AfterShock Comics have announced a second volume of the anthology graphic novel, “Shock.” The second volume will feature works in a variety of genres, from a host of comics and prose creators, including Garth Ennis (“The Punisher”), Cullen Bunn (“Harrow County”), Marguerite Bennett (“InSeXts”), R.L. Stine (Goosebumps) and many more. Like the previous volume, it will be edited by AfterShock Publisher and Creative Chief Officer, Joe Pruett. Tim Bradstreet (“The Punisher”) will be providing the cover art.
R.L. Stine’s story will follow a movie director who buys a luxury condo but is completely unaware of the “evil lurking behind one door,” which Stine teased has a “funny punchline.” He said that he was “delighted” to receive the call from Pruett asking to be involved with “Shock,” and noted that it means his career has come “full-circle” for him, having grown up as a “comic book freak.”
Marguerite Bennett’s entry in the anthology, illustrated by Zac Roane (“Tales of the Black Devil”), will tell a “disturbing erotic thriller” set in the 1600s about a vampiress who enters a repressed town. Bennett praised Roane for being able to masterfully capture the “sensual, righteous, and profane” and described her excitement at being able to bring “bring the teeth back to the legend.”
The first volume of “Shock” was published last year, when Pruett imagined it “would be a one-time event,” but he explained a second volume became a reality due to the enthusiastic reception of fans. He explained that his love for the anthology format is rooted in “the challenge of gathering the best talent and allowing them to tell short, yet entertaining stories,” and stated that, despite the “time and attention” required to compile an anthology, he can envision himself compiling a volume “every six months or so” for “years to come.”
“Shock” Volume 2 is scheduled for release on June 26.
The preview pages for the anthology, as well as the full press release, are as follows:
SHOCK Vol 2 / $34.99 / 160 pages / FULL COLOR / On sale 06.26.19
Writers: R.L. Stine, Garth Ennis, Cullen Bunn, Marguerite Bennet & othersArtists: Russ Braun, Francesco Francavilla, Juan Doe, Sam Kieth & others
Cover: Tim Bradstreet
The highly anticipated follow up to the widely successful first volume of the SHOCK anthology, this oversized second volume continues to push boundaries and mix genres, inviting today’s top creative talent of both comics and prose to craft tales of the fantastic, the horrific and the bizarre.
This handsome hardcover features the talents of Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine, Garth Ennis, Cullen Bunn, Russ Braun, Marguerite Bennet, Juan Doe, Jill Thompson, Sam Kieth, Aaron Douglas, Cliff Richards, Jim Starlin, Larry Stroman, Jamal Igle, Ray Fawkes, Joe Pruett, Kevin J. Anderson, Steve Rasnic Tem, Andrei Bressan, Tony Harris, Francesco Francavilla, Darko Macan, Don Handsfield, Phil Hester, Supernatural show runner Andrew Dabb and more – with outstanding Cover art by Timothy Bradstreet!
Conceived and edited by AfterShock Publisher and Chief Creative Officer, Joe Pruett, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award nominated editor of the classic Negative Burn anthology series.
AFTERSHOCK PUBLISHER JOE PRUETT ON HOW THE PROJECT CAME TOGETHER:
“When I started putting together the first volume of SHOCK I thought it would be a one-time event. I’d gather some great creators and allow them to tell some fun and intriguing short stories and that would be that. But, the first volume was met with such great enthusiasm and was received so well that that idea of doing additional volumes only made sense. Which is fine by me, as I’ve always loved the anthology format and have throughout my career embraced the challenge of gathering the best talent and allowing them to tell short, yet entertaining stories.”
AFTERSHOCK PUBLISHER JOE PRUETT ON HOW MANY MORE VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES HE WOULD LIKE TO DO:
“Putting together a project like this demands time and attention, but there is a lot of personal satisfaction when the end product is complete. As long as the demand remains, I could see myself doing a volume every six months or so. I hope we can continue for years to come.”
R.L. STINE ON WHAT HIS STORY IS ABOUT IN SHOCK 2 AND WHY HE’S EXCITED FOR IT TO COME OUT:
“I like stories in which everything seems normal, but there’s actually something terrifying very nearby. In this story, a movie director buys a perfectly beautiful luxury condo and has no idea of the evil lurking behind one door. I also like horror stories with a funny punchline, and I was very pleased when I came up with this one.”
R.L. STINE ON HOW HIS PROJECT CAME TOGETHER WITH AFTERSHOCK:
“I wrote a series of Man-Thing comics for Marvel year before last. Now I’m working on some graphic novels for kids in a series called Just Beyond. When Joe Pruett asked me to contribute to this anthology, I was delighted.
When I was a kid, I was a comic book freak. I guess things have come full-circle for me.”
MARGUERITE BENNETT ON WHAT HER STORY IS ABOUT IN SHOCK 2 AND WHY SHE’S EXCITED FOR IT TO COME OUT:
“Our story is a disturbing erotic thriller about a vampiress who comes upon a repressed town in the 1600s. Zac Roane is an absolute master of the sensual, righteous, and profane, and I can’t wait to bring the teeth back to the legend.”
MARGUERITE BENNETT ON BEING AN AFTERSHOCK ALUMNI AND WHAT IT IS ABOUT THE PUBLISHER THAT KEEPS HER COMING BACK:
“AfterShock has given me the most wonderful creative freedom and the support, structure, and contacts to bring our story to audiences new and old. I am extremely grateful to have been able to tell my stories with them.”
MARGUERITE BENNETT ON IF THERE ARE ANY CREATORS SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK WITH BUT HAS YET TO:
“There are many remarkable magnificent creators I would love to collaborate with — but I must charm them first! 😉 ”
