The Charlatan

With 40 books published internationally and 19 movies in worldwide distribution, John Russo has been called "a Living Legend." He began by co-authoring the screenplay for the horror classic, Night of the Living Dead, and went on to build an iconic decades-long career.

His books on the art and craft of movie making have become bibles of independent production and have won a national award for Superior Nonfiction. Quentin Tarantino and many other noted filmmakers have stated that Russo's books have helped them launch their careers.

John Russo wants people to know he's "just a nice guy who likes to scare people" -- and he's done it with novels and films such as Return of the Living Dead, Midnight, The Majorettes, The Awakening, Heartstopper and My Uncle John is a Zombie! He's had a long, rewarding career and he shows no signs of slowing down. In 2024, Lionsgate acquired a Western written by him, The Night They Came Home, about the murder spree perpetrated by the Rufus Buck gang, who were all hanged in 1895.

Russo's popularity among genre fans remains at a high pitch. He appears at many movie conventions each year as a featured guest and hundreds of attendees come to his tables or to the bar to share drinks, jokes and serious conversation.