Steve Niles is a self-proclaimed horror addict. Then again, judging by his books 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, and Freaks of the Heartland, it’s not that difficult to spot.

Taking time out of his Halloween festivities to write about his horror heroes, Niles credits I Am Legend author Richard Matheson as well as directors George A. Romero and John Carpenter among his leading inspirations.

“John Carpenter hardly has to be introduced, let alone explained, but for those of you out there who are unaware of his work go out right now and rent or buy the original Halloween and (John Carpenter’s) The Thing and see how horror is done. These two movies made on very different budgets hit every beat of what makes great horror.”

Wait a second—does that mean I ought to skip over David Slade’s $30 million adaptation of 30 Days of Night when I’m perusing Netflix?

Best of all, Niles lets us in on the most notable secret of all: how to become a sought-after comic book creator in Hollywood.

“So if you’re a monster kid sitting out there, feeling alone with your horror movies, monster mags, video games and comics, remember that I was one of you. I was a kid, growing up in Virginia, not a lot of friends, and obsessed with all of the men mentioned above. You can be here, too. The key is never, ever giving up.”

That’s it? Looks like I’m moving to Virginia and leaving some friends behind.