Archive for the ‘Austin’ Category

The Signature Art of William F. Nolan

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

As previously mentioned, I attended the World Horror Convention here in Austin, where I moderated a panel with William F. Nolan. I cheekily had him sign some books while I was on the panel (all in good fun), but the real treat was grabbing several more signatures during the mass signing, as he likes to do drawings when signing. Here’s an example (or at least as much as would fit on the scanner) of the art he put on the blank page of “The Final Stone,” his story in Dennis Etchison’s Landmark Cutting Edge horror anthology:

Click to embiggen.

Thanks Bill!

Pictures from the World Horror Convention in Austin, Saturday, April 30, 2011

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

It looked like my Kodak Digital camera had died, but it seems to be working again after fiddling with it, removing the battery a few times, and plugging it in. Still, I’ll probably need to get a new camera before Apollocon in June, since the automatic shutter isn’t retracting all the way any more…

William F. Nolan and Rocky Wood, both of whom were with me on the “Horror Without Stephen King,” along with someone who wasn’t.


Bill Crider


Bill & Judy Crider.

Bill Spencer. A lot of Bills today, mainly because none of them had yet been signed into law.

Now THAT’s a HAT.

SF Signal’s John DeNardo, AKA “Mr. Saturday Night.”

Don Webb, in the one photo I took on my iPhone that didn’t completely suck.

Pictures from the World Horror Convention in Austin, Friday, April 29, 2011: Part 2

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

The front of Kasey Lansdale’s head.

Stina Leicht, Mikal Trimm and Guest of Honor Joe Hill. This was right before Hill discussed that most important of philosophical question: If you have a cloth spiderman mask in your pocket (and really, who doesn’t?), and two guys rush into the store you’re in with shotguns, do you instantly put on the mask and start wailing on then? I pointed out that since this is Texas, and we’re all armed, the issue was probably less pressing here than in Maine.

Chris Roberson, Joe Hill and John Picacio doing some serious comic geeking.

Three women, six different hair colors.

Jessica Reisman.

Sanford Allen, showing Scott Cupp the ticket that doesn’t let him into Willie Wonka’s factory, but does let him on Captain Morgan’s ship.

Scott Cupp, and people I don’t know who seemed to be discussing adultery among TSR employees.

F. Paul Wilson in the center.

John Skipp, just before he went trekking off to a lost city in the jungles of Peru.

The art show reception. Even though this is Austin, in real life the room was not that shade of burnt orange.

Pictures from the World Horror Convention in Austin, Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday, April 29th, 2011

A few pictures I took at the World Horror Convention in Austin on Friday afternoon:

Multi-Hugo-nominated artist John Picacio, who says that between Elric and A Game of Thrones, he’s having a great year, as long as it doesn’t kill him.

Stina Leicht and John Picacio.

Peter Straub, shortly after we had discussed our mutual admiration for the Joe Hill story “Pop Art.”

“Dealer’s Room 2.” Yes, that’s actually what the sign on the door says.

In case you couldn’t tell from the backdrop, this is Jack Ketchum.

Meanwhile, in Dealer’s Room 1: Chuck Siros, Mikal Trimm, Stina Leicht, the back of Kasey Lansdale’s head, John Picacio, Willie Siros.

How I Spent Last Weekend

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

I’ll let Dwight do the blow-by-blow. I was too busy running around greeting people and refilling the food bowl to offer up too many additional impressions. Thanks to everyone who came out.

Given enough time, I might put up a few impressions of Mean Streets and Get Carter, especially if I can do some screen shots of those 70s fashions…

Texas Doesn’t Lead the Way (Thank God)

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

In arrests of college football players, that is. SI and CBS news listed the arrest records for every team in the preseason top 25, and the two Texas teams in the list did comparatively well. Texas came in third-to-last, with only two players charged, while TCU came in dead last with none at all. Oklahoma came in tied for seventh with nine players arrested, and Pittsburgh ranked first (which is to say last) with a whopping 22 players charged.

The usual caveats (arrest is not conviction, innocent until proven guilty, yada yada yada) apply, but this is one ranking Texas football fans are happy to see their teams rank last in.

(“Texas leads the way” shtick blatantly stolen from Bill Crider.)

Richard Cory Went Home Last Night and Put a Bullet Through His Head

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

This has to be one of the saddest and most inexplicable local stories of recent memory: Yoli and Michael Amr, founders of Gumbo’s, Yoli’s Jambalaya and Mama Roux, are now dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

This is a profound shame, as in each of their incarnations, they had the best Cajun food I ever tasted (and this is from someone who’s eaten at K-Paul’s in New Orleans).

I have trouble believing it was money troubles, since Mama Roux was always packed when we went there. Maybe there were health issues.

I’m at a loss. Sometimes people, even successful and apparently happy people, do inexplicable things.

Borders Closing ALL Its Austin Locations

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Borders is closing all three Austin-area stores.

This is a darn shame, but their prices never struck me as competitive with online stores, even for those few items I didn’t buy direct from publishers.

Borders may well be doomed by online sales and electronic books, but some chains can take a long time to die. Until recently there was even a Hastings Records in Round Rock, even though I though they had died out a long time ago…

My Review of Mr. Shivers

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

My review of Robert Jackson Bennett’s Mr. Shivers is up over at SF Signal. If you’re looking for a good first novel to read, I recommend it. I also have some copies of the first edition available on the Lame Excuse Books page.

Local Girl Makes Good

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

My friend and fellow member of the Turkey City Writer’s Workshop Stina Leicht just had her first novel, Of Blood and Honey, published by Night Shade Books (which seems to have recovered from their organizational difficulties).

I hope to have some signed copies available for the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

She also has a piece on what prompted the novel up on John Scalzi’s Whatever.

Congrats, Stina!