ORLA! Coming This August From Mad Cave Studios

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MAY 15, 2025 (PORTLAND, OR) — Love is a monster… and this summer, it’s hungry!

Mad Cave Studios proudly presents ORLA!, a five-issue miniseries from award-winning writer John Lees (SINK, The Nasty, Hotell) and celebrated horror artist Sally Cantirino (I Walk With Monsters, Human Remains), with colors by Dearbhla Kelly (The Dead Lucky, Bad Karma), letters by Lucas Gattoni (XO Manowar), and Cover B by Lisa Sterle (Witchblood).

Equal parts awkward romance and off-the-wall gorefest, Orla! is a brutally funny take on modern love, monstrous rage, and the terrifying vulnerability of letting someone in.

Orla Bard is an antique restorer, romance novel enjoyer and keen birder. She also believes in true love, continuing to navigate Seattle’s singles scene despite repeated disappointment. But Orla has a secret. She is afflicted with The Ick, a man-eating monstrous entity dwelling inside her, who violently emerges whenever she gets too angry or afraid. Unable to rid herself of this curse, Orla uses The Ick to save other women by removing the scummiest men from the dating pool…permanently. Hearts (and bodies) will be broken in this offbeat romcom/creature-feature mashup!

“Orla! is my take on a rom-com—just with a man-eating monster at its center,” said writer John Lees. “It’s about the pressure to perform the ‘perfect’ version of yourself, and the fear of showing someone who you really are underneath. Working with Sally has been incredible—her art brings Orla and Gwyn to life in ways that surprised even me. Paired with Dearbhla Kelly and Lucas Gattoni, this team is a dream.”

“From the moment John Lees pitched Orla! to me, I fell in love with the story,” said artist Sally Cantirino. “It’s hard not to love Orla and The Ick. John’s dark humor and Dearbhla Kelly’s vibrant colors are a perfect match for this story about the horrors of dating in an age of fragile masculinity and finding love even when you’re feeling monstrous.”

Equal parts Lady Killer, Promising Young Woman, and An American Werewolf in London, Orla! is for the sickos who’ve ever wanted to eat the patriarchy—literally. This one’s for the weird girls, the hopeless romantics, the rage-filled daters, and anyone still swiping in hell.

Orla! #1 hits shelves August 6, 2025, from Mad Cave Studios, so preorder now at your local comic shop!