Special Holiday Auction!!

 A couple special auctions to kick off the ole gift-giving season!! Right now you can bid on the original artwork used for the book I did with my wife Syd MEMENTO MORI!! Not only will the winning bidder receive the original cover art PERSONALLY SIGNED to them. But they will also receive a copy of the book signed by myself and Syd!!

Also for sale, is the poster art I did for the Kentucky Repertory Theatre's adaptation of William Gillette's 1899 play SHERLOCK HOLMES. Which I also did the set design for. Mind you, this is not a print or a reproduction. This is ORIGINAL ARTWORK!! The winning bidder will receive the art PERSONALLY signed to them along with a copy of my graphic novel SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE PAINFUL PREDICAMENT OF ALICE FAULKNER.

Also for sale is another opportunity to win a copy of THE CASQUE OF AMONTILLADO with an original pen and ink sketch!!

Click on the link below to start bidding on one of these items. Happy Holidays and Happy Bidding:

Special Holiday Art Auction

Special End-Of The-Summer Auction: Win a signed copy of Amontillado

The winning bidder will not only have their copy PERSONALLY SIGNED to them but they will also received AN ORIGINAL PEN AND INK SKETCH!! Click on the link below and happy bidding:

The Casque of Amontillado on E-Bay

My copies of Amontillado have arrived!!

I just got copies of the book in the mail yesterday and I should be dropping them off at a few of the local places like That's Entertainment, Annie's Book Stop of Worcester, Bedrock Comics and Friendly Neighborhood Comics in a few days.

However, if you don't live in the Worcester area, you can also either order a printed copy or digital copy for your favorite e-reader device at Amazon.com. Click on the link below to order yours:

The Casque of Amontillado on Amazon.com

Casque of Amontillado back up on Amazon.com!!

You might have noticed TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK in big nasty red letters if you happened to go on Amazon.com recently. That's because I had to tweak the file a little bit and reload it onto the site.

But that's all been squared away and the book is once again up and running and available for purchase.

Copies will be available for my upcoming shows. However, if you cannot wait that long, you may now order your copy today by click on the link below:

The Casque of Amontillado on Amazon.com

You may also order the book for your Kindle, ipad or other electronic reading type device:

The Casque of Amontillado for Kindle

Casque of Amontillado is now up and available on Amazon.com!!

It's here!! And you can purchase your copy at Amazon.com today!! Click on the link below to order:

The Casque of Amontillado

Amontillado for the Kindle

The printed version of The Casque of Amontillado should be up and running on Amazon.com in a couple of days. HOWEVER!! You can now download my latest graphic novel based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe to your Kindle, ipad or other ereader device today. Click on the link below to order your copy:

The Casque of Amontillado

Amontillado Cover

The book should be up and running sometime before the day is over. But for the time being, here's the cover:

Sneak Peek at the Casque of Amontillado

 

Here are the first three pages of The Casque of Amontillado. A graphic novel I have been working on between projects since March.

I wanted to do a different version of Poe's tale utilizing two things that have fascinated me over the past several years. One of which being the Capuchin Catacombs in Rome and the other being the Catrina's and the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.

Since Amontillado is set during both a city-wide celebration and deep within underground vaults I thought both elements would be suitable for my version of the tale.

The mask Fortunato is wearing in the first panel is actually based on gravestone art. In particular the art found at the top of colonial gravestones. I had thought about having him wearing make-up but I decided I would have him wear a removable mask. And I thought the looks of the winged skulls found on those particular gravestones fit the feel of the story. Just sans wings.

Right now I'm in the computer graphics phase of the project as well as in the process of touching things up as well. So I'm hoping to have everything ready by the end of August at the latest.

So par usual, I will announce the books release on this blog. Stay tuned!!

The Cask of Amontillado

I'm just finished the penciling and inking stage of The Cask of Amontillado. A graphic novel I have been working on periodically since March of this year. It was a promise I made to my wife Syd as a Birthday gift. She requested me to do at least 10 pages before we go out to dinner tomorrow.

As someone who tries my best to keep my promises, not only did I finish 10 pages, but I just finished the book...

...well, sort of. Now I have to get into the computer aspect of the project which consists of scanning the pages, adding gray-tones and text. But I've completed penciling and inking.

This was also the first project I didn't work with a script but just worked directly from the text. I had a hardback version of The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe I bought from Good Will. Not a bad one either with some interesting illustrations. Definitely not as good as Harry Clarke's Poe work. But they did the trick.

But if everything goes according to plan. I should have the book together and ready for the end of August at the latest. Which should hopefully be in enough time for stART on the Street.

No teaser pages yet, I'm afraid. You'll just have to wait...

Upcoming Project: The Cask of Amontillado

Well, I suppose I must let the cat out of the bag sooner or later. But I'm about 12 pages into an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Cask of Amontillado. The plan is to turn it into a 45 page graphic novel and reprint my previous Poe adaptation Lenore which appeared in both the Undercoverfish Anthology Poe edition as well as Confessions of a Peculiar Boy... and Other Stories.

Giving credit where credit is due, my wife Syd was the one who suggested I should do another adaptation of Poe. I had thought about doing The Purloined Letter but she suggested I should do an adaptation of her favorite story The Cask of Amontillado. So after reading it again and listening to a really great audio version read by Basil Rathbone, I decided she was spot on with her suggestion and I dove into the project head on.

Unrealistically, I would like to release it at the same time as the upcoming movie The Raven. Realistically, I would like to have it done just in time for stART on the Street in June.

This book is going to be a bit different for me. How different? You'll just have to wait till the end of April... or June... to find out ;-)

Amended Nick's Flyer

This version of the poster has the live music which will be playing during the reading. Hope to see you all there!!

Halloween movies

Since I've been watching a great deal of classic horror in the past month or so, I thought I would share a list of movies that you might want to check out that are perfect for the season:

1.)The Peter Cushing Frankenstein series. The Curse of Frankenstein, The Revenge of Frankenstein and the Evil of Frankenstein in particular.
2.)The Christopher Lee Dracula series. The Horror of Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Taste the Blood of Dracula in particular.
3.)Phantom of the Opera (Hammer version)
4.)Vincent Price's Edgar Allen Poe series. Pit in the Pendulum, Fall of the House of Usher and the Oblong Box just to name a few.
5.)Nosferatu. Personally, I like both versions but I think the silent version is superior.
6.)The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
7.)Frankenstein 1931
8.)Dracula 1931
9.)The Witchfinder General (also titled the Conqueror Worm)
10.)Paranoiac
11.)Dracula (the 1970 Jess Franco film starring Christopher Lee)
12.)The Abominable Dr. Phibes
13.)Night Creatures starring Peter Cushing
14.)House of Wax starring Vincent Price
15.)Dr. Phibes Rises Again

So, go down to Newbury Comics, Borders or Barnes and Noble to check them out. Or if you have a Netflix account, put them on your list.