Jason Vincent Brock (born March 1, 1970) is an American author, artist, scholar, musician, editor and filmmaker.
He is the CEO and co-founder (with his wife, Sunni) of JaSunni Productions, LLC, whose documentary films include ''
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of
Twilight Zone’s Magic Man'',
the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award-winning ''The AckerMonster Chronicles!'',
and ''Image, Reflection, Shadow: Artists of the Fantastic''.
He is also the author of ''Totems and Taboos'', a compilation of his poetry and artwork; and an editor, along with
William F. Nolan, of ''The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers'' and ''The Devil's Coattails: More Dispatches from the Dark Frontier'' anthologies published by Cycatrix Press.
Brock shares story credit (he was Lead Story Consultant and Lead Designer) on the ''
Logan’s Run: Last Day'' and related comic book series from
Bluewater Productions. He is also a writer for the comic book/graphic novel, ''Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe'' (also from Bluewater).
He served as managing editor/contributor and art director for ''
Dark Discoveries'' magazine for over four years.
His novella, ''Milton’s Children'', was published by
Bad Moon Books in early 2013.
[
] In addition to award wins and nominations, Brock's work has generally been well-received, and his poetry, short stories, nonfiction articles, introductions and essays have been widely published internationally online, as well as in dozens of
horror,
science fiction and fantasy books and scholarly print magazines (''
Fangoria
''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr.
The magazine was originally released i ...
'', ''
Dark Discoveries'', ''Calliope'', ''
Comic-Con
A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention emphasizing comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book Fan (person), fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events h ...
International's Souvenir Book'', ''Weird Fiction Review''
rint edition ''American Rationalist''
n organ of the Center for Inquiry">Center_for_Inquiry.html" ;"title="n organ of the Center for Inquiry">n organ of the Center for Inquiry etc.), and multiple anthologies working with a wide array of publishers and editors (''Butcher Knives and Body Counts'',
S. T. Joshi's ''Black Wings'' series, Matt Cardin's ''Teeming Brain'' website and his book ''Horror Literature Through History'', ''Animal Magnetism'', and so on).
A content expert in multiple areas, he has been a frequent special guest and panelist at many horror and science fiction conventions (such as Necronomicon-Providence, MythosCon,
Norwescon,
Crypticon,
World Horror Convention,
World Fantasy Convention
The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...
, and others) and
film festivals
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online.
Films may be of recent date and depe ...
(including the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival,
Buffalo International Film Festival, Lovecraft's Visions, etc.).
He has also been a guest lecturer and speaker at various colleges and universities (including at the invitation of
James E. Gunn to the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
Center for the Study of Science Fiction). In 2015, at the invitation of author
Greg Bear
Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American science fiction writer. His work covered themes of Interstellar_war, galactic conflict (''The Forge of God, Forge of God'' books), parallel universes (''The Way (Greg Bear ...
, Brock and Nolan contributed writings, along with others, as examples from significant Washington State authors to the Washington Centennial Time Capsule. A sealing ceremony was held in the state capital of
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...
. In late 2015, he was featured as the Editor Guest of Honor at the largest science fiction convention in Oregon,
OryCon
Orycon is Portland, Oregon's annual science fiction/fantasy convention, held in November since 1979.
Event history
{, class="wikitable" width="100%"
, -
! Event !! Dates !! Guests !! Attendance !! Notes
, -
, OryCon 0
, Nov 11, 1978
, No GOH ...
37.
Biography
Brock was born in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
of mixed racial heritage, and has
dyslexia
Dyslexia (), previously known as word blindness, is a learning disability that affects either reading or writing. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, wri ...
.
His father, James Brock, was a
freelance journalist and
graphic designer
A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...
. His stepfather,
Danny Thomas
Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz, (born January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) known professionally as Danny Thomas, was an American comedian, actor, singer, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in ''The Danny Thomas Show''. In additio ...
, was a drummer for the
13th Floor Elevators. As a teenager, Brock led the
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
/
avant-garde
In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
band ChiaroscurO in Charlotte for about five years; the band had several lineup changes, but played live on a regular basis, and produced multiple original demos which Brock is remastering for eventual release, along with new material.
He also assisted his father in writing and design. He later worked for
James Robert Smith (editor, and author, ''The Flock'') at a comic book store where he met many like-minded individuals and honed his creative writing and artistic skills. After that, he worked as a graphic designer for Morris Costumes in their catalog department, then as an artist's apprentice for Pat Piro, and later as an audio engineer trainee at Reflection Sound Studio under Mark Williams, in addition to assisting on several low-budget movie efforts in his spare time (including a brief period with filmmakers Harry Joyner and Jet Eller).
Brock has lived on the West Coast since 1993, spending time in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver ( ) is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, located in Clark County, Washington, Clark County. Founded in 1825 and incorporated in 1857, Vancouver had a population of 190, ...
. He has been married to writer and computer technologist Sunni K Brock since 2004. A practicing Stoic, he is a longtime ethical vegetarian and animal rights enthusiast,
politically liberal,
and has characterized himself as a "soft" atheist with "Buddhist and Hindu leanings".
He describes his written work as Dark Magical Realism. Prior to becoming a full-time creative, he was an award-winning Field Service Engineer and Regional Manager for several photo companies (Kits/Ritz Cameras,
Konica Quality Photo West) before working as a Product Specialist for
Fuji Photo Film; he left to form (with his wife) JaSunni Productions, LLC in 2005.
Major works
Single-author fiction collections
* ''Simulacrum and Other Possible Realities'', softcover horror/science fiction short story and poetry collection. Author and illustrator. Preface by William F. Nolan; Introduction by James Robert Smith.
Hippocampus Press, 2013.
* ''The Dark Sea Within and Other Macabre Revelations'', softcover horror/science fiction short story and poetry collection. Author and illustrator. Hippocampus Press, 2017.
Single-author nonfiction collections
* ''Disorders of Magnitude: A Survey of Dark Fantasy'', hardcover nonfiction collection. Author.
Scarecrow Press
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns ...
, 2014. ''
Horror Writers Association''
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing.
History
The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...
Finalist (Nonfiction) ''for 2014.'' Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Finalist (Best Book) ''for 2014.''
Single-author poetry collections
* ''Totems and Taboos'', softcover poetry chapbook collection and art. Author and illustrator.
Cycatrix Press, 2005.
Novels, novellas, and novelettes
* ''Milton’s Children'', hardcover and softcover novelette rooted in
Lovecraftian
Lovecraftian horror, also called cosmic horror or eldritch horror, is a subgenre of horror, fantasy fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is na ...
traditions, horror, and science fiction. Author and illustrator.
Bad Moon Books, 2013.
Comics and graphic novels
* ''
Logan's Run: Last Day''. Lead Story/Lead Costume Design; Comic, Radio Dramatization/CD, Graphic Novel.
Bluewater Productions, 2009–2011.
* ''Logan's Run: Aftermath''. Lead Story/Lead Costume Design; Comic, Radio Dramatization/CD, Graphic Novel. Bluewater Productions, 2011–2012.
* ''Logan's Run: Solo''. Writer; Comic and Graphic Novel. Bluewater Productions, 2013.
''Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe''.Writer; Comic. Bluewater Productions, 2013. A
Graphic Novel
A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
version was published in 2017.
*
Tales from the Acker-Mansion'. Contributor (writer). Edited by Holly Interlandi. American Gothic Press, 2016.
As editor (books)
* ''The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers'', hardcover fiction anthology. Contributor and editor (with William F. Nolan), publisher, and illustrator. All original anthology, including new works from
Joe R. Lansdale,
John Shirley
John Shirley (born February 10, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of horror, fantasy, science fiction, noir fiction, westerns, and songwriting. He has also written one historical novel, a western about Wyatt Earp, ''Wyatt in Wichita'', and ...
, and others.
Cycatrix Press, 2009. Re-issued in softcover by Hippocampus Press, 2015. Editor Ellen Datlow selected the Cody Goodfellow story "At the Riding School" as the lead entry for ''The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 3.''
* ''The Devil's Coattails: More Dispatches from the Dark Frontier'', hardcover fiction anthology. Contributor and editor (with William F. Nolan), publisher, and illustrator. All original anthology, including new works from
Ramsey Campbell
Ramsey Campbell (born 4 January 1946) is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awa ...
,
Richard Selzer, many more. Cycatrix Press, 2011.
* ''Like a Dead Man Walking'', hardcover fiction collection by William F. Nolan. Contributor and editor. Centipede Press, 2013. Re-issued in softcover by Dark Regions Press, 2015.
* ''A Darke Phantastique: Encounters with the Uncanny and Other Magical Things'', massive hardcover fiction anthology. Contributor and editor, publisher, and illustrator. All original anthology, including new works from
Ray Garton,
Nancy Kilpatrick, more than 40 others. Cycatrix Press, 2014. Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award Finalist (Anthology) for 2014.
* ''Discoveries: Best of Horror and Dark Fantasy'', hardcover and softcover fiction anthology reprinting the most-popular works from the genre magazine ''
Dark Discoveries''. Contributor and editor (with James R. Beach). Dark Regions Press, 2016.
* ''Masters of the Weird Tale: William F. Nolan'', massive hardcover fiction collection spanning the career of William F. Nolan. Contributor and editor. Centipede Press, 2019.
* ''Writing As Life'', hardcover nonfiction collection spanning the career of William F. Nolan. Contributor and editor. Dark Regions Press, 2020.
* ''Future Weird'', softcover fiction anthology featuring new and reprint stories of non-Lovecraftian Weird stories, including works from
James E. Gunn, William F. Nolan, John Shirley, F. Paul Wilson,
William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson (15 November 1877 – 19 April 1918) was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror fiction, horror, fantasy, fan ...
, and many more. Contributor and editor. Hippocampus Press, 2025.
As editor (periodicals)
* ''Dark Discoveries'' Magazine (2009–2013). Print. Managing Editor, Art Director, contributor, creator of social media (Facebook and Twitter); webmistress was Sunni Brock.
* ''
Nameless Digest'' (2011–present). Print and online. Art Director, Managing Editor with
S. T. Joshi. Also
websiteand social media presence.
As publisher (others)
* ''The Mirrors'', debut softcover fiction collection by author
Nicole Cushing. Introduction by S. T. Joshi. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2015. Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award Finalist (Collection) for 2015.
* ''Soul Trips'', softcover poetry chapbook collection by William F. Nolan. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2016.
* ''All That Withers'', debut softcover fiction collection by author John Palisano. Introduction by
Lisa Morton
Lisa Morton (born December 11, 1958) is an American Horror fiction, horror author and screenwriter.
Biography
Morton was born in Pasadena, California, and entered the film industry in 1979 as a modelmaker on ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. ...
; Afterword by
Gene O'Neill. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2016.
* ''Gothic Lovecraft'', hardcover fiction anthology by editors Lynn Jamneck and S. T. Joshi. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2016.
* ''Disexistence'', softcover fiction collection by author
Paul Kane. Introduction by
Nancy Holder. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2017.
* ''It Only Comes Out at Night and Other Stories'', softcover re-issue of hardcover fiction collection from
Centipede Press
Centipede Press is an American independent book and periodical publisher focusing on horror, weird tales, crime narratives, science fiction, gothic novels, fantasy art, and studies of literature, music and film. Its earliest imprints were Cocytus ...
by author
Dennis Etchison with extra material and new artwork. Introduction by S. T. Joshi. Publisher. Cycatrix Press, 2018.
Films
* ''Charles Beaumont: The Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man'', a documentary about the late writer for film, ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'', ''
Rogue'', and ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'', featuring exclusive interviews with
Richard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres.
He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
,
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
,
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
, Nolan, Johnson, and more. Director/Writer/Producer. Distributed by
Sonique Theatre Media; JaSunni Productions, LLC, 2010. The film was invited to have its
World Premiere
A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work.
History
Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the film ...
at an event hosted by
Sid Grauman
Sidney Patrick Grauman (March 17, 1879 – March 5, 1950) was an American entrepreneur and showman who established two of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood's most recognizable and visited landmarks, the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Chinese The ...
's historic
Egyptian Theatre in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
, California, in March 2010.
* ''The AckerMonster Chronicles!'', documentary
about super-fan, ''
Famous Monsters of Filmland
''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' is an American film genre, genre-specific List of film periodicals, film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren (publisher), James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.
''Famous Monsters of Filmland ...
'' editor, agent, and
Vampirella
Vampirella () is a vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of '' Creepy'' and ''E ...
creator
Forrest J Ackerman. The film contains exclusive interviews with
Dan O'Bannon
Daniel Thomas O'Bannon (September 30, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American film screenwriter, film director, director and visual effects supervisor, most closely associated with the science fiction and Horror fiction, horror genres.
O'B ...
,
John Landis
John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing comedy films such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978), The Blues Brothers (f ...
,
Joe Dante
Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, ''Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix the 1950s-style B movie genre with Counterculture of th ...
,
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...
, and others. Director/writer/producer. Distributed by Sonique Theatre Media; JaSunni Productions, LLC, 2012. The film was invited to have its World Premiere
at the historic
Aero Theatre in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
in 2013. Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Winner (Best Documentary) for 2014.
* ''Image, Reflection, Shadow: Artists of the Fantastic'', documentary regarding metaphorical imagery from
Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch (; ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter from Duchy of Brabant, Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, gene ...
to the present, including
surrealism
Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
,
symbolism, and
fantastic realism, and featuring exclusive interviews with
H. R. Giger,
Ernst Fuchs,
Alex Grey,
Roger Dean,
Kris Kuksi,
Laurie Lipton, and a host of others. Director/writer/producer. Distributed by Sonique Theatre Media; JaSunni Productions, LLC, 2025.
Affiliations and memberships
* Member,
Horror Writers Association (HWA)
* Member,
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. Whi ...
(SFWA)
* Member,
International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA)
* Member,
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...
Memorial Foundation
* Member,
Photo Marketing Association (PMA)
* Member, Certified Photographic Consultants (CPC)
* Member, Society of Photofinishing Engineers (SPFE)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
JaSunni Productions websiteNAMELESS Digest website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brock, Jason V
1970 births
Living people
21st-century American novelists
American artists
American documentary filmmakers
American horror writers
American male novelists
American male short story writers
American rock musicians
American science fiction writers
Chapbook writers
Writers with dyslexia
American writers with disabilities
Writers from Charlotte, North Carolina
Writers from Vancouver, Washington
21st-century American short story writers
21st-century American male writers
Novelists from Washington (state)
Novelists from North Carolina