Blood Ties Theme ( "Live Forever" by Tamara Rhodes) w/ show intro.

A Fang-Phile Fille, Tweets!

Friday, December 31, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Kyle Schmid WINS, yet again!


HAPPY NEW YEAR once again to ALL my 'Fang'tastic followers, be you following here on the blog, on Twitter, FaceBook, Myspace, LiveJournal or even on Bloggers or on the Playlist!


Well it seems like it was just yesterday (albeit a year ago) that we were announcing Kyle Schmid's win in the 1st ever annual 'Sexiest Man in the Vampire realm' poll done by Vampire Examiner Raelynn Garcia. Well won't ya know it, he has done it again

This year, Kyle won with a whopping 107,325 votes.

Kyle's dedicated fans came out one again, proving to be quite the force to be reckoned with, and helped crown Kyle, who played 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset Prince Henry Fitzroy, turned vampire in tv's Blood Ties, King of the sexiest men in the vampire realm.

Kyle even won 'fangs' down over his upcoming Three Inches co-star and fellow, former vampire  James Marsters ( aka 'Spike' on Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Kyle's portrayal of Henry Fitzroy (bastard son of King Henry VIII of Tudor) in Blood Ties, based on the Blood Books by Canadian author Tanya Huff, definitely still resonates within the hearts and minds of his fans. And if these latest results prove anything, his portrayal of Henry, and Kyle himself, will be in their hearts and minds, for a long time to come.

It should also be noted, that Kyle's portrayal of vampire Henry, also won, yet again for the second year in a row, Vampire Wire's Ultimate Hawtest Vampire Contest.


So what's next for Kyle? 


Well you can keep an eye on his IMDb or check out his Official FaceBook page or even his official fan site Kyle Schmid Central to keep updated.


I am holding hope (and I know I'm not the only one) towards the World War I drama Four Saints getting off the ground.

Therein Kyle is set to star along side another sexy man, his fellow Canadian, Kris Holden-Ried (formerly William Compton on The Tudors), who currently stars as were/shifter fae, Dyson on the new hit Canadian tv series Lost Girl ... I, for one, would just love to see Kyle do, say an extended guest stint on Lost Girl (and I know I'm not the only one of his fans liking this idea as well ;) but that's for another fae, I mean, day... (Read my initial reaction to Lost Girl> here...

And, in the meantime, for a second year in a row...   
Here's looking at you, Schmid!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

'Drawn to the Predator' by Raven Corinn Carluk.


Today VampirePhile would like to welcome author Raven Corrin Carluk with a guest post on the subject of the vampire predator.



Drawn to the predator - by Raven Corinn Carluk

 
Hello everyone.  I'm pleased to be here, and a big thank you to Soni.  Always a pleasure to deal with other vampirephiles. 

We all love vampires here, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you they're the coolest monster, or anything like that.  Since there are different reasons to love vampires, however, I will gladly talk about that.

To me, vampires should be a little vicious, a little arrogant, and all predator.  If they're trying to be human, or refusing to drink human blood, then they're just not a vampire to me.

Not that they have to be monsters.  The beasts in 30 Days of Night weren't that sexy, though fun in their own way.

I'm talking about Lestat, or Dracula, or Eric.  They can be romantic, and they all have confidence and sexyness, and they would all hunt a girl to climax.  Without getting all mopey and keeping her safely at arm's length.

How are you to enjoy the best part of being with a vampire if he won't bite you?  One might as well tell a roller coaster enthusiast that watching a film of roller coasters is good enough. Or that a tofurkey is a replacement for turkey.

If a vampire won't drink blood, how are they really a vampire? Aren't they then just a human with a sun allergy?

It's the fact they're predators that draws me to vampires.  Being stalked is very much a thrill, especially when it culminates in a fantastic time.  Not only is there pleasure in the bite, but you can be satisfied knowing that he needs you, and you're giving him the very thing he requires to live.

And there's not much better than that. 


So who's your perfect predator? 



Raven Corinn Carluk writes in the shadows on the path to fame.  Learn about her novel All Hallows Blood on her site, and keep up to date with her on her blog or through Twitter.  She looks forward to hearing from you, and promises not to draw blood.


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro & Sharon Russell present: "Dracula to Twilight: Changes in the Portrayal of Vampires."


Hello my fellow Vamp Fans. Just a quick announcement. 

If any of you live or are in the San Francisco Bay Area, on this Friday, November 19th, you can attend a conversation with novelist Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Sharon Russell, former Professor of Communications and Women's Studies at Indiana State University.

They will be presenting Dracula to Twilight: Changes in the Portrayal of Vampires at The Other Change of Hobbit bookstore in Berkeley, California. The discussion, scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 PM local time, will focus on the ever-changing vampire in literature and film. Location details can be found online at http://www.otherchangeofhobbit.com.



V***V

Thursday, November 4, 2010

'Midnight Son' - An intriguing new Vampire thriller on the horizon.



A new, yet-to-be released vampire horror/thriller movie trailer has been brought to my attention: Midnight Son

Written and Directed by Scott Leberecht (visual effects arts director on Sleepy Hallow & Spawn to name a few), Produced by Matt Compton and Executive Produced by Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project)  according to the site synopsis the film follows "the story of Jacob, a young man confined to a life of isolation, due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight.... he meets Mary, a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically, Jacob’s actions become increasingly bizarre as he struggles to cope with the effects of his worsening condition. Forced by the disease to drink human blood for sustenance, he must control his increasingly violent tendencies as local law enforcement narrow their focus on him as a suspect in a series of grisly murders."  

From the trailer (included below) I'd say that Midnight Son definitely looks intriguing. A potentially dark, gritty and compelling vampire thriller that's sure to interest the hardcore vampire genre loving fan like myself! Have a look for yourself and see.
Here's hoping and looking forward to having this feature grace our screens soon!





To find out more about the film you can visit the website: http://www.midnightsonmovie.com/
And you can also connect with them socially via Twitter or FaceBook.



Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween 2010! ... And "Beautiful/Deadly" Poem.



Well it's that time of year again. October 31st. Also better know as Halloween (or All Saints' Eve).
The time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is believed to be at its thinnest, thus "allowing the spirits to pass through".

The time of year when human "ghouls" big or small go "trick-or-treating" for candy, other goodies and what not.

This year, Halloween falls on a Sunday, and won't ya know it. In this year, October has or "had" (as today is the last day of the month) 5 Sundays.
Yes five Sundays were in the month of October, and that only happens once every 823 years.

Talk about a "Zen October 2010".

So as we prepare to revel in costumed delight, and light candles in Jack 'o Lanterns and at grave sites. Here's to a Happily Haunting and  a Frighteningly Fang-tastic Halloween




And here's sharing a bit of my poetry to bite :[ ... LoL! I mean, to boot! ;)


Beautiful/Deadly
The scorpion stings,
Its nature true.
As is the cobra,
Bared fangs, no lying to you.

But Rose,
In all his beauty
Hides his weapons
Deadly!

Misconceptions and deceptions
All part of *The Crying Game
As this Rose hides his true intentions
Thorny secrets tear and maim.

Hearts and hands left bleeding by his lies
While deadly beauty shines in the sun.
And behind the closed doors of night?

Well, roses die with their weapons. 


* Reference to the 1992 film by Neil Jordan: The Crying Game.

©2002 & ©2011 (ad infinitum)


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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Interview with Count Saint Germain author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.


Today VampirePhile has the pleasure of an interview with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro author of Count St. Germain Chronicles. 


VampirePhile: Thank you Chelsea and welcome. Now regarding your essay: On the Electronic Backlist, Do you think that there will ever come a time when books will only be offered electronically? Thereby potentially eliminating the need for “print” publishing?
 
 
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro:  Of course not.  There will always be a place for books, although I think such things as purely recreational reading, and text books may well become largely electronic over the next decade.
 
 
VP: It seems that you were ahead of the time/s when you published e-books with Hidden Knowledge back in the 1990’s. Would you, personally, ever consider only e-publishing your books in the future?
 
 
CQY:  I certainly wouldn't rule it out, considering how the publishing industry has been acting the last few years, but I'm old enough to prefer having my work available in paper-and-print as well as electronic forms. I'm not being entirely facetious --- I suspect that layered publishing is going to emerge in the next five years, and small press editions accompanying e-editions will become more common than what is presently the norm.
 
  
VP: Do you see the continued advancement of electronic publishing having an impact on bookstores and their need to be?
 
 
CQY: I think bookstores will change how they present their products; I doubt they will vanish, although I wouldn't be surprised if the supermarket approach to bookstores will lessen.  I suspect specialty bookstores will re-surge in importance, and will offer more than books to their customers.  It wouldn't surprise me to see bookstores offering, along with signing parties, mini-seminars and discussion groups.  And since not everything will be available in e-form immediately, I think it likely that used and rare books will be part of the attractions that bookstores will offer.  At least that's how it looks now.  Ask me again in a year or two; my opinion may change in the interim.
 
 
 
VP: In your opinion, do you foresee any major steps, other than those already in place that may need to be taken to protect electronic copyrights, especially given the nature of the Internet and this being the age of easy access to information?
 
 
CQY:  I certainly hope so.  The whole issue of copyright and how to protect it is undergoing change.  The print life of copyright is longer than it's ever been, and I wholeheartedly support that.  There have been some recent decisions about e-copyright that, while a good start, have many bugs to work out of the system before the copyright can function in e-form as it does in print. 
 
  
VP: Taking a look at some of your honours, what was it like for you (your feeling in the moment) to be named a Living Legend by the International Horror Guild and being only two women ever to be named Grand Master of the World Horror Convention?
 
 
CQY:  Of course, the recognition feels wonderful and gratifying, but as you point out, most of the recognition has gone to men.  As satisfying as it is to get these awards, I would feel much better if more of the fine women writers in the field had received these awards as well.  There are many excellent women writers who have not been given the same attention as their male colleagues; I'd like to think that this will change in the not-too-distant future.
 
 
VP: Your vampire Count Saint-Germain novels are described as being “accurately detailed historical fiction”, what inspired you to plot your stories in a historical setting? And do you think authors who also write historical fiction (regardless of genre) owe it to their readers to be as authentically accurate as possible?
 
 
 
CQY:  When you have a 4,000 year old character, as the historical Comte de Saint-Germain claimed to be, it's hard to avoid history.  The evolution of human cultures, thought, and experience, fascinates me. I also think that the study of the past sheds a great deal of light on the present, and helps to develop a sense of the future --- you can't know where you're going until you know where you've been.  I try for as much historical accuracy as the story-line will allow, because I think there isn't much point in setting a story in an historical period, and then to represent the time inaccurately, but I'm not dogmatic about it.  Every writer is entitled to do his or her work their own way.  But if history is represented with anachronistic ideas and social conduct, I, as a reader, may throw the book across the room, but that's just me --- others may find no problem in historical inaccuracies.  I also like alternate history.  I have a proposal for an alternate history trilogy that has yet to find a home, which is too bad, because I'd have a grand time writing it.
 
 
VP: From perusing your website, I read the news that “Tor has contracted for A Embarrassment of Riches which will be novel #22 in the Saint-Germain Chronicles.” Can you tell fans a bit and/or reveal anything of what it’ll be about?
 
 
CQY: The story takes place in the Kingdom of Bohemia toward the end of the 13th century,  at a time when Bohemia was the richest Kingdom in Europe.  Almost all the action takes place in Praha (Prague) around the Court of Queen Kunigunde, who was the granddaughter of King Bela of Hungary.  The story has to do with all the various skullduggeries that happens under the surface of the Court.
 
 
VP: Would you ever one day like to see your count Saint-Germain novels adapted for the screen (big? or small?)?  And have you ever imagined the actor who you’d like to see portray him?
 
 
CQY:  You bet.  And for the last thirty-plus years I've thought about casting.  My preferences have changed over time, largely because even the most charismatic actors are not immortal, and someone who might have been my choice twenty years ago is now no longer of an age to take on the characters.
  
VP: With the current “undead” trend in film and tv being ever so popular seems, especially today, like the fans want more fangs! Other than your own, what are some other vampiric or vampire related works you’d like to see adapted for the big and/or small screen?
 
 
CQY:  When I read, I rarely think of film, except occasionally when reading those annoying books that are clearly written with screen adaptation in mind.  That said, I think that some of Tanith Lee's work would do well on the screen, and although I think it would be difficult to do justice to the books, Christopher Moore's comic vampire novels could be great fun on the screen.  The trouble is, screen adaptation is such a complex matter, that the simple idea of a film or tv presentation would depend on who did the screenplay, who directed it, who designed it, how it was filmed, etc. etc. etc, that even imagining a cinematic form tends to be nearly impossible to envision, no matter how appropriate the story may seem to be to film or tv.
 
 
VP: Giving Saint-Germain’s nature as “more honorable, humane, and heroic than most of the humans around him.”  In a general sense, what do you think might be his take on the world we live in today?
 
 
CQY:  The world today is perhaps a bit too all-encompassing for an answer.  What aspect of the world today?  The international political situation?  Conditions in Africa and Asia and Latin America?  Issues of climate change --- which he has dealt with in a couple books --- and natural disasters?  The population crunch?  Technological and scientific advances?  Human trafficking?  The increasingly complex international Internet and its ramifications?  All of these aspects of the current world have potential as story material, as do many others.  The three novels and the eight Saint-Germain short stories set in the 20th century address some of these issues, as does the one short story in the 21st century, but there is no simple response to your question. 
 
 
  
VP: And finally, how far have you imagined taking Count Saint-Germain? That is to say, apart from those stories already planned (numbers #24 & #25, according to the website), how many more may be there after? 
 
 
CQY: That depends on the publishers much more than me.  I still have a lot of history I can draw upon, and a character who can go many places, geographically and historically, assuming that Tor wants more of him, or of Olivia; I'm willing to write more, if the publisher wants to publish more, but that part of the equation is out of my hands. 

 
  
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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Essay 'On the Electronic Backlist' by author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.

Today on VampirePhile, we have the pleasure of featuring an essay by vampire Count St. Germain creator, author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, about the increasing importance of the electronic backlist for writers.

On the Electronic Backlist

by


Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

For the last decade I’ve been saying that the midlist —  where most novels are published —  is in trouble.  Print runs have been reduced, shelf-life has been shortened, in-print status has been cut in half, and back-lists have been decimated.  To make matters worse, many publishers blame the writers for reduced sales, as if their policies have nothing to do with the sales figures.  Those of us who have seen our incomes drop and have found that with fewer sales on record the chances for standard reprints evaporated, have been looking for some means of bringing our out-of-print titles back to the reading public.  I have long hoped that the electronic back-list would become a reality, giving those of us at the midlist a new access to readerships, and at long last, that seems now to be a real possibility.

We’re seeing the first promising steps that may lead to a companion publishing industry to print-on-paper in such devices as the Kindle, and such new markets as Google and Amazon, and the likelihood of expanding possibilities to come.  There are a number of kinks to be worked out of the system, as is always the case with new technologies, but for the first time in many years, things are not looking quite so bleak for out-of-print midlist books and their writers.


Back in the 1990s I published three e-books with Hidden Knowledge, an electronic small press run by Michael Ward of San Jose.  For years they brought in small amounts, usually totaling around $100.00 in total royalties for the year.  But in the last two quarters, the amount has more than doubled, and this, while hardly a statistically significant sample, or a windfall of dramatic proportions, does suggest a trend, one that could indicate that the business is reaching a kind of tipping-point where electronic sales become as much a part of publishing as paper-and-print sales.


Certainly most of the big publishing houses are beginning to see electronic publishing in that light: witness the mad scramble that some of them have undertaken to secure the rights to their long-dormant back-lists for electronic formats.  Contractual language is changing rapidly, too, as the large publishing houses seek to establish themselves in the electronic end of the business as well as the traditional paper-and-print.  That does not mean the end of paper-and-print books, of course, but it does mean that there will be an alternative to books with covers, one that will be welcome to the text book market as well as to the recreational readers.


I can tell you when I realized that the change I had been seeking was underway: early last year a good friend of mine, a professional woman in her forties, went on vacation in Peru, and rather than take half a dozen books in her carry-on luggage, as had been her habit, she had ten books loaded into her new cell-phone.  She’s not fascinated with gadgets and gizmos, she isn’t determined to have the latest of everything, but the electronic books were easier to take with her.  That was the key —   ease and convenience.  It made more sense to have the books on her phone than in her bags.  And that is what tells me that we are nearing the tipping-point. 


In the last year several of my friends have bought various forms of book-storing devices, most of them choosing the Kindle.  The last short-story I sold, three weeks ago, had a clause in the contract for electronic rights, and E-Reads is bringing the first three Saint-Germain novels as well as my long out-of-print fantasy
To the High Redoubt into both paper-and-print as well as electronic publication.  The writing is on the wall, and the screen, and for the first time in a long time, the news looks good.

© Copyright 2010 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. Reprinted with permission by the author. All rights reserved.


About Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is the first woman to be named a Living Legend by the International Horror Guild and is one of only two women ever to be named as Grand Master of the World Horror Convention (2003). In 1995, Yarbro was the only novelist guest of the Romanian government for the First World Dracula Congress, sponsored by the Transylvanian Society of Dracula, the Romanian Bureau of Tourism and the Romanian Ministry of Culture.

Yarbro is best known as the creator of the heroic vampire, the Count Saint-Germain. With her creation of Saint-Germain, she delved into history and vampiric literature and subverted the standard myth to invent the first vampire who was more honorable, humane, and heroic than most of the humans around him. She fully meshed the vampire with romance and accurately detailed historical fiction and filtered it through a feminist perspective that both the giving of sustenance and its taking were of equal erotic potency.


A professional writer since 1968, Yarbro has worked in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to westerns, from young adult adventure to historical horror.


A skeptical occultist for forty years, Yarbro has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.

For more information on Yarbro’s many books and interests, check out her website at
www.chelseaquinnyarbro.net.


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Friday, September 24, 2010

Interview with Jerry Gonzales of Dusk Comics.

Today VampirePhile has the pleasure of an interview with Jerry Gonzales, artist/illustrator with Dusk Comics.


VampirePhile: Hello Jerry and welcome. So my first question is, for those reading who may not yet know about you, tell us a bit about yourself, such as how you got started as an illustrator/graphic artist?

Jerry Gonzales: Thanks for the opportunity. I'm from Austin, TX., born and raised, I got into wanting to draw comics at a young age. Then again who didn't. I really started to focus on getting in to the comic business around high school, after I had made a short comic for my friends and realized that I could do this for a living. I never went to college for my career, I was self taught in how to illustrate for comics. Before the age of Facebook, MySpace, DeviantArt, and so forth, I sent all my submissions via snail mail. After many months of mailing submissions to several different companies, one company from San Antonio named Antarctic Press, published several pin ups and stories for their fan based Annuals of Gold Digger and Ninja High School. A few years later, I met David at a con in Dallas and he got me a job at Dusk Comics.  


VP: Tell us a bit about Dusk Vol. I & II and Mystery Masque (formerly Miss Masque)?

JGDusk is about a young woman name Eve who was in a abusive marriage but gets kidnapped into the world of vampires and magic. Her benefactor, Lord Ash, leads her back to a normal life but Eve chooses to stay with Ash. Mystery Masque is another version of the comic character from the 1940's Miss Masque. Also better know as Masquerade from Dynamite Entertainment. Note that Miss Masque is a public domain character so there's not too much of a worry of a legal lawsuit coming our way. Anyway the difference between Dynamite's Miss Masque and ours is that their character focuses on the superpower aspect of Miss Masque. Our version deals with crime fighting side of the character. In the book, Diana Adams is an adrenaline, she feels alive when she's in a stressful situation. So when her friend/co-worker, gets in trouble with a criminal organization, Diana takes advantage of the situation helping her friend out thus giving her the alter ego of Miss Masque.   
       

VP:  How long you've been an illustrator / graphic artist with Dusk Comics?

JG: I've worked for Dusk Comics for about roughly two or three years. Wow, time flies when you get into the comic biz. (laughs)


VP: How long does one panel take to draw and/or colour in? 

JG: With one panel, from pencils to inks, it only takes about an hour. A full page from beginning to end takes about eight hours to do. I used to crank out pages in less time but the end result was the pages turned out poorly. So I started to slow down my process and take my time with the artwork. I've avoided coloring, due to the fact that I suck at it. Someday, I might take the time to learn how to color. 


VP: What materials do you use and/or prefer to use? And what medium do you work in? Do you illustrate by computer or by hand or both?

JG: I materials that I use are mechanical pencils (varying from .03 to 2mm), non-photo blue pencils, kneaded eraser, Sumi black ink, Hunt 102 crow quill pen, various brushes, .35 and .50 Koh-i-noor pens, and for paper I use Blue Line Pro art boards. I mainly go the traditional route when it comes to illustrating comics. But I recently started messing around with sketching on Manga Studio and on Photoshop. I not sure if I really want to commit to doing all of my comic work digitally.


VP: In three words, describe your style?
JG: Work in Progress.


VP: Give us a general idea of the process it may take to develop a comic such as Dusk, especially as it’s all collaborative. How many people are involved at any one time? Is it all done at the same time or does it go through several stages starting with the author?

JG: The steps for developing a comic usually goes by: writer has a script, which goes to the penciler who illustrates the pages, then the inker goes over the pencils and last the letter types up the dialog. In between each step there's constant communication (via email) with the writer/editor. As for how long the process takes, it all depends on how reliable everybody who is contributing to the book(s). Some of us have bills to pay so we rely on our jobs in the outside world to take care of that while getting an issue done at a particular time frame. The first volume of Dusk, didn't have too much of a deadline to work on. All the stories were culminated over long periods of time. Mystery Masque was done in about eight or nine months, or at least on my part I was able to finish the book within that time.        


VP: Other than graphically, do you contribute to the storyline of the Dusk series and/or Mystery Masque?

JG: The only thing I contribute to the storyline is mainly just pacing of the story. If there's something that doesn't look right with a particular page then I'll shoot an email to David and then go from there. I would like a shot at writing a comic someday. It may not involve Dusk or Mystery Masque, but I have a few ideas that I would like make into a comic.


VP: Given the nature of Dusk, what do you find attractive about the world of the Paranormal, if anything?

JG: I find it amazing that every paranormal story and/or legend that has been told for God knows how long, still fascinates us and keeps us wanting more.


VP:  Where and/or how far would you like to see the Dusk series go?

JG:  I would like to see the series last a few more volumes in the comic world, I like illustrating the book and I would like to continue drawing Dusk in the future. As for anything past the comics medium...well that's for David to decide.


VP:  What is your opinion of comics adapted for the big screen? What have been some of your favourite adaptations? Or what are you looking forward to?

JG: For a long time I was real picky about how the movie industry would handle some of the well known comic characters. Over time I realized that they're not making a movie just for the regular comic geeks, they're making a comic movie for the people who aren't comic geeks. I mean you're trying to fit a full comic into a two to three hour movie, and keep the viewer entertained. So you have to forgive a little on the screenwriter or the director from deviating away from the original book. Best advice for anybody who wants to see a movie that looks good, don't go in with high hopes, there's a good chance that you'll be disappointed. As for some of my favorite adaptations, Dark Knight is right on top of the list. Kick-Ass was a good movie, also The Losers, was really good. It didn't do well in the box offices but when you watch the movie, its really entertaining. I look forward to seeing Green Lantern, Captain America and Thor.


VP: What is your opinion with regards to Western and Manga? 
And with regards to the terminology “Comic” vs. “Graphic Novel”? Which of the two do you do prefer to use? Do you think there is any relevance to the divide that some enthusiasts feel with regards to the label “Graphic Novel” vs. the label “Comic”?

JG: I enjoy both western and Manga. I grew up on western comics (Marvel, DC, Image), so I have the traditional style of comic book storytelling embedded in my memory. With Manga, I discovered that genre back in high school, much like everyone did in my generation. I'm amazed on how long it has lasted and how mainstream it has become. Back in the day, you couldn't buy mangas at a Borders or a Barnes and Nobel. You would have to special order it through a local comic shop, order online, or go to a convention just to get a import of a manga. I really got into the manga genre because I was fasinated with how complex the stories were and how the artwork was detailed and bold. If it wasn't for manga, I think, I would still be looking for my own style or just plain given up comics all together.

I have mixed feelings about the label "comics" vs. the label "graphic novel". I prefer use the label "comics" over "graphic novel". But when I talk to someone about what I do I tend to use graphic novel. The way I see it, saying graphic novel over saying comics is like saying I work as a Movie theater consultant, when actually you work in the box office at a movie theater near the mall. Both have the same meaning, just one sounds more grown up.  

 
VP:  Who are some (other) graphic artists you may admire and why?

JG:  The top one on my list is Fred Perry, he's an writer and American-manga artist for "Gold Digger". I love his work, he's the reason I have an art style. Another artist is Frank Cho of Liberty Meadows fame, his artwork is amazing. Also Carlos Pacheco, is another great artist, I got into his style when I read JLA/JSA: Vice and Virtue. I love the way he draws hands. I could go on, but if I did then this interview would take forever. 


VP:  Technology and Art. With regards to both, what do you think are the pros (and cons) if any? 

JG: The good thing that I can think of is that technology has become a very reliable tool with comics. It has changed the way we do art. The down side, it has become too reliable. I feel that without learning how to draw traditionally, the art itself will suffer. Granted I'm in that phase of learning to draw digitally, but it still won't replace the feel of working with pencil and ink.     


VP: A just for fun question to finish - With the current “undead” trend in Film and Tv being ever so popular with True Blood, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Being Human, Underworld etc – seems like the fans want more fangs! What are some other vampiric or vampire related works you’d like to see adapted for the big and/or small screen?
JG:  Well (I'm out dating myself here), there was a book that was released back in the mid to late 90's called Crimson, done by Humberto Ramos. I enjoyed that book and I would of like to see it in a form of a live action TV series. But honestly I would like to do the opposite of putting a vampire related movie or Tv show into a Graphic Novel format. Kind of like what happened to Buffy after the TV series was over, the following season was done in comic format.              
                                                                                                                                                                         
VP: Well thank you very much Jerry for stopping by and giving readers the opportunity to discover more about your world and the world of Dusk Comics. We would like to wish you and David Doub and everyone at Dusk Comics continued success with the new release/s. It’s been a pleasure having you here and definitely looking forward to more in the future. 

For more info on Dusk Comics and for a free read of Dusk Vol. 1, visit: http://www.duskcomics.com/


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Monday, September 20, 2010

Release Announcement: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's novels available through E-Reads.


Author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, whom some of you may remember we had the pleasure of hosting last December '09 with a guest post while on blog tour for Burning Shadows, has had two of her novels released in both electronic format and print-on-demand trade paperback editions by E-Reads.

The novels are THE PALACE,  the second novel in Yarbro's historical horror series featuring the vampire Count Saint-Germain, and TO THE HIGH REDOUBT, an epic fantasy novel. 

According to the press release, THE PALACE, (originally released in 1978) set in "Renaissance Florence, provides the background for the story of the collapse of the artistic and literary life of the city after the death of Saint-Germain’s friend Lorenzo the Magnificent, followed by the rise of the fanatical Savonarola."

Likewise, E-Reads will release Yarbro's HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA --- which introduced readers to Saint-Germain in 1978 --- later this year.


In the coming week/s Vampirephile will yet again have the pleasure of hosting Chelsea with another guest blog post and a possible interview. 



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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Succub...? Well, hello 'Lost Girl' : A Series Debut Review.

   
**Caution, may contain spoilers if you have not seen the episode yet!**


"You can control people by touch... And not in a creepy, hand job sorta way." - Kenzi to Bo (Lost Girl, S1 E1)


So last Sunday night (Sept. 12th), I passed on watching the season 3 finale of True Blood!

Why?

Because there is this new Canadian show I had been reading/seeing/hearing some buzz about and I wanted to tune in to its series debut episode. The show in question was/is Showcase's Lost Girl which some of you may remember I'd mentioned about three posts ago?

I felt it was a "not to be missed" debut, and besides, I knew I could see the True Blood season 3 finale in a repeat episode (which, btw, now that I've seen it, I was not very impressed with the ending of. It was basically a non-ending. But I digress...)

Well anyway, I'm very glad that I had decided to catch the series premiere / pilot episode of Lost Girl, 'cause it was pretty damn good, in my opinion (I even went to work the next day and recommended it to a few of my genre loving colleagues).

And according to the statistics on TV, eh?, over 400,000 in Canada tuned in to its premiere, and I can count myself among them.

I'm generally a genre loving fan, esp. of most things Horror-Fantasy, Sci-fi and Supernatural. I consider myself as a die-hard, albeit not overly hardcore (No tats of my fave characters. No RPGing or LARPing) and I know what I like. 
And when I like something I talk about it (off and/or on line> as I recently did about this self same show, with sisters Suzie and Shannon from Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural on their FaceBook Page.) and I'm definitely liking the potential I'm seeing in Lost Girl. (Note: Suzie and Shannon also discuss Lost Girl beginning on section 1:25:45 of their recent podcast.)

Season 1 episode 1 titled "It's a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World" had a nice balance of action, drama, intrigue and story introduction and development; with some nice, sassy dialogue and witty, memorable one liners (and we all know how much of a sucker I am for witty dialogue. Can you say Blood Ties anyone? :) 

"It's like the 4th of July in my mouth!" - as said by Bo after she engages in a kiss with Dyson... and Mais Oui! I tell ya, that was indeed some HOT kiss between Bo (Anna Silk) and Dyson (Kris Holden-Reid).
I was like "Wow!" First episode and already some fierce tonsil hockey!? LoL! (albeit she
was intentionally sucking some of the lifeforce out of him, as per his offering, but that just added to the "Wow!" "Hot!" factor).

I have to say here that I'm already liking the chemistry between Bo & Dyson. That scene where they both made eye contact while passing each other on the street, was intense and truly believable. And already we can see that sort of back/forth, love/hate dynamic between them (kinda like a Lois and Clark... Bo's sass and fiesty personality certainly reminds me of Erica Durance's Lois Lane on Smallville, but Dyson seems to be more than a "goody gumshoe" even for a "Light" Fae.)

And speaking (still) of Dyson (insert Soni's usual segue loving self here :) ... I couldn't not mention some cool coincidences I came upon while doing my research, regarding actor Kris Holden-Reid (who somewhat resembles another "Chris", i.e. Martin of ColdPlay) and Lost Girl in general. 

Apart from the fact that Holden-Reid had attended my alma mater University here in Montreal some time back, he also played "William Compton" on The Tudors. Of course "William Compton" is also the proper name of vampire Bill Compton on HBO's True Blood. Furthermore, The Tudors, revolves around the life of King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII was the father of Henry Fitzroy (can you see where I'm going? :) Of course, the historical persona of Henry Fitzroy was used by Canadian author Tanya Huff as a vampire in her Blood Books, which were used as the basis for the tv series Blood Ties, which was created by none other than Peter Mohan who is also one of the executive producers of Lost Girl... And/End segue scene :)


Ultimately, from what I can see, the premiere episode of Lost Girl has setup, what could no doubt be an intriguing storyline over the course of the season. As a viewer, my mind is already wondering with loads of questions, esp. as with regards to 'Bo', a succubus living among humans (although initially, she didn't know what she was ). 

Where did she come from? Who is she really? How is it that Fae live among humans? What other kinds of fae are there? How extremely do the "Light" Fae differ from the "Dark"? And why must Bo choose a side? What is Trick (as played by Rick Howland)'s secret and why is he having fellow fae Dyson observe her? And of course, how far will Bo go to find out "where or from whom she came"?

Cinematographically,
I'm also liking the warm tones and deep hues in some of the scenes (my photographers' eye generally "lights" upon things like that.)

So now, as I have been pleasantly "sucked in" and "seduced" by the potential in the first episode. Here's hoping it will continue to improve. I will certainly be tuning in again tomorrow and every Sunday at 9pm on Showcase to find, Lost Girl!



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Sunday, September 12, 2010

New Release Announcement: Dusk Comics Launches Two New Books



David Doub, author of Dusk Volume 1 (as seen at right) has now released the second installement in the series, as well as new title. Read more below:





Dusk Comics Launches Two New Books

The Graphic Novels Dusk Volume 2 and Miss Masque are now available for purchase.


Dusk Volume 2

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.

150 Pages

10 Dollars
ISBN-10: 0982920512
ISBN-13: 978-0982920510

Available on> Amazon.



Mystery Masque Comics

The Golden Age Heroine Miss Masque is finally in her own full length Graphic Novel. Since her inception in Nedor Comics' Exciting Comics #51 (September 1946), Miss Masque has been worked on by comic greats from Alan Moore to Alex Ross. Now the amazing team, of David Doub, Jerry Gonzales, and Jaymes Reed have updated Miss Masque for modern times.
Diana Adams, is a woman addicted to excitement. She'll do almost anything to get that adrenaline fix. So when her friend and coworker runs afoul of organized crime, Diana Adams seizes the opportunity. Using the guise of a crime fighter, Diana is able to morally justify her new way to get her kicks.

100 Pages

10 Dollars
ISBN-10: 0982920504
ISBN-13: 978-0982920503

Available on> Amazon.



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