When the (Internet) Radio Is on

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Last Thursday I appeared on the Scifi Diner podcast to promote Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1, but that’s not all we discussed! It turned into an hour-long, freewheeling conversation that spanned my writing and editing careers, my fanboyish obsession with Doctor Who, the state of young adult fiction, praise for Pandora Zwieback artists Eliseu Gouveia and Bob Larkin, and even a plug or two for some StarWarp Concepts releases.

A big shout-out to hosts Scott Hertzog and Miles McLoughlin for allowing me to ramble on as much as I did, but once they got me started on a topic it was hard to shut up.  😀

Grab yourself a snack and a favorite beverage, then click on the Scifi Diner logo to head over to the show’s site and download the new episode. It’s a Pan-tastic interview!

On the (Internet) Radio

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Sorry about the lack of updates around here these past couple of weeks, but have no fear—the Hype Hearse is back on the road! First stop:

This past weekend I had the pleasure of appearing on the podcast Sci-Fi Saturday Night to promote Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and, despite all my uhh-ing (Gah! I hate doing that!) as I stumbled through the conversation, I had a good time. Learn the history of Gothopolis, and the secret influence behind the Pan series, then howl with laughter as I recount my brief misadventure trying out as a Batman Adventures artist for DC Comics. Good times, good times…

Just click on the logo above to head over to the show and give it a listen.

But that’s not my only appearance this month! On Thursday I’ll be interviewed by the folks at Sci-Fi Diner Podcast, and there are Q&A’s in the works for Reading Bites—the blog for the book-review site Monster Librarian—and Books of the Dead Press, the publisher of Best New Zombie Tales 2, an anthology to which I contributed. I’ll let you know when those interviews run—and whether more are coming!

They Wanna Put Me in the Movies…

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So you thought all the coverage of the 2011 New York Comic Con had been exhausted, did you? Not true—and there’s videographic evidence to prove it!

The Web site Invest Comics has posted the third and final installment of their video tour of the con—just click on the logo above to view the sights and sounds of the East Coast’s version of Thunderdome. I come in at the 11:35 mark and hype Pan’s adventures for about a minute, but you should definitely watch the rest of the video (along with parts 1 and 2) to check out the other small-press publishers who were exhibiting, and to get the full NYCC 2011 experience.

Now if only I didn’t hate the sound of my own voice…

Painted Covers? What’s Up With That?!

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Early in the process of conceptualizing the cover style for the Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels, I toyed with the idea of a photo shoot—hiring a model to dress as Pan, and then using her pictures for the book covers. Then I realized the costs that would be involved: the model and the photographer (not to mention that the pics for all the book covers would have to be taken in one session); the makeup artist and the hairstylist (or at least a really good black wig with a blond streak painted on); and, most of all, the costume.

Okay, black jeans were not a problem, the pentagram choker could be cobbled together, and adding the devil-girl face to a black T-shirt was as simple as running out its image on an iron-on transfer from my inkjet printer… but that jacket. That flame-sleeved, bat-shoulder-ornamented jacket. Where the hell would I ever find that? They don’t sell those things at Walmart, y’know. And what might it cost to have one made?

Numbers began piling up in my head. And this didn’t even figure in the prospect of hiring an Annie model as well—and you know how complicated her outfit is!

Ultimately, I decided to go with painted covers by Bob Larkin. Not just because he’s an incredible artist, not just because a live-action Pan might have cost way too much for my small-press budget, but because… well, have you seen the covers of most Young Adult vampire-related novels lately?

They all use photographs. And they all. Look. The. Same. They don’t even look vaguely vampiric. I’m amazed that, outside of the author bylines, people can tell the difference between one series and another.

 

Now, I’m not a dope. I know there’s a certain appeal to portrait shots of attractive women on dark-fantasy covers—why do you think the StarWarp Concepts reprint of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s vampire novella Carmilla has one? But at least we gave her red eyes so you’d know she was one of the undead!  😀

With Pan, however, I thought (and still think) it was the right decision to go with painted covers. It helps the series stand out from the multitude of pretty headshots, and allows us to be more dramatic with the images: the iconic-yet-attitudinal pose on Book 1; the bloodthirsty Goth Loli holding Pan on Book 2; the snarling werewolf stalking Pan and Annie on Book 3, the… well, I won’t say what the other covers will involve. “Spoilers!” as Professor River Song says on Doctor Who. Yet, after the first three paintings were completed, I still wondered if it were even possible to create an actual replica of Pan’s leather jacket.

And then came the day when Bob Larkin made it happen…


Blood Feud: Not Just for Dark Fantasy Readers

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It’s a new month, with a new outpouring of love for Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1!

Over at the Web site for the weekly podcast Sci-Fi Saturday Night, reviewer “The Dome” has posted his thoughts on Pan and Annie’s first adventure:

“Equal parts Sorcerer’s Apprentice and 48 Hours, this is a mystic roller-coaster ride that glimpses a demonic past and uncertain future in the hands of two unlikely women who the fates have paired.”

Read the entire review here.

48 Hours, huh? Hmmm… I guess Pan would be Eddie Murphy, with Nick Nolte as Annie. (How’s that for a weird visual?) Well, Pan could certainly sing “Roxanne” all high-pitched and off-key, so it might work…  😉

Bonus News! “Illustrator X,” the guest coordinator for Sci-Fi Saturday Night, contacted me about doing an interview for one of the podcasts—of course I said yes! Stay tuned for further developments.

Happy Halloween!

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Yes, when I’m not figuring out ways to make Pan’s difficult life even more difficult, I occasionally do some cartooning. Why, I even have my own DeviantArt page! Feel free to check it out.

Have a safe and happy All Hallows’ Eve—and, uh, maybe you oughtta unwrap that candy before you eat it, don’cha think?

Zwieback: The Recommended Cure for Sparkly-Emo-Vampire Fiction

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What better way to celebrate this post–New York Comic Con 2011 week than with more great reactions to the arrival of our favorite Goth girl on the monster-hunting scene?

First off, the prestigious Midwest Book Review has posted their review for Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1:

“Blood Feud is a fun and very much recommended read that shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Read the entire review here.

Then, over at the pop-culture site The Sexy Armpit, journalist Jay Amabile gives his thoughts about the Pan Zwieback introductory comic that he picked up at the StarWarp Concepts booth, during Comic Con:

“Cooler than Buffy, tougher than the emo wimps in Twilight, Pandora is a teenage goth girl fighting off ghouls and monsters in New York City.”

Read the rest of his super-positive recommendation of Pan in part 1 of his NYCC 2011 report.

Zwieback: Now an Official Goth-approved Brain Food!

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I might be in the middle of attending New York Comic Con this weekend, but that doesn’t keep the good news from continuing for Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1!

Lillian Hawkins of the Goth-culture site Gothic Blend has posted a great review:

“This modern day, urban Goth horror will have readers turning the pages to discover how Pandora comes to terms with a very old problem . . . encountering the monsters among us!”

Read the entire review here.

Cry Havoc!

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New York Comic Con 2011—being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center here in New York City—is this week, October 13–16. I’ll be manning the StarWarp Concepts location: BOOTH 2539 in the Small Press Publishers Area.

Helping me out at the booth (as he did last year) will be my good friend Richard C. White—bestselling author of the fantasy novel Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, Book 1: Paths of Evil and the e-book Star Trek: Echoes of Coventry.

We’re located in Level 3, Hall 3A, near Artists Alley—and against the wall of the construction area that’s slowly been moving across the building since last year. Those of you who attended the 2010 show may remember that the construction site breaks the show’s main exhibition hall into two parts: the larger, more mainstream exhibitors on one side, the smaller publishers on the other. So please don’t forget that we’re on the other side of that wall!

Here’s a map so it’ll be easier to find us:

 

On sale will be:

• Copies of BLOOD FEUD: THE SAGA OF PANDORA ZWIEBACK, Book 1, CARMILLA, and THE BOB LARKIN SKETCHBOOK

• 11″ x 17″ full-color prints of Bob Larkin’s cover art for Blood Feud. It’s a limited-edition print, though, so be sure to pick up one while supplies last.

 

 

 

 

• THE OFFICIAL PANDORA ZWIEBACK T-SHIRT! Now you can dress like our favorite Goth girl, and proudly show off your monster-hunting skills while wearing the same T that Pan models on the cover of Blood Feud. The shirt makes its debut at NYCC; after the con, it’ll be available exclusively through the StarWarp Concepts webstore.

 

I’ll also be handing out free print copies of the Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 promotional comic book and Pandora Zwieback bookmarks—while supplies last, of course. (And that comic supply is getting pretty thin.)

And wait until you see the one-of-a-kind, not-for-sale Pan Zwieback leather jacket that we’ll have on display—painted by Bob, who’ll be on hand Saturday to sign the sketchbook and prints, as well as copies of his much-sought-after art book, The Savage Art of Bob Larkin.

You’ll find it all at booth 2539—just look for the Pandora Zwieback and StarWarp Concepts banners. So spread the word:

Of course, that depends on whether I can still get Hell a ticket this close to the show…