Published Jul 4, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.
The horror genre is the one style of storytelling that idolizes villainy over heroism. The likes of Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, and other harbingers of terror have served as the face of sinister cinema for nearly a century.
Of course, in the early days, these monsters were rarely known to wreak havoc alone, but had a loyal lackey to handle the more thankless tasks. However, an upcoming comic book series aims to give the supporting players in these iconic horror stories their due.
The Accessories Spotlights Horror Villains Henchmen
What does a horror movie villain's assistant do when their master has left the scene? An upcoming summer horror comic book called The Accessories aims to answer that question.
From Panic Entertainment, this series shifts the focus away from some of the more famous horror movie characters and instead toward Dr. Victor Frankenstein's lab assistant Igor, Count Dracula's familiar Renfield, and Dr. Henry Jekyll's companion Mrs. Hyde. The trio cross paths and find themselves abandoned by their bosses and without an idea of how to proceed.
Their solution is to take advantage of their more sinister superiors' absences by amending their responsibilities for a more positive purpose. Of course, it will not be easy when they get caught in the middle of an angry mob armed with torches and pitchforks, paranormal investigators driven by revenge, and even the minions they replaced.
The Accessories is the latest of many attempts to put the horror genre's most iconic sidekicks in the spotlight, such as when the hunchbacked Igor was voiced by John Cusack in his own self-titled animated movie from 2008. More recently, Nicholas Hoult starred as the title role of 2022's Renfield, opposite Nicolas Cage's Dracula.
A Modern Horror Icon Co-Writes The Accessories
Image via IFCBringing The Accessories to life is someone who is very well-versed in the world of both horror and comic books, not just as a fan but as a creator. The story is authored in part by David Dastmalchian, known for acclaimed superhero movies like The Dark Knight and The Suicide Squad, as well as cinematic chillers like Late Night with the Devil and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.
The actor, whose additional horror comic book credits include the upcoming Kingdom of Earth, told Fangoria, "The sidekicks and henchmen to all of my favorite monsters were often the unsung heroes of horror, and I was so excited when Leah initially exhumed this idea from the dark dungeon of her imagination. It’s exciting to work on a comic book where we are not being restricted in any way regarding the gore and horror elements."
The "Leah" in question is The Accessories co-writer, Leah Kilpatrick, a fellow actor and producer who also worked with Dastmalchian on Kingdom of Earth, among other projects. She also spoke to Fangoria about how she envisioned this story that reinterprets the unsung heroes of a genre she has loved her whole life.
"For me, there’s nothing more human than having compassion for the monsters in our lives, even when the monster is ourselves. As we created this series, we always knew who our 'bad guys' were. But when it came to our leads, Igor, Renfield, and Mrs. Hyde, they were never clear-cut heroes. They are, after all, accessories to their masters’ crimes. That’s what made David and me fall so deeply in love with this trio. They’re flawed. They make terrible choices. They’re haunted by loyalty, survival, addiction, power, and the desperate need to be seen. They may be monsters, but the thing haunting them most is their humanity."
Illustrator Patrick Piazzalunga and colorist Marco Brakko, known for Dark Horse Comics' unsettling crime series Those Not Afraid, provide the artwork for The Accessories. Special variant covers of the premiere issue are designed by Lukas Ketner (the artist behind Dastmalchian's Count Crowley), Tim Seeley of Image Comics' Hack/Slash fame, and Matthew Seaborne, who has a personal gallery of pieces inspired by classic movie monsters in addition to his comic book work.
The Accessories #1 haunts the shelves on Aug. 5, 2026.
English (US) · 