Keith Arem Shares Details About Crowdfunding "FROST ROAD" In Collaboration with DEAD MEAT (INTERVIEW)

Keith Arem may not be a household name, but there is a very good chance you’ve played one of the over 700 commercial video game releases he and his company PCB Productions have worked on. From Call of Duty to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Sleeping Dogs (a criminally underrated game) Keith and his company have contributed to some of the most engaging, cinematic, and successful video games in the modern era. So it makes sense that when he connected with Christopher Shy, the founder of Studio Ronin whose work has been a part of series like Dead Space and the Friday the 13th Game they would collaborate on something dark and scary. That something is “Frost Road.”

Keith and Christopher, alongside a host of visual arts veterans, have teamed up for a Kickstarter that is just entering its final days to bring “Frost Road” to the masses. This includes likenesses from folks such as Yuri Lowenthal, Chris Jai Alex, and Ed O’Ross, all of whom you’ve seen in both games and film as well as a story that has been described as, “ a narrative that blends the emotional intensity of The Last of Us, the chilling atmosphere of A Quiet Place, and the unsettling dread of Silent Hill…”

We were fortunate to ask Keith a few questions about the project, and also the collaboration they’ve made with James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca of Dead Meat fame to bring this graphic novel to life. Check out our interview below alongside some sample pages, and click the button below to help fund the project. But you better hurry, as the Kickstarter closes on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on this amazing graphic novel and all the perks contained within the campaign!

Macabre Daily: What’s the origin for Keith and Christopher coming together to collaborate on Frost Road?

Keith Arem: Chris and I originally started working together on Ascend with Image Comics, and that established a solid creative shorthand between us. With Frost Road, I was collaborating on a story idea with my good friend Brandon Humphreys, and I wanted to move into film to explore something darker and more psychological.  I knew Chris was the only artist who could visually ground that kind of tone while also pushing it into this haunted surreal space. The second he read the script, he sent back concept pages that immediately nailed the tone—and from there, it became a true collaboration. He didn’t just illustrate the story; he reshaped the atmosphere and emotional weight of every page.

MD: The team behind this has an outstanding pedigree in both video games and comics/graphic novels, what drove the decision to crowdfund Frost Road rather than work directly with a publisher?

KA: We’ve worked with many great publishers over the years, but Kickstarter gave us direct access to our audience. Our backgrounds are in immersive storytelling, and our connection with our fans is the most important relationship. We also wanted the freedom to make exactly the book we envisioned, so with Kickstarter, we could take those creative risks and also invite fans into the process. Since our book is already completed, we aren’t asking for faith as much as we are asking for everyone’s partnership.

MD: Some of the inspirations and references mentioned include The Last of Us and Silent Hill, among others—how will Frost Road differentiate itself and blaze a separate trail?

KA: Those projects are incredibly foundational in this genre, but what sets Frost Road apart is its psychological horror and foundation in real-world science and sound. The people in Frost Road are being torn apart by an invisible phenomenon that affects their minds and wipes out the salt from their bodies. That makes the horror more grounded and intimate, and much more unpredictable. Our story is character-driven at its core, so it’s less about saving the world—and more about surviving your own mind, your past, and the people you can’t trust. The tension is deeply personal, and that’s where Frost Road really finds its identity.

MD: Additional collaborators include James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca of Dead Meat fame—how did Keith and team begin working with them, and what kind of involvement will they have in this project?

KA: I’ve been a fan of what James and Chelsea have built with Dead Meat for years. Their love for the horror genre runs deep, and their audience really values thoughtful, passionate storytelling. We initially connected through mutual friends, and once they saw Frost Road, they immediately resonated with it. They’re joining us as producers on our Stretch Goal to adapt the book into an audio drama, bringing in their energy, creative vision, and horror expertise. They know how to elevate a project while keeping it grounded in what fans love.

MD: Is Frost Road intended to be a one-off, or is there potential for a sequel and/or expansion into other media formats?

KA: The current book tells a complete story, but the world of Frost Road is definitely bigger than a single volume. We’ve written outlines for follow-up stories and expanded media—there’s potential for film, game concepts, and an entire anthology of connected survivors and locations. We designed it to stand on its own, but the response has already been so strong that we’re thinking beyond the book. The audio drama with Dead Meat is just the start.

MD: What are you most proud of in regard to this project, and what should readers be most excited about (aside from the amazing talent attached to it)?

KA: I have always loved classic films like The Thing and The Shining, so for me this became more than a survival horror story - it was about honoring the influences and stories that I grew up with. Frost gets under your skin and stays with you, and I think we found a great blend of art and psychological horror.

But I’m most proud of how cohesive the final experience came together and how personal this project became for everyone involved. Our entire team, including our staff at PCB and the phenomenal people at Kickstarter, helped make this possible. The art is stunning, the cast is phenomenal, and our whole team helped bring this vision together.  We loved bringing this campaign to our fans, and I hope it’s the beginning of a long relationship with our audience.

Thank you to Keith for taking the time to answer our questions, and you can check out the Kickstarter page here to help fund the project!

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