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For the 4th season stranger things Craving for even more kitsch and glamorous ’80s nostalgia, you might celebrate the release of the fourth and final installment in the series by local screenwriter, actor, and producer turned graphic novelist Sean Boyd. not. Winona Forever.

The series follows four geeky eighth graders in Boyd’s hometown of Winona, Minnesota: Darby, Boots, Science Fiction, and Pretty Boy. On Halloween 1987, they join forces with a popular group of children to hunt down a mysterious relic. Things get spooky.

The series was originally conceived as a script, but when the pandemic struck in 2020 and threw the film industry into turmoil, it turned out to be Kismet. so I teamed up with LA-based illustrator Elijah Henry. Winona Forever Was born.

Well, the series is finally coming to an end. I don’t want to spoil it, but I promise it’s worth reading (and a satisfying finale at 52 pages long).

Boyd has said there are many similarities between writing for the screen and his experience producing the series, but doing it in comic form gave him more control than he otherwise would have. .Pacing and style are in his hands, not the director.For example; Winona Forever“The page is a shoot,” says Boyd.

He was also confident in the direction of the pages, and the illustrations changed subtly during the run.

“Acting is like being an illustrator,” says Boyd. “When you first play a role as an actor, or when you first come into a character as an illustrator, you dress them, you draw them, you feel what their energy is.”

But as he and illustrator Henry progressed through the series, Boyd noticed an evolution.

“[Henry] You know more clearly how your characters will react in certain situations. It’s probably subtle–other than the two of you may not notice it, but I definitely feel it’s different.”

Shawn Boyd has created something close to his own graphic novel series while creating an ’80s playlist. (Courtesy Sean Boyd)

Boyd created several soundtracks for himself when he was writing the series, meticulously curated with music released before 1987. Some of them are referenced in the book, such as Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie.” Other songs simply inspired him during the process, which he describes as “little treasure chests” that he opens to return to his sense of the time and his own memories.

Winona Forever’s illustrations changed subtly during its run.

The finale ends this week, with Boyd having a book party on Friday, September 2nd at George RR Martin’s Beastly Books.Comic series: In-progress illustrations and sketches, pages of the original film pitch (which was to be called) Winona Forever: Unless Satan Gets Us Firstsee Satanic Panic in the 1980s).

“I’d love to put an exclamation mark on this one,” says Boyd. On Saturday, September 3rd, he will host book signings and readings at his Beastly Books.

what’s next? Boyd has outlined the series and plans to release it in time for Halloween 2023. He’s now working with a book designer to give it a special twist. The four installments are designed like a children’s yearbook with inscriptions. And scribble, Compendium gives a fresh look.

For Boyd, the most amazing part of the process is the fanbase he’s built since the series’ inception.

“They are fully on board,” says Boyd. “These characters are really real to them.”

For example, he did a book event in Winona in the spring, which was attended by several children from his alma mater (exactly the ones featured in the series).

“They were talking about the characters as if they were real,” Boyd tells SFR. “It was such a cool experience because it’s very real to you as a writer, but it’s really humbling when other people see it and reflect that on you.”

Winona Forever Party and Installation: Friday, September 2, 5:30-6:30 pm. free.

Winona Forever Signed and Read: Saturday, September 3rd at noon. free. Beastly Books, 418 Montezuma Ave., (505) 395-2628

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