Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Steven

usa-DalekTomorrow is the 239th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from the United Kingdom, so what better image could sum up that historic occasion than a Dalek from the British TV series Doctor Who, decked out in the ole red, white, and blue? Errr…sure. Why not? (And no, it’s not a Photoshop job—this was an actual planned toy that never made it to final mass production. The things you find on the Internet, eh?)

Speaking of Doctor Who, check out this post and this post from November 2013, when, in celebration of the show’s 50th anniversary, I told of my experience in writing a Fourth Doctor short story for Doctor Who: Short Trips: Farewells, an anthology published by Big Finish Productions. Big Finish is the audio-drama company responsible for the continuing adventures of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors, who are played by the same actors who made those roles so memorable. As a longtime Whovian (going all the way back to its Tom Baker days), being able to contribute to the DW universe counts as one of my great nerd-bucket-list accomplishments.

Oh, and happy birthday, America!

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Subscription Service Shakeup Doesn’t Affect SWC

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Steven

blood_feud_largeOn June 30, e-book subscription service Scribd announced that they were making dramatic cuts to the number of romance titles they offer, due to the large number of genre fans who’ve “rented” so many books that Scribd is losing money. Distributor Smashwords estimates it may adversely affect 80–90 percent of the romance and erotica titles they handle.

But do you know what this shakeup doesn’t affect? The StarWarp Concepts dark-fantasy novels Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, which remain part of Scribd’s catalog!

Written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 is the critically acclaimed novel that begins Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents, and her friends, 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.

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrIt’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel: Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, in which Pan faces even greater challenges as the 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 Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

If you’re a Scribd subscriber, or know someone who is, be sure to add Pan’s adventures to your book queue—and then get started reading!

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Surface Tension Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Steven

Surface-Tension01-cvrOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Surface Tension #1–2, from Titan Comics; issue 2 is currently on sale. Written and illustrated by Jay Gunn (Cthulu Tales Omnibus: Delirium), it’s a character-driven, body-horror, end-of-the-world tale in which 99 percent of humanity was infected by a virus that caused its victims to walk into the oceans—and never return. But then, a year later, two of the infected come stumbling out of the water…and bring a host of new troubles with them. Head over to C4S to learn more.

Speaking of character-driven horror comics, are you familiar with StarWarp Concepts’ critically acclaimed graphic novel, Lorelei: Sects and the City? It’s a Mature Readers tale in which a soul-stealing succubus 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, 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) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night).

Lorelei: Sects and the CityReviewers have certainly enjoyed it:

“What elevates this comic to another level is author Steven A. Roman’s dialogue. The writing is smart and that comes out in the characters…. Gouveia has an elegant [art] style that reminds me of old-school romance comics.”—Horror Talk

“If you are a fan of old-school horror comics and are looking for an edgy, character-driven story with a strong female lead who does not take herself too seriously, give Lorelei a chance. You will not regret it!”—Broken Frontier

“From the beginning I was stunned and impressed. The writing and art stand side by side with the best I’ve seen from the Warren magazines. Phenomenal work!”—Louis Small Jr., acclaimed artist of Vampirella and Lady Death

Lorelei: Sects and the City is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Another Unlikely Team-Up

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Steven

The Bob Larkin SketchbookYesterday at the Pandora Zwieback website, I posted a one-of-a-kind sketch cover drawing of teenaged monster hunter Pandora Zwieback teamed up with the 1930s’ #1 pulp-fiction adventurer, Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze, courtesy of art-legend Bob Larkin, who’s not only one of the greatest Doc cover painters ever, but who’s also the cover painter of the Pandora Zwieback novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign! Well, he didn’t stop with just one sketch!

Today’s blog post is another Larkin sketch treat, and yet another what if–style meeting, this one involving Doctor Who’s Twelfth Doctor (played by actor Peter Capaldi) and… Well, you’ll just have to pop over to the Pan blog to find out. It sure surprised me when I saw what Bob had cooked up!

Speaking of Bob Larkin, have you seen StarWarp Concepts’ The Bob Larkin Sketchbook? Behind that eye-catching cover art of Ms. Zwieback, it contains spectacular pencil drawings of Doc Savage, the Shadow, space heroes, and a host of other subjects by the talented Mr. Larkin. It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Andy Warhol’s Reviewapalooza

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Steven

Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, as some of you may be aware, starting last year I became a comic and graphic novel reviewer, 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 June 2015:

WW77Special-1Aspen Comics
Psycho Bonkers #1: Written by Vince Hernandez, art by Adam Archer

DC Comics
Wonder Woman ’77 Special #1: Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Drew Johnson, Matt Haley, Jason Badower, and Richard Ortiz

Space Goat Publishing
Evil Dead 2: Beyond Dead by Dawn #1: Written by Frank Hannah, art by Barnaby Bagenda and Oscar Bazaldua

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then check out these lists and head over to C4S to read the entries:

The Ghost of Reviewapalooza: an overview of 2014 titles
Reviewapalooza Meets the Wolfman: February 2015 titles
House of Reviewapalooza: March 2015 titles
Abbott and Costello Meet Reviewapalooza: April 2015 titles

And be sure to bookmark Comics For Sinners to keep up-to-date on my opinionated ramblings about bad-girl (and other) comics.

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The Man of Bronze Meets the Girl of Goth

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Steven

The Bob Larkin SketchbookOver at the Pandora Zwieback website, you’ll find a real treat: a sketch cover drawing of our resident Goth girl teamed up with the 1930s’ #1 pulp-fiction adventurer, Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze! What makes it even better is that the drawing is by Bob Larkin, who’s not only widely regarded by Doc Savage fans as one of the greatest Doc cover painters of all time, but who’s also the cover painter of the Pandora Zwieback novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign! Head over to today’s blog post and check it out!

Speaking of Bob Larkin and Doc Savage, have you seen StarWarp Concepts’ The Bob Larkin Sketchbook? Behind that eye-catching cover art of Ms. Zwieback, it contains spectacular pencil drawings of Doc Savage, the Shadow, and a host of other subjects by the talented Mr. Larkin. It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Anatomy of the Pandora Zwieback Annual Cover

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Steven

SWC_PanAnnual01Over at the Pandora Zwieback website, today’s post tells the behind-the-scenes tale of the cover design for The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1. For those of you familiar with our online gallery The 13 Days of Pan-demonium, you might recognize the work of artist Henar Torinos, award-winning creator of the manga-inspired graphic novel series Mala Estrella. So head over to the Pan site and read all about this amazing cover!

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a spinoff from the Pandora Zwieback novel series—a 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling 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 (of course) award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella). It’s available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for more information, as well as sample pages.

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Anatomy of the Pandora Zwieback #0 Cover

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Steven

Pan0-finalcvrOver at the Pandora Zwieback blog, you’ll find a two-part post covering the creative process for the cover design of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0. Part one of this tale is found here, and part two is posted here. Head over to Zwieback Central right now and give them a read!

In case you weren’t aware, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 is the free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to Pan—courtesy of an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia—as well as a sneak peek at Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud (via a pair of sample chapters).

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 is the critically acclaimed novel written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!) that begins Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents, and her friends, 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 that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan faces even greater challenges as the 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 Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! This one’s a fast-paced adventure, with Pan finding herself turned into something of an action star, in the mold of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, as she deals with monsters, mayhem, and a touch of romance. And you thought your life was filled with drama!

Blood Feud and Blood Reign are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample chapters.

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Legendary Artist Bob Larkin at Eternal Con 2015

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Steven

BobLarkin-EC2015

June 13–14 saw Eternal Con, Long Island’s popular annual celebration of comics and pop culture, return to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, NY, for another successful show. And among the guests of honor in the con’s Artists Alley was none other than Bob Larkin, artist of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook and cover painter of the Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign!

(Thanks go out to Bob’s daughter, Claire, for the candid shot.)

According to what he told me, Bob had a great time at the show, meeting and greeting fans and hanging out with old friends like writer Larry Hama (G.I. Joe), painter Ken Kelly (KISS: Destroyer), and comic artist John Romita Jr. (Superman). He also reminded everyone that he’s currently working on Topps’ new Mars Attacks! trading card series, which is scheduled for release later this year.

If you missed him this year, don’t worry—Bob plans on attending next year’s Eternal Con.

Bob’s next convention appearance is Doc Con XVIII, being held October 9–11 at the Comfort Suites hotel in Glendale, Arizona. It’s an annual gathering of fans of pulp action hero Doc Savage: the Man of Bronze, a character Bob’s had more than a little experience in painting. And joining Bob as a fellow guest of honor will be actor Ron Ely, who played Doc in the cult-classic 1975 movie. It should be a pulp-tastic weekend!

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Evil Dead 2 #1 Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Steven

EvilDead2-01-cvrOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Evil Dead 2: Beyond Dead by Dawn #1, which goes on sale June 24th from Space Goat Publishing. Written by Frank Hannah and illustrated by Barnaby Bagenda and Oscar Bazaldua, it picks up directly from the end of the 1987 cult-classic horror movie that helped actor Bruce Campbell take the crown of King of All Things Cool—a title he still retains, all these years later. While you’re waiting for Campbell and his iconic-but-bumbling Evil Dead and Army of Darkness hero, Ashley “Ash” Williams, to make their triumphant return in the new Starz TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead this fall, head over to C4S to find out what level of groovy chain-saw justice Ash is currently handing out in comic book land.

Speaking of groovy monster fighters, have you met Pandora Zwieback, the teenaged Goth adventuress who stars in my young adult novel series, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback? Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets an immortal monster hunter named Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. You’ll find Pan battling her own brand of evil dead in the following titles:

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to Pan—courtesy of an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia—as well as Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud (via preview chapters).

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 that 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!

pan_annual_lgThe 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 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).

Blood Feud, Blood Reign, and the Pandora Zwieback Annual are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0 is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.

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