Justin Jordan has built a reputation on gritty, character-driven horror stories, and with Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave, he’s digging deep into the folklore and fears of his Appalachian roots.
With haunting art by Chris Shehan (The Autumnal), this new comic follows Harley Creed, a violent ex-con who’s haunted by his past and ensnared in a deadly curse. The comic is a blend of folk horror and crime thriller, set in the ominous small town of Briar Falls, West Virginia—a place where the air is thick with both secrets and subtle magic. Harley has only seven days to live after someone hexes him, and the countdown forces him to confront his sins and the people who still thirst for his blood. But who is behind the hex, and can he survive the supernatural terror that’s been set in motion?
In our interview, Jordan delves into the origins of the story, the thematic weight of Harley’s journey, and how he and Shehan have crafted a story that’s both terrifying and strangely cathartic.
The Origins of Folk Horror in Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave
For Jordan, the setting of Briar Falls was more than just a backdrop—it was a personal reflection. “I’m from Appalachia. I literally grew up on the side of one of the Appalachian mountains in southern Pennsylvania,” he shares. “The area is a microcosm of a place you don’t see a huge amount in pop culture: the decaying rural outskirts.”
That decay, Jordan explains, is fertile ground for folk horror. The eerie and often incomprehensible traditions of small, insular communities shaped his vision for the book.
“When I was growing up, the people in my grandparents’ generation still believed and practiced folk magic, although they didn’t think of it as folk magic,” he says. “Dowsing for water, reading a Bible verse, and blowing on a burn to heal it—all of that. It all dovetails together into the theme of being outside and at the mercy of something you don’t understand.”
This tension between outsider and insider perspectives is central to the horror of Harley’s predicament. Folk horror, as Jordan sees it, is about being beset by forces whose rules you cannot comprehend, and Briar Falls embodies that in every twisted corner.
Creating Harley Creed: A Complicated Protagonist
Harley Creed isn’t your typical horror protagonist. As Jordan describes him, “Harley isn’t someone who has been wronged seeking vengeance; he’s someone who has done many, many wrongs, almost none of which he regrets, and is trying to figure out who is trying to get revenge on him.”
This reversal of the usual revenge narrative adds complexity to Harley’s character. “He’s still a massive underdog in this fight, going up against enemies who have men, guns, and magic when he’s got basically one of those things,” Jordan notes. “I hope people are rooting for him, despite everything.”
The tension between Harley’s past and his fight for survival keeps readers guessing. Does he deserve redemption? Can he find it in a town where so many people would rather see him dead?
Courtesy Oni Press
Magic in the Shadows: Depicting Folk Horror with Chris Shehan
Folk magic permeates the atmosphere of Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave, and Jordan worked closely with Shehan to ensure the supernatural elements felt unsettling yet ambiguous. “The trick for us was getting the right balance of unsettling and subtle,” Jordan says. “The magic had to be the kind of stuff that could be just Harley going crazy… or it could be real.”
Visually, this meant relying on natural imagery and shadows to create a sense of foreboding. “Lots of nature, lots of shadows,” Jordan emphasizes. The collaboration with Shehan elevated the story, as Jordan explains: “Chris got the vibe immediately and really elevated what I was trying to do with the writing. It also helped that Chris got on board early enough that I was thinking of how he’d depict stuff when I was writing it.”
Courtesy Oni Press
Balancing Violence and Horror
Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave doesn’t shy away from graphic violence, but Jordan is careful to ensure that it serves the story. “If something is wall-to-wall misery, you become numb to it,” he explains. “But if you mix that with a little humor, it helps the darkness hit.”
Jordan applies this philosophy to horror itself. “If it’s all kill and no suspense, you get bored,” he says. “But on the flip side, if it’s all implication, you lose the impact. So I tried to find a rhythm where we were showing and implying enough that when we really show the horror, it really hits.”
With Shehan’s art bringing both subtle and visceral moments to life, the comic strikes a balance that leaves readers haunted long after the final page.
The Ticking Clock of a Deadly Hex
The hex that curses Harley serves as a driving force for the narrative, adding both urgency and tension. “A ticking clock and actual stakes just adds some jet fuel to your story,” Jordan explains. “Harley can’t just leave, and he doesn’t have time to marshal much in the way of allies or resources, so it puts his back against the wall. Which is where you want characters, in this kind of thing.”
This sense of time running out heightens the stakes, pushing Harley to confront his fears and enemies head-on.
Exploring Justice, Revenge, and Redemption
At its core, Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave is a meditation on the thin line between justice and revenge. “The one thing Harley regrets in life is arguably the one good thing he did, and now he’s paying for that act,” Jordan reveals. “Does he deserve it? Does he deserve to survive? Is it justice? Hopefully, these are all questions for the readers.”
For Jordan, these moral quandaries are essential to the story’s impact. “There’s a lot of punishments people might deserve that we don’t have the right to inflict,” he says. “That, for me anyway, is the line between justice and revenge.”
Courtesy Oni Press
In Harley Creed’s struggle to survive both the curse and his own demons, Jordan invites readers to grapple with those same questions. It’s a story that’s as harrowing as it is thought-provoking, leaving you to wonder if there can ever be redemption in a place like Briar Falls.
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