Vicious Shivers (Cullen Bunn's Official Newsletter), Issue 110
This is the 110th 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!
Let’s face it. It’s been a tough week. It’s like… Well… You know when you go to a restaurant and order an appetizer or salad. But before you’re even started with those potato skins or soup or mixed greens, they bring out the main course? It’s like that, only this restaurant is serving awfulness.
I’m not done with this pandemic, and here comes World War III!
I can completely understand why so many just feel… crushed by it all.
I feel like I’m handling all of this all right at the moment. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to be at a loss, to not have a solution or an answer. I’m making some plans and doing a few small things to prepare for whatever comes and to help my family. That’s the best I can do.
I’m lucky in that I can be easily distracted by my work. Did I get as many pages written as I wanted this week? Hell, no! But I cleaned my office a hundred times, started a bunch of short stories, and began cleaning out the storage room.
For me, it’s all about staying busy. If I don’t, believe me, that darkness creeps right in.
And… speaking of distraction…
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This week, Valiant announced a host of new titles that they’ll be publishing in the next year. Among those titles was my next project BOOK OF SHADOWS.
SHADOWMAN. PUNK MAMBO. ETERNAL WARRIOR. DOCTOR MIRAGE. And [CLASSIFIED]. The supernatural protectors of the Valiant Universe unite for the very first time to stand against a terrifying ancient threat. No one is safe as Exarch Fane has his cold hands on the Book of Shadows. From the master of horror CULLEN BUNN and rising star artist RICCARDO LATINA, BOOK OF SHADOWS is a supernatural event that forms a brand-new team in the Valiant Universe… but will they be enough to stop Exarch Fane’s wrath? The all-new team arrives this July.
I’m thrilled to be working on this book, and I feel like it is a wonderful companion/continuation of the world I’ve been building with PUNK MAMBO and SHADOWMAN.
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With Shadowman in mind, the awesome band A Sound of Thunder released the official music video for the Theme from Shadowman, and it’s a blast. I actually contributed lyrics for the song. You can check out this “disco in a graveyard” extravaganza here:
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I didn’t know this was going to be shared just yet, but I’m not complaining! Mad Cave Studios posted a video in Twitter that shows scenes from some of their upcoming books. A little ways in, you’ll see a few panels from A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE, a horror series I’ve been working on with the great Andrea Mutti.
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Tyler Crook posted an awesome process video for the cover of the upcoming TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY: LOST ONES #1. Want to see a mad genius at work? Here ya go!
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Let’s forge ahead, shall we? There are a few new books coming out this week, and I want to make sure you’ve got your handy dandy shopping list ready for them!
NEW THIS WEEK…
THE LAST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ #5
As the Wilding continues to change the world, enemies close in on Olivia and Conner. Given sanctuary by believers who hang on her every word, Olivia gets a glimpse of what humanity is truly becoming. Her fans, though, might prove every bit as dangerous as the people who want her dead.
MANOR BLACK: FIRE IN THE BLOOD #2
Infighting and buried secrets threaten the powerful family of blood sorcerers led by Roman Black, and some of the heirs blame Roman's newest protégé-a young fire mage that may be the key to protecting the town from a new threat.
TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY: FAIR FOLK TPB
Fresh off the loss of her goblin friend to a strange portal, Bernice must weigh her responsibilities as protector of Harrow County with her desire to get her companion back safe and sound. But the past weighs heavily and the fair folk use Bernices use her memories against her. And something more disastrous than she could have feared may be around the corner to threaten both the worlds of Man and of haints.
PATREON...
Loads of new content is going up on my Patreon account. Here are some of the posts from the past week:
Moment of POW: Sometimes the Good Guys Lose - a look back at one of my fondest comic reading experiences.
Warlock 5: About Savasthar - A sneak peek at some of the Warlock 5 ttrpg content I’ve been working on.
The Lantern Lady Rhyme - A nursery rhyme written for an upcoming project.
A Top Secret Sneak Peek! - A glimpse of things to come!
Commentary Track: Heathens #4 - A behind-the-scenes look at the issue!
Work Update - A detailed look at some of the things I’ve been working on.
Warlock 5: Lord Doomidor - Another sneak peek at Warlock 5 ttrpg content!
THIS WEEK’S OBSESSIONS...
This week, I haven’t felt much like reading, watching, listening to, or playing much of anything. I’ve been re-watching CHEERS, if that counts, and my son and I have continued our viewing of GAME OF THRONES.
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
JUNE, 17 - 19, 2022 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO
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.
May 7, 2022 - BLOODBORNE kicks off with a Free Comic Book Day issue!
May - TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY: LOST ONES
July - BOOK OF SHADOWS, the Valiant Universe supernatural team book.
August 2022 - UP TO NO GHOUL, a sequel to THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR.
A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE - A horror maxi-series about a mysterious town and mysterious experiments that have played out there.
A sequel to a story about dreams and loss and adventure.
A sequel to a story of robotic mischief.
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.
A new series that will allow me to spin many, many horror stories.
WORK UPDATE…
So far this year, I wrote:
257 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)
17 new comic book series proposals (25 in 2021)
0 podcast proposals (5 in 2021)
1 foreword for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2021)
1 television series proposals (0 in 2021)
And a quick collage of books that I’ve released so far this year (well… as of Wednesday)
FINAL THOUGHTS…
Take care of yourself. Take care of those you love. Talk to the people who you trust and who will listen. Answers and solutions are all well and good, but you don’t have to have them at the moment.
If you want to keep the conversation going throughout the week, follow me on Twitter or join my Discord server (see below)! Thanks for joining me!
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.