Comics
BOOM! Studios Gives Clive Barker’s “Next Testament” Motion!
Frankly there is nothing more exciting or horrifying that a motion comic shepherded by Clive Barker. The man is no stranger to chilling imagery and is sure to rock readers to the core with this new collaboration from BOOM! Studios. The “Next Testament” comic has always been a staple of consistent horror on the stands for me and I can’t imagine what fears it will stir up now that it’ll be in motion.
From BOOM!
Prepare to experience the horror of Clive Barker in a whole new format!
BOOM! Studios, an award-winning publisher of comics and graphic novels, andMadefire, a digital storytelling and technology company that provides a platform to artists, writers and publishers to create a new reading experience called Motion Books, are excited to announce the debut of their first collaboration, CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT EPISODE #1. Within the 5-star rated Madefire digital comics app, users can experience this comic series by one of the true masters of horror in a terrifying new way as the images jump off the screen and seemingly come to life.
“We are proud to be working with Madefire in making CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT available in this immersive, innovative format,” said BOOM! Studios Vice President of Publishing and Marketing Filip Sablik. “The horror genre has always benefited greatly from the use of sound and movement to enhance the shock and suspense of a scene, so CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT was a natural and fitting title to begin our relationship with Madefire. I look forward to working with Madefire to make more of our great titles available as Motion Books.”
“Barker and Miller have written a cinematic epic, and the addition of sound, camera-work, and timing only infuses the story with more dread and urgency,” said Liam Sharp, co-founder and CCO of Madefire.
CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT, which first debuted in print in 2013, is the first original comic series created and written by Clive Barker. Julian Demond, captain of industry, has left behind everything to begin a walkabout—he believes he’s on a mission from God. While in the wasteland, he comes across a figure unlike any other, who calls himself Wick…and claims to be God. Their journey will span the globe, as neither man merely wants to make a mark on the world, but a scar. Clive Barker, with co-writer Mark Miller (CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER) and internationally acclaimed artist Haemi Jang (CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: THE ROAD BELOW), come together to create the next legendary work in the canon of one of the great horror masters of our era.
“Madefire did an incredible job adapting the comic to form. It was like reading the book for the very first time, which is insane, because I wrote it!” said Mark Miller. “I hope readers find new things to love about the book—I hope it scares them more, intrigues them more, and brings more readers not only to the book itself, but to the Madefire platform at large.”
CLIVE BARKER’S NEXT TESTAMENT EPISODE #1 MOTION BOOK is available now to experience for free on the Madefire app for iOS or via the Motion Books category on deviantART. Go to this link for immediate access:http://www.madefire.com/
Subsequent issues will be available for purchase and roll out on a monthly basis thereafter.
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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