Inspired by the horror anthology collection
When you need a quick fix of horror, there’s no better place to turn than an anthology collection. Be it in prose, on television, or in the cinema, short tales of terror provide that greedy instant gratification if you’re yearning for a fright.
Del Howison – proprietor of the all-horror shop Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California – agrees, “I believe it is the perfect format for horror. It gives you that short sharp jolt that stands the hairs up on your arm and tickles at the back of your neck.”
In 2005, Howison balanced the duties he shares with his wife, Sue, at the store and spearheaded the Bram Stoker Award-winning horror anthology book entitled, naturally, Dark Delicacies. Co-edited by Jeff Gelb, this collection features new short stories from top names in the genre such as Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Richard Laymon Steve Niles and more. Two years later, Dark Delicacies II: Fear hit stands garnering more praises from fans and critics alike.
While there are plans to get a televised anthology series, using the Dark Delicacies brand, off the ground, Howison and Niles are currently overseeing a comic book line which will debut in 2009 from IDW Publishing.
“I wasn’t having enough contact with Del,” jokes Niles speaking not only as a creative partner but as a Dark Delicacies customer as well. “Usually I only get to see him and make fun of his hair once a week. This way, working together, we can ridicule each other almost around the clock. Oh, and I thought we needed a horror comic anthology that was not and EC tribute, and Dark Delicacies is all drippy with class and shit.”
That sentiment is echoed by Howison who says Dark Delicacies is attempting to distance itself from similar anthology fare like Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow. And while it will indeed cull stories from the two existing books, “we are not sticking to them for inspiration,” explains Howison. “We plan on originals, classics, and tales from the collections. We’ll mix it up. But for the kick off issues we wanted some of the big names and great stories to help us get this ship underway. We’re not aiming for any particular theme for this comic series anymore than Dark Delicacies aims for one as a book. In fact, I think that the strength of the book is that, not only is there something for everybody, but it’s constantly surprising in its subject matter.”
The first issue will feature the stories Dog, by Joe R. Lansdale, and Part of the Game, by F. Paul Wilson, adapted by Neal Barrett Jr. and Niles, respectively. “Then for our second issue we plan to switch gears and do an all Clive Barker issue with his now classic tale of zombie love beyond the grave entitled Haeckel’s Tale,” says Howison. “We are constantly looking for artists and writers and tales that remain in your mind long after the comic has been closed. There are still some stories and actual frames of the old EC comics that will never leave my head that I read years ago. We’d like to do that but in a new look and mold to move it forward for the 21st Century.”
Expect Dark Delicacies to debut in comic shops this January. Howison also tells us he’s now contracted to work on a third book with Gelb.
Source: Ryan Rotten
