Fans of Jason Howden’s comedy-horror Deathgasm, the mind-blowing heavy metal cult classic film, were met with a treat this week. Bit Bot Media just dropped a new Kickstarter campaign that will make the Deathgasm die-hards absolutely delighted. Love video games? They got you covered with a Deathgasm retro video game? Do graphic novels fill you with glee? They’re producing one–Deathgasm 1.5: Director’s Cut–bridging the original movie and the upcoming Deathgasm II: Goremageddon. It’s a multimedia experience that veteran and new fans won’t want to miss.
I spoke writers Joshua Viola and Peter Bune, two writers for the projects, recently about the Deathgasm 1.5 Kickstarter, how the the campaign’s offerings provide a multimedia experience, their favorite parts of working on the project, and what they hope readers and players of the graphic novel and game, respectively, get from the material.
Also, for more? Make sure to check out our exclusive preview of artist Preston Asevedo–who made the guitar, the Deathgasm video game cover, and a variant cover for the Deathgasm 1.5 graphic novel–playing the guitar!
FreakSugar: This seems like a multi-tiered collaboration, working with Jason Howden and FreakZone. Can you tell us about working with all of these creative folks to make this multimedia experience a reality?
Joshua Viola: Yes, it’s definitely a major collaboration—which is exactly what my company, Bit Bot, is all about. We specialize in full transmedia experiences. My business partner, Klayton (Celldweller/Scandroid), and I are executive producers on Deathgasm 2, which is how I first connected with Jason. From there, we worked out a licensing deal for various Deathgasm content, including the graphic novel, video game, and merchandise. Jason also introduced me to FreakZone Games, who I later partnered with on the Rocky Horror Show video game. He was already a big fan of their Angry Video Game Nerd titles, so the idea of doing a Deathgasm game with them felt like a no-brainer. And we’ve got more surprises coming with FreakZone later this year.
Pete Buber: Josh has really been a Swiss Army knife when it comes to making things happen. I’m genuinely grateful to be part of the team, part of the collaboration that gets to put words into the mouths of the comic book versions of the characters Jason Howden created. I’ve been working on the comic branch of the Deathgasm universe for a few years now, and Josh and Bit Bot have been incredibly inclusive, always keeping me in the loop on the progress of all the projects within the broader Deathgasm multimedia universe.
FS: As I mentioned, this Deathgasm project is very much a cross-media endeavor. What kind of considerations do you have to take into account when adapting the film to a video game and/or graphic novel?
JV: Sam Beddoes and Jason deserve most of the credit for the game. Sam has a real gift for comedic storytelling in games, and as a longtime Deathgasm fan, he actually pitched the whole concept. Paired with Jason’s twisted sense of humor, it was a perfect creative match. I offered some feedback along the way, but my role has mostly been on the production and management side. The game is definitely an adaptation of the first film, but it takes players deeper—literally—into Hell. The graphic novel, on the other hand, came from Pete’s idea. He and Jason had already been developing it, and after it hit some publishing roadblocks, I stepped in to help get it across the finish line. It’s set between the first film and the upcoming sequel
PB: With Deathgasm, you’re not just thinking about horror fans and metal fans, you also have to factor in that distinct Kiwi sense of humor. Jumping from feature film to graphic novel, you suddenly have the freedom to go even crazier. No budget limits, just pure, unfiltered creativity. You can take things as far as your twisted imagination will go. The first film was definitely the inspiration, the blueprint for just how gory, splattery, and hilarious you can get with these characters. That being said, Jason shared the original outline he’d always had in mind for a Deathgasm comic. He also showed me the Goremageddon outline to make sure the comic’s storyline could help bridge the two feature films together.
FS: Following up on that, what kind of experiences do you hope readers, players, and viewers get, depending on the Deathgasm media they try?
JV: All of this material is high quality and brings a fresh perspective to the franchise—it’s truly made for the fans. They’ll experience new settings and scenarios, but everything still hits that signature Deathgasm blend of dark humor and over-the-top gore. That said, we definitely pushed some boundaries. Both the game and the graphic novel are more extreme than the original film. We’re talking hilariously offensive levels of content—like a double-page spread featuring arachnid penises tormenting souls in Hell, which is easily the most NSFW thing I’ve ever seen in a comic. And in the game? There’s a full-on boss fight with the Pope. In Hell. If you know Deathgasm, you’re going to feel right at home.
PB: Josh, Jason, and I have been talking about this two-page spread in other interviews, and honestly, we’ve hyped it as much as humanly possible, and for good reason. It’s that awesome. I’m hoping it gives you the same feeling as opening your favorite vinyl record and seeing that mind-blowing artwork inside, or folding the back of a Mad Magazine to reveal something totally unexpected. I really believe the graphic novel and the video game have the potential to take Brodie, Zakk, and Medina to an iconic, legendary level.
FS: What has been the most rewarding and/or fun part of working on this project? From everything I’ve seen and heard, it seems like you all are having a ball.
JV: I’ve been a fan of the original film since the beginning. I saw it back in 2015 or 2016 when it first hit on-demand, and I bought the disc as soon as I could. At the time, I never imagined I’d end up meeting Jason, let alone helping expand the world he created. But that’s exactly what Bit Bot is all about—we only work on IPs we genuinely love. Getting to be part of Deathgasm as both a fan and a producer has been an absolute blast.
PB: Same here, I started off as a fan of the film. When I first saw the trailer back in 2015, I knew I had to illegally download it. Back then, that’s the only way I could find it and share it with my horror loving friends. But getting to meet the filmmaker himself and learning what a chill dude he is, and then being a collaborator on what is essentially his baby or NSFW comic book version of his baby? That’s been an absolute gift. And I’ve learned so much from working with the artists and publishers along the way.
FS: If you had one last pitch for the Kickstarter, what would it be?
JV: If you love horror, heavy metal, offensive humor, video games, comic books, and indie projects, our Deathgasm Kickstarter is for you. We’ve been pouring years of work into this, and we’re beyond excited to finally share it with backers and bring it to life—with your help.
PB: I know you’re out there, the fans of Deathgasm, they’re out there. It’s been 10 years since the first movie came out and the cult fan base has only grown – more louder, more weirder, and more passionate. You need to get your hands on this 80-page hard cover graphic novel. And yes, you need to play the video game. You’ve seen the artwork. You’ve seen the merch and the killer masks that you can finally own. It’s finally time. It’s finally here!
As of press time, the Kickstarter has almost tripled its funding goal, with over three weeks left in the campaign. Check it out and get a look at all the Deathgasm goodies!
From the official press release for the Kickstarter:
Jason Howden’s horror-comedy Deathgasm is a one-of-kind, unforgettable film that delivers gore, laughs, heavy metal, and horror. The film’s offbeat blend of comedy and hellacious violence has garnered legions of fans and now, ahead of the release of the highly anticipated upcoming sequel, Deathgasm II: Goremageddon!, Bit Bot Media is continuing the Deathgasm story with not one, but two horrifying projects. In collaboration with Jason Howden, Bit Bot is creating an all-new graphic novel, Deathgasm 1.5: Director’s Cut, which will serve as a prelude to the highly anticipated film. Meanwhile, Bit Bot, Howden’s Metalheads Inc., and FreakZone Games are joining forces to develop a retro-style 16-bit side-scrolling Deathgasm Video Game. Backers can get early access before the game is made available to the public, and physical copies will be available for PS5 exclusively through the campaign. Fans can support Deathgasm on Kickstarter.
“Between the events of DEATHGASM 1 and DEATHGASM 2 was a story that I needed to tell,” said Jason Howden. “The story was so visually epic, so gory, and so offensive that it could never be filmed without watering it down. Instead, we made it into a graphic novel: DEATHGASM 1.5. We’re stoked for fans to witness Brodie and Medina slashing demons and thrashing metal riffs, meeting old mates and an ageless evil that lurks in the shadows of a heavy metal-hating church!”
Deathgasm 1.5: Director’s Cut is an 80-page graphic novel from creator/director Jason Howden (Deathgasm, Guns Akimbo) writer Peter Bune (Squatch Watch), artist Industrias Lamonicana (Fierro), colorist Zac Atkinson (Farscape, Star Trek), and letterer Jeremiah Lambert (Masters of the Universe, Transformers). The book also features contributions from writers Michael Schwartz (Armored, Zombie Town) and Joshua Viola (True Believers, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver), various hardcover editions with cover art by Skinner (Skin Crawl Magazine), Preston Asevedo (The Exiled), and Matthew Therrien (The Wrath of Becky).
Bit Bot, co-founded by bestselling author Joshua Viola and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer Klayton–known for his projects Celldweller and Scandroid–have acquired ownership in FreakZone Games. This strategic move brings FreakZone Games, a UK-based game development company founded by Sam Beddoes, under the Bit Bot umbrella, expanding the company’s reach into original and licensed video game development. Beddoes will continue to lead FreakZone’s game design efforts, while Bit Bot will assume publishing responsibilities. The first major release under this new partnership will be Deathgasm The Video Game.
“We are thrilled to welcome FreakZone Games into the Bit Bot family,” said Joshua Viola. “After working with Sam on the Rocky Horror Show video game, we realized Sam’s talent and creative vision perfectly align with our goals to develop groundbreaking storytelling experiences. Together, we’re poised to produce badass titles that will resonate with fans worldwide.”
Klayton added, “Our collaboration with Sam and FreakZone is an exciting step forward in our mission to merge compelling storytelling, interactive design, and immersive soundscapes into one powerful multimedia experience.”
In the Deathgasm Video Game, the Black Hymn has been unleashed, and Hell is bleeding into reality. Fans can play as Brodie, Zakk, or Medina and fight through nine brutally challenging levels—each inspired by Dante’s Inferno and swarming with demonic horrors and gloriously obscene humor—armed with chainsaws, axes, guitars, sex toys, and more to battle hordes of the damned and take down monstrous bosses based on the original film’s most twisted villains. Featuring 9 levels inspired by Dante’s Inferno and a chiptune Heavy Metal soundtrack, the game will present fans’ favorite hapless metal heads as they’ve never seen them before.
“We’ve cranked the volume to 11 and unleashed the brutal chaos of metal on Hell’s minions,” said Deathgasm creator Jason Howden. “This game is packed with gore, humor, and demonic insanity that couldn’t be contained in a film.”
“After collaborating on The Rocky Horror Show Video Game and Terror in the Corn, Bit Bot Media and FreakZone Games have established a reputation for delivering fun, horror-inspired retro games,” said designer Sam Beddoes. “By adapting dialogue from the original film and incorporating a horror and metal-inspired chiptune soundtrack, we’re working to ensure the Deathgasm Video Game is faithful to the source material with a fresh, unique experience for players.”
The Kickstarter campaign will also offer a variety of other exclusive rewards, including high-end latex masks of the main demon villain, Aeloth, along with Brodie and Zakk sporting their signature corpse paint. Backers can also snag a limited-edition signed Blu-ray of the upcoming sequel film with exclusive slipcase artwork, as well as vinyl and cassette editions of the video game soundtrack composed by Sam Beddoes. Additional perks include original artwork, apparel, and the ultimate prize—a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted custom guitar, approved by the Devil himself and signed by designer Preston Asevedo.
To support the Deathgasm Kickstarter campaign, visit Kickstarter. For more updates, sign up at bitbotmedia.com for the Bit Bot newsletter and follow the company’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.