Comics
War Zombies Rise Again In ”68: Hallowed Ground’
Image’s other hit zombie series, “’68”, returns in November with a special one-shot issue, dedicated to artist Josh Medors who passed away last year after a battle with cancer. “’68: Hallowed Ground” will be written by Mark Kidwell, with art from Medors, Kyle Charles, and Jay Fotos. The issue changes settings from Vietnam to Mississippi to follow a group of train-wrecked survivors who seek refuge in a church. This sounds like a deeply personal tale, and so far the “’68” series has been best when it dives into the emotional turmoil that accompanies wartime tragedies.
In ‘68, the Vietnam War coincided with the rise of flesh-eating zombies. American G.I.s were forced to contend with not just the Viet Cong, but the fact that every fallen ally and enemy soon turned into an entirely new, mindless, and nearly unstoppable threat.
The setting changes from Vietnam to Streiner, Mississippi in February, 1968 in ‘68: HALLOWED GROUND. A passenger train derails as a result of a zombie attack, causing the death of hundreds. Survivors of the wreck find sanctuary in a small rural church, hoping to hold out against the coming swarms of living dead. Their only hope rests on the shoulders of two soldiers, both recently returned from Vietnam. One sits in the belfry, taking out zombies from afar, while the other defends the barricaded sanctuary against the onslaught. But will their efforts be enough?
Comics artist Josh Medors passed away late last year after a years-long battle with cancer. ‘68: HALLOWED GROUND is a very special one-shot comic dedicated to his memory and family. Written by Mark Kidwell and drawn by Medors, Kyle Charles, and Jay Fotos, the issue features a wraparound cover by Medors, Nat Jones and Fotos, and a special guest cover by horror comics legend Bernie Wrightson.
Wrightson is a legend in the comics industry and beyond for his work co-creating Swamp Thing and drawing a wide variety of classic horror comics. Artist Jay Fotos explains the one-shot, and Wrightson’s contribution:
“A unique storyline, told from two separate POVs, the ‘68 series’ return to the grim American Heartland, covers by artists Josh Medors, Nat Jones, myself and very special guest cover artist, master of the macabre BERNIE WRIGHTSON make ‘68: HALLOWED GROUND a milestone in horror comics history!”
‘68: HALLOWED GROUND is not only dedicated to the memory of Medors—it was the last book he worked on. Fotos is excited about the influence that Medors had on the one-shot:
“When comics artist and longtime friend Josh Med passed away last year, the book he was working on was ‘68: HALLOWED GROUND. Josh was a true fan of horror, loved zombies and was very excited to be working on a ‘68 title. You can see the passion and care Josh gave his work on the book in the startling imagery of his cover. In tribute and thanks to our friend, the entire ’68 crew has worked diligently to ensure that every thumbnail and layout Josh produced went into the final look and feel of the book.”
’68: HALLOWED GROUND will be in stores on November 6, is currently available to pre-order from the September issue of Previews, and features two separate covers. Cover A (Diamond Code SEP130505) is by Josh Medors, while Cover B (Diamond Code SEP130506) is by Bernie Wrightson. Visit the official ’68 website.
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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