JOHN CARPENTER – LEGENDARY DIRECTOR OF ICONIC HORROR FILMS HALLOWEEN AND THE THING – FIRST EVER ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL CATHEDRAL OUT TODAY, AUGUST 4, 2026 VIA STORM KING COMICS
NEW HAUNTING SINGLE “REVENGE” OUT NOW APPEARS ON THE ACCOMPANYING ALBUM CATHEDRAL WHICH ARRIVES THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 ON SACRED BONES RECORDS
JOHN CARPENTER SET TO APPEAR AT MIDSUMMER SCREAM IN LONG BEACH, CA AND FAN EXPO IN CHICAGO, IL
Plus The Horror Show Exhibition Opening September 28 at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles To Feature the John Carpenter: Prince Of Darkness Screening Series
“I saw it in a dream: a nightmare landscape deep underground filled with monsters too weird and sinister to exist in daylight. I knew instantly I had to get these things out of my head and into everyone else’s brains.” – John Carpenter
A brand new terror is emerging from the shadows of John Carpenter’s dark imaginings this summer. Out today, August 4, 2026 via Storm King Comics, CATHEDRAL is Carpenter’s highly anticipated first original graphic novel. The release is accompanied by a new John Carpenter single “Revenge” which will appear on the book’s corresponding album CATHEDRAL arriving this Friday, August 7 on Sacred Bones Records. Get ready for extreme horror on all fronts – the Lord of the Underground is emerging!
Downtown Los Angeles sets the scene for John Carpenter’s CATHEDRAL in the book co-written with acclaimed producer and editor Sandy King and writer Sean Sobczak, illustrated by renowned artists Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna, colored by Sian Mandrake, and lettered by Marshall Dillon. For collectors, limited editions of the book will feature covers by some of the greatest talents in illustration right now: Storm King exclusive by Francesco Francavilla, Storm King Album exclusive by Luis Guaragna with Sian Mandrake; Sacred Bones exclusive by Leonardo Colapietro; and Midsummer Scream exclusive by Jason Shawn Alexander, in addition to the main cover by Federico De Luca.
The story begins where an abandoned cathedral stands, fenced in and ignored by the world around it. The preoccupied passers-by have long since ceased to notice the dilapidated church in their midst, never mind sensing the danger and centuries old evil trapped inside its walls. A gruesome murder one late night pulls the structure into the spotlight, triggering a police investigation into the loss of one of their own. Lieutenant Christine Marks, along with detectives Paul Hernandez and Steve Mayfield, must enter the church in search of the monster that murdered her father. Every step takes them deeper into the belly of the church revealing the mystery of an ancient evil imprisoned within.
Completing the audio/visual project is CATHEDRAL, the album which finds John Carpenter and longtime band mates Cody Carpenter (synths) and Daniel Davies (guitar) providing the soundtrack for an elevated terrifying experience. Each track on the album aligns with a chapter of the graphic novel, with liner notes guiding listeners through the story. As a result the story unfurls like a film and is the closest approximation to a new movie from Carpenter since 2010. “It was so cinematic and vivid,” Carpenter says of the dream that inspired the story. “I thought, ‘I have to score this.’ It’s kind of our first heavy metal album.”
Following the previously shared tracks “Lord of the Underground” and “The Ferryman” another chapter of CATHEDRAL is revealed with “Revenge.” It is here brave Lieutenant Marks perseveres against all odds for the final face-off with the great terror. “Revenge” soundtracks a climactic fight scene. “This dramatic climax started out as a rough demo from Daniel,” Cody Carpenter says. “It contains one of the themes that appears throughout the album, combined with rocking guitars and screaming riffs. For me, it invokes images and emotions that culminate in the awesome climax.”
omics and games, John Carpenter has been terrifying audiences, writing, directing and producing timeless genre movies like Halloween, The Thing, and Escape From New York, and as an editor and contributor alongside Sandy King to graphic novel anthologies and series Tales for a HalloweeNight, Asylum and Tales of Science Fiction, just to name a few. More than five decades in, for the first time in his career fans can celebrate with his first original graphic novel CATHEDRAL.
To support the release of CATHEDRAL, look for John Carpenter to make several singing appearances:
August 8
Midsummer Scream @ Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
August 14-16
Fan Expo @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL
CATHEDRAL is available now in bookstores (bookshop.org), online, and Storm King Comics (stormkingcomics.com), and on August 5, 2026 in comics shops (findyourcomicstore.com).
Written by John Carpenter, Sandy King, Sean Sobczak
Illustrated by Federico De Luca, Luis Guaragna
Colored by Sian Mandrake
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Federico De Luca
120 pp
MSRP: $22.99
ISBN: 979-8-9928116-8-1
