Next year, get ready to get spooked by Spirit of Shadows, a new series from Oni Press co-written by Daniel Ziegler and Nick Cagnetti, with art by Cagnetti. In it, we explore both a world full of ghosts and witches, and the afterlife where the titular character is desperately trying to get back to life. And you might not be surprised how inspired Cagnetti was from “old school horror.”
“His costumed look is between superhero and monster,” Cagnetti explained over email, “he has decidedly action forward body language that can be disarmed and go right back into being someone caught off guard and lost, which I think is a fun juxtaposition to try and aim for.”
Want to know more before you head out on your spiritual journey? Read on.
Comic Book Club: The PR calls out Kirby, Allred, and MacFarlane, and while I see all those, my main takeaway was almost Edgar Allan Poe via Archie Comics… That’s a lot of words to ask: what were your inspirations for this?
Nick Cagnetti: Really a whole lot of horror all over the place! Outside of the comic book influences there’s stuff like Scooby Doo, Haunted Mansion, to classic monster movies- it’s really taking a lot from so many things we enjoy and putting them into a blender. I think a big guide was Jack Kirby’s The Demon, as far as trying to capture a sense of supernatural bombast and really elevate that type of feeling.
You’ve got a very specific look for our main character, Erik Leroux. What was important to capture there?
For the guy under the mask, it again draws back to old school horror, with the visual inspiration for his look being the somnambulist from Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. His costumed look is between superhero and monster, he has decidedly action forward body language that can be disarmed and go right back into being someone caught off guard and lost, which I think is a fun juxtaposition to try and aim for. I thought the green and white color scheme felt unique, and there’s reasons for why he looks how he does in the story. Like all the little elements come together and you see those moments.
I ask this question way too often, but I always think it’s interesting to see how one depicts music in comics, a — you may be aware — non-auditory art form. What was your approach?
Music is really important to Erik and his journey because it’s the thing that connects him back to his life and his love. Trying to visualize that connection by making everything else fade away as they’re brought closer together I think goes a long way to gesture to that sense. Beyond that, he plays violin and sometimes is blasting monsters with musical notes. I tried to have the musical notes be as real as they could be at times given he’s playing what he remembers.
You’ve got a lot of mythology to throw in here, while still keeping focused on your character’s emotional journey. How do you strike the right balance between the two?
I think all those things can help facilitate interesting dilemmas and take the characters to interesting places, but it really is a juggling act of trying to make sense of all the logic and the rules. The way I think we found is to make the goals really identifiable and easy to relate to and all the other stuff just creates a cool vehicle for those basic core ideas. It really bounces a lot from perspectives and worlds but I think the flow also gives readers what they need when they need it here so it should be satisfying!
Given you’re co-writing and doing the art, how do you split up duties with Daniel Ziegler?
We talked really early on what we wanted to see and I’d draw characters or moments and Daniel plotted the whole thing out and scripted it all. It was a lot at every stage just being involved in batting around ideas, talking through elements, just really trying to see if I could help provide thoughts. Sometimes little elements could be changed late in the game after we’d talk through it more, just anything in the pursuit of getting it as tight and impactful as we could get it.
What can you tease about the book for readers who might be interested in checking it out (which they should, it’s great)?
While the series is a fun and colorful crazy romp through the afterlife with spooky monsters and witches, it’s also a complex story that has no clean answers or characters. Your first read of it is going to be so different from looking at it again because you probably won’t know how to feel by the end after you uncover the mystery of the character. We’re both incredibly proud of this series, there’s not gonna be another book on the stands quite like it!
Watch a trailer for Spirit of Shadows below. Spirit of Shadows #1 hits stores on January 28, 2026 from Oni Press.
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