Thursday, January 31, 2019

Buried, Steampunk Apocalypse, and Vincent Price

BURIED. We're buried in snow today on the west coast of Michigan, and will most likely be buried-plus tomorrow. Looking out from inside warmth, it's easy to see how close humans are to destruction. Mother nature is a bitch, and all we have are systems for warmth and protection few of us fully understand.

Today, over at the Gods of Aazurn webcomic, Ms. Vedma has a visitor. We now know a reason the Vedma Cult exists.

Read and enjoy, but know the end of this storyline is revealed in the Gods of Aazurn: Witches graphic novel, now up on Kickstarter at StrangeHorror.com. You can show your enthusiasm for the work and the free stuff you get all year from these emails at the Kickstarter.


STEAMPUNK APOCALYPSE. If you've been reading these messages for a while you already know about Kevin LaPorte of Inverse Press. His Clown Town stories appeared way back in Indie Comics Magazine #3.

Kevin and company are in the last days of a Kickstarter, Last Ride for Horsemen: It's the Apocalypse in Steampunk.

"The desolate town of Promise enjoys neither food nor water, precious resources obliterated by the horsemen Famine and Pestilence (in our previous two chapters, BOTH available via this Kickstarter campaign!), both ghosts of dead men wronged by local land baron, Wilbur Fairless. Now comes the horseman War in the guise of another, quite petite, missing acquaintance of the old tycoon. She ignites battle with his current paramour, the sitting Mayor of the place, and all of them – along with gun-for-hire Cager Dobbin – play out their rivalries in ultra-violent fashion while eluding the starving new cannibals of Promise."

You will like this comic. Hell, you will like all three of these comics, all offered in this Kickstarter.


FREE VINCENT PRICE. I'm surprised how many Vincent Price fans don't know that, from 1944 to 1951, he was the voice of Leslie Charteris' character Simon Templar, better known as The Saint.

Velvet-voiced Price was perfect for the character. In an era when radio was filled with hard boiled detectives and police procedurals, The Saint stood out. Self confident, with looks, wealth and wit, Simon Templar was a bit of a dandy, enjoying the finer things in life.

Yes, I enjoy Roger Moore's Saint on television, 1962 to 1969. But I have read many of the pulp stories, which began in 1928, and Vincent Price the actor comes much closer to The Saint character I envisioned in print. 

The radio plays can be listened to or downloaded from the Internet Archive here. Unfortunately, there are misnamed duplicates included. But, hey, it's free.

If you don't know who Vincent Price is, well, I just don't know what to do with you --


Take care, do good things for yourself and others, listen to music, and lift up your head to look around occasionally -- you deserve the big picture.

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



Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Going to Hell, the GN, and Free Stuff, from Gary



GOING TO HELL. Today, over at the Gods of Aazurn webcomic, Cain has a glimpse of hell in a nightmare. Dream, nightmare, or vision? 

GRAPHIC NOVEL. Backers have been steady at the Gods of Aazurn Kickstarter, and it's revealing to see who of my Fan List readers are interested seeing my career (and this story) advance.

You can go to StrangeHorror.com to back my Gods of Aazurn: Witches graphic novel on Kickstarter.


FREE STUFF. Even though much (most?) of the horror on at TubiTV.com is pretty (very?) bad, there are some gems in their current lineup, especially among their classic horror movies.

Mario Bava's Black Sunday (1960) is wonderfully moody and the only classic Italian horror movie my wife can sit through.

Carnival of Souls (1962) has a low budget B-movie’s "fishbowl" quality I find terrifying. With the gradual isolation of the main character, director Herk Harvey turns the commonplace eerie.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is the absolute best silent movie you'll ever watch. The odd sets alone are worth a look, but the plot is also a study in horror storytelling. Trust me on this one.


That's all for now. Take care of yourself and those you love. Make time for the loud and the quiet. Every moment counts.

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


Thursday, January 24, 2019

Nudes, Plain Speak, and Pain Management, from Gary


I'm just going to flat-out ask. Go to StrangeHorror.com and back my Gods of Aazurn: Witches Kickstarter!

Hey, we're friends, you're interested, I can speak plainly. This 70-plus page GN and three accompanying comics WILL happen. Join us now and join the fun. http://strangehorror.com/

Many thanks to those who were there already! Superbackers are going to receive a little surprise in their mailboxes soon.

The Kickstarter launch Tuesday knocked me out and I slept for 10 hours. Even the excitement of a good, solid launch and reoccuring, repetitive-motion arm pain couldn't keep me from ZZZs.

(Don't worry, stretches help considerably and I've been dealing with this for quite a while. Advice at the risk of sounding like your mother: when at your computer, sit up and don't slouch.)

No entertainment recommendations this time! What, you think I've been watching movies this week?! It's Kickstarter time.

The nudes? Click bait. Sorry --

See you today over at StrangeHorror.com!

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



Tuesday, January 22, 2019

GHAA! The Witches are HERE, from Gary


The Gods of Aazurn: Witches Kickstarter has now begun at StrangeHorror.com. Discover there how you can comfortably devour this cosmic story.


• It's Gods of Aazurn: Witches, the 70-plus page graphic novel.

• It's Gods of Aazurn Complete, with every publication Gods of Aazurn stories have appeared in so far.

• For reading purists, it's physical, paper books. For overseas readers who would rather not shoulder the burden of postage, it's digital downloads.

• And, according to comments at the webcomic, it's a damn good read.

"Amazing!!!" -- talofa.tyler

See you today over at StrangeHorror.com!

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

Monday, January 21, 2019

Witches Times Two Tuesday, and a Preview


I have a lot to do for you tomorrow A.M. -- launching a Kickstarter, beginning twice-a-week posts on Webtoons, changing all my websites around, posting to YouTube and Facebook -- I suppose I should grab a nap. Can't. I'm too excited!


For you, for the first time anywhere, below, is a preview of the beginning of the new Gods of Aazurn: Witches story. I miss Death in a Tuxedo every time I leave him out of a short story prologue, so here he is, introducing the 70-plus page graphic novel.

Shakespeare knew how to chill and audience. Death’s talk here is inspired by the Prologue to Henry VIII, informing the audience “I come no more to make you laugh.” Death is putting you in the mood for Witches! 

Horror, mystery and adventure tomorrow, in both digital and paper books! It's Witches Times Two Tuesday at StrangeHorror.com.

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



Friday, January 18, 2019

I Sit on a God's Knee


Writing and illustrating Gods of Aazurn means I'm privileged to get close and personal with the gods themselves. Check out the new art below, drawn from a photograph taken by my wife.


I'm using the piece to let my Webtoons readers know about the Gods of Aazurn Kickstarter beginning Tuesday at StrangeHorror.com.

People say we should never meet our heroes, but, believe me, the King of the Dark Sky (may his tentacles ever spread) was just as darkly duplicitous as we have been lead to believe. Singularly malevolent. He did not disappoint.

Take care of yourself and those you love. Make time for the loud and the quiet. Every moment counts.

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


Thursday, January 17, 2019


Here I am, so anxious to dig into Gods of Aazurn: Witches, liking so much how the written chapters sound, so eager to jump into major illustration mode -- and so woefully unprepared to Kickstart Tuesday.


The reading material is there, I just haven't had time to fret over everything like I usually do. This can't be Kickstarter time, I'm too calm.

So, briefly, please mark your calendar for Tuesday, to drop in to StrangeHorror.com and back my Kickstarter.

That's all for now. I should recheck the math on the Kickstarter. The 70-plus page graphic novel, Gods of Aazurn: Witches, hits Kickstarter January 22 at StrangeHorror.com.

Find some peace this weekend and make time to read, you know you want to. Don't let winter force you out of the woods. This snow thing is no match for heavily insulated outerwear, wool socks, and quality long underwear.

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

Monday, January 14, 2019

The Witches are Coming



I'm warning you now, a week from tomorrow, on Tuesday, January 22, the witches are coming. Be prepared!


- Be sure your survival bag is stocked with bandages, weapons, food tins and cheap lighters. Don't forget the ammo.

- Dig out your silver stash. The invaders won't care about your denomination of worthless money, but silver is universally prized.

- Rope. Lots and lots of rope. Particularly useful if you lose all hope and want to tie a noose.


Gods of Aazurn: Witches (part one only), hits Webtoons TWICE A WEEK starting January 22.

Gods of Aazurn: Witches (the entire 70-plus page graphic novel), hits Kickstarter January 22 at StrangeHorror.com.

You've been warned!

In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords,
Gary Scott Beatty