OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen

On the First Day of Halloween…

We kicked off the Halloween Season at my house on September 3, but honestly, it didn’t totally feel like we kicked it off. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Here’s how it went down... (read more)

Hitler-Coated Hitler with Hitler Filling: Hitler-Ludvig Cemetery

Our first graveyard visit of the OTIS Halloween Season! Let’s meet at Hitler Cemetery. Don’t know where that is? Just take Hitler Road #1 to Hitler Road #2. Come on, I’ll show you. And, don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds... (read more)

I Forgot Last Halloween! The COVID One!

This was an important October 31. It was the COVID-19 Halloween. That needed to be documented not for my own nostalgia, but for posterity. When future historians look back on this time, they’re going to want to know things like, “How did national governments respond to this crisis?” and “How did social media influence everything?” and, most important, “What was Halloween like that year?”... (read more)

The Headless Horseman Head

My favorite monster is the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. But that doesn’t explain why, last year, I painted the walls and ceiling of my bathroom black and then themed it Headless Horseman... (read more)

Welcome to the 2021 OTIS Halloween Season

Halloween…2021. Feels weird, right? I mean, Halloween 1985 sounds great. So does Halloween 1977. Or Halloween 1993. Halloween 2004 even feels somewhat evocative. But Halloween 2021? How do you celebrate ancient monsters and old graveyards and orange-tinted nostalgia in such a futuristic year as 2021? Well, let’s find out together... (read more)

OTIS Podcast, Ep 33: Visiting the Sites of the Martha Stewart of Serial Killers

My fascination with serial killers comes with a heaping load of shame, except for in one instance: Ed Gein. That's because without Gein, we might not have Norman Bates. Or Leatherface. Or Buffalo Bill. Or the Firefly family. So my shame load was only a mild one as I visited sites related to him in his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin. With my wife and two kids... (listen here) (see photos here)

Five Reasons to Take Middle-Grade Horror Seriously

Middle-grade horror novels—spooky books aimed at 8-12-year-olds—are often an overlooked part of the horror scene. Most horror fans’ knowledge of the market stops dead at R.L. Stine and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. But middle-grade horror novels are a force, with Big 4 publishers and other major presses putting them out every week. But should they be taken seriously or are they just, “A training bra for Stephen King”... (read more)

Ten Things about The Smashed Man of Dread End

I’ve a new book out, and the only marketing tactic I know to sell words is to write more words. The Smashed Man of Dread End is about a neighborhood haunted by a flat, horrifying monster that oozes from the cracks in the basements of every kid on Totter Court, a monster with a terrifying cosmic significance, a monster that the adults in the neighborhood are helpless against. Want to know more? Here are ten (non-spoiler) things about the book. It’s like a self-interview without any banal set-up questions... (read more)

Unboxing Video for THE SMASHED MAN OF DREAD END

Eight books, and I've never done and unboxing video. Screwed around and shot one. The Smashed Man of Dread End is a middle-grade horror novel for readers who want a real scare but not a ghost story. For readers who believe their neighborhood can contain an entire universe. For readers who know that, in the end, the adults can’t help. Beware your basement... (watch video)

[PODCAST] The Place Where the Music Died: The Buddy Holly Death Site

On February 3, 1959, a small plane carrying pop stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed into an Iowa cornfield, killing all three instantly and inspiring Don McLean to write American Pie. We trudge into that cornfield, to see the place where the music died... (listen here) (see photos here).

Free OTIS Stickers and Signed Bookplates!

Behold, the first ever OTIS sticker. And my first ever bookplate. Want one? How about I give them both to you. For free.  Check out here to find out how.

Where the Wild Trolls Are: Thomas Dambo’s Guardians of the Seeds

The sky was that heavy gray color it gets before it tries to drown you, the ground soft and puddled from previous murder attempts, and the air cool despite my calendar app swearing we were in July. It was perfect troll-hunting weather... (read now)

Episode 31 (Special On-Location) Cryptid Kaiju of the Dakotas

In this special on-location episode, I head to North and South Dakota to see a couple of gigantic cryptid statues. In Bismarck, North Dakota, a quartet of Thunderbirds glower above a lightning storm on the banks of the Missouri. Then I drive five hours southwest through snow and rain and flocks of pheasants to Keystone, South Dakota, to see the world's largest Bigfoot statue, right in the shadow of Mount Rushmore. Come with me... (Listen here and see photos here and here)

[PODCAST] Episode 30: That Time I Bought a Cursed Object

In this episode, I read from my latest nonfiction book, Cursed Objects, to talk about what exactly is a cursed object, as well as to tell the story of the time I bought one to see what would happen... (listen now)

Goodreads Giveaway for The Smashed Man of Dread End

It doesn’t come out until August, but you can get a copy of my next middle-grade horror novel early by winning this giveaway hosted by my publisher on Goodreads. This book is especially for those kids (and adults) looking for something creepy but are tired of ghost stories... (enter here)