Model – Joseph A Federico

Masters of Horror: Choosing the perfect model

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020
by josephafederico

As you may have read in the past – namely for projects such as Voudou Juice and soon-to-be Voudou Juice Origins: Cody’s Story – I have a soft spot for male models. That’s just me being 100% transparent and honest with you, my adoring fans and readers.

Truthfully, however, I feel that by choosing a real-life young man to portray one of my wild and crazy characters, the reader will attain a better experience overall – a story of my very own that I’m sharing with the public. You’ll get to vividly envision my words through male beauty. And besides, one of the missions I’m currently on is to push the envelope – through words and through explicit visuals.

So, without further ado, I’m here to announce my newest model, Riley Holley. You have a chance to explore the depths of his creativity and why he is so interested in the horror genre.

Explain why you wanted to model and how this has given you that opportunity:

I’ve modeled before, but chose to go to school for a degree instead of jumping into the modeling world like some of my fellow childhood friends; they now travel the world doing what they love. I couldn’t be happier for them.

But, this gives me the opportunity to jump back in where I left off, trying different styles. For me, it’s not about the money…although, that would be nice. I find it soul-grounding for one to do something they enjoy, yet, challenging at the same time. It gives oneself an opportunity to indulge in bringing characters to life and the manifestation of one’s own concept of emotions and world views.

Explain your background and how these projects, being a book cover model, has given you the freedom to be yourself:

Growing up in the south as a homosexual man, I had limited resources and opportunity due to the biased beliefs of others. Being a book cover model gives me the wonderful chance to express myself and give characters life. The freedom of creativity brings great joy and pride in doing a project like this one.

Being a clinical mental health counseling grad student, I find exploring the darkest parts of the human mind fascinating. Participating in horror book covers allows one to step out of one’s norm, pushing them to let that animal we humans keep in a cage. I find all sides of this concept beautiful and terrifying. Through these projects, I hope to see all sides of the subconscious of ideas flow out in producing nerve-tingling pictures for the viewers’ pleasures. That makes one question the deepest part of one’s character, no?

Why do you love all things horror?

Who doesn’t?! Horror is like the dark subconsciousness of our mind that always wonders, “Could I ever be that evil, vile, bloody and brutal?”

To me it’s like connecting with your alter ego – some being harsher than others – that you’re allowed to let out and to fear of what could be, when we or someone loses control. It makes me feel alive by how it makes my heart race. To be scared is to be alive.

I’ve always been a jumpy person and believe it was my punishment for loving the scare people. It’s a price I must pay, I suppose…

What’s your favorite horror movie and author? Why?

The “Saw” series would have to be my most favorites! This is most likely due to the psychological horror aspect behind it. I have always loved how it took a twist in what I consider to be traditional horror movie form that includes a group of people. I don’t have a favorite author yet, because I just love so many.

How do you feel the horror genre best relates to the LGBT community?

Interesting question… I guess it best relates because our lives themselves are like a horror movie to some extent; there is fear, hurt, blood, death, etc. in the human experience, right? The horrific events that have been taking over in our modern word tie-in to this as well.

And, to be honest, it’s a damn shame there are so few LTBTQ+-genred horror movies and books out there, too. Many LGBTQ+ antagonistic characters in books or movies are terrifyingly absent and to me that is horrifying, too. Why is that?

Similar to a time of witch hunts, our community is driven to shame, suicide, eradication and inner turmoil from the social and cultural norms that have developed based off religious beliefs. If we look back to the past, homosexuality was considered normal human behavior in many cultures.

Religion came into play, with men and armies fighting for power, and it left people who engaged in “abnormal” practices to fend for themselves and be shunned from society’s good graces. They were treated like cattle and seen as not being worthy of life, justice or even safety.

It is possible for social and cultural norms to change over time with the influence of educated, open-minded and reasonable people. I can go on this rant for ages, though…

What do you hope to get out of being a book cover model? Why? How?

I’d like the courage to express the dark side and bring such great characters to life! By using bloody themes and folklore, I hope to feel more comfortable over time. For without darkness there is no light, in between this, creatures shall take flight.

Growing up, what kind of southern folklore or scary story stuck with you the most? Why?

Not many southern folklores buzzed about my family during my upbringing. But growing up having Native American blood in my family, my grandmother would pass down stories. Such stories would be about burial mounds and how they were sacred, and also how the Blood Wolves of the great Native War protect and harm the families of all bloodlines.

One other thing that was prominent in my youth were dream catchers; but dream catchers can be a terrifying spellbinding tool as well, so one must be careful with whom they receive it from. Weaving spells are used in creation of dream catchers, so one’s own subconsciousness can be embedded without the casters knowing. Those are the few that have stuck with me throughout the years.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I want to say thank you for this opportunity and for allowing me to explore myself through such works. This is a wonderful chance to grow and explore while completing what the spice of life really is all about.

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Joshua Scantland: Acting and Me

January 3, 2020January 10, 2020
by josephafederico

-by Joshua Scantland

I am where I am today because of two things: I insisted on taking the road less traveled and I am consistently surrounded by exceptionally supportive people. I came from a place where we didn’t have much and the plan for my life was to be a laborer like my father and his father before him.

By the encouragement of very supportive friends and teachers, I decided that I wanted to do something different; it wasn’t an easy path or decision to make, but I took it. I took the more challenging road. I became one of the first in my family to go to college and eventually became the first doctor in my family. Each step of the way, I had people that believed in me and gave me a chance.

How did I become an actor? Oh, right. Well, when you forge uncharted roads, you tend to take detours. I spent much of my life trying to figure out what I wanted to do, so I spent a lot of time trying everything. I’m not even going to try to list them all here, but I had a great time with it all. Now, I constantly find ways to do as much as I can, because this is now who I am. After much searching, I finally found medicine and absolutely fell in love with it. I’m drawn to hybrids, and medicine is a hybrid of many things, much like acting.

As the scientist in me grew, so did the artist. Long before I loved science, I loved the arts—literature, music, film, and performing arts. If medicine is my passion, acting was my first love. I was a shy child who somehow found comfort in being the class clown—always getting myself into trouble.

In high school, teachers encouraged me to take theatre classes to channel my young energy. So I did, thinking it was going to be an easy pass. Little did I know how much I would love it—it had become a catharsis for someone like me.

The theatre director at my school recognized my passion and encouraged me to try out for school plays. I’m so glad that he did, because it set so many things into motion for me. I was shocked with how comfortable I felt on stage, being a shy kid and all.

Since that time, I’ve continued acting minimally during college and medical school. However, I stepped away from it to focus on school, research, and work. Eventually, I’d begin to feel like an unfinished novel; I was proud of what I had, but there was more to be done. I had to return to my essence.

I decided, despite my own personal hesitations, to silently pick up acting again. I never truly stopped acting, but a part of me had let it go long ago when the tunnel-vision of academia superseded everything. I was worried that colleagues and family would disapprove, so I kept it a secret; none-the-less, I had come back onto the scene with more determination than ever before. I was going to give it everything I had!

I was scared. There were so many thoughts that were a barrier for me. What if I had to choose between the two lives? What if I took a bigger bite than I could handle? What if I fail? But, I decided to proceed despite those thoughts.

With determination, I took acting classes, recorded myself acting, and then put myself out there—hustling to find work despite working 60-80 hours a week. I was told the process would be hard, there’s no lie in that, but I was never told how amazingly supportive people would be. I didn’t have to look very far before I found a gold mine in the Midwest, with exceptional talented people who are consistently willing to help one another. It’s been such a blast.

Since taking that first step, I’ve accomplished much to be proud of. I landed talent agents with offices in Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Louisville—and they believed in me!

This past year, I got to act for up-and-coming directors from Los Angeles, be on set with Jesse Plemmons, auditioned for roles in big films such as “Cherry” (almost got to work with Tom Holland!), co-star in an independent feature film, and lots of opportunities to support local artists with my talents. I couldn’t ask for more.

Some of these opportunities were obtained by my agent, but much of it I sought out on my own. Someone may say, “Audition? That’s not an accomplishment.” It certainly can be, simply because that means you made the cut somewhere so that the director is willing to look at you while you talk, and as an actor, you have to learn to relish in that moment.

One of the first questions I get is, “How do you make time for it all?” It’s always the same answer…exceptional time management and self-discipline. I would give my evenings, nights, weekends, and vacation time just to have the opportunity to act.

Some of those projects were low budget productions, so it would virtually be volunteer work, all in the hope of creating something impactful. There were times where I would be “on set” for many hours in between work shifts—I would work 12 nighttime hours before going on set for 12 hours just to get back to being on call for another 12 hours. This is the level of dedication it takes to make it work.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always like this, but I’ve had to get creative with how I manage my schedule. And when I get on set, I try to be the hardest working and most punctual person there, I come well prepared and I am always kind and courteous to the other cast and crew, because I know how hard they are working on their grind. I respect their dedication and I want to honor that.

Not everyone has this level of discipline, and that’s okay, but I think it’s important to have if you want to master any craft. I think I developed this sort of discipline from my military experiences and being the first in my family to go to college—this forced important habits at a young age. Not everyone needs these types of experiences to find discipline, but I was a reckless kid, so I needed the structure.

It didn’t take long before my efforts were being rewarded—with more work. For a working actor, “more work” is worth more than gold. I kept finding work because someone else remembered me from a different job. Whether it was me being easy to work with on set, the level of dedication I had in the craft, or because I went the extra mile for people—associates kept recommending me.

So, how do I make it possible? Well, I truly don’t, but the teamwork aspect does. Cheesy, I know, but there’s truth in it. Every aspiring actor or medical student who asks for advice, I always tell them that you can never go wrong by putting people first.

When you go around seeking to be generous, people see that and give it back threefold. But you can’t anticipate getting something in return, because not everyone will and people know when you’re doing it for repayment. You have to do it because you want good things to happen to good people.

The New Year has just begun, and I already have seven projects lined up. This speaks for the potential that other people see in me and I am motivated by it. I work because they believe in me, and in turn, I believe in others.

Whether it was a poor kid trying to break the mold by getting into medical school or getting to audition for big names, someone gave me a chance! I wouldn’t be where I am today if someone didn’t give me a chance to show myself. I carry that with me every day, and I use that when we are selecting physician residents entering our program or when someone wants me to work with them on set.

Because I’m in medicine, the next question I usually get is, “Where do you go from here? Do you plan on leaving medicine, do you want to be in Hollywood?” Well, the honest answer is, I hope to foster a growth within both and find a way for my lives as a clinician and actor to co-exist.

It sounds silly, but I was partly inspired by Nike’s campaign “Are your dreams crazy enough?” Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough. I legitimately started to ask myself, “Are my dreams crazy enough?” When I realized the answer was “no,” I decided to take up acting again with more sincerity than ever before, despite being very busy already! It brings balance to my life.

I wanted be sure I was fulfilling my craziest and wildest dreams. I want to be in Hollywood, but still have a place in medicine. Is that possible? I don’t know, but I won’t know until I found out.

But I believe that I can because I have seen how generous people can be.

For more information on Joshua Scantland, click here.