I am saddened to report that I just received a call from Patty Sheffield in Chula Vista, California, to inform me that my old buddy, Johnny Sheffield, passed away Friday night. Big John fell from his ladder Friday afternoon and suffered a heart attack in the process. Followers of my blog know well how important Big John was to me for many years. I wrote the attached blog on his awhile back:

http://billcainonline.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=79

I’ll do a proper tribute to him in the days ahead, but for now, please keep Patty and the Sheffield family in your prayers. Umgawa, Big Brother! I miss you already.

Rest in Peace, Johnny Sheffield. You were amazing!

Just keep telling yourself, "It's JUST a movie! It's JUST a movie!" AAARRRGGGHHH!

Welcome back to my Halloween themed posts for October.  Let’s finish up our “scary listings” by looking at my top 15 scariest movies of all time.

Now I don’t want this list to cover the “usual suspects,” although you’ll see some here. Since I want this to be different from your run-of-the-mill horror movie list, I’m looking at movies that scared me the most WHEN I SAW THEM! So seeing a movie at age 12 (or 6) might have a totally different impact than seeing it for the first time at age 32. For example, when the old Adam West Batman show would end in a cliffhanger, my 7-year old mind worried that Batman actually might not make it! See what I mean?

Oh, no! Is this the end of the Caped Crusader?

So let’s go inside this haunted house, push the spider-webs aside, and see what we find lurking behind the shadows. Some of my choices will make you say, “Of course!” And some, you’ll scream, “What was he thinking?” For the most part, you won’t find current slasher films or tales of teens who have sex just before they get sliced up by a maniac. And movies that blame it all on the military for doing illegal experiments so they can kill more people? Yawn.

I will reverse countdown (beginning at #15) and ending with my #1. You’ll also see an “HM” … Honorable Mention … alongside each selection.   HM = this one was also good and, in many cases, a similar film, but was not quite good enough to crack the top 15. Ready? Enough of this. Let’s get started!

#15:
Chamber of Horrors (1966)
Patrick O’Neal (Family Feud) stars as a psycho in 19th Century London who cuts off his hand to escape the law, then dispatches his old enemies using various blades and knives for his artificial hand. The grisly ending takes place in a Wax Museum. Saw it on TV one night when I was in the 3rd grade. What were my parents thinking? It was originally intended to be a TV series about scary happenings in that same wax museum but was never picked up by a studio.

BTW, am I the only person in America who thinks wax museums are spooky? I remember visiting one with my parents on vacation and I swear that Nathan Hale nodded at me in the scene where he was about to be hanged. Did Chamber of Horrors affect my thinking in that place? Hmmmm.

HM: House of Wax (1953)

The legendary Vincent Price as a disfigured sculptor whose wax figures look “too real.” Can you guess why?  The scene where his face “breaks away” is awesome and still scary! This movie first got my attention as a kid in the 60s, seeing it featured on the cover of Famous Monsters of Film Land magazine. It features the debut of Charles Buchinsky, later to “become” Charles Bronson (who was my inspiration for Jeremiah Bronson in Dogwoods Blush).  It was remade in 2005, remembered mostly for the on-screen death of Paris Hilton.

#14:
The Prophecy (1995)
Supernatural/end of times films are always scary and this one tops ‘em all. We all expect demons and the devil to try and destroy us, but what if there was a 2nd rebellion in Heaven and the Angels wanted to wipe us out to restore “order” in the universe? Christopher Walken at his creepy best really made me think about all things cosmic and their place in the order of the universe. (Despite objections from my friends that I am not capable of such thought)!

Christopher Walken menacing mankind in THE PROPHECY.

HM: The Stand (1994).
This epic TV series starred Gary Sinese among others and was an excellent adaptation of the equally excellent Stephen King book. As scary as biological warfare is, what happened AFTER the attack that devastated society is even scarier!

Turn in your CTU badge, Bauer!

#13:
An Eye For an Eye (1996).
My #1 fear is not being able to protect my family. Blame it on Death Wish (1974). I was a teenager then, but Eye came out after I was a married father of three. Keifer Sutherland may be the hero to lots of ladies out there thanks to 24, but I will never get his evil, murderous character from this film out of my mind. It’s too scary for me to even enjoy. That’s why I still don’t quite trust Jack Bauer!

DIGRESSION:  Speaking of Death Wish and not forgiving Keifer, what about Jeff Goldblum?  He was one of the thugs who raped Bronson’s daughter and killed his wife and he GOT AWAY WITH IT!!!!  When I saw him later as the hero in films like Jurassic Park, The Lost World and Independence Day, I wanted to call 911 and say, “That’s the guy!!!!  Arrest him!!!”    (Or better yet, point him out to Dirty Harry)!

America's Most Wanted! If you see this man, call 911!

HM: Breakdown (1997).
Very similar in nature to Eye, but a much happier ending. The great Kurt Russell realizes his wife has been kidnapped in the wasteland of the western USA and seeks to rescue her before the kidnappers realize he has no real money and kill her. Again, this movie feeds my #1 fear and Russell is his usual amazing self in depicting a normal guy trying to be a superhero.

Kurt Russell, fighting the bad guys MUCH better than Keifer Sutherland would do, in BREAKDOWN.

#12:
Halloween (1978).
John Carpenter’s ground-breaking film that opened the door for Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and the various slasher films that dominated the 80s. But this one is scarier by far! Saw this one in college and it was so original at the time, it really made me think about the “Boogey Man” and what he might look like if he came looking for me. It was the talk of my college buddies for weeks afterward. This film also made a star of the talented Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut.

Carpenter made up for a very low budget and no gore with exceptional storytelling and cinematography!

HM: The Funhouse (1981).
Great book (see last week’s post) but poor film. I include it here simply because the monster was so darn terrifying. And his final battle, which seems to last about 10 hours and features some GREAT cinematography and suspense, is truly frightening! Absolutely first rate! The last 20-minutes or so of this Tobe Hooper film really had me on the edge of my seat!

Scared of clowns? Lots of folks are. But that's not the worst thing inside THE FUNHOUSE!

#11:
The Frozen Dead (1966).
Nazi scientist keeps the heads of evil Nazis alive, hoping to transplant them on a healthy body.

HM: The Brain That Would Not Die (1962).
Beautiful woman survives decapitation in car crash because her scientist husband keeps her head alive.

Horrific press reports about poor Jayne Mansfield gave me nightmares as a child. Such reporting still exists and is shameful.

I saw both of these movies on TV in the late 60s when monster movies came on late night on weekends. They are pretty much interchangeable, but the idea of a detached head that still lives continues to give me the willies! I gave Frozen the “nod” (haha) due to the final scene (above), where the head begs someone to “bury me!” Yikes! But Brain creeped me out, too, thanks to the urban legends of the era about poor Jayne Mansfield being decapitated in a car accident and still living for a long time afterward. I went to a local carnival in the late 60s (I was 10-11) and saw a supposed “headless” corpse that still lived. Sure it was fake, but it gave me nightmares for years! And I still recall the billboards at that carny, which were much too graphic for today’s county fairs! This concept led to the creation of a similar creature, “The Head-Man,” in my upcoming horror novel, Dove of War (October 2011).

#10:
The Sixth Sense (1999).
“I see dead people,” plus the absolute best twist ending EVER! This movie just blew me away then and still does today. My favorite Bruce Willis performance by a mile!

What do you see, kid? First-rate suspense!

HM: Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968).
The great Chris Lee as Dracula in this Hammer Films classic. I was 14 and watched it on a late-night TV fest. The British Studio, Hammer, made dozens of low-brow horror films that were much more bloody, violent, and sexy than the old Universal projects, especially for the era. The final shot … Dracula impaled on a silver cross as the sun comes up … had me gasping for air.

What are you waiting for, man??? Do it!!!!

#9:
Dracula (1931).

The amazing Bela Lugosi!

Bela Lugosi’s enduring depiction of the Man from Transylvania, Count Dracula. I watched this with my Mom on TV when I was about 8 .  She shared with me that she saw it when she was about my age and how it scared her as well.  Great memory!  “I never drink … wine!” There will NEVER be another Bela!

HM: The Indestructible Man (1956).
Don’t laugh. This low-budget stinker starring Lon Chaney, Jr. (The Wolf Man) came on TV on a Sunday afternoon when I was about 10. The idea of electricity bringing murderers back to life and making them “indestructible” was just too scary for me to comprehend. How would any of us ever be safe? You may laugh now, but 1960s rural Georgia was a much more innocent time than today’s ultra-violent standards. And Chaney is forever Hollywood royalty in my mind. I have to say it … this movie was SHOCKING!

#8:
American Werewolf In London (1981).
Best werewolf movie EVER!!! The transformation was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. And the “nightmare within a nightmare” sequences were first rate! A friend at the time, after hearing how I loved this movie, said, “Bill, you are sick!” I knew that BEFORE I saw this flick!  The graphic nature of this film cost actor David Naughton a spot in the Dr. Pepper soft drink ads of the early 80s.

What? Dr. Pepper cancelled my contract? Nooooo!

HM: Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972).
Chris Lee returns in his final turn as the evil Count Dracula, besetting the descendants of arch-enemy Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) in modern London. This was the first Hammer Film I saw at the theater, so that was thrilling in and of itself. And the opening sequence, with Dracula battling Van Helsing atop a runaway horse-drawn carriage in 1872 only to be impaled on the broken wagon wheel? Oh my! And using Satanic rites to bring him back from the dead? Oh man! This was scary stuff in 1972, at least for this country boy!

Chris Lee's final take on the Count. The London hippies never had a chance!

#7:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).
This was drive-in heaven. The title alone is enough to make you cringe, and the ads that promoted it as a true story were relentless. To this day, when I hear a chainsaw, I think of this movie.

My sentiments exactly!

HM: The Hills Have Eyes (1977).
Remade as a gore-fest in 2005, this 1977 original plays on my #1 fear again of not being able to protect my family. Anytime I travel along a deserted road where the stores or gas stations are miles and miles apart, I think of this very disturbing film. I saw it late-night in college, so it didn’t have much impact on me at the time. But looking back on it, the concepts depicted here are as horrific as they come.

It took awhile for the full impact of this disturbing film to hit me ... but it eventually did!

#6:
The Naked Jungle (1954).
The amazing Charlton Heston in his pre-Ten Commandments and pre-Ben-Hur days, battling hordes of killer soldier ants who destroy everything in their path in South America. I

Chuck Heston saved the day for me to play outside again!

sat in my Grandmother’s lap and watched it on TV one night in the early 60s (I was 5-6). I’d been bitten by ants, of course, and the idea of being attacked by millions who could eat you and leave nothing but bones in seconds was almost more than my overactive little mind could handle. Thank you, Mr. Heston, for saving the day (as you always did)!

HM: Nightmares (1983).

Lance Henriksen

Saw this on HBO in the mid-80s. This collection of four different 20-minute tales is first rate from beginning to end. Based on urban legends, the first story, Terror in Topanga, has a smoking addict (Cristina Raines) going out to buy some cigarettes despite reports of a killer loose in the neighborhood. The second story, Bishop of Battle, has a teenager (Emilio Estevez) who becomes so good at a video game that the game comes to life to collect him. (This is the best known segment from this movie). The third story, The Benediction, has a priest (one of my favorite actors, Lance Henriksen) who loses his faith, leaves his monastery and is stalked on the road by a black pick-up truck from hell, literally. The fourth story Night of the Rat, has a couple (Richard Masur and Veronica Cartwright), along with their young daughter, battling a giant rat living in their suburban home. do you feel nervous when you see a little mouse in your house?  Imagine a rat the size of a calf!  That’s right!  This collection just gets better and better as it goes along.

#5:
The Exorcist (1973).
I was 14 when it came out. My dad would not let me see it, so I was in my 20s before I finally witnessed Linda Blair say and do all those horrible things under the influence of demonic possession. While seeing the movie was somewhat of a letdown by the time I saw it, the time when it came out is forever tattooed on my brain. Highly controversial, all my high school buddies ranted about it, proclaiming that “this is something that can really happen to us!” It spawned hundreds of imitations, even to this day. The phenomenon of The Exorcist is impossible to ignore.

HM: Angel Heart (1987).

A much scarier Lucifer (Robert DeNiro) and the amazing performance of Mickey Rourke make this one of the best “you can’t beat the devil” tales of all time. DeNiro is just amazing and his scenes with Rourke rank as some of the best acting ever!    “Alas… how terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise, Johnny!”

Johnny Angel learns an age-old lesson the hard way! A++++ acting from a superb cast!

#4:
The Fly (1958).
Vincent Price in a rare “good guy” role. Poor David Hedison (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) gets the short end in possibly the single scariest scene in all of movie history! “Help me! Help me!” I defy you to find a scene any scarier than the ending to this film! (Even though Vincent Price admitted later that it took several takes to film it because he could not stop laughing!).

HM: The Amityville Horror (1979).
Why do I like this movie? The acting is terrible. The book did not convince me of its validity. The whole story seems concocted. Yet, there’s something about it that still kinda creeps me out (forget the sequels and the remake … trash all around). And why is it ALWAYS 3:00 am when I wake up in the middle of the night?

An actual photo of a supposed ghost or demon in the Amityville house. Is it real? You make the call.

#3:
The Thing (1982).
John Carpenter completely reinvents the 1951 sci-fi thriller starring James Arness and casts my hero, Kurt Russell, as mankind’s only hope in an arctic hell! I saw this film in a theater in 1982 and people were screaming in the audience. And the ending? Why was there never a sequel to this movie?

The heroic Kurt Russell in THE THING! But did he save the day? Will we ever REALLY know? Look to the skys!

The horrific scene in ALIEN. Oh, wait! This is not it! Oh, well ... enjoy!

HM: Alien (1979).
ROTC summer camp, Fayetteville, NC, 1979. Two things I’ll ALWAYS remember … Sigourney Weaver in her underwear and … hey, YOU KNOW THE SCENE I’m talking about!!!! Everyone in the theater jumped and gasped when it happened because NO ONE in 1979 saw it coming!

#2:
The Birds (1963).
Saw it on TV with my family in the mid-60’s when I was about 9. I had a huge crush on Tippi Hedren and wanted to protect her at the end, which must be normal since that’s EXACTLY what director Alfred Hitchcock wanted audiences to feel when he cast her. I recall playing with my buddy, Tony Webb, during recess shortly after seeing this movie. We noticed several birds starting to gather on a telephone wire and got scared. Well done, Mr. Hitchcock.

HM: Fistful of Brains (2008).
Hey, creator/writer/director Christine Parker is a good friend and son Sting Cain is Executive Producer! I even got a small cameo in a crowd where I’m screaming at someone to please let me inside before the zombies get me.  (http://billcainonline.com/?p=104)  Darn if they wouldn’t open that door! I never said this list was fair or scientific!

The upcoming sequel to FISTFUL OF BRAINS from the ever-talented Christine Parker!

Follow Christine’s amazing work at the links posted here:

http://cpparker.livejournal.com
http://www.afewbrainsmore.com

#1:
Jaws (1975).
Scared me to death then (I saw this at the theater in Tallahassee with High school pal, Jimmy Barrett, in ’75) and scares me to death now. I knew I was in trouble during the opening five minutes! To this day, 35 years later, I don’t like going much deeper than ankle high in the ocean. Give me a swimming pool any day.

Proof that sushi can be dangerous!

HM: Orca (1977).
A Jaws imitation but more unique than most rip-offs. This flick was a revenge drama from the perspective of the killer whale. Throw in some native Alaskan mysticism (from the great Will Samson), the always cool Richard Harris, and a very pretty Bo Derek (her film debut) and you have some great drama. On second thought, it’s actually much more than just a Jaws imitation.  This film made me feel sorry for the whale. In light of the recent attacks at Sea World against humans, makes you wonder just what these whales really are thinking!

There are plenty more films I could have listed and easily made a top 100. But these are the ones that come to mind for me that made such an impact AT THE TIME and continue to haunt, entertain, inspire and scare me to this day! I hope you got a kick out of reading it. Agree? Disagree? Let me know about it. I’d love to hear your opinions.

Until then, grab some popcorn, snuggle up with the one you love, and turn on your favorite scary movie with the lights down low! I dare you! But above all …

Happy Halloween!

It’s October, the month that kicks off my favorite time of year. I normally revert to age 12 from 1 October through 2 January, basking in the excitement of the annual changing of the leaves, hay rides, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s! Plus a birthday, which allows me to celebrate being 12 again and again and again! 

But first things first. As a fan of spooky stories, I usually drift to thoughts of tales that rouse you from sleep with the sound of a “bump” in the night. So in celebration of the Festival of Samhain, which is fast approaching, listed below are my top 13 (spooky, huh?) scariest stories of all time. They are mainly books, but there are a couple of short stories and authors in general, plus a REAL boogie man or two. Hey, there is NOTHING scientific about this list! Just read, enjoy, and chime in to let me know about the ones I obviously missed. Maybe next year, I’ll do the list of the ones you sent to me this year. Ready to go? Follow me! 

#13:
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) 

He’s the guy who really ignited my interest in horror as a kid because I could read his work and actually be commended for reading something “literary.” I remember being in 5th grade, reading The Tell-Tale Heart and gasping with anticipation with the turn of every page. My Mom told me stories of her own childhood, shivering to The House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum. In reality, Poe suffered from bouts of depression, madness, and an attempted suicide. He died in a hospital on October 7, 1849 and was buried at the Westminster Presbyterian burial yard in Baltimore. 

In a true life mystery, a shadowy visitor left roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac on Poe’s grave on the anniversary of the writer’s birth every year for nearly six decades!  This year, on the fateful day, no one showed. It’s a mystery worthy of Poe’s talents alone. 

Just a small sampling of his vast work includes The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, and the morbid metaphysical speculation of The Facts in the Case of M. Waldermar. Poe even ventured into science fiction. Mellonta Taunta (1840) describes a future society, an anti-Utopia, in which Poe satirizes his own times. 

Hey! Why is that raven following me around?

In his supernatural fiction Poe usually dealt with paranoia rooted in personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration, without the usual suspects in horror like ghosts, werewolves, vampires, etc. But he certainly had an eye for Lucifer, penning at least four tales … The Devil in the Belfry, The Duc de l’Omelette, Bon-Bon, and Never Bet the Devil Your Head, all of which employ the Devil as the central character. 

Ever wonder how the Baltimore Ravens got their nickname? Quoth the Raven nevermore. And now you know. 

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a sample from the Master of the Macabre. Enjoy! 

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-time, I lie down by the side
Of my darling – my darling – my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
(from ‘Annabel Lee’, 1849) 

#12:
The Keep (1981)
F. Paul Wilson  

Made into a less than thrilling film in 1983, Wilson’s book deals with WWII era German soldiers and SS commandos being slowly killed off in a mysterious castle (the “Keep” of the title) high in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania in 1941. A Jewish History Professor living in Bucharest, Theodore Cuza, and his daughter Magda, are collected and delivered to the Keep in a desperate effort by SS Sturmbannfuhrer Eric Kaempffer to find out what is murdering his men and put a stop to it by any means necessary. The professor is useful in translating a mysterious message that has been written in blood on a wall of the Keep in a forgotten dialect of Old Romanian or Old Slavonic. He is also tasked with finding a method of defeating the unknown evil that is wreaking havoc before he, too, falls victim to this ancient evil. 

Dracula takes a stand against the Nazis! Cool!

Wilson’s book is an interesting take on vampire myth and one that I still find underutilized in horror fiction today. Many of the monsters in our dreams … vampires, werewolves, mummies and even Frankenstein himself come from areas of the world attacked and occupied by the Nazis in WWII. How would these beasties react to an invasion of humans into their domain? The Keep is one of the few books to try and answer that question. So pass on the movie but buy the book. I guess even ol’ Dracula would not have been a fan of Hitler! 

#11:
The Funhouse (1980)
Dean Koontz (as Owen West) 

This novel by best-selling author Dean Koontz was released in 1980 and was made into a 1981 film of the same name by Texas Chainsaw Massacre director, Tobe Hooper. Koontz originally published the novel under one of his many pseudonyms, Owen West. While the film is memorable mainly due to the incredible monster (more on that next week), the book is a first-rate thriller and one of my favorite Koontz page-turners (Koontz, by the way, is my favorite fiction writer among the horror genre). 

The movie failed to deliver, but the monster? One of the best ever! Run!!!!

I’ve always thought traveling carnivals could be scary, and Koontz pulls no punches in weaving in the elements of revenge, atoning for past mistakes, monsters in the dark and visiting the sins of the fathers on the children. The tagline of the book was “Pay to get in, pray to get out!” I never really looked at carnival funhouses the same way again. 

Sidenote:  The horrific monster from the movie adaptation (above left) is the inspiration for the character, “The Foreman,” in my sequel to Dogwoods Blush, Dove of War.  Grrrrrr! 

#10:
The Piercing (1983)
John Coyne 

John Coyne is another of the unheralded writers of horror from the 70s and 80s who remains greatly unappreciated (Hobgoblin, The Legacy, The Shroud, The Hunting Season, The Fury, etc). I always gravitated to his books over other more successful writers of the genre, and The Piercing is a great example why. There are many real life mysteries we don’t understand, and the stigmata is one of them. Priests and scientists alike have been confounded by many cases of it over the centuries. The Piercing takes a spooky look at the event as a deep, psychological horror with supernatural overtones. It’s controversial and disturbing, but hard to find today as it’s long been out of print. But if you do find it, watch out! It’s a very intense read! 

#9:
Jack the Ripper (1888) 

If there is a single name synonymous with real-life horror, it’s Jack the Ripper. A serial killer who murdered and mutilated at least five prostitutes in the East End of London in 1888, his name invokes terror even today. Because no one was ever arrested or tried for the murders, crime buffs are still fascinated with “Jack the Ripper” more than 115 years later. 

“Jack The Ripper” gets his name from correspondence at the time from someone claiming to be the killer signed with that name. But while the murders were taking place, the assailant was known as the Whitechapel Murderer or “Leather Apron” (due to a bloody butcher’s apron found at one of the murder scenes). This letter (soon followed by others), dated 25 September, 1888 and received by the Central News Agency on 27 September, 1888, was couched in lurid prose and began: 

“Dear Boss … I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled.” The appended “trade name” of Jack the Ripper was then made public and further excited the imagination of the populace. 

The handwriting of pure evil, signed, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper."

Two murders on 30 September 1888 gave future letters greater importance. The unknown correspondent added red ink (dated 1 October), referred to himself as ’saucy Jacky,’ and spoke of the “double event.” He again signed off, “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper.”  The return address?  From Hell.  Yikes! 

A letter from Jack to the press,"From Hell." Signed, "Catch me when you can."

There is some dispute concerning how many victims Jack The Ripper claimed. Some believe that he killed only four prostitutes during his spree, while others think that he may have killed as many as nine. It is generally accepted that there were five victims, although there were 13 other women murdered in the East End area from December 1887 until April 1891. He is considered to be the very first known serial killer. Hundreds of books, films and television shows have been devoted to him. Having taken the actual London tour that traced the steps of this vicious killer, his horrific brutality came very much alive for me. He remains one of the most frightening real-life monsters to ever walk the planet. 

#8:
Red Dragon (1982)
Thomas Harris 

 Harris’ Red Dragon is the prequel to the novel that spawned the popular movie, Silence of the Lambs, and is the first appearance of the famed character, Hannibal Lecter. The plot revolves around the man who captured Lecter three years before in his pursuit of another insane serial killer. 

This serial killer is the worst yet … he murders entire families during the full moon, leaving no evidence for the authorities to follow. Will Graham, the FBI agent in this tale, is on the trail of the killer, aka The Tooth Fairy. Made into two films, Manhunter and Red Dragon, neither does credit to the book, a crime novel full of suspense and forensic technology that still stands with the best of its genre nearly 30 years after it was written. While Silence of the Lambs gets all the acclaim, Red Dragon came first and, in my opinion, is MUCH scarier! 

The monstrous "Tooth Fairy" reveals his alter ego, the powerful RED DRAGON, from the film adaptation.

#7:
H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) 

Possibly the most influential writer in all of horror fiction, H. P. Lovecraft was a master of the genre. His short stories appeared in the magazine Weird Tales, beginning in 1923, where he perfected the concept of the first-person narrator, normally a scientist or scholar. The narrator witnesses events that contradict his beliefs and completely change his view of the world. 

Trouble with memory. I see things I never knew before. Other worlds and other galaxies… Dark… The lightning seems dark and the darkness seems light. (from The Haunter of the Dark). 

Going gradually insane, Lovecraft’s characters must face ultimate horrors, prepared or not: 

The end is near. I hear a noise at the door, as of some immense slippery body lumbering against it. It shall not find me. God, that hand! The window! The window! (from Dragon, 1919) 

Lovecraft was extremely interested in his New England heritage, evoking its topography, history and society. This mature period produced such stories as The Color Out of Space, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Thing on the Doorstep, and The Dreams in the Witch House. 

Lovecraft's masterpiece, the "Call of Cthulhu." Chills!

Many of Lovecraft’s tales utilize a pseudo-mythical framework, termed the Cthulhu Mythos. The first installment in the series, The Call of Cthulhu appeared in the February 1928 issue of Weird Tales, where he created his basic myth of the Old Ones and Elder Race, which wandered on earth long before the appearance of Homo Sapiens. The Dunwich Horror was partly inspired by Lovecraft’s trip to western Massachusetts. He transformed it into the home of the decadent Wheateleys. In the story cycle, humans are hapless victims, not important for the incomprehensible cosmic forces. The view was based on his philosophical idea of ‘cosmicism’, the insignificance of all human affairs in the vastness of the universe. 

Read this passage from the master for yourself. You can almost feel the insanity in the prose … and tremble! 

When I speak of poor Norrys they accuse me of a hideous thing, but they must know that I did not do it. They must know it was the rats; the slithering, scurrying rats whose scampering will never let me sleep; the daemon rats that race behind the padding in this room and beckon me down to greater horrors than I have ever known; the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls.
From Rats in the Walls 

#6:
The Cage (??) 

I have no idea who wrote it and try as I might, I have been unable to locate it for lo these many years. But in the mid-70s, I read a collection of horror short stories, some good, some not so good. This one was GREAT! 

Set in medieval Scotland, the young wife of the King agrees to a sexual tryst with Satan himself. Thinking she had outsmarted the old devil, she first forces him to grant her eternal life and eternal beauty. Thusly, she thinks she will never suffer the fires of Hell or the pain of death. She learns, to her eternal dismay, that eternal life can be quite a curse and that you can’t outsmart the devil. 

If anyone can give me the author of this incredible story, please share it with me. It remains one of the most frightening and imaginative horror tales I ever read. 

Eternal life, youth and beauty are meaningless if eternity must be endured in ... THE CAGE!

#5:
Hideaway (1992)
Dean Koontz 

Serial killers seem to be a theme on this list, and that’s because they are real monsters who exist among us. Throw in a supernatural twist and you’ve got the makings of a frightening scarefest! 

Welcome to Hideaway, another Dean Koontz’s thriller that pits an “everyman” in a very unsavory spot. In this tale, a near-death survivor accidentally carries a piggy-backing evil spirit through an open door from the afterlife. Hatch Harrison, the typical good-guy hero, is revived by a brilliant team of doctors more than an hour after drowning. Strange visions and half-waking dreams soon convince him that his recovery is not at all normal. 

As usual, the movie was vastly inferior to the book.

His fears are soon magnified when people who have annoyed him are murdered, and he knows that he is somehow responsible. Paralleling the story of Hatch’s recovery is the unfolding revelation of a young man so evil that ordinary people cannot imagine his existence. As he skulks about selecting victims to murder and mutilate, a bizarre bond develops between the two men. 

Gory incidents tumble one after another as they become locked in first a psychic and then a physical battle between good and evil. The violent climax is symbolically set in an abandoned amusement park (there’s that carnival nightmare again) where at last the true duel identity of the murderer is revealed. 

Skip the ho-hum 1995 film starring Jeff Goldblum and read this incredibly frightening book! It’s Koontz and horror at their best! 

#4:
The Dead Zone (1979)
Stephen King 

My favorite King novel by a mile! Made into a theater film starring Christopher Walken and a television series with Anthony Michael Hall, neither come close to the drama and tragedy of the book. Protagonist Johnny Smith has the ability to see into the future somewhat. Surviving a severe car accident, Johnny emerges from a coma 4+ years later to a world that has changed completely. Vietnam is no longer the central issue of America, Richard Nixon has been impeached, and a young hotshot named Greg Stillson is attempting to run for the Presidency in 1980. How has Johnny changed? His visionary powers are now so intense, they control his life. And the things he sees are NOT good! 

The interesting but short-lived TV series.

Toss in some other necessary subplots … a love story regarding Johnny and his sweetheart prior to the accident, but who is married upon his awakening–the woman he loved more than anyone (Sarah Bracknell); a serial killer; and a major moral issue to contemplate throughout the novel, i.e., just how should Johnny Smith use his powers?, and you have a first rate thriller that will leave you breathless. The soul of the book is expressed in a question Johnny himself posed to a WWII veteran: 

“If you could go back in time and had the chance to kill Hitler, would you do it?” 

This book’s ending is powerful and benefits from King’s tremendous ability to bring everyday characters alive for readers. While I don’t really care for much of King’s library, this one is first rate. It lingers with me more than 30 years after I read it! 

Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith in the movie version.

#3:
It!
Theodore Sturgeon (1940) 

This short story by acclaimed science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon was first published in Unknown Magazine, a pulp rag in 1940. It became a classic, recounting the tale of how the death of a man named Roger Kirk mutated into a shambling killer that terrorized an entire community. 

One of the MANY adaptations of Sturgeon's chilling short-story, IT! This one comes from MARVEL COMICS in the mid-70s.

The creature kills a dog (readers of my blog know that if you hurt a dog, you’ve GOT to go down!) and terrorizes a child, things that were unusual for horror tales of the 40s. And the ending? Haunting! No “they lived happily ever after” in this universe! 

While Sturgeon wrote countless books, stories, television screenplays and such, It remains the pinnacle of his work in my mind. Thanks to this tale, I avoid swamps at all costs … unless you count the Okefenokee. Anyplace with Pogo around is good for me! 

The friendly little opossum from the Okefenokee, Pogo!

#2:
In Cold Blood (1966)
Truman Capote 

Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the true story murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote’s comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. The amoral young killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, are frighteningly painted by Capote as the dregs of human society and could be living next door. This is the book that made Capote’s name and inspired thousands of thriller authors, including yours truly. Forget about Breakfast At Tiffany’s. If you want Capote at his mesmerizing best (and if you want to read about real evil in real people), In Cold Blood is a book you’ll never forget! 

The actual killers from Capote's, IN COLD BLOOD.

The 1967 movie adaptation also drew critical praise and featured Robert Blake as one of the killers. But in no way does this film capture the terror of the book. I have no sympathy for violent criminals, and this book is a major reason for it. It’s a classic. 

#1:
I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush
Bill Cain (2009)

Hey, this is MY blog after all! If I can’t be self-serving here, then where? This book has it all … ghosts, gypsies, revenge, undead bikers, and a love greater than death itself. While I expected criticism of my first venture into fiction, I was surprised by the people who said it was TOO SCARY!!!! In some ways, I take that as a compliment!  

Join me next week as I look at the 15 scariest movies I ever saw BASED ON THE AGE I WAS WHEN I SAW THEM! You’ll see some old classics, some typical titles, and some I’ll bet you never heard of! In addition, I list another 15 with an HONORABLE MENTION, in that they were very good but not quite good enough to crack my top 15 list. 

See you next week, but until then, don’t open that door until you are CERTAIN you know who or what is on the other side. BOO! 

The #1 scariest book of ALL TIME! (Until Dove of War comes out in 2011).

How clumsy of me! A friend pointed out to me (not so gently, either) that in my tribute to Tony Curtis in yesterday’s post, I omitted one of his most famous appearances of the 60s. I’m talking about one of the iconic television shows of my childhood, The Flintstones.

In the cartoon’s sixth and final season (1965-1966), Wilma Flintstone wins a “slave for the day” in a movie contest. The slave is the famous actor, “Stony Curtis.”

Wilma, Fred, and Stony. Happy belated 50th anniversary, guys!

To further embarrass me, my friend pointed out that I omitted this significant piece of information on a day when The Flintstones celebrated its 50th anniversary. How caveman of me!

Hey! That's not funny! I'm contacting my lawyer, Perry Masonry!

Curtis was among many celebrity voices who appeared on the show: Curtis’ good friend, Cary Grant, appeared as Cary Granite, Perry Mason as Perry Masonry and Ann-Margret as Ann-Margrock.

I recall many hours as an elementary school kid laughing at the antics of Fred, Barney, Dino and the gang. Seeing Curtis poke fun at his image only endeared him to me, much as seeing Keith Hernandez or Bette Midler on Seinfeld decades later would do as well.

For a good chuckle and trip back to yesteryear, take a couple of minutes and enjoy the below condensed episode. Happy memories, and my apologies to Fred and Wilma for omitting this piece in the first place!

He was the stereotypical Hollywood “hunk,” the dark-haired, blue-eyed leading man who became an industry icon playing sitcoms and romantic comedies despite several impressive depictions of legendary tough guys. He earned an Oscar nomination as an escaped convict in The Defiant Ones (1958) but is probably best remembered for his full-drag impersonation of a female jazz musician in Some Like It Hot (1959). I’m speaking of the great Tony Curtis, who passed away last night in his Las Vegas area home of cardiac arrest. He was 85.

As a performer, most fans immediately were taken in by his good looks. He was a sex symbol in the Hollywood era of the 1950s. Strangely, despite his much publicized heterosexual lifestyle, producers routinely cast him in roles that were … shall we say … ambiguous? But have no doubt, the general movie-going public loved Tony Curtis, as his tremendous box office success for more than 20 years attests.

Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz on June 3, 1925, to Jewish Hungarian immigrants. Growing up in abject poverty and frequent abuse (his mother suffered from schizophrenia), he was placed in a state institution at the height of the Great Depression of 1933. Like his future co-star Kirk Douglas, he frequently found himself caught up in gang warfare and the target of anti-Semitic hostility. His gentle exterior hid the reality of growing up on the mean streets of the Bronx in difficult times.

During World War II he served in the Navy aboard a submarine, the USS Proteus. That sub was present in Tokyo Bay for the formal surrender of Japan aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. Signalman Schwartz watched through a pair of binoculars. He later wrote that it “was one of the great moments in my life.”  No kidding!

The Japanese surrender, as witnessed through the binoculars of a young US Navy signalman, Tony Curtis.

Returning to New York after the war, he enrolled in acting classes and began working in the theater. He quickly caught the eye of a casting agent and signed with Universal Pictures (my favorite studio) in 1948. After experimenting with James Curtis, he settled on Anthony Curtis as his stage name. Through diligence and dedication, he was able to overcome his thick Bronx accent.

As “Tony Curtis,” he made several films over the next couple of years to moderate success, but his marriage to MGM beauty queen Janet Leigh in 1951 proved to be highly successful for both actors. The amazingly photogenic couple soon became a favorite of fan magazines. Their first movie together, Houdini (1953) became his first critical and financial hit. Like the real Houdini (also of Jewish Hungarian ancestry), Curtis drew from the common bond he shared with the legendary magician … a struggling immigrant seeking rebirth through show business. As they say in Hollywood … a star is born!

Soon afterward, another superstar, Burt Lancaster, cast Curtis as his protégé, a circus performer who becomes his romantic rival, in Lancaster’s 1956 production, Trapeze. Another successful pairing with Lancaster followed in Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Curtis was now on the “A List,” a spot he’d hold for more than a decade.

Curtis (L) with Lancaster in "Sweet Smell of Success."

The next fifteen years belonged to Curtis, who made hit after hit. He starred in some of my all-time favorite epics of the era. Here’s a look at some of them:

The all-star cast of THE VIKINGS: (L-R) Borgnine, Leigh, Douglas, and Curtis.

- The Vikings, one of my top ten favorites of all time. He gets to play a Viking, survives having his hand cut off, kills tough-guy Kirk Douglas, saves the kingdom, gets the girl (Janet Leigh) and shares screen time with another of my all-time favorites, Ernest Borgnine. What’s NOT to like about this movie?

Curtis' only Oscar nomination, from THE DEFIANT ONES.

- The Defiant Ones. He plays a prisoner who escapes from a Southern chain gang while chained to a black convict played by Sidney Poitier. While the film may look dated today, it was a powerful piece which spoke to civil rights at a time when our nation was rocked with racial violence. The Defiant Ones received nine Oscar nominations, including one for Curtis as best actor.

- Operation Petticoat, co-starring Cary Grant and Janet Leigh.

- Some Like It Hot, Curtis’ best-known performance. This Billy Wilder classic, co-starring Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, let Curtis unleash his comedic talents with Lemmon as they flee to Florida in women’s clothing disguised as an all-girl dance band. While in London in 2003, one of my classmates in the Royal College of Defence Studies hailed from the Ukraine. He was an avid movie buff. His all-time favorite film? Some Like It Hot. Way to go, Tony!

With Marilyn in "Some Like It Hot," still popular with at least one resident of the Ukraine!

- Spartacus, the Roman epic starring Kirk Douglas as the gladiator slave who challenged the empire (step aside, Russell Crowe). In his 1988 autobiography, The Ragman’s Son, Douglas joked that since Curtis killed him in The Vikings, he returned the favor in Spartacus. This film offers the classic scene where Curtis, in an effort to protect the rebel leader of the rebellion, proclaims, “I am Spartacus!” Dozens of others follow suit. It’s a great moment in Hollywood history!

- Taras Bulba, Yul Brynner’s epic look at the rise and fall of the Cossacks during the end of the Czar era in early 20th century Russia, gave Curtis another stab at historical drama that was still big in the 60s. It’s an underappreciated gem that deserves better acclaim than it received.

Preparing to ride into battle beside Yul Brynner in "Taras Bulba."

While comedy would remain his primary attribute, Curtis made one final leap into drama in 1968, taking the lead role in the controversial film, The Boston Strangler. Playing the horrific serial killer Albert DeSalvo, the drama was panned by critics and fans alike. No one wanted to see the glamorous Curtis play such a despicable role, especially in a film that bordered on, according to the NY Times, “an incredible collapse of taste, judgment, decency, prose, insight, journalism and movie technique.” I think that covers them all, don’t you?

The adverse reaction to Curtis as a serial killer ended his venture into drama for good.

While Curtis may have lost his star power by 1970, he continued working in low budget films, stage plays, and television. His daughter with Janet Leigh, Jamie Leigh Curtis, became a star in her own right following her debut in John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). He published Tony Curtis: The Autobiography in 1994 and a second autobiography, American Prince: A Memoir, in 2008.  He enjoyed great acclaim and critical success as a painter, displaying his work in galleries across the world.

In 2002 he toured in a musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot, in which he played the role of the love-addled millionaire originated by Joe E. Brown in the film. This time, the curtain line was his:

“Nobody’s perfect.”

Indeed, no one is perfect. But his screen success came pretty close. Thanks for the years and the memories, Mr. Curtis. Struggling through humble beginnings, serving in the military during time of war, and rising to the heights of success in your profession, you were the epitome of the American dream.

Curtis the painter. His art was a big hit worldwide.

In a 2008 interview, Curtis lamented on his state in life:

“They are all dead now. Cary, Jack Lemmon, Sinatra, all my Hollywood friends.  Sometimes I feel so lonely.”

He’s not lonely anymore. Enjoy time with your friends now, Tony. Rest in peace.

Rest in peace, Tony Curtis, 1925-2010.

As an 18-year old cadet at North Georgia College, Summer of 1977, I was feeling pretty good. I’d finished the dreaded freshman year and was ready to begin my sophomore campaign as a squad leader in Echo Company. With all of a single year of ROTC to prove my military prowess, I thought of myself as a military “expert.” With that mindset, I went to the theater to watch what I thought would be just any other action/war movie, an all-star cast production called A Bridge Too Far. It was a defining moment in my life.

Far from your typical war flick, A Bridge Too Far was a true story, based on the best-selling novel by Cornelius Ryan. Published in 1974, it comprised the second leg of Ryan’s World War II trilogy begun with 1959’s The Longest Day (the film version of the Normandy Beach landing, also an all-star cast, featured John Wayne and Henry Fonda and a very young Sean Connery, who also landed a meaty role in Bridge). Bridge examined the Allies’ failed plan to open a venue into Germany, while the third book, The Last Battle, profiled the growing tensions among the ranks of both the Allied and the Axis powers toward the conclusion of the war.

I write about it today because it’s 17 September, the day in 1944 when this ill-fated operation began. One week later, of the 10,000 Allies who went into the mission, 6,000 were captured by the Germans and 1,400 were killed.

The Fall of Paris on August 25, 1944 (see my blog, 25 August 2010) ended the Normandy campaign, but the Allies were still dependent on the port of Cherbourg for supplies. General Patton’s Third Army had run off the French maps and was advancing on the German city of Aachen, the first German territory to come under attack. The only thing slowing Patton’s advance was a lack of fuel.

Holland had been under German occupation for four years.  General Montgomery (the British commander) believed the German forces there to be weak. If airborne units could land and hold key bridges, he could send a heavy armored force racing through Holland and sweep around to take Berlin before the end of the year.

Speed was essential to the plan, requiring precise timing and coordination between the airborne and ground operations phases.

Operation MARKET-GARDEN became the largest airborne operation in military history. Three Allied divisions were involved … the US 101st Airborne would drop on Eindhoven and take the canal crossings at Veghel, the US 82nd Airborne would land on bridges over the Maas and Waal Rivers, and 60 miles behind the German lines, the British 1st Airborne and Polish 1st Airborne Brigade would be dropped on the Rhine bridges at Arnhem. This was the MARKET plan (the Airborne portion).

British General Brian Horrocks, commanding the XXX Corps, would dash up these Allied-held river crossings to relieve the 1st Airborne in the GARDEN phase (ground attack) of the operation.

Sadly, Montgomery’s plan did not take into account any of the lessons learned in Normandy. The Germans had stabilized their western forces, moving paratroopers and SS Panzer (tank) units into Arnhem. While British intelligence was aware of them, their presence was discounted.

Allied Airborne units had suffered heavily in the Normandy campaign and were still reorganizing in their camps in England when the orders came down. They had returned in early August after forty days of fighting. Some 40% of their members would never leave the Normandy coast, resting instead in Allied cemeteries.

On the morning of September 17, 1944, the airborne landings began.  The Dutch population, confident that they were about to be liberated, watched from their rooftops. Even the Germans were in awe of the force that was descending on them. That same morning, the XXX Corps began to advance. Working up a single road, the Germans poured fire down on the tanks and vehicles and the assault was stalled almost as it began. Allied air support was inadequate and the Germans dominated the terrain.

The critical "bridge too far," Arnhem.

The Airborne forces were able to accomplish their goals, except for the 82nd, which had to build a temporary bridge to get XXX Corps across. The “Red Devils” had dropped five miles from their target and could only take the North side of the bridge. Worse, they had dropped on part of a Panzer division and were beating back tank attacks from across the Rhine. Entire units were cut off.  The British Airborne Division commander, Major General “Roy” Urquhart, was out of touch with his men for thirty-six critical hours.

British Airborne Division Commander, Major General Roy Urquhart.

The British 1st Airborne, cut-off and outmanned, refused to give an inch despite facing impossible odds. (This is a scene from the film, not the actual battle).

Operation MARKET-GARDEN failed mightily, a failure that extended the war for almost another year. The Dutch population suffered the most.  The coming winter would see mass starvation of civilians and vicious retaliation from the Germans.

I was tremendously touched by the heroism depicted in that landmark film in 1977. It stuck with me years later when I served my initial tour of duty with the 82nd Airborne (1980-1983), proudly becoming a part of not only the division’s distinguished history, but that of the international “fraternity” of paratroopers. In 1982, I had the great honor of meeting General Jim Gavin, Commander of the 82nd during WWII and portrayed by Ryan O’Neal in the film. In 1977, a friend told me it was “unrealistic” to cast O’Neal, who was too young to represent a division commander. Not true for Gavin, who was a 2-Star Division Commander at age 36.

Major General "Slim" Jim Gavin, the 36-year old "Jumping General." He was portrayed by Ryan O'Neal in the film, A BRIDGE TOO FAR.

In 1990, while stationed in Germany with the US V Corps, I took my family to the Netherlands and had the opportunity to see first-hand the Arnhem Bridge, the Allied War Museums and cemeteries that stand in mute testimony to the courage of the American soldier, even against overwhelming odds and a hopeless mission.  As I stood overlooking the Arnhem Bridge in April of 1990, my mind raced back to 1944 and, in truth, to my feelings in that theater in 1977.  Thousands of brave paratroopers and tens of thousands of beleaguered Dutch citizens suffered and died as a result of poor planning.  Seeing it on the screen in ‘77 and standing on the ground in ‘90, it opened my eyes to the horrors of war.  It’s a lesson I never forgot.

The War Museum today, Arnhem, Netherlands.

Operation MARKET GARDEN remains a significant dark spot among otherwise sparkling Allied victories in Europe in 1944-1945. It got me to thinking in 1977, again in the 80s, and yet again in 1990. One day in a staff meeting in 1981, my battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Larry Redmond (1-505 Infantry Airborne) cautioned, “Never allow the courage of your soldiers to take the place of your planning.” I think I know what you meant, sir. It’s a lesson I’ll never forget, one that we learned in a painful, bloody way, 66-years ago today, September 17, 1944.

May we never again suffer the consequences of such a mistake, finding that in spite of great intentions, we have doomed brave men and women to suffer for pushing A BRIDGE TOO FAR.

How can this be possible? Has it really been nine years already? In many ways, it seems like just yesterday, yet in others, it seems a lifetime ago. My life (and yours) was changed forever that day. The scars on my soul are the lingering effects of the emotional toll collected during my subsequent tours in Iraq and Kuwait and will be a constant reminder of that dark day until the moment I cease to live. Of course, I’m talking about September 11, 2001 … 9/11.

There are certain moments that make such an impact on our existence that we forever recall with uncanny precision exactly where we were, what we were doing, and what we were thinking when it happened. Ask anyone still living who also lived on December 7, 1941 if they remember that day and you’ll understand what I mean. I was only 5-years old on November 22, 1963, yet I remember it vividly. I wasn’t old enough to comprehend what was really happening, but I knew our President had been shot and my Mom was crying. Sitting in her lap, I asked, “Who’s going to be our President now, Momma?” In the years ahead, other events would follow that competed with that moment: Assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Armstrong’s moon landing (not a traumatic event, but do you remember it? I’ll bet you do!), attempts on the lives of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan, the Shuttle disaster, Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait … there are many. One might argue that a sign of the length of your life can be measured by the cracks on your heart. If that’s true, then the biggest crack on my national consciousness occurred on 9/11.

This haunting image, burned into my memory forever, lingers on.

I was an Army lieutenant colonel at the time, serving as the Chief of Intelligence Plans and Programs, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, US Transportation Command. I still get angry when I think of it. Like most of the world, I watched in horror as the second plane hit the tower. I fielded early reports (many later discounted and untrue) of attacks all along the Eastern Seaboard and watched with co-worker Jerry Lyons on my little office television as the Towers fell. We’d later hear of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and the brutal impact at the Pentagon. One of my men, an Air Force Major, was on an assignment to Washington DC at the time. He was fine and made his way home via a rental car. But it still turned very personal very quickly.

Major Steve Long, US Army. Want to see what a real hero looks like? Look no further.

US Army Major Steve Long, married to my wife’s cousin, Tina, died in the aftermath of that attack on the Pentagon. He could have saved himself, but he kept going back in amid the smoke and heat to try and save others. Typical. We as a society refer to professional athletes as heroes for winning games or teenage actresses for going to rehab while missing the obvious, true heroism right before our eyes. As heroic as Steve Long was in his life and death, his actions were not out of the ordinary that day. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, upon hearing of the sacrifices ongoing on the island of Iwo Jima in 1945, opined that “uncommon valor was a common virtue.” From Washington to Pennsylvania to New York City, true heroes lived and died to contain the unleashing of hell on earth. Our friends wept. Our enemies rejoiced.

While most of America had not yet heard of Osama bin Laden in 2001, I certainly had. He’d been on our national terrorism list for years. Who could ever forget his sickening mantra to his followers around the world in the mid-1990s:

It is good to kill Americans wherever you find them. Man, woman, or child, there is no difference.

Osama bin Laden. Want to see the face of pure evil? Look no further.

On September 12, 2001, for the first and only time in history, the Star Spangled Banner was played at the changing of the Royal Guard, Buckingham Palace. Roughly a month later, British Prime Minister Tony Blair made this stirring statement which still brings mist to my eyes:

America has its faults as a society, as we have ours. But I think of the Union of America born out of the defeat of slavery. I think of its Constitution, with its inalienable rights granted to every citizen still a model for the world. I think of a black man, born in poverty, who became chief of their armed forces and is now secretary of state Colin Powell and I wonder frankly whether such a thing could have happened here. I think of the Statue of Liberty and how many refugees, migrants and the impoverished passed its light and felt that if not for them, for their children, a new world could indeed be theirs. I think of a country where people who do well, don’t have questions asked about their accent, their class, their beginnings but have admiration for what they have done and the success they’ve achieved. I think of those New Yorkers I met, still in shock, but resolute; the fire fighters and police, mourning their comrades but still head held high.

Crowds gather at Buckingham Palace, September 2001, to mourn the horrific attacks on our nation.

Prime Minister Blair, a year later while facing relentless criticism for siding with the US in her war on Saddam Hussein, declared America to be a “force for good.” How it widens the crack on my heart when it seems so many Americans have already forgotten the events of 9/11. Roughly a week after the attack, I heard a caller on a St. Louis radio station complain about all the coverage of 9/11, since that was a “New York problem.” Almost immediately, many in our ranks began saying we’d brought this on ourselves.  Soon, conspiracy theories were born.  Political correctness forces some to ignore the murder of our countrymen rather than risk offending someone.  How can this be possible?

Hardly a "New York" problem.

At the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, Confederate General Longstreet rallied his troops to expect a Union counterattack following the decimation of Pickett’s Division.  The attack did not come that day, but Longstreet knew that it surely would one day.  And it eventually did.   He understood that to win in war, a successful attack MUST be followed by another successful attack.  The horrific events on 9/11 were NOT the first blow against the USA by militant Islam and it certainly will not be the last.

The attacks on September 11, 2001 were the natural progression of a war against you and me that began under despots like Khomeni and Qadafi in the 70s. As a nation, we endured and forgot things like the following:

April 1983 – A suicide car bombing against the U.S. embassy in Beirut kills 63, including 17 Americans.

October 1983 – A suicide car bomb attack against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut kills 241 servicemen. A simultaneous attack on a French base kills 58 paratroopers.
April 1985 – A bomb explodes in a restaurant near a U.S. air base in Madrid, Spain, killing 18, all Spaniards, and wounding 82, including 15 Americans.
August 1985 – A car bomb at a U.S. military base in Frankfurt, Germany kills two and injures 20. A U.S. soldier murdered for his identity papers is found a day after the explosion.
October 1985 – Palestinian terrorists hijack the cruise liner Achille Lauro (in response to the Israeli attack on PLO headquarters in Tunisia) Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly, wheelchair-bound American, is killed and thrown overboard.
November 1985 – Hijackers aboard an Egypt Air flight kill one American. Egyptian commandos later storm the aircraft on the isle of Malta, and 60 people are killed.
December 1985 – Simultaneous suicide attacks are carried out against U.S. and Israeli check-in desks at Rome and Vienna international airports. 20 people are killed in the two attacks, including four terrorists.
April 5, 1986 – A bomb destroys the LaBelle discotheque in West Berlin. The disco was known to be frequented by U.S. servicemen. The attack kills one American and one German woman and wounds 150, including 44 Americans.
April 1986 – An explosion damages a TWA flight as it prepares to land in Athens, Greece. Four people are killed when they are sucked out of the aircraft.
Dec. 21, 1988 – A bomb destroys Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 are killed including 189 Americans, as are 11 people on the ground.

The wreckage from Pan Am 103.

February 1993 – A bomb in a van explodes in the underground parking garage in New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and wounding 1,042.
Nov. 13, 1995 – A car-bomb in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kills seven people, five of them American military and civilian advisers for National Guard training. The “Tigers of the Gulf,” “Islamist Movement for Change,” and “Fighting Advocates of God” claim responsibility.
June 25, 1996 – A bomb aboard a fuel truck explodes outside a U.S. air force installation in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 19 U.S. military personnel are killed in the Khobar Towers housing facility, and 515 are wounded, including 240 Americans.
June 21, 1998 – Rocket-propelled grenades explode near the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
Aug. 7, 1998 – Terrorist bombs destroy the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In Nairobi, 12 Americans are among the 291 killed, and over 5,000 are wounded, including 6 Americans. In Dar es Salaam, one U.S. citizen is wounded among the 10 killed and 77 injured.

Aftermath of the USS Cole, 2000.

Oct. 12, 2000 – A terrorist bomb damages the destroyer USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39.

The horror of 9/11 should have opened the eyes of the world forever, but it seems not to be the case.  We’ve seen these “incidents” in the past 12-months alone: the Detroit Christmas Day bomber, the Fort Hood massacre, and the Times Square car bomber. Don’t forget that it was bin Laden who pointed out that while Americans “love life,” al Qaeda “loves death.”  Then there’s the Taliban and an Iranian regime determined to acquire a nuclear capability.  Do you think al Qaeda would fool around with car bombs and hijackings if they could get their hands on a nuclear weapon?

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, the USA was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned our losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Today, those flags have all but disappeared. Patriotism has become a dirty word and wearing a flag pin on your lapel is equated with some type of unsavory “political statement.” Some news media openly scoff at it and ban it from their newsrooms.  Another crack on my heart just appeared.

In the 26+ years that I served in the US Army, I pulled duty in some less than stellar spots around the globe. No matter how tired, cold, hungry or lonely I may have been, one thing always brought a smile to my face … seeing Old Glory waving in the distance. It reminded me of why I was wherever I might be located at the time … of my roots … of what was really important. Without that flag to fly over my head, nothing else really mattered.

Amid the pain, death and devastation of the moment, the American Flag, as always, offers hope.

Tomorrow is September 11 … Patriot Day. It’s not a National Holiday (and I understand the issues of money and productivity that prevent it from becoming one) but it IS a National Day of Remembrance.  To honor the memories of those who lost their lives and to memorialize this day in our nation’s history, the United States Congress on December 18, 2001, passed by joint resolution Public Law 107-89 (36 U.S.C. § 144), which designates September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day.”

At the direction of the President, the flag should be displayed on homes, the White House, and all United States government buildings around the world. The flag should be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect to those who died. Many people observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time). This marks the time that the first plane flew into the World Trade Center.

If you are reading this humble post, then I’m asking you to show your “true colors.” Tomorrow, on September 11th, 2010, please display an American flag from your home, apartment, office, and/or place of business. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this ninth anniversary of our nation’s worst tragedy. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends, and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.  It makes no difference reference your political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation or nationality (that’s right … you don’t even have to be an American).  Displaying an American flag tomorrow makes a statement that transcends all differences, saying instead, “Evil will NOT win this day!”

The staggering toll of 9/11! Nearly 3,000 US flags, one for each soul snuffed out on that horrible day, stand in mute testimony to the cost of eternal vigilance during the September 2008 ceremony at the Pentagon.

As long as I live, I will never forget that day 21 years ago when I raised my hand and took the oath of citizenship. Do you know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with an American flag around my shoulders all day long.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

I feel the same way, Governor. I’ve been accused of being too hot-natured about many things in my life. But I feel the most cool and comfortable when I’m standing in the shadow of Old Glory. So I hope you’ll take a moment tomorrow and remember what happened on 9/11, 2001.   And if you do, then maybe … just maybe … all the cracks in all the broken hearts will know a moment of peace … because WE REMEMBER!

May we never forget … may we always remember!

For the longest time, I had no interest in pursuing any of the projects George and I had worked on. Other than writing his obituary for a press publication (Comics Buyers Guide), I was too busy mourning his death and not thinking enough about celebrating his life. But after many long discussions with his and my own family, I decided to take what George and I started and see it through.

One of the many beautiful oil paintings rendered by Inky. Trains were a favorite subject. He told me that this painting represented the "final boarding," as this was the train that would take you to your final destination after death.

My first step appeared in Alter Ego (AE) magazine #5, July 2000. I’d done an extensive interview with George concerning his 60+ years in the comics industry the past winter. George had been initially hesitant to do it, even for me, but by the time he saw the finished product, he was excited. “My friend is going to make me famous,” he told me that he’d joked to a nurse during one of his check-ups for his pending heart by-pass surgery. “You’d better run off with me while you still can!” AE editor and good friend, Roy Thomas, ran the complete interview in the magazine, which completely sold out and has now been reprinted. Inky would have approved!

Beautiful wrap-around cover to ALTER EGO Magazine #5 by legendary artist Carmine Infantino. While George never saw the printed version of his interview, his family did. I am eternally grateful to Roy Thomas for running the entire interview unedited.

Readers of Dogwoods Blush know that Lunar-Man is a key player in that storyline. Now named Joe LaHoud, he’s been revamped as a TV and comics star in the novel’s established universe. Next year’s sequel, Dove of War, will prominently feature Lunar-Man and his “alter ego,” Joe. And there is much, much more to come from Lunar-Man in follow-on novels as well.

LUNAR-MAN the TV show and comic book character, as he appears in my novels. I commissioned artist Jason Card to paint this for me. LUNAR-MAN still lives, George!

Thomas Lowman, the original name for Lunar-Man, is now the name of the Army Colonel leading the revamped ATTAC, which will make a brief appearance in Dove of War and play major roles in the planned upcoming novels, Stands Against the Wind and When the Rooster Crows, hopefully in 2012 and 2013 respectively. A major plot point will center on the after-effects of a scientific device planned for bringing about world domination (sorry, can’t divulge any more classified info on that just yet). But in the novel, this phenomenon will be called “The Roussos Effect,” named after the brilliant scientist who first created it, George Roussos.

Clowning around and rising from the dead in the 50s. If only life could imitate art.

In 1999, Marvel Comics released a trading card set commemorating their great comics from the 1960s. These cards reprinted great panels of art from key issues. Many of these cards, of course, contained art by Inky.

Sampling of the cards from the 1999 set, MARVEL: THE SILVER AGE. Many of these cards featured art, inks or colors by George.

In 2007, the US Postal Service released a set of first class stamps celebrating the history of Marvel Comics. This set had followed the 2006 release of the heroes of DC Comics. Both sets showcased classic art that had been inked or colored by Inky Roussos.

The USPS commissioned postage stamps from 2007.

HBO launched a very successful horror series in the 90s based on the old EC horror comics, many of which George worked on.  Tales From the Crypt drew many of Hollywood’s biggest talents and was a long-running, highly successful venture.

One of the many horror comics from the 50s featuring art by George. These comics were the story source and inspiration for HBO's series, TALES FROM THE CRYPT.

Of course, superhero movies today are all mega-blockbusters. And all of them … Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron-Man, Batman, Superman … they were all touched in their formative years in some way by my creative inspiration, the great George Roussos.

In October of this year, I will launch my very first online comic, which can be read for free here on my website. Set in London (one of George’s favorite places), VOID will tell the story of the mysterious Deacon Void, a heavily bandaged private investigator who seems well connected with British Royalty. VOID would have never happened without my brief time spent with George, who always encouraged me to follow my creativity and pursue my dreams.

COMING SOON to billcainonline! Do you dare enter ... THE VOID?

Someone once opined to me that George must have been like a second father to me, seeing that he was more than 40-years my senior. Rubbish! Age had no meaning for George and me. We were buddies. That was it. And we still are.

Hand-drawn birthday card from my good buddy, George, 1999.

The walls in my basement are adorned with many of the aspects of my life that I want to honor and display. Nothing unusual about that. But there is a special section dedicated to Inky Roussos that will always be of prime significance to me. Included on that part of the wall is his fabled inking pen, encased in a glass shadow box. It’s positioned to be the first thing you see before you move into the rest of the room, as if it’s opening the door to a whole new world of wonder and entertainment. And that’s just the way I like it, because that’s exactly what George used that pen to accomplish in his amazing career. Thanks for all you did for me, George. You are the best friend a superhero ever had!

My son, Sting, commissioned artist Rich Hennemann (who also did the cover art for Dogwoods Blush) to paint this picture of LUNAR-MAN paying homage to George at his gravesite for my Father's Day gift, 2009. It hangs in a place of honor in my home today, as it always will. I miss you, George!

George in the 1950s, looking cool and in charge!

In many ways, it was ironic that George was opposed to the violence found in the comics of the 1990s. He had been a mainstay in the industry almost from the very beginning and stood to be out of a job during the movement to ban comics completely in the 1950s.

For those readers who may not know that story, a prominent psychologist, Dr. Fredric Werthham, was the scariest thing to ever happen to comic books. He believed that comics were bad for kids and led an effort to have them destroyed.

Dr. Frederic Wetham, the man who led the war against comics in the 1940s & 50s.

In the early 1940s, the popularity of comics exploded thanks to Superman and Batman. But not everyone felt these books were innocent fun. Check out this excerpt of an editorial from the Chicago Daily News, May 8th, 1940:

“Badly drawn, badly written, and badly printed – a strain on the young eyes and young nervous systems – the effects of these pulp-paper nightmares is that of a violent stimulant. Their crude blacks and reds spoils a child’s natural sense of colour; their hypodermic injection of sex and murder make the child impatient with better, though quieter, stories. Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together to break the `comic’ magazine.”

Around 1946, Dr. Wertham set up a clinic for the underprivileged. He immediately pursued the “effects” that comics had on children. In 1948, he gave an interview in Collier’s Magazine titled “Horror in the Nursery.”   This interview launched his crusade to ban comics forever. One month later, in the April issue of Time magazine, a story appeared about Detroit Police Commissioner Harry Toy, who agreed that comics were “loaded with communist teachings, sex, and racial discrimination.”

NIGHTRO, one of the few characters totally created by George. NIGHTRO hit newsstands around 1946, the year that Wertham began his public crusade against comics.

The U.S. Government jumped into the fray in 1950. A U.S. Senate committee was doing an investigation into organized crime. Part of this investigation looked into the ‘effects’ of crime comics. One judge on the committee stated that he’d tried cases where boys admitted to committing a crime patterned after one depicted in a comic book. Blaming comic books for their crimes suddenly became an easy way out for kids. The kids were given sympathy, for it was the comic book that “made them do it.”

Roussos art from the comic, CRIME SUSPENSE STORIES. These comics brought Congessional attention in the 50s.

While many media outlets suddenly became critical of comic books, Dr. Wertham’s book, Seduction of the Innocent (1954) had the most devastating effect. In his book, Wertham argued that his studies found comics to be a major cause of juvenile delinquency. This assertion was based mostly on guilt by association. The vast majority of kids in 1948 read comic books, including the ones who became delinquents. But according to Wertham, comics caused the children to become delinquents.

According to Wertham, comics were giving kids wrong ideas about the laws of physics, because Superman could fly! He also charged that comic books were implementing and reinforcing homosexual thoughts because Robin was drawn with bare legs and was devoted to only Batman. Superman promoted the idea of a superior, white race. Wonder Woman gave little girls the “wrong ideas” about a woman’s place in society.

Linda Carter, from the 70s TV show, WONDER WOMAN, has nothing to do with Wertham's assertion, but I still like the photo!

Seduction of the Innocent caused a U.S. Senate Investigation into the relationship between comic books and juvenile delinquents. Wertham was called to testify at the hearings, as were other juvenile delinquent experts, representatives of the major comic companies, some of their advertisers and distributors, and representatives from the National Cartoonist Society. The Senate committee advised comic companies that “a competent job of self-policing within the industry will achieve much.” Comic companies took this message and created the Comic Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and followed that with the Comics Code Authority (CCA) in 1954.

George and I talked at length about all of this and his concerns as it was happening. While he took note of it, especially during the Senate hearings of the 1950s, he was never overly concerned that comics would be banned. “I was never very smart about the business end of comics publishing,” he told me, “but many of my friends were very smart. I knew they would come up with a way to save the industry.”

Senate hearings and testimony about the influence of comics, 1954.

And now, this icon wanted to help create a new generation of heroes who would (hopefully) inspire younger readers. He asked if I’d like to join him. Are you kidding me???!!!!

With George as my creative inspiration, we agreed that I’d develop stories and characters and he would do the art, inks, and colors. Together, we’d find a letterer and search for a publisher. After much consideration, we decided to call our company VICTORY COMICS.

Our first concept was a title to be called THE NARROW GATE. It was to be based upon a verse in the Bible:

Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13.

The series would be about an archeologist named Tom Lowman. After discovering an ancient statue in a dig, he unleashes an age old war between an Angel and a Demon. He goes about doing good deeds for people, never knowing that he is the centerpiece of a war that could bring about the end of the world. This title would focus on current issues like school violence, drug use, poverty, child abuse, etc, with a clear moral for young readers to take away in the end.

One of the beautiful cover concepts by George for our first effort, THE NARROW GATE!

The second series, one very dear to me, was LUNAR-MAN. Originally designed by George and pitched to Marvel in the 60’s (but rejected), it was going to be a classic super-hero story. Lunar-Man would be the centerpiece of our comic universe. I made lots of changes to Inky’s original, 1960s concept (actually, the only thing I kept was the look of the character) and pitched it to George, hoping he’d like it.

The original character concept of LUNAR-MAN that George pitched to MARVEL in the 60s. Note the similarity to NIGHTRO, George's creation from 1946.

Upon reading my initial treatment for Lunar-Man, George told me I reminded him of the late Bill Finger. As discussed in an earlier post, George had tremendous respect and admiration for the late Mr. Finger. It’s a compliment I will never forget.

George's cover rough for our version of Lunar-Man!

Our final title developed together was A.T.T.A.C: Anti-Terrorism Total Assault Cell. It was going to be our version of GI Joe. We had ideas for other titles as well, including a sci-fi drama based at a space station and a re-telling of classic Bible stories.

The cover concept for ATTAC #1 by my buddy, MARVEL artist Darren Auck. Note the modernized version of LUNAR-MAN to the left, wearing green goggles.

George was a huge believer in natural healing. He was constantly giving me advice on various medical issues, and who could argue with him? The man was 85 yet looked and acted like he was 55. But he knew he had problems with artery blockage that was going to require surgery. He was frightened and we talked about it at length. He was all set for by-pass surgery in about a month.

“I guess they are going to kill me, Bill.” His voice was quivering and he was very upset.

“No they won’t, George,” I responded. “Don’t even talk like that! After you recover, you are going to feel much better and do the best work of your life!” I spoke to him on Saturday night, February 18th, 2000, by phone. “As soon as you are better, we’ll find a publisher and get started on VICTORY!” He laughed and agreed that he was looking forward to it.

George in his home, 1997, with daughter, Marie, granddaughter, and great grandchildren.

I got the phone call early Sunday afternoon the very next day, February 19, 2000, from George’s daughter, Marie. George had passed away suddenly and instantly early that same morning of a massive heart attack. I had just been dealt another dose of life’s harsh reality … heroes only live forever in comics. My buddy, partner, creative mentor, and inspiration was gone.

COMING NEXT: The legacy of Inky Roussos

The men who worked behind the scenes to make BATMAN a success. And right there in the mix doing backgrounds, inks, and lettering was Inky Roussos!

I first met George “Inky” Roussos in 1997. I’d long admired his work and we’d exchanged letters and phone calls for several years. (When I was seven, I joined the Marvel Fan Club, so I felt like I’d known George all my life, even though we’d not personally met until I was nearly 40).

The MARVEL Fan Club kit, circa 1965. Yes, I still have my original one!

I was still in the Army, stationed at Scott Air force Base just east of St. Louis, Missouri. I had a business trip planned to the Pentagon so I called George and told him that I’d be willing to take a couple days afterward and drive up to meet him in New York if he was game. He happily agreed and invited me to stay in his home as his guest. We bonded immediately.

"Fabulous" Flo Steinberg, a mainstay at Marvel since 1960 or so. Absolutely one of my favorite people in the world!

I spent two nights and three days at Inky’s home in Central Islip. He took me to work with him … Marvel Headquarters … and introduced me all around. From that single meeting, I also met legendary Flo Steinberg (she had been Stan Lee’s secretary in the 60’s and still works there today as a proofer for the editorial staff … remind me to do a blog post on this amazing human being one day!), editor Ralph Macchio, and art director Darren Auck. All three are still close friends today, thanks to George.

We spent a full day at a nearby nature preserve where George would spend his weekends feeding the wildlife. I hopped into his truck and we took off, stopping on a lonely looking trail. “Stay inside, or they won’t come out,” he told me. “They are shy and they don’t know you.” So I stayed in the cab while he trudged to the bed and began dumping feed on the side of the trail. Within three minutes, the deer began arriving. They were nervous … they noticed me and were wary … but they eventually came up to him and ate while he talked to them. Before we left about 15-minutes later, George had fed about 25 deer. I knew at that moment that when I grew up, I wanted to be George Roussos.

George dearly loved nature and the outdoors. Shown here with fellow BATMAN artist, Jerry Robinson, circa 1943.

I came back to visit George three more times over the next two years and we discussed it all. Everything. The whole shebang. You name it, we talked about it. He shared with me his passion for piano music (sadly, arthritis had stolen much of his ability to play, but he still gave me a heroic effort one night), original oil painting (one of his beautiful train paintings hangs in a place of honor in my home), photography (his talent in this area was phenomenal … several colleagues, including Stan Lee, hired George to take professional photo portraits of them or their family members), life after death (George lost his dear wife, Florence, shortly after my first visit with him … he buried her with a handmade bunny doll my wife, Renee, made especially for her, a gesture that still touches us today), and his personal thoughts on many of the comic legends whom he’d worked with. And when I thought about it later, George had worked with them all!

Avengers #4 (1964). Another classic MARVEL comic that featured the return of Captain America into the Marvel Universe. Roussos inks over Kirby pencils.

On my last trip to see George in 1999, he asked me to wear my military uniform when I went into the city with him. He was so proud to be friends with me and he, in his own words, wanted to “show me off.” So I did. While I was visiting with Inky and Flo in the office they shared, a group of school kids (about 40) came wandering through in a tour group. One kid, about 8, pointed at me and asked, “Why is that soldier here?” I never even hesitated.

“I’m here on a special mission for Colonel Nick Fury,” I deadpanned. “As soon as I’m done here, I’m heading over to SHIELD Headquarters to meet with Captain America.” That kid’s eyes popped and an immediate buzz ran through the entire group as the young intern leading them just smiled. Word spread to Editor-In-Chief Bob Harris, who invited me into his office to thank me.

My dear friend and artist, the late Frank Springer, drew this for me as a gift when I was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1996. See? I really DID have a meeting with Captain America!

By 1998, George was itching to create his own characters again. He’d become frustrated with the comics of the 90s … too violent with little substance. He wanted to return to more astute storytelling, with old-fashioned heroes who were clearly “good guys” and who shared and passed along high morals like duty, sacrifice, integrity, and honor. And, to my immense surprise, he wanted to include ME in his plan. Welcome to VICTORY COMICS!

I created the name, but George designed the logo. At long last, I was on the verge of writing my own, original comic adventures. And a living legend was going to be my partner!

COMING NEXT: Working with a comics legend, and the harsh reality that death comes to us all.