Issue 164: Jumpscare

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The winds whisper a tale of woe, and I am the prophet.

Say hello to this little nightmare.

This is the feral cat that my wife and son have been feeding, the cat that my son decided he was going to catch and make a house pet.

Now… if you read the newsletter last week, you know we already have a cat. Two of them, in fact. One of them, Elvis, is 20 years old. He’s deaf and has some health issues, but right now he seems to be going strong. The other, Nibbles, is 9 years old. He’s the cat that was in the veterinary hospital last week. He’s dealing with some ongoing health issues and probably will for the rest of his life.

I don’t need or want another cat. In fact, I’ve long said that when our pets move from this world to another, we are not replacing them. But I agree with Cindy and my son that I wouldn’t want this poor little cat going hungry out in the wilds. I also knew that once they got attached to it, they’d want to bring it into the house.

So.

My son set his mind to catching the cat and, because he’s stubborn and determined, he did just that. We brought this cat, wild though it was, into the house. She’s a pretty cat. Sweet though terrified of people. Interesting markings. Fat round belly…

Wait a minute!

Yes, we think this cat may be pregnant.

As my pal Heath says, “Only you, man. Only you.”

We haven’t verified this yet. She’s sweet. She likes to be petted. But she’s still a little too wild to pick up and put in a crate. We don’t want to traumatize her.

I know she doesn’t like to be picked up because I did it—once—to carry her from the small bathroom she was staying in… into my office.

Wait one DAMN minute!

Now I have a cat living in my office for the near future. And I think we’ve decided we’re going to try to keep her. Once she has the kittens, when it is time, we’ll find them loving homes. But this miracle of life is apparently going to take place in my office, where I spend almost every day working.

My Zoom meetings are about to get REAL interesting.

The good news is, I’ll have loads of content for future newsletters, right?

We haven’t given her a name yet. Right now, the names under consideration are Harvey, Cinnamon, Hazel, Kammi, Emmy, Priscilla, and a name I like for her. I think I’ll be outvoted, but if she’s living in my office, she’ll know that her true, secret, demon name is Jumpscare.

What do you think, dear readers?

Yes… I had to leave a couple of names off, but I think these are the best options anyhow.

Come to think of it, Jumpscare is a pretty great name for a new horror-themed character.

I’m on it!

Also… who wants a kitten?

Once this litter is born and old enough, I’m just gonna have them in a box under my table at upcoming conventions. Free kitten with every copy of HARROW COUNTY!

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This is big.

Important even.

The Kickstarter for SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS, the first publication under my Outer Shadows imprint, is live. This is a collection of twenty-two stories with a bloody stake driven into the heart of both the horror and fantasy camps. Herein, you will find fantasy worlds, brave warriors, fabulous creatures, wondrous magic. But you will also uncover bloodcurdling chills, spine-tingling horror, and an examination of those things that truly terrify.

And not only SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS!

In addition to the anthology, Outer Shadows is releasing RAZE: MAIDEN, AND CRONE, a dark fantasy/horror novella written by yours truly! It’s the perfect companion piece to SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS!

This is the chance to get in on the first horrific floor of this publishing endeavor with our first two publications!

We have loads of options for getting digital or physical copies of the book, but I would like to point out that for $45, you can get both books—signed by me! I’ll drive to Outland Entertainment’s offices and personally sign them all!

And… let’s say you want an original horror short short… just for you.

For a limited number of backers, we’re also offering a one-of-a-kind handwritten short. I’ll pen the story—just for you—on the back of a RAZE postcard. It’s literally something no one else will have. With the two books, that level is just $70.

But there are support levels for every taste and budget!

This is your chance, horror fans! Show your support for this new horror imprint and get some great stories! You can check out more about this exciting campaign HERE!

It’s important because horror is important.

We need more great horror.

And the success of this campaign will lead to future publications in the Outer Shadows imprint!

This campaign is a big deal to me. It’s the first Outer Shadows project, so I want it to do well. As you know, success in this will lead to more and more projects down the line.

Head over to the pre-launch page and follow the project so you don’t miss the launch of the campaign!

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Speaking of Kickstarter, REANIMATOR: THE ETERNAL LIE, PART 2 is still ongoing! In this tale of terror, Herbert West’s infamous reanimation serum has been stolen, and a terrible cult plans on using it for a cataclysmic purpose. If you missed the first part of the story, you can still grab it as part of this campaign. Jump on over to Kickstarter and check it out HERE!

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As I write this, the third day of Planet Comicon looms before me. It’s been a fun convention here in Kansas City, and I’m looking forward to finishing the convention on a high note. Next week, I’ll be heading to Fan Expo Cleveland. There, I will be setting up with Source Point Press, and I’ll be unveiling and selling copies of the Danny Luckert variant for NIGHTWALKERS #1! This is a version of the book you can only get from me! After the convention, assuming I have any left, I’ll be adding them to the Shock Shop.

This week, I’ve been obsessed with getting books together for conventions, packing clothes, and scrambling around the house like a madman while avoiding tripping on a feral cat.

I have… in what little free time I could scrape together… been thinking about running a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Right now, I’m planning on a classic campaign, running my players through Temple of Elemental Evil, Scourge of the Slave Lords, Against the Giants, Descent into the Depths of the Earth, and Queen of the Demonweb Pits… with plenty of changes and additions.

That’s the plan, anyhow. Thinking about it has been a nice way to decompress a little.

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.

• REANIMATOR: THE ETERNAL LIE - Part 2 of the Herbert West epic

• GHOSTLORE - A horror maxi-series exploring a side of horror you might not expect

• LAMENTATION - A horror limited series where reality and surreality clash in a murderous way

• 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: SURGEON - a very dark horror tale

• PROJECT: BOT - A sequel to a story of robotic mischief

• 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: MONSTER - a new horror/action/comedy series

• PROJECT: HOAX - a horror limited series

• 415 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)

• 1 foreword for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2022)

• 0 television series proposal (0 in 2022)

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!

MARCH 17 - 19, 2023 - Planet Comicon, Kansas City MO

MARCH 24 - 26, 2023 - Fan Expo Cleveland, Cleveland OH

APRIL 28 - 30 - Oz Con, West Plains MO

JUNE 16 - 18, 2023 - Heroes Convention, Charlotte NC

JUNE 24, 2023 - Route 66 Toy and Comic Convention, Lebanon MO

JULY 7 - 9, 2023 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO

AUGUST 5 - 6, 2023 - Fountain City Con, New Century KS

SEPTEMBER 16 - 17, 2023 - Extremicon, St. Roberts MO

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 1 - Cowtown Comic Convention, Fort Worth TX

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.

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