After becoming the targets of false accusations following the discovery of a dead body in the woods, a group of queer and trans friends find solace with an unexpected (and fiery) source in the new graphic novel Let Me Out, which takes place in New Jersey during the early days of the Satanic Panic. Written by Emmett Nahil and illustrated by George Williams, Let Me Out will be released by Oni Press on October 3rd, and we've been provided with an exclusive excerpt to share with Daily Dead readers ahead of the graphic novel's autumnal debut!
In our exclusive excerpt below, you can attend a tense town hall meeting where answers are demanded following the disappearance of local resident Kelly Holley. We also have the official press release with additional details on Let Me Out, and be sure to keep an eye on Oni Press' official website to learn more about Let Me Out and other exciting releases!
Press Release: PORTLAND, OR (June 1, 2023) - Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey award-winning publisher of comic books and graphic novels, is proud to announce the forthcoming debut of LET ME OUT – a riveting queer horror story from Massachusetts-based writer Emmett Nahil (Leatherwood) and British illustrator George Williams (Croc and Roll). Set in the suburbs of New Jersey in 1979, Let Me Out deals with the early onset of "satanic panic" as religious fervor and conservatism sweeps their community and the nation. The graphic novel will be released on October 3, 2023, just in time for Halloween.
Let Me Out is a tribute to queer cinema and vintage revenge-exploitation films. When a corpse is discovered in the woods, a group of queer and trans misfits are falsely accused by the local police of devil worship and murder. With few options and no one to turn to, they decide that the best way to get revenge might just be to embrace the devil after all.
“Let Me Out turns classic horror tropes on their head, while showcasing how marginalized people are sacrificed on the altars of power,” says writer Emmett Nahil, a narrative designer and game developer making his graphic novel debut. “This is a story about what happens when a group of queer and trans friends are given the supernatural means to fight back. It is also about found family and the joy one finds in one’s friends, even amidst seemingly inescapable darkness.”
“Mitch Sahadi and his friends are bunch a queer misfits stuck within the gates of small town life,” said George Williams, a trans comic artist and colourist from the North West of England. “Let Me Out was such a blast to work on, and I hope new readers love Mitch and the gang and all the freaky chaos that ensues.”
“Emmett Nahil and George Williams have created a riveting, timely tale of terror,” said Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. “It’s a stunning, supernatural graphic novel debut that will appeal to fans of classic revenge flicks and horror movies like Carrie and The Craft.”
Let Me Out will be available in paperback, at both digital and physical retailers everywhere on October 3, 2023. For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About the Creators
Emmett Nahil is a writer, narrative designer, game developer, and literary jack of all trades living in a haunted town north of Boston, Massachusetts. He’s interested in intersectional analysis, diverse representation for other queer Middle Easterners, and bringing more nuanced work to genre fiction. He’s been known to favor horror, along with sci-fi, fantasy, and really weird speculative literature. Let Me Out is his debut graphic novel.
George Williams is a trans comic artist and colourist from the North West of England. He's been making comics since 2016, and spends a lot of time out on walks with his two dogs, Henry and Mabel, as well as taking care of the small army of birds that visit his garden.
About the Publisher
The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group is a premier comic book and graphic novel publisher located in Portland, Oregon. Merged with Lion Forge Comics in 2019 but established in 1997, Oni Press publishes a thoughtfully curated line of award-winning original and licensed graphic novels and comic books for readers of all ages. Notable titles from the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group include: The Tea Dragon Society, Sheets, Gender Queer, A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, Scott Pilgrim, and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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