Zombos Says: Good
Robert Tinnell and Bo Hampton’s graphic novel, Sight Unseen, is an American Gothic story that, in true style, keeps the evil all in the degenerate family. With tight pacing, shadowy, emotive art panels that read like a cinematic storyboard, and a premise that doesn’t overwhelm the story but allows it to unfold, it delivers a tidy mix of eerie imagery and believable-within-context situations; along with a damned, J-Horror-styled spirit that simply loves to hurt people.
While seeing dead people through special optics like eyeglasses has been done in print and film before, that’s not the focus of the story. It just so happens that Frank Byron, blinded in a lab explosion, seizes the “opportunity” to explore a different type of sight; one based on his observation that his seeing-eye dog apparently sees things that no human can see. Dead things.
In the course of his experiments he distances himself from his daughter while becoming closer with the dead. But the dead are not entirely the focus of the story, either, except for one dead person in particular, still residing at The Birches Estate, recently put up for sale. She’s quite a handful as Frank gravitates to exploring the mystery with his newfound second sight when people start disappearing.
The artwork and story work well together, and the heavy line strokes combine with the shading and coloration across panels to sustain a morosely detailed and creepy sense of dread.
I met with director and author Robert Tinnell at the 2007 Monster Bash Convention, and took the opportunity to ask him a few questions.
How did Sight Unseen come about?
I met Bo Hampton at Wizard in Philly and we clicked. He read The Black Forest on the plane on the ride home and then called me and asked if I was interested in collaborating. I’m still trying to figure out why! He had ideas – the notion of a blind guy who could see ghosts. I had a story involving the haunted house – and wanted to do the southern gothic thing – and we just sort of married the stuff…[Note: The last few pages in the book are devoted to the collaborative creative process involved in bringing Sight Unseen to print.]
With much of your creative work done in a horror vein, what is it about the genre that motivates you?
I think there are a number of factors, and while it may be embarrassing, there’s no denying nostalgia’s influence. Working in the genre brings to mind the things that inspired me in the first place – and the accompanying emotions. Of course, there’s more to it than that. In general, I think horror allows us to explore other aspects of life – sex and death are certainly primary examples. I mean – how can you watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers and think it simply exists to try and scare you? Of course, I do love trying to scare people. Always have.
Tell us about your monsterkid background and when the horror bug first bit you.
I remember seeing an ad for Hammer’s Kiss of the Vampire – it was going to be on CBS late night television, and I was immediately drawn to it – but forbidden to watch! Later it was Dark Shadows and the Hammer films – still later the classic Universals. And in the seventies I was heavily into horror film fandom – did my own fanzine. I guess it was a cumulative effect of all that stuff…
Did your directing experience influence your writing in The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and Sight Unseen?
Not so much on TBF but definitely on the latter two. On TWW the book itself is certainly a rumination on film – at least one aspect of the book is. As far as Sight Unseen goes, I think even more as I was definitely tapping into cinematic methods of eliciting scares – and Bo was doing the same thing – drawing on his experience as a storyboard artist.
What was it like directing Frankenstein and Me?
Truly the best and worst of times. My personal life was in great upheaval. I don’t think the film is what it should have been – and I blame myself. But on the other hand, I did get to make it and did get to pay tribute – however flawed – to all those films and people who inspired me. Just standing around on the Brides of Dracula set and the Night of the LIving Dead location (I should clarify – recreations used for the film) was fantastic. And there are moments in the film – like when the kids are watching Dark Shadows that are very rewarding for me personally. I just wish I could go back and redo it.
Which horror films are your favorites and why?
The scary ones! Although I am partial to some that aren’t so much scary as they are beautiful to look at or thought-provoking. But here’s a partial list – The Uninvited: a ghost story that really delivers the chills. It’s a very evocative little film – and I like the fact it doesn’t try too hard. The Innocents: a ghost story that’s about something, elegantly photographed, eerie in its simplicity. I’m a big fan. Night of the Living Dead: verite horror – this is a text book case about how to scare – and not because of the gore – which is actually the weakest part of the film. The Horror of Dracula – scary, sexy, economical, elegant, beautiful to look at, brilliantly directed. What more can I say? The Exorcist: you don’t have to like it – but you have to respect it. Scary because it takes its time, building its case, so that once you are confronted with the actual supernatural events you have no choice but to believe. The Old Dark House: The original James Whale version – scary and fun and sadly under-appreciated.
The list goes on and on – and my hands hurt from typing – so I’ll just note: THE CAT PEOPLE, FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, DRACULA, DRACULA’S DAUGHTER, SON OF DRACULA, THE WOLF MAN, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDES OF DRACULA, DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, QUATERMASS FILMS, SUSPIRIA, DAWN OF THE DEAD – whew – the list is literally exhaustive…
What current and future projects are you working on?
I am writing two graphic novels – EZ Street for artist Mark Wheatley, and Bo and I are co-writing and he’s drawing Demons of Sherwood. I just finished the graphic novel, Eagle: Legacy, for Neil Vokes and once he’s done drawing that he starts our monthly comic, THE VOICE – which is my first foray into Mexican horror. I’m writing a big horror adventure screenplay and at the same time writing another more mainstream screenplay. After that I’m going to adapt Lee Maynard’s novel Crum – which is a brilliant book about Appalachia. I’m preparing to direct the movie version of my graphic novel, Feast of the Seven Fishes…I’m sure I’m forgetting something…Oh yes – writing the book, Jump Cuts, with Mark Clark – which we hope will serve as a interesting study of how horror movies have tried to scare us…
What’s the one question you’d love to be asked, and what’s your answer?
What are some dream projects?
I’d love to direct the movie version of The Living and the Dead, the graphic novel I wrote with Todd Livingston that Micah Farritor drew. I’d love to adapt Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Wife, though apparently that will never happen thanks to some convoluted rights’ issues. Tim Lucas wrote a marvelous novel, The Book of Renfield, that would be a joy to adapt as a screenplay.