For All You Body Double Fans Out There

Here's a shot of the famous Chemosphere, as featured in that trashy-but-awesome Brian De Palma classic. If you squint, you can see Craig Wasson, staring back down at you with a telescope.

For Ed Gorman

Here's a photo from the inside of the Beachwood Market, in Beachwood Village, the gateway to the Hollywood Hills. If you click on the photo and expand it, you can see a still from the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which was shot in the area.

When David J. Schow brought me here the other day, he noted that the still had been placed directly above the vegetable section. Which, if you've seen Body Snatchers, is amusing to no end.

The Blade Himself

Sorry for the quiet around here lately. It's been Deadline City. But I'm pulling my nose out of Word long enough to pass along a cool bit of comics news: I've written a one-shot, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants: Blade #1, that ties into this crazy new X-Men series Victor Gischler is writing. The issue's not out until August, but you can read Vaneta Rogers' story about it over at Newsarama.

Mulholland On My Mind

Yesterday Little, Brown announced the name of their new suspense imprint (which was first reported by Sarah Weinman months ago): Mulholland Books. I'm proud to say that my next three novels will be among the first wave of releases, along with Marcia Clark, Lawrence Block, Mark Billingham, Michael Robotham, Charlie Huston, Daniel Woodrell, and others. You can check out the official page and trailer right here.

If you ask me, the name of the imprint is dead perfect. "Mulholland" sits nicely alongside Little, Brown's other "place name" imprint--Grand Central. The very idea of twists and turns set against a backdrop of the unofficial noir capital of the world is right on target, too. (If you've ever driven Mulholland, especially at night, you'll understand the edge-of-your-seat feeling the name evokes.) But cool name aside, I'm really happy to be working with the whole Mulholland Book crew, especially editor John Schoenfelder, who's one of the best-read dudes I've ever met. It's almost impossible to stump him with a genre novel and/or writer from the past 30 years. In short, he's almost as big a crime/mystery/horror/SF geek as I am.

As for those next novels... well, it's a trilogy. To be released almost back-to-back next spring/summer. I don't want to reveal too much, but the first installment is called Fun & Games, taken from one of my favorite sayings ("It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye"). And F&G will be my first novel set in a city other than Philadelphia. Not than I don't love Philly dearly, but... sometimes you just want to see other cities, you know?

Widow Makers

Finally, I can share some cool news I've been sitting on for a while: starting with issue #6 this September, I'll be the new Black Widow writer, along with new artist Manuel Garcia. (For the non-comics nerds out there, Black Widow is the character played by Scarlett Johansson in Iron Man 2.)

Fans of Severance Package will not be surprised that I'm drawn to sexy super-spies. In fact, Molly in Severance was partly inspired by Black Widow; I've been a fan of the character since reading Greg Rucka's and Devin Grayson's run almost 10 years ago.

For more Widow skinny from me and Manuel, check out this Q&A with Dave Richards over at CBR.com, and this piece by Chris Arrant at Newsarama.

Gone (Soon) To Texas

Tomorrow I'm headed to one of my favorite places on Earth: Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. Pretty sure I was there solo during my last visit, but this time I'll be joined by Victor (The Deputy, Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth, X-Men) Gischler and Lisa (Rock Paper Tiger) Brackmann. (Strength in numbers, I always say.) Stop on by, if you're anywhere near the greater Houston area. We'll start at 5 p.m.; probably be drinking many Shiner Bocks after that. (2342 Bissonnet Street)

And then the next day Victor and I head off to Book People in Austin, where we'll be joined by Jonathan (Bad Juju) Woods. This will be the first time I've actually set foot in downtown Austin, despite visiting the city twice before. (Don't ask.) Stop by, don't be shy. We may be "outlaws of pulp mystery," but we're perfectly decent gentlemen. Of course, I shouldn't speak for Mr. Woods. He might be a complete lunatic. (603 N. Lamar; 7 p.m.)

100 Years Ago in Philadelphia

Newsboys begging for tobacco coupons, June 1910.

(Photo from the Lewis Hine collection at the Library of Congress. For a super-nifty higher-res version, click on the photo.)