John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction: Vault #2
Created & Written by James Ninness
Pencils & Inks by Andres Esparza
Colored by Sergio Martinez
Cover by Cat Staggs
Lettered by Janice Chiang
Edited by Sandy King
Published by Storm King Productions
Release Date: August 30th, 2017
Price: $3.99

Even though he’s known as the Master of Horror, John Carpenter is a visionary of science fiction as well. With films like Dark Star (1974), The Thing (1982), Starman (1984), and They Live (1987) under his belt, it’s safe to say he knows his way around space, aliens, and outer-worldly beings. Earlier this summer, he began his latest venture in the world of genre with Tales of Science Fiction, a monthly anthology series under the label of Storm King Comics, started by him and his wife Sandy King Carpenter. The first story is Vault, a three-issue space tale about a crew that finds a mysterious ship and encounters horror onboard. Reminiscent of films like Event Horizon and Aliens, author James Ninness introduces a colorful array of characters… and then leads them into certain doom. Issue #1 was released on July 26, 2017, with the second issue in the three-volume series hitting stores this week.

Check out my review for Vault #2 here below.

Last Wednesday, Storm King Comics released the first book in their new monthly anthology series, Tales of Science Fiction Vol 1. The series is the brainchild of horror master John Carpenter and his wife and collaborator Sandy King Carpenter who started Storm King Comics several years ago. The first book in the series is “Vault” by writer James Ninness, a space thriller combining elements of Aliens and Event Horizon. The “Vault” story will run three issues before giving way to a new story.

You can read my review here, and meet the creative team, including James Ninness, below. Issue #1 is available now.

Sandy King Carpenter, the wife of horror legend John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China), was a guest on the horror podcast Killer POV recently, and revealed that they have developed four different TV series together.

According to King, the series include a horror show, a sci-fi show, and one that’s a little bit of both, all of them unlike anything on the air today. She says they’re just waiting for a network, and she expects all of them will be made eventually. The duo would be executive producers on the series if they do get made, and John would also direct the pilot episodes, as is common when a director is involved with a TV show.

Womanthology: Space
Written by Bonnie Burton, Sandy King Carpenter, Alison Ross and Stephanie Hans, Ming Doyle, Stacie Ponder, Blair Butler, Joelle Sellner, Ellise Heiskell, Robin Furth, Rachel Edidin, Jennifer de Guzman, Jody Houser, Devin Grayson, Christine Ellis, Barbara Randall Kesel, Allison Pang, Laura Morley, Cecil Castellucci, and Kiala Kazebee

Illustrated by Jessica Hickman, Tanja Wooten, Stephanie Hans, Jordie Bellaire, Stacie Ponder, Alicia Fernandez, Jean Kang, Maarta Laiho, Carli Idhe, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Leigh Dragoon, Sally Thompson and Kathryn Layno, Lindsay Walker, Elva Wang, Diana Nock, Chrissie Zullo, Sara Richard, Kel McDonald, and Isabelle Melancon

Colored by Jordie Bellaire and Ronda Pattison

Lettered by Rachel Deering, Robbie Robbins, Amauri Osorio, and Isabelle Melancon

Cover by Renae DeLiz
Series Edited by Mariah Huehner
Collection Edited by Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 5, 2013
Cover Price: $24.99

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that women receive enough of the limelight within the comic book industry; thankfully, artist Renae DeLiz (The Last Unicorn) came up with a fantastic way to showcase a variety of fantastic female talent and IDW jumped on board. Womanthology: Space is the collected addition of the first five issues of the monthly ongoing series of the same name. Building off of the success of DeLiz’s first venture with the graphic novel Womanthology: Heroic, Womanthology: Space is an amalgamation of short comics with the overarching theme of “space” created solely by established and up-and-coming female creators. Check out my impressions of some of the best and worst that this anthology has to offer!

Womanthology: Space #1
Written by Bonnie Burton, Sandy King Carpenter, Alison Ross, Ming Doyle
Story by Alison Ross and Stephanie Hans
Art by Jessica Hickman, Tanja Wooten, Stephanie Hans, Ming Doyle
Letters by Rachel Deering
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Strips by Stacie Ponder
IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 19, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Well, this is what happens when a comic Kickstarter project makes a hundred grand. Back in August of last year artist Renae De Liz (IDW’s The Last Unicorn) put out her proposed Womanthology book, featuring a wide array of female writers and artists. Working off the theme of Heroic, it managed to make over four times its goal of $25,000, sending the message that there’s a strong demand for more venues where women can showcase their work in the field. IDW got the message loud and clear.

The sequel, Womanthology: Space, features stories about filling empty rooms with furniture and accutrements.

Wow, what a terrible joke… sorry – it’s a smorgasbord of rockets, alien planets, and journeys to the stars. Jumping from sub-genre to sub-genre (space drama to space parody to space horror, etc.) and art styles, this first issue shares a playfulness akin to your average Heavy Metal, with, naturally, the testosterone notched down a bit. Editor Mariah Huehner has curated a book showcasing women doing so much of what really talented men do well in comics.