AMP COMICS — 2025 HORROR2SCRIPT WINNERS

HORROR2COMIC CONTEST CROWNS NEW CHAMPIONS

Mike Haas’ Psychological Thriller “Hatter” Claims

Grand Prize in Genre-Bending Competition

Four Winning Scripts Fast-Tracked for Comic Publication and Film/TV Development

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 16, 2025) – The Horror2Comic Contest, the genre­ focused sister competition to the acclaimed Script2Comic Contest, has announced its 2025 winners, with Mike Haas’ haunting psychological thriller “Hatter” taking the coveted Grand Prize. The winning scripts will be published as comics by AMP Comics and simultaneously developed for film and television adaptation.

“Hatter,” which re-imagines the man who killed John Wilkes Booth as he descends into madness to become Lewis Carroll’s iconic Mad Hatter, stood out among hundreds of submissions for its bold fusion of historical fact and dark fantasy. The script exemplifies the kind of high-concept, mind-bending storytelling that has made the Horror2Comic Contest a launching pad for breakthrough genre creators.

“We had some incredible entries this year that pushed the boundaries of what horror can be,” said Don Handfield. “Mike’s ‘Hatter’ perfectly embodies our mission to find stories that don’t just scare audiences, but challenge them to think differently about familiar narratives.”

The Horror2Comic Contest has quickly established itself as a premier destination for genre writers since launching as a specialized offshoot of the successful Script2Comic Contest, which began in 2020. Previous Script2Comic winners have achieved remarkable success, with titles like “She Bites” becoming bestselling indie comics and attracting attention from major Hollywood production companies for film and television development.

2025 HORROR2COMIC WINNERS:

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

• “Hatter” by Mike Haas

• A psychological horror following Thomas Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth, as he descends into madness and fantasy to become “The Hatter” of Wonderland.

FIRST PRIZE WINNER

• “Methfoot” by Joseph Lint
• When a meth lab RV crashes in the Pacific Northwest, Bigfoot gets into the stash-and now a small group of men must survive the world1s first cryptid tweaker on a paranoid, homicidal rampage.

SECOND PRIZE WINNER

• “Black Hills” by JP Bradham
• A coming-of-age horror exploring the challenges of teenage girlhood-puberty, periods, sibling rivalries, and self-acceptance-during a zombie apocalypse.

THIRD PRIZE WINNER

• “Eat Me” by Jason Tostevi
• A desperate food influencer crosses the wrong restaurant and is cursed with an escalating hunger that can only be satisfied by one terrible thing.

ABOUT THE WINNERS:

Mike Haas brings a unique perspective to horror storytelling, having worked in behavioral programs for over 20 years and witnessed mental illness firsthand throughout his life. Following his 2022 Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, Haas channeled his experiences into mind-bending mixed-genre horror that explores mental illness, trauma, and physical disability with unflinching honesty.

Joseph Lint is an award-winning screenwriter from Southern California who grew up in Ridgecrest, California—dubbed “the earthquake capital of the world.” His natural disaster upbringing clearly influenced his ability to craft visceral, survival-based horror narratives.

JP Bradham made her directorial debut in 2023 with the award-winning satirical horror short Consumed, which screened at 30 film festivals worldwide. Her work consistently explores the “terrifying truths that already exist all around you.”  Her latest feature project Egg Bound was selected for the prestigious 2025 Antigravity Academy program for first-time feature filmmakers.

Jason Tostevi is a writer and filmmaker specializing in “funny, grim and provocative human stories.” His short genre work has earned recognition in competitions and festivals globally, with features in outlets ranging from The New York Times to Short of the Week.

The 2025 Horror2Comic Contest was sponsored by AMP Comics, a publisher committed to bold, high-concept storytelling that prioritizes quality over quantity. AMP’s transmedia approach ensures that winning concepts don’t end with comics­—characters and stories expand into board games, video games, XR/VR experiences, film, television, and beyond.

Contest Information:

• Website: www.script2comic.com
• Submissions: malkin@ampcomics.com
• General Inquiries: josh@ampcomics.com