Vicious Shivers (Cullen Bunn's Official Newsletter), Issue 122
This is the 122nd 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!
I almost skipped sending this newsletter today. I went to bed last night (after Cindy and I hosted a party for my son’s 14th birthday) with every intention of just… not. A break sounded pretty sweet, actually. But I woke this morning with this nagging feeling that something was missing. So, I fired up the ol’ iPad to see what we get here in the next few minutes. I’ll warn you… I’m exhausted. I never knew preparing for a teenager’s birthday party could take so much out of you. So who knows if this will be long, short, or even sensible.
I started out this week feeling pretty defeated. Said defeat, it seems, stems from the BEYOND MORTAL Kickstarter project. Here’s a book that was done before the campaign even launched, but hard copies of the book are not yet fully delivered. Why? There are many reasons, but it all boils down to me handling it wrong. Everyone who backed the project has received a digital version of the comic, but some have had to wait longer than others. I’ll make sure they get their copies, but it’s not going as quickly as I would like. If I run another Kickstarter—and that’s a huge IF—I’ll handle it very differently. Meaning, I won’t handle it at all. I’ll create the materials, absolutely, but I will be hiring someone with a track record and know-how to manage the campaign, manage printing, and manage fulfillment.
Beyond that rather rough start to the week, it’s just been… busy. My son Roman is at the end of his school year. He’s an amazing violinist. This week, he came home with more awards and medals than he can carry. But it also means practices and concerts and recitals and auditions. It’s a lot—a LOT—to keep up with.
Looking at my calendar, though, the next several months will be a lot to keep up with. Tremendicon is less than a month away. I’ve got guests and friends coming into town for that. Before then, I’ve got story and comic script deadlines. I’ve got medical procedures (nothing major). I’ve got doctor’s appointments (again not major). I’ve got neighborhood yard sales. I’ve got top secret publishing projects to manage. I’ve got books to inventory and get ready for conventions. I’ve got HeroesCon.
I’ve got a bottle of anxiety medicine within easy reach and maybe I should take one.
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In regards to the “top secret publishing projects” I mentioned, there’s something really, really cool on the horizon. I can’t say much about it just yet, but it will be a multi-project deal. I’m writing some of the projects, editing others. I’ve already got the wheels turning on a few of them. That’s all I’ll say for now, but keep an eye on the outer shadows.
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Something else that has been uncoiling quietly in the darkness is SWUMPWATER, a short horror film written by Heath Amodio and myself, being produced by Pop Films and Hustle and Heart. There have been a few production shots posted on Twitter, and I’ll share them now. This thing is coming together quickly, and I’ll have more news on it in the coming weeks.
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This week sees the publication of the final issue of THE LAST BOOK YOU’LL EVER READ. When I started writing this series, I thought “Hey, here’s a cool idea about how society might collapse.” As I got deeper and deeper into the project, though, I realized it is a treatise on faith and religion and communication. It’s also heavily influenced by my thoughts on writing and the creative process as a whole. I’ll miss this book dearly. But it will not be my last time working with Vault (stay tuned) or with Leila Leiz (stay tuned)!
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And—for those of you who didn’t know—here’s a bit of news about the first Library Edition collection of TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY! I love these editions. They are gorgeous. A terrific way to enjoy these stories!
Both volumes of TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY to be collected - GoCollect — blog.gocollect.com Volumes 1 and 2 of the Eisner nominated series TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY will be collected in a deluxe hardcover edition.
COMICS THIS WEEK…
THE LAST BOOK YOU’LL EVER READ #8
With the landscape changing all around them, Olivia and Connor reach the final destination on their satyr book tour.
And it's not what either of them expected.
GODZILLA VS. THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #3
From IDW Publishing and Boom! Studios, two titanic powers collide in an intercompany crossover event you never expected… but one that makes complete sense!
Everyone reading this series is expecting a team-up, and here it is! Only, this might not be what they had in mind! What’s worse than a villainous monster from the Godzilla universe? Villainous monsters from the Godzilla and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers universes! And they’re joining forces to destroy the Power Rangers!
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.
JUNE, 17 - 19, 2022 - Tremendicon, Springfield MO
JUNE 24 - 26, 2022 - HeroesCon, Charlotte NC
JULY 29 - 31, 2022 - Scares That Care, Willamsburg, VA
SEPTEMBER 24 - 25, 2022 - Memphis Comic Expo, Memphis TN
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.
July - BOOK OF SHADOWS, the Valiant Universe supernatural team book.
August 2022 - UP TO NO GHOUL, a sequel to THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR.
August - PARASOMNIA: THE DREAMING GOD, a story about dreams and loss and adventure.
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 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:
655 pages of comic book scripts (938 in 2021)
0 feature length screenplay (1 in 2021)
1 half-hour comedy pilot (0 in 2021)
1 short film script (0 in 2021)
4 short stories (13 in 2021)
0 novellas (0 in 2021)
20 new comic book series proposals (25 in 2021)
0 podcast proposals (5 in 2021)
1 essay (0 in 2021)
1 foreword for upcoming graphic novels (0 in 2021)
1 television series proposal (0 in 2021)
FINAL THOUGHTS…
A couple of days ago, I started listing all of the conventions I’d like to attend next year. As a writer, I can only attend conventions that bring me out as a guest (so… if you have a favorite convention you’d like to see me at, please let them know). Next year, though, I’m determined to attend some conventions as a fan. No work! No work! No work! I’m pretty excited about it, actually.
If you enjoy reading about all the nonsense I’m up to, I hope you’ll consider throwing some support toward my Patreon. I post something almost every day, and all the funds earned on that platform go directly into funding more and more comic book work!
If you want to keep the conversation going throughout the week, follow me on Twitter or join my Discord server! Thanks for joining me!
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.