Double Feature

Thomas Jane is an actor who has taken on some iconic roles. He played the lead in THE PUNISHER. Mickey Mantle in 61*. And he's also starred in two films based on the work of Stephen King, most recently THE MIST. He's currently in post-production on his directorial debut, THE DARK COUNTRY. Thomas Jane is also no stranger to the comic book medium or its fans, thanks in large part to his work with fan favorite artist Timothy Bradstreet.

Tim Bradstreet is an Eisner-award nominated illustrator/production designer who has been working in the comic book industry for over twenty years. Perhaps best known for his work on books like THE PUNISHER, HELLBLAZER, and CRIMINAL MACABRE, Bradstreet's work has always had a cinematic quality that has jumped off the racks. read more »

This is a piece of news that can only exist with the awesome fans of Chuck Palahniuk. It seems someone has gone and set up a site where Chuck fans can take pictures of and swap their handmade Palahniuk items. Similar to how Chuck himself hand-makes a lot of items he sends out in his fan mail packages, idea organizer, Anna Knight, has seized inspiration from that and given it a home. From Anna:

I recently organized a Chuck Palahniuk Swap on a craft website, Craftster.org, and I thought I'd send a link to the gallery of it. The guidelines were that everyone sent 4 handmade items and some gag gifts like Chuck sends to his fans.

The gallery is here:
(You can click the little green tab towards the top that says 'show images only' to view the pics easier)
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=273834.10

The original thread:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=266702.0

UPDATE: This date has now passed. As always though, St. Helen's is accepting orders for Chuck's next stop in. At this time though, we do not know when that will be.

Chuck Palahniuk is dropping into St. Helens Book Shop, our favorite affiliates, this Friday to sign all their remaining inventory. So if anyone has inscribed orders placed before then, Chuck will be able to get to it. Think of the holidays, folks, and how great a gift a signed and inscribed Palahniuk book would be for your loved one or friends.

Order Your Signed & Inscribed Books Today! read more »

Chuck Palahniuk's next book will be "Pygmy". It's not due in stores until May 5, 2009. But the official description just went up on Amazon last week.

"Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67 on arrival midwestern American airport greater _____ area. Flight _____. Date _____. Priority mission top success to complete. Code name: Operation Havoc."

Thus speaks Pygmy, one of a handful of young adults from a totalitarian state sent to the United States, disguised as exchange students, to live with typical American families and blend in, all the while planning an unspecified act of massive terrorism. Palahniuk depicts Midwestern life through the eyes of this thoroughly indoctrinated little killer, who hates us with a passion, in this cunning double-edged satire of an American xenophobia that might, in fact, be completely justified. For Pygmy and his fellow operatives are cooking up something big, something truly awful, that will bring this big dumb country and its fat dumb inhabitants to their knees.

It's a comedy.

Pre-order "Pygmy" today! read more »

Grinding Out a Riot Act

Take a drop of Joe R. Lansdale's blood. Then a slice from David J. Schow's scalp. Scrape some phlegm off Tarantino's tongue. Inject some of Robert Rodriguez's sperm. Pour in some Karo syrup. Mix it in a blender. Pour. These are just some of the ingredients of Stephen Romano's unique work.

Stephen Romano is a mutant. He's a military science experiment gone all bug-fuck bad. He's a dangerous DIY author/artist/hyphenate. Residing in Austin, Texas, Stephen Romano is best known as the screenwriter who, along with the infamous Don Coscarelli (Phantasm), brought to life Joe R. Lansdale's "Incident On and Off A Mountain Road" for the pilot episode of Showtime's Masters of Horror series. Stephen also released THE RIOT ACT, a collection of his balls-to-the-wall short stories, in which Joe R. Lansdale wrote, "This may be the best new short story collection I've read in years. Stephen Romano isn't fucking around."

If the buzz surrounding his new book, SHOCK FESTIVAL, is any indication, Stephen Romano's work will not only turn heads, it's going to make heads roll, because no, he isn't fucking around. FANGORIA called it "One of the greatest homages to B-cinema ever undertaken." FILM THREAT described it as "A stone groove and as badass a tome as you're likely to come across this year or next."

Here Stephen Romano talks with Joshua Jabcuga about SHOCK FESTIVAL, his love of movies, and working as a professional screenwriter. read more »

This news is about a month old now, but it's worth mentioning. Chuck Palahniuk did a cool q&a with The Hollywood Reporter during the 'Choke' release.

Take special note of the last question, where Chuck is asked about a possible collaboration with DC Comics.

Read the interview here

A Wonderful Life

As a writer of a book you have only yourself to depend on to get it made. You’re the one who has to come up with the words, you are the one who strings together the narrative and, ultimately, you are the only one who gets named in the reviews. With a movie, however, you are only as good as the relationships you develop with those who can take your written work and make it something fluid and real. George Gallo, writer and director of LOCAL COLOR, had to pull in a phalanx of relationships he’s developed with some of Hollywood’s elite in order to get his film made. Based on the portrait of an artist as a young man, George’s own evolution as someone who dabbled in paints rather than celluloid, the movie captures what it meant to be young and to have spent time with a master of his craft. read more »

Howdy, folks. Welcome to November. I hope you all had a fun Halloween. I know I did. Today, we continue with, what is easily, one of the best features from Chuck we have ever included on this site. Here's a recap, straight from the horse's mouth:

For the next three essays I'll be presenting three drafts of a short story I'm writing for a Dark Delicacies anthology. Folks have been asking for this kind of in-progress demonstration. Each draft will describe my process and choices -- and the finished, polished version will be out in the actual book.

Read Chuck's October Essay, A Story from Scratch, Act Two read more »