Writer Michael W. Conrad and artist Noah Bailey (Tremor Dose, Double Walker) reunite for another horror/suspense graphic novel titled The 99 Legs.
The full-length graphic novel ventures into Giallo territory and involves a down-on-his-luck crime writer who discovers a string of gruesome murders in his neighborhood that seem eerily similar to his newest unpublished manuscript which leads him down a dark, surreal, and horrifying roads.
We spoke to Conrad and Bailey once again about their new graphic novel The 99 Legs (which will be released exclusively via Amazon’s Comixology Originals line on November 17, and later published by Mad Cave in August) in this exclusive interview.
Can you both describe the origins of The 99 Legs?
Michael W. Conrad: Every book comes from a variety of ideas and mysteriously, eventually, one makes the cut. In the case of The 99 Legs I think we went ahead with it because it felt very different from what we’ve done before, and it was something that excited both of us. We both love Giallo films and felt like doing a comic that was inspired by these films would be a lot of fun, as well as a challenge.
Noah Bailey: I think for my role in the creation process, the origins of inspiration were the hundreds of 60s, 70s and 80s horror films, and neo-noirs that I love–especially the ones set in New York or similar cities. I drew a lot from film lighting of that era, colors and angles. A lot from my favorite illustrators, like Robert Fawcett and Austin Briggs. I was just really excited to be using massive amounts of ink and shrouding everything in shadows!
You have both done a number of horror titles, so what made you want to write and illustrate a classic Giallo tale?
Conrad: Giallo is funny because it’s pretty low brow but seemed to attract filmmakers who bring a real sense of self and artistry to their work. Argento is without a doubt a visionary artist, but even the lesser Giallo films offer a real spirit of creativity when it comes to framing and lighting shots, not to mention the odd pacing of how the stories unfold. I think we wanted to see what we could do together with the restrictions of the genre while adopting some of that same gonzo energy to the comic.
Bailey: I’ve been a big fan of Giallo films since high school, and fell in love with the vivid colors, the operatic drama, the experimental narratives, and the creative freedom of the genre! When Michael came to me with the idea, I was all in to try my hand and hopefully bring a new flavor to the genre.
We spoke many years ago about Double Walker. What have both of you learned since then about the medium and working together on a project?
Conrad: We’ve both done a lot since Double Walker but I suspect that what I say here might ring true for both of us. I’ve dabbled with writing things to try to win over an audience, or to please a publisher, and frankly I haven’t always been happy with the results. I think I do my best work when I’m not considering if something will sell or connect with readers. The 99 Legs was written for Noah and I, as was Double Walker, so I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned is to be selfish. The best kinds of stories are the ones told to entertain yourself, and if they fail to find an audience beyond that at least the book entertained the two of us.
Bailey: I couldn’t agree more. I think you have to be your audience. It’s an absolute requirement of true art. If you don’t feel passionately about the things you create, you won’t inspire that passion in anyone else. It’s a losing game, trying to figure out what a mass audience will enjoy. Michael and I have developed our own sensibilities and creative path over the last ten years, and I think we have a unique point of view to share. But, it’s unique because we are just being ourselves and everyone is unique. Hahaha. I’ve learned that if I don’t feel a fire in my chest and butterflies in my stomach, I’m on the wrong path. Those feelings need to be there for me while I’m working, or else I’ll regret the work.
I understand that this was a particularly challenging story to complete. What made it so difficult and also rewarding?
Conrad: A lot of things, I was sick (like, I could have died), a number of deaths occurred around us, we both moved, depression, the world around us on fire (you know what I’m talking about, this has been true for all of us), financial stresses, other work, nightmarish realities interfering with the imagined ones. Part of me felt like we were manifesting hardship by so intensely meditating on darkness, as work such as this requires. Beyond the stuff outside of the book, The 99 Legs itself wasn’t very difficult to produce, it really was just… everything else.
I believe we’re doing better now. As Noah and I gear up to enter the darkness together again I think we’re battered enough to expect more hardship. I’m certainly in a season of my life where I’ll attend more funerals than weddings, and I think being aware of that has made me better prepared to persist in the face of mortality becoming more and more real with each passing day.
Bailey: I think a lot of it had to do with growing pains for me. I was very nervous at the beginning of the project. The goals I set for myself felt very heavy and I wanted to be properly prepared. But, of course, sometimes preparation just becomes a crutch and the work will reveal itself as you go. This was by far the most challenging project we’ve done, for me at least. But, luckily after all the struggle, and self-doubt, and late late late nights, all you remember are the beautiful results and the joyful times of creating, for the most part. I am very proud of the book we made and it wasn’t an easy one to complete!
Do you each have a favorite Giallo film that you looked to for inspiration for The 99 Legs?
Conrad: There isn’t a single Giallo film really, but I love the glass door scene in Argento’s The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. Also notable is the big stretches of Deep Red. I find plot holes to be kind of exciting. As a writer I like to figure out how something could work out, or why something is happening, rather than chalk it up as a narrative shortcoming. Giallo, and its little sister slasher films, by their nature present viewers with a number of scenarios wherein we can buy in and have fun, or check out and feel cheated. I like having that choice, and the determining element is often if it was cool or not. I believe we made something cool. I enjoyed developing a story that makes sense but at first blush might seem impossible.
Bailey: I really love Tenebrae, for its moodiness and shadows especially! And Opera, for its drama and hectic feeling. I was trying to capture the feelings that Giallo gives you in the book. Feelings of dread and knowing that even in a crowded place you are completely alone and powerless against the force approaching.
The 99 Legs will debut from Comixology Originals in November and next year in print for Mad Cave. Is this a “best of both worlds” scenario for you?
Conrad: What’s best for us is accessibility. I wish we could just make all of our stories available for free, and in whatever form gets it in front of readers. We need to eat, so unfortunately there is a cost to these things typically, but Comixology offers the book at a very reasonable price, “free” if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, and Mad Cave is good enough to make sure that there will be a beautifully printed version for folks who prefer their stories in physical media.
Bailey: Comixology has been very kind to us over the years, and they have offered a very large and excited audience. Mad Cave has allowed us to have some decision making in the materials, look and feel of the physical book that makes me very excited to hold this thing!
Upcoming work or collections of your work fans should look for?
Conrad: I have work all over the place, everything from licensed work to creator owned stories. I slowed down a little in 2026 due to health complications, but that has mostly passed. The best way to find out about that kind of thing would be to find me on social media, maybe Instagram is most up to date, @michelwconrad.
Bailey: I am currently serializing a graphic novel called “Hatred” in the pages of Cary Grant Died Here, a fantastic free regional newspaper. And I’ll hopefully have a bunch of fun new projects to share in the future! Thanks so much for having us!
The 99 Legs will be released exclusively via Amazon’s Comixology Originals line on November 17. It will be published in print from Mad Cave Studios on August 3, 2027.
