A Charity-Driven Horror Anthology Uniting Creators Against Hate
New indie publisher Slow Feet Comics has announced its first release, Horror Not Hate – a horror comic anthology and art book hybrid designed to raise funds for LGBTQIA+ and immigrant rights organizations in the United States. The book is being created in response to increasing political and physical aggression toward these communities.
Horror writer J.M. Brandt, organizer of Horror Not Hate, explains that the project grew directly out of frustration and concern with the news cycle.
“I was waking up and reading the news, and it would make me physically sick every morning,” Brandt says. “My wife told me that the only way to fight it would be to get off my ass and do something. She was right, and one day after I’d had too much to bear, I announced I’d be putting together a project on my Instagram. I’m not the protesting type, so I felt my energy would be better put to use putting my knowledge and connections into something people would want to buy… and then sending that money to charity.”
A 200+ Page Horror Anthology with a Purpose
Horror Not Hate will be over 200 pages long and serves as Slow Feet Comics’ debut publication. The anthology brings together stories from a mix of established professionals, indie and underground comic creators, and emerging talent.
All of the stories are horror-based and focus on themes such as fascism, hate, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and toxic patriotism.
Writers contributing to the project include:
Tim Waggoner (Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award winner, in just his second comic story)
David M. Booher (Ghostbusters, Canto)
Joshua Pruett (The Last Kids on Earth)
Riley Silverman (Doctor Who)
Rich Douek (Batman: The Brave and the Bold)
Jonathan Hedrick (Recount)
Joe Corallo
Frankee White
Joshua Rubin
Jeffrey Schiller
Lan Pitts
Ben Kahn
Holly Interlandi
Levi Cory
Travis B. Hill
Jonathan Chance
Zach Chapman
Moni Barrette
Louis Southard
Cameron Zavala
Ricardo Acevedo
Derek McCaw
Otie Marcus
Lynsey Hutschinson
Syril Pecson
J.M. Brandt (Swamp Dogs, Swallower of Shades)
Horror Not Hate – Artwork Example 1
A Fusion of Comics and Art Book
What sets Horror Not Hate apart from many horror anthologies is that it functions as both a comic collection and an art book.
Alongside the comics, the project features an extensive art gallery drawing from fine art, comics, underground and outsider art, lowbrow art, and heavy metal–adjacent visual styles. Contributing artists include:
Skinner
Corinne Halbert
Stephanie Inagaki
David Gough
Stuart Holroyd
Evil Jay
Pyromallis
Brett Herman
Hans Rickheit
D.J. Bryant
Sammy Ruiz
Justin Weingartner
Filip Ivanović
Nathaniel Barter
Arjuna Susini
Claudia Balboni
Tom Neely
Sam Payne
David Le compte
Christopher Butler
Patrick Buermeyer
J. Christopher Schmidt
Additional artists to be announced.
Horror Not Hate – Artwork Example 2
The comics themselves feature artwork from:
Francesca Fantini (Stake)
Caleb Ady (In Bloom)
Rafael Navarro (Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave)
Pat Higgins
Zak Kinsella
Kraig Rasmussen
Gerald Von Stoddard
Jade Lowder
Kurt Belcher
Vassilis Gogtzilas
Alan Quirk
Jacob Ian DeCoursey
Kev Tijerna
Dan MacLeod
Peter Arends
Daisy Church
Jay Kennedy
Jody James Brenton
Hope Dicanio
Russell Frechette
Alex Zief
Austin Baechle
Vladimir Popov
Damian Felitte
And more.
Horror Not Hate – Artwork Example 3
Kickstarter Campaign and Charitable Partners
Horror Not Hate will be funded via a Kickstarter campaign. After printing and fulfillment costs are covered, all proceeds will be split evenly between two organizations:
CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)
Lambda Legal
The campaign will offer physical copies of the book with multiple variant covers by:
Chad J Keith
Skinner
Jonathan La Mantia
A mystery artist to be announced at a later date
The first revealed cover is by Chad J Keith, known for his heavy metal artwork, including collaborations with Mastodon and album covers for Danava, Atomic Witch, and Foreseen. He has also created covers for Creepshow (Image Comics) and Sweetie: Candy Vigilante (Dynamite).
Backers will have access to a range of rewards and stretch goals, including:
Apparel and stickers featuring artwork from various contributors
Original pieces of artwork
Commission opportunities
Add-ons and rewards from socially minded companies
There will also be tiers and packages designed for interested retailers.
Horror Not Hate – Artwork Example 4
How to Follow and Support Horror Not Hate
A pre-launch page for the Kickstarter campaign is available – where readers can sign up to be notified when the campaign goes live later this year.
