Back in late July, Blastr ran my interview with Attack the Block‘s writer/director Joe Cornish and star John Boyega. As is common with interviews, roughly half of what was said ended up on the cutting room floor. Since I’m a huge fan of the film and several interesting bits didn’t make the final interview, I deliever the remainder for your edification.

RK: Why the night shoot?

JC: I realized that a lot of my favorite films are all at night or in the dark: The Warriors, Evil Dead, Blade Runner, and Alien. It occurred to me that they’re all strong looking films because you can never just what for the sun to come out and put a balance board down and shoot. You have to light and think about lighting in every single shot. It forces you to design everything and it forces you to think about lighting and atmospherics. Plus I personally just like almost real time, contained narratives like The Warriors, Assault on Precinct 13, and Evil Dead. They take place over one night. It’s more claustrophobic and moment-to-moment action so you never have moments when characters tell you what happened yesterday or what’s gonna happen today or about something that happened in their childhood that you know is going to be repeated at the end of the day.

Since this was your first film, major or minor, where did you lack confidence?

JB: Thinking back it just felt like "Oh, I really wanted to learn." I’m not sure about the lacking confidence. We were a young cast and we all had that vibrant energy. We were very enthusiastic to do it. Everybody had big talking. The production team really showed—I don’t know if they were putting it on—us that they knew what they were doing and we totally trusted them.[Executive producer] Jenny [Borgars] was so passionate about what the story was about and how we were gonna to do it. We felt cool let’s do it. I’m a teenager so I’m naive. Whatever, let’s do it. Have some fun.

JC: It was nothing but nerves and fear. I was experienced in TV but I always wanted to make a film. I’d been waiting 20-25 years to do this. So yeah, I had a huge amount of trepidation, ambition, and expectation. But it was fun. And working with these guys ’cause they were knew as well, it was an adventure for all of us. Plus it was just fun. It was aliens and chases, so it was nothing too heavy. It was kinda like play. Though if both us knew that movie would come to the States, get distributed in the States, and we’d be sitting here talking to you. If we had know that then, we’d probably would have been a whole lot more self conscious. We were in our own little bubble. We thought we going ot be premiered in a supermarket on one of those little TV screens above the dishwasher aisle.

What confidence during the casting stage?

JB: I’ve been working as an actor before Attack the Block as a stage actor. [Lack of confidence centered mostly around the first audition when I saw people] that looked like me [but] more better, more muscular. Sitting there with cups of water [gargling sounds]. Blah.. blah.. blah.. doing their vocal exercises and I’m just there with my Marvel t-shirt. But when you went in there, the environment was cool and the [garbled] was very supportive. I had a great time and just went for it.

Have either one of you lived in the blocks?

JB: I live in the blocks now. Joe lives like 15 minutes away from me.

JC: We filmed [in the blocks]. We call them estates in the UK, housing estates. Here you call it public housing or projects. It’s much more mixed in the UK. Because London was heavily bombed after the Second World War, the places where it was bombed were replaced by these big public housing projects. The interesting thing about London is that it’s very mixed. You’ll get a millionaire living next to someone on housing support. They’ll shop in the same shops and walk the same streets. That’s what Attack the Block is about. Now that there is a recession and jobs are harder to find, you get even more of a kind of mix. That’s the inspiration. In this block, there all these different types of people, all these backgrounds, all these socio-economic positions. They are separated by these kind of fake barriers. I was interested in using an alien invasion to bring those different characters together to point their commonalities between people rather than the differences.

JB: I watched The Wire (Season 4) as research for Moses. It’s amazing how much it’s similar. Not in terms of the area but in terms in the kind of attitude, the way they see the world. The way Moses is closed of to everyone else and believes everyone’s against him. That kind of thing. It is very similar so I sometimes find it surprising when people say “Aren’t they so different?” The thing is that they aren’t really that different. It’s crazy how much the characters in Attack the Block shared that same kind of energy with The Wire. But it’s just that we have aliens.

Is there a Hollywood remake in the works?

JC: [No serious discussions] I wouldn’t mind that. I’d kind of dig it. One thing I can never do is watch Attack the Block like a movie ’cause I made it. There would be something kind of exciting. I’d like to see someone else’s take on the story. I wish they would. Hurry up and pay me.

The interview actually started with this exchange after the duo commented on someone’s t-shirt.

Are there Attack the Block t-shirts?

JC: I still haven’t seen an ‘Attack the Block’ t-shirt.

JC & JB (together): It’s gotta happen.

What about action figures?

JC: Don’t talk about action figures.

JB (excited): I’m really up for that.

JC: [The aliens] would make some really cool plush toys. We really wanted that.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Petrograd
Written by Philip Gelatt
Art by Tyler Crook

Promo copy:

Introducing the untold tale of the international conspiracy behind the murder of Gregorii Rasputin! Set during the height of the first World War, the tale follows a reluctant British spy stationed in the heart of the Russian empire as he is handed the most difficult assignment of his career: orchestrate the death of the mad monk, the Tsarina’s most trusted adviser and the surrogate ruler of the nation. The mission will take our hero from the slums of the working class into the opulent houses of the super rich… he’ll have to negotiate dangerous ties with the secret police, navigate the halls of power, and come to terms with own revolutionary leanings, all while simply trying to survive! Based on historical documents and research, Petrograd is a tense, edge-of-your seat spy thriller, taking the reader on a journey through the background of one of history’s most infamous assassinations, set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous moments in 20th century history.

Beautiful book on a fascinating subject. More on this later.

The Third Section
by Jasper Kent
Cover by Paul Young

Promo copy:

The third novel in Jasper Kent’s enthralling, chilling and acclaimed historical vampire sequence — The Danilov Quintet.

Russia 1855. After forty years of peace in Europe, war rages. In the Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is besieged. In the north, Saint Petersburg is blockaded. But in Moscow there is one who needs only to sit and wait — wait for the death of an aging tsar, and for the curse upon his blood to be passed to a new generation.

As their country grows weaker, a brother and sister — each unaware of the other’s existence — must come to terms with the legacy left them by their father. In Moscow, Tamara Valentinovna Lavrova uncovers a brutal murder and discovers that it is not the first in a sequence of similar crimes, merely the latest, carried out by a killer who has stalked the city since 1812.

And in Sevastopol, Dmitry Alekseevich Danilov faces not only the guns of the combined armies of Britain and France, but must also make a stand against creatures that his father had thought buried beneath the earth, thirty years before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the creative first installment Twelve and the second volume Thirteen Years Later currently sits on my must-read pile.

C
by Tom McCarthy

Promo copy:

Opening in England at the turn of the twentieth century, C is the story of Serge Carrefax, whose father experiments with wireless communication while running a school for deaf children. Serge grows up amid the noise and silence with his brilliant but troubled older sister, Sophie: an intense sibling relationship that haunts him as he heads off into an equally troubled larger world. As Serge goes from a Bohemian spa to the skies of World War I, and from a German prison camp into the tombs of Egypt, we follow his life through the tumultuous course of the nascent modern era. Tom McCarthy—acclaimed author of Remainder—has created a truly singular character, and a world that sparkles with historical breadth and postmodern originality.

Ravensoul (Legends of the Raven, Book 4)
by James Barclay
Cover by Raymond Swanland

Promo copy:

What would you do if a stranger came to your door claiming to be your best friend. A best friend who you saw die ten years before? The Unknown Warrior has spent the last ten years mourning the dead of the legendary mecernary band The Raven. Reluctant ruler of Balaia he has also resided over the gradual recovery of the land after the devastation of the Demonstorm. The one other surviving member of The Raven, Denser has spent the years rebuilding Xetesk to be the dominant college of magic. But something is very wrong. There are rumours of the dead coming back to life. And the Elves are fleeing their homeland. Something unutterably awful is happening. Something that has spread across all the dimensions. Something that threatens the very essence of the world, that has terrified the spirits of the dead. Brought them back to Balaia. And amongst them The Raven. Desperate, facing a fight that cannot be won.

Half Empty
by David Rakoff
Cover by Mark Matcho

Promo copy:

In this deeply smart and sneakily poignant collection of essays, the bestselling author of Fraud and Don’t Get Too Comfortable makes an inspired case for always assuming the worst—because then you’ll never be disappointed. Whether he’s taking on pop culture phenomena with Oscar Wilde-worthy wit or dealing with personal tragedy, Rakoff’s sharp observations and humorist’s flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the untapped power of negativity.

Books received 8/30/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Petrograd
Written by Philip Gelatt
Art by Tyler Crook

Promo copy:

Introducing the untold tale of the international conspiracy behind the murder of Gregorii Rasputin! Set during the height of the first World War, the tale follows a reluctant British spy stationed in the heart of the Russian empire as he is handed the most difficult assignment of his career: orchestrate the death of the mad monk, the Tsarina’s most trusted adviser and the surrogate ruler of the nation. The mission will take our hero from the slums of the working class into the opulent houses of the super rich… he’ll have to negotiate dangerous ties with the secret police, navigate the halls of power, and come to terms with own revolutionary leanings, all while simply trying to survive! Based on historical documents and research, Petrograd is a tense, edge-of-your seat spy thriller, taking the reader on a journey through the background of one of history’s most infamous assassinations, set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous moments in 20th century history.

Beautiful book on a fascinating subject. More on this later.

The Third Section
by Jasper Kent
Cover by Paul Young

Promo copy:

The third novel in Jasper Kent’s enthralling, chilling and acclaimed historical vampire sequence — The Danilov Quintet.

Russia 1855. After forty years of peace in Europe, war rages. In the Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is besieged. In the north, Saint Petersburg is blockaded. But in Moscow there is one who needs only to sit and wait — wait for the death of an aging tsar, and for the curse upon his blood to be passed to a new generation.

As their country grows weaker, a brother and sister — each unaware of the other’s existence — must come to terms with the legacy left them by their father. In Moscow, Tamara Valentinovna Lavrova uncovers a brutal murder and discovers that it is not the first in a sequence of similar crimes, merely the latest, carried out by a killer who has stalked the city since 1812.

And in Sevastopol, Dmitry Alekseevich Danilov faces not only the guns of the combined armies of Britain and France, but must also make a stand against creatures that his father had thought buried beneath the earth, thirty years before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the creative first installment Twelve and the second volume Thirteen Years Later currently sits on my must-read pile.

C
by Tom McCarthy

Promo copy:

Opening in England at the turn of the twentieth century, C is the story of Serge Carrefax, whose father experiments with wireless communication while running a school for deaf children. Serge grows up amid the noise and silence with his brilliant but troubled older sister, Sophie: an intense sibling relationship that haunts him as he heads off into an equally troubled larger world. As Serge goes from a Bohemian spa to the skies of World War I, and from a German prison camp into the tombs of Egypt, we follow his life through the tumultuous course of the nascent modern era. Tom McCarthy—acclaimed author of Remainder—has created a truly singular character, and a world that sparkles with historical breadth and postmodern originality.

Ravensoul (Legends of the Raven, Book 4)
by James Barclay
Cover by Raymond Swanland

Promo copy:

What would you do if a stranger came to your door claiming to be your best friend. A best friend who you saw die ten years before? The Unknown Warrior has spent the last ten years mourning the dead of the legendary mecernary band The Raven. Reluctant ruler of Balaia he has also resided over the gradual recovery of the land after the devastation of the Demonstorm. The one other surviving member of The Raven, Denser has spent the years rebuilding Xetesk to be the dominant college of magic. But something is very wrong. There are rumours of the dead coming back to life. And the Elves are fleeing their homeland. Something unutterably awful is happening. Something that has spread across all the dimensions. Something that threatens the very essence of the world, that has terrified the spirits of the dead. Brought them back to Balaia. And amongst them The Raven. Desperate, facing a fight that cannot be won.

Half Empty
by David Rakoff
Cover by Mark Matcho

Promo copy:

In this deeply smart and sneakily poignant collection of essays, the bestselling author of Fraud and Don’t Get Too Comfortable makes an inspired case for always assuming the worst—because then you’ll never be disappointed. Whether he’s taking on pop culture phenomena with Oscar Wilde-worthy wit or dealing with personal tragedy, Rakoff’s sharp observations and humorist’s flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the untapped power of negativity.

Weird month. While the months are usually frontloaded, September takes it to the extreme with 40 new titles on the first and only 4 more for the remainder of the month.

Nice though slim selection this month with the return of most of the James Bond and Dirty Harry catalogs plus the Netflix premieres of Airplane and The Cleveland Show. Yeah the latter is crap, but someone out there will care.

* denotes streaming for the first time via Netflix
* denotes streamng in HD
* denotes close captioning available

Premiering September 1:
*Airplane!
American Psycho
*Beauty and the Beast (1987)
The Blair Witch Project
The Butterfly Effect
*The Cat O’Nine Tails
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
*Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Dark Mirror (2007)
Dazed and Confused
*The Dead Pool
*Death Valley (2004)
*Deep Blue Sea (1999)
*Diamonds Are Forever
*Dirty Harry
Earthquake (1974)
**The Enforcer (1976)
*For Your Eyes Only
*Forget Me Not (2009)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Leviathan (1989)
*Licence to Kill (1989)
*Live and Let Die
*The Living Daylights
Lone Wolf McQuade
The Long Goodbye (1973)
*The Man with the Golden Gun

*Moonraker
*Never Say Never Again
*Nicotina
*Octopussy
*On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Quigley Down Under
Shallow Ground
*The Speed of Thought
*The Spy Who Loved Me
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
*Thunderball
*A View to a Kill
*What Women Want
*You Only Live Twice

Premiering September 2:
*Buried (2010)

Premiering September 8:
Middle Men My review

Premiering September 9:
*Saw: The Final Chapter

Premiering September 27:
*The Cleveland Show Seasons 1-2

Info courtesy of

Impending Geekgasm on Netflix Instant Watch – Sept edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Weird month. While the months are usually frontloaded, September takes it to the extreme with 40 new titles on the first and only 4 more for the remainder of the month.

Nice though slim selection this month with the return of most of the James Bond and Dirty Harry catalogs plus the Netflix premieres of Airplane and The Cleveland Show. Yeah the latter is crap, but someone out there will care.

* denotes streaming for the first time via Netflix
* denotes streamng in HD
* denotes close captioning available

Premiering September 1:
*Airplane!
American Psycho
*Beauty and the Beast (1987)
The Blair Witch Project
The Butterfly Effect
*The Cat O’Nine Tails
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
*Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Dark Mirror (2007)
Dazed and Confused
*The Dead Pool
*Death Valley (2004)
*Deep Blue Sea (1999)
*Diamonds Are Forever
*Dirty Harry
Earthquake (1974)
**The Enforcer (1976)
*For Your Eyes Only
*Forget Me Not (2009)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Leviathan (1989)
*Licence to Kill (1989)
*Live and Let Die
*The Living Daylights
Lone Wolf McQuade
The Long Goodbye (1973)
*The Man with the Golden Gun

*Moonraker
*Never Say Never Again
*Nicotina
*Octopussy
*On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Quigley Down Under
Shallow Ground
*The Speed of Thought
*The Spy Who Loved Me
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
*Thunderball
*A View to a Kill
*What Women Want
*You Only Live Twice

Premiering September 2:
*Buried (2010)

Premiering September 8:
Middle Men My review

Premiering September 9:
*Saw: The Final Chapter

Premiering September 27:
*The Cleveland Show Seasons 1-2

Info courtesy of

For this year’s Armadillocon, I wrote the bio of toastmaster Mark Finn (who also happens to be one of my co-editors at RevolutionSF) for the program book. Since many who read this blog probably didn’t attend the con (for shame! Good times were had by all), I’m reprinting the piece for what I hope is your enjoyment.

The Many Fezzes of Mark Finn
by Rick Klaw

Each day Mark Finn chooses from the myriad of fezzes in the dizzying, always changing Finnverse of possibilities. At last count, his personae include novelist, Robert E. Howard historian, essayist, movie theater owner, radio playwright, comic book writer, short story creator, Elvis aficionado, pop culture junkie, husband, and a fez-wearing, simian lover.

I met Mark some 20 years ago when we both had a lot more hair, Mark’s infamous and beloved bald dome still covered in his youthful long mane of dark hair. That night at a Dallas Fantasy Fair while I drank beer and Mark sipped water (as unlikely as that seems, he was teetotaler in those days), we spent the evening/morning talking about comics, films, books, Robert E. Howard, writing and apes—basically the foundations of our conversations ever since.

Mark first rose to prominence as part of the 1990s Waco Comics Mafia which included Marvel/DC/Dark Horse artist John Lucas, Oni Press writer and consultant Greg Thompson, and video game artist Michael Washburn. Surprisingly, a vibrant artistic community emerged from within the shadows of the notoriously conservative Baylor, the nation’s premier Baptist university. During this period, Finn created, with artists William Traxtle and Shane Campos, his first significant work. Punk related the humorous, nihilistic adventures of the title character.

When Mark married Cathy Day, he wrote a commemorative comic book for the attendees of the event. That and the fact he introduced her to all his friends (a first for women Mark dated) tells you a lot about Cathy. Patient and intelligent, she allows Mark to be, well… Mark. They painted his office Hulk green and built an Elvis shrine in the bathroom. Though she doesn’t always comprehend the subtleties of our friendship. Shortly after they moved in-together, I left Mark my typical message littered with four letter words describing the unspeakable acts he supposedly did with apes. Cathy was aghast. “I thought you and Rick were friends.” Mark explained, “If we weren’t, he’d not even had left a message.”

After re-locating to Austin in the mid 90s, Finn midwifed the re-launching of the legendary Austin Books under the auspices of new management. While there, he discovered kindred literary figures in Chris Roberson, Matthew Sturges, and Bill Willingham. The quartet formed the writing workshop/publishing co-op/support group Clockwork Storybook. Mark focused his creative output toward prose fiction, crafting numerous short stories in the collective’s shared urban fantasy world of San Cibola, California, and his first two novels Gods New & Used and Year of the Hare.

In Cathy, Mark found more than a sympathetic soul, but also a partner. The duo become central figures in the audio theater troupe The Violet Crown Radio Players and perhaps more significantly in late 2006, the couple purchased the historic Vernon Plaza Theater, which first opened in 1953. Shortly after, they both gave up there day jobs—Mark, a manager at Book People and Cathy, a special ed teacher—and moved to Vernon, TX to run the movie house. They currently live in the apartment above the three screen theater with their beloved bull terrier Sonya.

During the mid-90s dot com boom, Finn landed a short-lived gig writing pop culture/slice-of-life essays and articles for Playboy.com. Those pieces served as the impetuous for his popular, self-distributed weekly column “Finn’s Wake.” These missives appeared regularly for five years. Mark pontificated on subjects dear to him: comics, films, books, Robert E. Howard, writing and apes.

Currently Mark’s Facebook profile features him shirtless, red boxing gloves at the ready, standing in front an American flag. Former profile images show him in three different fezes and assorted others from his various radio play productions. Never to my knowledge photographed or filmed, Mark does an amazingly realistic gorilla walk. He’ll perform it at the drop of a hat. All someone has to do it ask. Above all else, Mark is a showman, waiting for an audience. And not even a very big one. Regularly when I call, Mark answers the phone, paraphrasing Belloq’s famed line from Raiders: “The insidious Dr. Klaw. Again we see there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away.” Cracks him up every time.

The weekly sounding board afforded Finn the opportunity to coalesce his ideas surrounding the life and works of Robert E. Howard. His further explorations, appearing on various REH sites and introductions to book and comic collections, garnered Mark acclaim as a Howard scholar. His greatest contribution to Howardian studies rests with the comprehensive Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard, published by MonkeyBrain. Released at the 2006 World Fantasy Convention as part of REH centenary celebrations, the book earned Finn nominations for the 2007 Locus Awards for Best Non-Fiction and 2007 World Fantasy Award in the Special Award Professional category. He won the 2007 Cimmerian Awards for Outstanding Achievement, Book By A Single Author, his third of four Cimmerians. The others given in 2005 for Outstanding Achievement, Best Essay (for “Fists of Robert E. Howard” from The Barbaric Triumph), 2005 Emerging Scholar, and 2007 Outstanding Achievement, Website (along with Leo Grin, Rob Roehm and Steve Tompkins for The Cimmerian blog). Thanks to the Robert E. Howard Foundation, a revised, hardcover edition of Blood & Thunder will hit the shelves this December.

Our decade long conversation about pop culture simians led to our first apes in science fiction panel at the 2001 World Fantasy Convention. Chris Roberson, Charles de Lint, Mark, and I sat stunned as moderator Robert J. Sawyer hijacked the discussion, focusing on the very serious subjects of racism and oppression rather than the enjoyable and silly aspects of apes in pop culture. The beleaguered de Lint summed it up best. “This was supposed to be a funny panel!” Not deterred, we tried again at 2003 ArmadilloCon 25 with Roberson, Joe Lansdale, Bill Crider, and Howard Waldrop. “Gorillas in SF/F” proved one of the most popular events at the convention. The literally standing room crowd laughed and hooted (as did the panelists). Similar events were held at the next two Armadillocons and then again at the 2006 World Fantasy convention, where we decided to retire the concept. Though rumor has it that in honor of the new Planet of the Apes film and Mark being the toastmaster, it’s being dusted off for this year’s Armadillocon.

The new decade sees Finn returning to his roots with new comics from Dark Horse and Ape while remaining a prominent figure in Robert E. Howard scholarship and producing more fiction. He and Cathy still manage the theater in Vernon. Despite all his previous identities, Mark continues to look for and don new fezzes.

Some words of advice about the affable Mark Finn. Though Mark loves a good conversation about damn near everything and he’ll easily laugh at himself and his friends, avoid discussions about fuzzy underpants. Some things are not for polite company nor very funny. You’ve been warned.

The Many Fezzes of Mark Finn was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

For this year’s Armadillocon, I wrote the bio of toastmaster Mark Finn (who also happens to be one of my co-editors at RevolutionSF) for the program book. Since many who read this blog probably didn’t attend the con (for shame! Good times were had by all), I’m reprinting the piece for what I hope is your enjoyment.

The Many Fezzes of Mark Finn
by Rick Klaw

Each day Mark Finn chooses from the myriad of fezzes in the dizzying, always changing Finnverse of possibilities. At last count, his personae include novelist, Robert E. Howard historian, essayist, movie theater owner, radio playwright, comic book writer, short story creator, Elvis aficionado, pop culture junkie, husband, and a fez-wearing, simian lover.

I met Mark some 20 years ago when we both had a lot more hair, Mark’s infamous and beloved bald dome still covered in his youthful long mane of dark hair. That night at a Dallas Fantasy Fair while I drank beer and Mark sipped water (as unlikely as that seems, he was teetotaler in those days), we spent the evening/morning talking about comics, films, books, Robert E. Howard, writing and apes—basically the foundations of our conversations ever since.

Mark first rose to prominence as part of the 1990s Waco Comics Mafia which included Marvel/DC/Dark Horse artist John Lucas, Oni Press writer and consultant Greg Thompson, and video game artist Michael Washburn. Surprisingly, a vibrant artistic community emerged from within the shadows of the notoriously conservative Baylor, the nation’s premier Baptist university. During this period, Finn created, with artists William Traxtle and Shane Campos, his first significant work. Punk related the humorous, nihilistic adventures of the title character.

When Mark married Cathy Day, he wrote a commemorative comic book for the attendees of the event. That and the fact he introduced her to all his friends (a first for women Mark dated) tells you a lot about Cathy. Patient and intelligent, she allows Mark to be, well… Mark. They painted his office Hulk green and built an Elvis shrine in the bathroom. Though she doesn’t always comprehend the subtleties of our friendship. Shortly after they moved in-together, I left Mark my typical message littered with four letter words describing the unspeakable acts he supposedly did with apes. Cathy was aghast. “I thought you and Rick were friends.” Mark explained, “If we weren’t, he’d not even had left a message.”

After re-locating to Austin in the mid 90s, Finn midwifed the re-launching of the legendary Austin Books under the auspices of new management. While there, he discovered kindred literary figures in Chris Roberson, Matthew Sturges, and Bill Willingham. The quartet formed the writing workshop/publishing co-op/support group Clockwork Storybook. Mark focused his creative output toward prose fiction, crafting numerous short stories in the collective’s shared urban fantasy world of San Cibola, California, and his first two novels Gods New & Used and Year of the Hare.

In Cathy, Mark found more than a sympathetic soul, but also a partner. The duo become central figures in the audio theater troupe The Violet Crown Radio Players and perhaps more significantly in late 2006, the couple purchased the historic Vernon Plaza Theater, which first opened in 1953. Shortly after, they both gave up there day jobs—Mark, a manager at Book People and Cathy, a special ed teacher—and moved to Vernon, TX to run the movie house. They currently live in the apartment above the three screen theater with their beloved bull terrier Sonya.

During the mid-90s dot com boom, Finn landed a short-lived gig writing pop culture/slice-of-life essays and articles for Playboy.com. Those pieces served as the impetuous for his popular, self-distributed weekly column “Finn’s Wake.” These missives appeared regularly for five years. Mark pontificated on subjects dear to him: comics, films, books, Robert E. Howard, writing and apes.

Currently Mark’s Facebook profile features him shirtless, red boxing gloves at the ready, standing in front an American flag. Former profile images show him in three different fezes and assorted others from his various radio play productions. Never to my knowledge photographed or filmed, Mark does an amazingly realistic gorilla walk. He’ll perform it at the drop of a hat. All someone has to do it ask. Above all else, Mark is a showman, waiting for an audience. And not even a very big one. Regularly when I call, Mark answers the phone, paraphrasing Belloq’s famed line from Raiders: “The insidious Dr. Klaw. Again we see there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away.” Cracks him up every time.

The weekly sounding board afforded Finn the opportunity to coalesce his ideas surrounding the life and works of Robert E. Howard. His further explorations, appearing on various REH sites and introductions to book and comic collections, garnered Mark acclaim as a Howard scholar. His greatest contribution to Howardian studies rests with the comprehensive Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard, published by MonkeyBrain. Released at the 2006 World Fantasy Convention as part of REH centenary celebrations, the book earned Finn nominations for the 2007 Locus Awards for Best Non-Fiction and 2007 World Fantasy Award in the Special Award Professional category. He won the 2007 Cimmerian Awards for Outstanding Achievement, Book By A Single Author, his third of four Cimmerians. The others given in 2005 for Outstanding Achievement, Best Essay (for “Fists of Robert E. Howard” from The Barbaric Triumph), 2005 Emerging Scholar, and 2007 Outstanding Achievement, Website (along with Leo Grin, Rob Roehm and Steve Tompkins for The Cimmerian blog). Thanks to the Robert E. Howard Foundation, a revised, hardcover edition of Blood & Thunder will hit the shelves this December.

Our decade long conversation about pop culture simians led to our first apes in science fiction panel at the 2001 World Fantasy Convention. Chris Roberson, Charles de Lint, Mark, and I sat stunned as moderator Robert J. Sawyer hijacked the discussion, focusing on the very serious subjects of racism and oppression rather than the enjoyable and silly aspects of apes in pop culture. The beleaguered de Lint summed it up best. “This was supposed to be a funny panel!” Not deterred, we tried again at 2003 ArmadilloCon 25 with Roberson, Joe Lansdale, Bill Crider, and Howard Waldrop. “Gorillas in SF/F” proved one of the most popular events at the convention. The literally standing room crowd laughed and hooted (as did the panelists). Similar events were held at the next two Armadillocons and then again at the 2006 World Fantasy convention, where we decided to retire the concept. Though rumor has it that in honor of the new Planet of the Apes film and Mark being the toastmaster, it’s being dusted off for this year’s Armadillocon.

The new decade sees Finn returning to his roots with new comics from Dark Horse and Ape while remaining a prominent figure in Robert E. Howard scholarship and producing more fiction. He and Cathy still manage the theater in Vernon. Despite all his previous identities, Mark continues to look for and don new fezzes.

Some words of advice about the affable Mark Finn. Though Mark loves a good conversation about damn near everything and he’ll easily laugh at himself and his friends, avoid discussions about fuzzy underpants. Some things are not for polite company nor very funny. You’ve been warned.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Infinite Kung Fu
by Kagan McLeod
Introduction by Gordon Liu
Foreword by Colin Geddes

Promo copy:

Read the first 250 pages online at Top Shelf 2.0!

Watch the killer animated trailer video!

Infinite Kung Fu walks you through familiar corridors in the house of martial mayhem, but still smashes your face through walls of wonder and into rooms where kung fu is afraid to go.

Catastrophe has knocked most of the world back to the middle ages — and to make matters worse, the dead are rising from the grave as zombies (reincarnation gone wrong)! In this world, where the way of the fist is a way of life, ex-soldier Lei Kung must infiltrate the evil emperor’s five kung fu armies and stop him from destroying all life on the planet. Allegiances are blurred as techniques are perfected, and Lei Kung becomes less certain who’s friend and who’s foe in each chapter!

Fists fly, limbs are lost and blood vessels burst in this tale of furious rivals, supernatural masters, walking corpses, and above all, raging kung fu! — a 464-page deluxe flexi-cover graphic novel.

Captain America (1992)

Promo copy:

Based on the bestselling Marvel Comics series, CAPTAIN AMERICA stars Matt Salinger (What Dreams May Come) as a crime-fighting superhero whose strengths and abilities may save the United States from nuclear destruction.

During World War II, a brave American soldier (Salinger) volunteers to undergo experiments to become a new super-soldier, codenamed “Captain America.” Infiltrating Germany to sabotage Nazi rockets pointed at the U.S., Captain America faces off with Nazi superhuman warrior Red Skull (Scott Paulin, The Right Stuff) who defeats the hero, throwing him into suspended animation. Frozen for 50 years, Captain America is found and revived only to find that Red Skull has changed identities and has targeted the President of the United States (Ronny Cox, RoboCop) for assassination. With America on the verge of utter chaos, it is up to one man to save the day!

CAPTAIN AMERICA also features supporting performances from Ned Beatty (Superman), Darren McGavin (A Christmas Story), Michael Nouri (Flashdance) and Melinda Dillon (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and Kim Gillingham (“One Big Family”).

I covered this in “Patriotic Potential: Captain America’s History on Film.”

I obviously crafted my comments before the release of the recent Cap film.

The Homeland Directive
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Mike Huddleston

Promo copy:

A new thriller from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Surrogates!

As a leading researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Laura Regan is one of the world’s foremost authorities on viral and bacteriological study. Having dedicated her career to halting the spread of infectious disease, she has always considered herself one of the good guys. But when her research partner is murdered and Laura is blamed for the crime, she finds herself at the heart of a vast and deadly conspiracy. Aided by three rogue federal agents who believe the government is behind the frame-up, Laura must evade law enforcement, mercenaries, and a team of cyber-detectives who know more about her life than she does—all while trying to expose a sinister plot that will impact the lives of every American.

Set in the Orwellian present, The Homeland Directive confronts one of the vital questions of our time: In an era when technology can either doom or save us, is it possible for personal privacy and national security to coexist?

I reviewed The Homeland Directive in “Nexus Graphica.”

Stuff received 8/25/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Infinite Kung Fu
by Kagan McLeod
Introduction by Gordon Liu
Foreword by Colin Geddes

Promo copy:

Read the first 250 pages online at Top Shelf 2.0!

Watch the killer animated trailer video!

Infinite Kung Fu walks you through familiar corridors in the house of martial mayhem, but still smashes your face through walls of wonder and into rooms where kung fu is afraid to go.

Catastrophe has knocked most of the world back to the middle ages — and to make matters worse, the dead are rising from the grave as zombies (reincarnation gone wrong)! In this world, where the way of the fist is a way of life, ex-soldier Lei Kung must infiltrate the evil emperor’s five kung fu armies and stop him from destroying all life on the planet. Allegiances are blurred as techniques are perfected, and Lei Kung becomes less certain who’s friend and who’s foe in each chapter!

Fists fly, limbs are lost and blood vessels burst in this tale of furious rivals, supernatural masters, walking corpses, and above all, raging kung fu! — a 464-page deluxe flexi-cover graphic novel.

Captain America (1992)

Promo copy:

Based on the bestselling Marvel Comics series, CAPTAIN AMERICA stars Matt Salinger (What Dreams May Come) as a crime-fighting superhero whose strengths and abilities may save the United States from nuclear destruction.

During World War II, a brave American soldier (Salinger) volunteers to undergo experiments to become a new super-soldier, codenamed “Captain America.” Infiltrating Germany to sabotage Nazi rockets pointed at the U.S., Captain America faces off with Nazi superhuman warrior Red Skull (Scott Paulin, The Right Stuff) who defeats the hero, throwing him into suspended animation. Frozen for 50 years, Captain America is found and revived only to find that Red Skull has changed identities and has targeted the President of the United States (Ronny Cox, RoboCop) for assassination. With America on the verge of utter chaos, it is up to one man to save the day!

CAPTAIN AMERICA also features supporting performances from Ned Beatty (Superman), Darren McGavin (A Christmas Story), Michael Nouri (Flashdance) and Melinda Dillon (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and Kim Gillingham (“One Big Family”).

I covered this in "Patriotic Potential: Captain America’s History on Film."

I obviously crafted my comments before the release of the recent Cap film.

The Homeland Directive
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Mike Huddleston

Promo copy:

A new thriller from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Surrogates!

As a leading researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Laura Regan is one of the world’s foremost authorities on viral and bacteriological study. Having dedicated her career to halting the spread of infectious disease, she has always considered herself one of the good guys. But when her research partner is murdered and Laura is blamed for the crime, she finds herself at the heart of a vast and deadly conspiracy. Aided by three rogue federal agents who believe the government is behind the frame-up, Laura must evade law enforcement, mercenaries, and a team of cyber-detectives who know more about her life than she does—all while trying to expose a sinister plot that will impact the lives of every American.

Set in the Orwellian present, The Homeland Directive confronts one of the vital questions of our time: In an era when technology can either doom or save us, is it possible for personal privacy and national security to coexist?

I reviewed The Homeland Directive in "Nexus Graphica."

To the shock and amazement of nearly nobody, I’m a programming participant at Armadillocon 33. This will be my 19th Armadillocon as a programming guest. (Every one since 1991 save the 1997 “relaxacon” following the ’97 Worldcon in San Antonio.)

This year’s headliners are

Guest of Honor: Paolo Bacigalupi
Special Guests: Emma Bull and Will Shetterly
Editor Guest: Lou Anders
Artist Guest: Vincent Villafranca
Fan Guest: Fred Duarte, Jr.
Toastmaster: Mark Finn

My schedule for the con:

Friday 9 PM

Apes in SF: The Battle for the Return
Chris Brown, Scott Cupp, Mark Finn*, Rick Klaw, Jess Nevins, Lee Thomas

A discussion of classic simian stories. Mangani bundolo!
(My first ape panel in nearly 5 years.)

Saturday 11 AM

Editor Guest Interview
Lou Anders, Mark Finn*, Rick Klaw*
(Pity poor Lou. Would you want to be subjected to an interview conducted by me and Finn?)

Saturday Noon

Comics and the Move Online
Gordon Andrews, Michael Ashleigh Finn, Brad Foster, Rick Klaw*, David Liss, Bill Williams

With the success of web comics and the growing frequency of reading comics-for-print on tablets and smartphones, a whole new world is opening up for creators and readers. How does this affect the creative process, and what does it mean for collectors?

Saturday 8PM

Cyberpunk: How it Influenced Fiction, Technology, and the World
Lou Antonelli, Chris Brown*, Michael Ashleigh Finn, Rick Klaw

Cyberpunk was a hugely visible literary movement that started in the 80s. It caused readers to think about the role of technology in their lives in entirely different ways. What were the results?

Sunday 10 AM

Book Covers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Lou Anders, Paolo Bacigalupi, Brad Foster, Rocky Kelley*, Rick Klaw, Martha Wells

How does a cover artist balance creative impulses with the imperative to create a cover that sells books? What are the notable successes and failures?

Sunday 2PM

Signing

Lou Antonelli, Rick Klaw, Josh Rountree

If you’re at the con, stop by and say howdy.

My Armadillocon schedule was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon