Sep 22 2015

Pictures from Vermont Comic Con 2015: Part I

By Jason Harris

Vermont Comic Con held it’s second annual convention this past weekend. It was bigger and better than it’s first convention in 2014.

Characters from Alice in Wonderland visit VT Comic Con.

Mutants ready to protect the convention.

Violet Parr and friend.

Princess Leia and V.

Author Stacey Longo.

The Baroness and Deadpool.

Me with actorBrian O’ Halloran.

Iron Man.

Comic book writer Joe Caramagna.

Harley Quinn.

Actor Nicholas Brendon and me.

Stormtrooper and Emperor’s Royal Guard.

Work release inmates from Orange is the New Black.

Sep 15 2015

Pictures from GraniteCon 2015: Part 2

By Jason Harris

Steampunk Iron Man and Black Widow.

Nick Fury.

The Joker’s henchman.

Cynthia Scott and Ricco Ross of Aliens.

Robocop’s police cruiser.

Spider-Woman.

Deadpool.

Author Stacey Longo and Cosplayer R.W. Martin.

Ecto-2

Catwoman and Zatanna Zatara.

Sep 14 2015

Pictures from GraniteCon 2015: Part 1

By Jason Harris

The 13th Annual Granite State Comic Con took place in Manchester, New Hampshire this past weekend. They had guest stars from the movies and television along with artists, authors, and cosplayers. It was a great weekend. Here is the first entry of pictures from the convention.

Author Stacey Longo.

Jason Voorhees.

Han Solo in carbonite.

Black Widow and Spider-man.

Rocket and Star Lord.

The Black Panther.

Kylo Ren from Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.

The Disney Princesses.

Actress Cindy Morgan (Tron).

The General Lee.

Harley Quinn and The Riddler.

Ghost Rider.

Yellowjacket.

Deadpool.

Actor Noah Hathaway (The Neverending Story).

Artist Sara Richard (Jem and the Holograms).

Artist Paul Ryan (The Phantom).

Iron Man and Wonder Woman.

Me with Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island).

Aug 26 2015

Find Out about ‘My Peculiar Family’

By Stacey Longo

About a year ago, the crew over at Sci-Fi Saturday Night contacted me about a book project they were thinking of putting together. The Dome enthusiastically described how he had a bunch of old photographs of people. What did I think of the idea of sending those photos to various authors with just a character name and occupation, and having the authors write the stories of those people’s lives?

It sounded like a heck of a lot of fun to me. Some time later, I got an e-mail.

Stacey,

Your character’s name is Gussie, and she works in an apothecary. Other than that, go for it!

As soon as I saw the cheerful, bright-eyed young woman in the photo, her story started coming to me. Taking a page from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, I decided Gussie would be the person the women in town would discreetly visit when they found themselves with a problem. Perhaps they were unhappy about being in the family way. Or were in need of a way out of an abusive marriage. Woman problems. You see.

But what town? Gussie looked like a sturdy New Englander to me. And in what town, did I think, would women who had . . . problems . . . seek dark solutions? Fall River, Massachusetts, of course. I had the first draft of “Miss Elizabeth’s Poison” done in a week, and the final version done within the month.

It was a blast to write. Now we need your help to get it in print.

Sci-Fi Saturday Night has started a Kickstarter program to fund the final publication of My Peculiar Family. There’s an impressive lineup of authors in the anthology, including James A. Moore, Tracy Hickman, and William Meikle, among others. To donate (and snag some impressive rewards), please visit here; and support the arts.

You’ll be glad you did, I can promise you.

Aug 16 2015

Pictures from Connecticut’s ComiConn

By Jason Harris

The 8th Connecticut ComiConn took place in the Mohegan Sun Convention Center this weekend. It was my first time attending this convention even though it has been going on in different locations in Connecticut over the last seven years. Read more on the Bleeding Cool website here. I have attended many conventions over the years and I have also been a vendor too. I can say I will be attending this one again next year, which happens Aug. 19 – 21, 2016 at Mohegan Sun under the name, TerrifiCon.

Adrian Pasdar (Agents of SHIELD, Near Dark).

The Incredibles.

Chase Masterson (Star Trek: DS9).

The Batmobile.

Comic book artist Bob Camp and Michelle Ford.

Greg Grunberg (Big Ass Spider!, Heroes, and Heroes).

Greg Grunberg (Big Ass Spider!, Heroes, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Batman.

A Jedi and Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen.

Disney’s Frozen’s Anna and Elsa.

Fantastic Four’s The Thing.

Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series).

The Joker.

The Penguin and Harley Quinn.

Booster Gold and a friend from the Capsule Corporation.

The Baroness and Snake Eyes.

Author Stacey Longo with members of Kiss tribute band, Kiss Forever.

Aquawoman.

Author Matt Herring.

Wolverine, Joker, and Deadpool with Spiderman photo-bombing in the background.

Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies).

Green Arrow and fellow archer.

Connecticut Jedi.

Indiana Jones.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Author Stacey Longo with Shield agents.

Jul 21 2015

Pictures from CT Horrorfest 2015

By Jason Harris

The 2nd Annual CT Horrorfest took place at The Matrix Conference Center in Danbury, CT. on July 18.

Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas.

Freddy Krueger and author Stacey Longo.

Warrington Gillette (Friday the 13th: Part 2).

Regan.

Alien Queen.

Authors Stacey Longo and Kristi Petersen Schoonover at the Books and Boos‘ table.

WWE Wrestler Mick Foley.

The Mummy.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre panel: Gunnar Hansen, John Dugan, and Edwin Neal.

Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees.

Author Kristi Petersen Schoonover with The Shining girls.

Doug Bradley (Pinhead).

Independent filmmaker James Balsamo (left), author Stacey Longo (middle), and actor Carmine Capobianco (right).

Jul 16 2015

Discover Books and Boos Press

By Jason Harris

Books & Boos Press first came on the publishing scene in 2013 with the publication of Secret Things: Twelve Tales to Terrify by Stacey Longo. This collection of wickedly entertaining stories will compel you to lock the doors, keep the lights on, and ponder what it might be like to embrace the darker side of human nature. Everybody has secrets. Sometimes they can kill you. These twelve stories will have you wanting more from this author. In 2014, two of Longo’s stories were included in the anthology, Insanity Tales. This anthology also includes works by Dale T. Philips, Vlad V., and Ursula Wong.

In 2015, this Connecticut based press published My Mom has MS by Longo in February and Where Spiders Fear to Spin by Peter N. Dudar in May. Dudar is a Bram Stoker Award® Finalist. Acclaimed artist Morbideus Wolfgang Goodell illustrated the book.

These books will be available at the Books & Boos table at Connecticut Horrorfest this Saturday in Danbury, CT. Longo will also be on-hand to sign her books.

Books & Boos Press announced in June that they will be publishing works by Dan Foley and Rob Smales. This is a press to keep your eye on in the future.

Jul 13 2015

Pictures from ConnectiCon 2015

By Jason Harris

This year marks the 12th ConnectiCon, which was founded in 2002 and the first one was held in 2003. You can find out about it’s history here.

W.B. Mason.

Baymax.

The Lone Gunmen from The X-Files were in attendance.

Bruce Harwood ( John Fitzgerald Byers of The Lone Gunmen)

Bruce Harwood ( John Fitzgerald Byers on The Lone Gunmen)

Tom Braidwood (Melvin Frohike on The Lone Gunmen).

Dean Haglund (Richard ‘Ringo’ Langly on The Lone Gunmen).

Green Lantern.

Prince Charming and Cinderella.

George Takei.

Actress and author Amber Benson.

Queen Amidala and friend.

Thor and Thor.

A Jedi.

The Power Rangers.

Supergirl and friend.

Voice actor Bill Farmer.

Characters from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

The Voice Acting in Television panel with Kari Wahlgren, Chris Bevins, Maurice LeMarche, Phil Lanarr, Bill Farmer, and Dameon Clarke.

Harley Quinn punching Batgirl.

Dr. Who.

Peter “Starlord” Quill.

Loki.

Bluntman and Chronic.

Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and Robin.

Yoko Littner.

Jun 24 2015

Book Review: ‘Ugly As Sin’

By Stacey Longo

Ugly As Sin by James Newman is the latest offering by Shock Totem Publications, billed right on the cover as “white-trash noir,” a tongue-in-cheek summary of the contents inside. It’s funny, fast-paced, and engaging.

Nick Bullman once had an impressive career as The Widowmaker, a wrestling heel whose feuds in the Global Wrestling Association were legendary. It’s rotten luck for Nick when two wrasslin’ fans who think it’s all real attack Nick, beating him and mutilating his face in the process.

When GWA CEO Lance K. McDougal III (a clear caricature of Vince McMahon, and that’s okay) wants to market Nick’s ruined face as a gimmick, Nick attacks him. The subsequent criminal and civil lawsuits ruin Nick, and he finds himself in a bad way . . . until his daughter, Melissa, asks him for help.

It seems Nick’s granddaughter, Sophie, has been kidnapped. Nick, who honestly has nothing better to do, agrees to investigate. Along the way, he picks up a sidekick, Leon, a meth head who is happy to team up with his favorite former wrestler. What follows is a heartwarming story of two men bonding over past mistakes, current circumstances, and future dreams. Just kidding. What actually follows is mayhem, murder, and the sinking realization that Nick’s actions in the past has had real consequences on his daughter’s and granddaughter’s lives.

Ugly As Sin comes full circle, when Nick realizes that in some ways, the villain in the story is a better father than he himself has been. No matter, though: the bad guy is still a monster, and Nick’s able to (spoiler alert) save the day and turn over a new leaf where his family is concerned. Chock full of colorful characters, action, and unsettling horror, Ugly As Sin is worth the read.