A safe and Happy New Year to all of you from all of us at ‘Warp Central. We appreciate your continued support, and hope you’ll enjoy what we have planned for 2018—our 25th anniversary year!
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Young Reviewapalooza
It’s the year-end wrap-up! As regular visitors to this blog are aware, when I’m not running things here at ’Warp Central I’m reviewing comic books and graphic novels for the news site Comics for Sinners, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I’ve reviewed in 2017:
Dynamite Entertainment
Red Sonja: The Long Walk to Oblivion: Written by Erik Burnham, art by Tom Mandrake
Hyrkania
“The Ballad of Red Sonja” (45rpm record): Written by Mike and Sal Caputo, and Robert E. Howard; performed by Kurt Gresham and Frank Thorne
Legendary Comics
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong #1: Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Zid
Space Goat Publishing
The Howling: Revenge of the Werewolf Queen #1: Written by Micky Neilson, art by Jason Johnson
Titan Comics
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Year Three #5: Written by Richard Dinnick, art by Brian Williamson
Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then check out these other entries:
The Ghost of Reviewapalooza: 2014 titles
Mary Shelley’s Reviewapalooza: 2015 titles
Reviewapalooza and the Monster from Hell: 2016 titles
What’s next on my list? Well, that’ll depend on what the publishers have lined up for 2018. In the meantime, have a safe and Happy New Year!
Posted in Comic Books
Tagged comic book reviews, comics for sinners, reviewapalooza
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The Perfect Stocking Stuffer!
Looking for a last-minute gift that would make a great addition to the small holiday haul you’re placing in a loved one’s Christmas stocking? Then allow me to suggest a full-color comic book starring our resident monster hunter!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a spinoff from the novel series, and this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. Behind that striking cover by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella), it features:
* “Song of the Siren,” written by me, with art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), in which Pan and her boyfriend Javier attend one of his family’s picnics in Central Park, and run into Javi’s ex-girlfriend, Sophia—who turns out to be a mythological siren!
* “After Hours,” written by Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up) and illustrated by comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld). It tells the tale of a most unusual New York City bar—and the demon who walks into it after a hard day on the job.
* And “Shopping Maul,” a short story by me, with title page art and color by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), in which Pan and her friends run afoul of a group of Elegant & Gothic Lolita vampires in a shopping maul.
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information.
Posted in Comic Books, Holidays, Pandora Zwieback
Tagged comic books, holiday shopping, holidays, saga of pandora zwieback annual
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Holiday Gifts for Art Fans
Have a comic-art fan in your life looking for something awesome? Well, look no further than StarWarp Concepts for a gift sure to appeal to them!
The Bob Larkin Sketchbook: A collection of spectacular pencil drawings of femme fatales, pulp adventurers, superheroes, and a host of other characters by the talented Mr. Larkin, whose cover paintings graced such Marvel Comics titles as Dazzler, The Hulk!, Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian, Haunt of Horror, and Tomb of Dracula, not to mention his renowned work as a cover painter for Bantam Books’ Doc Savage pulp novel reprints. It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and boasts two drawings done exclusively for this collection: a pinup of Doc Savage’s butt-kicking cousin, Patricia, and a two-page Mexican standoff between Doc and his crimefighting ally, The Shadow!
Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.
Blood Feud full-color print by Bob Larkin: Have you ever looked at the cover of Blood Feud, the first novel in our exciting Saga of Pandora Zwieback novel series, and thought, “Man, that’s some awesome artwork. I would so buy a poster of that!” Well, now here’s your chance! Presented without logos or book-cover copy, this 11” x 17” cardstock print features the art of master painter Bob Larkin, and is limited to just 100 copies. Order yours today while supplies last!
Posted in Bob Larkin, Bob Larkin Sketchbook, Holidays, Sketchbooks
Tagged art books, bob larkin, bob larkin sketchbook, holiday shopping, holidays
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Holiday Gifts for Comic Book Fans
Have a comic book fan in your life looking for something other than traditional superhero antics? Well, look no further than StarWarp Concepts for a gift sure to appeal to them!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by Steven A. Roman (that’s me) and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).
Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lorelei Munro, a soul-stealing succubus who targets evildoers, battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Ghost Rider, it’s written by yours truly, and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, 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 one-page history of succubi drawn by Ernie Colon (Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld, Casper the Friendly Ghost).
Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind an eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by me and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo.
The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital pirate-fantasy comic created and written by Richard C. White, coauthor of SWC’s supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings. Drawn by Bill Bryan (artist of Caliber Press’ Dark Oz and DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and featuring cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (SWC’s The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual), it’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure perfect for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, as well as classics like The Crimson Pirate, Against All Flags, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk—and it’s available for download for just 99¢!
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 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 (The Ultimate Hulk) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.
Lorelei: Sects and the City, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, Troubleshooters Incorporated, and the Pan Annual are available in print and digital formats. The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.
Posted in Comic Books, Holidays
Tagged comic books, graphic novels, holiday shopping, holidays
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Holiday Gifts for Horror Fans
Have a horror fan in your life looking for quality reading material that runs the gamut from dark urban fantasy to classic tales of the macabre? Then take a gander at StarWarp Concepts’s backlist of titles for a gift sure to appeal to them!
Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel by Steven A. Roman (that’s me) is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest featuring the kind of gun-toting vampires that Selene would feel right at home among, and it leads immediately into the second novel:
Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! But Pan isn’t about to let some ancient monster win the day, not when the lives of her parents and friends—along with those of every human on the planet—are at stake, so she leads a charge of her own. Yes, there’s more vampire gunplay involved—the undead sure do like their firearms—but that’s only part of the dangers Pan has to contend with, as her adventures take her to a mysterious South Pacific island where monsters dwell.
Carmilla: The blood-drenched temptress of a 19th-century novella by author J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla Karnstein is a vampiress who desires not just blood but love from her victims, and when she enters the life of a young woman named Laura, Carmilla decides that her new friend will become her next great love—and won’t take no for an answer. Regarded as the one of the earliest lesbian vampire tales—if not the first—Carmilla was an influence on author Bram Stoker in the creation of the vampire brides in his seminal novel, Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day. The StarWarp Concepts edition features six all-new illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia, the artist of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 and the Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual.
White Fell—The Werewolf: Written by renowned author, artist, and suffragette leader Clemence Annie Housman and originally published in 1896, this first entry in our SWC Horror Bites series is regarded by scholars as perhaps the first feminist werewolf story. In it, a beautiful woman named White Fell wanders into a snowbound village—and into the hearts of twin brothers, one of whom immediately becomes smitten by her. The other brother, however, soon grows suspicious of the enigmatic White Fell. Where did she come from? Why does she always carry an ax? And is her sudden appearance somehow related to the recent sightings of a bloodthirsty wolf in the area? He may come to regret being so inquisitive…
King Kong: It’s the SWC e-book exclusive that reintroduces monster fans to 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 pulp-influenced style has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Avenger, Flare, and Dan Turner: Hollywood Detective.
Blood Feud, Blood Reign, Carmilla, White Fell, and the Pan Annual are available in print and digital formats. King Kong is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.
Posted in Holidays
Tagged holiday shopping, holidays, Horror
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A Great Gift for Writers or Gamers
Have a budding writer or a dedicated gamer in your life looking for inspiration? Well, look no further than StarWarp Concepts for a gift sure to appeal to them!
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 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.
Although it was meant to be a how-to book for writers interested in world building, Terra Incognito has also proven to be extremely popular with role-playing gamers and “dungeon masters” looking to make their fantasy worlds more realistic. So if there’s a fantasy writer or gamer on your shopping list this holiday season, consider ordering a copy of Terra Incognito—it might just be the kind of book they’re looking for!
Terra Incognito is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.
Posted in Holidays
Tagged holiday shopping, holidays, terra incognito: a guide to building the worlds of your imagination, writing reference
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Gifts for Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans
Looking for the right book that would make a perfect gift for the science fiction or fantasy fan in your life? Then allow us to make a few suggestions, straight from the SWC catalog!
A Princess of Mars is the classic science-fantasy novel written in 1912 by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs that served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter, and inspired numerous SF works, from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to James Cameron’s Avatar. It’s the story of John Carter, a post–Civil War soldier who’s suddenly transported to the red planet, where he’s plunged into a war between two Martian races—and where he finds love in the form of Dejah Thoris, princess of the city-state Helium. The special StarWarp Concepts edition of A Princess of Mars features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds.
For a Few Gold Pieces More: This collection of ten critically acclaimed short stories by author Richard C. White stars a Rogue With No Name who travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did). Think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), with a healthy dose of monsters, magic, and swordplay mixed in. Weighing in at a hefty 420 pages, it sports a cover painting and a frontispiece illustration by fantasy artist Shane Braithwaite, who also provided the cover art for Rich’s most popular SWC release, the writer’s reference book Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination.
Harbinger of Darkness: Rich White’s follow-up to Gold Pieces is a full-length novel perfect for fans of swashbuckling adventure and strong female protagonists. 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.
The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital pirate-fantasy comic created and written by Rich White. Drawn by Bill Bryan (artist of Caliber Press’ Dark Oz and DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and featuring cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (SWC’s The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual), it’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure perfect for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, as well as classics like The Crimson Pirate, Against All Flags, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk—and it’s available for download for just 99¢!
A Princess of Mars, For a Few Gold Pieces More, and Harbinger of Darkness are available in print and digital formats. The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.
Posted in Fantasy, Holidays, Science Fiction
Tagged Fantasy, holiday shopping, holidays, science fiction
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Richard C. White Discusses “Harbinger of Darkness”
Interested in the creative-writing process? Then look no further than the site Experience Writing and its interview with SWC’s Richard C. White, author of our popular titles Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, For a Few Gold Pieces More, Troubleshooters Incorporated: Night Stalkings, and The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special.
EW site owner and fellow author Maria L. Berg speaks with Rich about his background (both in and out of publishing), how he approaches writing, and what advice he has for budding writers. And on top of that, he finds time to pitch his latest SWC release, the fantasy novel Harbinger of Darkness.
In this original novel, 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.
Head on over to Experience Writing and give Rich’s interview a read.
Posted in Interviews
Tagged experience writing, harbinger of darkness, Interviews, richard c. white
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Holiday Gifts for Goths
Hey, horror fans! With the holidays fast approaching and every mall in the world soon to devolve into full-scale replicas of Thunderdome as shoppers hunt for bargains, the time couldn’t be better for you to order presents for that special Goth in your life—from StarWarp Concepts, of course!
The Official Pandora Zwieback T-shirt: Now you too can be a styling monster hunter like Pandora Zwieback, in this official T-shirt featuring the full-color devil-girl image rendered by legendary painter Bob Larkin! Just like Pan’s, this combed cotton jersey is pitch-black—perfect for blending into handy shadows—with Lilitu (the daughter of Latte, the iconic symbol of the fictional coffee-house chain, Latte’s Inferno) sticking out her tongue at the creatures of the night that are hungering for your soul. Unlike Pan’s, the back is adorned with the Saga of Pandora Zwieback logo and the handy Web address so interested parties can check out all her adventures.
Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest featuring the kind of gun-toting vampires that Selene would feel right at home among, and it leads immediately into the second novel:
Blood Feud full-color print by Bob Larkin: Have you ever looked at the cover of Blood Feud, the first novel in our exciting Saga of Pandora Zwieback novel series, and thought, “Man, that’s some awesome artwork. I would so buy a poster of that!” Well, now here’s your chance! Presented without logos or book-cover copy, this 11” x 17” cardstock print features the art of master painter Bob Larkin, and is limited to just 100 copies. Order yours today while supplies last!
Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! But Pan isn’t about to let some ancient monster win the day, not when the lives of her parents and friends—along with those of every human on the planet—are at stake, so she leads a charge of her own. Yes, there’s more vampire gunplay involved—the undead sure do like their firearms—but that’s only part of the dangers Pan has to contend with, as her adventures take her to a mysterious South Pacific island where monsters dwell.
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling Gothic Lolita vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by me and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).
Carmilla: The blood-drenched temptress of a 19th-century novella by author J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla Karnstein is a vampiress who desires not just blood but love from her victims, and when she enters the life of a young woman named Laura, Carmilla decides that her new friend will become her next great love—and won’t take no for an answer. Regarded as the one of the earliest lesbian vampire tales—if not the first—Carmilla was an influence on author Bram Stoker in the creation of the vampire brides in his seminal novel, Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day. The StarWarp Concepts edition features six all-new illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia, the artist of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 and the Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual.
Blood Feud, Blood Reign, Carmilla, and the Pan Annual are available in print and digital formats. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.