Broken Frontier

This summer, Arcana takes you back to the Old West with SUNDOWN: ARIZONA, a three-issue crime/horror series set in a land where dying just means you're switching sides.

Set in 1880, SUNDOWN: ARIZONA begins when New York Herald reporter Will Dalton arrives in Arizona to investigate a rash of ghastly preacher killings. Will's brother Clay, sheriff of the small town of Sobrante, joins Will in the search for the killer; a search that forces them to face unimaginable horrors both around and within them. Will learns that in Arizona, life is as fragile as stained glass. And Clay learns that there are fates far worse than dying.

SUNDOWN: ARIZONA boasts the stunning art of Marvel vet Ryan Bodenheim (Wolverine, Black Panther) and the rich colors of 2005 Harvey nominee Stefani Rennee (Ant). SUNDOWN: ARIZONA writer Jay Busbee, a novelist and journalist, penned "The Deserter" for the premiere issue of the hit indy anthology Western Tales of Terror, a tale that Comic Book Galaxy called "the best story of the bunch, hands down."

"SUNDOWN: ARIZONA blends the best elements of Deadwood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Busbee says. "This is a crime story first, a horror story second, and a western third. Ryan Bodenheim has turned in an all-star-caliber effort on art, and Stefani Rennee’s colors are going to have you dusting Arizona sand off your hands." The Fourth Rail’s Previews Review pegged SUNDOWN: ARIZONA as a series to watch, praising its “terrific-looking full-color artwork."

To celebrate the release of SUNDOWN: ARIZONA, Arcana will be hosting contests for both artists and writers. Artists can create their finest western pinup art based on the SUNDOWN: ARIZONA mythos; writers can submit their best “round-the-campfire” horror story of 800 words or less. The two winners will receive original art from the series and publication in the third issue; all contestants will receive a copy of the script to issue #1. Deadline for entries is June 30; submit all work to sundownmail@comcast.net. Check the SUNDOWN mini-site at www.arcanastudio.com/sundown for further details on the contests.

SUNDOWN: ARIZONA #1 (Previews order code: MAY052493), suggested for mature readers, ships in July and will retail for $2.95.