My grandfather exposed me to horror at a young age. The Thing, Alien, The Twilight Zone, we watched them all on his old box set TV. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back and I was completely hooked. I didn’t understand how scary life could be. Horrific things only happen on television, and then you turn it off. As I got older, I found out horror could be more… understated. My grandfather was trapped in his own flesh, paralyzed, unable to even turn the page in a book. His only escapism was that old television and he lived that way for over twenty years. I was relieved when he passed because for him, living was harder than dying. The fragility of humanity, one misstep can cost you your freedom.

My childhood fascination with horror matured alongside me. I learned that freedom is an illusion. Eldritch monsters were replaced by the oligarchy of capitalistic greed that runs the world. Like cartoon level villains but in real life. Basically, if anything is a miracle product, it’s probably going to kill you. Asbestos, lead, radium—Modern day miracles. Your skin will glow but your jaw will fall off. Horrifying. We’re all being sold slow painful deaths while those at the top feast on our livelihoods. I’m interested in systemic control and social constructs born from capitalistic ideation.

My favorite literary works are Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s Animal Farm, both featuring erasure of knowledge for capital gain. These novels made me skeptical of authority, which as we’ve seen through history, should always be held under scrutiny. Now, horror is an everyday occurrence. Our country is divided, technology is monitoring our lives down to the second, and we’re seeing a harsh decline in the educational system. Now more than ever, I believe the most important stories that you can tell are cautionary ones.

the man that inspired it all