SWC Writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman Gets Interviewed

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Steven

SteveMcQueenHere’s something different: Over at Playboy.com, award-winning New York Times bestselling author Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Lincoln’s Last Days) discusses his latest project: the biographical graphic novel Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool, which is now on sale from Motorbooks. Joined by artist Greg Scott (Gotham Central), Dwight examines the life and career of one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. Head over to Hefner HQ to read the interview, and then you can tell your friends that you really do read Playboy for the articles! 😉  (And yes, as you’d expect, some content at that site is NSFW, so proceed at your own risk.)

So, you ask, why am I giving a shout-out to a Playboy interview about a non–StarWarp Concepts book? Because it just so happens that its author contributed a critically acclaimed story to the SWC anthology comic, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, which was published this year!

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre involves SWC’s resident soul-stealing succubus trying her hand at hosting a horror comic, in the style of old-school horror titles like Tales From the Crypt, House of Mystery, and even the original Vampirella. It contains stories by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Lorelei: Sects and the City, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback), and Playboy interviewee 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, with cover art from good-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella).

The special is available in both print and digital formats, so visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Taliesin Meets More Vampires to Review

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Steven

vampirealmanac02Over at the vampire-centric site Taliesin Meets the Vampires, reviewer and site owner Andrew Boylan—who gave glowing reviews to both Blood Feud and Blood Reign, my first Pandora Zwieback novels—shares his opinion of the Black Coat Press anthology, The Vampire Almanac, Vol. 2. You can read the review here.

Why am I mentioning another publisher’s book, here at the ’Warp blog? Because the Almanac happens to contain my contribution, “Night’s Children,” which involves Irma Vep (the femme fatale of the 1915–16 French movie serial Les Vampires) crossing paths with Count Graf Orlock (the Dracula surrogate of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 horror movie, Nosferatu). It’s no romantic tale, however—Orlock is a rat-faced, bloodsucking monster, and Irma, an art thief, is his next intended victim. Who comes out the winner? You’ll only find out by reading the story!

“Night’s Children” first appeared in Black Coat’s Tales of the Shadowmen 4: Lords of Terror, published in 2008; in 2014, it was reprinted in Black Coat’s French-language collection L’Almanach des Vampires—and now it’s back in its original English-language form!

The Vampire Almanac, Volume 2 can be ordered from most online bookstores, as well as directly from Black Coat Press. If you’re a fan of vampire fiction, you should definitely check it out.

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Happy Birthday, Bob Larkin!

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Steven

Today, our friend Bob Larkin—living art legend whose paintings have graced the covers of Marvel Comics, Warren Publishing magazines, and my very own Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels—turns 66, and is still producing incredible images, even as younger generations of horror and comic fans continue to discover his large body of work.

larkin-mars-attacks

These days, Bob is busily working for Topps, painting trading cards for their upcoming Mars Attacks: Occupation set, which is a sequel to the classic card series published in the 1960s. All of us here at ’Warp Central are eagerly awaiting the set’s release—and to see what other projects Bob has in development!

To see more of Bob’s stunning work, pay a visit to his art blog, Bob Larkin: The Illustrated Man.

To enjoy some of his amazing pencil artwork in printed form, order a copy of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook from the StarWarp Concepts webstore.

Happy birthday, Bob!

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Will Eisner’s The Spirit Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Steven

Spirit01-CovOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Will Eisner’s The Spirit #1, now on sale from Dynamite Entertainment. Written by Matt Wagner (Mage, Grendel, Sandman Mystery Theatre) and illustrated by Dan Schkade (San Hannibal), it’s a revival of the two-fisted, crime-fighting hero created in the 1940s by comic-art legend Will Eisner. In this relaunch, the Spirit has gone missing for two years, and is presumed dead. But is he really? His cast of supporting characters is determined to find out the truth! Head over to C4S to learn more.

Speaking of crimefighters and pulp heroes, perhaps you’d be interested in a pair of StarWarp Concepts projects:

The Bob Larkin SketchbookThe Bob Larkin Sketchbook is a collection of spectacular pencil drawings of femme fatales, pulp adventurers, superheroes, and a host of other characters by Bob 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, filled with costumed crimefighters, space heroes, and two pieces done especially for this collection: a pinup of Doc Savage’s cousin, Pat, and a two-page spread of Doc facing down the Shadow in a Mexican standoff! The sketchbook is available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore.

troubleshooters_lrg_coverPerfect for superhero fans, the graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings 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, and a 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.

Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White (The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special) 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! Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is available in both print and e-book formats.

Visit each title’s respective product page for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Vampirella/Army of Darkness Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Steven

Vampi-ArmyDarkness01-CovOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Vampirella/Army of Darkness #1, coming July 8 from Dynamite Entertainment. Written by Mark Rahner (Army of Darkness/Reanimator), and illustrated by Jethro Morales (Dejah of Mars), it’s the first-ever encounter between the queen of the bad girls and Ashley “Ash” Williams, groovy king of the deadite-fighting monster killers, and is set during the events of the 1993 Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell cult-classic film, Army of Darkness. Head over to C4S to learn more.

Speaking of sexy seductresses and groovy monster fighters, perhaps you’d like to meet Lorelei—StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus—and Pandora Zwieback, teenaged supernatural adventuress.

Pan-LoriLorelei is SWC’s first leading lady of horror, a succubus who revels in devouring the souls of bad guys. She currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects: the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, in which she battles a cult of Elder God worshippers to prevent them from unleashing hell on Earth; and the one-shot special Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, in which she tries her hand at hosting an old-style horror anthology comic.

Pandora Zwieback 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 a shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin 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. Pan currently appears in the novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign, as well as the comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.

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

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Interviews? Can’t Get Enough of Them!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Steven

Over at the Pandora Zwieback blog, today’s post is an interview I did for another website a few months ago that was ultimately passed over by their editor (hey, it happens). So, being a firm believer in not letting something that’s been completed go to waste, I decided to run it at the Pan blog. Head over there now and read about my first writing break, working on Spider-Man and X-Men novels, and (of course) promoting my Saga of Pandora Zwieback book series!

Blood FeudWritten 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.

It’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!

Both titles 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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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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