Decapitated Dan

Tales From the Water Cooler #54

2012-02-24T08:05:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 54th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Shiver me timbers and climb aboard the ship this week matey's! The Water Cooler is heading to the high seas looking for Adventure. Listen in as the Captain's talk about Road Rage #1, Peter Panzerfaust #1 and Adventure Time #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #54

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #80: Dirk Manning 6

2012-02-20T12:15:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #80: Dirk Manning 6

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Dirk Manning for the 6th time! The guys talk about Black Box Entertainment, Tales of Mr. Rhee and so much more!

Tales From the Water Cooler #53

2012-02-17T12:43:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 53rd episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The takeover is over and Decap and Speech are back while Sensation recovers in the Comic Hospital. Listen in this week as the guys take a look at Severed #7, Conan #1 and Artifacts #14.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #53

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #79: Roman Dirge

2012-02-13T11:58:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #79: Roman Dirge

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer and artist Roman Dirge to talk about his book Lenore and so much more!

Tales From the Water Cooler #52

2012-02-10T12:59:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 52nd episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

52 REBOOT! What could be in store as the Water Cooler gets retooled this week? Only one way to find out and that is to listen in! The guys also take a look at Animal Man #6, Uncanny X-Force #21 and X-Factor #231.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #52

Rebel Blood #1 – Review

2012-02-08T12:29:00.002-06:00

Issue: Rebel Blood #1
Writer: Alex Link, Riley Rossmo
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: March 2012
Pages: 28
Price: $3.50

“The world went to hell in a hand basket. A highly infectious disease has turned every living thing into zombies. Your neighbors will rend your flesh with their bare teeth. So will the rats. And if the rats don’t, the squirrels will. Save yourself. Stay in the woods. Pray it hasn’t reached the wolves…and keep your gun loaded.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
BOOM! The words to start this story say it all! BOOM PEOPLE! BOOM! Riley Rossmo teams up with Alex Link to bring us into this strange world of animals with issues. The artwork is well beyond off the hook, and has totally been turned up to 11. Rossmo has this style that just screams this book is perfect in his hands. It is GORE-Geous with the emphasis on gore. What really got the artwork in this book a perfect score was a scene where characters moved about without and panel divisions. Rossmo played with this readers eyes and knew how movement would work from left to right. Of course you have to add in the great color work and the monstrous animals, because who ain’t gonna love that. In terms of the story, I need more now! The story is told in a different manner than most comics, with a decent amount of jumping going on. This is a very hard trick to pull off, unless it is done right. The main character has some great internal issues that play out on the pages. It leads to two levels of mystery being laid out here. On one hand you have the obvious animal issue but then you have this internal conflict being played out. Overall I don’t see how anyone could pass on this book. I’m done with #1 and I already want the rest to be in my hands right now. Jaw Dropping, Mother F*(!ing, Brain Tickling, Horror Comic Book Goodness!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Rebel Blood you can find it at http://www.imagecomics.com

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #78: Terry Moore

2012-02-06T09:58:00.002-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #78: Terry Moore

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer, artist and publisher Terry Moore to talk about his book Rachel Rising and so much more!

Ghastly Awards: January 2012 Update!

2012-02-03T09:32:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Horror comics are becoming more and more frequent in our culture and the Ghastly Awards are here to recognize, through peer nominations, those who shine the brightest. As a matter of fact so far this year, this entire list of titles (and some self published books) have already come out. Take a look at this amazing list and see what you think should be up for the best of the year so far. Comic Creators we hope that you will take the time to head over to www.ghastlyawards.com and nominate those who you think are the best so far in your eyes.

Creators please remember that you can nominate up to 5 times throughout the year, so make your voice heard!

As a Ghastly Award judge, so far this year I am really enjoying quite a few titles. I won't ramble on and on, but I still think the Locke & Key is the best book on the selves right now. The way that Joe Hill is crafting this story just floors me. The pencils by Gabe Rodriguez mixed with the colors of Jay Foto's just make my eyes drool.

A mini series from Marvel that just wrapped up, which I actually enjoyed, was Legion of Monsters. I thought it was a really fun take on this cast of characters. Hopefully we can get some more mini's with them in the future.

Green Wake is a series I have praised from the start. The writing of Kurtis Wiebe has me hooked on calling him writer of the year, and it is only the start of February. When you add in the GORE-Geous artwork of Riley Rossmo, I just can't get enough. Sad to say that this series is coming to an end in February, because I will be talking about it for years to come.

This list is only going to grow as the year goes on so Comic Creators, Editors and Web Comic Creators please do not hesitate to take a quick second to nominate who you think should be up for a Ghastly Award!

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
ALPHA & OMEGA CRY WOLF VOL 01
AMERICAN VAMPIRE
ANGEL & FAITH
ANIMAL MAN
ANNOTATED SANDMAN HC VOL
BILLY FOG GIFT OF TROUBLE SIGHT HC
BLACK FIRE HC
BPRD HELL ON EARTH RUSSIA
BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 02 GODS AND MONSTERS
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9
BULLETPROOF COFFIN DISINTERRED
CARNAGE USA
CHARMED
CLASSIC JURASSIC PARK TP VOL 04 RETURN JURASSIC PK
CRAWL TO ME TP
CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 12
CREEPY COMICS
CROSSED PSYCHOPATH
CRYPT OF HORROR
DANCE IN THE VAMPIRE BUND GN
DARK SHADOWS
DARKNESS
DARKNESS
DEADLANDS BLACK WATER
DEMON KNIGHTS
DEVILS ISLAND GN
DIABLO
DREAM REAVERS
EERIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 09
FATALE
FERALS
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.
FUBAR II EMPIRE OF THE RISING DEAD
GHOST RIDER
GHOST RIDER BY DANIEL WAY ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP
GHOST RIDER CYCLE OF VENGEANCE
GHOSTBUSTERS #5
GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS
GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS TP VOL 02
GODZILLA LEGENDS
GOON
GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES
GREEN WAKE
HACK SLASH
HACK SLASH EVA MONSTERS BALL TP
HELLBLAZER
HELLDORADO
HELLRAISER
HELLRAISER MASTERPIECES
HELLRAISER TP VOL 02
HOUSE OF NIGHT
HP LOVECRAFT THE DUNWICH HORROR
I VAMPIRE
INFESTATION 2
INFESTATION HC
IZOMBIE
JURASSIC PARK DANGEROUS GAMES
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK
KEY OF Z
LADY DEATH
LEGION OF MONSTERS
LITTLE GREEN MEN TP SMALL PACKAGE BIG FUN
LIVING CORPSE EXHUMED
LOBSTER JOHNSON THE BURNING HAND
MONSTER HUNTER ORAGE
NANCY IN HELL ON EARTH
NINJAS VS ZOMBIES
PATRICIA BRIGGS MERCY THOMPSON MOON CALLED TP VOL 02
PLANET OF THE APES
RACHEL RISING
RACHEL RISING
RAISE THE DEAD II HC
RESURRECTION MAN
SALEMS DAUGHTER HAUNTING
SCHOOL BITES SPECIAL SEMESTER COLL TP
SCOURGE
SCREAMLAND DEATH OF THE PARTY TP
SEVERED
SHINKU
SIXTH GUN
SPAWN
SPONTANEOUS HC
SUPERNATURAL
SWAMP THING
SWEET TOOTH
TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE
THE OCCULTIST
THE STRAIN
THEATER
TRUE BLOOD FRENCH QUARTER
VALEN OUTCAST
VAMPIRELLA
VAMPIRELLA VS DRACULA
VENOM
VOODOO
WALKING DEAD
WITCHBLADE
WITCHFINDER TP VOL 02 LOST AND GONE FOREVER
XENOHOLICS

Tales From the Water Cooler #51

2012-02-03T09:08:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 51st episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The Clergyman is back this week! So listen in as the guys talk about this weeks picks Creepy #7, Aquaman #6 and X-Men Legacy #261.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #51

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #77: Hoax Hunters pt. 2

2012-01-30T10:33:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #77: Hoax Hunters pt. 2

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writers Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley. Listen in as they talk about their book Hoax Hunters and so much more!

You can find out more about Michael at http://www.michaelmoreci.com/

You can find out more about Steve at http://thedelicatematter.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 36 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #50

2012-01-27T14:02:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 50th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

It is celebration time here on the Cooler as we have hit Episode #50! So listen in as the guys talk about this weeks picks Daredevil #8, Chew #23 and Thunderbolts #169.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #50

A Very Zombie Christmas #3 – Review

2012-01-24T10:46:00.000-06:00

Issue: A Very Zombie Christmas #3
Creators: Joseph Wight, Fred Perry, David Hutchinson, Rod Espinosa, Ben Dunn
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: December 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“Antarctic Press presents another chilling and thrilling collection of ho-ho-horror tales for the ho-ho-holidays! Go walkin’ (or better yet, running) through a nuclear winter wonderland once again!.“

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Ho Ho Ho a zombie comic reading we go! It’s the holiday season and that can only mean one thing, my favorite anthology is back! While I won’t push it down your throat that you need to be reading all horror by Antarctic Press, I will tell you that this series is so worth checking out. The first story follows along the lines of the recent Zombie War stories that have been showing up as back up stories in other books from AP. It is a great take on Naval horror and something that isn’t really expected, because it takes place on the water. I loved it! Then of course we get a “Littlest” story. I didn’t include the zombie in that title, because this one by the amazing Fred Perry, takes place without the little guy showing up. Instead it focuses on another character, who I won’t spoil, but it was easily my favorite of the bunch. Then you get a sprinkling of some great Espinosa artwork, followed by the best happy Christmas story of the year featuring Hutchison’s “Living Dead Girl”. Finally the book is wrapped in a bow with a Warrior Nun story by Ben Dunn. Plain and simple, this is an easy buy for me. I love this company, I love this book and I want it monthly already!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to know more about or purchase a copy of A Very Zombie Christmas #3 please go to http://www.antarctic-press.com/

The Strain #2 – Review

2012-01-23T10:44:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Strain #2
Story By: Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan
Script By: David Lapham
Artist: Mike Huddleston
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: Jan 2012
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“As an eclipse covers New York City in midday darkness, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Centers for Disease Control struggle to find an explanation for what happened to Flight 753. But when the symptoms don’t add up to chemical warfare, and bizarre circumstances unexplained by modern medicine arise, Ephraim begins to entertain the ramblings of a Holocaust survivor who knows too much about this unknown threat.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Are you reading this yet? No really… are you? If not, I have to ask why not? The Strain has come on this new year like a… strain! It’s a virus people and you need to get infected by it. The artwork in this issue is fantastic, but it really shines brightest towards the end of the issue, that is when the killing starts. The story still has its mystery as to what is happening and why. However it moves at such a great pace, between action and talking scenes. I find myself so wrapped up in this story that I am so sad when it ends. Taking off from the first issue and just nailing the suspense and intrigue has this series on the top of my must read lists. I can not wait for more and I am very impatiently waiting. You really need to check this series out.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Strain you can find it at http://www.darkhorse.com/

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #76: David Hine

2012-01-23T10:33:00.002-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #76: David Hine

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer David Hine, as the guys talk about David's work on Bulletproof Coffin, Ryder on the Storm, The Darkness and so much more!

You can find out more about David at http://www.waitingfortrade.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 37 minutes.

Whispers #1- Review

2012-01-22T10:41:00.000-06:00

Issue: Whispers #1
Writer: Joshua Luna
Artist: Joshua Luna
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: Jan 2012
Pages: 28
Price: $2.99

“A mentally troubled man is suddenly empowered with the ability to leave his physical body in “ghost” form and manipulate people in strange and disturbing ways. With this incredible power, will he control his demons…or discover even more?”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
I was an a fan of the series Girls, I liked Ultra and never had real chance to check out the Sword, so why on Earth would I check out Whispers? It’s because I really enjoy what I have seen the Luna brothers do. That being said Joshua is flying solo with this series and he delivers. The artwork is like that of the other books I mentioned. I love the style, love the colors and love the whole package, but it is nothing new. It delivers where it needs to and it works throughout the issue. The real highlight here is writing. From the very start I was amazed at how well he depicted the main character’s O.C.D. It is almost like an uncomfortable feeling watching him suffer with it, but I have this feeling it will lead to something great. The opening scene was above and beyond in terms of external and internal dialogue. I loved the realism of the writing as again, I really felt for Sam as he was being, as I felt, attacked by his friends. The way Joshua sets Sam up leaves some mystery and intrigue to his character. What did he do? Why is he like this now? Then you come to the “dream” state which is where this issue takes off even further. There is a lot here to take in and it seems to be leading up to something big. So consider this issue a teaser of sorts. I can’t wait to see where this series is heading.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Whispers #1 you can find it at www.imagecomics.com

Valen The Outcast #2 – Review

2012-01-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

Issue: Valen The Outcast #2
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Release Date: Jan. 2012
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“The King is dead – long live the DEAD KING! King Valen Brand was a just king and a great warrior until he was killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm, an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul… From the mind of fan-favorite creator Michael Alan Nelson (28 DAYS LATER, ROBERT E. HOWARD’S HAWKS OF OUTREMER) and DEADPOOL artist Matteo Scalera comes OUTCAST, a visceral new ongoing series that blends “epic fantasy” with “sword-and-sorcery.” Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Conan. Don’t miss this action-packed second issue! “

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Alright BOOM! I got a problem. First you floor me with issue #1 and now you come back and make me start to think I really like Fantasy Books! Valen the Outcast makes something I didn’t really care for before a lot of fun. The art in this issue was great for the most part, but I did still find a few panels to be a little cloudy. The action scenes are depicted so well though. I actually ducked for fear of bricks flying at my head. I love the character designs and the vibrance that they all have on each page. The winner though is the story. Like I said, if you can get me to like something I normally wouldn’t, you win. Nelson does a fantastic job telling this story, and the little things, like the pigs in this issue, make me wonder how he can come up with this stuff. The dialogue is fun with a serious tone. Overall this series is shaping up to be a great ride. So sit back, relax and enjoy it with me!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Valen The Outcast #2 you can find it at www.boom-studios.com

Green Wake #9 – Review

2012-01-20T10:36:00.000-06:00

Issue: Green Wake #9
Writer: Kurtis Wiebe
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Publisher: Image
Release Date: Jan. 2012
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“Morley starts to understand the path laid before him as Green Wake begins to change after the rebellion settles, but the murders that happen behind the scenes are growing more mysterious. The heinous acts of violence hint at a growing thirst for blood.”

Dying Breath: 5.0 out of 5
OH HELL NO!!!! You better be kidding me! These will be the words that come out of your mouth when you read this jaw dropping issue. Like most issues of this amazing series, I am sitting here waiting for more, so let me spend some of that wait time telling you about this issue. Rossmo brings it to a new level with the artwork on this one. There is a monster that shows up that had me drooling, and when you are just a head and your drool, it is easy to drown. Thanks for trying to kill me Riley! Page after page I can not get enough of his style, and I am still 100% in love with the way he depicts the cold in these issues. Now onto my gripe… Wiebe you know what you did, and I am not happy! Everything leading up to that event had me on the edge of my seat and now I am in complete shock. The pacing is spot on throughout the issue, the mystery just grows and grows and there is only one issue left to wrap this one up! The way that these two come together to bring me the BEST BOOK ON THE SHELVES right now makes me want to just hug the crap out of them. This is a story that you should be reading, you need to be reading and you will read again and again.

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 5.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Green Wake you can find it at http://greenwakecomic.com/

Tales From the Water Cooler #49

2012-01-20T09:06:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 49th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Welcome back to the Water Cooler. Dan and Speech are coming at you again this week missing something Sensational. Have no fear though, as the guys talk some DC cuts and then dive into this weeks picks Whispers #1 and Scarlet Spider #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #49

Creepy #7 – Review

2012-01-19T10:33:00.000-06:00

Issue: Creepy #7
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: Jan 2012
Pages: 48
Price: $4.99

“Hope your New Year’s resolution was to be terrified, because Creepy is back to start 2012 with a scream! Featuring the latest from bone-chilling scribes Joe and Keith Lansdale, Christopher Taylor, and Dan Braun, this installment of the abominable anthology is sure to leave you shivering in the corner until next year!”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Have I mentioned how much I love the fact that new issues of Creepy are being made? Well I LOVE that new issues of Creepy are being made! Issue #7 keeps the amazing tradition of the horror anthology going strong with some amazing shorts that are sure to terrify you to your core. Art wise the highlight for me was seeing the classic story by Steve Skeates, “The Ultimate High”. I am such a sucker for that art style, it is just GORE-Geous! The other stories look great as well, with my eyes digging Torres’ “Bloodsuckers” story. The stories themselves though were a little hit and miss. I didn’t really care for the opening story “Mud” or the final story “Deep Ruby” which was a reprint from Eerie. Overall though this book will not disappoint. At a time when it can seem Anthologies lean more towards more modern storytelling, it is great to see that Dark Horse is carrying this classic style. Now I sit and wait for #8.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Creepy #7 you can find it at www.darkhorse.com

Peter Panzerfaust #1 – Review

2012-01-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

Issue: Peter Panzerfaust #1
Writer: Kurtis Wiebe
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: Feb. 2012
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“THE GREAT ESCAPE, Part One:
The city of Calais is the first city in France to fall to the Germans in the spring of 1940. A mysterious American boy named Peter rallies a handful of plucky French orphans and they must work together to survive Europe’s darkest hour.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I have to admit, that I didn’t catch the name hidden in the title. I blame this on the fact that I was never a big fan of the Peter Pan story. So this book comes along and I start to see some similarities and it hits me, a big “DUH” appeared over my head. So after admitting I am not a fan of the basic PP story, I absolutely loved this book! While it is not horror based, sorry fans, it is war based and what comic book fan isn’t on board for that? Jenkins artwork is fun and loose. I think it does an amazing job depicting the flow of this issue in terms of all the action. It is almost as if the book had come alive in my hands. The colors are perfect for this period, it was just overall GORE-Geous. For people who read my reviews you know Wiebe can just kill it on a story, Green Wake, so I had my head up expecting good things with this book, and I was not let down. The pacing is great, the dialogue is awesome and well it makes a concept I found boring fun. Now I keep saying Peter Pan, this is not Peter Pan, this is a book that to me read like it has connections to the concept, but then makes it its own. This issue was great from start to finish. I know I will be on board for a while if this can keep up, and with a team like Wiebe and Jenkins I have no doubt in my mind that it can. Highly recommending this one to everyone.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Peter Panzerfaust #1 you can find it at https://www.facebook.com/PeterPanzerfaust

One Model Nation OGN – Review

2012-01-17T10:29:00.000-06:00

Issue: One Model Nation OGN
Writer: Courtney Taylor-Taylor
Artist: Jim Rugg
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: Jan 2012
Pages: 160
Price: $24.95

“From US rock band The Dandy Warhols’ frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor comes an original graphic novel illustrated by indie super star Jim Rugg. A work of historical fiction set in Germany in 1977, it follows four young men who were to become the voice of their generation. This is the epic journey of art noise band One Model Nation, the final dark days of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, and the band’s mysterious disappearance only months later. Features a host of bonus extras: sketches, director’s commentary, deleted scenes and more.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
If you want to talk about removing oneself from their comfort zone, than you can look no further than me taking a look at One Model Nation. Typically, I review horror books, this is not one of them. I am a Metal Head, this book is not about that genre of music. So why on Earth would I even take a peak at
this new OGN book from Titan Books and love it like I did?

Easiest way to start is to admit, I am not a big fan of the character designs here. While the style did not appeal to me personally, it did do something very right, which was fit the tone of the book. Rugg’s artwork does more than set the scenes, it captures a tone that I can only compare to something you would get from a movie soundtrack. High moments are depicted in colors to reflect the scene, while the down moments hit lower tones on the color scale. Visually this book is on point from start to finish.

The story though is the real winner. The sense of history, even though the band is fictional, places the reader (in this case an American reader) into a world that they might not be familiar with. I don’t know much about the music scene in Germany, but after reading this I get a feeling of what it might have been like. Taylor-Taylor crafts some fantastic dialogue that moves the story forward as it covers music and politics at a time where a movement was needed.

The more I find myself recalling this book, the more I see it playing out as a movie. I can’t say who this book would directly appeal to, but I think that anyone with any kind of interest in music and comics should check this one out. I am so happy I was given the opportunity to read this, because it has broadened my love for the music culture and how it has progressed to what we have today. An amazing read!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about One Model Nation OGN you can find it at www.titanbooks.com

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #75: Horrorbles

2012-01-16T09:02:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #75: Horrorbles

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Rafael Nieves and artist Dan Dougherty as the guys talk about there new upcoming book Haunting Tales of Horrorbles and so much more!

You can find out more about Raf at http://rafwrites.blogspot.com/

You can find out more about Dan at http://www.beardocomics.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 39 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #48

2012-01-15T08:56:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 48th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Welcome back to the Water Cooler. Just when all seemed lost, the Dan and Speech were able to get together to record this weeks show! Listen in as they talk about American Vampire #22, Lenore #4 and Witchblade #151.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #48

Deathbourne #1 & 2 – Review

2012-01-13T12:08:00.000-06:00

Issue: Deathbourne #1 & 2
Writer: Andrew Hall
Artist: Zack McDivitt
Publisher: A to Z Studios
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 28 (each)
Price: $4.50 (each)

“Find out what really happened after the final page of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and how it paves the way for the extermination of an entire country and the heroes that can end the threat once and for all.”

Dying Breath: 3.5 out of 5
They created a monster. A MONSTER of a comic I say! Hall and McDivitt have something here that is original, fun and compelling. Lets start with the artwork. On a high note the character designs are great. I love the way that the monsters look, and think they are very consistent throughout the two books. The colors are good, as they really bring the pages to life. While I think black and white could easily work on this, color does just as well. My one gripe on the art side was the lettering in the first issue and the sound effect lettering in the second. These are just minor things though, and typically you see things like this get worked out over time as it is part of the learning process. Story wise this is a world that is just beginning to open up. There are hints at different monsters here and there, but the Deathbourne are at the forefront. The first issue did a good job of bringing everything together, your basic setup. Issue 2 though added in the action and really started to run with the story. Like I said, there is a grand world to explore here, so I really hope that the pace and quality of the writing stays consistent. Overall this is a book that started with its training wheels and is now really starting to take off. You can see the learning curve play out over the 2 issues, and it is only getting stronger. Fans of Frankenstein and the classic monsters should take a look at this one. A nice start that I will be back for again.

Artwork: 3.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Deathbourne you can find it at http://a-to-zstudios.com

The Hammer Vault

2012-01-12T12:03:00.000-06:00

Title: The Hammer Vault
Author: Marcus Hearn
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 176
Price: $34.95

“This remarkable journey through the Hammer vault includes props, annotated script pages, unused poster artwork, production designs, rare promotional material and private correspondence. Hundreds of rare and previously unseen stills help to create a rich souvenir of Hammer’s legacy, from the X certificate classics of the 1950s to the studio’s latest productions.

Written and compiled by the official Hammer Films historian Marcus Hearn, and featuring exclusive contributions from the actors and filmmakers associated with the company, this is the most lavish book ever published on the legendary House of Horror. “

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I have to be honest and admit I am not a big horror movie buff. I grew up watching some great films in the 80′s and 90′s, but not the Hammer movies. So when I was presented with this amazing book to review I was looking for 2 things, history and a list of what movies were Hammer Horror. This book delivered on the list front, and man did it deliver. Out of the 176 pages over 160 of them are dedicated to the films. I will get to the page design in a second, but basically this book is a timeline from start to finish, giving some information on the movies and showing off some of the great press material that was put out. So in terms of history you don’t get too much, but you do get enough to be content with. It’s like a tease that will lead you to want to know more and more. The design of this book is GORE-Geous. As a Graphic Designer, I can spot a great layout and the way these spreads are put together is a work of art. I found myself spending so much time just taking in all the material presented. From the posters, to the press books, to the on-set photographs this was just a great collection of items. I know that any Hammer Horror or even Horror Movie buff will need to have this as a part of their collection, and I am happy to say it is now a part of mine. This book presents a visual history of the Hammer Franchise that will now be preserved forever. Now if you will excuse me I need to go watch about 100 different movies.

Layout: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Hammer Vault you can find it at http://titanbooks.com

The Strain #1 – Review

2012-01-11T11:54:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Strain #1
Story By: Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan
Script By: David Lapham
Artist: Mike Huddleston
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: Dec. 2011
Pages: 28
Price: $1.00

“When a Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and goes dark on the runway, the Center for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders. Only an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem suspects a darker purpose behind the event-an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Wow! This issue was all that and more! The Strain is a new vampire comic, that if it can hold the feel of issue #1, will be on point to be on any top 10 list in 2012. The artwork in this issue does a fantastic job of putting creepy images into your brain. The art team did a great job of creating a dark ominous setting that plays so well into the stories hands. Just take a look at those covers, they are GORE-Geous! The story starts off on this perfect pace of that builds up throughout the pages. Like the artwork an overtone is carried out from the first few pages, where a monster is formed in your mind through words. A ghost story that becomes reality. So much is left to play out here, but there is no way you should pass on this first issue. I mean it’s a dollar for Cthulhu’s sake! I can not wait for the second issue to come out, I really think this will be the Vampire book of 2012.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Strain you can find it at http://www.darkhorse.com/

Monster Dudes #1 – Review

2012-01-10T11:50:00.000-06:00

Issue: Monster Dudes #1
Writer: Dave Scheidt
Artist: Matt Fagan
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 28

“Monsters are so sweet, man.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
DUDES! This is one sweet comic for the reading holes you need to fill in your lives. What this book brings to the table is laughter galore topped with sprinkles of visual goodness. Fagan’s art style fits this type of story telling so well. The mummy is my personal favorite, but there are plenty of monsters to choose from in order for you to find yours. A big highlight from this issue was the lettering, I have a big soft spot for hand lettering. Scheidt’s writing will make you laugh, and if you laugh hard enough you might cry. I don’t want to pinpoint a single short in this issue as a favorite, I really enjoyed them all. This is a great book to add to your horror collection. It should have you rolling on the floor like when the werewolf has fleas. I can not wait to get my hands on more!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Monster Dudes you can find it at http://www.facebook.com/monsterdudes

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #74: Deathbourne

2012-01-09T09:02:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #74: Deathbourne

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Andrew Hall and artist Zack McDivitt as they talk about their book Deathbourne and so much more.

You can find out more about Andrew and Zack at http://a-to-zstudios.com

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 37 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #47

2012-01-06T07:54:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 47th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

We have a special episode for you this week folks. Listen in as Dan, Aron, Gid and Jeff go over their top books from 2011! And of course another awesome round of WWISD!

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #47

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #73: Tony Miello

2012-01-01T09:51:00.002-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #73: Tony Miello

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer and artist Tony Miello. Listen in as the guys talk about Gapo the Clown, Detroit Fanfare and so much more!

You can find out more about Tony at http://www.gapotheclown.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 39 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #46

2011-12-30T10:57:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 46th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Happy New Years everyone! Listen in this week as the guys talk Christmas presents and then dive into their picks of the week Amazing Spider-Man #676, Memorial #1 and Daken #18.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #46

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #72: Magnus Aspli

2011-12-26T12:54:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #72: Magnus Aspli

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Magnus Aspli. The guys talk about Vessel of Terror, Troll Hunter and so much more!

You can find out more about Magnus at http://magnus-aspli.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 39 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #45

2011-12-23T08:38:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 45th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Happy Holidays everyone! Who is ready for another round of WWISD!!!!! Listen in this week as the guys take a look at The Strain #1, The Ray #1 and Severed #5.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #45

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #71: Chris Wisnia

2011-12-19T11:12:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #71: Chris Wisnia

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by artist and writer Chris Wisnia. Chris joins Dan to talk about Tabloia, Lump, Doris Danger and so much more!

You can find out more about Chris at http://www.tabloia.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 37 minutes.

Monocyte #2 – Review

2011-12-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

Issue: Monocyte #2
Writers: Menton3, Kasra Ghanbari
Artist: Menton3
Covers: Menton3 (Cover A), Riley Rossmo (Cover B), Bill Sienkiewicz (Incentive Cover)
Side Stories: Ben Templesmith (w/a), Alan Hubbard (w) & Chris Newman (a)
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: December 2011
Pages: 36
Price: $3.99

“Monocyte begins his death march towards the Olignostic city, fending off relentess attacks in his path to destroy their immortality machinery. Meanwhile, a powerless Olignostic seizes on Monocyte’s appearance to acquire power.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
OH MY! This is one book where I find myself asking myself “How can I even put this into words?” The artwork in this book is beyond GORE-Geous. From the amazing covers to the jaw dropping interiors followed up by the lettering, this book is just off the charts. One panel in particular gave this book a perfect score on the artwork, and it was an aerial view of what was happening. The fact that this panel entered into the mind of Menton3, shows how his artistic vision is beyond what others are doing. And hey the more decapitations the better. The story is a mind game of sorts, especially since I use those words to describe it. It takes what a comic should be and makes it so poetic that I don’t even realize I am looking at a picture book. The dialogue both external and in internal has this dark futuristic feel to it, that sets the tone so well. The backup stories shine like in the issue prior, giving more depth to the cast. Before I knew it the book was over and I am now acting like a addict craving more. So excuse me while I go convulse in the corner. Run to your comic shop to get issue #2 and invite this dark futuristic tale of fantasy and horror into your life.

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Monocyte #2 you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com

Tales From the Water Cooler #44

2011-12-16T10:03:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 44th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Who is ready for a round of WWISD!!!!! Listen in this week as the guys take a look at Hellblazer Annual 2011, Valen the Outcast #1 and Defenders #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #44

Zombie Bomb #6: Last Rites – Review

2011-12-15T12:54:00.000-06:00

Issue: Zombie Bomb #6: Last Rites
Creators: Ken Knudtsen, Steve Becker, Jeff McComsey, Samuel Araya, Keith McCleary, Rolo Ledesma, Murat Mihcioglu, Ergun Gunduz, Andy Jones, Josh Morrissette, Jerry Morrissette, Matt Talbot, Dave Ferreira, Haig Demarjian, Adam Street, Lawrence Basso, Steve Jones, Tony Donley, Andrew Houle, Brian Paturzo, Jamie Head, Geoff Mosse
Publisher: Terminal Press
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 76
Price: $10.00

“The ZombieBomb! Comic Anthology unleashes it’s ferocious final issue! Our 6th installment features over 30 writers and artists joining forces to bring you the baddest bunch of Zombie stories ever assembled. Full color and undead just for you. Presented by Adam Miller and Rich Woodall. We saved our bloody best for last!”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Zombie Bomb is a GORE-Geous zombie anthology comic. The artwork in the stories and the pin-ups just blew me away on every page. Trying to find a favorite was not easy out of bunch, but the 2 that have me looking again and again are “Date Night with Dehlia” and “Outbreak: Year One” which plays to my graphic designer background. The stories in this book just shine visually as each one has a different look and feel. Something I look for in anthology titles. The editors did their jobs well in pairing up this group. The stories themselves I found to be a little more hit and miss. “The Undead Alphabet” is possibly the greatest and most original zombie short story I have ever read. The concept just amazes me, and the execution was so flawless. “Zombirdies” was possibly the second best story of the bunch in its originality and execution. It’s poetic form worked so well I found myself still trying to rhyme the stories that followed it. There was one story in this book though I found to be a little confusing and I had no interest in it. Overall this book does what it needs to, entertain me to a point where I am happy to tell you about it. While the world may say Zombie Comics are overdone, I say keep making them. A great read that is easy on the eyes and will gel well inside you BRAIN!!!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Zombie Bomb #6: Last Rites you can find it at http://terminalpress.com/

Corey the Zombie Killer #1 – Review

2011-12-14T12:54:00.000-06:00

Issue: Corey the Zombie Killer #1
Writer: Michael R. Carr
Artist: Kevin Steward
Publisher: Czkworld Studios
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 28
Price: $4.00

“The story starts 1 year after the infection has taken place. This is where we find Corey (young human man). He learns his survival depends on finding someone to trust in a corrupt zombie ruled planet. Every turn is a twist….leading to the unforeseen and a rising body count. A rising human and zombie body count…”

Dying Breath: 3.0 out of 5
Corey the Zombie Killer is a fun take on the zombie genre. The issue does many things right but I did notice a few things that could be touched upon. What the book does right is introduce us to this dark world. The artwork is good throughout, as there were never moments of confusion on my part during certain action scenes. However there were a few panels where it seemed Steward may have been trying to do a little too much. Backgrounds blended in with the rest of the panel and it seemed off. The bulk of the art though consists of great white and black work. I also think that hand lettering on the sound effects would add more to the visual aspects of the story. The story itself did a nice job of getting from point A to point B, but it also had some rough moments. The dialogue was good, but I didn’t really get a feel for any of the cast. The background of this world is fleshed out nicely, so to not get much info on the main character was a bit of a letdown. However I think it is something that will be fleshed out more as the story moves into future issues. Overall this book is a solid #1. You get the introduction to the world, the cast and the visuals convey what is going on. I like the concept here and am very excited to see where this series goes.

Artwork: 3.5 out of 5 • Story: 3.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Corey the Zombie Killer you can find it at http://czkworld.blogspot.com/

Decapitated Dan’s Best of 2011

2011-12-12T14:37:00.000-06:00

Well it’s the end of the year, and what better way to recap it than by making a list! So check out what I liked best in 2011!

____________________________________

Writer of the Year: Peter Milligan
2011 really seemed to be a year where I fell in love with what Milligan was doing. The funny thing about that, is his titles both contain John Constantine. Hellblazer was a book that I was always afraid to get on board with due to how far into the series it was. However after jumping in around the time of the wedding I was hooked. Milligan also took a book I had no interest in, Justice League Dark, and made it a book I want to read. While I can’t say he will hold this spot next year, this year Milligan reigned supreme in the land of Decapitated Dan.

Honorable Mentions: Kurtis Wiebe, Jeff Lemire, Joe Hill

____________________________________

Artist of the Year: Leonardo Manco
Leonardo Manco came into 2011 like a freight train lending his magic pen and pencil to the amazing series Driver for the Dead. It would have to take something a little extra though for me to choose him, and that something is Hellraiser. Manco’s style mixed with horror comics is as natural as peanut butter mixed with jelly. I can not wait to see what he brings to the drawing table in 2012.

Honorable Mentions: Gabe Rodriquez, Riley Rossmo, Mark Bloodworth

____________________________________

Horror Publisher of the Year: Antarctic Press
Now before you all start riots or dig your nails into your scalp from scratching your heads so hard, you need to know that I LOVE what Antarctic Press brings to the horror table. In 2011 we saw titles like The Last Zombie, To Fight with Monsters, Steampunk Halloween, The Planet of the Living Dead series, Diary of a Zombie Kid, Fail of the Living Dead and A Very Zombie Christmas. That line-up got nothing but high scores in my reviews and it leaves me wanting so much more from this company in 2012. Quality throughout the entire line.

Honorable Mentions: DC/Vertigo, IDW, Image

____________________________________

Best Ongoing: 28 Days Later
Yes, I do know that this series ended, but any other ongoing title would still have a hard time topping 28 Days Later on my list. For 2 years this book went strong as Michael Alan Nelson and a few artists bridged the gap between the 2 movies. And while it did end, it left the story wide open for so much more. So as I sit here and cross my fingers take a chance and check out what this series was able to accomplish.

Honorable Mentions: Hellblazer, Green Wake, Hellraiser

____________________________________

Best Mini Series: Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom
I think by now most people know that nothing sits at the top of my comic list like Locke & Key does. This is a series that I am 100% devoted to and can not wait for the next issue to come out. Keys to the Kingdom took this series to a higher level, and left so many questions in my head that I almost burst at the seams waiting for Clockworks to start. If you ask me, Hill and Rodriquez have crafted something that will be mentioned along with the greatest comics stories ever told.

Honorable Mentions: ‘68, The Last Zombie, The Vault

____________________________________

Best Small Press Title: Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown
Have you ever tasted a truffle? An item that is hard to find and yet has so much value? In the horror comic world there are so many small press books being made, and Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown is the truffle. The humor and detail that are put into this book on both creative sides make it shine. Rafael Nieves is a man who has a horror story to tell and Dan Dougherty was born to depict it.

Honorable Mentions: Vegetable Wars, The Killing Jar

____________________________________

Best Book You Never Heard Of: Drop Dead Dangerous
Drop Dead Dangerous brought something to the horror table that I have not seen in a while, serial killing in comics. While this one may have flown under the radar of everyone, I think you could only read it on Drive-Thru Comics, it was great. The artwork, mixed with the storytelling was unique and original. A great hidden gem to check out.

Honorable Mentions: Brutally Frank, Anatomy of a System

____________________________________

Best Comedy Title: Futurama
If you know me, than this one is possibly a no-brainer. Most know I am a huge Futurama fan, so getting a bi-monthly comic is the best thing that could happen. The writing on this series is so spot on with the humor of the show, and I personally think that the stories take a good amount of time to read, so your are getting your money’s worth. Next to Locke & Key this is one book I will never miss.

Honorable Mentions: Skullkickers, Lenore, The Living Corpse

____________________________________

Best Non-Horror Title: Critical Millennium
While I am HUGE on the horror genre, Sci-Fi never really does it for me. So when Drew Gaska asked me to take a look at the first issue of Critical Millennium I was surprised at how great it was. This is a mini-series that took me 45 – 60 minutes to read a single issue. You would think with that much content there wouldn’t even be pictures, but there were and man were they GORE-Geous! If anyone asks me to recommend a Sci-Fi title you had better believe this will be the first thing coming out of my mouth.

Honorable Mentions: The Sixth Gun, Skullkickers

____________________________________

Best OGN: Deadworld: The Last Siesta
So much bias already just leads way to more, but how can you not get excited about getting brand new Deadworld stories! The Last Siesta told a new story, in a new country and introduced me to almost an entirely new cast. Gary Reed and Gary Francis scripted a fantastic chapter to add to the Deadworld’verse, and when you add in art by Mark Bloodworth you make my neck drip just a little more blood. I’m seriously still drooling over these pages.

Honorable Mentions: Julius Destructus, Vessel of Terror, Flesh and Blood

____________________________________

Best Collected Book: Deadworld Classics Vol. 2 / Deadworld Omnibus
Back to back categories and 2 titles in this one alone give Deadworld a 3-peat in this years picks! Classics Vol. 2 collects more of the great stories by Vince Locke and crew. It even has a foreword written by yours truly. The Omnibus collects all of the rebooted material (Requiem for the World, Frozen Over and Slaughterhouse). For the price tags on these two collections you are stealing from IDW and company, these are books I will recommend picking up until the zombies crawl back in their graves.

Honorable Mentions: Creepy Presents Bernie Wrightson, Showcase Presents The Witching Hour. Zombies that Ate the World. Vol. 1

____________________________________

Best Historical Book: The Weird World of Eerie Publications
Alright first of all, this came out in 2010, however I didn’t do the best of in 2010, so this baby gets the top spot, so ha! Many people don’t know this but when I was going to start writing a book on the great Eerie Pubs, I found on Mike Howlett already was, and I was relieved! This book covers so much history on the ugly step-cousin of the old school horror mags and should be on your shelf, no questions asked.

Honorable Mentions: Bob Powell’s Terror: The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics Volume 2

____________________________________

Best Mainstream Anthology: Nightmare World Vol. 2: Demon Days
Every year around Halloween this nagging sound always comes back to my ears. That sound is the voice of Dirk Manning telling me that it is time to once again talk Nightmare World. This is a great collection of shorts that seem to have something for everyone. A mix of art styles and themes that all lead back to one thing, horror.

Honorable Mentions: Creepy, Unexpected, Heavy Metal

____________________________________

Best Small Press Anthology: Strange Aeons Magazine
If you are a Lovecraft fan you had better have this magazine on your list of things to check out in 2012. No wait, why do you not know about this magazine yet? Strange Aeons is a quarterly title that deserves more recognition and needs to be on any horror comic fans radar. Combining the large monsters you expect with original stories on Lovecraftian themes this one is a can’t miss.

Honorable Mentions: Blokes Tomb of Horror Annual 2011, Strange Kids Club, ZombieBomb

____________________________________

Best Comeback: The Living Corpse
When I think about it I can’t really believe that The Living Corpse was gone for a few years. Probably because Ken and Buz were always sharing what was going on with the book while it was in it’s down time. So big props to Dynamite and the boys behind the book to get his rotting face on the shelves again. It is great to have this book back in the land of the living! Make sure to check out issue #3 for a special guest appearance.

Honorable Mentions: Jack o’Lantern (Marvel), The Heap, Animal Man

____________________________________

So there you have it. My picks for the best of 2011!

• Note: It was not easy to make this list. There are so many great horror comics that come out each year, so I say to you, create your own list and let the world know what stood out to you. When it came to choosing the writer and artist of the year I specifically took into consideration people who worked on more than one book for the year.

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #70: Brandon Seifert

2011-12-12T08:59:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #70: Brandon Seifert

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Brandon Seifert. The guys talk about Brandon's book from Skybound, Witch Doctor and so much more

You can find out more about Bradon at http://www.witchdoctorcomic.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 37 minutes.

ComicMonsters.com Podcast #27

2011-12-12T08:43:00.001-06:00

ComicMonsters.com Podcast #27

Join Decapitated Dan, Rob Caprilozzi and David Pinckney as they dive into the nominees for this years Horror Comic Awards. Listen in as they go over who was nominated and their thoughts on the whole bunch!

With Music by Call the Paramedics.

The Sixth Gun Vol. 1 – Review

2011-12-11T10:10:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Sixth Gun Vol. 1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Brian Hurtt
Publisher: Oni Press
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 160
Price: $19.99

“Collecting issues #1 – #6 of the hit new series by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt! During the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. In time, the Sixth Gun. the most dangerous of the weapons, vanished. When the gun surfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Vile men thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing the girl. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunfighter with a shadowy past, stands in their way.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
What is it with me lately? First I find a Sci-Fi book I like, then a Fantasy title peaks my interest and now I am in love with a Western(ish) story! The Sixth Gun takes everything I want to see in a Western, action, and mixes it with some elements of horror that I love, zombies and supernatural magic. The story is never dull in this collection. I know that because when I sat down to read it in pieces I finished the whole thing. Bunn does a fantastic job of weaving the elements together to bring a fascinating tale take place, and yet he still leaves so much mystery to this world. The artwork by Hurtt was GORE-Geous. I don’t think there was a single panel I didn’t want blown up to hang on the walls of my house. From his character designs to his interpretation of the story nothing seemed off. I feel bad for sleeping on this one for so long, because now I need to read the rest to catch up. I happen to know that a Mummy is in an upcoming story line so I need to get my neck moving! This book is one of the best being printed right now and should not be missed by anyone.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Sixth Gun you can find it at http://www.onipress.com

Critical Millennium Hardcover – Review

2011-12-10T10:06:00.000-06:00

Issue: Critical Millennium Hardcover
Writer/Creative Director: Andrew E. C. Gaska
Artist: Daniel Dussault
Letters: Nina L. Kester
Proofs: Duncan Mc Lachlan
Publisher: Archaia
Pages: 176
Price: $24.95

“Mankind’s rise and fall in space begins here! Two thousand years from now, the Earth is nearly dead. A bold group of explorers led by philanthropist Thomm Coney pushes forward to take the first tentative steps out of Earth’s solar system. Their quest: new worlds to colonize, so that humanity may yet have a chance at survival. Facing impossible odds, political agendas, and a fanatical terrorist regime bent on their destruction, Coney and his crew brave the dangers of a potentially volatile star drive in order to preserve a civilization intent not only on killing itself, but also on taking down every other living thing around it. Will mankind set aside its greed long enough to see a future amongst the stars? Collects Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier #1-4 and contains extra material, including data sheets, sketchbook pages, starship information sheets and more.”

Dying Breath: 5.0 out of 5
Who would have thought a horror nut like me would fall in love with a Sci-Fi book like you? Critical Millennium is easily in this reviewer’s top 5 OGN’s/Trades of 2011. The artwork is nothing short of GORE-Geous on every single page. I talked about the panels in previous reviews, but being able to get so much art on a page that is covered in so much story is beyond me. The coloring has this colored pencil or charcoal look to it that makes it easily stand out in a crowd. I would honestly stare at these pages for hours, that way I could burn them into my retinas and stare at them all night long in my sleep. I do have on small issue though. With how great the artwork is, the dust jacket does not do this book any favors. The actual cover under the jacket is so much more appealing (but get the dust jacket for 2 awesome pull quotes anyways.) The story itself is just as on point as the artwork. For those who don’t know Drew Gaska also wrote Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, so he knows how to write long well written stories. That being said, you get one hell of a long story here. The amount of story goes back to me trying to figure out how they got all of this into 176 pages. It would take me 45 minutes to an hour to read one of the single issues! This book has more material than a quarter of the dictionary. I was hooked on this from page one and was so sad to see it end. While I do admit Space stories are not my cup of tea, a story like this has me easily second guessing myself. I can not recommend this book enough. It has everything I could have wanted in a story and soooooooooooo much more!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 5.0 out of 5

To find out more about Critical Millennium Hardcover please go to http://www.archaia.com/ and grab a copy at your local comic shop.

Tales From the Water Cooler #43

2011-12-09T12:53:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 43rd episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The CBC is back this week, and the guys tackle a great question from Ian Johnson. Listen in as we find out what the guys thought about this weeks books; Flash Gordon #1, Skullkickers #12, Pilot Season: Theory of Everything #1 and Mouse Guard: Black Axe #3.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #43

Skullkickers Vol. 2 – Review

2011-12-09T09:24:00.000-06:00

Issue: Skullkickers Vol. 2
Writer: Jim Zubkavich
Artists: Edwin Huang, Espen Grundetjern
Colors: Misty Coats
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 144
Price: $16.99

“The second SKULLKICKERS adventure is a wondrous tornado of action-adventure: a den of thieves, a city of danger, nobility, stupidity, plant monsters, dinner parties and bloodthirsty faerie folk.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
CRASH! ROLL! LAUGH! STAND UP! FALL AGAIN! LAUGH! APPLAUD! That about sums up what I think of this amazing second volume of Skullkickers from Image Comics (if you have read any issue you will get the opening line.) Vol. 2 takes the heroes and places them into even more fantastical trouble. As the story unfolded I was treated to so many laughs and even a scene that made me really uncomfortable to look at. Like past issues of the book, these pages are GORE-Geous. My jaw drops to the floor on practically every page from the line work to the colors there is not a single thing that does not shine. Trust me on this too, there are plenty of horror elements to be found. A huge highlight is the big bad boss reveal towards the end of the story. The layout of that page alone is worth 1,000 Opas. The story is what really gets me though. The pacing at times seems to be so fast and action packed, and then you get a slower moment that is still action packed leaving you without a single dull moment. The jokes never stop either. Whether it’s Baldy or Shorty making a wise crack or the sound effects you will laugh while this book is in your hands. Plain and simple I love this title. I like books that can tell a great story, look amazing and make me laugh and Skullkickers covers all 3. This is easily one of the best titles on the shelf today.

Artwork: 5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Skullkickers Vol. 2 you can find it at http://www.skullkickers.com/

Valen The Outcast #1 – Review

2011-12-08T13:25:00.000-06:00

Issue: Valen The Outcast #1
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Release Date: Dec. 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $1.00

“The King is dead — long live the DEAD KING! King Valen Brand is a fair, just king as well as a great and mighty warrior. Killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm,an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul! “

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
“Long live the Dead King” is right people! Now most know that I am not a fan of the Fantasy genre of comics, but every now and then a book will come along and make me second guess myself. This is one of them. The art in this issue is GORE-Geous, and when you get a few decapitations how can it not be? The line work is great, but in some of the action scenes I did tend to take 2-3 looks to figure out exactly what was happening. All of that is over shadowed though by a final panel that is to die for (pun intended)! The cover choices on this one shine as well, and the one posted with this review is my favorite. The story is perfect for a first issue. You are given enough back story to be ready to move forward. however I personally didn’t care for how that back story was broken up over the course of the issue, but that is me being nit-picky. The pacing and action I expect to find in a horror fantasy book is there, with enough intrigue to keep me on board. Again I go back to that final panel, because it was a jaw dropper. While fantasy is not always my game, I really did enjoy this first issue. For only $1 you might think you are actually stealing this one from BOOM! because it’s easily worth more.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Valen The Outcast #1 you can find it at www.boom-studios.com

Anatomy of a System: Chapter 7 – review

2011-12-07T13:22:00.000-06:00

Issue: Anatomy of a System: Chapter 7
Writer: Travis Wayne Pursell
Artist: Travis Wayne Pursell
Publisher: War Torn Studios
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 12
Price: $10.00

“A modern day thriller with a bit of gore. A delicate balance of chaos and order, life and illusion. Witness a puppeteer mastermind unfolding before your eyes.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Welcome to the system. What does it mean? I’m not quite sure yet, but I do know this, this issue was great. The artwork by Pursell has a great vibe flowing through it that really carries the overall feel of the book. The line work is great and with the absence of color it really shines through. The way he is able to capture depth without using gray tones and even his hand lettering make this one great issue to look at. The story itself is part of a larger web that will play out over more issues. As the introduction issue, ys chapter 7 came out first, the pacing is great and I am very interested. Let me just say that when I see a talking turtle, of the non-ninja variety, I am highly interested to see where it will go. This issue reminds me of something I would see as a short in Heavy Metal. It just has that overarching flow to it that seems to be a breakdown on society and the horrors that lie within. I will sit and wait in anticipation to see it played out, since this is a book that is easily worth checking out.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Anatomy of a System: Chapter 7 you can find it at http://www.wartornstudios.com/

Green Wake #7 – Review

2011-12-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

Issue: Green Wake #7
Writer: Kurtis Wiebe
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Publisher: Image
Release Date: December 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“Morley is haunted by ghosts of his past that force him to face his fears about Green Wake. Violent unrest seizes the citizens of the once sleepy town and Morley is forced to choose a place to stand in the deepening social divide.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Remember last time when I reviewed Green Wake #6, and I coined the term Wieley? Good if you do because this books is full of the great things you get when you get Wieley. Rossmo’s artwork in this issue took a new turn with 1 single page when the creepiest tentacles I have seen this year came into play. The entire page was layed out to hint at it and then show it, making the visuals so eerie that I got the goose bumps. Quick eye candy shout out to that last page as well. Story wise then fast paced action is still the background as this arc develops, but Kurtis does such an amazing job on dialogue and pacing that I’m still 110% captivated in what is going on here. In this issue the story moves forward, takes a look back, introduces more strange things and has me wrapped in its blanket of awesome! I can’t say it anymore… well okay one more time.. READ GREEN WAKE! The word Wieley was coined for a reason. This book is in the hands of horror comic creating demons and I am first in line at the gates of Hades to get my hands on the next issue.

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Green Wake you can find it at http://greenwakecomic.com/

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #69: Andy Korty

2011-12-05T11:16:00.002-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #69: Andy Korty

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by Artist and Writer Andy Korty to talk about his webcomic The Manor.

You can find out more about Andy at http://www.http://welcometothemanor.com

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 45 minutes.

The Manor: Vol. 1 – Review

2011-12-05T10:13:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Manor: Vol. 1
Writer: Andy Korty
Artist: Andy Korty & Others
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 100
Price: $15.00

“The first year of The Manor collected to hold in your undead hands! See extra content that has not appeared on the site; and an introduction by Aaron Minier (Black Rose, Battle of Destiny, Push). Join Shaggy, Sweetpea, and their tenants as they invite you into their little corner of creepiness. Welcome to The Manor!”

Dying Breath: 3.5 out of 5
Welcome to The Manor, a web comic that has so much promise and fun in its first collection that I already want more. One thing that this book does right, is finishing a short within a single strip. That is not to say that 2 strips won’t go together, but most are self-contained, and work. Another thing I have to look at this particular book is how the artwork is works within a style that is not a typical comic book, and I like it. It is a simple comic strip illustrators style and it works on that level. Facial expressions shine and so does the body language on the cast, but I do feel it can be a little more polished. The writing is great at times being full of humor, horror and real life moments, however this cast is based on the creators friends, so at times things do come across as inside jokes. The dialogue though is on point, because nothing comes across as forced or out-of-place. Overall I liked this first collection of The Manor. Sure I could see its growing pains, but that is how things work themselves out over time. Well worth the read for any Indie fan, but it may take some getting used to for a mainstream fan. I like it and that is what matters.

Artwork: 3.5 out of 5 • Story: 3.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Manor: Vol. 1 you can find it at http://welcometothemanor.com

Tales From the Water Cooler #42

2011-12-03T09:57:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the 42nd episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Thanksgiving is over and the guys are back! How can there be no question this week? You will have to listen to find out. Then find out what the guys thought about this weeks books; VooDoo #3, Wolverine and the X-Men #2 and Justice League Dark #3.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #42

Horror Comic Sales - October 2011

2011-12-02T14:25:00.000-06:00

Well the sales numbers are out for October 2011, so let's take a look at horror comics broke the Top 300.

#27 - SWAMP THING #2
#30 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #2
#42 - ANIMAL MAN #2
#64 - BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #2
#65 - FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #2
#76 - VENOM #8
#78 - WALKING DEAD #90
#79 - WALKING DEAD #89
#80 - VOODOO #2
#81 - I VAMPIRE #2
#113 - GHOST RIDER #4
#119 - ANGEL & FAITH
#155 - ANIMAL MAN #1 (3rd Printing)
#159 - AMERICAN VAMPIRE SURVIVAL OT FITTEST #5
#163 - SWAMP THING #1 (3rd Printing)
#167 - SPAWN #212
#168 - STAND NIGHT HAS COME #3
#178 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 (2nd Printing)
#184 - VAMPIRELLA #10
#189 - BPRD HELL ON EARTH RUSSIA #2
#191 - STITCHED #1
#196 - VAMPIRELLA #11
#201 - UNEXPECTED #1
#211 - HELLRAISER #6
#213 - HELLBLAZER #28
#214 - GHOSTBUSTERS ONGOING #2
#216 - FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1 (2nd Printing)
#217 - SEVERED #3
#218 - IZOMBIE #18
#222 - SUPERNATURAL #1
#223 - GODZILLA GANGSTERS & GOLIATHS #5
#224 - BALTIMORE CURSE BELLS #3
#231 - 30 DAYS OF NIGHT ONGOING #1
#246 - VAMPIRELLA SCARLET LEGION #5
#249 - GFT DREAM EATER CROSSOVER CONCLUSION
#257 - I VAMPIRE #1 (2nd Printing)
#261 - GFT MYTHS & LEGENDS #8
#265 - PLANET OF THE APES #7
#267 - VOODOO #1 (2nd Printing)
#271 - HOUSE OF MYSTERY #42
#277 - GFT HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2011
#285 - HP LOVECRAFT THE DUNWICH HORROR #1
#288 - GRIMM FAIRY TALES THE LIBRARY #2
#290 - DARKNESS #94
#294 - THEATER #1
#299 - VAMPIRES MARVEL UNDEAD #1

Charley’s War (Vol. 8): Hitler’s Youth – Review

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

Issue: Charley’s War (Vol. 8): Hitler’s Youth
Writer: Pat Mills
Artist: Joe Colquhoun
Publisher: Titan Publishing
Release Date: Oct. 2011
Pages: 112
Price: $19.95

“In this explosive new volume of never-before-collected comic strip, Charley comes face to face with a young corporal who will eventually change the face of the world as leader of the Nazi party: Adolf Hitler. The eighth action-packed volume of Charley’s War is rich in the detailed minutiae of the terror-punctuated existence of a Tommy.”

Dying Breath: 5.0 out of 5
What the hell is this and why have I never read it before!? Ladies and Gentlemen I can not go another sentence without saying that YOU, yeah you, need to read a Volume of Charley’s War right now. I’m not a big war comic book guy, but man I love a great war movie, and I will be damned if you try to tell me that the past hour I spent reading Vol. 8 I didn’t think I was watching a movie. So let’s start with the artwork. How have I never heard of Colquhon until now? His style is off the charts! Being a horror fan, I would die to see him do a horror comic. His artwork on this book is so cinematic, that every scene just plays out like a live movie in my head (notice I did not say a cartoon). The inks are so rich, the letters so spot on and the panels so perfect you can not say this is not visual comic perfection. So seriously how can Pat Mills even compare to such amazing artwork? Simple he writes something that comic book writers dream of doing, a complete story. For people who don’t know this, Charley’s War was originally done as a 4 page “comic strip”, so when you get a story it is done in 4 pages, then continued in the next issue of Battle. What really shines, and I mean shines, is how the subject matter comes across. We all know about WWII in comics, but what about WWI? This series covers in, and in this 8th volume we take a look at 2 things. 1) We get a glimpse at the trenches and are treated to a version of what Hitler may have been like in this war vs. our heroes in the british army. 2) We getting a glimpse at the British pilots as they lived through the war. So the title maybe a little misleading as the Hitler aspect is not 100% there, but he is the villain anyways, since this is a British comic. I was sad when the story shifted from the Trenches to the Air, but after the 1st four pages of it, I didn’t care anymore. Summing this one up is so hard to do without just saying, YOU NEED TO READ IT. The history that is put into this, with the facts just moves it up 10 notches above anything else I have read when it comes to war comics. I cry every night when I realize I started this series on Vol. 8, so you better believe I will be getting Vol.’s 1-7. READ THIS SERIES!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 5.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Charley’s War (Vol. 8): Hitler’s Youth you can find it at http://titanbooks.com

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #68: Jason Dube

2011-11-28T11:25:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #68: Jason Dube

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer and artist Jason Dube. Jason coms on to talk about his comic company, Scattered Comics and some of his titles; Shadow Hunters, Scattered and more.

You can find out more about Jason at http://www.scatteredcomics.com/

Special Musical guest by The Backyard Astronauts

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 42 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #41: The Thanksgiving Episode

2011-11-26T13:03:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 41st episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The guys are here very briefly this week to tell you all what they are thankful for in comics. Make sure to stick around after they are off eating turkey though as they have something very special to share with you. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #41

Blokes Tomb Of Horror 2011 Annual – Review

2011-11-24T16:32:00.000-06:00

Issue: Blokes Tomb Of Horror 2011 Annual
Writer: Jason ‘Bloke’ Crawley
Artists: Mike Hoffman, Jason Paulos, Lyndal Ferguson, Fernando Ignatius, Mirella Menciassi, Vincenzo Balzano, Ju Gomez, Tony Karnes, Lou Rusconi, Jason Miller, Jeiko Despotovich, Robert Smith, Michael Joseph, Tim Tyler, Alessandro Borroni & Silvano
Publisher: Virus Comix
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 130
Price: $14.99

“11 Tales Of Terror written by Jason ‘Bloke’ Crawley to keep you entertained this Halloween and beyond! 130 pages of terrorific horror guaranteed to leave you craving more. Available with two cover options for you to choose from and a slew of artistic talent from all across the globe that will leave you drooling with delight!

Hot on the heels of the award-winning 2010 Annual this years collection of stories once again features a worldwide collaboration of artists including Mike Hoffman who has illustrated one of the stories and Mark Kidwell who drew the Cover B Werewolf option.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
The 2010 ComicMonsters.com award winning anthology is back with 11 stories to turn your stomach inside out! I really do love the Bloke line of books and I think that these Annual collections are the top of the line when it comes to what they do. I have known Jason Crawley since I got into the horror comic game and watching his writing grow over time just puts a smile on my face. This collection is very well done, and I was not let down at all. Some of the best writing I thought were on the stories, Night Creatures and Sticks & Stones. The artwork holds up for the most part, but I did find a story or two to not be up to the same level as some of the others. Overall though you get names like Hoffman, Paulos, Percival and Ignatius. How can one go wrong looking at the work of these guys? I will say this, Despotovich was like finding the gold at the end of the rainbow. His style on the Sticks & Stones was so perfect, that it quickly became my favorite of the bunch. No matter how I break it down this 2011 Annual has it all. 11 great short horror stories and then a picture gallery at the end. For only $15 you seriously can not go wrong, matter of fact I think you’re stealing from Virus Comix by paying that price. Another great year, I can not wait for 2012!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Blokes Tomb Of Horror 2011 Annual you can find it at http://viruscomix.ning.com/

Flesh and Blood Book 1 – Review

2011-11-23T16:27:00.000-06:00

Issue: Flesh and Blood Book 1
Writer: Robert Tinnell
Artist: Neil Vokes
Publisher: Monsterverse
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 104
Price: $14.99

“From acclaimed writer and artist team Robert Tinnell and Neil Vokes (THE BLACK FOREST, THE WICKED WEST) comes a sensuous horror epic in the spirit of European horror cinema of the 1960s and ’70s. The death of Carmilla, the seductive vampire, sets in motion events that lead to a monumental struggle between the forces of darkness and a brave band of mortals. Its members include a reluctant young Abraham Van Helsing and a mysterious monster hunter struggling to keep his own inner monster at bay. When Baron Frankenstein is recruited to add his scientific genius to the group’s arsenal, Dracula and his undead kingdom face the possibility of total annihilation.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
I really think that the only 2 main monsters not making an appearance in this book are The Mummy and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. This is a monster fun house that is waiting for your eyes and brain to come and join in on the fun. The artwork in this issue is GORE-Geous. I love the character designs. I love the fight scenes. I love the colors. I love it all. This book is so easy on the eyes that you have to remember to read the story as well. The story was a fast paced, in your face, hard-hitting thrill ride, and I think that is kind of what I found took away some of the build here. The story is so enjoyable from start to finish, don’t get me wrong, but I found that the pacing took away from some of the building and description of the cast that was needed. Over the course of the book I did get more of a feel for this large cast, but I think that taking a little more time in brief backgrounds when they first show up, or even a character glossary might have helped out a little but. Overall though this is a book and I can not recommend high enough. Any monster fan needs to have this book on their shelf, and every horror fan needs to check this one out. I can not wait to see what comes next because there is one hell of a great reveal at the end of this book. More please!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Flesh and Blood Book 1 you can find it at http://monsterverse.com/

The Vessel of Terror Ogn- Review

2011-11-22T12:30:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Vessel of Terror
Writer: Magnus Aspli
Artist: Dave Acosta
Publisher: AAM/Markosia
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 128
Price: $17.99

“Out in the Arctic Ocean, the research vessel Alesia manages to capture a mysterious Magnapinna squid, an animal never before captured by mankind. The researchers, led by Maria, decide to take the specimen back to port in Bergen, Norway. However, what they bring home isn’t just a scientific wonder but also a thing more horrific than Pandora’s Box. Soon, madness creeps into the crew of the Alesia and friends become monsters.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
ARRGH! Shiver me spine and turn on the lights, this is one creepy sea monster comic by the team of Aspli and Acosta! Okay, well wait can I technically say sea monster? Yeah I can say that but I need to add some Lovecraft style to it so let say Sea Cthulhu. The artwork in this book is just above and beyond on a few levels. I will point out some parts where angles seemed odd which is the reason I did go a little lower on the score, but people seriously, one artist… 2 different styles… and he delivered on a scare factor that is rarely done in comic books. The story telling at first seemed jumpy, until I really got what was going on. There are 2 stories being told here and they work so well in the way they break each other up. Now I am not a Lovecraft aficionado, I know the basic of the basics, but I do know that when I read a story with these themes, they typically have an ending that makes me happy and puzzled at the same time. This book was no exception. I was so satisfied with how it ended but, is there more to come? What happened to _____? Oh you tricky writers and your great storytelling. This book is worth every penny you pay for it. I feel horrible having it sit in the review pile for as long as I did, because now I have to sing its praises after it has been released. Plain and simple Lovecraft fans, Slasher Fans and Monster Fans this one is a must own.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Vessel of Terror you can find it at http://www.markosia.com/

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #67: Joshua Hale Fialkov & The New 52

2011-11-21T11:25:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #67: Joshua Hale Fialkov & The New 52

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is first joined by writer Joshua Hale Fialkov. Joshua joins us to talk about all of his writing from Tumor to I, Vampire and so much more.

Then Dan is joined by Brant Fowler to take a look at the first two issues of the new Dark 52.

You can find out more about Joshua at http://www.thefialkov.com/

You can find out more about Brant at http://www.comicrelated.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 76 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #40

2011-11-19T08:52:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the 40th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

I think the question you need to ask yourself is, why they always getting so dirty on the Water Cooler? Listen in as the guys take a look at Black Panther: Most Dangerous Man Alive #525, Operation Broken Wings 1936 #1 and Battle Scars #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #40

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #66: Raphael Moran

2011-11-14T12:23:00.000-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #66: Raphael Moran

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Raphael Moran. Raphael joins us to talk about his new book from Ape Entertainment, Dream Reavers and so much more.

You can find out more about Raphael and Dream Reavers at https://www.facebook.com/DreamReavers

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 61 minutes.

Shadow Hunters #1 – Review

2011-11-13T13:51:00.000-06:00

Issue: Shadow Hunters #1
Writer: Jason Dube
Artist: Benjamin Jordan
Publisher: Scattered Comics
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 36
Price: $5.50

“Shadow Hunters is the new supernatural comic book that revolves around the lives of 3 teenage girls. As they seek vengeance on the dark demon that wiped out hundreds of lives, they encounter both a vast array of darkness that dwell around them and a shadow army that combats it. This is a new series from Scattered Comics that is written by Jason Dube and drawn by Benjamin Jordan. It is a comic that is recommended for more mature reader with its heavy themes of death, mature subject matters, and violence.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Shadow Hunters is the latest and greatest horror comics to come from Scattered Comics. The story in this issue is fun and action-packed, from its jokes to its great pacing. There was not a single moment where I was not happy to be reading this book. There were a few moments where I did find the dialogue to be a little off, but it did not take away from the overall joy of reading this issue. The artwork is BOO-btastic! Haha, I just made myself laugh. No in all seriousness this issue does feature some top-heavy women, who look great in most panels. At times the angles seem to not be their friends, but it does not distract from the overall look of the issue. Great colors and a great use of effects add depth to the scenes that you don’t find in most comics. I also can’t forget to talk about the awesome design on the monsters. Overall I liked and I want some more of it right now. I think that Shadow Hunters #1 is a great first issue in what seems to be a fun action title.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Shadow Hunters #1 you can find it at http://www.scatteredcomics.com/

Nightmare World Vol. 3: Demon Days – Review

2011-11-12T13:43:00.000-06:00

Issue: Nightmare World Volume 3: Demon Days – Review
Writer: Dirk Manning
Artists: Various Artists
Publisher: Image Comics – Shadowline
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 128
Price: $16.99

“The Armageddon is over and The Devil has won. In this latest collection of stories culled from the hit Shadowline Web comic series, learn how the previous NIGHTMARE WORLD tales of Irish fairy-folk, vengeful zombie killers, alien ultra-heroes, Cthulhu and more combine with these 13 new tales of terror to reveal Lucifer’s sinister plan to control Creation, revealing the haunted underbelly of a monstrous world all too similar to our own in the chilling tradition of Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5

Dirk Manning has something hidden in his name that eludes to describing his writing on this book… the “MAN”! I love Nightmare World, I love how complete each short story is, and that sense of being horror-full after reading it. Vol. 3 follows up the first two with nothing but some damn good top-notch horror work. I have to admit that to me the highlight of the book is a story called “Hungry Like the Wolf.” No words, simple images and yet such a solid piece. The artwork from story to story is on point, readers of previous volumes will notice who has come back. A great point that Dirk will make in interviews is explaining how he would pair up stories with the right artists, and it shows. Some of my favorites were “Paranoid”, “In the Meantime” and “Extraordinary Machine.” Like I already stated, Manning’s writing is fantastic. He has such a solid grasp on being able to present solid story after story in 8 pages or less. The over arching story plays out and is brought together nicely in this final collection. I don’t think I can make this review any easier on you reader, the Nightmare World series needs to be in your collection. This volume may be the last for now, but I know that there are 13 more stories to tell, so have no fear I will bother Dirk until they get printed!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Nightmare World Vol. 3 you can find it at http://www.shadowlineonline.com/

Tales From the Water Cooler #39

2011-11-12T09:02:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the 39th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

It's Manga 'licious here on the Water Cooler this week as the guys tackle a question by ComicAttack.net editor Kristen Bomba! Then listen in as the guys dive into this week picks The Goon #36, Uncanny X-Men #1 and Amazing Spider-Man #673.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #39

The Zombies that Ate the World: Book 1 – Review

2011-11-11T13:38:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Zombies that Ate the World: Book 1 HC
Writer: Jerry Frissen
Artist: Guy Davis
Publisher: Humanoids
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 120
Price: $24.95

“In Los Angeles in the year 2064, the dead have risen and corpses live again, cohabiting among us…well, somewhat. As a zombie apocalypse engulfs America, we follow a group of friends on a their journey to start a little business of their own…zombie catchers!”

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
It is not as often as one would think that a comic book has what I consider to be the perfect pairing of artist and writer, however The Zombies that Ate the World is one of those books. I have been a big fan of Guy Davis from his early days on Baker Street. So it is no surprise to me that I really love the look of this book. However the perfection in the pairing comes in when you get to see how well his style fits the storytelling. This is one specific case of being spot on from panel to panel where the artwork can tell just as many jokes as the dialogue. I absolutely loved looking at this book.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
This story is this odd mix of politics, humor and of course gore! Personally I don’t know how it works so well, because I don’t care for political type stories, but this book is seriously great. The humor in what is going on, and I will not spoil anything here (which is very hard to not do), can easily stand the test of time. Hell it should since the book takes place in 2064 right? Frissen has a great voice for this undead world, and this is not your typical zombie comic. The sad thing is that there is so much more that I would love to see get explored, but the book ended at page 120!

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
How sad is it that I have a few issues of Metal Hurlant lying around and I totally forgot about this story being in them until I began to read it. I loved it back then, but this refresher totally has me on the hype train. I think most zombie comic fans would love this book, especially those of you who enjoyed Dead Eyes Open. To me it kind of played on that same idea, but then added in the funny and this book just raised its entertainment value because of that. I really want to thank Davis and Frissen for this one, it is a solid read. From the time I started reading this until the time I stopped I felt like a zombie, but I wasn’t craving brains, I was craving more The Zombies that Ate the World!

If you would like to buy or know more about The Zombies that Ate the World you can find it at http://www.humanoids.com/

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #65: Kurtis Wiebe

2011-11-07T12:22:00.001-06:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #65: Kurtis Wiebe

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by writer Kurtis Wiebe. Kurtis comes on to talk about Green Wake, The Intrepids, Peter Panzerfaust, Snow Angel and so much more!

You can find out more about Kurtis at http://greenwakecomic.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 63 minutes.

The Zombies that Ate the World: Book 1 – Review

2011-11-06T09:26:00.000-06:00

Issue: The Zombies that Ate the World: Book 1 HC
Writer: Jerry Frissen
Artist: Guy Davis
Publisher: Humanoids
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 120
Price: $24.95

“In Los Angeles in the year 2064, the dead have risen and corpses live again, cohabiting among us…well, somewhat. As a zombie apocalypse engulfs America, we follow a group of friends on a their journey to start a little business of their own…zombie catchers!”

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
It is not as often as one would think that a comic book has what I consider to be the perfect pairing of artist and writer, however The Zombies that Ate the World is one of those books. I have been a big fan of Guy Davis from his early days on Baker Street. So it is no surprise to me that I really love the look of this book. However the perfection in the pairing comes in when you get to see how well his style fits the storytelling. This is one specific case of being spot on from panel to panel where the artwork can tell just as many jokes as the dialogue. I absolutely loved looking at this book.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
This story is this odd mix of politics, humor and of course gore! Personally I don’t know how it works so well, because I don’t care for political type stories, but this book is seriously great. The humor in what is going on, and I will not spoil anything here (which is very hard to not do), can easily stand the test of time. Hell it should since the book takes place in 2064 right? Frissen has a great voice for this undead world, and this is not your typical zombie comic. The sad thing is that there is so much more that I would love to see get explored, but the book ended at page 120!

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
How sad is it that I have a few issues of Metal Hurlant lying around and I totally forgot about this story being in them until I began to read it. I loved it back then, but this refresher totally has me on the hype train. I think most zombie comic fans would love this book, especially those of you who enjoyed Dead Eyes Open. To me it kind of played on that same idea, but then added in the funny and this book just raised its entertainment value because of that. I really want to thank Davis and Frissen for this one, it is a solid read. From the time I started reading this until the time I stopped I felt like a zombie, but I wasn’t craving brains, I was craving more The Zombies that Ate the World!

If you would like to buy or know more about The Zombies that Ate the World you can find it at http://www.humanoids.com/

Tales From the Water Cooler #38

2011-11-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 38th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Decapitated Dan is back from vacation and it is time to answer a question about the Age of Heroes! Then listen in as the guys dive into this week picks, Spaceman #1, Stitched #1 and Amazing Spider-Man #672.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #38

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #64: Detroit Fanfare Podcast Panel

2011-10-31T11:48:00.000-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #64: Detroit Fanfare Podcast Panel

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan brings you the Comic Podcasters Panel from Detroit Fanfare. Dan is joined by Chris Marshall, Mikel Pfeiffer, Zack Kruse and Stevie Disme.

You can find out more about Chris' Podcast at http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

You can find out more about Mikel's Podcast at http://www.mostpeoplearedjs.com/

You can find out more about Zack's Podcast at http://dcbpodcast.blogspot.com/

You can find out more about Stevie's Podcast at http://www.comicbookqueers.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 57 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #37

2011-10-31T10:11:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 37th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Decapitated Dan is away, and the CBC joins in the fun, and somehow the end of the show gets cut off! However, we spent some great time discussing a great question from Raf Nieves, as well as our picks: Snake-Eyes #6, Batman #2, and Uncanny X-Men #544.
All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #37

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #63: Brian Defferding & Doug Paszkiewicz

2011-10-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #63: Brian Defferding & Doug Paszkiewicz

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is first joined by artist artist and writer Brian Defferding. Brian joins us to talk about School: A Ghost Story and so much more.

Then Dan is joined by Arsenic Lullaby creator Doug Paszkiewicz. Listen in as Doug talks about the Devils Decade TPB and more.

You can find out more about Brian at http://www.deftoons.com

You can find out more about Doug at http://www.arseniclullabies.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 104 minutes.

Vault #3 - Review

2011-10-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

Issue: Vault #3
Writer: Sam Sarkar
Artist: Garrie Gastonny
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $2.99

“After a confrontation with the Angel of Death that has destroyed their robot and killed one crew member, the team makes it back on board The Revelation believing the creature is dead. They’re wrong. Very wrong.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I can only think of one word to officially sum up this mini series and it is, WOW! From the start this series has been a non-stop horror thrill ride and this final issue was just ball’s to the wall. The pacing in this issue started slow and then built and built until my brain couldn’t take anymore. It is easy to see why this will be an upcoming film, because the comic played out like one. Great writing by Sakar drives this series and I expect it to be on a good deal of award nominee lists. The artwork in this issue drives the horror element home. Gastonny has such command over the art pen, that I was left shaking in my boots every time the monster would appear. This mini is comfortable sitting in my top 5 series of 2011.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Vault #3 you can find it at http://www.imagecomics.com/

Tales From the Water Cooler #36

2011-10-23T07:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the 36th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The gang is back, and it is time to hear about New York Comic Con! Then the guys dive into their picks for the week Unexpected #1, Dream Reavers #1 and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #36

Xenoholics #1 – Review

2011-10-22T11:42:00.000-05:00

Issue: Xenoholics #1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Seth Damoose
Cover: Dan Duncan
Publisher: Image Comics – Shadowline
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 28
Price: $3.50

“Are you addicted to aliens? Late night Encounters? Abductions? Probes? The XenoHolics are here to help!

Because everyone thinks they’re a bunch of nutcases, a support group that claims aliens abducted them try to prove that aliens are real. But that’s much easier said than done and they find themselves caught up in not just ONE government conspiracy, but TWO. Oh, yeah and along the way they learn who is lying about being abducted? and who is telling the truth. “

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
THE ALIENS ARE COMING! THE ALIENS ARE COMING! At least some people think so, and that is what leads me to check out Xenoholics by Williamson and Damoose. I have to admit I am a fan of Josh’s writing so this one was a no-brainer pick up for me. The story is full of mystery, jokes and great progression. I love the way that this issue started, giving the background on a specific member of the cast, and then leading into the group. Like I said there are great jokes here, but the story is also very entertaining on all levels, a solid read. I have seen Seth’s work before in the amazing Nightmare World books, so I am no stranger to what he brings to the table. What works here is Damoose’s style, which had a cartoonish feel to it that just lends to the story so perfectly. I loved the scenes where I saw the group at their homes. This team is setting down the foundation to what I know will be a great series. The writing is amazing, the concept is engaging and the art is the final nail in the coffin. This book is easily the newest member of my group of books that I call “Decapitated Dan’s books you need to read!”

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Xenoholics you can find it at www.imagecomics.com

Green Wake #6 – Review

2011-10-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

Issue: Green Wake #6
Writer: Kurtis Wiebe
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Publisher: Image
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“The next chapter of the critically acclaimed saga returns and the face of Green Wake has been forever changed. A new threat to the once-quiet shores surfaces when rowboats wash ashore with nothing but fresh blood as a passenger and a new arrival begins a campaign to unite Green Wake’s inhabitants with unknown purpose.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I think a new word is needed to describe the horror and mystery storytelling, both written and visual, that is going on in Green Wake, and I want to call it Wieley, someone call Websters. Wieley (being a mix of the creators names) is basically the mixture of mystery, suspense and horror that you can find within the pages of this book. The story begins with a great starting point after the first arc. There is a jaw dropping opening scene, which I will get back to in a bit, but the writing here is top-notch. With a typical first issue in an arc, you get the basic story of catching up and then the building process begins to take shape. Wiebe brings it all to this issue to keep readers, like me, on track for more. The storyline is full of Wieley and I am hooked yet again. The artwork by Riley is presented at its highest point with that opening scene. Let me just say that when you can sneak little things in like he did, you had me at “Ribbit.” I missed this series and it has only been a month since the trade came out. The Wieley factor is high, and I can not stress enough that you should be reading this series. It is easily in my top 3 of 2011. I am so happy to be back in Green Wake.

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Green Wake you can find it at http://greenwakecomic.com/

Dream Reavers #1 – Review

2011-10-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

Issue: Dream Reavers #1
Writer: Raphael Moran
Artists: Marc Borstel, Atul Bakshi, David Hedmark
Publisher: Ape Entertainment
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“Teens with strange powers from around the world suddenly go into a fatal coma all at the exact same time. When they awaken from beyond the veil of dreams they end up caught in between an epic war on another world called, Astral. Surrounded by monstrous beings, they must fight their way toward a mysterious spire that holds all of their answers. Be prepared for an epic series unlike anything you’ll read this year.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
What do you get when you mix teens with dreams and a realm full of horror elements? Why Dream Reavers of course! The story in this book is very intriguing and mysterious. While this issue basically introduces the reader to the cast, you still get a good amount of “I can’t wait for this to be explained” moments. The ending really solidified me coming back, because I have to know how all of this will play out, and if Freddy Krueger will show up! No that last part is just a joke. The pacing is spot on, the action is there and this is one great read. In this first issue though, the artwork takes the slight advantage. While most of the book is full of great character designs and beautiful colors, it is one scene that has this throw back to old school comics that steals the show. Well it is mostly the GORE-Geous full-page image where characters go crashing through a wall. All in all this is an amazing looking, great reading, edge of your seat comic that delivers on all levels. BRING ON THE MONSTERS!!!!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5
If you would like to buy or know more about Dream Reavers you can find it at http://www.http://ape-entertainment.com/

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #62: Devon Devereaux & Drew Edwards

2011-10-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #62: Devon Devereaux & Drew Edwards

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is first joined by artist Devon Devereaux. Devon talks about all of his projects from Hot Rod Horror to Haunted Mansion and so much more.

Then Dan is joined by Halloween Man creator, Drew Edwards. Listen in as Drew brings you the latest updates on HM and all the events the character is involved in.

You can find out more about Devon at http://www.devondevereaux.com/

You can find out more about Drew at http://www.halloweenman.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 88 minutes.

Tales From the Water Cooler #35

2011-10-15T09:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 35th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

The Musical is over! Decap, Sensation and the White Marvel are back to talk Namor vs. Aquaman! Then the guys dive into their picks for the week The Strange Talents of Luther Strode #1, The Theater #1 and House of Mystery #42.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #35

Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown #3 – Review

2011-10-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

Issue: Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown #3
Writer: Rafael Nieves
Artist: Dan Dougherty
Publisher: Nieves + Dougherty
Release Date: August 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $5.00

“In the third issue of Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown, the everyman monster hunter finds himself finds himself battling a nemesis who goes undercover, and introduces two new supporting characters. Story and art by Dan Dougherty, script by Rafael Nieves. In the second story, Bob takes a job as a movie theater usher, not realizing that he is going to be the star in his own creature feature! By Nieves and Dougherty.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I’m beginning to ask myself how many voices Rafael Nieves hears in his head, because this man can write an accent! Good lord ol’ mighty how does it get done so damn well? The first story in this issue could possibly be my favorite Bob Howard story yet. It had me cracking up from start to finish. The second story though seemed to be a little rougher around the edges, and I really think it was because of having to come up with a way to get all 60+ contributors into the book. However nothing is taken away from the whole. The writing in this issue holds up so well with the previous 2 issues. Dan Dougherty’s artwork is again GORE-Geous, and no it is not just because my glorious head is in the book. To be able to do a 4 page spread with 60+ original characters is amazing in its own right, but still the gray’s in Dan’s work make it so unbelievably great. Bob Howard is a comic book for the every man and horror fan alike, it should be in your read pile as of yesterday.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Bob Howard: Plumber of the Unknown #3 you can find it at http://www.facebook.com/bob.howard.plumber

Kokomo Con Recap

2011-10-11T09:43:00.001-05:00

Kokomo Con - October 8, 2011

As always I love going to shows I have been to before, so I was really excited to be heading back to Kokomo Con in Kokomo, IN. Unlike last year though, this year I was behind the Dark Delights table to sell some awesome horror comics, like I had in Detroit. So Amy and I headed down the night before the show to get a good nights rest in preperation for the next days events. In the morning we headed over to the convention center to setup, we chatted with some friends and then the doors opened.

The Kokomo Event Center home of Kokomo Con!

Shawn Hilton, the promoter, and I are good friends so I was really hoping for a great turnout this year. The show floor had expanded to include more guests, vendors and one Batmobile. The talent on hand, and of course the car, was a steal for the price of admission. The doors opened at 10 and the fun began.

Shawn Hilton, the man, the myth, the promoter!

The stream of people was constant throughout the day. There was a good handful of cosplayers to take pictures of, and there was even a local group doing zombie/monster makeup. The winner of that group was a little girl with a zipper face, very awesome. The patrons had tons to see and buy, from comics, toys, swords, games and so much more. Shawn did a great job of getting a wide array of merchandise there for the masses.

Busy day at Kokomo Con.

A big highlight of the show for me was being next to my friends Dustin and Brian Carson. After getting to know them more at Detroit, it was a pleasant surprise to find my setup right next to them, so we spent the day laughing and having some good conversations. Right across from us were Sean and Stephanie Forney, who had a great setup and were selling there awesome little hero piggy banks. Of course we had plenty of other friends on hand not too far from us; Jon Kulczar, Tony Maldonado, Rafael Nieves, Dan Doughetry, Troy Hickman, Tim Baron, Scott Simmons and so many others (sorry if I didn't mention you, I still love you).

Dustin and Brian Carson

The show was a lot of fun, attendance was way up but sadly the people were still not loving all the horror goodies that I had to offer. I really think that it comes down to two factors. One is that horror comics are still only 10% of the comic landscape so when you factor in that only 10% of the people there might be interested it kinda stinks. Two is that fact that while I have all of these awesome titles the creators are not on hand to help pitch them. I did do some good sales though at the show. I had one person spend over $80 and another over $60 so it was a profitable day for some.


Amy was trying to box me up at the end of the day. (Photo by Scott Simmons)

All in all I love this show. I love smaller shows because you get a chance to comfortably talk to creators without all the hustle and bustle of everyone trying to get a word in. The friendships you can make at a smaller show also go a longer ways, again playing back to being able to really get a chance to talk to someone. Shawn and his staff did an amazing job at this years show, always coming to see that things were okay, handing out some free Jimmy John's, and just being great hosts. The show is a success because of all that they do. There is no doubt in my mind I will be back again and again.

Me and my glorious shirts. (Photo by Scott Simmons)

You can see the full photo album here

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #61: Eric Trautmann

2011-10-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #61: Eric Trautmann

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by Dynamite Entertainment writer Eric Trautmann. Listen in as Eric talks about working on Vampirella, Flash Gordon and so much more.

You can find out more about Eric at http://www.erictrautmann.us/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 67 minutes.

The Last Zombie: Inferno #1 – Review

2011-10-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

Issue: The Last Zombie: Inferno #1
Writer: Brian Keene
Artists: Joe Wight, Brian Denham, Fred Perry
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“Continuing AP’s popular new series, The Last Zombie: Inferno picks up where The Last Zombie left off, as Doctor Ian Scott and his team of soldiers and scientists make their way across the wastelands of a post-zombie apocalyptic America. Infected with the virus that caused the zombie outbreak, Ian struggles to stay alive long enough to see his wife again. As if that wasn’t enough, the team find themselves caught between a raging, state-wide wildfire and the radioactive destruction of a nuclear reactor meltdown.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Chapter 2 is under review folks! For anyone who doesn’t know how awesome Chapter 1 was, go back and read it, I will wait… okay good to have you back. This issue is practically a way to recap and bridge the gap from what happened before, moving forward a little and bringing in what is coming next. Of course we are reminded of the big secret, but for the most part this is a great transition to the next arc, so action wise it is a slower issue. The artwork is as good as always. I honestly didn’t believe that 3 people were on art duties because it was so seamless. I am happy to have this book back because of how fresh it is. I love new takes on genre’s that could be considered done, so to get a chance to read this and love it, makes me happy to tell you about it. The Last Zombie is perfect for your horror collection and should be a part of it.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Last Zombie #5 you can find it at http://www.antarctic-press.com

Return to the Planet of the Living Dead #1 – Review

2011-10-08T11:23:00.000-05:00

Issue: Return to the Planet of the Living Dead #1
Story & Art: Joe Wight, David Hutchison
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: Aug 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“An investigative landing on a farming planet has brought the crew of a Marine rescue ship face to face with an entire population of flesh-eating zombies. Even if they manage to survive the initial onslaught, their slim hopes of survival are about rot away even faster than the moldering, deadly hordes out to devour their flesh!”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
What you can’t see right now is how excited I am to write this review. I am in love with the Planet of the Living Dead series so far. The artwork is so perfectly done that only a story this good could perfectly compliment it. Following the events of Planet of the Living Dead #1, this book is a fantastic sequel that leads perfectly into the next book that will follow. The dialogue is fun, yet very militaristic, since this one is based on the army getting to the planet. It really is not until the end though until we see the zombies emerge, which is fine by me since they did such a great job building up the suspense. The zombies look great, the story is great and I highly recommend checking this one out, you don’t really need to have read Planet of the Living Dead, but it will help. Antarctic is still killing it on horror titles.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Return to the Planet of the Living Dead #1 you can find it at http://www.antarctic-press.com/

To Fight With Monsters – Review

2011-10-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

Issue: To Fight With Monsters
Writers: Brian Keene, Mike Oliveri
Artist: Ben Dunn
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“Based upon the short story by Mike Oliveri & Brian Keene. When humanity rapidly devolves into a monstrous state, teenager Rick Donovan joins his fellow townspeople in makeshift trenches to defend their homes. However, the monsters may already be among them… New post-apocalyptic horror from Bram Stoker Award-winning horror novelists Mike Oliveri (The Pack, Werewolves: Call of the Wild) and Brian Keene (The Last Zombie, Dead of Night: Devil Slayer) and Godfather of American Manga Ben Dunn (Marvel Mangaverse, Ninja High School, Warrior Nun Areala)!”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Oh my friends this is one book you should not miss. I want to start with the visuals, Ben Dunn you are sick, because this book looks amazing! From one panel to the next panel I was never let down. Also to the art side I say thank you for not using any grey in this issue, it seemed to add to the edge of the story. Oh the story, this is one you HAVE to read. Did I say should, could or might want to? No, I said HAVE to read. Very seldom are we as horror comic readers presented with what I would say is a real interpretation of how things might go down. It’s not always black and white in terms of good and bad, so for this book to be able to fill in that grey area (you see how I did that with the colors) and not be afraid to show you what could happen is amazing. Keene and Oliveri have won me over on this one, and the title is such on play on what happens. UGH, I just can not seem to stop gushing on how much I enjoyed this book. You HAVE to read this book!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 5.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about To Fight With Monsters
you can find it at http://www.antarctic-press.com

Tales From the Water Cooler the Musical

2011-10-07T07:51:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Tales From the Water Cooler the Musical!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Sadly, folks, things have come up to prevent us from being able to bring you a new show this week, so we figured lets feature our brothers in song as they pay tribute to our beloved comic book industry!

We will be back next week to talk more new comics! Until then…stay thirsty my friends, comic book thirsty.
All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler The Musical

The Littlest Zombie vs. The Littlest Vampire – Review

2011-10-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

Issue: The Littlest Zombie vs. The Littlest Vampire
Writer: Fred Perry
Artist: Fred Perry
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“It’s Tom & Jerry meets 28 Days Later as the Littlest Zombie and the Littlest Vampire fight tooth and nail, hand-to-detachable-hand for scant sustenance! Their quarry, the Littlest Survivor, must pull out every trick in the Apocalypse Survivor’s Handbook to keep his two supernatural stalkers at each other’s throats and off his!”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
It is officially time to begin the Littlest Brawl of the century! Ladies and gentlemen I have said time and time again that The Littlest Zombie is a book that should be on your reading list and this one proves why. Fred Perry bring to the dinner table two of the cutest little creatures that in reality you would want nowhere near you. The Vampire girl is hilarious and her dialogue proves why, brilliant job. As usual the must LZ plays a supporting role that is to die for, pun intended. The artwork is one point page after page. The ending with this issue does tell me more should be on the horizon so I can not wait! The LZ line of books are so good, so well done and this one is no exception. If I was reading this review I would have bought it by now. Great art, great writing and tons of fun to be had here.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about The Littlest Zombie vs. The Littlest Vampire you can find it at http://www.antarctic-press.com

Monocyte #1 – Review

2011-10-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

Issue: Monocyte #1
Writers: Menton3, Kasra Ghanbari
Artist: Menton3
Covers: Menton3, Ashley Wood (incentive)
Side Stories: Riley Rossmo (a), David Stoupakis (w/a)
Additional Art: Richard A. Kirk
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: October 19, 2011
Pages: 36
Price: $3.99

“Two warring immortal races rule a scarred world where time has no meaning. Death (Azrael) sits impotent, quietly planning his restoration. He summons Monocyte, a forgotten immortal necromancer who long ago chose sleep in his failed quest to die. With a fatal pact sealed, Monoctye strikes out as Azrael’s vicious proxy.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Oh man this is one GORE-Geous issue, and I mean that on all levels. I think it needs to be stated that this is a great read, but a long one. I read the issue twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything and I am sure I still did. The storytelling is very poetic at times telling tales beyond what you would find in a typical comic. There is a lot to digest here, from the history of the cast, the main story line, the back-up stories and so much more. Did I mention this book was only $3.99? The story personally takes me to a dark place, a world I don’t want to be in. The creepy factor is only enhanced when you realize Menton3 is presenting his visuals on top of this story. There were some panels where I was a little lost, but as a whole, I was just gorging my optical cavities on this sweet eye candy. To make the issue even better, when I thought that the story was over I got treated to 2 additional stories by Riley Rossmo and David Stoupakis! I can easily keep going on about how great this issue was and how it lived up to everything I had hoped for it, but it’s time for you to find out for yourself. Enter reading it with an open mind, be ready to explore the unknown and you will be treated to possibly one of the strongest concepts of the year. I seriously can not wait for issue #2.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Monocyte #1 you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com

Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge – Review

2011-10-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

Book: Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge HC
Writer: Roman Dirge
Artist: Roman Dirge
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 2011
Pages: 112
Price: $34.95

“A stunning full-color celebration of the eye-catchingly original artwork creator Roman Dirge, the first anthology of his work available anywhere. This lavish hardback includes an introduction and background commentary information on the imagery by Dirge himself, plus previously unpublished artwork, covers and strips, and paintings. The book also includes fold-out pages, displaying Dirge’s work in its full glory, and some brand-new pieces created just for this book!”

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5
I have never reviewed an art book before, so I guess it is only fitting that I start with an artist whose work I love. Now being an art book please note that this book contains tons of GORE-Geous pictures. From the start of page 1 my jaw was slowly opening, by the time I got to page 5 it was on the floor. What I really enjoyed about this collection was that it was not always full-page pieces. At times I was presented with the sketches that led to the final pieces, and that makes the visual experience more fun.

The Book is broken down into 5 sections; sketches, artwork, scarytales, monsters and funny bone. There was not a single one that I did not enjoy looking at. Each section is placed perfectly, because the books builds as it goes on. My favorite might have to be the monster section, but seriously reader, I loved them all. Being presented with all of the insane things that Roman has concocted over the year is fantastic, and I kinda want to see more turn into comics. I am left wondering one thing though, what is with all the veins and nerves?

Being a graphic designer by trade I have to take a paragraph to go over the layout of this book. One thing that plays into the artwork so well are the typefaces. A nice black-letter font for the titles was a perfect choice to fit the theme and still be easily readable. At times even the page backgrounds have this grunge look to them that enhances the visual tone for the artwork. Even the actual design on the hardcover, minus the slip cover is boo-tiful! Overall this book is so perfect for your eyes that you might cry a little, I know I did.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
Now you should know that there is no real story here since it is an art book, however Dirge is able to still inject his humor into this book. The intro has jokes in it and picture descriptions have jokes in them, so you can’t lose. The ability to add these subtle things enhances the entire experience of the book. It’s like getting your vanilla ice cream topped with sprinkles!

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I still can’t say that I would buy every art book out there, but I am so happy I got this one. I love what Roman brings to his comics with his story telling being the main focus over the art. When I can get a chance to check out a book that can showcase the opposite I will take it. This is a complete package that I am proud to put on my bookshelf. Visually stunning with a hint of humor, oh Roman we need a steadier stream of your work in out lives.

If you would like to buy or know more about Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge you can find it at http://titanbooks.com/

Justice League Dark #1 – Review

2011-10-03T13:51:00.000-05:00

Issue: Justice League Dark #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 32
Price: $2.99

“The witch known as the Enchantress has gone mad, unleashing forces that not even the combined powers of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg can stop. And if those heroes can’t handle the job, who will stand against this mystical madness? Shade the Changing Man, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Zatanna and John Constantine may be our only hope!”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
This is one book I did not want to take a look at. I don’t like the concept of this cast as a team, but it is a new #1 and it is horror so here we go. I was wrong. I should have known better since Milligan was writing it, but I just don’t like Constantine being in the main DCU. The story is one hell of a mystery right out of the gate, but as it moves forward things begin to fall into place. I have to say that I do have a soft spot for seeing some heroes go down. The artwork was good for the most part, but certain panels seemed off to me. The standout scene was when you see this enormous Enchantress looming over a few supers. What worked was the introduction of the characters. Will it work when they become a “team”, I don’t know and that is what I am kinda on the fence about. Overall a good first issue, with plenty of mystery to have me coming back for more.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Justice League Dark #1 you can find it at http://www.dccomics.com

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #60: Nick Tapalansky

2011-10-03T09:27:00.002-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #60: Nick Tapalansky

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan is joined by his Tales From the Water Cooler co-host, Infinite Speech, to talk to Nick Tapalansky. Nick is the writer behind Archaia's Awakening series and so much more.

You can find out more about Nick at http://www.nicktapalansky.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 67 minutes.

I, Vampire #1 – Review

2011-10-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

Issue: I, Vampire #1
Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: Sept. 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $2.99

“For hundreds of years, vampire Andrew Stanton kept mankind safe from the horrors of the supernatural world, thanks to a truce he made with his ex-lover Mary, the Queen of the Damned. But now that truce has reached a bloody end and Andrew must do everything in his power to stop Mary and her dark forces from going on a killing spree!”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Alright I have to admit I don’t know anything about the I, Vampire storylines that came before. So I think that leads me to a safe introduction to this book. First thing to talk about is the cover by Frison, just stop my heart now beautiful. However it is totally overshadowed by the interiors. Sorrentino did some of the most GORE-Geous work I have seen this year. Visuals alone would make my buy this book. The story by Fialkov has this back and forth pace and setting that worked so well and the intro to the cast was perfect. This is going to be one very intriguing title, that I have to say is at the top of my list alongside Animal Man. For $2.99 don’t pass on this one, I am really dying right now while I wait for #2 to come out.

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about I, Vampire #1 you can find it at http://www.dccomics.com

Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge – Review

2011-10-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

Book: Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge HC
Writer: Roman Dirge
Artist: Roman Dirge
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 2011
Pages: 112
Price: $34.95

“A stunning full-color celebration of the eye-catchingly original artwork creator Roman Dirge, the first anthology of his work available anywhere. This lavish hardback includes an introduction and background commentary information on the imagery by Dirge himself, plus previously unpublished artwork, covers and strips, and paintings. The book also includes fold-out pages, displaying Dirge’s work in its full glory, and some brand-new pieces created just for this book!”

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5
I have never reviewed an art book before, so I guess it is only fitting that I start with an artist whose work I love. Now being an art book please note that this book contains tons of GORE-Geous pictures. From the start of page 1 my jaw was slowly opening, by the time I got to page 5 it was on the floor.
What I really enjoyed about this collection was that it was not always full-page pieces. At times I was presented with the sketches that led to the final pieces, and that makes the visual experience more fun.

The Book is broken down into 5 sections; sketches, artwork, scarytales, monsters and funny bone. There was not a single one that I did not enjoy looking at. Each section is placed perfectly, because the books builds as it goes on. My favorite might have to be the monster section, but seriously reader, I loved them all. Being presented with all of the insane things that Roman has concocted over the year is fantastic, and I kinda want to see more turn into comics. I am left wondering one thing though, what is with all the veins and nerves?

Being a graphic designer by trade I have to take a paragraph to go over the layout of this book. One thing that plays into the artwork so well are the typefaces. A nice black-letter font for the titles was a perfect choice to fit the theme and still be easily readable. At times even the page backgrounds have this grunge look to them that enhances the visual tone for the artwork. Even the actual design on the hardcover, minus the slip cover is boo-tiful! Overall this book is so perfect for your eyes that you might cry a little, I know I did.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
Now you should know that there is no real story here since it is an art book, however Dirge is able to still inject his humor into this book. The intro has jokes in it and picture descriptions have jokes in them, so you can’t lose. The ability to add these subtle things enhances the entire experience of the book. It’s like getting your vanilla ice cream topped with sprinkles!

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I still can’t say that I would buy every art book out there, but I am so happy I got this one. I love what Roman brings to his comics with his story telling being the main focus over the art. When I can get a chance to check out a book that can showcase the opposite I will take it. This is a complete package that I am proud to put on my bookshelf. Visually stunning with a hint of humor, oh Roman we need a steadier stream of your work in out lives.

If you would like to buy or know more about Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge you can find it at http://titanbooks.com/

Monster Dudes Ashcan – Review

2011-10-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

Issue: Monster Dudes Ashcan
Writer: Dave Scheidt
Artist: Matt Fagan
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 12

“Monsters are so sweet, man.”

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Monsters are sweet Dave and Matt! Oh and they are funny too, and you learn that when you read Monster Dudes. A collection of great little shorts, this book has all the laughs you would expect to find in a book with Dudes in the title. In this teaser Ashcan we get treated 5 stories featuring a Sasquatch, some Vampires and the greatest of them all… Mummies! Scheidt has a fantastic writing style that capture all of these zany happenings almost perfectly, I say almost because I did not get the body building story. The mummy one was of the charts funny though. Fagan’s style is right at home with this title as well. His cartoonish art visually captures what I wanted to find on each page. This book is too much fun for one person, so you need to read it now and then discuss it with me… I’m waiting go get your hands on a copy now! I can not wait for more Monster Dudes!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Monster Dudes you can find it at http://www.facebook.com/monsterdudes

Tales From the Water Cooler #34

2011-10-01T11:48:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 34th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Vacation mode is over! Decap and Speech are back with the Clergyman this week to answer one hell of an in depth question. Then the guys dive into their picks for the week Witch Doctor #3, Nightwing #1 and Ultimate X-Men #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #34

Witch Doctor #3 – Review

2011-09-30T12:54:00.002-05:00

Issue: Witch Doctor #3
Writer: Brandon Seifert
Artist: Lukas Ketner
Publisher: Image (Skybound)
Release Date: September 2011
Pages: 28
Price: $2.99

“It’s Dr. Morrow’s biggest case yet: ‘The Patient From The Black Lagoon!’ What’s the secret of the Deep Ones? How do they fit in with the Relapse, the Extinction Event that’s coming for humankind? And why are Morrow and his medical staff at each other’s throats?’”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
How many times in your life have you been able to say “That is the most GORE-Geous creature from the sea I have ever seen!” Ketner took that mighty pencil and attacked the page when creating the main beast in this issue and I was left drooling on the pages. The highlight though, and trust me the monster is hard to top, is Seifert’s writing. It’s so technical and funny that it’s just a win win for anyone reading it. I love the back story that we got in this issue, because it opens up the world to so much more. I am scared though with #4 on the horizon that I will be wanting more and more and have to wait and wait for it. For those of you who have not picked up an issue of Witch Doctor yet I am left wondering why. This book is what I would call a funny deeply worded picture book that you need to read. So quit stalling and get reading!

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Witch Doctor #3 you can find it at http://skyboundent.com/

The Fearless Zombie Hunters #3 – Review

2011-09-29T13:27:00.000-05:00

Issue: The Fearless Zombie Hunters #3
Writer/Creator: Manuel Rios Sarabia
Artist: Gared Campos
Publisher: Sadhaka Studio
Release Date: July 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $3.99

“The Fearless Zombie Hunters face off with the mysterious Boscarato and his undead ‘actors’.
The Fearless Zombie Hunters is a black comedy about a trio of zombie slayers led by Professor Abronsius who is joined by the incompetent and disgraceful Angel, Son of El Angel, the greatest wrestler ever in Mexican history and Candy, the sassy, sexy, feminine balance between those two complete opposites. The three of them try to rid the world of the coming zombie plague.“

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Hello humor and horror! It has been a while since I got a chance to check out The Fearless Zombie Hunters and I have to admit after reading this I really missed them. The writing in this book is so full of humor and action, that I think it would be impossible to not be entertained. Like I said when I reviewed issue #1 the writing is so perfect for a B-Movie that I can’t believe it hasn’t been made yet. The art style of Campos really shines here as he does a fantastic job showing off the action. His facial expressions capture the humor so well and of course his zombies are GORE-Geous. This book is so much fun and done so well that I really am having trouble understanding why more people are not talking about it. A definite read if you ask me, and a great book to add to your zombie comic collection.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.0 out of 5

If you would like to buy The Fearless Zombie Hunters or check out check out what else Sadhaka Studio is working on go to http://www.sadhakastudio.com/

Hellblazer #283 – Review

2011-09-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

Issue: Hellblazer #283
Writer: PETER MILLIGAN
Artist: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI and STEFANO LANDINI
Publisher: Vertigo
Release Date: September 2011
Pages: 32
Price: $2.99

“New storyline: “The Devil’s Trenchcoat.” When Gemma Masters punishes her uncle by auctioning off his trench coat, she ignites a horrific chain of events. Now Constantine must adjust to life without his smelly old coat, while its new owner’s life turns inside out.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
While I do still consider myself new to the world of Hellblazer, I do find it to be easily accessible, and when I say new to the world I mean the past 5 issues. This issue begins the look at the mysteriously intriguing trench coat that has donned the shoulders of Constantine for years and years. I think Milligan does an amazing job on this issue giving the coat itself a voice along with the regular cast. More spooky and mysterious problems arise around John while he is without his garment, but that is the fun of it. The concept here is just fun to deal with, and they give it a great back story as to why it might be happening. I really enjoy the artwork of Camuncoli and Landini, their back and forth style plays well with the storyline. Of course how can anyone not enjoy a GORE-geous cover by Bisely, even if it is John in his underwear sitting on the washer. Overall I am really thinking I missed out picking up this series so far down the line. This issue is a great start to the new arc and I can not wait to see where it goes. Ton’s of supernatural fun all around.

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5
If you would like to buy or know more about Hellblazer you can find it at http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/

Detroit Fanfare - Recap

2011-09-28T14:35:00.002-05:00

DETROIT FANFARE - SEPTEMBER 24-25, 2011

I have to admit I have been really excited about Detroit Fanfare for a while now. A chance to get out of Chicago and head to another large city, was kinda exciting for me. Also I would have a chance to meet two Deadworld Artists (Vince Locke and Mark Bloodworth) plays into it just a little bit as well.

So Amy and I took off on Friday, Sept. 23, to head up to Detroit, we actually had to get there early to setup for this show. This was my first time doing a show as a vendor with the Dark Delights setup (for more info check out the link.) We arrived at Cobo Hall in time to have 2 hours to get everything over to the table and practically ready to go for the next day when the show opened. I kinda hectic to make your small little space look good.

After getting unloaded we headed down the street to the Renaissance Center which is where we were staying. I will side track for a quick second here, downtown Detroit was really cool, and right across the river was Canada, so we got a huge kick out of that. That night we went out to eat with our friends Dan and Meg Dougherty. Then we called it a night.

I was up early the next morning wit high anticipation to head over and get the show on the road. We took the People Mover over to the hall and got in about 20 minutes before the show started. I got everything laid out and then the doors were open to the masses.

Now I won't beat around the bush here, I was expecting a lot of people to come pouring in, but it was not the case. There was a steady stream of people there throughout the show, but not what I had hoped for. However when I look back at it now, it was what it was and I have to take away the good points.

Since the show was slower I was able to get a chance to head on over to the other side of the hall and get Gary Reed, Mark Bloodworth and Vince Locke to sign my Deadworld Classics Vol. 2, which I wrote the forward in. Getting finally meet these guys was certainly a highlight of my show. I was also able to go and hang out with other friends that I don't get a chance to see at all the Chicago show like Eric Adams, Dustin and Brian Carson, Bob Hickey, Richard Katterjohn and Dirk Manning. At the end of the day Saturday I had only sold 4 books which did suck, but at least 4 people now have the opportunity to see what I am always standing behind and promoting.

So the show was over on Saturday and we headed back to the hotel. Dan, Meg and Raf Nieves were all headed to the Shel Dorf awards so Amy and I headed out to dinner with our friends Mike Beazley and Aaron Shapps. After a good meal and a few drinks it was time to party! The show party was a great way to get a chance to hang out with all our friends and well... get drunk and dance. I left the dancing for Amy to do, while I chatted everyone up.

Waking up on Sunday we had plenty of time to get ready before heading back over to the show, since it started at noon. As funny as it is when I say plenty of time we were still late getting to the show when it opened, women pff! Sunday played out much like Saturday, with the crowd being less than expected. Again it was a day to really get to hang out with some friends and chat about life and comics. By the end of the show I had sold 9 books and one tee shirt. It was time to pack up, say our goodbyes and head back home.

While the crowd at Fanfare was not what I expected, I get to take a lot away from the show. I got to meet some people I always wanted to, I got to hang out with some great friends and I got to get away for a weekend and go somewhere I had never been. I think a little shimmying and shaking and next year's Fanfare will be better. You have to climb down before you can head back up and this is one show with the potential to get back on top of that mountain. I big thanks to Dennis, Tony and Gary for all they did in putting it on, and as most Lions fan's in Detroit say "We will get them next year!" (Unless we are talking about this years Lions because they look scary good)

For the full photo album with over 120 pictures please go here

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #59: Sam Costello

2011-09-26T11:09:00.000-05:00

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #59: Sam Costello

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan sits is joined by writer Sam Costello. Sam is the man behind the horror web comic Split Lip, so listen as the guys talk about how it came about and how it is going strong today.

You can find out more about Sam and Split Lip at http://www.splitlipcomic.com/

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 61 minutes.

Darkhouse Entertainment's Blood Feast

2011-09-20T14:12:00.001-05:00

Murder Mansion – “BLOOD FEAST” is a Victorian tale of cannibalism for profit, a Gothic restaurant serving its patrons human flesh! But just where is this macabre eatery getting its main ingredient FROM?? Only the survivors of this grisly ordeal will be able to tell you for sure!

We plan to print 15000 copies and give them away at the restaurant after you have gone through the haunted house!

This is a new comic book that is in production by Charles D. Moisant. Joe Abboreno and the owner of Darkhouse Entertainment Michael-Colin Reed We plant to use this comic book to help promote DE's haunted at the Klas. 5734 W. Cermak Rd. Cicero, IL 60804 The Comic book is being penciled by Dan Dougherty and inked by Michael Reidy The book is a one shot written by newcomer Gabriella Bonamici and edited by Angela Goebel You can only get this book as a giveaway by going to and surviving the Fright Feast "Klas" haunted house in mid October and or as a Kickstarter.com prize.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/charles-d-moisant/darkhouse-entertainments-blood-feast?ref=live