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Meet : The Mind Behind the Madness

Every story has a texture. Every world has a design. For me, TL Hutton, crafting a tale is never just about arranging words on a page—it's about building a universe. As a Mexican Cherokee artist, graphic designer, and seasoned author of dark fiction, I don't just write stories—I design them.

With over thirty-five years in the dark, horror, and speculative fiction trenches, I approach narrative with a designer's eye. I see pacing in the same way a visual artist uses negative space. I sculpt character arcs with the precision of an architect drafting a blueprint. For me, a story must look right, feel right, and have a structure that is both beautiful and terrifyingly sound.

This unique philosophy—that visual art and literary craft are two sides of the same obsidian coin—is the bedrock of Obsidian Skull Press. It’s a press built not just on a love for horror, but on a deep, foundational understanding of what makes a story resonate, haunt, and stick with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

TL Hutton enjoying a cerveza at the Doghouse Pub—Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico 2025

A Story Forged in Fire and Culture

“I am no great artist. I am no Alighieri, no Milton, no Cervantes, no Dickens, Payno, King, nor Moreno-Garcia. I have always felt compelled to write. It is the gift bequeathed to me by the Viejos Dioses. So, I have always written."

- TL Hutton

TL Hutton strolling the streets of his beloved Roma Norte— Mexico City, Mexico 2025 | Hot Nuts Picamoy from Barcel Street Art Mural by Mexico City Urban Graffitti/Street Artist Trasher

Born under the Cherokee sign of the Wolf on March 4, 1978, and adopted on the eve of my Mexicano ancestors' Dia de los Muertos, my life is a narrative in itself. My story winds from the sun-scorched deserts of my birthplace, Phoenix, Arizona, to the ancient, rolling hills of the Ozark Plateau—lands once walked by my Indigenous forebears—and finally to the vibrant, humming heart of Roma Norte in Mexico City in search of part of my biological family.

My path hasn't been a straight line—my earlier years were a chaotic blur of a Gonzo-esque sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll lifestyle running from personal demonios. After a damn-near 20-year pilgrimage away from the page, navigating the world as a retired landscape architect and broken, carrying the weight of a failed marriage and my sins, I felt the undeniable pull of my first loves: the Arts and storytelling. I returned to university not just to relearn my craft, but to master it. With a BA in Graphic Design and Media Arts, and completing a BA in Creative Writing—with plans for an MA in English and Creative Writing—I am on a mission to reclaim a lost passion and merge my artistic worlds into something entirely new.

This journey of rediscovery fuels my writing. I am the architect of the Darkness Writhing Mythos and the A Man Who Followed Hell series (both of which will be re-released in the future following extensive remaking), and the mind behind over seventy short stories, many of which you’ll find here for the very first time. My work delves into the soul-searching darkness of those caught between cultures, battling against the crushing weight of social norms, political guile, and the eternal search for identity, faith, and purpose.

A Mission with Purpose

“Writing has always been my means to live in relative harmony with mis demonios. Obsidian Skull Press is no different—like the ruler of the Mexica Triple Alliance, who placed his living bestiary of animal and human monstrosities on public display for all to see, Obsidian Skull Press was given nascence to share mis demonios with you, Dear Reader. It is the Menagerie to my Montezuma II."

- TL Hutton

TL Hutton along the Avenue of the Dead, the Temple of the Sun in the background, at Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods—Mexico 2023

A story is only as strong as the voices that tell it. I am a fierce advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, not just as a buzzword, but as a core principle. I founded Obsidian Skull Press to be a sanctuary for the compelling, the challenging, and the unheard. Under my guidance, the press serves as a home for narratives that tackle the issues others shy away from, sparking conversations that provoke thought and inspire change.

TL Hutton having a spiritual experience along the Avenue of the Dead at Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods—Mexico 2023

The Man Behind the Skull

“As a niño I had a vision. A vision that, over time, evolved into a dream. And that dream is to build an inclusive presence within the Arts and Literary communities, where all can share, hear, and celebrate those unsung voices who, like the Old Gods, breathe into them life.”

- TL Hutton

TL Hutton at the Palacio de Bellas Artes— Alameda Central Park, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico 2024

TL Hutton showing the truth and calling out USA Xenophobia towards Mexico and all cultures—Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico 2023

💀 Defending the Realm: Standing firmly and unapologetically fighting for the rights and equality of Latinx, Indigenous, and all marginalized communities.

💀 Chasing Cervezas & Tacos: Enjoying tacos callejeros and a cold cerveza at a local cantina, or hunting for the perfect Latin American coffee deco.

💀 Embracing Culture: Wandering the vibrant streets of my beloved second home, Mexico City, or spontaneously hopping a plane to some new destination.

💀 Geeking Out: Getting my nerd on in MMOs and MMORPGs. Find me conquering (I employ this verb loosely—I am usually the one being conquered!) digital worlds on Steam as @AztecNerd.

💀 World-Building and Character Creating in Pixels: Designing vast, intricate landscapes in Unreal Engine and Character Concepts in Daz Studio.

💀 A Pack Leader: Spoiling my Gummy Bear-addicted canine companion, Maya.

💀 Pondering the Great Mysteries: I firmly believe in aliens (and often wonder why they seem only to abduct drunken Hill Folk). I harbor an unhealthy obsession with Sasquatch, and I am genuinely curious if they like Jack Link's beef jerky. I want a Terminator and an Alien (the Ridley Scott Alien). And yes, owning a zombie for a pet and a wallet made of chupacabra leather are both very high on my bucket list.

I am a creator, a nerd, a scholar, an advocate, and a storyteller who believes that a well-designed world can change everything. I invite you to join me on this journey into the beautifully dark, the artistically profound, the humorously twisted, and the authentically human.

When I'm not wrestling with scholarly articles, conjuring new nightmares, or obsessing over vector graphics in the Adobe Creative Cloud, I am a man of diverse and delightful obsessions. You might find me:

TL Hutton supporting the LGBTQIA+ community at Cafe Tito—Zona Rosa, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 2025

TL Hutton at the Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlan, located at the Zocalo—Centro Historico, Mexico City, Mexico 2024

GENERAL INQUIRIES

info@obsidianskullpress.com

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submissions@obsidianskullpress.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | FOUNDER

tlhutton@obsidianskullpress.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

devon.k@obsidianskullpress.com

ARC GROUP

cabal@obsidianskullpress.com

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