Comics
C2E2 Day 3: Interview With ‘Bleedout’ Scribe Mike Kennedy
As publisher Archaia continues to push the envelope and bring comic book fans everywhere some of the newest and most original voices in the genres of horror and sci-fi, they also seem to be bringing readers some of the most promising stories as well. Case in point – Mike Kennedy, creator and author of the upcoming hardcover graphic novel, “BLEEDOUT”. The collaborative effort matches Mike up with some of the genres best and brightest illustrators, such as Howard Chaykin, Ben Templesmith, and Glenn Fabry, just to name a few. Mike was kind enough to take the time to sit down and chat with myself and Johnny_Trouble over the weekend at C2E2, and inside you can see the interview in its entirety. Read on for the skinny!
WRITTEN/CREATED BY: Mike Kennedy and Michael Mendheim
WRITTEN BY:Mike Kennedy
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Tim Bradstreet, Howard Chaykin, Gary Erskine, Glenn Fabry, Nathan Fox, Sanford Greene, Trevor Hairsine, Zach Howard, Vince Proce, Ben Templesmith and David Williams
“Eight years ago, every oil well on the planet ran dry, utterly dissolving the cornerstone of modern civilization. Global economies withered and nations fell like bone-dry dominoes, including the seemingly impervious United States. Caught in a zenith of chaos, Sunrise City now lies in the hands of a criminal cabal who may or may not hold the key to the future… and the secrets behind the planet’s tragic ruin…
BLEEDOUT tells the frighteningly plausible tale of a world destroyed by its own greed and shortsightedness. Based on the expansion to the Massively Multiplayer Online shooter game CRIMECRAFT from Vogster Entertainment, this deluxe hardcover volume collects chapters from some of the comic industry’s hottest superstars, including Nathan Fox, Zach Howard, Sanford Greene, David Williams, Ben Templesmith, Gary Erskine, Howard Chaykin, Glenn Fabry, Vince Proce, and Trevor Hairsine, with cover art by Tim Bradstreet. Written by Mike Kennedy, this graphic novel presents the world of BLEEDOUT in all of its grim, pulp noir glory, with page after page of supplemental graphic and story material that further explores this tragic future, and the frighteningly familiar current events that lead there in the first place.”
Special thanks to everyone at Archaia and to Mike for taking the time to sit and chat with us. As always it was a pleasure for everyone involved, and Mike was nothing short of fantastic. “BLEEDOUT” will be available this April as a hardcover graphic novel via the publisher’s official website and at your favorite local bookstore.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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