Jeofrey Cotton is a comic enthusiast, seller, presser, and writer who just finished his first book, Awful Thoughts. You can find him @IndieHorror22 on Facebook and @KeyngdomComics on Facebook and Instagram. Find the Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/awfulthoughtscomic/awful-thoughts-1
Tell us about yourself and your relationship with comic books.
I’ve been reading & collecting comics for 30 years now(I’m 40). After walking into my 1st LCS, I was instantly hooked. I still remember the book that got me too! Amazing Spider-man #347. I do a little song & creative writing for fun in my spare time but never something quite as “involved” as this. Although, I nearly completed a fantasy fiction novel about a year ago. I couldn’t figure out how to connect the dots at the end though, so I eventually lost interest & put it on the shelf.
When did you know you wanted to write comics? Did you always know you wanted to write horror?
I LOVE to tell stories…
I’ve been reading & writing them since I was in grade school. I remember scribbling my own version of Jurassic Park 2 when I was in 7th grade(1993/94). It had a dark & scary vibe, if I recall. I don’t know man horror is just a lot of fun to read, write, watch & experience. Feeling scared or unsettled reminds us that we are alive and vulnerable. I have sort of a dark/morbid imagination & I think about a lot of weird stuff. So when I decided to finally write a comic, the horror anthology route just felt right.
Was this your first comic story idea? How long have you been working on Awful Thoughts?
Yes. I had considered creating an actual superhero with villains and all the classic tropes, but that just doesn’t really appeal to me much anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always love Spidey, the Dark Knight, etc., but when it comes to what I really enjoy reading most at this point in my life…it’s indie horror without question. Then Star Wars in a close 2nd. Space horror is something I could see myself trying in the future! As far as Awful Thoughts goes…
This all sort of just happened overnight. Trey sent me a cover & then some panel work. That was about two months ago.
What is the story behind Awful Thoughts? Tell us a little bit about Stephanie Gray.
Stephanie inherits the estate of her estranged father(Marcus Gray), whom she never knew or met. Upon visiting the now vacant residence, she finds a book filled with bizarre & disturbing stories. A bit shaken by its unsettling contents yet captivated at the same time, Stephanie goes on to further examine the book in an effort to learn more about her father & why he may have recorded such awful thoughts.
Talk about the collaboration between you and the artists. How did you all come together on this?
Trey Antley & Tom Cuthbert both work at the same tattoo shop. I met Trey from selling comics online. I noticed that he was posting some badass original art & consistently at that, so I reached out & here we are. None of us have any comic-making experience, but the panel work is fantastic, and I taught myself how to do lettering. I’m pretty handy with photoshop. I also do any promo graphics & most of the cover lettering(except the homage).
All the covers look great, the B homage cover with the drawn-in creases look spectacular.
Thanks, I take all the credit for that…
Haha, jk, the homage idea was Trey’s. We both agreed that a tattered and torn look could work really well if properly done.
This is planned as a six-issue series. Once you’ve finished, will you be looking to extend this series or work on something different?
I’m not entirely sure yet, I guess that all depends on how this 1st issue is received. I’ve already started working on #2. We would like to release a new issue every couple of months. I’d shoot for monthly, but the funds just aren’t quite there yet. But the Kickstarter has made this dream a reality. It provided me/us with a platform. Now, all we have to do is hold up our end of the bargain & deliver something that the community will enjoy & get behind!
