Halloween, all the ghouls and goblins are out, and Markosia is marking this year’s occasion with the release of a collection of Grinding Against The Marrow, a dark and visceral story that defies easy genre classification by Snake and Mauro De Falco.
“Snake has the rare gift of making me want to read on,” says Garth Ennis of his work, “which is half the battle for any writer!”
Initially released on Webtoons, then published by Markosia as a four-issue mini series, in Grinding Against The Marrow, aimed at mature readers, we’re stuck in the small-minded malevolent town of Marrow. So get ready to survive the streets with Soma, a homeless ex-junkie Muslim. She’s all action, a woman of minimal words. (Think a female Clint Eastwood cowboy, straightening out small town trouble).
Soma encounters an entire cross section of the town’s seedy underbelly, including being hunted by packs of mask-wearing youths, corrupt cops, and partnering with an unlikely crew of outcast allies. However, she’s also got one particular skill that makes her formidable for this ordeal: parkour free running. But will this acrobatic ninja actually manage to escape the town’s clutches?
“I was genuinely floored by this first issue of Grinding Against The Marrow,” comic reviewer Jason Brown enthused of this horror adventure last year. “it’s a pulse-pounding thriller which takes you to the dark side of town, where life feels cheap, fleeting…and hope can barely survive in the grim urban environment.
“Though it’s not afraid to dangle some awful threats in front of the reader, lead character Soma comes across as a genuinely decent and likeable character, particularly when you gain insight into her life via her brilliantly written poetry.”
Writer Snake (Scott Matthew Watson) is a poet, spoken word artist, and comic creator, who graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has worked in and out of the film industry for the last ten years, as a script reader, prop man and PA. Now he writes comics and letters them, spending most days “walking on the raindrops of imagination.”
Mauro De Falco hails from Naples, Italy, who studied at Liceo artistico santissimi apostoli and Accademia di belle arti di Napoli, gaining obvious confidence in his craft over several years, his work much admired by Snake and fans of Grinding Against The Marrow.
• Grinding Against The Marrow by Snake and Mauro De Falco is coming on 16th October 2026 from Markosia | Digital Edition via Bookshop.org (Affiliate Link) | Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Check out the four-issue mini series on Drive Thru
This series contains adult themes and situations and is recommended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised
• Dollar Bin Bandits Podcast Indie Insights
Snake (Scott Matthew Watson) discusses his journey from discovering comics to developing his own distinctive voice as a creator to detailing Grinding Against the Marrow, breaking down the striking title’s meaning, introducing the series’ key characters and their driving motivations, and discussing his collaboration with artist Mauro De Falco, as well as the challenges and rewards of operating as a fully independent creator. He touches on his crowdfunding efforts, his own imprint, the reception the book has received within the indie comics community, and shares his long-term vision for the series.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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