Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2022-01-23

Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot Listing

My essay, “Cullzathro Fhtagn! Magnifying the Carnivalesque in Lovecraft Through the Comic Book Series Vinegar Teeth,” has made the preliminary Bram Stoker Award ballot in the short non-fiction category. Note: this does not denote I am nominated or a finalist. It simply means I am on the preliminary ballot and have a 50% chance to advance to the final ballot.

Active and Lifetime members of the Horror Writers Association who would like to read my essay for final ballot consideration find it online at Academia.edu. Note: if there is a big ad in the way taking up the screen, just hit the X at the top right. Academia.edu is silly that way.

New H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

New episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast is online!

Thumbnail by Michele Brittany. Mighty cat of Ulthar is Algernon.

In this episode we focus on two short stories from New Maps of Dream, released by PS Publishing and edited by Cody Goodfellow and Joseph S. Pulver Sr.: “The Dankness over Dylath-Leen” by Scott R. Jones and “The Malls of Ulthar” by Matthew M. Bartlett. The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout website or via your podcast app of preference.

The last day of this month we will post our Transmissions episode which will feature interviews with Matthew M. Bartlett, Christine Morgan, and Kaaron Warren. Stay tuned!

H. P. Lovecast Bram Stoker Prelim Ballot Recap

During 2021 Michele and I had the honour to review the works / interview the folks that have appeared on the preliminary ballot. A listing of those episodes (from both H. P. Lovecast and Scholars From the Edge of Time) will be listed below in an effort to promote the writers and their works in their respective paths to the final ballot.

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern Review

Michele’s and my co-edited book, Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern: Critical Essays has a new review!

Shannon Scott at the Revenant Journal has reviewed the book in the journals newest online journal. It can be read here. Of course, the book can be purchased at McFarland.

Things in the Well Closing Shop

Small press publisher Things in the Well looks to be closing shop in a few weeks. This means two of their anthologies that I have short stories published in will be going OOP:

Amazon links to buy both books are in the links above. Thank you all who have been curious about my fiction work and who have bought these books. I’ll find a home for these short stories in the future.

Highlander Call for Papers

Michele has an active CFP on the Highlander franchise. She is looking for essays on the Highlander movies, the television show, comics, everything.

If you’re interested, check out the CFP at her website and please share with others. With a possible reboot on the horizon, this is definitely a book you want to be a part of. 

Unofficial Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

Sometime in the latter half of 2022 (after I am finished with AnnRadCon 2022) I plan on publishing an official CFP calling for essays on Emmanuelle and its sequels and spinoffs, Black Emanuelle and its sequels, and all other Emmanuelle knockoffs. I already have an interested publisher, but I want to present to them a fully laid out TOC for an ambitious collection as this.

Though my CFP will not go live until later 2022, if you have any interest in being a part of this collection, let me know! Send me an email or social media message (see my about me page for contact info) to let me know your interest. If you have an abstract already, even better.

General Neo-Peplum News

Recent Acquisitons

Been a while since I plucked up some pepla films. I went on Amazon and procured these two items:

I’d never seen Ulysses before, but Justin Decloux mentioned it as an essential sword and sandal film in one of the supplements in his release of Fury of Achilles (read my write up) and it’s been on the wish list to get for a while, so time to scoop it up.

I was also in the mood for some 80s sword and sorcery. The new Blu-ray releases of the Deathstalker films from Shout Factory are already out of print! So this four pack will do instead, and that’s fine. But seriously, some Shout Factory Blu-Rays just go OOP right away. I recall last year trying to find their versions of Slumber Party Massacre 2 and 3 and what the hell?

While exploring the Transcending Obscurity Records Bandcamp site I happened upon the neo-peplum metal album Dust of Aeons by Towards Atlantis Nights.

I ordered this album back in November I believe and it came all the way from India, arriving last week. I’ll be giving it a listen this upcoming week. Cool cover!

Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2022-01-02

Personal / Website News

2021 Accomplishments / 2022 Projects

I’ve aggregated all my 2021 accomplishments on this post while also listing projects I expect to realize in this new year. I thank the folks who have supported me or provided me platforms immensely.

H. P. Lovecast Transmissions Episode

Our last episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast for 2021 is online!

Thumbnail by Michele Brittany

This is our monthly transmissions episode where we interview a few folks. In this episode we interview Jennifer Barnes, Lee Murray, and Rena Mason about their work with Attack from the ’80s. The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout website or your podcast app of preference.

AnnRadCon CFP is Closed

The CFP for the 5th Annual Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference at StokerCon 2022 has now closed. Thank you to all who submitted abstracts. Michele and I will be going over them during the first two weeks of January and sending out acceptances.

Highlander CFP

When one CFP closes another one opens!

Adrian Paul has way more charisma than Christopher Lambert.

Michele has a CFP that just opened on the Highlander franchise. She is looking for essays about the Highlander movies, the television show, comics, everything. If you’re interested, check out the CFP at her website and please share with others! With a possible reboot on the horizon, this is definitely a book you want to be a part of.

Unofficial Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

Recently I scored two Black Emanuelle vinyls from Light in the Attic records and it got me really nostalgic.

Two Black Emanuelle vinyls I procured. I just need a record player!

I grew up with the Sylvia Kristel Emmanuelle films and got into the Laura Gemser Black Emanuelle films when I started studying Italian genre films when I was working on my masters. One of my bucket list items has been to do a book on the Emmanuelle films and their various knock offs, sequels, and so on because no such book exists. I think it’s time to bite the bullet and get the process going for this project.

Sometime in the latter half of 2022 (after I am finished with AnnRadCon 2022) I’ll be publishing an official CFP for essays on Emmanuelle, Emanuelle, and the other Emmanuelles out there. I already have an interested publisher, but I want to present to them a fully laid out TOC for an ambitious collection as this.

Though my CFP will not go live until later 2022, if you have any interest in being a part of this collection, let me know! Send me an email or social media message (see my about me page for contact info) to let me know your interest. If you have an abstract already, even better!

Things in the Well Closing Shop

Small press publisher Things in the Well looks to be closing shop in a few weeks. This means two of their anthologies that I have short stories published in will be going OOP.

The two books with Amazon links are:

Amazon links to buy both books are in the links above. Thank you all who have been curious about my fiction work and who have bought these books. I’ll find a home for these short stories in the future.

General Neo-Peplum News

Bible Films Blog: Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem

Matt Page has a new review up at his Bible Films Blog.

It’s on the 2019 Italian Biblical neo-peplum film titled Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem. Page’s write up can be read at his blog.

Severin Caligula Releases

Severin Films is releasing two Italian porno-pepla in February.

The first is Joe D’Amato’s 1982 film Caligula: The Untold Story and the second is Bruno Mattei’s 1981 Caligula and Messalina. Severin is offering quote a few options on pre-ordering these films:

Yours truly, of course, has already pre-ordered these. Expect essays later on!

Born of Blood Comic

I only learned about this comic because it appeared in an update email from another peplum comic I contributed to on Kickstarter. Of course, upon discovery, it has 40 hours left of its campaign, so by the time this news post goes up it will have ended. Regardless, a newish publisher called Merc Magazine is putting out a neo-peplum comic called Born of Blood.

Sorah Suhng cover
Mike Krome virgin cover

It looks like Born of Blood was previewed in prior published comics of Merc Magazine, Miss Meow and Deathrage, so I am a bit out of the loop of plot. Looking at the cover art, I see lots of Spartan imagery, so I am definitely intrigued.

As an aside, there has been a great uptick in what I call “pandemic peplum” comics appearing on Kickstarter. I have interviewed many of those creators already at my website:

Not to mention many others I’ve Kickstarted as well that I either have not written about or haven’t received yet: Gilgamesh Eternal #1, Teoatl, and Aztlan.

Anywho, I hope once I get Born of Blood 01, maybe I can do a review or interview the team behind it. But it’s so curious that so many sword and sandal crowdfunded comics have come out since the pandemic began.

I put in monies to get two versions of the first issue: a cover by Sorah Suhng and a virgin cover by Mike Krome. As you can see above, they look really sweet!

Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2021-05-23

Personal / Website News

StokerCon and HP Lovecast

This past weekend was StokerCon and Michele and I were super busy co-chair the AnnRadCon panels, doing Q/A, watching presentations, and so on. I believe some of the content will be available after the con, so stay tuned either here as I learn more, or follow the various StokerCon/HWA websites/social medias.

However, we were so busy we didn’t get a chance to finish up the newest episode of HP Lovecast, which will drop next weekend.

Mark My Words

Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith are publishing a new how-to book called Mark My Words: Read the Submission Guidelines and Other Self-editing Tips. The chapbook was part of one of Murray’s workshops at StokerCon, but is getting a release via Yuriko Publishing. Both Michele and I were asked to contribute advice to the book. I’ve added this book to the bibliography, but once it officially becomes available for purchase I’ll add in store links as well.

General Neo-Peplum News

Messalina Blu-ray Release

Boutique blu-ray publisher Twilight Time has just release a version of Messalina. DVD Beaver has the details along with screen caps.

300 Part 3

IndieWire has an article about Zack Snyder’s unmade part three to 300 that was going to focus on Alexander the Great.

Isidora #2 to Launch

Part 2 of the neo-peplum/Lovecraft comic Isidora by G. A.Lungaro is set to launch a crowdfunding campaign in June. A sign up page to be notified when the campaign goes live can be found here.

Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2021-02-07

Personal / Website News

New issue of Exotica Moderne

Exotica Moderne #10 is out! Copies can be ordered from House of Tabu. My contribution to this issue is pretty minimal, I only did a mini review of Zeena Schreck’s EP Bring me the Head of F. W. Murnau. However, I am ahead of the game for issue 11, which will contain my interview of Miss Pinup Miami. That interview is conducted, concluded, edited, and turned in!

Cover for Exotica Moderne #10

StokerCon 2021/AnnRadCon News

Official announcement has been made through the Stokercon channels that StokerCon 2021 will be a digital-only conference, with a physical one to resume when the world is safer from the COVID19 pandemic. This also means the AnnRadCon for 2021 will also switch to an online/digital mode. More details forthcoming as we get things sussed out. The official announcement can be read at StokerCon2021.com.

On a slight positive note, the cover art for the StokerCon 2021 souvenir book has been published online! Michele and I have a short essay in the book about AnnRadCon and the conference’s accomplishments thus far. The book is edited by Josh Viola, with cover art by Aaron Lovett and will be published by HEX Publishing.

Cover art for the StokerCon 2021 book

Podcast News

Episode 7 of the H. P. Lovecast Podcast Presents: Fragments is online! In this episode we interview Lee Murray. The episode can be listened to on our site at Buzzsprout or on your podcast application of preference.

Call for Papers

The Call for Abstracts for my collection of essays on neo-medievalism is live. The CFP can be found here.

Citation News

In the autumn of 2020, James Arthur Anderson had his book, Excavating Stephen King: A Darwinist Hermeneutic Study of the Fiction, published by Lexington Books. This text cites his essay, “Four Quadrants of Success: The Metalinguistics of Author Protagonists in the Fiction of Stephen King,” which appeared in Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern: Critical Essays.

Cover Art

My essay “Permission to kill: Exploring Italy’s 1960s Eurospy Phenomenon, Impact and Legacy” from James Bond and Popular Culture: Essays on the Influence of the Fictional Superspy has been cited by Samhita Sunya in their essay “On Location: Tracking Secret Agents and Films, between Bombay and Beirut” which appears in the journal Film History Vol. 32, No. 3, Fall 2020.

Journal issue cover

General Neo-Peplum News

Story of a Gladiator Physical Release

On Friday Limited Run opened a pre-order for 1,500 copies of Brain Seal’s game Story of a Gladiator for the Playstation. It, of course, sold out by the day’s end (but your’s truly, who has an Xbox and not a Playstation, had to buy a copy because reasons). Though the physical copy of the game was sold out, digital copies can readily be had on the Xbox, Playstation, Switch, and Steam. As I’ve been enjoying the Xbox incarnation, expect some sort of write-up about it in the very near future.

Rest in Peplum

Legendary actor Christopher Plummer passed away at the age of 91 from hitting his head from a fall. Renown for The Sound of Music (1965) he starred in numerous pepla productions:

  • The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
  • Oedipus the King (1968)
  • Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
  • Caesar and Cleopatra (2009)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011 – voice)

Haya Harareet passed away at the age of 89. She is best known playing Esther in Ben-Hur (1959)

Italian cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno passed away at the age of 97. He worked on numerous filoni and his sword and sandal contributions include:

  • The Bible: In the Beginning… (1966)
  • Fellini Satyricon (1969)
  • Red Sonja (1985)