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Even if you've never heard of Chuck Tingle, you've heard of Chuck Tingle. 

The author is famous for his deliciously surreal erotica that has become the fodder for many a meme since he began writing. Examples of his works (or "Tinglers") include titles like My Macaroni and Cheese is a Lesbian: Also She is My Lawyer, I'm Gay for My Living Billionaire Jet Plane, and my personal favorite, Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, and Both of Them Pound Me Bisexually for Valentine's Day. Besides these stellar works with immaculately photoshopped covers, Tingle is also an accomplished queer horror author, with books such as Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays under his bedazzled belt. 

Appearing at Seattle's Emerald Comic Con 2025, face covered in his standard pink burlap sack and white sunglasses, Tingle took part in the Books to Keep You Up at Night horror literature panel, presented by Tor Nightfire. During the discussion, a fan asked whether there were any ares of the genre that shouldn't be tackled by horror authors. "Is there a line that you can't cross," they posed. 

"Personally, no," answered Tingle, to a couple of chuckles in the crowd. But Tingle was far from joking, as he elaborated. 

"I think," said the author, "That this question is often framed in [terms of] what can you not joke about, what can you not say. I tend to think, because art is a conversation with the world, it doesn't exist in a vacuum. You can say whatever you want."

Before you respond with your own thoughts on the question, Tingle included an important caveat.

"But," Tingle says, "Other people can decide to not read your books. They can say, 'Don't come to my convention.' We try to compartmentalize and make it this thing where artists don't have to have responsibility. No one is saying you can't make your art, but also, everyone can say, 'We don't like it when you make that art. Or talk about that thing.'" 

"The really exciting thing [where] there's something that makes folks uncomfortable," the Lucky Day author continues, "Is an artist who can find a way to talk about that thing, who creates something positive and approaches it in an interesting, new, way and changes minds."

Tingle left his audience with the best kind of advice - that is, one that serves the purpose of both a warning and an encouragement.

"It's not that you can't do it," Tingle concluded, "It's just you have to deal with the consequences if you do."

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we've cobbled together a couple pieces to send a chill up your spine. Join Popverse as we explore:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.