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Happy New Year!

Since the very first edition of the original Phantom Lake Almanac (the title of this newsletter before becoming the Mihmiverse Monthly in August 2011), the January issue has served to provide an in-depth look back at all the significant Mihmiverse-related events that happened during the previous calendar year.

In honor of such a long-held tradition, we take this opportunity to revisit all the exciting Mihmiverse-related happenings in calendar year 2024!
 

Less than ten days into February, principal photography of "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" wrapped! The final scenes to be filmed were those involving Mark Haider as General Castle (retired). The location the production had to wait on (that held up Mr. Haider's scenes) was secured by Mr. Haider himself and is the home of his sister's husband's sister. Every hunting trophy seen in the film was personally captured by the woman's husband!

Finally, with filming complete, Mr. Mihm was able to finish his "first draft" edit of the movie within a couple of weeks, thus guaranteeing that the movie would debut in calendar year 2024!
 

As March hit and Monster Day (March 9th) passed, it was announced that "Queen of Snakes" would headline the Schlock the Block 2: The Bride of Schlock movie marathon to be held the Saturday before Memorial Day at the Time Community Theater in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As an added bonus, it was decided that the official trailer for "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" would debut at the end of the night!

A week later, a rumor surfaced that writer/director Christopher R. Mihm had begun work on a new script. A short week after THAT, it was revealed that the script for this new Mihmiverse project was not only complete, but pre-production had already begun! "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" was officially announced and contributor credits went on sale!
 

The final edit of and media authoring for "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" was completed in early April, which allowed the Mihmiverse crew to turn its sights toward "Three Bad Girl Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires."

The photo seen here was taken during a pre-production costume test for actor Alice Mihm, who most fans of the Mihmiverse should recognize as Evelyn Johnson, the leader of the "Toughs" gang (not their name!) from the Phantom Lake Kids movies.

You can tell Alice is not playing Evelyn in this new film because she's wearing glasses and has bangs—although, it should be noted that little Evelyn Johnson DID have bangs in "Danny Johnson Saves the World." Still, she was never seen with them in the three Phantom Lake Kids films and "The Mihmiverse Holiday Special!"

Casting, costuming, location scouting, and early scheduling of the project came together throughout April. However, one of the most important things that must happen before production of ANY vampire film can begin shooting had to be taken care of: fitting the actors for fangs! Mihmiverse Master Monster Maker Mitch Gonazles helped wrap up the month by fitting actors with their sharp, over-sized vampire teeth!
 

In May, the August 21st world premiere date of "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" was announced and principal photography of a "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" began!

The official trailer for "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" debuted at the Schlock the Block 2: The Bride of Schlock movie marathon and was released to the general public a few days later! Check it out below!

 

Principal photography of "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" continued throughout the month of June. The first still from the new film was released mid-month!


This was clearly an image of fan-favorite actor James Norgard going "full vampire." In the film Mr. Norgard's character is named "Pastor Goodman" and it is spelled out in the movie's synopsis that he is "an immortal, blood-sucking creature of the night." Since this film is meant to pay homage to the filmography of the Coen brothers, his character's name is no doubt a reference to the many appearances of actor John Goodman in their catalog!
 

Advanced tickets to the world premiere of "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" went on sale in mid-July, as did DVD & Blu-Ray pre-orders.

At the end of the month, principal photography of a "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" officially ENDED! It was the first time principal photography of a Mihmiverse project had reached completion BEFORE the world premiere of the film preceding it.

Granted, this feat did come with a few asterisks, specifically in regards to the fact that 2019's "Queen of Snakes" was shot concurrently with 2018's "Guns of the Apocalypse" and principal photography of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" was finished before "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us" was able to hold its world premiere, which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, it was the first time it happened independently and without the "help" of an out-of-control virus shutting down the world!

In honor of this milestone for the 20th (!) Mihmiverse movie in as many years, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm released the following behind-the-scenes photo taken as the film was wrapped! In the photo, from left to right, we find Mr. Mihm himself (sporting a rather large Santa-Claus-style beard) and actors Alice Mihm holding what appears to be the film's script, Elliott Mihm flaunting a 'stash that would make Tom Selleck proud, newcomer Jackie Baker displaying the film's titular weapon, and Michael Kaiser who, strangely, appears to be channeling Abraham Lincoln with his choice of facial hair!

 

"The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster" held its world premiere on August 21st and the event was a gigantic success!

Not only was the crowd bigger than the previous year's premiere (premiere attendance being something the Mihmiverse has struggled with post-pandemic), but DVD & Blu-Ray sales were through the roof! For the first time in what seems like a LONG time, people were lining up after the movie to purchase not only the latest film, but back-catalog DVDs, as well. In fact, despite bringing a large number of copies of "The Wad" to the event, the Mihmiverse crew found themselves with only ONE DVD left at the end of the night!

Writer/director Christopher R. Mihm snapped the following photo outside the theater as folks lined up to get into the theater!


In writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's first faux-documentary, KPHL Channel 6 Nightly News anchor Daniel Johnson (Elliott Mihm) hosts a "look back" at one of the most shocking events ever to transpire in Mihmiverse history.

Through interviews with survivors and major players involved in the crisis, re-enactments, and never-before-seen archival footage, Mr. Johnson presents the complete and unabridged story of the wad of chewing gum that mutated, became sentient, grew to gargantuan proportions, and threatened the lives of every man, woman, and child in Phantom Lake County!

The disc contains a high quality digital transfer of the film and several exclusive special features, including a blooper reel, two photo galleries, feature-length commentary with writer/director Christopher R. Mihm, English subtitles, and much more!

Feature Run Time: 1 hour, 22 minutes. Color and Black & White, Widescreen, NOT RATED.

$9.99 (DVD) / $14.99 (Blu-Ray) (+$4.99 shipping & handling)
format:	DVDBlu-Ray

	Check here if the shipping address is outside of the U.S.
	Check here to include writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's autograph
NOTE: Autographs require removal of a disc's protective plastic wrap. By selecting this option, you agree to allow us to do this!

 

Post-production of "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" continued apace in September, and the "greater Mihmiverse" found itself involved in a couple of events... and winning an award!

The 2nd (hopefully annual!) Mihmiverse Movie Marathon in Oshkosh, Wisconsin ended up being a resounding success and "The Wad" pulled in third place in the feature category at the 20th annual Slash & Bash Sci-Fi & Horror Movie Festival! The film was ALSO accepted into the Planet 9 Film Festival, though once Mr. Mihm was notified, he was made aware that it had already screened at the end of the previous month.
 

While writer/director Christopher R. Mihm worked diligently to edit "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires," October was, once again, a busy month of screenings and events. They don't call it the "Mihmiverse screening season" for nothing!

It began with Mr. Mihm appearing as a guest at the annual Lake Charles Film & Music Festival and screening "The Wad." Then, following a tradition that goes back to the very first Mihmvierse movie (2006's "The Monster of Phantom Lake"), "The Wad" screened at the Jack-o-Lantern Jaunt in the home of the REAL Phantom Lake: Mukwonago, Wisconsin.

October concluded with a screening of "The Giant Spider" at the beautiful Miner Theatre in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, and a free, Halloween-night double-feature of the original performance DVD of "The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!" with "Ed Gein: The Musical" presented as a fun, spooky, musical extravaganza at the Time Community Theater in Oshkosh, Wisconsin!
 

November started with the reveal of the design for the 2025 Mihmiverse Wall Calendar! The theme is "alternate reality Mihmiverse posters," wherein poster designs for actual 1950s B-movies are "adapted" to look like how they might have been had the films of the Mihmiverse came out back then! The example below demonstrates this by taking a poster design for the 1955 "big bug" movie "Tarantula!" and creates a version for the most popular Mihmiverse film to date!

As in previous years, this Mihmiverse-inspired wall calendar was released in EXTREMELY limited quantities and have been selling VERY well! We have less than five (5) left and, since it's now 2025, they are now on sale for almost 25% off their original price!



Also in November, "The Wad" played at the Care Awards Film Festival at the historic Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and won the award for Best Mockumentary!

Ten days later, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm officially completed the initial edit of "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires!"

Less than a week later, however, the Mihmiverse lost a member of its extended family when, after a long, well-fought battle, actor Jana Norland sadly succumbed to stomach cancer. Jana played a small role in "The Giant Spider" as the "Red Scare Lady," who famously asked the hero of the film, played by Daniel R. Sjerven, if Phantom Lake County was being invaded by the Russians. She reprised the role in 2021's "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us." She was an avid lover of animals, especially horses, and was instrumental in securing the interior hay barn location used in several pivotal scenes in "The Giant Spider."

Jana was well known for her warmth, kindness, and generosity of spirit. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Mihmiverse go out to all those who knew and love her. She will be greatly missed.
 

December found writer/director Christopher R. Mihm spending his time authoring physical media for his next film, "Three Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires," and preparing for the world premiere in two VERY short months! PLUS, now that DVD/Blu-Ray authoring is nearing completion, Mr. Mihm is at the point where he must "finalize" and "lock" the film. This means specifically that your chances to contribute to the movie and get your name in the end credits are rapidly coming to an end. In fact, we've been informed that the deadline to contribute will be January 15th, 2025, which is less than two weeks after the publication of this newsletter! SO, if you have ANY plans on getting your name (or the name of your loved ones, business, podcast, pet, etc.) in the credits, you need to contribute to the film as soon as you possibly can! Don't hesitate and risk missing out!

In writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's ode to "teensploitation" films of the 1950s and the cinematic oeuvre of the Coen Brothers, three female juvenile delinquents obtain a firearm and, just for the thrill of it, start robbing the fine folks of New Berlin. Unfortunately, their crime spree takes an unexpected turn after they mug and nearly murder the gambling-addicted pastor of the local church—who turns out to be an immortal, blood-sucking creature of the night! Hijinks ensue when the vampiric padre hires a pair of hitmen to help him retrieve his stolen cash and seek revenge against the three bad girls responsible!

Contribution credits went on sale the same day as the announcement—and they are still available for purchase through this newsletter! For each $20.00 donation, all contributors will be entitled to having a single name* of their choosing listed in the contributors section of the closing credits of the film and a customized, frame-able document certifying their contribution!

IMPORTANT! Physical media copies of the finished film are NOT automatically included with a basic contribution. If you would like to be guaranteed a DVD or Blu-Ray of the film when it is released, you MUST order it separately (with the purchase of at least one credit)!

Credits can even be given as gifts! Imagine the looks on the faces of your loved ones when they find out their names will be immortalized on the silver screen!

"Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires" INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR CREDITS

NUMBER OF CREDITS ($20 each) 12345678910 *ON-SCREEN CREDIT(S) Separate credits by commas, & or "and."  DVDS (+$10 each) none12345678910 BLU-RAYS (+$20 each) none12345678910 Is your mailing address outside of the U.S.? (All non-U.S. mailing addresses will be charged a shipping premium for physical media.) noyes

 
After a crazy year of ups, downs, and a handful of "what-the-hecks," 2025 is finally here. Hopefully this new year will be filled with lots of Mihmiverse-related excitement brought to you by the leader in indie-retro-monster-cinema!

Our sincere wish for this new year is for it to be full of peace and good health for everyone, and we aspire to be able to host lots of live screenings, events, and appearances in the coming months!

Remember, life is short, so make a point to never take ANYTHING or ANYONE for granted! The staff of the Mihmiverse Monthly wishes you a happy and safe new year filled with cheesy, black-and-white monster movies, love, friendship, and much success!  

Do you love the films of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm? Do you want to help ensure that the Mihmiverse continues to survive and thrive into the foreseeable future? AND do you want to experience exclusive Mihmiverse content? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you absolutely MUST join the Mihmiverse Patreon!

The Mihmiverse Patreon is fully sanctioned and personally curated by writer/director Christopher R. Mihm. Every "basic monster" member is granted access to a treasure trove of Mihmiverse-related stuff, including recurring audio content like An Oral History of the Mihmiverse and Bad Poetry Wednesdays, behind-the-scenes photos and video, first-look news, the ability to watch the entire Mihmiverse catalog, and hosted content like live interviews and film watch-a-longs—with more being added all the time! PLUS, members will have opportunities to have their voices heard with online surveys, live chats, and interactive events!

The "indie movie biz" is a tough one, and it's getting more difficult to maintain every year. Thankfully, Patreon is the answer to helping alleviate some of the strain modern filmmakers and artists find themselves under in this increasingly chaotic creative environment. If you're a true fan of the cinematic world writer/director Christopher R. Mihm has created, we highly recommend you join the Mihmiverse Patreon today!

The latest episode of the Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast has arrived!

This month, host writer/director Christopher R. Mihm flashes back to the true origins of the Mihmiverse, talks about why no one should take life for granted, and updates the status of the forthcoming premiere of "Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun and Become Vampires!"

Also included: The latest installment of "Atomic Tales," a monthly short story from the author of "The Canoe Cops vs. The Mummy," Stephen D. Sullivan!

The Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast is hosted by writer/director Christopher R. Mihm and is focused specifically on what's going on RIGHT NOW in the Mihmiverse. In addition, Mr. Mihm will discuss the monster movie-making process, touch briefly on the future of the 'verse, pontificate on random subjects, and be joined by guests from within and without the Mihmiverse. PLUS, each episode will include something unique you won't find anywhere else!

The Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast is now hosted, free to the public, at the Mihmiverse Patreon! To download an .mp3 of the latest episode or to listen online, go HERE!

Sci-Fi '50s!

The 1950s were jam-packed with science fiction films: some classic, some cheesy. To celebrate the new year, here's a trivia quiz designed to REALLY test your cinematic knowledge of the decade. Below you'll find a list of years, and a list of films. If you can match them up correctly, you will be crowned a true historian. It's a difficult quiz, but imagine how much more difficult it would be if I included the ENTIRE decade!

YEARS 1959

FILMS E. "The Blob / From the Earth to the Moon"

Directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Starring Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, and Maila Nurmi

Though most people will be familiar with this movie because of Tim Burton's 1994 biopic of director Ed Wood, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is a mixed bag of weirdness, cinematic ineptitude, and 1950s sci-fi kitsch that is far more entertaining than it has any right to be! Considered one of "the worst movies ever made," the plot revolves around aliens who grow fearful that the human race's predilection for violence (and its tendency to build bigger and more lethal weaponry) may lead it to someday discover the most destructive power in the universe—and, naturally, use it to destroy EVERYTHING! The aliens hatch a convoluted scheme to bring our dead back to life, because that will somehow stop us (?) by showing us how frightened we should be of our alien invaders...or something like that. The logic is less-than sound but, with so much "so-bad-it's-good" happening in one film, it hardly matters! Ed Wood's most infamous film, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is truly in a league of its own. It has served as an inspiration for countless aspiring filmmakers and deserves its considerable cult following. If you've never seen it, but are a big fan of the films of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm, you owe it to yourself to seek out and enjoy "Plan 9 from Outer Space!"

If you're like most people these days, you tend to stream your favorite TV shows and movies, particularly because it's way more convenient and you have access to them in more places! Did you know there are now several places to stream the entire Mihmiverse catalog?

From the movie that started it all, "The Monster of Phantom Lake," to its musical offshoot, "The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!," and the latest release, "The Wad: The True Story Behind the Phantom Lake County Chewing Gum Disaster," everything you need to "visit" the denizens of Phantom Lake County is available for your streaming pleasure!


The ENTIRE filmography of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm (including "The Wad") is available through the Mihmiverse Vimeo VOD portal!

Every film is presented using the same ultra high-quality renders used for the official Blu-Ray releases and actually feeds video content to the Drive-in Monsters Roku channel. Most importantly, the Mihmiverse Vimeo VOD portal is the ONLY PLACE to legally own the films digitally!


Retro-style monster movies from the wild & weird imagination of cult filmmaker Christopher R. Mihm! From giant, rampaging spiders to alien invasions and bug-eyed horrors, the Drive-in Monsters channel includes the entire catalog of Mr. Mihm's films, exclusive extras, and long lost special features originally released on currently out-of-print physical media! Explore the worldwide underground cult phenomenon known as the "Mihmiverse" and enjoy the rebirth of the golden age of "drive-in cinema" with the Drive-in Monsters channel!

As of right now, the channel is free... but, that most likely will not last forever! So make sure to enjoy the Drive-in Monsters Roku channel while it's still completely free of charge!

Mihmiverse DVDs & Blu-Rays are now available at SaintEuphoria.com, the online home of the films of Christopher R. Mihm. In addition, exclusive movie posters, collectibles and other merchandise are now in stock. Everything is available in extremely limited quantities, so get yours today before they run out!