Vicious Shivers (Cullen Bunn's Official Newsletter), Issue 93
This is the 93rd 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!
THAT TIME OF YEAR, AMIRIGHT?
Magic.
It’s in the air right now.
I can feel it.
A chill—because magic, no matter what you think, is cold—is creeping into the air. The days still get warm, sure, but the heat’s hold is starting to slip. The night air—because magic is most at home in the dark—is crisp and it carries voices from far away.
Fall is here… and with fall, speeeeoooooooooooky season.
It is the time of the year I feel most energized and inspired, not just in my writing, but in life itself. This past week, I’ve been on the go, spending time with my wife and son and my friends, doing some things for myself, actually trying to have a little fun.
There was stress for sure. I’ve been dealing with some physical manifestations of anxiety the last couple of weeks. The sources are myriad. My car crapped out on me, and the technicians have no idea what the problem is. Some projects I was working on changed on the publisher side, and the change in direction created a bit of a headache. Work is piling up for me, and I haven’t quote broken out of this malaise that is keeping me from writing. Our cat Elvis, who is 18 years old, had some health issues and we took him to the vet (He’s fine… He’s just 18). I have a teenage son, and I’m sure most parents of teenagers are nodding their heads in solidarity as they read that sentence.
Nonetheless… I’m energized… and I enjoyed myself when I could.
I joined a really cool underground speakeasy with a great bartender and great cocktail menu. Cindy and I tried it out for the first time this week, and I can’t wait to take the Dangerous Dilettantes out so they can give it a whirl.
I entered a trivia contest with my pals Scott and Darrel. The theme was “science fiction.” We came in third place, which wasn’t bad considering most other teams had twice as many players as us and Scott was really shouldering the whole thing. (In the next couple of weeks, they are having horror-themed nights, and I’m hoping to do a little better.)
I took Cindy out for drinks and dinner. We went to a bar that served drinks like the Butt Ass Naked and the Nip Slip. We ate steaks and flaming sushi rolls.
Cindy and I also did a little antique shopping and I bought a really sweet bar set straight off some cursed pirate ship.
My son and I went to haunted houses. The two we went to have been around forever. I mean, I used to go to them when I was in college. These were the first real haunted houses he has been to, and I think he really liked it. At least, he asked if we could go back with his friends next week.
All in all, despite the frustrations and stress, a pretty good week.
That cool, dark magic is all around, protecting me.
And I’m ready. I really mean it this time. I’m all set to tackle the next few weeks. There’s a lot of work to do. Many stories to tell.
Take care of yourselves. Even when the world is crashing down around you. Even when time and co-workers and family and friends and old enemies are all seeming to conspire against you. Try to make a little time to take a deep breath and have a little fun if you can.
QUICK UPDATES
Heath Amodio, my partner at Hustle & Heart Films and my co-writer on THE HEATHENS, sent out a couple of new pitches for OGNS.
I’ve been developing some new comic book ideas for a shared universe. I think I mentioned it last week. This week, I started seeing concept art for the different series. I can’t wait to show you.
SIGNING AT CHOPS COMICS
On Saturday, I’ll be signing books at Chops Comics in Lawrence, Kansas. If you’re in that area, I hope you’ll stop by and see me!
NEW COMICS THIS WEEK
PARASOMNIA 4
As the nameless stranger battles nightmares in a dream world on his hunt for his missing son-his life and his family's in the real world continue to fall apart in this chilling conclusion to this supernatural and melancholy tale.
The “final” issue of this series hits the stands this week, but rest assured that Andrea Mutti and I are already busily cooking something else up! We’re not done with PARASOMNIA just yet.
IT’S GHOUL SEASON!
If you haven’t grabbed THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR for your kids or for yourself, now is the perfect time of year to do so! It’s creepy, fun, and full of spine-tingling hijinks. You can order it right here:
The Ghoul Next Door: Bunn, Cullen, Farris, Cat: 9780062896094: Amazon.com: Books The Ghoul Next Door [Bunn, Cullen, Farris, Cat] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ghoul Next Door
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.
NOVEMBER 3, 2021 - HEATHENS, a story of history's worst anti-heroes chasing history's worst "monsters"
DRAGONRING - a new endeavor involving an indie comic that I’ve loved since I was a kid. A new shared universe that I have a stake in.
A 20-page horror one-shot inspired by one of Grimm’s fairy tales will appear in GRIMM TALES FROM THE CAVE.
A horror maxi-series about a mysterious town and mysterious experiments that have played out there.
A return to a world of magicians and family intrigue.
A horror OGN where reality and surreality clash in a murderous way.
UPCOMING EVENTS
OCTOBER 2, 2021
I’ll be signing at Chop’s Comics in Kansas City! More details to come!
OCTOBER 9, 2021
I’ll be at the Library Center in Springfield, MO, doing an event connected with horror and THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR! More details to come!
WORK UPDATE
This year, I wrote--
621 pages of comic book scripts (1468 in 2020)
1 feature length screenplay (0 in 2020)
9 short stories (15 in 2020)
0 novellas (2 in 2020)
22 new comic book series proposals (13 in 2020)
5 podcast proposals (0 in 2020)
0 forewords for upcoming graphic novels (2 in 2020)
0 television series proposals (5 in 2020)
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.