Press Release:
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (January 25, 2024)—Dark Horse Comics presents a classic slasher/psychotropic folk horror story to sink your teeth into in The Butcher’s Boy. This new Lovecraftian horror series combines elements of tales such as Midsommar and The Evil Dead, and comes from the creative team behind The Last Siege. The Butcher’s Boy is a four-issue series features story by, Landry Q. Walker (The Last Siege) and Pannel Vaughn, with art and cover art by Justin Greenwood (The Last Siege), interior and cover art colors by Brad Simpson (All Eight Eyes), and letters by Pat Brosseau (Hellboy).
Tucked away far down the backroads of the Pacific Northwest countryside, an entire town fell victim to the brutal cleaver of the Butcher of La Perdita. But that was more than a hundred years ago, and since that time the generational nightmare of murder and meat has been reduced to morbid clickbait folklore for bored travelers to share online.
Yet some say the Butcher still haunts the streets at night, seeking fresh meat for his larder. Is this a true Lovecraftian horror? Or just the feverish dreams of a mentally unstable serial killer? Six friends on a road trip are about to find out…
In the words of Landry Q. Walker: “Appetite – whether it be desire for food, affection, or power – and the ability that hunger has to drive you to become unrecognizable – even to yourself – has always sat at the heart of my favorite horror stories. Writing this book has led me down some dark psychological pathways that border somewhere between healthy obsession and self-destructive spirals. On some level, you need to feel what you write. The goal of this story is to take that discomfort, that yearning appetite (in all its myriad forms) and contextualize it as a malignant and conscious force. As a story, one that is finally ready for consumption.
Building off the sketches of Pannel Vaughn and then filtered through the organic and emotive art of Justin Greenwood, we found our prototypical horror icon – the Butcher’s Boy. Bringing in Brad Walker and Pat Brosseau – both of whom I have been angling to work with again for some time – allowed this story to marinate to peak perfection. I’m honored to once again work with such a brilliant team, and grateful to Dark Horse for setting the table to serve it upon.”
“My favorite horror stories have always left me feeling unsettled and this one is no exception,” says Greenwood. “I’ve been DYING to draw a horror comic, something dark enough to make you feel guilty for grinning ear to ear as you ruin your favorite character’s life between panels. Landry and Pannel came to me with just that, an idea that allows reality to become pliable and makes good kids do really bad things. I’m having a blast drawing this book.
There is a lot of challenge in telling this kind of twisted story well and drawing this book has allowed me to take some creative risks to pull it off. But it’s a lot easier to take those risks with a creative team you have so much faith in. Brad and Pat have been frequent collaborators for years on comic series like The Last Siege and Crone. They bring incredible mood and rhythm to the storytelling and it’s been so fun to team up once again with Dark Horse to bring this book to life.”
The Butcher’s Boy #1 (of 4) will be in comic shops May 22, 2024. Both the original and variant cover editions of the comic are available for pre-order now at your local comic shop for $4.99.
