Comics
[Books] StoryShift, An App That Lets You Control The Story
StoryShift is a new free storytelling app that allows readers to shape the narratives. How does it work? Think of it as a democratic version of choose your own adventure. The writers will release the first chapter of their tale which will end with a choice, everyone votes, and based on the winning decision, the writer moves forward with the story. Voting is open for a week, allowing everyone ample time to catch up and giving the writer some time to continue his/her work.
James Renner is one author working with StoryShift, and his first story is “Expedition Z,” a zombie story. It follows two young explorers sent across what remains of the United States in order to locate survivors. Sounds like it could be a new way to experience horror. You can try it out here.
From the press release:
New York, NY: In January, Evil-Dog Productions quietly debuted its new app, StoryShift, on a few popular gaming sites, including NewGrounds and ArmorGames.
The concept is simple: authors write the first chapter of a new work, ending with a “choice” for the reader. Which path will the character go down? What weapon will he use to battle the armies of darkness? That sort of thing. The reader votes. The votes are tallied. The most popular choice is then incorporated into the next chapter.
“I wanted to build a platform to work with amazing writers,” says app developer, Marco Arsenault. “I combined my fond memories of Choose Your Own Adventure books with that social aspect of today’s technology to build StoryShift, a way to bring together the talent of writers and artists and the readers, in a unique community-driven storytelling experience.”
Each round of voting lasts a week and the authors are then given a few days to write the next chapter. The first round of stories included short works of Horror, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and even a few comics.
Author James Renner (The Man from Primrose Lane, Sarah Crichton Books) discovered the app while playing online games with his six-year-old son, and was immediately taken by the idea.
“As soon as I realized what Evil-Dog had created, I got all jittery and excited,” says Renner. “It was the way I used to feel as a kid, going to the library to pick up another Choose Your Own Adventure. I had to be a part of it.”
Renner contacted Arsenault and soon his new thriller was up on StoryShift. Renner’s “Expedition Z” is set 20 years after a zombie apocalypse. It follows two young explorers sent across what remains of the United States in order to locate survivors. Already, thousands of readers have voted on what happens next for Renner’s characters.
“This app makes for immediate interaction between the reader and author. There’s nothing like it. This will change how stories are written in the future. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about storytelling. I feel like that kid, again, finding something new at the library.”
Links: https://www.facebook.com/StoryShift
NewGrounds: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/634402
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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