GVN Talking Comics Interview: Writer Anthony Cleveland for Mad Cave Studios: ‘Shows End: The Second Coming’

Back in 2019, Writer Anthony Cleveland and artist Jef Sadzinski combined for a series that mixed the iconic freakshows of old with supernatural mischief. The series, Show’s End was a five-issue masterpiece with cleverly conceived characters and a great premise. With positive reviews from both readers and critics alike, it was not a reach to believe that a return to Show’s End was in order.

Now, starting on July 27th, Cleveland and Sadzinski have once again revisited Loralye and friends. Using Mad Cave’s new subscription model, fans can get all five digital issues as they are released and then receive the Volume 2 TPB upon its completion. Recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down with writer Anthony Cleveland to discuss this new chapter, Show’s End: The Second Coming.

Background

GVN: Thanks for sharing some time with us Anthony. Since this is the first opportunity for us to chat, let’s start with a bit of your background. When did you take an interest in writing for comic books and was there a book or creator that led you to follow that path?

AC: I grew up obsessed with movies and spent most of my life working towards filmmaking. I had a solid foundation for visual storytelling, and I gravitated to comics because there were fewer limitations to tell stories than with film. Comics were always there for me, but I think Lemire’s Sweet Tooth was the one that made me say: “I can do this.”

The Self-Publishing Lessons

GVN: Following Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth is a great inspiration to channel. You started out by self-publishing a book entitled Silver Skin in 2017. How did that process go and what do you felt you learned that proved beneficial going forward?

AC: It was like taking a $2k paid course to learn every aspect of how to make a comic book…taught by yourself. A few mistakes were made, and a lot of lessons were learned, but it was all positive to me. My writing is a lot tighter for it.

The First Shows End

GVN: Nothing like investing in yourself. After that, you have had works published by Guerilla Publishing and two series by Mad Cave Studios, one of which was Shows End. This was a well-received collection dealing with the iconic freak shows of the early 1920’s mixed with a supernatural underpinning. How did that story come about, and did you have ambitions at THAT time of following it up?

AC: Show’s End came together pretty quick. I think I pulled from Tod Browning’s Freaks and a lot of various anime/manga I liked for the character of Loralye. It made a really fun combination to write with.
We of course wanted to come back after Vol. 1, but we purposely left it in a spot where we hoped it would be a satisfying ending to fans if Vol. 2 didn’t happen.

So, we’re all very happy to be back & We’re hoping Vol. 2 finds the same success as the previous volume so we can return one final time to wrap up this series as a trilogy!

Shows End: The Second Coming

GVN: On this second volume, Shows End: The Second Coming, you have once again partnered with talented artist Jeferson Sadzinski. If you would, tell our followers what they will find in this welcome return to Shows End?

AC: Jef excels in the volume. It’s such a Sadzinski book. If you look at Villainous and the last volume of Show’s End, he loads up the background with so many interesting characters and details. There’s so many mini stories going on in those panels or one-off characters that could have their own spinoffs. Volume 2 is his style to the max mixed with A LOT of dread and mystery.

The New Subscription Service

GVN: This new series is being distributed through Mad Caves Subscription Service. Please explain what fans will have access to in this new format.

AC: Sure! With this Subscription Service, fans will receive a digital copy of each issue monthly and a trade paperback once this volume wraps. The first 50 subscribers will also receive a variant issue by Tim Daniel. So, the 5 digital issues, a variant, and the TPB for $20. If you’re someone who likes to have both digital and print like me, it’s a great idea.

Coming Soon

GVN: Thanks once again for your time, Anthony. Before I let you go, do you have any other projects upcoming that you would like people to know about and where can they go to follow you on either the web or social media?

AC: Yes! There’s a lot of big things coming soon. I have a slasher project coming soon and another horror series on the way. These are the first two projects that are firmly in the horror genre and I’m very excited to share them. For updates, follow me on twitter! @Ant_Cleveland

The first issue of Mad Cave Studios Shows End: The Second Coming will be released through Mad Cave’s subscription service starting July 27th. You can find that here. Also look for our interview with Show’s End Artist Jeferson Sadzinski coming soon to Geek Vibes Nation.