Greg Lamberson has announced three new book projects for 2012. On April 3rd his zombie novella Carnage Road will be released by Creeping Hemlock Press through its Print Is Dead label. The book follows two members of a motorcycle gang who take their final ride during the zombie apocalypse.

Medallion Press will release the werewolf novel Frenzy War in June, and the fourth book in the Jake Helman Files, Tortured Spirits, in October.

Lamberson is also working on a new film entitled Scaremonger starring Debbie Rochon.

“The challenge, as always, is raising the money, and that’s a bigger challenge now than ever before. The economy is forcing indie filmmakers to work on increasingly smaller budgets or switch to making web series,” writes Lamberson. “I showed what I can do with $50,000 on Slime City Massacre, and I want to move forward as a filmmaker, not backward. This one may need to gestate for a while. I’d also like to make Slime 3 down the road, and a version of Frankenstein.”

I just picked up issues 5 through 7, so I’m not really sure what is going on, but it looks like Kirsty Cotton becomes Pinhead in issue #8. If you’re a Hellraiser fan who is not reading this comic, you should be ashamed of yourself!

I picked up the second issue of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser comic at Midtown Comics in N.Y. yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I just wanted to let you all know that it’s finally available.

You can order a copy from BOOM!’s official website. Make sure you get cover B! It’s so much better than cover A.

One of the greatest horror franchises of all time returns, now under the control of its original creator! Clive Barker has touched HELLRAISER only twice: once to write THE HELLBOUND HEART, and once more to write and direct the original HELLRAISER film. Now witness Barker’s long-awaited return to tell a new chapter in the series’ official continuity—a trajectory that will forever change the Cenobites…and Pinhead! In this issue, Kirsty Cotton is back! To fight the forces of the Cenobites she has become a Harrower and has gathered a team that, like her, is damaged and insane enough to take on what Hell has got! As Pinhead’s plan becomes clearer, what will Kirsty’s role in it be?

Horror Yearbook BFF Unkle Lancifer of Kinder Trauma dropped me a line about Mad Monster Magazine, a new magazine that he will be contributing to. Issue #1 made its debut a few weeks ago at Monsterpalooza, and it is available to oder via the official website. Here is a description of the magazine it their own words:

“Today, you may find a number of genre magazines that deal specifically with classic horror and some others that chronicle more contemporary faire. MAD MONSTER fills the gap between these bookends. New MAD MONSTER magazine is a purely modern magazine decked out in retro-style and always faithfully dropping a trail of dread-crumbs to lead the way from horrors of today, back to the origins of the most popular genres in our pop-culture. MAD MONSTER is informative, irreverent, challenging, titillating and always graphically and thematically innovative.”

MAD MONSTER is published by creepy zodiac (12 issues annually + 1 special) and each issue incorporates the themes of its respective zodiac sign (subject matter, birthdays of subjects and other sign attributes).

MAD MONSTER’s pages are all framed by ornate borders that integrate a different animated “flip-book” in each issue.

MAD MONSTER features fun monster and horror themed activities (cutout paper models and puppets) and games (crossword puzzles, mazes and more).

MAD MONSTER features recurring features like “Tales of Mad Science” profiling real life “Mad Scientists”. “Crypt Critters” showcasing insects and other critters in films and pop culture. And lots of “what if” articles that inspire, inform and entertain.

MAD MONSTER is written and designed by horror writers, filmmakers, artists and musicians devoted to the genre.

Not only does it sound interesting it’s cheap! Only $6.66 per issue. Way better than the current overpriced horror mags available these days.

This March, Hell comes to BOOM! Studios as master of horror Clive Barker writes the newest chilling installment of his signature creation with the new HELLRAISER ongoing series! Joined by co-writer Christopher Monfette and HELLBLAZER artist Leonardo Manco, Clive Barker’s HELLRAISER #1 features covers by Tim Bradstreet and Nick Percival. The release of HELLRAISER #1 ongoing will be joined that same month by HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS VOL. 1, the first in a series reprinting the hard-to-find Marvel Comics-era Hellraiser stories. To herald the HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS series, HELLRAISER #1 will be an epic, oversized 40-page debut that includes a story by THE MATRIX co-writer & co-director Larry Wachowski — ripped from the HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS series.

The debut volume of the HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS series sees a slew of spine-tingling Pinhead tales by such creators as Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Mike Mignola, Alex Ross & more, with cover by John Bolton!

Joining the HELLRAISER ongoing series in March is the debut of HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS VOL. 1, a collection of classic HELLRAISER tales that will light your soul on fire! This must-have collection, originally published by Marvel Comics, features classic spinetinglers for die-hard fans and new readers alike, and collects a host of work from comic luminaries that you will not want to miss! Featuring the work of Clive Barker (HELLRAISER), Neil Gaiman (SANDMAN), Mike Mignola (HELLBOY), Larry Wachowski (THE MATRIX), Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME), Kevin O’Neill (LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) and many more — including a cover by John Bolton! You will not want to miss this first volume in a series that will assemble the best HELLRAISER comics that have ever been!

HELLRAISER #1 ships as an oversized 40-page issue in March with A & B covers in a 50/50 split with art by Tim Bradstreet and Nick Percival respectively, as well as a very special 1-in-50 incentive cover with art by John Abrahamson and signed by legendary master of horror Clive Barker. HELLRAISER: MASTERWORKS VOL. 1 ships in March, featuring the works of Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Mike Mignola, Larry Wachowski, Alex Ross, Kevin O’Neill and more with a cover by John Bolton.

Part one follows an evil warlock embarking on a mission to destroy a powerful book which contains a spell that imprisoned six other warlocks. Part two features Lubdan, the last of the leprechauns! The Leprechaun King is pissed when a treasure dealer sells off his gold, utilizing modern technology and on-line auctions.

Check out our exclusive four page preview below. The “Lionsgate Double Feature” will be available this November, wherever books and comic books are sold.

If Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus and Hellraiser 9 is profitable, than Leprechaun vs. Warlock has to be a direct-to-DVD home run!

Anywhoo, I’m very excited for the Lionsgate Double Feature: Leprechaun and Warlock graphic novel. It’s a two parter, Part one features an evil Warlock embarking on a mission to destroy a powerful book which contains a spell that imprisoned six other Warlocks. If the Warlock destroys the book, the curse is broken and the six Warlocks would be released back into the world free to cause death and destruction.

And the second part cult film Leprechaun comes to the graphic novel world, this is the tale of Lubdan, the king and sole survivor of the Leprechaun. The last of the Leprechauns! A treasure dealer stumbles across his pot of gold and steals it. In this modern age, he finds buyers all over the planet through on-line auctions.

Lionsgate Double Feature: Leprechaun and Warlock will be available in book stores, comic book stores and Amazon in November.

Every horror fan owns a few horror movie guides. Some of us even have two of the same book; better cover, better condition, or because we’re just insane horror hoarders… So does your typical horror fan have enough room on his bookshelf for the Horror Movie Freak — another look at the horror genre?

IMDB killed the need for books like John Stanley’s Creature Features and old movies like Terror on Tape, but horror fans love taking trips down memory lane. Reading new perspectives on horror classics is always fun. Reading the same regurgitated shit is not.

Don Sumner and his “Horror Freak Selection Panel of Experts” have taken a stab at the genre with Horror Movie Freak. A new book about horror movies that “don’t suck.” A very hard task. To use Sumner’s own words, “getting any two Horror Freaks to agree on the top 100 films is an exercise in futility.” I have never read a horror movie guide that doesn’t include some garbage, and the panel did a great job of only including great horror movies. The problem is the book doesn’t take any risks, only listing the most obvious movies from over the years, thus making it too horror 101 for me.

Horror Movie Freak offers nothing new for the older horror fan; no surprises, no fresh outlooks on old movies, just reworded descriptions of movies we have all seen.

The Honorable Mention section includes; Motel Hell, Sleepaway Camp, Night of the Comet, Puppet Master and The People Under the Stairs. The Vampire section reads like the criteria was to pick three films from each decade starting with the 80s: Near Dark (1987), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Interview with the Vampire (1994), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Underworld (2003), 30 Days of Night (2007), and Let the Right One In (2008).

If the goal of the book is to help newer fans become Horror Freaks then it achieved that goal. Almost all the movies listed are great suggestions. It is really hard to find a bad horror flick inside the pages of Horror Movie Freak. I guess the “Horror Freak Selection Panel of Experts” did manage to leave out movies that suck. Too bad they’re all obvious movies we have all seen.

Don Sumner’s book features great full color pics, manages to cover all the necessary subgenres, and even comes with a free Night of the Living Dead DVD. It will look great on your bookshelf, but unfortunately that’s where it will probably stay.

First Motel Hell and now Dario Argento’s Demons is getting its own comic book! Stefan Hutchinson is writing Demons 3, to tie in with new DVD releases of Demons and Demons 2 from Arrow Video in the UK.

Hutchinson told FEARnet about the comics, “It’s a comic book sequel to the classic 80s ‘Demons’ films, and will be released in two parts with the forthcoming Special Edition releases from Arrow Video. Book One will come with Demons and Book Two will come with Demons 2.”

You can also see a four page preview of the comic here.

IDW Publishing is releasing a 32-page Motel Hell comic this October. Written by Matt Nixon with art by Chris Moreno and Tim Bradstreet.

Welcome back to America’s favorite cinematic psycho siblings, Vincent & Ida Smith as these two insane farmers recruit some new prospective “crops” for their special garden. A group of wine snobs are flown into to their Napa Valley winery for the time, as in last, of their lives!

Saranna DeWylde’s cleverly titled How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days is available for preorder. If it’s like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with demons, sign me up! I love when my two favorite genres (horror and romantic comedy) cross.

Grace does. She’s got more demon than she can saddle. In fact, she’s got a sinfully sexy Crown Prince of Hell named Caspian. She’s also got ten days to get rid of him or Bad Things shall ensue. See, her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend didn’t take kindly to her smutty Mephistophelean contract. It’s not that she’s conspiring with fiends; that was his idea. It’s that she’s conspiring against him with outrageous devilry that runs the gamut from embarrassing to a dead hooker turned dominatrix demon gunning for his soul.

One should never trust demons, let alone shag them. They don’t have hearts. Yet Grace is buying hers some slightly tarnished armor and hoping that once he’s been shoveled into it, kicking and screaming, he’ll find it’s just his size. This wicked witch needs a white knight—or at least a Prince of Darkness for a Happily Ever After.

Remember when you were a kid and Nintendo released the Power Glove and based a whole movie around it and you pissed your pants with excitement and cried until you got one and then you got it out of the box and then you slowly started to realize how badly that it sucked?

Well, maybe not, but whenever a spin-off comic book series comes off of another comic book series that was really, really good, I get that old familiar feeling of being tricked into buying a Power Glove from Nintendo again.

So, since Crossed was one of my favorite comic book series of last year, I have to say that I wasn’t looking forward to Crossed – Family Values with as much excitement as if I were, say, eight years old again and too busy getting distracted by the flash of Nintendo cereal to notice how shitty the Power Glove actually was.

There are a couple of reasons for my hesitation, though that had nothing to do with those bastards at Nintendo.

The first reason is that Crossed really has one main theme, and I wasn’t convinced there was much else that could be done in the milieu to keep it interesting. What theme is that, you ask? Well, the rather upturned notion that humans in a zombie apocalypse wouldn’t fare well because of their inherent natures, not in spite of them. It was a pretty brilliant and dark turn on the old idea that we’d all band together and, you know, help each other out, but it’s also rather one-trick. Once you’re read through the first series, the idea is pretty fucking clear what the writers think of mankind, generally speaking.

The other reason is that Garth Ennis doesn’t appear to be writing Family Values. However, they’ve got David Lapham instead, who wrote Stray Bullets, which is one of my favorite comic book series of all time. Ever. That said, he really hasn’t done much except for a bunch of really template superhero comics since that series, but a guy has to eat, etc. etc. Anyway, I figure if anyone can make Crossed interesting again it’s probably Lapham.

But alas, I was not particularly impressed with the first issue of Crossed: Family Values, which centers around a farm-owning family and the events that transpired when they’re attacked by our primary series antagonists. With that, comes the usual awful taste you’ve come to expect from the flavor of the series, and the usual graphic violence, foul language, and sex (well, okay, rape) that follows in its wake.

Family Values #1 isn’t a terrible book, by all means, it’s just that you’ve probably seen it before. It’s another, more focused, variation on the original theme, with our patriarchal figurehead as bad as anyone else in the comic book, and a bit of a nihilistic and hopeless twist at the end of the first book, which would only be a twist, again, if we didn’t see such similar stuff in the original series.

Additionally, the artwork looks the same as the original Crossed series, despite having a different artist attached. This isn’t really a problem, but just reinforces the idea that this is just six more issues of the original series rather than anything different. You want to know why Batman is ultimately so consistently awesome? It’s because no matter how many replays he gets across umpteen-billion different comic book series’, they do different stuff with him most of the time, and that includes switching up the artwork. One advantage that comic books tend to have over other mediums is the ability to switch things up in a stylistic and technical sense, and I wish the industry would show some creativity and run with that option a little more often. You’ve got David Lapham writing the series, for Christ’s sake. It’s not like you just found some guy on Craigslist who can barely copy Ennis’s style and that’s as good as he can be.
I’ll give the series a chance, certainly. After all, Stray Bullets started off with a fairly mundane plot and turned mind-blowing after only a few issues. I should also point out that if you’re the type who isn’t reading these types of comic books for the high art and culture, you’ll probably like Crossed – Family Values for all the wrong reasons anyway, and I’ll highly recommend it to you in that regard.

So, yeah, it’s probably worth a look, and it certainly has the potential to get really, really good. But issue one feels like a slightly less-than-stunning debut for a series that I had much higher, and maybe even unrealistic, expectations for. Not quite a Power Glove, which is a good thing, but much more like that light gun that you could actually play Duck Hunt with for hours – and not much else after that.

Reread the first series or wait for the really good reviews once this series actually starts rolling beyond the first. I have my doubts it’s going to truly get off the ground though, but that might just be me adding my own groundbreaking and pessimistic twist to a comic book review.

Each year, the Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in the field of horror writing, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work Dracula. Since 1987, the approximately 500 members of the HWA have recommended, nominated and voted on the greatest works of horror and dark fantasy of the previous calendar year, making the Stokers the most prestigious award in the field of horror literature.

The organization’s Active members will select the winners from this ballot; voting will close on March 3rd, and the awards will be presented this year at a gala banquet on Saturday evening, March 27, at the World Horror Convention in Brighton, UK.

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL

Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan (Harper)
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Quarantined by Joe McKinney (Lachesis Publishing)
Cursed by Jeremy Shipp (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A FIRST NOVEL

Breathers by S. G. Browne (Broadway Books)
Solomon’s Grave by Daniel G. Keohane (Dragon Moon Press)
Damnable by Hank Schwaeble (Jove)
The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay (Henry Holt)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN LONG FICTION

Dreaming Robot Monster by Mort Castle (Mighty Unclean)
The Hunger of Empty Vessels by Scott Edelman (Bad Moon Books)
The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
Doc Good’s Traveling Show by Gene O’Neill (Bad Moon Books)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SHORT FICTION

“Keeping Watch” by Nate Kenyon (Monstrous: 20 Tales of Giant Creature Terror)
“The Crossing of Aldo Ray” by Weston Ochse (The Dead That Walk)
“In the Porches of My Ears” by Norman Prentiss (Postscripts #18)
“The Night Nurse” by Harry Shannon (Horror Drive-in)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN FICTION COLLECTION

Martyrs and Monsters by Robert Dunbar (DarkHart Press)
Got to Kill Them All and Other Stories by Dennis Etchison (Cemetery Dance)
A Taste of Tenderloin by Gene O’Neill (Apex Book Company)
In the Closet, Under the Bed by Lee Thomas (Dark Scribe Press)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ANTHOLOGY (EDITING)

He is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson edited by Christopher Conlon (Gauntlet Press)
Lovecraft Unbound edited by Ellen Datlow (Dark Horse Books)
Poe edited by Ellen Datlow (Solaris)
Midnight Walk edited by Lisa Morton (Darkhouse Publishing)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION

Writers Workshop of Horror by Michael Knost (Woodland Press)
Cinema Knife Fight by L. L. Soares and Michael Arruda (Fearzone)
The Stephen King Illustrated Companion by Bev Vincent (Fall River Press)
Stephen King: The Non-fiction by Rocky Wood and Justin Brook (Cemetery Dance)

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN POETRY COLLECTION

Double Visions by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions)
North Left of Earth by Bruce Boston (Sam’s Dot)
Barfodder by Rain Graves (Cemetery Dance)
Chimeric Machines by Lucy A. Snyder (Creative Guy Publishing)