Somehow I came across an older Midnight Panther comic book, Feudal Fantasy #2 from the late 1990s to be precise, and I thought I’d reappropriate it into a new story as a collage. Anyway, this is what evolved. Honestly there wasn’t a lot of content to work with, but that isn’t surprising seeing as how that wasn’t really the point of the original… And sorry, I saved the erotic bits for another project, though even that was pretty tame in this one – just a bunch of boobies.

Images: Black and white line drawings of wide-eyed anime women and men in various states of undress, looking cute, being coyly pensive, and hack ‘n slashing.

Text reads: I like… men who are dying. We ought to just kill everyone involved. The scent of blood!! I never see his face, he always wears a mask. What a waste of time. I don’t like this. The horny bastard. What a pig!! -Slash- Sounds like it could be fun.

Images: More black and white line drawings of wide-eyed anime women and men kissing and hack ‘n slashing.

Text reads: Mercenaries of glorious Edo, if you can make the flowers that bloom along the rivers during spring drop their petals, then do so. I’m the Ferryman of the River Styx. Whssh.

OK, OK – here are some boobies since you stuck with this so long. And here’s a link to some more of my comic book collages, in case you are interested.

And feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or here on her website.

Released in September of this year, Lucy Undying is the latest release by horror author Kiersten White. This is the same author who brought us Hide and Mister Magic, which were both wonderful books. And I’m pleased to say that Lucy Undying has kept up that trend.

The story

Lucy Undying is the story of Lucy Westenra, a character from the original epic novel, Dracula. Lucy is an early victim of Dracula, a tragic young woman who is turned into a creature of the night and eventually beheaded by her fiance.

But what if she wasn’t?

Abandoned by Dracula and unable to return home, Lucy travels the world searching for someone to spend her eternal life with.

Meanwhile, in the present time, a young woman named Iris is in England to sell properties that belonged to her mother. Said mother was the leader of an MLM cult. This cult is trying to control Iris even now. Her only wish is to sell off some antiques for money, then disappear where the cult can never find her again. Then, she meets Elle, and what she wants from this trip changes.

Of course, it’s soon clear that this trip would never be straightforward. Especially when she finds the journal of Lucy Westenra in a safe of the abandoned house.

The story

Lucy Undying was hard to put down because it constantly left the reader asking questions. Who is Elle? Why is Iris involved in the story of Lucy? Why is her crazy mother’s crazy cult out to get her? Will Lucy ever find someone to love? And why has she chosen to pour out her whole story to a random therapist? Any book that has me asking so many questions will succeed in getting me to turn every page.

The mystery of the novel is particularly impressive because it’s told from three points o view, in three timelines and three different styles of storytelling. I am impressed that these three timelines were able to progress without tripping over each other.

I’m also impressed by the constant style switching. When we’re with Iris, the story is told in first person. Lucy talking to the therapist is telling the story in a narrative. And then we have Lucy when she’s still a human, in her personal diary. As a writer myself, this was a fun experience.

Even aside from the format switching, this was a well-written story. The dialog and word choices were beautiful and flowing. I found myself highlighting passages because they were just so touching, poetic, or otherwise perfect. If you’re a word nerd like me, you’ll find yourself swept away by the beauty.

Finally, Lucy Undying was an obvious love letter to the original Dracula. It mimicked the style, storytelling, and themes perfectly. The only real difference is that the characters were more lively and interesting. It was sexy, dark, and gothic. It was very much the dramatic retelling we needed in modern times.

All in all, Lucy Undying was a fantastic read. If you’re a fan of vampires, gothic lesbian love stories, or just great stories, check it out now.

(5 / 5)

Black Friday.

You can’t beat the deals.  So many of us.  Waiting.  Readying.  Checking the time.  Counting down the seconds.  You better believe I earned my place at the start of the line.  I’ve been camping out here since late Wednesday.  Yeah, yeah, the holiday was yesterday.  Whatever, I had my family’s full endorsement.

Because that new high-definition television beckons.  The best in zoning out technology.  All channel access.  Cutting edge entertainment.  Bleeding edge.  That blade is sharp, baby.  Like a razor.

But this kind of escapism is costly.  A reality check says it’s not in my family’s budget.  We don’t make that kind of money, and so here I am.  Among all the others vying for the same prize.

Only one will get there first.  Only one available.  Must have TV.  Must have T.V.  Must.  Have.  T.  V.

An employee approaches the door.  Nobody noteworthy.  A soon-to-be-casualty.  No more.  No less.

We rise and lurch into place.  Ready…

On your mark.

Get set.

Go!

Original images generated with Nightcafe AI art generator.

And feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or here on her website. Or if you just want more zombies, might I recommend either Elvis or the Fashionistas?