The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics

This book is the most fun I’ve had reading since The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps. I’m not going to do a full review because others have done it far better justice (here, here and here) than I could. However, I will give it a quick plug... Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct stands out with its bizarre but engaging case of a blind painter who paints masterpieces and then kills his subjects... Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer is in a piece called Dark City (1954) that caused such an uproar over the depiction of a bound and gagged woman that the strip was soon cancelled for offending narrow-minded sensibilities. Spillane’s earlier creation, Mike Lancer, also appears in the anthology... Max Allan Collins delivers the charming Ms. Tree on Maternity Leave (1992). This is my first meeting with this tough babe and I’m hoping the movie will reflect this tour de force... My response to Dashiell Hammett’s Secret Agent X-9 (1934) was lukewarm, which surprised me. Even so, I’m glad to have it rounding out my D.H. collection... Johnny Craig’s The Sewer (1951) is a great tale of ultimate poetic justice when a murderer hiding out underground comes face to face with his own grisly handiwork... A new favorite of mine, the whimsical 'Spirit', shows up in Will Eisner’s The Portier Fortune (1946). I’ll be checking out more of Mr. Eisner's work... There are many, many other brilliant creators including Alan Moore, Sanchez Abuli, Alex Raymond, Paul Grist and Ed Robbins. Each storyline is introduced with a brief history and Paul Gravett does a fine job in the introduction Every Shade of Noir... This book should be on your shelf.

Yellow Mama

Yellow Mama, Issue #10 (October, 2008) is now online. Cindy Rosmus has put together a great list of contributors, including Patricia Abbott. I've just started reading it myself, so go on over and check it out.

My Town Monday: Life in West Africa

I asked Mr. Boh to send some pictures of his family, Cameroon, and where he works. I knew when I asked that it was a tall order but, as always, he came through. I'm posting family photos today and work pics next week. I also included a writeup from him on the folklore of the Kom people. Mr. Boh writes:

You won't believe how long it has taken me to be able to come up with Pics. I had them snapped but to process them and be able to send was just another school and I finally had to hand the camera to a friend of mine who down-loaded them into his box and in turn sent to me.

You will see Junior and the sister, their Mum and the first day to school for Junior's sister and the job their mum has to accompany them everyday to and from school. Please extend my thanks to all your kind readers for showing an interest in my country.

History of the Kom people and their settlement (originally posted 01 August 2007 on the Axiom Report)
The Kom people co-existed with the Babessi people of Ngohkitungia Division of the north-west province of Cameroon. This was in the early 1800's up to about the second half of that century. Relationships between these two ethnic groups were very cordial until hunger struck the land due to poor weather conditions. The fon (paramount chief) of Babessi, seeing that his subjects were dying of hunger, out-played the fon of Kom with a diabolic plan he had conceived. He suggested to the fon of Kom the necessity to reduce their respective populations so that the little amount of food the land produced would be sufficient for the few who were spared from the execution of the plan.

THE PLAN
The two groups were each to construct a hall into which a cross section of their population would be locked up and later burnt. This plan was readily accepted by the fon of Kom, 'TANGNAKOLI'.

Tangnakoli was so naive that during the construction of the two halls he didn't notice that the people of Babessi had been given instructions to create an exit door to the hall their own population was to be locked in. So while the Kom people ran the risk of eliminating their people, those from Babessi knew it was going to be safe with them.

Then came the D-Day; about 600 Kom elites moved into the hall meant for them while about the same number of people from Babessi MOVED INTO AND OUT THROUGH THE EXIT DOOR of their own hall. Soon, the two halls were set ablaze and as the Kom elites perished in the disaster, Babessi elites moved into hiding in the near-by bushes. Just two weeks later the same Babessi elites Tangnakoli had observed with his own eyes move into the hall were seen again roaming around the palace.

Tangnakoli couldn't believe his eyes and considered this as a slap in the face from his colleague fon of Babessi.

THE REVENGE OF TANGNAKOLI
Tangnakoli called a few of his trusted 'NCHINDAS' (palace guards) and informed them of his plan to avenge the deaths of his people; he made them to understand that Babessi was no longer suitable for them and informed them of the various signs they would see after his death and directed them to follow the instructions at the latter if not a calamity would befall them.

With the plan on the way, one morning Tangnakoli sat on his throne and was playing the locally fabricated guitar called the 'ILUNG' when the fon of Babessi came in to pay him a visit. Furious with anger, Tangnakoli got up and slammed the Ilung on the forehead of the fon of Babessi leaving a very big scar. Tangnakoli never gave room for any negotiations as he dashed into the palace and came out with a rope in hand. He went into the nearby forest (as planned) to where there was a crater lake; he climbed onto one of the trees whose branches spread further out above the waters of the lake; he tied the rope onto one of the branches and hung himself. This suicidal move had been accepted by all the Chindas he had contacted so they were all on standby for whatever signs would follow.

With the mission of the fon already accomplished, the Kom elites waited in patience for another two weeks. The decaying body of Tangnakoli soon started sending out maggots which dropped into the waters of the lake and days later, they transformed into very big fishes. Since Babessi people knew nothing about the plan nor the whereabouts of Tangnakoli, they soon discovered that there were so many fish in the nearby lake and brought the news to the palace and their fon hearing this didn't hesitate to decree that the next day, every adult male and some strong women should go to that lake and do the fishing and bring home their catch to the palace. The instructions were followed and when everyone had gotten into the lake concentrating on fishing, the lake started swallowing up the people and did not give room for anyone who had stepped in to be able to run.

THE BOA TRACK
The next day a Boa track appeared from around the lake as had been announced by Tangnakoli. Following the track, the Kom people left Babessi. They traveled for some days until the track disappeared at IJIM a neighbouring village to Kom. They temporarily settled at Ijim for about two weeks; built a few huts around and got up one morning only to see that the Boa Track had reappeared. They packed up their few belongings and again followed the track for a few more days and it finally disappeared at LAIKOM where they built the fon's palace and settlements effectively commenced after some months. The palace of the Kom people remains there to this day and where the Boa track disappeared is a tall rock of about 5ft and 10in in diameter; this rock is meant to keep track because it is believed that the day the track reappears, it will mean the Kom people will again have to move to a new home.

Click here for other My Town Monday posts on Travis Erwin's site...

Antiquing for Mysteries

I’ve mentioned on occasion that Little d and I like to go antiquing on weekends, mainly on the lookout for books, coins, and paintings. We hadn’t planned on going today but Gary's post of the new EQMM and AHMM covers on The Tainted Archive got my wheels turning. The new AHMM reminded me of an old issue. Over breakfast, I pondered my collection stashed away in NY when it hit me, I don’t have that issue... I had seen it in the antique store several weeks ago. Faster than you can say "Holy cow Batman", I was dragging d a good hour away to the Washington Old School House Antique Mall. While I was there, I picked up thirty(!) EQMM and AHMMs. Oh, and here's that April 1984 Ellery Queen cover that reminded me of the current Alfred Hitchcock (along with the 29 others!).

The Spirit

How did I miss out on The Spirit growing up? I’m not sure, but knowing me, I was probably in the Sgt. Rock and GI Joe section.

I've read my first Spirit, The Portier Fortune, in Best Crime Comics and have become hooked by Will Eisner’s masked man of mystery. And now after watching the trailer, I’m looking forward to the Frank Miller film coming this Christmas.



I love the Sin City look of the film and that Frank Miller style that translates well from graphic novels to the big screen. I’m not really familiar with Gabriel Macht who’s playing The Spirit but his bio includes roles in The Good Shepherd and The Recruit. Of course, all eyes will be fixed on the combined charms of Eva Mendes, Scarlet Johansson, and Paz Vega -- enough to make a Jessica Rabbit jealous.

On Writing: Multiple POVs in the First Person?

Earlier in the year, I subscribed to a writer's book club, and now each month whether I want it or not, I get a 'how-to-write' book. I know there are varying opinions on this kind of educational tool, and no doubt, there's a gluttony in today’s market. But I've found some are worth reading, like The Mind of Your Story by Lisa Lenard-Cook. In Chapter 5 “What's Your Point,” Ms. Lenard-Cook writes, “The main question to keep in mind as you consider point of view is, whose story is it, anyway? … [O]ne way to determine who will tell your story is to decide who will be changed by the events that unfold.” Good advice, and this is the springboard for my current post and dilemma.

I've been working on a story where my protagonist ends up in a potentially fatal predicament. I wrote it in the first person and later realized the antagonist is equally absorbing. I thought of changing to the omnipresent 3rd person but felt it would lack kick. I finally decided to use first person to tell the story from both character's point of view, trying to clearly distinguish who is speaking in each section.

I think it works fine, but I wonder if there will be gripes about making such a transition. Several people who've read it have said that it works for them. Of course, the big test will be whether it’s accepted or not.

Has anyone else come across a similar problem? If so, what was it?

Thursday morning paper

One nice thing about staying at a hotel is the free paper delivered to the door. This morning's Life section from USA Today has a sizeable amount of print devoted to authors from the crime/detective community. Carole Memmott interviews Max Allan Collins about the forthcoming Mickey Spillane novel, The Goliath Bone. An article appears on actor and comedic author Richard Belzer with his latest I am Not a Cop! Last but not least, is a short bio of Stieg Larsson and a review of his bestseller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Check out the links if you would like a morning dose of crime.