The People of Innsmouth newsletter volume 26, part one
Toren G. Atkinson
Mythos Artist Dave Carson Finally Admits He Needs Help
I had the opportunity to interview East Sussex-native Dave Carson at the
Severn Valley Psychiatric Hospital for the Mentally Ill.
What made you want to become an illustrator of otherworldly horrors?
Mainly the fact that I never used to see any drawings of these things in any
of the old magazines or books. Maybe just a tentacle or whatever, but not much
more. Some people think that you shouldn't show them at all of course, but
I've always been of the opinion that at some point you've just got to. This
applies to film as well. If Jacques Tourneur had never let us see the demon in
Curse of the Demon it would have still have been a good movie, but a fairly
dull one no doubt.
When did you first notice these, shall we say, "tendencies?"
As far back as I can remember I've been doodling and scribbling 'orrible
monsters.
What's the worst nightmare you've ever had?
Or the best? I used to purposely eat a load of cheese and pickles before going
to sleep just to try to induce nightmares, and sometimes it worked. But I must
make it clear that I am in no way advocating the use of snack food, it can
lead to using stronger substances like crab, or even lobster. The most
Lovecraftian dream I've ever had was an incredibly vivid one that I still
remember clearly after fifteen years or so. I'm standing on the flat surface
at the top of one of many massive stone structures or columns which are rising
from the heaving sea far below. The stone is covered in thick slimy seaweed,
making it almost impossible to retain a firm footing. There is an amazing
feeling of vertigo looking way down at the sea. Just as I start wondering how
the hell I'm going to get off this thing I have a strong sense of dread and
looking down I see huge tentacles wrapping themselves up and around the
pillars. At this point I woke up, fairly terrified. It was just like being
there, wherever There was. It sounds fairly mundane as far as nightmares go,
but it really scared me. I've been wanting to do a painting of it for a long
time, some day I'll get around to it I hope.
What was your first paying art job?
That’s a wee while ago, but I think it was an advertisement for a bookseller
named G. Ken Chapman. He was one of the very few to import Arkham House stuff
to England back in the 70’s. I just did a little border design, sent it to
him, and he liked it and paid me what I asked for it. I was amazed. I believe
that ad was first printed in a Fantasy Con programme booklet, or maybe Fantasy
Tales. I don’t recall. It would have been around 79/80. The art was only a
hobby back then, and if I could get work that paid, so much the better. I had
a full-time job working in a novelty goods warehouse. I quit that in 1985 and
have been relying on professional art jobs, unemployment benefit, a job in the
Civil Service ( for about 4 months), producing t-shirts, whatever.
Novelty goods? So the old fake doggy doo gag wouldn’t go over too well with
you....
Not at all.
What kind of civil service job did you have?
That was a strange one, my job title was PaperKeeper. Though I didn’t get to
keep much paper. It was looking after a huge amount of files of Friendly
Societies. Very boring. The one thing I would have enjoyed, I missed out on.
That was going up to the Public Records Office. The head guy on our section
told me we were going the following week, and that I could look at the Jack
the Ripper postcards and letters, he had seen them on a previous visit. Well,
I got fired before we made the trip I’m afraid. Luck of the Irish.
So lessee, I’ve seen your art on Mythos cards, the old Dagon zines, some
Chaosium books...where else?
Well, I used to do a lot of stuff for Fantasy Tales, that was a semi-pro thing
that finally went pro and folded after a few issues. In fact, that has
happened to me a lot. I get commissioned by some mag or whatever that’s been
going for years, do a couple of pieces for it, and then it folds! It’s THE
CURSE.... Over the years I’ve had stuff in Fear, Imagine, Beyond, Kadath,
Dagon, Fantasy Tales. All folded. I’m the kiss of death I tell you!
Well I look forward to doing a lot of business with you for various ‘Thickets
projects. What are you currently working on?
Prozac. Sculptures, mainly. I haven’t done any B/W work for a while as I’ve
been monkeying around with computer graphics when I get the time. I’ve been
doing these sculpted things for years. They asked me to design the British
Fantasy Award. That was amusing. I carved this wax candle into a sort of
cloaked/tentacled thing and handed it over in the only box I could find—an
electric carving knife box. When the guys left the thing to have the mold
made, the company who were doing the mold were broken into overnight and one
of the things stolen was the original sculpture. I’d have loved to have seen
the look on those guys' faces when they opened that box! I had to do another
one in a big hurry. I was so broke at one point that my electricity was cut
off and I had to burn the sculpted wax original of the award (it still had a
wick running up inside) for light. Dark days indeed. Some people seem to think
it resembles a dildo, but there isn’t really much you can do with the basic
candle shape that wouldn’t look dildoish. I hope.
I am going to be taking commissions for sculptures. But no dildos.
How do you sell most of your art? Who is your greatest patron?
Collectors pick it up mainly. Brian Lumley usually has first option on
anything of his I’ve illustrated. Then there’s conventions. I had around 20
pieces of sculpture on display in the art show at the World Fantasy Convention
in ’97 and I sold about half of them there that weekend. That was the first
time I had put these things up for sale in a big way, and they went down
really well. My stuff seems to sell more in the USA than England for some
reason. Perhaps there’s a larger Lovecraft following in America, I don’t know.
What are your preferred methods/mediums?
It used to be the old pen & ink stipple technique, but I’m not so sure now.
You can do some amazing things with a graphics programme that would just take
forever any other way. I do still love B/W drawing though, I don’t think I’ll
ever give it up.
What was your worst art job?
The worst art I’ve ever produced was when I was working with Games Workshop on
White Dwarf magazine. I did a few Mythos things, but they kept giving me jobs
that just didn’t fit my style of illustration. Pirates, for example. They
wanted me to do Ninjas at one point too. That stuff really makes me cringe if
I ever come across it as I burrow through old mags. My heart was never really
in most of the jobs they gave me, so I was turning in this absolute crap and
nobody in the art department ever sent it back, complained or said anything
like, “Hey, Dave, these drawings you’ve sent in look like they’ve been done by
a retarded chimpanzee.”
What was your best art job?
Working on “Haunters” with Carl Ford.
Do you do anything besides sculpture, painting and drawing? How about
Cthulhu-themed modern dance? What are your other interests/hobbies?
I used to do an awful lot of drinking and falling down, but I’m a reformed
character now. Too busy carving shoggoths & collecting driftwood and bones on
the beach. I do love to see a good monster movie, or even a bad one, I don’t
care. I’m the guy who thinks Humanoids from the Deep is better than Citizen
Kane. I grew up on horror movies, and I suppose I’ll never grow out of them.
I’ll check out anything with a nasty monster in it...preferably with
tentacles.
Which beach?
You expect me to reveal the location of a prime driftwood & sea bone beach?
Madness! It is on the south coast, that’s all I’m saying.
What’s the most heinous act you’ve ever committed (that you’d be willing to
admit to)?
Creeping up behind a dog and shooting him in the balls with a pellet gun when
I was a kid. The dog had a huge pair of balls and was really asking for
trouble in our neighbourhood. It didn’t do him any permanent damage by the
way—just must have stung like hell, he took off like a shot.
If Nyarlathotep came up to you and said “I’ll grant you the opportunity to
change three specific moments in your life history—no strings attached” what
would they be?
I never talk to myself.
Dave Carson's recent psychiatric review went poorly, and he will be serving at
least one more term at the hospital. However, he'll be selling original
artwork, eldritch sculptures, prints and stuff through Dunwich Crafts & Art.
Take a glimpse into his disturbed mind by visiting his online catalog at
http://www.tigert.demon.co.uk or write to DUNWICH CRAFTS & ART. PO Box 2650,
Eastbourne, BN21 1US, England.