New horror imprintNinth Circleis ready to unleash its first tale of monstrous mayhem, spilling from the pen of writerGarth Ennis(The Boys,The Ribbon Queen) and artistMike Perkins(The Swamp Thing, Captain America.) The project isFreddie the Fix- the standalone story of a Hollywood fixer tasked to cover up the various crimes and misdeeds of horror icons including werewolves, vampires, and boogeymen.
Ennis is one of the co-founders of Ninth Circle, alongside creators including Ram V, Adam Glass and Marguerite Bennett, with the publisher promising a wide brief that coversevery nook and cranny of the horror genre. Ahead of the comic’s release on December 18, Screen Rant was pleased to speak with theFreddie The Fixcreative team, and get answers to some of our most burning questions, straight from Garth Ennis and Mike Spicer. Read on for the full interview below:
Screen Rant: You’re one of the co-founders of Ninth Circle, which has creator-owned horror as its mission statement. Why is now the right time for those two priorities to meet?
Garth Ennis: We’ve actually been talking about it for a while, I think Joe first came up with the idea during COVID. It’s taken some time to pull it all together, get the right people and so on, but we’re finally ready to go.
SR: What makes Freddie the Fix the ideal debut for Ninth Circle?
GE: Simple high concept, hits you right between the eyes. And killer artwork by Mike Perkins.
“I often think if you want true horror your first step would be to eradicate kindness…”
– Garth Ennis on his terrifying new villain
15 Best Horror Comic Books of All Time
The horror genre has always been essential to comic books as a medium; below are the 10 best, most intense horror series of all time.
SR: You’ve obviously written horror before, but there’s the added context of tapping into film history here. Was there an initial monster or reference you knew you had to include or that you built out from?
GE: I think I began with the character of Freddie, and built the monsters into the plot around him. They’re either characters people won’t be expecting, like Huggy, Al and Lenny, or more familiar figures with a hopefully original twist - like Lou the werewolf, a guy very much at the mercy of his urges.
SR: Freddie the Fix is a great noir character, and someone who truly feels at home in the monstrous Hollywood you depict. Is he based on any real people or real experiences?
GE: Not really, no. To be honest I closed my eyes and let my mind wander, and what I saw was Freddie cruising down the strip in his big blue car.
SR: There are some similarities between Freddie the Fix and The Boys, with the central character cleaning up after homicidal celebrities of immense power. Is there a reason you wanted to explore that theme from the opposite side - the guy making sure they get away with it?
GE: I thought it was a suitably sleazy take on a genre that often takes itself quite seriously - monsters. In a way both Freddie and the Boys are doing the same work, in that they’re trying to keep things from boiling over and alarming the public - it’s just that Butcher & co. are more than happy to gather the evidence they run across and use it as blackmail fodder for their own ends, while to Freddie it’s nothing personal, just a job.
SR: Freddie the Fix stars what may be your most disgusting, depraved villain to date, in a history that includes everyone from Homelander and Odin Quincannon to Satan himself. What do you think makes a great (which is to say, terrible) villain?
GE: Cruelty. Lack of humanity, lack of empathy. I often think if you want true horror your first step would be to eradicate kindness - as our next president is going to prove in fine style, starting next January. He may well make horror fiction obsolete, as a matter of fact.
SR: This is thedebut release for Ninth Circle– how did you get involved with the publisher, and was there added pressure with this being the launch title?
Mike Perkins: I’ve known Joe Pruett for many years and I recall chatting to him about the company, when it was in its embryonic state. We connected again in May after being exclusive with DC. I mentioned to him my interest in pursuing some creator-owned work and he asked if I’d be interested in collaborating with Garth. Well, I’d been gagging to do just that ever since I read Troubled Souls when it was appearing in Crisis. We went through the ins and outs of Ninth Circle and I was more than happy to get involved. Added pressure? Not really. After meeting up with Garth and then reading the script, I was just eager to start.
SR: The world of Freddie the Fix is such an ambitious combination of horror icons and classic Hollywood creatures, where did you begin? Was there one ‘monster’ design that, once you nailed it, made you feel at home?
MP: I began by being extremely excited about the project when Garth told me about it! I think that most creators are wired in to those classic monsters - almost genetically. It’s almost like a responsive race memory. We all know what hey look like - the original designs are classic for a reason - but we’ve tried to be reminiscent of those designs rather than accurately depicting them. We want parody - not a parroted perfection. One monster design I took in the wrong direction until Garth, thankfully, corrected me. I was seeing Lou - our morally pathetic Werewolf - in a Wolfman mode…probably because of that classic monster mindset … but then Garth asked for a more dog-like, classic Steve Dillon, take - and it made the whole situation much more ludicrous! That was when I felt at home… which is appropriate seeing as it’s the second page!
Preacher Writer Garth Ennis Reveals Exactly How Close the R-Rated Comic Came to Getting a Movie
Preacher is famously a four-season AMC live-action television series, but as Garth Ennis reveals, his comic book series nearly became a feature film.
SR: One of the focuses on Ninth Circle is being creator-owned - did you find that resulted in any major differences from your work elsewhere?
MP: Not particularly - no. I approach each and every job with the sole intention of doing the best job I can - this is certainly no exception. Every job is a joy and this one was massively enjoyable. I’m sure the readers will love it too!
Freddie the Fixwill be available June 04, 2025 from Ninth Circle and Image Comics.
Garth Ennis
Discover the latest news and filmography for Garth Ennis, known for The Boys and Preacher.
