In some exciting news for the horror publishing industry, Aethon takes a majority stake in Wicked House. The rebranded imprint, now simply “Wicked House,” will be steered by Aethon’s teams with Damian Wassell (Vault Comics), Joe Hempel (Fright Night Audio), and editor/author Andrew Najberg. New horror titles start rolling out in 2026.
Aethon Books has acquired a majority interest in Wicked House Publishing. Effective immediately, Wicked House becomes Aethon’s official horror imprint under the “Wicked House” banner.
“Aethon acquires Wicked House,” the latest post reads on the refreshed Wicked House homepage, which also flags that some retailer pages may show temporary hiccups while rights are transferred.
Wicked House will be run by existing Aethon teams alongside Damian Wassell (founder/CEO of Vault Comics), Joe Hempel (Fright Night Audio), and longtime horror editor and author Andrew Najberg. Wicked House founder Patrick Reumen is stepping down.
“Though my time with Wicked House is at an end, I wanted to leave it in the hands of a group who I know will do whatever it takes to honor the legacy of what I built and then some,” said Reumen.
“The goal is to build off everything Wicked House already did well, creating and publishing gripping horror tales, and take it to the next level by bringing the full support and resources of Aethon to bear,” said Aethon CEO Rhett Bruno.
“We are already firmly entrenched in the Horror space by partnering with Vault Comics… This is just the next big step,” added Aethon president Steve Beaulieu.
- What’s coming in 2026 and beyond (per Wicked House’s site)
- Summer Camp, Slasher Series, Vol. 1 – Jeff Strand
- The Glitched House, Vol. 1 – Ben Farthing
- Porcelain Lullaby – Blaine Daigle
- I Woke Up A Final Girl – John Durgin
- Planet Slaughter – Daniel J Volpe
- Tormenta – Debra Castaneda
- The Final Final Girl – James Kaine
- We Were Never Really Friends – Timothy King
- Dear Nancy – Matt Shaw
- The Dwelling – Judith Sonnet
- The Pond – Judith Sonnet
- The Thing You Brought Me Home – Boris Bacic
- Untitled – Lee Mountford
- Untitled – Andrew Van Wey
It’s always great to see horror expanding, and this looks to be giving authors (and readers) a great opportunity in an expanding market!
