THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

This post is dedicated to those who've supported my stories and articles throughout 2023, whether in editing, promotion, publishing or essential encouragement.

These gracious folks consist of (drum roll, please!) Ron Fortier, Rob Davis, Jim Main, Robert Sodaro, Robert Matuzsan; Dennis Papp, Raffaelle Pezzella, John Chadwick, Michael Ferentino, Melissa Orlowski, Steve Orlowski, Tracy Furman, Leslie Foster, Nick Sabato, William Kalyna, Steve Keeter, Larned Justin, Erik Lobo and Kelly Erin Decker Kitko.

Indeed, your collective fanfare has proven invaluable in light of the negativity that certain underachievers and blowhards have tossed my way, whether in recent history or the deep, dark past.

Beyond any doubt, you've proven a potent antidote for all those know-it-alls who know nothing, thus allowing me to keep a steady eye on the prize, and that prize I've seized time and again, all thanks to you.

*PPFSZT! #51: DEVIL 13 INFLUENCES

Hello, friends! Thanks for embracing my Jersey Devil fable, as featured in Main Enterprise's *PPFSZT! #51.

As you may have noticed, Jim Main allowed me to fill in some space after "Devil 13." I dedicated the story to my brother, Freddy, who appreciates cryptozoology and U.F.O lore. I also gave credit to two evident, pop-cultural inspirations: The Six Million Dollar Man's Bionic Bigfoot and Gamma-One's Snow Devils. 

However, after further reflection, I realized there were other inspirations behind my tale: Midnight Sun, aka Invasion of the Animal People, and the Predator prequel, Prey. 

Midnight Sun depicts a colossal "yeti" that's dispatched by extraterrestrials to keep the curious away from their crashed craft (in basic sync with Bionic Bigfoot's purpose). Prey deals with a Predator who challenges Comanches in 1719's Great Plains. Both movies employ juxtaposed, cosmic tropes among domestic inhabitants, just like my story. 

If pressed, I would say that Paul W. S. Anderson's Alien vs Predator inspired me, too, in that the concept is along the same lines, if only per its echoing, Aztec premise. 

I must also pay respect to The Jersey Devil movies, Carney and The Thirteenth Child, which left positive impressions on me. 

John McPhee's renowned, cultural report, The Pine Barrens, deserves a nod, as well. In my fable's earliest drafts, I referenced the author, but the gesture felt forced, leading me to excise such through rewrites. 

Anyway, just wanted to set the record straight and give credit where it's due ... 😊

*PPFSZT! #51: NEW, OLD-TIME SCI-FI

Main Enterprises' *PPFSZT! #51 is an all-out, sci-fi success, which pays homage to the pulpy, storytelling stylings of decades past. 

Through this cosmic issue, one can enjoy Bob Powell's classic, comic strip, "The Last Man Returns." To accompanying this swell story, there's Jack Bertram/Al and Rich Limacher's sardonic "Mother" (with enhancing dialog by Jim Main), as well as John Lambert's powerful, Alien-inspired, "Six Months of Eden." 

On the prose front, Michael Housel's "Devil 13" tosses a fabled creature straight into The Outer Limits; and on the historical front, Larry Johnson grants an excellent essay on the one and only, Wally Wood, and his imaginative contributions to Galaxy Magazine. 

As with any Main endeavor, *PPFSZT! #51 flaunts new, experimental imagery, with astral artwork by John Muller, Allen Freeman, Kevin Dale Duncan, Tom Ahern, Scott McClung, Roland Austin and Troy Boyle, with a far-out cover courtesy of Boyle and Donald Tenney. (Main & Bob Sodaro have done a marvelous job, as well, with their aesthetic layout.)

As an added treat, ringmaster Main blasts off the issue with his sincere and informative, "The Publisher Speaks."

Purchase a copy of *PPFSZT! #51 by sending $9.99 via Paypal (postage included for U.S. shipping only) to Jim Main at jmain44@aol.com. (Also, please share your email and physical address when doing so, to ensure there are no hitches in receiving your copy.)   

DEVIL 13: TROY BOYLE'S IMAGE FOR *PPFSZT! #51

Jim Main just shared Troy Boyle's illustration for my short story, "Devil 13," slated for *PPFSZT! #51. 

I gotta say, I'm blown away. It's as if Mr. Boyle ripped the image right from my head, or at least paid strict attention to the description in the tale, for which I'm most grateful.

"Devil 13" spotlights a monster of New Jersey myth (guess who?) against a U.F.O./extraterrestrial backdrop. (The theme of *PPFSZT! #51 caters to new stories done in a 1950s - 1970s, sci-fi style.) 

More on "Devil 13" and the upcoming issue are on the way. Stay tuned!

LAND OF THE GIANTS & AMERICAN WITCHCRAFT: ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETED

I'm pleased to report that I've completed two writing assignments so far this month, one for Main Enterprises' The Screening Room #2 and the other for Raffaele Pezzella/Eighth Tower Publishing's next-up, Dark Fiction curation, Tales of American Witchcraft (the subtitle may change, but it's a sufficient enough place holder for now.) 

For The Screening Room, my contribution covers Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants. (Jim Main is steering the second issue toward 1960s, science-fiction, television shows, which should make for a nice, nostalgic read.) My article will not only delve into Giants' characters and colossal scenarios, but the collectibles it spawned.

For Pezzella's Dark Fiction volume, I've composed a Bradbury-esque story, entitled "Wicca's Apples," which depicts the plight of a love-starved teen and his encounter with a redheaded witch, whose age is as difficult to pinpoint as the intent of her spells. Though such spells aren't exclusive to American turf, the events surrounding them are drenched in Americana, including the wide-range name-dropping of homegrown, horror movies. There's also an unapologetic nod to The Greatest American Hero, in particular its leading lady, Connie Sellecca. 

Oh, and on Main's more-or-less, immediate backburner is *PPFSZT! #51 and with it, my short story, "Devil 13," aka "Star Devils," which will be illustrated by the super-versatile Troy Boyle. As I stated in my June post, the story is categorized as science-fiction, but it holds a smidgeon of horror, since it caters to a renowned, mythological monster. Venture a guess? 

More details on these exciting projects are forthcoming. Revisit Bizarrechats for all the scoops. 

*PPFSZT! #51: DEVILISH SCI-FI

By Jim Main's special request, I'm composing a story for *PPFSZT! #51. The issue will be steered toward Space Age science fiction, and as such, my tale will reflect the endeavors of that entertaining period. 

My submission will also hold a creature that's close to my heart, since it's said to reside in my backyard, but I've twisted the folklore a tinge.

I can't reveal the actual angle, but think along the lines of Gamma-One's Snow Devils. Also, think of The Six Million Dollar Man's Bionic Bigfoot, but the specimen I've highlighted isn't yeti or sasquatch. Does it spring from Area 51, a planet that might be mistaken for Hell or a hodgepodge of myths? In this regard, is my fable an Event Horizon, Galaxy of Terror, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica or Alien-prequel knockoff? Maybe one or the other or all or none of the above. Ah, only time will tell. 

Keep checkin' Bizarrechats for further hints, as well as general *PPFSZT! #51 updates. 👿