FANGORIA alum, Colors of the Dark podcast co-host, and writer/director Dr. Rebekah McKendry previously organized a horror writers' picket with the appropriate call of "Pencils down, chainsaws up!" Everyone from Mick Garris to Mike Flanagan and Michael Myers marched outside Warner Bros for the "marvelously macabre" picket. But that was over two months ago now. The WGA has been on strike since May 2, and since organizing that late-May picket, SAG-AFTRA has since officially joined the strike, with their union striking as of July 14.
Just this last week, Rebekah McKendry (WGA) joined forces with Brea Grant (WGA and SAG), Maggie Levin (WGA), Erica Schreiber (WGA), and Barbara Crampton (SAG) for a massive WGA/SAG horror picket at Netflix. The August 14th picket, appropriately dubbed "Scream Queens" celebrated women and LGBTQ+ in horror. The event invited all horror fans to join, and drew a huge crowd donning witch hats, Halloween costumes, and of course- very clever signs.
Blumhouse provided an ice cream truck, Nick Antosca's Eat the Cat kept the crowd caffeinated with a coffee truck, Midsummer Scream showed their support with a donut booth, and Drafthouse Fims gave picketers supplies and snacks. Over one hundred days into the WGA strike, and it seems no closer to striking a fair deal.
Picket co-organizer Maggie Levin shared, "To strike for a fair contract for over 100 days means relentlessly enduring the terrors of scarcity, uncertainty & instability - in an already very unstable industry. But the beauty of being a horror writer is knowing that when we face our deepest fears, we become unstoppably empowered. The horror community shares the ability to lovingly embrace of what scares us most, and to find strength in each other. This picket was an opportunity for us to come together and demonstrate that strength in force."
Folks turned out in droves to show support and march in solidarity. Co-organizer Erica Schreiber tells FANGORIA, "Being on strike means starring in the horror movie none of us chose to make. But the horror community has listened to our terrifying accounts of dwindling jobs, unfair labor practices, and unpaid work. It means the world to us as creators that the community has stepped up to the picket line beside us."
Community is the key here, and the old adage of strength in numbers is being demonstrated on the daily as the unions negotiate for a fair deal. Fango Queen Barbara Crampton perhaps captures it best, “We are a community of storytellers. We rely on each other to help turn our dreams into realities, our stories into films. No one makes movies or television shows alone. We all work together and have a single focus to reveal truths about the human condition. We may have different jobs— actor, writer, makeup, wardrobe, lighting, grip, catering, etc. Yet, since the strike, it’s been wonderful to see peers from all areas of this business supporting one another in solidarity. We are in this together, fighting for a fairer Hollywood.”
Well said, Ms. Crampton. Take a look at some photos from the picket below, sent in by co-organizer Rebekah McKendry. Lots of familiar faces on the picket line. These folks are a force to be reckoned with, and we are excited for the day when they can get back to creating amazing movies and be fairly compensated for the joy their creations bring us.
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May 2 because the AMPTP refuses to negotiate a fair deal. For more information on the strike visit WGA Contract 2023 and the SAG-AFTRA official strike website with picket calendars, updates, and additional information.
