Comic series Blood & Gourd from Dead Peasant Comics is perfect for Halloween and horror enthusiasts. The brightly colored pages feature killer pumpkins, plenty of blood and great references to ’80s horror. HorrorGeekLife was thrilled at the opportunity to review the series and speak with the two writers from Dead Peasant, Jenz K. Lund and D.H. Shultis. We discuss their influences, the Blood & Gourd comics and upcoming projects!
Be sure to check out our review here!
HorrorGeekLife – Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us! Who were some of your earliest influences that led you into horror and comics?
Jenz – As a child of the 80s, late night cable flooded my impressionable brain with a slew of brilliant and subversive films. The Return of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, Night of the Creeps, Fright Night, The Thing, Creepshow; it was an incredible time for horror, and you’ll find a lot of those influences in Blood & Gourd. My earliest memories are making my own comic books knockoffs of these films. I’d fold some pages together, come up with a cover, draw up my story, and then my grandmother would bind them with fishing line or yarn. So, from the very beginning, I didn’t know I wanted to make comics – I was already making them.
DH – A lot of my earliest influences were science fiction writers like Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. I also spent a lot of time with Stephen King. If you were to get all the way to the way-way back…James Howe’s Bunnicula is deeply rooted in there like a long ripe carrot wild and festering in forgotten earth. Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings are also major influences. I admire creators that can build a new world that is familiar yet exotic and fantastical.
HorrorGeekLife – We did notice some of those references and even noted in our review of Blood & Gourd! Who are some current artists/writers who help influence you today?
Jenz – As far as contemporary writers go: Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, and the rest of the writers on Rick & Morty. I think it’s one of the smartest, most imaginative shows ever put on television. Cormac McCarthy, Leos Carax,, Joel and Ethan Cohen, Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro Jodorowsky – I’m sure I’ll think of more later. Thanks a lot, brain.
DH – The Coen brothers are amazing – they craft a movie with dialog as much as story and images. I also have to say that I love the indie-convention scene. Being at a row of tables with other creators is often awe-inspiring and fun. There are tons of folk out there just putting the work in and trying to tell stories. I like that a lot.
HorrorGeekLife – Absolutely agree; indie conventions are a great way to meet some fantastic artists and writers that deserve more attention. How did the Dead Peasant team come together?
Jenz – We met in grad school and discovered that we had some similar interests in subversive horror and psychotronic films.
DH – We started drinking lots of coffee together and trying to make each other laugh. Once we got serious about making a comic book, the art team came on board. We have been fortunate to work with some of the most talented artists in the industry.
HorrorGeekLife – That’s great to hear that it all fell into place so well. How did the idea for Blood & Gourd come about?
Jenz – I had been on a huge John Waters kick while listening to a ton of Cramps and rockabilly music. Our disdain for contemporary horror films (all the reboots, remakes, torture porn, all that bleakness) inspired us to write a crazy, colorful, Halloween inspired story. We realized early on that the script was insane, and that a film just wasn’t possible. We didn’t have any money or connections. So, we took a stab at making a comic book instead.
DH – We wanted to tell an original story with new monsters and new characters. We set out to make something wild and fun. Also, we liked making fucked up jokes and twisting reality into some horrifying moments.
HorrorGeekLife – I have to admit that I fell in love with Blood & Gourd based on the colors and art before I even read it. They are beautiful and perfectly Halloween without being dark. The first two issues were great; can you tell us a bit about what’s to come?
Jenz – We’re very proud of the lore and history of our Blood & Gourd world. We set out to make all new heroes, villains and monsters, and I think we’ve succeeded in doing that. Readers can expect to see the pumpkin pandemonium spread to downtown Olympia, and with it, more regular, run of the mill people trying to make sense and stave it all off. You’ll find out more about Seminal Chemical, what the end-game is for Mr. Pleasant, and just who the hell this Alabaster guy is.
DH – Be warned. Nobody’s safe from becoming pumpkin puree, not even Kitty and Mason.
HorrorGeekLife – Absolutely can’t wait! Do you eventually want Dead Peasant to venture into new comic lines? Would they be horror related?
Jenz – That’s the plan. We’ve been chipping away at a pretty epic, satirical sci-fi story for a few years now. Hopefully, it sees the light of day in 2017/2018. I also have another passion project I’ve been working on called Traces of Gnomes that would translate well into a comic series. Ultimately, we want to start publishing the work of other indie creators and possibly branch out into film production.
DH – Yes, we’d love to be able to create a platform for more and more stories to be told. They would not all be horror related. Like Jenz mentioned, we have a science fiction project in the works that is so much fun it might just be banned. For now though, our focus is on completing Blood & Gourd. The more I hear about Traces of Gnomes the more I remember how lucky I am to work with Jenz, and how much his passion for arcane lore and Jungian weirdness lends to the series.
HorrorGeekLife – That’s great to hear! Does anyone on the team have any current or upcoming projects you want to let us know about?
Jenz – Our artist on Issue 2, Juanan Ramirez, is taking the comic world by storm. He’s currently drawing for Marvel and Dark Horse. The artist on our first issue, Dave Acosta, has been working on Twilight Zone and The Shadow for Dynamite. Juan Albarran, who inked our first issue, is making a big splash over at DC. And I can’t tell you how many comic book creators hit me up for Fran Gamboa’s email. His colors really give Blood & Gourd something special. He’s also a very talented and creative artist. We think he’s destined to do amazing things in this industry.
HorrorGeekLife – After reading Blood & Gourd, I can’t say I’m surprised that the team has so many amazing things happening! Lastly, are there any comic series that you think are a bit underrated that deserve some attention?
Jenz – Our friend Barry Deutsch’s series Heresville deserves to be way more famous than it is.
HorrorGeekLife – Great, I’ll definitely look into Heresville soon. I appreciate your time and HorrorGeekLife will feature your upcoming projects; we’re definitely fans.