Comics
Steampunk, Horror, And A Lot Of Awesome Collide In ‘Toshiro’
Jay Nitz, known for his work on “Dream Thief”, and artist Janusz Pawlak have a new original graphic novel coming out from Dark Horse Comics. “Toshiro” is a melting pot of genres and influences, grabbing at everything from Lovecraftian creatures to Samurai history. The book follows Toshiro, a samurai living in a Victorian world, who fights the forces of darkness and all the monsters that come with it. Yeah, it sounds rad as hell.
Look for “Toshiro” in shops June 17, 2014.
From the press release:
FEBRUARY 25, MILWAUKIE, OR—Genres collide in an adventure where steam-powered tanks clash with katanas in the new graphic novel Toshiro from writer Jai Nitz (Dream Thief) and artist Janusz Pawlak!
“Toshiro bends and blends genres to make something altogether new. Janusz and I wanted to play with Victorian steampunk, alternate history, Lovecraftian monsters, and the magic of Tezuka’s Astro Boy to tell a story,” said Jai Nitz. “We wanted to wear our influences on our sleeves, but do the hard work of creating something new. I think this book will appeal to any fans of adventure.”
The mechano-samurai Toshiro travels a Victorian clockwork world, battling horrors too dark for mankind. With his mysterious partner, the world-famous adventurer Quicksilver Bob, Toshiro must face Earth’s greatest foe yet: the soul-stealing, zombie-creating jellyfish from beyond. Janusz Pawlak’s jagged inks and moody watercolors create a world of dread and mystery.
On sale June 4 in comic shops (Diamond code FEB140081) and June 17 in bookstores everywhere! Preorder your copy today!
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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