Dear F.O.M.A.C. (Fans/friends/family of Max Allan Collins) —
Sorry for the delay between installments, but it’s been a particularly frantic year, so far. (Two F.O.M.A.C. missives have appeared on the web site, which is likely to become more and more F.O.M.A.C.’s home — check www.muscanet.com/~phoenix).
Barb and I are about to go out on mutual book tour, in support of REGENERATION, our first collaborative novel, which will be out in October. REGENERATION has a nifty premise (Barb’s): successful ad agency exec Joyce Lackey loses her youth, her job and her will to live — until a corporate headhunting agency called X-Gen offers her a second chance via plastic surgery, wonder drugs and retraining. It’s a Leisure Books paperback original, marketed as “Horror” but really psychological suspense, a black comedy about the Baby Boomers pitted against Generation X.
And I’ll be signing the new Heller, MAJIC MAN (a Dutton hardcover), out in September — starred review from Publisher’s Weekly! This is the so-called “X-Files” Heller, in which Nate solves the enigma of Roswell. It’s also something of a sequel to FLYING BLIND, as it picks up on Nate’s relationship with troubled Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. And FLYING BLIND is out, right now, in mass-market paperback reprint. Both MAJIC MAN and FLYING BLIND share a new cover format, thanks to the efforts of my Signet editor, Joe Pittman — the first time we’ve had a uniform look for the Hellers.
For various reasons, there will not be a new Heller in 2000 — there will be in 2001 — so Signet is bringing out STOLEN AWAY in paperback reprint (in this new uniform edition). This is the out-of-print Heller most sought after (with the possible exceptions of the first two, TRUE DETECTIVE and TRUE CRIME).
Next year, look for THE HINDENBURG MURDERS (a follow-up…not sequel…to THE TITANIC MURDERS) and U-571, a movie tie-in about WW2 submarine warfare.
A third “disaster” book for Berkley Prime Crime will be my next project (subject under wraps at the moment) and then the next Heller, which will probably be about the Loeb and Leopold case. Also, Barb and I are doing BOMBSHELL, our second collaborative novel.
My documentary “Mike Hammer’s Mickey Spillane” was invited by Adrian Wootton of the British Film Institute for a special screening at the National Film Theatre in London. The last week of July, Mickey (and his wife Jane) were special guests of the B.F.I., as were Barb and I, and several Spillane films were screened, including a rare 3-D print of “I, the Jury” (1953). It was an incredible experience, and a great honor. The production was also honored with an Award of Excellence for Best TV Program by the Iowa Motion Picture Association. (The documentary has not been sold — we’re just beginning to explore markets. Stayed tuned.)
The two MOMMY features are on DVD! MOMMY and MOMMY’S DAY have just been released by the Roan Group, letterboxed and including commentary tracks, preview trailers and my two-part video interview of star Patty McCormack. The features themselves look beautiful, at least to their daddy, as superior to the laserdisc as the laser was to VHS.
The MOMMY DVDs are available at many on-line locations (including my friends at Laserdisc Division, who will sell the $19.95 discs to you at a whopping 30% discount — www.laserdiscdivision.com, or order by phone at 1-800-320-8650). You can also check such retailers as Virgin and Tower, but it may be a while before the discs can be found in Suncoast and Best Buy.
Because of deadlines, our tour this year is limited to the midwest; however, I’ve been invited to the Bouchercon in Milwaukee (Oct. 1 through 3) as Guest of Honor, a real thrill for me…and I hope to see readers from all around the country, there. My Spillane documentary will be shown, and my band Crusin’ will play for a dance.
Crusin’ has become slightly more active of late, and has a new, terrific member — Andy Landers, on vocals and rhythm guitar.
And M.A.C. Productions is accepting ADVANCE ORDERS for our new CD, “Crusin’ a.k.a. Daybreakers,” a “best of” compilation from Beat Brothers Records of material never before on CD, from 1967’s infamous “Psychedelic Siren” to the songs the band recorded for the MOMMY movies in the ’90s. Over twenty songs, spanning 30 years of M.A.C. garage band rock. $12 POSTPAID before November 1, by which time the first batch of CDs will be shipped ($15 thereafter — we should have copies for Bouchercon and the book tour.)
My “other” band, Seduction of the Innocent, played at San Diego Con on September 14 to an appreciate crowd — first time we’ve played since ’94! Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer, Steve Leialoha and Chris Christensen were all present and rockin’; Beat Brothers Records may release a live CD of the event.
Finally, an instant collector’s item to share with the F.O.M.A.C. list: you may recall me mentioning THE MYSTERY SCENE MOVIE GUIDE, a collection of my ten-years of “Mystery Seen” columns plus other movie-related ruminations. It was finally published by Borgo Press, but the publisher closed its doors shortly thereafter and only a miniscule 100 copies were printed (as a trade paperback — the announced hardcover never happened). It will probably never be reprinted, so this is automatically my rarest book. I bought the remaining 60 copies and am offering signed copies at the original price: $21.50 POSTPAID.
Another low-budget movie is in the works (actually, two!) but it’s too early to discuss. Also, both ROAD TO PERDITION and JOHNNY DYNAMITE have been optioned by bigtime Hollywood movie studios…more on that when I know more!
M.A.C.