DriveThru’s Christmas in July 2021 Sale Brings a Pleasant Chill to Summer

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Steven

Can you hear those jingle bells ringing? In the mood for some hot chocolate? Wishing the summer breezes blew just a little bit colder? If so, then you’re in the perfect frame of mind for that special time of year when our e-book distributor DriveThru Fiction—and its sister site, DriveThru Comics—runs its annual Christmas in July Sale, during which you can purchase tons of digital books at special prices! It runs from now to August 2—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), and among the titles we’re offering at a sweet discount, you’ll find:

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 (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.

From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!) 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, a frontispiece by Warren artist Bob Larkin, and photographs from the personal archives of Forrest J Ackerman.

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 are my young adult novels that are perfect for lovers of dark urban fantasy.It introduces readers to Pandora Zwieback, 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 professional monster hunter Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin 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. In Blood Feud, Pan, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. Monsterish, often scary hijinks ensue from that point on.

Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori 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 yours truly, and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt, Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Going Gray), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night), and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

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 (Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, For a Few Gold Pieces More, Harbinger of Darkness, Chasing Danger) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Goldenand Randy Zimmerman.

King Kong is our e-book-exclusive Illustrated Classics edition of the official novelization of the renowned motion picture, first published in 1932. 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, the SWC edition of King Kong features 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. What makes our version special is that it contains six exclusive, original black-and-white illustrations by comics artist Paul Tuma, whose pulp-influenced style has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Avenger, Flare, and Dan Turner: Hollywood Detective. If you enjoyed the recent Hollywood blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong and want to know more about the Big G’s sparring partner, then be sure to purchase a copy!

Again, the Christmas in July Sale runs now through August 2, so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher pages at DriveThru Comics and DriveThru Fiction and start your summer-reading shopping!

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Books, e-books, e-tailers, Graphic Novels, Illustrated Classics, Nonfiction, vampirella, Writing Reference Books | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on DriveThru’s Christmas in July 2021 Sale Brings a Pleasant Chill to Summer

Author Richard C. White at Shore Leave 2021

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Steven

Last weekend, July 10–11, SWC author Richard C. White was a moderator and guest for Shore Leave 41.6, the online iteration of the annual Shore Leave sci-fi and fantasy convention, and the con has made both panels available on its YouTube channel: “The Movies/Shows That Influenced Us,” with fellow Star Trek scribes Greg Cox and Robert Greenberger; and “How Did I Get in This Mess?,” with Keith R.A. DeCandido, Christopher D. Abbott, Robert Greenberger, and Joshua Palmatier, and moderated by Howard Weinstein.

Rich also slyly worked in a plug for his nonfiction writers guide, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination—now available in hardcover!—which has become extremely popular with roleplaying gamers and gamemasters, and is currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Becker College in Worchester, Massachusetts.

If you’re interested in learning how writers hone their craft, and what inspired them to become writers in the first place, settle down in a comfy chair and check out the gabfests!

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Happy Birthday, Bob Larkin!

Posted on July 10, 2021 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. 

And today is his birthday!

It’s not just his painting skills that are impressive—Bob’s also one hell of a pencil artist, as evidenced by his work in a couple of SWC projects.

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 is little 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.

And to see more of Bob’s stunning work, pay a visit to his art blog, Bob Larkin: The Illustrated Man.

Happy birthday, Bob!

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Richard C. White’s Terra Incognito: Now in Hardcover!

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Steven

So, last month I received a promotional email from SWC’s wholesale distributor, Ingram Content Group—we’re one of their print-on-demand accounts who use their printing division, Lightning Source—that had an intriguing limited-time offer: They’d noticed we had a book that sold fairly well in 2020 (despite the pandemic) and wanted to know if we’d be interested in having them take our trade paperback files and convert them to produce a spiffy hardcover edition—for free. All we needed to do was say yes and provide a new ISBN (International Standard Book Number) to separate it from the original trade version in bookseller databases.

Well, how could I say no to that?

Allow me, then, to present StarWarp Concepts’ first-ever hardcover release:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is a 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, Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, 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:

  • Avoiding the pitfalls of naming characters, regions, and countries
  • Applying the technique of “outside in” to develop and then refine ideas for your world
  • Creating a world your readers can relate to, regardless of its technological levels
  • Identify how to create backstories and conflict by observing how your world comes together
  • Adding details to make your story richer without overwhelming your readers
  • Identifying useful resources for research

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. When it debuted in October 2015 at the e-book distributor DriveThru Fiction and its sister sites DriveThru RPG and RPGNow, it immediately shot to the #1 position on all three as their top-selling title, and then remained for weeks as DriveThru Fiction’s #1 Hottest Nonfiction Book and #1 Hottest How-To for Writers! If you’re a writer or gamer, you might just want to check it out. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Becker College 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 and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information. Until we add the hardcover edition to the webstore, you can purchase it from Amazon.

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DriveThru’s Dark Fiction Sale Haunts Memorial Day Weekend!

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Steven

The unofficial start to summer 2021 arrives this weekend, so there’s no better time than right now to get your summer beach-reading list in order. And if you’re a horror fan, then good news!  Our e-book distributor DriveThru Comics—and its sister sites DriveThru Fiction and DriveThru RPG—is currently running a Dark Fiction Sale, during which you can purchase tons of digital books at special prices! It runs through Monday, May 31—Memorial Day here in the U.S. 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), and among the titles we’re offering at a sweet discount, you’ll find:

From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!). It’s 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, a frontispiece by Warren artist Bob Larkin, and photographs from the personal archives of Forrest J Ackerman.

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 are my young adult novels that are perfect for lovers of dark urban fantasy.It introduces readers to Pandora Zwieback, 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 professional monster hunter Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin 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. In Blood Feud, Pan, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father.

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special 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, 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 (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), 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.

Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which a soul-stealing succubus 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, and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features art by three legendary Warren Publishing–era artists: 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 history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Damage Control, The Grim Ghost). If you’re a fan of Vampirella and classic horror comics, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this.

Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s 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 the following stories: Lori welcomes readers in “The Old, Dark Manse” by writer Steven A. Roman and artists Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa). “All in Color for a Crime,” by Roman and artist Lou Manna (DC Comics’ Young All-Stars) has comic fans battling over a rare back issue. “The Basilisk” is a Lori’s Feary Tale about the mythological creature, by Roman and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics). And capping off the issue is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo, about a special-ops team on their final life-and-death mission.

Lorelei: Genesis is a 24-page, one-shot digital-exclusive comic that collects the original small-press Lori stories that I wrote and drew back in the late eighties and early nineties. Behind a brand-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!

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, but they get the job done. (However, they have been compared to the JL’s supernatural offshoot, Justice League Dark and Hellboy’s Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, although TSI predates both organizations.) The graphic novel, in which the TSI members on their first mission: protecting a multimillionaire from a trio of Middle Eastern demons out to raise a little hell, is written by Richard C. White (Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase) and his wife, Joni M. White, is illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, and features cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).

Again, the Dark Fiction Sale runs now through Monday, so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher page at DriveThru Comics and start your summer-reading shopping!

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The Circle Is Now Complete

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Steven

If you’re one of Amazon’s legion of worldwide customers, odds are good you often receive “push” emails from them that recommend things they think will interest you, based on your purchasing history at the site. If you’ve bought drapes for your living room, how about a set of bath mats? If you’ve ordered a dress or a pair of slacks, how about formal wear? 

And if you’ve bought books about comicdom’s most famous vampire, the outer-space bloodsucker called Vampirella, then how about an unauthorized history of her days at Warren Publishing, her original home from the late 1960s to the early 1980s? Even if the book they’re offering is the very one you wrote?

That’s right: in a recent email push, Amazon recommended my own book to me. The circle is now complete!

Well, that makes sense, in a way—after all, I did purchase Vampirella books from Amazon, to help with my research. But just what exactly have they recommended, you ask? Allow me to explain…

From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), is the critically acclaimed 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 it you’ll find 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 the behind-the-scenes story of Warren Publishing’s demise, explaining how Vampirella survived the death of her original comic house. There’s also a foreword by Official Vampirella Historian Sean Fernald, a frontispiece by Warren artist Bob Larkin, and photographs from the personal archives of Forrest J Ackerman.

In addition to all that, I tell the tale of the unproduced film adaptation of the 1970s planned by legendary horror studio Hammer Films that was to star Barbara Leigh as Vampi and Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin of Star Wars) as her constant companion, the stage magician Pendragon. How the production came to be and how it ultimately fell apart is a complicated, somewhat convoluted story, but I did my best to put the events surrounding it into a chronological, logical order—for the first time ever! This overview includes a peek at Mr. Cushing’s personal copy of the ’70s Vampirella screenplay. 

I also take a look at the awful 1996 direct-to-cable-TV movie that was made for the Showtime network, produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jim Wynorski (Dinocroc vs. SuperGator), scripted by Gary Gerani (Pumpkinhead), and starring Talisa Soto (the original Mortal Kombat) as Vampi and The Who’s front man, rock god Roger Daltrey as…Dracula! It’s a film so bad and so low budget, and the Vampirella costume that was concocted was such an eyesore, that even Wynorski hates being reminded of his involvement with it. 

From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures is available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information. Purchase a copy today—it’s Amazon Recommended, y’know!

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Happy National Superhero Day 2021!

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Steven

How’s this for perfect timing? It’s not only New Comics Wednesday at your local comic shop and at online retail sites, but this year it just happens to fall on National Superhero Day!

According to a number of websites, National Superhero Day “was created in 1995 by employees of Marvel Comics, who sent a team of interns out in central Pennsylvania to hear what the public thought about superheroes and what super powers they’d most want to have. Today, the day is about honoring all the superheroes in our lives, both the fictional and the real-life heroes who give their all every day.” 

It sounds like an apocryphal story (Why would Marvel send out interns to do a poll? Why only central PA and not the entire United States?), but in a country that celebrates National Chocolate Custard Day (that’s May 3, in case you were wondering—mark it on your calendar!) it shouldn’t be all that surprising that even a probably made-up story can get its own holiday.

Still, it’s superheroes we’re talking about, and if you’re looking for some around these parts, we have a couple of titles you might be interested in:

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, but they get the job done. (However, they have been compared to the JL’s supernatural offshoot, Justice League Dark and Hellboy’s Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, although TSI predates both organizations.) The graphic novel is written by Richard C. White (Harbinger of Darkness, Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase) and his wife, Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, and features cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).

Heroines & Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by me, 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 mainstream heroes and small-press heroines, and even a couple of anthropomorphic bikers. Leading off is “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). It’s followed by an adventure of small-presser Jeff Wood’s rabbit-eared superspy, Snowbuni; three pages from the long-canceled indie comic Motorbike Puppies; and an adventure of the indie superheroine The Blonde Avenger. 

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is available in print and digital formats; Heroines and Heroes is a free digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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King Kong: Back on the Big Scream!

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Steven

It’s a rematch monster fans have been waiting decades for, and today’s the day it finally happens, when the often-delayed epic kaiju wrestling film Godzilla vs. Kong simultaneously debuts on streaming service HBOMax and in selected theaters! 

Originally scheduled for release last year, and then bounced around a few times before settling on today’s release date, the latest in Legendary Pictures’ “Monsterverse” series—which consists of 2014’s reboot of Godzilla, the 2017 prequel Kong: Skull Island, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters (which brought us rebooted versions of King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra)—stars two of monsterdom’s greatest titans, alongside human costars Eiza Gonzalez (Bloodshot), Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobby Brown (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), and Alexander Skarsgard (The Stand).

Of course, there wouldn’t be a monster mash this weekend without Kong, the creation of Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace who was brought to stop-motion life in 1933 by effects master Willis O’Brien. The original King Kong went on to become a worldwide cultural icon that inspired generations of Monster Kids who grew up to be directors, writers, and special-effects creators. It also inspired all of us at StarWarp Concepts—here comes the shameless plug—to add the story of the king of the simian monsters to our line of Illustrated Classics!

King Kong is an e-book-only 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 pulp-influenced style has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Avenger, Flare, and Dan Turner: Hollywood Detective.

Not familiar with the beauty-and-the-beast story of Kong and his “love interest,” Ann Darrow (who was played in the 1933 original by the queen of the scream queens, Fay Wray)? Well, here’s our edition’s back-cover copy to bring you up-to-date:

Ann Darrow was a down-on-her-luck actress struggling to survive in Depression-era New York when she met moviemaker Carl Denham. He offered her the starring role in his latest film: a documentary about a long-lost island—and the godlike ape named Kong rumored to live there. Denham needed a beauty as a counterpart to the beast he hoped to find, and Ann was the answer to his prayers.

Mystery, romance, a chance to turn her life around, even the possibility of stardom—to Ann, it sounded like the adventure of a lifetime! But what she didn’t count on were the horrific dangers that awaited her on Skull Island—including the affections of a love-struck monster…

King Kong (the 1932 novelization) is available directly from the SWC webstore, so visit its product page for ordering information.

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Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice…

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Steven

Today is the much-talked-about debut on the HBOMax streaming service of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka the “Snyder Cut” that fans of the director have been waiting for since the not-too-spectacular theatrical release of the version of his project that hit movie theaters in 2017, directed by Joss Whedon (Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron). Starring Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Mamoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as the Flash, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg, this “reimagining” is said to reflect Snyder’s true intended vision of the film he set out to make, before he had to bow out of the production following the untimely death of his daughter.

Still, with a four-hour-long runtime, and given Snyder’s attitude toward superheroes (Really, Jonathan Kent—letting a busload of schoolkids drown would be okay if it meant Clark’s secret identity was protected? What is wrong with you?), it’ll be the furthest thing from being the sort of uplifting experience the first Avengers movie was for Marvel Films.

Well, if you’re a fan of Wonder Woman, then perhaps you’d be interested in checking out a free digital comic available exclusively from your friends at StarWarp Concepts…

Heroines and Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups written and drawn by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), 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 mainstream heroes and small-press heroines, and even a couple of anthropomorphic bikers. 

Leading off is “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 (spoiler warning: it didn’t work out). It’s followed by an adventure of small-presser Jeff Wood’s rabbit-eared superspy, Snowbuni; three pages from the long-canceled indie comic Motorbike Puppies; and an adventure of the indie superheroine The Blonde Avenger. 

Heroines and Heroes is a free digital exclusive, so visit its product page for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Happy 150th Anniversary, Carmilla Karnstein!

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Steven

In 1871, J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic vampire tale, Carmilla, debuted in serialized form in the pages of the magazine Dark Blue and was then reprinted in Le Fanu’s short story collection, In a Glass Darkly, published in 1872. But why wait another 9 months to celebrate that landmark first publication when we can do it right now?

If you’re unfamiliar with what’s probably Le Fanu’s most famous work, here’s the back-cover copy from our edition, which has become the most popular title in our Illustrated Classics line:

Before Edward and Bella, before Lestat and Louis, even before Dracula and Mina, there was the vampiric tale of Carmilla and Laura. 

Living with her widowed father in a dreary old castle in the woods of Styria, Laura has longed to have a friend with whom she can confide; a friend to bring some excitement to her pastoral lifestyle. And then Carmilla enters her life. 

Left by her mother in the care of Laura’s father, Carmilla is young, beautiful, playful—everything that Laura had hoped to find in a companion. In fact, the lonely girl is so thrilled to have a new friend that she is willing to overlook the dark-haired beauty’s strange actions…which include a disturbing, growing obsession for her lovely hostess.

Carmilla, it seems, desires more than just friendship from Laura….

The influence of Carmilla on horror fiction has lasted to this day, serving as an inspiration for numerous writers—including Bram Stoker in the creation of the vampire brides who threaten Jonathan Harker in Stoker’s seminal novel, Dracula. Carmilla has also been an inspiration for filmmakers, television production companies, comic-book creators, and radio-show producers. And literary critics certainly enjoy the story:

“What makes Carmilla so endearing is the fact that the story is centered around two female characters, whose complicated relationship is colored by thinly veiled lesbian undertones.”—Slate

“Carmilla manages to pack in a lot of creepiness, narrative complexity, and moral ambiguity. It is worth reading both as a progenitor of the vampire genre and as a nuanced portrayal of a female relationship—part romance, part horror story—that exists outside the confines of masculine power.”—The Toast

Carmilla is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for further information. Our edition features great black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouseia, the artist for the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, the sci-fi Illustrated Classic A Princess of Mars, and the Pandora Zwieback comics.

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