Bunn Boasts About A Backwoods Pumpkinhead

For years a demon of vengeance slept undisturbed in a graveyard pumpkin patch. Then came the fatal accident which took the lives of two children. The beast has now awakened, and it has set out to wreak havoc on the guilty. However, a backwoods crime family has other plans for the monster, and their attempt at taming the monstrosity will make Pumpkinhead #1 (DEC171376) from Dynamite Entertainment all the more gruesome. Writer Cullen Bunn explains in this interview why he was so eager to write this book, and how he intends to seize the opportunity to write about a great pumpkin.

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Dynamite Entertainment: What drew you to taking on the Pumpkinhead series?

Cullen Bunn: When I saw that Dynamite would be publishing this book, I immediately contacted them and asked if they had a creative team attached. As a horror writer — and as a writer who loves tales of backwoods terror — the Pumpkinhead concept just speaks to me. In many ways, the setting for Pumpkinhead could easily be in a county nearby Harrow County (from Harrow County), or Spider Creek (from Blood Feud). It’s like visiting one of my favorite stomping grounds.

Dynamite Entertainment: Were you a fan of the original film series?

Cullen Bunn: I loved the original movie quite a bit. I saw it on opening weekend at a little movie theater in Goldsboro, North Carolina. I loved the setting, the music, Lance Hendrickson’s acting, Haggis’ creaky voice, the sound effects, the creature effects, and the weird lighting. I thought what Stan Winston did with that movie was something special. The follow-ups couldn’t help but pale in comparison to the original, and I didn’t enjoy them nearly as much. I’ve watched them all, several times, but the original is the one that will go down as a horror classic for me.

Dynamite Entertainment: What do you feel makes your series stand apart from the films?

Cullen Bunn: We’re exploring vastly different territory in this comic. At first, we might think we have a pretty straightforward tale of revenge, similar to the story from the original movie. But we start treading different territory pretty quickly. There are factions of townsfolk at work in this series that will change the dynamic in a pretty big way.

And here’s a spoiler:

In the original movie, the old witch Haggis says “For each of man’s evils, a special demon exists.” We’re chasing that idea in a big way.

Dynamite Entertainment: What’s your favorite horror movie, and are there any classic horror films, writers, or directors that have inspired your approach to the Pumpkinhead series?

Cullen Bunn: Pumpkinhead is certainly one of my favorite horror monsters, but my favorite horror flick is either The Thing or Alien. I’m such a huge horror fan, it’s impossible to list all my influences for a story like this. Lovecraft, Howard, Wellman, Lansdale…this list really goes on and on. I wanted to tap into regionalism with this tale, so I gravitated toward creators who are masters of that skill.