Cecil C. Castellucci (born October 25, 1969, in New York City), also known as Cecil Seaskull, is an American-born Canadian young adult novelist, indie rocker, and director. She currently lives in Montréal, Canada.
Biography
Castellucci grew up in New York City where she attended the Laguardia High School of the Performing Arts. She later studied theatre in Paris at the École Florent. She attended Concordia University in Montreal and received a B.F.A. in Film Production.[1]
In Montreal, she embarked on her music career as part of Bite, which was then the only all-female indie band in Montreal. When she was kicked out of Bite, she formed Nerdy Girl with Gordon Hashimoto. When Hashimoto left, she joined with Ron Woo, Gabe Levine, and Kim Temple to continue the band. After recording their only album Twist Her, Levine and Temple left the group, and Jessica Moss and Eric Craven took their places. She later moved to Los Angeles after Nerdy Girl broke up for good, and she recorded solo under her performing name, Cecil Seaskull.[2]
In 2001 she co-founded the experimental Alpha 60 Film Collective with Neil Matsumoto and Nicholas McCarthy.[3]
Castellucci's first novel, Boy Proof, was published in 2005.
Castellucci's 2013 short story "We Have Always Lived on Mars" was to be adapted into John Krasinski's film, Life on Mars,[4] which is currently in development.
Castellucci is a Star Trek fan, with her favorite series being Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Her favourite character is Dax.[5]
Novels
Castellucci's first novels were published by Candlewick Press. Her novels were also published by Scholastic Press, DC Comics and Roaring Brook Press.
Boy Proof is a 2005 novel about a girl in Los Angeles named Victoria Jurgen, who insists on being called "Egg" after a character in her favorite movie, fictional science fiction film Terminal Earth. Her mother is a washed-up actress and her father is special-effects designer. She is a card-carrying geek and considers herself "boy proof", and proud of it. However, her outlook on life is challenged when a boy named Max Carter comes to her school and she finds herself reluctantly drawn to him. It was named to the 2006 Best Books for Young Adults list by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) as well as to the Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list (also by YALSA).[6][7]
Castellucci's 2006 novel The Queen of Cool centers on Libby Brin, one of the most popular girls in her school, whose life revolves around parties and boys. Deciding one day that she is bored with her glamorous lifestyle, she signs up for an internship at the local zoo, where she meets up with Tina, a dwarf with a huge personality, and a boy named Sheldon, which give her cause to question her priorities. As she spends more time with unpopular people, she realizes that they are actually good friends and that she has more fun with them than with her regular friends.
Comics
The P.L.A.I.N. Janes (2007) and Janes in Love (2008)
Castellucci wrote the inaugural graphic novel for DC Comics's Minx imprint, which targets the YA audience. it was illustrated by Jim Rugg. A longtime comic book fan (who had invited Batman to her fourth birthday party), Cecil accepted the offer when contacted by Group Editor Shelly Bond. The story follows Jane who moves to the suburbs after a terrorist attack in her hometown of Metro City, then forms P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods). At school, she rejects the popular girls, and instead finds her "tribe" with three other girls named Jayne (aka Brain Jane), Jane (Theater Jane), and Polly Jane (Sporty Jane). A Canadian citizen,[9] Castellucci won the Joe Shuster Award in the category of "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer" for Janes.[10] Janes in Love, a sequel, was released in 2008. with Rugg again serving as artist. Here, P.L.A.I.N become entangled in affairs of the heart (both their own and others), and procure a spot in Metro City Museum of Modern Art Contest.
Music
Nerdy Girl
Nerdy Girl 10" EP (1994)
Released by No Life Records
- 1) Do You Like Me?
- 2) Glad To Know
- 3) Roof of Wilson
- 4) Hate Me
- 5) Nerdy Girl
- 6) Song 7
New Jersey 7" single (1995)
Released by RightWide Records
3 songs, including a cover of The Beatles' She Said She Said, and "After Having Cried".
Dime Store Hussy 7" single (1996)
Films
Starwoids is a 2001 documentary about Star Wars camped out in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre for six weeks in order to buy tickets for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The group included Catellucci. She also appears in the special features on the Special Edition DVD, released in 2005.
Via Alpha 60, Castellucci made this ensemble film based on the actors' responses to a questionnaire. It premiered at the Alternative Screen series at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles.
Bibliography
Novels
Short fiction
- "Always the Same. Till it is Not". Apex Magazine
- "Brother. Prince. Snake"
Awards
- 2018 Eisner Award nomination for Best Short Story: "Ethel Byrne"
- 2018 Harvey Award nomination for Book of the Year: Shade the Changing Girl
- 2018 EGL (Excellence in Graphic Literature) Award nominations in three categories — Book of the Year, Best Middle Grade, Mosaic Award: Soupy Leaves Home
- 2018 Best Feminist Reads Amelia Bloomer Award: Soupy Leaves Home
External links
References
- Cecil Seaskull - The jots of a nerdy girl Misscecil.com, retrieved 2011-03-12^
- MSN artist profile Music.msn.com, 2010-12-13, retrieved 2011-03-12^
- History 2016-04-02, retrieved 2020-04-29^