News!

On July 21, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

Hello all. My story Devil Eye, Desert Heart has been accepted into the anthology Reconstructing the Monster by Emby Press. Hop on over to the Emby Press website and take a look at what they have to offer. The anthology is scheduled to be printed in October, which will be perfect for the Halloween season (my favorite time of the year). I’ll be certain to post additional details as they present themselves. Never to early to shock the great marketing beast and set it loose in the village called the internet, so raise the platform and light up the sky.

The Return

On July 8, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

Alright, I admit that I may have fallen behind here. Not to worry, I have just been going through some stuff, but will be returning with a vengeance soon. Still writing and ever pressing forward.

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” ~Ray Bradbury

News!

On April 16, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

Check out my Horror in a Hundred titled Matchstick at Hellnotes today.

This is a small kernel of a larger story I hope to write one day. I think it would make a great screenplay or stage play. I’m going for an urban legend vibe such as Candyman, but in a more rural setting.

Once Upon a Time in the Weird

On March 23, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

There are few things that satisfy me more than a good western. Throw in some cursed six shooters, a half-mad Confederate general back from the dead and a bevy of ghoulish henchmen, and you had me at cursed six shooters. Doesn’t hurt that I just finished a weird western short story of my own not long ago (still waiting on word if that one was accepted for the anthology so yo uwill know when I do).

I am describing a collection of a comic book called The Sixth Gun. The first six issues are collected in the trade paperback I picked up at the local convention last week. The series is written by a fine fellow named Cullen Bunn with pretty pictures by the infamous (more than famous) Brain Hurtt.

Mr. Bunn knows how to weave a fantastic yarn that will blow your socks off and occasionally slip you the willies. There are six cursed guns, you see, with most of them in the hands of wicked men (and a woman) hell-bent on reviving their former general and bringing about a mess of death and destruction to rain on the world. Each gun carries a unique power and can only be held by their current owner until their death. Good thing we have such shiftily (yeah, I made that up) upright men as Drake Sinclair and friend Billjohn O’Henry to avert the oncoming apocalypse. Ms. Montcrief is just an innocent thrown into the mess by accident, or fate. The story moves along at a cracking pace with smooth dialog and precise prose.

The art by Mr. Hurtt is a beauty and that is no small feat when your tasked with illustrating a lived-in Old West, zombie clay warriors, horses, a river of chains and one mighty ticked off thunderbird. I can’t think of an artist more fit for this story.

If you are a fan of westerns and the weird, check this one out.

Update!

On March 15, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

Just added a new comic book script that was for an anthology. It was accepted to the anthology but no artist was found so it was left out. I feel that there is really no place for it now so I am posting it in hopes the right eyes see it. The Velvet Ace is my own creation and think the story feels suitably old school pulp. Enjoy.

Comic Books, For Kids

On March 2, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

I feel like Norville Barnes in the movie The Hudsucker Proxy when he is trying to pitch a new idea to the board room.Norville invented the hula hoop you see, but the simple round object was a bit perplexing to the heads of business. “For kids,” Norville added, with a shaky smile.

Every so often the topic of kids and comic books rears its serpentine head among fans and professionals. Are comic books supposed to be made for kids? Were comic books ever made for kids? Why not? Who is the target demographic for comic books? I’ve seen these questions and more online in last few days and thought I would give my couple of cents on the topic (my opnion, alas, is such only and thus it could be declared totally ignorant by anyone else). I think that most of comic book fandom will admit that they were introduced to comic books when they were young kids, yet what are kids these days introduced to in comic books? An abundance of dark themes. Plots boiled in “reality.” Women in costumes that would be welcome in a strip club. Profanity. Grey morality. These are all featured in the books of the big two companies; Marvel and DC Comics. I even remember the first Swimsuit edition comic books that appeared in the 90s, tell me who those were created for.

Do all comics need to be for kids? Certainly not. However, it is my lament that the vast majority of books from the big two are no longer made for kids. When I started reading comic books, it was with Spider-Man when I was about ten or eleven years old. I would not feel confident handing a current Spider-Man title to a ten-year old kid these days. You may call me a prude, and that is fine, but I don’t believe that I am the only one that feels this way. Now don’t get me wrong, I still can enjoy some of the current crop of comic books that fall into this category (Bendis’ Moon Knight, Remender’s Punisher: Franken-Castle and Brubaker’s Captain America to name a few), but would enjoy them more if I could pass on the fun of this medium to the younger generation.

Who is afraid of the “all ages” moniker? When I write material for comic books, I make certain to keep it appropriate for all ages (my money is where my mouth is, so to speak). Some may look on that as handicapping yourself. I feel it does otherwise. Look at the Disney animation branch as an example. Pixar alone could prove my point. Anyone arguing that Up, The Incredibles, Toy Story and Monsters Inc aren’t enjoyed by my 6-year-old daughter, myself and my grandparents equally are out of touch with reality.

When I was growing up, I looked up to the heroes in the comic books like Spider-Man, Captain America and even the X-Men. Though I realized they were not real individuals, they represented real ideals and morals that were to be admired. I can’t argue that the heroes in today’s comic books don’t also inspire, yet the baggage they come with due to the push to be relevant and real, can do more harm than good. The real world is all around us everyday and often all too sobering. Heroes with flaws are welcome, we all have flaws, but let’s also remember that these heroes are super, keep them super. If it somehow angers the fanboy or girl within yourself to read a slightly de-fanged comic book from one of the big two, remember the wonder that beheld the kid you once were when those first comic book pages flashed before your eyes. You might just find yourself in wonder again. Then go grab a copy of the Watchmen or Constantine comic book and read the night away.

In summary; I wish there were more comic books from the big two companies featuring the main cast of heroes that were targeted to all ages and not just adults. If you wish otherwise, so be it and have a nice day. We now return you to your regularly scheduled internet browsing.

The Bookshelf

On February 1, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

Dracula by Bram Stoker: I still remember the first time I read Dracula. The first thing that hit me was that it was written like a journal. I don’t believe that I had read a novel written in such a fashion at that time. This brought an immediacy to the story and drew me in just as Jonathan Harker was caught in Dracula’s web of dread and horror. The cast of fascinating characters sped things along; Mina’s precarious predicament, Lucy’s dreadful fate, Renfield’s mad servitude, Van Helsing’s scientific analysis of vampirism and Dr. Seward’s curiosity. I would have loved to be amidst the first readers when Stoker’s novel was originally published in 1897. It was a shame that Stoker never received his greatest accolades before his death. Be certain to read this one on a dark night when the moon is full and the shadows flicker across the walls from a crackling fire.

Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand: The first of three Roland March novels. March is a hardboiled homicide detective in Houston, Texas that has seen better days. This case is his last chance to save his crumbling career. He has a determination for justice and a heart to be a better man. To bad the darkness refuses to give up quietly. I highly recommend this book to fans of great crime fiction. This book can also be categorized as Christian Fiction but don’t let that fool you. This is fiction a Christian can read without worry of a volley of profanities but no punches are pulled and the struggles are very real. I have this book on the virtual shelf of my e-reader and have yet to read the other two books in the series. I have been waiting to get the series in hardcover but still searching for the source to do so. However you can get your hands on this book, do it. You will not be disappointed.

The Complete Peanuts by Charles Shultz: I have the 1973-1975 volumes of this sprawling series. I have always loved comic strips but Peanuts has always been my favorite. I remember playing with Peanuts Colorforms as a child and watching any of the cartoons I could get my hands on. I know I cannot do justice to what Shultz accomplished with the Peanuts strip but can say it is wonderful, profound, hilarious, charming, imaginative, playful and a joy. I need to add more of this series to my collection soon.

Hagar the Horrible by Dik Browne: I have the 1973-1975 volumes. I love Hagar the Horrible. I love his cluelessness, his tenacity, his loyalty and spirit. He makes me laugh as well. You can’t keep a good viking down, no matter how hard you try (unless fine mead is involved).

Dennis the Menace by Hal Ketchum: A one-strip comic is a difficult beast to tame but Ketchum seemingly does it with ease. I think everyone knows the tenacious kid named Dennis and his grumpy neighbor Mr. Wilson. The economy of line in the strip is mind-boggling. It is no wonder that Ketchum was a former Disney animator. Each large panel brings you back to a simpler day and time and a remembrance of what it was like to see the world through the eyes of a kid. I think every child has a bit of Dennis in him or her.

Comedians in Cars

On January 20, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

So, I recently discovered Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. It is a series of 15 minute short videos on the web where Jerry Seinfeld takes a fellow comedian for a ride, a cup of coffee and a conversation. The ride is always in a different car, some classic and some modern, and the coffee is always at a local brew house. You would think by the title of the series (now in its third season) that this has the potential to be very boring. However, comedians have no off switch.

Of course, some say comedy is a subjective thing. I hold the view that the language of comedy is universal, people just have various laugh thresholds. The ABCs of comedy contain such names as Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields, The Three Stooges, Abbot and Costello, The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Mel Brooks, Steve Martin and even Jerry Seinfeld. I have left most of the alphabet unnamed due to space constraints but I think you get the idea.

Another falsehood regarding comedy is that if you don’t laugh it must not be funny. One time, after watching a classic Abbot and Costello movie, someone remarked that it had been awfully quiet during the film and they though it was supposed to be funny. It is against the laws of nature for Abbot and Costello to be not funny. You might as well ask the sun to stop shining or the moon to fall to the Earth. Although I may not have laughed out loud at the duo’s antics, I did have a wide grin across my face and certainly offered a hardy chuckle or two. One can appreciate comedy done well whether one laughs or not.

From my ramblings thus far, you probably think I fancy myself a comedian. I have been told I’m funny a time or two but I am far from anyone calling me a comedian. I respect the craft too much to call myself one. However, as a writer, I do spend a lot of my time with words, and I know how difficult it is to bend the language to your will for a specific outcome. I also can appreciate the play with words that comedians often tackle.

Anyway, check out Seinfeld’s series. Every time I view an episode I feel like a friend getting to tag along with a great comedian as he chats with his buddies that also happen to be funny. You might learn a thing or two about comedy. Maybe Seinfeld will have a chat and a cup of joe with Abbot and Costello one time. I wonder what they would talk about?

The Bookshelf

On January 2, 2014 By BrandonLeave a comment

I see no better way to start the new year off than with a new Bookshelf post. These have been a nice bit of filler for when I don’t have a review or news or anything and also provide a small window into my reading habits and inspirations. Perhaps you have been able to find a new favorite author through these as well. I believe that we will reach the end of my library in the near future and will valiantly try to post more about the various topics my meager mind happens to conjure up. I hope you enjoy.

Monster Spotter’s Guide to North America by Scott Francis: I hesitate to include this here because it could be classified as non-fiction and I have not started posting such books yet. I segregate fiction and non-fiction in my personal library. However, because some of you are skeptical of the unseen, I place this volume here. The guide is a pleasant compendium of monsters and beasts that call North America home. The monsters are categorized geographically and by type. You will find information on such cryptids as The Dover Demon, Bigfoot, Wampus Cat, Hodag and Goatman. It is a small enough book that it fits in your backpack with ease. I recommend this guide to all those in search of and thrilled by the unknown.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman: This is a wonderful book about the end of the world. The main characters are an angel and a demon that form an easy alliance to make certain that everything happens according to plan. However, they increasingly are not certain they want that plan to succeed. The book is filled to the brim with Pratchett’s fine English wit and Gaiman’s strange imagination. I guarantee this book will make you giggle out loud more than once.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman:A slim but expansive novel about a boy with something to prove, a fallen star with a bit of a hobble and a race to become king. If you have seen the movie, you know what to expect, but the liberties the film version took are often times curious. You will find much enjoyment in the tale anyway. I wish I had the edition with the beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: This is Gaiman’s ode to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Substitute Mowgli with Bod, a boy abondened in a graveyard, and Bagheera with a mysterious vampire. Gaiman weaves the fantastic tale with his usual elegant prose and dark humor. This is a book classified for young readers but all ages will benefit from the reading.

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma: Nothing is as it seems in this story of H. G. Wells and his investigation of a real time machine. It is also a story of adventure, love and ultimately deception. Palma is certainly an accomplished writer and I really did fall in love with the story being told. However, I find my self hesitant to read the sequel to the book. I can still highly recommend The Map of Time to those wanting to fall into a historical fantasy with no expectations but to be entertained. If you fall prey to Palma’s sleight of hand, remember that I warned you.

The Most Wonderful Time

On December 22, 2013December 22, 2013 By BrandonLeave a comment

There is something about Christmas that makes some fine films. Of course, there is also something about Christmas that makes some really awful and sappy films. It was the best of times and the worst of times. I could go on, but I think you get my point.

There are a few movies that I get out every Christmas that help me to get into the spirit of the season and I thought I would share them with you. Consider this a little gift under your Christmas tree from me to you. Sorry the bow on the gift is a little off…I did my best.

White Christmas: It is called a classic for a reason. Bing Crosby is his usual cool self and Danny Kay makes a great wiry sidekick, and the girls, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen, aren’t bad either. This story of a Christmas show put on for a retired General by his former troop is like a swirling snow globe that you can’t wait to pick up and view that tiny magical scene again and again. The music by Irving Berlin is stellar, including the favorite White Christmas, but Snow and Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep are winners as well.

Elf: After a string of Christmas disappointments at the movies, I was beginning to think that I would never find a new Christmas classic in my stocking. I was wrong. Elf floats along with an undeniable charm and whimsy guided by Will Ferrell. Ferrell plays a human adopted by elves that just wants to find his real father and his place in the world. Being a Christmas elf, he can’t help but bring his cherry disposition to the cynical New Yorkers and eventually his father as well. This movie came out in 2003 and I think that was the last Christmas Classic. Shows you what a rare treat this really is.

Jingle All The Way: I can hear you crying foul already. A Christmas movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Trust me on this one. Arnold plays a father that forgot to get a present for his son. This present happens to be the hottest toy of the year; Turbo Man. Hilarious happenings ensue. I don’t know why I love this movie so much but I do. It probably has something to do with Sinbad as a psycho postal worker and Phil Hartman as a smarmy but charming neighbor with the hots for Arnold’s wife. I also think this is Arnold’s best work in a comedy. Watch this one and you will always say the names of Santa’s reindeer with an Arnold/Austrian accent. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen…

Earnest Saves Christmas: Few Christmas movies can match the magic and mirth of Earnest. I feel this movie has been undervalued and you will be hard pressed to find a good copy of this on DVD. Do yourself a favor and search it out anyway. If the thought of Earnest having to fill in for Santa while a new Santa is being prepared, doesn’t fill your mind with swirly high jinks, your imagination is dead. If you have no idea who Earnest is, then I pity you and hope you intend to rectify this immediately.

Home Alone: I know of few movies that made my Dad laugh as much as this one did. The slapstick nature of the two bumbling robbers played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as they attempt to rob a house guarded by a lone 8-year-old, is hard to resist. John Hughes is certain to inject some heart into the film as well. Everyone learns a lesson but it is done in such an honest way that keeps a smile across your face the entire time. I wish more directors would take notes from Hughes on how to do a family comedy right.

That is all I have for my gift. Feel free to add your own Christmas favorite in comments below. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The Bookshelf

On December 7, 2013December 7, 2013 By BrandonLeave a comment

I have been remise in posting of late and deeply regret it. The holiday season is upon us and I’ve got a lot on my plate. I am trying to finalize my short story for a Weird Western anthology and continue writing my novel plus a few other projects. Enough about me…

Selected Poems and Tales by Edgar Allen Poe: This is a large Barnes and Noble edition with illustrations by Mark Summers and an introduction by Neil Gaiman. It probably comes as no surprise to you that I am a fan of Poe’s work. While I enjoy his stories I am fonder still of his verse. I believe that Annabel Lee was my introduction to Poe and the first story I read was The Cask of Amontillado. I was hooked after that. There is a reason that numerous movies and works have been inspired by the works of Poe. His writings worm their fiendish way inside of you and tether themselves with terror and dread. The Conqueror Worm indeed.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: This edition is illustrated by Alan Lee. I doubt there isn’t a fantasist in the land that doesn’t have this book on their shelf. Bilbo Baggins and his dwarven companions take to an adventure that none will soon forget. The world that Tolkien creates is detailed, vast and wonderous. How could I not want to return back again and again. I eagerly await the coming second part of the recent Hobbit movie and you should too.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: This is a massive paperback collection of all three volumes. I really need to attain a more sturdy edition and have my eye on one at Barnes and Noble, but for now, this is what I have. There is so much to say about the Lord of the Rings that I find myself at a loss to encapsulate it. Some would call this the father of the Fantasy genre and certainly it is one of the seeds if nothing else. The characters and action grab hold of your imagination and the world Tolkien has created swallows you whole. The quest to destroy the One Ring, searched for by the Dark Lord Sauron, and heal the land from the evil threatening to overtake it entirely. A quest led by a small hobbit named Frodo and his trusty friend Sam but that also involves, dwarves, elves, wizards and mighty creatures of magic. The recent movies made from these volumes are masterpieces and I recommend you watch them right away if you have not.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo: One of my most favorite books. The prose is often beautiful and always a joy to read. If you are used to reading modern novels only, it will take some getting used to reading with a bit more effort, but it is well worth it. I am still waiting for a film version that captures the novel’s heart and tempestuous nature. I modeled the main character in my current novel a bit after Quasimodo, so yeah, I’m a fan.

Neuromancer by William Gibson (20th Anniversary Edition): This book came out in 1984, fourteen years before the movie The Matrix. Mind blown. Gibson is often credited with birthing the cyberpunk genre. Gibson’s virtual reality has become our own. Any fan of science fiction will revel in the prose and stylings found in this book.

“Know how a ROM personality matrix works?”

“Sure, bro, it’s a firmware construct.”

“So I jack it into the bank I’m using, I can give it a sequential, real time memory?”

“Guess so,” said the construct.

“Okay, Dix. You are a ROM construct. Got me?”

“If you say so,” said the construct. “Who are you?”

“Case.”

The Bookshelf

On November 9, 2013November 11, 2013 By BrandonLeave a comment

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman: Imagine if Dracula was not killed at the end of Stoker’s novel but managed to escape to fight another day, marry the Queen of England and start a new trend called vampirism, then you would have this delightful alternate history horror tale. If you like vampires and are a fan of Stoker’s original novel, you will enjoy Newman’s take on familiar characters and new. There may be a silver knife murderer stalking the vampires of London as well. This is the first in a series, of which I have read all of, yet have only this one remaining in my collection. The entire series is good and follows Dracula and his foes throughout history. I believe a new book in the series just came out this month so I will have to check it out at once.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: While we are on the subject of vampires…let’s talk about Kostova’s first novel. A young woman finds a journal that details the possible existence of one Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula, long after he would be dead and buried. The woman decides to follow the remaining threads from the journal and trek across old Europe in search of this mythical vampire figure to find the truth for herself. This could be considered a thriller but a slow simmering one with an atmosphere of dread and a cast of vivid characters. Kostovo’s prose is wonderful and often chilling. I highly recommend this novel to those that like to wrap up in a cozy blanket on a dark night and be drawn slowly into a rich tale of darkness and adventure and a vampire.

The Ultimate Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: This is a giant edition that contains all five of Douglas’ Hitchhiker novels in one book. If you have never read a book by Douglas before, you are in for a treat. I read the first three books in Middle School, if my memory is to be trusted, and they made an impression on me for sure. Funny, witty and hilarious are a few ways to describe these books. Arthur Dent is saved, seconds before the earth is demolished, by Ford Perfect, a researcher for the Guide. Comedy ensues. A must read to bolster your geek cred. 42.

Hondo, To Tame a Land, High Lonesome and Kiowa Trail by Louis L’Amour: These are four novels that I managed to snag in hardback legacy edition a number of years back. If you are a fan of Westerns at all then you have to read L’Amour at some point in your life. I am a casual fan of the Western and have to admit that these are my favorites. The man wrote ninety nine published novels so I will readily admit they can’t all be winners but there are plenty you’ll find to love. His novels capture the West in such a natural yet high-spirited way that you can’t help but be swept up in the adventure. A true American treasure.

It’s Superman by Tom DeHaven: For those of you that like your Superman to be traditional ( I count myself in that lot) I beg you hear me out on this one. This is a novel with a skewed take on the origin of the man of steel we all know and love. It is also a lot of fun. Don’t worry, Superman is treated with respect. DeHaven writes in such a way that pays tribute to the comic book genre and, at the same time, pokes a slight jab at it for good clean sport. An enjoyable read from beginning to end.

ELECTRIC DARKNESS

Author: Brandon

News!

The Return

News!

Once Upon a Time in the Weird

Update!

Comic Books, For Kids

The Bookshelf

Comedians in Cars

The Bookshelf

The Most Wonderful Time

The Bookshelf

The Bookshelf