Tag: Death Nell

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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

Saved by the Nell: Death Nell 02

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. Her best friend, a half troll named April, urges Nell to visit the school’s nurse, Madame Flowers who uncovers the root cause of the situation: Nell is a half-succubus who needs to feed on sexual energy. The solution: Nell needs to have a few romantic rendezvous. At the urging of April, the duo make their way to happening party where maybe Nell can find a paramour. 

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.

Issue 02 Plot

Nell and April arrive at the party and it is boogying down: werewolves dancing with skeletons, DJ UND3ADD spinning some oontz oontz oontzes, and the arrival of a mysterious cloaked stranger whose only visible trait is the gleam of their glasses. Nell is immediately smitten and falls into a drooling stuper of sexual fantasies. To calm down her nerves, Nell tries to picture all the partygoers naked, but invertedly casts a succubus spell that makes herself naked, garnering the attention of everyone. However, the DJ rolls with it, and everyone casts away their clothes and continues to dance, but the mysterious cloaked person disappears into the crowd.

Panel from Death Nell issue 2. Close up of Nell's face. Her hair is billowing backwards as she is casting a spell. She has winged eye lashes, and two different eyes: a normal green human eye, and a slit cat like eye that is orange. Her mouth is open showing her fangs and she has black lipstick on. She yells "Now, I can see all of you in your underwear!"
Nell casts a spell.

Since April cannot be around Nell 24/7 to keep her in check, she suggests the idea of summoning an imp to accompany Nell. The duo sneak into the office of Madame Flowers and find a spell book, but it all goes awry: April misreads the spell and summons a simp instead, and the trio are caught by Flowers and Professor Reinhart. 

Nell is now bound to the simp until he feels his duties are fulfilled, which he takes to heart and bombards Nell with attention and adoration. Meanwhile April intercepts a mysterious letter left at their dorm door.

Commentary

Picking up right were issue one left off, Death Nell issue two continues the humorous and sexy hijinks of the titular character as she works to control her innate succubus powers so she can succeed in her necromancy classes.

Nell is not a parody of the “big-tiddy-goth-girlfriend” archetype per se, but she is definitely an alternative take on it. Much of the comedy in Death Nell is visual, coming from the expressions, faces, and body language of Nell which borrows heavily from anime (with Nell’s two buns, her hair is reminiscent of Sailor Moon’s odango style) but also of classic mime. Nell drools when her imagination takes over and her mind turns to sexual fantasies. She furrows her brows, clenches her teeth, dilates or contracts her pupils, has hearts/sparkles/stars float about her, and so on. It is all exaggerated, but 1) gets the point across of what Nell is feeling (which varies panel to panel as she struggles with her Succubus nature) and 2) is humorous at how cartoonish it is depicted.

Panel from the comic, done in three clouds. The first cloud is Nell, naked, with her hands to her face, drooling, and saying "Take me now! I need you to make me Roar!". The other two clouds show Nell getting atop a dragon and embracing the dragon's rider, which is her professor.
A drooling Nell has a fantasy.

With all of this in mind, Nell, (and other characters in Death Nell), is extremely emote-able, and this is a credit to artist Cammry Lapka. The colours of Death Nell are vibrant, with a thick line art style. Though the characters are cartoony, Lapka also makes them sexy and attractive while also leaning into body positivity. Nell is curvy and she exudes a point on the scale of cuteness to sexiness as she sees fit. Sometimes she is in bondage/gothic-ish/fetish attire, other times she is in playful yellow pajama shirt and shorts that have skulls and bats on them, and other times she looks like a sexualized student from Monster High. This casual flip-flopping goes with the playing of expectations of the big-tiddy-goth-girlfriend archype.

The excess sexiness of Nell in a university setting does draw some issues that Death Nell is so far bypassing in order to focus on its 80s/late 90s teen sexy comedy attitude. Simply put, Nell is a vulnerable character with a big, personal issue. Stated in issue one, Nell really wants one thing: to be successful in school. Her burgeoning succubus nature is challenging that, and Nell does need support to help her, and simply put she is not getting it. As attractive Madame Flowers is, and (cloven hooves aside) a dream woman for readers, she is not a good support person, despite being in a position of power to be so. Her solution to Nell’s situation (from issue one) is to tell Nell to get laid. In issue two, in an exchange with April, it is brought up to ask Flowers again for help, but Nell quickly retracts the comment, makes a face, and says “Something tells me she’d like me to beg for her…”. Being afraid to approach an adult that is supposed to be there to help students because one is afraid that something sexual will come of it? That is neither a good nor safe sign at all. Combine that with the groundskeeper/gravedigger from issue one, asleep on a couch and mumbling his dream about Nell bending over while she digs a grave. Initially funny, but second glance, that is pretty creepy.

And that becomes the juggling issue for Death Nell: how does one create a sex comedy that is set in a school where the students are not taken advantage of? One answer is to make sure the protagonists are given their own control and agency, but that is the big “what is at stake” in Death Nell: Nell does not have control and is trying to get it, and the structures that should be in place to help her do not seem to be working. The other answer is to just go with it and take the sex and comedy at the level being asked without a deeper reading. Are folks doing deep reads into “help me big stepbrother, I appear to be stuck in the washing machine, again”? Maybe? Maybe not? 

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue two of Death Nell was Kickstarted in February 2023 and fulfilled August through October. The comic has eleven artists doing different covers, both in nice and naughty variants. The Dhaxina Dee alternative cover comes in additional metal editions for its nice/naughty variants while the Zheanhmeart cover comes with a holo cover format for its nice/naughty variants. This brings the total number of possible covers of Death Nell #2 to twenty six.

Cover shows Nell and April, both nude, atop a bed having a pillow fight with feathers flying about.
Personal copy of the Joel Souza nude variant cover.

Of all these combinations, the standout cover goes to Joel Souza’s cover which depicts Nell and April having a pillow fight. Souza’s style is an excellent take on the cartoonish/pinup style that Lapka brings to the comic. It is silly, funny, but also sexy. It vibes perfectly with what Death Nell is about, but it also adds more fun to Nell and April’s friendship (though April’s orcish features are non-existent on this depiction of her).  

As with many Kickstarters, Death Nell #2’s campaign had stretch goals it met resulting in some cool swag.

Bobby Jo attempts to "sneak up" on Nell who has her arms crossed.
Bobby Jo x Death Nell crossover art print.

Firstly, there is an art print by Bruno Sousa that depicts Nell from Death Nell and Bobby Jo, the titular character from another Bad Bug series, Bobby Jo. The characters take the idea of a crossover literally as their clothing is swapped: Nell is wearing daisy dukes and a short t-shirt that is befitting to Bobby Jo while Bobby Jo is wearing purple striped stockings and matching colour body suit, that pairs with Nell. It is a fun piece that also demonstrates the dynamicness of all the different Bag Bug series out there.

Five black and white cards depicting skeletons engaging in various sexual activities: "The Monster Mash", "The Gravedigger", "Bone to be Wild", "Rock the Casket", and "The Rib Job". Next to those is a Death Nell Tarot Card for The Fool.
Skeleton Karma Sutra cards and a Death Nell Tarot Card.

Next there are trading cards and a tarot card. The trading cards tie into the sex positiveness vibes that Death Nell shoots for, portraying skeletons in different sexual poses with punny titles, such as cowgirl style atop a casket is called “Rock the Casket” and a vertical 69 is called “The Rib Job”. 

As stated in other reviews of Bad Bug comics, the publisher including Tarot Cards with their comics is brilliant. It is a unique take on the collector cards that (along with bookmarks, stickers, and magnets) are featured heavily in Kickstarter stretch goals. The Tarot Card for Death Nell #2 is of The Fool and shows Nell about to walk off a cliff while she is distracted. By her side is a zombie dog who also looks distracted. The Death Nell Fool Tarot Card is a perfect parody of the Rider-Waite version of the card, which too shows a distracted person with a puppy at their side about to walk off a cliff. The Death Nell version is an inversion of it all: Rider-Waite is during the day, Death Nell at night. Rider-Waite has an alive white dog, Death Nell an undead one. Rider-Waite has the person holding a bag on a staff in one hand and a flower in the other, Death Nell has Nell holding her school backpack in one hand and her striped knickers in the other. It is brilliant!  

Conclusion

With its quirky, vibrant art style and great emotive expressions, Death Nell continues to allure in issue two. Nell and April are extremely likable characters, get along fabulously, and it is fun to see them both interact and play off each other. Nell needs the support of April (and possibly her new simp companion) as she tries to navigate her identity crisis (coming to terms being part succubus and the associated sexual urges that come with it) and unfortunately not receiving the proper or serious support from the faculty of her school. Despite these roadblocks, Nell is determined and will certainly overcome her nature while solving the mystery hinted by the contents of the envelope left at her dorm room door. 

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:

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2023-02-12

Personal / Website News

Death Nell #1 Write Up

New article up here at my website. I take a look at the first issue of Death Nell from Bad Bug, a gothic-comedy-light-horror-erotic comedy comic.

The write up can be read here.

H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

The Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot has been published and like last year on the podcast we are looking to spotlight some of the authors on the list and help get the word of their works out and entice readers to consider their works. Because of this, we are also flipping the order of episodes this month: Transmissions in the first half, normal episode at the end.

For this special episode of Transmissions Michele and I interviewed David Aquilone about Kolchak the Night Stalker: 50th Anniversary and Donna Lynch about Girls from the County.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 19 James Aquilone and Donna Lynch – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

The episode can be streamed via our Buzzsprout website, via the embedded player above, or through your podcast app of preference. Give it a listen and consider checking out Aquilone and Lynch’s works.

Scaredy Cats Podcast Appearance

Back in 2021 I had the honor to be a guest on the Scaredy Cats Podcast to talk about the influential slasher film, The Slumber Party Massacre (episode link here).

Host Sherri invited me back on the podcast, along with co-host of the Schitt’s Simply the Best Podcast, Katie, to talk about the 2015 meta-horror-slasher film, The Film Girls. It was a lot of fun to watch the film and then discuss it.

The episode can be streamed at the Scaredy Cats Buzzsprout page here or via your podcast app of preference. Sincere gratitude to Sherri for being asked on.

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Severin DVD (left) vs Full Moon Blu-ray (right) of Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiatoris available for preorder at the Vernon Press website.

This collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiatorand Industrial Music Sampling” and is slated to be released later this month.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

New Edge Sword and Sorcery Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for New Edge Sword and Sorcery is now live!

The Kickstarter campaign can be found here. The project is currently (evening of 2/12) at 71.77% funded with 19 days left. Consider backing it!

Miss Corsair Debonair YouTube Channel Launch

Pinup/stockings model Miss Corsair Debonair (who I interview for Exotica Moderne issue 14) has launched a YouTube channel (found here).

Her first video (which can be found here or in the embedded player above) has her showcasing a vintage pair of tan RHT stockings. One of her kitties makes a cameo! Check out her video, consider subscribing so you can see her next stockings/nylons/kitties video.

Categories
Comics

[S]extra Curricular Activities: Death Nell Issue One

Death Nell is an erotic horror comedy (in the Beetlejuice vein) comic published by Bad Bug Media in early 2023 after a successful Kickstarter campaign of their first issue in the summer of 2022. Issue one is written by Bill Stoddard with Cammry Lapka (Cat Tails, Black Market Heroine) doing art, Bruna Costa on colours, and Erek Foster (The Surgeon) providing lettering. 

Nell, her undead cat, and April.

The titular Nell is a twenty-two year old student at the Deus Mortem school for necromancers where she spends her time sleeping during class and fantasizing about her teacher, Professor Reinhart, instead of paying attention. At the suggestion of her best friend, April (who is a half troll), Nell visits the buxom school nurse (curse lifter?) Madame Flowers. It turns out that Nell’s sleeping issue is from exhaustion due to her insatiable desires despite a regime of self pleasuring. An alchemy spell later and the root cause is discovered: Nell is part Succubus and she needs to om nom nom on the sexual energies of others. Thankfully there happens to be a party coming up that promises lots of action…

Grave digging attire.

As a playful, lighter fare, Death Nell can be placed in a similar camp of monster-school stories such as Nicholas Doan and Gwendolyn Dreyer’s Monster Elementary, the Monster High media franchise, and even the prequel film of Monsters Inc., Monster University. Death Nell’s art reflects its comedic tone, as the colours are vibrant (the fun gothic colours of purple and black) and the characters realized in an anime/manga-inspired fashion (drool, bonks on heads, pursed lips, etc.). The women of Death Nell do adhere to a specific type of depiction: eye liner as big as bats and hips as thicc as gravestones. It’s a fun style that juggles sexy and cartoonish – Hot Topic patrons will definitely approve (and mimic!).

Madame Flowers.

Death Nell’s comedy falls in line with school sex comedies of the 80s and the 2000s. This can be both a blessing and a curse depending on perspective. Because she’s an attractive succubus, the faculty of Nell’s school begin to lust after her (the aforementioned Madame Flowers, the graveyard undertaker Edgar) with only professor Reinhart seemingly immune to her passive powers. In reality, this, of course, is a big no-no in classroom power dynamics, yet it is also an extremely common plot device in pornographic stories (“teacher, there has to be something I can do to pass this class!”). The tone of Death Nell is much too lighthearted to even approach levels like David Mamet’s Oleanna, but might find itself in “Penny Pax spends times in detention” territory. The nudity and sexual acts are presented in wanton abandon. 

NSFW version of the issue one cover with art by Lapka and Costa.

As is SOP with mature comic books made possible via crowdfunding, the first issue of Death Nell comes in a variety of alternative covers, with nude variants of each. The campaign to fund issue two of Death Nell (which ends February 15th) follows suit.

There was also additional, fun swag that came with copies of Death Nell issue one:

Art prints

Art Prints that have a crossover with Bag Bug’s other erotic series, Vanya.

And cards.

The first issue of Death Nell is fun-n-flirty, school sex comedy. Nell has to deal with typical college problems of being socially awkward and get good grades, while also finding out who she is as a person. Er, succubus. 

We’ve all been there. 

For more information on Death Nell, check out these links:

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