“Queens’oween? What’s that?” you ask. It was a feature I played around with a decade ago that focused on the Halloween displays to be found in Pan’s hometown borough of Queens, New York. Well, why not bring it back? says I. After all, there are plenty of Halloween-themed things to see in the County of Queens.
Starting things off is a bit of a repost for those celebrating Spooky Season, and for those who may have missed it the first time around: a one-page horror tale from comics’ Golden Age that takes place in one of the borough’s most well-known locations.
Set in the 1890s, “Phantom of Flushing” first appeared in Adventures into Darkness #9, published by Standard Comics in April 1953. Unfortunately, since most comics at the time didn’t include creator credits, and Standard Comics went out of business a long time ago, this story’s writer and artist are unknown.
Jokes about the name aside, Flushing is one of Queens’s oldest neighborhoods, first settled in 1645 by the Dutch (back when New York was known as New Amsterdam) before falling under British control in the 1660s. Today it’s a vibrant area that includes the Flushing Town Hall performing arts center, numerous art galleries and anime stores, countless places to eat, and a Chinatown even larger than the original in Lower Manhattan. If you’re ever in the New York City area, be sure to give it a visit.
Mini history lesson and tourism plug aside, sit back and get ready to meet…the Phantom of Flushing!
As pop culture and comic fans know, today is the opening day for New York Comic Con 2026—which means the streets of Manhattan (or at least the #7 train line) will be overflowing with costumed heroes, anime characters come to life, monsters set free from their comics and movies, and creators of all sorts in search of fans (and work!).
Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts, won’t be part of the festivities, though—it’s ridiculously expensive to exhibit there, and it’s become apparent in recent years that the Small Press area we once called home is being phased out (down from the original 112 SP slots a decade ago to just 24 this year!). But that doesn’t mean you can’t experience a sort of scaled-down SWC version of the big show right here!
You want vendors?You can always order SWC’s ever-expanding roster of titles from such retail sites as Amazon, BarnesAndNoble(dot)com, Books-a-Million, Waterstones, and Bookshop(dot)org. On the e-book and digital comic front, you can purchase our books, comics, and graphic novels from our publisher pages at DriveThru Fiction, DriveThru Comics, and Smashwords.
Convention giveaways? The SWC Downloads page has a bunch of free stuff—Pandora Zwieback wallpapers for your smartphone and computer, book samples, and free digital comics:
Heroines & Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by Steven A. Roman (that’s 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 (long story short, it didn’t work out). The WW/Harley matchup is 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 is 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.
And then there’s Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa #1–3. Before she became Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” 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 a soul-stealing 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), and colored by Dan Peters; issue 2 is penciled by Uriel, Holly Golightly (Archie Comics), and David C. Matthews (Satin Steele), inked by Larsen, and colored by Zeea Adams; and issue 3 is penciled by Holly, with four pages of inks by “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales).
As a special bonus, issue 3 includes a brief look at the never-published Heartstopper/Trollords, a crossover special that would have had Annie meet Harry, Larry, and Jerry, the Three Stooges–inspired trolls created by Scott Beaderstadt and Paul Fricke for their popular comic series of the 1980s. H/T was to be written by me with pencils by Holly and Scott and inks by Bill Lavin (Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings), but unfortunately it just never got past the starting gate.
(Warning: Heartstopper is designated a “Mature Readers” comic for violent scenes and some sexual innuendo, so younger Panatics should avoid it.)
Artists Alley? Our Gallery area—think of it as an online artists’ alley—features two sections, The 13 Days of Pan-demonium and Visions of Lorelei, both containing original renderings of our two best-known characters by a host of artists from indie and mainstream comics. The Pan-demonium gallery includes such notables as Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), Teri S. Wood (Wandering Star), Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night), Dave Hoover (Captain America), Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella), Chris Malgrain (Stan Lee’s Alexa), and Pan’s cocreator, Uriel Caton (JSA Annual)!
Activities? You can check out Horror Street, a recurring feature on this very blog that showcases amazing horror-themed graffiti murals that I’ve come across while wandering the streets of New York City. And what with it being Spooky Season right now, this photographic art exhibit should help put you in the mood for Halloween.
So the StarWarp Concepts crew might not be hanging out at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center over in Manhattan, but at least you can have a con-like experience from the comfort of your home!
If you live in a big city, you know how dangerous trick-or-treating can sometimes be, with dodging speeding cars and trucks while you’re trying to make the rounds of your favorite candy-giving haunts—even in the daytime!
Last year, New York City took steps to try and make trick-or-treating a much safer event, by instituting “Trick or Streets,” an expansion of its “Open Streets” initiative that closes certain streets to vehicular traffic so that NYC residents can walk and bike on them without fear of injury. (It’s a popular program that started in May 2021 as a result of the pandemic lockdown, so that people could finally get out of their homes and apartments to enjoy fresh air.) And now it’s back for its second year!
On Halloween, certain streets will be closed off in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, allowing you and yours to hit the pavement and fill those goody bags. (Weather forecasts indicate chilly temperatures, cloudy skies, and possible showers during those hours, so be sure to bring along an umbrella.)
For more information on the city’s Halloween plans and a list of family-friendly events being held, head over to the Trick or Streets website.
