Nashville-based artist Mia Bergeron painted (for real! With oil paints!) the stunning art for the Macabre bottle and book cover, and she was kind enough to share a bit about her process and her appreciation for horror in general. Take it away, Mia!

What did you think of the story and its author Mike Flanagan?)
I enjoyed every bit of Mike's story, and the twisted ending had me rereading sentences multiple times just to take in the creepiness of it all! I already loved Mike's films and shows, so it was a huge treat to get an inside view of the "skeleton" of the story. 😉

What emotions/feelings do you hope to evoke in the viewer of your painting?
I'd love for the viewer to get really curious about the atmosphere of the scene, and maybe even walk away with more questions than answers. Why the rickety chair? Why the fish? What are the drops about? I found myself thinking a lot about odd details in Mike's story, so my hope was to follow his lead with this piece. 

From your perspective, what makes the image you created so haunting?
For me, the light is everything in a visual work. It’s the emotion of a piece. For the Macabre painting, I wanted to focus on the atmosphere, since Mike's story is so moody and dreamlike. I found myself editing out information– no person, no explanation for the creepy chair, just this slightly radioactive red atmosphere enveloping the scene, and hopefully the viewer. 

What types of horror scare you the most?
I love a wide gamut of horror from cheap jump scares to deeply twisted personal stories, but I am especially haunted by horror that uses seemingly wholesome human emotions – nostalgia, parental love, friendship, childhood innocence – as a vehicle to make you question if anything is safe.

What are your favorite horror movies/books?
I'm a huge fan of classics like The Shining, The Exorcist, Friday the 13th, The Ring, The Lost Boys, The Thing and even Poltergeist. Those never get old for me. I also love offbeat movies like The Wailing. As far as books go, classic Stephen King! I still can't walk by a storm drain.

Do you drink tequila? If so, how do you like it?
I'm not a huge drinker, but I recently had a mixture of tequila, a few citrus juices and a dash of mezcal, and really loved that combo.  

What was your reaction when Matthew Lillard reached out to you out of the blue?
I literally gasped in my kitchen reading his email on my phone, then told my husband and he gasped as well – we then both blurted out our favorite Matthew Lillard movies and scenes immediately, mine being Scream, his being SLC Punk. We jumped up and down and proceeded to freak out our dog. Needless to say, I was SUPER excited to work with such a kind and gifted artist. 😊

Anything else you want to add about this artwork or working on this release?
The entire Macabre team was a dream to work with. I mean, getting asked to “do my thing” is maybe one of the most respectful and fun ways to do a project. The team are all artists, so they understand that if you lean into what people do well, and don't micromanage an outcome, you end up with a powerful creative result. I can see that in all aspects of this beautiful product, you can tell when something is crafted with care, respect, and artistry. It was such an honor to be a part of this!