Twitch is the first online horror anthology comic created completely on an iPad 2 using Comic Book! software and a Nikon CoolPix camera. It premiered October 31st on Arrow In The Head at JoBlo.com.
The first story, Do Not Disturb, is a suspenseful tale about a nosy hotel maid whose snooping a suspicious room leads to terrifying consequences. The comic panels were rendered using actual photographs as a base, producing a photorealistic graphic style for the story in the classic Tales From The Crypt format.
"The technique and software provide limitless visual possibilities for comic storytelling, and keeps the process completely in the hands of the writer/creator without having to rely on traditional artists," says comic creator and horror icon, Eric Red.
Do Not Disturb is the first of a series created on Comic Book! to be released in the Twitch horror anthology exclusively on Arrow in the Head.
Publisher Mohawk Media has released the first issue of its digital comic book series, Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde. The series is written by Chris Bunting and illustrated by JL Czerniawski, who previously collaborated on the publisher’s Mr. T graphic novels.
Bunting says: “I’ve already written a few famous faces, but this is something extra special: bringing a number of world-famous characters together for the ultimate showdown.
“My other goal was to redress the mistreatment these characters have so often received. Robin Hood isn’t portrayed here as the gallant hero he obviously never was, and Dracula is closer in tone to the original than perhaps ever before.
“As for Jekyll and Hyde, he was the main inspiration for the Hulk. Because of this, it never felt right that Hulk was always portrayed as bigger and stronger... until now.
“But this isn’t just a horror tale, despite the Halloween launch of issue #1. It’s full of supernatural, sci-fi, superheroics – and good old-fashioned scraps.
“It’s a clash of genres as much as it is a clash of the characters who embody and represent those genres.”
Editor Stuart Buckley adds: “It feels right for a British writer to bring these British-born legends together through a British publisher. The characters’ quintessential ‘Britishness’ won’t be lost in translation as it so often has been in the past.
“As a result, we expect this series to have major global appeal. The first issue is ready to download worldwide now.
“Like many readers, we miss the days when a clash between the likes of Thing and Hulk generated far more interest than publicity stunts which seem to get in the way of solid storytelling, like ‘killing off’ the hero. We hope to bring that kind of excitement back.”
Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde will initially be a three issue series available monthly exclusively via the publisher’s groundbreaking line of ECO COMICS, with further instalments of the series to be announced.
It is expected to usher in a “versus” range of titles from the publisher.
The twenty-page issue and is available to order for $1.95 here: Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde #1
Frank Forte, publisher of Asylum Press, has announced that Asylum Press released a five page preview of the fan favorite Fearless Dawn: The Secret Of The Swamp One Shot. The Secret Of The Swamp is written and illustrated by Steve Mannion (The Bomb, Batman Black and White, Tales From The Crypt, Warlash:Dark Noir)
Description: Once again our sexy heroine, Fearless Dawn, gets herself into a predicament she can't get out of. Following a treasure map to find a secret elixir, Fearless Dawn travels deep within a murky swamp. Ignoring the warnings of Old Lady Flannigan, and hot on the trail of buried pirate booty, Fearless Dawn and her sidekick, "The Masked Kid" get assaulted by the giant swamp creature. Can our heroes make it out alive?
Catch the preview here: Fearless Dawn: The Secret Of The Swamp One Shot PreviewProduct Title: Fearless Dawn: The Secret Of The Swamp #1
Frequency: One Shot
Intended Audience: General Readers
Format: Comic Book, 32 pgs, full color, Saddle Stitched
Retail Price: $2.95
IDW Publishing has announced Road Rage, a new partnership with best-selling authors Stephen King and Joe Hill, to produce a comic-book adaptation of their co-written adventure tale, Throttle. This monthly two-part series begins in February, and will be followed by two issues adapting the story that inspired Throttle, Richard Matheson's classic tale of suspense, Duel, beginning in April.
"Throttle is a story that really begs for a visual adaptation: it's got bikes and badasses and lots of expensive rolling iron blowing up and getting smashed," said Hill. "Who doesn't get off on that? I can't wait to see IDW get behind the wheel and take the thing out for a spin."
Throttle, the first collaboration between father-and-son King and Hill, was not only inspired by Matheson's Duel, it also only appeared in print in a limited-edition anthology honoring Matheson's works, He is Legend. Throttle and Duel were subsequently released as an audiobook called Road Rage, which is the banner title the comics will also carry.
Throttle tells the story of a motorcycle gang pursued by an unseen assailant in a big rig, but as might be expected knowing the talent involved, things aren't exactly as they seem.
"Working with the great Joe Hill (I can say that because he's my kid) on such a kick-ass story was a terrific treat, and this version takes it to whole new level," said King. "Rev up and climb on!"
Adapting the story alongside Hill and King is Chris Ryall, IDW's Chief Creative Officer and the editor of Hill's New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, Locke & Key. Handling art duties is Nelson Daniel, whose own collaboration with Hill and artist Zach Howard, The Cape, was nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award. Daniel will handle full art and colors, and provide a cover. Acclaimed artist Phil Noto will also provide covers for the two-part series. Ryall, who received a 2006 Eisner nomination for his and Ashley Wood's adaptation of Matheson's "Blood Son," will also adapt Duel, with artist Rafa Garres for that two-part series. As a special bonus on the King/Hill story, artist Tony Harris will paint two incentive covers that show the authors themselves on a motorcycle road-trip.
"Like Joe and Steve, Richard Matheson's Duel had a huge impact on me as a kid," said Ryall. "And so did the works of Stephen King. Add to that mix the chance to continue working with Hill and Daniel, two of the very best creators of my generation, and you've got the makings of a project that's very special to me. And as long as I don't screw up my part, it'll hopefully be as special for all their fans when it comes out. Otherwise, you know who to blame..."
Road Rage: Throttle will be released in February and March, with Road Rage: Duel to follow in April and May.
Horror Author and indie Film Producer Lia Scott Price has turned her Vampire Trilogy novel The Guardian, Revenant, and Dominion into a free online comic book. She and her co-artist Wendell Nelson are the illustrators. It’s part comic book, part graphic novel.
In case you're not familiar with her works, the main characters of Price's book and films are called "Serial Killer and Vampire Guardian Angels." They are Guardian Angels with serious mental and psychological issues who have become Serial Killers. And if that’s not disturbing enough, they are also Vampires. So if you're tired of the same old Vampire theme, meet Vampires with a fresh new twist: Your Guardian Angel is not only a vicious, psychopathic Serial Killer, but also a bloodthirsty Vampire.
In Price's novel, comic book, and films, when Guardian Angels were forced into therapist and bodyguard roles for humans, it turned out to be a very, very bad idea. They snapped, and as Serial Killers, they only target a certain group of people, mainly those who pray in despair for help specifically to Guardian Angels. And as Vampires, they use human prayers as a “beacon” to find their victims.
It's a terrifying thought, that when you pray to a Guardian Angel, they show up and put you out of your misery because they are sick and tired of their jobs of having to answer your prayers. And our whining drives them crazy. They just want to shut you up, and feed on you too. But the good news is, they only come to you when you summon them. So don’t pray to one. Or more specifically, Don’t whine to one.
The online comic book is a work-in-progress project where new images and stories will be added by local artists. Price also features Los Angeles Death Metal band Enthraller as vampire characters in the online comic book.
See the free online comic book at The Guardian, Revenant, and Dominion. For more info on Lia Scott Price, visit her website.
Asylum Press announced today that Undead Evil, a gritty new four-issue horror comic book mini-series, will debut in comic shops nationwide on October 5, 2011, just in time for the Halloween season. The books will be distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors, Haven Distributors and Tony Shenton.
Written by Frank Forte (Asylum of Horrors, Warlash, Vampire Verses) and drawn by fan favorite artist Nenad Gucunja (Asylum of Horrors, Warlash), with cover by acclaimed gaming concept designer Ben Olson (Shogo M.A.D, Drakan, Drakan II), Undead Evil takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina where a centuries old family curse is reignited by an undead voodoo priest. When paranormal researcher Alfred Carter is summoned by the ghost of his ancestor, he must travel to The Big Easy to cleanse his bloodline. What he finds are untold family secrets and a descent into madness. This disturbing tale can be described as H.P. Lovecraft meets Angel Heart with voodoo zombies.
“It’s a twisted Lovcraftian, zombie voodoo thriller," says writer/artist Frank Forte, of Undead Evil, “I’ve always been a Lovecraft fan, and his influence has always creeped into my stories. I wanted to do a tale that had a Lovcraftian tone without redoing what’s been done before. So the influence is there, but I’m adding many other scenarios that come from my years of reading and creating horror tales. I did quite a bit of research on Voodoo. I think this is going to be very dark.”
Undead Evil #1 (of 4), a 32-page black and white comic book for $2.99, goes on sale in stores in early October. Retailers can pre-order Undead Evil #1 from Diamond Previews August catalog (Asylum Press section - page #249). This title carries a Diamond Code of AUG110860.
Diamond Comic Distributors gave Undead Evil #1 a "Zombieriffic" in its August Previews catalog. It is now featured on Diamond Previews World.
Check out the special 6-Page Preview at: Undead Evil
Asylum Press and Night Owl Productions have announced that Chopper, a gritty new five-issue horror comic book mini-series with a tie-in to a live-action web series, will debut online and in comic shops nationwide on October 5, 2011, just in time for the Halloween season. The books will be distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors as a “day-and-date release” in both print and digital formats on the same day.
Written by screenwriter Martin Shapiro and drawn by acclaimed Dark Horse artist Juan Ferreyra (Falling Skies, Rex Mundi), Chopper is a modern-day reimagining of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow fame. After taking a strange new drug with supernatural side effects at a party, the rebellious teenage daughter of a police officer starts seeing ghosts and is stalked by the Reaper, a headless Hell's Angel on a motorcycle who collects the souls of sinners in the afterlife.
The story has elements of Nightmare on Elm Street and Candyman. Instead of being killed in your dreams, you’re vulnerable while you’re high on the drug. The target audience for this book is mature readers, horror hounds, and motorcycle enthusiasts. It will appeal to fans of Rob Zombie, Steve Niles, and Garth Ennis.
“When Martin Shapiro showed me the first two issues of Chopper on the iPad, I was blown away. The artwork is the same high quality you’d find in a top-of-the-line Marvel or Vertigo book,” says Asylum Press President Frank Forte. “Martin is an enormously talented writer. He has created a dark, truly original world of drugs, outlaw bikers, and supernatural mayhem that horror fans should really respond to. We are thrilled to bring his first comic book to the world.”
“For me, working in comics is very similar to movie making – it's like the ultimate storyboard,” Shapiro commented. “With Chopper, I wanted to create one of the most beautiful books on the market with lots of attention to detail and cinematic coloring. That’s why I teamed up with Juan Ferreyra. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. His pencils and inks are amazing – very dynamic with lifelike, expressive characters. I couldn’t ask for a better artist to bring the script to life.”
Shapiro added, “The idea for Chopper came to me when I was at the Daytona Bike Week Festival in Florida hanging out with a bunch of bad-ass bikers, getting stoned and telling war stories. I love custom choppers and I love horror films from the 1970’s and ‘80s, so I decided to combine the two elements into a hardcore, no-holds-barred, R-rated story. I wrote the script at UCLA Film School in a screenwriting class taught by Mike Werb, the writer of Face/Off. He helped me develop the emotional conflict of a troubled girl being pulled in two directions by two different father figures – one dead and one alive. He also encouraged me not to shy away from the controversy of having a drug-dealing high school cheerleader as the protagonist.”
Shortly after the art team finished issue #2, producer J.C. Christofilis saw a digital PDF of the books and snapped up the movie rights to Chopper. He quickly put together financing to produce an innovative web series to introduce fans across the globe to the Chopper mythology and build awareness for an upcoming movie in 2012. The web series stars Tyler Mane (played Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, and Sabretooth in X-Men) and Andrew Bryniarski (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Any Given Sunday, Batman Returns). It will feature all-new prequel story material not in the comic book.
Other transmedia components associated with Chopper include an iPhone game app, a music deal with a popular heavy metal band to be announced next month, and a sponsorship deal with Rockstar Energy Drink.
“I realized there was an opportunity to expand Martin's strong characters and story universe from the comic book by utilizing transmedia storytelling to create original online tales that could further enrich the overall Chopper mythology and entertainment experience for fans.” said producer J.C. Christofilis. “Our goal is to reach massive audiences through all possible media platforms as we unleash integrated, killer content via the comics, web series, social media and ultimately feature films. We are confident this new horror franchise will connect deeply with fans who appreciate a mix of quality storytelling and hardcore horror on the level of Sleepy Hollow and the first Nightmare on Elm Street!”
Chopper #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, goes on sale in stores in early October, the same month as the highly anticipated Chopper web TV series debuts on YouTube! Fans can pre-order Chopper #1 at their local comic book shop to ensure they get a copy before it sells out.
Check out the special 6-Page Preview at: Chopper
