ANNOUNCEMENT: Be Part of Our WITCH HORROR Anthology
Submissions are open for PAID COMIC WORK in Lifeline Comics' and Michele Abounader's next anthology: WITCHING HOUR!
Hello Lifeline Comics Readers!
We’re excited to announce that we’ve just opened submissions for the next Lifeline Comics anthology — tentatively titled Witching Hour!
Everyone from seasoned veterans to first-time creators is welcome to submit for this paid comic work opportunity! Learn more about the anthology theme, our partnering with Michele Abounader (The Color of Always, When I Was Young, Sharp Wit & the Company of Women) on this project, and the submission guidelines below!
We’ll also share our thoughts on the new Snow White movie, Mickey 17, Novocain, and more!
Let’s dive in!
Open Submissions for Witching Hour!
Phil: After the success of previous anthologies (Transphoria, Bi Visibility, and the Ringo-Nominated Hairology), Lifeline Comics has now opened submissions for a Witch Horror Comic Anthology tentatively titled WITCHING HOUR!
We’re partnering with our good friend, Michele Abounader (The Color of Always, When I Was Young, Sharp Wit & the Company of Women), for this new project which will collect all sorts of stories about Witches, Warlocks, Covens, Magic, Horror, and more!
If you’re looking for Paid Comic Work, be sure to check out the submissions form below! Apply as a Writer with a completed 2-8 page script or as an Artist (Interior or Cover) or Colorist with portfolio samples of your previous work!
If your submission is accepted, you'll be invited to be a paid contributor to the anthology! Our previous anthologies have included the work of both industry veterans (Sterling Gates, Sarah "Comickergirl" Leuver, Chris Shehan, Lisa Sterle, and Gail Simone) AND fresh faces - including the first published comic work for some contributors!
Rates for accepted contributors shown below:
Writers: $30/page
Line Artists: $80/page
Colors: $40/page
Submissions will be open until May 4th!
Partnering with Michele
Kat: We’ve admired Michele's work since Color of Always, and we actually connected because we all worked on queer anthologies, and then became fast friends because of it.
Over the years, we wanted an excuse to work together, and we’re so happy to be able to collaborate on a comic book anthology in particular (it’s in our comic book roots). We already have plenty of things working in the background to make this one slam dunk of a book. Michele has truly been one of the most professional, easiest, and most FUN people to work with.
Tips for Submitting
Kat: We have clear guidelines for how to submit to the anthology BUT we also wanted to give you some pointers for the best shot at actually being chosen.
Write in the Correct Comic Book Format - This is a submission form for a comic book. So entering your old film script is one of the fastest “no”s when it comes down to curating.
If you don’t know how to write a comic book script. We gave a quick guide and pointers in a previous Substack post. We also recommend if you have an old comic script to shape it for the topic you are submitting for, and if it’s attached to a previous series to make it clear for new readers what the scope of the story is about.
Have a clear portfolio - For artists, we recommend having a few sequential examples on either your website or Instagram. This helps us figure out if you’re a solid fit for the project. And if you haven’t ever published a comic book that doesn’t mean you can’t work on your sequential examples. We aren’t looking for published work, we’re just looking for examples to help us decide if you’ll be a good fit for the job.
Think outside the box - One of the most difficult things a writer can face when submitting to anthology is figuring out what type of story the curators are looking for to include in their book. For us, we love stories that go outside of the box. We get plenty of submissions exploring the same idea or theme, and in the long run even if 3 of those stories are well written we can only choose one for the actual anthology.
This particular anthology is horror witches. Horror isn’t a strict genre. There are so many subgenres you can play with - that’s where you can find a unique twist for your story that can help you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Page Count - For this anthology we are accepted 2, 4, 6, and 8 page stories. If you want a better chance of getting into the anthology, it’s a lot easier to accept two 4 page stories than it is one 8 page story. That’s not saying you shouldn’t submit an 8 page story - we do accept longer shorts, but if you want to better your odds the short stories tend to be an easier acceptance.
And more importantly: be sure to write in even page numbers. We aren’t just being sticklers - I PROMISE YOU! Keeping your script at an even numbered page count helps us with printing the full book down the line.
Conclusion
Phil: Putting together our anthologies is one of our favorite things we do at Lifeline Comics. With each new project, we find ourselves consistently blown away by the ingenuity and creativity of the comic community.
So we truly can’t wait to see what Witch Horror stories you come up with for this new anthology!
Current Campaigns Reminder
Later in this newsletter, we’ll discuss our thoughts on Disney’s live action Snow White remake. But before we get there, we need to remind you about our own Snow White-inspired comic!
The Beast & Snow: Vampire Snow White vs. the Evil Queen
Looking for a unique spin on the classic Snow White tale? How does a comic where the skin-white-as-snow-princess-who-comes-back-from-the-dead is actually a VAMPIRE sound to you?
Join us on the tale of an undead Snow White trying to unlearn her people-pleasing princess ways…and falling in love with a Werewolf Belle along the way in this Mature (18+) Sapphic Romance!
The Dancer: A Psychological Martial Arts Graphic Novel
We’re also live with the Graphic Novel collecting the complete miniseries of our Psychological Martial Arts series!
“A Dancer/ASSASSIN is forced to relive the trauma of witnessing her parents' murder as a child. COLLECTING THE COMPLETE MINISERIES!”
Support both for a Free CROSSOVER ART PRINT!
If you support both live Lifeline Comics campaigns, you’ll even get this FREE Crossover Art Print that sees Vampire Snow White biting Dancer/Assassin Mia!
Art for this print comes courtesy of MeechDoodle!
“Night Wolf” Crossover Art Print
Phil: Speaking of Crossover Prints…
If you're a fan of werewolf stories, then you're most likely already familiar with Rob Multari's long-running comic series: "Night Wolf" and "Snow Paw"!
We're excited to announce that "The Beast & Snow" is partnering with Rob to offer an EXCLUSIVE CROSSOVER ART PRINT to anyone who supports both of our live campaigns!
This art print by Evan Scale sees Night Wolf and Werewolf Belle going full-wolf and fighting over a stick!
"Night Wolf #1-10" is an Urban Fantasy series that sees a young man get reluctantly thrown into a supernatural war after discovering his werewolf lineage.
Backers who support both campaigns at a Physical Pledge Level (meaning you're having some rewards shipped to you in both campaigns) will receive both a Physical copy (included in your Night Wolf rewards package) and a Hi-res Digital copy of the art print.
Backers who support both campaigns at a Digital Pledge Level (or one campaign Physically and the other Digitally) will receive just the Hi-res Digital copy of the art.
"Carmilla Unbound" Crossover Art Print
Looking for more awesome Vampire Comics? Our friends Clay Adams and D.E. Schrader are live with their own Sexy 1980's Vampire comic: Carmilla Unbound: 1984 - Miami Bites!
We're excited to announce that "The Beast & Snow" is partnering with Clay & D.E. to offer an EXCLUSIVE CROSSOVER ART PRINT to anyone who supports both of our live campaigns!
This art print by Peter Taylor (Lines) & Falk Hänsel (Colors) sees Vampire Carmilla and Werewolf Belle back-to-back!
"More sex! More violence! More vice! The sultry vampiress returns in a taut thriller set to a pulsing, pink & blue, synth soundtrack."
Backers who support both campaigns at a Physical Pledge Level (meaning you're having some rewards shipped to you in both campaigns) will receive a both Physical copy (included in your Carmilla Unbound rewards package) and a Hi-res Digital copy of the art print.
Backers who support both campaigns at a Digital Pledge Level (or one campaign Physically and the other Digitally) will receive just the Hi-res Digital copy of the art.
This Art Print will only be available via this crossover initiative, so don't miss out!
What Have We Been Up To?
Let’s talk about how we’ve kept busy these last few weeks!
BOOP! The Musical
Phil: My uncle affectionately referring to my Grandmother Betty (his mother) as “Betty Boop” is a long-running joke in my family. It’s just one of those jokes that has stood the test of time in my family — and resulted in tons of random Betty Boop merch finding its way to my grandma’s house over the years.
So when Boop! The Musical was announced to be making its way to Broadway, it was an absolute no-brainer than we needed to take my grandma to see it.
My sister and I got opening-week tickets to the show for my grandma for Christmas last year, and finally got to see the show on its fifth day of opening — in an absolutely packed theater.
Boop! The Musical is absolutely full of color, spectacle, and SURPRISES.
If you find yourself seeing the show, I recommend going in completely blind like we did. I certainly did not expect the plot that we got for the show, but was absolutely delighted with the bizarre direction that this play took the hundred-year-old character.
In addition to a surprisingly sharp script and fun story, Boop! delivers some of the best spectacle on Broadway. The use of color in the musical (particularly in switching from Black-and-White Cartoon to the Colorful Real World) is nothing short of stunning. It’s honestly the kind of visual that I think will stick with me for the rest of my life. It’s worth seeing the show for the visuals alone.
On the more lukewarm side, the music in Boop! is solid, but not groundbreaking. There wasn’t really a number that stood out to me as “I need to listen to this later”. It was all fun in the moment, but I personally didn’t find a shining star among the soundtrack.
And while the romance at the core of the show has elements I like, I do wish that there had been one or two more scenes in the first act to establish the connection more between the two romantic leads (outside of just Jazz and a mutual affection for another character).
Those two critiques aside, Boop! was definitely worth the price of entry. If you’re a fan of larger-than-life musicals, then this one is an absolute must see.
It’s early in its run, but I hope it lasts on Broadway. It’s much more Beetlejuice the Musical than it is Back to the Future the Musical — with a ton of humor and heart. You can tell that the team behind Boop! has a true love and appreciation for the character, but also a desire to put a new spin on the property.
The end result of that love is a really good time at the theater.
We even got balloons after the show to celebrate opening week!
Media
Let’s discuss some non-comics media!
Snow White (2025)
Phil: The latest in Disney’s ongoing trend of remaking their animated classics — a trend we’re not particularly fond of, but one which has occasionally produced a solid enough product. And with this latest venture based on Snow White (a property that has inspired our own comic) and steeped in a lot of controversy/buzz, we knew we wanted to make it to the theater on opening weekend.
On the positive side, Rachel Zegler continues to be an incredibly talented performer. Her numbers in Snow White (2025) — both the new (“Waiting for a Wish”) and the old (“Whistle While You Work”) are by far the most engaging part of the film. The visuals of the film are often (with some notable exceptions) very pretty as well, with particularly creative use of colors. And the costuming is top-notch, especially for Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen, for whom the beautiful outfits she wears do a lot of the work in selling the character.
But unfortunately, despite these handful of positive elements, Snow White (2025) really failed to win me over. A lot of your ability to enjoy this movie will likely hinge on your tolerance for the CGI Dwarves — and, to a lesser extent, your tolerance for the CGI animals which look like uncanny half-cartoon, half-real animals that bizarrely occupy the same world as the completely-real Rachel Zegler. And I found pretty early on that my tolerance for these CGI creatures was very low. They just looked…heinous. I could help but recoil every time they were on screen (which was a lot of the time). It made it incredibly difficult to connect with half of the movie’s runtime.
Beyond the CGI Dwarfs and animals, I just found myself bored. The 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is able to rely on beautiful animation, classic songs, and a brisk 83 minute runtime to keep the viewer engaged. But in 2025’s Snow White, half of the “characters” are CGI monsters that are difficult to look at, every song and scene goes on for way too long (“Heigh-Ho” legitimately feels like it’s 40 minutes long), and the 109 minutes just feels like it drags.
Snow White (2025) isn’t the catastrophe that a lot of people thought it would be (and that some hoped it would be). There are definitely things to enjoy about the movie. But unfortunately, the whole isn’t greater than the sum of some solid parts in this case. And the things that I didn’t enjoy about this particular live action remake ended up outweighing the things that I did enjoy.
Still, I do maintain that I’m glad I saw it — if only to see some of the bizarre choices made in the making of this film. So if you have the same morbid curiosity that I did going into this movie, I recommend you indulge. If nothing else, I have a feeling your jaw will drop once or twice during the movie, and you’ll have a lot to talk about with friends after the credits roll.
Kat: As someone who doesn’t really enjoy rewatching things I’ve already seen, the Disney live action films have never scratched an itch. These adaptations tend to try and weave in some small modifications, but never any story beats that truly wow me enough to say a remake is warranted.
Disney has focused on adapting many of their renaissance films: Lion King, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast - movies that are relatively “modern”. Snow White was an interesting movie for Disney to tackle because it’s short and society has changed so much since its initial 1930’s release. It actually may be time for a modern Disney retelling. There is so much you can do to warrant the remake!
But with a disappointing trailer and all the drama surrounding this movie, that initial hope deflated pretty quickly. Rachel Zegler is really the only positive element of this movie. Her Broadway skills shine in this very mediocre cash grab as she elevates Snow White’s classics and gives her own flare to the film’s new songs.
But the negatives very much outweigh the positives! It was hard to get pass the uncanny valley, computerized dwarfs, Gal Gadot’s “eccentric” singing, and (a problem I didn’t know I would even have) a lackluster, bland love interest.
The live action Snow White has some funny “bad” elements, but its ultimate failure is just how boring it is.
Mickey 17
Phil: Another performance from Robert Pattinson that allows him to show off his considerable range in both drama and comedy. Micky 17 is a Sci-Fi comedy about an “expendable” human who can be “reprinted” whenever he dies.
Mickey 17 is my favorite kind of Sci-Fi movie — a character piece that is able to quickly and efficiently establish the intricacy of its futuristic world while never losing sight of the characters and relationships at its core. It was a lot more comedic than I expected it to be, but in a good way that knew exactly when to dial back the comedy for the more serious and dramatic moments.
Outside of just Pattinson’s Mickey, the entire cast delivers nuanced, funny, and intriguing performances (with one exception, but more on that later). I was especially impressed by the romance between Mickey and Naomi Ackie’s Nasha, which really sneaks up on you as a meaningful and nuanced relationship. In this day and age, it’s easy to feel like you’ve “seen” all of the different types of movie romances. Which is why I love a movie like Micky 17 or Everything Everywhere All at Once where the heart of the relationship kind of sneaks up on you — crescendoing in a powerful culmination point that tracks with everything you’ve seen up to that point.
On the negative side, the movie is definitely a bit overlong. There are plenty of sequences that could have been trimmed or cut entirely. I also wish that the first act of the film had done a better job of setting up the idea that different Mickey reprints have slightly different personalities. And while I can appreciate Mark Ruffalo’s Donald Trump-inspired performance in small doses, the amount of screentime giving to it became an absolute chore to watch at times (unlike the much more unique performance of Toni Collette as his wife).
Mickey 17 had a pretty short theatrical run and hits streaming in the next couple of weeks. I’m definitely hoping that it finds new life in the streaming world. It’s just too unique and fun of a movie to not be seen by more people.
Kat: Phil and I have been trying to be better at using our AMC Stubs and going to the movies. Mickey 17 is one of those movies I’m glad I saw in theaters, because I honestly don’t think I would have gotten around to it as a home viewing. It’s not a genre I usually like, and it was really only on my radar because Parasite’s Bong Joon Ho directed and wrote the film.
You don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy Mickey 17. I was really surprised by how weird, but still grounded the storytelling shaped up to be. Robert Pattinson plays up this STRANGE voice that you somehow get used to only a few minutes into the film. Your just like, “yeah, that’s Mickey. Get with the program!”
Mickey 17 is above all a character piece that so happens to have a strong political undertone, which is what makes this movie far more successful than your average sci-fi popcorn flick. I was especially drawn to Mickey’s bond with Nasha. It was really touching to see her truly love every version of Mickey. Their love story is a linchpin as they both become action stars in this post-apocalyptic film.
Novocaine
Kat: To my surprise, Novocaine wasn’t a superhero movie. I was actually really excited about the prospect of a superhero film that wasn’t based on a comic book - like in the days of Hancock and Push. But it was also nice to see an average guy with superhero like powers wanting to save the day. No secret identities or superhero names - just diving straight into the more relatable superheroics.
Nate and Sherry had some solid chemistry as the movie’s leading couple, and there were a few twists that made their story more modern than your average comic book movie. But I especially loved Nate’s relationship with his online gaming buddy, Roscoe. It’s hard to come by genuine male friendships, and I really liked the unique twist that they hadn’t actually met in real life, even though they were such close friends.
There is some suspension of disbelief you better prepare yourself for, but overall Novocaine was a fun time at the movies.
Phil: Your enjoyment of Novocaine hinges pretty heavily on whether you find Jack Quaid charming and/or funny. And thankfully, I do find him to be both.
Novocaine may not be a groundbreaking action/superhero movie. But it has a good amount of personality and humor that helps it to stand out from the crowd. It doesn’t “shake up the genre”, but it has quite a few really fun action set pieces. And it utilizes its core premise very creatively (and disgustingly) as the film progresses.
Without spoiling it, there’s a shift/reveal around the midpoint of the movie that increased my enjoyment of Novocaine by a considerable margin. Prior to that point, I was having a fine time but considered it to be more of a generic action movie that more-or-less just sticks to the formula. The mid-point shift helped to reframe in a way I quite enjoyed and didn’t see coming.
If you’re a fan of action movies and/or indie superhero movies, Novocaine is definitely worth a watch. It’s a fun movie with more than one surprise that may not reinvent the wheel, but keeps you engaged and moves at a refreshingly brisk pace.
Comics
Let's discuss some comics we've enjoyed recently!
As always, we’ll spotlight an Indie Book, a DC/Marvel book, a Live Kickstarter book, and a Webcomic!
Indie Comic: Minor Arcana (BOOM! Studios)
Kat: Minor Arcana is textbook Jeff Lemire as he explores the weird through rural America. The comic follows a girl who returns to her hometown to help her sickly mother run her psychic shop. Our lead has a complicated relationship with her mom, her town, and doesn’t really believe in the magic she grew up surrounded by.
I’m personally not usually interested in mystic stories, but Lemire does a wonderful job at grounding this world through character work. This book is more about what you leave behind than taking a deep dive into magical theory.
Minor Arcana returns to stands next month. So, it’s a perfect opportunity for a small binge read to catch up and it to your pull list.
DC Comic: Black Canary: Best of the Best
Kat: Black Canary: Best of the Best is Tom King at his well…best. King writes at his highest level when working with top notch artists like Ryan Sook with tight infrastructures like a self-contained mini-series.
The book intersects between Dinah and Lady Shiva, all while we flash back to different time periods exploring Black Canary’s relationships with the most important people in her life: her mom, Oliver, etc. This style of storytelling not only makes for a unique comic, but also a great Black Canary character study.
Kickstarter: CARMILLA UNBOUND: 1984 - Miami Bites
“More sex! More violence! More vice! The sultry vampiress returns in a taut thriller set to a pulsing, pink & blue, synth soundtrack.”
Phil: We already mentioned this super-cool series above in relation to the Crossover Art Print with our live Beast & Snow campaign. But we love the project so much that it’s also out Kickstarter pick of this newsletter!
A sexy vampire period piece comic that trades the Gothic European Castles for the pink-and-blue neon of 1980’s Miami, Florida.
The team behind Carmilla Unbound, our friends Clay Adams and D.E. Schrader, deliver a delicious juxtaposition of a vampire story just FILLED with bright lights — both from the sun and the period-accurate neon.
Described as a “vampire Dexter”, this exciting backdrop is only one piece of the puzzle to love in the story of a vampire trying to use her dark powers for good by ridding the world of the forces of evil.
Back “Carmilla Unbound: 1984” here!
Webcomic: The Truce
“He is an ordinary mercenary who grew up on the streets. She is an immortal being who saw the birth of the world. He just wanted to make some good money. She was looking for someone to help her stop the crazy war. And she had money.”
Phil: A Fantasy Adventure Drama centering around the unlikely pairing of a money-motivated mercenary and a benevolent-but-mysterious immortal being. There is no shortage of Fantasy webcomics on Webtoon Canvas, but it’s oftentimes hard to find one that has the skill to build its world in an organic and well-paced fashion. The Truce is refreshing in its approach to building both its world and characters.
Some pivotal chapters of The Truce serve as narration-heavy poetry and musings on big concerns like death and pain, while others are more conversational chapters where we get to live in the world with the characters. This two-tonged approach is very effective in building the mystery and lore of the world in a meaningful way while also allowing us to actually have fun in this world with the characters who occupy it.
The series features some truly beautiful art which makes fantastic use of its dark color palette. And there’s some truly unique and poetic beauty to the series’ concept of an immortal being who kills off part of herself to save the mortal world around her. If you’re interested in well-drawn fantasy, then this series is definitely worth checking out!
In Closing
Thanks, as always, for reading!
We hope to see your name among the submissions to the Witching Hour anthology! We truly couldn’t be more excited to put this anthology out into the world!
And we hope you’ll also check out our current Kickstarter campaigns — The Beast & Snow and They Call Her…THE DANCER. Support both to get that super cool crossover art print for free with your rewards!
Subscribe above for biweekly updates on our future projects!
Buy Lifeline Comics on our Website!
Current Kickstarters:
The Beast & Snow #1-3 - Vamp Snow White vs. Evil Queen (Ending 4/03)
The Dancer Vol. 1: Psychological Martial Arts Graphic Novel (Ending 4/10)
Next Cons/Events:
Miami Pride (Florida) - April 5-6
C2E2 (Chicago, IL) (Table M-2) - April 11-13
Anthology Open Submissions: Witching Hour (Witch Horror Anthology)
I look forward to submitting! 🧙♀️
I look forward to submitting!