Nicholas Tana

Nicholas Tana is a writer^[1][2] director,^[3] actor, and musician best known for the Hell's Kitty movie and web-series.

Nicholas Tana
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Writer, director, actor, and musician
Known for	Hell's Kitty
Website	www.nicholastana.com

Life and career

Before starting his own production company, Nicholas Tana was working at ESPN as an associate director in the international department.^[4][5] Nicholas Tana received much critical attention amongst the horror community through his Hell's Kitty TV Series,^[6] about a writer whose love life suffers because of his possessive and possessed pet cat named Angel.^[7] Nicholas Tana stars in Hell's Kitty alongside his real cat Angel, and some of the most notable actors in horror, which includes names like Adrienne Barbeau, Doug Jones, Michael Berryman, Courtney Gains, Lee Meriwether, John Franklin, Lynn Lowry, Bill Oberst Jr., Ashley C. Williams, Barbara Nedeljakova, and Dale Midkiff.^[8] The film features a guest appearance by a Killer Klown courtesy of the Chiodo Brothers.^[9] The Hell's Kitty comic-book series written by Nicholas Tana is based on Tana's experiences living with his very possessive cat named Angel, rumored to be possessed.^[10] Hell's Kitty^[11] features a host of horror icons often portrayed in parodies of the roles for which they are famous.

Nicholas Tana is also the writer, director, and producer of the sex-positive documentary Sticky: A (Self) Love Story,^[12] in which he shared his nine years research findings about masturbation revealing how often an individual is involved in this activity in society.^[13]

He is founder of Smart Media LLC, a production compay, and New Classics Books, a publishing agency.^[14]

Music and Composition

Nicholas Tana is a songwriter with over twenty published songs. He co-wrote the pop song Chainsaw Kitty with composer Richard Albert, which was featured in the Hell's Kitty soundtrack and was an American Tracks award winner. The Hell's Kitty Music Video features a host of well known horror icons who also appear in the Hell's Kitty web-series and feature film.^{[15][16][17][18]}

A musical version of Hell's Kitty was written by Nicholas Tana and produced by Smart Media L.L.C. and New Musicals Inc. where it was performed at the Broadwater Theater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019. The original songs for the musical were written and composed in large part by Nicholas Tana,  Alexa Borden, and Richard Albert and was based on the movie and web-series by the same name.^[19][20]

• 2018: American Tracks Music Award, Category "Best song for a film"^[21]
• 2019: American Tracks Music Award, Category "Best film score" (semi-finalist)^[22]
• 2019: Paris Art and Movie Awards, Category "Best Soundtrack" (nomination)^[23]

Discography

Up to May 2023 he has released following albums and singles.^[24]

Albums

Album

Release date	Album	No. of tracks	Genre	Label
2012	Essential Vibe Collection, Volume 1	23
2018	Hell's Kitty	25

Singles and EPs

Singles and EPs

Year	Song	Note
2023	Multicolored Spiked Umbrella
2023	Ebb and Flow
2023	See the Light
2022	Hope Punk	EP
2022	Christmas Tree
2022	Senor Pedro
2022	Galactic Girl
2022	Solo Song
2022	Better Times
2022	Gonna Kiss You
2022	Rainbow Baby
2018	Chainsaw Kitty

Filmography

Year	Title	Credited as				Notes
		Director	Writer	Producer	Actor
2018	Hell's Kitty	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2016	Sticky: A (Self) Love Story	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Documentary^[12]
2011–2015	Hell's Kitty (TV Series)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
	The Director	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Books

He has written a number of books, following are a few to mention.^[25]

• eJunky
• Hell's Kitty
• The Kitten, The Cat & The Apple
• The Kingdom of Glee
• Monsters Are Afraid of Babies
• The Little Lion That Listened
• Lost Angel in Los Angeles
• The Little Lion That Listened

References

1. Tana, Nicholas (2013). Hell's Kitty. Createspace Independent Pub. ISBN 9781484984994.
2. Tana, Nicholas (2019). The Kitten, the Cat, and the Apple. New Classics Books. ISBN 9781950033041.
3. "Films directed by Nicholas Tana". letterboxd.com.
4. "Meet Nicholas Tana and Denise Acosta of Smart Media – Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". July 17, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
5. "Nicholas Tana". IMDb.
6. Decker, Sean (November 10, 2012). "Hell's Kitty Creator Nicholas Tana Chats About a Possessed Pussy". Dread Central. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
7. C, Luiz H. (February 26, 2018). "[Review] 'Hell's Kitty' Awkwardly Lives up to Its Premise". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
8. "Nerdly » 'Hell's Kitty' Review". Retrieved March 3, 2019.
9. Barkan, Jonathan (February 21, 2018). "Exclusive: Killer Klowns Live On in This Hell's Kitty Clip!". Dread Central. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
10. Mlynar, Phillip (June 10, 2014). "We Chat with the Creator of "Hell's Kitty," a Show Starring a Cat Named Angel". Catster. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
11. "Hell's Kitty". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
12. Sharf, Zack (January 26, 2016). "Watch: Exclusive 'Sticky' Clip Uncovers a Defining Moment in Masturbation History". IndieWire. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
13. "Director Nicholas Tana Breaks Down The Taboos Of Masturbation In 'Sticky: A Self Love Story'". February 3, 2016.
14. Tana, Nicholas (September 19, 2023). eJunky. Scout Comics. ISBN 978-1-63969-181-4.
15. McNeely, Kelli Marchman (February 12, 2018). "Music Video For 'Hell's Kitty' Unveiled Ahead Of Its March Film Release". horrorfuel.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
16. "Scratch A Beat With This HELL'S KITTY Music Video | popgeeks.com". February 15, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
17. Bond, Nick (February 16, 2018). "Watch New Music Video for Horror Legends Filled 'Hell's Kitty' Titled "Chainsaw Kitty"". Dark Universe: Horror Database. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
18. ""Chainsaw Kitty" Is the Hilarious, Must-See Music Video For The Upcoming Hell's Kitty". Yell! Magazine. February 13, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
19. "HELL'S KITTY: The Musical Brings Hell Cats, Comedy, And Song To The Hollywood Fringe Festival". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
20. "New Musicals, Inc. Presents HELL'S KITTY: THE MUSICAL". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
21. "September 2018 results & winners". American Tracks Music Awards. October 2, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
22. "February 2019 results & winners". American Tracks Music Awards. March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
23. "August 2019 Official Competition". Paris Art and Movie Awards. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
24. "Nicholas Tana". Spotify. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
25. "inauthor:"Nicholas Tana" - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.

External links

• Nicholas Tana at IMDb
• Nicholas Tana at Spotify
• Smart Media LLC
• New Classic Books