Some thoughts on what your story is really saying and why you need to stop saying it. Plus ego-grumbles about writing comics. #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writing alecworley.substack.com/p/we-need-to...

What’s so scary about Hannibal Lecter anyway? How horror/thriller author Thomas Harris generates terror in a key scene from his classic thriller Red Dragon (1981). #writinghorror #hannibal #horrorfiction alecworley.substack.com/p/lessons-fr...

🌟 IT LIVES! 🌟 The UK Comics Creator Survey is BACK, baby! Here to gather up, analyse and disseminate your data to help uplift the comics world, like if Robin Hood was a statistician or something. ukcomicscreators.org.uk

Tales for a Halloween Night vol 11 coming to books stores in October. Here is my @newyorkcomiccon.bsky.social exclusive cover for @stormkingcomics.bsky.social #johncarpenter #talesforahalloweennight

OUTLAND. Cover art for a 4k restoration from Arrow Video

“If this movie wasn’t a comedy, it would be unwatchable…” Lessons on writing comedy-horror from John Landis's An American Werewolf in London (1981). #writinghorror #americanwerewolfinlondon alecworley.substack.com/p/the-best-s...

Go on, sign up to my mailing list. It’s got stories, and writing advice and articles and crunchy bits, but alas no chocolate. You have to sort the chocolate yourself. Click here and sign up john-french.com#mailchimp-po...

@agentofweird.bsky.social regales us with the Sisyphean journey of what getting your first comics work entails, how it never ends, and how that's a good thing, actually. alecworley.substack.com/p/my-future-...

Here's my 20-minute audio version of 'The Red Room' (1896), a classic ghost story by the father of science fiction, H.G. Wells. Expect Victorian gothic, a haunted castle, and me doing my posh voice... alecworley.substack.com/p/audio-of-w...

The Judge Death Mega Special Descends this October comicbuzz.com/the-judge-de... @antonyjohnston.bsky.social @alexdecampi.bsky.social @mrleecarter.bsky.social @mark-h-sexton.bsky.social @taziobettin.bsky.social @agentofweird.bsky.social @2000ad.bsky.social #judgedeath #comics #comicbooks

My second book, Within the Weeping Eye, is now out worldwide. Thanks in advance for support, shares, reviews. 💪 📖 ⚔️ If you send me proof of purchase, I'll DM you a personalized message from (an) Arnold Schwarzenegger (impersonator/me). Shares appreciated 😉 🔗 a.co/d/93ij3fo 🔗

Out November 12, 2025, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador #1 (of 2) We have a cool variant cover from Matt Smith too.

Looks like this bas been announced. It’s a major thrill to be teaming up with newly Eisner-winning @getcampbell.bsky.social & the no doubt many Eisners winning @mikemignola.bsky.social on a HELLBOY & ABE SAPIEN two-part story.

Felt cute. Might throw a priest out of a window later.

A giant mechanical ant literally hanging around the workshop with a couple of unknown FX artists in this behind-the-scenes pic from monster-movie classic ‘Them!’ (Gordon Douglas, 1954). Image sourced from Pinterest, photographer unknown, possibly lasered to death under a giant magnifying glass.

We are officially open to submissions until August 7th! We want short stories 1k-10k words, poems of 50 lines or less. Dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, Arthuriana. We pay 9c a word, $50 for poems. More guidelines on our website! www.oldmoonpublishing.com/submissions

Having greater firearms experience, producer Gale Anne Hurd stood in for Jenette Goldstein as Vasquez for this close-up shot in 'Aliens' (James Cameron, 1986). Photographer unknown, though mostly came out at night. Mostly.

What I drew for TSR's toy line—with constant demands for "more detail!"—and what they actually manufactured & sold.

@newedgeswordmag.bsky.social are a driving force in the current Sword & Sorcery revival! Definitely worth supporting if you’re into heroic fantasy with a modern edge!

Spoiler-free! open.substack.com/pub/alecworl...

Preview pages for the new 'Hawk the Slayer' strip by me (script), Simon Coleby (art), Gary Caldwell (colours) and Annie Parkhouse (letters). Episode one lands today in legendary weekly anthology comic @2000ad.bsky.social Even as we speak, the wizards gather in the south.

'OVER BY CHRISTMAS' (a free short story) A Weird winter's tale of lost time, lost hearts, and a devil's bargain (20-minute read) open.substack.com/pub/alecworl...

A mysterious meeting as drawn by @vor-bokor.bsky.social, for a brand new story by @matthewjohnauthor.bsky.social in New Edge Sword & Sorcery #3 - available now! newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-cate...

Jirel of Joiry as drawn by @saprophial.bsky.social, for a brand new story in New Edge Sword & Sorcery #3 - available now! newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-cate...

Sword & Sorcery explorers as drawn by Daniel Vega, for a brand new story in New Edge Sword & Sorcery #4 - available now! newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-cate...

Fritz Henle, Night in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1975

Fritz Schwimbeck - Im Gewölbe (In the Vault), c. 1920

Xmas Tree done right...

A wee painting of #jareth I made for one of my patrons :) #watercolour

"I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten." Acrylic painting for a Patreon supporter back in 2019.

ACES OF WEIRD: THE GREEN KNIGHT (David Lowery, 2021) This hallucinatory yuletide fantasy baffled audiences on release, yet remains one of the greatest films in Arthurian cinema. And, yes, it’s a Christmas movie. Fight me. alecworley.substack.com/p/aces-of-we...

Xmas Dredd

WHY WON'T MY CHARACTERS DO AS THEY'RE TOLD? Do characters really have a life of their own? Or is it all just marketing bunk and cultural mythmaking? Do writers really commune with the unseen? #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity open.substack.com/pub/alecworl...

Sketchbook doodle from 2022: Flyboy Zombie from Dawn of the Dead. 🧟‍♂️

I just read an advanced copy of issue #3 of @newedgeswordmag.bsky.social, & @mollytanzer.bsky.social's new Jirel of Joiry story is such a fun read! If you're a fan of Jirel, of #SwordandSorcery, or of Molly's always-amazing writing, go pre-order this issue now! ⚔️✨ #authors #fantasy #shortstories

WHY WRITERS ARE FULL OF S*** (AND WHY WE HAVE TO BE) Image is key to a writer's success. Yet this drive to fictionalise ourselves has become a toxic necessity. Worse still, it perpetuates harmful myths to incoming talent #writing #writingcommunity alecworley.substack.com/p/why-writer...

DURHAM RED & THE RETURN OF THE PROBLEMATIC VAMPIRE 2000 AD's mutant vampire bounty hunter is one of the most popular characters in British comics. An unsung figure in vampire fiction and one whose appeal remains truly troublesome #vampires #vampirecomics alecworley.substack.com/p/durham-red...

THE FIVE TYPES OF TWIST ENDING Deliver a sting in your tale #writing #amwriting #screenwriting #comicwriting #writingcommunity alecworley.substack.com/p/the-five-t...

FULL THROTTLE FICTION: Q&A WITH COMIC WRITER ROB WILLIAMS The writer of SUICIDE SQUAD, JUDGE DREDD and DOCTOR WHO on story-building, script-mechanics, and PETROL HEAD, his new creator-owned sci-fi book from Image @robwilliams71.bsky.social @pye.bsky.social alecworley.substack.com/p/full-throt...

WHY THE GREATEST CHARACTER IN 2000 AD ISN'T JUDGE DREDD #judgedredd #judgeanderson #2000ad @2000ad.bsky.social #comics #comicbooks #britishcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/why-the-gr...

MY FUTURE SHOCK HELL! (Chapter 1 of 4) How I broke into comics and why there's no such thing @2000ad.bsky.social #writing #writingcomics #2000ad #britishcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/my-future-...

MY FUTURE SHOCK HELL! (Chapter 2 of 4) How to survive the submissions process (whether that's comics, novels, shorts, or screenplays) by rejection-proofing your soul @2000ad.bsky.social #writing #writingcomics #2000ad #britishcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/my-future-...

MY FUTURE SHOCK HELL! (Chapter 3 of 4) Why on Earth do you want to write comic books anyway? @2000ad.bsky.social #writing #writingcomics #2000ad #britishcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/my-future-...

MY FUTURE SHOCK HELL! (Chapter 4 of 4) Why your best shot is all that will ever matter @2000ad.bsky.social #writing #writingcomics #2000ad #britishcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/my-future-...

HOW WE BUILT BLACK BETH Resurrecting a British sword and sorcery heroine and what it takes to write a character 'well' #fantasy #fantasycomics #swordandsorcery #2000ad #britishcomics #writing #writingcomics alecworley.substack.com/p/how-we-bui...

SUBMIT OR SURRENDER? WHY I CAN'T LISTEN TO MY OWN WRITING ADVICE The torture of cold submissions #writing #amwriting #writingtips #writingcommunity #writingadvice #comics #comicbooks #writingcomics #writingfiction alecworley.substack.com/p/submit-or-...

THE HORROR MASTERPIECE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED How 'The Rolling Giant' builds tension, embraces the uncanny and gives viewers the virtual creeps #horror #liminalspaces #kanepixels #thebackrooms #therollinggiant #horrormovies #horrorshorts alecworley.substack.com/p/the-limina...

OLD SORCERY, NEW EDGE: Q&A WITH MOLLY TANZER The award-winning author of 'The Diabolist's Library' trilogy on penning the official resurrection of Jirel of Joiry, the first lady of sword and sorcery @mollytanzer.bsky.social @newedgeswordmag.bsky.social alecworley.substack.com/p/old-sorcer...