Titan has a wonderful new take on doing Spillane/Hammer covers, as this advance look at LADY, GO DIE! reveals. I’m a little concerned that I seem to be getting top billing here, but Mickey’s name at the bottom of the image is somewhat larger and I’m assured will catch the eye first. (The official billing, as always, puts Spillane in first position.) But it’s a striking design, isn’t it?
Speaking of Spillane, THE CONSUMMATA continues to garner fine reviews, like this widely circulated one at Blogcritics. Funny thing about this one – the presence of a comics reference (specifically Batman and Catwoman) convinces the critic that I wrote that particular line. Apparently he’s unaware of Mickey’s affiliation with (and affinity for) comics – Batman was a favorite of Mick’s, and he claimed to have written some stories for the feature, though we’ve never been able to confirm that (Mickey worked for Funnies, Inc., and a lot of his stuff was at Timely/Marvel).
The Simon & Kirby Crime Comics book that I introduced has continued to rack up great notices, often with kind words about my intro. Check out this one, and this one.
My friend and collaborator Terry Beatty and I began work on SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT over the weekend – I plotted it and provided him with script for his chapter intros and the Ellery Queen-style “Challenge to the Reader.” Terry gave an interesting interview here.
I made a mid-week Chicago day trip with another frequent collaborator, Matt Clemens, to continue preliminary work with sports radio star Mike North. Matt and I are prepping to write an “as told to” autobiography for Mike. We met with a publisher and confabbed at the great restaurant Gibson’s (on the site of Mr. Kelly’s!), and made the Sun Times. Usually me having lunch doesn’t rate major media attention….
M.A.C.
Tags: Jack and Maggie Starr, Lady Go Die, Reviews, Seduction of the Innocent book, Spillane, The Consummata
Yesyerday’s mail brought (finally) the new CRIMESPREE, with the suitable-for-framing portrait of yourself on the cover.
I see that our concepts of interior design are similar. :-D
I’m also glad to see that Jack and Maggie Starr are getting another crack at it, thanks to Charles Ardai. I can hardly wait …
On the other hand …
My computer here in the office employs a service called Websense, whoch bars access to certain sites in order to protect me from whatever. The barred sites include Twitter and Facebook, both on the shitlist for being “social networking” sites.
As is the site where Terry Beatty gave his interesting interview, which means I’m not allowed to access it. :-c
What makes it all so silly is that so many other web sites, with content and comments ranging from the borderline libelous to outrightly obscene, get through with no problem at all
In any event, I can’t read Terry’s interview, so i gotta wait for him to talk to a magazine or somesuch.
(you all remember magazines, don’t you?)
So until that time …
Great cover, Max!
UPDATE:
Mr.Websense apparently changed his mind, and I can now read the Terry Beatty interview.
Why any of this happened, I dunno. I just work here.
Oh, did you hear that Steve King and Johnnie Putman are now at liberty?
Someone at WGN must have found out how old they really were.
*Goddamn demographics*
Jeff, you’re an expert on covers, so I’m pleased to hear you say that. I have been mildly disappointed in the Hammer covers prior to this (although I think KISS HER GOODBYE is pretty good), and of course Hard Case has gone the retro route, as is its wont (and I’m not complaining).
I had not heard that Steve and Johnnie were gone from WGN. Terrible news. They were and are wonderful. Let me know, Mike, if you hear of them moving to another station.