+32 Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
Interview: Dylan B of Dylan’s House Of Shadows
To ring in the spooky season we’re excited to present Dylan B, a 32 year old artist and musician born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and the creator of Dylan’s House Of Shadows. While his work ranges in medium, a love for Halloween and all things spooky ties it all together into a collection of unique creative works, the highlights of which he’s shared with us today.
You can shop handmade spooky objects (and request custom commissions!) at Dylan’s House Of Shadows, and follow along on Instagram.
Whether you’re a hardcore Halloween fan, an artist, or just a lover of all things spooky and autumnal, you’re in for a treat!
You work with a diverse variety of mediums – can you tell us a bit about how you became interested in each one?
I started off, as many artists do, with a number two pencil and a piece of ruled paper, drawing in class when I was supposed to be learning long division. Starting around the 4th grade (that’s 9 or 10 years old for international readers), I first got into manga and comic books, and I loved drawing renditions of my favorite characters. 2D art was my first passion, and being able to somewhat reproduce what I saw on the page was my first “aha” moment as a young artist. I realized that this was something I could actually do. I couldn’t throw a football, but moving a pencil? A piece of cake! I used to love drawing my own characters out of colored pieces of construction paper, cutting them out, and gluing or tacking them together into rudimentary paper toys. This first taste of being able to build essentially my own “toys,” which, to a kid who only got toys a couple of times a year, was a real thrill.
There were two movies that would change the direction of me as a young artist forever, and these were The Puppet Master (1989) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Seeing these movies, with all of their strange, macabre, and richly textured 3D characters, really sparked my imagination. I had already been a fan of all things spooky since I was very young, but these films gave me the idea that this world could be brought out of the page, out of the film cell, and made into something real that you could touch and manipulate. I remember looking up the processes of making stop-motion puppets on my family’s dial-up internet and being fascinated by the skill and dedication of these artisans. Around this time, I made my first papier-mâché projects, mainly Halloween decorations (usually in July when I was craving a slice of Halloween), masks, and puppets. My original papier-mâché recipe was simply flour, water, and strips of phone books or newsprint dipped in. A little bit later, I found out how to make papier-mâché clay, which was boiled, shredded newsprint mixed with flour and glue. There has been a lot of trial and error since those days, but I have settled on my own homemade recipe for each.
Alongside this, I was always heavily into painting, especially acrylic paint because it was so cheap and readily available. Whether I was painting sheets of cardstock, pieces of cardboard, reused canvases, or my own papier-mâché creations, I learned how value, color, and texture can really bring a surface to life. I still do some 2D art, but I’d say about 80-90 percent of my work is 3D.
Are there any mediums that you tried in the past, but no longer work with? If so, what made you move on from them?
I feel like there’s no medium that I’ve ever put away for good, but one medium I have not worked with in quite some time is needlepoint. I have sewn and worked with needle and thread for as long as I have painted and sculpted, but the embroidery portion of my artist life is on temporary hiatus. It takes a lot of time, which might be why I have put it down, but the results are always extremely rewarding, so it’s only a matter of time before I try my hand at it again.
Which project would you say has been the most challenging for you?
Just about every year, I make a large decoration/sculpture for Halloween, and last year was my most involved yet. I made a 7.5-foot papier-mâché spooky tree sculpture with light-up eyes/face. I am a pretty tall fellow (6’1″), but I had to step onto a ladder to sculpt and paint the top portion. The method of sculpting and construction wasn’t that different (besides my first-time use of spray foam insulation, which is an amazing sculpting material for all you Halloween prop crafters out there—don’t sleep on it); it was just the sheer size of the thing.
Anyone who sees your work can tell that you have a real love for all things spooky and Halloween themed. Was there a definitive moment for you growing up when you developed this appreciation?
I would say just growing up in the late 90s/early 2000s, being exposed to Halloween media and Halloween decor/setups of the time really captured my heart. There was no happier time of year for me, and this was perfectly encapsulated by a line in the 1993 animated adaptation of The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury: “…the greatest night of the year. Better than Easter, better than Christmas: Halloween.” I feel like my childhood was either me waiting for Halloween, making my costume/decorations, and finally celebrating the night of. There was a certain magic there that I am able to recapture every time I make another piece of art. I feel as if I dip my ladle into the collective unconscious of a thousand fellow autumnal children. That’s the real wellspring of my inspiration.
What is your favorite piece of Halloween media & why?
This is a tough one, but I would probably have to say The Halloween Tree. The novel and the animated picture go hand in hand for me. Reading the first few lines or hearing Ray’s narration in the opening sequence of the movie fills my heart with so much joy. I feel like my spiritual center is The Halloween Tree. I could undoubtedly make a religion out of it. It’s a transcendental experience for me.
Just as the experience of writing can help someone become a more discerning reader, the act of creating can help us develop a greater appreciation of the arts. Have you found this to be true in your own life?
Absolutely, I have found this to be true in my own life. Being involved in various aspects of the creative process has certainly enhanced my ability to appreciate and understand different forms of art. For example, in puppet making, I have come to appreciate the delicate balance between form and function, and how slight adjustments in the joints, stringing, and control mechanisms can make or break the entire illusion. This perspective has heightened my admiration for puppeteers and animators who bring inanimate objects to life with such precision and artistry. Similarly, working on Halloween decor has made me acutely aware of the atmospheric and thematic elements in visual art and cinema. I definitely have a deeper appreciation for how other artists use color, lighting, and spatial composition to evoke specific moods and convey stories.
Where do you find the most inspiration for your work?
This is a fantastic question and honestly not one I’ve put a great deal of thought into. I feel like I find my main inspiration from observing various pieces of art and objects in the world around me. Whether it’s unique character designs or different aspects of nature (especially the desert landscape that I have grown up in), these elements evoke a sense of excitement and creativity in me. They spark a desire to reimagine and transform them into something my own. All it takes is to see a strange, scrunched face or a particularly despondent-looking cactus to ignite some new project of mine.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin creative work?
It’s cliché at this point, but my very best advice for diving headlong into a new venture, whether it be creative, fitness, or career-wise, is to simply start. Get over that first hump. Make the first step. When you do, you will realize if it is something within your grasp. Embrace the discomfort of the unknown, as it often precedes growth and discovery. Each step forward will build momentum, and before you know it, if it is something you’re meant to do, you’ll find yourself immersed and progressing.
As a literary magazine, we have to ask: which books would you consider to be your top 5 favorites?
I tend to read mostly non-fiction these days (I have a serious love for occult, high magick, and Sumerian religion/polytheism books), but there are a few novels I’d consider my favorites. These would have to be:
- The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (with The October Country [a collection of short stories] being a close sister-favorite)
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
- Darkmans by Nicola Barker
- Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
And I have to include an honorable mention, The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine, which is something I have re-read every single year around Halloween time.
What are your goals for your creative practice moving forward? Are there any particular projects you have in mind that you are excited to bring to life?
Right now, I am on a real marionette kick. I have recently been working on a marionette commission for a client, and I have discovered several new little techniques for joint connection and pattern making for the clothes. I plan on making a jack-o-lantern head marionette next. Furthermore, I intend to stock my Etsy shop with a lot more Halloween pieces, because this time of year is when folks seem to be most interested in buying spooky items. Overall, it is my goal to transition to being a full-time artist, and I now think it’s something fully within my grasp. If any of you readers would like to support my dream, please give my shop a look sometime, and if you’d ever want a puppet, art doll, mask, or any Halloween/3D art piece commissioned, please shoot me a DM on my Etsy shop via the “contact” button, and I would be delighted to assist you.
Finally, what media/music/miscellany have you been loving lately?
In recent times, I have been listening to a whole lot of music. I find that it’s a real source of inspiration when I am knee-deep in the creative process. My favorite genres are hardcore punk, gothic rock, shoegaze, no-wave, and bossa nova. The five albums I have been really loving in the past few weeks are:
- Deep Sage by Gouge Away (2024, Hardcore, alternative, shoegaze-y in some parts)
- Judee Sill by Judee Sill (1971, folk, singer-songwriter)
- Again by Physique (2023, hardcore punk, D-Beat)
- The Gate by Pleasure Leftists (2019, post-punk, alternative, unique)
- Ballroom Of The Living Dead by The Comes (2024, 80s Japanese hardcore band, live album, great stuff)
Other than that, lately I have been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation at the recommendation of my wonderful girlfriend, Terri. She’s always been a Star Trek fan, and I’ve never seen it before. It’s been a real joy to watch and discuss with her.
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