Welcoming a hilarious group of guests, Brent Abell, Kevin J. Anderson, R.E. Carr, Matt Dinniman, and Marshall J. Moore, moderator DM Guay helped the “Grave Humor: Comedy in Horror Literature” panel deliver on its promise to entertain Friday at 1PM in Peachtree 1-2 (Westin). Guay, a first-time Dragon Congoer, kicked off his first panel in the convention with a content for the best horror scream. 

Matt Dinniman, author of the explosively popular Dungeon Crawler Carl book series, spoke on one facet of balance between horror and comedy: “Self awareness, as an author, is super important for humor. Two or three jokes that don’t land spoils the whole book.”

From discussions of vampires who collect teacups to Sasquatches ending foot chases by acting as impromptu hidden walls, the panel covered a wide range of material. The chemistry between authors and fans was electric. Laughter echoed from the surprisingly small room as the guests cracked jokes and discussed their craft. 

Marshall J. Moore discussed his day job—instructing martial arts. R.E. Carr discussed how writing is cathartic and does more than therapy for her past trauma. 

Kevin J. Anderson commented that monsters are an excellent way to hide potentially politically diverse material that may otherwise offend people. A discussion on whether pineapple belonged on pizza followed, underlining the absurdity of comedic horror. R.E. Carr summed it up succinctly: “Horror and comedy both depend on surprise.”

One thing wasn’t a surprise—how funny these authors are. Though, when asked, they universally said they don’t find themselves funny. The howls of laughter throughout were in stark disagreement.