For this issue of Collectorverse Origin Stories, we’re spotlighting CGC Comics Registry user Violent-Delights and an award-winning Something Is Killing the Children set celebrating one of modern horror comics’ most compelling series. Featuring more than 700 books graded 9.8 or higher across two competitive CGC Comics Registry sets, this remarkable collection reflects years of dedication to tracking down rare variants and completing one of the CGC Comics Registry’s standout sets.
Q&A with Violent-Delights
Take us all the way back to the beginning! How’d you get started collecting comic books?
My journey of collecting comics was a little peculiar, but probably not too unfamiliar to many collectors. It began in the mid-'80s when I was a kid collecting comics with a buddy. We collected Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, and a few other Marvel and DC titles. These books were well-read and poorly cared for.
Once I got to middle school, interests, friends, and obligations changed. My comic books were boxed up and stored away in different garages, basements, and attics for the next 30 years. I didn’t think much about them until 2020.
In early 2020 with the time afforded by the COVID lockdown and my renewed interest in sequential art, I began exploring modern comic books again. I was blown away by how much the comic book industry — and the hobby of collecting — had changed. I was in a new world of variant covers, sketch covers, retailer incentives, and exclusive variants. A single issue could now have two or three — or 50 — different covers. And I had to have them all. I was hooked!
The first title that drew me back in and taught me how to hunt variants was Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy. I loved comparing how the different cover artists interpreted the beauty, horror, and humanity of Lady Hellaine. As that limited series was wrapping up, I began reading Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera. Tynion’s story, Dell’Edera’s art, and the lore and scarcity surrounding some of those early SIKTC covers catapulted the popularity of the series, and I was lucky to get into it when I did. My SIKTC CGC Comics Registry Set is truly the pride of my collection, with 730 graded books and only three of those books below 9.8.
As I continue to pursue my SIKTC collection completion goals, I’ve also started to diversify my collection by adding popular keys that are within my budget, and I’m always slowly chipping away at other Registry sets I’ve started.
A lot of the comic titles you have on the CGC Comics Registry are horror related. Tell us why you like the horror genre… What draws you to it?
I think my interest in horror and sci-fi probably has something to do with my age and my late re-introduction to comic book stories. There certainly is something nostalgic about looking back at the superhero comics of my youth, but for me, the horror and sci-fi genres offer a more complex and compelling storytelling medium to engage with.
Let’s talk about James Tynion’s Something is Killing the Children. Why do you think this story feels so modern and fresh despite Tynion working within a familiar palette of classic horror elements?
The primary appeal of Something is Killing the Children for me is the character development and world-building. Through the first 50 issues of SIKTC, 30 issues of House of Slaughter, and the various one-shots, Tynion and Dell’Edera have created a universe occupied by monsters and a secret order intent on killing those monsters while keeping their existence hidden from the world. The houses of the Order are filled with political infighting and familial drama. Despite evil monsters hunting innocent children, the real evil can often be found within the Order of St. George itself. I also enjoy watching how the house members interact with their totems, and I appreciate the irony of some of the most evil creatures in the world being contained within a child’s stuffed animal.
Tell us what you like about Erica Slaughter as a character and what makes her unique in your mind.
With her blonde bangs covering one of her enormous green eyes, her fanged black mask around her neck, and a bloody machete in hand as she emerges victorious from the woods, Erica Slaughter is iconic. Her appeal as a protagonist probably has more to do with what is familiar about her as a hero than with what is unique. She is fiercely independent. She is loyal to her black mask family. She is principled and willing to sacrifice herself and her place in the Order to do what she believes is right. And, frankly, she’s a badass.
What horror movie would you like to see adapted into a comic, and who would your creative dream team be?
I am eagerly awaiting the Something is Killing the Children adaptation by Blumhouse. Even though I would be partial to a live-action series rather than a film or animated series, I’m excited to finally see the SIKTC universe take shape on screen. I could also see Ice Cream Man being a brilliant adult animated series; Gideon Falls would be a gripping feature film; and Exquisite Corpses would make for a great (and gory) horror series.
What role has the CGC Comics Registry served for you when it comes to collecting?
The CGC Comics Registry has undoubtedly propelled my collecting to a level I wouldn’t have believed possible six years ago. After my first year of collecting and finally realizing I couldn’t possibly collect every variant of every issue of every title published, I had to narrow my focus. I frequently use the Registry to help define some of my collecting goals.
I love that there are multiple ways to compete and engage with the Registry. I can compete for individual set awards, and I love adding to my overall Registry points and moving up the list. I also have several sets that could compete for the annual Registry Awards each July. My Something is Killing the Children Competitive Set won a Best Modern Age Award in 2023.
Even when I don’t really plan on competing for first place with a particular set, I still utilize the set list to work toward completing it. For instance, my NYX set is currently in eighth place, but I’m happy to have completed a 9.8 set regardless of where I ultimately place in the rankings.
Last but not least! You can own any horror comic on earth. Which do you pick and why?
I am a covers guy, so I’d love to add some popular pre-code books with iconic covers, such as Chamber of Chills #19 or Black Cat Mystery #50. However, I’d also be pretty happy with a high-grade House of Secrets #92.
About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles, including trading card games (TCGs), sports cards, magazines, video games, and home media. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services. If you collect it, we grade and protect it.
CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 110 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs, and stamps.