Hard Case Crime's Latest Release: The Knife Slipped

A longtime fan of noir, I'm a huge fan of Charles Ardai's brilliant publishing house, Hard Case Crime. It specializes in new releases from favorite authors like Max Allan Collins but includes a juicy lineup of books that haven't been on the shelves in decades from authors like Ed McBain and Mickey Spillane. And Ardai somehow unearths never-before-published material like Forever and a Death by Donald Westlake that will arrive in June 2017.

The house usually releases one title per month. This month's book is The Knife Slipped by Earl Stanley Gardner.

Here's its press release:

At the time of his death, Erle Stanley Gardner was the best-selling American author of the 20th century, and world famous as the creator of crusading attorney Perry Mason. Gardner also created the hardboiled detective team of Cool and Lam, stars of 29 novels published between 1939 and 1970—and one that’s never been published until now.

Lost for more than 75 years, THE KNIFE SLIPPED was meant to be the second book in the series but got shelved when Gardner’s publisher objected to (among other things) Bertha Cool’s tendency to "talk tough, swear, smoke cigarettes, and try to gyp people." But this tale of adultery and corruption, of double-crosses and triple identities —however shocking for 1939—shines today as a glorious present from the past, a return to the heyday of private eyes and shady dames, of powerful criminals, crooked cops, blazing dialogue, and delicious plot twists.

Donald Lam has never been cooler—not even when played by Frank Sinatra on the U.S. Steel Hour of Mystery in 1946. Bertha Cool has never been tougher. And Erle Stanley Gardner has never been better.

• First publication ever!
• Erle Stanley Gardner is one of the most popular American authors of all time, with over 100 million books sold
• Brand new cover painting by Robert McGinnis of modern-day pin-up icon Dita von Teese
• Brand new afterword by former Ellery Queen editor Russell Atwood about Gardner, Cool & Lam, and THE KNIFE SLIPPED 

Vintage Truck -- December Blog Post

December shows featuring a charitible component were the selections for my blog post over at Vintage Truck Magazine this month. Tis the season for giving, and it's impressive how much car shows and car clubs give back to their local communities. These aren't the kinds of stories that will ever make the news, of course, but I'll never tire of hearing about (or writing about) people doing the great small things that add up to a big impact in their corner of the world.

Review Aquaman #6

An enjoyable issue, Aquaman #6 has an action-oriented

agenda that has little to do with delving deep into angsty character development and more to do with finally returning to the sea. And that's just fine.

The issue closes the first arc with action in the form of Aquaman fighting Superman, as Arthur takes out his considerable frustration regarding his treatment by the surface world on Clark. Ever the gentleman, Clark takes best shots from Arthur and Mera in this issue and gets knocked on his rear. But there is a limit to Big Blue's patience, even though Arthur is right in his assertion that he was framed and something much more awful is really orchestrating events.

For more on this fun book, check out my review for Comic Book Resources.

Show Guide 2017

If you're a subscriber to Vintage Truck, Antique Power, or Vintage Fire Truck & Equipment, you receive the annual Show Guide as a supplement. (Non-subscribers can order a copy.) The Show Guide is a compilation of shows around the country (and Canada) that are devoted toward or simply welcome antique tractors or trucks or fire trucks and related equipment.

What's so special about that?

Event organizers can submit the information for their show for FREE! And if you've ever tackled the Herculean task of putting on a car show, antique power show, or service vehicle show, you know that every source of free publicity is a welcome relief for promotion budgets that are never big enough.

You can place your show in the 2017 Show Guide now. The deadline is November 4, so don't delay and please spread the word to other show organizers you know. Submit your information HERE. It's easy, and it's free.

September Truck-Friendly Shows

My latest blog post for Vintage Truck Magazine is live HERE.

Sorry not to have posted this sooner, there were some great shows around the country over Labor Day Weekend, and I hope you were able to attend one. Winter is coming, so get out and enjoy events with your club while you can.

Review Wonder Woman #4

The "Year One" storyline continues in Wonder Woman #4 as writer Greg Rucka reinvents the Amazonian games that produce the island's champion. And while the winner is no secret to readers, longtime fans will appreciate the script's fluid efforts to incorporate prior tellings of Wonder Woman's origins. Rucka has included nods to the golden and silver age, the television show, and the works of fan-favorite creators, including George Perez, Phil Jimenez, and Brian Azzarello.

Nicola Scott's art is a study in character development. Themyscira itself is a fully realized character, and Scott's thoughtful depictions of Amazonian society create a more comprehensive picture than has ever been attempted before. Why is that so vital to the story? Because the champion of the Amazons will not simply be chosen to return Steve Trevor to his people--once she leaves the island, she can never return. 

My full review is live on Comic Book Resources.

Review Scarlet Witch #9

The relationships between siblings in comics are often strained, and in Scarlet Witch #9 writer James Robinson and artist Joelle Jones use the events unfolding in "Civil War II" to push Wanda and Peitro to their breaking point.

Beautifully rendered by Jones and deftly scripted by Robinson, Wanda has emerged as her own person. And she'll make her own decisions as to whether or not to join in on the mayhem. The series has been one large journey of personal healing and discovery for Wanda, and with this issue, she demonstrates a new level of self-acceptance and self-confidence that she quickly puts to good use.

My full review is live at Comic Book Resources.

Comic Book Resources Reviews for May 11, 2016

I'm thrilled to be writing reviews for the good folks at Comic Book Resources, and I should be cranking out two reviews per week. I'll try to post them here. Clicks are appreciated and I'd love it if you'd share these via your social media outlets. (There are buttons at the top of the reviews for that.)

For the books that debuted May 11, I reviewed:

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 and
 Guardians of the Galaxy #8

More updates next week!

DC Comics Reveals Details of "Rebirth"

DC Comics unveiled its plans for Rebirth, and it starts with "DC Universe: Rebirth" an 80-page one-shot from Geoff Johns that hits shelves on May 25.

It's no secret that the publisher's sales numbers are lagging far behind those of industry-leading Marvel Comics. Just take a look at the latest figures on Comichron. January is always a tough month, but Batman was the only title to sell more than 100,000 copies. Clearly, the publisher needs to kickstart interest in its titles.

Rebirth will rearrange the DC lineup of comics. Interestingly, all comics will have a price of $2.99. But many will move to bi-monthly publishing schedules, which will likely have an impact on sales. Action Comics and Detective Comics will return to their previous numbering systems -- and the New 52 numberings will become an interesting asterisk for the folks at the Overstreet Comic Book Guide to deal with, I'm sure.

HERE is the full press release from DC Comics.

Staff Picks for February 10: The Eltingville Club

The Eltingville Club hardcover debuts Feb. 10 from series creator Evan Dorkin. If you're familiar with his collaboration on Beasts of Burden with Chicago-based artist Jill Thompson, you know that Dorkin is a fine storyteller.

In his Eltingville Club series, Dorkin examines the darker side of comics fandom. The ugly stereotypes that perfectly describe some real fans are his playground. You've met them at your local comics shop, you've smelled them in line at your favorite con, and you've been appropriately appalled at their antics. And in Dorkin's hands, these archetypes are the heartbeat of a comic that uses them in the finest tradition of underground comix--to make us take a hard, humorous, and sometimes uncomfortable look at ourselves.

The Eltingville Club hardcover from Dark Horse Comics is my staff pick this week for Broken Frontier, and you can read the full preview HERE.

Staff Picks for February 3: Sherlock Holmes Crime Alleys

Sherlock Holmes is a longtime favorite, so it was a no-brainer to select Dark Horse Comics' newest release featuring the world's greatest detective. Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys is the third installment from writer Sylvian Cordurie in his Holmes series, and I hope it's a sign that Dark Horse will make mysteries a priority. The company does them so very well, that in their post-Star Wars environment, I hope Dark Horse stretches out and tackles all facets of mysteries. I know a whole noir lineup would be too much to ask for, but why not? I'm asking.

For my full preview of Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys, go HERE.

Staff Picks for Jan. 27: Image Comics

The Fuse #17 hits shelves this week.

I took a bit of a departure from my normal weekly Staff Pick for Broken Frontier. There were a few issue number 1 comics debuting this week, and my fellow staffers wrote really nice previews for them. But as I looked at the list of new releases, I realized that this was going to be a very expensive week for me--several of my favorite ongoing titles from Image Comics were releasing new books this week, and the new issue of Peanuts was coming as well. Yep, I have a lot of books waiting in my pull bin at the local comics shop. I can't wait!

Click HERE for the link to my Staff Pick. If you haven't checked out those titles, pick up the trades and dive in, you'll thank me later!

Vintage Truck Magazine January Blog

Have you ever seen a Model T Snowmobile? Head to Morrissville, VT, on Feb. 6-7.

My latest post for the Vintage Truck Magazine website is live, and I'm looking at some very interesting cold-weather swap meets this month.

It all starts with the Model T Snowmobile Meet in Morrissville, Vermont, on February 6-7. Yes, there were conversion kits for Model T owners to place the front wheels on skis and surround the back tires with metal chains. Then it moves on to the 44th Annual Auto Parts Swap Meet in Springfield, Ohio on February 7. For fans of older cars, the Peconic Bay Region chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America will host its 17th Annual Indoor Heated Auto Swap Meet on February 21. And finally, the 51st Annual Greater Milwaukee Area Indoor Winter Swap Meet is in West Bend, Wisconsin, on February 28. The swap is run by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America, and you can bet that after 51 years, this club knows how to host a quality event.

You can read the full article HERE.

And as always, if you have any favorite truck-friendly shows/swaps to share, leave a comment and I'll check it out.

Best Ongoing Series: Saga

Image Comics' Saga won the 2015 Broken Frontier Award for Best Ongoing Series

The Broken Frontier site recently announced the 2015 recipients of the Broken Frontier Awards. I was quite pleased to discover that Saga had won the award for Best Ongoing Series.

I have been reading Saga since issue #1 and have enjoyed every plot twist, turn, and upheaval since those first panels where baby Hazel enters the fray. Series creators Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (art) have forged a brilliant genre-bending sci-fi/fantasy action/adventure/family drama/love story for mature audiences that maintains the highest standard for comics storytelling.

It was a pleasure to author the write-up for Saga's award, and you can read it HERE.

Broken Frontier Awards 2015 Announced

The winners of the 2015 Broken Frontier Awards were announced this week.

Greetings, comics fans! The Broken Frontier site has resolved its technical difficulties and is up and running. Thanks for your patience.

Each year, the BF staff creates a list of nominations that reflect the best work in comics. Fans like you and the staffers vote on the winners, which were announced this week. Click HERE to see if your favorites won.

And as always, if you have an indie comic favorite to recommend, leave a comment.

Vintage Truck Magazine, January

This sharp 1966 Ford F-250 caught my eye on a recent road trip. Read more about it by clicking the link below.

My latest blog post is live at Vintage Truck Magazine, click HERE to read it. 

January kicks off swap meet season, and I've previewed four events from around the country sure to be the cure for cabin fever! Get your warm layers ready, find your snow boots, and don't forget a hat, it's going to be a cold trek through some of these popular swaps.

If you have a favorite swap meet, please leave a comment and I'll try to include it in a future installment of the blog.