Thursday, October 31, 2024

Ablaze Announces BOOK OF NOSFERATU

EDITOR'S NOTE: Whenever I see notices of crowdfunding campaigns that I believe may be of interest to readers of this blog, I will share them here. I post this because I wanted to, not because I have any obligation to the publisher or creators. Click the links if this interests you. 




The Book of Nosferatu tells the origin of the infamous vampiric monster Nosferatu. You may think you know the story, set aside your assumptions, This tale is unlike any vampire tale you have read! Every monster has a beginning…

A full color 100 page+ hardcover NSFW tale of unrestrained gothic horror written by Michael Moreci (Barbaric & Dick Tracy) and illustrated by Todor Hristov (Stranger Things)!

Click here to pledge now!
 



This Deluxe edition is exclusive to this campaign and will not be available at retail. 100+ pages, Full Color, rare art, behind the scenes material in digital, hardcover and slipcase collectibles plus other exclusive rewards only available during the campaign!

Todor's finished art for page 1:

Here are colors for page 1:

The final lettered page:

CREATORS

Michael Moreci is a screenwriter and bestselling comics author. His award-winning debut feature film, Revealer, premiered on Shudder in the summer of 2022. His second feature, Holiday Hold-Up, a crime comedy that Moreci co-directed/wrote, premiered on Peacock in 2024. In the comics space, Moreci is the creator of the acclaimed gothic horror series The Plot, the werewolf drama Curse, the existential space opera Wasted Space, and the smash-hit sword-and-sorcery series Barbaric,. He’s also written for numerous legendary characters and properties, including Star WarsRick and MortyBatmanStranger Things, and more, and he co-hosts The Filmographers Podcast.



Todor Hristov is a Bulgarian artist and illustrator of Stranger Things: Halloween Special, Kamchatka and The Voyage, and The Forever Maps. Born in the city of Karlovo in 1991, he graduated from the “Tsanko Lavrenov High School of Fine Arts” in Plovdiv  back 2010, and the same year went to study Printmaking at the “National Academy of Art” in Sofia.






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Your early pledge will help us have the strongest possible launch! 

Thanks! 
ALBAZE

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ABOUT ABLAZE: Eisner nominated publisher of comics, graphic novels & more. The mantra of ABLAZE is quality first, with the goals of giving creators a platform, bringing new voices into the conversation, serving as diverse an audience as possible and bringing some of the best content from all corners of the globe to readers.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Graphic Novel Review: 100 BULLETS, VOLUME ONE


100 BULLETS, VOLUME ONE: FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL graphic novel by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (DC Comics/Vertigo, February 1, 2000) 128 pages, trade paperback. ISBN #  9781563896453 


Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .


In this dark and intriguing trade paperback, the mysterious Agent Graves approaches ordinary citizens and gives them an opportunity to exact revenge on a person that has wronged them. Offering his clients an attaché case containing proof of the deed and a gun, he guarantees his "clients" full immunity for all of their actions, including murder. In these opening chapters, Dizzy Cordova, a Latina gangbanger who has just finished a prison sentence, is given the chance to avenge her family's murders, and a downtrodden bartender receives the opportunity to exact revenge against the woman that ruined his life.


Collecting 100 BULLETS #1-5


My Four-And-One-Half Star Review . . . . .



I just began reading this for the third time. I read the individual debut Issue #1 when it was first released almost 25 years ago, was impressed, but bookmarked the remaining issues for a future purchase (time and budget reasons). Then, I bought the first trade paperback in 2002 after receiving a strong recommendation from a comics friend. I was sufficiently impressed to pre-order the remaining volumes and stockpile them for a future read. Now, I'm finally getting around to that. 


I've only read the first three-issue story arc so far, but if this continues I'll rank it among my all-time favorite crime comics, on the same lofty plateau as Ed Brubaker's CRIMINAL (and other series by him) as well as THAT TEXAS BLOOD series by Chris Condon. 


The premise lends itself to a multitude of possibilities and storylines. Azzarello's dialogue is street-smart (although some of the slang terms are a little outdated) and the scenes are gritty and vivid. Risso's art is marvelous to view - - facial expressions, use of shading, images caught in mirrors and shadows, use of single hue silhouettes - -fantastic!



The opening story of "Dizzy" is grim and depressing. Even though she's not a model person, it's easy to feel empathy for her situation. The story was full of surprises and twists. Mr. Graves and Mr. Shepherd are mysterious. Why do they know so much about these characters? Why do they expect them to always take the suitcase and complete the mission? Are they God's messengers, or angels? I've been told this series gets even better as it moves forward. This was a near-Five Star read for me, so I can't wait to see where this goes.


The second story, "Shot, Water Back" is even grimmer than Dizzy's story, in a sleazy way. I did not expect the ending which provided quite a twist. There is someone else who knows about the presence of Mr. Graves in these incidents. The plot thickens. 



The first trade paperback wraps up with a short story from the VERTIGO:WINTER'S EDGE anthology where an older woman walks into the police precinct and confesses to an unsolved murder from years before. You guessed it, she was given the gun with untraceable bullets by Mr. Graves. A future storyline may be foreshadowed in the conclusion of this. 


So far, why these random individuals are visited by Mr. Graves is not completely clear. What they all have in common is that they have been wronged by another or others in one way or another. (Murder, planted evidence against them, slumlord negligence, etc). 


An amazing beginning. I'm looking forward to more surprises. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS, but I may be raising that to FIVE STARS before I finish this series.  Fantastic covers o on the single issues by Dave Johnson.

Monday, October 28, 2024

Steve Wynn - Making Good On My Promises (Official Video)


Music of 2024, #45:  STEVE WYNN, pioneer in L.A.'s Paisley Underground
movement in the 1980's-1990's and founder of The Dream Syndicate

War for the Planet of the Apes | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX


WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES on HBO: Big budget blockbuster
with amazing special effects and scenes. The prequel movies have been
so much better than the regular films. My favorite redundant line, uttered
by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson): "Sometimes you must abandon 
humanity in order to save humanity."

Local Comics Publisher Releases Limited Halloween Special

Return of the Living Dead Comes to Comics for Halloween!

Zombie Cult Classic Arrives With Special 250 Copy Limited Edition “More Brains” Comics!

[Baltimore, Maryland] – The Return of the Living Dead, the 1985 hit zombie film that spawned four sequels and gave the zombie genre a comic undertone, crawls out of the grave with brand new comics from horror house American Mythology!

 

The initial four-issue mini-series, set in the 1980s, will be a sequel to the original brain munching movie. It is written by S.A. Check (Night of the Living Dead) and James Kuhoric (Tom Holland’s Fright Night), and illustrated by Andrea Arcari (Valentine Bluff’s Massacre). The mini-series features incredible cover artists including Mark Spears, Paul Maitland, Roy Allan Martinez, Andrea Arcari, and Buz Hasson!

 

American Mythology is celebrating this Halloween season with a special limited edition of the first issue – the “More Brains” edition is limited to just 250 copies of each cover; each issue is serial numbered and comes with a special certificate of authenticity and a More Brains sticker. These books are available now while supplies last – shipping out by Halloween night to backers who order it from the American Mythology website at:

 

SHOP | American Mythology

 

 

ONLY 250 AVAILABLE! WHEN THEY ARE GONE...THEY'RE GONE!

Available NOW - Return of the Living Dead #1 "More Brains" Limited Edition

 

The “More Brains” edition is limited to just 250 copies of each cover; each issue is serial numbered and comes with a special certificate of authenticity and a More Brains sticker.  These books are available now while supplies last

“We’re excited to capture the incredible, unique spirit and energy of The Return of the Living Dead in comic book form,” said James Kuhoric – co-writer and President of American Mythology.

 

Kuhoric most recently wrote Tom Holland’s Fright Night and is no stranger to popular horror franchises himself. He wrote Dynamite’s hit Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and Army of Darkness before loosing American Mythology upon the world. Since then, he’s written, co-written, and published a wide array of horror-themed comics, including Adam Green’s Hatchet, Silent Night. Deadly Night, and Valentine Bluffs Massacre.

 

A standard release of the comic book will be listed in the November Previews for January on sale at retail. The “More Brains” Limited Editions are for fans who want an extremely limited collectible and want it now. “Send more comics!”

 

“In their distinctive take on the zombie genre, you can see a lot of different influences, ranging from legends to EC comics horror. In the movies, it added up to a lot of fun, and our aim is to replicate their energy and enthusiasm while telling truly original stories,” he said.

 

All Issues Are Serial Numbered so You Know Exactly Which One You Have!

 

Only 250 of each one was created making these extremely rare collectibles!

4 Different Cover Editions Are Available!

 

Choose your favorite or get all four!

Return of the Living Dead © 2024 Living Dead Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. Living Dead Media and Return of the Living Dead are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Living Dead Media LLC. Used under license.