Fox Spirit at EdgeLit2

What a delightful thing to see all the shiny books crowding together like this! In just about a year Fox Spirit Books has released a variety of titles that beautifully represent their raison d’être: mixing up genres at will, refusing to conform to old categories. And succeeded brilliantly! Not only was it wonderful to see…

Noir Carnival: The Launch

Today, the laughter stops — Dark’s Carnival has already left town, but it’s left a fetid seed behind. There’s a transgressive magic that spooks the carnies and unsettles the freaks. Beyond the barkers and the punters, behind the lights and tents where the macabre and the lost find refuge, there’s a deformity that has nothing…

Noir Carnival: AJ Sikes

Inspired by S. L. Johnson‘s fabulous cover image for Noir Carnival, writer A. J. Sikes is running a creepy clown contest — enter to win! And here’s his how-I-came-to-write-the-story piece: Twas but a quiet walk upon the moor A. J. Sikes Back in early 1996, for fun outside of work, I started hanging out with…

Noir Carnival: Carol Borden

What Does the Femme Fatale Want?; or How I Wrote, “The Mermaid Illusion” Carol Borden If there’s one quote that consistently rubs me wrong, it’s Freud’s, “Was will das Weib?” It’s usually translated as, “What does woman want?” Once I learned German, it bothered me even more. A more literal translation would be, “What does…

Noir Carnival: Christopher L. Irvin

Sit the Strongman out, or How I wrote “The Things We Leave Behind” by Christopher L. Irvin   I love a good Strongman character (Gabriel in HBO’s Carnivale for example) but like the Overrated PI, I tried to avoid the classic/traditional circus and carnival actors while writing my story for NOIR CARNIVAL. It’s not that I…

Dancing with the Zeitgeist

Just remember, we were there first. and then came: Fortunately, we’ll be out first:   Before this makes its debut (thanks Aaron Sikes for the heads up): Nice covers, though I have to say I prefer our punk aesthetics (go QoE!)

Noir Carnival: Cover Artist, SL Johnson

How I Created This Book Cover, or Adventures Inside an Artist’s Mind SL Johnson I was delighted to be asked to create another book cover for Fox Spirit books – not only is Adele a doll to work with (she gives me freedom!) but my ace pal Kate is editing it and some very fabulous…

Introducing Graham Wynd

I cannot believe it is July already! I have been so busy that time has simply sped by and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. I’m doing my best not to be tempted into adding to my already too long to-do list, but there are always opportunities too good to miss (like writing…

Carnival Playlist

By the time this posts, I should be in Glasgow for the Graphic Novel/BD conference. I hope to meet up with folks I know and folks I don’t yet know at the conference, and with some of my on-line friends who live in town. With luck I’ll get around to some galleries or museums as…