Tim Burton has made many, many classic movies. From Beetlejuice to Corpse Bride and everything in between, he’s accomplished much. But for goth kids of a certain age, Sleepy Hollow has a special place. Now, thanks to the folks at IDW Publishing through their new IDW Dark imprint, we’ve got a new twisted adventure with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
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As part of an exclusive preview of IDW Dark’s full lineup, Fango got to speak with the team behind Return to Sleepy Hollow, a new comic book miniseries that serves as a sequel to Burton’s 1999 movie. While it may not be Burton getting the band back together, it’s undoubtedly the next best thing. The first two issues are out now.
“I don't find the love shocking whatsoever. It's a classic film and it was made by masters of their craft,” writer Casey Gilly said. “I completely understand why people are so devoted to it, but even with that? I didn't feel any pressure! This book has been a delight to work on and I was excited to usher Ichabod and Katrina into their next chapter.”
“The only pressure I felt was the pressure I put on myself to do a good job, I was hired based on my skill set and that's all I can challenge myself with,” artist Savanna Mayer added. “If I were to approach my work with the sole purpose of pleasing every die hard fan my work would fall flat, and no one would be happy. I loved Sleepy Hollow as a story, as a filk song and as a movie, I never once thought I'd be able to add my own verse to the story so it's been an incredible experience.”
As for what Gilly and Mayer have in store for us? The synopsis for the book reads as follows:
“The Headless Horseman hasn’t plagued Sleepy Hollow for 15 years now, but unbeknownst to the residents of the drowsy valley, a deeper evil lurks in the roots of the town, and it will stop at nothing to quench its thirst for blood.
Ichabod Crane is a man of science and, despite his indisputable brush with the supernatural, has built a name for himself debunking claims of the occult across the world. However, when he receives a frantic letter urging him to return to Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod must reunite with his now estranged love, Katrina Van Tassel, to investigate a string of strange, unexplainable murders. Together, they will uncover the truth of Sleepy Hollow’s origins and the roots that connect them all.”
Burton has been busy with Wednesday season 3 as of late, so he can only be so involved with the book. But Gilly revealed that the folks at Paramount Pictures have been extremely supportive. Rather than put up guardrails, they’ve encouraged her to take the story even further.
“Paramount has been truly wonderful. I've felt so much support and permission from them to explore the world of Sleepy Hollow. Licensors are rightfully protective of their assets and you have to know going into writing a licensed comic that it's about how your vision fits into the existing world. You aren't creating by yourself. Throughout the whole process I've been encouraged to have more gore, more scares, more gallows humor. They really seemed to appreciate my style and let me have fun. I received such positive feedback, thoughtful notes, and felt so welcomed by them.”
“I'm an elder goth and the moment I was invited to pitch for the series, I knew it would be a perfect fit. I've been a horror fan my entire life. It's the lens I'm most confident using to tell stories and it felt completely natural for me,” Gilly concluded.
Return to Sleepy Hollow #1 and #2 are on shelves now. For more, get the full details on IDW’s upcoming Smile prequel comic.
