Biography
Richard Chizmar is the founder, publisher, editor, and owner of the magazine Cemetery Dance and Cemetery Dance Publications, a company specializing in horror fiction. He stands as one of the most successful editors in the horror genre today.
Located in Forest Hills, Maryland, Cemetery Dance Publications was established in 1988 by Richard, who began working on Cemetery Dance magazine while still in college. A lifelong horror fiction enthusiast, he was especially inspired by Stephen King's 1980 short story, "The Monkey."
In 1992, Cemetery Dance started publishing high-quality novels and novellas, often in signed, limited, or lettered editions, frequently leather-bound and accompanied by artwork from artists like Alan M. Clark and Bernie Wrightson. Notable releases include a remarkable edition of Stephen King's novel From a Buick 8. Cemetery Dance also publishes the comic book Grave Tales, paying tribute to 1950s EC Comics by William M. Gaines, such as Tales from the Crypt (TV series 1989–1996).
Richard is also an accomplished writer, having published numerous short stories including Dark Whispers, Homesick, Heroes, and Only the Strong Survive (the latter co-written with Barry Hoffman). His fiction is collected in Midnight Whispers (1996) and appears in various anthologies such as Predators (1993), Night Screams (1995), Werewolves (1995), 100 Tiny Tales of Terror (1996), and 100 Twisted Little Tales of Torment (1998). He has contributed to publications like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
His accolades include the Horror Writers Association Board of Trustees Award, two World Fantasy Awards (one awarded for his collection Midnight Promises in 1997), and four International Horror Guild Awards.
Over time, Richard has successfully expanded into the film industry. He began with Heroes (2002), co-written with Jonathon Schaech, who also starred alongside Djimon Hounsou. This was followed by Road House 2: Last Call (2006), co-written by and starring Schaech and Jake Busey. In 2007, he wrote the teleplay for the Masters of Horror segment "The Washingtonians," based on a Bentley Little short story; the episode starred Jonathon Schaech and was directed by Peter Medak. The series was created by Mick Garris.
In 2008, he collaborated again with Schaech on the teleplay for The Poker Club, based on the thriller by Ed Gorman, with Schaech starring. Ed Gorman has contributed numerous stories to and written regular articles for Cemetery Dance magazine.
Richard Chizmar co-founded Chesapeake Films with Jonathon Schaech. Their projects include Road House 2: Last Call (2006) and Ed Gorman's The Poker Club (2008).
