Comics
Go Missing With “Displaced Persons”
Image Comics has been teasing a new original graphic novel from writer Derek McCulloch and artist Anthony Peruzzo that examines missing persons in San Francisco. “Displaced Persons” is interweaves three different story arcs, set in 1939, 1969, and 1999 respectively. There is promise of some time travel and I can’t wait to see how that blends with the crime elements of the story. Look for “Displaced Persons” in shops this August.
From the press release:
From the Eisner-nominated writer Derek McCulloch (STAGGER LEE, Gone to Amerikay) and artist Anthony Peruzzo comes DISPLACED PERSONS, a riveting tale of murder, love, crime, friendship, betrayal, and just the slightest bit of time travel.
San Francisco, the twentieth century: In 1939, a private detective searches for a missing heiress. In 1969, twin brothers approach a drug heist from opposite sides of the law. And in 1999, a woman slowly comes to realize the terrible danger she faces in her own home.
McCulloch was inspired to write DISPLACED PERSONS because of a love of puzzle stories, detective stories, time travel stories, and a fascination with how history imprints itself on the smaller story of a family’s history. “It’s like reading rings in a tree… you can see the growth of the tree, ring by ring, and the distance between the rings tells you when the droughts hit, or the long winters, or the hurricanes,” explained McCulloch.
“You can look at a family tree the same way, and when you see that someone was born, say, in Poland in 1920, and their child was born in Baltimore in 1947, there’s a story between those two rings. Displaced Persons takes those rings, and takes all the different kinds of stories I love, and mixes them up and twists them into a shape you won’t really understand until the last page. It’s a book I hope people will read twice… I guarantee you’ll see things the second time you didn’t know were there the first time.”
DISPLACED PERSONS OGN is in an original graphic novel format and arrives in stores on 8/6 for $17.99. It is available to pre-order with Diamond Code JUN140499.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.