POMPOSITY & GOLEM CLAY: AN EDITORIAL

I've written about avoiding pompous people, those who bully, besmirch and trample hopes, dreams and artistic ambitions with their toxicity. 

I'm guilty of succumbing to such treatment. I fell victim to it for years, in particular when I composed a short story entitled "Golem Clay", intended for my self-published series, Wonderful, Magical, Literary Elixirs. In this pitiful instance, my detractor claimed the story was more amorous than chilling, not in any way his stinkin' cup of tea, let alone anyone else's, and therefore, it didn't deserve to be shared, tweaked or flaunted. Why, oh why did I swallow his putrid pomposity?!

Fortunately, I kept the concept swarming in my subconscious, and when Airship 27's Captain Ron Fortier asked me to compose a Purple Scar story several years back, I disinterred my golem strand. The rest is history. The Purple Scar, Vol 4 hit print in January 2023, and my contribution, "Golem Clay" (as refashioned and bracketed for Doctor Miles Murdock and his menacing alter ego) is included.  

That this tale (along with its thematic thrust) is now being purchased and absorbed, that it's adorned by Chuck Bordell's fluid illustrations, Adam Shaw's creepy cover and Rob Davis' eerie back-cover design, speaks volumes.

I hope my detractor reads this post. I hope it makes him ashamed. I hope it makes him feel the way he made me feel when he defiled my idea's evident worth. 

And to the rest of you, pay heed. Respect your instincts. Make autonomous decisions. Think your own thoughts. Your choices may not turn out for the best, but it's better to try, to act upon your gut, than to curb your visions based on what some decrepit swellhead says. 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+purple+scar+vol+4&i=stripbooks&crid=1XW0ULFELSFBW&sprefix=the+purple+scar+vol+4%2Cstripbooks%2C73&ref=nb_sb_noss

THE PURPLE SCAR #4: A PULP ICON RETURNS

The Purple Scar, Vol 4 enters Airship 27 Productions' prestigious roster, with stories by Gene Moyers ("Seven Swans a' Swimming), Felix Cruz ("The Scar's Close Shave"), Fred Adams Jr ("The Blackmail Heist") and Michael Housel ("Golem Clay").

As pulp enthusiasts know, The Purple Scar is renowned plastic surgeon, Miles Murdock, who for vengeful, extracurricular activity, hunts criminals during the night. To strike fear into those he stalks, Murdock wears a mask molded from his dead brother's acid-torn face (a grisly fate dealt by gangsters). Captain Dan Griffin; "sticky-fingered" valet, Tommy Pedlar; and love-interest nurse, Dale Jordan interact with the intense danger and intrigue that cross the brooding crusader's path. 

To accompany this edition's tales, Vol 4 flaunts a raging, front cover by the amazing Adam Shaw, a chilling, back cover by the seasoned Rob Davis and noir-ish interiors by the nimble Chuck Bordell. 

Airship 27's masterminds, Ron Fortier and Rob Davis, deserve humongous credit for keeping this classic, pulp character thriving, and like Airship 27's prior, Purple Scar editions, Vol 4 hits it out of the park with hair-raising tension. 

Give this frightful, Purple Scar anthology a courageous whirl by ordering at 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1953589448/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1