Greetings ghosts and ghoulies and welcome to The Theatre of Terror the home of horror comic news, reviews, classic comic scans and creepy art from around the world. Just remember, it's not for the nervous!
Following the success of their debut event in October-November 2011, the UK’s festival of horror in the performing arts will be returning this Halloween for three weeks of macabre entertainment.
The Etcetera Theatre, Camden will play host to this year’s Festival, which welcomes a broad range of horror theatre, comedy, magic and performance art, from psychological spine-chillers to all-out splatter, improvised ghost stories to grotesque stand-up and séance magic to body horror, and almost anything else imaginable. The purpose is to foster new talent as well as nurturing the already burgeoning live horror scene within the UK.
Applications are now open for this year’s festival, and they’re happy to accept submissions from performers or companies regardless of whether they have explored the horror genre before. If you like a bit of performing arts then they’re looking for exciting and committed groups looking to push the boundaries of live entertainment.
It’s not like we’ve ever needed an extra reason to look at men’s mag Playboy but this month issue features an origin story of fan’s favourite Michonne written and drawn by series creator Robert Kirkman and art regular Charlie Adlard.
There’s only 4 days left to get your votes in for the 10th annual Rondo Hatton Awards. Since 2002 the Rondos have been fandom’s only true classic horror award. They are decided by fans, for fans. Every Rondo nominee has been recognized for a significant achievement in the genre during the year of 2011. This year’s nominees for best horror comic are:
EDGAR ALLAN POE’S TALES OF MYSTERY (Graphic Classics). Includes Murders in the Rue Morgue.
FLESH AND BLOOD: BOOK ONE (Monsterverse). The Hammer film that never was, by Robert Tinnell and Neil Vokes.
GODZILLA: KINGDOM OF MONSTERS (IDW). Eric Powell tells a human story amidst the monster rallies.
BOB HOWARD: Plumber of the Unknown by Rafael Nieves and Dan Dougherty. Ordinary jobs don’t stop this monster hunter.
HELLBOY: THE FURY (Dark Horse). Can this really be the end? Mike Mignola surprises everyone.
MONSTERS AMONG US (monsters-among-us.com). Celebrating the four-color fun of monstrosities.
PLANET OF THE APES (Boom!) Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno pick up the story from Battle.
THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. HYDE (Dark Horse). Jekyll is dead. Then who…? By Cole Haddon and M.S. Corley.
30 DAYS OF NIGHT (IDW). Steve Niles and Sam Kieth revive the true world of vampires.
THE WALKING DEAD (Image) Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard go far beyond the TV series.
XOMBI (DC). John Rozum and Fraser Irving resurrect David Kim in this dark tale of snow angels and mummies.
There are plenty of other horror categories all competing for the coveted awards so get yourself over to the website and vote quickly, before something terrible happens!
Fans of indie horror comics, who like to feel the rustle of paper against their fingers, will be pleased to know that you can now purchase print versions all all 3 Hallowscreams from Lulu. Revel in the gloriously glossy covers and steel your nerves for the beautiful black and white horror filled pages inside.
For those who just want to see what all the fuss is about before you part with your hard earned cash, you can download all 3 issues of Hallowscream for FREE in the left hand menu of this site. Don’t forget to check out the BlackFriars special by Michael Crouch too!
Cryptozoic Entertainment, a premiere developer of original and licensed games and makers of the World of Warcraft trading card game, last month announced the launch of Locke & Key: The Game, an all-new card game based on the critically acclaimed comic series Locke & Key from IDW Publishing.
The high-flying original comic series Locke & Key is created and written by acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Horns, Heart-Shaped Box) and features astounding artwork from Eisner nominated Gabriel Rodriguez. Entering its fifth volume in summer 2012, Locke & Key tells the tale the Locke family and Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion. The mystery of Keyhouse is the magical keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all.
Competition and cooperation meet in this card game that dares you to overcome the supernatural challenges of Keyhouse. You and your fellow players will face these horrors together, but who will be by your side when the dust settles? On this journey, you’ll make decisions on when and where to help your fellow players, but your resources are not endless. Through careful management of your cards, you can help the family overcome challenges, and you’ll be rewarded for the assistance . . . sometimes.
Locke & Key: The Game boasts enthralling competition for three to six players, and includes 150 strength cards, 19 challenge cards, 15 specially designed key cards based on the powerful keys in the series, plus one 3D stand-up, an initiative marker and a comprehensive rulebook. Players compete to acquire strength cards and key cards to overcome the various challenges on the path towards victory. Players can mix and match these cards to create powerful combinations and new strategies as they decide whether to compete or cooperate with the other players to overcome the supernatural challenges of Keyhouse. Take a look at what cards you can expect in the game in our gallery below.
D.O.G.S. Of Mars is four issue mini-series created by Johnny Zito and Tony Trov (Black Cherry Bombshells and Moon Girl), Christian Weiser, with Paul Maybury on art duties. The series was initially released direct to digital on ComiXology but soon Image Comics will be releasing a new edition in print.
Nocturnal monsters stalk astronauts marooned on Mars. Zoe is the swashbuckling captain of Earth’s first off-world colony. Isolated on the farthest frontier of civilization, order breaks down when the unfamiliar hostile invades. Zoe faces mutiny, death and dishonor; she must sacrifice her humanity if she hopes to survive. It’s Star Trek meets Lord of the Flies for horror fans.
The series follow the tale of the isolated captain Zoe on Earth’s martian colony as she encounters a group of less than friendly beasts. Her struggle to survive is not a pretty one to say the least. The awesome red and black color theme adds a great sense atmosphere that pulls you right into the book. Take a look at this cool trailer…
Check out the covers from the initial run in our gallery below.
The Ghastly Award Judges are proud to announce the 2011 Nominees. The nominees, which were chosen by the entire comic creating community, reflect the wide range of horror material being published in print and web comic form today.Named for acclaimed comics creator “Ghastly” Graham Ingles, the awards are in their 1st year. Created to honor excellence in Horror Comics, every comic creator has a say in who the nominees are by nominating for their favorites throughout the year.
The 2011 Nominees are:
Best Ongoing Title:
Animal Man (DC)
The Goon (Dark Horse)
Walking Dead (Image Comics)
Sixth Gun (Oni Press)
Hellblazer (Vertigo)
Best Mini-Series:
Hellboy: The Fury (Dark Horse)
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom (IDW Publishing)
Witch Doctor (Image Comics)
The Vault (Image Comics)
’68 (Image Comics)
Best One-Shot:
Hellboy – Buster Oakley (Dark Horse)
Locke & Key: Guide to the Known Keys (IDW Publishing)
’68 Hardship (Image Comics)
Hellblazer Annual (Vertigo)
Fail of the Dead (Antarctic Press)
Best New Series:
Animal Man (DC)
Witch Doctor (Image Comics)
Green Wake (Image Comics)
Hellraiser (BOOM! Studios)
I, Vampire (DC)
Best Anthology:
Hellraiser Masterpieces (BOOM! Studios)
Creepy (Dark Horse)
Fubar 2 (Alterna Comics)
Strange Aeons Magazine (Strange Aeons)
A Very Zombie Christmas (Antarctic Press)
Best OGN:
Flesh & Blood (Monsterverse)
Crossed 3-D (Avatar)
Black Fire (Archaia)
Deadworld: Last Siesta (IDW Publishing)
Dear Creature (Tor)
Best Archival Collection:
Awakening Omnibus (Archaia)
Best Writer:
Cullen Bunn – The Sixth Gun
Joe Hill – Locke & Key
Robert Tinnell – Flesh & Blood
Steve Niles – Doc Macbre, Criminal Macabre
Robert Kirkman – Walking Dead
Best Artist:
Gabriel Rodriguez – Locke & Key
Riley Rossmo – Green Wake
Neil Vokes – Flesh and Blood
Garrie Gastonny – The Vault
Jacen Burrows – Neonomicon
Best Inker:
Mark Bloodworth – Deadworld Last Siesta
Riley Rossmo – Green Wake
Jonathan Case – Dear Creature
Charlie Adlard – The Walking Dead
Terry Moore – Rachel Rising
Best Letterer:
Thomas Mauer – Awakening Omnibus
Kelly Tindall – Green Wake
Menton Matthews III – Monocyte
Marshal Dillion – Skullkickers
Terry Moore – Rachel Rising
Best Colorist:
Dave Stewart – BPRD
Matt Webb – Flesh and Blood
Jay Fotos – Locke & Key, ’68
Misty Coats – Skullkickers
Atilla Futaki – Severed
Best Web Comic:
Disappointing Monsters
Tales of Mr. Rhee
Romantically Apocalyptic
Sex and Monsters
Frankenstein Superstar
CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE follows two dozen human survivors who survived the Crossed plague, a worldwide outbreak that transformed a percentage of the populace into violent, insatiable murderers. While other CROSSED tales follow people who are constantly on the move and trying to avoid detection by bloodthirsty hordes, Spurrier and Barreno’s tale sees a group determined to hold their own, to convert an island into a defensible stronghold.
March is going to be a head-burstingly exciting month for fans of insane apocalyptic horror series Crossed. Beginning on March 14th, 2012, the much-anticipated Crossed: Wish You Were Here webcomic will be available over on www.CrossedComic.com. This new weekly series web comic, written by Simon Spurrier and illustrated by Javier Barreno, originally pencilled in for October, is now just weeks away!
Wish You Were Here artist, Barreno, also supplied the art for Crossed Volume 2: Family Values so has the pedigree to pull-off another exceptionally horrific story. We hope this is the case as the web comic format the have adopted for the new series has the potential to run for a long time. Avatar Press have already seen success in the area with Warren Ellis’ FreakAngels, an on-going story that is looked upon by many as the blueprint for a successful web comic.
The Crossed universe, created by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, already has several volumes under its belt and has proven to be hugely popular thanks to its extreme content and anything goes attitude. On May of 2011 Crossed released a 3d version which caused some uproar with its deplorable imagery popping straight out the page thanks to some very lovely Crossed 3D glasses.
The web comic launch will coincide with the worldwide ‘C-Day’ celebration of all things Crossed, including the new bi-weekly Crossed: Badlands print comic series, which sees Ennis and Burrows return to their monstrous creation for the first story arc. ‘C-Day also sees the release of David Lapham’s Crossed: Psychopath miniseries as a collected trade paperback. It’s sure to be a day that will live in infamy.
We’re massive fans of Crossed here on The Theatre of Terror and whole-heartedly recommend all the disturbing books that this series spews out in to the world. They’re sick, but then so are we!
Vertigo Comics are releasing a new supernatural story early next month called.Written by Selwyn Sefu Hinds, art by Denys Cowan and John Floyd, cover by Rafael Grampá, variant cover by Denys Cowan. Hinds and Cowan previously collaborated on short stories in the Vertigo anthologies Strange Adventures and The Unexpected.
Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child is the story of a half-breed, outcast and heir to the Voodoo Queenship of New Orleans, if she can live long enough to claim her birthright. New Orleans is the most haunted city in America: a town of centuries-old ghosts and newly drowned spirits; where vampires, voodoo spirits and loups-garous make their home. Ruling over this all are the powerful Voodoo Queens, whose influence stretches into politics, business and crime as they maintain a delicate balance between the mortal and supernatural worlds.
But in the aftermath of Katrina, all that has changed, for someone or something has murdered the Voodoo Queen and most of her court. The number one suspect is Dominique Laveau, a grad student at Tulane who is about to discover that her entire life has been a lie. Now Dominique must forge alliances with those out to kill her while seeking to uncover the truth behind the royal murders, as she is ultimately forced to deal with a destiny she could never have imagined.
Vertigo has long been a good source for supernatural and occult-themed titles, such as Sandman and Hellblazer and by all accounts this new comic is pretty good.
Following a two-year break, horror anthology London Horror Comic returns with Issue #4. The series was initially intended to be complete with Issue #3, but continued fan interest and support prompted creator, writer, and publisher John-Paul Kamath to dive into this deranged world once again. Kamath notes that feedback at many UK comic conventions for the first three issues was “really strong, and being a sucker for punishment, I decided to put out a fourth one.”
The book features 36 pages of self-contained, full-color stories and retails for £3.50. It is currently available at the publisher’s website, www.londonhorrorcomic.com, for £3.50 worldwide. Previews of all four issues are also available at the site.
In issue four: a traveller takes a paranoid train journey on London’s Underground. A super villain has to deal with life in the real world when he becomes a trainee in a local coffee shop. And the terrors of working the night-shift and repercussions of the credit crunch are also covered in three other stories.
A new animated manga style series of Blade about to be unleashed in Japan. Animax, a division of Sony dedicated to anime TV shows, is already hitting it big with Iron Man and Wolverine series and is now looking to add two more with Blade and X-Men, both of which were announced at San Diego Comic-Con last year.
Harold Perrineau voices Eric Brooks, the supernatural Daywalker known as Blade, making his animated series debut with more action, terrifying villains, and bloodthirsty monsters than you’ve ever seen before. Following in the steps of other hit Marvel anime series, Blade offers viewers 12 half-hour weekly episodes destined to leave you wanting more, exclusively on G4.
Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire while pregnant, imbuing her unborn son with vampire strength and a thirst for blood, but without the vulnerability to sunlight. A master of weaponry with a desire to avenge the death of his mother, Blade finds himself in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia in an effort to take down the evil villain, Deacon Frost. With vampire hunter Makoto at his side, they will stop at nothing to destroy Existence, a vampire organization with roots deeply embedded in Asia.
The animation is done by Japanese company Madhouse and is a combination of traditional animation with computer generated imagery to boot. Released this January.
Do you want to join the Scream team? We're looking for enthusiastic people to contribute articles on horror or comics here on The Theatre of Terror. Contact me for more info.
Following the success of their debut event in October-November 2011, the UK’s festival of horror in the performing arts will be returning this Halloween for three weeks of macabre entertainment.
There’s only 4 days left to get your votes in for the 10th annual Rondo Hatton Awards. Since 2002 the Rondos have been fandom’s only true classic horror award. They are decided by fans, for fans. Every Rondo nominee has been recognized for a significant achievement in the genre during the year of 2011. This year’s nominees for best horror comic are:
The web comic launch will coincide with the worldwide ‘C-Day’ celebration of all things Crossed, including the new bi-weekly Crossed: Badlands print comic series, which sees Ennis and Burrows return to their monstrous creation for the first story arc. ‘C-Day also sees the release of David Lapham’s Crossed: Psychopath miniseries as a collected trade paperback. It’s sure to be a day that will live in infamy.
Vertigo Comics are releasing a new supernatural story early next month called.Written by Selwyn Sefu Hinds, art by Denys Cowan and John Floyd, cover by Rafael Grampá, variant cover by Denys Cowan. Hinds and Cowan previously collaborated on short stories in the Vertigo anthologies Strange Adventures and The Unexpected.
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