horror story | Frisson Comics

It’s time for our 8th creator spotlight! This week with author Pippa Bailey. Previously we’ve interviewed Kevin T. Rogers, Michela Cicconi, Erika Price, Allan MacRitchie, Clare Thompson and Matt Smith. We originally met Pippa while she was running her Youtube channel Ghoul Guides, and she wrote some awesome articles for our early issues of Knock Knock, it became apparent though that she is a talented writer and soon started sending in her unique stories.

What got you into writing horror?

Initially it was reading, I was an avid horror reader as a child; I loved Goosebumps and Shivers books, I loved Clive Barker. The first thing I began writing was a fantasy story, but slowly drifted into the world of horror where I have firmly stayed in place.

Are there any creators who influence your work and how?

Oh definitely, Clive Barker had a huge impact on my writing, I was given Cabal as a child and loved all the little elements of how Barker uses description. I also apparently appear to be heavily influenced by Lovecraft, although I’ve only very recently began reading his works. I’m very much in the way of strange monsters and guts.

Do you have a favourite piece of horror media?

I’d have to say it’s currently the tv show Stranger Things, I’m hooked, I can’t wait for the next season. Come on July 4th, mamma needs her Demogorgon.

Do you have any projects coming up?

So so many, we’re working on two patreon, one for our writing which is Pugnacious Press and one for our Horror podcast and videos called Deadflicks; which can also be found on YouTube. We have Halloween, Christmas, and other books due out this year. It’s gonna be awesome!

You and Myk Pilgrim have been producing horror anthologies through Pugnacious Press, what is it about horror that lends itself to short fiction?

Horror and comedy are intertwined, they both rely heavily on the ability to deliver a twist, a punch, or an overwhelming sense of disgust. Short stories are perfect for this format, you line up your punchline almost and build the story around that. It’s all about cramming as much entertainment into the smallest space.

You’ve often challenged yourself to experimenting with different ways of writing, what has been your favourite experiment?

My favourite experiment was our first book Poisoned Candy, it’s 100 stories of exactly 100 words in length; which was a hell of a challenge. I’m so glad we did it, it set us up for our following books, as we knew, if we could pull off something so complex we could certainly release some fun short story books. It’s been a hell of a ride, but I’m loving it.

What scares you the most?

Nihilism, in fact it’s the only thing I am truly scared of. The fact I have to accept that some day I won’t exist, my consciousness will vanish. I’m actually having heart palpitations writing this line

What is your favourite piece that you’ve submitted to Knock Knock?

Oh, definitely Intravenous Sin.