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John Carpenter Drops “Cathedral” Graphic Novel, First Metal Score

8/6/2026

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Summary

Carpenter Releases Cathedral

John Carpenter released the graphic novel “Cathedral” on Tuesday, 2 August 2026.
John Carpenter co-wrote the comic with his wife Sandy King and writer Sean Sobczak.
Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna provided the artwork, with Sian Mandrake handling the coloring.
John Carpenter’s synth-heavy soundtrack was released on Friday, 7 August 2026 by Sacred Bones Records and matches each chapter of the graphic novel.

Summary

Carpenter Heads Panel

John Carpenter will promote “Cathedral” at the Midsummer Scream convention, Long Beach, signing on August 8 and headlining the “Crafting Fear” panel on August 9.
The August 7 listening party gives 50 fans who buy the album-novel bundle at the Storm King booth a VIP slot from 7-8 p.m.
Carpenter says the “Cathedral” soundtrack is his first heavy-metal score and that he and his collaborators prefer human creativity over AI tools.

History

Historical Context

Heavy Metal launched in April 1977 as the U.S. version of France’s Métal hurlant, exposing readers to European artists such as Moebius and Enki Bilal. After a 2023 hiatus it relaunched in 2024 under editors Dave Kelly, Frank Forte and Chris Thompson, marking its 300th issue in 2021. John Carpenter’s 2026 graphic novel “Cathedral,” with a heavy-metal soundtrack, draws directly on that legacy.

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Carpenter Releases Cathedral

John Carpenter released the graphic novel “Cathedral” on Tuesday, 2 August 2026.
John Carpenter co-wrote the comic with his wife Sandy King and writer Sean Sobczak.
Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna provided the artwork, with Sian Mandrake handling the coloring.
John Carpenter’s synth-heavy soundtrack was released on Friday, 7 August 2026 by Sacred Bones Records and matches each chapter of the graphic novel.

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