Horror art and a Q&A with the talented maker of monsters, art and obscure 80’s references, Mike Chiechi AKA Frank’s Kid.
To see more of his illustration and animations, follow @franks_kid on Instagram and visit his web store here.
Rabbit: What’s your favourite scary movie?
Mike: This is a tough question, as there are so many to choose from! Though, I’ll go with the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” I fell in love with horror movies as a kid (especially the schlocky 80s ones), but I don’t recall any of them actually SCARING me. I thought they were mostly just cool/funny. However, Texas Chainsaw was the first one to really get under my skin and freak me out. Everything from the acting, cinematography, to the overall atmosphere, is just perfect. Plus, The Ramones wrote a great song about it!
Rabbit: Who’s your favourite horror movie character?
Mike: Jason Voorhees. The Friday the 13th series has always been my favorite horror franchise. Yes, I know the series continuity is a complete mess, but that just adds to the charm of it all. First off, Jason is so iconic and just a complete badass. He also has a great, tragic backstory. The character is unique within the slasher genre, in that you can actually feel some empathy towards him. Yeah sure, he’s a psycho hillbilly with a shrine of his dead moms severed head in the woods- but whatever, I’ve always felt for the big guy. As the series went on, he sort of morphed into a zombie with a machete. However, the root of the character has always been that scared little boy drowning in the lake.
Rabbit: When did you start doing horror art?
Mike: Since I was a kid. I’ve always been into making horror and comedy related stuff, and just looked at those two genres as intertwined. I still remember cracking up the first time I saw Jason punch a man’s head clean off his body. It’s horrific- but completely hilarious and ridiculous. Like something out of Looney Toons. Now, being an animator by trade, I don’t always get to work on projects that reflect my interests. The art I do under the “Frank’s Kid” moniker, gives me that outlet. I look at the work I’ve been doing lately as sort of a “Saturday Morning Cartoons from Hell” type of thing. I love injecting these horror characters into all the cartoons I grew up with!
Rabbit: What’s your fav horror artwork you’ve completed to date?
Mike: Well, my favorite one at the moment is the officially licensed Sleepaway Camp t-shirt design I did for Terror Threads. I’m obsessed with the old EC comics stuff, and it was fun paying homage to that. Plus, I love that weird little movie!
Rabbit: Any new release horror movies you’re looking forward to this year, once things go back to normal?
Mike: Candyman looks like it could be really interesting. I really liked the original, so I hope they don’t mess it up!
To have your work featured or if you know a talented horror artist, email info@rabbitinred.com.
You might also like
More from Horror Art
Artist Feature – Leandro Vaz
Rabbit in Red’s Featured Artist for October, Leandro Vaz, is an Illustrator from the countryside of Sao Paulo, Brazil. To see more of …