Monstrous Books

19/08/2024

I have achieved my ultimate dream—my house is full of books! 6600 lbs of books!

17/08/2024

This year, Monstrous Books was nominated for 4 awards. The Bram Stoker Award (Best Anthology - Shakespeare Unleashed), the Shirley Jackson Award (Best Anthology - Shakespeare Unleashed), and 2 Rondo Hatton Classic Awards — (Best Classic Horror Fiction - Shakespeare Unleashed) and (Best Graphic Arts Presentation - Monstrous #1).

14/08/2024

The Jets' greatest quarterback, maybe the best in the universe.

12/08/2024

THRILLING MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE!

Throughout history and infinite dimensions, there exists a secret group of supernatural investigators operating on the fringes of society, lurking in the shadows, working strange cases with little reward. They are hardboiled zombies and ghosts, mythological creatures, ass-kicking vampires, tortured humans, and uncanny sleuths whose normal is the bizarre and weird.

Now, for the first time, Kevin J. Anderson, Steve Niles, Nancy A. Collins, Joe R. Lansdale & Kasey Lansdale, David Avallone, Jonathan Maberry, Lisa Morton, Nancy Holder & Alan Philipson, John Jennings, Tim Waggoner, Jeff Strand, Rena Mason, and James Aquilone bring their weird investigators together for Dead Detectives Society #1, a one-of-a-kind anthology of 13 all-new stories. Available now.

07/08/2024

New illustration by Russ Braun for the Kolchak: The Night Stalker reprint. Russ has two more coming. The book is shaping up really well.

30/07/2024

I got my Shirley Jackson Award rock after Shakespeare Unleashed was nominated for best anthology. (All Shirley Jackson nominees get a rock as a nod to "The Lottery.")

27/07/2024

Join 10,000 other Monster Kids who get our newsletter delivered to their inbox. http://eepurl.com/hYar1D 👿

Monstrous Books Email Forms

26/07/2024

As the 2024 Summer Olympics kicks off, let's pay tribute to Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe II — star of the Flash Gordon movies, onetime Tarzan, and gold medalist.

At the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, Crabbe claimed the bronze medal in the 1500-meter freestyle. Four years later, in 1932, he became the only U.S. gold medalist in men’s swimming. Soon after, he was signed by Paramount Studios, who were looking for a rival to Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan at MGM. The first of his 175 movies was King of the Jungle in which he played Kasta, the Lion Man. A few months later he played the actual Lord of the Jungle in 1933's Tarzan the Fearless.

But he is best known for his roles as a space hero in three Flash Gordon serials and one Buck Rogers serial. He also appeared in 65 westerns throughout his career.

A life-long advocate of physical fitness, Crabbe conducted televised physical fitness programs and in 1971, aged 63, he set a world age group record for the 400m freestyle.

25/07/2024

I need this.

24/07/2024

ART REVEAL: Here's the splash page that opens THE OMEGA ELEVEN #1, by writer James Aquilone and artist Zac Atkinson. You can grab a 12-page preview of the comic at SDCC this week. Go see Zac at the GenSeven booth (4804).

23/07/2024

James Garner would have been a good Kolchak.

21/07/2024

I'm taking Columbo

19/07/2024

We printed a 12-page preview of The Omega Eleven #1 for SDCC. You can get copies from artist Zac Atkinson at the GenSeven booth 4804. And while you’re there pick up some GenSeven comics. The full issue will be 30 pages.

15/07/2024

Found in Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year, Volume Fifteen.

13/07/2024

The Shirley Jackson Awards are tonight at Readercon. Shakespeare Unleashed, published by Monstrous Books, is up for best anthology and Jo Kaplan’s SU story is nominated for best short fiction. Wish us luck.

13/07/2024

Another successful Kickstarter is in the books. This was a wild one. More than 2000 backers — a personal record. Monstrous Books’ Kolchak era is off to a great start. A big thank you to everyone who supported the project.

09/07/2024

Just broke another Kickstarter record. 1800 backers. That's the most backers I've ever had. And there's still 53 hours to go. It also looks like we'll sell out of the limited-edition hardcover before the campaign ends. Viva Kolchak!

07/07/2024

The Kolchak campaign is Kickstarter's featured project on the front page of the site. This is a first for one of my projects. Kolchak is ruling Kickstarter today!

06/07/2024

Today Kickstarter featured Kolchak in their newsletter, along with the Planet of the Apes project. It's appropriate because Kolchak: The Night Stalker and the Planet of the Apes TV series both debuted on September 13, 1974. Planet of the Apes aired at 8 pm on CBS, while Kolchak aired at 10 pm on ABC.

05/07/2024

A panel from the upcoming "Rise of the Morlocks" comic in Monstrous #2 from writer James Aquilone and artist J.K. Woodward. This is sleazy tabloid journalist Marcus Slade, hot on the trail of the Morlocks under the NYC subway.

02/07/2024

Born William Lyle Richardson in 1922, Darren McGavin carved a unique path in Hollywood. He wasn't your typical leading man, but rather a character actor with a gruff charm and an unwavering commitment to his craft. While his career spanned decades and mediums, his defining role came in the form of Carl Kolchak, the tenacious reporter in the cult classic "Kolchak: The Night Stalker."

McGavin's journey began as a set painter, eventually transitioning to acting on stage. He found early success on Broadway, then on the silver screen in films like "Summertime" (1955) and "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955). Television beckoned in the late '50s, where he portrayed the hard-boiled detective Mike Hammer in the series of the same name.

He first played Carl Kolchak in the 1972 made-for-TV movie "The Night Stalker." McGavin brought Kolchak to life with a blend of cynicism, courage, and a touch of goofiness. Kolchak was an investigator in a world that refused to acknowledge the monsters he faced, be it vampires, werewolves, or something even more sinister.

"Kolchak: The Night Stalker" captured the public's imagination. McGavin's portrayal resonated with viewers. Kolchak wasn't a superhero; he was a flawed, relentless everyman constantly battling skepticism from his editor, Tony Vincenzo (played by the legendary Simon Oakland). Yet, he persisted, driven by a fierce sense of justice and an insatiable curiosity.

The series, sadly, was short-lived (one season with 20 episodes). McGavin, known for his outspokenness, clashed with the network over the show's direction. He believed the quality was declining, and the network, concerned about the graphic nature of some episodes, wasn't fully invested. Despite the cancellation, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" achieved cult status. Fans loved the show's dark atmosphere, the chilling creatures, and, most importantly, Carl Kolchak.

Darren McGavin continued to act for decades after "Kolchak," adding numerous television and film credits to his resume, such as "A Christmas Story," "The Natural," and "Billy Madison." But for a generation of viewers, he'll forever be remembered as Carl Kolchak, the man who dared to shine a light into the darkest corners of the night.

https://bit.ly/KolchakNovel

30/06/2024

Just finished what I thought was my last podcast for the Kolchak campaign and then got an email asking me to do another.

29/06/2024

Viva Kolchak!

25/06/2024

In just a week this campaign has more than 1400 backers. That's wild.

24/06/2024

We have Kolchak T-shirts!

23/06/2024

:)

22/06/2024

"Witness Mr. Henry Bemis, a charter member in the fraternity of dreamers. A bookish little man whose passion is the printed page, but who is conspired against by a bank president and a wife and a world full of tongue-cluckers and the unrelenting hands of a clock. But in just a moment, Mr. Bemis will enter a world without bank presidents or wives or clocks or anything else. He'll have a world all to himself... without anyone."

Henry Bemis is the patron saint of Monstrous Books.

21/06/2024

I just got this amazing blurb from Christopher Golden for the Kolchak: The Night Stalker reprint. 🦇

20/06/2024

The Kolchak buttons are in!