Tag Archives: eliseu gouveia

SWC Backlist: Carmilla

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Carmilla_CoverContinuing our review of SWC’s backlist, today we look at our most popular illustrated classic, Carmilla. Written by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (Uncle Silas, In a Glass Darkly), this 19th-century vampiric romance has influenced generations of writers from Bram Stoker to Laurel K. Hamilton, and has been adapted for the screen many times, including Hammer’s The Vampire Lovers and Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses. The StarWarp Concepts edition features exclusive illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0).

It’s also part of the Pandora Zwieback “Paniverse,” since Carmilla’s House Karnstein is one of the vampire factions that appear in the novel Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 and the upcoming second book, Blood Reign. Here’s the synopsis:

Before Edward and Bella, before Lestat and Louis, even before Dracula and Mina, there was the tale of Carmilla and Laura.

Living with her widowed father in a dreary old castle in the woods of Styria, Laura has longed to have a friend with whom she can confide; a friend to bring some excitement to her pastoral lifestyle. And then Carmilla enters her life.

Left by her mother in the care of Laura’s father, Carmilla is young, beautiful, playful—everything Laura had hoped to find in a companion. In fact, the lonely girl is so thrilled to have a new friend that she is willing to overlook the dark-haired beauty’s strange actions…which include a disturbing, growing obsession for her lovely hostess.

Carmilla, it seems, desires more than just friendship from Laura….

“The way Le Fanu blends together desire and predation is spellbinding. A true Gothic story, Carmilla is great fun.”—Gothic Beauty Magazine

“Carmilla is a must-read for any true fan of vampire fiction.”—LoveVampires.com

“Like many vampire romances, Carmilla and Laura’s love is doomed and unhealthy, but glorious.”—io9

Carmilla is on sale in print ($10.95 US) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million. The e-book ($2.99) is available from DriveThru Fiction. Both print and e-book formats can be purchased from the StarWarp Concepts webstore.

Visit the Carmilla product page for the sales links.

Now that I’ve gotten your attention with the first three parts of StarWarp Concepts’ review of backlist titles, are you Panatics interested in checking out the rest of its releases? Then tomorrow head on over to the SWC blog to learn about the dark-fantasy graphic novel Troubleshooters Incorporated: Night Stalkings. Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, it’s the first adventure of a supernatural superhero-team-for-hire; the group consists of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, an armored rock-n-roll roadie, and a werewolf—all fighting demons!

Please support StarWarp Concepts by purchasing one of our books. Thanks!

Coming tomorrow: Blood Reign, the second Pandora Zwieback novel, is on its way! But if you can’t stand the suspense of learning the outcome of Blood Feud’s cliffhanger ending, then stop by here tomorrow for some exciting news!

SWC Backlist: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1

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pan_annual_lgContinuing our review of SWC’s backlist, today we look at our young adult dark-urban-fantasy comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, written by Steven A. Roman and Sholly Fisch, and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, Ernie Colon, and Elizabeth Watasin, with cover art by Henar Torinos. Here’s the synopsis:

Pan’s first full-length comic book adventure! Chasing monsters can be a lot of hard work, and Pan tries to get her chaotic life back in order by attending a family picnic hosted by the parents of her boyfriend, Javier. But relaxing becomes impossible when one of Javi’s ex-girlfriends arrives to complicate things. Stupid mythological siren…

“Song of the Siren” features a script by Saga of Pandora Zwieback novelist Steven A. Roman and full-color art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0). This king-size special also includes:

“After Hours,” a short tale of the “Paniverse” by writer Sholly Fisch (Action Comics, Scooby-Doo! Team-Up) and comics-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld).

“Shopping Maul,” a Pan short story by Steven A. Roman, about (blood) red-tag sales and Elegant Gothic Lolita vampires, with title page art and color by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School).

“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 characters in books today…. I would readily and heartily recommend this comic to anybody.”—Word of the Nerd

“Roman mixes young adult fantasy with some themes like ‘young love’ but also with equal parts of ‘female empowerment’ and lets Pandora be a real and true voice. The art by Eliseu Gouveia is just stellar and makes a perfect match for the main story.”—Comics For Sinners

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is on sale in print ($7.99 US) at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The e-book ($3.99) is available from DriveThru Fiction. Both print and e-book formats can be purchased from the StarWarp Concepts webstore.

Visit The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 product page for the sales links.

Please support StarWarp Concepts by purchasing one of our books. Thanks!

Pandora Zwieback Annual Expands Pan’s Saga

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You are aware that our resident teen Goth and YA novel star Pandora Zwieback has brought her monster-fighting skills to comic books with her first full-length, full-color adventure—aren’t you?

pan_annual_lgIn The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 Pan tries to get her chaotic life in order by joining her boyfriend, Javier Maldonado, at one of his family’s picnics, only to run into trouble with an overprotective, holy-water-wielding aunt who’s not keen on her nephew dating a Goth chick. Then, as if Pan needed any more drama, one of Javi’s ex-girlfriends shows up to make matters even worse—and she’s got a terrifying secret. Stupid mythological siren.… “Song of the Siren” is written by me, with full-color art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0).

Two backup stories are included in this 56-page first issue: “After Hours,” a short tale of the “Paniverse” by writer Sholly Fisch (Action Comics, All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold) and comic-art legend Ernie Colón (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld); and “Shopping Maul,” my first-ever Pan short story, about (blood) red-tag sales and Elegant Gothic Lolita vampires, with title page art and color by Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School). Cover art is provided by award-winning writer/artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella)

The print version of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #1 is available for order from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble. Or, if you prefer your comics in digital form, it’s also available for download from our webstore, as well as from DriveThru Comics. Visit the annual’s product page for all the sales links.

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Hey, Where’d I Go?

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An extremely belated Happy New Year to all you loyal Pan-atics. I apologize for the lack of updates in the last weeks, but I imagine you’d rather have me focusing on getting the second Pan novel, Blood Reign, into your waiting hands than spend time blogging. I’m trying to find a way to balance the two, though, so this site doesn’t fall too far behind in passing along the latest Pan news.

Anyway, what’s been going on since you last heard from me? Well, there was my December appearance on the Veterans Radio show At Ease, hosted by New York Times bestselling author/historian Dwight Jon Zimmerman, where I talked up Blood Feud, Pan’s character background, and how a guy with no military experience was able to write fairly accurate combat scenes (it’s all in the research).

And in January, Diamond Comics Distributors—the U.S.’s premier comic book and pop culture merchandise distributor—accepted StarWarp Concepts’ solicitation for The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, a 48-page full-color special that goes on sale May 8, 2013. It’ll be listed in the March edition of the Diamond Previews catalog; I’ll let you know when you can pre-order your copy of the annual.

What’s in it, you ask? How about a story of Pan and her boyfriend Javi on their first date by me and artist Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0)? Then there’s a short tale of the Paniverse by writer Sholly Fisch—who’s been providing the backup stories for DC Comics’ Action Comics series (as well as writing the 2012 Action Comics Annual #1)—and comics legend Ernie Colon, co-creator of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and artist of characters as varied as Magnus, Robot Fighter and Green Lantern to Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich. And rounding out the contents is an exclusive Pan short story by me involving Pan and her “Fiend Club” friends clashing with Elegant Gothic Lolita vampires at a shopping mall, with title page art by Elizabeth Watasin, indie comics creator of Charm School and the author of the Dark Victorian series of steapunk adventure novels.

And just take a look at this great cover art by Henar Torinos, the Madrid-based artist/creator of the graphic novel series Mala Estrella (Bad Star):

Have you ever seen a better portrayal of Pan as a happy Goth? On the other hand, her best friend, Sheena McCarthy, doesn’t look too happy—but how would you feel if you had a bunch of monsters with skunk breath crowding you in?

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

StarWarp Concepts Webstore Opens!

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It’s true— the SWC webstore is finally up and running! Now you can spare yourself the frustration of hunting down Pan’s adventures, and order them—as well as other StarWarp Concepts titles—directly from her publisher.

Currently available are print editions of Blood Feud, the classic vampire tale Carmilla (with illustrations by Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 comic artist Eliseu Gouveia), and The Bob Larkin Sketchbook (which features Pan on the cover). And since the sketchbook is an SWC exclusive not available in stores, the webstore’s the only place you’ll be able to get it—not counting when we sell it at conventions, of course.

Also:

The official Pandora Zwieback T-shirt! You asked for it (repeatedly) and now you’ve got it! Available in both men’s and women’s sizes, it’s the same devil-girl T that Pan wears on the cover of Blood Feud, and an essential piece of clothing for every budding Goth adventuress.

The Blood Feud Art Print! It’s Bob Larkin’s cover art for the first Pan novel—as you should be well familiar with by now—presented on 11” x 17” cardstock without text, and limited to 100 copies.

So, head on over to the StarWarp Concepts site and start ordering already—I gotta clear some space in this office!  😉

The Queen of Queens

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Well, this is a nice way to start off 2012—with further praise for Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1! This time it’s from D. W. Jones of the online horror magazine Blood Moon Rising:

“Roman brings horror to NYC and spins a tale that keeps the reader enthralled….  I recommend this book for all horror readers and especially to young girls.”

The fact that Blood Moon Rising’s offices are based in Queens, NY—Pan’s home borough—makes the positive reaction all the sweeter. I mean, who doesn’t love a monster-fightin’ hometown girl?

You can read the entire review—as well as a review of Carmilla, StarWarp Concepts’ first classic reprint (with illustrations by The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0 comic artist Eliseu Gouveia)—by clicking on the cover. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the magazine!

Blood Moon Rising is also the sponsor of The Institute of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction, a one-day gathering being held this March at the main branch of the Queens Public Library, which is located in Flushing—a neighborhood that is immune to all your petty, childish jokes about toilets, so don’t even bother!  😀  Click the link in the Events listings for more information on the show.

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!

We’ve Got E-books!

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That’s right! Available for purchase right now from DriveThru Horror is the PDF edition of Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1!

Well, no, you can’t buy it for a dollar, but the low, low price of $4.99 is just as good, isn’t it? Of course it is!

Also available is J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s vampire classic Carmilla ($3.99!), which features six beautiful illustrations by resident Pandora Zwieback artist Eliseu Gouveia.

It’s a baby step into the 21st century for StarWarp Concepts, but we are working on other platform editions (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.); I’ll have news on each one as they become available. For now, just click on the DriveThru logo above to check out the first two SWC releases!

13 Days of Pan-demonium: A Break From the Action

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Day 8 of The 13 Days of Pan-demonium has arrived, and we’re still celebrating the publication of BLOOD FEUD: THE SAGA OF PANDORA ZWIEBACK, Book 1, on sale right now from StarWarp Concepts and all fine online bookstores.

Hey, look, everybody! It’s our resident Pan artist, ELISEU “ZEU” GOUVEIA!

I Internet-met Zeu through the kindness of a mutual fan, Richard Boom, the Netherlands’ premier good-girl art fan. I was looking to revive my Lorelei comic-book character, and I knew that Richard was well connected with plenty of artists who could draw sexy women. Zeu was at the top of his list, and after seeing his gallery at DeviantArt I knew he was perfect for the job. The results of our collaboration will appear in Lorelei: Sects and the City, a Mature Readers graphic novel from StarWarp Concepts that’ll be on sale soon enough.

(BTW, European comic fans have already had a sneak peek. The first four chapters were serialized under the title “Lorelei: Une Marée de Sang” [A Pool of Blood] in the comic magazine Strange, from French publisher Organic Comix.)

In the midst of his Lorelei work, I approached Zeu with a new project: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0—a comic book giveaway that would introduce readers to Pan’s novel series. He jumped at the chance to draw Pan and Annie, and I was blown away by his art and coloring—and you can be, too. See that “Download Free Comic” link to the right? Go click it and check out Pan in full hype mode. Zeu followed that by agreeing to provide b&w frontispiece illustrations for the novels; you’ll find the first one in Blood Feud. And then I asked him about drawing a 13 Days pinup of Pan in a New York subway car…

But wait, you say, if she’s a budding young monster hunter, then where are the monsters? And who the hell is she playing tongue hockey with?! Well, even Pan needs a day off from all the world saving, and who better to share it with than her new boyfriend, Javier Maldonado.

Don’t know who Javi is? Well, then grab yourself a copy of Blood Feud and experience Pan’s first meeting with the new man in her life. And talk about drama! She’s a New York Mets fan, he’s a Yankees fan, and neither of their fathers is thrilled. Dealing with that conflict might be even more dangerous than facing down monsters!

The 13 Days of Pan-demonium keep rolling along! What’s in store tomorrow? Here’s a hint: “Good? Bad? I’m the girl with the chain saw.”

Hmm…I wonder what that could mean…?  😉

CALLING ALL VAMPIRE LOVERS!

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As the ad copy over at StarWarp Concepts says: Before Edward and Bella, before Lestat and Louis, even before Dracula and Mina, there was the tale of Carmilla and Laura.

CARMILLA is the classic, 19th-century novella of vampiric seduction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu that influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The ’Warp’s special edition features gorgeous black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia, artist of the Pandora Zwieback e-comic. Here’s a sample:

Nice, huh? Carmilla is on sale right now at StarWarp Concepts, so head on over there for more information.

Carmilla has served as the inspiration for hundreds of novels, animated tales, comic books, and horror movies. Don’t believe me? Then check out the films The Vampire Lovers, Blood and Roses, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, The Batman vs. Dracula, even The Asylum’s schlockfest Vampires vs. Zombies!

(Actually, don’t check out that last one—it’s awful!)