ABSURD INTERVIEW: Randy Chandler

I first stumbled onto Randy Chandler years ago when I read a short story of his that both repulsed and enthralled me. I quickly snatched him up for the Monstrous: 20 Tales of Giant Creature Terror anthology I put together for Permuted Press. In true Chandler form, he wrote about giant pubic crabs. But also in true Chandler form, it was also a story with a point—infidelity and a child with parenting issues. Okay, maybe you had to dig a little bit to find that, but it was there, buried under shockingly awesome descriptions of people being eating by something so gross you had to either laugh or go insane. And what’s more, Randy cares about his words. Each one feels chosen with intent, creating a prose, and art, that is often forgotten by genre writers. Since that time, Randy has pumped out some of the best work in the genre. With a handful of novels under his belt and more on the way, I figured it was time to see just what goes in such a bizarre and poetic mind.

RCT: What drives you to write genre fiction?

RC: One reason for writing genre fiction might be to smash your way out of it. A genre is a straightjacket that keeps you from writing really crazy shit or doing very bad impressions of James Joyce’s FINNEGANS WAKE. A few readers might declare your genius but most folks would never read you again after subjecting them to that sort of thing. A genre is a security blanket, or a comfortable shoe. It keeps you from worrying too much about having nothing meaningful to say. Readers also like the security of genre. The trick is to take them with you when you attempt the breakout. The nightmare is to pull off your big breakout and then look around to find you’re alone with your johnson in your hand, going “How did that get there?” Honestly though, my chosen genres are ideal for what I try to do in my fiction: Find God and kill Him before He kills me. Horror is a very spiritual genre, don’t you think? And noir is all about the darkness. Where better to look for the light?

RCT: Who would you rather have over for dinner and why...M.C. Hammer or Vanilla Ice?

RC:  I’d rather starve. Or have dinner with Mike Hammer, or just for laughs with Milli Vanilli.

RCT: Howler, in the MalContents novellas anthology, is such a great throw back to pulp stories of the fifties. Are you a fan of the old pulp mags/comics? If so, what are some of your favorites?

RC: Fan of both. Being a bit long in the tooth, I remember reading those old EC comics before they were whipped back to the pit by those hairy-palmed protectors of public morals. Horror comics shaped me for life, apparently. And I still read a lot of the of the pulp tales from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Horror and detective fiction. Which are my two loves.  My Kindle is loaded with vintage noir and horror and a lot of great Victorian horror.

RCT: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if he was six feet tall and wielding a machete?

RC: Not as much as a woodchuck wielding a chainsaw.  I’m picturing a Fritz the Cat sort of woodchuck with enough good wood to please a lot of lady woodchucks. And if your readers haven’t seen Fritz the Cat, they should hunt him down and bell his horny ass fast.

RCT: You are a man that likes to push limits when it comes to sex and gore (yet I've never seen it work against you). A lot of writers get flak for this. What are your thoughts on so-called gratuitous violence/sex? Can it help a story?

RC: When you pull the trigger on sex and gore, there will be blowback. You will get some on you. I’ve had my share of flak but it rolls off like blood off a duck’s back. It’s a double-edged sword. Cuts both ways. Like these cornball clichés. (wink wink) And yes those elements can certainly help a story. Or hurt it. You lose some readers right off the bat. But it’s not my nature to hold back when storytelling. I want readers to see and taste and feel what I’m describing. If I can’t horrify myself while I’m writing, how can I horrify readers? And why does anybody read horror unless they want to be horrified? I say, If you’re going to do it, go all in!

RCT: Finish this sentence: I had to throw the pizza at the mallard to stop the _______________________

RC:  the quacker from quacking and it was all I had handy. If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, then it might be related to Howard the Duck and must be stopped at all costs.

RCT: You've moved onto fantasy, I hear. How does writing fantasy differ from Horror? Or does it?

RC: You heard right, bro. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do more horror or detective fiction. I’m working on turning an extreme fantasy novella into a novel and it’s not as easy as I expected it to be. This particular story takes place in various dimensions, worlds and times. With a canvas that big, things can get complicated. And of course, as with just about everything I write, this fantasy has plenty of horror. The working title is now ANGEL STEEL. But to answer your question, fantasy can be less limiting, wide open to your imagination. Infinite What ifs.

RCT: The age old question: Who are some of your biggest influences?

RC: As a child, the Uncle Remus stories were a big influence. In high school I was reading Mickey Spillane, Kerouac, Henry Miller, William Burroughs, and Ray Bradbury. The biggest influences in recent years have been Cormac McCarthy, Don DeLillo, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett. I don’t actually read a lot of horror. McCarthy and DeLillo have a physical effect on me. It’s almost erotic. I can’t read them without getting the urge to go write something great. But on the other hand, after reading them, I know nothing I write will even come close. Classic struggle to create, yes? Living one’s own creation myth.

RCT: You can make a cannon that shoots anything...what do you load it with?

RC: Magic, baby. Magic bullets can do anything, solve any problem.

RCT: What do you have coming out soon? What are you working on?

RC: End of April my detective novel comes out from Comet Press. DIME DETECTIVE. I already have another one in the works, featuring my dick Joe Dall (no, not that dick—but wouldn’t that be a trip to do a detective story starring a talking penis that sounds like Bogart? But then how would it smoke a butt? no pun intended.). And as you know, the aforementioned fantasy novel I’m trying to finish for Grand Mal. And then there’s a fantasy/horror novel which is halfway done called STOLEN ROADS. If I live long enough there may be a collection of my short stories from Comet Press. What am I saying? Comet’s Cheryl Mullenax would carry the ball for me if I croak. She’s sort of my guardian angel, God bless her. And we could all use one of those, right? Especially when God’s out to get you.

RCT: Thanks, Randy!  Randy's Blog can be found on Goodreads. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/167805.Randy_Chandler