Vicious Shivers (Cullen Bunn's Official Newsletter), Issue 126
This is the 126th 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!
You ever feel like you’re flying too close to the sun?
Like you’re going in too many directions, trying to do too many things at once, trying to cover too many bases… and you know for certain that your wings are going to melt into pieces and you’re going to plummet to your doom?
There are so many cool things going on right now. So many new and exciting projects. So many awesome opportunities. So many chances to roll the dice and make something awesome happen.
My brain, of course, doesn’t allow me to focus on the awesome aspects of all that’s happening. Instead, I worry over EVERY LITTLE THING that could possibly go wrong.
I’ll be fine, of course. I gotta be. And the next few weeks will make for interesting reading, I think.
***
To ease my mind, I’ve been watching clips from America’s Got Talent. I think I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I get so wildly emotionally invested in these contestants. I just watched a few clips, and I’m in tears right this second. I know, I know. “It’s all staged. It’s all scripted.” At least, that’s what folks tell me when I say I’ve been watching the show. Maybe it is. I’m still entranced by the drive and talent I see on that show.
My son, as you probably all know, is a talented violinist. I’m simply blown away by his skill and focus. He’s a teenager, so he doesn’t love when I tell him how amazing I think he is, not just when it comes to music, but in general. I watch these contestants on AGT, many of them kids, and I can’t help but think of my kid. I can’t help but hope he gets to show the world what an awesome person he is.
Here’s a couple of he AGT acts I just watched that really got to me.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Forging ahead.
***
Later today, I’m taking my son shopping. Clothes. A new laptop. Presents for his mom’s upcoming birthday. Afterwards, I’m gonna grill a couple of steaks. I’ll try to get a little writing done, too. This week is going to be crazy, work-wise and personal life-wise, so I’ve got to get a bit done while I can. But work’s not the primary focus. Relaxing with the family is.
Sounds like a good day to me.
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SHAKESPEARE UNLEASHED has been launched on Kickstarter. It funded very quickly, and I definitely hope you check it out and pledge. I have a Hamlet-inspired story that will be in the book!
What If Shakespeare Was Clive Barker? Welcome To Shakespeare Unleashed — bleedingcool.com Shakespeare Unleashed is the follow-up to Classic Monsters Unleashed, the highest-funded and highest-backed prose horror anthology in Kickstarter history,
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You like evil, magical cats, right? Well, have I got a story for you! In October, Archie Comics will unleash the CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SALEM one-shot, and I get to tell the tale of Sabrina’s cat friend on a spooky adventure of his own.
Exclusive: Archie's Month Of Mayhem Unleashes Four New Horror Comics This Fall - Fangoria — www.fangoria.com Archie Comics is looking to spoil horror fans this Halloween season with not one but four new comic books releasing as part of the publisher's inaugural "Archie's Month of Mayhem" initiative.
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There have been hints of this project for Mad Cave popping up. Now, it’s official that LEGACY OF VIOLENCE by Andrea Mutti and myself is coming soon.
EXCLUSIVE: Mad Cave Studios Announces New Fall and Winter Titles From Cullen Bunn, Joe Corallo And More — www.cbr.com CBR can exclusively reveal titles and solicitations for Mad Cave Studios' fall and winter 2022 releases from Cullen Bunn, Zac Thompson and more.
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Screen Rant posted some cool preview art from the upcoming BOOK OF SHADOWS. Advance reviews of the book have been strong, and I hope you’ll check it out.
Shadowman Unites Valiant's Mystic Heroes in Book of Shadows (Exclusive Preview) — screenrant.com The Valiant Universe's next big team has almost arrived with Book of Shadows, and Screen Rant has an exclusive look at art from the blockbuster event.
***
And my pal Anton Kromoff has been doing a lot of writing for Comicon. One of his recent pieces features the story of my long lost copy of DEITIES AND DEMIGODS.
The Dragon Returned — A Cullen Bunn Story – COMICON — www.comicon.com Welcome to the table. I'm currently traveling to conventions where they have me speaking at panels about accessibility, publishing, and tabletop game design. These sorts of things are a lot of fun and I love meeting new people, talking to other creators, and seeing what makers and craftspeople are creating. My absolute favorite part of…
SWUMPWATER IS LIVE…
If you haven't watched SWUMPWATER yet, I hope you'll give it a shot. I'm proud of this short film, and I think you'll dig it if you are a fan of my work!
NEW COMICS THIS WEEK…
BASILISK Volume 2
Against vicious odds, Hannah completes the first step in revenge against the Chimera, with deadly results.
Vanessa confesses her knowledge of a destiny they can't avoid, and a sacrifice they'll have to make.
Meanwhile, a defector from the Chimera continues to help Hannah. But as more of her humanity slips away in her grief and rage, a hauntingly-familiar voice returns her to a world of unimaginable pain.
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.
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.
June - BLOODBORNE, a comic series based on the hit horror video game.
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.
September - SHOCK SHOP, A new series that will allow me to spin many, many horror stories.
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 licensed horror comic series
Another new licensed horror comic series
A horror maxi-series exploring a side of horror you might not expect
A horror/thriller I’m co-writing
A horror limited series I’m working on with one of my best friends and long-standing collaborator
WORK UPDATE…
So far this year, I wrote:
862 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)
6 short stories (13 in 2021)
0 novellas (0 in 2021)
25 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…
As my old geology professor used to say at the end of every class:
I love you all. Have a good life. And keep on trucking, my friends.
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.