The above title actually has a loose double meaning. I have two conventions coming up in the next two weeks, including this weekend’s Boston Comic Con. Though more specifically it refers the delays in publishing Gentleman Cthulhu: Year Two (working title) and that I’ve decide to up the ante and publish two new books in the next couple of months to make up for it and other delays (including Chadhiyana). More, August is the month to have your name featured as a supporter in both of these books (specific information at the end of this post). Read more… ›

Let me start by saying that the biggest problem with Netflix’s newest series based on the popular Konami video games is simply that it’s too short. Four episodes, each running just over twenty minutes is more like an appetizer than a full meal–especially for the binge-watching viewership that Netflix helped to create. It’s essentially a single feature film that ends just when the story is about to get started (likely because there are another eight episodes yet to be released). But perhaps that’s a strong point of the show as well, because like a vampire whose finally feasting on blood after a hundred years (sorry, I had to), it leaves you wanting so much more. Read more… ›

It was quite an eventful weekend both inside and outside the Garden State Comic Fest. For starters, Friday kicked things off with the release of Castevania on Netflix (expect a write up soon) and going out for a night with two people I love very much to finally see Wonder Woman. (How’s that for preparation for a comic convention?) Then there was the con itself which went successfully, and garnered (as usual) interest in both Chadhiyana and Gentleman Cthulhu. Read more… ›

For the third year in a row (and since its move to a new location) I’ll be appearing at the Garden State Comic Fest this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at the Mennen Arena in Morristown, New Jersey. Generally, I haven’t had much luck at cons in my native state, though GSCF is the exception. It’s one of the better cons I do year after year, and it’s run by some of the most passionate and dedicated guys I’ve seen in the con business (and I’m still impressed and grateful to Dave O’Hare’s for last year’s kindness and quick action). That said, I know I haven’t posted in almost a month…even on my Patreon and gentlemancthulhu.com. So, this weekend not only kicks off the first of three summer cons, but it also starts a re-engagement on my part. Read more… ›

Even though it seems like our latest president is constantly challenging the ideals and realities of the United States’ freedom and independence, I’d still like to take the time to wish all of my State-side fans a Happy Independence Day!

Let’s hope we all remain so (independent and free, that is). So in honour of that and of all of the men and women who have risked and given their lives to protect those freedoms (and thank you, immensely, by the way), I’ll be drinking a nice cold beer or two (or more) and eating a few cheeseburgers and other choice foods from the grill.

Cheers!

Back in February, a number of websites began publishing information about a new Netflix series based on the Castlevania franchise. Then, just yesterday, the first trailer was released. It’s no secret that the Castlevania series has been a major influence on my work. It’s the first video game series that I felt was “mine”, in that I discovered it for myself; I started with the very first Castlevania in 1986–though it probably wasn’t until 1987 or 88 that I played it (games had a longer shelf-life back then)–and it featured all of the things I loved best: horror elements, a massive castle, spooky music (I love that word) and Dracula! So with all of that, you’d think I’d be excited to know a screen adaptation of the games is finally happening. Read more… ›

I just wanted to quickly take the time to thank the Odenton Library for inviting myself and my other Rosarium Publishing compatriots to the AAPCL (Anne Arundel County Public Library) Comic Con this past Saturday (and my thanks too to Bill Campbell for asking me to be a part of Rosarium’s presence there). It was a small show, but sometimes those are the most fun and relaxing. Plus, I always enjoy speaking on panels, and as per the encouragement of my publisher, I’m trying to speak on more of them going forward. Read more… ›

Mike Mignola is on the short list of creators whose work inspired me to get back into comics. After years of being sick of Marvel and DC (especially after Marvel’s Onslaught thing and the whole Amalgam deal in the 1990s), I stopped reading comics for a long time, and I make no secret of my complete lack of interest in the “mythology” of superheroes (can I write that word?). Then, in college, I was introduced to Mignola and other creators (such as Alan Moore) who offered an alternative to what comics could be about. And though it took a bit to get used to Mignola’s style, once I read Hellboy I was instantly hooked. It was equal turns dark and humourous and was inspired by much of the same source material which I myself enjoy. So when Mike Mignola announced through his social media networks that a new Hellboy film was in the works, you figured I’d be ecstatic.  Read more… ›

What I think has drawn people to the Soulsborne series (affectionately named by its fans for the Dark Souls series, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne, collectively) and evolves to obsession for many of us, is the experience the games provide. Not the story. Not the gameplay. But the totality of all of the games’ collective parts.

For anyone who is not a gamer (or game designer, for that matter), I’ve heard it said that the highest point in the art of game design, the greatest achievement a game can make, is to seamlessly integrate all of its parts into a complete experience for the player. Like reading a book or watching a film, you never once want the game to feel disjointed, a part of it forced or out of place; the suspension of disbelief should never be broken. And having been a gamer all of my life, and speaking as someone with a bit of amateur experience and classes in game design, I can honestly say I have never played a game or series which has achieved this so (near) perfectly. Read more… ›

In twenty one days, the world of Dark Souls players will be able to explore The Ringed City, the final DLC in the series by From Software and perhaps at last we Undead will see the ultimate fading of the Flame. It’s a sad day and a hopeful one, I’m sure, for many of us who have been inexplicably drawn to the series since the first Dark Souls in 2011 (and even its predecessor, Demon’s Souls in 2009). But even for those who have slowly been brought into the fold over the years, the ending of Age of Fire spells the ending of an age in video games, one which hopefully will usher in a new age of great potential and creative freedom. Though for me, I wonder if this will spell the end my on-going love for video games, for, as many have said in the before me, Dark Souls ruined video games for me. Read more… ›