Issue 271: Introducing the Most Exciting New Comic Artist of Our Generation!

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This weekend was Tremendicon, an incredibly fun, incredibly educational, incredibly inspirational convention that I’ve been thrilled to be a part of for the past few years. The event is very creator-forward, and there are numerous panels on writing, comics, cosplay, crafting, and more. The con is also charity-focused, with proceeds benefiting Ozarks Food Harvest.

One of the fundraising events at Tremendicon is a silent auction for a number of custom sketch cover comics. There were some really awesome ones up for grabs. While I was looking them over, someone (jokingly) asked me, “What are you doing? Wishing you could draw that well?”

The answer, of course, is “yes.”

What I said was, “Bring me a blank cover. In fact, bring me two.”

Because, you know, I don’t like backing down from a fight.

I took my two blank covers back to the Outland Entertainment booth, sat down, and started scribbling. When I was done, we added them into the silent auction. I think the covers turned out pretty well.

Now, when compared to the work of the other sketch cover artists, these two pieces look like they were created by a poorly-trained monkey. Still… once people saw the intricate cross-hatching on the beholder and the delicately use of White-Out to make Warduke’s bat-wing helmet pop, they went into a feeding frenzy, and those covers did great in the auction. The high bidders most certainly got rarities for their collection.

Seeing how well they did, I considered bringing my own personal sketch covers to conventions and such. If I do a lot of them, though, the magic would fade. I think I’ll stick to writing comics for the most part, though we already have a plan for next year’s Tremendicon, and it is gonna be something special.

But—to those who doubted that I could hold my own against artistic powerhouses—never bet against Bunn.

And never forget that folks at a convention will bid on the work of a poorly-trained monkey.

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Tremendicon was a blast. I had a great time hanging out with all my friends. I was thrilled and inspired by all the folks who attended the panels on the writing track. My “Let’s Create a Hero… and Then Kill Them!” panel went over well. I gathered ideas for next year’s writer’s track from participants. And I participated in a magic show. All in all, terrific time.

Over the next year, my role in the convention will be changing quite a bit, mainly because EVERYTHING seems to be changing all around me. But I will continue (assuming they want me to) to run the Writer’s Track, just as I will continue to host Whiskey and Words every month.

I believe in what Tremendicon is trying to accomplish, and it is one of those events that always leaves me energized and inspired.

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Psst… Psst…

I hear a rumor that something really cool is going to be announced by the end of June.

Could it be my first Ignition Press book?

I’ll drop a few hints over the next few issues.

For now, I’ll just say… the downpour has begun.

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Also in the “keep your eyes peeled” category…

…I’LL KILL YOU LAST will be launching on Kickstarter very soon!

Do you love the high-octane action movies of the 80s? Larger than life heroes! One liners! Car chases! Big guns! Bigger muscles! Muscle car chases with even bigger guns!

Do you love bloodcurdling terror? Vampires! Demons! Werewolves! Demonic vampires who turn into werewolves by the light of the full moon!

Do you bleed Cannon films? Do you bleed horror?

If so, this is the anthology for you!

I’ve brought together twenty-two of the most exciting writers around have come together to bring you horror stories... that are firmly rooted in the sensibilities of 80s action movies! Get the popcorn ready! The action is big! The frights are even bigger!

More very, very soon!

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Not that many GIFs were used in our conversations this week, though I received this one… and I feel judged.

The last couple of weeks, I haven’t had a new comic on the shelf. That all changes this week, as FOUR new issues drop!

JUMPSCARE #4

Prisoner of a monstrous cult of Leviathan worshippers, Jumpscare unleashes the full fury of her horror movie powers! But she is not the only captive the Dismal Concordat has imprisoned. And what's our slasher-turned-hero to do when she discovers some monsters are victims, too?

THE SIXTH GUN: ROAD TO THE SIX

THE ROAD TO THE SIX STARTS HERE! Before The Sixth Gun rages back into existence in this summer’s long-awaited reunion from co-creators Cullen Bunn (The Autumn Kingdom, Ghostlore) and Brian Hurtt (The Midnite Show), bridge the gap between the explosive finale of the landmark original series and the powerful new chapter soon to be written with a self-contained, one-shot prelude featuring three, all-new stories . . . leading directly into The Sixth Gun’s 15th anniversary celebration!

A terrible dream lies buried deep in the earth. . . . A powerful dream that the mysterious worldwide cabal of magic users will stop at nothing to realize. With the power of the Six alive in the world, it’s only a matter of time before the weapons are reborn in new hands . . . The return of Bunn and Hurtt’s classic weird Western can’t be stopped. . . . A tale of calamitous fate and those who try to resist it. . . . Soon, The Sixth Gun will be reborn!

ARCANA ROYALE #2

Hudson Tremaine has seen it all, but that doesn't mean she can't bite off more than she can chew from time to time, especially when she's playing in a card tournament for the fate of reality. She might be intent on winning, but the truth of the Arcanos Mysterinos might be more than even she can handle!

OUR BRILLIANT RUIN: HORROR AT CRANE MANOR #3

Based on the tabletop RPG of the same name, Our Brilliant Ruin depicts a world where intricate social ties of allegiance and conflict are tested by the Ruin — a malignant force that corrodes the world and turns people into horrific creatures.

The mounting tension at Crane Mansion is cut by a supernatural attack, and accusations fly as the attendees scramble to reveal the truth behind Constance's transformation. Can Elizabeth, Arielle, and their unlikely allies elude the monster stalking the halls of the mansion? Or will they face the same grotesquely violent fate as her other victims?

This week was pretty wildly busy with guests and conventions and work. In what little spare time I’ve had, I’ve been re-reading the Corum books by Michael Moorcock. I feel like I did this pretty recently (in the last couple of years or so) but here we are again. While cleaning out the garage, I stumbled onto stacks of Moorcock books, stacks of THIEVES’ WORLD books, stacks of the CHRONICLE OF AMBER books by Zelazny, and stacks of Robert Aspirin’s MYTH ADVENTURES. I got excited to dive into all of them again! Reading those books is how I spent many a summer, so why not rekindle a little of that magic!

So… the Summer of Epic Fantasy begins with:

THE KNIGHT OF SWORDS.

Here’s a quick rundown of convention appearances, signings, and other events. Keep in mind, all appearances are subject to changes and cancellations.

June 21 - Route 66 Toy and Comic Convention, Lebanon MO

May 29 - June 1, 2026 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO

LINKTREE - Links! Links! Links! This will get you everywhere worth visiting!

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.

MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE - Listen. You should always shop at your local comic and bookstore first, but if they don’t carry the books you want, you might be able to get them here. And, if nothing else, leave some reviews of the books you love!