'VERSE UPDATE 2020 (2)

Aaaaaaand here we go!

Two new releases and a good mix of previously released issues, some of which are being made available to order online for the first time:

DAKILA: Siyudad Issue 1 (of 4)
David Hontiveros / Pyotr Mutuc
B&W / Wraparound cover / 24 pages / 5.5 x 8.5 inches / 100 pesos
 
The oikoumene is the physical plane we all live in.
But just beyond the Veil, there’s the Darkside, the diabul, where creatures from folklore and myth, entities divine and infernal, creatures undead and spectral, reside.
And Dakila’s about to enter the diabul--on Halloween, of all nights--to help young Maleck de los Santos with a personal quest.
What could go wrong?

DAKILA: Siyudad Issue 2 (of 4) [New Release]
David Hontiveros / Pyotr Mutuc
B&W / Wraparound cover / 24 pages / 6.5 x 10 inches / 160 pesos
 
Where Makati stands today used to be a swamp, a long time ago.
In the diabul, something’s about to rise from that swamp…
And it isn’t in a very good mood…

KADASIG: Walanghanggan Issue 1 (of 3) [New Release]
David Hontiveros / Romnick Magbanua
B&W / Colored cover / 36 pages / 6.5 x 10 inches / 230 pesos
 
There is a sentient horror movie, a diabolic film that constantly hungers to completely draw its audience into its narrative.
Literally.
And Kadasig is about to become its star attraction…

MASKARADO / DAKILA: Silver Like Dust
David Hontiveros / Reno Maniquis
B&W / Full color cardstock cover / 28 pages / 5.5 x 8.5 inches / 200 pesos
 
Maskarado: “Manila’s Masked Marvel.”
Dakila: his world’s “cosmic champion.”
These two heroes from different dimensions are about to face an enemy driven by madness and greed.
An enemy who wants all the power in the world for himself.
Including theirs.
 
And, for Brandon Ramirez, all the skintight spandex craziness starts here, in the 3-issue introductory arc…
 
DAKILA: Kapalaran

Issue 1
David Hontiveros / Bibo Reyes
B&W / Full color cover / 24 pages / 5.5 x 8.5 inches / 130 pesos
 
In which Dakila meets some corporate angels and the Devil…

Issue 2
David Hontiveros / Romnick Magbanua
B&W / 44 pages / 5.5 x 8.5 inches / 160 pesos
 
In which Dakila gets some training, we find out what’s up with his MIA mom, we discover which trusted ally is lying straight to his face, and the Devil does SPOILER!

Issue 3
David Hontiveros / Enel Lawrence Villegas
B&W / 32 pages / 6.5 x 10 inches / 190 pesos
 
In which we witness some cosplay, and Brandon’s official public debut as a superhero.
 
So there we go.
 
Please click on over to the Indies section of the Avenida website for more details (and preview pages), and, you know, to do the ordering…
 
Meanwhile, please stay safe and sane, people!

you can't drink just six,

Dave

'VERSE UPDATE 2020 (1)

Story has always served to help keep my head above water, especially when the seas are particularly tempestuous (as they have been, and continue to be, in TFNY 2020).

A significant part of what got me through the nightmare of the past 8 months or so was doing my part in telling the ‘Verse Story.

I can’t speak for the mighty fine artists who worked through quarantine to fill my Inbox with pages of art that managed to keep my spirits up and kept me going, but for me, working on the comics--whether it was lettering the pages that were coming in, or writing scripts--was me defiantly waving a double bird salute to all the grief and anxiety in the most creative way I knew how.

So, yes.

There are new ‘Verse issues on the way.
 
And, thanx to Avenida, you’ll be able to order those new issues (and some previously released ones) from your home.
Long-time ‘Verse readers will perhaps rightly guess that, in some other alternate timeline, these new issues (4 of them) would have been the new releases at good old NovKon.
As far as our world goes though, you’ll need to click on over to the Avenida website, and then have them delivered to you.
But not yet, though.
I’ll be posting again with another announcement once I get the green light from Avenida that all is ready on their end.
 
For now, these are the cover images for the 2 new issues releasing in Wave 1.

The other 2 new issues will be released as part of Wave 2, sometime early next year.
 
More details on the new releases (as well as the old issues also becoming available to order on Avenida) in the next announcement.
 
For now:
 
To the artists I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with on the ‘Verse titles:
 
To those who stayed radio silent throughout quarantine, I truly hope you’re all doing well.

If you happen to be reading this, please drop me a line. It would be great to hear from you;
 
To those who reached out, I’m glad to have heard from you, and I hope you’re continuing to stay safe (and sane);
 
And to those who joined me in working through TFNY 2020 (you know who you are), thanx SO much for your hard work and dedication.
These comics would not exist without you.
 
And to all you mighty fine folk out there, supporting these new releases won’t just be a show of support for my writing.
 
You’ll also be supporting Avenida, without whose order/delivery infrastructure these issues would not be available under the current circumstances.
https://www.myavenida.com/
 
You’ll be supporting Reno Maniquis, proprietor of Ye Olde Print Shoppe, CreativeTrio.
https://www.facebook.com/creativetriodesign/
https://www.instagram.com/creativetriodesign/?hl=en
 
You'll be showing your support for the local, self-publishing comics scene.

And you’ll of course, be supporting the mighty fine artists who’ve worked on these issues.

 
But aside from that, you’ll also be supporting Story.
And the Voices that are helping to tell that Story.
 
Please continue to stay safe and sane, and keep an eye out for the next announcement, once Avenida is ready to accept orders.

you can't drink just six,

Dave

 

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2020

The (Premature) Wrap-Up

So.

We really don't need a recap here of what's been going on in TFNY 2020.

We’re all living in the same waking nightmare, after all.

Deep diving into that here seems repetitive and pointless, given that it’s everywhere you look.

This is what I’d like to say here:

I’ve always made it a point at the Iguana to give my ¡Qué horror! recommendations without making any overt references to what’s going on in my personal life.

And that’s because, as far as I’m concerned, we’re here to celebrate horror, and these films and TV shows that get the ¡Qué horror! seal of approval? They’re meant to exist outside of time, to be appreciated today, and years from now, regardless of what’s going on with me.

But, as brutally proven by TFNY 2020, this has been a year of many, many firsts, precious few of them, if any, good.

For the first time, my Watchlist queue has backed up not because I haven’t had the time to sit down and watch something (we have, after all, in TFNY 2020, an overabundance of time, all COVID-melty and oddly exhausting though it may be), but rather because, for the most part, the all-too-real horror happening all around us has been enough for me, thank you very much.

I didn’t need some fictional horror story to narratively induce fear and worry and anxiety because we were all already marinating in that particular stew of dread…

And as October began to loom (October? October?!) and the number of Candidates hadn’t even hit two digits, much less 13, I realized I had little choice but to write this post.

So.

If you’re still in the mood for some ¡Qué horror!-approved horror this fast-approaching Halloween, then please, feel free to consider the 7 Candidates thus far as Finalists this year. (Plus, an additional two-ish; see below.)

In the meantime, I should also say that, at this point, I can’t tell when my current attitude towards horror will shift, or revert back to its usual Lifelong Horrorhead levels.

It will, of course, depend greatly on how TFNY 2020 continues to unfold.

I’d like to think that, every once in a while, I’ll try and make a dent in my Watchlist queue, which continues to lengthen, given my recent neglect of it…

I just don’t know if I’ll be doing the whole ¡Qué horror! Candidate posts thing (as I said, COVID time is oddly exhausting)…

For the time being, I think I’d like to use the Iguana to highlight what’s been keeping me sane these days, and that’s the comics side of my life.

That side has never really been “easy” (and the logistics end of self-publishing comics in TFNY 2020 has become exponentially more difficult), but there’s something to be said about spending time in the headspace of characters who are meant to be inspirational, about writing and telling stories that hopefully move and uplift…

So I’ll continue to make ‘Verse comics announcements here whenever there’s any news (and yes, there should be a ‘Verse post coming up soon-ish), that, I’m certain of.

In the meantime though, to close out this (Premature) ¡Qué horror! 2020 Wrap-Up, two more titles you can safely consider ¡Qué horror! 2020 Finalists…

one of which, I viewed quite a while back…

THE HUNT

(March 2020)

“What is this Avatar sh!t?!”

Director Craig Zobel (who helmed three episodes of The Leftovers, including the pivotal “International Assassin”) reunites with Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof to gift us with absurdist levels of gory, over-the-top violence in The Hunt.

Despite the premature “controversy” in the wake of the trailer’s initial release, this title insists on equal opportunity ribbing, as shots are taken at both sides of the American sociopolitical divide, with a notable cast that includes Hilary Swank, Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts, Amy Madigan, Ethan Suplee--as “(Shut the F*** Up) Gary”--and an uncredited Justin Hartley.

“This seems a little obvious, like, like maybe they wanted us to find it.”

“Depends on whether they’re smart pretendin’ to be idiots, or idiots pretendin’ to be smart.”

and the other, one I viewed a lot more recently…

ANTEBELLUM

(September 2020)

“Accept what you are. You are nothin’!”

If you’ve seen the trailer for Antebellum, then I’m spoiling nothing here by saying this:

Whatever the plot mechanics may be as to how the narrative bridges the Civil War and present day scenarios, the film is clearly about race.

And even if you see the trick coming, that doesn’t make Antebellum any less harrowing, opening as it does with a particularly difficult 13-minute section.

As she proved in the second season of Homecoming, Janelle Monáe is a potent lead, but I’d also like to point to both Gabourey Sidibe and Jena Malone, for bringing interesting textures to their supporting roles.

Antebellum is the feature debut of co-writers/-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, and it’s a provocative first shot.

I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for the duo…

“This doesn’t end here. We’re nowhere… and everywhere…”

and for the -ish… something I also viewed quite a while back, and it qualified as an -ish since it’s a single episode of a TV series…

Osgood Perkins’ blackly comic, entertainingly biting indictment of human consumerism, “You Might Also Like,” his contribution to the second season of Peele-era The Twilight Zone.

This Perkins-described “bacon-wrapped hotdog” of an episode may not look it at first glance, but the connection the writer/director makes between the particular emotion that so consumes Gretchen Mol’s Janet, and consumerism itself… well, that’s horror right there…

“The Egg will make everything okay again. And this time it will be okay forever.”

So.

There we are.

I truly hope you’re all keeping safe (and sane) out there.

And have a Happy(?) and safe-slash-responsible Halloween, however you choose to celebrate it.

(The Hunt OS’ courtesy of impawards.com; Antebellum OS courtesy of screenanarchy.com.)

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2020

Candidate #7

AMULET

(January 2020)

“You think I know nothing of the world, you are wrong.
“The very worst trouble, secrets. The deepest pains of existence find their way into these walls.

“This is not a sanctuary.

“This is a crucible.”

In Romola Garai’s feature debut, Amulet, Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) is a broken soul haunted by his past. But an apparently chance encounter with Imelda Staunton’s Sister Claire brings him an opportunity to start anew.

But you should all know the drill by now.

This is a title that’s getting a ¡Qué horror! Candidate’s slot, so things will not be coming up roses for Tomaz anytime soon…

Lesson learned.

Do not trust Imelda Staunton!

“Evil must be contained…”

Amulet moves at a considered pace, so much so that it may lull you into thinking you know where the narrative’s headed. But when the true kookoo bananas horror stuff kicks in, the story becomes infused with an unholy urgency that sends it charging relentlessly towards a surreal climax of terrible beauty.

There are very welcome echoes of some of Clive Barker’s early Books of Blood work in Garai’s screenplay, but to say which would be telling.

Suffice it to say that Amulet is a brutal and nasty piece of work… with teeth…

“Ate well, didn’t you?

“Well, now it’s time to pay for your meal…”

(Amulet OS’ courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com.)

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2020

Candidate #6

COLOR OUT OF SPACE

(September 2019)

“... and then there was this ‘Boom!’ like, like, like a sonic boom, and a big flash, like a pink light…
“Or actually, I don’t even know what color it was, it wasn’t like any color I’d ever seen before, and then everything just blew up, or fell from the sky…”

The Gardners are working through a trying family situation when things get really effed up after a meteorite crash lands on their isolated alpaca farm in Richard Stanley’s outstanding Color Out of Space.

Being a huge fan of Stanley’s lo-fi SF classic Hardware, I was understandably both anxious and hopeful when news broke of his intent to adapt H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space,” so I’m frankly relieved that the film came out spectacularly, and that I loved it as much as I do.

Stanley and co-writer Scarlett Amaris refract familial dynamics through the kaleidoscope of Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, shining that unearthly-colored light into the cracks and crevices of the fault lines that run through any family (no matter how apparently well-adjusted), to uncover the wriggling mutations that breed in the darkness of neglect, misunderstanding, and generational trauma.

Produced by SpectreVision (Go, Frodo!), this is a hallucinatory, unsettling, and mind-blowing first taste of what Stanley hopes will, heh, evolve into a trilogy of Lovecraft adaptations.

So, yes, hopefully more where this came from!

“Drink? I’m having one.”

Parting Shot 1:

Not only do we have a cast that includes Joely Richardson, Tommy Chong, Nicolas Cage, and a menagerie of animal actors with awesome names like Rowan, Lucifer, Xibanga, Bruno, and Ulisses, we also get a significant appearance of the so-called “Simon Necronomicon,” which my brothers and I actually had a copy of (the Avon paperback, if memory serves me correctly) way back when…

Parting Shot 2:

There’s also more Lovecraft to be had this year, with HBO’s adaptation of Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country, scheduled for an August release.

Co-produced by J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country more directly engages with the writer’s more problematic views on race.

Parting Shot 3:

Stanley’s adaptation makes a fine double feature with Alex Garland’s Annihilation…

Just saying…

(Color Out of Space OS courtesy of impawards.com.)

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2020

Candidate #5

VIVARIUM

(May 2019)

“Who did that to the poor baby birds?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a cuckoo?”

“Why?”

“Because it needed a nest.”

“Why doesn’t it just make its own nest?”

“Because that’s nature. That’s just the way things are.”
“I don’t like the way things are. They’re terrible.”

“Well… it’s only horrible sometimes."

This conversation takes place very early on in Lorcan Finnegan’s sophomore feature, Vivarium.

And as the unsettling opening sequence shows us, it was indeed a ruthless cuckoo--only being true to its nature--that “… did that to the poor baby birds”…

That disturbing opening and the subsequent conversation sets up the film’s scenario, in which Gemma Pierce and her boyfriend Tom (Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg) are drawn by the “strange and persuasive motherf*cker,” Martin (Jonathan Aris) to visit Yonder, a new housing development “just the right distance” away…

And, well… this will not turn out to be their dream home…

You’re home right now.

Quality family homes.

Forever.

--Yonder’s Welcome Sign

Yonder, with its identical model homes and patently fake skies is suburbia as “ideal” (yet terribly bland), inescapable Hell.

It’s the horrifying picture of being trapped in the maddening routine of existence, with only the slimmest of hopes as a possible reprieve from the domestic tyranny of the mortgage, the drip feed, and the hamster wheel.

While you could look at Vivarium as a feature-length Twilight Zone episode that plays far better than any of the ten Season 1 episodes from the recent CBS All Access revival, you could also consider it as a science fiction-tinged expansion of some of Eraserhead’s thematic preoccupations, taking those particular concerns to their disquieting, inevitable conclusions.

“What a lovely sky we have. It is lovely to live under a lovely sky and a lovely house with lovely houses all around us.”

Parting Shot: The writer’s credit for Vivarium goes to Garret Shanley, from a story by Shanley and Finnegan.

The pair also collaborated on Finnegan’s debut feature, Without Name.

That film though, did not grab me in quite the same way Vivarium did…

I am now definitely looking forward to whatever these two get up to next…

(Vivarium OS’ courtesy of screenanarchy.com & impawards.com.)