NEWS: Ben Templesmith’s New Miniseries, Welcome To Hoxford

Werewolf necrophilia and talking rats are just a small part of the dark, creepy action in Ben Templesmith’s new miniseries, Welcome to Hoxford, debuting in August from IDW Publishing. The co-creator of 30 Days of Night (with writer Steve Niles), Templesmith has built quite a fan following in recent years, including critical and sales successes with titles he has both written and created artwork for, including Wormwood Gentleman Corpse and Singularity 7.

Written and illustrated by Templesmith, Welcome to Hoxford is a horrific new series that features a unique and nasty take on werewolves. In the debut issue, Raymond Delgado is the newest inmate at the Hoxford Correctional Facility and Mental Institution. He has no hope of release, parole, rehabilitation, or decent conversation. Ray hasn’t been taking his medication. No surprises there. On a good day, he’ll tell you he’s Zeus and only bite your arm off—literally. On a bad day, you won’t have time to scream to the prison guard for help. But Dr Jessica Ainley, his doctor for five years, wants to help Ray and can’t understand why the newly privatized, corporately-run prison won’t give her access to her patients. And why people are always transferred into Hoxford, but no records show anyone ever transferring back out.

“It’s odd,” said Templesmith. “But the whole reason this book exists is because my work has been banned from a few prisons. I’m told it’s among the darkest work I’ve ever done, and I don’t mean the amount of black ink I’ve been using.”

IDW will also release Templesmith’s The Art of Wormwood in August, the third such art book he has produced.

Welcome to Hoxford #1 will be available from Comic Book Retailers in August 2008.