"Nobody is above temptation."
44FLOOD, the collective behind anthologies such as TOME and which has also published music, comic-books and illustrated novels by award-winning artists and writers including Bill Sienkiewicz, George Pratt, Scott Radke, Jason Shawn Alexander, Phil Hale, Fink and Dave McKean, launched the preview issue of folk-horror comic-book series HERETICS at the 10th international Thought Bubble sequential arts festival in Leeds, UK.
HERETICS is created by Martin Simmonds, P M Buchan, and series editor Kasra Ghanbari, with lettering and design by Michael Stock. Set in 1999, HERETICS follows the journey of investigative journalist Isobel Lockwood as she travels to a remote island off the coast of Scotland in an attempt to save her younger sister from the Children of the Sun, an abusive cult, founded by their father, that believes in free love and group sex.
“Creepy and vivid, with a look reminiscent of Dave McKean and John J Muth, HERETICS is a fine looking nightmare.” – Rob Williams (DC Comics: Suicide Squad, Vertigo: Unfollow)
HERETICS issue zero, which is now on sale internationally through ForbiddenPlanet.com or through Forbidden Planet’s flagship London store, acts as a prequel to the main series and features an original nine-page story about Isobel’s undercover investigations into the Heaven’s Gate commune.
“Another good-looking NSFW publication from 44FLOOD. If this were a movie it would be rated ‘R’ with coarse language, nudity in a sexual situation, alcohol abuse and frequent bloody violence. That’s just in the preview issue, which also lists a helpful soundtrack of music to make your ears bleed.” – David Hine (Image Comics: Bulletproof Coffin, Marvel Comics: Spider-Man Noir)
The issue also features a five-page early preview of issue one, plus an exclusive feature article about the classic folk-horror film Blood on Satan’s Claw, written by Euro horror cinema expert Rob Talbot and illustrated by Beast Wagon co-creator John Pearson, and an exclusive feature article on the top ten songs from 1999, written by Kerrang! Magazine deputy editor George Garner and illustrated by John Pearson.