Q&A: Writer Brian Gonsar Invites Readers to Join DRACULA’S BRUNCH CLUB

What if the world's most infamous vampire and his friends got their undying energy from blood-orange-jelly donuts they devoured when they gathered for a ghoulishly good brunch? This intriguingly delicious question lurks within the pages of the new graphic novel Dracula's Brunch Club from writer Brian Gonsar and artist Keenan Gaybba.

Brimming with frightful fun for the whole horror-loving family, Dracula's Brunch Club will sink its fangs into shelves on August 26th from Oni Press, and we caught up with Brian in a new Q&A feature to discuss his delectable debut graphic novel, including collaborating with Keenan, creating a unique take on a classic vampire, and cooking up an escapism story for kids that's like a "comedy in a spooky wrapper."

You can read our full Q&A with Brian below, and we also have preview pages and the official press release with additional details on Dracula’s Brunch Club!

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions for us, Brian, and congratulations on Dracula’s Brunch Club! How did the idea for this graphic novel originally come about?

Brian Gonsar: Thank you for having me! This story was originally one of 13 funny short stories about the twisted origin stories of spooky characters. My agent and I got feedback that they were funny, but the editors wanted more. She suggested that I try it out as a graphic novel. I was reluctant at first, but after reading a copy of Camp Midnight, I agreed that she was onto something. Good thing I listened!

You’re described as a “a self-proclaimed donut aficionado.” When did your love of donuts first begin, and what are some of your personal favorite donuts that you’ve ever tasted?

Brian Gonsar: My love of donuts began growing up in central Pennsylvania. My mom used to take me to the Mr. Donut, which then turned into a Dunkin’ Donuts. They baked fresh in house, so it wasn’t those stale donuts you get when shipped in from a warehouse. But it was when I started traveling a ton for work that I started making it a priority to visit a new donut shop each trip. It was a fun excursion for me and people started to associate me with donuts. They’d ask for recommendations, view my donut blog, and if they were traveling with me, they knew they’d get a donut at some point. That love seeped into my “creator” side and the integration into this twisted vampire story made complete sense in my sugar-coated brain. I mean, it’s logical that vampires would get their all-night energy from blood orange jelly donuts, right?

Since the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897, we’ve seen many versions of the titular bloodsucker, and your take on the character is truly unique more than a century later. Were you a fan of Dracula growing up, and do you have any favorite versions of the character?

Brian Gonsar: I’ve been a fan of the parodies or the comedy versions of Dracula. Dracula Dead and Loving It, What We Do in the Shadows, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (which was an off-Broadway play and podcast). All those versions cracked me up, but they’re all for adults. I wanted a middle-grade version of this. Dracula is a universal character, so I wanted to make this version a little different by making him a donut connoisseur and having some fun with it.

I love how Keenan Gaybba’s vibrant illustrations (along with Susie Lee’s excellent lettering) pair with your playful prose in this graphic novel. What was it about Keenan’s visual style that made him the perfect artist to team up with for this story?

Brian Gonsar: I first discovered Keenan’s work after seeing his video for All Time Low’s song “Monster.” It felt very nostalgic, like the stuff on Cartoon Network from the ’90s. It was playful and expressive. I really loved it and was hoping he’d be game to partner with me on the project. Luckily he was! I think part of the reason it works is that this isn’t a full-on-horror version of a Dracula story. The illustrations really help soften the tense and scary moments to make the book more accessible to kids who don’t want to get too scared.

How important was it for you to take a unique comedic approach to Dracula and make it a story that is accessible for readers of all ages?

Brian Gonsar: Very important. As a kid, I always wanted to read Goosebumps and other scary stories, but I didn’t want to be up all night terrified of what I read. This story is for those kids. I like to call it a comedy in a spooky wrapper. All the scary and tense moments are toned down simply by throwing in a joke or using an illustration style that’s friendlier and silly—and making the main characters relatable to kids.

What has it been like to work with the team at Oni Press as you prepare to bring Dracula’s Brunch Club into the world?

Brian Gonsar: Oni Press has been absolutely fantastic to work with. My editor, Grace, really "got" the book and my stupid humor. She was our guide and guru throughout the project. The Oni team has really rallied around the book, elevating the design, pushing the release date up earlier than planned, getting it in the Scholastic Book Fairs (which is a huge feat for a debut author), generating some good PR, and even throwing a donut brunch at ALA (American Library Association)! I love that they’re a smaller team, meaning they can give more attention to you than a bigger publisher, but they have a really mighty distribution backing.

Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away from Dracula’s Brunch Club?

Brian Gonsar: I hope readers are entertained. I want reading to be a fun escape for people. There’s enough drama in the world and in everyday life that we deserve a little break from that. I also hope that they see the good in the characters. Kids are bombarded with lessons in school and at home that they don’t also need me jamming another one down their throats. Instead, I let the characters lead by example and hopefully they’ll see some good that Dracula and his human friend, Elena, do.

Do you have plans to continue the story of Dracula’s Brunch Club in a sequel graphic novel if given the opportunity?

Brian Gonsar: If given the opportunity, I’d take it. Keenan and I already have an idea on how to continue the story years later, but it has to feel like a natural evolution. No one needs this to be a Grease 2 or a Home Alone 3. A good sequel needs to stand on its own. It’s a fun challenge!

In addition to being a writer, you’re also an award-winning film producer. Do you have any plans to adapt Dracula’s Brunch Club as a feature film or TV series?

Brian Gonsar: That would be a dream! I love animation. One of my favorite commercials I ever worked on was with Popeye (you can see it on my site, www.bgonsar.com). The illustration style of this book would make for a super easy transition into animation. If the response to this book is really good, I could see building out a pitch packet for the adaptation and trying to find a home for it.

What advice would you give to comic book writers or filmmakers who are just getting started?

Brian Gonsar: Start making things. If you want to write, write. If you want to make films, get a camera and start shooting. Immerse yourself in the world. Become a sponge and learn as much about it as you can. Develop your network of likeminded people and don’t take no for an answer. Also, be in it for the long game. It took me seven years to get this story published. And about five years to get a feature film made. Nothing comes quick.

With Dracula’s Brunch Club sinking its teeth into shelves this August, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can tease for our readers?

Brian Gonsar: Nothing I can mention yet. But I am actively pitching some new graphic novels out in the middle grade and YA space. So fingers crossed I can be back talking about them soon.

Thank you very much for your time, Brian!

Brian Gonsar: Thank you so much for having me!

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Press Release: PORTLAND, OR – Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to awaken DRACULA’S BRUNCH CLUB! Have you ever wondered how vampires got their taste for blood? In Dracula’s Brunch Club, it all started with a crimson-red donut, dripping and oozing with spooky secrets—I mean, jelly. Dripping and oozing with non-spooky-tasting JELLY. Get ready to sink your fangs into the hilarious new graphic novel from debut authors Brian Gonsar (Twisted Tales of Scary Stories: Werewolves) and Keenan Gaybba! Blood, treachery, and humor from two promising newcomers not enough? DRACULA’S BRUNCH CLUB will also hit the stands with a foreword from Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers!

Count Dracula is not your average vampire. Well, sure, he’s undead, hates garlic, and will burn up in sunlight––but unlike other vampires, he has a knack for baking. And it’s his brunch club’s famous blood-orange-jelly donuts that give his fellow vampires the energy source they need to live forever. But when Transylvania experiences a mysterious jelly shortage, it allows his nemesis, Constantine, to swoop in and steal the brunch club—and the vampires’ loyalty—from Dracula. But it’s not just jelly donuts at stake. When townsfolk start to go missing, Dracula suspects Constantine has far more sinister motives lurking that could threaten everything vampires and humans have worked for. With the help of his chef and human friend, Elena, Dracula must find a new energy source before every vampire and human turns on him and he loses his coveted brunch club forever.

“I was always envious of the kids who carried around Goosebumps or other scary stories,” said Brian Gonsar. “I wanted to read them too, but I didn’t love being scared. This book is here to remedy that. It’s a comedy in a spooky wrapper and manages to keep even the most intense situations light. A perfect combo for kids who want scary stories, but not actually to be scared.”

Prepare your cursed culinary appetite for August 2025, when DRACULA’S BRUNCH CLUB arises from its slumber!

Creator bios:

Brian Gonsar is an award-winning producer with a rėsumė of feature films, music videos, art installations, and even a Super Bowl commercial. He is also a self-proclaimed donut aficionado who has traveled the world to find the best donut. Dracula’s Brunch Club is Brian’s debut graphic novel. When he’s not writing and creating, Brian’s most likely reliving his glory days on the soccer field. He is a proud #girldad and lives with his wife and daughter in New Jersey.

Keenan Gaybba is an illustrator and animator from Cape Town, South Africa. He’s created animated music videos for clients like All Time Low, Marshmello, Seth MacFarlane, Tones and I, Anthony Hamilton, and many more. Dracula’s Brunch Club is his debut graphic novel. Keenan loves all things spooky, ʼ90s cartoons, and his wife and cat.

About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.