DREW EDWARDS returns with HALLOWEEN MAN and introduces THE MATRON

Andrew Irvin welcomes Drew Edwards to discuss 25 years of Halloween Man in a retrospective from Red 5 Comics, and an all-new story in The Matron from IPI Comics.

---

COMIC BOOK YETI: Welcome, Drew! It’s the right time of year for you to drop by the Yeti Cave. We’re here today to talk about two titles; Halloween Man, which celebrates its 25th anniversary, and The Matron, a grisly new horror story. Where were you in your journey when you created Halloween Man, and what have you since learned which now manifests itself in The Matron? Where do these tales intersect, and how do they differ?

DREW EDWARDS: When I first truly created Halloween Man, it was born out of trauma. The early years of my writing career were deeply shaped by a car accident that killed my twin and left me with psychological scars I’ve never fully recovered from. Halloween Man became — and remains — an almost therapeutic force in my life; a way to process grief, identity, and survival. It’s how I feel accepted, how I make sense of my sense of otherness. In that sense, it’s always been a hopeful story, even when it’s messy or strange. Beneath the monsters and mayhem, it’s about finding light through the darkness, or at least learning to live comfortably within the shadows.

The Matron, on the other hand, comes from a darker place entirely. It’s a pure horror story — stripped of the superhero and adventure elements that define Halloween Man. I’ve often said I’m a cynic by nature, even though people rarely believe me when I say it. But The Matron gives me the space to lean into that cynicism — to take a long, unflinching look at the world and spit back in its face. It’s a mean story at its core, and I think that’s okay. Not everything has to be hopeful. Sometimes fiction is the best mirror we have to acknowledge that we’ve lost our way a bit — that cruelty, decay, and despair are just as real as love and redemption.

I suppose you could say the two intersect in that they’re both reflections of how I explore feelings of monstrosity and otherness — themes that sit at the heart of everything I write. But they approach those ideas from opposite sides. Halloween Man is about embracing the weird and growing strong from it — learning to love the parts of yourself the world tells you to hide. The Matron is about what happens when that same fire that once kept you alive starts to consume you from the inside out.

In a way, they’re two halves of the same mirror — one side reflecting resilience, the other reflecting ruin. Both, however, are undeniably me.

CBY: A very personal connection to make to your work, on both accounts. You’ve also had a lot of people involved in bringing Halloween Man to life. Pencillers included; Nicola Scott, David Baldeon, Ben Hall, Aristides Iliopoulous, Terry Parr, Holland King, and Sergio Calvet. Inks involved; Scott DM Simmons, Pat Davidson, Mike Furth, Sergio Abad, and Ben Hall, with colors and lettering by a mix of; Jesse Farrell, Daniel Lundie, Brian J. Crowley, Sergio Calvet, Da Mero, and Marc Lewis. Further colors, letters and layout from April Guadiana was accompanied by a cover drawn by Nicola Scott and colored by Annette Kow, with editing by Russell Hillman and Jamie Bahr. John Logan provides a forward, and the fantastic Tim Seeley delivered the Hack/Slash goods for crossover components. That is a deep crew to credit; what can you tell us about the journey of bringing this book together with such a large team of collaborators?

DE: Since this new Halloween Man Omnibus is really a retrospective collection, putting it together has felt a bit like opening a time capsule. Many of these collaborations go back over a decade. Going through them — choosing which stories to feature, revisiting the ones that meant the most — gave me the rare chance to look at my own history through fresh eyes. Some of these tales I hadn’t read in years, not since the days I first wrote them, full of that mix of excitement and uncertainty that comes from trying to carve out a place for yourself in comics.

What struck me most during the process wasn’t just how much I’ve grown as a creator, but how lucky I’ve been along the way. So many of the people who worked on Halloween Man back then — the artists, letterers, colorists, editors — started as collaborators and ended up becoming some of my closest friends. We’ve celebrated conventions together, shared life’s ups and downs, and watched each other evolve both professionally and personally. When I look back at the pages in this book, I don’t just see stories — I see late-night brainstorming sessions, shared laughter over deadlines, and the small acts of kindness that keep you going when the work gets tough.

That’s one of the true beauties of comics as a medium: it’s inherently collaborative. Every issue is a conversation between creative minds — each person bringing something vital, something personal, to the table. Ideally, when you’re working together, you help each other sharpen your craft. But if you’re really lucky — and I’ve been very lucky — you build something deeper than that. You build community. You build family.

This Omnibus isn’t just a record of stories or characters; it’s a record of the people who believed in this weird little world with me. It’s a reminder that the best art doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people come together — out of passion, curiosity, and maybe even love — to make something that outlasts all of us. And that’s something worth celebrating.

CBY: I would agree with that sentiment, and I'm glad you have such a robust ensemble of friends and colleagues who have joined you in the journey. Now, The Matron has an entirely different crew of creators; you’re co-writing with fellow Texan, author David Bowles, and have Monica Gallagher on as illustrator, with colors from Harry Saxon and letters from Stephen Kok. I see you’ve got Jason Franks in as editor, whom I spoke with at SupaNova here in Melbourne last year. You’ve also got art from Greg Chapman, Peter Lawson, and Loba included. Where did it start between you and David, and how did each of you pull together the collaborators for this project and keep the things on target while working with an international team? 

DE: The Matron began its misshapen life what feels like a million years ago as an unused concept for a Texas Chain Saw Massacre comic titled “The Last Days of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” I mentioned it in passing to David at a convention a year or so back, and he wisely suggested that we evolve it into something new — something distinctly our own. We kept the core idea of class warfare, reframed as slasher horror, but through David’s insight and creative instincts, it’s grown into something much deeper, richer, and far more unsettling than I ever imagined. His collaboration has elevated the concept in every way.

Monica is someone I’ve admired for a long time. I’ve always loved her cryptid-inspired art — it’s full of texture, emotion, and mystery — and I knew she’d be a natural fit for a horror comic. When we started the search for the right artist, I pushed hard for her, and I’m so glad I did. She’s absolutely brilliant, bringing her own distinct storytelling voice to every page. The atmosphere she creates — eerie, expressive, and oddly beautiful — gives The Matron its haunting soul.

And then there’s Harry, a longtime collaborator of mine from Halloween Man, and truly one of the best colorists working today. His sense of tone, lighting, and mood is second to none. Every time I work with him, he manages to find a way to heighten the story’s emotion and energy. His work here is no exception — it’s cinematic and chilling in all the right ways.

This really is a stacked creative team — one I’m deeply proud to be part of. IPI clearly recognizes that too, which is why they’ve thrown their full support and creative muscle behind The Matron. It’s a project built on mutual respect, shared passion, and a genuine love for horror storytelling. I think readers are going to feel that on every page.

You know, I was asked a similar question on a panel at SDCC a few months back about working with an international crew, and honestly, I don’t think about it much anymore. Ten years ago, it might have felt a bit odd or intimidating, but the internet has made the world feel surprisingly small. The only real challenge is the time zones — the Aussies are basically living a day ahead of us, so scheduling can feel like science fiction sometimes. Other than that, it’s been pretty smooth and seamless.

CBY: Ah, yes — the Australian time zones are a constant challenge when working with North America and Europe. For the Halloween Man release, you’re working with Red 5 Comics, but you’ve gone with Australia-based IPI Comics for the publication of The Matron. How did you eventually decide upon working with each of these publishers for your separate titles, and what differences in publication terms were involved (particularly as Halloween Man is your existing IP, and The Matron is a new collaboration)?

DE: Red 5 is based out of Houston, and I’ve met Scott Chitwood several times over the years at conventions. Since Halloween Man is very much thought of as a Texas comic, it made a certain kind of sense to go with a publisher from the Lone Star State. But beyond that, it was a deliberate choice. I’d been shopping Halloween Man around to several publishers, looking for a new print home. GlobalComix has been a wonderful digital platform for it, but I really wanted to expand the brand. Out of everyone I spoke to at the time, Red 5 just seemed to “get” the property best. There were two other contenders in the mix, but my gut told me Red 5 was the right fit — and so far, it hasn’t steered me wrong.

As for The Matron, IPI was brought to the table by David, who has worked extensively with their sister company, IFWG Publishing. They snapped it up almost as soon as we started pitching — no long story, no drama. I wish there were a more complicated tale to tell, but honestly, it really was just that simple.

CBY: We needn't complicate things unnecessarily if we can enjoy the simplicity of things. Halloween Man takes place in an alternate, outlandish version of Earth; can you tell us a bit about Solar City, Texas and what inspired this narrative space? What sort of rules do you set for yourself when you’ve created such an open-ended supernatural/sci-fi world to create within? 

DE: The name Solar City comes from a superhero RPG my twin and I ran as kids. It eventually became the setting for some of the comics we tried to create as well. It had that kind of “Central City” or “Gotham City” feel — a name that evokes character and atmosphere in itself.

I’ve always been drawn to retro-futurism. I’m a huge fan of Victorian adventure novels, Golden Age sci-fi films, and Silver Age comic books. When I began developing the setting for Halloween Man, I wanted to create a place that could fuse those influences with my love of horror — a futuristic city haunted by monsters from an older world. That juxtaposition, to me, is what makes Halloween Man feel distinctive.

It also provides a rich aesthetic to build from. I’ve been immersed in the rockabilly and psychobilly scenes for much of my adult life, and that sensibility has informed the design of the world we’re creating. There’s a tactile, lived-in style that carries through the architecture, fashion, and atmosphere, which helps give the city its own unique identity.

In terms of worldbuilding, I maintain a flexible but structured timeline. While it allows for narrative freedom, it also informs the history of the city and the broader universe. There’s an internal logic to why everything exists as it does, even if it isn’t always explicit on the page. I know it, my editors know it, and that shared understanding is critical. Even a seemingly outlandish world needs a sense of place and a sense of history to feel real.

When it comes to the supernatural elements of the universe, I adhere to one strict rule: every classic monster trope must be reinvented to fit our universe. For instance, in the collection, we feature the Headless Horseman, but he is not the familiar Washington Irving version. He is unique to our world, with a distinct identity and mythology. Every monster, ghost, or creature must meet that same standard — it’s a rule that keeps the universe consistent, fresh, and uniquely ours.

CBY: Conversely, The Matron is much more grounded in a very real place, examining the consequences of very real actions over generations.What sort of research went into depicting the town of Ascuas? You’d mentioned drawing upon local folklore and urban legends to create The Matron - what key influences did you and David explore as a basis for this story?

DE: Well, speaking only for myself and not David — he likely has his own opinions — but Solar City and Ascuas are equally real to me in my head. I don’t think in terms of “outlandish” or “grounded.” That distinction feels artificial. The world has always seemed, to me, a very strange place, and fiction is just a way to explore the edges of that reality.

The differences between the two worlds come more from the stakes within them. There isn’t any sci-fi tech, superheroes, or larger-than-life powers in The Matron. Halloween Man isn’t coming to save anyone here. What that does is give the violence real weight. Early on, I wanted it to be pure horror: our characters get beaten, sliced, smashed to pieces. And unlike in Halloween Man, there’s a real chance they won’t get back up. That danger — that finality — shapes how the story lands.

Both David and I are big folklore nerds, though he may well out-nerd me. We dug deep into Czech, German, and Mexican folklore because all of that has had an outsized influence on what Texas was and is. The mythology, superstitions, and ghost stories of those cultures naturally informed the world of The Matron.

Beyond folklore, this project gave us a chance to explore the richness of Texas Hill Country culture — the small-town dynamics, the rhythms of rural life, the unique traditions that make the area distinct. A lot of the best ideas came simply from reflecting on our own experiences growing up in rural Texas. That personal connection allows us to keep the world authentic, even when we’re bending it into something dark and uncanny.

We spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of slasher archetypes we wanted to evoke. Obviously, Texas Chainsaw Massacre loomed large, but once we stepped away from that influence, we began looking at the Scream franchise as well. That evolution helped shape The Matron from a hulking, unstoppable brute into more of a sharp, quippy Ghostface–style killer with a wicked sense of humor.

There’s also a supernatural element woven into the story, which brought influences like Nightmare on Elm Street and Child’s Play into consideration. Neither of us was particularly interested in crafting a straightforward crime story — that felt too mundane. Instead, we wanted to elevate The Matron to something mythic, iconic, and larger than life, a figure who resonates beyond the page while still terrifying the characters who encounter her.

CBY: I can definitely see the Wes Craven nods coming through. More broadly, what comics served as your introduction to the medium? I can see a lot of playful nods in the writing to other titles, but before I go spoiling Easter eggs for our readers, are there any specific references or influences on your work you’d like to mention?

DE: My first comics were almost entirely Silver Age stuff. Growing up in a small town in Texas, there were no comic shops around, so I had to make do with what I could find — which, thankfully, was a library that had taken stacks of old comics and bound them into these dusty hardback collections. I would spend hours poring over them. What really grabbed me were things like Lee and Kirby’s Fantastic Four. I had a soft spot for the Thing — a superhero who was also a monster. To me, that was the ultimate combo: brains, brawn, and just the right amount of grotesque charm.

I like to think of Halloween Man as doing for comics what psychobilly did for vintage rock ‘n’ roll. It’s taking that retro DNA, cranking the speed up, and throwing in a little more attitude. We’re adding sex appeal, horror movie vibes, and a touch of chaos. Think classic superhero tropes, but if they’d spent a night partying in a haunted carnival. It’s fun, it’s wild, and it doesn’t apologize for leaning into the weird. That’s the thrill of it — honoring the past while flipping it on its head and letting it get messy, scary, and kind of irresistible.

CBY: Turning back to the Hack/Slash vs Halloween Man crossover, when did the idea for this installment come into conversation between you and Tim Seeley? What sort of practical concerns did you need to work through in merging the worlds and achieving a balance in tone between the characters and settings?

DE: Tim and I have a mutual friend, Brian Crowley, who really thought we should know each other. It turned out he was absolutely right — we share a lot of the same interests. Honestly, Brian is the one who nurtured that connection and helped make the crossover happen in the first place.

Hack/Slash was still relatively new when those conversations started, but Tim already had a very clear vision for it. He gave me the series bible, and I dove in, reading as much of Hack/Slash as I could. It honestly wasn’t a chore — it’s the kind of book I enjoy anyway.

Tim was gracious and hands-off throughout the process. The only guidance he offered was on writing Vlad’s dialogue and suggesting that my initial script was a bit long — that I should get to the fight sooner.

As a writer, my main concern was respecting Tim’s characters while also putting them slightly out of their depth. The power levels in Halloween Man’s universe are higher, and the sci-fi elements are more pronounced. It was fun having Cassie and Vlad be a little wide-eyed for a change, experiencing Solar City as the audience would.

Crossovers are probably some of the trickiest stories to write. You can’t please every fan base. I remember Halloween Man fans at the time who felt I’d “sold out” and didn’t think Cassie should have given Solomon so much trouble. On the flip side, some Hack/Slash fans weren’t thrilled about seeing Cassie don power armor.

The funny thing is, I think the crossover has aged really well. It reads the way it was meant to — a bit of fun, a meeting of two similar but distinct franchises. And, of course, David Baldeon’s art is absolutely stunning.

CBY: Yeah, I don't think any aspects date it irrevocably, and as someone who wasn't particularly well-acquainted with the Hack/Slash world, it lines up nicely with the rest of the collection. You’ve been dipping into the world of Halloween Man for 25 years, and The Matron will continue beyond its first volume; what can folks expect to see coming out next after these two titles drop? More in store from these two worlds, or will you have other, separate titles to share in the near future?

DE: Halloween Man will, of course, continue to appear in digital form on GlobalComix. And if this first Red 5 collection sells well, the goal is to follow it up with a volume two — so keep your eyes peeled.

The Matron Vol. 2 will be going live on Kickstarter in November, just in time to add some horror to your holiday season, with comic shop shelves following in 2026.

The goal for both universes is the same: I want them to expand. I think each has the potential to grow and grow and grow! I have a ton of story ideas for both, and if the fans want them, they’ll be there.

I also have four other new projects in the works. Two are with David — one set in the Matron universe, and the other something completely different involving werewolves. The others… well, it’s just too soon to say anything.

CBY: It sounds like our readers have plenty to look forward to in your future work! Concluding today, after readers check out Halloween Man, are there any unrelated comics or other media (film, music, art, literature, etc.) you’d recommend they all give some of their attention?

DE: Read Bigfoot Knows Karate by fellow Texan and comic book weirdo Dan Price.  It’s the best indie title out there.

CBY: Drew, it’s a delight to have you by the Yeti Cave - ‘tis the season, and all! If you’ve got any social media, portfolio, or publication links you’d like to leave with our readers, now is the time and place.

DE:  Thanks, it’s been wonderful  Happy Halloween! And yeah, follow me on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/drew_halloween

---

Like what you've just read? Help us keep the Yeti Cave warm! Comic Book Yeti has a Patreon page for anyone who wants to contribute: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookyeti‬