Return of the Calico Kids

RETAILERS: Calico Kids is available from Ingram to sell in your store!
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-961545-03-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-961545-04-5

The adventure of a lifetime continues.

Summer, 1984. A mystery unfolds in the riverside town of Calico, Oregon, including the apparent suicide of a law enforcement officer, the sudden appearance of shadowy operatives, and a mothballed government project starting up again.

When Eren returns to town, she enlists a group of friends into a dangerous mission which will change them forever.

Banding together to rescue a team of interdimensional travelers from Eren’s world, a gang of misfit teens must test their mettle against phantoms, shape-changing predators, and government agents.

From Todd Downing, author of The Parish, Sakuru, and the Airship Daedalus pulp adventure series, comes the follow-up to Calico Kids, his love letter to retro-’80s science fiction and horror in the vein of Stranger Things and The Babysitter. equal parts John Hughes and John Carpenter, Return of the Calico Kids is an adventure story from a different place and time, full of mystery, thrills, and a bit of teenage romance.

There’s a Return of the Calico Kids playlist on Spotify! 105 curated tracks pre-1984, each by a different artist. Mostly post-punk/new wave/early goth, with some metal and album rock of the day. Enjoy this modern version of a mix-tape, either as a soundtrack for the book, or for its own sake!

And be sure to check out the original Calico Kids Mix-Tape!


“Reminiscent of the ’80s sci-fi/adventure movies my generation grew up on and adored, Return of the Calico Kids was a crazy ride and a fun read! The newer generation of readers will enjoy its Stranger Things vibes, as its creators grew up with the same influences as this author. The ’80s, after all, were awesome! Return of the Calico Kids continues that nostalgic journey of Saturday movie matinee fun mixed now with the essence of an X-Files episode—you will never anticipate what is waiting for you with each turn of the page. If this story were a double-feature back in the day, kids would be lining up for hours to get a seat in the theater!”


“Returning to Calico is like seeing and old friend after a long time. There’s both the comfort of the familiar as well as the excitement in learning what is new in their life. Even when the new might not be what you expected, it’s still one heck of a ride.”