Q&A: Brendan Columbus Discusses the Snowy Scares, Occult Undercurrents, and Compelling Conflict Awaiting Readers at the Peak of BLACK DIAMOND

"A horrifying nordic thriller that’s equal parts Hitchcock and The Wicker Man," the new comic book series Black Diamond asks readers the chilling question of how far they would go to save their own child from a sacrificial cult, making fresh tracks of terror on its trek to the peak of parental horror.

Before the first of four issues of Black Diamond hits the scare-filled slopes on September 3rd from PANICK Entertainment, Daily Dead had the pleasure of catching up with writer and creator Brendan Columbus to discuss the snowy scares, occult undercurrents, and compelling conflict within the pages of his new comic book series that features artwork by Danilo Beyruth, coloring by Lee Loughridge, lettering by Saida Temafonte, a main cover by Ben Templesmith, and a Zoop cover by Shane Pierce.

You can read our full Q&A with Brendan below, and we also have a look at cover art and preview pages from the first issue, as well as details on the PANICK Entertainment Comic-Con panels taking place this week in San Diego! And in case you missed it, be sure to read our Q&A with Adam Schlagman, Doug Pasko, and Daniel HDR about their new PANICK Entertainment comic book series T.A.M.A.!

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Brendan, and congratulations on Black Diamond! How did the idea for this comic book series originally come about?

Brendan Columbus: Thanks for having me! It almost sounds too easy, but Black Diamond came from sitting on a ski lift around 2015 in Utah. My family was out skiing and it was windy as hell. The lifts kept stopping for minutes at a time and we had to keep the conversation interesting. Throwing out hypotheticals. I think I just asked my mom and dad, “Would you have kidnapped another kid to save one of us as kids?” My mom said yes, my dad leaned no. Thanks a lot, dad! I think he could’ve been convinced.

From the first draft to the final version, approximately how long did it take to write and illustrate Black Diamond?

Brendan Columbus: Black Diamond started as a feature script written for the screen a few years back. I could never really crack the ending, so it sat on my desk for quite some time. Kris Longo called me and said he was starting up a new comic company, PANICK, that was really interested in horror comics. I pitched him Black Diamond and he was immediately in. It took me about two months of working with Danilo to really adapt the script to comic form. A lot changed and I used a lot of Danilo’s inks to shift where the story would go because he came up with some great images I wanted to use more.

Black Diamond is described as being equal parts “Hitchcock and The Wicker Man.” How important was it for you to blend elements of psychological horror with folk horror to create a unique story of terror for readers to experience?

Brendan Columbus: I really like horror that shows the weird and horrific undercurrents of the seemingly normal. Communities with secrets, anything occult, secret cabals, I love it all. So with Black Diamond I wanted to show a sanitized version of a culture, here Tysil being made into this Disney-esque resort town for Americans to come and ski at, but to show that the unsanitized culture, specifically some of the old Norse lore, was still hiding beneath the surface, never fully gone.

Black Diamond explores just how far a parent would go to protect their child, raising some chilling questions along the way. What was it like for you to explore extreme themes of sacrifice when it comes to parenting?

Brendan Columbus: I’m not a parent, so I thankfully haven’t been forced to kidnap another child yet. But if the time comes I’m sure I’ll be up to the task. I have a niece, Dorothy, and I would confidently kidnap an entire school to save her.

As someone who lives in Minnesota, I’m always happy to see new horror stories that take place in snowy environments. Are you both big fans of winter settings and skiing in particular?

Brendan Columbus: I love the snow, I spent most of my Christmases in Chicago growing up and always was dying for snow, which meant sledding and snowball fights. I also am a big skier. I try to get out as much as I can every year, and it’s not just for the beer at the top of the mountain, I swear.

In addition to Hitchcock films and The Wicker Man, were you each inspired or influenced by any other movies, books, TV series, comics, or video games while working on Black Diamond when it came to the prose and the visuals?

Brendan Columbus: While I always thought of this script as a feature-length EC Comic, the story really owes a lot to movies like Breakdown, The Game, The Vanishing, and writers like Richard Matheson, Thomas Ligotti, and Rod Serling. My favorite stories move at a breakneck pace, have some nice twists throughout and keep the reader entertained, nothing worse than writing something boring.

Do you have a favorite moment in particular that you’re excited for readers to experience within the pages of Black Diamond?

Brendan Columbus: There’s a moment in issue 3 that I can’t wait for readers to experience but even saying anything else would be a spoiler! The main conflict of the comic still gets me. I like asking people if they would kidnap another kid in exchange for their own child, it’s a good barometer of character.

Black Diamond is part of the anticipated first wave of comic book series at PANICK Entertainment. What has it been like to collaborate with the entire PANICK team as you prepare to bring Black Diamond into the world?

Brendan Columbus: PANICK has been an absolute joy to work with. I know Kris and Adam very well and they give great notes but never force you into a corner. They’re both massive horror fans and totally get what everyone’s going for. Everyone at the company has been easy to work with. I'm shocked these nice, nice people have such screwed-up taste.

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

Brendan Columbus: For me, the framing of the comic really comes from watching a neverending slew of movies. Getting really into how shots are set up, dramatic lighting, and just a vocabulary of shot structure really helped me be able to verbalize to Danilo what I wanted. From a writing side, I grew up reading comics. Sneaking into my dad’s office as a kid and going through Vault of Horror, Weird Science, Mad Magazine, The Spirit, 100 Bullets, everything Garth Ennis touched, and my favorite graphic novel Kraven’s Last Hunt. Just read and watch as much as possible, and by some sort of osmosis you’ll just have a natural idea of how comics work.

In addition to the first issue of Black Diamond coming out on September 3rd, what other projects do you have coming up that you can tease for our readers?

Brendan Columbus: Well, there could be more Black Diamond to come! We will see... I also have a few pitches going through PANICK now, so fingers crossed I can get some of those going. I’ll never run out of horror ideas, so as long as PANICK is hiring, I’ll be writing!

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BLACK DIAMOND #1

A horrifying nordic thriller that’s equal parts Hitchcock and THE WICKER MAN.

When a family ski trip to Norway devolves into the cult kidnapping of their son -  Owen and Victoria Howard will do anything to get him back, even if it means compromising everything they believe in. Tasked by the cult to find a replacement sacrifice, the Howards must breach their morals and their sanity to steal another child. With an impending deadline and their son's life in the balance - the law closing and time running out, how far will the Howard’s go to save their son? And who will they have to kill to do it?

Writer: Brendan Columbus (Savage Circus, Heavy Metal)

Artist: Danilo Beyruth (Venom, Carnage, Ghost Rider, Deadpool)

Colors: Lee Loughridge (Universal Monsters: The Mummy)

Letters: Saida Temafonte (DCeased)

ZOOP Cover: Shane Pierce (Heavy Metal, Vikings)

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PANICK Entertainment Comic-Con Panels:

PANICK Entertainment Presents: Oh, the Horror- A Golden Age of Fright Every Week, Thursday, 7/24/25, 4:00PM - 5:00PM, Room: 28DE

From page to screen—and everything in between—horror is evolving, with new publishers like PANICK Entertainment to classic publications like FANGORIA plunging fans into bold, blood-soaked territory. Join the creative minds behind PANICK’s breakout launch titles—T.A.M.A., the twisted virtual pet nightmare from Adam Schlagman and Doug Pasko, and SAVAGER, a post-apocalyptic Lovecraftian bloodbath by Dirk Blackman and Shannon Eric Denton—for a pulse-pounding conversation about how horror thrives in comics and across mediums.

They’ll be joined by Michael Polis, producer of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence; Shawn Hainsworth, founder of SHP Comics and creator of indie horror hit WOODSTAKE; PANICK CEO Kris Longo; and Associate Publisher Kit Caoagas, with more to be announced, as they dig into how horror storytelling adapts—and mutates—between comics, film, and beyond.

Moderated by horror expert and FANGORIA’s own Rebekah McKendry, this panel will explore the tools creators use to terrify across formats, from visual language to narrative pacing, creature design to psychological tension.

Whether you’re a fan, a creator, or a curious masochist—this is your front-row seat to the future of fear.

PANICK Entertainment Spills New Blood: The First Wave of Terror and Beyond, Saturday, 7/26/25, 7:00PM - 8:00PM, Room: 25ABC

Get nervous, because PANICK is just getting started.

Step inside the twisted world of PANICK Entertainment, the breakout indie publisher turning heads and churning stomachs with a bold new vision for genre comics. Be the first to witness what’s lurking in the shadows: a monstrous new collaboration from actor/creator David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil, Count Crowley) and writer Leah Kilpatrick (Headless Horseman, DC Horror), plus the reveal of a top-secret new project from Eisner-winner Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia, Winning Time)—making its debut right here.

They will join PANICK CEO/Publisher Kris Longo (DC Comics, Heavy Metal), T.A.M.A. creator and Head of Studio Adam Schlagman (EP - Shazam!), and BLACK DIAMOND creator Brendan Columbus for a raw, unfiltered look at how they’re building a creator-first home where horror, sci-fi, and the strange all collide.

Expect major reveals. Killer sneak peeks. And enough dread to keep you up at night.