Henry Covert.com

Philip Jose Farmer's The Peerless Peer reviewed at She Never Slept

2011-08-09T00:17:00.001-07:00

You can read my thoughts on this classic Philip Jose Farmer novel (featuring an Afterword by my good friend Win Scott Eckert) here:
http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/6479

Retrodrome: GANJA & HESS

2011-08-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Check out my discussion one of my all-time favourite films here: http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/6491 . This is the first installment of Retrodrome, my monthly column at She Never Slept.

Images des Nuit: Blaxploitation Volume 2

2011-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour: Blaxploitation Volume 1

2011-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

The greatest movie poster, lobby card and soundtrack album images from the Golden Age of Blaxploitation. More to come!

HIT MAN: Worth the wait...

2011-07-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

I finally, finally own a pristine copy of George Armitage's Hit Man (1972), starring Bernie Casey at his best and a lovely and very young Pam Grier. I've had one long, strange trip with this film. I think I first read about it in Shock Cinema (before I began contributing to the "Film Flotsam" section of that awesome magazine). I had heard of, but had yet to see, Get Carter, and learned that Hit Man was a blaxploitation remake of that film (the action was transposed - seamlessly, believe it or not - from Cockney England to urban Oakland). I learned that Casey and Grier were the stars and I was a fan of both actors.

I requested a screener from Video Search of Miami (remember them?) so that I could review Hit Man for the regional rag, Indie File, that I reviewed films for. I expanded my review for Video Eyeball's Drive-In special issue (which, sadly, ended up being our last). I still had not seen Get Carter (and didn't until 2002), so I downplayed that aspect of things and tackled the film on its own terms. I wrote a decent-sized review of the film, zealously praising Casey's "incendiary righteousness" (did I really write that way back then?) and comparing Hit Man favourably to one of my Top 10 most-loved flicks, Superfly. This review is cited on IMDb, I'm proud to say.

Years later, circa 2005, doing Wold Newton research, I needed access to some blaxploitation titles that were in limbo and not yet on DVD, among them Hit Man. A gent I corresponded with on a Yahoo! blaxploitation board supplied me with the titles I needed, duping them from his old VHSs onto DVD-Rs. Well, the picture quality and sound on the DVD-R were an improvement, but sadly not by much. But at least I could watch the movie on my DVD player. Recently, I learned the Warner Archives (on-demand DVD-Rs direct from the studio) had released the film. But not only did the copy I ordered through a vendor that goes through Amazon have the wrong (albeit beautiful) cover art, but the DVD played defectively on 5 different devices we tried it out on. I nabbed a refund, pronto.

I ordered HM directly from Amazon as soon as it went on sale (it had been $27) and could not be happier. The DVD was the real deal with the Warner imprimatur and original poster cover art and all. And, DVD-R or not, it plays perfectly on all our devices. So my quest is over and this Holy Grail of blaxploitation brilliance now resides in the Covert library. I highly recommend this film to any fans of blaxploitation, Casey, Grier, and/ or Get Carter (this is how a remake should be done) - which we (finally) own and love.

Images des Jour: OZMA OF OZ

2011-07-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

Having an Ozma kind of day I guess. Fabulous illustrations by an underrated master, John R. Neill.

Hack/ Slash # 30

2011-07-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Come visit The Comics Forge and peruse my last Hack/ Slash review for awhile: http://comicsforge.com/2011/07/2286/

Hack/ Slash # 27 reviewed at The Comics Forge

2011-07-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back at it with Cassie Hack and her faithful pal Vlad after all. Come visit The Comics Forge for my thoughts on this one: http://comicsforge.com/2011/07/2281/

Hack/ Slash # 23

2011-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm nearing the end of my Hack/ Slash cycle of reviews so enjoy (or ignore) these while you can. You can find this one at the awesome Comics Forge blog here:
http://comicsforge.com/2011/07/2273/

Shame: Conception Book I (1 of 3)

2011-07-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

I reviewed this immaculately crafted new graphic novel series by Vertigo veterans Lovern Kindzierski, John Bolton, and Todd Klein over at She Never Slept. Based on the first issue alone I highly recommended this series. My review can be found here:
http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/5793

... And even more Hack/ Slash

2011-07-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Because you demanded it*, a short review of Hack/ Slash #22 on the Comics Forge:
http://comicsforge.com/2011/07/hack-slash-22-mind-killer-part-ii/
*I hope someone demanded it anyway...

Image du Jour

2011-07-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the iconic image of Carroll Baker from Elia Kazan's "scandalous" 1956 classic Baby Doll, which my wife Sarah and I watched again last evening. The film was absurdly denounced by the Catholic League of Decency at time of its release. I once interviewed Richard Blackburn, director of the delightful Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatuural, and he related to me that Lemora had also been condemned by the Catholic League, and he mused, "I felt I must be doing something right to be singled out by the Catholic League of Decency - I mean, Baby Doll was and it's a classic, so I was in fine company".

Yet more Hack/ Slash

2011-07-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Join me as I put yet another issue of Hack/ Slash under the critical microscope over at the Comics Forge here: http://comicsforge.com/2011/07/hack-slash-21-mind-killer-part-i/

Image du Jour

2011-07-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

This ends my week of (in my opinion) spectacular images culled from the Tarzan and Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I've tried to find unusual or rarely pics; I was even hesitant at first to include Frazetta's Mars covers, but they were just too awesome to leave out. My closing pic is the gorgeous original cover of A Princess of Mars, the classic first novel in the Mars series, featuring a cutlass-wielding John Carter protecting beloved Dejah Thoris. This one has special significance for me since, though I'd read it once, APOM was absent from our (my wife's and mine) library. That is, until we received a 1939 hardcover edition in excellent condition as an anniversary gift from our dear friend, Jeremy Duncan, who stood up for me as best man for our third wedding (of many more to come...). It was almost odd having a traditional best man, as, due to various factors, my first two "best men" were women - Cara Cirincione Mueller, a dear friend of mine since 1999; and Alanna Quinn, Sarah's housemate at the the time she moved 3000 miles to marry me, and her close friend since 2005.

But I digress: Jeremy's gift was wonderful; an indispensable addition to a recently christened shared library - and a shared life together. I bet John Carter and Dejah Thoris are still traversing the Barsoomian star system sharing their life together - a life fraught with deadly danger, battles to the death, bizarre creatures - and eternal romance.

Images des Nuit

2011-07-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-08T23:50:00.001-07:00

Images des Nuit

2011-07-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-08T11:04:00.001-07:00

Images des Nuit

2011-07-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-07T20:22:00.001-07:00

Images des Nuit

2011-07-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Images des Nuit

2011-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

WNU TV!

2011-07-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Images des Jour

2011-07-05T22:16:00.001-07:00

Images des Nuit

2011-07-05T03:32:00.000-07:00

Image du Nuit

2011-07-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

Image du Jour

2011-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Guess it's Edgar Rice Burroughs week here at Image du Jour HQ...

Image du Jour

2011-07-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

TARZAN TRIUMPHANT!

Image du Nuit

2011-07-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

An absolutely gorgeous Shang-Chi splash by Rudy Nebres, one of my all-time favourite comix artists (who I nearly worked with alongside Rich Buckler on my proposed Defenders Inc. project for Marvel in 2006). Those were the days when the Master of Kung Fu was shown some respect!

Image du Jour

2011-07-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Norma Bengell rocks the black leather space suit in Mario Bava's exquisite Planet of the Vampires (1966).

CONCLAVES: a small preview of a long story...

2011-07-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

(top to bottom) Georgina "Georgie" Strathmore; Zenovius; Dack Nolan, agent of S.C.E.P.T.R.E.; Doctor Vincent Thomas Oblique; Dane Christian Hellstrand, a son of the demon Samael; Onus (Marisol D'Aulaire) and Pierce (John "Jack" Trantham aka Operator Zed); Solomon Anger; The Exterminating Angel (Tristan Sorrell); and Mescalita (Camille de Mauvais).

CONCLAVES is yet another dream project of mine that nearly came to fruition in 2008. I had spent that year inventing scores of characters; writing the first two issues' scripts; and devising a lengthy story bible beyond that. It was pitched to CAG (Comicbook Artists' Guild) member Steve Kanaras' Free Lunch Comics, which published a book by my later collaborator, Shawnti Therrien. But somehow, between developing projects for other indie publishers (which crashed and burned when those publishers went under); getting back in the game of freelance published journalism (in Astonishing Adventures Magazine and later Dark Discoveries); searching for secure employment; and dealing with family health issues and a deteriorating relationship, my commitment to CONCLAVES and to seeing things through with Steve (a great guy by the way; none of this is a reflection on him) fell far by the wayside.

I continued to generate characters and story ideas and even wrote an erotic short story, "The Ballad of Onus and Pierce" (my first sexually explicit writing in many years). But then, the chance to be a part of With Honor came about in October 2008 and I began to focus on "Snow Leopard" and on the cycle of short stories that have come to form the backbone of Iron Creek and Purple Rooms. These projects and Dark Discoveries filled my time in 2009 and early 2010, and I put CONCLAVES on an indefinite back burner. My search for an artist for the book had proven fruitless anyhow. It's hard to say when I'll have the chance and the wherewithall to pick back up CONCLAVES, but I have been doing some more character sketches this week, and pondering future plotlines. It's impossible to resist really. When the characters speak, I must listen.

Oh, and for those who've asked: "what exactly is CONCLAVES actually about?", I can only describe it as semi-autobiographical, metafictional pastiche, inspired by my experiences pitching comics stories.

CONCLAVES and all related art, characters, and designs depicted, and all story elements are Copyright 2008-2011 George Henry Smathers Jr.

DESOLATION FALLS: a very small preview

2011-07-02T01:22:00.000-07:00

Like FLICKER STREET, DESOLATION FALLS is yet another dream comix project of mine that just might find a home one of these fine first days. Above are three original rather rough character sketches (one sometime comic book writer derisively dismissed them immediately because I'd sketched them on lined paper - something I didn't plan; I was just bitten by a spontaneity bug - and i wasn't even pitching them to this guy). The characters above are: Sully Mower, Ossuary, and Nestor Blue. I have a few more sketches, and when I actually find them, I'll post them as well. As always, all art, characters, designs and story elements are Copyright 2002-2011 George Henry Smathers Jr.

Image du Jour

2011-07-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Kimba the White Lion, my all-time favourite animated character and series.

CROSSOVERS and Assorted Projects from Win Scott Eckert

2011-07-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Win Scott Eckert's mammoth tomes, CROSSOVERS: A Secret History of the World, Volumes 1 and 2, have been out for awhile now. I reviewed them in March over at my wife's site, She Never Slept, but I feel they're still current enough, and I'm consulting them so much on a daily, if not hourly, basis, that I have to recommend them yet again to anyone reading my blog who doesn't follow SNS (for shame!) http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/4277

Win filled me in on his various projects, current and upcoming, all filled, like Crossovers, with Wold Newtony goodness (What's Wold Newton you ask? Keep reading). Win's so prolific it's hard for a brother to keep up. So I'll let Win himself fill you in on his some of the exciting things he has on the horizon:

"THE GREEN HORNET CASEFILES (the second Green Hornet anthology), co-edited by me and Joe Gentile; my story "Bad Medicine" is co-written with Vito Delsante; it's at the printer now, so hopefully shipping in a month or so? The book features the 1960s Hornet (TV version) and our story takes place in 1964. http://www.amazon.com/Green-Hornet-Casefiles-Joe-McKinney/dp/1933076941/

"My Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Fallen Stone" is coming soon in SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE CROSSOVERS CASEBOOK. This is the Holmes-Sexton Blake story listed on the book cover, but it's no mere crossover. The story takes place in 1917 and flows naturally from some of the key 1916 events of THE PEERLESS PEER, sending Holmes, Watson, detective Harry Dickson, and a Rohmer-esque female character to an out-of-the-way village called Wold Newton. The story centers around the properties of a certain meteor which once landed near that village, and the villain has close ties to Philip Jose Farmer's authorized Doc Savage novel ESCAPE FROM LOKI. (I'm not sure of the exact release date.) http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Crossovers-Casebook-SC/dp/1933076992/

"The Sherlock Holmes story also has a strong connection to my tale in the forthcoming THE AVENGER: THE JUSTICE INC. FILES, "Happy Death Men," which takes place in 1945. The tale features a team-up with The Avenger and the Domino Lady, and has links to Philip Jose Farmer's authorized Doc Savage novel ESCAPE FROM LOKI. It's at the printer now, so hopefully shipping in a month or so? http://www.amazon.com/Avenger-Justice-Inc-Files/dp/1933076909/

""Zombies under Broadway" is my Green Ghost tale co-written with Eric Fein. It should appear in a forthcoming issue of MOONSTONE PULP FICTION MAGAZINE. I don't have any further scheduling details. http://www.comicbooknews.us/comicbooknewsstory.asp?story=5186

"I am currently writing a Honey West-T.H.E. Cat crossover story for Moonstone's Honey West prose anthology (not to be confused by a Honey West-T.H.E. Cat crossover comic by another creative team, also for Moonstone). The tale picks up on a back-story line from David McDaniel's THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. novel THE RAINBOW AFFAIR. No schedule as of yet.

"Coming in the pipeline... another Avenger tale; a new "Wold Newton Origins" story for Meteor House (for THE WORLDS OF PHILIP JOSE FARMER vol. 3, to be released some time in 2012); a Patricia Wildman story (picking up from the events of the novel THE EVIL IN PEMBERLEY HOUSE); and a Sherlock Holmes novel."

Also be sure to check out Win's recent digital releases:

http://woldnewton.blogspot.com/2011/06/iron-and-bronze-by-christopher-paul.html

http://woldnewton.blogspot.com/2011/06/going-digital-captain-midnight-at.html

... as well as Win's sites: Win Scott Eckert.com (http://woldnewton.blogspot.com/) and An Expansion of Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe at:
http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Pulp2.htm ,which is where I first encountered his work and which has provided the backbone of not only Crossovers but the excellent book Win edited, Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe.

I highly recommend any and/ or all of Win's currently prodigious output. His work is of special appeal to pulp and genre fans, followers of the Wold Newton Family concept, and, most of all, aficionados of the late, great taboo-busting author Philip Jose Farmer. A love of Farmer's works is what introduced me to Win and to many other folks whom I now number among my closest friends.

To get an idea of what PJF and Wold Newton were and are about, I shamelessly direct you to another of my SNS articles:
http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/1874

I'll be waxing about Wold Newton a great deal on this blog in the future, and, especially, on my own website (currently under construction): www.purpleserpent.com . I wanted to save my thoughts on Wold Newton and my own attempts at literary archaeology for my own site one day, and now, thanks to my wife, that day is nearly here. I also own the most heavily-trafficked public forum on the web devoted to all things Wold Newton and Philip Jose Farmer: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wold_Newton_Family/ . Drop by and apply for membership if you're interested.

Thanx to Win for the information, and for his support and friendship over the past seven years, and for being the custodian of Phil's legacy and the keeper of the Wold Newton flame.

Hack/ Slash # 20: Closing thoughts on "Closer"

2011-06-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Stop by the Comics Forge and read my closing thoughts on the Hack/ Slash story arc "Closer" here: http://comicsforge.com/2011/06/1880/

Thoughts on Hack/ Slash: "Closer part II"

2011-06-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Comic Forge review here:

http://www.comicsforge.com/2011/06/hack-slash-19-closer-part-ii/

Henry Covert dissects a new Hack/ Slash story arc over at The Comics Forge

2011-06-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Time to dissect a new Hack/ Slash storyline over at The Comics Forge here: http://comicsforge.com/2011/06/hack-slash-18-closer-part-i/

Image du Jour

2011-06-29T00:21:00.001-07:00

Henry Covert reviews more Hack/ Slash on The Comics Forge

2011-06-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've reviewed the "Oz issue" of Hack/ Slash - issue # 14, "Over the Rainbow", over at The Comic Forge here: http://comicsforge.com/2011/06/1815/

Henry Covert reviews Hack/ Slash on The Comics Forge

2011-06-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Check out my thoughts on Hack/ Slash in my very first post on The Comics Forge: http://comicsforge.com/2011/06/hack-slash-revenge-of-the-return-part-4/

GENE COLAN: Images

2011-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've been terribly sad about Mr. Colan's passing. He is my all-time favourite comic book artist. Nothing I could say would adequately express how I feel, so I thought I'd just let Gene - through his amazing work - speak for himself. It was nearly impossible to limit myself to a small sampling of Gene's genius. Above is a plethora of images, mostly comix covers, featuring my trifecta of favourite books Gene worked on: Tomb of Dracula, Howard the Duck, and Dr. Strange. Enjoy!
Gene Colan
RIP September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011

Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Art Blakey: Drum Battle, Parts 1-3

2011-06-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

These clips were alternately acclaimed and pilloried by the ever-insightful throng on YouTube, but I find them timelessly brilliant. Those trolls can have their Neil Pearts anyway. I'm sticking with these cats and their glorious ilk...
HC

Words of Wisdom from General Ursus

2011-06-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA 1984/1948

2011-06-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

I illustrated six of my favourite Justice Society of America members in 1984 (is it obvious I was - and still am - hung up on the linework of John Totleben?). I envisioned these when I was a 16-year-old All-Star Squadron fan as a tryptych, but didn't draw the last 3 (which would've been The Flash, The Atom, & Wildcat). The JSA is, after Marvel's Defenders, my 2nd all-time favourite comix super-team.

The Saga of Snow Leopard Part 2

2011-06-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

From the Official Snow Leopard Fan Page on Facebook:

"Zhau Qi was an 11 Chinese year old girl whose parents, Zhau Mu-wan and Zhau Li, took her and her twin sister, Nin, on an obsessive trek up the icy slopes of Mt. Cho Oyu in Nepal. Mu-wan wished to reach the summit of the mountain, where he hoped to find the legendary Blind Eye of the Mountain, an aperture in the craggy peak where, it was rumoured, one could find peace, enlightenment, untold desire - or untold power. For twenty years, Mu-wan had trained for this journey and to divine the secrets of the Blind Eye. In so doing, he had lost all that he had - save for his family. Against all better judgment he took his daughters along with he and his wife, who had made her husband's quest her own.

Nearing the summit, Li was shot and killed by an assassin called Trandem, an old enemy of Mu-wan's, and Nin fell into an icy crevasse between the peaks. A huge snow leopard called Erizu tried to save Mu-wan from Trandem's fire but to no avail. Her parents dead and slowly disappearing beneath the snow, Qi was taken under the care of Great Erizu (an old ally of Mu-wan) and his pregnant mate Pura, both of whom possessed "mindspeak", a telepathy that bridged barriers between languages and species. Erizu had spent years inside the mountain, and the Eye's mystic energy had made him a telepath and dreamscryer - vastly more intelligent and psychically attuned than any beast - including most men.

Pura soon gave birth to the cub Kira, but Trandem reappeared and slew Pura. Erizu died shielding his cub and Qi from Trandem, who was an old and bitter foe of the great leopard. Dying, Erizu imparted visions to Qi - subconscious wisdom that she would only begin to fully comprehend when she was older. These visions held warnings against Trandem and his true nature and that of the Blind Eye of the Mountain. Qi bonded with Kira, who already possessed an infantile "mindspeak". The two orphans miraculously arrived at an opening in the mountain. The light inside temporarily blinded Qi, and she and Kira were cared for by a man called Seijun Ko, an old acquaintance of both Qi's father and Kira's. Ko told the girl and the cub that they had found the Blind Eye of the Mountain. Ko vowed to train Qi in order to find and exact her vengeance on Trandem. When Ko asked the girl her name, she spoke as one who had died and been reborn and answered, "Snow Leopard".

Almost nine years later, Snow Leopard - now a master of martial arts and exotic weaponry - and Kira - unmatched by man or beast in powers of the mind - wander Asia tracking all who possess the symbol of the Blind Eye of the Mountain. This sigil has spelled immense suffering for the pair, but has also led them to the power they need to gain at last their revenge on the man called Trandem."

The Snow Leopard Page on Facebook can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587#!/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587?sk=wall

Please drop by and, in Facebook parlance, "Like" Snow Leopard!

"Snow Leopard", Snow Leopard, Zhau Qi, Kira, Erizu, Pura, Zhau Mu-wan, Zhau Li, Zhau Nin, Seijun Ko, Trandem, and all related characters, designs, and story elements are Copyright 2008-2011 George Henry Smathers Jr. (AKA Henry Zeo Covert). Art above Copyright 2009-2011 Albert Luciano.

Man-Thing # 17, page 10 - "A Book Burns in Citrusville"

2011-06-20T02:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a cherished piece of original art from my second favourite Man-Thing story, "A Book Burns in Citrusville" (top honours go to issue # 15, "A Candle for Sainte-Cloud"). Jim Mooney sold me this gorgeous page from his own collection for $20.00 at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. He was such a gracious gentleman. Sadly, he passed away the following year. I wanted to get him in on my Defenders Inc. pitch to Marvel but it was not to be, and not just because of Jim's death (a story for another blog). We lost Man-Thing writer Steve Gerber in 2008 as well, not terribly long after Jim's passing, so this page holds even more meaning to me. It is a piece of our collection that I will never sell.

The Saga of "Snow Leopard"

2011-06-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Snow Leopard" began as a pitch that I made to the Comicbook Artists Guild (or, CAG) at the end of 2008 for With Honor, a projected "American manga" anthology conceived by CAG executive officer and comix creator Shawnti Therrien. Shawnti envisioned a graphic novel collection designed to replicate in all ways the look and flavor of genuine manga (except that it would be in English). In 2009, my concept was approved, a script written, and I laid out the majority of the story myself in detailed thumbnails. In February 2010, I was paired with a "dream team" - CAG veterans Albert "Albie" Luciano (who assisted me on layouts and provided the pencilled art); Alex Rivera (who inked); and Shawnti herself, who lettered, edited, and later added tones to Alex's inks.

I worked with Albie, Alex, and Shawnti on the 16 page story throughout 2009, in between our other gigs, jobs, and personal lives. My own life changed immensely that year. By the end of the year, I had lost my mother and my best friend, and dissolved a long-term relationship. In late October 2009, I met my current wife, Sarah, and December, my work on "Snow Leopard" was done and the story was advertised in Dark Discoveries, a magazine I was writing for at the time. The story was mostly done save for extra tones to be added to Alex's inks by Shawnti, and a few pages of lettering left to be done. Shawnti worked on the tones and lettering in early 2010, often going through each page, step-by-step, with me over the phone as she worked. With Honor was originally slated for an early 2010 release. It was nationally advertised and boasted a 1000 member strong Facebook group that I created and co-administrated with Shawnti. I also created a Facebook "fan page" that has peaked at 350 folks "liking" it (in Facebook parlance).

With Honor was stalled for the remainder of the year, however, due to various production issues. As hard as I tried to promote the book, matters were out of my hands. I had to wait as patiently as possible while Shawnti finished her work on "Snow Leopard" and on a story by comix vet and CAG member Rusty Haller,who had sadly passed away early in the book's production. Throughout 2010, Shawnti and CAG President Keith Murphey sought to finalize financial plans and set a schedule for publication. Meanwhile, I tapped Albert Luciano as a possible collaborator on various web comix projects I was planning, including a possible continuation of "Snow Leopard", but Albie was unavailable due to other projects.

In September 2010, Creating Comics: 47 Master Artists Reveal the Techniques and Inspiration Behind Their Comic Genius, edited by Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz, was published. I was profiled, and the focus was on the creative process behind "Snow Leopard" and spotlighted page 12 of the story from my rough layouts to the finished page pencilled by Albert Luciano, inked by Alex Rivera, and lettered, toned, and edited by Shawnti. Also featured was the now-iconic Snow Leopard illustration (pictured at top of this post) pencilled by me and digitally inked and coloured by Shawnti.

As interest in With Honor peaked and a Winter or Spring 2011 wide release was planned, Keith Murphey decided to publish a galley-style vanity run for the creators to have comp copies and to coincide with summer comic cons. Due to unfortunate post-production errors on this first run of "Snow Leopard", two pages of the 16 page story were cut, so I decided to post the entire uncut story exclusively on Facebook - on my own profile and now on this page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587#!/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587.

Now readers can see the story as it was originally intended by its creators until a definitive wide release of With Honor becomes a reality. With Honor is now tentatively slated for a Fall 2011 release. The uncut "Snow Leopard" by Covert, Luciano, Rivera, and Therrien will make its wide debut online by September 2011 to inaugurate the launch at last of my official website (www.purpleserpent.com - under construction), largely designed and constructed by my wife Sarah as an adjunct site to her site, She Never Slept, which I currently write articles and reviews for at: http://sheneverslept/newsandreviews

As a follow up to the original Snow Leopard story, all-new installments will begin as web comix on www.purpleserpent.com by October 2011. The extremely talented C Lue Disharoon will be pencilling and inking, with yours truly once again writing and laying out the ongoing saga of Zhau Qi AKA Snow Leopard and her companion, Kira (an actual snow leopard). The new creative team is currently searching for a letterer.

"Snow Leopard", Snow Leopard, Zhau Qi, Kira, and all related characters, designs, and story elements are Copyright 2011 George Henry Smathers Jr. (AKA Henry Zeo Covert).

Dio in Gothenburg

2011-06-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here are five amazing video clips of Ronnie James Dio playing Gothenburg, Sweden through the years. These clips span 1997 to 2001. Three clips are of the band Dio performing two Dio tracks and the Rainbow classic "Catch the Rainbow". Two clips are of Ronnie singing tunes from Roger Glover's classic "The Butterfly Ball" with Deep Purple (what a backing band). Enjoy!

RIP Ronnie James Dio July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010
Still I'm sad....

Images du Jour: SIRIUS

2011-06-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

Image du Jour

2010-10-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Images des Mois

2010-06-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

ANTICHRIST
Possession for the New Millenium?

Here are a few international posters and promo images from Lars Von Trier's contentious masterpiece (allegedly available for pre-order from Amazon as a deluxe uncut DVD or Blu-ray from Criterion).

I close with this brief and now notorious clip from the film, which has become its viral calling card on the web (the key still for which appears directly above):

I may be be pilloried for saying it, but... I love it! Bring on that Criterion!

HC

Videos des Mois

2010-03-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of my Images de Jour pages, here is my first 'Videos du Jour' entry: a potpurri of clips from Luis Bunuel's 1970 masterpiece Tristana (one of my all-time favourite films) - trailers, short scenes, and a sweet fan-made montage. Sorry, not all clips are subtitled, alas.

Images des Mois

2010-03-09T04:56:00.000-08:00

An array of posters from one of my most beloved films, Wong Kar-wai's 2046.

Image du Jour

2009-12-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

I am way behind on my images. So I'm posting three to slightly atone for my slackness. Above is Ronnie James Dio, from his first stint (of three) in Black Sabbath. Ronnie has been my favorite vocalist and, for lack of a better term, a hero to me since 1982. It was recently reported that Ronnie is in the early stages of stomach cancer. Not being a religious person, I'm not exactly praying for Ronnie, but sending him all the positive energy I can muster (which praying is a ritualistic variation of anyway in my opinion). If anyone reading is in any way a fan, please do the same.

Next: more Octobriana (though I can never get enough personally)!

... And finally, one of several covers of Philip Jose Farmer's (as the cover says) "shocking underground classic of blood and lust", A Feast Unknown, which I highly recommend seeking out - though certain scenes may rattle some folks' cages a bit too much for them to appreciate it.

HC 93

Image du Jour

2009-11-27T02:07:00.001-08:00

Vintage poster for Jean Cocteau's classic Orpheus (aka Orphee; 1950).

Image du Jour

2009-11-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

A pretty cool Japanese poster for The Omega Man.

Image du Jour

2009-11-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

A vary rare variant poster for Lucio Fulci's 1966 spaghetti western Massacre Time (Tempo di Massacro aka The Brute and the Beast), starring the great Franco Nero (Django, Keoma, Companeros, many more).

This title and image pretty much have nothing to do with Fulci's film, just in case you go into the film expecting a town without a sheriff.

HC 93

Image du Jour

2009-11-22T22:34:00.001-08:00

Sarah and I were discussing reincarnation and her favourite DC heroines this evening, so I thought this image of Hawkgirl that evoked one of her past lives might be appropos. For you, Sarah (as Carter Hall said to Kendra), My Once and Future Love...

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Image du Jour

2009-11-22T04:35:00.000-08:00

Image du Jour

2009-11-21T01:20:00.000-08:00

Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Chessmen of Mars is the fifth of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars novels, and one of my favourites. I own the edition with this phantasmagoric cover by Gino D'Achille. John Carter is not center stage in this book, which has to be the weirdest entry in the series; certainly ERB outdid himself with his descriptions of the titular "Chessmen" creatures. D'Achille's cover certainly made me shudder when my uncle gave me a copy for my 12th birthday. But I loved it just as the other ERB Mars novels, and it's still a fantastic read.

Image du Jour

2009-11-20T02:13:00.000-08:00

Image du Jour

2009-11-18T23:26:00.000-08:00

My mother bought this comic for me when I was a wee tot. I liked H.G. Wells, and I thought the hero, Killraven, looked cool, but the lampreys were scary. I didn't understand the story. I could make no sense of it. I decided to give it another try another time. By the time I did, Amazing Adventures was defunct.

In the 1980s I rather cheaply amassed a complete run of the Amazing Adventures issues featuring the War of the Worlds strip. It's now one of my favourite Marvel series ever. And this Jim Starlin cover image (aided by the H.G. Wells imprimatur) is what first roused my curiosity. What a classic 70s Marvel cover!

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Image du Jour

2009-11-18T01:11:00.000-08:00

Image du Jour

2009-11-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Image du Jour

2009-11-16T02:16:00.000-08:00

Frigga in a contemplative moment before slaughtering a few dozen more pimps, thugs, and anyone else in her way.

Image du Jour

2009-11-15T04:39:00.001-08:00

Swamp Thing and Abby by John Totleben, one of the most underrated artists in the history of comics. This is for Sarah.

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Image du Jour

2009-11-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

Stunning original Japanese poster art for Female Prisoner Scorpion # 701: Grudge Song (1973), directed by Yasuharu Hasebe (Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter) and starring the amazing Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood).

Image du Jour

2009-11-13T03:47:00.001-08:00

A rare Czech poster for the original Planet of the Apes (1968).

Image du Jour

2009-11-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

A 1968 Japanese one-sheet poster for Jean-Luc Godard's brilliant Alphaville (1965).

Image du Jour

2009-11-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

Morded by John Eric Holmes is the 1980 sequel to the 1928 novel Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan, which was the basis for the Buck Rogers comic strip (also created and originally written by Nowlan), which of course spawned movies, comix, toys, a television series, etc. Mordred is a fantastic book that answers many questions about the future world postulated by Nowlan, and about Rogers himself. This book has been out of print for years. Thankfully I still have my first edition mass market. Mordred's gorgeous cover is my Image du Jour for today.

Image du Jour

2009-11-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, my good friend Win Scott Eckert should begin feeling very flattered, starting today. He posts a Pic o' the Day on his site, and you never know what to expect except that they're always searingly eye-catching. Much of the time he posts covers of obscure (and not-so-obscure) pulp novels (of all genres), but he also tosses in plenty of recent fare as well.

Well, now that I've pretty much endorsed Win's cool site, which everyone should check out (http://woldnewton.blogspot.com), I'm copping to ripping off his idea, and my 'Images du Jour' will be from any media - comics, books, films, and so on - covers, posters, and any other groovy image that I come upon and want to share. I've learned from Win that it's good to keep a steady feed going with one's blog, and have at least something up every day. I am still woefully behind on promoting Dark Discoveries, Slam-Bang Comics, and With Honor. But I'll also be posting some older film reviews (revised and updated) from my days in the late 90s as a columnist, reviewer, and feature writer for magazines and newspapers that are sadly defunct (and with no web presence anymore either). I want to preserve and share my work from that period since copies of those publications are now so scarce.

Enjoy my first Image du Jour, perched atop this screed. Personally I find it breathtaking...

HC 93

Entropie Frograt & the Apocalypse Flowers - LOLITA 93 [HQ] - Musick Video by Henry Zeo Covert

2009-10-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

At long last, a video - or an image really - to accompany my song "LOLITA 93" . This was performed in June of 1993 by the first iteration of my occasional musickal side project, Entropie Frograt & the Apocalypse Flowers. The tune was written and arranged by keyboardist Silver Oak and myself, and features drummer Michael Lillard; the three of us were all former members of North Carolina cult band Chiaroscuro, founded in 1986 by Jason V Brock.

My then-fiancee Anais played electric violin, and trading guitar and sundry doodads with me is Elisa Faires, who sings lead on the last portion of the track. Elisa is now a highly respected veteran performer and teacher of avant-garde musick based in Asheville NC. My old friend Duane Cochran, a veteran of the Wilmington NC film scene, assisted me in EQ-ing and remastering an album's worth of Frograt material onto CD. What resulted was a collection of very noisy but (hopefully) highly listenable lo-fi tracks which comprise the album 1231, completed in June of 2000.

1231 went viral in 2007 with the assistance of brilliant NC musician Richard Lizard, and this video was created on August 30, 2009. An alternate video was also created - with actual moving images! - the same week, but Windows Movie Maker conversion issues have prevented me from publishing it as of yet.

Special thanx to Jason V Brock, musical mentor to most of the Flowers on this track; and to 'S'.

Entropie Frograt essentially = Henry Zeo Covert. The Apocalypse Flowers on the final cut of "LOLITA 93":

Silver Oak (aka Jeremy Horne)
Michael Lillard
Elisa Faires
Anais (aka Ann Roberts)
with
Cockring (aka Duane Cochran)
Richard Lizard (aka Richard Jacob)

Copyright 2009, 2010 George Henry Smathers Jr. A Horne/ Smathers Composition.

COVEN - 'Lady O' for Jinx [HQ] by Henry Zeo Covert

2009-10-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

My first video: an offering of thanx, for many years of beautiful sounds, to my friend Jinx Dawson. This is "Lady O", by Jinx's groundbreaking occult rock band Coven. I strung together key images of Jinx and Coven and their iconography to weave the story of "Lady O"... whoever she may be. This song by rights should have been a huge hit. It appears on Coven's classic 1974 album, Blood on the Snow.

Created August 6, 2009.
Special thanx to James Barnes, Jay Velez, William Jannusch, Derek Jones, Rachel Kadushin, and of course Jinx Dawson.

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Jinx Dawson and COVEN online:

Jinx Dawson on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=jinx+&init=quick#/jinx.dawson?ref=search&sid=649741154.2541324275..1

JINX of The COVEN Official Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/henry.covert?ref=name#/group.php?gid=14531810902&ref=ts

Coven Music Vault YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/covenmusicvault

Official Coven MySpace Number 1:
http://www.myspace.com/jinxdawsoncoven

Official Coven MySpace Number 2:
http://www.myspace.com/jinxandthecoven

Jinx Dawson's Personal Lair on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/jinxdawson

The Official Underground Coven Vault - A Cafe Press Shoppe:
http://www.cafepress.com/jinxcoven

'A CHILD OF THE SEA' Preview

2009-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

So I'm laboring away at a short story I'm writing and illustrating for the upcoming music-themed issue of Fan-Atic Press' Slam-Bang Comics, published by underground comix vet Allen Freeman. The sto ry I'm doing is entitled "A Child of the Sea" and is an autobiographical cartoon sharing my nearly life-long obsession with Black Sabbath.

So I'm rushing to hit this deadline, and talk about woodshedding. Not only am I immersing myself in all things Sabbath (which is a daily ritual of mine anyway, thankfully for the story), but I'm striving for likenesses of the various Sabbath members portrayed in the story. Expect a much more cartoonish than photo-realistic look, which not only eases my burden but better serves a story inspired by the great underground comix by Harvey Pekar and R. Crumb that have dealt with their own musical fetishes.

Here is a small preview:

Below is a study I worked up of Ian Gillan, Sabbath's vocalist on the classic Born Again album and tour; and a quick sketch I did of Sabbath main man Tony Iommi, .

More to come,
HC

Postscript/ Update (April 2009): I was not able to complete the 8 page "A Child of the Sea" for Slam-Bang Comics Vol. III # 4 after all due to time constraints, but editor Allen Freeman has chosen to run my text and photo collage piece "Jazz Deaths" instead so that I can still be included in the issue. "Jazz Deaths" originally appeared in 1997 in issue # 10 of a zine I used to write for called Terminal Brain Rot, edited by Cleveland-based psychotronic zinester/ muso Michael Huegen, who had a profound influence on me in my early days as a published writer, back when Michael's home base was the City Where Evil Dwells, Charlotte NC. Thanx Michael and thanx so much Allen!

Some Thoughts on DAWN OF THE DEAD (The Only Version That Matters)

2009-02-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

Due to popular demand (OK, like three people), I'm presenting this brief, far-from-comprehensive scattershot review (that originally appeared on Flixster and on my MySpace blog) of one of my all-time favourite films.

George A Romero's seminal horror picture DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) is a film that (with its predecessor, Romero's 1968 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) has spawned an entire subgenre of horror and a teeming cottage industry of works that, with very few exceptions, in no way approach the brilliance of Romero's. No doubt I'll, um, cannibalize this capsule rant when I cover DAWN at more length for a future piece on my all-time favourite flicks.

Some Thoughts on DAWN OF THE DEAD
(The Only Version That Matters)
by Henry Covert

Romero's epic of survival in a world overrun by the living dead could be the most ambitious - and successful - attempt at using the horror film genre as powerful and multi-leveled social critique. Our quartet of hapless protaganists sequester themselves in a massive shopping mall, all the consumerist needs of their past lives fulfilled, despite one of them slowly dying from zombie bites, and the two in a relationship (one pregnant) finding it as impossible to get along in this manufactured world as in their previous lives.

It falls to SWAT officer Peter Washington (an Oscar-level turn by Ken Foree - as if Oscars really held much credibility to me), one of the great heroes of horror or action cinema, to keep his cool and keep thinking, even when faced with his friend's zombification, and the zombies ultimately breaching the mall due to a renegade army of looting bikers. Peter almost manages to deal with it all and get out alive with pregnant Fran (Gaylen Ross), but there's a final twist - but one that makes Peter's struggles worthwhile.
If you have yet to see this, see it now! Much imitated, never equalled, with brilliant performances, a tight (and highly quotable) script that shows Romero thought out every angle of his premise. And the interesting thing is, no one ever learns exactly why the dead walk - it's just happening, and they have to deal with it. I could write on and on about the meanings and subtext at play here, but I leave that to the individual viewer. For the gorehounds (who no doubt have, uh, devoured this flick numerous times, but just in case), the intestine-ripping, gut-munching splatter is on hand in copious amounts. As with its premise and approach, this movie broke ground to become the benchmark for gore films from here on, largely due to Tom Savini's savagely realistic makeup effects.
Finally, if you've seen neither version of the film (not counting the several cuts of Romero's original), please, I beg you, eschew Zack Snyder's pointless DOTD remake. Watch the real one first. I don't hate the remake, but for the most part it's imminently forgettable and misses most of the points Romero was making. So much for "re-imaginings".

"When the dead walk, we must stop the killing... or lose the war".

Henry Covert
2007

Astonishing Adventures # 5 On Sale At Last

2009-02-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

The current issue of Astonishing Adventures Magazine is finally on sale as a hard copy magazine. This issue features the final installment of my column "The Many Worlds of Wold Newton" with AAM. I have another possible venue for it, but it's way too soon to confirm anything. Astonishing Adventures # 5 can be ordered on Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/Astonishing-Adventures-Magazine-Issue-5/dp/1441451404/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

AAM # 4, featuring my first Wold Newton column, is still on sale as well here:

http://www.amazon.com/Astonishing-Adventures-Magazine-Issue-4/dp/1438258097/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Thanx again to Katherine Thomlinson for her unflagging editorial support and encouragement during my time with AAM.

Appropos quote of the week, from one of my very favourite films :

"It's not so much what we do... it's having a choice... being able to decide what it is I want... not just to be forced into a thing because that's the way it is. I'm gonna buy me some time, baby... some time that isn't all fucked up with things we gotta do. Just to be free."

- Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal), Superfly

This Blog Is Still Under Construction.

2008-12-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

I hope to have it up and running sometime in January. Please feel free to check in anytime in case I get sufficiently caught up on my other projects to get this going sooner rather than later.

Love Under Will,
HC