A Busy Week Ahead for StarWarp Concepts

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Steven

Chasing-Danger-FinalCvrAs with all things in life, it’s always a case of feast-or-famine: either a lot of things are going on, or nothing’s going on. In the case of this week, it’s definitely a feast, with all sorts of good things happening:

Tomorrow sees the debut of Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, fantasy author Richard C. White’s latest collection of stories. Rich, as SWC fans should know by now, is the bestselling author of the licensed novelGauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, as well as a bunch of fantasy-related titles published by SWC: the novel Harbinger of Darkness; the story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the writer’s aid Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination; the supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings; and the pirate-adventure digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special. Chasing Danger is Rich’s noir-dark fantasy collection of stories starring Theron Chase, a private eye who clients are of the supernatural type: werewolves, wizards, even the Grim Reaper.

Wednesday, July 10, is the 70th birthday of our friend, painting legend Bob Larkin, who’s provided covers for my Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels but is more known far and wide as a cover artist for Doc Savage, Dazzler, Vampirella, Eerie, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Men, and a host of other licensed properties—and I haven’t even touched on his movie-poster work! You’ll find the pencil art for some of those projects in his Bob Larkin Sketchbook, which is available exclusively from the SWC webstore.

Friday, July 12, is a double special occasion: Not only is it the opening day of the 41st annual Shore Leave convention, being held at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, Maryland on July 12–14—but it’s also Rich White’s 60th birthday! You’ll find the birthday boy at Shore Leave, where he’ll be hosting a Chasing Danger launch party—and selling copies of his hot-off-the-presses book, of course! After that, Rich will be selling copies of all his books, so be sure to stop by his table in the vendors’ room to pick them up.

For more information on Shore Leave, visit the Shore Leave 41 website.

Saturday, July 13, is the 88th birthday of another friend and art legend, Ernie Colon, who’s best known as the artist of DC Comics’ young-adult fantasy comic Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld, and Harvey Comics’ Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich, but is also the co-creator of Marvel Comics’ Damage Control (which made its film debut in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming) and the New York Times bestselling illustrator of The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation. And that’s only a small sampling of his many, many achievements and projects over the years—why, he’s even got an SWC comic to his credit: the story “After Hours” (written by Sholly Fisch of Scooby-Doo Team-Up) in The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.

Also on Saturday, July 13, I’ll be promoting SWC at MinCon, a one-day convention being held at the Mineola Memorial Library in Mineola, Long Island. It’s my first con appearance in a few years, so pardon me if I come across as a bit rusty as I convince you to buy our books.  😀

For more information on that show, visit the MinCon website.

So, yeah—quite the week, huh?

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Here Comes the Spider-Man…Again!

Posted on July 7, 2019 by Steven

spidey_far-home-posterIn case you missed the news, the July 4th weekend has been ruled at the box office by Spider-Man: Far From Home, sequel to the 2017 blockbuster that introduced everyone’s favorite friendly, neighborhood web-slinger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker and his wall-crawling alter ego, alongside Marisa Tomei as the…well, the sexiest Aunt May to ever appear on film. Set after the last two Avengers movie (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), it concerns how Peter deals with the aftereffects of that mega-event, introduces one of his old comic-book villains, Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhal), and sets the stage for Marvel’s next slate of films. It’s a really good movie (of course we’ve seen it!), and considering it’s already made a half-billion dollars worldwide, it’s obvious that Marvel Studios has another major winner on their hands.

heroines_large_coverWell, if superheroes are your thing, you might be interested in a couple of our titles…

Heroines and Heroes: A free digital comic book that collects stories (and a few pinups) that I’ve drawn over the years, featuring mainstream and indie comic characters that include the superheroic Blonde Avenger, the anthropomorphic Motorbike Puppies, the half-human/half-rabbit superspy Snowbuni, and my “legendary” Wonder Woman-meets-Harley Quinn three-page tale that was meant to be my entrée to fame and fortune as a DC Comics artist (it didn’t work out, though).

troubleshooters_lrg_coverTroubleshooters, 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 of America—they’re more like superpowered Ghostbusters—but they get the job done. The graphic novel is written by the husband-and-white team of Richard C. White (Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, For a Few Gold Pieces More) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.

Troubleshooters, Incorporated is available in print and digital formats. Heroines and Heroes is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Get Ready to Walk on the Noir Side of Dark Fantasy

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Steven

Chasing-Danger-FinalCvrTo paraphrase the old Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ song, summer’s here and the time is right—for StarWarp Concepts’ first release of 2019!

Coming July 9, 2019—one week from today!—is Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, a collection of four noirish adventures by Richard C. White, author of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil and a growing backlist of SWC titles: the writer’s guide Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination; the fantasy-adventure novel Harbinger of Darkness; the fantasy collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the pirate-fantasy digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon; and the superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings.

With Chasing Danger, think Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe mixed with Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. Here’s the back cover copy:

Calasia: it’s a big town with big problems. Murder, thievery, extortion, corruption, magic, and monsters—just ask any native here: this ain’t a burg for the faint of heart. You don’t live in Calasia, you survive it.

Theron Chase walks these mean streets with a sap in one hand and a .45 in the other. Story is he used to be a hell of a cop in these parts—until his partner got dead in a hurry years ago. Now he makes a living as a private eye, offering his services to one and all while trying to stay on the good side of his secretary, a dishy-looking fae name of Kyra Sylvari. Ogres, werewolves, crime bosses, mages—as long as your money’s good and no one’s looking to turn him into a dead man (walking or otherwise), odds are he’ll be able to solve your problem.

Just don’t ask him to handle any magic-related items—he’s about as adept with the arcane arts as a troll in a knitting circle.

In this collection you’ll find four of Chase’s bizarre cases. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase goes on sale July 9, 2019, but in the meantime you can preorder it right now from Barnes and Noble.

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Happy Wonder Woman Day 2019!

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Steven

Wonder-Woman-rosesTwo years ago, DC Comics made a formal declaration that June 3rd would forevermore be known as Wonder Woman Day. Of course, the fact that it only fell on the day following the U.S. release date for the first-ever Wonder Woman big-screen motion picture—and that there appear to be no official plans to ever make it an annual celebration—surely had nothing to do with it…

But that shouldn’t stop you from celebrating it! And how can you do that? Well, how about downloading a free digital comic that’s only available right here, at StarWarp Concepts!

heroines_large_coverHeroines and Heroes is 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, a couple of anthropomorphic bikers—and a certain member of the Justice League.

“V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summertime)” is 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, unfortunately). It’s followed by an adventure of small-presser Jeff Wood’s rabbit-eared superspy, Snowbuni; three pages from the long-canceled anthropomorphic indie comic Motorbike Puppies; and an adventure of the indie superheroine The Blonde Avenger.

Heroines and Heroes is available for free download right now, so visit its product page for more information, including sample pages. It’s a small-press wonder!

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Happy American Craft Beer Week!

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Steven

2019 is the fourteenth anniversary of American Craft Beer Week, which, according to its website, is “the nationwide celebration of U.S. small and independentcraft brewers. The weeklong tribute provides an opportunity for craft brewers to share their diversity, creativity and passion for the beverage they love.” This year, the festival runs from May 13 to May 18.

And what better way to celebrate it than with a frothy glass of Raven’s Lair Stout, an exceptional beer brewed in Sagras. “Unleash Your Dark Side” it urges on the label, and in a town like Sagras, tapping into your darker half is what keeps you alive!

Harbinger-Beer-Counter

…What’s that, you say? Sagras isn’t a real place? Fair enough. But that would mean Raven’s Lair doesn’t exist, either—except it does…in literary form, that is! It’s the hangout for the lead character in our fantasy novel Harbinger of Darkness!

harbinger_large_book_cover2017Harbinger of Darkness is Richard C. White’s original novel in which a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. With thugs and fellow thieves and the king’s assassins hot on her trail, Perrin finds just staying alive is becoming a full-time occupation, which directly conflict with her secret life—and identity—as a humble bookseller’s daughter. It’s sword-swinging adventure at its finest!

So why the fake-craft-beer angle? Hey, when you’re a publishing company looking for ways to promote your titles, sometimes you have to get inventive! 😀 (Also, there’s an online company that allows you to use their craft-beer label-maker templates so you can make your own. So why not play with it?)

Harbinger of Darkness—the book, not the beer—is available right now for purchase in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for further information.

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Publishing Industry Shakeup Doesn’t Affect SWC

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Steven

highlander-only-oneA note to indie bookstore owners, or anyone who knows an indie bookstore owner:

As you probably know by now, Baker & Taylor announced last week the closing of its retail wholesale business to focus solely on the educational market—a decision that’s affecting indie bookstores just about everywhere. It will leave Ingram Content Group as the one major wholesale distributor.

Does this affect StarWarp Concepts? Not in the least. Our books are already handled by Ingram, and are always ready for order. In addition, if you’d rather not deal with Ingram you can always order directly from us; the information can be found at the “About Us” page at the SWC website.

So don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere! 😁

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It’s Free Comic Book Day 2019!

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Steven

Free_Comic_Book_DayThat’s right, comic book fans, once again it’s time for Free Comic Book Day at brick-and-mortar and online comic shops around the world.

Held the first Saturday in May, this year’s event is timed to coincide with last week’s release of Marvel Studios’ latest blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame, in which the remaining members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes try to reverse the universal destruction caused by the space villain Thanos in the previous movie, Avengers: Infinity War. And in keeping with FCBD’s fine tradition of gifting comics to fans everywhere, here’s a list of StarWarp Concepts’ offerings that you can download—for free—directly from us!

heroines_large_coverHeroines & 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). 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.

pandoracomic-1The 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_lg_cover_2013Hearstopper: 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). Included as a bonus feature in issue 3 is a brief look at the Heartstopper/Trollords crossover project that was planned (but never completed) in collaboration with Trollords co-creator Scott Beaderstadt.

(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.

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It’s National Superhero Day 2019!

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Steven

SuperHero-DayWhat a time to be a comics fan! Not only is this the opening weekend for Avengers: Endgame—the latest big-budget film from Marvel Studios in which Earth’s Mightiest Heroes try to undo the damage caused by Thanos the Mad Titan in last year’s Avengers: Infinity War—but today is National Superhero Day!

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 couple of titles you might be interested in:

troubleshooters_lrg_coverTroubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a general readers’ 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 (Harbinger of Darkness, Terra Incognito) and his wife, Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, and features cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).

heroines_large_coverHeroines & 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). 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.

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is available in print and digital formats; Heroines and Heroes is a free digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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StarWarp Concepts Heroines Assemble!

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Steven

As all fans of comic-based movies are aware, today’s the U.S. premiere date for Avengers: Endgame, the payoff to last year’s blockbuster, Avengers: Infinity War, and the culmination of a storyline that’s run through ten years of Marvel flicks. Reviews are positive, fan excitement is at a fever pitch, the Internet broke in half when everyone in North America attempted to log on to Fandango to buy tickets, it’s already on track to make a bazillion dollars…in short, it’s a good time to be Marvel Films.

The question is, who’s going to survive the final battle with Thanos, the Mad Titan who used the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half of all life in the universe in the final moments of Infinity War? There’s a chance the team might have some open slots in their roster by the time the war’s over, and that reminded me of an old Avengers comic cover during one of their recruitment drives—and who might be perfect candidates for reserve members…

Avengers221-Pan-Lori

I know who I’m voting for: Goth Girl and Temptress! 😀

“Goth Girl,” of course, is our very own Pandora Zwieback, teenaged Goth monster fighter and star of my Saga of Pandora Zwieback books and comics. Pan made her debut in the novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign, before starring in her own comic book special, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.

“Temptress” is Lorelei, SWC’s first lady of horror who’s celebrating her 30th anniversary this year. You can find her supernatural adventures in the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City and the anthology comic Lorelei Presents: House Macabre.

Smart, funny, talented women who protect the world from monsters—who wouldn’t want them on their team?

Who will you vote for?

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Author Richard C. White at Awesome Con 2019

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Steven

Rich-New-PicThis coming weekend, pop-culture fans of all ages will be gathering at Awesome Con, being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the heart of Washington, DC. And among the artists’ alley exhibitors will be author Richard C. White, who’ll be there to promote his latest projects—including his StarWarp Concepts titles, of course!

Rich, as SWC fans should know by now, is the bestselling author of the licensed novel Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, as well as a bunch of fantasy-related titles published by us: the novel Harbinger of Darkness; the story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the writer’s aid Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination; the supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings; and the pirate-adventure digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special.

Rich will be selling copies of his books at table L-02, so be sure to stop by and pick up the books you might have missed.

For more information on the convention, visit the Awesome Con website.

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