A Rebrand Strategy for Joseph Schmalke & Midnight Factory Press
In a world of blood, bone, and beautifully twisted storytelling, Midnight Factory needed a voice that could haunt fans across platforms—without putting Joseph directly in the spotlight. Enter the Red Reaper: a gothic, AI-powered brand anchor designed to embody the tone of the Schmalke universe while guiding fans through new launches, lore, and surprises. This launch video was the eerie spark for a social storytelling strategy built on immersive, character-driven experience—inviting audiences not just to follow, but to feel the world unfolding around them.
Swipe Promo Set: “Season of the Witch”
To deepen the immersive experience and build anticipation for Season of the Witch, I created a two-part social media promo that fuses storytelling, urgency, and the voice of our brand anchor—the Red Reaper. These images act as both lore-building and conversion tools, using poetic copy and gothic visuals to lure readers into the next chapter of We Don’t Kill Spiders.
Social Series: Four Formats for Fandom
1. Schmalkified
A viral-ready video challenge where Joseph Schmalke reimagines iconic movie posters—transforming them into ink-drenched relics in his unmistakably grim style.
2. Schmoodles
Hand-drawn chaos. Quick doodles by Schmalke that mix twisted humor, horror aesthetic, and dark whimsy into snackable content.
3. Lore Bites
An immersive take on comic synopses. These short videos pair dark narration with atmospheric visuals—comic pages, covers, and textures—to bring each series' tone to life without spoiling the story.
4. Pick Your Poison
A collector’s dream: visual roundups of variant covers for new or upcoming releases, fueling hype, showcasing art, and pushing fans to choose their version… or collect them all.
“you have a lot to offer and anyone would be lucky to have someone with your skills and passion for the industry.”
— Hilarie Schmalke (Midnight Factory Press)