If you’re in the NYC area this weekend, check out the NYC Horror Film Festival. It’s been held at Tribeca Cinemas, in you guessed it, Tribeca. Tons of great movies are making their premiere or having their official unveiling here, plus a lot of avid horror fans will be partying and mingling all weekend long, so if there was ever a chance to meet that special someone who will be OK with your horror-loving, toy-buying, I don’t want to grow up ass, then this could be that chance.

Awesome. I guess sometimes, you just have to go with the proven thing. The next comic on my to-read list was Ferryman (not Fairyman, something tells me I wouldn’t have cared for that one too much), published by the Wildstorm imprint which is a part of DC on the larger scale. I guess to get a sure thing, going with the big boys is the best route.

The other factor that enhanced this comic’s rating was the fact that I actually had the first TWO issues of this one. It was the only one that the store had both of.

I was on the verge of passing out the other night, but decided to try and get through the first issue anyways. Well, shortly thereafter I was already done with #2, craving more.

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So, yet again I pick up a comic that’s hard to judge. This particular one, Deadworld: Slaughterhouse is set within the existing Deadworld universe (wish I would’ve known), which apparently has been around for quite some time in one form or another, changing comic publishers along the way. It had a long run on Caliber comics, followed some collaboration with Image, and it’s currently running on Desperado Publishing. Do you care about that? I guess I do.

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So I’m going to write a couple of posts about some horror comics (what other type of comics would we write about) I’ve picked up at some local shops. I decided to invest a little into my posts, so I broke the bank and shelled out some hard-earned allowance for a few rags. Actually, I wish I still had an allowance. Either way, I plan on reviewing several different series over the next week or so, and will focus my attention on new (within the past few months) series or story lines within relatively new series.

Keep in mind that I will have read only the debut issue of the series, at most the first two, so take these assessments and views for what they’re worth; an essential first impression. Which, I must point out, is extremely important when it comes to serials like comic books, since the creators rely on their ability to keep the reader coming back and paying $Texas for their books. As an aside, I cannot believe how expensive comics have become. It was tough for me shelling out a buck an issue for comics back in my heyday, but jesus christ, 4 bucks a pop now? I know a lot of kids are selling drugs these days and can afford this sort of luxury, but come on people. So cost has to be a factor here.

My first choice was The Dead:  Kingdom of Flies. The story is set in the UK, its living characters members of the fire department, and some military on the periphery.

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I have absolutely no idea what message this ad is trying to get across. Several options include:

• Ghosts will haunt you if you don’t complete your degree in less than 24 months
• The ghost actually wants to go to school
• It’s an ad for a school which caters to the ghost population
• The designer was on crack

Thank you for being born and producing some of the greatest (and darkest) works I have had the pleasure of reading over the years. Whether it is the untouchable Sandman comic book series, my favorite book of all time, Good Omens, or laying the groundwork for the super-campy Neverwhere mini series which originally aired on the BBC.

The comic book industry has been lucky that Neil chose the comic book as his primary means of expression, although his novels and short stories still do not get the credit they deserve. Here’s a rundown of the best Gaiman work available:

• Sandman graphic novels; all 75 issues are collected in an 11 volume set. Start with Volume 1 of course.
• Books of Magic mini-series
• The aforementioned Neverwhere novel and series
• Good Omens
• Stardust

Back when I was a college freshman in the 20th century, I used to LOVE reading Landover Baptist.  This was 1999, and the internet wasn’t the vast realm of awesomeness that it is today. Prepare for a trip down memory lane- In 1999 I used Lycos and Altavista to find search results, I used Napster to introduce myself to Samael, At The Gates, Emperor and pretty much everyone else I still listen to today, and on Thursday nights I sat in my dorm room and drunkenly listened to phone calls between Glen Benton and Bob Larson [ed note: I actually did this]. The internet wasn’t huge, but if you really sought it out you could find humorous sources of blasphemy and hedonism. To this end, I loved the laughably juvenile anti-religious site Landover Baptist.org. 

For some reason, it popped into my head last night.

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WTF? Yes. I was thinking the same thing when I ran upon this title while perusing the horror film section at a local Best Buy yesterday. I was actually thinking, “you’ve got to be fucking kidding me, how ridiculously corny can this movie be.” Before seeing a second, I had rated this film “shit sandwich”. Apparently, it’s really awesome. Go figure.

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I promise. The last week was slow; Price and I have been in a post-Halloween slump, but we’ll pick back up this week and begin being amusing again. Topics may include: Vikings, death metal, spontaneous bleeding, Satan, vikings, and/or athletic wear.

Volume 2 of the Books of Blood specifically. Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible habit of quickly forgetting books after reading. I mean, like a week later. Sometimes more quickly. I will even force myself to re-read them, and will not recall a bit of the story. It’s sad I know, but when you do as many unwholesome things as I do, it is bound to happen.

However, even though I couldn’t have recalled one iota prior to picking up the book, every vivid detail of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood Volume 2 crept up from the depths of my memory. I read this book almost 10 years ago. Probably had not though about it since then. But reading it, I felt the exact same way I did sitting on my bed those years ago.

Images that repulse and sicken, images that befuddle, images that amaze, images that make you question our very existence. Basically, everything about the stories in this book are incredible. I could not stop reading any of these stories. Getting on and off of the subway is the only thing that stopped me.

My personal favorite has to be Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament, mainly for the vivid imagery and grotesquely detailed deaths that present physical impossibilities, yet described seem completely plausible. Barker‘s knack of forcing you to consider ideals and personal motives that you wish to avoid continues to baffle me.

You can’t buy them individually anymore, but buying Volumes 1-3 wouldn’t be a bad idea. A good month’s worth of nightmares surely.