Bram Stoker's Dracula by Mike Mignola gets new edition

Beloved series is finally coming back in a gorgeous new edition from IDW

 from the official IDW Publishing press release . . . . .

 

SAN DIEGO, CA, (March 24th, 2018) – 25 years ago one of comics’ most celebrated creators, Mike Mignola, adapted to comics, along with Roy Thomas, the star-studded Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment) film by Francis Ford Coppola, Dracula, based on the world-renowned novel by Bram Stoker. Now at last fans of this lost treasure will have a chance to relive the terror, or discover it for the first time, as IDW is bringing the complete story back to print!
 
“I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have this book back in print,” said artist Mike Mignola. “People have been asking about this one for ages—More than any other book of mine—and I honestly didn’t think it was ever going to be possible to see an edition, but here it is. Thank you Scott Dunbier and IDW. No idea how you did it but very glad you did. I’m generally not a fan of my older work (pretty huge understatement there) but I think this one holds up. Despite the fact that I was doing a movie adaptation (which has its own unique set of problems) I think there is some nice drawing and storytelling in here. One of the very few older jobs I’m still pretty proud of.”
 
The 136 page hardcover collection features Mignola’s stunning black and white artwork, and showcases the master creators’ final work before launching Hellboy.
 
Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Mike Mignola is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold using ISBN 978-1684053155. The feature film Bram Stoker’s Dracula is now available on Blu-ray™ and 4K Ultra HD™.
 
Bram Stoker’s Dracula ᵀᴹ & © 2018 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

C.H.U.D. LIVES! in upcoming anthology of tales

EDITOR’S NOTE:  C.H.U.D. is a pop culture classic of a movie, and one of my personal favorites. (Cannabalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, if I remember correctly). Editor Joe Mynhart of Crystal Lake Publishing and a varied assortment of authors and filmmakers pay tribute in the upcoming C.H.U.D. LIVES! anthology. We wanted to give all the C.H.U.D.-heads out there advance notice.  Check out the details below . . . . .

Today’s top Horror and SF authors pay tribute to C.H.U.D. film in this anthology of original fiction.   C.H.U.D. is a genre defying, cult classic film featuring monsters living in the sewers below New York. The stories in this anthology expand the world created by the film and add depth to the C.H.U.D. universe like never before. From stories of apocalyptic horror and all out monster action, to tales of underground parties interrupted by uninvited guests and evening strolls that end in death, this anthology will leave you both smiling and breathless. Relive the fear as these original stories take you beyond the movie to events that occurred before, during, and after the scenes we remember so well. C.H.U.D. Lives! also features in-depth interviews with Andrew Bonime (producer) and Parnell Hall (screenwriter). Relive the terror! Introduction by David Drake Interview with the late Andrew Bonime “Dog Walker” by Robert E Waters “The Dwellers” by Nick Cato “The City Will Eat You Alive” by Ryan C. Thomas “Date Night” by David Robbins “Strange Gods” by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes “Lost and Found” by Greg Mitchell “They Are C.H.U.D” by Alex Laybourne “C.H.A.D.” by Michael H. Hanson “Samsa’s Party” by Ben Fisher “The Way to a Man’s Heart” by Tim Waggoner “Dweller Messiah” by Jason White “That’s Entertainment!” by Mort Castle “Toxic Disposal” by David Bernstein “Monstrous Me” by Martin Powell “Step Ate” by Chad Lutzke “Zero Hour” by JG Faherty “The Deuce” by Philip C. Perron “All at Sea” by Ross Baxter “You Will Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Jonathan Maberry and Eugene Johnson Interview with Parnell Hall (screenwriter) by Eric S Brown

1FIRST COMICS announce June releases

1First Comics June Releases - Lark's Killer Returns and Malefic Trade Paperback

It's time get in your pre-orders for June! Head to your local comic shop or reserve your copies of 1First Comics June releases on the Devil's Due/1First Comics webstore. Lark's Killer returns with issues 7 in June and all 8 issues of Malefic will be collected in a trade paperback.

Lark's Killer #7 - 6/1/2018
APR181495
(W) Bill Willingham (A/CA) Travis Moore
"Drunken Master." Good news, bad news time. The good news is magic works in Lark's new world, and even Brenar's mortal wounds can be healed, if you get the victim to the right sorcerer soon enough. The bad news is the only sorcerer they trust in these paranoid times is a drunk. Can Ulmore the Great and Terrible sober up soon enough to save Brenar's life? Plus, a new backup feature: "My Monstrous Life" by Mr. Willingham and art by Shawn McManus!

Malefic Volume 1: The Doctor Will See You Now - 6/13/2018
APR181496
(W/CA) Dan Schaffer (A) David Miller
The world of Malefic is as wicked as the devil and twice as tricky. Young Dr. Freust, a psychiatrist in a castle full of deranged paranormal mutants, must pit her wits and her sanity in a dangerous game as she takes her deceased father's controversial fringe scientific experiments to unimaginable levels in order to stop the lunatics from taking over the asylum. Malefic combines the storytelling twists of The Twilight Zone with the outrageous sensibilities of American Horror Story.


-1First Comics

ComixTribe shares insights as new WAILING BLADE readies for release

EDITOR’S NOTE:  ComixTribe publisher Tyler James reveals some of the everyday realities of small press publishing as a new series is prepared for release.  It’s good information for fans curious about what it’s like on the other side of the aisle.  Thanks for the guest column, Tyler! . . . . . . . . . .

"Honestly, it's easier to get into Harvard than it is to get a comic pitch accepted at ComixTribe."

Even as I said that to a young comic creator asking about submitting her book to us for publication, I could hear how pretentious it sounded.

And yet, statistically, it's true.

ComixTribe is a small-bandwidth operation that will never compete with the big publishers in terms of output.

Nor do we ever want to.

Rather than flood the market with a ton of concepts hoping something, anything, sticks... we pick our projects extremely carefully, and only put out books we believe in 100%, would read ourselves, and think our longtime (and new) fans will be into as well.

And after a few meetings at New York Comic Con 2017, we officially greenlit WAILING BLADE as the newest series in the ComixTribe line-up.

Now, I say new, because it's likely new to you... but to tell you the truth, I've been hungry to put this series out for years.

Several years ago, after crushing an awesome story in the OXYMORON Volume 1 Hardcover Anthology, writer Rich Douek pitched me a series unlike anything else I had read before... and certainly unlike anything ComixTribe had in its stable.

I loved it.

Rich hooked me in a single type-written page.

Shortly after, I met a young artist who I thought was perfect for Rich's book, concepts started coming in, and the thing looked like it was happening.

And then...

It all fell apart.

The artist, more of a illustrator than a comics guy, realized that this sequential art thing was a lot more work than he thought and bailed out after working on only a few pages.

That's always a tough thing to deal with for a writer...

To have an idea in your head that's just yours, connect with an artist who shares the vision and starts to bring it to life... and then have it stop cold.

It sucks.

And it takes a lot of the wind out of the sails of a project.

Rich decided to put Wailing Blade on the shelf, and instead pursue another series, which ultimately became the incredible GUTTER MAGIC, published by IDW.

(Go grab the trade, it's awesome.)

But WAILING BLADE kept on calling to him.

And over beers a few months back, Rich and fellow New Yorker / ComixTribe VP of Creative artist Joe Mulvey (SCAM) decided to take another swing at this dystopian horror fantasy series... and it's now found its way back home at ComixTribe.

And I. AM. PUMPED!

As hard as it was to lose WAILING BLADE the first time around, I can't tell you how excited I am to get to bring this book to you all soon.

Because over the years, this story and the WB universe has grown into something pretty damn special.

And with a partner like Joe, who gets to cut loose (pun!) on a series unlike anything else we've ever seen him draw, it's going to be a special book.

Now, a lot of you have been asking about when this book will hit the shelves. 

Well, there's no ship date yet and here's why...

It's ComixTribe's new policy not to even solicit a series in the direct market until 75% or more of the series is complete, so that we can work on a monthly (or close to it) release schedule when it drops in the DM.

However, as with SINK, you may want to keep your eyes peeled for those advance release (and not impossible to find) convention exclusive limited edition runs coming to a convention near you to build buzz for the series before it formally releases.

And Joe has been teasing some pages in the ComixTribe Insiders Private FB Group so definitely join us over there as well.

Expect to hear a whole lot more about this series in the months to come.

And we hope you'll #TakeTheBlade with us.

Best,

Tyler James

ComixTribe Publisher

American Mythology adds to Edgar Rice Burroughs universe

EDITOR’S NOTE:  American Mythology has been publishing several comics based on Edgar Rice Burroughs rich body of work, and add to it with Carson of Venus. Read below for more details.   From the American Mythology press release … . . . March 26, 2018: American Mythology, the Maryland-based publisher of comic books and graphic novels, is proud to spearhead a bold new era for fantasy and adventure with “Fear on Four Worlds,” an epic event that unites the iconic heroes of literary great Edgar Rice Burroughs into a shared comic book universe! Beginning with the special one-shot Carson of Venus #1 in June, the four-part “Fear on Four Worlds” storyline will continue across additional special issues in the ensuing months: Moon Maid #1, Pellucidar #1, and The Land That Time Forgot #1, and the aftershocks of this cataclysmic event will ripple through individual miniseries throughout 2018 and beyond!   The first chapter of “Fear on Four Worlds” premieres with Carson of Venus #1, written by the talented Christopher Mills (Gravedigger, Femme Noir) and debuting the gorgeous art style of newcomer Cyrus Mesarcia. Two worlds collide as a group of unlikely explorers from Caspak – the prehistoric realm known to Burroughs fans as “The Land that Time Forgot” – leap across our solar system to the danger-fraught landscape of Venus. Stalked by alien beasts and treacherous villains, their only hope for survival lies in a legendary figure from eighty years in Earth’s past: long-lost astronaut Carson Napier!   “I first discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs in elementary school when I borrowed a copy of Swords of Mars from the bookmobile. Burroughs' unbridled imagination really inspired me then, and still does today,” says Christopher Mills. “When I was offered the Carson of Venus and The Moon Maid writing gigs, I was thrilled! I never thought that I'd get the opportunity to play around in ERB's sandbox, and the prospect of doing so was exhilarating, as his works have influenced my own work to a great extent over the years. In re-reading and researching the novels in preparation for writing the comics, I was once again struck by Burroughs' incredible imagination and pure skill as a storyteller. The man was a genius, and his creations just keep on finding new audiences even after a century in print.”   Mike Wolfer, editor-in-chief of American Mythology, says, “When looking at all four Edgar Rice Burroughs properties, one of the first things that we discussed was how to combine them all into one shared universe. I personally enjoyed the Marvel Universe back in the '70s because of the cohesion. I loved that every once in a while one superhero would wander through the book of another hero; there were cameos, and small events in one series could have major ramifications in a totally unrelated series months or even years later. And that's what we want to do with our ERB Universe.”   The debut issue of Carson of Venus features a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers with the freedom of choice:   “Pulptastic” Main Cover by Mike Wolfer (Lady Death, Friday the 13th) “Visions of Venus” Variant by interior artist Cyrus Mesarcia “Character Design” Limited Edition Variant, also by Mesarcia, limited to a print run of only 350 comics “Blank Sketch” Variant, perfect for professional and aspiring artists to illustrate   Carson Napier, the protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Venus Series, debuted in 1934’s Pirates of Venus as an ambitious rocket pilot intent on reaching Mars, but due to a miscalculation, his ship hurtled out of control. His trajectory drawing him towards the Sun, Napier survived by crash-landing on the cloud-enshrouded planet Venus. Marooned and forever barred from returning to Earth, he quickly found himself in the midst of an alien war for dominance, a reluctant hero facing monsters, winged men, and atomic-powered barbarians.   American Mythology’s revival of Carson Napier as a 21st Century hero (and the cornerstone of their Burroughs-inspired science fiction universe) marks a bold new era for the publisher, as they make time-honored concepts of star-spanning fantasy accessible to curious newcomers while simultaneously rewarding lifelong fans with an expansion that both respects and modernizes iconic characters. “Fear on Four Worlds” is a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, an initiative guaranteed to deliver innovative, captivating storytelling month after month.   Regarding the logistics of the crossover, Mike Wolfer says, “We're dealing with the planet Venus, the Earth's moon, the island continent of Caspak, and Pellucidar, at the Earth's core. Also, each of the novels that our licenses are based upon were set in different time periods in Earth's history. But then I thought of the very premise of our first ERB series, The Land That Time Forgot, and the answer was right in front of us. In Land, we've shown that there is an invisible time barrier around the continent of Caspak that not only hides it from the rest of the world, but also separates it from present time – it is, indeed, a land that time forgot. Our modern day characters passed through that veil, and found themselves on Caspak at the time that heroes Bowen Tyler and Lys La Rue were still trapped there (the time period seen in the first Caspak novel). What we're doing in ‘Fear on Four Worlds’ is expanding that premise; traveling back through that veil will not necessarily transport you to the time from when you came, or the place, and we'll see Abby Tyler and Ethan Bradley attempt just that, which thrusts them into a solar system-spanning adventure that's both thrilling and horrifying.”   American Mythology’s line of Carson of Venus, Moon Maid, Pellucidar, and The Land That Time Forgot titles are officially licensed from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Comic book fans and ERB enthusiasts are no stranger to seeing Burroughs’ iconic heroes in four-color adventures, courtesy of the bestselling Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris series currently in print. In offering an expanded universe of titles to the Burroughs mythos, American Mythology is proud to build upon the successes of recent years and entice new sci-fi fantasy audiences to the comic market.   The Carson of Venus #1, debuting “Fear on Four Worlds”, will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' April 2018 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies with their local comic book retailers. About American Mythology:   American Mythology is the product of over two decades of hard-earned experience in marketing, development, printing, distributing, and creating best-selling editorial in the comic book field. Supported by a veteran, award-winning team of artists, writers, and creative contributors, American Mythology develops a rapidly-growing title base that encompasses pop culture icons of the past six decades, top shelf children’s entertainment, and original, cutting edge contemporary fiction. Representative titles include Stargate Atlantis, The Three Stooges, The Pink Panther, Underdog, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Equilibrium, Hatchet, Rocky & Bullwinkle, just to name a few.   About Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.  was founded in 1923 by the author Edgar Rice Burroughs to manage the rights to his literary works. He is renowned for his many novels of fantastic adventure. His best-known creations are that jungle hero, Tarzan of the Apes and Sci-Fi hero John Carter of Mars, both first published in 1912. The company has overseen every adaptation of his literary works in publishing, film, television, theatrical stage productions, licensing and merchandising. The company continues to be owned by the Burroughs’ family and remains based in Tarzana, California, the city named in honor of Burroughs and his famous storybook character.                                                                                                                                                    Visit us at AmericanMythology.net to keep up with the latest on our new and upcoming comics. https://www.americanmythology.net

New TMNT mini-series features Bebop and Rocksteady

 

Acclaimed Creative Team of Ben Bates and Dustin Weaver Returns for a Destructive 5-Week Event  

from the official IDW Publishing Press Release . . . . .

SAN DIEGO, CA (March 25th, 2018) – Following in the footsteps of Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything, writers/artists extraordinaire Ben Bates and Dustin Weaver return to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan-favorite dysfunctional duo of Bebop and Rocksteady in Bebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road! With a new issue available every Wednesday in August, there’s going to be mayhem and hijinks to keep fans satisfied all month long!
 
When a road trip back to New York City goes sideways and their powers begin to waver, Bebop and Rocksteady stumble upon trouble, as only they can.
 
Co-writer Ben Bates expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the characters, saying, "I have a clear memory of playing with my Rocksteady and Bebop figures as a kid, studying all the details that were unique to each of them, what seem to define their individual personalities and overall thinking how cool as characters they were. It's crazy to me that I still get to play with these guys as an adult; I hope it never stops! Turtles forever!" 
 
“I feel so lucky that Ben and I have gotten to make a contribution to the TMNT universe with these B&R stories,” said Dustin Weaver. “Hit the Road is a natural continuation of what we did in Destroy Everything. It feels just as wild and fun. I kind of love these guys.”
 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastmanwill provide variant covers for the series.
 
"Bebop and Rocksteady are possibly the most demented characters in the TMNT universe,” said senior editor Bobby Curnow. “Seeing their trail of utter carnage across the United States will be nothing but a pedal-to-the-metal blast. Underneath the chaos though, Ben and Dustin have found the unlikely heart—and friendship—that exists between the characters."
 
Catch up on the comic book adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles available wherever books are sold, and mark your calendar for a month of mayhem this August, when Bebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road crashes into stores!

Conclusion to current series begins in July = TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON

 

The First Chapter Launches On Free Comic Book Day

 

from the official IDW Publishing press release . . . . .

SAN DIEGO, CA (March 24th, 2018) – The fate of all worlds are at stake, as the world-eating menace Unicron has set his sights on Cybertron, home of the TRANSFORMERS robots, and next in line… EARTH! A bi-weekly six issue event titled TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON arrives this July and will bring about the end of the TRANSFORMERS universe as we know it. As Optimus Prime gathers his defense against this monstrous threat, it might be too little too late.
 
Veteran TRANSFORMERS creators John Barber (Optimus Prime) and Alex Milne (More Than Meets The Eye) are joined by colorist Sebastian Cheng (Revolution) to tell the epic conclusion to the current TRANSFORMERS comic book universe.
 
“TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON is a culmination of the years of TRANSFORMERS comics I've been a part of... and the conclusion of one of the longest continued narrative in TRANSFORMERS history” said Barber. “This is a story of heroism in the face of impossible odds; of a reckoning for an entire universe. I couldn't be luckier than to have Alex [Milne] right here with me on this—if you know Alex, you know nobody puts more into the TRANSFORMERS than he does, and nowhere before has he drawn drama, action, and pathos at this scale. Tying it all together is the incredible palette of Sebastian Cheng. We've never held back before on our TRANSFORMERS comics, but this time we're pushing ourselves—and each other—harder than ever.”
 
TRANSFORMERS mainstays from the past 12 years will be providing variant covers for the series, including Andrew Griffith, Nick Roche, and many more. Additionally, legendary comic artist Bill Sienkiewicz will be reinterpreting his classic cover to TRANSFORMERS #1 as a special variant, along with a new cover by Francesco Francavilla.
 
“TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON is a grand finale to the past 12 years of TRANSFORMERS comics at IDW and to really celebrate that and to celebrate the people who have made it such an amazing ride, we’re getting some amazing, beloved artists to contribute to what I'm sure will be our biggest—literally—TRANSFORMERS story ever,” said David Mariotte, Associate Editor. “This is an event years in the making and one that only works because of the years fans and creators have invested in the comic.” 
 
The action kicks off on Free Comic Book Day, May 5^th, with the #0 issue by the series creative; available for free at comic shops across the country. Don’t miss the world-ending first chapter of the summer’s cataclysmic event!