Coming to comic shops Nov 15
and bookstores Nov 24, 2023
Gou Tanabe‘s next North American publication will be H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth! This edition is being published by Dark Horse Comics and it is set to arrive later this year. It also includes 12 pages in full colour with a tip-in title page embellished with silver ink.
As for where Call of Cthulhu is (as I reported years ago), that’s because it’s been serialised in the magazine, Comic Beam, and there’s no word if that will get put into a trade paperback and translated too. Fans can chant and make sacred pacts in hopes for it to happen though.
For now, this manga series by Eisner and Harvey Award nominee will come complete in one volume. Zack Davisson has been handling the translation and what’ll be presented is in safe hands. All anyone has to do is look at his portfolio of books (Amazon link) about the supernatural side of Japan.
Everything you want to know but were afraid to ask about what went on behind the scenes and in the evolution of heavy metal is well accounted for in Sean Kelly’s Don’t Call It Hair Metal. This deft exploration of the 80s music scene in 320 page book published by ECW Press is great at delving into the origin of many famous bands from the 70s onwards. From Slade to KISS to Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career after Black Sabbath, the examination even dives deep to reveal something new about each act that I’m a fan of.
This book isn’t about random bits of trivia. It’s an excellent scholarly study on why a lot of bands are still performing. What they produce is for the love of the sound, not the look, or even the glam that shook up the stage to draw in crowds. Alice Cooper is the godfather of the scene for a reason, and we get some great stories from various talents remembering those times.
Instead of exploring the decade as a whole, each chapter deals with a few years at a time. We get even more studies about how talents like Randy Roads developed their signature sound, and the interviews from industry observers and other fellow guitarists only add to the picture. Whether that’s about their heydays or something anecdotal, I’m certainly enjoying this read. It’s best not to power through this book, either, as there’s a lot of terrific quotes from the talents Kelly interviewed.
This author’s journey to the heart of rock and roll is the same as mine when when I discovered heavy metal at an early age. And to hear the stories about how some bands persevered is sweet. Also, to read about what this author believes are the best platinum hits only affirms why I loved one album over another. For me, Def Leppard‘s Pyromania will always be my number one album to put on the turntable. Twisted Sister never came into my radar until “We’re not Gonna Take It,” and watching them transform into a glam act; but after a while, they took the makeup off and went back to the sound that is their roots.
As this book insinuates, it’s not about the hair, but the intention of why each group wanted to make a dent in the industry. Poison and Ratt were huge during this time, and it’s not because of the acts put on stage, their life behind the scenes or something else. Regarding the former, Brett Michaels’ journey is a book in itself, and it’s been looked upon in those documentaries made by VH1.
Even MTV’s influence is recounted here, and without them and the music videos which showed these bands at their craziest (or best), I doubt this era would be remembered fondly. Kelly’s love for the genre and his personal journey makes for the perfect narrative device to move readers year to year, and I suspect writing Don’t Call It Hair Metal took more than a a year to craft. Although the preview edition doesn’t contain any snapshots, that may change when the hard copy finally comes out.
We got a an early glimpse in this photo gallery inside Namco Akihabara and how everything is laid out for gamers (of any time) to enjoy!
Although the Sega GiGO Akihabara Building is long gone, Namco has taken over the space to open its own collective of products for gamers to enjoy. This six-floor game centre simply known as Namco Akihabara opened March 1st, and we are fortunate to have a friend who’s in Japan right now, willing to take snaps for us.
Special thanks go to Gerald Parkin for providing info and some insight to this new operation. He’s living an otaku’s dream in this trip and reported that not every floor here was open during opening week. These dedicated levels are for (collectable) trading card games on the fifth floor, capsule toys on the fourth, music based video games on the third, lots of claw machines for the second and first and your traditional arcade cabinets in the basement.
There was lots to enjoy at Fan Expo Vancouver 2023, and in this introduction, we go explore the paranormal themed events in greater detail.
When the local fandom communities want to be heard, they’ll certainly roar at Fan Expo Vancouver 2023 (FXV). That’s what Vice-President Andrew Moyes wants to hear, and he was at the show to make sure it goes off without a hitch. He’s been with the company for over 10 years to help deliver this experience all over North America, and their primary goal is to deliver community driven events. “These aren’t travelling circuses,” this organiser said, “We are delighted by the support we received from the fandom community in Vancouver. It shows our fans have faith in what we are delivering.”
Regarding this and Portland’s show happening the same weekend, he said it was done to synergize the two, so no fan will feel left out. Part of it also had to do with the dates the State-side convention centre had open. Moyes put forth the answer to his own question, “Do I think it’s going to happen all the time? Not necessarily. But when those opportunities present themselves, it helps us elevate the experience for all to enjoy.”
Fans of this upcoming adaptation of Lovecraft’s seminal Mountains of Madness redubbed Naked Peak can follow MadaraUsi’s YouTube channel for the latest info.
It’s safe to say anime studios love H.P. Lovecraft, and to produce anything that’s truly based on are few and far between. Depending on what aspect of his lore gets explored, there’s Berserk and Paprika. To a lesser extent, there’s even the classic, Iczer 1 where the transliteration spelled out the villain as Cthulhu even though they are not related. But to have a story that is truly inspired requires Forest Limit and THINKR Col Ltd., to make a short titled Naked Peak, Climb the Mountains of Madness.
This pilot is now available on YouTube for all to view (also offered below). Although the details are lacking, I suspect it’s based on the IELLO + 6 More’s board game Mountains of Madness than the story. As much as I’d love to see this adaptation borrow from Go Tanabe’s manga (review link), it’s doubtful. This work earned the 2022 CAMPFIRE crowdfunding award after netting over 1 million dollars from 12,000 backers, and achieving 1400% funding overall.
We present three of our most favourite reads from Dark Horse Comics that were released this month.
The best reads from Dark Horse Comics in February boils down to three titles! This publisher always has a bit of everything to love and technically I have four works which I enjoyed reading. As much as I tried to enjoy the new Star Wars as published by Marvel Comics, the imagination doesn’t hold a candle to one legacy release, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures. This work deserves honourable mention, at least.
Although the Sega GiGO Akihabara Building is long gone, 
When the local fandom communities want to be heard, they’ll certainly roar at 
It’s safe to say anime studios love 
The best reads from