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Featured Photographer Naelle Devannah Dusk appears courtesy of
Writers Sara Young
David Doub www.DuskComics.Com
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Young lawyer Jonathan Harker must he’s not saying much. Drapes her room in leave his fiancée, Mina Murray, in London to garlic and tries some blood transfusions. It help one Count Dracula complete a real es-
works great, until Lucy’s mama shows up.
tate transaction. The Count is relocating from She didn’t get the memo about the healing Transylvania to London where he can be among the “teeming millions”, and he needs
Dracula Bram Stoker W.W. Norton & Company 1997 Review by Sara Young There has been a long-standing battle about who is the biggest, baddest vampire. Louis or Lestat? Angel or Drusilla? Bill or Eric? Edward or James? The debate goes on and on. But when push come to shove, Lestat who? Buffy the what? Truly? Team oh pahleese! Every gothic, conflicted, arrogant, dapper, wrathful, seductive, childlike and murderous manifestation in modern media has been seen before. There can be only one, and he hails from Castle Dracula. In 1897, Bram Stoker became a visionary genius when he opened the doors and unleashed bloodsuckers on the world.
properties of garlic. Darn it, now poor Lucy’s dead, chil-
legal advice and helpful integration tips. Af-
dren are being killed and maimed left and
ter a harrowing carriage journey plagued by
right by the “boofy lady” (beautiful lady),
wolves and other perils, Jonathan arrives at
and Van Helsing finally says the “v” word.
the creepy castle and is charmed by his gra-
Lucy’s three beaus catch her in the act, and
cious host. Those strange noises aren’t any-
can’t argue: she had to be stopped. Fans of
thing to worry about. Surely it isn’t bizarre
the macabre will not be disappointed by the
that he’s confined to certain parts of the cas-
means in which this happens.
tle and forbidden from leaving. Okay, maybe
Mina and Jonathan show up, recu-
it’s a little creepy, and he ought to leave after perated and wed, in time for the fireworks. all. Then again, there are those hot babes lurking outside his door in case he sneaks
One down, a whole passel to go . . . Abduction? Yep. Werewolves? Of
away . . . Or are they demonic vampire brides course! Seduction? The Count wouldn’t be a very good vampire if he couldn’t have his
d
way with a lady or two. And, well, Jonathan
s
Westerna has a dilemma. Three men have
would blush to talk about those brides. Unre-
W
proposed, and none of them are total losers.
quited love and relations torn asunder? Abso- t
Eeny, meeny, miney mo! Arthur Holmwood
lutely! Violence, blood, guts and gore? In
s
it is, though for Lucy’s sake they’ll all stay
buckets. Murder most foul? Decadent. Toss
t
friends. She seems a little peaked lately, and
in madmen, shape shifters, infanticide, ship-
the wolves are getting pretty bold. In fact,
wrecks, and brilliant gothic settings and
u
suitor number two, Dr. Seward, can’t figure
you’ve got the penultimate vampire novel.
C
Dracula is a must for true fans of
m
from hell? Meanwhile, Mina’s friend Lucy
out what’s making poor Lucy so faint. He calls on his good buddy Dr. Van Helsing, who seems to know exactly what it is, but
horror, and especially vampires.
c
a
a
excuse for wrapping himself in an exterior of also music related. Although a tongue-innot caring. He calls his young girlfriends only cheek reference to the biblical Judas and his by their home states. He is an extreme collec- thirty silver coins, Jude’s name could also be tor of macabre objects, and when his wife
taken as a mating of Judas (Priest) and
gives him an ultimatum, the marriage or his
(Wayne) Coyne [singer of the Flaming Lips].
snuff film, he doesn’t hesitate long. When
Anytime someone in the book says “hey,
Florida lapses into suicidal tendencies, he
Jude”, the Beatles pop to mind. Jude’s dogs,
gets her a bus ticket to Tallahassee and wish-
Bon and Angus, are named after Bon Scott
es her the best.
and Angus Young of AC/DC. The book is
“Buy my stepfather’s ghost” pops up online. Jude has many things, but not a
after a song by a different band: Black
ghost. Simply irresistible!
Dog (Led Zeppelin), Ride On (AC/DC), Hurt
A black, heart-shaped box arrives. Inside is a “Johnny Cash” like suit and the
Heart-Shaped Box By Joe Hill Subterranean Press, 2007 Reviewed by Sara Young Sit tight Nirvana fans. Mr. Hill’s
debut fiction novel might be named for the
broken down into four sections, each named
fun begins. Jude and Georgia are forced to
(Nine Inch Nails), and Alive (Pearl Jam). The list goes on and on, and the idea is clever. I was drawn to Heart-Shaped Box
delve deep into their souls and pasts as they
by the idea of a ghost story centered on a
search for a way to escape what the box re-
metal musician. Not many protagonists sound
leases, all while pursued by the ghost of
like my childhood idols, and not many books
Craddock McDermott and the torment he
promise to give me the willies. I didn’t learn
song, there is reference to “I Hate Myself and brings in his wake.
the mysterious origins of Joe Hill until I had
Want to Die”, but Kurt Cobain rests easy in
started reading, and I wish I had finished
Music aficionados of rock’n’roll
the world of the tormented Judas Coyne. The- from the 1970s on will love Heart-Shaped
first. If the book sounds interesting and you
se are just two examples of prolific musical
Box, if for no other reason than the refer-
are an avid reader, stop here and you might
tributes.
ences to musicians, bands, songs, and lyrics.
enjoy it more.
Young Justin Cowzynski left his
Trent Reznor and Jackson Browne make
The story was put out the Joe Hill
unhappy childhood home, became Judas
cameos as characters. As a musician himself,
was signed by agents and editors sight un-
Coyne and enjoyed a long career as a heavy
Judas Coyne has favorite bands and songs he
seen, which is unheard of. Curiosity seekers
metal guitar god. The roundabout life of re-
likes to play and listen to, including (but in
(and disgruntled writers, I’m sure) investigat-
cording, booze, touring, groupies, substance
no way limited to) Lynyrd Skynyrd and
ed and discovered he is the son of King of
abuse, recording, groupies, touring, booze,
“Folsom Prison Blues”. Character names are
Horror, Stephen King. I want to be Stephen
and more substances has given him a nice
King when I grow up, and while I’d like to
cially the foreboding patch of dense foliage
o
say this tidbit didn’t color my reading of Joe
referred to as The Woods. He expected that
t
Hill’s work at all, I’m afraid it did. After all,
creepy piece of prime real estate to have been
here is an author who grew up at the feet of
felled and developed long ago.
The Master.
Nicholas finds a mutilated bird at
Overall, Heart-Shaped Box is a
t
r
the edge of The Woods, and he begins to
t
great book. As I’ve said, the integration of
have unsettling memories of his friend Tris-
t
music is wonderful, though it might be less
tram. Then loops of dead children, including
h
meaningful to those less musically inclined.
Tris, start appearing where he found the bird, h
The premise is original, and the plot-driven
screaming and terrified as they are yanked
b
story provides plenty of action and twists. As
into the trees. The little town has a secret
T
they’re hiding, and it goes back a long way.
r
Kids keep disappearing and dying in droves
w
a debut, it rocks. I wish there was more character consistency and fullness, and a little more “show” than “tell”. While it is said repeated-
The Dead Path (US) / The Darkening (UK) Stephen Irwin Doubleday, 2009 Review by Sara Young
ly how important dogs are to Jude, he often
and cycles. Innocent men have been convict- o ed for the murders. Nicholas is on the edge of connecting the dots when the cycle starts
Nicholas Close is no stranger to violently tugs at them, pushes kicks at them,
again, and this time all fingers are pointing at grief. His father left when he was a kid. His
swears at them, and generally seems apathet-
him. best boyhood friend was murdered. And after
ic. The promised willies would have been
It will take his sister, his reluctant a bonk to the noggin, he is having strange
better had the book had more a descriptive
mother, a new-found friend from the herbal visions; loops of the last minutes of life from
feel (the reek of pus made her cringe as she
shop, a little girl Nicholas saved from the some unfortunate souls. Including the young
unwrapped the bandage) rather than a narra-
forest, and every ounce of courageous wife who just died in an accident Nicholas
tive feel (she unwrapped the bandage and
strength Nicholas can dredge up to find and blames himself for.
was surprised to see pus on the wound).
face what dark forces have been lurking in Unable to face the constant remind-
Writers grow, though, and with an
The Woods for time untold. er and afraid for his sanity, he returns to his
agent and an editor at his back, and a debut
Stephen Irwin cut his teeth as a hometown near Brisbane, Australia. The
like Heart-Shaped Box under his belt, Joe
screen writer in Australia, and it is an excitspecters of the dead don’t go away. Doctors
Hill is apt to go gold.
ing experience to read an international horror pronounce Nicholas sound, but he is a grievdebut from a talented author. Review after ing widower, you know. Perhaps it’s just review compares The Dead Path to works by stress. His old stomping grounds haven’t Stephen King, which is unfair; Stephen Irwin changed much, he’s surprised to find, espe-
ought to be given his own dues and allowed
to stand on his own two feet. Perhaps the comparison stems from
The Screaming. Three terrible
has a lot of soul searching to do. The Kid, a
minutes that changed the world forever. Peo- high-school junior who is so tired of being a ple worldwide dropped into convoluted
bullied outcast he sees Infection as a god-
the rich detail Irwin puts into his settings, a
spasms and screamed their pain to the heav-
send. Ethan, a high-school math teacher, just
rare and brilliant talent. He allows the reader
ens at unprecedented volume. The wave of
wants to find his family. Wendy is a young
to feel the atmosphere of The Woods and the Infection spread around the globe in forty-
cop who feels obligated to maintain law and
texture of the trees beneath one’s palms. The
eight hours, and dropped more than twenty
order in the lawless world of Infection.
herbal shop has a scent, and the neighbor-
percent of the human population into post-
hood streets have their own personalities
seizure comas. Three days later, all the
mind than just turning a few people into rag-
based on Nicholas’s experiences on them.
Screamers woke up.
ing homicidal cesspools. Our heroes face
Turns out Infection has more in
The characters themselves are realistic, well-
Changed.
more than Screamers, claustrophobia, differ-
rounded if not always lovable. Beautifully
Here’s where the modern rage-
ences of opinion and post-traumatic stress on
written, The Dead Path puts Stephen Irwin
zombie tale takes a bit of a twist. This Infec-
on the watch-list for up-and-coming writers.
tion has a purpose: Go forth my vectors and
their search for a fabled secure zone. Come on, really, can a fabled secure
multiply. The Screamers need to feed, not to
zone be all it’s cracked up to be? This is a
conquer the world with the angry pseudo-
zombie apocalypse novel!
dead but to create more hosts for Infection.
If you like rage-zombie tales, you
They do need an occasional snack, of course, ought to like The Infection. The story has so plenty of uninfected get sacrificed to the
some unique twists. If rage-zombies and
rapidly growing population of human Petri
monsters aren’t your thing, I’d give this one
dishes. Rumors fly about the origin of Infec-
a pass.
tion (Bioterrorism? Nanotechnology? Al-
A couple of things made The Infec-
iens?), but as Infected multiply and Survivors tion a hard pill for me to swallow. Each main dwindle, speculation becomes a luxury.
character has a “Flashback” chapter. The
Every zombie apocalypse tale needs “Flashback” chapters are sprinkled through-
The Infection Craig DiLouie Permuted Press, 2011 Review by Sara Young
some kick-butt-take-names heroes, and The
out the book and written in past tense. Ran-
Infection is no exception. Sarge and his crew
dom sections pop up with a reminiscence or
are picking up people who have done what-
tidbit about the past, written in past or pre-
ever it takes to survive in their Bradley tank
sent tense. The characters were hard to get to
and training them on the fly. First on board is know, and it wasn’t until the end, when the Anne, who was a tough PTA president in the writing was a little more stable, that I felt Time Before. Then Paul, the Reverend, who
much for them. By that point they were like-
able (or not) and I could root for them (or the
the emergency vehicles, anyway? He helps a
Screamers). The remainder of the book is in
small group of survivors search the rubble,
present tense. Without an immense amount
and when they find the first body, recogniza-
of willpower, brainpower, editing hours, and
ble only by distinctive clothing, bam! Sound
proofreaders it is impossible to write fiction
smashes back into Marty’s head.
in present tense. It is just too easy to slip up.
Little by little the immensity of the
Present tense can make the book unnecessari-
destruction sets in. Pulling their departed
ly pretentious and ho-hum. Switching back
beloved from one crushed warehouse isn’t
and forth worked against Mr. DiLouie this
going to do this rag-tag group much good.
time. I think if he had stuck with one or the
Los Angeles wasn’t hit – Los Angeles was
other, The Infection would have been much
decimated. Marty doesn’t even know if his
easier to catch.
wife across the valley is alive, and that darn
Craig DiLouie worked as a lighting industry educator, contractor, journalist and technical writer for fifteen years. He now writes horror (The Infection, Tooth and Nail), sci-fi (The Great Planet Robbery) and mystery/thriller (Paranoia).
cell phone still isn’t working. Lucky for him
The Walk Lee Goldberg CreateSpace, 2010 Review by Sara Young Blaring alarms. Broken glass. The stench of smoke, drywall, blood and an unnamable mixture of other smells. Disorientation and pain. All of these things and more greet Marty Slack in the first few paragraphs of The Walk, as he is coming to after a major earthquake rocks Los Angeles. After extricating himself from the wreckage of his Mercedes, the network executive goes through a series of small, surreal awakenings. First the coating of dust over everything. Then the sight of the warehouse, where he had stood seconds before, collapsed in on itself. Why isn’t his cell phone working when he tries to call 911, and where are all
he’s got his gym bag and shoes, bottles of water from the catering tent are rolling around, and what better place to get things like rope, cable, tape and tools than the set of a TV show? Now all Marty has to do is get across the valley . . . The Walk is as much about exploring the lengths one will go to for survival and family as it is a tale about the horrors of natural disaster of apocalyptic proportions. Marty must learn his physical, emotional and moral limits as he walks through the aftermath of the quake with one purpose: Find Beth. Along the way he encounters other survivors, scenes of death and destruction too horrible to comprehend, impassable roadblocks, looters, criminals, floods, fires, pleas
for help, and even pitches for scripts. Every
tsunamis and the affects they have had on the
obstacle gets in the way of Finding Beth, and world. The writing is simple, so it is a quick Marty the Average Joe didn’t use that gym
read, but it is well written and will grab you
membership, didn’t ever drive through parts
quickly and hold you to the end. Descriptive,
of town he now had to walk through, has
tense, and thought-provoking, this novel
never been a hero and doesn’t want to start
from the writer of such television favorites as
now. Marty’s sheer regularity makes it in-
The Glades, Monk and Diagnosis: Murder
credibly easy to empathize with him. It’s
gets two thumbs up.
very easy to find oneself slipping into Marty’s shoes and think “oh, I’ve got to find my significant other but this person is screaming for help and I’m the only one around and what am I going to do?” The Walk is a very timely book, given recent occurrences with earthquakes,
Set: Widow's Bribe Photographer: Naelle Devannah Model: Lela MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
Featured Photographer Naelle Devannah
Featured Pho Naelle De
Never tired to create and ideas. I am currentlyan a BA at UPRRP. Based in the to Rico and inspired by its extravagances. I’m also echoes and dirges of wo few select muses. I’ve b aesthetic of things since world. Therefore I use a m to bring to life my visions. diums like painting, mak photography. I also love t textures . When photograp roles, as the stylist, the m times as the model. I am n someone and make them keep working. Set: Widow's Bribe Photographer: Naelle Devannah Model: Lela MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
Links: http://viruella.tumblr.com http://uvita.deviantart.com
otographer evannah
d by no means afraid of art student finishing my e haunted island of Puers decadence and tropical stimulated by beautiful oes, clever writers and a been obsessed with the e I was brought to this myriad of visual elements . Sometimes varying meke-up, textile, video and to play with colours and phing I take part in many make-up artist, and somenot frightened to provoke dream, and that’s why I
m
Set: The Solace of Darkness Photographer, Model, MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
Set: The Solace of Darkness Photographer, Model, MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
Set: Widow's Bribe Photographer: Naelle Devannah Model: Lela MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
Featured Photographer Naelle Devannah
Set: Widow's Bribe Photographer: Naelle Devannah Model: Lela MUA, Styling: Naelle Devannah Location: Puerto Rico
I’m David Doub, Publisher of Dusk Comics. We’re adding some new great books and really Art by Jolene Houser upping our game in promotion. Well be doing a lot of shows but, being a independent pub- Colors by Danielle Alexis lisher we can always use more help. If you can provide any assistance in getting the word Letters by Joamette Gil about about Dusk Comics. Below is information about all our books and our current convention schedule. Fall 2011 Thank you, David Doub www.DuskComics.Com
NEW RELEASE Cesaga Vol 2 http://www.duskcomics.com/cesaga.htm
as the 'Darkseeds'. The Celestials has won the battle. Nevertheless, hundreds of years later the race of 'Darkseeds', referring themselves as Puaka, have started to rise again. It will be some time before another battle begins. The Celestial King sent his warriors in search of the Puaka King to destroy him before he could gather his army and rise against the Celestials. The story focuses on two of the Celestials elite warriors, the twin brother and sister Purnama and Suria in their journey to prevent another Fullmoon Stories battle from starting. Inspired by the folklore of Shock and horror, together at last This is old school horror, not your modern South East Asia with true mythology story. hack and slash that passes as scary with physical threats, but old stories that have the power to touch you deep. in a world where love and Prophecy by Carrie Mullinix compassion can lead to the loss of your soul. Carefully paced with slow starts, each story, http://www.duskcomics.com/other.htm which build up to a dark ending, is told through the voice of a mysterious narrator who lurks in "It seemed like I was a normal guy once. I ran the background. The guide to a sadistic jour- my school, and no one had the courage to disobey me. Girls were drawn to me because of my ney. bad boy image, and boys wanted to be me. This edition collects all the five separately pub- Despite that joy I had and the crowds that follished stories of the series. “she was loved” lowed me, I was very much alone." A posthu“the lonely creature” “her name was tragedy” mously printed novella written by Carrie Mul“beauty in a frame” and “the restless child.” linix. Also included are the issue covers and additional artwork.
Vol 2: The fight between Xin Rue and Purnama continues, lot's of properties been destroyed due to their intense battle in the city of Aurea. Who will be the better fighter from years of rigorous training together? Survanaputra step Dusk Vol 1 forward to help guiding Purnama on element Fall 2011 technique control called Shakti in order to enhttp://www.duskcomics.com/dusk.htm hance Purnama fighting capability, where-else All Dusk Comics books will be online at at the same time Suria went out to visit the As a battered wife, Eve’s only concern was to royal blacksmith to require her broken Kris due Graphic.ly keep her marriage together. But when she is to her battle with Puaka before arriving at Aukidnapped into the sordid supernatural world of rea. vampires and foul magic, Eve finds she doesn’t want to leave. Her mysterious benefactor, the EARLY 2012 Vampire Lord Ash, wishes her to have a normal life; but Eve chooses to stay in the service Dusk Vol 3 of Ash. Dusk is the story of Eve's challenges living in the darkness, a supernatural action/ drama done in a dynamic blending of the seFall 2011 Light is being shined into the darkness, illumi- quential art styles of American Comics and nating some of the hidden truths. Finally get to Japanese Manga. Several artists help tell these The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney read how Eve and Ash first met. Read how stark noir tales of Vampires and unrequited Ash was turned into the damned monster that love. http://www.duskcomics.com/ he is. Come join us as we delve in the sordid newmisstilneyscontest.htm past of the tragic figures of Dusk and learn how
COMING SOON -
they got their deep scars.
Dusk Vol 2 "Cub Reporter Henrietta Tilney is sent on her first assignment, to interview accused mass murderer Lord Beowulf Harwood. But young Henrietta quickly finds out there is much more to this story and its subject Lord Harwood. Cesaga Vol 1 Will this plucky young reporter get her story and survive with her life intact?" A Penny http://www.duskcomics.com/cesaga.htm Dreadful in three parts! Vol 1: Hundreds of years ago there was a battle between two beings on Earth, ones called Written by David Doub themselves the 'Celestials' and the other known
CURRENTLY OUT -
http://www.duskcomics.com/dusk.htm Eve is still in a trap of her own devising. She tries to find her place in a horrid supernatural world that does not want her. She thinks she loves a vampire and is definitely addicted to the power of his blood. She encounters everything from Zombies to Demons, and the morality of her life is always murky at best. Dusk continues to explore the dark recesses of the
Vampire mythos, mining out a hauntingly entertaining read. Come join in Eve's continuing journey of damnation and possible redemption.
Mystery Masque http://www.duskcomics.com/ mysterymasque.htm
September 30th - Oct 2nd SabotenCon http://sabotencon.conmagick.com/
October 13 - 16
New York Anime Festival Diana Adams is a woman addicted to excite- http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/NYAF/ ment. She’ll do almost anything to get that adrenaline fix. So when her friend and coworker runs afoul of organized crime, Diana Adams January 27 – 29 2012 seizes the opportunity. Using the guise of a http://www.conjour.net/guests.html crime fighter, Diana is able to morally justify her new way to get her kicks.
David Doub is the Publisher and Head Writer for Dusk Comics. Dusk Comics is an Independent Comic Book Publisher out of Denton Texas. David took his love of creating comics into a full blown publishing company to help other creators get their works out. David’s writing style leans to dark complex dramas that explore the messier side of human nature. You The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney can see examples of that in the 2 volumes of Dusk and the noir styling of Mystery Masque. Victorian Costume Contest Also currently Dusk Comics is releasing the Malaysian Manga CESAGA. Learn Malaysian To rally support for Dusk Comics up-coming mythology in the form of shonen action. You penny dreadful The Trials And Tribulations of can find out more about David and Dusk at Miss Tilney (and to celebrate the fashions and http://www.duskcomics.com. styles of the Victorian era), we are running a yearlong Victorian Costume Contest! At each convention Dusk Comics attends this year, our staff will award a cash prize to the best Victorian cosplayer present. Each winner's photo will be posted online here and entered into a Grand Prize Costume Contest judged by our online voters!
CURRENT CONTEST Convention Schedule August 6 Strip http://stripcon.net/
August 11 - 14 Wizard World Chicago http://www.wizardworld.com/home-ch.html
August 20 - 21 Baltimore Comic-Con http://baltimorecomiccon.com/
August 26 - 28 Armadillocon http://www.armadillocon.org/
For folks who can’t visit us at shows, we will have a Mail-In Costume Contest as well, whose winner will also receive a cash prize and be entered into the Grand Prize Costume Contest.
September 2nd - 5th
The Grand Prize winner will be announced on December 2nd, 2011. May the finest ladies and gentlemen win!
Animefest http://animefest.org/
http://www.duskcomics.com/ newmisstilneyscontest.htm
September 17th 6-10pm Lone Star Comics - Plano Store Signing
September 24th North Denton Library Event
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