Official Press Release

San Diego, CA (December 30, 2004) The old cliché of good things coming in small packages was never so wrong. It should read: Big, scary things come in small packages. In March, IDW Publishing is going to get spooky with not only their format, but the story as well.

Little Book Of Horror: Frankenstein is the first in a series of specially sized, hardcover collectible classics. In this special re-telling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, writer Steve Niles (Wake The Dead, 30 Days Of Night) works from the original text of the historic novel, presenting the tale in prose excerpts. To fully breathe new life into this story, each full-page spread will be accompanied by a painting from award-winning illustrator Scott Morse.

The Little Book of Horror series will tackle Bram Stoker’s Dracula next. Subsequent volumes will cover horror properties new and old, melding full-page illustrations with prose into a new form of graphic literature.

“Remember those old Cliff’s Notes from school?” queried IDW Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall. “Well, consider the Little Book of Horror series beautifully illustrated, well-written, and scary, versions of those old primers. Everything you’ll need to know about classic horror books and movies will be presented on the pages of these little hardcovers.”

Little Book of Horror: Frankenstein, a full-color, 48-page 6” x 9” HC, will be available in March.

Note from SteveNiles.com - In regards to the “Frankenstein” collaboration, Niles has taken the original text, and pulled excerpts, while Morse has provided key illustrations in the form of full-page spreads to convey the story in a new manner.

Official Press Release

San Diego, CA (December 28, 2004) In March 2005, your favorite hard-drinkin’, hard livin’, monster-hunting private dick, Cal McDonald, brings his pill-popping comic book exploits back to IDW Publishing.

Cal McDonald, the creation/alter ego of writer Steve Niles, previously appeared at IDW in novel form. Niles penned three Cal prose books, Savage Membrane, Guns, Drugs and Monsters, and Dial M for Monster. Now he’s bringing Cal’s comic book exploits home to IDW, too, in the form of the six-part Supernatural Freak Machine: A Cal McDonald Mystery. This time out, Cal and his ghoulish partner Mo’Lock face a prison break that signals the return of Dr. Polynice, last heard from in Savage Membrane. Throughout the course of the story, Cal also gets himself a new ride… or does the ride get its latest victim? That remains to be seen.

Niles once again teams up with artist and master craftsman Kelley Jones to bring the readers back into the twisted world of Cal McDonald, the most addled private eye ever to fill a monster full of holes.

“What I’ve always wanted with Cal was an artist, a partner who gets him,” said Niles. “I have that now with Kelley Jones and I can’t wait to see where Cal McDonald winds up.”

Supernatural Freak Machine: A Cal McDonald Mystery, a full-color, six-part miniseries, debuts in March.

Our good friend Dan Wickline snapped some shots of Steve in action during his December 4th appearance at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA. Thanks to Dan for sharing with us the pictures. To see them yourself, visit the appearance gallery here.

We’ve been busy little zombies around here at SteveNiles.com headquarters with loads of updates made to the store and images sections. All of the following comics/graphic novels are available for purchase in the SteveNiles.com Store and for viewing in the images portion of the Web site:

“Freaks of the Heartland” #6, “The Nail” #4, “The Lurkers” #2, “Secret Skull” #3, “Remains” Trade Paperback and “Tales of Terror, Volume 1.”

And ya know what we think? All of the above would make a wonderful Christmas gift! And if you don’t agree, well, we’ve got a ravenous zombie over here who’d like to become your close, personal friend.