Star-Born Vampire Meets Earth-Born Economy in Latest SWC Price Change

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Steven

As regular ’Warp visitors may remember, last fall I mentioned that price changes were coming for our line of print titles, due to the ongoing global supply problem that reached the publishing shores in the form of higher costs caused by paper shortages. That, in turn, meant that we had to increase its prices even on titles already in print—and that includes SWC and its backlist.

Our latest switchover involves the nonfiction comics history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), featuring a foreword by Official Vampirella Historian Sean Fernald. This popular examination of the star-born vampire’s adventures at her original home, Warren Publishing, from 1969 to 1983, and the behind-the-scenes story of her creation, has changed from a $19.99 cover price to $22.99 US.

And, just to recap, here’s the list of other titles we’ve had to price-adjust:

The young adult novelsBlood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, also written by me, shifted from $14.95 to $17.95 US.

The Mature Readers horror graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, written by yours truly and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger, and Neil Vokes, with contributions from comic legends Ernie Colon and Tom Sutton and cover art by Esteban Maroto, switched from $12.95 to $14.95 US.

The supernatural-superheroes graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings—by writers Richard C. and Joni White, penciler Reggie Golden, inkers Randy Zimmerman and Bill Lavin, and cover artist Richard Dominguez—powered up from $11.95 to $12.95 US.

And the sci-fi SWC Illustrated Classic A Princess of Mars, book 1 of the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, with illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia and an introduction by Mars fiction expert John Gosling, moved from $11.95 to $14.95 US.

We also temporarily removed two titles from bookstore sales and distribution, due to their higher printing costs: Richard C. White’s fantasy-adventure story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; and the full-color comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1. Plans are currently underway, however, for a redesigned Gold Pieces that will make printing the collection a bit more economic.

None of the changes to the print editions, though, have affected the prices or availability of the digital versions of the titles—those prices remain as is.

Again, we apologize for the bad news, but with costs going up everywhere, SWC has to change with the times if we want to stay in the publishing game—and we certainly do, considering the projects we have in the works! More price changes to come. Stay tuned for further developments.

Posted in Nonfiction, Publishing, Publishing Announcements, Steven A. Roman, vampirella | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy International Tabletop Day 2025!

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Steven

Celebrated on the first Saturday in June, International Tabletop Day is an annual event celebrating tabletop and board games of all sorts, launched in 2013 by creator Boyan Radakovich and originally hosted on actress (and gamer) Felicia Day’s Geek & Sundry YouTube channel. As the website Days of the Year explains, it’s “an opportunity for players to remember why they got into playing tabletop games in the first place. It’s all about pitting yourself against strangers and finding ways to survive through to the next turn.”

Well, if you’re looking to celebrate this special event, it just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for tabletop RPG gamers:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which fantasy and sci-fi author Richard C. White (Harbinger of Darkness, For a Few Gold Pieces More, On Wings of Steel) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion.

A bonus feature is an exclusive 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, it’s a book that’s become so popular with gamers that it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media & Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in both print (trade paperback and hardcover) 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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Further Price Changes for SWC Print Titles

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Steven

As regular ’Warp visitors may remember, last fall I mentioned that price changes were coming for our line of print titles, due to the ongoing global supply problem that reached the publishing shores in the form of higher costs caused by paper shortages. That, in turn, meant every publishing company had to increase its prices even on titles already in print—and that includes SWC and its backlist.

So, last year, the young adult novels Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 shifted from $14.95 to $17.95 US, with UK, European, and Australian prices also adjusted.

We also temporarily removed two titles from bookstore sales and distribution, due to their higher printing costs: Richard C. White’s fantasy-adventure story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; and the full-color comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.

(None of these changes, though, affected the prices or availability of the digital versions of the Pandora Zwieback books, or of Gold Pieces and the Pan Annual—those prices remain as is.)

So now comes the second round of print increases:

The Mature Readers horror graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, written by yours truly and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger, and Neil Vokes, with contributions from comic legends Ernie Colon and Tom Sutton and cover art by Esteban Maroto, has switched from $12.95 to $14.95 US.

Our other graphic novel, the supernatural-superheroes adventure Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings—by writers Richard C. and Joni White, penciler Reggie Golden, inkers Randy Zimmerman and Bill Lavin, and cover artist Richard Dominguez—has powered up from $11.95 to $12.95 US.

And the sci-fi SWC Illustrated Classic A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, with illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia and an introduction by Mars fiction expert John Gosling, has moved from $11.95 to $14.95 US.

However, just as with the Pan titles and For a Few Gold Pieces More, the prices of the e-book versions remain unchanged.

Again, we apologize for the bad news, but with prices going up everywhere, SWC has to change with the times if we want to stay in the publishing game—and we certainly do, considering the projects we have in the works!

More price changes to come. Stay tuned for further developments.

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Happy World Dracula Day 2025!

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Steven

While it’s true that today is Memorial Day in the United States—an annual remembrance of the country’s fallen military members, held on the last Monday in May—it also happens to be World Dracula Day, which was launched in 2012 by the Whitby Dracula Society 1897 (which is based in Whitby Abbey, England), to mark the day in 1897 when Bram Stoker’s seminal novel was first released by publisher Archibald Constable & Co.

So, what’s the best way to celebrate the occasion if you’re a horror fan? Well, you could read Dracula, of course, or have your own movie marathon of horror flicks starring the count—there are certainly enough of those to watch, from the original Bela Lugosi classic to Christopher Lee’s Hammer films, and from Frank Langella (Dracula) to Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) to Luke Evans (Dracula Untold). Not to mention movies in a more comedic…vein (c’mon, I had to say it!): George Hamilton in Love at First Bite; Leslie Nielsen in Dracula: Dead and Loving It; Nicholas Cage in Renfield; and even Richard Roxburgh’s scenery-chewing performance in Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing.

Or you could purchase a book that helped to inspire Stoker in creating the count’s unforgettable debut—especially when it came to the presentation of his vampirie “brides.” In fact, it’s recently been ranked a “Best of #BookTok” title!

Carmilla is J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 19th-century classic vampiric tale of love gone wrong. Laura is so desperate for a friend that when a young woman named Carmilla practically turns up on the doorstep of the castle owned by Laura’s father, she thinks her prayers for companionship have been answered. But as she comes to realize, Carmilla isn’t as interested in making friends as she is in spilling blood…

Regarded as the one of the earliest female vampire tales—if not the first—Carmilla was an influence on Stoker’s Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day. Our special edition contains six exclusive illustrations by the super-talented Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1).

“With a cover that looks like it belongs on the paranormal romance shelf in a bookstore and half a dozen illustrations provided by Eliseu Gouveia, this edition stands a good chance of tempting some younger readers to pick up this classic vampire tale…. I wish I’d picked this book up in seventh grade instead of slogging through Dracula.”—The Gothic Library

Carmilla is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Carmilla, Classic Fiction, Gothic, Holidays, Horror, Illustrated Classics, Vampires | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Wings of Steel Soars Across the Ebook Landscape

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Steven

Already this month, fans of science fiction saw the arrival of author Richard C. White’s latest novel from StarWarp Concepts arrive in digital form at ebook retailers DriveThru Fiction and Amazon’s Kindle Store, to join its already available print edition. Now White’s steampunk adventure is landing at other digital retail sites and distributors!

On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1 is now available for purchase from Barnes & Noble, the Apple Bookstore, Kobo, Kobo Plus, Smashwords, and other online retailers.

Librarians can add On Wings to their digital shelves through such services as Overdrive, Baker & Taylor, Palace Marketplace, and cloudLibrary.

Featuring eye-catching cover art by digital painter Beto Lima (Dungeons & Dragons), On Wings is an action-packed adventure from the acclaimed author of Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, Harbinger of Darkness, and For a Few Gold Pieces More. Here’s the back-cover copy to pique your interest:

Death from above—and below…

Erica Halgrim is a proud new member of the Angels of Steel: a courier service whose all-female members navigate through the streets of Underworld and the skies of the Aerie with the aid of winged flying devices that allow them to traverse the toxic Dark Cloud that separates the downtrodden masses on the ground from the wealthy socialites who live aboard enormous airships.

Her job becomes secondary, however, when Erica attends a soiree at the Aerie with her fellow Angels and witnesses what appears to be an unfortunate accident (but could it perhaps have been murder?) and she becomes a suspect.

Almost immediately, her life is put in danger as various forces attempt to either jail her or permanently shut her up. Most troubling of all, though, is who exactly is looking to clip her wings…

Interest piqued? Fantastic! Then be sure to head on over to your favorite e-tailer or library service and order a copy today!

Posted in e-books, e-tailers, Publishing, Publishing Announcements, Richard C. White, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Author Richard C. White at Balticon 59

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Steven

This coming Memorial Day Weekend, fans of science fiction and fantasy will be gathering at Balticon, which is celebrating its 59th anniversary at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in the city’s picturesque Inner Harbor district.

Among the attendees at this cross-genre get-together will be author Richard C. White, who’ll be promoting his latest SWC release that’s hit online bookshops and ebook retailers, the sci-fi steampunk novel On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, in which Erica Halgrim, a member of the Angels of Steel courier service, finds herself drawn into a political plot—and possibly murder—at the risk of her own life.

Rich is the bestselling author of the licensed novel Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, as well as a bunch of titles published by us: the swashbuckling adventure novel Harbinger of Darkness; the fantasy-adventure story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the writers’ and RPG gamemasters’ aid Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination; the supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings; the noir-fantasy story collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase; and the pirate-adventure digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special.

You’ll find Rich hawking his wares in the Dealers’ Room, so be sure to stop by his table and pick up any titles you might have missed, and to learn about the other projects he has in the works for 2025—and beyond!

Balticon runs May 23–26. For more information on the show, visit the Balticon website.

Posted in Author Appearances, Conventions, Richard C. White, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Now Arriving at the Amazon Terminal: Richard C. White’s On Wings of Steel

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Steven

First, it debuted in print on April 29, then last week at DriveThru Fiction, and now On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, author Richard C. White’s latest novel from StarWarp Concepts, has arrived in digital form at Amazon’s Kindle Store!

Featuring eye-catching cover art by digital painter Beto Lima (Dungeons & Dragons, Undead Horde), On Wings is an action-packed sci-fi steampunk adventure from the acclaimed author of Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, Harbinger of Darkness, and For a Few Gold Pieces More. Here’s the back-cover copy to pique your interest:

Death from above—and below…

Erica Halgrim is a proud new member of the Angels of Steel: a courier service whose all-female members navigate through the streets of Underworld and the skies of the Aerie with the aid of winged flying devices that allow them to traverse the toxic Dark Cloud that separates the downtrodden masses on the ground from the wealthy socialites who live aboard enormous airships.

Her job becomes secondary, however, when Erica attends a soiree at the Aerie with her fellow Angels and witnesses what appears to be an unfortunate accident (but could it perhaps have been murder?) and she becomes a suspect.

Almost immediately, her life is put in danger as various forces attempt to either jail her or permanently shut her up. Most troubling of all, though, is who exactly is looking to clip her wings…

On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1 is available in ePub format for just $4.99 US at the Kindle Store, and also in print from Amazon, so visit their respective product pages at Amazon to place your order today!

Posted in e-books, e-tailers, Publishing, Publishing Announcements, Richard C. White, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Richard C. White’s On Wings of Steel Lands at DriveThru Fiction

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Steven

First, it debuted in print on April 29, and now On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, author Richard C. White’s latest novel from StarWarp Concepts, has arrived in digital form at e-book retailer DriveThru Fiction.

Featuring eye-catching cover art by digital painter Beto Lima (Dungeons & Dragons, Undead Horde), On Wings is an action-packed sci-fi steampunk adventure from the acclaimed author of Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, Harbinger of Darkness, and For a Few Gold Pieces More. Here’s the back-cover copy to pique your interest:

Death from above—and below…

Erica Halgrim is a proud new member of the Angels of Steel: a courier service whose all-female members navigate through the streets of Underworld and the skies of the Aerie with the aid of winged flying devices that allow them to traverse the toxic Dark Cloud that separates the downtrodden masses on the ground from the wealthy socialites who live aboard enormous airships.

Her job becomes secondary, however, when Erica attends a soiree at the Aerie with her fellow Angels and witnesses what appears to be an unfortunate accident (but could it perhaps have been murder?) and she becomes a suspect.

Almost immediately, her life is put in danger as various forces attempt to either jail her or permanently shut her up. Most troubling of all, though, is who exactly is looking to clip her wings…

On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1 is available at DriveThru Fiction, so visit its product page at the StarWarp Concepts publisher hub to place your order today!

Posted in e-books, e-tailers, Publishing, Publishing Announcements, Richard C. White, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Richard C. White’s On Wings of Steel Lands at DriveThru Fiction

It’s Children’s Book Week 2025 (Part 1)!

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Steven

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is an annual celebration of reading that actually runs for two weeks—one in the spring, and one in the fall. This week, of course, is the Spring Edition, with the theme of “An Ocean of Stories,” “celebrating the vast, collective ocean populated by the stories we read, share, and tell.” (Week the second will run in November.)

To find out more about the event, which runs May 5–11, and to download free stuff like bookmarks and activity pages, visit Children’s Book Week’s home at Every Child a Reader.

And speaking of books that inspire, if you’re looking for an awesome digital book for the children in your life (or even your own inner child!), then may we recommend one of our snazzy Illustrated Classics titles?

Snow White is the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. An evil, vain queen sets her jealous sights on her beautiful stepdaughter, and only an unusual group of gentleman can help Snow overcome the queen’s nefarious plans. Even more exciting, the StarWarp Concepts edition is enhanced with beautiful full-color illustrations that were first published in 1893!

“Snow White delivers a timely message about survival even when the odds are not in your favor.”—The New Yorker

“One of the best-loved of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm.”—Long Long Time Ago

Snow White is an e-book exclusive, so visit its product page at DriveThru Fiction for ordering information and sample pages.

Posted in Children's Books, Classic Fiction, e-books, Events, Fantasy, Illustrated Classics, Reading, Snow White | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s Children’s Book Week 2025 (Part 1)!

Happy Free Comic Book Day 2025!

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Steven

Today is Free Comic Book Day around the world: that annual event celebrated on the first Saturday in May, and usually timed to coincide with the release of Marvel Studios’ latest movie—as is the case with yesterday’s debut of Thunderbolts*, which introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest superteam and stars Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and David Harbour (Hellboy).

FCBD is a day when publishers make available free print and/or digital comics for comic fans, and we here at ’Warp Central are no different, with the following titles available for download right now.

Heroines & Heroes: A collection of comic stories and pinups all 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 (it didn’t work out). The WW/Harley matchup is 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.

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A full-color introduction to the young adult novel series of the same name, hosted by Pan herself. Pan is a 16-year-old New York City Goth who’s not only a horror fangirl but someone with the rare ability to see the for-real monsters that regular humans can’t (she calls it her “monstervision”), and with the help of a 400-year-old, shapeshifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, she’s learning how to protect her family, her friends, and the world from the supernatural dangers out there—and maybe even have some fun doing it! This 16-page comic features a seven-page story written by Steven A. Roman, with art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and includes two sample chapters from Blood Feud, the first Pan novel.

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition: A reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Written and created by Steven A. Roman, and drawn by David C. Matthews (Satin Steele), it introduced readers to professional photographer Laurel Ashley O’Hara, on the day that would change her life forever—a day when a major exhibition of her work was opening at a prestigious New York museum…and the day she unfortunately met the charming but dangerous Arioch—a lord of hell! It features cover art by Louis Small Jr., artist of Harris Comics’ Vampirella and Vampirella Strikes; DC Comics’ Codename Knockout and Batman 80-Page Giant; and Continuity Comics’ Ms. Mystic; and cover artist for SWC’s Lorelei Presents: House Macabre.

Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa #1–3: Before she became Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin made her debut in this short-lived, 1990s Mature Readers series from Millennium Publications. A nefarious heavy metal band has arrived in New York City, and its lead singer is more than just a sex magnet for his female fans—he’s a soul-stealing incubus! Will Annie put an end to his plans for worldwide chaos, or fall prey to his supernatural charms? Written by Steven A. Roman, issue 1 is drawn by Pan and Annie co-creator Uriel Caton (JSA Annual) and inker Alan Larsen (Femforce), and colored by Dan Peters; issue 2 is penciled by Uriel, Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews (Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition), inked by Larsen, and colored by Zeea Adams; and issue 3 is penciled by Holly, with four pages of inks by “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales).

As a special bonus, issue 3 includes a brief look at the never-published Heartstopper/Trollords, a crossover special that would have had Annie meet Harry, Larry, and Jerry, the Three Stooges–inspired trolls created by Scott Beaderstadt and Paul Fricke for their popular comic series of the 1980s. H/T was to be written by me with pencils by Holly and Scott and inks by Bill Lavin (Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings), but unfortunately it just never got past the starting gate.

(Warning: Heartstopper is designated a “Mature Readers” comic for violent scenes and some sexual innuendo, so younger Panatics should avoid it.)

All these comics are available for download right now, so visit their respective product pages for more information and sample pages.

Posted in Comic Books, Digital Comics, Events, heartstopper, Lorelei, Pandora Zwieback, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Free Comic Book Day 2025!