'Killroy Was Here' Trailer: Kevin Smith Unveils Schlocky Comedy-Horror Anthology Movie

A canceled Comic-Con didn't stop Kevin Smith from delivering his usual enthusiastic presentation, this time offering a pre-recorded rundown of his current and future projects to a virtual audience at Comic-Con at Home. During this presentation, he shared the first trailer for his upcoming comedy-horror anthology Killroy Was Here. You can watch it below.

Based on the World War II "meme," Killroy Was Here is Smith's excuse to create a schlocky B-movie horror anthology movie loosely inspired by the piece of graffiti depicting a bald man with a bulbous nose peeking over a wall with the phrase "Kilroy was here." The doodles of Kilroy span the world, mostly spread by GIs in the 1940s.

Smiths' film doesn't seem to have much to do with the doodle's roots, with the director likening the film to the 1982 George A. Romero anthology Creepshow or Brad Miska's 2012 V/H/S.

"It's got a theme that runs through it, in as much as our monster Killroy, and all these little stories that happen around him. He's kind of like a kid-avenger — if you f*** with kids, Killroy will show up," Smith said during his presentation.

Smith has ventured into horror with 2016's Yoga Hosers, 2014's Tusk, and 2011's Red State, and he's sticking with the genre with Killroy Was Here, which he has described as an anthology film revolving around a Kilroy figure that is a combination of Golem, the Boogeyman, and the Grim Reaper. Originally, Smith and executive producer/co-writer Andrew McElfresh were planning a horror-comedy approach to the demonic Christmas figure Krampus, but retooled the film after 2015's Krampus hit theaters.

For the film, Smith tapped makeup artist Bob Kurtzman to create a character that honored the original graffiti while also being suitable for a horror movie, the filmmaker revealed in his Comic-Con at Home presentation. "It's f***ing horrifying but it's also like horrifying and goofy at the same time. I mean if you look real close when you see Killroy, it looks like he's got a giant dick for a nose," Smith said. "It's supposed to be his features are melted because — well, I don't want to spoil it."

Smith started working on Killroy Was Here in Florida with students from Ringling College of Art and Design before he had a heart attack in 2018. The film was one of his first projects after recovering, but he shelved the film to make and release Jay and Silent Bob Reboot in 2019.

Smith said he's putting the finishing touches on Killroy Was Here and plans to release it by early 2021.