Tag: H.P. Lovecraft

Dark Horse Comics to Release Calla Cthulhu Summer 2017!

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

When a webcomic I have not heard of before gets the attention of Dark Horse Comics to publish, I will be callin’ for a preview online. Calla Cthulhu is a digital comic readers have to subscribe to on Stēla (iOS) — a mobile entertainment reader. While not everyone can hop onto every online service out there for their nerdy fixes, to hear some titles are getting a wider distribution makes this fanboy very happy. They are becoming more accessible.

Like other fond favourites which I try to keep up with on the Internet side — Young Lovecraft (sadly it’s finished) and Girl Genius — I find owning a print version better. Being the H.P. Lovecraft fan that I am, to hear about this title coming to print is my dream come true. This latest title influenced by Lovecraft’s work can sit side-by-side with other comics like Littlest Shoggoth and Where’s My Shoggoth? A bigger volume that sits in my comic book section is The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and all of these are recommended reading.

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Young Lovecraft’s name is Howard in Shout! Factory’s “Frozen Kingdom” Release

unnamedBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

From José Oliver (Author) and Bartolo Torres (Illustrator) web comic Young Lovecraft to Sean Patrick O’Reilly (Arcana Studio)’s Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, both illustrative products have redefined who this seminal master of the macabre is for people of all ages to enjoy.

While there’s no new material for the Young series and The Frozen Kingdom saw an evolution with a film, thankfully to see the latter product get animated has this fan excited. I enjoy both works, and the teaser offered during Free Comic Book Day made me glad a trade paperback of the Frozen Kingdom is getting reprinted and offered late October at comic book stores near you.

The animated version is being released by Shout! Factory September 27, 2016 just in time for my birthday. I could not be any more thrilled. It will be made available on DVD, Blu-ray, VOD and Redbox. The combo pack will include bonus content such as an audio commentary and featurette. More details will be forthcoming as the date nears. As for fans who love O’Reilly’s art style, an exclusive poster will be offered for those who pre-order directly from Shout! Factory’s website.

Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom features the talents of Jane Curtin (3rd Rock from the Sun), Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), Christopher Plummer (Pixar’s Up), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser), Kiefer O’Reilly (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) and Alison Wandzura (CW’s Van Helsing). This film is said to be a veritable love letter to H.P. Lovecraft himself as it entwines new storytelling, actual events of H.P. Lovecraft’s life, iconic elements of his writings and literary characters Cthulhu, Shoggoth and more.

Trailer:

How Many New or Old Editions of Tobin’s Spirit Guides Do We Need?

Tobin’s Spirit Guide is a must for any collector of Ghostbusters lore, but which edition is considered definitive?

Tobin’s Spirit Guide Front CoverFans of Ghostbusters now have three versions of Tobin’s Spirit Guide to explore the film’s paranormal lore. One is an out-of-print role-playing game supplement by West End Games, designed for gameplay and organizing ghosts by country of origin. The other two are recent editions: one attempts to be a comprehensive reference sorted alphabetically, while the abridged version categorizes entries by ascending danger. The foreword in the latest Insight Editions version notes that this pocket guide provides the essentials for those haunting New York City and the Eastern Seaboard.

For anyone hoping to tackle the authoritative edition, consider it a “sanity roll” (as in Chaosium Inc.’s Call of Cthulhu RPG) to avoid prematurely aging while absorbing the massive 35-pound tome from which these editions are derived. Between the smaller volumes, each entity’s origin and classification are included, and for the bold, locations are listed—though only the fearless need apply.

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Charles Band on the Remastering of The Lurking Fear & Upcoming Full Moon Titles

charlesbandFilmmaker Charles Band listenins to his fans, and in response, he is re-releasing his catalogue of old classics from his Empire/Full Moon days onto Blu-ray. The trend has been going on for a while now, starting with Doctor MordridCharles Band, and this producer will keep it going. C. Courtney Joyner’s The Lurking Fear, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, is now available (released Jun 15, 2016).

Band kept the original 35mm prints of many of the films he’s either produced or directed. In what he gets done, there’s hardly ever any pixelation. Of course, there will be the usual dust and scratches, and to get all that fixed takes time. No Photoshop plug-in can do the job. Like a film projectionist, each frame has to be analysed and colour corrected for the best image possible. He notes that it’s really expensive to go back to the original negative in order to make an high-definition (HD) master, but unless you have fantastic technical talent who truly appreciates the work — to bring the product back to its original lustre — the thought of putting it out to HD for those collectors is a gamble.

“The key ingredient to any of these transfers is to have an excellent colorist,” noted Band. “We have a guy who has been doing most of our work for the last 4-5 years. When he’s busy, I wait because he’s the only guy I trust.”

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