Born in the late 1980s in Florida, USA, Jon Nix has had an interest in creativity from a young age – Taking photos with disposable camera’s his mom bought home from her job at Disney World, to aping Stephen King by attempting to write his debut novel at the age of 8.

As an adult, Jon has continued these passions into a full time career – As a work-for-hire filmmaker and photographer. Whilst also pursuing a slew of self directed projects. Such as his work as co-founder of indie publisher With an X Books – Who began in 2022 and have published works by people such as Mallory Smart, Drew Buxton, and Heather Hite. Along with his directing; which so far has focused on documentaries about subjects such as musician Justin Pearson, comic creator John G, and the band Anti-Flag.
With all of Jon’s work stemming from a DIY approach, love for the underground; and a deep respect for the craft, his subjects, and collaborators.

The VHS edition of ‘Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself’; Jon’s 2022 documentary about underground music legend Justin Pearson.

Wanting to learn more about what makes him tick, we sent Jon some questions to answer over email.
Check it all out, below…

Getting Acquainted

Name and date of birth?

Jon Nix.
May 25th, 1988

City, state, and country you currently call home?

Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

City, state, and country you’re from?

Lakeland, Florida, USA.

Jon on set for one of his many films.

Please describe some memories – such as art, music, friendships, adventures, study, romance, politics, religion, work, crime… anything really – from the stages of your life noted below:

* Your childhood:

Politics: Growing up in a trailer park and wandering the back rooms at Disney while my mom worked, hanging out with immigrants who sewed the names of rich kids on the brims of hats all day long.
I had a sense of class consciousness very early on.

* Your teenage years:

Art: My friend stole a hardbound first edition of ‘Disco Bloodbath‘ from the library and let me borrow it.
I became obsessed with Chuck Barris for a bit after reading ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.’

* Your 20s:

Work: So much of my 20’s was just trying not to miss my rent payments.
So much hard work for money and piles of personal work out of a need to create in any free moment I had. I was terrible at hanging out.

Around 22 I decided I only wanted to get around three hours of sleep a night for a year to see how it would affect me. I read 150 books and wrote seven screenplays that year.

* Your 30s so far:

Love: I think now that I’m in my thirties I’ve finally figured out how to accept and let love in. I don’t undermine compliments as much as I used to.
My thirties feel very free. I still have plenty of stressors in my life. But I feel like I’m finally confident and happy and can do anything I want to, within my means.

Jon’s 2024 novel ‘Ferals’. Released by With an X Books, the publishing company he co-runs.

Personal motto(s)?

“Get out clean.”
“It is what it is.”
“Can’t be neutral on a moving train.”

What role did toys play in your childhood?
… and any favourites you remember?

I always told long complicated (I’m sure obnoxious) stories with my toys as a kid.
I always took a lot of pride in keeping them nice even though I played with them. Kids in the trailer park that I grew up in would habitually ruin their toys. Smash them with rocks. Blow them up with firecrackers. So I always made sure to keep mine looking nice and never lent them to anyone.

Creativity Questions

When and why did you first become interested in film, writing, photography, and everything creative?
… and any pivotal moments or influences?

I’m not sure why. But I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I never took anything else seriously. From the time I was five or so I remember saying I wanted to be an animator or filmmaker or writer.

I’d say escapism because I had a pretty strange and demanding childhood but the type of art that I’m drawn to has never been escapist. In fact, most of it is very brutal.

My mom worked in the camera shop at Disney World in Florida and would bring me disposable cameras to use.
When I was around eight I decided I was going to write a novel. By then I was deep into Stephen King’s body of work and wanted to try it myself. I wrote it on a typewriter.
I ended up getting about sixty pages in and didn’t have a clear sense of where to take it or how the structure worked. So it was abandoned.

Some recent photos by Jon.

If you had to explain your creative endeavours to some recently crash-landed aliens…
What would you tell them?

I would tell them that my work probably wouldn’t be helpful in understanding earth’s broader culture. My work primarily deals with niche sub-cultures and specific groups of people.
My first film is about political activism in music. My second is about avant-garde punk music and performance artists out of San Diego. The film I’m editing now is about midwest independent wrestling.
My first book is about a small group of people experiencing the COVID pandemic. And my second ‘Ferals’, I called a short story collection, but it’s really a novel in parts. It’s about my childhood growing up in a Florida trailer park.

Who are some of your favourite artists, filmmakers, and musicians?
… and what is it about their works that so inspire and move you?

Artists: Rothko, George Bellows, Edward Hopper.

Writers: Denis Johnson, Dennis Cooper, Albert Camus, Philip Roth.

Filmmakers: Harmony Korine, Les Blank, Andrzej Zulawski, Doris Wishman, Jane Schoenbrun, Michael Haneke, Kelly Reichardt.

Musicians: Justin Pearson (obviously), The Paper Chase, The Callous Daoboys, Tim Kasher, Touche Amore, Colin Stetson.

I think the throughline through all of these artists is just that they have such distinct voices and probably wouldn’t be able to speak in anyone else’s voice. They’re all artists you can spot the second you encounter their work even if you’ve never interacted with a particular piece.
I think that’s what makes great artists. Just being clear and specific and not diminishing yourself in your own work.

The trailer for Jon’s 2022 doco about musician Justin Pearson, ‘Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself.’

If people wanted to check out your stuff, work with you, or buy some of your wares – Where should they visit and how should they get in touch?

I’ve got accounts in all of the typical places. I’m pretty good about getting back to everyone. Hit me up in messages or emails.
You can buy my film on bluray from Vinegar Syndrome. You can also get the amazing soundtrack (by members of Metz, Holy Fuck & Planet B) on vinyl there as well.
And my books are available on withanxbooks.com or Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

How did you come to connect with Traci Hlafka, your co-owner in With an X Books?
… and what role(s) do you each play in the publishing house?

Traci was a librarian for about 15 years. I actually met her when she was trying to put together a shorts program and reached out to me about a short film I had made called ‘Draw Hard‘ about Cleveland art legend John G.

We both decide on which projects we choose to put out and we both have very strong opinions on presentation and packaging. I’m responsible for the layout and formatting of everything. I do most of our PR and outreach and correspondence.
Traci handles editing and is amazing at tabling when we’re doing events.

Two releases from With an X Books – Namely ‘You Private Person’ by Richard Chiem (2024) and ‘But God Made Him a Poet: Watching John Ford in the 21st Century by Scout Tafoya (2023).

For those at home who may not be aware– Please tell us all about your longstanding production company, TurnStyle Films.

TurnStyle Films began working together in late 2010.
We’ve done dozens of music videos, short films and have put out two feature documentaries.

Having directed ‘Beyond Barricades: The Story of Anti-Flag‘, the seminal 2020 documentary about the band – What are your thoughts and comments on the many issues and allegations facing Anti Flag’s singer, Justin Sane?
… and how do you now look back on the film, knowing what we all know now?

I have a lot of complicated feelings about ‘Beyond Barricades’. It’s my first film. We had no money going into it. And the whole thing was done with love and passion.
It took us 7 years from start to finish. The production/edit/release took most of my twenties. So the project means a lot to me. I met so many people making that film, who are still my good friends.
The film’s message is very important to me. I do think art is the best tool for getting people into political activism. And I think it’s a never ending fight.
That said, because of the heinous things Justin is accused of, the whole thing is tainted. He ruined his entire body of work. The long list of people he’s worked with are now stained by him. And the film can’t really be looked at in the way I intended. It’s a shame.

The trailer for Jon’s 2020 doco about punk band Anti-Flag, ‘Beyond Barricades: The Story of Anti-Flag.’

Any news, upcoming projects, or releases to share?

I’m currently finishing the edit on a documentary about midwest independent wrestling. That should be coming out next year.

There are a handful of upcoming projects I may be working on the edits for. But I can’t say which yet.
I’m not sure what film I’ll be directing next, but I have a few ideas I’m starting to feel out. And I have a couple books I’m trying to finish up.

Odds & Ends

If you could live in any place, during any historical era– When and where would that be?
… and why would you choose that time and place?

There are a lot of historical eras that I’m interested in but I don’t think I like to live in any era other than the one I live in now. History is a blood soaked meat grinder. That makes it hard to romanticize any era.

What are the top 3 items you own?
…and what is it about each of them that you so love?

My Ingmar Bergman box set from Criterion.
Just about all of his work is included in it. It’s a source of endless wisdom.

My first edition copy of ‘Hunchback ‘88‘ by Christopher Norris.
Chris has become a good friend and collaborator (he did the cover art for my book ‘Ferals’). I just think that ‘Hunchback ‘88’ is the best book of the new century. It’s one of a kind and I’m glad I found it years back.

A painting my friend Joshua Rex gave me years ago.
He painted a series of bleak midwest landscapes. The painting is of a row of partially constructed houses, abandoned after the ‘08 crash, covered in Tyvek. It didn’t sell at his showing and it just kind of floated around for years before he gifted it to me.

If you had to sum up your home-country, America in one object – What would it be?
Why did you choose it?
…and how does it represent America to you?

Probably the Hudson Yards’ sculpture ‘Vessel‘ by Thomas Heatherwick.
It’s a huge interactive sculpture in New York that people kept committing suicide on by jumping form the top. That’s America to me. This grand idea that’s surrounded by a mountain of bodies.

Please describe your last dream in detail…

I had a dream about a roommate who couldn’t make rent because he was broke from covering Lloyd Kaufman’s medical expenses.

What does God mean to you?

Humanity’s want to be ruled by a dictator of their choosing.

Of everything you have done so far, what would you most like to be remembered for?

‘Either Don’t Fall in Love with Yourself’, or my book ‘Ferals’.

Links

All images supplied by Jon or sourced online.