Paranormal Artist Profile: Samantha Wright

Samantha's ability to merge mythology with modernism is nothing short of marvelous.

Featured artist Samantha Wright has something of a paranormal pedigree, having grown up surrounded by the unusual.

"I grew up in a bit of an unusual household," Samantha told us.  "My dad used to write for popular British paranormal mag the Fortean Times, as well as Strange Magazine, and previously published multiple books on classic science fiction and 'Hammer' horror movies. The unknown was always treated with a bit of a wink and a shrug in the house, but it was a constant presence, nonetheless. In 2nd grade some of the shelves became locked to me after I discovered the material on Aleister Crowley."

Being surrounded by supernatural subjects naturally sparked Samantha's curiosity.

"Once you think you know all the things that are possible, you start wondering about the things that might be possible," she continued. 

Few fortean artists can hold a candle to Samantha's work.

Samantha said that she's only had one potentially paranormal experience herself, since her fear of ghosts and spirits leads to her avoiding them.

"I avoid haunted places like the plague, I'm too scared of ghosts to seek them out, but my parents used to make me go to a few when I was little," Samantha said.  "I heard some weird sounds in the Old Castillo Hotel in St. Martinville.  I recommend that place.  Good pie."

She does, however, have a favorite fortean subject, and it's certainly one in which we share her interest.

"In this house we favor the Flatwoods Monster, mostly because she's just relatively unloved for how weird she is.  My personal favorite is probably the Mothman, but I don't know how to break it to my dad," she confessed.

Samantha's love of comics is apparent in the work we've shared over the past month, and she credits Mike Mignola, of Hellboy fame, as one of her most significant influences; although she's used the work of Shaun Healey and Tessa Stone to help cement her style.

Already an accomplished graphic artist, Samantha also hopes to find success as a comic illustrator; something we are certain is in her future, based on the work we've seen.  So make sure to keep up with Samantha through the links listed on her page in our art portal, and we'll keep you up-to-date on any new developments in the career of this exciting young artist.