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When she was growing up in her native Ireland, Hannah Rose May was told that to become an actress, she had to move to Hollywood.
So May did just that, packing her bags and moving to Los Angeles in late 2010.
But as anyone who has pursued the Hollywood dream knows, success is never what you imagine. Two things happened while she was in the City of Angels. Firstly, Ireland became a location for Hollywood productions and also saw the rise of its screen industry.
The second, May, after finding some acting work in comics, conjured up and carved out a career in horror writing…in the comic book field.
“I’m definitely amazed that it’s turned into a full-time career,” she says. “The horror part is interesting because I didn’t intentionally set out to be a horror writer, but naturally the stories I’m drawn to have horror themes and undertones.”
After the great success of her famous world “Exorcism At”, which includes Exorcism in 1600 Pennsylvania and exorcism at buckingham palace, Now Mai is back with a new original series titled killer festival, Which will be published by IDW’s horror imprint, IDW Dark.
Andrea Scalmazzi is the artist of the series, which will debut later this year as a five-issue mini-series. If successful, more stories could follow.
May says the book taps into her time in Hollywood, combining horror, the entertainment industry and the insatiable pursuit of intellectual property. “that it opinion and Squid game “Twisted together in a Hollywood environment,” she says.
The story revolves around six emerging horror filmmakers who are invited to compete in Fatal Fest, the mysterious festival run by reclusive horror maestro Frank Finch and his legendary production empire Fatal Films. They soon discover that this is no ordinary film festival. Finch has one simple rule: to create real fear, you have to experience it. If these directors want to win the killer festival, they have to be willing to kill for it.
“The common thread in my work is people trying to survive systems that are trying to consume them,” she says. “Hollywood is one of those systems that consumes a lot of people.”
She also said that the horror producer isn’t based on any one person (sorry, Jason Blum), but if anyone has lived up to the comparison, it’s Wes Craven, the director behind the film. A Nightmare on Elm Street and Screamingamong other classics.
“Hannah and Andrea have created a world that feels equal parts Hollywood horror satire, psychological thriller, and pure nightmare fuel,” IDW senior editor Heather Antos said in a statement. THR Book description. “It is bold, bloody, incredibly intelligent, and completely unapologetic in its vision.”
He may find work in comedies such as… Ballers and ghosts But during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned to writing as a serious endeavor.
“I was left with my own thoughts,” she recalls. “It was either download TikTok or save my sanity and do something I always wanted to do but was afraid to do.” As an actress, she knew well the delicate nature of being at the beck and call of corporate producers or filmmakers. This was a way of trying to exert some control.
Its first title was Rogues Gallery, a miniseries published by Image Comics in 2022 that addressed the issue of toxic fandom. But it was Exorcism in 1600 Pennsylvaniaa supernatural thriller set in the White House, which became an unexpected but instant bestseller upon its release in 2024 and proved to her that she was on the right track. Naturally, there’s a feature adaptation currently in development for the Blumhouse-Atomic Monster house of horrors.
Other titles and comics followed, including DC’s Harley Quinn story and… Smile: for the cameraa comic strip based on Parker Finn He smiles Horror movies currently on the stands.
Ironically, May believes that her work as an actress makes her a better writer and also gives her an approach based on a more understanding of character. Conversely, she believes her acting has benefited her writing because it has deepened her understanding of storytelling.
IDW Dark and May plan to reveal more details about Killer festival At San Diego Comic-Con in July, where May is scheduled to participate in several panels including, one about actors turned comic book writers.
Check out the cover of the first issue of the comic below.
