Smile: For the Camera Comic Prequel Announced

IDW Publishing's IDW Dark line is expanding the Smile franchise with a new prequel comic series titled Smile: For the Camera. Written by Hannah Rose May and illustrated by Miriana Puglia, the series is set in the year 2005 within the fashion industry.

The story introduces a new protagonist named Ivy, a rookie model who enters the industry to pay off student loans. Unlike previous protagonists in the film series, Ivy does not initially carry the trauma or guilt that the Smile entity typically feeds on, though she eventually confronts a darkness that fuels the entity.

May revealed that the project originated during New York Comic Con 2024 and that the series is designed to be a standalone story. Fans can expect the series to respect the established lore while offering a new perspective on the universe.

The development of the Smile: For the Camera comic series began over a year ago, originating at NYCC 2024. Hannah Rose May discussed the inception of the project during a panel for the launch of IDW Dark, where the publisher unveiled their list of Paramount-licensed titles.

May stated, "This project originated at NYC 2024 when we were debuting The Exorcism at 1600 Penn. 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."

Her interest was sparked by the marketing of the original film. "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," May said. She expressed high regard for the universe created by Parker Finn, noting, "What Parker Finn has built with The Smile universe is going to terrify people for decades to come."

Smile: For the Camera is set in the year 2005, taking place deep within the fashion industry. May chose this specific time period to explore a world before the dominance of social media and smartphones, where monoculture still existed and gatekeepers dictated trends.

The setting allows the story to explore an industry where smiling is an essential part of the job. May explained, "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."

The series stars a new protagonist named Ivy, described as a "fish out of water" and a rookie model. While she shares traits with previous protagonists Rose and Skye, such as being caring and compassionate, there is a distinct difference.

May noted, "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." Ivy's motivation is pragmatic: she wants to make money to pay off student loans rather than becoming a supermodel.

The creative team approached the comic series with a focus on translating the cinematic experience to the printed page. May believes the Smile world translates well to comics due to the medium's inherent balance of "show" don't "tell."

May stated, "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."

Regarding the lore, the series is designed to be a standalone prequel. The only connection to the films is the presence of the Smile entity. May emphasized the goal was to tell a new story in a new time period that explores similar themes.

While respecting the mystery of the entity established in the films, the comic may add to the mythos. May said, "We wanted to be incredibly respectful to the world building and lore that Parker has painstakingly set up in Smile... 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."

The artwork is a collaboration between artist Miriana Puglia and colorist Dearbhla Kelly. May noted that Puglia brought her own style and tone to the book.

Smile: For the Camera represents a significant expansion of the Smile universe, moving the horror from the big screen to the printed page. By setting the story in 2005 and focusing on the high-stakes world of fashion, the creative team aims to provide a fresh environment for the entity to terrorize.

With a new protagonist in Ivy and a standalone narrative, the series promises to be accessible to newcomers while rewarding long-time fans of the franchise. The collaboration between Hannah Rose May and Miriana Puglia, supported by the established lore of Parker Finn, suggests a compelling addition to the horror landscape in 2026.