Bane of the Werewolf at FantaSciCon

OK - back to basics.

Bane of the Werewolf is back on the production wheel. The advertising campaign has taken root and now we are free to keep you - the fans - up to date.
Reb’s layouts look great and the excitement in The Dungeon[the basement studio] is building to an all time high.
With FantaSciCon just around the corner, we are gearing up to unleash many silver age horrors upon it’s attendees. Bane of the Werewolf issue #1 will be available along with high quality prints and Silver Phoenix merchandise. Reb will be on hand for autographs and sketchings. Don’t miss it!

Wonder what people are saying about Bane of the Werewolf? Trek over to comicmonsters.com and check out the forum. The making of Bane of the Werewolf forum.

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“Pencils and inks look great! Thanks for the walk through. I’ll be looking for this one.”
- GrayRider, comicmonsters.com

“REB’s art looks great, nice layouts, this is a definate one for me.”
- paperdragon, comicmonsters.com

“Totally sweet looking book. Glad I ordered this… ”
- Riding_Ghost, comicmonsters.com

Recent BotW news :
-Due to our monstrous work load, The Dungeon staff were unable to appear at ConNooga 2009. Our apologies to all who expected to see us. We hope to see you there next year.
-Reb has been invited to discuss Bane of the Werewolf on a radio broadcast in the Chicago-land area. More information[station, date and time] to come as it becomes available.
-The final proof of the first print run has been approved. Expect it to ship early next week!
-The Dungeon staff will attend this year’s FantaSciCon in full force. The show takes place March 20th - 22nd, 2009. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, you still have a chance to do so at www.fantascicon.com.

In attempt to always try and give the fans more without revealing too much, we are beginning something new with this post. We will be posting preliminary character sketches here of the characters from BotW. This allows you to see and experience the production end of BotW as it unfolds. Enjoy!

Bane of the Werewolf covers 1 and 2

Bane of the Werewolf comic book covers issues #1 & 2.

Full color issue #1 cover.

Black and White issue #2 cover.

The Making of Bane of the Werewolf

Head over to comicmonsters.com and take a look at the creative process for Bane of the Werewolf.
The Making of Bane of the Werewolf.

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“I grew up reading Werewolf By Night, Ghost Rider, Son of Satan, Adam Warlock, (Warlock not really being in the horror genre, but look at those shadows!) Creepy, Eerie, and many others. I feel my art is heavily influenced by the creators of those mags. Mike Ploog, Berni Wrightson, Jim Starlin, Murphy Anderson, and most recently in my life, Hal Foster, Wally Wood, Reed Crandall and Will Eisner. There are many others, not all belonging to the horror genre obviously, but we’ll restrict the list to these distinguished few.

The old gothic horror movies from the 1930s - 1960s play a huge role as well. When referring to set design, atmosphere and mood, the Universal classics, Hammer, RKO and Columbia have a wide range of untold wealth which originates from German expressionists dating back to the time of the silents. Yea, they’re a lot of cheesy fun (which lends to their charm)… however, look past that, and you will find amazing sets amplifying an ‘old world’ ambiance lurking in the background. The creators of these films were under the strictest of codes during their time. They were unable to produce unsupervised gore-feasts. Instead, time and effort went into every aspect of the film to generate the necessary atmosphere to perpetuate the story and to meld the viewer’s imagination therein.

I have always been drawn to the lone, suffering character. In particular, the idea of a suffering character that must continually struggle just to hold on to his or her identity. I feel this circumstance always makes for the most compelling stories and tend to deliver personal impact in a more altering cohesion than the alternatives. I haven’t given up on our ‘hero’. I just plan to beat him up a lot. And there are many ways in which one can suffer. Did you make the right choice? Do you sacrifice yourself over another? The continual longing for a friend that has passed over into the after-life. Physical suffering from a good beating by a monster or two - many ways.

Style and presentation can personify a work. Thats the kinda thing I hope to capture. Ideally, when reading Bane of the Werewolf, you will see and experience the influences I have attempted to imbue. Once you are done, step back, view the product in it’s entirety. Look at it as a complete package and see where that leaves you.

Wanting to collect and utilize these ideas/influences for a modern comic book gave birth to BotW - writing and illustrating it myself was the only way to ensure that it would be presented in the manner in-which I envision.”

Interview at comicmonsters.com

We are currently synchronizing 3 or 4 websites for optimal traffic. We hope to be at a stopping point by Monday so we can get back to production. Orders are in and the first installment is being printed.

Check out January’s comicmonsters.com interview with REB below.

Bane of the Werewolf interview with Rob E. Brown-

A gypsy vagabond, Eliphas Moreau, rediscovers his past and learns the dark secret his gypsy guardian has been trying to keep from him - a curse that has caught up with him and now must be released for the sake of all. This tells the origin of the werewolf! The first of five that begins the story arc monster fans have been waiting on for years!

We talked with creator, REB, about the project.

The Big Bad Wolf: Can you give our readers a synopsis of Bane of the WereWolf?

REB: Essentially, the book re-establishes the ‘classic’ gypsy origins of the werewolf curse through the eyes of a gypsy. Eliphas finds himself at the mercy of a dark, malevolent Tome. A Book, passed down through the ages and only entrusted to the great chieftains of various gypsy clans. Contracting the curse, he is then bombarded by the many forces/horrors of the occult world - All the while, he struggles to keep his humanity intact, as he fights to save the people he loves. Bane of the Werewolf is a book about a suffering character. The werewolf curse is just that, a curse, not a blessing. So, with that being said, expect a lot of twist and hardships as Eliphas battles his way through monsters and personal strife.

The Big Bad Wolf: Who is the werewolf?

REB: Eliphas Moreau. Taken by Gypsies from his true parents when he was but an infant, Eliphas was raised and treated as if he was of ‘true blood’. Meaning he was reared and accepted as a true Gypsy. The last name, ‘Moreau’, literally means ’son of the moors’.

The Big Bad Wolf: Can Eliphas transform at will or only during a full moon?

REB: Only during the full moon. It wouldn’t be a curse otherwise.

The Big Bad Wolf: Who are the rest of the main cast?

REB: Janos Moreau, Eliphas’ gypsy step-father. Melena Moreau, Eliphas’ gypsy step-mother. Dr. Artemis Orlock, a mad doctor consumed by the mysteries of life and death. Zigfreid, a two-armed mutant and man-servant. A warlock called Baphomet. The female love interest, Maria, and a whole mess of walking horrors!

The Big Bad Wolf: Is this an ongoing or mini-series?

REB: The book will be ongoing as separate mini-series. Each mini-series will complete one story arc. To date I have 3 story arcs planned with plenty of background material for much more. The number of individual comics within each story arc can range from 3 to 6 issues. ‘Head of the Magus’, the first story arc, will contain 5 bi-monthly issues.

The Big Bad Wolf: So, in each issue we see Eliphas take on another monster? Can you tell us or give any hints of what other types of monstrosities we will see the werewolf fight?Bane of the werewolf comic book

REB: This story arc, ‘Head of the Magus’, will feature a ‘classic’ monster archetype within each issue. The Hunchback, The Werewolf, The Vampire, Warlocks and Witches, and the world’s most nefarious monster… well, I’ll leave you hanging there, hehe.

The Big Bad Wolf: What can we expect from this book in terms of blood and gore?

REB: Minimal blood and gore if any. I want to tell fright-filled stories where atmosphere and mood set the pace. There won’t be a shortage on action mind you, but blood and gore will not be the foundation of the book.

The Big Bad Wolf: When is the release date of the first issue?

REB: March. 2009.

The Big Bad Wolf: How much is the book?

REB: $3.75 US.

The Big Bad Wolf: Did you handle both the writing and art duties on this book?

REB: Yes, but hopefully you won’t hold that against me! haha!

The Big Bad Wolf: Will this eventually be released in trade paperback format?

REB: Yes, as each story comes to a close, we plan to issue a trade paper containing the complete story arc for that series.

The Big Bad Wolf: Where can our readers find out more about Bane of the WereWolf?

REB: www.silverphoenix.net.

The Big Bad Wolf: In closing, what would you like to say to our readers about Bane of the WereWolf?

REB: I love classic horror movies. In the back of each BotW issue will be a section entitled ‘The Dungeon’s Review’. The Dungeon being my work studio where myself and the staff of BotW gather and watch/critique classic horror films. Particularly, the movie in review will coincide with the theme of that issue. In the first issue we review ‘The Undying Monster’. An amazing, classic werewolf mystery released in 1942. Also known as ‘The Hammond Mystery’, this film is largely over looked when referencing outstanding werewolf flicks. In this section of BotW, we hope to spread a candle light on little known classic horror movies such as this. Just our way of giving abit more to the genre we all love. Now, order your copy of BotW and go find a copy of ‘The Undying Monster’!!

The Big Bad Wolf: Thank you for your time, Rob! Best of luck with this werewolf comic book!

See the original interview at comicmonsters.com > here.

Bane of the Werewolf

This post launches BotW in a new advertising direction.

Tonight marks the beginning of the campaign.

Stay tuned.