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 […]
When I accepted the MICA teaching assignment, the deal with Deb would be that I wouldn’t do any freelance writing. So, I’ve slowed pursuing opportunities and deferred others to when school was not in session. The Winter break saw me research and write some 20,000 words for the forthcoming Superman: The Definitive History as I […]
I was pulling the old tear sheets (pages pulled from a publication) from my files for a possible project and realized they weren’t in much of an order. I sifted through them and realized that my first freelance assignment was forty years ago this summer. As you may recall, I was briefly summer help at […]
The best that can be said for 2021 is that it was definitely an improvement over 2020, but it was incremental, nothing substantive. Deb and I remained healthy and Covid-19 free throughout the year, suffering nothing worse than a cold. We’ve both been vaxxed and boostered, which has certainly contributed to that. Deb working out […]
This has been a challenging first five months of the year from the standpoint of being a writer. Much of that has to do with the lack of time for anything substantive as I rebuild the freshmen curriculum, constantly lesson planning new units for both the college prep and honors students. Some of my free […]
We are live in all formats! I had hoped to have Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2021 out for Farpoint, back when I was really wishing the con was in person. Covid-19 knocked those plans out of contention and then one of my writers was late, I mean really late, with the story. Since I had used […]
I was stunned to realize I would have three releases come out on the same day in October. Imagine my surprise to see three books coming out in March. Out first, is Biff! Bam! Ee-Yow! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Guide to Batman ’66—Season Two. Edited by Jim Beard, aided and abetted by Rich Handley, this […]
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 […]
This was a transitional week for me. Technically, it’s finals week, but we canceled them. Instead, this week has been a hybrid between personal work and school work. At our faculty meeting on Monday, we were informed we’d know our contract fates next week after the Board of Directors meet. Teachers are ten-month employees on […]
As 2019 ends, and the final year of the decade begins (at least that’s how I count it), it’s time to take stock and judge the year as a whole. Deb and I had a relatively quiet, relatively good year. We saw plenty of television, a handful of plays and a bunch of movies, did […]
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 […]
My love for Shore Leave has no bounds as it enters its fifth decade of existence. It has grown and prospered, evolving to meet the ever-changing needs and desires of the fans. I love how it has earned and maintained a reputation for being a fun, fan-run show where the media guests are comfortable. This […]
When I haven’t been in the classroom, I have been home, at the desk, writing and editing. There have been the usual Westfield Comics columns and reviews over at ComicMix, but there have been some projects occupying my time. Back in February, the Kickstarter campaign for Thrilling Adventure Yarns came to a rousing conclusion. Since […]
“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 […]