THE DEVIL IN THE HERD Preview Pages, Kickstarter Details, and Q&A with Writer / Artist Katelyn Windels

"In the deserts of the American southwest, a man with no face and red eyes follows a cattle drive, seeking the soul of one of the cowboys." Such is the chilling setup for The Devil in the Herd, the new supernatural horror Western comic book from writer and artist Katelyn Windels.

With The Devil in the Herd now on Kickstarter via Invader Comics (and already having more than tripled its initial goal), we had the great pleasure of catching up with Katelyn Windels in a new Q&A feature, and we also have a look at preview pages from the new comic book, including several pages that are exclusive to Daily Dead readers!

You can check out our full Q&A with Katelyn Windels and preview pages from The Devil in the Herd below, and to learn more about the supernatural horror Western, be sure to visit the comic book's official Kickstarter page:

• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/invader/the-devil-in-the-herd-a-supernatural-horror-western-comic

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Katelyn, and congratulations on The Devil in the Herd! When did you initially come up with the idea for this story?

Katelyn Windels: Happy to be here! I first came up with the idea when I was longing to move back to New Mexico and just wanting to make more scary stories because I found them very fun. So I thought, "Why not combine the two?" My partner and I were planning to move back to the Southwest after being gone for a few years, so I just started drawing a lot of the things I missed, with a spooky twist of course. I grew up on a cattle farm, so I always found cows very fun to draw as well.

I absolutely love your artwork for The Devil in the Herd—the visuals are equal parts gorgeous and haunting. As an artist, what did you enjoy the most about infusing a traditional Western setting with supernatural horror through your unique visual style?

Katelyn Windels: The Southwest is, in my opinion of course, the most beautiful place in the country. Vast expanses of land surrounded by towering mountains and mesas. It makes one feel small. That can be an empowering thing or a terrifying thing, depending on the individual. Depending on how you illustrate it, you can show both sides.

For this comic specifically I found a lot of fun in experimenting with the colors. I’m such a “line art and heavy shadows” focused artist, the color is often the last thing I think about (a terrible habit that I’m breaking). The Southwest is a colorful place. Not just the land but the cultures that made it. Warm oranges and yellows accented by turquoise in beautiful patterns or the impossible colors the mountains turn at sunset. It’s indescribable at times.

This story really immerses the reader in a supernatural side of the Southwest. Were you influenced or inspired by any Western (or satanic) stories in film, novels, comic books, or video games while working on this story?

Katelyn Windels: I would say my main inspiration was just general Devil folklore stories. The story of him meeting Robert Johnson at the crossroads. The Devil’s nine questions. Hell, even "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (if that counts). The idea of him being looming and ever-present, physically or metaphorically.

Artistically, my all-time inspiration is Mike Mignola. His influence bleeds into all of my work. A more specific inspiration for this story was Somna by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay. I loved the way Becky and Tula depicted temptation/the Devil in their story: just an elusive and haunting shadow figure. The reader is never quite sure if the villain was really there or not, but you could see the torment it was causing the main character.

From the first draft to the final version, approximately how long did it take you to write and illustrate The Devil in the Herd?

Katelyn Windels: Longer than it should have, haha. About two years.

The Devil in the Herd is edited by Mike Perkins and will be distributed by Invader Comics. What has it been like to work with the team at Invader Comics as you prepare to share The Devil in the Herd with the world?

Katelyn Windels: They have been fantastic and endlessly encouraging the whole way through. I'm very happy to have found them.

A Kickstarter campaign for The Devil in the Herdhas already more than tripled its initial goal with three weeks left and support still pouring in. What types of goodies can supporters of the Kickstarter look forward to, and what has your reaction been to the immensely positive reception so far?

Katelyn Windels: I am so enormously blown away and endlessly grateful. Now I’m praying the story won’t disappoint with all these people so excited to read it.

We have a lot of the typical swag: shirts, hats, stickers, and pins. I think our more unique options will be a radio drama version of the book read by my talented friend Trent Poe and a front-page newsprint that’ll be designed to look like it's from the book's universe. It’ll have a few fun Easter eggs in it.

Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away from The Devil in the Herd?

Katelyn Windels: There are devils in the world, sometimes they just hide behind the face of someone saying they’re a “good man.”

Do you have plans to tell future stories within the world of The Devil in the Herd if the opportunities arise?

Katelyn Windels: I absolutely do.

What advice would you give to comic book writers and artists who are just getting started?

Katelyn Windels: I would say constant persistence is key. You can’t improve if you aren’t constantly working on it. I know the advice "keep drawing or writing" is cliché and a little boring, but it’s also true. Comics are an incredibly intimidating monster and it’s very scary to start showing your work to others, but you won’t improve unless you keep doing scary things.

In addition to The Devil in the Herd, what other projects do you have coming up that you can tease for our readers, and where can they go online to keep up to date on your work?

Katelyn Windels: Beyond an addition to The Devil in the Herd world, I’ve been slowly working on this ’50s kind of Stepford Wives horror with a Lovecraftian twist. Now if only I could find more time for it.

People can find me under the name "KateKomics" on nearly every single social media. You can also find me in the Artist Alley of Emerald City Comic Con in a few weeks at table N-08!

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From the Kickstarter Page: In the deserts of the American southwest, a man with no face and red eyes follows a cattle drive, seeking the soul of one of the cowboys. Jedidiah is the only member of the team that seems to notice this faceless man following behind their drive-- a man, he comes to find, is Satan himself.

"The Devil in the Herd" is a 50-ish page supernatural horror western that we hope will be only the first story told in this larger universe created by the VERY TALENTED Katelyn Windels. If you're a fan of Hellboy, classic westerns, the films of Roger Eggers and American folklore, this one is for YOU!

Needless to say, this isn't your typical western. It's a rich, horrific world created from Katelyn's lifelong love of the genre, with her unique take sprinkled in.

We like to think of most of our books like indie films. Something you can curl up with and really dig deep into in one session. But while "The Devil in the Herd" is a standalone book, Katelyn really wants to tell more stories in this universe and we couldn't be more excited to make that happen!

Help us make that a reality!

You can check out preview pages from The Devil in the Herd by scrolling below or by visiting the following link:

• https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DITH_Book-Sneak-Peak.pdf