Once upon a time, when the stars were right, an elderly puppeteer brought a wooden boy to life..

I have some exciting news! My Amazon best-selling short story, Pinocchio and The Black Pantheon, is free for Kindle until Thursday! Be sure to download it before the deal is over!

This twisted re-imagining of Pinocchio tells the story of an aging puppeteer who brings his Marionettes to life through an ancient rite. Never did he expect that his creations would become vessels to the ancient gods of chaos. Can Gepetto put down that which he has summoned, or will humanity fall before Pi-Noch-Chiu and The Black Pantheon?

Spoiler alert!
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I’m giving away three copies of the limited flash fiction editions of The Devoured through Goodreads! Each one of these is hand numbered, signed, and includes a unique micro-story handwritten in the back!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Devoured

by Curtis M. Lawson

Giveaway ends December 31, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

My short comic, Escape Velocity, appears in the premier issue of Octal! Octal is a new anthology featuring eight page stories, along with pitch packages for each comic. The idea is to provide transparency into the pitching process for creators, show the offerings of creators for publishers, and provide entertainment for readers. You can check it out at Drivethru Comics.
Escape Velocity
Pursued by feudal warlords, crime syndicates, and dark magic guilds, a teenage vagabond and her companions embark on a magic and mayhem-filled space odyssey.

Let’s hear about your book, Zalem MA!

What made you want to write such a personal Zombie Survival book?

Well I have always been a fan of the zombie genre. The Romero movies were great. They certainly did not hold my or anyone’s interest year round like the Walking Dead does, but I always went to the movies to see any zombie films when they came out. The Dawn of the Dead remake really blew me away. It is probably the best zombie film ever made.

Back in the 80’s I was a huge fan of a comic called Dead World, and struck up a friendship with its creator, Gary Reed. I would have to say that Gary is the one who started my zombie obsession, I really enjoyed reading his comic, and have several letters printed in those pages. Gary and I are still friends today, and he wrote a sound bite for the cover of Zalem, Mass. Book 1: Constantinople.

The big problem with comics in the 80’s/90’s is that there was just SO MUCH STUFF COMING OUT!!! Everyone who wanted to publish a comic did so. The independent market was completely flooded. Because of this, I missed out on The Walking Dead when it first came out, in fact, I never heard of it until AMC picked up the show.
The Walking Dead just completely amazed me, and I was an instant fan. Have the show debut on Halloween was marketing genius, everyone was looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint. Everyone loved it, and everyone loved talking about it. My 3 sons and I watch it together and all started reading the comic as well…we just couldn’t get enough.

Inevitably my boys and I started talking What if scenarios. What would we do? Where would we go? Would we survive if the Zombie Apocalypse ever really happened? That sort of thing. The conversations became so rich, and vivid, that I finally decided to start writing Zalem, Mass. where it is actually my family struggling to survive this horrific new world. Originally I wanted to take the story on the road and have the characters travel the countryside for one reason or another, but Salem is the Witch City, not only does it have so much spooky history, but it also has become the Halloween Mecca for millions of people. It was because of this that I decided to keep the central story right here in Salem.

With that said I came up with the series title, Zalem, Mass. The idea of covering the “S” on the Entering Salem city sign with a bloody “Z” was so simply, and so catchy. I took the idea and worked with a local Salem artist and close friend of mine named Christina Robichau, and we came up with the final book cover with a bunch of zombie arms reaching for the bloody city sign. Again so simple, and yet so perfect. The fans loved the image, and I could not keep posters and t-shirts in stock.

So now that I had a title, a cover, and fans, it was time for me to start writing the book! Talk about a backwards journey. My stuff was selling and I had yet to write anything. It was then that I knew that Zalem, Mass. was going to be a hit, and that was my biggest inspiration…people were actually anxiously waiting for me to finish the novel so that they could start reading. I found that very exciting.
And of course all the feedback once the books started to become available. I absolutely love hearing how this is the Zombie series that readers have been waiting for, or how much the readers care about the characters and how hard that they cried during different parts in books. That is the sort of feedback that inspires any writer to continue to write.

What was the journey to publication like for you?

I have many friends who work in the comic industry, so I knew that if I were to write Zalem, Mass. that I would have some amazing artwork to go along with it. Marvel/DC artist Thor Mangila from the Philippines is one of the best artists in the business who was really a big help. Not only did he do a lot of artwork for me, but he also taught me how to write an art contract so that I would be sure to own the art for my book and therefore be able to reproduce it for t-shirts, posters, or anything that I wanted.

Martin Teña a Marvel/DC colorist from Mexico worked very hard on both books 1&2, as well as my Zalem, Mass. Calendar. Chris Wahl was a huge help in helping to bring out the colors on Thor Mangila’s paintings. Chris worked on all of them and refused to take a penny for his work. He also colored the piece for Chapter 7 in Book 1. Chris’ work is amazing, he works for Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Mad Magazine, you name it he does it. His painting of Chewbacca is to die for, and it is hanging on Leonard’s wall on the Big Bang Theory.

I was delayed publishing quite a bit as my editor Erin Rydgren got very busy having twins, and understandably so. That was frustrating at times, but well worth the wait as Erin inspired me to write and expand each and every chapter; she always seemed to know exactly what was missing.

Once the book was ready to go, it was time to find a publisher. While hunting, Thor suggested buying Zalemmass.com in order to market my book, and also suggested copywriting everything, which I did. I sent cover letters to lots of publishers, who clearly did not know what they were talking about. I kept hearing that the zombie craze was over and there was no interest anymore. But I knew that was insane and untrue just by the sheer number of friends who watched and enjoyed talking about the Walking Dead, so I kept at it. Eventually I got a few nibbles from some publishers who are clearly out there to take advantage of new authors and just take their money. Fortunately I had many friends in the field coaching me along and telling me who to avoid. In the end, I decided to self-publish with Amazon and have had great success. Book 1 has sold over 1,000 copies, and Book 2 continues to sell out every time I get a shipment in.

I will be doing a book signing for Zalem, Mass. Book 2: Loss at Harrison’s Comics (252 Essex St.)in Salem, Ma. From 1-3pm on October 24th.

Why do you think Zombies are so hot these days? One might think the market is over saturated, but it seems like fans can’t get enough.

The Walking Dead is a HUGE reason for the Zombie craze. The show just gets better and better, and the comic is even better than the show, so fans of the book know that the best has yet to come. Just wait until the fans of the show meet Negan!!! Things will really hit the fan then.
With TWD raising the bar so high, fans of the genre have been getting some pretty amazing TV shows, movies, comics, artwork, etc., and that certainly spills over into Salem during Halloween where we see costumes, decorations, Zombie walks, runs, and of course Zalem, Mass.

Obviously you have a deep connection to the city of Salem. What do you think makes the city so special?

I was born, raised and educated here in Salem, Mass, and I still live here. Salem is a magical city that is rich with history and a fascination for everyone interested in the famous Witch Trials of 1692, it’s what made Salem the place to be on Halloween night.

So when you combine the Witch craze with the zombie craze with the Salem/Halloween craze, Salem, Mass. becomes the perfect location for a zombie series, and Zalem, Mass. does not let the readers down. It uses real people and real locations, places like Market Basket, the Power Plant, Forest River Pool, and Winter Island, and these are just a few of the Salem landmarks that can be found in the storyline. Using real world locations helps to bring the story to life for those familiar with Salem’s Geography, and one of the reasons why the series continues to maintain a perfect 5-Star rating on Amazon.com. Can a Zalem, Mass. Tour be far away?

It’s October, which is big business here in Salem. Do you have any favorite Halloween attractions in town?

Being a Salem resident, and a history teacher, I do not frequent many of the attractions, since I know the history better than the vast majority of the tour guides. But still, Uncle Boogeyman doe some amazing work painting Jason masks, and of course Harrison’s Comics is the place to be for any sci-fi, comic book, or horror fans. That store has everything a fan could want and is well worth visiting. They even carry both Zalem, Mass. books. Harrison’s is mentioned briefly in book 1, a bit more so in Book 2, and will have a MAJOR jaw-dropping scene in Book 3.

Zalem, Mass. fans will also want to check out 14 Hathorne St, the place where the whole storyline begins. Fan-favorite character, “Pa” always decorates the house and goes all out; in fact he’s already at it. Each day more and more decorations and lights come out. The house has been featured in the Salem Evening News several times, and the real decorations come out on Halloween night, where trick-or-treaters will not only find some great decorations, sound effects and candy, but they will also get quite a scare from yours truly, when I dress up as Jason Vorhees this Halloween night and have a blast terrifying the neighborhood.

And of course downtown Salem on Halloween night is always packed full of great fun for anyone fascinated with the macabre.

Let’s talk comics. Are you a Marvel or DC purist? More into independent stuff? Or are you into a mix?

I have always been more of a Marvel fan, Benn Grimm of the Fantastic Four is my favorite character. When the Thing yells, “It’s Clobberin’ Time,” it still brings a childlike smile across my face.

We are clearly living in the best time to be a comic fan. The movies coming out several times a year are dreams come true for us comic book fans, the rest of the world finally is learning what we have always known…Comic books are not just for kids, and there are some great stories waiting to be told on the big screen.

Although I prefer Marvel, I do love DC as well, Crisis on Infinite Earths is still the best comic story that I have ever read, and trust me, besides recent stuff, I have pretty much read everything from both Marvel & DC that has ever been written.

Over the years there has also been a lot of great Independent stuff. In addition to Dead World and The Walking Dead, which I already mentioned, comics like Southern Knights, Boris the Bear, Girls, The Sword, and all the Valiant stuff has been really good. Wendy Snow-Lang who owns the Art-Corner on 264 Washington St. here in Salem put out a really cool comic book series about vampires called, “Night Children.” It was really neat because it was black pages drawn on with white pencils. The only other color was the occasional hint of red blood. I really enjoyed her stories, and she has been framing my artwork for years.

What’s your favorite current title?

To be honest, I really dislike stories that erase older stories. Both Marvel and DC have been doing that lately. I also hate when Marvel tries to over cash in on their hype. When the X-Men was really big, they put out a million titles littered with characters that nobody cared about, but fans had to read them anyway if they wanted to continue reading about their favorite heroes. Wolverine was in one title, Nightcrawler and Kitty in another, Colossus in another, etc. etc. What fans really wanted was to read their core X-Men in one place, like when John Byrne was on the title.

They are doing the same thing now with the Avengers. Nobody cares about the billion heroes and the billion different Avengers titles. The Avengers are characters like Captain America, Thor, Vision, Wonderman, Beast, Scarlet Witch, Hercules Black Panther, Ms. Marvel (not as Captain Marvel), Yellow Jacket, Wasp and Hawkeye. Hulk & She-Hulk are fun too, but the rest are just not necessary. Bring back this team and let George Perez draw it, and then you have something again!!!

But my favorite current title? I guess that would have to be The Walking Dead…It seriously continues to get better and better.

Any aspirations to create comics of your own?

I have been in numerous talks to create a Zalem, Mass. comic. Thor Mangila is very interested in drawing it. While it won’t be tomorrow, I would not rule it out, especially with Thor involved.

Currently I am busy with teaching, coaching, making family time, etc. I am also hard at work finishing up a full color “History of Christmas” book which I hope to have out by late November. The book will answer any and all questions that anyone ever had about the holiday. Why do we use a tree? When was Jesus really born? What are the origins of some of the songs? Is Santa real? How old is he? Can reindeer fly? You name it, it’s in there. This will be the perfect holiday gift and I promise you this…You DO NOT know the whole story, but will be fascinated with every page that you turn.

So what’s next for you? Will we see more Zalem?

Currently available are:
1. Twas the Night Before Christmas in Zalem, Mass.
2. Zalem, Mass. Book 1: Constantinople
3. Zalem, Mass. Book 2: Loss

A fourth book called “The Artwork of Zalem, Mass. Book 1: Constantinople” will go on sale at the October 24th book signing for the first time. It will be available on line after that, but I wanted to have something special and new for fans at the signing. There will also be about 25 different posters available at the signing for only $3 each.
And then finally I will begin Zalem, Mass. Book 3: The Spanish War after I finish the Christmas book.

Beyond Book 3, I will continue writing the series as long as I have a story to tell, and as long as fans continue to enjoy the story.

As promised, I’m continuing my interviews with Salem based artists, musicians, and authors. Today we have local mask-maker, Uncle Boogieman, best known for his custom Jason Vorhees masks. We talk Friday the 13th, Salem at Halloween, and mask making!

How did you get into making custom masks?

I had once purchased a set of all of the Jason masks, in fiberglass, for a good chunk of moolah. Once I received them, I felt robbed. None of them had straps, and most of them were just crap crafted and painted like crud. I…was…pissed.
I decided then, repainting all of my cruddy masks, that I was very happy doing so, and wanted to keep creating versions. Luckily, other people liked what i was doing! Oddly, I obtained my moniker from a scene in Halloween 5.
Plus, I am a Bogeyman. I just changed the spelling to reflect my groovy, music loving nature.

Can you tell us a bit about your process?

I’ll obtain masks in different ways. Online, stores, China, Frightstuff, unsuspecting Trick r Treaters….
Then, usually, Slayer – Dead Skin Mask.
Very loudly
Sand by hand.
Then, depending on the mask, I’ll use various tools and/or sharp objects.
Then, possibly, tequila.
My painting process depends on how I want the mask to look, obviously. But, I utilize a lot of spray paint. I’m still a novice, even after years of it. It is barely controlled chaos. Airbrush may soon join my shed of doom.
If you can imagine someone like Jason Voorhees, sitting in a dilapidated barn, using rusty tools and anger….

Jason’s mask changes slightly from movie to movie. Any particular favorite version?

I am a fan of all versions, really. They each have their personality.
But, that answer sucks.
I’ll usually gravitate to Part 4, “shower scene” mask, and Part 7. I’ve made many Part 7s.

Obviously you have a love for the Friday the 13th franchise. What about Jason resonates with you above other villains?

I can relate to the character in ways that are best left undiscussed…however, as much as I love other horror icons, Jason is the Batman of horror (settle down, comic lovers). Just my opinion.
No screwing around. No ill preparation. Tragic anti-hero. Brilliance in his own way. Rage….and the weaponry….

Feel free to get thunderdome in the comment section, internet!

Best installment and worst installment of the series?

Best? Hmmm, well, Kane is awesome in 7 and I, literally, hate Jason Goes To Hell, as an installment of the Fridays…but, I think Part 4 is great. I’m also a fan of Jason X. Does it bug me he’s in Space? Nope.
It bugged me that he was little more than demon puke in JGTH, though.

Any other creative endeavors you’d like to talk about?

As Uncle Boogieman states:
Mask Maker
Life Taker
Horror Painter
Babysitter
I enjoy painting and making creepy things. Soon, there will be a good assortment of “Axe”tion Figures and “Die”oramas out there, too.
Currently, this October, the Ugly Mug Diner has graciously allowed me to hang my work on their walls, as well as Front Street Coffee House letting me decorate their wall with some masks. Cityside Diner is always hosting some of my work, too!
Much love to them, and anyone that supports Uncle Boog.

Salem is a big Halloween town. As a horror fan, how does it feel to live in a place steeped with grim history, where the macabre is vital to the economy of the city?

I have a separation between horror and Halloween in Salem. I love this city. I love the acceptance most people show. I love what we could embody. I just feel that we miss the right mark. I think it is sad that we wait for October to really boost us. You can find me in costume in the middle of April, Flag day, or even two weeks after Halloween. I am a total Halloweenie, but that never had anything to do with where I live. My mother and grandfather were most influential in my love for horror. Salem is more than its darkness.
Salem IS more than $alem
Still, I will keep Salem spooky in my heart and mind, year round!

You are involved with The Devil’s Race on Halloween. Can you talk a little about that?

Oh, the Devil’s Chase! Fun time! A flock of devils and other nefarious creatures running around? Good times with good people. You can blame Brandi and Steve Dion from B&S Fitness for that! Hell, yeah!

Any favorite attractions in the city?

I am a HHUUGGEE fan of Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery. James and the gang are super, and so into what they are doing there. The info that lurks in their brains and hallways is, well….scary! It is a museum of horror icons and knowledge. Two things I can dig, brought together.
I am interested in checking out Chamber of Terrors, down on the Wharf, too. Been busy Boogie-ing, but I’ll get there, soon!

Anything else you’d like to promote or perhaps some closing words?

Really big thanks to any and all that enjoy what I do, show interest, support my lunacy, or spend their earnings on my work. I still think I have a long way to go as an artist. I remain humbled.
I am forever grateful. More than I could explain. Especially to my wife, who has to put up with my childlike, horrific ways. She’s way too kind hearted.
Thank you for your time reading these words.
Be good, be well, and be excellent to each other…’cause, I’m out there, waiting…
Also, I’d like to remind people to use birth control. There are only so many Bogeymen around nowadays, and we can’t keep up with the supply. Do you know how hard it is to digest a child?
Lastly, to quote my favorite guitar hero, the late Dimebag Darrell-
“That’s the fun I have…! ”

As promised, I’ll be bringing you interviews from artists, musicians, and writers from the Witch City- Salem, MA all month. Let’s start things off with Robb from 1476!

Let’s start off by hearing a little bit about 1476 and the history of the band.
The name 1476, to me, seems like a reference to Vlad the Impaler. Is that a fair assumption, or is there more to it?

It is a very fair assumption but there is more to it haha. In a previous project, I wrote a song called 1476 which was in itself a reference to Vlad the Impaler—and that was a reference to something else I wished to remain ambiguous. When I wrote that song, it signaled a new freedom and new direction in my writing. The song became symbolic of a new beginning for me creatively and it became a reference point for further writing. So, when it came time to begin this project, that is ultimately why we chose the name. Actually, that’s not true haha. I had a dream where I had named a project 1476 for the reasons I just mentioned and I awoke with the ideas fresh in my mind along with the themes that would shape this project. But what’s important to note is that we like the ambiguity of the name. Due to this, it’s taken on different meanings for us in a symbolic way over the past few years. What it represents to me is a feeling I’m always trying to attain in our works. It is a year from the past, predating the founding of America. For me, that implies a European flavor which is important to us. The past is important to us too because it is completely subjective. It allows the imagination to truly dream. All we have are fragments of words and images from the past collected and recorded by people subjectively. There’s something very compelling about this for me—to reach into these fragmented images from the past and to reconstruct them subjectively. There is something dreamlike and “lost in time” about it which is something I always want to capture musically.

As far as a short history of 1476, we are a two piece studio project comprised of myself and Neil DeRosa. Every work we create is an exploration of a theme or concept we are interested in and feel deeply. Working in this way forces us to question who we are, how we are, how we feel about the world around us, etc. as we move through a concept. It really forces us to grow and sometimes I feel it is the only way we know how—to attack something head on and explore it over the course of an album. The nature of the music itself is usually dictated by the concept to a large degree. As a result, we can move through folk, metal, punk, ambient, and electronic—even some neoclassical on our last release. But ultimately, all of our work aims at being dark, atmospheric, and melodic.

It seems like your music has a wide array of influences. Listening to it I hear elements of old European folk, punk rock, black metal, and plain old rock and roll. At points the composition seems influenced by as unlikely sources as Weezer and U2. Was there a conscious effort to blend all these elements, or was this the natural progression of your song writing over the years?

The progression was very much natural. Sometimes, we are surprised to hear our influences in retrospect after we’ve created something. During the process, it’s very difficult to view what we do objectively though we try to stay as objective as possible. I usually don’t listen to anything we do very much once it is complete but if I wait a long period of time, I definitely hear it much differently than when I was writing it. It’s interesting and intimidating sometimes too. I find it best to keep moving forward and not think too much about it haha.

Your lyrics have a lot of references to occult ideas, and I know that has been a life long interest of yours. Do you come at the spiritual and occult from a literal point of view, or philosophical?

I would have to say both. Any lyrical references are usually based on personal practices though they may be used metaphorically or philosophically within the songs. An example of this could be found in a basic banishing ritual that utilizes four archangels to represent the elements. In a literal sense, when performing this type of ritual, one would call on these angels. Whether they literally exist in the room at that moment, I have no idea—but it’s not really the point. The point would be getting the proper result of the ritual. So, in a sense, I try not to debate with myself about whether these things are literal or philosophical/metaphorical because, if it works, then it doesn’t really matter one way or the other to me. But it’s hard not to wonder about these things still. I can say this: maybe calling on elemental angels in a banishing ritual doesn’t bring actual angels into one’s presence. However, what they represent are forces of energy that are inside of us all and permeate throughout the universe. In this situation, Raphael would represent air, Gabriel water, Michael fire, and Uriel earth. What these elements represent in relation to us are our intellect (air), our emotional state (water), our spark for life or driving force (fire), and our physical body (earth). In a work of this nature, we turn our attention to these different aspects of ourselves, we connect with them, feel them, and attempt to balance them out. I lean more towards unbalanced emotional states that can lead to anxiety. A ritual of this sort done regularly and effectively has worked wonders to keep me focused and happy…and when I stop doing it for extended periods, I feel myself slip back into negative, unbalanced states. The angelic imagery can be powerful and compelling to the emotions and the subconscious. They may not be there but we allow our minds to color these energies with their images—and if that helps to heighten the feelings and emotions of a ritual then I’d say they have served a real purpose if not technically real in themselves. Applying these images and ideas to my lyrics is important to me because it’s a part of my daily life. I never want the focus of the music to seem like an “occult gimmick” so there are usually not songs specifically about ritual works or the philosophies behind them. I like to use them to color the concepts of lyrics that may just be personal or not relevant to occultism or spirituality at all. I guess a better way to say it would be that it’s a fluent part of my life—it’s not something separate. It finds it’s way into almost everything I do. So, it occurs naturally in most things I write about as well.

There is a new 1476 album on the way, right? Let’s hear about it!

Yes! We finished recording and mixing it this past July and are in the process of figuring out how to release it. We have some things in the works that I cannot speak of yet but they look very promising. As far as the album itself, it is to be titled Our Season Draws Near. It is much heavier, richer, and more spacious sounding than our last rock-based album Wildwood. It’s very naked and intimate sounding in places which is important to us because the lyrics are very exposing in a personal way. Where Wildwood was more of a reflection on human nature and its inconsistencies, Our Season Draws Near puts the magnifying glass over my own nature, setbacks, and inconsistencies. It’s always important to me to make albums that are brutally honest and I feel, in the past, I’ve unintentionally written things that could be seen as more fashionably somber or dark but it was really just a mask to hide the real problems underneath. Or I just used past experiences as opportunities to write about things that may make for good subject matter—but I didn’t have a strong connection with. I needed to save face for myself by sharing these things in the new album in a very unflattering way haha. There’s no room for pity or romanticism here. There’s more ferocity here than anything we’ve done so far. The lyrics are told through the filter of Norse Mythology, runic mysticism, and winter themes. It largely focuses on solitude, alienation, isolation, and resignation.

As a kid you came up in the Boston Punk scene that gave birth to the Dropkick Murphy’s, The Ducky Boys, and several other high profile bands. How did that influence your musical and personal development?

For better or worse, it’s had a heavy impact on me and I find that much of my lifestyle and world views are routed in that experience. For example, to always question everything and question myself in all that I do. Also, I’ve always had a very strong DIY sense of working. This is not out of a stubbornness to not work with others or an idealistic thing—I’m quite open to working with others—but it’s more about being resourceful. I do most things myself because it is second nature for me. I usually don’t consider other options unintentionally. Another thing I took from punk is how realistic it is to live a free life on your own terms. It takes hard work but it is attainable. We don’t have to live in the manner that is dictated to us by society as being “proper” and many in punk and subculture scenes have proven this by example. The greatest example is probably Crass who lived on a farm with an open door policy for visitors. They grew their own food and were self-sufficient. They lived a free life in accordance with their ideals of having peace and autonomy. To this day, some of the ex members still live there and carry on that lifestyle. That is not for me personally but it shows that with some thought and perseverance, one can pretty much live happily outside of the status quo.

You also have a project called Monastery. How does it differ from 1476?

Monastery is a project I do alone. It is primarily electronic, ambient, and almost entirely instrumental. With each release, I want to showcase a different artist that I love and have it so the music, text, and imagery are all codependent in a way. There are elements of soundscape, drone, and world music in there and most of the songs are linear—they do not bounce back and forth between verses and choruses. It’s important to me to keep it dreamy and otherworldly. My first live performance as Monastery will be on December 14th at Opus in Salem.

You’ve lived in New England your whole life, and that has obviously impacted your music. What do you find so inspiring about this area?

The New England region has a haunting quality about it that cannot be put into words for me. So many people associate Massachusetts in particular with Boston and sports but once you leave the city the atmosphere changes dramatically. I guess dramatic is the best word for the region. We have the extremities of all four seasons, mountains, forests, rocky dark oceans, beaches, cities, hillsides, farmlands, quaint historical towns and seaports—pretty much anything one could ask for outside of a desert. But there is feeling here that cannot be put into words. It is just dark and haunting… The specific feelings it gives me definitely influences everything I do—particularly the ocean, the autumn, and winter. I don’t think that is uncommon with people who live here either. It’s firmly routed in my soul. As much I want to leave here, it will always define who I am in many ways no matter where I end up. I can’t find words but I think a good way to sum it up is this: The three most influential horror authors of all time were from New England—Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, and Stephen King. I think that carries a lot of weight.

1476 is based out of Salem. The history of the town is a big draw for tourists in October. Do you get into any of the Halloween festivities here or do you leave that to the tourists?

I basically leave it to the tourists haha. The last few years, we have had tents at the Salem Open Markets throughout October selling art and music. That was very enjoyable and rewarding at times but also very stressful. This year, I leave it to the tourists!

You guys did a soundtrack for an exhibit about Edgar Allan Poe. Was that significantly different from what 1476 does on its own albums?

Yes. The music was almost entirely instrumental and was driven by piano, strings, and electronics. These elements usually take a minimal roll in our work. We thought it best to showcase them here as the music was to be played in an art gallery featuring works inspired by Poe’s writings. We decided to focus on his personal life instead of his stories. We also wanted it to sound older and more representative of the era he lived in. Chopin was definitely a reference point for us in this regard. But we also tried to tap into electronic and ambient influences in order to give it more of a haunting atmosphere.

You make artwork as well as music. Is that more of a hobby to you, or do you take it as seriously as you do music?

I took it seriously briefly but it was too hard to balance out with music time-wise. I can really only focus on one project at a time so something always suffers. I was actually growing unhappy doing illustrations with intent to print and sell them so I decided to just focus on practice and studies for enjoyment. Ironically, once I made this decision, I was given an opportunity to illustrate for a large Tarot book project but it’s too soon to tell what will come of that. I like to focus on Celtic Knotwork studies and dense pen-and-ink pointillism with heathen and mythological concepts.

Let’s talk books for a minute. I know you are well versed in the classics. What are some of the most important books from antiquity for you?

I honestly think the most important work to me is The Poetic Edda and all of the mythological works surrounding it, exploring it, and interpreting it. I’ve read many things over the years but that has always been a mainstay for me. I gain new perspectives and lessons from it as I get older and my life and outlooks change. I think aside from this, as I get older, I enjoy more books about antiquity instead of from it. I genuinely enjoy anything runic and mythological from a cultural, historical, metaphysical, psychological, or philosophical perspective. I’ve begun to seriously collect and invest in these works as I really enjoy them. I’ve been fortunate enough to find some works by smaller publications in my travels too.

How about contemporary stuff? Do you read much new literature?

I have been reading a lot of contemporary works—or at least works from the last few centuries. Is that contemporary…? I spent much of my life reading non-fiction and historical works but for the last few years I’ve been reading fiction and mythology almost exclusively. I find that I’ve been getting enormous satisfaction and great spiritual and philosophical insights from fiction than most non-fiction that addresses these topics more directly. I enjoy fantasy mostly. I’d say my three favorite writers are JRR Tolkien, HP Lovecraft, and Oscar Wilde. The three of them are so powerful, beautiful, and dramatically different in how they are able to wield the English language.
Some of my favorite contemporary books are the original Dragonlance Trilogies—actually all the trilogies and stand-alone books that the original authors wrote (Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman). I’m a fanatic of the Dune books but only the ones written by the original author Frank Herbert. Those are some of the most quotable and influential books I’ve ever read. They’re full of powerful and profound ideas. Another amazing trilogy is His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. I couldn’t recommend that enough to anyone that just wants to read a dreamy and powerful story. Recently, I highly enjoyed Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory though that is not contemporary… I’ve been digging into a lot of supernatural horror from the 18th and 19th centuries. Authors like Arthur Machen, MR James, and Count Stenbock. I love these writings because they are ominous and surreal in nature. There is usually no ‘monster’ per se but what is unsettling are the concepts themselves or the things that are left to the imagination. One of my favorite works ever is The King In Yellow by Robert W Chambers. This a small book of about ten or eleven short stories. Some take place in the USA and the rest take place in France. They are all irrelevant to each other but what connects them is a banned script for a play called The King In Yellow. The script for the play is haunted and whoever comes into contact with it experiences some pretty surreal and horrific things…and the passages from the play are just haunting. What makes this book so wonderful though is that the play is barely referenced throughout the stories. It’s not mentioned at all in six of them and it is not the focal point of any of the other stories. It’s just a small reference that has nothing to do with the plot usually. It can be overlooked in some of them. This technique was brilliant because it created so much mystique around the banned script and allows the mind total freedom to imagine it. This was said to be a huge inspiration for HP Lovecraft and his Necronomicon is possibly a nod to Chambers. What’s funny about Chambers is that he never wrote another work of supernatural fiction again. If I remember correctly, he turned out romance novels for the rest of his life though The King In Yellow remains his most popular (yet still relatively underground) work.
The last thing I’d like to mention are the short stories of Aleister Crowley. They are absolutely brilliant, insightful, and entertaining. I really think he could’ve been a renowned author of fiction if he didn’t have such a bad reputation preceding him everywhere. I particularly enjoy his “Simon Iff” detective stories. They are like Sherlock Holmes but honestly far better in my opinion…at least for my tastes. Simon Iff is an eccentric, wealthy gentleman that is deeply involved in magic, occultism, and spiritualism. His odd world views dictate how he solves and handles cases. For example, he will find the culprit of a murder and allow him to escape because he doesn’t care about justice—he only wanted to prove to himself that he could analyze the crime and find the killer using only his strong understanding of psychology and human nature. So, it’s all about self-gratification haha. The quality of the writing and the plots are on par with Sherlock Holmes, if not better actually.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Anything you’d like to promote or say in closing?

Thank you for this opportunity! I guess if you’re interested, check out 1476 at http://www.1476cult.com and http://store.1476cult.com where all of our music and merch can be streamed and purchased. For Monastery music and merch, go here: http://monasteryhymns.bandcamp.com And to see some illustration work as Monastery, my Instagram page can found under user name monastery_art. Thank you again!

Nearly a year ago I bought my first home in historic Salem, MA. In that time I’ve fallen in love with the city pretty quickly. The cobblestone streets, the beautiful parks, the rich history, and great museums all make this a very pleasant place to live. I got married here, we adopted our dog here, and I signed my first novel deal here. My memories from this first year are pretty great.
As a celebration of the city I now call home, I will be paying homage to the Witch City this October by featuring a series of interviews with Salem artists in my blog. I have writers, musicians, comic artists, and artisans lined up to talk about what they do and their experiences in the Halloween capital of the world!

Mastema will be available in comic shops on 10/28/15! Use diamond code AUG151049 to pre-order your copy now at your favorite LCS!

Congratulations to Tim Scott for winning the Kindle Fire giveaway! Here’s a pic Tim sent of him getting ready to enjoy my novel, The Devoured, on his new tablet!