American Gothic: The Hand of Poe

Chapter One: Oh, Western Wind!

Hello y’all–

Welcome to the first chapter of American Gothic: The Hand of Poe!

If you’re joining us for the first time here at The New Futurists, we’re just tickled pink to have you. And a very hardy “thank you” to all of our new and returning paid and Visionary subscribers. We know that we’re competing with a lot of other outlets for your time, money, and attention, so we appreciate your support! Truly. Madly. Deeply.

Long-time readers and ride-or-dies know that The Hand of Poe is the second volume in our American Gothic series. This comic is meant to stand alone, but if you’re interested in diving deeper into the fictional world of American Gothic, the entire first volume (originally published as Southern Gothic) is available to paid subscribers.

One of my favorite aspects of publishing this comic first on Substack has been interacting with our growing community of readers. In my day drag, I’m teaching a class on “Multimedia Composition” at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It’s been one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve had as an educator. We’re currently reading 3 Worlds / 3 Moons, one of the projects that inspired The New Futurists. Via conversations with my fantastic students, I’ve become increasingly interested in the avenues that Substack opens up for real-time interactions among creators, readers, and the stories we make.

So, if you have a hot take, question, comment, or joke, consider leaving us a comment below or hit reply to this email and drop us a message. The rip-roaring return of American Gothic means that our reader correspondence feature, “The Purloined Letters,” will also be coming at you in a few months! If you’re cool with us featuring your letter in an upcoming post, please note “OKAY TO PRINT” in your message.

And one final note: I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to continue this project; your support has made this comic possible. And I couldn’t do any of it without my brilliant co-creator Ezequiel Rubio and our extraordinary color flats artist Rafael Grimaldi and letterer Reinhard Buhisan! The Gothic Gang rides again!

But enough gabbing. Let’s get into it! Please remember that American Gothic is a horror comic and is not suitable for all readers. This chapter features depictions of gun violence, supernatural horror, blood, gore, physical violence, animal cruelty, immolation, and violence against women. Reader discretion is advised.

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Thank you for spending some time with us today! If you’re a paid subscriber, keep scrolling for some special treats including a preview of Ezequiel’s line work for Chapter Two: As the Crow Flies!