Author Chandler Baker and Teen Wolf‘s Tony DiSanto team up to discuss their collaborative literary venture Teen Frankenstein, the first in a new YA horror series.
About ‘Teen Frankenstein’
The end excuses any evil.
Tor Frankenstein, Paris High’s resident scientific genius, never expected that her long-awaited “eureka!” moment would end with her becoming a murderer, but texting while driving through a thunderstorm at midnight is a pretty solid equation for disaster. Looking down at the dead teenage boy — the one she just accidentally killed with her car — there’s only room for one thought in her head: I have to fix this.
Fortunately, Tor’s latest science experiment is the perfect solution. Reanimating the dead was meant to be her one-way ticket out of Paris, Texas and into Harvard and scientific glory, but now it’s going to be a life-saver (literally) for both her and this unknown boy. Her high school science project is going to save this boy’s life — or at least give him a second one.
Chandler Baker and Tony DiSanto on High School Horror
Chandler Baker: It’s hard to believe, but you and I have been working on Teen Frankenstein and the High School Horror series for over 3 years together now. What about the classic tale of Frankenstein made you think that it was ripe for a revamping?
Tony DiSanto: Well, besides the fact that I am a big fan of the genre, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the first stories I remember being told and read to by my parents as a kid. And that led to an obsession with [Boris Karloff’s] Frankenstein films. That iconic portrayal is probably what most people think of, especially kids, when they think of Frankenstein.
But then I remember seeing the 1973 Michael Sarazin TV movie adaptation Frankenstein: The True Story, and while certainly not a straight adaptation of the novel, it was a huge departure from the Frankenstein “monster movie” I grew up on, and inspired me to get reacquainted with the novel. Being older, I began to discover and understand the depth of the story… the themes of creation, life, death, abandonment, the search for meaning. There are so many timeless, fantastic themes in the original story that are universally relatable on a primal level.
There have been many adaptations of the story, and so our intent [for Teen Frankenstein] was not to just do another that happened to be updated for today’s audience. Instead, the idea was to tap into the core DNA of the rich source material, and have it be a springboard for a whole new story centered around teenagers in high school — be an homage to the classic story, but create something new and different. When we approached you about the idea, you cracked the code of how to make it work and you built an incredible storyline that subverts expectations, has great, unique characters and relationships… beautifully mixing heart and emotion with shocks and scares.
And on top of that, you created a universe that will continue to rival itself to readers in upcoming books.
CB: This project has been a bit different for you because rather than start with a TV show or a movie, you’ve started your involvement with the project from its inception on the pages of a book. What made you want to be involved at the book stage, pre-publication, and how has working on it been different than the way that you work normally?
TD: I have always seen what I do as telling stories and I’m always looking to work in new mediums and to tell stories in different ways. I like to bust genres or do the unexpected — like turning Teen Wolf into something dark, serious, and scary, or doing short form stories for digital.
When I first pitched out the idea of Teen Frankenstein as a series, we all discussed it and thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we first make it a book so then we end up adapting our own property, keeping it all in the family, so to speak. It was really exciting to step into this world that I had no experience with, and a process that truly is very different from anything I have worked on before. But I was fortunate to get to work with an amazing writer in you and be guided by great people from our agent, to lawyers, to of course the publishers.
And quite honestly, once the story was out of the gate, I spent a lot of time learning and listening so I could get a better sense of what works in the YA book market. It was a fascinating and enlightening experience.
CB: One of my favorite things about working with you is that you’re an encyclopedia of horror references. Who or what are some of your favorite horror influences?
TD: I actually love all film… but I think what interests me about the horror genre is that it allows a creator to pave their own way, break all the rules, really “go for it” creatively and let imagination run wild since it doesn’t necessarily need to be bound by reality or the natural world. I think that is also why so many great directors worked in the genre – from Robert Wise, to Stanley Kubrick, Brian DePalma, John Carpenter… it is an exhilarating genre to work in.
Related: Chandler Baker spills on scary medicine in pop culture
Also, I love that it causes an emotional or physical response. Comedy and horror are similar in that when done well you can feel, see and hear the impact that the film is having on an audience. Or what you feel when you read a scary book at night alone. I have a wide range of influences in horror film and literature. Off the top of my head I love the works of Richard Matheson, the early Dario Argento and George Romero Films, John Carpenter, Mario Bava… also it is exciting to see new “regional” works in the genre. Some incredibly disturbing and groundbreaking French horror films, Asian Horror, genre busting stuff like Cabin in the Woods… I could go on for hours!
CB: In addition to the High School Horror books, you’re an executive producer on MTV’s Teen Wolf and Scream. What is it about horror that you think appeals to teens?
TD: I think teens are under a lot of daily stress — school, life, the future, their peers — plus so much life changes physically and emotionally in a short span of time. Horror is a release, sometimes a metaphor for what they are going through put to an extreme. It is also probably therapeutic to see extreme versions of their own fears. But ultimately it is probably the release… and the communal fun of being frightened, then knowing everything is really okay when the lights come up.
CB: To that end, what scares you personally?
TD: What scares me personally? That’s a tough question. But I think ultimately it is about the fear of losses… nothing scares me more than the thought of losing those that I love. So I try and cherish every moment with them that I can.
CB: Can you tell us anything about other projects that your production company DiGa has in the works?
TD: It is a really exciting time for DiGa. We set out to be a company that is truly, creatively diverse, and I feel like we are beginning to hit on all cylinders with content ranging from scripted series, to reality, feature films, game, and more. Teen Wolf continues to hit with audiences, and we are gearing up for season two of Scream.
We are very excited about our slate… But probably the most exciting thing coming this year for me personally is the launch of High School Horror: Book 1, Teen Frankenstein. I look forward to a continued collaboration with you on more books, then on movies and TV! You’re the best and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with you!
About Chandler Baker
An experienced ghostwriter, Chandler Baker is now the author of the recent YA hour novel Alive. Chandler grew up in Florida, studied law, now lives in Austin, and has much less tolerance for the terrifying than she lets on. Find out more about Chandler and her upcoming projects at her website, and follow her on Twitter at @ChandlerBakerYA.
About Tony DiSanto
During his tenure as President of Programming at MTV, Tony DiSanto ushered in the network’s new era of scripted television. Tony serves as an executive producer on series like Teen Wolf and Scream, and now runs his production company DiGa.
High School Horror: Teen Frankenstein is now available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookstore.
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