Dracula’s Brunch Club is an upcoming all-ages vampire story about how Dracula may have gotten his taste for blood and if you think it may have been from a donut, you would be correct. At least in the case of this telling. Horror News Network caught up with writer Brian Gonsar and artist Keenan Gaybba to find out about their ambitious new graphic novel which will be available from Oni Press on August 26, 2025.
Brian Gonsar is an award-winning producer with a resume of feature films, music videos, art installations, and even a Super Bowl commercial. Dracula’s Brunch Club is Brian’s debut graphic novel.
Horror News Network: What was the inspiration for Dracula’s Brunch Club?
Brian Gonsar: I originally wrote 13 short stories that were twisted origin stories of classic monsters. Like how the Headless Horseman lost his head, why you can’t find Bigfoot, what happens to werewolves during the other moon phases, etc. My agent and I pitched it out, but editors were wanting more. I took the one that got the most positive comments (why vampires like blood) and turned it into a full graphic novel.
Horror News Network: Have you always been a fan of classic monsters and jelly donuts?
Brian Gonsar: Donuts have been my jam (see what I did there?) since childhood. But, I’ve become more obsessed over the years. I run a donut blog, I make it a point to visit donut shops when I travel, and, if you invite me over to your house, there’s a good chance I’ll be bringing some along with me.
As far as classic monsters go, I’ve always been intrigued by them, but I’ve really been drawn to the reimagined or parodied versions. Think Young Frankenstein, Dracula Dead and Loving It, and even the cereal mascot Count Chocula. In each case, the reimagined characters were humanized a bit and the scariness was softened. Plus, who doesn’t love cutting tension with a laugh?
So when I combined these things –– jelly donuts and comedic versions of vampires –– it only made sense that blood orange jelly would give vampires their everlasting energy.
Horror News Network: A 200-ish page graphic novel is a very ambitious debut novel! Can you tell us about the process of getting that started and some of the challenges you faced?
Brian Gonsar: I said the same thing to myself when I began! Writing anything over 200 pages was something I didn’t know if I could do. It seemed very daunting to keep a story interesting for that long. I started by outlining every plot point from beginning to end. I also studied story arcs and pacing from other books I liked. And when the outline was fully fleshed out and I felt good about it, all that was left was to write the dialogue.
I also challenged myself to keep the drama and the stakes (sorry, I know I shouldn’t mention such words around vampires) high while also softening everything with comedy. I checked out similar shows and podcasts like What We Do in the Shadows and listening to Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Those shows would get myself into the undead headspace, but they were for adults. I had to make sure that kids could relate to the characters and the humor.
Horror News Network: How did the forward from Kevin Jonas come about?
Brian Gonsar: Kevin grew up around comics. His dad was a big collector, his little brother is a huge fan (check out his recent posts from SD Comic Con), and Kevin grew up reading them as well. So, he was a natural fit for this and was into the idea when we talked about it. Side note: if you look at the dedication, it’s to my daughter and his two daughters because they’ve all been giving me feedback on the book from a kid’s perspective since 2022.
Horror News Network: Anything else you would like to tell us?
Brian Gonsar: If you’re on this site because you like horror, this book is a good introduction to kids who want a little horror in their life, without actually being scared. It’s a comedy in a spooky wrapper where the jokes, the absurdity of the situations, and the cartoon-like illustrations soften the tension.
Also, Keenan and I added a bunch of bonus content in the back of the book like donut and jelly recipes, character development, and a cover graveyard. And there’s also a demonstration on how pages go from script to pencils to color for people who want to learn a bit more about the process of creating a graphic novel.
Keenan Gaybba is an illustrator and animator from Cape Town, South Africa. He’s created animated music videos for clients like All Time Low, Marshmello, Seth MacFarlane, Tones and I, Anthony Hamilton, and many more. Dracula’s Brunch Club is his debut graphic novel.
Horror News Network: How did you decide on the artistic style for Dracula’s Brunch Club?
Keenan Gaybba: Brian reached out after he saw a music video I did for All Time Low and wanted a similar vibe for the book. I’ve always been inspired by the 90s cartoons I grew up with, so I wanted to create something that I would have loved as a kid!
Horror News Network: Have you always been a fan of classic monsters and jelly donuts?
Keenan Gaybba: Most definitely! Creature features have always been my favorite. The best jelly donut I’ve had so far was a strawberry and cream filled donut from Jason Bakery in Cape Town.
Horror News Network: A 200-ish page graphic novel is a very ambitious debut novel! Can you tell us about the process of getting that started and some of the challenges you faced?
Keenan Gaybba: We started with the first 10 pages for the initial pitch so I had a jumping off point when the book got picked up. After that it was just one page at a time from thumbnails through to inking and then coloring. Some of the time if I felt stuck I’d jump ahead to a scene further in the book, or just focus on one character over a couple panels. One thing I found helpful during the thumbnail stage was to figure out which panel was the most important and give it more room on the page.
Horror News Network: Anything else you would like to tell us?
Keenan Gaybba: You can follow Dracula’s Brunch Club on Instagram @draculasbrunchclub for fangtastic jokes, mini comics, behind the scenes, book updates and more.
