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Bedtime Stories #1 Nelms Cover

DEC161215
  “Home Sweet Home” cover by James Nelms

Bedtime Stories #1 Wheatley Cover

DEC161216   
“You Axed For It” cover by Mark Wheatley

Bedtime Stories #1 Sketch Blank Cover

DEC161217   
Sketch Blank cover

American Mythology Productions

Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children #1

Former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter at American Mythology? You bet! The legendary comics writer behind Secret Wars and Unity and fellow DEFIANT alum (and acclaimed storyboard and development artist) Joe James (Dark Dominion, Knights on Broadway) join creator-writer J.C. Vaughn (Zombie-Proof, Vampire, PA), newcomer writer-artist James Nelms, and cover artist Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker, Frankenstein Mobster) for a new take on the classic horror anthology, Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children. American Mythology's Year of Horror begins right here! 

In Comic Shops: February 22, 2017
In PREVIEWS: December 2016, Page 265 [Now on sale!]
Item Codes: On left of this page under each respective cover
Format: 32 pages, B&W, $3.99

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NOW IN PREVIEWS

Welcome to Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children. Wildly inappropriate stories for kids… no matter what the title says. Unemployed construction worker “Uncle” Alonzo Del Vecchio attempts to entertain the kids in his daycare center. The results are, well, you’ll have to see for yourself!

40 WHACKS

Uncle Alonzo regales the kids about the “40 Whacks,” the story of Allister, a desperate little boy who can’t begin to defend himself until he comes into possession of a very special hatchet. Jim Shooter & Joe James team up to tell the tale.



FLASH OF INSPIRATION

Where do ideas come from? In “Flash of Inspiration,” Uncle Alonzo shares a tale of troubled teens, angry mobsters, and atom bombs that might answer that question (and then again, it might not). James Nelms provides the story and art.

FLASH OF INSPIRATION

BONUS STORY: ONE OF THOSE MOTHER-DAUGHTER THINGS

Leslie swears that her mother’s a monster. In fact, according to her boyfriend, Steve, that’s all she talks about. Is she right? Uncle Alonzo will make sure the kids find out. From the original Bedtime Stories, J.C. Vaughn, Gene Gonzales & Mark Wheatley teamed for this one.

BONUS STORY: ONE OF THOSE MOTHER-DAUGHTER THINGS

DON’T MISS IT!

And did we mention Jim Shooter’s on board? The former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief, founder of Valiant, DEFIANT and Broadway Comics knocked us out with his script. Come see what this grand master of the comic book art form has in store for the kids at Del Vecchio’s Day Care!

The Semi-Secret Origins of Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children

I created Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children when I was in high school in Texas. I was in an English class that had a component of creative writing and it sprang from some things I tried to do in that class. Before I knew anything about form, format or function, I tried to write it as a screenplay. I think I kept after it because my friend and classmate Kyle Hardman always remembered the title.

Our host character is Uncle Alonzo, an unemployed construction worker whose wife browbeat him into opening a daycare to make ends meet. As soon as he opened it, however, she left him. The series is the inappropriate stories he tells the kids, who are mostly horrified by them, except for Little Jimmy. Little Jimmy is more or less Uncle Alonzo’s nemesis.

A few of the story ideas stuck in my head. I would revisit them from time to time, but I didn’t do much with it for a long while.

Years later, around the time I was doing the first Zombie-Proof mini-series and Vampire, PA, I finally did an issue of Bedtime Stories with the fine folks at Moonstone. I was very fortunate to have creators like Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Gene Gonzales (Tales from the Cherokee), Robert Tinnell (The Wicked West) and James Kuhoric (Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash), among others, involved in the issue. Mark did a spectacular cover and created our logo.

I sent copies to high school pal, Kyle, who definitely remembered the title. The issue was dedicated to him and my friend Dan Braun, who co-owns Creepy and Eerie with his brother, Josh, and some other folks. They brought back the originals in hardcover collected editions and have done new material. In addition to the great EC titles, Creepy and Eerie are major influences on Bedtime Stories. I should throw a nod to Bruce Jones as well for Tales of Terror and Alien Worlds, as well as to Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone.

It was great to have it finally become reality. As I learned more about the history of horror comics, I knew that the horror anthology held a special place in our collective history.

Having done that first one, I always intended to do more. We had two more issues planned, including adapting my short story “The Flight,” which I’ve subsequently done on David Lloyd’s wonderful digital anthology, Aces Weekly. And I had several other creators I really wanted to work with, and they were definitely interested.

While I had a plan, reality had other plans. The recession really hit. I had to make the decision to put it up on the shelf.

Now we’re back and Uncle Alonzo’s ready for a whole new crop of kids!

~ J.C. Vaughn