About the Book
-
Authors:
- Liz Reed
- Jimmy Reed
- Genres:
- Graphic Novels
- Horror
Cover Story: Tummy-Rumbling
BFF Charm: Oh Def
Arty Art: [insert heart-eyes emoji]
Bonus Factor: Scratch & Sniff
Relationship Status: My New Favorite Restaurant
Cover Story: Tummy-Rumbling
I love the entire aesthetic of Bites of Terror, and the cover’s no exception: bright, spooky, adorable, weird, and in all of my favorite colors. Also, it makes me crave a cookie, like, now.
The Deal:
For years, Cuddles and Rage (Liz and Jimmy Reed) have been putting out a webcomic that features their own handmade, sculpted dioramas and doodles of anthropomorphic foods, and this month Quirk Books is publishing their new horror anthology in the vein of Tales from the Crypt.
Bites of Terror is an absolute blast for those of us with very specific sensibilities: in other words, we like our horror cute as heck. The stories – including a moldy strawberry who becomes outbreak patient zero, a watermelon whose obsessive husband just won’t die and an egg who fights the temptation to turn devilish – are introduced by a horror host named The Cake Creeper. Each tale is organized on the “Prix Fixe Menu” (the table of contents) as Starters, Mains and Desserts. But there’s no filler here: every page is clever and appealing, and every story is worth its salt (always a consideration when we’re talking horror anthologies, usually a pretty hit-or-miss enterprise).
BFF Charm: Oh Def
R u kidding me rn? There’s no WAY I’d deny a BFF charm to The Cake Creeper. He’s everything I want in a horror host: melodramatic, misshapen and boasting a William Castle-esque sense of showmanship. That’s him on the left, joined by his trusty assistant Eyevon and his unsuspecting guest, Bill Cupcake.
Arty Art: [insert heart-eyes emoji]
This is a fantastic-looking book. Each diorama is layered with detail and charm, with thoughtfully rendered characters and a colorful, unusual, spooky-cute style. As my friend and FANGORIA editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr. said in his foreword, Bites of Terror offers a “clean, retro vibe that captures the eye and the imagination.” Let this book live on your coffee table – guests will want to flip through it over and over.
Bonus Factor: Scratch & Sniff
This book! Comes with a motherflipping! Scratch & Sniff card! I’m completely in love with this detail that fits right in with that retro vibe Phil was talking about above. As you follow along the travails of The Cake Creeper, Bill Cupcake, Gofre Waffle and more, you can scratch AND sniff such scents as strawberry, dirt, fire and egg.
Relationship Status: My New Favorite Restaurant
Friends, this book made me happy. (And hungry!) It’s a creepy, adorable delight, crafted with painstaking care and no small amount of whimsy. Check out a few more pics of Cuddles and Rage’s process from their site.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Quirk Books, but got neither cocktails nor money in exchange for this review. Bites of Terror is available to pre-order now.
