Four months after Marshville was hit with a brutal winter, freezing crops in the town museum’s garden, things continue to look dire. An unseen creature continues to stalk and kill the citizens of the town, though these deaths are being kept from the public. Though the town is still getting heat, per Professor Cook, folks are not getting enough food. He meets with Meriem and Bruce and brings up that a cabin at the boundary between the town and prehistoric earth may have a stockpile of supplies. He asks Meriem if she can investigate. Bruce rejects this idea as the citizens of Marshville have treated Meriem awfully despite everything she does for them. Despite this, Meriem still accepts the mission.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” issue 3, special edition version.
She makes her way through the snow using her superhuman speed and agility and locates the cabin. Inside she finds a journal which leads her to a cellar stocked with food, ammo, and other supplies. On her way back to report her findings she is attacked by the invisible assailant.
Commentary
Issue three of Cavewoman “Snow” was published in July of 2011 with the story and art being by Rob Durham. It is the penultimate issue of the “Snow” storyline. Taking place four months after the events of issue two, issue three sees the town of Marshville in further jeopardy as its citizens slowly starve during a prolonged, harsh winter, while an unseen killer stalks the streets.
Cavewoman Snow #3 certificate of authenticity.
The prior issue had a (probably unintended) focus on how laissez-faire many integral figures of the town acted, which included blame shifting (running Meriem over with a transport truck), not taking situations seriously (dismissing the kids trying to report a murder), and putting off doing necessary tasks (maintenance on the museum gantry), which cascaded to baleful consequences, such as the museum garden getting heavily damaged by snow avalanching in from a cracking skylight, which puts the town in the predicament it is in.
Meriem’s doe eyes.
On page, during issue two, Meriem was the scapegoat for these mishaps. Sometime, off page, between issue two and this issue, Meriem is absolved by some of the townsfolk. Sensing her depression at the beginning of this issue, Bruce tells Meriem, “The two maintenance workers vouched for you” and later on Professor Cook says “the incident at the museum is over with. Almost all accept the fact that Meriem was only trying to save the garden that day.” It is important to note that these apologies occur off page, and neither said to Meriem directly nor visually shown to the reader. It sends the message that it is ok to chastise publicly but recant and apologize privately. There is also an asterisk in Cook’s statement of “almost all,” no doubt referring to the character of Martson who always has it out for Meriem but of course does not give up a chance to ogle her body (as seen in issue two when he stares at her curvy hips in the museum).
The cure to Prof. Cook’s arthritis is coffee and brandy.
This is all foundation to Meriem’s superhero dilemma: the town needs her, but will turn on her in an instant, and then come back when they need her, rinse-repeat. Issue three brings this superhero trope to the forefront in that Professor Cook wants Meriem to scout a cabin for supplies to save the town, but Bruce brings up the (rightful) observation that citizens of Marshville treat her horribly despite everything Meriem does for the town. Meriem is a true altruist here. She goes above and beyond for Marshville, but the town does not return the favour.
Meriem batters her way through the floor boards.
The last half of the issue switches from drama to action as Meriem takes off to find the cabin of supplies. When she arrives, she finds a hidden journal where the last page indicates the suppliers are hidden under the floor. Wanton destruction is the key here as Meriem bashes into the cabin’s floor, showing off her posterior in the process. Finding nothing, Meriem then realizes the cabin’s shed has a visible trap door. It is a funny scene for what has been an otherwise somber issue, while throwing in some cheesecake aesthetics as the issue has been chaste up to this point (issues one and two both had sequences of nudity). Meriem in a pinup and a sex symbol, so artist/author Durham finds a lighthearted way to insert some sexuality into the issue.
Meriem lies defeated in the snow.
The issue ends with Meriem encountering the unseen creature. The monster is still not shown to the readers, so this will be a mystery to be revealed in issue four. While Meriem gets a good elbow hit in, she is otherwise defeated by the entity. She lays in the snow, finding herself not healing. Perhaps due to the extreme cold that she has voiced concern about during the “Snow” run? Or perhaps due to low caloric intake due to food rationing? Or perhaps lack of willpower due to her depression from trying to save a thankless town? Or all of the above?
Conclusion
Issue three of “Snow” is half drama and half adventure. The first, dramatic half of the issue really sells the dire situation of the town of Marshville but also brings a heavy helping of emotional weight put upon Meriem. The last half of the issue turns into normal jungle-girl activities, though in a winter landscape rather than jungle, as Meriem traverses the terrain, does some light detective work, destroys some things in the process, and has an encounter with the beast that has been terrorizing the town. As usual, Durham’s art is fun, detailed, and heavily emphasizes not only the pinup beauty of Meriem, but also her emotions through facial expressions and posture. Though overall melancholy in tone, issue three does set up everything for an exciting finale in issue four. Will the town be saved? What will the creature turn out to be?
For more information on Cavewoman “Snow” issue three, check out the official product page at Amryl Entertainment:
June was my birthday month. Happy birthday to me! It was not an overtly productive month with only one article published at my website, but I got some other projects done, such as my cocktail recipes for this year’s New Edge Sword and Sorcery issues. Excited about that!
Review of Cavewoman “Snow” #2
New comic book review up at my website here! I continue going through my Cavewoman collection and revisiting these old issues. I am continuing with the “Snow” story arc, which puts me at issue #2 now.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” #2.
My write up of this issue can be read right here. It is a pretty good one, both in content but also in looking at themes and just, damn, people are people, and people suck, even when they live in a town that has been transported to the prehistoric past and everyday is basically life or death.
PangoBooks Bookstore
I have opened up a bookstore online at PangoBooks! I have been working on clearing shelf space, culling dups, and so on, which is resulting in me having a pile a books I no longer need. I have quite a few odd, unique, OOP, and weird stuff, so do check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly! Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.
Panthans Journal #349
The June issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue nine of Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original can be read here. If this looks sort of duplicated, it is. This review was also republished in #348 of Panthans. So, folks can enjoy it twice!
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.
Scholars from the Edge of Time – Hundreds of Beavers
For the June episode of Scholars From the Edge of Time, Michele and I venture way off course from peplum films and into the world of slapstick. We watched Hundreds of Beavers (2022) and enjoyed it immensely.
Personal copy of Hundreds of Beavers on Blu-ray.
The episode can be watched on YouTube. Check it out to hear us talk about something a tiny bit off topic.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.
Exotica Moderne #31
“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Re-Analyzing Mad Men – Critical Essays on the AMC Series’ 20th Anniversary
2027 will mark twenty years since the ground-breaking series Mad Men aired its first episode. Since then, the world of Sterling Cooper – led by the universally talented “Mad Men” of them all, Don Draper (John Hamm) – has become synonymous with a glamorized mid-century culture, characterized by three-martini lunches, men with skinny ties, large fedoras, and huge egos; anxious women with Jackie Kennedy hairdos, form fitting skirts and bold ambitions to break the ubiquitous glass ceiling. AMC’s episodic drama still ranks in the Top Five of all television series mainly due to the fact that Mad Menbecause a cultural phenomenon, detailing America’s preoccupation with commercialism and image in the Camelot era of 1960s America while self-consciously exploring our own cultural paths with image and self-reinvention.
In 2007, the television series and cultural phenomenon Mad Men broke ground, establishing AMC as a major competitor to the likes of HBO for prestige dramas. In 2027, twenty years after its original release and twelve years since it ended, its legacy endures.
In 2011, my book Analyzing Mad Men, brought together critical approaches to, what was then, an emerging series, capturing its immediate impact and pioneering the wave of scholarship that came after its publication. In anticipation of these anniversaries, I am looking to re-analyze the series in full, presenting a new collection of essays examining the many facets of the series as it moved from those halcyon days of America’s Camelot, the 1960s, though to the end of that decade, marked by Viet Nam, the culture wars, the rise of youth culture, and the move of Madison Avenue from the streets of New York to the sunny coast of California.
Building on the continued scholarly interest in Analyzing Mad Men and the enthusiasm of its original publisher, McFarland & Co, I issue the following call for chapters with the aim of eliciting new chapters and approaches to the series and its legacy. Suggested topics might include:
New Historical examinations of how the series uses the “Age of Camelot” and the “Death of the Sixties” to compare to our own times, particularly in respect to advertising, commerce and capitalism;
Psychoanalytic approaches to the series, particularly in the respect to the conclusion of Don Draper’s storyline; his marriages to Betty (January Jones) and Megan (Jessica Pare), and his relations to the industry shifts;
Mad Men’s approach to the selling of “self”, selling commodities, and the drastic shift in the culture toward the series’ end;
Sterling Cooper as a microcosm of culture mores, sexual politics, and changing attitudes toward capitalism;
The storylines of Peggy Olsen (Elizabeth Moss) and Joan Holloway/Harris (Christina Hendricks) who begin the series as office assistants, and end the series as representatives of the new woman in business;
The series’ approach to advertising and the shift from Madison Avenue to Los Angeles;
Mad Men’s continuing effect of fashion merchandising and furniture / décor;
Pete Campbell’s (Vincent Kartheiser) and Roger Sterlings’s (John Slattery) efforts to confirm images as “self-made” men of success and how their subsequent marriages and divorces affect their abilities as “self-made” men;
The series’ use of “the edge”: How heterosexism, homosexuality, drug culture and gender politics influence characters’ behaviors within the corporate atmosphere and in their private lives – particularly as the series progresses through the decade;
Theories of management at Sterling Cooper, reflected in Roger Sterling’s approach, Bertram Cooper’s (Robert Morse) new age tactics, and the hostile takeovers that challenge the company through the decade;
The series embracing of nostalgia in selling the series to a new (and supposedly evolved) contemporary audience. What is the legacy of Mad Men? And why has the series remained in the Top Five of all television series?
Abstracts of 500 words concerning any of these ideas or any others should be sent via email to sstoddart@saintpeters.eduby 15 August 2026. Final essays will be due by 15 December 2026 so as to make the publisher’s 01 March 2027 ideal date for release.
Geographies of Horror
Department of English Studies (University of Zadar) in collaboration with The Society for the Study of the American Gothic (SSAG)
Keynote speaker: Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (Central Michigan University)
May 20-21st 2027, University of Zadar (Zadar, Croatia)
The study of horror has always been inseparable from the question of space. From the shadowed corridors of Gothic castles to contemporary digital voids, spaces in horror are never just passive backdrops. They function as active agents that shape perception, destabilize subjectivity, and collapse the distinction between interior and exterior, revealing how fragile our sense of spatial coherence can be. This conference seeks to understand how spaces become haunted – materially, symbolically, psychologically, and technologically, and how these hauntings articulate broader cultural anxieties, historical traumas, and epistemological uncertainties.
In Gothic and horror traditions, fear unfolds through space, guiding perception, and encounters with the unknown. Early Gothic forms, such as castles and monasteries, establish models of spatial excess, enclosure, and architectural anxiety, while the haunted house transforms domestic familiarity into something uncanny. In modern and contemporary horror, this logic extends to urban environments, where entire cities and infrastructures become haunted. While urban legends and other unsettling narratives embed fear in everyday life, abandoned malls, transit systems, and brutalist structures evoke concepts such as “non-places,” characterized by transience and anonymity.
At the same time, horror increasingly stages the breakdown of spatial logic itself. Non-Euclidean geometries, infinite corridors, and paradoxical environments destabilize perception and challenge epistemological certainty. In these instances, space becomes fundamentally unknowable, aligning with cosmic horror and philosophical pessimism. These concerns extend into digital and virtual environments, where video games, online narratives, and immersive technologies generate new forms of spatial horror. Phenomena such as The Backrooms exemplify liminal, endlessly reproducible environments that evoke both familiarity and existential dread. Simultaneously, haunted space becomes internalized within the body and mind, as psychological and body horror depict interiority as fragmented and invasive.
With all this in mind, we welcome papers from across disciplines and media that examine the spatial dimensions of horror, including but not limited to:
Gothic and classical haunted spaces
Urban and infrastructural hauntings, including “non-places”
Non-Euclidean, paradoxical, and incoherent spatialities
Digital and virtual environments (games, online narratives, immersive media)
The body and subjectivity as haunted spaces
Ecological and environmental horror
Spatial storytelling across literature, film, television, comics, and interactive media
The keynote speaker for the event will be Professor Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (Central Michigan University). He is a Professor of English at Central Michigan University, where he teaches a range of courses on American literature and popular culture. He is the founder and president of The Society for the Study of the American Gothic, the founder and general editor of the peer-reviewed journal American Gothic Studies, and the co-founder and past chair of the Modern Language Association Gothic Studies Forum. He also serves as the associate editor in charge of horror for the Los Angeles Review of Books and is currently the general editor for Bloombury Publishing’s six-volume Cultural History of Monsters series.
His research focuses on the “cultural work” performed by the Gothic in its various manifestations – the ways in which Gothic texts and practices give shape to culturally specific anxieties and desires. This interest has led him from considering, for example, how nineteenth-and early twentieth-century American women made use of Gothic conventions as a strategy to express discontentment with their circumscribed roles to thinking about the ways contemporary monsters reflect shifting American fears and aspirations.
To date, he is the author or editor of 34 books and more than 100 essays and book chapters on the Gothic, American literature, cult film, and popular culture.
Abstracts of 250–300 words, accompanied by a short bio (approximately 100 words) and 3-5 keywords, should be submitted to geographyhorror@gmail.com.
The deadline for the abstract submission is October 1st 2026.
Selected papers focused on American Gothic and horror themes will also be considered for publication in the peer-reviewed journal, American Gothic Studies Journal.
New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions
The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.
Conquest
I have seen a lot of Lucio Fulci movies (Zombi 2 4 evah!) but Conquest (1983) has eluded me. Blue Underground put out an edition a long time ago, but I just never got around to doing so.
Cauldron limited edition of Conquest.
That changes now because I have plucked up this incredible limited edition UHD/Blu-ray version from Cauldron. It even came with this rad sticker set:
Cauldron Conquest sticker set.
I think a watching for an episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is in order! I can also consult one of my bible-books: Stephen Thrower’s Fulci book!
News from Friends
Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.
New Ride the Stream Episodes
New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo begin the month with taking a break from television stream to tackle a ,movie. An epic movie. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring!
Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a like/follow!
New John 3:16 Album
John 3:16, the primary music outlet of composter Philippe Gerber, just dropped a brand new album earlier this month!
John 3:16 Album – The Beast.
The album is called The Beast and it was, appropriately, released on June 6th, 2026 (6-6-6!). The album can be purchased for $6.66 at Bandcamp, so make sure you check it out and pluck it up!
The energy crisis for Marshville has been quelched as Bruce has overseen the installation of the pump at the tar pits north of the city and getting the trucking of oil into town up and running. He returns home to his apartment, into the waiting arms of Meriem Cooper, for an amorous evening.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” #2.
The next day Meriem makes way to the town’s museum that has been converted into a food garden. En route she happens upon a set of prints in the snow that remind her of the prints she found a month prior during an expedition to the north tar pits. While examining the prints, she is hit by an oil transport truck, but walks away unscratched, leaving only an impression of her posterior in the truck’s plow. At the museum she begins work on harvesting the sunflowers.
Meanwhile an unseen entity (Animal? Dinosaur? Something else?) slays Mrs. Solomon, a woman returning home with her food ration. A trio of kids happen upon her body and inform two adults who brush off their concerns.
At the museum, snow keeps accumulating on the roof, threatening to break the skylights. Two maintenance workers attempt to clean up the mess but find the building’s gantry frozen. With glass cracking, Meriem becomes more concerned with the safety of the garden she holds so dear and ventures to the roof of the museum to assist. She uses her superhuman strength to dislodge the gantry, but in the process crashes through the window, causing snow to pour in on the crops. Professor Cook attempts to assuage Meriem, but dejected, she leaves the scene and returns home.
Commentary
The second issue of “Snow” was published May of 2011, with series stalwart Rob Durham continuing the story and art. Picking up two months after issue one, the major dilemma introduced in “Snow” #1, the power plant running out of oil and thus the ability to heat Marshville, has been solved. But, for a town transported to the prehistoric past, problems jeopardizing survival are like a game of whack-a-mole: as one is solved another arises. The town may have heat, but an unseen threat, foreshadowed in issue one when Meriem and company found the unknown tracks in the snow outside town, has now popped up, slaying Marshville citizens. An incoming storm threatens to blanket the town with even more snow, causing skylights, such as that atop the museum that houses the town’s garden, to crack under the weight.
A big theme in this issue is the spectrum at which the populace of Marshville takes seriously (or not) their role of keeping the town safe and functioning. The first page of the comic has Bruce reflecting on his role at getting the oil pump up and running and the logistics for transporting oil to town: “In some strange way the important meaning of the projects to our survival has kinda given me… purpose.”
Bruce realizes this, but it is shocking at how many citizens of the town do not, or do not care, and do not take responsibility.
Meriem is rear ended by a truck.
The first example comes early in the issue when Meriem is on her way to the museum to help in the garden. She stops to investigate a set of mysterious prints in the snow (which are, of course, a part of the grand issue of an entity stalking and killing the people of the town). As she examines the tracks she is rear ended by an oil-ferrying truck. Meriem is unscratched (though her tits pop out of her top, turning the scene into a sex-comedy gag) because of her superhuman abilities. The truck driver (named Tanis), who was not paying attention to the road, is quick to deflect responsibility of the accident from himself to Meriem by saying “Now in the future young lady you should be a little more careful.” Basically, Tanis is able to absolve himself from running over a young lady and instead deflect that responsibility back to her. Though the sequence is played for laughs, it demonstrates subconscious misogyny going on and overt not taking responsibility for one’s role in the safety of Marshville seriously.
Meriem crashes through the museum roof window.
A similar situation occurs at the climax of the issue, though this time it is played seriously and not for laughs. Cathy, who is overseeing the garden inside the museum, has asked Marstone to have the snow cleaned off the glass roof of the museum so it will not cave in. Marstone, in turn, has delegated this duty to two maintenance workers. When they finally get around to address the snow on the roof, they realize the gantry’s gears are frozen. The two have a heated exchange “Damn it, I asked you to grease the gears a week ago!” “I was getting to it!”. Meriem shows up and takes the initiative to solve the issue by using her strength to rattle the gantry loose, but she winds up falling through the skylight, taking the snow with her, damaging the garden. Marstone is quick to blame Meriem for the whole debacle, calling her a terrorist and a menace. Neither of the maintenance workers step forward to claim their culpability (after all, if they had done their job a week prior, none of this would have happened) and instead allow Meriem to take full blame. It is her fault, and not the fault of the men with authority in the scene, just like with the truck crash earlier.
While the men finger point, grumble, and skirt the responsibility of being placed in important positions integral to the survival of the town, Meriem has done nothing but step up her game. Cathy comments that no one else wants to be in the garden picking vegetables: “Glad you made it in, no one else has, and I could sure use the help!” Meriem, on the other hand, is all too happy to lend a hand and pick sunflowers so the land can be rotated to have cabbage planted. Bruce and Meriem are model citizens and go above and beyond for their community (which is one of the reasons they are so compatible together).
A kiddo tries to convey happening across the dead body.
A final scenario in “Snow” #2 that feeds into this overall theme of not taking the situation the town finds itself in seriously is when three children happen upon the corpse of Mrs. Solomon who has been slashed by the unseen stalker in the town. The children, as they are supposed to do, report the body to the adults. When the children return with two adults, (who are also the two maintenance workers that were supposed to deal with the museum roof), they find the body gone. The adults dismiss the children’s concerns (which, solidifies their general attitude of not doing anything as is evident with the upcoming scene on the roof). This is a common trope in horror films: the children witness a monsters/something bad, tell someone about it, and are not taken seriously (until it is too late). The Blob (1958) is a perfect example of this. Steven McQueen and friends are teenagers who witness the blob in action, and report it to the police, who are outright hostile to them (one of them thinks the kids are trying to get to him). Marshville is a town that has been teleported to the historic past. It is surrounded by dinosaurs and other weird creatures. The entire situation is absurd and calls for the utmost attention and seriousness. When someone is pointing out “Hey! We saw a dead body”, given the predicament the town is in, it warrants true investigation and not dismissal.
Conclusion
Issue two of the “Snow” storyline is great. Narrative-wise, this is a dense issue. There is a lot going on in the town of Marshville, and even with all the external threats going on, it is seeing the (perhaps unintentional) internal threats from its own citizens that adds to suspense and drama of the story. Real characters/people behave in different ways, and the complacent/fear of taking accountability characteristic is a legitimate character trait that adds depth and complexity. It is heartbreaking though to see Meriem try so hard for the people of the town (with her helpful personality and heroics) but still relegated to the role of outcast and spoken of negatively.
Meriem among the sunflowers.
Art-wise, Durham always brings the best in the cheesecake style. For sexploitation/exploitation purposes, Durham makes sure to showcase a small helping of nudity (as when Bruce returns home to the awaiting arms of Meriem, or when she is hit by the truck), or to draw Meriem in poses that highlight her glamorous features (as when she is picking sunflower seeds). A great issue that is both fun while not letting up on maintaining its air of suspense that any moment something will occur that threatens everyone.
For more information on Cavewoman “Snow” issue two or my other Cavewoman reviews, check these links:
I did not get much published at my website in April, but that does not mean a lot of news didn’t happen!
GosT/Perturbator Concert Archival Write Up
James Lollar, the mastermind behind the dark/synthwave band GosT passed away earlier this month. He was a pioneer of the retrowave genre.
GosT performing.
I was lucky to have seen GosT perform with Perturbator back in 2017. I did a concert write up that was published at Heathen Harvest, but that website is long since dead. Since it has been on my radar to bring some of my old articles back online and host them here, and I want to do what I can to help keep Lollar’s memory eternal, I’ve gone ahead and dug up my concert report and put it online. I’ve also included more photos than the original publication.
It has been a few years since my last piece being published in Exotica Moderne, but I am back!
Exotica Moderne #31
Back in November 2025 I had the honour to interview Alex Lamb and Max Well, the filmmakers behind the documentary The Donn of Tiki. That interview will be published in the next issue of Exotica Moderne, which is issue #31. In fact, orders for that issue are already being taken at the House of Tabu website (product link).
I have other article ideas that have been on the back burner for Exotica Moderne, such as an essay on Secret of the Incas. It is probably a good time to realize them. Exotica Moderne has always been a great periodical and one of the best venues I have ever written for.
Vanya #10 Compendium
The neo-jungle girl comic series Vanya: The Lost Warrior (which I’ve covered extensively at my website here) had a successful Kickstarter this month to fund issue ten.
Vanya 10 Kickstarter Banner
One of the items every backer will receive with their pledge is a digital compendium that includes supplemental material, such as character bios, universe lore, a short story, and even a recap of what transpired from issues one to nine to allow folks a quick way round catch up in the story.
I was humbled and honored to be asked by the Bad Bug Editor in Chief, and writer of Vanya, Mike Tener, to write this summary to be included in the compendium! So, keep an eye out here, or the various Bad Bug outlets (Facebook link here) for news on how the development of issue ten goes.
Panthans Journal #347
The April issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue eight of Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original can be read right here.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.
Fan2Fan Podcast Appearance
I had the honour to appear on two episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast that were published this month.
First, Michele and I are both guests on the episode where the topic is the 90s monster film, The Relic.
Fan2Fan Podcast Thumbnail for The Relic episode.
It is a good movie, and a unique monster in that decade between the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. The episode can be streamed at the Fan2Fan website here or in the player below:
Sincere appreciation to Bernie and Pete of Fan2Fan for having Michele and I on as guests!
Scholars from the Edge of Time
For Scholars from the Edge of Time for April Michele and I went old school via new school and watched the new Deathstalker film. To sum it up: it ruled.
Deathstalker the graphic novel and the Deathstalker remake on Blu-ray.
Listen to our musings about this reinterpretation of a classic 80s S&S series on YouTube.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.
Exotica Moderne #31
“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Dragon Age: Worlds of Power and Play
Edited by Adam Crowley (Husson University) and Daniel Reardon (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
The Dragon Age franchise (BioWare, 2009–present) stands as one of the most narratively and philosophically ambitious bodies of work in contemporary role-playing games. Across its major titles, the series constructs a world shaped by conflict, belief, and consequence—where institutions govern bodies, identities are contested, and player choice operates within systems that both enable and constrain action.
This edited collection invites scholars to examine Dragon Age as a site of meaning-making across narrative, mechanical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions. We seek contributions that engage the series not simply as a set of texts, but as a structured system in which power, identity, agency, and belief are produced, negotiated, and experienced.
This collection takes a comprehensive view of the franchise, including Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. At the same time, Dragon Age operates as a transmedia world rather than a closed set of game texts. We therefore welcome contributions that engage the broader narrative and paratextual ecosystem of the series, including novels, comics, strategy guides, codices, and reference works such as The World of Thedas volumes, as well as screen-based media such as Dragon Age: Redemption and animated adaptations. Essays may focus on a single game, trace developments across multiple titles, or examine how meaning emerges through the interaction of game systems and transmedia storytelling. We are particularly interested in work that attends to the relationship between narrative, system design, and player experience across these materials.
Areas of Interest
1. Power, Authority, and Institutions
Essays in this category may examine the structures that organize and regulate life in Thedas, including the Chantry, the Circles of Magi, the Templar Order, and the Inquisition. Approaches may include political theory, rhetorical analysis of governance, institutional critique, and studies of legitimacy, surveillance, and control.
2. Identity, Embodiment, and Otherness
This section invites work on race, gender, sexuality, and the body within Dragon Age. Topics may include the construction of elven, Qunari, dwarven, and human identities; representations of difference and marginalization; romance and intimacy systems; and the relationship between player identity and character embodiment.
3. Systems, Choice, and Player Agency
Contributions may explore how Dragon Age structures player action through dialogue systems, branching narratives, and moral decision-making frameworks. We welcome analyses of agency, constraint, consequence, and the role of the player as a co-creator within designed systems.
4. Lore, Worldbuilding, and Transmedia Storytelling
This category focuses on the narrative architecture of Dragon Age across games, codices, novels, comics, and other media. Topics may include paratexts, environmental storytelling, worldbuilding practices, and the role of distributed narrative in shaping player understanding.
5. Ethics, Belief, and Moral Philosophy
Essays may address the ethical and philosophical questions at the heart of Dragon Age, including justice, faith, sacrifice, and moral responsibility. We invite work that engages the series’ treatment of belief systems, divine authority, and the player’s role in navigating complex moral landscapes.
Please submit proposals by June 1, 2026. Drafted chapters will be due September 15, 2026.
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts: Maximum 750 words
Include: Title, abstract, and brief bio (100–150 words)
Format: Word document (.docx)
Email submissions to: reardond@mst.edu
New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions
The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.
Goliath and the Barbarians and Goliath and the Vampires
Michele and I went down to Tucson in mid-April to catch the Ray Harryhausen exhibit (that write up is forthcoming!) but also explore a little bit of the city. We wound up going to Booksmans on Speedway and one of the treasure I found in the cult movie section was this Goliath double feature.
Personal copy of the Wild East 2 movie set of Goliath and the Barbarians and Goliath and the Vampires.
Looks like the company who put this out, Wild East, closed their doors earlier this decade. They seemed to have specialized in spaghetti westerns, with this Goliath and the Barbarians / Goliath and the Vampires DVD being their sole sword and sandal output. This looks like a lot of fun!
Rest in Peplum: Gerry Conway
At the end of April comic book legend Gerry Conway passed away. Conway appeared at many of the comic book conventions in the LA area and I had the honour to meet him a few times. Here is a picture of the first time I met him back in 2014:
Meeting Gerry Conway at a 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo.
Conway is probably best known for co-creating the Punisher, but I revered him for his contributions to the sword and sorcery genre. He wrote Conan the Destroyer (1984) and the Ralph Bakshi animated Fire and Ice (1983).
Personal copy of Fire and Ice Blu-ray autographed by Conway, Gordon, and Tataranowicz.
One of my prized sword and sorcery possessions is my Blu-ray of Fire and Ice signed by Conway, and artists/animators Steven E. Gordon and Tom Tataranowicz.
A true, sincere rest in peplum to Conway.
News from Friends
Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.
New Ride the Stream Episodes
New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo continue their deep dive into the sci-fi series Falling Skies.
After this Ride the Stream pivots to talk about Dark Winds. Here is their analysis of season one episode one:
Make sure to subscribe the Ride the StreamYouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.
New Fan2Fan Episodes
Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Pete and Bernie continue their discussions on different monster movies. Aside from the two monster movies episodes mentioned above, here are the others that dropped in April.
Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2FanFacebook page.
The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove by Ian Welke
Author Ian Welke has a new book that just came out! It is called The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove and it is a loose sequel to The Azure Cove Assignment which came out last year. The cover art is done by Kelly Lyon-King.
The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove by Ian Welke (photo provided by Welke)
The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove can be found on Amazon.
Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. announced that pre-orders are now open for the brand new ERB Universe novella, Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn. This book is penned by the prolific Jeffrey J. Mariotte, the guest of honour at last year’s Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship.
Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn cover by Daren Bader.
The product page for all the different editions of this novella can be found here at the ERB website.
A new Vanya review is now up and online at my website! Check out my write up of issue nine right here.
Vanya #09 cover by Zoran Jovicic.
This effectively puts me back to being current with all the published Vanya issues so far (digital and physical), so that means my next review won’t happen for quite a few months as issue ten gets made. In the meantime, to fill that gap, I’ll be busting out reviews for three other comics: Death Nell, Becca Boo, and Budd Root’s Cavewoman. Death Nell is a completed series, so I will get that reviewed soon (think I have three issues left?). Becca Boo is ongoing, but I am a few issues behind. For Cavewoman, I have a stack of issues I collected back in the 2010s that I want to revisit, do reviews/retrospectives of, and have those parallel published both here at my website and at the National Capital Panthans Journal.
Cavewoman: “Extinction”
And with the above in, here is a Cavewoman review!
Personal copy of Cavewoman: “Extinction”.
I’ve got a whole stack of Cavewoman in my collection from when I was collecting it from 2011 to 2014, though I have many gaps. I am going to try to cover them chronologically as they were published. With that in mind, my write up of the single shot issue “Extinction” is online and can be read here.
The next Cavewoman issues I’ll be jumping on is the four issue “Snow” series. I am going to be ambitious and shoot to publish one a month along with my other articles and projects. Cross fingers!
Hercules and the Captive Women Blu-ray Compares
A final article for my website this month (three articles in a month! wow!) is comparing the new Blu-rays of Hercules and the Captive Women.
The two Blu-rays of Hercules and the Captive Women.
It has been a hot minute since I’ve actually did something sword and sandal related, time to rectify that! Check out my write up here.
Panthans Journal #346
The March issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my micro fiction/short story “Journey to Agharti”. This story was originally published in Trickster’s Treats 3: The Seven Deadly Sins back in 2019, however that anthology has been out of print for quite a while now. It is nice that the story has a second life in the Panthans journal.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.
Scholars from the Edge of Time
For the March Scholars from the Edge of Time Michele and I discuss the mid 90s fighting mecha film Robo Warriors (1996).
Personal copy of Robo Warriors on Blu-ray.
Giant robots fighting each other gladiator style? How can one go wrong? Well……
The episode can be watched on YouTube. As a side, one of the villains in the film, Quon, was played by James Tolkan (probably best known from Back to the Future). Tolkan passed away on the day we recorded this episode. RIP sir. 🙁
For April we are going to be discussing the new Deathstalker (2025) movie, so we are excited about that.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.
“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.
“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.
New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions
The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.
Samson and His Mighty Challenge (Crappy DVD)
From the 2000s to the mid-2010 was probably the halcyon days of the DVD. They could be made cheap, and releases ranged from ornate editions to bottom of the barrel bargain releases. Companies like Alpha Video, Sinister Cinema, Something Weird Video, Mill Creek Entertainment, Brentwood Home Video, and many, many others released low cost, quasi-bootleg-ish genre videos on home video. Sometimes these were single DVDrs with a generic graphic design, sometimes they were mega multiple movie pack boxsets with names like “50 sci-fi greats”.
Right, wrong, indifferent, this was a thing and it filled a void. Sometimes the only way to see an old genre film was via these means. This, unfortunately, perpetuated shoddy releases of films that deserve better. Heavily cropped and edited films, ripped from five generations of VHS tapes was the norm.
Those days are gone. With streaming services as the dominate medium to watch films, physical releases are the exception. In order to compete with streaming services, physical editions have turned to being released by boutique labels, like Vinegar Syndrome and Severin Films, to stand out form the crowd. This means there is really no market for the inferior, made on the cheap, DVD/DVDr releases from 15 years prior.
Some companies still (kinda) hold on to this old model, and CFV Ent. (no website that I could find) is one of them. I say kinda because instead of making cheap releases to sell at a budget price, they are making cheap releases to sell for much higher markups.
The other month Michele and I did a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode on Hercules Returns (link here). The Vinegar Syndrome release of the film already had an original version of Samson and High Mighty Challenge on it, but I wanted a solo release. I turned to eBay and saw a copy from CFV Ent. (slide show below).
Samson and His Mighty Challenge, CFV version, how it really looks.
Samson and His Mighty Challenge, CFV version, how it really looks (back side)
Looking at the eBay picture, it obviously is a mockup, but it presents itself as a DVD in a slipcover. Though if you look at the bottom right of the image, the artwork and the sleeve appear to veer away from each other. I knew this was a cheap affair, but I was actually curious how cheap would it be. Was there a company out there actually putting care into releasing peplum films and giving them a modicum of dignity?
Heck no. Click through the slide show above to see what I got. Definitely not a slipcover. The DVD is in a red, rather flimsy case. The exterior insert is made from a home printer. The copyright notice on the back is hilarious:
This film (or version of film) has never been released on digital media in the United States. It is therefore considered public domain.
I am not expert on copyright law, but I am 99% sure that is not how that works.
Anywho, I wanted to share this release. This is sort of a caveat emptor post, I do want to highland the difference between how product is depicted vs. how product really is as there are a lot of these releases on eBay. But mostly to illustrate how the market has changed, especially on these old peplum films. Still no love on physical release, but at a higher price tag for even dodgier editions.
Wizards of the Demon Sword
During my research for Robo Warriors I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and somehow ended up discovering cult film director Fred Olen Ray made a sword and sorcery film. It’s called Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991) and stars Michael Berryman – hells yea!
Personal copy of Wizards of the Demon Sword on DVD.
He was in The Barbarians (1987) which was a great 80s S&S film, so I could not pass plucking this one up! Though it does have Troma literally written all over it, so this could be rough.
News from Friends
Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.
New Ride the Stream Episodes
New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo continue their deep dive into the sci-fi series Falling Skies.
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.
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.
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 razor sharp webs of the Astral Guard make short work of the cyber pterodactyls.
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).
An Astral Guard Warrioress wields a giant chain 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 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.
Sabretooth tiger in issue 9 that leads Vanya.
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 #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.
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.
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 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.
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:
Bad Bug Media Vanya 09 Product Page – (Not yet listed, but here is the link to all available Vanya comics so far)
