Rodney Barnes teams up with Elia Bonetti on Crownsville, a "grim and gripping" horror comic book mini-series "inspired by the real-life horrors of the notorious Maryland psychiatric hospital that preyed upon the Black communities of Jim Crow-era Annapolis for decades." The first of five issues will be released on November 5th from Oni Press, and I had the opportunity to catch up with Rodney Barnes to learn about the origins of this horror story, working with Elia Bonetti, and more. We also have a 5-page preview from the first issue that you can read right now.
Our readers who are first hearing about this series may not have been aware that it's inspired by real-life horrors at a now-closed psychiatric hospital in Maryland. Can you share your connection with this location and why it was important for you to tell this story?
Rodney Barnes: The hospital is located close to my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. I have family members who worked at the hospital and were patients there. It operated as a boogeyman in my childhood. A common threat for not behaving was the possibility of being sent to Crownsville.
During your research for the comic book series, was there anything you uncovered about the location or the people that surprised you? And how did that inform the approach you took with the story of Crownsville?
Rodney Barnes: Just the feelings under the story. Crownsville is the type of place that holds a lot of history, but not a lot of folks know about it. That kept me walking a tightrope of making sure the scares didn’t diminish the history. Or the pain.
Can you talk about the fictional, supernatural side of this story and tease what awaits readers over the course of the series?
Rodney Barnes: There were experiments done on many of the patients at Crownsville. Think the Tuskegee syphilis experiments when men were injected with the virus. Then doctors watched to see the effects of the disease over time. The ghosts of this story suffered similar circumstances. And they’re angry.
You're collaborating with Elia Bonetti on this series. Why has Elia been the perfect collaborator to help bring this story to life?
Rodney Barnes: The tone, mood, and atmospheric nature of Elia’s work not only fits the story, it elevates it. He’s the perfect partner for the journey. It’s been an honor to work with him.
When developing the story, were there any movies, graphic novels, or books that served as an inspiration?
Rodney Barnes: The Changeling. The Shining. The Haunting of Hill House. Legion - The Exorcist 3. To name a few.
---
From the Press Release: Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to unveil CROWNSVILLE #1 – the double-sized, 48-page first issue of a grim and gripping supernatural thriller from superstar writer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) and rising star Elia Bonetti (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy) inspired by the real-life horrors of the notorious Maryland psychiatric hospital that preyed upon the Black communities of Jim Crow-era Annapolis for decades.
With this chilling, five-part series exploring a terrifying modern-day mystery rooted in the hospital’s tragic past, Barnes — the Eisner Award-nominated writer of Killadelphia and Blackula and Peabody award-winning writer of The Boondocks and Wu-Tang: An American Saga — is collaborating with acclaimed artist Bonetti (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy) to craft a ghost story set in the ruins of the tragedy-laden site once called the “Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland,” which finally closed in 2004 decades of controversy and disrepair.
The 48-page CROWNSVILLE #1 will arrive in stores November 5th, 2025 with covers by Barnes Killadelphia co-creator Jason Shawn Alexander (Spawn), interior artist Elia Bonetti (Darth Vader), Syzmon Kudranski (The Punisher), and Andrea Sorrentino (Gideon Falls, EC’s Blood Type).
“Oni Press is known for publishing hair-raising horror comics and provocative stories with a strong, personal, and political point of view,” said Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. “CROWNSVILLE is a remarkable piece of storytelling that sits alongside our award-winning books. Rodney’s words and Elia’s haunting art combine to tell an unrelenting and riveting story, one that is as important and it is horrifying.”
Founded at the turn of the 20th century outside of Annapolis, Maryland, the Crownsville Hospital was a notoriously segregated, all-Black psychiatric institute. After decades of overcrowding and neglect— alongside darker, more-persistent rumors of patient abuse and illegal medical experiments—it was finally closed. Today, it stands condemned—a crumbling testament to a legacy of all-too-real terror inflicted on a marginalized and vulnerable community. But even as a ruin of its former self, Crownsville still casts a long shadow. . . . When an unexplained death inside the abandoned hospital is ruled a suicide, Annapolis police detective Mike Simms and journalist Paul Blairare are compelled to dig deeper, only to discover the reality of the horrors that once took place there . . . and the powerful connection they share to the anguished spirits of the dead that are still locked within its walls.
“CROWNSVILLE is the supernatural mystery tale I’ve been dying to tell,” said writer Rodney Barnes. “From a childhood haunt born in a place of pain, it’s my cathartic effort I’m thankful to share with the world. I can’t wait for folks to get a look at it.”
"The best kinds of horror stories challenge us to not only confront ghosts or monsters, but also grapple with the pain and terror we inflict on each other. Sometimes that torment lasts only moments, or, as is the case of CROWNSVILLE, it can span decades," said Oni President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. "Together, Rodney and Elia have zeroed in on a masterfully, deeply rendered story that can both induce spiraling, white-knuckle terror and confront the tortured past underpinning a shocking and all-too-true chapter of modern American history."
For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
CROWNSVILLE #1 (of 5)
After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to 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 has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to 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 has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.
![[Comic-Con 2025] Interview: Michael Giacchino Talks Marvel’s WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: BLOOD MOON and Why He Loves Classic Monsters](https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Werewolf-1000-b-326x150.jpg)
![[Editorial] ANNIHILATION (2018): The Algorithm of Natural Selection Just Unfollowed You](https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Annihilation-1000-180x83.jpg)
