Midsummer Scream, billed as the world’s largest Halloween and horror convention, announced that filmmaker John Carpenter will return to the Long Beach Convention Center Aug. 7-9, 2026, to celebrate two new creative works releasing simultaneously this August: the graphic novel “Cathedral” and a companion album of the same name.
“Cathedral” is co-written with Sandy King, a producer, editor and CEO of Storm King Comics. King is also Carpenter’s wife, longtime creative partner and the first woman to found a comic book publishing house. The “Cathedral” graphic novel will be published Aug. 4 through Storm King Comics, and the album will be released Aug. 7 on Sacred Bones Records — the same day Midsummer Scream opens. The dual release marks the first time in Carpenter’s five-decade career that he has written an original graphic novel, his most ambitious cross-medium project to date.
“Midsummer Scream is exactly the right place to unleash ‘Cathedral’ on the world,” Carpenter said. “These monsters have been living in my head long enough. I can’t wait to share them with the fans who will truly appreciate what we’ve created.”
“There’s no better audience than the Midsummer Scream crowd to be the first to experience ‘Cathedral,’” King said. “This is a community that lives for horror done right, and John and I are thrilled to bring this nightmare to them first.”
The story centers on an abandoned cathedral in downtown Los Angeles that conceals a centuries-old evil. When a police officer is murdered at the site, Lt. Christine Marks and her detectives descend into its catacombs and into a nightmare they may not survive. The book is also co-written with Sean Sobczak, with illustrations by Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna and lettering by Marshall Dillon.
The companion album, created by Carpenter with longtime musical collaborators Cody Carpenter on synthesizers and Daniel Davies on guitar, serves as both a standalone record and a chapter-by-chapter score for the graphic novel. Leaning into a heavier sound than the trio’s “Lost Themes” series, Carpenter has described “Cathedral” as “kind of our first heavy metal album.” The first single, “Lord of the Underground,” is available now, and fans can preorder the book at
https://johncarpenterscathedral.com
VIP listening party, Friday, Aug. 7
Midsummer Scream will host a listening party for the “Cathedral” album on the evening of Friday, Aug. 7, beginning with an exclusive VIP hour. The first hour, from 7 to 8 p.m., is reserved for a select group of pre-purchasers and will include an appearance by Storm King Comics CEO Sandy King, who will share the story behind the project — from the dream that inspired it to its evolution into a cross-medium work. To secure a spot, attendees must be among the first 50 to visit the Storm King booth and buy the bundle, which includes an access credential for the purchaser and a guest. After the first hour, the listening party will open to all Midsummer Scream attendees for the rest of the evening.
Graphic novel and album signing with John Carpenter, Saturday, Aug. 8
Carpenter will appear at the Storm King Comics booth on the convention floor to sign copies of the “Cathedral” graphic novel and album. King and additional Storm King talent will be on hand throughout the weekend.
“Crafting Fear” panel with Sandy King, Sunday, Aug. 9
King will headline “Crafting Fear: The Invisible Architects of Horror,” a panel exploring the behind-the-scenes artistry of modern genre filmmaking. The discussion will be moderated by Jim Branscome, a film programmer for Cinematic Void and the American Cinematheque, and will feature King along with editor Jeremy Cohen (”Over Your Dead Body”) and composer Samuel Jones (”Didn’t Die”).
A valid Midsummer Scream admission is required to attend all events listed above.