Kickstarting Comics – ‘Hedrek’ #3: A Detective Folk Horror Finale For A Fabulous Series

by Richard Bruton

The action-packed finale of the folk horror detective procedural series Hedrek, a series I’ve absolutely loved, is funding on Kickstarter right now. You really don’t want to miss this one.

Fabulous wraparound cover art for Hedrek #3 by co-creator David Hitchcock

When I got hold of issues 1 and 2 of Hedrek: Night of the Mummers, I absolutely loved it, saying this…

“Columbo meets the Wicker Man, police procedural meets folk horror… Hedrek: Night Of The Mummers is all that and more. Perfectly executed, beautifully drawn, with a plot to draw you in and art to put a chill down your spine. Welcome to your new favourite comic.”

And I have to say, I’m really hoping that I’m going to enjoy this third and final episode just as much.

It’s running on Kickstarter right now and ends on Thursday 21st September. And it’s definitely worth funding.

And if you’ve not read the series so far (and seriously, were you not listening to when I told you how good it was?) there’s a chance to pick up all of the previous issues via this campaign, including the Broken Pieces one shot, that includes short stories integral to the overall story drawn by four top guest artists giving you the complete Hedrek experience.

So, here’s where it all ends, with writer Laurence Alison and artist David Hitchcock telling the tale of ‘Operation Mummer’ chapter 3 of Night Of The Mummers: The Head & The Wreck.

Here’s the story so far…

We’ve been introduced to Detective Chief Inspector Hedrek Stern and his cast of characters. Hedrek’s a conscientious and compassionate policeman who doesn’t always fit in with everyone else’s way of doing things, but he gets the job done, so his superiors tolerate his unique quirks and uncompromising attitude towards law and order.

When a string of Mummer-related cases are assigned to him that initially start out as pranks gone too far, it’s not until people start being murdered that it’s taken seriously by the rest of the police force and pressure begins to solve the cases.

By the end of issue #1, Hedrek’s been dragged into the case personally and gone through an incredibly traumatic experience, just as the stakes of the conspiracy exposes a wider criminal organisation and we’re introduced to the mastermind behind the whole state of affairs.

Hedek part 3 will reveal the truth, give us all the answers that we’re looking for, in what Alison and Hitchcock are calling, “this emotional roller coaster finale of violence, murder, heroism, heartbreak and revelations.”

Hedrek issue 3 comes with a standard cover from David Hitchcock and a variant cover by Warwick Fraser Combes.

As you’d expect, there are plenty of tiers, rewards, and add-ons for this one, including sketch covers, sketch cards from Laurence Alison, a set of prints featuring both sets of cover art from this issue as add ons, plus the chance to own original art from all three issues.