Mean Girls Meets Hellraiser in a Twisted Tale of Heartbreak, Identity, and the Horrors of Coming Home
OCT. 20, 2026 (PORTLAND, OR) — Some towns never forget, some wounds never heal, and nothing is more horrific than a broken heart…
Now live on Kickstarter, acclaimed writer Jason McNamara (Phantom Limbs) returns with THE ESTRANGED, the all-new five-issue supernatural horror series illustrated by Matthieu Pereira (The Warden), with colors by Dave Kemp (Thor) and editing by Konner Knudsen.
Heather and Albion were best friends on the cusp of becoming more when a vicious killer began to stalk Braddock, Texas. Heather narrowly survived an attack, only to find herself accused of being the killer herself by fearful townsfolk. Under suspicion and ostracized, she was forced to leave Braddock and a heartbroken Albion behind.
Now, 13 years later, Heather has returned to Braddock to rebuild her life. As she and Albion attempt to reconnect, a dark presence in town has also reawakened. As locals begin to go missing, suspicion falls on Heather again. Can she find her way to the truth before she and Albion are torn apart forever?
Drawing from the atmospheric dread of Salem’s Lot and Twin Peaks, The Estranged makes its small-town setting a character of its own, exploring identity, the cruelty of public perception, and the devastating ripple effects one person’s pain can have on an entire community.
“I was inspired to write The Estranged after returning to my small hometown on Long Island and attending my high school reunion,” said Jason McNamara. “My former classmates didn’t seem interested in my adult accomplishments, so much as they wanted to remind me what a foul-mouthed teenage delinquent I was (and I wasn’t even THAT bad). We’ve all made mistakes in love and in life, and should have the opportunity to evolve. But small towns have a long memory, and living in the shadow of your worst mistake felt like a compelling conflict for the story. That and adding a demon.”
McNamara has been creating and self-publishing independent comics since 2003, with work published by Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. His credits include Phantom Limbs, Past Tense, The Rattler, and Ghost Band. In addition to writing comics, he teaches at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon.
A deeply personal tale of heartbreak and horror, The Estranged explores the people we leave behind, the versions of ourselves we try to escape, and what happens when the past comes looking for us. Perfect for fans of James Tynion IV’s The Deviant, Tim Daniel’s The Plot, and Hellraiser, the series brings a sinister edge to the consequences of love and loss.
Inviting horror fans and independent comics supporters to help bring the first chapter of this five-issue series to life, the Kickstarter campaign for The Estranged #1 runs through November 11th.
For more information about Jason McNamara and his work, visit politestrangers.com or follow @ramonesome on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
