Brilliant. Absolutely friggin' brilliant. Seriously, that's about all that can be said about this latest artistic mash-up which is home to both Pixar's Toy Story and Stanley Kubrick's version of Stephen King's The Shining.

Coming at us from UK artist Kyle Lambert (full pictorial here) is something he has lovingly put together called Toy Shining, and believe us when we tell you that you're gonna LOVE this! Below are just a few examples of Kyle's work. Hit the above link to bear witness to the glory of the whole terrifying toon-based enchilada. You'll be glad you did, and if not... well... you suck. Yep. Suck we say.

Enough talk! Dig it!

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The graphic novels about a supernatural Latino superhero haven’t even been published, but Pantelion Films isn’t waiting.

Deadline reports that the company backed by Lionsgate and Televisa picked up distribution rights to The Mexorcist, “about a fallen exorcist called back to duty when his brother is murdered by a Mexican cartel hellbent on bringing about the apocalypse.”

Peter Block of A Bigger Boat Productions developed the script with Andrew Cosby and Ed Quinn, who created the graphic novel series. Cosby also will make his feature directorial debut on the film, which is eyed to start production this year.

Infected. Seriously speaking, there must be at least 5 zillion movies with the same title. I'm to the point at which I feel like I'm writing a new story about a film with that moniker at least once a month. Here's hoping this one separates itself from the pack a bit.

Directed and written by Filip Maciejewicz (Seventy Nine] for Magic Elevator Productions, The Infected stars Bo Linton, Nina Kate, Eugenia Kuzmina, Timon Morales, Adia Dinh, Adrian Voo, Kelsey Lin, and Dillaran Martin.

Check out the trailer and early artwork below.

Synopsis
A group of seven strangers try to survive and escape from an isolated city of Los Angeles that has been infected by a strange, human changing virus.

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Crushed vehicles. Fires. Crumbling buildings. People scattered like ants. Yep, Godzilla has been up to his old tricks again in Canada, and we have both new videos and stills showcasing just what kind of menace he's been being. Dig it!

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Richard T. Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, Patrick Sabongui, Yuki Morita, Brian Markinson, Juliette Binoche, Akira Takarada, Victor Rasuk, C.J. Adams, and Ken Watanabe star.

Gareth Edwards is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher are serving as executive producers alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, Godzilla will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.

Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D.

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Abandoned hospitals. Much like haunted houses, they are one of the most used settings for a horror movie, and with good reason... they're pretty friggin' creepy. Although I have to say that I wish someone would use a location other than Linda Vista. We've seen that place way too much!

Directed by Filip Maciejewicz for Magic Elevator Productions, Seventy-Nine stars Jonathan Rosenthal, Adrian Voo, Bo Linton, Christine Springett, Athena Baumeister, Velta Moore, Patrick Edward Wynne, Omar Hansen and Caroline Attwood.

Synopsis
In an abandoned mental hospital a series of secret goverment experiments are being conducted on the new face of brainwashing – a project codenamed ‘Limes’.

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Last week we told you that the rights to Friday the 13th were back at Paramount. Old school Jason fans rejoiced and there was much celebration in the land (in my house, at least). Today the plot thickens, somewhat unsurprisingly.

My friend over at Bloody Disgusting, Evan Dickson, got a scoop yesterday straight from recent Jason actor Derek Mears' mouth regarding Platinum Dunes' involvement in the upcoming Friday the 13th sequel:

“I spoke to Brad Fuller and he said that the rights are, as everyone knows, over at Paramount and they’re pushing hard. They’re going 'we want [a new Friday The 13th movie] as fast as possible.'” Mears would also return to the hockey mask, if asked. “…I know they [Platinum Dunes] like me...look, even if I’m not a part of the series, as a fan, I just want to see more.” Fans were greatly divided over the last film in the franchise, but if they agreed on anything it was that Derek Mears was an excellent Jason.

Does this mean that Platinum Dunes is involved in the next one? It sounds like it could be shaping up that way, and it wouldn't be surprising, considering they produced the 2009 remake.

Platinum Dunes is the production company created by Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form. They have produced several genre remakes throughout the last decade including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hitcher, A Nightmare on Elm Street and, of course, Friday the 13th.

Having Jason back at Paramount has got to feel right to more fans than just myself. It's no secret that the studio famously discarded the franchise at the end of the 1980s - after milking it for all it was worth. But there's something about this current alignment that gives me hope. I didn't like the last Friday the 13th much, but if they can just tweak those elements ever-so-slightly (likable characters, inventive kills, no captives), then I think we'll be onto something.

Fretboard Heatmaps is a nifty little website that shows how often a specific guitar fret is used by a band. You can see such bands as Metallica, Slayer, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, B.B. King, and many more, simply by clicking the link above. It’s a pretty fun way to spend a few minutes, especially when you see just how spread out the notes are depending on the musical style (metal is almost primarily near the headstock while jazz is spread out a bit more). Enjoy!

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

A column where horror and nostalgia meet. Topics range from VHS, Vinyl, repertory screenings and a hodge-podge of anything else horror related that that harkens back to the days of yesteryear.

It’s a twofer! This is both my list of the top 15 horror flicks of 1983 and my ranking of them by their studio issued poster. And not surprisingly, my favorite film is not my favorite poster. For example, Videodrome is my clear favorite film, but I’ve never loved the poster.

Poster art has dramatically changed over the years. Each decade has had it’s own style, starting in the 1920s which focused heavily on hand drawn scenes from the films. The 1930s and 1940s brought iconic and bold typography and what would eventually become the bane of movie poster existence, the floating head. Experimental and concept posters began popping up in the 1950s and 1960s along with using the typography to tell a story or invoke a mood. The 1970s shifted towards photography. But for me, the 1980s is when movie posters hit their peak (and boy did they plummet after, yeesh, the ‘90s).

Seeing posters in the ‘80s almost always brought a sense of awe and wonder. The posters made the films appear to all be amazing adventures I needed to see. Or they scared the piss out of me. Maybe I say that because I grew up then and am partial to the era, but I have a hard time believing a stock photo of an actor with sparks flying around him/her summon the same feelings from the youth today. For my money, the posters below are better than the vast majority of today’s efforts.

Without further ado, here’s the list!

The first of David Cronenberg’s movies to make my top 15 horror flicks of 1983, but the poster is my least favorite of the best of the best. It’s just a little too simple for my tastes. It doesn’t pass the “Wall Test” which is whether I would hang this on my wall. The film itself, based on a Stephen King novel, features a young Christopher Walken giving a performance on par with anything in his storied career. And it doesn’t even need more cowbell.

I hadn’t seen this film until Netflix finally freed it from oblivion (no DVD release) in 2010. It’s since disappeared and has once again become difficult to find. Michael Mann’s slow burning effort takes a lot of undeserved flack. I dig it. Plus it features Nazis, Ian McKellan and a red-eyed demon – what more do you need? This poster though is pretty blah. Love the typography castle, but wish there was more of it.

30 years ago a movie was released that centered on television and nefarious technology taking over our minds and lives. It’s more relevant with each passing day. In fact, it’s frightening on topic in today’s world. On a personal level this is one of my top 5 films of all time – horror or otherwise. The poster does a solid job of communicating the film, but falls a little flat when compared to some of the more imaginative one-sheets on this list. Which is a bit of a shame for a movie as mind-altering as this one. Or maybe that’s what the cathode rays want me to think. Long Live The New Flesh!

This is a great example of an anthology poster. It’s hard to cram 4-5 mini-movies into on poster and sell it effectively. It’s a proven concept and this particularly version works well. The famous opening lines (I bet you read them in Rod Serling’s voice) set amongst the stars is all that is needed for a brand with this much recognition. No more, no less. You’ll have to watch the movie if “you wanna see something REALLY scary.”

It’s a fence, with bloody typography smeared upon it. Simple and effective. If this was remade today I could easily see this as a teaser poster, followed by character posters for everything and everyone all the way down to the mailman. I’d vote for Vera Farmiga to take on the Dee Wallace role. Oh wait, a remake IS in the works?

Another anthology poster. Another simple design. This one uses the forced perspective to insinuate that the things that go bump in the night are, in fact, coming for you. The movie is worth a watch if only to check out game wizard Emilio Estevez fighting an evil arcade game. As if that’s not enough, there’s also much enjoyment to be had from Lance Henriksen, as a priest, pitted against a demonic Chevy 4×4.

This movie is bonkers amounts of fun. Reading the Wiki plot summary has become a favorite past time of mine. It features sentences like, “Sam and Rachel make love in the abandoned farm, but she gets afraid because his skin starts to bleed and decompose.” and “Tony sends a toy tank to kill Michael. He discovers Analise and runs away, but a Puma kills him.” While it reads like something written by a crazy person the true crazy is that is the actual plot. The one-sheet is amazing for the fact that it plays on success of E.T. with one of its two hilarious taglines.

This is the only SOV (Shot on Video) do-it-yourself horror flick to make my list. It’s perverse and shocking to say the least. Sledgehammer’s status as a cult classic hit a modern peak when Mondo released it on VHS in 2011, featuring the original poster art. It’s one of those images that I’ve always been drawn to since my days of wandering around my local video shop.

Four of the biggest names in horror history, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and John Carradine team up in this horror comedy farce. For that reason alone it makes it worthy to seek out if you haven’t yet. It also marks the last time Cushing and Lee ever appear in a film together. Besides that, I LOVE this poster. How can you not? It’s a wonderful illustration.

This movie is probably my least favorite of these 15, but its one-sheet is all sorts of splendid. A quick rundown of its features: Skull. Check. Knife. Check. Snake. Check. What else can we throw in there? Lightning. Check. Creepy house on a cliff. Check. Full moon. Check. Thorny bushes. Check. Hand coming out of ground. Check. Great tagline. Check. Yeah, the Frightmare poster has got it going on…in a good way.

Ah, yes. 1983’s best Egyptian bi-sexual vampire David Bowie Tony Scott flick. In keeping in tune with the film’s feel and tone the poster is very stylistic, invoking a dreamlike sequence. The light emanating from the vampire’s chest region also seems to be quite interesting. It raises a question. If I watch this movie will I get to unravel the mystery of the boob light? I better watch and find out. And that’s why this is a great poster. It’s a marketing win.

The film is about a gaggle of actresses auditioning for a role at an old creepy mansion who are killed off by a masked crazy person. Think Slasher meets Giallo. The poster is clearly not for that movie. It’s about a doll and weird curtain demon. But that’s what makes it great. Was this artwork left over from another movie? Who signed off on this? The mystery may never be solved.

I love how the poster has a bit of that Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night in the sky, but also giant teeth monsters. Take that, Fine Art! The movie itself is a load of fun, especially if you consider the budget was about the cost of two Big Macs and a side of fries. And it absolutely passes the “Wall Test.”

I’m not usually one for text-laden posters. See the Blue Lagoon one sheet as an example of the worst of the worst. Christine is an exception. The paragraph explaining the film is the stuff of legends. At its core, the film centers on a love triangle. It just so happens one member of the triangle is a cherry ’58 Plymouth with a penchant for losing its temper. “The Other Woman” is in trouble. This poster sells it so well. One might say it’s bad (ass) to the bone.

One of the quintessential ‘80s horror posters, this one sheet has made many top 10 posters lists of the decade. And rightfully so. When I think about perusing the local video store in the early ‘90s, the two images that immediately come to mind are the hair noose girl from April Fool’s Day (1986) and the dead shoe from Sleepaway Camp. Sure, from the typography to the hand written note there’s plenty to enjoy, but at the end of the day shoe murder trumps all.

Follow Micah on Twitter and make sure to check out his movie poster site, Poster Collective.

It sounds as if the fifth entry into the extremely popular Terminator franchise may have found itself a new home. One that has proven, especially with Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, that's it not afraid of R rated content. That's right, kids! The days of terminators that don't terminate may be officially behind us!

The Wrap reports that reports that Annapurna and Skydance are negotiating with Paramount to team up on the next entry in the blockbuster franchise.

Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures have already set Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry, My Bloody Valentine 3D) to script the next installment of The Terminator franchise.

And as he's promised so many times now Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back! At least in some capacity!

Stay tuned.

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Hatchet III had its premiere earlier this week, and Uncle Creepy has filed his review for the film. Drew Tinnin saw it as well and, as often happens around here, has a somewhat different opinion.

Read them both (they're spoiler-free), and let us know which camp you fall into if you're able to catch it this weekend.

Hatchet III is set to open in New York City's Cinema Village and in Los Angeles at Laemmle Music Hall on June 14th. Opening week will feature special appearances by cast and crew, followed by Q&A's at each location. Additional cities are forthcoming.

Read Uncle Creepy's positive Hatchet III review here.

Read Drew Tinnin's negative Hatchet III review here.

Synopsis:
Danielle Harris and Kane Hodder return in HATCHET III and are joined by Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Derek Mears (Friday the 13th 2009), Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs), and others.

Hatchet III continues the tale of the now-iconic villain Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder). As a search and recovery team heads into the haunted swamp to pick up the pieces and carnage left behind from the first two films, Marybeth (Danielle Harris) hunts down the true secret to ending the voodoo curse that has left the ghost of Victor Crowley haunting and terrorizing Honey Island Swamp for decades.

The sequel, which was filmed outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, from late May to mid-June, 2012, is a co-production of MPI/Dark Sky Films and Hatchet III writer/executive producer Adam Green's Los Angeles-based ArieScope Pictures.

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Alright, Friday fans! While it's obvious that we're all excited for the upcoming Blu-ray box set there was just one little thing missing from yesterday's announcement... the artwork. Well it's time to rejoice once more because it has arrived!

From the Press Release
On September 13th, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will provide plenty of blood-curdling thrills when Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection debuts on Blu-ray. For the first time, all twelve Friday the 13th films will be packaged together (with seven of them making Blu-ray debuts) as a result of a strategic distribution alliance between Paramount and Warner announced last fall, granting Warner exclusive video distribution rights to over 600 Paramount titles. The set also includes a Friday the 13th Killer Extras Bonus DVD.

This intense ‘slasher’ series is one of the longest-running and most successful horror franchises in film history, surpassing the domestic theatrical box-office grosses of such legendary series as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film that turned psycho killer Jason Voorhees and his infamous hockey mask into a pop culture icon has also bested the horror competition as the #1 home entertainment seller, with total sales of $119.7M to date.

The 10-disc collection ($129.95 SRP) includes the twelve films on nine Blu-ray discs, as well as a killer DVD bonus disc full of special features on the making of the famous franchise. The must-own set will be presented in a collectible tin case with 11 hours of previously released special features and a 40-page soft cover book. The book is excerpted from Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, a fan-favorite volume that’s viewed as the ultimate memoir of the series, and highlights some of the 200 interviews, 600 photos, storyboards, concept art and more. Also included is a brand new, official Camp Crystal Lake embroidered Counselor Patch.

Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection also includes digital versions of all 12 films with UltraViolet, allowing viewers to download and instantly stream the films to a wide range of devices from computers and compatible tablets to smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

Included are:

A game that caught my attention over many others at E3 is a game called Below. It’s definitely a smaller title compared to a lot of the powerhouses that have been announced on the new consoles. Below is a randomly generated dungeon crawler that looks to play much like classic Legend of Zelda games. You venture into the depths below with just a sword and shield into the unknown. It’s got a more serious vibe to it, like a lot of the Xbox Live Arcade games that have come out in the past few years. Check out a video and some screens past the break. As of right now it looks to be exclusive to the Xbox One.

A game a lot of Final Fantasy fans have been patiently waiting for is Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Well as onlookers at E3 watched the latest trailer for the game, Square Enix dropped a bomb at the end of the trailer, and Versus XIII turned into Final Fantasy XV. KABOOM! Head asplode. Did they have it planned all along? I don’t know, but I’m excited. Even cooler, it looks like the game might take on somewhat of a 3rd person shooter aspect while still retaining classic Final Fantasy RPG elements. Head past the break to check out the announcement, and game play trailers. Final Fantasy XV will be coming out someday for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Announcement Trailer

Gameplay Trailer

Story of FINAL FANTASY XV
The armed forces of Niflheim launch a devastating assault upon the Kingdom of Lucis, casting Crown Prince Noctis and his comrades out of their homes and into the fray. The engaging tale to follow draws audiences into an awe-inspiring world steeped in the rich storytelling traditions of SQUARE ENIX’s renowned First Production Development team.

It is being reported by The Wrap that Paramount is currently in negotiations to secure the distribution rights for a fifth Terminator film. The film is being produced by Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures as well as David Ellison’s Skydance Productions.

Megan Ellison paid more than $20 million in 2011 to acquire the rights for a new Terminator film. However, she must make a film by 2019 before the rights revert back to the creator of the franchise, James Cameron.

Her brother David is the man responsible for such films as Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and the upcoming World War Z.

The last news that The Wrap reports being released was that Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry) were writing the script for the fifth film.

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

TesseracT guitarist Acle Kahney seems to be quite the fan of horror films. To promote the YouTube account for his studio 4D Sounds, he has uploaded a trailer for Paranormal Activity 4 where he added in synths, guitar lines, and other noises. He writes via a Facebook post that he, “…spent an hour or two on it. Not exactly the best of films but eh it was fun.” You can watch the trailer below.

TesseracT recently released their second full length album Altered State. Be sure to read my review here.

Personally, I find this to be more effective than the original trailer. Then again, the original trailer did absolutely nothing for me as the PA films have, much like other franchises, gone steadily downhill since the first one.

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

EDIT (6/12/13-9:28AM PST) Evan here, going through the tape this morning I found the following, verbatim, quote. “Platinum is still involved. They are still with it.” Just wanted to double-tap on this confirmation.

At the Hatchet 3 premiere, our own Evan Dickson interviewed Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees in the 2009 remake) who stated, “I spoke to Brad Fuller and he said that the rights are, as everyone knows, over at Paramount and they’re pushing hard. They’re going we want [a new Friday The 13th movie] as fast as possible.” So now we have confirmation that Platinum Dunes, the production company behind the 2009 remake, is partnering with Paramount for the sequel to Friday The 13th!

Platinum Dunes is Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and Michael Bay. They are the studio behind such remakes as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare On Elm St. and many more.

Mears is hopeful to return as Voorhees, “…I know they [Platinum Dunes] like me.” He continues, “…look, even if I’m not a part of the series, as a fan I just want to see more.”

Alright readers, who’s pumped for this news? I know that I loved the 2009 remake because it was absurd amounts of fun! I’m personally really excited to hear this news!

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

This month Horror Guy Keenan reports back from May-Hem Fest where he interviews the groov-a-liciously monstrous members of The Ghouligans! Joined by Lauren and David, the guys talk about their most anticipated SCREAM Factory 80′s blu-ray releases. Also were introducing a new segment this month called “What’s on Netflix Streaming?” Where we list 5 MUST SEE horror films streaming this month on Netflix.

Make sure to subscribe to the official Bloody-Disgusting podcast channel on iTunes.

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

In Dying Light, when the sun goes down, that means it’s time to run. Thankfully, developer Techland is introducing a parkour/free-running system to help make running from the things that go bump in the night just a wee bit easier. Today, a fresh batch of screenshots made their way onto the vast and knowledgeable — and E3 saturated — Interwebs. Salivate over them after the break.

Similar to Techland’s other zombie curb-stomp simulator, Dead Island, Dying Light will come with four-player online co-op as well as a single player campaign. The game is set to release on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in 2014.

Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.

Konami has released and ‘extended cut’ of their already lengthy E3 reveal of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain that plays out more like a short film than a trailer. It’s cinematic, gorgeous, and brimming with all sorts of drama, deep voiced narration, and torture. Lots of torture.

The Phantom Pain will come to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One whenever it’s ready. It will bring with it a “new breed of stealth,” dynamic weather, realistic passage of time, and all the tactical espionage you can handle. For the Xbox One, it will also support SmartGlass.

Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.

Spinning out of Dark Horse’s announcement for their horror line at C2E2, the company continues to reveal new titles with the upcoming “Baltimore: Infernal Train” mini-series. The series will of course be written by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola with art from Ben Stenbeck.

The series beings months after a devastating plague ends World War I, Europe is suddenly flooded with deadly vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, is on the hunt for the creature responsible for this chaos and his own personal tragedy. What he uncovers is a terror as horrific and frightening as any he’s seen on the battlefield. Baltimore: Infernal Train finds our protagonist hiding out in Budapest awaiting the arrival of the sadistic Judge Duvic, when a strange woman shows up with a bizarre invention she promises will rid the world of vampire plague.

Christopher Golden checked in with Bloody-Disgusting to reveal details for the upcoming “Baltimore: Infernal Train”. Golden spoke candidly about the development of the series from a prose novel to comic book series, working with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and the current state of the Baltimore movie with writer/director David S. Goyer (Man of Steel).

Bloody-Disgusting: What can you tell us about Baltimore: Infernal Train and what fans can expect with this upcoming story-arc?

Christopher Golden: Way, way back when Mike and I first decided to do the BALTIMORE comics series, we began batting story ideas back and forth. The last of those stories “The Play.” Later, when we were talking about doing a Free Comic Book Day issue, we came up for the ideas for the two short stories in “The Widow and The Tank.” The idea for “The Infernal Train” was born in the space between those. In fact, it started while I was in the process of writing the very first Baltimore comics story, “The Plague Ships.” Normally I play it pretty coy with this stuff, but I’ll come right out and tell you…there’s a weird character shown in, I think, the second issue of “The Plague Ships”–a woman who has a strange, mobile furnace and who is allowing the townspeople to use that furnace to incinerate the plague dead. Her name is Lucrezia Fulcanelli. If readers noticed her at all back then, most probably thought, well, that’s weird, and moved on. But we put her in there for a reason. Even way back at the beginning of “The Plague Ships,” we knew we would be telling the story of “The Infernal Train.” Of course, the events of this miniseries spin directly out of the latest one shot, BALTIMORE: THE INQUISITOR, which hits on June 19th.

BD: Lucrezia Fulcanelli and Duvic play a large role in this series, what can you tell us about their character and their involvement in this storyline?

CG: I’m not going to tell you much about Fulcanelli, who she’s working for or with, and what she’s up to. What would be the fun of that. But I will tell you that “The Inquisitor” will not only give you the origin of Judge Duvic, but will change that character forever…and lead directly into “The Infernal Train.” As always, Baltimore is pursuing his own vengeance and Duvic is pursuing Baltimore…but by the time “The Infernal Train” is over, the entire dynamic will have changed forever. That’s one of the things I love best about working on a creator-owned series. Big superhero comics are always talking about characters and their worlds being “changed forever,” but it’s bull. It’s not forever, just until the next time they reboot. Well, we’ve been going somewhere with Judge Duvic, and this is where you find out what we’ve been planning all along.

BD: There are a lot of key historical moments in the book that are important elements of the story. How much research goes into making the story historically accurate, or is it more of an embellishment of your own version of history?

CG: It’s a little of both. I definitely research the locales and many of the items (the train we’re using, for instance). Ben Stenbeck obviously does loads of research. At the beginning, dealing with the war required a lot of research, but now for the most parts it’s getting the cities and their circumstances right. If I’m including a specific vehicle or tool or whatever, I try to include links in the script to give Ben a head start.

BD: You’ve written Baltimore as a prose novel and continued the series as a comic book. When you have a story idea for the characters how do you select if it will work best as prose or as a comic book?

CG: The novel sprang from a graphic novel idea Mike had had brewing in his head for years, so in fact all of the ideas for this series started as ideas for comics. I’m not going to say never, but I have zero interest right now in doing another Baltimore prose novel. We have long terms plans for Baltimore and if they come to fruition, the intention is that it be in comic book form.

BD: How does the writing process with you and Mike Mignola work? Do you both script the book?

CG: We plot together, usually on the phone. I do an outline based on those conversations which we then go over together. The scripts are mine, but I go through two rigorous editorial processes–first I send it to Mike and the two of us go over everything together, make sure that we’re on the same page and that I haven’t done anything that makes him roll his eyes, and then I send the revised script to Scott Allie at Dark Horse, and Scott forces me to make sense of the things that didn’t make sense the first time around and to tighten up the things that could work better.

BD: Is Baltimore a book that you could envision yourself writing for a long period of time or do you have a definite ending in mind for the book?

CG: At some point, we’re going to dovetail back into the novel. That’s a given. But Mike and I have some very specific plans about moving beyond that. After that, who knows?

BD: Does the success of things like Twilight, True Blood or even Buffy in pop-culture, change the way you approach writing vampires as writer?

CG: Not at all. We do what we do. The vampires in Baltimore harken back to old folklore and we’ve also created our own myths here. I’ve done a variety of different kinds of vampire stories, and that’s as it should be. Vampire fiction continues to be popular because it’s a constant source of invention.

BD: There is a flood of vampire books on the market at the moment. What makes Baltimore standout from the rest of these vampire books?

CG: Much as I love vampire stories…Baltimore isn’t just a vampire book. All throughout the series we’ve seen a variety of different monsters and other evils. Baltimore happens to be hunting Haigus because that particular vampire killed his family, but meanwhile the whole world is changing and that’s a much larger story…which we will get to eventually. It’s that larger mythology that makes Baltimore unique. We are exploring a very dark world and our tour guide–Baltimore–is just about as dark as anything in it.

BD: Years ago Baltimore was optioned for film by New Regency with David Goyer directing, but it has since been abandoned and the rights reverted back to you and Mike. How was that process for you as a writer to see Baltimore go through the Hollywood wringer and what is the status of the project right now? Is there a script? Will we ever see a Baltimore movie?

CG: Ninety percent of it was a great process because we were working with people who understood and respected and really wanted to be involved with the world we were creating. Mike and I were the first ones to suggest some of the larger changes that were made and we wrote that screenplay. I absolutely thought that the finished screenplay would have made a great film, and as far as I know, David Goyer felt the same. Unfortunately, during the time we were off writing our script, the Big Chair at New Regency changed occupants, and the new guy did not get what we were doing at all. We were working with grim, complex characters and a sweeping arc, but we also had a very non-linear script that telescoped in and out–just as the novel does–and the new guy wanted something much safer and more typical. At that point, I knew we were dead in the water at New Regency. As to whether or not you’ll ever see a Baltimore movie…there has never been a time when we haven’t been discussing how to bring Baltimore to the screen in some fashion. Time will tell. Right now, Mike and I hold the rights, and that’s what is important to me.