New Five-Part Horror Series Has the Best Title of the Year, Bar None

Published Sep 7, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words. Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II. Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno. A new horror series inspired by '80s slasher movies has the best title of the year, despite simply using the name of its central, towering monster. While you may be tempted to laugh at first, this upcoming horror series has a title that will get under your skin... literally. 2026 is yet another great year for horror, with Damian McCarthy's Hokum and Zach Cregger's Resident Evil coming to the big screen, Mike Flanagan's Carrie and Haley Z. Boston's Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen hitting the small screen, and T. Kingfisher's Wolf Worm and Laura Cranehill's Wife Shaped Bodies fascinating bookworms. Each of these horror tales have great titles that hint at what's inside or insidiously obscure what's to come. However, for our money, an upcoming series has them all beat with a bombastic but subtly creepy moniker... That title is the upcoming comic 12-Foot Skeleton, from Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Aaron Campbell (John Constantine: Hellblazer - Dead in America) and Ben Templesmith (The Department of Truth.) The comic is a horror story based around a possessed novelty lawn ornament. As funny as the premise and title sound, that's part of the fun - your first response on hearing "12-foot skeleton" may be to smirk, but then you start imagining the towering villain lumbering after you, and the image won't quite go away... The heroes of the story are schoolkids Lola and Jimmy, whose outsider status promises to deliver "the heart and soul of a classic Spielberg film." The first issue's summary reads: This might be Lola and Jimmy’s last Halloween. Not because they’re aging out at 12-years-old...there's a 12-foot-tall lawn skeleton on a rampage in their neighborhood! Lola is a triple threat of social suicide: goth girl, new kid, and outspoken feminist. Meanwhile, Jimmy is a bookish, quiet, bullied kid trying to enjoy his favorite holiday between cancer treatments. When Lola discovers she might have a much stronger connection with the malevolent force inhabiting the skeleton than she could ever imagine possible, it's up to Jimmy to inspire them to face certain danger and embrace the future rather than run from their traumatic pasts. Aaron Campbell (Hellblazer), Tim Seeley (Inglorious X-Force), and Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night) present a Halloween story with the heart and soul of a classic Spielberg film alongside all the spills, chills, and horrifying thrills of everyone’s favorite 1980s slasher movies! Solicit information from Ignition Press shows fans what to expect, with cover art from Ben Templesmith, Aaron Campbell, Tim Seeley and Maria Wolf depicting Jimmy, Lola and the titular haunted prop. 12-Foot Skeleton is a five-part series depicting social isolation, family strife, and grungy, low-fi horror vibes characteristic of the '80s. From what fans have seen so far, 12-Foot Skeleton appears to sit perfectly on the line between scary and funny, and it's a good sign that the story is leaning into using a haunted decoration rather than trying to explain why an evil skeleton is the size of a T-Rex. However, that decision may be a nod to the inspirations behind this new horror tale... Is This New Series Inspired by a Viral Home Depot Ornament? 12-Foot Skeleton was likely inspired by the viral popularity of Home Depot's Halloween decoration, aka 'Skelly.' The gigantic 12-foot decoration became an online sensation with owners posting images of the skeleton and news outlets including CNN reporting on the craze, which reached its height during the COVID-19 pandemic (helped by the mild controversy of some homeowners associations banning the decoration due to its impressive height.) First released in 2020, 'Skelly' now comes in a variety of forms, including glowing eyes and animatronic movements. However, Ignition Press' 12-Foot Skeleton has no official association with this product or Home Depot. With Kane Parsons' Backrooms reportedly sparking increased interest in adapting viral horror phenomena, horror fans should expect to see a lot more projects with ties to memes like 'Skelly' - for example, an upcoming movie from Zach Cregger and Brian Duffield starring online horror cryptid Siren Head. However, with 12-Foot Skeleton, comics yet again get there first. Credit: A24/Courtesy Everett Collection New five-issue horror series 12-Foot Skeleton will follow two outcast kids as they contend with a towering yard ornament haunted by a mysterious force, coming this October - and good luck not picturing its villain loping across the street toward you in the meantime. 12-Foot Skeleton #1 is coming October 14 from Ignition Press.