MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories

by MrBallen, Andrea Mutti (Illustrator), Robert Venditti (Contribution by)

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A vivid, frighteningly illustrated graphic novel collection of nine strange, dark, and mysterious stories, based on true events, from the mind behind the YouTube channel and hit MrBallen Podcast

John Allen, known popularly as “MrBallen,” has been enthralling audiences with his unique brand of storytelling ever since he burst onto the scene, covering strange and mysterious phenomena ranging from the unexplained screaming heard in parts of Nahanni Valley, the Kandahar Giant found in Afghanistan, UFOs appearing at a cattle ranch in Utah, and Allen’s own brush with the paranormal. Deeply researched and seriously compelling, the show rapidly gained a devoted fanbase for the raconteur himself and for the rarely-before-covered unsettling occurrences and true crimes that have taken place throughout the world.

In MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious, Allen reveals the creepy underbelly of the human experience, charting bizarre and downright terrifying instances of the paranormal, the horrors of the natural world, and the danger of our own minds. With new, exclusive stories and in collaboration with New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Robert Venditti and acclaimed comic book artist Andrea Mutti, this is a haunting collection filled with twists and surprises that will leave you thoroughly spooked.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984863423
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	4,107
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Better known as "MrBallen," John B. Allen is a former U. S. Navy Seal, the founder of the multi-platform content company Ballen Studios, and the creator and host of the popular podcast MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories. Allen uses his platform to give back and founded the MrBallen Foundation with the mission to honor victims and support families of heinous crimes through education, training, and financial support. Allen resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.

Andrea Mutti began his career illustrating the superhero comic DNAction for Xenia Edizioni, Sergio Bonelli Editore, and Star Comics. He's worked with Marvel, DC, Vertigo, MadCave, Stormking, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, BOOM! Studios, and more. His titles include Maniac of New York, Bunny Mask, Rebels, Batman Eternal, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He's a member of the National UFO Center and resides in Sarasota, Florida.

Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League and Superman ‘78, his own graphic novel Six Days, the adaptation of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and more. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures. Venditti lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

10/28/2024

Drawing on his YouTube channel and eponymous podcast, Jonathan “MrBallen” Allen adapts reputedly true (or at least documented) horror stories from around the world to satisfyingly chilling effect. The entries take readers to a valley in Canada’s Northwest Territories with a history of unexplained deaths and disappearances, through a reputedly haunted ghost town in Spain, into the middle of a Siberian tiger attack in Russia, and on the hunt for the man-eating Beast of Gevaudan in 18th-century France, among other escapades. MrBallen’s lurid narration brings to mind old EC horror comics: “It doesn’t matter how far he goes. It doesn’t matter how fast. Somewhere out there in the forest... the man is lurking.” Mutti’s lush art excels at creating eerie atmosphere, shocking the reader with moments of gore, and making the supernatural and mundane menaces feel equally plausible. Most of the tales take place in the great outdoors, and the art successfully evokes shadowy forests, snowbound mountains, blistering deserts, and isolated cabins. This spooky collection of campfire tales will appeal to horror and true crime fans. Agent: Byrd Leavell, UTA. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

This haunting book reveals a mysterious and creepy world that will have readers questioning what is possible while delving into stories that range from the paranormal to the cursed wilderness . . . The natural flow and pacing of each story is a hallmark of MrBallen’s storytelling style. He builds suspense and fear as readers reach the terrifying or unexplained conclusion of each of the book’s stories . . . For anyone fascinated by the supernatural or unexplained events that have never been solved, MrBallen’s first horror graphic novel is a must-read.”—Comic Book Resources

“A collection of strange, dark, and mysterious stories that’ll leave you questioning whether the screams you heard coming from the basement are imagined or actually real.”—The Beat

“MrBallen’s lurid narration brings to mind old EC horror comics . . . Mutti’s lush art excels at creating eerie atmosphere, shocking the reader with moments of gore, and making the supernatural and mundane menaces feel equally plausible. Most of the tales take place in the great outdoors, and the art successfully evokes shadowy forests, snowbound mountains, blistering deserts, and isolated cabins. This spooky collection of campfire tales will appeal to horror and true crime fans.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher