Ghastly Awards - October 2013 Update

Horror comics are becoming more and more frequent in our reading culture, and the Ghastly Awards are here to recognize, through Horror Comic submissions, those that shine the brightest. We encourage all Comic Creators to take the time to head over to www.ghastlyawards.com and submit your work for 2013 Ghastly Award Nomination consideration.
    

Creators please remember that you can submit your Horror Comic work through out the calendar year! For the month of October 2013 the judges are recommending you take a look at: 

Hellraiser: The Dark Watch #9 (BOOM! Studios) - IIn this issue Tiffany has rescused Kristy from her mental prison that D’Amour had trapped her in, but a threat is still arising. The war in Hell with the Cenobites and Leviathan’s Damned rages on and Kristy and Tiffany intend on battling in it .This series has a lot of different twists and turns to the story line with some striking visual art. I enjoy the journey Kristy is on and how she deals with being the High Priestess of Hell.The issue was a fun read and had a nice twist that will appeal to any Hellraiser fan. - Spaced (http://youknowyourcertifiable.blogspot.com/)

The Memory Collectors #1 (IDW/44Flood) - “If you’re looking for some hero’s tale, you’re not going to find that here...” Says Edith, our fetish model turned protector of all things dark and dangerous. So... I have my bachelors degree in philosophy, and I’ve read it all friends. I’ve studied it all, pondered it all. And this, I can honestly say, is one of the most philosophical comic books I’ve ever read. Probably ever produced. We (all horror comic fans) were expecting a lot from The Memory Collectors. How could we not? With Menton3’s daringly dark and creamy art, passion for high fashion and buxom vixens, and unique take on the human form... We were ready for greatness. But then add to that the fact that Menton3 also penned The Memory Collectors, expectations were sky high. And not only did this meet my expectations, it took a grenade to them and blew em’ up. I must have read the first 4 pages nearly seven times before I could continue. I couldn’t decide whether or not it was a comic or a manual on how to properly view the world (and its inhabitants) around you. Immediately drawn into the comic from the first sentence, “It is said the best place to hide something is in plain sight...” The world blacked out around me and I was a part of The Memory Collectors. That’s something Menton3 excels at, making you an intimate part of his art. Art that’s so unique, you wonder if you’re even looking at it or dreaming it. Something I’m almost hesitant to say but feel it’s too true to ignore, is that Menton’s writing is almost biblical. The way he takes us on a first account journey and the tone he utilizes, feels so important and epic, it’s not to be dismissed--it’s to be archived for generations to come. The mix of comic and prose is an absolute delight. I wasn’t expecting that, and it made the comic a genuinely fascinating experience to read. One last thought before I give the whole story away, The Memory Collectors utilizes very subtle meta elements that I must applaud Menton3 for... meta elements are my absolute favorite and they are very hard to pull off without tearing the reader right out of the story. And he pulled it off beautifully. Now go forth and read. And enjoy all the bonus features in the back of the comic!  – Bree Ogden (agentbree.wordpress.com)

Afterlife with Archie #1 (Archie) -  A childhood fave takes a wild leap into adult terror-tory in this excellent new alt-universe spin-off series from Archie Comic Publications. Leave it to Sabrina to trigger an undead apocalypse of epic proportions after she helps Jughead with his awful pet problem! Of all the zombie comics in recent years, this one stands tall by erupting from the grave with an superb first issue, and it’s obvious Riverdale will never be the same after writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla get done with us because NO ONE is safe! Smart, sexy, gruesome and violent, this could easily be the sleeper creeper hit of 2013 for many fans of horror and the Archie’s. WARNING: NOT FOR THE KIDDIES!!

ALSO RECOMMENDED: Spongebob Comics #25 (Bongo/United Plankton Pictures), these are for the kiddies! --fun spooky tales from under the sea featuring all the lovable doofuses vs. living jack o’lanterns, zombies, sea creatures (of course), and a super stand-out Flying Dutchman story illustrated by Mr. Monster’s Michael T. Gilbert! Chillies and sillies abound, matey! – Steve Banes (http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/)

Red Run (Alterna) - This new One Shot, written by Brandon Barrows and illustrated by Joel Cotejar, fits nicely into the “family struggling with supernatural forces” sub-genre, which has brought us films like Insidious and Poltergeist. Cotejar’s artwork is solid throughout and Barrows certainly goes the extra mile to give the family some personality with believable dialog (though the husband calls his wife “babe” as a pet name, something which I detest and makes me bristle... but that’s just me). This is a brisk 30 pages and my only quibble is that very little time is spent on the actual horror situations, which is a shame because Cotejar has some fun with the few pages of flaming specters that he’s allowed. Still, this is worth a look to see some horror that isn’t all up in your face and bombastic, but is inevitably uplifting. Available as a digital comic on Comixology. - Mike Howlett (http://eeriepublications.blogspot.com/) 

Baltimore: The Infernal Train #2 (Dark Horse) -“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” That seems to be the theme of this issue. Baltimore and Judge Duvic fend off the vampiric fiends who swarm them in a hotel lobby, all the while having a pleasant little chat about Duvic’s unrelenting drive to “purify” Baltimore, and Baltimore’s inability to see eye to eye with that plan. After the scuffle, we are treated to some of the lore within Baltimore’s world and how the higher order of vampires tie into the whole story. Aside from one very Bond-Villainesque revelation of plans, this issue was absolutely fantastic! I cannot wait for the conclusion.  - Rachel Deering (https://twitter.com/racheldeering) 

Who Needs the Moon #1 (Todd McCullough/Digital) - Who needs the moon? I sure do! Wow what a find this book is going to be when you all stop reading this review and go read this book! First of all, McCullough will grab you right from the start as two people are running from something, and then… fade to black. That is the only spoiler you get people. This issue has a great mystery to it, I mean we know it’s a werewolf, but there is still so much more to learn about. The story is only half of this book though, so now allow me to tell you about the how GORE-Geous the artwork is. I can’t barley even sum up into words how great it is. I love the use of color in certain scenes, but then keeping things in black and white in others. I think that the Todd’s style is refreshing, and so needed to make this book all that much more special. Look I really don’t want to give anything away, but I really do want you to go out and get this book. You just have to trust your old pal Decap, this is a must read! - Decapitated Dan (www.decapitateddan.com)

 
Creators and Publishers please make sure to go over to www.ghastlyawards.com to submit your books for 2013 Nomination consideration! More informaiton on how the submission process works can be found here http://ghastlys.blogspot.com/2010/10/submit-your-horror-comic-to-be.html