Zenescope Entertainment, publisher of the hit series Grimm Fairy Tales, Neverland, The Waking and Charmed has announced the release of a brand new four issue mini-series debuting this fall entitled MONSTER HUNTERS' SURVIVAL GUIDE.

The series, penned by monster expert John Paul Russ, will offer a comprehensive guide on how to effectively hunt and survive confrontations of all sorts with a large variety of monsters.

Each issue will contain precautionary measures, hunting techniques, survival tips and other extremely useful information when dealing with a multitude of monster types which include the undead, cryptids, unnatural beasts and fantasy monsters.

We caught up with writer, John Paul Russ, to talk about the series.

Horror News Network: How did you come up with the concept for this comic?

John Paul Russ: This is book is based on my life experiences hunting monsters, so I guess you could say it's been years in the making. One day, it came to me that compiling all that I have learned in my travels could be a valuable resource for others. I immediately set to work recording that knowledge before it is lost. In this line of work, you never know when an encounter with a Monster will be your last.


Horror News Network: Will there be a story inside each comic or is it strictly a survival guide on how to survive attacks, etc?

John Paul Russ: This first edition is a field guide. I do plan on writing about some of my true life stories in future series, but I've decided to start with a basic primer to what it is that I, and others like me, do.

Horror News Network: Issue one features the undead. What will the other three issues feature?

John Paul Russ: There will actually be four other issues covering all of the types of dangerous monsters I've wrangled with. The other issues will cover Cryptids like Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster, Issue #3 is Unnatural Beasts such as Werewolves and the Chupacabra, Giant Monsters like the Giant Anaconda and Man-eating Catfish will be covered in issue #4 and the final issue will be about Fantasy Creatures like Dragons and Demons.

The wonderful thing about breaking up the information into separate comics is that they are easily transportable. Just grab the issue covering the kind of beast you may encounter, stick it in your back pocket and go. As you'll learn from my guide Monster Hunters require a lot of equipment. Best to travel light when possible.

Horror News Network: Tell us about the research that went into making this mini-series.

John Paul Russ: I've hunted monsters from one end of the earth to the other. I've almost died more times than I can remember hunting and battling the undead and beasts. That's about all the research I needed to write this book. For the reader, I hope it's a useful tool in separating fact from fiction. There are a lot of silly myths out there that can get a novice killed. Like Vampires that sparkle. What bunk.  

Horror News Network: How many pages are in each issue and are the interiors color or black and white?

John Paul Russ: Issue #1 is 48 pages and the other four issues will be the standard 32 pages.  The comic is in black and white...monster hunting doesn't pay well enough for me to publish this in color.

Horror News Network: How is it working with the rest of the creative team on the book?

John Paul Russ: The artist has been great. Other than that I'm the only other part of the creative team. That's all there is and it's enough.

Horror News Network: Will we see more Monster Hunters Survival Guide after this four issue series wraps up?

John Paul Russ: Yes. I plan on detailing one of the most important Monster Hunter cases I ever worked on in my next series. It's a story known to very few living people but it affected the fate of every person on the face of the planet.

Horror News Network: Where can our readers find out more information on Monster Hunters Survival Guide?

John Paul Russ: www.zenescope.com. The folks at Zenescope were kind enough to take my stories seriously and give me the respect I deserve so I'm allowing them to publish my book.

Horror News Network: In closing, what would you like to say about Monster Hunters Survival Guide?

John Paul Russ: Read this book. Seriously you can't afford not to. Monsters are out there. They're real and more likely than not you will encounter one some day. This book is the best chance...hell the only chance you have of surviving that encounter.

Horror News Network: Thank you for your time, John! Best of luck with Monster Hunters Survival Guide! Comment on this article on our forum.