CARPATHIAN NIGHT STARRING BELA LUGOSI

If you are a fan of the original black and white 1930s & '40s era Universal Studios' monster movies or the classic 8 & 16-bit graphic era of home console video game systems, check out Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi. Available now for Nintendo Switch, Carapathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi mimics the imagery and playability of the Castlevania video games from the 1980's + '90s and features a cameo by the actor who first portrayed Dracula on the silver screen through a name & likeness license with his estate. You can purchase Carapathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi for your Switch as a digital download through My Nintendo Store.

This video game is set in Transylvania during the year 1451. Dracula, the Lord of the Vampires has summoned an Army of the Dead from the depths of hell ... if the vampire's minions are not stopped, he will conquer the land and bring everlasting night to the world! 

You can challenge Dracula, with one of two champions. Abbot Dorin, warrior monk and leader of the Kelemen Monastery, or Irina Dracul, vampire, pyromancer, and ancestor of Dracula. Zombies, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and demonic beings of every kind await adversaries who trespass into their master's domain! If you survive the horrors of the Transylvanian countryside making it through the Borgo Pass, the real challenge awaits as players reach the gates of the ancient Castle Dracula and must defeat the Lord of the Vampires himself.

There is some variation between the playable characters as Dorin is equipped with a staff and Dracul has a whip for a weapon. Each also has a unique special ability. Dracul can harness the destructive power of hellfire and Dorin can deliver divine justice from the heavens. Players can find hidden spirit gems throughout the game to enhance the characters' special abilities even further.

Is Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi the type of game you'd like to take a bite out of? 8 and 16-bit graphic games have been making a comeback from indie developers lately, are you geeked about playing video games in this style? If you've played Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi share with us your thoughts about it. 

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA

In 1897, Bram Stoker’s classic novel introduced the most famous literary character of all time—the terrifying vampire lord, DRACULA. Yet much of this iconic monster’s background and origins are only hinted at in the course of the original narrative, leaving Dracula’s backstory both intriguing and mysterious. Legendary comic-book creators Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage) and Kelley Jones (Batman: Red Rain, The Sandman) have teamed up to fill in these tantalizing gaps in the undying centuries of Dracula’s blood-drenched biography. After the resounding runaway success of their first volume DRACULA: BOOK I—THE IMPALER, these legendary masters of the comic-book arts are returning to the story of the count with DRACULA: BOOK II—THE BRIDES! DRACULA—BOOK II: THE BRIDES is now live on Kickstarter.

The first volume of Wagner and Jones’s DRACULA saga was a runaway hit, breaking the Top 20 in Kickstarter’s all-time most successful graphic novel campaigns. DRACULA: BOOK II—THE BRIDES presents 120 pages of sexy and sinister story and art, almost 30 pages longer than BOOK I. Wagner and Jones are once joined for this creepy foray into the shadows of Castle Dracula by the stellar talents of José Villarrubia on colors and lettering by Rob Leigh. This campaign is the only source for these beautiful, European-album sized hardcover editions of this book as well as the exceptional rewards tiers to be revealed after launch.

“I was so freaking excited when Matt first told me that the second volume in our DRACULA epic would be titled THE BRIDES,” artist Kelley Jones remarked to ageekdaddy.com. “And, wow… the story he’s written is absolutely chilling! It’s a complex portrait of what, up until now, have only ever been gruesome pin-up versions of these three women. And, make no mistake… this isn’t an attempt to shoehorn a contemporary agenda into the story. One of the things I love about Matt’s scripts is the distinct lack of modernity. These tales all feel completely accurate to the time period in which they’re set.”

And these Dracula comic books received a nice endorsement from someone who knows a bit about the horror genre:

Both books can be purchased through this Kickstarter campaign in digital format ($10 each). DRACULAA: BOOK II -- THE BRIDES can also be purchased in a variety of hardcover physical printed editions starting at $50. Head over to Kickstarter to bite into this campaign!

About the writer: 

Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over forty years and is best known for one of comicdom's most respected creator-owned titles—the centuries-spanning epic, GRENDEL and for his other, more personal, allegory, MAGE. As both a writer and an artist, Matt has also worked on a wide variety of established characters over the years which include several landmark projects starring DC Comics icon, BATMAN including two crossovers series with GRENDEL. His other mainstream work includes; SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE, DR. MID-NITE, GREEN ARROW, TRINITY, MADAME XANADU, ZORRO, GREEN HORNET; YEAR ONE, THE SHADOW; YEAR ONE, THE SHADOW: THE DEATH OF MARGO LANE, THE SPIRIT RETURNS, and DJANGO/ZORRO, which he co-wrote with renowned film-maker Quentin Tarantino. Matt recently returned his roots to pen the final arc in his acclaimed fantasy trilogy, MAGE: THE HERO DENIED. 

Praised for his character-driven stories and his obvious love of world history and mythologies, Matt’s efforts have won multiple Eisner Awards. He has also enjoyed the distinction of being one of the only writer/artists to team his own creation with one of DC's flagship characters in two successive BATMAN/GRENDEL crossover publications. He later continued the same motif in another critically acclaimed crossover event, writing and drawing GRENDEL VS THE SHADOW.

About the artist: 

Kelley Jones was born in 1962 and as soon as he could recall he was held spellbound by strange things and stories. This made him perfect to enter the world of comics and bring shadows and the sense of the unknown to everything he touched.His eerie and evocative version of Deadman was an award-winning hit at DC, and led him to the legendary run of stories on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, notably 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' and 'Seasons of Mist'. He followed these up with the now classic Batman graphic novel 'Red Rain', wherein Batman confronts....Dracula! This and a run of stunning covers for Batman and Detective for the 'Knightfall' epic led editor Denny O'Neil to assign Kelley the monthly Batman title which in the three years he drew it cemented him as one of Batman's greatest creators and a comic art legend. He has continued his trailblazing style with SWAMP THING with Len Wein and the award winning series 'Batman Kings of Fear' and 'Gotham after Midnight'. And now with Dracula, Kelley shows he still walks in the world of shadows and the unknown.

MARVEL CRISIS PROTOCOL MONSTERS UNLEASHED

Marvel: Crisis Protocol is a tabletop game that lets players battle as and against characters from the comic book publisher's iconic roster of heroes and rogues. Build a dream team of miniature game piece figures to win a bout on a game board by combining bold tactics and cunning strategy to overwhelm your competition. Now in addition the Marvel comic book heroes like Captain America and villains like Ultron, this Halloween season the game is adding monsters into the fray.

Up for preorder now with a scheduled November 1, 2024 release is a Monsters Unleashed character pack. Dracula, Werewolf by Night, N’Kantu the Living Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster, bring supernatural characters to your Marvel: Crisis Protocol tabletop battles. Marvel: Crisis Protocol - Monsters Unleashed includes a miniature game piece figure for each character (4 miniatures), 1 One-Shot Card, 4 Character Stat Cards, 4 Team Tactic Cards and 1 Punch Board. Please note the miniatures are supplied unassembled and unpainted.

Cursed with eternal life as one of the night-dwelling undead, Dracula claims the title of Lord of the Vampires through cunning, strategy, and acts of unrelenting evil.

Assembled from corpses and jolted to life, Frankenstein’s Monster is many things—intelligent, sensitive, immortal—but mostly, he’s a patchwork man seeking his place in the world.

During the day, Jack Russell appears as a man, but when the sun sets and the moon rises, he becomes Werewolf by Night!

Known as the Living Mummy, N’Kantu is an adventurer, wanderer, and agent of the Egyptian god of death and rebirth, Anubis.

Create a dynamic setting for Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, N'Kantu and Werewolf by Night to battle in during Marvel: Crisis Protocol bouts with the Tomb of Dracula terrain pack. This terrain pack features a cutaway of Dracula's iconic gothic castle reminiscent of classic horror movies. It includes additional one-shot cards for new modes of play.

You need to purchase a Marvel: Crisis Protocol core box to play the game which is available at amazon.com. Additional characters and terrain expansion packs like Monsters Unleashed and Tomb of Dracula can be purchased to enhance your Marvel: Crisis Protocol gaming experiences. 

Who would you have battle these monsters? Blade, Doctor Strange, Moon Knight? There are so many marvelous scenarios you can play out with Marvel: Crisis Protocol. 

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SPOOKTACULER HALLOWEEN COMIC BOOKS

The Halloween season is here and with it comes some terror-ific comic books. I'm always geeked to get into the Halloween spirit with some holiday themed good reads. Here are some spooktaculer stories that will be on comic book shop shelves this October:

STAR TREK: HOLO-WEEN

After enduring an anxiety-ridden passage through a solar storm, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take to celebrating Halloween to reset the mood. But while the Earth holiday involves sweet treats and other festivities, they soon learn that fear is in season when crew members begin to go missing one by one. Each week in October leading up to Halloween, a new issue of this limited series by acclaimed writer Chris Sequeira and Eisner-nominated artist Joe Eisma will be rocketing into comic shops. 

DC'S GHOULS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

An assembly of spine-tingling stories for Halloween. Superman imprisoned by an unfriendly ghost! Man-Bat versus a werewolf! Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho crashing a Halloween frat party! Plus: the Question faces horrific crimes of fashion; Robotman wrestles a ghostly glitch; Crush helps Lobo find the perfect costume; and Nightwing and Red Hood spend a frightful night in Blüdhaven, co-written by Christopher Sean, the voice of Nightwing from the Gotham Knights video game! The chills will last longer than your candy corn!

ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR 

Trick and Treat return on Halloween night to harass Archie and Jughead with assorted monsters until Sabrina takes charge. All that plus more scary-fun stories!

CAPWOLF & THE HOWLING COMMANDOS

When Captain America is transformed into a werewolf on the front lines of World War II, he’ll need the help of the Howling Commandos to take down a band of Nazi cultists who intend to use supernatural forces to turn the tide of battle. But can Cap control the skeptical, jaded Commandos when he can barely control himself?

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

As Halloween approaches, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must face their fears when a powerful and mysterious being challenges them to prove their mettle in a nightmarish test of bravery. Meanwhile, Shredder has an otherworldly encounter of his own when he summons an ancient spirit to gain a greater understanding of the powerful weapon he seeks to reforge... only to discover that some forces are beyond even his control. Don't miss this double-sized, spooky special of Saturday Morning Adventures!

OPERATION SUNSHINE

From the New York Times-bestselling hosts of the hit The Last Podcast on the Left and Black Hammer's David Rubin comes this all-new humorous, horror, and action-packed comic book series that's Near Dark meets Ocean's Eleven. A group of young, alienated vampires known as "bugs" plot to steal a magical object from ancient monstrous vampires to turn themselves back to human. Along the way they uncover a sprawling monster underground, a top-secret plot run by the elder creatures, elite militant vampire slayers, and madness beyond imagining blocking their path to humanity.

BORIS KARLOFF'S GOLD KEY MYSTERIES 

Witness the dawn of new era in horror! When a gothic mansion infested with arcane power appears from the mist, Boris Karloff is the world's last hope against dark forces led by a malevolent government agent bent on harnessing the house's power. Boris Karloff is back with a new ongoing horror anthology.

CRYPT OF SHADOWS

Once more, as All Hallows’ Eve draws nigh, the dust-covered slab that seals shut the crypt, blocking out the sun and casting it forever in shadow, has creaked open to let the darkness loose to prey on the Marvel Universe! Be they mercenary or mage, guided by law or by rage, our heroes will face their terror, and they’d best pray their spines are sturdy enough for the job…or the crypt they find may well be their own!

SPINE-TINGLING SPIDER-MAN

After a fight with Spider-Cide, Spider-Man gets taken on the most frightening ride of his life as he finds himself in the most terrifying haunted house possible. Who took Peter’s powers? Who took Peter’s friends and family? Who stands the best chance at taking Spider-Man down permanently?!

HEADLESS HORSEMAN HALLOWEEN ANNUAL

Boils, ghouls, vampires, monsters, and creatures of all kinds, welcome. Take a seat, go on, fill the aisles, relax your fangs, and sit with us for a while. Join us in a macabre and magical journey through all the haunts and spooks that keep you up at night for here we revel in the darkness and present to you a chilling, nay petrifying experience as the Headless Horseman presents a collection of five terrifying tales to warm up your cold soul.

GARGOYLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

It's young Gnash's first Halloween in Manhattan, and you're invited to come along as he heads out to find friends on the one night of the year when Gargoyles can roam the city unbothered! Unfortunately, he's about to run afoul of the masked Quarrymen, who are out to hunt down any Gargoyle foolish enough to brave the streets on All Hallow's Eve. That means Brooklyn, Katana, Lexington, Broadway, Angela, and even Goliath are in real danger! Will they survive this cruel trick, or become a treat for the marauding Quarrymen? Find out in this all-new 40-page special featuring a 28-page main story written by Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN!

FEAR THE FUNHOUSE PRESENTS ... TOYBOX OF TERROR

In Riverdale, even the toys are terrifying in this anthology one-shot set in the universe of last year's successful Fear the Funhouse comic. Three tales of dolls, robots, and puppets gone awry all thanks to the work of a shadowy toymaker and a young girl intent on revenge, in the vein of the widely successful M3GAN movie and Child's Play franchise.

JUSTICE LEAGUE V GODZILLA V KONG

The cataclysmic crossover event of the year is here as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner planned with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, when the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay! What started as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth!

MARVEL ZOMBIES: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD

The undead plague starts here…and you know it won’t stop until everyone’s in its clutches! This first of four action-packed, utterly original, gloriously gory anthology issues features Daredevil, Spider-Man, Moon Knight and many, many more Marvel heroes and villains beset by ever-growing zombie hordes! In a brutal, bloodstained world, can hope survive? Or will creeping, gnawing, shambling horror win out at last…?

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS DRACULA

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH creators JAMES TYNION IV and MARTIN SIMMONDS reteam for an extra-length miniseries about the monster who started it all! When Dr. John Seward admits a strange new patient into his asylum, the madman tells stories of a demon who has taken residence next door. But as Dr. Seward attempts to apply logic to the impossible…his surrogate daughter Lucy begins to fall under the spell of the twisted Count Dracula!

DUBLIN CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF DRACULA

When most people think of DRACULA, the first thing that comes to mind is Gothic castles and Gypsy villages in the remote Transylvanian wilderness of eastern European Romania. So why is the capital city of the Emerald Isle hosting a festival celebrating 125 years of Dracula? Because the vampire's creator, Bram Stoker, is an Irish author from Dublin. Each October, the city hosts a Bram Stroker Festival with this year's event (October 28 - 31) having a focus on celebrating the 125th anniversary of the 1897 publication of Dracula which was the author's seventh novel.

While known now for his literary works, during his lifetime Bram Stoker was more recognized as a journalist and theatre critic who eventually became the personal assistant for a famed actor of the times, Sir Henry Irving, and the business manager for the Lyceum in London's West End theatre district. In fact, it is considered that Stoker's relationship with Irving and experiences at the Lyceum Theatre were more of an inspiration for Dracula than any research into Romanian lore and geography. The description of Dracula's Castle in the book is actually based upon New Slains Castle located near Cruden Bay, Scotland where Stoker was known to vacation and spend time working on his novels rather than any Transylvanian fortress.

There will be multiple opportunities to dress up in ghoulish garb during this year's Bram Stroker Festival to watch film screenings, discuss the novel or simply stroll through the city on a walking tour of Dublin’s dark side that fired Stoker’s imagination. Walking tour sites include the architecturally imposing Trinity College Dublin, which Stoker attended, Marsh’s Library, the oldest public library in Ireland, Dublin Castle with its spectacular gothic Chapel Royal, and St Michan’s Church, which houses mummified remains in its vaults. Past Bram Stoker Festival events over the years have featured major outdoor spectacles; intimate experiences on hallowed grounds; award-winning theatre productions; an outdoor circus at night; and elaborate banquets in sacred crypts. Would you want to visit Ireland to attend the Bram Stroker Festival?

This year's Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin, Ireland includes BOREALIS an electronic recreation of the aurora borealis natural phenomena being displayed over Dublin Castle's Upper Courtyard and Stokerland, a Victorian themed fun park. Visit bramstokerfestival.com for a full list of activities.

In the run up to this year's festival, to get into the undead spirit of Dracula, you can watch and listen to Bram Stoker Festival at Home Treats, a curated collection of podcasts, videos and audio content about Stoker, vampires and their influence on modern culture.

Would you consider attending the Bram Stoker Festival a spooktacular way to enjoy Halloween? I'd be geeked to go! 

DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Universal Pictures releasing DRACULA which began an era of classic monster movies from the studio featuring iconic characters ranging from The Creature from the Black Lagoon to Frankenstein. In commemoration of the occasion, noted author and artist Ricardo Delgado is publishing through Kickstarter a novel which expands upon the Bram Stoker story that inspired the 1931 movie about Dracula starring Bela Lugosi as the infamous Count from Transylvania. The Kickstarter campaign for Delgado's 428 page hardcover DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA book runs through March 25 with a delivery date for pledgers in the summer of 2021.

In DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA, the year is 1899. Young Solicitor Jonathan Harker braves ghosts, demons, living skeletons, and armies of rats—all of which pale in comparison to his encounters with Dracula of Transylvania, the Son of Satan. The demonic, shapeshifting vampire imposes his wrath, malice and vengeance upon an England about to enter the Modern Era. The romantic side of Dracula is tossed aside and the pure horror of his vileness incarnate is portrayed in this book written by Ricardo Delgado.  He’s spent the past thousand years putting sword to flesh and tearing at the tapestry of history as the son of Satan himself. Kings, Popes and armies fear Dracula. And this story shows why you should too!

In addition to writing DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA, Ricardo Delgado also drew 28 lavish illustrations that are incorporated into the book. This aspect of the book really stands out based upon Delgado's reputation as a story board artist for Hollywood movies including Apollo 13, Men in Black, Jurassic Park 3, and Star Trek: First Contact. He has also created a dinosaur comic book series, Age of Reptiles, for Dark Horse Comics, and written two novels, the children’s novella Sam Specter and the Book of Spells and the hard-boiled science fiction noir Warhead. Click here to check out his DRACULA OF TRANSLYVANIA Kickstarter campaign.

To further bring Dracula to life, enact your own vampire encounters with BendyFigs from Noble Toys. Their Universal Monsters Collection let you pose and play with Dracula, The Monster from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein and Frankenstein's Bride to imagine your own horror movie scenes. The Dracula BendyFig is approximately 7 inches high and comes equipped with a fabric cape and Hollywood film themed display base. Avoid his mesmerizing gaze because this officially licensed vampire toy wants to drink your blood!

BendyFigs feature an enclosed wire frame hidden within a rubbery body allowing these action figures to be posed without the need of visible joints that can distract from a toy's appearance. This makes them stand out from other action figures and great for displaying. For more information about BendyFigs or to purchase some head over to noblecollection.com

A MIX OF HORROR AND SCIENCE FICTION ON COMET TV IN OCTOBER

With Halloween coming up of course COMET TV is broadcasting some classic scary movies throughout the month of October.  Tune in to see Dracula vs Frankenstein (1971), Cats Eyes (1985), Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Raven (1963).  COMET TV is an over-air broadcast network that can be tuned in with a digital antenna and viewed subscription free.  No need for cable, satellite or Wi-Fi, to watch COMET TV.  In the Metro Detroit area of Michigan just tune to Channel 19-7 with a television antenna.

COMET TV focuses on horror and science fiction programming so it is a channel I'm regularly tuning into. If the network isn't available to view locally, you can also watch it online via an iOS app, Roku, or cometTV.com.  In addition to airing classic horror movies from the 60s, 70s and 80s they are also showing some more recent horror flicks this month as well including The Woods (2005), Silence of the Lambs (1991), Lord of Illusions (1995) and The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999).

Sci-Fi fans aren't being left out this month either as COMET TV is airing ROBOCOP movie marathons throughout October.  Plus the television show Andromeda begins airing this month on COMET TV.  Based upon material by the late writer Gene Roddenberry, Andromeda revolves around the adventures of Captain Dylan Hunt and the crew of the Andromeda Ascendant as they try to restore the Systems Commonwealth, a government that was responsible for a time of extended peace and prosperity.

A Geek Daddy has a prize pack of items highlighting this month's programming on COMET TV to giveaway.  For a chance to win please follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet the embedded message below before 11:59 pm ET on Friday, October 27, 2017.  Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the giveaway.

Follow @Geekdad248 + RT before 10/28/17 for chance to win a #CometTV Prize Pack with ROBOCOP "Omni Consumer Products" shirt @WatchComet #ad pic.twitter.com/yr953aTONI

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) October 20, 2017

The October COMET TV Giveaway includes:

1 -Robocop Omni Consumer Products T-shirt: A perfect T-shirt for out and about and to show your Robocop love. It sports the famous Omni Consumer Products logo on the front and looks amazing on!

1 -Limited Edition COMET TV Card: You’ll get 1 or 3 limited edition designs that feature one of the Underground Horror Titles showing this month on COMET TV!

1-Limited Edition COMET TV Pin Set: There’s nothing better to add a little flair to any ensemble that this limited edition COMET TV pin set. It features six different designs including Stargate and Andromeda.

1 -COMET TV Syringe Pen: Oh the horror! This green liquid syringe pen will have you the envy of everyone in your office. I mean let’s be real, who else has a COMET TV green liquid syringe pen? The answer… It could be you!

Disclaimer & Rules:  A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided by COMET TV and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per mailing address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  If you have already won this prize through another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. COMET TV will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner.  A Geek Daddy is not responsible for delivery of the prize.