{"id":3638,"date":"2011-08-29T17:42:24","date_gmt":"2011-08-29T17:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2011\/08\/29\/the-many-fezzes-of-mark-finn-2\/"},"modified":"2011-08-29T17:42:24","modified_gmt":"2011-08-29T17:42:24","slug":"the-many-fezzes-of-mark-finn-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2011\/08\/29\/the-many-fezzes-of-mark-finn-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Many Fezzes of Mark Finn"},"content":{"rendered":"

For this year\u2019s 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\u2019t attend the con (for shame! Good times were had by all), I\u2019m reprinting the piece for what I hope is your enjoyment. <\/p>\n

\nThe Many Fezzes of Mark Finn<\/span>
\nby Rick Klaw<\/p>\n

\tEach 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.<\/p>\n

\tI met Mark some 20 years ago when we both had a lot more hair, Mark\u2019s 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\u2014basically the foundations of our conversations ever since.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tMark 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\u2019s premier Baptist university. During this period, Finn created, with artists William Traxtle and Shane Campos, his first significant work. Punk<\/span> related the humorous, nihilistic adventures of the title character. <\/p>\n

\tWhen 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\u2026 Mark. They painted his office Hulk green and built an Elvis shrine in the bathroom. Though she doesn\u2019t 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. \u201cI thought you and Rick were friends.\u201d Mark explained, \u201cIf we weren\u2019t, he\u2019d not even had left a message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAfter re-locating to Austin in the mid 90s, Finn midwifed the re-launching of the legendary Austin Books<\/a> 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<\/a>. Mark focused his creative output toward prose fiction, crafting numerous short stories in the collective\u2019s shared urban fantasy world of San Cibola, California, and his first two novels Gods New &amp; Used<\/span> and Year of the Hare<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> and perhaps more significantly in late 2006, the couple purchased the historic Vernon Plaza Theater<\/a>, which first opened in 1953. Shortly after, they both gave up there day jobs\u2014Mark, a manager at Book People and Cathy, a special ed teacher\u2014and 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. <\/p>\n

\tDuring 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 \u201cFinn\u2019s Wake.\u201d These missives appeared regularly for five years. Mark pontificated on subjects dear to him: comics, films, books, Robert E. Howard, writing and apes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tCurrently Mark\u2019s 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\u2019ll 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\u2019s famed line from Raiders<\/span>: \u201cThe insidious Dr. Klaw. Again we see there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away.\u201d Cracks him up every time.<\/p>\n

\tThe 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 &amp; Thunder: The Life &amp; Art of Robert E. Howard<\/span><\/a>, 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<\/a> for Outstanding Achievement, Book By A Single Author, his third of four Cimmerians. The others given in 2005 for Outstanding Achievement, Best Essay (for \u201cFists of Robert E. Howard\u201d from The Barbaric Triumph<\/span><\/a>), 2005 Emerging Scholar, and 2007 Outstanding Achievement, Website (along with Leo Grin, Rob Roehm and Steve Tompkins for The Cimmerian<\/a> blog). Thanks to the Robert E. Howard Foundation<\/a>, a revised, hardcover edition of Blood &amp; Thunder<\/span> will hit the shelves this December.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tOur 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. \u201cThis was supposed to be a funny panel!\u201d Not deterred, we tried again at 2003 ArmadilloCon 25 with Roberson, Joe Lansdale, Bill Crider, and Howard Waldrop. \u201cGorillas in SF\/F\u201d 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<\/span> film and Mark being the toastmaster, it\u2019s being dusted off for this year\u2019s Armadillocon.<\/p>\n

\tThe 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. <\/p>\n

\tSome words of advice about the affable Mark Finn. Though Mark loves a good conversation about damn near everything and he\u2019ll easily laugh at himself and his friends, avoid discussions about fuzzy underpants. Some things are not for polite company nor very funny. You\u2019ve been warned.<\/p>\n

The Many Fezzes of Mark Finn<\/a> was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For this year\u2019s 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\u2019t attend the con (for shame! … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n