9 Questions: Jason Paulos & stories that go "Eeek! "in the night.
Jason Paulos is the artist and author behind the Asylum Press anthology series "Eeek". The series takes the stylings of old Warren publications such as "Creepy" and "Eerie" and melds them with ideas from our post-millennial landscape. The result is a joyously sinister camera obscura that tweaks both modern and classic elements enough to keep everything fun and fresh. Jason was kind enough to take some time out from his work and offer us a more detailed perspective on superheroes, food and the pursuit of darkness.
It feels like there are a lot of cinematic references here, not to mention a twilight zone feel to the structure of these stories as well. Aside from EC comics what were some of your other inspirations?
JASON: I love movies and I love the original Twilight Zone TV shows. Other comic influences are old Charlton horror comics, DC's House of Mystery (Joe Orlando era), Warren comics, and to a lesser extent 80's stuff like Death Rattle and Twisted Tales. I'm not a big book reader. I devour magazines, newspapers and comics. In fact I hardly even read comics anymore, I flick through them and throw them over my shoulder one after another like the Flash.
Do you prefer the anthology format or do you enjoy doing longer form episodic works more?
JASON: I like working on short stories, I get bored too quickly with long format stories. I like to change styles and themes/genres. The more genres I can do in comics the better, I'm not wedded to any particular theme. I'd love to do a Kung Fu comic, I loved those as a kid.
Some of these stories are like origins more than complete tales, do you want the reader to extrapolate on the story themselves, or are certain tales actually beginnings for longer stories?
JASON: I never intend to flesh these stories out too much because the essence gets lost if you get distracted from your original intention. Easy Prey went longer than the other stories because I was enjoying those characters but I'm hesitant to repeat myself, there's too much else I want to do! I'm always in a hurry, maybe I rush the stories a bit too much. One review of EEEK! said it was a pity the stories weren't longer and I can see his point. I'm worried people will get bored so I try to get to the point quickly. Luckily I never seem to run out of ideas (fingers crossed!)
What besides the influences of Creepy and Eerie styled comics led you towards horror?
JASON: I've always enjoyed black and white art, the interplay between light and dark on a bright white surface. Horror is very forgiving for an expressive artist, there isn't the need for sanitising and cleaning up the artwork like there is in superheroes for example. Superheroes always have to look clean and sparkly. In horror there's plenty of room for mood and atmospherics, texture, shade and drama. It's more like real life, it's a very diverse medium that seems to be open to endless interpretation from a wide variety of people. People are scared by different things and age, background and culture all affect the way we get scared and what we gat scared by. It's also wet-your-pants fun to get scared. That's why horror is also funny, it tickles the same synapses that humour does.
Do you find your story ideas first or do you get visuals and build stories around them?
JASON: Yes, I use visuals as a 'springboard'. I also day dream a lot, sometimes without being aware I'm doing it. When my mind drifts I'm a live wire for ideas, but I have to be quick before they slip away. Newspapers and TV's are handy for finding obscure stories about real life. Old comics are great for ideas, I like to mess with classic concepts and characters that people are familiar with and try and put my own twist on them.
I really enjoyed the story 'Just Desserts', any special inspiration for that one?
JASON: Thank you! I was watching a lot of Cooking reality shows featuring pompous food wankers. Is appalls me how seriously we take food these days (In Australia). I recently found out that the chef in my story that commits suicide over a bad review of his restaurant actually has a real life counterpart ... a successful French chef several years ago lost a Micheline star and killed himself, but I found this out long after I wrote 'Just Desserts'. It was an odd coincidence that the guy even looked like my character, right down to the bald head and the pencil moustache.
Can you give us your 5 favorite horror films?
JASON: The Exorcist, The Shining, Fearless Vampire Killers, Evil Dead, Reanimator.
You said in another interview that there weren't many horror comic artists in Australia, what were the homegrown things that made an impression on you?
JASON: Phantastique (late 80's horror anthology), Decay (issue 6 out now from Dark Oz productions), Something Wicked (modern horror anthology), Kagemono (modern horror anthology). You can find these guys and more at www.pulpfaction.net
Gary Chaloner, Ash Wood, Ben Templesmith all have helped push the profile and standard of Australian comics creators. I salute you all!
You are doing another "Eeek", what else is next for you?
JASON: Good question! I'm open to offers. I'd love to do something for Creepy Comics. Contact me via jasonpaulos@optusnet.com.au
Thank you Jason, I really enjoyed 'Eeek' even though I rarely read comics and graphic novels. Thanks for taking time out to answer some questions and we at Bloodygoodhorror will look forward to the next collection of Jason Paulos stories.
JASON: Thank you! EEEK! is available through Amazon.com and can be back ordered at any comic or bookstore.
Go to www.Eeekcomic.com for updates but I'm pretty slack with updates so check my Facebook page instead. Check out more Aussie comics creators at www.PulpFaction.net
I'll also be signing copies of 'EEEK!' at Armageddon con (http://www.armageddonexpo.com) in Sydney on Sat 26th Feb 2011.
