'Hellicious' Interview: A Little Slice of Hell from Massive
Oct 03, 2023
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
In comic shops this November, Hellicious is getting an official re-release courtesy of Massive Publishing. The story invites readers into Satan's domain to meet the cutest grim reaper un-alive.
In the following interview, writers A.C. Medina and Mina Elwel tell us more!
Hellicious was sold out for a while. For those unfamiliar, what is the concept?
Mina: Hellicious is about the Devil’s granddaughter, Cherry. She looks and acts like an adorable child and loves playing with all the dead people in Hell. Unfortunately, she is too powerful and plays too rough, so she usually dismembers her friends by accident. Even though she’s essentially royalty in the Underworld and has a loving demonic family, she’s very lonely. The book is about her quest to find a friend, and how far she’ll go to keep him.
AC: Even if that friend is from The Other Place. Which really is what Hellicious is about at its core, everyone in our story has been told what they can and can’t do and the result is unity despite dysfunction. Hell by all means should not be a paradise but to our characters there’s nowhere better and that spirit lives through almost everything we do in Hellicious.
What can you tell us about Briggy Bundy?
Mina: Briggy Bundy is a goth rock icon with a reputation for being a Satan-worshiping, baby-eating badass. In reality though, he's a sweetheart.
AC: Briggy didn’t belong anywhere in life and finally, when he finds somewhere he does belong, in the afterlife no less, it's the only place he really doesn’t belong.
Does the entirety of the story take place in Hell?
Mina: Mostly! Hell is huge. Cherry does work as a grim reaper sometimes though, and that takes her “upstairs” to the land of the living occasionally. It’s a trek, though.
AC: We give you our own slice of a Hell that is expansive and alive, what happens in our story impacts a much larger world which makes the focus on our central family all the more rewarding.
You’re both working with artist Kit Wallis on this project. What made Kit the right collaborator for this?
Mina: It’s amazing to me that there was ever a time that Hellicious without Kit Wallis. At this point, it’s as much his world as it is ours. I know AC and I would both be thrilled to work with Kit on anything, but there’s something about the Hellicious combination of comedy, gore, and little monsters that’s perfect for Kit. We try to pack the comic with jokes, but he somehow manages to fit dozens more visual gags into every issue.
AC: There’s no Hellicious without Kit. I personally can’t really imagine Hell not drawn by Kit in any capacity which has really made things interesting when discussing the afterlife.
What can you tell me about the upcoming animated TV adaptation? Anthony Kiedis is involved?
Mina: An adult animated TV show is in development at TBS with Anthony Kiedis as the voice of Briggy.
AC: More Hell! Only this time on TV! It is so exciting and we couldn’t be happier to give fans more Briggy and Cherry.
Looking forward, what can readers expect from Hellicious?
Mina: There’s a new character who is going to really shake things up and expose a darker side of the fun Hell and wholesome devil that Hellicious fans have come to know. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on the next arc, I think it’s the funniest and most chaotic Hellicious has ever been.
AC: Anything that brings in more of Hell’s first family is exciting to me and this new chapter is all about that. Not that Hellicious has ever not been about its first family. This part of our story really looks at that idea from all sides and not just the happy and fun sides either.
In terms of audience, who is Hellicious for?
Mina: Anyone who thinks a niche Paradise Lost reference or a farting demon is funny.
AC: It’s for anyone who’s coming to terms with living in Hell but refuses to not have fun despite it all. Also, have you seen our demons?
Hellicious is available November 15, 2023 at your local comic shop. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
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Don't miss this chance to get these brand new cover releases of the sold out debut issue of Hellicious, soon to be an animated series starring Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers!
Meet Cherry, the Devil's prankster granddaughter and the cutest grim reaper in Hell. She loves everything about her home - its burning landscapes, its horrific inhabitants, and especially her demonic family - but she's lonely. She might look like a little girl, but she's much too powerful for the imps and the damned inhabitants of the underworld.
There's only one soul who Cherry thinks might be a good playmate - Satan-worshipping death metal frontman Briggy Bundy. The bad news is, he isn't dead...Yet. But Cherry won't let a little thing like that keep them apart... and all Hell breaks loose when Cherry defies the order of the afterlife to finally have the best friend she's always wanted.
Don't miss this chance to get these brand new cover releases of the sold out debut issue of Hellicious, soon to be an animated series starring Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers!
Meet Cherry, the Devil's prankster granddaughter and the cutest grim reaper in Hell. She loves everything about her home - its burning landscapes, its horrific inhabitants, and especially her demonic family - but she's lonely. She might look like a little girl, but she's much too powerful for the imps and the damned inhabitants of the underworld.
There's only one soul who Cherry thinks might be a good playmate - Satan-worshipping death metal frontman Briggy Bundy. The bad news is, he isn't dead...Yet. But Cherry won't let a little thing like that keep them apart... and all Hell breaks loose when Cherry defies the order of the afterlife to finally have the best friend she's always wanted.
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalypse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
