Strangehaven: Dreaming of Nimoi

Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli.

In 2006, I wrote a 6-page comics set in the world of Strangehaven, featuring the self-declared alien Adam as the main character. The short story, fully authorized and supervised by Strangehaven’s creator Gary Spencer Millidge, was illustrated by Giuseppe Camuncoli (line art) and Franco Brambilla (3d illustration), two internationally-renowned Italian artists.

Titled Sognando Nimoi (Dreaming of Nimoi), the comics was included as “extra feature” in issue N. 6 of Strangehaven’s Italian edition published by Black Velvet. I was the co-editor and co-translator of the books. 

The story was intended to be also published in English in a special Strangehaven issue, before the project was put on undefined hiatus. Maybe it will be printed in the not too distant future, who knows? In the meanwhile (with permission by the artists) you can take a look below for the first time to the first 2 pages of Dreaming of Nimoi, in English. And… of course, can follow the new Strangehaven’s episodes published bimonthly on Meanwhile…!

Special thanks to Giuseppe, Franco for their amazing art, and to Gary for the opportunity to play with his characters. I am personally very proud of the story and its outcome. Enjoy!

Page 1 from Dreaming of Nimoi.

Page 2 from Dreaming of Nimoi.
Script: smoky man. Line art: Giuseppe Camuncoli. 3d illustration: Franco Brambilla.
Lettering & supervision: Gary Spencer Millidge.

UDWFG afterword

Art by Paolo Massagli from UDWFG N. 2.

The afterword I wrote for UDWFG N. 2 published in September 2014 by Hollow Press.

WELCOME TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN

UDWFG, Under Dark Weird Fantasy Grounds.
It feels like an evocation, a spell, a magic word, doesn't it?
It sounds like the sonic key to access the Great Unknown and, doing so, being able to dive into creepy territories, strange stories filled with weird creatures.
This doesn't feel properly safe but... it's bloody exciting, isn't it?

Following the inscrutable directives of a generous mastermind, five explorers of this infinite, unmapped Unknown will guide you into dangerously dark places.
They have names in our ordinary world but I prefer the sound of the battle nicknames they chose themselves to tell their enigmatic tales.

Fork Imp & Friend (real life name: Mat Brinkman) - who is closely related, I could bet on it, to that other fearless visionary and dreamer who visited Kadath and R'lyeh – comes back from a long voluntary absence to document the eerie activities of demons and monsters in the hellish pit where they live in. And don't ask me what they did with those body parts taken from that jar!
Open your eyes, don't close them... look and discover it by yourself!
 
DezXplorer (Miguel Ángel Martin) follows some alien low-lifes and their connection to the mysterious emanation machine. It's not the planet of your dreams, there is something really nasty in the air but, after all... it's Socratization Day, dude!

Mr. Rotten Donuts (Tetsunori Tawaraya) depicts a choreographic lethal battle between monstrous entities, impossible to describe with human words, defending or attacking a suspension bridge.
Who are the good ones? Who are the bad ones?
Probably you are not asking the right questions. And, in any case, it doesn't matter.

Lowest Note Keeper (Ratigher) catches a small peculiar brigade lost in a maze of deadly tunnels searching for a way out. Will they succeed?
What is waiting for them lurking in the shadows?
There is magic here. And there are five mantles with ultimate powers they can use against dark forces.

Scar The Weaver (Paolo Massagli) investigates the journey of a female demon in a nightmarish reign of fire and desire.
Is there life after death? Will your heart continue to pump? Are you ready to be devoured by tainted pleasures?
The adventure in Hell has just begun.

It’s the Great Unknown, reader.
There is no up, there is no down.
More than anything else… there is no safety net.

You have been chosen to witness things happening but it's not clear and maybe it's not even necessary that you will fully understand what's really going on.

Just watch. Trust no one.

And sure, you should be brave and prepared... to lose your soul!

smoky man,
Great Unknown, no time reference (time doesn’t exist!)


[Hollow Crew interview: here]