We have been fans of Steve Niles for a long time. For many horror fans, 30 Days of Night was their introduction to his work, and it certainly was ours. Since then, Niles has remained a steady presence in horror, creating stories across comics, prose, film and television while collaborating with genre names including John Carpenter.
Now Niles is returning to one of his most recognizable creations as Cal McDonald gets a brand new collection of supernatural detective stories with Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories, coming from Clover Press and its new Fourth Leaf imprint.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported on the project, which is currently being offered through Kickstarter.
Cal McDonald first appeared in Niles’ 1990 story “Big Head” and went on to become the central character of the long running Criminal Macabre series. The hard boiled detective has spent decades dealing with vampires, werewolves, demons, ghouls, mutants and other supernatural problems lurking around Los Angeles.
The new 216 page hardcover brings Cal back to prose with 10 brand new stories featuring his undead sidekick Mo’Lock. The collection will include a foreword from actor and horror creator David Dastmalchian, while Joe Jusko provides the painted cover.
The interior artwork is just as impressive, with illustrations from Francesco Francavilla, Liam Sharp, Christopher Mitten, Alison Sampson, Cat Staggs, Scott Morse, Gyula Nemeth, Steven Russell Black and Damien Worm.
That lineup alone gives the collection a pretty serious horror comics pedigree.
“It’s hard to believe but I’ve been writing Cal McDonald in one form or another for almost forty years now.” Said Steve Niles. “The last short story collection came out almost 20 years ago, so I am excited to have PLAGUE OF EVIL coming out through Clover Press. Cal has always been my favorite character to write and it feels good to be back in the saddle again. I am especially thrilled with this volume because I have so many friends along for the ride; some of my favorite artists in the industry have added their talents. I hope readers enjoy this collection because I’m aching to do more.”
Plague of Evil and Other Stories promises the familiar Cal McDonald combination of supernatural crime, hard boiled detective fiction, dark humor and plenty of things that probably should not be crawling around Los Angeles after midnight.
The Kickstarter campaign is already underway and includes the hardcover along with additional rewards such as prints, lithographs, stickers, T shirts and a slipcase upgrade.
Support Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories on Kickstarter