A new graphic novel, Includingcame out on Comixology earlier this week, and the Texas-Mexico border just got a whole lot scarier. The monsters in this story, written by Steven S. DeKnight and illustrated by Michael Gaydos, lie deep underground.
With horror comics as popular as ever and classic monsters popping up everywhere, it’s a bold change to see a new monster.
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So what is Including around?
Deputy Sheriff Jess Delgado is tasked with bringing the sole survivor of a mysterious attack on the Texas-Mexico border to CoreCivil, a for-profit immigration detention center that is being shut down amid widespread protests. Now housing just a handful of inmates and guarded by a skeleton crew of disgruntled guards, the prison becomes a desperate battlefield when something alien emerges from the depths of the earth. Something that fears only the light. Deputy Delgado must bring the guards and inmates – two groups that hate and fear each other – together to survive the night. Or fall victim to the vengeance of the things that live beneath the earth.
In a new Anatomy of Design feature, I asked Gaydos about this new monster design and the page editing process of a terrifying page from the graphic novel. Oh, and how would it compare to other famous monsters like vampires or werewolves?!
AIPT: What was the original idea for the monster in this story?
Michael Gaydos: If I remember correctly, Steven was looking for something bipedal, humanoid, very pale with almost transparent skin and claws designed for digging in the earth and teeth designed to tear flesh. Since the monsters live underground, it was also important to give them large, overdeveloped eyes so they could see in the dark.
AIPT: The transformation from start to finish of the design pages is quite a leap. Can you talk a little about what happens from thumbnail to sketch to finished piece?
MG: The thumbnail is just that. Something I drew while reading the page in the script. It’s more to give me an idea of the dynamics of the page. Since this is the first reveal of the monster, it had to be something special.
After the thumbnail, I started gathering all the possible references I had collected and constructing the basics of the page. The majority of this graphic novel was created digitally. Through trial and error, I found a way to draw on the tablet that was almost identical to my actual pencil drawings. This made the whole process a little easier in terms of both execution and editing.
After adding background elements, I played with color and texture until I found something I liked.
The final sound effects I created brought everything together.
AIPT: Do you think monsters are somehow scarier when they take on a human form with arms, legs, eyes, mouths, etc.?
MG: Absolutely. There always seems to be something more terrifying about a monster that you can form a physical connection with. Wondering if maybe they were human at some point or if you can be turned into one of them is a very terrifying thought. I also think there’s the element that they might think the same way, which is quite scary when you’re trying to avoid them.
AIPT: How would your monster fare against a vampire, werewolf or other favorite monster?
MG: I think it could beat a vampire. It would probably be a pretty fair fight against a werewolf. At least until the werewolf goes underground. The original Alien and the Predator are two of my favorite monsters. Unfortunately, I don’t think our guy would stand much of a chance in a one-on-one fight. Possibly they would make a difference in large numbers.
For more information about the series, see the press release below!
July 9, 2024 – New York, NY—Filmmaker Steven S. DeKnight is best known as the creator and head writer of the Starz series Spartacus and as showrunner of Netflix’ Daredevil series. After writing comics for Marvel Comics, including Conan And Wastelanders: Wolverine, DeKnight is set to make his own comic book debut with the graphic novel BENEATH, which features haunting and terrifying drawings from the acclaimed Alias Artists and Jessica Jones Co-creator Michael Gaydos. With BENEATH, DeKnight and Gaydos head to the Texas-Mexico border to tell a supernatural horror story unlike any other. The book features graphic design by Cindy Leong, lettering by Toben Racicot, and was edited by Allison O’Toole; Kate Sánchez served as cultural consultant and translator. BENEATH will be available on Amazon’s exclusive digital content line Comixology Originals on August 6, 2024.
At the border, the US prison camp is often a place of despair and defeat. And now terror from the horrors that lay deep beneath the earth.
“I’ve always loved monsters – ghouls and ghosts, vampires and werewolves, zombies and giant radioactive creatures,” says author Steven S. DeKnight. “The best genre stories ask questions that often defy the simplest answers. They provoke thought while presenting the sleight of hand of entertainment that artfully compel the viewer or reader to question their own perceptions and worldview.”
In BENEATH, Deputy Sheriff Jess Delgado is tasked with bringing the sole survivor of a mysterious attack on the Texas-Mexico border to Core Civil, a for-profit immigration detention center on the brink of closure due to widespread protests. Housing only a handful of remaining inmates and guarded by a skeleton crew of disgruntled guards, the prison becomes a desperate battlefield when something alien emerges from the depths of the earth. Deputy Delgado must bring the guards and inmates – two groups who hate and fear each other – together to survive the night or face the vengeance of whatever lurks within. including.
“My first graphic novel also happens to be my first foray into the horror genre,” says artist Michael Gaydos. “I love creating sequential art that is full of mood, tension, and very real character emotions. Steven’s story has all of that and more. I couldn’t be happier with the final product.”
“Steven DeKnight’s work includes some of the hottest pop culture productions. Now, with Includingwe are proud to publish his first graphic novel on Comixology Originals. This is a horror story for our times and we can’t wait to draw readers into this unique and powerful story,” said Jeff DiBartolomeo, GM and CTO of Comixology.
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