Splatter, Shadows, and Storytelling – A Deep Dive with Horror Author Robert Essig

👻 Episode Summary

In this chilling and candid episode of Ink Blots: The Author Podcast, host Rob Southgate is joined by horror master Robert Essig, whose prolific career spans over 30 books and 120+ short stories.

From his unsettling novel Disco Rice to the haunted corridors of This Damned House, Essig shares what it takes to terrify readers with nuance, depth, and disturbing imagination. The two discuss the evolution of splatterpunk, the literary value of horror, and how parenting and real life intersect with monsters on the page.

If you’re a horror writer, reader, or just fascinated by the art of fear, this episode is for you.

  📚 Explore Robert Essig’s Work:

🧠 Find Robert's books on Amazon: 👉 Robert's Author Page

🪓 Find Robert's books on Bookshop.org: 👉 Robert's Books can be purchased at Bookshop.org

🧟 What You’ll Hear

• Why splatterpunk is more than gore—it’s emotional and political

• What inspired the bizarre brilliance of Baby Fights

• The horror writer’s responsibility to the genre and audience

• How horror functions as both catharsis and commentary

• Behind-the-scenes of writing, editing anthologies, and surviving the publishing world

🧠 Notable Quotes

“I don’t write to shock—I write to reveal something awful that’s already lurking underneath.” “Sometimes the most terrifying thing is what people do to each other without a single monster in sight.”

🩸 About Robert Essig

• Author of 30+ books, including Disco Rice, This Damned House, Baby Fights

• Published in 120+ short stories

• 2-time Splatterpunk Award nominee

• Editor of 3 anthologies

• Based in East Tennessee

• Known for visceral, boundary-pushing horror with depth and voice

📚 Explore Robert’s work on Amazon

📱 Connect on Socials:

• Instagram/Facebook: @robertessig

• TikTok: @robertessig_author

• Substack: @Robert Essig

🗝️ Keywords

Robert Essig, Splatterpunk, horror fiction, indie horror, Disco Rice, Baby Fights, horror author interview, This Damned House, horror podcast, writing horror, visceral fiction, dark fiction, editing anthologies, Substack authors

📲 Hashtags

#InkBlotsPodcast #RobertEssig #Splatterpunk #HorrorFiction #DiscoRice #ThisDamnedHouse #BabyFights #HorrorAuthors #WritingHorror #IndieHorror