Nightmare Fuel, Issue 235

ISSUE 235: AND MAYBE WE’LL COME BACK TO EARTH. WHO CAN TELL?

Imagine it’s 1986, you’re a teenager, and you’re riding around town with your windows down. Across the airwave, the synth intro to Europe’s “The Final Countdown” trumpets into existence. Not just from your car, not just from your radio, but from all the Firebirds and Fieros and Mustang GTs and LeBarons on the cruising to mall parking lot or parked outside the TCBY. When you hear that song, you realize a journey—not just “a” journey, really, but maybe “the” journey—is coming to an end, and nothing will ever be the same. 

Well, that keyboard riff is back, because the this—at least where THE FARAWAY is concerned—is the final countdown. 

By the time this newsletter comes out next week, you will have missed your chance to support this awesome comic. We’re not printing many extras here. We’re funded… but it would be nice to do a little better. So, if you like dark fantasy, horror, role-playing games, Saturday morning cartoons gone bonkers-bad, please consider giving this book a little support. 

Welcome back to another edition of Nightmare Fuel. A bunch of new subscribers have signed up for the newsletter, thanks to the contest I’m currently running (see below). If you are among them—welcome! We’ve got a bunch of cool stuff to cover, so let’s motor!

Starting… well… yesterday, I have entered into the re-write of BONES OF OUR STARS, BLOOD OF OUR WORLD. My plan is to have the re-write done by October 1. That means I’m doing a lot less in terms of comics writing, a whole lot less in terms of meetings. I’ve let pretty much everyone I work with know that my time for the next month is dedicated to the tale of terror unfolding along the Outer Banks, and a little breathing room is appreciated.

Of course, requests for meetings and interviews will start rolling in almost as soon as Tuesday rolls around.

That’s all right. I’m determined. I’ll be typing til my fingers bleed.

My method is pretty simple. I’ve got a print out of the first draft of the novel, all 100,000 words of it. I’ve got a stack of note cards, some pens, a highlighter, and a spiral-bound notebook at hand.  I’ll read a few chapters of the first draft, making notes in the margins. In the notebook and on the note cards, I’ll track characters I might need to add or expand upon, locations that need to be added, ideas for new content, etc. I’ll then start re-writing each chapter from the ground up on a fresh Word document. Every 6 chapters of so (or when I get bogged down) I’ll take a short walk (weather permitting) or read a bit of an inspirational novel. Then, it’ll be back to the grind, chapter by chapter. If I remember to hit play, I’ll listen to some music while I work. Not sure what yet.

I’ll track the music I listen to, the inspirational books and stories I read, and the random thoughts I have during those walks. I’ll likely post these thoughts on my Patreon. I’ve been trying to post content for free subscribers, so you can sign up without an outlay of money and still get those updates. 

In other writing news, I had a few meetings last week, including one really important meeting. 

This “really important” meeting has had me a bit twisted, I’ll be honest. The discussion—and the possible outcome of the discussion—has made it difficult to concentrate on actually writing new script pages. It’s still not resolved, but I hope I’ll know where things stand in the next couple of weeks.

I did send out a packet of eleven new pitches—most of them horror—this week. 

A few days ago, I wrote up a new bio for use with publishers and conventions. What do you think?

I tend to do a lot of interviews. At least, it feels like I do a lot of interviews. Sometimes, those interviews all seem to drop around the same time. That’s happened in the last week, with several new pieces dropping. Here they are!

The Comic Book Spot - Talking GATCHAMAN - Discussing all things GATCHAMAN-focused… my history with the franchise, where I hope its going, and more.

THE AUTUMN KINGDOM Writer Cullen Bunn: The Conskipper Interview - One of several interviews discussing my new dark fantasy. 

Cullen Bunn Welcomes Us Into THE AUTUMN KINGDOM - I talk to Adventures in Poor Taste about the new title.

Cullen Bunn Teases His Dark Fantasy Comic, THE AUTUMN KINGDOM - I talk to the Comic Book Club about the new book. I feel like, even with several interviews, I try to offer up something different with every one!

A Father’s Death Kicks Off an Infernal Nightmare in THE HEXILES - Switching gears from fay kingdoms to infernal horrors, I speak with Dave Richards. 

Here’s something a little different. I’ve scripted a new addition to the Marvel Move library, this one featuring Deadpool, Dogpool. Wolverine, Longshot, and Mojo! In this app, you can immerse yourself in an adventure with some of your favorite heroes and villains while participating in guided runs. 

As reported by Pocketgamer.com…

I have a couple of conventions coming up in the next few weeks (after the novel re-write, of course). These will be my final conventions of the year (save for a “just for fun” jaunt to a horror convention). The first one—one that I’m very excited about—is the SCARES THAT CARE AUTHORCON in St. Louis, MO. If you haven’t read up on this amazing convention, definitely check it out. Not only is the guest line-up something special, but their charitable support is truly heart-warming. The event takes place October 4 - 6 at the Renaissance Hotel.

Wanna win some free comics? Well, here’s your chance! I used to do drawings like this all the time. It’s been a minute since I did one, though, and I’m trying out a new contest application. There are a lot of ways to enter and add entries to the mix. Join in the fun!

THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #1

In the borderlands between imagination and reality, horror and fantasy, master storyteller Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Harrow County) and visionary artist Christopher Mitten (Hellboy & the B.P.R.D.) begin one family’s labyrinthine descent through a perilous forest where the local folklore is anything but a myth . . . Bestselling author Andrew Kier found the perfect place to finish his latest dark-fantasy novel—an idyllic, remote cabin on the edge of a lush Swedish forest. His young daughters, Sommer and Winter, gleefully explore . . . until they happen upon a strange clearing of ancient statues: goblins, dwarves, elves, and a warrior queen mysteriously missing her swordhand and weapon. When something sinister follows the girls home and viciously snatches their parents in the night, the sisters’ only hope may be that ancient relic, lost in the forest underbrush, waiting for a new champion to take it up . . .

I’m really excited to hear what folks think of this one. I’m really proud of it. I think Chris and I have done something pretty special with this title. 

ARKHAM HORROR #2

A horde of monsters has risen from the dust, and Joe and Jenny find themselves outnumbered. The cultists provided them with just one clue: Greymont. But where — or who — is Greymont? Will Joe and Jenny find answers or more questions? And what further dangers lie within the shifting sands of the artifact?

Oh, man. Time to delve a little deeper into the world of Arkham Horror. This one’s got train rides and high society parties and monsters aplenty!

DOOR TO DOOR, NIGHT BY NIGHT Vol. 3

The last time our sales crew met the dreaded Lamashtu, their lives were changed forever. Now the demon is back, nesting in another small town, abducting children. When the crew runs afoul of the monster this time, there’s a good chance none of them will survive. Will this be the last door they knock on?

Remember, this one isn’t just a collected edition. These issues were never published in single issue form. This is the only way to get the entire story of our intrepid sales team!

Pretty, pretty, pretty busy this week (though I didn’t seem to accomplish much), but I still managed to do a couple of things just for fun. 

My son had a couple of performances with the Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra, which Cindy and I greatly enjoyed. One of the pieces he played was a piece he LOVED way back when in his days of watching LITTLE EINSTEINS, which made it bittersweet. Cindy and I both wondered if that show, which was one of his childhood favorites, helped inspire his love of music. 

I watched a few Full Moon Movies on their app. TRANCERS, DR. MORDID, PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL, and their latest QUADRANT. I’ll say this, Full Moon knows what they’re about. And, while I didn’t love the heavy use of AI in QUADRANT, the movie otherwise felt like the Full Moon movies of old. 

I also watched NOCTURNE, a horror flick from 2020. It was about demonic deals, cursed sheet music, sibling rivalry, and a musical institute. I enjoyed it. Definitely deliberately paced, somber, and dark. 

I didn’t get to play traditional D&D this week, but I played D&D ONLINE with a buddy. Hadn’t played that game in… 6 years… and the controls seemed really alien to me… but I had a great time. 

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 

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

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.