Johnny, Sissy, and the Petals Experience
Last week, the community solved a long standing riddle, resulting in a whole separate experience called Petals, and the introduction of Johnny and Sissy. Read on in the Hub for a recap of all the latest news on these two new additions to the canon.
The Maria Flores Tribute Instagram account launched back in March and started sharing her story, visually, by way of photos she snapped on her fateful excursion to see the Texas wildflowers. With those photos that Maria mailed back home to her family, she shared little notes about what she was doing, where she was traveling, and what she encountered. Hints within those messages revealed something sinister, an off feeling she had gotten from a man she crossed paths with. Maria was quick to brush this off, but perhaps she shouldn’t have been.
The account concluded the first run of images with a shot of the newspaper talking about Maria’s disappearance. The community, eager to find out more of what happened to her, scoured that image, but eventually didn’t find anything they thought was a clue.
But they were missing something…
Months later, the account shared a clearer image of the newspaper, now unfolded to reveal all that was left of it. This kicked off a search that took fans to Google Maps, then YouTube, and finally to an indie Itch.io page for Petals, a seemingly innocuous game about floral photography.
That floral photography game is a walk through Maria’s final day alive, complete with the reveal of what happened to her and who was to blame for her disappearance. Knowing how the community felt about Maria and her story, we knew this would polarize players. Some would be intrigued by Johnny and Sissy, would want to get into their shoes. Others would feel the need for vengeance, they would rally around the idea of escaping these villains because in their mind they were vindicating poor Maria. Love them or hate them, Johnny and Sissy made you feel something.
“Johnny, one of the younger members of the family, is manipulative, narcissistic, but also charming and quite attractive. He uses his good looks to his advantage by preying on unsuspecting strangers, luring them back to his Family where they ultimately meet their demise. His encounter with Maria sets the stage for the story.
Sissy is the toxic child of a crazed era, a cult-like woman with a serial killer's insatiable bloodlust. At first glance, she may seem sweet and pleasant, but look a little closer and you'll see she is highly unstable, unpredictable, and suffers from multiple mental disorders due to her turbulent past. If you hear her paradoxical laughter, you'd better get as far away as possible. She is dangerous and willing to do whatever it takes to help the family.”
–Robert Fox II, Designer, Gun Interactive
The two newest characters, created by Gun Interactive in cooperation with Kim Henkel, are officially revealed and the team heads off to The Scarefest in Lexington, Kentucky for a series of events including a panel with some of our cast. Kane Hodder, Kristina Klebe, and Damian Maffei joined Ronnie Hobbs, Matthew Szep, and Rob Fox II from Gun Interactive on stage live at the convention and shared a bit more insight into these characters.
Actors Damian Maffei and Kristina Klebe on their respective roles as new additions to the Slaughter Family:
“Johnny is just really into what he’s doing there. He really takes a great amount of joy and pleasure in the hunt, the chase, and taking his time with his Victims. He’s kind of playing with his food. And in the real world, of course that’s horrible, but as a character, that’s something that’s really kind of delicious and you can really dive in there.”
–Damian Maffei, Voice Actor, “Johnny”
“I feel horror needs more female icons. We need our own Leatherface, Jason, or Freddy. This is why I’m glad, as a woman, for this opportunity to be a killer in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I hope down the line we see more women playing these types of characters.”
–Kristina Klebe, Voice and Motion Capture Actor, “Sissy”
We also revealed a fun little bit of future horror trivia worthy insight: Kane Hodder performed the motion capture for Grandpa, best killer there ever was.
So there you have it, all five Family members that will be at your disposal when you get your hands on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a game based on true events.
Keep an eye on the Community Hub for more on the Family and consider joining the conversation on the Official Subreddit.