Joshua Viola, Stephen Graham Jones, Ben Matsuya, and Jeremiah Lambert are back with the final installment in their meta-horror comic True Believers.
Set in the real-life Colorado Festival of Horror, the final issue (available right now on the Bit Bot Media website) features appearances by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, Re-Animator and From Beyond stars Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs, and Bit Bot Media co-founder and musician Klayton of Celldweller, as everyone tries to navigate the Festival with a killer on the loose.
We got to speak to Viola again about the last issue of True Believers in this exclusive interview.
Did you find it difficult to blend the world of horror conventions into the world of a slasher horror story?
Josh Viola: Not really. Horror conventions already have that mix of fun, weird, and spooky baked in. It’s the perfect backdrop for a slasher. All we had to do was take the things fans already love about cons, dial up the absurdity, and then let the blood fly.
What can you tell us about your collaboration with Stephen Graham Jones?
Viola: Stephen’s a blast to work with. We both love playing in this sandbox, and he has such a sharp eye for turning horror tropes upside down. The energy is always high when we’re bouncing ideas back and forth. It feels less like “work” and more like geeking out with a buddy who just happens to be a brilliant writer.
In addition to working with Jones, what has it been like working with the artists on the project?
Viola: Ben Matsuya, our primary artist, and the cover artists have all been incredible. Ben brings so much personality to the book. Every page feels alive. We’ll toss him some pretty out-there ideas, and somehow he makes it all work visually.
You populate your comic with a ton of real convention guest stars. How did you select them?
Viola: We wanted guest stars who felt authentic to the world we’re building. People who genuinely love the genre and who fans would instantly recognize and get a kick out of seeing. A lot of it came down to relationships, too. Over the years we’ve been fortunate to connect with some incredible talents, so it felt natural to bring them into the comic. For this issue specifically, I co-produced the new Deathstalker film with Slash, so I asked if he’d be up for it, and he was game. I met Jeff Combs through a mutual friend, and Stephen had worked with Barbara Crampton before. I’m also business partners with Klayton of Celldweller, and in earlier issues we’ve featured Matt Heafy of Trivium and GWAR.
What is it like running Bit Bot on a daily basis?
Viola: It’s equal parts thrilling and chaotic. No two days look the same. One minute I’m knee-deep in contracts, the next I’m writing or giving notes on artwork, then I’m packing up for business trips. It’s a lot of spinning plates, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Favorite convention experience as a fan?
Viola: Probably meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was such a huge influence on me (I have a Terminator tattoo on my forearm and my company has merch rights for the brand), so getting to hang out and talk with him face-to-face at a VIP event was surreal.
Upcoming projects?
Viola: There’s a lot cooking right now. In the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver world, we’re releasing The Dead Shall Rise graphic novel, with more news coming down the pipeline. On the film side, I’ve got Deathstalker and Deathgasm 2 both rolling out soon. And beyond that, we’re already talking about ways to expand the True Believers universe outside of comics—so stay tuned.
All issues in the series are currently available at Bit Bot Media, and you can also check out our previous interview with Viola about True Believers right here.
