Vermont comic anthology Samhain Harvest releases November 14
The second issue of the free horror magazine features works by Joe Bob Briggs, Stephen R. Bissette, and other national and local creators, available only at Old Town Café & Comics in Williston.
By Thomas Obasi ·
Old Town Café & Comics in Williston will release the second issue of its horror anthology magazine, Samhain Harvest, on Saturday, November 14. The publication is free and will be available exclusively at the store, which is hosting a daylong release party.
Ben Chase, co-owner of the café and the independent comic retailer ECGCE, coordinated the new edition. Chase stated that the project required extensive planning to manage the numerous contributors. "Coordinating so many creators is a lot of work and planning, so I’m really just ecstatic it’s come together," Chase said.
The anthology includes writers and artists from across the United States and Vermont. The lineup features horror film critic Joe Bob Briggs, artists Enzo Garza, Alex Cormack, and Steve Lavigne, who has worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Rustem Shagisultanov, an artist from Los Angeles, provided the cover art.
Local contributors include Stephen R. Bissette, a former Vermont cartoonists laureate who worked with Alan Moore on Swamp Thing for DC Comics in the 1980s. Current Vermont cartoonists laureate James Kochalka also contributes, alongside writers and musicians Justin Boland and Jim Heltz. Chase, who wrote stories for the first issue in October 2025, has also included new stories in this edition.
Chase said he wanted to leverage the state's history of comic talent, citing artists like Rick Veitch, Tillie Walden, and Kochalka. "Vermont has such a legacy of great artists like Steve and Rick Veitch … and so many talented people on the scene now, like Tillie Walden and Kochalka," Chase said. "It was something I really wanted to tap into."
The issue contains stories such as "Hollow Head" by Kochalka, which follows a living pumpkin seeking brain matter. It also includes a preview of Krampus, a holiday comic by Joseph and Hazel Schmalke. Chase noted that the timing aligns with Samhain, the ancient Gaelic festival marking the start of winter, which extends into November.
A digital version of the magazine will be posted on the ECGCE website. Readers can scan a QR code to access a soundtrack composed by producer Brkn Hvn. The score features atmospheric electronic and ambient music. Chase aims for the café to serve as a community hub, stating that the magazine helps establish that role.
