Welcome to OTIS!

My  name is J.W. Ocker. OTIS is usually a chronicle of my visits to the unusual...oddities of nature, art, science, and culture. During September and October, it's the home of the OTIS Halloween Season. I also write books and party on my Facebook Page, Twitter, and Patreon. Reach out to me at ockerjw@gmail.com or to my agent here.


September 26, 2023. There’s only so much dirty laundry I can throw around while pretending to look for a clean sheet for my ghost costume...


September 25, 2023. Theere’s a heavy corollary to the idea that I might have lost Halloween in the war. It’s that I lost all my joys...It all got buried under the rubble when the castle fell...


September 24, 2023. I went to Salem today. That’s a simple statement, obviously, but what I mean by it in the context of my evolving relationship with Witch City has changed profoundly over the years...


September 22, 2023. The Halloween Season is my favorite time of year, but my past two Halloween seasons were—and I’ll use a word I’ve never used in print before—fucked...