ANIMATOR’S BRIAN YUZNA INTRODUCES THE SECOND ISSUE OF TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND TIKI JUNGLE HORROR COMICS, GAMES, PLUS MORE ZOMBIE MONSTER MERCHANDISE IN ADVANCE OF PLANNED MOVIE REBOOT!

THE BEAST OF BLOOD IS BACK FROM THE DEAD FOR MORE UNDYING FUN WITH A NEW COMIC, TABLETOP BOARD GAME; TIKI BARWARE & BEACHWEAR
A NEW “SPICY” JUNGLE ADVENTURE PULP MAGAZINE; AND ORIGINAL COMIC ART BASED ON THE CULT CLASSIC FILIPINO CREATURE FEATURES MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL BLITZ KICKS OFF THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON

Before the undying horror legends of Halloween’s Michael Myers, Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees, and Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger, there was Blood Island’s axe-wielding, flesh-eater, the Beast of Blood. HE’S BACK!. Body horror director and producer of the Re-Animator zombie franchise, Brian Yuzna; Sam Sherman of Independent-International Pictures Corp; and Dave Sehring of Drive-In-Sanity Films have teamed up for another BLOOD ISLAND KICKSTARTER crowd-funding campaign to resurrect the mutant zombie, the Beast of Blood (aka The Chlorophyll Man), with more monstrous merchandise to get fans excited about a planned re-boot of the Blood Island film series that is currently in pre-production. The Blood Island Kickstarter campaign launches September 29, 2023 right in [me for NYC’s Toy Fair, Comic Con and Halloween.

BRIAN YUZNA’S TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND is a series of jungle horror comic books, games, tiki barware and beachwear that re-boots and re-imagines the classic Blood Island creature features made in the Philippines for the U.S. drive-in market by Kane Lynn, Irwin Pizor, Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero in the 1960s & 1970s. Blood Island director Eddie Romero went on to serve as Associate Producer on Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now (1979).

TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND – THE COMIC BOOK Like Apocalypse Now, the Tales of Blood Island comic book series is set during the Vietnam War, somewhere in the South Seas, as an American soldier-of-fortune and an ex-war buddy travel to the mysterious Blood Island, a primitive world where prehistoric monsters, mutants, black magic and the mad doctor of Blood Island, Dr. Akira Lorca, reside. Lorca’s experiments with a jungle plant serum, and various species from the island, have turned a dying man, Don Ramon Lopez, into the undying Beast of Blood, a head-hunting, body-swapping zombie whose insatiable appetite for sex is as extreme as his taste for human flesh. While the Beast of Blood terrorizes the native population, the American soldiers’ mission is to exterminate the war criminal Lorca and to retrieve his formula for re-animating the dead for combat. Their journey through the Blood Island jungle becomes a tale of high adventure, horror and survival when the soldier-of-fortune’s estranged daughter and adopted son come along for the ride.

Based on a script for a new Blood Island film by Dave Sehring and Mark Cerulli, Issue #2 of BRIAN YUZNA’S TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND comic will be 32 pages long with illustrations by Stephen Sis[lli and color and lettering by Dexter Weeks. Some of the creatures featured in the second issue include flesh-ripping Fiji Mermaids, a bone-crushing giant coconut crab, an axe-wielding zombie warrior and, of course, the green-blooded, man and woman-eater, the Beast of Blood. BOTH the first and the second issues of BRIAN YUZNA’S TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND comic will be available to fans and collectors during this crowd-funding campaign along with original, one-of-a-kind cover paintings and page art by artist Stephen Sis[lli.

TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND – THE GAME – In the tradition of big and bold board games and toys produced by companies like Hasbro, Aurora and Marx during the 1960s Monster craze, comes BRIAN YUZNA’S TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND tabletop game! Also based on the four Blood Island films and the new comic series, the TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND tabletop game offers jungle thrills, tiki terrors … and “the horror” of the Beast of Blood’s undying body parts at every turn. For 2 to 4 players, the game includes four (4) lucite hero standees plus bonus Beast of Blood standee (each measures approximately 4″ to 5″ tall). Also included are three dimensional pawn pieces of the Beast of Blood’s dismembered head, hand and foot as well as its headless corpse. Additional game gear includes fifty-four (54) illustrated cards; one (1) die; one (1) double-sided spinner; one (1) instruction booklet; four (4) cannibal cauldrons; one (1) sheet of seventy-two (72) cardboard talisman tokens; and, one (1) illustrated, spill proof game mat measuring 18″ x 18″. You’ll want the game for the eye-popping box art alone by Stephen Sistilli!

The goal of this retro, chase-style game is for each player to escape Blood Island while avoiding the Beast of Blood’s body parts! Re-connecting the Beast of Blood’s “pop-top” head to its dismembered hand, foot or headless body is part of the grisly fun of the Blood Island game. Best of all, players get to move as one of the heroes as well as the Beast of Blood during a two- part turn. For added fun — one side of the spinner can be used for “The Green Blood Drinking Game” for ages 21 and up. Players can also collect valuable talisman tokens that are worth positive or negative points. BUT … BEWARE OF THE SHRUNKEN HEADS! The trophy heads can be a blessing, or a curse, depending on how a player strategizes their use during gameplay. Gameplay concludes after all players’ heroes, and the conjoined Beast of Blood, reach the finish. Talisman points accumulated by each player during the game are tallied at the end. Highest score wins! Alternative play INCLUDING the Green Blood Drinking game are available to explore with this Tiki horror party game and adventure.

Players can accessorize and customize their BLOOD ISLAND game with a GRUESOME GOODIES COLLECTION featuring 3D talismans and a bonus Beast of Blood 2igure, with detachable head, that stands over 5” tall (suitable for painting). Also included in the GRUESOME GOODIES COLLECTION is a 4″ Glow-In-The Dark Shooter Glass which holds 2.5 oz of liquid refreshment. This glass can be added as another Beast of Blood “chaser” piece in the TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND Green Blood Drinking Game, too.

BLOOD ISLAND BARWARE – Thirsty for more? Belly up for the BEAST OF BLOOD BARWARE COLLECTION. It includes a two-piece stacker mug of the Beast of Blood sculpted by Thor Thordarson and produced by Bauer Pottery (available in four different colorways); the 4″ Glow-In-The Dark Shooter glass; and a 7″ Glow-In-The Dark Zombie glass made by Libbey and screen printed by PyroMugs. The Zombie glass also features CoolView® color change effects.

When a cold beverage is poured in the glass, the grisly and “spicy” illustration imprint comes to life in vivid, blood-red color (NSFW)!

BLOOD ISLAND – SPICY WOMEN’S ADVENTURE MAGAZINE – Take a sneak peek at the first issue of BRIDES OF BLOOD ISLAND SPICY JUNGLE ADVENTURES magazine. This homage to the Men’s Adventure Magazines of the past 2lips the genre on its head and features illustrations of beautiful and powerful women battling for survival against a myriad of monsters on Isla De Sangre (Blood Island). Includes short stories by Cerulli and Sehring plus, photos and illustrations by artists like Mike Hoffman, Nik Poliwko, Anthony Palumbo, Ron Randall, Stephen Sistilli, Dexter Weeks and more. For Mature Readers Only.

BLOOD ISLAND BEACHWEAR – Get your Beast mode on with our BEAST OF BLOOD BEACHWEAR COLLECTION. It includes a cool cotton cabana shirt made by Rum Reggae Clothing featuring the Beast of Blood as illustrated by ManiYack monster artist Jeff Carlson. (Sizes available in L, XL and 2XL). You can also “Glow” Wild with Carlson’s Beast of Blood illustration on a black Tee-shirt (Sizes available in L, XL and 2XL). To complete the ensemble, get wrapped up in the Beast of Blood Beach Towel that measures 30″ x 60″ and features the classic movie poster art of the head-ripping zombie.

BLOOD ISLAND – THE MOVIE – COMING SOON … the Beast of Blood will be back from the dead for another round of Tiki monster merchandise, barware, games and thrilling chapters in high adventure horror comics and magazines … PLUS, a new Blood Island movie from the cult producer and director of extreme body horror, mad doctor and zombie movies, Brian Yuzna!

Make sure to check out all the various pledge tiers and add ons beginning September 29th, 2023 for the TALES OF BLOOD ISLAND TIKI HORROR JUNGLE COMICS, GAMES AND BARWARE ON KICKSTARTER.

ABOUT BRIAN YUZNA

Brian Yuzna is a Filipino-born American producer, director and writer. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and horror genres. Yuzna began his career as a producer for several films by director Stuart Gordon, such as Re-Animator® (1985) and From Beyond (1986) before making his directorial debut with the satirical body horror 2ilm, Society (1980). Yuzna also served as co-writer for the Disney comedy, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). Yuzna was the first American filmmaker to adapt a manga, The Guyver (1989), into a live- action feature. Yuzna also directed the horror sequels Silent, Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990), and Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) before directing The Dentist (1996) and its sequel, The Dentist 2 (1998). He has helmed several adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft and went on to direct the sequels to Re-Animator: Bride of Re-Animator (1990) and Beyond Re-Animator (2003). While living in Spain in the early 2000s, Yuzna started Fantastic Factory with Julio Fernandez, a genre label under Barcelona 2ilm company Filmax which produced 2ilms for the international market (shot in English) using talent from all around the world. After a successful run in Spain, Yuzna went to Indonesia and produced the horror 2ilm anthology, Takut: Faces of Fear (2008) and directed the 3D creature feature, Amphibious: Creature of the Deep (2010). Yuzna is currently in development on a number of features in Hollywood and around the world, including an adaptation of the Tales of Blood Island comic book.

ABOUT INDEPENDENT-INTERNATIONAL PICTURES CORP.

Since 1968, Independent-International Pictures Corp continues as a successful producer and distributor of popular genre and exploitation films including horror, biker, martial arts and urban action. Founded by President Sam Sherman, Dan Kennis and director Al Adamson, IIP’s cult classics have inspired the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Tobe Hooper and Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam. Samuel M. Sherman, President of Independent-International Pictures Corp., and former filmmaking partner of the late Al Adamson, is a living legend when it comes to drive-in exploitation films. Mr. Sherman’s over- the-top style of marketing campaigns (aka ballyhoo) is largely attached to cult classic horror. It was Sherman who came up with the campaigns for Hemisphere’s ‘ BLOOD ISLAND films including the “Oath of Green Blood” for MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND. Independent-International Pictures Corp. is successor in interest to Hemisphere Pictures Inc. and the Blood Island movie franchise.

Sam Sherman also worked for James Warren of Warren Publishing as a writer and advertising specialist for FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND MAGAZINE. Sherman wrote and produced director Al Adamson’s BRAIN OF BLOOD, a “Blood Island” inspired 2ilm for Hemisphere. After years of consulting for Hemisphere, Sam formed Independent-International Pictures Corp., a production and distribution company with his filmmaking partner Al Adamson. Sherman and Adamson worked on a number of successful drive- in pictures, including the biker 2ilm SATAN’S SADISTS and their most famous horror picture, DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN. Tragically, Sam and Al’s friendship and partnership ended when Adamson was found murdered in June 1995. Mr. Sherman has continued to keep the memory of his friend Al alive with drive-in screenings and new Blu-ray licenses and releases courtesy of Severin Films. Sam’s book WHEN DRACULA MET FRANKENSTEIN, a memoir on his life, his friendship with Al, and his career in the exploitation movie business during the heyday of the drive-in, was recently published by Murania Press.

ABOUT DRIVE-IN-SANITY FILMS

Drive-In-Sanity Films is a production, marketing and distribution company run by David Sehring, a 40-year veteran 2ilm, television and creative services executive who has worked for Vestron Home Video, AMC Networks, including Shudder & IFC Midnight, as well as web retailer, Karmaloop. While at AMC, Sehring won an Emmy for the doc Hollywood Rocks The Movies: The 1970s and created AMC’S Monsterfest (Now FearFest). Sehring also launched the 2irst high definition horror and creature feature channel, Monsters HD. Sehring’s other credits include documentaries on the history of horror, sci-2i & fantasy including Behind The Planet of the Apes; The Alien Saga; The Fly Papers and Tales From The Crypt: From Comic Books To Television among others. Sehring also worked on the theatrical, cable & digital VOD campaigns for the indie horror films, Maniac starring Elijah Wood; the Australian cult hit, The Babadook; and the notorious Human Centipede 2ilm franchise. Most recently, Sehring served as an associate producer on David Gregory’s and Severin Films’ Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, a true Hollywood crime story that chronicles the life, career and tragic death of an exploitation film maverick. Sehring and Drive-In-Sanity Films currently represents legendary drive-in movie producer Samuel M. Sherman and his library of films from Independent-International Pictures Corp. and Hemisphere Pictures.

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Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!