North Texas Daily

Kelsey Chippeaux / Intern

No one is innocent. No one is safe.

Or at least according to Wraith, the masked vigilante villain in the upcoming comic book and short film “Wraith,” currently being produced by a group of UNT students and alumni.

“The original idea was basically, ‘What if Batman was the villain in a horror movie,’” said “Wrath” screenwriter Derek Welle, a UNT alumnus. “I wanted the character to be a mash-up between a dark vigilante superhero and a slasher villain, like the iconic ones from the ‘80s. Of course, the idea of a superhero that kills people has been done before, but I felt that seeing a superhero as the antagonist wasn’t something I’d really seen done in this way.”

The short film is still in pre-production. The group plans to start shooting in January, said “Wraith” producer Chris Hood, a radio, television and film senior.

Hood said they are in the fundraising phase of the production, and they have created an account on Kickstarter.com to raise money and gain attention.

“We really do need everyone’s support,” Hood said. “Every little bit does count. We’re hoping we’ll build a fanbase.”

The group’s goal is to raise $5,000 to aid in producing the film, Welle said.

“Right now the only way we’ll be able to succeed is if we reach our goal on Kickstarter,” he said. “So far, a lot of friends and family and even fans I’ve never met before have supported us, so I feel very lucky and optimistic about reaching it.”

The rest of the money will come out of their pockets.

“Making money isn’t really the goal of this project,” Hood said. “Our goal is just to make it happen and to give back to the fans that support us.”

The group calls “Wraith” a passion project made up of people who are excited about the concept.

The crew is mostly made up of alums or undergraduates working for free.

“One of the great things about being in college is that you can meet some really awesome, really talented people,” Hood said. “People getting on board with a project with all that pizzazz without getting paid is rare.”

The role of “Wraith” has been cast, and a teaser trailer for the project has been completed.

“The teaser was literally made with pocket change, just using available lighting and one extra light which we had plugged into my car to use as a generator,” Hood said. “We were just trying to make it work with what little supplies we had, but we did it, and I’m really proud.”

The crew has high hopes for the project.

“It’s going to be great, just because it’s a fresh story and a totally different take on this sort of slasher genre,” “Wraith” actor Cameron Fulton said.

The crew also went to Dallas Comic Con Fan Days this past weekend to promote the project.

“Being able to interact one-on-one with potential fans was so invigorating, and it just brought that much more to the project,” Hood said. “It really meant a lot to see people actually get excited about this thing we’re doing.”

To find out more about the project visit www.whoisthewraith.com.