Latest news -- plus Quarry times five

Those of you following my blog have certainly noticed I've not been posting much lately. I'd intended to post a few more vintage horror comics before Halloween -- but that never happened. I've been so busy at the drawing board -- and raising my son -- that the blog has been on the back burner for a bit.

In the news department -- The Adventures of Unemployed Man has been getting a crazy amount of press. Authors Gan and Erich even appeared on CNN (in costume!) for an interview.

Another comics project I'm involved with, Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave, has been similarly embraced by the media -- with positive reviews appearing all over the web and in print. Both titles are in stores now for you buy, should you so choose.

I'm also happy to announce that Max Allan Collins' first five Quarry novels are back in print, thanks to Perfect Crime Books -- all with new cover designs/illos by me (and new titles in most cases) -- all shown above. You can order then HERE.

I have a few commissions in the works -- just finished a website illustration -- did a little something for a model kit company (can't say what, so don't ask!) -- and am working my way through Return to Perdition (I'm about half way into its 180 pages). Oh -- there's another Scary Monsters cover waiting to be created, too. Don't stop checking this blog, though -- I will still be posting here -- but probably not as often as I had been (for now).

Oh, I do want to give a plug to Netflix's streaming video service. We recently dropped our cable TV subscription and switched to on-air viewing (mostly PBS kids' shows for the youngster) and Netflix. With a DVD player that's Netflix ready, I've been able to catch up on a lot of the movies I've missed in the theater since the youngster came along. I recently enjoyed Let the Right One In, Survival of the Dead, Red Cliff, OSS 117: Lost in Rio, Big Man Japan -- as well as documentaries about Henry Darger and Ron English. I'm getting my wife hooked on the mid-'70s BBC mini-series, Poldark (it's as good as I remembered it) and checking out Slings and Arrows, thanks to a friend's recommendation. For the price, it's a heck of a great deal, and a boon to a freelancer/stay at home dad like me. End of plug!

Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane

My old pal, and sometimes collaborator, Max Allan Collins, was in the Twin Cities recently, promoting several of his latest projects.  Shown above are the covers for The Goliath Bone and The First Quarry.  

Fans of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels should be thrilled with The Goliath Bone.  When Mickey passed away, he left several novels in various stages of completion -- and left them to Collins to finish.  This is the second posthumous Spillane novel to see publication (the first was Dead Street from Hard Case Crime) -- but the first of the new Mike Hammer books. The Goliath Bone is not a retro flashback to the Mike Hammer of the '50s -- but a modern post 9/11 novel of a close-to-retirement Mike -- and Velda.  Max did a wonderful job on this book, using Mickey's extensive notes -- and which portions are Max and which are Mickey I'd be hard pressed to tell. It's a terrific read -- and a great gift to his fans from the late great Mickey Spillane.

The First Quarry IS a retro-flashback -- not to the '50s, but to the early 70's.  Quarry is a hitman, not a hero -- and Collins' tough crime novels about him have been favorites of mine for years.  In this new release from Hard Case Crime, Max flips the switch on the Way-Back Machine and gives us the never before told tale of Quarry's first hit.  Whether you're a long-time Quarry reader -- or this is your first encounter with him -- this'll have you on the edge of your seat. 

And keep your eyes open for festival screenings of  The Last Lullaby, a film based on the Quarry books, staring Tom Sizemore (yes, that Tom Sizemore) and co-written by Max.  Check the official website for more info.