That’s right, comic book fans, if it weren’t for the lockdown created by the current health crisis, today would have been Free Comic Book Day at brick-and-mortar and online comic shops around the world. But comic shops have been forced to close their doors for the time being as they’re not considered “essential” businesses by various governments, and their main source of product, Diamond Comic Distributors, has shut down a good deal of its operation. There’s been talk of FCBD being rescheduled for later this year, but it seems unlikely.
However, here at ’Warp Central, FCBD is still in effect, and here are the titles you can download—for free—directly from us!
Heroines & Heroes: A collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by 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). If you enjoyed Harley’s recent animated series or her latest movie, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), you might get a kick out of her matching wits with the Amazon Princess (whose own movie, Wonder Woman 1984, comes out later this year). 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, 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), and includes two sample chapters from Blood Feud, the first Pan novel.
Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa#1–3: Before she became Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne 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 an 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); issue 2 is penciled by Uriel, Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews (Satin Steele) and inked by Larsen; 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, written by me with pencils by Holly and Scott and inks by Bill Lavin (Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings).
(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.
In case you were unaware of it, tomorrow is National Bombshells’ Day, a promotional event that, according to the National Day Calendar, was launched by a well-known lingerie company: “Victoria’s Secret created Bombshells’ Day as a day for women to celebrate themselves and their best friends with numerous in-store activities and surprises for customers. The registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Bombshells’ Day in March 2015 to be held annually on the first Saturday in May.”
Lorelei
And 
Sebastienne Mazarin
Last but not least, 
After the cancellation of genre fest RavenCon last month (which had been scheduled for this past weekend) and the recent announcement that even the mighty San Diego Comic-Con has been bumped to 2021 due to the coronevirus outbreak, it should come as no surprise that Shore Leave 42, which was scheduled for July, has shut it down for the year, with a replacement date of July 9–11, 2021 in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
The world might seem at times to have become a darker, more dangerous place these days, but there’s always room for heroes to lead the way—especially when today is National Superhero Day!
Still, it’s superheroes we’re talking about, and if you’re looking for some around these parts, we have a couple of titles you might be interested in:
The world might be on virtual lockdown these days, but even with a global pandemic we’ve still got a company to run around here—after all, what better way for folks to pass the time than by reading? So starting today, each Monday we’ll shine a spotlight on one of our titles, as a reminder of the awesome books and comics we publish (he said modestly) and to introduce new SWC fans to our backlist.
Hey, superhero fans! A few days ago I told you about the debut of a new series from indie publisher Oniric Comics: Sideral, The Last Earthman, for which I’m the scripter.
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