First Comics News: What has TCM Press been up to in the last year?
Dolan Waddick: A lot actually, (which is an understatement reflecting on 2025.) It was TCM Press’ first foray into original publishing, and everything that could go wrong, DID go wrong. It wasn’t until New York Comic Con 2025thatn Steve Finkel, Aaron Sparrow, and I got together and firmly put in place an actual plan going forward. We feel MUCH more confident now going into 2026 with our release schedule and the different titles we have that will separate us from other mercurial publishers from the past few years.
1st: Who are the main stars in “Unholy Nightmare?”
Dolan: Well, the main stars continue to be The Recluse (Edward Loftmore) and Jenny Talbot (The She-Wolf. As the series continues w, we learn more about their pasts, a potential blossoming of their relationship, and Edward learning that he can’t do everything on his own.
1st: Why should someone pick up a copy of “Unholy Nightmare”
Dolan: There are a few reasons why, but the BIG reason why is the art. We have STELLAR interior artists in series co-creator Aurelio Mazzara and newcomer Andrey Lunatik. We wanted to ramp up production, so in order to meet our publishing timelines, we had to bring on another great (and fast) artist. Andrey is both and has a style that matches the series’ tone, which is that of a 1990s Image comic. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on DOZENS of issues for Marat Mychaels the past few years (including Prey For The Sinner), and thought he would be a great fit for the series. Once people see his art, I know for a fact that they will want to see his original pencils.
The next reason is the story. Aurelio Mazzara, Aaron Sparrow (editor), and I have come up with a story that has a bit of everything for a comic book reader. We have bombastic, larger-than-life action, we have graphic horror, and we have some romance as well. By the time we get to the end of issue 6, NO ONE will be in the same place as when they started. You want to see characters grow, and I believe we accomplish that here.
And the final reason: the covers. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the HOTTEST cover artists for Unholy Nightmare, including Kenneth Rocafort, Shane Connery Volk, and Francesco Tomaselli. And that’s just for starters, I have MORE hidden up my sleeve that will be revealed in due time. What’s been great is that these are artists who LOVE Unholy Nightmare and wanted to contribute to the series,s which tells me that we’re onto something special here.
1st: What will “Unholy Nightmare # 3” add to the continuing story?
Dolan: In issue 3, we’re teased with the back stories of Edward and Jenny. If the reader pays CLOSE ATTENTION, they should be able to figure out their pasts. If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s having everything spelled out by the writer. Let the artist tell the story and leave room for ambiguity. Mysteries can make stories fun! On top of that, we learn what our villa, in Dr. Herbert West (yes, Re-Animator Herbert West), is looking for, and this ragtag collection of unholy nightmneeds need to work together to stop him from getting it. And is Herbert West working by himself? You’ll have to read to find out. This issue has A LOT going on, but it’s NOT short on action. There just may be some action involving a re-animated dinosaur.
1st: In “Unholy Nightmare,” what is the most frightening part of it?
Dolan: That’s a good question. I think the most frightening part is yet to come, which will be in issue 5. I can’t say where they go or what happens, but none of them will be safe, and one of our heroes may not survive. This was a difficult issue to writeabout as it doesn’t just involve true horror but the sins and failures of everyone on the team. I’m hoping I can get a tear or two out of the readers at a certain point in the issue.
1st: Do you feel the cover of a comic book is a big selling point for the comic book?
Dolan: That’s 100% true. Think about it: you walk into a comic book store, you see a new comic book on the rack you never heard of, what’s the first thing you see? The cover. That can be the “make or break” moment for your customer. That’s why you need to make sure that the cover art you have is POWERFUL and will make the person say, “WHOA, THAT COVER’S NUTS! I GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT!” Unfortunately, a lot of creative teams don’t know that or refuse to believe it, but I’ve seen it COUNTLESS times. But I believe Steve, Aaron, and I have assembled some of THE BEST cover artists in the world on our titles.
1st: What is the “Kneel Before Doomface” comic book all about?
Dolan: Oh, this is Aaron Sparrow’s baby, and it’s one of the funniest comics I’ve read in years. Doomface is a comedy/action series about a 1980s villain (think along the lines of Skeletor or Dr Doom), who’s banished away by his nemesis but is freed in modern day by a ghost hunters tv show team. From there, it’s him adapting to the world and taking under his wing a Majordomo by the name of Lexi Veg, who teaches him about the modern world in order for him to conquer it. In return, she hopes Doomface will help her break the supervillain glass ceiling. If you enjoy The Tick or The Venture Brothers, you’ll LOVE this series.
1st: What type of person will enjoy “The Golem”
Dolan: I believe, if you enjoy the EC Comics from the 1950s, you’ll LOVE The Golem. I had an idea to tell the origin stories of our characters in the vveinof EC Comics, but knew it wouldn’t be easy. Those were well-illustrated, fun, AND fulfilling stories told in 8 pages. But since I hadn’t done that before, I gave myself 2 MORE pages for a total of 10. It’s a tragic and horrifying tale that I believe will shock and surprise anyone who reads it. This hits on real-world subject matter from World War II, and I wanted to be as AUTHENTIC as I could to the story. I had some Jewish friends of mine read the story to get their impressions and feelings on it to see if it was offensive or just plain wrong. Thankfully, they all enjoyed it and were shocked by it. So if you’re the faint of heart, read at your own risk.
1st: Vu Danh is the artist on “The Golem.”How do you feel he brought across the character?
Dolan: Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Vu nailed EVERY SINGLE PANEL perfectly with what I wanted to get across emotionally, and honestly, I can’t think of anyone else I would’ve rather had do the art. Vu passed away in February, which really hurt me a lot, but I like to believe that this was his finest hour. He did a lot of work on video games, novels, and other mercurial comics, but what he did on The Golem is workthat Kevin O’Neill and other cartoonists would be proud of. Hell, I think Bill Gaines would have loved to have had him on his staff working on his titles. I will continue to reprint The Golem and ensure his art lives on for new readers to enjoy.
1st: What will surprise readers of TCM comics the most?
Dolan: I believe it’ll be the variety. We have a WIDE RANGE of comics here at TCM Press for everyone to enjoy. You like superheroes or horror? We have Unholy Nightmare. Do you like historical fiction? We have Depths of Valor (which I’m VERY proud of, by the way.) Do you like comedy? We have Kneel Before Doomface. You like femme fatale stories? We have Silent Nights. And if things continue to go well, we plan on bringing other titles by other creators as well! If you have a good story with good art, we will absolutely give it a look.
1st: Are werewolves savage beasts or intelligent, or somewherein betweenn?
Dolan: Oh, I’d say somewhere between, but the battle is control over the savage nature. The savage nature wants to take control out of sheer ease, but it’s harder to use intelligence over nature.
1st: Do you have any new ideas for new comics and characters?
Dolan: Oh…I have SO MANY comics I’m working on right now. It’s not an exaggeration. One thing people learn about me is that I write FAST. I can havea 22-pagee story typed up in a day or two. If I’m emotionally invested, several hours. I’m working on one I signed an N.D.A. for that’s different from ANYTHING I’ve done so far. Also, I believe I have around 5 different projects with Marat Mychales that’ll be coming out in the next year. There are also a few others with different stores, and another one I don’t want to jinx because it was a BLAST to write and have Aaron edit. So all I can say is that I’m not going away any time soon.
1st: How would you like to be a werewolf?
Dolan: No thanks! The sheer pain of the metamorphosis from man to werewolf and having to constantly buy new clothing? No thanks. And having to constantly monitor the moon phases and worry about where I’ll wake up in the morning…yeesh. Please…no.
1st: What would you like to say to the fans of your work?
Dolan: Thank you. I say that to anyone and everyone who’s not only bought a copy of my work but has also taken the time to flip through it. It means so much to me because this has been my dream since I was in 1st grade. And as long as the fans are here, I’ll keep writing. But I’m constantly on the hunt for new fans (you can never have too many in this business.
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