Title: Folktales of the Cryptids
Writer: Joseph Oliveira
Artist: Dominic Racho
Colorist: Vukasin Ivkovic
Letterer: Joseph Oliveira
Publisher: AfterLight Comics
Folktales of the Cryptids is an anthology comic by AfterLight Comics that tells four short terrifying tales based around creatures with questionable existences. Cryptids are the creatures that probably don’t exist, but people have claimed to make some form of contact with them for centuries, regardless. You have your Bigfoots, your Loch Ness Monster, Chupacabra, your Jackalopes, and Jersey Devils, etc. The only proof that these creatures are out there comes from campfire tales, blurry Polaroids, and doctored “evidence”. Still, there’s that skepticism that keeps these monsters in the realm of plausibility. It’s the fear of the unknown, and the unseen that continually sucks people in. Folktales of the Cryptids aims to explore these mysteries in brutal and horrifying new ways, so if this seems like the kind of book you can get behind, consider tossing some coinage their way and check out their Kickstarter (links to it are below). Support indie comics!
Writer and Creator Joseph Oliveira was kind enough to share a little sample of his book. Sunshine is a twisted tale about a Mother and her child and saying any more about it would ruin the surprise. Oliveira worked with Artist Dominic Racho and Colorist Vukasin Ivkovic to create something with a very dark and macabre style reminiscent of old horror comics like EC. The art is fantastic, and more importantly, it shows restraint. You won’t see explicit gore, only little pieces that imply something gruesome has happened, leaving the readers to come up with their own grizzly conclusions. If I had to give one criticism, it’d be that this story is far too short. I know it’s a preview, but I can’t get a grasp on Oliveira’s writing talents. Without giving anything away, we’re introduced to a character, something happens, and then we see the wrap-up. It moves too quickly and I think there’s more that could be done with the story. More build-up, more character development, more tension, and maybe a better resolution. Again, I have to stress that this is a preview, so I haven’t read the entire book, but if the rest of the stories move at such a fast pace, I can imagine I’d be a little frustrated as a reader. With that said, if you’re a fan of horror comics, this is definitely something that will be right up your (dark) alley.
Check out the Kickstarter for Folktales of the Cryptids by clicking on the link here,
and be sure to visit AfterLight Comics at www.afterlightcomics.com.
You can also follow them on Twitter: @AfterlightComic and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/afterlightcomics
