Aaron Campbell

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 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.