As it was last year, convention season is looming ever closer, and around this time of year I’d be announcing some of the places you’d find the StarWarp Concepts Crew in attendance—but the ongoing pandemic still has us postponing any appearances. After all, it’s hard to socially distance when you’ve got hundreds of attendees—or in the case of New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic Con, tens of thousands—crammed into one setting.
Cons in general have never had a good reputation when it comes to matters of personal hygiene (insert your own “hey, have you ever heard of soap?” joke here). Are you familiar with the term “con crud”? That’s when you come home from a show and wind up sick as a dog because you caught some virus from interacting with people who more often than not knew they were ill and attended anyway. Now, in the days of “super-spreader events,” such venues have become an even greater potential risk for infection—in fact, some of the earliest cases of the Omicron variant were traced back to last November’s Anime NYC convention.
For those of us at ’Warp Central, it wasn’t as though we’d been hitting the convention circuit very hard in past years—our last appearance was at Pow Con in February 2020, just before the lockdown. With regard to 2022’s shows…sorry, Panatics, but we’re opting out for this year and hoping matters will improve for 2023. If plans should change, however, you can be sure I’ll keep you up to date on our status.
Welcome back to Horror Street, my ongoing journey in search of awesome yet spooky graffiti art on the streets and little-traveled corners of New York City!
This time around, I’ve got something special. This Friday is the opening day of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, director Jason Reitman’s long-awaited (and long-delayed) sequel to his father Ivan’s iconic horror comedies, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. Set in the present day, it’s about a young brother and sister (Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard and The Haunting of Hill House’s McKenna Grace) who discover their grandfather was none other than founding Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (played by Harold Ramis, who passed away in 2014). In no time at all, the kids find themselves picking up the family business, busting ghosts in the Midwest with the help of the other OG ’busters: Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddimore (Ernie Hudson).
So what better time for a visit to the Ghostbusters’ original headquarters in New York City—specifically the firehouse in lower Manhattan that became their office space (and garage for the Ectomobile)?
The intersection of North Moore Street and Varick Street in the neighborhood of Tribeca (which stands for the TRIangle BElow CAnal Street) is where you’ll find the home of the building’s real occupants, the FDNY’s Hook & Ladder Company 8. Yes, although it’s become quite the tourist attraction, 14 N Moore Street is still very much an active firehouse. But that doesn’t mean New York’s Bravest haven’t happily embraced their connection to the supernatural—or their location on Horror Street!
Besides the fact that the building is marked “Ghostbusters Headquarters” on Google Maps (look it up!), it was pretty apparent that the fire company was in the GB: Afterlife mood when I dropped by yesterday—as evidenced by the crowd of Ghostbusters fans I found on the sidewalk in front of the station!
Will you be dropping by GB Central this week? I’m sure the scene will get only wilder as Friday draws near!
Stay tuned for further installments of Horror Street—there’s plenty of macabre graffiti art to be found on the streets of New York, if you look in the right creepy places! And be sure to check out my previous HS entries: the Brooklyn Vampire, the demonic D-Rod, Where the Gene Wilder Things Are, the beast called Queens’thluhu, the scarifying Ghoulmobile, the regal Griffin, the Spooky Forest, and the Demon Door!
With Halloween only a couple of weeks away, are you looking for illustrated tales of the supernatural to enjoy—as in comic books and graphic novels? Well, it just so happens that Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts, has a few titles that are perfect for horror-comic fans!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to the adventures of Pandora Zwieback and her monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Stargate Universe), and a preview of Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1. 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 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.
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A 56-page, full-color comic special that features cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella) and contains three original stories. In “Song of the Siren,” by writer Steven A. Roman and artist Eliseu Gouveia, the teenaged Goth adventuress matches wits with a man-stealing enchantress who’s set her sights on Pan’s boyfriend, Javier. It’s followed by “After Hours,” by writer Sholly Fisch (The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), in which a demon walks into a bar to unwind after a long day of scarifying. And rounding out the issue is “Shopping Maul,” a short story by Roman with title-page art by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), in which Pan and Annie, along with Javier and Pan’s best friend, Sheena, run into a group of Gothic Lolita vampires out to do more than a little window shopping.
Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings: A 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, or along the lines of the JLA’s supernatural spin-off, Justice League Dark—but they get the job done. The graphic novel is written by the husband-and-white team of Richard C. White (Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual and Troubleshooters Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0 is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages at StarWarp Concepts for ordering information, as well as sample pages.
With the Spooky Season in full swing this month (although, really, it started in August, when the decorations started popping up in stores), are you looking for chilling tales of the supernatural to enjoy, as you anxiously wait for Halloween? Then look no further than the backlist of titles produced by Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts, that are perfect for horror fans young and old!
Carmilla: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 19th-century classic vampiric tale of love gone wrong. Laura is so desperate for a friend that when a young woman named Carmilla practically turns up on the doorstep of the castle owned by Laura’s father, she thinks her prayers for companionship have been answered. But as she comes to realize, Carmilla isn’t as interested in making friends as she is in spilling blood.
Regarded as the one of the earliest female 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 SWC edition contains six original illustrations done especially for StarWarp Concepts by super-talented comic artist Eliseu Gouveia, whose work you’re familiar with if you’ve downloaded The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0, or read The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.
King Kong: SWC’s e-book-exclusive Illustrated Classics edition of the official novelization of the renowned motion picture, first published in 1932. 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, the SWC edition of King Kong features 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. What makes this version special is that it contains six exclusive, 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.
Snow White: The classic story by the Brothers Grimm. Featuring full-color illustrations first published in 1883 (and they really are beautiful drawings), this digital-exclusive titleis available for immediate download for the wickedly low price of just 99¢!
White Fell—The Werewolf: Originally published in 1896 as The Were-wolf, it was written by renowned author, artist, and suffragette Clemence Annie Housman, and is regarded by scholars as perhaps the first feminist werewolf story. In it, twin brothers encounter a beautiful, mysterious woman known only as White Fell—a woman one brother believes is a murderous werewolf. Complications arise when his twin falls in love with White Fell. Can he save his brother before he falls completely under her spell?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Washington Irving’s legendary tale of the Headless Horseman has captivated readers ever since its first publication in 1820, in Irving’s collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., and in the 200+ years since it’s become the quintessential Halloween story, as well as the basis for countless movies, TV shows, comic books, and other pop-culture adaptations. When schoolteacher Ichabod Crane arrived in Sleepy Hollow, New York, he had dreams of marrying beautiful socialite Katrina of the wealthy Van Tassel family, only to lose his head (both figuratively and literally!) when he encountered the horrific Headless Horseman one fateful night!
Carmilla is available in print and digital formats; King Kong, Snow White, White Fell: The Werewolf, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages at StarWarp Concepts for ordering information.
Got a favorite book? Well, odds are good there’s someone out there in the United States who’d liked to see it censored. And that’s where Banned Books Week comes in—an annual celebration of literacy in which the spotlight is shone on the problem of censorship in U.S. libraries and bookstores. To quote the Banned Books Week website:
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries…. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
This year’s theme is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us,” which “emphasizes the ways in which books and information bring people together, help individuals see themselves in the stories of others, and aid the development of empathy and understanding for people from other backgrounds.”
Banned Books Week 2021 is happening right now, September 26 to October 2, so visit the BBW website for more information, including a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2020 that they’re celebrating this year.
Today is National Comic Book Day, an unofficial “holiday” that’s celebrated every year on this date…although no one seems to know why that is, or who exactly started the tradition. Nevertheless, if you’re thinking that the friendly fiends at Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts must have some illustrated fiction that would be perfect for this occasion—you’re absolutely right!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to the adventures of Pandora Zwieback and her monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, with an 8-page story written by Steven A. Roman and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, and a preview of Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1. 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 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.
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A 56-page, full-color comic special that features cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella) and contains three original stories. In “Song of the Siren,” by writer Steven A. Roman and artist Eliseu Gouveia (Hell High, Beware the Witch’s Shadow), the teenaged Goth adventuress matches wits with a man-stealing enchantress who’s set her sights on Pan’s boyfriend, Javier. It’s followed by “After Hours,” by writer Sholly Fisch (The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), in which a demon walks into a bar to unwind after a long day of scarifying. And rounding out the issue is “Shopping Maul,” a short story by Roman with title-page art by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), in which Pan and Annie, along with Javier and Pan’s best friend, Sheena, run into a group of Gothic Lolita vampires out to do more than a little window shopping.
Heroines and Heroes: Another free digital comic book! It’s a collection of stories (and a few pinups) written and drawn by Steven A. Roman during his early small-press-comics days, featuring mainstream and indie comic characters that include the superheroic Blonde Avenger, the anthropomorphic Motorbike Puppies, the half-human/half-rabbit superspy Snowbuni, and a Wonder Woman-meets-Harley Quinn three-page tale that was meant to be his entrée to fame and fortune as a DC Comics artist (it didn’t work out, though).
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 the husband-and-white team of Richard C. White (Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by penciler Reggie Golden and inker Randy Zimmerman, with cover art by Richard Dominguez (El Gato Negro).
Snow White: Not really a comic book, but our presentation of the classic story by the Brothers Grimm features lush full-color illustrations first published in 1883 (and they really are beautiful drawings), and is available for immediate download for the low price of just 99¢!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual and Troubleshooters Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0, Heroines and Heroes, and Snow White are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages at StarWarp Concepts for ordering information, as well as sample pages. And then get out there and start reading them in public!
Hey there, owners of comic book shops and independent bookstores around the world! Are you interested in adding titles from Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts, to your shelves? Of course you are, especially with Halloween coming up! Well, here’s how you can do it.
SWC’s in-print titles (as opposed to their e-book exclusives) are all print-on-demand releases available through distributor Ingram Book Group—and POD means they’re never out of print, so they’re always ready to appear on your shelves!
SWC’s ever-growing list of horror and dark fantasy titles ranges from the young-adult thrills of supernatural heroine Pandora Zwieback to the nonfiction horror-comics history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror, and from the Illustrated Classic Carmilla to the noirish Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase. With horror growing in popularity these days with readers, StarWarp Concepts has a title sure to appeal to your customer base!
And SWC’s books and comics are critically acclaimed, with overwhelmingly positive responses from reviewers:
“Far and away one of the best young adult supernatural fantasy novels. Pan is exactly the kind of teen heroine that readers should be standing up and cheering for.”—HorrorNews.net on the Steven A. Roman novel Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1
“This is without a doubt the essential, authoritative reference book for anything related to the Warren-era Vampirella… There are lots of books out there with good information, but none offers such a broad, all-encompassing look at the history of this character.”—Vampirella of Drakulon (news blog) on the Steven A. Roman nonfiction comics history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures
“With a cover that looks like it belongs on the paranormal romance shelf in a bookstore and half a dozen illustrations provided by Eliseu Gouveia, this edition stands a good chance of tempting some younger readers to pick up this classic vampire tale…. I wish I’d picked this book up in seventh grade instead of slogging through Dracula.”—The Gothic Library on J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Illustrated Classic novella Carmilla
“Roman demonstrates yet again his ability to write in the voice of a teenage girl without resorting to the petty whining and needless angst that seem to plague a lot of the female teenage character in books today. I would readily and heartily recommend this book to anybody.”—Word of the Nerd on the comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1
Take a look at their backlist to see what they offer—best done by exploring the StarWarp Spotlight blog-post series from last year, in which they shined a spotlight on each of their horror, dark urban fantasy, fantasy adventure, and nonfiction books, not to mention comic books and graphic novels—and then call Ingram Books at (800) 937-0152 if you don’t already have an account with them. If your store is outside the United States, call (615) 213-5000.
After all, why should Amazon have all the business—and the fun?
According to the calendar site Happy Days 365, today is National Buy a Book Day, which, “was formed in 2012 to educate people about the significance of books to our culture and civilization as a whole.”
Well, the folks at Pan’s publisher, StarWarp Concepts, like to think their books are significant in relation to civilization’s continued existence—I mean, have you seen the outstanding reviews they’ve amassed?—so how can you celebrate this special occasion? Well, how about purchasing at least one of their amazing titles!
The best way to do that is by taking a look at the StarWarp Spotlight blog-post series from last year, in which they shined a spotlight on each of their horror, dark urban fantasy, fantasy adventure, and nonfiction books, not to mention their comic books and graphic novels.
From the young-adult thrills of my Pandora Zwieback novels and comics, and the writers/gamemasters reference book Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, and from my comic-book history From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures to the Lovecraftian thrills of the Mature Readers graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City and the illustrated vampire classic Carmilla, StarWarp Concepts has a book that makes every day perfect for Buy a Book Day!
