An Update

Did I drop off the face of the Earth, or what? Well, no, not really. I just went into my rabbit hole and I've been typing like a fool. Most of the work I've pounded out this past four to six weeks has been paying gigs and deadline crunches. I find that I have real trouble trying to type chatty updates when someone is knocking on my door for work. I'm weird like that.

A couple of things I can announce:

I'm deep in the midst of working with Chris Gruber and Patrice Louinet on a four volume compilation of all of Robert E. Howard's boxing stories. Yeah, you read that right: four volumes. "Wait, Mark, hold on, I know you like, you know, this Sailor Steve Costigan character, but how in the world can there be four whole books of boxing stories when there were only three of Conan? And why haven't I heard about all of that boxing stuff before now?"

Ask L. Sprague de Camp. He's the one who promoted Conan to the heavens, casting huge shadows across the rest of Howard's work. Howard made consistent money writing humorous boxing stories, and later humorous westerns in the same vein, and this is a through line that runs across his entire career. This project will be major and significant.

Also, SCOUTS! is about to be out from Ape Entertainment. Those of you who know about this, who've ordered a copy from your local retailer, who intend to pick it up at one of the many stores that supports Ape Ent's comic (or my stuff)...I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And if you're one of those people who live near a comic shop that hasn't changed its wall stock in ten years, who still has Lady Death and Witchblade posters plastered everywhere, who doesn't carry kids comics because "kids don't shop here," my advice to you is to find another comic shop, because they aren't helping the industry, and they don't see the big picture, and they never will. Let them be the clubhouse that they are and find a real retailer who wants your business and runs his store like the same.

Finally, I'm working on a couple of secret projects. Writing wise, that is. I'll break them when I can. But in the meantime, thanks for sticking around, and don't forget to nudge me on Twitter or Facebook if I go too long without talking out loud.

Some Blood & Thunder-Related Bits

My buddy Ben Friberg, ace cameraman and all around very fine fellow, interviewed me in 2007 during Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains. He's working with the material for a larger project, but he released a couple of snippets for folks to enjoy. I think he asked some great questions, and I sound a little smarter than usual. If you're interested, you can see part one here:

And if you're really interested, you can view part two here:

And in other news, I got to see a sneak preview of the Barbarian Days documentary that I am featured in, along with Chris Gruber, Rusty Burke, Bill Cavalier, and a number of my fellow friends and fans. The movie looks great, and it's put together very well. There's one part of the documentary I wasn't happy with, but I kept reminding myself that it's not my movie. I thought the guys did a great job of splitting the difference between Cross Plains in general and the Robert E. Howard community in specific. Still no word yet on when it'll be out this year, but we'll let you know.