Disability Pride Month Interviews: Meet Nick Aucoin

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.

My name is Nick Aucoin (he/him). I’m a disabled/chronically ill horror author, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. I’ve had short stories featured in varied publications and co-founded an indie horror production company, The Murder Associates Productions, in 2024 with A Wheeler. I’ve worked on anthologies, literary magazines, short films, audio dramas & podcasts, a video game, and a web series. I’ve also worked with journalism and have done some advocacy work around disabilities.
I love the community. There’s so many creative people out there with important and entertaining stories to tell. I’ve been blessed to connect with many of those creatives through social media and shared projects. 

What drew you to the horror genre?

While I’ve enjoyed horror media for most of my life, I really got into the genre when my health worsened as a teenager. It felt cathartic to watch characters face awful situations and rise above. The horror genre provided an escape and a place to put my anxiety that wasn’t focused on myself. Horror writing then allowed me to process a lot of my own feelings on the page. It also has long been a genre that places focus on the “outsider”, which appealed to me on multiple levels.

If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that features either disabled creators or characters, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend?

I really love Take All of Us by Natalie Leif. It’s a YA zombie horror novel that follows a group of young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses who were left behind during a government evacuation. The story does a lot to illustrate what it can feel like to live with those conditions, how society treats disabled individuals, and it challenges some common narratives around disability. Plus there’s queer rep too!

What positive changes have you seen happening in the horror community regarding disabled creators and content and what are some areas the community can still improve?

People have become increasingly aware of the varied ways that the horror genre has at times historically (or more currently) demonized disabled people and those with health conditions through media portrayals, which has sparked some great discussions. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve also seen some more awareness around accessibility, including having an increase in virtual events and masking. We have a ways to go. The horror community, overall, is a fairly supportive and progressive one though. I look forward to seeing these conversations continue.

What do you find scary within the horror genre?

Home invasion horror and medical horror are two categories that tend to unsettle me the most. It’s that loss of control and security in what was supposed to be a safe space that hits hard with me.

Who are some disabled content creators in horror you think more people should discover?

Ariel Baska is the festival director for Access: Horror, which is a film festival that focuses on disability and horror. They’ve done some great work when it comes to advocacy and highlighting disabled horror creators in that industry.

What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre?

Don’t let people try to convince you to make yourself smaller. Accommodations are not wrong to ask for and it’s okay to take things at your own pace. Tell the stories you want to tell.

Where can folks find you these days?

I’m @aucoinhorror on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. Instagram is where I'm most active.

BIO:
Nick Aucoin is an author, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His love of the horror genre began with his father showing him Jaws at a young age (yes, he considers it to be a horror film). Horror has always appealed to him as a way of both exploring the nature of humanity and exploring the ‘other’ - something he especially could relate to as a disabled queer person. His writing has been featured in varied anthologies, zines, and literary magazines, along with having been a staff writer on three publications. As a script writer and filmmaker/producer, he's worked on a variety of short films, podcasts, a video game, an audio book, and created the Fangs & Flowers web series. He co-founded The Murder Associates Productions with A Wheeler in 2024.

Links: https://linktr.ee/aucoinhorror https://www.instagram.com/aucoinhorror/