Working in Hell: the Shade King's Realm

Well that's one hellova way to spend Christmas month -- coloring Gods of Aazurn: Witches. Specifically, the t-a-l-l scene of the Shade King's realm.

He may be Cernunnos to the witches (meaning horned god in Celtic) but he's pretty obviously Satan.

Sort of. Because in the Gods of Aazurn pantheon, there are many personifications of evil. (And, so far, not one represents good.)

So, for the first time anywhere, here below is the Shade King's realm, or, more accurately, a portion of his vast kingdom. We'll get a glimpse of it in chapter one of GOA:W, and its full glory in chapter three (January 2019), but because you are my buddies, below is the whole shebang.

I hope the height of the thing doesn't break the internet. You've been warned.

Most will immediately recognize the influence of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. Where else would I go for an idea of a playground of corruption?

Chapter one, "Prologue: An Ominous Revelation" reached 100 Likes last week! Don't forget, you can Like each chapter separately. If all 23 chapters received 100 Likes this week, we'd be a real contender on Webtoons!

"Welcome to Dunwich" ends today! If you were waiting for the whole free story to be up on Webtoons, NOW is the time to experience it. Livin' for Likes over here!

Take care. Winter (and holidays) can be dangerous.

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

You probably don't know another Welcome to Dunwich comic is coming. Mark "Bloodman" Bloodworth returns for the as yet unnamed part two.

There is one chapter left to come of W2D1 on Webtoons, so you'd better get crackin' at readin' it. Likes, people, please.

I don't know if Mark would like me sharing a preliminary drawing, but above is a scene from W2D2. It doesn't show off his expressive faces or his mad inking skills, but it has a monster. A big, stinkin' monster.

Meanwhile, I'm finally on to the coloring phase of Gods of Aazurn: Witches. More to see soon.

Take care. Avoid monsters. Winter (and holidays) can be dangerous.

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

Two W2D Left, Who Survives? and What Comes After

Edgar's ritual isn't developing as he planned over at Welcome to Dunwich. The storyline wraps up in two Wednesdays, just in time for you to give holiday thanks that your family isn't quite as screwed up as the Davidsons.

How long will it take for the Davidsons to all be consumed by the horrors of Dunwich? Well, as of today's chapter they've been in town a single day.

With your help, we've had well over 10,000 eyeballs on Gods of Aazurn on Webtoons. That is indeed a staggering number. I'm thinking I picked the right platform.

Remember, you can Like each story individually, and Likes are what make the series more accessible to the Webtoons audience, so the more Likes the better.

WHAT COMES AFTER? Gods of Aazurn: Witches dives into Webtoons on wings of black in January. I think you're going to like how this series gels from what began as several stand-alone '70s-styled horror shorts.

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

Chapter 10 of Welcome to Dunwich is up and the hills are rumbling! We have three chapters to go in this story. I am inking the new Gods of Aazurn: Witches story now and plan to launch that on Webtoons January 2019.

I did the math and the Webtoons thing is well over 500 pages of story. If you haven't read 'em all, you better get crackin'!

Remember to "Like" each story to move me up the Webtoons list -- but of COURSE you'll remember! Because you are the best!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

Stay Calm.

 

Stay calm and help calm others. Most of the panic is simply marketing.

The mayhem at Gods of Aazurn could help you relax. My Creepy magazine, '70s horror movie, and classic monster influences, though disturbing, are eerily comforting. Weren't those the days, when we argued over horror media? Wasn't Lovecraft an entertaining chap?

Don't forget to hit the heart icon to Like each story. I use the hearts as bookmarks so I can quickly find where I left off reading a Webtoons story. You may need that tool, as there are now 19 binge-worthy chapters of Gods of Aazurn.

(I'm hoping my current storyline doesn't get me kicked off the platform, so you should probably get over there soon.)

Staying calm, in glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

A Handy Reference for You: the Holiday Gift Guide

 

It's here: the Gary Scott Beatty Holiday Gift Guide 2018.

On to the joyous coming holiday season!  Free download for easy clickability here.
http://aazurn.com/gsb-holiday-gift-guide-2018.pdf

Your friends and family deserve the very best comic and graphic novel gifts. Match a gift to your list with this handy reference.


Meanwhile, drawing and inking the next chapters of Gods of Aazurn is knocking me out over here! I have to get back to it or I'll never finish in time for 2019. I should have some art to share pretty soon!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
StrangeHorror.com

Don't you hear those awful flutes?

Did you ever have one of those days? The flutes in your head just won't leave you alone. And why are there runes in your basement?

Chapter 7 of Welcome to Dunwich is up. I asked at the beginning how long you thought the developer and his family would survive. It's been less than a day so far. Click "Read it here!" at http://strangehorror.com

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
http://strangehorror.com/

Upholding the "Holy S*** That was Deep" Tradition

 

Kyley Kelley's comment about last week's free Welcome to Duwich chapter was, "After reading this my main thought was holy s*** that was deep!"

YES, IT'S DEEP. Drinking too much coffee and happy to uphold the "holy s*** that was deep" tradition that peaked with early Vertigo and has since waned. Meanwhile Welcome to Dunwich is intensifying in strange ways.

TOO MANY REFERENCES. Last week's Dunwich was a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch House. This week and next I reference even more HPL: Brown Jenkin from Witch House, the beginnings of my hints at an extended basement, a la The Rats in the Walls, a (possible) Nyarlathotep character, the monolithic burial sites of the Pocumtucks from The Dunwich Horror, and a hit on a joint ("Beware the Steps of Deeper Slumber." From The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath), all wrapped up in a night rave in Dunwich, Massachusetts.

Oh, and the chant in the music: Yog-Sothoth! YOG-SOTHOTH!

Yes, there are references, but it is, above all, a story. Should we hope Taylor's adventure turns out better than Sam's from last week? Or just let Dunwich have it's way?

Chapter six is up, a binge-worthy number for you to experience this evening. Click "Read It Here!" at StrangeHorror.com and please leave Likes!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

Binge-Worthy

Eerie reading: a binge-worthy 5 chapters of Welcome to Dunwich, now free at Gods of Aazurn! 

My Creepy magazine, '70s horror movie, and classic monster roots are showing. Click "Read it here" at http://strangehorror.com/ and click each story's heart icon to leave me Likes!

In Charge

I’ve seen development done with respect to the local architecture that is simply magnificent. I’ve also seen perfectly salvageable 100-year-old brickwork ripped down like that kind of craftsmanship is still affordable and replaceable.

Gentrification, a process of renovating deteriorated neighborhoods to appeal to more affluent residents, is not necessarily evil. Like many things in capitalist-oriented America, it all comes down to who is in charge. Your thoughts? Comment at Webtoons.

TODAY'S WELCOME TO DUNWICH CHAPTER. Aylesbury, Massachusetts is a Lovecraft creation mentioned only in relationship to other towns. I use it in this chapter as a nearby example of a successfully “updated” town.

If you’ve read The Dunwich Horror you know about the Whateleys. If you haven’t, why not? The entire story is in public domain and online. Read it now.

Welcome to Dunwich is a free Webcomic and part of my Gods of Aazurn series. To get there, click "Read it here" at StrangeHorror.com

Only many, many Likes on each chapter will satisfy our Aazurn overlords!
Gary Scott Beatty
StrangeHorror.com

The Nature of Fear

Why does today's free Welcome to Dunwich chapter talks about the nature of fear?

Because there are worse things than death.

Often Death gets a bad rap. I'm not a fan of any horror story where dying or not dying is the point. Life is more nuanced than that.

The character of Death in a Tuxedo from my graphic novel Wounds is a good example of how I view mortality. DiaT offers guidance to the hero and is usually the voice of reason.

Life is so much more interesting once you realize that you aren't necessarily going to be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning.

It's okay. Death is something every one of us, president to pauper, has in common. Every single one of us, no exceptions.

Meet Death in a Tuxedo in the graphic novel Wounds, on sale until September 29 on Comixology, from Caliber Comics! I also recommend any of the Deadworld or Saint Germaine GNs by Gary Reed, and the Carbon and Salt GNs from Daniel Boyd.

Welcome to Dunwich is a free Webcomic and part of my Gods of Aazurn series. To get there, click "Read it here" at StrangeHorror.com

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
StrangeHorror.com

Welcome to Dunwich begins TODAY!

I've been getting a lot of press about Welcome to Dunwich, the Lovecraft-inspired story that begins TODAY at Gods of Aazurn on Webtoons, here.

REAL ESTATE IN DUNWICH. I think it has a pretty good hook, "Lovecraft's Dunwich Gentrified by Developer." Or maybe it's just when you drop the name "Lovecraft" people stand up and listen.

Anyway, Welcome to Dunwich runs nearly through to the end of 2018, so if you don't like it, I need to know now. Comment at Webtoons.

Beneath the real estate story, as homeowners are kicked out of Georgians and shacks alike, a variety of eldritch beings eye the newcomers with evil intent.

LIKES. I have to remind y'all, I need Likes at Webtoons. It's the only way the corporate guys know I'm there. Remember, EVERY story can be Liked individually.

I have Mark Bloodworth to thank for being guest artist for Welcome to Dunwich! Let's talk about it over at Webtoons!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

"The Rescue" Concludes "Gods of Aazurn" Chapter One!

I finished and launched The Rescue, the extra-long Gods of Aazurn chapter that begins wrangling previous chapters into a coherent story. You asked for it, the consequences are on your head!

It's UP now! Be sure to LIKE, otherwise Webtoons doesn't know you where there and, like Sauron, won't know to turn it's big, burning eye my way. Yes, I want them to see me.

The Rescue is in actuality a teaser for the bigger GOA story coming after the newly colored and formatted Welcome to Dunwich, beginning September 19. Illustrated by Mark Bloodworth.

Sounds like a lot of work, but I'm committed. Or I should be committed.
https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/gods-of-aazurn/list?title_no=202820

Approaching 200 Horror Fans!

We're approaching 200 subscribes at Gods of Aazurn and I'm happy as hell to be sharing story with five score of you!

Today I published a straight up slasher tale to cleanse my palette. Read it at Gods of Aazurn on Webtoons.

The Rescue will be posted next Wednesday, God willing, with enough story-meat on it to satisfy a pack of wolves.

Then the newly colored and formatted Welcome to Dunwich begins September 19, an abundant feast of chapter story and a great time to let friends know they are welcome to a seat at this table.

Answer back! I'm looking forward to talking to you over at Webtoons!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty

The Real Apocalypse

A new chapter is now up at Gods of Aazurn. Boys will be boys, as a gang plans to loot a local eccentric they suspect of cooking crack. The caper doesn’t go well for them. Click "Read it here!" at StrangeHorror.com.

I was wondering yesterday if the real apocalypse would descend upon us all before I finished inking, coloring and assembling The Rescue for the Gods of Aazurn series.

If I hadn't decided to change one of the characters, yesterday would have been a major coloring day. Instead I spent time redrawing and reinking artwork. I can't bitch the writer out, the writer is me.

The intention is to run The Rescue on Gods of Aazurn September 12.

Inked art from The Rescue below. Time's a bitch.

Livin' for your "Likes" over here, please look for the heart icon at Gods of Aazurn and be sure it's clicked on all six stories.

I'm looking forward to talking to you over at Webtoons!
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

New Inking and a Snarky Title

Hello from Aazurn Publishing Secret Headquarters!

I'm trying to ink through a Gods of Aazurn chapter that pulls together several of the short stories from the free Webtoons series, but it's slow going, and a coloring job is on its way any minute. Paying gigs (always) come first! Below is a background-less, inked panel from The Rescue.

You guessed it, the Underground is wearing other people's faces again. 

Even the name "The Rescue" is a snarky bit of misdirection. The rescuers are not heroic and the rescued is someone that should be left alone. I intended this tale to run in Gods of Aazurn just before I break for a multi-chapter story (yet to be announced) that will take us nearly through the end of 2018. We will see.


More Gods. This week's Gods of Aazurn chapter is possibly the most Lovecraft-ian yet, in tone and story structure. The suitably depressing theme is that knowledge will take us places we shouldn't go.

More Video. For your perusal, I continue to produce promo videos that contain "shocking, disrespectful or sensational content," says Facebook. Check them out here.

I'm looking forward to talking to you over at Webtoons!
Gary Scott Beatty
The LIKE monger
StrangeHorror.com

Beware the Underground Conclusion on Webtoons Today

 I JUST LAUNCHED the exciting conclusion to "Beware the Underground" for you at Gods of Aazurn on Webtoons. I'm having a blast with this free, weekly horror — come over and join me. Like! Subscribe! Comment! Click "Read it here!" at http://strangehorror.com/

Gods of Aazurn, Chapter Two on Webtoons

Free, weekly horror continues! I've launched the third chapter of Gods of Aazurn to Webtoons, a new story there every Wednesday. What evil, scheming creatures haunt strange, dark worlds beneath moist caverns under our very feet? Emily knows.

Be sure to sign in to Webtoons so you can Like, Subscribe, and Comment! I'd love to talk to you! Click on "Read it here!" at http://strangehorror.com/

Gods of Aazurn, Chapter Two on Webtoons

Free, weekly horror continues! I've launched the second chapter of Gods of Aazurn to Webtoons, a new story there every Wednesday. In "The Pit," a couple dig themselves a hole it may take a good bit of time to dig out of.

Be sure to sign in to Webtoons so you can Like, Subscribe, and Comment! I'd love to talk to you! Click on "Read it here!" at http://strangehorror.com/

Non Comic Con Relaxational Week Begins Today!

It's Non Comic Con Relaxational Week 2018! Five days packed with comic book fun without the hassle of attending a convention.

Clear some hard drive space! We're offering five full length #1s, two complete graphic novels, three complete short stories — plus featured artists, blogs, video and lots of art! 

A week of entertainment to enjoy it at your leisure! No hotel, travel or ticket costs. In fact, Non-Comic Con Relaxational Week is free, to those on the Aazurn Fan List! Sign up and enjoy at http://aazurn.com/

See you at the con that isn't!
Gary Scott Beatty
Bringer of Comic Book Wonderment

Free, Weekly Gary Horror Starts TODAY!

This is it! My weekly, free Webtoons comic, GODS OF AAZURN, launched today! We need "likes" and "subscriptions" to keep this beast alive, so it's time to leap into action!

1. If you haven't yet, go to
https://www.webtoons.com/
and create a free account (so you can "like" and "subscribe.")
They'll send you a confirmation email, so click the link in their email to confirm.
Go back to Webtoons, log in, and stay logged in.

2. Go to GODS OF AAZURN here!
https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/gods-of-aazurn/list?title_no=202820

3. In Webtoons / Gods of Aazurn, click on Chapter 1, An Ominous Revelation.

4. Read and enjoy!

5. MOST IMPORTANT: Scroll to near the bottom, just under the cartoon, where it says, "Share this webtoon and show support for the creator!"

CLICK on the Heart Icon (in the little gray oval)

CLICK on +Subscribe (in the little gray oval)

6. If you want, you can leave a comment below it. I'm looking forward to talking with you!

Thank you so much for your help and encouragement!

Gary Scott Beatty
In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords
http://strangehorror.com/

Zombies End is Now on Kickstarter!

How will zombies end in the new “Zombies’ End” graphic novel? They’ll end because YOU make it happen!

http://zombiesend.com/

I’m seeking your pledge today, BUT I’m also seeking your company on this grand journey as I illustrate the remainder of Zombies’ End!

Kickstarter Backers come with me as I draw, ink, color and FORM this world overrun with drooling monsters.

Because unless YOU come along with the living head in a bucket, his zombie daughter, and three brave soldiers, the uncanny solution will not be found.

And zombies will not end. It’s up to YOU!

Gary Scott Beatty
Join me on this trip NOW
http://zombiesend.com/

I want to thank you for being interested in Strange Horror, so before the “Zombies’ End” Kickstarter begins, I’m posting the free preview for you to look at and download!

(Trumpets sound.) Click here!

I’m so excited about this! What a step forward in my creative journey. These pages are looking just like I want them to. Soon to be printed!

Download, read, enjoy. Pass the web address along to every friend. Repeat!

The “Zombies’ End” Kickstarter begins a week from today (Tuesday)! Physical books! I hope I can enjoy your company on this grand journey. Come along for the ride!

Gary Scott Beatty
Beginning this trip 1-16-18
http://zombiesend.com/