Cullen Bunn's Blog, page 5
October 11, 2017
Friedly’s Treats (A Halloween Story)
A few years back, I started writing these short little Halloween tales featuring the devilish Mrs. Friedly. I figured it’s time to post them again. I’ll be sharing them over the next few days, and I’m working on some new ones. The first new Mrs. Friedly story is now posted on my Patreon page for my supporters, and I’ll share another new one on this page soon. If you like these stories, now would be a great time to order my new collection of horror tales, A PASSAGE IN BLACK AND OTHER STORIES. Everybody loves spooky stories on Halloween!
Friedly’s Treats
By Cullen Bunn
Joshua hated Halloween. He once loved costumes and jack o’lanterns and candy. But now he dreaded the holiday.
Outside, trick-or-treaters giggled and climbed Mrs. Friedly’s porch steps. The shuddering knock sent shivers down Joshua’s spine. He squeezed his eyes shut.
The door creaked open. Cool air swept the foyer.
Guttural voices cried, “Trick or treat!”.
“Aren’t you fearsome!” Mrs. Friedly beamed at the anxious little monsters. “I’ve something extra special for you.”
Joshua squirmed as she lifted him, but the ropes around his hands and feet held tight. The gag muffled his screams. Grinning sweetly, Mrs. Friedly plopped him into one of the yawning treat bags.
“Oh, dear!” She pursed her lips. “I’m afraid I’m all out of treats. I don’t have enough for each of you.”
A disappointed groan rose from the beasties.
“Oh, I know!” The kindly-looking woman snapped her fingers and ducked into the house. She reappeared minutes later.
She dropped shiny treats into the other bags.
Wide-eyed, Joshua watched over the edge of the bag.
“Here you go!” Mrs. Friedly said. “Remember to share.”
Thanking the old woman, the hideously-masked trick-or-treaters skipped down the sidewalk, Joshua in one bag, butcher knives and meat cleavers in the others.
End
October 5, 2017
First Review of A PASSAGE IN BLACK!
My collection of short stories–A PASSAGE IN BLACK AND OTHER STORIES–will be available tomorrow! It’s a great collection of stories to help you celebrate the most spooky time of the year (any time of the year, actually). The first review of the book was posted on horror-writers.com, and the reviewer had some nice things to say!
“No matter your brand of horror, there are stories that you will enjoy.”
“…this was the absolute best work I have read since launching the column.”
“This is a must own for any real horror fan.”
“Rating: 5 out of 5 (actually, can I give a 6 out of 5?)”
Check out the entire review here: http://www.horror-writers.com/papercuts-a-passage-in-black/ and make sure to order the book tomorrow!
Trade Paperback; $18 398 Pages Cover by Tim Mayer Available at Amazon and OmahaBound.com
October 4, 2017
REGRESSION is Coming Soon in Trade Paperback!
The first collected volume of my horror series REGRESSION will be hitting the stands soon! You should pre-order it now!
From the official press release:
Celebrated horror writer Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Damned), artist Danny Luckert (Haunted), and colorist Marie Enger (Pistolwhip, 2 Sisters) will release REGRESSION, VOL. 1: WAY DOWN DEEP this November from Image Comics. This trade paperback will collect issues #1-5 of the mind-bending horror series.
Plagued by ghastly waking nightmares, Adrian reluctantly agrees to past-life regression hypnotherapy. As his consciousness is cast back through time, Adrian witnesses a scene of horrific debauchery and diabolism. Waking, he is more unsettled than before, and with good reason—something has followed him back. Adrian descends into a world of occult conspiracy, mystery, reincarnation, and insanity from which there is no escape.
“My father was a professional hypnotist,” said Bunn. “While his on-stage performances centered around humor, he conducted past life regressions for select groups. I witnessed several of these regressions, and each one was surreal and eerie in its own way. Subjects described different times and places in vivid detail. They spoke with unusual accents. They spoke languages they had never (to our knowledge) studied. The most bizarre occurrences were the regressions which resulted in a completely silent subject.
“To me, it seemed that either they were a genuine ‘new soul,’ or whatever they saw in their past was too horrific to so much as utter,” continued Bunn. “This story is designed to conjure that same sense of unease and horror.”
REGRESSION, VOL. 1: WAY DOWN DEEP (Diamond code: MAR178446, ISBN: 978-1-5343-0337-9) hits comic book stores Wednesday, November 15th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, October 9th.
It will be available in bookstores on Tuesday, November 21st and can be preordered via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.
Select praise for REGRESSION:
“Bunn, Luckert and Enger have created a real page-turner: frightening, engrossing, and clever. A must-read for horror fans.” —Steve Niles (30 Days of Night)
“REGRESSION is creepy, disgusting, and awesome. Just like Cullen.” —Jeff Lemire (ROYAL CITY, A.D.: AFTER DEATH, DESCENDER)
“This may well be the best new horror series out there.” —Nerdist “REGRESSION will get under your skin. It will shake you to your core. This is a damn scary comic.” —Horror Talk
“The team on this book is perfect, and this is consistently one of the best horror comics on the rack.” —Comicosity
“REGRESSION is certainly for older, more seasoned horror fans who appreciate the ‘body horror’ of Cronenberg’s films and comics such as Alan Moore’s Providence which challenge, horrify, disgust, and entice the reader all at once. Because of this combination, it is one of the best horror comics to debut in years.” —Horror News Network –
October 3, 2017
Keep Away From Pumpkinhead
Keep away from Pumpkinhead,
Unless you’re tired of living,
His enemies are mostly dead,
He’s mean and unforgiving,
Laugh at him and you’re undone,
But in some dreadful fashion,
Vengeance, he considers fun,
And plans it with a passion,
Time will not erase or blot,
A plot that he has brewing,
It’s when you think that he’s forgot,
He’ll conjure your undoing,
Bolted doors and windows barred,
Guard dogs prowling in the yard,
Won’t protect you in your bed,
Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead!
–Poem by Ed Justin
It seems appropriate for the month of October that Dynamite Comics has announced that I’ll be writing the PUMPKINHEAD comic book series! I’ll admit, when I heard that Dynamite had acquired the rights to do this book, I immediately contacted them asking to pitch for the series. Good ol’ Pumpkinhead may be my favorite movie monster, and I’ve always had the urge to add my own spin to his story.
As I said in the official Dynamite press release:
“I watched PUMPKINHEAD on opening night in a little two-screen movie theater outside Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro, North Carolina,” says writer Cullen Bunn. “To say it helped cement my love of horror (and, in particular, ‘rural horror’, which I write a lot of these days) would be an understatement. I can recite the poem from memory. I even play the soundtrack while writing my own stories. The pacing, the eeriness of the setting, the interplay of weird light and shadow. These are all elements I hope to capture in the comic. As a longtime fan of horror, I hold this movie in high regard, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be contributing to the backwoods mythos of Haggis and Bunt Wallace and the Demon of Vengeance his own self.”
The book hits the stands in February! Stay tuned for updates! If you’re a fan of the monster–or of horror in general–you’ll like what I’m cooking up!
And check out the amazing cover art by Kelley Jones!
September 7, 2017
A Passage in Black & Other Stories
I’m very excited to announce that a new collection of my short fiction will be published by Omahabound, both in a lovely trade paperback and a very limited hardcover edition. This massive tome collects 27 stories, ranging from the absurd to the cosmically horrific. The stories are illustrated by Tim Mayer. Tim also did the cover of the trade paperback, while Tyler Crook did the cover of the limited edition.
From the official press release:
OMAHABOUND PUBLISHES CULLEN BUNN’S A PASSAGE IN BLACK & OTHER STORIES.
About the Collection:
A Passage in Black & Other Stories collects 27 stories; 8 never-before published and 19 only released in small press. Accompanying the stories are 23 illustrations by illustrator Tim Mayer. These stories are back-woods horror, creepy, and terrifying tales that only Cullen Bunn could tell!
Also available is a Special Edition Hardcover (with cover art by Tyler Crook) limited to 100 copies, available only through OmahaBound.
About Cullen Bunn:
Cullen Bunn is best known as the writer of graphic novels and comic books for Oni Press, Dark Horse, Marvel Comics, DC, Boom! Entertainment, Image Comics, and Aftershock! Comics.
He also wrote the middle reader horror novel, Crooked Hills.
About Tim Mayer:
Tim is a freelance illustrator whose credits include Prophetica, The Anywhere Man, and Oldguy: Superhero. He has also designed book covers for The Surface series and Midnight Circus.
About OmahaBound:
OmahaBound produces and showcases distinct work in the comic book and related fields through publishing, events, and supporting local and independent creators. Visit OmahaBound.com for more information and to see other projects.
A PASSAGE IN BLACK & OTHER STORIES AVAILABLE OCTOBER 6, 2017.
The trade paperback will be $18, 398 pages, Cover and Interior Illustrations by Tim Mayer. Available on Amazon and at OmahaBound.com.
The Special Edition Hard Cover will be $100, Limited to 100 copies, Cover by Tyler Crook, Interior Illustrations by Tim Mayer. Available at OmahaBound.com
July 18, 2017
SDCC 2017 Schedule!
Hey folks! If you are attending San Diego Comic-Con, here’s where you will be able to find me… unless I find you first.
THURSDAY
11:00 – 11:50
Dark Horse Signing (Hellboy Signing Stage)
HALO: RISE OF ATRIOX signing (with Alex Irvine, Jody Houser, and Jonathan Wayshak)
2:00 – 2:50
Dark Horse Signing (Hellboy Signing Stage)
HARROW COUNTY, DEATH FOLLOWS, CONAN THE SLAYER
4:00 – 5:00
Panel – Marvel: Next Big Thing.
Room 5AB
FRIDAY
10:30 – 11:30
Panel – Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Room 24ABC
12:00 – 1:00
Panel – Lucasfilm Publishing: New Star Wars Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Room 7AB
1:00 – 1:45
Marvel Comics Signing
SATURDAY
10:00 – 11:00
Signing at KRS Comics with Tyler Kirkham
Booth 5559
11:00 – 11:45
Marvel Comics Signing
1:00
Oni Press Signing
SUNDAY
Super Secret Pop-Up Signing with Brian Quinn and METRO preview book giveaway! Follow me on Twitter or Facebook for news on the schedule!
1:45 – 2:45
Panel – Image Comics
Room 5AB
April 18, 2017
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe… AGAIN!?
Not a joke…. not an imaginary story… except of course it is…
I’m excited to announce that artist Dalibor Talajic and I are working together on another bloody masterpiece, this one titled… DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE AGAIN – an all-new 5-issue series!
Remember the time Deadpool went a little TOO crazy and killed the entire Marvel Universe? Well, this isn’t that. This is a DIFFERENT time Deadpool went a little too crazy and killed the entire Marvel Universe. So strap in, because the Merc With a Mouth is taking out all of your favorites in the most horrific ways possible. Heroes. Villains. It doesn’t matter to Deadpool one bit! But trust us, it’s going to hurt him more than it hurts you…and you’re going to love it!
The carnage and the mayhem kick off this July. Be there for a murderous rampage unlike any other, when DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE AGAIN – coming to your local comic shops and on digital devices everywhere!
And here’s a little interview I did about the series. See if you can figure out the big mystery around this one.
April 17, 2017
Unholy Grail – Coming from Aftershock!
I’m excited to announce a new series from AfterShock Comics. In July, artist Mirko Colak and I will be launching an Arthurian horror tail titled Unholy Grail.
Arthur Pendragon was the king of all Britain. His story is legendary. Merlin. The Lady of the Lake. Excalibur. Camelot. The Knights of the Round Table. But these stories are bright lies painted over the truth. Here is presented the gospel of Arthur’s bloody rise to power and his unholy reign. The legend of King Arthur is not the stuff of legends, but the fuel of nightmares.
As Arthur descends into darkness, is there any lingering hope that he still might do something good?
I’ve been fascinated by Arthurian legends since I discovered T. H. White’s ‘The Once and Future King’ as a kid. From that point on, I wanted to explore every variation of the story, from Thomas Malory’s work to the movie ‘Excalibur’ to the comic ‘Camelot 3000.’ One of the things that intrigued me was how there are so many interpretations of the epic — as should be the case with all great myths — and so many different takes on the story. At some point, years ago, I started to wonder what the Arthurian legend might look like if they were written as a horror story. I thought about it so much, I guess, that I started dreaming about it. I woke from one of those dreams and scribbled the sentence ‘The demon, who had no name in his own tongue, but would come to be called Merlin by mortals, uncoiled its serpentine body and slithered out of the shadows.’ That was over 20 years ago, but I still have the notebook where I first pondered the concept.
The series features lettering from Simon Bowland and the first issue features covers by Colak and Francesco Francavilla.
And here’s some awesome preview art from the first issue!
C2E2
C2E2 takes place this weekend, and I will be there! However, I will have a rather limited appearance and signing schedule, so if you want to get something signed, here’s where you can find me.
THURSDAY, April 20, 7pm to 10pm
CHALLENGERS COMICS & CONVERSATION – THE DAMNED RELEASE PARTY!
CULLEN BUNN and BRIAN HURTT are coming to Chicago for C2E2 and Challengers has them a day early! Join us in celebrating the resurrection of their demon noir comic THE DAMNED: THREE DAYS DEAD in a $10 re-mastered edition and prepare for the NEW ongoing series.
This isn’t your ordinary signing—this is a PARTY! There will be surprise guests, all sorts of fun stuff, and CULLEN BUNN TENDING BAR! He’s making old fashioneds. For real. And don’t worry; we’re putting BRIAN HURTT to work, too. Huge thanks to Oni Press for making this event happen.
FRIDAY, April 21, 12:30 – 12:45
Twitch live stream interview along with Brian Hurtt.
FRIDAY, April 21, 1:30 – 2:30
Signing (along with Brian Hurtt) at the Oni Press Booth 209.
FRIDAY, April 21, 5:15
“To Hell and Back: A Spotlight on THE DAMNED and THE SIXTH GUN” at 5:15 in room S401 at C2E2.
SATURDAY, April 22, 11:00 – 12:30
Signing (along with Brian Hurtt) at the Oni Press Booth 209.
SATURDAY, April 22, 1:00 – 2:00
Signing (along with JimmyZ Johnston) at the IDW booth 609.
April 15, 2017
What are People Saying About REGRESSION?
Final Order Cutoffs for REGRESSION, my first Image Comics series, are due on MONDAY! That means you need to call or visit your local comic shop and tell them you would like to pre-order the first issue. I know, everyone has a different opinion about pre-ordering. A lot of folks hate the very idea of it. Let me tell you, though, pre-ordering is vital to the survival of a comic. There are so many great books out there that it is tough for retailers to order everything their customers might want. By pre-ordering, you can be sure you get the book you’re after and your retailer can feel more comfortable with the books they are bringing into the store.
The ORDER CODE for REGRESSION #1 is MAR170631
And what are people saying about REGRESSION?
“Bunn, Luckert, and Enger have created a real page-turner, frightening, engrossing, and clever. A must-read for horror fans.” – Steve Niles, Writer of 30 Days of Night and Winnebago Graveyard.
“I have read Cullen Bunn’s upcoming series REGRESSION and it is creepy, disgusting and awesome. Just like Cullen.” – Jeff Lemire, Writer of Black Hammer and Descender.
“This comic leaves you with one massive cliffhanger that will have you count down the days until you can get your hands on the next issue. It is that good, that scary and that intriguing.” – Outright Geekery
“Its expertly paced, shockingly gory, and straight up disturbing. – Monkeys Fighting Robots
“Genuine interactions, disturbing imagery, and shadow of intrigue lurking around every corner.” – GWW
