Jeff Burk
Encyclopedia
Jeff Burk is an American
author and editor of Bizarro
and Horror fiction
, currently living in Portland, Oregon
.
His writing is characterized by the use of humor mixed with extreme violence and gore. Wil Wheaton
describes him "like Lloyd Kaufman
and Sam Raimi's
mutant offspring."
. He attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
where he studied Political Science
, Sociology
, and History
. In 2008 he moved to Portland, Oregon where he became involved in the Bizarro fiction literary movement. He is a practicing Chaos magic
ian and a self-identified anarchist
.
battling the various fictional characters he has played over the years. The book was widely praised by a variety of media outlets including The Guardian
, Boing Boing
, Wizard Magazine, and The Portland Mercury
. The book has been held up as an example of how independent publishing and internet marketing can reach new audiences.
On March 1, 2010, his second book, Super Giant Monster Time!, was released.
He is the editor-in-chief of The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction, a quarterly print magazine dedicated to publishing "the very best of the Bizarro genre."
He is also the head editor of Deadite Press, Eraserhead Press' cult horror imprint.
Burk is an advocate for the liberalization of copyright laws and a supporter of file-sharing. He has offered his books and magazines for free download via his website and has leaked his work to various P2P outlets (most notably torrent sites). In response to making his work available for free he said:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and editor of Bizarro
Bizarro fiction
Bizarro fiction is a contemporary literary genre, which often utilizes elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive works that are as weird and entertaining as possible. The term was adopted in 2005 by the...
and Horror fiction
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, currently living in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
His writing is characterized by the use of humor mixed with extreme violence and gore. Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
describes him "like Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and occasional actor. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet. Kaufman also serves as...
and Sam Raimi's
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
mutant offspring."
Background
Jeff Burk was born in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. He attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
where he studied Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. In 2008 he moved to Portland, Oregon where he became involved in the Bizarro fiction literary movement. He is a practicing Chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
ian and a self-identified anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
.
Writing and Publishing
Burk is best known for his short novel Shatnerquake which is about the actor William ShatnerWilliam Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
battling the various fictional characters he has played over the years. The book was widely praised by a variety of media outlets including The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
, Wizard Magazine, and The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon. It serves to chronicle the ever-changing Portland music scene, and generally includes interviews, commentaries, reviews, and concert dates...
. The book has been held up as an example of how independent publishing and internet marketing can reach new audiences.
On March 1, 2010, his second book, Super Giant Monster Time!, was released.
He is the editor-in-chief of The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction, a quarterly print magazine dedicated to publishing "the very best of the Bizarro genre."
He is also the head editor of Deadite Press, Eraserhead Press' cult horror imprint.
Political and Social Activism
While attending the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Burk became heavily involved in political activism. His actions were focused on the issues of anti-war, feminism, GLBT rights, worker's rights, and drug law reform. He has been quoted in a numbered of national news sources regarding his political work, including the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Fort Collins Now, and others.Burk is an advocate for the liberalization of copyright laws and a supporter of file-sharing. He has offered his books and magazines for free download via his website and has leaked his work to various P2P outlets (most notably torrent sites). In response to making his work available for free he said:
The internet has allowed us all so many opportunities to share with each other. To resist this is to resist the future. Others may attempt to block this forward progression with lawsuits and file protection. I, instead, want to do what I can to contribute to this wonderful digital community.
Interviews
- Radio interview with The Metal Crypt
- Interview with RevolutionSF
- Interview with the Gauntlet
- Interview on 2-Minute Drill
- Interview on The Authors Speak