What—you’ve never heard of National Comic Book Day? Well, join the club!
Apparently, it’s an unofficial holiday started in 2009, isn’t supported by the comic book industry, and most people have never heard of it; I sure hadn’t, until Comixology held a digital comics sale last year to tie in with it. But National Comic Book Day is an annual celebration of comics, and that’s always a good thing, so what the hell, right? And if there’s one thing we’ve got here at SWC Central, it’s comic books and graphic novels perfect for reading on such a special occasion!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series of the same name, 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).
Lorelei Presents: House Macabre: It’s the debut of StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Here, you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) 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. Cover art is by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death).
Lorelei: Sects and the City: A Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori 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 Satana, 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 one-page history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Vampirella, The Grim Ghost).
Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings: 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 Richard C. White (The Ultimate Hulk) and his wife, Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.
And don’t forget our digital comics:
The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special: A one-shot digital comic created and written by Richard C. White, author of Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings, and the upcoming Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination. 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 for just 99¢!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to Pan and Annie—with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (The Phantom, Vengeance of the Mummy)—as well as Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud (via a pair of preview chapters).
Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa #1–3: Long before her appearance in The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Annie was the star of this short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries published in the 1990s, written by me and illustrated by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual), Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews (Satin Steele). Here you’ll find Annie doing a bit of research for an article about gentlemen’s clubs in Times Square—research that includes actually performing as an exotic dancer (I did say it was a ’90s comic, didn’t I?). It’s that part-time gig that brings her into contact with Corum de Sade, a heavy metal singer with a deadly secret: he’s a soul-devouring incubus! All three issues are available for free from this very website, so download them today!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, Lorelei: Sects and the City, and Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings are available in print and digital formats, while The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Pandora Zwieback #0, and Heartstopper #1–3 are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages. And then get busy celebrating this special day!
