Behind the Scenes with Jeremy Robinson, Annapaola Martello, Francesco Francini, Steve Canon, and Kane Gilmour
What if something as delicate as a butterfly could become the center of a nightmare?
That question sits at the heart of Nectar, a haunting horror comic that blends historical dread, supernatural terror, and deeply atmospheric storytelling. From bestselling author Jeremy Robinson and the Breakneck Comics team, Nectar transforms beauty into something unsettling—drawing inspiration from real-world phenomena like the dancing plague and reimagining it through a chilling new lens.
In this edition of Notes, the creators behind Nectar pull back the curtain on how this horror comic came to life—from its earliest concept to the collaborative process that shaped its tone, visuals, and emotional impact.
"The concept for Nectar emerged from a conversation with my wife. I knew I wanted to create a monster that could match the intrigue, strange circumstances and unusual abilities of the classics—werewolves, vampires, etc. My wife made two suggestions. The first was butterflies. As soon as she said it, the monster coalesced. Then she suggested the dancing plague and my imagination was off to the races. I wrote down a summary, sent it to Kane Gilmour, my editor, and he loved it. I immediately started on the script.
When the script was done, we were very fortunate to find Annapaola Martello and Francesco Francini, who are a marvelous team and delivered perfect pages that captured not just the story, but an accurate depiction of the time and place. Then came Steve Canon, whose colors brought the butterflies to life. He understood the tone and intensity we were going for and nailed it. From beginning to end, creating Nectar was an amazing experience."
— Jeremy Robinson
From that initial spark, Nectar quickly evolved into a fully realized horror comic defined by its balance of elegance and unease. What begins as something familiar—a butterfly, a movement, a pattern—slowly twists into something far more dangerous. That tension between beauty and horror became a guiding principle across every stage of production, shaping not just the story, but the way it feels on the page.
"Editing NECTAR went by like a blur. Probably because all the Breakneck Comics imprint titles Jeremy Robinson has coming after it, like EXCOMMUNICATED, were in the works first—for almost two years! We’d been working on four other series simultaneously when Jeremy sent me the script for NECTAR. I loved it and could instantly see the appeal of taking something seemingly harmless and commonplace, like butterflies, and turning them into a horror. I remember getting the pages in from Anna and Francesco and seeing the surreal beauty they were putting down.
They were bringing both grace and grotesque in equal doses. Then Steve sent us his first colored pages. He brought a dark moody tone to everything that made me really see how spooky this one was going to be! Jim Campbell brought subtle excellence in his letters—especially with the pushpin notes (and ‘AndWorld’ helped us out in a jiffy near the end, when Jim was unavailable). Each day I was looking forward to seeing this one get into the hands of readers, and I hoped they would love it. Then Tim Daniel put the finishing design touches on this series and made it shine. The folks at Vault gave this comic their all, and the finished package is gorgeous!"
— Kane Gilmour
As the story took shape, the visual language of Nectar became just as important as its premise. Through careful pacing, expressive character work, and a constant push toward emotional intensity, the art team built a world that feels both grounded and surreal—where every page carries weight, and every image deepens the sense of unease.
"The experience of working as a team on the comic NECTAR—an intense and evocative horror series—was profound and inspiring for us both. I had a lot of fun drawing horror scenes and pushing myself towards the more gruesome. My challenge was to maintain strong drama and pay particular attention to character expression, keeping each scene intense, engaging, and full of emotion. Jeremy provided a solid and deep narrative, allowing for an atmosphere rich in tension and emotional nuances.
Francesco’s layouts proved to be a true strength of the project. He gave me a powerful visual foundation on which to develop each page. The whole team’s interaction, made up of ideas, revisions, and insights, made the creative process fluid and engaging, transforming each phase of production into an opportunity to grow. Steve’s colors played a key role, too, managing to enhance every page and maximize its atmosphere and visual impact. Working with such an inspiring and enthusiastic team is truly wonderful and has made the entire creative process even more engaging and fulfilling."
— Annapaola Martello & Francesco Francini
Color and atmosphere ultimately pull everything together, turning Nectar into a fully immersive horror experience. Every tone, texture, and visual choice works to draw readers deeper into the world—where beauty and dread exist side by side, and where the smallest details carry the greatest weight.
"When coloring NECTAR, my goal was to fully immerse the reader in the world of Misery Island, with its heavy atmosphere, shifting emotions, and underlying sense of dread. I wanted the reader to feel everything, from the cold and the wind to the fear and chaos that run through the story.
I approached the work not just as coloring, but as an extension of storytelling, using color, texture, and atmosphere to convey the intangible elements of the world.
A big focus was on making everything feel lived in, building environments through subtle textures, patterns, and details that might not always stand out, but help place the reader inside the world. From the beautiful patterns on the butterflies to every drop of blood, every choice was made to enhance mood, emotion, and immersion, and to pull the reader deeper into the experience."
— Steve Canon
A Horror Story Where Beauty Becomes Terror
Set against a backdrop of isolation, fear, and transformation, Nectar is a horror comic that thrives on contrast—light and dark, elegance and violence, calm and chaos. What begins as something delicate quickly spirals into something consuming, asking how easily the familiar can become frightening.
For fans of atmospheric horror comics, psychological thrillers, and supernatural storytelling, Nectar offers an experience that is as visually striking as it is unsettling.