Issue 156: The Shadows Are Calling
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The Water’s (Not) Fine…
This morning, I had a nightmare about sentient, malicious water. This water, when it wasn’t possessing human hosts, followed its would-be victims in meandering trails. When it reached a victim, it would drown them in a horrible choking, coughing, sputtering fit.
A couple of years ago, I started a novel about a small town supernatural detective dealing with a water spirit that was drowning people.
Water, you know, is scary as Hell.
The story and the dream come from a few different places.
Once, about 30 years ago, I lived in a spot where I had to drive through the water of a small creek every time I left the house. One night, during a storm, my car stalled out in the creek and a flash flood almost washed the vehicle… and me… away.
A few years back, the downstairs level of my house (which includes my studio) flooded. The damage. The repairs. It was… a lot.
Last week, a pipe burst and my office flooded again. The problem was identified and fixed in short order, but it definitely through things into disarray.
All things considered, three minor incidents. I mean, Cindy, my lovely wife, dealt with a major flood when she was a child. Her family lost almost everything. That’s the kind of event that should give you nightmares!
But here I am… having bad dreams about water.
Maybe the water is trying to tell me to finish that novel.
Maybe it wants me to spread the gospel.
The gospel of destruction.
The flooding this week, minor though it may be, knocked me way off schedule. That’s a problem because I have seven… no, eight… scripts due by the end of the month. The good news is that I’ve got the scripts outlined. The bad news is I actually have to write them!
I think next week is too busy with other tasks and meetings to be a full-blown Scriptpocalypse, but it’s gonna be close.
In other news, I think I’m close to finalizing deals on a few new comic book projects, many of which will be coming out late into 2024 and beyond. These books aren’t announced yet. They’re not even listed under a codename in the “Things to Come” section. That’ll happen as contracts are inked. But it’s going to be a busy and exciting few months.
With that in mind, there are a bunch of exciting new announcements this issue, so let’s get started, yeah?
First up is one I’m VERY excited about, something perhaps a bit unexpected, something from the shadows.
Outer Shadows…
Just in case you missed the big announcement earlier in the week, I am launching a new horror imprint with Outland Entertainment. This imprint—Outer Shadows—will feature novels, novellas, anthologies, collections, comics, role-playing games, and board games, all with a horror twist.
As reported this week:
Outland Entertainment is proud to announce a new imprint and publishing initiative focusing on terror. A deeper foray into the horror genre than Outland’s previous works, Outer Shadows will feature work created and curated by writer Cullen Bunn. Outer Shadows will bring readers novels, novellas, short story collections, comics, games, and more.
“Over the years, I’ve come to be associated with horror in comics, but I love the genre in all its many forms,” says Bunn. “Early on in my career as a creator, I founded a small press publishing house and edited a horror zine. Horror writers and horror fans are some of the most kind, welcoming, and inspiring people I’ve ever met. Those were very exciting and creative days for me, and I wanted to rekindle those feelings.
Outland Entertainment, an independent publisher specializing in transmedia worldbuilding, has years of experience in bringing all the formats Outer Shadows will publish to an enthusiastic audience. “Although Outland dabbles in horror with comics like Night of the Vegan and Santa vs. Zombies, we’ve really been lacking an expert voice in that genre,” notes Alana Joli Abbott, Outland’s Editor in Chief. “Not only does Cullen bring his vast experience in horror to the table, but he’s incredibly fun to work with! We can’t wait to see what he brings us.”
Several Outer Shadows projects are already in the works. The first publication, Swords in the Shadows, is an anthology of sword and sorcery tales with horror themes. The anthology is set to feature stories by some of the biggest names in the horror genre, including Joe Lansdale, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Hailee Piper, and Jonathan Janz, among many others. Bunn is editing the book.
“For our first publication,” says Bunn, “I wanted to showcase the broad scope of what a horror tale can be. Sword and sorcery has always been near and dear to me, and some of my favorite stories in the genre feature significant horror elements. I wanted to bring that to the forefront. So, this is an S&S&H anthology—sword and sorcery and horror. It’s a book that I think will have significant crossover appeal.”
Bunn’s own horror/fantasy novella Raze: Mother, Maiden, Crone will be released alongside Swords in the Shadows.
Other upcoming projects include I’ll Kill You Last, an anthology of horror tales set firmly in the world of 80s action movies to be edited by Bunn. In addition, Outer Shadows is slated to reprint Bunn’s middle grade horror novel Crooked Hills and publish a sequel and TTRPG tie-in. Plans also include publication of a complete collection of Bunn’s short fiction and a book collecting stories from the small press magazine Bunn edited more than twenty years ago.
“I have really big plans for this imprint,” says Bunn. “I’m going to be showcasing horror from new creators as well as established horror favorites, and I’ll be exploring different mediums to bring dread and chills to our audience.”
I’ve started a (roughly) monthly newsletter to keep readers up-to-date on all things Outer Shadows. In addition to news and behind-the-scenes information, each issue of the newsletter will include a horror short story from some of my favorite creators. You can subscribe here.
Harrow County: The Board Game…
In case you missed the Kickstarter for HARROW COUNTY: THE GAME OF GOTHIC CONFLICT, you can now support the game as a late backer!
Some of the cool features of the game include:
Cube tower built inside the game box is used to resolve combat!
3 asymmetric factions can play head to head, with 14 unique Legends to lead them, providing a huge amount of variability.
Third player plays as the dead witch, that tries to infect the other players by inserting snakes INTO their ears!
New beautiful art from Tyler Crook, artist for the comic, Harrow County
Flavour text from Cullen Bunn, writer for the comic, Harrow County
Deluxe edition has tons of wood bits!
Satchel edition has metal coins and a thick cardboard satchel (with strap!) to carry and protect the game. It also comes with digital download of the comics that this is based on.
Fair Folk Expansion can be used in a 2,3 or 4 player game. This comes packed in the Deluxe and Satchel edition boxes!
Check out the pledge manager to make sure you don’t miss out on this amazing game!
Democritus Brand…
Speaking of chances to back campaigns you might have missed… the pre-order store for DEMOCRITUS BRAND AND THE ENDLESS MACHINE is now open for a very limited time. You can order the books and some very special add-on items. We’re going to be delivering this very soon, so the window of opportunity to support the campaign will be closing in short order.
The Cult of That Wilkin Boy…
A new Archie Comics horror one-shot has been announced! THE CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY! I’m writing. Art by Dan Schoening and Ben Galvan. Colors by Matt Herms. Letters by Jack Morelli.
Bingo Wilkin is not just a world-renowned musician. He’s an icon. An iconoclast. A legend. A leader. He’s also a master of manipulation with fans and followers willing to do his bidding, no matter how evil it may be. Is too much ever enough when it comes to celebrity? The team behind The Chilling Adventures of Salem return with this psychological thriller about fame and fandom.
On Sale Date: 4/19.
This, for those keeping track, was codename Project: Crossroads.
Patreon…
Here’s a list of the cool stuff I’ve posted on Patreon in the past week!
The funding from Patreon helps me create new comics and prose. Sometimes, it is the last line of defense when it comes to paying my bills. I use the platform to post stories, novels, comics, how-to essays, scripts, sneak peaks of upcoming projects, and behind-the-scenes details you can’t find anywhere else.
If you are not a patron, please consider signing up.
Interviews…
NO ESCAPING THE NIGHTWALKERS - I talk with PreviewsWorld about my upcoming series NIGHTWALKERS!
New Comics This Week…
I think I had the date wrong on this one. It actually comes out THIS week!
Trust me, folks. You DO NOT want to miss this one. Run… don’t walk… to your local comic shop to grab a copy. If they don’t have it on the shelf, they can order it. And make sure you subscribe to the rest of the series.
NIGHT WALKERS #1
Seren is an addict in recovery at a rehabilitation center secluded in the mountains, COMPLETELY ISOLATED from the outside world. When Seren and the other patients wake to find themselves locked inside and abandoned by the center's staff, they must decide whether to wait or break out. The decision is made for them when a blood thirsty monster enters the center, and begins to tear through them to satiate its lust for blood.
In a collaboration with Hustle & Heart Films and Vertigo Entertainment (IT, DOCTOR SLEEP), Source Point Press is proud to bring you Cullen Bunn's Night Walkers, a new comic book series with a terrifying, fresh take on a timeless horror sub-genre.
DOOR TO DOOR, NIGHT BY NIGHT #3
Goblins are bad enough. Alien goblins from another world? That's a whole new level of messed-up. The sales crew knocks on a door unlike any other-the door of a UFO! Venturing into a spaceship, the team encounters vile experiments, awful hallucinations, and a host of very curious creatures from another world. First contact is about to go wildly wrong!
A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #4
Nick survived his confrontation with the killer, but definitely worse for wear. Meanwhile, one of the other doctors has gone missing as Nick's flashbacks have gotten out of control. What does the killer have planned for them now? And what are his plans for Nick? Find out more in the last issue of volume one of A Legacy of Violence, a 12 issue maxi-series by masters of horror Cullen Bunn and Andrea Mutti, with letters by Rus Wooton.
BOOK OF SHADOWS #3
Exarch Fane, an ancient, otherworldly warlord, is intent on sacrificing our world to satiate his hunger. Only a team of mystic heroes stands in his way. But while three heroes-SHADOWMAN, PUNK MAMBO, and PERSEPHONE-attempt to stop Fane from forging the Chain of Ruin, DOCTOR MIRAGE and the ETERNAL WARRIOR pass through the veil of death to discover the BOOK OF SHADOWS' terrible secrets.
Things to Come…
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.
A FOULNESS IN THE WALLS - A horror one-shot about loss and grief and guilt
NIGHTWALKERS - A survival horror series that sets up a whole world of apocalyptic nightmares
RED ZONE - An action/comedy thrill-ride. unlike anything else I’ve ever written
PROJECT: GHOST - A horror maxi-series exploring a side of horror you might not expect
BLOODBLADE - An action/horror story of destiny and demonic blood
BEYOND MORTAL - Finishing up the horror/superhero epic
THE CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY - An Archie horror one-shot
SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS - A swords and sorcery and horror fiction anthology I’m editing
I’LL KILL YOU LAST - An 80s action/horror fiction anthology I’m editing
RAZE - A dark fantasy/horror novella
PROJECT: BOT - A sequel to a story of robotic mischief
PROJECT: MASK - A horror OGN where reality and surreality clash in a murderous way
PROJECT: WATER HEATER - An apocalyptic horror/fantasy maxi-series
PROJECT: DUNGEON - A new licensed horror comic series
PROJECT: CONVOY - A horror/thriller I’m co-writing
PROJECT: MATINEE - A horror limited series I’m working on with one of my best friends and long-standing collaborator
PROJECT: V - A return to a fan-favorite character I haven't written in quite a while
PROJECT: PREHISTORY - More kaiju craziness
PROJECT: MEGA-BATTLE - Even More kaiju craziness
PROJECT: RUSH - A horror prose anthology I’m editing
PROJECT: GALLERY - An RPG project I’ve been quietly developing
PROJECT: CARD - A magical one-shot
PROJECT: ARCANA - a dark fantasy series
PROJECT: BUSINESS - a new horror/action/comedy series
PROJECT: HOAX - a horror limited series
Work Update…
I’m starting over once again! Let’s see how I do this year!
90 pages of comic book scripts (1710 in 2022)
0 feature length screenplay (0 in 2022)
0 half-hour comedy pilot (1 in 2022)
0 short film script (1 in 2022)
0 short stories (9 in 2022)
0 novellas (0 in 2022)
4 two-sentence horror stories (10 in 2022)
0 new comic book series proposals (29 in 2022)
0 podcast proposals (0 in 2022)
0 essay (0 in 2022)
0 foreword for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2022)
0 television series proposal (0 in 2022)
Events…
Keep in mind, these days, "finalized" doesn't mean as much as it once did. All events are subject to change. I hope to be adding more conventions in the near future! Stay tuned!
FEBRUARY 4, 2023 - ArtCon, Neosho, MO
MARCH 17 - 19, 2023 - Planet Comicon, Kansas City MO
JUNE 24, 2023 - Route 66 Toy and Comic Convention, Lebanon MO
JULY 7 - 9, 2023 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO
Weekly Obsessions…
I‘m still lost in the quagmire of books and comics and games that seems to be collapsing around me. My obsession over the last few days is just getting my office into a state where I can actually breathe a little.
I did, however, discover that I quite like the show THE BLACKLIST. I’m not sure why I never watched it before now. I think it’s super entertaining. I like James Spader anyhow, and who doesn’t like a tale of villains with mysterious motivations hunting other villains?
Where to Find Me Online…
THE SHOCK SHOP - My online store, where you can find exclusive covers you can only get directly from me!
TWITTER - This is the best place to interact with me online. My handle is @cullenbunn
TIKTOK - A fun spot for quick videos about writing, comics, and collecting
PATREON - Here, I post a serialized novel, a serialized comic book, short stories, and other cool materials.
THE CULLEN BUNN DISCORD SERVER - A place for fans to hang out and talk about comics, books, movies, games, collecting, and whatever else strikes their fancy.
THE BUNNGALOW - Cindy and I talk about life, hot button topics, pop culture, being married to a comic book writer and EVERYTHING in between.