IT TAKES GUTS. And this hopeful graphic novel has plenty of 'em. UW-Eau Claire graduate Jacoby Matott is aiming to raise enough funds to finally bring his graphic novel, Pumpkin Guts (cover pictured at left, one inside page at right), to fruition. (Submitted photos)

It was at the Village of Terror in 2010, where Jacoby Matott was working in high school as a cast member, when his grand idea was born.

In the twilight hour, as the darkness was setting in and he was getting into character, Jacoby imagined a tale that would take another decade to be fully realized. Initially envisioned as an indie film, Jacoby decided his story would best be told as a graphic novel, while studying art at UW-Eau Claire years later. 

Pumpkin Guts the Hellbound Halloween — a 304-page, hand-drawn story — is written and penned by Jacoby himself (with masterful digital coloring by Andrew Walde; editing by Nick Kotek; and 'word balloons' and lettering by Keith Gleason). Each individual page took about 16 hours to complete, and in total, the graphic novel took over 10 years to create.

"This book is my magnum opus. It is my passion project tribute to the entire horror film genre, as well as my loving homage to the Halloween season itself."

JACOBY MATOTT

ARTIST

Jacoby likes to say his novel is a nod to the entire Halloween season and how it felt growing up in the '90s, experiencing Halloween then. He describes the vibe as “Dream Warriors meets Lost Boys meets Killer Clowns from Outer Space.”

As Volume One contributor Patricia Hawkenson noted in February of this year, from her own conversations with Jacoby, "The story unfolds as Nancy and the Ravens, a gang of rambunctious teenagers, attend a mysterious Halloween festival. As the darkness of night falls, they become prey to Lord Hallow’en, who captures their friend Katrina and pits the group in an epic battle against countless ghouls, spooks, and some of their worst nightmares."

To bring the graphic novel to the finish line, Jacoby launched a Kickstarter on May 13 with an end date of June 12. He will need to fundraise $10,000 for his novel to be published, and is calling on all art lovers to help make his Pumpkin Guts dream into a reality. As is the structure of Kickstarter, if Jacoby does not hit or surpass his $10,000 goal, he will not receive any pledged donations – it's all or nothing.

“This book is my magnum opus," Jacoby said. "It is my passion project tribute to the entire horror film genre, as well as my loving homage to the Halloween season itself.”

Listen to an in-depth interview with Jacoby on episode No. 55 of Savage Horror Creeps Podcast on Spotify and other major streaming platforms. Below is the link to contribute to Jacoby’s 13-year passion project, Pumpkin Guts the Hellbound Halloween.

Kickstarter *pledge tiers / incentives:

• Pumpkin Guts soft cover (Jacoby Matott's art) – $40
• Pumpkin Guts soft cover (Andrew Walde's art) – $40
• Pumpkin Guts deluxe hard cover – $60
• 2 copies of Pumpkin Guts deluxe hard cover – $115
• 3 copes of Pumpkin Guts soft cover (Jacoby Matott's art) – $120
• 3 copes of Pumpkin Guts soft cover (Andrew Walde's art) – $120
• Pumpkin Guts ultimate collection (all three versions of the book) – $130
• Pumpkin Guts ultimate collection (6-pack) – $260
• Pumpkin Guts deluxe hard cover 6-pack – $340
• *For those who want to support the campaign but do not want anything in return, donations will still be accepted

Learn more about Pumpkin Guts and donate to Jacoby Matott's Kickstarter online • Listen to Jacoby's interview on the Savage Horror Creeps Podcast online