Cullen Bunn may write a lot of horror, but the man has some truly untouched range. Whether it’s profoundly bloody horror (Invasive), something a little more playful (Shock Shop), or even something decidedly meta (Midnite Show), Bunn can come at you from almost any angle to terrify and disarm. Now, Bunn (alongside artist Christopher Mitten) is opting for the marriage of folktales, fantasy, and horror with his latest haunted offering, The Autumn Kingdom.
To be released via Oni Press, The Autumn Kingdom begins as writer Andrew Kier temporarily relocates his family to an “idyllic, remote cabin on the edge of a lush Swedish forest.” However, it’s not a whimsical, magical time for very long when daughters Sommer and Winter must confront a “sinister force” that’s snatched their parents, bringing them face-to-face with “local folklore [that] is anything but a myth.” With The Autumn Kingdom, expect sword fights, goblins and elves, and, perhaps best of all, a potent exploration of family and the stories we tell ourselves.
The Autumn Kingdom #1 is due out September 4. In the lead up to its release, we caught up with Bunn recently to field questions both big and small. That includes drawing on his own family experiences for the story, the collabo with Mitten that’s been in the works for some time, his connection to “The Green Knight” story, and teasers and tidbits from issue #2 and beyond.
Main cover by Christopher Mitten. Courtesy of Oni Press.
AIPT: You’re a horror kingpin, and this is described as dark-fantasy/horror-fantasy. What’s the biggest distinction and/or are they maybe two sides of the same coin?
Cullen Bunn: Horror and fantasy have always danced very similar dances for me. Sure, I loved The Lord of the Rings, but my favorite parts were the scary scenes. My favorite fantasy is heavily laced with horror—the stories of Elric and Corum, for example. So, with The Autumn Kingdom, I’m taking the fantasy sub-genre of fairy realms and really digging into the darker side of such legends. Let’s face it. The fae world would be terrifying for the average person.
AIPT: I’m always interested when a writer writes about a writer. Do you lean into these inevitably meta aspects? Why the interest in a writer and his family in the first place?
CB: The trope of an isolated writer encountering something otherworldly rings true to me. You’re alone. You’re all by yourself. You’re typing away. And you stumble onto some horrifying vista of reality. I felt like I could relate. I also thought it would be an interesting way to fuse the world of Sommer and Winter with the world of the Wraithbound Queen, Elsethriel. It’s a connection that will only become more and more important as the series continues.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
AIPT: I believe this is your first time working with artist Christopher Mitten. What’s that collaborative process been like? I feel like you two have pretty comparable aesthetics and story choices/tendencies.
CB: This is the first time Chris and I have worked together. It’s been a long time coming. Chris is a delight to work with. His art elevates the story in every conceivable way. And he’s sometimes a challenge to keep up with! I’m really glad this was the book we first collaborated on, because he’s perfect for it!
AIPT: I saw this book described as akin to The Green Knight. Why do you think those kinds of stories still speak to us in 2024?
CB: Well, they’re timeless, you know? These are the legends that haunted or scared people from times long lost. There is something almost primitive… maybe even foundational… about them… like we’re digging terrors up from the primordial ooze.
AIPT: When you’re writing kids like Sommer and Winter, how much does your own relationship with your son inform them or even their relationship with Andrew/their mother?
CB: It’s impossible to write a parent/child relationship and not think about my own son. When the parent is doing something right, that’s me being hopeful for how I handle things. When they screw up, that’s me trying to cope with mistakes I’ve made… or I am afraid I will make.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
AIPT: Similarly, why two sisters? Are you working out stuff with any siblings you may have?
CB: Ha! No, no. My problems with my own siblings have long cemented into permanency. There’s no working those issues out! The choice to focus on a pair of sisters was actually quite simple. I just felt the story worked better with them as the leads. I like their interactions, their decisions, and their designs. Now, the decision to make them sisters did, in time, inform other elements of the story. Initially, though, Sommer and Winter were just who I wanted to follow.
AIPT: I took a folklore class in college, and the thing my professor repeated is how these are stories we tell others about ourselves. What’s your interest in folklores specifically?
CB: Folklore connects us to our past, to other cultures, to history, and to each other. Reading or listening to folk tales when I was a kid helped me to understand that the world is so, so much bigger than what we see or experience in our day-to-day.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
AIPT: I love stories that involve characters receiving big, powerful weapons. How much do you treat the “nasty, death-dealing blade” the twins acquire almost like another character in terms of writing it and giving it real significance?
CB: Oh, if you like powerful magical swords, then this is the book for you! The sword the girls find is definitely a character in this series, but it is one shrouded in mystery. I’m not racing to reveal its secrets. But, yes, the sword is definitely an important character in the series.
AIPT: You’re an extra prolific writer. How is a story like this born amid all your other projects? And is every new title just as special/unique?
CB: I tend to come up with titles or kernels of an idea, jot them down in one of my journals, then let them sit for a while, sometimes years and years. The Autumn Kingdom was a title I wrote down long ago. It has been in the back of my mind for a while. Then, one day, it just sort of coalesced into the tale we have today. Every story idea is different, but it’s very rare that one is “forced” to the surface for me. What’s more likely is that I’ll try to concentrate on coming up with one story, say a science fiction heist adventure, and another story, say one about two girls battling against the fae realm, appears instead.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
AIPT: Do you have a fave moment/page/panel in #1 that sets the tone for this story?
CB: Wow. That’s tough, especially without spoiling anything. I love the pages featuring the Wraithbound Queen. I love the chaotic and crazy action (and creature designs) of the first encounter with the fae. The last page, I think, really sets the tone for the series, though.
AIPT: What can you tease from issue #2 and beyond in terms of big plot points or monsters?
CB: Well, as the series continues, Sommer and Winter will be on a quest to save their parents. They will find, however, that the world is somewhat against them, and this realization turns them cold. Their quest becomes more and more dangerous and violent, and the relationship between the girls will become a bit strained. All along, they will be learning more about the fairy realm, and the revelations are chilling.
AIPT: If you had to live with a famous monster from folklore, what would it be and why?
CB: When I was a little kid, almost every night before bedtime, my dad would tell me he had to go into the backyard and let our pet Gallywumpus out of its cage. The Gallywumpus, he said, was a lion-like creature that would prowl the yard and keep all the bad ghosts and monsters away. So, in honor of my old man, I’ll say the Gallywumpus.
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