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!!

Plethora of Poets at Annie's Book Stop of Worcester

Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is holding a reading and signing for six different, local poets from 7 pm to 9 pm on Friday, July 27th. The poets that will be there include Lori Desrosiers, Eve Rifkah, Joshua Michael Stewart, Susurrus Din, Dan Lewis, and Paul Richmond. All... poets will be reading from their own works, and signing books.


Lori Desrosier’s first full-length book of poems, The Philosopher’s Daughter, is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry in 2013. She has a chapbook, Three Vanities (2009). Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies.


Eve Rifkah is author of Dear Suzanne (WordTech Communications, 2010, and Outcasts (Little Pear Press, 2010). She was founding editor of the literary journal Diner, and co-founder of Poetry Oasis, Inc., a non-profit poetry association for local poets. For more on Eve Rifkah, check out: http://www.everifkahwriter.com/


Joshua Michael Stewart has had poems published in multiple journals. He currently has two chapbooks out, Vintage Gray (2007) and Sink Your Teeth into the Light (2012). Visit him at http://www.joshuamichaelstewart.yolasite.com/



Susurrus Din owes much to the Masters of the Macabre, Gothis Horror, and World Myth/Folklore. A tome of his photography and poetry, Mendicant the Hidden, Votary of the Sepulcher, has been recently unleashed.


Dan Lewis lives on the edge of the Patch Reservoir in Worcester, MA. He is the author of the chapbook, Tickets for the Broken Year, and a full-length poetry collection, This Garden. His work has been published in many journals.


Paul Richmond started writing 37 years ago by keeping a journal. Many of his works have been collected to create "No Guarantees – Adjust and Continue" and "Ready or Not – Living in the Break Down Lane" with a third book due out in June 2012. He runs Human Error Publishing. Visit him at: http://www.humanerrorpublishing.com/

For more information on the event, please contact Annie's at (508)-796-5613 or check out their website at

http://www.anniesbookstopworcester.com/

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 ;-)

A couple more holiday auctions... for the road...

Here's your chance to win a copy of either Gloomy Presentiments of Thing to Come or Sherlock Holmes: The Painful Predicament of Alice Faulkner. Or both.

And since 'Tis the Season, or so I have been lead to believe, the winning bidder of Gloomy Presentiments will also win not only their copy PERSONALLY inscribed to them by author Susurrus Din and myself, they will also receive THE ORIGNAL COVER ART of the book as well.

Click on one or the other image below to start bidding. Happy Holidays and Happy Bidding!!

New items available at my Cafe Press Shop

There are quite a few new products available for purchase including more coffee mugs, shirts, pajama's, prints, puzzles, Snuggie type blanket wraps and a pint glass. I've also added quite a few new products with images from my latest book with Susurrus Din Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come. One of which being a Gilbert the Ghoul Christmas Stocking just in time for the holidays.

Click on the link below and get all your shopping done in one place this year:
Horrid Collectibles

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!!

An Evening with Susurrus Din at Nick's in Worcester November 16th

Gothic wordsmith Susurrus Din will be reciting selected poems from our latest book Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come and I will be creating live art (for lack of a better description) at Nick's in Worcester November 16th.

Feel free to print this off and pass along to your friends or post it on your blog, FB page or website. Hope to see you all there:

Dirty Gerund Poetry Show: A Very Haunted Ruckus is TONIGHT!!

I'm really not much of a night owl. Usually by 6PM I'm in shut down mode and ready to relax with a nice beer and movie with my wife and bitey cat. Right now we're watching the Brother Cadfael series on DVD and really enjoying it.

However, when my good friend and current collaborator Susurrus Din suggested doing the Dirty Gerund Poetry Show at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester I immediately said YES!!

If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Susurrus Din as of yet, he looks like he stepped out of a Charles Addams cartoon.

And is probably most amiable and the nicest guy you'll ever meet to boot. I met both him and his wife at my solo show at Dark World a couple years back and they were just the nicest couple.

And what better night to take part in this than All Hallows' Eve. Which has pretty much become the Mardi Gras of the holidays. There isn't a better day of the year to give into that suppressed side of you who wanted to be an actor and dress up in something extravagant.

If you were to do it on Thanksgiving or Arbor Day you'd just look weird. But tonight it's permitted.

Everything kicks off at 9:30PM at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester which we will be unveiling our new book Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come. Susurrus reading selected works from our book while I work on a pen and ink illustration live at the show. The piece will be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

And since now I have the capabilities of accepting credit card purchases thanks to my technologically savvier wife getting the new Droid phone, the winning bidder may make their purchase with a credit card.

Even though I have not physically received the Square yet. We can enter everything manually.

Ralph's Diner is located on 148 Grove St. Right in close proximity of the prestigious Worcester Art Museum. So if you're looking for something to do we hope to see you there tonight.

And fancy dress IS encouraged.