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!
