Tag Archives: Mark Finn

At last, RAYGUNS OVER TEXAS goes digital

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Cover by Rocky Kelley

Cover by Rocky Kelley

At long last, Rayguns Over Texas comes out in an ebook format.

“In spite of the title, which implies freewheeling space opera, there’s only one raygun to be found in Rayguns Over Texas, an original anthology edited by Richard Klaw; most stories here don’t take us off Earth, and most don’t have anything to do with aliens (attacking or otherwise) or armadas of battling spaceships. That doesn’t mean that the anthology isn’t fun, though.” – Gardner Dozois, Locus Mag

“I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.” – Bruce Sterling, from his introduction

“I love the cover by Rocky Kelley (no relation)! Bruce Sterling provides a wonderful Introduction. Scott Cupp’s essay on his SF reading is masterful. Neal Barrett, Jr., Joe R. Lansdale, and Michael Moorcock wrote my favorite stories in this collection, but there are plenty of other enjoyable stories here. Pick up a copy soon before they’re all gone!” – George Kelly,GeorgeKelly.org

 

Since the end of the Civil War, Texans have played an essential role in the history of science fiction. Acclaimed and influential writers such as Bruce Sterling, Michael Moorcock, Howard Waldrop, Walter M. Miller, Jr., Marion Zimmer Bradley, Gene Wolfe, Neal Barrett, Jr., L. Sprague DeCamp, Chad Oliver, John Steakley, and Elizabeth Moon all called The Lone Star State home.

Continuing this proud tradition, Rayguns Over Texas features 17 original and two classic tales that reflect the current creative state of Texas sci-fi, alongside historical essays and an introduction by Hugo award-winning, Texas ex-pat Bruce Sterling.

Whatcha waiting for? Hustle you way over and pick up your copy today at Amazon.

(Guest Post by Mark Finn) MondoCon 1: The Little Show-Within-A-Show That Could

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I’ve been blessed over the years with many good and talented friends. One of which is aging hipster, writer, and personality Mark Finn. In my time of need, Finn graciously volunteered to fill some of my pixels about the eight days of Fantastic Fest with his account of MondCon 1, the poster/art event that occurred during the festival.

MondoCon 1

The Little Show-Within-A-Show That Could

By Mark Finn

 

I got the first alert that there would be something called MondoCon the usual way: via Twitter. Mondo (the company) does a lot of their business that way these days. They started out as a T-shirt screen printer, in cahoots with the Alamo Draft House, making ironic tees for nascent hipsters. It was perfect niche marketing. Over the years, Mondo has greatly expanded their operations into silkscreening prints and movie posters for special events (and also, just because) and most recently, new vinyl pressings (with a full art workup, of course) of movie soundtracks that never got a vinyl release in the first place.

Genius idea? Clever marketing? Right on both counts. Now, they have enough clout and draw for their own gathering, the aforementioned MondoCon, and it was strategically located in the middle of the forced march that is Fantastic Fest. The organizers promised a more personal and intimate experience than the usual big name conventions like San Diego Comic-Con; they limited attendance on both days, booked a smaller event space, and promised a number of exclusives for people showing up.

As a collector of posters and movie memorabilia as well as a lover of comics, it was too good to pass up. Two-day tickets were affordable and the sheer volume of exclusives for the show was so vast, there was something special to be had for any and all price ranges.

The guests, as expected, were a number of cream of the crop artists and illustrators who have worked with Mondo before on posters and projects. Big name comic book greats and illustrators like Basil Gogos, Berni Wrightson, Val Mayerick, Mike Mignola, William Stout, Tim Sale, and Geoff Darrow were situated alongside the young turks and new designers like Jason Edmiston, Becky Cloonan, Francesco Francavilla, Jock, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Kevin Tong, and “Ghoulish” Garry Pullin. With a couple of exceptions, there were short lines or no lines at all, giving attendees plenty of time to chat with their favorites, ask questions about their work, and feel like they got to make a connection with the creators. It was an art lover’s dream, to be sure.

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Art by Francesco Francavilla

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