After its inception last year, Ghost Machine co-founders Geoff Johns, Bryan Hitch, Peter J. Tomasi, and many more took the stage at NYCC today to discuss their past year of work and look ahead to what’s to come.
All of the creators were effusive with their praise for the publisher and its books, with artist Bryan Hitch saying they’re “Just as much fun for us to make than read, probably more so.” Johns quipped, “It’s up to me to screw it up” because the books are so good. All the creators have “great confidence” in the publisher and its books, according to Geiger artist Gary Frank. “It’s worked. All we need to do now is continue to make it work.”
The newest titles from Ghost Machine are Hyde Street, The Rocketfellers, and Hornsby & Halo. “Essentially, if you make a bad choice in life… you might end up on Hyde Street,” Johns said in describing Hyde Street, which he is writing with art from Ivan Reis. Johns mentioned Lost, The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror as inspiration for the series about “psychological and fun horror.” He quipped, “We all want to burn someone’s campsite down,” in reference to how protagonist Prankie ends up in Hyde Street, a sort of damnation realm.
Writer Tomasi and artist Francis Manapul previewed The Rocketfellers next. “It’s a book about a family who escapes from the future and hides in our present,” Manapul said.
Tomasi compared their situation to being in a futuristic witness protection program as the family is hiding from certain death. Manapul wanted to make it a gateway book that could bring anyone into comics. “Essentially, an adventure, science fiction book…it focuses on family.”
Tomasi then discussed his new series with artists Peter Snejbjerg, Hornsby & Halo. It’ll follow children from Heaven and Hell who are sent to live with a family on Earth so the future rulers of the afterlife can learn empathy and other positive emotions.
“They’re an angel and a demon, but they’re also thirteen-year-olds,” Tomasi said. He described it as full of “empathy and a lot of fun…it’s really epic but wonderfully mundane.”
The panel closed with two announcements for 2025. First, the new series First Ghost was revealed. While Johns is keeping the artist a surprise and not revealing a release window yet, he promised the artwork would be top-tier—like the rest of Ghost Machine’s books.
First Ghost will tie into The Unnamed Universe of Red Coat and Geiger. There will be a Red Coast and First Ghost issue next year where Simon from Red Coat is at the White House…when it’s burned down. It’s not Simon’s fault — but it kind of is, Bryan Hitch alluded.
Following Devour, The Soulless will be the next It Happened on Hyde Street… one-shot. Written by Lamont McGee, it’s a “very personal” 64-page story. “It’s about family and what you would do for family…the travels you would do to right a wrong,” McGee said. Expect it to hit shelves around when Hyde Street #10 releases next year.
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