The Tweet that started it all…
It was Friday, January 22, 2021, and Corpse Coffee founder Dave Robison was engaging in a bit of banter with his friend, horror writer Paul E. Cooley. Paul was having a rough morning and was cheerfully updating his Twitter followers regarding his lamentable circumstances.
Ever the stalwart and supportive friend, Dave sympathized while simultaneously mocking Paul’s aging and decrepit stature. It was then, at 7:44am Central time, that Paul delivered not only a gracious response but the inspiration that would seize Dave’s imagination.
Maybe it was the alliteration, the startling contrast, or the horrifyingly evocative imagery of the words “Corpse Coffee”, but Dave was utterly captivated. He immediately went to GoDaddy and queried if “CorpseCoffee.com” was available. Lo and behold it was… and for a pittance! Dave snatched it up, certain he could do something with the domain name.
It didn’t take long for his fevered brain to remember that his cousin, Tom Patton, was the roast master at 35 North Coffee in Santa Fe, New Mexico. If anyone would understand the subtle nuances of the coffee biz, it would be him!
A quick phone call to the Land of Enchantment saw the cousins catching up… and then Dave started grilling Tom on the nature of the coffee business. It quickly became apparent that not only was Tom a true aficionado of the “Way of the Bean”, but he was in a position to create some truly astonishing and completely unique bean blends exclusively for Corpse Coffee!
This was an unexpected turn! Dave expected it would take weeks or even months before he could find a supplier willing to blend, roast, and ship quality bean on Corpse Coffee’s behalf… but the Universe apparently had other plans.
But doubt began to gnaw at his high spirits. Top-quality coffee beans wouldn’t be enough to launch Corpse Coffee into the hearts and minds of the population. It needed a story… a BIG story! Like… A WEBCOMIC!!
But where could he find an artist crazy enough to take a chance on such a hair-brained idea and talented enough to give it the whimsically horrifying look it deserved…?
Tom rarely makes just one pot of coffee…
Ever since that day, Scott has been
very cautious around salads
Again, inspiration struck! His other cousin, Scott Gibala-Broxholm, had long been adding to the beauty of the world in the form of marvelous children’s books that he both wrote and illustrated, as well as a YouTube channel teaching kids how to draw. Plus, as Dave recalled, Scott was deeply enamored of the old 1930’s horror movies as well as the classic Addams Family, Edward Gorey, and other such spooky delights.
Another phone call, this time to the Empire State and, once again, cousins were chatting amiably. They lamented that, despite their best efforts, they’d never been able to work on a project together. “Well, about that…” Dave said and pitched the idea of a webcomic set in “The Graveyard” that followed the exploits of a couple of zombies on a quest for the perfect brew. “Sure,” Dave said, “neither of us has ever done a webcomic before but when has THAT ever stopped us?”
Scott’s response was a swift and enthusiastic affirmative and the two lunatics began preparing the requisite materials for creating a webcomic. Dave scripted a dozen installments while Scott began crafting the look and feel of the key characters. Realizing that they had three initial characters and three initial coffee blends, they naturally paired a character to a brew, initiating a tradition that will be long upheld in the years to come.
They resolved to have twelve comics scripted and inked before launching and through diligence and epic teamwork, that’s exactly what they did.
But fate wasn’t finished with our hero yet…
During an online D&D game, Dave was introduced to Tanya Laird of Tabletop Teas. Everyone in the group sang the praises of Tanya’s unique and eloquent tea blends and, after a quick perusal of her creations at the Tabletop Teas website, it was clear she was a Flavor Alchemist of rare talents. It was the perfect extension of the Corpse Coffee concept and Dave already started changing the company name to “Corpse Coffee and Tea“.
Despite his enthusiasm for the project, Dave was nervous as he typed up the email proposal for Tanya to create tea blends for Corpse Coffee. Asking relatives to join in these madcap shenanigans was one thing, but Dave and Tanya had only gamed together the one time. Would a near-stranger be willing to participate in this weirdness?
As it turns out, Tanya was intrigued by the idea and looking for a way to expand awareness about her (truly exceptional) tea blends. Dave devised three new characters for the webcomic storyverse and presented them to Tanya, inviting her to work her mojo on developing a tea for each of them. In a matter of days, she had devised some ingenious flavor fusions and within a month, the ingredients were gathered, tests were made and the three teas were added to the Corpse Coffee and Tea roster!
Tanya’s career as a medieval ninja lady-in-waiting
has really taken off. We wish her the best of luck!
Actual footage of Dave just before the launch of Corpse Coffee & Tea*
*this is a lie
With all the players in place, the stage was set. In just a few short months, beans were blended and tested, teas were forged from the very essence of delight, and comic art began to flow like ambrosia across the internet.
Dave built the website and wired up the e-commerce thing-a-ma-bobs. He built labels and other promotional designs, combining the artistic creations of all three of his colleagues. Soon everything was in readiness.
All they had to do was open the virtual doors and see if anybody would be interested…