The macabre mysteries of Harrow County continue in Tales From Harrow County: Fair Folk. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Emily Schnall, Fair Folk follows Bernice on a dangerous journey into a magical world, and ahead of the first issue's July 21st release from Dark Horse Comics, we caught up with Cullen and Emily in a new Q&A feature to discuss their Harrow County collaboration!
You can check out our Q&A with Cullen and Emily below, and visit Dark Horse Comics' official website to learn more about Tales From Harrow County: Fair Folk!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions for us, and congratulations on Tales From Harrow County: Fair Folk! Cullen, you’ve been able to return to Harrow County with different artists in these intriguing Tales From stories. How excited were you to see what Bernice is up to in this story, and what made Emily the perfect fit to bring the artwork to life for this tale in particular?
Cullen Bunn: I’m thrilled to be visiting Harrow County again, and I love telling Bernice’s story now that things have changed so much for her in the time that’s passed since the original series. I’ve always thought there were so many potential stories to tell in this setting. And Emily is such a great collaborator to this world. She’s got big shoes to fill, following both Tyler and Naomi, but she brings her own amazing style to the characters, and I am sure fans of Harrow County are going to love her work here!
Emily, what has it been like to utilize your artistic talents in the Harrow County universe? While working on Fair Folk, did you reference Tyler Crook’s artwork from the original series, add your own spin to the visual style, or a little of both?
Emily Schnall: It’s been a cool change of pace to step away from the computer and pick up my watercolors and brushes! I always had Tyler’s gorgeous work on the original series nearby, so that was almost certainly an influence as I worked. However, I think our art styles already share some similar qualities, so I didn’t feel the need to consciously dial that in more. All in all I’d say this is my own spin on Harrow with a dash of inspiration from Tyler Crook!
How long did it take to write and illustrate Fair Folk before it was ready for publication?
Cullen Bunn: From the writing perspective, it’s hard to say, because it feels like I wrote it so long ago. Depending on outside factors, a script can take a few days or a week, assuming all the outlining and planning has already been handled.
Emily Schnall: The art came together over the course of about nine months. The traditional media process can take a bit longer, so that was a learning curve at the beginning, but I soon worked out my little methods and workflows!
While the Tales From Harrow County stories continue the narrative of the original Harrow County, they also can be enjoyed by readers who are new to the series. How important is it for you to give longtime fans and newcomers alike something to enjoy with these new stories?
Emily Schnall: Harrow has this really deep sense of lore and history to it, and Fair Folk expands on that in some very cool ways. At the same time, I think this arc can stand as a self-contained story so it’s a great jumping-on point. Cullen has really done a great job of weaving together goodies for old and new fans!
Cullen Bunn: It was very important to me. I didn’t want to do Tales From Harrow County if it felt like too much of a direct sequel. I wanted to make sure we knew that the original series had a definitive ending. Sure, there are threads that carry over, but we’re in new territory now. And I always want each “chapter” of Tales From Harrow County to feel like its own story. If someone who has never read another issue of Harrow County picks up this book, I want them to enjoy what they read (and maybe go back to read the other books)!
Emily, the imagery of the goblin underworld is both magical and haunting. How fun was it for you to create the secret world that Bernice and Georgia venture into?
Emily Schnall: Thank you! Creature design is up there with my favorite things, so I was absolutely pleased to have the opportunity to create a cast of critters and their home. I drew some inspiration from cave and deep-sea animals for the underground creatures, but there’s definitely a strong element of fantasy genre to their designs, too.
I really loved incorporating the iconic red toadstools, too! Mushrooms are such cool organisms; the science dork in me is so happy they have a place in this story.
Cullen, just like an entry from Grimms’ Fairy Tales or the stories that Bernice’s grandfather used to tell her, Fair Folk captures that great blend of exciting magic and real danger. How fun was it for you to create your own fearsome fairy tale within the world of Harrow County?
Cullen Bunn: So much fun! Going into this series, I knew I wanted to develop a new mythology, something different from the haints, but something that felt “right” in the world we’ve been developing. The fair folk of this story gave me that opportunity. These are the fey… fairies and sprites and gnomes and such… but they can be every bit as fearsome and frightening as ghosts and goblins.
Do each of you have a favorite moment in Fair Folk that you’re excited for readers to experience? Is there anything you can tease about the upcoming issues?
Cullen Bunn: There is something unexpected and amazingly cool in issues 3 and 4, imagery readers might not have ever expected to see in Harrow County, but I think folks are gonna love it!
Emily Schnall: There is a big reveal towards the end of the arc that I really enjoyed drawing. But I’ll leave it as tantalizingly vague as that!
Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away from Fair Folk?
Cullen Bunn: I want them to have a great time reading the story. It’s a tale of regret—regret for things left unspoken until it is too late—but it’s also a fun adventure with all sorts of strange beings. If it gives readers something to think about, that’s all the better.
Emily Schnall: This is Bernice’s story and we see her face some serious challenges with a strong will and a good heart. She’s a cool, badass lady and a deeply wonderful character; I hope everyone can come away on team Bernice.
There are so many captivating characters and intriguing storylines living within Harrow County. Do you have more Tales From Harrow County stories planned for the future?
Cullen Bunn: We absolutely have more stories planned. There are still plenty of mysteries to be explored and lingering questions to be answered.
With issue #1 of Fair Folk coming out this July from Dark Horse Comics, what other projects do each of you have coming up that you’re excited about, and where can our readers go online to keep up to date on your work?
Cullen Bunn: I have several new comics coming out soon! Basilisk from Boom! The Last Book You'll Ever Read from Vault. Parasomnia from Dark Horse. And there are others that have yet to be announced! To keep up with what I’ve got going on, you can follow me on Twitter (@cullenbunn) or check out my website (www.cullenbunn.com). I have an e-newsletter and a Discord channel that you can reach from Twitter or the site.
Emily Schnall: Definitely pick up Fair Folk on July 21st! I don’t have any other comics coming out soon, but if you’d like to hear about some of my other types of work and check out some doodles, then you can follow me @emilyschnall on Instagram and @emily_schnall on Twitter!
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Harrow County is back! The award-winning, Eisner-nominated southern-gothic horror series returns with a brand-new story.
Fresh off the loss of her goblin friend to a strange portal, Bernice must weigh her responsibilities as protector of Harrow County with her desire to get her companion back safe and sound. But the past weighs heavily and the fair folk use Bernice's and her memories against her. And something more disastrous than she could have feared may be around the corner to threaten both the worlds of humans and of haints.
* Eisner nominee for Best New Series!
CREATORS
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Emily Schnall
Letterer: Tyler Crook
Cover Artist: Emily Schnall
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Publication Date: July 21, 2021
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00830 2 00111
Cover by Emily Schnall:
Variant Cover by Tyler Crook:
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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