Throughout his writing and educational careers, Mr. Serling provoked thought wherever his influence reached. His pen planted seeds of imagination into the minds of old and young alike, even after his passing.
It is no surprise that to this day, art blossoms from his inspiration. The memory of Rod Serling can be found in many facets of the creative world, and we would like to honor a select few individuals who excel at this.
This award is given for achievement in the artistic aesthetic Mr. Serling endowed upon the world. Nominees are considered annually.
—Rod Serling Memorial Foundation
The Serling Award: 2016 Recipients
Blog
The Traveler – Gideon Marcus
Galactic Journey
While not exclusively subjected to The Twilight Zone, Galactic Journey documents and reviews golden age science fiction from the point of view of someone living in the past writing about a then-contemporary work. He has dedicated seven years to the analysis of popular science fiction from the past and at times provides a Serlingesque breakdown of its ties to allegory.
An immensely fun read, the Traveler maintains anonymity while providing a unique perspective to the nature of science fiction as a whole. He does a great job of breaking down the elements of The Twilight Zone, while applying them to other works as well.
Gideon Marcus shows off his Serling Award
Film
Becky Sloan & Joseph Pelling
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
This intriguing abstract piece, executed in stop-action, that could be pitched as What if David Lynch wrote for Sesame Street? The most blatant aspect of this enigmatic short film series has to be the social consciousness of it. The story takes a faux kids show and breaks down the perversion that advertising has on children’s programming.
The integrity of the work stands proudly, as the two creators have notedly turned down sponsorship money and instead crowd-funded their work in an attempt to keep their vision pure. Fantastic elements are prevalent throughout this unique series, coming from household items that spring to life.
Music
Dominic Francisco | Space Monkey Death Sequence
People Are Alike All Over
Under the moniker Space Monkey Death Sequence, musician Dominic Francisco dove into the depths of The Twilight Zone with his album People Are Alike All Over. Sharing a title with the Twilight Zone episode, the album dives into Mr. Serling’s allegory of animal rights. The nearly forty-minute musical piece expands on the episode and truly delves into a world of its own. It’s a fantastic album that accents one of Mr. Serling’s finer works for the common ear.
Dominic Francsico shows off his Serling Award
Podcast
Andrew Kaberline & Matthew Schott | Critical Point Theatre
Critical Point Theatre’s Andrew Kaberline and Matthew Schott have teamed up to create a podcast that is essentially a radio drama equivalent of The Twilight Zone. Through the same shade of gray as Mr. Serling’s best-known work, the duo offers a continuation of Rod’s efforts in an honorific vessel. Their podcast tackles both whimsical constructs and allegorical tales. Lurking mystery at times provides an almost neo-noir take on the world of The Twilight Zone. With one eleven-episode season completed and another currently in progress, this anthology continues the tradition of moral commentary.
Andrew Kaberline and Matthew Schott show off their Serling Award
