One of the most captivating anthology horror comic series in recent memory is Ice Cream Man, as it takes readers on a different horror experience with every issue, and no story is directly connected to another - aside from the Ice Cream Man himself. And now, the series that has mastered the art of short-form horror will be delivering even faster-hitting terrifying tales in the special: Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories - and the creative team is star-studded.

Gamesradar shared the first-look at Image Comics’ Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories, complete with the entire list of guest writers and the cover art for this special issue. Series writer W. Maxwell Prince will be ed by the super-star writing team of Grant Morrison, Patton Oswalt, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matt Fraction, Jeff Lemire, Geoff Johns, Zoe Thorogood, Deniz Camp, and Frank Barbiere. Each writer will contribute a one-page horror story to the special issue, and each story will be drawn by series (and cover) artists Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran.

Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories is the 43rd issue of the ongoing Image Comics series, and it will certainly be one to , especially for W. Maxwell Prince. In a statement released by Image Comics in the announcement for this special issue, Prince speaks about how fortunate they feel to tell these short-form horror stories with such a stellar team of writing talent.

W. Maxwell Prince: How lucky are we? That some of comics’ most beloved writers agreed (or one may say were tricked) into contributing to our issue of one-page horror stories. Our MO has always been compression - getting a full story to fit one floppy. But this is a whole new level, and a whole new challenge. We hope that you like our little stories, and hope even more that you appreciate our guests and their amazing brains.

Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories will also have a variant cover by artist Maria Llovet.

Who Is the Ice Cream Man? Image Comics’ Most Terrifying ‘Horror Host’, Explained

On the surface, the Ice Cream Man is just that: an ice cream man. He wears a classic white suit and hat, he drives an ice cream truck, and he supplies the residents of his community with his signature tasty treat. However, it’s clear right from the start that there’s something supernaturally sinister about the Ice Cream Man, as he’s not only present during the terrifying events of each Ice Cream Man issue (acting as a ‘host’, of sorts), he’s usually the one behind the horror.

It’s unclear exactly what the Ice Cream Man is. Perhaps he’s a demon, a twisted god, or even the devil himself - there’s no clear explanation. The only thing that’s certain is that the Ice Cream Man is evil, and he uses his otherworldly powers to taint the ice cream he sells to his community with that evil, exposing them to unimaginable horrors beyond comprehension. Usually, that comes in the form of psychological torment, and more often than not, it leads to horrific death.

Our Take On Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories

There’s No Limit to What These Creative Masterminds Can Bring to Their One-Page Horror Stories

Upon reading the Ice Cream Man comic series, one will see that every story ranges from literal danger (like a venomous spider or a werewolf) to abstract horrors (like the experience of a soul rotting in hell). That means these guest writers have complete freedom with their one-page horror stories. Maybe one page will show a town getting torn apart by demons, or another that shows someone buried alive, or another that’s purely surreal and abstract. Aside from the Ice Cream Man himself making his regular appearances, there’s no true structure to this anthology.

So, what can readers expect from Ice Cream Man: One-Page Horror Stories? Simple: the unexpected. And that’s something any horror fan should be extremely excited about, especially given the high level of creative talent going into this Ice Cream Man special from Image Comics.

Ice Cream Man #43: One-Page Horror Stories from Image Comics is available January 2025.

Source: Gamesradar