The Vale of Desolation [The Lost and Found: Uncovering Hidden Comic Book Treasures]

We traveled only during the night. And rested during the day. We were going in a southeastern direction along the rim of the Kalaghari Desert. Major Ali Mupha came over to me as I was resting on a chair. "Mr. Winston,' he began. I have a feeling that somewhere in the past the two of us met. I will admit that the money you did offer us was a great temptation to come out here. No native would dare to make this trip. This section of the desert is known as the Vale of Desolation. For your money. I took leave from the Security Police Department. And then managed to get men who are willing to do anything for money. They are not afraid of Death. For that is a kind of occupational hazard in their work. Paul Dumont is a Frenchman; Raul Garbano is a Spaniard; Hans Klepper is a German; and Marc Harley is an Australian. They have agreed to follow you in the jaws of Hell if necessary. And also, I do assume because they are curious. Out here where all you have is wind and sand - what can you be looking for?" The time had come for me to explain the object of this small expedition. Consisting of the men he named, two jeeps, and a supply truck.

"We never met before in our lives. But I still am familiar to you. My name is John Winston. I am the identical twin of the late Herbert Randolph. If I shaved off my beard you couldn't tell us apart." "Then your mansion here must somehow be connected With the death of your late brother. But why do you have a name different than his?" "Because my maternal uncle adopted me," I informed him. "He wanted me to carry on his name. And he left his fortune to me. What I tell you now, you may or may not believe. I don't care much about it. All I care is that you take me to where I want to go. I have travelled throughout the world. I could sense any message my brother wanted to send me. And in the same way I could reply to him.  Remember, that identical twins are really one creature and in the view of the ancients they thought and acted as one being. By the death of my brother, his partner. Frank Howell inherited the entire business property and the death insurance of half million dollars."

"That means you are implying that your brother's partner killed him. Why, that is impossible!" "Why is it impossible?' I demanded. "Greed does a lot of peculiar things to any human being." "But many people saw your brother get into his plane. At that very moment, Frank Howe!l was in Cairo. The plane headed out to sea. It exploded in the air and that is how your brother died." Major Ali Mupha stopped for a minute. Looked at me. Then added, "Or did he?" "My brother's ghost communicated with me." I continued, will tell you how he died. The two went out here in a jeep loaded with supplies. My brother had an idea that he could find where the legendary Roman treasure had been hidden when the Romans were attacked and the Third Roman Legion was wiped out. He didn't want anyone to follow them, so they left secretly. He made one big mistake. He told his partner he was aware of the fact that the books had been falsified. That Frank Howell had been stealing partnership funds. So that is why he Was killed. His body was dumped out on the sand. His partner returned. The rest was easy. He hired an aviator. Had him wear a facial mask to look like my brother. Take the plane up. Blow it up and parachute to safety. Frank Howell also killed him and the man who made the mask. If we find my brother's body, and we will, then you have the evidence to convict his killer."

The next two days we traveled during the late afternoon. I knew what I was looking for. Then came the message: "l am here, John. Right here. Dig under the sand where you are standing." On the way back, the Major was very quiet. He was doing a lot of hard thinking. Then he spoke his thoughts to me. "It could be that somehow you learned where your brother had been buried. But I dismiss that. Only his killer was with him. So I am forced to accept that from beyond the grave messages be sent. Worry not. Justice will be done."

• story author uncredited
• title header illustrator uncredited
• story featured in Haunted #10 (January 1973) 
• published & copyrighted by Charlton Comics

Here is the list of characters from the short story:

1. John Winston (identical twin of Herbert Randolph),
2. Herbert Randolph (John's twin brother, deceased)
3. Frank Howell (Herbert's business partner)
4. Major Ali Mupha (leader of the mercenaries)
5. Paul Dumont (French mercenary)
6. Raul Garbano (Spanish mercenary)
7. Hans Klepper (German mercenary)
8. Marc Harley (Australian mercenary)

Disclaimer: As the original publisher is no longer in operation and has not issued digital reprints, this collection serves as a valuable archive of these classic tales for the benefit of researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts. By making these stories available, I aim to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of comic books, while also acknowledging the original creators and copyright holders.

Zatanna: London, Two Nights Only (Book 1) [TrUzApalOOza cardstock wraparound variant cover]

[my rough proposal for a two-part Zatanna Zatara storyline for DC Comics]

In the city of magic and wonder, where the lights of the West End shine bright, a legendary illusionist is about to take the stage. Zatanna Zatara, the enchanting mistress of magic, has arrived in London for a limited two-night engagement at the historic Garrick Theatre in the heart of Westminster.  As she prepares for her opening night, Zatanna is approached by an old family friend, the enigmatic and mysterious Sargon the Sorcerer. His eyes gleam with an otherworldly intensity as he whispers a cryptic message in her ear. "Zatanna, my dear, I have a favor to ask of you. A dear friend of mine, a collector of rare and ancient artifacts, has gone missing. His name is Silas, and he was last seen in the city, searching for the Orb of St. Edward. It seems that the Cult of Mithras, a secretive and ancient organization, has stolen the Orb from the British Museum, and Silas was tracking them down. I fear he may have gotten himself into trouble, and I need your help to find him and recover the Orb."

Zatanna's eyes narrow, her mind racing with the possibilities. She knows that Sargon's friends are often involved in the darker side of magic, and she senses that this is no ordinary case. "I'll help you, Sargon," she says, her voice firm and resolute. "But I need to know more about the Orb of St. Edward and what kind of danger we're facing."  Sargon's smile is like a crack of thunder on a stormy night. "Ah, Zatanna, you always were one for the thrill of the chase. Very well, I'll tell you what I know. The Orb of St. Edward is a powerful relic, said to grant the power to control the very fabric of reality. It's been passed down through the centuries, and its last known resting place was the British Museum. But now it's gone, and I fear that if it falls into the wrong hands, the consequences will be catastrophic."

Zatanna's eyes flash with excitement. She knows that she's in for the adventure of a lifetime, and she's ready to face whatever dangers lie ahead. "Then let's get started, Sargon," she says, her voice dripping with determination. "I'll find Silas and the Orb of St. Edward, no matter what it takes." And with that, Zatanna Zatara sets off on a journey that will take her to the very limits of her magical abilities, and beyond. The game is afoot, and the stakes are higher than ever before. Will Zatanna emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume her?  The world of magic is full of surprises, and Zatanna is about to find out just how true that is...

I am proposing this would be written by Paul Dini, interior art by Jamal Igle, and exclusive painted covers by TrUz ApalOOza.

[Workflow: A series of image prompts from Bing Co-Pilot and NightCafe to give me a chunk of starter images, which I then composed and merged within Affinity Photo. Lots of layers, overlays for shadows and lighting, texture layers for lens flares, sparkles, fireworks, distorted/warped/twisting all over with a large dash of masking.]

Image list:

1. final TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant wraparound cover of Zatanna London book 1
2. raw version of the painting (reduced resolution), without final book layouts/logos
3. front cover view
4. back cover view
5. The series logo which I worked within both Affinity Photo and Designer
6. Letter Z, applied to her tuxedo lapel
7. and a glance at my Affinity Photo layering panels with Fx filters

Children of the Corn (literal)

Four corncob creatures, known as the Children of the Corn, each with a unique personality, stood in a grassy field, their bright yellow bodies glistening with dew. The rustic backdrop of a derelict barn and silo loomed behind them, its weathered boards and rusty metal evoking a sense of abandonment. But these corncob warriors were far from harmless; each one was armed with a farm tool transformed into a deadly weapon in their capable hands.

The first corncob, 'Sickle Sammy,' stood in the shadow of the eerie dusk, his twisted blade catching the last rays of light and casting a sinister gleam. His body, fashioned from a corncob, bore cryptic carvings that twisted and squirmed like malevolent tendrils. Sammy's exaggeratedly open eyes blazed with a savage hunger, a thirst for conflict that seemed to consume his very soul.

Next to him stood 'Rakey,' wielding a rusty pitchfork with sharpened tines and a smaller weeding fork in his other hand. His eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark as if he relished using the tool in a murderous competition.

The third corncob, 'Angry Jim,' held a long-handled axe with deadly precision. Jim's corncob body was covered in dirty overalls, hiding most of his golden kernels. His eyes burned with a quiet intensity, as if driven by a desire to chop away the very souls of his enemies.

Finally, there was 'Pete,' the eldest corncob, who held the largest axe of the group. Pete's corncob body was covered in a fine layer of dust, giving him a rugged, battle-hardened appearance. His eyes seemed to hold a deep wisdom as if he had fought many battles and emerged victorious every time.

Together, these four corncob outcasts stand ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead, each of them armed with their favorite farming implement and willing to reap a deadly harvest at any moment.

[Workflow: A large series of image prompts from NightCafe to give me the best 8+ starter pieces, which I composed within Affinity Photo.  Lots of layers + shadow work (via FX cover overlay), brush layers for tweaking and shadow masking.]

Jakarta Daemon, Part 2: "The Cursed Streets of Old Batavia" [TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant cover]

Continuing my previous post for the Jakarta Daemon storyline...

[my rough proposal for part 2 of a new John Constantine storyline for DC Comics]

As John Constantine ventured into the historic streets of Old Batavia, the crumbling colonial architecture seemed to loom over him like sentinels, casting long shadows that seemed to writhe and twist in the flickering streetlights. The air was thick with the scent of incense and decay, and the distant sounds of chanting and drums echoed through the alleys, drawing him deeper into the heart of the city. But as he turned a corner, he was suddenly ambushed by a group of shadowy demons with red eyes, their faces twisted into grotesque grins as they emerged from the darkness. John's instincts screamed at him to defend himself, but he hesitated, his mind racing with the implications of what he was seeing. These were no ordinary demons - they were the servants of the daemon Kuntilanak, and they had been sent to stop John from uncovering the truth.

John's local contacts, a group of street-smart kids who had been tracking the daemon's movements, appeared out of nowhere, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and determination. "John, we've been waiting for you," one of them whispered, as they quickly ushered him into the safety of a nearby doorway. But as John looked around at the kids, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were hiding something from him. Despite his reservations, he decided to trust them, and together they set out to uncover the web of ancient secrets and forbidden knowledge hidden within the city's oldest temples and catacombs.

Image list:

1. final TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant cover of Jakarta Daemon part 2
2. raw version of the painting (reduced resolution), my original version is too wide for the standard comic book layout so I had to crop some of the shadowy demons.
3. an earlier work-in-progress (WIP) image as i was trying to decide on the layout
4. and a glance at my Affinity Photo layering panels with Fx filters

Blue Beetle launching into the atmosphere

I pulled Mikel Janín's comic book cover art from Blue Beetle #3 (from DC Comics 2024) and enhanced the ballistic speed of his launching into the sky.

[Workflow: Affinity Photo edits with inpainting to fill some gaps, two layers of bubble, a couple of layers of airflow, and particle effects.]

Jakarta Daemon, Part 5: "The Daemon's Reckoning" [TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant cover]

Continuing my previous post for the Jakarta Daemon storyline, and yes I am presenting my story ideas and cover art out-of-order.

[my rough proposal for part 5 of a new John Constantine storyline for DC Comics]

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Jakarta was consumed by darkness. The city's streets were ablaze, the sounds of screams and gunfire filling the air. The daemon's eyes glowed with an otherworldly energy, drawing the very life force out of the air. Its body began to stretch and contort, growing into a towering monstrosity with claws as long as city buses. The stench of brimstone and smoke filled the air, and John could feel the heat emanating from the daemon's fiery breath. John Constantine stood atop a rooftop, his eyes fixed on the chaos below. His attention was focused on the true enemy: the daemon Kuntilanak, growing in power and size as it crushed smaller buildings and continued to feed on its human sacrifices.

The city would be reduced to piles of smoldering rubble by morning if John acted slowly. With a fierce determination, he cast a protection spell to buy himself time to initiate his hidden weapon. John reached into his trenchcoat pocket and retrieved the powerful Indonesian orb of Dewi Sri Adilorb. He began to chant the magician's incantation to empower the artifact, but he knew he had to act fast before the monstrous daemon reached him on the city's south side.

[Workflow: I sketched out a rough layout of a demon smashing a city and fed that through Tengri with my prompt. I took the best three images and then pieced elements together for the main scene. I used another series of prompts to generate a man in a trenchcoat in NightCafe, then pulled these elements in to be composited. I filled gaps to flesh out the comic book cover layout, merged the variant cover logo overlay, added the storyline logo with text and a sigil badge, and included creator credits, a barcode, and the DC Black Label badge. I added smoke, fire, flames, and a protection portal. I built a basic orb from Affinity's vector shapes, then layered in the magic glow and casting effects. Created a hell brand and applied to the daemon's arm. I found an Indonesian flag to pull into perspective warp into the image. Finally, lots of masking on just about every layer, and also layered in a few more texture tricks to produce the final product within Affinity Photo.]

Image list:

1. final TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant cover of Jakarta Daemon part 5
2. raw version of the painting (reduced resolution).  I flipped the image for the final cover so that my Hellblazer logo, and series badge would be where I wanted them.
3. and a glance at my Affinity Photo layering panels with Fx filters

The Mummy's Revenge [The Lost and Found: Uncovering Hidden Comic Book Treasures]

"BEWARE!" warned the aged Arab. "Beware the wrath of Princess Amen-Ra!"

The four Englishmen laughed uproariously. What was there to fear of an Egyptian princess who had died some 3,500 years ago?

Her mummy case, only recently excavated from the ruins of a nearby temple, lay on the ground before them, and they were determined to bring it back to London, as a souvenir of their holiday in Egypt. Ignoring the old man's repeated warnings, they paid him a handsome fee---for it was he himself who had led them to the buried mummy case---and made off with their prize.

That very night, one of the Britishers was seen to emerge from his tent. He spoke to no one; his eyes were fixed, trance-like, on the wide expanse of desert sand before him. He was like a man possessed as he wandered off. And this was the last anyone ever saw of him. Somewhere in the desert, he had vanished, and no trace of his body was ever found. His friends assumed that he must have been stricken by a fever that had affected his mind.

Yet, only a few days later, a second tragedy occurred, when another of the tourists was shot in the arm by a bandit, and the arm subsequently had to be removed. Upon returning to Cairo, a third member of the party found a cablegram awaiting him, informing that his entire fortune had been wiped out by a bank failure. And when they came back to London, still bearing the mummy case of Princess Amen-Ra, the fourth member of that ill-fated group met with the same news---business collapse which left him a pauper.

But this was still only the beginning. The long-dead princess, it seemed, was determined to avenge herself upon anyone who disturbed the tranquility of her resting place. For when the mummy case was later bought up by the British Museum, more tragedy was in the offing.

First there was the newspaper photographer who took a picture of the exotic looking case, shortly after its arrival at the museum. While en route to his home, he was fatally injured. Then there was the cleaning man, who scoffed at the notion of a haunted mummy case, and proved contempt by waving his duster at it, derisively. Some days later, his wife was stricken by a rare disease.  In addition, all sorts of minor injuries befell various museum workers who had helped set up the mummy case in its exhibit vault. Visitors to the museum began talking of strange noises emanating from the case---tapping and crying---and one night watchman went so far as to claim that the princess once emerged from the vault.

It was then that officials of the British Museum decided that these wild tales had gone far enough, and agreed to remove the case from the exhibit hall and store it in the basement. Of the men selected to carry it down, one of them suffered a badly sprained ankle, almost immediately afterwards, and another was found dead of a stroke, only a few days later.

Of course, nobody, except a handful of superstitious people, ever believed that this mummy case actually bore a curse---that the hardships it seemed to create were ever anything more than mere coincidence. Yet, fate had one more cruel trick to play, involving Princess Amen-Ra in her final tragedy.

For in 1914 an American Egyptologist purchased the mummy case from the British Museum, planning to bring it to this country. But this man, too, went to his death, together with the princess, aboard the steamship Titanic, which struck an iceberg in the mid-Atlantic, and sank with a loss of 1,500 lives!

• story author uncredited
• title header illustration created by TrUz ApalOOza
• story featured in The House of Secrets #67 (October 1957) 
• published & copyrighted by DC Comics

FACT CHECK: I did a little searching and found this article which documents the above story to be untrue, including the Titanic reference.

Disclaimer: As the original publisher is no longer in operation and has not issued digital reprints, this collection serves as a valuable archive of these classic tales for the benefit of researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts. By making these stories available, I aim to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of comic books, while also acknowledging the original creators and copyright holders.

Jakarta Daemon, Part One (Intrigues in Jakarta with John Constantine) [TrUzApalOOza cardstock variant cover]

[my rough proposal for a new John Constantine storyline for DC Comics]

In the neon-drenched underbelly of Jakarta's downtown Tanah Babah shopping district, John Constantine stood shrouded in darkness, the only illumination coming from the eerie glow of vending machines that seemed to pulse with intermittent energy. The rain-soaked streets reflected the dim light of the city, casting a melancholy mood over the bustling metropolis. As he puffed on his cigarette, the faint yellow glow of the burning tobacco cast an eerie light on his weathered face, etched with the lines of numerous battles and countless moral compromises. This is the beginning of the five-part storyline titled Jakarta Daemon, an eerie narrative of terror and the paranormal where John Constantine delves into the dark heart of the city to hunt down the Indonesian daemon known as Kuntilanak that has been mutilating and murdering young women in gruesome and inexplicable ways for the past four months. I am proposing this would be written by Simon Spurrier, interior art by Bilquis Evely, and exclusive painted covers by TrUz ApalOOza.

• Part 2: "The Cursed Streets of Old Batavia" John Constantine's investigation into the daemon Kuntilanak leads him to the historic streets of Old Batavia, where he meets with his local contacts, a group of street-smart kids who've been tracking the daemon's movements. But as John digs deeper, he begins to suspect that his contacts may be hiding something. Despite his reservations, John decides to trust them, and together they uncover a web of ancient secrets and forbidden knowledge hidden within the city's oldest temples.
• Part 3: "The Whispering Walls of the Sultan's Palace" As John's investigation takes him to the Sultan's Palace, he discovers that his local contacts have been playing him all along. They've been using him to get closer to Kuntilanak the daemon, and now they're demanding a share of the profits. John is torn between his loyalty to his new friends and his duty to stop the evil terrorizing their city. He decides to betray his contacts, using them to get closer to the daemon, but at what cost? The whispers of the palace walls begin to echo with the weight of John's betrayal.
• Part 4: "The Blood of the Ancients" John's betrayal of his contacts has consequences, and the streets of Jakarta begin to run red with blood. The daemon's power grows stronger, and John realizes that he's made a terrible mistake. He must now navigate the treacherous underworld of Jakarta's criminal networks to find a way to stop the daemon and make amends for his betrayal. But the city's ancient secrets are not so easily uncovered, and John finds himself trapped in a web of man-made deceit and demonic corruption.
• Part 5: "The Daemon's Reckoning" In the climactic final act, John must face both Kuntilanak, and the true gangster masterminds behind the horrors plaguing Jakarta. But his betrayal of his local contacts has left him isolated and alone. With the city on the brink of chaos, John must use all his wits and cunning to stop the daemon and end the city's cycle of violence. But at what cost? The daemon's reckoning is at hand, and John must confront the consequences of his previous actions. Will he be able to redeem himself, or will the city burn around him?

[Workflow: My final image was inspired by a sketch I found on Reddit which started my creation within Tengri, then elements were added to fill in the gaps to fill out the comic book cover layout, variant cover logo overlay merged, storyline logo with text and sigil badge, creator credits, barcode, DC Black Label badge, the addition of rain, smoke, cigarette features, and camera refocusing were all completed within Affinity Photo.]

Best from NightCafe (creatures made from food)

Here are some delightful food-related AI images I gathered from NightCafe; while they are not my own, I found them so enjoyable that I saved copies here.  Quite a few of these are from @Cilia, and as I find more that I enjoy, they might get added this post.

Gorilla's Sanctuary (at sunrise)

This NightCafe [DALL-E 3] image came out nicely from the following prompt: The background should feature a breathtaking jungle forest at sunset depicted with tetradic colors, particularly warm hues of green and blue. A large, full-sized silhouette of a grey gorilla should be centered within the full scene. Inside this silhouette, weave a mesmerizing image of small jungle animals relaxing, creating a fascinating play between illusion and reality. Use tactics of depth of field to enhance the visual interest of this composition.

Lainey Wilson Shines Bright on Stage during Bell Bottom Country Tour

Lainey Wilson, the country music sensation, will bring her star quality to the stage as part of the 2024 Bell Bottom Country Tour. Wilson will leave audiences in awe with her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence. Wilson's confidence and charisma shine through as she takes the stage, making her a true standout in the 2020-era country music scene. Her ability to connect with the crowd through her music and engaging stage presence is a testament to her ongoing growth in star quality.

[Workflow: Image sourced from Lainey's Instagram account, then I did minor image edits, added tour logo, layered in the starfield, etc. within Affinity Photo.]

Constantine's Inferno

John Constantine stands at the edge of a hell portal, with the apocalyptic backdrop of a burning London looming behind him. The eerie atmosphere sets the stage for a thrilling adventure as Constantine, a seasoned demon hunter, prepares to face the unknown terrors that lie ahead.