#alan is a cowboy killer

[thatdude01181]

The singer part 2 Thanksgiving-JO

The plane landed at Orlando international airport at 4 am, Y/n and Jenna, hand in hand, walked through security, grabbed their bags from baggage claim and made it to the entrance as they saw Y/n's mom Cassandra waiting for them.

"My boy" she said as she pulled him into a hug, which was strong for her height of 5'4. He hugged her back picking her up off the ground.

"Hey momma" he said

Jenna smiled and watched as the two in front of her made small talk before taking notice of her.

"Oh I'm sorry, mom this is Jenna my girlfriend, sweet heart this is my mom Cassandra, but you can call her mom, everyone does."

"Hi it's nice to meet you" she said

"You too sweetie, now come on, we've got a long drive a head of us" she said as Y/n and Jenna carried their bags to Cassandras van. The ride took a few hours, but Jenna enjoyed watching the sun rise.

Pulling into the driveway, Y/n jumped out of the van, jostling the van enough to wake Jenna up.

"Sorry darlin'" he said as she stood and exited the van. The house that stood in front of them was a large 5 bedroom 4 bath, with enough land to have cattle and for several kids to play on.

"It's fine babe" she said as he grabbed their bags.

"Ryan we're home" Cassandra said as she opened the door. Said person came down stairs and pull Y/n into a hug.

"Hey baby brother" said the man now attempting to noogie Y/n, who was successful in fighting him off.

"Jenna this is my oldest brother Ryan, Ryan this is Jenna" he said as Jenna shook his hand.

" it's nice to meet you" she said.

"Likewise, Y/n tells us youre this famous actress" he says as they walk into the emasculate living room.

"Yeah, I'm in Netflix's Wednesday, the baby sitter killer queen, and I'm in scream 5 and 6" she said as his eyes widened.

Just then the door opened and in walked a small girl around Cassandras height with three dogs.

"Is he here yet" came the voice of the girl

"I don't know, why don't you come find out" Ryan called.

Around the corner came a woman who was the spitting image of her mother, but with longer hair. She immediately hugged Y/n.

"Hey big bro" she said

"Hey little sis, Jenna this is my sister Sarah, sis this is Jenna".

"I'm a huge fan, I loved you in scream 6" she said fan girling.

"Awwe thank you"

Later that night...

Y/n hopped out of his dad's truck that Cassandra gave him the keys to as he ran around to open Jenna's door.

"Such a gentle man" she said as she took his outstretched hand and stepped down to the ground below.

He looped his arm and she took it, wrapping her arm around it.

(she wore what she's wearing in the cover image you wore an all black outfit with matching cowboy hat)

"What is this place?" Jenna asked,being raised in Coachella Jenna didn't really experience community get together a as a kid.

"Its the rec hall, every weekend the town comes together and just celebrates life and family, and with tomorrow bein' Thanksgiving, we celebrate tonight by dancin' and bein with friends and family, so we can stuff ourselves silly the next day."

They walked ina and the place was popping off, there was music, drinks, and people were dancing. At one point good time by Alan Jackson came on.

(play good time, by Alan Jackson)

Y/n pulled Jenna towards the dance floor and taught her how to line dance, which was a challenge to be sure, but he pulled it off. She was dancing along with him, matching the beat.

The song ended and Jenna was smiling, a true smile, something Y/n hadn't seen since they started dating maybe this vacation was just what she needed.

As the other inhabitants danced they sat at a near by table and held each other close. She looked into his eyes. He was truly happy, whether it was that he was home or that he was with her she couldn't say, but she knows that he makes her happy.

As she was about to say something a girl in a rather short skirt with boots on walks towards them.

"Hi Y/n" she says

"Hi Candice" he says looking uncomfortable

She began talking to him, completely ignoring the fact that Jenna was there. Jenna put up with her as long as she could until she touched Y/n his arm.

This sent Jenna over the edge.

"Alright, that's enough, can't you see that he's uncomfortable" she said stepping in between Y/n and Candice.

"And who the hell do you think you are?" Candice asked.

"I'm his girlfriend" she said as Y/n stepped in between them.

"Yeah right, like he would date a stick like you" this enraged Y/n.

"Candice that's enough, I was fine with you talking to me, but you've obviously upset my girlfriend, so I'm gonna have to ask you to leave"

"Y/n, you can't be serious, as a fuckin heart attack, now get out" he said as security escorted her out.

He looked to Jenna as he knew she was angry. He walked up to her, placing his hand on her neck.

"You know that I love you right?" He said in his deep Southern accent as she nodded.

"I just can't with people like that, she could clearly tell that you are with me, holding my hand, and she still did that"

He pulled her closer as one of the employees came to check on them.

"Everything alright over here Mr.L/n" he asked

"Yeah Chuck we're good, could you set up the mic and two chairs with my guitar I'm about to go on stage with this pretty little thing here." He said gaining the attention on the shorter girl in his grasp.

"Can do" he said running back stage.

After about half an hour he and Jenna had both taken the stage and the crowd cheered. He grabbed his guitar and played a few chords as Jenna sat next to him, with him staring at her.

"This song is dedicated to someone very important to me"

(play in case you didn't know by Brett Young)

Jenna had began to tear up at the thought that you were singing for her, the crowd had began to slow dance as the song began, Jenna smiled swaying to the song as small tears streamed down her face.

After the song ended, she pulled him into a deep passionate kiss, letting him know just how much she loved him. They spent a bit more time at the rec center before they decided to head back to his mom's house.

The next day he woke early to help his mom with things, tending to the cattle, collecting eggs other things to do around the farm. Jenna woke to the smell of bacon eggs and sausage. She walked down to the kitchen to see Y/n walking in after completing the mornings work, seeing her he smiled and enveloped her in a hug, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Mornin' darlin'" he said

"Morning, what's for breakfast?"

"Oh, Y/n said that you were pescatarian, so I just made you eggs" Cassandra said "if you would like, I'm making bacon and there's sausage links on the plate over there.

She looked at the sausage links on the plate and took some, deciding to sacrifice her pescatarian life style.

"Do you have any toast?" She asked.

"In the toaster sweetie" Cassandra said

Jenna took some toast and began eating. She savored the flavor of each part of the meal.

The living room TV was playing the parade, it was a tradition that his dad started when he was young, every year they would start cooking food while the parade played on the TV.

"Is there anything I can help with Cassandra?" She asked

"Get me the hand mixer please" she said pointing to the device on the counter. Grabbing it, Jenna handed it to Cassandra and began helping cook thanksgiving dinner as Sarah walked in.

The door opened to reveal an elderly couple, Jenna stared confused until Y/n walked up to them and hugged them.

"Oh goodness is that my Y/n" the woman said

"Hi Mema, where's pop" he asked

"He's getting my gizzard stuffing and gravy out of the truck" she said patting him on the shoulder. She headed into the kitchen and started helping until she noticed Jenna.

"Hi I don't believe we've met yet, I'm Jodie, Y/n's grandma, you must be Jenna." She said to which Jenna nodded and went to shake her hand, to which Jodie pulled her into a hug.

"Sorry I'm a hugger, and you can call me Mema" she said releasing the girl. Y/n walked in with an elderly man, treys in hand.

"I told you I got it son" he said.

"And I told you that mom nor Mema would let me live if I didn't help." He looked at Jenna a smile spread across her face "I see you've already met Mema, she's a hugger"

"So I've seen" she replied as man known as pop walked past.

"Scott go introduce yourself to your grandsons girlfriend" Mema said as pop did as he was told.

"I'm Scott but you can call me Pop" he looked as Y/n "she's a keeper."

They sat around the the table, Pop sitting at the head of the table as he said grace. Food began to be passed around and conversations were had.

After dinner Pop sat in the lazy boy snoozing as the Thanksgiving day football game played. Sarah's husband and her kids arrived and were in the back yard playing football with Y/n and Ryan. Jenna was in the kitchen with Mema and Cassandra washing dishes and putting left over food away.

"So Jenna, what do you guys have planned after Thanksgiving?" Mema asked.

"Y/n and I are staying for a few more days, I was hoping to find something for Y/n tomorrow, if that's ok" Jenna replied.

"Well that sounds just fine" Cassandra said.

[marypsue]

Santa Carla, 1987. The California summer is in full swing. A killer – or killers – stalk the busy Boardwalk. And Michael Emerson is on the cusp of a life-altering revelation. Santa Carla, 20XX. The Experience Room, the Boardwalk’s hottest, most cutting-edge attraction, has just changed over its storyline. Now, within its artificial confines, a killer – or killers – stalk the 1987 Boardwalk, daring players to catch them. Edgar and Alan Frog are just here to stake anything that moves, and have a good time doing it. If a little paranoia doesn’t get the better of them first…

As promised: The Lost Boys Westworld AU! I saw a premise about examining the nature of personhood, asked 'but is anybody gonna make this also about the nature of story and narrative?', and did not wait for an answer.

Unfortunately, nobody in this fic ever gets to wear a cowboy hat.

[gloombog]

tagged by @driftingintomysolitude to shuffle my "on repeat" playlist + post the first 10 songs & tag 10 people yippee thankssss <3333

1. willing to follow you down by lowercase

2. honourosis by unwound

3. uma by majesty crush

4. smoker's paradise by spencer radcliffe

5. tall ships by swirlies

6. in the backyard by sundots

7. the great alligator by ovlov

8. alan is a cowboy killer by mclusky

9. sinking just right by shelf life

10. snowing by sprain

@trapper-faggot @sparklebot95 @angelnumber27 @swaddledintissue @zeebzorb @ihavebrainworms @sewercentipede @iwantedtosavetheworld @clownaura @chamberofmisery

[sinceileftyoublog]

Mclusky's Good Intentions

Mclusky's Andy "Falco" Falkous

BY JORDAN MAINZER

"Fuck This Band". It's the name of the song Andy "Falco" Falkous and Mclusky have been opening their sets with on their triumphant return to many North American cities, including Chicago last Friday at the Vic. It's an effective calm before the storm of noise and chaos that inevitably enraptures the moshing crowd. And it's an appropriate sentiment, tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating, referential to the very loud ruckus that presumably caused the initial postponement of these tour dates to begin with. A Molotov cocktail of aural health issues forced Falkous to make fans wait a little bit longer to celebrate 20 years of Mclusky Do Dallas. It was immediately apparent from the opening chords of "Dethink to Survive" that our patience paid off: Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone donning protective headphones, the band launched into a burst of razor wire guitars and pummeling percussion, and never stopped.

From left to right: Mclusky's Damien Sayell, Jack Egglestone, Falkous

Sayell, Egglestone, & Falkous

The post-hardcore band's influence is wide-reaching. You can hear Falkous' everyman sprechgesang in the cubicle shouts of Pissed Jeans' Matt Korvette, his frantic non-sequiturs in the nervy yelp rock of Squid, both of whom were featured on the house playlist before Mclusky took the stage. But the band continues to be good at its own game, too. Last year, they shared their first new material in 19 years, and they played two of those released songs on Friday, sounding like 2002 just as much as 2023. "Two minutes and forty five seconds is the optimum length of a rock and roll song," Falkous declared, after letting the audience know it was okay not to pretend they like new songs. But "Unpopular Parts of a Pig" is a trademark Mclusky tune, alternating between deceptively melodic shouts and droning chants, plus a loud-quiet-loud dynamic and sardonic lyrics chiding useless platitudes. Thematically and instrumentally, it nestled perfectly between the ugly guitar distortion and Damien Sayell's meaty bass on "Day of the Deadringers", and crowd favorite "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues". Meanwhile, the blown-out bass of "The Digger You Deep" and unreleased barnburner "Et Tu, Edwards?" gave the crowd a chance to let loose between "She Will Only Bring You Happiness" and "You Should Be Ashamed, Seamus", two The Difference Between You and Me Is That I'm Not on Fire songs that satirize the tortured artist and toxic masculinity.

Sayell, Egglestone, & Falkous

Really, though, to a certain generation of Mclusky fans, Friday first and foremost represented an event we thought would never come. To hear Falkous' introductory chirping on "Without MSG I Am Nothing", Egglestone's brawny thuds on "Chases", and the shout-alongs of "To Hell With Good Intentions" and "Alan Is a Cowboy Killer" was a thrilling exercise in nostalgia for some and disbelief for others. Towards the end of the set, Falkous took the time to thank everyone involved in the show, even those he had met just that night, an act of working class solidarity before his effortless bout of sarcasm: "This cavalcade of sincerity must end soon." Given Falkous' ability to lighten the mood through his well-intentioned derision, it's easy to see why Mclusky continues to be great today.

Falkous

Sayell

[filmnoirfoundation]

NOIR CITY returns to Chicago's Music Box Theatre August 25 - 31, to celebrate the heart of Hollywood's noir movement with "Film Noir in 1948"! Friday through Sunday screenings will be presented by Eddie Muller, Film Noir Foundation founder and host of TCM's Noir Alley, and films Monday through Thursday will be introduced by FNF board member Alan K. Rode.

Highlights include a 35mm screening of Robert Wise’s BLOOD ON THE MOON on Wednesday, August 30. In this Western noir, Tate Riling (Robert Preston) enlists an old friend and itinerant cowboy Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) to help with his scheme to force an aging rancher (Tom Tully) to sell his herd at a discount. When Lufton’s daughter Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes) gets involved, Garry must choose between his old loyalties and what he knows to be right. Alan will be singing his book Blood on the Moon an hour before the show starts and during the intermission after the film. Since this is NOIR CITY: Chicago, two films set in the Windy City will screen during the festival. First, Call NORTHSIDE 777, featuring Jimmy Stewart as a crusading reporter determined to free convicted killer Richard Conte whom he believes is innocent, plays on Saturday, August 26. Eddie will be signing his most recent release Eddie Muller's NOIR BAR: Cocktails inspired by the World of Film Noir that day as well, time TBA. Then on Tuesday, August 29, Alan Ladd plays another reporter in CHICAGO DEADLINE, screening in 35mm, who becomes obsessed with finding the truth about the life and death of Rosita (Donna Reed) after discovering her corpse.

→ NOIR CITY: Chicago's full schedule, all-access passes, and tickets are available here.

[meanstreetspodcasts]

Episode 601 - Cowboys and Crimesolvers (Suspense, Texas Rangers, Johnny Dollar, Gunsmoke, & Dragnet)

Yippie-ki-yay, old time radio fans! We're heading west for some radio mysteries set in the wide open spaces of the American frontier. Alan Ladd is on the trail of his brother's murderer in "A Killing in Abilene" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1950), and Joel McCrea hunts for a cowboy's killer in "The Cactus Pear" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1950). As Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Edmond O'Brien has to determine if - and why - a rancher's wife bumped off her husband in "The Jarvis Wilder Matter" (originally aired on CBS on February 24, 1951), and William Conrad has to clear his own name in "Matt for Murder" from Gunsmoke (originally aired on CBS on July 26, 1954). Finally, Jack Webb stars in an urban western as the police face off against an armed and delusional man who believes he's defending a fort against the Indians in "The Big Cowboy" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBS on June 1, 1954).

Click here for some of my original audio comedy, including some old time radio show parodies!

Check out this episode!

[yasakajinjya]

Alan Is a Cowboy Killer

[friendzonefrog]

Movies:

Anatomy of a Fall (crime/courtroom drama)

Clue (one of my favorite comedies AND mysteries of all time)

Se7en (crime thriller where two detectives search for a brutal serial killer with a twisted M.O.)

See How They Run (goofy whodunnit set amidst the cast of a theatrical play)

The Hateful Eight (Tarantino western with whodunnit-ish elements and also a very specific spoiler in common with TRN)

Zodiac (crime thriller about the search for the Zodiac Killer)

TV:

Fargo (crime dramedy with an extremely eccentric ensemble cast)

The Mole (reality show where one of the contestants is secretly sabotaging the group. You won't find out who until the finale! The reboot is good, but the original S1 is my fav.)

Board/Card games:

Bang! (cowboy social deduction card game where different roles give you different abilities and different goals. Reminds me of the saloon slots game in SHA hehe.)

Clue(do) this one should go without saying.

Codenames (team v team card game where, out of a massive grid of words, players must prompt their team to guess their words only.)

Decrypto (very similar to Codenames. Team v team, both teams have 4 words and must get their teammates to guess those words in a specific "encrypted" sequence without giving it away to the opposite team. Hard to explain but fun to play.)

Mysterium (co-op card/tabletop game where one of you plays as the ghost and the rest play as psychic detectives trying to solve your murder!)

One Night Werewolf (social deduction game where the villagers must determine who amongst them is secretly a werewolf. Different roles=different abilities. Kind of reminds me of a game that'd be in CAP.)

Video Games:

Alan Wake, especially the second one. (It's horror, I can't express that enough, but top-tier crime investigation elements)

Darkside Detective (beggingggg yall to play this. episodic point and click adventure mystery. goofy cases with supernatural elements.)

Guilty Party (an old Wii game I used to be OBSESSED with, it has a story mode as well as a competitive party mode. you have to interrogate suspects and gather evidence so you can accuse the culprit. It's made for families so it's innocent (to my recollection) and exTREMELY campy with silly minigames, eccentric suspects, a theme song and everything. ugh love)

Heavy Rain (choice-based narrative game. has so many flaws. so many. but the crime thriller themes warranted an honorable mention.)

Life is Strange (drama/mystery choice-based narrative game. reminds me of WAC kind of, with the school gossip and drama hehe)

The Sinking City (Lovecraftian horror crime-noir mystery!)

can we gather a mass list of clue crew mysteryish/thriller/nancyish media recommendations? i'll start:

shows: columbo, murder she wrote, psych, x-files

video games: ace attorney, pentiment, return of the obra dinn, ghost trick

books: the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle, omniscient reader's viewpoint, (honestly that's it other than nancys I need to read more mystery novels)

movies: knives out series of course, the handmaiden

board games: (idk any I'm sorry just thinking of media categories)

trrpgs: monster of the week, city of mist

[iamdangerace]

McClusky, Alan is a Cowboy Killer recorded live in Cardiff, Wales on Dec. 19, 2019. From the Gateway Band: Live in London and Cardiff DVD/CD album.

[mr-craig]

I have answered the question literally nobody was asking: What would it sound like if Kraftwerk covered mclusky?

Alan is a Cowboy Killer, by Welsh hardcore punk band mclusky, in a late ‘70s / early ‘80s electro-pop style. You’re welcome.

[riseofthecommonwoodpile]

But you were such an ugly child. You were such an awkward child. But you were such a stupid child. We should have cottoned on.

Alan is a cowboy killer.

[conradscrime]

Who is Swimsuit Boy? Unidentified Doe

May 12, 2022

Known as “Swimsuit Boy” this John Doe is the only unidentified victim of serial killer Dean Corll, also known as the “Candy Man” who operated between 1970-1973 and killed a minimum of 28 young boys and men in Houston and Pasadena, Texas. 

On August 7, 1973, Corll’s teenage accomplice named Elmer Wayne Henley went to a party with another teenage boy. Henley targeted this teenage boy and was going to bring him back to Corll’s home. However, Henley and this boy ended up getting high at the party and left together to get food. 

During this time they found a girl named Rhonda Williams, who had been beaten by her father that night. Henley told her that she could come with them back to Corll’s home. Corll became outraged that Henley would bring a girl back to his home, but Henley eventually got him to calm down. Henley, Rhonda and the other teenage boy smoked and drank until they passed out with Corll then gagging and attempting to restrain Henley with handcuffs. 

Henley woke up and told Corll that if he unrestrained him then he would help Corll abuse the other two teens. Corll told Henley to rape and murder Rhonda, however she ended up convincing Henley to stop. 

Henley tried to get Corll to stop the abuse, claiming that he had hone too far, before taking Corll’s gun. Corll mocked Henley, and Henley ended up shooting him six times before he fell. The other two teens were released and they called the police. During the investigation, Henley led police to a boat shed owned by Corll where 14 decomposing bodies were found. Among these, Swimsuit Boy or Swimsuit Doe was found and remains the only unidentified victim. 

Swimsuit Doe was a male, estimated to be between the ages of 15-19 years old, standing about 5′2 to 5′7 inches tall. He had brown hair that was 7 inches long, but the eye colour is unknown. He had good teeth with no fillings or any evidence of procedures as well as a mild case of spina bifida that may have caused him to struggle with back pain in his life. 

Swimsuit Doe was wearing a grey shirt with a peace symbol on the front and “USMC L84MF” on the back. Some sources believe that USMC stands for United States Marine Corp, possible leading to some connection to the military, but this is unknown. If there was some sort of military connection maybe the Doe had family or friends in the military, or maybe had been enlisted himself. 

The reason for the name Swimsuit Boy or Swimsuit Doe is due to the fact that he was found wearing vertically striped swim trunks that were white, green, red and blue. He was also wearing 12″ cowboy boots with the word NEOLITE across the heel, and dark blue corduroy material, measuring 32x30. The Doe was also wearing a leather ankle bracelet and a brown leather belt with a belt buckle. The buckle was silver and had the letter “C” with gold wings. 

Thirteen different missing persons have been ruled out as being Swimsuit Doe. This includes:

Richard Lamson and Peter Bonick, went missing from San Mateo County, CA on February 22, 1970

Alan Bourque, went missing from Orleans County, LA on March 10, 1970

David Waggoner, went missing from Pasadena, TX on October 9, 1971

Dermot Kelly, went missing from LaSalle County, IL on January 30, 1972

Earl Joggerst, went missing from Jefferson County, MO on August 4, 1972

James Egan, went missing from Ozaukee, WI on August 6, 1972

Norman Prater, went missing from Dallas County, TX on January 14, 1973

Derran Rogers, went missing from Stanislaus, CA on February 27, 1973

Mitchel Weiser, went missing from Sullivan County, NY on July 27, 1973

Joseph Spears, went missing from Harrison County, MS on July 31, 1973

Mark Bachelder and David Hesterlee, went missing from Bryan Beach, TX on September 22, 1974 (unsure why these two are included since they went missing after Dean Corll died) 

One source suggested that Swimsuit Doe could be Ralph Hamton Miller who went missing from Lakeland, FL on September 19, 1970. Miller was 17 years old at the time and stood between 5′5 to 5′10. While he does look similar to the reconstruction there is no proof that he would have plans to go to or end up in Texas. 

Another possibility is that the Doe is James Charles Stanford who went missing from Overland, MO on May 1, 1971. Stanford was 16 years old at the time and stood over 6 feet tall. This does not match up with what they believe the height to be of Swimsuit Doe, however, Stanford had told family members that he wanted to go to Texas or California to join a convent. 

One last possibility is that Swimsuit Doe was never reported missing or the report was never taken seriously. Police would often claim that missing teenagers were just runaways, and hitchhiking was very popular in the 1970′s, and often times people hitchhiked to other states and cities to start new lives and their families just believe that they are not looking to be found or have any contact with them. 

If you have any information that may lead to Swimsuit Doe being identified you can call the Texas Department of Public Safety at 512-424-5074 in reference to case # U0312016. 

The National Crime Information Center case # is U030020650. The NamUs case # is 4547. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children case # is 1109009. The DNA Doe Project is working on this case and hopefully one day the identity of Swimsuit Boy or Swimsuit Doe will finally be revealed. 

[bookclub4m]

Episode 155 - Literary Fan Fiction

This episode we’re talking about Literary Fan Fiction! We discuss ancient myths, fairy tales, Sherlock Holmes, copyright, Sherlock Holmes, authorized sequels, Sherlock Holmes, and sequels vs reinterpretations! Plus: Sherlock Holmes! (Okay, he didn't get mentioned that much.)

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was reprinted in Evil Roots: Killer Tales of the Botanical Gothic

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J. M. Barrie (Wikipedia)

Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie (Wikipedia)

Copyright status

Telling Tales by Patience Agbabi

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Other Media We Mentioned

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer

Shadow Master Series Volume 3 by Andy Helfer, Kyle Baker, and Joe Orlando

Includes the comic in which The Shadow’s head is placed on a robot body

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

Jack the Ripper in fiction (Wikipedia) (Yes, there’s an entire article and it mentions at least five additional stories that feature Sherlock Holmes.)

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill

Fables (comics) by Bill Willingham (Wikipedia)

The Argonauts and the Quest for the Golden Fleece (Wikipedia)

Beowulf (Wikipedia)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and  Jane Austen

Grendel by John Gardner

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (Wikipedia)

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The Great Mouse Detective (Wikipedia)

Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (Wikipedia)

Elementary, Dear Data (Wikipedia) - Star Trek: The Next Generation episode

House (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Elementary (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Sherlock (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Dorian Gray (2009 film) (Wikipedia)

Victor Frankenstein (film) (Wikipedia)

The Adventures of Shirley Holmes (Wikipedia)

Enola Holmes (film) (Wikipedia)

Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith (Actually just about cowboys who really like Sherlock Holmes)

Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the American West by John S. Fitzpatrick

Links, Articles, and Things

Fan fiction (Wikipedia)

Matthew was probably combining Robert Ludlum (died in 2001 and since then thirty books have been published under the “Ludlum brand”) and Tom Clancy (died in 2013 and since then 18 books have been published under the “Clancy brand”)

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries A 2022 collection of new stories by various authors about Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple character

Cthulhu Mythos in popular culture (Wikipedia)

Robin McKinley (Wikipedia)

Frankenstein's monster (Wikipedia)

How Rocket Raccoon Rescued My Brother, Famed Marvel Writer Bill Mantlo by Mike Mantlo

Doujinshi (Wikipedia)

Doraemon Doujinshi Accused of Infringing Copyright

Hark Podcast

Sherlock Holmes  (Wikipedia)

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Copyrightable Character by Nicholas Perrotti

Sargasso Sea (Wikipedia)

22 “Literary Fan Fiction” (retellings, adaptations, sequels, parallel novels, etc.) books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

For this booklist, the original story being retold/referenced appears (in parentheses).

Telling Tales by Patience Agbabi (Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer)

The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (El Gaucho Martín Fierro by José Hernández)

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang (The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Windward Heights by Maryse Condé (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)

The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (The Stranger by Albert Camus)

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (A Room With a View by E.M. Forster)

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (The Horror of Red Hook by H.P. Lovecraft)

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells)

The Holder of the World by Bharati Mukherjee (The Scarlet Letter by Nataniel Hawthorne and the Ramayana by Valmiki)

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor (The Tempest by William Shakespeare)

Even in Paradise by Elizabeth Nunez (King Lear by William Shakespeare)

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (The Tale of Shim Ch'ŏng)

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel (The Ramayana by Valmiki)

The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall (Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell)

My Jim by Nancy Rawles (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)

Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson (Wee'git stories)

Unforgivable Love by Sophfronia Scott (Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos)

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Prince of Cats by Ron Wimberly (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

Sansei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita (Various works by Jane Austen)

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

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Join us again on Tuesday, August 16th we’ll be discussing an update on what media we’ve been enjoying outside of the podcast. (Oh no that’s next week.)

Then on Tuesday, September 6th we’ll be discussing the format of Audio Book Fiction!

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #166 - Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Session, 1988

La serie di storie di musica che si inaugura oggi, giorno di Pasqua (Auguri!) seguiranno un percorso particolare: ho scelto delle storie di dischi caratterizzate dal modo unico, economico e a volte totalmente improvvisato con cui vennero registrati. Il primo ci porta al 27 Novembre del 1987, dove in una chiesa di Toronto, la Santa Trinità, un gruppo sta iniziando a suonare, usando solo un microfono. Questo gruppo ha le sue origini una decina di anni prima, quando Michael Timmins e Alan Anton formano un duo, gli Hunger Project, e partono per la Gran Bretagna, dove si uniscono ad un gruppo rock sperimentale, i Germinal. Tornati in Canada, Timmins chiama ad unirsi alle sue imprese musicali la sorella Margot e il fratello minore Peter, e formano un gruppo, a cui danno il nome strano di Cowboy Junkies. Inizia qui, siamo a metà anni ‘80, la parabola di uno dei gruppi alternativi più talentuosi della sua generazione, sia per le scelte stilistiche che per canzoni da interpretare. Il primo disco è Whites Off Earth Now!!!, che esce nel 1986: solo Take Me è scritta dalla coppia Margot e Micheal Timmins, per il resto una selezione di blues (John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bukka White, Robert Johnson) che si sviluppano in atmosfere sognati e delicate, eteree, che trovano il fulcro nella voce, magnetica e fantastica, di Margot, che dà il meglio di sè nella cover di State Trooper di Bruce Springsteen. Il disco è l’occasione per un tour di accompagnamento ad altre band negli Stati Uniti, che serve ad amalgamare la band e a trovare un ulteriore gradino di avanzamento del loro stile. Che avviene nella sera di Novembre a cui accennavo prima. L’idea della band era di registrare direttamente le canzoni su nastro, usando un solo microfono: a rendere il tutto piuttosto complicato, era il fatto che oltre ai tre Timmins e a Anton, c’era l’ultimo fratello Timmins, John, alla chitarra, due armonicisti (Jeff Bird e Steve Shearer),  Kim Deschamps alle slide guitar e Jaro Czwewinec alla fisarmonica. Oltre a questo, c’era il fatto che la band insieme aveva provato pochissimo, e per completare le registrazioni, pagarono 25 dollari canadesi due guardie della sicurezza della Chiesa per poter provare altre due ore insieme. Il risultato però fu che The Trinity Session (1988) è il loro disco più bello, più famoso e uno dei dischi più significativi degli anni ‘80. Alla base blues la band aggiunge elementi country (figli del lungo tour negli Usa, soprattutto negli Stati del Sud), l’atmosfera rilassata e affascinante da esibizione live in un club della registrazione, la scelta di brani, sia autografi che cover, azzeccatissima. Si parte con Mining For Gold, traditional dei cercatori di ventura dell’800, riportata in auge da uno dei personaggi più importanti della musica popolare canadese, James Gordon: la voce di Margot Timmins è già da brividi, nello scarno e sottilissimo accompagnamento musicale della band; il secondo pezzo è invece la loro canzone più famosa, e per me la più bella che abbiano scritto: Misguided Angel è una toccante ballata, cantata magistralmente, dal ritmo ondeggiante e rilassante, un piccolo gioiello. E gioielli sono le loro composizioni autografe, come I Don't Get It, To Love Is to Bury,  200 More Miles (molto country, dedicata alle miglia percorse nel tour americano) e la quasi spettrale e affascinante Postcard Blues. Tra le cover, meravigliosa la rilettura del classico di Hank Williams I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Dreaming My Dreams With You di  Allen Reynolds, il traditional degli schiavi afroamericani delle piantagioni Working On A Building (che non c’era nella prima versione originale del disco) ma soprattutto due cover, una più bella dell’altra: Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis) è una versione in cui al classico di Rodgers e Hartz portato al successo da Elvis Presley è aggiunta una parte di testo scritta dai fratelli Timmins; e poi una Sweet Jane, che come riferimento ha la versione rallentata del classico di Lou Reed scritto per i Velvet Underground, e che diviene una sorta di racconto per la voce magnetica di Margot: Reed apprezzerà tantissimo e la versione fu usata da Oliver Stone nella colonna sonora di Natural Born Killers (1994). Il disco diviene un piccolo culto, venderà milioni di copie, per la gioia del produttore Peter Moore, che si dice lo abbia prodotto con soli 900 dollari. The Trinity Session è presente nelle più importanti classifiche dei dischi più belli di sempre: in alcuni però è descritto come il capostipite del cosiddetto “sad rock”, per le atmosfere cupe e “depresse” che trasmette. In verità è una forzatura bella e buona, dato che basta ascoltare la forza e la bellezza della voce di Margot per credere, già così, tutt’altro. Che il disco sia stato un culto lo dimostra il fatto che a 20 anni esatti dalla storica serata di registrazione, i Cowboy Junkies si sono ritrovati insieme ad altri amici (Natalie Merchant, Vic Chesnutt, Ryan Adams) nella stessa Holy Trinity Church di Toronto per risuonare l’intero disco, che verrà ripubblicato con il titolo Trinity Revisited: la magia non è la stessa, ma è anch’esso un bel disco per scoprire questa band interessantissima, che da ormai 35 anni sforna piccoli dischi deliziosi e preziosi.

[meanstreetspodcasts]

Diamond in the Rough

“I was sitting in my office shooting paper clips at a King size horse fly. It was a little sadistic but he was bigger than I was. Well, about the time I had him down on his knees begging for mercy, the door opened…” 

There’s nothing in Dick Powell’s early career to suggest he was destined to play hard-boiled private eyes.  Had his bosses at Warner Brothers had their way, he’d have stayed in the song-and-dance roles on which he built his career.  But thanks to a gamble by a director, Powell kicked off a new chapter to his career and the result were some great radio shows, including one of the medium’s best - Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

Powell got his start in Hollywood in the 30s as a singer in Warner Brothers musicals, including 42nd Street, and On the Avenue.  He was frequently cast in the role of a boyish crooner, even as he approached his 40s.  Despite his success, Powell was eager to expand into other roles.  His efforts were resisted by Warner Brothers, who wanted to keep Powell right where he was, even if he thought it was the wrong place to be.  He pursued the lead role in Double Indemnity, but it ultimately went to another actor pegged in “nice guy” roles - Fred MacMurray.

But later in 1944, RKO and director Edward Dmytryk gave Powell the role he’d been waiting for - Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, the film adaptation of the Marlowe novel Farewell, My Lovely.  The film was a success, and Powell received rave reviews for his performance.  In a flash, he had shed the crooner image he’d been desperate to shake and he embarked on the next stage of his career.

Powell recreated his role as Marlowe on the June 11, 1945 Lux Radio Theater broadcast of Murder, My Sweet, and he starred as private detective Richard Rogue in Rogue’s Gallery from 1945 to 1946.  While it was a fine series, it failed to stand out from the crowd of hard-boiled private eyes littering the airwaves in the postwar years.  For his next radio effort, Powell wanted to “make something a little bit different of a standard vehicle.”  He recorded an audition show as “the man with the action packed expense account,” Johnny Dollar, but he passed on the series for a show that sprang from the mind of Blake Edwards.  Edwards would later create the outstanding police procedural The Line-Up for radio, develop Peter Gunn for television, and would become a celebrated writer and director of film arguably most famous for the Pink Panther film series with Peter Sellers.

Powell and his producer, Don Sharp, asked Edwards if he had any ideas for a vehicle for Powell.  Edwards said he did (a lie), and went home to write what would become the pilot for Richard Diamond, Private Detective.  In Edwards’ original script, Diamond was a former OSS agent; he would evolve into an ex-cop.  One trait he would retain as the script evolved was that Diamond was as quick with a quip as he was with his fists.  This played to Powell’s natural comedic strengths, and it helped to give the show a unique voice in the sea of detective programs from the era.  Unlike other radio shamuses, Diamond would keep up a friendly relationship with his old colleagues on the force - Lt. Walt Levinson, his former partner; and the oafish Sgt. Otis Ludlum, the long-suffering butt of Diamond’s jokes.  Diamond flirted with every skirt that came through his office door, but he only had eyes for his Park Avenue girlfriend, Helen Asher.  Shows would often close at her apartment, where Diamond would sum up his case and (in a nod to Powell’s old career) Helen might coax him to do a little singing.

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC on April 24, 1949.  Powell was supported by Virginia Gregg as Helen; Ed Begley as Levinson; and Wilms Herbert doing double duty as Sgt. Otis and as Helen’s butler, Francis.  Joseph Kearns, Peggy Webber, Bill Johnstone, Jack Kruschen, and other West Coast actors filled out the cast.  Later in the show’s run, Frances Robinson would take over the role of Helen, and Ted de Corsia, Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd), and Alan Reed (Fred Flinstone) would rotate in and out as Levinson.

The show ran without a sponsor for the first year before being picked up by the Rexall Drug Company (“Good health to all from Rexall!”) in June 1950.  In January 1951, the show switched networks and picked up Camel cigarettes as its new sponsor.  The show took its final bow on June 27, 1952 (although repeats popped up in the summer of 1953).  Powell pulled the plug on the show as he entered a third phase of his career as a successful director and producer.

It was in this capacity that Powell brought Richard Diamond to television in 1957 for a four-season run starring David Janssen in the title role, minus the crooning of the radio series.  Janssen would later star as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive.  The Diamond TV show is perhaps best known today for its character of Diamond’s secretary, Sam, who was only shown from the waist down to show off her legs.  The first actress to furnish Sam’s legs was a young Mary Tyler Moore.

In honor of his anniversary, here are ten of my favorite Richard Diamond radio adventures. Sit back and enjoy some sleuthing and singing with Dick Powell and company in these sensational stories.

"The Lillian Baker Case" - This one is a good showcase for Diamond's girlfriend Helen Asher, who gets to take a rare role in the case of the week. At a department store, Helen witnesses an elderly woman shoplifting. It turns out she's a wealthy eccentric, and later that afternoon she dies - allegedly after leaping from her balcony. (9/3/49)

"The Jerome J. Jerome Case" - Joseph Kearns plays the titular eccentric character - a man who claims to be a millionaire, a genius inventor, and a private detective. He wants to partner with Diamond, but as soon as the gumshoe tries to dismiss him it turns out the kook may have information about an actual murder. (9/17/49)

"The Louis Spence Case" - An unusual, but very exciting, episode finds Diamond racing against time to save his old friend Lt. Walt Levinson. A deranged bomber has escaped from prison, and he's taken the lieutenant hostage. Unless the mayor jumps to his death from city hall within the hour, the bomber will blow the precinct - and Walt - to kingdom come. (3/5/50)

"The Statue of Kali" - It's Richard Diamond's version of The Maltese Falcon (complete with Paul Frees doing his best Sydney Greenstreet). An ivory statue is delivered to Diamond by a dying man, and it's being hunted by nefarious characters from all around the world. (4/5/50)

"The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case" - Diamond is hired to deliver the ransom when a wealthy woman is kidnapped, but both he and the lady's nephew are knocked out, the ransom money is taken, and the kidnap victim is killed. Rick has to use some creativity and theatricality to figure out what happened. (7/26/50)

"The Oklahoma Cowboy Murder Case" - Diamond trades the bright lights of the big city for the clear skies of the plains in this episode that was later adapted as an episode of Peter Gunn. Rick heads west to investigate a suspicious death - a wealthy rancher who expired when he fell from his horse. (9/27/50)

"The Cover-Up Murders" - Rick and Walt partner again when a serial killer stalks the city. Part of his MO is to call the police and boast that he'll kill someone that night at eight o'clock. But what appears to be random madness may have a clear motive, and it's up to Diamond to stop the killings before more bodies drop. (11/22/50)

"Blue Serge Suit" - Jim Backus (later Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island) is Diamond's new client - a tailor whose supply of blue serge is raided and stolen by intruders. When Diamond's own suit is snatched, he's on the trail of a gang of spies. (2/9/51)

"Lady in Distress" - A beautiful woman hires Diamond, and then she drops dead in his office. With nothing to go on - he didn't even know her name - Rick takes the case and tries to learn what had her so scared and what led to her death. It's a story that was recycled quite a few times. Jeff Regan and Johnny Dollar both solved variations of this script, but the Richard Diamond version is my favorite. (2/23/51)

"The Red Rose" - In another story later reworked as a TV episode of Peter Gunn, Diamond is hired to keep a client alive. The man hired a hit man to do away with himself, but he's had a change of heart. Unfortunately, the hit man is a committed professional and he intends to finish the job. (3/2/51)

Check out this episode!