WELCOME TO TRULY DISTURBING: A Thank You

All Murder, All Guts, All Fun

There are probably a million different ways to welcome you to a website, but this one feels a little more personal.

Welcome to Truly Disturbing.

Before you start wandering around, clicking on something creepy, reading about some poor bastard who met an unfortunate end, checking out a new horror movie or arguing with us about whether a classic actually holds up, I want you to know why this place exists in the first place.

Horror scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.

I never really understood why something that wasn’t real could make me feel so much. Why could something happening on a screen, created by actors, makeup artists, filmmakers, and a whole lot of imagination, actually frighten me? I was warned to stay away from that stuff. Growing up in a very religious household, everything was “evil”, you see. Horror was a no-go in our home. It was disturbing. It was dark. It wasn’t for everyone.

And then something strange happened.

I looked closer.

What I discovered wasn’t simply fear. I discovered a magical landscape filled with creativity, imagination, storytelling, music, art, monsters, practical effects, weird little corners of history and some of the most fascinating people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. That fear became curiosity. Curiosity became passion.

And eventually, that passion became a career of sorts in reporting on the very thing that once scared me.

Over the years, horror has introduced me to an incredible collection of people. Some became friends. Some became colleagues. Some became contributors. Some simply crossed my path for a few minutes at a convention, on a set, at a screening or somewhere in between. I’ve watched people discover what they’re capable of. I’ve watched writers find their voices, photographers discover their eye, artists find their audience, and creators become something far greater than they originally imagined.

And seeing people outshine whatever little guiding light I may have provided along the way brings me an enormous amount of joy.

Who the hell would have thought horror could bring people together?

Well, we all know it can.

That’s why you’re here.

And that’s why I want to give a massive thank you to the people behind Truly Disturbing. Our staff, contributors, photographers, writers, artists, designers and everyone who has stayed with me, believed in this mission and continued to contribute their time, talent and passion to TD.

You are the reason this thing exists, and without you, I’d just be some old man yelling at the clouds.

We also want to thank the studios, networks, filmmakers, theme parks, record labels, artists, creators and everyone else who has allowed us to report on the things we love for the fans who love them right alongside us. Without that access, trust and support, we wouldn’t be able to bring you the stories we do. We’ve been all over the country, and it couldn’t have been possible if you didn’t trust us or see our voices as important to the genre.

And then there is you.

Our readers come from all over the damn world, bringing with them different backgrounds, different experiences, different tastes, and different ideas about what makes something truly disturbing. Those voices inspire us every single day. The fact that you’re reading this, and hopefully wandering into the work created by our contributors, is honestly the greatest compliment we could ask for. We’re all just horror fans here.

Truly Disturbing may not be for everyone, and that’s OK. We’re not trying to chase millions of views with screaming thumbnails, heavily edited videos or some desperate attempt to convince you that you absolutely need to buy the newest horror thing before the world ends.

That’s not us.

We wanted to create something that feels more like a magazine, only online. A place where you can come for the news, stay for the stories, discover something you didn’t know existed and maybe fall down a few wonderfully strange rabbit holes along the way. We hope you dig it. Because we sure as hell dig it.

Get yourself a beer, a drink, a coffee, a soda or whatever the hell gets your ghost. Find yourself a nice little corner of Truly Disturbing and settle in. Read something weird. Watch something disturbing. Discover something new. Argue with us. Laugh with us. Maybe get a little scared. Most importantly, have some fun.

And if you happen to survive the experience, come back and visit us again.

Welcome to Truly Disturbing.

Thanks for being here.

Now go get to reading.

And as always…

Stay spooky.

Sam Santiago

Editor in Chief/ Co Owner