Selling Funko!: Starburns Announces Fantasmagoria, a Horror Anthology with a Mission of Diversity, Inspired by Mexican Folklore

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Starburns Announces Fantasmagoria, a Horror Anthology with a Mission of Diversity, Inspired by Mexican Folklore

Fledgling comic book publisher Starburns Industries Press has announced a new quarterly horror anthology hitting stores for the first time in September, inspired by folklore from Mexico and the American Southwest. The comic will be written by James Fino and Eric M. Esquivel with artists including Fernando Pinto and Julieta Colás, and has the self-ascribed mission to “give new voices and untold stories a platform to thrive in comics.”

Said Esquivel in the press release:

If I see one more comic book about a vampire or a Frankenstein on the comic shop shelves, I am going to blow my brains out all over the Funko Pops display. Our world is huge, and violent, and weird. There are as many myths out there as there are different kinds of people. To me it’s a crime, culturally, to keep going back to the same Eastern European guys over and over and over again.

Inspired by the unforgettable work of folks like Rod Serling, William Gaines, and Al Feldstein, FANTASMAGORIA is basically what would happen if you spilled your salsa on an issue of Tales From The Crypt and it somehow got infinitely more awesome!

Added Fino:

Even before growing up on a supernatural diet of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Kolchak The Night Stalker, and Stephen King novels, being raised in El Paso, Texas, exposed me to some of the most fantastic ‘true’ horror stories from Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico. They filled my dreams and imagination and now I’m excited to team up with Eric and Simon to share our community’s creepy myths and legends through Fantasmagoria!

And Starburns Industries Press President Simon Oré said:

As a child, growing up in Acapulco, there were so many stories that shaped my love of horror. The thrill of being scared delighted me and that feeling was a huge part of my childhood. When Eric and James told me they wanted to do this, it’s like they were pitching the 10 year old version of me my ideal book.

Eric and James are two of my favorite people, they have an incredible grasp of storytelling and an unending well of urban legend knowledge. Giving them a platform that allows them to tell all the stories from our shared culture seemed like a no-brainer.

As a proud member of Trump’s America I know there ain’t nothing scarier than Messicans – so I figured stories ‘bout them would be good for makin’ folks scared.”

The press release describes Fantasmagoria as “a declaration of intent” from the publisher, “Touching on the issues of racism and aggression in the news with the kind of humor fans of Starburns have come to expect.” The press release notes:

Humor aside, Fantasmagoria comes at an important time in American history and is a declaration of intent from the new publisher. Not only will this be a humor-horror anthology inspired by the great classic comics of the 20th Century, it is Starburns Industries Press stating publicly that the stories, creators, and even executives behind this company come from diverse backgrounds and plan to support diverse voices with titles like Fantasmagoria.

Look for Fantasmagoria #1 in stores in September, and place your preorders now.