January 19th, 2013 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

The 2012 Ghastly Award Nominees

The 2012 Ghastly Award Nominees

November 19th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News, The Thirteenth Floor |

Egmont release digital Edition of The Thirteenth Floor

Egmont UK’s Classic Comics imprint was created to re-publish the wealth of classic comics in their archive.

Four volumes of Roy the Rovers kicked off our e-comic publishing in June this year and now we are excited to announce the launch of further classics on popular comic series from the 70s and 80s.

A fifth Roy of the Rovers has been made available along with publications from Misty and The Thirteenth Floor. From Battle Picture Weekly we will be publishing various strips including Johnny Red, Major Eazy and the ground- breaking Charley’s War. Some of the biggest names in British comics were involved in the creation of these stories, including Pat Mills and John Wagner.

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing Group, said:

“these are iconic magazines which still have a place in the national consciousness. They deserve to be brought back; their appeal also has the potential to transcend the generation gap and reach an entirely new, younger audience. With the limitless possibilities offered up by digital publishing, there has never been a better time to bring these comics to the fore.”

You can purchase these 2 lovely editions via iTunes.

October 16th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Blah, News, Original Comic Strips |

Hallowscream now available via Comicsy

You can now purchase printed copies of Hallowscream via the all new Comicsy website.

With just over 2 weeks until the launch of Hallowscream 4, we are delighted to announce you can now swot up on the 3 previous issues by taking a trip over to the wonderful new UK small press website Comicsy. This excellent site contains a whole host of comics, antholgies and small press doodlings from some awesome names in the UK comics scene, may of who have graced the pages of our beloved Hallowscream.

If you’re too skint to purchase Hallowscream, dont forget you can download them as free digital PDF’s by visiting the Hallowscream website.

October 2nd, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News, Original Comic Strips |

Countdown to Hallowscream

It is coming…

July 20th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

Shakespeare v. Lovecraft

Literary metafiction mashups are all the rage these days, and it was inevitable that sooner or later someone would bring together two of the most famous literary giants, Shakespeare and Lovecraft. BD turns the indie spotlight on D.R. O’Brien who is adapting his own “Shakespeare Vs. Lovecraft” novella into graphic novel form for a bizarre tale of wit and eldritch terror. The story follows Prospero, who discovers the coveted Necronomicon, giving rise to Cthulhu and his pals. It’s up to Shakespeare’s greatest heroes to save the world from oblivion in what can only be an outlandish horror comedy.

Prospero, driven dangerously insane by prolonged exposure to the dread Necronomicon, makes a terrible pact with the titanic alien beast known only as Cthulhu. Now only his enchantress daughter Miranda and a handful of history’s greatest heroes are all that stand between humanity and blasphemous eternal subjugation. It’s a bloodbath of Shakespearean proportions as Cthulhu and his eldritch companions come at our protagonists from all manner of strange geometric angles in a hideous and savage battle for supremacy.

Check out the trailer below.

We’ve got a preview of the graphic novel adaptation too with some great art by Curt Sibling.

You can purchase the Kindle version of the Shakespeare v Lovecraft novella via Amazon

July 13th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

New Sandman Series Announced

A few years ago, Neil Gaiman was approached by DC Comics to write a new chapter in the Sandman series. He referred to it as Sandman Zero, it would tell the story of what Dream was up to, when he was captured by humans, trying to enslave Death.

However, Gaiman describes the contract offered as less than ideal, giving him similar terms as when he began the book. And, that as a sucessful and famous fantasy author, his added value was considerable. He proposed a solution, to increase the percentage on his other Sandman work being printed over a much longer period of time, that would make up for the loss. DC Comics declined, so Gaiman went on to write the novel The Graveyard book instead, which did very well.

Now, seemingly in the light of Before Watchmen, DC have approached Neil Gaiman again. And based on the bar talk at San Diego last night, we can presume that this time, if it is indeed the same Sandman premise and not something new, negotiations have been more successful.

And on art, is one artist who I was told had a new project, Batwoman and Promethea‘s JH Williams III.

If true, one might expect an announcement sooner rather than later. DC Vertigo are publishing the new Sandman Slipcase Set, a new collection of Gaiman’s Neil Gaiman’s Midnight Days Deluxe Edition work and there is a prominent Sandman visual at the San Diego booth this year. I’d heard some rumours about Sandman being reintroduced into the New52 recently that were denied at the highest levels, so I didn’t report them. This one is far more widespread however, and also a tad more believable.

Especially with the rumour that Williams III had a big new DC project to announce this week…

Check out the video announcement below.

Original article from Bleeding Cool

June 29th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

The Walking Dead Magazine

Titan Magazines and Skybound have announced the launch of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine, based on Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning comic book series, best-selling graphic novels and Emmy-winning AMC television series based upon them.

Following its transition from groundbreaking comic book to the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time, The Walking Dead has cemented its status, not only as a phenomenon with the wildly diverging fans of horror and of character-driven drama, but as a milestone in quality, mainstream television.

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine will feature an inside look at the comic and show as only a fully sanctioned quarterly can. No one will get more exclusives than this magazine. Get exclusive access to the most successful television adaptation of a comic ever, including in-depth interviews Kirkman, Executive Producer/Writer on the show; Glen Mazzara, Showrunner/ Executive Producer/Writer of the series and David Alpert, Executive Producer of the series.

And that’s not all – readers will hear from all of the leads on the hit TV show Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes; Sarah Wayne Callies, who stars as Lori Grimes, Jon Bernthal, who played fan-favourite bad boy Shane.

Robert Kirkman commented, “This magazine will be your one stop destination for all the news pertaining to the comic, TV show, video game, toys, games, and whatever else exists in the ever-expanding Walking Dead universe! If it’s happening, you’ll find out all about it right here!” Nick Landau, Titan Publisher, added: “We’re very excited to be publishing the quarterly The Walking DeadMagazine with Robert Kirkman and Skybound, which will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to get unlimited access to the show and comic.”

Fans will also get the opportunity to ask Kirkman what’s coming up in future issues of The Walking Dead, or find out how the series artist Charlie Adlard keeps up with the fast pace of the monthly comic so brilliantly.

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine debuts on 23rd October in the US with 100 pages of all access, no holds barred zombie festing and feasting. With all the latest news, revelations and tips for fans of the television show and the graphic novels.

Issue #1 of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine comes with an alternative cover featuring an exclusive, coloured zombie scene by The Walking Dead comic artist, Charlie Adlard. This alternative collector’s edition is only available through comic stores. Retailers can order via August Diamond PREVIEWS.

Fans of the show are urged to join The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with exclusive developments and deals. The magazine is currently offering fans a special pre-order subscription saving 20% off the newsstand cover price – click here

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine issue #1 will be available on newsstands and in specialty comic book stores in the US on 23rd October in the UK on 8th November and Australia & New Zealand on 18th December

For more information on The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine visit: www.titanmagazines.com/t/the-walking-dead/

Original Story from Down The Tubes

June 21st, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

‘Ex Sanguine’ teased by Dark Horse

Dark Horse Comics has released an Ex Sanguine teaser. Tim Seeley and Josh Emmons’s new title was teased under the strapline: “Dark Horse horror gets under your skin.” The series was first unveiled at Chicago’s C2E2 convention in April.

“It started off as our take on the vampire romance genre, which obviously is very popular, very prevalent,” Seeley said of the projects origins. “We were talking about the kind of people these stories, it’s usually the mopey sad girl finding eternal love with the supportive immortal guy. We thought that relationship would go very differently. If you were someone who spent his entire long existence killing people, you would 1.) get bored, and 2.) you’d be looking for someone to make it exciting and you wouldn’t be able to relate to normal people. The longer we talked about it, we realized the perfect romance would be between a vampire and a serial killer.

“That’s the high concept: it’s a romance between a vampire and a serial killer. But it’s lots of other things,” Seeley continued. “It’s kind of a detective story. And the vampire and the serial killer kind of try to set each other up for a series of murders. But in the meantime, they’re having this twisted romance. Kind of ‘Dexter’ meets ‘True Blood,’ that’s the Hollywood pitch.”

The writer is best known as the creator of Hack/Slash. He is currently working on Witchblade and Revival.

A Hack/Slash movie adaptation is currently in development.

Ex Sanguine will debut in Autumn 2012.

June 19th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #94: James Murray

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer James Murray about Hard Coal Studios, Classic Horror Comics: Bride of Prometheon, The Phantom Flyer, Shock Value and so much more.

Listen to Dan’s podcast here.

You can find out more about James at www.hardcoalstudios.com You can find out more about musical guest Sybreed at www.sybreed.com

This show runs for about 37 minutes.

June 12th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ News |

Alan Moore’s ‘Neonomicon’ Pulled From Library

Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows’s Neonomicon has been withdrawn from a public library in the US following a complaint over its sexual content.

Some dippy bitch didn’t realise quite what they were getting themselves in for when they selected a comic from Greenville County Library in South Carolina, despite the fact that the GN was in the adults section.

The library pulled two copies of the anthology from its shelves after Carrie Gaske filed an official challenge against it. Check out the full news story below.

GREENVILLE, S.C. –
It doesn’t take much to get 14 year old Jennifer Gaske hooked on a new book. “Just as long as it has somethign good in it,” says the rising 8th grader. Gaske and her mother, Carrie, frequently go to the Anderson Road branch of the Greenville County library system to check out books. Recently, the teen found the book, “Neonomicon”, in the library’s adult section and thought it would be a real page turner. Kids above the age of 13 can check out books in the adult section, if they have their parents’ permission. “It looked like a murder mystery comic book to me,” recalls Carrie Gaske. “It looked like a child’s book. I flipped through it, and thought it was ok for her to check out.”

After a few chapters, though, Gaske got a shock. “It was good at first,” says Jennifer. “Then it got nasty.” Her mother says, “She came into my living room and asked me what a certain word meant and I said honey where did you hear that word? I said that’s a nasty word we don’t use that in the house.”

Inside the book, Gaske found graphic sexual content and pictures of nude men and women engaging in sexual activity. Seven on Your Side cannot show much of that content because it is so explicit. “The more into I got the more shocked I was, I really had no idea this type of material was allowed at a public library,” says Carrie Gaske. “I feel that has the same content of Hustler or Playboy or things like that,” she says. “Maybe even worse.”

The library system’s executive director, Beverly James, says although the book was placed in the library’s adult section, teens with a “juvenile adult” library card are allowed to check out books in that section. Gaske still believes such books should have a warning label for parents as well. “I really think if they’re going to carry this type of material there needs to be a rating on it,” Gaske says. “There’s ratings on movies, music, video games. My daughter cannot go to the video game store and get a mature video game without me there.”

James says the library system has never used a rating system, and it’s up to each parent to read between the lines, and decide what’s appropriate for their child. Gaske has filed an official challenge to the book. For now, the system’s two copies in circulation have been pulled from the shelves while a committee reviews the content. “I’m definitely going to have to review every book they read more from now on,” says Gaske.

Original story here…

Also of note, back in 2010 this same graphic novel was banned from Secret Headquarters comic store in Florida, due to “the pornographic content”. I don’t know about you but this just makes me want to read it even more.