Questions for Mr. Ethan Renoe from Chaklunsky Visti

How did it all begin? What was the first image, word, or sound from which Crumb Hill was born?It began with me just experimenting around with Midjourney, and I quickly came up with the idea for a fictional town where all the scenes take place—Crumb Hill.And tell us — is Crumb Hill a real town in the United States, or your own invention?It is a real town in rural New York, though I’ve never been there, and didn’t know about it until after I started the account. So it was initially from my imagination, but happened to be a real place too!I live in Odesa, and Putin is trying to kill us all. Sometimes, one really does want to move somewhere — even into an imaginary town. Do you think Crumb Hill would suit me as a place to live?We welcome everyone, but once you come, you can’t leave!How would you describe Crumb Hill in a tourist guidebook? What sort of town is it — in mood, inhabitants, strangeness?It’s very damp, but the people and most of the beasts are good. To learn more about the inhabitants, grab the new book, a guide to all of them!And how many are employed in the manufacturing of skloz’kozhvaly sepulka-beasts?I’m not sure what this means….Who has inspired you? Perhaps David Lynch? Howard Lovecraft? A radio show like Welcome to Night Vale?
To me, Crumb Hill feels like the graphic novel Arrival by Shaun Tan — and like one of my own nightmares, in which the same town reappears again and again.I was mainly inspired by your nightmare. I haven’t read/heard/seen any of the others. Which AI tools do you use? Midjourney? ChatGPT? DALL·E? Runway?Midjourney and KlingWhat matters more to you — full control or the unpredictability AI brings? This question was crafted by AI itself — it was very eager, hence the awkward phrasing.I’d say 70% control, 30% randomness.Crumb Hill looks like you took old photographs from the 1930s and filled them with monsters. Why this particular aesthetic? Was it a conscious choice?I think there’s something especially spooky about vintage, old things. An old house will always look scarier than a brand new house. Probably because it houses more ghosts. New things haven’t had time to gather enough ghosts yet. That’s probably why horror films are just now starting to have 80’s feels: that era is now old enough to acquire ghosts. (c.f. It Follows, Stranger Things, etc.)Do you create both the texts and the visuals yourself?I write all the book text with zero AI. I make all the visuals with the aid of AI. But no other humans are involved. Though many gracious people have sent me their music to use in the videos!Lovecraft often wrote: “horrific, blasphemous, indescribable beings…” I’d say Crumb Hill is what he never dared to put into words. Did it excite you too — the whole thing where you had to imagine all those creatures in Lovecraft’s stead?Yes, it’s always exciting to come up with new images, videos and stories!Do you want your creations to become a household name — like the Cronenbergs from Rick and Morty? So that people would say: “Oh God, I dreamed of some chukhni from Crumb Hill last night.”Yes, that would be amazing!How do your books sell? Do people buy them? Have you ever held a signing in a bookstore? Who are your readers?They sell on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and most places online you can buy books! Lately they’ve been selling well, as more and more people discover Crumb Hill, and I’m so grateful! Seems like my readers are basically anyone interested in spooky stuff; the biggest fans also get the humor of the project too and comment funny things, because they GET the idea!What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?This one. Jk, probably all the people who think Crumb Hill is demonic or satanic, despite there being no gore, no violence, no spiritual or demonic things, no nudity, no rituals, and I have three degrees in Christian theology.Your books will likely reach Ukraine in about ten years. But their eerie reputation has already preceded them. How would you advertise them to a Ukrainian reader?I am not familiar enough with Ukrainian culture to say for sure! Maybe something about the foggy, old-school aesthetic being similar to some images I’ve seen from Ukraine?What truly annoys you about AI?Sometimes it just doesn’t get what I’m trying to get it to make, no matter how precise I am in my descriptions.Are you familiar with Ukrainian artist Borys Grokh?
His most famous piece is “Russian warship, go f… yourself.” But he also paints strange creatures — wild, predatory — that simply wander through city blocks, staring silently, not attacking anyone. It feels as though the two of you dreamed the same nightmare.
Which artists or writers feel like kin to you — like you’re dreaming in the same world?I don’t know him! I really don’t know, to be honest. I try to make it as original as possible!Is AI a threat to artists, musicians, designers? Or is it a useful tool in the hands of those who already build new worlds?I think it’s comparable to what cameras did to painters: did they eradicate the need for painters? Or did they simply create a new form of art and visual design?Writer Daniil Andreev once said that after death, a creator enters the world they imagined.
How does that idea strike you? Would you want to remain in Crumb Hill forever?That would be interesting! I would hope to have more color.

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