On Thursday, the Big Apple welcomed back New York Comic-Con. The 4-day geek spectacular emanates from its home base at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, but has spread to include the theatre at Madison Square Garden, Hammerstein Ballroom, and even the Stephen A. Schwarzman Library building. Hammerstein opened its NYCC 2017 run with a tour de force day featuring Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead, Kevin Smith and the Comic Book Men, and the cast of IFC’s Stan Against Evil. Stan Against Evil creator and writer Dana Gould was joined by stars John C. McGinley and Janet Varney as they prepped fans for the upcoming second season, which debuts on November 1st. I took part in press roundtable to find out more about the show’s sophomore run.

Horror is this “it” thing on TV right now, and horror-comedy is even better. Ash vs. Evil Dead just wrapped a second great season on Starz, and has already been renewed for season 3. Scream Queens is blending horror and insane comedy on FOX Tuesday nights. This fall, IFC joined the party with Dana Gould’s Stan Against Evil which premiered in early November. I watched the pilot back at NYCC in October and it instantly hooked me. Stan is played by John C. McGinley who brings the same rough sarcasm he did as Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs only this time with a shade of melancholy. The show ran a limited run of 8 half hour episodes, run back to back for four straight weeks. IFC has just renewed Stan for a second season.

More below.

Stan Against Evil
Episode 1.5 “Ouija Bored” & 1.6 “I’m Gleaning my Coven”
Directed by Jack Bishop & Justin Njim (1.5, 1.6)
Written by Jessica Conrad (1.5) & Susan Burke (1.6)
Created by Dana Gould
Starring John C. McGinley, Deborah Baker Jr., Janet Varney, Nate Mooney
IFC
Air date: Wednesday, November 16th, 2016, 10pm

Last week on Stan Against Evil, Stan Miller (John C. McGinley) and new sheriff of Willard’s Mill Evie Barret (Janet Varney) were able to fight off a succubus, a pig demon, and demon preacher. They are trudging away on the list of 172 demons out to get them in revenge for a town curse. We open this week’s two-pack of episodes with flashback to Claire Miller (Susan Williams), the demon huntress doing her thing before succumbing to a heart attack mid-battle. Before she died she uprooted a scary looking flower monster… but now they’re everywhere.

Stan Against Evil
Episode 1.3 “Let Your Love Groan” & 1.4 “Life Orr Death”
Directed by Jack Bishop & Justin Njim (1.3, 1.4)
Written by Jessica Conrad (1.3) & Guy Busick & Ryan Murphy (1.4)
Created by Dana Gould
Starring John C. McGinley, Deborah Baker Jr., Janet Varney, Nate Mooney
IFC
Air date: Wednesday, November 9th, 2016, 10pm

Last week on IFC’s new horror comedy, Stan Against Evil, Stan (John C. McGinley) and Sheriff Evie Barret (Janet Varney) took down a goat demon with the help of Stan’s daughter, Denise (Deborah Baker Jr). That leaves 170 more demons to go.

Stan Against Evil
Episode 1.2 “Know, Know, Know Your Goat”
Directed by Jack Bishop & Justin Nijm
Written by Dana Gould
Created by Dana Gould
Starring John C. McGinley, Deborah Baker Jr., Janet Varney, Nate Mooney
IFC
Air date: Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016, 10pm

Debuting at NYCC, Stan Against Evil was created by Dana Gould, former writer for The Simpsons. Imagine your significant other, your soulmate, your one and only has passed away. Now imagine that in the aftermath you discover a secret that completely changes everything. That is what is happening to Sheriff Stan Miller (John C. McGinley) of Willard’s Mill, New Hampshire. Now alone with his odd daughter Denise (Deborah Baker Jr.) he is fired after an incident at his wife, Claire’s funeral. Stan has old world views and is thus aghast when a woman, Evie Barret (Janet Varney) replaces him as Sheriff. Even harder to accept and understand is finding out his wife was actually a demon hunter, protecting him and the town from a legendary curse. With her gone, demons are out in droves to put Stan, Evie and all law enforcement.

Spoilers below for Stan Against Evil.