If you live in a big city, you know how dangerous trick-or-treating can sometimes be, with dodging speeding cars and trucks while you’re trying to make the rounds of your favorite candy-giving haunts—even in the daytime!
In 2022, New York City took steps to try and make trick-or-treating a much safer event, by instituting “Trick or Streets,” an expansion of its “Open Streets” initiative that closes certain streets to vehicular traffic so that NYC residents can walk and bike on them without fear of injury. (It’s a popular program that started in May 2021 as a result of the pandemic lockdown, so that people could finally get out of their homes and apartments to enjoy fresh air.)
Continuing the tradition, tomorrow kicks off Year 5’s Trick or Streets 2026: a two-week festival during which a number of streets will be closed off in all five boroughs, allowing you and yours to hit the pavement and celebrate the Spooky Season with “live music, fun activities, interactive performances, and more.” (Keep an eye on local weather forecasts, though, so you can dress accordingly.)
For more information on the city’s Halloween plans and a list of family-friendly events being held, head over to the Trick or Streets website.
It’s time to celebrate the Spooky Season—with treats of e-books and digital comics!
E-book distributors DriveThru Comics and DriveThru Fiction—along with sister site DriveThru RPG—are currently running their annual Halloween sale, during which you can purchase thousands of horror-themed digital books and comics and roleplaying games at special prices! It runs until October 31—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), which means you can get select titles at lower prices, including the Illustrated Classic Carmilla, the nonfiction comics history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, the dark-fantasy-noir story collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, and the full-color comic special The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.
Again, the sale runs through Halloween, so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher pages at DriveThru Comics and DriveThru Fiction and start shopping!
This coming weekend, book lovers and horror fans (and horror-loving book fans) will be gathering at the Fright Reads Book Festival, being held at the Howard County Fairgrounds, in West Friendship, Maryland.
Rich, as you may know by now (I repeat it often enough!), 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 game masters’ 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 his upcoming projects for 2027.
Fright Reads Book Festival runs October 24–25. For more information on the show, visit their website.
Revivals of Golden Age comic book and pulp-fiction characters have become all the rage in the last decade among publishers, and earlier this year author Richard C. White joined the fun with his novel-told-in-three-novellas Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1. And now he’s back with his latest pulp-adventure project!
Rima: The Emerald Forest reintroduces one of the first jungle-adventure heroines: Rima the Bird Girl, who made her debut in the 1904 novel Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest, by William Henry Hudson. Considered one of the earliest “jungle girls”—a counterpart to “jungle kings” like Tarzan of the Apes, and often involving a white woman living in the wilderness who is treated as a goddess by native tribes—Rima predates better-known ones like Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Nyoka the Jungle Girl, and Rulah: Jungle Goddess (it was a popular genre in Golden Age comics) and Marvel’s Shanna the She-Devil, Rima found love and adventure in the forests of Venezuela in her first and only literary appearance.
In the decades that followed, Rima popped up here and there in popular culture: a 1930s opera adaptation of Green Mansions that was broadcast one time on radio; a (not very good) 1959 film adaptation of the novel that starred Audrey Hepburn as Rima; a short-lived comic series, Rima the Jungle Girl, from DC Comics in the 1970s. But for the most part, Rima remained a “lost” character—until her triumphant return in Rima: The Emerald Forest, that is!
Here’s the back-cover copy to pique your interest:
The forest is full of mysteries. Rima is one of them…even to herself.
In 1904, author William Henry Hudson introduced readers to Rima the Bird Girl, in the pages of his bestselling novel Green Mansions. Living in the Venezuelan forests, Rima is a young woman with no family, no friends—except for the beasts with whom she shares the wilderness. She is aware that her mother had been a surviving member of a “lost” tribe that spoke in a birdlike language—which she in turn taught to her daughter—but that is all Rima has ever known of her own background. And when her mother passed away, Rima became the last of her kind.
Or did she?
Now, years after the days of Green Mansions, Rima returns in a brand-new adventure that shines a light on her mysterious origins. Intrigued by the arrival of explorers in her emerald forest, the Bird Girl follows from a distance as the party makes its way through the veldt toward a fabled lost city, not just in search of proof that it exists—but to seize the riches that are said to be found there.
Rima, though, has no use for gold or jewels—her search is for knowledge. Does anyone live in the ancient city? Could they be the lost tribe her mother belonged to? Might she no longer be alone in the world?
And most important of all, can she prevent the explorers from destroying everything they find before she possibly learns who she truly is . . . ?
The full-color cover art and lush black-and-white interior illustrations are provided by Asinjuasflora, with book design by Aaron Rosenberg.
Rima: The Emerald Forest is available in print from such online retailers as Amazon, BarnesandNoble(dot)com, and Bookshop(dot)org; the ebook version will be coming shortly. If you’re a fan of pulp adventure, be sure to order a copy today!
This weekend, lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror will be gathering at CanCon, being held at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa, Canada.
Among the attendees will be author Richard C. White, who will be promoting his sci-fi steampunk novel On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, his pulp-heroine adventure novella collection Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1, and his most recent release, the jungle-girl pulp adventure novella Rima: The Emerald Forest (which comes out tomorrow!).
Rich, as you may know by now, 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 vendors room, so be sure to stop by his table and pick up any titles you might have missed, and to learn about his (many) upcoming projects.
CanCon runs October 16–18. For more information on the show, visit their website.
As pop culture and comic fans know, today is the opening day for New York Comic Con 2026—which means the streets of Midtown Manhattan (or at least the #7 train line) will be overflowing with costumed heroes, anime characters come to life, monsters set free from their comics and movies, and creators of all sorts in search of fans (and work!).
StarWarp Concepts won’t be part of the festivities, though—it’s ridiculously expensive to exhibit there, and it’s become apparent in recent years that the Small Press area we once called home is being phased out (down from 112 booths when we were last there over a decade ago, to just 24 this year!). But that doesn’t mean you can’t experience a sort of scaled-down SWC version of the big show right here!
You want vendors?You can always order SWC’s ever-expanding roster of titles from such retail sites as Amazon, BarnesAndNoble(dot)com, Books-a-Million, Waterstones, and Bookshop(dot)org. On the e-book and digital comic front, you can purchase our books, comics, and graphic novels from our publisher pages at DriveThru Fiction, DriveThru Comics, and Smashwords.
Convention giveaways? Our Downloads page has a bunch of free stuff—Pandora Zwieback wallpapers for your smartphone and computer, book samples, and free digital comics:
Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is a reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Wriiten and created by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), and drawn by David C. Matthews (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), it introduced readers to celebrated 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!
Heroines & Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by Steven A. Roman, 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 (long story short, 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 is 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, shape-shifting 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 while doing it. This 16-page comic features a seven-page story written by me, with art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, Carmilla, A Princess of Mars, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and includes two sample chapters from Blood Feud, the first Pan novel.
And then there’s 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 me (of course), 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 (Archie Comics), and David C. Matthews (Lorelei), 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.)
Artists Alley? Our Gallery area—think of it as an online artists’ alley—features two sections, The 13 Days of Pan-demonium and Visions of Lorelei, both containing original renderings of our two best-known characters by a host of artists from indie and mainstream comics, including such notables as Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), Teri S. Wood (Wandering Star), Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night), Frank Thorne (Red Sonja), Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella), Dave Simon (Ghost Rider), Bill Ward (Torchy), and Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn/Vampirella)!
Activities? You can check out Horror Street, a recurring feature at the Pandora Zwieback blog that showcases amazing horror-themed graffiti murals that I’ve come across while wandering the streets of New York City. And what with it being Spooky Season right now, this photographic art exhibit should help put you in the mood for Halloween.
So the StarWarp Concepts crew might not be hanging out at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center over in Manhattan, but at least you can have a con-like experience from the comfort of your home!
Have you been to the Pandora Zwieback website this year? If not, you’re missing out on the spooktacular graffiti art that can be found on…Horror Street!
Horror Street is an occasional feature on the blog: my ongoing journey in search of awesome yet spooky graffiti art on the streets and little-traveled corners of New York City. Its origin lies in the Covid pandemic lockdown of 2020–2021, when wandering the deserted back streets and industrialized areas of Queens and Brooklyn to take photos of graffiti murals was a safer bet, health-wise, than meandering the far busier streets of Manhattan. And imagine my surprise when I realized just how much of the art I found was horror-related!
Over time, I’ve accumulated quite a few pics of some really incredible street art (and continue to do so), which I post from time to time at the Pan blog, where I showcase such pieces as the Brooklyn Vampire, the Brooklyn Mummy, the Spirit Halloween Train, the demonic D-Rod, Where the Gene Wilder Things Are, the beast called Queens’thluhu, the scarifying Ghoulmobile, the regal Griffin, the Spooky Forest, and the Demon Door. You’ll also find such notables as Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, and Courage the Cowardly Dog lurking about. New York City is absolutely brimming over with horror murals—if you know where to look!
So, head on over to the Pan site and check out the Horror Street entries to see what ghoulish artistic wonders New York City has to offer!
Halloween is just four weeks away (although if you’re a horror fan, you might have been celebrating it year-round), so what better time to get in the mood for tricks and treats than today? Here’s some ways to spark your inner ghoul:
Horror movies and TV shows! AMC Fearfest, Turner Classic Movies, the SyFy Channel, Movies! TV Network, Freeform, and Svengoolie (on MeTV) are just some of the cable stations chock full of Halloweeny programming during October, most of it kicking off today, and streaming sites like HBO Max, Tubi, Apple TV, Netflix, and Pluto are constantly adding horror movies to their lineups. There’s a lot to see before All Hallows’ Eve, so check online listings for more information.
The new Resident Evil movie (for you zomboids) and Practical Magic 2 (for you witchcraft fans) are still in theaters, and this year’s mega–box office hits Obsession and Backrooms are currently available for streaming. Clayface, a body-horror origin picture for one of Batman’s most grotesque villains, opens on October 23. And Crystal Lake is a prequel series to the Friday the 13th movie franchise that stars Linda Cardellini as Jason’s mom, Pamela Voorhees, and is set to debut on Peacock on October 15.
Countdown to Halloween is an annual collection of blogs (mostly horror-themed) that commit to posting daily entries every day of the month, on a wide range of topics from comic books to toys, classic horror movies to to music, even wanderings through local cemeteries.
How about some music? The ghoulish deejays over at Halloween Radio and its five channels (Main, Soundtracks, Atmosphere, Oldies, and Kids) stream tunes 24/7, 365 days a year—perfect for when you’re looking for background music to play while you’re decorating your home or apartment, carving pumpkins, or working on your costume.
But the true meaning of horror can be found on the Hallmark Channel, which is set to debut The Spirit of Halloween, an actual Halloween-themed romance movie, on Saturday, October 10! Taking its inspiration from the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, it involves a Halloween-hating businesswoman who learns the true meaning of the holiday (Is it candy? Cosplay? Monsters?) after a visit by three ghosts.
(Actually, it’s pretty well known that horror and Hallmark have a weird relationship. For all the counter-Halloween programming they do, Hallmark does have a following for their Christmas movies among horror fans, and then there’s the fact that not only have a number of horror writers and directors contributed to the yuletide filmfests (Fred Olen Ray, David DeCoteau, Michael Varrati), but even horror icons like Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead), Natasha Henstridge (Species), and Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy) have starred in them!)
Whatever it is you do to get ready, have a fun time doing it!
This weekend, lovers of all things sci-fi and fantasy will be gathering at Archon, being held at the Gateway Convention Center, in Collinsville, Illinois.
Among the attendees will be author Richard C. White, who will be promoting his sci-fi steampunk novel On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, his pulp-heroine adventure novella collection Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1, and his upcoming release, the jungle-action-adventure novella Rima: The Emerald Forest (news on that one coming soon!).
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 Booksellers Row, so be sure to stop by his table and pick up any titles you might have missed, and to learn about his upcoming projects.
Archon runs October 2–4. For more information on the show, visit their website.
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 game masters’ 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 at Table H5 in Artists’ Alley, so be sure to stop by and pick up any titles you might have missed, and to learn about his upcoming projects—including the forthcoming jungle-action novella Rima: The Emerald Forest.
Baltimore Comic Con runs September 25–27. For more information on the show, visit their website.
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