Nowhere Files

Weekly digital graphic novels expanding the Tales from Nowhere universe

Nowhere Files

Format	Digital Graphic Novel
Issues	10 (Season 1)
Pages per Issue	12-15
Release Schedule	Weekly (Fridays)
Writer	Jesse Alexander
Artists	Various (rotating)
Platform	Official App, Web
Price	Free (with ads)
Total Downloads	2.3 million

The Nowhere Files were a series of weekly digital graphic novels released as part of the Tales from Nowhere Transmedia Program. Published every Friday between episode airings, each 12-15 page chapter expanded on characters, cryptids, and mythology that would feature in the upcoming Sunday episode.

Unlike traditional TV tie-in comics that simply adapt or recap episodes, the Nowhere Files told original stories set before, during, or parallel to the television narrative. Readers who followed both mediums gained significantly deeper understanding of the show's mythology and character motivations.

Overview

The Nowhere Files utilized a distinctive visual style blending photorealistic backgrounds with stylized character art, creating an uncanny atmosphere that complemented the show's horror elements. Each issue featured a different rotating artist while maintaining consistent character designs.

Key storytelling approaches included:

• Backstory Reveals: Character histories never fully explained on screen
• Cryptid Origins: Mythological context for each week's creature
• Parallel Narratives: Events happening simultaneously with the TV episode
• Hidden Clues: Visual Easter eggs connecting to the Finding David ARG
• Unreliable Narration: Some chapters presented conflicting accounts

Chapter Guide

Chapter 1: "The Last Broadcast"

The first Nowhere Files chapter follows David Margolis in the weeks before his disappearance. Working the night shift at the Big Ear Observatory, David begins detecting anomalous signals that don't match any known astronomical source. His attempts to report the findings are dismissed by superiors, leading him to investigate independently.

The chapter ends with David recording his final blog post, stating he's found something that "changes everything about what we think we know." A final panel shows a figure watching him from the treeline—the same Mothman hybrid that would later appear to Abigail in Episode 1.

Connections to Episode 1x01:

• Explains why Benji is searching for his brother
• The anomalous signals David detected are the same ones Abigail later hears
• David's final coordinates appear on Benji's conspiracy board in the pilot

Chapter 2: "Hunger"

Set during the harsh winter of 1847, this chapter depicts the tragic origin of Nowhere's Wendigo. A group of settlers, including ancestors of several current residents, becomes trapped in the mountains during an unprecedented blizzard. As starvation sets in, one among them makes an unspeakable choice.

The chapter presents the Algonquin understanding of Wendigo creation: not merely a creature, but a transformation born from the ultimate violation of human taboo. The final pages reveal that the Wendigo's first victim was a Beaumont—explaining the family's generations-long obsession with controlling the entity.

Connections to Episode 1x02:

• The settler who transforms is revealed to share DNA with a current Nowhere resident (identity revealed in Episode 8)
• A distinctive pocket watch shown in this chapter appears in Thaddeus's study
• The cave where the transformation occurred is the same location Abigail discovers

Chapter 3: "The Lumberman's Warning"

Framed as an excerpt from a 1920s lumberjack's journal, this chapter explores the logging camps that once operated in the forests around Nowhere. The narrator describes encounters with creatures the loggers called "Hidebehinds"—entities that could never be seen directly, only caught in peripheral vision.

The journal reveals that the loggers developed rituals to appease the forest creatures, including leaving offerings at certain trees. These same trees are marked on a map that Clara Sterling is seen studying in Episode 3.

Connections to Episode 1x03:

• The journal's author is Clara's great-grandfather
• His survival strategy—never running, always walking slowly—is the same advice Clara gives Abigail
• A sketch in the journal matches the Hidebehind design exactly

Chapter 4: "Little People"

This chapter is told from the perspective of the Pukwudgie themselves, offering a rare sympathetic portrayal. We learn that the "little people" once served as guardians of the forest, protecting both the land and the humans who respected it. Their turn toward malevolence came after settlers broke sacred agreements.

The chapter introduces the concept of "true names"—the Pukwudgie cannot harm anyone who knows their individual name. This becomes crucial information in Episode 4's climax.

Connections to Episode 1x04:

• The lead Pukwudgie's true name is hidden in the artwork (backwards text in a puddle reflection)
• Abigail unknowingly speaks this name during the episode, saving herself
• The "sacred agreements" referenced connect to Beaumont family history

Chapter 5: "Storm Chaser"

Perhaps the most significant chapter for character development, "Storm Chaser" reveals Clara Sterling's origin story. We see her as a young woman in the 1940s, following a massive storm across the heartland. The chapter implies she's been alive far longer than humanly possible, tracking the Thunderbird for decades.

Clara's connection to the sky spirit is revealed: she made a bargain with the Thunderbird after it saved her village from destruction. In exchange for her service as a "watcher," she was granted extended life—but also the burden of witnessing endless cycles of human fear and suffering.

Connections to Episode 1x05:

• Clara's knowledge of the Thunderbird's behavior comes from direct experience
• Her protective instinct toward Abigail mirrors her lost daughter (shown in flashback)
• The bargain she made parallels the choice Abigail faces in the season finale

Chapter 6: "Skin Deep"

This chapter follows Deputy Walsh in the days before the events of Episode 6. We see him struggling with his identity as one of the few non-white residents in Nowhere, facing subtle (and not-so-subtle) prejudice. His Navajo grandmother's stories about Skinwalkers, once dismissed as superstition, take on new meaning when he witnesses something impossible.

The chapter handles Skinwalker mythology with noted cultural sensitivity, presenting the creature not as a monster to be defeated but as a warning about the dangers of seeking power through violation of sacred laws.

Connections to Episode 1x06:

• Walsh's grandmother's warnings allow him to recognize the Skinwalker before others
• His cultural knowledge becomes essential to the group's survival
• The chapter explains why he initially refuses to discuss what he knows

Chapter 7: "Pacific Northwest"

We travel to Washington State to meet the Nakamura family before their move to Nowhere. Keiko's grandmother reveals the family secret: they are descendants of Kitsune, fox spirits who immigrated to America during the Meiji era. The family has worked for generations to control their abilities and live peacefully among humans.

The chapter also introduces the Batsquatch through Pacific Northwest folklore, establishing it as a creature that has followed the Nakamuras across the country—not as a threat, but as a kind of territorial marker for their supernatural bloodline.

Connections to Episode 1x07:

• Keiko's reluctance to discuss her family makes sense given this history
• The Batsquatch's behavior toward Keiko is protective, not predatory
• Family heirloom items shown in this chapter appear in the episode

Chapter 8: "The Founding"

The darkest chapter of the series, "The Founding" reveals how Nowhere was deliberately established as a supernatural trap. In 1892, Thaddeus Beaumont's great-great-grandfather Cornelius Beaumont led a group of Mithraic cultists to this location, having determined it was a "thin place" between dimensions.

The Beaumonts' original plan: harness the supernatural energy for immortality. The unintended consequence: creating a beacon that attracted cryptids from across the continent. The chapter ends with Cornelius's realization that they hadn't gained control—they'd merely become the most prominent prisoners.

Connections to Episode 1x08:

• The Hollow Men encountered in the episode are failed Beaumont experiments
• The Mithraic symbols in the manor appear throughout this chapter
• Thaddeus's ambivalence toward his heritage becomes understandable

Chapter 9: "Convergence"

A unique chapter showing events from the cryptids' perspective. As the Wendigo's power grows, the other creatures of Nowhere face a choice: submit to its dominion or unite against it. We see Mothman, Hidebehind, Pukwudgie, and others communicating through means humans cannot perceive.

The chapter reveals that many cryptids have been protecting Nowhere's human residents for generations—not out of affection, but because the human presence somehow stabilizes the dimensional rift. If the Wendigo consumes all fear, the rift will tear open completely.

Connections to Episode 1x09:

• Explains why cryptids assist Abigail during the episode's climactic battle
• The "Convergence" ritual shown directly precedes the episode's events
• Hidden coordinates in the artwork led ARG players to Episode 10 clues

Chapter 10: "Abigail's Choice"

The final chapter of Season 1 is told as a letter from Abigail to her past self, written on the night before the season finale's events. She reflects on her journey from isolated "EHS sufferer" to protector of Nowhere, grappling with the impossible choice ahead.

The chapter includes fragmented visions of possible futures—some where she defeats the Wendigo, others where she becomes it. The final page shows her writing a single word in her journal: "FACE." This connects directly to the episode title "Face Your Fear" and her ultimate decision.

Connections to Episode 1x10:

• Abigail's internal monologue provides context for her on-screen actions
• The "possible futures" include images from planned Season 2 storylines
• David Margolis appears in one vision, hinting at his fate

Creative Team

The Nowhere Files were developed by a dedicated team working in close coordination with the TV writers' room:

Hidden Content & Easter Eggs

Each chapter contained hidden elements that rewarded careful readers:

• QR Codes: Scannable codes hidden in backgrounds led to Finding David ARG content
• Mirror Text: Reversed dialogue bubbles contained clues when flipped
• Coordinate Strings: GPS coordinates embedded in art pointed to real-world geocaches
• Color Codes: Specific color patterns in certain panels encoded messages in hexadecimal
• Hidden Names: Character true names (especially Pukwudgie) hidden in environmental details
• Cross-Chapter Connections: Objects appearing across multiple chapters formed a meta-narrative

Episode Connections

The Nowhere Files were designed for "additive comprehension"—each platform enriches the other:

Fan Reception

The Nowhere Files were widely praised for their narrative depth and production quality:

• Over 2.3 million total downloads across all chapters
• Chapter 5 ("Storm Chaser") was the most downloaded, with 350,000+ reads
• Fan translations appeared in 12 languages within weeks of each release
• The series won "Best Digital Companion Content" at the 2019 Transmedia Awards

Common fan observations:

• "You can watch the show without reading these, but why would you want to?"
• "Storm Chaser made me completely reevaluate Clara as a character"
• "The Founding should have been a whole episode—the Beaumont history is that good"

See Also

• Transmedia Program Overview
• The Quiet Zone Portal
• Finding David ARG
• Season 1 Episode Guide