This weekend includes at least three elements: the Jewish holy week between the New Year and the Day of Atonement, the weekend, and 24-Hour Comics Day.

I note that first part just in case somebody reads this to my mother. Hi, Mom!

24-Hour Comics Day  was created by Scott McCloud and it is exactly what the name implies: comics creators get together in local conclaves (not autoclaves; that’s a completely different thing) “to create a 24-page comic book in 24 continuous hours.” It’s sort of a tribute to the days of yore when a creator would get an emergency over-the-weekend assignment and get a bunch of friends together to write, pencil, ink, letter and color the entire book over the weekend, deliver it on Monday, and hopefully get paid for their effort.

Of course, way back then comic books ran 64 pages – 48 pages after World War II hit speed. But today we’ve got to do all those poster shots and, you know, backgrounds and stuff so we’ll ignore the drop in pages.

It’s enormous fun for participants and observers, kibitzers (Hi, Mom!) and hecklers. Since the last thing these 24-hour comics creators need is the sabotage of an admittedly grossly talented editor, I’m going to drop by Challengers Comics and Conversation in Chicago (1845 N. Western Avenue, about a block south of the Blue Line Western Avenue L stop) to do what I do best: mooch food and annoy people. There will be about 25 creators creating, fulfilling the “Comics” part of Challengers’ name, and plenty of kibitzers to meet the “Conversation” part. It all starts at 11 AM Saturday; I’ll probably wander in around 1 or 2 PM after everybody gets down to the hard work. But enough about me.

The type of creativity and camaraderie shown at 24-Hour Comics Day is the lifeblood of this medium. It’s been there since day one when young fans of pulp writing, science fiction and newspaper strips got sought out employment in the new form. Everybody in the biz was a kid back then; Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Joe Kubert, Gil Kane and many, many others weren’t old enough to get their driver’s license when they started out in comics.

This sort of enthusiasm endures to this day. I love going to “independent comics” shows such as MoCCA in New York just to soak in all that energy and see where the young creative spirits are wandering. Plus, I’m working on that incubus thing.

It’s pretty busy, so you’re trying to break into the racket 24-Hour Comics Day probably isn’t the place to schlep (Hi, Mom!) your portfolio. Call ahead to see if your local venue is receptive to walk-in presentations. However, it’s a great place to see how it all happens, how it’s put together, what people use as their tools (yeah, I know, laptops and iPads) and network. Not the Howard Beale type; you know what I mean.

Many venues are doing 24-Hour Comics Day in association with a local or national non-profit group, and that’s great – particularly in these troubled times. But, really, giving young and new creators the opportunity is a great thing in and of itself. Helping out, even by simply attending and hanging out (although buying a few comics would be swell) is a great thing as well. As we Ashkenazi-Americans like to say, it’s a Mitzvah.

Hi, Mom!

THURSDAY: Dennis O’Neil

News Release

Cover Art: Keith Birdsong

Michael Vance’s novel, Weird Horror Tales:Light’s End, is “an amazing, page turning suspense thriller”. Artist Eric York turns some ghoulish pages as well.

York is the interior illustrator of Vance’s latest novel. Vance was first attracted by York’s outré, very design oriented, and weirdly beautiful interpretations of the work of world-famous horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft.

“Eric is that rarest of gems,” said Vance, “an original. Since we share a love for Lovecraft’s prose, York’s style seemed a perfect choice for the last novel in my Weird Horror Tales trilogy that was also influenced by Lovecraft’s genius. I was overjoyed by his “deviant” art for my novel!”

York’s distinctive art has also appeared in books, fanzines, and comics including The Fantastical Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow Over Santa Susana, Malafact, Besmirched, Terminal Brain Rot and many others.

“I drew the cover for another of Michael’s books a few years ago [that was published in England],” wrote the artist. “I enjoy his subdued style of horror as well as his creepy locale of Light’s End. I’ve always been
into stories using the common setting of sinister old, small towns, and thought this would be a nice change to collaborate with Michael again. Plus I wanted to draw his morbid old degenerate, Jake Horne.”

York also self-publishes under his Maggot Global Publishing imprint and has published Hungry Maggot, Vermis Rex, Tillinghasts’ Moribund Fairy-Tales, Eldritch Pulp Adventure, the Erebus Tarot, as well as the upcoming Zygote’s Fables, and his 100 plus page graphic novel adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s collection of poems, Fungi From Yuggoth. More than 500 examples of his artwork are available at http://www.tillinghast23.deviantart.com/.

Art: Eric York

With the help of several additional artists, Vance unleashes his dark imagination in each of the three books of his Weird Horror Tales trilogy. Often compared to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, Vance’s work is not for the faint of heart. Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End features a cover by famed painter, Keith Birdsong.

The publisher of the Weird Horror Tales trilogy, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children’s books, and poetry collections. All three Weird Horror novels are available on-line, at book stores, from Cornerstone, and as E-books. For more information about Cornerstone, go to http://www.cornerstonepublishers.com/.

Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

In addition to Vance’s Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End, Airship 27 has released Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, a series of “Captain Hazzard” pulp thrillers, more pulp fiction in The Green Lama and Secret Agent X. For more information on Airship 27, go to http://www.airship27.com/.

ISBN: 1-613420-14-5 ISBN-13 978-1-613420-14-0
Digital copy available

Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End are now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores. Best price for traditional book is from Cornerstone Book Publishers at (http://www.gopulp.info/). For electronic version, go to: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.htm

Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/27498787@N04/ for FREE photographs of Light’s End, comics reviews, and much more!!

Coming in October from 12 Gauge Comics.

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, VOL. 1 TP: “In Nomine Patris”Writers: Troy Duffy and J.B. Love
Artist: Guus Floor
152 pages
$19.99
THE SAINTS ARE COMING!
Launching out of the wildly successful film franchise — THE BOONDOCK SAINTS and THE BOONDOCK SAINTS II: ALL SAINTS DAY — this inaugural comic book collection chronicles the first story to take place outside of the cult-hit films. Written by BOONDOCK SAINTS creator/writer/director TROY DUFFY and comic scribe J.B. LOVE, the “In Nomine Patris” saga is the perfect companion to the films.
Discover the true story behind the original saint, Noah MacManus (IL DUCE), and his bloody war against New York’s 1960s Underground Crime world.
And what of the beloved MacManus Brothers? For the first time ever, Troy Duffy reveals some of what happened between the films, as well as the brother’s journey to uncover the full extent of their family’s legacy of violence, leaving a path of vengeance in their wake!
Including a foreword by Connor MacManus himself– actor SEAN PATRICK FLANERY– never-before-seen art, a cover gallery, all six comic issues, and more— this all new chapter in the Boondock Saints Saga is what the fans have been waiting for! Don’t miss it!

ICE #4 (of 4)Writer: Doug Wagner
Artist: Jose Holder
Cover Artist: Brian Stelfreeze
Colors: Michael Wiggam
* Bonus co-feature by Doug Wagner and Brian Stelfreeze
32 pages
$3.99
The battle for simple justice has turned deeply personal for ICE agent Cole Matai, who has left his badge in the states and illegally crossed the border into Mexico, seeking only revenge after the shocking events of the last issue.
With his goal being to finish off Luis Morales once and for all, Cole takes the battle straight to the most ruthless criminal he’s ever encountered. Two men, two knives, and a battle for the ages. It has all led to this….ICE #4 will not disappoint!

LOOSE ENDS #4 (of 4)Writer: Jason Latour
Art and Cover: Chris Brunner
Colors: Rico Renzi
24 pages
$3.99
“With guns drawn, the deadly crime lord Batista charges toward the seedy Miami hotel room where Detective Rose’s plot is finally hatched. It seems that the only person standing between Sonny, Cheri, and this vicious gangster is the treacherous Detective Flynn and his facility for murder and violence. Or is he?
Join us for all this and more, as we draw the blinds on our shocking conclusion.”
LOOSE ENDS is a gritty, slow cooked, “southern crime romance”, that follows a winding trail down Tobacco Road, through the war torn streets of Baghdad, and into the bright lights and bloody gutters of South Florida…12-Gauge style.

COUNTRY ASS-WHUPPIN’: A Tornado Relief Anthology (One-Shot)Writers: Jason Aaron, Sean Patrick Flanery, Doug Wagner, Nathan Edmondson, and others
Artists: Jason Pearson, Brian Stelfreeze, Jason Latour, Rebekah Isaacs, Tony Shasteen, and others
Cover A: Cully Hamner
Cover B: Kody Chamberlain
48 pages
$5.99
On April 27, 2011 a string of deadly tornados ripped across the southeastern United States, with the brunt of the devastation focused on the state of Alabama.
In an effort to help some of the victims who are still putting their lives back together, many of the finest comic creators working in the industry today, all with roots or ties to the south, have banded together and donated their time for a uniquely southern anthology: COUNTRY ASS-WHUPPIN’.
The stories have one thing in common– they are all about people in the south kickin’ ass or getting their asses kicked. Enjoy both tall-tales and true stories, told by some of the best in the business; including Jason Aaron (X-MEN: SCHISM, WOLVERINE), Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS), Cully Hamner (RED, BLUE BEETLE), Brian Stelfreeze (ICE, WEDNESDAY COMICS), Rebekah Isaacs (IRON AGE, ANGEL & FAITH), Jason Pearson (ASTONISHING X-MEN, DEADPOOL), Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?) and many more. Don’t miss this celebration of southern culture, while having fun and helping those in need.
100% of the proceeds from this book will go directly to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, so please ask your retailer to reserve your copy today!

To see all of 12 Gauge Comics’ offerings, visit http://www.12gaugecomics.com/.

Death Angel, a New Pulp character created by Mike Bullock, debuted in the pages of Phantom: KGB Noir #1 from Moonstone books in 2010. Soon after, Death Angel’s adventures paired her with pulp fiction legend The Black Bat, but through it all, Death Angel has always been a bit of a loner.

Now, the vigilante returns in a brand new solo adventure. iPulpfiction has the exclusive debut of the first chapter of this new serialized romp through the darkness that blankets not only this city, but the minds of those who walk it’s streets.

You can grab a copy of the first chapter of the new Death Angel story, In My Dominion for only $.50 at http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/DeathAngel02-InMyDominion/jacketNotes.php

The first chapter of New Pulp Author Mike Bullock’s new Death Angel story, In My Dominion is available for only $.50 at http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/DeathAngel02-InMyDominion/jacketNotes.php

Coming in October from Dark Horse Comics.

FLASH GORDON COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES VOLUME 5 HC
John Warner (W), Bruce Jones (W), George Kashdan (W), Gene Fawcette (P/I), Al Williamson (P/I), Carlos Garzón (P), Al McWilliams (P/I), Frank Bolle (P), and Rick Veitch (C)
On sale Dec 28
FC, 280 pages
$49.99
HC, 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
Flash Gordon—hero of Mongo, gentleman scientist, two-fisted fighter, and now savior of the universe! Join Flash, the lovely Dale Arden, and Dr. Zarkov as they make a last desperate stand against alien monsters, corrupt kings, ravenous sharks, and the ultimate supervillain, Ming the Merciless! This volume collects Flash Gordon #28–#37, plus the three-issue adaptation of the cult favorite Flash Gordon movie!
• Introduction by Michael T. Gilbert.

TARZAN: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS VOLUME 10 HC
Gaylord DuBois (W) and Jesse Marsh (A)
On sale Jan 4
FC, 224 pages
$49.99
HC, 7″ x 10″
Tarzan faces his most harrowing adventure yet when his treehouse is targeted and destroyed by slavers, who kidnap Jane and Boy! This volume sees Tarzan battle lion-sized wasps, outwit ivory poachers, brave giant spiders to find desperately needed medicine, become stranded in the Valley of Monsters, and even track a murder cult for the British government. Reprinting Dell’s Tarzan #47–#51, from 1953, for the first time.
• Introduction by PictureBox’s Dan Nadel.

ABE SAPIEN: THE DEVIL DOES NOT JEST #2 (of 2)
From the pages of Hellboy!
Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), James Harren (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover)
On sale Oct 26
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Abe Sapien’s investigation of a demonologist gets gory when, at the mercy of a malformed beast, he stumbles upon the secret of a rotten family tree—the roots of which, he may never escape.
• Abe loses his mind in this early adventure!

B.P.R.D.: BEING HUMAN TP
Liz’s origin revealed!
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), John Arcudi (W), Scott Allie (W), Richard Corben (A), Ben Stenbeck (A), Karl Moline (P), Guy Davis (A), Andy Owens (I), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Dec 14
FC, 152 pages
$17.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
In these terrifying tales of witchcraft and the undead, Abe, Roger, Liz, and Johann learn the ropes as agents of the Bureau For Paranormal Research and Defense! Abe copes with survivor’s guilt, Roger goes on his first adventure with Hellboy, Liz tells the story of how she killed her family, and Johann Kraus dies!
• A standalone collection that’s perfect introduction to these bizarre heroes.

B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH: RUSSIA #2 (of 5)
The vault of horrors!
Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), Tyler Crook (A), Dave Stewart (C), Dave Johnson (Cover)
On sale Oct 19
32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
In the vault of the Russian Occult Bureau’s headquarters is a man chained down and heavily monitored. When Kate and Johann are brought in for assistance, the zombie director of the Russian bureau pits them against the possessed prisoner!

BALTIMORE: THE CURSE BELLS #3 (of 5)
Vampire nuns, giant snake gods, and the occult!
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Christopher Golden (W), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Oct 12
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
A bloody ritual climaxes in a terrifying rebirth, as Lord Baltimore battles against the twisted “blessing” of vampiric nuns and an insane occultist.
• A horrifying new take on vampires!
• By Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

BALTIMORE VOLUME 1: THE PLAGUE SHIPS TP
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Christopher Golden (W), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Dec 21
FC, 144 pages
$18.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
After a devastating plague ends, Europe is suddenly flooded with vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, fights his way through bloody battlefields, ruined plague ships, exploding zeppelins, and submarine graveyards, on the hunt for the creature who’s become his obsession.
• First time in paperback!
• By Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

BRAIN BOY ARCHIVES HC
Herb Castle (W), Gil Kane (A), and Frank Springer (A)
On sale Dec 14
FC, 216 pages
$49.99
HC, 7″ x 10″
A freak accident with an electrical tower affected Matt Price’s brain while he was still in the womb. Ever since, he’s had mysterious powers—telepathy, levitation, and mind control. Naturally, the government recruited him straight out of high school, and now he battles mad dictators and thawed-out dinosaurs as Brain Boy!
• Introduction by Batton Lash.

CONAN: ROAD OF KINGS #9
Roy Thomas (W), Dan Panosian (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Aleksi Briclot (Cover)
On sale Oct 19
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
Beneath the city of Tarantia, Conan, his allies, and the child in his care are at the mercy of a horde of zombie Hyborians, while above their heads an even greater menace reveals itself! If they survive the catacombs, can Conan and his charges withstand a siege of the city?

FEAR AGENT #32: OUT OF STEP part 5 (of 5)
Rick Remender (W), Mike Hawthorne (P), Tony Moore (P/Cover), and John Lucas (I)
On sale Nov 2
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
THE END!
The creative team that came together on Fear Agent reunite for the stunning conclusion!
• From Uncanny X-Force and Venom scribe Rick Remender!

KULL: THE CAT AND THE SKULL #1 (of 4)
David Lapham (W), Gabriel Guzman (P), Dan Jackson (C), Jo Chen (Cover), and Stephanie Hans (Variant cover)
On sale Oct 12
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Few women in all the Seven Kingdoms can equal the beauty of Delcardes, but Kull is more interested in her traveling companion—the cat, Saremes. It is rumored that Saremes is of the old race and Kull is anxious to hear her counsel. The Hate Witch is dead but the serpent cult are rallying under a powerful wizard. In order to protect the people of Valusia, Kull must unravel the mysteries of this wise and ancient creature.
• Kull vs. his greatest foe: THULSA DOOM!

KULT #4 (of 4)
Jeremy Barlow (W), Iwan Nazif (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Jake Murray (Cover)
On sale Oct 5
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The illusion is pierced! The hellish real world is revealed! The final battle for humanity has begun! But with the power to reshape the world and his allies helpless to stop him, has Tomas Zenk been the true danger all along?
• Inspired by the legendary RPG!
• For fans of The Matrix and Hellraiser!

MIGHTY SAMSON ARCHIVES VOLUME 4 HC
Arnold Drake (W), Paul S. Newman (W), John Warner (W), Jose Delbo (A), and Jack Abel (A)
On sale Dec 21
FC, 224 pages
$49.99
HC, 7″ x 10″
In a world of monsters and scavengers, Samson continues fighting his way across a wasted future America, searching for hope and dishing out justice. With his beautiful companion, her brilliant father, and a rogue’s gallery of foes, Samson and his team are constantly bombarded with danger! This volume collects Mighty Samson issues #25-#31 and Gold Key Champion #2 and features an introduction by Samson artist Jose Delbo.
• Collects material unavailable anywhere else!

ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD #3
David Lapham (W), Paul Tobin (W), Jeremy Barlow (W), Wellinton Alves (A), Joshua Williamson (W), Patric Reynolds (A), Cobiaco (A), Tony Parker (A), Gerald Parel (Cover), and others
On sale Oct 26
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
Ongoing
Paul Tobin and Wellinton Alves conclude their Conan adventure, David Lapham and Fabio Cobiaco tell a high-seas adventure featuring King Kull’s right-hand man Brule, Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker adapt a cowboy adventure by Howard, Joshua Williamson and Patric Reynolds them up to revive Howard’s gritty detective Steve Harrison, and we bring you part one of the classic graphic novel Kull: The Vale of Shadow!

TUROK, SON OF STONE: AZTLÁN VOLUME 1 TP
Jim Shooter (W), Eduardo Francisco (A), James Harren (C), and Raymond Swanland (Cover)
On sale Jan 4
FC, 96 pages
$15.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
The American Southwest, 1428. Turok, a wandering warrior, rescues young Andar from death at the hands of the ruthless Maxtla and his Aztec horde. Turok and Andar seek refuge in a vast cavern, where an otherworldly force sweeps them and their pursuers to a savage, timeless land of rampaging dinosaurs and unimagined wonders. Hunted in a world of danger and death, Turok and Andar fight to survive—and to find a way home.
• Collects issues #1-#4 of the new Turok series.

For a full listing of Dark Horse’s October Release, visit them at http://www.darkhorse.com/.

Coming in October from Boom Studios.

Drawn by Marc Laming
SC, 32 pgs, FC, SRP: $1.00
Diamond Code: JUL110956
SPECIAL $1 DEBUT ISSUE! Acclaimed crime novelist Gary Phillips (THE JOOK, VERTIGO’S ANGELTOWN and COWBOYS) returns to BOOM! with a new brand of crime! High finance and low-down greed rear their ugly heads as Jeff Sinclair, the premiere laundryman in San Francisco—and we’re not talkin’ wrinkled jeans and dirty gym socks—is unwillingly pulled into a dangerous gig laundering $25 million in stolen casino skim money. Forced to truly consider his line of work and the evil that he facilitates, Jeff must find a way to clean the cash and wash away his own sins. A grounded, gritty look at the world of money laundering in the vein of Elmore Leonard, THE RINSE is a modern crime classic in the making! For fans of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ CRIMINAL!

Drawn by Andy Kuhn, Keith Giffen, Jon Schnepp and many more!
SC, 220 pgs, FC, SRP: $19.99
ISBN13: 9781608860760
Diamond Code: JUL110957
We’ve got plenty more mad creations spilling out of our zombie kitchen! Delivering smart, accessible, high-quality zombie short stories, this anthology has met with great acclaim amongst both comic and zombie fans, featuring more great zombie stories from more great writers and artists that you know and love. Don’t worry about leaving room for dessert — you’re it! Featuring work from writers Mark Waid (IRREDEEMABLE, KINGDOM COME), John Rogers (Leverage, Transformers), William Messner-Loebs (THE FLASH, THE MAXX), Brian Augustyn (JLA: YEAR ONE, B.P.R.D.), role-playing game master Monte Cook, Karl Kesel (FANTASTIC FOUR, SUPERMAN), Michael Alan Nelson (28 DAYS LATER), Ian Brill (DARKWING DUCK), Tom Peyer (THE FLASH), Pierluigi Cothran (HEROES webcomic), Bryce Carlson (WALL•E), plus art from the likes of Andy Kuhn (FIREBREATHER), Keith Giffen (52, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES), Jon Schnepp (Venture Brothers, Metalocalypse), Toby Cypress (KILLING GIRL), and more. With talent like this, neither the dead nor the living stand a chance!

DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS VOL. 3 TPBWritten by Daryl Gregory, Kurt Busiek
Drawn by Scott Godlewski, Damian Couceiro
SC, 112 pgs, FC, SRP: $14.99
ISBN13: 9781608860586
Diamond Code: JUL110932
The terrifying conclusion to the critically acclaimed series from comics legend Kurt Busiek! After a powerful, predatory corporation acquires Dracula as a valuable asset, they soon discover one terrifying truth: no one can own the Son of the Dragon! As the vampire armies of the corporation and Dracula face off against each other, our hero Evan must enter into an unlikely alliance with Marta and her team of vampire hunters. As Dracula and the corporation’s fight reaches a fever pitch, can Evan and Marta work together long enough to rally a rebellion that will be able to withstand the onslaught? It’s bloodsuckers vs. bloodsucker, as Busiek brings an incredibly modern spin to the Dracula mythos with award-winning author Daryl Gregrory (PANDEMONIUM, PLANET OF THE APES) and rising star artists Scott Godlewski (CODEBREAKERS) and Damian Couceiro (NOLA).
For a full listing of Boom Studios’s October Release, visit them at http://www.boom-studios.com/.