The rules are simple: kill a complete stranger and livestream the murder, or lose everything. Just when you thought it was safe to scroll again, Artists Writers and Artisans, Inc. (AWA) and Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment are back to upend your nightmares. Today, the award-winning indie publisher and horror juggernaut unveiled KILL OR BE KILLED, the second spine-tingling release in their The Future of Fear collection. This pulse-pounding illustrated prose one-shot from acclaimed author Peter Tieryas (Mecha Samurai Empire, United States of Japan) and visionary artist Mike Choi (MOTHS, X-FORCE) hits shelves and digital platforms on August 20.
In a world where your “friend” notification could be your death sentence, KILL OR BE KILLED imagines a tech dystopia where social media and AI collide with lethal consequences. When random people begin receiving mysterious messages that threaten the lives of their loved ones—unless they murder a stranger and livestream it for all to see—they become victims of a mysterious serial murderer known as the Friendship Killer. The perpetrator’s sinister game spreads like wildfire until one victim embarks on a search for the murderer that sets him down a twisted road of advanced surveillance tech, deepfake capabilities, and AI horror.
“KILL OR BE KILLED burrows under your skin by making you ask what you’d do in the same situation,” said Axel Alonso, Chief Creative Officer at AWA. “That’s the hallmark of great horror: it doesn’t just scare you—it lingers, it unsettles, it makes you think. With the team at Vertigo Entertainment, we’re curating a series of stories that push boundaries of the genre. Peter Tieryas and Mike Choi’s highly plausible tale of techno horror does just that.”
KILL OR BE KILLED marks a bold new turn for author Peter Tieryas, known for blending sharp social commentary with speculative thrillers. “This story was inspired by our dependence on technology and the increasingly blurry lines between what’s real and artificial,” said Tieryas. “As someone who’s worked in both gaming and big tech, I wanted to explore how easily these tools, created to connect us, can be twisted into something dark and dangerous. And Mike’s art brings it all to horrifying life in ways that are both beautiful and deeply disturbing.”
The 48-page novella blends page-turning prose with razor-sharp social commentary, brought chillingly to life through Mike Choi’s haunting illustrations that immerse readers in a near-future world that feels all too real. Following the buzzworthy debut of LOOK OUT, which was announced in February and hit stores on May 7, KILL OR BE KILLED continues The Future of Fear anthology, a cross-platform horror initiative spanning comics, illustrated prose, and screen adaptations. Titles from the collection are already in development for film and television through AWA Studios and Vertigo Entertainment.
KILL OR BE KILLED will be available digitally and in comic shops nationwide beginning August 20. Further titles in The Future of Fear collection will be announced and released throughout 2025 and 2026. For more information on the one-shot, collection, and other projects, visit AWA Studios on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and AWAStudios.com.
