Vicious Shivers (Cullen Bunn's Official Newsletter), Issue 103
This is the 103rd issue of Vicious Shivers, a (mostly) weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Thank you for subscribing. Please share it with others if you think they might be interested!
Last week was Old Christmas. Old Christmas is one of the traditional names among Irish Christians and Amish Christians for 6 January, which is also known more widely as the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night. In the Outer Banks region of North Carolina, it is celebrated as a time to gather with family and friends, let bygones be bygones, cook up some oysters (blerrrgh!), play games, and await the arrival of Old Buck.
Old Buck is a mysterious bull-like beast that emerges from his haunted forest, dances among the townsfolk, then quickly returns to the woods from whence he came.
When I was a kid, my dad always had some small celebration for the day. He’d tell us that Old Buck would come that night. And we’d always wake to find a handful of small presents next to our beds. The gift I most remember from those days was a Batman string art set, although I think I also got a Planet of the Apes play-set one time. That might have been a birthday gift, though.
Either way, I feel like that was a tradition I always wanted to carry on with my kid. I did it a couple of times when he was very young, but I dropped the ball in the years that would have mattered. Now I feel like that moment has passed.
Maybe I’ll try a little something this week. I’m sure Old Buck wouldn’t mind if I fudge the date a little bit.
***
I admit, I don't love end-of-the-year lists. They always make me feel... defeated in some way, especially when I don't get a little nod... especially on a year when I feel like I released some really kick-ass books. I know, I know. It just means there were a LOT of kick-ass books released by a lot of talented people. That's a good thing. And the people putting those lists can't really be expected to read everything. But those lists always bug me.
I mean... unless they DO mention me.
So... here's one that placed me as the Best Comic Writer of the year. Thanks to the Horror News Network. It put a smile on my face. These days, those smiles help immensely.
Horror News Network 2021 Comic Awards: Best Writer Of The Year - Horror News Network — www.horrornewsnetwork.net The third time's the charm for Cullen Bunn. Once again, the New York Times bestselling author is taking home the Horror News Network Best Writer of the
***
I started working on another round of DEEPEST CATACOMBS strips. I've had an outline for a second series sitting in my files for some time now, but I went ahead and started scripting it. I also started reaching out to artists about drawing some of the pages. My plan with this one is to have pages drawn by artists who were not involved in the first series. The only exception would be the Zamudios, who started and finished the previous series. It's a fun project, though I really only lose money on it. But I just can't turn my back on it! I hope to start rolling out some new stories in the next month or two!
***
Tyler Crook and I sat down with the folks from Off The Page Games to discuss their upcoming HARROW COUNTY board game! They had some enhancements to play they wanted to share. The game is so awesome. I really think they’re creating something so different and interesting and with so many play and re-play options. It’s super exciting!
COMICS OUT NOW...
BASILISK #6
Following a message from Regan, Hannah rushes to stop the Chimera as they unleash a deadly attack at a shopping center. But are Barret and the amassed Faithful playing a more sinister game of chess, which will leave Hannah and Regan cornered... unable to escape.
INTERVIEWS…
Interview: Shadowman's Cullen Bunn Sets Up Deadside War — screenrant.com We talked with Shadowman writer Cullen Bunn on what fans can expect when the character returns this January for the epic new Deadside War.
PATREON UPDATES…
Recent posts to Patreon include:
Cullen’s Rules to Comics Writing: Between the Panels - Another entry in my quick and easy “rules” for writing comics. https://www.patreon.com/posts/60671474
THE TOOTH: Original Proposal - See how we approached the publisher with the idea for this graphic novel. https://www.patreon.com/posts/60807096
THIS WEEK’S OBSESSIONS...
Viewing-wise, this week has been all about COBRA KAI. We watched a couple of episodes a night until we finished season 4 out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This show is SO much better than anyone would expect. I love it. And I’m anxiously awaiting season 5!
I also watched a few movies over the week. UNCLE PECKERHEAD had a weird indie band charm that I liked. THE GREEN SLIME terrified me when I was a kind and, while nowhere near as frightening these days, I loved the look of it and the model work. Also, the poster art is amazing. DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS is an old movie I managed to miss previously. I was looking forward to seeing it. I remember reading about it in old issues of STARLOG. But I just didn’t connect with it at all, and the Daleks were nowhere nearly as frightening as they should have been.
Based on my pal Mike Oliveri’s recommendation, I started reading THE DAILY STOIC, which I’ve been enjoying. It offers a small bit of guidance towards living a more focused life every day. I also read James Harren and Dave Stewart’s ULTRAMEGA, which I loved. It’s such a surprise and also everything you might want from a book like that. I read KAIJU NO. 8 Vol. 1 as well. It was fun. Maybe a little more humorous than I expected. It paled a little in comparison to ULTRAMEGA, and I might have liked it more if I hadn’t read them so close together. Still, I’m looking forward to volume 2.
My copy of THE THING: OUTBREAK AT OUTPOST 31 finally arrived on a snowy day, which seems appropriate, and I quickly set up a game night to indulge in some horror and paranoia. We played twice. Once, the Thing won. Once, the humans managed to squeak through to a victory. I love the game and highly recommend it, especially if you can rally the full roster of right players. The table talk in the game is just great.
I really tried to set the mood for the game. I had the soundtrack playing. I turned on some eerie, star-speckled lighting. And I placed a bottle of J&B Rare on the table, because that’s what MacReady drinks (and pours into the computer) in the movie. I also whipped up a drink I called the Who Goes There, which seemed to be a big hit.
The Who Goes There is:
3 parts cream de coconut
2 parts vanilla vodka
1 part creme de cacao
A drizzle of Luxardo cherry syrup
Combine the cream de coconut, vanilla vodka, and creme de cacao in a shaker and shake. Pour over crushed ice. Drizzle the cherry syrup on top.
Super simple drink, but super delicious!
EVENTS…
Here are the events I have finalized for the coming days. Keep in mind, these days, "finalized" doesn't mean as much as it once did. All events are subject to change.
APRIL 22 - 24, 2022 - Planet Comicon, Kansas City
WORK UPDATE…
So far this year, I wrote:
43 pages of comic book scripts (938 in 2021)
0 feature length screenplay (1 in 2021)
0 short stories (13 in 2021)
0 novellas (0 in 2021)
0 new comic book series proposals (25 in 2021)
0 podcast proposals (5 in 2021)
0 forewords for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2021)
0 television series proposals (0 in 2021)
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.
February 2, 2022 - MANOR BLACK: FIRE IN THE BLOOD, a return to the world of magicians and wild magic.
March 2022 - GODZILLA VS. THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS, a big crossover comic that no one will be expecting but that makes complete sense.
A sequel to a story about dreams and loss and adventure.
A sequel to a story of robotic mischief.
A sequel to THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR.
A horror maxi-series about a mysterious town and mysterious experiments that have played out there.
A horror OGN where reality and surreality clash in a murderous way.
An action/comedy thrill-ride. unlike anything else I've ever written.
An apocalyptic horror/fantasy maxi-series.
A horror one-shot about loss and grief and guilt.
A new action/horror series I can’t tell you much about just yet.
OTHER NEWSLETTERS AND BLOGS...
STRANGE ANIMALS - A newsletter from comics letterer and writer Aditya Bidikar that covers lettering, comics, and life.
FINAL THOUGHTS…
Thanks for joining me again. If you liked this newsletter, please share it with your friends! If you want to keep the conversation going throughout the week, follow me on Twitter or join my Discord server (see below)! See you next time!
WHERE TO FIND ME ONLINE...
WEBSITE - If you haven’t been there lately, you should check it out. I’ve started posting a lot more content and news on the site.
TWITTER - This is the best place to interact with me online. My handle is @cullenbunn
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.