Vault Comics has announced that Eliot Rahal‘s Cult Classic shared universe is expanding with a brand new series, Cult Classic: Creature Feature. Described as “a love letter to B-movie madness,” this new story is all about revenge set against the backdrop of the apocalypse.
Written by Rahal, drawn by John Bivens, colored by Hannah Jerrie and Iris Monahan, and designed by Tim Daniel, Cult Classic: Creature Feature #1 will debut with a Vault Vintage B Cover honoring Francesco Francavilla’s iconic cover for Afterlife with Archie #1 (Archie Comics, 2013). Taylor Esposito rounds out the team on letters. This creator-owned shared universe of interwoven stories created and curated by Rahal launched in 2018 with Cult Classic: Return to Whisper.
This newest addition begins eons ago, with visitors from outer space burying an item of unimaginable power in the primordial swamps that would one day become King Lake, a quaint little basin on the edge of Whisper, USA. Millions of years later, a comet’s radioactive waves awaken the monster beneath the lake. As the beast feeds on America’s delicious youth, brain-slugs infect the town and cause victims to vomit up their kill-hungry, zombified skeletons. For seventeen-year-old Jarrod Parker, this isn’t about the Apocalypse. It’s payback. Nothing, not even the undead and the end of the world, will keep him from vengeance.
“There is an old quote about doing creative work, ‘Make the things you want to see.’ Well… Creature Feature is that for me,” said Rahal. “This is the kind of project I’ve always wanted to make. Sam Raimi is my all-time favorite director. Army of Darkness is what got me into reading comics and exploring sci-fi as a teenager. I went to film school because of Bruce Campbell. I love this stuff. And it’s been my dream to make my own version of it one day—a B-Movie love-letter grounded in human emotion and frantic character decisions that all plays out on a ridiculous stage.”
The writer/creator continues, “It’s insanity with consequences. Fortunately, my collaborator and co-creator John Bivens is a kindred spirit. His work is immaculate. What’s more, he understood that in order for this book to work we needed to feel our characters. And yeah… he loves the same stuff I do. The blood, the guts, the gore, the gags. Also, the color work done by Iris Monahan and Hannah Jerrie is something to admire. Their rich colors and neon despair blends the line work perfectly and single-handedly sets the tone for everything. Plus, Taylor Esposito is on letters because he knows how to come in with those little touches that make the pages sing. Honestly, the art alone should convince you to give our crazy story a try. And that’s my favorite thing about this. Ya know… aside from alien lake monsters and brain slugs making your skeleton jump out of your throat feet first.”
“This book started with Eliot Rahal and I sitting in a dive bar discussing so-bad-they’re-good horror movies from the eighties”, added Bivens. “Eliot was talking about Night of the Creeps while I droned on about TerrorVision. We took that ball, ran with it, and a couple years later we have Cult Classic: Creature Feature. Along the way we brought on Hannah and Iris to handle colors. Both interned at my studio, World Monster HQ, and both are going to do great things in this industry. Then there is Taylor on letters… he’s the best.”
Cult Classic: Creature Feature #1 is set to release in October.
