Scotty talks to author Robert P. Ottone about growing up on Long Island, his decision to leave his job as a copywriter and become a teacher while also pursuing a career as a writer, and the pushback he received writing horror while working toward an MFA in Children's Literature. Robert also discusses the importance of writing as an outlet for grief, his early forays into publishing, and major influences from the brilliant John Langan to Nickelodeon's "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

Robert and Scotty also talk about how fears around both pregnancy and parenthood informed his acclaimed novel "The Vile Thing We Created" (2023, Hydra Publications), and Robert explains how a teenage in-joke between friends inspired his blood-spattered recent book "Curse of the Cob Man" (2023, Weird House Press).

WARNING: This episode contains a few spoilers for both "The Vile Thing We Created" and Paul Tremblay's "The Cabin at the End of the Woods." Listener discretion advised.

You can find "The Vile Thing We Created" at: https://hydrapublications.com/the-vile-thing-we-created/

You can find "Curse of the Cob Man" at: https://weirdhousepress.com/products/curse-of-the-cob-man-by-robert-ottone

You can read Robert's short story "Falling Asleep in the Rain" in "The Half That You See" (Dark Ink): https://www.amazon.com/Half-That-You-See-ebook/dp/B08FH8S1QQ/

You can hear Scotty's story about his haunted house at "The Weirdest Thing Afterschool Special Halloweek Spooktacular!": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weirdest-thing/id1534847356?i=1000539987047

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. The next episode will feature author Paul Tremblay, and will be live on May 28th at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

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Scotty talks to author Rachel Eve Moulton about her acclaimed novels "Tinfoil Butterfly" (2019) and "The Insatiable Volt Sisters" (2023), both from MCD x FSG Books. Along the way they discuss Rachel's upbringing in Antioch, Ohio, her early influences from Flannery O'Connor to Stephen King, the importance of place in her work, the culture shock of moving from Rhode Island to New Mexico, how horror fiction can free an author from the need to write in metaphor, the beauty of and terror of exploring fictional relationships, the ickiness of teeth, and much more.

They also talk about the brilliant teen werewolf movie "Ginger Snaps," and how the film's sibling dynamic informed that in "The Insatiable Volt Sisters."

You can find Rachel online at https://www.rachelevemoulton.com

You can get your copy of "Tinfoil Butterfly" From Bookworks here in Albuquerque!: https://www.bkwrks.com/book/9780374538309

You can get "The Insatiable Volt Sisters" from Bookworks as well: https://www.bkwrks.com/book/9780374538323

Read Rachel's story "Deluge" at New Ohio Review: https://newohioreview.org/2019/12/13/deluge/

Read Rachel's essay "On the Haunted Lives of Girls and Women" at LitHub: https://lithub.com/on-the-haunted-lives-of-girls-and-women/

Be sure to check out the next episode of the YouTube show "Night Time Logic" from Daniel Braum. The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE on April 23 at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature authors Douglas Ford and Jeffrey Ford. You can tune in on Daniel's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838

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Scotty talks to comic-book artist and writer Aaron Campbell about his early horror influences from Dungeons and Dragons, T.E.D. Klein, and H.P. Lovecraft, and the labyrinthine path through the early days of his career. They discuss "Infidel" (2018, Image Comics), Aaron's acclaimed collaboration with writer Pornsak Pichetshote and colorist José Villarrubia, which was named one of NPR's "100 Favorite Horror Stories of All Time" in 2018.

They spend time on Aaron's current work with DC Comics in the "Hellblazer" and "Sandman" universe, and finish with a long conversation about Aaron's writing debut with the Hammer-Horror influenced "West of Sundown" (Vault Comics), his collaboration with co-writer Tim Seeley and artist Jim Terry. Aaron talks about bridging the gap between disparate genres (gothic horror and the "Spaghetti Western"), and the importance of representing the truth of America's southwestern colonial past, even in the context of genre fiction.

They also spend more than a few minutes breaking down the Hammer classic "The Brides of Dracula" (1960), discussing how its style influenced the aesthetic of "West of Sundown," and Aaron rhapsodizes about his favorite piece of cinematic schlock: 1981's "The Monster Club," starring Vincent Price and John Carradine.

Find Aaron online at: https://www.aaroncampbellarts.com

Find "Infidel" at Image Comics: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/infidel

Read NPR's "Click If You Dare: 100 Favorite Horror Stories:" https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/632779706/click-if-you-dare-100-favorite-horror-stories

Search for Aaron at DC Comics: https://www.dc.com/talent/aaron-campbell

Read "John Constantine Hellblazer Dead in America #1:" https://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Dead-America-ebook/dp/B0CPZZVJLT/

Find "West of Sundown" at Vault Comics: https://vaultcomics.com/products/west-of-sundown-vol1#variant=Paperback%20+%20eBook

Read artist/writer Jim Terry's memoir "Come Home, Indio:" https://www.streetnoisebooks.com/come-home-indio-a-memoir

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