MARCH 2006
If
you have not been by the TALISMEN website lately, be sure to check it
out! It is easier than ever
before thanks to our simple new URL: www.talismen.spiderforest.com.
More and more people are visiting the site each day to read the
"Return of the Exile" webcomic, to check out the latest TALISMEN
news, and to take part in one of the friendliest forums on the Web.
So why not drop by and say howdy?
Speaking
of TALISMEN, issue two of the "Return of the Exile" comic book
limited-series is out from Atlantis Studios!
The artwork by my wonderful collaborator, Barb Jacobs, has never
looked better, so you will not want to miss seeing that.
You can still subscribe and receive all four issues of "Return
of the Exile" by visiting www.atlantisstudios.net/talismen.
All subscribers still receive a poster autographed by Barb and I,
and are automatically entered into a contest to win a gorgeous original
piece of TALISMEN framed artwork by Barb.
Do not miss out!
And
still speaking of TALISMEN, there is a new interview with Barb and I up
at Comicatalog.com [http://www.comicatalog.com/interview02202006.htm].
I
have just agreed to write a book for the exciting new Actionopolis line
of illustrated Young Adult novels (www.actionopolis.com).
The name of the book is HENRIETTA HEX, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR,
and if things work out I will be writing more books featuring this
delightful character. I am
also very, Very, VERY happy to announce that my old partner-in-crime,
Christopher Jones (BATMAN STRIKES!), has agreed to illustrate the first
book. Other writers and
artists contributing to the Actionopolis line include Berni Wrightson
(SWAMP THING, THE STAND), Marv Wolfman (TOMB OF DRACULA, TEEN TITANS),
J.M. DeMatteis (ABADAZAD, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA), Gary Reed
(DEADWORLD, ST. GERMAINE) and Louise Simonson (POWER PACK, SUPERMAN), so
believe me when I say I am jazzed, amped, and buzzing about this
project!
I am also writing a
book for McFarland Publishing that reviews some of my favorite
Independent comic books published between 1982 to 1996.
The book has no official title as yet, but some of the comic
books I am reviewing include MAGE, JON SABLE FREELANCE, D'ARC TANGENT,
and JONNY QUEST.
Hey, do you love
HARRY POTTER? Chances are you do! If
so, you might want to check out a new anthology called WIZARD ACADEMIES
I: HEART OF DARKNESS from Alan Lance Andersen Desktop Publishing (ISBN
1-4116-7787-0). Why?
Because it features a ton of cool stories, including my new
novella, "The House With the Witch's Hat"!
This novella introduces a rather unusual wizard's academy
called Grackleflint's, and introduces three young wizards: Cardy
Wagner, Tera Pasha, and streetwise satyr Alacrity Templemier.
WIZARD ACADEMIES I: HEART OF DARKNESS is getting its launch at
the 2006 London Book Fair, and you can order it through Amazon.com!
I will also post more information about this anthology and its
sequel as it becomes available.
Some
of my longtime readers may remember my comics adaptations of the H.P.
Lovecraft stories "The Lurking Fear," "Beyond the Wall of
Sleep," "The Tomb," and "The Alchemist."
All four of these adaptations featured artwork by my talented
friend Octavio Cariello, whose credits include X-MEN and QUEEN OF THE
DAMNED. These stories
received praise from Lovecraft fans when they were released in the
1990s, and I am pleased to announce all four will be available again
soon in a trade paperback from Desperado Studios and Image Comics.
Desperado and Image are also collecting my Sherlock Holmes
pastiches ADVENTURE OF THE OPERA GHOST (with art by ROSE-MADDER creator
Aldin Baroza) and STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HOLMES (with art
by Seppo Makinen) into a trade paperback.
I will post the release dates and ordering information for these
two TPBs as soon as I have them.
You
will also be able to read some of my other old comics soon for FREE as
webcomics, thanks to the good folks at Komikwerks (www.komikwerks.com).
This is the same website where you will find my weekly column on
comic book writing. A new
column comes out each Thursday, so if you have not stopped by the
Komikwerks website yet, why not visit soon and check it out?
JANUARY 2006
I
was asked to provide a weekly column on the popular comic book site,
KOMIKWERKS and I agreed. The column will be on how to write comics
and it started in early January. All the columns will be archived
so you still have time to check it out.
www.komikwerks.com
DECEMBER 2005
The big news this month is that TALISMEN: RETURN OF THE EXILE #1 is out
from Atlantis Studios! After two years of hard work, the first TALISMEN
story is finally published, and now you can help spread the word. All
you have to do is visit the official TALISMEN website at
www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen, scroll down the homepage until
you find three "VOTE" buttons from BUZZCOMIX, ONLINE COMICS, and
TOPWEBCOMICS, and then click! It is fast, it is easy, and there is
nothing to sign up for! You can vote once a day, and each vote will
help RETURN OF THE EXILE climb up the rankings at these three very
popular websites. The higher we climb, the more new people will
discover TALISMEN. Pretty cool, huh?
More news from Mundania Press,
the wonderful folks who published my novel KING OF HARLEM earlier this
year. Mundania will be publishing THE FRIGID CASTLE, the first novella
in THE SCEPTRE series created by Barb Jacobs and I, as an e-book later
in 2006. Mundania will also be publishing some other short stories of
mine as e-books in 2006. Full details about all that will appear here
as soon as everything is finalized.
I have recently agreed
to let a top management company in Los Angles represent a few of my
properties. I wish I could say who it is and which properties, but
right now my hands are tied. If any news breaks on this front, you will
hear about it here.
As always, there are
lots of exciting possibilities in the works, a couple of which I hope to
announce after the first of the year. Negotiations and such prevent me
from saying much more than that they might include one or two new comics
series, an interesting fantasy novella, a new mystery-adventure novel
series, and other things. Once again, if news breaks, you will find out
about it here first.
Finally, let me take
this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited this site or
purchased KING OF HARLEM, RETURN OF THE EXILE, or any of my other
stories during 2005. It has been a busy year, and it looks like 2006
will be even busier. Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and
PLEASE don't forget to remember our troops and their families during
this Christmas Season.
OCTOBER
2005
KING OF HARLEM is out! It is
true! No joshing! The original mystery-adventure novel that started it
all for me back in 2001 is again available! Visit my KING OF HARLEM
links for more details or go to
www.Mundania.com
to order your copy now! Woo-hoo!
JULY
2005
TALISMEN
is hot!
After two years of submissions, not one but TWO publishers have accepted
TALISMEN!
Atlantis
Studios (www.atlantisstudios.net)
will begin publishing a quarterly four-issue TALISMEN mini-series,
RETURN OF THE EXILE, in October 2005 (Diamond Distribution's August
catalog). Then, in the summer of 2006, all four issues will be collected
into a trade paperback that will be available in retail bookstores.
If sales warrant, another four-issue TALISMEN mini-series will
begin in the fall of 2006. If
you want to read more about RETURN OF THE EXILE, or would like to order
a subscription, please visit the new TALISMEN comic book website at www.atlantisstudios.net/talismen.
Meanwhile,
Mundania Press will publish the first illustrated Young Adult novel,
TALISMEN: THE KNIGHTMARE KNIFE, in the winter of 2006.
There really isn't anything more to report right now, except to
say that Barb Jacobs and I will continue to use the original TALISMEN
website (www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen)
to post updates about the novel's progress.
I will also be posting updates here at my website on the News
page and the TALISMEN page.
I
have mentioned it before, but the quickest and easiest way to keep up
with the latest TALISMEN news is to join the TALISMEN Yahoo group.
Among other perks, members will have news emailed directly to
them and will also see pre-publication art samples from the comic books
that won't be available anywhere else. Joining this group is free, it's fun, and we are getting
more members all the time. So
why not sign up today?
Finally,
if you happen to be in Mt. Vernon, Iowa (home of Cornell College), be
sure to drop in at the Bijou Theatre (www.bijouonline.com).
This wonderful second-run theatre has some of the best ticket
prices and popcorn a moviegoer will ever find.
It will also be running a nifty 60-second advertising for
TALISMEN through October. TALISMEN
hits the silver screen! Well...sort
of...
KING
OF HARLEM
Speaking of Mundania Press, they will be publishing my mystery-adventure
KING OF HARLEM very soon now. Honest.
Yes, it was supposed to be out before now.
All I can tell you is, "Welcome to publishing!"
Stuff happens. But
the cover is finished, the galley has been corrected, and everything is
good to go. If you want to
place an order, you can do it now by visiting the Mundania website at www.mundania.com.
Once KING OF HARLEM is published --- which will be soon! --- you
will also be able to order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other
book websites. (And don't
forget that the KING OF HARLEM prequel, “Curse of Wrigley Field,” is
available as an e-book at http://www.iwannareadmore.com.)
BUSHWHACKERS
My western novel BUSHWHACKERS has been accepted by a paperback
publisher. The deal has
been worked out but the contracts have not been signed, so I cannot
reveal the publisher just yet. I
can tell you that BUSHWHACKERS will be part of a two-book western
anthology, an increasingly popular product in publishing, and will be
available in retail bookstores, most likely late in 2006 or early in
2007. Pretty cool, huh?
SAINT
GERMAINE
Gary Reed was kind enough to ask me to write the introduction to his
SAINT GERMAINE graphic novel, which hits the shelves in September from
Joe Pruett's Desperado Studios. For
anyone who likes intelligent horror, or horror mixed with history, this
is THE story for you! To
find out more about this fascinating graphic novel, visit Gary's SAINT
GREMAINE website at http://www.saintgermaine.net.
TEASERS
The problem with pitching book ideas is that every once in a while a
publisher will say, "Sure. Write
up a proposal and let us see it!"
I have been asked to write two non-fiction proposals, one on the
topic of comic books and the other a literary review of a bestselling
author. Meanwhile, MUTIES
is still under serious consideration by an up-and-coming publisher, and
a prose adaptation of my TATTERS graphic novel has been submitted to a
small but wicked cool genre publisher.
It’s
summer and the weather is hot. But
not as hot as it is Iraq and Afghanistan, so remember to support our
troops!
April 2005
On
March 11, 2005, my father-in-law, Ken Nodurft, died after battling a
rare form of cancer since late 2004. One of the best and kindest men I
have ever known, he will be missed by many.
By
the time you red this, the TALISMEN novella "Boy In the Well" should be
available at Cafe Press. Just go to
www.cafepress.com and search for The Talismen Store. Barb Jacobs
and I plan to sell other merchandise such as tees and posters there in
the near future, but for now you will just find "Boy In the Well"
there. If you order a copy, drop Barb and I an email and let us know
what you think! We hope you enjoy it.
The ALL ABOUT MURDER anthology is still in the works, but if you cannot
wait any longer to read "Curse of Wrigley Field" I have some good news.
You can now go to
www.iwannareadmore.com/
and buy yourself a cheap e-book copy of this prequel to KING OF HARLEM.
Speaking of which…
Mundania Press has scheduled KING OF HARLEM for a May release.
Originally scheduled for March, there was a bit of a hiccup involving
the cover art, but that has been cleared up an things are running
smoothly now. That gorgeous cover, by the way, is drawn by my good
buddy Christopher Jones, who is now penciling DC Comics' BATMAN STRIKES
comic book. Great news for folks looking for some summer reading!
NIGHTLINGER
is making another online appearance, this time at
http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/p/2729/Nightlinger_One and
www.drunkduck.com. Both websites are FREE to visit. Just search
for NIGHTLINGER ONE. Over the next few weeks LITTLE DRAGON, VANGUARD,
and MIGHTY 1 will be appearing at these sites, hopefully reaching a new
and wider audience around the world.
While you are visiting either of these sites, search for RETURN TO
DONNELLY. This is the a new TALISMEN graphic novel featuring the
story's main characters eight years from now. RTD is written and drawn
by Barb Jacobs, and people have been flocking to it. Again, the reading
is FREE, and you are going to love it. Trust me.
As
for TALISMEN, we keep getting nibbles, but nothing definite yet.
Hopefully soon. If something breaks, the news will appear here. Also,
do not forget that people who join the Talismen Group at Yahoo get all
the latest TALISMEN news the quickest and direct from Barb and me.
Again, it's free, so why don't you join, already?
DECEMBER 2004
It's been
what the Chinese might call an interesting year. There have been
personal and family health issues to deal with, but I have managed to
get some work done these past twelve months. That's life.
The long overdue Gateway Monthly debut of the MIGHTY 1 story "Free
Publicity" finally arrives this month! Or, it will on December 20, in
Gateway's special Christmas issue! But don't dally getting to
www.gatewaymonthly.com checking it out, because this special issue
will only be available until January 1, 2005. However, even if you do
dally, you can always check out "Free Publicity" later in Gateway's
archives. Just click
here and scroll down to "Jones, Steve Philip" to find it
along with anything and everything I have ever had published in Gateway
Monthly. And this year that includes two NIGHTLINGER comic book
stories, two LITTLE DRAGON comic book stories, two VANGUARD comic book
stories, the fan fiction piece "Doctor Who and the Ethereal Pirates of
Cave Cr'istal," and the prose version of TATTERS! And don't forget that
the TYLER BLACK series continues this month as well!
No
publisher has picked up TALISMEN yet, but Barb Jacobs is working on
illustrations for "Boy In the Well," an original TALISMEN 'tweener
novella. (FYI: A 'tweener is a story that takes place between the TALISMEN novels, such as the five-page comic book story
"Calling the
King" at
www.gatewaymonthly.com.
The manuscript is finished, and, if all goes well, we will be selling
the novella through CafePress.com beginning the first of the year.
Avalon Books released BUSHWHACKERS in August, and Mundania Press will
release KING OF HARLEM in March, 2005. No word yet from that new genre
publisher about MUTIES, except to ask for another copy of the novel's
manuscript after the first one I sent them was trashed by Hurricane
Ivan. (This only confirmed what I always knew...the gods are out to get
me!)
Work has finally started on the first novel in a new mystery-romance
series called AS TIME GOES BY that I pitched to Avalon Books LAST
JANUARY! (I told you that this year has been interesting.) Avalon
likes the series, but they will not decide to commit to it or not until
after they can read the first book and a synopsis for each sequel.
(Keep those fingers crossed!) AS TIME GOES BY feature four books that
tell the adventures of Jack Else, retired Special Forces solider turned
bestselling author and new media political reporter, and Tara Spain,
dancer and fencer. There will be contemporary mysteries, eccentric
supporting characters, and Nick and Nora type humor. What more could
you ask for?
I
think that's everything. Let me end this news update by wishing you and
yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you to everyone who
has contacted me with your emails. Questions, compliments and
complaints are always welcome here. And please don't forget to say a
prayer for the fighting men and women of the USA
and our allies who are keeping us safe.
AUGUST
2004
BUSHWHACKERS
is published this month! (Oooooooh, I’m
sooooooo excited!) The official release date
is August 24, but feel free to pre-order if you like.
You can pre-order from the Avalon Books website (www.avalonbooks.com) or try www.bookkoob.com, where you can compare
prices between Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Walmart, and other retailers. Don’t have the bucks to buy a hardcover book? I know how that goes.
But no problem! Check your local
library, and if they don’t have BUSHWHACKERS, ask them to order a copy. Most libraries are happy to stock books they know
people want to read it.
Drop
by www.elfwood.com or www.epilogue.com if you want to see
some of Barb Jacobs’s latest TALISMEN artwork. Barb’s
art is receiving rave reviews on these gallery sites, and has generated almost 1000 hits
on the TALISMEN website over the past three weeks! (Way
to go, Barb!) Thanks to these hits, the
TALISMEN website is now ranked more prominently in search engines like Google and Alta
Vista—especially on their lists of recommended kids entertainment—making us
easier to find.
You
can also catch some of Barb’s latest TALISMEN art at Gateway Monthly (www.gatewaymontly.com) this month. And you can catch the first of two VANGUARD comic
book stories, this one featuring art by Dan Jurgens and S. Clarke Hawbaker. (A second story with art by Dan and Christopher
Jones appears in the September issue. In case
you missed them, two NIGHTLINGER comic book stories, with art by Aldin Baroza, appeared on
GM in June and July. These stories and
anything of mine that has appeared on GM can be found there in GM’s archives.) Finally, four more episodes of TYLER BLACK appear
this month.
A
new genre publisher is interested in the MUTIES novel.
If there are any developments I will post them here.
I
have got to send out a huge CONGRATS! to my favorite partner-in-crime Christopher Jones
for landing the regular penciling gig on DC Comics’ new BATMAN STRIKES. This is the tie-in comic book for the new WB
animated series starting this fall. Some of
Chris’ art from the first issue is already appearing on various BATMAN websites. Chris was nice enough to let me peek at his pencils
from the second issue, featuring Man-Bat, and, trust me, you have got to check this out! The very talented Terry Beatty inks Chris’
pencils, and they make a dynamite art team.
Another
CONGRATS! to my all-time favorite athlete, John Elway, who goes into the Hall of Fame this
month. I not only enjoyed watching Elway play
quarterback on my favorite team, the Denver Broncos, but his dedication and drive have
been an inspiration to me. If you are familiar
with Elway’s career, particularly his history in the Super Bowl, I think you know
what I mean.
Lots
of submissions have gone out the past two months, a bigger bunch than have in a long time. And, while I have received some rejections, I have
also been getting some nibbles. (If nothing
else, I’m expanding my network of contacts!) As
always, if anything definite develops you will hear about it here first, so be sure to
drop in again soon and check up on my lil’ corner of the web! You just never know what you will find out!
JULY
2004
Bushwackers
to be released from Avalon Books as a hardcover in August, 2004. More information..
MAY
2004
Contracts
have been signed for KING OF HARLEM. Mundania
Press will be announcing a release date for the novel in the near future, and as soon as
they do I will post it here.
The
first draft for TALISMEN: THE KNIGHTMARE KNIFE is finished, and work has begun on the
three-issue comic book adaptation. Further
updates will appear here and at the wicked cool TALISMEN website
(www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen).
Not
much else has happened over the past couple of months in the way of new news, so I thought
I would take the opportunity to update some old news.
But
first, if you haven’t visited my website for a while, I hope you like the changes. My webmaster, Gary Reed, has done an outstanding
job of streamlining the site, making it easier and quicker to move around in, rather you
use dial-up (like me!) or high-speed. Thanks,
Gary! There is still some work to be done—some links
still aren’t working and some copy needs changed or added—and I apologize for
any inconvenience this might cause you.
Speaking
of changes, instead of using the old Maxandbuddy@aol.com address to email me, you
should use my new email address: Sphilipjones@aol.com. Trust me, I’ll get your message a lot quicker
if you do!
Janet
Benrey of the Hartline Literary Agency no longer represents any of my properties. The reason for this is because Janet has decided
she wants to concentrate on representing only mysteries, and if you have perused this
website then you know I don’t concentrate on any one genre. Janet is a wonderful agent, however, and if you are
mystery writer looking for an agent, I can’t recommend her too highly.
Work
on some properties progresses, while others have hit a snag or come to a standstill:
MIGHTY
1’s debut at Gateway Monthly has been delayed. It
will appear there as soon as the work of coloring the story is completed. There has been no news from Sundragon regarding its
MIGHTY 1 relaunch. Meanwhile, Sandy Carruthers
will be unable to complete the second installment of MIGHTY 1’s proposed back-up
feature, CORSAIR.
Oni
Comics has never responded to either the TATTERS or TALISMEN submissions.
The
ALL ABOUT MURDER anthology that includes my Sassafras Winters-Chinaman novella,
“Curse of Wrigley Field,” is about ready for publication. The stories have been edited, the cover completed,
and a release date should be announced soon. Once
it is, it will be posted here.
The
party who contacted me about possibly reprinting some of my old comic book stories in new
graphic novels is still interested in the project, but is presently working on other
projects. Something may come of this, but,
honestly, I wouldn’t count on it, though I’d love to be wrong.
