Oni Press Lifts the Veil on THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #1– A Spectacular New Vision of Phantasmagoric Folk-Horror Coming in September!
Master Storyteller Cullen Bunn and Riveting Artist Christopher Mitten Shatters the Line Between Fantasy and Reality with New Four-Part Epic This Fall
PORTLAND, OR (June 5th, 2024)– Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to unveil THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of a new four-part horror-fantasy spectacle from master storyteller Cullen Bunn (Invasive, The Sixth Gun, Harrow County) and visionary artist Christopher Mitten (Hellboy & the B.P.R.D.)! Following one family’s labyrinthine descent through a perilous forest where the local folklore is anything but a myth, THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #1 appears in comic shops everywhere on September 4th!
Bestselling author Andrew Kier found the perfect place to finish his latest dark-fantasy novel—an idyllic, remote cabin on the edge of a lush Swedish forest. His young daughters, Sommer and Winter, gleefully explore . . . until they happen upon a strange clearing of ancient statues: goblins, dwarves, elves, and a warrior queen mysteriously missing her swordhand and weapon. When something sinister follows the girls home and viciously snatches their parents in the night, the sisters’ only hope may be that ancient relic, lost in the forest underbrush, waiting for a new champion to take it up . . .
“The words 'THE AUTUMN KINGDOM' have been written in one of my oldest journals for decades,” said writer Cullen Bunn. “Over the years, I've returned to them again and again. I knew I wanted to tell a dark fantasy tale about the fairy realms. I just wasn't sure what that story might be until I stumbled onto the idea of Sommer and Winter, a pair of young sisters who find themselves alone, facing the forces of a supernatural realm. Their lives—and the lives of their parents—are on the line. Thank goodness they've discovered a nasty, death-dealing blade that seems to hunger for the blood of elves and trolls and goblins. Sommer and Winter are thrown down a violent path from which there may be no escape. No matter what, they won't get through this journey unscathed and unchanged.”
“For years—almost as long as we’ve both been making comics—Cullen and I have been wanting to work together on something,” said artist Christopher Mitten. “And that it’s this book, this story, makes it all the more special.”
"THE AUTUMN KINGDOM is a dark fairytale born straight from the moss-grown hollows of an ancient Scandinavian forest," says Senior Editor Bess Pallares. "As a folk horror enthusiast, when Cullen first shared his idea of these two young sisters fighting to save their parents from goblin hordes with only the assistance of a mysterious, powerful, and gigantic blade, my imagination was aflame with possibilities. Cullen and Chris have crafted a beautiful, terrifying, and exciting story sure to lure readers down its shadowy path into the woods."
Featuring dazzling covers from the darkest recesses of the imaginations of artists Christopher Mitten (Wasteland, The Alternates), Alison Sampson (Hit-Girl), Malachi Ward (Black Hammer: The End), Daniel Vega (THE CODEX NOIRMATIC), and Vanesa R. Del Rey (Scarlet Witch, Redlands), THE AUTUMN KINGDOM #1 shatters the line between dream and reality, horror and fantasy – Find it in comic shops everywhere September 4th!
About the Creators
Cullen Bunn is the writer of comic books such The Sixth Gun, Shadow Roads, The Damned, Helheim, and The Tooth for Oni Press. He has also written titles including Harrow County (Dark Horse), Uncanny X-Men, and Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe (Marvel).
Cullen claims to have worked as an alien autopsy specialist, rodeo clown, pro wrestling manager, and sasquatch wrangler. He has fought for his life against mountain lions and performed on stage as the world’s youngest hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime and he'll tell you all about it.
His website is www.cullenbunn.com. Twitter: @cullenbunn
Christopher Mitten is originally from the cow-dappled expanse of southern Wisconsin, he now spends his time roaming the misty wilds of suburban Chicago, drawing little people in little boxes.
Among others, he has contributed work for Dark Horse, DC Comics, Oni Press, Image Comics, 3W3M, Vertigo, Dynamite, Marvel, IDW, Z2, Mad Cave, Black Mask, Gallery Books, Titan Comics, and Simon & Schuster.
He can be found online at www.ChristopherMitten.com and on Instagram @Chris_Mitten.
COVER A BY CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
COVER B BY ALISON SAMPSON
COVER C BY MALACHI WARD
VARIANT COVER (1:10) BY DANIEL VEGA
FULL ART VARIANT (1:20) BY MALACHI WARD
VARIANT COVER (1:30) BY VANESA R. DEL REY
FULL ART VARIANT (1:50) BY VANESA R. DEL REY
UNCOLORED INTERIOR ART BY CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
UNCOLORED INTERIOR ART BY CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
UNCOLORED INTERIOR ART BY CHRISTOPHER MITTEN