Issue 193: I Want to Believe
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Last week, I went to Kansas City to record an episode of the Dead Gremlin Podcast and meet with Jeremy from Outland Entertainment. It was a great, great day. But long. I had to drive home that night, and I was exhausted.
At some point in the dead of night, I glanced over to my left and saw something… strange.
I only glimpsed it out of the corner of my eye, but on the other side of the highway, sitting in a field, was a massive object. At first, I thought it was some sort of gigantic domed tent. It was far bigger than any house, and the surface of it was a pale grey color. There were giant “sails” behind the dome, several of them, spinning slowly in different directions.
As quickly as I saw the object, I passed it by as I drove on into the night.
I considered turning around at the next exit and going back to get a better look. I didn’t, though. It was dark I was tired. I wanted to get home. I wrote it off as my eyes playing tricks on me.
There was another reason I didn’t turn around, though.
Part of me didn’t want the rational explanation. I liked entertaining the idea that it might be some sort of UFO, something not of this earth. The fun I was having feeling… unsettled… by this thing in a field was too good to sacrifice to the gods of reality.
Anyhow, I kept thinking about the object, especially when Cindy told me that elsewhere in Missouri, strange lights had been observed in the night sky. I wasn’t making mashed potato sculptures or anything, but I did try to draw the object I saw.
I’m no artist, but this is what it looked like:
This October has been full of strange happenings for me. I think the Halloween prankster imps have it in for me. I wouldn’t put it past them to call down a gigantic alien spacecraft in rural Missouri.
Have you had a chance to check out CROOKED HILLS on Kickstarter yet? As I write this, we’re at the halfway mark on the project, and I can really use your help in making this book (and the other books in the series) a reality. The book is all-ages horror, meaning kids and adults alike can enjoy the thrills and chills to be found within those pages. We’ve got 25 days or so left on the campaign. Lots of time. But please don’t let this one slip you by!
I did an interview with Adventures in Poor Taste to discuss the project if you want a few more details!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Shakma 2000… Rise!
Every Halloween season, I join some pals and enter Halloween-themed trivia contests around town. Our team name is Shakma 2000, and this year we decided to show up for trivia in style!
We stormed the Alamo Drafthouse Backlot in the Shakma 2000 jerseys Tim painstakingly created for us. It was a tough night. The theme was Spooky TV, and some of the rounds were simply brutal in terms of how many questions we missed. Still, we managed to rise to the top and destroy our competition, conquering in the last round in order to seize first place!
And then off for a celebratory beverage…
Our next event is this coming Tuesday. I think it’s a generic horror category, and I’ll keep you posted on how we do!
Writing wise, I’ve not been able to focus on ACTUAL writing the way I want in the last few weeks. Lots of pitches, outlines, ideas, edits, lettering passes, interviews, phone calls, and more… but no REAL writing, which has GOT to change this week!
I’ve been hitting the interview circuit pretty hard in recent weeks. I joined the folks from Boom Direct to discuss GHOSTLORE, Halloween, horror, and more…
And I spoke with Geek Girls Story Salon about horror and writing and role-playing games, among many other things…
Tonight, I’ll be doing a livestream interview about CROOKED HILLS with Blake’s Buzz. We go live at 7PM CST, so I hope you’ll join us!
On Friday of this week… Friday the 13th… I’ll be doing an ASK ME ANYTHING on the HorrorComics Reddit. We’re going to be discussing, well, everything I imagine. Festivities will run from 11:30 - 2:30 CST, and I hope you’ll join us and ask some great questions!
…Deep breath…
And I have a half dozen more interviews scheduled over the next week. Does it take time away from actually writing? Absolutely, but it’s still part of the game, still vital. If one of these interviews draws even one new and engaged reader into the Cullen Bunn community, then it is more than worth it to me.
BLOODBORNE: THE BLEAK DOMINION #2
CELEBRATED HORROR COMICS WRITER CULLEN BUNN AND FAN-FAVORITE ARTIST PIOTR KOWALSKI TEAM UP ONCE MORE!
In the plagued city of Yharnam, hunters Gretchen and Abraham search for their missing protégé. Under the blood moon, a scourge of beasts stalks the streets, and a new threat lurks around every corner. The duo must venture deep into the depths of the chalice dungeons in order to find Lucien, but malignant and ancient horrors await them. Will they find him? And what terrifying surprise awaits them if they do?
There’s a lot of horror and bloodshed awaiting our heroes as they venture into the chalice dungeon. In this story, though, I’m examining the toll that being a monster killer in this seemingly hopeless world takes on someone.
LEGACY OF VIOLENCE TPB Vol. 2
The doctors and villagers of Disante are disappearing--some by choice, others by force. Those left behind are the unfortunate witnesses of a new breed of terror. Blood spills, bodies roll, and the town scrambles for justice as Dr. Nicholas Shaw ventures deeper into his family's horrific past.
The second volume of this strange slasher tale. I’m still very surprised by the reaction to this book, but I’m so happy readers are digging it!
GHOSTLORE: DISCOVER NOW EDITION, Vol. 1
What ghost stories do ghosts tell, and what can they tell us about ourselves?
An estranged daughter and her father wander a haunted land; they only have the restless spirits, each with its own story to tell, as company along the way.
After a deadly accident of which they are the only survivors, Lucas and Harmony Agate can see the dead-an overwhelming amount of the deceased, all with their own warnings, cries for help, and malevolence alike.
But Lucas and Harmony aren't the only ones with this ability; there are other nearly-deads, some of which have malicious motivations...
Cullen Bunn of Basilisk and The Empty Man acclaim is joined by artist Leomacs (Basketful of Heads) along with guest artists Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun), Danny Luckert (The Red Mother), and Vanesa R. Del Rey (The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox), bringing readers the most eye-opening spectral story since The Sixth Sense!
Collects Ghostlore #1-4.
Shame on me! This actually came out a couple of weeks ago and I did not realize it! Here it is, though, the first arc of this family ghost drama. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, well here ya go!
I have been watching more horror flicks, but I haven’t been able to post about them! I’ve been a little busier than I expected to be, but I will do my best to post more of my thoughts on my website this week.
So far, I’ve documented…
Other than that, my obsession has really been trying to conquer the horror trivia scene!
I will tell you about another Kickstarter anthology project that looks really exciting to me. TO ROOT SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL from my friends at Outland Entertainment is a beautiful concept and a beautiful book. It reminds be on ANNIHILATION. It only has a few days left on its campaign. While it has a ways to go, I really hope this one makes it to the finish line, because we need books like this.
Here is a quick and dirty list of upcoming projects. In most cases, I’m only listing projects that are definitely on the schedule with a published. Oftentimes, I will not be able to share much information, but I can at least tease the future! Everything here is, of course, subject to change.
THE UNKNOWN FUTURE…
PROJECT: JUMP, a new comic book series in the Beyond Mortal Universe.
PROJECT: HEX, a supernatural/horror thriller.
PROJECT: HORROR, a licensed horror comic.
I’LL KILL YOU LAST - An 80s action/horror fiction anthology I’m editing.
GALLERY OF WHISPERS - An RPG project I’ve been quietly developing.
PROJECT: PREHISTORY - More kaiju craziness
PROJECT: MEGA-BATTLE - Even More kaiju craziness
PROJECT: BOT - A sequel to a story of robotic mischief
PROJECT: WATER HEATER - An apocalyptic horror/fantasy maxi-series
PROJECT: RUSH - A horror prose anthology I’m editing
BLOODBLADE - An action/horror story of destiny and demonic blood
PROJECT: CONVOY - A horror/thriller I’m co-writing
PROJECT: ARCANA - a dark fantasy series
PROJECT: MONSTER - a new horror/action/comedy series
PROJECT: HOAX - a horror limited series
PROJECT: DEAD - a short comic story
PROJECT: VARIANT - a really cool one-shot project
PROJECT: G - a new ongoing series
I don’t have any more official events or appearances in 2023. I have a few lined up for 2024, but only a few. I’ll start making a list as soon as I can!
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