Oni Press will publish Dwellings: All Hallow’s Eve Special, the first ever standalone special in Jay Stephens’ critically acclaimed horror series. CBR has an exclusive excerpt from the spooky story.

Jay Stephens’ Dwellings was originally published in 2023, with CBR reviewer Dustin Holland describing the book as “an unnerving collection” that “combines the aesthetics of classic all-ages comics with horror tropes to create a unique, unforgettable reading experience.” Now, Dwellings returns with a new self-contained story set in the town of Elwich. The new special stars visitor Wolfgang LeGant, who is convinced he is a seasoned vampire hunter. He arrives in Elwich to drive a stake through the town’s thriving “Sanguinarian” goth subculture. When Wolfgang meets Emmaline Momenta, a young woman similarly possessed by the idea that she’s a real vampire, irrational faith may be the only thing capable of stopping a mass murder in the making… Dwellings: All Hallow’s Eve Special goes on sale Oct. 23.

DWELLINGS: ALL HALLOW’S EVE SPECIAL #1

Written by JAY STEPHENS Art by JAY STEPHENS Cover A by JAY STEPHENS Cover B by KATIE SKELLY Skeletal Variant (1:10) by JAY STEPHENS On sale Oct. 23

Stephens, who wrote and illustrated the Dwellings: All Hallow’s Eve Special, also drew a “Skeletonized” 1:10 variant cover for the issue, which recreates the main cover with an even spookier skeleton aesthetic. Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Katie Skelly also provides a variant cover for the issue.

Stephens Teases Horror Influences for Dwellings Halloween Special

Dwellings: All Hallow’s Eve Special author Jay Stephens spoke about how the creation of the special was influenced by iconic horror films he watched growing up, while also teasing the return of characters fans may recognize from the first Dwellings story. “In each stand-alone Dwellings tale, I strive to summon the vibe of different styles of horror cinema that I grew up with,” Stephens said. “This story ‘Come Hither’ has the taste of old Hammer Films’ Gothic sleaze with a whiff of Roger Corman’s off-brand literary cinema classics. It’s a flipped take of Dracula that also serves as a call back to the previous Dwellings comics… some familiar faces return… some for the last time.”

The original Dwellings comics explored the small-town oasis of Elwich, full of murder, demonology, possession and obsession. The comics were a 2023 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards Comics Finalist and had multiple sold-out issues upon their debut at Oni Press last year. The series will return in 2025 with Dwellings: Second Stories.

Dwellings: All Hallow’s Eve Special goes on sale Oct. 23 from Oni Press.

Source: Oni Press