Interview with Kenneth Gallant
A total horror film, comic book, and heavy metal junkie, Kenneth Gallant revels in all things loud, fast, creepy, and macabre. As an author of numerous short stories and a regular contributor to Twisted Pulp Magazine, Ken weaves tales that chill and thrill. A versatile freelance writer, artist, and filmmaker, his work can be found in Fangoria Magazine, The Metal Pit, and Dead Rhetoric. Inspired by artists like Bernie Wrightson, Vincent Locke, and Clive Barker, Kenneth Gallant has also contributed to Broken Frontier and Blistering. Currently, he serves as a staff writer at The Metal Pit and the owner/editor of Horror Metal Sounds, continually feeding his passion for the dark and eerie.
What was the first thing you remember reading?
Well, that’s a tough question and as I recall, as a kid I started reading all the choose your own adventure books. Plus, I was into discovering the classics like Frank L. Baum’s The Wizard of OZ and Lewis’s Narnia books. I know I read Frankenstein and Dracula too and you can throw in the Invisible Man by Wells into that bunch.
What made you want to be a writer?
I always had an overactive imagination growing up, so I would invent my own characters and draw them out on paper. I had all these ideas in my head for years, but I started taking writing very seriously when I got into reading Clive Barker in the 80’s. As soon as I finished devouring all six Books of Blood, I knew right then and there that I wanted to write those same type of fantastic yarns.
What made you want to create your own online magazine?
I was very fortunate to get hired by Frederick Hautain who ran Broken Frontier. This was a comic book news site and I came onboard to write reviews mainly and it helped get my feet wet in the world of journalism. From there, I branched out and started writing music reviews for Blistering.com and this really got the bug going for me. Unfortunately, Blistering went under and the editor of the site had decided to branch out and create a new site and I was asked to join. It was good in the beginning and I started my own column called Horror Metal Sounds. The whole point to the column was to give me a platform to write about horror movies and heavy metal.
After the initial column ran, I got into a disagreement with the editor about what I should and shouldn’t write about. Basically, it came down to being censored so I told him off and that really set up a huge shouting match between the two of us. Ultimately, I walked away from the site and took the name ‘Horror Metal Sounds’ with me. As luck would have it, a good friend of mine suggested I start up my site and call it Horror Metal Sounds.
With his help, we designed a killer logo and developed the site. I was then able to enlist a few friends who all shared my passion for horror and metal, and suddenly we were in business. The site was launched in October of 2013 just in time for Halloween and I haven’t looked back since!
What artist/writer inspires you the most?
Clive Barker was my main influence for years. What turned me on to his creativity was that he wrote horror stories, plays and movies; more importantly he was an artist who painted some of the weirdest stuff ever. I always found myself drawn to him because of that wealth of wondrous ideas and images he was noted for producing.
What are you most proud of in your writing career?
I had the opportunity to meet editor and writer Chris Alexander. He became the first and only Canadian Editor-in-Chief at Fangoria Magazine and I was introduced to him through a mutual friend. I pitched Chris and article/interview to tackle the late John Fasano’s seminal horror film classic, Black Roses. The film was shot here in Hamilton and I knew a lot about the film and was determined to get John to talk about the film. Chris agreed to it, so I set out to track the director down for a phone interview.
It took a bit to find his contact information, but when I told him what I had in mind for the interview he was like a kid in the candy store again. He was thrilled to death to talk about the movie and as I recall the conversation was over two hours long! The article was published in issue 323 of Fango and I was so proud to have my first published article in a magazine that I grew up reading as a teen in the 80’s.
Do you think your environment, where you live, has an effect on the type of art you create?
That’s a good question. Certainly, living in an urban environment like Toronto has contributed to my artistic endeavors. I made a few short films that heavily featured dilapidated landmarks and graffiti stained buildings and also surrounded myself with an eclectic group of artistic friends. I think living in a big city like Toronto is easily compared to major North American centers like New York, Chicago or LA.
Is it easier for you to create if given an assignment or does it get in the way of your creativity?
This is a tough question in some ways. When I was writing for Blistering.com I was often assigned albums from bands that I wasn’t familiar with, so that took time to get accustomed to the musical style and origins of the band I was asked to write about. Sometimes, it wasn’t a pleasant experience, but I made the most of the situation. Certainly, I prefer creating and doing my own thing, but in the end what artist doesn’t prefer that? Having the freedom to create what you want is intoxicating.
Where do you think the magazine/comic book business will be in ten years?
Oh, now that is a powder keg of a question. Certainly, it’s loaded and I am inclined to say we might be heading into a journalistic apocalypse of sorts. Of course, I’m saying this jokingly, but the industry is shrinking in some ways. I see less and less music magazines on the racks and both Marvel and DC have their fair share of troubles of late. It’s a shame that many print editions were forced to close up shop and sell directly in a digital format. Not to mention the dwindling market place for comic books and how these companies try to sell gimmicks to keep readers interested and invested.
But to answer your question, I think there will still be a business for magazines and comic books in ten years, but the format is what will be debatable. I’m a tactile person, so I prefer the physical copy as opposed to having something given to me in a digital format, but I guess we will have to see what develops.
What was the oddest thing you have ever been asked to do in your writing career?
A specific assignment from a comic book company, screenplay for a producer, books for a publisher?
I once worked with a guy who wanted to start his own comic company called Mad Monkey Press. At that time, I wanted to write and possibly draw my own book. I pitched him some ideas and gave him samples of my art. At the time I was really into the art of comic legend Bernie Wrightson, so my samples were in a similar style. He took one look at the pages and said that I needed to look at the work of Albrecht Durer and I thought that was odd. I wasn’t into stuff like that and it was old dating back to the 1400’s. I never understand that and needless to say my comics career was short lived at Mad Monkey press.
What projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a lengthy treatment for a book I plan to write. I started this project last year during the first wave of the pandemic and it’s a fantastical piece that references Clive Barker’s visual flair and my love of comic books and music. I’ve been kicking around a few titles for it, but tentatively it’s called ‘The Battery”. So, we will see where this venture takes me and ultimately if I shop it around to a publisher.
