[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back to the Capes and Tights podcast right here on capesandtights.com dot. I'm your host, Justin Soderbergh. This episode is once again brought to you by our friends over at Galactic Comics and
[email protected]. this is David Desmalchin, Leah Kilpatrick, and Lucas Kettner talking Headless Horseman 2024 from Dark Horse Comics. David is an actor who's been in movies such as Dune, the Dark Knight, Ant Man, Late Night with the Devil, but is also the co creator, along with Lucas, of Count Crowley over at Dark Horse. David has also written a number of other comics out there. Aaliyah has co written stories for the Headless Horseman 2023 and 2024 with David as well as other things with David out there. She's a writer and comedian and actor and all those things. So this is a great team to have on this podcast. We discussed the Headless Horseman 2024 as well as other things. You can check that out on October 23 at your local comic book shop. But before you listen this episode, you can find. Or before you listen to this episode, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, bluesky threads. All those things rate, review, subscribe over on Apple or Spotify or actually any major, major podcasting platform, as well as YouTube. Check us out on capesandtice.com for all kinds of more information, reviews, features, so much more. This is David, Lucas, and Leah talking the Headless Horseman 2024 from Dark Horse Comics. Enjoy, everyone.
Welcome to the podcast, people. How are you? All good.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: How are you, Justin?
[00:01:37] Speaker A: I'm doing wonderful. Yeah.
This is great to have two of you back and Lucas, first time on the podcast. This is great. It's that time of year. It's time of year to be spooked out in horror, which I guess is really all year long, let's be honest. Like, forget it's all year long, but yeah, we're back for another headless Horseman. You guys excited for it?
[00:01:58] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's awesome. I'm so, I'm pumped when I heard it's coming back and that this team here was working on it as well, I was pretty pumped about it. But, Lucas, since this is your first time on here, why don't we just give a quick background on what brought you into comics so people who are new to you might know how you get started in comics in the first place before we get diving into Headless Horseman.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: Sure. Yeah. The way I got started in comics was just basically being a professional illustrator in Portland. And you can't throw a rock in Portland without hitting a comic book artist or writer when you start to get into those art communities and stuff.
It was coming up on. Ten years ago, even after I'd been in comics for a while, I joined Helioscope PDX studio, which is just, it's like 30 ish comic book artists and writers at any given time to share in a workspace just to keep, like, deskrent down. But the first comic I ever did was called Witch Doctor, and that was one that a writer named Brandon Seifert and I were just self publishing at Kinko's. Like, we put out like two or three issues, and by issues I mean, like short, short stories. Just like, this will be this year's twelve page, like, story about a werewolf or a golem or something.
And Robert Kirkman just, like, happened to see it. Just because we put it up for free online, we weren't expecting to make any money off of it. We just wanted it as a portfolio piece. And so he was starting Skybound right at that time and wanted us to be one of the non, like, Robert projects that were going on so that we did a few volumes of that. From there, they started doing a lot of, like, anthology short story work for, like, dark horse, doing creepy comics, a few other, like, self published, like, little volumes and collections and stuff.
Did some more skybound work with kill the Minotaur. And you asked how I got into comics, and now I'm just kind of going down the list of just like, everything I've ever done. But that was basically it. Like, I got into comics, like, fairly late in life, and when I was late twenties, pushing 30, and like, every, like, everybody my age had already been doing it for like, you know, ten years since they were, like, out of high school. So it was a little behind the eight ball there. But, like, I'm hoping I caught up.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: There's never a wrong time to get into. I feel like it's weird. I feel like I just saw a post from Keith Rozin, who wrote Fever. Was it Fever House? The novel Fever House? He said he was 40 years old when he got into writing and actually published his first book, and now he's 48 and he has like, five books out. It's like, it's never a wrong time to get into something that you love and so you're not late to the game was the right time for you, right?
[00:04:43] Speaker C: I mean, that's stories like that are, like, really encouraging to hear, too, because, like, I don't. It doesn't matter what age you are, if you, if you're passionate about getting into comics and telling stories in that medium, I think it's. It's never too late to just. To just do it and, you know.
[00:04:58] Speaker A: So last year's headless sportsman, the 2023 edition, what was the reception like? Did people, were people really pumped about it and stuff like that? I mean, David, you want to, like, touch in on that?
[00:05:08] Speaker D: That was an amazing experience. That was the first time, actually not true. It was the second time I gotten to contribute to an anthological piece. I'd done something for the last podcast guys when they had an anthology. It's e two.
I've been working with Megan Walker for years at Dark Horse on Count Crowley. She's been my editor since day one. I owe Megan for introducing me to Lucas and for so many of the amazing collaborators that I have in my life. And Megan reached out and said, look, I'm spearheading this anthology of horror shorts for, for dark horse. It's called Headless Horse. I was like, oh, are the stories about headless horse? She's like, no, it's just a framing device so you can be about whatever you want. And Leah and I had been starting to work together in writing and producing capacity. We've been friends for, you know, better part of 15 years, but I really wanted to incorporate some of her style and talent and monster love and comedy into the writing that I was working on. And so we got this chance to do a piece. I knew that Lucas was doing the COVID and his own story, and then we got paired up with Tyler Crook, who's a big inspiration for me, I think. Such a talented artist and is mutual friends with all of us. And so it comes out, and we go to New York comic Con, uh, last fall, and, uh, Phil Sevy, who also worked on the book and did a variant, was there, and we were doing a signing, and just the people that were coming out of the woodwork and so excited about it. And in the years since, how many times people have reflected on or remarked upon how cool the book is, uh, made me feel just so pleasantly surprised and, um, grateful. And so I was hoping there was going to be another one this year. And then luckily, Megan said, yes, there is. And I saw Lucas had the first piece of art, which is that rad horsehead guitar crazy.
I was just like, this is gone up.
[00:07:09] Speaker C: I had a great time doing that piece.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: That's amazing.
[00:07:12] Speaker C: So weird. Because you have to do them like six months in advance now. So it's like you're in the spring, like you're just coming off of the holidays practically, and it's just like, all right, time to, time to gear up for Halloween, and you're like.
[00:07:26] Speaker D: But I.
[00:07:26] Speaker A: Mean, there's, the anthologies are so fun because they're, they're, they're stories that I don't think, I mean, I guess they could be longer stories, but they, they are truncated to a point. But, like, it's also one of those things that there's some stories that just need to be in anthologies. And so I do feel like this is a nice, you know, vessel for that, but it also gives people an opportunity to tell some quick stories. They don't have the time to do a longer story and something like that. But like, obviously, Leah, you got to sign some autographs and do some, some cool things with it, with the, with the comic as well. So were you excited to see it on the shelf finally?
[00:07:55] Speaker B: Oh, I was super excited because this was my first published piece, so it was really fun. David and I got to go, obviously, into a few comic shops, but I remember the first one we went into and just like, finding it on the shelf. Like, David, I've seen him do many interviews where he talks about that moment and it is just so special. And then my nephew, who's ten, I have this really fun photo that I love that it's him reading it, and it's just, it's a special thing that you can't really describe. It's like, I don't know, it felt really, really cool. So I was very happy to be able to do it again this year and excited to tell new stories in, like you said, an anthology that just gives space to kind of these little golden nuggets of ideas that maybe would fizzle out or not run as well in a longer format, but can be so cherished in kind of this kind of capsulated environment. So I feel really special to be able to do it again.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: Bite sized candy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bite sized candy. There you go. That's perfect right there. See, you're a writer. It's sort of comes natural. But no, it's funny. Cause, yes, these anthologies are great because I feel like I've read some comics recently where I was like, oh, this seems like the first issue should have just been an issue, a story, and an anthology. And like, it doesn't seem like it can go any further than this. And I don't know, sometimes stories are made for that. That format. And so all of you three here got to contribute to last year's, but you're also contributing to this year's, uh, headless Horseman 2024 annual, which comes out on October 23. Um, what went into this? This were these stories that you guys had, you know, percolating and you wanted to do it, or did you sit down and write something specifically for, um, this anthology this year?
Anybody wants to answer that, they can answer this.
[00:09:34] Speaker C: I'll do that. Yeah, for this year. Like, I mean, honestly, like, the. The 2023 Headless Horseman. Last year's was my very first, like, writing credit ever. Like, I'd never written for my own artwork before, and this year is my first time writing for another artist.
So Eric Donovan is doing the story that I wrote called Stingy Jack and the Cursed Lantern, which is, if you know that it's a very fairly well known. It's why we have Jack O'Lanterns, basically. And so I wanted to do not just a straight retelling of it, but just kind of put there's like, an emotional twist on it that I hope that reads through. So.
[00:10:20] Speaker A: That'S awesome.
It's a fun thing. And so seeing David and Leah, you guys pairing back up again to do a story in this as well, was this a no brainer for you to just do it again this year after the success of last year's?
[00:10:31] Speaker D: Yes, and also because of the success of last year's piece, what was really cool about that? Because now Leah and I. Leah works with good Fiend, which is my production company, studio. And we've got it really, like, lit a fuse. That was pretty exciting for us. We've got several tv projects now in the works, an animation project, but in the comic space, it led to our inclusion in this year's DC horror presents anthology. We have a series coming out with the major publisher that hasn't been announced yet. And then with headless horsemen when Megan was like, oh, I want you guys to contribute a new piece. It was really cool because Leah really was the germinating seed idea for this year's.
She's got a big, deep fandom for creatures to say.
[00:11:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Creatures. I'm not supposed to say from the black lagoon, but that's what it.
[00:11:33] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. Inspired by, for sure. Yes.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: I should just do that.
[00:11:38] Speaker C: I will give no details. But I did get to read it, though. Yeah, that was amazing. I did get to read it ahead of time because I was doing some, like, layout work on the book last minute. And it's amazing. Like, I'm not going to give any details that you guys don't give yourself, but it's. It's great. I love it.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: I'm really excited to read yours.
[00:11:55] Speaker D: Yeah, I can't wait. Lucas, I'm so psyched.
[00:11:57] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:11:57] Speaker A: I read all of it, so I'm just like lucky here.
[00:11:59] Speaker B: I'm sorry, Justin, I didn't even get.
[00:12:03] Speaker C: A preview CDF yet. You were proof that, sir.
[00:12:06] Speaker A: Yeah, it was, it was fantastic. And that's. Again, I don't know if it's. If it's something that I just have a love for. The first one or the first one I read, which was last year, and then this one just became, you know, you already have that preconceived notion that it's going to be good because last year's was good kind of thing, but no, all those stories were phenomenal. And the big ones are. Is that they're. I don't want. Obviously we're not going to spoil anything here, but like, they're all different. And I think that's the big thing on these kind of anthologies is they all have their own little, you know, nook to be in, you know, monster creature style story. You got your story, Lucas. You've got different styles of artwork that are across the board that aren't the same. And I think that's what's cool about it because I think this, these kind of stories you could like pick up and read, you know, the first story in there, Leach, is, is your story David and Lee. And that. Can you read that, that and put it down? I believe it's burst out the gate.
[00:12:55] Speaker D: Lucas must have put it up top.
[00:12:57] Speaker C: Oh, I didn't do the book. I did.
There was a few last minute, like, intro outro host pages for like the book as a whole. But I had no idea about the story order and I. Yeah, and I haven't seen everything in full color yet. I got the early versions, so.
[00:13:14] Speaker A: Damn, it's beautiful. I feel like I'm just staring at it right now. You guys can just sit there. I'm just gonna look at the whole comic and just, you know, can you.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: Guys just screen share? We'll just go through it.
[00:13:24] Speaker A: Can you see any reflections from behind me and see the digital coffee? No, but yeah, so yeah, there is an intro piece that obviously tells, explains a little bit headless horseman, that kind of thing that Lucas did. But then, yeah, it's your story on there, but yeah, it's a monster creature story. You have these different stories in there. I think this is cool. You can read this one story and put it down, go back to it, those kind of things. You don't have to invest a bunch of time into it, which is pretty cool. And they're all different, and so do you. So you obviously don't when you do these kind of things. Are you not sure either, any of you guys, what the other people are doing? It's basically just you're in charge of your own story, so you rely on the editor, I'm guessing is that you're saying you rely on that. They're not going to have, like, a story that's the exact same thing, just a different version. Exactly.
[00:14:04] Speaker B: I think for me, too. Yeah. We obviously rely on the editors huge, because they wouldn't. They'd be like, write something else, I'm assuming. But what's great is what I appreciate is not knowing. So then I do get a read. You know, four of the five are new, and I don't know tonally what they're going to present or where our story will land in it and kind of like the flow that naturally happens with anthology. So I'm. I'm actually excited that I haven't seen it yet because.
[00:14:29] Speaker D: Yeah. And pitching to Megan, we usually just give her like, you know, a couple of paragraph like, so this is what we're thinking.
[00:14:36] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:37] Speaker D: And then she's like, oh, I like that.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: Or, you know, she's never done this, though. We've only been these people.
[00:14:43] Speaker D: This is us up. Two thumbs up. Four thumbs up. Over the top.
[00:14:47] Speaker A: Four thumbs up. Yeah, exactly.
[00:14:49] Speaker C: I'll make it fix. There you go. Thank you.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: It comes out around Halloween, but it's not Halloween specific. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it comes around the Halloween times because it's inevitable that that's what's going to happen. It's going to probably sell the most issues because it comes around this season. People are expecting horror and so on. But there are a few stories in there that do revolve around it being that time of year. But other stories are just horror stories, which is kind of cool. Is that something that factors in when you guys go to write these things, or is it just you're trying to tell the spookiest or most impactful story that there is?
Lucas can answer that one.
[00:15:25] Speaker D: Our story takes place on Halloween.
[00:15:28] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:15:29] Speaker D: So I think, you know, leah really, like I said, was the originator of this concept and this idea, and it was an opportunity to pay homage to her favorite monster. And so setting it on Halloween, creating that world, which was really interesting because we were paired with an artist, Sarah, who's in Italy, and her. They don't have. Halloween's different for them over there. So their whole impression of, like, what Halloween looks and feels like is from the american films and television and imagery that they're given. So there was a lot of us trying to get in and be like, oh, this is how it would go.
It's really fascinating working on a project internationally. Currently, most of the things that I'm working on, except with Lucas, in fact, are with international partnerships. And sometimes language barrier is a fun challenge. Sometimes cultural differences are an interesting challenge. And we just kept, you know, honing in on. At the end of the day, we want this to be really spooky, disturbing, and beautiful, because that's beautiful to us.
[00:16:40] Speaker A: It is. And I will say that Sara.
[00:16:43] Speaker C: Stella.
[00:16:44] Speaker A: I'm gonna say this. Scalia. Scalia, probably. I think it's the name. I'm trying to pronounce it. Here is the artist on your story. And then obviously, Lucas had mentioned Eric Donovan being the artist on Lucas's story to. What was that? Obviously, you mentioned a little bit Lucas, but what was it like working with Eric on this story?
[00:17:03] Speaker C: Oh, Eric. Eric's been a friend for years. It was great. I mean, he.
I got, like, a few progress picks here and there, and they were. I just basically said, yeah, no notes, just keep going.
I wanted to do a thing where, like, I, you know, I do enjoy, like, the tiny bit of, like, writing that I've done for my own artwork. But, I mean, it's. It's a whole new experience to actually, like, write a full script and then hand it off to an artist. And I kind of just wanted that experience this year.
That was a goal of my schedule as well.
[00:17:43] Speaker A: Yes, that was a goal. I mean, it wasn't just a timer constraint thing. It was just. It was. You were like, this is what you wanted to do.
[00:17:48] Speaker C: I'll be honest, it was both.
[00:17:50] Speaker A: And we.
[00:17:50] Speaker C: And I had talked with Megan about that at the very, like, the beginning of the year, just like, yeah, I could. I could, you know, write and draw a twelve pager, or we could, like. Like, I could write it and then we could, you know, give it to an artist, another artist that, like, hopefully I choose and, you know, that kind of thing.
And, yeah, after this, so. And then later on in the year after the. We had gotten the COVID in and all this other stuff, but it became apparent that it was just like, oh, maybe that's the better choice. I would like that. That kind of new experience of having another artist actually, like, you know, like, on a surprise me level, you know? And you also, again, Eric is just, like, amazing.
[00:18:31] Speaker A: So, yeah, it was. It's phenomenal. I love it. Like I said, it's a different style than the rest of the book, which is one of the things I liked about these anthology books, that each thing is different in that sense. But you also got to contribute your artwork, obviously, we mentioned already, you get the opening pages back page, and then you get the COVID so you're contributing both. Both sides of your comic creation side of things, which must have been cool, too.
[00:18:50] Speaker C: It was, yeah. And I also get to write the little dialogue for the intro outro pages, which is always fun, just because I rarely get to do the kind of, like, funny, spooky host dialogue that's usually David's so much better than that.
[00:19:11] Speaker D: My job in our collaborations, did you bring friar fear or sister Sylvia, or are we getting all new creature?
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Oh, it's.
[00:19:20] Speaker C: It's the, uh, it's the headless host. It's like I kept trying to get exquestrian to, like, catch on, but I like that the, uh, the original, like, character design had, like, I don't know, dark equestrian, like, across the bottom, and so that's the thing that stuck. And. But, yeah, it's just her. She's, you know, just kind of this, like, prim and proper but energetic collector of famous severed heads with her little, like, rotten, zombie like sidekick head. And that's just simple, straightforward, easy, easy to write, very crypt keeper.
[00:19:56] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:19:57] Speaker D: Anybody that's reading comics these days knows Lucas is definitely, like, one of the most distinctive and best voices out there. And I'm really lucky that now we've had Crowley, headless Horseman, there may be a yet another thing coming soon, Lucas, that we're going to be doing together. That's very exciting. And I just.
I love. I love, like, you just get it. Lucas just gets it. He gets the world, and it's so fanciful, it's so fun.
It's really. I'm really lucky how much I've gotten to be a part of books that has Lucas's art in it.
[00:20:33] Speaker C: Well, the feeling is very mutual. I don't. I think that it's.
We're very in tune on things like that, and I think that that goes a long way to just, like, really making everything we do together feel like, that much more successful.
It's just. It's just so, like, you know, it's a special thing when you really, like, click with somebody like that is a co. A co creator as a collaborator. Just, you know, it's hard to describe to somebody who hasn't, like, been there and been a part of the team like that.
[00:21:08] Speaker A: It's a. And then you get to collaborate on this, too, but it's not collaborating on each other's work on this, which is pretty cool, too. It's not like you're doing the artwork for David's story. So it's pretty cool on that side, too.
[00:21:19] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
The difference between, like, you know, working at the same desk and then, like, being in the same bullpen and, like, waving as you go by for coffee, I guess. I don't know. I.
[00:21:33] Speaker D: Mean, in person, Lucas, just, like, once had lunch in Portland.
[00:21:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I think it was just the one time, but it feels like so many more times just because of all the work we've done together. But I want it to be more in person times.
[00:21:46] Speaker D: Like, I I know. I do, too.
[00:21:50] Speaker A: You got, none of you people are busy, right. It's not like you.
[00:21:57] Speaker D: Restful, relaxing adulthood that I'm enjoying.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: Exactly. Right. Lucas, I got a question for you here. How does the headless horseman talk?
[00:22:05] Speaker C: Oh, it's just, it just kind of, like, you know, it just kind of resonates out of her collar, I assume.
I just think it's funny to have a balloon tail just pointed down at just, like, a stump, basically.
[00:22:21] Speaker A: That's what I love about the balloon tail, is, like, directional towards the stump, but it's, like, somehow coming from the headless horseman, but you don't really know. And it's like, oh, you know what? Let's suspend belief here and believe in the fact that she's talking to us.
[00:22:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Don't think it. Don't overthink it.
[00:22:35] Speaker A: Don't overthink it. Exactly. I was just talking about that with someone else about suspending belief in certain things. You just have to, like, sometimes be like, this is a comic book, guys. Let's just. Let's just suspend belief on whether or not the headless horseman can actually talk to you or not. Yeah, but see, the head that she's holding is obviously talking to her because of mouth. But that was thought that was kind of funny. Um, let's see here. What else is there to talk about on this thing?
Oh, yeah. So I lost track of my notes here, but other tales include stories from Ben Stenbeck and Matt Smith and James Osmos and Chris Panda. And Jay Martin is also contributing even a variant cover from Francisco Franco Villa which is amazing. It's a horror icon, in my opinion. In the comic book industry, that's just phenomenal, in my opinion. I know I have one customer that's at my local lcs that will buy this book just because of that variant cover. I'll do that much.
[00:23:33] Speaker D: Yeah, we were really lucky. We got to do a variant for Count Crowley. We had some really kick ass variants for volume three. I'm excited for that all to be collected in the trade paperback that comes out. I think it comes out the same day as headless Horseman. So all of you horror hounds out there, be sure to grab headless horsemen, Count Crowley, volume three on October 25 at your local comic shop.
[00:23:58] Speaker A: I honestly think DC horror presents number one comes out that day too.
[00:24:02] Speaker B: There's too many things coming out.
[00:24:03] Speaker A: No, DC horror presents number one comes out that day too.
[00:24:07] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm doing a signing universal citywalk at things from another world on the 30th, and I was like, this would be pretty nuts. If people are willing to invest in the comic sphere, they would be able to buy knights versus samurai issue one, Creature Commandos issue one, headless Horseman, DC horror presents and count Crowley volume three in one little bundle. So anybody watching this who wants to go to that, I will throw in. What will I throw in?
[00:24:38] Speaker B: Dance.
[00:24:39] Speaker D: A dance. I'll dance.
[00:24:41] Speaker C: David.
[00:24:43] Speaker A: Yeah, it's actually, it's actually funny. It's one of those things I've talked to with, like, Kyle Starks and some other creators about having your work at different publishers is nice because it spreads things around and has different publishers promoting it. But then there's the days like this that happened where it was like, you know, fans of a certain artist or creator, it all comes out on the same day, and they're like, counting their pennies to try to go buy everything at the comic book shop. Sometimes the world's good, sometimes it makes it easy because I could just go there and buy everything one day. I don't have to go multiple days, and maybe there'll be a scribble on it. Like you said.
[00:25:19] Speaker C: I'll scribble it for you.
[00:25:22] Speaker A: But, yeah, I mean, does this, does this, you know, kind of story? Are these ones that you want to be short stories that, I mean, we mentioned this off the top a little bit about being the anthology part of this is that it couldn't be longer than this. Did you think about them as a story for a short story? Because I think sometimes I feel like I said last year with David and Leah, your story, I was like, I really want more. I would love to be more story. It'd be fun to have, like, a miniseries, things like that. But it was perfect in the way that it was also situated. Do you think that any of these stories, you would have wanted to do a longer story, or is this a perfect story? Like, I guess, Leah, this is your baby, in a sense, with this story. Would you have wanted to do a longer story, or you like the length of it?
[00:26:03] Speaker B: That's a good question.
I feel like if it was any longer, it would fizzle out. I think how for this specific story, because it's such a PTSD flashing of memories, and I wanted to, like, hit on the idea that. Well, we wanted to hit on the idea that sometimes memories from, like, looking back at a photo album aren't exactly what was captured in that photo. And sometimes there's other emotions that maybe actually happened on that day or we see things. So what is it? Like, 50% of our memory is a lie?
[00:26:41] Speaker D: It's all editing too. Like, our brains are, like, retelling these stories. Yeah. Editing software.
[00:26:47] Speaker B: So I like the idea that, like, every Halloween, a person, while reflecting back at their past what they thought were wonderful Halloween memories, get kind of pts, triggered by the doorbell ringing and sent back into these memories and realizing they weren't quite as friendly as they wanted to remember or wanted to encapsulate in those photos. And I think with all that to say, I think because it was such an isolated moment, I enjoy it just as the short that it is. I mean, it'd be fun to do an animated version of it. I think there could be a lot of fun.
[00:27:20] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:27:21] Speaker B: More detailed design in a lot of the memories and really hitting on, like, the triggering of the doorbell and, like, really kind of encapsulating those moments because sometimes it's hard to translate that in a comic.
But I. Yeah, so I think this length that it is is really.
[00:27:39] Speaker D: And sometimes our shorts lead to the ideas that lead to longer form storytelling. Like, leah just cracked. We've been trying to crack this one idea for a different. For a new project that we've been working on. We had an opportunity to do some more long form storytelling, and I feel like the experience we've had with some of the shorter stories was like, oh, wouldn't it be cool if this thing was an element that could be expanded into a bigger story? They do feed all of our projects in an interesting, weird way, kind of feed one another. We have an unscripted show. We've got a tv show, a couple of comics, and they all, there's all this, like, kinetic, kind of invisible thread that inspires or leads to, you know, ideas for the others.
[00:28:30] Speaker A: When you're thinking of these stories, do you have in mind that this is for tv, this is for animations, for comics? Or is it one of those things that once you're fleshing the story out, that's when you know where it's going to go?
[00:28:42] Speaker D: I have both experiences. Sometimes I see characters and stories and ideas, and I just immediately imagine that the way that the story would unfold would be like on a stage or on a set. But sometimes it's like, I get the story, I know the story, I know what the story's about, but I don't exactly know the way I want to tell it. And then when I start outlining or doing a treatment on it, that's when it starts to come into more focus, I think.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: Yeah, sometimes too, I feel that, like, if I like a story so much, I'll just be like, whoever wants to make it in whatever format, I'm like, just get this out there.
[00:29:21] Speaker D: Let's get this going.
[00:29:22] Speaker B: I have a couple projects that are like that, where I was like, anybody? Anybody want it?
[00:29:26] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:29:28] Speaker B: Because I love it so much. But then what's helpful with collaboration is sometimes people tell you, like, think this might be better in a format for television or a graphic novel. So.
[00:29:40] Speaker A: Yeah, and that goes to that. The side of things that, too, things don't have to be in one format either. Like, you could eventually put this as a comic. You know, Count Crowley is a comic book right now, but it doesn't mean they can't lead to something in the future that's animated or live action or something like that, too. So that's pretty cool.
[00:29:56] Speaker D: I love it when somebody reads the comic that I've worked on and they go, this would make such a cool movie, or this would make such a cool animated series. This makes a cool tv show. You go, thank you. That's a great compliment.
[00:30:07] Speaker A: Thank you. Can you talk to someone to get it done, please?
Let's do someone.
Who are you? Do you know someone? We've had that happen, actually. I've had that. So I also, my day job is working at a brewery, and I'm a graphic designer and creative director there. And we actually got into our local grocery store because one of my owners of my company was selling a bicycle on Facebook marketplace to someone who works in the beer buying department for that grocery store.
And so it just happened to be, the conversation was there and so on. It led to one thing led to another, and now we're in, like, five of their stores. And it was just kind of a weird time. Happenstance that, like, things happen in a certain way. Pretty funny. Yeah, it's a. It's a. It's a crazy, you know, happenstance.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: But we just need to sell our bike.
[00:30:55] Speaker D: Facebook marketplace, here we come.
[00:30:58] Speaker A: Some sort of, like, assistant to an assistant is like, selling and wants to buy your bike for some sort of studio. Yeah, exactly.
[00:31:06] Speaker D: True. Quick side story, but I was out of the country and my wife was selling, giving away some piece of furniture on Facebook marketplace. And a relatively new transplant to LA, who was working in film, came to pick it up. It didn't fit in their car, but they noticed we had kids. Said, if you ever need childcare, I could help. We hired this person who then ended up becoming my assistant, who then was so amazing that now she is the supervising producer of all the projects at good fiend films. She's actually on this call right now, Jen. So you just never know where it's going to.
[00:31:47] Speaker B: Facebook Marketplace.
[00:31:47] Speaker D: Facebook marketplace. There's next year's thing about Facebook. We're gonna hit it. One good thing about Facebook, it's driven. It's made all of our parents and grandparents insane people.
[00:31:57] Speaker B: But, boy, you could sell a bike.
[00:31:59] Speaker D: You could sell a bike.
[00:32:01] Speaker A: Well, it's funny how you mentioned the grandparents and parents things we just saw. Sadly, another brewery in the state of Maine is closing its doors based on the economy and things like that in our state. But they posted it only on Facebook and not on any of the other social medias. And I was like, it's because of where their customer base came from. I'm like, sometimes it's where it is. Sometimes you need to tell the people, that's your customer base and that's who, you know, say it to be at Facebook marketplace. I feel like you turn this into a horror story, though. You could, like, do the experience.
[00:32:29] Speaker B: They're funny. It's real life horror stories is what Facebook marketplaces. People never reply.
[00:32:35] Speaker D: We got it.
[00:32:35] Speaker A: Never reply. They sell something like, I'll buy it right now. I will go to your house and buy it right now. And they don't respond.
[00:32:43] Speaker B: Yeah, it's funny. People are crazy.
[00:32:45] Speaker A: It's.
[00:32:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:32:46] Speaker A: So anything can be turned into a horror story, in my opinion. So I think we can go down that route there. But, yeah, I think that and the stories that are in this heartless Horseman 2024 edition are phenomenal. I've got to read it all. Sadly, the actual creators haven't been able to read that all. And I can, there's someone else on this call. I'm not going to call her out, but maybe she should send it to you guys. I just saying, like we should be.
[00:33:06] Speaker B: I want to, wait, don't send, I want to pick it up. Now I'm doubling downing.
[00:33:12] Speaker C: I'm with you guys. I like to, I like to like get, get the little, get the little warehouse box in the mail and be like, like, you know, flip through it and stuff. That's my, it's my favorite. Even though I saw early versions of a lot of the stories and stuff, it's still just the final actual thing. I like to be able to just hold it physically and sit down with it and read it.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: I mean, I'm guessing you must be as excited as more excited to get that box to open it up. Like, I would get it if I were to order it online, open a box up or go to my lcs and pick it up that you guys are actually more excited to actually get that box in your house.
[00:33:47] Speaker C: Oh, every time. Every time.
[00:33:49] Speaker A: And then you look at your stack of all the comp copies you have, you're like, oh, God, what am I going to do with them?
[00:33:54] Speaker B: So many.
Yeah, because then you forget like people have, who hasn't? I keep them in my car now where I'm like, we met for the first time. Here you go. But it's so fun. You get to like give a physical present to someone. I don't know. It's really cool.
[00:34:08] Speaker D: I love it.
[00:34:09] Speaker A: Mike Henderson, artist, did a sale online because he was moving to another state. And he's like, I have to move all of these comp copies of all of my comics over the years. So now I'm just going to do an online blowout sale to try to send them all to you people so I don't have to move them.
Paul Tobin was the same way. He was moving. I'm like, I have to move all my stuff. All these comics that I have written over the years. I've got to move all these things. But yeah, and now it includes headless Horseman and now 17 other things coming out on that same day, October 23 for you guys. But this comic, this, this short stories, there's what, five or six in this thing? It's phenomenal. I love this, this what's happening. I hope it happens every year. I hope we're going year to year to year. And we had this headless Horseman just continues on. I'd like to see you three in each one of them. But it also is nice to rotate out to see some new fresh faces that are coming in this thing because I think, like anything, if someone can get a shot to be in these things, like you mentioned before, it could lead to other stuff and we can get other comics from these people or movies or tv shows, whatever. I think it's really cool and I think it's an awesome thing that dark horse is doing. And so I highly recommend everybody pick it up because it's a phenomenal array of horror short stories in one little thing. And for what you're getting in, this is $7.99. You get a lot for $7.99, in my opinion. That's just my opinion, but I'm sure you guys agree with that.
[00:35:29] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:35:30] Speaker C: Oh, totally.
[00:35:32] Speaker A: You have Count Crowley volume three coming to. Is there a future to Count Crowley, or is this. Are we.
[00:35:38] Speaker D: The count is just getting going. I mean, her weaponry is just starting to figure out where it belongs and she just learned some new skills when it comes to magical practices. In volume three, there's an entirely new plot eruption that's happening in a nearby major metropolitan of Kansas city where the Frankenhookers are on the loose. So yeah, we're just, and hopefully this is something, when Lucas and I are like Vincent Fright's old men in a nursing home, we'll be passing back and forth. I'll be having scripts wheeled down the hall to his room where he'll be drawing them. And yeah, there's a lot of, we'll.
[00:36:25] Speaker C: Be on like volume 13 at that point, I think.
[00:36:28] Speaker D: And there is a cool, there's a very cool Cal Crowley announcement coming like any day, I think. Lucas, right?
[00:36:33] Speaker C: I think so. Yeah. I don't know, know the details or I don't know the timing, but, but yeah, it's, it should be, it should be announced pretty soon.
[00:36:41] Speaker D: So keep your ears to the railroad tracks.
[00:36:43] Speaker A: There you go. Exactly. And Lucas, you also have, are you also doing another seasonal conflict coming up here pretty soon?
[00:36:50] Speaker C: I am, yeah. I'm doing, I'm doing silent night for DC or, I'm sorry, silent night returns. Last year's was silent night and it is Batman, the Justice League teaming up with Santa Claus to fight ghosts, which is super fun. I loved it.
The writer Jeff Parker has been a friend for many years and I'm always just really, I'm always very grateful to get to work with him on projects.
Oh, and David, I have some pages to send you that are eyes only. But I got approval from my editor to send them that involve some commandos.
[00:37:35] Speaker A: So look at you guys. Yes. Yeah.
So the future of these three creators here, you know, it's bright. We got a bright future for you guys.
[00:37:47] Speaker B: Yeah, you're busy aesthetic. It's gloom.
[00:37:50] Speaker D: It's dark, it's gloomy, it's creepy. It's candy.
Yes. Welcoming cobweb.
[00:37:57] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:37:58] Speaker A: And I will say, david, late night with the devil was absolutely phenomenal. Phenomenal. Like one of my favorite movies I've seen this year. And, you know, it's just, it's unique and it's wonderful. And I recommend it to everybody I could possibly think of to watch it. It is phenomenal.
[00:38:15] Speaker D: Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.
[00:38:17] Speaker C: I agree.
[00:38:19] Speaker A: Lucas. Lucas knows.
[00:38:23] Speaker C: I hear it is a common comment from people because they know that we work together and they're just like, did you see his movie yet, the seventies talk show thing? I was like, yeah, late night with the devils. It's awesome, right? And they're like, yeah.
[00:38:38] Speaker A: And I like how people don't know the name of it.
[00:38:44] Speaker D: The devil talk show, it was a lady was like, I just saw your movie.
[00:38:49] Speaker C: That was like, that was like one person. The other ten people definitely knew the name of the movie.
[00:38:56] Speaker D: It happens to me all the time. I love it. But, and, yeah, so it's Halloween. Get your copies of your comics and then curl up next to your jack o'lantern with your candy and watch late night with the devil.
[00:39:06] Speaker A: Yeah. Your candy corn. I'm gonna. I'm a proponent for candy corn. I don't know if anybody else hates candy corn, but I'm a proponent for candy corn. My son's three, and I can actually bribe him to do things with candy corn. So I'm proud of him in that sense, too. But, yeah, he won't be reading this one, this comic, I'll tell you that much. He did get.
[00:39:24] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, this is a little dark for that.
[00:39:27] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I did actually go to the comic book store with him for the first time, or he had been there, but bought his first comic because our fellow Mainer Joey Esposito wrote the first issue of Sesame street.
And so he was very pumped about that, getting that. And Joey came up to do a signing at our store and wrote to Nova, my son, on it. And my friend was like, pointing out, he's like, oh, my gosh, it's my name. My name's on this comic. I'm like, I got a whole stack of comics here with your name on it. But they're just, it's nothing. They're different kind of Nova name, different character. But yeah, headless Horseman comes out on October 23 alongside 17 other things from these creators. You should check those out. But Dark Horse is doing a phenomenal job over there with stories like these anthologies and everything else. Honestly, that dark horse is coming out with. There's not been a bad thing, in my opinion, over the last little while, for sure. And there's more coming. I saw some cool announcements this morning coming from our friends over at Kyle Starks and such over at Dark Horse, which I'm really excited about. But yeah, Heather's horseman. It's an anthology that you could read with some candy corn, in my opinion. And again, your Jack Lantern, lights off, lights on. Whatever you want to do, you can check that out your local comp book shop on October 23, as well as DC horse presents. And again, Count Crowley's volume three is going to be available as well, so and much more from that. So I really appreciate all three of you taking the time out of your days to come on here and chat. Ize, it's always fun to discuss comics with you, and we'll have you back again at some point in the future. Sound good?
[00:40:53] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:40:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:55] Speaker C: Thanks for having us.
[00:40:57] Speaker D: Bye, Lucas. I miss you.
[00:40:58] Speaker C: Take care.
