"ORLA! is a romcom/creature feature mash-up about a lonely woman struggling to navigate the Seattle singles scene while sometimes turning into a man-eating monster." To celebrate the Halloween season, Mad Cave Studios is releasing free issues of their horror comic books throughout October, and we've teamed up with them to give Daily Dead readers an exclusive look at the first issue of Orla!
Written by John Lees, with art by Sally Cantirino, colors by Dearbhla Kelly, and letters by Lucas Gattoni, the full Orla! trade paperback is available now wherever books and comics are sold, as well as directly from Mad Cave Studios:
"Orla Bard is an antique restorer, romance novel enjoyer and keen birder who has a secret. She is afflicted with The Ick, a monstrous entity dwelling inside her, who violently emerges whenever Orla feels too stressed, angry or afraid. She is unable to rid herself of this curse, and The Ick needs to feed, and so Orla has decided to use her powers to help other women by removing the worst men from the dating pool. But when she finally meets a guy she actually likes, and finally has a chance at a love story of her own, will she be able to keep her inner monster under control?"
Author Biography:
"John Lees is an award-winning writer from Glasgow, Scotland. He is best known for his work on hard-boiled Glasgow crime saga SINK, drawn by Alex Cormack, horror anthology HOTELL, featuring artist Dalibor Talajić, and THE NASTY, a coming-of-age horror comedy set in 1990s Scotland against the backdrop of the video nasties moral panic, working with artist Adam Cahoon. John's other credits include AND THEN EMILY WAS GONE, THE STANDARD, OXYMORON: THE LOVELIEST NIGHTMARE, MOUNTAINHEAD, and a story for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES UNIVERSE. In addition to ORLA!, with artist Sally Cantirino, his recent projects include GRAWLGORE & SHANKS, a detective mystery procedural set in a high fantasy world of dwarves and orcs, with artist Joe Mulvey, and THE CRIMSON CAGE, a retelling of William Shakespeare’s MACBETH set against the backdrop of 1980s territory pro wrestling, with artist Alex Cormack. (SINK, HOTELL, THE NASTY)"
Illustrator Biography:
"Sally Cantirino is a comic artist and illustrator from New Jersey, specializing in horror. She has been self-publishing zines and comics since she was a teenager. Her previous comic work has been published by Comixology, Iron Circus, AWBW, Vault, Z2, Ahoy, Boom, and Mad Cave. She has contributed character and monster designs to several tabletop role playing games, as well as illustrations."
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We've included a preview below, but to read the full first issue, click on the cover or visit this direct link: https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MCS_ORLA_001_HUB.pdf
To read the entire first issue for free, visit: https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MCS_ORLA_001_HUB.pdf
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
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