This week, we're slicing through the surface of the horror world to spotlight something truly revolutionary. Corey and Kendall sit down with filmmaker, podcaster, and horror disruptor Ariel Baska, whose life was forever changed the first time they locked eyes with a certain glove-wearing nightmare fiend. (Yes, we’re talking about Freddy Krueger—because of corpse we are.)

But Ariel didn’t just fall in love with horror—they reshaped it. As the founder of Access:Horror, they’ve created a hybrid film festival and industry summit that unapologetically centers disability and queerness in genre storytelling. And it’s not just inclusive—it’s “so inclusive, it’s scary.

This year’s fest is stacked:

🔪 Ten killer short films.

🧠 A panel on Blackness and Disability in Horror.

🎤 A live performance by Maya Azucena.

🎬 All shorts streaming for the first time ever on Shudder.

💀 And a silent auction that includes a literal piece of the Blair Witch house.

We talk about what it means to be the monster and the final girl, how horror became a lifeline for Ariel, and why this year’s Access:Horror is arriving at a moment when disabled communities need bold, creative resistance more than ever.

If you’ve ever felt like horror saved your life, this episode is your love letter. And if you haven’t yet? It might be the one that opens the door.

Ariel Baska is a queer disabled filmmaker, podcaster, and the founder of Access:Horror. They are also the host of Ride the Omnibus, a show exploring media through a social justice lens. Ariel’s upcoming documentary, Monstrous Me, produced by Lilly Wachowski, dives into their personal relationship with horror, disability, and the monster that started it all: Freddy Krueger.

Ariel’s building spaces in horror that don’t just welcome people with disabilities—they center them. Their work isn’t performative. It’s personal, political, and pointed like the end of a clawed glove.

📍 In-person: August 1, DCTV Firehouse Cinema, NYC

🌍 Streaming worldwide

📺 Streaming partner: Shudder

🧠 In partnership with: George A. Romero Foundation

🎤 Hosts: Ariel Baska, Sharai Bohannon, Xero Gravity

🏆 Awards host: Phil Nobile Jr., Editor-in-Chief of Fangoria

🎟 Tickets & info: accesshorrorfest.com

This week on Horror Heals, we’re joined by debut horror author Grace Daly, who once called herself “a coward to the core.” Jump scares? No thanks. Gore? Absolutely not. But everything changed when Grace's chronic illness forced her to confront a very real kind of body horror—one she couldn't turn off, mute, or escape.

In this powerful and unflinchingly honest episode, Grace shares how her diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome cracked open a terrifying but oddly comforting door into the horror genre. We talk about finding catharsis in blood and guts, the comfort of monsters when your body feels like the enemy, and why disabled voices are crucial in horror storytelling.

We also dive into:

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• The surprising role of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil in her healing
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• Why horror comedy makes brutal truths easier to face
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• Menstrual blood, dismembered limbs, and other “normal” things
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• Her upcoming debut novel The Scald Crow and the joy of haunting the Midwest
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• And yes—how being a full-size candy bar house is a sacred Halloween duty 🎃
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Grace proves you don’t have to be fearless to face the dark—you just have to be ready.

📚 Guest: Grace Daly

Grace is a former IT project manager turned horror writer who lives with multiple chronic invisible illnesses. Her debut novel The Scald Crow drops this October and blends Irish folklore, body horror, and razor-sharp humor with unflinching honesty about disability and identity.

💬 “My body is a horror show. So I figured—I might as well write one.”

What happens when childhood nightmares become your calling card? In this episode of Horror Heals, scare actor Omar Ortega joins Corey and Kendall to talk about growing up inside a family-owned video store, how Nightmare on Elm Street haunted his imagination, and how horror evolved from fear to fuel.

Omar opens up about his journey from VHS kid to veteran scare actor, sharing the emotional highs and behind-the-scenes lows of working in iconic haunts like Universal Studios Hollywood and LA’s Haunted Hayride. From bad fan placement to drag in the dark, this conversation digs into the ways horror helps Omar process rage, build confidence, and offer guests a uniquely immersive experience they’ll never forget.

Whether he’s channeling Madman Marz, playing The Butcher, or embodying the spirit of Divine in full wig-slap glory, Omar reminds us that scaring others can be healing — and horror is far more than just a seasonal thrill.

Because… is horror good for mental wellness?

Of corpse it is.

• Omar’s horror origin story: family movie nights, Halloween II, and Freddy nightmares
• What it's really like to audition as a scare actor at Universal Studios
• The power of performance: transforming breakups, frustration, and rejection into compelling characters
• Honoring Janelle Monáe’s haunted vision and finding surprise joy in queer expression
• VHS nostalgia, underrated sequels, and why Nancy Thompson remains a top-tier Final Girl
• A brilliant take on The Exorcist… as a drama?

• Emotional catharsis through character work
• Channeling anger and grief into immersive performance
• Finding identity and power in horror personas
• The unique thrill of being seen in the shadows
• Community, resilience, and the evolution of haunted house acting

Omar Ortega is a Los Angeles–based scare actor and lifelong horror fan who has spent nearly a decade performing in haunted attractions like LA’s Haunted Hayride and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Raised in a family-run video store, Omar fell in love with horror from a young age — and now channels that passion into immersive, emotionally charged performances that blur the line between fear and therapy. He’s played everything from brutal butchers to haunted drag queens and believes that horror is a powerful vehicle for release, reinvention, and connection.

🎙️ Horror Heals is the podcast that asks:

Is horror good for mental wellness?

Of corpse it is.