MODERN GHOST STORY
Albuquerque artist works on ‘Infidel,’ which takes on racism and xenophobia
Aaron Campbell’s life has been pretty crazy for the past year.
And it’s getting more amped-up. The Albuquerque-based artist recently inked a deal for with TriStar Pictures, which picked up the rights to “Infidel,” a horror comic from Campbell and Pornsak Pichetshote. Jose Villarrubiat worked as colorist/editor.
Sugar23 and Anonymous Content will produce the adaptation of the book.
Sugar23 is run by Michael Sugar, who won an Oscar for producing “Spotlight” and is a producer on Netflix’s “O.A.” and “13 Reasons Why.”
Anonymous Content backs film and TV productions such as “The Revenant,” “True Dectective,” “The Knick,” “Babel” and “Winter’s Bone.”
“These are some heavy hitters,” Campbell says. “My expectations are incredibly high, and I have absolute faith in Sugar23, and I know they will do something incredible.”
Campbell has spent the last year or so on “Infidel.”
After spending years drawing comic books for the likes of DC and Marvel, it’s his first foray into the horror genre.
“The book is horror and it’s a ghost story,” Campbell says. “It’s a modern rethinking of the classic ghost story. We’ve layered in issues like racism and xenophobia.”
“Infidel” centers on an American Muslim woman and her multiracial neighbors, who find themselves living in a building haunted by strange creatures that feed on xenophobia.
The first issue was released in March by Image Comics.
The fourth was released on June 20, and the fifth and final issue will be out in July.
Campbell says that as the story unfolds, readers find out that the ghosts that are haunting the building are of those who perished in an accidental terrorist attack.
“Infidel” is being compared to the Oscarwinning film “Get Out.”
“This is a supernatural thriller,” Campbell says. “We’re dealing with similar issues. That’s the reason why we assume and suspect that it got the attention of Hollywood. There’s this resurgence of the horror genre. You take a film like ‘Hereditary,’ that is outperforming what was initially thought. I think the resurgence goes back to ‘The Witch.’ I think because of the political climate we’re in, people just want an escape.”
Campbell began working in earnest last August. He wrapped up the final issue about a week ago.
“This was a very different experience than anything I’ve done before,” he says. “With this project, I actually ended up getting to offer my own ideas in the story; especially when it came to the ghosts themselves. There were designed by myself. I’ve had this opportunity and I’ve always wanted to tell my own stories.”
Now that everything is set in motion, Campbell will head to San Diego Comic Con in July to promote “Infidel” with Image Comics.