MICHAEL F. HOUSEL has authored several novels for Airship 27 Productions, including THE HYDE SEED, MARK JUSTICE'S THE DEAD SHERIFF: PURITY & THE PERSONA TRILOGY, with his short stories appearing in THE PURPLE SCAR, THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE & RAVENWOOD, STEPSON OF MYSTERY. He is also a faithful contributor to Eighth Tower Publications' DARK FICTION series, various popular-culture periodicals and a frequent associate producer for MR. LOBO'S CINEMA INSOMNIA.
Showing posts with label Zachary Brunner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zachary Brunner. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
RON FORTIER COMPLETES MARK JUSTICE'S DEAD SHERIFF SEQUEL!!!
Airship 27 Productions' release of Mark Justice's "The Dead Sheriff" was (and still is) a big hit for the New Pulp company, but due to Justice's untimely passing, the completion of the author's sequel fell into Ron Fortier's capable hands, along with the blessing of Justice's dear widow, Norma Kay.
Fortier's writing style does, in fact, blend ideally with Justice's, as the Airship 27 author/publisher helps resurrect the saga of a young Indian called Sam (aka Cheveyo) who possesses the magical means to puppeteer a prodigious corpse to slay bad men and their demonic peers.
In the sensational sequel, "Cannibals and Bloodsuckers", we're introduced to the flesh-feasting Arlo and Billy Belcher and the nomadic, parasitic prostitutes of magnetic Madame Magdala. Along for the ride is gritty Thunderstorm Parker (my favorite of the supporting characters); the flashy, would-be avenger, Silver Paladin and his snippy sidekick, Bullet; the Zorro-like Sidewinder; the handsome but doomed Lariat Smith; the feisty Hattie Fields; the dark-shackled Labine; and Sam's awestruck partner, newsman Richard O'Malley, whose detailed accounts are certain to keep one gripped. However, none can compare to the eponymous, crusty protagonist, who more than rises to the crusading cause.
At its winsome heart, Fortier and Justice's story plays like a monster-rally epic, thanks its many eccentric characters. The strange (though often amusing) interactions recall strands of "Curse of the Undead", "The Living Coffin" (i.e., "El grito de la muerte"), "Bone Tomahawk", "The Hills Have Eyes" and "From Dusk till Dawn", but with an old-time, cowpoke slant that classic-western aficionados will be happy to suckle and devour.
The vivid text is enhanced by Art Cooper's ingenious illustrations, which add extra creepiness to the novel. There's also Zachary Brunner's lurid cover, which captures the bloody panache of the best Euroshock posters.
On all levels, this lively undead package is fated to exceed one's spookiest expectations.
Long live the Dead Sheriff!!!
Order "Cannibals and Bloodsuckers" at ... https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Justices-Sheriff-Cannibals-Bloodsuckers/dp/1946183520/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545668523&sr=8-2&keywords=dead+sheriff.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
AIRSHIP 27 PRESENTS...MARK JUSTICE'S THE DEAD SHERIFF!!!
Ron Fortier’s Airship 27 has just published a wonderful and macabre entry from the late Mark Justice…the one, the only...THE DEAD SHERIFF.
For those inclined to miss the obvious, DEAD SHERIFF is a Weird Western, but unlike any that’s ever been composed (or such I say for the sake of the title character, decomposed?), with a successful track record that keeps gathering fans.
The post Civil War story focuses on an enigmatic, wandering, living corpse: a spectral legend that manifests to do in wrongdoers. The Dead Sheriff’s decaying identify is hard to pinpoint (is he one or many?),
which makes the mystery behind the entity even more unsettling. Newspaper man Richard O’Malley is intrigued by the grotesque myth, and the
novella interjects his first-person narratives among chapters as he tracks down the undead vigilante.
In other respects, the story's real hero is one of Native American descent, Cheveyo (aka, Sam), who has a peculiar relationship with the zombie-like shape. Mind you, it's not by any means a Renfield/Dracula arrangement, but there's definitely a symbiotic link between man and corpse. I won't spoil it here, but it's special, memorable and when it dares to dig deep, disturbingly woeful.
In other respects, the story's real hero is one of Native American descent, Cheveyo (aka, Sam), who has a peculiar relationship with the zombie-like shape. Mind you, it's not by any means a Renfield/Dracula arrangement, but there's definitely a symbiotic link between man and corpse. I won't spoil it here, but it's special, memorable and when it dares to dig deep, disturbingly woeful.
The story's primary villain, a charlatan preacher man named Skaggs, is also a high mark for the tale, for no yarn of conflict ever clicks unless its bad guy is thoroughly despicable. Skaggs is, on the surface, a B-movie type scoundrel, but there's something about his smug contempt (particularly the callous way he hides behind the collar) that ultimately sets him apart. At any rate, you'll hate him for sure and yearn to see him get his comeuppance in a big-time way.
Such ingredients make Justice's work hard to put down. From the start, his story grips the reader by the throat and gets unnervingly richer with each page turn, but what also makes this bizarre adventure compelling are Art Cooper's superb, Kirby-ish illustrations. Truly, his images enhance the already absorbing text to the hilt, making you want to revisit them long after you've finished the tale. (Oh, and if that nifty Zachary Brunner cover doesn't make you want to read Justice's adventure, you really are in dire need of resurrection!)
Those who fancy Fortier's Brother Bones (or even the likes of Marvel's Ghost Rider and supernatural, cowboy flicks like "Curse of the Undead") will feel quite at home with this saga. I also give Fortier a heap of credit for keepin' Justice's living-dead legend alive and well. (You can leap in on the weird wonderment through Kindle or paperback at...https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Justices-Dead-Sheriff-Damnation/dp/1946183008/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480814155&sr=1-2&keywords=dead+sheriff+mark+justice.)
Such ingredients make Justice's work hard to put down. From the start, his story grips the reader by the throat and gets unnervingly richer with each page turn, but what also makes this bizarre adventure compelling are Art Cooper's superb, Kirby-ish illustrations. Truly, his images enhance the already absorbing text to the hilt, making you want to revisit them long after you've finished the tale. (Oh, and if that nifty Zachary Brunner cover doesn't make you want to read Justice's adventure, you really are in dire need of resurrection!)
Those who fancy Fortier's Brother Bones (or even the likes of Marvel's Ghost Rider and supernatural, cowboy flicks like "Curse of the Undead") will feel quite at home with this saga. I also give Fortier a heap of credit for keepin' Justice's living-dead legend alive and well. (You can leap in on the weird wonderment through Kindle or paperback at...https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Justices-Dead-Sheriff-Damnation/dp/1946183008/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480814155&sr=1-2&keywords=dead+sheriff+mark+justice.)
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