What's Crack-A-Lackin'?

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

We were in Mexico for a week, then back to work. I'm finishing up all the radio stuff today so I can be off next week to help my wife with Thanksgiving prep. We have family and friends here for a couple of days. It's crazy, but I love it.

PoH has been postponed for a couple of weeks. Look for a gigantic holiday-sized spectacular in December.

I hope to get some writing done next week. I have a story due for another anthology.

And when I got back from Mexico a big box of copies of The Avenger Chronicles was here. This will mean little to almost everybody, but in the 70s, I was really into the pulp hero reprints (Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider) and one of my favorites was the Warner reprints of The Avenger novels. So when I got a chance to write a new story about the character for Moonstone Comics' prose anthology, I jumped all over it.

The Avenger was (like most pulp heroes born in the 1930s) a scientist, adventurer, and wealthy. When his wife and child are murdered, his hair turns white and his facial muscles are paralyzed to the extent that he can "mold" his face to disguise himself. Along with a band of like-minded individuals who have also been affected by tragic crime, The Avenger forms an organization called Justice, Inc (yep) to aid those the police can't help.

Originally, Moonstone asked me for a story. After I turned it in, they wondered if I would "punch up" another story, ala a script doctor, and solve a couple of problems. So I sort of have two stories in the book. Yay me.

Here a link (BTW, I was invited to the party too late to make the Amazon listing):

So what have YOU been up to?

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:35 pm

Congratulations Mark! Sounds like a cool project and one I'm sure you are well suited for considering your interest in pulp fiction.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:41 pm

Are you doing another collaberative Christamas story this year for POH?

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:33 pm

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Congrats on the Avenger [double]gig, Mark!

This week was particularly calm for me but not for the rest of the city. A ton of presidents from all over the world (Bush included) were here for APEC. It's a huge deal and a huge responsibility for Peru so security measures were raised several notches. I live near one of the city's most important avenues so there were some road blocks nearby (traffic was restricted in some streets) which made traffic a big problem earlier in the week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were declared non-working days so I've been staying at home most of the time.

I got to see Quantum of Solace on Wednesday, opening day. It was okay but I expected much more. I enjoyed Casino Royale much more.

This week I also received my copy of Legends of the Mountain State 2, with an opener by one Mark Justice

. On their way to me are the 2-disc edition of The Mist, which I got at half price and also Roland Damien Malfi's "Passenger" which I've heard a lot about. I should also be receiving my contributor copies of John Little's "Miranda" and David Niall Wilson's "Cletus Diggs and the Habits of Nature (for short)". Can't wait to see the final product

Trying to squeeze the last few minutes of freedom before having to return to my wake-up-at-six a.m. days. This month has been slow for me, hope it picks up a bit in this last week.

Anyway, that's what's been going on south of the Equator. Looking forward to the next POH!

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Oh, yea I loved The Mist but hated the ending. I'm one of those who feel the whole thing was ruined by it.

I'm curious about the B+W version.

As for the Bond films, I loved Casino Royale, on one part because I wasn't crazy about Craig as the new Bond so I went in with zero expectations and really enjoyed it. Quantum has action but in the end it's not really fulfilling. It starts up with this over-the-top car chase but once it's over you are left saying... "okay... this is the opener?" (one of the weakest openers for a Bond film IMO).

I did love The Dark Knight. I don't feel the action got in the way of the story as it happens in some films where the plot is so convoluted that you can't make heads or tails and you have to merely watch the fireworks and give up on the plot (like the film "Shoot Em Up" which is basically an incredible stunts show but not much of a movie as plot goes).

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

What's Crack-A-Lackin'?

Who is online