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The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09

The Story So Far

Vanya is a warrior in training, sent to the prehistoric past for a year to test her survival skills against a harsh primeval environment and dinosaurs. Her journey becomes upended as she is drawn both into an intergalactic war with the purple skinned Torridians and the prophecies of the Bone Tribe who seek to hatch Torridian Dragon eggs. Vanya finds momentary respite when she and her lover, Serah, make it to a Federation installation. There Serah is cared for after having been implanted with a cranial device by the Bone Tribe Witch that gives her visions. As the Torridians commence an all-out assault against the base with their legion of cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs, the Federation responds in kind with their army of mechs. As the battle rages, Vanya is sent out into the jungle once again on a mission to retrieve a set of Torridian Dragon Eggs.

Cover is a scene at night. Vanya stands over a campfire, spear in hand. On a tree root next to her is a saber tooth tiger with a scar across its right eye. Beams of moonlight filter through the jungle foliage.
Vanya #09 cover by Zoran Jovicic.

Issue 09 Plot

The large scale battle between the Federation in their mechs and the Torridians with their cybernetic dinosaurs rages on. Taking advantage of an opening, Torridian general Tora pilots her robo-T-Rex, leaps off her mount, and lands on Relo Quarr’s mech, slashing it open. Holding her double ended sword at Relo’s throat, she orders the Federation to surrender. At that moment, in a deus ex machina, a battalion of Astral Guard arrive, mowing down the Torridians and their dinosaurs with their chain guns, laser webs, light blades, and other futuristic weaponry. Seeing the battle lost, Tora impales herself on an Astral Guard’s blade.

Panel shows a T-rex with metal arms that have blades instead of claws, roaring. General Tora, who has purple skin and is wearing green arm, has a double ended blade in her hand. She leaps from her T-rex mount saying "H'yahh!" toward a bipedal mech that looks like an AT-ST from Star Wars.
General Tora leaps from her cyber T-rex onto Relo Quarr’s mech unit.

Meanwhile, Vanya, having survived the rocket attack from a cyber-pterodactyl, encounters a scarred sabretooth tiger, who beckons Vanya to follow. Vanya does so, and their trek takes them across a chasm bridged by a rotten log. The log breaks, plummeting the two in to the treacherous river below, however they make it safe to shore and set up a camp.

At the caves of the Bone Tribe, the Witch grows frustrated that her pheromones are not imprinting on the Torridian Dragon egg. She tries to force the captured Astral Guard soldier Elah into the massive ritual orgy, but Niya offers to take her place instead.

Far at the edge of the Galaxy, a fleet of Torridian ships receive a transmission from the now defeated General Tora.

Commentary

The titanic battle that started in issue eight sees its conclusion in Vanya #9, though with a change in perspective. Issue eight went for big and epic, with many of the panels zoomed out to show the battlefield between the Federation and the Torridians and how large its scale was. Issue nine takes a personal, focused approach, narrowing it down to General Tora and Relo. The arrival of the Astral Guard, though a deux ex machina, was unexpected and a pleasant surprise. The last appearance of the Astral Guard was back in issue seven and it was not a positive portrayal. In that issue, Elah and her squadron of Guard arrive through a portal and are easily tricked and dispatched by the Bone Tribe Witch. The elite guard, the best of the best, did not live up to mythological-esque hype prior issues hinted at. This issue rectifies this portrayal (perhaps the issue seven portrayal is more of Elah was simply an ineffective leader and hence why her men are killed and she and others are captured so easily). The Astral Guard show up, do not falter in any way, and steam roll over the Torridians.

The panel shows two spider web like webs (all straight, no curves), drive through three pterodactyls. The pterodactyls are slices into little tiny pieces.
The razor sharp webs of the Astral Guard make short work of the cyber pterodactyls.
Close up of a xenomorph from the Alien series, who has a criss cross green pattern on his head and shoulders, caused by being caught in a web launched by a Predator.
The Grid Alien from the 2004 Alien vs. Predator movie.

There are a few panels in the Astral Guard battle that might be homages or pop culture references. The Astral Guard shoot a web that passes through a flock of cyber-pterodactyls, slicing them into tiny pieces. This is akin to the Predator’s net weapon in the Predator movies (best exemplified with the Grid Alien in Alien vs. Predator [2004] that survives such a net attack).

A woman in a grey soldier's armor. She has blonde hair and 2 braids. She his holding a giant chain gun in her hands. Her speech bubble says "Time we made the Torridians extinct, boys".
An Astral Guard Warrioress wields a giant chain gun.
A warrior woman wearing a skull with two tusks sticking up from it, face paint, shoulder pads with a skull on them, and holding a chain gun in her hand. Basically a Lady barbarian with a big gun.
Barbarianna from the movie Kung Fury.

Another panel shows a blonde, braided lady Astral Guard, who evokes images of a Valkyrie, holding a chain gun in her hand. This is reminiscent of the synthwave movie Kung Fury (2015) that features a lady Barbarian (named Barbarianna) from the past who also wields a chain gun. These references may be coincidental, but they are bad ass and rehabilitate the image of the Astral Guard as the elite force that Vanya has been training to be a part of.

As the General Tora plot line comes to a close, another one gains momentum and that is the mystery of the sabretooth tigers. In this issue, Vanya encounters a sabretooth cat with a scar with two slashes across its right eye. Vanya follows the cat, which leads to a near brush with death for both of them as they fall into a chasm (though there is some whimsy present in the panel of Vanya and the sabretooth tiger riding the log together as if it were an amusement park ride).

Vanya, wearing a torn white shirt and pants, holds on to a log. Behind her a giant sabertooth cat also holds on. The river they are in goes "Slam! Slam!"
Vanya and a Sabretooth tiger ride a log in the river rapids.

Is the cat friend or foe? Way back in issue two there was a sabretooth cat that was stalking Vanya and company. However, this cat lacked the scars over its eye, so it cannot be the same sabretooth. Its fate is currently unknown: is it alive or perhaps it was one of the sabretooths that perished during the attack on the Bone Tribe back in issue five.

Close up of a sabertooth tiger's face as it peers through tall grass. It has 2 scars that cross its white eye.
Sabretooth tiger in issue 9 that leads Vanya.
The Bone Tribe Witch is topless and wears a primitive skirt. She has a rope necklace dangling from her neck. She has black makeup around her eyes that run a little bit. There are three sabertooth cats around her, one with two scars over its eye. Behind them is a dark forest and a red sky.
The Bone Tribe Witch and three sabertooth tigers at her command in issue seven.

Issue seven shows the Bone Tribe Witch with a pack of three sabretooth tigers who follow her commands. One of the tigers does have two scars over its right eye. Has the Bone Tribe Witch sent this particular feline out to fetch Vanya and lead her back to the Bone Tribe’s caverns? In issue seven the Bone Tribe Witch references the Prophecy of the Dragon Rider. Perhaps the Witch needs Vanya in order to fulfill this role? With the tribe’s ritual orgies causing the Torridian Dragon eggs to hatch, there will definitely be some dragons to be rode.

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue nine of Vanya was crowdfunded via Kickstarter in September of 2025 with physical rewards being shipped in late January of 2026. With this issue of Vanya came the news that the series was not going to end on issue twelve but instead would be turned into an ongoing series, the first for publisher Bad Bug.

This issue of Vanya was particularly awash with amazing alternative covers. John Royle’s cover gave Vanya a J. Scott Campbell vibe. Renato Camilo (who did the best covers for Vanya issues two, four, and five) brings their A-game again with a spooky night hunt scene between Vanya and a T-rex. Marissa Pope’s cover is particularly vibrant and luminescent.

Vanya is in the nude save for some cauldrons and bracers and straps. She has her dreadlock hair in a beehive with dinosaur spikes sticking out from her. She is poised atop a tree root. Behind her a volcano erupts and a flock of pterodactyls fly by.
Vanya #9 with nude, alternate cover done by Hedwin Zaldivar.

The best cover for issue nine goes to Hedwin Zaldivar who captures both the cheesecake style with the battle-hardened cave woman girl style. Zaldivar’s Vanya sports a giant beehive-dreadlock with dinosaur spikes sticking out from it, a cross between midcentury pinup girl and jungle girl. The cover is also action packed, with an exploding volcano and a squadron of pterodactyls flying about. A great, energetic cover all around.

Issue nine also came with an abundance of extra swag, more so than other issues in the series.

Cheesecake style of Vanya, done in a cute/adorable style with bigger eyes and wing/cat eye liner. She stands, holding a long spear in her left hand. She is wearing a jungle girl bikini top and bottom with boots that have a fluffy top.
Vanya #9 art print by Sam Payne.

Firstly, there is the art print done by Sam Payne who has a distinctive “good girl” style, which is evident in the wing-tipped eyes of the women he draws. This is an adorable iteration of Vanya.

Three stickers. One is Vanya on a knee, bracing herself against a spear. The other is a cheese cake Vanya, standing up holding a long spear.
Stickers for Vanya #9.

Next comes not one, not two, but three (!!) stickers! One of the Vanya series logo, the other is of Yum!’s Vanya cover, and the final one is of the aforementioned Sam Payne art piece.

Two tarot cards. The one on the left is "Justice" and shows Vanya hunched over a puddle, bracing herself against a spear while a T-rex looms behind her. The next one is "The Hermit" and shows Vanya crouched on a tree branch holding a vine, spear in hand, ready to leap off.
Two Tarot Cards for Vanya #9.

Stickers are not the only thing in quantity as this issue came with two tarot cards. One is of “Justice” and uses the Yum! cover art, and the other is of “The Hermit” and uses Tony Tzanoukakis cover art.

A print of a lady cosplaying as Vanya. She is wearing a black bikini top and bottom and is laying in a pool of water that has Lilly pads. She has necklaces and a wait chain that has dinosaur teeth on them.
Vanya #9 Sooyoung Cosplay Print.

And finally, as with issue seven, Vanya #9 comes with a cosplay art print. The model in this print is Sooyoung, and shows a Vanya relaxing in a pool of water, something the character is fond of doing (see issue one and the Bruno Sousa and Tommy Shelton alternate cover of issue three). Overall, this issue of Vanya is mighty stacked with loot and those who contributed to the Kickstarter are well rewarded with some great swag.

Conclusion

Issue nine of Vanya was a nice package of both wrapping up story threads and introducing new ones. General Tora is no longer a menace, but it appears that victory may be short lived as interstellar Torridians mobilize. Vanya is back in her element being a neo-jungle girl who technically has an animal companion now. Will that sabretooth tiger align itself with Vanya or is it truly under the control of the Bone Tribe Witch? The Astral Guard received a much needed image makeover after their less than impressive entrance a few issues back. With this issue it feels like the Vanya series is moving into a new phase, one that is more mature, mature in the sense that the story has become wise to itself and knows where it is going and each character has solidified themselves into a specific role with specific stakes/goals: from Serah coping with her new kinda-psychic dinosaur ability (from the prior issue), to the Bone Tribe Witch working her magic and showing frustration at the ritual, to even Relo Quarr, who has only been present in the most recent issues, showcasing himself as a formidable leader. Vanya has elevated itself from a fun, chaotic at times, hypersexual comic to a story driven one that is taking itself seriously.

For more information on Vanya 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:

Categories
Comics

Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08

The Story So Far

Vanya, Serah, Niya, and Guy are four soldiers from the future trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, the Torridians (a race of warrior aliens hellbent on conquering humanity), and the Astral Guard (elite human warriors who view the heroes as deserters and traitors).

Cover depicts Vanya, crouched in foliage, drawing back on a bow. It is kind of dark, with a little beam of light coming through the leaves. Her red hair is in a pony tail.
Vanya #08 standard cover by Zoran Jovicic and Zork Marinero.

Vanya and her lover Serah make their way to Terran Base Alpha, and Serah is taken in for treatment for the cerebral implant put into her by the Bone Tribe Witch. Concurrently, Niya and Guy make off to hide a batch of Torridian Dragon Eggs from the Witch. Their efforts are in vain as they are apprehended by the Astral Guard, and in turn, everyone is captured by the Witch who has the eggs back in her possession as she needs them to fulfill a prophecy to make her a powerful god-queen.

Issue 08 Plot
 
At Terran Base Alpha, Relo Quarr reveals to Vanya that the Federation has their own Torridian Dragon, one that is to be released in an emergency should the Torridians overcome their defenses. Quarr recalls to Vanya how the Torridian planet was destroyed by the Galactic Federation when they set the dragons free on their world. Nearly conquered, the Torridians surrendered to the Federation, but asked for a new home world, which turns out to be the human’s planet Terra.

Vanya has her red hair in a long pony tail behind her back and is wearing a white shirt. She is pointing forward. NExt to her is the alien Relo Quarr. He has a grey, angular face with a green jacket that has big shoulder pads and collar.
Vanya and Relo Quarr gaze upon a Torridian Dragon.

Serah awakes from a nightmare with more visions of the Bone Tribe Witch. Sensing the situation as dire, Quarr gives Vanya the clearance to arm herself and to go and destroy the eggs that Niya and Guy hid.
At that moment the Torridian army, led by the ruthless Geneal Tora, launch a massive attack on the Terran base. With their numbers already decimated by a plague, the Torridians take a suicide approach of fight or die, sending their spaceships crashing into the base’s shields followed by waves of cybernetic dinosaurs. Quarr and his men take to the battlefield in their tanks and mechs to ward off the Torridians as the base is given an evacuation order.

Meanwhile at the Bone Tribe’s cave, a captured Niya, Guy, and Astral Guard Elah watch as the Witch leads her tribe in a giant orgy to imprint their pheromones on the hatching eggs.

Commentary

Issue eight of Vanya is the Battle of Helm’s Deep of the series so far. The fervor attitude of the Torridians under Tora’s command is depicted in their hail Mary attack on the Federation base. Knowing that the plague that has decimated them has put them in a dire, inescapable position, the Torridians send their spaceships, their only way off the planet, to Kamikaze the base. The army of cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs the Torridians command is epic to behold, and the Federation responds in kind by sending in giant tanks and ED-209/AT-ST looking mechs to intercept the attackers.

A booming battlefield filled with explosions and laser cannons. In the background moving forward is a fleet of tanks. Behind it are burning building and mountains. In the foreground, advancing toward the tanks, are cybernetic ally enhanced triceratops, stegosauruses, Tyrannosaurus Rexes, and more. The color of the page is all shades of red due to all the fires going on.
Epic battle between the Torridians and their dinosaurs and the Galactic Federation with lots of tanks.

In a traditional story, at a scene like this, the grunts would be sent in to do the dirty work as their commanders and leaders sit safely back at their command center. Not so in Vanya as Quarr and his other commanders join in the fray as well. Both sides of the skirmish are depicted as equally brave among panels that show tanks blowing up dinosaurs while T-Rexes with sharp metal claws rip apart mechs. Overall, the battle is a blast (pun intended) to see unfold in the issue, from the large-scale fighting to the minutia in the commanders planning in their war room.

The panel shows the backs of six commanders, looking at a green screen on the wall. The screen is a computer display, with coordinates and lattitude/longitude, and shows the gathering torridian forces.
Terran Base Alpha War Room.

A new development in this issue of Vanya is Serah’s cerebral implant allows her to communicate with the cyberdinos. As she is fleeing the base, she encounters a raptor with blades protruding from its back, but Serah is able to convince the reptile she is friendly and the beast scoots away. Possible foreshadowing here: if Serah can do this to one dinosaur, she can probably do it to more. Say, an army of dinosaurs

There is a certain irony that Vanya is sent back out to destroy the Torridian eggs as they were all in her possession not a few days ago. If Guy and Niya had not split off to hide the eggs, they would instead be in the Federation hand’s and not the Bone Tribe Witch’s, where they would be destroyed (or, more likely, made into additional weapons). Regardless, the orders from Quarr get Vanya back into her natural habitat, the jungles primeval. A missile blast from a robo-pterodactyl (yes, only with Vanya can one say that sentence with a straight face) knocks Vanya out, disintegrating her clothes. It is only a matter of time in a subsequent issue that she will not doubt be back to wearing her normal neo-jungle girl garb (or nothing at all).

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue #8 of Vanya was successfully Kickstarted in early February 2025, with digital editions being fulfilled in June and physical editions later that summer. This issue was released in numerous covers by a variety of different artists, in normal and nude incarnations. The standard cover was done by Zoran Jovicic (who has been the illustrator of the series since its beginning) and Zork Marinero.

Vanya is nude save for her bracers, spikey shoulder pads, and boots. She is leaning against a tree branch. Her hair is in dreadlocks. She is hiding behind her a serrated halberd. She is biting on her finger seductively. Behind her it is a sunny day, with a canyon wall and a sky with a faint, fluffy cloud.
Personal copy of Vanya #08, nude variant, done by Brian Miroglio.

The best alternative cover for issue eight is the one done by Brian Miroglio. A vibrant and seductive cover (nude or not), it shows a battle-ready Vanya against a rather serene jungle scene. Whose blood in on the spear she holds behind her in an assuming fashion to how Negan (Walking Dead) holds his baseball bat Lucille?  Did she slay a dinosaur? Or perhaps a violent caveman? Aside from the attractive pinup vibes of the cover, it invites readers to hypothesis their own Vanya story, and it probably would not be too far off base.

The Tarot Card is of "The Hanged Man" and it is from the issue 8 cover done by Luca Strait. It shows Vanya, sitting on her knees, holding a spear in her right hand. Behind her is a giant snake. The sticker is done in 16 bit era style graphics. It shows Vanya holding a bow and stepping backwards.
Vanya #8 Tarot Card and pixel art style sticker.

For additional Kickstarter loot, Vanya #8 came with three additional goodies: a tarot card, a sticker, and a PDF story. The tarot card continues the tradition Bad Bug has been doing with their other comics, and these are always fun to see. The best tarot cards have unique artwork, though the card for issue 8, The Hanged Man, uses the Luca Strati #8 alternate cover.

The sticker realizes Vanya in a 16-bit, pixel/retro style and it is awesome. It fuels the imagination that a retro game based on the Vanya IP, perhaps done by a company like WayForward, would be entirely plausible. There are a plethora of vintage cartoonish caveman game out there, such as Chuck Rock, Bonk, and Caveman Ninja, why not instead go the serious route and make a Vanya platformer or Metroidvania?

And finally, a first for the Vanya series, there is a short story with some black and white comicbook style illustrations (though it is not a comic) titled “First Encounter”. The story is about Vanya’s first week upon arriving in the prehistoric past and encountering both a raptor and a sabre tooth tiger. This is a great way to add more story, character development, and “Vanya-ness”, to the series.

Conclusion

How far Vanya has come in scale in eight issues! Initially a more singularly focused on Vanya and surviving the hostile dinosaur world, the stakes have been upped many times in the issues since: large scare battles between humans and purple-skinned warrior aliens, a tribe of cave people wanting to rule the world, fleets of cyber dinosaurs, almost mystical dragons. It all seems over the top, and, well, maybe it is, but it works. There is a dead-seriousness vibe with Vanya that grounds it. Issue eight contains all these elements (an epic war, a jungle girl tale, etc.) and then some, such as romance and a little political intrigue on a galactic scale. With four more issues to go (the series is already 2/3s of the way complete?!), it will be fantastic to see where this escalating action goes. 

For more information on Vanya 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:

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-08-17

Personal / Website News

Interview with Jeffrey Mariotte

Brand new interview is online at the website!

I had the honour to talk to editor/writer of fiction and comics, Jeffrey Mariotte. Mariotte is also the guest of honour at the upcoming Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) gathering (see below).

Jeffrey Mariotte is wearing a black had, sunglasses, and a blue denim shirt. There is a blue, cloudless sky behind him.
Jeffrey Mariotte author photo (provided courtesy by Mariotte).

The interview with Mariotte can be read here – check it out for sure!

On the subject of the upcoming ECOF, check out this sweet new artwork for the event done by Gilead:

Poster art. The top half of the poster shows Burroughs, Tarzan, John Carter, Dejah Thoris, an Alien, and the Apache Kid. Below is a row of building from Fort Grant.
ECOF Poster art done by Gilead.

Death Nell Issue Two

Back in February 2023 I reviewed the first issue of Death Nell (check it out here). I meant to review the issues as they came out, but got distracted with other projects. With the physical edition of Vanya #8 still a bit from being released, and the fifth and final issue of Death Nell about to come out, now is the perfect time to pivot and get caught up on the reviews for this series.

Cover depicts Nell, surrounded by other characters of the comic, with hearts in their eyes, all looking at her in adoration. There's multiple spotlights of different colors shining on her as she sparkles.
Standard cover of Death Nell #2 by Cammry Lapka. Image from the Bad Bug website.

So here we are, two and a half years late, my review for Death Nell #2 is finally online and can be read right here.

ECOF 2025

In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing there with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).

Here is the flyer for the 2025 event:

The flyer shows desert mountains with three insert images: one of a young Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1896, one of the author Jeffrey J. Mariotte (who is the guest of honour), and one of the Willcox train depot in the 1880s. The flyer reads was follows: Edgar Rice Burroughs ERB Inc.'s Commemoration of ERB's 150th Birthday! 7th Cavalry Historical Monument Celebration Willcox, AZ, September 25-28, 2025. Formal Dedication on September 27th, 2025. Sponsored by the Suplher Springs Valley Historical Society and the Arizona Apache Deveils Chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles.
Flyer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ 2025.

Here is the press release:

RENOWNED AUTHOR EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS’ CAVALRY SERVICE TO BE MEMORIALIZED IN WILLCOX, AZ

“Tarzan” Creator and Pop Culture’s Influential “Grandfather of Science Fiction and Fantasy” Commemorated for His 150th Birthday.

WILLCOX, AZ – The renowned “Master of Adventure” Edgar Rice Burroughs started his adult life as a cavalryman at Arizona’s Fort Grant in May of 1896. This September, as part of the late author’s 150th birthday celebration, his cavalry service will be memorialized with a monument at the restored Southern Pacific train depot in Willcox, where he arrived on his way to Fort Grant (35 miles north).

The influential creator of Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, and The Land That Time Forgot series of stories wrote in his “Autobiography” that he specifically requested “to be sent to the worst post in the United States” and was then promptly assigned to Fort Grant in Arizona Territory, where his troop would spend some time hunting after the Apache Kid and other outlaws.

Many believe that Burroughs’ initial stay in Arizona influenced his first Martian story, Under the Moons of Mars, which begins with the first chapter titled “On the Arizona Hills.” The John Carter Martian stories would go on to influence generations of science fiction and fantasy books and movies, and would inspire many young people to become scientists, engineers, and astronauts. He would later author the books The War Chief and Apache Devil, both set in Arizona during the Apache Wars of the 1860s – 1880s.

This Willcox Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering will take place from September 25 to 28, 2025, with the 7th Cavalry Historical Monument formal dedication ceremony on Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon near the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.

The monument dedication at the Willcox train depot will include guest speakers and participation of local Buffalo Soldier reenactors. All other convention events will take place at the Elks Lodge #2131 in Willcox, and will include discussion panels, a “huckster” (vendor) room, Guest of Honor and speaker Jeffrey J. Mariotte (author of Tarzan and the Forest of Stone), Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. speakers, a Saturday night banquet/ dinner, a Tarzan movie screening, and other surprises.

These events are sponsored by the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society and the Apache Devils chapter of The Burroughs Bibliophiles. The celebration is open to the public for free (except for the dinner and movie), but full attendees can register for a fee that covers a goodie bag, a huckster table, and the Saturday dinner.

This is a must-attend event for fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs and pop-culture historians alike. If you’d like to visit the place where it all began, don’t miss this very special celebration. (Note that some convention activities will require full event registration – the registration form is provided separately.)

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Willcox is offering a special daily room rate of $119 plus taxes for the nights of 25 to 27 September for attendees. The group name is “ECOF.” You can make reservations at this rate by calling the hotel at (520) 384-3333; rooms are limited. The address is 1251 N. Virginia Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643.

If you would like more information about the 2025 ECOF event, please call Frank Puncer at 520.281.1818, or email him at fwpuncer at gmail dot com.

Here is the registration from:

Registration Form for the 2025 Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ (v9)Download

2025-08-17 Addendum: Special Event Bags and Contents are Available for the First 50 Registrants.

Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well. I’ll be doing a presentation on Tarzan as a Maciste-like peplum character in Tarzan and the Lost Empire. Hope to see yall there!

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2025.

Cover art of the Panthans Journal #332. It depicts a woman and a man with a hawk head, hunkered in a hole, firing laser pistols. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #332

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #332.

A continuation of the cover of #332. This cover shows the woman and the hawk man, defensively shooting laser pilots out of a hole in the ground, wile savage barbarians with bows and axes descend upon them. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #333

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #333.

Cover art of Panthans Journal #335, done by Mark Wheatley. It shows Tarzan leaping from a tree branch. All the colors are very dark blue, so it might be night time in the jungle.
Panthans Journal #335

“Tarzan Cocktail: Deconstructed – Reconstructed” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #335.

Original can be read here.

Panthans Journal #338. Cover is by Mark Wheatley. It shows Dejah Thoris riding atop a mountain against a red martian landscape with a domed building in the background.
Panthans Journal #338

“She’s Got the Killer Instinct: Vanya Issue 01” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #338.

Original can be read here.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley. It shows a 4 armed aliens holding two swords, in a dungeon, fighting John Carter and Dejah Thoris.
National Capital Panthans #339.

“Hunter – Lover – Killer: Vanya 02” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #339.

Original can be read here.

Cover art for "Merry Creepsmas - The Red Book". It is red with a large X-mas tree that appears to have small, globby bodies as ornaments. The cover reads: Wicked Shadow Press Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book Christmas-Themed Horror Stories Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Merry Creepsmas – The Red Book

“There’s Always Room” in Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty. Wicked Shadow Press, 2025.

Cover art for the Burroughs Bulletin #109 by Dan Parsons. The top says "The Burroughs Bulletin New Series #109 Fall-Winter 2024". The art shows a T-rex chomping on a dude in a striped shirt. Below him are explorers with rifles. Behind him his a prehistoric sky, jungle, and a waterfall.
Burroughs Bulletin #109

“Tagliolini al Tarzan: Interview with Actress Bella Cortez on Taur the Mighty” in The Burroughs Bulletin #109. Edited by Henry Franke III. February, 2025.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Some fun things I shared online from these past few weeks. Highlighting things from my personal collection of pop culture artifacts. Or artifacts I’m digging out of the archive. Just, general cool or unique things to show off.

Autographs from the Archive

Here are some autographed treasures I’ve shared on social media recently.

Gorky Park

Here is an old school thriller from the 80s: Gorky Park. I’ll be honest, I watched this movie back in the late 2000s and do not remember too much of it, except it took place in Russia and the big plot reveal was about smuggling special Russian foxes outside the country. In hindsight, maybe it has some porto-Jack Reacher vibes (in the “im gonna investigate this big brew-ha-ha thing”).

Standard DVD case. The cover art shows a close up of William Hurt's head profile, wearing one of those fuzzy Russian hats. in the background there is Lee Marvin, readying a pistol. In black ink it says "To Nick, Joanna Pacula".
Personal copy of the DVD of Gorky Park, signed by Joanna Pacula.

Anywho, my copy of the DVD is autographed by Joanna Pacula! Michele and I met her at a Hollywood Collector’s show. I believe, in an effort to be budget friendly, I asked what would she rather sign, Gorky Park or Dinocroc.

She went with Gorky Park.

2025-10-19 – Addendum – here is a photo of Ms. Pacula and I from the show:

Nick is wearing a shirt with a Metroid on it. Joanna is dressed in all black.
Nicholas Diak and Joanna Pacula, 2010.

Khazaddum’s Plagues Upon Arda

I am not metal expert, but I loves me some adventure metal, power metal, and female-fronted symphonic metal. Whenever I got out used music shopping, I do like to keep an eye out for metal releases that have sword and sandal or sword and sorcery elements.

The last time I was at Zia Records and combing through the metal section I came across Plagues Upon Arda by Khazaddum. I have never heard of them before, but all the Tolkien elements were there so I decided to take the gamble and pluck it up. Turns out the band is a defunct death metal band from Wisconsin. I enjoyed the album and decided to reach out to the band’s lead person, Alex Rausa, and ask if I could send him the album’s booklet to be autographed.

CD in a standard jewel case. The artwork depicts a dwarf wielding a battle axe while being surrounded by a legion of orcs.
Khazaddum’s “Plagues Upon Arda” CD album.
A page from the album's booklet, lyrics for the song "The Lord of Isengard". In silver ink it is signed "Alex Rausa".
Khazaddum CD booklet autographed by Alex Rausa.

He said absolutely, so I sent off my booklet (make sure you include a SASE when doing stuff like this folks, it is good etiquette) and he returned it back with his signature on one of the pages. Very cool! Khazaddum may be defunct, but they do have their music available on Bandcamp. Rausa is now part of a band called Ancient Entities, so check them out at their Bandcamp page.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

Deathstalker I and II 4K

Deathstalker and its sequels, some of the most infamous sword and sorcery films to come out during the post-Conan cycle in the 80s. Sporting amazing poster art that the films could in no way live up to, these movies found other ways to be transgressive, exploitative, and challenging, and sometimes, even fun.

Shout Factory just released Deathstalker (1983) and Deathstalker II (1987) on 4K and Blu-ray, and it is a must have for sword and sorcery aficionados. Since I did a pre-order, I got a sweet double sided poster.

Slipcase 4K Blu-ray. The art is split in half vertically. The left side is poster for Deathstalker 1 and the right side is the poster for Deathstalker 2.To the right is an upside down cardboard tube holding a poster.
Personal copy of the Deathstalker / Deathstalker 2 4K/Blu-ray + Poster.

Was excited for the upgrade because my prior copy of the first two Deathstalker films was from the 4-movie Roger Corman sword and sorcery collection that Shout Factory released many years ago.

Transparent DVD case. The top is done like a theater marque. The cover shows square posters of the four movies contained within: Deathstalker, Deathstalker 2, Barbarian Queen, and The Warrior and the Sorceress.
Personal DVD copy of the Roger Corman Sword and Sorcery collection.

Of note, of the four movies in this DVD release, only Barbarian Queen remains unreleased in HD. I hope that movie, along with Deathstalkers 3 and 4 also get some new releases! With the upcoming remake of Deathstalker looming on the horizon, now is a good time to do so.

Shameless self plug: back in 2022 I had the honour to appear on the Fan2Fan podcast to talk about Deathstalker 2 along with some other sword and sorcery films of the early 80s. Definitely check that episode out, it can be found here or at the embedded player below.

Deathstalker 2, Ator, and Yor: Hunter from the Future – Fan2Fan Podcast

Slaves of Babylon Lobby Card

When I think of William Castle I think of House on Haunted Hill (1959) (which is a great film!) and his association with theater gimmick like walking skeletons and buzzing seats. I never thought about his career doing other genres, let alone the sword and sandal genre!

Horizontal lobby card. There is a picture from a scene from the film, showing a man sleeping and two men above him holding swords. Around this is an L-shaped yellow border with a woman in a yellow dress standing and showing her bare leg. At the bottom is a woman and a man in an embrace. It says "Slaves of Babylon" in Red.
Slaves of Babylon Lobby Card.

While out and about at our local antique mall, I happened upon this lobby card for Slaves of Babylon (1953) which looks a little beat up, but still rad! I had never specifically heard of this peplum, but it is an early 1950s American one, and done by William Castle! So, of course, I had to pluck it up. The movie looks like it only has a bargin-bin style DVD release, but I put an order in for it. I’m curious to see what it will be like.

But you know who has seen it? Matt Page of Bible Films Blog! He did a write up of the film back in 2016. Check it out!

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

Bernie and Pete have some new episodes of their Fan2Fan podcast online.

First there is a part one episode of Pete and Bernie interviewing Daniel Richardson about Slasher Trash:

Slasher Trash Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And here is part two:

Slasher Trash Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference.

Categories
Comics

All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06

The Story So Far

Vanya and Serah are two Time Guards trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, and the Torridians, a race of warrior aliens hellbent on conquering humanity. While on a mission to retrieve a supply cache, the duo, along with a soldier named Guy, are captured by Niya, another Time Guard and a member of the Bone Tribe. They are made to partake in a ritual to summon a Torridian Dragon. Elsewhere the Torridians begin their bombardment of human outposts in the jungle primeval. 

Vanya stands atop a cliff edge, holding a bow and arrow. Behind her two pterodactyls fly, with a cloudy sky lit but a setting sun. There is also a green dinosaur that kinda looks like a T-rex, but it has two bumps atop its head.
Standard cover of Vanya #6 by Sean Joyce. Image from Bad Bug website.

Issue 06 Plot

Having escaped both the Bone Tribe and the family of saber-tooth tigers, Vanya, Serah, and Guy find themselves in an uneasy truce with Niya. Serah begins to have visions of the Torridian Dragon calling out to her. Serah, Guy, and Niya share a brain-connection due to the implanted chips in their temples (Vanya was not outfitted with one during their encounter with the Bone Tribe). The group decide to split up: Guy and Niya to hide the Torridian Dragon eggs they absconded with while Serah and Vanya follow a river to Outpost Nine that is purported to be heavily fortified. 

Panel showing Niya and Vanya confirming their uneasy truce. "We are on the same side" "For now."
Niya and Vanya.

Meanwhile Geneal Tora of the Torridians decide to free the captive humans, which include Captain Jax and Lucas, who are made to leave Base T and cross a field. However, their freedom is a ruse for all the humans are dispatched by a pack of raptors outfitted with saw blade arms, spiked grappling hooks, flamethrowers, and razor-sharp spider-esque legs. 

The ill-fated soldiers are not the only ones to encounter cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs as Vanya and Serah are attacked by a Plesiosaur that has a blaster mounted on its tail. While Vanya and Serah are dealing with their unexpected encounter, Niya and Guy cross paths with a new faction making their presence known.

Commentary

Two words: Robo Dinosaurs. Briefly introduced in issue five (when the Bone King throws a robotic raptor head at Vanya’s feet, and the final panel showing General Tora looking at a cybernetic T-Rex), issue six of Vanya is all about capitalizing on the robotic dinosaurs and how they truly ruthless they are. Reed’s death in issue three when he was chomped in half by a T-rex has nothing on a raptor with buzzsaw arms decapitating human soldiers. The scene the modified raptors appear in is an homage to/recreation of the raptor/tall grass scene from The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). It is as if Vanya asked the question “how can we top that scene from the second Jurassic Park movie?” and they went all in for it. 

Panel from issue 6. It should a group of soldiers in the middle of tall grass, being circled around by robot raptors.
Robo Raptors in the tall grass in Vanya #6.
Frame from the Lost World Jurassic Park movie. It shows a party of folks, at night, walking through tall grass, while the outlines of Raptors converge on them.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park tall grass/raptor scene.

The robot-dinosaur extravaganza continues when Vanya and Serah encounter a Plesiosaur while they are fishing. Vanya charges at the dinosaur, slicing its gun-tail off, before being dragged underwater due to her embedding her knife in its hide. Vanya does not do the killing blow on the Plesiosaur as a non-robotic Spinosaurus shows up and chomps its head off, showing a trail of blood but also mechanical components. It is an interesting scene in that a natural dinosaur is able to dispatch the cybernetically enhanced dinosaur, and rather easily at that. One of the core themes of Vanya has been the traditional fight of man vs. nature (and now trickling in some man vs. machine), but here is a sequence of nature vs. machine. Giving a long enough time, nature will always win.

The mysterious Astral Guard mark their formal appearance on the final page, possibility catching Guy and Niya in the act of hiding the Torridian Dragon eggs. Emerging from a purple portal, a squadron of armored soldiers pour through, wielding rifles, demanding Niya and Guy’s surrender. It is just bluster? The Astral Guard are supposed to be the best of the best, it is what the Time Guards eventually ascend to after completing their training in the prehistoric past. They are the ones, per the opening crawl back in issue one, who are supposed to lead and safeguard humanity. However, the Torridians dominating the war front against the humans, sending them in a retreat to the past, and Elah’s ineffectual response to the alien threat in issue five convey that the Astral Guard may not be as powerful as they project themselves to be. There’s plenty of Robo Dinosaurs waiting for them to prove their mettle against. 

The Astral Guard are not the only ones with a public image crisis to overcome, but General Tora herself is already showing cracks in how she operates. Extremely cruel (as demonstrated by freeing the humans into the raptor field), Tora is also coming across as arrogant but also prideful as she is dismissive of keeping her emperor abreast of her invasion. She’s akin to Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars and her attitude will probably lead to her to underestimate Vanya and the other humans (when they finally cross paths). 

Covers and Swag Impressions

From the Kickstarter campaign page for Vanya #06, which concluded August 2023, there looks to be a total of nine different covers for the issue, which each cover being available in non-nude and nude versions, with each of those breaking down in normal, holofoil, and metal editions, for a grand total of fifty-four different covers. 

Vanya, standing atop a tree branch that is covered in moss and flowers. She steadies herself by holding a vine. In her right hand is a spear with a stone head covered in blood.
Personal copy of Vanya #6 with nude cover by Alex Monik.

The best cover of the issue six bunch goes to Alex Monik. This is a fantastic cover that depicts and incredible Vanya and an equally incredible jungle scene. The tree branches that Vanya walks across are covered in grass and flowers, with vines hanging underneath. It is this great detail that really sells the fantastique nature of the jungle adventure genre. Vanya proper still looks attractive, but she is covered in tiny scars and smudges of dirt. This iteration of Vanya moves away from the cheesecake approach (but still retains aspects of it) and goes into a more realistic interpretation of a warrior woman who has had to survive in the primeval for months. Her giant, blooded stone-tipped spear brings forth the spear and fang genre trappings. Overall, this cover has a store to tell in one image, and it does it well.

Recognition needs to go to Sean Joyce, the artist behind the standard cover of Vanya #06 (see top of article). Joyce is an old guard artist whose done artwork for classic genre icons such as Conan the Barbarian. Joyce’s cover, with its mutated, painted style, recalls the old days of TTRPG cover art, the poster art for One Million Years B.C. (1966), and even a little of the trading cards/comic series of Dinosaurs Attack!. Joyce is a master of classic fantasy art and their cover art for this issue of Vanya demonstrates this.

The four trading cards have blue borders. They show a raptor, brontosaurus, stegosaur, and spineysaur outfitted in cybernetics. The tarot card, for Temperance, shows Vanya sitting atop a log, witting the top of a Dino skull with a knife.
Four Robosaur trading cards by Vascio Giaochini and a Tarot Card by Gus Mauk.

As far as swag, issue six of Vanya has a set of four Robosaur trading cards and a new Tarot card. The Robosaur art is done by Vasco Gioachini and each card dhows a different dinosaur outfitted with robotic attachments. These dinos would make great enemies in a Turok game. The Tarot card is for Major Arcana Temperance card and is illustrated by Gus Mauk. The card depicts Vanya playing with a dagger atop a dino skull. Theme and action-wise, the art on the Vanya Temperance card is not in the same realm as a traditional Temperance card (a woman pouring liquid from one container into another), so its derived meaning is going to be open to some interesting interpretations. 

Conclusion

With issue six, Vanya looks to finally have placed all its playing pieces on the game board: Vanya and company, the Torridians, the Astral Guard, and of course, the Robo Dinosaurs. The comic also seems to have found a better balance of sex scenes, action sequences, and exposition panels. The comic needs to be able to juggle these three pillars, especially as it is trying to tell the story of time travelling jungle women fighting aliens and robot dinosaurs. It is high concept, and perhaps a little over the top, but Vanya has found its footing to sell its setup. Come for the premise, but stay for the actual intrigue as Vanya navigates both intergalactic and temporal adversaries, which just so happens to include kick ass raptors with buzzsaw arms. 

For more information on Vanya 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:

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-03-16

Personal / Website News

Comic Book Review: Rome Eternal #1

It has been a while so it is time to dive back into my bread and butter, the world of the neo-peplum, so here is a brand new review online.

Cover art for Rome Eternal #1. It shows the Mysteries, standing in front of a Roman statue missing its head, and behind that a Colosseum that has been cyberpunked.
Cover art for Rome Eternal #1.

I’m fairly timely with this review as Rome Eternal came out in November, and I have issue #2 (which came out in January) in my paws as well. Should I aim to do back to back reviews?

Anywho, Rome Eternal is a neo-peplum comic about an Ancient Rome that did not fall but instead became a huge superpower that is just as corrupt and nasty as it has ever been. Just this time they have laser spears.

It’s hella fun and topical as well. Check out my review here.

Global Indigenous Horror

Sincerely chuffed that editor Naomi Simone Borwein mentions Michele and I in her acknowledgments in her upcoming edited academic collection, Global Indigenous Horror, from University Press of Mississippi.

Acknowledgments read: Many thanks to Deanna Reder, Lee Murray, Nicholas Diak and Michele Brittany, Simon Bacon, Brooke Collins-Gearing, and Judith Borwein. The complexity of seeing this volume to completion is a feature of both the subject matter and the event-based context in which the project developed.
Acknowledgments from Global Indigenous Horror.

We had the honour of having Dr. Borwein present at a past Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference and to have her presentation published in Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern.

I’ve shared prior, but want to re-iterate how awesome the cover art for Global Indigenous Horror is:

Cover of Global Indigenous Horror. It depicts a blue-skinned woman with a bird's head. She is wearing a dress with strawberry patterns and is holding a purpose. What looks like giant blue and red veins radiate from her head.
Cover of Global Indigenous Horror.

Global Indigenous Horror is slated to be published April 15th and can be pre-ordered at the UPoM website.

Scholars from the Edge of Time: Gentlemen Broncos

First episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time of 2025 is now online!

Cyclops from Gentlemen Broncos. They look exactly like the cyclops from Krull. There are two in the screenshot: one is holding a radar-dish listening devise and the other is patrolling with a gun.
Cyclops from Gentlemen Broncos.

Back in 2024 Michele and I watched Krull and loved it (that episode can be viewed here). The cyclops in Krull made me recall that Gentlemen Broncos has homages to the iconic one-eyed character, so we decided to give that film a shot! The vidcast episode can be watched on YouTube, check it out!

ECOF 2025

In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).

Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:

The flyer shows desert mountains with three insert images: one of a young Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1896, one of the author Jeffrey J. Mariotte (who is the guest of honour), and one of the Willcox train depot in the 1880s. The flyer reads was follows: Edgar Rice Burroughs ERB Inc.'s Commemoration of ERB's 150th Birthday! 7th Cavalry Historical Monument Celebration Willcox, AZ, September 25-28, 2025. Formal Dedication on September 27th, 2025. Sponsored by the Suplher Springs Valley Historical Society and the Arizona Apache Deveils Chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles.
Flyer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ 2025.

I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well. 

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2025.

Cover art of the Panthans Journal #332. It depicts a woman and a man with a hawk head, hunkered in a hole, firing laser pistols. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #332

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #332.

A continuation of the cover of #332. This cover shows the woman and the hawk man, defensively shooting laser pilots out of a hole in the ground, wile savage barbarians with bows and axes descend upon them. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #333

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #333.

Cover art for "Merry Creepsmas - The Red Book". It is red with a large X-mas tree that appears to have small, globby bodies as ornaments. The cover reads: Wicked Shadow Press Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book Christmas-Themed Horror Stories Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Merry Creepsmas – The Red Book

“There’s Always Room” in Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty. Wicked Shadow Press, 2025.

Cover art for the Burroughs Bulletin #109 by Dan Parsons. The top says "The Burroughs Bulletin New Series #109 Fall-Winter 2024". The art shows a T-rex chomping on a dude in a striped shirt. Below him are explorers with rifles. Behind him his a prehistoric sky, jungle, and a waterfall.
Burroughs Bulletin #109

“Tagliolini al Tarzan: Interview with Actress Bella Cortez on Taur the Mighty” in The Burroughs Bulletin #109. Edited by Henry Franke III. February, 2025.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Selling Scary Movies: Horror Film Promotion & the American Market

While American horror cinema is among the most widely examined of all entertainment formats, scholarship on this topic has mainly focused on film content or its reception. Consequently, despite representing a profuse component of horror’s inter-textual replay, the marketing of such films remains under-theorized and supported by a relative paucity of case-studies. Indeed, the promotion of scary movies still tends to be imagined rather reductively as a nightmarish mix of terror, loathing, threat, violence, and monstrosity, exemplified by such oft-quoted taglines as “be afraid, be very afraid” and “keep repeating it’s only a movie!”. This collection of essays therefore proposes to broaden conceptions of how chillers, thrillers, and the like have been promoted on the US market. It shall do so by uniting diverse approaches focusing on the industrial, social, discursive, and aesthetic dimensions of horror film marketing across a range of industry sectors, windows of release, and time periods. In so doing, the collection aims to expand and clarify the terms under which we understand one of the most pervasive yet poorly appreciated aspects of American audiovisual culture.

Accordingly, the editor of this collection therefore solicits original essays of 6000-8000-words offering a variety of perspectives on topics including but not restricted to:

  • Marketing campaigns of individual horror films
  • Repacking horror films across windows of release
  • Marketing campaigns across horror film trends and sub-types
  • Horror film and print advertising
  • Horror film and audiovisual advertising
  • Horror film and radio advertising
  • Horror film and viral advertising
  • Horror films and synergy
  • Horror films and publicity tours
  • Exploitation sector marketing
  • Indie/Art horror marketing
  • Marketing extreme or niche horror
  • Hollywood horror marketing
  • Targeting horror at specific audiences
  • Promoting imported horror on the American market
  • Horror in the marketing of non-horror films
  • Non-horror in the marketing of horror films

Please send 200-word abstracts plus a short academic bio – or any questions and queries – to richardandrew.nowell@amu.cz

Abstract due date (31 May 2025), chapter submissions (circa. January-May 2027).

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks.

New Acquisitions

Gladiator 2

Gladiator 2 was release in theaters back in November 2024 and Michele and I got to see it on the big screen in December. I started a draft of a write up of the film, got 80% done, but decided to shelve it for when the Blu-ray comes out so I could re-watch it.

The 4K/blu-ray for Gladiator 2. It depicts an armored gladiator in the center (Hanno) with a collage behind him of other characters in the film.
Gladiator II 4K Blu-ray.

And now, the movie is out on physical media! I got my pre-order the other week, so expect an upcoming Peplum Ponderings about the film, but also a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode devoted to it.

Helen of Troy

A recent pick up for an old film, here is Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, 1956).

Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of Helen of Troy. The cover is mostly white, and it shows a horse statue coming through an open gate, and below that a few comic-book style panels showing artistic representation of scenes from the movie, including a close up of Helen's face who looks like she is about to take a nap.
Personal Blu-ray copy of Helen of Troy.

I have not seen this one yet, but this will be a great watch in tandem with Ruby Blondell’s Helen of Troy in Hollywood.

Hardcover of Ruby Blondell's Helen of Troy in Hollywood. It shows a silent-film era actress as Helen sitting on a chair. The colors of the cover are black, white, and gold.
Personal copy of Helen of Troy in Hollywood.

Autographed Treasures

Lots of cool autographed treasures I’ve shared on Bluesky these past few weeks.

Rodan/War of the Gargantuas

I love kaiju films, but I am far from an expert on all the Toho and Toei monster films out there. Don’t laugh, but one of my favorite Godzilla films is All Monsters Attack (1969, Ishiro Honda).

Digipack/book-style DVD from the Toho Master Collection. The cover is black, with 2 images, which are posters from each film. In silver ink it is signed "To Nick - All the Best - Russ Tamblyn" with an arrow pointing to himself on the "War of the Gargantuas" poster portion of the cover.
Personal DVD copy of “Rodan” and “War of the Gargantuas” signed by Russ Tamblyn.

I have quite a Godzilla film collection, but I have only one autographed kaiju film, and that is War of the Gargantuas (1966, Ishiro Honda) by Russ Tamblyn. There was a West Side Story anniversary Hollywood Collector’s show way back in the day, and he was in attendance, so I had to get my monster movie signed!

When Women Ruled the Earth / War Goddess

Luciana Paluzzi is an iconic starlet of Italian genre cinema, and she has made frequent appearances at conventions, mostly James Bond-themed ones due to her being in Thunderball.

DVD that has two movies on it. The cover says "Mammoth Double Feature, When Women Ruled the Earth 'War Gods of Babylon' and 'War Goddess'". The artwork is a collage of difference scenes from the movies. In black marker it is signed "To Nick with all my
Personal DVD copy of “War Gods of Babylon” and “war Goddess” signed by Luciana Paluzzi.

I actually really liked her in the Eurospy film The Venetian Affair (1967, Jerry Thorpe). Paluzzi starred in her fair share of pepla, including the very late era peplum War Goddess (1973, Terence Young), which she signed my copy of.

Strike Commando

Reb Brown rules and Yor, the Hunter from the Future rules.

DVD on the left says "Grindhouse Experience Presents MERCS Soldiers of Fortune 10 Feature Film Collection". The cover is a black and white image, a close up of a mercenary's face, holding a gun with a belt of bullets draped over his shoulder. Signed in silver marker it said "Nick Best Wishes Reb Brown". To the right is the Blu-ray edition of Strike Commando. The cover is an art piece that depicts Reb Brown firing a machine gun that also has a gatling gun and a grenade launcher on it. Behind him are helicopters with spotlights and on the ground are a whole bunch of other soldiers holding guns. In the distance there is an exploding bridge.
Personal Copy of the Mercs multipack DVD autographed by Reb Brown and the Severin Blu-ray release of Strike Commando.

Reb has done many other cult films and is probably (aside from Yor) best known for Space Mutiny which was on MST3K.

However, he was in a handful of other Italian genre films of the 80s, including the men-on-a-mission film, Strike Commando, which is awesome. Severin Films did a nice Blu-ray release a few years back, but 20 years ago the only way I could watch the film was in a multi-film budget DVD set called Mercs: Soldiers of Fortune 10 Feature Film Collection which contained a low quality copy of Strike Commando, which Brown graciously signed to me.

News from Friends

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

Bible Films Blog – House of David

Matt Page over at his Bible Films blog is on a roll doing write ups about season one of House of David. Check them out:

Ride the Stream New Episodes

Michele and Travis have some brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast online at YouTube. They dive into the next few episodes of Lost.

Here is their discussion of episode nine of season one:

And their discussion of episode ten of season one:

And, finally their discussion of episode eleven of season one:

New episodes drop every Friday on YouTube. Keep an eye on their YouTube channel, or give them a follow on Bluesky.

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-02-23

Personal / Website News

Becca Boo #3 Review

Two articles in a month! I’m on a roll!

Brand new comic book review here at my website, I take a gander at issue three of Becca Boo: The Bimbo Ghost.

Cover art for Becca Boo #3. Becca is dressed in her blue-ish/white 1 piece dress and heels. She is holding a scythe. Her shadow is that of the grim reaper. It's kind of a take on the Star Wars: Phantom Menace poster of Anakin the kid with the Darth Vader shadow.
Standard cover of Becca Boo #3 by Kenan Halilovic. Photo taken from PDF.

This has been a fun adult comic from Obscura Comics. I previously reviewed issue one and issue two. My issue two review has been updated to reflect that the publisher corrected their missing swag issue and sent it on over. Top notch for Obscura!

Castle of Horror Podcast Appearance

My first podcast appearance of 2025 is on the Castle of Horror Podcast! I was invited on to talk about Antonio Margheriti’s 1964 gothic horror classic, Castle of Blood.

Logo shows an orange castle with turrets and a black background. It says "Castle of Horror podcast: Horror. Movies. Awesomeness."
Castle of Horror podcast Logo

The episode can be streamed at the Castle of Horror Spreaker website here, via the embedded player below, or through your podcast app of preference. Sincere appreciation to Jason Henderson for having me on.

Castle Talk: Daniel Kraus, author of the new book PARTIALLY DEVOURED: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World – Castle of Horror Podcast

If you can’t get enough of me talking about Castle of Blood, make sure you give a listen to the Fan2Fan Podcast episode where I talk about the film.

New Edge Sword and Sorcery 5, 6, and 7

New Edge Sword and Sorcery are currently crowdfunding the next three issues of their magazine, which will be two issues of sword and sorcery and one issue of sword and planet!

Cover art of three New Edge Sword and Sorcery magazines.
Collage of the three upcoming New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazines.

I am excited to announce I’ll be part of this project! The NESS magazines have featured cocktails in prior issues done by Kevin Beckett, and I’ve been asked to develop brand new cocktails for these upcoming three.

Here is a graphic from the Backerkit campaign of the authors involved in these three issues, and I am chuffed to be listed among them all!

Author list for the upcoming NESS issues. It reads: Issues will feature new, original stories by: Timaeus Bloom Melissa Burlock Sara Century James Enge Larissa Glazer Kirk Johnson Sarah Macklin Premee Mohamed Samir Sirk Morato Gabriella Officer-Narvasa June Orchid Parker Luana Saitta Prashanth Srivatsa Audrey Stollings Molly Tanzer Steve Westenra Andrew Whalen Alec Worley and thought provoking non-fiction essays, interviews, and book reviews by: Oliver Brackenbury Cora Buhlert Melissa Burlock James Lowder Catherine Lundoff Robin Marx Anthony Perconti Christopher Rowe Eric Williams Jay Wolf Plus delicious S&S cocktail recipes by Nicholas Diak
Author list for the upcoming NESS issues.

The Backerkit Campaign for NESS 5,6,7 can be found here. Please consider contributing! The campaign ends on March 15th. Sincere appreciation to Oliver Brackenbury for having me on board for this project.

If you’re curious, I did a short interview of issue 00 back in 2023, so check that out!

ECOF 2025

In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).

Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:

The flyer shows desert mountains with three insert images: one of a young Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1896, one of the author Jeffrey J. Mariotte (who is the guest of honour), and one of the Willcox train depot in the 1880s. The flyer reads was follows: Edgar Rice Burroughs ERB Inc.'s Commemoration of ERB's 150th Birthday! 7th Cavalry Historical Monument Celebration Willcox, AZ, September 25-28, 2025. Formal Dedication on September 27th, 2025. Sponsored by the Suplher Springs Valley Historical Society and the Arizona Apache Deveils Chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles.
Flyer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ 2025.

I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well. 

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2025.

Cover art of the Panthans Journal #332. It depicts a woman and a man with a hawk head, hunkered in a hole, firing laser pistols. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #332

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #332.

A continuation of the cover of #332. This cover shows the woman and the hawk man, defensively shooting laser pilots out of a hole in the ground, wile savage barbarians with bows and axes descend upon them. The art is by Mark Wheatley.
Panthans Journal #333

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #333.

Cover art for "Merry Creepsmas - The Red Book". It is red with a large X-mas tree that appears to have small, globby bodies as ornaments. The cover reads: Wicked Shadow Press Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book Christmas-Themed Horror Stories Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Merry Creepsmas – The Red Book

“There’s Always Room” in Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty. Wicked Shadow Press, 2025.

Cover art for the Burroughs Bulletin #109 by Dan Parsons. The top says "The Burroughs Bulletin New Series #109 Fall-Winter 2024". The art shows a T-rex chomping on a dude in a striped shirt. Below him are explorers with rifles. Behind him his a prehistoric sky, jungle, and a waterfall.
Burroughs Bulletin #109

“Tagliolini al Tarzan: Interview with Actress Bella Cortez on Taur the Mighty” in The Burroughs Bulletin #109. Edited by Henry Franke III. February, 2025.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Medieval + Monsters in Comics

Online Sponsored Session Proposed for Medieval + Monsters: Medieval Association of the Midwest (MAM), Mid-America Medieval Association (MAMA), Illinois Medieval Association (IMA) Joint Conference with The Newberry Library
Hosted at Dominican University & the Newberry Library
17-18 October 2025

The Medieval Comics Project and the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular/American Culture Association seek proposals of 250 words for a proposed online panel devoted to the theme of the medieval and the monstrous in sequential art, comics, manga, and related media.

Topics might include:

  • Adaptations of medieval monsters in modern comics/manga/related media
  • Monsters in sequential art of the medieval era
  • Monsters in marginalia in medieval manuscripts (akin to modern panel comics)
  • New monsters in comics/manga/related media set in the medieval era
  • The use of horror in comics/manga/related media set in the medieval era
  • The use of monstrosity to represent issues of class/gender/race in comic/manga versions of the Middle Ages

Please send submissions (250-word proposal plus a short biographical statement) to the session organizers (Michael A. Torregrossa, Karen Casey Casebier, and Benjamin H. Hoover) at Comics.Get.Medieval@gmail.com by 15 March 2025.

For more information on the Medieval Comics Project, please see our blog at https://medieval-comics-project.blogspot.com/.  

For more information on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular/American Culture Association, please see our blog at https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/.  

Further details on the conference itself can be accessed at https://www.dom.edu/medieval-monsters-conference.  

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks.

Boris and Natasha DVD

Someone posted on Bluesky that they made a Letterbox list of original movies for Showtime. Seeing that made me recall I have some of those films on DVD, including this stately copy of Boris and Natasha: The Movie, signed by Sid Haig and Sally Kellerman (both RIP).

Old style DVD case that is 100% see-through. The cover shows Boris and Natasha, both the human incarnations and the cartoon versions. Natasha is lighting her cigarette from Boris' bomb. In silver ink it is signed "To Nick, Sid Haig" and in black ink it is signed "Nick, hi! Love, Sally Kellerman".
Personal copy of Boris and Natasha DVD signed by Sid Haig and Sally Kellerman.

I know next to nothing about Rocky and Bullwinkle, maybe seeing a handful of cartoons growing up. However the Boris and Natasha live action movie was on all the time, and I thought it hilarious when I was a kid.

Sid Haig I met at Crypticon in SeaTac in the late 2000s. Sally Kellerman was at a Hollywood Collectors show, either late 2000s or early 2010.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol 1

I am a kid of the 80s, so of course I grew up with the TMNT cartoon and live action films. I had not really been into TMNT since I was a kid, but every one in a while I check something out in the franchise. Last month I watched Mutant Mayhem and it was awesome!

Hardcover of the collected edition of Ninja Turtle comics. The cover art is black and white. It shows all the turtles standing with their weapons out. Below them are Foot Soldiers. There is a canister from TGRI spilling ooze over turtles. Splinter is in the bottom right corner looking mysterious. April is in the center left. NYC building is in the background.
Personal copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Vol 1.
Donatello Sketch by Kevin Eastman. It's in black ink. It shows Donatello holding a staff vertically in his hand. Behind him is a cloud. It is signed K Eastman.
Donatello Sketch by Kevin Eastman.

Anywho, I do have some of the IDW collections of the original mid-80s Turtles comics. I’ve met Kevin Eastman a few times at different cons, but at a Long Beach Comic Con in the later 2010s I took him the Ultimate Collection Vol 1 to autograph, which he did, and he drew a sweet Donatello (my favorite turtle) in it!

Adventure Time: Bitter Sweets

Another treasure from a comic book con, a copy of Adventure Time: Bitter Sweets signed by artist Chrystin Garland.

Graphic novel of Adventure Time: Bitter Sweets. The cover shows a very long haired Princless Bubblegum holding three orbs in her hand as she stands atop a very small waterfall.
Personal copy of Adventure Time: Bitter Sweets.
Interior page just after the cover. It's purple to pink. The center has the Adventure time Logo. In black ink it is signed "To Nick: Chrystin Garland" and there is a sketch of Princess Bubblegum with a heart.
Interior cover page of Adventure Time Bitter Sweets signed by Chrystin Garland.

I had the honour to meet Garland at a Wondercon in the mid 2010s.

Burden of Dreams

Fitzcarraldo is probably my favorite Herzog/Kinski collaboration, both on screen and off screen. Burden of Dreams is a documentary that captures the mammoth undertaken of this tour de force film.

Old school Criterion Collection DVD. In red pen at the bottom it says "For Nick - Les Blank". The cover is a stylized image of Werner Herzog standing in front of the boat from Fitzcarraldo.
Personal copy of the Criterion Collection DVD of Burden of Dreams signed by Les Blank.

Les Blank, who passed away a few years ago, was gracious to let me post him my DVD back in the late 2000s to be autographed by him. Probably time for a re-watch, and to also re-watch the supplement where Herzog eats his shoe!

Phantasm & Reggie Bannister

Fangoria reports the sad news that horror icon Reggie Bannister has entered hospice care due to dementia and Parkinson’s. They have an article up letting people know where to send fan mail to him to keep his spirits up (link).

Standard DVD edition of Phantasm. MGM lion logo at the top. The cover is a close up of the spheres that fly around and drilled blood out of schools. The cover is covered in signatures. They read "The Nick and Michele, I know I love... love you both! Reggie Bannister", "For Nick and Michele, Don Coscarelli", "Nick + Michele, Love, Bill Thornbury" and "To Nick + Michele, Kat Lester" (with a scribble of a cat).
DVD copy of Phantasm signed by Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester, and Don Coscarelli.

We’ve met Bannister at a few different horror cons over the years. The first time was at a horror con in Seattle that was also a reunion of Phantasm alumni. There Michele and I got our DVD copy of Phantasm signed by Bannister, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester, and Don Coscarelli. Bannister joked he loved to sign over Angus Scrimm’s face to tease him.

Back in 2023 Michele appeared on the Fan2Fan Podcast to talk about her memories of Phantasm. Give it a listen!

Phantasm 1979 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Wishing Reggie the very best care.

The Eternal End

My friend Lee Mitchell has a new book out! It is called The Eternal End. It’s the third book in her “Divine Darkness” trilogy after The Divine Darkness and The Lasting Light.

Cover art for "The Eternal End" by Lee Mitchell. It shows an hourglass, with a galaxy in its top part, and a city in its lower part. There is a red moon behind it all.
Cover art for “The Eternal End” by Lee Mitchell.

More information about the book can be found at Mitchell’s Substack. The book can be found at Amazon as well as at all major book vendors online.

Gyro and the Argonauts!

Joshua Pruett, who has been on many episodes of the Fan2Fan Podcast, and even appeared on our H. P. Lovecast Podcast has a new book coming out, and it is kiddo neo-peplum! It is called Gyro and the Argonauts! and I am super excited for it.

Cover art for Gyro and the Argonauts! Shows Gyro holding a Gyro, surrounded by grecian mythological monsters - but cartoony looking ones.
Cover art for Gyro and the Argonauts!

This book can also be ordered at Amazon and other major vendors.

Michele’s 2025 Reading Vlog #2

Michele has a new Vlog up about her 2025 Book challenges!

If you want to see Michele talk about what she is reading as well as seeing some cat cameos, give it a watch!

New Ride the Stream Episodes

Michele and Travis have some brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast online at YouTube. They dive into the next few episodes of Lost.

Here is their discussion of episode seven of season 1:

And episode eight:

New episodes drop every Friday on YouTube. Keep an eye on their YouTube channel, or give them a follow on Bluesky.