Wight for Hire

Typed-to-Order Writing Commissions 

    Matthew J. Ocasio is the guy you might have seen in artist alley, clacking away on his typewriter, perhaps wearing a skeleton mask or ghost costume. The elusive Wight for Hire performs live typed writings for the dollar and amusement of convention attendees, making a decent buck doing so. The customer decides on the style of writing (poetry and prose of all varieties), the length, and provides a prompt. Matthew then types it out on fancy paper and mails it to them if it isn't finished on the spot at the show.

    Below you will find a selection of commissions he has typed for customers at conventions across the continent. If you would like to order your own, please fill out the form and he will get back to you shortly.

History of the Ghost Writer

    Matthew J. Ocasio came up in the trenches of artist alleys across the continent, sitting behind tables and discussing his stories with passing strangers. The friends he made along the way, illustrators all, were able to duck away behind their sketchbooks when they needed a break from the masses, and their live illustrations garnered attention and generated sales. 

    Ocasio, armed only with his skill at constructing sentences, sought some way to excite a crowd with his words. It had to be something unique, tactile, personal, and fun—that ruled out anything digital, and his handwriting remains atrocious. Being a paper snob and a typewriter aficionado, he thought that perhaps hand-typed bookmarks on high-quality, textured paper might entice convention goers. 

    He brought his 1935 Hermes Featherweight typewriter to a convention and offered a limited selection of ghostwritten poetry—haiku, limericks (dirty ones for a dollar extra), ballads, and sonnets. Tablemates and attendees alike appreciated the mechanical sound of keys clacking, and the commissions kept him typing for days.