Films of horror through my local Creature Features host, Bob Wilkins, in northern California.

Although we live in an age more interested in finding spectacle than substance in popular culture, particularly in regards to the fantastic, at this blog the reader will find a unique synthesis of both a fans enjoyment of the fantastic in pop culture, and an academic exploration of why so many people find these things fascinating, and what they tell us about ourselves. Through commentary and interviews, and an application of my background in intercultural and religious studies, I explore the social, cultural, mythic, archetypal, imaginative, and spiritual aspects of the fantastic.

In regards to the fantastic and the spiritual, many such experiences resemble Rudolf Otto’s description of religious encounters with the numinous which he related in his book The Idea of the Holy. This experience has been described as a “daemonic-divine,” one that is “a mystery which is fearful, awe-inspiring. . . . and fascinating.” So while it may seem a strange concept for some readers, there is often a parallel between experiences with the numinous, the transcendent, and the divine, and experiences with the realms of horror, and also science fiction, and fantasy.

A few words are in order in terms of explaining the title of this blog. “Theo” comes from the Greek word theos for god, and fantastique is a French term that refers to the fantastic in fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Put together, the title “TheoFantastique” makes reference to the possibility that the fantastic in pop culture may not only provide us with entertainment, but also windows into transcendence.

My journey into the fantastic through my writing is not only explored here, but also in collaboration with like-minded imagineers, including those at the League of Tana Tea Drinkers (LOTT D), CineFantastique Online, and Famous Monsters of Filmland. In addition, you can find my reflections on the fantastic in a contribution to the anthology Butcher Knives & Body Counts: Essays on the Formula, Frights and Fun of the Slasher Film (Dark Scribe Press, forthcoming), as well as contributions to John Kenneth Muir’s Horror Films of the 1990s (McFarland, forthcoming).

Beyond my own writing and interviews on this site be sure to visit the links I’ve compiled as well. These include sites that facilitate a fan’s enjoyment of the fantastic, as well as those that can take us deeper into our understanding of the fantastic in human imagination and experience.

I hope you will undertake and enjoy this journey with me. Along the way I think you will not only experience both fright and fun, but you might also learn more about the fantastic and what it tells us about ourselves and the world in which we live. Thoughtful posted comments are always welcome, and inquiries can be directed to johnm@theofantastique.com. Posts on this website are my intellectual property and are copyrighted. Please contact me with requests for quotations which exceed fair use.

Here’s to a new world of gods and monsters. Enjoy your journey into the fantastic.

John W. Morehead