We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Avalos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.
Jason, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Optimism is easy when you’ve successfully battled a haunted mirror. It’s all about reflection and deflecting bad vibes
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was raised on a diet of HELLRAISER, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and a treasure trove of VHS tapes discovered at my best friend’s parents’ moving company—our gateway into a world we eagerly devoured. My horror roots run deep in the embrace of 80s and 90s nostalgia, although I infuse these influences with a modern twist, catering to a more conscious audience. I revel in taking real-world issues, dousing them with kerosene, an icepick, and a metaphysical spirit, and then watching the sparks fly. Enter my latest short film, BLOOD ON THE LEAVES, a tale that ignited when a producer/actor shared a story of post-Iraq war trauma and the haunting reality of child harm and trafficking. This narrative became the spine of the character he portrays—a detective haunted by PTSD, torn between the horrors of child trafficking and an assignment he can’t ignore.
My creative ethos thrives on pushing boundaries and igniting dialogue. I’m not just in the business of inducing fear; I’m on a mission to explore the depths of the human experience through storytelling. Horror, to me, is a canvas that reflects our deepest anxieties, and that’s what makes it a unique artform.
In the latest venture for me and the production company we’ve unfurled THRU THE RINSE, our inaugural comic book. It’s about a Latino power couple, akin to a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, unleashing mayhem on the streets while championing the disenfranchised Latin community around them. It’s a wild ride through the juxtaposition of chaos and social justice—a thematic exploration that encapsulates the essence of my storytelling. Other than that we have Season 2 of our Horror Podcast “Just for Thrills” with a ton of demented guests from Horror Hollywood.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
watch INTERNATIONAL HORROR and support those filmmakers and – there is so many disturbing films out there to devour and learn from. I’m currently watching old Japanese horror films on Criterion and just finished seeing TALK TO HER one of my favorite films of last year by far RAKARAKA boys are so good. and IT LIVES INSIDE by director Bishai Dutta. I couldn’t fathom someone not Indian making that film , you can feel it in every shot.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Recently collaborated with Jackie Cruz from Orange is the New Black on THRU THE RINSE comic book and now she has come on board as Producer for the feature film version of the comic book so I think artists are coming on board earlier to projects and creating original IP so I think that’s more of what would like to see this year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jasonavalos.wordpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instaavalos/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-avalos-a7a3aa16/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonavalos?lang=en
