By: Nicole D’Andria
Today we
have a horror parody of Elf on the Shelf! Krampus in the Corner is a picture
book from the point-of-view of Krampus. He is the reverse-Santa Claus,
punishing naughty children. I interviewed the creative husband-and-wife team Justin and Lindsay Cristelli.
Krampus in the Corner is a 32 page picture
book that is 11 by 8.5 inches and features 16 full-color painted illustrations.
The book has scary situations and mild gore. The story is by Justin Cristelli
and the artwork is by Lindsay Cristelli
The funds
for this project will also go toward the poseable Krampus plush doll. These dolls are is
machine sewn from custom-printed cotton fabric and finished by hand. They are
12 inches tall and include a bundle of sticks made for spanking and a child in
his basket.
This
project will only be funded if at least $2,800 is pledged by Sat, Oct 1 2016
8:00 PM EDT. There are already over 1,000 backer and more than $49,000 have been raised! The amount will go toward printing 100 copies of the book
(including purchasing an isbn and barcode), enough supplies to make 100 dolls,
as well as fulfill other backer rewards.
Some of these rewards
include buttons ($5), greeting cards ($12), the softcover book ($15), and the plush
doll ($20). For $120 you can even get your very own custom story. If you’re interested in pledging money, check out their official
Kickstarter.
 |
| Lindsay Cristelli |
Me: When did you first learn about the Krampus
figure and what do think is the most interesting information about him?
Lindsay Cristelli: I learned about Krampus
10 or 12 years ago. I collect antique postcards and I stumbled across pictures
of old Krampus Christmas cards. I was curious as to why there was a devil on a
Christmas card, looked it up online, and found out all about the Krampus. I
love that there is a dark side to Christmas lore. To me, the most interesting
part is that children in Europe still believe in Krampus, just as much as kids
here in the US believe in Santa. There are Krampus festivals and parades where
men dress up as the Krampus and frighten all the kids in town.
Me: What is the number one reason you think people
should back your Kickstarter?
Lindsay Cristelli: It's a unique project.
You definitely won't find anything like this in stores.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book artists?
Lindsay Cristelli: Don't compare yourself
to other artists. A lot of aspiring artists will look at established work and
feel that they will never be that good. Just keep practicing, develop your own
style, and make work that you love.
 |
| Justin Cristelli |
Me: What inspired this horror parody and making a
plushy to go along with it?
Justin Cristelli: Krampus is amazing. He
brings a horror factor to Christmas that people have been trying to figure out
how to do in this country for years. Some kids can be creeped out by Santa
Claus. That's why filmmakers have been doing Scary Santa movies since the 80's.
However, Krampus proves that they didn't need to do those. He was there all
along, right under our noses.
Me: When did you first learn about the Krampus
figure and what do think is the most interesting info about him?
Justin Cristelli: That was all Lindsay.
She introduced me to Krampus early in our relationship. I was instantly stuck
with how kids from other countries had believed in Krampus as much as Santa
Claus. He's a furry monster demon that beats and takes kids to Hell!
Me: What is the number one reason you think people
should back your Kickstarter?
Justin Cristelli: There's a number of
Krampus creations out there, but I don't think anyone has taken the Elf on the Shelf spoof angle before. As
soon as Lindsay and I came up with the idea, we had to do it.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Justin Cristelli: I could go on forever,
but I do have a few off the top of my head.
Do not
give up. Don't always look to other comics as inspiration. There's too much
exciting and crazy things going on in the real world not to draw from. Don't
worry about creating something so original that no one else had thought of it
before. There are only so many story ideas. YOU bring what's fresh to even the
most classic stories.
Me: Did either of you see the recent Krampus film from 2015? What did you
think of it?
BOTH: We've both seen and loved
the Krampus film from last year. There are others we've heard of, but we haven't
seen them. We loved the Krampus film because it's the right balance of humor
and horror.
Me: Not counting your own work, what is your
favorite adaptation of the Krampus mythology and why is it?
BOTH: Sadly, there hasn't been too many adaptations
of Krampus since he's still new to this country. We did enjoy his appearances
in The Venture Brothers and Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated.
Me: Thank you both for taking the time to answer my
questions. Congrats on your amazing success! If you’re interested in backing their project, check out the official
Kickstarter.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message me on comicmaven.com.
Other
“Kickstart the Week” features:
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