US publisher Vault Comics has just announced I Walk with Monsters, a dark, heartfelt horror series from writer Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, Saucer State), rising star artist Sally Cantirino (Dead Beats, Last Song), and colourist Dearbhla Kelly (Red Sonja, Queen of Bad Dreams). 

In Jacey’s past is the Important Man who took away her brother. Now Jacey has David, who sometimes transforms into a terrifying beast. Together, they’ve found a way to live – and to hunt, sniffing out men who prey on the vulnerable. But Jacey and David are about to run into the Important Man again.

From Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Doctor Who, Elementary) and Sally Cantirino (Last Song, We Have To Go Back) comes a haunting story about the monsters that walk beside us all, and sometimes lurk within.

“I Walk with Monsters is my attempt to do what Stephen King does: to make a horror story that speaks of genuine horrors,” said Paul. “It’s about male violence and cycles of abuse.  It’s also a nightmare that’s personal for me. It’s taken a lot of digging to finally get here. Though it’s a tough journey, I promise that if you get through it there’s light at the end.  It’s a book I’m incredibly proud of.”

“The ability to freely express anger is a privilege,” added artist Sally Cantirino.  “I understand Jacey in I Walk With Monsters. Jacey holds her anger, heartbreak, hurt, and betrayal deep in her chest. She enacts her revenge through a proxy with the power to attack, a visceral and violent version of the same impulse that had me singing or screaming along to a song about being attacked by monsters, or about being the monster myself. Anger makes you feel monstrous, or capable of monstrous things.

“But how you are allowed to express that anger is described by privilege, which is no small part of what we are investigating in I Walk With Monsters – a story that is very much meant to scare you.”

• I Walk with Monsters #1 hits store shelves in November 2020, and will launch with variant covers by Nathan Gooden and Jen Hickman

• Vault Comics: vaultcomics.com

Paul Cornell has written episodes of Elementary, Doctor Who, Primeval, Robin Hood and many other TV series, including his own children’s show, Wavelength.

He’s worked for every major comics company, including his creator-owned series Saucer State for IDW and This Damned Band for Dark Horse, and runs for Marvel and DC on Batman and Robin, Wolverine and Young Avengers.

Paul is also the writer of the Lychford rural fantasy novellas from Tor.com Publishing and has won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, an Eagle Award for his comics, a Hugo Award for his podcast and shares in a Writer’s Guild Award for his Doctor Who.

He’s also the co-host of Hammer House of Podcast and has three new creator-owned comics series underway in 2020.

• Paul is online at www.paulcornell.com and you can follow him on Twitter @Paul_Cornell

Sally Cantirino grew up in New Jersey and started making comics as a teenager after discovering Love and Rockets and lots of Vertigo stuff at the local library. She began self-publishing zines and comics in high school, and is an alumni of the Pre-College Program at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, and the Sequential Artists Workshop in Gainesville, Florida.

Her comics work includes Last Song with Black Mask Studios, We Have To Go Back, and several other short stories, and has contributed to anthologies such Dead Beats, Everything Is Going Wrong, and You Died. She has also collaborated with World Champ Game Co on the games Protest Singer and Cobwebs, and has done artwork for bands like La Dispute and Murder By Death. 

• Follow Sally on Twitter and Instagram @thisquietcity

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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: downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics

Tags: Dearbhla Kelly, downthetubes News, Horror Comics, I Walk with Monsters, Paul Cornell, Sally Cantirino, Vault Comics