James Aquilone was raised on Saturday morning cartoons, comic books, sitcoms, and Cap’n Crunch. Amid the Cold War, he dreamed of being a jet fighter pilot but decided against the military life after realizing it would require him to wake up early. He had further illusions of being a stand-up comedian, until a traumatic experience on stage forced him to seek a college education. Brief stints as an alternative rock singer/guitarist and child model also proved unsuccessful. Today he battles a severe chess addiction while trying to write in the speculative fiction game.

​

James is the owner of Monstrous Books, the writer of the Dead Jack, Zombie Detective series, and the editor of the anthologies Classic Monsters Unleashed, Shakespeare Unleashed, and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary graphic novel.

 

He's won a Bram Stoker Award and two Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.

​

Suffice it to say, things are going much better than his modeling career.