An Interview with Jerad Walters, the Publisher Responsible for One of the Most Desirable Stephen King Limited Editions, ‘Salem’s Lot

It was a pleasure to have interviewed Jerad Walters, publisher of Centipede Press. We talked about Jerad’s press, and his work on the limited edition of Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot.

Jerad Walters has been running Centipede Press since 2001. The press specializes in horror, crime, science fiction, art books, and books on horror films.

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PS: So how did you get your start in publishing, and tell us about the origins of Centipede Press, and what year you started it.

JW: Well, I was publishing small comic strips and little posters of cartoon characters from 4th grade, and then a small newsletter in 6th grade. Finally I started News from the Crypt in 1985 when I was in 10th grade. It ran for 17 issues or so and had around 30 subscribers. Then I did Tiamat, five issues, in the early 1990s. Centipede Press was originally Cocytus Press and was started in 2001. The name changed to Centipede in 2004.

PS: Why did you call it Centipede Press?

JW: There were two things. One was back when I was around 10. I was digging in the field close to our house and I uncovered a large rock and this huge (at least huge to a 10 year old) gray centipede slinked off into the ground after just a second in sunlight. Then there was Mr Centipede in James and the Giant Peach. It seemed to fit and didn’t have the “horror” connotation that a lot of other small press names seem to have.

PS: What were some of the challenges you experienced in the early days?

JW: Getting books sold, making money, figuring out logistics and schedules and things like that.

PS: How did the ‘Salem’s Lot limited edition come about?

JW: My wife had that idea. She was always hearing me rant on about the 1979 TV movie and the book and she sensibly suggested that I send the Stephen King people one of my books and tell them what I wanted to do.

PS: How did you go about the design process for the book. I’m assuming the concept and materials used was all your idea?

JW: Yeah, that was my idea. With more experience, I would change a lot of things, but overall there are not many regrets.

PS: Did King have any input in the design? Did you deal with him directly at any point?

JW: No and no. My contact with him was always through his assistant or his business manager at the time.

PS: You published Knowing Darkness, a highly ambitious and beautiful edition of the artwork that was inspired by Stephen King novels and stories. Can you tell us a little more about your experience working on that.

On the Artists Inspired by Stephen King book, what I mostly remember is just the sheer amount of work involved. The early chapters with the old paperbacks and movie-tie ins and artwork of the old books, those were the most fun to put together because it was all reminding me of my childhood and growing up.

I suspect a lot of people felt that way about those chapters. I also went and visited a collector with a major collection of Stephen King related artwork and of course every edition you could imagine. It was so much fun looking through the collection and scanning in so many original works. I hate to keep using the word “fun,” but tracking down artists from so long ago — like the guy that did the painting for the hardcover of The Stand, and also the artist who did the painting for Firestarter — was like some amateur detective work. I think the hunt for the source material was the most enjoyable part of the process!

PS: Is Centipede Press a ‘one-man-show’ or do you have people who help out with the day-to-day operations?

JW: I have a neighbor kid who helps me pack books a few days a week, but otherwise it’s just me.

PS: How do you decide what you are going to publish?

JW: I think of about 50% of the ideas, and other customers and editors come up with the other 50%.

PS: Who are some of your favorite artists you have worked with over the years?

JW: David Ho, Michelle Lopes, Tom Kidd, Matt Mahurin, Jacob McMurray, Grant Griffin, Piotr Jablonski, are a few that come to mind right away.

PS: Of all the books you have published, do you have a favorite?

JW: No, but I have some that I detest less than others! It’s ironic, but I got into this to make the kinds of books that I’d like to own. Instead what has happened is that by the time a book is completed, it has been worked on for years sometimes, and I am so sick of it, I never want to look at it again! That being said, while I am working on a project, I really love that project. Multiple projects are going on at the same time, so there’s few opportunities to get bored with a project while I am working on it.

For books that I like, there are a few right off the top of my head and they are the Studies in the Horror Film books on The Shining and Salem’s Lot. The one on Salem’s Lot especially was a deeply personal project, something I’d been dreaming about for decades, and I put a lot of my heart into it. Even though it is a small paperback, I hope the effort shows. The other one is probably the Rolling Stones photographs book. Beggars Banquet has a special meaning for me, and doing that book was another dream project.

PS: Any funny or interesting stories you can share that sticks out in your mind when you look back over the years of being a publisher?

JW: Nothing really. Some days it is just a job. Other days, probably most days, I feel so fortunate to be doing what I am doing. I love the fact that my customers appreciate the work. This is, with just a few exceptions, about the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. And it certainly could not have happened without King giving me the okay to do Salem’s Lot. That gave me the seed money to start working on the rights to other books. That book made some money but nearly all of it was sunk right back into the company.

Photograph © Jerry Uelsmann