Legendary Director John Carpenter Returns to Midsummer Scream

LEGENDARY DIRECTOR JOHN CARPENTER RETURNS TO MIDSUMMER SCREAM AUGUST 7-9
WITH CATHEDRAL HIS LANDMARK DEBUT GRAPHIC NOVEL AND COMPANION ALBUM

Acclaimed Producer and CATHEDRAL Co-Author Sandy King To Host VIP Listening Party on
Friday, August 7 

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Midsummer Scream, the world's largest Halloween and horror convention, today announced that legendary filmmaker John Carpenter will return to the Long Beach Convention Center, August 7–9, 2026 celebrating two landmark creative works releasing simultaneously this August: CATHEDRAL, his debut original graphic novel, and the companion album of the same name.
 
CATHEDRAL is co-authored with Sandy King, acclaimed producer, editor, and CEO of Storm King Comics, Carpenter’s wife, longtime creative partner, and the first woman to found a comic publishing house. CATHEDRAL the graphic novel publishes August 4 via Storm King Comics; the album arrives August 7 on Sacred Bones Records which is the same day Midsummer Scream opens its doors. The dual release marks the first time in Carpenter's storied five-decade career that he has written an original graphic novel, representing his most ambitious cross-medium project to date.
 
"Midsummer Scream is exactly the right place to unleash CATHEDRAL on the world,” commented John Carpenter. “These monsters have been living in my head long enough.  I can't wait to share them with the fans who will truly appreciate what we've created."
 
Sandy King added, “There's no better audience than the Midsummer Scream crowd to be the first to experience CATHEDRAL. This is a community that lives for horror done right, and John and I are thrilled to bring this nightmare to them first."
 
A propulsive horror story, it centers on an abandoned cathedral in downtown Los Angeles concealing a centuries-old evil. When a police officer is murdered at the site, Lieutenant Christine Marks and her detectives descend into its catacombs  and into a nightmare they may not survive. The book is also co-written with Sean Sobczak, with illustrations by Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna, and lettering by Marshall Dillon. The companion album, created by Carpenter with longtime musical collaborators Cody Carpenter (synths) and Daniel Davies (guitar), functions as both a standalone record and a chapter-by-chapter score to the graphic novel. Leaning into a heavier sonic palette than the trio's acclaimed Lost Themes series, Carpenter has described CATHEDRAL as "kind of our first heavy metal album." The debut single, "Lord of the Underground," is available now and fans can pre-order the book at https://johncarpenterscathedral.com.
 
VIP LISTENING PARTY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
On Friday evening, August 7, Midsummer Scream will host a listening party for CATHEDRAL the album, kicking off with an exclusive VIP portion. The first hour (7pm-8pm) of the event is reserved strictly for a select group of pre-purchasers, featuring a special appearance by Storm King Comics CEO Sandy King. During this exclusive window, Sandy will share the definitive story behind the project - from the dream that inspired it to its evolution as a groundbreaking cross-medium work.
 
To secure your spot for this exclusive VIP portion, be one of the first 50 attendees to visit the Storm King booth and purchase the bundle, which includes an exclusive access credential for the special presentation for purchaser and guest. Following this initial hour, the room will open to all Midsummer Scream attendees to join the listening party for the remainder of the evening.
 
GRAPHIC NOVEL & ALBUM SIGNING WITH JOHN CARPENTER
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
On Saturday, August 8, John Carpenter will appear at the Storm King Comics booth on the convention showfloor to sign copies of CATHEDRAL the graphic novel and album, a rare opportunity for fans to meet the director in person. Sandy King and additional Storm King talent will be on hand throughout the weekend. 
 
“CRAFTING FEAR” PANEL WITH SANDY KING CARPENTER
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
On Sunday, August 9, acclaimed producer Sandy King will headling “Crafting Fear: The Invisible Architects of Horror,” a deep-dive panel exploring the unsung artistry behind modern genre filmmaking. Moderated by Jim Branscome (film programmer for Cinematic Void and the American Cinematheque), the discussion will feature panelist insights from Sandy Kin, Editor Jeremy Cohen (Over Your Dead Body), and Composer Samuel Jones (Didn’t Die).
A valid Midsummer Scream admission is required to attend all the events listed above. 
 
About John Carpenter
John Carpenter is an influential filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and composer whose work has shaped modern horror and genre cinema for decades. A graduate of the USC School of Cinema, he first gained attention with Dark Starbefore breaking through with Halloween in 1978, which became the most profitable independent film of its time and launched a landmark franchise. His directing credits include The Fog, The Thing, Escape From New York, Big Trouble In Little China, They Live, Christine, Prince of Darkness, In the Mouth of Madness, Vampires, and Escape from L.A. He is also an acclaimed composer whose debut non-soundtrack album Lost Themes (2014) earned international acclaim. CATHEDRAL — his first original graphic novel and its companion album — arrive in August 2026. He lives in Hollywood with his wife and producing partner, Sandy King.
 
About Sandy King
Writer, producer, and CEO of Storm King Productions, Sandy King has produced films including They Live and John Carpenter’s Vampires, In The Mouth of Madness and television including the Universal series “Suburban Screams.” Her Signal Award-winning podcast “Roanoke Falls” earned two Signal Awards, and she received a 2026 Bram Stoker Award nomination for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel. The first woman to found a comic publishing house, King launched Storm King Comics in 2012, home to the award-winning Asylumseries, the multiple award-winning Tales for a HalloweeNightanthologies, and the graphic novel lines Tales of Science Fiction, Night Terrors, and Dark & Twisted. She is co-author of CATHEDRALalongside John Carpenter and Sean Sobczak.
 
About Storm King Comics
Storm King Comics, formed in 2012 as a division of Storm King Productions, is headed by writer, producer, and editor Sandy King. Alongside her husband, director John Carpenter, King has built Storm King into a celebrated publisher of horror and science fiction comics, including John Carpenter’s Asylum, the award-winning John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight, and John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction, as well as imprints Dark & Twisted, John Carpenter’s Night Terrors, and John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids. stormkingcomics.com
 
About Midsummer Scream
Midsummer Scream is the world's largest Halloween and horror convention, held annually at the Long Beach Convention Center. Presented by David Markland (Co-Founder/Executive Director), Gary Baker (Co-Founder/Executive Producer), Claire Dunlap (Co-Founder/Producer), and Rick West (Co-Founder/Creative Director), the event showcases the diversity of Southern California’s haunt and horror community, welcoming fans from around the world for a weekend.

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