Think, Sip, Write: ep 56 – Marvel vs DC
In this episode of #thinksipwrite, my son Tony sits in for Roberta as we talk about all things Marvel and DC. Who is the better comic book universe and why? What are your thoughts and favorite characters?
Day 2 – Zombie Incidents
Part 2 of the Zombie theme in a month of #scrypthalloween is my spinoff short ZOMBIE INCIDENTS. After the success of FLESH AND LEFTOVERS, I wrote ten short stories for the graphic novel spinoff. Now for the first time the stories are available in a text quick read release version only at http://www.lulu.com/shop/rick-pipito/zombie-incidents-a-flesh-and-leftovers-accessory/paperback/product-22861751.html
Make sure to post your #scrypthalloween favorite picks for a chance to win any number of giveaways this month.
Think, Sip, Write – Ep 7: sCrypt
For this episode I talk about what got us into sCrypt comics, the process of it all, and how it evolved. At the end I included a slideshow with samples of the art.
Special thanks to the artists. They are: Dan Pipito, Leanne Wiedmeyer, Asher Humm, Joe Parisi, Angela McQuillan, Fred Loeffler, Tiff Pugliese, TJB, Phillip Allie, J.C. Spence, Jacob Greenawalt, Sakura Jones, Ivy Duffy, Scott Modrzynski, Vince Pipito, Kelly Swann, Mike Coppolecchia, Ken Hensley, Michael Garard Jr, Kristie Vanderzee, Muhammad Nurul Islam, and Mao Estheim
Day 1 of #authorlifemonth: Published books
I’m thanking the power of social media for finding this fun idea for all of us authors out there. Feb 1st marks the first day of #authorlifemonth. Don’t know what it is? Check out the original article here: https://dailydahlia.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/authorlifemonth-an-instagram-photo-challenge-for-authors/
For day 1 we are to post a picture up of our published works. Of course you can always follow me on Instagram and twitter @rickpipito to see the same posts, but for consistency sake here it is. 
Shown are: FLESH AND LEFTOVERS; BLOOD THE SECOND HELPING; BONES AT BREAKFAST; SOULS 4 SUPPER; DEVIL’S DESSERT; TECHNO FEAST; GENETIC MORSELS; A LITTLE GIRL IN THE LAND OF THE HICCUPS; NO IT’S NOT. YES IT IS: ARGUMENTS; ZOMBIE INCIDENTS; LEGENDS OF VAMPIRE; IN CASE OF WEREWOLF; and GHOSTLY HAUNTINGS. I didn’t feel the need to include the trilogy collections as this is the core of the work so far.
Day 23: On The Slate
After a little negotiating, I’m allowed to give some information about the upcoming projects in the works for my novels and comics. Here’s what’s going on:
Novels:
GENETIC MORSELS: In a not so distant future, the world has come to accept one world leader. Many believe he is just, but something sinister is in his plans. A small group of unlikely allies must come together to uncover the truth, but they have an obstacle… the next step in human evolution has begun. Homoevolutis are a group of humans that have extraordinary abilities, but unlike comic book heroes, these abilities apply to real world physics and can be more deadly than beneficial. (Look for Genetic Morsels in early 2015.)
UNTITLED Alien book: The government has held secrets from the public eye for years, but there is one secret that might shock all of mankind. As visitors from another world return from long ago, humanity must sort out the past and reveal the truth about our own history. What truly lies out there may be something that even the most inventive of minds has not forseen. (Coming late 2015)
NO, IT’S NOT. YES, IT IS: URBAN LEGENDS: Following the format of the argument book I did, this will share personal experiences and humor to address whether urban legends are real or not. It will take a look at these stories and present facts for and against it. Then you decide if it is real or not.
Children’s Books:
A LITTLE GIRL IN THE LAND OF THE HICCUPS: slated to be released on Black Friday of 2014, this children’s book illustrated by Dan Pipito in his amazing watercolor style, follows the adventures of a girl who must rescue a village from the annoying creatures known as the Hiccups.
A LITTLE BOY IN THE LAND OF SLEEPLESS KNIGHTS: A boy who decides to confront the “monster” in his closet finds himself swallowed into a world where shadowy knights keep children awake forever. Can he stop them before their sleep draining abilities make them unbeatable, and return in time to get some shut eye? (Late 2015)
UNTITLED children’s book: The little girl and boy get lost on a new adventure.
sCrypt Comics Graphic novels:
DEMONIC ENTITIES: This graphic spinoff of the novel DEVIL’S DESSERT focuses on what happened to the demons after the events in the novel.
FINAL UPGRADE: This graphic spinoff of the novel TECHNO FEAST shows more of what happens all over the globe during the events of the novel.
Audiobooks:
FLESH AND LEFTOVERS: The first in a series of audiobooks brings in talent to revisit the novel that started it all. (Coming December 2014)
There are other projects on the board, but at this time I can’t reveal much about them due to copyrights. Stay tuned.
Day 21: Currently Published Plots and more
I figured since it is getting closer to Halloween, I should make a quick list of the current publications I have and a brief idea as to the summary of them.
The Novels:
FLESH AND LEFTOVERS: While zombie incidents plague the world, the survivors must unite to prepare for a much bigger threat.
BLOOD, THE SECOND HELPING: Vampires have been a thing of legend, but throughout history they’ve played an important role. Now a team of humans who have survived horrific incidents must seek out the vampire lord and destroy his clan.
BONES AT BREAKFAST: A sinister villain has evolved into a creature beyond imagination. With his army of werewolf servants and allies, he will attempt to reshape the world in his image.
SOULS 4 SUPPER: The ghosts of countless people roam free in a desperate move toward the afterlife. Can a small group of covert operatives surpass them to prevent the opening of Pandora’s Box?
DEVIL’S DESSERT: Hell’s demons have chosen earth as their final battlefield against the forces of heaven. With humanity caught in the center of this eternal war, they will have to choose their own path toward survival or face extinction.
TECHNO FEAST: A supercomputer has evolved and taken control of all networked technology. With the world at its command, humanity must find a way to combat the threat, by seeking out answers that have been hidden from the public eye.
Non fiction books:
NO, IT’S NOT. YES, IT IS: ARGUMENTS: A lighthearted look at arguing through personal experience will give you a few laughs, might teach you a thing or two, and help better your approach when disagreeing with someone. At the very least, you will know how to deal with certain personalities.
Graphic Comic Books:
ZOMBIE INCIDENTS: spinoff filling in back story of events in Flesh and Leftovers.
LEGENDS OF VAMPIRE: spinoff building on the world of Blood, The Second Helping.
IN CASE OF WEREWOLF: spinoff of events in Bones At Breakfast.
GHOSTLY HAUNTINGS: spinoff stories from Souls 4 Supper
Collections:
EDEN’S ORDER TRILOGY: Collects Flesh and Leftovers, Blood the Second Helping, & Bones and Breakfast, as well as novelized versions of Zombie Incidents, Legends of Vampire, In Case of Werewolf and bonus material.
PANDORA’S CHAOS TRILOGY: Collects Souls 4 Supper, Devil’s Dessert, & Techno Feast, as well as novelized versions of In Case Of Werewolf, Demonic Entities, Final Upgrade, and bonus material.
All of the above listed are available for purchase in multiple formats through the links on the right of this page.
Day 17: The Art Behind The Horror
Today I want to focus on the artists who I’ve had the pleasure and honor of working with. These people, featured in my Artist of The Month spotlights, are not just super talented, but take passion in what they do. What else is there to say other than this picture is only a small sample of how they brought my comic book spinoffs to life?
My novels are always my focus, but it is artists like these that make me enjoy doing the comics as well. Click here to see more from them. Of course, you can always purchase copies of the comics via the specified link on the right of the page.
Day 11: New Species in GENETIC MORSELS
Although the book is not yet available (it is scheduled to be released in early 2015), GENETIC MORSELS is already gaining popularity. So what’s the deal with this next novel?
Imagine if the evolutionary process took a sudden leap forward today. Suddenly people developed abilities of the like that you’d only see in comic books. The difference is that comic books aren’t real. When physics of the real world applies, these “powers” can become deadly to not only the user but those around them.
It is a tale of tragedy and struggle to find one’s self. It is a tale of corrupt government and the few who can stand against it. It is a tale of what it means to be a family. Obviously there isn’t much that can be discussed at this point, other than the rights that currently exist. This stand alone book brings back familiar characters from my previous entries, but in their latter years. Zoe Omandi, the African girl who was possessed by an angel at the age of eleven, is now an adult in her thirties. Cain Lightcap, the son of Gordon and Moira, has a rare blood type that puzzles even modern biologists. Jason Black is now President of the World. Richard Biggs has dropped his codename “Hawk” and his seat in the senate to reform his former black ops team. And those are just the tip of the iceberg.
The new characters coming in will cover all sorts of ground and be introduced to an eventual trilogy that will have them facing off against even greater threats than what the “homo-evolutis” will bring.
My question to you is this… If you had the choice to pick one super powered ability. What would it be and why?
Day 9: The Story Behind the Art
While the stories to the books written by Rick Pipito are the main content, a good cover to the book is what catches the eye. Let’s take a few moments to talk about the ideas behind each cover and the art that Dan Pipito brought to life.
FLESH AND LEFTOVERS has a cover that come into mind over the phone. I pitched my idea for the first book to Dan and he immediately said, “Zombies? Okay, I’ve got it. The cover is a set of teeth tearing into a raw hunk of meat.” He felt that it matched the title of horror and food amalgamation.
For the spinoff comic ZOMBIE INCIDENTS, the concept was mine. I had access to various fake body parts that looked and felt real. In my mind I thought, “What would Hannibal Lecter keep in his fridge?” We set up my spare refrigerator with a bowl of bloody leftovers, through in the fake body parts and snapped a picture. Then Dan put the whole thing through a celophane like filter to give it that artistic touch (after all, leftovers ARE often found wrapped in plastic).
BLOOD, THE SECOND HELPING’s vampire theme is evident in the cover. Dan incorporated a lot of the story elements from the book. The city bathed in blood is symbolic, while the shadowy outline of the antagonist’s face is seen behind the large fangs. A pivotal scene from the book is also shown with a reconstructed body rising from the fountain of youth. It’s a very busy (in a great way) cover that keeps with the theme of the teeth from F&L.
LEGENDS OF VAMPIRE, the BTSH spinoff comic, was another of my ideas. Wanting to keep the real photograph idea of the first comic, this time we had a friend pose for us holding a glass of wine. The closeup shot of her neck with the wine (which is good for your blood of course) was put through an antique filter to give it an oil painting appearance. Dan added the fang marks and highlighted veins to be more pronounced to give it the “I’ve just been bitten by a vampire” paleness.
BONES AT BREAKFAST is the last in the first trilogy, so it made sense to close it out with a similar theme of teeth. This time Dan had the full snout of a wolf prominent in the foreground. You can notice that the jaw is not as pronounced as a normal wolf, giving it that human likeness of a werewolf in front of a very full moon.
The comic spinoff, IN CASE OF WEREWOLF, was another photograph idea. I gave Dan the concept and he took some bones from a medical office skeleton, threw them on a plate with some prop hair, and added a cup of coffee and orange juice to symbolize the bones at breakfast aspect. Again, he passed the photo through a filter before adding text and finalizing the cover.
THE EDEN’S ORDER TRILOGY cover is a simple tree. This is no ordinary tree. Upon second glance, you can see that the bark of the tree is stretched skin like in texture, the branches are in fact shaped like bones, and the red tips where the buds would be is blood. This is to show not just the tree of life from the Garden of Eden (a place we visit in the novels), but also to represent the flesh, blood, and bones from the titles of the included books.
SOULS 4 SUPPER marks the start of a new themed trilogy. Dan went simpler this time. I told him about what my version of Pandora’s Box would look like and that is what we decided for the cover. He added intricate gear and piston layouts, and I told him I wanted souls to be wisping from the top of it like they were escaping. His decision for the textured background and very little color is perfect for focusing on the object depicted.
The comic spinoff, GHOSTLY HAUNTINGS, came as an easier venture. Dan worked in a kitchen at the time, so when I said I had this idea to have ghosts escaping from a pot of stew, he grabbed the biggest deepest pot he could and took a picture of the steaming contents. Then he added ghostly faces into the stew and steam. The even better part of this is that the faces are actually warped and altered photos of famous people and pieces of art. They are altered to the point beyond recognition, but if you look closely, you may just see something you recognize.
DEVIL’S DESSERT has an intriguing cover. The Crown of Thorns, the Spear of Destiny, and the Sword of Eden are all artifacts crucial to the book’s storyline. Those are the items represented in the two tone cover, with a little bit of orangy-yellow fire coming from the blade.
TECHNO FEAST’s cover was another mutual idea. The main threat of this book operates from a satellite. This satellite depicted isn’t necessarily THE antagonist, but it makes sense once you read the novel. Outerspace in the background with the purplish gasses displayed among the deep blue make it a contrast that is eye captivating.
PANDORA’S CHAOS TRILOGY is another combination idea. The Statue is a way of representing the ancient history involved in the story (think roman architecture). It’s one arm has a broken limb. You can see feathers of what is an angel wing, while a dragonfly like demon wing droops to the other side. It’s face is very mechanical looking, while his heart is Pandora’s Box yet again, but with ghostly energy emanating from it. Souls, Demons and angels, & technology (the focus of these 3 books) are represented evenly.
NO, IT’S NOT. YES, IT IS: ARGUMENTS is the only book by me (Rick Pipito) that does not have a cover done by Dan. The idea here was to represent the turmoil of arguing that the non-fiction book’s topic is about. I had wanted to represent the two sides to one’s own psyche. There is a wavering of opinions that often are quite contrasting without facts. So, I had my wife take a picture of me facing one way with my glasses on and a different hairstyle. Then I removed my glasses, and took another shot of me with some facial scruff. By putting the two of them together and filtering them to look like a blueprint of arguments, it seems as if my two selves are in a dispute with each other. It not only symbolizes some of the times that I’ve struggled to decide what is right or wrong, but also gave me the experience of making my own cover for what will eventually be a trilogy of non-fiction.
In addition to these amazing covers, there is also the few pieces of internal art that work with the stories when they are needed, and then there is of course the comic books which have multiple artists representing the plots. All of the above book covers can be seen in closer view through the novels and comics sections of this site. They are also available through purchase links on the right side of this page.
Be sure to follow Dan on Instagram and twitter @dpipito, as well as myself @rickpipito. Like our facebook page for all the published works http://www.facebook.com/fleshandleftovers.
Day 7: A Shift in Genres for TECHNO FEAST
31 Days of Halloween continues with my 6th novel, TECHNO FEAST. What started out in horror had to graduate slightly for a novel about technology turning against humanity. We depend so much on electronics of all kinds, that society has become spoiled in a way.
I am just as guilty as the next person to find myself staring at my phone reading articles or text messaging. I also enjoy playing video games on occasion, and the luxuries of modern cars and household items. So I thought to myself, “What if technology was gone? What would we do?”
In what has been called by fans as “The Terminator meets The DaVinci Code,” TECHNO FEAST gives us a look at what could occur based on research. If an intelligent computer took over everything tied into a network on the planet, we’d be fighting against an antagonist that is an all controlling, all seeing machine void of human emotion.
Keeping the horror type feel of what I had written to date was my goal, but the elements within give it a slight sci-fi/horror tone. There are some technologies that are in development, and in a few years most of what is in the book will most likely be standard. The horror of it is not necessarily the drama played out, but the thought of this happening, while the sci-fi elements back that tonality. Throw in a touch of thriller and uncovering secrets hidden by various groups such as the Illuminati and the Freemasons, and you’ve got a wild ride that’ll have you questioning whether the humans will succeed by the end of the book.
Enjoy the novel TECHNO FEAST in paperback or on the Kindle via links on the right of this page. Be sure to stay tuned for the graphic comic book spinoff, FINAL UPGRADE.
Day 5: Haunted Origins for SOULS 4 SUPPER
Now that we’ve covered the first trilogy, let’s take a peek at the beginning of the next one. Book 4, which can be read on its own or as part of the series is a great starting point for anyone who wants to just jump in. When I decided to write SOULS 4 SUPPER, I had personal experience and those of others as inspiration.
This book focuses on ghosts, spirits, hauntings and lost souls, and it can be a very controversial topic. I’m not saying I believe or disbelieve in any of the aforementioned, but I do feel that at the very least our minds connect us to a different plane of existence… you can call it a higher power, or the afterlife, or just a figment of our imagination, but something is there.
When I was in grade school, I remember as plain as day being tucked in to bed one night. About fifteen minutes after my parents turned out the lights my grandfather walked in to speak to me in his soft voice. He stood in my doorway at the foot of my bed and silhouetted by the hall light (which seemed very bright) he told me “Ricky, don’t worry about anything. It will all be okay, and I’m always going to be watching over you.”
I was very young, but this stands out in my mind today, even though his facial features seemed distant. The one thing that I thought was odd back then was that my pop-pop didn’t live with us. We saw him maybe once a week and for that hour it was strange but I thought nothing of it and went to sleep. The next day my dad picked me up at school halfway through the morning. I knew something was wrong because he’d never pull me out of school. He wouldn’t tell me why, and when we were halfway down my street I said, “Dad, it’s pop-pop isn’t it?”
His eyes began to tear, and my dad who almost never cries wanted to know why I said that. I noticed he had slowed the car to an almost stop in the middle of the road as he stared at me. When I told him about my visit the night before, he lost it. My grandfather had died around the same time I had the “dream” the night before.
Similar things happened afterwards with other family members, but not quite so distinct. When my other grandfather died I remember seeing his cancer ridden body lying in a coma. He’d been unconscious and we’d all known he was going to pass soon. When I kissed him on the forehead and said “Goodbye” I knew it was the last I’d see him. I felt something in my heart and I swore the corner of his mouth curled upward (almost smiling) but very faint. Minutes after I left he died.
Then there was my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease yet even though she was incoherent in her speech at the end, the last time I saw her she had a burst of coherent speech and knew who I was. It was the end and her body and mind reached out to me one final time.
Okay, so you’ve heard the depressing side of it all, but there is also a good side. When my daughter was 2 months old we went to Jim Thorpe, PA for my uncle’s annual Christmas party at his Bed and Breakfast. We slept in the attic, which is a small library room and my little Lana was smiling in her swing chair late at night. Normally this wouldn’t be strange, but she was doing so and staring in the corner in a way that it seemed she was interacting with someone. I got up to see what she was looking at, but saw nothing there. She stopped smiling when I stood where she was looking and I felt a sudden degree drop in the room. Now the attic is a cold place that time of year and maybe the nostalgia of the antique building, plus the glasses of wine I’d had, were messing with my mind. Who knows?
Later that night I’d woken to use the restroom a floor down and was surprised that there were still people awake. When I reached the bottom of the stairs there was no one there. The voices that I’d heard and the movement in the dim lighting that I’d seen must have been sleep in my eyes. I used one of the two bathrooms that were open, and when I’d exited to return to bed, the other door had closed. There were no drafts in the hall, and no one was in the restroom.
Now again, all of these experiences, and a few others I’ve had could have been tricks of the mind, or a mental state I was in. No matter what it was, the experience fascinated me. I was never freaked out until after I’d thought of it. (I still look forward to going to the bed and breakfast each chance I get). Those personal ties, plus ones of many others I’ve read over the years made me want to write a book about ghosts, hauntings etc. There are many different “stories”, and I wanted to include as many as I could and have it make sense in a larger setting.
Be sure to check out SOULS 4 SUPPER and its graphic comic spinoff, GHOSTLY HAUNTINGS in multiple formats through links on the right side of this page. Also, I highly recommend checking out my Uncle and aunt’s place http://www.timesjimthorpe.com. The bed and breakfast is romantic, the owners are amazingly awesome, and the whole town just has that old time feel.
Day 3: Ancient Tales influence BONES AT BREAKFAST
Cover art for “Bones At Breakfast” The novel. Concept and art by Dan Pipito
31 Days of Halloween continue with day #3. Here, I talk about the miscellaneous folk lore, fairy tales, mythology, and urban legends that proved to be wonderful material to expand my world of werewolves in my third novel.
1) Classic Fairy tales are entertaining for any boy or girl growing up. Being as they are some of the first stories we ever know as children, they tend to stick with us for a long time. There have been a million takes on them, but what if they really happened, just more reality based? For instance: maybe the 3 little pigs weren’t pigs. Maybe they were chauvenistic men who were womanizing slobs. That’s the approach I took on the classics: The 3 Little Pigs, Peter And The Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, & Beauty And The Beast.
2) Following that line of thinking, by the time I was in 6th grade (which at this point is almost legendary as well) I was fascinated with Greek Mythology. I remember watching Lou Ferrigno as Hercules and enjoying those horribly good cheesy movies and stories. I’m a firm believer that every myth is somewhat based in fact. Something made those stories and beliefs stir. In BAB, I made sure one of the stories follows a very human group of people who were intuitive for their day. These people (Herakles, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, & Cerberus) may have been so ahead of their time that people perceived them as gods.
3) Gypsies always freaked me out. I have this stereotypical vision of a withery old lady casting curses on someone. Since they are often tied in to werewolf lore, it made sense. But I also wanted it to be in a time that made more sense, so the Civil War era seemed a likely place to plot one of the story arcs.
4) Sasquatch aka Bigfoot, is one of those urban tales that could be believed even by the most skeptic of people. Why then have we never found definitive proof? Is it because the trail goes suddenly cold? Or could the creature actually be something else entirely? I decided with this to create an entirely new take on werewolves by reversing the thought process of the standard idea.
5) Native American Indians are known for many things. Spirit Animals are one of them. I knew I wanted to do a story in this setting, but wanted to respect the source material as well. Like I did with the fairy tale idea, I delved into endless hours of reading Native American tall tales. What did those people in the pre-United States days believe in? What stories were well known throughout their tribes? So, I found a few that really caught my eye, and amalgamated them into something unique.
6) The moon has obviously been the center of many werewolf stories, but for BAB I decided to focus a bit more on the phases of the celestial object, and the power of the moon as believed in ancient times, and even a bit in conspiracy theories today.
7) The story of the Garden of Eden is as well known today as it was thousands of years ago. Something with that much staying power must be of a higher power. Using Eden as a plot device and setting felt right. I mean after all, what ever did happen to the Garden after humanity was cast out? BAB takes that under its wings.
8) Like the second bullet point, I did the same with Norse mythology. Loki, Fenrir, Odin and more have a real human story that inspired the Nors to believe them as gods.
9) Although this was actually a real battle in the American Revolutionary War, there is little known about it. In itself, it is a very unique happening. The battle to which I refer is called the “Moonlight Battle,” and in BAB werewolves are involved in explaining that.
10) Yeti and the Abominable Snowman are distant cousins in a way to the story of Sasquatch. In the spinoff comic, we follow the diary of Admiral Richard Byrd, who in real life was an explorer in pursuit of the creature.
11) Taking the urban legends of Jack the Ripper and adding a few elements from literature, a new tale is incorporated into werewolf lore.
That’s all for this installment. Tomorrow will bring us more 31 Days of halloween with a new article. Stay tuned. BONES AT BREAKFAST and its graphic novel comic spinoff, IN CASE OF WEREWOLF, are available for purchase in multiple formats on the right side of this page.
Day 1: 12 Facts about FLESH AND LEFTOVERS
Cover art for “Flesh And Leftovers” The novel – Art by Dan Pipito
To start off my 31 days of Halloween, I figured I should begin with 12 facts about my first novel, FLESH AND LEFTOVERS.
1) FLESH AND LEFTOVERS is my one and only zombie novel. It is the only book I’ve written where I didn’t have an editor, but the fan feedback was amazing! People demanded more, and since I didn’t want to write any more full length books about zombies, it made me work with Dan Pipito to create sCrypt Comics for spinoff graphic novel stories.
2) The idea to write a zombie book came when the topic of “What would you do if there was an outbreak” scenarios would come up in many a work place conversation. The problem with these scenarios is that everyone had ideas of what a zombie was “supposed” to be like, based on the varying differences in books, movies, etc. So, I wanted to create a book where they could all be in the same story, but have legitimate reasons for them tying together.
3) Causes for zombies: Mutated strain of rabies virus that affects human and animal life, Viral outbreak, Demonic summoning and control, Radioactive meteor, Cannibals worshiping their “god”, Childhood vaccinations, alien parasite, sixth generation offspring of vampires, drug induced hallucinations, and voodoo (macumba).
4) The first chapter in F&L takes place in Jim Thorpe, PA. It is an annual tradition to visit my Uncle and Aunt’s bed and breakfast during Christmas time there. It was during the winter of 2008 that I knew I wanted to base part of my first published novel in that town. The peacefulness and solitude there brings a wide range of emotions that make a perfect setting.
5) Religion and history have always fascinated me, so when I decided to make Cain (from the Cain and Abel story) an antagonist for future books, his origin of what he becomes had to be researched. I found that despite the different beliefs, the Cain and Abel story remains almost completely the same throughout all religions.
6) It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I decided this could work as a series. My goal was to make it flow but to make each book stand on its own as well, and focus on something unique for each plot. (zombies being F&L).
7) My fascination with zombie lore can be blamed on the George A Romero “of the Dead” movies, and the Resident Evil Series of video games.
8) The characters I’ve created are not based on individual people, but rather personalities of people I’ve met. The only exceptions to this rule are Gordon Lightcap and Moira Donatelli. Gordon was based on my own experiences and the overall person I am, and Moira was created as an amalgamation of what I saw as my “perfect woman.”
Cover for the graphic novel (comic) spinoff, ZOMBIE INCIDENTS
9) Although cannibals are not zombies, I felt the need to place them into the story. How would a “normal” unifected human devour another person? Why would they do it? And What would they do with the parts of the corpse left over? All these questions are addressed in the book.
10) It took me over a year to write F&L because I began to flesh out (pun intended) the sequels that would follow it. I had to make sure my origin story for the characters was in place, and where I wanted to go with it. By the time I was finished writing FLESH AND LEFTOVERS, I had six books planned out in the series (each a stand alone installment).
11) Each “chapter” is called an “Incident.” This was done because I wanted people to be able to pick up the book and either read it straight through or just choose one story at a time. The overall plot can’t be followed by just one incident, but I wanted that option for the reader as they stand can work on their own.
12) When I approached Dan to to do the cover art, he instantly came up with the idea of teeth tearing into raw meat. It is still one of my favorite book covers for my novels to date.
There is my post for today. I welcome any questions or comments you may have. Stay tuned tommorrow for another installment in my 31 days of Halloween. FLESH AND LEFTOVERS as well as its graphic comic spinoff ZOMBIE INCIDENTS are available through links on the right side of this page. It will also be available in audiobook format soon.
Artist of The Month December 2013: Rick Pipito
Although not a visual artist by trade, Philadelphia native, Rick Pipito, is talented in a variety of art forms. From a young age, he dipped his hand in the musical pool by learning classical and jazz saxophone. Over the years, he expanded his instrument ability to guitar, piano and harmonica, as well as singing lead in various rock bands and a choir. After writing lyrics for many original songs, he expanded even further by turning his writing toward stories.
In 2010, his dreams began to emerge. His series of horror novels focused each on a different scare, while vowing never to do the same thing twice. With a bachelor’s degree in communications from Temple University, Rick expanded his novels into comic book form, by writing several spinoff stories. sCrypt Comics became a partnership with his brother, Dan, with the goal to get other struggling artists’ names out there for the world to see.
Being in the arts can be difficult, and while Rick’s plans for the future are countless, his focus will always remain… that being to expose his own works and those of others to a broader audience. Rick’s novels can be bought on Amazon.com for the Kindle, or on www.lulu.com in print. The graphic novel comic books are available in print as well.
In addition to music and writing, Rick is also the co-host of a podcast called “Think About This” (which can be found here: www.thinkaboutthis.podbean.com), and has been a featured author on various other blogs. He also assists with www.homemadedelish.com as a part time mixologist and advisor.
Rick’s books include: FLESH AND LEFTOVERS; BLOOD THE SECOND HELPING; BONES AT BREAKFAST; SOULS 4 SUPPER; DEVIL’S DESSERT; TECHNO FEAST; NO IT’S NOT YES IT IS: ARGUMENTS
His Graphic novels include: FLESH AND LEFTOVERS: ZOMBIE INCIDENTS; BLOOD THE SECOND HELPING: LEGENDS OF VAMPIRE; BONES AT BREAKFAST: IN CASE OF WEREWOLF; SOULS 4 SUPPER: GHOSTLY HAUNTINGS
He also edited and designed Roberta Pipito’s Homemade Delish debut cookbook: CREATE IT, PLATE IT, STYLE IT, EAT IT, LOVE IT
Rick can be contacted by email at rickpipito@hotmail.com; He is on twitter @Rickpipito; Follow his author page on facebook at www.facebook.com/fleshandleftovers
Halloween Spotlight: Demons
By Rick Pipito
After battling zombies, vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, my next venture for Gordon Lightcap and his allies became Demons. Now, when I say demons, I am referring to fallen angels. Therefore, I classify demons and angels into the same category. “Devil’s Dessert” is my fifth novel in the series, and its soon to be graphic spinoff “Demonic Entities”, bring a fresh take on religion and demons.
Here are the types of “demon” related things in my stories…
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1) Religion and Faith: While most stories about demons and gods focus on a particular religion, my interpretation incorporates them all. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and even Atheism are all parts of what make us human beings. Teachings from all of these exist side by side in my novels to some extent, and while Christianity is the main driving force, it does not negate or look down upon any of the others, and is only part of the puzzle.
2) God and The Devil: These supreme beings are represented as being the Yin and Yang. Lux Lucis is the name that describes the One Light. He is the beginning of all. Tehum, is the name he gave to his opposite. He created Tehum, which by name means “Darkness without Form”. They are not shown just as good and evil, but more Light and Dark.
3) Demons Generals: Tehum created seven generals, each with a vice as their strength. Each of them appears demonic in their own way. Satan is the demon of wrath. Mammon is represented by Greed. Belphagor’s power is sloth. The ever prideful Lucifer is only seconded by the lustful Asmodeus. The envious one is Leviathan, and Beezelbub is empowered by gluttony.
4) Archangels: Lux Lucis designed seven angelic generals to balance out the darkness with his light. Michael is patient, Raphael is charitable, and Metatron is diligent. Humility is represented by Azrael. Gabriel is chaste. Uriel is kind. Finally, Zadkiel, is powered by temperance. These flawless looking beings protect the Light with their gifts.
5) Nephilim: A Nephilim is a half breed. It is an androgynous (not female or male) being designed by the angels of light and the demons of darkness to scout on Earth. While the single forces of light and dark were once not permitted to interfere with humanity, the Nephilim, who goes by the name Daeva, has walked among the human race for eons.
6) Heaven: The domain of Lux Lucis and the Light’s forces. Whomever is admitted to this realm will experience paradise specific to them. The souls admitted to this realm become angels over time, and though they are not as powerful as the Archangels, they protect their paradise with every bit of their will power.
7) Hell: Tehum’s realm of darkness is a place souls do not want to be. After surviving the multiple levels of pain, anguish, and torment, all humanity becomes a void of darkness in one’s soul. They then become part of the demon army, and while not as powerful as the generals of Tehum’s army, they strive to give others the same experience as heir own… Living Hell.
8) Purgatory and Limbo: Purgatory is the bridge between Heaven and Hell, while Limbo is the space surrounding them both, which bridges the gap to the physical world.
9) Secrecy: The Knights Templar, Illuminati, and Free Masons are only some of the secretive organizations meant to protect or expose the truth behind the origins of man and more. Throughout the millennia, they have fought to do so, and yet all originate from one organization that remains a mystery even to this day.
10) Ancient Artifacts: Certain things left behind by Light or Dark influence still exist today, and they are humanity’s only hope of restoring order and maintaining balance. The Crown of Thorns, Sword of Eden, and Spear of Destiny are a few of these things that may just hold the key to our survival or doom.
11) Events and Places: The Vatican archives in Porta Di S Anna Italy, Notre Dame in Paris, and the biblical war between heaven and Hell are represented well, and there is much more than common man knows to they mysteries behind them.
12) Appearances and Manifestations: Lesser demons and angels alike have various looks about them. If they are able to initiate symbiosis with a human, that human will over time, tend to pick up some of these traits. Horns, wings, tails, shadowy presence, and halo like ambience are only some of these characteristics.
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The research involved in the writing of this entry in the saga required two bottles of wine for brainstorming. Dan and I again sought out bottles that remain true to the current theme. These are pictured above with the novel, and soon the graphic novel cover will be presented as well.
Categorizing our favorites in this one was a little tricky, so we narrowed it down to anything doing with demons, angels or heaven and hell. Here are some of our fave picks.
Rick’s choice for best movie related to heaven and hell, is “This Is The End.” His favorite demon character is Ghost Rider. Although not entirely angel and demon in presence, Dan Brown’s book series featuring Robert Langdon is his favorite. For Video Games, Rick enjoys the “Doom” series.
Dan’s choice for best movie related to heaven and hell is “What Dreams may Come.” His favorite demon character is Spawn. “The Divine Comedy” (with Dante’s Inferno) is Dan’s favorite depiction of Heaven and Hell in a book. And his favorite demon related video game is the Devil May Cry series.
What are your favorites? Are you an angel or demon fan? Grab yourself a copy of “Devil’s Dessert” the novel. It is available at www.lulu.com in softback book and on www.amazon.com for the Kindle. Also, the spinoff comic book “Devil’s Dessert: Demonic Entities” will soon be available for purchase at www.indyplanet.com. Help support our Demon devouring.
“Devil’s Dessert” and its spinoff are (C) 2012 by Rick Pipito. Stay tuned for our technological spotlight…
Halloween Spotlight: Ghosts
By Rick Pipito
My fourth novel, “Souls 4 Supper,” and its comic book spinoff, “Ghostly Hauntings” center around the topic of death and the afterlife. The stakes are upped for all of the protagonists as the deal with ghostly entities. What kind of ghosts are we talking? All kinds. As with my other novels, i attempted to incorporate all variations of lore and bring about something new, where it can all coexist.
My ghost and spirit world breakdown is as follows in my books…
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1) Seeing the dead: Some people with near death experiences survive only to be able to communicate with the lost souls of the dead. They are forever tormented unless they find a way to release each lost soul into the afterlife.
2) Ghost Towns: More than just myths and urban legends, if an entire city’s residents were to die from some tragic event, and their souls are unable to find their way to the afterlife, then their ghostly remnants are left behind to wander. Unfortunately over millennium, they begin to lose their minds, so while some ghosts have purpose, most wander aimlessly, unaware of their former existence or the need to find final rest.
3) Djinns (Genies): These are people who have done something so wrong, that their spirits are forced inside a magical object. The longer their spirits remain, the more powerful they become. However, their powers come at a cost, as it is unpredictable to how their final usage will appear.
4) Children: Up until the age of 5, most human children are able to see ghostly apparitions. They often giggle, and interact with what us adults perceive as them having imaginary friends. In reality, the children aren’t imagining anything.
5) Hoaxes: Many ghostly reports are false. Some people thrive on scaring others by creating spectres, photographs, and tall tales to create the urban haunting legends.
6) Ghosts trying to communicate: Some spirits are trapped here with a purpose. They will not rest until their murderer is discovered. Often these ghosts move objects in our world to try to leave clues for us to find. These spirits often become angered, and frustrated at our lack of perception.
7) Catching Ghosts: Ghosts can be captured by linking the four planes of existence. There is Heaven, Hell, Earth, and the spirit realm. By disrupting these planes with extreme emotion, it is possible to summon a spirit here or make it visible. Then it can be contained through certain uses of EMF (Electromagnetic Frequencies).
8) Dreaming: When we dream, our souls have the ability to leave our bodies. In this state, our spirits travel to different places, times, possible futures, and alternate realities. The reason that we cannot often recall these dreams is because the human brain can’t fully process this type of travel. Our souls are fully aware of what happens even though we may not.
9) Reincarnation: If you were to die, would you come back as someone else? Depending on whether you repent for your misdeeds or are honored for your heroism, tells how those can return. Not everyone is reincarnated. Only a few are given this chance.
10) Famous Encounters: Traveling spirits take a look closely at events throughout history. Veronica Beranice wiping Jesus’ face, Joan of Arc, JFK’s assassination, The Tower of Babel, The Rosetta Stone, Hua Mulan, Bonnie and Clyde, and Atlantis are some of these seen closer in Souls 4 Supper.
11) Pandora’s Box: This fabled box is in fact shaped like a pyramid. Its contents, if opened will spew forth chaotic realms. It acts as a gateway for souls to enter to the afterlife, or something more powerful to exit into our world. Chaos comes in many spiritual forms. It all depends on who opens it.
12) Book of Knowledge: This haunted book will be different for every reader. Its spiritual essence, born of the tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden, will gaze into one’s soul and biography their life.
13) Possession: Some spirits are friendly, while others are quite the opposite. When two souls inhabit the same body, an internal struggle begins. Only the most powerful and willing soul will become the dominant entity.
14) Ectoplasm: Ghosts powerful enough to exist in this world will leave behind a gooey residue. This residue will evaporate however in direct sunlight or bright light, which makes analyzing it a difficult task.
15) Wraiths: Wraiths are vampires that die and are unable to pass on to the afterlife. These immortal beings are strengthened and able to return to the real world if they consume enough powerful souls to empower them.
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Without going too far into detail, those are some of the ghostly entities in my books. For this round, we enjoyed the bottle of wine shown above. You’ll notice that the comic book cover is in a picture frame. That is because at this moment of posting this, I am still awaiting my final proof copy of the issue. It’s all the same. Here are some of our favorite ghostly things not related to our own creations…
Rick’s favorite video game involving ghosts is Silent Hill. His favorite ghost movie is the Sixth Sense. His favorite ghostly character is DC comics’ Deadman. One of his favorite ghostly books is Philadelphia Ghost Stories by Charles J Adams III.
Dan’s favorite video game involving ghosts is Soul Reaver. His favorite movie about ghosts is Ghostbusters. Lloyd the bartender from The Shining is Dan’s best ghost of the year. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is Dan’s favorite ghostly book.
What are your favorites? Are you a ghost story fan? Grab yourself a copy of “Souls 4 Supper” the novel. It is available at www.lulu.com in softback book and on www.amazon.com for the Kindle. Also, the spinoff comic book “Souls 4 Supper: Ghostly Hauntings” is available for purchase at www.indyplanet.com. Help support our soul sucking.
“Souls 4 Supper” and its spinoff are (C) 2012 by Rick Pipito. Stay tuned for our demon spotlight…
Mission: sCrypt Comics
Hey folks, just wanted to say that I apologize for the lack of posting as of lately. Things have been hectic and my projects have all piled up. So with that being said, I’ve been throwing around the idea of making this a more sCrypt comics oriented site. Does this mean I will not be doing posts involving other works? NO… I plan to continue doing that, but on a more laid back level. Here’s my idea for the future of this site:
1) I will continue (as I mentioned) doing reviews of certain comic books, comic book movies, and my crossover character versus battles. These will just be fewer in frequency.
2) Artist of the Month selections will never go away. I feel that I owe it to each artist who completes something toward my works to have an Artist of the Month spot. I want to get their names and talent out there to show how great they really are.
3) sCrypt Comics graphic novels: We already have 3 published issues and a 4th coming in September 2013. These titles are available at www.indyplanet.com and I will have some previews posted of the next one soon. Please visit the “COMICS” section of this site to see which titles are available and what they are about.
4) Novels by Rick Pipito: The novels and books that are the reason sCrypt Comics exists are becoming more impressive each time, and the fans love them. They are a series yes, but not all are required for reading, as they each deal with something different. In other words, if you don’t like zombies, then go to book 2 and read about my vampires or choose another topic. The plan is to never do the same thing twice in novel form. These books can be purchased in print at www.lulu.com as well as www.amazon.com for the kindle.
5) A new comic strip has been in the works for two months now, and we are about to release the first one within the next week. It will be a “sCrypt Comics Presents:” title and will stray quite a bit from our normal horror oriented works. This will be a family friendly comic strip that will be enjoyable and funny. Here’s the best part… it’s free for everyone. I will post them up here on this site for your viewing pleasure and feedback. Our first series will be entitled: “The Adventures of Munchies and Deedoos.” More details will be released in the coming days as well, and we are looking for artists who may be interested in presenting their talent toward one of the many written stories for this series.
6) Books in the works: “TECHNO FEAST” is the next installment in the Flesh and Leftovers series, and it strays far from the format that began it all. There will still be ten short stories that tie into the overall plot, and if you want a teaser I’ll say this…. No one is safe from cyberspace. This book will wrap up my second trilogy, and pave way for a third trilogy that will take place decades later… Basically an all new cast of characters will be introduced for the next trilogy which will give it a fresh feel. Of course, there are other novels planned out in addition to this, but Techno Feast is my main concentration right now.
7) Comics in the works: Following next month’s release of “S4S: Ghostly Hauntings” we will take a month break and get right into finding artists for our next graphic novel, which will be a spinoff of book 5 and involve Angels, demons, Heaven and Hell. If you are an artist interested in being a part of this, please feel free to contact me. The spots fill quickly, and it is a first come first serve basis.
8) other online freebies: I placed my M.U.T.S. (Military Underground Tactical Specialists) Files spinoff series on the back burner for a little bit, but I plan to work that into early 2014. These will be a series of short stories that will be published on this site, and will feature a single sketch by selected artists to accompany my story. Occasional contests will continue as well for opportunities to win autographed copies of my works and more.
9) Other goals: I’ve got a lot of great things in the works in addition to these, I’m just sorry that I can’t spill them all now. In addition to my novels and the sCrypt Comics graphic novels, I am cohost to a fun and humorous podcast called THINK ABOUT THIS. We can be downloaded for free from itunes as well as from our site: www.thinkaboutthis.podbean.com Please, check us out, as we touch quite a bit on what I’ve got going on as well as my wife’s rising success and fame with www.homemadedelish.com . I’ve been working alongside her each day and night to accomplish her goals, which will help with mine as well.
Finally, I want to say that if you are interested in an interview with me, my brother Dan Pipito (cofounder of sCrypt Comics) or any of the artists we’ve worked with, please email me. I’m more than happy to answer questions and have fun conversation for your site or personal inquiries. And don’t forget to review my books, comics, and podcast episodes. I try hard to spread the word about other talent out there, and would love to have feedback about my own works.
Thank you for being such great followers. I can’t wait for the next big thing that I get to share with you all.
Review: Smallville Season 11 Episode 3 “Haunted”
Well, 4 more months have passed, and that means that it is time to review another episode of Smallville’s season 11 prints. Episode 3 is contained within the pages of Smallville Season 11 #9 – #12. Major SPOILERS are contained in this review, so turn away now if you don’t want to know.
#9 Part one:
Let’s start with the cover art. I’m not impressed. Superman looks like a manga character (which I wouldn’t mind if it was supposed to be that style). The concept is nice, with him and Impulse zooming at the viewer, but it is the art that I don’t necessarily enjoy. And what is with Bart Allen (Impulse’s) redesign. I’m not digging the bleached blonde look, but his new suit on the other hand is not that bad. Thankfully, the art within this issue is much better than the cover. The shading and ink is especially nice.
Now on to the story. There is a brief flashback in Lex’s mind of when Tess was being brought in by Granny Goodness. For anyone who had seen the final season on TV, Granny ran a foster home for girls. These girls became her Furies. This flashback scene was great in the way that it reaffirmed Tess’s presence in Lex’s mind. The “dream” sequence here shows both an adult Tess and her child self running away from Lex. Luthor here is telling Tess that he knows she knew things, and he plans on unlocking those memories. As they run from door to memory door, there are a few sights of season 1 flashbacks as well as others when Clark had saved people. Remember, Tess knows that Clark is Superman. Lex finding this out could be disastrous. Tess finally manages to lock a memory door temporarily, which wakes Lex from his “dream”.
Again, the intro was perfect. Evenso when he woke to find Otis before him, Lex was obviously irritated. To top off the failure he just had in his dream, his assistant tells him that Superman is handling a situation outside. I won’t go into this battle in detail, because it speaks for itself. DC villain Psimon is duking it out in the streets with the Man of Steel. Psimon’s design is quite different from the comics, whereas instead of a fully exposed brain, he has holes in his head. Apparently he was another of Lex’s experiments before Luthor lost his memory. Threatening to kill Luthor for what he had done, Psimon is thwarted by Superman saving his nemesis. I like that Psimon could stand toe to toe and do battle with Superman. One thing I always hated was that minor characters seemed to never be able to hold their ground. Psimon did so, at least for a little while here. The best part is that it wasn’t Superman who stopped him. It was Bart. Impulse is back for a visit, but we do not yet know why.
In the next scene, we get a great angle from the artist. They emphasize Lois using her attractiveness to her advantage. She puts the heat on Otis, and then Luthor. Lex is witty with this confrontation, but as cliched as it sounds, his right hand doesn’t know what his left hand is doing. Tess is writing “Help” on a note, and Lois sees this. She does not yet know what it means, but she knows that something is not right. The duality continues to be played well here.
After a brief romp around the world, and some catching up, Superman and Impulse have a discussion about how Bart has gotten faster. Emil Hamilton has told Bart that he worries about him turning into raw energy because of how fast he has become. Their conversation is interrupted by a call from Watchtower telling them about a break in at an art gallery.
As the heroes race off, Lex pays Psimon a visit. Locked in a cell, the psychic villain has a bicycle helmet of sorts holding his powers at bay. Lex wants his help unlocking the secrets of his own amnesiatic mind, but Tess wards the psychic off. With no cooperation, Luthor leaves. I’m not sure I like this scene. Why would Psimon back off, just at the sight of Tess? I get that he hates Luthor, but it just doesn’t add up.
Next, we get to the art gallery scene, and we find out that Mallah and the Brain are using an army of monkeys to do the dirty work. Again, I loved
the cameo villains, but I’m not sure we would have ever seen this in Smallville. If we did, we would have gotten some kind of origin, which here we didn’t (at least not enought of it) so it was a bit misplaced. For the last few frames of this issue, we have Superman taking out the army of apes, while Bart is haunted by a mysterious dark figure. It races towards him wanting his speed. Can you say, “Black Flash”? Yes the death racer appears for the first time, but other than a slight demonic silhouette, you don’t get much of a view. And of course we are left wondering what this means. Out of 5 stars, I give this issue a 2.5. To me it didn’t seem like Smallville as much as the others, but let’s see where it goes…
Issue #10 part 2:
And another crummy cover. Still, the concept was awesome, but the anime style doesn’t fit. It is not conveying the “realism” that the stories are trying for. SMH. It somehow even translates into the first few pages of this issue, and I hope that it doesn’t continue on this path.
Anyway, Chloe is working on her archery accuracy as Oliver is drawing up a blueprint. After his meeting with Batman in the previous issue, Oliver decides he wants an arrowcar. Okay, it is cheesy, but a well deserved laugh moment was needed.
We then skip to Superman carrying Bart. Bart explains that this Black Racer or Speed Demon first arrived when he was locked in a trap by Luthor in one of the previous seasons. That little room, where he had to run in circles for hours, caused him to hit a new tier of speed, attracting this thing. We see more flashbacks to the previous seasons here, and it was reinterpreted quite well. Actually it was accurate to the point of me remembering those scenes the exact same way.
Many more flashbacks continue, and we get to see that the Black Racer is there to steal the speed force. It is what fuels him. While Clark takes Impulse to Hamilton, Bart’s speed has affected areas around the world, causing some kind of kinetic disturbance. The disturbance is beginning to take lives due to the Black Speedster.
The next few pages tell us a little more info, but all in all it becomes very bland. Then we get to see Bart and Clark racing on treadmills in STAR Labs. The goal here was to get up to speed so that Clark can see the Black Flash with his own eyes, and that he does. We finally get a full shot of it, and like I say “it.” They don’t really explain in this episode WHAT he is. He is very demonic looking however, and I love the design they did for it. Black Flash tells CLark that his speed is not “puuuuururrrrrreeee”. I get the feeling from the text that the dark one speaks like a whisper. Kinda cool in my opinion. He clocks Clark across the room and then vanishes.
While Clark and Bart head off to the old Justice Society’s headquarters to find Jay Garrick, Chloe is linked to Chloe of Earth two’s mind. In this way, Hamilton can show her the last few moments of Chloe 2’s life, and what she was trying to warn them of. All we get to see is a large ship and destruction, and Chloe 1 screaming at the sight. End of part 2. My rating? Still, I can’t go above a 2.5 out of 5. It was great in spots, but there was a lot of buildup with no real satisfaction. Don’t worry it gets better.
Issue #11 Part three:
Okay now I’ve given up. Cover number 3 I have to give credit to only because it sticks with the crappy art theme. Let me reclarify… I don’t think the art is bad, but WTF is up with the Manga style for this? It doesn’t make sense.
Then, the highlight of this episode happens… Jay Garrick is shown. His attire, though is not convincing. The design is great and perfect, but would we really see him sitting around his house in a red jacket with a lightning bolt on its front? Not in reality. The retired hero is not happy to see his visitors and explains a little bit more about being a speedster. Finally, we get some answers about the speed storms and Bart’s stalker. The answer though is that Jay says Bart has to die in order for the Black Flash to be gone, and the storms to stop killing innocents.
Chloe begins having more visions of Chloe 2’s memories. These are more violent. Here we see Ultraman (Clark of Earth 2) literally killing people. He is unrelenting and very brutal in his search, but is deterred by Chloe 2’s Kryptonite. We get some more Earth 2 action with Chloe 2 and Oliver 2 talking about how to kill Ultraman, and then another speed storm occurs, which rips Chloe back to the here and now.
In this world, Lex fires his staff, including Otis, and Clark dons a new Blue suit. If you look back in DC comics, after Superman died in 1992 Death of Superman, there was a brief period where Superman was a red energy and a blue energy. This suit is very reminiscent of that Blue suit. It is explained here that Hamilton says it can collect energy. In this case, if Superman were to move fast, the energy would build and accelerate him to an even faster pace. I’ll accept that. There is a quick cameo by Barbara Gordon (always welcome) and then the battle begins. Blue Superman and Black Flash collide.
While we don’t know what happens from this collision, we do know that Jay explains a little more to Bart, and mentions the other flashes by name “Max Mercury, Barry Allen, and Wally West.” I give this issue a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was well rounded other than the art in places such as the cover and first few pages, but overall pleasing. Now for the final part
Issue #12 Part Four:
Although still cartoony, this is the best cover of the 4. We have a clear image of Black Flash, Superman in his Blue suit, and Impulse in an epic 
battle. While the depth of the image is not all too perfect, it is nice to see it fully presented.
Beginning on Earth 2, Oliver 2 presents the citizens of Metropolis with Kryptonite rings, but in return, Ultraman snaps Oliver 2’s neck completely backwards. This was unexpected, but done well, and it was reiterated that here, his Ultraman’s real name is Clark Luthor.
On our Earth, Superman in his Blue attire continues to battle with Black Flash, who is beating the Man of Steel. No worries, Bart shows up, and grabs Superman to race off. He uses the speed collected by Superman’s Blue Suit and accelerates himself literally out of existence. Before he evaporates into the Speed Force, Bart has some flashbacks to when he and Clark first met. Again, this was reinterpreted well from the early season. As a result of his speed, Black Flash is gone in the same way. Now that that threat is over, I want to mention that this was very touching. The battle was epic for Smallville and Impulse was shown as a true hero.
With that threat over, we are given some answers about Earth 2. The Crisis is still a mystery to the Smallvilleverse, but the cause is revealed as a race of “Monitors”. For any DC fan, this reaffirms that they are going to presenting in some way, the Crisis storyline. With Earth 2 now destroyed, and Chloe 2 dead, the only remnants are in Chloe of Earth 1’s mind.
And we are presented with the end of the issue. Clark no longer has to fear Lex finding out who he truly is for two reasons… 1: Bart’s acceleration destroyed the radiation tracker in Clark’s bloodstream, and 2: Green Arrow, Lois and Superman confront Lex and Lois knocks him out. While he is unconscious, they use a device to collect Tess’ consciousness from Lex’s mind. Tess Mercer is then reborn as a hologram in the watchtower. With her there to be the oracle figure, Chloe finally announces that she and Oliver are leaving Metropolis for Star City AGAIN. I would assume that we won’t see any more of Green Arrow and her maybe for the rest of the series. They were written out in a way that they want to be parents to their soon to be child. Clark wishes them luck, and the episode is over in a Smallville finale type of way. I give this issue a full 5 stars.
Summary
Overall I was pleased with how this episode ended and what it opened for future storylines. It started out rough, but was done well. Still, I feel it wasn’t the best episode this season, but had some great aspects to it. All in all, my rating is a 6 out of 10. I know that doesn’t gel with my other ratings, but I am also factoring in the entirety of the episode here. I hope you enjoyed this review, and I’ll keep bringing them to you as well. Chime in with your thoughts.
Vampire Story Breakdown
Yesterday I released my zombie story breakdown, and today I will do the same for our vampires. When I got the idea to continue my first novel, but go in a different direction with creatures, I put zombies on the shelf and chose vampires. Like the former, vampires are described differently in lore. Some have different abilities, some are vulnerable to garlic and holy water, some can only be killed by a silver bullet. The list goes on and on. Here are the plots of the various short stories in my second novel, and sCrypt’s second spinoff comic book.
If any of them peak your interest, then check out where you can purchase my books and comic books at the side bar on the right. They are available in print and digital formats, and will definitely have you holding onto your seat, as the main plot continues from the first novel and continues to tie in these stories.
Here is our vampire story breakdown from “Blood, The Second Helping” the novel, and “BTSH: Legends of Vampire” graphic novel. All stories are (C) 2011 & 2012 by Rick Pipito. Make sure to stay tuned for our werewolf one as well. I will list where the story can be found,whether novel or comic:
BLOOD, THE SECOND HELPING: (The Novel) Gordon Lightcap and his group of unique specialists race against time to stop the coming apocalypse. Cain, the world’s first vampire, and his House of Twelve, have waited an eternity to put this world changing plan into motion. At the center of these two sides is one woman with two identities. Her human persona of Moira Donatelli, has left clues to assist Gordon in his quest, while her vampire identity, Lilith the Deceiver, has helped Cain back to power. Both men must fight for their survival as well as the woman they love.
BLOOD, THE SECOND HELPING: LEGENDS OF VAMPIRE: (comic book spinoff) You are alone with someone you just met. You hit it off and lean in to kiss that person, only to realize that their teeth are now two inch fangs. Your “friend” is a vampire thirsting for your blood.
A Hero King: A young man discovers that vampires have a weakness. This man grows up to be the legendary King Arthur. Armed with his sword, the Excalibur, he allies his army with that of the vampires in order to stop a common foe (6th generation vampires, aka zombies). Can he trust the vampire lord, Cain, or will he be forced to defend the humans from his forces as well? (Blood, The Second Helping)
Sands Of Mystery: Johnny Chong and Chastity Smith, both survivors of separate zombie incidents, travel to Egypt to find the legendary Excalibur sword. Once there, they discover that the Sphinx and vampires have something in common. Find out why sunlight can affect a vampire. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Amalgamated History: Alucard the Executioner feeds on the blood of those who are unworthy to join his cause. His opposition comes in the form of Vlad Tepes. Their stories go down in history to inspire Bram Stoker’s tale of Dracula. Find out how a crucifix became part of modern vampire tales. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Redemption For One: Kristoff is a vampire with the ability to retain any and all information he learns. For centuries he has sought a cure for his bloodlust, by experimenting on criminals and those he deems unworthy of life. As his search continues in the early 1900s, he targets the Chicago mob, who has nicknamed him the “Dark Cop.” (Blood, The Second Helping)
Time And A Bottle: This is the journal of Evelyn. She is a vampire with the ability to heal others, and has an affinity for the taste of wine. She progresses 
from being a wine taster to a maker throughout history. People come from all over to try her own brand of wine, but she can never let them know her secret ingredient. She is also the only vampire known to have an allergy to garlic. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Appetite Of Lust: Madam Delilah runs a prostitution ring, but when one of her favorite working girls is put in danger, Delilah lets her secret known. She is a vampire with a lust for more than just blood. If you ever wondered what would happen if a vampire contracted a deadly disease, then you don’t want to miss this. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Loose Ends: The Military Underground Tactical Specialists have tracked an escapee from the “Evolution and Extinction” incident to a place in Brazil. When they arrive at the mansion of a dead drug lord, the remnants of his zombi henchmen stand in their way. The mission takes the MUTS into the Amazon rainforest where they face off against a vampire who has the ability to control the creatures of his environment. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Shattered Beauty: Elizabeth Bathory may have made history, but her family knows her as Bella the tormentor. She takes the most beautiful of women, then bathes in and drinks their blood to keep her own youthful appearance. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Murray’s Massacre: A teenager gives in to his goth tendencies, as he believes he can become a vampire. This story reads like a real life newspaper article. Find out all about the horrific acts he commits just to call himself a “vampire.” (Blood, The Second Helping)
Confrontation: The vampire lord, Cain, has gathered his surviving generals and infiltrated a military base in Russia. As Gordon Lightcap and his team of survivors attempt to stop the vampires, they pray that one of the blood suckers will be their saving grace. (Blood, The Second Helping)
Shadow Stalker: Marcus is a vampire with a horribly scarred face and psyche. He stalks a castle in medieval times and toys with his prey before killing them. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
A Monument To Serve: Find out the true story of the building of the Sphinx in Egypt. Will the slaves be able to rise up against their vampire masters? (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
The Question: Alucard the executioner has men and women brought before him to see if they are worthy of eternal life with him. If they answer to his disliking, they will be slain in the most painful of ways. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Seeking The Cure: Before tackling the Chicago mob, Kristoff infiltrates a Japanese lab in the height of the Russo-Japanese War. There he seeks to find the cure for his vampirism. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Wine And Dine: Evelyn has a special ingredient that makes her vineyard grow the most tasteful of grapes. People come from miles around to drink her wine, and she in turn drinks their blood. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Samson And Delilah: Delilah is discovered for what she truly is and is forced to take advantage of Samson. She however does not like to be blackmailed, and has a plan of her own. This is my take on the Biblical story. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Eternal Guardian: Guarding the Fountain of Youth in the heart of the Amazon is a vampire who communicates with the surrounding wildlife. When a group of archaeologists seek the fountain, they are in for quite the surprise. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
The Lying Truth: Lilith is captured by the Central Intelligence Agency and recruited to become one of their top assassins. Changing her identity, she carries out various historical assassinations, but has ulterior motives as well. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Hunting The Hunter: Darius Moon frantically tries to escape an elite military unit. Through a forest they hunt him for the purpose of using his vampire DNA in their next experiment. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Mind Astray: Cain and Darius Moon now occupy the same body, but these once long time allies, must struggle through the mindscape so that only one of them becomes the true victor of their host. (BTSH: Legends Of Vampire)
Breath Of Life: A near death experience leaves a man with a unique affliction that causes him to age at an accelerated rate. The only way to retain his youth is by using his new ability to siphon it from others by merely inhaling their essence. (Flesh And Leftovers: Eden’s Order Trilogy)
Zombie story breakdown
What are zombies? Well, there are many takes on the true definition of a zombie, but one thing that they all versions have in common is that only severe trauma to the brain stem will truly stop those undead flesh eaters. Whether they shuffle, run or do something else, one thing is certain… they are a part of horror culture.
When I wrote my first novel in 2010, I didn’t realize how far it would take me. Now we are 4 novels in, 3 graphic novels in, and many more of both to come. So, what are the zombies like in my novels? I tried to appease to every zombie fan out there. I figured that there had to be some common ground among them all. So in a sense, they all exist in the universe we have created in my novels and the comics.
If you didn’t know, the whole “Flesh and Leftovers” series touches on many things. Zombies are our focus in only two of our works: “Flesh and Leftovers” the novel, and its spinoff “Zombie Incidents.” Both of these are available through links on our sidebar on the right. The novels are available in paperback and for the kindle, while the comics are available in print and soon in digital.
My goal was to write a series of short stories in each novel, that all tie together into a greater plot. Here is a brief plot description for each chapter in the books and graphic novels that focus on zombies. I will also release descriptions of the other creatures and phenomenon that my series focuses upon. If you find one that interests you, then check it out. I love feedback and suggestions if you feel I didn’t touch upon something.
The Eden’s Order Trilogy has all of these stories plus a bonus one, and you will notice some reoccuring characters. I’ll first describe the overall plot to the novel and graphic novel, then touch on the chapter content. Next to each story description, I will note where you can find that particular one. All stories are (C) 2010 and 2012, by Rick Pipito. Without further blabbering on, here are the zombie stories (listed as incidents) created by Rick Pipito:
FLESH AND LEFTOVERS (THE NOVEL): Gordon Lightcap and his partner, Moira Donatelli, have created an organization to rid the world of a rising threat, but to better understand that threat they must look back into the horrific events leading up to their current predicament. Join them as they search for the answers through ten short stories of flesh devouring madness. Learn about the very first incident and others to discover an even more dangerous foe who is ready to surface.
F&L: ZOMBIE INCIDENTS (comic book spinoff): It’s dark. You can feel the presence of something reeking of death. Then there are more of them. You look around and find that you are surrounded by zombies that want to devour you. This is the world of Flesh and Leftovers, where tales of zombie incidents will make your skin crawl. Ten short stories are illustrated by nine amazing artists in this graphic spinoff of “Flesh And Leftovers” the novel.
Guns And Veggies: When a mutated strain of the rabies virus turns the town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania into a nightmare, two friends must put their differences aside to survive. Conservative, Johnny Chong, and his liberal best friend make a mad dash to escape the town as human and animal zombies run amok. (Flesh and Leftovers)
Talking Heads, But Not The Band: Shane Munroe is your average bachelor who loves a great time, but when he contracts a new disease, his life is forever changed. See the world from the mind of a man who begins to crave flesh. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Zombie Apocalypse: A group of scientists working for a Top Secret facility in Great Britain have solved an age long mystery. When they place four ancient artifacts together, the result is a disaster. Four demons from before man’s origins possess humans. Now the British government must race to opposite ends of the globe to stop the army of the dead rising from their very graves, and put an end to the demons’ destruction. (Flesh And Leftovers)
The Freak In Me: In the 1960s, a travelling musician found a radioactive meteor while on a hike. Now, in present day, he dies of a heart attack, only to be reanimated by his green hued blood. In a home for those with special needs, he begins to spread his tainted blood among the residents. Teenager, Chastity Smith, must put her fears aside and find a way out. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Cleansing The Soul: A primitive tribe in modern day India worships their god Rakshasa. On a daily basis, they bring a sacrifice to their deity and then devour the remnants of the human. When their master suddenly vanishes, these cannibals turn on each other for food. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Generation Z: Just north of Niagara Falls in Canada, child immunizations suddenly take a turn. Children under the age of twelve begin to turn into mindless zombies. For anyone older than twelve, this virus becomes fatal. An American family finds out the hard way what it takes to survive, and in the end, one boy suddenly finds a new purpose in life. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Dead In Muncie: This newspaper clipping type story from a small town in Indiana, describes an artist who begins to see things that aren’t really there. His drug induced delusions lead him on a killing spree in his claims that “zombies” are everywhere. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Magica Negra E’ Café: A drug lord in northern Brazil seeks out the macumba (black magic) woman, Madame Callisto. He uses her voodoo like powder to control zombi recruits to his army, but his attempts don’t turn out the way he’d like them to. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Evolution And Extinction: The Military Underground Tactical Specialists (MUTS) are recruited to infiltrate a government testing lab that is swarming with the undead. Their mission is to rescue the President’s daughter, who is hidden in one of the environmental experiment rooms. Hawk takes on mountain terrain, Fox makes his way through the desert, Seal skis the arctic, Snake sets up a post in an urban setting, and Hound enters a vacuum chamber, which simulates outer space. Their teammate, Bee, uses a central hub to guide her partners through the hundreds of undead. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Zombie Origins: The Bible mentions the story of Cain and Able, but details have been left out. When Cain murders his brother, the curse of immortality is placed upon him. As his friends and family grow old and die, Cain continues to live by drinking the blood of others. When he realizes that he can pass on a copy of his curse on to others, he begins to build a house of twelve. Those vampires take on their own offspring as well, but by the sixth generation, they have come far from their origins. Now this new generation craves flesh instead of blood. These first zombies turn on their masters as the vampires must seek out human help. (Flesh And Leftovers)
Ready Or Not: Taking place during the “Guns And Veggies” incident, a man is prepared for a zombie outbreak, but is oblivious to the signs of it already happening. (F & L: Zombie Incidents)
Absolution: While Los Angeles is in disarray from a viral outbreak, a priest offers refuge in his church. When an infected person gets past their safety checks all hell breaks loose. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Demons Of The Abyss: Long before the “Zombie Apocalypse” incident, four demons were imprisoned in a tablet and sent to the four corners of the earth. Only when they are reunited will a zombie apocalypse begin. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Just Another Freak: Detective Hwong interrogates the lone survivor of “The Freak In Me” incident. As she goes to investigate the truth, her research leads her to a traveling circus. What she finds is an entire circus ready to devour her flesh. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Old Habits Die Hard: After a cannibal tribe in India loses their guidance, one of the men tries to blend in with society. His tastes for food revert to his primitive urges, and he begins to make a feast of his own. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Dangerous Youth: During the “Generation Z” incident, a mother and father argue over what to do about their two children who want to eat their parents’ brains. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Dreaming The Stranger: A drug abuser loses his sight of reality. The hallucinations begin to turn everything he sees into the walking dead. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Medicine Man: A voodoo master in Haiti turns tourists into his willing zombi. When the woman he has learned his practices from, Madame Callisto, is displeased with his actions, she gives him a taste of his own medicine. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
New Species: NASA has brought back a parasite found in space. This is the same parasite that caused the “Evolution and Extinction” incident. Before they are able to study it, it begins to take over bodies and replicate itself. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
The Dead Wars: King Arthur sends one of his most trusted knights to lead a battalion against the undead hordes. (F&L: Zombie Incidents)
Life After Death: Richard Marshall uses arcane science to bring back his dead brother from death. This may well be the story that inspired Mary Shelley to write “Frankenstein.” (F&L: Eden’s Order Trilogy)
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