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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2021 Convention Update

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Steven

What’s that, you say? Didn’t we announce back in January that the ’Warp Crew wouldn’t be making any convention appearances in 2021 due to the complications brought about by conventioneering in the middle of a global pandemic? That’s very true…as far as in-person appearances go. But that doesn’t necessarily apply to online convention—like the SPACE show being held this July, and which SWC has just signed up to participate in as an exhibitor!

SPACE—an acronym for Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo—is the creation of Bob Corby, writer/artist/publisher of Back Porch Comics. Bob launched SPACE in the late 1990s in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and it’s an event that’s steadily grown in crowd size and exhibitor attendance with each passing year. The Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland, and the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Arts Festival, here in New York, might get all the attention, but SPACE still has the sort of small-press-creator feel that reminds me of the days when SWC first launched, and I was turning out hand-stapled, digest-size comics on photocopiers (which is how our resident succubus, Lorelei, got her start)—especially since some of SPACE’s attending creators who were my peers back then (like Bob) are still making comics today!

Coronavirus forced Bob to take SPACE online last year, and this year’s con follows suit (although he is making plans for a live show in November). The advantage here is that he’s opened wide the virtual convention-hall doors so that alt-press and indie publishers who normally wouldn’t be able to attend, like SWC, can now have a presence—for free! Hey, why pass up a good thing?

SPACE runs July 10 and 11. Visit its website for further information.

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Vampi Goes to Hollywood…Again!

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Steven

Recently, it was announced by comics publisher Dynamite Entertainment that independent film company Mike the Pike Productions had optioned the film, television, and streaming rights to Vampirella, the queen of the comic book bad girls who celebrated her 50th anniversary two years ago. Although Mike the Pike has only one film in their production history—the 2018 low-budget sci-fi actioner Beyond White Space—they have great hopes of adapting Vampi’s story to the big (or little) screen.

This actually makes the third time that Vampirella’s caught the eye of Hollywood—and you can learn all about those earlier attempts in one of our most popular titles!

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 (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. 

So really, when you look at it from that perspective, anything Mike the Pike Productions comes up with could potentially only be an improvement. Unless, of course, they decide to ditch Vampirella’s iconic swimsuit-and-go-go-boots look to make her look more socially acceptable; then the movie will be straight-up trash. After all, as both former Vampi comic writer Nancy A. Collins and current Vampi writer Christopher Priest have stated in interviews, take away that costume and the character is no longer Vampirella, but just another run-of-the-mill vampire. Good luck, then, Mike the Pike—we Vampi fans are hoping for the best.

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.

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A Farewell to Comic-Art Legend Frank Thorne

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Steven

News broke late Sunday night, March 7, that legendary artist Frank Thorne—the man who made Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonja, the She-Devil With a Sword, the iconic, memorable character she became during her days at Marvel Comics—had died at the age of 90; a death made even more shocking by the report that his beloved wife, Marilyn, had also passed away just a few hours after her husband. 

Thorne never reached the mega-heights of popularity in the comics industry—superheroes had never been his thing, so his name wasn’t as recognizable as those of such peers as Jack Kirby, John Romita, John Buscema, Steve Ditko, Neal Adams, or Gil Kane—but he did stake his claim in comics history as the artist of a second-tier Marvel Comics character who’s still known today to legions of comic fans: Red Sonja.

Curvier and far sexier than the average mainstream comic-book heroine, dressed in little more than a chain-mail bikini (actually designed by artist Esteban Maroto) and wielding a whole lot of self-confident attitude like a weapon, Thorne’s version of Sonja became the standard for sword-swinging babariennes. In fact, his Sonja was so sexy that it ultimately created problems for him with Marvel’s editors, to the point that he quit the company at the height of his (and Sonja’s) popularity and moved over to Warren Publishing—the home of another underdressed heroine, the outer-space bloodsucker Vampirella—where he created his own “mature readers” (in other words, fairly pornographic) she-devil: the blond-haired but equally half-naked Ghita of Alizarr, who appeared in the pages of 1984 (later 1994) magazine.

Thorne never returned to mainstream comics—he was having too much fun being comics’ dirty old man!—but he kept making the kinds of comics he wanted to make, and his fans were always eager to see his next project. Not that his work on Red Sonja was ever forgotten: right up to the present day it’s his version of Sonja that remains first and foremost in fans’ minds whenever they think of the character.

Thorne’s work on Sonja served as a major inspiration for me, a fledgling cartoonist who’d been trying to find a style for himself. I’d started out emulating things like Archie comics and Harvey Comics (Casper the Friendly Ghost, Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost) because they were somewhat simple enough to try and get a hook on, but it was Thorne’s “Sonja face”—which, really, was the same face he drew for all his lead heroines—that really opened my eyes because it was something I could actually get close to imitating.

Want proof of that? Look no further than my digital comics Lorelei: Genesis and Heroines and Heroes! Even more, check out this blog post from 2014, where I tell the story of taking a one-day art class that Thorne taught at an NYC comic book convention in 1988. The class’s title? “How to Draw Women the Frank Thorne Way”!

In 2001, I had the pleasure of being put in touch with Mr. Thorne by one of his friends/fellow comic legends: the late, great Gray Morrow. One phone call later, Mr. Thorne had agreed to provide cover art for what would then become Lorelei, Vol. 2 #2. Considering how much of a fan I was (and still am) of his art, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have the artist whose style has been a major influence on my own do a cover for my first comics character.

So, thank you, Mr. Thorne, for the inspiration and for all the great art. And thank you, Mrs. Thorne, for having the patience of a saint to put up with being married to comics’ dirty old man!  🙂

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Happy Game Masters Appreciation Day 2021!

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Steven

Since 2002, March 4th has been well known to the gaming community as International GM’s [Game Masters] Appreciation Day. Never heard of it? Well, that’s probably because, like me, you’re not involved in that ever-growing collection of fans. To explain this event, I’ll let this quote from the official GM’s Day site provide you with some background:

GM’s Day was born on the site EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple message board post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself…. GM’s Day is an annual day to show your Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them.  Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for game masters and gamers alike:

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, For a Few Gold Pieces More, 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. In fact, Terra Incognito is a book that’s become so popular with gamers that it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design program at Becker College in Worchester, Massachusetts!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information. And don’t forget to order a copy for your favorite game master!

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Happy World Read Aloud Day 2021!

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Steven

Hey, book lovers! Do you like reading? Well, of course you do! Do you like reading out loud? If so, then today is your day to celebrate, because it’s World Read Aloud Day!

Started in 2009 by the nonprofit organization LitWorld and sponsored by mega–publishing house Scholastic, World Read Aloud Day “unites people around the world by highlighting the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories.”

Well, if you’re a parent looking for a book that you can read aloud with your child, how about sitting down and with a world-famous fairy tale that we offer as a handy e-book?

Snow White is the classic story by the Brothers Grimm, and one of the titles in our Illustrated Classics line. Featuring full-color illustrations first published in 1883 (and they really are beautiful drawings), this digital-exclusive titleis available for immediate download for the wickedly low price of just 99¢!

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

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It’s Will Eisner Week 2021!

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Steven

Yes, it’s time again for Will Eisner Week: an annual celebration—held every year from March 1 to March 7—run by the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation, to promote literacy, graphic novels, free speech, and the legacy of the late Will Eisner, the creator of the 1940s masked crimefighter The Spirit, and one of the founding fathers of American graphic novels. A Contract with God, A Life Force, Dropsie Avenue, and The Dreamer are just some of the fascinating tales Eisner wrote and drew, featuring ordinary people in extraordinary (and sometimes not-so-extraordinary) situations. And even though he passed away in 2005, Eisner continues to inspire generations of writers and artists. Events are being held this week around the world; visit the Will Eisner Week site for more information.

StarWarp Concepts, of course, has its share of graphic novels and comics that might pique your interest. Here are just a few:

Lorelei: Sects and the City: This is the critically acclaimed, Mature Readers tale of a succubus battling a cult that’s trying to revive the elder gods they worship. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and “Satanna, the Devil’s Daughter,” it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), 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 art by three legendary Warren Publishing artists: a cover by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Creepy), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton, and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Creepy, Eerie).

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings: Perfect for superhero fans, this graphic novel is about a supernatural team of superfolk-for-hire, consisting of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, a high-tech-armor-wearing rock concert lighting designer, and a werewolf. Not every superhero team has Tony Stark’s billions to play with, you understand, and the Troubleshooters are just looking to earn a living while fighting the monsters that have always lurked in the shadows. Makes sense, right? Of course it does! Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White (For a Few Gold Pieces More, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, Night Stalkings presents the TSI members on their first mission: protecting a multimillionaire from a trio of Middle Eastern demons out to raise a little hell!

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: Although it may not be a graphic novel, at 56 pages it’s still a pretty thick comic book, with three stories of Pan and the monsters that live in her New York City hometown. The Saga of Pandora Zwieback chronicles the adventures of sixteen-year-old Pandora Zwieback, a Gothy horror fangirl who possesses amazing powers that she just learned about, including the ability to see past the human disguises worn by monsters to blend in with society. And The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a 56-page, full-color special that contains stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo/Batman Mysteries), and art by Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0) Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

All titles are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

Happy reading!

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What Are SWC Horror Bites?

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Steven

“Short tales to appease your monstrous hunger for suspense” is how we describe SWC Horror Bites, our digital-chapbook series. Basically, they’re classic horror tales, both familiar and unfamiliar, presented as downloadable chapbooks. Some are by well-known authors; others may not be household names but should be, and this is our way of introducing them to you. 

Here’s what’s available so far:

White Fell: The Werewolf: Originally published in 1896 as The Were-wolf, our launch title was written by renowned author, artist, and suffragette Clemence Annie Housman, and is regarded by scholars as perhaps the first feminist werewolf story. In it, a beautiful woman named White Fell wanders into a snowbound village—and into the hearts of twin brothers, one of whom immediately becomes smitten by her. The other brother, however, soon grows suspicious of the enigmatic White Fell. Where did she come from? Why does she always carry an ax? And is her sudden appearance somehow related to the recent sightings of a bloodthirsty wolf in the area? He may come to regret being so inquisitive…

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Washington Irving’s legendary tale of the Headless Horseman has captivated readers ever since its first publication in 1820, in Irving’s collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., and in the 200 years since it’s become the quintessential Halloween story, as well as the basis for countless movies, TV shows, comic books, and other pop-culture adaptations. When schoolteacher Ichabod Crane arrived in Sleepy Hollow, New York, he had dreams of marrying beautiful socialite Katrina of the wealthy Van Tassel family, only to lose his head (both figuratively and literally!) when he encountered the horrific Headless Horseman one fateful night!

White Fell: The Werewolf and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are digital exclusives available for download right now, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information. Other Horror Bites are currently in development; stay tuned for future anouncements!

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