Though Halloween is still months away, John Carpenter is looking forward to getting just a taste of the spooky season by spending the weekend at Midsummer Scream at the Long Beach Convention Center Aug. 7-9.
The 78-year-old screenwriter, director and composer, most known for his iconic films — including “Halloween,” “The Thing” and “The Fog” — is no stranger to the convention, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. Having previously attended, he said he felt the warm embrace of some 50,000 horror fans and is “beyond excited” to take part in the festivities once again.
This time, however, he’s bringing along a brand-new immersive project to share. His debut original graphic novel, “Cathedral,” publishes via Storm King Comics on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and an accompanying instrumental album of the same title drops on Sacred Bones Records on Friday, Aug. 7 – just in time for the convention.
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“If there’s a way to do it, this is the way to do it,” he said of revealing his latest works to the masses during a recent video call from his Hollywood home. “I love Midsummer Scream. It’s a fun place to be and the fans, they are so nice.”
RECALLING A NIGHTMARE
“Cathedral” all started with a dream. Or rather a nightmare. A profound flurry of images that spread rapidly through his altered state of consciousness one evening in 2024. And when he awoke from this vivid nighttime adventure, he immediately got to writing.
“It was unlike most of my dreams, which are frustration dreams,” he said with a laugh. “Usually, I’m trying to direct, and no one will listen to me or things are going wrong. This dream was a story, and I woke up and thought, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ Some of it is borrowed from Greek mythology and some borrowed from dreams I had when I was a kid, but it was all wrapped together in this one story.”
An abandoned church nestled in Downtown Los Angeles sits at the center of this tale. A long-forgotten relic that suddenly sparks interest when a police officer is killed in a particularly gruesome way. The story follows Lt. Christine Marks and detectives Paul Hernandez and Steve Mayfield as they step foot inside the once sacred structure to investigate. They’re lured deep into the catacombs and quickly discover there’s nothing holy about this place.
Unsure of what would ultimately become of the storyline conjured by sleep, Carpenter wrote down what he could remember, and the composer wheels began turning. He shared this story with his son, musician Cody Carpenter, and his godson, Daniel Davies, musician and son of The Kinks’ guitarist Dave Davies. This trio has worked on musical projects before, having contributed to the more recent “Halloween” films, multiple re-workings of Capenter’s classic scores and his debut non-soundtrack album, 2015’s critically acclaimed “Lost Themes.”
“The ‘Lost Themes’ album was designed as music for movies in your head,” he explained. “This is designed as music for the movies in John Carpenter’s head.”
Unlike the music on “Lost Themes,” “Cathedral” carries a far heavier sound, with Carpenter declaring it his “first heavy metal album.”
“It started percolating for Daniel quicker in his head than it did for myself,” he said, noting that Davies was the first to come back with a heavy metal vibe and the trio bounced ideas off of each other from there.
“Elevator” is a more trudging, bluesy tune, reminiscent of something Jack White could easily lend a vocal to, while “Desolation into the Underworld” is as dark as its title, sonically incapsulating, creepy and makes one feel like they’re moving slow motion in a dream. Then there’s “Lord of the Underground,” which is straight metal and a lot of fun.
Carpenter said he’s picky about his metal music, but he’s fond of Metallica and “Enter Sandman.” He’s also a huge Blue Öyster Cult fan, having placed that band’s hit song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” in “Halloween” in 1978.
“I try to listen to Blue Öyster Cult whenever I can,” he said.
THE DREAM TEAM
Since “Cathedral” is a mixed-media project, the album, while also stellar as a stand- alone, is meant to be enjoyed while reading the graphic novel. Each track aligns with a new chapter, creating a more immersive experience for the reader/listener.
Much like the album was a group project, Carpenter said the graphic novel came together in a similar fashion, with the help of his wife, Sandy King Carpenter, writer, producer and CEO of Strom King Productions and Storm King Comics, and Storm King Comics Managing Editor and writer, Sean Sobczak.
“Not every single detail was figured out in the dream,” Carpenter said. “I had to figure it out and make some stuff up along the road. My wife, Sandy, and Sean Sobczak, they fleshed these characters out more than I had. So, I have to admit, it was a group effort all around.”
“It was fun for me because I wrote an outline and I gave it to them and they did it – I sat back and played video games,” he said playfully, adding that he was fully engrossed in playing Fallout 76 at the time.
While the story and the music offer plenty for the imagination, “Cathedral” is also beautifully and hauntingly illustrated by Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna, colored by Sian Mandrake and lettered by Marshall Dillon.
Midsummer Scream will be a long weekend for the Carpenters, who have events booked each day of the convention. On Friday, Aug. 7, there’s a listening party for the “Cathedral” album with a special appearance by Sandy King Carpenter, who will share stories behind the project. To secure a VIP spot (from 7-8 p.m.), the first 50 attendees to visit the Storm King Booth and who purchase the album and graphic novel bundle will receive a special credential (with a plus one) to attend an early portion of the listening party. General admission for the listening party is first come, first in.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, John and Sandy Carpenter will be at the Storm King Comics booth on the show floor as John signs copies of the album and graphic novel and meets fans in person. For the final day, Sunday, Aug. 9, Sandy King Carpetner will headline the “Crafting Fear: The Invisible Architects of Horror” panel with a deep dive into the unsung heroes behind genre filmmaking. She’ll be joined by moderator Jim Branscome and panelists Jeremy Cohen and Samuel Jones.
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THE NEXT CHAPTER
In the forward to the graphic novel, Carpenter wrote that in another time and place in the motion picture business, he would have written a screenplay and made a movie out of this wild dream he had. But, times have changed and what he created is a soundtrack and a storyboard.
Is this the sort of cross-medium experience Carpenter could see himself doing in the future?
“We might see another one coming,” he teased with a wide grin.
This may not be the only immersive endeavor Carpenter would want to be a part of. While his music, dialogue and characters from “Halloween” have been used in numerous Halloween Horror Nights walk-thru attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood, he wouldn’t be opposed to working on an original concept in the future.
“I’m a composer for hire,” he said with another laugh. “If you would like me to do something, all you have to do is come up with a handsome figure for me and I’ll be glad to do it. Please, tell them I’m available.”