The book features 36 pages of self-contained, full-color stories and retails for £3.50. It is currently available at the publisher’s website, www.londonhorrorcomic.com, for £3.50 worldwide. Previews of all four issues are also available at the site.

In issue four: a traveller takes a paranoid train journey on London’s Underground. A super villain has to deal with life in the real world when he becomes a trainee in a local coffee shop. And the terrors of working the night-shift and repercussions of the credit crunch are also covered in three other stories.

You can see a preview of the comic here.

A new animated manga style series of Blade about to be unleashed in Japan. Animax, a division of Sony dedicated to anime TV shows, is already hitting it big with Iron Man and Wolverine series and is now looking to add two more with Blade and X-Men, both of which were announced at San Diego Comic-Con last year.

Harold Perrineau voices Eric Brooks, the supernatural Daywalker known as Blade, making his animated series debut with more action, terrifying villains, and bloodthirsty monsters than you’ve ever seen before. Following in the steps of other hit Marvel anime series, Blade offers viewers 12 half-hour weekly episodes destined to leave you wanting more, exclusively on G4.

Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire while pregnant, imbuing her unborn son with vampire strength and a thirst for blood, but without the vulnerability to sunlight. A master of weaponry with a desire to avenge the death of his mother, Blade finds himself in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia in an effort to take down the evil villain, Deacon Frost. With vampire hunter Makoto at his side, they will stop at nothing to destroy Existence, a vampire organization with roots deeply embedded in Asia.

The animation is done by Japanese company Madhouse and is a combination of traditional animation with computer generated imagery to boot. Released this January.

You can find this festive 4 page freebie by clicking and releasing your mouse (in that order) just here.

At 112 pages it’s a bit of a monster, weighing in at just over 53MB, so may take a short while to download.

Don’t forget there is still a chance to get hold a printed version of the comic by pledging money to the Hallowscream IndieGoGo Appeal. There’s only a few hours left to show your appreciation so click on the link above, watch the appeal video, and give generously to this worthy cause.

Full contents are as follows…

• Page 3 : Passenger Story by Chris Sides, Art by Chris Travell
• Page 9 : Storage Story by Lizzie Boyle, Art by Louis Carter
• Page 14 : Pirates Story by Tim West, Art by Nathaniel Allen
• Page 19 : Man-Eater Story by Alec Robertson, Art by Christopher Geary
• Page 25 : Charles Wynford Lodge Movie Posters by Julian Jones
• Page 26 : Deep Ship by Gordon Innes
• Page 31 : Terrorvision Guide by Malcolm Kirk
• Page 32 : Deccappucino Story by Jeff Edmond, Art & Adaptation by Vin Davis
• Page 39 : Vampire Vixens of The Wehrmacht Pin-up by Alex Ronald
• Page 40 : The Wandering Man Story by David Hailwood, Art by Chow
• Page 45 : Spatial Bewareness by Gordon Innes
• Page 49 : The Offering by Emilio Martinez
• Page 55 : Old Georgie Jigsaw Story by Jeff Edmond, Art & Adaptation by Vin Davis
• Page 61 : Charles Wynford Lodge Movie Posters by Julian Jones
• Page 62 : Donation Story by Richard Worth, Art by Christian Berg
• Page 65 : Mag, Scientist (Dinnertime of The Dead) by Malcolm Kirk
• Page 66 : Wonderful World of Serendipity Story by Dirk Van Dom, Art by Tony Rothwell, Lettering by Jim Campbell
• Page 72 : A Wolf At The Door Story by Kenneth Thurtell, Art by Harry Shotton, Lettering by HdE
• Page 77 : Dead Time Story Story by Scott Hartman, Art by El Chivo,
  Lettering by David Withers
• Page 80 : Speed Date 2 : Cruz Control Story by Dirk Van Dom, Art by Bhuna, Lettering by Chaingun Chimp
• Page 86 : Ubek Naren-Ka Story by Matthew McLaughlin, Art by Ghostpockets,
  Lettering by Bolt-01
• Page 91 : Monster Story by Erick Lipkowski, Adaptation by Tim West,
  Art by Carol Kewley
• Page 97: Death Pitch Story by Jose Cruz, Art by Annie Cox
• Page 103 : Teddy Bear’s Picnic Story by Tim West, Art by Glen Ostrander
• Page 105 : How Can You Like That Horror Stuff? by Huw Evans
• Page 111 : Deadvertisements by Malcolm Kirk
• …and… Page 112 : Back Cover Skull by Malcolm Kirk

In the mean time feast your eyes on the gorgeous front cover below.

The tenth issue of HAUNTED magazine, (Nov/Dec 2011), is now on sale at selected branches of WH Smith and newsagents across the UK.

For just £3.99, it contains over a hundred pages of cool eclectic stuff covering all things paranormal and includes the like of interviews with James Randi and Warwick Davis, articles and features on the Pendle Witches, Oakley Court Hotel, Alton Towers, British horror toys, loads of mediumistic, ghosthunting and spiritual stuff, and lots, lots, (lots), more. Scream! comic even gets a brief mention.

…and in among all this is an exclusive single-page promotional Hallowscream comic strip by yours truly, (with a couple of teensy panels by Matthew Soffe and Liam Matthew Byrne).

Sound interesting? Go buy the thing then.

Hallowscream is a global horror comic that brings artists and writers together from around the world. The project is open to both amateur and professional comic creators and you can see the mix of styles and stories for yourself in the first two issues on the Hallowscream site.

In March of this year we announced details of Hallowscream 2011 on various platforms around the internet. From that announcement we received loads of stories from eager horror writers all looking to see their work appear in an online comic. Some of these terrifying tales were already in script format while others arrived as spooky short stories or even petrifying poems. We were then able to match these stories to comic artists who had answered our call and wanted to be a part of Hallowscream. We also received a few completed horror strips from existing comic creators which had yet to be published. This year’s issue features the work of contributors from America, Australia, UK (where it all began) and the rest of Europe!

Visit the IndieGoGo site to find out more details and to pledge money to this project. Make sure you check out the promotional video and take a look at the rewards you get for pledging money to the cause.

If the full target is not reached then the campaign will be cancelled and this fang-tastic comic will not be printed. It’s all or nothing by October 31st.

It’s been confirmed that series 2 of The Walking Dead will debut with a double-length episode. The 13 episode run will also be broken into two halves, with the first half premiering in October and the second in February. You can view a trailer of the new series here.

With director Frank Darabont no longer at the helm will the quality of the show be of a good enough standard? When the entire writing team from series 1 was fired earlier in the year, alarm bells began to ring. Now, without Darbont’s influence, and with rumours of AMC budget cuts, The Walking Dead TV series has the potential to crash and burn! Darabont was replaced by former deputy and executive producer Glen Mazzara.

The Walking Dead will return to AMC on Sunday, October 16. We’re hoping it can build AND improve on series 1.

Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan’s vampire triology is to be given the comic book treatment by Dark Horse. Del Toro will be involved, ‘executive producing’ the comics, with the creative team of writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston bringing their own skills in to the mix.

If the comics can live up to the books then we should be in for a real treat. The novel of The Strain is a real page-turner of a book filled with tension. If your a fan of Guillermo’s work you can spot his influence concerning the creatures within the book, which Chuck Hogan adapts to the written word extremely well.

The trilogy will unfold in 24 issues, 8 issues for each book, The Strain, The Fall and The Eternal (Released this October). The first issue of The Strain will be on sale on the 14th December at an introductory price of $1.00. Dark Horse have also announced they are launching the digital version on the same day and that will be available to download for a mere $1.99.

Visit the Dark Horse site for more details.

Thanks to a huge response from horror comic creators around the world this year’s issue will be the best yet! We are now no longer accepting story submissions for this year’s edition of Hallowscream. A massive thank you to all those who have sent in a story. Not every submitted story has been selected to appear in the 2011 issue. Don’t worry though, there’s always next year.

We have a load of finished stories already with many more still being worked on. For those artists out there still furiously drawing and painting the official deadline date for final submissions is Sunday 23rd October. Please make sure you have submitted the completed work by that date. Anything later and we cannot guarantee it will make it in to the comic.

LAST CHANCE SALOON: If you’re an comic creator still looking to be part of this awesome project and believe you could illustrate a story before the the deadline (2 months away) then get in touch immediately. We have plenty of great stories that need bringing to life at the hands of a talented artist.

The finished issue will be available online on October 31st 2011. For more information and to get involved visit the dedicated Hallowscream Forum over on HorrorComics.org

The long running and popular fantasy horror role-playing game Kult was originally created in Sweden by Gunilla Jonsson and Michael Petersén way back in 1991. Notable for its philosophical and religious depth as well as its extreme violence and mature content Kult is a ‘cult classic’ amongst RPG fans.

The story of Kult is set in contemporary times but borrows from gnostic beliefs to present our world as an ‘Illusion’ behind which a darker and sinister ‘Reality’ lurks filled with unspeakable horrors and evil. Characters in the RPG experience an ‘Awakening’, granting them special powers and allowing them to see both parts of existence, including the monsters and terrors that lie beyond. Sounds like it would make an excellent horror comic!

Well it just so happens that Dark Horse is releasing a 4 part mini series set in the world of Kult.

Dark Horse claim

The Kult series introduces this setting anew with parole officer Tomas Zenk, one of the few who can pierce the illusion. As he overcomes monsters sent to kill him, Zenk discovers the true extent of his powers, including the ability to exert control over the machinery of humanity’s enslavement. But will he aid the forces attempting to bring down the illusion . . . or succumb to the temptations of power?

Issue 1 is now available. Find out more, including a 6 page preview, on the Dark Horse website.

The 42nd San Diego Comic Con has just ended after a long weekend of wowing comic fans and geeks from across the globe. Of the many trailers shown at the event, there are a few worthy of a mention but only one that fits this blog’s mandate. It’s The Walking Dead of course. This trailer seems more of a preview from the first episode of the new series but is still fairly drool enducing.

“In addition, the new #1s will introduce readers to a more modern, diverse DC Universe, with some character variations in appearance, origin and age. All stories will be grounded in each character’s legend – but will relate to real world situations, interactions, tragedy and triumph.”

This will include the following horror comics:

SWAMP THING
“DC Comics embraces its dark side. On the 40th anniversary of the character’s creation, the New York Times bestselling writer of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, Scott Snyder, teams up with Yannick Paquette (BATMAN, INCORPORATED) to bring horror back to the DC Universe in SWAMP THING #1. For years, one man served against his will as the avatar of nature. And while he may have been freed of the monster, he’s about to learn the monster will never truly let go of him.”

 

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK
“John Constantine, Deadman, Shade the Changing Man and Madame Xanadu are Justice League Dark, a band of supernatural heroes united to stop the dark things the rest of the DCU does not see in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1, by Peter Milligan and artist Mikel Janin.”

 

 

 

I, VAMPIRE
“Vampires threaten to bring ruin to the DC Universe in I, VAMPIRE #1 by rising star Josh Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Tortured by his centuries-old love for the Queen of the Damned, Andrew Bennett must save humanity from the violent uprising of his fellow vampires, even if it means exterminating his own kind.”

 

 

 

DEMON KNIGHTS
“Set in the Middle Ages, the Demon leads an unlikely team to defend civilization and preserve the last vestiges of Camelot against the tide of history. Critically-acclaimed writer Paul Cornell and artists Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert combine sorcery, swords and superheroes in DEMON KNIGHTS #1.”

 

 

 

VOODOO
“Priscilla Kitaen has just found out she’s a monster. A half-alien hybrid, the woman known as Voodoo must confront the secrets of her past to make sense of the nightmare her life has suddenly become. VOODOO #1 will be written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri.”

 

 

 

FRANKENSTEIN: AGENT OF SHADE
“Frankenstein and his network of strange beings work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. It’s the breakout hero of Seven Soldiers as you’ve never seen him before in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1, the first issue of a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody) and artist Alberto Ponticelli.”

 

 

RESURRECTION MAN
“A cult favorite character returns in a new series written by his classic creative team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Joining them is JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST artist Fernando Dagnino. RESURRECTION MAN #1 is the story of a hero who wakes up with new powers each time he’s killed.”

 

 

 

ANIMAL MAN
“Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? Find out in ANIMAL MAN #1, the start of a dramatic new series by acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire and artists Travel Foreman and Dan Green.”

 

 

 

 

It’s a massive move from industry giant D.C. Comics which they are hoping will help to boost falling comic sales. While many fan-boys are horrified at the announcement others will also see it as a wise move, breathing fresh life back in the the D.C multiverse and reaching out to new readers. Some really hated the idea as you can see for yourself below…

Appearing just in time for Hallowe’en, this new collection will reprint two stories, originally printed within the pages of 2000AD back in 2001, and both illustrated by the talented Frazer Irving.

Necronauts, written by Gordon Rennie, tells the story of a team-up of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, H.P. Lovecraft and Charles Fort, as they attempt to thwart dark forces with plans to enslave humanity.

A Love Like Blood by John Smith is kind of like Romeo & Juliet but with vampires and werewolves. Yes, it does sound a bit like Underworld, but this appeared two years before Kate Beckinsale showed up in that tight leather outfit.

…What was I talking about again?

Oh, yes…

Tharg’s Terror Tales Presents Necronauts and A Love Like Blood will be published 18th October.

Price : £12.35
128 Pages

Amazon link

British horror author and director Clive Barker has given the degree his backing and hopes to take a class. According to Dr Jason Lee (no relation to Christopher Lee), the university’s head of film and media, this is the only MA in the world of its kind.

The new MA Humanities – Horror and Transgression is an innovative postgraduate course in film, literature and cultural studies offering the opportunity to work both critically and creatively. Drawing on the expertise of internationally renowned practicing writers and critics, the themes of Horror and Transgression explores what our limits consist of and the boundaries of culture and society. Through the analysis of culture we understand what defines us collectively and individually as humans and what is beyond the human. The course has the support of horror writer Clive Barker who is planning to be involved, saying “Thank you for Raising Hell in Derby!”

A marvelous course for those interested in the macarbe. Who wouldn’t want to be a real life Master of Horror!

Course Details.

Back from the Depths has been without a forum for a while now so it gives me great pleasure to announce the new Scream forum can now be found on www.horrorcomics.org

HorrorComics.org is a brand new and exciting venture that will hopefully one day grow to become the No.1 place to talk horror comics on the web. From pre-code horror comics, such as EC Classics like Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, all the way up to modern horror comics, such as The Walking Dead and Locke & Key, this new site will cater for every ghoul’s horror needs.

In the mean time Scream fans have the place to themselves so if you’re looking for a place to talk about IPC’s ghastly horror comic Scream! then head on over to www.horrorcomics.org

Synopsis
Conceived in violence, born in shadow and pain…bent on revenge!

Humpty Dumpty is a horrifyingly original new take on an old familiar character! Two backwoods redneck brothers are confronted with a dangerous egg-shaped creature whose mother they torture and kill for fun. Half-human, half-alien, Humpty Dumpty exacts his bloody, murderous rage on the brothers in an unforgettable story of revenge.

A graphic novel version of the upcoming ‘Humpty Dumpty 3D’ is to be published by IDW/Revenger Comics. IDW already publishes many movie and TV related graphic novels such as I Am Legend, 30 Days of Night, Star Trek, Transformers, True Blood and many others. According to the official Humpty Dumpty: The Movie website the graphic novel is on its way and will hit before the film itself. There is also a decent preview of the graphic novel on the site and a trailer composed of pictures taken from it which i’ve included below.

Although this has been kicking around in pre-production for some time, mainly due to director David R. Ellis’s other commitments it seems likely to step up a gear and has all the makings of a cult classic. It seems that re-working old fairy tales is in fashion at the moment. There’s already a big budget production of Red Riding Hood currently at the cinemas AND Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters is due for release next year. After these 2 movies it would be at this point i’d usually try and write something amusing like “what a next, a Humpty Dumpty movie, yeah right that would be…oh”

Points of interest – The Governator operates from a hi-tech bunker called the “Arnold Cave” under his home in Los Angeles and his enemies are a dastardly group of super-villains from an organisation called Gangsters, Imposters, Racketeers, Liars & Irredeemable Ex-cons aka The G.I.R.L.I.E Men!

The project is a collaboration between Schwarzenegger, branded entertainment firm A Squared Entertainment, comic books publisher Archie Comics and POW! Entertainment – the company headed by former Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee.

I gotta admit, although it’s a bit of a cheese fest, the trailer looks pretty damn cool!

Arnold starred in some amazing movies back in the day – Predator, Terminator, Running Man etc. These were quite simply amazing films and Arnie has long been held in high regard by pretty much everyone on the planet. His move to cash in on his fame and muscle in to politics was a load of crap and when he left his position as Governor of California earlier this year he was generally regarded by the residents of California as a twat. This new cartoon seems a fairly shrewd move for Arnie as a lot of stupid people have trouble defining the lines between reality and media slush. Even though it’s only a cartoon I can see many people actually believing this is in some way a semi-biographical representation of Schwarzenegger, who does actually fight crime.

The Rondo Hatton awards are currently in their ninth year. Nominees for the Rondo are selected from suggestions by horror fans, pros and enthusiasts offered all year at the Classic Horror Film Boards.

Best Film of 2010

• THE BLACK SWAN
• Runners-up: INCEPTION; THE WOLFMAN
• Honorable mention: LET ME IN

Best TV Presentation

• THE WALKING DEAD: Days Gone Bye
• Runner-up: DOCTOR WHO
• Honorable mentions: SHERLOCK; TRUE BLOOD

Best Classic DVD

• THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS
• Runners-up: KING KONG 1933 (Blu-Ray); THE WOLF MAN SPECIAL EDITION
• Honorable mentions: VAMPIRE CIRCUS; NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

Best Classic Horror Collection

• THRILLER: THE COMPLETE SERIES
• Runner-up: TWILIGHT ZONE (Seasons One and Two; Blu-Ray)
• Honorable mentions: HAMMER FILMS: ICONS OF SUSPENSE; LON CHANEY SIX-FILM COLLECTION

Best Restoration

• THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS
• Runner-up: PSYCHO: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
• Honorable mentions: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW; BBC SHERLOCK HOLMES

Best Short Film

• UNITED MONSTER TALENT AGENCY (Greg Nicotero)
• Runner-up: DREADFUL HALLOWGREEN SPECIAL
• Honorable mentions: THE DEVIL AT LOST CREEK; VOLKODLAK

Book of the Year

• THE ART OF HAMMER:Posters from the Archives of Hammer Films, by Marcus Hearn
• Runner-up: CONFESSIONS OF A SCREAM QUEEN, by Matt Beckoff
• Honorable mentions: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Behind the Scenes of the Most Terrifying Zombie Movie Ever, by Joe Kane, RAY HARRYHAUSEN: Master of the Majicks, Vol. 3, by Mike Hankin, FORRY: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman, by Debbie Painter, HOUSE OF ACKERMAN: A Photographic Tour of the Legendary Ackermansion, by Al Astrella, James Greene

Best Website

• DREAD CENTRAL
• Runners-up: Trailers from Hell; Fearnet.com; Universal Monster Army
• Honorable mentions: Dr. Gangrene’s Chiller Cinema; Count Gore de Vol’s Creature Features; Horrorhost Graveyard

Best Blog

• FRANKENSTEINIA
• Runners-up: The Drunken Severed Head;
• Terror from Beyond the Daves; Video Watchblog
• Honorable mentions: The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla; Final Girl; Cinema Suicide; Monster Magazine World

Best Horror Comic Book

• THE WALKING DEAD, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard
• Runner-up: BELA LUGOSI’S TALES FROM THE GRAVE (Monsterverse)
• Honorable mentions: VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS; HELLBOY: DOUBLE FEATURE OF EVIL; AMERICAN VAMPIRE; THE GOON

Best Toy, Model or Collectible

• Creature and Julie (Diamond Select)
• Runner-up: Karloff bust series (Ray Santoleri)
• Honorable mentions: Elvira (Amok Time); Zacherley (Executive Replicas); Psycho Bates Mansion, mother in window included (Round 2/Polar Lights); Twilight Zone Gremlin Bobblehead (Bif!Bang!Pow!)

Cyber Horror Awards 2010

The third annual Cyber Horror Awards are horror film awards decided by the online horror-blogging/writing community. Check out the nominees and WINNERS in each category.

Val Lewton Award for Best Film

• WINNER: Black Swan, Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Agnes b. Productions
• Let Me In, Hammer Films
• Survival of the Dead, Blank of the Dead Productions
• Piranha 3-D, Dimension Films

David Cronenberg Award for Best Director

• WINNER:Darren Aronofksy, Black Swan
• John Dowdle, Devil
• Breck Eisner, The Crazies
• Matt Reeves, Let Me In
• Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island

Vincent Price Award for Best Actor

• Timothy Olyphant, The Crazies
• Benicio Del Toro, The Wolfman
• Dieter Laser, The Human Centipede
• Onni Tommila, Rare Exports
• WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island

Jamie Lee Curtis Award for Best Actress

• WINNER: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
• Chloe Moretz, Let Me In
• Emily Blunt, The Wolfman
• Sarah Butler, I Spit on Your Grave
• Radha Mitchell, The Crazies

Dwight Frye Award for Best Supporting Actor

• Ben Kingsley, Shutter Island
• Kenneth Welsh, Survival of the Dead
• Jorma Tommila, Rare Exports
• Akihiro Kitamura, The Human Centipede
• WINNER: Vincent Cassel, Black Swan

Linnea Quigley Award for Best Supporting Actress

• Geraldine Chaplin, The Wolfman
• WINNER: Delphine Chaneac, Splice
• Mila Kunis, Black Swan
• Winona Ryder, Black Swan
• Danielle Panabaker, The Crazies

Curt Siodmak Award for Best Screenplay

• Brian Nelson, Devil
• Jalmari Helander, Petri Jokiranta & Sami Parkkinen, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
• Scott Kosar, The Crazies
• Matt Reeves, Let Me In
• WINNER: Mark Heyman, Black Swan

Molly Arbuthnot Award for Best Costume Design

• Amy Westcott, Black Swan
• WINNER: Milena Canonero, The Wolfman
• Sandy Powell, Shutter Island

Tom Savini Award for Best Makeup

• Manlio Roccheti, Shutter Island
• David Ambit, Santiago, Gijon Jiminez, Juan Almo & Paulo Requena, [REC]2
• WINNER: Rick Baker, The Wolfman

Ray Harryhausen Award for Best Visual Effects

• Shutter Island
• WINNER: Black Swan
• Wolfman

Albert S. D’Agostino Award for Best Production Design

• WINNER: Shutter Island, Dante Ferretti
• Black Swan, Therese DePrez
• The Wolfman, Rick Heinrichs

Bernard Herrmann Award for Best Score

• Bill Abbot, The Wolfman
• WINNER: Clint Mansell, Black Swan
• Christoph Bauschtinger, Devil

Karl Freund Award for Best Cinematography

• Tak Fujimoto, Devil
• Robert Richardson, Shutter Island
• Neil Lisk, I Spit on Your Grave
• Shelly Johnson, The Wolfman
• WINNER: Matthew Libatique, Black Swan