Thursday, July 29, 2010

Barbaric Beasts and Wicked Werewolf Fun!!

Another year, another vacation for me...just a short hop, but I wanted to leave something cool up here.  I'm really excited to see ASCENSION OF THE BLIND DEAD getting unleashed in the upcoming ZOMBNIBUS from Asylum Press entitled ZOMBIE TERRORS!  With artwork by the one and only Billy George of Ruined Earth-this story will pop out your eyes, toss them down a werewolf woman's throat, she'll spit 'em out in to the face of an Undead Templar and they you'll have to squeeze the pulp back in with the hope that your psyche will recover!
That is if the Blind Dead don't steal that gooey eye pulp.


But the fun doesn't stop there!  No sir...ya see, Zombie Terrors is loaded with some amazing creators and artwork. Look at the preview...go ahead.


See, I told you!  I'm a fan of Szymon Kudranski and that stuff looks damn wild.  Never mind that it is published and features work by the one and only Frank Forte.  I've spent a good amount of time reading the stuff he's written and drawn (is there really any better guy with a gun that has a giant stinger thing on his head than Warlash?)-pretty damn cool. There is a hopping vampire story!!  Wow.  Yep, we need that.  And then, to top it off...Tim Vigil. Now, say what you will, the guy draws horror like nobody else. New Tim Vigil? Happy Halloween!!

Overall, this looks like a great book and I'm thrilled to be a part of "and many more..." as well as a reader.
Amazon has it for a nice discount right here, or you can order from the publisher.  Be sure to send them a shout out that YOU love The Blind Dead and are chomping at the bit to see them ravage the earth!  I have a few crazy ideas you might enjoy... 

THEY CAN SENSE THE RHYTHM OF YOUR BLOOD...and this Halloween, you can read them under the covers with a flashlight!

Enjoy the weather and see everyone once I get back from the beach!!  Hopefully The Ghost Galleon is docked and waiting for me...

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Graveyard Rendevous #35 Truly Released!! Guy N. Smith fans rejoice!


After many stops, starts, mis-steps and hurdles I'm pleased to see that Graveyard Rendezvous, the fanzine for the Gun N. Smith fanclub has released Issue 35.  A great buy for fans that are still in to GNS as well as those that may not know that much about the Great Scribbler!  This issue includes short fiction by GNS (Howling On The Moors), fiction by Brooke Vaughn and Stuart Neild, a list of available back catalog items from Black Hill Books, The Old Brides Column (a must have), Writers Forum, miscellania and reviews. Nice to see Bruce from Bookgasm there, and I will admit to feeling a great sense of pride at seeing one of my reviews in the lead off spot for the issue.  
This is probably the first printed matter from a certain project I had been working on, and it makes me happy to see it.  Ringin' the DEATHBELL is always fun.

Show GNS some love and try this 'zine out...perfect to stoke your fire for killer crustaceans, bad boy bankers and nymphomaniac housewives!  Email blackhillbooks@hotmail.com and tell Ceri you need your GNS!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Thor The Conqueror - Tonino Ricci Rages and Rushes a Barbarian


Tonino Ricci is easily one of the great low budget directors of Italian genre schlock that ever walked.  Now, I'm not advocating for the guy, I leave that to my irresistible lust for the cinema of Alfonso Brescia, but he does have a certain charm to his films.  Thor The Conqueror has little in the way of plot, logic or political correctness, but it does have a lot to give the Barbarian completest.  Thor is a played with little expression by Conrad Nichols (Bruno Mininti) and follows our hero, who is a complete dolt by the way, as he is guided by a truly he-man woman hating owl mystic that never shuts up. Hell, that owl man actually promises to die early in the film...never does.   I guess they forgot that part of the script as they went along.

But what it does offer us, is a bunch of entertaining action scenes, a use of music that may actually be the worst I've heard from a Ricci film, Malisa Longo (always welcome) and a "full blooded" attitude that would make Manning Lee Stokes say "tone it down a bit man..." if he heard it.  When Thor first meets a woman his Owl Guide tells him to "Lie her down, play with her, for what else is she good for?"  Needless to say, a horde of evil barbarians burst in on Thor learning about women (?) and kill her immediately.  Thankfully for Thor, there are women to hear lamentations from and bad guys to slay.  Not a good film, but a very special entry in to a genre I really enjoy. The NeoPeplum will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Besides...any film that gives Jess Franco's CANNIBALS a run for the least impressive cannibal tribe ever shown on screen is GREAT to me. Not sarcasm folks, I love some bad cannibals!



Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Yor-The Zanotto Comics!!!

Have you ever had an item from your want list pop up unexpectedly for a reasonable price? I do on occasion, but very very VERY few items have given me the satisfaction of the arrival of the gorgeous color volume of YOR, IL CACCIATORE from Italy this morning. Maybe you remember my YOR WEEK? If not, click the link and see one mans obsession laid bare.
Now, I have at least some of the original source for Antonio Margheriti's movie and look forward to seeing what was used and tossed aside. Here are some scans for you to enjoy a bit of my happiness. Zanotto's artwork would feel at home in the later Warren magazines for sure.


The Cover of the Casa Editrice Eura YOR album


The first page of volume 1

and the last page. Dig that montage and the appearance of....

THAT DAMN TALKING BOX!!
Yor's World...he's the man! When he's TRIPPIN'!

 
Now, anyone want to translate 150 pages of YOR??

Monday, July 12, 2010

Kobold-"An Oversized Death Bringing Barbarian!!"

 This widescreen 8 pager brings us in to the world of KOBOLD...all two page spreads? AWESOME!!
Romeo Tanghal and Alfredo Alcala look like they had a lot of fun designing this story of the end of the world and man vs. magic!  Click the thumbs and enjoy... 

 

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Yor-Hunter From The Future...A Poster Explored!


Yep, I'm just a big old geek for Yor-Hunter From The Future. YOR WEEK has come and gone, but the other night I found myself unfolding some posters in my collection and pulled out the jumbo 4-sheet from France for the masterwork of cinema we know as Yor. I found myself walking around the room and snapping photos of favorite bits. So, I figure I'd share them. Just a bunch of details that catch my eye, this awesome art from Philippe Druillet is one of my favorite possessions, especially at the awe inspiring size of the edition I have.
Click the images for big versions...and yes, I am just this much a geek for YOR!


The Overlord needed that huge CYBER-ARM!!

SAVAGERY MEETS SCIENCE!!

The 'bots are Badass in Druillet Vision

The background city battle!!


Ka-Laa looks fantastic eh?

THE MAN!!

Now that is a badass Gauntlet/mini-shield!


And more awesome arm stuff and axes!
And I could not resist adding this Druillet piece for Star Wars....AWESOME and quite similar in the robo bad guy department!