Eerie Von is one of the most prominent members of the 1980’s punk movement. As friend and photographer to The Misfits, he established himself as a key part of the scene early on. But it was as the bassist for Samhain and Danzig that brought Eerie Von to a new level of fame.

Misery Obscura: The Photography of Eerie Von (1981-2006) is a necessary collection of photographs and stories from Eerie Von that chronicle the rise of punk and metal music. From their parent’s basement to international arenas and recording with Rick Ruben, Eerie Von was there to capture the legendary moments.

With the release of the book, Eerie announced that he would make a special appearance at Generation Records in New York with fellow musicians from Minor Threat and Killswitch Engage.

Recently, Eerie took time out of his schedule to answer some questions for Dark Horse, some of which originally appeared on TIME’s Techland blog.

How long have you been taking photographs, and what made you want to become a photographer?

Started taking and developing photos at 13, around 1976-77.

Many of the earlier photographs in the book are in black and white, while later photos are in color. Do you have a preference when shooting?

I prefer Black and White, plus I could develop the negs and print at home. Later on color just became easier, to shoot, cause I no longer had my own Darkroom set up.



In your introduction, you say that this book can be an account for people who weren't there, but wished they were. How important was the scene at that time, and what impact do you think it has had on music and culture today?

I get emails everyday, from young bands who wear Devilocks, and carry on the Horror Business. At the time of the Misfits, and Samhain, there was a loyal core group of fans, but nothing like the impact you see now.

Something that struck me in the book was that concerts were the backbone of any band hoping to be successful then. Do you feel that’s still true today with all the different ways bands can get their material to people?

A band has to stay on the road, to sell CDs, downloads and merch. A lot of bands survive thru selling T-shirts. Now of course the interment can reach many more people then we ever could, just by doing some small tours, so you can get a million hits on your page before you even go on the road.



What do you think of music culture today?

There's always gonna be scenes. Local scenes, ones of particular genres, like Spook-a-billy, tied in with the pin-up thing, just tons and tons of underground ways of life. It's awesome. Every night somewhere there's some show going on.

Of all the bands you played with on tour (Minutemen, Metallica, Soundgarden, etc.) who was the best in your opinion and why?

We did the most shows with Metallica, but when you're talking about Slayer, Soundgarden, White Zombie, Manson, Type O negative, Black Sabbath, you can't go wrong. I enjoyed all of them, but would have to place Metallica, White Zombie, and Type O, as some of my favorites. Besides just being able to see these bands every day, we got to be friends too.



Of all the bands you were a member of, which was the must fun to play in?

They were all great fun.

Is there a single performance that stands out in your mind as your favorite?

One of my favorite shows was the Danzig Halloween show at Irvine Meadows in California, where the Live Mother video was shot. 13,000 kids going nuts, and lighting fires up on the hill.



What was it like recording with Rick Rubin?

Rick pushed us more than we had pushed ourselves, so we didn't go for it right away, but sometimes it made the songs better, and it grew into a good working relationship. I think we benefited from it in the long run.

What was one of the biggest hurdles to overcome while touring and recording?

Getting videos played was always tough. Didn't do too well on that front. Other than that we didn't have to struggle much. If you came out to see us play, you went home a believer.



How did this project end up at a comic book publisher?

Just lucky I guess. Dark Horse is a great company, and the timing was right. A lot of people who work there are fans too, so they wanted to be involved.



Favorite venue?

Irving Plaza NYC. The Metro, in Chicago. The Old Ritz in NYC.

Favorite record shop?

Bleeker Bobs NYC.

Best city for music in 1986?

Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, DC, L.A. NYC, New Orleans, Atlanta, too many to mention.

Best city for music today?

There is no one best.

Favorite bass?

Fender Jazz.

Favorite camera?

Nikon.

Favorite album of all time?

November Coming Fire (Samhain), How the Gods Kill (Danzig), 12 Hits from Hell (Misfits).

Are there any bands out there right now that you feel have the same energy that the punk and metal movement had in the 80’s?

There's lots of them. On any given night, every band is the best band in the world.

Any advice to young artists?

Yeah, don't go into the music business.



Fans wanting to connect with Eeire Von should check out eerievon.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/eerievonart