Tag: Stockings

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News Roundup 2025-11-30

Personal / Website News

Bachelor Pad Nylon Nightcap #2 Review

New article up at my website! I’m a big fan of Bachelor Pad, the #1 digest for pinup and retro models. Earlier this year they launched their debut issue in their Nylon Nightcap line of issues and now they’ve recently published their second issue.

Cover shows model Brittany Jean, wearing only black garters and seamed flesh-coloured stockings with black heels and toes. She is sitting on a white, cushioned lounge chair. Behind her are a lot of ferns.
Cover art of Nylon Nightcap #2. Provided by Bachelor Pad.

As a stockings connoisseur I was excited to see the line continue. I did a review of the first issue, which can be read here, and now my review of the second issue is online and can be read here. Check them out and consider supporting the magazine and plucking up a copy./

New Edge Sword and Sorcery

The next three issues of New Edge Sword and Sorcery (numbers 5, 6, and 7, with one of them focused on the sword and planet genre) will be out soon! It sounds like digital and softcover copies will be out the last week of November and the hardcovers the first week of December. A reminder: I have a cocktail in each issue! Each cocktail is inspired by a different S&S and S&P character.

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

Copies of these upcoming issues (along with some older issues, in both softcover and digital) can be pre-ordered at Backerkit.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

There’s a brand new Scholars from the Edge of Time now online!

Poster of Serpent of the Nile. It shows a stone wall and a gate. In front of it is A roman trying to smooch Cleopatra. There is a skirmish in the background.
Poster of Serpent of the Nile from Wikipedia.

In this episode Michele and I dive into the world of William Castle peplum by taking a look at his Egyptian toga and sandal film, Serpent of the Nile (1953). The episode can be watched on Youtube here.

Publishing Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Original can be read here.

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

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

Original can be read here.

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

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

Original can be read here.

Cover of Panthans Journal #340. Art is done by David Michael Beck. It depicts Tarzan stabbing a dinosaur (A T-rex?) through the next with a spear, while the dinosaur stands atop a tree of roots and vines.
National Capital Panthans Journal #340

“Thunder in God’s Country: Interview with Jeffrey Mariotte” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #340.

Original can be read here.

Cover of Panthans #341 by Mark Wheatley. It's monochrome - black and brown. It shows Dejah Thoris in the center holding a sword and being her John Carter and a 4 armed alien. Behind them are the silhouettes of a city full of towers.
National Capital Panthans Journal #341

“Jungle Romps and T-Rex Chomps: Vanya 03″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #341.

Original can be read here.

Cover art of #342 is by Mark Wheatley and it depicts Tarzan sitting atop a tree branch, holding a vine in his right hand. The horizon is a big prairie with a lion and zebras. It looks as if the sun is setting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #342

“Going Commando: Vanya 04″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #342.

Original can be read here.

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

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

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

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

Autographs from the Archive

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

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS

Kino Lorber has been doing Blu-ray re-releases of the different entries in the infamous Nazisploitation Ilsa series: Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975), Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976), and Ilsa, Tigress of Siberia (1977). No Ilsa, The Wicked Warden (1977) though.

Grey-market DVD. Standard black case. Cover shows Ila, standing tall, her bosom pushed out and shirt unbuttoned. She's wearing a white shirt, with a swastika armband and an SS cap. It is numbered 45 of 50. In Silver it is signed "Don Edmonds". In gold it is signed "Dyanne "Ilsa" Thorne".
Personal copy of the Ilsa She Wolf of the SS DVD signed by director Don Edmonds and actress Dyanne Thorne.

Many, many moons ago, an online DVD website (like DiabolikDVD – it may have been them? I don’t recall, but an online place like them) were able to coordinate an autograph run of Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS signed by director Don Edmond and star Dyanne Thorne. They are kind of gray-market DVDs, but they did 50 of them and I, of course, scooped one up. So, in honour of these new re-releases, here is my old school, autographed DVD.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

The Ten Commandments 4K Steelbook

A brand new, 4K steelbook release of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments came out at the tail end of November.

Steelbook. It shows Charlton Heston holding two tables. Behind him the sky is really red.
4K Steelbook edition of The Ten Commandments.

Another classic Biblical epic from the Golden Age of Hollywood epics that I have not seen (it’s like 4 hours!). So, on the to watch list. It’s got Yul Brynner! I love seeing Brynner in epic films, Michele and I covered him in Kings of the Sun (1963) and Solomon and Sheba (1959) on Scholars from the Edge of Time (see podcast list for links).

Soundtracks: The Egyptian and Gladiator II

A trip to our local used record/movie store, Zia Records, produced lots of great treasures, including finding two sword and sandal soundtrack: The Egyptian (1954) and Gladiator II (2024).

Two CDs, both in transparent jewel cases. The one on the left is for The Egyptian and the one on the right is for Gladiator 2. The Gladiator 2 soundtrack shows the main character recreating the Russell Crowe pose from the original movie of lifting up dirt from the arena and rubbing it in his hands. The Egyptian is just actors standing around.
CD soundtracks for The Egyptian and Gladiator II.

Feel free to check out my Peplum Ponderings about Gladiator II.

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

Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata are back with brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast and they dive into season 2 of the cult television series Lost.

First is their dive into season two episode three:

Then episode four:

And episode five:

They also did another non-Lost episode where they talk about the 2015 film The Martian:

Prior episodes of Ride the Stream can be found on their YouTube channel, so please give that a subscribe. There is also a Bluesky account, so feel free to five them a follow.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Here are the most recent three episodes:

Conclusion to their discussion, “Why Do Modern Horror Movies Love the 1980s? Part 2“:

Why Do Modern Horror Movies Love the 1980s? Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Reflections of Fear: How Horror Remakes Mirror Their Times Part 1“:

Reflections of Fear: How Horror Remakes Mirror Their Times Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And concluded by their part two:

Reflections of Fear: How Horror Remakes Mirror Their Times Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

Travis Lakata Thankful For Article

Aside from the above episodes of Ride the Stream, Travis Lakata has been busy with lots of other projects, such as his Substack, The Never Ending Streamer, and writing articles for his “Geeky Parent Guide” at Fanbase Press. In his newest article, “Geeky Parent Guide: Sharing Some Love – What We’re Thankful for…”, Travis talks about the folks he is thankful for. I’m sincerely humbled that I am mentioned!

Travis’ article can be read at Fanbase Press right here.

Categories
Essays Interview

Making It Look Seamless: Bachelor Pad Nylon Nightcap #2

In January of 2025, Bachelor Pad, the premier digest-sized periodical devoted to modern-day pinup starlets, launched a new product line: Nylon Nightcap. While Bachelor Pad’s original Nightcap edition showcased pinups in tasteful nude poses, and Tattoo Nightcap took the concept a step further by featuring models with inked bodies, Nylon Nightcap put the emphasis on ladies wearing stockings and not much else.

The nylon stocking is a key element of the pinup and burlesque arts (both historic and contemporary), so having an entire magazine line devoted to the adoration of hosiery and the models who wear them is a boon to the craft (and readers and connoisseurs as well). The first issue of Nylon Nightcap (review of issue one can be read here) was successful which, of course, led the creation of a second issue of the series, which was recently published in October.

Cover shows model Brittany Jean, wearing only black garters and seamed flesh-coloured stockings with black heels and toes. She is sitting on a white, cushioned lounge chair. Behind her are a lot of ferns.
Cover art of Nylon Nightcap #2. Provided by Bachelor Pad.

Nylon Nightcap #2 highlights eight pinup models dolled up and wearing a variety of nylons and stockings, in different styles and colours: Christina Michelle, Penelope Pink, Charlotte La Belle Araignée, Brittany Jean, Abby Costello, Stella St. James, Heather Marie, and Leela Minx. Many of the models featured within have graced prior issues of Bachelor Pad, with some having participated in the inaugural issue of Nylon Nightcap. Each pictorial in the issue positively depicts an alluring pinup who in turn show off their stocking-clad legs. 

The first model to be featured in Nylon Nightcap #2 is Christina Michelle, a veteran with numerous appearances in prior issues of Bachelor Pad. Michelle kindly spoke about her numerous collaborations with the magazine:

Bachelor Pad Magazine is the last true vintage magazine of its kind! I just adore it! I’ve always fancied being one of the vintage “under the table” magazine gals, as my own personal style reflects a little bit nice and a whole lot of naughty, but always with class! You’ll find Bachelor Pad holds a certain standard throughout and it is truly an honor to be published with in those semi glossy pages.

Michelle’s pictorial is an excellent start to the issue. Wearing a white fez, dark tan stockings with black seams, heels and toes, with a lacey white girdle/garter, she has an energetic vibe and smile that conveys she is having a lot of enjoymeny. This is best exemplified in a photo showing her sitting atop a bar, holding a stocking across her eyes as if she is about to blindfold herself, and letting out a visible laugh.

Model Christina Michelle is wearing a white garter pinned to black topped stockings. She is holding a pair of black stockings in front of her eyes, and if they were a mask. She sits atop of bar counter.
Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Christina Michelle, provided by Java.

About her pictorial, Michelle says:

I am ultimately so proud of my entire set in the Nylon Nightcap #2! As a true nylon fetishist, I feel as if we captured the playful and seductive vibe I enjoy while engulfing myself into the art of dressing. The angles Sveinn Photography captured were under my professional suggestion and personal perspective to fully embrace the whole experience from a voyeur’s point of view. The entire magazine is interesting cover to cover, but our set is for those who really, really enjoy those nylon adorned stems and the way down to our perfectly polished piggies!

Miss Penelope Pink, who appeared in the inaugural issue of Nylon Nightcap, returns for the sophomore issue. Pink’s photo set is incredibly special as it is shot in her home tiki bar, which sports some wonderful Witco-style decorations, retro seating, and floral wallpaper. Definite inspiration for folks thinking of constructing their own tiki bar. She appears wearing a black garter, connected to seamless black stockings, tall red heels, and sporting a lei around her neck to complete the tropical vibe. 

Charlotte La Belle Araignée has blue hair and sits atop an antique dresser. She is dressed like a pinup magician. She has one elbow length back glove and the other is a red. Both have gems. She is wearing a white garter, also with gems. They connect to flesh-toned stockings that have black tops, with red hearts below them. She has sparkly red heels and black beaded necklace.
Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Charlotte La Belle Araignée, provided by Java.

The third model showcased in the issue is the turquoise-haired Charlotte La Belle Araignée. Her outfit is themed around playing cards: her white garters have a heart, spade, club, and diamond on each one, her seamed stockings are flesh coloured, but black at the top with lots of small red hearts below. Aside from the attire, the photo incorporates playing cards as a prop, either with her holding them, fanning them out, or having them stick out of her stocking tops, as if she was hiding them to cheat in a future game. Though Araignée’s accompanying text ties with the card playing/poker motif, her theme (combined with her background in burlesque) could double as an illusionist. Her photoset is certainly magical!  

Following Araignée’s spread is cover model Brittany Jean’s set. Jean goes for a luxury look: her set a fern decorated boudoir, and her attire is black garters, heels, knickers and black seamed, tan stockings. She does a variety of poses in a white lounge chair, giving off major luxurious and elegant vibes. The epitome of affluent glamour. 

Next in Nylon Nightcap #2 is burlesque performer Abby Costello, whose photo set is a chronological strip tease. Her outfit begins with pink-patterned knickers, garters, and heels, with pink seamed, tan stockings (her bra is already off and sitting on the couch). Each photo has her removing an article of clothing one at a time: undoing her garters, removing a stocking, then the other, until finally she is reclined, in the nude, stretching her stockings out. It is a clever and fun set that captures a burlesque act in a sequential style.  

Stella leans back against a wooden dresser, that has an old rotary phone, a bottle of brandy, and a Tiffany desk lamp. She is wearing a pearl necklace, a garter with lots of strops, and black stockings.
Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Stella St. James, provided by Java.

The sixth star of the issue is Stella St. James who makes her Bachelor Pad debut with her photo set. St. James has been gracious to talk about her appearance in the magazine:

This is indeed my first appearance in Bachelor Pad! I really jumped into the deep end by starting with a Nightcap issue – this is also my first topless publication, and I can think of no better home for it than Bachelor Pad. I’ve been a fan for a long time, and when I had the opportunity to work with Jason Kamimura [photographer], I jumped at the chance! The Nylon Nightcap happened to be the next upcoming issue, so it was mostly serendipity that led me to submitting for this specific issue, but I will also say I’ve always loved the aesthetic of stockings, especially with a back seam (as the ones I’m wearing in this set have). I just feel like they perfectly encapsulate the fantasy of vintage femininity, and I love that the line of the back seam draws the eye from the ankle all the way up. As a burlesque performer, I incorporate stockings of various types into almost all of my costumes!

St. James’ photo set takes place in an old study, with a red leather chair and a wooden dresser decorated with a rotary phone, a decanter of spirits, and a tiffany desk lamp. St. James’ attire consists of opaque, black seamed stockings, connected to a garter belt that is a network of black straps coming in at different triangular angles:

I [specifically] choose poses that highlighted the legs and stockings themselves, since they’re the star of the show! So, you’ll see me in poses that have me tugging at my garter straps, bending over to extend the legs, etc.

For her debut in Bachelor Pad, St. James knocks it out of the park with her fun and glamorous photo set:

I’m just happy to be here! I know that sounds trite, but as I said, I’ve been a fan of Bachelor Pad for a while, so being able to be a part of it is a dream come true. I’m hopeful that this will be the start of a long and beautiful collaboration. As a burlesque performer, I’m of course also hoping to introduce myself and my art to a new audience, and if this photoset leads to stockings coming back into fashion, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either!

The penultimate pinup of the issue is Heather Marie, another returning model from the first issue of Nylon Nightcap. Marie has an aura that projects strength and commands attention, like the Italian maggiorata fisica actresses from the 50s and 60s. Marie, as with Brittany Jean, goes for an intimiate-luxurious look, with golden hued and flowered garters, knickers, and seamless stockings. The flavour text for Marie’s pictorial has her regaling a tale of her and her paramour having a passionate get-together on their way to Caesar’s Palace. 

Leela Minx sits atop a tiki bar that is lit with red lights. She has a big smile and is wearing black seamed, tan stockings.
Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Leela Minx, provided by Java.

Nylon Nightcap #2 concludes with Leela Minx, the cover model of the first issue of Nylon Nightcap. Minx has the biggest, epic smile, and just radiates “fun” with her photos. As with Penelope Pink, Minx’s set is a tiki bar: red hued, filled with rum bottles, tiki mugs, and a bar that is decorated with a zebra print and wooden masks. Wearing leopard print heels, tan-coloured stockings with a black back seam, and sometimes a black floral print pair of knickers, Minx brings a variety of poses in her pictures: sitting on the bar, leaning over a stool, doing a Yoga plow pose, and so on. Because of the sheer (pun intended) variety of poses, Minx’s is the most kinetic pictorial in the issue. 

In addition to the eight pictorials, issue two of Nylon Nightcap contains one fiction story (“Glorious Revenge” by Bachelor Pad mastermind Java himself) and numerous single panel comics whose punchlines revolve around stockings. The funniest one is by Dennis Davis, which depicts a woman hanging up wallpaper and wearing brown seamed stockings. Her Romeo steadies the ladder, with her proclaiming “Hold it steady, I don’t want the seams visible”, referring to the wallpaper of course, but to readers, her stocking seams are quite visible. 

All in all, the second issue of Nylon Nightcap continues with the successes that the first issue brought. All eight pinups are lovely to behold, and their respective emphasis on stockings is extremely welcomed by nylon enthusiasts. Bachelor Pad certainly publishes great issues, themed or not, and the Nylon Nightcap series is definitely a high watermark. 

Sincere appreciation to Christina Michelle and Stella St. James for letting me ask them a few questions to add to this interview. More information about Bachelor Pad, the models featured within, and other contributors can be found at the below links:

Bachelor Pad Links

Model Links

Artist Links

Other Links

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-04-06

Personal / Website News

Comic Book Review: Eternal Rome #2

Technically on a roll! I did a review of Rome Eternal #1 in early March (which can be read here) and now I’ve done a review of issue two, which can be read here!

Cover art for Rome Eternal #02. It shows an armored character cradling a female assassin who has died in his arms. Behind them, in the back, is a menacing figure wearing a mask.
Cover art for Rome Eternal #02.

Issue three is not out yet, so I am actually current on a comic book series! I’ll do my best to get a review of issue three online as soon as it is published and in my paws.

Scholars from the Edge of Time: In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission

In early 2024 Michele and I did a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode on In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds (which can be watched here). We didn’t care for it. I followed this up with a Peplum Ponderings article about the film, which can be read here.

A year later we decided to give the third movie in the Dungeon Siege/In the Name of the King series a shot, so we watched In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission.

Blu-ray of In the Name of the King 3. The cover shows Dominic Purcell holding a sword in one hand. There is a woman warrior behind him holding two swords. Behind them both are smokey-explosions and a dragon breathing fire on a castle wall.
Personal Blu-ray copy of In The Name of the King 3: The Last Mission.

Folks, I don’t know how to say this, but The Last Mission was legit pretty good! I dare say, it might be the best Uwe Boll movie I’ve seen! It’s like he looked at Two Worlds and said “I can remake this, but better” and actually delivered! The movie is not quite as good as other Connecticut Yankee-style movies, such as Army of Darkness, but it is leagues better than Two Worlds and pretty enjoyable. I recommend giving it a watch!

The episode can be watched on YouTube right here. I plan on doing a Peplum Ponderings about the film fairly soon while the movie is fresh on my mind.

Panthans Journal #335

The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my article “Tarzan Cocktail: Deconstructed – Reconstructed”, which I original published early right here at my website.

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

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.

ECOF 2025

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

Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:

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

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

Publishing Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Original can be read here.

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

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

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

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

Miscellaneous Tidbits

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

New Acquisitions

Atomfall

It has been ages since I preordered a non-retro, non-re-released game, but when I heard about Atomfall a few months ago, I was immediately hooked!

Physical copy of Atomfall for the Xbox series X. It is in a green case. The artwork shows a character standing on a rock that says "keep out" while holding a gun with a bandana covering his mouth. In the distances is a nuclear power plant with blue vapor emitting from it.
Personal copy of Atomfall on the Xbox series X.

My copy arrived on on 3/27 and I had it 1000 pointed on 4/4. I was hooked in the story and setting, so I just steamrolled through it.

Screenshot from the Atomfall video game. In the center is a giant wicker man, with two tree branches protruding from its head as if they were antlers. Flanking the wicker man are large trees, with a grey, cloudy sky behind it.
Screenshot from Atomfall showing one of the many Wicker Men.

I think I need to do an in depth write up or at least an essay about the Lovecraftian horror (lots of Colour Out of Space elements) and folk horror elements of the game. Atomfall is populated with lots of wicker men and they are a sight to behold!

Autographed Treasures

Here are some autographed treasures I’ve shared on Social Media these past few weeks.

Fast Company

Dvid Cronenberg, the auteur filmmaker known for his work of body horror cinema, has one movie that is an outlier in his body of work: Fast Company (1979). An early film in the director’s filmography, it’s a low budget exploitation film about car racing. Scanners x Days of Thunder? Not quite…

DVD of the Blue Underground release of Fast Company. The cover art shows two racing cars at the starting line. In black pen it is signed "To Nick, all the best, William Smith" and in blue pen it is signed "To Nick, John Saxon".
Personal copy of Fast Company signed by both John Saxon and Williams Smith.

It’s been about fifteen years since I last saw this film. It is quite 70s for sure. But, I do have my copy of the movie signed by two of its stars! First is John Saxon who plays the film’s villain and the second is the films hero, William Smith (both RIP!).

Automatic

I am a hard core Olivier Gruner fan. The dude is always either a cyborg or a mercenary, but he is always awesome. Nemesis is probably his best film, but my favorite of his is Velocity Trap (1999) (see my autographed copy of that here).

DVD of Automative. In pen it is signed "To Nick, Olivier Gruner". The cover shows Gruner wearing a long sleeve white shirt with a bloody wound on his shoulder. He his holding a pistol. Behind him is Daphne Ashbrook. In the distance it looks like a blue-hued laboratory or other science room.
Personal copy of Automatic signed by Olivier Gruner.

I’ve got tons more films signed by Gruner, including Automatic (1994) here, which also stars Dr. Who favorite Daphne Ashbrook (whose book I have!). So, looking at the DVD cover, and judging by title, is Gruner a merc or a cyborg in this film?

Return of the Living Dead Part II

Return of the Living Dead Part II exists in the shadows of Return of the Living Dead, which I can understand. The original film has a distinct punk ethos and attitude that really makes the film stand out, especially in the zombie genre. Part II does fall on the generic side of things.

DVD of Return of the Living Dead part 2. It shows a graveyard at dusk with an evil cloud emitting from the graves, with the cloud turning into a monster face. In the distance is a suburb. In blank ink it is signed "Thor Van Lingen".
Personal copy of Return of the Living Dead Part 2 signed by Thor Van Lingen.

That’s not to say the movie is bad, it isn’t! It’s actually fairly fun! The artwork though, that is top notch. There was this period in the 80s were there were tons of film art that shows some malevolent face in the night sky, and Part II really captures that. I remember being a kid and scared to death of the VHS of this film.

Anywho, my copy is signed by the bully villain in this film, Thor Van Lingen.

Richard Kern’s Action

Pinups and stockings, two things I love, and Richard Kern delivers in spades in his transgressive photography. Back in the 2000s, my local comic book store was Spy Comics in Federal Way and I bought Richard Kern’s Action there.

Hardback Copy of Richard Kern's "Action" from Taschen books. The cover has a woman wearing black, shiny panty hose, taking off her red, see-through shirt, and wearing a red bra. Behind her is an open window to a blue sky. Below her is a purse, possibly her skirt, a mat, and a doggy water bowl. It is perhaps taken in a kitchen.
Personal copy of Richard Kern’s Action.
Front matter page from Richard Kern's photo book "Action". In blue ink it is signed "To Nick, stay funky. D Hanson".
Richard Kern – Action autographed by Dian Hanson.

Years later, when Taschen books published The Big Book of Breasts, the Beverly Hills store celebrated with a signing event with editor Dian Hanson. Being the fanboy I am, I took my pile of Hanson edited books for her to sign, of which Action was one of them.

News from Friends

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

Ride the Stream New Episodes

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

Here is their discussion of episode twelve from season one:

Their discussion of episode thirteen:

And their discussion of episode fourteen:

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

Lee Mitchell Interview at Ginger Nuts of Horror

My friend, Lee Mitchell, just scored a sweet interview at the Ginger Nuts of Horror. Check it out here!

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

Sheer Delights: Bachelor Pad Nylon Nightcap #1

Since 2007, Jason “Java” Croft has been creating and publishing the digest-sized pinup magazine, Bachelor Pad (for more information about the history and production of Bachelor Pad check out the interview with Croft in Vilioti Vintage. My review of this book can be read here). Filled with comics, reviews, articles, and of course, many images of pinup/cheesecake/glamour models, Bachelor Pad is the de facto leader in literature for the “mature” and “sophisticated reader.”

Cover shows Leela Minx sitting on a black chair, leaning back, legs in the air. The carpet and wallpaper are all purple.
Cover art of Nylon Nightcap #1. Provided by Bachelor Pad.

With almost twenty years of publication, the need to innovate and experiment with Bachelor Pad has led to the creation specialty lines of issues: spotlight issues, Nightcap Edition (which focuses on topless pinups), and Tattoo Nightcap (which focus on topless tattooed models). Nylon Nightcap is the newest endeavor from Bachelor Pad to deep dive and showcase an iconic component of pinup photography and history: the stocking. Per Croft

“I am always looking for new ideas or new themes to expand the Bachelor Pad brand. I like to mix things up. I like to give myself a challenge every once in a while. Nightcap editions have always been our most popular issues (nudies girls, who knew?). Several years back we started doing our Tattoo Nightcap and way back when we did a X-mas Nightcap. This [Nylon Nightcap] seemed like a natural addition to the lineup. And, when you think of the types of retro pin-ups we feature, the classic stockings and garter look are right at home with what we do. It really is the foundation, if you will, to most pin-up looks.”

The inaugural issue of Nylon Nightcap showcases eight models (Heather Marie, Annette Coquette, Abby Dandy, Leela Minx, Peach Venom, Alaina Rose Lee, Lady Gold Moon, Miss Penelope Pink) and a story + photoset from Miss Corsair Debonair. If these names sound familiar, they should be, as most have appeared in prior issues of Bachelor Pad Magazine, with many of them making their Nightcap debut in this stockings-centric issue, an aspect that Croft is proud of:

“Most of the models had been in regular issues of the magazine. Three had been in other Nightcap projects. Six made their first Nightcap appearances with this issue. I don’t think we’ve ever had that before. I think that says something when lots of folks want to make their Nightcap debuts with this particular issue.”

For veteran readers of Bachelor Pad, seeing their favourite pinups in their (debut) appearance in a Nightcap iteration provides a more intimate venue to appreciate their craft. For brand new readers of Bachelor Pad, Nylon Nightcap provides an excellent introduction to these retro-inspired models.

Since Nylon Nightcap’s focus is on stockings, the photosets contained within showcase a variety of stocking colours and styles that guarantee an appeal to everyone. Colour-wise, Marie Heather is blue, Annette Coquette is white, Abby Dandy with black-brown, Leela Minx with transparent, Peach Venom and Lady gold Moon with black, Alaina Rose Lee with red, and Miss Penelope Pink with tan-brown. Style-wise, all the models wear stockings save Peach Venom who sports a pair of French-cut pantyhose. Abby Dandy, Leela Minx, Alaina Rose Lee, and [especially] Heather Marie all show off their seams while Annette Coquette’s white stockings feature small white flowers on down her ankle sides. With all this variety and emphasis on hosiery, Croft made sure to account for this in designing the issue:

“Fundamentally, it’s still your standard Bachelor Pad Nightcap issue. I still try to give each layout its own personality and try to write fun copy for each model. The big difference this time was to keep in mind that we were doing an issue focused on nylons and the legs that wear them. So, in the layouts, you see a lot more full-length photos as well as shots of just legs. Had to make sure the nylons were the focus of what people were looking at.”

To further cement this nylon philosophy home, the last comic in Nylon Nightcap (by Becca Whitaker) depicts a pinup wearing layers of different stockings, stating “I didn’t know which ones to pick, so I wore them all!”

Heather Marie promo picture provided by Bachelor Pad.
Heather Marie promo picture provided by Bachelor Pad.

The first pinup in Nylon Nightcap, Heather Marie, wears a killer colour combo of black gloves and blue-seamed and blue topped stockings with matching blue garters, posing on a blue sofa. She appeared in Nightcap #14.

Annette Coquette brings a cabaret vibe with her gemstone garters and seductive teacher glasses while posing in front of a piano. This is her debut Nightcap appearance, but she previously appeared in Bachelor Pad #50.

Abby Dandy promo picture.
Abby Dandy promo picture provided by Bachelor Pad.

Abby Dandy is the third model showcased in Nylon Nightcap and she projects the classic Irving Klaw/Eric Stanton fetish vibes with her black corset and seamed black-brown stockings that look delicate with a vintage vibe. The presence of a floor length mirror ensures readers are treated to double Abby Dandy. While this is her Nightcap debut, her prior appearance was in issues #69 and #68, sharing a photoshoot with the iconic Bernie Dexter in the latter.

Three issues of Bachelor Pad magazine. Thentop one is for issue 68 and it shows Bernie Dexter in a see through yellow top. It is signed in pen "Bernie Dexter". The two issues under are obfuscated.
Three issues of Bachelor Pad magazine. The center one is signed by Bernie Dexter.

Following Abby Dandy is the photoset for cover model Leela Minx who brings a radiant Claire Sinclair vibe. Leela Minx’s outfit is a translucent black nightie with transparent black seamed stockings. The purple background goes with the purple ribbon that she uses to tie herself up with while sitting on a chair, recalling retro-bondage photography, but with a much more feminine touch. She previously appeared in Bachelor Pad #64.

Next, Nylon Nightcap takes a slight break from the singular photoshoots to showcase a collection of different photos of Miss Corsair Debonair along with a short missive of her’s. Debonair is a veteran of Bachelor Pad and sums up her experience initially becoming featured in the magazine:

“In 2020 as I was testing the waters with pinup photography and using myself as a subject, I sent a submission to Bachelor Pad as my biggest goal. Bachelor Pad has high standards for image quality and doesn’t churn out issues as fast as photographs come in, so I knew if I could make it into Bachelor Pad, my images were on the right track. Those first ones weren’t accepted, but Java gave me some great tips and I continued to improve until I made it in.”

Two issues of Bachelor Pad side by side.
Two issues of Bachelor Pad, #58 and Nightcap #12.

Debonair’s prior appearances include the Christmas themed issue #58 and Nightcap Edition #12.

The photos of Debonair in Nylon Nightcap include bonus photos from her prior appearances in Bachelor Pad which had not been published before. These photos are coupled with a short commentary piece about wearing hosiery written by Debonair.

“I’ve been so busy that I wasn’t able to do a whole new set of photos for this issue, and Java said it wouldn’t be right to do a Nylon issue without something from me. So, I wrote about what first attracted me to nylons and how I wear them now.”

Following Miss Corsair Debonair’s section is Peach Venom who previously appeared in Bachelor Pad #65. Peach Venom has a fun set, with her black pantyhose and elbow length gloves, and a powerful look underscored by her yellow eye makeup, all giving her a distinguished aura.

Burlesque performer and tiki aficionado Alaina Rose Lee dominates the colour red that emit from her seamed stockings, heels, straps, hair, and bedroom-boudoir set with fluffy blankets and valentines’ pillows. Lee can also be seen in Bachelor Pad #57.

The second to last pinup is Lady Gold Moon, who like Abby Dandy, channels a retro-dominating look with her black stockings and top. Lady Gold Moon enhances the vibe she is going for by using props such as whips while her set echoes an old school “man cave” with wood paneled walls. It would not be hard to imagine that there is a camera club outside frame taking pictures of her sultry poses. Nylon Nightcap is Lady Gold Moon’s Nightcap debut, but she can be previously seen in Bachelor Pad # 69. 

Three issues of bachelor pad. The top one shows Miss Penelope Pink on the cover. The bottom two are slightly obfuscated.
Three issues of Bachelor Pad.

The final model showcased in Nylon Nightcap is Miss Penelope Pink, complete with her iconic look of pink hair and sporty tattoos. Miss Penelope Pink made her Bachelor Pad debut in Tattoo Nightcap #6. Miss Penelope Pink recalls:

“I’ve been a long-time follower and fan of Bachelor Pad for many years. I was so excited to see that Java added a special Nightcap edition specifically for tattooed models. It blended my love of vintage/pinup and tattooed look perfectly, I just knew I had to be part of it!”

Miss Penelope Pink brings her love of vintage and hosiery to her photoshoot, wearing a pink corset that matches her hair with garters that connect to old school solid brown stockings. For Miss Penelope Pink:

“I wear stockings for most of my shoots, nothing beats the look of nylons! I’m inspired by classic pinups of the 50s and have quite the collection of stockings: seamed, Cuban heel, different color stocking tops. For this shoot, I wanted to pair my nylons with a corset, as I have several and just love being cinched down.”

Between the photosets, Nylon Nightcap features stockings-centric comics by Jaimie Filer, Misha Pinup Art, Jerry Carr, Carlos Carrillo, and the aforementioned Becca Whitaker. An erotic short story by Sasha Dahl about a display worker at Marshalls working on a lingerie display who winds up attending to a peculiar customer’s needs rounds out the features of the magazine.

Overall, the inaugural issue of Bachelor Pad’s Nylon Nightcap is a tremendous success. The photoshoots are professionally shot with interesting and retro sets. The pinup ladies are all exciting and gorgeous to look at, with each one showcasing a different facet of the allure of stockings. Aside from the nylons continuity, the issue in its entirety is adventurous and fun, as was the intent of Croft:

“With all my issues I want it to be fun for the readers, and I want for those people who are involved to be proud to be in it. I think I accomplished both of those. On top of that, I got to see a lot of models who weren’t in the issue get excited about the concept. So, we made a showcase for those who were in it and inspired others to want to be in future issue. I would call that a success.”

With the publication of Nylon Nightcap, Croft reflects on its impact of readers and models and the future for the new line of the themed magazine:

“The response has been amazing. Besides other models and photographers being inspired, our readers have really taken to it. It really struck a chord with pin-up fans. But, I’m really not surprised. It’s fun to have themes every once in a while. Sometimes folks need a creative prompt. And I’m happy to supply it. […] I already have people asking about the next [issue of Nylon Nightcap]. My hope would be to be able to do another at the end of 2025. All I need is for folks to start sending me those photos!”

Sincere appreciation to Jason “Java” Croft, Miss Corsair Debonair, and Miss Penelope Pink for their time providing quotations to use in this write up. For more information on Bachelor Pad, Nylon Nightcap, or the models, artists, and writers featured within, check out the following links:
 
Bachelor Pad Links

Model Links

Artist and Writer Links

Other Links

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2024-05-26

Personal / Website News

Peplum Ponderings: Vulcan, Son of Jupiter

A new Peplum Ponderings article is now online!

I’ve done a write up about Vulcan, Son of Jupiter which can be read here.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

Two episodes of Scholars from the Edge of Time have gone online in the last couple of week.

First, for the end of April, we did an episode where Michele talked about the Alexander the Great TV series while I talk about the Lovecraftian Choose Your Own Adventure video game, The Innsmouth Case. YouTube link is here.

Next, Michele and I resume our Bella Cortez film retrospective and we dive into the pulp/scifi/peplum film The Giant of Metropolis. Check it out here on YouTube, and anticipate a Peplum Ponderings on it later on.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

The Nylon Stories: Book 1

My friend, Miss Corsair Debonair (who you may recall I interviewed for Exotica Moderne issue #14), has ventured into writing, have her first erotic short story, “The Nylon Stories: Book 1,” published on Kindle.

I was honored to do a bit of beta reading and editing for her first publication, and super flattered and humbled to be mentioned in the acknowledgements.

The story can be bought from Amazon – here is the Kindle product page. If you’re into office/business erotica with am emphasis on stockings, this is totally your cuppa.

Awen’s This World and Its Spirits

The newest Awen album, This World And Its Spirits, is officially out! I’m feel super chuffed and honored to be mentioned in the thank yous in this exquisite release.

This physical, vinyl edition of the album can be bought at the Triskele website (limited to 100 copies, so act quick!). The digital edition of This World and Its Spirits can be purchased on BandCamp.

For those curious, many releases in Awen’s catalogue are still available, be it through Triskele or Bandcamp. If you’re interested in The Hollow in the Stone, I did a review on that album, so consider giving it a read and checking out that album as well. Also, many moons ago, I did a review of their Grim King of the Ghosts for Heathen Harvest. An archived copy can be read here, but I’ll see about republishing it and updating it to my website. Regardless, check that one out as well!

Newest Acquisitions

Pluck up two new movies for the peplum library.

First is The Slave and the Sorcerer. This was a Kickstarted endeavor to make an very 80s-homage sword and sorcery flick.

The Crowdfunding campaign has long since ended, but info about the film can still be found at the Kickstarter site.

Next, a film I am super, super excited to see, is She is Conann.

A feminist take on Conan the Barbarian, reimagined as a woman through different points in time? Yes, please! My sixth sense of that this film is going to be amazing is going off.

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2024-05-05

Personal / Website News

Scholars from the Edge of Time

The April episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is online.

In this vidcast Michele and I take a small break from talking about the films of Bella Cortez and talk about the 1985 Spanish sci-fi/fantasy film, Star Knight. The episode can be watched on YouTube.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

New Sword and Sandal Book Acquisitions

Two new tomes have been added to the sword and sandal/pop culture library.

The first is Helen of Troy in Hollywood by Ruby Blondell. This book cites The New Peplum, which is wicked cool (I always gush when my work gets cited). I don’t know too much about Helen of Troy mythology and I have not seen too many films based on her, so this book will definitely fill that knowledge gap. A few years ago Michele and I watched/did a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode on the film The Lion of Thebes (1964) [listen to it here]. Looking at the index of this book, The Lion of Thebes doesn’t appear to be mentioned. So, perhaps a future essay idea to apply Blondell’s work to that film?

Second up is the Cult Epics book The Films of Tinto Brass. I’ve been a huge Tinto Brass fan for years, probably due to his emphasis on stockings – he’s like an Elmer Batters, but for Italian erotica. Aside from all the hosiery-focused films, Brass did the most infamous porno peplum ever, Caligula (1979), which there is an entire chapter dedicated to in this book.

This book was funded from a crowdfunding campaign, so I have my name listed in the back, which is always fun. Cult Epics also published the Sylvia Kristel book a few years back, which you can read my review here. As soon as I can clear my review plate off I’ll try and do a write up of this book.

Though The Films of Tinto Brass was a crowdfunded endeavor, the book is readily purchasable from Cult Epics which comes with some exclusives such as a disc of trailers, a poster, and an autograph from Nico B.

New Sword and Sandal DVDs Acquisitions

An opportunity to pluck of Princess Warrior (1989) presented itself, so I had to go for it.

I had never heard of this film until I saw a RedLetterMedia review on it, and it looked bad (and by bad I mean awesome). It’s an 80s sword and sorcery film, with maybe a little sword and planet element thrown in. It mostly has the heroine traveling to Earth where the plot is akin to The Terminator combined with an extended a wet t-shirt contest.

Autograph Treasures

Karen McDougal, 1998 Playboy Playmate of the year, is in the news related to the trial of Trump falsifying business records in violation of campaign finance law (among other things). So, I’ll take advantage of the news to show off my autographed copy of The Arena (2001) in which she starred in.

The Arena is remake of the Pam Grier 1974 version of the same name. The 2001 version is directed by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, who did the amazing film Night Watch (2004). Bekmambetov would revisit the neo-pelum genre in 2016 with another remake, this time of Ben-Hur.

I had the honour to meet McDougal at Glamourcon in Long Beach, November of 2011, where she signed my DVD of The Arena. It’s been over a decade since I last watched the film, but I remember enjoying it, so time to revisit it!

CFPs

Simon Bacon has a new CFP on Folk Horror and UFO/Alien Narratives:

I’m putting something together on a prospective project on the intersection of Folk Horror and UFO/Alien narratives. This could include, but not limited to:

  • The intersection of Folk Horror and Cosmic Horror
  • Lovecraft, Hope Hodgeson, and Folk Horror
  • Texts (films/games/lit/comics/etc) that use historical alien visitations as the basis of folklore/cults
  • Summonings that turn out to be alien entities
  • Alien encounters/visitation texts that use Folk Horror tropes
  • Examples of alien planets that feature their own versions of Folk Horror
  • Human/Alien futures that see past versions of humanity as sources of Folk Horror
  • Folk Horror and series such as Star Trek, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Dune, etc.

At this stage it’s just ideas/abstracts I’m needing (final essays wouldn’t be before end 2025). If interested contact me at: baconetti@gmail.com

I Am a Barbarian

Stock of Thomas Simmons and Mike Dubisch’s graphic novel, I Am a Barbarian is getting low, so if you want a copy – especially a limited edition one with an autographed book plate, scoot over to the Edgar Rice Burroughs website.

I had the honor to interview Simmons and Dubisch about their work, so check that out here, and then consider checking out their work proper.

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2023-08-13

Personal / Website News

Black Emanuelle Boxset Unboxing

Severin Films recently released a titanic boxset of the Laura Gemser Black Emanuelle films. I, of course, did an unboxing article of it.

I also bring up prior incarnations of Black Emanuelle DVD releases. Check out the write up here.

Citation News

There’s been an uptick in work being cited lately and I am here for it!

Firstly, my essay “Lost Nights and Dangerous Days: Unraveling the Relationship Between Stranger Things and Synthwave” from Uncovering Stranger Things has been cited in the essay “‘Dad, every serial killer is somebody’s neighbor!’ The Problem of White Supremacy in Summer of ’84” by Erika Tiburcio Moreno and published in the edited collection The ’80s Resurrected: Essays on the Decade in Popular Culture Then and Now.

The book was published by McFarland in March earlier this year. More info can be found on the book’s product page at the McFarland website.

Next, Hannah Mueller’s essay “Male Nudity, Violence and the Disruption of Voyeuristic Pleasure in Starz’s Spartacus” from The New Peplum has been cited by James K. Beggan in his essay “Why is he there? Male presence in a sexually explicit magazine geared towards heterosexual men” that was published in the Porn Studies journal.

The New Peplum
Cover art for The New Peplum

If you have access the essay can be read at the journal’s page at Taylor and Francis.

New Episode of HP Lovecast

A new episode of our monthly Transmission program is now online.

For July we interviewed Chelsea Pumpkins, editor of the horror anthology AHH! That’s What I Call Horror: An Anthology of ’90s Horror. The episode can be streamed via our Buzzsprout page, the embedded player below, or through your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 24 – Chelsea Pumpkins – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

CoKoCon Schedule

The schedule for CoKoCon 2023 is starting to take shape! You can find Michele and I on the following panels:

  • Saturday Sept 2 9pm – Fiesta Ballroom 2: From EC Comics to Shudder: Horror Comics That Excite and Scare Us
  • Sunday Sept 3 6pm – Coronado: Creepy, Crawly, Otherworldly Bumps in the Night, or Cosmic Horror Films
  • Monday Sept 4 1pm – Coronado: 1pm: Weird West in Popular Culture

I’ll be on premises the entire con, so feel free to hunt me down to say hi! Michele and I will also have a table we were sill be selling and signing books.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2023.

Published in February, this collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.”

Vernon Press Product Page

Published in May, this issue of Weird Tales contains my essay “When the Stars are Right.”

Weird Tales Product Page

Published in late March, the first issue of the zine Footage Fiends, contains my essay “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.”

Limited to 50 physical copies.

Order via Patreon.

Essay about mimetic desire in Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu in Dark Dead Things #2/

Order via Dark Dead Things website.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

New Acquisitions

Kino Lorber just had a summer sale on their Blu-rays so I took the opportunity to pluck up some Italian films for the library.

The Last Hunter I already had on DVD, from Dark Sky Films. In fact, here is my copy autographed by Antonio Margheriti’s son, Edoardo Margheriti:

I did a presentation on The Last Hunter at the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association conference waaaaaaay back in 2010. Not my best presentation and still very green at being an academic, but the text of it can be read at my Academia.edu account.

Ironmaster I have not seen. It sounds like an Italian sword and sorcery flick, but in a prehistoric age. I am a fan of Umberto Lenzi’s work so this should be a fun watch.

Lastly is Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, which I also have not seen. I’ve seen the iconic image of Sophia Loren slipping off her stockings that I feel like I’ve seen the film. I always think of Mastroianni from Divorce, Italian Style.

Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew Commentary

Matt Page, author of 100 Bible Films, has recorded a commentary for Paolini’s 1964 Biblical peplum, The Gospel According to St. Matthew. The commentary and be streamed from YouTube. Criterion Collection recently released a Pasolini boxset that contains this film.

Call for Papers

Michael Torregrossa has a few CFPs out there. I’m sharing them here to help get the word out. Check them out and consider submitting!

Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Panel)

Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture and the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association

Organized by Michael A. Torregrossa, Richard Fahey, Carl Sell, and Benjamin Hoover

Call for Papers – Please Submit Proposals by 30 September 2023

55th Annual Convention of Northeast Modern Language Association

Sheraton Boston Hotel (Boston, MA)

On-site event: 7-10 March 2024

The Old English epic Beowulf remains an important touchstone for connecting us to the medieval past, yet it also has continued relevance today through its various transformations in cultural texts (especially works of popular culture). Our hope with this session is to expand our knowledge of these works and assess their potential for research and teaching. 

Please visit our website Beowulf Transformed: Adaptations and Appropriations of the Beowulf Story (available at https://beowulf-transformed.blogspot.com/)  for resources and ideas. 

The full call for papers (with complete session and submission information) can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/Beowulf-Transformed-NeMLA-2024.  

Session Information

Over a millennium old, the story of Beowulf is disseminated primarily through its editions and translations and its transformations. These three types of Beowulfiana represent a massive corpus of over 1000 works according to the Beowulf’s Afterlives Bibliographic Database; though, as medievalists, we tend to focus on the first two categories rather than the last concentrating on scholastic pursuits rather than entertainments. Consequently, many are often surprised by the variety and vitality of this corpus and its vast potential for research and teaching.

New versions of the Beowulf story feature in all forms of modern mediævalisms, yet (as is true with most medieval texts) research continues to focus primarily on depictions of Beowulf on screen (about 100 examples according to the Internet Movie Database). We hope in this session to expand our view of Beowulf’s reception by creators and look more deeply at the text’s wider use. 

We are particularly interested in explorations of the adaptation and/or appropriation of the text, its characters, and its themes in works of fiction (at least 250 examples according to the Internet Speculative Fiction Database and much more recorded by the Beowulf’s Afterlives Bibliographic Database) and comics (at least 380 examples according to the Grand Comics Database), as well as their representations in new and neglected works on screen (including film, television, entertainment consoles, and the Internet). Additional versions of Beowulf can be found in works of creative, performative, and visual arts that also need more attention. 

We hope to make our conversation productive. Therefore, we request that submissions highlight the ways the new text transforms the old (for example as interpretations or appropriations of the poem or as an intertext for another work) as well as its value in furthering the Beowulf tradition rather than focusing solely on any perceived defects. 

Please see our website Beowulf Transformed: Adaptations and Appropriations of the Beowulf Story (at https://beowulf-transformed.blogspot.com/) for a growing list of ideas, resources, and support. 

All proposals will also be considered for a themed issue of the open-access journal The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe.

Please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com.

Submission Information

All proposals must be submitted into the CFPList system at https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/20596 by 30 September 2023. You will be prompted to create an account with NeMLA (if you do not already have one) and, then, to complete sections on Title, Abstract, and Media Needs. 

Notification on the fate of your submission will be made prior to 16 October 2023. If favorable, please confirm your participation with chairs by accepting their invitations and by registering for the event. The deadline for Registration/Membership is 9 December 2023.

Be advised of the following policies of the Convention: All participants must be members of NeMLA for the year of the conference. Participants may present on up to two sessions of different types (panels/seminars are considered of the same type). Submitters to the CFP site cannot upload the same abstract twice.(See the NeMLA Presenter Policies page, at https://www.buffalo.edu/nemla/convention/policies.html, for further details,)

Thank you for your interest in our session. 

Again, please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com.

For more information on the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture, please visit our website at https://MedievalinPopularCulture.blogspot.com/.  

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

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2022-12-04

Personal / Website News

Life Stuff

Apologies in advance that original writing here at my website has been sparse. Michele and I recently bought a house and we are in the process of moving in. The vast majority of my library is in boxes at the new place. We will be moved in by the end of the month with January being spent unpacking and getting settled. After that, I’ll be up and running again, writing content here but for other venues and projects as well.

Despite this, LOTS of cool stuff is still going on. Read below!

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

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

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

New H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

A brand new episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast is online.

This is our monthly Transmissions episode, however we did a longer form interview instead of a handful of smaller ones. Our interview is with P. L. McMillan and her new novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine. The episode can be streamed at the H. P. Lovecast Buzzsprout page, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 17 – P. L. McMillan – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

For December we are going to do a recap episode where Michele and I talk about projects completed this year, upcoming news, podcast news, and so on.

A Hero Will Endure Update

A few years in the making, but the collection, A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. This book contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

Footage Fiends Issue 1

Pre-orders are open for the first issue of the Footage Fiends zine. I have a short essay in this debut issue (tentatively) titled “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.”

Issues are tied to tiers at the Footage Fiends Patreon: $5 digital and $10 for physical with issues being published quarterly.

A promotional clip for the Zine can be found on the Footage Fields Twitter:

Check it all out and consider supporting!

Awards Season

Horror/speculative award season is upon us. This year I really only have one piece of writing eligible for the various awards out there: my essay “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise. Thank you for your interest/consideration!

New Scholars from the Edge of Time

Michele and I appeared on Hercules Invictus’ Sword and Sandal cinema the last Thursday of November. I talked about the “City of Evil” episode of Thundarr the Barbarian while Michele talked about Ouja Mummy and Luxor. The episode can be heard via BlogTalkRadio.

Tribel Social Media

With all the brouhaha happening at Twitter, I’ve decided to start checking out alternative social medias. Unfortunately my iPhone is at capacity so I cannot install the app-only Hive social media. I’m on a waitlist for Post. However, I did setup an account at Tribel, which can be found here. Tribel is pretty much a ghost town right now, but I’ll wait and see what happens. Come give me a follow if you’re on the platform.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Mimic Soundtrack (And Plans)

Record Store Day had a Black Friday event this year. There was one vinyl I was really, really gunning for, and that was the new LP of the Mimic soundtrack, composed by Marco Beltrami. When I got to Zia Records, there was only one copy on the shelf and I snagged that bad boy.

Michele and I talked about Mimic and Mimic 2 on our H. P. Lovecast Podcast (check them out – links on the titles) and plan on doing Mimic 3 next year.

I have other plans for the Mimic soundtrack. The first Front Line Assembly album I ever bought was Implode which contains much sampling of dialogue and music cues from both Mimic and Event Horizon. It’s been on the idea board to write *something* about this. We shall see what I come up with.

Elmer Batters Polaroid

I am a huge fan of the stockings photography of Elmer Batters. Back in 2015 Michele and I were able to visit an Elmer Batters and Eric Stanton exhibit that Taschen Books was curating in LA. Lots of great art and photography, and polaroids too!

There was an option to buy the polaroids, but at that point I didn’t have the funds to do so.

Fast forward to autumn 2022 and I was able to work with Taschen to procure a an original Batters Polaroid:

Elmer Batters, unknown model.

The polaroid was taken in the 1970s and it is awesome. The model is unfortunately unknown. It’s a fairly conservative Batters piece and I adore it.

The back of the frame the polaroid came in was autographed by Dian Hanson, known for many of the pinup books and Big Book Ofs that Taschen published (I cited her Big Butt Book for my masters thesis). Sincere thanks to Bernard at Taschen for coordinating all of this.

Rest in Peplum

French actress Mylène Demongeot passed away on December 1st (Deadline Article).

Promotional image from IMDB.

She starred in peplum and peplum-adjacent films such as:

  • The Giant of Marathon (1959)
  • Romulus and the Sabines (1961)
  • Gold for the Caesars (1963)
Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2022-06-05

Personal / Website News

New Episode of H. P. Lovecast

Our monthly Transmissions program went up last Tuesday.

Thumbnail by Michele Brittany.

This episode concluded our May Music Month. We interviewed Thomas Blakeley and Matt Toronto of the musical A Dream at the End of Time, and Dorian Williamson and Jim Field of the dark ambient band Northumbria.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 12 – A Dream at the End of Time and Northumbria – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

The episode can be streamed via our Buzzsprout website, via the embedded player above, or via our podcast app of preference.

For June, we will be talking about the film Cthulhu Mansion on our primary episode, and interviewing Robert Ottone and Lora Senf on our Transmissions episode. Stay tuned!

The New Peplum Citation

Kevin Wetmore’s essay, “In the Green Zone with the Ninth Legion: The Post-Iraq Roman Film” has been cited in Óscar Lapeña Marchena’s essay “Defendiendo el limes desde Britannia hasta Irak: nuevos enfoques bélicos en el cine de romanos del siglo XXI” in the book Pantallas en guerra.

Cover taken from Google Search

Marchena previously cited Wetmore’s essay in “La recepción de la guerra en la antigua Roma a través del cine: un estado de la cuestión.”

Unofficial Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

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

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

General Neo-Peplum News

Recent Acquisitions

During a trip to Bookman’s last week I happened upon this EC Comics collection:

I already have the EC Comics collection of Valor comics and wasn’t thinking of Two-Fisted Tales since it seemed centered on war narratives. But there were quite a few pre-1900s battles in the comic and there just happened to be a peplum one:

It’s called “Pigs of the Roman Empire” and I am glad I happened upon it. I’ll now have to keep an eye out for other EC collections that just might have more sword and sandal stories in them.

Of course, obligatory seamed stockings panel.

On Sunday Michele and I went off to Zia’s Records looking for treasure. The metal section is always a treasure trove of pepla-music. I happened upon Visions of Atlantis’ Pirates album.

Believe I’ve said on a prior news post, to some pirates are pepla to others they are not. I like to toss in news about pirate-pepla when I can. I’d never heard of Visions of Atlantis (Greek mythology name there!) and the cover of their Pirates album seemed to promise pirate metal in the vein of Alestorm. But I was wrong! It’s symphonic power metal and it’s damn good! So good I plucked up the vinyl and the CD.

For dirt cheap I also happened upon this Blu-ray boxset of Ben-Hur. I actually do not have a copy of Ben-Hur in the sword and sandal collection, so that’s been rectified. The boxset is big, but unlike the Troy boxset I did an article on, there isn’t much in here. I think I’ll still do a quick unboxing article later this week. Content is content, ya know.

Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2022-02-06

Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot Listing

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

Active and Lifetime members of the Horror Writers Association who would like to read my essay for final ballot consideration (which closes February 15th) you can find it online at Academia.edu. Note: if there is a big ad in the way taking up the screen, just hit the X at the top right. Academia.edu is silly that way.

New Issue of Exotica Moderne

Issue fourteen of Exotica Moderne is now out!

Celebrating my newest publication with a Death & Co. inspired Mai Tai

This issue contains my interview with New Zealand stockings/pinup model Miss Corsair Debonair and it can be purchased at the House of Tabu website.

Things in the Well Closing Shop

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

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

Highlander Call for Papers

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

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

Unofficial Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

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

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

General Neo-Peplum News

Rest in Peplum

Monica Vitti, who stared in many, many Italian auteur films, passed away at the age of 90 (article at CNN.com).

She starred in the Medieval peplum/comedy film On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who… which is also known as The Chastity Belt.

The Sword and the Sorcerer Release

Shout Factory announced they are doing a 4K/Blu-ray release of the Albert Pyun sword and sorcery film, The Sword and the Sorcerer, which is slated for a March 15th release.

I actually have not seen this film since most older releases are way OOP so you better believe I pre-ordered this. Side note: I dig Albert Pyun films, with Cyborg and Nemesis being my favorites.

Zeus Super Bowl Commerical

I’m always down for some neo-peplum commercials (anyone remember the Gladiator/Jif one from last year?)

Per Cinema Blend, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek will star as Zeus and Hera respectively in a series of Super Bowl ads for BMW.

I love buying art prints and getting commissions done when at comic books cons. I’ve made lots of friends over the years going to cons and I’ve accumulated quite a bit of art!

I was only passingly familiar with Les Edwards, due to him doing the cover art of Hero Quest, but I am certain I’ve seen his sword and sorcery artwork in other places. Recently, I am not sure where, but I saw his art piece, The Invocation, and I was just mesmerized by it. Simply a beautiful piece. Yes, there is a naked lady featured prominently, but the sky in the background – I am always in awe in powerful skies. When I see a cloud filled sky, be it ominous with storm clouds or full of huge, puffy white ones, I get that feeling of “something big is coming.” The Invocation does that.

Anywho, turns out Edwards has a website and sells prints of his work. So, I ordered a print of The Invocation.

Even autographed to me. I love it.

On Sunday Michele and I went to Half Price Books (we had not been in a while) to scour material for some of our respective projects.

I may double dipped on that Historic Epics boxset, but if I did, it’s in an inaccessible box. For sure though I didn’t have that Hail, Caesar! soundtrack. Coen Brothers films usually have fantastic soundtracks, and since Hail, Caesar! is a fantastic neo-peplum and one of the source films that launched The New Peplum, I had to pluck it up.