Red Stylo & Hellcat Press Are Having Open Comic Anthology Submissions!

Okay, all you aspiring comic book creators - now's your time to shine! There are two comic anthologies in the works right now, and they're looking for submissions from you. One is going to be filled with stories about a very specific rock club, while the other will be tales of horror crafted by all female creators - and both have the potential to be utterly fantastic books! So how do you get involved, you ask? Keep your pants on, kids...all will be revealed below:

27: A Comic Anthology by Red Stylo Media

This antho will contain stories based on rock'n'roll's famous "27 Club". What's that? Well, it's not half of Studio 54, if that's what you were thinking. The 27 Club isn't actually a place at all, but rather a group of rock legends. It's all spelled out pretty clearly on the submissions page, and here's a snippet to give you the background:

Stars burn hot, bright and then go out forever, but their light shines on for ages after. Members of the “27 Club” reached musical stardom early in life and died too young– specifically, the tender age of 27. Some of the club’s more famous members include Jim Morrison (The Doors), Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), and Amy Winehouse.

This new book is following hot on the heels of Red Stylo's previous anthology, Killer Queen - which very lovingly collected tales based on Queen and Freddie Mercury. This proves that they know how to be reverent to the real-life musicians who provide the muse for the stories, yet create a brand new landscape for them to play in. Red Stylo have also allowed creators the opportunity to explore the worlds of Shakespeare (Shakespeare Shaken), Edgar Allan Poe (Poe Twisted) and Frankenstein (Unfashioned Creatures). I can't wait to see what they come up with for this book!

The deadline is Februray 15th. I'm providing the submissions link below and, as usual, you should read the guidelines fully. That said...go make some comics:

http://redstylo.com/2015/01/01/open-call-for-27-a-new-anthology-from-red-stylo/
 
And be sure to "like" Red Stylo's Facebook page to keep updated on all their news.

Dark Lady by Hellcat Press

Founded in 2014, Hellcat Press may be fairly new to the scene - but that doesn't mean they're unfamiliar with comic anthologies. Co-founder Lindsay Moore has had stories featured in the first three volumes of the horror antho Hellbound (published by River Bird Comics, a Boston Comics Roundtable production). Her passion for the project has me convinced this is going to be one to keep an eye on. And the cute pictures of kitties on the Hellcat web site certainly didn't hurt...

What's the skinny on the book itself? Lindsay sent me the following to give you the basics:

Hellcat Press is on a mission: to produce a horror comic anthology by October 2015. We are currently accepting submissions for our premier, all-female horror anthology, “Dark Lady.” If you are a woman with a horror story to tell, then Hellcat Press wants to hear it! For more details, please see:

http://hellcatpress.com/hellcat/submissions/
 

Far left: art from "Dolly" by Lindsay Moore & Alex Cormack. Far right: art from "Garbage" by Lindsay Moore &     Donna Peters-Martinez with Joey Peters

The deadline is February 1st - and again, make sure to completely read the submission guidelines. This one is pretty self-explanatory on the "all-female" portion of things. So, guys - just wait for the next sign-up, okay? Be sure to check out the rest of the web site while you're there, and give the Hellcat Press Facebook page a like while you're at it!

That's all we've got for now, folks! When the books are finished, hopefully we'll have a more in-depth look on Strange Kids Club...

It's True Kids...Daddy's Been Moonlighting For Zombies

You may have heard rumors that I've been writing for some crazy zombie web site. I'm here to tell you...that it's true. I know, you're wondering why I would stop fighting the hordes of the undead and start creating fluff pieces to promote them.

Rest easy kids - it's called "deep cover".

I've set myself up as a zombiephile with the handle of "Surfin' Dead" on the Zombie Zone News web site. I've even written my first piece about the Top 10 Zombie Comics To Rot Your Brain. They've begun to trust me.

And that's how we'll win. Pretty soon, I'll have the locations for all their undead tea parties or curling matches or...y'know, whatever evil things these revenant bastards like to do. And then...kablooie! No more nasty yellow teeth trying to gnaw on your giblets!

Don't worry, I'll be back soon with more craziness on Juano's Addiction. I might even tell you about all the crazy dreams I've been having...

Verily, ‘Tis A Thor Movie!

Thor, Norse God of Thunder! One of the most powerful, longhaired hippies of the Marvel Comics universe. And, in the wrong hands, one of the most boring books in that company’s repertoire!

ThorFan52 - Wait, wait, wait - really?! Boring? I mean, even when he got turned into a cute little frog with a tiny little Mjolnir hammer?... Wow, maybe that WAS kinda weak. Dang!

So, why make a Thor movie? Aside from the fact that he's going to be a heavy hitter in the upcoming Avengers movie? Well, this is a great time for Thor fans, given the stellar relunch of the title by comic scribe extraordinaire, J. Michael Straczynski. Plus, we geeks do love our origin stories. But will this be another Iron Man caliber back-story, or possibly more akin to the first Hulk movie? Lord knows I never need to see another gamma-irradiated poodle again to remember the dreck that spawned it. Let’s just hope that Marvel has learned from their recent mistakes…and successes.

Early peeks at the plot have revealed that there will be a lot more of the Asgardian backdrop than many of the fanboys seem comfortable with (for those of you who may not be as fluent in geek speak, Asgard is the home of the Norse gods). A lot of people are griping that they want Thor to immediately be the superhero they remember from their childhood, fighting alongside Captain America and Iron Man to thwart the villain of the month. Well, kids, just remember – Thor got booted down to Earth for being a naughty godling. This movie will focus on some of the reasons he was cast out, and his gradual transition to one of Earth’s greatest heroes. All we can hope for from here is that the comic relief of characters like the Warriors Three won’t morph into the slapstick comedy of the Stooges Three…

So who will be filling the roles? Here are a few of the major cast members:

Thor: Chis Hemsworth

Geek Cred: What, playing James T. Kirk’s daddy (in this year's phenomenal Star Trek reset) isn’t good enough for you? Okay, how about if I tell you he’s in Joss Whedon’s upcoming horror movie, The Cabin In The Woods? Yeah, I thought throwing in the almighty Joss might clinch it.

Will He Suck? I’m going to go with no. His role as George Kirk (albeit short) got me all choked up. And as to ThorFan52’s comment that he looks a little too weenie to play the six-foot-something thunder god – unclench already! Recent pictures look like he’s been bulking up for the role. And haven’t you ever heard of the wonders of CGI? Yeesh…

Jane Foster: Natalie Portman

Who, Now? This was the love interest for Thor’s mortal identity, Dr. Donald Blake. She was originally a nurse, but they're supposedly tweaking the character to update.

Geek Cred: Hello? Princess Amidala? Star Wars I-III? Anyone? Oh yeah, and she was Evey in V for Vendetta…

Will She Suck? Hello? Star Wars I-III…kinda sucked. But we’ll blame most of that on George Lucas’ crappy writing (I believe someone described it as "what might happen if a syphilitic chimp was given a typewriter and some crack") and Hayden Christenson’s “what if Anakin Skywalker was played by a whiney Rocky Balboa” approach to acting. She’ll do fine.

Loki: Tom Hiddleston

Who, Now? Ah, Loki – God of mischief and lies. In the Marvel Comics version of the story, he was the son of a frost giant. Odin, king of the Norse gods (and Thor’s pappy), adopted Loki after killing his father. This character is a great introduction, since in the original Avengers comic he was the big bad that made the team come together…

Geek Cred: Well, one would assume that appearing in a Thor movie might do it, but it’s too early to tell.

Will He Suck? I confess that I’ve never heard of him before this project. But the pictures I’ve seen (no offense, Mr. Hiddleston) make me believe that he could mimic this smarmy baddie with one gauntlet tied behind his back…

Lady Sif: Jessica Biel (rumored)

Who, Now? Thor’s love interest in Asgard – picture a hot woman in armor wielding a sword and kicking your ass. Now go hose down, spanky.

Geek Cred: Do you remember her slow motion walking into your heart as Whistler’s daughter in Blade: Trinity? What? That movie stank like old cabbage? Oh yeah…

Will She Suck? Hopefully not, but I loved Jennifer Garner a lot more before she went and wrecked up Elektra. And me likey Jessica Biel - in a way that’s almost as wildly inappropriate as how most of us still feel when we remember Carrie Fisher in that gold bikini. Aahhh - Lady Sif in a chain mail tube top…

The Walking Dead Shamble Over To AMC

In an effort to further distance itself from that pesky “American Movie Classics” moniker, AMC has announced plans to adapt Image Comics’ The Walking Dead as a live-action TV show. Frank Darabont, who has directed a pair of Stephen King prison movies (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), is set to helm the project. The Dead series (written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard since issue #7) has been around since 2003, and follows a small group of survivors who are trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Sounds right up our alley, doesn’t it?

From the beginning, the wonderful thing about this book is that the story has never relied on the gore factor. Its black and white print run has kept the graphic imagery from being over the top, while the plot itself (aside from the obvious) has never been completely horror-driven. It’s more about how people would react given this nightmare set of circumstances, and what they might do to protect their family. At the heart of this band of refugees is the nuclear family unit of Rick Grimes (a small-town police officer from Kentucky), his wife Lori and his son Carl. A lot of the peripheral cast has been ever changing as they meet up with other pockets of survivors, and as they lose people to… well, y’know…brain chompers.

As The Walking Dead pushes past the 64th issue marker (something of a feat for a non-anthology horror book), there will be a wealth of material for the show to delve into. Hopefully AMC will treat this venture with as much respect and attention as they have with Mad Men, and we can all look forward to multiple seasons of undead action…
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In related news, NBC has just ordered a pilot script for DC Comics’ Vertigo mini-series Midnight, Mass. The original story follows a husband and wife team, Adam and Julia Kadmons, as they travel the world solving supernatural mysteries. In the book, the monster baddie had a connection to the Kadmons that was slowly revealed. What direction the project will take (if it has any life in it) is too early to tell.

That's it for now, kids. What do you think the odds are of either of these shows having legs? Better than The Middleman? (God I miss that show!) Let me know your thoughts in the comments section...