- The Long Death
- Written by John Kratky
- Illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk
- Horror
- On Kickstarter now!
What if Hansel & Gretel walked into the woods and found a nightmare worse than a witch?
The Long Death tells the tale of two children, Victor and Iris, who escape a home which has been decimated by plague. Their hope is to find safety in West Arcanshire, but for two hungry children, it will be no easy journey. While following a path in the woods, Victor smells a stew cooking, and he can’t help but follow the savory scent. Instead of nourishment, he finds a farmhouse that holds a dark secret: What gets cleaved on the chopping block, gets cooked in the kitchen.
The horror behind what that might be is the question in this fable of corruption within the adult world which starts with the inhabitants of the farmhouse, The Butcher and The Old Crone, and leads all the way to the authorities of West Arcanshire.
Author John Kratky wrote this story of escaping plague prior to the days of lockdown and Covid, but the ideas and themes within work perfectly as a reflection of that era. Although John is mostly known for his crime comics and novellas, this marks his first major effort in horror since his webcomic days, and is the second title in print under his horror brand Forgotten Folklore.
As a lifelong horror fan, John did not want to just jump into the genre without a specific direction, or until he knew exactly how he wanted to approach it. Taking inspiration from the worldwide gothic horror movement of the 1960’s, and his love of the ghoulish storytelling in the old EC Comics, Forgotten Folklore was born. These are stories from another time where devil’s and men are as devious as one another, and receive comeuppance due to them, and sometimes not.
The artist on The Long Death is Anna Wieszczyk, whose work was another source of inspiration for the project. John and Anna were supposed to work together on a previous graphic novel he had released, but the partnership never came to light due to other commitments. John started following her work and became enchanted by her unique artistry, and eventually started writing The Long Death with her art in mind. Anna brings a dream-like quality to the story, and perfectly captures the atmosphere and look of a gothic fairytale. There is no doubt that her astounding visuals will not only endear you, but haunt you for some time after reading. The Long Death is on Kickstarter until November 27th with a funding goal of $6,000 to largely cover printing, shipping, and fees. The funding of this comic assures more tales of horror to come in the Forgotten Folklore series.
