It’s been a hectic week as things wind up and head toward Winter Break. First, MICA concluded its fall semester on Wednesday, and my students gave final presentations on what worked and what didn’t in their 30-page stories. They also received a final round of peer feedback, and most everyone was quite generous with their […]
Launching a Kickstarter campaign with my already packed schedule always comes with risk, but I went ahead and went for it with Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2026. As I write this, we’re at 61% funded after one week, which is good and means I will likely make my goal and produce the book. Its slow momentum […]
I was afraid of this. Once I broke the habit of posting more or less weekly, things would snowball. However, with the Baltimore Comic-Con and my two school jobs, it’s been busy, and having a wicked cold didn’t help at all. So, the con. As usual, I caught up with the regulars who make it […]
2024 was a year without a major project on my To Do list. Part of that was because no one was asking for a major project and also, I had mentally reserved the summer to write something for myself. But, I think I put too much pressure on myself to do something grand this past […]
My friend Howard Weinstein has been asking me to write something original, and my free time has dwindled once I added teaching at MICA to my schedule. So, as I wrapped up work on Above the Ground 3 (coming in 2026, if not sooner) last summer, I swore to everyone within earshot that I was […]
I really didn’t know what pulp magazines were until around 1970 when I was introduced to the Lancer collections of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. Somewhere along the way, as my comic book habit had bled into reading the fanzines of the day, I got to learn about the Shadow, Doc Savage, G-8, and […]
The writing process has been analyzed, dissected, and discussed to death. Obviously, everyone has their own style, and many successful folk have written books about how to write. Some have gone on to great acclaim and are worthy reads. My process is one born of training and a chance to channel my undiagnosed hyperactivity (trust […]
I report back to St. Vincent Pallotti High School this morning, beginning my sixth year as a teacher there. Somehow, the ten-week summer break has evaporated and the 2022-23 academic year is poised to begin on the 29th. So, what did I do on my summer vacation? The big project was writing the second Above […]
I attempted to fund my homage to the golden age of pulp magazines, Thrilling Adventure Yarns in 2019, estimating I needed $4500 to pay the authors somewhat below market rates, a cover painting, and book designer. I was shocked to do 200+% better with 400 backers. Encouraged, I tried again with TAY 2021, which asked […]
Finally, I am getting to once again walk the halls of the Hunt Valley Inn as I attend Shore Leave 42. Accompanying me will be a legion of authors, many of whom I have not seen in years. Me and the Crazy 8 Press gang will have a table and I look forward to chatting […]
It has to have been a year or so back when Mike Friedman reached out to me and Paul Kupperberg. “Guys,” he said, “I’m thinking of creating a prose superhero universe.” When we couldn’t talk him out of it, we provided feedback on his premise, ensuring it didn’t resemble the plethora of existing shared superhero […]
I never expected 400 backers and reaching 248% of the goal when I launched the Kickstarter campaign for Thrilling Adventure Yarns in 2019. I just knew I loved the old pulp magazines and wanted to have fun with them, pay tribute to their influence on me as a reader. When the book debuted that summer, […]
As of today, I have one week left before I report back to school. A very different academic year awaits. In the meantime, Deb has suggested I throttle back and take more time for myself this week, which is most excellent advice. It’s been a very busy summer, all things considered. June was spent writing […]
In late 1981, just about the time Comics Scene was debuting, I got a call from Jim Shooter, inviting me to lunch. The Marvel Editor-in-Chief met me with Jim Starlin in tow to discuss the company’s new creator-owned contracts, which enticed Starlin back to the company. The first work to benefit from this would be […]
I first came up with the idea for what has become Thrilling Adventure Yarns in late 2017. It was generated in short order when there was concern among some of the Crazy 8 Press team that one of our other books might not make the schedule. While that crisis was averted, the notion of a […]
“A re you sure you want to go that high?” Mike asked me. “Absolutely. Given what Kickstarter takes, and what my fixedcosts are, I need $4500.” “Okay, let’s see what happens.” And with that, my Quixotic campaign began, seeking $4500 toallow Thrilling Adventure Yarns makesome advance money, allowing me to buy rights to an unpublished […]
Somehow we’re already one month into 2019 and just days away from the first convention. I, along with most of Crazy 8 Press, will be at Farpoint in lovely Hunt Valley, Maryland. The big thrill for me personally is having the chance tohear and hopefully meet Wallace Shawn. While beloved for his work in The […]