Bride of Rocky Horror: Authorized Continuation or Limited License?

Bit Bot Media’s Bride of Rocky Horror promises an officially licensed graphic novel continuation of the cult classic, but fans should temper expectations.

Bride of Rocky Horror CoverTo Back or Not to Back on Kickstarter

Just how astounding Bit Bot Media’s graphic novel Bride of Rocky Horror is depends entirely on a fan’s point of view. Its Kickstarter campaign bills it as the “officially licensed” continuation of the Rocky Horror tale. But as any Frank N. Furter fan knows, chaos lurks behind even the most polished façade. The project promises “The cult classic’s next chapter — an official graphic novel with campaign-exclusive editions and merch.” Yet the “first-ever officially licensed” label raises questions: who is able to grant the license, and why isn’t Richard O’Brien, the show’s creator, involved?

The project claims official licence status, yet I could not find any public declaration naming the exact rights-holder. There’s also no prominent studio branding from the film side (20th Century/Disney, for example), which you’d expect if the licence encompassed the full film universe. In interviews, the creative team emphasizes the stage production rather than the film sequel, suggesting the licence might stop at the stage show boundary.

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Stan Lee & John Romita’s The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Classics Return to Print in Softcover

Stan Lee and John Romita’s The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Classics return to print for the first time in softcover, collected by Clover Press. Discover how to get this rare collection and explore a treasured piece of comic history.

The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper ClassicsStan Lee and John Romita’s The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Classics returns to print in softcover for the first time, and for fans of comic history this is a truly exciting moment. Much like the way we’ve celebrated past classics here on Otakunoculture.com—from rediscovered manga editions to rare superhero anthologies—this release honours the timeless appeal of Spider-Man while preserving a piece of comic art history that too often disappears into out-of-print archives.

And unlike the comic book print run, it won’t cost an arm and a leg to own!

From the Press Release:

The Amazing Spider-Man swung into newsprint on Monday, January 3, 1977, bringing Marvel’s most popular hero from comic pages to newspapers worldwide. Through Stan Lee’s storytelling and John Romita’s masterful art, the strip delivered dramatic storylines that pitted Spidey against classic foes while introducing brand new characters, helping make Spider-Man a household name beyond the comic book stands. Now, for the first time ever in softcover, Stan Lee and John Romita’s The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Classics will return to print as part of Clover Press’s spectacular new line of deluxe slipcase editions. The Kickstarter campaign is now live.

The Library of American Comics remastered and collected the strip in a series of hardcover collections—but so many of them are out of print, making the collection highly sought after and almost impossible for your average comics lover to get their hands on,” said Clover Publisher Hank Kanalz. ”Now, Clover Press and The Library of American Comics are bringing the collections back to print in an affordable softcover format! We’re collecting the strip strictly by year, reprinting each installment from January 1 to December 31. We can’t wait to help get these iconic comic strips into the hands of Spidey lovers everywhere!”

This campaign features four volumes, with strips from the years 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980. Each volume will measure 11″ x 8.5″ in a horizontal format and slide into a vertical slipcase, designed for protection and easy shelving. The first offering will collect the strip from the years 1977 to 1980. Backing this Kickstarter campaign will allow readers to get all four volumes in one bundle. The campaign will also include extras such as a puzzle, stickers, lithographs, and more.

To visit the campaign for The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Classics, head to Kickstarter. For updates, follow Clover Press on Instagram, X, Bluesky and Facebook. You can subscribe to the Clover Press newsletter here.

If You Love Star Wars Vision Then The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope—The Manga Will Rekindle That Passion

Star Wars Visions isn’t the only place to get alternate world takes of what goes on in a galaxy far, far away. With the Art of Star Wars: A New Hope, a lot of comparisons can be made to see how styles have changed.

The Art of Star Wars – A New Hope MangaFrom the Press Release:

As part of the Star Wars Celebration, Dark Horse Comics is announcing that they will publish The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope—The Manga. Two stunning volumes will each be available wherever books are sold, and will spotlight Hisao Tamaki’s original art from his acclaimed 1997 manga adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope and include a new English translation. Ahead of retail launch in Summer 2026, Dark Horse Comics will also be offering special editions through the publisher’s first ever Kickstarter campaign.

This beautifully drawn manga will be available through Kickstarter in two distinct editions, each offering a unique way to experience this extraordinary adaptation. The Collector’s Edition features the same two-volume hardcovers that will be available at retail but with Kickstarter-exclusive covers. The Masterpiece Edition will faithfully reproduce Tamaki’s art at its original size in two volumes and include an auxiliary volume. The Masterpiece Edition format will be only available through Kickstarter. Fans can now follow the prelaunch page for the Kickstarter campaign here.

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When Will Part-Time Comix’ The Drumsticks of Doom, Volume 2 Come Out?

When heavy metal and the supernatural go hand to hand, Drumsticks of Doom has everything a comic book reader would want! And the second issue of its sophmore series is coming soon!

Drumsticks of Doom Alt CoverWhen the talents behind the comic book, Drumsticks of Doom, are also musicians, this tribute perhaps inspired by Nelvana’s Rock & Rule is outstanding! Dan Dougherty (Touching Evil) and Jon Westhoff (Part-Time Comix) created a series which is very indie, and although this introduction has the feel of a starter project, I would like to know more.

And to find out what this team had previously done, I found YouTube videos of Dan’s concerts. He’s quite the talent (see below), and for Jon, all I found were interviews.

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Shadowdark, The Western Reaches RPG Hot New Expansion is on Kickstarter!

Instead of asking for help from the corporate industry, Kelsey Dionne’s Shadowdark, The Western Reaches is asking fans of old school gaming to help reach publication.

Shadowdark, The Western Reaches RPG
Now on Kickstarter!

Kelsey Dionne ‘s Shadowdark is a sure to shake the TTRPG industry up. This role playing system gives game masters the power to make the call on how actions get resolved. And now this world has an expansion titled Shadowdark, The Western Reaches. After two years in the market, the amount of people moving over to a more back to basic fantasy environment is becoming large. From an official Discord channel to Reddit fan pages , what I am finding is even winning me over.

A welcome package at $199 USD provides newcomers with everything released to date. After getting a headache because of fellow players arguing about why certain game physics must operate this way or the fact there’s far too much data to break down an action, this remedy may well be worth it. Very few people use the Old School Renaissance (OSR) method these days, and upon discovering this game system, I know where to invest my dollars.

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Takin’ Care of Business “The Anime Business” Isn’t Like Handling A Barrel of Monkeys, Hopefully

In this insightful look into the early days of The Anime Business, some people were taking a gamble regarding distributing cartoons made in another country.

The Anime Business Title CardAnyone curious about how “The Anime Business” started in North America will be interested in a brand-new monthly documentary that’s now streaming on YouTube. It’s an insightful series that talks to the pioneers who started the many operations that brought titles like Bubblegum Crisis and Dominion to this country, and later into the 90s, even Ranma½ too!

AnimEigo and MediaOCD produced this work, and learning about the challenges involved made me want to follow the project to its current state. I’m unsure if this series will go that far, but I will wait for those episodes. I’m also sure that at some point, the host will find someone to talk to from Harmony Gold to discuss Robotech and the embargo they once had to stop the original Macross series from appearing in North America.

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