Pic o' the Week

I received my contributor's copy of Beware the Dark #2 today... and wow, what a cool package editor/publisher Paul Fry has assembled. Love the production on this mag, and the lineup looks great too -- columns by Ramsey Campbell and Ray Garton, a Joe Lansdale interview, lots of great artists and writers. Can't wait to dig in.

But the piece of resistance this time out is my buddy Tom Piccirilli, who is the featured attraction herein, with stories, an interview, bibliography, and appreciations. My contribution to this Pic Special Issue falls in the latter camp, and I had a blast writing the piece. It's called Pic's Dirty Dozen, and it's (basically) twelve things you might not know about the Big Man himself. Want a taste? Here's a straight shot of same to warm you up and (hopefully) get you to click the buy button:

If you ever need to get in touch with another writer, ask Tom. He knows everybody. Want the straight dope about a publisher? Ask Tom. He'll give it to you. In fact, some of the most hilarious stuff I've ever read in my life are Pic's emails about his adventures in the writing trenches. Seriously. If he's been burned, he can light a match to a keg of dynamite and return the favor like nobody's business. And if Tom uses a little descriptive shorthand and tells you that a publisher is a Shaw Brother... well, pardner, that ain't good news. Run, don't walk, in the other direction. And maybe have Jimmy Wang Yu watch your back.

So: Some fun to be had herein. Apart from getting the chance to name-check Jimmy Wang Yu, I talk about Adam Warlock, Robert Mitchum, even Pasta Fasool and turkey sandwiches. You know, all the good stuff.

And here's some even better stuff to toss into the mix: Heard from Tom last week, who had a MRI recently and is clear of brain cancer 19 months after surgery. He actually had a photographer from a medical journal visit to take his picture as a Miracle Man. You can file that under: Beating the Odds, or The Good Guy Wins This Time Out. Either one works for me... and I'm glad Tom can take both of 'em to the bank.

And hey Tommy: Keep punchin', you big bad noir cowboy. We love you.

Sunday Supplement 11/4/12

Mike Jung, my library compadre, has a song that'll tell you what it's like to write a book. Exactly! Check it out, and order up Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities while you're at it.

Daniel Kraus reviews Dark Harvest at Booklist.

For those of you who aren't Halloweened-out, here's Steve Calvert's cool page of public domain horror films. This was a big help setting up our film program for this year's Halloween event. I especially liked the silent stuff... much of which I hadn't seen. (And there's a radio show page, too; check out the Beyond Midnight episodes if you've never heard 'em -- one of my all-time favorite shows.)

I've saved the most important news for last: An update on Tom Piccirilli's fight with cancer from Brian Keene.

Pic Update

There's some good news about Tom Piccirilli's brain cancer surgery over at Ed Gorman's blog.

It's important to remember that in some ways Tom's battle against cancer is just beginning. As they say in the fight game, "He ain't in easy." The Big C is a tough opponent. Not cheap, either. Folks are rockin' the house with contributions over at Tom's IndieGoGo fundraiser, which shows how much good karma Pic's put out there over the years. Take a look at the comments, and you'll see how well-loved the guy is, both by writers and readers. If you haven't had a chance, please consider making a contribution.

Now lace 'em up, Pic. As they say in the Rocky movies: "I didn't hear no bell." Watch yourself in the clinches, and go get 'em, pard!

A Brother in Need

This is a hell of a way to revive my blog, but I got word late last week that my good buddy Tom Piccirilli has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He's undergoing surgery today for removal of a tennis-ball-sized tumor, with a long recovery period ahead. If you'd like to help Tom and his wife Michelle, the best way is to make a donation to an IndieGoGo fundraiser that's been set up by his niece. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to Tom.

Tom's been one of my best friends for a number of years now. Which is odd, because we've never met in person. Of course, Tom's a phenomenal writer. He's also one of the nicest guys I know... the kind of guy who's always been there with a kind email on a day when I needed a boost, an open ear (or computer screen) on days when I've wanted to vent, and a perfect willingness to blow a couple hours shooting emails back and forth about old TV shows or movies when it's time to decompress. He's like a brother I never knew I had until about ten years ago, and all best wishes go out to him and his from me and mine today. Hang in there, pardner, and stay strong.

Tom Pic, Thanksgiving Turkeys, and The Mighty Thor

Well... Thanksgiving has come and gone. One thing I've come to look forward to about the day itself is that somehow or another I always end up trading emails with my good buddy (and ace crime writer) Tom Piccirilli. We kick meal plans (and progress) back and forth, and compare notes (re: who ends up on the couch in a turkey-induced coma sooner). Of course, other banter goes on during the course of the day, too.

This year, Tom and I were reminiscing about the glory days of the Lee/Kirby/Ditko Marvel comics -- what a blast those early world-building stories were to read, and how they still resonate with us today. For my part, I'm lucky that Pic keeps up with the changes in the Marvel Universe better than I do. He and Brian Keene are my go-to guys when it comes to explaining the character reboots that have left me in the dust since I stopped collecting comics in the early eighties. Anyway, Tom tried to explain what's happened to Thor since then, because I didn't quite get the origin tossed our way in the movie. Pic told me that Doctor Don Blake (Thor's secret identity in the early comics) never existed, and the good Doctor was just a card Odin played to humble Thor... and that somewhere along the line in the Ultimates reboot Thor became a little crazy and only thought he was a god.

Go figure. And here I was thinking the frat-boy Thor from that old Hulk movie was out there in the creative stratosphere.

So no wonder I was lost when I popped the new movie into the DVD player. I kept waiting for ol' Doctor Blake to show up with his twisted little cane. Instead I got a CGI-y Asgard and Anthony Hopkins looking like he was wearing a '55 Cadillac. (And, note to Hollywood: Does Anthony Hopkins have to be everyone's dad in movies? He's the Wolfman's dad... he's Thor's dad... if I remember right, he was Zorro's dad, too.)

Anyway, I got what they were trying to do -- give us Thor by way of the Lord of the Rings movies -- and while I dug the battle with the Frost Giants, the humor drove this one off the tracks for me pretty quickly. When the goofy scientist family showed up for the second time, and Billy Swan's "I Can Help" cranked up on the soundtrack, that was enough for me. I hit eject.

Hey, comic book movies are one thing, but music's music. I like Billy Swan just fine, but not in a Thor movie. At least in the Hulk/Thor TV-movie, Thor got to party to a Dave Alvin tune. That was probably the only reason I made it through the whole thing -- I kept waiting for the flip side.

One last thing about the new version -- Thor and his hammer? Neither of them belong in New Mexico, guys. The Hulk belongs in New Mexico. That's Ol' Greenskin's turf, and no long-haired guy with a hammer should trespass on it.

'Nuff said.