Blog | StarWarp Concepts | Publisher of Dark Fantasy and Horror

It’s Free Comic Book Day 2019!

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Steven

Free_Comic_Book_Day That’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 & 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.

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.

Hearstopper: 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.

Posted in Events | Tagged free comic book day, free comics, heartstopper, lorelei, Pandora Zwieback | Comments Off

It’s National Superhero Day 2019!

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Steven

SuperHero-Day What 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, 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).

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.

Posted in Holidays | Tagged heroines and heroes, national superhero day, troubleshooters incorporated | Comments Off

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?

Posted in Lorelei, movies, Pandora Zwieback | Tagged avengers: endgame, lorelei, movies, Pandora Zwieback, shameless plugs | Comments Off

Author Richard C. White at Awesome Con 2019

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Steven

Rich-New-Pic This 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.

Posted in Conventions | Tagged Awesome Con DC, conventions, richard c. white | Comments Off

A Day and Night of World Books

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Steven

curious-george-books Today is a special double event for book lovers, as it’s time to celebrate both World Book Day and World Book Night!

Run by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), World Book Day (aka World Book and Copyright Day, and the International Day of the Book) is, to quote their website:

“World Book Day is a celebration! It’s a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.”

To explain this event further, let’s turn to Wikipedia for its origin story:

“The original idea was of the Valencian writer Vicente Clavel Andrés as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes [author of Don Quixote], first on October 7, his birth date, then on April 23, his death date. In 1995 UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and [16th-century Spanish author] Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.”

So then it’s really World Book Death Day? Hey, as long as it gets people to read…

Around the world (except for Ireland and the United Kingdom), World Book Day is held every April 23—so if you live in that part of the world, visit the World Book Day site for all the latest news and events listings.

But the celebration doesn’t end at sundown, because April 23 is also World Book Night!

Run by The Reading Agency, this annual gathering of book lovers is, to quote theirwebsite:

“World Book Night is a national celebration of reading and books which takes place on 23 April every year. Books are given out across the UK with a focus on reaching those who don’t regularly read, and are gifted through organisations including prisons, libraries, colleges, hospitals, care homes and homeless shelters, as well as by passionate individuals who give out their own books within their communities.”

For more information, visit the World Book Night site.

Now get to reading!

Posted in Events | Tagged world book day, world book night | Comments Off

Lorelei’s 30th Anniversary: Visions of Lorelei: Mike Mignola

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Steven

Lori_Mignola

Hey, horror fans! Today’s the premiere of Hellboy, a reboot of the film franchise started by Academy Award–winning director Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water) and lead actor Ron Perlman, based on the comic book character created by writer/artist Mike Mignola (Rocket Raccoon, Incredible Hulk, Cosmic Odyssey). Together, they brought us 2004’s Hellboy, 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and two Hellboy Animated specials for Starz: Sword of Storms (2006) and Blood & Iron (2007). Unfortunately, a deal could never be worked out with Universal Pictures—and Del Toro’s schedule of numerous film commitments—for a Hellboy III, which would have wrapped up the planned trilogy.

But now Hellboy and his friends in the BPRD (the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) are back, courtesy of director Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) and new star David Harbour (Stranger Things, Suicide Squad). According to IMDb, in this R-rated reboot, “Hellboy comes to England, where he must defeat Merlin’s consort, Nimue the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.” Considering the fact that Nimue is played by alien ass-kicker and zombie hunter Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, the Resident Evil series), Hellboy’s gonna have to put in some overtime if he wants to defeat her.

But while we’re on the subject of Hellboy and his creator, were you aware that artist Mike Mignola once drew our resident soul-stealing succubus, Lorelei? Yes, way back in the early 1990s I was able to commission that convention sketch of Lori you see up top from Mignola, who was riding high on the universally positive response his work had gotten on projects like DC Comics’ Cosmic Odyssey and Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. Pretty sweet, huh?

There are more Visions of Lorelei to come. Who’s next? Keep an eye on the blog this year to find out!

Posted in Lorelei | Tagged lorelei, lorelei 30th anniversary, mike mignola, visions of lorelei | Comments Off

It’s National Library Week 2019!

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Steven

National-Library-2019 Hey, book lovers! It’s time to recognize another annual reading event, because if there’s one thing we enjoy around these here parts, it’s reading. This time, it’s National Library Week!

According to the American Library Association (ALA), the organization that runs the event:

“First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries—school, public, academic and special—participate.”

This year’s theme is “Libraries = Strong Communities” and stresses the importance of libraries as “the heart of our cities, towns, schools and campuses, providing critical resources, programs and expertise.”

National Library Week runs through April 13, so be sure to see if your local library has any special events planned for the celebration.

Posted in Events | Tagged national library week | Comments Off

And Yet Another Roadstop…for Next Year!

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Steven

So far, the StarWarp Concepts list of 2019 convention appearances has included comic shows, horror cons, and even a library. Well, add one more to the list—but this one doesn’t happen until 2020!

January 25–26, 2020: Pow! Con 2: This Brooklyn-based comic show debuted this past January in the neighborhood of Bay Ridge, and was apparently received so well that it needed to expand to a larger venue. In 2020, it’ll be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint.

I’ll admit there was a slight hesitation before we signed on: The Expo Center was also the location for BoroughCon 2018 last June, and the reports on that were extremely discouraging—poorly run, no promotion, practically no attendees other than the vendors and artists, the fact that security doesn’t lock the doors at night when more than one event is being held there. Things turned out so badly that the BC showrunners decided they needed to take a year off to take stock of their situation.

But Pow! Con creator and showrunner Salvatore Lo Medico has assured me that the doors will be locked at night for this show, and hopefully they’ll do some heavy promotion as 2019 progresses for peak fan attendance. Considering how expensive it’s become to exhibit at conventions these days, especially in Manhattan, it’d be nice to have a moderately priced, successful outer-borough show to go to.

More news to come on other SWC convention appearances as information becomes available!

Posted in Conventions | Tagged conventions, pow con | Comments Off

Happy Game Masters Appreciation Day 2019!

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Steven

terra_ingoc_lg_cover Since 2002, March 4th has been well known to the gaming community as International GM’s [Game Masters] Appreciation Day. Never heard of it? Well, that’s probably because, like me, you’re not involved in that ever-growing collection of fans. To explain this event, I’ll let this quote from the official GM’s Day site provide you with some background:

GM’s Day was born on the site EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple message board post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself…. GM’s Day is an annual day to show your Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for game masters and gamers alike:

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 (Harbinger of Darkness, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, For a Few Gold Pieces More, 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.

Bonus! Because Rich’s interview with Hickman was so lengthy, and touched upon some topics that didn’t pertain to the world-building focus of Terra Incognito, I made the editorial decision to cut those parts from the final version of the book. However, if you want to discover what else Rich and Hickman discussed—including their shared experiences in the licensed-publishing writers market—then head over to Richard C. White’s blog and read all about it!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information. And don’t forget to order a copy for your favorite game master!

Posted in Events, Publishing | Tagged gm's day, international game masters appreciation day, richard c. white, terra incognito: a guide to building the worlds of your imagination, world building, writers reference, writing reference | Comments Off

It’s Will Eisner Week 2019!

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Steven

Yes, it’s time again for Will Eisner Week: an annual celebration—held this week from March 1 to March 7—run by the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation, to promote literacy, graphic novels, free speech, and the legacy of the late Will Eisner, the creator of the 1940s masked crimefighter The Spirit, and one of the founding fathers of American graphic novels. A Contract with God, A Life Force, Dropsie Avenue, and The Dreamer are just some of the fascinating tales Eisner wrote and drew, featuring ordinary people in extraordinary (and sometimes not-so-extraordinary) situations. And even though he passed away in 2005, Eisner continues to inspire generations of writers and artists. Events are being held this week around the world; visit the Will Eisner Week site for more information.

StarWarp Concepts, of course, has its share of graphic novels and comics that might pique your interest. Here are just a few:

Lorelei: Sects and the City: This is the critically acclaimed, Mature Readers tale of a succubus battling a cult that’s trying to revive the elder gods they worship. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and “Satanna, the Devil’s Daughter,” it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night), and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Vampirella, The Grim Ghost).

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings: Perfect for superhero fans, this graphic novel is about a supernatural team of superfolk-for-hire, consisting of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, a high-tech-armor-wearing rock concert lighting designer, anda werewolf. Not every superhero team has Tony Stark’s billions to play with, you understand, and the Troubleshooters are just looking to earn a living while fighting the monsters that have always lurked in the shadows. Makes sense, right? Of course it does! Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White (Harbinger of Darkness, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, Night Stalkings presents the TSI members on their first mission: protecting a multimillionaire from a trio of Middle Eastern demons out to raise a little hell!

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: Although it may not be a graphic novel, at 56 pages it’s still a pretty thick comic book, with three stories of Pan and the monsters that live in her New York City hometown. The Saga of Pandora Zwieback chronicles the adventures of sixteen-year-old Pandora Zwieback, a Gothy horror fangirl who possesses amazing powers that she just learned about, including the ability to see past the human disguises worn by monsters to blend in with society. And The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a 56-page, full-color special that contains stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), and art by Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City,The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0) and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

All titles are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

Happy reading!

Posted in Events, Graphic Novels | Tagged graphic novels, lorelei: sects and the city, saga of pandora zwieback annual, troubleshooters incorporated, will eisner week | Comments Off