Posted in: Comics, Halloween | Tagged: Brett Schwaner, Comics, entertainment, guignol, Keith Hogan

Guignol Scares Up Month-Long Halloween Horror Party

Published Sat, 17 Oct 2015 14:30:23 -0500

Last updated Mon, 26 Oct 2015 14:59:35 -0500

Guignol – A Tale of Escalating Horror creator Brett Schwaner writes for Bleeding Cool:

October is the perfect time for horror. Naturally. Halloween, once a uniquely American phenomenon, has grown in recognition and worldwide cache thanks to the ubiquity of the internet, with Hallow's Eve observances popping up in nearly every corner of the globe. October is ideal for visiting local haunts (or Hell Houses, if you prefer), dust off reliable classics from the bookshelf or back issue bin, or just check out the latest horror flick at the multiplex (going to see Crimson Peak this weekend feels more like a pilgrimage in celebration of the season than just another average trip to the movies).

We chose to release the debut of our new horror adventures series, GUIGNOL – A Tale of Escalating Horror, in early October for all of the above reasons. 'Tis the season to scare up bone-chilling, blood-curdling chills and thrills. Being a newbie to the horror biz can seem daunting, even if you do have some previous experience in publishing (in my case, years spent in journalism and educational publishing). Halloween season brings out the biggest and the best in the world of horror. You're competing against the legacies of Michael Myers and Bela Lugosi for people's attention, so you'd better be prepared to scare up some fun or risk being relegated to the rotten end of the pumpkin patch.

Of course, it helps if you're horrifying and, fortunately, that's something that I've never had much trouble with. When I was 7 years old, I spent the entire summer illustrating a 26-ft. demonic scroll that my grandmother proudly displayed in her kitchen for years.

Put One Foot in the Grave

Halloween is but one day on the calendar, but you should probably start thinking about it in March. Yes, March. If you're a small press publisher just getting your feet wet, roughly six or seven months before your release is when you should start feeling out media contacts and potential retail partners. Go out and talk to book sellers and comic book retailers in your area. You will meet some amazing people and make some great contacts. We first established our relationship with our eventual October release party partner in the spring, when Halloween was the furthest thing from most people's minds. We also reached out to dozens of potential media partners during the spring and summer, with an eye towards bringing everything together in time for October.

Surround Yourself With Amazing Fiends

Ideally, you don't want your release party to be a stand-alone event. If you're a first-time publisher, don't have the illusion that people will show up just to see you based on the merits of your work alone. Plan to stage your release in partnership with another local creator or group of creators, or tie-in with some larger event. In our case, we were offered the upstairs loft at Miette, an art boutique in Uptown New Orleans, during the city's annual Art for Art's Sake event, which brings out a heavy amount of pedestrian foot-traffic. The venue took care of the refreshments, booked a DJ, handled the press releases, enlisted a photographer, and brought in several other local artisans who debuted their work downstairs.

There Will Be Fake Blood

If your setting permits, consider customizing your release space. We were given carte blanc with the upstairs space at Miette (a space which was opened for the first time during our release event). After the staff at Miette repositioned their casket display shelf in the upstairs reception area, we decided to fill much of the floor space with dozens of orange and black balloons and light up our table space with similarly colored candles. We rounded out our greeting table with a plastic jack o'lantern filled with blood red varieties of Halloween candy (including oozing chocolate zombie feet filled with red caramel). Consider dowsing yourself in fake blood as another sensible option. Or real blood.

Prepare for Trolls and Ghouls

Hope for the best, plan for the worst! Despite your best-laid plans, chaos rules in the wild. Imagine my shock and horror when one of New Orleans most renowned carnival designers (who shall remain nameless) showed up with a power drill to belatedly finish an art installation as we greeted our first arriving guests. Thankfully, the staff at Miette were wonderful and the crowd was generally amicable, no doubt thanks to a steady supply of booze and Halloween candy. Sir, I may someday show up at your child's baptism with my power tools.

Solicit Your Friends to Dress as Demon Children

Yes, it helps if you have friends who are willing to cosplay as your characters! Local artist, model, and promoter Elli Diaz is a long-time friend from the punk scene here in New Orleans and one of the most talented and creative individuals who I have the privilege of personally knowing. Check out her work via Art Dollz. During our release party on October 3^rd, she became the first person to ever cosplay as Guignol's main villain, Lilly Langtree, greeting our guests as they arrived at our release event. Elli did an amazing job and we are hopeful to include her in our future plans as we prepare for Wizard World New Orleans. More photos of Elli as Lilly Langtree can be viewed at our website. Photos by Caroline Watson, Keith Hogan, and Madison Leavelle.

Scaring Up a New Halloween Tradition

With Guignol, our goal is to build an annual tradition amongst Halloween enthusiasts – a Hallow's Eve adventure that just keeps going, like a Twilight Zone episode with an endless twist tied to the scariest night of the year. Every volume of Guignol is a celebration of all-things Halloween, with a new full-length volume planned for release every September or October, just in time for your favorite holiday.

Guignol Creators Brett Schwaner and Keith Hogan will next appear at Undead Con in New Orleans on Friday, October 30 from 1-2PM, hosted by Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop.

Both creators will also appear at an all-day live signing during the Louisiana Book Festival at the State Library in Baton Rouge on Saturday, October 31 from 10AM-5PM.

A Special Halloween Treat for Little Bleeders

Now through October 31^st, Bleeding Cool readers can Save 31% on Guignol by entering the Promo Code BLEEDING31 at checkout. This is our biggest web promo of the year, so don't miss out! Web store now shipping to USA/ UK/ EU/ CAN/ AUS.