The book is written by me (based on real experiences as a reporter in McAllen, Texas), illustrated by Anna Readman, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Becca Carey.

We're so proud of how this book has turned out. It's done now and getting ready to go to print the day the campaign ends, so we can ship it to you (hopefully) by Halloween.

The campaign has already done quite well, but we have one last stretch goal to hit at $12,500, and if we get there, every physical backer will get this absolutely killer print by Stipan Morian (20th Century Men). Check it out:

We’d love for you to back our book if you’re able. We think the story is a great one and want to get it in front of as many readers as possible this spooky season. We also think that although this story was outlined and written in 2023, it’s themes around good and evil on the border have never been so relevant. And, finally, backing it would help us make Macabre Valley #2 that much faster. This is, after all, fully independent art. Every last dollar counts.

Thanks for hearing me out on that promo, and now onto the good stuff!

Thing 1: The art

This month’s piece is by Eamon Winkle (Instagram; web site), and it’s just an absolute stunner. I had seen some of Eamon’s work in the book he drew for Magma Comix, The Principles of Necromancy. Then when I was looking for an artist to draw us one last werewolf priest print, my friend Brad Gullickson told me in no uncertain terms to go with Eamon. And when Brad recommends an artist (or comics), I listen.

And I think the results below speak for themselves. Between this and Eamon’s other work, I’d be shocked if he’s not a star in comics within the next few years.

I mean, just look at this…

So, that turned out absolutely awesome. It’ll be in the deluxe digital edition of Macabre Valley #1, as well as all over my social media as we push to finish this campaign as strong as possible.

Thing 2: Comic of the Month - Lake Yellowwood Slaughter

Earlier this year, I backed Lake Yellowwood Slaughter from boutique indie comics publisher, Goats Flying Press, which has put out uniformly interesting comics. When I got home from New York Comic Con Sunday evening (more on the show below), I took a quiet moment to sit down with this book, and I finished it all in one sitting.

The comic is in an oversized hardcover format, and it’s written by Alejandro Arbona, illustrated by Gavin Guidry, colored by Chris O’Halloran, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. It also features design by Dylan Todd and a stunning, movie poster-evoking cover by Suspira Vilchez. The concept of the book is that it’s the official comics adaptation of a fictional ‘80s slasher film. And if that sounds appealing to you, you’re going to love the execution (heh) on the page.

It’s also the exact sort of October read you’re probably looking for. I pretty quickly forgot it was connected to a fictional movie once I started reading, but I did later pause to remember that and think about what a Lake Yellowwood Slaughter film would have actually looked like. And that was a fun exercise in itself, especially when I arrived at the ending (which I will not spoil here). But overall, this comic looks great and is perfectly-paced. It also sits at a fun intersection of campy ‘80s slasher gore with thoughts about greedy over-development. It’s just a great read, even more so for fans of horror comics and cinema.

And you can get it now via Goats Flying Press’ web shop.

I should also note that The Goat is currently running a Kickstarter with a very cool new body horror comic about consumption, which I’ve backed and you should, too. You can find their new comics here.

Thing 3: Some easy comics listening

We had some great new podcasts and articles about Macabre Valley go up in the time since the last newsletter, including an appearance on my friends Brad and Lisa Gullickson’s excellent Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast.

This is a cool one because it has both Anna and I on it, a feat of scheduling given the time difference and all. But Brad and Lisa Gullickson do such a great job with this show that we were thrilled they made time to talk to us. The conversation delves into what drew us each to this project, storytelling with werewolves, and some of the deeper themes CBCC always pinpoints so well.

You can listen to it here: Comic Book Couples Counseling

I got to talk to another one of my friends on this brief Macabre Valley press tour, that being Chris Hacker of The Oblivion Bar Podcast. This is one of my favorite podcast conversations I’ve ever been part of. Chris is just such a good interviewer, and he we talked plenty of non-Macabre Valley things too (because I know you all are tired of that).

You can listen to that here: The Oblivion Bar Podcast

At one point Chris asks me why I never started a podcast of my own, and the answer is fairly simple — I don’t know how to do that. When it comes to media, I’ve always been a one trick pony, wanting to write and only write. And I still feel like learning to do that better is a challenge. So, I’m going to keep at it.

Thing 4: The NYCC Aftermath

So, I was at New York Comic Con all weekend, which was actually not as tiring as it typically tends to be, because after each day I got to go home and sleep in my own bed. But that’s not the point! The point is I had a really great time this year.

As I’ve spent more time at comics shows, I’ve met more and more people in comics (funny how that works), and it’s become a lot of fun to say hello to people (however briefly) at these shows. That’s a great thing, especially as you get older and life sort of takes you away from natural occurrences of community, especially when you’re a remote worker, as I am.

But what also made this year’s show a lot of fun was all the comics news. I’ve been covering comic book conventions for The Beat for eight years now, and of late, we’d been stuck in a phase where publishers had moved away from announcing news at their panels. As a result, publisher sponsored panels had started to feel like really odd, stilted commercials where comic book creators — most of whom are ineloquent speakers — went down a line giving a sales pitch. I’d gotten tired of that to the point I’d almost stopped volunteering to cover these panels.

At this year’s NYCC, however, the main publisher I cover, DC Comics, rolled out news in literally every panel they hosted. And not only that, but it was exciting news. The much-loved Vertigo Comics imprint (which shaped a whole generation of elder millenial comic readers, including me) announced 8 new original comics series, plus the return of two others.

Eight original comics supported by a comic book publisher is nothing to scoff at, and I think it could be a good thing for indie comics across the board. There are without a doubt readers who only read DC Comics. But they will pick up a Vertigo book, and when they do, if they have a good experience — hey, maybe they’ll pick up another by someone else.

So yeah, I’m excited.

You can read my write-up of that Vertigo panel here.

Thing 5: My two favorite albums of 2025 (so far)

It’s October, so there’s still plenty of time for new music to come out or old music to emerge, but at this point, a pair of records have established themselves as my favorites of the year.

The first is the blankets ep by Stephen Wilson, Jr., which is just a four-track set of cover songs. But they are probably all among my four most-listened to songs of the year.

What makes this EP so good to me is the obvious stuff — Wilson’s voice, his rock-tinged well-produced country music arrangements — but also the thoughtfulness of the cover selections. On this album, Wilson covers Something in the Way by Nirvana, Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog, Clark Gable by The Postal Service, and Tonight Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins. These are all good songs, but more than that, they’re songs that for me (and I presume other people my age) remind them of much different times in their life. To borrow a cliche, simpler times.

Yet, when I listen to these covers and the way that Wilson performs them, I hear subject matter that feels perfectly fitted for this exact moment in 2025, from the sort of class outrage in Hunger Strike to the yearning for basically everything to be better in Clark Gable. It all adds up to a record that is compulsively listenable, and also far more poignant than any other set of covers I’ve heard to date.

And then you have vaigr aboys by Viagra Boys, a Swedish post-punk band. At first blush, this isn’t necessarily the type of music I’m listening to much these days. If you give it only a single listen, or a listen where you’re not paying much attention, you might chalk it up as some kind of nostalgia act for bros. But there’s so much going on beneath the surface here.

Like some of my favorite bands, the lyrics are cheeky and clever, aimed at deconstructing the genre of music they’re written over. With lines like “I am a man that’s made of meat, and you’re on the Internet looking at feet”, this album is loaded with bits that make me laugh by satirizing the simplistic lazy viewpoints that a lot of guys have gravitated toward of late.

But moreover, it’s just a good, raucous time when you get into it.

So that’s what I’ve been listening to, would love to hear what some of your favorites this year (so far) have been…

Conclusion

You know I have to remind you once again that our Macabre Valley #1 campaign is about to end. Thankfully, that also means that next month we’ll be back to a more editorial-focused newsletter (trust me, I’m ready for the promo to end as well!), and we’ve already got some great (non werewolf priest) commissions banked, including one by…nah, can’t reveal that just yet!

Cheers, be well, and please forgive any and all typos above!

-Zack Q.