Horror Q&A: Jude S. Walko (The Unhallowed Horseman)
The author talks about his contemporary reimagining based on the classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
NOTE: We revisited the author here (including a video where the author has a special message for you). Filmmaker Jude S. Walko’s novel The Unhallowed Horseman is a contemporary reimagining of the classic story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Walko offers a special video message for Monster Complex readers—plus reads an excerpt from his novel. In our interview, Walko explains what drove him to write The Unhallowed Horseman, how his background as a filmmaker impacts his fiction, and the personal spin he brought to the story. NEW POST IS HERE: Jude S. Walko reimagines the legend of the headless horseman: “I have always had a penchant for good horror.”
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About the book
In a town enamored with its Unhallowed Horseman legend, a distraught teenage boy must come to terms with his personal demons, and perhaps the Horseman himself.
Set on All Hallows’ Eve, psychological thriller The Unhallowed Horseman takes place against the backdrop of a seemingly peaceful, picturesque American small town with an iconic past. The story follows Vincent, a distraught and troubled high schooler, and his descent into the demons that plague his mind.
Some things about the town and its inhabitants aren't quite as they seem. Generations of families have been living there with a deep and dark secret, one on the verge of reincarnating itself once again.
With the help of his newfound love for classmate Lorraine, Vincent navigates the treacherous obstacles in his life. Whether it be the overbearing no-holds-barred sheriff, his tempestuous mother, or the holier-than-thou townsfolk, Vincent seems to be under constant bombardment from prying eyes. What's more, Lorraine's overprotective father, Deputy Constance, suspects Vincent of having committed some heinous crimes.
Only after uncovering the town's history does Vincent begin to unravel its complex mystery and that of the people living there, including his own ancestors. Can he solve the mystery in time to save the people he truly loves, or will he, like others before him, fall prey to an age-old curse passed down through the centuries. The town prepares for the return of a killer legend, while one young man prepares to take on his innermost demons.
Content Warning: Adult and derogatory language, gore, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), uncomfortable sexual situations (one is non- consensual assault), death, child abuse, mention of pedophilic tendencies, mention of suicide.
Jude S. Walko is an award winning Director, Writer, SAG actor and PGA Producer.
Q&A with Jude S. Walko
1. What made you decide to revisit specifically the classic tale of the headless horseman?
I have long been enamored with the Headless Horseman character. From back in the "Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" days from Disney, all the way up and through Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" the Horseman is the perfect anti-hero that has gripped the imagination of children and adults alike.
My iteration leans a bit to the diabolical side, as I have always had a penchant for good horror, and who better than a hellbent Hessian to exact revenge on All Hallows' Eve, against a small town, for the sins of their forefathers?
2. Did you have to do any research or go back to the original text?
Yes absolutely. I am a Washington Irving fan above all. I have read that particular story scores of times, as well as mostly all of Irving's other works. I'm a big fan of classic literature and especially American classic stories. Irving, too, compiled his story of many things he knew.
For example, Ichabod Crane was named after a famous NY Colonel, whereas the character itself was modeled after school teacher Jesse Merwin. My novel also is filled with loads of facts about the Dutch settlers, the Native Americans, and all things Hudson River Valley. Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk, who wrote the foreword to my novel, is also a noted historian and performer, whose writings also kept me heavily informed.
I was also lucky enough to visit Tarrytown twice, and own a grave plot there, which was posthumously renamed "Sleepy Hollow" in honor of Irving's classic otherworldly monster tale.
3. What personal “spin” did you bring to the story?
Well my version is very contemporary, in that it could take place even today. It also deals with some very modern problems.
In addition to the typical teenage angst a high schooler might feel, the main character, Vincent, deals with some very timely issues. For one, he's coping with a lack of proper mental health care, and is often a victim of misdiagnosis or pharmaceutical-laced brush offs.
On top of that, like the West Memphis three, he is, more times than not, judged by his appearance or hobbies as opposed to his character or actual merit. Throw in all that on a particularly chaotic Halloween, put him in the wrong place at the wrong time around some heinous crimes, and add a love interest with an overprotective father who's also a cop, and he's got his hands full!
4. In what ways did your background in screenwriting inform your novel prose?
The good thing about screenwriting is that it properly teaches you things like act structure, character development, subplots and story arcs. Something that discerning horror audiences have come to expect these days, even in their slasher films.
I one hundred percent believe that my nearly three decades both in front of, and behind, the camera have informed the choices I made in the novel. Acting alone has allowed me to create deep and interesting backstories for every character, and directing with a cinematic background has leant a very visceral feel to my writing style.
People always respond that they can clearly see my world-building. The cool part about a novel is that it gives you plenty of extra space to flesh things out that are often hard to do in a 90 minute film.
5. What do you most want readers to know about you or your book?
It's a labor of love. I'm a fan, an avid reader, and an audience member, just like you. As such I try my hardest not to disappoint. The hardest part of a writer's job, whether it be a screenplay or novel, is to keep the audience intrigued.
If there ever is a moment when they are checking their watch, then we as author's aren't doing our job properly. And just like you I'm a fan of the genre and want to keep the art of storytelling alive.
Hopefully in some small way I can pass that torch on, in this particular instance in the form of The Unhallowed Horseman of Sleepy Hollow!
Find the author online
THE UNHALLOWED HORSEMAN
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59316303-the- unhallowed-horseman
Twitter - https://twitter.com/HorsemanRides
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheUnhallowedHorseman
Website - http://www.theunhallowedhorseman.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22the+unhallowed+horseman%22&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
JUDE S. WALKO
Amazon Author Page - https://www.amazon.com/Jude-S-Walko/e/B09K6ZLSGF
IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908351/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/judeswalko
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JudeStephenWalko/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/judeswalko/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/HollywoodhoBRO
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/judeswalko/
BLUE FALCON PRODUCTIONS LLC
Website - http://bluefalconproductions.com
Press Release
Halloween 2021 saw the successful book launch of “The Unhallowed Horseman”, from Blue Falcon Co-Founder, Jude S. Walko who was the writer/director of 2018’s award-winning film “The Incantation”, starring Dean Cain.
In a town enamored with its Unhallowed Horseman legend, a distraught teenage boy must come to terms with his personal demons, and perhaps the Horseman himself.
Set on All Hallows’ Eve, psychological thriller The Unhallowed Horseman takes place against the backdrop of a seemingly peaceful, picturesque American small town with an iconic past. The story follows Vincent, a distraught and troubled high schooler, and his descent into the demons that plague his mind.
Some things about the town and its inhabitants aren’t quite as they seem. Generations of families have been living there with a deep and dark secret, one on the verge of reincarnating itself once again.
With the help of his newfound love for classmate Lorraine, Vincent navigates the treacherous obstacles in his life. Whether it be the overbearing no-holds-barred sheriff, his tempestuous mother, or the holier-than-thou townsfolk, Vincent seems to be under constant bombardment from prying eyes. What's more, Lorraine's overprotective father, Deputy Constance, suspects Vincent of having committed some heinous crimes.
Only after uncovering the town's history does Vincent begin to unravel its complex mystery and that of the people living there, including his own ancestors. Can he solve the mystery in time to save the people he truly loves, or will he, like others before him, fall prey to an age-old curse passed down through the centuries. The town prepares for the return of a killer legend, while one young man prepares to take on his innermost demons.
The Unhallowed Horseman is a contemporary reimagining based on characters in the American classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, the Father of American Literature.
“A worthy homage to Washington Irving and his story ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’” - Elizabeth A. White
“Presuming to speak for the man himself, I believe he would approve from the grave this dark, intriguing contemporary rendition of his beloved American classic!” - Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk
AUTHOR BIO
Jude S. Walko is a film producer (Producers Guild of America), director, screenwriter, and actor (Screen Actors Guild). Among notable works is his 2018 award-winning film The Incantation, which stars former Superman Dean Cain. Walko won the 2018 Eclipse award for Best Direction, among several other awards, for the film.
Jude has been a lifelong fan of classic literature and has a special love of all things Washington Irving. He even owns a grave plot at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York. Jude is passionate about Halloween, Tim Burton, stop motion animation and all things dark and mysterious.
He spends his time between Los Angeles and Thailand, where his family now resides, and has multiple film and writing projects in development.
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