Surreal modern horror for mature readers that's The White Lotus meets Midsommar. Part One of Three
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Files to the printer + Surveys coming soon!
6 months ago
– Mon, Jan 19, 2026 at 06:34:40 PM
Happy New Year! (Am I still allowed to say that?)
Not much to report here, other than that files were sent to the printer early last week, and Fabio is already starting work on issue 2 (!).
We are a little bit ahead of the schedule posted on the KS page. Right now I'm awaiting word from the printer on when we can expect to receive the books, so exactly what that means for our timeline remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, I'm going to start working on the surveys, so keep any eye out for those soon.
More news as soon as I have it!
As ever, thanks for the support,
Clay
Production on the main story is finished!
7 months ago
– Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 05:50:21 PM
First off: If you are reading this...congratulations! You survived the culling, AKA Kickstarter's pledge collection window.
The money from the campaign has officially hit our account, and we can now make this thing a reality!
Final edits on the main story were approved today, and now all that's left is finalizing the bonus content to round out the package.
With the holidays coming up, things should slow down for a couple of weeks, but we aim to get this off to the printer just after the new year.
I'll be back then to let you know what this means for our fulfillment timeline, but until then...
Happy Holidays, and Merry New Year!
And as always, thanks for the support. This book wouldn't exist without you.
-Clay
Happy Thanksgiving + A VERY CARMILLA CHRISTMAS CAROL
8 months ago
– Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 07:39:41 AM
Happy Thanksgiving-week to all who celebrate!
As I said last time out, we're all bloody grateful for each and every one of you who took a chance on a new book right now. We think you're going to love it, and we can't wait to get it into your hands! (More on that next time...)
Meanwhile, if you got a message from Kickstarter asking you to update your payment information, pretty please do it fast!
We still have about 17 pledges that need to be updated. You only have until Thursday (Thanksgiving!) to correct it, and we want you to get your rewards.
And finally, if you like to occasionally stroll on the spicier side of Kickstarter, my latest collaboration with D.E. Schrader is live over at Bloodline Comics:
Christmas is coming… and Carmilla is coming for blood.
With the help of her gorgeous “ghosts,” the sultry vampiress haunts her former partner and world’s wealthiest man, the monstrous, miserly Eloneezer Spooge.
This year, Christmas comes three times in one night… no Dickens required.
Finally, after nearly 200 years of mystery, we unwrap the true meaning of “Bah, Humbug!"
Thank you! + Next Steps
8 months ago
– Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 02:45:02 PM
On behalf of the whole team: THANK YOU!
A week out from Thanksgiving, we are feeling bloody grateful to each and every one of you who supported BLOOD OF THE GRUNCH #1 on Kickstarter.
The thought of launching a new property in the current landscape was, like our book, surreal modern horror. But you came out strong for us, and we greatly appreciate it.
This is a comic we're all insanely proud of, and we can't wait to put it into your hands.
I'll be back to tell you more about what lies ahead, but for now, I'll just say: You rock!
What happens now:
Kickstarter has already charged the card you have on file. We'll send out backer surveys at a later date to get everyone's addresses.
If you got a message from Kickstarter asking you to update your payment information, pretty please do it fast!
You only have one week to correct it, and we want you to get your rewards.
Otherwise, your work here is done.
I promise not to bombard you with messages, but I WILL keep you updated on our progress so you know what to expect.
As I mentioned last time out, the book is nearly finished. Fabio and Ilaria are recuperating from Thought Bubble, but they'll soon get back to work tackling the final round of notes, and then we'll get this off to the printer ASAP.
At Third Contact Comics, Frank Martin and Gerald von Stoddard have been putting their minds together to develop unique stories such as the Norse horror series Immortal Coil and the noir thriller A Thousand Cuts. Love & Death on the Dark Side of the Moon is something entirely new. Here's the pitch:
"In the not so distant future, the sun is dying and the best scientists from around the globe are gathered, along with their families, to inhabit a research station on the far side of the moon: Helios 1. Desperate to find a solution, lead research scientist Neil Collins is tasked with overseeing the facility and its projects.
As an eclipse approaches, an anomaly disrupts the entire facility. In the nursery where Neil and his wife admire their newborn baby girl, another newborn exhibits terrifying behaviour.
Concerned and determined to understand this child named Nero, Neil isolates the boy, thus beginning a life of experiments and loneliness for Nero. Reluctantly, Neil allows his young daughter, Selene, to become friends and connect with Nero. Their bond grows through the years and Selene becomes his only connection to the outside world. A love grows between them while her father seeks answers to Nero’s condition, all while keeping his existence secret from Earth.
Many years later, Helios 1 is forced to shut down and its inhabitants are required to return to Earth. Yet not all its inhabitants return. One is forced to stay behind and confront the darkness of betrayal, heartache, and isolation."
Frank and Gerald have 4 more days left in this campaign, and YOU can help put them over the top. If this book sounds like something you'd like to shine more light on...
The Book is 99.999% complete + Fabio and Ilaria at Thought Bubble this Weekend!
9 months ago
– Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 07:26:07 PM
Hello Luxuriants--
As the subject line says, the book is nearly complete!
Fabio turned in the final page Sunday, Ilaria turned in the final color page on Monday morning, and I've been keeping pace with the lettering.
All that's left to do now is a quick round of edits and put together the bonus material to round out the package.
What does this mean for you?
Well, it should mean we can fulfill a little earlier than our timeline suggests.
(More details on that when we're ready to send the book to the printer.)
But if you'll be at Thought Bubble this weekend, you miiiight be able to catch a sneak peek courtesy of Fabio and Ilaria, who will be in attendance...
I've been informed that since this graphic was made, our dynamic duo have been moved...so please note you can now find my favorite Italians at booths D9/D10!
The fine folks at Collector Cartel asked if they could print a very limited run of the book (30 copies) for the show, and we felt like the opportunity was too good to pass up. As it technically isn't finished yet, consider this a sneak preview, or a "test screening," if you will.
So, if you'll be at the show, go see them... and tell 'em The Grunch sent you!
Not blowing smoke: Dave Dwonch is one of my favorite creators. Seriously, if you haven't checked out his Titan Series The Loose End, you are sorely missing out. Dave also has the distinction of being one of the few writers published in all three editions of Nightmare Theater.
And look, don't tell him this, but he's also a creator I've looked up to for a long time. The original Cyrus Perkins book was one of the first comics I supported on Kickstarter, back when I was trying to figure out how this crazy site worked. So, of course, I was thrilled to see the Haunted Taxi Cab return to the scene of the crime.
Here's the pitch:
"After a young boy named Michael Bernbaum dies in his taxi cab, driver Cyrus Perkins must solve the boy's murder... or be haunted by the spirit trapped in his car! But as Cyrus digs into the mystery surrounding Mikey's death, he uncovers something even more sinister than murder. Drawn by Anna Lencioni (storyboard artist: Amphibia, Hazbin Hotel, Luck) and written, colored and lettered by Dave Dwonch(The Loose End, Jenny Zero, The Automaton)."
It's a good time...but don't take my word for it. Listen to these guys:
"Accessible to horror newcomers while retaining an ever present air of spookiness that old fans have come to love." Fangoria.com
Dave's offering a hardcover and a brand new issue this campaign, so pick your poison...or get 'em both!
Half a world away, in a land down under, lives another creator whose career I've been following for a while now. Shaun Keenan is the man behind the highly successful Australian publishing house COMICS2MOVIES and the creator of Australia's #1 independent comic book series the Xtreme Champion Tournament.
Shaun's book Fractured Shards has been nominated for a slew of awards, including 2023's Ringo Award for Best Series, the 2022, 2023 & 2024 Readers' Favorite Illustration Award, 2023 Bronze Medal Winner & 2025 Silver Medal Winner Readers' Favorite Graphic Novel/Comic, as well as short-listed for the Comic Art Awards of Australia.
So, trust me when I say the dude puts out great books! Here's the pitch:
"In a dystopian future, the world is separated into the glittering paradise of the LIGHTS and the slums of the DISTRICT. Detective Sebastian Vetro works on the most horrific cases, bridging both worlds as an enforcement officer. When a horrific crime occurs, sometimes that moment can fracture, opening up glimpses into the event.
Follow troubled Detective Sebastian Vetro on this crazy cyberpunk ride as he uses these fractures that he experiences to solve crimes within the Lights and District.
Will he be able to control this power he seems to have obtained, or will it destroy him?"
