Mad Cave Studios invites readers to sharpen their blades and press “record” with the release of The Slasher’s Apprentice Vol. 1 trade paperback collection. Created by Justin Richards, Val Halvorson, Rebecca Nalty, and Buddy Beaudoin, this first collected volume delivers a chilling yet darkly funny exploration of fandom gone too far.

Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a lifelong slasher fixation, is ready for a career pivot: helping her favorite legendary villain—The Hopton Valley Killer—regain their long-lost notoriety. As Riley dives deeper into the art of the kill, she discovers that idolizing a murderer is easier than surviving their mentorship.

Richards and Halvorson have been a team since their breakout on Finger Guns, bonding over late-night horror marathons, video games, and a shared love of Nine Inch Nails. During the pandemic they traded story beats and scares, laying the groundwork for a project that would push the slasher genre in new directions. When the idea for The Slasher’s Apprentice surfaced, Richards brought Halvorson in from day one, co-writing a series that honors classic horror while carving out something entirely their own.

It’s thrills and chills to creep up your spine—The Slasher’s Apprentice Vol. 1 drops October 28, 2025.