September's Adventures in Storytelling
Autumn arrives with comic reveals, family milestones and galactic horrors
Hello there!
It's 1st September, which means it's my favourite season of the year.
Yes, there is debate on the actual first day of Autumn, as shown by this article on the BBC...
Personally, I opt for the meteorological approach, but the way I see it, you just get to celebrate the beginning of Autumn twice. Result!
Okay, on with this month's newsletter...
MAN-AT-ARMS HAS THE POWER!
Dark Horse has revealed the character at the heart of my Masters of the Universe Genesis arc, none other than Duncan, Eternia's Man-At-Arms.
Here's Mark Buckingham's Kirby-inspired cover!
Kicking off with issue four of the series, the three-part story sees Duncan teaming up with Prince Randor at a time when Adam wasn't even a twinkle in Randor's eye.
Here's the solicit:
Prince Randor and Captain Duncan are entangled in a dangerous mystery. In the midst of the Great Wars between science and magic, a seemingly abandoned village is hiding a deadly secret. Duncan and Randor will be forced to face difficult questions about the relationship between magic and technology—as well as an army of monstrous foes—if they have any hope of survival.
Art for the arc is by my ol' pal Nick Roche, who I first worked with on Rogue Trooper in 2000AD. And, as I recently revealed in SFX Magazine, the story will also feature the first meeting of Duncan and the Sorceress, plus a take on the Most Powerful Man in the Universe that has NEVER been seen before.
I'm very excited.
Masters of the Universe Genesis #4 hits comic stores on 16th December, 2026. Talk to your friendly neighbourhood comic store to make sure it's on your pull list today!
A FINN & POE ADVENTURE
Well, this was a surprise. The Audible Original based on my final Star Wars: Choose Your Destiny book was released on August 27th, with Ron Butler once again narrating the canon path of the original gamebook.
Here's the official blurb:
While running a special mission for the Resistance, Finn, Poe, and BB-8’s ship is intercepted and apprehended by the First Order. The three must use their best skills if they hope to escape and deliver the much-needed cargo to the Resistance.
This story takes place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
Don't forget, even though the original gamebooks are now out of print, a few signed copies are still available via my webstore!
UNEARTHED OUT THIS MONTH
Unearthed: New Horror of Ancient Ruins, edited by Dan Coxon and Philip Fracassi is out 15th September, featuring a brand new Stonehenge-inspired story by yours truly.
Actually, has it been revealed anywhere that my story is set at Stonehenge? I don't think so. NEWSLETTER EXCLUSIVE!
Unearthed digs beneath these crumbling structures to reveal their archaic pasts, and their darkest secrets. Featuring the best modern writers of horror and dark fantasy, these stories explore the caverns and the catacombs, the ruined temples and the monoliths – and drag an ancient evil back into the light.
Keep an eye out for news of an Unearthed book event in Bristol soon!
PREPARE FOR GALACTIC HORRORS
Wait, there's even more out this month. Star Wars: Galactic Tales of Terror collects my Dark Horse Star Wars Halloween specials, some of my favourite projects of the last few years...
Shiver at these terrifying tales from a galaxy far, far away….
Three anthologies of spooky Star Wars comics stories are collected in this one deluxe hardcover edition!
Deep in the Outer Rim, far from the light of the Jedi, strange creatures trade chilling stories that would terrify even the cruelest Sith Lord!
As the twin suns set over Tatooine, Captain Vaclav finds himself dangling above Jabba the Hutt’s rancor pit! To bargain for his freedom, Vaclav regales the crime boss with three blood-curdling tales of phantom droids, alien lycanthropes, and ice-planet serpents! Is it possible to scare the cold-hearted Hutt?
On the dark and stormy coast of Kef Bir, a cloaked figure warns a young maverick named Fry about the horrors that lurk in the ruins of the Death Star: trash compactor terrors, ghostly pilots, and Imperial zombies! Will Fry heed the warning?
And during long nights on Ryloth, Twi’leks speak in hushed tones about the Nightlander. This shadowy entity haunts three generations of legendary heroes in its quest to bring despair to the galaxy! How will Anakin, Luke, Leia, and Rey quell this dark power unlike any other?
Written by master of the macabre Cavan Scott, the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle, and rendered in ghastly detail by award-winning illustrators, including Soo Lee, Nick Brokenshire, Vincenzo Riccardi, Fico Ossio, and more!
Collects Star Wars: Tales from the Rancor Pit, Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star, and Star Wars: Tales from the Nightlands #1–#3 in a deluxe, oversized library edition!
FIVE BRILLIANT THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
- My youngest Connie celebrated her 18th birthday! Eighteen? How the heckity-heck did that happen?
- I submitted the outline for Project: Soldier. It was a whopper. Over 11,000 words, running to 32 pages! And now the nervous anticipation begins. What will the verdict from the editor be?
- I submitted a short story for a new IP, which was very enthusiastically received, which was a relief. I think that drops this month, but I don't know the exact date. I'll let you know in next month's round-up.
- I made my annual pilgrimage to the Rollright Stones, one of my favourite places on earth, although as you can see from these photos it was in the middle of the heatwave that struck the UK over the summer, leaving the entire place scorched. It felt properly apocalyptic, the intense heat meaning we couldn't spend as much time there as I'd wanted.
One of the saddest things was that storm damage has meant that the little grove of trees by the King's Men has been cut down. Usually, the branches are full of little offerings and votives. I've left some there myself in the past. Thankfully, votives have started to appear in the trees on the other side of the circle. - I saw the new Royal Shakespeare Company production of Game of Thrones: The Mad King at Stratford with George Mann and his son, James. It was stunning, the best possible prequel to the original series (and that includes House of the Dragon!) The cast was excellent and the puppetry superb. Full marionette jousting contests. Yes, please!
FAN-ART SHOWCASE
I love me some fan-art. This gem of a Lourna Dee portrait popped up on Starlight Sketches' Instagram feed yesterday.
The incredibly talented artist says:
If you asked me at the start of my High Republic journey who I thought was going to be my favourite character, Lourna Dee would probably have been my last guess. But after reading Tempest Runner for the first time, I became so interested in her character, and now she’s probably one of my all-time favourites.
As you’ve heard many MANY times before, y’all should totally go read Tempest Runner rn…😋✨
Thank you @cavanscottwriter for writing the book that began my love for this character.
Thank YOU! It's such a great image.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS
And on we go!
September is going to be a strange month as Connie heads off to University, meaning that with both daughters off studying, we have an empty nest!
Excuse me when I become an emotional mess. Wish me luck!
Until next time, look after yourself and each other.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
Thanks to pesky NDAs, I can’t reveal many details about what I’m writing at the moment, so I’ve come up with a sneaky list of project names. Keep an eye on future editions. I'll update everything as the work progresses!
Project: Avarice
- A novelisation for a fantasy franchise, currently in copy edits.
Project: Passer
- A graphic novel adaptation of a top romantasy novel. Currently scripting.
Project: Soldier
- A newly commissioned fantasy novel, currently awating editorial feedback on the outline.
Konflikt ‘47
- Working with Warlord Game on the lore and creative direction for the weird World War II tabletop game.
Masters of the Universe: Origins
- A three-issue arc chronicling the early career of Man-At-Arms.
COMING SOON
Star Wars: Scoundrels and Smugglers - Race for Jabba’s Bounty
An all-age graphic novel starring Han Solo, Chewbacca, Jaxxon and a host of scum and villainy. On sale 6th October.
Godfather of Hell
My new creator-owned graphic novel for mature readers. Think Goodfellas meets The Exorcist. On sale 27th October.