Author Richard C. White at Shore Leave 39

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Steven

pieces_gold_large_book_cover2017This weekend, Star Trek and other science fiction fans from far and wide will be gathering at the 39th annual Shore Leave convention, being held at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, Maryland on July 7–9. And among the guests in attendance will be SWC’s own Richard C. White, who’ll be there to promote his latest book, For a Few Gold Pieces More, as well as his upcoming novel, Harbinger of Darkness.

For a Few Gold Pieces More is a collection of ten critically acclaimed short stories by Rich, who’s the author of Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers: Echoes of Coventry, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, and a few SWC titles. For Gold Pieces, think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), as a Rogue With No Name travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did).

For a Few Gold Pieces More is available in print and digital formats; visit its product page for ordering information. And if you’re attending Shore Leave this weekend, be sure to purchase books directly from Rich, who’ll be selling copies all weekend.

For more information on the convention, visit the Shore Leave 39 website.

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Happy Birthday, America!

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Steven

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If you head over to today’s post at the Pandora Zwieback blog, you’ll get to see a couple of horror-themed patriotic comic covers, starring the Mistress of the Dark and Ghost Rider, to help set the tone for America’s 241st birthday party. Go check ’em out before you start gorging on hamburgers and hot dogs!

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Smashwords’ Summer/Winter 2017 E-book Sale Begins

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Steven

smashwords-logoHey, book lovers! Today’s the day when e-book distributor Smashwords launches its ninth annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale, during which you can purchase thousands of digital books at special prices! It runs from July 1 to July 31—and yes, you’ll need to set up an account (it’s free) to take advantage of this promotion. As for why Smashwords gives this event such an unusual name: “Because Smashwords serves a global readership where it’s summer in the Northern hemisphere and winter in the Southern hemisphere. So whether you’re looking for a great beach read, or you want to curl up in front of warm fireplace with a great read, we’ve got you covered!”

Included among the many participating publishers is StarWarp Concepts (of course), which means you can get the following titles at 25% off, as long as you make sure to use the specially generated coupon codes when you make your purchase:

Blood FeudBlood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 is my young adult novel that’s 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.

Use Coupon Code ZY37X (not case-sensitive) for Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1.

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrBlood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! But Pan isn’t about to let some ancient monster win the day, not when the lives of her parents and friends—along with those of every human on the planet—are at stake, so she leads a charge of her own. But whose side is going to emerge the victor remains to be seen…

Use Coupon Code KK62H (not case-sensitive) for Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2.

terra_ingoc_lg_coverTerra 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.

Use Coupon Code UC82A (not case-sensitive) for Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination.

pieces_gold_large_book_cover2017For a Few Gold Pieces More is Richard C. White’s collection of fantasy short stories. Think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), as a Rogue With No Name 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 (but she did).

Use Coupon Code VD68F (not case-sensitive) for For a Few Gold Pieces More.

Again, the Smashwords Summer Sale runs until July 1 to July 31, so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher page at Smashwords and start your summer-reading shopping!

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Those Martians Sure Have Some Ruling Class…

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Steven

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Hey, science-fiction fans! As you probably know, today’s the broadcast premiere of “The Empress of Mars,” the latest episode of the long-running TV series Doctor Who. In it, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companions Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) arrive on the Red Planet to find Victorian Era soldiers battling old-school DW villains (and native Martians) the Ice Warriors, who this time are led by the never-before-seen Martian Empress (FYI, that’s not the empress in the banner up top). If you have plans to watch it this weekend, perhaps you might be interested in one of our titles that stars a different sort of female Martian royalty…

princess_bookfestA Princess of Mars, originally published in 1912, is the first in Edgar Rice Burroughs’s “John Carter of Mars” ten-novel series about a post–Civil War era American who suddenly finds himself on the Red Planet, battling to stay alive against all sorts of alien threats, and ultimately to win the love of the titular Martian princess. It served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter, and inspired a century’s worth of SF works, including Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and James Cameron’s Avatar. The special StarWarp Concepts edition—available in both print and digital formats—features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds. Here’s the back-cover synopsis:

Captain John Carter thought his days as a fighter were over. The South had lost the Civil War, and as a soldier now without a battle to fight or a cause to believe in, he journeyed west in search of a new life.

But not even Carter could have expected that his new life would begin with his death in the Arizona desert, and his inexplicable arrival on the barren plains of the planet Mars. Or that he would find love in the eyes of the beauteous Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium.

A prisoner of the giant, green-skinned warrior race called the Tharks, Dejah Thoris is meant to be used as a pawn in the ongoing war between the Tharks and her people, the red Martians—unless the gentleman from Virginia takes sword in hand to free her…and thus unite a divided world.

Once more, John Carter has a cause to fight for—and this time, a love to win, as well….

A Princess of Mars is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.

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Monstresses On the Prowl

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Steven

Hey, horror fans! As you might know, this Friday is the U.S. release date for The Mummy, the latest iteration of Universal Pictures’ classic Egyptian monster first brought to celluloid life by the legendary Boris Karloff in 1932.

This time around, the titular character is a woman—Princess Ahmanet, played by Sofia Boutella, whom you might remember from the popular movies Kingsman: The Secret Service (she was the blade-footed assassin) and Star Trek Beyond. And trying to stop her plans for world domination is none other than megastar Tom Cruise, with some help from Russell Crowe—who’s playing Dr. Henry Jekyll and his notorious counterpart, Mr. Hyde! It’s the kickoff title in Universal’s “Dark Universe” line of movies, to be followed by rebooted versions of The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

white_fell_large_book_cover2017Speaking of female monsters, are you familiar with the story of White Fell—The Werewolf? Originally published in 1896 as The Were-wolf, it was written by renowned author, artist, and suffragette Clemence Annie Housman, and is regarded by scholars as perhaps the first feminist werewolf story. It’s also the launch title of our SWC Horror Bites line of chapbooks. Here’s the back-cover copy from our edition:

A beautiful woman 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…

Critics have continued to enjoy it, even 121 years after its first publication:

“For Housman, the female werewolf is a vehicle for her to present a strong feminist-inspired female character…. It is possible that Housman was telling the world that women had a hidden strength and that men should beware of their own hidden nature.”—The Nuke Mars Journal of Speculative Fiction

“White Fell is interesting because she subverts many of the tropes of the monstrous woman—i.e without maternal instincts, animalistic, lustful, etc. She is a femme fatale only in the most basic sense that she is a deadly woman.”—International Gothic Association

White Fell—The Werewolf is on sale right now in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for further information and order it today.

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Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Steven

ww-day.jpgFollowing an edict issued by DC Comics on February 16, today is officially the first annual Wonder Woman Day! I’m sure the timing has nothing to do with the fact that yesterday was the U.S. release date for the first-ever Wonder Woman big-screen motion picture… 😉

So how can you celebrate this momentous occasion? Well, you could head off to your local movie theater and check out this big-budget adaptation of William Moulton Marston’s Amazing Amazon. Or you could catch up on your comics reading—there are certainly tons of WW comics and trade collections available both in print and online. As I pointed out in yesterday’s post, I’ve reviewed a few Wonder Woman–related comics at the news site Comics for Sinners—you could check out one of those comics.

Or…you could download a free digital comic that’s only available right here, at StarWarp Concepts!

heroines_large_coverHeroines and 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, a couple of anthropomorphic bikers—and a certain member of the Justice League.

“V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summertime)” is 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.

Heroines and Heroes is available for free download right now, so visit its product page for more information, including sample pages. It’s a small-press wonder!

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She’s a Wonder…Finally On the Big Screen!

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Steven

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Today is the U.S. release date for Wonder Woman, the first-ever big-screen adaptation of William Moulton Marston’s Amazing Amazon. Following the overwhelmingly positive reception from critics and fans alike last year toward Princess Diana’s debut in last year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice—in fact, many moviegoers said she was the best part of that film—comic lovers have been eagerly looking forward to today’s cinematic debut. Starring Gal Gadot as the legendary warrior and Chris Pine (Captain Kirk of the recent Star Trek movies) as Steve Trevor, this spin on WW’s origin story moves the action from Marston’s World War II setting to World War I Europe and smack-dab in the center of the suffragette movement.

WW77Special-1Speaking of Wonder Woman, over at the news site Comics for Sinners I’ve reviewed a few comics that star her; if you want to know more about them, just click on the following links:

Wonder Woman ’77 Special #1: Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Drew Johnson, Cat Staggs, Jason Badower, and Richard Ortiz

Wonder Woman ’77 Special #2: Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Drew Johnson, Cat Staggs, Jason Badower, and Richard Ortiz

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #5: Written by Sholly Fisch, art by Dario Brizuela

And that’s not all! Right here at SWC we’ve got a project that includes Wonder Woman—in a clash with the clown princess of crime, Harley Quinn, who starred in her own movie last year: Suicide Squad!

heroines_large_coverHeroines and 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.

Heroines and Heroes is available for free download right now, so visit its product page for more information, including sample pages.

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Reviewapalooza Unbound

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Steven

SkullIslandKong01As some of you may be aware, since 2014 I’ve been a comic and graphic novel reviewer for the news site Comics for Sinners, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I reviewed over the past months:

Dynamite Entertainment
Red Sonja: The Long Walk to Oblivion: Written by Erik Burnham, art by Tom Mandrake

Hyrkania (record company)
“The Ballad of Red Sonja”: Written by Mike and Sal Caputo, and Robert E. Howard; performed by Kurt Gresham and Frank Thorne

Legendary Comics
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong #1: Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Zid

Space Goat Publishing
The Howling: Revenge of the Werewolf Queen #1: Written by Micky Neilson, art by Jason Johnson

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then be sure to bookmark Comics For Sinners to keep up-to-date on my opinionated ramblings about bad-girl (and other) comics.

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Pirates, You Say? We Know a Few…

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Steven

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Hey, fans of nautical adventures! As you probably know, today is the U.S. release date for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth entry in the popular pirate-fantasy film series that stars actor Johnny Depp as the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow, along with returning cast members Geoffrey Rush and Orlando Bloom. This time, Jack has to deal with the supernatural dangers presented by Javier Bardem’s Captain Salazar, and the insidious presence of…music icon Paul McCartney?! Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be rushing off to see it this weekend.

seadragon_lrg_cov_revBut hold on, mateys! Before you pull up anchor and set sail for your local movie theater, perhaps you’d be interested in checking out one of the ’Warp’s offerings. Because whether you’re a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, or classic films like Captain Blood, The Crimson Pirate, and The Sea Hawk, does StarWarp Concepts have a pirate-fantasy comic for you!

The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a one-shot digital comic created and written by Richard C. White, author of SWC’s the fantasy-story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More, the supernatural superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings, and the nonfiction how-to book, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination. Drawn by Bill Bryan (artist of Caliber Press’ Dark Oz and DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and featuring cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (SWC’s The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annuals), it’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure for just 99¢!

Visit the Chronicles of the Sea Dragon product page for more information, including sample pages.

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‘Warped Week: May 21, 2017

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Steven

Howling-sienkiewiczWelcome back to ’Warped Week, a recap of what we’ve been up to at ’Warp Central during the past seven days. If you missed anything, now’s the perfect time to catch up!

On Monday, I let you know that my latest comic-book review had been posted at the site Comics for Sinners. The Howling: Revenge of the Werewolf Queen #1 is a Space Goat Publishing miniseries sequel to the great 1981 werewolf movie from director Joe Dante (Gremlins) that picks up the story of Marsha Quist—the female werewolf memorably played by actress Elisabeth Brooks—who’s on the hunt for a mystical relic. Based on what we’ve seen at C4S’s Facebook page, the review is especially popular with Space Goat employees—they’ve been sharing it with all their followers!

john-carpenter-darkchyldeOn Wednesday, yet another article of mine—but not a review—appeared at Comics for Sinners. This one, the latest edition of my “It Came from the Bad-Girl Archives” series, examined the announced-but-never-filmed John Carpenter’s Darkchylde, a proposed movie adaptation of the 1990s bad-girl comic by creator/writer/artist Randy Queen about a teenaged girl who discovers she can turn into a demon. At the outset, the notion of the acclaimed director teaming up with effects company Weta Workshop (of Lord of the Rings movie fame) sounded like a good idea, but considering the fact Carpenter hasn’t directed a movie since 2010, it’s a good bet it’s a dead project. Head over to C4S to read the whole story.

On Thursday, we made you aware of a New York Times article about a King Kong musical set to debut on Broadway in the fall of 2018. That, naturally, gave us an opportunity to throw in a plug for our King Kong Illustrated Classic e-book, which reprints the Delos W. Lovelace novelization of the original Kong movie from 1933—a novelization that also serves as the basis for the musical!

A Princess of MarsFriday was the U.S. debut of Alien: Covenant, the latest entry in the popular sci-fi movie franchise that started with 1979’s SF/horror masterpiece Alien. And so, as long as the topic of aliens and humans clashing on another world was up for discussion, we thought it was a good time to remind everyone about our Illustrated Classic A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s about a man from Earth who suddenly finds himself on the Red Planet fighting for his life—and for the love of a Martian princess. Maybe Princess doesn’t have face-huggers and xenomorphs, but it does have seven-foot-tall, green-skinned Martian warriors carrying swords—close enough, right?

And that’s the week. What’s coming next? You’ll have to keep checking this blog during the days ahead—or join us on Sunday for the next installment of ’Warped Week. See you then!

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