Fake It Til You Keep Faking It
Fake It Til You Keep Faking It The cartoonist known as Seth has built a real life around his fictional work—set in the 1940s. We pay him a visit. By Zachary Petit Photography by Zachary Petit
Upon this spot, the morning after the terrible Allan-Bridge Train Disaster of 1912, this 1,000-pound stone was mysteriously discovered. According to local legend, it had not been there the day before. Though no remains were ever officially recovered, locals swore that this same spot was also where the lifeless body of the train’s brakeman had been seen in the fiery aftermath of the crash. In the decades following the tragedy, residents of The Ward have reported strange mists hovering over the rock, ghostly sightings on the rails, and mournful whispers from the surrounding trees. Also rumored is a voice that calls out, ‘Stop the train,’ each year on the anniversary of the crash. This plaque unveiled September 16, 1962. — dedication to The Lost Brakeman This is the marker bolted to a boulder in the front yard of a cartoonist named Seth—yes, just Seth—no last name. Many objects have stories. Why does a boulder need a story? Entrance to the yard is barred by a towering wrought-iron archway, custom-made to read: omnis temporalis. All things are temporary. This archway leads to his turn-of-the-century house, which isn’t so much a 116
