For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us what readers can expect from Dead Beats 2?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: Dead Beats is a musical horror anthology centered around the enigmatic Shoppe Keeper, the proprietor of a record shop filled with haunted musical instruments and other strange artifacts. She serves as the narrator, much like Rod Serling from The Twilight Zone or the Crypt Keeper from Tales of the Crypt, introducing each story to the reader.

How did this project come about? What inspired this anthology?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: This project was the brainchild of editors Eric Palicki and Joe Corallo. I had already worked with Eric on the anthologies This Nightmare Kills Fascists and All We Ever Wanted (both published by A Wave Blue World). And Joe was a co-editor on Mine! the benefit anthology for Planned Parenthood.

They were tossing around ideas for the theme of a new anthology and both horror and music were possibilities so they kind of came together like chocolate and peanut butter as the perfect combination.

What was the process for creating a horror anthology like this?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: The most important thing is to make sure all the creators stay within the parameters of the theme while still having the freedom to tell their own story. But it’s also important to monitor the topics and make sure there isn’t too much overlap. We don’t want too many repeated instruments, locations, or twists.

How does Volume 2 differ from Volume 1?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: The subtitle for the sequel is London Calling as a nod to The Clash album and because in the book, the Shoppe Keeper heads to London in search of new and mysterious artifacts. Most of the stories take place in the U.K. or Europe and there’s a bit more of a historical perspective in each tale.

In terms of audience, who is Dead Beats for?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: Obviously, it’s for fans of both horror and music, but I wouldn’t say any reader would have to be a serious fan of either in order for this to appeal to them. It’s a pretty broad take in terms of musical tastes. And the horror is more spooky than anything else. Some mature themes for sure, but not a lot of gore or adult content.

What are you hoping readers will take away from this title?

TYLER CHIN-TANNER: We’re hoping that people see that the comics and graphic novels are a great way to read about a number of different genres. Sure, horror has a long history in this medium, but who would have thought that music and comics went together so well? And here we are, back with a second volume of Dead Beats, and this one’s better than ever.