INCOGNITO!

INCOGNITO!

I'M REALLY IN A COMIC MOOD ON THE BLOG TODAY, BASICALLY BROUGHT ABOUT BY THIS GREAT NEW TITLE, INCOGNITO, FROM ED BRUBAKER - WHO AT THIS POINT OWNS THE NOIR COMIC FIELD WITH HIS CRIMINAL TITLE.

I JUST READ THE FIRST ISSUE OF INCOGNITO AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE. A GREAT START TO A WONDERFULLY IMAGINED STORY . . .

From the creators of Criminal and Sleeper comes the most insane and evil super-villain comic you've ever read!

What if you were an ex-super villain hiding out in Witness Protection... but all you could think about were the days when the rules didn't apply to you? Could you stand the toil of an average life after years of leaving destruction in your wake? And what if you couldn't stand it? What would you do then?

INCOGNITO — a twisted mash-up of noir and super-heroics — by best-selling creators Ed Brubaker (The Death of Captain America) and Sean Phillips (Marvel Zombies) with Val Staples on colors. And continuing Criminal's single issue tradition, each issue of Incognito has more pages of story content, as well as articles on pulp and noir and behind the scenes looks!

THE PRISONER TIE-INS!

THE PRISONER TIE-INS!

WITH AMC MAKING THE PRISONER SERIES AVAILABLE ONLINE IT BRINGS TO MIND A COUPLE OF PRISONER TIE-INS ~

Back in 1976, Marvel Comics had plans for a Prisoner book that would be written and drawn by the legendary Jack Kirby. The project never made it to publication, but the artwork still exists; here's Kirby's re-imagining of the television program's iconic opening sequence.

TwoMorrow's Jack Kirby Collector has the full story on this unrealized project.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

In the 1980s, DC Comics actually published an authorized sequel to the TV show, pitting Number Six against the most famous of the show's Number Twos, the one played by Leo McKern. A graphic novel collecting the series remains in print.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

THE PRISONER FREE!

THE PRISONER FREE!

AMC has begun streaming all 17 episodes of the 1960s cult series The Prisoner on AMCTV.com.

The network is presenting the free, on-demand episodes of The Prisoner, which starred Patrick McGoohan, on its site in part to promote its upcoming remake of the series.

The new version of the surreal spy thriller, which will feature Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel and Lord of The Rings headliner Ian McKellen, is due to premiere in November of this year.

In addition to the full episodes, fans of The Prisoner can check out one-minute versions of each episode as well as photos and trivia related to the show on AMCTV.com.

TO WATCH CLICK HERE

"I am not a number. I am a free internet!"

BOND VS. BOND!

BOND VS. BOND!

OKAY, I HAVE TO SAY THIS BIT OF EDITING AMUSED ME . . .

TIKI JOE MYSTERIES!

TIKI JOE MYSTERIES!

HERE’S A VERY COOL NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL COMBINING A WHOLE NUMBER OF MY NITCH INTERESTS FROM TIKI TO LOUNGE TO NOIR TO A WHOLE LOT MORE.

THE TIKI JOE MYSTERIES ARE FEATURED IN AN 80 PAGE GRAPHIC NOVEL CONTAINING TWO COMPLETE CASES BY WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR MARK MURPHY.

THE PAY OFF!

Las Vegas, 1959. WWII veteran, Joe Halliday is enjoying the good life. Running Tiki Joe’s Restaurant, courting a beautiful girl and making time with stead-fast friends. It’s all good until the local mob moves in with demands for protection money. When the police are unable to help, Joe calls in a few old army friends. Together they decide to pay the mob off....in lead!

THE HIGH STAKES PATSY

When The Pop-Wheelies, an all-girl motor-bike stunt team, roll into Vegas, Tiki Joe’s becomes their favorite night spot. Joe couldn’t be happier. Especially when the teams leader, Veronica Chase, starts getting fresh. It’s high times in Vegas until things become suspicious. Who stole the Astor Diamond on display at a major casino, and why are the Pop-Wheelies leaving town so suddenly? Joe finds himself being their perfect alibi...and a high stakes patsy!

MURPHY HAS THIS TO SAY ABOUT HIS INSPIRATION FOR TIKI JOE . . .

Tiki Joe, as an idea, was first born after watching the original Oceans 11 with Frank Sinatra playing Danny Ocean. WWII veterans get together and use their military training to rob Las Vegas. Sound familar? I just put a spin on it. instead of our heroes commiting a crime, they try to prevent one.

Oceans 11 is hardly the singular source of inspiration. Tiki Joe has it's roots firmly spread throughout the era that gave us that film. That wonderful time of the late 50's and the early 60's when the exotic music of Martin Denny was the rage, James Bond was played by Sean Connery, The definition of cool was five guys in suits called the rat pack and tiki bars could be found in every sizable city in the country.

TO CHECK IT OUT FURTHER CLICK HERE

BOND, CARY BOND!

BOND, CARY BOND!

THE PRODUCERS OF THE JAMES BOND FILMS ORIGINALLY APPROACHED CARY GRANT ABOUT PLAYING THE ROLE OF BRITAIN’S 007 AGENT. CARY DECLINED THE ROLE BECAUSE HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE TIED TO A FILM SERIES. THE ROLE OBVIOUSLY WENT TO SEAN CONNERY STARTING WITH DR. NO IN 1962.

EVEN THOUGH CONNERY IS STILL MY FAVORITE BOND, CARY GRANT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COOL . . .

BANG TANGO!

BANG TANGO!

I’M A SUCKER FOR A HOWARD CHAYKIN COMIC COVER, SO THIS NEW MINISERIES FEATURING CHAYKIN COVERS IS A NO-BRAINER FOR ME. HOPEFULLY, THE INTERIOR ART AND THE STORY WILL LIVE UP TO THE COVER PROMISE.

Issue #1
A passionate ex-gangster tries to make good in his second life as a tango dancer in this new 6-issue miniseries from writer Joe Kelly (JLA, ACTION COMICS) and artist Adrian Sibar (BATGIRL). But his world is thrown out-of-step when an old flame tracks him down, bringing with her the violence of his old life as well as the smoldering sexual conflict that drove them apart. She's sultry, vivacious and irresistible -- she's the girl of his dreams...but she's carrying one dangerous, little flaw.

Issue #2
Dancing back into his life like the wind that bears her name, the colorful Autumn throws ex-hit man Vincente's world off balance. She's a force of nature: mercurial, sultry, magnetic. Left to fend for herself in a cold crime world after Vincente disappeared, Autumn made do – but now she's in trouble. And she thinks he owes her at least one favor for breaking her heart.

Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciler: Adrian Sibar
Cover Penciler: Howard Chaykin
Inker: Rodney Ramos

THE FIRST ISSUE OF BANG TANGO WILL BE AVAILABLE IN FEBRUARY 2009.

CABRA CINI!

CABRA CINI!

I recently came across the one-shot adventure of Cabra Cini (written by Sam Sam Johnson and illustrated by Fernando Melek & Gaston Zubeldia). Apparently there are big plans for her future, but Voodoo Trespass (in IF-X 6) is where Cabra makes her debut, and where we're thrown headlong into her twisted world.

Cabra is an ex-crack-whore, has cleaned up her act and, for horrific reasons (revealed in Voodoo Trespass) becomes a hitwoman. But not just any hitwoman – voodoo is a weapon Cabra employs (along with her array of blades and guns). She's developed her own bastardized version of the art, which she uses to dramatic effect in carrying out her hits.

One of the ways she uses it is to access a dimension known as The Infinity (basically Limbo's 'crazy, locked away in the attic, cousin), which can serve as a dimensional gateway between where you are and wherever you want to go. However, with what the ruler of The Infinity throws at its trespassers, the journey can come at a monstrously high cost. When Cabr is hired by bereaved parents to take out the guy who killed their daughter while playing vampire, she quickly learns The Infinity is no place to tread lightly.

TO CHECK OUT THE PREVIEW CLICK HERE

THE SHOE FROM U.N.C.L.E.!

THE SHOE FROM U.N.C.L.E.!

CERAMIC SHOE BANK COVERED IN SEED BEADS. THE TOE FEATURES A PICTURE OF NAPOLEON SOLO THAT CHANGES INTO ILLYA KURIAKIN. COOL!

THIS LISTING ON ESTY IS PRETTY FAR OUT. I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. ESPECIALLY AT $15,000 A PAIR!

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

YOUNG BOND COVER ART ~ HURRICANE GOLD!

YOUNG BOND COVER ART ~ HURRICANE GOLD!

THE YOUNG BOND DOSSIER BRINGS US THE COVER ART FOR THE AMERICAN HARDCOVER EDITION OF THE YOUNG BOND ADVENTURE HURRICANE GOLD BY CHARLIE HIGSON. THE NOVEL IS DUE FOR RELEASE ON APRIL 6TH, 2009.

BAMBOO CLUB ~ FIRST SHOW 2009!

SPENCER DAY @ THE JAZZ BAKERY!

SPENCER DAY @ THE JAZZ BAKERY!

Young crooner Spencer Day will be performing two sets at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 25th. It’s his first appearance at the Jazz Bakery and is excited to perform at this iconic venue. The Jazz Bakery has hosted so many amazing musicians over the years.

Spencer will be playing two sets, one at 8PM and one at 9:30PM. There is an online deal if you want to see both sets. Tickets are normally $25 for one set, but both sets cost only $30. Come and check out both sets, Spenser promises to mix it up.

You can find out more about the venue here.

Or you can order tickets online here.

If you want tickets for both shows, just choose one of the sets and an option will come up offering you tickets for both.

Spencer’s new CD, Vagabond, will be out this Spring. Spenser says the new CD is really inspired by classic Roy Orbison and Dusty Springfield recordings.

THE EXPENDABLES!

THE EXPENDABLES

HEMINGWAY'S LOUNGE POSTED AN UPDAT TODAY ON THE UPCOMING SLY STALLONE ACTIONER THE EXPENDABLES. THIS ONE SEEMS LIKE A BIG DEAL SINCE IT ALSO STARS JET LI, JASON STATHAM, DOLPH LUNDGREN, FOREST WHITAKER AND RANDY COUTURE.

TO CHECK OUT THE ACTION CLICK HERE

PSYCH ~ THE NOVEL BY WILLIAM RABKIN!

PSYCH ~ THE NOVEL BY WILLIAM RABKIN!

WRITING BUDDY LEE GOLDBERG GIVES US THE LOW DOWN ON ANOTHER WRITING BUDDY'S FIRST NOVEL . . .

William Rabkin's first tie-in novel PSYCH: A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO READ comes out today. It's also his first novel of any kind, so I think it merits mention and a hearty CONGRATULATIONS! The book is absolutely hilarious and sharply plotted...and I'm not just saying that because he's my oldest friend and we've written together for twenty-some years (including an episode of PSYCH). If you are looking for a few hours of belly laughs and a clever, twisty mystery, I strongly recommend the book.

BOOKGASM HAS POSTED A REVIEW:

Truly capturing the show’s manic energy, the book feels like a super-sized episode with some touches that might have been toned down if this were translated to the screen.[...]Rabkin, who has written for the show, seems to have a lot of fun playing with these characters and throwing in enough pop-culture references to delight the fans — particularly any child of the ’70s and ’80s. This being the first of the tie-in novels, I can only hope they let Rabkin continue, since he truly understands not only the relationship of the characters, but his pacing and their voices come through so clear in his style.

TO READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THE EVIDENCE OF THE SWORD!

THE EVIDENCE OF THE SWORD!

THIS COLLECTION HAS BEEN OUT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT I'VE ONLY JUST COME ACROSS IT. RAFAEL SABATINI IS MY FAVORITE ROMANCE WRITERS -- FROM A TIME WHEN ROMANCE MEANT ADVENTURE NOT LOVE STORIES. SABATINI'S NOVEL SCARAMOUCHE IS AN ALL TIME FAVORITE.

SWORDPLAY AND MYSTERY!!!

Rafael Sabatini (1875-1950) is best-known for his swashbuckling historical tales of adventure and derring-do. Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, and Scaramouche made his name world-famous. However, not as well-known is that Sabatini wrote a number of first-rate mystery stories, too.

Unlike today with its forensic evidence, DNA testing and other high-tech gadgetry, mysteries of past eras relied on logic and deduction to be solved. While this didn’t make the crime-solver’s job any easier, it makes the reader’s fun all the more enjoyable.

Included in this volume are thirteen short stories and two novelettes; only one of the stories has been reprinted since their early magazine appearances. The narrative skill, the color and drama, the twists and turns in the plot, the sheer ingenuity that Sabatini lavished on his historical fiction are equally evident in these suspenseful stories of spies, mysteries, murder, and morality; blackmail, justice, and revenge.

Match wits, then, with one of the great plotters of 20th century literature. Perhaps you will figure out the outcome of some of these tales; but you will be surprised more than once by others.

The Evidence of the Sword is the 19th in Crippen & Landru’s series of Lost Classics.

ENDER IN EXILE!

ENDER IN EXILE!

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES RAN A GOOD ARTICLE TODAY ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, ORSON SCOTT CARD, AND HIS NEW NOVEL ENDER IN EXILE.

Twenty-three years have passed since Orson Scott Card first dazzled readers with "Ender's Game," a seminal work that blurred the lines between young adult and adult fiction. Now he's back with "Ender in Exile," which picks up where the 1985 winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards, science fiction's highest honors, left off.

The revival of Ender, the boy hero who saves Earth from bug-like aliens, goes beyond the novel's pages with a new comic-book adaptation of the original saga and spurring interest in Hollywood as a potential film franchise.

All of this quite surprises the 57-year-old North Carolina resident, although he suspects the story still resonates partly because of its sad martial tale: Card introduces the protagonist as a 6-year-old prodigy who is bred to be Earth's future hero, but to achieve this, Ender must train to become the perfect soldier -- cunning, strong, ruthless. He is symptomatic of a war-obsessed society, a reclusive character grappling with the very grown-up issues of isolation and loneliness.

TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

GABRIEL HUNT COVERS!

GABRIEL HUNT COVERS!

GABRIEL HUNT IS A NEW SERIES CHARACTER WRITTEN BY A NUMBER OF TOP AUTHORS AS PART OF HARD CASE CRIME'S EXPANDING LINE. THESE ARE OLD FASHIONED PULP TYPE ADVENTURES IN THE MOLD OF DOC SAVAGE, THE AVENGER, AND OTHERS.

TO CHECK THE COVERS OUT CLICK HERE

BRITISH CRIME WRITING: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA!

BRITISH CRIME WRITING: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA!

This is a substantial, wide-ranging A-Z reference of British crime writing - including crime fiction, true and historical crime. From Sherlock Holmes to Inspector Morse, via Father Brown, Miss Marple and the Sweeney, British crime writing has thrilled the world. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive, in-depth A-Z encyclopedia to cover the astonishing riches of the whole tradition.

Classic authors of the Golden Age of British Crime, such as Margery Allingham and Agatha Christie, rub shoulders with hot new writers like Martina Cole and Christopher Brookmyre, and established stars mingle with the most promising tyros. The great detectives who solve the elegant riddles of country house murders feature alongside the rawest recruits on the mean streets of Edinburgh, gangland London - and Aberystwyth.

In addition, there are articles on all sub-genres of British crime writing - thrillers, espionage, historical crime, clerical crime, crime in academe, noir (and tart noir), literary crime and true crime. Key British film and TV film scripts are also included, and entries on specific subjects are complemented by essays on key themes such as 'Crime Fiction and Sexuality' and 'Social Comment in Crime Fiction'.

As an extra treat, many of the articles are written by the crime writers themselves, such as Val McDermid, Lauren Henderson and Laura Wilson. This title exerts strong popular appeal to a general readership; it uniquely combines both historical and fictional crime; and is the most substantial reference resource on the subject.

About the Author: Barry Forshaw is the editor of Crime Time magazine; he is the crime fiction reviewer for The Independent, The Express, Publishing News, and The Times and author of The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction.

BLOGGER J. KINGSTON PIERCE HAS AN INDEPTH POST TODAY AT THE RAP SHEET ON THIS WONDERFUL COLLECTION.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

CASTLE ~ ABC PILOT

CASTLE ~ ABC PILOT!

THIS PILOT STARRING NATHAN FILLION (FIREFLY, DRIVE) LOOKS FAIRLY COOL.

I AM, HOWEVER, ALWAYS A LITTLE LEARY OF SHOWS TERMED COMEDIC PROCEDURALS. I’M ALSO WAY LEARY OF SHOWS EWITH A PLOT LINE BILLED AS “A FAMOUS MYSTERY NOVELIST (FILLION) HELPING THE NYPD SOLVE CRIMES” – LIKE I DON’T DO THAT EVERY DAY FOR THE LAPD (WELL, I MAY NOT BE FAMOUS, BUT I AM A NOVELIST).

STILL, I LIKE FILLION AS AN ACTOR ENOUGH TO GIVE THIS A CHANCE IF IT MAKES IT ONTO ABC’S SCHEDULE.

CRACKER ~ THE COMPLETE COLLECTION!

CRACKER ~ THE COMPLETE COLLECTION!

Robbie Coltrane's portrayal of Cracker, the driven police psycologist consultant, is the marriage of terrific writing and superb acting. If you've never seen Cracker, treat yourself to this full collection and stand ready to be amazed!

Acorn Media have announced a release date for Cracker: The complete series. This is not the wretched U.S. version, but rather the real deal with Robbie Coltrane.

CRACKER: The Complete Collection will be released on March 10th.

A brilliant criminologist probes the dark recesses of the soul.

With more than 25 major awards—including BAFTAs for best drama series and best actor—Cracker ranks as one of British television’s most acclaimed crime dramas. Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter, Ocean’s Twelve) truly inhabits his role as the brash and brilliant forensic psychologist, Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald. For the police, Fitz’s astonishing insights into the criminal mind prove invaluable, but his arrogance and boorishness make him barely tolerable as a colleague. For his family, Fitz’s self-destructive compulsions—scotch, sex, and gambling—bring only pain and turmoil.

Complemented by an outstanding cast, Coltrane delivers a bravura performance as a genius who can dissect a psychopath’s motives, but can’t keep his own demons at bay. These powerful crime dramas examine the pressures and prejudices of contemporary urban life and the violence that they spawn.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

Cracker: Behind the Scenes, an intimate, 45-minute visit with the show’s cast and creative team.

CINEMA RETRO ISSUE #13 ~ AVAILABLE NOW!

CINEMA RETRO ISSUE #13 ~ AVAILABLE NOW!

CINEMA RETRO IS THE BEST PRODUCED AND MOST INFORMATIVE MAGAZINE OF ITS KIND. ALL LOVERS OF RETRO MOVIES AND ALL THINGS SPY ~ WITH AN ADMITTEDLY BRITISH SENSIBILITY ~ WILL FIND SOMETHING TO ENJOY.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW ISSUE INCLUDE:

SEXY RETRO COVER GIRL JANET LEIGH

8 PAGE FILM-IN-FOCUS TRIBUTE TO CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.

RESTORING THE ITALIAN WESTERN CULT HIT THE BIG GUNDOWN STARRING LEE VAN CLEEF - WITH COMMENTS BY DIRECTOR SERGIO SOLLIMA

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: ERNEST BORGNINE AND KAREN BLACK

THE HAMMER FILMS "PIRATE" MOVIES: CHRISTOPHER LEE AND DIRECTOR DON SHARP RECALL FILMING THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER

THE ESPIONAGE FILMS OF ALISTAIR MACLEAN- PART 1: THE SECRET WAYS AND THE SATAN BUG

TRIBUTE TO THE FILMS AND CAREER OF BRUCE LEE

PINEWOOD PAST LOOKS AT THE FILMING OF BUGSY MALONE STARRING YOUNG JODIE FOSTER

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. FEATURE FILMS COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH THE SPY IN THE GREEN HAT

EXCLUSIVE JAMES BOND COVERAGE: PINEWOOD STUDIOS SPY WHO LOVED ME REUNION, SIR ROGER MOORE ACCEPTS THE CINEMA RETRO AWARD AT THE PLAYERS CLUB AND CINEMA RETRO'S LONDON PREMIERE PARTY FOR QUANTUM OF SOLACE

RAYMOND BENSON'S TOP TEN FILMS OF 1972

PLUS THE BEST SOUNDTRACK, DVD AND MOVIE BOOK REVIEWS!

DON'T MISS OUT-SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE DIRECTLY THROUGH EBAY

(NOTE: DUE TO VERY LIMITED SUPPLIES, THIS ISSUE IS NOT FOR SALE INDIVIDUALLY AT THIS TIME. IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE CURRENT SEASON SUBSCRIPTION PLAN.)

BEAT TO A PULP ~ NEW STORY!

BEAT TO A PULP ~ NEW STORY!

THE LATEST STORY TO BE PUBLISHED BY THE HARDBPOILED E-ZINE BEAT TO A PULP IS A MAN CALLED MASTERS BY JACK MARTIN . . .

"A Man Called Masters came about because I wanted to write something along the lines of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey," says the author. Jack Martin's first novel, Tarnished Star, will be published in June, 2009 by Robert Hale Ltd. He has also published extensively under his real name, Gary Dobbs. As a bit-part actor, Mr. Dobbs appeared in Doctor Who, Torchwood, Moonmonkeys, The Duchess, The Shooter, Casualty and Larkrise to Candleford.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

WRITERS OF THE FUTURE HERALD ~ NEW ISSUE!

WRITERS OF THE FUTURE HERALD ~ NEW ISSUE!

THE NEW ISSUE OF THE WRITERS OF THE FUTURE NEWSLETTER, HERALD, HAS AN INTERESTING PIECE BY L. RON HUBBARD ON STORY VITALITY.

It vaguely irritates me to hear that a pulp writer need not know anything about his scene, that he should have no preoccupation with accuracy, that a beginning action scene and plenty of fight are the only requisites.

Many moons ago I wrote a story called "The Phantom Patrol." I wrote it with an old timer's remarks in mind. I said to myself, "M'boy, you're writing tripe, why slave over it? Why go to all the trouble of researching the thing? Your readers won't know the difference anyway."

And so "The Phantom Patrol" cruised the markets, collected copious rejects.

When it at last came limping home, abashed and whipped, I gazed sternly at it. It would seem that it had all the things required for a good story. It had action, it had unusual situations, it had lots of thud and blunder. Why, then, didn't it sell?

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.!

THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.!

Paramount has officially declassified the final packaging graphics for the DVD release of The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. It’s going to be nice to have this as a companion to the four season U.N.C.L.E. box set (which I was delighted to get for Christmas), but fans will object to the removal of the subtitle, The Fifteen Years After Affair. Clearly, somebody who doesn’t remember the Man From U.N.C.L.E. goofed.

HUNTER S. THOMPSON MOTIVATIONAL POSTERS!

HUNTER S. THOMPSON MOTIVATIONAL POSTERS!

Hipster blog Sloshspot has a great idea: Motivational posters by/about the late, great Hunter S. Thompson!

Thompson inspired countless thousands of writers over the years, and I gotta think these examples are more inspiring than the insipid drivel they lampoon.

TO SEE MORE CLICK HERE

2009 STAMPS ~ DRAGNET!

2009 STAMPS ~ DRAGNET!

The United States Post Office continues to honor American pop culture with a series of 20 new stamps to be issued in 2009. Each will commemorate a classic B&W TV shows. Among the titles: I Love Lucy, You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx, Dragnet, The Honeymooners, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

In the stamp commemorating the cop show Dragnet, star Jack Webb as detective Joe Friday gives his "just the facts, ma'am," stare. I have no doubt I'll be using this one often!

THE LITTLE SLEEP ~ PAUL TREMBLAY!

THE LITTLE SLEEP ~ PAUL TREMBLAY!

BILL CRIDER HAS A COOL REVIEW ON HIS BLOG TODAY OF THE NEW P.I. NOVEL THE LITTLE SLEEP, WHICH MADE ME WANT TO RUN RIGHT OUT AND PICK UP A COPY ~

Philip K. Dick and Ross Macdonald had collaborated on a mystery novel, they might have come up with something like The Little Sleep. Mark Genevich is a p. i. in south Boston. As a result of a serious car wreck, he's disfigured. And he's narcoleptic. You might think that would be enough of a handicap for a p. i., but one of the symptoms of narcolepsy is cataplexy, brought on by stress. So imagine yourself confronted by, say, a guy with a gun. You slide off your chair to the floor and lie there, conscious but unable to move. Not a good situation. But it gets worse. Another symptom is hypnagogic hallucinations, so you're never sure if things have actually happened or if you just imagined them. Makes it tough to solve a case.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

ROBBIE MADDISON ~ NEW YEAR'S EVE, VEGAS!

ROBBIE MADDISON ~ NEW YEAR'S EVE, VEGAS!

The spirit of Evel Kneivel lives! Professional daredevil Robbie Maddison produced an amazing had an amazing performance on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas.

The Arc de Triomphe at the Paris casino is 120 feet high and he clears every inch of it and more!

Very cool!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: DEAD IN THE WATER BY TED WOOD!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: DEAD IN THE WATER BY TED WOOD!

In my last Forgotten Books posting (Head Of The Force by James Barnett), I spoke about the sub-genre within my library of novels written by current or former police officers. Ted Wood, whose debut novel Dead In The Water kicked off one of my favorite series, is another cop turned writer.

Wood was born in England and emigrated to Canada in 1954. He served on the Toronto police force for three years, and was later a copy writer and agency creative director for a Toronto advertising firm. He has written radio and stage plays, TV dramas and documentaries, magazine articles, and short stories. Dead In The Water, his first novel, was the winner of the Scribner Crime Novel Award.

Written in the first person, Dead In The Water kicked off a marvelous series featuring ex-Toronto cop turned small town police chief Reid Bennett. Assisting Bennett, and one of the major charms of the series, is Bennett’s German shepherd, Sam. Now, this is no cutesy dog lovers’ mystery – Sam is a hardcore police dog and Bennett uses him to great effect in that capacity. This doesn’t mean there isn’t affection between dog and handler – of course there is – but when it comes time to work, it’s all professional.

His life destroyed because of a bad rap he took for murdering two guys to prevent a rape, Reid Bennett relocated to Murphy's Harbor, a quaint little town in Canada. But was it really the quiet little place it seemed to be? A corpse and a scared woman, each found on a different side of the lake. Then another corpse. Reid, with his German shepherd Sam by his side, must go above and beyond the call of duty to get to the bottom of this mystery. The only way he can solve it and remain alive is to stretch the traditional definition of a police officer.

When Reid Bennett is offered a job as the one-man police force of tiny Murphy’s Harbour, it seems too good to pass up. The bad publicity following his off-duty, barehanded, killing of two men while trying to prevent a rape, has ruined his career with the Toronto police force and wrecked his marriage. In Murphy’s Harbour, a lakefront town in Muskoka cottage country, he hopes he can establish a normal life again in a calm setting.

But when a corpse turns up at one end of the lake, and a New York woman looking for protection arrives at the otherr end, Bennett’s investigations uncovers indications Murphy’s Harbour is perhaps not an idyllic haven. And within a day, the discovery of a second corpse and a cache of drugs, makes it clear the resort town has become the base of a professional crime operation.

The pleasure boats on the lake and the woodland surrounding it make a shifting and treacherous battleground. Before long, Bennett, assisted only by his German shepherd and a crippled World War II veteran, finds he must once again overstep the traditional bounds of a policeman’s role in order to survive.

Tough, fast paced, and original, Dead In The Water introduced Bennett and Sam as unique characters with a keen eye for action.

THE CAT'S MEOW!

EASTERN STANDARD CRIME PRESENTS... CROOKED!

EASTERN STANDARD CRIME PRESENTS... CROOKED!

Geoff Eighinger's new mystery e-zine, CROOKED, has landed. The first issue features stories from Sandra Seamans, Albert Tucher, and Sandra Ruttan among others, and also includes an interview with Hard Case Crimes editor Charles Adai.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

DONALD E. WESTLAKE, R.I.P.

DONALD E. WESTLAKE, R.I.P.

WHAT A TERRIBLE LOSS TO START OFF THE NEW YEAR! WESTLAKE’S PARKER CRIME NOVELS (WRITTEN AS RICHARD STARK) AND HIS DORTMUNDER CAPERS BOTH HAD STRONG INFLUENCES ON ME BOTH AS A READER AND A WRITER. HE WILL BE MISSED ~

Donald E. Westlake, a prolific, award-winning mystery novelist who pounded out more than 100 books and five screenplays on manual typewriters during his half-century career, died Wednesday night. He was 75.

Mr. Westlake collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, as he headed out to New Year’s Eve dinner while on vacation in San Tancho, Mexico, said his wife, Abigail Westlake.

Mr. Westlake, considered one of the most successful and versatile mystery writers in the United States, has earned three Edgar Awards, an Academy Award nomination for screenplay writing, and the elite title of Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.

Since his first novel, “The Mercenaries,” was published by Random House in 1960, Mr. Westlake has written under his own name and several pseudonyms, including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt and Edwin West. Despite the diversity of names, one shared feature was that almost all his books were set in New York City, where he was born.

FOR HIS FULL OBIT CLICK HERE