Creepshow: 13 Tales of Terror editors Thomas E. Sniegoski and James Aquilone speak with Wicked Horror about the new short story collection!
Bram Stoker Award-winning editor and writer James Aquilone’s Monstrous has launched Creepshow: 13 Tales of Terror, the first-ever short story collection inspired by the acclaimed franchise.
The short story collection, officially released on June 23, follows the long Creepshow history that captured the attention of horror fans first with George A. Romero and Stephen King’s 1982 film Creepshow.
Later, special effects artist, director, and producer Greg Nicotero (Walking Dead) introduced a new generation of fans to Creepshow with the acclaimed 2018 Shudder TV series. And the new collection represents a confluence of Creepshow and horror elements with tales from modern prose and comics horrormeisters including editor Aquilone (Kolchak: The Night Stalker), David Avallone (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), Simon Bestwick (Best Horror of the Year), Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Blade Runner, Sonja Blue), Dennis Crosby (Weird Tales), Keith R.A. DeCandido (Supernatural Crimes Unit, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Gwendolyn Kiste (2024 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for The Haunting of Velkwood).
Contributors also include bestselling-writer Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars), Lisa Morton (The Best American Mystery Stories 2020), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Nick Roberts (The Exorcist’s House), Thomas E. Sniegoski (Hellboy, Vampirella) and Tim Waggoner (Terrifier, Halloween Kills novelizations).
Wicked Horror tossed a few questions about the Creepshow tradition and the anthology’s contents to James Aquilone and Thomas E. Sniegoski ahead of 13 Tales of Terror’s big release.
WH: Hi guys, if it’s okay, we’ll do this sort of Hollywood Reporter-style here with one set of questions and each of you can respond or you can sit out a question. Creepshow has become an iconic anthology horror umbrella in its own right. The franchise began by channeling early Stephen King stories and ideas into an EC Comics-influenced film. It might be hard to define, I believe you’ve used the term “morality tales.” What do you see as the formula that creates the unique Creepshow flavor?
James: For me, Creepshow is the perfect blend of horror, humor and cosmic justice. The stories often start with recognizable, everyday situations, and then spiral into something outrageous, terrifying, and darkly funny. At its core, it’s about consequences. People make bad choices, and those choices come back to haunt them.
Thomas: I think the formula is as simple as, “Horrific things happen to terrible people.” We get to see these terrible folks, doing their terrible things to nice people, and then some outside force — often supernatural — makes them pay the price for their awfulness. Works every time!
WH: Yeah, readers and viewers have always responded to the kind of tale Creepshow offers. Do you think we’re in a moment where the deserving getting the results of what they’ve sewn resonates?
James: Absolutely. Creepshow offers a kind of storybook justice that can be very satisfying. The world is often messy and complicated, but in a Creepshow tale there’s usually a sense that actions have consequences. I think audiences have always responded to that, and maybe even more so now.
Thomas: We’re living in some pretty divisive times right now, times that make one question the existence of true law and order. It’s nice to see that in the Creepshow universe there still is some form of justice. The bad are punished no matter who they are, or how much money they have.
WH: Can you give our readers a taste of the table of contents for Creepshow: 13 Tales of Terror?
James: We’ve assembled an incredible lineup of writers — including Jonathan Maberry, Nancy A. Collins, Steve Niles, Tim Waggoner, Lisa Morton, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gwendolyn Kiste, David Avallone, Simon Bestwick, Nick Roberts, Dennis Crosby, Thomas E. Sniegoski and myself. The stories range from creepy and suspenseful to outright horrifying, but they all share that unmistakable Creepshow spirit.
WH: Creepshow has its own unique horror host inspired by figures like EC’s Cryptkeeper and others. How will The Creep be utilized in the anthology, and what do you think that brings to the feel of the collection?
James: The Creep introduces each story, just as fans would expect. Every tale is accompanied by a full-page illustration from EV Cantada featuring The Creep, so he serves as both a visual and thematic guide through the book. His presence immediately tells readers they’re entering the world of Creepshow.
WH: You will also be utilizing art by Russ Braun of The Boys and Kolkchak: The Night Stalker. How does his work complement the Creepshow world?
James: Russ was a natural fit. His work has an energy and storytelling quality that feels perfectly at home in the Creepshow universe. Because Creepshow has always had one foot in comics and one foot in film, having someone with Russ’s comic-book sensibilities on the cover was incredibly important.
Creepshow: 13 Tales of Terror is coming today as an ebook, paperback, and hardcover, wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and local independent retailers. The Creep invites you to turn the page … if you dare.
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