The Estranged Brings Small-Town Horror to Kickstarter

Going back to your hometown is awkward enough when everybody remembers who you dated in high school. Imagine returning to a place where people still think you might be a killer. That’s the nightmare at the center of The Estranged, a five-issue supernatural horror comic from writer Jason McNamara, artist Matthieu Pereira, colorist Dave Kemp and editor Konner Knudsen.

Heather barely escaped a murderous attack in Braddock, Texas, when she was younger. Instead of receiving sympathy, she became the town’s prime suspect, forcing her to leave behind her home and Albion, the person who meant the most to her. Thirteen years later, she returns, hoping to put her life back together and perhaps repair the relationship that was torn apart.

Of course, horror stories don’t let anybody come home quietly. People start disappearing, something dark begins stirring and the same neighbors who accused Heather before are quick to point fingers again. She survived a killer once, but escaping the town’s memory might be an entirely different battle.

McNamara says the idea grew out of a high-school reunion on Long Island, where former classmates were still more interested in who he had been as a teenager than the person he’d become. That’s an incredibly relatable bit of social horror. Small communities can be wonderful, but they can also trap people in old versions of themselves.

Then McNamara added a demon. Suddenly, the story’s questions about reputation, heartbreak and second chances have a supernatural edge. The project draws inspiration from Twin Peaks, Salem’s Lot, Hellraiser and Mean Girls, which is an absolutely wild combination of influences.

The real hook for me is the way the human conflict and the monster story feed each other. A town already looking for somebody to blame doesn’t need much encouragement to turn ugly. Throw in a mysterious threat and suddenly the people who should be helping one another might be making everything worse.

McNamara’s earlier independent-comics work includes Phantom Limbs, Past Tense, The Rattler and Ghost Band. Pereira and Kemp are tasked with bringing the sinister atmosphere of Braddock to life, while Knudsen edits the project.

The Kickstarter campaign for The Estranged #1 runs through November 11, 2026. Readers who like their horror with a little emotional damage and a whole lot of small-town suspicion should keep this one on the radar.

http://https//www.kickstarter.com/projects/ramonesome/the-estranged-issue-one

Credits: Writer Jason McNamara; artist Matthieu Pereira; colors Dave Kemp; editor Konner Knudsen.
Format: Five-issue supernatural horror series.
Kickstarter deadline: November 11, 2026.