ISSUE 230: TIME TO GET BLOODY… TWICE
My hands are still spattered with red.
Out, damned spot. Amirite?
A couple of days ago, I dedicated some time to bleeding all over a bunch of comic books. This was to fulfill some rewards for THE FARAWAY Kickstarter campaign. It wasn’t REAL blood (or was it?) but a concoction of fake gore and paint of my own creation. I spattered blood, rolled bloody dice across the covers, and pressed crimson handprints onto the gorgeous art.
The books, I think, turned out to be pretty rad looking.
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Once I was finished, the studio looked like a murder scene. Blood dripping everywhere. Bowls of blood. Cloths soaked through with the red stuff. It took me a while to clean it all up. It took even longer (and a lot of scrubbing) to wash the stains from my hand.
About an hour later, I realized I had miscounted and needed to start the process over again.
Sometimes, that’s how it goes.
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Speaking of blood (in the familial sense), this week’s big comic announcement (the one I hinted at last week) is THE HEXILES, which comes your way in October!
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Horror master Cullen Bunn will team with Night Walkers artist Joe Bocardo on The Hexiles, a new series about six children who find out their true lineage just in time for their father’s demonic debtors to come calling.
Mad Cave Studios will publish The Hexiles beginning in October.
“The Hexiles is a dark tale about destiny, cursed inheritances and people bound by blood… lots of blood,” said Bocardo. “A horror story that found refuge in a cave of madmen, where they love comics and work with true professionalism, and created by Cullen, a diabolical mind capable of turning the worst nightmares into words and convincing you to stay and live in them. As an artist, I couldn’t ask for a better team.”
Here’s how Mad Cave Studios describes the series:
Jamison Kreel is dead. Six of his children from six mothers are attending the funeral of a father they never met. Each of the children possesses a different infernal power. These powers, though, come at a terrible price…a price Jamison Kreel has placed upon the heads of his offspring. And the demonic debtors have come to collect.
Bunn said while writing it, he didn’t realize how dark it was until he saw Bocardo’s artwork.
“I didn’t really notice it during the writing process,” Bunn said. “I mean, I did, but this tale of the ultimate dysfunctional family with the ultimate infernal heritage wouldn’t allow me to slow down. In the aftermath, though, while looking through Joe’s gorgeous (and gorgeously sinister) pages, I realized that this is a dark story. Real horror, real dread, drips off these pages. But this is also a story of hope, of standing up for yourself, of rallying against whatever destiny others have cooked up for you. This is a story of raging against the dying of the light. Only, the light isn’t dying. It’s flaring up. And it’s hellfire!”
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If you are in the Springfield MO area, the next Whiskey and Words event will be this Thursday, August 1, from 7 - 10 PM. Join me as I challenge you with outlandish writing prompts! The event takes place at the amazing Best of Luck Beer Hall!
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GHOSTLORE #12
In the final showdown between Harmony, Lucas, and Shane, victory will come at a great price. In the end comes the hereafter, but will anyone be left to guide lost spirits?
The final issue of this series is here, and I’m sad to see it go. I’ve become quite a fan of Lucas and Harmony and even Shane. It’s been a lot of fun working on this book with such an amazingly talented crew. I really dig the 12-issue maxi-series format and I hope to play in that arena a little more.
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I’ve been reading a few books this week. John Saul’s CREATURE, Dean Koontz’s PHANTOMS (those two are re-reads), and WHALEFALL by Daniel Kraus.
I watched DEADPOOL/WOLVERINE. I admit, for personal reasons I wanted to hate it, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was the best of the Deadpool movies by far.
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All events are subject to change at a moment’s notice, but here is where I’ll be appearing in the next several months!I
August 1, 2024 - Whiskey and Words, Best of Luck Beer Hall, Springfield, Missouri
September 7, 2024 - Cursed City Con, San Antonio, Texas
October 4 - 6, 2024 - AuthorCon 4, St. Louis, Missouri
October 26 - 27, 2024 - Cowtown Comic Convention, Fort Worth, Texas
All Year Long - KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES, Worldwide
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THE SHOCK SHOP - My online store, where you can find exclusive covers you can only get directly from me!
PATREON - Here, I post a serialized novel, a serialized comic book, short stories, and other cool materials.
CULLEN'S AMAZON STORE - Listen! If you have a local comic shop or bookshop, PLEASE visit them and order your books from them. If you don't have a shop, though, or if you can't get my books from your local bookseller for some reason, this Amazon shop has tons of options.
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