John Reppion's Blog

A companion to the acclaimed Dream Theater album, PARASOMNIA: The Graphic Album expands on the exploration of just how thin the line is between the waking world and the world of dreams, as each of the eight powerful tales examines the impact of the dreaming world on our everyday lives; Brought to life by a stunning roster of award-winning writers and artists.

CREATORS

Cat Rambo, Lydia Rasero, Kevin J. Anderson, Christian Rosado, Benjamin Raab, Deric Hughes, Gianenrico Bonacorsi, Dan Hernandez, Damien Worm, Gavin Highnight, Sofia Girol, Vajra Chandrasekera, Rocky Obk, Steve Niles, Stan Yak, John Reppion, Ryan Kelly, Simone D’Angelo and Lucas Carvalho.

Pre-order now from Z2 Comics

The post Pre-order: Dream Theater: Parasominia Graphic Novel from Z2 Comics first appeared on moorereppion.

Join us for the tale woven by acclaimed writer Leah Moore, from the songs and videos by The Funeral Portrait.

Irving Westhound, a driven man on a mission, tries to discover why the kids of the town are unable to resist the siren call of the Cults’ enigmatic leader before it’s too late!

Story by Lee Jennings & Caleb Freihaut
Written by Leah Moore
Illustrated by Andres Labrada
Edited by Jasminne Saravia

Cover art by Andrés Labrada

Pre-order from Z2 comics [image error]

The post The Funeral Portrait: Welcome To Suffocate City first appeared on moorereppion.

A midsummer evening of fiction, talks and music inspired by pagan places and standing stones. This is a special event to celebrate Dark Earth’s third birthday.

Ramsey Campbell, Simon Bestwick, John Reppion, and M.S. Swift.

With music from Orchids.

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Saturday, June 21, 4 – 7 pm.

Dark Earth Records, 16 Seaview Road, Liscard, CH45 4LA, UK

Tickets £10

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Ramsey, Simon, John and M.S. will each read to us, the pieces especially selected for the occasion. Followed by an open Q&A (chaired by Tim Shewan, MRJAS) and a meet-and-greet/book-signing with the authors.

The event will be brought to a close with an exclusive, debut live performance by Liverpool-based pagan folk band, Orchids.

Organised in partnership with the M.R. James Appreciation Society.

RAMSEY CAMPBELL 

“Britain’s most respected living horror writer” – (Oxford Companion to English Literature)

Ramsey Campbell (born in Liverpool) is a multi award-winning English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over 60 years. Three of his novels have been filmed, both for English and non-English-speaking audiences. Since he first came to prominence in the mid-1960s, critics have cited Campbell as one of the leading writers in his field.

SIMON BESTWICK 

“Bestwick is brilliant” – (The Guardian)

He is the author of seven novels and four full-length short story collections, has been four times shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award. Iconic horror writer, Ramsey Campbell has described Bestwick as part of an important class of contemporary British writers developing a “consciously political form of horror fiction, using the genre to examine and symbolise Thatcher’s Britain and the country’s subsequent decades.”

JOHN REPPION

“Reppion creates a wonderful and faithful poetic adaptation that is a delight to read” – (Comicon.com review of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)

John Reppion is an author, scriptwriter, essayist, and folklore enthusiast whose works include a graphic novel adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Fascinating Folklore, a compendium of comics and essays.

M.S. SWIFT 

M.S. Swift writes dark fantasy and horror, often with an occult influence. His work has been published in various anthologies, including Cthulhu Lies Dreaming: Twenty-three Tales of the Weird and Cosmic, Lovecraftiana, and quarterlies such as Chthonic Matter.

His work has been praised as “magical and captivating”, “subversive content with complex themes”, “lavish, hallucinogenic”, and some of “the weirdest and disturbing tales.”

The post John at Dark Earth Records’ Solstice Rites event first appeared on moorereppion.

Leah will be appearing as a guest at Małopolska Comics Festival 2025, in Kraków, Poland.

May 31st to June 1st, 2025.

The Małopolska Comics Festival is an annual event that attracts comic art lovers, illustrators, and fans of pop culture. From May 31 to June 1, 2025, the Voivodeship Public Library in Kraków will host a multitude of inspiring meetings, lectures, workshops, and exciting competitions.

The Festival will feature plenty of attractions for comic book fans of all ages. Our invitation has been accepted by Leah Moore, Max Sarin, Anna Krztoń, Radosław Koch, Tomasz Minkiewicz, Wojtek Wawszczyk, and many other creators!

Representatives of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology and the DOMIN School of Drawing and Painting will share their knowledge and skills with the participants.

Guests also can count on the regular events of the Małopolska Comics Festival. There will be a comic book market, a comic book walk, a field game, an autograph zone and a comic book battle.

Full details on their website

The post Leah appearing as a guest at Małopolska Comics Festival 2025 first appeared on moorereppion.

Once again, KiiBOOM have very generously sent me one of their keyboards to try out. This time it’s the Breeze 75. 

The Breeze 75 is an ANSI 81-key, 75% layout mechanical keyboard. It has an aluminium volume knob/dial. It’s Windows and Mac compatible (a two-way switch on the rear, next to the USB port, selects the mode). 81 keys mean you get all your Function keys, your arrow keys, and, yes, a Del key. Del Key + vol knob = a happy reviewer. I do not need to adapt to this keyboard, and that’s always nice.

The Breeze 75 connects via Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4Ghz wireless, or via standard USB Type-C. A three-way switch at the rear of the board allows you to switch between modes. It has two 4000mAh batteries onboard, giving you a total capacity of 8000mAh. When fully charged, you’re looking at around 120 hours of continuous use with the RGB lights on, and 200 hours with them off. That’s pretty impressive.

The Breeze 75 comes in a choice of four colourways: Green, Purple, Black & White, and Pink. I got Pink, because I always do, if that’s an option. The keycaps are two shades of pink with deep pink characters. The aluminium top piece / key surround is also pink, as is the aluminium vol knob. The base is made of pink transparent acrylic through which you can see the underside of the PCB. A pink aluminium plate with an embossed KiiBOOM logo covers the batteries. As with every KiiBOOM keyboard I’ve tried out before, every detail of the Breeze 75 feels designed and finished to an incredibly high standard.

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The Breeze 75 comes loaded with KiiBOOM’s own Matcha Latte Switches, which are Linear. They have exactly the kind of gentle, clicky sound which I know many keyboard AMSR fans adore. They feel really nice to me. Not too flat, not too “fast”, just right. They are, of course, hot-swappable with any other 3 or 5-pin switches.

Like the Phantom 81, the Breeze 75 has two separate, independently controlled sets of lights: south-facing RGB LEDs behind the keys, and a rectangle of RGB LEDs in its transparent base. There are plenty of onboard presets for both sets of lights, and they’re further customisable using KiiBOOM’s own software. I set all of them to pink, because it seemed silly not to.

The Breeze 75 weighs just under 1.5 kg, so it’s a pretty heavyweight keyboard. It’s certainly compact enough to carry around with you for on-the-go use, but the weight might prove a bit prohibitive. In the desktop, it’s sturdy and solid and the typing angle feels just right for me, personally.

The Breeze 75 uses a “gasket mount system that surrounds the PCB and plate with a silicone ring, resting the silicone foot at the bottom case, which ensures the keyboard has a certain level of bounce without being overly soft. This setup, combined with sound-dampening materials such as Poron for the plate foam and XPE for the switch pad, reduces unwanted noise and enhances the typing feel. Together with PC plate paired with a 1.6mm PCB, these internal elements contribute to a satisfying typing and auditory typing experience“. The Breeze 75 adsorbs and deadens the force of even the heaviest keystrokes, emitting nothing but the pleasant click of the Matcha Latte switches.

The Breeze 75 feels very much like a slightly less ostentatious version of the Phantom 81 in many ways. It’s every bit as luxurious, but somehow less intimidating and OTT. Sometimes plastic-based keyboards can have a kind of disposable feel to them, but the acrylic and aluminium Breeze 75 feels more like an appliance. An apparatus. Something that’s built, not just to do what it does beautifully, but to last. Highly functional, aesthetically lovely, and built to last. What more could anyone ask for?

The Breeze 75 is available to order directly from KiiBOOM for $159.00 USD

The post Review: KiiBOOM Breeze 75 keyboard – think pink first appeared on moorereppion.

Yet another exciting delivery from the ever-generous people at Epomaker: this time, I’m trying out the Magcore 87.

This is the first Epomaker board to feature Inductive Switches, which, following the release of Ducky’s One X series, look set to become the latest fascination among keyboard obsessives. We’ll get into that in a little while.

The basics

The Magcore 87 is an 85% / 88 key, wired (USB-C), Tenkeyless (TKL) ANSI US layout keyboard, and is compatible with Mac and Win.

The Magcore 87 comes in black with Cherry Profile, double-shot PBT keycaps. All keycaps are black with white characters except for Esc, Backspace, Enter, and the Spacebar, which are transparent blue.

The case of the Magcore 87 is made of aluminium, and the plate is aluminium alloy. It’s gasket-mounted and has multiple layers of sound-dampening, including Silicon Sandwich Foam/IXPE Switch Pad/Bottom EVA Foam.

The Magcore 87 weighs about 2kg, so it’s a heavy board. Definitely more of a desktop piece of kit rather than a take-anywhere keyboard.

The Magcore 87 has south-facing RGB backlights with all the usual on-board customisation options, and more available via the free-to-use Epomaker software.

So far, so good. The Magcore 87 is a solid, good-looking, high-end feeling keyboard, but what’s the difference between it and a hundred others? Well, I’m going to have to try to get a bit technical here, so please prepare yourselves.

Inductive Switches – sensitivity and durability

A while ago I reviewed the HE75 Mag, which is equipped with magnetic switches as opposed to standard mechanical switches. Whereas a typical switch basically acts like a tiny hammer, actually pressing down to physically “hit”, a magnetic switch is a proximity sensor without parts which strike each other. This means that magnetic switches are much more durable, accurate, and much more sensitive. The sensitivity of magnetic switches can also be adjusted. Magnetic switches, however, also consume power.

The Magcore 87 is equipped with inductive switches, which are a different thing again. Every individual magnetic switch needs to have its own distinct sensor, whereas inductive switches’ actions are detected by coils built into the PCB itself. This means that inductive switches consume a lot less power than magnetic switches do. Now, part of the justification for using inductive over magnetic switches is that they won’t drain a battery as fast if you’re using a keyboard wirelessly. That, however, doesn’t apply to the Magcore 87, as it’s wired only.

The Magcore 87‘s switches are specified as Kaih Box Inductives, but I can’t find them on the Kaih website, so I can’t tell you much about them beyond that. They are hot-swappable, but only with other inductive switches (as you might expect).

The sensitivity of the Magcore 87‘s switches can be adjusted using the driver software. There is a setting for Trigger Travel, which determines how far a key needs to be pressed down before the keystroke is detected. There is also a Fast Trigger Mode, which determines how far the key needs to come back up before it can be triggered again. These settings are, of course, really designed for gaming rather than typing. Equally, the idea that inductive switches have a much longer life when being absolutely pummelled is really aimed at gamers who are hammering away at a few keys as fast as they can. However, there is definitely an appeal for typists also, especially for those who type at a 100-words-per-minute or higher rate.

The Magcore 87‘s Kaih Box inductive switches do feel noticeably different to your standard mechanical switches. They feel nicer to me than the HE75’s linear magnetic switches but, similarly, they do have a much more clicky sound than I’m used to. They’re not loud by any means, and I actually really like the sound but, if you’re a mech keyboard ASMR fan, you might be disappointed. Or not. Maybe you’ll love the clickiness, but it’s a different sound to what you’re probably used to.

Exaptation

Exaptation is a biological term referring to an evolutionary adaptation which comes to serve a different purpose. For example: feathers are believed to have originally evolved as a means of keeping warm, but came to be used in flight. Many (most in fact) of the keyboards I test out and review are designed and marketed as gaming keyboards, but I never use them for that purpose. Now, inductive switch technology comes along, and it’s designed and marketed for gamers, but it’s actually perfect for typists.

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The Magcore 87 is, I have no doubt, a fantastic gaming keyboard, but it doesn’t look like one. At least, it doesn’t look like what the stereotypical idea of one would be. It looks and feels really, really high-end and professional. So much so, it would not look out of place on the desk of an architect or lawyer. It is a solid, robust piece of kit with an incredible polling rate (8000Hz), and its switches will withstand an absolute hammering and never wear out. If you are a lightning-fast touch typist who is looking for a desktop keyboard that’s going to last you a good while, you should seriously be thinking about the Magcore 87 as an option.

The Magcore 87 is available to order directly from Epomaker for £150.71 / $199.99 USD

The post Review: Epomaker Magcore 87 keyboard – inductive switches are not just for gamers first appeared on moorereppion.

One again, the generous people at Epomaker have sent me something fun to try out. This time it’s the Split 65 – an ergonomic keyboard that comes in two halves.

The Split 65 is a 68 key / 65% keyboard, with a discreet volume knob at the top right of the keys (click to mute/unmute). It’s ANSI layout, compatible with Mac/Win/Android, and connects via USB-C, or wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0 or 2.4GHz Wireless (three-position switch at rear). Ostensibly, the Split 65 is a newer version of one of my all-time favourite work keyboards: the EK68, with the same 3000mAh on-board battery.

The two halves of the Split 65, which is divided along the G/H central line, are connected via a 29cm long USB-C to USB-C. The battery is housed on the left side of the board, and the right side is powered from it when in wireless or Bluetooth mode. The right side is weighted, however, so both halves have the same heaviness. The combined weight is around 0.8kg. The two halves of the Split 65 jigsaw together, and magnets hold them in this position as one.

The Split 65 comes in Black & Grey with Cherry Profile Dye-sub PBT plastic keycaps with dark grey characters on all keys. Switches are a choice between Epomaker Wisteria Linears and Epomaker Flamingos. I got the Wisterias, which feel fine to me. No complaints. They are, of course, hotswappable.

The top case of the Split 65 is black ABS and the bottom case is black painted iron. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered an iron keyboard before, but I suppose that’s how the connecting magnets work so well(?).

Four layers of sound dampening including Poron Sandwich Foam, IXPE Switch Pad, Sound Enhancement Pad, and Poron Switch Socket Pad, keep the Split 65 nice and quiet.

The Split 65 has south-facing RGB backlights with all the usual on-board customisation options. It’s compatible with VIA and QMK for all your additional customisation needs including key mapping and macros.

So, what about the ergonomics of the Split 65? Well, the only other ergonomic keyboard I have ever really tried to work on was the X-Bows Nature, and I didn’t really get on great with it to be perfectly honest.

Because the Split 65 is basically just a suped-up EK68, and I can move the two halves around independently, it feels a lot more comfortable and adaptable than the X-Bows board did. I’m still not a touch typist by any stretch of the imagination, so I notice my hands wanting to cross over from one half of the board to the other far more than they should. Although the typing angle is fine for me (I’m very used to the EK68) I can see that the addition of some flip-down feet for angle adjustment might be of benefit for some would-be users.

I do also feel like there’s a tiny bit of perceptible lag on the Split 65, even when wired. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but something to be aware of. That said, I should probably add a bit of a disclaimer that my PC is currently on its last legs, so some proportion of this is probably a “me problem”.

Given the fact that comparible split boards like the the Keychron Q11 and NocFree Lite are $200+, the Split 65 is an incredibly affordable option for anyone in the market for this kind of keyboard. Everything I already loved about the EK68 is here, but there’s a more besides.

The Split 65 is available to order directly from Epomaker for £90 GBP / $120 USD

The post Review: Epomaker Split 65 – an egonomic split keyboard first appeared on moorereppion.

Epomaker have very kindly sent me one of their TH99 keyboards to try out. So, let’s take a look at it, shall we?

The TH99 is a 102 key / 96% keyboard. It has an ANSI layout and is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Android (two-position switch at the rear of the board). The TH99 connects wired via USB-C, or via Wireless 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.0 (again, there’s a three-position switch, and a little niche for your Wireless receiver). The TH99 has a 4000mAh onboard battery.

The TH99 comes in a choice of Black & White or Blue & White colourways. I got the Blue & White, which has a lovely, calming, white fluffy clouds in a blue sky kind of look. Keycaps are Cherry Profile Double Shot PBT plastic with blue characters on the white keys and white characters on the blue keys.

The TH99 comes with Epomaker Creamy Jade Switches, which have a pleasant thock to them, but which do feel a little bit “fast” for my taste. I would prefer just a tad more resistance, but that’s a personal preference. The switches are, of course, hot-swappable.

The body of the TH99 is made of ABS Plastic and the Plate is PC plastic. It has a built-in Gasket-mount structure and has five layers of sound-dampening, including Poron Sandwich Pad, IXPE Switch Pad, Bottom Poron and Silicone, to reduce noise.

The TH99 weighs just a little over 1kg, so it’s heavy enough to be stable, but light enough to carry around with you. Two-position flip-down feet increase the stability and allow for a good amount of typing-angle adjustment.

The TH99 has south-facing RGB backlights with all the usual on-board customisation options, and more (including key mapping and macros) available via the free-to-use Epomaker software.

The TH99 isn’t a mould-breaking keyboard, but it is a honing of what has gone before. It’s everything a board of this size, shape, and kind should be, with no unnecessary gimmicks or bells and whistles. I can’t find any fault with it whatsoever, other than the pre-loaded switches are not quite to my taste.

I can definitely see TH99 being many people’s go-to desk board. If you wanted a portable (near-enough) full-sized board, I think you’d be hard pushed to find anything that performs as well within the same kind of price range.

The TH99 is available to order directly from Epomaker for £62.51 GBP / $82.99 USD

The post Epomaker TH99 keyboard review – blue-sky typing first appeared on moorereppion.

Heavy Metal Magazine is back! Heavier than ever! This relaunch brings the world’s greatest illustrated magazine back to the forefront of comics. 

Heavy Metal #1 webstore exclusive 

(W) Enki Bilal, Michael Conrad, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Antonio Segura, David Quinn (A) Enki Bilal, Joseph Michael Linsner, Keron Grant, Janevsky, Jose Ortiz, Fernando Dagnino, Tim Vigil, Paul Kirchner, John Workman (CA) Various

One of the magazine’s original line-up of legends, Enki Bilal – returns with the English language adaptation of his acclaimed BUG series. Michael Conrad (Hello Darkness, In Bloom) will be teaming up with Greek comics legend, Ilias Kyriazis (Collapser, What We Wished For), for an all-new series entitled Millstone. The outrageous Burton & Cyb returns with “Poor Monsters” by Antonio Segura and Jose Ortiz, as well as Vicente Segrelles’ classic, The Mercenary. The English language debut of Janevsky’s cult sci-fi heroine, Sixella. Guido Crepax’ classic character Valentina returns by the hands of writer/artist Sergio Gerasi.

Heavy Metal will harness the power of its own rich stable of characters, starting with the ultimate Taarakian warrior, Taarna! Writing duo Leah Moore and John Reppion will pen Taarna’s ongoing adventures, accompanied by art from Anna Morozova. Also featuring one-shots of: Cold Dead War (B-17) by Craig Wilson, Grimaldi by Keron Grant, and Legends of Taarna by Joseph Michael Linsner. Fernando Dagnino brings a new cyberpunk short: Lester, That Old Feeling. The return of classic strips The Bus by Paul Kirchner and June 2050 by John Workman. Visionary creators David Quinn and Tim Vigil deliver Transcendestiny. Writer/artist Dwayne Harris gives us the fantasy tale They Dug Too Deep. Jim Rugg exposes Kecksburg UFO and Jon Wayshak writes and draws a horror short entitled Cobot.

Plus Interviews, The Dossier, prose fiction and more!

Pre-order HM #1 (shipping April 2025) at shop.heavymetal.com

The post Pre-order Heavy Metal Magazine #1 first appeared on moorereppion.

John will be a guest speaker at the forthcoming Cultural Futures Foundry event, which will be held in their online, immersive Cultural Futures Hub.

There are two days of presentations, Q&As and discussions, which are FREE to attend (but which do require a ticket).

Join us online at The Cultural Futures Hub on Spatial.io, 1st and 2nd March, 2025 (11am-3pm GMT)Day 1: Inclusive communitiesPresentation: Folklore Without Borders. (Dr Paul Cowdell and Dr Matthew Cheeseman.)Presentation: Folklore and communities of violence. (Dr Andrew Fergus Wilson.)Group discussion: What are cultural futures? (Dee Chainey-Jones.)Panel Q&A: Inclusive community engagement. (Dr Caroline Oates, Mark Norman and Joana Varanda.)

Get your ticket

Saturday 1st March

Day 2: Inclusive storytellingPresentation: Toothy Terrors: An archetype of the sexually dangerous woman. (Dr Emma Woods.)Panel Q&A: Storytelling in the 21st-century. (Helen Lundström Erwin, John Reppion and Paul Watson.)Presentation: Ecological Kinematics: How to create climate narrative using game engine, and to create a dialogue between art and science. (Dongni Liang.)Panel Q&A: Inclusive storytelling. (Dr Corey Hartley, Elizabeth Hopkinson, Beth O’Brien and Suresh Ariaratnam.)

Get your ticket

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More information can be found at www.culturalfuturesfoundry.com/conference-2025/

You should also check out their experimental Green Knight XR experience, which was unveiled at Spirits of Place last year.

The post John appearing as a guest at The Cultural Futures Hub, Sun 2nd March first appeared on moorereppion.