Okay, it’s time once again for your guide to things you can do in and around Charleston as we get near the original day of the undead. In this week’s edition of STUFF TO DO, we’re going to start off with a radio note, and then suggest a very cool horror comic that you can Kickstart,  Decay.

First a note on Wednesday afternoon’s Curtain Call on The AIR: This week Mel wanted to salute the classic musical, Oklahoma, just a few days after the 80th anniversary of its first production. She’d planned to present the entire musical, made up of tracks from several different productions over the decades. However, I realized that we’d already dedicated an entire show to Oklahoma four years ago, when the acclaimed and horny revival won the 2019 Tony Award for best revival of a musical.

So Wednesday at 3 PM, Curtain Call will re-present that episode of our musical theater showcase, so your humble blogger can focus on catching up and working on this week’s delayed episode of Radio Free Charleston. You can tune in at the website, or you could just stay right here and  listen to the convenient embedded radio player lurking elsewhere on this page.

Now, onto our Kickstarter recommendation for the final two issues of Decay:

I picked up the first three issues of this five-part series, written by Anthony D. Stokes, last year, and now the final two installments are live at Kickstarter.

In case you missed them, you can still get your hands on the first three parts as well, as physical comics, or in digital form. Anthony does a killer job fullfilling his pledges, so chances are you’ll have your books a week or two after the campaign closes.

Let me quote liberally from the Kickstarter page here…

Jess brings her brother DK back from the dead when he gets shot at a house party but after he starts a murderous rampage for revenge she may come to regret that decision.

Decay is a 5 issue comic book series written by me (Stokes), illustrated by Marc Oliver, and lettered by Es Kay. The funds for this campaign will be used on art, lettering, and printing physical copies. This campaign is essential to continuing the series to its conclusion.

Morality plays have been a part of stories since the beginning of time. Putting characters in no-win situations and watching the consequences of their actions is timeless and I’m excited to show my take on it. I’ve always been a fan of mature comics that felt adult but aren’t gratuitous. There’s no excessive nudity, cursing, or gore just an adult story with mature themes.

Decay is a gritty grimy revenge thriller set in New Orleans. It is inspired by Frankenstein and The Crow.

Decay is qualitystorytelling, with a fresh take on horror that is so compelling that your ever-forgetful blogger has been anxiously awaiting this Kickstarter campaign since I grabbed the first two issues last summer. Stokes is a very gifted storyteller and in Decay he’s woven familar elements into something really new and exciting. The campaign has just been live for a couple of days, and its already one-third funded.

Stokes is directing the action here, but the art by Marc Oliver and the lettering by Es Kay perfectly suit the story and the end result is, as they say, an action-packed thrill ride. Check out the video here…

If you’re a fan of horror and want to support a very creative new take from a young Black writer. then visit THIS PAGE and kick in. There’s just about two and a half weeks to get in on this, and trust me, it’s a hell of a ride.

And now, onto STUFF TO DO…

Live Music is back at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM. Friday it’s Chet Lowther. Saturday Friendly Fire entertains the crowd at Charleston’s beloved Bookstore/Coffee Shop/Art Gallery.

The Empty Glass has some great stuff through the week to tell you about.  Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Swingstein and Robin play fiddle and piano and sing swing and early jazz standards. Each week they donate their tips to a local nonprofit.  Later on Thursday, Kenny Booth hosts “Shred Night” so metallically-inclined peoples can come out and jam and not worry about upsetting the folk singers. Next week they’ll have an open mic Monday night, and Songwriter Showcase on Tuesday. Other shows that have graphics are listed among the images below.

Please remember that the pandemic is not over yet. It’s still a going concern. Many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out.

If you’re up for going out, here are a few suggestions for the rest of this week, roughly in order.