New York Comic Con is coming up in three weeks and P-CS is going back this year after skipping 2023 (actually 2022 was the first time since 2015 or so I believe). There will be tons of content from that, but it hs been a long time since a Nerd Notes, so here’s a collection of stuff from September and maybe even before that in case it hasn’t released yet. This will be in no particular order.
“Equal parts Tales from the Crypt and Stand By Me.” —AIPT
PORTLAND, Ore. 09/26/2024 — The beloved, critically-acclaimed Fishflies series by New York Times bestselling, multiple award winning creator Jeff
Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Gideon Falls, Descender) will be collected in its entirety, issues #1-7, into hardcover format in March 2025 from Image Comics.
A small-town crime sets off a chain of events that will permanently alter the lives of several residents of bucolic Belle River, Ontario. As the manhunt heats up, a lonely girl named Franny Fox forms an unlikely friendship with a fugitive that leads them both on an odyssey of discovery and redemption… a journey that also uncovers dark secrets from the town’s eery past.
“Fishflies was a true labour of love. In many ways it was a return to the terrain of Essex County, but with a supernatural twist,” said Lemire. “It’s the story of a small town crime, a lonely girl and a monster, but it’s a lot more than that to me. Fishflies got me through some really hard times and Franny and Bug became my anchors and companions. The story took me places I never anticipated, and I’m really happy to be collecting it all into one complete graphic novel edition.”
Magical realism and mystery collide in this standalone story perfect for fans of Lemire’s Royal City and The Underwater Welder or his A.D.: After Death co-creation with Scott Snyder and Plutona co-creation with Emi Lenox.
Fishflies hardcover (ISBN: 978-1534395176) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Fishflies is also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Select praise for Fishflies:
“Eerie and creepy till the final page, Fishflies is an absolute must-read for all fans of comics.” —The GWW
“A unique exploration of Lemire’s creative storytelling prowess.” —GonkBonk
“Lemire combines natural horror themes with a touch of fantasy to present a story that stands on its own.” —Nerd Initiative
“Equal parts Tales from the Crypt and Stand By Me.” —AIPT
“A bizarre book but unquestionably memorable.” —ComicBook.com
“It’s not really a surprise when Jeff Lemire creates another great story—but it is refreshing… It’s vintage Lemire—and that is a very good thing for readers.” —Comicon
“A great slow burn of a comic that keeps readers guessing.” —Major Spoilers
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A videogame about a gun and the three lives it will change forever
Glasgow, United Kingdom – September 26th, 2024 – Blue Rider Interactive is today proud to announce that its feature-length, dramatic third-person thriller Apartment Story is now available to download via Steam for £6.00 / €6.83 / $7.00.
To coincide with the launch a vibe-laden new trailer sets the scene for a story that will forever change the life of the three people therein.
Apartment Story is a fast-paced, single-player narrative experience about three people and a gun, set within a single apartment. It contrasts the mundanity of modern living with taut and sharp storytelling.
Arthur is a 27-year-old just trying to stay afloat, his mundane life takes a turn when his former roommate Diane shows up at his door. She stays a while and together they party, but soon Blondey enters the picture and the good times soon go bad.
Over a few days in a single apartment, players must help Arthur navigate escalating narrative events and his interpersonal relationships, while maintaining his via an immersive, sim-lite management system – which is all brought to life via a highly-detailed, atmospheric, yet grounded PS2-style aesthetic.
Apartment Story gives players the opportunity to express their own personality through gameplay choices made in the downtime between its narrative beats. Will they choose to participate in a dangerous and dramatic narrative? Or will they keep the front door closed, eating and procrastinating until they’ve shut the world out for good?
Whatever they decide, the cold steel of a handgun lies hidden somewhere within the darkness of the apartment…
Apartment Story Features
Apartment Story is now available to download for PC (Steam Deck compatible) via Steam for £6.00 / €6.83 / $7.00.
(A The Holy Gosh Darn Review)
Tell old people they suck. Cut people off before they finish sentences. Say what someone is going to say before they say it before they know they’re going to say it. Jump and leap ahead of someone to their final destination because you followed them, then time traveled to take the route they went on. These are just some of the things you can do in the time loop adventure puzzle with mild platforming THE HOLY GOSH DARN. This is just the tip of the iceberg though.
If you love thinking you’ve gotten to the end of the road, only to find out its just a piece of the road, and you have to go all the way back to the start, but with knowing everything you learned along the way; well this is the game for you!
Perfectly Paranormal who has played with what a videogame is alongside a fantastic art style with both Manual Samuel and Helheim Hassle finish what is now The Tuesday Trilogy with this tale. You don’t have to had played either of those games to enjoy this, but it will help you appreciate this world that the develepors have created.
Now as of this release date I have not actually finished the game despite having it for a week. It’s a lot of story to absorb and I needed breaks just to adjust my brain. This is a good thing. I like a game that engrosses me but also takes its time to understand, learn and get better at. Also there’s some non-essential fun stuff to try in the game with the time travel that makes you want to take your sweet time.
Also hope you like making coffee.
THE HOLY GOSH DARN is available on Steam, Xbox, Playstation and Switch starting September 26, 2024.
September 24, 2024 – Abrams ComicArts, a division of ABRAMS, has published Drafted, cartoonist Rick Parker’s original graphic novel memoir about his time in the U.S. Army after being drafted to serve during the war in Vietnam. A real departure from Parker’s fan-favorite work on MTV’s Beavis and Butthead comic book and his work in the Marvel Bullpen, this beautifully drawn and deeply personal memoir tells a compelling, thought-provoking story that’s sure to stick with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
In Drafted, Rick Parker, a shy, inexperienced, and overly protected teenager gets drafted into the United States Army at the height of the war in Vietnam. The looming threat of deployment informs every aspect of his life, from the most ludicrous experiences to the grimmest tests of endurance. Determined to do his patriotic duty, Parker wants nothing more than to serve his time and return to civilian life to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. In telling this story, he shows how Vietnam was the last war in the United States that instituted the draft; how the draft affected those who served; and how we as Americans think of war and our soldiers once they return from service. Parker also shows how being an artist helped him to survive his time in the army.
Here’s what people are saying about Drafted:
“Rick Parker’s remarkable graphic novel Drafted is a painfully honest, funny, and often troubling account of his time in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. It’s a page-turning tale of a young rube sucked into the dysfunctional war machine, packed with details that can only come from enduring that experience firsthand. Engaging, insightful, and wonderfully drawn, Drafted is a fascinating read by a master storyteller.”—Derf Backderf, My Friend Dahmer, Kent State
“Parker mixes dark humor and genuine pathos in this cockeyed account of his Vietnam-era tour of duty. . . . [His] wartime stories tickle the funny bone and jab at the heart.”—Publishers Weekly
“Rick Parker went through basic training a few years before I did, but man, everything in his graphic novel rings true and clear. This is observational graphic storytelling at its best. If you’ve never been in the service, this will be an eye-opener, and if you are a vet, this will trigger some long-forgotten memories.” —Larry Hama, G.I. Joe, The ’Nam, and Vietnam veteran
“Deftly balances dark themes and topics with a sense of humor, offering a unique perspective on war, soldiers, service and art as a means of survival.”―Portland Press Herald
“Rick Parker’s graphic novel is about an incredibly important part of the American experience, a subject that should appeal across party and ideological lines. He writes and draws as an everyman soldier, much like everyone’s kid or sibling who went into service, but he happens to have the skill to render it viscerally as a comic. And in this endeavor, Parker brings all of his expertise to bear; all of his humor, empathy, and humanity, and his sense of right and wrong. Drafted is his magnum opus.”
—James Romberger,7 Miles a Second
“Rick Parker’s recall of his harrowing youth in the military is so clearly told that it will make your stomach sink while your eyes are glued to the page. I loved every minute of this book!”
—Noah Van Sciver, Joseph Smith and the Mormons
“Compelling.”—AIPT
“I loved everything about this thoroughly engaging graphic memoir of a young artist coming of age in the 1960s, with the draft unavoidable and the Vietnam War looming large—a sensitive, funny evocation of cluelessness, vulnerability, and emerging focus as a fledgling recruit becomes a man in the U.S. Army.”
—Louise Simonson, New Mutants and Superman: The Man of Steel
Rick Parker is a letterer and cartoonist and the artist of the MTV Beavis and Butt-Head comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is also the illustrator of the Ghoulunatics and a series of parody comics for Papercutz, which includes titles such as Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid, Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring, Breaking Down (a Twilight Saga parody), Percy Jerkson and the Ovolactovegetarians, The Hunger Pains, and The Farting Dead. Drafted is his first graphic novel. He lives in Falmouth, Maine.
Oxford Internet Institute carried out the first of its kind study, to understand more about the short-term effects of playing video games.
Brighton, 25 September 2024 – FuturLab and Oxford Internet Institute, part of the University of Oxford, is excited to reveal the results of a new international study that shows positive mood changes during video game play – with data collected from players of PowerWash Simulator who opted to take part in the study via a research edition of the game.
The study looked at player data from 67,328 gaming sessions from 8,695 players in 39 countries, analysing their mood before and during gameplay. Across 162,325 in-game mood reports from players of PowerWash Simulator, the average player reported a more positive mood during play than at the start of each session. Researchers predict 72% of players experience this uplift in mood during the play session based on statistical modeling of player data.
Link to study: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3659464
About the study
The study analysed data from players in 39 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Germany and found that PowerWash Simulator’s players’ moods rapidly increased during gameplay. Players consistently reported a higher mood after the first fifteen minutes of the play session compared to the start of each session.
The researchers collaborated with PowerWash Simulator’s developer, FuturLab, to develop a research edition of the game that recorded gameplay events, game status records, participant demographics and responses to psychological survey items. This latest analysis is based on a dataset the team previously published in the journal Scientific Data last year.
Lead author Assistant Professor Matti Vuorre, Tilburg University and Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute said: “At present short-term changes in video game players’ moods are poorly understood. Gameplay research frequently relies on artificial stimuli, with games created or modified by academic researchers, typically played in a lab environment rather than a natural context. Instead, we wanted to know how real play in natural contexts might predict player mood on short timescales.”
Commenting on the findings, second author Nick Ballou, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford said, “By investigating player experiences during natural play of a popular and commercially available game, we found strong evidence for a small positive change in mood over the course of a play session. Our current study corroborates what qualitative research and reports from video game players around the world have long suggested: People feel good playing video games”.
They also looked at differences in mood uplift between the population of similar PWS players. The Oxford team statistically modelled between-person differences in mood shifts in the population of PWS players. They found that nearly three-quarters of players (72.1%) were likely to experience an uplift in their mood during PowerWash Simulator play.
James Butlin, Lead Programmer at FuturLab Ltd said: “Working with the team at Oxford Internet Institute was incredibly insightful! They were very supportive throughout and actively engaged with our challenge of designing a user experience that could deliver the study questions with minimal impact on the gameplay.”
Unlike other studies in this field, the Oxford study is the first of its kind to examine changes in mood during play sessions in a minute-by-minute resolution. The research edition was nearly identical to the main game, with the addition of in-game pop-ups asking players to report their mood, delivered by a newly created character called ‘The Researchers’ making them part of the game lore, ensuring minimal disruption to the player experience.
Senior author Professor Andrew Przybylski, Oxford Internet Institute adds: “We believe our findings are most consistent with the notion that gaming – for most people – is a recovery activity that helps to manage day-to-day stresses and mood fluctuations, without necessarily having substantial long-term impacts.
“The fact that we studied only one game – and one that is not likely representative of today’s most commonly played games – suggests caution in generalizing from our findings to other games. Future work should consider the use of randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effect of playing PowerWash Simulator or other games compared to other leisure activities or therapeutic interventions.
Ultimately better understanding the multiverse of play, including temporal patterns, social experiences, in-game behaviours and events, players’ personalities, its antecedents and consequences warrants continued research efforts coordinated across and beyond academia.”
The paper ‘Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study’ by Matti Vuorre, Nick Ballou, Thomas Hakman, Kristoffer Magnusson and Andrew K. Przybylski is published open access in the journal Games: Research and Practice.
While still a very controversial game four years later, it is still a high quality design and every player can take their own feelings away from the narrative. Making it a worthwhile release and worthwhile promoting.
Pop-Culture Spectrum
Hamburg, Germany — September 19th, 2024 — Daedalic Entertainment and ONE-O-ONE GAMES are excited to announce that The Suicide of Rachel Foster is now available on PlayStation 5, featuring a free upgrade for all existing PS4 owners. New players can also experience this gripping narrative thriller at a price of just $19.99.
Set in 1993 in Lewis & Clark County, Montana, The Suicide of Rachel Foster tells the haunting story of Nicole, a young woman returning to her family’s hotel to settle old affairs. What starts as a journey to fulfill her mother’s last wishes quickly spirals into a chilling investigation as she uncovers dark secrets buried deep within the walls of the old mountain lodge. Assisted by Irving, a young FEMA agent, Nicole unravels a tale of love, loss, and eerie ghostly presence, creating a deeply immersive and emotional experience.
The PlayStation 5 version of The Suicide of Rachel Foster brings several enhancements that intensify the game’s atmospheric experience:
These enhancements, combined with the game’s original narrative depth and immersive storytelling, create a unique and unforgettable gaming experience for both new and returning players.
All current owners of The Suicide of Rachel Foster on PlayStation 4 can upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version entirely for free. This special offer ensures that everyone can enjoy the enhanced features of the new version without any additional cost.
The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a multi-layered narrative thriller that masterfully blends elements of mystery, horror, and psychological drama. Players are invited to explore the vast and detailed family hotel, uncovering secrets from the past while navigating an emotional story of love, death, and redemption. With binaural audio and compelling storytelling, the game delivers a deeply engaging experience that blurs the line between reality and the supernatural.
The Suicide of Rachel Foster is now available on PlayStation 5 at a price of €19.99. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the game with enhanced features, whether you’re a new player or a returning fan.
SEVERIN FILMS PACTS WITH THE RUSS MEYER TRUST TO RELEASE NEWLY RESTORED CLASSICS BY THE ICONIC AMERICAN AUTEUR
First Films Announced as VIXEN, SUPERVIXENS and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS
Los Angeles, CA — He’s been called “a one man film industry” (The Guardian), “the first feminist American director” (B. Ruby Rich), “practically an American institution” (The Washington Post) and “the ultimate auteur” (Roger Ebert). His films include such classics as LORNA, UP!, MUDHONEY, FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and the legendary VIXEN Trilogy. His creative vision and maverick spirit changed the trajectory – and shape – of cinema forever.
But when writer/producer/director/cinematographer/distributor Russ Meyer – who famously retained all rights to the films he produced – passed away in 2004, the fate of his landmark catalog became shrouded in mystery and clouded by rumor while remaining virtually unseen and unattainable by modern audiences.
In 2023, Severin Films approached The Russ Meyer Charitable Trust by reaching out to his longtime Executive Assistant Janice Cowart – who by then was the last remaining Trustee and responsible for herculean preservation efforts in the years following Russ’ death – with a passionate pitch to restore and release many of his films. Severin promised to spare no expense, archeological effort or technical wizardry to present these works via the gold standard they richly deserve and celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Russ Meyer. The inaugural three films in this partnership will be VIXEN, SUPERVIXENS and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS.
Working in collaboration with Janice Cowart and The Russ Meyer Trust, this will be the first time these films have been mastered from their negatives since the early ‘80s, with new and archival Special Features curated exclusively for these releases.
“As a filmmaker, distributor and First Amendment warrior, Russ Meyer is one of the last great icons of American cinema,” says David Gregory, co-founder and CEO of Severin Films. “We’re grateful for the support of The Russ Meyer Trust as we begin what we hope will be an ongoing and bountiful partnership. The Severin Films team is enormously proud of our work in restoring these legendary titles for a new generation of fans and look forward to bringing Russ’ classic catalog back to the bosom of cinéastes everywhere.”
“Russ Meyer’s biggest requirement was QUALITY,” says Janice Cowart of The Russ Meyer Trust. “RM Films is overjoyed that Severin Films took on this gargantuan effort to meet Russ’ expectations, and we are delighted his films will once again be available.”
About Severin Films
Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming and beyond. Founded in 2006, their distribution catalogue includes projects by iconic filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roman Polanski, Dario Argento, Paul Morrissey, Mike Leigh, Lucio Fulci, Just Jaeckin, Peter Greenaway, Dennis Hopper, Joko Anwar, Walerian Borowczyk, Álex de la Iglesia and UK comedy legends The Comic Strip. Severin has elevated the oeuvres of such fringe auteurs as Andy Milligan, Al Adamson, Ray Dennis Steckler, Sergio Martino, Bruno Mattei, Luigi Cozzi, Claudio Fragrasso, Umberto Lenzi, Juan Piquer Simón, Joe D’Amato and Goya-Award winner Jess Franco. Severin has also produced the award-winning documentaries LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REAL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, and co-produced original feature films that include PLAGUE TOWN and THE THEATRE BIZARRE. Their latest documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE was an official selection of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
The Exhibit Will Feature Watercolor Paintings, Over 100 Pieces of Black and White Pieces, And Original Art from Hellboy, Beehive Books’ Illuminated Edition of Pinocchio, and IDW’s Hell, Ink & Water: The Art of Mike Mignola
(September 3rd, 2024) On Thursday September 19th, 2024, the renowned Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City will host the first ever gallery show for the legendary cartoonist and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. The exhibit will feature over 30 watercolors as well as over 100 black and white pieces, including 50 covers and 10 pages of original comic book art from Hellboy, alongside illustrations by Mignola for Beehive Books’ eagerly anticipated new edition of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. The Philippe Labaune Gallery will host an invitation-only preview event of Hell, Ink, and Water: The Art of Mike Mignola Exhibit on September 18, and a free opening reception at 6 PM on Thursday, September 19. The gallery will also host a book release party for Mignola’s Hell, Ink & Water: The Art of Mike Mignola during New York Comic Con.
“Encountering Mike Mignola’s work for the first time is like being dropped into a beautifully crafted dream; you find yourself inclined to remain there rather than waking up,” said Philippe Labaune. “Mignola’s work is eerily captivating. Reading Hellboy in my 20s, I was struck by Mignola’s artistry; his drawing ability, specifically the strength of the black-and-white, his linework, the character design, the depth of his compositions, combined with the narrative force of his images. These all set him apart. Now, some 30-years later, I have the privilege of presenting Mike Mignola’s first gallery exhibition—and not just showcasing his unparalleled linework, but also to share publicly his magnificent ability as a watercolorist, which has been revelatory to me.”
The Hell, Ink, and Water: The Art of Mike Mignola Exhibit is part of the yearlong thirtieth anniversary of Mignola’s Hellboy. The art exhibit and anniversary come in advance of the release of some high profile, eagerly anticipated releases from the artist, who was recently inducted into the prestigious Will Eisner Hall of Fame. Beehive Books recently published PINOCCHIO: THE ILLUMINATED EDITION featuring more than 50 exquisite original illustrations from Mignola, alongside over 100 full text annotations by celebrated novelist Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events). On October 15th, IDW will publish Hell, Ink & Water: The Art of Mike Mignola, the official, 64-page hardcover art catalog from the exhibit, featuring featuring 31 new watercolors, which focus on many of the themes near and dear to Mignola: skulls, monsters, and the supernatural. And in January 2025, Dark Horse Comics will publish Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown, an anthology of folklore-inspired fantasy stories written and illustrated by Mignola, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Clem Robins. The book will be the first publication from Curious Objects, Mignola’s new imprint at Dark Horse and will set the stage for more weird, wicked, and whimsical stories in the “Lands Unknown” universe from Mignola and frequent collaborator, the acclaimed cartoonist Ben Stenbeck.
“It does seem like suddenly there is a whole lot going on,” said Mignola. “Most of these things have been in the works for ages but nice to have them out in the world at last—Especially as all this stuff (the paintings, Pinocchio and Bowling With Corpses) is about life beyond Hellboy. I still love Hellboy (of course) and have my hand in several new Hellboy related projects, but I’m excited to see a very new and different side of myself out there.”
The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The roots of Philippe Labaune Gallery have a strong European influence: among the artists are esteemed creators such as Lorenzo Mattotti, Nicolas de Crécy, Guido Crepax, Dave Mckean or François Schuiten. In recent years, American artists such as Landis Blair, Rebecca Leveille Guay, Frank Miller, and Peter de Sève have helped Philippe Labaune Gallery to foster a community of overlapping art collectors and comic fans from all over the world.
The Hell, Ink, and Water: The Art of Mike Mignola Exhibit will be open to the public from Thursday, September 19, to Saturday, October 26.
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Experience love, loneliness and letting go in this narrative-driven adventure game coming to PC. 3 SEPTEMBER 2024 – Australian/Ukrainian duo Spoonful of Wonder have announced that their intimate, narrative-driven game Copycat, perfect for pet lovers, is coming September 19 (US/EU) and September 20 (AUS/NZ), … Continue reading
