The Eisner-nominated horror anthology Scream! is returning for a 2026 Halloween special that will feature creators Alex Paknadel, Babs Tarr, Zoe Tunnell, Zac Thompson, and Vic Malhotra, among others.
The book — which is from 2000AD publisher, Rebellion — will be comprised of five stories, all about scary things, of course, ranging from Dracula to a malevolent AI.
For the unfamiliar, Scream! is a storied horror anthology with a history that dates back to 1984 (good year, if I do say so myself…). In fact, it was the Scream! The Specials 1985 – 2024, edited by Chiara Mestieri, that scored the Eisner nom this year.
The Scream Halloween Special 2026! is due out in October, which makes sense, given the Halloween of it all.
You can find the cover art below, followed by the full press release and preview pages from Rebellion.
So, that’s the cover, by Salvador Lavado. And here’s the full press, followed by preview pages…
“October 2026 will see the return of the Eisner-Nominated horror anthology Scream! Featuring a gruesome cadre of twisted storytellers, The Scream! Halloween Special 2026 will show you the true meaning of fear across 48 ghastly and grotesque pages! With comics from a murderously good lineup of top creators including Alex Paknadel, Babs Tarr, Zoe Tunnell, Zac Thompson and Vic Malhotra, Rebellion proudly present five new horror stories to keep you screaming this Halloween!
Scream! has been delivering chills to once-innocent readers for over forty years, horrifying generations of comic fans with tales to make your squirm with pleasure and disgust! Editor Chiara Mestieri says of the news: “I am so excited to be back for another Scream! special, and with this murderers’ row of creative teams, no less! It has been a blast to dive back into the shadows, and to dial up the shock, horror, blood and guts across these pages.”
In The Dracula File, Alex Paknadel and Alejandro Aragón reunite for a new story with Jason Wordie and Jonathan Stevenson which puts extra venom into the modern-day exploits of the legendary blood-sucking fiend. Describing the story, Aragón says: “I’ve always seen this story as being about one simple idea: facing a terrifying truth is easier when someone believes you. At its heart, it’s about the importance of not being completely alone.”
Then, cower as Zoe Tunnell, Chloe Brailsford, JP Jordan and Jodie Troutman team for Consent Is Key. Tunnell explains: ” We already live in an era of voracious capitalism and AI causing more doubt and confusion in what we are seeing and hearing than ever. How bad would it go when even your sleeping hours are monetized for labour? Your own choices made for you? All oh-so-helpfully guided by a major corporation that has Your Best Interests In Mind. They promise!”
Brailsford continues “Our story is about the exploitation of the body by corporations in the pursuit of capital. While income inequality grows every day, the poor have to take on lives of subjugation in an attempt to strive for the capitalist dream — that which unfortunately RELIES on poverty to work. It’s the true horror story of 21st Century capitalism!”
The malevolent A.I. Max returns for more close-quarters carnage as Zac Thompson and Mattia Monaco invite you to once again enter The Thirteenth Floor. “This is a look at A.I. psychosis in a way that only The Thirteenth Floor can pull off,” says Thompson. “When Maxwell Tower gets a new large language model upgrade, the building’s caretaker Max is pushed to make some ethical and moral concessions in order to best serve the wellbeing of his tenants. Thus begins a depraved character study of a man whose only companion is an A.I. who can’t say no – even when his behaviour becomes more and more disturbing…”
When a bog body is discovered during an archaeological dig, a PhD student finds that the project of a lifetime becomes an obsession with death! Join Oliver Gerlach and Vic Malhotra as they wade into the depths of human nature. Gerlach reveals: “The Bog Body is about exhaustion and burnout and the horror of being consumed by your work until there’s nothing left… and also about seeing how unpleasantly damp a story I can get away with!” Malhotra adds “Oliver sent over a story that has a perfect amount of terror and dread. Now it’s my job to draw it in a way that’s not too pretty, evokes the gnarly mood, and drags readers down into the depths of the deepest boggy waters.“
And our grand finale brings together Michael Gorman and Babs Tarr, who’d like to inform readers that the quaint sleepy town of Bishop’s End is in fact open for business, and any reports of haunts at the nearby petrol station are GREATLY exaggerated…
First published in 1984 and hosted by the mysterious editor “Ghastly McNasty”, Scream! has proudly scared generations of readers, with comics from legendary figures including Alan Moore, John Wagner, Cam Kennedy and many more, overseen by the legendary Barrie Tomlinson. This new Special celebrates their work, with a captivating cover from Salvador Lavado that celebrates Ghastly himself!
It’s the horror event of the year – if you’re looking for true terror this Halloween, make sure you pre-order your copy of The Scream! Halloween Special 2026 today! Available via Lunar Distribution in the US. You won’t regret it…”
