Kiss on tour!
Yes, folks, Kiss is on tour again. I noticed that for $995 you can get a VIP package that includes a meet and greet with Kiss at the Mohegan Sun Casino in beautiful downtown Uncasville (I actually saw Kiss in Uncasville a few years ago, and they provided me one of my all-time favorite concert moments when Paul Stanley yelled "Hello! Are you ready to rock...Uncasville?" Classic! At least he didn't try that "I heard that Uncasville audiences were the loudest audiences..." nonsense!). Of course, you won't meet Peter or Ace unless they are at the bar.
But actually I was talking about the Fall leg of the Kiss of Life Tour: Check out all of these fine events and establishments I get to visit:
Oct. 9 Davis Kidd Booksellers, Memphis Tennessee
Oct. 11 Southern Festival of Books, Nashville Tennessee
Oct. 17 Cornerstone Bookstore, Salem Massachusetts
Oct. 24 Austin Teen Book Festival, Austin, Texas
Oct. 29-31 World Fantasy Convention, San Jose, California
Unlike Gene and Paul and the other guys, I have elected to waive my usual $995 VIP package meet and greet fees! And no extra charge for my signature, which I will gladly place on any book that I've written! I also draw little zombies that look more like sloppy Rorschach blots but I try really hard!
However, I do not have Buckcherry as an opening act, either. I must warn you that the Kiss of Life tour is a "without makeup" tour, so if you were hoping to see "classic" Kiss of Life you might be disappointed. I will, however, be singing "Strutter","King of the Nighttime World", and "I Was Made For Loving You", all while wearing 7 inch leather platform heels.
Disclaimer: There will also be no actual kissing on the Kiss of Life tour. Sorry!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
World's Lousiest Comics
It probably comes as no surprise that I'm a great fan of comic books. A geek, if you will. I think I probably mentioned at some point how waiting for each issue of Watchmen to come out and then reading them was literally a life-changing experience for me. I used to horde my lunch money (sorry, Mom)so I'd have more money to buy comics. I bought comics right up until having a family impoverished me so much that I couldn't even afford to keep up my complete run of The Avengers.
Kidding! I'm kidding! Sort of. The comic book line was one of the first to be eliminated from the family budget, but at the time it was an easy decision because most of the comics that were out then...in my opinion...stunk. Reeked. Were awful. This happens to me every five years or so, where I read a comic that send me in such a rage that I literally quit reading comics for months or years at a time.
As my kids grew older, though, I wanted to share with them the joys of comic reading, and my son really caught the fever. I'd make frequent trips to the basement to get him stacks and stacks from "the vault". He likes the superhero books mostly, like I did when I was his age.
His interest got me buying new comics again, something I've been doing for a few years now. And initially, the old thrill was there, and I started dreaming once again of doing comic book scripts (comic moguls, take note). My artist friend Matt Smith and I keep threatening to collaborate on a graphic novel, something that I would love, love to do. All these thoughts and experiences, and the look on my son's face when we read the new issue of JSA conspired to make comics fun again.
But last week I read a comic book so stupid, so insipid, so morally vacuous my tiny little world is put in a tailspin yet again. Every so often a comic comes along that seems (again, just my opinion) to exist solely to insult the intelligence and taste of what is typically a very loyal readership. The comic was so bad that it made me angry, and worse, it made me sad. The comic was just plain disrespectful, to readers, to characters, to story.
I feel old today. I think I'll wish that comic book to the cornfield.
Kidding! I'm kidding! Sort of. The comic book line was one of the first to be eliminated from the family budget, but at the time it was an easy decision because most of the comics that were out then...in my opinion...stunk. Reeked. Were awful. This happens to me every five years or so, where I read a comic that send me in such a rage that I literally quit reading comics for months or years at a time.
As my kids grew older, though, I wanted to share with them the joys of comic reading, and my son really caught the fever. I'd make frequent trips to the basement to get him stacks and stacks from "the vault". He likes the superhero books mostly, like I did when I was his age.
His interest got me buying new comics again, something I've been doing for a few years now. And initially, the old thrill was there, and I started dreaming once again of doing comic book scripts (comic moguls, take note). My artist friend Matt Smith and I keep threatening to collaborate on a graphic novel, something that I would love, love to do. All these thoughts and experiences, and the look on my son's face when we read the new issue of JSA conspired to make comics fun again.
But last week I read a comic book so stupid, so insipid, so morally vacuous my tiny little world is put in a tailspin yet again. Every so often a comic comes along that seems (again, just my opinion) to exist solely to insult the intelligence and taste of what is typically a very loyal readership. The comic was so bad that it made me angry, and worse, it made me sad. The comic was just plain disrespectful, to readers, to characters, to story.
I feel old today. I think I'll wish that comic book to the cornfield.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Frequently Asked Questions
I'd like to address a few frequently asked questions, not because I don't want your emails, but because I'm sure you get tired of waiting around for me to answer them!
1. Will there be a third book in the Generation Dead series?
Yes! There will be a third book in the Generation Dead series (and a fourth and a fifth, if I have my way). The third book will be called Passing Strange. I'm working hard on it as we speak to try and get it in shape for a May release, and as usual I'm making things far harder on myself than usual. But I love the story and I hope you will, too. I don't like to show my cards early, but I will tell you that a different character takes center stage for this one...
My lovely and talented editor told me they did the cover shoot last week!
2. I think Generation Dead would make an awesome movie. Why don't you make a movie of it?
First, I totally agree that Generation Dead would make an awesome movie. But that piece of things is out of my hands. I just write the books; I don't make movies, audios, downloadable editions, dramatic stagings, or merchandise. The film rights to both books are still available, so if any of you have deep Hollywood connections, make sure you let them know and get that ball rolling. And for those of you who have sent me pictures requesting a part as Phoebe, Karen or Margi, I promise I will email you as soon as I hear about casting calls. Good luck!
3. Will you be doing any signings in(my town)?
No, unless you live in Memphis, Nashville, Austin, San Jose, or visit the Calvert Library here in CT! Yes, Disney-Hyperion is kind enough to be sending me on a Fall book tour, where I'll be in Nashville at the Southern Festival of Books, The Austin Teen Book Festival, and the World Fantasy Convention! And something TBD in Memphis, I'll keep you posted. How sweet is that? I'll have a busy, busy October and hopefully will be meeting many of you.
4. Is your Facebook Avatar really you?
No, it is actually a customized action figure. But the resemblance is striking!
5. Were you a goth in high school? I can't say I was straight up goth, although one of my favorite albums at the time was the Damned's Phantasmagoria, which is cited by many as being one of the main albums that started the movement. I had all the rare Bauhaus singles, too.
But I think instead that I was an almost perfect blend of the five personality types from The Breakfast Club. Well, I was more Basket Case than Princess, and more brain than jock, and not much of a criminal although I did sport fingerless gloves and a trenchcoat and listened to Slayer. Maybe it was more 30%, 10%, 25%, 20%, 25%. Although I really didn't do anything princess-y, except I was a little spoiled.
Ah, heck with it. I was a goth.
1. Will there be a third book in the Generation Dead series?
Yes! There will be a third book in the Generation Dead series (and a fourth and a fifth, if I have my way). The third book will be called Passing Strange. I'm working hard on it as we speak to try and get it in shape for a May release, and as usual I'm making things far harder on myself than usual. But I love the story and I hope you will, too. I don't like to show my cards early, but I will tell you that a different character takes center stage for this one...
My lovely and talented editor told me they did the cover shoot last week!
2. I think Generation Dead would make an awesome movie. Why don't you make a movie of it?
First, I totally agree that Generation Dead would make an awesome movie. But that piece of things is out of my hands. I just write the books; I don't make movies, audios, downloadable editions, dramatic stagings, or merchandise. The film rights to both books are still available, so if any of you have deep Hollywood connections, make sure you let them know and get that ball rolling. And for those of you who have sent me pictures requesting a part as Phoebe, Karen or Margi, I promise I will email you as soon as I hear about casting calls. Good luck!
3. Will you be doing any signings in(my town)?
No, unless you live in Memphis, Nashville, Austin, San Jose, or visit the Calvert Library here in CT! Yes, Disney-Hyperion is kind enough to be sending me on a Fall book tour, where I'll be in Nashville at the Southern Festival of Books, The Austin Teen Book Festival, and the World Fantasy Convention! And something TBD in Memphis, I'll keep you posted. How sweet is that? I'll have a busy, busy October and hopefully will be meeting many of you.
4. Is your Facebook Avatar really you?
No, it is actually a customized action figure. But the resemblance is striking!
5. Were you a goth in high school? I can't say I was straight up goth, although one of my favorite albums at the time was the Damned's Phantasmagoria, which is cited by many as being one of the main albums that started the movement. I had all the rare Bauhaus singles, too.
But I think instead that I was an almost perfect blend of the five personality types from The Breakfast Club. Well, I was more Basket Case than Princess, and more brain than jock, and not much of a criminal although I did sport fingerless gloves and a trenchcoat and listened to Slayer. Maybe it was more 30%, 10%, 25%, 20%, 25%. Although I really didn't do anything princess-y, except I was a little spoiled.
Ah, heck with it. I was a goth.
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