Ultra Super Lycanthropic Travesty II: Werewolf Book Covers of Stupid X: The Reckoning

The art of making a good werewolf book cover must be tough shit. For reasons that modern Roukasian science has yet to discover, most monster-fans shun lycanthropes in favor of books featuring thin pale guys who sip blood, sparkle, and languish in a dark existential tardzone. Of course, this may prompt me to smoothly remove my box-frame emo glasses as I lounge in my Panera booth-seat and say something like: “Well then what, dear reader, constitutes a monster to begin with? Perhaps his multifacetedness is all too eager to transgress our subjective demarcations of criticism and culture?”

While that’s a legitimate question, fuck it for now. There are tons, tons of werewolf book covers out there that suck royal truckloads of ass, and I have some ideas why. Perhaps it’s because the awesomeness of snarly animal-humans is just too hard for people to capture. Perhaps it’s because the human mind, when it gets its hands on the demonic cauldron of Photoshop, goes 100% more bat-shit crazy than it already is. Perhaps because, dear reader, a populace that exalts its own divorce from Thoreauvian nature will, by implication, fail to capture the energy of predation, especially if it fails to even remember that the Grande Columbian Dark-Roast Almond Latte always comes with soy, not SKIM milk.

Anyway, here are some more shitty werewolf book covers. A while ago, Werewolf News ran a feature of mine called “The Top Five Worst Werewolf Book Covers Ever,” and now I’m back to do it again.
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French Lycanthropic Hip-Hop

Although I can’t tell exactly what DIALOKOLECTIV is rapping about here, it appears to be something bristly, snarly, lycanthropic and cool. And while that’ll be my Abercrombie & Fitch logic for the day, I promise to make up for it with a new feature / review that I have in the works.

“Wolf Man” Creature Redesign, Wolf Man Vs. Werewolf + “Upcoming” Trailer

Back in May, word was going around that stuntman / second unit director Vic Armstrong was coordinating some additional beastly fight scenes for The Wolf Man. Now Mail Online’s Baz Bamigboye reports that the reason behind the additional filming may have been to introduce a new design for the titular lycanthrope. “The Wolf was on its heels and it looked daft,” says one Wolfman actor. A Universal rep had this to say (warning: PR speak in full effect): “The full articulation of the transformational lead character will be realised when the film is completed and we are excited to share his incredible look with the world in the upcoming trailer.” Bamigboye also mentions that the scenes involve a “confrontation between the Wolf Man and the Werewolf”– a choice of words with some exciting and curious implications.

So what we can take from all this is

  1. The Wolf Man’s design may be changing, possibly going from a two-legged creature to four legs. Whether Rick Baker was consulted remains to be seen (let’s hope he was).
  2. Apparently the film involves a Wolf Man and a Werewolf. The differences between the two remain unclear.
  3. An official trailer for The Wolf Man is “upcoming”. Considering the film’s November release, maybe in another month or two?

Shakira’s “She-Wolf” Name-Drops Lycanthropy, Still Sounds Terrible

Shakira has a new single called “She-Wolf”. Ugh. Just ugh.

“Puss ‘N Boots” Movie Poster by Glen Ostrander

Puss N Boots by Glen Ostrander
[click for full version]

Glen Ostrander submitted this image back in April, and with the recent discussion of whether Michael Jackson was a werewolf or a werecat in the Thriller video, the time seemed right to post it. “I recently created a pastiche type horror movie poster”, Glen writes, “for a weekly challenge at a website I contribute to called Conceptart.org. The challenge was to design a character based off of Puss in Boots.” From the moonlit sky to the dramatic transformation poses, there’s a lot of werewolf in this were-cat picture! I particularly like the typography on the full-sized version– I can easily see this as a poster for a 1980’s horror film. You can see more of Glen’s wonderfully visceral artwork (including some awesome zombies) on his blog, and in this Conceptart.org forum thread. Thanks for sharing this, Glen, and sorry for taking so long to post it!

Official Michael Jackson “This Is It” Tour T-Shirt Designs Include Thriller Werewolf

Michael Jackson Thriller Werewolf T-Shirt

Before he passed away, Michael Jackson was getting ready for “This Is It”, a 50-show residency at London’s O2 Arena. Now that Michael’s gone, refunds are being issued for tickets, but the official Michael Jackson tour web shop is still selling This Is It merchandise, including this “Cartoon Thriller video Michael Jackson Werewolf shirt“. Questions of taste and decorum aside, I want this shirt.

“Living Arrangements” Film Pits Vegans Against Werewolf

Living Arrangements is an independent film by director Sam Thompson about a pair of vegans who have to contend with a new roommate’s unorthodox eating habits.

Sasha and Billie just found a new apartment right next to their favorite coffee shops and thrift stores. Life couldn’t be better until they discover a blood-thirsty werewolf living in the attic. Coping with the uninvited roommate challenges their vegan lifestyle and may turn these animal savers into animal slayers.

Check out the trailer, and visit the official web site and blog for more info, including screening details and production stills (including some closeups of the werewolf costume).

Living Arrangements

Why are there so many fun werewolf indie films out there? Oh yeah, it’s because werewolves are fucking awesome. Nice work, Living Arrangements cast and crew. Put this out on DVD and I will buy three.

25 Best Werewolf Horror Movies

About.com has got a breakdown of the 25 best werewolf horror movies (in the author’s opinon, of course), including what submitter ArcLight quite rightly describes as “a few surprises”. I consider myself well-versed in werewolf films, but there were a few titles in there that I’d never heard of! Check it out. What’s your favourite werewolf movie?

Lycanthrope Library

I’m PenningtonBeast (aka DragoniaKMP) and I’ve been asked to post excerpts here from my werewolf novel review blog Lycanthrope Library.

I have two reviews up right now, and I’m looking to receive some more. Anyone is allowed to submit a review, just send it to Spyrozilla1@aol.com with “werewolf review” in the headline.

So thanks a lot and I hope to post some excerpts here soon!

Leather Paw Shoes and Gloves

Leather Paw Shoes

Leather Paw Gloves

Werewolf News reader Nathan Roe sent me a link to these amazing pieces of leatherwork by Bob Basset. They’re not specifically for a werewolf outfit, but it’s not hard to imagine them looking awesome in that context. Let me save you some time– it appears they were made for a private collector, and aren’t for sale.