Vermont Horror Comic Drops November 14

A free horror comic anthology titled Samhain Harvest is set to release on Saturday, November 14, at Old Town Café & Comics in Williston. The publication is the second issue of the series, which first appeared in October 2025. Ben Chase, co-owner of the café and the independent retailer ECGCE, is producing the magazine.

Chase coordinated a lineup of writers and artists from Vermont and across the country. The group includes film critic Joe Bob Briggs, artists Enzo Garza and Alex Cormack, and Steve Lavigne, who frequently contributes to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Rustem Shagisultanov, an artist from Los Angeles, created the cover art.

Local contributors include Stephen R. Bissette, a former Vermont cartoonists laureate, and James Kochalka, the current laureate. Writers and musicians Justin Boland and Jim Heltz also provided stories. Chase wrote several pieces for both the previous and current editions. Kochalka wrote a story called “Hollow Head,” which features a living pumpkin seeking brain matter. The issue also contains a preview of a holiday comic called Krampus by Joseph and Hazel Schmalke.

Chase said the project took more time than originally planned. “We initially hoped to have it ready for Halloween, but putting this together is a pretty big project,” Chase told Seven Days. “Coordinating so many creators is a lot of work and planning, so I’m really just ecstatic it’s come together.”

The name of the magazine references Samhain, an ancient Gaelic festival marking the start of winter. The tradition holds that the boundary between the physical world and the spirit world becomes thin during this period. This timing allows the November release to align with the seasonal theme.

The digital edition will include a soundtrack composed by producer Brkn Hvn. The music features atmospheric electronic and ambient sounds. Readers can access the audio by scanning a QR code on the ECGCE website. The magazine is available only at the Williston store, where a daylong release party is scheduled.

Chase noted that securing Bissette was a major achievement. Bissette worked with writer Alan Moore on Swamp Thing for DC Comics in the 1980s. Chase aims to use the event to strengthen local connections. “We hope [Old Town] is a place that serves as a sort of hub for the community,” he said, “and something like this really helps establish that.”