Tag: Vanya

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News

News Roundup: August 2026

Personal / Website News

August was a fantastic and productive month! Four (!!!) articles up at my website along with the release of Troy and Vanya #10’s digital edition. Looking forward to the autumnal season, see what spooky stuff I can put out there.

Flesh of all Sorrows Reviews

First article up at my website in August was my review of Jeffrey Mariotte’s new book, Flesh of All Sorrows.

Cover depicts the rear of a white van, its red tail lights beaming. Next to it is a man standing, hidden in a shadow. In front of him/the rear of the van, on the road, is a red high heel shoe. On the horizon is a set of men's eyes looking menacing.
Flesh of All Sorrows cover by Greg Chapman.

I had the honour to meet Mariotte back in 2025. I did an interview with him about being the guest of honour at the 2025 ECOF event in Willcox (read that here), and of course there is my write up of said event (which can be read here).

In 2026 Mariotte has a slew of books coming out, such as a new Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn, but also this one, Flesh of All Sorrows, which takes place on the outskirts of Phoenix, where I live. So, it was fun reading a crime story in an area I know!

Anywho, check out my review here and consider plucking up a copy!

Cavewoman Reviews

My retrospective deep dive of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series continues with “Bunny Ranch” and “Natural Selection” #1.

“Bunny Ranch”

First up is my review of the one-shot issue “Bunny Ranch”.

Cover shows Meriem wearing her trademark leopard print bikini top and bottom. She is staying in the middle of the jungle. She is holding a bunny in the palm of her upturned right hand. Her left hand is petting a baby T-rex. There are a few other baby T-rexes hanging in the foilage.
Personal copy of Cavewoman – Bunny Ranch.

I’ll be honest, I found this one shot issue to be pretty bad. There were many fumbled balls with this one. But, that is to be expected when looking at individual entries in a decades-long running series such as Cavewoman. My review of “Bunny Ranch” can be read here.

“Natural Selection” #1

The next review for the Cavewoman series I did for August for for the first issue of “Natural Selection”.

Cover shows Mona (left) and Meriem (right) fighting each other. Mona has blonde hair, Meriem dark. Meriem has her right hand on Mona's neck, and Mona has her hand on Meriem's hand trying to pull her away. Both are looking at each other wide eyed making "grrrr" faces. Both are wearing skimpy attire showing off lots of skin.
Personal copy of Natural Selection issue 1. This variant does not have any titles/logos on the cover.

This is the first issue I’ve covered in this retrospective that was done by other Cavewoman series mainstay, Devon Massey. The art style is a little jarring when compared to Rob Durham’s, but regardless this was a fun issue! This review can be read here.

My next Cavewoman review will be on issue two of “Natural Selection” and will be published in September. That will followed by the three issue “Gangster” series, so stay tuned!

Death Nell Issue 3 Review

As I eagerly await the physical release of Bad Bug’s issue 10 of Vanya, I realized I have yet to wrap up my reviews of their series Death Nell! My last review, which was of issue two, was last summer! Fail.

Cover shows Nell, wearing black and purple stripped stockings, and 2 giant sailor moon hair funs sitting on a purple bed or couch. It looks blood soaked. There are green flowing tentacles around her legs. She is wearing sneakers. Behind her is a window with the moon beaming through. On the couch/bed are thin vials of different colors. Nell is holding a vial and vapor is emitting from it. She is beckoning with her finger as if saying "Come closer".
Death Nell #3 Aleriia V Cover.

So, I am going to rectify that. My review of issue three of Death Nell is online and can be found here. I loved this issue!

Issue four’s review I hope to have published in September and then issue five, the last one of the original series, in October. Right in time for Halloween!

Troy from Arrow Video

One of the big news for me comes from something pretty small. Arrow Video released their edition of Troy (2004) in mid-August, and those looking at the production credits page in the booklet will see your’s truly listed in the special thanks!

4K Blu-ray of Troy. The clip cover shows the head of the Trojan Horse, and it is on fire. Next to it is the booklet for the release, with the page open to the production credits. There is a special thanks section and Nicholas Diak is the second name listed.
Personal copy of Troy on 4K and booklet with production credits.

I was contacted by the producer for this release for some materials to be reprinted in the booklet which I was super more than happy to help with. It was an extremely small part in this fantastic re-release, but a part none-the-less. A bucket list item crossed off: be a part of a sword and sandal movie in some capacity. But, very honored to be part of it all.

For those curious, do check out my unboxing write up of the old Troy director’s cut boxset, which can be found here.

Vanya #10 – Digital Compendium

The digital edition of issue 10 of Vanya was released in late August by Bad Bug. I’ve been covering the series as part of my (unofficial?) neo-jungle girl comics series. My review of the last physical issue, #9, can be read here, and links to all the other issues can be found at the bottom of the page.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

For the digital edition of the issue, there also came with it a compendium of character bios, a short story, but also a “story so far” write up. Yours truly got to compose the “story so far”, so that was really cool to do. So, for folks who backed the Kickstarter and got a digital edition, you’ll be able to see the “story so far” file. I’m, credited in the, uh, file name.

PangoBooks Bookstore

I have an online bookstore at Pangobooks were I am selling books I no longer need, duplicates, etc. I have lots of horror, sci-fi, non-fiction, OOP, and weird books, so make sure to check my store out. Purchases help me out greatly!

Michele also has a store, so check that out as well.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover depicts the witch of the bone tribe. She has on a hood and a skirt made of bones. She is holding a scepter with a skull atop (that looks like it is wearing a viking helmet) and its eyes are glowing. She stands at the edge of a cliff, and from the cliff a dragon is silhouette emerges. It has glowing eyes and mouth.
Vanya #10 with cover by Zoran Jovicic and Bryan Magnaye.

“The story so far” included in the digital compendium for Vanya #10, August 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover shows Tarzan and his monkey familiar Nima, traversing through a tree.
National Capital Panthans Journal #349. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #349, June 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. Shows a caveman and a cavewoman, the caveman swinging a club.
National Capital Panthans Journal #350. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“We Are Barbarians: Interview with Mike Dubisch and Tom Simmons on I Am a Barbarian” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #350, July 2026.

Original can be read here.

Black and white cover. It shows Tarzan holding a spear, walking. Around him, chilling, are two lions and 2 rhinos.
National Capital Panthans Journal #351. Cover by David Michael Beck.

“Release the Subterranean Kraken: Cavewoman: Extinction” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #351, August 2026.

Original can be read here.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

The Return

Raise of hands for the folks who totally forgot that another Odyssey movie dropped like a year or so ago!

Standard Blu-ray blue case. Cover is a close up shot of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche's faces. Fiennes is holding a bow and is sporting a grayish beard.
Personal copy of The Return on Blu-ray.

That’s The Return (2024), and it has Ralph Fiends and Juliette Binoche. I want to say this movie entered my radar when it was originally announced, and I totally forgot about it. I guess that is what happens when you don’t have the big Hollywood marketing machine backing you up? Anywho, plucked this up up, excited to give it a watch. Fiennes is a neo-peplum veteran, with Clash/Wrath of the Titans, so that will be great!

Devil’s Sword

Indonesian sword and sorcery? Yes please?

Blu-ray slipcover shows a princess-type lady, wearing a tiara and with armored shoulders. Behind her are 4 green lizard people with glowing red eyes.
Personal copy of Devil’s Sword in Blu-ray with slipcover.

I learned of Devil’s Sword after is had long been out of print from Mondo Macabro. I saw the trailer and it looked like a trip – one I would love to take! I just happened upon it got a new release at Terror Vision, so had to snag this before it became OOP again.

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

After a small break, Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, is back! The duo pick up talking about Dark Skies with episode one of the second season:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online.

First is “Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1990s“:

Monster Mania: Monster Toys of the 1990s – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then “Monster Mania: Silver Bullet“:

Monster Mania: Silver Bullet – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 1“:

Monster Mania: Grab Bag Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally “Monster Mania: Monster Squad“:

Monster Mania: Monster Squad – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page. Give them a follow!

Jeffrey Mariotte’s Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman

Aside from the aforementioned Flesh of All Sorrows (see review link above), Jeffrey Mariotte had a second book published in August! This is part of the America 250 series from Dusty Saddle Publishing and it is called Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman.

Cover says: America 250 - Billy the Kid Cheat the Hangman - Jeffrey J. Mariotte. The cover shows Billy the Kid, wearing a hat, a vest, looking like a cowboy. Behind him is a lake and mountains.
Cover of Billy the Kid: Cheat the Hangman.

The novella can be purchased on Amazon. Also, check out Mariotte’s Substack entry about the writing of this novella.

Categories
News

News Roundup: May 2026

Personal / Website News

Cavewoman: “Snow” Issue One

It is May going on to June, so it only seems fitting that the next review I am doing of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series is the four issue “Snow” miniseries.

Cover is all white, with blobs of snow falling. Meriem the cavewoman stands in the center, looking up. She has flowing hair. She has a white fur hood on (but not covering her head), a leopard print bikini top and bottom.
Personal copy of Cavewoman, Snow #1.

An early winter sets in Marshville, and Meriem, the titular Cavewoman, has to deal with brownouts, egotistical townsfolk, the bitter cold, an expedition to a tar pit, and so much more. My review for issue one of “Snow” can be read here.

Antonio Margheriti Jungle Films Boxset

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Italian director Antonio Margheriti. I’ve been collecting his work for years, did my masters thesis on his film, Castle of Blood, and continue to write about his movies every so often.

Boxset with three black-cased Blu-ray/4Ks.
The Antonio Margheriti & The Jungles of Doom boxset.

Imagine my excitement when Severin Film put out a boxset of Margheriti’s Raiders of the Lost Ark knockoffs! Just for fun I dug out my old VHS and DVD copies of these films and put them side by side with the new Severin release. Check that out here.

Exotica Moderne #31 Released

Physical copies of Exotica Moderne #31 are officially out! This issue contains my interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well, the filmmakers behind the documentary, The Donn of Tiki.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

Issues, as well as bundles with this issue, can be purchased at the House of Tabu website. Here is the product link.

Troy UHD/Blu-ray Release from Arrow Video

I always get excited when a neo-peplum film gets a new release. Arrow Video officially announced on Friday the 29th that they are putting out a limited edition of the Wolfgang Petersen epic film, Troy, in both UHD and Blu-ray formats this August.

A Blu-ray slip case. It has a black border with a gold trim of waves. The center is red and shows a wooden horse head (Trojan Horse) on fire. Behind that is a Blu-ray case proper that shows the top half of the release, it shows Brad Pitt and Eric Bana clashing swords. To the right of that is a booklet with brad pit on the cover. Below that is a stack of three discs of the movie.
Product photo of Limited Edition of Troy from Arrow Video.

I am double exited about this release because I got to contribute to it in a small way! I was able to provide some Troy ephemera that is being reprinted in the booklet and I get to be credited as a release contributor in the notes. In other words I get to be part of a bonafide sword and sandal release! I am beyond stoked!

That, of course, means I got to spread the word. Definitely pre-order this edition of Troy. It has the theatrical cut, director’s cut, and loads and loads of extras. It can be pre-ordered at the Arrow Video web store.

Panthans Journal #348

The April issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue nine of Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original can be read here.

A future issue of Panthans will see a reprint of my interview with Tom Simmons and Mike Dubisch about their comic book adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ I am a Barbarian.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

The New Peplum Reviewed

A new review of The New Peplum pops up!

The New Peplum book. The cover is a scene from the Rock version of Hercules - it shows Hercules and his companions and small army behind him.
Cover art for The New Peplum

The Midwest Book Review has published a positive review of The New Peplum at their website, which can be read here. Check it out, and if the review moves you, consider plucking up a copy at McFarland.

Scholars from the Edge of Time – Hercules (1983)

For the May episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time, Nicholas and Michele go back to the Italo-Disco 80s and watch the Lou Ferrigno Hercules!

Standard Blu-ray case. Cover art shows Lou Ferrigno Hercules, holding a sword and a shield. With the shield he is repelling a laser blast from a robot dragon. Cassiopeia has an arm around his left though. Behind them is Sybil Danning holding a sword.
Personal copy of Hercules ’83 on Blu-ray.

I liked it! Michele… not so much. Want to hear what we have to say? Give it a watch on YouTube.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is deep in the jungle. Tarzan knees on a large tree branch with Jane behind him. They look like they are scouting.
National Capital Panthans Journal #348. Cover by Mark Wheatley.

“The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #348, May 2026.

Original can be read here.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

NEPCA Monsters & the Montrous Area 2026

The Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association (a.k.a. NEPCA) seeks proposals for inclusion in NEPCA’s 2026 annual conference.

The event will run as a virtual conference from Thursday, October 15th, through Saturday, October 17th. Virtual sessions will take place via Zoom throughout the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Registration will open up in mid-July. The registration fee is expected to be around 50 USD.

The Monsters & the Monstrous Area welcomes proposals that investigate any of the things, whether mundane or marvelous, that scare us. Through our sessions, we hope to pioneer fresh explorations into the darker sides of the intermedia traditions of the fantastic (including, but not restricted to, aspects of fairy tale, fantasy, gothic, horror, legend, mythology, and science fiction) by illuminating how creative artists have both formed and transformed our notions of monsters within these sub-traditions in texts from various countries, time periods, and media and for audiences at all levels. Our primary goal is to foster a better understanding of monsters in general and to examine their impact on those who receive their stories as well as on the world at large.

In addition, as a component of the Northeast Popular Culture Association, the Monsters and the Monstrous Area is also especially interested in fostering discussion and debate on the monsters and the monstrous of the Northeastern United States (here defined as New England and New York). Topics might include the Borden Family Murders, the Bridgewater Triangle,  the Legends of Sleepy Hollow, the New England Gothic tradition, the New England Vampire Panic, the New England Witchcraft Hysteria, and the life, works, and legacies of local Gothic/horror authors such as Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Joe Hill, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and H. P. Lovecraft. 

NEPCA prides itself on holding conferences that emphasize sharing ideas in a non-competitive and supportive environment. We welcome proposals from graduate students, independent scholars, disciplinary professionals, junior faculty, and senior scholars. NEPCA conferences offer intimate and nurturing sessions in which new ideas and works-in-progress can be aired, as well as completed projects.

The call will be open until Monday, June 15, by 5 pm EDT. Submissions should be made directly at https://www.northeastpca.org/call-for-papers. This site offers full information on the submission process and a link to send your proposal to us. If you have any questions about the conference, please reach out to the Executive Secretary, Lance Eaton (northeastpopculture@gmail.com).

Questions on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be directed to the area chair, Michael A. Torregrossa (popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com). The area maintains a series of blogs that offer resources and potential topics. Please access them at Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture (https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/).

Rest in Peplum: George Eastman

On May 19th legendary Italian cult film actor George Eastman (Luigi Montefiori) passed away. A true end of an era of Italian genre and exploitation cinema. He didn’t really do much peplum (Fellini Satyricon [1969]) as he arrived on the scene after that filone has passed. He started in the spaghetti westerns.

However in the 80s, Eastman was in many pasta-pocalypse films and sword and sorcery flicks, all featuring strong men, gladiators, barbarians, etc. etc. Basically, 80s pepla.

  • Ironmaster (1983)
  • The New Barbarians (1983)
  • 2020 Texas Gladiators (1983)
  • The Barbarians (1987)
Blu-ray of Ironmaster.
Personal copy of Ironmaster.
Blu-ray of The Barbarians.
Personal copy of The Barbarians.

I’ve watched numerous films Eastman has been a part of (Emanuelle Around the World [1977] probably being my favourite). Michele and I have talked about a few of his films on Scholars from the Edge of Time:

A true #RestInPeplum for this icon!

News from Friends

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

New Ride the Stream Episodes

New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo continue their episode by episode commentary of the series Dark Winds.

First is their discussion of episode two from season two:

Here is episode three from season two:

And episode four from season two:

Episode five:

And finally episode six:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Pete and Bernie continue their Monster Mania with these episodes:

Monster Mania: Cryptids Trivia:

Monster Mania: Cryptids Trivia – Fan2Fan Podcast

And Monster Mania: 1980s Movie Monsters:

Monster Mania: 1980s Movie Monsters – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by Monster Mania: Stranger Things Tales of ’85:

Monster Mania: Stranger Things Tales of '85 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And concluding the month with Monster Mania: Top 3 Classic Fiends and Giant Freaks:

Monster Mania: Top 3 Classic Fiends and Giant Freaks – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page.

Boston Metaphysical Society Vol 3 Kickstarter

Madeleine Holly-Rosing has a new Kickstarter campaign going for her long running Boston Metaphysical Society comic series.

Cover is purple-ish. in the center is a wooden building with 2 antenna coming from the top and lightning bolts radiating from it. There is a border of gears around the cover. Four circular portraits of the main characters, one in each corner.
Mock up of cover of Boston Metaphysical Society vol 3 by Claudia Ianniciello.

The Kickstarter campaign can be found here.

Quo Vadis at Bible Films Blog

Matt Page at the Bible Films Blog has a new article at his website, this one on the 1925 version of Quo Vadis.

Poster shows a naked dude, grabbing a bull by its horns, while a blonde naked lady lays atop the bull.
Quo Vadis (1924) movie poster (from IMDB).

His write up can be read here.

New Michele Brittany Crafting Video

Michele has a new video up at her YouTube channel, this one recapping all her loot from going to the Brass Armadillo over in Goodyear, AZ. Check it out here or in the player below.

Abandoned Asylum Kickstarter

James Chambers and Raw Dog Screaming (aroooo) Press are launching a Kickstarter on June 2nd to fund an anthology called Abandoned Asylum.

Cover shows a rusty door ajar.
Cover art for Abandoned Asylum.

Chambers has edited some great anthologies (Even in the Grave and Under Twin Suns), and Raw Dog Screaming Press has published some awesome books (Bestial Mouths by Brenda S. Tolian, Attack from the 80s, Beyond the Bounds of Infinity, many more). You’ll definitely want to check Abandoned Asylum. The campaign can be followed here.

Categories
News

News Roundup: April 2026

Personal / Website News

I did not get much published at my website in April, but that does not mean a lot of news didn’t happen!

GosT/Perturbator Concert Archival Write Up

James Lollar, the mastermind behind the dark/synthwave band GosT passed away earlier this month. He was a pioneer of the retrowave genre.

GosT in a skeletal mask, behind a cloth covered table, playing electronic instruments.
GosT performing.

I was lucky to have seen GosT perform with Perturbator back in 2017. I did a concert write up that was published at Heathen Harvest, but that website is long since dead. Since it has been on my radar to bring some of my old articles back online and host them here, and I want to do what I can to help keep Lollar’s memory eternal, I’ve gone ahead and dug up my concert report and put it online. I’ve also included more photos than the original publication.

My republished write up can be read here. Enjoy!

Exotica Moderne #31

It has been a few years since my last piece being published in Exotica Moderne, but I am back!

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

Back in November 2025 I had the honour to interview Alex Lamb and Max Well, the filmmakers behind the documentary The Donn of Tiki. That interview will be published in the next issue of Exotica Moderne, which is issue #31. In fact, orders for that issue are already being taken at the House of Tabu website (product link).

I have other article ideas that have been on the back burner for Exotica Moderne, such as an essay on Secret of the Incas. It is probably a good time to realize them. Exotica Moderne has always been a great periodical and one of the best venues I have ever written for.

Vanya #10 Compendium

The neo-jungle girl comic series Vanya: The Lost Warrior (which I’ve covered extensively at my website here) had a successful Kickstarter this month to fund issue ten.

Banner says "Vanya: the lost warrior - cover D by Ignacio Noe. Launching April 14th on Kickstarter". The banner shows Vanya, holding a vine in her left hand, looking kind of angry, as a T-rex rampages in the jungle behind her. In the distance a volcano erupts.
Vanya 10 Kickstarter Banner

One of the items every backer will receive with their pledge is a digital compendium that includes supplemental material, such as character bios, universe lore, a short story, and even a recap of what transpired from issues one to nine to allow folks a quick way round catch up in the story.

I was humbled and honored to be asked by the Bad Bug Editor in Chief, and writer of Vanya, Mike Tener, to write this summary to be included in the compendium! So, keep an eye out here, or the various Bad Bug outlets (Facebook link here) for news on how the development of issue ten goes.

Panthans Journal #347

The April issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a reprint of my review of issue eight of Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original can be read right here.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Fan2Fan Podcast Appearance

I had the honour to appear on two episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast that were published this month.

First, Michele and I are both guests on the episode where the topic is the 90s monster film, The Relic.

Thumbnail with a big monster on it that has teeth and looks rubbery. It says "F2F - New Fan2Fan Podcast! Monster Mania! The Relic"
Fan2Fan Podcast Thumbnail for The Relic episode.

It is a good movie, and a unique monster in that decade between the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. The episode can be streamed at the Fan2Fan website here or in the player below:

Monster Mania – The Relic – Fan2Fan Podcast

Next up there is an episode where I talk generally about the different Lovecraft monsters out there, from Cthulhu to Azathoth.

Banner says: F2F New Fan2Fan Podcast! Monster Mania! Lovecraft Monsters.
Fan2Fan – Lovecraft Monsters

That episode can be streamed here or in the player below.

Monster Mania: Lovecraft's Creatures – Fan2Fan Podcast

Sincere appreciation to Bernie and Pete of Fan2Fan for having Michele and I on as guests!

Scholars from the Edge of Time

For Scholars from the Edge of Time for April Michele and I went old school via new school and watched the new Deathstalker film. To sum it up: it ruled.

Graphic novel is hardback and has a wraparound of the original movie poster. The Blu-ray shows all the characters collage together with mountains behind them.
Deathstalker the graphic novel and the Deathstalker remake on Blu-ray.

Listen to our musings about this reinterpretation of a classic 80s S&S series on YouTube.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover shows a blonde pinup girl, earring a tiki top and skit. She is holding a cocktail glass in her right hand. She is leaning against a palm tree. She is on the beach, with a wave crashing behind her and a mountain in the distance. The sky is blue-green with a few clouds. There is a parrot flying toward her. At her feet are some shells.
Exotica Moderne #31

“Tellers of Tales: Interview with Alex Lamb and Max Well on The Donn of Tiki” in Exotica Moderne #31, May 2026.

Product page at House of Tabu.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

A black and white cover. It shows a four armed alien holding swords and a bow. Next to it is an alien gorilla.
National Capital Panthans Journal #347.

“Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #347, April 2026.

Original can be read here.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Dragon Age: Worlds of Power and Play

Edited by Adam Crowley (Husson University) and Daniel Reardon (Missouri University of Science and Technology) 

The Dragon Age franchise (BioWare, 2009–present) stands as one of the most narratively and philosophically ambitious bodies of work in contemporary role-playing games. Across its major titles, the series constructs a world shaped by conflict, belief, and consequence—where institutions govern bodies, identities are contested, and player choice operates within systems that both enable and constrain action. 

This edited collection invites scholars to examine Dragon Age as a site of meaning-making across narrative, mechanical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions. We seek contributions that engage the series not simply as a set of texts, but as a structured system in which power, identity, agency, and belief are produced, negotiated, and experienced. 

This collection takes a comprehensive view of the franchise, including Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. At the same time, Dragon Age operates as a transmedia world rather than a closed set of game texts. We therefore welcome contributions that engage the broader narrative and paratextual ecosystem of the series, including novels, comics, strategy guides, codices, and reference works such as The World of Thedas volumes, as well as screen-based media such as Dragon Age: Redemption and animated adaptations. Essays may focus on a single game, trace developments across multiple titles, or examine how meaning emerges through the interaction of game systems and transmedia storytelling. We are particularly interested in work that attends to the relationship between narrative, system design, and player experience across these materials. 

Areas of Interest 

1. Power, Authority, and Institutions 

Essays in this category may examine the structures that organize and regulate life in Thedas, including the Chantry, the Circles of Magi, the Templar Order, and the Inquisition. Approaches may include political theory, rhetorical analysis of governance, institutional critique, and studies of legitimacy, surveillance, and control.

2. Identity, Embodiment, and Otherness

This section invites work on race, gender, sexuality, and the body within Dragon Age. Topics may include the construction of elven, Qunari, dwarven, and human identities; representations of difference and marginalization; romance and intimacy systems; and the relationship between player identity and character embodiment. 

3. Systems, Choice, and Player Agency 

Contributions may explore how Dragon Age structures player action through dialogue systems, branching narratives, and moral decision-making frameworks. We welcome analyses of agency, constraint, consequence, and the role of the player as a co-creator within designed systems. 

4. Lore, Worldbuilding, and Transmedia Storytelling 

This category focuses on the narrative architecture of Dragon Age across games, codices, novels, comics, and other media. Topics may include paratexts, environmental storytelling, worldbuilding practices, and the role of distributed narrative in shaping player understanding. 

5. Ethics, Belief, and Moral Philosophy 

Essays may address the ethical and philosophical questions at the heart of Dragon Age, including justice, faith, sacrifice, and moral responsibility. We invite work that engages the series’ treatment of belief systems, divine authority, and the player’s role in navigating complex moral landscapes. 

Please submit proposals by June 1, 2026. Drafted chapters will be due September 15, 2026. 

Submission Guidelines

  • Abstracts: Maximum 750 words 
  • Include: Title, abstract, and brief bio (100–150 words) 
  • Format: Word document (.docx) 
  • Email submissions to: reardond@mst.edu 

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

Goliath and the Barbarians and Goliath and the Vampires

Michele and I went down to Tucson in mid-April to catch the Ray Harryhausen exhibit (that write up is forthcoming!) but also explore a little bit of the city. We wound up going to Booksmans on Speedway and one of the treasure I found in the cult movie section was this Goliath double feature.

Clear DVD Case. Top says "A Goliath Spectacular Double-Feature Program!" The bottom says "Another great double bill from Wild East". Center of the DVD sleeve shows two posters, one for each film. Goliath and the Barbarians shows Steve Reeves in shackles, with a fleet of horse back riders under him, and a woman in a red skirt holding a torch. Goliath and the vampires shows two strong men wrestling in a case. Two women look on, a man in a crown in the back holds a thunderbolt. A silhouette is at the cave entrance.
Personal copy of the Wild East 2 movie set of Goliath and the Barbarians and Goliath and the Vampires.

Looks like the company who put this out, Wild East, closed their doors earlier this decade. They seemed to have specialized in spaghetti westerns, with this Goliath and the Barbarians / Goliath and the Vampires DVD being their sole sword and sandal output. This looks like a lot of fun!

Rest in Peplum: Gerry Conway

At the end of April comic book legend Gerry Conway passed away. Conway appeared at many of the comic book conventions in the LA area and I had the honour to meet him a few times. Here is a picture of the first time I met him back in 2014:

Nick Diak and Gerry Conway at Gerry's Booth. We both have on glasses. He has short, red hair. We both have black shirts on, and an open over shirt over those.
Meeting Gerry Conway at a 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo.

Conway is probably best known for co-creating the Punisher, but I revered him for his contributions to the sword and sorcery genre. He wrote Conan the Destroyer (1984) and the Ralph Bakshi animated Fire and Ice (1983).

Standard blu-ray case. The sleeve is the poster art for the film. At the top is says Fire (in red) and Ice (in blue). There is an axe wielding barbarian standing on a cliff edge. In front of him is an amazing lady with a purple bikini top and black hair. There is a blonde warrior holding a dagger. Lunding at them looks to be a goblin or orc.
Personal copy of Fire and Ice Blu-ray autographed by Conway, Gordon, and Tataranowicz.

One of my prized sword and sorcery possessions is my Blu-ray of Fire and Ice signed by Conway, and artists/animators Steven E. Gordon and Tom Tataranowicz.

A true, sincere rest in peplum to Conway.

News from Friends

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

New Ride the Stream Episodes

New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo continue their deep dive into the sci-fi series Falling Skies.

Here is their discussion on season one episode seven:

Episode eight:

Episode nine:

And episode ten:

After this Ride the Stream pivots to talk about Dark Winds. Here is their analysis of season one episode one:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Pete and Bernie continue their discussions on different monster movies. Aside from the two monster movies episodes mentioned above, here are the others that dropped in April.

First they have an episode on Pumpkinhead:

Monster Mania: Pumpkinhead – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then one on Godzilla:

Monster Mania: Godzilla – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by another Godzilla episode:

Monster Mania: Godzilla Versus – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally, an episode titled “When Monsters Lose Their Mojo“:

Monster Mania: When Monsters Lose Their Mojo – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2FanFacebook page.

The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove by Ian Welke

Author Ian Welke has a new book that just came out! It is called The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove and it is a loose sequel to The Azure Cove Assignment which came out last year. The cover art is done by Kelly Lyon-King.

Cover is a square within a circle. The circle has obelisks jutting out of it and from those there are tree branches. Inside the square are leaves and 4 eyes. It looks like a burst of water is happening behind the odd sigil type thing.
The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove by Ian Welke (photo provided by Welke)

The Many Worlds Interpretation of Azure Cove can be found on Amazon.

Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn by Jeffrey J. Mariotte

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. announced that pre-orders are now open for the brand new ERB Universe novella, Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn. This book is penned by the prolific Jeffrey J. Mariotte, the guest of honour at last year’s Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship.

Cover shows a woman in Native American attire, holding a rifle, standing on a cliff made of debris, next to a lion.
Beyond Thirty: A World Reborn cover by Daren Bader.

The product page for all the different editions of this novella can be found here at the ERB website.

Categories
News

News Roundup: March 2026

Personal / Website News

Vanya #9 Review

A new Vanya review is now up and online at my website! Check out my write up of issue nine right here.

Cover is a scene at night. Vanya stands over a campfire, spear in hand. On a tree root next to her is a saber tooth tiger with a scar across its right eye. Beams of moonlight filter through the jungle foliage.
Vanya #09 cover by Zoran Jovicic.

This effectively puts me back to being current with all the published Vanya issues so far (digital and physical), so that means my next review won’t happen for quite a few months as issue ten gets made. In the meantime, to fill that gap, I’ll be busting out reviews for three other comics: Death Nell, Becca Boo, and Budd Root’s Cavewoman. Death Nell is a completed series, so I will get that reviewed soon (think I have three issues left?). Becca Boo is ongoing, but I am a few issues behind. For Cavewoman, I have a stack of issues I collected back in the 2010s that I want to revisit, do reviews/retrospectives of, and have those parallel published both here at my website and at the National Capital Panthans Journal.

Cavewoman: “Extinction”

And with the above in, here is a Cavewoman review!

Cover shows Meriem being grabbed/surrounded by tentacles. She has her knife out ready to slash one.
Personal copy of Cavewoman: “Extinction”.

I’ve got a whole stack of Cavewoman in my collection from when I was collecting it from 2011 to 2014, though I have many gaps. I am going to try to cover them chronologically as they were published. With that in mind, my write up of the single shot issue “Extinction” is online and can be read here.

The next Cavewoman issues I’ll be jumping on is the four issue “Snow” series. I am going to be ambitious and shoot to publish one a month along with my other articles and projects. Cross fingers!

Hercules and the Captive Women Blu-ray Compares

A final article for my website this month (three articles in a month! wow!) is comparing the new Blu-rays of Hercules and the Captive Women.

Two blu-rays side by side. Both show the same poster art of a Hercules with legs apart and a woman framed between them, on her knees, with flames behind her.
The two Blu-rays of Hercules and the Captive Women.

It has been a hot minute since I’ve actually did something sword and sandal related, time to rectify that! Check out my write up here.

Panthans Journal #346

The March issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my micro fiction/short story “Journey to Agharti”. This story was originally published in Trickster’s Treats 3: The Seven Deadly Sins back in 2019, however that anthology has been out of print for quite a while now. It is nice that the story has a second life in the Panthans journal.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

For the March Scholars from the Edge of Time Michele and I discuss the mid 90s fighting mecha film Robo Warriors (1996).

Cover has the synthwave colors of lots of purple on darkness. It shows 2 giant robots fighting amount power lines, with bolts of electricity flying everywhere.
Personal copy of Robo Warriors on Blu-ray.

Giant robots fighting each other gladiator style? How can one go wrong? Well……

The episode can be watched on YouTube. As a side, one of the villains in the film, Quon, was played by James Tolkan (probably best known from Back to the Future). Tolkan passed away on the day we recorded this episode. RIP sir. 🙁

For April we are going to be discussing the new Deathstalker (2025) movie, so we are excited about that.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover is called "The Land that Time Forgot" by Mark Whetley. It shows a man, crouched on one knee, holding a rifle, with safari attire, but shirt open. Next to him he has a barking dog that kinda look like Benji. Behind there is a roaring T-rex, a triceratops, and pterodactyls flying.
National Capital Panthans Journal #346.

“Journey to Agharti” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #346, March 2026.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

Samson and His Mighty Challenge (Crappy DVD)

From the 2000s to the mid-2010 was probably the halcyon days of the DVD. They could be made cheap, and releases ranged from ornate editions to bottom of the barrel bargain releases. Companies like Alpha Video, Sinister Cinema, Something Weird Video, Mill Creek Entertainment, Brentwood Home Video, and many, many others released low cost, quasi-bootleg-ish genre videos on home video. Sometimes these were single DVDrs with a generic graphic design, sometimes they were mega multiple movie pack boxsets with names like “50 sci-fi greats”.

Right, wrong, indifferent, this was a thing and it filled a void. Sometimes the only way to see an old genre film was via these means. This, unfortunately, perpetuated shoddy releases of films that deserve better. Heavily cropped and edited films, ripped from five generations of VHS tapes was the norm.

Those days are gone. With streaming services as the dominate medium to watch films, physical releases are the exception. In order to compete with streaming services, physical editions have turned to being released by boutique labels, like Vinegar Syndrome and Severin Films, to stand out form the crowd. This means there is really no market for the inferior, made on the cheap, DVD/DVDr releases from 15 years prior.

Some companies still (kinda) hold on to this old model, and CFV Ent. (no website that I could find) is one of them. I say kinda because instead of making cheap releases to sell at a budget price, they are making cheap releases to sell for much higher markups.

The other month Michele and I did a Scholars from the Edge of Time episode on Hercules Returns (link here). The Vinegar Syndrome release of the film already had an original version of Samson and High Mighty Challenge on it, but I wanted a solo release. I turned to eBay and saw a copy from CFV Ent. (slide show below).

  • DVD that looks like it is in a slipcase. It says "Peplum Classics" at the top. The cover is the poster for the film, which shows Hercules tossing a soldier. The title is "Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili"
  • DVD looks kinda like the product picture, but no slip case. Instead it's a flimsy red DVD case and looks like it is printed from a home printer.
    Samson and His Mighty Challenge, CFV version, how it really looks.
  • Back of the very bootleg DVD.
    Samson and His Mighty Challenge, CFV version, how it really looks (back side)

Looking at the eBay picture, it obviously is a mockup, but it presents itself as a DVD in a slipcover. Though if you look at the bottom right of the image, the artwork and the sleeve appear to veer away from each other. I knew this was a cheap affair, but I was actually curious how cheap would it be. Was there a company out there actually putting care into releasing peplum films and giving them a modicum of dignity?

Heck no. Click through the slide show above to see what I got. Definitely not a slipcover. The DVD is in a red, rather flimsy case. The exterior insert is made from a home printer. The copyright notice on the back is hilarious:

This film (or version of film) has never been released on digital media in the United States. It is therefore considered public domain.

I am not expert on copyright law, but I am 99% sure that is not how that works.

Anywho, I wanted to share this release. This is sort of a caveat emptor post, I do want to highland the difference between how product is depicted vs. how product really is as there are a lot of these releases on eBay. But mostly to illustrate how the market has changed, especially on these old peplum films. Still no love on physical release, but at a higher price tag for even dodgier editions.

Wizards of the Demon Sword

During my research for Robo Warriors I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and somehow ended up discovering cult film director Fred Olen Ray made a sword and sorcery film. It’s called Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991) and stars Michael Berryman – hells yea!

DVD in standard black case. It has Michael Berryman on the cover, holding a dagger to the cheek of a woman. Behind him is a reptile. It has the Troma logo on it, so.... it's probably gonna be bad.
Personal copy of Wizards of the Demon Sword on DVD.

He was in The Barbarians (1987) which was a great 80s S&S film, so I could not pass plucking this one up! Though it does have Troma literally written all over it, so this could be rough.

News from Friends

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

New Ride the Stream Episodes

New episodes of Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata’s vidcast, Ride the Stream, are online. The duo continue their deep dive into the sci-fi series Falling Skies.

Here is their discussion on season one, episode four:

Episode five:

Episode six:

And episode seven:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop. There is also a BlueSky social media as well.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Pete and Bernie continue their discussions on different monster movies.

First there is “Monster Mania: Atomic Age Mutants & Mayhem“:

Monster Mania: Atomic Age Mutants & Mayhem – Fan2Fan Podcast

Next is “Monster Mania: Kaiju and Cryptids“:

Monster Mania: Kaiju and Cryptids – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then a quick break with “Rewind: Friday the 13th Franchise Part 2“:

Rewind: Friday the 13th Franchise Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And back to monsters with a series of episodes on King Kong, starting with “Monster Mania: King Kong 1933“:

Monster Mania: King Kong 1933 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Monster Mania: King Kong vs. Godzilla“:

Monster Mania: King Kong vs. Godzilla – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then “Monster Mania: King Kong 1976“:

Monster Mania: King Kong 1976 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference. There is also the Fan2Fan Facebook page.

The End is #Trending Kickstarter

The End is Trending, starring Dannie DeLisle, has a Kickstarter going.

Check out the campaign here.

Amityville Awakens

Robert P. Ottone has a brand new novel coming out called Amityville Awakens. The cover for the book just got revealed this past week:

Cover shows a screaming white face with kinda crooked teeth. The top of the person is actually the Amityville house - so the eyes are the circular/triangle windows. There is rubber underneath the house head.
Amityville Awakens by Robert P. Ottone.

A signed edition of Amityville Awakens can be pre-ordered from publisher Clash Books right here.

Michele’s Craft Books

Michele has been sharing her flip books and journals on her YouTube Channel:

A Tintin Postcard Book Junk Journal:

A Lady and the Tramp Golden Book:

And a Hug Book Golden Book:

Categories
News

News Roundup: February 2026

Personal / Website News

Vanya #8 Review

First new article for 2026 and it is a review of the adult, neo-jungle girl series Vanya!

Cover depicts Vanya, crouched in foliage, drawing back on a bow. It is kind of dark, with a little beam of light coming through the leaves. Her red hair is in a pony tail.
Vanya #08 standard cover by Zoran Jovicic and Zork Marinero.

I take a gander at issue eight from the series, and my review can be read right here. A review for issue nine will be published in early March.

H. P. Lovecast Podcast Returns

After over a year of hibernation the H. P. Lovecast Podcast is back!

Image shows the Synapse blu-ray boxset next to the Synapse DVD. On top of both is a well space Deadly Spawn toy. The DVD is autographed "Thanks Nick! Best Wishes, Douglas McKeown"
H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode 63 thumbnail – The Deadly Spawn

Recorded in January but published early February, we just dropped our first episode since November 29th, 2024. So, it has been a while. Sorry about that folks, things have just been busy with Michele and I juggling a lot of projects and doing real life stuff.

We return back with the great cult film and Lovecraftian horror movie, The Deadly Spawn (1983)! One of our favorites, it was great to talk about, so hear us discuss it at our Buzzsprout page here, at the player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

Ep 63 – The Deadly Spawn – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

The plan for our next episode is the 1991 Dan O’Bannon film The Resurrected.

Talkin’ Talkies Appearance

Author Robert P. Ottone, who has been a guest on our H. P. Lovecast Podcast (check out those appearances here and here), has his own vidcast called Talkin’ Talkies that he does via Instagram livestreaming/reels. I was super honored to be invited on his last episode to talk about non-Italian giallo films!

Square podcast thumbnail. Done in an old Golden Age of Hollywood style. There is a chevron style diamond in each corner. In the center is a film reel. It says Talkin' Talkies hosted by Robert O. Ottone.
Logo for Robert Ottone’s Talkin’ Talkies IG vidcast.

Aside from Ottone hosting and myself as a guest, the other two guests were some rad folks: Michael Varrati (co-host of Midnight Mass podcast) and Adam Allen (co-host of the Horrifically Well Read, Bled, and Said podcast). Check out their pages and podcasts.

The episode of Talkin’ Talkies I am on is hosted on Instagram, so you may have to be on your IG account on your mobile to view it. Here is the direct link. Sincere appreciation Rob for having me on!

Scholars from the Edge of Time

For February’s Scholars from the Edge of Time Michele and I talk about the 2010 neo-peplum film, Centurion.

Standard Blu-ray case. Cover shows A roman soldier swinging a sword at a legion of other soldiers. Above them are headshots of Olga Kurylenko, Michael Fassbender, and Dominic West.
Personal copy of Centurion on Blu-ray.

The episode can be streamed on YouTube.

Note: Centurion was heavily written about in Dr. Wetmore’s essay in The New Peplum. If you are curious, consider plucking up a copy of the book at McFarland.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

Hercules and the Captive Women Film Masters Blu-ray

Back in 2021 The Film Detective released a Blu-ray edition of Hercules and the Captive Women (1961) that was full of special editions, such as the MST3K version of the film, documentaries and commentaries (PeplumTV did a review of the release and compared it to other versions. It can be read here).

Standard blu-ray case. Cover is mostly white. It shows the legs of a Hercules character, with a goblet in hand, spilling out. Between his legs is a blonde woman in a blue top and bottom. There are flames behind her. You know that poster for the Bond film, For Your Eyes Only? it's just like that, but with a muscle man legs instead of a Bond girl's.
Film Masters 2026 Blu-ray of Hercules and the Captive Women.

Not five years later another Blu-ray of Hercules and the Captive Women has been released! This one is put out by Film Masters and is a bare bone release (no supplemental material). I decided to double dip (well, triple dip, since I have this on the Retromedia DVD) and pluck this copy up. Maybe I’ll do a comparison between the two Blu-rays, see if there is a difference in image? Might be fun!

Ben-Hur 4K

Hercules and the Captive Women is not the only classic sword and sandal getting a re-release in early 2026! Mutha-fucking big daddy papa pump OG Ben-Hur (1959) is as well!

Standard black 4K case. Cover shows a statue holding a shield. The words "Ben-Hur" diagonal. Below that is Charlton Heston on the Chariot with 4 horses.
Personal copy of the 2026 4K release of Ben-hur.

Back in 2022 I did an unboxing article for the Ben-hur 50 year anniversary Blu-ray set (which can be read here). That edition came out in 2011. So, 15 years later (65 year anniversary!) there is now the 4K edition of Ben-Hur.

Amazon sold out of the steel book edition, so I had to go with this version. Going to DVDCompare, the 2026 release vs the 2011 release, it looks like the 2026 version lacks trailers and the 1925 version of Ben-Hur. The 2026 version omits the 57 minute “Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema” 2005 documentary that appeared on the 2011 version, but replaces it with two new, way shorter featurettes: “Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic 2026″ (6 minutes) and “The Cinematography of Scale 2026” (8 minutes).

Both have the 78 minute “Charlton Heston & Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey” 2011 documentary, the 58 minute “Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic” 1994 documentary, the 5 minute “Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures” 2005 featurette, 29 minutes of screen tests, and some other features. The 2011 has a plethora of other, smaller, features, such as newsreels, Academy Award ceremonies, etc. that are not present on the 2026 edition.

So overall, just at a cursory glance, it looks like the new Ben-Hur may have better image quality at 4K, but scales back the supplemental material. Maybe this is ok: you can only re-re-re-re-release the movie so many times and re-re-re-re-re-reuse the same supplemental material before it gets stale?

Deathstalker Comic and Remake

2025 was the year for the cult 80s sword and sorcery series, Deathstalker, and I got some loot!

Graphic novel is hardback and has a wraparound of the original movie poster. The Blu-ray shows all the characters collage together with mountains behind them.
Deathstalker the graphic novel and the Deathstalker remake on Blu-ray.

First, there is a remake of the film, simply called DeathStalker. I’ve heard good things about the remake, and I actually dig Daniel Bernhardt (Michele and I talk positively of him in G2: Mortal Conquest [1999] on Scholars from the Edge of Time). I’m excited to watch this one!

The next thing is the Deathstalker graphic novel that was done via Kickstarter. I did the Tier IV plus which was supposed to be a cloth bound hardcover, a standard dust jacket, a Kickstarter exclusive dust jacket, and a book plate. Instead the hardcover is not cloth bound, and no book plate has been sent. Per a January 12th post, it sounds like book plates will be sent later on, and they decided to change from a cloth bound book mid-production. Thems the risks doing Kickstarter, I guess.

Autographs from the Archive

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

Hard Drive

On Robert Ottone’s Talkin’ Talkies vicast (see above) we brought up 90s erotic thriller films.

Snap case DVD. Cover shows a woman in the throes of passion, eyes closed, holding a candle in her hand. In black marker it is signed "Nick - Lots of Love! Stella Stevens
Personal copy of Hard Drive on DVD signed by Stella Stevens.

This was a perfect opportunity to show off my copy of Hard Drive (1994) which is signed by legendary starlet Stella Stevens (RIP). Her son, Andrew Stevens, acted and produced a lot of erotic thrillers, and Stella appeared in a handful of them. It’s been probably 1.5 decades since I last saw this, maybe time for a re-watch!

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 have some brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast, but something has gone down! Netflix has removed Lost from their services! That means Ride the Stream is looking at other shows and movies to talk about.

The duo kick off their post-Lost content talking about The Thursday Murder Club:

And then move on to a new show, Falling Skies!

Here is their discussion on Falling Skies, season 1, episode 1:

And then episode 2:

And finally, episode 3:

Make sure to subscribe the Ride the Stream YouTube channel to see when new episodes drop.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online.

First is their episode “Earl Owensby with Noel Manning“:

Earl Owensby with Noel Manning – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then “Cinema, Criticism & Classrooms with Noel Manning“:

Cinema, Criticism & Classrooms with Noel Manning – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Friday the 13th Franchise Part 1“:

Friday the 13th Franchise Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “Film Reviews: At the Movies to the Algorithm“:

Film Reviews: At the Movies to the Algorithm – Fan2Fan Podcast

This is followed by a new series of episodes called “Monster Mania”.

First there is “Monster Mania: Defining Monsters & Universal Horror“:

Monster Mania: Defining Monsters & Universal Horror – Fan2Fan Podcast

Next is “Monster Mania: The Wolf Man 1941“:

Monster Mania: The Wolf Man 1941 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then “Monster Mania: Creature from the Black Lagoon“:

Monster Mania: Creature from the Black Lagoon – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

Pacuła: Najsłynniejsza Polka na świecie

Marta Górna has a new book coming out and about cult Polish actress Joanna Pacuła (Gorky Park, Dinocroc, Tombstone, Virus). This is the first laser focused retrospective on the actress. The booked is titled Pacuła: Najsłynniejsza Polka na świecie (Pacuła: The Most Famous Polish Woman in the World).

Cover is a black and white photo of actress Joanna Pacula. It is a close up of her head, with her chin resting on her arms.
Pacuła: Najsłynniejsza Polka na świecie by Marta Górna.

Górna’s book can be (pre) ordered here. It is slated to be published March 25th by Agora Publishing House.

Morgana Pendragon Kickstarter

Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society) has a new Kickstarter up for issue two (with issue one caked into some of the reward tiers) of her other comic series, Morgana Pendragon.

Cover depicts a woman with long hair, lots of magic/rune-like tattoos on her face and arms. She is walking barefoot through a forest with pointy sticks and thorns on the ground.
Morgana Pendragon cover art by Claudia Ianniciello.

Check out the campaign on Kickstarter.

The End is Trending Trailer

Dannie Delisle is in an upcoming movie called The End is Trending. Check out the trailer at Youtube or below. Dannie is the conspiracy lady!

The director, Mark Christopher (husband to Kathleen Kaufman who has appeared on a few episodes of the H. P. Lovecast Podcast [this one and this one]), has a Substack where more info about the film can be found. There is also an entry at IMDB.com.

Laser Joan and the Rayguns Kickstarter

D. J. Kirkbride (whom I’ve interviewed prior on my website, check it out!) has a Kickstarter going to reprint his comic miniseries Laser Joan and the Rayguns that was originally in Dark Horse Presents.

Cover depicts two ladies, both new wave style, kind of like Gem and the holograms. They are holding guitars/guns and have stars painted over their faces. They look to be rocking out.
Laser Joan and the Rayguns.

Check out the campaign here.

Action Girls Kickstarter

J. Manfried Weichsel (whom I’ve also interviewed before on my website, check that out here) has a Kickstarter for an omnibus called Action Girls that collects three of his prior stories: Jungle Jitters (2021), Into the Bush (2024), and Space Escapades (2025) into one book.

Cover says "Action girls: Triple Threat. Jungle Jitters. Into the Bush. Space Escapades." It shows there circles, each with a themed lady in them: a jungle girl, a safari lady, and an astronaut girl wearing fishnet stockings.
Action Girls by J. Manfred Weichsel.

This campaign can be found on Kickstarter and it goes live March 3rd at 4pm EST. Click the “Notify Me on Launch” button if checking out the campaign before then.

Categories
Comics

Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08

The Story So Far

Vanya, Serah, Niya, and Guy are four soldiers from the future trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, the Torridians (a race of warrior aliens hellbent on conquering humanity), and the Astral Guard (elite human warriors who view the heroes as deserters and traitors).

Cover depicts Vanya, crouched in foliage, drawing back on a bow. It is kind of dark, with a little beam of light coming through the leaves. Her red hair is in a pony tail.
Vanya #08 standard cover by Zoran Jovicic and Zork Marinero.

Vanya and her lover Serah make their way to Terran Base Alpha, and Serah is taken in for treatment for the cerebral implant put into her by the Bone Tribe Witch. Concurrently, Niya and Guy make off to hide a batch of Torridian Dragon Eggs from the Witch. Their efforts are in vain as they are apprehended by the Astral Guard, and in turn, everyone is captured by the Witch who has the eggs back in her possession as she needs them to fulfill a prophecy to make her a powerful god-queen.

Issue 08 Plot
 
At Terran Base Alpha, Relo Quarr reveals to Vanya that the Federation has their own Torridian Dragon, one that is to be released in an emergency should the Torridians overcome their defenses. Quarr recalls to Vanya how the Torridian planet was destroyed by the Galactic Federation when they set the dragons free on their world. Nearly conquered, the Torridians surrendered to the Federation, but asked for a new home world, which turns out to be the human’s planet Terra.

Vanya has her red hair in a long pony tail behind her back and is wearing a white shirt. She is pointing forward. NExt to her is the alien Relo Quarr. He has a grey, angular face with a green jacket that has big shoulder pads and collar.
Vanya and Relo Quarr gaze upon a Torridian Dragon.

Serah awakes from a nightmare with more visions of the Bone Tribe Witch. Sensing the situation as dire, Quarr gives Vanya the clearance to arm herself and to go and destroy the eggs that Niya and Guy hid.
At that moment the Torridian army, led by the ruthless Geneal Tora, launch a massive attack on the Terran base. With their numbers already decimated by a plague, the Torridians take a suicide approach of fight or die, sending their spaceships crashing into the base’s shields followed by waves of cybernetic dinosaurs. Quarr and his men take to the battlefield in their tanks and mechs to ward off the Torridians as the base is given an evacuation order.

Meanwhile at the Bone Tribe’s cave, a captured Niya, Guy, and Astral Guard Elah watch as the Witch leads her tribe in a giant orgy to imprint their pheromones on the hatching eggs.

Commentary

Issue eight of Vanya is the Battle of Helm’s Deep of the series so far. The fervor attitude of the Torridians under Tora’s command is depicted in their hail Mary attack on the Federation base. Knowing that the plague that has decimated them has put them in a dire, inescapable position, the Torridians send their spaceships, their only way off the planet, to Kamikaze the base. The army of cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs the Torridians command is epic to behold, and the Federation responds in kind by sending in giant tanks and ED-209/AT-ST looking mechs to intercept the attackers.

A booming battlefield filled with explosions and laser cannons. In the background moving forward is a fleet of tanks. Behind it are burning building and mountains. In the foreground, advancing toward the tanks, are cybernetic ally enhanced triceratops, stegosauruses, Tyrannosaurus Rexes, and more. The color of the page is all shades of red due to all the fires going on.
Epic battle between the Torridians and their dinosaurs and the Galactic Federation with lots of tanks.

In a traditional story, at a scene like this, the grunts would be sent in to do the dirty work as their commanders and leaders sit safely back at their command center. Not so in Vanya as Quarr and his other commanders join in the fray as well. Both sides of the skirmish are depicted as equally brave among panels that show tanks blowing up dinosaurs while T-Rexes with sharp metal claws rip apart mechs. Overall, the battle is a blast (pun intended) to see unfold in the issue, from the large-scale fighting to the minutia in the commanders planning in their war room.

The panel shows the backs of six commanders, looking at a green screen on the wall. The screen is a computer display, with coordinates and lattitude/longitude, and shows the gathering torridian forces.
Terran Base Alpha War Room.

A new development in this issue of Vanya is Serah’s cerebral implant allows her to communicate with the cyberdinos. As she is fleeing the base, she encounters a raptor with blades protruding from its back, but Serah is able to convince the reptile she is friendly and the beast scoots away. Possible foreshadowing here: if Serah can do this to one dinosaur, she can probably do it to more. Say, an army of dinosaurs

There is a certain irony that Vanya is sent back out to destroy the Torridian eggs as they were all in her possession not a few days ago. If Guy and Niya had not split off to hide the eggs, they would instead be in the Federation hand’s and not the Bone Tribe Witch’s, where they would be destroyed (or, more likely, made into additional weapons). Regardless, the orders from Quarr get Vanya back into her natural habitat, the jungles primeval. A missile blast from a robo-pterodactyl (yes, only with Vanya can one say that sentence with a straight face) knocks Vanya out, disintegrating her clothes. It is only a matter of time in a subsequent issue that she will not doubt be back to wearing her normal neo-jungle girl garb (or nothing at all).

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue #8 of Vanya was successfully Kickstarted in early February 2025, with digital editions being fulfilled in June and physical editions later that summer. This issue was released in numerous covers by a variety of different artists, in normal and nude incarnations. The standard cover was done by Zoran Jovicic (who has been the illustrator of the series since its beginning) and Zork Marinero.

Vanya is nude save for her bracers, spikey shoulder pads, and boots. She is leaning against a tree branch. Her hair is in dreadlocks. She is hiding behind her a serrated halberd. She is biting on her finger seductively. Behind her it is a sunny day, with a canyon wall and a sky with a faint, fluffy cloud.
Personal copy of Vanya #08, nude variant, done by Brian Miroglio.

The best alternative cover for issue eight is the one done by Brian Miroglio. A vibrant and seductive cover (nude or not), it shows a battle-ready Vanya against a rather serene jungle scene. Whose blood in on the spear she holds behind her in an assuming fashion to how Negan (Walking Dead) holds his baseball bat Lucille?  Did she slay a dinosaur? Or perhaps a violent caveman? Aside from the attractive pinup vibes of the cover, it invites readers to hypothesis their own Vanya story, and it probably would not be too far off base.

The Tarot Card is of "The Hanged Man" and it is from the issue 8 cover done by Luca Strait. It shows Vanya, sitting on her knees, holding a spear in her right hand. Behind her is a giant snake. The sticker is done in 16 bit era style graphics. It shows Vanya holding a bow and stepping backwards.
Vanya #8 Tarot Card and pixel art style sticker.

For additional Kickstarter loot, Vanya #8 came with three additional goodies: a tarot card, a sticker, and a PDF story. The tarot card continues the tradition Bad Bug has been doing with their other comics, and these are always fun to see. The best tarot cards have unique artwork, though the card for issue 8, The Hanged Man, uses the Luca Strati #8 alternate cover.

The sticker realizes Vanya in a 16-bit, pixel/retro style and it is awesome. It fuels the imagination that a retro game based on the Vanya IP, perhaps done by a company like WayForward, would be entirely plausible. There are a plethora of vintage cartoonish caveman game out there, such as Chuck Rock, Bonk, and Caveman Ninja, why not instead go the serious route and make a Vanya platformer or Metroidvania?

And finally, a first for the Vanya series, there is a short story with some black and white comicbook style illustrations (though it is not a comic) titled “First Encounter”. The story is about Vanya’s first week upon arriving in the prehistoric past and encountering both a raptor and a sabre tooth tiger. This is a great way to add more story, character development, and “Vanya-ness”, to the series.

Conclusion

How far Vanya has come in scale in eight issues! Initially a more singularly focused on Vanya and surviving the hostile dinosaur world, the stakes have been upped many times in the issues since: large scare battles between humans and purple-skinned warrior aliens, a tribe of cave people wanting to rule the world, fleets of cyber dinosaurs, almost mystical dragons. It all seems over the top, and, well, maybe it is, but it works. There is a dead-seriousness vibe with Vanya that grounds it. Issue eight contains all these elements (an epic war, a jungle girl tale, etc.) and then some, such as romance and a little political intrigue on a galactic scale. With four more issues to go (the series is already 2/3s of the way complete?!), it will be fantastic to see where this escalating action goes. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

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

Death Nell Reviews

Vanya Reviews

Categories
News

News Roundup: January 2026

Personal / Website News

This is my first News Roundup post for 2026. This is also my first post of moving to my new schedule of publishing these once a month at the end of each month.

2025 Accomplishment Recap

My recap of 2025 – writing I got done (published or reprinted), vidcasts, podcasts, conferences, etc. is now online.

Five books laid out on a table.
Works published physically in 2025: Three issues of NESS, 1 issue of Burroughs Bulletin, and Merry Creepmas.

Last year was a pretty good year! I did not get to everything I wanted to (Emmanuelle book), but I was pretty prolific! Feel free to read the recap here.

Panthans Journal #344 and #345

The newest issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my review of issue five of of the adult/neo-jungle girl series Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original version of my review can be read right here.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

The February Panthans issue #345 came out a day earlier on January 31st. This issue has a reprint of my review of Vanya #7, and the original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

As a preview of things to come, the March issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal will contain a reprint of one of my short stories that has been OOP for a few years. Stay tuned!

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Fan2Fan Podcast Appearance

The cool kids at the Fan2Fan Podcast have been dropping episodes recently about collecting physical media (see below).

Square podcast thumbnail. It is black and orange. It shows a hand holding a music CD. It says: F2F New Fan2Fan Podcast Epiosode! CDs fanpodcast.com
Fan2Fan Podcast episode thumbnail for the episode about CD collecting.

They just dropped an episode about CD collecting and both Michele and I are on it. The episode can be streamed at this link here, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

The One Where We Talk About CDs – Fan2Fan Podcast

Following that they have another episode about how Michele and I’s collection of movies, games, etc. and how we collect lots of media.

Thumbnail shows a stack of 4 TVs, one displaying a record, one a CD, one a video game contractor, and one a record. The thumbnail reads: F2F New Fan2Fan Podcast Episode! Physical Media - Movies & Music Special Editions Video Games. Fanpodcast.com
Fan2Fan episode thumbnail on Physical Media.

That episode can be heard here or in the player below.

Physical Media: Heavy Boxes, Special Editions, and Video Games – Fan2Fan Podcast

Check out both episodes!

H. P. Lovecast Podcast

H. P. Lovecast Podcast will return in February! We’ve already recorded our discussion on the 80s creature feature classic, The Deadly Spawn, it just needs to be edited and published.

The New Peplum Citations

It has been a hot minute, but new citations for The New Peplum have just popped up!

Cover shows an actress wearing a purple peplum looking over her shoulder to a movie camera.
Audio-Visual Roman Women cover.

The open access collection, Audio-Visual Roman Women: Gender, History & Screen Media, contains two essays that reference The New Peplum. Martin M. Winkler’s essay “Caesar’s Daughter: Lucilla on Screen” while Panayiota Mini’s essay “British Women in a Roman World: Female Figures in Audio-Visual Works about the Ninth Legion” cites Kevin Wetmore’s essay. Always wonderful to see The New Peplum continue to be cited by others.

Audio-Visual Roman Women can be read online here.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

The last episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time in 2025 was on the David Carradine/Roger Corman 80s S&S classic, The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984).

Blu-ray cover shows a woman with 2 sets of breast (really) and a barbarian swinging a sword and the two are dragged by tentacles into a toothy maw.
Blu-Ray of The Warrior and the Sorceress.

The cover promises a lady with four boobies and a Cthulhu and gosh darn it, the movie actually delivers four boobies and a Cthulhu. Our discussion of The Warrior and the Sorceress can be watched on YouTube. Check it out!

For January 2026 we kick of a new year of Scholars on the comedy side by discussing Hercules Returns (1993). An Australian movie that is essential a comedic redubbing of Samson and His Mighty Challenge (1964) with a thin plot of sorts that act as bookends. It’s a hilarious film.

DVD of Hercules Returns is blue. The title is being held up by Hercules on his back. The Blu-ray is a cardboard slipcase. It shows Hercules flexing, with the main character imposed in his toga top.
Personal copies of Hercules Returns on DVD and Blu-ray.

Our discussion of Hercules Returns can also be watched on YouTube.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2026.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley and called "The Beasts". It is red hued. It shows Tarzan riding atop of an elephant. Below the elephant are two gorillas and a lion. Behind them is a tree and a setting sun.
National Capital Panthans Journal #344.

“All E.T.’s Aren’t Nice: Vanya 06” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #344, January 2026.

Original can be read here.

Cover by David Michael Beck. It's a drawing of Tarzan atop an elephant, with 2 axes in front.
National Capital Panthans Journal #345.

“The Prehistoric Purge: Vanya 07″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #345, February 2026.

Original can be read here.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Werewolf Media Journal

Seeking paper abstracts for an upcoming WEREWOLF MEDIA-themed literary journal. Abstracts are open for critical theory papers discussing ANY MEDIA OR FRANCHISE WITH WEREWOLVES. The Horror Scholar Journal Vol 8 aims to be made available online in July 2026. This opportunity is paid 50 USD upon receipt of the final paper. Abstracts should be ~300 words briefly describing the scope and topic of your paper.

Final papers must be anywhere from 2000-5000 words. Not accepting reviews or previously published papers. This journal attempts to prioritize underserved or less published horror academics. Proposals and papers should be submitted in a readable, neutral size 12 font.

CUT OFF DATE FOR ABSTRACTS: FEB 3rd, 2026

CUT OFF DATE FOR FINISHED PAPERS: JUNE 1st, 2026

STEPS FOR APPLICATION:

  1. Submit your abstract via email to horrorscholar@gmail.com, along with your name, a 3-sentence bio, and social media links.
  2. Once your abstract is accepted, a finished paper can be submitted via email any time until the cutoff date above.
  3. Payment for your work will be sent upon reception of the first draft.
  4. Each paper will have 1 round of edits.

ABOUT HORROR SCHOLAR

HS is an independent horror research brand and one-woman publishing operation. It strives to make academic publishing more accessible and to celebrate both critical theory and fandom. @scholarhorror on Twitter or horrorscholar@gmail.com for questions.

Contemporary Indigenous Horror – Creative Writing

Contemporary Indigenous Horror (University Press of Mississippi, 2027) solicits original, unpublished short horror fiction, poetry, and experimental works by self-identifying Indigenous creatives. No work produced with AI will be accepted.

Honorarium: $250 (Canadian) per accepted piece

Deadline for submissions: July 14th, 2026

Name of organizer: Dr. Naomi Simon Borwein and Dr. Krista Collier-Jarvis

Contact email: Naomi Simone Borwein (nborwein@uwo.ca) and Krista Collier-Jarvis (Krista.Collier-Jarvis@msvu.ca)

As a companion to analysis in Contemporary Indigenous Horror (contracted with University Press of Mississippi), we are looking for creative pieces to be published within this academic volume.

To acknowledge the various ways in which Indigenous scholarship may engage in an ongoing conversation with other forms of expression and writing, we welcome both traditional as well as more exploratory approaches to fiction, poetry, flash, and related hybrid, experimental intertexts that rupture settler-colonial categorizations of genre. Word/line count should be as follows:

  • Flash Fiction: about 500-1000 words
  • Short Stories: about 1000-4000 words
  • Poetry: maximum of about 110 lines
  • Experimental, hybrid words: some flexibility

Please send submissions and a 100 word bio to editors Naomi Simone Borwein (nborwein@uwo.ca) and Krista Collier-Jarvis (Krista.Collier-Jarvis@msvu.ca) by July 14th, 2026.

Autographs from the Archive

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

Student Bodies

Student Bodies (1981) is one of, if not the first, slasher comedy film. It is fairly rough around the edges if I recall, but still an important film in the early days of the genre. It would take a while to kind of juggle the two genres successfully, perhaps the first Scary Movie (2000)?

DVD shows a dead cheerleader, with a megaphone protruding from her mouth. She is laying on a school desk with a blackboard behind her.
Personal copy of Student Bodies on DVD.
Backside of the DVD. Shows images from the film. In the bottom left, in ball point pen, it is signed "Best - Robyn Flanery"
Student Bodies DVD signed by Robyn Flanery.

Way back in the 2000s, I was hooked on buying Mike Nelson commented movies from Legend Films, and they released Student Bodies, so of course I plucked it up. I sent my copy off to actress Robyn Flanery who graciously signed it.

The Strangeness

Two decades before The Descent (2005) there was The Strangeness (1985), though The Strangeness did come 5 years after Alien 2: On Earth (1980), when it comes to subterranean horror.

The Strangeness was one of those films I discovered during my Stephen Thrower/Nightmare USA phase in the 2000s. This movie was talked about in great detail in Thrower’s book, and I was tracking down all the movies I could. The only copy of The Strangeness I could find at the time was a British import from 23rd Century, a DVD label of dubious quality. I mean, look at that skull on the back. Generic much?

Shady looking, quasi bootleg DVD. The cover shells a skull and the inside of a well.
Personal copy of The Strangeness DVD.
Back of the DVD. It has a skull with swirls around it. In black ink it is signed "Best Wishes Nick! Mark Sawicki".
Strangeness DVD signed by Mark Sawicki.

Regardless, I plucked up this film to add to my growing Nightmare USA collection. I did reach out to Mark Sawicki, who worked on the film and asked if he could autograph it for me, and he said sure!

Years later Code Red released a much better version of this film. Time for a re-watch!

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

The Last Legion and Seventh Son

Michele and I took our periodic trip to Zia Records the other weekend. I’m always on the lookout for some peplum and peplum-adjacent movies when we are out and about and this time I scored two!

DVD of The Last Legion shows Colin Firth is armor about to swing a sword. There is a battle behind him. The Blu-ray for Seventh Son its the standard characters face forward and is not particularly interesting.
Personal copies of The Last Legion and Seventh Son.

The first is The Last Legion (2007). I’ve been on the prowl for this one for a while, especially since it is mentioned in Dr. Wetmore’s essay in The New Peplum. That’s on the to watch pile for sure, and possible Peplum Ponderings article?

The second is Seventh Son (2014). I’ve never heard of this movie before and bought it because it looked like a post LOTR cash grab. Turns out I was wrong and it is based off a series of grim dark young children’s fantasy novels from the Spook’s series by Joseph Delaney. So, this is more of a post-Harry Potter cash grab as kids fantasy was in. Didn’t no one learn from Eragon (2006) a decade earlier? Regardless, it could be fun, so I look forward to checking it out.

News from Friends

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

New Ride the Stream Episodes

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

Here is their discussion of season two episode ten:

And season two episode eleven:

Their discussion on Season 2 Episode 12:

John 3:16 Remix

Philippe Gerber has a new remix that just dropped.

Black and white cover. It looks like a swipe of black paint with scratches in it.
Sobaki Tabaka Remixes cover art.

Under his John 3:16 moniker, Philippe has done a remix of the song “V Bezdne” by Sobaki Tabaka that appears on the remix album Sobaki Tabaka Remixes. The album is released by Industrial Complexx and is available at Bandcamp.

New Janet Joyce Holden Books

My friend Janet Joyce Holden has two books that are coming out at the very beginning of February.

Two book covers. Palladium's Resolution is white, with a symbol on the cover that looks like a bunch of music symbols. There are drops of blood next to it. Palladium's Insurrection is green. It has a symbol on the cover too that looks like a swirl of flames.
Palladium’s Resolution and Palladium’s Insurrection by Janet Joyce Holden.

They are titled Palladium’s Resolution and Palladium’s Insurrection. Blurb below for what these are all about.

Here is the Amazon link for all of the books in Holden’s Palladium series.

Press Blurb

Rogan is a troubled clairvoyant who can see more than most, but when he teams up with the monstrous Jake, a Khir’gham Guardian of the Void, it’s for an undeniably good cause. Keeping the hungry Void from invading Jake’s home of Palladium, and thereby saving Rogan’s own world from destruction.

Except a hitherto mysterious threat has now fully revealed itself. Carl Drake, visionary CEO of Stormquell and secretly one of Palladium’s mighty dragons, is not only hellbent on breaking his exile and reclaiming what he has lost, he has greedy ambitions regarding Rogan’s world, too.

The series reaches its climax in the final two novellas, Palladium’s Insurrection, and Palladium’s Resolution. The confrontation they always feared is now on the horizon, its arena shifting from the glossy mansions of Benedict Canyon, to the Southern California high desert, and finally into the fragile world of Palladium, and it’s up to Jake and Rogan to save the day. Except the task of killing dragons, not only seems impossible, its consequences will prove devastating and unforgivable. Perhaps Rogan and Jake will survive, but at what terrible cost?

Palladium is a series of high fantasy and dark adventure, containing monsters, dragons, interdimensional worlds, along with the all too human attributes of trust, courage, and family treachery.

Arriving on Tuesday 2nd February.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Brand new episodes of the Fan2Fan podcast are now online. Aside from the CD collecting episode above, there’s a plethora of other episodes since the end of December. Check these all out:

First there is “2025 Horror: The Monkey, 28 Years Later, Good Boy & More“:

2025 Horror: The Monkey, 28 Years Later, Good Boy & More – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then “Best of 2025: Movies, Music, and More“:

Best of 2025: Movies, Music, and More – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by their first episode in their physical media series “The One Where We Talk About Physical Media“:

The One Where We Talk About Physical Media – Fan2Fan Podcast

And “VHS Collecting with Cory Gorski“:

VHS Collecting with Cory Gorski – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then “VHS Collecting with Jim Karl“:

VHS Collecting with Jim Karl – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

Apocalypse Later Film Review: The Giant of Marathon

Hal A. F. Astell has a new film review up at his Apocalypse Later website, this one on the sword and sandal classic The Giant of Marathon (1959).

Black thick DVD case. The cover shows Hercules with a shoulder wound standing in an arena. Below shows Hercules walking with a lady and a crowd of people behind him.
Personal copy of the Clash of the Olympians DVD collection.
Back cover of the DVD. Shows a group of archers lined up. The text reads: A Colossal Collection of Epic Adventures! Take a mythological journey back in time with this Herculean compilation of lavish sword-and-sandal films filled with muscle-bound men, ravishing ladies, malicious monsters and awesome action. Movies: Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens (1964) The Avenger (1962) The Giant of Marathon (1959) The Giants of Rome (1964) The Giants of Thessaly (1960) Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (1963) Hercules and the Captive Women (1961) Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964) Hercules Against the Mongols (1963) Hercules and the Masked Rider (1963) Hercules and the Princess of Troy (1965) Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (1964) Hercules Unchained (1960) Herod the Great (1960) Kindar the Invulnerable (1964) Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (1964)
Clash of the Olympians DVD collection, back cover.

Check out the review at the Apocalypse Later website.

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-12-28

Personal / Website News

My last website post for 2025! Starting in 2026 I am going to publish these news roundups monthly.

New Edge Sword and Sorcery

Awesome news to end 2025 on: issues five, six, and seven of New Edge Sword and Sorcery are now out!

I was honored to be asked to contribute themed cocktails to these issues, libations that celebrate different sword and sorcery and sword and planet characters. They are:

  • Issue Five – The Red Sonja or, The Scalemail Bikini
  • Issue Six – The Kai Lord or, The Lone Wolf
  • Issue Seven – The Brax or, Under the Warrior Star
Nicholas Diak holding three hardback issues of New Edge Sword and Sorcery, standing in front of an orange tree, wearing glasses, and looking like a doofus grundy.
Photo by Michele Brittany.

If you want to see the recipes proper you’ll have to pluck up these issues. They are available digitally and in soft and hardcovers. They can be bought at the NESS webstore. Sincere appreciation to Oliver Brackenbury for the opportunity to be a part of the NESS family.

Panthans Journal #343

The newest issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my review of issue five of of the adult/neo-jungle girl series Vanya: The Lost Warrior. The original version of my review can be read right here.

Cover by Mark Wheatley. It depicts a jungle girl, with a knife in one hand and a vine in another, traversing across a large tree branch.
National Capital Panthans Journal #343

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

New Citations

It’s been a hot minute, but a new citation has popped up!

Journal cover has a blue border top and bottom. The image in the middle is of a movie theater called "Sun Pictures".
Studies in Australasian Cinema vol 18.

The essay, “Indigenous monsters and the spectres of assimilation: Jon Bell’s The Moogai (2024) as Aboriginal Gothic” by Niamh Gallagher sites an essay in Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern. I am 99% sure the essay cites Dr. Borwein’s essay “Synchronic Horror and the Dreaming”. I’ll see if I can confirm.

It always brings me joy when an author from this collection gets cited!

Update 2026-01-27: Confirmed! Dr. Gallagher cites Dr. Borwein! Citation page updated to reflect this. Sincere appreciation to Dr. Gallagher for the details.

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 by Mark Wheatley. It depicts a jungle girl, with a knife in one hand and a vine in another, traversing across a large tree branch.
National Capital Panthans Journal #343

“(Saber-tooth) Cat Class and (Saber-tooth) Cat Style: Vanya 05” reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #343.

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.

Cover depicts a woman warrior, holding a sword in her right hand, standing triumphantly over a fallen warrior at the tippy top of a pointing peak/cliff.
New Edge Sword and Sorcery #05

Cocktail recipe for The Red Sonja or, The Scalemail Bikini published in New Edge Sword and Sorcery, vol 1 issue 5.

Order at the NESS webstore.

Cover depicts a blood soaked woman bursting out of the belly of a slain giant snake.
New Edge Sword and Sorcery #06

Cocktail recipe for the Kai Lord or, The Lone Wolf published in New Edge Sword and Sorcery, vol 1 issue 6.

Order at the NESS webstore.

Cover depicts another planet's surface with a warrior in a green outfit, holding two swords, and a lion crossed with a scorpion chases at him. There is a blue skinned woman with a rifle and 4 armed monkeys. On the horizon is a rocky landscape and atop one of the mountains a city with domed tops.
New Edge Sword and Sorcery #07

Cocktail recipe for The Brax or, Under the Warrior Star published in New Edge Sword and Sorcery, vol 1 issue 7.

Order at the NESS webstore.

Autographs from the Archive

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

Steve Nazar and T&C Surf Designs NES Games

I am quite a few months late to finding this out, but artist Steve Nazar passed away in March earlier this year (article at Surfer.com).

Kids like me born in the 80s and with a NES system will remember Nazar’s work of “The Boys” for Town and Country Surf Designs, which made there way to two Nintendo games: Wood & Water Rage and Thrilla’s Surfari. I didn’t play Thrilla’s Surfari until much later in life when I started collecting retro games, but I played Wood & Water Rage many of times, and boy did that game kick my butt.

Two old school great Nintendo Cartridges. The one on the left is for T&C Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage. It shoes a gorilla on a surf board, a man in a tiki mask, and a rockabilly dude with sunglasses and Elvis hair, both on skate boards, doing tricks on a skate ramp. The game on the right is Thrilla's Surfari, which shows the gorilla on a surfboard, rising a river of lava coming from a volcano while his buddies the tiki man, Evlis dude, and others run about, evading a shark and.... is that a hippogriff? In silver pen, both are signed "To Nick, Steve Nazar"
Nintendo games T&C Surf Designs Wood & Water Rage and Thrilla’s Surfari signed by artist Steve Nazar.

Getting into tiki culture in the 2010s made me appreciate Nazar’s artwork much more. He was a guest at a Yestercon event (RIP Yestercon, one of my all time favorite small affair pop culture shows), where I took my two video games for him to sign. He was a super cool dude.

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.

Here is their discussion of Season 2 Episode 6:

And Season 2 Episodes 7:

Season 2 Episode 8:

And finally season 2 episode 9:

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. Check these all out:

First there is Fright or Fiction: Subtitle Showdown Part 1:

Fright or Fiction: Subtitle Showdown Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then The Shape of Trivia: A John Carpenter Horror Movie Quiz:

The Shape of Trivia: A John Carpenter Horror Movie Quiz – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by Fright or Fiction: Subtitle Showdown Part 2:

Fright or Fiction: Subtitle Showdown Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally 2025 Horror: Sinners, Weapons & Heart Eyes:

2025 Horror: Sinners, Weapons & Heart Eyes – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

New John 3:16 Song

Philippe Gerber has a brand new track out under his John 3:16 project!

Cover is a black and white photo of a dead critter in the leaves and sticks. I'm not sure what animal, you do see its spine. It is pretty creepy.
John 3:16 – “Nephilim” cover.

The song is called “Nephilim” and it can be purchased at Bandcamp.

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-11-09

Personal / Website News

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.

Panthans Journal #342

The newest issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my review of issue four of the adult/neo-jungle girl series Vanya: The Lost Warrior. Of course the original version can be read at my website 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

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

The October Scholars from the Edge of Time episode is now online. Michele and I discuss Wrath of the Titans, which concludes our dive into the Clash of the Titans trilogy of films.

Metallic steel book. It shows Persesus on a pegasus, holding a trident, flying toward a giant lava titan (if you seen the end of the movie, this is a spoiler of Perseus taking out Kronos).
Personal copy of Wrath of the Titans in a Blu-ray steel book.

The episode can be watched on YouTube here, so check it out. We are not 100% sure if we will be doing an episode in November (Thanksgiving). If we do, we might be talking about William Castle’s 1953 peplum, Serpent of the Nile.

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.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Call for Chapters: Masculinities in Weimar Cinema

‘…many men shared the feeling of standing on the edge of a great upheaval’ (Harald Jähner)

‘…we were familiar with apocalyptic moods’ (Klaus Mann)

The aftermath of WWI saw a general acceleration of modernity, of social, political, and cultural transformation. This is arguably truest of Germany, where the explosive, violent, traumatic, at times ecstatic pace and perceptions of change were unprecedented. As a result, Weimar society (1918 – 1933) was characterised by acute self-awareness, regardless of the diverse views and interests of its population.

Against the background of Germany’s first experience of parliamentary democracy, born in the chaos of localised Communist revolutions and right-wing terror, the fifteen vertiginous years of the Weimar Republic witnessed an often iconoclastic, gigantic shift in every sphere, from architecture to gender and sexual mores to flight technology to art in all its forms. This extremely powerful, self-reflective chronotope inevitably affected German film production, itself reaching new heights of innovation, quality, and even genius.

A complex socio-political environment in a state of cultural flux, Weimar Germany thus yielded a vast range of associations, suggestions, and challenges which cinema could and did respond to, whether to negotiate, reflect, or negate them. Among the multiple aspects, strands, and societal references found in these filmic texts, the representation and performance of one, deceptively simple category stands out: men. However, despite the growing scholarly interest and exciting new perspectives brought to bear on Weimar Cinema, the broad topic of screen masculinities has not received the full attention it deserves. Yet from beginning to end, the 1918-1933 years saw male identities dominating German film in a wide, at times conflictive range of roles; most notably, male protagonists are often lost, humiliated, masochistic, self-destructive, annihilated, or simply redundant. This is not surprising given the upheaval surrounding manhood, especially affected by war trauma, catastrophic military defeat, the rise of women’s emancipation, amid the virtual collapse of the old systems of politics, currency, thought, morals, and art. Some of Germany’s greatest, most popular male stars and actors made a virtual career of playing bewildered, defeated, out-of-place characters: Emil Jannings is just the first name that comes to mind.

Nonetheless, side by side with this catastrophic or doom-laden representational strand, we also see the re-creation of ‘men’ along positively undetermined, hybrid, blurred, or defiantly oppositional lines. While this particular current frequently inhabits plots centring on gender and sexuality, it is not exclusively found there: a craving for Otherness and/or for being Other may be found in male screen narratives not primarily hinging on sex and gender identities. At the same time, it would be absurd to deny the presence of continuity, whether self-standing or deliberately countering change, in filmic representations of masculinity. Indeed, heroes and villains who bridge the gap, from thrillers to romantic comedies to science fiction to musicals, are plenty and equally worthy of careful study. What do these seemingly conventional males tell us about Weimar cinema?

As academic interest in the Weimar Republic’s cultural output continues to grow, foregrounding thought-provoking developments in the field, this edited collection aims at bringing together a range of new scholarly work on the specific, yet broad topic of screen masculinities. Chapters exploring Weimar cinema in this light may focus on, but are most certainly not limited to:

  • Masculinity and power
  • Masculinity and desire
  • Masculinity and modernity
  • Masculinity and its boundaries
  • Masculinity and femininity
  • Masculinity and the city
  • Masculinity and reality
  • Masculinity, sexuality and/or asexuality
  • Masculinity and Otherness
  • Masculinity and emotions
  • Masculinity and violence
  • Masculinity and defeat
  • Masculinity and pain
  • Masculinity and the body
  • Masculinity and technology
  • Masculinity and Germany

The editor invites abstracts of 250-300 words for chapters about 8,000 words long, plus a short bio of the author. Please send your abstract and bio to eg51@st-andrews.ac.uk by the deadline which is 15 November.

Please feel free to email me with any queries!

Dr Elisabetta Girelli Honorary Senior Lecturer in Film Studies University of St Andrews

Autographs from the Archive

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

Carnosaur

Diane Ladd passed away recently, so sad! I remember her most vividly from David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, and, of course, Carnosaur.

Standard DVD case. The cover art shows the green "carnosaur" who looks like a goofy T-rex. It is signed "To Nick, my best, Jennifer Runyon".
Personal copy of Carnosaur on DVD autographed by actress Jennifer Runyon.

In the wake of the success of Jurassic Park, there came the knock offs and the cash grabs. Roger Corman brought his Jurassic Park clone with the cult classic Carnosaur. If Jurassic Park had Laura Dern, then Carnosaur has Laura Dern’s mom… Diane Ladd!

I never had the opportunity to meet Ladd, but I did meet Jennifer Runyon (the movie’s heroine) at a convention and she signed my copy of Carnosaur, so that rules. RIP Diane Ladd!

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

The Epic Film Music of Milos Rozsa

Not too many sword and sandal acquisitions as of late – I need to start watching more from the library! However, I do have a few movies pre-ordered on Amazon: A 4K edition of The Ten Commandments, and a Blu-ray of the new Red Sonja film. So, those will be fun when they arrive.

Standard CD jewel case. The cover art depicts a rendition of the chariot race from Ben-hur.
CD of The Epic Film Music of Miklos Rozsa.

When I was at Half Priced Books on a recent outing, looking through the music section, there was a small stack (overstock from 30 years ago?) of The Epic Film Music of Miklós Rózsa, the composer behind lots of classic era Hollywood pepla and Biblical epics. This CD has scores from The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, King of Kings, El Cid, Sodom and Gomorrah, Quo Vadis, Ben-Hur, Beau Brummell, All The Brothers Were Valiant, and Madame Bovary. Very cool!

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, they do a recap of season one of Lost.

Follow by their dive into episode one of season two:

And then into episode two:

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Pete and Bernie have new episodes of their Fan2Fan podcast online. Since October just ended, there are some horror-centric episodes to check out!

First there is “Is Jaws a Horror Movie?“:

Is Jaws is a Horror Movie? – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by “Final Cut – The Horror Movie Trivia Show: John Carpenter Edition“:

Final Cut – The Horror Movie Trivia Show: John Carpenter Edition – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally, “Why Do Modern Horror Movies Love the 1980s? Part 1“:

Why Do Modern Horror Movies Love the 1980s? Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

Categories
News

News Roundup 2025-10-05

Personal / Website News

It has been since August since I last posted to my website here! September was simply a crazy month. At work I am on two implementations at the same time, so that has been a big focus for me. The other thing was getting prepared for the 2025 ECOF that happened last weekend. I’m right in the middle of doing a big write up and picture gallery that recaps the event, which I’ll have posted this Wednesday. After that, back to the Emmanuelle book and cranking out the backlog of comic book reviews. In the meantime, here is a month’s worth of news to catch up on!

Panthans Journal #340 and #341

Since my last website update, two issues of The National Panthans Journal have been been published.

Issue #340 contains a re-print of my interview with Jeffrey Mariotte, “Thunder in God’s Country: Interview with Jeffrey Mariotte.” I also sent in a letter to the editor where I go over some Edgar Rice Burroughs inspired libations.

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

Issue #341, which came out this past Saturday, contains a reprint of my review of the third issue of Vanya, which can also be read online 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

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Scholars from the Edge of Time – Clash of the Titans (2010)

In June, Michele and I announced we would start covering the three Clash of the Titans films: the original, the 2010 remake, and Wrath of the Titans for Scholars from the Edge of Time.

Our dialogue for the original film went online back in June. We had to skip July because someone (me) decided to fracture a toe.

Blu-ray that contains the two Clash of the Titans films and Wrath of the Titans. the cover is divided into three horizontal sections, with each section showing the title of the film and a scene/poster art of it.
Personal copy of the Clash of the Titans ’81, Clash of the Titan 2010, and Wrath of the Titans 3 Movie Blu-ray set.

Well for August we are back, baby! Our discussion about the Clash of the Titans remake can be watched on YouTube here. Give it a watch/listen!

For September we were scheduled to talk about Wrath of the Titans, but that Thursday we were in Willcox, AZ for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship gathering. Instead, when we got back, on Tuesday we did a recap of our adventures and talked about THE THING, the ECOF, and my presentation on the peplum elements of the novel Tarzan and the Lost Empire. That can be watched on YouTube.

Hardback of Tarzan and the Lost Empire. It is from the "Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library". The cover depicts Tarzan in a Roman-style colosseum, standing triumphantly over a defeated gladiator.
Personal copy of the hardback edition of Tarzan and the Lost Empire.

In October we will finally conclude the trilogy by discussing Wrath of the Titans.

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

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

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

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

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Some fun things I shared online from these past few weeks. Highlighting things from my personal collection of pop culture artifacts. Or artifacts I’m digging out of the archive. Just, general cool or unique things to show off.

Autographs from the Archive

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

Final Exam

Final Exam, a film that rides that early wave of 80s slasher movies. I have not watched it in many years, but I remember digging it, and also how it tip toed into genre meta-ness before the likes of Deadly Spawn and Scream.

Standard black DVD case. Artwork show a silhouette of a person holding a knife standing in front of a campus. In silver ink it is signed "Nick! Radish rocks!
Personal copy of Final Exam DVD signed by Julia Marchese.

Horror film aficionado, podcast, and film director Julia Marchese moderated the commentary track on the old DVD copy of the film, and she was kind enough to let me post it to her way back in the day to autograph.

Challenge the Devil

More Bella Cortez, queen of the pepla, goodness!

As folks know, I’m a super fan of peplum starlet Bella Cortez, got to interview her, and also had her autograph the films in my collection she stars in.

Blu-ray in a black case. The cover is a poster art. It's gothic: there is a woman in white in the center holding a chalice. Behind her is a castle being struck by lightning. At her feed is an open grave and a woman screaming, her hands brought to her mouth.
Personal copy of Challenge the Devil from the Severin Christopher Lee box set.
The white other side of a standard Blu-ray sleeve. In black ink it says "To Nicholas, Bella Cortez".
Challenge the Devil Blu-Ray sleeve, reverse side, signed by Bella Cortez.

While Cortez is mostly known for her sword and sandal appearances, she did star in a handful of other Italian genre films, such as the gothic horror film Challenge the Devil, which saw a new edition not too long ago in Blu-ray format as part of a Christopher Lee boxset from Severin Films. Here is the sleeve of the Blu-ray signed by Cortez.

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

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

William Castle pepla

On my last news roundup I shared I found a lobby card for a William Castle peplum film called Slaves of Babylon (1953). I was so caught off guard that the maestro of horror cinema had some some historic epics that I set out immediately to collection them. And here they are!

Two DVDs. The left is for "Slaves of Babylon". It has a frame from the movie of a procession of people, walking in the desert, toward a rainbow. The DVD on the right is a 4 movie collection called "William Castle Adventure Collection". It's a collage of different art pieces from posters from the films: a dude embracing a girl, a knight in main, a nile Princess with Bettie Page bangs, and knights on horse back charging with their sabres up.
DVDs of William Castle’s pepla films

No Blu-ray treatments for these films, but I’m excited to give them a watch and see how the compare to the likes of House on Haunted Hill (1959). I ordered from Alpha Video the aforementioned Slaves of Babylon, and then got on eBay and found this multi-film set that contains the Egyptian peplum Serpent of the Nile (1953) and two other historic epics: Charge of the Lancers (1954) which takes place during the Crimean War (1853-56), and The Saracen Blade (1954) which is during the Crusades.

In the meantime I went to a sports card store and got a plastic sleeve big enough to hold my lonny card until I can get it proper framed.

The Norseman

I have a huge soft spot for the films of Charles B. Pierce. I was first introduced to his work by way of Boggy Creek 2 on MST3K when it first air on the Sci-fi Channel back in the 90s, and I thought it was a great episode! Years later I would finally watch the original Boggy Creek film, and it is a terrific faux documentary/horror film. In the 2000s I collected all the films of his that I could get my paws on at the time, such as his westerns. However it totally flew under my radar that he did a Viking peplum!

Standard blue case Blu-ray. Cover art shows a viking, standing atop... a small hill? There are two Native American warriors and a Native American woman who looks a bit like Teegra from Fire and Ice below the viking. There is a viking boat in the background.
The Norseman Blu-ray.

That film is The Norseman (1978), which was released in that empty void of pepla, before 1979’s Caligula and before the Conan cycle of strongman films. The movie was apparently shot in Florida, which when I think Vikings, I think Florida. I do recall watching and enjoying Pathfinder (2007), which also deals with Vikings encountering North American indigenous folk, so this might be a good pair of movies to compare and contrast together.

The Rabbit Joint – Zelda vinyl

Back in the latter half of the 90s, during those halcyon days of Napster, apparently there was a parody song circulating out there called “Zelda” that was sung to the tune of the Zelda theme, and attributed to System of a Down. How this never, ever, ever showed up on my radar is a surprise to me.

Last month I get a news letter from Light in the Attic records about the song getting a vinyl release. What struck me was the cover art for the vinyl – showing princess Zelda under a tree with a town behind her. I really liked it! So I impulsively bought the record based on the lore behind it, and the cover art.

7" vinyl sleeve and record. The record is dark green. The cover shows princess Zelda, holding a sword, standing under a tree, with a town in the middle of a forest behind her.
The Rabbit Joint’s “Zelda” vinyl.

Turns out the song sucks bad. It’s really annoying. It sounds shades like Group-X (remember Group-X? The “Mario Twins” song?). But, it is an interesting curio in the Zelda history, and to an extent, sword and sorcery history.

Digital versions of some of the tracks can be bought off Bandcamp thought I did a physical pre-order at Light in the Attic.

George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra Magazine Advert (and other swag)

Aside from the lobby card of Slaves of Babylon, I found another fun toga and sandal thing at the antique mall: a magazine advert for Caesar and Cleopatra (1945). There was a booth that was selling just advert pages from old magazines, and I saw this one a plucked it up. It’s really nice looking.

  • Colour page from a magazine in the 40s advertising Caesar and Cleopatra. There is a giant Vivian Leigh face at the top, and 4 scenes from the film around her. The advert proclaims "..in her first great tole since Scarlett in Gone with the Wind"
    Magazine advert for Caesar and Cleopatra.
  • DVD boxset of three movies from George Bernard Shaw (Major Barbara, Caesar and Cleopatra, and Androcles and the Lion). The boxset's top is light orange, the bottom is dark orange. There is a ribbon of stills from the movies in the center.
    George Bernard Shaw on Film DVD Eclipse (Criterion) boxset.
  • Old book of the play of Caesar and Cleopatra. There is a mask in the center, but no other graphics.
    Caesar and Cleopatra play.

Back in 2021 Michele and I talked about this film on an episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time. However, that episode was hosted on BlogTalkRadio, which went defunct earlier this year. Luckily, I saved an MP3 of the episode, I just need to find a venue to host it. Maybe in the meantime I should re-watch it for a Peplum Ponderings article.

Anywho, I have the Eclipse (Criterion Collection) boxset of some of the movies adapted from Shaw’s plays, and a copy of the Caesar and Cleopatra play in book form, so check all those goodies out in the slideshow above.

News from Friends

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

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Bernie and Pete have lots of new episodes of their Fan2Fan podcast online. Since it has been a month+ since my last news round up, there is a lot of epodes to get caught up on!

First they have an episode on the classic 1990 film Tremors (which will always rule):

Tremors – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then another episode on the Tremors franchise proper:

Tremors and Creature Features! – Fan2Fan Podcast

And an episode on the cult vanity project film, GetEven:

Champagne and Bullets – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then this episode on Jaws knock offs and other sharksploitation fare:

Sharksploitation – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by an episode devoted to the UK Video Nasties of the early 80s:

Video Nasties – Fan2Fan Podcast

The duo also spend two episodes interviewing Jim Carl, the Senior Director of Programming at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC. First part:

Retro Movie Programming with Jim Carl Part 1 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And part two:

Retro Movie Programming with Jim Carl Part 2 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Next Pete and Bernie take a dive into the 2023 comedy-horror film Totally Killer:

Flash Frights – Totally Killer – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by another comedy-horror, You Might Be the Killer:

Flash Frights – You Might Be the Killer – Fan2Fan Podcast

And then kick off October, the month of horror films, they talk about 1980’s Hospital Massacre:

Flash Frights – X-Ray – Fan2Fan Podcast

Followed by the found footage film Frogman:

Flash Frights – Frogman – Fan2Fan Podcast

Then Mr. Crockett:

Flash Frights – Mr. Crockett – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally, bringing us current, the Italian horror film, Night Killer:

Flash Frights – Night Killer – Fan2Fan Podcast

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

Michele Appearance on Mount Olympus Vidcast

Hercules Invictus, who hosts our Scholars from the Edge of Time vidcast, does tons of other programming. He recently did a panel vidcast on mythical creatures – winged humanoids. Michele was a guest on the episode, talking about the first Mimic film. Give it a watch on YouTube.

A side note, Michele has been recording new episodes of Ride the Stream with her co-host Travis Lakata, so expect to see new episodes soon!