Comics
KILLER GRAPHICS #5: Interview With Artist Brandon Heart!
What really gets me sometimes about the Killer-Graphics column is just how many people I come into contact with whose work I already own. A very good example of this is horror and macabre artist Brandon Heart, who only after my interviewing him did I realize that I’ve worn 3 of his designs in my time. So for those of you who would like to get inside the head of another of the industries’ top artists read on beyond the break for another action* packed installment of Killer-Graphics!
*action not included, some restrictions may apply, valid to Mars residents only, please consult a doctor before using, do not read with alcohol or while pregnant.
THEoDEAD:” First of all thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. I’ll ask you the same question I ask of everyone before I jump into these interviews, what’s your “origin story”? How did you get into the field of t-shirt designs? Why horror as an aesthetic?
Brandon Heart:”I think it started as just being very into music and wanting to do band merch so that I could be part of the music more. I grew up on horror movies as a kid so it just seems like death and gore come really easy to me and there seems to be a fairly large market for it, plus I have always been really into the death metal scene and the two go hand in hand. ”
THEoDEAD:” Growing up was horror something that you were really into? How did you get into the genre? What films influence your art?
Brandon Heart:”As a kid I was really into horror films. I was completely infatuated with the Friday The 13th movies and any of those classics from the 80’s stuff like The Thing, Texas Chainsaw, Day of the Dead, I couldn’t get enough. Luckily I had cool parents that would let me watch those kinds of things. It has definitely stuck with me over the years and probably one of the biggest influences on my artistic style. ”
THEoDEAD:” You’ve created some very epic pieces for “Zombie Liquorice” in the past. How did you get paired with the company? What is it like doing these designs?
Brandon Heart:”ZL hit me up when they where first starting out, before they released their first line. I had no idea what would become of them so it’s been really cool watching them grow and become successful. They always have some interesting ideas for me and they aren’t afraid to let me experiment and try new things which is great for any artist. Although I haven’t met the guys in person I believe we come from similar interests and backgrounds so that makes for a good working relationship. The quality of the final product is always spot on as well. It’s important to me to have the integrity of the art preserved. ”
THEoDEAD:” One of the shirts you designed for “Zombie Liquorice” is called “Twilight” and it depicts a zombie eating a vampire. I have to ask you since it’s a personal favorite: what was the inspiration there?
Brandon Heart:”That was actually an idea from Jason(ZL). He will usually give me a loose idea and I just run with it. To me it depicts the zombies obvious superiority over the vampire, especially after all this Twilight garbage has brought down the entire vampire genre. ”
THEoDEAD:” When it comes to designing horror t-shirts how do you approach the projects? How do you decide what you think people will want to wear?
Brandon Heart:”I always try to push myself further with each piece and try different techniques. I’m not really concerned that much with what people want to wear because I think that this kind of stuff has it’s own audience and as long as the art is done well people will be into it. However I do try and think of imagery that is fresh and exciting, something people haven’t seen a hundred times before. ”
THEoDEAD:” Do you have any projects coming up we should know about? This is your chance at a cheap plug! Haha
Brandon Heart:”I’ve been working hard on some pretty big projects that hopefully I can post soon. Finally working on getting a legit website together and hopefully I will be starting to put a book of my artwork together soon. ”
THEoDEAD:” Gotta ask before you go: Freddy VS Jason-who wins?
Brandon Heart:”Gotta go with Jason on that one!”
Everyone here at Bloody-Disgusting.com would like to thank Brandon for the interview. For those of you who would like to check out more of Brandon’s work, or buy some of his designs, be sure to head on over to Zombie-Liquorice.com, or you can visit him on his DeviantArt Page. Also be sure to keep it locked here at Graphic Content as we bring you another awesome interview next week!
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
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