By Autumn Daughetee
Our Kickstarter campaign is in its final week—closing July 7 at midnight. As this terrifying, stressful, wonderful journey draws to a close I’d like to introduce you to the final project Kymera Press would like to make a reality—Victorian women’s horror.
This may seem an anachronism to some, but the modern horror genre has its roots in some of the greatest female writers of the Victorian era. This was when Mary Shelley published Frankenstein and other women writers such as George Eliot and Emily Brontë also wrote in the horror genre.
The most exciting aspect to Kymera’s Victorian horror project is the woman who will write it—five time Bram Stoker winner and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder. I recently had the chance to ask Nancy a few questions about comics, horror and Kymera Press.
Is Victorian women’s horror a good candidate for adaptation into a comic book? Nancy Holder thinks so. “Horror is about atmosphere,” said Nancy. “Much has been written about the changing settings of horror—from gaslamp fog and haunted houses to ‘demons by daylight.’ I love the poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti—so creepy and passionate!—and though it is a long poem, it is a poem. To me, writing comics is like writing poetry, and the hardest kind of writing I do. Comic book writers depend on their artists to provide the visuals that prose writers provide with words. Blending the poetry of comic book writing with a superb artist who can capture atmosphere of the Victorian age—that, to me, would be the best of all worlds.”
She finds the prospect of writing Victorian women’s horror to be irresistible. “I write a lot of horror—I have won five Bram Stoker Awards—and I write a lot of comics, mostly about The Domino Lady, whose story is set in the 1930s,” said Nancy. “Some of the best horror movies were made during the 30s, and my take on Victorian horror starts there. The Victorians were so passionate about their ‘penny dreadfuls’ and I love that passion. There is such a rich field of writers to adapt—the Brontës, George Elliot, Mary Shelly, of course. But Elizabeth Gaskell and Catherine Crowe were also writing, and Louisa May Alcott wrote ‘blood and thunder tales’ as A.M. Barnard. The period when the Victorian age began to collide with the age of ‘the new woman’ is filled with tension and conflict … and bloody good ghost and vampire stories. I can’t think of a better time period for horror.”
Nancy believes women are ideally suited to writing horror. Her reasoning? “One word: Mood. Another word: Nuance. A lot of the best horror creeps up on you. It’s subtle,” she said. “Many women spend a lot of time reading people and adjusting their behavior accordingly. Writers know how to translate expectations and build anticipation with words.”
In regard to herself, Nancy acknowledges she has an affinity for the horror genre. “I consider horror my ‘home,’” she said. “I was a charter member of the Horror Writers Association and to this day belong to HWA. My home chapter is Los Angeles, and we kick ass!”
As she briefly mentioned above, this won’t be Nancy’s first foray into the world of comics. She’s an established writer in the medium and a longtime fan. “I have been editing and writing comics for another publisher for quite some time,” she said. “I also teach comic book and graphic novel writing at Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program for the University of Southern Maine, and at science conventions, elementary schools, and Girl Scout programs. I had tons of comic book subscriptions when I was in elementary school. My parents threw out my entire collection when we moved to Japan. Alas! I probably have every comic book encyclopedia and stacks of comics.”
Nancy is also a fan of Kymera Press and its mission. “’We don’t ask permission.’ Love it!” she said. “The comic book world has always been a bit renegade and I love to see women renegades. And women-centric comics drawn, inked and colored by women.”
“Kymera is important! The comic book field needs new blood. I was talking to a distributor at Diamond and mentioned that there was a new player in town and his eyes lit up like that poor woman in Goblin Market. Lovers and readers of comic books are dying for new visions brought to life with excellence and respect for the comic book medium. And that is what Kymera is all about!”
Nancy isn’t just a fan of Kymera. She’s already a backer of Kymera’s Gates of Midnight Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/812703115/gates-of-midnight). “Of course! I have already backed it,” said Nancy. “I can’t wait to get to work on some excellent Victorian women’s horror comics!”
Learn more about Kymera Press and its projects at www.kymerapress.com. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kymerapress or follow us on Twitter at @kymerapress. Go directly to our Kickstarter campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/812703115/gates-of-midnight.
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