Looking for Awesome Presents for the Holidays?

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Steven

Hey, holiday shoppers! With Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa right around the corner, you’re probably looking for the perfect presents for the voracious readers in your life. Well, perhaps the StarWarp Concepts backlist of print titles can make your shopping a little easier!

Dark urban fantasy readers: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback is a young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel series written by Steven A. Roman. It stars a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets a shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, in the first novel, Blood Feud, that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. But before Pan can learn more about what she can do, she and her parents are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans that leads into Blood Reign, the second action-packed novel, in which Pan must deal with even greater threats. 

But if teen monster hunters aren’t your thing, there’s another urban-fantasy title that might be more to your liking: Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase. It’s Richard C. White’s collection of fantasy-noir, pulp-detective tales starring a private eye working the supernatural beat in a city populated by humans and all sorts of spooky creatures.

Writers and role-playing game enthusiasts: Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is perfect for budding authors as well as RPG fans interested in building their own fantasy and science fiction environments. In this nonfiction how-to book, author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

Fantasy readers: For a Few Gold Pieces More is Rich White’s collection of linked fantasy short stories about a Rogue With No Name who travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure, romance—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. And Harbinger of Darkness is Rich’s original fantasy-adventure novel in which a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. 

Comic book and graphic novel fans: Got a comic book reader on your shopping list, or enjoy them yourself? The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 features stories by author Steven A. Roman and comic writer Sholly Fisch, with art provided by Eliseu Gouveia, Elizabeth Watasin, and comic-art legend Ernie Colon. Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers (18+) graphic novel involving a succubus battling a cult of Elder God worshipers, written by Steven A. Roman and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger, and Neil Vokes. Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is a one-shot anthology comic containing tales written by Steven A. Roman and Dwight Jon Zimmerman, with art by Uriel Caton & Chuck Majewski, Lou Manna, John Pierard, and Juan Carlos Abarldes Rendo. And Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a graphic novel starring a group of supernatural superheroes for hire on their first mission, written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. and Joni M. White, with art by Reggie Golden, Bill Lavin, and Randy Zimmerman.

Comic art lovers: The Bob Larkin Sketchbook is a collection of rarely seen pencil drawings by the acclaimed cover painter for Doc Savage, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Comics, and our own Saga of Pandora Zwieback. Included is a pair of original Doc Savage–related pinups done especially for this book.

Comic-history fans: From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures is Steven A. Roman’s nonfiction examination of one of comics’ most enduring characters. It takes an extensive look at her early days, from the debut of her series in 1969 to the death of Warren Publishing in 1983, and details the history of the failed film version that Hammer Studios attempted to make in 1975, with stars Barbara Leigh and Peter Cushing. 

Classic literature lovers: Know a reader with a passion for genre literature? They might be interested in our illustrated classics. Carmilla, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, is a 19th–century paranormal romance between a vampire and her potential love interest—or perhaps next intended victim—and contains six black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia. And A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs—the creator of Tarzan—is a science-fantasy epic about Civil War veteran John Carter, who is somehow transported to the planet Mars, where he battles monsters and aliens while falling in love with Dejah Thoris, the titular Martian princess.

Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.

Now, get busy shopping! And enjoy the holidays!

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Holidays, Horror, Illustrated Classics, Nonfiction, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing Reference Books, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Looking for Awesome Presents for the Holidays?

Happy Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day 2023!

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Steven

Hey, book lovers! Today marks the annual celebration of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day. 

Founded in 2010 by author Jessica Milchman, the event, held on the first Saturday in December, “is about instilling a love of bookstores in children so that they will value and support this most precious of resources as they go on to enter and create communities of their own” (according to its website).

Kids + reading + brick-and-mortar bookstores? Always a great combination!

For more information, including a map of the bookstores that are celebrating with events of their own, visit the TYCBD site.

Posted in Events, Reading | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Happy Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day 2023!

Artist Bob Larkin Receives a Cover Tribute from Vampirella

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Steven
Bob Larkin (l) and me at the 2013 New York Comic Con

If you’re a fan of comic books, or movies, or pulp fiction heroes, Bob Larkin is a painter whose work you recognize immediately; he’s provided covers and movie posters for just about every publishing house and film studio for more than four decades. 

Doc Savage, Dazzler, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian, Piranha, Night of the Creeps, and The Toxic Avenger II are just some of the painted images you’re already familiar with, even if you didn’t know they were Larkin’s work. He’s been an inspiration to artists like Joe Jusko and Alex Ross. If you’re a Panatic, then you know him as the cover artist of the Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign. 

But Bob is also known as a prolific cover painter, providing imagery for many book and comic publishers including Marvel, DC, and Warren Publishing—the latter being the original home of the horror-comic magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella.

And this week he received a nod toward one of his iconic Warren covers, courtesy of writer/artist Sara Frazetta—daughter of legendary Vampirella #1 cover painter Frank Frazetta—and her variant cover for Dynamite Comics’ Vampirella: Dead Flowers #3!

As you can see, it’s a tribute to Bob’s cover for Vampirella #73 (cover date October 1978), which featured actress Barbara Leigh as the outer space vampire. (Ms. Leigh, in case you were unaware, was meant to star in a big-budget movie adaptation from Hammer Films in 1975, but it never went into production.) Even better, Ms. Frazetta was kind enough to acknowledge Bob as the source—something not every artist does, if you’ve ever seen the numerous homages to probably his most famous comic covers: Marvel’s Dazzler #1.

If you’re intrigued by Bob’s work for Vampirella, then perhaps you might like to check out a couple of SWC projects he’s involved with. Cue the sales plug!

The Bob Larkin Sketchbook is a collection of some of Bob’s incredible pencil drawings, and what you’ll discover when you see them is how wide-ranging his subjects are. Sci-fi, horror, Westerns, pulp adventure, crime fiction, movie merchandise, even wrestling stars—as we say on the book’s back cover, there really islittle that he hasn’t painted. 

The sketchbook also features three pieces created especially for it: the Pandora Zwieback cover art; a portrait of Patricia Savage, the fightin’ cousin of pulp fiction’s top-tier adventurer, Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze; and a two-page spread in which Doc faces off against another Golden Age crimefighter—The Shadow!

And in From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), Bob provides a wonderful pencil-study frontispiece of the queen of comics’ bad girls. From the Stars is a nonfiction history of Vampirella that takes an extensive look at her early days, from the debut of her series in 1969 to the death of Warren Publishing in 1983. In addition to telling the tale of Hammer’s unproduced film adaptation that was to star Barbara Leigh and Peter Cushing, I provide an in-depth guide to all her Warren stories; a checklist of all her Warren appearances (plus the publications from Harris Comics and Dynamite Entertainment that reprinted her Warren adventures); an overview of the six novelizations by pulp sci-fi author Ron Goulart that were published in the 1970s by Warner Books; and a look at the awful 1996 direct-to-cable-TV movie that was made, starring Talisa Soto and Roger Daltrey. There’s also a peek at Mr. Cushing’s personal copy of the ’70s Vampirella screenplay; a foreword by Official Vampirella Historian Sean Fernald, and photographs from the personal archives of Forrest J Ackerman.

The Bob Larkin Sketchbook and From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures are available in print and digital formats. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.

Vampirella: Dead Flowers #3, with the Larkin tribute variant cover by Sara Frazetta (who is also cowriting the Dynamite miniseries), is currently on sale at your local comic shop, or wherever you pick up or order your comic books.

Posted in Bob Larkin, Bob Larkin Sketchbook, Comic Books, vampirella | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Artist Bob Larkin Receives a Cover Tribute from Vampirella

DriveThru’s 2023 Black Friday Sale Is Underway!

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Steven

The Christmas shopping season officially kicked into overdrive, with Thanksgiving Day here in the United States arriving yesterday. Now Black Friday—the biggest shopping day of the year—is upon us, when stores discount prices to generate sales, and Cyber Monday is on the horizon, when online retailers do the same.

E-book distributor DriveThru Fiction—along with its sister sites DriveThru Comics and DriveThru RPG—has joined in on the fun with its annual Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend Sale, during which you can purchase a ton of digital books and comics at special prices. It runs from now through Monday, November 27—and yes, you’ll need to set up an account (it’s free) to take advantage of this promotion. 

Included among the many participating publishers is StarWarp Concepts (of course), which means you can take advantage of some sweet discounts while the sale’s running. 

This year, DriveThru’s SWC discounts include: Richard C. White’s supernatural-superhero graphic novel, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings (illustrated by Reggie Golden, Bill Lavin, and Randy Zimmerman), his pirate-fantasy comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special (illustrated by Bill Bryan), and his dark-noir story collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase; our most popular Illustrated Classic, J. Sheridan’s le Fanu’s vampiric dark-romance Carmilla (illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia); the nonfiction comics history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!); and King Kong, our presentation of Delos W. Lovelace’s novelization of the original 1933 movie classic (which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year!), illustrated by Paul Tuma.

So head on over to the SWC DriveThru Fiction page now and get to shopping!

Posted in Carmilla, Dark Urban Fantasy, e-books, e-tailers, Eliseu Gouveia, Holidays, Illustrated Classics, Nonfiction, Richard C. White, Steven A. Roman, vampirella | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DriveThru’s 2023 Black Friday Sale Is Underway!

Happy Local Comic Shop Day 2023!

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Steven

Hey, comic fans! Today is Local Comic Shop Day. It’s an annual appreciation held on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (here in the U.S.) because Wednesdays are always New Comics Day at your local comic shop. (Unless, of course, you’re a DC Comics fan who knows that their titles are released on Tuesdays.)

The event was “conceived and implemented by ComicsPRO comic book specialty retailers to call attention to locally owned independent comic book specialty stores, celebrating their unique and vital role in being the primary fire-starters of pop culture.” In other words, it’s a way of encouraging comic fans to visit their LCS and give them some business as the holiday season kicks into high gear. So get out there and support your LCS! 

For more information, including a list of participating stores and the special collectibles they’ll be offering for sale, visit the Local Comic Shop Day website.

But it’s not just the retail shops that have something of interest for comic fans—not when StarWarp Concepts has its own range of comics and graphic novels to offer!

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a general readers’ graphic novel about a group of supernatural-superheroes-for-hire taking on their first case. The team consists of a wizard, a female ninja, a sorceress, a werewolf, and a rock ’n’ roll lighting designer wearing high-tech armor. Sure, they might not be on a power level with the Avengers or Justice League of America—they’re more like superpowered Ghostbusters—but they get the job done. The graphic novel is written by the husband-and-white team of Richard C. White (Harbinger of Darkness, For a Few Gold Pieces More) and Joni M. White, illustrated by Reggie Golden, Bill Lavin, and Randy Zimmerman, and features cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).

The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital-exclusive pirate-fantasy comic created and written by Richard C. White. Drawn by Bill Bryan (Caliber Press’ Dark Oz, DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and featuring cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia, it’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure perfect for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, as well as classics like The Crimson Pirate, Against All Flags, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk—and it’s available for download for just 99¢!

Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lorelei battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Ghost Rider, it’s written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Stargate Universe, The Legend of Calamity Jane: The Devil Herself), Steve Geiger (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt, Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Going Gray), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Tom Holland’s Fright Night). It also features a cover by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night), and a one-page history of succubi drawn by Ernie Colon (Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld)—three comic-art legends from the days of Warren Publishing!

In Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, Lori makes her debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic! Behind an eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk Epic Collection: The Cosmic Squish Principle). Art is provided by Uriel Caton& “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (Young All-Stars, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo (Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror).

Lorelei: Genesis is a digital comic collection by Steven A. Roman, of the early adventures of SWC’s first lady of horror, a soul-stealing succubus who targets evildoers. I wrote and drew these stories in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so they’re a little rough around the edges (my first self-published comics!), but they’re the foundation for the professionally produced comics that would come later. Featuring a new cover by me (with colors by Eliseu Gouveia), it’s 24 pages of supernatural seduction for just 99¢.

And The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a 56-page, full-color comic special that features cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella) and contains three original stories. In “Song of the Siren,” by writer Steven A. Roman and artist Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), the teenaged Goth adventuress matches wits with a man-stealing enchantress who’s set her sights on Pan’s boyfriend, Javier. It’s followed by “After Hours,” by writer Sholly Fisch (The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon, in which a demon walks into a bar to unwind after a long day of scarifying. And rounding out the issue is “Shopping Maul,” a short story by Roman with title-page art by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), in which Pan and Annie, along with Javier and Pan’s best friend, Sheena, run into a group of Gothic Lolita vampires out to do more than a little window shopping.

Even better, how about some free comic books you can download right now?

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 serves as an introduction to the adventures of Pandora Zwieback and her monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, with an 8-page story written by Steven A. Romanand illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia. Plus there’s a preview of Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1. Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world.    

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is a reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Written and created by Steven A. Roman, and drawn by David C. Matthews (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), it introduced readers to celebrated professional photographer Laurel Ashley O’Hara, on the day that would change her life forever: a day when a major exhibition of her work was opening at a prestigious New York museum…and the day she unfortunately met the charming but dangerous Arioch—a lord of hell! It features cover art by Louis Small Jr., cover artist for SWC’s Lorelei Presents: House Macabre.

Heroines & Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by Steven A. Roman, dating back to my days in the early 1990s small-press movement—that age of dinosaurs in which creators like me used to make our comics by printing them out on photocopiers and then stapling them by hand. In H&H you’ll find: “V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summertime),” a three-page Wonder Woman vs. Harley Quinn story that I wrote and drew in the late ’90s as a sample for a DC Comics editor who thought I’d be a good fit for their Batman: The Animated Series comic (it didn’t work out); “Dirty Laundry,” an adventure of small-presser Jeff Wood’s rabbit-eared superspy, Snowbuni; three pages from the mid-‘90s indie comic Motorbike Puppies; and “I Was a Super-powered Vampire Slayer!,”an adventure of the indie superheroine The Blonde Avenger.

And last but not least, there’s Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa. Long before she met Pan, Annie was the star of this short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries published in the 1990s. Here you’ll find Annie doing a bit of research for an article about gentlemen’s clubs in Times Square—research that includes actually performing as an exotic dancer (I did say it was a ’90s comic, didn’t I?). It’s that part-time gig that brings her into contact with Corum de Sade, a heavy metal singer with a deadly secret: he’s a soul-devouring incubus! All three issues are written by Steven A. Roman, with art by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual), Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews.

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual, Lorelei: Sects and the City, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, and Troubleshooters Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0, Heroines and Heroes, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon, Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa, and Lorelei: Genesis are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages. 

Happy reading!

Posted in Comic Books, Digital Comics, Events, Graphic Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Local Comic Shop Day 2023!

It’s Children’s Book Week 2023 (Part 2)!

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Steven

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is an annual celebration of reading that actually runs for two weeks—one this past May, and one now. This week, of course, is the Fall Edition, with the theme of 2023 being “Read Books. Spark Change,” which “speaks to the power that books and stories have to inspire positive change.”

To find out more about the event, which runs November 6–12, and to download free stuff like bookmarks and activity pages, visit Children’s Book Week’s home at Every Child a Reader.

And speaking of books that inspire, if you’re looking for an awesome digital book for the children in your life (or even your own inner child!), then may we recommend a title available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore?

Snow White is the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. An evil, vain queen sets her jealous sights on her beautiful stepdaughter, and only an unusual group of gentleman can help Snow overcome the queen’s nefarious plans. Even more exciting, the StarWarp Concepts edition is enhanced with beautiful full-color illustrations that were first published in 1893!

“Snow White delivers a timely message about survival even when the odds are not in your favor.”—The New Yorker

“One of the best-loved of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm.”—Long Long Time Ago

Snow White is available as a digital exclusive digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information and sample pages.

Posted in Children's Books, e-books, Events, Fantasy, Illustrated Classics, Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s Children’s Book Week 2023 (Part 2)!

Happy Love Your Red Hair Day 2023!

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Steven

Today is National Love Your Red Hair Day! According to the National Day Calendar, this annual event was created in 2015 by Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti, cofounders of the beauty site How to be a Redhead, and it’s “a day to celebrate the beauty of those gorgeous red tresses.”

What’s the best way to observe this special holiday? Well, around here at ’Warp Central, we celebrate it by honoring our favorite redhead: the flame-haired succubus Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ first lady of horror, who headlines a quartet of our comic-book projects!

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is a reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Written and created by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), and drawn by David C. Matthews (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), it introduced readers to celebrated professional photographer Laurel Ashley O’Hara, on the day that would change her life forever: a day when a major exhibition of her work was opening at a prestigious New York museum…and the day she unfortunately met the charming but dangerous Arioch—a lord of hell! It features cover art by Louis Small Jr., artist of Harris Comics’ Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death, Vampirella/Shi,and Vampirella Strikes; DC Comics’ Codename Knockout and Batman 80-Page Giant; and Continuity Comics’ Ms. Mystic; and cover artist for SWC’s Lorelei Presents: House Macabre.

Lorelei: Sects and the City is Lori’s critically acclaimed graphic novel adventure, in which she battles a cult of Elder God worshipers who are trying to unleash their monstrous masters on the world. It’s a tribute of sorts to classic 1970s horror comics and movies, from writer Steven A. Roman and artists Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt), and Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night). Cover art is provided by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna: Come Together), plus there’s additional art from two more legendary artists from the Warren Publishing era: a frontispiece by original Vampirellaartist Tom Sutton (Werewolf by Night, Star Trek) and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s first outing as the hostess of a horror comic anthology, in this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror, behind eye-catching cover art by Louis Small Jr.. “The Old, Dark Manse” is written by me, penciled by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), and inked by “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special. “All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from me, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes! “The Basilisk,” from me and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?! And wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk Epic Collection: The Cosmic Squish Principle) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo (Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror). A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?

And Lorelei: Genesis is a 24-page, one-shot comic that collects the original small-press Lori stories that I wrote and drew back in the late eighties and early nineties. Behind a new cover drawing by yours truly (and colored by Eliseu Gouveia), you’ll find a pair of stories: “Lorelei” is an 8-pager from 1991 in which Lori journeys through the streets of New York on an important mission: to pick up her dry-cleaning! It’s followed by “In the Midnight Hour,” the 1989 story that introduced horror-comic fans to our favorite redheaded succubus, who steps in to rescue a couple being menaced by a street gang. If you’re curious about Lori’s early days as a horror heroine, then be sure to order yourself a copy!

Lorelei: Sects and the City and Lorelei Presents: House Macabre are available in print and digital formats; Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition and Lorelei: Genesis are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.

Posted in Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Digital Comics, Eliseu Gouveia, Holidays, Horror, Lorelei, louis small jr., Publishing, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Love Your Red Hair Day 2023!

It’s National Novel Writing Month 2023!

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Steven

Halloween’s over for this year, in the U.S. it’s almost time to turn the clocks back an hour as Daylight Savings Time ends, and the chill of fall is fully upon us, And with that comes the annual November event called National Novel Writing Month, which kicks off today. 

To explain what it is, I’ll let this quote from the organization’s website provide you with some background:

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyonewho has ever thought about writing a novel.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for writers!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (For a Few Gold Pieces More, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats, so visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Events, Nonfiction, Richard C. White, Writing Reference Books | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s National Novel Writing Month 2023!

SWC at 30: Lorelei Celebrates Halloween with a Free Digital Comic

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Steven

Happy Halloween! All Hallows’ Eve 2023 has arrived, and we’re joining in on the fun with a special Halloween treat: a new free digital comic made available today, as part of our 30th Anniversary celebration this year!

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is a reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Wriiten and created by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), and drawn by David C. Matthews (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), it introduced readers to celebrated professional photographer Laurel Ashley O’Hara, on the day that would change her life forever: a day when a major exhibition of her work was opening at a prestigious New York museum…and the day she unfortunately met the charming but dangerous Arioch—a lord of hell!

Critics certainly enjoyed it, back in the day:

“Roman and Matthews have that magical combination of writing and art that many creators (and comic fans) dream of.”—Small Press Feedback

“Good horror comics are few and far between, especially in a market dominated mostly by superheroes. I think things changed when Loreleireached comic shops.”—Broken Frontier

“If you’re looking for a story that is different, well done, exciting, and one heck of a good read, you’ve gotta get this one.”—The Comicist

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition features cover art by Louis Small Jr., artist of Harris Comics’ Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death, Vampirella/Shi, and Vampirella Strikes; DC Comics’ Codename Knockout and Batman 80-Page Giant; and Continuity Comics’ Ms. Mystic; and cover artist for SWC’s Lorelei Presents: House Macabre. It also includes Lorelei pinups and early sketches by Dave, and an essay by me detailing Lori’s history.

Coloring for the cover of this special release is provided by Eliseu Gouveia, artist of the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, the SWC comics The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 and The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, the Piko Interactive/Virtual Comics one-shot The Legend of Calamity Jane: The Devil Herself (which I wrote), and our currently-in-the-works comics adaptation Lester del Rey’s Time Ring.

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is available right now, so download it today!

And for more information on Lori’s background, check out my blog posts on her early publishing days in the 1990s, and on the creation of her costume!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Posted in Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Digital Comics, Eliseu Gouveia, Halloween, Holidays, Horror, Lorelei, louis small jr., Publishing Announcements, StarWarp Concepts History, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SWC at 30: Lorelei Celebrates Halloween with a Free Digital Comic

Hail to the King (Kong): Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Steven

Hey, Monster Kids! The celebration of King Kong’s 90th anniversary this year continues with the return of our Kong-related feature Hail to the King (Kong), a series of occasional posts in which we spotlight images related to the god-emperor of Skull Island—some you might recognize; some might be completely new to you.

Our latest entry is a King Kong for you to color—a Halloween treat for the Monster Kid in your life (or inside your body!). It’s from artist Mark Savee, who provided this awesome illustration for Monster Gallery, his oversized coloring book (with text by Leah Waskey) that was published in 1973 by Troubador Press. (Yes, I still have my copy, in case you were wondering, although mine was colored in long ago.) Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much of any information on Savee, other than he was also the artist for another Troubador coloring book, Science Fiction Anthology, released in 1974.

It’s a nice illustration, isn’t it? So grab your coloring medium of choice and get to bringing Kong to full-color life!

And while we’re on the subject of the big ape, in case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Kong and his obsession with struggling Depression-era actress Anne Darrow, the Beauty to his Beast, it just so happens that your friendly fiends here at ’Warp Central have the perfect book for you…

King Kong is a digital-exclusive republication of the 1932 novelization of the original movie classic. Written by Delos W. Lovelace, based on the story by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper and the screenplay by James A. Creelman and Ruth Rose, it includes scenes that didn’t appear in the final cut of the film—including the notorious “spider pit” sequence in which Kong’s human pursuers are attacked by horrific arachnids and insects. Our version features six original black-and-white illustrations by comics artist Paul Tuma, whose work has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Zone, Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances, and Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror.

King Kong is available for download right now, so visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Art, Halloween, Holidays, Illustrated Classics, movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hail to the King (Kong): Happy Halloween!