This coming Memorial Day weekend, fans of science fiction, fantasy, and horror will be gathering at Balticon, being held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, in Baltimore, Maryland’s Inner Harbor entertainment district.
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 his upcoming projects.
Balticon runs May 22–25. For more information on the show, visit their website.
So, here’s an infuriating story of book publishing and corporate indifference.
The trouble started a couple of weeks ago. Richard C. White—author of Terra Incognito, On Wings of Steel, and other SWC titles—was heading off to a convention, and had checked Amazon for the availability of his latest release, Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1…but it was listed as Out of Stock, only available from third-party sellers as a used book. A book that came out a month ago.
So I took a look and discovered the problem was bigger than that: Amazon had removed the Buy Buttons from all StarWarp Concepts titles—Rich’s, mine, the Illustrated Classics; Cry Havoc was the one exception. No heads-up, no reason given.
So I contacted the sales rep at SWC’s distributor, wholesaler Ingram Content Group, and asked them to look into this. They did and responded:
“Amazon uses a proprietary algorithm. Titles will disappear from the website, only to reappear a short time later. We make sure metadata is being fed correctly to them and rebroadcast to help.”
So, Amazon’s algorithm removes listings on a whim and then restores them at some point? That’s insane. For what purpose is this done?
The sales rep re-sent (or “rebroadcast,” as they call it) the publishing information on our titles. A couple of days later, most of the Buy Buttons were restored and the books offered for sale…except for our edition of A Princess of Mars and my Vampirella history book, From the Stars a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, which were (and are) still listed as only available from third-party vendors.
When I asked why, Ingram said that Amazon’s response was that From the Stars was a nonreturnable book, and that’s why the Buy Button was removed. But I pointed out that none of SWC’s titles have ever been returnable. So they went back to Amazon to request an adjustment and got this answer:
“I’ve checked your ASIN and can confirm that the Amazon offer is active, however, it was not selected to be the Featured Offer.The Featured Offer algorithm will always choose the best offer to display to our customers, even if it is a third-party seller’s offer.”
Unfortunately, Ingram told me, “Amazon has chosen not to offer the Amazon Buy Button, but rebroadcasting may still be helpful.”
I thought it might all be due to the fact that From the Stars doesn’t have an ePub edition that could be sold through the Kindle Store; its only digital form is as a PDF—since there are photographs involved—and unavailable through Kindle. But no, Amazon sells non-ebook titles from, for example, TwoMorrows Publishing (home of Back Issue magazine) and Fantagraphics’ James Warren: Empire of Monsters. They’ve just decided, for whatever reason, that they won’t directly sell From the Stars—although Amazon will fulfill the order for the outside vendor—in spite of Ingram’s repeated attempts to reverse that situation.
And no, they haven’t changed the situation with A Princess of Mars, either.
So, what can be done for the Vampirella book? Well, all I can do is point interested readers and fans of the character to Barnes and Noble’s listing, and Bookshop.org, where From the Stars can still be found, and hope that maybe one day Amazon’s nonsensical algorithm will restore the book to availability.
He might be turning up at all sorts of conventions and book festivals this year, but author Richard C. White has also hit the internet trail this year to promote his work. His most recent appearance—recorded in January but just released this week—is on the Heroic Voice podcast, hosted by Heroic Publishing president and main writer Dennis Mallonee.
(In case you’re unaware, Heroic is an indie comic company that’s been around since the 1980s, publishing the adventures of such superheroines as Flare, the Tigress, and the patriotic Liberty Girl, as well as Santa’s granddaughter, Chrissie Claus, and Heroic’s premiere superteam, the Champions.)
In this episode, Rich and Dennis discuss Rich’s contribution to Heroic’s Liberty Girl: Fight for Freedom anthology, published by Pro Se Press in 2017; their shared love of classic, now-public-domain comic heroes; Rich’s writing background, especially as it pertains to comic books; and, most important, Rich’s latest prose release, the pulp-heroine adventure collection Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1.
It’s a short interview, less than twenty minutes, so if you’ve got a moment or two, head on over to the Heroic Voice YouTube channel and give it a watch!
This weekend, book lovers will be getting an early jump on trick-or-treating—book-style—at the FrightReads’ Halfway 2 Halloween celebration, being held at the Marley Station Mall, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
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 his projects for 2026.
FrightRead’s Halfway 2 Halloween is a one-day event on May 9. 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 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 his projects for 2026.
The Knoxville Book Festival runs May 2–3. For more information on the show, visit their website.
According to a number of websites, National Superhero Day “was created in 1995 by employees of Marvel Comics, who sent a team of interns out in central Pennsylvania to hear what the public thought about superheroes and what super powers they’d most want to have. Today, the day is about honoring all the superheroes in our lives, both the fictional and the real-life heroes who give their all every day.”
It sounds like an apocryphal story (Why would Marvel send out interns to do a poll? Why only central PA and not the entire United States?), but in a country that celebrates National Chocolate Custard Day (that’s May 3, in case you were wondering—mark it on your calendar!) it shouldn’t be all that surprising that even a probably made-up story can get its own holiday.
Still, it’s superheroes we’re talking about, and if you’re looking for some around these parts, we have a trio of titles you might be interested in:
Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1 is our latest release: a pulp-action collection of three novellas by author Richard C. White (On Wings of Steel, Chasing Danger), that introduces a trio of costumed heroines who fought both overseas and on the homefront during the darkest days of World War II, doing all they could to protect democracy—and doing it all with no superpowers! Black Venus, a black-catsuited fighter pilot, was created by artist Charles Tomsey (Patsy Walker, Captain Midnight), and made her comics debut in Holyoke’s Contact Comics #1 (cover-dated July 1944). The super-spy Miss Espionage, the International Detective, was created by writer Bill Woolfolk (Airboy, Captain Marvel) and artist Rudy Palais (Blackhawk, Phantom Lady), and first appeared in Narrative Publishers’ Power Comics #3 (cover-dated September 1944). As for the Cat, a Hollywood stuntwoman turned lead actress turned crime fighter…well, she may be an original Rich White creation, but her adventures fit perfectly into that Golden Age timeline.
Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a graphic novel about a group of supernatural-superheroes-for-hire taking on their first case. The team consists of a wizard, a female ninja, a sorceress, a werewolf, and a rock ’n’ roll lighting designer wearing high-tech armor. Sure, they might not be on a power level with the Avengers or Justice League, but they get the job done. (However, they have been compared to the JL’s supernatural offshoot, Justice League Dark and Hellboy’s Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, although TSI predates both organizations.) The graphic novel is written by Richard C. White and his wife, Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, and features cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).
And Heroines & Heroes is a digital-exclusive collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn and mostly written 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). 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.
Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1 and Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings are available in print and digital formats; Heroines and Heroes is a free digital exclusive. Click the links above for ordering information.
Today is Independent Bookstore Day, which has been celebrated on the last Saturday in April since its launch by the American Booksellers Association in 2013. The idea, of course, is to urge book lovers to hit those small but essential bookstores that have to compete with Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and help keep them in business.
With that in mind, I have a question for owners of indie bookshops around the world: Are you interested in adding StarWarp Concepts titles to your shelves? Given the quality of our releases, of course you are! Well, here’s how you can do it!
SWC’s in-print titles (as opposed to out e-book exclusives) are all print-on-demand releases available through our distributor, Ingram Content Group—and POD means they’re never out of print, so they’re always ready to appear on your shelves!
Our ever-growing list of titles ranges from the young-adult thrills of supernatural heroine Pandora Zwieback and the Lovecraftian chills of the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City to the nonfiction books Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination (perfect for writers and RPG game masters) and From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, and from the Illustrated Classics A Princess of Mars and Carmilla to steampunk science fiction (On Wings of Steel), pulp adventure (Cry Havoc: The Furies), and swashbuckling fantasy (Harbinger of Darkness), StarWarp Concepts has a book sure to appeal to your customer base!
And our titles are critically acclaimed, with overwhelmingly positive responses from reviewers. For example:
“Far and away one of the best young adult supernatural fantasy novels. Pan is exactly the kind of teen heroine that readers should be standing up and cheering for.”—HorrorNews.net on Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1
“This is without a doubt the essential, authoritative reference book for anything related to the Warren-era Vampirella… There are lots of books out there with good information, but none offers such a broad, all-encompassing look at the history of this character.”—Vampirella of Drakulon (news blog) on From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures
“A solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework on which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang on Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination
“A satisfying romp and one that feels like it would have made an excellent seventies horror film (especially one made by Hammer)…. The story is funny at times, graphic at times, and horrific at others, and it’s always delivering its stuff at full volume.”—Strange Amusements on Lorelei: Sects and the City
“A visceral adventure through a world of magic with well-developed characters, dynamic dialogue and a good dose of two-handed sword fights.”—Experience Writing on Harbinger of Darkness
“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 on Carmilla
Take a look at our backlist to see what we offer, and then contact Ingram Content Group if you don’t already have an account with them.
After all, why should Amazon and B&N have all the business—and the fun?
This coming Saturday is the annual celebration of Independent Bookstore Day, during which readers young and old will be gathering at their local non-franchise, non-Amazon bookshops to celebrate their favorite genres.
In the midst of all this, author Richard C. White will be on hand at Omnihedron at Savage Mills, a STEM-related event in Savage, Maryland, at which he’ll be promoting his sci-fi steampunk novel On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, the currently running Kickstarter campaign for the On Wings spin-off anthology, Southwatch Stories, and his latest release, the pulp-heroine novella collection Cry Havoc: The Furies, Book 1.
(Since the idea of Independent Bookstore Day is to inspire you to support your local bookstore, you can order On Wings of Steel and Cry Havoc through the Richard C. White page at Bookshop.org and have your purchases delivered to your favorite bookshop. They’re also available for download as ebooks.)
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; and the noir-fantasy story collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase.
Be sure to stop by and say hi to Rich, and learn about his projects for 2026. (I’d provide a link for more info, but I keep hitting a “403 Forbidden” warning when I try to access the Omnihedron website. I’m sure it’ll be a fun event, though!)
This weekend, fans of horror, science fiction, and fantasy will be gathering at the Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, being held at the Wyndham Garden York in York, Pennsylvania.
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 his projects for 2026.
Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival runs April 17–19. For more information on the show, visit their website.
On an unnamed world, the island city of Southwatch is a steampunk marvel of science, technology, and innovation—if you live in Dayside, above the clouds, as the wealthy elite. But if you’re scurrying for survival in Darkside—the island city’s lower ranks engulfed by a toxic cloud of poison and pollution—existence is a very different endeavor indeed…
Introduced last year in Richard C. White’s steampunk sci-fi novel On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1, Southwatch is now the setting for the sci-fi collection Southwatch Stories: A Darkside Chronicles Anthology, currently being developed by Rich White’s NightWolf Graphics book-packaging company and indie house Crazy 8 Press, to be released later this year right here at StarWarp Concepts.
Edited by White and SWC’s Steven A. Roman, Southwatch Stories boasts a host of writers in addition to White’s own contribution: comics legend Paul Kupperberg, Crazy 8 cofounder Robert Greenberger, Hildy Silverman, Aaron Rosenberg, Bobby Nash, Natalie Bartley, Steve Saville, Phil Giunta, and Dayton Ward.
To get the ball rolling on this momentous cross-publishing event, NightWolf Graphics and Crazy 8 Press recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the book’s production and publishing costs.
No events to show
