Behind the Screams
How I Summon Demons for a Laugh
A peek inside the making of “The Real Demons of Pop Culture”
Every comic starts the same way: I crack open a dusty old grimoire and pick a demon. No, seriously.
The series kicked off with me flipping through the Lesser Key of Solomon — a 17th-century how-to manual on summoning demons, because apparently, demonology was the original self-help. This ancient spellbook is broken into five parts, but I’m hanging out in the Ars Goetia section for now. That’s where the “fun” demons live — 72 of them, each more bonkers than the last.
The process? I read the demon’s description, then start sketching ridiculous versions of them in my cartoony universe. I look for something in their bio that makes me laugh. In the case of Amdusias, the line that got me was:
“He’s the demon in charge of the cacophonous music played in Hell.”
Cacophonous music? That’s too classy. I took some creative license and imagined Amdusias as the evil DJ of Hell, spinning songs that could make a demon’s ears bleed.
And what would be on that playlist? I asked a friend what song would torture him in Hell. Without skipping a beat, he said: “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train. That sealed it — boom, comic title.
Other songs that nearly made the cut for Hell’s Top 40:
“Baby Shark”
“It’s a Small World”
“Achy Breaky Heart” – Billy Ray’s cursed legacy
“Who Let the Dogs Out” – You’ll wish you didn’t ask
“Macarena” – Now featuring zombie backup dancers
“Friday” – Rebecca Black’s eternal punishment
I like to think these are all on vinyl, spinning non-stop in Hell’s infernal radio station. Even though we know Hell probably went digital, the visual of demons rocking out to scratched-up records makes me happy.
Once I’ve got the character, it’s time to set the scene. For Amdusias, I knew I wanted him in the studio, cueing up the worst song ever. I think a lot about layout — camera angle, background, how many lost souls to cram into Hell’s DJ booth. And then I go back and take half of it out. That’s the lesson I’m learning as a cartoonist: less is more. And wow, is that harder than it sounds.
Trying to distill a visual gag into as few lines as possible? Torture. But the good kind. Demon-approved.
Anyway, I’m proud of how this one turned out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading back to the Ars Goetia to find the next infernal weirdo who makes me laugh.
Stay tuned. Or don’t. The demons don’t care either way.
Take it easy,
James