Can’t get a seat at the Eisner Awards? Want to join a fun discussion on just why Texas gave way to the rise of the so-called Monster Kids? Just why is it that the Lone Star State inspires so much in the horror genre? Then Horror from the Heart of Texas Saturday night at 9 pm in Room 29AB is for you! But wait, there’s more!
The perfect melding of Texas horror and comic books celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, so that sparked the idea for the panel. For a quarter of a century, Drew Edwards has been writing and self-publishing (mostly) Halloween Man, the half-zombie half-man all hero who has been a magnet for the weird and terrifying.
As announced last year at SDCC, Drew and award-winning author David Bowles put their heads together to create The Matron, a new slasher passed down through the generations.
With both Drew and David together at Horror from the Heart of Texas, we’ll finally be able to dive deep into the origins of this book coming soon from IPI Comics.
They’ll be joined by Shannon Eric Denton, founder of Monster Forge Productions. Shannon’s horror roots run deep and, let’s face it, horror is in his blood. Though his work as a comics creator has run across many genres, he keeps coming back to the monsters.
Finally, Eisner Award-winning creator Jim Krueger may not have grown up in Texas, but his midwestern origins were haunted by the inspiration for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ed Gein. Jim promises a special message for the panel though he might be busy taking over writing The Human Fly for IPI.
And oh, yes, the conversation will be moderated by me, Derek McCaw, occasional horror writer and E-i-C of Fanboy Planet. I didn’t grow up in Texas, either, but I could still bring together some of my favorite people in the industry to talk about what they have in common.
But wait, there’s more!
A couple of weeks ago, Red 5 Comics announced they’re collecting an omnibus edition of Halloween Man. Drew will be signing at Red 5 (Booth 1808) on Thursday, 7/24 from 2 – 3 pm, Friday 7/25 from 12 – 1 pm, and Saturday 7/26 from 1 – 2 pm.
But wait, there’s still more!
Drew and Halloween Man get a spotlight panel on Friday at 8 pm in Room 25AB. Halloween Man: 25 Years of Punk Rock Comics features Drew joined by his art director April Guadiana, John Hazard and Lisa Burdige from Background Noise, and Moni Barrette from Creators Assemble. He promises to reveal the secrets of “…how this little indie comic born from personal trauma and mental health struggles became a 25-year love letter to monsters, misfits, and mayhem.”
