Five thrillers for '26
If I need inspiration, I find it useful to look at lists of things completely unrelated to what I'm doing. There's always something there. Lists of vanity novels from 50 years ago, old newspaper adverts - anything will do. What I'm trying to do is avoid the same old flexes. Or, realistically, house the same old flexes in some new ideas.
I don't go out actively looking for these lists at writing time - that's too late. It's more planting bulbs in winter so you get some flowers in the spring before anything else is growing. Finding them is usually an accident.
Yesterday, for example, I remembered the short-lived console the "Gamate". This was a Gameboy competitor released around 1991-2. I hadn't thought about it since then, so I had a look on Wikipedia... which contained a complete list of all the titles released for the doomed platform.
Among the generic game names, there were some true gems. I chose my favourite five:
BOX FORUM
FORTRESS OF FIERCENESS
INCANTATIONAL COUPLE
ONE MILLION WHYS
NIGHTMARE OF SANTA CLAUS
(I also selected HOT HERO and PUNK BOY but those can stay on the back burner for now.)
So, for your general enjoyment, I have converted those five titles into a slate of exciting titles for 2026.
Obviously I will write and draw them all myself, it's going to be a push but I'll do them as a series of 24-hour comics, so it'll just be Monday to Friday for one week. I'll have a lie-in on the Sunday, fear not.
Although these comics are obviously jokes (OR ARE THEY?), every title suggested a route forward for the characters. They're all perfectly write-able.
Perhaps you too will find answers where you least expect them. Good luck!
Comments (22)
The boxmen are excellent sneakers-around. If they're worried they might be detected, they just sit criss-cross and the "?" above the guard's head goes away.
Very good.
Given The Reverend's previous experiences with beings from the sea, I can easily see him playing out a tried-and-true comics trope of getting into a fight with Des upon first meeting him. Des will manage to avoid getting hurt until Shelley breaks it up. Then, the trio can get into all sorts of imbroglios (imbroglii? imbroglia?).
Des and Penrose have met before! I will dig out the link later!
I'm sure that anything involving Desmond is 100% not a joke but deeply serious. Can't wait to see Rev. Penrose meeting one of Shelley's best friends.
Every single one of these is intriguing to me and I hope you will consider expanding on at least a few. Of course the most intriguing is the solo Dean title. I would definitely love to see more of the Rev. Penrose and Shelley relationship. You really can't go wrong with the Solver gals teaming up with a tiger. Box Forum looks very Lynchian to me and Savage Susan vs Santa Claus? Sign me up!
I feel like I've seen those boxmen before. https://mercury.photo/blog/urizen-halloween/ DISCLAIMER: This is my website.
OR ARE THEY? That is always my question with you, Mr Allison.
I would read all of these titles! In the same day, if possible!
Can’t believe Santa would put Susan to sleep(?) This would never happen if Rodney was in charge
He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake!
This seems like a delightful creative exercise. I may try it myself!
I would LOVE to see One Million Whys as a series. Dean was repellent in Giant Days but he is really growing as a character as he struggles to grow as a person.
If you're going to ship Billie through the post, at least package her correctly! Also, I think you missed a trick by not including the clearly brilliant UNKNOWN TITLE POSSIBLY UNRELEASED.
You hear that sound? That's the sound of Brian Eno chucking his Oblique Strategies into his bin.
I'm the Eno of comics. Or so I heard. Or was it the ELMO of comics? Now I'm less sure.
How will FORTRESS OF FIERCENESS fit in with current Solver continuity, assuming it's even canon?
I'm sure it would be very difficult to reconcile a trip to a zoo with continuity but with care, perhaps I could make it convincing to even my jeweller's loupe-wearing audience.
Incantational Couple is linguistically ambitious for a Gameboy knock off game. Also sounds like a sex manual Sting would write.
This was exactly my thought process. What a gift!
Looking forward to the Des event!
His first appearance in Scary Go Round was on my 30th birthday!