Red And Dead In a Gorgeous Coloring Book

by Vince Brusio

Musician and writer Alan Robert has come back from a dark place to give us yet another opportunity to color our world in black, blue, and, of course, red — the color of the dead! With the upcoming The Beauty of Horror II: Another Gorgeous Coloring Book (JUN170546), fans of fiendish horror imagery get the chance to again color morbid pictures any shade of grey of their choosing, and in this PREVIEWSworld interview, Alan Robert explains why he’s back with an axe to grind.

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Vince Brusio: How does The Beauty of Horror II: Another Gorgeous Coloring Book (JUN170546) compare to the first volume? Have you settled on the idea that Ghouliana is the next incarnation of Eddie The Beast? Does she appear to have a longer life ahead of her despite being dead?

Alan Robert: The Beauty of Horror II dives deeper into Ghouliana's world this time around, and I think it's even creepier than the first book. With Book 1, I really set out to create the ultimate horror coloring book. As a lifelong horror fan, I felt that there was a huge void in the adult coloring book market for this type of edgy content, so I basically wanted to produce a coloring book I'd want to color.

In Book 1, I incorporated all aspects of horror imagery. Everything from vampires, werewolves, mummies, and monsters, to zombies, bats, spiders, and things that go bump in the night. Book 2 invites colorists to explore Ghouliana's Creepatorium - a bizarre museum of oddities, torture devices and creatures. Ghouliana has really become the face of the series and I actually have lots of plans to include her in other stories and other mediums. If you haven't seen the live-action book trailer, you can now see Ghouliana in the flesh. Check it out!

Vince Brusio: In the text description for the book, the reader is asked to “find the ingredients she's sprinkled throughout the intricate pen and ink illustrations.” So we’re supposed to look for Easter Eggs under the moss and detritus, is that how this works? We’re on some kind of graveyard treasure hunt? You’ve taken the concept of “Where’s Waldo?” and changed it into “Where’s Satan?”

Alan Robert: Yes! Exactly (laughs). I'm the first to admit that it's all very abnormal. But that's just how my twisted mind works. It's also what makes the book so much fun! Ghouliana is looking to cast a deadly spell and it's up to you to stop her by finding all of her missing ingredients. Colorists are on the hunt to find frog legs, skull candy, bed bugs, poison bottles, and much more hidden throughout the illustrations! Have fun!

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.