Trivia

His influences include Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, William S. Burroughs, William Blake, and Jean Cocteau, among others.

His parents appear in a Documentary, having the following argument: "I don't know where he gets it from. Not from me and certainly not from you".

After not liking the adaptations of his books Transmutations (1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), he directed his first film, Hellraiser (1987), based on 'The Hellbound Heart', a film that has become a cult classic.

A longtime comic book fan and has written his own series' for Marvel and Boom! studios.

Despite writing and directing extremely violent stories, he claims to have a fear of blood and says seeing it in real life makes him feel faint.

Close friends with Neil Gaiman.

Grew up on Penny Lane, the same street that The Beatles sing about in their song, "Penny Lane".

Also a fine artist, and shows his painting and drawings in Los Angeles at Bert Green Fine Art.

Started insisting on directing his own material after seeing Rawhead Rex and thinking it was too detached.

Initially accepted nothing more than a silver dollar for his book "The Thief of Always".

Barker lives in Beverly Hills with his partner, Johnny Ray Raymond Jr.

Author of the successful "Abarat" series of books. There are three books now available: "Abarat", "Days of Magic, Nights of War (Book Two)" and "Absolute Midnight (Book Three). According to his official site, there will eventually be Five books (in total) to complete the series!.

Working on a remake of the Cult Classic Hellraiser (1987). (2008)

In "The Great and Secret Show" Tommy Ray and Jo-Beth are described as "two souls, one egg". Monozygotic twins are always the same sex.

While appearing on the radio call-in show Loveline on 20 August 1996, Barker stated that during his teens he had several relationships with older women, but came to identify himself as homosexual by 18 or 19 years old. His relationship with John Gregson lasted from 1975 until 1986.

2009 Separated from his partner of 13 years photographer David Emilian Armstrong.

In the Independent on Sunday [UK] 2006 Pink LIst - a list of the most influential gay men and women - Barker came no. 72, down from no. 68.

Producing and writing the video game Jericho (2007) with Codemasters, expected to release in Fall 2007 (October 2006)

Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". New Revision Series, Vol. 133, pp. 64-74. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.

Is a vegetarian.

Born on exactly the same date as Duncan Regehr (of "Wizards & Warriors", "Zorro", and "The Monster Squad" fame).

He once met Buichi Terasawa, who created Space Adventure Cobra.