Outland Entertainment is proud to announce a new imprint and publishing initiative focusing on terror. A deeper foray into the horror genre than Outland’s previous works, Outer Shadows will feature work created and curated by writer Cullen Bunn. Outer Shadows will bring readers novels, novellas, short story collections, comics, games, and more.
“Over the years, I’ve come to be associated with horror in comics, but I love the genre in all its many forms,” says Bunn. “Early on in my career as a creator, I founded a small press publishing house and edited a horror zine. Horror writers and horror fans are some of the most kind, welcoming, and inspiring people I’ve ever met. Those were very exciting and creative days for me, and I wanted to rekindle those feelings.
Outland Entertainment, an independent publisher specializing in transmedia worldbuilding, has years of experience in bringing all the formats Outer Shadows will publish to an enthusiastic audience. “Although Outland dabbles in horror with comics like Night of the Vegan and Santa vs. Zombies, we’ve really been lacking an expert voice in that genre,” notes Alana Joli Abbott, Outland’s Editor in Chief. “Not only does Cullen bring his vast experience in horror to the table, but he’s incredibly fun to work with! We can’t wait to see what he brings us.”
Several Outer Shadows projects are already in the works. The first publication, Swords in the Shadows, is an anthology of sword and sorcery tales with horror themes. The anthology is set to feature stories by some of the biggest names in the horror genre, including Joe Lansdale, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Hailee Piper, and Jonathan Janz, among many others. Bunn is editing the book.
“For our first publication,” says Bunn, “I wanted to showcase the broad scope of what a horror tale can be. Sword and sorcery has always been near and dear to me, and some of my favorite stories in the genre feature significant horror elements. I wanted to bring that to the forefront. So, this is an S&S&H anthology—sword and sorcery and horror. It’s a book that I think will have significant crossover appeal.”
Bunn’s own horror/fantasy novella Raze: Mother, Maiden, Crone will be released alongside Swords in the Shadows.
Other upcoming projects include I’ll Kill You Last, an anthology of horror tales set firmly in the world of 80s action movies to be edited by Bunn. In addition, Outer Shadows is slated to reprint Bunn’s middle grade horror novel Crooked Hills and publish a sequel and TTRPG tie-in. Plans also include publication of a complete collection of Bunn’s short fiction and a book collecting stories from the small press magazine Bunn edited more than twenty years ago.
“I have really big plans for this imprint,” says Bunn. “I’m going to be showcasing horror from new creators as well as established horror favorites, and I’ll be exploring different mediums to bring dread and chills to our audience.”