Tag: Neo-Peplum

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News

News Roundup W/E 2022-07-10

Personal / Website News

Holy smokes, this was a prolific and active week!

I Am a Barbarian Writer and Illustrator Interview

I had the honor to interview Tom Simmons and Mike Dubisch, the creative team behind the comic book adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel I Am a Barbarian.

Personal copy.

The interview can be read here.

New Episode of HP Lovecast

New episode of HP Lovecast is online!

Ep 52 – Even in the Grave: Trevor Firetog and Steven Van Patten – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

This is the first episode of our themed month on the anthology, Even in the Grave. In this episode we take a look at “What’s Your Secret?” by Trevor Firetog and “Blind Spot” by Steven Van Patten. The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout website, via the embedded player above, or at your podcast app of preference.

For our transmissions episode this month we will be interviewing editor Carol Gyzander, and contributors Firetog and Van Patten. Stay tuned!

Short Film: Dinosaur Joke

I made a short film and put it on YouTube!

I bought a box of Trix cereal this past week, and on the back, to promote the new Jurassic Park film, there were cutout dinosaurs and pop up trees, inviting you to make a movie with the back of the box. I don’t know how many kids actually do these things, but I decided I would! So, give it a watch, and maybe a like or a comment. It was silly, but a fun thing to do.

Fan2Fan Podcast Appearances

The folks at Fan2Fan had me back on their podcast for two (2!!) new episodes that dropped this past week!

The first episode is about sword and sorcery cartoons of the 80s, which can be heard at the Fan2Fan Libsyn page (or via your podcast app of preference).

A chance to show off my autographed animation cell of Teegra from Fire and Ice!

The second episode is an entry in their series where they ask folks about their dream Saturday morning cartoon lineup. You can hear mine here.

Here’s four of my dream line up! Gotta listen in to hear the rest.

Sincere thank you to Pete and Bernie for having me on their show. It has been a wonderful experience and I always appreciate their support.

CoKoCon 2022 Panel Appearances

Michele and I will make an appearance at CoKoCon 2022 this labour day weekend!

CoKoCon is a local (Phoenix) sci-fi/fantasy fan con. Michele and I will be appearing on a few panels. More info to come, but for now, check out the CoKoCon website for ticket information and guest news.

General Neo-Peplum News

Blog Entries at DMR Books

Here a listing of genre relevant blog articles at DMR Books this past week:

Red Sonja Blu-ray/4K

Red Sonja is getting a nice, steenbok, Blu-ray/4K release! Article at Collider.

Categories
Peplum

Fitness to Purpose: Born of Blood Issue One

MERC Publishing is an Indiana-based comic book publisher that came onto the scene in 2020. Taking an approach similar to CrossGen in the late 90s, MERC’s ambitious goal is a shared universe of comic titles with aesthetics of a magazine (complete with faux adverts and story line titles on the cover) and a heavy emphasis on powerful women, such as mercenaries and Spartans. The three MERC product lines so far are Miss Meow, Deathrage, and the neo-peplum comic, Born of Blood, all funded via crowdfunding campaigns.

Born of Blood issue one completed its Kickstarter on the last day of December 2021 with backer awards being shipped in early May 2022. With numerous stretch goals realized, backers were treated with a treasure trove of Born of Blood and MERC-brand ephemera. The following is a showcasing of all the swag (in no particular order) packaged with the release of the first issue of Born of Blood followed by a few observations about the comic proper.

All pictures taken of the loot from my collection from backing the campaign.

First, for the non-Born of Blood MERChandise, is a sew-on badge for one’s battle vest and an enamel pin and poker chip that has the MERC mercenary logo adorned on them: a skull with wings giving the people’s eyebrow atop a rank insignia.

There is a trading card for Princess Giaris, the protagonist of Born of Blood. The front of the card displayis the cover art by Jay Ferguson (which is featured prominently on many of the stretch goal items) that gives Giaris a modern-gothic, vampiric look. The back of the card gives a brief bio along with her stats (she’s super strong, fast, and stealthy).

There is a Born of Blood lanyard, with blood-red lettering in a stylized typeface evoking antiquity. 

In addition to the MERC pin, there are also two Born of Blood pins/badges (all which would look snazzy on the aforementioned lanyard). One pin has the Ferguson cover art while the other has the Leirix cover art. 

There are four magnets included in the loot. Three display cover arts by (left to right) Sorah Suhng, Shikarii, and John Royal. The fourth magnet is a 2022 calendar with the Ferguson art.

There are three paper bookmarks as well.

And a paper coaster, though it looks a bit too small to be practical. It could function as a giant pog though.

There is also a Kickstarter sticker which adds an element of exclusivity. Most of the swag at this point is probably destined to be used as promotional items and giveaways by MERC at future comic cons and bonuses in website purchases, but the sticker is nice and distinct for campaign backers.

What is a welcome item in the Born of Blood package is the separate gallery booklet that contains all the Born of Bloodcover variants, both clothed and nude versions. Many comics have a cover gallery in their appendix, but Born of Blood goes the extra mile by putting all variations (and variations of the variations) into its own physical booklet which adds an appreciation factor. The Born of Blood covers are all works of art done by some fairly talented illustrators, and having them all consolidated into a booklet creates an experience akin to when one looks at art books from publishers like Taschen. Each page in the cover gallery booklet also displays a QR code to its respective artist’s online presence, adding functionality to help promote the Born of Blood’s artists even more. 

That’s me!

And finally, no crowdfunding endeavor wouldn’t be complete without a perk to have one’s name immortalized in the final product. This is always a fun thing to do: seeing one’s name in a comic is a highlight and adds a personal touch between buyer, creator, and end result. 

Two variants were plucked up during the Born of Blood campaign: the standard Sorah Suhng variant and the nude virgin (no letters/logos) Mike Krome variant. Of all the covers, the Suhng cover conveys the most sword and sandal iconography with its army of Spartan soldiers standing behind Princess Giaris – it’s quite evocative of Frank Miller’s 300.

Image from 300 found via Google Images.

The Krome variant is the most alluring and seductive of all the covers. The clothed version has Giaris looking akin to sword and planet heroine Deja Thoris from the John Carter universe. 

Deja Thoris status from my personal collection.

All in all, the Born of Blood issue one Kickstarter contained a treasury of fun trinkets, beautiful art, and a transgressive neo-peplum comic. 

Born of Blood issue one is the origin story of Princess Giaris who will form one of the pillars of the MERC shared universe. The first panel of the comic grabs a reader’s attention immediately as it depicts a blood covered Giaris (in a very Kill Bill Vol 1 fashion) having dealt a mortal blow to an Argive warrior, right to his exposed genitalia. 

The sword and sandal genre is perhaps the most body-centric narrative genre out there and Born of Blood leans into this facet with wanton abandon. The men channel the traditional Hercules strong man portrayal that has been a genre staple since the original Italian run of films in the early 1960s. Princess Giaris goes through a body transformation herself, somewhat parodied by one of the issue’s faux advertisements, from lithe and slender to muscular yet very much feminine.

An interesting aspect of Giaris is that within the story proper, she only appears nude once, in a bathing scene as she is recuperating from her injuries while undergoing forced combat training against Spartan warrior Mor. Her body is very much on display, usually in a gown or a Red Sonja-esque bikini armour, but she isn’t overly sexualized in the comic’s pages. It is the issue’s various cover arts that depict Giaris in different states of undress and poses, be it seductive, commanding, or both. The plethora of variant covers adds a new aspect to pepla’s relation to the body: for a consumer of sword and sandal media, one not only can gaze at the body, they can also control/select the desired body to be gazed at, in this case via the covers. (Note: a similar concept can be found in video games that has a character creation process). 

Body portrayal aside, Born of Blood borrows quite a bit from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, specifically from the character of Kassandra. Both characters have similar noble Spartan backstories and combat abilities, juggling stealthy kills to more brute force, mercenary tactics. Kassandra has more autonomy than Giaris who is thrown into a dungeon by her father, Spartan King Cleomenes, to endure months of combat training with the hopes she endures and becomes a hardened Spartan Warrior (she does). Kassandra has choices (though dictated by the player), while future Queen of Sparta Giaris has the illusion of choice of what she wants to become. If she had not been thrown into the dungeon, should would’ve have been content to live a simpler, royal life. 

In the final panel of the comic, after putting her strength and wits to the test by defeating a regiment from Argos, Giaris is depicted as completely transformed in attitude and body as she waves to her subjects, the people of Sparta, from the center of a coliseum in an excellently executed panel. Since the rest of the MERC universe takes place in modern times, it will be fascinating to see Princess Giaris’ journey to be incorporated into fold while at the same time contributing to the greater neo-peplum canon.

Excellent, commanding portrayal in the ending page.

More information about Born of Blood and MERC Publishing can be found at the below websites and social medias: 

Categories
Interview Peplum

Heavenly Voices and Flickering Images: Interview with Matthew Page on 100 Bible Films

In early 2006, Matthew Page launched his website, Bible Films Blog, devoted to the study, analyzing, and reviewing of Biblical films, including Biblical pepla. Page is one of the leading experts on the subject, demonstrated by his appearances in documentaries and contributions to scholarly books and edited essay collections. May of this year sees the publication of Page’s first solo book, 100 Bible Films, from BFI. What follows is an interview with Page about his upcoming book. 

Cover provided courtesy of Matthew Page.

What was the catalyst of writing 100 Bible Films?

It was sometime around 2007-09. I’d been running my blog on Bible Films for a while and had gone to see something rare at the National Film Theatre in London. I was browsing in the amazing bookshop there and I came across this series of books the BFI had put out, 100 Westerns, 100 Silent Films, 100 Film Noirs and so on, and I just thought it would be amazing to do one of them for my specialism of Bible Films. I figured I could pull together some of my stuff on the blog and the podcast and it would practically be done. I had no idea it would take me quite so long to get to this point.

What were the biggest challenges you faced while writing the book? What was the easiest?

Well, I guess the reason it took so long is that I’m not employed to do this stuff. I’m not a university lecturer, or a professional film critic. So, every bit of writing I’ve done has been written before or after work, at weekends and on holidays, and alongside bringing up a family and all the other challenges life throws at us. So, it’s been a slog. I’m not sure I’d describe any aspect of it as “easy,” but I’ve been very privileged to have received great encouragement and advice from so many people at various stages of the process. I owe them all a massive debt of thanks.

How does your Bible Films Blog relate to 100 Bible Films?

At the moment I use it very much as a place just to get some initial thoughts down and to explore ideas. It also makes me easier to find on the internet. But I guess I also use it as a place to bookmark things that I might want to find again in the future or as a way of easily finding things I’ve done in the past. Plus, I’m able to go into much greater breadth there than the book where I’m limited to one-hundred films. I haven’t counted how many films I have covered there (not to mention episodes of TV series) but it’s far higher.

What were some of the fascinating things you discovered while writing 100 Bible Films?

As a group of films they cover so many different film movements, from so many different nations throughout film history, that they are kind of unique, and as a researcher that forces you to delve into so many areas of film you would never otherwise have encountered. So, the penny dropped when I was writing about the Indonesian peplum film Samson dan Delilah (1987), I would never have learnt the first thing about its star (Indonesian horror queen Suzzanna), I might possibly have never watched an Indonesian film otherwise, but here I am, my perspectives and horizons being broadened by the experience of chasing this genre. And its reworking of particularly the 50s/60s Italian pepla is intriguing, especially how it combines them with more Eastern, martial arts-type fighting styles.

What is the main goal you want to accomplish with 100 Bible Films?

I suppose I’d like to see film critics, academics, and fans come to appreciate this group of films, both in terms of Hollywood epics and Italian pepla, but also that the array of different forms that other filmmakers adopt to retell these stories. I also feel that a lot of the discussion about Biblical films revolves around a core group of movies made by middle-aged, white, western, straight men and I’d like to broaden that to include a far greater range of filmmakers.

Noah Blu-ray from my personal collection.

What Bible films would you recommend as the best entry point into the genre for folks who are interested but have not otherwise watched any? 

I think it depends on the kind of films you already like. If you like pepla [then] King of Kings (1961) [and] DeMille’s Samson and Delilah (1949) will also very much work for you. If your thing is more neo-pepla, then try Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). Horror? Then there are elements of that in films such as Aronofsky’s Noah (2014). If you like all three then you really should try and track down Samson dan Delilah/La Revanche de Samson that I mentioned earlier.

For those that prefer more high-brow cinema then Pasolini’s Il vangelo secondo Matteo (Gospel According to Matthew, 1964) is a revered classic. Please, PLEASE don’t watch a colourized/dubbed version though. 

What are some of the non-Occidental/non-male-made Biblical films you want to underscore?

Yes, those perspectives became an increasingly important aspect of the book as it went on. I think La Genèse (Genesis, 1999) by Mali’s Cheick Oumar Sissoko is excellent movie very much outside of the Hollywood perspective. Karunamoorthy (Oceans of Mercy, 1978), isn’t quite to the same artistic standard, but it’s nevertheless a great example of the Jesus story told from an Indian perspective and features some fantastic Bollywood-style dance numbers. In terms of women directors, Alice Guy’s La vie du Christ (1906) comes from when cinema was less than a decade old and was a step forward in so many ways. While Lotte Reiniger’s The Star of Bethlehem (1956) is a little spoilt by the narration/soundtrack, the animation is wonderful. More recently, Nina Paley’s Seder Masochism (2018) is another a great piece of animation, combined with a kick-ass soundtrack and wickedly biting satire.

You say your feelings about some Biblical films have changed over the years, but flipping the coin, what major shifts, progressions, or changes have you seen over the genre’s lifetime?

Well, I think it’s related to what I was just saying, that democratisation of the medium, with voices from what might once have been considered the margins finding space while there is still room for mega productions such as Noah.

You recently did a retrospective of Richard H. Campbell and Michael R. Pitts’ book, The Bible on Film: A Checklist 1897-1980, at your website. What are other Biblical film books that you’d recommend or perhaps act as companion pieces to your book?

There are so many excellent books on the subject, even while this book has been in the process of coming to fruition Phil Hall’s Jesus Christ Movie Star and Katie Turner has a great book Costuming Christ in the works. I suppose the one that always gets cited is Bruce Babbington and Peter W Evans’ Biblical Epics. W. Barnes Tatum’s Jesus at the Movies was really formative on me when I first discovered the subject. These days one I probably dip into most often is David Shepherd’s The Bible on Silent Film. That said, some of the most interesting and extensive writing on this subject is found online at Peter T Chattaway’s blog, FilmChat.

What are your favourite Biblical films?

Perhaps the reason that I’ve written about 100 films is that I find it really hard to narrow it down and my feelings about various films has changed over the 20+ years I’ve been researching the subject. I could probably list about twenty that I really love, but I suppose no list would be complete without Pasolini’s Gospel According to St. Matthew and Life of Brian (1979), though I find some elements in the latter problematic. In terms of classic peplum, for some reason I have a soft spot for Kings of Kings.

Gladiator Blu-ray from my personal collection.

Of course, what is your favourite non-Bibilical peplum film?

Assuming neo-peplum count, then Gladiator (2000). It has its flaws, but it’s one of the best reworkings of that wronged-man justice/revenge narrative. Crowe is a totally engaging lead here and it gets the action scenes just right. Plus one or two very quotable lines.

Photo provided courtesy of Matthew Page.

Aside from 100 Bible Films, what are other upcoming projects or news you’d like to share?

Everything has been so channelled into this book that I’ve not really had time to develop much else. I guess that’s a function of this not being my day job. What I am eager to do is go out on the road more with this stuff. For years I’ve wanted to talk to more people about it, but have had to earn the right. Now that the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, I’m hoping there will be a few more opportunities to talk to film clubs, churches, festivals, etc. I really enjoy that two-way interaction.

Sincere thanks to Matthew Page for this interview. 100 Bible Films will be published May 19 by the British Film Institute. It can be pre-ordered at Amazon and Bloomsbury in hardcover, softcover, and electronic editions. 

In the meantime, check out Page’s Bible Films Blog or give him a follow on Twitter.

Categories
Peplum

Hidden Inside: Unpacking the Troy Director’s Cut Boxset

Picture by Nicholas Diak. Boxset from my own collection.

The essay “Hail to the Lions: Gold Ninja Video’s Fury of Achilles” lamented about the lack of special edition treatments given to physical releases of pre-neo-peplum era sword and sandal films. However, post-Gladiator neo-peplum films benefitted from the DVD boom of the 2000s and saw releases spread across a variety of forms: standard, special, outlet exclusive, and ornate boxset editions. The physical releases of Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 film Troy demonstrates this spectrum of editions during the aughts, with its DVD Director’s Cut boxset edition showcasing Caligula levels of luxurious excess.

The 2000s was, perhaps, the first and only golden decade of the DVD medium. The 90s saw the emergence of the platform, with most DVDs being extremely barebones, with “interactive menus” as the primary special feature. The later 2000s saw the introduction of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats, which would eventually usher in the end of the DVD medium.

Though home viewers had traded in their VHS players for DVD players (very likely in the form of a Playstation 2), they had not quiet yet swapped in their CRT TVs for plasma and flat screen TVs. To accommodate both types of home systems, DVDs were often released in fullscreen and widescreen editions. In addition, each of these editions might seen a standard edition with no features, or a special edition with additional supplemental material, often spread across multiple discs. On top of this, retailers (such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) also put out their own exclusive versions.

$1.99 at Amoeba Records in LA! Picture by Nicholas Diak. DVD from my own collection.

Troy saw two disc full and widescreen editions along with a three disc full/widescreen edition that was exclusive to Best Buy. Present in the two disc version was a folded insert that contained images from the movie along with the film’s chapters. A DVD insert was common place – almost expected! – back in this era, but like video game manuals, they would be phased out in the next decade.

The aughts also saw the proliferation of extravagant boxset releases. Often times these were anniversary releases of older films, but presented in ornate packaging and including many physical extras, such as mini-books, faux-lobby cards, fold-out posters, and other trinkets. The reason for these over-the-top releases was to entice buyers to give up older (probably VHS) versions of movies they already owned. Why own a classic on pan-and-scan VHS when you could have the ultimate DVD collectable edition? This can be exhibited in the 2002 luxurious re-re-re-release of Ben-Hur.

Blurry photo taken from Google Images search.

The practice wasn’t exclusive to re-releases, but also afforded to contemporary films, including neo-peplum. For example, Scott Snyder’s 300 was released in a boxset that contained a Spartan helmet. A European edition of Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven came in a 4 disc fold out digipack with slipcase. Troy is another neo-peplum on the receiving end the luxurious treatment.

Bought for $9.00 at Zia’s Records! Photo by Nicholas Diak, from his personal collection.

Troy: The Director’s Cut comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a close up of Achilles on the cover.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The box flips open like a giant pocket or satchel. There are three smaller boxes inside: a folded digipack for the DVDs, a small hardcover booklet, and other paper flip pocket/satchel.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The outside of the digipack shows Achilles running toward the camera, shield full of arrows.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The digpack opens first to reveal some smooching.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

Then opens all the way to show the two DVDs that make up the movie and supplemental material. Both discs simply say “Disc 1” and “Disc 2” so one has no idea what is on what until you put the DVD in.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The next item is a small, hardcover book titled The Art of Troy Director’s Cut.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

Inside are production photographs, maps, sketches, models and concept drawings, with some pages printed on transparent vellum paper. There isn’t any associated textual commentary, though art pieces have proper attribution credits.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The last item in the boxset is the smaller flip envelope that mimics the outer casing. The back of the box calls this the “Director’s Portfolio.” There is a plethora of inserts contained within.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The first is a personal message from director Wolfgang Petersen himself! Well, it’s not so personal since it’s addressed to “Dear Movie Fan.” It’s a small missive that state he first had to deliver a studio cut of the film, but once released and successful, he could go and release the version he wanted to. In other words, the studio gets to cash in twice!

Photo by Nicholas Diak

Next is a letter from lead star, Achilles himself, Brad Pitt, to Wolfgang Petersen and producer David Benioff with production ideas of what the characters should look like and why.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

A four page stapled excerpt from the book Troy: Embedded in the Trojan War, written by Petersen’s son Daniel Petersen is included. Daniel was present for the Troy shooting, acting as an assistant to his father. The four pages contain some of his musings and observations.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

The next item is an except of Wolfgang’s shooting script.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

This is the most useless item in the boxset as it has no practical functionality other than a curio for someone who has never seen a script with handwritten notes on it before. Either the script in its entirety should be present (so thus it has a practical use) or it should be absent.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

Finally, there is a set of ten postcards that show various scenes of production.

Photo by Nicholas Diak

These postcards, unlike the script, are a nice addition to the boxset.

Photo by Nicholas Diak
Photo by Nicholas Diak
Photo by Nicholas Diak

The only let down in the boxset is the script. All the other trinkets present in the Director’s Cut boxset are rather nice, informative, or contain some neat pictures and/or artwork. Do the accessories add to the moving going experience? Not really. Are they neat? Absolutely.

Getting into the 2010s, studios began to shift away from these extravagant boxset releases. Certainly there were some nice Blu-Ray sets, but Blu-Ray wasn’t enjoying the success or longevity as DVD had, mostly due to be overtaken by streaming services. Physical media is on the decline while digital is on the rise.

Boutique labels still deliver the goods on on cult films with luxury releases. Simply take a look at this unboxing article of Severin Films’ All The Haunts Be Ours boxset.

Photo by Nicholas Diak. Blu-Ray from my own private collection.

Major studios, however, seem to be taking a cue from the budget release companies by releasing/re-releasing films in multi-film discs. While certainly economical for a consumer, there is not much love for the collector. Although there is an irony to this specific three pack release pictured here: it seems the director’s cut of Troy is now the preferred, canonical version instead of the theatrical version.

If you enjoyed this unboxing article, consider checking out these other ones:

And also these DVD/Blu-ray write ups:

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 2021-11-28

Personal / Website News

H. P. Lovecast – The Void

Brand new episode of H. P. Lovecraft Presents: Fragments is online!

We start our 80s theme by diving into the film, The Void. The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout website or on your. podcast app of preference.

Citation News

My essay, “Meteor Madness: Lovecraftian Horror and Consumerism in the Battle for Small Town USA” which appeared in Michele’s Bram Stoker nominated collection, Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film Subgenre, looks to have its first citation, and in an unexpected book at that! Lisa Swanstrom references my essay in her essay, “From Protoplastics to the Plastiglomerate: Science Fiction’s Shifting Synthetic Sensibilities” which appears in the book Life in Plastic: Artistic Responses to Petromodernity.

The book can be pre-ordered at the University of Minnesota Press website. And, of course, Horror in Space, can be purchased at McFarland.

Band of Warriors #2 Interview

I interviewed Samuel George London about the second issue of his neo-peplum comic, Band of Warriors, which can be read here. You can also read my first interview with him here.

General Neo-Peplum News

Bible Films Blog: Retrospective of The Bible on Film

Matt Page has begun his retrospective of The Bible on Film: A Checklist 1897 – 1980 at his Bible Films Blog.

Photo by Matt Page

First he has an interview with one of the authors, Richard H. Campbell. Next he has a list of ten factoids and trivia about the book. Keep checking back at the Bible Films Blog for more articles!

Recent Acquisitions

It was a Black Friday weekend and I decided to head to Zia’s Records and search around for any cool finds. I did come back with am armful of neo-pepla media that perhaps will make it onto my website as an essay or review or something!

First, here is a Blu-Ray for Ruggero Deodato’s The Barbarians. I am a fan of Deodato’s non-cannibal films, with Cut and Run being my favourite. This Italio sword-n-sorcery flick has been on my wish list to watch for a long time.

Michele and I went to the metal section, and working from both ends, tried to find any metal albums that had the most peplum-looking covers as possible. We wound up finding three along with the Gladiator soundtrack.

I only took a quick listen of all three albums, and none of them are really my cup of tea metal-wise (I prefer power metal and adventure metal personally) but all are pretty fascinating, at least from my nursery listen and looking at the art.

Stillbirth’s Revive the Throne has crazy cover art that is a gory parody, complete with pop culture cameos, of Gérôme’s Pollice Verso. Guttural death metal isn’t my thing, but I am digging that cover. Dark Quarterer’s Pompei also has great art, but the prog-rock vocals are a little too old school for me. I was really optimistic for Upon This Dawning’s To Keep Us Safe for some odd reason, but again, metal core not my cup of tea, but I dig the Spartans on the cover and I am not detecting the usual right-wing/eugenic nonsense on this album as found in other Sparta-centric projects/albums.

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Interview Peplum

Getting the Band Back Together: Samuel George London Interview #2

Back in January I had the honour to interview Samuel George London about the release of the first issue of his neo-peplum comic, Band of Warriors. Currently there is a Kickstarter going on for issue two of the comic and London has graciously returned to do a second interview about his continuing series. 

First things first, it’s been since January since we last talked. How are you, and aside from Band of Warriors, what has been going on?

What a year!? I’ve been busy badgering away on some other comics I’m pitching to publishers but also my son was born a few weeks ago. He’s our second child, so it’s been wonderful to see them interact but it’s also a game changer in terms of time management. On the whole though, I’m good and looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings.

The first issue of Band of Warriors was released earlier this year. What has been the feedback and comments you’ve received thus far?

The feedback on BoW #1 has been really positive. The general feeling seems to be that it’s a strong start and people are looking forward to seeing where it goes. Pipedream Comics gave me a positive review which I’m really happy about.

Since issue one has been out for a while, spoil away! What has been the most delightful thing for you personally about that issue?

As you say SPOILERS AHEAD, but the most delightful thing for me about issue one was killing off who seemed to be a main character. I think most people thought that King Minos would be sticking around but unless they find a cure for decapitation, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Has there been any experiences, encounters, something read, watched or learned in the last few months that has had an impact on Band of Warriors?

I went to visit my in-laws in France over the summer and we visited a beach that inspired the front cover of issue two. It’s always good to base things off of experience when you can.

Any new obstacles or hurdles encountered while trying to get issue two up and running?

Haha… The only thing was my son being born the week before. I was in a mad rush to get everything ready, so that I could just press the launch button. I almost had everything ready but hadn’t got round to the video. I managed to cobble something together, which does the job.

Your Kickstarter has some new characters mentioned. Tell us about them!

We know Gaia and Girogos a little already, although we’ll find out more about them in this issue. The main difference is that we’re ten years in the future from the previous issue, so they’re ten years older. The other two main characters in this issue are Sarpedon and King Brutus. Starting with Sarpedon, he’s King Minos’ brother and chief of Aremorio, which is where Gaia and Giorgos reside and is located in modern day Brittany, France. King Brutus hails from Cornovii, which is modern day Cornwall, England. He has an interesting back story to say the least but you’ll have to read issue 2 before finding out what that is.

Whats been your soundtrack while writing Band of Warriors? What do you suggest as a soundtrack for your readers?

When writing I usually listen to the same music whatever I’m writing, which is Tycho. It doesn’t distract me but helps boost my thought process. If I was to recommend a soundtrack for BoW #2 though, it’d be traditional Breton music. If you watch this video closely you’ll see that in the background there’s a triskell symbol, which you’ll also find on Giorgos’ shield.

You’ve been contributing to the canon of neo-pepla with your comic. The genre seems to thrive on in other medias except for film nowadays. What do you feel the sword and sandal genre needs to do in order to stay relevant?

Relevance is always difficult to a handle on but people just need a compelling story they can relate to. I’m hoping that this and the next issue (#3) of BoW does that through the journey that Gaia and Giorgos are about to go on.

A little outside scope for Band of Warriors, but still relevant to you: you have a podcast called Comics for the Apocalypse. Can you tell us about this endeavor?

Comics for the Apocalypse is a lot of fun. I interview other comic creators about what comics they’d take into an apocalypse. I started it a few years ago and I now have over 130 episode with the likes of Charlie Adlard, Alison Sampson, Mark Waid, and Rachael Smith having been on the show.

As spoiler free as possible, what are some amazing things readers can look forward to in issue two of Band of Warriors? The main thing is that readers will get to see who Gaia and Girogos are. In the first issue they were being protected by their parents, but now they’re all on their own.

Thank you very much for this second interview, wishing you and all your endeavors continued success!

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Lovecraft Peplum

Opening Pandora’s Box: Isidora #2 Unboxing

It’s no secret that I am a fan of G. A. Lungaro’s Isidora comic series (as my prior interviews with him on my website as well as on the H. P. Lovecast Podcast can attest). The series combines the neo-peplum genre with the Lovecraft Mythos with a badass female protagonist – so it checks off many of the boxes of media I am interested in.

Earlier this year Lungaro ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of issue two of Isidora and it was a great success. In October, backer rewards began to ship to pledgers and over the weekend I received my copy. What follows is a picture story of unboxing my pledge because it turned out to be some amazing stuff contained in the box. A confession: when I donate to a Kickstarter, I do not pay attention to the stretch goals as I like to be surprised with what I received. And I was certainly surprised with my loot!

To begin with, my backer award came in a handsome cardboard box, sporting some nice artwork (taken from the Jay Espin variant cover) that depictions a R’lyehthian-style city with a hint of Giger.

Upon opening the box I was greeted with a divider/cover with an envelope embedded in. 

The envelope contains a thank you card, packaged and presented in the same fashion as the Kickstarter for issue one (see below).

Under the cover that contained the thank you note was three art prints. From left to right they are by:

  • Samantha Branch – This is a print of one of the variant covers of issue one and I love the antiquity elements to it.
  • George P. Gatsis – This is my favourite of the three. I love the colours used in this one and the depiction of Isidora. She looks both pinupy and badass.
  • Deti – This is the artwork used on the edition that combines issue 1 and 2. This one has a very alluring Isidora with overt Lovecraftian imagery.

Under the art print was some stickers and trading cards. Because I love to keep things in mint condition, I did not open the booster pack of cards. Those will forever remain a mystery.

The envelope contained a cute little charm.

The last item in the box was the comic! In this case, I went for the special edition that combines Isidora one and two into one collected edition with a metallic cover! The presentation on this edition is extravagant. 

And in one picture, here is the contents of everything in the Isidora #2 box.

For reference, here was all the swag I got from the Kickstarter of issue one.

And here is everything from both Kickstarters together. What can I say, everything here is above and beyond and of high quality. As an extra bonus, everything fits perfectly into the Isidora #2 box!

Lungaro hope to get started on issue three very soon, so I am excited for that. If you are interested in Isidora, I suggest you follow Lungaro on his social medial channels to see what happens next with his projects.

Categories
Essays Peplum

We About to Shop Salute You!: Genre Blending in Angela Sylvaine’s Chopping Spree

Chopping Spree is the debut novella of Angela Sylvaine and the 27th entry in Unnerving Press’ Rewind or Die series. The novella is about Penny, a young teenager who works in a fashionable, 80s inspired mall in Eden Hills, Minnesota. After working her shift at a clothing store, she and her coworkers stay late in order to have a party. They soon become menaced by a wolf-masked murderer who chases them through the mall. The tables turn when Penny’s coworkers capture the wolf man and take him to a secret room in the mall in order to sacrifice him to the Greek god Plutus, who will in turn guarantee wealth to his followers. It is a night of terror as Penny has to not only survive a murderer, but cultists that count her own family in their ranks. 

Sylvaine’s Chopping Spree is an ambitious novella that, much like a mall proper, offers up a variety goods for readers (consumers) in the form of genre blending. Overtly Chopping Spree is a horror novella, but it is a combination of two distinct forms of horror: the 80s slasher (such as Halloween and Final Exam) along with the occult/secret society genre (such as Rosemary’s Baby, but perhaps more appropriately, The Wicker Man). In addition, the novella dips a toe in the neo-peplum genre while at the same time, by virtue of its faux 80s mall setting, flirts with the 80s retrowave genre style without going full synthwave/outrun. These genre juxtapositions merit a closer look.

Firstly, and Chopping Spree’s strongest aspect, is its combining of the slasher/secret society genres. The first three chapters (first half) of the novella recreates the feel of being trapped in an 80s mall while being pursued by a masked killer. Penny, of course, is the virginal final girl, seeking acceptance from her friends and fawning over a coworker named Dirk. After vomiting from drinking whisky, Penny soon discovers a murdered pretzel store employee, which leads to the wolf man giving chase to the teens. 

At this point in the story, Chopping Spree could run with the genre formula, have the teens get picked off one by one by the wolf man, with Penny performing some final girl trickery at the end to best the villain and escape the confines of the mall. Instead, it turns out that Penny’s friends/coworkers are all part of a secret cult that worships the Greek god Plutus. They take out their ceremonial daggers and more-or-less become slasher villains themselves. They apprehend the wolf man and take him to a secret chamber in the mall to sacrifice him. Chopping Spree has now left slasher territory and entered the niche horror subgenre that deals with secret societies and the occult. It is in this genre that folks sell their souls for power and prosperity. Rosemary’s Baby is a fine example of this type of genre, with Rosemary’s husband making a deal with the devil. However, Chopping Spree is much more akin to the classic The Wicker Man. Both Chopping Spreeand The Wicker Man feature communities that are down on their luck and turn to sacrifice to bring in prosperity: the cult of Plutus needs to sacrifice people to guarantee the mall’s prosperity while Lord Summerisle needs a sacrifice to guarantee a bountiful crop for the island. The fact that The Wicker Man contains diegetic folk singing while Chopping Spree peppersclassic 80s synthpop and new wave songs in its narrative further strengthens the connection making them both musicals. 

What makes this genre turn so unique is the subject of the sacrifice: in these stories it is usually the protagonist (or final girl) that is to be the offered sacrifice. Chopping Spree turns this on its head by instead offering its slasher villain as the sacrifice. 

With its mall setting, Chopping Spree joins the ranks of films such as Chopping Mall and Dawn of the Dead that offerscritiques on consumerism and capitalism, though Chopping Spree is a bit heavy handed at times. Employee bathrooms in the mall have motivational John Locke quotes scribbled on the walls, while characters robotically recite pro-capitalist verses. These moments are not so subtle and perhaps a bit handholdy, however there are other brilliant elements of the story that accomplish the critique in a much more creative and subtle fashion, specifically via Howard the wolf-masked slasher villain. 

Howard’s donning of the wolf mask as his villain MO is multifaceted. At a base level, it is leveraging the 80s slasher trope of the masked killer (Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and so on), which of course, is appreciated by genre connoisseurs. Intentionally or not, there is also a Scooby Doo vibe with his character, manifested when his mask is removed (by meddling kids no less) to reveal “old man Howard.” As Howard pursues Penny and entourage he makes various references to “The Three Little Pigs” and “This Little Piggy,” which seems fitting for a wolf character, but it is when he is juxtaposed against another horror character that new meaning (specifically a critique on capitalism and consumerism) is taken on. In the film Motel Hell (another 80s cult horror film), the character of Vincent Smith is an aged farmer and butcher who also runs an inn. As with the cultists in Chopping Spree, Smith is an unabashed capitalist, and his ace in the hole to keep his business ventures afloat are to capture other people, plant them in his farm, and then butcherthem to create smoked meats. At the film’s climax, Smith gets into a chainsaw duel and dons a pig’s head as a mask. Smith’s pig facade and what it stands for (protecting business ventures built on murder [the very same as the cultists in Chopping Spree]) becomes a visual counterpoint to Howard’s wolf facade, aimed at tearing down those ventures. Chopping Spree is the ying to Motel Hells’ yang. 

Leaving the horror genre, Chopping Spree flirts with the neo-peplum genre by way of having the cultists worship Plutus. Genre expectations would have normally lead to the cultists engaging in devil worship, but having them revere a Greek deity is a welcomed surprise (though the story sometimes conflates Greek with Roman, but this can be attributed to Penny’s educated guesses). Visually, the sword and sandal elements are presented in the story via Grecian decorations displayed on the hidden chamber’s entryway (“Dirk pushed open the wooden doors, which were carved with figures of ancient [R]omans in togas”) and stamped coins (“gold coins that looked ancient, their surfaces carved with the head of a Roman god”). Mythologically, however, Chopping Spree is brilliant by making the cultists revere Plutus. Firstly, the cultists thirst for money and power don’t make them ordinary run-of-the-mill capitalists, but full on plutocrats. Secondly, by having them in a secret cult, echoes Plutus’ own mother (Demeter or Persephone) who also have a secret cult as referenced in the Eleusinian Mysteries. 

There is some subtle trickery here by having the cultists worship Plutus: at no point in Chopping Spree does anything magical happen. While films such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen depict supernatural and occult ongoings, Chopping Spree stays firmly in Wicker Man territory in that no overt divine intervention or miracles overtly occur. This begs the question: is Plutus actually granting favour? Depending on the answer radically changes the subtext of Chopping Spree.

Overtly, Chopping Spree shows the ends of the process: it is a contemporary setting book, with a hugely successful mall, which in reality, is hard to fathom as the mall has been a dying concept. Yet, here it is, alive, well, and extremely successful in Chopping Spree. For this end to happen, only one of two scenarios can be true:

A: The mall is successful because capitalism and the invisible hand of the market has actually granted it success. Despite all odds, this mall in Eden Prairie flourishes because of consumer want. If this is the case, that means (much like in TheWicker Man, where the destitute crop harvest is attributed to poor volcanic soil), that Plutus does not exist and therefore is not granting favours, and the cultists are simply murderers. 

B: The mall is successful because of the (unseen) intervention of Plutus. This means that the cultists spewing of capitalist slogans and Locke quotes is hypocritical. The laws of capitalism have spoken and have determined that the cultists/their mall should fail, so the cultists must turn to corrupt/criminal/occult activities in order to survive. They are capitalists only when it benefits them. As soon as it does not, capitalism is just veneer they overtly tell the world while inside they are hypocrites and murderers. Which, perhaps on the path of creating a plutocracy, is expected. 

Finally, Chopping Spree engages with the synthwave genre, albeit in a slightly different manner than genre expectations. Post Stranger Things, Drive, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, 80s retroism is big. Today, there are many stories that are set in the 80s and embrace the visual hallmarks of the genre: VHS tracking artifacts, VHS rental box recreations, neon pink and purple vector gridlines, the broken sun, palm trees, and so on. Chopping Spree eschews these genre tropes: it is retroism without being retro. The story is contemporary and not a period piece, yet it has 80s call backs that readers enjoy seeing in their retro texts, specifically the slasher and mall aspects coupled with the novella’s various name droppings of various 80s synthpop and new wave hits (such as Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” and Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon”). The 80s mall initially feels out of place in the story: why have an 80s throwback mall in the present day? Firstly, it is the 80s mall that helps ground the story in retroism, but secondly, and surprisingly, the 80s mall couples extremely well with the neo-peplum genre. If one is going to venerate Plutus, what better way to do so than with a mall, which of course, is a modern interpretation of the Agora. As to why specifically an 80s mall? The 80s (and early pre-internet 90s) was when the mall was at the zenith of its cultural dominance, and as the people of antiquity erected statues and created art to celebrate their deities and empires at their height, so too do the Plutus cultists seek to celebrate the mall at its peak.

Chopping Spree does not just feature a mall, it also acts as a literary mall of genres. Just as one can enter a mall and walk by different offerings: the sports store, the clothing store, the pretzel restaurant, and the bookstore, one reads through the pages of Chopping Spree and are treated to various horror subgenres, and differing genres in the form of pepla and retroism. The novella is successful in this regard, successfully blending genres while at the same time both embracing and subverting genre expectations to create a fun and frightening experience. 

2024-04-21 – Addendum

The Unnerving Press edition of Chopping Spree is out of print. However, a new, updated editing with a brand new cover is being published by Dark Matter Ink on September 24th. The new cover art, by Dan Fris, looks like this:

The updated version of Chopping Spree can be pre-ordered at the Dark Matter Ink website.

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Interview Peplum

Carmina et Circenses: Sidereal Fortress’ Circus Maximus

In early May 2021, Italian dungeon synth project Sidereal Fortress dug into their archives of unreleased material and published Circus Maximus, the first entry in their Official Bootlegs series. In contrast to typical subject matter found in the dungeon synth scene, Circus Maximus, as the name implies, was rife with sword and sandal elements: a fantastic cover depicting chariot racing, and alluring peplum, gladiatorial song titles such as “Into the Arena” and “We Live Well, We Die Well.” 

The anonymous mastermind behind Sidereal Fortress had generously allowed me to interview them about their sword and sandal opus. 

You’ve recently released the EP Circus Maximus, which was originally recorded in 2019. What has been the reception of the EP so far and what was the primary goal you wanted to accomplish with it?

So, Circus Maximus is an EP that came [about] after watching a beautiful documentary on the national television. That movie was about the life of Flavius Scorpus, the greatest charioteer that ever lived in Ancient Rome. Do you know about him?

I do not!

He was a true living legend back then! As long as I remember, I wrote and recorded the title track for the Circus MaximusEP immediately after seeing that documentary. About the EP’s reception by the audience; the fact that YOU are here basing your interview on the Circus Maximus album says everything. The new one has definitely reached its goal, like all the other Sidereal Fortress albums, and that’s the best prize an artist could ever win, believe me.

The Bandcamp description of Circus Maximus equates it to historic epics such as Ben-Hur and Demetrius and the Gladiators. Do you have a greater interested in the sword and sandal genre, and if so, what is your relationship with the genre?

Just to connect to the previous question, the main influence for Circus Maximus was the documentary about Flavius Scorpus, at least concerning the title track. When I had to compose the other songs with the same Roman concept, I went back to reviewing those incredible movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. That’s how it works best for me, I find inspiration in retrospective: reviewing things I did, watched, or just enjoyed when I was younger. I’m absolutely sure that it is the best way to portray nostalgia in music. But, apart from this, I don’t want the EP to be labeled as “Hollywood-dungeon-synth.” Circus Maximus is somehow darker, rawer, more minimalistic and threatening than my other albums!

Do you have any favourite sword and sandal movies?

Oh, yes I do! I really loved Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, even if it’s not exactly a “historical” pic, you know. It’s just a novel of fiction with all its chronological mistakes and other funny things. I watched Demetrius and the Gladiators and Ben-Hur for the first time when I was almost a child and both really impressed me; it must have been the 80s or so. Also, Hercules by Luigi Cozzi is a B-movie that I’m really bound to. Of course it’s not a masterpiece at all, but I think it’s a rare example of [the] fanta-peplum paradox. With that movie, Cozzi makes the sword & sandal clichè coexist with weird, DIY, steampunk robots and laser beams…well…that’s absolutely great, don’t you think?

You’ll laugh at this: while I do like Cozzi’s Hercules, I have a guilty pleasure for his film Contamination. Other people deride the film, but I think it’s brilliant, campy, and gory.

Cozzi’s movies are as low-budget as most of the Italian movies from the 70s and 80s. His strength was being able to make them weird enough, using just what he had on disposal.

When it comes to fanta-peplum, I think of Antonio Margheriti’s film Yor: The Hunter from the Future. I adore that film, but I am also a big fan of Margheriti.

[As with Cozzi] we could say the same about Margheriti, Fulci, Aldo Lado and other Italian directors from the good old days. They were like craftsmen, that’s all. Yor is a total cult!

The second track of Circus Maximus, “Into the Arena,” has an epic, militaristic sound to it; it successfully creates the fanfare of, as the title states, “entering the arena.” There seems to be a peppering of the martial-industrial genre in this track. Is this a genre you indulge in or find inspiration from?

Definitely not. “Into the Arena” is maybe the track off the Circus Maximus EP where I wanted it to be the most EPIC. The inspiration for that song is more obvious than you may wonder, I mean…I was just referring to old movie soundtracks, but with a personal approach. If you noticed, there’s a weird time-signature in some sections of that track. I like to use them sometimes.

Your album, Odissea, also has shades of the peplum genre, with a focus on Greek mythology. What was the genesis of this album and what did you want to accomplish with it?

Odissea was a real smash hit: it was the first dungeon synth album to be reviewed on Bandcamp Daily and one of the best sellers of the HDK (Heimat Der Katastrophe) catalogue. Well, I’m not sure it’s also one of my best album as well. I’m curious to know your thoughts about it.

Odissea was actually my first foray into Sidereal Fortress when I was out questing for peplum-centric dungeon synth albums. I loved it! 

What I honestly think, at the risk of glorifying myself beyond reason, is that Odissea is one of those very few albums that draws in something new in the dungeon synth genre. Odissea is the album that, much more than [the] others, broke the barriers and let new elements in. There was a huge risk for [its] mixture of new-age, bombastic and comfy elements (musically and aesthetically) to not be accepted by the community. When I recorded The Forgotten Tomb of Yshnakalbum, there had been the same “issue” with [its] 70s synth influences and fusion-sounding guitar solos. Maybe the average DS-fan does not accept when artists dare to go out-of-the-box, but I can tell you that Sidereal Fortress fans are NOT AVERAGE at all! [Laughs]

About the genesis of Odissea: if you have the HDK tape, all you need to know is written in its J-card. I was reading an in-prose version of the Odyssey written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, and the reaction was the most obvious you can imagine: writing a soundtrack for Ulysses’ adventures

There’s a small handful of neo-peplum albums released by dungeon synth artists: Båvingr’s Bycirce, Marsyas Zskin’s The Flight of Icarus and Echo and Narcissus, Golden Fleece’s The Journey to Colchis, possibly Basilica Rift’s Through the Unknown Rift, and of course, your own Odissea and Circus Maximus. It’s an extremely niche subject matter within the greater dungeon synth scene, but perhaps it bears more exploration and interpretation? What aspects of sword and sandal genre do you think are the most compatible with dungeon synth, or conversely, what do you think dungeon synth can uniquely contribute to the world of pepla?

Well, well, let’s see… I remember Båvingr popping up in the early days of the “revival,” just a couple of months after Sidereal Fortress’ Ruins. Both him [Båvingr] and Marsyas Zskin have recorded very good stuff, they clearly take care of what they’re doing and that’s a correct approach to music in general. As to the aspects of S&S into dungeon synth…maybe I’m disappointing you, but, apart from the epic side of peplum, with swords, battles etc. that obviously fit the DS imagery, what I really think is that DS definitely needs to go out-of-the-box if we want it to survive. Releasing another Tolkien-inspired dungeon synth project is completely useless, unless you’re releasing a true masterpiece. Thangorodrim hit the spot in 2016 just because Taur nu fuin is an album of the highest level, but we already had plenty of Lord of the Rings dungeon synth. So, the concept on which I built Odissea brings in some freshness even in that sense.

You say Sidereal Fortress fans are not average dungeon synth fans, which of course means that Sidereal Fortress is not an average dungeon synth project. What would you say is your most unique attribute that distinguishes Sidereal Fortress from other outfits in the genre?

This reminds me of those tricky questions at job interviews! [Laughs] As I was telling about Båvingr, Marsyas Zskin and other artists, I have a basic discipline that allows me to never release actual garbage. You may not like my music and there’s nothing wrong in that, but be sure I’ll never release sketchy or low-quality stuff. I’m not here to make fun of listeners, riding the crest of the dungeon synth wave or stuff like that. I just want to record music the best I can, being sketchy just when the album/track NEEDS that shape or mood. With my “kosmische” project, Il Generale Inverno, I play only free-form and improvised tracks, but I did the same a couple of times even with Sidereal Fortress. If you listen to my full length album The Hermit’s Hole you will understand what I’m saying. Sidereal Fortress fans are not people who just look at the “cool” tape, artwork, mood or theme, they want to listen to an artist who takes care of his music. They have to finally state if I hit the spot or not.

Any plans to revisit the sword and sandal in future Sidereal Fortress compositions?

Sidereal Fortress is actually a project in a sleepy status of stand-by. I have lots of archived stuff written and recorded between 2017 and 2020, so I’m going to publish those unreleased things eventually. If you want to hear more epic & heroic stuff from Sidereal Fortress, I highly recommend the Bogatyr EP, a short album about the knights of venture in Medieval Russia. I spent a lot of money, time and attention in that mini-album, but I can tell you the result it’s a true speaker-blower! Yes, that EP could definitely be my ticket to Hollywood! [Laughs]

And finally, any final words you’d like to impart, or news you’d like to share?

No news at all right now [because] my projects are in actual standby. Maybe I will return to my most new age project called Nuovaera, where I explore the fantasy sound with even more freedom, [which includes] brighter moods and some guitar tracks. But, man, I’m not sure it’s the right time. The scene has moved forward (or backwards, depending on your thoughts about) and the needs of dungeon-synth listeners have radically changed in the last two years…so, what I honestly think is that it’s not the right time for Sidereal Fortress…

I’m sincerely grateful for this opportunity to interview Sidereal Fortress. Despite their reservations, I sincerely hope the project keeps flourishing, and hopefully, even returns to explore the toga and sandal genre further. Wishing the vanguard dungeon synth project continued success! 

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