“Something wicked crawled out screaming” is the first line of the synopsis for Something Crawled Out, a new horror comic from Vault Comics debuting this October. Written by Son M. and with art by MadCursed, Vittorio Aston is on colors, Jim Campbell handles letters, and Tim Daniel is on designs. MadCursed also offers a cover as does Cathy Kwan.
In the book, Edith “Eddie” Miller’s younger sister goes missing, which leads to her uncovering a much more disturbing situation in their small town. She teams up with her best friend Rainer, who by the way, might be the Devil himself.
Son M. and MadCursed chatted with The Beat about the creepy new tale.
Deanna Destito: How did this story come about?
Son M: Something Crawled Out came from wanting a horror story centered around the Midwest, living in the middle of nowhere and still close enough to travel to a city. That, and wanting to do a spin on the Final Girl. Eddie is desperate to find her sister, enough to go through very terrible acts to get closer. Mixing Midwestern horror, the devil, and a woman with no guard rails really made for an exciting explosion!
MadCursed: The first impression sets the foundation for the story, painting vivid bursting colors in my mind.
The first time I read Something Crawled Out, I was completely enraptured. The atmosphere and mood were so in line with the movie genres I enjoy that I felt compelled to claim it as my own and add my personal touch to this world of dark shadows and intense gazes. Everything became beautiful and violently perfect as rules and logic crumbled. Only darkness and you remain.
Destito: After reading the first issue, it’s definitely creepy. How do you go about creating the tone and visuals for this type of horror?
MadCursed: Mixing the horror colors that give Something Crawled Out its unique vibe was my opportunity to share my perspective on the story. Through the use of various shades, I aimed to convey the mood of decay and corruption that I experienced. I love immersing myself in ghost stories’ aesthetics through comfort movies and take inspiration for my art, even while working.
Son M: A big goal with Something Crawled Out is to take the familiar and make it unfamiliar. Mad captures that beautifully.
Destito: Rainer is an interesting addition to the story. How did he come about and what inspired his place in the story?
Son M: What’s better than a devil you don’t know? Small towns and labels go hand in hand, and Rainer is a representation of surviving that isolating living experience. He’s a great foil to Eddie, her best friend who helps her along on this hunt for the truth. At some point, between the two of them, you’ll start to question who’s the actual devil in their relationship.
MadCursed: Rainer was instantly promoted to be my art style ambassador. In my mind, he already possessed all the perfect features. His presence is subtle, yet never taken for granted or dull. He is attentive and sharp. When faced with his design phase, my initial thought was, “How can I turn all of this into a real character?” Son and I were so in sync that Rainer effortlessly embodied all my favorite character traits.
Destito: How has it been working with Vault and the entire creative team?
Son M: Vault has been amazing! I wanted to create a horror comic that was strange in its premise, that followed a non-typical lead, that was both terrible and violent, but sexy and loving. Vault has been supportive every step of the way, allowing Something Crawled Out to be actualized beautifully. The amazing input from cover designs, to editing work, has been a pleasure to experience. I’ll definitely be working with them in the future; they’re too good!
MadCursed: Fantastic! I feel energized by the warm and enthusiastic team. They give me a burst of adrenaline! Being surrounded by a supportive and positive atmosphere at Vault has been instrumental in keeping me motivated on my project. The more I create violent content, the more passionate they become about it. I see this statement may sound odd outside of the Vault community! Truly hope to work again with them!
Destito: What can you tease about future issues?
Son M: Something Crawled Out promises to deliver a messy, vicious thing that will have you rooting for the worst in people. Eddie will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her sister, even if that means dragging both Rainer and her into Hell itself…
MadCursed: Violence for sure! Something Crawled Out will have a sexy twist on the traditional concept of right and good acts. Even while drawing each page, I feel like a new reader myself. Knowing the script in advance doesn’t really prepare me for the impact of seeing what will come out of my pen in full display at the end. And that’s enthralling!
Something Crawled Out #1 is on sale on October 25, 2023.
