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News Roundup: October 2026

Personal / Website News

Well, October was a wash for writing. I worked on a few things, but nothing published at my website or elsewhere. Car issues still plague Michele and I. The last two weeks have been hectic at work (in a good way!). My goal to get some spooky comic book reviews up in time for Halloween did not happen. However, I can still share some fun stuff and other news. Here is to a better November!

Scholars From the Edge of Time – Gladiators 7

Italian genre cinema star Richard Harrison passed away last month, so to commemorate his contributions to peplum cinema, Michele and I discussed a film of his, Gladiators 7 (1962), on this month’s Scholars from the Edge of Time.

DVD that says "4 movies - Gladiators - Rebel Gladiators, Duel of the Champions, Giants of Rome, Gladiators Seven". The cover art shows a gladiator wearing a helmet, holding a spear and shield. Behind them is a coliseum.
Personal copy of the Gladiators 4 movie DVD pack.

I believe the movie is on Tubi or Youtube, but I have one of my trusty, low grade movie packs, in this instance, Gladiators, that has the film on it. Spoiler: I dug the movie, Michele not so much. You can watch our discussion on YouTube.

National Capital Panthans Journal #353

The October issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue two of “Snow” of the Cavewoman series. My original review can be read here.

Black and white cover of a Mariann sitting on a rock, writing in a book.
National Capital Panthans Journal #353. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

PangoBooks Bookstore

I have an online bookstore at Pangobooks were I am selling books I no longer need, duplicates, etc. I have lots of horror, sci-fi, non-fiction, OOP, and weird books, so make sure to check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly!

Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

“The story so far” included in the digital compendium for Vanya #10, August 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover shows Tarzan and his monkey familiar Nima, traversing through a tree.
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #349, June 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“We Are Barbarians: Interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons on I Am a Barbarian” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #350, July 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“Release the Subterranean Kraken: Cavewoman: Extinction” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #351, August 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover for issue 352 of the National Capital Panthans Journal. It shows a woman in a robe atop a submarine with the number 33 on the side.
National Capital Panthans Journal #352. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“It’s Getting Cold: Cavewoman: ‘Snow’ Issue 1″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #352, September, 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover of a Mariann sitting on a rock, writing in a book.
National Capital Panthans Journal #353. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“It’s Getting Cold: Cavewoman: ‘Snow’ Issue 2″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #352, October, 2026.

Original can be read here.

Peplum Stuff

New peplum movies and autographs this month. Lets break it down!

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.

The Messenger

I was surfing on Youtube earlier in the month and happened upon a video called “The Most CONTROVERSIAL Halloween Blu-Ray EVER” by The Lost River Drive-In. Click bait title got my attention, I was curious as to what’s up, and give it a watch. Long story short, an early Halloween 2 blu-ray release removed a credit for producer Moustapha Akkad and replaced it with the studio name. Fans for rightfully mad.

I am no expert on the Halloween series of films, so I had no idea who Moustapha Akkad was. One Wiki-rabbit hole later and I was like whoa.

Standard black 4K case. Cover shows a man in a white beared wearing a black hood. Behind him is a woman with jewels on her forehead and a white hood. Below them a white flag is waving and below that looks to be a skirmish in the desert.
Personal copy of The Message on 4K.

Akkad has done exactly three things: he is the main money behind the majority of all the Halloween films (up to Halloween: Resurrection in 2002), and directed two historic epics, one being a sword and sandal film about Muhammad called The Message (1976)

Decades of Michael Myers and a film on Muhammad. Holy moly talk about going from one genre extreme to another. Learning this factoid, I had to pluck up a copy, which got a 4K release fairly recently.

Masters of the Universe

I missed the Masters of the Universe (2026) film when it was in theaters. Apparently it was pretty good, so I was bummed I missed it on the big screen, but I pre-ordered it as soon as it became available. Limited edition steel book of course.

Steel book for masters of the universe. Cover shows He-man atop a peak, holding his sword, pointed up, with a lightning bolt hitting it.
Personal copy of Masters of the Universe in 4K Steel Book format.

Excited to give this a watch! I didn’t grow up with He-Man per se, but I caught episodes now and then (the first cartoon I was REALLY into was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Back in the 2010s I went to a few Power Con conventions, which were devoted to He-Man and She-Ra and had a lot of fun. But, yeah, I got a good feeling about this one.

Sword and Sandal Autographs

Two sets of autographs on peplum-related things were acquired in October. I love getting things signed, specially when it is in my field of study!

Pompeii with Kiefer Sutherland

There is a local collectibles business called Inked who seem to specialize in getting celebrities to autographed Funkos. They also do a mail in service where folks can send in their memorabilia to get autographed. They recently had a session with actor Kiefer Sutherland. I said “why not?” and decided to send in my copy of the neo-peplum film Pompeii (2014) to be signed.

Blu-ray in standard blue case. Movie is Pompeii. Top of the artwork shows the shoulders up of four of the characters/actors: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Emily Browning, Kit Harington, and Keifer Sutherland. Below them is an erupting volcano shooting out lava and fire balls, and in front of it a man and a woman are locked in am embrace/kiss. In silver marker it is signed Kiefer Sutherland.
Personal copy of Pompeii autographed by Keifer Sutherland.

In the first half of October I got my Blu-ray sleeve back, all signed I silver sharpie by Sutherland. I do not have many neo-peplum movies autographed, so I personally think this is quite cool. I have not watched the film since working on The New Peplum, I think it is time for a rewatch in the near future. Maybe as a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode.

The New Peplum with Tony Amendola

In early October Artists Assemble Productions did a horror con in Mesa. It was a big event for the Aliens (1986) film as many actors and actresses were guests, but other horror celebrities were also in attendance.

One of the guests was Tony Amendola, perhaps best known for appearing in the Stargate SG-1 series. One of the movies he had a small part in was the BBC docu-drama Pompeii: The Last Day (2003).

Book on the left, DVD on the right. Book cover has a scene from the Hercules movie with The Rock. The DVD shows a man and a woman fleeing an erupting volcano with a roman city behind them.
Copy of The New Peplum and Pompeii: The Last Day on DVD.

Folks who have read The New Peplum will probably recognize this movie as it is has almost an entire essay dedicated to it, “Sounds of Swords and Sandals: Music in Neo-Peplum BBC Television Docudramas” by Nick Poulakis. So, of course, I had to get my book signed!

Signature reads "Nick - Pompeii is minutes away from where my mother was born! Good Luck! - Tony Amendola"
Tony Amendola autograph in The New Peplum.

He told me as he signed it that he was born August 24th, which is the day that Mount Vesuvius erupted! How cool is that! Anywho, very happy to have him sign my book, really meaningful to me.

Of note, a few weeks later I started playing the game Mafia: The Old Country, and he is in it! I was doing a mission to steal some whisky from an impound at a port, and his character walks right in! Same likeness and everything.

Autographs from the Archive

Here are some autographed treasures I have shared on social media this past month.

Red Spirit Lake + We Await

Charles Pinion is a cult filmmaker, probably best known for his SOV movie, Twisted Issues (1988). The first movie I saw of his was American Mummy (2014). I wound up befriending him on social media and he is a really cool dude.

Blu-ray in a clear, transparent case. Says "Double Feature" at the top with blood dripping down. There are two posters on the front, one for each movie, each is a collage of faces of characters.
Personal copy of Red Spirit Lake/We Await signed by Charles Pinion.

I posted my copy of Red Spirit Lake/We Await for him to sign, which he graciously did.

Of note, he was a guest on the Fan2Fan Podcast last year, talking about making 3D movies. Give it a listen!

Episode one:

Charles Pinion: Creativity in 3D Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Episode two:

Charles Pinion: Creativity in 3D Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Joe Lansdale Autographs

On October 12th Joe Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale came to Scottdale to the Poisoned Pen to promote their respective new books. Michele and I, of course, had to go because Lansdale is the man.

I was first exposed to his work via the Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) movie, which was amazing. Probably my favourite Don Coscarelli film (next to Beastmaster of course!). We met him at a Vintage Paperback Show in Glendale, CA sometime in the 2010s and he signed my DVD of the film.

Later on I would get a copy of his novella, Under the Warrior Star, which is an Edgar Rice Burroughs/John Carter pastiche. Last year when I was asked by New Edge Sword and Sorcery to create cocktails for sword and sorcery characters, I made a cocktail based on this novella for the sword and planet issue.

  • Planet Stories double feature. It shows Sojan and the main character from Under the Warrior star, standing back to back. Sojan is holding a pistol and a shield while the dude from Warrior Star is holding a crystal sword.
  • Title page in the book. It is signed "To Nick, Joe Lansdale"
    Under the Warrior Star autographed by Joe Lansdale.
  • Cover depicts another planet's surface with a warrior in a green outfit, holding two swords, and a lion crossed with a scorpion chases at him. There is a blue skinned woman with a rifle and 4 armed monkeys. On the horizon is a rocky landscape and atop one of the mountains a city with domed tops.
    New Edge Sword and Sorcery #07
  • Recipe page from New Edge Sword and Sorcery. It is signed "To Nick, Joe Lansdale".
    The Brax recipe signed by Joe Lansdale.
  • Paperback of In the Mad Mountains. The cover shoes a wooden boat, wrecked on either white rocks or small ice burgs. There's tentacles the corners of the image.
    Personal copy of Joe Lansdale’s “In the Mad Mountains”.
  • Title page of In the Mad Mountains, signed "To Nick - Joe Lansdale".
    In the Mad Mountains signed by Joe Lansdale.
  • Paperback of Lost Echoes. Cover shoes an abandoned car, hood up, in the middle of tall weeds and shrubs.
    Personal copy of Lost Echoes.
  • Title page of Lost Echoes. It is signed "For nick - Joe Lansdale".
    Lost Echoes signed by Joe Lansdale.
  • Large, soft cover book Midnight Mavericks. The cover is an explosion, with flying glass, and each shard has things in it like guns, skulls, dynamite. The center is a yelling face.
    Personal copy of Midnight Mavericks.
  • First page of Joe Lansdale's interview in Midnight Mavericks. It is signed "For Bick - Joe Lansdale".
    Joe Lansdale interview page autographed.

Anywho, I had to have Lansdale sign my copy of NESS that contains the recipe I created in homage to his novella. He was very excited to do so! Aside from NESS, I had an armload of other books he wrote that he also autographed, so check out the gallery above to see all of them.

Jeffrey J. Mariotte Autographs

In attendance in the audience for the Joe Lansdale/Kasey Lansdale signing event was Jeffrey Mariotte! He’s a long time friend of the Lansdales (read his Substack here), and he has had a plethora of books publish this late summer and early spring. So, I came prepared and brought some of this with me for Mariotte to sign.

First was my copy of Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman:

Cover says: America 250 - Billy the Kid Cheat the Hangman - Jeffrey J. Mariotte. The cover shows Billy the Kid, wearing a hat, a vest, looking like a cowboy. Behind him is a lake and mountains.
Cover of Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman.
Title page inside the book. It is signed "For Nick - Back to the old west! - Jeffrey J. Mariotte".
Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman signed by Jeffrey Mariotte.

Next was my copy of Flesh of all Sorrows, which I did an in-depth review that can be read here.

Cover depicts the rear of a white van, its red tail lights beaming. Next to it is a man standing, hidden in a shadow. In front of him/the rear of the van, on the road, is a red high heel shoe. On the horizon is a set of men's eyes looking menacing.
Flesh of All Sorrows cover by Greg Chapman.
Title page inside the book. It is signed "For Nick - Hold onto your flesh!! - Jeffrey J. Mariotte".
Flesh of all Sorrows signed by Jeffrey Mariotte.

If you’re curious, I have lots of other Mariotte signed books. Last year at the Willcox ECOF event, which he was the guest of honour at, he signed lots of my Star Trek comics and other books. Check out that gallery at the bottom of my ECOF diary.

Werewolf

Red Letter Media did their annual Halloween Best of the Worst episode and the first movie they discussed was Werewolf (1996). The movie was already made infamous due to being on MST3K.

Werewolf on DVD. Cover shows a man's face, where half of it is in wolf form. The tag line says "rest in.... beast". in black marker it is signed "For Nick - Richard Lynch".
Personal copy of Werewolf signed by Richard Lynch.

I have a non-MST3K version of the film! Well, I also have the MST3K version, but still. My copy is autographed by the late, great Richard Lynch! He was a guest at a Hollywood Collector show back in the day, and I, of course, had a pile of campy films for him to sign, which included Werewolf. Lynch passed away a few years later, which is a shame because he was always a great presence in otherwise low budget affairs (such as Werewolf).

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Ride the Stream Episodes

New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, have been published online at YouTube.

The duo continue their discussion of the series Dark Winds with episode 6 of season 2:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. It was October, spooky month, so seasonal themed episodes!

First there is “Spooky Screenings: Deathwoods, Camp Miasma, Hope, Buffet Infinity & More“:

Spooky Screenings: Deathwoods, Camp Miasma, Hope, Buffet Infinity & More – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then “Horror Movie Marathon Madness Part 1“:

Horror Movie Marathon Madness Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Horror Movie Marathon Madness Part 2“:

Horror Movie Marathon Madness Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “Spooky Screenings: Resident Evil, VHS Mixtape, and Onslaught“:

Spooky Screenings: Resident Evil, VHS Mixtape, and Onslaught – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally “Spooky Screenings: Buddy, Hokum, and The Cycle“:

Spooky Screenings: Buddy, Hokum, and The Cycle – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a follow!

T. A Simmons’ Scion of Torn

Four years ago I had the honour to interview T. A. Simmons, the author of the comic series adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ book I am a Barbarian (check out that interview here).

Cover shows a man in a green cloak on horseback, pointing at his sword against a man wielding a shovel. They are in the ruins of a castle and there is snow on the ground.
Cover of T. A. simmons’ “Scion of Torn”. Art by Benito Gallego.

Simmons is back with a new novel, Scion of Torn, which is a sequel to Burroughs’ Outlaw of Torn (which Simmons also adapted into a comic strip [see the ERB comics website on how to subscribe and read those]).

Super congrats on the new book! A kindle version of the story is readily available at Amazon.

Cozy in the Apocalypse

My friend Naomi Simone Borwein (author of Global Indigenous Horror and essayist for Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern) has a new book out! She’s a co-editor and contributor to Cozy in the Apocalypse published by Angry Gable Press.

Cover shows a picture frame with no picture. Behind it is a red sky and a green planet.
Cozy in the Apocalypse front cover.

The book can be purchased at Amazon.

Categories
News

News Roundup: September 2026

Personal / Website News

After a great run each month over the summer, September arrives and I could not keep up the momentum. To be fair, our Fiat got rear-ended (not our fault), so this month has been filled with insurance drama and getting a new car. So, the mind has not really been on writing and projects. Yet, September still has some successes and news.

Cavewoman “Natural Selection” #2

The only comic book review I cranked out in September is for issue 2, of Cavewoman, “Natural Selection”.

Cover depicts Mona and Meriem fighting. Meriem is on her back on the ground and Mona is on top of her, pinning her down. Both have knives. Meriem is wearing a leopard print top while Mona is wearing a green top that has black swirls.
Personal copy of Cavewoman – Natural Selection, issue 2. Cover art by Devon Massey.

My review of “Natural Selection” #2 can be read right here. In October I’ll continue on with the “Gangster” storyline and hopefully complete the last two Death Nell comics to ring in Halloween.

Fan2Fan Podcast Appearance

The cool kids at the Fan2Fan podcast continue their “Monster Mania!” series of episodes.

Podcast Thumbnail. It is a collage of monster hunters with Kolchak, Simon Belmont, Blade, Buffy, and Hellboy. It says: "F2F - New Fan2Fan Podcast! Monster Mania! Monster Hunters"
Fan2Fan – Monster Hunters Episode Thumbnail.

They did an episode on iconic monster hunter character and both Michele and I are guests on this episode. It can be listened to here, the player below, or at your podcast app of preference.

Monster Mania: Monster Hunters – Fan2Fan Podcast

National Capital Panthans Journal #352

The September issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue one of “Snow” of the Cavewoman series. My original review can be read here.

Black and white cover for issue 352 of the National Capital Panthans Journal. It shows a woman in a robe atop a submarine with the number 33 on the side.
National Capital Panthans Journal #352. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

So You want to Be an Author

Some publication news, delayed about four years, but publication news none-the-less!

Back in 2023 Michele and I attended the local CoKoCon convention, which we were vendors and guests on a panel. It was a lot of fun. A fellow attendee who sat in on our panel approached us, said they were putting a book together on advice for aspiring authors, and asked if we wanted to contribute. I said sure, was emailed a questionnaire about author habits: “worst trap you fell into,” “thoughts on NaNoWriMo” (that aged well!), “how to get started,” etc., etc. I filled it out, returned it, and that was that.

Cover is black and white and is of a typewriter.
“So You Want to be an Author” cover (lifted from Amazon).

Fast forward roughly three years and I get a group thank you email from Richard Simon (The Booth Babe), about being part of the book. A book that turned out was published back in 2024! I had no idea.

But, better late than never. I had to do sleuthing but finally found the book on Amazon. It is called So You want to Be an Author: General Advice and Resources for Authors by Authors and it can be purchased at Amazon. In a way it is kind of like the book Mark My Words that Michele and I were a part of a few years ago, but that book is now OOP.

Anywho, the book is a compilation of answers from a variety of authors. CoKoCon Guest of Honour and author Seanan McGuire (Spider Gwen) is in it. I’m always honored to be part of a project, so a pleasure to be featured in this one.

Scholars from the Edge of Time – The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

Michele and I had to miss the last few months of Scholars from the Edge of Time, but for September we are back! For this month we discuss the Ray Harryhausen film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.

4K blu-ray release. Black case. Cover shows Sinbad and a woman at a ship's steering wheel and a big mast behind them. On the horizon is a skeleton fighting with a sword, a giant buzzard, a lizard, and a cyclops like monster.
Personal copy of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad on 4K.
Cover shows Sinbad and the princess embracing. He is holding a scimitar. Below them is a Lamp that is smoking. The image is a little blurry because it is lenticular and it is in mid-motion.
Import version of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad with a lenticular cover.

This episode can be watched on YouTube. Check it out!

PangoBooks Bookstore

I have an online bookstore at Pangobooks were I am selling books I no longer need, duplicates, etc. I have lots of horror, sci-fi, non-fiction, OOP, and weird books, so make sure to check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly!

Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

“The story so far” included in the digital compendium for Vanya #10, August 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover shows Tarzan and his monkey familiar Nima, traversing through a tree.
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #349, June 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“We Are Barbarians: Interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons on I Am a Barbarian” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #350, July 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“Release the Subterranean Kraken: Cavewoman: Extinction” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #351, August 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover for issue 352 of the National Capital Panthans Journal. It shows a woman in a robe atop a submarine with the number 33 on the side.
National Capital Panthans Journal #352. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“It’s Getting Cold: Cavewoman: ‘Snow’ Issue 1″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #352, September, 2026.

Original can be read here.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad – Import Lenticular Version

Back in July of this year a brand new 4K version of Ray Harryhausen’s The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was released, and of course, I plucked up a copy (see that in my July news post).

Cover shows Sinbad and the princess embracing. He is holding a scimitar. Below them is a Lamp that is smoking. The image is a little blurry because it is lenticular and it is in mid-motion.
Import version of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad with a lenticular cover.

On Michele’s and my recent excursion to Zia Records, looking around for some hidden peplum treasures, I happened upon this import release of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. I think it is from Australia? Regardless, I had to double dib and grab this bad boy because it was sporting an awesome lenticular cover! This movie became our Scholars from the Edge of Time episode for September (see above).

Rest in Peplum – Richard Harrison

Rest in Peplum to Richard Harrison, who was one of the last strong man actors who defined the sword and sandal era of Italian genre cinema of the 60s. He was truly the last gladiator.

Black and white photo of Richard Harrison. He is wearing white pants, shirtless, and is standing against a railing. A body of water is in the background. It is signed "To Nick, Happy Birthday, Richard Harrison"
Autographed photo of Richard Harrison to me for my birthday.

I am a big Harrison fan, he is probably my favourite peplum actor. I actually got into his work not via his sword and sandal films, or even his Godfrey Ho films, but of his Eurospy films. He was a damn great James Bond knock off. I did presentations on his films at a few PACA conferences in the early 2010s.

In 2016-ish, my friend Dennis did an interview with Harrison for a project and he procured this autographed photo for me as a birthday present. I wish I could have met Harrison, he was a legendary actor and had a big impact on me and my Italian genre film studies. This autographed photo is one of my most prized possessions, even more now.

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Ride the Stream Episodes

New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, have been published online at YouTube.

They discuss episode two of season two of Dark Winds:

And episode three:

Episode four:

And finally episode five:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online.

Aside from the aforementioned Monster Hunter episode (see above) there is “Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 2“:

Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Monster Mania: Monster Movies on TV“:

Monster Mania: Monster Movies on TV – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “Ghost Tourists with Scott and Cindy“:

Ghost Tourists with Scott and Cindy – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then “Horror Double Features“

Horror Double Features – Fan2Fan Podcast

And concluding the month with “Horror Double Features with Joseph Scrimshaw“:

Horror Double Features with Joseph Scrimshaw – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a follow!

Morgana Pendragon #3 & #4 Kickstarter

Madeleine Holly-Rosing has a new Kickstarter up for issues three and four of her matter of Britain comic series Morgana Pendragon.

Two comic books side by side. The one on the left shows a warrior woman holding a sword pointed to the ground as a dragon flag burns behind her. The second cover, holding a sword, pointed up. Behind her is a wizard lady with her hands about the clasp Morgana.
Morgana Pendragon #3 & #4, with cover art by Rio Burton.

The campaign can be found here.

Categories
Comics

In Hot Pursuit: Cavewoman: Natural Selection #2

Cover depicts Mona and Meriem fighting. Meriem is on her back on the ground and Mona is on top of her, pinning her down. Both have knives. Meriem is wearing a leopard print top while Mona is wearing a green top that has black swirls.
Personal copy of Cavewoman – Natural Selection, issue 2. Cover art by Devon Massey.

The Story So Far

Meriem, the titular Cavewoman, has volunteered herself to be an experiment of Dr. Lansing, who wants to draw a sample of her blood to create a serum to vaccinate the town of Marshville from Jurassic pathogens and other prehistoric dangers. Dr. Lansing’s daughter, Mona, who has no confidence in snagging a boyfriend and has low self-esteem of her body, decides to steal the serum and inject herself with it. The serum turns her into a muscular bombshell like Meriem. Mona dons a superhero garb and performs good deeds around Marshville, while attracting the attention of the male populace. Dr. Lansing discovers that some of the serum is missing and secures what is left in a bank vault. Needing to continually consume the formula, Mona breaks into the bank and finds Meriem waiting for her. The two jungle girls begin to battle it out.

Plot

Laying on the ground, Meriem looks defeated at the hands of Mona. A rustling in the bushes by Bruce searching for the two ladies distracts Mona, giving time for Meriem, who was playing dead, to clock her in the chin and make off the satchel containing the serum. Mona gives chase, with Meriem leading her out of Marshville and away from the populace. Meriem plays cat and mouse with Mona in the jungle, stalling until the morning when the serum will wear off. The two ladies eventually go at each other, with Mona throwing a rock at Meriem’s head and Meriem retaliating by putting Mona in a headlock with her legs.

Mona is on the ground, with her butt in the air. Meriem is behind her, with her hands on her hips (yes, it is extremely suggestive). Meriem's thought bubble reads "She's getting weaker! time to make my move!"
Meriem tries to restrain Mona from the satchel.

Mona passes out and then reawakens; the serum having worn off. She apologies for her actions, with Meriem saying it was not her fault, that a side effect of the serum was it would make folks injected with it crazy. Meriem offers to take Mona out for ice cream and even let her sit next to Bruce. 

Commentary

“Natural Selection” issue two was published in September of 2012 and concludes the “Natural Selection” miniseries. The writing and artwork was done by Devon Massey. The story is a pursuit tale, with the majority of pages devoted to chase sequences of Mona trying to get the satchel of serum from Meriem. The issue is action heavy, not only with running sequences, but quite a few bouts of jungle girl on jungle girl fighting action: pinning bodies, cheap shots, grapples and throws, wrestling on the ground, and leg locks. The standard cover of “Natural Selection” #2 succinctly sums up the issue visually.

Meriem is on her back, on the ground, making a fist with her left hand. Mona is on top, her hand bringing up Meriem's leg to try and pin her down.
Meriem and Mona wrestle for the satchel that contains the serum.

The action centric-ness of this issue, with a huge emphasis on near naked bodies fighting each other, puts “Natural Selection” #2 in sword and sandal adjacent territory, except instead of a strongman Hercules/Maciste/Ursus/Samson/etc. strongman, there is a strongwoman. So far, in this Cavewoman retrospective, the focus of Meriem’s body has been in the cheesecake/pinup nature. While “Natural Selection” #2 does not shy away going for sexploitation panels, (there are many, many with either lady’s posterior in the air), the issue fully embraces the body as an extension of strength component that is critical to the peplum genre. The strongman’s body is a tool, and the only tool that can solve the problem at hand, be it erecting statues, turning a millstone, pulling a plow, or overthrowing a corrupt dictator (for more information on this concept of the strongman, see Michael G. Cornelius’ intro in Of Muscles and Men).

Two panels. The smaller, insert panel shows Meriem on the ground, her butt pointed in the air. Mona approaches and says "Gimme that bag!" The bigger panel shows Meriem kicking out with her left leg, planting the kick on Mona's chin.
Meriem kicks Mona square on the chin.

In “Natural Selection” #2, Meriem’s body is the tool that solves the problem at hand. Only her speed, agility, and strength are capable to lure Mona out of Marshville so she does not harm the town’s citizens. She is able to keep Mona distracted by playing cat and mouse in the jungle trees so the serum can wear off. Only then can Meriem non-lethally subdue Mona and return the young scientist and the town back to normality. Meriem is not a peplum character, as she has no direct line to antiquity/mythology (but perhaps a bit of Amazon can be extrapolated in her character), but the way she is depicted and the way she uses her body is akin to a sword and sandal strongman character, thus she can be viewed under such a lens. To do so gives the Cavewoman series an extra dimension to it.

Mona is crying and Meriem is caressing the side of her face. Mona says: "Oh Meriem!! I'm so sorry! ... I don't know what got into me! Oh god I'm sorry! I wouldn't do anything to..." Meriem replies "Hey! It's ok! It wasn't your fault! it was the serum..."
Meriem comforts Mona after the serum has worn off.

While the action sequences are great, the story proper of “Natural Selection” #2 drops the ball on the final page. Massey’s intent looks to wrap the two-issue miniseries in an extremely happy, no loose ends ending. Massey does this by absolving Mona of any transgressions by making it the serum’s fault for her acting in a hostile manner. The explanation is handwavy and maybe a little lazy. However, it could have been salvaged through an editorial decision: move the explanation from the end of the issue to the beginning. This creates stakes and risk for what is about to unfold. Have a flashback panel of Dr. Lansing near the issue’s beginning, briefing Meriem that Mona needs to be stopped, the serum is having adverse effects, and she can potentially hurt someone in the town. This establishes the motive and why Meriem is doing what she is doing through the issue. The current read of the issue is simply “stop Mona and get the serum back” but stating the risk up front “stop Mona and get the serum back because it is making her crazy and she could hurt someone” adds the much-needed danger component that would underscore the action in the issue. Having it at the end robs the issue of this potential.

Conclusion

“Natural Selection” #2 is a fun, action-centric conclusion to the mini story arc. The issue is full of double jungle girl action sequences, oftentimes diving into a peplum-adjacent realm. The issues maintains the series’ love for sexploitation by depicting both Meriem and Mona is a variety of suggestive poses, though it should be stated that issue one concluded with promises of nudity in this issue, which did not happen. The only fault of this issue is its ending, which in its effort to wrap everything up in a nice package, comes across as cheesy. With a bit of editorial action, the ending could have been reshaped into a story strengthening element. It is only a small downer in an otherwise fun jungle girl/superheroine-esque story in the Cavewoman series.

For more information on Cavewoman “Natural Selection” #2 check out the official product page at Amryl Entertainment:

For more reviews of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series I’ve penned, check these out (chronological order of issue publish date):

Categories
News

News Roundup: August 2026

Personal / Website News

August was a fantastic and productive month! Four (!!!) articles up at my website along with the release of Troy and Vanya #10’s digital edition. Looking forward to the autumnal season, see what spooky stuff I can put out there.

Flesh of all Sorrows Reviews

First article up at my website in August was my review of Jeffrey Mariotte’s new book, Flesh of All Sorrows.

Cover depicts the rear of a white van, its red tail lights beaming. Next to it is a man standing, hidden in a shadow. In front of him/the rear of the van, on the road, is a red high heel shoe. On the horizon is a set of men's eyes looking menacing.
Flesh of All Sorrows cover by Greg Chapman.

I had the honour to meet Mariotte back in 2025. I did an interview with him about being the guest of honour at the 2025 ECOF event in Willcox (read that here), and of course there is my write up of said event (which can be read here).

In 2026 Mariotte has a slew of books coming out, such as a new Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn, but also this one, Flesh of All Sorrows, which takes place on the outskirts of Phoenix, where I live. So, it was fun reading a crime story in an area I know!

Anywho, check out my review here and consider plucking up a copy!

Cavewoman Reviews

My retrospective deep dive of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series continues with “Bunny Ranch” and “Natural Selection” #1.

“Bunny Ranch”

First up is my review of the one-shot issue “Bunny Ranch”.

Cover shows Meriem wearing her trademark leopard print bikini top and bottom. She is staying in the middle of the jungle. She is holding a bunny in the palm of her upturned right hand. Her left hand is petting a baby T-rex. There are a few other baby T-rexes hanging in the foilage.
Personal copy of Cavewoman – Bunny Ranch.

I’ll be honest, I found this one shot issue to be pretty bad. There were many fumbled balls with this one. But, that is to be expected when looking at individual entries in a decades-long running series such as Cavewoman. My review of “Bunny Ranch” can be read here.

“Natural Selection” #1

The next review for the Cavewoman series I did for August for for the first issue of “Natural Selection”.

Cover shows Mona (left) and Meriem (right) fighting each other. Mona has blonde hair, Meriem dark. Meriem has her right hand on Mona's neck, and Mona has her hand on Meriem's hand trying to pull her away. Both are looking at each other wide eyed making "grrrr" faces. Both are wearing skimpy attire showing off lots of skin.
Personal copy of Natural Selection issue 1. This variant does not have any titles/logos on the cover.

This is the first issue I’ve covered in this retrospective that was done by other Cavewoman series mainstay, Devon Massey. The art style is a little jarring when compared to Rob Durham’s, but regardless this was a fun issue! This review can be read here.

My next Cavewoman review will be on issue two of “Natural Selection” and will be published in September. That will followed by the three issue “Gangster” series, so stay tuned!

Death Nell Issue 3 Review

As I eagerly await the physical release of Bad Bug’s issue 10 of Vanya, I realized I have yet to wrap up my reviews of their series Death Nell! My last review, which was of issue two, was last summer! Fail.

Cover shows Nell, wearing black and purple stripped stockings, and 2 giant sailor moon hair funs sitting on a purple bed or couch. It looks blood soaked. There are green flowing tentacles around her legs. She is wearing sneakers. Behind her is a window with the moon beaming through. On the couch/bed are thin vials of different colors. Nell is holding a vial and vapor is emitting from it. She is beckoning with her finger as if saying "Come closer".
Death Nell #3 Aleriia V Cover.

So, I am going to rectify that. My review of issue three of Death Nell is online and can be found here. I loved this issue!

Issue four’s review I hope to have published in September and then issue five, the last one of the original series, in October. Right in time for Halloween!

Troy from Arrow Video

One of the big news for me comes from something pretty small. Arrow Video released their edition of Troy (2004) in mid-August, and those looking at the production credits page in the booklet will see yours truly listed in the special thanks!

4K Blu-ray of Troy. The clip cover shows the head of the Trojan Horse, and it is on fire. Next to it is the booklet for the release, with the page open to the production credits. There is a special thanks section and Nicholas Diak is the second name listed.
Personal copy of Troy on 4K and booklet with production credits.

I was contacted by the producer for this release for some materials to be reprinted in the booklet which I was super more than happy to help with. It was an extremely small part in this fantastic re-release, but a part none-the-less. A bucket list item crossed off: be a part of a sword and sandal movie in some capacity. But, very honored to be part of it all.

For those curious, do check out my unboxing write up of the old Troy director’s cut boxset, which can be found here.

Vanya #10 – Digital Compendium

The digital edition of issue 10 of Vanya was released in late August by Bad Bug. I’ve been covering the series as part of my (unofficial?) neo-jungle girl comics series. My review of the last physical issue, #9, can be read here, and links to all the other issues can be found at the bottom of the page.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

For the digital edition of the issue, there also came with it a compendium of character bios, a short story, but also a “story so far” write up. Yours truly got to compose the “story so far”, so that was really cool to do. So, for folks who backed the Kickstarter and got a digital edition, you’ll be able to see the “story so far” file. I’m, credited in the, uh, file name.

PangoBooks Bookstore

I have an online bookstore at Pangobooks were I am selling books I no longer need, duplicates, etc. I have lots of horror, sci-fi, non-fiction, OOP, and weird books, so make sure to check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly!

Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

“The story so far” included in the digital compendium for Vanya #10, August 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover shows Tarzan and his monkey familiar Nima, traversing through a tree.
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #349, June 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“We Are Barbarians: Interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons on I Am a Barbarian” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #350, July 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“Release the Subterranean Kraken: Cavewoman: Extinction” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #351, August 2026.

Original can be read here.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.

The Return

Raise of hands for the folks who totally forgot that another Odyssey movie dropped like a year or so ago!

Standard Blu-ray blue case. Cover is a close up shot of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche's faces. Fiennes is holding a bow and is sporting a grayish beard.
Personal copy of The Return on Blu-ray.

That’s The Return (2024), and it has Ralph Fiends and Juliette Binoche. I want to say this movie entered my radar when it was originally announced, and I totally forgot about it. I guess that is what happens when you don’t have the big Hollywood marketing machine backing you up? Anywho, plucked this up up, excited to give it a watch. Fiennes is a neo-peplum veteran, with Clash/Wrath of the Titans, so that will be great!

Devil’s Sword

Indonesian sword and sorcery? Yes, please!

Blu-ray slipcover shows a princess-type lady, wearing a tiara and with armored shoulders. Behind her are 4 green lizard people with glowing red eyes.
Personal copy of Devil’s Sword in Blu-ray with slipcover.

I learned of Devil’s Sword after is had long been out of print from Mondo Macabro. I saw the trailer and it looked like a trip – one I would love to take! I just happened upon it got a new release at Terror Vision, so had to snag this before it became OOP again.

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Ride the Stream Episodes

After a small break, Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, is back! The duo pick up talking about Dark Winds with episode one of the second season:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online.

First is “Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1990s“:

Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1990s – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then “Monster Mania: Silver Bullet“:

Monster Mania: Silver Bullet – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 1“:

Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally “Monster Mania: Monster Squad“:

Monster Mania: Monster Squad – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a follow!

Jeffrey Mariotte’s Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman

Aside from the aforementioned Flesh of All Sorrows (see review link above), Jeffrey Mariotte had a second book published in August! This is part of the America 250 series from Dusty Saddle Publishing and it is called Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman.

Cover says: America 250 - Billy the Kid Cheat the Hangman - Jeffrey J. Mariotte. The cover shows Billy the Kid, wearing a hat, a vest, looking like a cowboy. Behind him is a lake and mountains.
Cover of Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman.

The novella can be purchased on Amazon. Also, check out Mariotte’s Substack entry about the writing of this novella.

Categories
Comics

Au Naturel: Cavewoman: Natural Selection #1

Plot

Meriem the Cavewoman is laying on a tilted observation table in Dr. Lansing’s lab. Above her is a large apparatus that has a syringe at the end. At the flip of a switch, the machine punctures Meriem’s superhuman tough skin and draws out a blood sample. With this, Dr. Lansing hopes to synthesize a formula to vaccinate the citizens of Marshville against Jurassic diseases. Happy to have contributed to the greater community, Meriem leaves with her beau Bruce to get ice cream.

Cover shows Mona (left) and Meriem (right) fighting each other. Mona has blonde hair, Meriem dark. Meriem has her right hand on Mona's neck, and Mona has her hand on Meriem's hand trying to pull her away. Both are looking at each other wide eyed making "grrrr" faces. Both are wearing skimpy attire showing off lots of skin.
Personal copy of Natural Selection issue 1. This variant does not have any titles/logos on the cover.

Dr. Lansing’s lab assistant and daughter Mona is invited but her father steers her back to her scientific work. Later, on her way home, she is called “weird” and a “cat-lady” by patrons of a diner. She muses over her inability to land a boyfriend, especially one like Bruce. She decides to steal the serum taken from Meriem’s blood and inject herself with it, transforming her body into a fit, jungle girl. She dons a costume and blonde wig and begins performing superhero deeds around Marshville, such as saving kittens and hunting for food. Her escapades attract the attention of the male populace.

Paper certificate that says "Amryl Entertainment Certificate of Authenticity. Cavewoman Natural Selection 1 Special Edition - Devon. Limited to 75 - copies"
Cavewoman Natural Selection #1 Certificate for special edition cover.

Meriem and Bruce are summoned to Lansing’s lab who reports that some of the serum is missing and is probably connected with the sudden appearance of the blonde jungle heroine. They decide to store the serum in a bank vault for protection. 

Mona overhears this, but risks breaking into the bank to get the serum to continue living in her new form. Waiting in the vault is Meriem and the two ladies get into a fight. After many blows are exchanged, Mona seemingly gets the upper hand as she puts Meriem in a chokehold.

Commentary

Cavewoman “Natural Selection” issue one is the first part of a two issue story arc written and drawn by Devon Massey and published in June 2012. “Natural Selection” is the first comic reviewed in this Cavewoman retrospective that was done by Massey as the other issues analyzed so far (“Extinction”, “Snow”, and “Bunny Ranch”) were written and drawn by Rob Durham.

Massey’s artistic approach to Meriem is extremely different than both Durham’s and Root’s. Budd Root and Rob Durham both embrace the pinup and cheesecake style when depicting Meriem. Massey takes a less glamorous, but still extremely sexualized, approach. It feels at home with old school underground and adult comics (of which Cavewoman is a successor of). Somewhere on the scale of Robert Crumb to Eric Stanton can one find a gauge of Massey’s style.

Mereim has a big smile, but also big cheeks. She says "That's so neat! Can we get ice-cream now, Bruce? You so promised!"
After the doctor’s visit, Meriem is promised ice cream.

Massey’s approach to Meriem is to make her “rounder”, especially noticeable in her face and cheeks. Massey’s Meriem is still voluptuous and maintains the emphasis on her body, especially her breasts and posterior. There is less detail in Massey’s art when compared to Durham, but on the other hand, it leans into a more “cartoony” style which supports the tone of “Natural Selection” which is full of scenes of sexual innuendoes and genre parody. Massey has a specific vibe present in the art, and it supports the more laid back, lower stakes, simple superheroine story of “Natural Selection”.

Meriem is sitting against some heart shaped pillows, leaning backward. She has a leopard print bikini top, popping forward. She looks sultry. She says "Gosh, I've never done this before. Is it gonna hurt?"
Meriem is positioned “seductively” on the doctor’s table.

“Natural Selection” begins immediately with a multi-layered parody of the pulp trope of a hero secured to a mad scientist’s/villain’s table, with a death ray or buzz saw above them, a ticking clock to their demise. This is the type of trope reserved for James Bond Eurospy-type characters or damsels in distress. Meriem is a far cry from being a damsel in distress, so her occupying that role visually in the opening pages is both jarring and comedic, as her powers would allow her to escape at any time. 

Next, it turns out the scene is not perilous at all, but benevolent. Meriem has volunteered herself to have her blood drawn into order to be turned into a serum to help the residents of Marshville survive being in the prehistoric past. The reason for the dramatic and dangerous looking setup is that equipment from an oil drill, (perhaps a nod to the oil drilling plot line in “Snow” issues one and two), is needed to pierce her invulnerable skin. The scene gets even more nefarious looking, with Dr. Lansing initially depicted as a lecherous and grotesque mad scientist. However, he is a good guy.

Finally, the dialogue bubbles for this “mad scientist/damsel in distress” sequence are non-stop sexual innuendos and double entendres. The first page of “Natural Selection” shows Meriem leaning back, bracing herself (protruding her buxomness toward the reader as much as possible) as if she is about to be penetrated sexually, “Gosh, I’ve never done this before…is it gonna hurt?” Dialogue lines such as “I have managed to raise the necessary equipment”, “I can begin the insertion”, “you might feel a little prick” pile on, making the scene entirely over the top with innuendo, that in the end, is all misconstruing context that concludes with Lansing getting a blood sample, a benign activity that occurs in many normal visits to the doctor. This is Austin Powers style humour dialed to eleven.

The bulk of the focus of “Natural Selection” is not on Meriem but on Mona, the daughter of Dr. Lansing who has confidence issues and wants to get a boyfriend. Her hair is pulled into a tight ponytail and she wears glasses, but she is far from being homely. She is a parody, like Chyler Leigh’s character in the spoof film Not Another Teen Movie (2001). Her concerns about her appearance are valid in that even in the prehistoric past, advertising and society expectations find a way to make her feel inadequate. She walks by a series of storefronts, such as an adult store and a tanning salon, that bombard her with messaging that she needs to change her appearance.

Mona is walking on a sidewalk next to a building, going left to right. Her thought bubble says "I'm never gonna get a man looking like this". Behind her is a storefront for Sandy's Adult Toy and Swear Wear, and then Marsha's Fitness and Tanning.
Mona walks along the street, bombarded by advertising to change her looks.

Mona has a crush on Bruce, who in this issue has his greaser/rockabilly image cranked way up (he also seems to dig The Rocky Horror Picture Show [1975]). This causes Mona to compare herself to Meriem and become discouraged. This is a theme that Cavewoman previously explored in “Snow” issue two. In that issue Meriem passes by a strip mall on her way to do gardening at a museum. Two women inside the mall watch Meriem pass by. One comments that Meriem needs to cover up more while the other talks about her boyfriend drooling just by looking at the cavewoman. The former does counter that her boyfriend is a “dog” who needs “his ass dumped” and that Meriem “seems nice and she has a boyfriend” implying Meriem is not going to be stealing anyone’s significant other. The exchange is brief, but it does set a background that there are women in Marshville who find themselves threatened or intimidated by Meriem’s beauty, and from the ongoings in “Natural Selection”, Mona can be added to that list.

Collage scene of Mona trying on a variety of skimpy, super heroine outfits. All show off her skins, breasts, and curves.
Mona tries on various super heroine outfits.

Mona eventually steals the serum, injects it, and gains the same powers Meriem has. There is a small superhero parody sequence where Mona tries on different skimpy outfits, with some of the attire being akin to Lady Death and other “bad girl” comic heroines. There are shades of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with Mona being the Jekyll and her blond superheroine form being Mr. Hyde.

Mona has her arms locked around Meriem's neck who is struggling to get out. Meriem's thought bubble says "She's too strong.. I'm gonna pass out.."
Mona has a choke hold on Meriem.

Issue one of “Natural Selection” concludes with the two ladies engaged in fisticuffs and wrestling. Lots of panels show clothed breasts and butts during the battle. The entirety of this issue has been nudity free, despite all the sexual innuendo in the beginning. There are lots of cleavage and butt cheeks being shown, (the ending battle makes sure of this), and nipples poking through skimpy attire, but no actual nudity. Massey tongue-in-cheek pokes fun at this, with the final panel of the issue proclaiming “To Be contiNUDE! ‘heh-heh!’”, teasing readers that the second and final issue of the “Natural Selection” arc will pay off with some nudity, be it from Meriem, Mona, or both. 

Conclusion

“Natural Selection” issue one is a fun issue and surprisingly complex. At first glance it may seem trope-heavy or cliché, but Massey makes it work to do some heavy storytelling and character development lifting. Meriem has fought underground Cthulhu-esque monsters, werewolves, and dinosaurs, but she does not often get to fight against humans that can stand toe to toe with her. With Mona, Massey leverages tropes such as “the ugly girl” in high school rom coms and Dr. Jekyl, to build a worthwhile, but not evil, adversary for Meriem. Massey goes the extra mile to make Mona multi-dimensional, showing her insecurities and the climate she is living in: working hard in her father’s lab (isolation), not feeling romantically loved, and yet still being bombarded with advertising and societal expectations (despite being in a town transported millions of years into the prehistoric past) on how to be a more attractive woman. She is selfish because she is stealing the serum that can help others, but there is pity with her. She is identifiable with and perhaps after her battle with Meriem, she can find a new path to get what she wants. 

For more information on Cavewoman “Natural Selection” #1 check out the official product page at Amryl Entertainment:

For more reviews of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series I’ve penned, check these out (chronological order of issue publish date):

Categories
Comics

Cast a Sexy Spell: Death Nell 03

The Story So Far

Nell is a twenty-two-year-old student enrolled at Deus Mortem, a university for necromancy, who has been having a hard time staying awake in class. She has been overcome with sexual urges, which can barely be satiated by her own hand.

Cover shows Nell, wearing black and purple stripped stockings, and 2 giant sailor moon hair funs sitting on a purple bed or couch. It looks blood soaked. There are green flowing tentacles around her legs. She is wearing sneakers. Behind her is a window with the moon beaming through. On the couch/bed are thin vials of different colors. Nell is holding a vial and vapor is emitting from it. She is beckoning with her finger as if saying "Come closer".
Death Nell #3 Aleriia V Cover.

Nell learns that she is half succubus and that she needs to feed on sexual energy. With the assistance of her best friend April, they break into Ms. Flowers’ (the school’s nurse) office in the hopes of summing an imp that can be at Nell’s side to keep her focused. Instead, they summon a s’imp, a red, sexually charged imp named Hans that bonds immediately to Nell much to her chagrin. 

Later during the night, a mysterious cloaked figure slips an envelope under April’s dorm door which contains a picture of Nell’s parents: a human father and a succubus mother.

Issue 03 Plot

After the next classroom session with Professor Reinhart, which was about the differences between krakens and leviathans, April gives to Nell the picture of her parents that was slipped under her door the night before. Hans the s’imp slaps the picture from Nell’s hands, claiming that it is a trap. And it is. When the picture hits the floor a horned purple wolf with a skeleton head manifests and begins chasing Nell, saying “om nom nom!” as it wants to eat her.

April uses her troll powers to stun the beast while Nell uses her succubus singing voice to charm it. Ms. Flowers arrives on scene and casts a spell that melts the wolf into a pile of pink cosmos.

Flowers agrees with the trio that someone is after Nell and that they need extra help. She sends Nell and company to the school’s crypt to begin learning from Frederick, the school’s necromancy instructor.

Nell is being fondeled by 4 skeletons and lots of ghosts who are wide-eyed and drooling. She has her eyes closed and is singing "oooooooooo". All the undead are enthralled with her.
Nell attempts to control the summoned skeletons and ghosts.

Arriving at the crypt, the three are surprised to find that it is a gym full of skeletons. April is immediately smitten with Frederick who is an extremely fit and swole Frankenstien-esque man. To get them started on learning the ways of necBROmancy, Frederick gives Nell, April, and Hans a protein shake that has been enhanced with necromancer ashes. Nell gives her succubus siren song another try and summons a mass of skeletons that begin to fondle her. She loses control of the skeletons, but April smacks her on her butt to snap her back into focus. The skeletons reform and combine into a giant skeleton golem, a skullem!

Commentary

Issue three of Death Nell has a lot going for it: deepening the mystery surrounding Nell, successfully introducing another new character (Frederick), maintaining 80s style sexploitation comedy and doing something “different” with the sex scenes in this issue when compared to issues one and two (throttling it back and placing it on April instead of Nell).

Frederick is laying on his back, performing lifts. He has one blue eye and one purple eye. He is saying "Grrr! The first step to being a good necromancer is to be a part of the swoley trinity. ou need to be swole of mind, body, and spirit. You got that?"
Frederick, the necBROmancer.

This issue introduces the new character of Frederick, a body builder character that, in a Monster High fashion, takes after Frankenstein. His first appearance make him look like a “gym bro”, but he turns out to be anything but. He has been the only adult character in the Deus Mortem University so far who has not either sexually advanced on the main characters, or been antagonistic toward them. Nurse Flowers has made advances to Nell, groundskeeper Edgar has audibly made comments toward Nell, Professor Reinhart has not done any advances toward Nell, but s’imp Hans proclaims something is off about him (this could be jealousy, though Hans has been correct about his other observations such as the cursed picture). Fredrick, instead, opens up to Nell, April, and Hans immediately, welcomes them to the gym, and gets right to work training them. No punishments or demands like from Reinhart, but right into being supportive. He is a good teacher and a positive character.

Nell is naked and eating a slice of pepperoni pizza. She says "nom nom". And she is eating the pizza, with her eyes closed, she has her left hand on Reinhard as he is performing Cunnilingus on Nell and also saying "nom nom". Hearts float around the duo.
Fantasy sequence from issue 1 – Nell eats Pizza.
A recreation of the scene in Lady and the Tramp - April on the left and Frederick on the right. The are eating opposite ends of the same spaghetti noodle. A place of spaghetti sits between the two. Both are naked and staring into each others eyes.
Fantasy sequence from issue 3 – April eats spaghetti.

The appearance of Frederick takes the spotlight away from Nell’s sexual appetite and places it on April. There is only one sex scene (fantasy or otherwise) in Death Nell #3, and it does not involve Nell, but April. In fact, one of the series’ best jokes is in this issue. It is a meta joke from Nell directed to April when April begins to fantasize about Reinhard: “You better not be eating pizza in there, that’s my thing.” April has collage sexual fantasies just like her best friend Nell, but instead of pizza she goes the other Italian food route and eats spaghetti a’la Lady and the Tramp (1955). There are roughly three nested jokes in one sequence. It is great!

April slaps Nell's butt. She has furrowed eyes.
SLAP DEM CHEEKS!

The comedy in Death Nell #3 continues with its so-bad-they’re-great Monster High-esque puns: necBROmancer, Skullem, etc. Professor Reinhard saying “get kraken” while giving a lecture on leviathans and krakens is the greatest pun ever. Other great instances of comedy in the issue includes a panel of April slapping Nell on her butt to snap her out of a trance, and it turns the phrase “slap dem cheeks!” into an onomatopoeia.

Ms. Flowers is bent over, rummaging through a cabinet. She is wearing a red dress that is hiked up, showing there white panties that have hearts. She is wearing thigh high stockings that have flowers on them. There are books and potions above her and candles lit with purple flames nearby. She is saying "I'll send a bat with a message to expect the three of you. Also, he may come off as arrogant, but...." (she is talking about Frederick).
Panty and stockings (without garter belt) flashes from, Ms. Flowers.

While the sex is throttled back, there is still 80s style sexploitation gags in Death Nell #3. When Ms. Flowers bends over in her office, her knickers and stockings become “accidentally” exposed, something akin to Linda Blair in Zapped Again!(1990) or Linnea Quigley  in Night of the Demons (1988). All in all, this has been the funniest issue of Death Nell so far.

Covers and Swag Impressions

The third issue of Death Nell was successfully Kickstarted back in October of 2023, with physical fulfillment in January 2024. Those that contributed to the campaign received some nifty art-centric swag and trading cards to go with their chosen cover(s).

Death Nell #3 came in nine different covers, with nude and non-nude options available. The standard cover was done by Aleriia V that goes for a sinister approach to an otherwise comedic series. The Aleriia V cover shows Nell sitting on a blood-soaked couch or bed, tentacles wrapping around her legs, holding potion vials and beckoning the viewer to come forth with her finger. It looks like a gothic crackhead crime scene. Not Alerria V’s best cover, especially considering they did the best cover of Vanya #7 (see here).

The sexiest cover of issue three goes to Xong Bros (who focus on Nell’s masturbatory dilemma) while the whimsy-est goes to Mike Debalfo and Tarella Pablo’s cover which captures a more innocent and unassuming side of Nell.

Nell is topless on a purple beach down that has a skull pattern. She is on a dark beach with sinister clouds in the distance. She is cleaning against a tiki statue. Behind her are tiki torches. At her hands is a hollowed pineapple with a cocktail in it, garnished with an umbrella. A green skeleton magic vapor comes from the cocktail.
Personal copy of Death Nell #3, nude version done by Marissa Pope and Hedwin Zaldivar.

The best cover, hands down, goes to Marissa Pope and Hedwin Zaldivar’s tiki cover. Death Nell has absolutely no exotica/tiki/mid-century elements present, but the artistic duo voodoo-tiki-ify Nell and it pull it off.* Co-artist Zaldivar also did the best cover for Vanya #9 (see here).

Two art prints, side by side. The left one shows Nell and June, but in swapped costumes. June, the purple haired sex bot from Hyperguest, is wearing all purple and her hand is reaching from Nell's breast. Nell is dressed in June's outfit, with is black latex with latex garters that connect to latex boots. The smaller art print shows a naked Nell, sitting on the floor, rubbing the top of her head as a dizzy swirl appears. There is a headless skeleton in a cape holding her. She is wearing purple and black stripped stockings that have holes torn in them.
Art print of Nell and June done by Bruno Sousa next to an art print of the Zheanhmeart cover.

For Kickstarter swag, the Death Nell #3 campaign came with two art prints. One is a 6 x 9 crossover piece that has Nell paired up with June, the protagonist from Bad Bug’s erotic cyberpunk series Hypergeist. Nell is wearing June’s attire and June wearing Nell’s. This piece is done by Bruno Sousa who also did the crossover print of Nell and Bobby Jo that was a part of the Death Nell #2 campaign.

The second art print is a smaller 5×7 glossy print of the Zheanhmeart cover for Death Nell #3.

four black and white trading cards showing skeletons engaging in different sexual positions, like reverse cowgirl, missionary, prone bone. The target card shows nell holding an urn of ashes on her head. Her eyes are glowing yellow. She is wearing a purple top that has poofy shoulders.
Necro Sutra trading cards and a Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card.

Finally, as with many Bad Bug campaigns, the Death Nell #3 Kickstarter had a handful of different trading/collectable cards. 

First, there is a set of “Necro Sutra” trading cards done by Cari Salviejo (who has worked on other Bad Bug properties such as the aforementioned Hypergeist). These cards show skeletons engaging in a variety of sexual acts and are similar in theme to the sexy skeleton cards that were included with Death Nell #2.

Lastly there is the Tarot Card. Bad Bug has had a great run of making Rider–Waite Tarot Cards sporting their characters. This card is for the Wheel of Fortune and shows an extremely stylized Nell holding an urn of ashes on her head. She has possessed eyes and glowing arms in her palms, perhaps a nod to the Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). The artist is not credited, but it looks akin to the work of Zach Raw.

All in all, a zesty round up of great swag that backers got with their comic.

Conclusion

Death Nell #3 is fantastic. Frederick is a great addition to the series and he treats the main trio respectfully (hoping that issue four or five does not pull a Scooby Doo and turns him into a bad guy). The comedy in this issue is top notch with many humorous panels and puns. Issue three continues to dive deeper into the mystery around Nell (who she is and why others want her dead), while also exploring other characters more closely (such as April’s desires). 

*Note: I am 100% bias toward this cover as I am really into tiki culture. 

For more information on Death Nell and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

Death Nell Reviews

Vanya Reviews

Categories
Comics

Day of the Lepus: Cavewoman: Bunny Ranch

Plot

Deep in the Jurassic jungle, Meriem the Cavewoman plays hide and seek with a triceratops named Spikey (or Spikes). The tri-horned dinosaur gets a little too much into the game and headbutts Meriem’s bottom. She scolds the triceratops but quickly make amends and rides the reptile to Marshville.

Cover shows Meriem wearing her trademark leopard print bikini top and bottom. She is staying in the middle of the jungle. She is holding a bunny in the palm of her upturned right hand. Her left hand is petting a baby T-rex. There are a few other baby T-rexes hanging in the foilage.
Personal copy of Cavewoman – Bunny Ranch.

Upon entering the town, she seeks out her boyfriend Bruce and her friend, Professor Cook, but to no avail. She happens upon a pet store ran by Cynthia Cross, who knew Meriem when she was young. The two catch up before Cynthia reveals that Bruce and Professor Cook have been working for her, trapping non-prehistoric animals for her to keep safe. Meriem uses her superhuman powers to sprint off into the jungle in search of the duo.

Soon she encounters a baby T-rex that is being bullied by a trio of raptors. Meriem curbstomps one, uppercuts another, and pile drives the last. She then tears off the raptors’ limbs to feed to the baby T-rex who grows attached to her.

Bruce and Professor Cook pop out of the foliage and the three reconnect. Their reunion is short-lived as a giant dinosaur’s stomping causing them to hide, thinking it is the baby T-rex’s mother. Instead, it is a Spinosaurus that promptly devours the infant. The three make their escape back to Marshville and to Cynthia. Bruce and Professor Cook hand over their captured animals and agree to let Meriem accompany them on future excursions. Cynthia marvels at Meriem as she holds a bunny rabbit in her arms, saying she is good with animals. 

Commentary

“Bunny Ranch” is a one-shot Cavewoman comic published in May of 2012, with Rob Durham penning the story and doing the art. As a one-shot comic, like the previously reviewed “Extinction” issue, the story is self-contained, though it introduces a new character, Cynthia Cross, a potential paramour to Professor Cook.

Compared to the solid one shot “Extinction” and the exciting “Snow” story arc that were published in the prior year, “Bunny Ranch” is a major let down. This issue suffers greatly from a ham-fisted coincidental exposition dump, tonal whiplash, and a regression in Bruce and Meriem’s relationship. The overall gist of “Bunny Ranch” is fine, but the actual writing fails this one-shot.

Meriem has her hands pressed against the glass of a pet store. Inside are bunnies. She says "Oh, I haven't seen one since I was a little girl. I..I remember! I remember. Gramps gave me one for my birthday."
Meriem recalls a childhood memory as she gazes on the bunnies.

Early in the issue, Meriem walks about Marshville looking for Bruce and Professor Cook. She happens upon a pet store, sees a family of bunnies in the window, and has a memory come back to her. She remembers being a little girl, Gramps buys her a bunny, and then Meriem’s mother sells the bunny to buy drugs. The next page, Cynthia, the store proprietor, notices Meriem feeling sad and comments the extent of (paraphrasing) “I know you from ten years ago, your grandpa bought you a rabbit, and then your mother took it away.” Why would Cynthia remember these precise details ten years later? It is not a believable exchange between the two characters. It is an exposition dump executed with convenience in mind rather than taking an organic approach with more exchanges, plot building, and dialogue.

The tonal whiplash occurs later in the issue after Meriem has saved the baby T-Rex only for it to be eaten by a Spinosaurus. It is a shocking scene, and a little sad since the baby T-Rex has a cute factor going for it and it had bonded with Meriem. The scene does underscore the harsh reality of how dangerous the primeval jungle is, and death can come at any moment to anyone. The scene loses its impact immediately after when Meriem makes a sexual tease that Professor Cook should mate with Cynthia. This causes the professor to turn beet red and everyone to laugh. It is not an instance of gallows humour, but maybe writer Durham intended this moment that occurs mere minutes after watching the baby T-Rex be devoured as a means to cushion the shocking scene. Instead it comes off tonally wrong, not fitting the gravity of the scene. The joke itself is fine but would have been better executed later when the trio returned to Cynthia in Marshville.

The joke Meriem makes so soon after witnessing the baby T-Rex get eaten, especially after saving it from the pack of raptors, seems uncharacteristic of the character. Prior issues of Cavewoman have explored the mothering and nurturing attributes Meriem exhibits, such as saving Susie from the underground tentacle monster in “Extinction” and have the fever dream about her unborn children in issue four of “Snow”. The subject of the joke is not the issue, but its sudden utterance after watching the infant T-Rex, which she shared a brief mother-child relationship with, comes across as callous and not keeping in with Meriem’s character.

Cynthia is handing Meriem a rabbit. The exchange. Meriem: Oh, it's adorable! Cynthia: I named her "Snowflake". I caught her right after the snow started melting last winter.

This not keeping with how characters should be operating continues with the last major flaw with “Bunny Ranch”, and that is the regression of Meriem’s relationship with Bruce (and, to some extent, Professor Cook). An initial first impression, everything does seem status quo between Meriem and Bruce: they are still in love, still care about each other, etc. The big question: why isn’t Meriem privy to Bruce and Professor Cook’s outings to the jungle to collect animals for Cynthia? The duo have been doing this activity for quite a while, and Meriem has never been notified about it. Shouldn’t Bruce keep his girlfriend in the know of what he is doing, especially if what he is doing involves venturing into the dangerous Jurassic jungle? At the end of “Bunny Ranch”, Bruce and Professor Cook even admit it will be great having Meriem on their adventures go forward because she has valuable skills. So, why not bring her in the loop earlier? The only reasons for Bruce to keep his activities from Meriem are either a) he wants alone/male-bonding time with Professor Cook, b) not thinking and unintentionally coming off as insensitive, c) bad writing that was designed to introduce the new character of Cynthia and get Meriem into the jungle to close the narrative loop (which may have had the side effect of causing a or b). As a reminder, back in “Snow” issue three, Professor Cook tells Bruce a secret while Meriem is away and neither she nor the readers are informed of what was said during that story arc. This does establish that Bruce and Professor Cook are not above keeping information from Meriem, which may explain why they were not initially letting her in on their bro-time.

Black and white panel. It shows a baby T-tex having butted its head against Meriem's butt. She dinosaur says "Grunk!". Meriem says "Oh-Crappo!". Her bikini bottom is flown up, but she still has knickers on. She is bent over, tumbling forward as Gramps looks on.
Meriem is head butted on her posterior by a baby T-Rex.

While the writing falters severely in “Bunny Ranch”, the issue does have its high points. Durham’s art style is excellent, as usual, and his depictions of Meriem capture that cheesecake jungle girl vibe perfectly. There is no nudity in this issue, but Durham does find ways to pepper in some sexploitation. Meriem’s posterior is highlighted a handful of times in the issue. Meriem has a proclivity of being butted in her rear, toppling her forward, causing either her bust or her butt to become more prominent depending on point of view. In “Snow” issue two she is hit by a truck that causes her breasts to pop out of her top. In “Bunny Ranch” she is butted by a triceratops and later by the baby T-rex. It is a combination of a running gag within the series and a way to sexualize Meriem in an otherwise non-sexual situation.

Panel is show from below, as at the ground looking up. Meriem is bringing her foot down on a raptor's head. It then explodes in gore with a "SAAMASH!!".
Meriem curbstomps a Raptor.

The curbstomped raptor is a brutal panel, but exciting to see in action. While the artwork depicts Meriem as a pinup, it is moments like these that remind the viewer that she is incredibly powerful and can be vicious. If anything, after “Extinction” and “Snow”, Meriem’s violent side has not been explored nearly enough, so it is nice to see it exhibited in “Bunny Ranch”.

Conclusion

Regretfully, “Bunny Ranch” is not a good issue in the Cavewoman series. While the art remains consistently pinup stylistic and the overall story at a high-level works, the actual writing to execute it is severely flawed. Flawed so much that it hampers the characters, portraying them in uncharacteristic fashions: Meriem’s mothering nature being swept aside for a sexual joke that tonally does not fit the scene; Bruce (and Professor Cook) keeping their activities a secret form Meriem for seemingly no reason. Finally, what exactly is a “Bunny Ranch”? The issue ends with a joke, with Cynthia watching Meriem pet rabbits, inspiring her to want to open a bunny ranch. Is this a reference to the Nevada brothel of the same name? Is Cynthia looking to become a madam and prostitute Meriem out? Questions that should not need to be asked if the writing was better.

For more information on Cavewoman “Bunny Ranch” check out the official product page at Amryl Entertainment:

For more reviews of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series I’ve penned, check these out (chronological order of issue publish date):

Categories
Essays

Death Rode Upon a Monsoon: Jeffrey J. Mariotte’s Flesh of All Sorrows

Daniel Mansfield Jr. is the brand-new chief of police of Sossaman, a small but expanding town that borders the southeast corner of Phoenix. The Mansfield name carries tremendous currency in the desert town due to Daniel’s father, a prior chief of police, who apprehended the Bookbinder, a serial killer in the early 80s who captured, tortured, and then killed women. His calling card? He would bind hardbound books with their skin.

Barely a moment on the job and Daniel’s world is turned upside down: he falls in love with Kristin, who has a stalker in the form of a Sossaman police officer who is also a Nazi sympathizer; Daniel’s brother Davey, and golden child of the family, announces his intention to run for the mayor of the town; and finally, but most chillingly, the body of a dead twenty year old girl is found in a farm field that shows the signs of having been killed by the Bookbinder. With the Bookbinder already in prison for the past four decades, is this the work of a copycat killer, or could the wrong man be behind bars and the original Bookbinder is still on the loose? Daniel’s foray into the mystery will unravel truths that others would rather not have unearthed. 

Cover depicts the rear of a white van, its red tail lights beaming. Next to it is a man standing, hidden in a shadow. In front of him/the rear of the van, on the road, is a red high heel shoe. On the horizon is a set of men's eyes looking menacing.
Flesh of All Sorrows cover by Greg Chapman.

Flesh of All Sorrows is the newest police procedural novel by Jeffrey Mariotte. The author of The Slab (2019), River Runs Red (2019), Empty Rooms (2014), and 7 Sykos (2016)(with Marsheila Rockwell), Mariotte is a multi-genre author who has penned many thriller and crime fiction works before including books in The Narcos (Narcos: The Jaguar’s Claw [2018]), Criminal Minds (Criminal Minds: Sociopaths, Serial Killers & Other Deviants [2010]), CSI (Brass in Pocket [2009]), The Burning Season [2011], and Blood Quantum [2010]), and NCIS (NCIS: New Orleans – Crossroads [2017] and NCIS: Los Angeles – Bolthole [2016]) universes. Mariotte brings his police procedural expertise to Flesh of All Sorrows.

The novel is told through two characters: Daniel Mansfield Jr. and the murderer. Aside from each having their own chapters, each character is read from a different perspective: Daniel in first person and the murderer in third person. The alternating perspectives give Flesh of All Sorrows the ticking time bomb element: readers see what the murderer is doing/about to do and the suspense comes from hoping that Daniel and his police officers will be able to save the day. On top of trying to solve these neo-Bookbinder murders, the couple of subplots, such as the right-wing/stalker policeman who seeks revenge on Daniel for perceived wrongs add in more thriller elements and action sequences. There’s a James Bond-style trapped for death sequence, a handful of pursuit and shoot out sequences, and of course, the actual detective work and sussing out theories from the evidence while a killer runs at large in the community.

What makes the aforementioned activities stand out in Mariotte’s work is the emphasis on giving his characters memorable quirks. The majority of police officers Daniel works with are fleshed out and competent at what they do: Deacon Glass, an impeccable, Holmesian detective that becomes Daniel’s right hand man on the case; Rosalie Sepulveda, an admin assistant with a booming laugh who makes sure Daniel has what he needs to run the department and investigate; Leila Vélez, another detective who was once Daniel’s partner who settles in a more action-centric role. Daniel himself has some quirks, such as driving a 1962 Land Rover as his vehicle of preference and having a collection of guitars (some autographed) even though he is terrible at both playing and singing.

Someone (or someones) on the force is a mole to Erica Wilson, a reporter for the East County Courier, who is secretly being fed information about the cases being worked on. In conjunction, after Daniel gives an impromptu address at a protest in response to an indigenous American being shot by a police officer earlier in the week, his response by his own department is mixed, with some praising him and others considering him a traitor. With all the officers humanized and fleshed out with personality, it adds a cloud of sorts to the reader (and Daniel) during interactions: could this likable and proficient character perhaps be an informant, or perhaps an unsympathetic officer whose loyalties lie elsewhere?

After the characters, the next major component of Mariotte’s story is its setting, the fictional town of Sossaman, located in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. The town, of course, is an important backbone to the story, not just with its small-town vibe, but also the political forces at work, no doubt due to Daniel’s position as a policeman and his stature in the community, one that his family has been a pillar of. Even bigger than the small-town setting is the Arizona desert setting proper. Though the story mentions many times how hot it is, the temperature is not particularly a deterrent to any of the characters. What is, though, is a monsoon that arrives at a climactic moment near the middle of the story that not only threatens crime scenes, but the lives of the characters too as the environment turns to flash flooding. Mariotte takes advantage of the unique monsoon season of Arizona to add an additional element of danger to the story. 

A mysterious serial killer case with well written characters and an unforgiving setting, the last element Flesh of All Sorrows provides are a handful of introspective themes. Family patriarchy and their influence on their children or children’s children is a huge motif in the book. Both Daniel and the murderer are who they are because of influence of their father/father’s father. Both feel they are living in the shadows of their respective figure and not fulfilling imposed expectations. It is in each character’s self-journeys into their lineage that major things unfold which in turn have huge consequences in Sossaman, from piling dead bodies to unearthing coverups. 

Flesh of All Sorrows in an engaging police thriller. The sections from the killer’s perspective are goosepimplingly scary as the character self indoctrinates themselves into a murderer. These sections are not necessarily gory, but they are still harrowing. The chapters from Daniel’s perspective are more fun as he winds up in life-or-death action sequences while doing the detective work. He does not operate in a vacuum – he’s no Hollywood supercop – and it is his officers operating at their best that allows Daniel to make his way through the case. With Mariotte weaving multiple mysteries, big and small, going on concurrently, he makes Flesh of All Sorrows an engaging and suspenseful desert thriller.

More information about Jeffrey J. Mariotte and Flesh of All Sorrows can be found at the following links:

Categories
News

News Roundup: July 2026

Personal / Website News

July was an extremely productive month! Three articles up at my website, one being a Peplum Ponderings? Two reviews already chambered for August? Let’s keep up the momentum!

Cavewoman “Snow” Reviews

July may have been a hot-hot-hot month (110F regularly here in Phoenix) but I kept things nice and cool by reviewing issues three and four of the Cavewoman “Snow” storyline!

“Snow” #3 Review

First up is my review of issue three of “Snow”. This review became a huge focal point on my professional Facebook author page! I am small potatoes, so usually when I post something on Facebook it gets onesie-twosie likes. Posting the cover art used in this review to Facebook resulted 3.5K likes and hundreds of follows and 2K views on my website! It appears that folks commenting on the post thought it was AI and the dialogue triggered some Facebook algorithm and it just gained traction. I have never had a post on social media in all my years of social media-ing do that. So for that, I’m glad!

Cover has no text. It shows Meriem being pulled in different directions by three white gorillas as she sits atop a rocky peak in the mountains.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” issue 3, special edition version.

With that, do check out my review which can be read at my website here.

“Snow” #4 Review

Because it looked like the iron was hot after posting the review for issue three, I quickly raced to do a review for issue four, which is also the final issue in the “Snow” story arc.

Cover shows Meriem leaning forward in knee deep snow. Behind her is Bruce who looks to have had a roof of snow fall on his head.
Personal copy of Cavewoman Snow #4.

Of course it did not generate the activity like my prior review did, but it looks like a handful of folks stuck around to read this and other Cavewoman reviews I’ve done. For those that are sticking around, I thank you!

My write up to issue four can be read here.

Peplum Ponderings: The Odyssey

With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey out there breaking records and being a talking point for everyone, of course I had to do a write up of it!

Poster shows Odysseus walking left to right, as the Trojan Horse burns behind him.
Poster for The Odyssey.

A reminder: I am not a historian, translator, or classicist. I’m a scholar of the sword and sandal genre, and that is how I approached The Odyssey. How true it is to the text or how it is adapted is not my field. How it functions as a peplum genre film is, and that is how I approached it. Long story short, the movie ruled. Check out my write up here.

August Website Content

Believe it or not, I’m actually ahead of the game and have two articles ready to go in August!

  • 8/5 – My review of Jeffrey Mariotte’s new book, Flesh of All Sorrows (slated to be released later in the month)
  • 8/12 – My review of the one-shot Cavewoman comic “Bunny Ranch”

PangoBooks Bookstore

I have an online bookstore at Pangobooks were I am selling books I no longer need, duplicates, etc. I have lots of horror, sci-fi, non-fiction, OOP, and weird books, so make sure to check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly!

Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.

The New Peplum

My book, The New Peplum, received some attention this past month! With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey out, my publisher, McFarland, did a promotion for all July. For all mythology books, which included The New Peplum, you could use the code MYTH26 to get a 25% discount. That promo was just for July, so this post is going up right as it ended. But, hey, still check out the product page for my book and consider plucking it up.

The New Peplum book. The cover is a scene from the Rock version of Hercules - it shows Hercules and his companions and small army behind him.
Cover art for The New Peplum

Aside from that, The New Peplum has a new citation and was part of an exhibit!

A New The New Peplum Citation

Marina Valvi did their master’s thesis at Utrecht University titled “Astérix and the Riff Out of Time: An Analysis of Musical Comedy Strategies in Asterix Animated Films (1968-2014)”. This thesis references Nick Poulakis’ essay “Sounds of Swords and Sandals: Music in Neo-Peplum BBC Television Docudramas.” Valvi’s essay can be read here.

Titans on the Wall: Peplum Films of the 1950s and 1960s

My alma mater, the University of Washington, had an exhibit earlier this year titled “Titans on the Wall: Peplum Films of the 1950s and 1960s”. This looks to have been held on a library at the main Seattle campus. It sounds like it was an exhibit of peplum movie posters that had been donated to the library by David Chapman, author of Retro Stud: Muscle Movie Posters from Around the World. This would have been epic to see!

The exhibit wall material plus some photos of items on display have been uploaded to the university libraries website, and can be accessed here.

Lots of text on this wall: PEPLUM FILMS: AN INTRODUCTION GOLDEN AGE OF PEPLUM FILMS Primarily made in Italy, peplum films had their heyday from 1959 to 1965. Italian filmmakers sought to emulate Hollywood epics, such as The Ten Commandments (1956) and Ben-Hur (1959), but the Italian sword-and-sandal films were much more cheaply produced than those big-budget films. The genre's popularity began with the U.S. release of Italian-made Le Fatiche di Ercole in 1958. American producer Joseph E. Levine renamed the film Hercules and successfully promoted it in the U.S., leading to a series of 19 Hercules movies that were made in Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Almost all peplum films featured bodybuilder stars, and despite their low budgets and English dubbing, many of the films enjoyed widespread popularity among audiences; however, by1965, their popularity waned, and they were replaced almost overnight by the Italian-produced “spaghetti westerns.” Peplum films, otherwise known as “sword-and-sandal” films, were named after the garment of the same name worn by ancient Greeks and Romans. The genre is defined largely by Italian adventure films that had subjects set in antiquity, often with plots based loosely on Greco-Roman history and mythology. Most featured a superhumanly strong man as the protagonist, such as Hercules or Samson. The peplum genre originated during the silent film era, with the release of producer-director Giovanni Pastrone’s epic Cabiria, in 1914. It featured a popular early sword-and-sandal character, Maciste, a loyal, heroic servant possessing superhuman strength. Strongman Bartolomeo Pagano became famous in the role. The Maciste character appeared in at least two dozen Italian silent films from 1914 through 1926. GOLDEN AGE OF PEPLUM FILMS Primarily made in Italy, peplum films had their heyday from 1959 to 1965. Italian filmmakers sought to emulate Hollywood epics, such as The Ten Commandments (1956) and Ben-Hur (1959), but the Italian sword-and-sandal films were much more cheaply produced than those big-budget films. The genre's popularity began with the U.S. release of Italian-made Le Fatiche di Ercole in 1958. American producer Joseph E. Levine renamed the film Hercules and successfully promoted it in the U.S., leading to a series of 19 Hercules movies that were made in Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Almost all peplum films featured bodybuilder stars, and despite their low budgets and English dubbing, many of the films enjoyed widespread popularity among audiences; however, by1965, their popularity waned, and they were replaced almost overnight by the Italian-produced “spaghetti westerns.” POPULAR CULTURE & SCHOLARSHIP The peplum genre continues to resonate with film afficionados today. It is featured in film festivals around the world and has become the subject of popular and scholarly books, as well as being reflected in comic books, toys, and games. The contrived plots, overdubbed dialogue, novice acting skills of the bodybuilder leads, and primitive special effects have given these films a certain camp appeal in contemporary culture.
Titans on the Wall – Exhibit Was Panel 3.

PDF #3 ‘s exhibit wall (image above) has a reference/image of The New Peplum! How amazing is that! I’m super honoured to have the book mentioned in the exhibit!

New Issues of National Capital Panthans Journal

In July two issues of the monthly National Capital Panthans Journal came out. Issue #350 is the standard July issue, but editor Laurence Dunn published the August #351 issue a few days early.

Issue #350

This issue contains a reprint of my interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons about their graphic novel I am a Barbarian. The original can be read at my website here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

Issue #351

And this issue contains a reprint of my Cavewoman “Extinction” review. That review can also be read at my website.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

All my other Cavewoman reviews this far are slated to be republished in Panthans through this autumn, so keep an eye out!

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover shows Tarzan and his monkey familiar Nima, traversing through a tree.
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #349, June 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“We Are Barbarians: Interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons on I Am a Barbarian” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #350, July 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“Release the Subterranean Kraken: Cavewoman: Extinction” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #351, August 2026.

Original can be read here.

Autographs from the Archive

Here are some autographed treasures I have shared on social media this past month.

Cannibal Apocalypse

Cannibal Apocalypse! This was an exploitation movie released at a time when cannibal films were in, zombie films were in, and Vietnam war films were in. Aside from John Saxon getting a little too creepy in film with an underage girl, it is a great film! And of course, it is directed by Antonio Margheriti, so you know it will be fantastic.

Stand black DVD case. The top says "The Euroshock collection: Widescreen special edition". The cover is a post of Cannibal Apocalypse It shows John Saxon's head appearing in a bullet hole in a cannibal's stomach with a city skyline behind them. It is signed "To Nick, Best Wishes, John Saxon" and "To a good friend, Edoardo Margheriti".
Personal copy of Cannibal Apocalypse signed by John Saxon and Edoardo Margheriti.

My copy is signed by both John Saxon (RIP) and by Edoardo Margheriti.

Cryptz

Hood films were a cycle of films that started in the late 80s and gained acclaim during the 90s. There were a few excursions into horror in the hood films, with Tales from the Hood (1995) being the most standout example (the scene of David Alan Grier getting folded – oooh ouch but he deserved it).

Full Moon Entertainment (the Puppetmaster folks) dipped their hand into hood horror a few times, with one of those movies being Cryptz (2002).

Standard black case DVD. Cover shows a stone archway or doorway, with vampire folks looking from behind it. In silver it is signed "Hey nick = Michele
Copy of Cryptz signed by Julia Marchese.

My copy is signed to Michele and I by Julia Marchese. She had also signed my copy of Final Exam (see that here).

Army of Darkness

The great cult movie itself, Army of Darkness (1992). It probably is my favourite of the original Evil Dead trilogy on the account of being the first one I saw, even though I know deep down Evil Dead 2 is the better film. But alas, I love Army of Darkness. I collected the Dynamite comics run of AoD for over a decade. I have figurines, games, and multiple copies of the movie.

Anchor Bay DVD release of Army of Darkness. Cover shows Ash standing on the wreckage of his car, chainsaw for a hand, while Shelia and her arm around his leg. Behind them is the army of deadites. In gray ink it is signed "Bill Moseley". In black it is signed "To Nick XO Patricia Tallman" and in other blank ink "To Nick Richard Grove".
Personal copy of Army of Darkness signed by Richard Grove, Patricia Tallman, and Bill Moseley.

This is a limited edition Anchor Bay DVD (well, to be honest, they cranked out many “limited” editions). My copy is signed by Richard Grove (Henry the Red), Patricia Tallman (the pit witch), and Bill Moseley (the deadite captain).

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad 4K

After visiting the Ray Harryhausen exhibit in Tucson back in the spring (someday I’ll get around to writing about it!) I started to look into filling the gaps in my film collection.

4K blu-ray release. Black case. Cover shows Sinbad and a woman at a ship's steering wheel and a big mast behind them. On the horizon is a skeleton fighting with a sword, a giant buzzard, a lizard, and a cyclops like monster.
Personal copy of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad on 4K.

And just in time as a brand new 4K of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) released this month. My pre-order came in and it looks pretty stately!

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online.

First there is Monster Mania: John Carpenter’s Creature from the Black Lagoon:

Monster Mania: John Carpenter's Creature from the Black Lagoon – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then Dead Media and Joseph Scrimshaw:

Dead Media and Joseph Scrimshaw – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1980s:

Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1980s – Fan2Fan Podcast

And Monster Mania: Destroy All Monsters:

Monster Mania: Destroy All Monsters – Fan2Fan Podcast

And Monster Mania: Kaiju Trivia:

Monster Mania: Kaiju Trivia – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a like/follow!

Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliography: The British Editions

Laurence G. Dunn, the editor of the National Capital Panthans Journal (see above) has just had his epic book published: Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliography: The British Editions. It is a handsome looking edition!

Thee hard back books, one standing on its edge, one face down, one face up, on a brown wooden table. The cover depicts Edgar Rice Burroughs reading a copy of Tarzan.
Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliography – The British Editions (Photo provided by Laurence Dunn).

Copies of the book can be purchased on Amazon.

Categories
Peplum

Peplum Ponderings: The Odyssey (2026)

In 2000 Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was released and become a titanic pop culture phenomenon that ushered in a new wave of sword and sandal films, the neo-pepla. In the years that followed, to capitalize on the rejuvenated genre, films such as Troy (2004), Alexander (2004), 300 (2006), Clash of the Titans (2010), Centurion (2010), The Eagle (2011), Immortals (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), and many others (including television shows such as Spartacus), were produced. Like any filmic cycle the genre would eventually run out of momentum and reach its periodic valley.

Twenty-four years later Scott attempted to repeat the success of Gladiator with Gladiator 2. It was not the powerhouse in either commercial or critical success when compared to the original. Two years later Gladiator 2 has already begun to fade away from cultural memory, having laid no groundwork to bring forth a new cycle of neo-pepla.

Poster shows Odysseus walking left to right, as the Trojan Horse burns behind him.
Poster for The Odyssey.

What Gladiator 2 failed to accomplish, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) is succeeding in spades. The Odysseycould possibly become the Ben-Hur (1959) for the 21st Century in terms of scope, grandiose, influence, impact, epic-ness, and spectacle.

In an A to B hero’s journey style, The Odyssey depicts Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) trek from Troy to his home in Ithaca with these major beats: encountering the cyclops who slays a few of his men, the armoured Laestrygonians who slay even more men, Circe (Samantha Morton) who turns his men into pigs and back again, a descent into Hades to council with the undead, sailing past the sirens, mooring on an island of sacred cattle, spending seven years with Calypso (Charlize Theron) on an island with his memories gone, and finally making it back to Ithaca where he proves his identity by stringing his bow and firing an arrow through a row of axes, defeating the suitors who have been attempting to court his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway). Odysseus’ adventures have been depicted numerous times in films and other media, with the most recent version being The Return (2024) starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus.

The story may have been told many times before, so what makes Nolan’s incarnation different and stand out?

Firstly, Nolan’s auteur elements are on full display in The Odyssey. The non-linear narrative structure he has used in prior films, such as his neo-noir Memento (2000), is applied to the Odyssey, and suit it quite well. Overtly, issues of memory loss/regaining memories are shared between Memento and The Odyssey. Subvertly, Nolan uses this tactic to take a revelation that occurs chronologically early in the narrative and place it near the film’s end to give the audience a climax and quasi-twist ending. For Memento, the twist is Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) purposely writing down that Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) is “John G”. For The Odyssey, the “twist” comes from changing what the story is about: from a “traditional” (though not traditional at the time) hero’s journey of getting from A to B and the encounters in between, to a story of why he is self sabotaging his journey to get back home. The Sirens call this out and Calypso even states that he was not ready to go home. These statements are at odds of what the film has shown the viewers so far, of Odysseus leading his men back to Ithaca on their boat. He has had some setbacks, but nothing overtly pointing to sabotage. Yet it is near the film’s end through Odysseus’ son Telemachus’ (Tom Holland) time spent with Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), that the truth of Odysseus as a character is revealed. Why he does what he does is learned before being overtly said by a disguised Odysseus to Penelope.

Odysseus’ truth comes at the beginning of the narrative has he conquers the city of Troy. He has what can be best equated to a Lovecraftian/cosmic horror moment of revelation. In cosmic horror, a character can sometimes peer beyond the view of reality to see the truth of how the universe works, and in the process of sublime madness, goes insane at trying to comprehend it. Odysseus has this moment of seeing the real truth of the world, of what sacking Troy means, what his actions bring to civilization. He is at the cusp of becoming a Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) from Apocalypse Now(1979) style character, but miraculously manages to avoid this fate. PTSD, sure, but Odysseus has seen something bigger than himself (caused by himself) and that is the albatross he is chained to through the movie, though the audience only learns this near the movie’s end. Nolan is passing off story A, but with his Memento-style rearranging, is really telling story B.

For the last segment of The Odyssey, when Odysseus has returned to Ithaca and is combatting the suitors, Nolan reaches in his auteur toolbelt and pulls from Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (2012). In that film, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale), has his back broken and is exiled to a prison in the Middle East. He escapes, makes his way back to Gotham, and engages in Batman-style action things. Odysseus, though not back broken, is certainly twenty years older than when he left Ithaca. Despite his age, upon his return he becomes a Batman-style super hero character, single handedly taking on a room of suitors, using his bow, arrows (sometimes as daggers), his fists, and whatever weapons that happen his way. He gets pummeled a bit, and has a few arrows protruding from his body, but he emerges victorious none-the-less.

But this sequence is much more than Nolan lifting from his own Batman. In by doing so, Odysseus becomes a strongman character (Hercules, Ursus, Samson, Maciste, etc.) that dominate the classic era of the genre during the late 50s to mid 60s. Matt Damon is not a strongman actor, and this incarnation of Odysseus is not a strongman character (leave that type casting to Dwayne Johnson as Hercules back in 2014), but this scene is a close enough simile to the likes of Steve Reeves, Mark Forest, Reg Park, Gordon Scott, and many others who single handedly fend off waves of soldiers and barbarians using nothing but their fists (and maybe a tree trunk) and their wits. Nolan may not have been consciously trying to homage classic pepla, but he wound up doing so, and in a refreshing way. The scene is over the top, but what Maciste movie from the early 60s isn’t?

Why does The Odyssey succeed while Gladiator 2 failed?

Gladiator 2 committed the cardinal sin by trying to replace or supersede its original rather than building off of it (see my review here). The original Gladiator was a pop culture juggernaut. Its hero, Maximus (Russell Crowe), is on his own odyssey, his journey from Germania back to his wife and child in Hispania. Gladiator 2 does not respect its own original text, rewrites Maximus as a father of a secret affair child and displaces his journey and subsequent rise through the gladiator ranks onto his son. This is a cynical approach, and probably expected from a director in his twilight years who has embraced his films as product rather than art. In essence, Gladiator 2 is a hollow remake of the first Gladiator film that contributes nothing new (to the story or to the sword and sandal genre).

The Odyssey gets a free pass compared to Gladiator 2 in that the story had not reached (until now) as mammoth pop culture artifact. The Odyssey (story) is certainly massively influential on all forms of western art and culture, but this comes with infinite adaptations, translations, performances, movies, comics, games, splinter stories, and so on. Gladiator 2 has to compare to Gladiator 1, a strict 1 to 1 relationship that audiences can easily weigh against. The Odysseycompares to something more nebulous, fluid, reshape-able, perhaps even subconscious. Because of this adaptability, within capable hands, The Odyssey can become a variety of things. In Nolan’s hands, The Odyssey found a voice it had not happened upon before. It does not supercede any text before it and instead contributes to the “Matter of Homer”. It is a beautifully crafted film, done by an auteur who brings a level of prestige to his work. Something that Ridley Scott once had but has long since lost.

With the success of The Odyssey, (and, concurrently, with superhero movies in decline), perhaps a wave of a new cycle of sword and sandal films can finally happen. These movies are all about spectacle, and with Nolan raising the bar with shooting all on IMAX, there could be a fantastic series of pepla in the future.