Connexion
How Smile: For the Camera Reveals a New Side of This Twisted Horror Universe
There's no shortage of good horror comics on the stands these days, but IDW Publishing's IDW Dark line has quickly risen above the pack thanks to a winning blend of original concepts and spinoffs of iconic movie franchises (like the wildly successful Event Horizon: Dark Descent). IDW Dark's latest prequel series is focused on a more recent success story in the horror scene - Smile. Smile: For the Camera is a new story set in this twisted universe from The Exorcism at 1600 Penn and The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace creator/writer Hannah Rose May and Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil artist Miriana Puglia.
IGN recently spoke with May about this prequel series and its connections to the previous two movies. Read on to learn more about the newest Smile adventure and to see newly revealed cover art for Smile: For the Camera #3.
May reveals that this series has been in the works for a little over a year, with its origins dating back to NYCC 2024 and the original debut of IDW Dark's licensed movie comics.
"This project originated at NYC 2024 when we were debuting The Exorcism at 1600 Penn," May tells IGN. "I was on a panel for the launch of IDW Dark where they unveiled their new list of Paramount-licensed titles. They mentioned that they were currently reading pitches for Smile and asked if I had any interest in pitching. I'm a sucker for brilliant marketing, and Smile had one of the most genius campaigns that had me hooked before I even bought a ticket. What Parker Finn has built with The Smile universe is going to terrify people for decades to come."
Clearly, the Smile movies have struck a chord with audiences. We were curious what May sees as the root of their appeal, and how that appeal translates to the comic book medium.
"At their core, they’re dramas that have a powerful supernatural hook," May says. "Both Rose and Skye are suffering from their own trauma and guilt, forced to smile through their pain which is something that resonates with most everyone. And then the entity brings that pain to the surface in terrifying fashion. In the world of print, Smile actually translates far better than you’d think. There’s an inherent balance of “show” don’t “tell” that you have to take with comics that actually lends itself to the Smile world. Our tool kit in comics is a bit more limited than a film but we’ve channeled the spirit of Parker’s filmmaking into our writing, art, colors and letters to deliver on an experience that will reward fans of the franchise."
While For the Camera is definitely set in the same universe as the previous films, May reveals that the goal is to tell a standalone prequel story. The only common thread here is the basic premise and the malignant infleunc eof the Smile entity.
"This series is completely stand alone, the only connection between our book and the films is the entity," May says. "The goal was to tell a new story, in a new time period and in a new setting that allowed us to explore similar themes from the films. If you’ve never seen the movie, you’ll be able to jump right in to Smile: For The Camera. We wanted to create something that rewarded returning fans while also being able to entice new fans to the world."
Smile: For the Camera is set in 2005, deep in the heart of the fashion industry. It's not hard to see where that setting could be mined for horror. May explains that this both allows her to maintain distance from the Smile movies while exploring a world that has plenty of monsters even before the Smile entity enters the picture.
"The early 2000s was pre-social media, pre-smartphones and a world where monoculture still existed. Culture was dictated by gatekeepers like TV networks, movie studios, and publications," May says. "I wanted to focus on an industry where smiling is an essential part of the job and if you were lucky enough, that smile could turn you into a supermodel overnight. The fashion industry is also filled with its own monsters and so we wanted to go backwards in time to explore this period while also putting distance between our story and Parker’s films."
Smile: For the Camera stars a new protagonist named Ivy. May explains that Ivy shares quite bit in common with past protagonists Rose and Skye, even with the gap in time. However, there is one key difference separating these women.
"Ivy is our fish out of water, a rookie model that serves as the reader’s fresh pair of eyes into the world of modeling," May says. "She’s confident, intelligent but most of all, she’s a pragmatist. She isn’t looking to become a supermodel, she just wants to make some money to pay off her student loans so she can start her life. Like Rose and Skye, she’s caring and compassionate despite being in an industry that thrives on competition. Where they differ is that Ivy is coming to our story without trauma or guilt for the entity to feed off of. It’s through our story that Ivy finds herself confronting a darkness that gives the entity the fuel it needs to survive."
The Smile movies make a point of not revealing too much about the nature of the Smile Entity. May says that the comic isn't necessarily looking to alter that approach, though the book may just make some contributions to the mythos that fans aren't expecting.
"We wanted to be incredibly respectful to the world building and lore that Parker has painstakingly set up in Smile," May says. "For us, we didn’t want to expand too much of the mythos of the entity but with each installment of the franchise, we learn a little bit more. With our series, we were very fortunate that Parker and Paramount were generous enough to let us do a few things that I think fans of the franchise will be excited to see. You’ll have to read to find out!"
As for the artwork, May says, "I had just got done working with [colorist Dearbhla Kelly] on The Guy in the Chair before Smile, so I was excited knowing her strengths coming into this. Miriana brought her own style and tone to the book which is why comics are so great. It’s a collaborative medium and what you envision doesn't always match the artist's style exactly, but that's part of the creative process. The best part is when those pages hit your inbox and you see how everyone's contributions come together. Our goal was always to create something visually unique while honoring the Smile films. I believe we've done that!"
Smile: For the Camera #1 will be released on February 18, with a preorder deadline of January 12. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.
In other comic book news, find out which series was selected as IGN's best comic book of 2025, and see which comics we're most excited for in 2026.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
