The Weird West Emporium

The Long and Sordid Tale of the Lone Ranger Film.

2012-01-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, there has been a Lone Ranger film in the works starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer as John Reid (aka The Lone Ranger). After Cowboys and Aliens didn't do as well as hoped at the box office, They cut back the budget significantly. There was actually a point when it wasn't even assured the film would be made but its back! Originally there was going to be Werewolves and supernatural elements that the Lone Ranger and Tonto would go up against.

The budget was supposed to be around 260 Million and they cut back the CGI which may mean that they cut out the supernatural elements. I hope this isn't true, with Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski, and Johnny Depp involved this could be next years new Pirates of the Caribbean in the West and an interesting take on the Lone Ranger.

This episode of Beyond the Trailer can tell you, better than I can, about the current development of the Lone Ranger movie and what we can expect from it:

The Lone Ranger is no Stranger to the Weird West, his forays into it, however, have usually been in comics and animated TV Shows. Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman did a Lone Ranger for TOPPS Comics that was FULL of Weird West goodness and then, of course, there was THIS which populated the Steampunk region of the Weird West. I love the old Filmation cartoons, although they weren't the best that animation had to offer.

Ill keep you informed on any new developments!

Also, I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 2012. I'm sorry the Emporium has been so quiet lately. I'll admit, Ive been getting a little burned out and needed to recharge my battery. I might still need too, but the Emporium isn't going anywhere. I might not be ready for weekly updates just yet, but I'm not going anywhere.

See you soon!

Tim Truman returns to the Weird West with Hawken!

2011-10-31T00:21:00.000-07:00

Besides Joe Lansdale, the other comics creator that does Weird Western Comics really REALLY well is Tim Truman. Both him and Lansdale worked together on the DC Jonah Hex Vertigo Minis, they also did a great Lone Ranger Weird Western for Topps. Well Timothy Truman is on his own (with his son Ben) on a new Mini Series called Hawken coming out in November. Here is the Official (very long) Press release:

Continuing the assent to San Diego Comic-Con, IDW Publishing today announced HAWKEN, an all-new, six-issue comics series illustrated and co-created by comics legend Tim Truman, best known for his reinvention of Jonah Hex and Hawkman, as well as his groundbreaking work on Scout and Grimjack. HAWKEN will be scripted by Ben Truman, who co-developed the series with his father.

HAWKEN tells the story of aging gunman Kitchell Hawken and his bloody, one-man vendetta against the Tucson Ring, a brotherhood of arms merchants and corrupt politicians who once employed him.

“Hawken has been many things in his day,” said Tim Truman. “Scout, tracker, scalp-hunter, raider, hired gun… But mostly, he’s been a nasty son-of-a-bitch.”

In each issue, the team will reveal new pieces of the character’s past. “Suffice it to say that after a lifetime spent doing some very bad things, Hawken had one last shot at redemption. The Ring took it away. Just what a any good Western revenge epic needs. However, in HAWKEN, that’s where things get strange.”

Strange indeed. Hawken has unusual companions on his war trail: The ghosts of every person he's ever killed, cursed to assist the old man against their wills. “In many ways, it’s not the ghosts who haunt Hawken. It’s Hawken who haunts them. They try to trip him up at every turn.”

Renowned for depicting hard-scrabble, violent heroes, Tim admits that the new book ups the ante. “Folks would be hard pressed to find a character as ruthless and pissed-off as Kit Hawken. He has good reasons for his rampage, and believe me, a rampage it is. For once, the bad men have truly messed with the wrong guy.”

Scripter Ben Truman, who also works as an educator in Tucson, described the project starting almost by accident. “My parents were visiting here in Arizona, and while driving through Sunset Crater Park I asked Dad if he’s ever seen any accounts where a man had survived a scalping. Somehow, that kicked it off. Hawken grew from the landscapes of each new place we visited: His name in Flagstaff, his past in Bisbee, the curse in Tempe, his vendetta in Tombstone. By the time we left San Xavier Mission, the first issue was plotted. A year later, we signed a contract with IDW. We all hope this story will grab people like it did us.

“HAWKEN takes people to unexplored corners of the Wild West, paying homage to spaghetti westerns and the like.” Along the way, the creative team grabs familiar Old West themes by the throat and twists them inside out.

“When I first heard about this project, I jumped at the chance to work with an industry legend,” says editor Denton J. Tipton. “Tim continues to produce at the highest level, and working with Ben has pushed him even harder to exceed expectations. And they surely don’t disappoint with HAWKEN.”

HAWKEN #1 (of 6, $3.99, 32 pages, duo-tone) will be available in stores in November 2011.

Sounds great! Also, here is an INTERVIEW Truman did in July with a few preview pages as well....Enjoy!

9-Page Preview of Helldorado!

2011-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

What is Helldorado you ask?

Gunfights! Kung fu! Monsters! If Hammer Films had hired a band of Hong Kong filmmakers to create a Spaghetti Western, they’d have created HELLDORADO! An unspeakable act of violence has altered reality itself, and a supernatural evil looms over the town of El Dorado. The most horrific myths of the Far East threaten to engulf the American West in darkness, and the only thing standing between a vengeful Chinese vampire, its army of undead minions, and the end of humankind is an unlikely band of erstwhile heroes: an heiress, a gambler, an aging sheriff, his deputy, and a warrior priest. Horror, fantasy, kung fu, and Western action combine in this bizarre genre mash-up!

Whats interesting about this description is that Hammer actually DID do a mash-up film. It was a co-production with The Shaw Brothers, a Kung Fu Vampire film called THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES. It isn't a Weird Western but it IS a fun cheesy Kung Fu Vampire movie.....and Ive always considered Kung Fu films to be the Western genre of China (Just like the Samurai film is the Western genre of Japan)

But what about Helldorado? Well check it out HERE and see for yourself! It was written by C. Michael Hall with art by Martin Coccolo. No release date yet (that I can find) but Ill let you know as soon as I do.

Enjoy!

DEADLANDS One-Shot Comics!

2011-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

So one of the bigger Weird West properties out there, that I haven't talked about yet (mostly because I don't know anything about it) has been Deadlands. From what I can gather, its the granddaddy of Weird Western RPGs. The term "Weird West" was even coined by them. I'm certain there has been a select group of people who have come to the Emporium expecting it to be a Deadlands site....but alas, I'm sorry to disappoint. I do hope they have found other things here to scratch their Weird West itch however!

Recently though, Deadlands has ventured into Comics. Before they had a series of Anthology Books called the Trilogy with No Name, that you can read about HERE.

Now, they have a growing series of One-Shot Comics. The First of them being The Devils Six Gun by David Gallaher & Steve Ellis:

In classic Faustian tradition, a weapons maker comes to America to pursue the American dream in the former colonies. Instead, he becomes immersed in plots and manipulations to gain unearthly power though the supernatural Ghost Rock. His goal? To make a gun that can kill anything, including the powerful Hellstromme! Its a journey that will cost him everything he loves, including his soul!

That sounds pretty darn cool! I would be tempted to run out and get this, but the whole series might be collected soon after the last one is published, so I can wait...maybe.

Next Up was Massacre at Red Wing by the writers of DC Comic's excellent Jonah Hex series Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Lee Moder:

Clementime is a young woman, a shaman, with a tragic past and a mysterious destiny. She's on a quest to learn the truth of her family and to seek vengeance against the man who ruined her life...her father. A tale of mysticism and mayhem by the writing team of Jonah Hex.

Last week, the next book came out Death was Silent:

A silent bounty hunter rides into a remote town, but the town holds dark secrets that may turn the hunter into the hunted.

And last on the list (At least as far as I know) is a book by the excellent Steve Niles and Francesco Francavilla called Hopeless Roads:

Masters of the macabre and noire, Steve Niles and Francesco Francavilla tell a frightening tale of a family who must struggle against overwhelming odds in the barren Deadlands of the Old West!

If I get a chance, Ill try and pick up Death was Silent and give you guys a report...until then however, you can see art from of the released books at the links above. As I learn more about about Deadlands Ill do more posts about it. Like Joe R. Lansdale, no respectable Weird West site is complete without SOMETHING involving Deadlands. Of course Deadlands is Hardly the only Weird West RPG out there.

There is also Stuart Robertson's RPG Weird West, and it's quite easy to pick up and play from what Ive heard. Ive been meaning to report on this, and will soon, but until then you can read about it HERE.

Ghoultown - Drink With the Living Dead!

2011-08-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

Weird West band Ghoultown has a new video out for their song Drink with the Living Dead!

Also, If you are interested in some of their other music, they have a Youtube channel that you can visit HERE.

Enjoy!

The Cowboys and Aliens Interviews!

2011-07-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

The Huffington Post has published a ton of video interviews that Jon Favreau did with different members of the cast and crew of Cowboys and Aliens. I love Jon Favreau, he seems like a really genuine guy, AND he's an accomplished interviewer. One of my favorite shows from the early 2000s was Dinner for Five where him and 4 other people (of various background) would site around and talk about whatever. Infinitely fascinating.

For these new interviews, which I guess have been dubbed The Cowboys and Aliens Interviews, Favreau interviews various people involved with the film...Including Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Writer Damon Lindelof, and Producers Kurtzman and Orci. The only ones missing are Daniel Craig (who is Sweden filming The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Sam Rockwell. Everyone comes off as funny and genuine, especially Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Lindelof and of course Spielberg and Howard....Brain Grazer doesn't say much so I can't really gauge him, he mostly just sits around and looking crazy.

There is a lot of content to get through but its funny and fascinating and you probably won't notice the length. To get you started here is the first part of the Harrison Ford interview....you can see the rest HERE at their official Youtube channel, or at the Huffington Post link above....Enjoy!

The Civil War, Zombie style!

2011-07-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know.

Once again, our friend and frequent visitor to the Emporium Shonokin has given me the heads up on a new Zombie Civil War movie called Exit Humanity. I watched the trailer and it looks pretty good, Ill judge it fully when I see it. I certainly LOOKS independent, but the thing that struck me was the caliber of talent this film has attracted. Bill Mosley? Stephen McHattie?? Dee Wallace??? BRIAN COX???? Clearly this film has SOME money behind it....but really, it doesn't matter what a film looks like, its the quality of the story that matters.

I certainly like the Poster!

Exit Humanity is a story told through the written and illustrated journal of Edward Young as he battles his way through an unexplainable outbreak of the walking dead a decade after the American Civil War. After returning home from a hunting trip to find a horrific re-animation of his wife Julia, and that their son Adam has disappeared, Edward starts to record his experiences with the walking dead as well as the unexplainable outbreak that has torn his family apart, and threatens all of mankind. Throughout his harrowing journey Edward finds friendship, guidance and love amongst chaos and despair, when all else seems to be lost in a world robbed of its humanity.

If you want to read more about the film you can go to their OFFICIAL WEBSITE and it has some behind the scenes stuff.

Enjoy!

John Carter Teaser Trailer!

2011-07-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Disney just released the teaser trailer for the new adaptation of John Carter of Mars...Is it Weird West? I'm not sure yet..but it does take place during the Civil War (Unlike that OTHER John Carter movie). Is it Steampunk? Absolutely!

I'll keep an eye out for more info on this and Ill let you guys know.

Until then, you can read up on John Carter at the Teaser Site Disney has put up. It has a gallery, synopsis, and a teaser trailer.

More Cowboys and Aliens Stuff!

2011-06-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

The new international poster for Cowboys and Aliens was just released, as well as a quick behind the scenes video. I just found the video yesterday. I was hoping for more, it shows mostly footage from the trailers, but it has some behind the scenes stuff with them filming along with talking head interviews.

There is something I have to disagree with Steven Spielberg on, the original Graphic Novel wasn't very good. Any longtime reader of the Emporium should know that I hated the original graphic novel this is based on. It was incredibly derivative of generic action movie writing. However, the movie looks to be nothing like it, AND the idea is solid...sort of Independence Day meets The Valley of Gwangi, so I'm very excited! Please-be-good-Please-be-good-Please-be-good!

How the West was Weird by Ian Rogers!

2011-06-20T01:23:00.000-07:00

The Emporium has a new guest columnist, Ian Rogers! He's the writer of a new Weird Western novella called Deadstock, and he'll be popping in every once in a while to comment on all things Weird Western. Whats his book about? Ill let him explain that himself:

For me, Westerns have always been weird.

As a kid, I never understood why people liked them. I didn't play cowboys and Indians. I never had a cowboy hat or one of those plastic six-shooters that fired caps. I always thought the Lone Ranger was a bit of a wimp, and I figured anyone who couldn't tell who he was behind that dinky little mask must be spending too much time under that hot desert sun. Maybe it's a generational thing. Most of the kids I knew didn't play cowboys and Indians, either. We played Star Wars.

Despite that, there was still a Western influence in my house. There were plenty of Louis L'Amour novels on our bookshelves, and I have memories of my father watching movies on TV starring Clint Eastwood and some guy he called "Duke." I always left the room when they were on.

It wasn't until I was a bit older and I happened to catch High Plains Drifter on late-night TV that I became a fan of Westerns.

In the film, a stranger (played by Clint Eastwood, who also directed the film) is hired by the people of Lago to defend them against a group of outlaws. Typical Western fare, I thought. But as I watched, the film got progressively darker and more unsettling, culminating in the stranger actually painting the town red to convince the outlaws they were riding into hell itself. The finale, with its unexpected touch of the supernatural, won me over completely.

It's no coincidence that it was this film that made me a fan of Westerns at the same time it introduced me to a genre, or sub-genre if you like, that I never even knew existed: the Weird Western.

High Plains Drifter was released in 1973, but it wasn't the first Weird Western. A year earlier, Jonah Hex made his debut in the DC comics series All-Star Western, and back in the 1960s, there was the TV series The Wild Wild West. There was even a spate of cowboys-and-dinosaurs films including The Beast of Hollow Mountain and The Valley of Gwangi. It's clear the Weird Western has been with us for a very long time.

Two of my favourite Weird Western films are Near Dark and From Dusk Till Dawn. These ones in particular proved to me that Weird Westerns can be more than just cowboys & aliens (not to knock that particular film, which looks like it's going to be great), or cowboys & Indian curses, or cowboys & zombies, and so on. Perhaps not coincidentally, Near Dark and From Dusk Till Dawn feature vampires — and not the kind that sparkle — and while both films take place in the present day, they feature bleak, isolated settings that almost make it seem as if they were set in the days of the Wild West.

As for Weird Western books, for my money you can't do any better than Joe R. Lansdale. In addition to writing Jonah Hex comics, Lansdale has written a number of Weird Western tales featuring the monster-hunting Reverend Jebidiah Mercer. All of these stories were recently collected in a must-have book for any Weird Western fan called Deadman's Road. And of course, it goes without saying that if you haven't read Stephen King's seven-volume Dark Tower series, then you're missing out on one the greatest Weird Western epics ever written.

When I first started publishing stories in magazines and anthologies, I thought it might be fun to try my hand at a Western. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of venues around these days looking for Western fiction. In fact, the one market that ended up buying the one Western I've sold to date (a short story called "Buffalo Money") ended up going out of business before the first issue came out. I ended up selling that story again, to an online magazine, but it became clear to me that if I was going to write any more Westerns in the future, I'd better make them Weird.

It wasn't too hard — at least not for me. Maybe it's because Westerns and horror stories actually have a lot in common. They both deal with the exploration of the unknown — horror by way of humankind's encounters with the supernatural, Westerns through the exploration and settlement of the West. It almost makes sense that these two seemingly disparate genres should come together to create a new type of story.

Stonebunny Press recently published my first foray into the Weird West, a novelette called "Deadstock."

No one knows who or what is killing the cattle at Groom ranch, but Sam Dryden, with his supernatural greenwood gun, and Raisy, with her ‘deck’ of knives, are determined to find out. What they discover is more horrifying than either of them ever dreamed, and the secret may be one that takes them to the grave.

While most writers tend to mix horror with their Westerns, I thought I'd go one step further and throw in some science fiction elements as well. I'm not the first person to do this, but I like to think I added my own special twist to the Weird Western. If readers end up enjoying "Deadstock," I may write some more stories about Dryden and Raisy.

The Weird Western fan base may not be as huge as some of the others out there, but they're strong and loyal and they've been around a long time. Weird Westerns have made it onto best-sellers lists, they've broken box-office records, and with the upcoming release of films like Cowboys & Aliens and the reboot of the TV series The Wild Wild West, it's clear that the Weird Western will always be around.

You can find Deadstock HERE and they have a Facebook page HERE. For more Ian Rogers himself, his Personal Site has everything you need to know!

Western Steampunk lives in Nickel Children!

2011-05-10T00:23:00.001-07:00

The first scene in Kevin Eslinger's short film Nickle Children is like something out of the Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. A family meal is interrupted by the arrival of a sinister character we come to know as the Sheriff, played by Jeremy Snowden. After sitting down and helping himself to the family's food, an act of violence ends with a boy, Jack (Easton Lee McCuiston), being stolen away into the night. Unfortunately the scene wants to be stronger than it winds up being. Tarantino tried the same homage to Leone in the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds and came up equally short. It doesn't reflect the quality of the films, its just that Leone is a hard act to follow...how can you top something that has already achieved its apogee?

Made on a shoe string budget, Nickle Children is quite good, despite its opening scene. Clocking in at about 16 minutes, the film follows Jack as he tries to survive, and eventually escape a child slavery and prostitution ring with the help of an Airship Captain and her companion. Its a very serious subject matter with some genuinely heartbreaking scenes. While the kidnapped girls are being forced into prostitution, the boys are forced to fight in bloody cage matches while the adults bet on the outcome.

Nickel Children takes place in (or near) Dust Bowl, Kansas in 1885. The Union Army has lost the Civil War and its now the Confederate States of America; however very little information is given to specifics for the film. What IS know, however, is that this is an American West populated by Steam Powered gadgets, flying machines, and Flesh Golems.....and its from this world that we meet Anastasia, the presumed heroine of the film. We first glimpse her at the cage fights the boys are having. She pops up every once in a while, helping Jack by giving him tools to escape the chicken wire cages him and the other children are trapped in, and its her who takes on the Flesh Golem and the Sheriff's men in arguably my favorite scene in the movie.

In fact all of the principle actors did a very good job in their roles with Amanda Bailey as the standout performance. She makes Anastasia into a dynamic, ass kicking Steampunk heroine.

For an independently financed film, Nickle Children actually uses its money wisely. The set design, while sparse, is effective in conveying its back alley setting. An appropriately dirty basement is a perfect place for the cages the kids are locked up in. Most of the money looks like it went towards the Sheriffs lushly decorated quarters with its fabric'd walls and statuary; There is a giant clock imbedded into one of the walls. Pictures of the characters and sets can be found HERE, and you'll see what I mean about the clock!

In fact besides characters and sets, the costume designs are very well done with Anastasia, her companion Dr. Montague, and a character called The Ringmaster's costumes being particular standouts. The rest of the cast of background players is filled out with members of the local Steampunk community in Atlanta and Nashville, where the film was shot. Steampunks can always be counted on to deliver, and they don't disappoint.

Eslinger is hoping to eventually turn the film into a Web series or feature film. Until then, however, he's focusing on other mediums like comics to tell the story of Anastasia, Jack, Dr. Montague and the Airship Zephyr. I hope he succeeds, I found myself really enjoying the main characters in the film and, as they walked away into the distance in the final scene, I found myself wondering where it went from here.

Until then however, the DVD is coming out soon, you can keep an eye out for it at the films official SITE. They also have a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel

Also, Paul Green over at the Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns site just did a really good interview with Kevin Eslinger and did a review himself.

Here's the extended Sizzle reel to give you a better idea of how the whole thing comes together:

I agree with Paul's assessment. When Weird Westerns tend to be so consumed with the walking dead, its refreshing to see a film that takes the genre into a different direction.

The Gunstringer!

2011-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure about this game when I first saw it. Its for the XBox and it uses Xbox's Kinect controller which uses laser sensors from a box on top of your TV to move things on the screen. Its basically meant to get you off your butt and moving around, maybe even getting some exercise! I don't have a Kinect controller but after looking deeper into this game, I'm liking what I'm seeing.

The Gunstringer is basically a puppet show. You are playing the "role" of a puppeteer controlling a marionette named The Gunstringer. The Gunstringer is a skeletal Day of the Dead-esque gunfighter who has returned from the grave to take revenge on his old gang who shot him the back.

Not only is the character of Gunstringer really well designed, but his old gang is FULL of interesting and strange characters....from an Oil baron made of metal to a giant Wavy Tube Man, and others. Twisted Pixel, the company that made the game, have opened a Developers Site and they have posted some of the character designs, with more to come I imagine.

You can watch the Trailer HERE but what really got my attention is the 15 minutes of gameplay footage I posted below where you actually get to see the game in action. The graphics are beautiful, the designs are fun and if this was a controller based game Id probably get it...but unfortunately it won't make me buy a Kinect.

My only complaint is that, since you are supposed to be performing in a puppet show, the periodically cut back to the audience watching your show, it takes me out of the story a bit...but at the same time it completely supports the game's premise so I can't be too upset.

The Gunstringer is supposed to be released sometime later this year, so keep a look out! Until then, however, enjoy the video:

Fighting Zombies on Revelation Trail!

2011-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you have seen the trailer for that new video game coming out called Dead Island, you'll see what it is I like best about zombie movies. It isn't a Western in any way, its a game is about a zombie outbreak on an island resort. The trailer focuses on one family and this outbreak basically takes what was supposed to be a fun holiday getaway into Nightmare ending with the untimely death of everyone in the family. Its a very sad trailer, and it really hit home the power that a zombie movie can have if done correctly. The best Zombie stories are about loss and change and things never being the same. Your wife or daughter could die and worse, come back as a flesh eating creature that tries to kill you.

You can watch the trailer HERE, but be warned, its REALLY sad...

Well there is a new independent production coming out called Revelation Trail that seems to be very much about that same idea. This is their premise from the film's official website:

Revelationtrail.com is the collaborative effort of filmmakers, artists and web talent from around the country, each contributing their own experiences and strengths to tell the story of the undead rising in late 19th century America.

There is death. There is blood. There is action. But most importantly, there is a glimpse at the human condition with each of our characters in Revelation Trail. Sometimes, it takes just the undead to remind us what it means to be alive.

And then I saw this, a scene from the film, and I think I'm starting to get what they are trying to do:

They haven't said when the film will come out but they are supposed to be filming it this summer. If you want to keep an eye out for it they have an Official Website HERE that has videos and other stuff, a Youtube page HERE (where they have a series of shorts called Lillith's Story that serves as a sort of prequel to the main film) , and a Facebook page HERE.

Yes,its another Zombie Western, and I know Ive complained about the sheer amount of them in the past, but as long as the stories are good they should be worth watching...plus how can anyone complain about the release of a new Weird Western? Of course there have been enough bad ones in past to be a little overly cautious, but here is their long Sizzle reel for a better look at the film. Its way more action oriented and probably shows what the film will be like when its not pondering serious Zombie Apocalypse issues. Enjoy!

Does anything need to be said??! New Cowboys and Aliens Trailer!

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

.....and its a good one. The first trailer was pretty darn good, this one kicks it out of the park! It really gets into the story more and some of the new footage they show is equal parts VERY cool, and a little unsettling (like what looks like some of the Towns folk hanging from alien crafted wires in some hidden location, creeepy). Also, as if the big budget Weird West-ness of it wasn't enough, it also has Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, and Clancy Brown.....I mean Come ON! I can not wait for this film!

I really hope it does well so that the studios see that Weird Western ARE a viable genre to be explored and not just the fare of the passionate but (a lot of the time) either underfunded or under-talented lot. I guess we'll find out.

The official synopsis: Blockbuster filmmaker Jon Favreau directs Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in an event film for summer 2011 that crosses the classic Western with the alien-invasion movie in a blazingly original way: Cowboys & Aliens. Joined by an arsenal of top moviemakers—Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci—he brings an all-new action thriller that will take audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world.

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Trails of Tarnation!

2011-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Once again Emporium reader Shonokin has given me the heads up on a very cool new nugget of Weird Western gold. Its a webseries called Trails of Tarnation.

TRAILS OF TARNATION is a twelve-part serial western following the exploits of Derek and Jeff, two cowboys on the run from the corrupt Sheriff Maynard Lumbar.

Full of cheesy sets, bad dubbing, subversive humor, and a look that makes it feel like a bad 60s or 70s Sunday morning TV program, Trails of Tarnation is all kinds of awesome.

The show was created by Nicholas Gurewitch who used to do a Webcomic series called Perry Bible Fellowship. I've been hearing a lot of PBF recently but unfortunately the series has ended and the only way to read the comics is by search engine, but you most definitely should!

They have a Facebook Page thats full of behind the scenes pictures, a podcast link, and an interview about the show.

Heres the first episode, and then afterwards you shuld go to their website and give them some love, it looks like this show is going to be pretty incredible!

Black Coffee: Trails of Tarnation - Chapter 1 from New Picture Agencies on Vimeo.

2 Years of the Weird West Emporium!

2011-04-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

2 Years ago today I started this website! You know how people say that they can't believe so much time has passed in regards to something? Well that is absolutely true here, I cant believe its been two years. Seriously.

Originally this site had been a personal blog, except I only had one post (About my friend breaking her collar bone in Roller Derby) that I had done about a year previously...and then it just sat and, as blogs sometimes tend to do, it didn't go anywhere.

Then one day I was scouring the internet for a good website about The Weird West. I came across at least one, Steampunk Central which I had been to before. It was from Steampunk Central that I had first heard of the Legend TV series. At the time I re-found it however, the site was closed down, shuttered up, just a bunch of broken links.

Everything else I found online were either pictures, or reviews of Weird West/Western Steampunk media. A few of the movies on these lists got me on the road to the Weird West. Movies like Billy the Kid vs. Dracula and The Valley of Gwangi were some of my first exposure to the genre:

...and of course Wild Wild West:

....but those lists weren't what I was looking for. I was looking for something more comprehensive. Something like Paul Green's Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns except online. So I decided to start the website on my own.

I just reached 50 followers! I wanted to thank each and every one of you for finding my little website interesting enough to bookmark and revisit on occasion. I know the Emporium has been a little quiet lately, unfortunately real life tends to get in the way sometimes, but I'm not going anywhere and the Emporium isn't closing anytime soon (You'll be the first to know if it ever does). Expect some new posts soon. There will be one tomorrow and then maybe one or two next week, but Ill try to keep the posting on my normal non-semi-regular schedule.

Until then however here's to many more years of Weird West Emporium goodness, and Yippee ki-yay, Mamma Jamma!

The Buntline Special and Rango reviews!

2011-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

While I haven't gotten around to reading Mike Resnick's The Buntline Special, one of the Emporium's readers, Penelopecat, has and unfortunately, according to her, It isn't all that good. The basic problems seem to be the lack of tension in the story and the lack of intriguing characters. Also people tend to get out of situations FAR to easily. It sounds like it lacks focus and even that Resnick doesn't exactly know what Western Steampunk is, or he does but doesn't know how to write it well.

Ashe Armstrong may also be reviewing The Buntline Special when he is able so stay tuned for that, but until then here is Penelopecat's Blogger Page Sinister Urge to read her review.

Its too bad you can judge a book by it's cover, because if you could The Buntline Special would be GREAT...but alas....

There has also been some early reviews of the new animated film Rango. I'm still on the fence on whether its a Weird Western, and Ive heard on both sides for and against. Some reviews have stated that the main bad guy, a rattlesnake character named Rattlesnake Jake has a mechanical pistol on his tail in place of a rattle. Also I was informed by "Anonymous" that:

There are a lot of weird things in Rango, and yes, that includes science fiction references (spot the Star Trek one if you can...) and supernatural elements. Can't say no more, but I figure you guys won't be disappointed...

"Anonymous" says that THIS review at Aint it Cool is very accurate to the film. It is from someone who saw an early screening in Phoenix. There is also a fairly spoiler filled review over at Wegotthiscovered.com if you don't mind that sort of stuff.

Regardless, it looks like its going to be a fun film, and Ill do a review after it comes out. Until then however, check out these quick videos about the recording process Gore Verbinski had the actors go through for Rango. Its actually quite entertaining. I wouldn't mind seeing the live action footage cut together as an extra on the DVD!

Rango opens on March 4th

The Backwater Gospel...WOW!

2011-02-22T02:33:00.000-08:00

This film was brought to my attention by one of the Emporium's readers Shonokin, and then later on Facebook by Mr. Gris Grimly. It is called The Backwater Gospel and, my goodness, its REALLY good!

The official synopsis from their website is this:

A drought ridden, dead beat society, isolated in the dust storm plagued parts of 1930's rural America, is paid a visit by the undertaker, an event that always has foretold the immediate coming of death. The Sunday sermon is well on the way, firmly led by the brimstone preaching town minister.

The tramp in the town, the only person not in church, spots the undertaker at a distance and interrupts the sermon to tell the news. A cold draught passes through the church and in desperation the congregation leaves, much to the displeasure of the minister.

At home behind locked doors and barred windows the townsfolk await death, pinned to the floor by fear and anxiety.

But death never comes...

Its true that this film takes place in the 1930's but it is absolutely a Western. From the stark landscapes to the rickety shanty town buildings, the only thing that betrays its time period is the broken down automobile that one of the character uses for shelter. This is Western through and through. and a good one.

The animation style is really strange. It looks somewhat stop motion-like, but more often looks likes CGI. The character's skins are cracked and stained, the preacher's lips are thick and almost look like wood with his deeply lined face. One character even seems to have a wooden nose.

And the story is top notch. As the threat of the Undertaker's arrival looms, the deeply religious town is thrown into the grip of hysteria and things go bad....really REALLY bad.

Their official website states that The Backwater Gospel is the bachelor projects of eight students at The Animation Workshop. It's an animated short about a small, isolated community in the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, a minister hell-bent on ruling his flock and an undertaker who always precedes death.

You can also see a plethera of character designs, animation tests, and concept sketches at their SITE. I wouldn't have guessed that this was a bachelor project, everything from the voice work to the animation and design is incredibly professional.

This film deserves 5 out of 5 Bloody Spurs. Fantastic job all around!

The Backwater Gospel from The Animation Workshop on Vimeo.

WITCHFINDER: LOST AND GONE FOREVER

2011-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Mike Mignola. He has an amazing way of making the things in his comics just....cool, and cool in a "First time you read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and wanted a Nautilus of your own"-type of cool). When I first read Hellboy I wasn't expecting the dive into mythology, Cryptozoology, and the Occult that the stories took, but was extremely pleased when they did. Amazing Screw-on head is a high point of Steampunk in comics, with equal parts horror, adventure, a little Romance, with a very generous helping of surreal mixed into the pot...everything that makes Steampunk great.

Alas, I haven't read The Witchfinder yet. Not the mini series showcased here, the one that came before it, Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels:

Mike Mignola teams up with artist Ben Stenbeck (B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man) for a look into one of the Hellboy universe's greatest enigmas: nineteenth-century occult investigator Edward Grey! In one of Grey's first cases as an agent of the queen, he goes from the sparkling echelons of Victorian London to its dark underbelly, facing occult conspiracies, a rampaging monster, and the city's most infamous secret society: the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra.

It sounded cool, but it isn't a Weird Western. However if Mike Mignola had had his hands on it, it was bound to be good. Then I head about the sequel, and my head went through the roof. Edward Grey follows the Heliopic Brotherhood to the Old West!

In the hellish frontiers of the American Wild West, nineteenth--century occult investigator Edward Grey hunts down a fiendish member of the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra. What he finds is a town harboring bloodthirsty criminals and terrible supernatural horrors!

Wow, that sounds REALLY cool, I'm sold. Mignola doing an Old West occult story with a kick ass British Occult Investigator? Sounds amazing.

Mike Mignola and John Acula did the story, while the great John Severin did the artwork (with Mignola doing the some of the covers) It was released this past Wednesday (February 2nd) and its costs $2.99

Also, CBR: The Comic Book Resource site has posted a 6 page preview which you can see HERE.

As soon as I'm able to get my hands on a copy, Ill give you guys a review!

Cool New Cowboys and Aliens Super Bowl Spot!

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Now, I'm not much of a Super Bowl/Football/sports watcher, but if anything got me excited for the big game it was the promise of some cool new trailers. Most importantly, (among others) Cowboys and Aliens!

Its basically a 30 sec television spot, with only a few new shots (like Daniel Craig jumping onto the wing of an aliens spacecraft, which reminds me of The Valley of Gwangi for some reason), but it still looks great. If you didn't check out the big game, here is the trailer in all its glory. You can also check out the official Website HERE if you haven't already.

Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter Review!

2011-01-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ashe Armstrong returns with a review of Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter!

Greetings once again, Emporium readers. It's Ashe and I'm back with another review. A solo read this time around. I bought and promptly devoured Edward Erdelac's Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter. And since Mark's a busy guy, I offered to once again lend a hand with a review. That being said, shall we?

If you're not already familiar with the book, well, you could scroll down to Mark's Christmas post but I'll save you the trouble. Merkabah Rider is about a Jewish man from a mystic order who can travel the planes of existence. That's all I'll say as far as details of the story goes because, quite honestly, finding out the details of the order and the things that take place as you read them is just plain fun. The book is made up of four stories which each take place in a different locale as our protagonist, The Rider, travels the southwestern portion of the US.

The first story is a right proper hook, believe me (they all are, really though). The Rider wanders into a dirty little town that's showing some rather angry teeth towards anyone of the Jewish persuasion. We find out why. In the adjacent area is a place called “Little Jerusalem.” In this place, children have started to go missing. The Rider aims to find out why.

Now, as I said, this first one is a good hook because it gives you a taste of everything these stories are about. The Rider is established as a driven man with a steel core but very unusual. And without giving too much away, we're very quickly shown just how unusual he really is. I really don't want to show much more because I enjoyed myself so much seeing what was happening in this fantastic setting.

The second story is set in Mexico in a sleepy desert town. As if that weren't western enough, here comes the weird: a voodoo man and a strange sandstorm. The third story of the Rider's travels involves an unstoppable gunman, a Christian preacher and a mountain town. And rounding things out is a fantastic end cap that shows just how human the Rider really is, even in his dealings with demons and greedy bandits. It also sets up perfectly for the sequel, The Mensch With No Name.

Erdelac's writing reminds me of Robert E. Howard's. Quite a compliment, by my standards. It's fluid, it gives good description and the pace when the action picks up keeps you reading. His phrasings are a bit more modern than Howard's, not that that's a bad thing. There's a smattering of Lovecraft in there and in fact, if you're like me and love Howard's and Lovecraft's stories, you will utterly adore this book. Fans of Lovecraft will get as excited as I did, I think. Erdelac's knowledge of Jewish mysticism and mythology is utterly fantastic as well and he weaves in Jewish words wonderfully. They are a bit jarring at first if you're unfamiliar with their pronunciations or meanings but the latter part is remedied with an included glossary in the back.

Mr. Erdelac has done a phenomenal job here and give us all not just a genuinely amazing weird west story, but a great story period. He makes beautiful use of the religious aspects used. The use of mythology and religion reminded me a bit of Mike Mignola's writing for Hellboy too. And I know I've left some of the story details pretty bare here (and I'm aware that you can find a bit more details around the Emporium of the Amazon page) but I wanted to make it clear how fun these stories are. I don't want to ruin any details ahead of time. The surprises are fantastic and you will absolutely be hooked.

My only real complaint about the book is the actual physical book itself. It's a little small in the width so you have to pull it open a little wider sometimes to read the words that are near the spine. It's minor but another six of an inch would've helped this problem. Still, it's an independent company so it's totally understandable. I'm sure that Mr. Erdelac, like I would no doubt feel, was thrilled to get the book published.

So, to sum up, it's weird, it's western, it's fun, it's exciting, it's dark, it's amazing. Buy it, devour it, enjoy it, thank me later. And do Mr. Erdelac a favor and just buy both books because trust me when I say, you're going to want them both.

...Keep Them Oranges Rollin'!

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember, in the 80s, a breakfast cereal called OJs? It sounds strange I know, It was cereal that was suppose to taste like Orange Juice. I've been reading articles around the Aetherweb about it and everyone pretty much agrees, OJs were gross.

Or, rather, they sounded gross...but I disagree!

I remembered them and they weren't gross, that were really tasty. What seems to be the major problem people had with them, the Orange Juice flavor, didn't taste like Orange Juice at all; at least not REAL Orange Juice. Imagine Orange flavored Froot Loops, or a flavor that belonged in the Froot Loops pantheon and you're on a right track. They weren't gross they were fruity and delicious!

But my favorite part of the cereal wasn't the cereal itself, but that strange Cowboy on the box cover, OJ Joe, who rolled around the West on an Orange, spurs stuck in, cattle driving more oranges. The image was strange. I didn't get it at the time but it was almost Pecos Bill-like in its weirdness. Bill capturing a Texas Twister and riding it until it dissipates feels way more grand than cattle driving a bunch of oranges, but I'm sure you can see the similarities.

...and seriously, who wouldn't want an "OJ"s" branding iron!

Regardless OJ's failed. Perhaps it was for the best, a few years later OJ Simpson's name would have probably put the cereal into an early retirement anyway.

But for some silly Weird Western breakfast cereal goodness, check out the commercial below and just remember, OJs weren't gross!

(sorry for the crappy transfer, this was the only version of the whole commercial I could find)

Happy Holidays from the Weird West Emporium!

2010-12-25T00:20:00.001-08:00

The Holiday times are here and New Years is right around the corner! There are no more shopping days left until Christmas, but that doesn't mean its too late to find some great books to cozy up to during these long cold winter nights! Here are a few last minute items I wanted to mention that will take you through the holiday season and into the New Year!

For pure Weird Western awesomeness and a stellar reference guide to the genre, pick up Paul Green's Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games which you can pick up HERE. Its a way more comprehensive read than the Weird West Emporium and has things Ill probably never get too. Also Paul has a great companion WEBSITE that picks up where the book leaves off.

Next up is Ed Erdelac's Merkabah Rider books, which can be gotten HERE and HERE in hard copy and eBook.

The story is:
The last of an ancient order of Jewish mystics capable of extraplanar travel, The Merkabah Rider roams the demon haunted American West of 1879 in search of the renegade teacher who betrayed his enclave. But as the trail grows fresher, shadows gather, and The Hour Of The Incursion draws near... Four novella episodes in one book.

A friend of mine has devoured both books and says they are spectacular; a definite must read!

Also, Ed has a great Website called Delirium Tremens where he explains the inspirations to his stories, a great trip report for the 2010 Steamcon convention (Which I failed to do a report on, oops), and many other things. You can read it HERE.

Also, check out this cool trailer that was made for the Merkabah Rider series!

The final book is the Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale by Mike Resnick. Its a different take on Wyatt Earp, Tombstone, and the gunfight at the OK Corral. I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but its getting a good reviews and could be just the thing to heat up those cold winter nights! You can get THIS at Amazon too!

And that about does it for me. As The Weird West Emporium moves into its second year I wanted thank everyone for their support and readship! Ive never actually taken on anything as large as this before and its really inspiring to know that people are not only liking my site but loving the Weird West in general. I love that there is an audience for it! Hopefully next year will get even bigger with the release of Cowboys and Aliens, (and maybe other stuff that hasn't been announced yet? The Lone Ranger perhaps?) Plus there will be a ton more stuff to talk about here at the Emporium. These past two years have barely scratched the surface of whats out there. (Actually it will be two years in April, so I shouldn't celebrate just yet!)

Also, I'm considering a (sort of) secret project that everyone will be able to participate on when its up and running, but more on that later.

I'm going to take a couple weeks off and the Emporium will be closed until January 10th, so until then I hope you guys have a safe and fun Holiday season! I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

More Old West Zombies in Rotten!

2010-12-21T05:09:00.000-08:00

Zombies and the Old West seem to be the current trend lately. The Western is becoming something of a go-to genre to plop the undead into. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Zombie Western as much as the next guy (Undead Nightmare and others), but as I scour the aethernet for fresh material for the Emporium it seems like the most common "Weirdness" I come across is...Zombies. Joe Casual-Weird-West-Fan might not realize it with all of the flesh eaters popping up lately, but the Weird West is so much more than just Zombies (Thank goodness for Cowboys and Aliens!) Over the next few months Ill be doing posts about the glut of Zombies in the Old West as I come across more and more of those little fellers.

(Actually as a side note, some reviews of Undead Nightmare actually thought the idea of Zombies in the Old West was a really weird idea, and some even mocked it. It got to the point where Rockstar Games had too defend their position with examples of the Weird West in popular media. Kids nowdays.)

With all of that said, however, there are actually some very interesting Zombie Westerns I want to report on soon, such as a new film I JUST heard about last night called Revelation Trail, which Ill talk about in a few weeks.

...but until then...

Mark Rahner, Robert Horton, and Dan Dougherty have come out with a post civil war Weird Western comic called Rotten published through Moonstone comics. The artwork looks really nice, and I'm interested in getting my hands on the first trade paperback to see how the story reads.

The story synopsis sounds pretty interesting: Meet William Wade, Civil War vet, reluctant secret agent answering to President Rutherford B. Hayes, and zombie-hunter! In Reactivated, Agent Wade begins his mission with partner J.J. Flynn in a mining town locked down in a labor dispute and a siege of the undead. Plus, the two agents go undercover in an isolated, snowbound, debauched Army fort under slow attack by the undead - uncovering a Donner-like party and the fact that the wretched things are arising in different species everywhere. Collecting the first six issues of Moonstone's acclaimed zombie-Western epic with an edgy topical bite.

They put together a trailer for the book that looks, brutal and scary and really really good, so I cant wait to check the book out:

Yowza!

Rotten even has its own WEBSITE that has samples of the artwork and other stuff for the curious to check out. You should also keep an eye out at the Amazon Page for when the trade paperback is finally released.

The Wild Wild West Returns to Television!

2010-12-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

This news is a little old, but I wanted to post about it anyway because I have a feeling it's going to be big. Deadline.com is reporting that former CSI executive producer/co-showrunner Naren Shankar and Battlestar Galactica developer/executive producer Ron Moore are planning on rebooting the Wild Wild West for CBS. This is very good news, if you have seen Moore's new version of Battlestar Galactica you know that he can reinvision a property in a very new and interesting way! I hope he brings this much love to The Wild Wild West.

Long time readers of the Emporium know that I have a love/hate relationship with the film version of Wild Wild West. It should have been an amazing film. It had the chance to not only redefine Western Steampunk, but to be the pioneering film for new generation of Weird Western films. In many ways its gorgeous look at and the amazing machines might have saved it from being totally forgotten. The humor, for the most part, fell flat on its face and making the main villain, Arliss Loveless, a racist just made him incredibly uninteresting. He had plenty of motivation for destroying the United States without being a cartoon stereotype also...but one thing the film did do right is lay the groundwork for what a great Wild Wild West TV show could look like!

I hope Moore and Shankar take their cue from the film in terms of design and fantastic Steampunk machines, and put the humor and story into the capable hands of good writers.

Until then however, HERE is the original story at Deadline.com. I will be following it very closely, so expect to hear more when I do!

Rango...A Weird Western?

2010-12-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

I had known about Gore Verbinski's Rango a few months ago. There was a teaser trailer with the main character running around the desert in a Hawaiian print shirt. With Johnny Depp doing the voice, and the way the first poster was designed, it looked a little like an animated version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with funny animals (which, now that I think about it, would have been pretty darn cool).

A bigger trailer was released today that showed more of the film, and now it looks like something else, an all out Weird Western; or at least a standard western with animated animals. With a name like "Rango" I should have suspected. Regardless, its a gorgeous looking film and I felt it was worth showcasing here. It really seems too get the Western look right.

...but, is it "Weird"? Now you can decide that for yourself! Rango opens March 4th.

Undead Nightmare, The VGAs, a Soundtrack, and a review!

2010-12-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

It was a big night at the Spike TV Video Game Awards on Saturday for Red Dead Redemption. It picked up 4 of the 9 categories it was nominated for, including Best Score (which I can personally say is great), Best Song (Far Away by José González), Game of the Year, and Undead Nightmare took home the award for Best DLC. It was a great night for Westerns (and Weird Westerns!) .....at least on the Video Game front.

The Official Synopsis:
When former outlaw John Marston wakes up at his farmhouse, he finds a world gone insane: overnight, deranged hordes have overrun the towns and outposts of the American frontier. In a desperate attempt to save his family, Marston must traverse a world torn apart by chaos and disorder, using every skill he has to survive long enough to find a cure.

For anyone who hasn't picked up Undead Nightmare, (and isn't as interested in the main Red Dead Redemption game) now is your chance to see what all the fuss is about. Rockstar has released Undead Nightmare as a stand-alone disc. It has the entire world created for Red Dead except mutated into a Zombie Apocalypse of Undead Nightmare, and you dont need the first game to play it. From personal experience I can say that Undead Nightmare is a GREAT game. It works best as a final chapter to the main game. Characters and situations play carry over from Red Dead and the humor of the game comes from your familiarity with the things you've seen before. Its also the reason the game works on a horror level. Seeing the towns and landscapes that you've become familiar with in the first game, so strangely different, firmly puts you into the shoes of John Marston as he deals with what has happened his home.

However if that stuff doesn't matter, Undead Nightmare is a great Zombie Western all on its own. It has plenty of scares and laughs (and frequent frustrations) to make it a fun experience for first time players. It might even pique the interest of some to pick up the original, a wise investment in my humble opinion.

The music in Red Dead is great, and the music in Undead Nightmare is equally great, yet different. In some of the quieter scenes the soundtrack is full of bass harmonicas and strange alien chirping....almost as if the landscape itself were making the noises. There is even a track of music that reminds me of the creepy whistling from High Plains Drifter, very appropriate. Other times, especially during fight scenes and in action areas, the soundtrack breaks into some groovy 70s rock tracks that fit the scene perfectly. Its as if you are watching a cool 1970s Italian Zombie Western.

They just released the Soundtrack to Undead on iTunes, and its great. You can pick it up there or you go HERE and listen for yourself. Make sure to check out the the stand out track Bad VooDoo by Kreeps, which I posted below, you won't be disappointed! The game and soundtrack don't take them selves too seriously, but even so the scares come honestly.

My final analysis on Undead Nightmare is if you are looking for a great Zombie Western video game, and dont care about not being familiar with elements of the previous game, you can't beat it. When I first started playing it I loved it more than the original game, however by the end I found I loved it only just as much. There are some tough parts that I wouldn't want to do again (cleaning out the graveyards becomes increasingly difficult as the waves of Zombies become nearly endless by the final round). Also it is nice to go back to the original game sometimes, after awhile it gets a little tiring constantly having to look over your shoulder for a surprise Zombie attack (but honestly, I probably wouldn't change a thing). For the price this is an absolutely fantastic game. Music, graphics, gameplay all carry over flawlessly from the first game. The story is good, and spending more time with John Marston is always a plus.

If you have a game console and you haven't picked this or Red Dead up yet, shame on you...but now is your chance to make amends. And if you are a fan westerns and Weird Westerns, Double shame! Well worth the price and very, very fun. Plus, sometimes its just so satisfying to go out onto the plains, riding around on your horse and shootin' zombies!

I give it 4 out of 5 Bloody Spurs

More stuff on Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-12-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

It was fortunate that they released the new international poster for Cowboys and Aliens today. I was planning on posting a trailer commentary that Jon Favreau did and now I can kill two birds with one stone!

I love the new poster, I think I actually like it more than the first one. It feels like its in the vein of the original except that the "Cowboy" is clearly Daniel Craig now. I'm also liking it's style with the silhouetted figure rimmed with light, I hope all of the characters get posters like this!

If you click the image above you can see a bigger version!

Also, a couple weeks ago, MTV sat down Jon Favreau and had him do commentary on the trailer. There is some interesting stuff here as he talks about the film and some of his thoughts on certain decision he's made.

On another level, its interesting that MTV is doing this. As far as I know they haven't had other directors commentate on their trailers....Is it possible? A hotly anticipated Weird Western? I dont think there's any doubt about that, the trailer has surely caused a splash.

Personally I think this film is going to be huge, and will quite possibly reinvigorate not only the Western (as I'm certain True Grit might do too) but the Weird Western as well as studios start rushing to get that Cowboys and Aliens money. Lets just hope it does fall into a pit of crappy cheaply made films (we have enough of those already) but only time will tell...Until then enjoy!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

New Poster and Trailer for Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-11-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

The first poster for Cowboys and Aliens has been released and I gotta say...WOW! I was just reading a snippet of interview with Harrison Ford (where he quickly mentioned this movie) and he was saying that the film starts off very much a strong Western, then suddenly has a strange new element added too it, and then goes back to being a very strong Western again, except with this new element in the mix (the very definition of "Weird West" if you ask me). This poster feels very much like that. You have the dynamic cowboy pose, a gorgeous desert landscape, and a wristband made from alien technology. The poster says it all, and it looks great!.......but lets just hope the film is just a dynamic. This film is one of the strongest hopes for the Weird Western genre to come along since Wild Wild West (which, coincidentally, there is also some new news about that I'll report on later this week)

Its possible too that, with the release of the first poster, there might be a teaser trailer coming very soon. Ill keep you guys posted on the details!

Also, if you click on the above picture, you can check out the details in a larger format!

EDIT: So, quite unexpectedly (sort of), the new teaser trailer for the film was released today. Wow! It starts off with a bang and gets better throughout. Everyone looks great! AND We get our first look at Harrison Ford as Woodrow Dolerhyde (and Keith Carradine is in this?! Awesome!). I think the trailer will make a big splash, it looks great.

They've opened up the official movie site and there are pages to Twitter sites, Facebook, and Blogs....basically anywhere that people are talking about the movie and everyone seems to love it. Also there are pages with new images, videos and downloadable stuff. Keep it bookmarked, I'm pretty sure they will be updating quite frequently until the film is released next July.

Until then check out the trailer!

Tom Hardy to hunt Vampires in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

2010-11-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

For one reason or another I haven't reported on the book and impending film version of Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter yet. I guess I was thinking it isn't really a "Western" so it doesnt really fit in here at the Emporium. Its pretty East coast (About as East Coast as it gets with it being Washington DC and all) and even with Lincoln growing up in Kentucky and Illinois it doesn't get much further then the Mid-West.....but it's a Civil War-era Vampire Hunting movie and, when put that way, I had to say something about it.

The book was written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and takes a look at the Lincoln no one knew about, the Lincoln that was a highly accomplished Vampire hunter. As I looked through it at the book store I expected a fictional narrative of Lincoln's life except with the added addition of him being a Vampire Hunter.....but the book is structured more like a true life account, using doctored photographs, journal entries, and written accounts to paint a "true" portrait of Lincoln's secret life.

Before I knew about the book, however, I'd heard about the movie, which is being produced by Tim Burton and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (who directed Night Watch, Day Watch, and Wanted) and last week they reported the first bit of casting. Tom Hardy is being pursued for the role of Henry Sturgess, a vampire who rescues sixteen year-old Abraham Lincoln from a vampire attack and trains him in the ways of vampirism to help him become a more effective hunter. Sounds VERY interesting!

I'll report more on this as I hear it but until then have a look at the trailer they did for the book back in February, hopefully the movie will be this good!

Strange Things afoot at The Haunted Benjamin Ranch

2010-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Back in the days when the west was young, hundreds of frontiersmen and cowboys traveled through the ranch on the Santa Fe Trail. For some, this is where their journey would end.

Between now and then the ranch has thrived, entertaining the locals of Kansas City with parties and rodeos. Until recently...

Recently they've decided to scare the place up on Halloween. They've turned the Benjamin Ranch into the Haunted Benjamin Ranch and it looks like they do a fun job.

Between The Haunted Stables and the Stockpen Cage Maze they have the haunt Mazes covered.....and then throw in a haunted hay ride (which Ive recently become interested in due to a local attraction) and a freak show you've got a good event....especially for a first time venue.

Granted, they do have quite the silly promotional video. It starts off pretty good, but then becomes down home wacky, but it shows off some of the things in store, including lots of footage of the Dusty Cadaver Freakshow (and what appears to be the nail in the nose trick.....ugh.....)

Doesn't really set the tone for a scary event, but it certainly does set the tone for a family event, which The Haunted Benjamin Ranch promotes itself as.

They also showcase their scarier side of the with this video, a walk thru of the Haunted Stables haunt attraction.....still a little silly but genuine and everyone seems to be having a good time!

Everything you could possibly ever want to know about the event (including directions, Hours, and Ticket prices, plus an FAQ page about event specifics) can be found at their OFFICIAL WEBSITE and their Youtube Page

So if you happen to be in the Kansas City, MO area you should stop by and give these guys some support!

My STEEEEEEEW!

The Dead Walk at Nightfall!

2010-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Halloween is right around the corner and with it comes a few Weird West themed Haunt Attractions!

First up is Nightfall which has been around for Twenty Years and are a very popular Haunt in the Tucson area. Every Halloween the Old Tucson Studios turns into the town of Nightfall, ruled by the evil Dr. Jebediah Hyde who does twisted experiments at his Ghoulliard Institue.

The official word is this:

Since the beginning, the evil Dr. Jebediah Hyde has ruled Nightfall, incessantly torturing the inmates of the Goulliard Asylum for the Perpetually Insane in the name of “scientific research.” He overcame a recent challenge to his authority by the evil Isabel and her army of zombies and restored to himself to his rightful place as ruler of Nightfall. Now, it’s back to business as usual in this Twentieth Year of Terror … or is it?

The event has 4 different shows, and 4 Haunted attractions that range from Ghost train and a Haunted Mine.

For Official details, ticket pricing, dates, and the story for the whole event at their OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

and for a little taste of the event, there's this:

Also, look out for more stuff on the Old Tucson Studios in the months ahead. Its going to be the site for the Wild, Wild West Steampunk Convention...but more on that later!

The End is Nigh......

2010-10-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

There has been so so SO much Undead Nightmare material from Red Dead Redemption that has come out lately (about an average of 2 to 3 things a day for the past month) that Ive been hesitant to post anything quite yet for fear of this site becoming the Red Dead Emporium! ...but with the impending release of the game just one day away (Oct 26, i.e. tomorrow) the time has come...

Undead Nightmare is basically an alternate story that diverges from the main story of Red Dead Redemption. It takes place during the "Home" period when John Marston, having finished his obligations to the government, returns home to be with his family and start his farm. However things aren't as he remembers them.

This game looks insane! Someone described it as being like a movie set where, during the day everyone is shooting a stright forward Western, but at night a crazy director comes in a shoots a bad ass Zombie Horror Western using the same cast and crew and thats exactly what this seems like; a completely separate story that uses the same characters.

This is going to more than satisfy my Weird West lust the way that Red Dead satisfied my desire for an open world sandbox game (ever since I played Gun...which is very much an open world Western game in the vein of Red Dead but at much smaller scope.)

The game also has an insane Multiplayer feature. Its called Undead Overrun and its basically stay alive for wave after wave of zombies. Everyone IS going to die, just how long can you prevent it from happening!

They revealed some mythical creatures as well. My favorites being the 4 Horses of the Apocalypse!

There are also new weapons, 4 New classes of Zombies, new in-game challenges and achievements....its practically a whole new game (wrapped in a bundle of Weird West awesomeness)!

Plus anyone who doesn't own the original Red Dead Redemption will have a chance to buy Undead Nightmare as a stand alone game in about a month....and Ill keep everyone informed as to the date when its announced.

But until then, there's more information than I could possible post at the Official Undead Nightmare site. There are videos, TONS of pictures, and a full description of the game. More than enough to keep you occupied until the impending Zombie Apocalypse....

...which starts tomorrow, btw...

Red "Undead" Redemption - Undead Nightmare Trailer and artwork!

2010-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

This has been quite a week for Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar Games has been releasing images and video for their "game add-on" Undead Nightmare all week, and I gotta say I am VERY excited!

If you read my previous post about this you'll know that I LOVE Red Dead Redemption, due to it's story and detail it is quite possibly one of the best Western games ever created....and while taking a very realistic game and adding in a Zombie element might seem mildly weird to the uninformed, it is amazingly clever as well. Fighting Zombies in the Old West is Classic!

The story is this:

Unleashed upon the world of Red Dead Redemption, the Undead Nightmare Pack will feature an entirely new mostly single-player campaign that follows John Marston as he tries to find a cure for the highly infectious zombie plague that has spread across the frontier.

WOW!

Yesterday they released some great High Def screen shots, (including John Marston, the games protagonist, riding a Zombie Horse!) which you can see HERE......but its all been leading up to today, when they released the first teaser trailer for the game.

WOW WOW!!

A lot of fans of Red Dead have been complaining that this is going to ruin the integrity of the original game, but they shouldn't worry, Rockstar has confirmed that the story is going to be a separate from the normal game. Personally, their complaints have fallen on the deaf ears of this Weird Westerner.....although I certainly understand their concerns.

The images and trailer look like they've channeled a little bit of Grindhouse, and a smidgen of some Italian Horror, some great 70s horror in general (the original game channels Spaghetti Westerns nicely, especially in the music) and hopefully this "Episode" will be really scary and a lot of fun!

Rockstar has an official site with everything that has been released so far HERE and its a very safe bet that this wont be the end, so as more info and media is released Ill post it here at the Emporium!

Until then......braaaaaaains......

Merkabah Rider 2 and The Blood Bay!

2010-09-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

For fans of Edward M. Erdelac's work, he's back with two more tales from the Weird West!

I hate to admit it, but I have yet to read Ed's first book in the Merkabah Rider series, Merkabah Rider: Tales Of A High Planes Drifter.....but in my defense, I'm a terrible book reader. My mind is always running around, and I'm always doing something. So sitting down to read a book takes a bit of a commitment.....I think I have a bit of ADD (or maybe I just drink too much caffeine).....but regardless, a good friend of mine DID read Merkabah Rider 1, and he said it was GREAT.

Well fans of the series have something to be happy about as the adventures of The Rider continue in Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name

Damnation books describes it like this:

The Merkabah Rider continues his journey across the American Southwest of 1880 in search of the renegade teacher who destroyed his mystic Jewish order in the 2nd volume of this acclaimed weird western series. As the Rider unravels more of the mystery of the Hour of the Incursion, demons are the least of his troubles.

The book is once again an anthology, made up of 4 Short stories, The Infernal Napolean, The Damned Dingus, The Outlaw Gods, and The Pandaemonium Ride. These make up episodes 5 though 8 and tell the ongoing adventures of Erdelac's hero.

The book has been released as an ebook through the publisher's website and should be released in hard copy form within the next few weeks.

Also, for a comprehensive review of Mensch With No Name, head on over to Paul Green's Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns site where he actually reads books and doesn't drink too much caffeine!

And speaking of websites, if fans of Ed Erdelac's work haven't been going over to his blog, Delirium Tremens you are missing out. He writes up some fascinating explanations about his work and the inspirations behind his stories. There is a write up about Mensch With No Name, but what I'm specifically thinking of is the second story he released recently, The Blood Bay.

The Blood Bay is one of the short stories in the new Midnight Diner collection. Erdelac describes the story like this:

My own story is about a boy (Jonas) who comes to live on his father’s ranch following the violent death of his estranged mother in a freak accident. His father has remarried, and although Jonas takes to life on a horse ranch, he cannot bring himself to accept his father and stepmother. Then, in an attempt to win his son’s love, Jonas’ father brings him a skittish, wall-eyed blood colored mare and tells the boy he can keep it so long as he can get it to eat...

He also explains that his influences were John Steinbeck's The Red Pony (the bane of many a High School English students) and the Greek Myths of Diomedes and his Man-eating Mares. Particularly "Xanthos (or Xanthus, meaning ‘blonde’ or sometimes ‘bay’).....whom Hercules captured as his eighth labor."

I don't know about you but I think this sounds like a fantastic idea for a short story.....sort of The Red Pony in Hell! Edward talks about his inspirations at length in his article HERE, or if you want to be surprised the Midnight Diner collection can be found HERE, although I haven't been able to find a release date, but they are taking pre-orders.

UPDATE: Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name is available now in both ebook and hard copy formats. They can be bought HERE

The Dark Tower coming to Movie theaters....AND TV screens!

2010-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I don't want to get too excited yet....Ive heard it all before. Everyone has tried to do an adaptation of Stephen King's seven part Weird Western, Fantasy, Horror epic The Dark Tower. First as a TV series, then as a Trilogy, then as a TV series again. Even JJ Abrams tried it....and couldn't.

Well NBC/Universal has announced today that they signed a deal with Stephen King to have all 7 books adapted into 3 movies and (from what Ive been hearing) 2 TV series'. Ron Howard is directing the first film and the first season, Akiva Goldsman is Adapting it, and Brian Grazer will be producing it. Details on the following seasons and film haven't been announced yet.

I dont think this has ever been done before, The New York Times described it as if Lord of the Rings had had a TV series in between each film to bridge the films.....and I agree, although I wonder if it will all be coming out within a few years of each other......and we can expect the cast to be mostly Unknowns due to the high level of commitment they will need to have. I dont think a cast has had this level of involvement in a film series since Harry Potter.

I believe the source for this is Deadline.com so Ill link to that (although its been fire-storming through the Internet so a Google News search will basically bring up the story from most of the news sites.)

The Dark Tower is one of my absolute favorites, I hope this happens! I'll report more on this as details become available!

The Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns has a second printing!

2010-08-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, Paul Green's The Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns is THE reference of all things Weird in the Western genre. This is a fantastic book that came out last year, and has now moved into its second printing! If you haven't had a chance to pick it up, you should, its an essential part of any Weird Western fans night table reading.

From automatons to zombies, many fantastic elements have been cross-pollinated with the western genre. This A-to-Z encyclopedia of the Weird Western covers film, television, animation, dime novels, pulp fiction, comic books, novels, short stories and video and role-playing games.

I blogged about it when it first came out last October, and I still love it. Its a great reference for when I'm doing research for The Emporium, or just feel like getting lost some Weird Western minutia for a while.

You can also order the book from its publisher, McFarland and Co. Inc.....and you can visit Paul at his website, The Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns which, like The Emporium, is one of the few sites dedicated to Weird West goodness online; and acts as sort of an addendum to the book.

If you haven't pick this up yet, you should do it today! And Congratulations Paul, you've written a durn fine book there, pard!

New Set Photo from Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-08-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Collider reported today that Noah Ringer, who is starring in Cowboys and Aliens, tweeted a new photo from the set. Looks cool! Kinda.... Is it just me or does this particular shot look like the set from a 2 O'clock Wild West show at Tombstone or Knott's Berry Farm? It looks a little fake, especially the back buildings, with their thin structures....unlike the previous photo which was a great shot from set. I'm sure lighting and camera work can do wonders....or who knows, maybe this is meant to be blown up in the alien invasion! Or.....Maybe I'm just being to picky......We shall see..

You can click on the above Photo for a better look!

New Weird West comic book series The Sixth Gun!

2010-08-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

I could honestly kick myself. Doing research for Yesterday's post I came across the cover of a new Weird Western comic called The Sixth Gun from Oni Press. The reason for the self kickage-ness is that they released the entire first issue, absolutely free, on Free Comic Book Day 2010.....which I purposefully missed due to a lack of titles that I was interested in...I suppose I should have done better research...

If you can't tell by the name, Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday in May when comic book companies release free issues of certain comics to promote them. The Sixth Gun was a good choice because it has just begun an ongoing run last month.

Oni Press decribes the title like this:

During the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. The Sixth Gun - the most dangerous of the weapons - has vanished. When the gun surfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Villains thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing anyone in their path. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunslinger with a shadowy past, stands in their way.

Nice! and as luck would have it, all is not lost. Robot 6 has posted the entire first issue online for our weekend reading pleasure (in two formats even, you can read it right on the site, or download a PDF of the issue to keep forever and ever).

Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun is 32 pages of Weird West awesomeness...And it can be read right HERE....Enjoy!

The Weird West on Deviantart!

2010-08-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sometime contributor and friend of the Weird West Emporium, Ashe Armstrong, has started a Weird West group on Deviantart.

I have to admit, I haven't flirted much with the site. Its great for looking up pictures and such of my current obsessions, or for images for the Emporium, and even professionals post their work there. Looking for a certain picture online tends too be eased by going to the artists page on Deviantart and seeing if the picture in question was posted there.....Its hit or miss, but there's no denying that the site plays host some REALLY talented artists.

The weird West group is small right now, but its growing...and the work that's there shows the high quality and talent I was speaking of previously.

This is what Ashe has to say about it:

Over on deviantart, [I've] started a Weird West group, http://theweirdwest.deviantart.com/. It's still in its infancy but come check it out and if you have a dA account, join up and help it grow!

So far I'm liking what I'm seeing, You folks should head on over and check out the group....and if you happen to be part of the site, well..you know what to do!

The Weird West in DC comics...

2010-08-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

Two new books have come out from DC comics recently and both seem fairly rooted in the Weird West! The first is issue 4 of the mini series The Return of Bruce Wayne and the other is Secret Six #24 - Unforgivable.

If you dont know, last year sometime Bruce Wayne was killed (or was thought to have been) and for the past year people have been racing to reestablish Batman's presence in Gotham City. The story is a bit complicated so in a nutshell, Bruce wasn't killed, he was catapulted back into time to the stone age.....and now, for some unknown reason, he's being pulled irresistibly forward to his correct time (Our present) stopping in certain eras as he goes. The current issue has him stopping in the Old West. I haven't read the issue yet, but from the following preview the opening is a doozy!

Grant Morrison’s can’t-miss Batman story rolls on as Bruce Wayne’s next stop on his amazing journey through time brings him to the Wild West – but will he escape alive? Artist Georges Jeanty joins Morrison to take The Dark Knight on a ride.

You can check out the exciting opening pages to issue 4 right HERE

The second book that came out last week is Secret Six: Unforgivable.

I dont know a lot about the Secret Six, except that they are a group of Super villains who are trying to make good.....or at best are Anti Heroes. Since I dont read the series I'm not sure where a Western Adventure fits in.....but I'm not complaining!

I like the art work and I like the dialogue in the opening pages. The Cowboy is a villain named Deadshot (he's one of the "six") and it seems MORE than appropriate to recast him as Gunslinger. Here's what DC has to say about the issue:

In a small, corrupt mining boom-town, six remarkable strangers who hate each other band together in a bloody last stand against an army set on destroying them all!

The issue was written by Gail Simone and drawn by J. Calafiore and you can read the first 4 pages right HERE!

DC Showcase - Jonah Hex!

2010-08-10T01:04:00.001-07:00

After the disappointment that was the Jonah Hex movie, DC and Warner's take another crack at the character and hit it out of the park. The new DC Showcase Jonah Hex animated short is everything the Jonah Hex movie should have been. Here there is no bringing back the dead "powerz" or iffy origins, just a straight ahead Jonah story with a deliciously dark edge, some great music, and fun performances.

The tough-as-nails bounty hunter always gets his man - until someone else gets to him first - in this case a murderous madam who wants to steal more than just his bounty from Jonah Hex. Based on a story from the award-winning Jonah Hex comic series, and scripted by world-renowned author Joe Lansdale. The voice cast is led by Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder).

Currently, the short film is available in two ways, Its a bonus feature on the Batman: Under The Red Hood DVD that just came out last month, and then it is going to be part of the DC Showcase DVD that is coming out later this year.

Honestly I dont know how long it is going to be online, so you should check it out as soon as you can, and maybe even support its release with a purchase! Maybe we'll see more of Jonah's adventure in the future when DC and Warner's realizes that we actually DO care about the character......when he's treated right.

You can see all of the awesome Jonah Hex action right HERE! Enjoy!

Red Dead Redemption goes Weird West!

2010-07-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the best video games to come out in the past few years is Rockstar San Diego's Red Dead Redemption....When I say best video games, I mean it is an absolutely gorgeously executed work of art..that you can PLAY! The detail is awe inspiring, every tree has individual leaves, as do the plants, the lighting is magnificent and day changes into night in an incredibly realistic fashion. And the weather, sudden rainstorm create puddles on the roads, and flashes of lightning illuminates an entire valley of raindrops, and its all held together by an incredibly compelling protagonist and colorful cast of supporting characters.....if you haven't had a chance to play it yet you should, it stunning!

Now the good folks at Rockstar are about to make things all the more interesting with the Undead Nightmare Downloadable Content Pack. For those who dont know, a Downloadable Content Pack (or DLC for short) is newly created content that Rockstar has created for the game that that you download from the internet onto your Playstation 3 or XBox 360 console and the game seamlessly integrates it into itself. Parts of the game maps can be expanded, and new characters are added, and it will all feel as if that stuff has been apart of the game the whole time.

The Official word from Rockstar is this:

Today, we are proud to announce plans for an ongoing series of downloadable content for Red Dead Redemption.

Four packs of add-on downloadable content will be released for PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE over the next few months, starting with the ‘Legends and Killers’ Pack at the beginning of August and culminating with the Red Dead Redemption ‘Undead Nightmare’ Pack this fall. These packs follow the recent release of the Free ‘Outlaws to The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack, which is available now on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE.

Undead Nightmare Pack
Ghost towns and cemeteries come alive in a West gone horribly wrong:

* Brand new single player adventure, Challenges and quests
* 8 New Multiplayer Zombie characters
* Additional animals unleashed in the world
* New Dynamic events
* More details to follow...
* Release date TBC
* Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE)

Sounds Spectacular!

Theres no word yet about when it is coming out (besides Fall) but its assumed that the Zombie pack will be out around Halloween. I sure hope so, fighting undead Zombie cowboys sounds like a great way to spend the Holidays!

Now, of course Red Dead Redemption isn't necessarily a Weird West game, although elements of the Weird West have been snuck in (either intentionally or by accident). An old abandoned Mansion in the Ghost Town of Tumbleweed is said to be Haunted, voices can be heard in the Basement and, if the conditions are right, an apparition has been seen sitting in the dark (supposedly)

I will admit that last time I was there, I heard a dog barking....and there was no dog around...hmm

There is also supposedly a Werewolf in the area known as Tall Trees and an Undead Horse Mount you can obtain (by futzing with your game system...not advised)

On most occasions, however, the game tends to glitch, and it has happened often enough (and weirdly enough) that RDR glitches have become an entertaining past time. People have been seen flying in the air like birds, another person has been seen running around and attacking people like he was a cougar, and my 3 personal favorites:

Donkey Woman

The Gunslinger Dog!

So far info has been light on the new Undead Zombie Pack, but as soon as I hear something (and get my hands on some pictures) I'll post them here....but until then, get them firearms broke down and cleaned, there's gonna be some Zombie fightin' to do in the near future!

First Official Image for Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, the San Diego Comic Convention is over but some good stuff came from it! Mostly, relating to this blog, John Favraeu and the cast of Cowboys and Aliens came to talk about the film. Some footage was shown (although not much since they've only been shooting for 4 weeks) and the first official image was released (which you can click on to make bigger).

The Panel consisted of Favraeu, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach and Harrison Ford at his very first Comic Con ever (Apparently he was a little stunned at the reaction when he walked on stage)

Coming Soon.net was there at the panel, and wrote up a run down of the footage that was shown, and described it like this:

1) The first clip wasn’t super exciting and just featured a very grimy Daniel Craig ride up to a house on horseback, go inside and wash his face in the sink before inspecting a nasty wound on his stomach. He’s got a weird gold bracelet on his wrist. Before he could examine it closely, he’s stopped at gunpoint by none other than Clancy Brown who says only two people get shot like that: villains and victims. Craig says he doesn’t know which one he is.

2) Craig is sleeping in a jail cell when somebody spits on him from an adjacent cell. It’s Paul Dano, who taunts him and tells him he’s in a world of trouble when his father gets there. Craig pulls a very James Bond move and reaches through the bars and pulls Dano in to them headfirst, knocking him out.

3) Here’s the money scene. Dano and Craig are escorted in a police wagon and chained together, much to Dano’s terror. They’re about to ride off when a group of men on horseback arrive, led by Harrison Ford as Dano’s father. The sheriff tells Ford that they have to take Craig to see the judge but Ford wants Craig for himself, “Either you give him to me or I’ll get him myself.” Ford looks scruffy and pretty great in what little we see of him. Just as things are about to get heated, the men notice something in the sky. There’s a very skinny string of lights making their way towards them.

The lights get closer and closer, before they disappear. All of a sudden they reappear right above the small town as three or four alien ships that immediately start raining fire and blowing up everything in sight. The ships seem to beam down small circles of blue light followed by the fireballs that gave a little WAR OF THE WORLDS feel. In the midst of all the chaos and destruction we see some of the other characters; Olivia Wilde saves a small boy hiding under a house, Sam Rockwell tries to save his wife/girlfriend as escaping horses nearly trample her, and Harrison Ford looks perplexed/terrified. All of a sudden the side of the police carriage is blown open by the same blue light we see from the ships. Daniel Craig walks out wielding some sort of alien weapon on his arm (clearly the weird bracelet from the first scene). He looks down at it as if it’s new to him, then looks to the attacking spaceships and fires a blast that brings down one of the vessels on to the street below. The attack ends and the town slowly walks over to the crashed spaceship, led by Craig, who looks down at his arm as the weapon mechanically shrinks down back to bracelet size. He shares a look with Ford and the scene ends.

Sounds amazing, I wish I could have been there!

Yo can read more about the Con and the Panel at ComingSoon.net and Collider.com

Guest Reviews: The Wicked West Vol. 1 & Dead Man's Hand

2010-06-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Guest columnist and frequent Emporium reader Ashe Armstrong reviews a couple of pistol packin' Weird Westerns (That Ive been too lazy to get to myself) so listen up ya' all!

Long days and pleasant nights. The infernal Mr. Adams has been kind enough to allow me to bring to you some weird west reviews. Specifically, The Wicked West vol.1 by Todd Livingston and Robert Tinnell and Dead Man's Hand: Five Tales of the Weird West by Nancy A. Collins. The former is a collection of pretty pages narrating a tale, and the latter, if you couldn't figure it out, is an anthology of five stories. I'll try to leave out spoilers as best I can, so no worries there, folks. Now, without further ado, let's get this shindig started.

The Wicked West vol 1. is an interesting take on vampires in the west. The story is told in a sort of dual narrative, flashback/flashforward setup. The main character's exploits are remembered by a child that witnessed them, while watching a movie in a theater with his grandson that reminds him of the events. These parts serve two purposes well. The first is to give a comparison of how bad the events actually were. The movie they watch is a typical, good guys in white, bad guys in black fair that ends happily ever after. The truth is horrible and unpleasant. The second is to contrast the vampires. In the film, the vampire is Lugosi-esque. In the story, well...teeth, teeth and teeth. The story is a solid one. Mysterious stranger, small town, big trouble. Tried and true. Outside of the delivery and the main character knowing how to handle things, there's not much here that hasn't been seen before. You can definitely see the influence of Robert E. Howard's short, “The Horror from the Mound”. And that is a good thing.

Now for the art. It's good. The lines are excellent, great detail, realistic but with that nice hint of cartoon/comicness. The colors though...well, sometimes they're a bit heavy. Like maybe Neil Vokes , the artist for the book, had to color in photoshop and still wasn't use to doing so. That's not to say it looks amateurish, just heavy. It works though and I admit that I'm probably being a little harder on it than I should but I'm kind of a picky bastard, so you'll have to forgive me.

And added bonus to the book is the short story in the back. Along with some sketches, there's a short story about a different character in a similar situation that was actually pretty damn good. And clever to boot. It involves the character and a young boy hunting a pack of vamps, with an interesting little twist. I don't want to spoil it too much but it was a lovely little pulp story and if you only like the comic, this story caps things off and makes the price of the book worth it. I'd give the whole thing a 7 out of 10.

And now we get to the big dog, Dead Man's Hand. The first thing you folks, my fellow lovers of the weird west, will notice is the forward. It's by the man himself, Mr. Joe Lansdale. He essentially tells us to have the utmost faith in Nancy A. Collins and he ain't wrong. He actually says at one point that it's like all the positive traits of pulp stories got taken and blended together. After finishing all five stories, I'd say that's pretty damn accurate. I'll give a quick run through of each story, three of which are actually novellas.

The first story is a fun, pulpy tale of vampires and the Texas Ranger chasing them. “Hell Come Sundown” has some very interesting things going for it, including one area that I sincerely wish had been brought out more but admittedly, wouldn't have fit for the narrative at large. The story starts off one way, telling the tale of a young boy whose bedroom is haunted by something, and then swerves into the real story, the Ranger and the vamps. And it's quite the fun ride.

The second tale in this hand is “Lynch”. The best way to describe “Lynch” is that's a Frankenstein-revenge story set in the west. It speaks on the afterlife, revenge, racism, dying, loss, all the things good out in the weird frontier. I sorely loved this story. Especially the horse. I think you'll love the horse too.

The biggest offering in the hand is “Walking Wolf”. And it's a doozy. It's the story of a skinwalker. A werewolf, but not at all in the mainstream sense. Walking Wolf (the character) recounts his life for us, the reader. He was found by Comanches and raised as one. Being a skinwalker made things both easier and more difficult for him. His Comanche brethren (and the other tribes), viewed him as a good luck sign, or good medicine but he was not met without some fear at his “true face”. He makes some serious mistakes and exiles himself to learn more about what a skinwalker is and what he should do with his life. Along the way, he meets a crazy preacher that adopts him, snake oil salesman that takes him under his wing, a vampire gunslinger from Russia calling himself The Sundown Kid, and others. The story makes excellent use of history. Featured prominently is Sitting Bull and the forcing of the tribes into reservations. The plight is spoken of in an interesting way and doesn't get preachy. At least, I didn't feel it to get preachy. It's pulp and it's history and it's a lot of fun.

Now we get to the short stories. Second to last is "The Tortuga Hill Gang's Last Ride," which if you pay attention, is hinted at in the first story of the book. This story, well this one's an interesting little spin as it's based around the sidhe. The sidhe are Celtic creatures, for those who don't know. Nancy gives them a little spin as well. Center stage is greed and punishment, tied together with reputation. The Tortuga Hill gang has an unexpected visitor one day who proves himself extremely capable. But as is often the case in the weird west, his presence brings a less than favorable outcome.

The last story, “Calaverada,” is...well, it's the weak link here. It's an interesting story, no doubt but for what it tells, it's too short and too quick. It deals with the Mexican Day of the Dead. I honestly think that with more work, this story could've hit a Lovecraftian level (only without the inherent racism and occasional dryness). The ending is pretty Lovecraftian but alas, it falls short. I think this story should've opened or went second. It's a bad endcap.

Now, overall, I adore this collection and it gets a 10 from me. That last story should've gone in a different spot though. Ah well, I'm not the publisher. I highly recommend checking out both books, especially Dead Man's Hand. I had been craving weird westerns so badly and these two just filled me up right. I devoured Dead Man's Hand over the course of several days and probably would've done so quicker had I not been in the middle of moving. Check 'em out and keep 'em close.

First Set Photo from Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-06-26T00:54:00.000-07:00

I just found this exciting bit of photography over at Paul Green's excellent Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns site. Jon Favreau has posted the first photo from the set of Cowboys and Aliens on his Twitter account! Filming commenced on June 10 in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the film is set for release in July 29, 2011...Almost exactly a year from now!

After the Daniel Craig picture, and now this, I'm not exactly sure why I haven't kept an eye on Favreau's Twitter account, but I think that should change very soon, especially if he's going to keep up with this behavior!

Also, in related news, Walton Goggins has just joined the cast that also includes Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Noah Ringer, Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine, Adam Beach, and Paul Dano.

Man! I just got really excited for this....What a cast! As I hear more news I'll pass it on....til then, Adios Pards!

The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale

2010-06-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

So, I was perusing the Aethernet today, looking for this or that, when I came across a very interesting book that's going to be published at the end of the year. Its called The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale, and its being written by Mike Resnick. I didn't know who Mike Resnick was but he has a long and very impressive resume. He's won 5 Hugo awards and has been nominated for 28 more, sheesh! So its safe to say that Im not too worried that his new book will be awesome (or at least it should be awesome and theres no excuse for it not to be!)

The official press release for the title is this:

The year is 1881. The United States of America ends at the Mississippi River. Beyond lies the Indian nations, where the magic of powerful Medicine Men have halted the advance of the Americans east of the river.

An American government desperate to expand its territory sends Thomas Alva Edison out West to the town of Tombstone, Arizona on a mission to discover a scientific means of counteracting magic. Hired to protect this great genius, Wyatt Earp and his brothers.

But there are plenty who would like to see the Earps and Edison dead. Riding to their aid--old friends Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson. Against them stand the Apache wizard Geronimo and the Clanton gang. Battle lines are drawn, and the Clanton gang, which has their own reasons for wanting Edison dead, sends for Johnny Ringo, the one man who might be Doc Holliday's equal in a gunfight. But what shows up instead is The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo, returned from the dead and come to Tombstone looking for a fight.

Welcome to a West like you’ve never seen before, where “Bat Masterson” hails from the ranks of the undead, where electric lights shine down on the streets of Tombstone, while horseless stagecoaches carry passengers to and fro, and where death is no obstacle to The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo. Think you know the story of the O.K. Corral? Think again, as five time Hugo winner Mike Resnick takes on his first steampunk western tale, and the West will never be the same.

I think I'm on board, that sounds really cool! Plus with the very Dr. Grordbort-esque ray gun on the cover, how can you go wrong? Or could that be one of those cases of judging a book by it's cover?...hmmmm. Regardless, I love the cover art, and the Synopsis, and I am definitely going to check this out.

The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale will be released this December from Pyr

Movie Review: Jonah Hex

2010-06-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Jonah Hex has been getting spectacular reviews.......spectacularly BAD ones. On Rotten Tomatoes, it is currently at a 14% Rotten rating. So I went into this expecting the worst piece of poo of the season, and.....I didn't get it; not exactly. I will say this, I had fun in Jonah Hex, if you check your brain at the door and go in with no expectations, you might actually have fun watching this movie. Is it great? DEFINITELY not, is it good? sorta kinda...is it fun? yes, but like I said, its a big, dumb, fun B picture.

However, it isn't without its problems. The first point of irritation was that this isn't "Jonah Hex" the comic book character, it truly was Wild Wild West in tone. While Jonah is fighting off Turnbull in Virginia and Washington DC, Jim West and Artemus Gordon could have been fighting Arliss Loveless and his 80 foot spider in Utah and blowing up the town of Silverado.

...but something I wasn't prepared for is how grim the film was...Most of the clips Id seen (and the trailer) seem to have a rather comedic edge to them, Jonah was portrayed as a lovable curmudgeon who is always getting one upped by Megan Fox, that wasn't the film at all. While being VERY "comic booky" and "action movie" it was still fairly grim and serious in its style and tone, with only a few moments of humor spread throughout. Also, there was a lot about the trailer I didn't like, certain line readings seemed forced like the "I cut myself shaving what happened to yours?" line that Josh Brolin says in the trailer - Too loud, too fast...In the film all that stuff was fixed.

Story-wise the film was a bit muddled, but there was never a point (that I noticed) where I was lost, or didn't' know what was going on, the story is pretty simple and they stick too it (Turnbull Bad - Jonah Good, Jonah stop Turnbull)...which makes it a short film. Jeopardy is never really perilous, Jonah and Lilah get captured and then get free, Jonah gets shot and is close to death, but you know he isn't going to die....its more of a question of how he's going to survive.

The actors were good. Brolin is great, if they ever reboot this franchise I hope they keep him, Megan Fox was good too...I like her as a gun totting gunslinger girl, too bad there isnt much of that here. John Malkovich is was the weak link....not because he did a bad job but because he seemed too not know what the character was all about and just decided to do bored psychopath instead of intriguing villain.

As for the Weird Westness of this, They firmly planted it into the genre. The filmmakers didn't stop with Jonah talking to the dead or the glowy bomb balls, they even have a scene in a fight tent with a snake monster man who can extend his jaw and spouts sizzling venom. This film won't convince anyone that the Weird West is a viable interesting genre worth exploring (We'll have to wait for Cowboys and Aliens for that) but it isn't a hack job either....but then neither was Wild Wild West so take that as you will.

What irks me most about this film is it could have been great, instead of making it mediocre and then creating a stellar marketing campaign, the film itself should have been the draw, but instead they made a film that has nothing to do Jonah, really, they just slapped his name on it and will blame the films failure on the character not being very well known. This is a fun film, take Hex out of the equation and its a fun supernatural Western, but it isn't Jonah Hex like I said before and the failure this film is sure to be what will convince the studio heads that Jonah doesn't have the fan base for another try. If they could have gotten Lansdale in to do an adaptation of Two Gun Mojo (just to keep the tone of the first film intact - Sequel-wise) it could have been a hit. But I doubt we will see much more from Hex on the big screen for a long, long time.

I give it 3 out of 5 Bloody Spurs

The Buzzard and Billy the Kid's Old-Timey Oddities!

2010-06-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

I wish I could I could say that I was a reader of Eric Powell's The Goon, but I'm not....I AM, however, a fan of his artwork and especially his mini series Billy the Kid's Old-Timey Oddities, a BIG fan. So imagine my surprise when I heard that not only is there a new Weird West comic coming (actually it came out last week June 9th) called The Buzzard, but also a back-up story featuring the new adventures of Billy the Kid and the Traveling Freakshow he got caught up with.

Very excited is a good way to explain it!

I wish I knew more about The Buzzard, but here's the official word on the series:

The mysterious man known as Buzzard is lost, wondering what manner of creature he is, following his brutal showdown with the loathsome Zombie Priest in Eric Powell's celebrated Goon Year.

Buzzard leaves home, wandering into the shadowy spirit realm of the forest. A dark path leads to a village living in fear of a bestial race of savages. More animal than man, these creatures hunt the villagers and drag them from their slumber in the depth of night

As for Billy The Kid, which Powell did with Co-Creator Kyle Hotz, Comic Book Resource explains the original series like this:

The original "Billy the Kid" series ran for four issues in 2005, with the outlaw having faked his death and joined a traveling carnival. Though none would count him a friend, Billy embarks with this unusual crew on a quest to steal a mystical artifact from the castle of Victor Frankenstein. Things go poorly, on the whole

The new series pics up where the original left off, with Billy and his crew in some obscure part of Europe - "It's actually a nice little creepy story about what happens to them along their way on an errand to help a friend of the Oddities in England" says Powell.

If you get a chance to pick the original you should, its great...The artwork, while deceptively simple and "sloppy" is actually very sophisticated and tight. And the story is fantastic. When I was reading it, I couldn't put it down...and then it was over. Very fun read.

I can't imagine this new one will be any less enjoyable. I'll let you know my thoughts after Ive picked it up.

Jonah Hex returns to animation!

2010-05-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Jonah Hex is building quite a collection of animated appearances. Its no surprise, he's a great character that deserves more exposure then he's gotten in the past.

At the end of July DC Premier is releasing their new animated movie Batman: Under The Red Hood, and as a bonus feature there will be a short film starring none other than Hex himself; for obvious reasons I'm very excited.

Well imagine my surprise when I went to the Newsarama comic site and found that 3 new images have been released from the short! While I'm not surprised by the decidedly dark tone of the images, I was still...a little surprised....and certainly delighted.

Here's what Newsarama has to say about the short:

Scripted by renowned author Joe Lansdale and starring the voices of Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder), the DC Showcase short is based on the award winning comic series. The short is rated PG-13.

In the DC Showcase story, the tough-as-nails bounty hunter Jonah Hex always gets his man - until someone else gets to him first - in this case a murderous madam who wants to steal more than just her bounty from Jonah Hex.

Sounds like a great cast! My only wish is that it were feature length. Maybe next time. You can find the images HERE and Batman: Under The Red Hood will be released on July 27, 2010.

The Haunted Old West of Lee Winters

2010-05-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Written by Lon Williams, Lee Winters was a Weird Western pulp character who's stories were published in Real Western Stories pulp magazine between 1951 and 1959. Lee was basically a cowardly deputy marshal, from the town of Forlorn Gap, who was thrown into all sorts of supernatural situations ranging from Ghosts to demons, and Greek gods to the Three Fates. From what I can gather, Lee's only regular co-star int he series was Doc Bogannan, the Saloon Keeper from Forlorn Gap who tries to warn Lee away from making the stupid decisions that get him into trouble in the first place.

He sounds like an interesting character, personally I'd love to see Joe R. Lansdale take a crack at him. But like a lot of pulp characters from the past, his stories tend to be a bit...formulaic? Pulpfan from Live Journal has done a nice article about the formulaic nature of Lee Winter's stories. There are also links to some of the stories.

There isn't a lot about Lee online, he seems to be a pretty obscure character mostly forgotten by everyone except for those who seek him out. But I was able to dig around and find a page of his stories HERE which, paired with the links from Pulpfan's site, should give you quite a bit a Lee Winters Weird West goodness to read this weekend.

That cool Cowboys and Aliens pic, Actor revealed!

2010-05-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

So I gotta say, I like this picture a lot. Like all good cowboy pictures should, it has great silhouette. The picture was released last week by Jon Favreau on his Twitter. Its a picture of one of the actors in the movie and at the time, Favreau was very hush hush as to the actors identity (not wanting to reveal such big news on Twitter). Personally I thought it was Sam Rockwell, since it looks a little thin and not beefy (ie Manly) enough to be Harrison Ford. Well it turns out that its Daniel Craig! It looks great....I just hope his costume design gets more interesting as they progress.

Also, speaking of Harrison Ford, I still can't believe how cool it is that hes in this. From an official synopsis that released last week, it sounds like he is going to be, if not a villain, at least an antagonist. An antagonist who has to team up with Daniel Craig and Co to fight a common enemy.....as long as he has a substantial part and doesn't die in the first five minutes I'm on board!

Who am I fooling, I'm on-board anyway...I cant wait to see what they do, its starting to look better all the time!

Heres the Official Synopsis that was released last week:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Yowza it sounds like fun! :Fingers crossed:

New Jonah Hex Poster and Trailer!!

2010-04-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait and post about the new Jonah Hex trailer tomorrow, but with the poster coming out earlier this week I figured what the hell I'll just combine them and do one big super post of awesomeness! Except, and I hate to say it, I'm a little disappointed with the trailer. Its not really the trailer's fault though, I just had my expectations too high....

Being a huge fan of Jonah Hex in the comics I'm obviously coming from a different place than people who might not know him very well, or at all. Not unlike Constantine, Jonah Hex looks like its for the people who don't know who the character is. I know that the point of some movies is too make a fun exciting experience...and since this is a summer film they've added the bang bang and the boom boom and the Victorian super gadgets. People who have seen it have described it as The Outlaw Josey Wales meets The Wild Wild West....That doesn't bother me, in fact that is one of the things that makes me want to see this. I'm a fan of Wild Wild West, even though I have no illusions that its a good movie, (Its definitely better than some other Weird Westerns out there).....Of course Van Helsing looked good too...and then I saw that and....yikes...

Josh Brolin looks great, my only complaint is I wish he had a contact lens or something in his ruined eye....but I love his line delivery and he seems like he might be fun too watch as Jonah. Megan Fox looks serviceabley hot, as usual, although she might want to tone down the "Hot girl" roles if she wants to be taken as a serious actress (like she seems to want)

There's a giant metal ship with a cannon device (or is it the USS Monitor?) and some dynamite flinging crossbows that could be interesting (That's actually a pretty dang good idea). We'll see, I'm definitely going to go see it, I might even start getting excited as I process the fact that its not the comic, but its own version of Jonah. I DO like that it has supernatural elements.

As for the Poster, I LOVE it! I think the image looks good, well lit, its exciting...I like that they've obscured Jonah's scar (but still kept a hint of it). He's using that Dynamite crossbow AND a Gatling gun....also, there is some good character shots, bottom line, its a well put together poster. You can click on the picture above for a better look.

Anyway, the time has arrived to make your own judgments on the new Trailer, don't let your expectations get too high and you wont be let down....eh, who knows, this may be one of my favorite films this year!

Jonah Hex Motion Comics!

2010-04-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

This could turn into Jonah Hex week, with the debut of the trailer tomorrow (Which Ill post on Friday), the new Poster revealed (Which Ill blog about tomorrow), and today's post, a brand new Jonah Hex Motion Comic, it seems like full Jonah goodness all around.

I know I'm in the minority, but I LOVE the DC/Vertigo comics version of Jonah Hex. They were a gritty, nasty, mature version of the character. Also they introduced me to Joe R. Lansdale and Tim Truman, AND of course (Although at the time, I didn't make the distinction) they were a Weird West version of the character...a genre which I think he really works in (another minority view I'm sure)

The first one, Two Gun Mojo, is the best and had a truly shocking moment of horror at the end.....The second Riders of the Worm and Such started off great and also had a couple moments of brutality that shocked me the first time I read it, but then sort of devolved into silliness.....and the third Shadows West, (I hate to say) kinda sucked and felt rushed and uninspired.......

They get less good with each mini unfortunately, BUT, Warner Premiere Digital has just announced the release of a new 7 part Jonah Hex Motion Comic based on the first one Two Gun Mojo, and two short stories from his original series, The Gunfighter and The Hangin' Woman.

And the best part about these, the first episode is out TODAY! The idea is that they will be released weekly up too the premier of the new film.

The official word from the Newsarama comic book site is this:

Jonah Hex Motion Comics will debut Wednesday, April 28th on iTunes, Amazon Video on Demand, Xbox Live / Zune Market Place and the PlayStation Network for 99 cents per episode or $5.99 for a season pass.

There's a lot of good Jonah stuff coming up in the next few months including an original graphic novel and a Warner Brothers animated short, so anyone unfamiliar with the character has plenty to choose from to acquaint themselves with...

...Starting with Two Gun Mojo, available today. I'm about to buy it, and maybe Ill even do a review....although I'm terribly bad at those things...so here's the official trailer for now:

Deadwalkers is a rockem, sockem Zombie Western!

2010-04-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

I should start off by saying that Deadwalkers is a fun film. You can see that a lot of care and love went into it. Lots of people working, for probably not a lot of money, got together and made, what is essentially a feature film in a very small package. Its taut, fast, violent and fun, but it isn't perfect.

The story starts right off, as a Bounty Hunter named Jack Link is bringing two men into town to collect on a bounty. As soon as he arrives, however, something is wrong with both the town and its citizens, as they start attacking, and trying eat, Jack and the men he's bringing in. After a few a gun shots, bullet holes, and splattered Zombie heads, Jack and a surviving bounty find refuge in a boarded up Saloon where they run into the last of the towns uninfected survivors. What happens next is the classic "group of mismatched people forced together to fight a common enemy" Zombie fightin' scenario.

The dialogue is noticeably hard boiled, with Jack spurting tough guy lines through a clinched cigar or clinched teeth for most of the movie. I like the sets also, The film was shot in Calgary, Alberta on a western town used for movie shoots. The inside of the saloon was beautiful, with Tin-Tiled walls and

I did have a few problems with the film however.

I thought the Zombie make up was too cartoonish, The main Zombie bad guy, the Town's Sheriff, has almost clown white make-up on his face, I can see what they were trying to do with it, but I didn't really like the way it looked...In the picture for this article, the makeup actually doesn't look half bad, but in the film.....not so good...Other characters have a more subtle form of Zombie makeup and I would have preferred to see that encompass all of the Zombie characters. They also use digital blood, which isn't really a problem...but there is one decapitation that looks very cheesy and VERY video effect-y.

Also, this film wants to be HUGE, its at least a half hour or 45 minutes worth of story trapped in a 12 minute short film, its almost too short. Parts of it feel rushed and then its over. I'm sure budget was a factor in the length, and they needed to get the film made within an allotted production schedule, but I would have loved to see it breathe a little more.

Don't let my pet peeves sway you off giving Deadwalkers a try, though. I did really enjoy it, and if you are looking for a fun short fast moving Zombie Western, this just might be what you are looking for!

I was under the impression that you could get it through iTunes, however I haven't been able to find it on the site....If I hear anything about availability Ill let you guys know!

UPDATE: From Greg Jeffs, Producer of Deadwalkers: The iTunes release is in October 2010 to kick off Halloween week, it'll coincide with a UK, US and Canadian broadcast.

Details on Lansdales Dead Man's Road Anthology!

2010-04-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I reported that Joe R Lansdale's Reverend Mercer stories were going to be collected into a single book called Dead Man's Road, well Subterranean Press has provided details about the release, AND a look at the rough artwork for the cover by the great Timothy Truman:

The Reverend Jedidiah Mercer returns with the re-release of the highly influential pulp novel, Dead in the West, and four stories, one never before collected, one brand new. Contained herein are the Reverend's adventures with zombies, ghouls, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters and kobolds. Western action blends with grisly horror and ribald humor for a super collection of shoot-outs and fang-outs, claws and crawling horrors, and lessons about an angry, unforgiving god and methods for killing nasties of all kinds.

You can read the rest HERE. The article also gets into content specifics (including storylines) and ordering prices.

Dead Man's Road will be released in October, and I for one am very excited!

I'll keep you updated as I hear stuff...

Harrison Ford WILL be fighting Cowboys and Aliens soon!!!

2010-04-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: It was Just confirmed on Favreau's Twitter Harrison Ford is joining the cast of Cowboys and Aliens!

Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens. Okay? He is. Please don't tell anybody.

Nice!

----Original Story----

Its all just rumor at this point, but Latino Review is reporting they heard from an anonymous tip that Harrison Ford might be joining the Weird Western Cowboys and Aliens directed by Jon Favreau. If this is true, it would be very exciting!! Ford needs a good role to get behind after some uninteresting parts he's taken in recent years, and this could be just the thing!

Favreau also put a little tease in one of his Twitter posts last night: Some very cool Cowboys & Aliens casting news coming soon... Hmmmmm, tantalizing...and this would certainly fit the bill...

Nothing has been announced just yet, but lets keep our fingers crossed...I'm suspecting that there will be something later this week, and when there is I'll let you know!

It Came From The West - A Puppet Zombie Western!

2010-04-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Flyfish, the makers of the puppet film Zombie Western: It Came From The West call their movie "the first ever hand-puppet animated ZOMBIEWESTERN!" and I gotta say that they are quite probably right. For anyone thats seen Peter Jackson's Meet The Feebles knows, when you do a puppet film you can get away with quite a lot, and it looks like the film makers have done just that!

There are buckets of Zombie Puppet Blood aplenty and my personal favorite scene in the trailer is the zombie puppet getting his head cleaved in half by a chain saw, (Ahhhh Zombie films)

Zombie Western: It Came from The West is a 17 minute film from Denmark that has won a bunch of awards, they have an official Website with tons of pictures, an online store for DVD purchases, a press page, and a page devoted to their copious Film Festival accolades...The story synopsis from the website is this:

Virgil lives alone with his bully father and a mute bartender and he is being mocked by the two tough cowboys Eddie and Hank. Because of The Dark Butcher who has been terrorizing the local Indian tribe, the Indians see no other way, than bringing the dead to live by performing The Forbidden Rituals. When the Zombies suddenly attack the saloon, action begins and true characters are brought to daylight.

The film is inspired by Sergio Leone’s classic Westerns as well as the legendary films by Peter Jackson and George A. Romero and there are several references to the genres to be found in the film. The style is a mixture of hand held puppets and animation. Besides the funny characters and the gory action, it is the richness of highly prepared and surprising details that makes this film a unique experience full of dark humor.

....And, oh yes, there is a Trailer too, which shows off the Puppet Zombie splatter and political incorrectness in full force (my goodness!)

The Deadeye Kid goes Bi-Weekly!

2010-04-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Paul Green, over at the The Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns site is reporting that, due to overwhelming demand, Julie Hoverson from 19 Nocturne Blvd will begin releasing new episodes of The Deadeye Kid radio show bi-weekly.

The official word from Paul's site is this:

“Due to overwhelming positive response, The Deadeye Kid is spinning off into his own series of audio dramas – no more waiting six months for us to slip the next episode into the regular rotation! Current plans are to release the kid in 10-minute episodes every other Tuesday (alternating with current serial “Bingo the Birthday Clown”), with each story lasting 4-6 episodes. The series begins with the new story “Haunting Melody” (with a cameo from Paul Green) on May 11, 2010.”

Sounds great! And congratulations to Paul on his radio acting debut!

Until then, if you haven't done so yet, you can check out the current adventures of Deadeye and Fanshaw over at the official 19 Nocturne Blvd site

DV Mission 2009 - The Golden 8!

2010-04-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

I have a few friends who have done 48 hour film challenges in the past and let me tell you they aren't easy, but you don't need me to tell you that! So when I came across the DV Mission 48 Hour Film Challenge I knew these guys worked their butts off and in most cases, came up with some really fun short films.

The challenge was this, on a Friday night (at 6 pm) 22 teams from across the UK got together and received a Title, a Film genre, and one line of dialogue and had to return at 6 pm the following Sunday with a finished film.

The breakdown was like this:

Film Title: Golden Eight
Dialogue: Well, nobody's perfect.
Genre: Weird West (YES! My kind of film challenge!)

They came up with some really entertaining films, you can see them HERE

But the ones I want to showcase are a couple of my favorites:

The first is a Werewolf Western from Team Zombie where we find out that even though you can kill a regular werewolf with silver bullets....the Alpha male requires something a little more.......expensive:

The other is a Steam Western from Quod Victor Est Productions about the search for 8 golden puzzle pieces that will restore order to the world, and a fight at the end of everything for the last one:

Not bad for a couple of films made in 48 Hours....I strongly suggest you check out their Youtube Channel and watch some of the others, it'll make for a fun (and very strange) afternoon of viewing!

American Vampire!

2010-03-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

A Quick post today to remind everyone who didn't already know that DC/Vertigo's American Vampire, written by Stephen King and Scott Snyder, was released last week. I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but it is most definitely on my To Do list this weekend (providing it isn't sold out)...

The Daily Beast has provided a spectacular 4 page preview and, right off the bat, Rafael Albuquerque's art work is spectacular.

Expect a review soon, but until then ENJOY

The Reverend Returns....Dead Man's Road!

2010-03-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

For your weekend reading pleasure I present a short story by Joe R Lansdale, arguably one of the masters of the Weird Western. Sort of picking up where the his novel Dead in the West left off, Dead Man's Road follows the adventures of Reverend Jebediah Mercer (Or Raines, depending on the story you are reading) as he fights a nightmarish walking corpse animated by a live hornet's nest in its chest.

Also, Subterranean Press just announced that Dead in the West, Dead Man's Road, and 3 other of the Reverends adventures (included a never before published "novelette") are going to be collected later this year into a book called Deadman’s Road

As I hear more about that I'll keep you informed, but until then, the next adventure of Reverend Mercer (Raines) begins HERE

Enjoy!

Roswell 1847..........oh dear......

2010-03-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

I was searching the internet for Cowboys and Aliens news and came across some cowboys and aliens of a different kind; a film called Roswell 1847. Its a British production from Super Team Films that was made a few years ago, and its big selling point is that it has Norman Lovett who played Holly in the superior British TV series Red Dwarf in the late 80s/early 90s. Too bad THIS film looks so terrible. I'm not just talking about production values, although that's a big factor, but the writing looks bad, the acting over-acted, and cheap video game graphics can really only go so far.

I read a review on IMDB that gushed about how good it was and that the reviewer and his whole family simply loved it (it was a "Good clean family film"!).....which might explain why it looks so dumb, and doesn't look the least bit compelling.

A century before the infamous 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, four English settlers discover that things in this dusty southwestern town were strange from the very beginning. The year is 1847. Englanders in search of a new future are flocking to the Americas. Unfortunately, some will wander off the beaten path on their way to California. When four weary travelers mistakenly wind up in Roswell, they begin to suspect that the tight-lipped locals are harboring a secret.

Yes, Ive seen some bad Weird Westerns, but at least some of them tried....was that Whiskey in those shot glasses...or urine? (Sorry, yeah I went there)....

In all fairness I should mention that their website says they won 3 awards at the LA Film Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize....this may be a case of the trailer makes a not bad film look crappy....because it certainly does.

High Plains Invaders coming to DVD!

2010-03-03T01:02:00.001-08:00

Dread Central is reporting that the DVD for the SyFy movie High Plains Invaders is coming out on DVD April 6th, and I for one am fairly excited! Yes, its a TV movie, and yes its a SyFy TV movie, but it looks like it could be fun.....I had found a clip from the opening of the film (which I can't seem to find now) that was surprising violent, and just look at the DVD cover, Its clearly going to be a bloody good time!

Here's the official word on the film:

The hanging of honorable Indian fighter Sam Phoenix in a small Western town is cut short by the unexpected invasion of uranium-based insectoid creatures, forcing Sam and a small band of survivors to take refuge in a church. They'll need more than a prayer and a pistol to survive as the Wild West landscape is inundated by a killer force of alien pioneers.

You can pre order the DVD HERE, but personally Im going to rent it first. As we all know its hard to find good Weird West movies right now....I'd prefer knowing this was good before adding it to my collection.

Heres a Russian video I found on Youtube (Google translates it as Aliens in the Wild West) with bits of that violent beginning and other parts of the film, all in Russian, but you'll get the idea!

Spoiler Warning, the video reveals important plot points in the story, including the ending, watch at your own risk!

Enjoy!

Jonah Hex does Toyfair!

2010-02-22T02:13:00.000-08:00

Recently the 2010 Toyfair at the Javits Convention Center in New York wrapped. They had all kinds of great toys from upcoming film like Clash of the Titans, Iron Man 2, Kick Ass, The Green Hornet, Alice in Wonderland, and (most importantly for the Emporium) Jonah Hex!

Now one of the things Ive been a little worried about is the lack of images, trailers, posters and what-have-you's for the film....especially since it was supposed to come out in April. Well, it looks like the release date has been changed to June, so they have a little more time to get things together.....but if the toys from the film are any indication of what the actors will look like, there may be nothing to fear....at least in terms of character design and costumes; John Malkovich as Quentin Turnbull (above) looks great! However, as far as story, visuals, and set design goes, that may have to fall in the wait and see category.

Comingsoon.net did a great article about the Toy Fair and has a gallery devoted especially to Jonah Hex (along with a bunch of other films as well!)

Enjoy!

Olivia Wilde to fight Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-02-02T13:14:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post today, since its apparently Cowboys and Aliens week. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that House and Tron: Legacy star Olivia Wilde will be taking the female lead in the new Cowboys and Aliens movie opposite Daniel Craig.

Wilde will play a character named Ella who joins up with mysterious a gunslinger (Played by Craig) in an unlikely uprising against an alien invasion.

I'm excited that the film is coming together so quickly! And even though it isn't a Weird Western, per say, I'm also looking forward to the Coen Brothers remake of True Grit at the end of the year.....next year should be a fun year for Westerns and just movies in general!

Stay tuned for more info!

Daniel Craig Saddles Up in Cowboys and Aliens!

2010-02-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

According to Deadline Hollywood Daniel Craig is confirmed to take over the role of Zeke Jackson from Robert Downey Jr. in the film version of Cowboys and Aliens. This is, I must say, very exciting news for a couple of reasons. I like Daniel Craig, and this has major franchise possibilities. But even more importantly, It means that the film is very much alive, and that there is a new Weird Western on the horizon; hopefully a good one! With Jon Favreau's track record lately, I don't think that will be a problem.

As more info inevitably arises I'll post it here...but until then you can click HERE to read the story for yourself over at Deadline Hollywood

Insane Clown Posse.....The Western?

2010-01-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

Errrr, I'm not really sure what to think about this....

So I don't listen to the Insane Clown Posse, but I know they have a HUGE underground following. To tell you the truth I thought Big Money Rustlas was a joke when I first saw it....as a trailer, it sort of works as a piece of ridiculous comedy all by itself, but then I looked into it and it seems to be a full fledged feature length movie, in fact its a sequel to a previous ICP film called Big Money Hustlas which came out in 2000.

Honestly, The acting isn't all that bad, and everyone involved has made what amounts to a fairly straight comedic Western.....with the addition of the two main characters wearing scary clown makeup. I'm sure there is also the obligatory pimp, ho, and weed jokes. Although it doesn't really matter...nothing is riding on the success of this film, except maybe the reputations of the ICP themselves.

No doubt piggy backing on the current trend of hip hop artists embracing Western Gunfighters as sort of Year Zero "Gangstas", we now have Big Money Rustlas as ICP get into the act...

Maybe you should just see it for yourself:

MMORPG Adventure At The Clockwork Symphony!

2010-01-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got into Steampunk, one of the things Ive always hoped for was an amazing Steampunk (MMORPG) (or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game)....Something in the vein of a great Steampunk version of World of Warcraft (which itself has some major Steamy themes and designs, but no one would call it an all-out Steampunk game) well, I wanted an All Out Steampunk game, and even better an all out Weird West Steampunk game! Well, it sounds like video game developers The Clank Crew have heard my mental commands. They have been working on just such a game and its called Clockwork Symphony; it seems to encompass the entirety of Steampunk.

This is how they describe the game:

Clockwork Symphony is to be a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (or MMORPG) in a persistent world. Set in San Francisco in the late 1800's, our game world features a rich historical backdrop. With both famous and infamous figures on hand, we plan to put the Player Characters in the same world as adventurers, heroes, physicists, and scientists -before- their discoveries made them famous.

With three very different paths, a player can experience a whole new world on each play through the game. By keeping to the heart of San Francisco, players will find themselves ensnared by the realistic environment, the real-world streets and landmarks, and the entrancing allure of Gaslight Romance. Meanwhile those who choose to hover at the borders of town will find the wild west reaching out for them. Bandits, train robberies, horse-thieves and straightforward gunfights contribute to pulling players into the Weird West. And for those who choose to slip between the two and go far beyond the borders, the wide world awaits dashing heroes and cunning heroines to save it; whether from ancient evils awakened in the dark heart of Africa or guerrilla attacks in Peru. You can't go wrong with Pulp.

Sounds awesome, and incredibly inspired, I just hope it isn't too good to be true. The last announcement they made was in Oct '09...and the "newly opened" site is beginning to feel a little neglected and barren. But if they are able to get this off the ground it should be a really fun experience!

The site itself has a Media page (with 11 pieces of concept artwork), a Download page with some downloadable wallpapers, including that neat-o Steam Stagecoach (Steamcoach? Steamstage??) to the left here. And a Forum that pretty much covers every aspect of the game from release announcements to individual Character classes.

This feels like a very independent operation and I hope they are able to get it up and going...because as we say, there just isn't enough quality Weird West content out there!

Everything you could possibly want to know about Clockwork Symphony can be found HERE Enjoy!

Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter‏!

2010-01-22T00:05:00.000-08:00

For your weekend reading pleasure, a new Weird Western book as been brought to my attention. Its called Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter, from Damnation Books, written by Ed Erdelac, with some pretty sweet cover art by Cinsearae Santiago. Here is a description of the story, in the writers own words:

Set in 1879, it follows the adventures of The Rider, a Hasidic gunslinger, the last of an order of ancient Jewish mystics capable of extra-planar travel, as he tracks down the renegade teacher who betrayed and murdered his enclave. Along the way he encounters a cult of Molech worshipers bent on human sacrifice, a murderous possessed gunman, a powerful ju ju man holding a boom town in his sway, and a bordello full of antediluvian succubi.

I called it a "book" instead of a "novel" because in truth its an anthology of 4 different novellas, each telling a different adventure featuring "The Rider":

Blood Libel: In 1879, the children of the Arizona mining town of Delirium Tremens have begun disappearing. The law has tracked the missing daughter of a local reverend to the neighboring Jewish settlement of Little Jerusalem. Old hatreds are fit to boil over when a mysterious Hasidic gunslinger known as the Rider checks into the local hotel. He soon discovers a rogue element of the population has taken over the settlement and instituted a cult dedicated to the profane worship of the demon king Molech. The Rider sets out to bring it down, with the lives of the innocent Jews and the kidnapped preacher’s daughter in the balance. But as he sheds his physical form to do battle in the spirit world, an irate mob breaks into his hotel room and drags his unconscious body away. The Rider must smash the cult and return to his body in time to avert his own lynching…

The Dust Devils: An impenetrable dust storm blows the Rider into the border town of Polvo Arrido. Its affluence points to a town in the midst of a boom, but where have all the people gone? A ruthless bandit chief and his gang may hold the answer, or else a strange eyed ju ju man whose powers rival the Rider’s own. Then there’s the fact that the storm surrounding the town doesn’t seem to dissipate….

Hell's Hired Gun: When the Rider discovers a massacred Franciscan mission, he turns aside from the trail of his master to track down the perpetrator. He is rescued from a snowstorm outside the remote town of Gadara by an odd old preacher, who spins him a yarn about Medgar Tooms, a cursed gunman who walks the West at the head of a herd of voracious pigs, dragging the broken chains of all those who have tried to bind him. But this is no fantasy. Tooms is coming to Gadara, and only the Rider and the preacher stand in his way…

The Nightjar Women: The Rider comes to a town without children where nightly, evil is born again and again. In the coils of his most secret dreams, an antediluvian menace calls him...by his true name.

I love anthologies, and this looks like a lot of fun! I actually have a copy....but being the terrible reader that I am, I haven't had a chance to sit down with it just yet; but don't you make the same mistake! Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter‏ is available in both print form and as a digital download for your Kindle HERE

You should definitely pick this up! We need to support more quality independent Weird West content! A review will be forthcoming.

American Vampire Issue 2 Artwork

2010-01-21T02:56:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update today, here is some just released cover art for Issue 2 of the DC/Vertigo Comics Vampire comics American Vampire. The Book is being written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King, and will be drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. You can see some concepts for the cover and alternate color takes by Mr. Albuquerque HERE

Daniel Craig to go up against "Aliens"?

2010-01-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Its still a little early to give this report a definite YES, since negotiations are just now taking place, but British Actor Daniel Craig is in early talks to replace Robert Downey, Jr. in Cowboys and Aliens, as reported by Collider.com

Variety picked up the story and says this about it:

DreamWorks and Jon Favreau are in talks with Daniel Craig to play the lead role in "Cowboys and Aliens" after Robert Downey Jr. ankled the project.

Craig has been offered the role of Zeke Jackson in the pic, based on the 2006 graphic novel about a group of Apache Indians and Western settlers who resolve to patch up their differences when an alien spaceship crash-lands in their city.

Reps for Craig said it was too early to comment on whether the actor would board "Cowboys and Aliens," which Favreau is directing. Project is written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.

While it is still early days and Craig has not officially accepted the role, the thesp does have a long-standing relationship with DreamWorks, having appeared in "Munich" and "Road to Perdition."

With production on the next James Bond pic up in the air until the fate of beleaguered MGM is decided, Craig may have a open slot in his schedule to shoot "Cowboys and Aliens."

I have to say that, if this happens, Craig would be a really good replacement. He has a great Westerner face and he's a really good actor. He could, hopefully, bring a lot of presence to the role. I honestly didn't know who could replace Downey, Jr. but this could be inspired (if it happens).

I'll keep you informed as more info is released!

Deadwalkers coming to iTunes

2010-01-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

I just received this from the Deadwalkers Facebook group:

CALGARY SHORT FILM PICKED UP FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION.
Calgary, Alberta Canada.
January 8 2010

Dead West Productions Inc. and Cedar Boy Pictures Inc. announces Alberta made short film DEADWALKERS, directed by Spencer Estabrooks, has been acquired for international distribution by SHORTS INTERNATIONAL which plans on distributing the film internationally in a variety of mediums including iTunes.

DEADWALKERS, which was filmed over two weekends outside of Cochrane in 2008, premiered to a sellout crowd at the TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL in August 2009. Within five months, the short film screened in several international film festivals across the globe including dates in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Greece, India and South Africa. The American premiere was held at SCREAMFEST in Hollywood California.

The film screened in the Edmonton International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival as part of the Best of Alberta portion of the festival.

“We received offers after the premiere in Toronto, but wanted to see what interest the international scene would draw” says producer Greg Jeffs. “Spencer got to see his film on the biggest screen in the UK (Empire, Leicester square). It was a defining moment for him and reaffirmed his reasons to pursue film as a career”. The UK screening drew the interest of Shorts International, the only short film distribution company in the world with an exclusive iTunes license. “It’s a testament to the talent of those involved. Their hard work deserves to be on the world’s stage” say Jeffs.

Very interesting! I'll do a review as soon as I see it. And if you get a chance, hopefully you'll see it as well.

Steampunk: Myths and Legends Contest

2010-01-13T01:33:00.001-08:00

While wandering across the plains of the internet recently, I came across a website for the CG Society: Society of Digital Artists. Last year (from November 2008 to February 2009) they had a contest for Steampunk Digital artwork called Steampunk: Myths and Legends. If you follow the link to their website all of the contest entries are there, and they are most definitely worth checking out, a LOT of it is really really good with some incredibly interesting themes and ideas.

Now, while most of the entries are straight out traditional Steampunk, a few Weird Western works have slipped in as well, and it will be on two of those that I want to focus.

The first one is a piece called Samuel Colt by Renan Lima. He describes his work as such:

Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt Revolver.

In the end of his life, he built his greatest creation. However, it was such a massive weapon that no ordinary man could wield it. So he had to build an artificial arm that was strong enough.

I love the strength of the image, and the detail on the Arm and the Pistol. Also, though an action shot would have been fun, I like that it is more of a simple posed shoot with Samuel Colt and his creations. It really hearkens to classic Western images with the deep shadows across Colts eyes and the open outdoors behind him.....Great Job!

The second image concerns Billy The Kid (who seems to be a theme this week) its called The Kids Last Heist by Bobby Chiu. His artist pages have an almost step by step on how he created the image, which depicts the tail end of Billy the Kids last heist, as he tries to get away on a mechanical steed.

I love the whimsy of the picture, the exaggerated features on Billy (his overly tall hat and somewhat malformed head) to the overall dusty feeling. Also, if you click on the image, you can see some of the details that Chiu put in that aren't as obvious in the smaller version....such as the ashes coming out of his mount's nostrils and the gauge showing that its running a little too hot! I love it!

I'm always on the look out for good Weird West/Steampunk artwork (and will be showcasing some more in future posts (such as the work of Brom) So if anyone knows of good artists out there doing this stuff, a heads up would be much appreciated!

Downey, Jr Drops Out of Cowboys and Aliens...

2010-01-12T00:05:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I'm a little saddened by the news that Robert Downey Jr has dropped out of Cowboys and Aliens. I love him as an actor and he would have been great in this. However, the rumored reason was because a sequel to Sherlock Holmes was fast tracked and it caused a scheduling conflict. I LOVED Sherlock Holmes, so this part of the rumor makes me very happy, and as long as RDJs departure doesn't kill the Cowboys and Aliens movie, I think I can live with him doing Sherlock and leaving this one in the quite capable hands of Jon Favreau. Thankfully, it doesn't seem like the project is dead, they are actively looking for a replacement, have a start date of July, and are even thinking of shooting the film in 3D

You can read all about it HERE

Cowboys and Aliens has a planned Summer 2011 release date. As more info surfaces I'll keep you informed.

Bloodrayne 2.....Vampires With Guns

2010-01-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

I never understood why people hated Uwe Boll's movies so much. It always seems that whenever a new film of his comes out there is hemming and hawing from the haters. All of the hubbub even came down to Uwe Boll himself saying, online, that he was never going to direct another film again if the public demanded it. They were supposed to sign a petition that he created asking him to retire and if it reached 1,000,000 signatures he would never make another movie again (it didn't); all of this went over my head. Of course I had never seen a Uwe Boll movie, so my opinion was more based on "leave the poor guy alone" than anything fact based. That was until I found out about Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance....the sequel to original Bloodrayne that came out in 2005 and had an all star cast (for the most part)....Bloodrayne 2 is not Bloodrayne.

From Chris Walker on IMDB:

It's a hundred years later, and the dhampir Rayne has arrived in the town of Deliverance, Montana where a group of vampire cowboys have emerged. Led by Billy the Kid, hell-bent on creating is own kingdom, he slaughters townspeople and rounds up children. He spares the life of Chicago Chronicle reported Newton Pyles. Rayne aligns herself with Pat Garret, a member of the long-thought-dead Brimstone society, a dishonest preacher, and a low life named Franson, to stop Billy the Kid and show the world how the West was really won.

Throughout Bolls' very strange audio commentary (which he ends 2/3 into the movie leaving nothing but silence) he mentions that they didn't have much money for the movie and that conditions were pretty terrible during the filming. You can see that the conditions were VERY terrible during filming....but it adds to Western feel of the film, especially a scene inside the church were you can see the preachers breath whenever he speaks....it looks VERY cold. That part of the film I liked. However a lack of money in your budget is no reason to film your movie like a Sci Fi Channel TV movie.....which pretty early into this I felt like I was watching. Lots of wide shots, and the attempts at making a stylish Spaghetti Western feel falls flat at every turn. Boll, in his commentary, stated that that was the feel they were going for...and you can hear it in the music they chose. But you never get the feeling that you are watching a Vampire Leone film....which is too bad, because that would have been cool.

About halfway into the film, Rayne and Pat Garrett go out looking for a couple men to help them take down Billy and his crew. The problem is, we know nothing about these guys or why they (in particular) are the men for the job..Its sloppy writing, especially when, at the end, the two men have their death scenes and it feels like we are supposed to care....but we don't even know who they are except a crazy preacher and criminal. This feels like a film made by a bunch of friends who really wanted to make a Spaghetti Western but only have a passing knowledge of what that even means, and it was kind of a disappointment, because as readers of this blog know good Weird Western films are very hard to come by.

Someone online had mention the silliness of having Vampires take over a town, but then have them involved in guns fights instead of biting people......as I was watching this, I felt the same way. Why is "Vampire A" firing a gun at that guy? Why not just bite him or attack him? If you'll excuse the pun, it really takes the bite out of the Vampires in this movie, sometimes I forgot they were Vampires....very silly.

Check this one out at your own risk....a definite renter.

1 out of 5 Bloody Spurs.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or even nothing at all, The Weird Western Emporium hopes you have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year!

The Emporium will reopen on January 11th, 2010!

American Vampire on the Horizon!

2009-12-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you read my previous post about it, you know I'm pretty dern excited about the new Scott Snyder/Stephen King/Rafael Albuquerque half Weird Western Vampire comic American Vampire from DC/Vertigo. Well the solicitation just came out today and goodness it looks to be fun!

The official word is this:

Witness the birth of a brand new species of vampire in this new ongoing series that begins with five extra-sized issues featuring back-to-back stories by exciting new writer Scott Snyder and the master of horror himself, Stephen King! When notorious outlaw Skinner Sweet is attacked by an old enemy (who happens to be a member of the undead), the first American vampire is born... a vampire powered by the sun, stronger, fiercer, and meaner than anything that came before. Plus... Pearl Jones is a struggling young actress in 1920s Los Angeles. But when her big break brings her face-to-face with an ancient evil, her Hollywood dream quickly turns into a brutal, shocking nightmare.

The book comes out on March 17, so save some of that Christmas money!....or don't, its only 4 bucks...

Bang! Howdy

2009-12-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

The tragic thing about Three Ring's Bang! Howdy is, not only did I find out about it too late, but people have systematically stopped playing it. The reason for this is because the game just isn't being updated....and the promised expansions have yet to materialize.

What IS Bang! Howdy you ask? According to Wikipedia: Bang! Howdy is a free online strategy game with a "Wild West" theme (Personally I would have stated it has a "WEIRD West theme.....but then I'm biased) The setting mixes elements from a variety of related genres, such as Steampunk or Native American myth. Several of the players' available units are entirely mechanical, including artillery and a "steam gunman", a robot boasting large wagon wheels for movement while wearing a cowboy hat. Other, more conventional units include cavalry and gunslingers.

I'll have to admit, I've only played the game for a small amount of time but I like the graphic style, which is very cartoony but brings out the Steam-Western elements of the game nicely. I also like the music, which has a sort of Hip-Hop/Western fusion sound to it.

Currently there are only 2 Towns, a Frontier Town (a very classic Western town that you start the game in) and the Indian Trading Post. More have been promised including a Boom Town which is supposed to focus on the Steamier elements of the game and a Ghost Town which will focus on the "Weirder" elements with spooks and haunts. However those were promised years ago, and have yet to develop. Only time will tell whether the game continues to grow.

Its too bad really, because Bang! Howdy is BIG among its fans....how many games do you know that have endless videos on Youtube, OR its own Wiki called Howdypedia?

As for game play....I can't really say. I only played for about an hour a few weeks ago to get a feel for the game and most of that time was spent doing tutorials. While I've been meaning to go back and devour it, time hasn't permitted just yet. Don't let that depress you, though, this is the PERFECT opportunity for you to find out what all the Hubbub is about yourself! All your questions can be answered at Howdypedia and all of your game play itches can be scratched at the game's Main Page Who knows, now that the rush has died down, maybe it'll be time for the rest of us to take a crack.

Until you start playing, here is the main site's official preview to give you a taste of what the whole thing is about:

Deadwalkers...The Western is Dead!

2009-12-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

I hate to admit it, but I didn't give Deadwalkers much of a chance when I came across the trailer a few months ago on Youtube. It felt somewhat cheap, amateurish, and the deep "I'm so sinister so this must be a scary movie" narration didn't really help things. I just figured it was done by a bunch of cowboy actors looking to make a Zombie pic.

My opinion was based solely on its trailer:

Then I came across an article in Rue Morgue Magazine that said not only is the film winning a bunch of awards on the film festival circuit, but that its actually quite good! So I looked back into it and I came to a new conclusion...these people put there blood, sweat, and tears into this film and I say Good for them! I just wish Id given them the proper chance at the time. But don't make the same mistake I did.....check out the Production Blog, which has videos and links to some articles, and their Youtube channel, which has some behind the scenes videos and a funny Thriller parody! Also their Facebook Page has photos and other stuff. You can also become a fan and get updates on their travels and progress.

This film should be supported not only for what they were able to accomplish on such a low budget, but for everyone else trying to do the same thing and not finding an easy time of it.

The Official word on Dead Walkers is this:

Bounty hunter and gunman Jack Link has a knack for trouble, but when he stumbles into a town cursed with the undead, he might have bit off more than he can chew. Deadwalkers is a 13min short film by Spencer Estabrooks.

Nice!

Steamcon 2010

2009-11-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

Steamcon is a Seattle based Steampunk convention. I could have sworn that they did this a few years ago, but according to their website, this years con was the "Inaugural Year". It took place for 3 days in October and consisted of, according to their website:

* A Vendor’s Bazaar packed with exotic wares
* An Art Exhibition
* The Perpetual Teatime and Hospitality suite
* The Magic Lantern Theater
* Talks and discussions on all matters Steampunk
* Gun modification demonstrations
* Lessons in etiquette
* Steam technology exhibitions
* Games and diversions of a role playing nature
* Cabaret acts presented by the esteemed Mr. Bodewell

This actually sounded like a lot of fun, that Magic Lantern Theater would have been amazing! Unfortunately, I only just found out about the convention so I wasn't able to go. Who knows, maybe next year, because next year the Weird West invades Steamcon!

That's right, the theme for next years Steamcon 2010 is The Weird, Weird West. It should be pretty amazing to see what people come up with costume-wise. Maybe they could even try to get Ghoultown as one of the musical guests. Right now the specifics are all speculative because even they don't the logistics quite yet (or if they do they aren't talkin'), but if you are interested in keeping updated their Website is a good place to start. Also their Facebook page should be a good source of info past and present.

I was going to post a video overview of the convention, but all that came up on Youtube were TONS of Abney Park performance videos....which are definitely worth checking out...but weren't really what I was looking for, so since I couldn't pick just any one, here are the lot of them!

New Official Jonah Hex Picture!

2009-11-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was thinking of taking the week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but this just came out today and its too good not to report on! Warner Brothers has released the first official photo for Jonah Hex and its perty dern cool.

Its just a front portrait type-shot, no action, but I like it!

Being a big fan of Jonah, I was kind of hoping they would do a little more with his wonky eye. In the comics they always show his right eye as being wide open and, more or less, dead. I understand that that would be difficult to do, but I kind of wish that they had, at least, given him a contact lens or something. Maybe they are planning to do something digitally.

Of course you can't see his eyes in this picture so it seems a little pointless too bring it up....but you can see them (and other pictures) here. I also like the tease of his scar...which, in the world he lives in, is legendary; everyone knows about the scarred bounty hunter Jonah Hex.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving (or just a great Thursday for my non-American readers) and are ready for the long weekend. The Weird West Emporium will reopen on Monday.

'til then...Adios, Pards!

The Deadeye Kid rides into the Weird West!

2009-11-19T00:05:00.000-08:00

Being a fan of Radio Drama, Ive always wanted to find some good Weird West radio plays to both post about here at the Weird West Emporium, and to simply geek out about in my own time...however there just hasn't been any to find, until now that is. Julie Hoverson and her 19 Nocturne Blvd radio troupe have been putting together the weird adventures of Lemuel Roberts, aka The Deadeye Kid.

The official word for episode 1 is this:

Lemuel Roberts, once the infamous "Deadeye Kid," travels the west
trying to make up for his checkered past.
But sorting out a feud in Ozark hill country might be more than
he and chum Clarence Fanshaw can handle.

Lem has a secret, you see, but I shouldn't say too much lest I reveal it...but its quite clever and you may need to listen to the first episode a couple times to get all the subtleties Ms. Hoverson has written into the script. Even the title has an ironic twist.....and no The Deadeye Kid isn't an undead Zombie Gunslinger (That's what I thought). Also, it may seem like Weird West lite on first listen but by the end you'll realize that the whole thing has been deeply anchored into the genre from the first moments.

So far there are two episodes, which you should have time to listen to before Episode 3 becomes available tomorrow at the official 19 Nocturne Blvd website with new episodes coming out about every 6 months (March and November).

Episodes 1 and 2 (and 3, when it becomes available) can be heard and/or downloaded here......And if you get a chance check out 19 Nocturne's other, non Western offerings, they are always good for a spooky time!

Enjoy!

Not Nick Cave's Grinderman!

2009-11-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

I saw this video a while ago on Youtube and was quite impressed by it's professional look on such a tight budget.....however, every time I've tried to look it up since, Nick Cave's band Grinderman comes up instead...even on Google Images nothing BUT Nick Cave's Grinderman comes up...and while Mr Cave has some definite street cred and has written a couple of excellent soundtracks to two great Westerns, this is not his Grinderman.

This was made by Syndic8Productions, whom Ive posted about before. It seems to be the film they were going to do before The Curse of Dr. Ogoun and, in my opinion is waay more stylish and cool looking.

Of course this is really just a fake trailer that was shot in front of a green screen, as seen in this making-of short but I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that they were going for a PG-13....heehee....a Zombie western just ain't a Zombie Western if it isn't rated R!

...Grinderman!

Wizards and Cowboys!

2009-11-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

In a Weird West where Zombies and Ghosts and Steam Powered Machines can exist either together or in separate realities, one concept I can truly say never really thought of before now was Cowboys and Wizards. Well, fortunately someone else thought of it for me....Gemma Files has written a book called A Book of Tongues and it can be pre-ordered at the Horror Mall here

Two years after the Civil War, Pinkerton agent Ed Morrow has gone undercover with one of the weird West's most dangerous outlaw gangs—the troop led by "Reverend" Asher Rook, ex-Confederate chaplain turned "hexslinger," and his notorious lieutenant (and lover) Chess Pargeter. Morrow's task: get close enough to map the extent of Rook's power, then bring that knowledge back to help Professor Joachim Asbury unlock the secrets of magic itself.

Caught between a passle of dead gods and monsters, hexes galore, Rook's witchery, and the ruthless calculations of his own masters, Morrow's only real hope of survival lies with the man without whom Rook cannot succeed: Chess Pargeter himself. But Morrow and Chess will have to literally ride through Hell before the truth of Chess's fate comes clear—the doom written for him, and the entire world, in A Book of Tongues.

Sounds like it could be interesting! Pre-Orders must be placed by JANUARY 31st, 2010

Look out! The Corpse.....Its Got A Gun!!

2009-11-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

For your weekend reading pleasure, The Corpse Carries A Gun! As you may remember from an earlier post of mine, Zuda.com is a great online comic book website. Currently they are presenting the superior werewolf western High Moon among other non-Weird West type stories such as Bayou and Road.

I recently found out that the way Zuda comics gets their content is by submissions. Someone comes up with a story, does an 8 page treatment which is then published, and the Zuda readers vote for which one is the best.....The Corpse Carries A Gun is one of those submissions....but it didn't win, which is too bad because its a fun quirky little Zombie Western. The story is simple, a murdered man rises from the grave to exact revenge on those who wronged him. Typical beginning for some good (and bad) horror films...the difference being, however, was where the story looked to be going....and it seemed like it was going to be a crazy ride.

If you like bears, hangings, walking dead, decapitation, violence, autonomous T-Rex skeletons, and Zombies in Space....then The Corpse Carries a Gun would have been your cup of tea....alas all we will get is Here.

Enjoy!

...beware the ghost of Jedediah Smith

2009-10-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

If you happen to live in or near the Irvine area, there is a Weird West Haunted House Maze that you should know about. Boot Hill is celebrating it's tenth year scarin' folks and from the looks of things they are ready for ten times ten more!

The official word is this:

BOOT HILL rises from the fog for it's 10th year to inhabit the residence at 16 Goldenrod. The unearthly spirits from the old west town of Bridgewood will materialize for SEVEN haunting nights, transforming the residence at 16 Goldenrod into the old church and cemetery that once occupied the land.

Come if you dare...but beware the ghost of Jedediah Smith, he has been known to roam through the decaying grounds of Boot Hill.

If you are planning on going, Halloween is their last night (which is tonight), so get there early to avoid the crowds. Admission is completely free, but they do take donations for the Children's Hospital of Orange County.

Also, you can check out their website which has pictures, dates, Directions, and the back story for the Haunt and the Legend of Jedediah Smith! If anyone goes, let me know how it was!

I hope ya'all have a fun and safe All Hallows Eve!

Dead or Alive in the Undead West...

2009-10-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

While browsing the internet for upcoming articles, I came across this fantastic Illustration by Ray Lederer. Its a bunch of Zombies attacking a Stage Coach! Cool! (You can click on the picture and see it in all of its magnificent detail) But there is so much more to it than that.

It turns out this is the cover of a Zombie Western novella called Dead or Alive by William Harms. Searching it out, I quite unexpectedly found it in PDF Format at the Midnight Mortuary site. Midnight Mortuary is a pretty great site all by itself, seemly "dead"icated to Horror Pinup art, but in the "Cemetery" section you can actually download a PDF copy of Dead or Alive totally free for your weekend reading pleasure and you can keep it forever!

Zombie Westerns seems to be pretty popular now days, a couple of my personal favorites being Dead in the West and Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo both written by superstar Weird West author Joe R. Lansdale (who I still haven't gotten around to writing about).

Also, for those who are interested, Ray Lederer posted a time lapsed video of his work on the cover art. Its pretty amazing what it takes to put it all together...working and reworking the drawing to get it just right. Enjoy!

Cowboys Battle Bugs!

2009-10-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

I found this on Paul Green's Weird West site but it looked fun enough to post again. High Plains Invaders stars James Marsters, (Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Cindy Sampson (Supernatural).

The hanging of honorable Indian-fighter Sam Phoenix in a small western town is cut short by the unexpected invasion of uranium-based insectoid creatures, forcing Sam and a small band of survivors to take refuge in a church. They’ll need more than a prayer and a pistol to survive, as a Wild West landscape is inundated by a killer force of alien pioneers.

I'm usually fairly skeptical about television Sci Fi, especially TV Movies from the Sci Fi Channel having not enjoyed Tin Man as much as I was hoping too. But I have to admit that High Plains Invaders looks like a lot of fun. You can't beat the "small group of people fighting a larger menace" genre (whatever that might be). The CG isn't at all bad on the bugs, and it looks like it was filmed pretty darn well. Also, I'm liking what I'm seeing with the costume and set designs....now if only the story is any good this could be an addition to my Weird West movie collection!

I actually wish it WAS premiering next Sunday so I could tell everyone to watch it, but alas...it looks like we will have to wait for the DVD.

The Weird West FINALLY Comes Into Its Own!

2009-10-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Weird West has always been the rough and tumble cousin to Steampunk, or maybe its Steampunk's distinctly American brother. The two have been around for roughly the same amount of time, if you consider the Frank Reade Dime Novels as one of the earliest examples of American Steampunk....but Steampunk today tends to favor a more European aesthetic with the Pith Helmets and British officers uniforms, the Frankenstein-esque contraptions, leather Military goods; and Tea, lots and lots of Tea......because Coffee just doesn't cut it! The Victorian Age, as we think of it, was really a European and American East Coast convention....although Victorian Aesthetic did, quite successfully, find its way into the dress and designs of the Western United States...as some Westerns tried their best to live within the splendor and elegance of the age among the dust and the heat and the rattlesnakes.

As an extreme fan of all things Steamy I will say that there have been MASTERFUL works of art created by Steampunks on BOTH sides of the "Pond", but the bottom line is, aesthetically, European Steampunk currently rules and the Weird West has partially been left in the dust, as it were...but no longer with the recent publication of Paul Green's Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns.

The product description on Amazon says this: From automatons to zombies, many fantastic elements have been cross-pollinated with the western genre. This A-to-Z encyclopedia of the Weird Western covers film, television, animation, dime novels, pulp fiction, comic books, novels, short stories and video and role-playing games.

Wow! This is number one on my Christmas list this year, What a resource! Of course Im always looking for new Weird West stuff, so this is a very exciting book.

Now I will say this, I did read a product review and I don't agree 100% with some of the things listed in the book. I don't consider Blood Meridian a Weird Western simply because its super duper violent....there are plenty of straight Westerns that have extreme violence. Usually, to me at least, a Weird Western has an element of the fantastic or the supernatural....which I don't believe Blood Meridian has. I also don't agree with the inclusion of the old David Carradine series Kung Fu. The idea of a Shaolin Monks traveling through the American Old West isn't all that strange, especially if he is a Shaolin Monk of the time.....now if he was from the future....But don't let this fool you, Mr. Green knows exactly what he is talking about in terms of Weird West, these disagreements might simply be a case of, what my friend Steve calls, opening the Umbrella too wide.

With that said, this book is a resource that any Weird Westerner, or fan of the Genre can not live without!

One more thing, while searching for reviews about this book, I came across Mr Green's Weird West blog site, which is very much in the vein of this one. Like his book, its called the Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns, and is something of a companion/addendum; you should check it out!

Its good too see interest in this Weird West stuff growing!

Stephen King to Write Weird West Vampire Comic!

2009-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

The book is called American Vampire and Newsarama is reporting that King will be involved with the first 5 issue story. The official word, from The DC/Vertigo Blog Graphic Content is this:

Celebrated short story writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque will launch a new monthly comic book series from Vertigo in March 2010 with a unique contribution from New York Times bestselling novelist Stephen King. The new ongoing series, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, will introduce readers to a new breed of vampire—a more muscular and vicious species of vampire with distinctly American characteristics. The series’ first story arc, to be told over the course of five issues, will feature two different stories, one written by Snyder, the other by King.

Snyder’s storyline is one of decadence and deception and Jazz Age glamour. Pearl is an ambitious modern woman with starlet dreams. She frequents Hollywood’s speakeasies and dance-halls searching for her first big break, only to find something far more sinister waiting for her.

King’s story provides the origin of the very first American vampire: Skinner Sweet, a bank robbing, murdering cowboy of the 1880s. Skinner is stronger and faster than previous vampires; he has rattlesnake fangs and is powered by…. the sun?

Following the conclusion of the first story arc, Snyder and Albuquerque will trace Skinner’s bloodline through various decades of American history.

I'm already on board! I love the idea of a breed of Vampire that has adapted to the distinct American climate; and starting the line in the Old West is perfect! We've always just had European Vampires, now we have a Vampire breed all our own.....well, for as long as this comic is out anyway.

I suggest you mozie on over to Newsarama for even more in depth details on the book (and some more art work as well) and also check out the Graphic Content blog for links to other sites reporting the story....if ya still haven't gotten enough, that is!

Mark your calenders, the first issue of American Vampire comes out March 2010.

I'll report on this some more when I hear stuff.

Incident at the old Red Hill Mining Co....

2009-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Last year, in Tustin California, a bunch of folks got together and uncovered a forgotten (or buried) part of Tustin's past. You see, around 1890, there was a incident at the Old Red Hills Mine. A bunch of miners went crazy and.....well.....a lot of people got hurt...in fact, they died. So afterward all traces of what happened were erased from the record books and forgotten, from History.

That's the premise for the Red Hill Mining Co. Massacre, a walk through Haunted House that was put together last year down in Tustin. I wish I had heard of it sooner, I could have told everyone who is in the area to go. It sounds like a semi professional haunt....and from what I can gather off the website, it was free AND they gave out free pulled Pork sandwiches, Mmmmm :) Sounded like a spectacular night!

Here is a short video from their website about the history of the Haunt. I loe the soundtrack, 3:10 to Yuma is one of my personal favorites:

Their website is chalk full of History, some pictures, and information about the Haunt.

Also, with the Halloween season in full swing, if anyone knows of any Weird West Haunted Houses going on anywhere in the world, please let me know and Ill post about them this week!

And Now, A Bit of Blatant Self Promotion...!

2009-10-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Its Halloween time again, and for the past two years Ive been involved in a great online art show/advent calender called Gothtober! Basically, 31 artists, film makers, chefs, sound artists, dancers, puppeteers, and whatever you can think of, get together and fill up 31 days of a time released calender. Today is my day, I do sound design and sound editing in my off time and I created a Haunted Weird West Ghost Town to be played in the outside of your house during Halloween!

The download instructions are in the slide show, so its completely easy to set up! But don't just go for me, you should check out everyone's stuff they all worked really hard in creating it.

I hope you enjoy it!

Carcass Pete!

2009-10-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in an Airport or someplace public and seen "that guy" laying, asleep, on his bags? And the airport security has been kind enough to block him off with portable stanchions?

THEN you look closer and you notice that there's something not right about him.....his watch is working, his hair looks real....and he's breathing...or is that just my imagination? I wish I knew the artists name who does those hyper realistic sculptures, but I saw one once in an airport and had that very reaction.

Now imagine taking that idea and making hyper realistic Freaks?! Ultra realistic sculptures of frightening and colorful people and situations? That's exactly what Thomas S. Kuebler has done.

Now this article isn't about Kuebler so much as one of his sculpture, Carcass Pete. Kuebler is great! But he isn't a Weird West artist, per say...But with that said I URGE you to follow the link and check out his stuff...its REALLY beautiful.

Each one of his sculptures comes with a story, and Carcass Pete is no different:

In life, Pete was hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. Being the vengeful soul that he was, his seething hatred for lawmen everywhere kept him bound to his decaying corpse until either his thirst for blood was quenched or he could no longer hold his six-shooter. Mere bullets only made holes in ol’ Pete. His only disadvantage was the smell of death that preceded him, giving the sheriff ample warning to make himself scarce.

Very Cool!

The Weird, Haunted, Eldrich, Occult Old West of Tex Arcana!

2009-09-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

If you read Heavy Metal in the 1980's, than you probably remember a funny/scary little Weird West strip called Tex Arcana by John Findley. I used to read Heavy Metal in high school, but I only came across Tex once, in a tenth anniversary issue. The story was called The Ballad of the Witch's Daughter and it was a conventional Horror Western with a few of the regular Tex Arcana characters....and it sure left an impression.

Hosted by the Old Claim Jumper, a Crypt Keeper type of character who, though dead, lives in his grave with the epitaph Here lies the Old Claim Jumper, ? - 1850, His dyin' were hard an' he deserved it . Tex Arcana hearkens back to the old EC horror books, but then takes the idea and does something new with it. Its black and white illustrations have a creepy Underground comix feel to them and yet it can't seem to escape its Heavy Metal, drug era roots, mostly with two of its characters. The inter-dimensional demons Herp and Sweaz are right out of the animated Heavy Metal movie or the underground comix scene. I don't hate them as characters, or even dislike them....but I do wish they were only temporary...(Ive got mushroom demon in my Weird Western comic)....however since their introduction, they've become two of the major characters.

I had no idea that the strip was a long running, Weird Western graphic novel in the works when I first read it. A few years ago, however, I found that it had been collected into book form, so of course I bought it. I haven't read the whole thing yet so I can't really make any judgment on its content as a whole, but the story I DID read (Book 1: The Stranger) was a really good Vampire story about a mysterious stranger who comes to the town of Hangman's Corners and infects it, turning its citizens into Vampires. The story also introduced the characters we would be following into the rest of the stories. I enjoyed the it very much and was surprised by a few things, like Tex Arcana was an actual character, a magical Cowboy, who's whole face is never seen. He tends to show up to trouble too late (if at all) and is always accompanied by the mysterious Lady in White who is WAY more powerful than he is, and speaks in a foreign tongue that no one understands. Personally I wish there had been more Tex, he seems pretty interesting, but doesn't show up a lot throughout the stories, which I guess adds to his mystery.

Honestly, though, you don't need me to review this book, there is this website, you see, for the comic...the official website of John Findley, that not only reprints the entire contents of the Tex Arcana book, but also a brand new story that has yet to be published...it's about Tex's Mysterious Woman in White. So if you have nothing to do this weekend, and don't mind spending a few hours in the town of Hangman's Corners...head on over and rest a spell...Tex, The Woman in White, Doc Mason, and the others are waiting to show you a few cracking good stories from the "Weird, Haunted, Eldrich, Occult Old West of Tex Arcana"!

Enjoy!

Der Fluch des Dr. Ogoun!

2009-09-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

I was actually going to write about an Austrian independent film I found on Youtube called Grinderman (Which Ill get around to posting about soon) when I came across a film called "The Curse of Dr Ogoun" which was made by the same people...and by that I specifically mean Syndic8Productions, who seem to be based out of Vienna according to their Youtube Channel page. The style of the film looks pretty cool and if this ever makes it's way stateside it might be worth a look..

...And speaking of look, here's the Trailer, Enjoy!