ZOMBIE TRAMP Vol. 2: The Taint Train of Terror Review

ZOMBIE TRAMP Vol. 2: The Taint Train of Terror TPB

Written by Dan Mendoza

Art by Dan Mendoza

Lettering by Zen

Action Lab: Danger Zone

This will be a Spoiler Free Review.

It is a new adventure with Janey as she meets a mysterious little girl named Morning. She gives help to Janey as long as she would kill her parents. As we find out that our Morning has more to her than meets the eye, we continue our little adventure on a train where a bunch of teenagers. And the grindhouse influence takes over as things go from bad to worse ... for the students on the train ... and even Janey.

THE GOOD:

Mendoza gives his signature style a great amount of flair with dynamically gory panels, limited use of colors and interesting use of inks ... or not. Mendoza really brings a great atmosphere to his work. The lack of color with few exceptions really help bring out a certain fair to the book. The brutality is in full spectacle. If you are a fan of zombies or grindhouse, Mendoza presents you with this love letter.  

Mendoza also does a great trick of putting flashbacks, keeping them strictly his finished pencils but no inking on it. We got a good amount of gory mixed with suspense and sexual situations.

Writing wise, Mendoza gives us an entertaining, yet gory rump from start to finish. We do get to know a bit more about Janey and Mendoza develops her by her meeting Morning, her gaining her new abilities and the flashbacks. Read separately, the issue are fairly good. But as one whole, complete story, this second volume of Zombie reads like a classic zombie/grindhouse, suspense movie. And while Janey shines, Mendoza does a good job developing Morning, the Omega Men and more. The pacing works as a whole and works better as a collection.

THE BAD:
            Like I mentioned, the single issues of it were good. But as a whole, this reads so much better. Yet, what happens to our teens is very predictable. Otherwise, nothing really bad.

THE VERDICT:

Mendoza’s style is something people will either love or hate but it captures Zombie Tramp well … a mix of horror with sex appeal while also giving nods to grindhouse movies and thrillers. Janey clearly has development here and there can be a whole lot more. While there is some predictability, the journey is still entertaining and Morning proves to be an interesting wild card. I give Zombie Tramp Vol. 2: The Taint Train of Terror a 3.5 out of 5.

Comics News: MARVEL Presents Romero's & Maleev's Empire of the Dead

New York, Feb 26 2014

Veteran film maker GEORGE ROMERO single-handedly helped kick-start the zombie genre back in the 1960s and during his new tenure at Marvel he could not have made a better team-up up then with modern day monster maestro, 'Zombie King' ARTHUR SUYDAM for a classic meeting of old and new on the Marvel Comics Empire of the Dead series.

Empire of the Dead #2 is scheduled for release February 26 and Empire of the Dead #3 is scheduled for release March 26th, 2014 and all the zombifying NYC variant covers will be done by award winning´Zombie King´ Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Wolverine), with script by George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, The Crazies, Creepshow) and interior art by Alex Maleev (Daredevil, Spider-Woman, Moon Knight, Scarlet).

George Romero’s Empire of the Dead #2 (of 5)

Story: George Romero
Art: Alex Maleev
Cover: Alex Maleev
Variant Cover: ´Zombie King´ Arthur Suydam

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: Wed, February 26th, 2014

This February, Zombie Godfather George Romero’s next undead epic continues in EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #2 – written by George Romero and drawn by critically acclaimed artist Alex Maleev with gruesome variant cover by ´Zombie King´ Arthur Suydam!

Something is rotten in the big apple. And it’s not just the rotten flesh of the Zombies overrunning Manhattan! Deep in the pit of the bloody Circus Maximus – the undead battle for the amusement of the living. But not all here is as it seems. Amid the fury of the arena, vampires roam New York City, hiding in plain sight! What menacing secrets lie in the dark corners of the once bustling metropolis? And when the zombies and vampires prowl – where does that leave the humans?

Find out in GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #2 and order now the 'Zombie King' Arthur Suydam variant cover!

Empire Of The Dead #3

This March, the pulse-pounding horror epic continues in EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #3 – from the mind of Zombie Godfather George Romero and drawn by critically acclaimed artist Alex Maleev with gruesome variant cover by ´Zombie King´ Arthur Suydam! 

Zombies roam the streets of a plague-ridden Manhattan by day. And Vampires feast on humans by night! Something is rotten in the big apple. Someone moves to strike against the mayor from the shadows. Who is the firecracker known as Dixie Peach? And as whispers of a full-scale zombie uprising stir – where does that leave the last remaining humans? 

Find out when GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #3 shambles its way into comic shops this March and order now the 'Zombie King' Arthur Suydam variant cover!!

GEORGE ROMERO EMPIRE OF THE DEAD 3 (JAN140746)

Written by GEORGE ROMERO
Art & Cover by ALEX MALEEV
NYC Variant by ´Zombie King´ ARTHUR SUYDAM (JAN140747)
FOC – 3/3/14, On-Sale – 3/26/14

Comics News: Diskordia - Feels Like Falling Needs Your Help on Indiegogo Now!

The fundraising campaign for Diskordia: Feels Like Falling is live on Indiegogo. Funds will go toward printing a run of deluxe Hardcovers collecting volume 1; the first 9 issues of the series that were initially published on the creator Rivenis’ blog http://diskordiacomic.blogspot.com/and later on Comixology.

‘Everything you think you know about the world is at worst a lie and at best simply a pale facet of a truth so terrifying and overwhelming that madness is preferable.’

Diskordia is a surreal dark fantasy comic that explores themes such as the nature of reality, consciousness and self-determination. It does so with equal doses of hilarity and mind numbing horror.

The main story follows Jackal Black, a cynical and sarcastic young man as he is yanked from his dull life into the bizarre dreamtime; a transit hub between dimensions. He will travel through these strange and varied realms encountering curiously odd creatures and terrifying foes while discovering the true horrific and baffling nature of the world he thought he knew.

The comic is a very personal work of creator Rivenis who has been working on the series since 2009. It is his attempt to interpret the human condition and force us to question our reality as conscious beings.

The saga has developed a small cult following due to its unapologetic nature, unique visuals and rampant unpredictability. It has been compared to other works in this vein such as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, the work of H.P Lovecraft, Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland and most recently Pendleton Ward’s Adventure time cartoon series.

The hardcover will be 330 pages with standard comic dimensions and sewn binding. The campaign is seeking to raise funds to cover the cost of printing a run of between 500 and 1500 copies as well as shipping.

Campaign link: http://igg.me/at/Diskordia/x/6161108

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/diskordiacomic

Comixology link: http://www.comixology.com/Diskordia/comics-series/10575

Creator’s Website: http://rivenis.net/

Comics News: The Final Plague Attacks The Horror Comic Awards

For immediate release THE FINAL PLAGUE ATTACKS THE HORROR COMIC AWARDS Action Lab: Danger Zone miniseries nominated for three awards Pittsburgh, P.A.-The Final Plague, Action Lab’s story of a rural Iowan family attempting to survive the initial onslaught of crazed, rabid animals, presumably the product of a mutated super-virus, has taken the world by storm. The series, written by J.D.Arnold (Top Shelf’s BB Wolf and the 3 LPs) and artist Tony Guaraldi-Brown (Tales of Red Hot Horror) has been nominated in three categories, Best Mini Series and Best Scene, while series letterer Chris Fenoglio  was also nominated for Best Letterer  in the 2013 Horror Comic Awards. "A huge THANK YOU to everyone on the nominating board, all the great people at Action Lab, and to my fellow creators Tony Guaraldi-Brown and Chris Fenoglio! We are very honored to be nominated alongside so many fantastic books and top notch creators.” Said writer/creator J.D. Arnold “ And a special big thanks to all the fans out there. We hope you are enjoying the book, and we hope you stay along for the ride. It's about to get crazy!” The staff of the Horror News Network has selected the nominees, and voting is currently open and will remain open until December 30, 2013. The 2013 Horror Comic Awards will be determined by fan voting via the following link: http://www.comicmonsters.com/horror-comic-awards.html To see the full list of nominees at: http://www.comicmonsters.com/item-8165-2013_Horror_Comics_Awards_Are_Here.html. For more information, retailers can contact Kelly Dale at kdale@actionlabcomics.com. For press and conventions you can reach Jamal Igle at jigle@actionlabcomics.com. ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT- Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business.  Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment.  Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis.  Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCLESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle's MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gale Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as EHMM THEORY and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO, PLUSHY GANGSTA.

Comics News: Cosmic Waves Returns in April 2014

COSMIC WAVES returns APRIL 2014, via FUNDANYTHING.COM!

With his first original graphic novel set to be released by Dark Horse Comics next year, and a resume which boasts published work by such prominent comic book companies as DC Comics, Drew Ford is now setting out on his own, in an attempt to publish a collection of homespun tales of mystery and wonder!.  And he needs YOUR help to make it happen!

Twenty years ago, inspired by both contemporary and classic collections of genre comic book fiction, Ford had the idea to produce a new comic book anthology, which would feature all-new fantastical stories...the name of that comic was Cosmic Waves.

The original Cosmic Waves #1 was released into a very different comics landscape than what exists today.  For that reason, Cosmic Waves struggled to find it's audience, and eventually fell by the wayside.

Times, however, have truly changed.
The current mainstream popularity of comics throughout society, mixed with crowd-funding and the addition of new digital distribution possibilities, allows for comics such as this to have a real shot at succeeding!  Because of this, Ford has decided that now is the time to breath life back into this anthology of comic book goodness.
Ford is hoping this new, upcoming issue of Cosmic Waves, featuring a diverse mix of characters, stories and creators, will be embraced by readers of such popular, contemporary anthologies as Dark Horse Presents and Popgun, along with fans of such classic EC favorites Tales From The Crypt, The Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy, and more...basically anyone who loves a good fantastical collection of stories!
The ability to publish this new incarnation of Cosmic Waves will depend heavily on the success of the fundanything.com campaign, which has already begun to help facilitate it's 2014 publication.  Anyone interested in seeing this new issue of Cosmic Waves spring to life is strongly encouraged to go to the campaign website, and make a contribution here:
https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/cosmic-waves-a-comic-book-anthology.
The anthology itself will be a mix of both stand alone and on-going stories.
On-going story lines include The Unseen (a horrific crime drama), The Light (a bizarre twist on the superhero genre), Phenomena (a contemporary ghost story) and The 10 Percent (a science fiction thriller).  Examples of interior artwork from each story can be seen below.
If you are interested in thoughtfully written, expertly drawn stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, crime and more, Cosmic Waves is the place to be.
Again, anyone wanting to help us publish Cosmic Waves can make a contribution here: https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/cosmic-waves-a-comic-book-anthology

Please send all questions, including interview requests, to: cosmicwavescomic@gmail.com

(sample page from The Unseen - artwork by Jaime Martinez Rodriguez and Santiago Ramos.)

(sample page from The Light - artwork by Hoyt Silva)

(sample page from The 10 Percent - artwork by Ruth Garcia Martin and Roberto Cota.)

(sample page from Phenomena - artwork by Cristian Baez and Victor Nava)

(possible cover to Cosmic Waves #1)

(possible cover to Cosmic Waves #1)

 

Dead @ 17: The Battle for Darlington Hills Deck-Building Card Game

Dead @ 17: The Battle for Darlington Hills Deck-Building Card Game
 

Take on the role of Nara or Pitch in a battle between the holy resurrected and a seemingly endless army of demons –with original art from Josh Howard, creator, writer, and artist of ‘Dead @ 17’.

San Diego, CA (November 21, 2013) Never Peak Games, an independent producer of board and card games, announced the Dead @ 17: The Battle for Darlington Hills deck-building game. Josh Howard has been writing and illustrating comics for 10 years and is best know of the indie horror series Dead @ 17, published by Image Comic. His other credits include Black Harvet (Image), Clubbing (DC/Minx), Ghostbusters: Con-Volution (IDW), and The Lost Books of Eve (Viper). He is currently at work on the seventh installment of Dead @ 17, scheduled for release in 2014. Funding for the game is now taking place on Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neverpeakgames/josh-howards-dead-17-battle-for-darlington-hills

The world of Josh Howard's Dead @ 17 comes to life as players take on the role of Nara and her friends or relentless demons fighting a war for our souls. The battle rages through the streets of Darlington Hills where players must use every weapon they can get their hands on to protect our world or destroy it. Who will be victorious in this epic clash of good vs. evil? Using their starting decks, players will earn powerful cards and enhancements to fight for control of the familiar locations in the Dead @ 17 universe. Demons must be banished before the gates of Hell are opened.

Featuring 209 cards, 3 large location tokens, and 39 resource tokens with Kickstarter rewards and stretch goals that include an exclusive backer-only Dead @ 17 comic, promo cards, and multiple expansions.

Dead @ 17 is currently seeking funding at www.kickstarter.com. For more information about Dead @ 17 the board game, please visit www.neverpeakgames.com.

About Never Peak Games

Founded in 2011, Never Peak Games is an independent producer of board and card games. Never Peak Games is looking to make its mark on the hobby gaming industry by combining amazing art with compelling game play that will keep players coming back to the table.

Comic News: Sci-Fi Anthology COSMIC WAVES Returns!!!

COSMIC WAVES: 90's INDY COMIC BOOK ANTHOLOGY RETURNS!

Cosmic Waves originally collected stories back in the 90's from the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and beyond!  This new incarnation of Cosmic Waves will continue to present all new stories of mystery and wonder, from a group of talented creators from all around the globe!

Aside from their general all-consuming love of comics, the contributors have a special place in their heart for comic book anthologies.  From the early horror and mystery collections to more modern anthologies such as Negative Burn and Dark Horse Presents, they are huge fans! 

 

Aside from massively enjoying the format itself, they also believe that anthology titles are incredibly important to create and support because they offer creative opportunities to young or under-appreciated creators from all walks of life.  This also means that fans get to see an insanely diverse group of artists, who might never get a chance to work together, all under one incredible roof!

Cosmic Waves need your help to make this anthology a reality.  You can contribute here: https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/cosmic-waves-a-comic-book-anthology

With your generous contribution, you will ensure the publication of the first issue of the all-new Cosmic Waves comic book anthology!  Also, what you are really doing is allowing Cosmic Waves the ability to print a larger number up front, so that they can lower the cost of each individual book in the future.  The more they can print up front, the less each one will cost.

Cosmic Waves is asking for $3000.00, which will cover design, printing and distribution and shipping on the first issue of Cosmic Waves.  If they are lucky enough to raise more than the initial goal, those additional funds will be used to promote, advertise and market this first issue.  If, for some reason, Cosmic Waves far exceed what they are asking for, those funds will be used to produce future issues.

Straight Forward Reviews : Night Of The 80s Undead # 2

The totally 80s and totally coked out violence have come back for another issue! Action Lab Danger Zone is back with the over the top Night of the 80s Undead.

Writer - Jason Martin

Artist - Bill McKay

Publisher - Action Lab

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

Without any spoilers at all, the story can be summed up as carnage and mayhem in the most 80s pop way imaginable. The disaster is spreading and all the characters are doing what they can to survive with varying degrees of success.

The dialog is very smartly written with snark thrown in. So you're getting a comic that's not only clever but will make you laugh, despite the high amounts of gore and violence being thrown at you left and right.

Art

The art in this comic has a charm about it that's reminiscent of cartoons around this time and the 90s as well only much better detailed. The violence has this really meaty look to it where it looks like it really is extreme as the comic is trying to make it. The colors are great in this issue as well. It's something that caught my eye as it is not done in any traditional way and mixes two kinds of medium that creates a sort of gritty effect on the art which is perfect for a horror book.

Verdict

The Night of the 80s Undead is the dream of any old school horror fan and all the 80s references and funny dialog are icing on the cake. With even more delicious, sweet icing with the unique art style this comic boasts. I give Night of the 80s Undead a 9.5 out of 10. Just be sure you can handle the violence and brief nudity.

Novel News: Brains Have Never Been This Sexy in Fifty Shades of Brains

Brains have never been this sexy or … tasty.

Fifty Shades of Brains officially launches

(September 30, 2013) What do you get when a comic-loving librarian and a professional smartass team up to poke fun at an erotic bestseller? Fifty Shades of Brains, a smart, snide and completely sick zombie apocalypse send-up of Fifty Shades of Grey. The soft launch occurred this summer to ensure that EVERYONE had a chance to get the book for Halloween.  The first fifteen chapters can be read for free at www.fiftyshadesofbrains.com. Digital copies of the book are available via the Kindle, Nook, and the Kobo store. DRM free copies area available via Gumdrop. Print editions can be ordered from INGRAM.

About Fifty Shades of Brains: Written under the pen name BF Dealeo, Fifty Shades of Brains tells the story of Aurora Foyle, a self-conscious, oversexed Survival School student who becomes enamored with Seattle's premiere zombie hunter, Caligula Green. Intense, intelligent and incredibly perverse, Green takes Aurora on as his apprentice – both in bed and on the zombie-filled backstreets of the city. Will our heroine find true love in the arms of the controlling, charismatic Green? Will Seattle’s socks-and-sandal-wearing zombies destroy its lovingly-tended pea patches? Will Aurora ever stop biting her lip and blushing? You’ll have to crawl between the covers to find out.

Dark, droll and delightfully depraved, Fifty Shades of Brains will amuse you, disgust you and it just might eat your face.

Early Reviews:

“Gross, funny, and, god help me, a little bit sexy. Just what my inner surrealist was looking for. I haven't read that other Fifty Shades book, but now I feel like I don't have to.” -- GoodReads.com

"Fifty Shades hysteria + zombie apocalypse = hell yes! My grey matter sort of exploded all over the brilliance of this mashup." --Jennifer Worick, New York Times-bestselling author of more than 25 books, including Things I Want to Punch in the Face

Final Plague - The Original Zombie Animal Comic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Action Lab Entertainment

Canonsburg, PA

http://www.actionlabcomics.com

When zombie animals attack!

September 24, 2013

_____

THE FINAL PLAGUE #3: THE ORIGINAL EPIC ZOMBIE ANIMAL COMIC AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER FROM ACTION LAB: DANGER ZONE

In most zombie tales, the threat is from the ravenous hordes of brain-eating walking dead; but what if the threat came from reanimated members of the animal kingdom, not from other people? This is the question ACTION LAB: DANGER ZONE’S THE FINAL PLAGUE asks, as a small rural family in Iowa, and people across the country, are attacked by increasingly feral and bloodthirsty animals and forced to fight for their lives.

J.D. ARNOLD and TONY GUARALDI-BROWN’S THE FINAL PLAGUE, the first and original animal zombie comic, combines the raw terror and suspense of THE WALKING DEAD with classic horror films featuring killer animals like RABID or CUJO, by combining the two in a new and original premise that predates its imitators. Beyond the blood and gore of most other zombie books THE FINAL PLAGUE concentrates more on psychological scares and chilling suspense, and readers who enjoy books and films like THE STAND or THE ROAD will find a lot to like here.

THE FINAL PLAGUE kicks into high gear this October with issue number 3, as the infection affecting the animal kingdom spreads, and the humans are increasingly under threat not only from the undead fauna but from each other. In the words of artist TONY GUARALDI-BROWN, ”In the first five issues, the reader will start to see the broad scope of this plague and how the animals destroy the order of the food chain as well as how humans deal with the fact that life as they know it will never be the same.”

THE FINAL PLAGUE #3  by J.D.ARNOLD and TONY GUARALDI-BROWN is available NOW to pre-order from ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE in this month’s PREVIEWS with Diamond Order Code AUG130917.

Issues 1 and 2 are still available for reorder as well:

THE FINAL PLAGUE #1  APR130759

THE FINAL PLAGUE #2  JUN130712

The Final Plague has begun, as a mutated rabies virus spreads across the planet, infecting, killing, and reanimating animals, both great and small. Can mankind survive? And what will happen when the first humans are infected? Will they fall, only to rise again? Are these really humanity’s final hours?!?

ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

Action Lab was founded in 2010, and received two Eisner nominations in 2012 for its critically-acclaimed all-ages comic Princeless. The publisher has been praised for its diverse library of creator-owned and licensed titles including; Skyward, Ehmm Theory, Pirate Eye and works like the upcoming Molly Danger and Vamplets. Action Lab: Danger Zone is the mature readers line from Action Lab entertainment, that features a full range of genre defying creator-owned material.

Be sure to visit the Action Lab website http://www.actionlabcomics.com for more information on all of their titles.

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Asylum Press and Pretend For Real Studios Team Up To Develop Gritty Horror Franchise Rough House

Trailer for upcoming film and comic book series Rough House now on YouTube

September 26, 2013 (Los Angeles) Asylum Press and Pretend For Real Studios have released a trailer for their upcoming film and several comic book preview pages for their latest horror franchise entitled Rough House.

Rough House is a gritty, action-packed horror movie and comic book series that examines innocent victims thrown into a caged fighting match with deranged serial killers where they fight to the death.  

Rough House combines the brutal ruckus of Fight Club, the twisted horror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and drapes it under a cloak of a government black ops conspiracy.

The story begins with an athletic young woman known only as “The Girl” who is kidnapped and thrown into a bizarre world of masked serial killers who torment their victims in brutal underground fights, backyard wrestling matches and deadly mixed martial arts bouts.  She soon proves herself able to hold her own in death matches against colorful masked killers with names like “Bone Job”, “Baby Fat, and “Skeeter the Devil Boy”. Once inside the Rough House ,“The Girl” uncovers dark secrets that possibly link her to a secret government program and to the fighters themselves. As “The Girl’s” psyche is worn down by brainwashing and psychotropic drugs, she becomes more and more of a stone cold killer herself. She must decide whether she will escape the Rough House or stay focused on her true target, the ringleader called “Big Daddy.”

Rough House is based on a story idea and trailer created by Mike L. Taylor of Pretend For Real Studios and a feature length screenplay written by Elizabeth J. Musgrave (Farmhouse,Darwin’s Pâté).

The project will be released as a digital first 4-issue comic book mini-series through Asylum Press and later in print as a graphic novel.

“I have a long history as a comic book artist and I am thrilled to see my movie concept brought to life on the comic book page,” says creator Mike L. Taylor. “We put together a great teaser trailer, we have a killer script and we’re in the process of doing storyboards and concept art for the film.”

“Mike gave me an outline and together we were able to create an interestingly warped world,” reveals writer Elizabeth J. Musgrave. “Each member of “Big Daddy’s” crew is a trained killer, but I tried to inject a tormented soul to each one.”

“We are excited to release this first glimpse into Rough House,” explains publisher Frank Forte. “It’s a dark, twisted tale that delves into what would happen if the victims in a slasher film were bad ass fighters themselves that could give the killers a run for their money…and show the viewer some brutal fight scenes in the process.  We also delve into MK-Ultra, The CIA, Black Ops and government conspiracies, it's very twisted.” ”

The Rough House trailer was directed by Mike L. Taylor based on a script by Elizabeth Fine and a story by Mike L. Taylor.  It features Ramona Cast (Rad Girls) as “The Girl”, David Yow (Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard) as “Big Daddy”, Devyn Ashley as “Baby Fat”, Noshir Dalal as “Bone Job”, Maria Kanellis (WWE DIVA, Playboy) as “Trixxi”, Mike Bray as “Skeeter” and Carlos Cespedes as “Trixxi’s victim”, Rob Czar and Ganesh Hennings as “Dead Heads”,  Nick Seone  as “ear donor” and Brandon Riley, Matt Fry, Joel Peterson, Brian Testa, Mike L. Taylor, Ganesh Hennings  as “Baby Fat’s fans”, Brandon Riley was co-producer, Mike Spatola was make-up FX Supervisor, Anton David was stylist, music by Fantasizer, sound design by Micah Johnson, Matte Paintings by Brandon Riley.

Rough House the comic book will be available digitally on iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle, Mac and PC via the following apps: Comixology, ComicsPlus, Graphicly, My Digital Comics, iBooks, DriveThruComics, and AVE Comics.

Sample pages:
 

Rough House Trailer Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjxBOngSEs&feature=youtu.be

Rough House Comic Preview Link

http://www.asylumpress.com/titles/rough-house/

ABOUT ASYLUM PRESS

Asylum Press is a publishing company that produces premium comic books and graphic novels within the horror, science fiction, and action genres. Some of Asylum Press’ titles include Fearless Dawn, Warlash, Zombie Terrors, Undead Evil, EEEK!, Chopper and Asylum of Horrors. The books feature original, character-driven stories and cinematic artwork by top creators and newly discovered talent that will appeal to not only comic book fans, but also mainstream fiction readers who don't normally buy comics. Asylum Press delivers its books via a bold new business model that focuses on digital publishing and new distribution outlets in both the American and international markets. Asylum Press is distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors, SCB Distributors, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor.  Distribution in the United Kingdom is handled by Turnaround Distribution.

ABOUT PRETEND FOR REAL STUDIOS:

Pretend For Real Studios is a digital effects and animation studio located in Burbank, CA. The studio is owned by Mike L. Taylor, a television director and DP whose credits include The Bachelor and Rock Of Love. Pretend For Real Studios have created music videos for Twiztid, Girls And Corpses magazine, and the Moonshine Bandits with over a million views combined.

Frank Forte

Publisher

Asylum Press

PO Box 2875

Hollywood CA 90078

www.asylumpress.com

www.twitter.com/asylumpress

Frank Forte

Publisher

Asylum Press

PO Box 2875

Hollywood CA 90078

www.asylumpress.com

www.twitter.com/asylumpress

Comic News: Devil's Due & Manning Join Forces For Print & Digital MR. RHEE

DEVIL’S DUE, DIRK MANNING INK DEAL FOR MR. RHEE 

Devil’s Due to Collect for Print, Digital Release

CHICAGO, IL: Devil’s Due Entertainment has signed horror writer Dirk Manning to release comic book based on his successful horror/noir online comic, Tales of Mr. Rhee. The existing web series is to be collected into a print volume, as well as made available on digital comic platforms. Future “Mr. Rhee” content is also in the tentative planning stages.

The story of Mr. Rhee goes:

Five years ago Hell invaded Earth in a “nightmare world” scenario, only for the demons to be driven back into the abyss after three days of world-wide oppression.

Society has now rebuilt itself, though, and everything is back to normal…or so most people choose to believe.

There are still wicked things left behind that occasionally emerge from the shadows, prompting the involvement of the cryptic and enigmatic paranormal troubleshooter known only as “Mr. Rhee.”

“Tales of Mr. Rhee makes perfect sense as the next addition to the Devil’s Due family” says Josh Blaylock, founder of the Devil’s Due brand. “Dirk is a work horse, constantly promoting his titles, and looking for a different approach to how publishing is handled, and that is the kind of creator we’re looking for. Plus, Mr. Rhee is just a wonderfully sick and twisted collection of horror stories I couldn’t resist.”

Manning adds, “Tales of Mr. Rhee is a series I’ve wanted to take from web to print for a long time, but I’ve been waiting for the right set of circumstances which would allow me to reward the most die-hard fans of the series with a really cool bookshelf edition while also being able to unleash the franchise on the mainstream market. Bringing the series to Devil’s Due will allow me to offer existing fans a deluxe edition collection of the series while also introducing new comic readers to the character who is about to become their new favorite horror comic icon.”

Look for details regarding the print release of Tales of Mr. Rhee to be announced soon, with product shipping this Winter. Manning and Devil’s Due intend to utilize a combination of digital distribution, national store distribution and crowd funding platforms to maximize the success of Rhee, as well as exploring options in other areas of the entertainment field.

ABOUT DEVIL’S DUE ENTERTAINMENT: Devil’s Due Entertainment is a comic book publisher and incubator of diverse pop culture content. As “cartographers” drawing the maps in an uncharted world of new media, Devil’s Due brings together a vertically integrated platform to develop stories and fantasy worlds, and then implement the circulation of that content. In addition to its own creations, the company is servicing the needs of its partners who want to draw attention to and monetize their brands in merchandising, film, television, and various channels in the pop culture space.

ABOUT DIRK MANNING:Manning is best known as the writer/creator of the horror comic series Nightmare World from Image Comics/Shadowline and the ongoing inspirational column/book collection Write or Wrong: “A Writer’s Guide to Creating Comics”(Bleeding Cool/Transfuzion Publishing). Other works include Love Stories (to Die For) and several short films for the popular YouTubehorror series BlackBoxTV. Dirk lives on the Internet and can be found online at www.DirkManning.com as well as at Facebook and Twitter.

Help HARTSOE STUDIOS Bring HELL RIOT: ZOMBIE HUNTER X To Life

Designer, model and now horror writer, Jennifer J. Hartsoe enters the comic book industry with her debut graphic novel a zombie apocalypse tale called Hell Riot: Zombie Hunter X! The story and characters created by her husband, indie comic legend, Everette Hartsoe ( creator of Razor) for their new comic company HARTSOE STUDIOS!

Hell Riot is the story about a group of women that must set aside their differences and come together to stop a hoard of zombies from taking over their small town of Hell Riot Nevada, after most of the men have been eaten or turned. This 48-page graphic novel will be in full color and feature art by Everette Hartsoe and Erik Williams.

This book comes hot on the heels of Everette Hartsoe’s successful RAZOR: SCARS Kickstarter campaign which brought in enough funding to develop a new universe of Hartsoe creations for 2014-15.

“This is a dream come true for me to have a project I can really cut loose on and show my talent as a writer as well as model for the main character in the book, Jenni Tonic, A tough as nails, ex-roller derby champion, stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. This will rock your socks off!

Jennifer J. Hartsoe will launch via Kickstarter the new graphic novel and hopes the reaction to the project will enable the story to continue and possibly create a online show if pledges exceed expectations.

KICKSTARTER LINK: www.kickstarter.com/projects/217458266/everette-hartsoes-hell-riot-zombie-hunter-x

Action Labs Month: The Final Plague # 1 Review

THE FINAL PLAGUE # 1
Written by Johnnie Arnold
Art by Tony Guaraldi-Brown

Action Labs Danger Zone


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            Action Labs Month continues as we take a look into The Final Plague. We open with a family in a farm out in Iowa were a mother of 2 children, Helen, smashes a rat … and it just won’t die. Helen literally has to make it a smear on a wall in order to kill it. Afterwards, Helen’s husband, Robert, chats with his son noticing that some of the rats remains a twitching.

            We go over quickly to a hobo in New York who is drunkenly singing Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and then …. OH GOD!!!!!

            Um … yeah. Moving on to a lab in Jersey, we find that one scientist, Jeremy, has a bunch of these rabid rats. He tells another scientist,  Carol, that they had blood on them. A rat was able to spit blood into another lab assistant, and Jeremy decides it is best to quarantine the rats … and the lab assistant.

            We get more with Helen and Robert’s family as they reveal to been having an infestation. Robert calls his buddy and exterminator, Alan. They have dinner together and send Alan down to kill the infestation of rats when … EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!


ART:

            Okay. As you noticed, I am kinda skeeved out by this book. Okay. MORE Than Kinda skeeved out. And that is impressive. Guaraldi-Brown really brings us a visually dark, gross yet interesting look to the tale. It is non-typical comic style  yet really works as sequential art. The lack of color in some spots with the addition of color in other pages really makes the scenes stand out more and covey a lot more emotion. You can see emotion on faces and Guaraldi-Brown lets the visuals and colors take you in a different way. I appauld him for his use of darker, sharper inks and the colors look almost as if water colors but I am not sure. Yet, these really work to bring you into the atmosphere of the book, the scenes and overall emotions that are put out in the panels.

            The lab was very  sterile so there are a lot of whites, grays and blacks till the rat spat blood.  When Robert and his son  look at the sunset, there was a feeling of optimism there. Yet, the biggest thing that I MUST give Guaraldi-Brown credit for is the horrific visuals. Dear God, I have not been this squimish about a comic book for nearly 2 decades.( Note: Last time I was this squimish, I was a teenage readying the roaches vs the rats on Blood Syndicate) The panels really brought me there and I felt so unclean. Still do in fact. WELL DONE Guaraldi-Brown.

WRITING:

            The Final Plague # 1 gives you a lot in the first issue but presents it wonderfully. Arnold gives us a family we can relate to, some scientist who are studying the probably and the beginnings to seeing how bad this “plague” really is. It is nice seeing animals kind of fighting back humans for a change.

            There is a good amount of uncomfortable dirty in this book and I LOVE it. This is the type of comics I really enjoy. Rich characters in situations that make YOU (the reader) uncomfortable. And Arnold does this several times, which each team escalating the filth and horror. The issue was paced really well and we got introduced to all the characters in a organic, positive way. Arnold also seems to have subplots stewing and what is more horrifying is seeing the reach of this “plague” already.

            I also give kudos to Arnold for going the extra mile in getting down dialects and vocabulary from different parts of the US down. Helen and Robert sound like they are from a farm in Iowa. Jeremy and Carol sound like they are from Jersey but NOT the Jersey Shore. I give him extra props for adding the flavor to the books cause I seem to read a lot of books that don’t diversify speech enough these days. So another point in Arnold’s favor. And Arnold’s script alongside Guaraldi-Brown’s visuals make me feel unclean, uncomfortable, horrified and WANTING MORE!


OVERALL IMPRESSION:

            I am pleasantly surprised at this book. THIS is quality comics. This is what reading comics is about. Being moved, captivated and manipulating readers to feel and think because of your script. The Final Plague # 1 stands as a great shining star in the creative owned sector. The characters feel realistic. The pacing is excellent. The plots believable and gripping and the art is amazing. This book UNSETTLES me and I am not easy to unsettle after 22 years of comic book reading/collecting. Exquisite work from Arnold and Guaraldi-Brown.


RATING:

            I need to take a bath and afraid of small animals after this book. I humbly give this book a 10 out of 10! BUY THIS BOOK! ORDER THIS BOOK! GIVE YOUR FRIENDS A COPY! THEN BUY IT AGAIN!!!