He Is Not Groot…But He’s Painted Starlord!

If you’re a fan of Marvel Films’ extraordinarily successful movies, you’re no doubt aware that tomorrow’s the day for the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Guardians of the Galaxy, the box-office blockbuster adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics scj-fi series. Starring Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), WWE wrestling legend Dave Bautista, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, Guardians has taken the world by the proverbial storm, and is the highest grossing film of the year. Who knew a talking raccoon and a walking tree with a three-word vocabulary could generate such interest?

But, you ask, why am I talking about this movie, here at ’Warp Central? Because long before he became a motion picture star, Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, was the star of a series of comic and magazine adventures published by Marvel—and SWC’s own artistic legend, Bob Larkin, painted the cover for one of them!

marvel-preview18

What you see here is the cover of Marvel Preview #18, with Quill in his 1970s-era costume—a lot more superheroish than what you saw in GotG, but what would you expect from a company that specializes in superhero comics? (Bonus tidbit: the male model who posed for this painting was actor Steve Holland, who not only played Flash Gordon in a popular 1950s television series, but whose rugged features, from the ’70s to today, remain the gold-standard look for pulp adventurer Doc Savage. Holland posed for Doc covers not only for Bob, but for Bob’s mentor, superstar painter James Bama.)

Larkin_large_cover1By the way, science fiction comic book fans, have you purchased a copy of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook? If not, you’re missing out on spectacular pencil drawings of Richard Rider, the original Nova (from GotG’s Nova Corps), the X-Men, the Hulk, Luke Skywalker, and a host of other characters by the talented Mr. Larkin. It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day is Saturday!

Take-Child-Bookstore

Hey, book lovers, this Saturday, December 6, is the fifth annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day! Founded in 2010 by author Jessica Milchman, the event, according to its Web site, “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.”

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 by clicking on the banner up top.

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The Son of Reviewapalooza at Comics for Sinners

sabrina01Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, as you might be aware, I’ve become a comic and graphic novel reviewer, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I’ve reviewed in November:

Archie Comics
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1: Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, art by Robert Hack

Dynamite Entertainment
John Carter: Warlord of Mars #1: Written by Ron Marz, art by Abhishek Malsuni

Image Comics
Wytches #1: Written by Scott Snyder, art by Jock

Storm King Productions
John Carpenter’s Asylum, Vol. 1: Written by Bruce Jones & Various, art by Leonardo Manco

Zenescope Entertainment
Charmed: Season 10 #2: Written by Pat Shand, art by Erica Feliz
Cinderella: Age of Darkness #1: Written by Pat Shand, art by Ryan Best
Grimm Fairy Tales 2014 Holiday Edition: Written by Anne Toole, art by Butch Mapa

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then check out these previous lists and head over to C4S to read the entries:

Reviewapalooza
The Bride of Reviewapalooza

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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John Carpenter’s Asylum Review at Comics for Sinners

Asylum-Bk1-cvrOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of John Carpenter’s Asylum, Vol. 1, a Mature Readers graphic novel now on sale from Storm King Productions, Inc. Writer Bruce Jones (Incredible Hulk, Batman, Deadman) and artist Leonardo Manco (Hellblazer, Hellstorm: Prince of Lies, Werewolf by Night) team up for this supernatural buddy-cop movie on paper. There’s a demon loose in Los Angeles, and the only ones who can stop him are a hardheaded homicide detective and a defrocked priest—think 48 Hours meets The Exorcist, and you’ve got a good notion of John Carpenter’s Asylum. Head over to C4S to learn more, but be warned: there’s some great but Not Safe For Work art displayed with the review.

Loelei: Sects and the CityAnd if Mature Readers horror graphic novels are what you like to read, then allow me to point you to Lorelei: Sects and the City, the StarWarp Concepts graphic novel that stars a soul-stealing succubus in battle with a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. This critically acclaimed adventure is written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man), and Neil Vokes (The Black Forest), with a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella). Visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Grimm Fairy Tales Holiday Edition Review at Comics for Sinners

GFTHoliday2014_cover-AYou better watch out, you better not cry… In the mood for a Christmas tale of a different sort? Now at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of the Grimm Fairy Tales 2014 Holiday Edition, which is now on sale from Zenescope Entertainment. Written by Anne Toole (Crystal Cadets, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) and illustrated by Butch Mapa (Grimm Fairy Tales 2014 Halloween Special), it reveals the pulse-pounding origin of the Krampus: the anti–Santa Claus who pops up at Yuletide, not to deliver presents, but to steal away misbehaving children. See, kids? There are a lot worse things you could get for Christmas than just a lump of coal in your stocking, so be good for goodness’ sake! Head over to C4S to see what I mean.

SnowWhite_coverAnd if you’re a fan of the Brothers Grimm’s renowned fairy tales, then you should definitely check out Snow White, StarWarp Concepts’ presentation of their classic story. Featuring full-color illustrations first published in 1883, this digital-exclusive title is available for immediate download for the low price of just 99¢! Visit the Snow White product page for sales links and sample pages, and start downloading today!

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Underwater Nazi Zombies?!

shock-wavesRight on the heels of my last post, in which I discussed the use of legendary painter Bob Larkin’s Doc Savage artwork in faux superhero covers at the site Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues, comes some great Larkin-related news for horror movie fans!

Today’s the day for the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Shock Waves, the 1977 Nazi zombie cult classic that stars legendary actors Peter Cushing and John Carradine, along with actress Brooke Adams (Monk, Invasion of the Body Snatchers). And that zombie-rific cover art that you see here is a reproduction of the original movie poster painted by none other than Bob Larkin! Back in the 1970s and ’80s, Bob was a one-man movie-poster factory, creating art for such films as Heaven’s Gate, The Toxic Avenger: Part II, Piranha, Piranha II, Night of the Creeps, Humanoids from the Deep, and many more. It’s good to see another of his masterful paintings back in circulation, with the release of this rather odd but enjoyable film.

larkin_cover_small1By the way, horror fans, have you purchased a copy of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook? If not, you’re missing out on spectacular pencil drawings of a host of famous comic characters by the talented Mr. Larkin. It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness featuring succubi, vampires, pulp-action heroes, and even a Master of the Mystic Arts, and is available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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The Things You Find on the Internet 2

superteam-226First it was “The Block”: a long-forgotten comic collaboration between book packager Byron Preiss and comic-art legend Jim Steranko that I stumbled across in my Internet travels. Now here’s another pleasant discovery.

For years the site Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues (formerly Brave and the Bold: The Lost Issues) has presented—through the magic of Photoshop—covers of comic book superhero mash-ups that never were, and in all likelihood never will be, by combining the works of artists whose styles complement each other. Case in point: on a recent visit to the site I came across these two entries featuring pulp-action hero Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze—taken from book covers painted by SWC’s own Bob Larkin! Bob is considered to be one of the greatest Doc Savage cover painters of all time, right behind his mentor, James Bama, who developed Doc’s signature look for Bantam Books.

superteam-261Matched up with Bob for these covers are Captain America by John Cassaday (Star Wars, Planetary, Astonishing X-Men) and Hawkman by…I don’t know; I don’t recognize the image, and the site doesn’t list the artist. (Then again, they don’t list Bob’s name for any of his work on the site; they seem to think it’s by Joe Jusko. Bob was one of Jusko’s mentors/inspirations.) There are other entries featuring Bob’s paintings—for example, one of his Planet of the Apes covers combined with a Jusko Hulk, and a Nick Fury image matched with James Bond (by Robert McGinnis?), Doc Savage, Indiana Jones (by Dave Dorman?), and Batman—so visit Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues for all the comic book team-ups you’ve dreamed about seeing. Since the site’s constantly being updated, if the team-ups you’re looking for aren’t there, it’s probably only a matter of time before they show up!

By the way, Doc Savage fans, StarWarp Concepts is the publisher of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook: 24 pages of spectacular pencil drawings of Doc Savage, Pat Savage, the Shadow, and a host of other subjects by the talented Mr. Larkin. The sketchbook is available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, so order one today and prepare to be superamalgamated! Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Charmed: Season 10 #2 Review at Comics for Sinners

Charmed02-cvrNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Charmed: Season 10 #2, which is now on sale from Zenescope Entertainment. Written by Pat Shand (Cinderella: Age of Darkness, Robyn Hood) and illustrated by Elisa Feliz (Dallas: The Gathering), it continues the latest comic book “season” of the popular TV series about modern-day witches that starred Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs. This time, the Charmed Ones come to the rescue of some old friends—leprechauns that are anything but magically delicious! Head over to C4S to see what I mean.

 

 
troubleshooters_lrg_coverAnd if you’re into supernatural adventurers, then you should read Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings, the StarWarp Concepts graphic novel about a superteam-for-hire consisting of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, a high-tech-armor-wearing rock concert lighting designer, and a werewolf! Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White (The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special) 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! Visit the Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Warlord of Mars Review at Comics for Sinners

JohnCarter01-covOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Dynamite Entertainment’s recently published John Carter: Warlord of Mars #1, written by Ron Marz (Green Lantern, Witchblade) and illustrated by newcomer artist Abhishek Malsuni. It’s a restart of Dynamite’s popular Warlord of Mars and Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris series, based on the “John Carter of Mars” novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, The Land That Time Forgot, At the Earth’s Core). Martian princess Dejah Thoris (the wife of Earthman John Carter) has been captured by the latest bad guy planning to destroy the red planet, and she uses the time to conveniently help new readers catch up on all the concepts and main characters that Burroughs introduced in his series; in comics, this is called the “jumping-on point.” If you like pulp adventure and science fantasy, then this may be a title you want to check out. Go over to C4S and give the review a read, and see if John Carter: Warlord of Mars is right for you.

A Princess Of Mars V9Want to know how John Carter—formerly a Confederate officer and self-described gentleman from Virginia—wound up on the red planet in the first place? Then order a copy of A Princess of Mars, the swashbuckling science fantasy novel that’s also one of StarWarp Concepts’ illustrated classics! Burroughs’s first entry in the Mars series, originally released in 1912, influenced 100 years of science fiction adventure up to Flash Gordon to Star Wars, and was adapted for the screen in 2012 as Disney’s John Carter. The StarWarp Concepts edition features exclusive illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, Lorelei: Sects and the City, Carmilla). Visit the Princess of Mars product page for all the ordering information.

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A Succubus in Sleepy Hollow?

Lilith_Sleepy_HollowTonight on the popular (and well-done) television series Sleepy Hollow, man-out-of-time Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) and his monster-fighting partner, police lieutenant Abigail Mills (Nicole Beharie), cross paths with Lilith (Caroline Ford; pictured here in-character), a succubus determined to steal the souls of Ichabod and anyone else she comes across in the Headless Horseman’s stomping grounds. Well, if the notion of lethal sexual demons intrigues you, then do we at StarWarp Concepts have a graphic novel for you!

 

 

Loelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City stars a soul-stealing succubus in battle with a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. This critically acclaimed adventure is written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man), and Neil Vokes (Johnny Demon), with a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella). Visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

I’m figuring things aren’t going to go well for Lilith, which means there’s probably a job opening for a succubus that’ll soon be available. So what casting director do I send Lori’s head shot to? She’s available, y’know. 😉

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