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31 Days Of Horror: Tomb Of Dracula: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
The fall season.
It is a time when the leaves turn shades of red and yellow and brown, then die and pile forlornly on the ground below. It is a time when the wind blows sharply stronger while the sky turns a gray overcast. It is a time when the days become shorter and the nights become longer and malevolent shadows seem to lurk around every corner.
Every day of October, and especially the last day of the month, deserves a dose of classic horror! Whether you’re a fan of film, television, art, music, books, or comic books, there’s something for everyone’s thirst for the darker elements of pop culture mythology this time of year.
During the early part of the 1970’s, comic book publishers pushed and pulled and railed against the yoke of the Comics Code Authority – and horror-themed comics were on the front lines of that war, growing increasingly popular by readers.
With Tomb of Dracula, originally published in 1972, Marvel Comics brought horror to the masses! Drawing upon Bram Stoker’s classic character, here was a comic book version of Dracula like no other: creatively cinematic in scope, dreamily horrific in the telling, Dracula was an antagonistic and charismatic title character that a reader could both fear and root for!
And now, Marvel Comics publishes those classic tales again in a new paperback volume called, appropriately enough, Tomb Of Dracula: The Complete Collection Vol. 1!
31 Days Of Horror: The Wednesday Run Enters The Muck With “Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus”
You’ve probably figured out by now that Biff Bam Pop! is celebrating our favourite month of the year (October, ‘natch) with articles, editorials and other purposeful writings form the darker corners of the pop culture world.
This weekly column gets in on the act with a very timely focus on the only mucky monster that matters in comic book lore!
Swamp Thing!
Here’s a character that was first inspired by the EC Comics stable of horror-themed comic books in the early 1970’s, who disappeared from publication for the better part of a decade, came back, but waned in popularity in the early nineteen eighties.
You’d think ‘ol Swampy would just slink back into the muddied waters of forgetfulness. But something happened in the mid nineteen eighties, a literary miracle of sorts, that would change Swamp Thing and comic books for all time.
Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus, out today, takes readers from those humble, frightening, exciting beginnings to the moment of that miracle!
All Aboard The “Dark Ark #1” On The Wednesday Run
Let’s take a walk back to the Biblical flood.
Noah placed animals two by two into his giant ark in order to save the world’s indigenous animal population from the impending doom.
Gorillas, lizards, tigers, bears and mice. The wily raccoons that make a mess of your garbage cans. And even the ornery Canada Geese that make a mess of your local park with their poop.
Yep. Noah saved them all.
Except the unicorns, who somehow didn’t get “flood” memo.
But what of the more unnatural creatures of the world? Who would save them?
Out today, Dark Ark #1 begins to tell their tale!
Uncover Oz In “Action Comics #987” On The Wednesday Run
It’s been a year and a half in the making:
A comic book mystery to rival all others! A senses shattering surprise that not only changes the DC Universe as we know it today, but one that will have echoes and reverberations for decades to come! It’s a long-play reveal that no one could possibly see coming!
Well, maybe a few did. And it’s not like we haven’t all read over-the-top superlatives about comic book crossover event series’ before.
But the DC Universe Rebirth initiative from the spring of 2016 that saw the reboot/relaunch of their classic characters and publications has seen a swell in the comic book company’s sales figures. Their monthly offerings have delighted both critics and fans and has got all the industry buzzing about what happens next in the story.
Rebirth has been a success.
At the heart of that story, someone named Mr. Oz, you see, has been pulling the strings of heroes, villains and possibly reality itself, from behind the scenes.
Today, in Action Comics #987, Mr. Oz, finally, gets revealed! No spoilers below, but make the jump to the how’s and why’s of it all!
BBP! Guide To Fan Expo Canada: Day 4 #FXC17
Day four of Fan Expo Canada 2017 starts with an early rise and shine, a cold shower, a healthy breakfast, and a cup (or two) of coffee. Grab your backpack – we’re heading out the door for our last, but still busy, day at the Metropolitan Convention Centre.
It’s a long weekend here in Toronto, and that means today you’ll see lots of kids saddling up next to their favourite cosplay superhero or Pikachu for a chance at a photograph. School starts next week, and you can be sure that tales of #FXC17 will echo through the locker-clad hallways.
There’s always one-more-thing to get, isn’t there? So, as you pick your brain for that last item of fancy, here are the things Biff Bam Pop! thinks you should be checking out between the Sunday hours of 10 AM to 5 PM…
BBP! Guide To Fan Expo Canada 2017: Preview #FXC17
There’s a well-known, partly tongue-in-cheek saying, that every Torontonian knows: The City of Toronto sees two seasons – winter and construction.
With the gut-bursting pop culture excitement of this coming long weekend, I’m wondering if we can’t add a third season into the mix, even if it is a relatively short one! Canada’s largest and most anticipated pop culture experience that ranges from comic books to movies and television to anime to gaming to toys…and so much more… is finally back!
Fan Expo Canada 2017 is here!
After waiting through twelve months of winter and construction, the most eye-popping weekend of the year begins on Thursday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and runs through Sunday afternoon. And, of course, Biff Bam Pop! will be there!
Here, then, is our prelude to all the sights, sounds, symposiums, breakout sessions, photo-ops and merchandise you need to experience over the coming four days…
With an expectation of over 129,000 people in attendance this year, make sure you hydrate, wear comfy shoes, and follow us around the pop culture floor of Fan Expo Canada 2017!
It’s A Wonderful #WonderWomanDay – Let’s All Celebrate!
You’ve already heard that the new Wonder Woman film has been released this weekend – and it’s making for some pretty glowing reviews!
We’re hearing that it’s full of action, adventure, tears and joy – and that there are <a-hem> pardon the pun – wonderful performances throughout the film!
Yesterday, Biff Bam Pop! Editor-In-Chief, Andy Burns, predicated a $105 million bankroll for the film in its first weekend of release. That’s a hefty and, frankly, outstanding sum of coin for this film and a number that can only be deemed a victory for the DC Cinematic Universe. There’s a lot riding on the Wonder Woman film both creatively and monetarily.
But Wonder Woman is more than just a single film. The character is a 75-year old pop culture icon of strength, love, hope, and will – not to mention an number of other positive and engaging adjectives!
Did you know that today, June 3, is #WonderWomanDay?!
Perfect timing, really…and there are a number of things you, or someone you love, can do to participate in the worldwide celebrations!
Camden Comic Con 2017
After several rainy, gloomy days in South Jersey, the clouds parted and the sun beamed brightly, just in time for Camden Comic Con 2017. It was a day filled with comics, cosplay, and fandom camaraderie.
Tour The DC Universe With The ‘Cosmic Odyssey: The Deluxe Edition’ On The Wednesday Run
Space.
The cosmos.
The uncharted ether of imagination.
That’s what brings us to today.
Over the last month and a half, we’ve begun unofficially celebrating the year of comic book legend Jack Kirby’s birth here at Biff Bam Pop! The “King” as he’s affectionately called, would be 100 years young this year…and make no mistake, his many pop culture creations live long and strong.
You know many of them: Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Hulk, Silver Surfer, X-Men, etc., etc., etc.
Without Kirby, you could argue there would be no superhero comics, no Marvel Cinematic Universe, no Wednesday Run!
But beyond those characters listed, did you know about Kirby’s early 1970’s Fourth World creations: his “Cosmic Odyssey”? It was a series of interconnected titles that would tell one complete story, a publishing revelation, far ahead of its time!
Well, look no further than today release of the Kirby-inspired, late twentieth century release of, Cosmic Odyssey: The Deluxe Edition – and discover the King’s imagination run rampant across the universe!
Lawyer Up With “Kingpin #1” On The Wednesday Run
Long time bad guy finally goes legit.
A likely story, right?
No one can escape their reputation. Michael Corleone famously reminded us of that fact in The Godfather Part III: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
Al Pacino is all kinds of awesome.
And Wilson Fisk, the “Kingpin” of crime in the Marvel Universe, is all kids of bad.
Can the arch-enemy of Daredevil (not to mention Spider-Man and the Punisher), go good? Can he change his disposition? Does he want to? Will the world let him?
A new series, appropriately titled Kingpin, aims to answer those questions, beginning with the first issue, out today!
