Eulogy FROM THE DEADITOR-IN-CHIEF

 “Farewell To Dead Arms”

Girls and Corpses
Print Issue has been
Laid To Rest
‘RIP’

By Robert “Corpsy” Rhine
Founder, Publisher, and Deaditor-In-Chief

There are two great adages: All good things must end, and there will always be war. This swan-song issue tackles both of those topics.

So, let me rip off the bloody Band-Aid and announce, with remorse, that we will no longer be printing Girls and Corpses Magazine (gulp). You hold in your hand our very last print issue. (That is unless you are holding something else in your hand right now).

Corpsy unleashed Girls and Corpses Magazine seventeen years ago (yes, it has been that long) and it has been a beautifully bizarre ride. Who knew that death could be so much fun? Photo shoots with gorgeous girls; meeting top horror directors, writers, and actors; metal and rock bands; exhibiting at hundreds of conventions around the country; and working with the top writers and artists in the U.S. and around the world. We also gave voice to many unique new talents with their first publishing break. It is that which gives me the most satisfaction.

“Our favorite magazine Girls and Corpses has finally arrived!” - Bizarre Magazine

But before you step off the grave’s edge, G&C is not going out of business. This corpse has only gotten started! The reasons for killing the print portion of this company are both varied and obvious. First, many of you have stopped reading, at least in paper form. But we never wanted to be an online publication because I grew up loving magazines that I could grasp in my hands like National Lampoon and MAD Magazine (which was my bible growing up). Being an online magazine was never my dream or desire. I wanted you to proudly display Girls and Corpses on your coffin tables, framed on your walls, and lovingly collect until you owned every sick putrid copy.

“The #1 most ridiculous magazine of all time.” - The Huffington Post.

The challenge was, how to make a magazine that sounded as repugnant a concept imaginable, marketable. And yet we pulled it off quite successfully with our blood, sweat, and tears – pouring our soul into every issue so we could all be forever proud of what we accomplished.

“Girls and Corpses... two great tastes that go together! It’s the magazine I always take with me on airplanes.”- Eli Roth Director/writer/producer/actor (Hostel 1&2)

But there has been a sinister combination of printing costs, paper costs and shipping costs (which have all skyrocketed) along with the decay of newsstands. I was at the doctor’s office the other day and the magazine rack at reception had the typical wrinkled copies of assorted magazines: People, Time, Golf, Fitness, and others. But as I gazed around the waiting room, no one was reading them – and you know why? Because you are all on your cell phones! Yes, the printed magazine is going the way of the fountain pen, Polaroid camera, VHS, and Pet Rock. We have watched with horror as top magazines have dropped dead before us, like Fangoria, Bizarre Magazine, National Geographic, Popular Photography, Gourmet, and even Newsweek. But this is not news. Print has been dying for awhile. We have held on by our bony fingertips and we could even continue if Corpsy wanted. We are by no means broke. But it is time for a change, and I am excited by what lies ahead in the film business for Girls and Corpses Presents. I will get to that in a moment.

“You don’t know what to look at first, or whether to laugh or cry or vomit.” - L.A. Weekly

Girls and Corpses has always had a huge collector following and we will continue to sell our back issue stock until they run out. The prices will continue to go up and up, so now is a good time to invest and pick up a copy or a bunch at GirlsandCorpsesStore.com before they sell out.

“I'm your biggest fan!” - Herschell Gordon Lewis "The Godfather of Gore"

The business plan of Girls and Corpses was never to reprint, thus creating a market for collectors for this unique magazine. I have seen copies selling for as much as $120.00 online and that will continue upwards as there are fewer copies to go around. So, think of Girls and Corpses as a growing mutual fund which will rise much more quickly than your bank account.

We made Girls and Corpses to last for hundreds of years with high quality, eighty weight UV coated paper and cover. This baby will outlast you and your grandkids for several generations – and maybe Girls and Corpses will become a religion someday like Scientology. Or something that actually makes sense, like Girls and Corpsesology.

“The Necro-Humour Apostle, Robert “Corpsy” Rhine... A Jack of all trades whose work is steeped in the blackest of humour.” - Rue Morgue Magazine

Ending the print publication hardly means we are ending Girls and Corpses. The plan has always been to brand our name and transition into motion pictures, which we have done with our Girls and Corpses Presents label with TomCat Films. We have already distributed and released such films as Parasites, Bodies, Aliens vs. Titanic, All I Need, The Meat Puppet, and Blood Rites.

“Possibly the most bizarre magazine in the history of the world.” - Reddit

We have also begun producing and financing our own G&C films, starting with Cynthia, which we profiled in our last issue; a crazy horror/comedy with an amazing cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, Kyle Jones, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Robert LaSardo, Rebecca Marshall, James William O’Halloran, Lynn Lowry and James Karen.

We will also continue the filet mignon of our business: the sexy/sick photo shoots with beautiful young girls and rotting stinking corpses. So, stay tuned on our site GirlsandCorpses.com for updates and more sexy dead pics! 

“Girls and Corpses is the weirdest magazine in the world!” - MTV

It seems apropos to be blowing up the print issue with this War themed issue. We are marching ever closer to war and in fact are at war with the Taliban and Isis. As of this printing, North Korea has a ballistic missile that can reach the continental United States. That’s enough to get the hairs standing on your neck. So, for this War issue, we shot in a real bomb shelter under my family home built in 1962 on the advice of President John F. Kennedy (during the Cuban Missile Crisis). It seems history is about to repeat itself with nuclear missiles pointing at The Mall of America and other targets. Who knows, we may be building bomb shelters again in this country and many ‘preppers’ are well ahead of the game preparing for Armageddon, the ATF or both.

“Girls and Corpses Magazine is my bible, my Buddha, my Koran, my Torah.” - Uncle Lloyd Kaufman (Headcase of Troma Films)

This issue explores many aspects or WAR and, thanks to our insane Russia ass-kissing President Trump, this is the most important topic we have ever covered in Girls and Corpses Magazine…. And, fitting, our last.

To you hardcore fans and lovers of Girls and Corpses Magazine, don’t fret. We are not going away, just saving a few thousand trees as we cease print. It has been an amazing and wonderful ride and I wouldn’t change a thing, except for a few untimely deaths of our staff and friends: Stephen Miller, Hollie Stevens, and Kim Fowley.

I could write a book about all the crazy shit that has happened with this magazine and maybe someday I will. Stay tuned.

“Reading this magazine is something to die for!” - Amy Fisher (The Long Island Lolita)

It takes a village (of the damned) to create this magazine. I would like to thank all the fantastic contributors who worked so hard; writing, illustrating and researching this high-quality magazine. First and foremost, Kevin Klemm (who started on this journey with me), a great friend and talented writer and horror historian, who was our first procurer of corpses at his morbid Ed Gein Collection: EdGeinCollection.com. Kevin has continued to write our horror film roundups and knows his shit!

“Pretty Horrifying stuff. This guy's got a sick mind.” - Jimmy Kimmel

Another visionary was Stephen Miller, who saw what we had and convinced me to go into print. Stephen was tragically killed at 39, in a horrifying way, mauled by Rocky the Grizzly ‘movie’ bear in a true tragedy. I won’t go into the entire story here but Stephen’s death was profiled on National Geographic’s “Grizzly Face-to-Face.”  Thank you, Stephen, for making Girls and Corpses a print magazine. RIP.

Lon Bixby and Albert L. Ortega who were with us at the very beginning, during our web issues, and are both excellent photographers who understood and enhanced Corpsy’s dream. Mark Berry, our amazing photographer who I met upon our third issue and who has shot 29 covers and over a hundred interior photo shoots. Mark and I think alike, and that must keep him up at nights, screaming. Anyone who can work with Corpsy this long deserves a special award – and, Mark, you get the golden bone. Weylin Coyote Wegner (aka Reverend Lust Vegas) who has hooked us up with so many amazing icons of horror and has a true deep love and understanding of what we are doing and our sick edge. Thanks also to Weylin’s amazing mother Barbara Wegner, for hatching Weylin, and also writing for us and doing amazing artwork for G&C. Weylin’s beautiful daughter, Destiny, is in this month’s final Amateur Corpse of the Month.

Necro Magickal has been our resident ‘Dark Lord’ whether it be Satanic or the dark arts and has written many scholarly articles for this magazine.

Brian Orlowski illustrated all the crazy Last Laughs I have cooked up and we even got a book out of it: Last Laughs “Gallows Humor” which you can purchase in our store. Brian is another creative genius who ‘gets it.’
 
Our gifted layout artist Scott Foster, who I inherited with our first print issue from Stephen Miller, who has always had the vibe and imagination which meshed with mine. Scott is a true artist and friend for sticking with me through thick and thicker. Also, John Boegehold, my longtime friend and web corpse, who keeps you all updated on issues on our site: GirlsandCorpses.com

Thank you, Rob Zombie, for helping us launch this successful magazine, with your beautiful wife Sheri Moon Zombie on our first print cover – and for recommending us to your iconic performers, who have done multiple covers and events with us, including: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Scout Taylor-Compton, and Danielle Harris.

“Sigmund Freud once said the world’s two greatest taboos were sex and death. Leave it to award-winning horror writer Robert Steven Rhine to bring them together.” - The Naughty American

Other shout-outs to our fantastic contributors and staff include: James Spinner, Jerry Chacon, David L. Tamarin, Dominic Ace, Gordon Mui, Charlotte Stokely, Jeff Leroy, Kim Fowley, Nenad Gucunja, Frank Forte, Sid Graves, Laurie Lipton, Alan Eigen, Paul Koudounaris, Doug Mac, Jackie Martling, Eric Pigors, D.W. Frydendall, Justice Howard, Dr. Victoria Austin, Rémy Couture, Drew Turney, Elizabeth Burns, Amanda Dyar, Hew Burney, George Weinstein, Ryan Izay, Jeane Trend-Hill, Molly Gosline, Freddy Funbuns, Peach Momoko, Jim Smith, Ella von Cosel, Megan Casey, Jon Running, Robert Kenney, Lyndal Ferguson, Jaye Beldo, Dick Starr, Evil Paul, Ryan Nellis, Mo Whelan, Quendrith Johnson, Ria Sharp, Lou Rusconi, Kelly O’Leary, Mike Spatola, Makeup Effects Lab, Suzzan Blac, Jin N Tonic, Lynn Pops, Jacqui Holland, Sasha Sweet, Lydia Ibarra, and Max Dreads Pepperchini. Also, our printer Transcontinental in Canada, and our distributors: Ingram, Diamond, and PDG. If we have left you out we apologize in advance. There are so many hundreds of people who have made Girls and Corpses a success and we thank you ALL!

“Girls and Corpses is very much a throwback to the humor mags of the late-70s/early-80s, with a very pointed, sarcastic POV that recalls some of the best issues of National Lampoon.” - Wired Magazine

I want to highlight my close friend Hollie Stevens (RIP), who I adored like a sister. I met Hollie when we did a story on Clown Porn. Hollie was a blast and a true artist; witty, funny, kind and beautiful. She wrote and did art for G&C and hung with Corpsy at over forty events. There are certain people who teach you the meaning of life and death and, for me, Hollie’s death was like losing a child. She was only twenty-nine and had so much life ahead of her. But Cancer had other plans. I think about you all the time Hollie – you are forever in my heart.

Both my parents passed away during the run of this magazine. They gave me my humor and wit. I’m sure this magazine has them rolling in their graves. For what it’s worth – I owe it all to you.

And lastly, I want to thank YOU, our readers. I can remember the first time someone walked up to our table, at a Fangoria convention, and said, “WTF is Girls and Corpses?!” I usually came up with a quip like, “a saddle,” or a “bag of Cheetos,” or a “canoe.” To this day, people still walk up to my tables at conventions, eyes widening, as they shake their heads and say, out loud, “WTF is Girls and Corpses?!” It is the power of those two words together which has been both our strength and weakness (as those in prison can attest to as we are banned in every correctional institute in the country). 

But, I have kept this magazine going for all you bold and adventurous readers – which why this crazy magazine has survived for nearly two decades, against all odds, and kept me up at night going over every word in this magazine. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my rotting heart for having the courage to open your imagination and pick up a copy or two.  It shows you are open-minded and willing to take a chance – which not everyone would.

You’re gonna miss us. As we will miss you.

Until death does us part…

Robert “Corpsy” Rhine
Founder/Publisher/Deaditor-In-Chief
Girls and Corpses Magazine