IDW Publishing’s new miniseries Chained to the Grave united the western and horror subgenres through a vibrant, colorful style atypical of both genres. Initially released as five individual issues earlier this year, Chained to the Grave collects the story into one graphic novel set for release on December 28, 2021. Ahead of its release, IDW shared an exclusive look at the supernatural western’s creative process, from the script stage to the finished pages.
From the creative team of co-writers Brian Level (Darth Vader, Thanos, Deadpool) and Andy Eschenbach (Heavy Metal Magazine, Red Shoes) and artist Kate Sherron (Invader Zim, The Amazing World of Gumball), Chained to the Grave brings a unique take on a classic gunslinger revenge tale. In it, “Outlaw Roy Mason has come back from the dead, chained to the tombstone that marked his grave. It’s a lawless time, a magical time, and the undead Roy soon finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place as he sets out in search of treasure. But Roy, trying to do right by the wife and children he left behind, soon finds out that everything is not always as it seems…”
Horror and westerns pair well together, especially in tales of revenge. Chained to the Grave takes it to a new level with its vibrant hues and distinct art style.
The below images showcase the creative process in three stages using the second page of the story. Stage one is Level and Eschenbach’s script. Stage two includes only Sherron’s artwork, and stage three offers the finished page that blends the writing and the art.
Page three, below, gives a proper introduction to Roy and his resurrection:
Level said of the graphic novel’s release, “Having the Chained to the Grave collection finally come out is really exciting. To see this colorful cast and insane story all together in one gorgeously designed package is pure weirdo delight! I’m going to enjoy revisiting the work again and again to see all the crazy stuff Kate snuck in too!”
Eschenbach added, “I’m really excited to have all five issues of Chained to the Grave in one place. The action, magic, and humor collected, and made gorgeous by Kate’s art- it’s like holding Roy Mason’s failures in your hands and watching them erupt into psychedelic oblivion!”
“Seeing Chained to the Grave collected in this lovely volume just reinforces how much I adore Brian and Andy as creators, collaborators, and close friends. The boys breathe new life into the Western genre with this rollicking tale of an undead ne’er-do-well trying to do right and it was incredibly fulfilling to get to draw this weird, wonderful story. Plus, the faith everyone had in me when I said things like ‘let’s get kooky with these colors, eh?’ or ‘how about critters with hands on all these covers, eh?’, made this a very special project to be a part of, indeed,” Sherron stated of the collaboration.
Look for Chained to the Grave when it hits shelves on December 28, 2021.