"Take a drop of Joe R. Lansdale's blood. Then a slice from David J. Schow's scalp. Scrape some phlegm off Tarantino's tongue. Inject some of Robert Rodriguez's sperm. Pour in some Karo syrup. Mix it in a blender. Pour. These are just some of the ingredients of Stephen Romano's unique work."
---CHUCKPALAHNIUK.NET

“Stephen Romano is the Robert Rodriguez of horror! Whether he's writing short stories, novels, comics, screenplays, or designing movie posters, it seems there's nothing this cat can't do.”
--COMICS 101.COM

“Stephen Romano isn’t fucking around. He means to get under your skin and crawl, bump around inside there. God bless you, Romano, for you have recognized what all of us should know: the whole of the human race has sinned.”
---JOE LANSDALE, best-selling author of THE BOTTOMS and BUBBA HO-TEP

“There are certain authors you will always remember reading for the first time. Stephen Romano is one of those authors. He brings a fresh, unique voice that is firmly grounded in the genre’s history, yet daring and different than anything that’s come before. His words have weight. His words have impact. You will not be disappointed.”
---BRIAN KEENE, best-selling author of GHOUL and CITY OF THE DEAD

“Stephen Romano writes like he’s on fire.”
---JOHN SKIPP, best selling author of THE SCREAM and JAKE’S WAKE

“His voice is polished, clean, powerful, and more than all that CONFIDENT. This is a guy with a vision, a real narrative style, a dark and mesmerizing worldview . . . brutal, full-on street cred, sharp, insightful, human, authentic, bloody, savage, asskicking, but smooth and altogether pure. Seriously, you’ve got to check him out.”
---TOM PICCIRILLI, Bram Stoker award-winning author of THE DEAD LETTERS and THE MIDNIGHT ROAD

STEPHEN ROMANO is an acclaimed multi-media artist, whose unique jack-of-all-trades approach to the genres of horror, crime fiction, sci-fi and exploitation has produced innovative, award-winning work. He is an accomplished illustrator, designer, screenwriter and print author. His short stories, novels and comic books have garnered critical acclaim from some of the most respected authors and media sources in the world. As a screenwriter, Romano has scripted many projects, but is most well-known for his bold adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD for Showtime’s Emmy Award-winning MASTERS OF HORROR cable series, directed by the legendary Don Coscarelli of PHANTASM and BUBBA HO-TEP fame. Romano also co-wrote the as-yet-unproduced sequel to BUBBA HO-TEP. Romano’s well-documented passion for sleaze cinema and exploitation film culminated in the ground-breaking illustrated novel SHOCK FESTIVAL. The book turned heads in 2008-2009, and placed Romano highly in demand as an accomplished visual stylist in the mode of exploitation film art. Since the book’s release, Romano has designed film campaigns for theatrical releases, DVD covers and promotional artwork. He also offers his services at a discount to indie filmmakers and for private commissions. Meanwhile, he continues to hit hard with new film projects, comics, and novels, all of which reflect his uncompromising attitude and innovative approach to the genres. He is also an accomplished musician, studio producer and a fine artist. He lives in Austin, Texas.

BIOGRAPHY

Romano was born in 1969, amidst the flurry of a wild rock, blues and folk music scene in Houston, Texas. His father Rock Romano was a well-known producer and musician, working alongside such luminaries as Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughn. The elder Romano’s contacts and associations allowed young Stephen access to recording studios and motion picture sets, where he learned his early lessons about the industry, rubbing shoulders with wild personalities such as Jack Nicholson (on the set of TERMS OF ENDEARMENT) and even working alongside Oscar-nominated filmmaker and screenwriter Al Rinert (FOR ALL MANKIND, APOLLO 13). In 1984, at the age of 13, he won a second-place award for filmscoring in a national contest sponsored by producer Dino De Laurentiis. Romano’s professional career began in 1987, when he sold his first script ideas to a well-known Hollywood production company at the age of 17.

An accomplished musician and studio producer by the time he was 23, Romano made his first significant mark on the world in 1993 when he adapted the million-selling comic series THE MAXX into an innovative “comic book soundtrack” album for Image Comics. A full dramatization designed meticulously to correspond with the comics as a post-modern “read-along” experience, MAXXIMUM SOUND deployed a full cast of voice actors, original music and sound effects, with Romano as composer, producer, director and even the voice of the psychedelic superhero The Maxx. This project was followed up later that year by the equally-successful adaptation of SHADOWHAWK: THE SECRET REVEALED, also based on a million-selling comics series from Image.

In 1997, Romano’s first novel, INVASION OF THE MUTANOIDS, was published. That same year also saw the release of Romano’s ambitious “concept album”/soundtrack companion to the films ZOMBIE and CANNIBAL FEROX, released in conjunction with the FEROX laserdisc from Grindhouse Releasing. Romano also produced a nifty (and now extremely RARE) vinyl 45 record single of his work from the concept album, which was included in the laserdisc packaging as a special bonus item.

In 1998, Romano wrote, designed and edited an ambitious graphic novel/soundtrack album based on Lucio Fulci’s most celebrated horror film THE BEYOND. The book featured a complete adaptation of the film in comic book form, illustrated by long-time collaborator Noah David Henson, and a wild, ear-bending re-master of the complete original soundtrack, replete with new bonus tracks and bizarre audiophonic montages mixed directly from the original sound elements of the movie. The book/soundtrack was the only official novelization/companion to THE BEYOND, when it was released uncut for the first time in America by Quentin Tarantino’s Rolling Thunder Pictures.

In 1999, Romano also created and promoted the FIRST ANNUAL LUCIO FULCI MEMORIAL FILM FESTIVAL, which ran for several years at the world-famous Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas.

In 2000, Romano continued to create and promote film festivals at the Alamo Drafthouse, including PHANTASMANIA, which was a three-day retrospective of all four PHANTASM movies, hosted by director/creator Don Coscarelli. This brought Romano’s many talents to the attention of the legendary director, who quickly tapped him as a valuable partner in crime. Throughout the decade to follow, Romano would work closely with Coscarelli as a screenwriter, and even designed the early promotional ad campaigns for BUBBA HO-TEP. During this time, Romano wrote, designed and edited the critically-acclaimed PHANTASM comic series.

In 2004, Coscarelli was offered to write and direct an episode of the Showtime original series MASTERS OF HORROR, and turned to Romano as his right-hand man to script the project and provide valuable insight and collaboration during the making of the film. INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD was based on a hard-hitting short story by New York Times best-selling author Joe R. Lansdale and was daring in its approach. Though produced originally as “Episode 3” in the series, Coscarelli’s movie was deemed the most powerful of the thirteen commissioned from such legendary directors as John Carpenter, Joe Dante and Dario Argento . . . and was chosen to become the first to air on Showtime, in October of 2005. The film was met with across-the-board critical acclaim, becoming the best-reviewed effort of the director’s entire career. It remains the most beloved MASTERS OF HORROR short film, along with Carpetner’s CIGARETTE BURNS.

In 2006, Romano returned to the literary world with a limited print run of his shocking book THE RIOT ACT, a “collection” of previously unpublished short stories. It was here that he began to gain traction amongst horror’s most respected inner circle, with unanimous rave reviews from such legendary best-selling authors as John Skipp and Brian Keene. That same year, Romano also scripted Don Coscarelli’s sequel to BUBBA HO-TEP, designed as a starring vehicle for Ron Pearlman and Paul Giamatti. The film remains in development and will be produced in 2012.

2007 saw the start of Romano’s most celebrated, innovative work to date, SHOCK FESTIVAL. The book would become a career-defining milestone for Romano, the culmination of a lifelong dream and his obsession with exploitation cinema, combined with a sure hand for multi-tasking as an implacable creative force. Conceived as an epic novel chronicling the lives and careers of an extended family of B-movie actors, directors, producers and distributors, the book would be presented as an authentic, oversized full-color “coffee table edition,” written in the style of film journalism and illustrated with over 600 pieces of “rare movie memorabilia,” all to be created expressly for the book. It was an epic “mockumentary,” challenging in concept and designed to dazzle and entertain on every page. With the project so massive in scale on a very limited budget—the most ambitious and dice-rolling endeavor Romano had ever attempted—it was necessary for him to become not only the author, but also the book’s designer, graphic artist and key illustrator. Utilizing his entire skill set, plus a few more he would have to learn along the way, Romano employed a few of his artist friends to help pick up the load in a few places, including Mike Broom, now a crack film designer. Artist Tim Bradstreet served as the design consultant and co-publisher, along with actor/director Thomas Jane. The book was published in 2008 by IDW, winning awards and garnering unanimous critical acclaim.

At the end of 2008, Romano began work on an ongoing series of fine art portraits, showcasing the beauty of women. The series continues to this day, as a special “hobby” of Romano’s, entitled LADIES. He figures he’ll be done with it when he finally dies.

In 2009, Stephen continued to work with Don Coscarelli on a number of as-yet-unrealized projects, while working on many of his own, including the DVD companion to SHOCK FESTIVAL. Romano also became highly in-demand as an illustrator, based on his success as an artist and graphic designer, and worked on many film and DVD campaigns. He continued to create promo campaigns for DVD releases, including 42nd STREET FOREVER VOLUME 5: ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE. For this project, Romano also produced and directed the special features, including a 30 minute documentary about the Alamo, which met with critical acclaim. Romano also found time to pen the hilarious, crude and altogether politically-incorrect novelization of the controversial low budget horror film BLACK DEVIL DOLL.

In 2010, the DVD companion to SHOCK FESTIVAL was released, a massive, unprecedented 3-disc trailer collection containing over seven hours of rare snippets of B-movie history which inspired his book. The set also included all-new faux trailers based on the fictional films of his book, including a clip directed by Romano himself. An entire year in the making, this effort met with unanimous rave reviews and brisk sales, cementing Romano’s reputation as an authority on the medium and a nonstop, one-man media blitz.

Based on the success of this project, Romano was invited later in the year to co-produce the official DVD/Blu Ray release of his favorite exploitation film, the Italian sci-fi-fantasy STARCRASH. In his typical style, Romano pushed for greatness, and the project quickly became massive in scope, a two disc set featuring rare footage, interviews, behind-the-scenes extras, deleted scenes and scores of goodies from Romano’s personal collection of STARCRASH memorabilia. The disc met with rave reviews and Romano’s commentary tracks were nominated for a prestigious RONDO HATTON award.

In 2011, Romano turned his attention to the print world once again, with the October 5th release of BLACK LIGHT, a genre-bending supernatural suspense novel, written in collaboration with PATRICK MELTON and MARCUS DUNSTAN, the box office champs responsible for writing most of the SAW films, as well as THE COLLECTOR (which Marcus also directed) and the FEAST films. The book features a “high concept” premise mated with an unforgettable lead character in a battle to the death with all forms of ghostly threats aboard a futuristic high-speed rail train. The book hits hard from Muholland Books, a division of Little Brown and Company and Hachette, the second largest publisher of popular fiction in the world.
Later in the year, Romano signed a deal with another major new York house for his next novel, a white-knuckle suspense action piece that plays like “The Bourne Identity meets Mission Impossible directed by Quentin Tarantino.” The official announcement has yet to be made, but look for it here!
Be afraid.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Selected books, film projects and recordings:

MAXXIUM SOUND (Audio book)
SHADOWHAWK: THE SECRET REVEALED (Audio Book)
INVASION OF THE MUTANOIDS (Novel)
BATTLEJACK AND LAZERPUNK (Graphic novel. Unpublished.)
TO LUCIO FULCI: A SYMPHONY OF FEAR (Tribute album)
CANNIBAL FEROX/ZOMBIE (Soundtrack/tribute album)
THE BEYOND (Graphic novel/soundtrack)
LUCIO FULCI MEMORIAL FILM FESTIVAL (1999-2001)
PHANTASM-ANIA (Film festival)
PHANTASM: OVERMINDS (Comic series)
PHANTASM (Novelization, editor)
HALLOWEEN RETURNS TO HADDONFIELD (Comic/magazine/tribute album)
PHANTASM (Remake, screenplay, un-produced)
PHANTASM FOREVER (Screenplay, un-produced)
ESCAPE FROM FREAK MANSION (Screenplay, unproduced)
MASTERS OF HORROR: INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD (Teleplay)
THE RIOT ACT (Short story collection)
BUBBA NOSFERATAU: CURSE OF THE SHE-VAMPIRES (Screenplay)
SHOCK FESTIVAL (Illustrated novel)
REMEMBER THE ALAMO (Documentary, producer/director)
BLACK DEVIL DOLL (Novelization)
SHOCK FESTIVAL: THE DVD (Companion 3-disc set)
STARCRASH (DVD release, co-producer, commentator)

Selected book covers, private commissions and film campaigns for theatrical and DVD release.

LADIES (Fine art portrait series.)
SHOCK FESTIVAL (Book design and illustration. IDW publishing)
BLACK DEVIL DOLL NOVELIZATION (Book cover. Lowest Common Denominator Entertainment)
PIECES NOVELIZATION (Book cover. Grindhouse Releasing)
THE RIOT ACT (Book cover. Shock festival Press)
SAFE IN THE WOODS (Book cover. Shock Festival Press)
BOTTOMFEEDER (Movie poster teaser and one sheet, Lowest Common Denominator Entertainment)
MURDER LOVES KILLERS TOO (Movie poster teasers and one sheet/ DVD cover art and design. Radar Dog Productions)
GONE WITH THE POPE (Movie poster. Grindhouse Releasing)
42ND STREET FOREVER VOLUME 4 (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Synapse Films)
42ND STREET FOREVER VOLUME 5: ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Synapse Films)
PORNO (DVD art and cover design. . Promotional campaign materials. Impulse Films)
VIOLENCE AND FLESH (DVD art and cover design. . Promotional campaign materials. Impulse Films)
BLACK DEVIL DOLL (DVD art and cover design. . Promotional campaign materials. Lowest Common Denomonator Entertainment)
SICK GIRL (DVD cover design. . Promotional campaign materials. Synapse Films)
THE CHICK’S ABILITY (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Impulse Films)
HORAT (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Pink Lotus)
EXPOSED (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Synapse Films)
PSYCHO HOLOCAUST (Movie posters and promotional materials. Lazarus Films)
OBLIVION ROAD (Private commission)
THE LAST SONG (Private commission)
BEYOND THE DUNWICH HORROR (Movie posters. Scorpio Film)
NUN OF THAT (Movie posters. Scorpio Film)
KINK-O-RAMA (DVD art and cover design. Pop Cinema)
SHOCK FESTIVAL: THE DVD (DVD art and cover design. Pop Cinema)
THE STORY OF PRUNELLA (DVD art and cover design. Pop Cinema)
SLIME CITY COLLECTION (DVD art and cover design. Pop Cinema)
SLIME CITY MASSACRE (Movie poster. Medallion movies)
AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL (Movie poster. Grindhouse Releasing)
MASTERS OF THE GRIND (Movie poster. East Sierra Films)
SPIDERPUSSY’S REVENGE (Music CD cover design. Pornosonic)
BLACK DEVIL DOLL (Soundtrack CD design. LCD Entertainment)
THE MUMMY OF MOTOWN (Private commission)
SPACE PIRATES FROM BEYOND THE STARS (Private commission)
RUSTY EYE’S MISTER CANNIBAL (Music video poster. Epoche records)
MISTER WEEDEATER (Movie poster. Private commission)
SEA OF DUST (Film poster, 309 Production)
BLACK SANTA’S REVENGE (Film poster, Badazz Mofo)
THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHOES POND (Film poster, convention promo)
HALLOWEEN: 30 YEARS OF TERROR (Convention poster)
HEADER (DVD art and cover design. Promotional campaign materials. Promotional campaign materials. Synapse Films)
TRASH CINEMA (Book cover, private commission)
THEY CAME FROM THE SWAMP (Film poster, Ballyoo Motion Pictures)

Click to see Romano’s art portfolio.