Old Town Café Unleashes Free Horror Anthology in Williston

Old Town Café & Comics in Williston will release Samhain Harvest, a free horror anthology, on Saturday, November 14. The publication is the second issue of the magazine, following a debut in October 2025. Ben Chase, co-owner of the café and the independent comic book retailer ECGCE, produced the new edition.

Chase stated that the team initially aimed to finish the project by Halloween. He noted that coordinating the many involved creators required extensive planning. "Coordinating so many creators is a lot of work and planning, so I’m really just ecstatic it’s come together," Chase said. The release date falls in November, a period Chase considers appropriate for the theme of Samhain, the ancient Gaelic festival marking the start of winter.

The magazine features contributions from national figures and local artists. Film critic Joe Bob Briggs, artists Enzo Garza and Alex Cormack, and Steve Lavigne, a frequent contributor to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, appear in the issue. Los Angeles artist Rustem Shagisultanov illustrated the cover. Local contributors include Stephen R. Bissette and James Kochalka, both former or current Vermont cartoonists laureates. Writers Justin Boland and Jim Heltz also provided stories. Chase wrote several entries for the new edition, building on his work in the first issue.

Chase described securing Bissette as a major achievement. Bissette is known for his work on Swamp Thing for DC Comics in the 1980s alongside writer Alan Moore. "Vermont has such a legacy of great artists like Steve and Rick Veitch … and so many talented people on the scene now, like Tillie Walden and Kochalka," Chase said. He added that he wanted to tap into that local talent pool.

The new issue contains the story "Hollow Head" by Kochalka. The narrative follows a living pumpkin seeking spare brain matter. The magazine also includes a preview of Krampus, a holiday grind-house comic by Joseph and Hazel Schmalke.

A daylong release party will take place at the Williston store on November 14. The magazine is exclusively available at Old Town Café & Comics. A digital edition will later post on the ECGCE website. Readers can scan a QR code to access a soundtrack featuring atmospheric electronic and spooky ambient music produced by Brkn Hvn.

Chase aims to use the release to build community ties. "We hope [Old Town] is a place that serves as a sort of hub for the community," he said. He believes the event helps establish that role.