JEFF WHITEHEAD Takes Us on a Tour of GEORGE A. ROMERO’S THE AMUSEMENT PARK
- Andrew Irvin
- 2 days ago
- 14 min read
Jeff Whitehead sits down with Interviews Editor, Andrew Irvin, to discuss The Amusement Park, an adaptation of the long-unreleased 1975 film by the late legend of horror, George A. Romero, out June 10th through Storm King Comics.
COMIC BOOK YETI: Welcome to the Yeti Cave, Jeff! How’s everything going back in Pittsburgh?
JEFF WHITEHEAD: Thanks! It’s great. And it’s great to be here and spending some time with you. Love talking comic books and horror.
CBY: Then you're in the precisely the right place! From the biographies included in The Amusement Park, in addition to serving as writer on this adaptation, you’re also the Chief Operating Officer of the George A. Romero Foundation (GARF). You’ve done a great interview with John Squires over at Bloody Disgusting, so I’ll try not to rehash what he’s already covered with you as we getting things rolling. You’ve mentioned your entrance to the horror community as a writer and initial involvement with the Foundation, but can you share with our readers your earliest experience with Romero’s films?
JW: My earliest experiences with George’s films are also some of my best childhood memories. One of my best childhood friends, Mike Madrigale, had an older brother who used to slip our little crew horror movies to watch when we had sleep overs. It was glorious. We watched all of the classics, and I vividly remember watching the first trilogy of George’s zombie films. My favorite of these films was and still is Day of the Dead as I have always loved George’s social commentary within the film. I think a similar commentary is evident in The Amusement Park, and while it is not a horror, per se, we have elevated those elements in the graphic novel as for many, the aging process is dark, scary, and bleak.
CBY: Day of the Dead has definitely seen a positive shift in critical perception over the years, and has served as healthy fodder for adaptation, so you're not alone in giving it the top slot amongst Romero's oeuvre. So this effort is a product of the, “George A. Romero Foundation, established in 2018 by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero in Pittsburgh, (as) a global nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting George A. Romero's legacy. The foundation supports emerging independent filmmakers, artists, and creators, while also documenting, restoring, and preserving Romero's archives.” How did you initially get involved in the GARF, and what other activities it engages in (beyond resuscitating The Amusement Park) might you like to highlight?
JW: Thanks for asking this question - as you mentioned, we have quite a few mentorship, scholarship, and training programs designed for individuals interested in independent filmmaking. We also have several really incredible projects, including one big secret right now that will be revealed this fall. One of our most recent projects was the completion of another very seldom seen work of George’s called Expostulations. This is one of his very first films, and we’re excited for people to be able to see it soon. We are also working on some additional creative projects, including season two of our podcast, The Dead, with our friends at Bloody Disgusting. As an all-volunteer organization, all of the proceeds from our creative projects and donations go directly toward those scholarship, mentorship, and training programs! For us, this is all passion work to continue George’s legacy as a legendary independent filmmaker and encourage people to follow in his footsteps.
CBY: Thanks for sharing a bit about what's underway - now I'm looking forward to seeing Expostulations and learning what the autumn surprise will be! So you’ve adapted this story, illustrated by Ryan Carr with lettering by Marshall Dillon, and book design by Sean Sobczak. While Sandy King serves as editor and publisher, who pulled the team together on this project, and what went into making the arrangements between GARF and Storm King Comics for release of this graphic novel?
JW: Ryan, Suz, and I created this concept in 2021 as we started to talk about how the film transcends decades - it’s really a timeless work on the aging process. Originally, we had just hoped to self-publish a black and white version to cut down on costs but still bring the story to a different, but complementary, audience. Ryan and I are both comic book people, so being able to adapt this was glorious, and of course, Ryan’s art is the real star here. He captured the essence of the film and more. We met John Carpenter at an event in Pittsburgh called Steel City Con. He was incredibly kind to us, and given that Ryan and I are huge comic book fans, we knew that Sandy and John had created Storm King. Based on how kind John was to us, we figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if they would be interested in a partnership to publish the book with us. A testament to their love of George, Sean and Sandy agreed to take a meeting with us. After that initial meeting, we sent over the black and white version of the book, and they agreed to partner with us to publish it. We were overjoyed. Over the course of several development meetings, we decided to fully color the book which just added so much richness and texture to the work - really completing it. Sean and Sandy brought in Marshall to letter for us, and I know you’ll all agree that he did a remarkable job. We are incredibly grateful to Sandy, Sean, and John for partnering on this project with us, and we certainly hope that there are many other projects on the horizon.
CBY: Oh, I think the finished publication is very apt at translating the look of the original film (shot on 16mm with Arriflex cameras and lenses). Regarding Ryan Carr’s illustration, he’s definitely evoked a plenty of old horror comics, bringing to mind Tales from the Crypt artwork, with heavily hatched shading and fine line inking throughout. What sort of conversations went into capturing the visual aesthetic in accordance with editorial expectations? It looks like there’s some digital texturing and coloring, so did you and Ryan have a clear idea of how you wanted it to look on the page, or was there significant experimentation before landing on the final look to the comic?
JW: Yes, we spoke extensively about look and feel, diving into both of our old collections as well as comps from history. We definitely used the EC look and feel to generate the mood. As a huge fan of Bronze Age books myself, we wanted to wed the look and feel of comics from the time in which the film was produced as it created a very symbiotic relationship between the two art forms. However, for those of you who are comic nerds like me, you’ll know that 1970s comics tended to be very exposition heavy in its writing - meaning a lot of words that explained actions, the subtext of the scenes, and even what was happening in the scenes. Some comics of the era were almost novel-like in their approach, inadvertently diverting the eye from the art to the text. Instead of that approach, we really wanted to keep the words on the page minimal to let the images tell the story, to really celebrate the art. We meticulously went through each panel together to ensure that we had the essence of the film as an ode to George, Wally, and everyone who worked on it, without overburdening the audience with heavy text. The result is open panels with Ryan’s beautiful art, close-ups on Lincoln's expressions so that we can feel what he is feeling, and dialogue that is driven from the spirit of the film and its message.
CBY: Yeah, it definitely helps in avoiding exposition-heavy text when you've got the film as a visual template to build upon. While The Amusement Park was initially screened in 1975, it went unreleased for well over 40 years. I remember going through all of Romero’s films back when I worked at Odd Obsession in Chicago (RIP), and having watched the film in preparing for this interview, it is nice to add the final piece to the puzzle between The Crazies and Martin. We talked about your earliest experience with his films, and you mentioned how well-acquainted you’ve become with The Amusement Park, but given he directed 16 movies over five decades, which of Romero’s films resonate most with you these days, and has that changed over the years?
JW: Actually, it has not changed. From the time I was a boy watching Day of the Dead for the first time, that has always been my favorite. In my humble opinion, it is the film with the richest subtext and social commentary, something I didn’t realize was possible to achieve in horror films until watching George’s work. Even as a child, I struggled with organized religion and blind faith. I still do, so the George narrative on the juxtaposition of those who put blind faith in religion against those who put blind faith in science was always fascinating to me. It was not on the nose, it was filled with zombie action and gore, but it still accomplished the mission of being a very human film that explored a topic that was often understudied. It has taken me decades to really grapple with my own opinion of the balance between science and religion.I believe that blind faith in anything is dangerous, that we should always question, and that there is a place where science and religion can exist in harmony and not in opposition.
CBY: Healthy skepticism does leave room for acceptance when the burden of proof is satisfied, and I see how that often extends to religious practice when the rationale can be unpacked as inherently rooted in beneficial social or environmental practice, as is often the case. To contextualize this piece in relation to his earlier work, Romero tackled ageism in the context of discrimination against the elderly with The Amusement Park, explicitly tasked with the issue when it was commissioned by the Lutheran Church. Addressing challenges faced by civil society was baked into Romero’s approach to the medium, scrutinizing the folly of the military industrial complex in The Crazies, prescriptive relationship dynamics and feminist perspectives in Season of the Witch, women’s rights and abortion in There’s Always Vanilla, and racism and cold-war fearmongering in Night of the Living Dead.
Given the range of extreme challenges American civil society now faces (partially a product of an entrenched Gerontocracy clearly unable, and often unwilling, to reckon with effectively regulating an environment of accelerating change), what other recent comics and films would you say embody the spirit of Romero in their allegorical framing of the very real horrors being perpetrated in the United States? What are the most salient displays of resistance in narrative media today?
JW: As you have likely gathered, socially-conscious horror is my jam. I read and watch extensively. Some of my recent favorites on the film front have included Train to Busan, It Follows, Cabin in the Woods, The Substance, Us, Green Room, The Platform, Talk to Me, Barbarian, and many, many others. Some critics have gone as far as saying that horror producers have taken to creating too many of what are now being referred to as ‘message films.’ I disagree, and if given the choice between something that is going to challenge me and my worldview as opposed to just showing interesting ways to cut the human body into tiny pieces, I’m taking the former every time. There is certainly room for both, but the notion that horror should not contain a message is, perhaps, also a byproduct of what you’ve just mentioned. No, horror should remain a genre that is accessible but challenges audiences to explore the darker side of our nature, really reconciling how we feel and what we would do if put in some of the impossible situations our characters are forced to endure. I also read an extensive amount of comics, particularly in the horror genre, and I have been very happy to see some more historically marginalized voices telling the stories of what scares them. From Jook Joint to Haunted Girl to The Skin You’re In to Harrow Country to Southern Cross to Asylum, there are tons from which to choose. I also continue revisiting my favorites, 30 Days of Night, The Walking Dead, The Autumnal, Black Hole, The Crossroads of Midnight, The Closet, The Black Monday Murders, and again, many, many others. I derive a ton of inspiration from the writers who create these magnificent stories, many of which are about the things that scare them.
CBY: Well, Jeff, I think you just laid out a pretty good viewing and reading syllabus for an intro course on modern horror. Each of those films stretches the genre in new ways, and there are some comics in there I haven't picked up yet, so you've given our readers plenty to dive into. As I looked through the GARF website, I saw University of Pittsburgh and George A. Romero Foundation have partnered to create the George A. Romero Horror Studies Center. Can you tell our readers a bit more about its activities, and since you’re also the director of Global Engagement at the University, how those of us in arts & media-focused disciplines at other academic institutions may be able to best engage with the Center and further the discourse on the role of horror in our global media landscape?
JW: The Horror Studies Center is on the eve of its founding. It is entirely possible that it will be officially official by the time this interview hits the airwaves. In 2018, Adam Lowenstein - we lovingly call him Doctor Horror - a professor of horror and film at the University of Pittsburgh and I spent the fall with the Romero family in what we all called Romero Lives! This was a celebration of George’s life and works in the October following his untimely passing. Suz, the visionary that is she, channeled her grief into the creation of the Foundation. Simultaneously, given that many of us are in Pittsburgh, we began concentrating our efforts around academic programs at the University of Pittsburgh where we have a wonderful group of faculty and staff working in horror. The University of Pittsburgh Library System saw and supported the vision, and so they began creating the Horror Studies Archive which includes the George A. Romero Collection. The Frederick Honors College then worked with us to create the Horror as Social Force Scholarly Community, an engine through which we began providing scholarships and opportunities for students to study and engage in reflection on socially-conscious horror. Over the next five years, we grew, we began hosting events, activities, supporting students, and much more in the hopes that we could create the first Horror Studies Center in the United States. We then spent 2023 and 2024 working with the University’s senior leadership to explain what the Center would be, how it would function, and its benefits to our community. As of the winter of 2025, we received the green light to pilot the center, and we will put the finishing touches on the final approvals in June and July of 2025 with the aim of launching this fall. We will then turn our attention to fundraising so that the center can live forever.
CBY: From my role here at University of Melbourne in the Arts & Cultural Management Department, I'll be keeping a keen eye on the launch, and will be sure to let my colleagues know what you're all putting together up there! Hearkening back to my time growing up outside Columbus, Ohio, I realize now after being gone for so long how pivotal the creations of artists from the Columbus-Cleveland-Pittsburgh triangle have been in shaping the pop culture discourse over the last century. Romero was rather distinct in his dedication to fostering the film industry in his hometown, finding success on the international stage without first decamping to Hollywood. What do you want the rest of the world to know about Pittsburgh that a screening of Romero’s films alone may not impart to an audience?
JW: I came to Pittsburgh in 1999 because of George and his influence on the film industry. I have always wanted to be a writer - I have been writing since I was very young. I love George and films, and while he is best known as a filmmaker, I will always admire him first as a writer. When I got here, I had not realized how rich a community had been built around filmmaking and storytelling in Pittsburgh. It is a vibrant town that deeply supports the arts. This is one of the reasons that I chose to stay here as opposed to heading to Los Angeles or New York after I graduated from college, a choice I have never regretted. Pittsburgh’s champions truly believe that we can continue George’s legacy here and create incredible art. And while we are the zombie capital of the world, the art we create doesn’t necessarily have to be about zombies - we are open to all genres, empowering independent filmmakers and storytellers to tell their stories.
CBY: I think that strength of community can be drawn upon and channeled in any direction (zombie-related or otherwise), and it's always encouraging to see how cultural diversity enriches the creative landscape. Thinking forward, looking back (noting that Chris Ryall led IDW’s adaptation Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead from 2004-06) what other titles from Romero’s filmography might be most readily adapted to graphic novel form next? Has there been any additional discussion on subsequent publications covering any of his other films?
JW: We have some very serious discussions underway on several fronts, and so I’ll be a bit coy on this question. There is one project which would be akin to granting a Make-a-Wish dream for me, and if that happens, I would be giddy with joy. More importantly, fans of George and horror audiences writ large would adore it. We are a couple of yesses away from some majorly exciting stuff. So stay tuned as if the stars align, we’ll have some interesting projects in store to help benefit the Foundation and ultimately, its scholarship, mentorship, and training programs. All of the revenue that we receive from the sale of our creative projects goes toward funding these initiatives. So please do pick a copy as our hope is to be able to foster future generations of filmmakers and storytellers.
CBY: All the more reason to support the publication knowing there is a worthy cause behind it! To close things off, we always provide creators an opportunity to share any unrelated creative work (comics, films, books, music, etc.) that has been providing you with inspiration lately. You've already given us a wide sample of horror films and comics to check out, but what should our audience give their attention to after they check out The Amusement Park?
JW: These last five years have been incredibly productive for me, and I owe a lot of that to Suz and the folks that I have met through the Foundation. They have been incredibly supportive and have given me a ton of confidence to make art. I’ve managed to produce five short films, write and produce a sixth, help produce three features, and write and produce another. The feature that I’ve written and produced is in post-production right now, and we hope for audiences to be able to enjoy it on a streamer by early next year. I have several other film projects in various stages of development and production. Given the partnership that we forged with Bloody Disgusting for the podcast, The Dead, in which I wrote the first two episodes, I’ve had the ability to write on two other broadcasts. I’ve written Creepy Places for Jon Grilz, the legendary voice behind the wildly successful podcast, Creepy. I’ve also written another dream come true project for me, Poe - Evermore, an urban fantasy that blends Poe’s actual life with the characters in his work. A shout out to Pacific Obadiah And Daisy McNamara, who created that podcast with me and really let me loose on its characters and narrative. I am finishing season 2 of Poe - Evermore literally as we speak. The first seasons of The Dead, Creepy Places, and Poe - Evermore are all available wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. Ryan and I are also hard at work on an original young adult horror graphic novel called Supraliminal Prime. The script is finished, and Ryan is busily bringing it to life with his stunning art so that we can find it a publication home in the hopes that audiences can enjoy it in the near future!
CBY: Jeff, thanks for dropping in today and sharing with us the breadth of your work and Romero's enduring legacy. If you’ve got portfolio, publication, and social media links you’d like our readers to check out, now is the time to share them!
JW: Thanks so much for having me! I love engaging with folks, so feel free to hit me up on social media. I primarily use Instagram (@jeff.r.whitehead) and Facebook where you can find me as Jeff Whitehead or through the George A. Romero Foundation page.
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