Happy Love Your Red Hair Day 2023!

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Steven

Today is National Love Your Red Hair Day! According to the National Day Calendar, this annual event was created in 2015 by Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti, cofounders of the beauty site How to be a Redhead, and it’s “a day to celebrate the beauty of those gorgeous red tresses.”

What’s the best way to observe this special holiday? Well, around here at ’Warp Central, we celebrate it by honoring our favorite redhead: the flame-haired succubus Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ first lady of horror, who headlines a quartet of our comic-book projects!

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is a reprint of the comic that helped launch StarWarp Concepts in 1993. Written 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! It features cover art by Louis Small Jr., artist of Harris Comics’ Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death, Vampirella/Shi,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.

Lorelei: Sects and the City is Lori’s critically acclaimed graphic novel adventure, in which she battles a cult of Elder God worshipers who are trying to unleash their monstrous masters on the world. It’s a tribute of sorts to classic 1970s horror comics and movies, from writer Steven A. Roman and artists Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt), and Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night). Cover art is provided by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna: Come Together), plus there’s additional art from two more legendary artists from the Warren Publishing era: a frontispiece by original Vampirellaartist Tom Sutton (Werewolf by Night, Star Trek) and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s first outing as the hostess of a horror comic anthology, in this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror, behind eye-catching cover art by Louis Small Jr.. “The Old, Dark Manse” is written by me, penciled by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), and inked by “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special. “All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from me, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes! “The Basilisk,” from me and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?! And wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk Epic Collection: The Cosmic Squish Principle) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo (Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror). A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?

And Lorelei: Genesis is a 24-page, one-shot comic that collects the original small-press Lori stories that I wrote and drew back in the late eighties and early nineties. Behind a new cover drawing by yours truly (and colored by Eliseu Gouveia), you’ll find a pair of stories: “Lorelei” is an 8-pager from 1991 in which Lori journeys through the streets of New York on an important mission: to pick up her dry-cleaning! It’s followed by “In the Midnight Hour,” the 1989 story that introduced horror-comic fans to our favorite redheaded succubus, who steps in to rescue a couple being menaced by a street gang. If you’re curious about Lori’s early days as a horror heroine, then be sure to order yourself a copy!

Lorelei: Sects and the City and Lorelei Presents: House Macabre are available in print and digital formats; Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition and Lorelei: Genesis are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.

Posted in Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Digital Comics, Eliseu Gouveia, Holidays, Horror, Lorelei, louis small jr., Publishing, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Love Your Red Hair Day 2023!

It’s National Novel Writing Month 2023!

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Steven

Halloween’s over for this year, in the U.S. it’s almost time to turn the clocks back an hour as Daylight Savings Time ends, and the chill of fall is fully upon us, And with that comes the annual November event called National Novel Writing Month, which kicks off today. 

To explain what it is, I’ll let this quote from the organization’s website provide you with some background:

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyonewho has ever thought about writing a novel.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for writers!

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 (For a Few Gold Pieces More, 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.

What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats, so visit its product page for ordering information.

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SWC at 30: Lorelei Celebrates Halloween with a Free Digital Comic

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Steven

Happy Halloween! All Hallows’ Eve 2023 has arrived, and we’re joining in on the fun with a special Halloween treat: a new free digital comic made available today, as part of our 30th Anniversary celebration this year!

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!

Critics certainly enjoyed it, back in the day:

“Roman and Matthews have that magical combination of writing and art that many creators (and comic fans) dream of.”—Small Press Feedback

“Good horror comics are few and far between, especially in a market dominated mostly by superheroes. I think things changed when Loreleireached comic shops.”—Broken Frontier

“If you’re looking for a story that is different, well done, exciting, and one heck of a good read, you’ve gotta get this one.”—The Comicist

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition features cover art by Louis Small Jr., artist of Harris Comics’ Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death, Vampirella/Shi, 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. It also includes Lorelei pinups and early sketches by Dave, and an essay by me detailing Lori’s history.

Coloring for the cover of this special release is provided by Eliseu Gouveia, artist of the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, the SWC comics The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 and The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, the Piko Interactive/Virtual Comics one-shot The Legend of Calamity Jane: The Devil Herself (which I wrote), and our currently-in-the-works comics adaptation Lester del Rey’s Time Ring.

Lorelei #1: The 30th Anniversary Special Edition is available right now, so download it today!

And for more information on Lori’s background, check out my blog posts on her early publishing days in the 1990s, and on the creation of her costume!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Posted in Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Digital Comics, Eliseu Gouveia, Halloween, Holidays, Horror, Lorelei, louis small jr., Publishing Announcements, StarWarp Concepts History, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SWC at 30: Lorelei Celebrates Halloween with a Free Digital Comic

Hail to the King (Kong): Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Steven

Hey, Monster Kids! The celebration of King Kong’s 90th anniversary this year continues with the return of our Kong-related feature Hail to the King (Kong), a series of occasional posts in which we spotlight images related to the god-emperor of Skull Island—some you might recognize; some might be completely new to you.

Our latest entry is a King Kong for you to color—a Halloween treat for the Monster Kid in your life (or inside your body!). It’s from artist Mark Savee, who provided this awesome illustration for Monster Gallery, his oversized coloring book (with text by Leah Waskey) that was published in 1973 by Troubador Press. (Yes, I still have my copy, in case you were wondering, although mine was colored in long ago.) Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much of any information on Savee, other than he was also the artist for another Troubador coloring book, Science Fiction Anthology, released in 1974.

It’s a nice illustration, isn’t it? So grab your coloring medium of choice and get to bringing Kong to full-color life!

And while we’re on the subject of the big ape, in case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Kong and his obsession with struggling Depression-era actress Anne Darrow, the Beauty to his Beast, it just so happens that your friendly fiends here at ’Warp Central have the perfect book for you…

King Kong is a digital-exclusive 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 work has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Zone, Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances, and Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror.

King Kong is available for download right now, so visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Art, Halloween, Holidays, Illustrated Classics, movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hail to the King (Kong): Happy Halloween!

NYC’s Trick or Streets Returns for the Spooky Season

Posted on October 27, 2023 by Steven

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!

Last year, 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.) And now it’s back for its second year!

On Halloween, certain streets will be closed off in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, allowing you and yours to hit the pavement and fill those goody bags. (Weather forecasts indicate chilly temperatures, cloudy skies, and possible showers during those hours, so be sure to bring along an umbrella.)

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.

Have a fun, and safe, Halloween!

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Get a Head Start on Halloween with a Holiday Classic

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Steven

When the spooks have a midnight jamboree
They break it up with fiendish glee
Ghosts are bad, but the one that’s cursed
Is the Headless Horseman, he’s the worst
—“The Headless Horseman,” from Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Sung by Bing Crosby

Halloween is just five days away, so the timing couldn’t be better for fans of the Spooky Season than right now to familiarize themselves with a classic story that’s an entry in our SWC Horror Bites line: Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

The tale of schoolteacher Ichabod Crane’s terrifying encounter with 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-plus years since, it’s become the quintessential Halloween story. It’s also been the basis for countless movies, TV shows, comic books, and other pop-culture adaptations (and knock-offs), but if you’ve never read the original source material, then there’s no time like the present!

Here’s the back-cover copy:

Getting Ahead in This Town Can be Murder…

Sleepy Hollow, New York, appears to be the perfect peaceful location for newly arrived schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, whose nerves always seem a little on edge. The people are nice enough—with the exception of the town bully, Bram Bones—the meals they serve are even better, and most appealing of all is the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest families.

But lurking behind Sleepy Hollow’s peaceful setting is a terrifying secret: a murderer stalks the countryside—specifically, the ghost of a Hessian soldier whose head was blown off by a cannonball during the American Revolution. Ever since his grisly death, the dreaded Headless Horseman has been searching for a replacement…

…and Ichabod Crane’s noggin looks to be just the right size…

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a digital-exclusive chapbook available from the SWC webstore. Visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, e-books, Halloween, Holidays, Horror | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Get a Head Start on Halloween with a Holiday Classic

Hail to the King (Kong): The Vampirella Connection

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Steven

Hey, Monster Kids! The celebration of King Kong’s 90th anniversary this year continues in our Kong-related feature Hail to the King (Kong), a series of occasional posts in which we spotlight images related to the god-emperor of Skull Island—some you might recognize; some might be completely new to you.

Our latest entry is from comic-art legend Jose Gonzalez, who is best known to horror-comic fans worldwide as the artist who made Vampirella, the vampiress from outer space, the sensation she became during her original run at Warren Publishing during the 1970s and early ’80s. It’s Gonzalez’s rendition of the character that immediately comes to mind whenever longtime fans think of Vampirella, and remains the gold standard even today, as she gets ready to celebrate her 55th anniversary next year.

But Vampirella wasn’t the only subject Gonzalez excelled at drawing. Beyond his love for Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood beauties, including Fay Wray, he wasn’t too shabby when it came to illustrating Wray’s monstrous costar, King Kong, as seen in this piece that appeared on the Heritage Auctions site a number of years ago:

And while we’re on the subject of the big ape, in case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Kong and his obsession with struggling Depression-era actress Anne Darrow, the Beauty to his Beast, it just so happens that your friendly fiends here at ’Warp Central have the perfect book for you…

King Kong is a digital-exclusive 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 work has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Zone, Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances, and Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror.

King Kong is available for download right now, so visit its product page for ordering information.

And to learn more about Jose Gonzalez, order a copy of From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), a nonfiction examination of the Warren Publishing days of Vampi and her creators.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Art, Illustrated Classics, movies, vampirella | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hail to the King (Kong): The Vampirella Connection

Happy National Day on Writing 2023!

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Steven

According to the site National Today, the National Day on Writing was started in 2010 by the National Council of Teachers of English, “built on the premise that writing is critical to literacy but needs greater attention and celebration.”

Well, at ’Warp Central we definitely believe in celebrating writing (we area book and comic publishing company, after all), so if you’re interested in honing your skills as a writer, we’ve got just the book to help with your craftmaking!

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 (For a Few Gold Pieces More, 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.

What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:

  • Avoiding the pitfalls of naming characters, regions, and countries
  • Applying the technique of “outside in” to develop and then refine ideas for your world
  • Creating a world your readers can relate to, regardless of its technological levels
  • Identify how to create backstories and conflict by observing how your world comes together
  • Adding details to make your story richer without overwhelming your readers
  • Identifying useful resources for research

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. If you’re a writer or gamer, you might just want to check it out. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Becker College in Worchester, Massachusetts!

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats, so visit itsproduct page for ordering information.

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DriveThru’s 2023 Halloween Sale Is On!

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Steven

It’s time to celebrate the Spooky Season—with e-books and digital comics! E-book distributors DriveThru Comics and DriveThru Fiction—along with sister site DriveThru RPG—have kicked off 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 November 1—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. (To be honest, I’m never sure which titles are involved until the sale happens, as DTC never sends out notifications and they’re kind of loosey-goosey with their choices.)

Again, the Halloween sale runs through November 1 (the Day of the Dead!), so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher page at DriveThru Comics and start shopping!

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Hail to the King (Kong): The Monster Times

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Steven

Hey, Monster Kids! The celebration of King Kong’s 90th anniversary this year continues with the return of our Kong-related feature Hail to the King (Kong), a series of occasional posts in which we spotlight images related to the god-emperor of Skull Island—some you might recognize; some might be completely new to you.

Our latest entry is from comic-art legend Gray Morrow (Creepy, Zatanna, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery), who provided this spectacular front-page illustration for The Monster Times #1, cover dated January 26, 1972. TMT was a horror-magazine competitor of the more well-known Famous Monsters of Filmland, originally published on a biweekly schedule, and always printed in the format of a tabloid newspaper like The New York Times—the front cover was “above the fold,” the back cover “below the fold.” Plus every issue had a foldout centerfold poster! (In all honesty, TMT was the first monster mag I became aware of as a horror fan, not encountering Famous Monsters until I was in the middle of my Star Wars fandom in the late 1970s, when they put R2D2 on the cover of an issue.)

The Monster Times ran for 48 issues (plus three specials, two of them devoted to Star Trek), ending its run in July 1976, but it was never far from the memories of its Monster Kid readership. And its spirit lived on a bit in a magazine that followed in the 1990s, The Phantom of the Movies’ Videoscope, from former TMT editor Joe Kane (aka the Phantom).

But it was Kong who got the ball rolling, with that striking Gray Morrow illustration for the first issue (not to mention a Bernie Wrightson Frankenstein poster as the centerfold). Kong: the King of Monster Mags!

And while we’re on the subject of the big ape, in case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Kong and his obsession with struggling Depression-era actress Anne Darrow, the Beauty to his Beast, it just so happens that your friendly fiends here at ’Warp Central have the perfect book for you…

King Kong is a digital-exclusive 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 work has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Zone, Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances, and Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror.

King Kong is available for download right now, so visit its product page for ordering information.

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