Panel from ‘Noche De La Bruja’
She enters through a window. In shadow she climbs. Some things are wrong.
Several years ago I began developing ideas for a number of scary stories. Not gory, gratuitous, jump-scare horror, but rather the sort of tales that unnerve and unsettle. Half-remembered dreams, and memories that produce goosebumps, all drawn from a well of nightmares rooted in cultures and traditions from every corner of the World.
From bedtime stories to campfire tales, urban legends and local myths, I plan to deliver these stories in new and exciting ways, illustrated in varied styles, representing diverse voices and points of view, all with one common theme: witchcraft.
The roots of witchcraft are inexorably linked with fear, superstition, misogyny, and unjust persecution. In developing this collection of short terror tales- and with the intent of publishing an anthology, under the all-encompassing title A VVITCH- I aim to explore, unravel, and recontextualise these themes.
The introductory story for the book is called NOCHE DE LA BRUJA, and is based in part on a witch legend from the Hidalgo region of Mexico.
You can take a peek at some of the pages and panels below:
Panel detail from ‘Noche De La Bruja’
Page detail from ‘Noche De La Bruja’
Ye may gang faur, an’ fare waur.
I’m in the process of creating the second tale, titled THE CRANNOG OF THE BLACK LOCH. A surreal, Lynchian, waking nightmare, it is set in the lowlands of Scotland during the late 17th century, and takes some inspiration from the kelpies of Gaelic folklore. I’ve spent many months researching everything from clothing and tools, to the dialect and beliefs of the time. The dialogue is presented in a handwritten style, based on actual handwriting samples of a priest who lived in the area during the period within which the story is set.
Again, you can take a peek at some pages and panels below:
This is the beginning.
Developing this anthology is a creative undertaking, many years in the making.
When it’s finished, turning my ideas into this tangible, 100-page opus, will be just the first of many creator-owned projects I intend to develop.
I hope you’ll join me.
Page detail from ‘The Crannog of The Black Loch’
Panel detail from ‘The Crannog of The Black Loch’