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05/16/13-This interview from Reid Kerr might be of interest to writers and would-be writers. 05/16/13-Holy cow! There's a new album by Kasey Lansdale coming your way! 05/16/13-Drive-in season is officially open! Jump in the car and come as you are! And bring your "Drive-in Date" It's the totally free Mojo story of the week. Enjoy! 05/09/13-Champion Joe's latest is The Thicket, and you can win an Advance Reader Copy here! 05/02/13—If you hang around here 'cause you like Champion Joe's Western stories, you'll want to check out this interview. 05/02/13-"Amid the wisecracks and the splatter, the down-home dialogue and the darkness, [Joe] Lansdale has stumbled on to a pretty good portrait of humanity. He just makes us all seem a little more interesting." To read the rest of this insightful article, click here. 05/02/13—For our Italian visitors. 05/02/13-Available on ebook: Cold in July, at only $3.99! Check it out. 05/02/13-This list includes some Mojo, we're very proud to say! 05/02/13-Champion Joe says, "Trent is a friend of mine, and he's having some health problems. If you want to kick in a little bit to help him out, here's the info." 05/02/13-Champion Joe is hitting the road this summer! Look for him at Comicpalooza in Houston and Bouchercon in Albany. 04/25/13-"As a writer you can work so hard toward finding your voice, once found you can squeeze it to death until it becomes a parody of what it was you were looking for. It's okay to relax it. Once you find your natural voice you can play with it, like you would a puppy. It may grow up and change a bit as time goes on, but you can pretty much always recognize the dog without having to have it stuffed and mounted. No matter how many tricks your voice learns, how excited it gets, how calm it finally becomes, it's still your dog (voice)." 04/25/13-Available on ebooks, "Bubba Ho-Tep." And at an amazing price. Check it out. 04/25/13-Tax refund special from the Lansdale Vaul: Original hardcover Cold in July available signed for $25.00 (includes s&h in the U.S), $30.00 for international. Click here to get yours. 04/18/13-Champion Joe slipped a piece of Mojo into Old Mars, on sale in October, and A Feast of Frights, on sale now. 04/18/13-Soon to be available through Amazon: Christmas with the Dead, a film based on a Champion Joe story, directed by Terrill Lee Lankford, scripted by Keith Lansdale. Starring Damian Maffei, Brad Maule, Chet Williamson, with a lot of other Lansdale friends and family, including daughter Kasey, who contributed music along with Judy Pancost. It's a long list, too much to put it all here. An odd little piece, not your standard zombie film, not exactly a comedy or a drama. Check out the trailer here. 04/18/13-Killer Kasey turns in an amazing performance! 04/18/13-"It's winter and the news is depressing. Cheer up by reading some Joe R. Lansdale. Even when his sad-sack protagonists fail (or even die), it's entertaining." To read the rest of the Macomb Daily's review of Razored Saddles, click here. 04/11/13-Jack Parker knows all too well how treacherous turn-of-the-century East Texas can be: His parents did not survive a smallpox epidemic; his grandfather was murdered; now his sister Lula has been kidnapped by a criminal who may believe that wearing a dead man's clothes protects him from death. With bounty hunter Shorty, a charismatic and cunning dwarf, and Eustace, a gravedigging son of an ex-slave, the heartbroken young Jack sets off on an epic quest to rescue his sister from the corrupt men who control much of the new territory. In the throes of being civilized, East Texas is still a wild feral place. Oil wells spurt liquid money from the ground, but blood and redemption rule supreme. The Thicket goes on sale September 10 ... but you can pre-order now. 04/11/13-"Sometimes you fail. It happens with everything. Sometimes your failures get published. But here's the thing: if you don't write it, don't put it out there, due to fear of failure, you've already failed. Success is about staying at it, and knowing that you can't walk a high wire forever without at least slipping, and possibly falling now and then. So if it's your burning dream to write, set the dream on fire, and do it. Otherwise, you're just someone with a story in your head, and that's fine enough if it's fine for you. But don't let fear keep it there if you want to let it out." 04/11/13-"After I read the first four pages in Bad Chili, I found myself laughing so hard that I literally started crying and then got stomach cramps. I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to read this unbelievable series. I must’ve had my head buried in a hole of sand." Not only is this a great review; it's also an announcement about Joe R. Lansdale Appreciation Day. (For the record, around here, every day is Joe R. Lansdale Appreciation Day. But we're glad to see that the rest of the world is starting to catch up.) 04/11/13-We're trying to make more readers aware of this strange little book, The Ape Man's Brother, available only in ebooks now, but available in actual book form next year. It's not a Tarzan novel. It's kind of pulp, and kind of not. We're fond of it. Champion Joe's fond of it. Maybe you'll be fond of it, too. 04/11/13-Great news from Germany on Edge of Dark Water. Thanks, Germany. 04/11/13-Nice review of Impossible Monsters, the anthology Kasey Lansdale edited. Go, Kasey! 04/11/13-Ever wonder what a Tarzan story would like like if it took place in Caspak? Champion Joe has the answer for you, in the short story he contributed to The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. 04/11/13-Champion Joe has signed on to write a Western novella about his character from Soldier'n and Hides and Horns. To be published by Subterranean Press next year. 04/04/13-If you're anywhere near Atlanta, here's a reminder to boycott DragonCon, which is co-owned by alleged child rapist Ed Kramer. 04/04/13-Been looking for A Fine Dark Line in ebook? Look here! 04/04/13-Champion Joe's "The Case of the Angry Traveler" is just one reason to purchase Impossible Monsters, the new anthology edited by Kasey Lansdale. And that is the second reason. Do you really need more than that? 04/04/13-Cover designs for Champon Joe's short-story collection, Bleeding Shadows? Yeah, we can point you to that. 04/04/13-Se si parla italiano, clicca qui. 03/28/13-"Sad news about the death of Rick Hautala, Dave Silva, and James Herbert. Rick and I received the Lifetime Achievement Award together last year, and it was so cool for us to get it together, and it's such a shock this has happened. Dave Silva created a very fine horror magazine, The Horrow Show, which gave so many new writers and beginning writers a shot. I used to write a column for him on movies, and a number of my stories andexcerpts from my work—as well as other tidbits—were published there. Tough news." 03/28/13-If you prefer short stories, especially Champion Mojo short stories, you might enjoy Bleeding Shadows. 03/28/13-"The only true test of miracles: amputees that grow limbs back, and the return of the stinky, rotting dead as whole and living human beings. The rest is just bullshit. Died on the operating table and came back? No, you die, and have begun to rot, and then you come back, that's a miracle. The others are wonderful natural events, but if it requires medical attention and recovery time, it is not a miracle. And don't tell me about 'there are little miracles every day,' like a bird singing in a tree. I want the ones you never see that would prove miracles. And I'm not taking somebody's word for it. Go dig up dead Uncle Charles and bring him back, or pray to have that missing limb or missing eye grow back, and I'm on board. All other mention of miracles is splitting hairs. This stuff, however, that's solid. And if you think I'm going to put up with a bunch of Christians telling about how they were in a car wreck and were supposed to die and didn't? That won't cut it. What I said, and nothing less. Those are absolute miracles. Jesus didn't say, 'Look, I'm curing you of blindness. You go home and put a cold compress on that, and take an aspirin and I'll be around next week to put some salve on it, and in a few days, you should be able to see good as a goddamn hawk.' He said, 'You are cured.' Or so the text goes. But then I have to believe the text. I don't." 03/14/13-From Champion Joe: "Just got the sad news that Dave Silva, founder of the now-gone-but-always-important horror magazine The Horrow Show, just died. David was also a writer and a very nice guy. I hadn't spoken to him in years, and didn't even know he was ill. I'm very sorry to hear it and give my best wishes to all his friends and family." 03/14/13-Ten of Champion Joe's favorite short stories, in no particular order: "The Killers," Ernest Hemingway; "A Good Man is Hard to Find," Flannery O'Conner; "The Henry Miller Dawn Patrol," Philip Jose Farmer; "The Snake," John Steinbeck; "The Next In Line," Ray Bradbury; "Gonna Roll Them Bones," Fritz Leiber; "A Saucer of Lonliness," Theordore Sturgeon; "Desire and the Black Messeur," Tennesse Williams; "Children on Their Birthdays," Truman Capote; "The Halfway Diner," John Sayles. 03/14/13-In the Sunday New York Times, they gave a real nice nod to Edge of Dark Water. Who knew those New Yorkers could even find East Texas? 03/14/13-Prevent cats from taking over the world. Buy this book. Not sure how it prevents them, but I think it does. No. I know it does. Save yourself. 03/14/13-Here's an article about Kasey Lansdale, written by herownself. 03/06/13-"Part of what makes art happen is commerce. Paying bills. Philip K. Dick once dedicated a book to his bill collectors. Some of the best work done has been done to pay bills and survive. And don't come and tell me how art isn't subject to that. Yours may not be, but Hemingway cashed his checks." For more writing tips from Champion Joe, click here. 03/06/13-Bubba Ho-tep action figures. No, really, check it out. 02/28/13-We finally saw an actual printed copy of Edge of Dark Water, and ... it's really nice. We didn't know there was an intro by Dan Simmons, but there is, and it's terrific. It also has a Readers Guide in the back, which we did know about, making it perfect for book clubs. Check it out here. 02/21/13-This speaks for itself: "Behind the Boycott of DragonCon Over Co-Founder Accused of Child Molestation," Deadline, February 19, 2013. 02/21/13-If you like good horror stories by established and newer writers, pick up Fresh Blood and Old Bones, featuring stories by Nancy Collins, Neil Barrett, Jr., and Champion Joe! Only $4.99! 02/21/13-And if you're looking for an All-Joe collection, pick up The Shadows, Kith and Kin, only $3.99! 02/14/13-On sale now! The trade paperback release of Champion Joe's Edge of Dark Water! So how about celebrating by listening to Killer Kasey's song, "Edge of Dark Water"? Enjoy! 02/14/13-Impossible Monsters features short stories by Neil Gaiman, Charlaine Harris, Anne Perry, Chet Williamson, and everyone's favorite Champion Mojo Storyteller, among others. And it's edited by Killer Kasey Lansdale. Order yours now! 02/14/13-Heads up, Houston! Champion Joe and Killer Kasey will be appearing February 19 at Brazos Bookstore. Details here! 02/14/13-From Joe: "Forty years ago yesterday, my wife asked me out on date. She wasn't my wife then, of course. We've been together ever since, and as of August of this year will have been married forty years. I don't know if she regrets that request or not, but I'm still here and so is she." 02/14/13-"Dad told me once that if people don't care about where they live, the way they act, people they associate with, they get lost in the dark, can't find their way back 'cause there's no light left. I had taken a pretty good step into the shadows tonight." You want the rest of the story? It's only 99¢, right here. 02/14/13-A tale of terror set in the wild, weird West! Plug-ugly Norville wound up in Wood Tick, Texas, 'cause his dad was fleeing the scene of a crime—murder. Norville grew up just as ugly, but managed to find a bride and acquire a homestead, good as new but abandoned. The only problem is the well, which is blocked by big, white stones. One by one, Norville unblocks the well, unaware he’s slowly setting free something old and dark and evil.... Keith Lansdale and Brian Denham adapted Champion Joe's The Crawling Sky to comics, for Antarctic Press! First issue is out now, more info here! 02/07/13-It was sale now--but now it's sold out! Dead Aim, the next chapter in the Hap & Leonard series, hit the market and disappeared. Maybe that's because Publishers Weekly called it "tart, smart, and dangerous." Or maybe that's because all those guys who had their asses handed to them by Hap & Leonard are trying to fgure out where they'll be next. Either way, if you want to read a copy now, your only option is to get the ebook. 02/07/13-News about Champion Joe's next novel, The Thicket: It's due in September and it takes place at the turn of the 20th Century. Smallpox, a kidnapping, a murder, a dwarf bounty hunter, and a black grave digger who serves part-time as a tracker, all told by the brother of the kidnapped girl ... and that's only part of the ingredients. There's also a simple, nifty cornbread recipe. 01/31/13-We're less than two weeks out from the trade paperback release of Champion Joe's Edge of Dark Water! So how about celebrating by listening to Killer Kasey's song, "Edge of Dark Water"? Enjoy! 01/31/13-Champion Joe has a new short-stories collection coming out November 2013 titled Bleeding Shadows. "The stories in it have not been collected in short-story collections before," he promises, and "this book will also contain novellas. It will be huge in size." And it'll be published by Subterranean Press. To read more about the book and eyeball the cover, click here! 01/24/13-How do you like your Edge of Dark Water? Do you like it as a hardcover or paperback? As an ebook or as a signed, limited-edition slipcased hardcover from England (meaning you'll fid an extra "u" or two in words like "colour")? Whatever the format, we think you'll like it just fine! 01/24/13-"Most Southerners who are honest about their region know that though there is a beautiful side to the South, there is also a gothic snake that lurks in the undergrowth, and it can raise its fanged head at any moment. I think like Flannery O'Connor said about Southerners, 'We still know weird when we see it.' That's true. But sometimes we are part of the weird. I think every region has its dark side. It's just that I know this region better than any other, so that's what I write about. I’m drawn to the darker part of it, because that's the part that haunts me." Click here to read the rest of Tom Piccirilli's interview with Champion Joe! 01/17/13-Champion Joe offers some thoughts on writing. 01/17/13-We're a month away from the paperback release of Edge of Dark Water, a book that's been selected among the best of 2012 by Kirkus, Booklist, The Boston Globe, and LitReactor!
01/10/13-Champion Joe is not only a Champion Mojo Storyteller—he's also a Professor of Martial Arts! On January 26, from 9am to 12pm in Nacogdoches, he'll celebrate 50 years of studying a wide array of martial arts. Everyone is invited to attend, no charge, to this celebration of Professor Joe's life in the arts, and of his contribution, the creation of the system of Shen Chuan Martial Science. There will be demonstrations and discussions covering Professor Lansdale and Shen Chuan, by students and instructors at the Lansdale's Self Defense/Shen Chuan dojo. Professor Lansdale will cap it off with whatever he wants (discussion, demonstration. or good ol' East Texas Ass Whoopin'). Then in the evening, at 7pm, we will gather at Coy Harry's house for some food and reminiscing. More info here! 01/10/13-"The Workplace, Wet or Dry" is an article Champion Joe did on writing for Mulholland Books some time back. You may have seen it, but if not, you can now! 01/03/13-Two weeks ago, we told you Edge of Dark Water had been picked as one of the 100 best novels of 2012 by Kirkus. Last week, Booklist placed it among the year's Best Adult Books for Young Adults. Now you can add this to the accolades: The Boston Globe has listed Edge among the ten best crime books of 2012 and LitReactor has it listed among the best of 2012. If you missed the hardcover, preorder the trade paperback now! 01/03/13-You never read the short-story collection The Shadows, Kith and Kin? Well, you can get the ebook now for only $3.99! 01/03/13-Champion Joe has a short story in Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations ... as if the title alone hadn't already sold you.... 01/03/13-Champion Joe says, "Growing Up Dead in Texas is my favorite of Stephen Graham Jones's many good books. He has the same problem I have. He likes to be varied." He also says, "I'm just going to say it straight out. You need Another Chance to Get It Right by my bro Andrew Vachss." 01/03/13-"The truly fun thing about Fresh Blood & Old Bones is the sheer number of monsters captured in the eighteen tales collected by Kasey Lansdale in this offering of short fiction by established and neophyte horror writers. " Click here to read the full review from Hellnotes, and click here to read the book itself! 12/27/12-Last week, we told you that Edge of Dark Water had been described as one of the 100 best novels of 2012 by Kirkus; as needing a "Do Not Start at Bedtime" warning by Library Journal; "entertaining, eerie and soaked with the East Texas period atmosphere Lansdale owns like no other writer" by The Dallas Morning News; and "our favorite book of the year" by the Austin Chronicle ... and has the Boston Globe raving, "When I reached the final page, something happened that I can't remember ever happening with a book I've read for a review. I wanted to read it again." And the New York Journal of Books declares it "has all the potential of becoming a classic, read by generations to come." Well, in case that didn't sell you, Booklist has named Edge among the year's best Adult Books for Young Adults. Check it out! 12/20/12-Edge of Dark Water (described as one of the 100 best novels of 2012 by Kirkus; as needing a "Do Not Start at Bedtime" warning by Library Journal; "entertaining, eerie and soaked with the East Texas period atmosphere Lansdale owns like no other writer" by The Dallas Morning News; and "our favorite book of the year" by the Austin Chronicle ... and has the Boston Globe raving, "When I reached the final page, something happened that I can't remember ever happening with a book I've read for a review. I wanted to read it again." And the New York Journal of Books declares it "has all the potential of becoming a classic, read by generations to come." Just sayin'...) will be released in trade paperback on February 12, 2013. (And it comes with a bonus: a free download of Kasey Lansdale's song, "Edge of Dark Water"!) Check it out! 12/20/12-Champion Joe says, "I have two stories in The Best Bizarro Fiction of the Decade, and though I'm proud to be in it, I think these lables that so many people strive for are what sometimes does them in. I've been labled everything, but the only label I will embrace is Lansdale. Still, it's a good anthology, and interesting and odd. I been doing some of this sort of thing for a long time, but I've been doing other things as well, which is why I don't want to embrace a tag. Because I like to change." 12/20/12-Champion Joe also says, "Here's an article on my friend Ardath, and on writing. Ardath passed away some time back, but I like to make sure she's remembered." 12/20/12-And here's a true-life story from Champion Joe: "When I was going to high school in Gladewater, there was this sort of sad-sack school bully who I had a mild confrontation with, and then he left me alone. But later I saw him at school and he was happy for the first time. He came to class laughing, singing a silly song that went, 'If at first you don't suck seed, keep on sucking till you do suceed.' This was unsettling. On top of the song, he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. The cops came and picked him up. Seemed a day or two before he had shot and killed his family and buried them in the yard with a garden tractor. Oddly, it wasn't long after, maybe out on bail or whatever, he showed up outside P.E. class wanting to say hi, like we had all been his buddies and missed him, after him being such a bully. I felt sorry for him in one way, and in another way, not at all. I wonder what happened to him sometimes." 12/20/12-"Unhinged and Unchained is a book of what I hope is interesting tid-bits from my career. One of the Amazon reviews talks about how offensive the opening essay is, and yet the reviewer did like the book. For the life of me I can't figure what he found that offensive. Could it have been something I said?" 12/20/12-A Clutch of Zombies contains a story by Champion Joe, as well as three other authors. And boy is the price right. Looking for a Kindle gift? This might be a good one for those folks who like to read horror, and in this case, zombie fiction. 12/13/12-Dead in the West and four novellas about the Preacher. Now out in paper from Tachyon Books. Get yours! 12/13/12-Friends of The Bubba, check this out: Bubba Ho-Tep (Hail to the King Edition) 12/13/12-So, a bunch of Act of Love got dinged in shipment, and are now for sale for ten bucks. These are beautiful books from Subterranean Press and this volume contains a novella about Marvin Hanson, and an interview. Really nice-looking, illustrated book. And dinged at then is a good price. 12/06/12-Edge of Dark Water is one of the 100 best novels of 2012. No ... really, it is. And if you don't believe us, maybe you'll believe Kirkus. 12/06/12-What's next for Champion Joe? "The Ape Man's Brother! It's a novella about an ape man telling a story about his good friend who they find as a baby and raise, and how outsiders come to take him home, and how while in an alternate New York they are both subjected to civilzation and change. And that's just part of it." The Ape Man's Brother is available now as a Kindle, and will be coming in print soon! 12/06/12-All hail Rick Klaw! The Klaw Man is compiling an anthology called Rayguns Over Texas, and Champion Joe is among the participants. And once The Klaw releases more information than that, we'll share it with ya! 12/06/12-Head to the Subterranean site, where they're accepting preorders on Dead Aim, a Hap & Leonard novella to be published January 2013. Preorder yours before they're gone! 11/29/12-All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is out in paperback and e-reader. Perfect for classrooms studying the Great Depression, with story notes and questions, as well as an interview with Champion Joe in the back. Check it out! 11/22/12-Sixguns and zombies, a chicken-eating werewolf, deals with the Devil, and things that go bump in the night. John Wayne never had to deal with these kind of shenanigans, or these kinds of rowdies. But Joe R. Lansdale and John L. Lansdale aren't afraid, partner. They make this kind of material their everyday business. Compared to the cowpokes in their stories, John Wayne was a big sissy. Shadows West has got shoot-em-ups and bite-em-ups and blow em-ups, and the appearance of classic bad guys, like Jesse James, sent straight from hell with a bad attitude. We got a horse black as the pit and fast as the wind. We got things that won't die even when they're dead. There are demons and ugly people, both inside and out, giant spiders and unnecessary cursing, and one hot red-head heifer with an eye patch and a bull whip. Check it out! 11/15/12-Champion Joe says, "My Bro Andrew Vachss has a new book out, and I want to mention it again. A Bomb Built in Hell, from Vintage/Black Lizard. It's a humdinger. And if that isn't enough, he and artist Geof Darrow have a pulp-style story out in Shaolin Cowboy Adventure Magazine. Why didn't I know about this magazine? Way, way, cool." 11/15/12-Champion Joe also says, "I'm not saying I haven't done some donkey work to survive, but I rode a good donkey, and tried to make sure once I got the donkey up the mountain it was still a good donkey and I wasn't ashamed for riding it, but not with my dick in its ass. I did the best work I could so that I could do the work I wanted. That sort of work was done early on, especially as I was learning. I didn't know I didn't like riding the donkey till I tried a few times. I have more respect for the artist that works and takes care of their family than the one who always lives by the artist code and everyone be damned that's depending on him. But that can be an excuse to just keep riding the donkey because it's handy in the barn. To be really good and your own writer, you have to leave the farm." 11/01/12-Champion Joe says, "Terrible disaster on East Coast with Sandy having wrecked so much beyond any expectation, or beyond most. Glad to see Obama and Christie putting aside politics and working together. Something I love to see. That's Americans at their best." 11/01/12-InReads says Champion Joe's "crime novels have a twisted gothic imagination to them, his horror works a hard won cynicism, that makes him truly nasty reading." Read the whole article, "Six for the Season"! 11/01/12-It's 56 pages of child-friendly fun! Check out In Waders from Mars, the story of the Martian duck invasion, by Champion Joe, Killer Keith, and Kindly Karen! 11/01/12-Champion Joe says, "Here's a new book from my friend Nancy Collins. She practically invented the modern vampire novel along with Ann Rice, only Nancy takes a different tact. She's been copied by everyone, but she's the real deal." 10/25/12-More good news for Hap & Leonard fans: Champion Joe just turned in a Hap and Leonard novella, Bent Twig, to George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois for their anthology Rogues! 10/25/12-If you come here each week for your totally free Mojo story, you might want to check out The Shadows, Kith and Kin, a collection that includes this week's story. It's now available as an ebook! 10/18/12-Here's the trailer you've been waiting for! 10/11/12-When Edge of Dark Water comes out in trade paperback next year, it'll arrive with a bonus: a free download of Kasey Lansdale's song, "Edge of Dark Water." Two Lansdales for the price of one! 10/11/12-And speaking of the Blonde Nightingale, Kasey has put together a horror anthology that includes short stories by Neal Barrett Jr., Nancy A. Collins, and Champion Joe, among others! Check out Fresh Blood, Old Bones! 10/11/12-The Wicked Library has adapted one of Champion Joe's short stories to audio ... and it's free! Listen here! 10/11/12-Champion Joe's young adult novel All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky, is out now in paperback. Order yours now and see why the Las Vegas Journal Review called it "a winner ... cementing Lansdale’s status as one of the best storytellers of our time." 10/04/12-File this under "Whoop! Whoop!" Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is being inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame later this month. Best get your vanilla cookies and Dr. Pepper while you can, because you know the store shelves will be emptying out shortly.... 09/20/12-You'd think it was a work of fiction, but, no ... it's for real. Click here to purchase Tyler Junior College v. Lansdale (Joe), the US Supreme Court transcript of the case a young Champion Joe brought in order to get his long-haired self into college. 09/06/12-Champion Joe is one of 41 writers (including Andrew Vachss, George Pelecanos, Charles de Lint, Ken Bruen, Chet Williamson, Michael A. Black, Wayne D. Dundee, and Zak Mucha) who has contributed to Protectors: Stories to Benefit PROTECT. As the title implies, it's a benefit book. Unlike most benefit books, 100% of the money raised goes to the beneficiary. So go read, have fun, and feel good about it! 09/06/12-Champion Joe says, "There's a children's book, written for young readers by Keith Lansdale, my son, Karen Lansdale, my wife, and me, titled In Waders From Mars. Yep. That's the correct title. Keith told us the story when he was five. I wrote it down for him, and Karen gave it an ending that worked, and Doug Potter did wonderful illustrations and a beautiful cover. It's going to be up and advertised on the Subterranean site later this month. If you're interested, you might snag a copy. Not that many out there. Fun for the kiddies." 08/30/12-Champion Joe says, "Harry Harrison has died. I read a lot of his stuff in the past. Loved Deathworld and The Stainless Steel Rat." 08/30/12-Since its inception in 2001, Champion Joe has been involved with—and a member of—PROTECT, America's first politicval lobby for child protection. Earlier this week, Mets pitcher RA Dickey also joined the membership organization, in a very public way. Check it out! 08/30/12-Spoiler alert: clicking on this link will give Champion Joe's view on spoilers. 08/30/12-The Ape Man's Brother ... remember that title. 08/30/12-If you liked Edge of Dark Water, maybe you'll want to order the signed limited-edition. Or if you missed it in hardcover, maybe you'll want to get the trade paperback. 08/23/12- "Subterranean Press reports that Joe R. Lansdale has turned in Dead Aim, his newest 20,000 word novella to feature everyone’s favorite dysfunctional duo, Hap and Leonard." Click here to read the rest of the story! 08/23/12-Champion Joe says, "Historian from Nacogdoches Archie McDonald has died. That sucks. I thought a lot of him. A fine man, a fine historian, a great conversationalist." 08/23/12-If you haven't heard about Congressman Todd Akin, you need to read more news. And if you haven't read what Joe's brother Andrew Vachss wrote about Akin, then you need to read that now! 08/16/12-Wondering what the latest is on the film adaptation of Champion Joe's "Christmas with the Dead"? Click here to find out! 08/16/12-Got a Kindle? Get stocked up on Champion Mojo Storytelling! 08/02/12-Last week we mentioned a writing contest. This week ... there's a winner! Read "Two Left Feet" by Champion Dyslexic Storyteller Douglas E Wright! 08/02/12-In case one story isn't enough ... "The Drunken Moon," from Subterranean Press Magazine, Winter 2012! Enjoy! 07/12/12- "As I've grown older I've become even more of an animal lover, and I wish I could quit eating the poor bastards." To read the rest of Out of the Gutter's interview with Champion Joe, click here! 06/07/12-Joe Lansdale's brother Andrew Vachss was on Dave Marsh's Sirius XM radio show back in April. Dave asked Andrew what music he wanted to play; Andrew said, so long as he started with Kasey Lansdale, it didn't matter what came after. You can listen to that interview—which begins with Kasey's track—below! 05/24/12-Champion Joe says, "Write something." He says it in this podcast, "Stories from the Edge." Listen here. 05/24/12-Champion Joe wrote an entry for 20SomethingReads. Even if you're years beyond that, read it here! 05/24/12-Postcards from the Edge says, "Lansdale, casi la definición de autor sui generis, lleva más de 30 años entreteniéndonos con sus muy particulares historias. Ustedes escojan. Sus cuentos o novelas. Sus comics. Sus guiones para televisión." To read the entire review, click here! 05/17/12-Champion Joe had a conversation with his brother, Andrew Vachss. Maybe you read the transcript a few weeks ago, but until you hear the conversation, you haven't heard anything. Listen here. 05/10/12- "This ain’t no Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; assorted family members, authorities, and an all-too-real boogeyman are in no-kidding-gonna-kill-you hot pursuit as the friends raft down the Sabine. An unstoppable read, [Edge of Dark Water should come with the warning 'Do Not Start @Bedtime.'" Read the entire Library Journal review here! 05/10/12-You like Hap & Leonard? Then why not "like" Hap & Leonard? 05/03/12- "Sometimes if I don't write for a day or two, I get backed up — it's like constipation." That's what Champion Joe said to the New York Times. Read the whole article: "A Fresh Discovery, Three Decades in the Making." 04/19/12-The Boston Globe says Edge of Dark Water is "a terrific read. From its pages waft memories of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and even As I Lay Dying with its journey to lay a soul to rest. When I reached the final page, something happened that I can’t remember ever happening with a book I’ve read for a review. I wanted to read it again." Bookgasm continues the praise, saying it's "another stunning triumph for [Lansdale], who for many years has proven himself one of the most talented American storytellers working today. His latest novel is inarguably one of the best novels of this year." And, in a starred review(!), Kirkus calls Edge a "highly entertaining tour de force." 04/19/12-Champion Joe spoke with Macabre Cadaver about Edge of Dark Water. Read all about it here! 04/12/12-The Dallas Morning News says Edge of Dark Water is "entertaining, eerie and soaked with the East Texas period atmosphere Lansdale owns like no other writer. Joe R. Lansdale could fall into the Sabine River at its filthiest point and still come out dripping nothing but storytelling mojo." Meanwhile, the Austin Chronicle swears that Edge is "our favorite book of the year so far, and one of Lansdale's best, ever. ... It's a doozy of a read, the kind of book we call an 'all nighter' on account of because if you crack this one open at nightfall you'll likely find yourself finishing it come dawn's early light. ... There's no one on earth that writes, or has ever written, like The Nacogdoches Kid, and if you don't believe us, tough titty and your loss, pardner." Now, if that's not enough to restore your faith in Texas journalism, nothing is! 04/12/12-From Spinetingler Magazine: "Edge of Dark Water is a dark tale of loss and despair, of growing up dirt poor, where adults are mean and children are worthless inconveniences. The story is taunt and laced with humor with beautiful prose–writing that's as smooth and deep as the river that flows through town. What I really loved about this book is how I got so caught up in it. Edge of Dark Water is an impressive, riveting story that I devoured quickly and completely enjoyed every minute of. Loved it." 04/05/12-Go into any Barnes & Noble in the next two weeks, and you'll see Champion Joe's Edge of Dark Water on the main table. Here at The Orbit, we got a real position of prominence for it—we keep it in the outhouse, where folks can actually luxuriate and read it. Where do you keep your copy of Edge? 04/05/12-Yeah, that's right. That was the cover of Champion Joe's The Bottoms you saw in the latest issue of Oprah Magazine. And, yeah, that was Bill Paxton who said, "[The Bottoms] has a lot of hair on it. ... I think Joe is one of the best living writers of the Southwest." So, yeah, we figure, for the next couple weeks, Joe's gonna expect his popcorn free. Fair enough. 03/29/12-Champion Joe had a conversation with his brother Andrew Vachss. You can listen in here. 03/29/12-Bill Crider says "[Mark] Twain couldn't have written this book." In the Barnes & Noble Mystery Blog, Jedidiah-Ayres writes, "I gave up marking my favorite passages after 20 pages because they were legion and beginning to completely dominate the pages—to the point that I began to reconsider the unmarked passages—just what was wrong with them, anyhow?" It's Edge of Dark Water, and it's on sale now! 03/15/12-Chris High calls it "a gem of a story." Violin in a Void says "It's told with rich Southern wit [and] very dark humour." And Warren Moore—who is the Associate Professor of English at Newberry College and a reviewer for The American Culture—declares it to be "exciting, creepy, funny — and remarkable." It's Edge of Dark Water, and you'll have a chance to make up your own mind about it in ... less than two weeks! If you're in Houston, Los Angeles, Burbank, Phoenix, or Austin, click here to find the date and time of your Mojo visit! 03/08/12-Champion Joe is hitting the road! If you're in Houston, Los Angeles, Burbank, Phoenix, or Austin, click here to find the date and time of your Mojo visit! 03/08/12-Who is that on the cover of Discover East Texas Magazine? 02/23/12-Champion Joe says, "My brother Andrew has a new novel coming out in March. You can read an excerpt of that novel on our site, by clicking here. And you can read an excerpt from my novel on my brother's site, by clicking here." Enjoy!  02/16/12-The New York Journal of Books says, "A coming-of-age story peopled with original and fascinating blood-and-bones characters. A chillingly atmospheric tale of good and evil and adolescent angst. Edge of Dark Water has all the potential of becoming a classic, read by generations to come." Click here for a preview! 02/16/12-Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale talks about Edge of Dark Water: 02/16/12-Was there an actual aluminum chair factory in Champion Joe's past? Find out for yourself here: 02/09/12-Here's what Library Journal says about Champion Joe's latest, Edge of Dark Water: "Lansdale crafts a perfect noir mood using time, place, and culture for a novel that pits the pretty good against pure evil. This literary thriller will add to his fan base while sating the appetite of the already converted." Sorta makes you want to read it yourself, huh? Well ... check it out! 02/09/12-Oren Moverman has been attached to Ridley Scott's adaptation of "The Big Blow." Read the Indiewire news story here, and then go read Champion Joe's novella (for 99¢!) here! 02/09/12-Champion Joe's not the only one with a new book coming out. Here's the cover of the latest from his friend Charles Saunders:
02/02/12-"Ardath Mayhar died in the very early hours of February first. I knew Ardath Mayhar for many years. I think somewhere near 37 years." You can read Joe R. Lansdale's memorial to Ardath Mayhar here, and you'll find an earlier article he wrote in honor of Ardath's birthday here. And you should do yourself a favor and read Ardath's short story "Crawfish." 01/26/12-The next knock-out punch from Champion Joe is Edge of Dark Water, to be published March 25 by Mulholland Books. Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say about it in their starred review: "Edgar-winner Lansdale channels Mark Twain in this chillingly atmospheric stand-alone. Lansdale's perfect ear for regional dialogue and ability to create palpable suspense lift this above the pack." Learn more about this new book here! 01/19/12-Champion Joe talks to Reid about writing! Listen to the podcast here! 01/19/12-Celebrate 100 years of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars with this all-new anthology, Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, that includes a story by Champion Joe! 01/12/12-Champion Joe was honored last week with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association! Here's some of what they included in their press release: "The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious of the Bram Stoker Awards, given by the HWA in acknowledgment of superior achievement not just in a single work but over an entire career. Past Lifetime Achievement Award winners include such noted authors as Stephen King, Anne Rice, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, F. Paul Wilson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Brian Lumley, William F. Nolan, and Peter Straub. Winners must have exhibited a profound, positive impact on the fields of horror and dark fantasy." Champion Joe will receive his Award at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City (March 29 - April 1, 2012). For more information on the convention, click here. To learn more about the award, click here. 01/05/12-"[Joe R. Lansdale's] style is so unique and so awesome that I have to actively prevent myself from trying to mimic his tendencies. To put it a little more plainly, it'd be like watching old videos of Michael Jordan dunking, rushing out to the driveway in my old hightop Nikes, and attempting a double-pump slam from the free-throw line. I'd hurt myself. Badly." Click here to read the rest of Jonathan Janz's very kind ode to Champion Joe! 12/22/11-"The gentle poetry in Lansdale's descriptions proves a beautiful counterpoint to much of the darkness the characters encounter. I can only hope [All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky] will find its way onto recommended reading lists of all sorts. It most definitely deserves it." Read the entire piece from SanFranciscoBookReview.com here! 12/15/11-If you've ever wanted to be a writer—or if you're a writer and want to know the way another writer thinks—you ought to check out Champion Joe's Facebook notes. He's posted 24 essays on writing. Check them out here! 12/15/11-The new issue of Fantasy features "Torn Away," a story by Champion Joe . . . and you can read it here! 12/01/11-Last week, BookReporter was raving about All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky. This week, School Library Journal has their say! "[T]his is a fast-paced, exciting story in which historical details are smoothly incorporated, characters are quickly but effectively sketched, and the author's Twain-like twang delivers both ironic and situational humor that will leave readers chuckling." Click here to get a taste of that Twain-like twang! 12/01/11-It's holiday gift-giving time, and Kasey Lansdale is your own, personal Christmas elf! She'll sell you any book by Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale, signed, with free shipping anywhere in the US! We know you weren't so good this year, but Kasey is a forgiving elf. Click here to get in on this deal!
12/01/11-The folks at Protect aren't so forgiving. No free shipping, no signed nothing. But you can still load up on the same T-shirt Hap & Leonard wear to work—a Hanson Investigations cotton tee—and 100% of the profits will go to the National Association to Protect Children. Click here to suit up for work!
11/24/11-Have you read All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky? BookReporter has, and they say, "This historical adventure is a winner, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it lands Lansdale even more awards." Click here to read the whole review! Then click here to get your own copy! 11/17/11-Gere Donovan Press has just released a bunch of Champion Joe's backlist titles as ebooks. Check it out! 11/10/11-"[Cold in July] is one of those books that you literally can't put down because you just have to know what is going to unfold next, especially once the reality behind the dead burglar starts to take shape. After that there just is no turning back." Click here to read William Malborg's entire review! 11/10/11-If you haven't yet read Triumph of the Walking Dead, here's your chance to win a copy! 10/27/11-Champion Joe's latest, All the Earth Thrown to the Sky, has earned all kinds of praise! The Las Vegas Review Journal calls it "storytelling at its absolute best"; Bookhound says it's "timeless ... can be shared across generations"; and All Things Horror (of all places) says it has "real heart." You can get your own copy right here, then you can say nice things about it, too! 10/27/11-Some folks have been comparing Champion Joe's latest, All the Earth Thrown to the Sky, to his 2000 novel, The Bottoms. But one gal has been comparing The Bottoms to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Click here to read the Philosophy of KLo. 10/27/11-Mojo Joe says, "Put your ass in a chair and write." He said some other stuff, too, but we like it when he says "ass." 10/27/11-Too lazy to read an interview? The Night Crew has just what you're looking for: a podcast interview of Champion Joe! 10/27/11-If you like zombies, you'll love Triumph of the Walking Dead—and Champion Joe wrote the foreword. Check it out! 10/13/11-If you like urban fantasy, you'll want to check out Down These Strange Streets, a collection of short stories by authors like Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Simon R. Green, and ... Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale! Champion Joe's original contribution is "The Bleeding Shadow," about a Depression-era blues musician who calls on supernatural powers to improve his skills. 09/29/11-Champion Joe and artist Peter Bergting are teaming up for a four-issue comics adaptation of HP Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror! Read all about the series, which launches in October, by clicking here! 09/22/11-"It's been a long while since I've read an opening of a book that's as powerful and as thoughtfully wrought as the first few chapters to Joseph R. Lansdale's All the Earth Thrown to the Sky." Well, we don't know any Josephs around here, but if you want to read the rest of this review, click here. 09/22/11-She's singing, she's writing, she's acting, she's editing, she's modeling ... is there anything that Killer Kasey Lansdale can't do? 09/15/11-Champion Joe says, "All the Earth Thrown to the Sky came out September 13th, and is doing very well. Thanks to the readers who picked it up. And I hope they spread the good word." You can hear Joe talk about this book on his new YouTube channel! 09/15/11-And if you like YouTube, you'll want to check out this channel that features the martial art developed by Champion Joe, Shen Chuan. 09/15/11-So what's next for Joe? Edge of Dark Water! 09/15/11-Who's Damian Maffei? Well, he's the guy who stars in Christmas With the Dead. He's also the guy who thought he was hot shit, only to realize he was "more like misshapen steamy shit." And before that, he thought he was Godzilla. 09/08/11-"These are not your typical zombies. As a matter of fact, the main character doesn't consider them zombies at all. And they are not dead people resurrected. They are live people that have suffered through an event that has changed them. They have some movements and properties that haven't been done before. But I don't want to say too much right now and spoil things for the future viewers." Click here to read the entire interview with Christmas With the Dead director Terrill Lee Lankford. 09/08/11-Terrill Lee Lankford isn't the only one talking about the film. Check out the second interview with Boscoe Bear! 09/01/11-Boscoe Bear spills the dirt about the behind-the-scenes craziness of the film adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's Christmas With the Dead! 09/01/11-If you liked The Boar, Champion Joe has something
special for you: a young-adult novel titled All the Earth
Thrown to the Sky. It goes on sale September 13, and can be preordered here. Here's a taste:
"The wind could blow down a full-grown man, but it was the dust that was the worst." Jack Catcher has just
lost both his parents--his mom died of sickness and his dad of a broken
heart--and he now has to get out of Oklahoma, where dust storms have killed
everything green, hopeful, or alive. Nothing is left from this place he once
called home. So when former
classmate Jane and her little brother Tony show up in his yard with plans to
steal a dead neighbor's car and make a break for Texas, Jack doesn't need much
convincing. But a run-in with one of the era's most notorious gangsters puts a
crimp in Jane's plan, and soon the three kids are hitching the rails among
hoboes, gangsters, and con men, racing to warn a carnival wrestler-turned-bank
robber of the danger he faces and, in the process, find a new home for
themselves. This road-trip adventure
from the legendary Joe R. Lansdale is a thrilling and colorful ride through
Depression-era America, where home could be found in the most unlikely of
places and family formed by those who traveled with you the longest.
08/18/11-"Back then, it was still thought okay to blacken your face, whiten your lips, talk in exaggerated accents, play music, and tell jokes about how lazy and care-free black folks were. I'm closing in on the sixty year mark, and I saw, if not the last 'Nigger Minstrel' in the East Texas area, then one of the last. What's most surprising about it is I saw it in the auditorium of Mt. Enterprise School where I went from first to fifth grade." Click here to read Champion Joe's entire essay, as published August 2 by MulhollandBooks.com. 08/18/11-What will the film adaptation of Champion Joe's "Christmas with the Dead" look like? Click here to see for yourself! 08/04/11-Hats off to Champion Joe, who was inducted last week into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Recognized as a Soke (the Founder and Grandmaster of a system, in this case, Shen Chuan). Lots of great martial artist there, a smattering of ninth and tenth dans, of which Joe was one. Pretty cool.
07/07/11-Champion Joe won his eight Bram
Stoker Award, this one for his short story "The Folding Man," from Haunted
Legends. Congratulations, Joe! 07/01/11-Champion Joe
says, "Martin Greenberg was the king of anthologies. He bought a lot of my
stories over the years, and stories by numerous writers, but even more
important, he was a good guy. His death is sad news. Nothing can soothe this
kind of situation, but I send my best to his family." 06/16/11-"The best fatherly advice he
ever gave me would be good advice for everyone. Do what you say you re going to
do, and do it the best you can." Click
here to read the entire interview with Keith Lansdale, son of the Mojo one
and screenwriter of Christmas with the Dead! 06/16/11-"The dialogue between Hap
and Leonard is absolutely perfect. It is
sincere, sharp and so funny I've had to stop recording because I was laughing
too hard to continue." Click
here to read the entire interview with Phil Gigante, who performed the Hap &
Leonard novels for Brilliance Audio. 06/02/11-Christmas with the Dead,
based on a Joe Lansdale story of the same title, scripted by his son, Keith
Lansdale, began shooting yesterday in Nacogdoches. It's the beginning of a
five-week shoot. It stars Damian Maffei and Brad Maul, with Kasey Lansdale,
Chet Williamson, and Adam Coats as the main cast. It should be ready for
release next year. It is directed by Terrill Lee Lankford. 05/26/11-To promote the release of
"L.A. Noire," Rockstar Games commissioned eight original
crime-fiction short stories that take place in 1940s Los Angeles. Champion Joe
was one of the authors they brought on board. That's the good news. The great
news is, you get to read the story for free. Click
here to read "Naked Angel"! 05/19/11-Ellen Datlow is at it again, this
time with an anthology titled Supernatural Noir. And in case that
doesn't tell you everything you need to know, we've included this
super-handy link! 05/19/11-Apparently, Ellen Datlow doesn't have
a monopoly on the anthology, 'cause Champion Joe also has a story in David
Morrell and Hank Wagner's Thriller: 100 Must-Reads! Check
it out! 05/12/11-"Kasey is not a writer
trying to be a singer, but a writer that was born to sing. She can't even
remember when she started singing." Click here to read Gabino
Iglesias' entire profile of Kasey Lansdale, as published May 09, 2011, by
the Austin Post. 05/05/11-Darkness: Two Decades of
Modern Horror collects 25 great horror stories from 1984 to 2005 (including
one by Champion Joe). Now, you and I know that's really a bit more than two
decades, but since editor
Ellen Datlow has put together an amazing anthology,
we'll overlook that fact. Click
here to order your copy! 05/05/11-And in case you missed it . . .
Ellen Datlow's previous anthology, Haunted Legends (co-edited by Nick
Mamatas) also "stand[s]
out from the pack," according to Fangoria! 04/21/11-Maybe you've heard about the
forthcoming film adaptation of Champion Joe's "Christmas with the
Dead"? If not . . . click
here to read the inside story, then click here to
order the advance T-shirt (so everyone knows you've got the inside track)! 04/14/11-If you want to wear your love of
Hap & Leonard on your sleeve . . . and chest . . . and back, you'd best get
your order in to Novel-Tees for a T-shirt from Hanson Investigations. Click
here to place your order! 04/07/11-Maybe you've read about Bob
Parsons, the CEO of GoDaddy. Or maybe you haven't. So here's the deal: he went
to Zimbabwe and killed an elephant. Now, Champion Joe says, "Any
indiscriminate killing of animals for trophy or entertainment sake repulses
me." But he also says, "This is a different situation that involves
the survival of people." Click here to read the whole
story. 03/31/11-"Everything good we've come
to expect from these unlikely friends and partners is [in Devil Red]:
the sarcastic dialogue, the complex and unexpected plotting, the whiplash
violence, and, of course, the twangy, self-aware yet self-depreciating
first-person narration from Hap. But this novel has them dealing with their
mortality more than any previous adventure." Click here to read
Bookgasm's complete review of the latest Hap & Leonard adventure! 03/31/11-And don't stop there! Click here to
read Texas Monthly's review of Joe's latest! 03/31/11-Champion Joe says ebooks are the
new paperbacks! Read
the latest interview, from The Damned Interviews. 03/24/11-IDW had a hot comics series in
2002 called 30 Days of Night. It spawned two movies, and . . . now a
sequel comics series. This time around, Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R.
Lansdale will write it, with Sam Kieth illustrating. Ships in May! Check
it out! 03/17/11- Devil Red, the latest Hap
& Leonard adventure from Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale, is out
now! Click
here to read an excerpt! 03/17/11-Champion Joe is tweeting his head
off about Devil Red. Check out
his tweets, including links to interviews he's done over the last few days! 03/17/11-"It s hard to resist the
usual hyperbole, but damnit [Crucified Dreams] is the best anthology I
have read in years." Click
here to read the whole review of Champion Joe's recent anthology, which
includes works by Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Tom Piccirilli,
Jonathan Letham, and many, many more! 03/03/11-Want to hear great music and also
keep updated on Christmas with the Dead news? Then go to www.youtube.com/user/kaseylansdale
and SUBSCRIBE to the channel! 02/17/11-The film adaptation of Christmas
with the Dead, starring Damian Maffei, with supporting actor Brad Maule,
has also added Kasey Lansdale to the roster. Script is currently being written
by Keith Lansdale, and it's a doozy. To be shot in June. More information to
follow. 02/17/11-Hey, Hap and Leonard fans! The
latest novella, Hyenas,
is out this week. And watch for Devil Red
next month! 02/17/11-Flaming Zeppelins: The
Adventures of Ned the Seal is a "crazed, raucous and mashed-up tribute
to . . . Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Mark Twain, along with bits of L. Frank
Baum, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley and the dime-novel adventures of Buffalo Bill
Cody and members of his Wild West Show. Yep, Lansdale crams all of these
together, and then some, while adding his own unmistakable voice and
attitude." Read the whole
Bookgasm review here! 02/17/11-Bill Crider eats Alien pet with a
side of fries. For more fun like that, follow
Champion Joe on Twitter! 02/10/11-Champion Joe's
"Stars Are Falling" has been picked up again! This time it's for Best
Fantasy and Horror of the Year, edited by Paula Guran. 02/03/11-Champion Joe's "The
Stars are Falling" has been selected for inclusion in The Best Mystery
Stories of the Year, and "The Folding Man" is on the ballot for
the Bram Stoker Award! More information as it becomes available! 01/26/11-Ellen Datlow has selected the
contents of her forthcoming anthology, Best Horror of the Year Volume Three,
and among the selections . . . "The Folding Man" by Champion Joe! 01/13/11-Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is
joining Mulholland
Books.
They'll be publishing his '30s-era novel The Edge of Dark Water in Fall 2011. 01/13/11-Happy
New Year! Want to make it even happier? Pick up a first edition Cold in July
for $15.00, or two for $25.00 (plus s&h)! One for you and a friend! Send Kasey a
message if you want in on that deal! 01/13/11-"Green
sky. Quiet mother. Oh, my goodness, I thought. It s the Damn Bomb. In less than
a day radioactive lizards would be tramping over our back yard and licking
clean our busted mayonnaise jars and nosing through my comic books." Click
here to read "The Day Before the Day After," written by Champion
Joe for the Texas Observer. 01/13/11-What were Champion Joe's favorite
comics and books growing up? Click
here to find out! 01/06/11-There's a new film on the way,
based on Champion Joe's short story "Christmas with the Dead." Click
here for the inside scoop! 12/30/10-"Upon its independent debut in
the 1980s, the Black Lizard imprint earned distinction by reprinting older
classics of the crime fiction genre: Thompson, Goodis, Willeford.
Since its acquisition by Random House as part of the Vintage line, Black Lizard
has spotlighted more recent books by living authors of no lesser stature, such
as Jonathan Lethem and Nicola Griffith. In bringing us Joe Lansdale's
quietly brutal, harshly elegiac novel The
Bottoms, the current editors have once again established that the
noir lineage continues to flourish in the twenty-first century." Click
here to read Barnes & Noble's entire review of the new trade-paperback
release of The Bottoms! 12/30/10-Classics Mutilated topped the
Christmas wishlist for Ain't It Cool News! (Yeah, we know, we're telling you
kinda late. But you weren't gonna buy it for them, anyway.) Click here to see for yourself! 12/16/10-Wear your literary passions on
your chest! The Runaway Mule is offering a couple of Champion Joe T-shirts for
sale: a profile of the Mojo one hisownself, and a fine Hap Collins quote. Click here to get your T-shirt! 12/16/10-If you've ever looked at the very
top of this page, you know that Champion Joe wrote a Mark Twain/HP Lovecraft
mash-up for Classics Mutilated. If you want to check out some more fun
from those fellas--and you know you do--click
here for a tasty free sample! 11/25/10-A few weeks back, we mentioned
the Hap & Leonard novella that's coming out early next year. Well, here's
a first-look at the cover of Hyenas. 11/18/10-"If Universal horror
monsters crossed paths with Lovecraft s darkest designs on a Western set, you
might have something approximating one of the entertaining stories in this
quintet." Click
here to read the entire review of Deadman's Road by the Sacramento
Book Review! 11/11/10-"East Texas has its own kind
of dark side that comes deep-fried, baptized, and sanctified with a side of
hollow points and racial epithets. That's my beat, here in the shadows and
sticky heat, nestled up tight as a hungry chigger in a fat man's armpit."
If you ever wondered where Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale gets his
ideas . . . just
click here! 11/11/10-"Joe R. Landsdale's 'The
Folding Man' [is] a genuinely creepy reimagining of an American urban legend.
It's told with such honesty that I found myself reading it as though it were a
true story rather than a work of fiction based in myth." Click here to read the rest of
Lyndsey Holder's review of Haunted Legends! 11/04/10-"Joe R. Lansdale is a lot
like Barbie." That's how Rick the Klaw starts his analysis of Champion
Joe's work, so you know it's a serious analysis. Read it for
yourself here! 09/16/10-"We were so poor that my dad
used to say that if it cost a quarter to crap, we'd have to throw up."
That and more in Champion Joe's latest column for the Texas Observer. Click here to read
"Doggone Justice"! 09/09/10-"Here we are in the 21st
Century, practically drowning in vampires and zombies, but nobody beats
Lansdale's [thirty-year-old] Dead in the West." Click here to
read the rest of what the Agony Column has to say about Deadman's Road. 09/02/10-You heard it here first: Champion
Joe is tweeting! Catch his Twitter feed at #joelansdale! 08/26/10-If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Otis Adelbert Kline--or, for
that matter, Michael Moorcock--you'll dig this: Champion Joe has written a
novella that's an homage to the first two legends, and it will be published in
a Planet Stories Double Feature with one of Moorcock's long-out-of-print first
stories this October! Get
the full scoop here! 08/26/10-Couple weeks ago, we told you
about Devil Red, the new Hap & Leonard novel coming out in March.
(Scroll down to 08/12/10 if you missed that.) Well, before then, in January
2011, Subterranean Press will release Hyenas, a Hap & Leonard
novella. Click
here for more information! 08/26/10-Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R.
Lansdale talks genre fiction and the future of publishing with Desmond Reddick
on "Dread Media." Take
a listen by clicking here! 08/19/10-Booklist calls it
"one of the wildest alternate-worlds, rip-in-space-time, sf-pastiche romps
this side of '50s B movies." Publishers Weekly calls it
"irrepressible, irreverent, and unpredictable." We just call it Flaming
Zeppelins: The Adventures of Ned the Seal. 08/19/10-Publishers Weekly says
Champion Joe's "The Folding Man" is "riveting." So if you
want to be riveted, check out Haunted
Legends, the collection that includes that fine short story! 08/19/10-That book I just mentioned? Haunted
Legends? Well, it's edited by Ellen Datlow. And she just completed another
collection: Supernatural Noir. That book will contain a story by the
Mojo one titled "Dead Sister." Look for it in 2011 from Dark Horse,
and look
here for the table of contents. 08/19/10-And Champion Joe went and edited
a collection hisownself. It's called Crucified Dreams, and it includes
stories by Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, and Mojo Joe. Click
here! 08/12/10-You had to wait eight years
between the sixth and seventh Hap & Leonard novels. So how long will it be
till we see the eighth novel? Why, not long at all! Devil Red is due out
March 15, 2011, from Knopf! Here's the publisher's description: Hap Collins and Leonard Pine return
in a red-hot, mayhem-fueled thriller to face a vampire cult, the Dixie Mafia,
and the deadliest assassin they ve ever encountered Devil Red. For a
first look at the cover of Devil Red, click here! 08/12/10-Champion Joe's Edgar
Award-winning, New York Times Notable Book of the Year, The Bottoms,
will be released in paperback by Vintage this December. Check
it out! 08/05/10-Mr. Digressius checked in with
another glowing review for Champion Joe, this time for his Jonah Hex animated
feature that appears on the Batman: Under the Red Hood deluxe Blu-ray
DVD release. Click
here to read the review. Click
here to purchase the DVD. And click here if anyone's ever said to you, "The
kitten's trying to tell the big cat where to get his milk." 08/05/10-Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R.
Lansdale is usually the guy telling the stories. But from November 26 through
December 4, he'll be the guy judging the stories. He's been asked to
participate in the Jury of the International Feature Film Competition of the 28th
Torino Film Festival in Italy. Check it out! 07/22/10-If you're hankering
for a couple new short stories by Champion Joe, you're in luck! Last month,
William Morrow published Stories:
All-New Tales, a collection compiled by Neil Gaiman
and Al Sarrantonio; it includes "The Stars Are Falling," by
Champion Joe. Go back a little further, to March, and you'll find Warriors,
which includes Joe's "Solderin'." [Thanks, Craig!] 07/22/10-Less than a week from now, on
July 27, Vintage will release the latest Hap & Leonard, Vanilla
Ride, in trade paperback! If you missed it in hardcover, here's your
chance to catch up. 07/15/10-Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are
hitting the water for a new adventure, courtesy of Champion Mojo Storyteller
Joe R. Lansdale! But this time around, they'll have to contend with bizarre
fantasy and supernatural elements out of both H. P. Lovecraft and Uncle Remus. It's all part of IDW's forthcoming series Classics
Mutilated, and it's debuting at the San Diego Comic-Con: International in
two weeks. Click here for more
information, and for a look at the cover! 07/08/10-"It's early yet, but mighty East
Texas hunters should get out their guns and oil them up, buy shells, proper
clothing and a game bag, and pack a lunch. Squirrel season is upon us." Click
here to read Champion Joe's "Blood Sport," as published June 18,
2010, by the Texas Observer. 07/01/10-"There are gangs of
overweight scooter riders, sometimes in corrective shoes that never touch the
ground, whipping about with bags of open cookies in their laps, devouring as
they shop, consuming enough calories to fuel an Olympic rowing team. Fact is,
there's something ominous about how the scooter riders congregate near the hot
dog and ice cream aisles like motorcycle gangs, missing only the insignia on the
leather jackets that read something like: WALMART ANGELS or BAD MOTOR SCOOTERS.
They're the kind of folks who look at you when you walk by as if, on a moment's
notice, they might snatch a can of potted meat and throw it at you because
you're ambulatory." Click here
to read all of Champion Joe's article "Walmart, I Can't Quit You,"
as published February 12, 2010, by the Texas Observer. 06/24/10-Ever have a nightmare? Ever have Joe
R. Lansdale's nightmare? How about Jeffrey Ford's, Ramsey Campbell's, or
Caitlin Kiernan's? Well, now you can! Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas have put
together Haunted Legends, a collection of urban legends as interpreted by
twenty masters of horror writing. You can buy the
book here, and you can see
the cover here. 06/17/10-Well, you missed the online radio
conversation between the Funky Werepig and Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R.
Lansdale. But thanks to the magic of the Interweb, you can listen
to the replay anytime you like by clicking here! 05/20/10-Spinetingler
magazine says Joe R. Lansdale is like "Kurt Vonnegut . . . but with cannibals and monsters who puke up
popcorn-shaped eyeballs." Read
the rest of the fun stuff they have to say, and their interview with Champion
Joe, by clicking here! 05/13/10-You
been coming here for--what?--about 12 years now? Well, if you haven't
read where the history of the Orbit Drive-In, now's your chance. Click
here to read Fangoria's review of The Complete Drive-In, a
collection of Champion Joe's fine trilogy! Then click
here to read the review from The Onion's AV Club! 05/06/10-"East
Texas is a different kind of place. It's a mixture of cultures, and a lot of
independent thinkers--though these days, with all this Tea Party crap going on,
there seems to be a kind of anti-intellectual thing that scares me. But then
again, on an individual basis, I love the people of Texas, especially East
Texas. I like the stew of black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and, most
recently, Asian and Middle Eastern and others. The region is unlike the rest of
Texas, in that it's a cross between Western and Southern culture, with the
latter being more predominant." Click
here to read the rest of John Porter's interview with Champion Joe, as published by Fangoria! 04/29/10-"[W]hat I'm trying
to recreate for people coming to [By Bizarre Hands] brand new is the way
I felt when I first read this collection, and that feeling was a powerful sense
of newness like seeing the Northern Lights for the first time. And I've been
thankful, dedicated, and loyal to Joe since. To put it simply, he's made a
believer out of me." Click here
to read everything Mr. Digressius has to say about the initial release of By
Bizarre Hands and the forthcoming release of the new celebratory and
expanded edition of that classic short-story collection! 04/29/10-You know what Mojo
storytelling reads like. But how about Mojo poetry? To find out, grab a copy of
Twice the Terror: The Horror Zine, the second book from the folks who
publish The Horror Zine online. No
publication date has been announced yet, but check out their site anyway-they
do good work! 04/22/10-Feeling punchy? Watch Champion Joe work his
Shen Chuan magic! 04/22/10-SheNeverSlept.com interviewed
Champion Joe, and you get to read the whole thing! Click here to check
it out! 04/15/10-Last month, RevolutionSF asked
you to submit an original fun, weird, 67-word short story for their contest to
win a copy of The Best of Joe R. Lansdale. You did! And you are
weird! Check out the winners here, here, here, here, and here! 04/01/10-Looking for a nice coming-of-age
story? Check out this list of 32
coming-of-age stories, as voted on by members of GoodReads. Three books by
Champion Joe, and a whole bunch of books Joe hisownself likes. 04/01/10-WritingRaw asked Champion
Joe seven questions. His
answers are here! 03/25/10-It's
spring-cleaning time, and Kleaning Lady Kasey wants your help . . . reducing
the stacks and stacks of signed books by Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R.
Lansdale that are cluttering her office! Send
her an email to see what's available! 03/25/10-How
do you like your noir? If you like it geezer, we've got what you're looking
for. Busted Flush Press is releasing Damn Near Dead 2, an anthology of
geezer noir that includes a story by our own Champion Joe. Check
it out! 03/18/10-You
want Zombie Western? Champion Joe--who created the genre--has got Zombie
Western for you! This October, Subterranean Press will publish Deadman's
Road, a collection that includes the entirety of Dead in the West plus four
short stories--one of which has never been collected, and one that has never
been printed--featuring monster-hunter Reverend Jedidiah Mercer. Click
here for more information! [Thanks, Rick!] 03/11/10-
Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is "Indisputably one of horror's most revered
craftsmen." And that's not just our opinion; it's also the opinion of Booklist!
Don't believe us? Click
here to read it for your ownself! 03/11/10-Champion
Joe and John L. Lansdale have teamed up with artist Kevin Colden for a
comic-book adaptation of Robert Bloch's "Yours Truly, Jack the
Ripper." Look for it this summer from IDW! 03/11/10-Norman
(Dark Harvest) Partridge has added a new feature to his Web site: a
series of interviews with authors, editors, and other creative folks about how
they got their start in publishing. First up? Champion Joe! Click
here to read the whole blessed thing! 03/11/10-"Take
a big, fat oak barrel, pack in Ray Bradbury and Charles Bukowski, slice and
dice a few big, young scorpions with all six juicy segments of their tails, add
some boiled spinach and watery buckwheat, pickle all with half Jack Daniel's
Tennessee Whiskey and half Southern Comfort, piss, and spit some chewing
tobacco into the mix, then seal it up good. Let the barrel sit for a few years,
forgotten, in a beat-up Pontiac pickup truck parked in the last row of the last
aisle in the last drive-in down a long, dusty road. When you finally open it up
you'll find an author like Joe R. Lansdale. Just stand back a bit when you do
'cause he might be cussin' up an awful lot and swinging low." To read the
rest of the review of The Best of Joe R. Lansdale from Zombos' Closet
of Horror, click
here! 03/04/10-By
Bizarre Hands was Joe R. Lansdale's first short story collection and is
held by many to be the most important horror collection published in the
Eighties-some have argued that it's the best collection published since Ray
Bradbury's Dark Carnival in 1947. It's with that in mind that
Morning Star is releasing By Bizarre Hands Rides Again, a signed,
hardcover edition of that famed book with all the original material plus four
additional short stories. It's limited to 300 copies, so you'd best preorder
your copy if you want to be sure to get one. Click
here for more information! 03/04/10-"If you believe everything you read in Joe
Lansdale's work, Texas is a magical place running amok with mercenary biker
gangs, killer ducks, madmen, madwomen, avenging Egyptian spirits, friendly
armadillos, serial killers, possessed scarecrows, steam-powered giant robots .
. . the list unravels like a lizard's tongue, and is just as rough and
prickly." Click
here to read Ross Thompson's unabridged interview Champion Joe! 03/04/10-By
Bizarre Hands isn't the only Champion Joe treasure to re-emerge. In May,
Underland Press will release the collected Drive-In trilogy! Click
here to listen to The Agony Column talk with Joe on this and all things Mojo! 02/25/10-Champion
Joe has an original short story in the collection The Bleeding Edge,
which ships today. Click
here to read all about it! 02/25/10-In
The New Republic a couple weeks ago, Washington Post columnist,
Brookings Institution senior fellow, and Georgetown University professor EJ
Dionne, Jr. reviewed Bubba Ho-Tep. Click here to the read it! 02/25/10-If
you've ever thought about picking up Champion Joe's classic Dead in the West,
maybe Bill Ward's review will push you over the edge. He calls it "one part Pale Rider, one part Night
of the Living Dead, and one hundred percent Lansdale." Read the whole review
here! 02/18/10-Tachyon
Press has released a collection of short stories by Champion Mojo Storyteller
Joe R. Lansdale this week! It's called The Best of Joe R. Lansdale, and
you can order
your copy here. But that's not all! You can read
an interview with Champion Joe here! 02/18/10-"If there is one time when I am really
tempted to use profanity in a review, it's when I'm talking about the work of
Joe R. Lansdale." That's how Bill Ward begins his review of Champion Joe's
Vanilla Ride. Click
here to read the whole thing, and see which cuss words Bill uses! 02/11/10-Texas
Magazine says the short stories in Champion Joe's collection Sanctified
and Chicken-Fried "display
his capacity for creating three-dimensional characters, showcasing secreted
sexual habits, and personifying the racist underbelly of East Texas without
apology--always with well-timed suspense; often, with a sobering dose of the
sordid." And if you don't believe us, click
here to read it for yourself. 02/04/10-Champion Joe was
interviewed by Necrotic Tissue in their ninth issue. You can get that
magazine here!
(And be sure to check out Jason Ridler's "Monsters" in that same
issue!) 01/28/10-Looking for a
great book for teens? The American Library Association says Champion Mojo
Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is your go-to guy! They've named his graphic-novel
adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Pigeons from Hell one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. Click
here for the whole list! 01/21/10-"I can't think about Edgar Allan Poe without thinking
about my life, because he was there in dark spirit, in my room and in my head.
He was out there in the shadows of the East Texas pines, roaming along the
creeks and the Sabine River, a friendly specter with gothic tales to tell. It
was a perfect place for him. East Texas. It's the part of Texas that is behind
the pine curtain, down here in the damp dark. It's Poe country, hands
down." That's how Champion Joe starts his review of the Edgar Allan Poe
exhibition at Austin's Harry Ransom Center. Click here to
read the entire piece, as published November 27, 2009, by The Texas
Observer. 01/21/10-Painter Davide Coroneo produced a series
called "The Forty-nine Portraits." The collection, which was
displayed in Tuscany's Impruneta, features images of various pop-culture icons,
including Andy Warhol, Buddy Holly,
Harpo Marx, and . . . Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale. You can
see Coroneo's Web site by clicking here,
and you can see
Coroneo's portrait of Champion Joe by clicking here! 01/14/10-Publishers
Weekly gave a starred review to The Best of Joe R. Lansdale,
declaring, "Always
entertaining, champion storyteller Lansdale shares his best weird yarns in this
terrific collection. . . . This is a great introduction to the raunchy,
cheerfully unclassifiable East Texan bon vivant." Read the review by clicking here,
then preorder your copy of this paperback book (shipping February 15) by clicking here! 01/14/10-Publishers
Weekly isn't the only one showing Joe some love for this new collection. Fatally
Yours raves, "The Best of Joe R. Lansdale is a must-have book for the lover of the weird, the
champion of the bizarre and the fan of the outrageous. If you are looking for a
unique experience that will leave you equal parts stunned and nostalgic,
frightened and amused, look no further than the 'high priest of Texan
weirdness' himself, Joe Lansdale." Click
here to read the whole review! 01/07/10-"As Mark Twain employed the detective trope to study 19th
century U.S. racial mores in Puddn'head Wilson, the Hap and Leonard
books explore questions of race, sexuality and religion in modern red-state
America. Hap is a white heterosexual good old boy. Leonard is a black
homosexual Vietnam vet. The former is introspective and diplomatic. The latter
busts heads and sorts details later. The two are best friends, but conflict is
in store for the outrageous duo just around the next pine tree." Click here to read
the rest of Stayton Bonner's review of Vanilla Ride, as published
December 11, 2009, by The Texas Observer. 12/31/09-"This is
the old Joe Lansdale I used to know, the one who put out Bestsellers
Guaranteed and Stories by Mama Lansdale's Youngest Boy. This is Joe
having come a long way in his writing and, for whatever reason, going back to
the old days. . . . [T]his is KISS recording the back-to-our-roots Rock And
Roll Over after the crazily successful, symphonic hard-rock heights of Destroyer.
This is Joe Lansdale having proven himself to the bigwigs in the mainstream by
winning an Edgar Award as well as literary circles by winning the Grinzane
Cavour, now proving to his fans that he hasn't lost anything about himself in
the interim." To read the rest of Mr. Digressius' review of Champion Joe's
short-story collection Unchained and Unhinged, click
here! 12/17/09-Champion Joe on
Andrew Vachss' latest novel: "Haiku is my favorite of all Andrew's books. Lean and literary,
smooth as swallowing a poison snowflake. A Haiku of a novel from one of the
most original writers alive." So go
check it out for yourself! 11/19/09-Get this: Kid
Rock, Nicole Kidman, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, and Kris Kristofferson all
got to meet Killer Kasey Lansdale at the Country Music Awards and the BMI
Awards! Check out pictures
of the lucky stiffs by clicking here. 10/29/09-What's the
current state of horror? Find out from those in the know! Click here
for the horror-panel blog! 10/08/09-Best get your
act together, if you're going to make it to Fencon IV! It's less than a year
away, on September 17-19, 2010. Champion Joe is the Toastmaster at this Dallas
convention. Click here for
details! 10/01/09-Did you miss Champion
Joe at KillerCon? Meghan Knierim didn't. And
you can see her pictures by clicking here! 09/10/09-The Washington Times proclaims, "Joe R. Lansdale's Vanilla Ride is the best
crime novel I've read in years." Don't believe us? Read
the review for yourself. Then read
the book! 08/20/09-The
Los Angeles Times says, "A
rich blend of elements that will make readers thirsty for the earlier novels, Vanilla
Ride is anything but ordinary crime writing by one of the best in the
business." Click
here to read the full review! 08/06/09-When Champion Joe gets together with Rick Klaw, they can
go on for hours. And that's what they did, for the Klaw's article the
San Antonio Current. But only a fraction of what they talked about made it
into the article. For the full boat, click here! 08/06/09-"With four or five the stories being quite excellent
and great fun to be had all the way through, Son of Retro Pulp Tales
[edited by Champion Joe and his son, Skull-Splitter Keith Lansdale] is way
ahead of the curve and a mighty satisfying read. . . . In every one of these
stories you sense the pure glee the writers had in shaping these cheap thrills
from their own fond memories. This has the sense of wonder, adventure, and just
plain fun that should never go out of style." Click
here to read the complete review, from io9! 07/30/09-Champion Joe was on Blog Talk Radio, on the show
"The Funky Werepig." Yeah, "The Funky Werepig." If I gotta
say anything else to sell you on clicking
over, there's really something wrong with you. 07/30/09-Want to see the Mojo one's interview with the legendary Ron Bennington? The stills from the staged reading of "Bob The
Dinosaur Goes To Disneyland"? Preview the lobby cards and posters for the
upcoming event, A Night of Joe R. Lansdale? Then head on over to the
brand new BellMojo.com! 07/30/09-Ever
wonder how you can be a Champion Mojo storyteller? Or at least a contender? Now
there's a book to help you with that. Champion Joe hisownself and a whole bunch
of other writers have put together Writers Workshop of Horror, an
anthology of essays by the greats in the field, all giving advice on how to
write for the field. Click
here to learn more, and to get your own copy! 07/23/09-Ever wonder how Champion Joe would answer the question,
"What flavor Jell-O would you
most like to see hot chicks wrestle in?" Or what kind of guys would ask
that kind of question of Champion Joe? Click here for the answer. 07/09/09-What? Haven't purchased Vanilla
Ride yet? Well, have a free taste
here! 07/02/09-"Joe Lansdale may be Texas' bloody
answer to Mark Twain." That's what Joe O'Connell writes in his review of
Vanilla Ride and Sanctified and Chicken-Fried, published June 26 in the Austin
Chronicle. And that's all well and good. But you'll want to click
here to read the article to find out what Champion Joe's dad did to the
neighbor who hit young Joe's dog with a steel pipe, how his mom inspired the
story "Bubba Ho-Tep," and why it makes sense that Batman, Shakespeare
and The Iliad could all come together for a single story! 07/02/09-If you think Joe can write, wait
until you hear him speak! Champion Mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale was
interviewed by Jeff Rutherford for the eighth episode of "The Reading and
Writing Podcast." Listen
to it by clicking here! 07/02/09-Onyx Reviews calls Vanilla
Ride "a perfect balance
between violence and comedy, one that is difficult to pull off." Click here to read
the entire review, or click
here to buy your own copy and make up your own mind! 06/18/09-Joe writes, "Bette Farmer,
Philip Jose Farmer's wife, has died. She was a bright and beautiful lady, and
was as important to Phil's career as any editor, agent or publisher. She was
the rock on which he stood. And what a fine lady. She will be missed." 06/11/09-Ever wonder what Champion Joe
sounds like when he speaks Italian? Check out
this TV interview from Italy! 06/11/09-The Mojo one has been surfing the
web on his virtual tour! Want to see where he's stopped, and read what he's
written on fans' pages? Go to joelansdale.blogspot.com
for a list of pages visited! 06/11/09- Fans and you-ought-to-be-fans of
the Hap and Leonard series will be pleased that Vintage is reprinting the first
three in the series. And, hey, that's not us talking--that's
ReviewingTheEvidence.com. Check it out! 06/11/09-And they're not the only ones
crowing about the Vintage re-releases! On the release of Two-Bear Mambo
and Bad Chili, Bookgasm writes, "[F]rom
the amazing mind of Lansdale, who loves to pass along a damn-good story and
never fails to entertain. If you haven't met Hap and Leonard yet, please get to
it." 06/11/09-If you're more partial to moving
pictures than written words, you'll want to check out this
article in Fangoria about the film adaptation of Champion Joe's short story
"Mister Weed-Eater"! 06/11/09-Horror Bound Magazine
reviewed the short-story collection Sanctified and Chicken-Fried, resulting in
our favorite pull-quote of the last 78 days: "Joe R. Lansdale is a true
master of his craft. He could write a first person account of a deaf-dumb-blind
kid stirring a pile of wet dog sh*t with a popsicle stick and make it as feverish
a page turner as any I've ever read." Read the whole
blessed review here! 06/04/09-Speaking of blogs, Champion Joe's
got his own now! Click here to read
the latest from Joe hisownself--and to see Killer Kasey's swell new
outfits! 06/04/09-And while you're bouncing around
the Web, check out Horror Bound
Magazine's interview with Champion Joe! 05/21/09-The second issue of Zombie
Tales, a comic from Boom!, is out now, and it features a story written by
champion Mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale and illustrated by the legendary
Eduardo Barreto. Get yours now! 05/21/09-The fifth issue of Morpheus
Tales is the "Undead Special" issue. We're going to pick that one
up because it features short fiction by champion Joe. But even if it didn't,
we'd pick it up, 'cause we think being undead is pretty special, too. Look
for it in July! 05/07/09-Hey, everyone! Killer Kasey
Lansdale has a message for you! Click here to retrieve it. 04/30/09-All you folks that have been
aching for another film adaptation of champion Joe's Mojo magic will want to check
out the story in Fangoria about the forthcoming Mister Weed-Eater! [Thanks,
Damian!] 04/23/09-The friendly folks at Bookgasm
say that Leather Maiden is "unlike any thriller you've ever
read." Read that and all the other nice things they said by clicking
here! For that matter, read what they had to say about Sanctified
and Chicken-Fried, and the
Hap & Leonard trade paperbacks! 04/09/09-Ever wonder where champion Joe
got the idea for "Bubba Ho-Tep"? Well, stop wondering and start reading!
Ross Thompson asked the question and got the answer, and it's published in the
latest issue of AU. Click here
to read it for yourself! 04/02/09-"He may be violent, gruesome and shocking, but [Joe]
Lansdale is also one of the greatest yarn spinners of his generation: fearless,
earthy, original, manic and dreadfully funny." That's what Jane Sumner of
the Dallas Morning News wrote about our very own champion Joe. Click
here to read the rest of what she wrote about him, and about his new
short-story collection, Sanctified and Chicken-Fried! 04/02/09-This just in from a couple of folks from the Mud Creek
Asylum: "Hey, Mojo-fanatics,
it's Patrick J. Kennedy from BellMojo Productions. If you are a member of
Facebook and want to check out the new exclusive interview with Joe R.
Lansdale, click
here! If you're not a member, it's free to join up and then you can also follow
updates about the film adaptation of Joe's "Mister Weed-Eater,"
being developed by Damian Maffei, star of Closed for the Season, and
Brian Fitzpatrick, co-creator of the Hobo-Horror short Throwaway! 03/26/09-Champion Joe remembers his hero
Philip Jose Farmer. Click
here to read his piece. 03/26/09-Ever wonder what champion Joe's
childhood looked like? Stop wondering and click
here! 03/19/09-Back in January, Vintage
re-released the first two Hap & Leonard novels, Savage Season and Mucho
Mojo. Click
here to see the bitchin' cover they have for the re-release of The
Two-Bear Mambo! And here
for the re-release of Bad Chili! Both coming in May! 03/19/09-If all that doesn't make you a
little unchained and unhinged, then how about this
gem that's shipping from Subterranean Press? 03/12/09-Amazon says champion Joe's latest
collection, Sanctified
and Chicken-Fried: The Portable Lansdale, went on sale March 1. Well, it
didn't. It ships next week. But preorders are such that the hardcover is almost
gone already. So . . . if you were expecting a hardcover, order now. And enjoy! 03/12/09- The Boar was recently
published in Germany! Deutschlandradio says that it is written like wonderful
minimalist poetry, that Joe is a big deal and folks should check him out. But
they say it in German. If that doesn't put you off, click here.
Or if you just like pictures of cute baby boars, click here.
And send your Mojo waves of thanks to our German pal, Olaf! [Thanks, Olaf!] 03/05/09-The (Texas) Eagle says champion
Joe's Hap & Leonard novels are "fast-paced and often humorous." Of course, they also say they're
"told in the voice of Hap Collins and have a lot of sex, violence and
profanity, so consider that a warning." We assume they're warning folks
about Hap, not the sex, violence and profanity. Folks like sex, violence and
profanity, don't they? Anyways, click here if you want to read more. 03/05/09-Over in Boston, the fellas at The Edge
said, "Joe R. Lansdale knows how to tell a damn
fine story." Click here to read all about those damn fine stories. 03/05/09-Publishers
Weekly got a listen to Phil (not a porn name) Gigante's audio adaptation of
Savage Season, and wrote that his performance is "mesmerizing: he
infuses this book with attitude and style, imbuing each character with a rich
distinct voice that resonates well with each personality. His narration is
crisp and smooth, with a good distribution of tension according to the given scene." Click
here to listen to samples. Or here,
to read the review. 02/26/09-Did you know champion Joe teaches
creative writing at Stephen F. Austin State University? Or that he'll be
teaching in Italy this summer? Neither did I--until I read The Velvet
Interview. Click
here to read it yourownself! 01/29/09-You somehow miss those first two
Hap & Leonard novels, Savage Season and Mucho Mojo? Then
you'll want to send a big letter of thanks to the fine folks at Vintage/Black
Lizard, who have re-released those '90s classics! Click here for more
information! 01/29/09-Modern Tonic says,
"[Champion Mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale] has long challenged traditional genres by mashing up
mystery, comedy, thriller and Western themes. Bloody and unrelenting, Lansdale's
work is not for the squeamish. Nor is it for readers interested in a
too-good-to-be true gay role model. Leonard's raunchy gallows humor, not to
mention his platonic devotion to buddy Hap, make Savage Season and Mucho
Mojo crackling good reads." Don't believe us? Go see for yourself, by clicking here! 01/22/09-The
Orbit's very own songbird, Kasey
Lansdale, has entered a contest to be the opening act for Little Big Town.
We're not asking for anyone to vote for her who hasn't heard her music at kaseylansdale.com, BUT, if you have
heard it and you like it, then you can vote
for her to be an opening act for Little Big Town by clicking here. 01/22/09-The
crazy folk at BellMojo have another fun event planned, this one in support of Protect,
America's first political lobby for child protection. This music festival--the
BellMojo Broken Hearts Bash--will take place Friday, February 13, 2009, in Bellmore, New York. Line-up
includes The Vinyl Stash, Dangered Ace (featuring Paul Ranieri) and Burlesque
performances by Legs
Malone, the girl with the 34½-inch inseam, so you got to figure this
February one will be the perfect precursor to Valentine's Day. Visit myspace.com/bybizarrehands for more info! 01/22/09-Did
we mention that Kasey Lansdale has
entered a contest to be the opening act for Little Big Town, and that you can vote
for her by clicking here? 01/15/09- When Ellen came to the moonlit mountain curve, her
thoughts, which had been adrift with her problems, grounded, and she was
suddenly aware that she was driving much too fast. She was heading straight for
an 01/15/09-The Fantasy Book Critic says that
Champion Joe's comic-book adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Pigeons From Hell
is full of "scathing
wit and wild, otherworldly creations." You can get the collected series
now. (Thanks for that update, Jared!) Click
here to read the full description, find a link to a preview, and find a
link to order the book. (That Fantasy Book Critic makes everything easy, huh?) 01/08/09-Sure, Sanctified and
Chicken-Fried: The Portable Lansdale will be out soon--in March, in fact.
But in case you can't wait that long, Champion Joe will read to you a story
included in the collection, one that's never before been published. Click here to watch him read
a bit of "Dirt Devils"! 01/08/09-If you like Bubba Ho-Tep, and you like Doom,
and you like Legos . . . then, oh boy, do you have some strange tastes. But, oh boy,
do we have a treat for you! Click
here for Bubba Lego Tep, starring Lego Elvis! [Thanks, T!] 01/01/09-Welcome
to the new year! And what better way to welcome a new year than with a new CD
from Champion Joe's killer crooner of a daughter, Kasey Lansdale? Click here to preview her CD,
"No More Rain"! 01/01/09-And
if it's listening you want to do, don't stop there! Brilliance Audio is
releasing audiobook-adaptations of the Hap & Leonard classics Savage
Season, Mucho Mojo (both January 13), Two-Bear Mambo, and Bad Chili
(both May 5). And then, on June 30, to coincide with the hardcover release of
the new Hap & Leonard chapter, they'll release the audiobook of Vanilla
Ride! 2009 is the Year of Hap & Leonard! Click
here to listen to samples of those audiobooks, all read by Phil Gigante
(not a porn name, it turns out)! 12/25/08-Last
week we mentioned to you that the latest issue of Irish pop-culture magazine AU
had a two-page feature on Champion Joe. This week, the author of that piece
sends you a present: Click here
to READ the article. [Thanks, Ross!] 12/18/08-Champion
Joe's brother, Andrew Vachss, has been writing novels about career-criminal
Burke since 1985. The 18th and final novel in that series, Another
Life, goes on sale December 30, and Joe advises everyone to check back in
for the end of that series. Vachss will also be doing a three-hour webcast on
January 14, where he'll answer any and all questions live on camera. Click here
for more information! 12/11/08-Hap
& Leonard fans, hold onto your hats! Mud Creek's favorite sons are coming
back, in a big way! First, Vintage will re-release the early novels
in trade paperback in January 2009. Then, an all-new Hap & Leonard, Vanilla
Ride, will come out in hardcover from Knopf, in summer 2009. And then,
Knopf will release another original Hap & Leonard hardcover will come out
in 2010! The boys are back in town! 12/04/08-The Geek Curmudgeon says Sanctified and Chicken-Fried:
The Portable Lansdale is "one of the first 'must have' 2009
publications." Click
here to read his review! 11/20/08-Champion
Joe says, "March of 2009 is
the tentative release date for Sanctified and Chicken-Fried: The Portable
Lansdale, one of the most important short story collections I've done, and
the first printing is only 1500 in clothbound. It will go fast. It's from the
University of Texas Press and I want to alert readers of this site first, to
give them a chance to get a jump on the order for the collection. It contains a
wide variety of stories by me, never arranged in this manner; novel excerpts;
and a brand new story of the 1930s. And if that isn't enough, it has a nifty
introduction by Dr. Bill Crider. And what a cool cover." Click
here to see that cover, and the covers of the Vintage editions of the Hap
& Leonard books! 11/13/08-If you've been wondering what
2009 will bring, wonder no more! Click here for a first look
at the covers of Champion Joe's first three releases in the new year: the
trade-paperback releases of the Hap & Leonard classics Savage Season
and Mucho Mojo, and Sanctified and Chicken-Fried: The Portable
Lansdale, from University of Texas Press! (Who knew Joe was portable? Can
you take him on a plane? Will he clear security?) 11/06/08-Finally! If you've been waiting
for us to update Champion Joe's bibliography, the wait is over! Click here to read the updated list
of Joe's books. 10/30/08-Happy birthday, Joe Lansdale! It
was hisownbirthday two days ago, on the 28th. Raise a glass of Dr.
Pepper in his honor! 10/30/08-A "Rest in Peace"
shout-out to Rudy Ray Moore, the comedian and filmmaker best known for the Dolemite
movies. Mr. Moore passed away October 19. Say hi to Petey Wheatstraw, Rudy! 09/18/08-
The Chicago Sun-Times had this to say about Leather Maiden: "There are scenes that stand your hair on end while you
fall out of your chair laughing. . . . Be thankful [Lansdale] crafts such wild
tall tales. . . . [His] latest spans cunning, humor so salty it burns, and a
fevered, cleansing imagination, moving Leather Maiden from a story about
journalism to an ornery fable about the ties that bind--and rend--a small
town." Get
your copy here! 09/11/08-The
Washington Post calls Leather Maiden "Joe R. Lansdale's
latest superb redneck-noir job. Lansdale is both as humane and as tasteless as
anybody writing crime fiction today. Reading him is like riding the best
tilt-a-whirl you've ever been on while still keeping your lunch down." Get
your copy here! 09/11/08-The Marin Independent Journal
says, "Lansdale
writes about the poor, emotionally traumatized, violent and stoically heroic
better than almost anyone. His characters can be off-the-charts weird, yet
lovable in a strange S&M way." They didn't just say all that for no
reason--they said it 'cause they like Leather Maiden. And you will, too, when you get
your copy here! 09/04/08-Joe
Lansdale weighs in on the presidential elections! "E dire che la destra aveva invocato pioggia su
Obama," he tells Italian newspaper La Repubblica. So . . . now you know! 09/04/08-The
Dallas Morning News writes this about Leather Maiden: "Mysteries usually
begin with a drop of blood and end up with a barrel full. But Mr. Lansdale
tells this one Texas-style. It's a tall tale so boldly preposterous that we're
too enthralled to notice the duplicity. It's a puzzle, a game, a carnival act
of murder and mayhem. Cason and Booger sleuth it all out like perverted Hardy
Boys. And when it's over there's death aplenty, but where's the blood? Don't
ask. There's no blood in the Emerald City." Get
your copy here! 09/04/08-The folks at Details write, "Black humor and
bad taste abound in Lansdale's Edgar-winning body of work, and the cult
author's newest literary thriller--about Casey Stanton, a hard-drinking,
Pulitzer-winning journalist (and Gulf War vet) who returns to his rural Texas
hometown after losing his job in spectacular fashion--is no exception. As he
investigates a cold-case murder for the local paper and stalks his ex, Stanton
emerges as an appealingly ripe hayseed Sam Spade." Get
your copy here! 08/28/08-The Los Angeles Times writes, "Leather
Maiden makes you want to sit on a porch listening to [Lansdale] spin a yarn
that you know doesn't contain a true sentence. . . . At the beginning of David
Lynch's film 'Blue Velvet,' you may remember that the camera presents a typical
American neighborhood and then moves closer, right through the sod and down
into the ground as a metaphor for the nasty secrets hiding behind the veil of
societal correctness. Lansdale's novel is a trip into that same hidden shame.
You may not enjoy the exposure, but you'll definitely enjoy the ride." Get your
copy here! [Thanks, Judi!] 08/28/08-Joe's not the only Lansdale on the road these days! Kasey
Lansdale is taking part in the Great Texas Ranch House Tour, which kicks off
September 5 - 7 at the West Texas Horse Expo at the Midland, Texas Horseshoe
Arena! 08/21/08-HorrorReader.com
writes, "Joe R. Lansdale
excels at crafting dark, suspenseful and humorous fiction, and Leather Maiden makes for yet another
excellent addition to his already impressive body of work." Get
your copy here! 08/21/08-The
Austin Chronicle writes, "The
ever-prolific Joe R. Lansdale . . . certainly knows from fucked-in-the-head. .
. . Entertaining and distressing in equal measure, and for all kinds of
reasons, Leather Maiden is a bruising jolt from an
immoral moralist." Get your
copy here! 08/14/08-The Agony
Column has this to say about Joe's latest, Leather Maiden: "[D]on't even bother to pick this one up and try
to read it in the store, because about ten hours later, somebody is going to
come along and tell you to stop reading and just buy the damn book, already.
Lansdale is firing on all six, slick cylinders." 08/07/08-Congratulations to Mud Creek's favorite daughter, Kasey
Lansdale! This past Saturday, she was married to Adam Coats. We wish them all
the best! (But, next time, maybe you could hold the reception here at The
Orbit. . . ? Plenty of wide-open space!) 08/07/08-The
(Nashville) City Paper loves Leather Maiden! Reviewer Ron Wynn writes, "Joe Lansdale has won both domestic and
international awards for his past mystery novels, but he's never written one
quite like his new volume Leather Maiden. . . . Some of the
conversations here are hilarious, even if the language is anything but
politically correct. [Main character Cason] Statler is working in Texas small
towns and country communities, where folks don't mince words, and often aren't
shy about expressing disdain and wallowing in stereotypes. These ingredients
only add more punch and sparkle to a tremendous work that deftly blends farce
and dry wit with adventure and crime solving." But don't take his word for
it--get
your own copy now! 07/31/08-The folks at Library Journal recommend Leather Maiden, saying, "With its mysterious disappearances, abandoned houses,
midnight trysts, and hidden culverts, Lansdale's latest is a contemporary Hardy
Boys story on crank, read to best advantage late at night under the covers,
with the aid of a flashlight." Read the entire
review here! 07/31/08-The folks at Texas Monthly also recommend Leather Maiden! They write, "[T]he combination of back-porch storytelling and
breakneck suspense . . . makes Leather Maiden a must-read for thriller
fans." Read
the entire review here! 07/10/08-Champion
Joe says, "Lewis Shiner's latest, Black & White, is killer.
Strong characters, suspenseful situations, and tremendous insight. A novel that
doesn't flinch from social issues, and is so gracefully written it makes you
want to weep. Should not be missed. Lewis Shiner is the real deal, and this is
his finest work." Click
here to learn more! 06/05/08-If you're looking for a little humor in your horror, check
out the anthology Blood
Lite, which includes the story "Mr. Bear" from champion Joe! 06/05/08-George
Pelecanos calls it "gripping,
ferocious, and very funny"! Scott Phillips says it "walks a delicate
line between grotesquerie and moral outrage all the while managing to be
funnier than anything I've read all year"! Ken Bruen pronounces it
"the novel of the year"! And Italian newspaper
Corriere della Sera proclaims, "D' Alema e i libri pulp di
Lansdale: vendette orribili ma giuste"! It's The
Leather Maiden, champion Joe's latest, and it will be released August 5,
2008! (And, no, we can't read Italian. But that last one sure looks fancy,
doesn't it?) 05/22/08-And if you were wondering what Kasey's been up to . . .
she was a big hit at the blues festival in Italy where she shared the event
with James Blood Ulmer, Ponte Bon of Texas, Grayson Capps, and a lot of super
Italian blues musicians. In July, she plays in Norway at a country festival
with legendary female vocalist Lynn Anderson. 05/01/08-"I
relate to [Robert E.] Howard as a small town boy who wanted to do something the
people around him didn't understand. Like him, I did it. Unlike him, I never
had the urge to shoot myself." Read all of Chris Arrant's interview with
Joe R. Lansdale, as published April 29, 2008, by clicking here!
(Thanks, Jeff!) 05/01/08-Some folks have asked
what, exactly, Joe's forthcoming book, Leather Maiden, is all about. Big
Bill Crider answers that question here! 04/24/08-Stop what you're doing
and head to the comics store! Champion Joe has written a four-part comics
adaptation of Robert E. Howard's classic "Pigeons from Hell," and the
first part is in stores now. Click here for
more information! (Thanks, Tarhan!) 04/24/08-And while we're on the
subject of comics . . . a package arrived here in Mud Creek posted from Italy.
Inside: an amazing Italian graphic novel adapting Champion Joe's short story
"Way Down There." If you want to go searching for it, it's titled
Laggiu Nel Profondo; is adapted by Luca Crovi and Andrea Mutti; and is
published by Edizioni BD. And when you're at the comic conventions this summer,
tell every publisher you meet that you want them to print it over here, in
English! Take a gander . . .
. 04/03/08-In case you missed it,
Marvel Comics is making it up to you! Champion Joe wrote a couple of stories
about the Thing time traveling back to the Old West, and they'll be back in
print in Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four: Volume 8, shipping May 21. 03/27/08-Cason Statler is
drinking too much, stalking his ex-girlfriend, and wallowing in envy of his
older brother. All he has going for him is his new job as columnist for a
small-town paper. He thinks he can ride that last bit into something bigger by
investigating a cold-case murder . . . until he rides it straight into a serial
killer. Strap yourself in for Champion Joe's latest wild ride! The Leather
Maiden will be released in hardcover from Knopf in August! 12/27/07-They love Joe in
Italy! So . . . who's "they"? Well here's
two "they," with Joe hisownself! Bongiorno! 08/16/07-Nominationsfor the 2007
World Fantasy Awards are in, and it's going to be a tough race in the Anthology
category, where Champion Joe is up against ... Champion Joe! Two anthologies on
which Joe worked are both up for the award: Cross Plains Universe(which
he co-edited with Scott Cupp), and RetroPulpTales (which he edited by
hislonesome). Congrats, Joe! 07/12/07-The Grist Mill's audio
adaptation of champion Joe's "God of the Razor" has been honored with
an Ogle Award, an annual award given to an outstanding horror/fantasy audio
theater production. Producer Scott Hickey, of STH Productions, received the
award at the CONvergence Convention in Minneapolis on Friday, July 6th.
Wanna take a listen? Click here!
[Thanks, Scott!] 06/21/07-"When the Vietnam
war came, Joe R. Lansdale told them he wouldn't fight. They sent him to get his
head checked; the doctor determined he was nuts and they said they'd rather
recruit dogs than draft him." Click here to read Dave Maass' entire interview with champion Joe,
as published May9, 2007, by the San Antonio Current. 06/21/07-Our pal Hunter Goatley
hasn't checked in for a while, but champion Joe checked into Hunter's page, and
wanted you to know that Hunter's loaded onto his site an audio interview of F. Paul Wilson conducted by champion Joe way
back in 1990. He also wants to remind everyone that he still has audio files of
Joe
reading "By Bizarre Hands" and Joe
being interviewed at the 1990 FantasyCon. [Thanks, Hunter!] 05/03/07-Author Chet Williamson
hit the Austin Music Festival with his camera. The results? Click here! [Thanks, Judi! Thanks, Chet!] 04/05/07-Champion Joe was honored
with the Grand Master Award at the annual World Horror Convention last weekend,
where he also picked up a Bram Stoker award for editing Retro Pulp Tales.
Wanna see what it looked like? Click here! [Thanks, Judi!] 03/22/07-KaseyLansdale is taking
the country music world by storm! Check out this TV news feature on Champion Joe's daughter,
including an interview with Joe hisownself! [Thanks, Richard!] 03/01/07-Twenty years ago,
Champion Joe wrote a story called "The God of the Razor." That story
has become a classic in the horror genre. Subterranean Press will celebrate
that classic story with a special release in their Signature Series, scheduled
for this October. Want to know more? Click here! [Thanks, Judi!] 02/22/07-Lansdale's latest, Lost
Echoes (Vintage paperback original), is in stores now! Why should you get
it? Because Publishers Weekly says so! Here's their starred
review: In this superior East Texas crime thriller from
Stoker-winner Lansdale (Sunset and Sawdust), Harry Wilkes discovers
after a severe childhood ear infection that he has a peculiar
"hindsight." Harry can not only see dead people but see and hear
violent events as they occurred in the recent or distant past. "It's like
I hear and see ghosts in sounds," he tells his father. By the time he's a
college student, Harry's psychic abilities have driven him to booze. After
meeting alcoholic Tad Peters, a retired martial arts expert, Harry becomes
Tad's surrogate son and student. The two forge a pact to sober up together.
Their resolve is tested when Harry agrees to help Kayla Jones, an old childhood
crush now a cop, solve her father's murder, which her boss, the local police
chief, has dismissed as a suicide. Lansdale's down-home prose erupts with
explosive twists and razor sharp insights into how "echoes from the
original sounds" can never be silenced until action is taken to defeat the
fear that created them. 02/22/07-Booklist says so,
too! Here's their review: The prolific Lansdale returns, after
sojourns in pulp, sf, and horror, to work his peculiar mojo on the supernatural
crime thriller. Harry Wilkes has inherited his family's curse of experiencing
"dark sounds," full-sensory recordings of traumatic events that can
be unleashed by, for example, the banging of a toilet lid upon which a guy once
blew his brains out. Booze helps hold the "ghosts in the noise" at bay,
but his life as a drunken recluse isn't going well. He gets things under
control with the help of an eccentric sensei named Tad, but when a boyhood
girlfriend named Kayla comes home to find her father's killer, Harold grits his
teeth and journeys into the dark once more. Lansdale's prose finds the perfect
pitch between the laid-back cadences of front-porch storytelling and the
thriller's demand for growing urgency. He is a bit unreconstructed when it
comes to gender relations-or at least the vocabulary to describe them-but he's
got both the charisma and the balls to pull it off. Funny and scary, with a
barn-burner ending. 02/22/07-If Joe R. Lansdale could
be any monster he wanted, he'd be the Wolf Man. If he could be any historical
figure, he'd be Wild Bill Hickock. Want to know more? Read
his interview with Sci Fi Weekly! 02/08/07-Kasey Lansdale will come
to you! Coming off an Italian tour, opening for Ray Price at the famous
Paramount Theater in Austin, playing throughout East Texas, the popularity of
Kasey Lansdale and The Daletones is growing. They are anxious to spread out
beyond their current programs and play new venues, and would love to hear from
anyone wishing to hire Kasey and the band, or her trio. Examples of her music
and information about this band can be found on www.kaseylansdale.com! 12/14/06-"Hisgenre-bending,
often hard-edged work never flinches in its depiction of the people he knows so
well, 'real Texans' found in his beloved East Texas." Click here to read Melissa Mia Hall's entire articleabout champion
Joe, as published December 11, 2006, by Publishers
Weekly![Thanks, Rick!] 11/09/06-Champion Joe's daughter,
Kasey Lansdale,
just returned from a tour of Italy, where she played to packed houses and
received a rave review in Liberta, a national newspaper. Meanwhile, back
home, she opened for country legend Ray Price in Austin's historic Paramount
Theatre. If you haven't yet heard her, golisten now! 11/02/06-Wantan extra dose this
week? RevolutionSF has proclaimed Champion Joe's "Night They Missed the
Horror Show" one of the "13 Scariest" for 2006.That means you
can read
it for free by clicking here! 10/26/06-Congratulationsto champion
Joe, who just returned from Italy, where he was awarded the Grinzane Cavour
Prize for Literature! (The last seven recipients were all Nobel prize award
winners, so, y'know, just keep reading and see what happens!) 08/24/06-Award-winningmystery writer
and Lansdale buddy Bill Crider filmed two short clips of Joe R.Lansdale,
hisownself, at this year's Armadillocon. Clickhere
to see a brief interview with champion Joe, and clickhere to
see him reading from The King and Other Stories! [Thanks,
Rick!] 05/18/06-Didyou miss Don
Coscarelli's adaptation of champion Joe's "Incident On and Off a Mountain
Road"? Here's your second chance! Showtime's "Masters of Horror"
is now available on DVD. Click here to get your copy! [Thanks, Tarhan!] 05/18/06-ChampionJoe talked to
the folks at Westfield Comics, and they wanted us all to know what he had to
say. Click
here to read the interview! 03/09/06-DavidSilva and Paul
Olson have an early April Fool's joke for you: A spoof that ranin The Horror
Show on April 1, 1987, complete with a sidebar by champion Joe! Check
it out by clicking here! (And Joe adds, "What's scary
about Iocus is I actually started to write all the stories at one point, and
have used the pennames Richard Dale and Keith Jordan, but, alas, never for any
of the stories I listed.") [Thanks, Andrew! Thanks, Judi!] 02/16/06-Pickup the latest issue
of The Book of
Dark Wisdom for an interview with champion Joe. [Thanks,
Judi!] 01/12/06-Joe may be the champion
Mojo storyteller, but another Lansdale is the champion Mojo songbird! Click here to have a listen to Kasey Lansdale, daughter of the Mojo
one!
01/12/06-Booklist calls Flaming
London, Joe's latest, "one of the wildest alternate-worlds,
rip-in-space-time, sf-pastiche romps this side of fifties B-movies."
So check it out already!
12/22/05-JerryWilliamson died
Thursday, December 7. He had been in a coma with complications from a brain
tumor. There are two people in the entire world who have earned Lifetime
Achievement Awards from the Horror Writers of America. One is Stephen King; the
other is Jerry. Jerry was an inspiration to many writers, some of whom kept
with the trade solely as a result of Jerry's words of encouragement. He'll be
sorely missed. 12/22/05-Thefirst issue of Cryptic
Magazine will include an eight-page comics story written by champion Joe
and illustrated by Mark Kidwell. Look for the magazine in January 2006, and in
the meantime, check out the cover here! 12/08/05-How old was champion Joe
when he started writing? How old was he when he sold his first piece? The
answers to these questions and more are provided to you by Jake Magazine!
So
click here and get the answers!
12/08/05-Joe fans will want to
check out an anthology called Lords of the Razor, which will include
stories inspired by champion Joe's "Lord of the Razor" story,
including writing by Stephen Gallagher and Tim Lebbon. It also includes Joe's
original story, plus a new one! [Thanks, Judi!]
11/10/05-I'd love to tell you all
about Flaming London, but Publishers Weekly seems more qualified,
so.... StarredReview. Against the backdrop of a Martian invasion à la The
War of the Worlds, Lansdale's rip snorting sequel to Zeppelins West
(2001) chronicles the fantastic adventures of two elderly authors, Samuel
Langhorne Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and Jules Verne. Other members of the madcap
cast include a young H.G. Wells, Sitting Bull, a Martian ape, a steam-powered
robot and an intelligent seal (and future dime novelist), whose diary and
journal entries form the bulk of the narrative. All must deal with the havoc
caused by Wells's dang time traveler, the hero of The Time Machine, who
has opened multiplying cracks in the time continuum. Seasoned with earthy,
down-home humor, Lansdale's homage to Twain, Verne and Wells is sci-fi fun at
its boisterous, silly best. Timothy Truman's delightful cover art and interior
illustrations perfectly complement the text. (Dec.)
11/03/05-Thomas Scott McKenzie
talked to champion Joe about writing, publishing, and that crazy Shen Chuan! If
you want to know specifics, click here to read the whole thing, as published
on Slushpile.net on November 2, 2005!
10/13/05-Joe confesses, "I
haven't fought zombies." If you're wondering what else Joe hasn't fought, check
out this swell interview with Norman Prentiss, as published
by Off the Shelf in September 2005. [Thanks, Judi!]
09/01/05-With thousands dead, and
tens of thousands left without a home, food, electricity, potable water, or a
means of earning a living, Hurricane Katrina is being called the worst natural
disaster to ever hit the US. If you're looking for a way to help, before you
pledge any money to anyone, do some quick research to see if your money is really going where you
want it to go. Two places we're sending money are SecondHarvest
and MercyCorps . 08/11/05-Mad Dog Summer and
Other Stories has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award! What? You never
saw it? Well, you're too late now! Next time don't wait! 08/04/05-Champion Joe talked with
Fangoria about "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road." You can
eavesdrop by clicking here! [Thanks, Judi!]
07/14/05-If you head over to Ranch Records,
and click on Rawkus, you'll find Champion Mojo songbird Kasey Lansdale! You can
hear her sing "Back of My Smile" (though its labeled "No More
Rain"), absolutely free! Check it out!
06/02/05-Success in California!
In a feat of political leadership, Jim Battin has done what most observers
thought was impossible. Shortly after 10:00 a.m. PST today, Battin got Senate
Bill 33,which will close the incest-exception loopholes in California, passed
on the floor of the California Senate, 31-1. Those following this battle know
that S.B. 33 was gutted last week. But Battin had the bill amended back
to its original verbiage before taking it to victory. Click
here to join the celebration at Protect.org! 05/26/05-Doyou love Joe R.
Lansdale? Do you love splatter movies? Do you speak Italian? Then
this is the place for you!
05/19/05-Champion Joe has long
been great friends with fellow novelist Andrew Vachss. On the eve of the
release of Andrew's new novel, Two Trains Running, champion Joe
conducted an audio interview to discuss what he calls Andrew Vachss' best novel
ever. Listen
to the pair discussing that novel by clickinghere!
05/19/05-If talking ain't enough
for ya....champion Joe and Timothy Truman are joined by fiddler Colin
Williamson for "The Ballad of a Feller Named Oscar Wilde," a song
about the true [swear on a stack of first-printing Magic Wagons] story of
Oscar Wilde's trip through the Lone Star state. Click here to hear the jam!
04/28/05-This guy must have
started reading Freezer Burn-but, clearly, he didn't make it to the end.
Check out 'Everybody thought he was nuts,' from the 4/27/05
edition of the Chicago Sun-Times.
04/21/05-Lotsa folks like Joe for
his stories, but just as many like him for the way he kicks butt. Ol' butt
kickin' Joe has written an introduction to the book of another butt kicker,
Mike Casto, in which Mr. Casto teaches you how you can kick butt. To
find a copy of that martial arts book, called A Pondering of Principles,
click here!
04/21/05-"Each story is about
eight pages in length. When you finish one, you can't help but reach for
another one." That's what CNN had to say about champion Joe's short-story
collection, Bumper Crop. It's
available now in trade paperback, so go on andget it!
02/04/05-OssieDavis died today at
87. Champion Joe writes, "I met him briefly on the set of Bubba Ho-Tep,
talked to him a little, enough to discern he was the class act I suspected all
along. What a wonderful and incredibly talented man. Damn. A guy that could do
anything and everything, and did. And did it well."
10/14/04-Champion Joe has been
honored by the folks at the Mid-South Booksellers Association, who have named A
Fine Dark Line the best novel of the region. We always said them Mid-South
folks have far better taste than them folks in the Right South or the Left
South. Thanks, Mid-South! 08/05/04-"Those that see
Texas as idyllic or as the pit are both wrong. It's both of these
simultaneously." Read all of Joe Mammy's interview with champion Joe by clicking
here.
06/17/04-Hungry for some Hap and
Leonard? Get a taste of the next book-not due out until sometime into the next
decade-called Blue
to the Bone! [Thanks, Dale!] 06/10/04-Winning the Bram Stoker
Award for Superior Achievement in a Screenplay is [insert drum roll here] Don
Coscarelli, for his adaptation of champion Joe's novella Bubba
Ho-Tep! If you want to read that screenplay, grab a copy of the signed,
limited-edition Bubba Ho-Tep book ! [Thanks, Judi!]
06/03/04-Protect, America's first
political lobby for child protection, has had a victory in Tennessee! They've
eliminated the incest-exception law in that state. Read
all about it here!
05/13/04-"Eachstory is about
eight pages in length. When you finish one, you can't help but reach for
another one." That's what CNN had to say about champion Joe's latest
short-story collection, Bumper Crop. Readwhat else they had to say here! [Thanks,
Kim!] 04/08/04-Where was champion Joe
born? What did his father do? Who was his inspiration? These questions and more
are all answered in the totally comprehensive article on the Mojo one in the Houston
Chronicle! Check it out! [Thanks, Kim!]
04/08/04-Publishers Weekly
likes champion Joe's latest novel, Sunset and Sawdust, which they call
"wild and wooly....The book opens with a cyclone, ends with a plague of
grasshoppers and in between there's insanity, extreme violence, sex, grotesques
aplenty and an excellent dog. What's not to like?" So
go get it, already! [Thanks, Kim!]
01/08/04-Champion Joe says,
"James Grady writes with authenticity and heart. I can't wait to read what
he writes next." If you want to find out what James Grady willwrite next, click
here-and tell him Champion Joe sent ya!
09/11/03-BubbaHo-Tep won a
People's Choice Silver Award! Read
all about it here. [Thanks, Judi!] 08/07/03-When champion Joe is
looking to read an excellent Western, he'll grab one of Jory Sherman's
books-and he suggests you should do that, too. Find out more about Jory by clicking
here.
06/12/03-AFine Dark Lineby
Joe R. Lansdale, narrated by Dick Hill, has received an Audiofile Earphones
Award. This is the mark of a truly outstanding audio program. Congratulations
to all who were involved in this recording-most notably Dick Hill, Laura
Grafton, and Mikael Naramore! [Thanks, Rick!] 06/05/03-Even in Hungary they're
hungry for a slice of Mojo! Checkout this
Hungarian website, which includes two books by champion Joe!
[Thanks,Judi!]
04/10/03-Just because you live in
France doesn't mean you have to be a world away from Mudcreek, TX. Champion Joe
is available en Francais, at Entre-deux-Noirs!
03/06/03-You probably haven't yet
seen Bubba Ho-Tep, Don Coscarelli's film adaptation of champion Joe's
short story. But those who have are raving about it-including the judges at the
HBO US Comedy Arts Festival, who honored Coscarelli with BestScreenplay, and
star Bruce Campbell with Best Actor.
02/20/03-You thought we called
champion Joe a champion simply 'cause of his straight teethand thick coat? Heck
no! He's a champion martial artist. But don't take ourword for it-go visit the Texas Martial
Arts Hall of Fame and see for yourself! [Thanks, Danny!]
02/13/03-The hits keep rolling in!
A Fine Dark Line-champion Joe's latest-hit #10 on the LosAngeles
Times bestseller list, and #5 on the Denver Post bestseller list.
Rock on, Joe!
02/13/03-MojoJoe, for those who
don't know, lives down in Nacogdoches, Texas-the town that was showered by the
shuttle Columbia last week. Here's what occurred, in champion Joe's own
words.[Thanks, Kim!] 01/09/03-Champion Joe isn't just
an outstanding writer-he's also a stand up human being. And if you want to
stand beside him, the place to do it is Protect.org.
Our very own Mojo man is anadvisor to the organization-and he advises everyone
to get involved!
01/02/03-Stepback in time to hear
an audio
interview with Champion Joe from September 15, 1990.Recorded
at Fantasycon XV in the UK,this41-minute interview is downloadable in RealAudio
and MP3 formats. [Thanks, Hunter!] 01/02/03-JoeR. Lansdale isn't
just a great writer-he's a great storyteller. Find out for yourself by
downloading champion Joe's reading of "By Bizarre
Hands," courtesy of Admiral Hunter Goatley!
11/28/02-Andspeaking of Thanks
and writing ... champion Joe is thankful for the writing of Neal Barrett. He
says you should go check out the free story posted at NealBarrett.com.
Enjoy! 10/17/02-Jesuis un grande canard!
Even the French love champion Joe! Check it out! [Thanks, Gratiane!] 09/12/02-ToastmasterJoe laid it
down solid for attendees of Armadillocon 24--though there appears to be
something in his cheek, and we're sure hoping it's his tongue. Read the transcript of his toast here. [Thanks,
Rick! You suck!]
08/01/02-Judi Rohrig went to
Conestoga, and all she got was a day of shooting with champion Joe. She
uploaded these here
pictures, so you wouldn't have to make the trip yourself.
[Thanks, Judi!]
07/04/02-Champion Joe and his
daughter, killer Kasey Lansdale, rub elbows with Bruce Campbell. Click
here!
06/27/02-Dale's Hap & Leonard
page is no longer just a Hap & Leonard page. Now it's a Hap & Leonard
& Smokey & Jim Higgins & Jubil Raines & BillyBob Nolan ...
well, you get the idea. Check
out the new feature here!
06/20/02-DonCoscarelli, Bruce
Campbell and champion Mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale sit around a table
talking about Bubba Ho-Tep ... and dicks. Check
it out! [Thanks, Gordon!] 06/20/02-Our man Dale has done it
again! This time, he's put together a map so all you Hap and Leonard fans can
see just where our dynamic duo has whomped heads! Click
here to view the map.
06/13/02-"Purefun," "flat-out
wonderful," "liberated, hilarious and impressive"-that's how the
critics are describing Don Coscarelli's film adaptation of Bubba Ho-Tep. Read
the reviews at Ain't
it Cool News, Creature
Corner, and Dark
Horizons! [Thanks, James and Gordon!]
06/06/02-Speaking of hosting Joe
... take a look
at these pictures from champion Joe's appearance at the
Borders in Ft. Worth. And say a big Thank You to Steve Sabatka for providing
same! [Thanks, Steve!]
05/30/02-ChampionJoe was guest
speaker at the Burroughs "Dum-Dum" and honored with the Golden Lion
Award by the Burroughs Bibliophiles
for his contributions to Edgar Rice Burroughs and his creations.(This, of
course, in regard to Joe finishing ERB's final Tarzan novel.) Joe says,
"My favorite of all my awards."
02/14/02-Champion Joe's got a
buddy by the name of Robert R. McCammon. Champion Joe and Big-hearted Robert
interviewed each other a while back. You can read
those interviews on Big-hearted Robert's new website. So what
are you waiting for?[Thanks, Hunter!]
02/07/02-Joe ain't the only
champion Lansdale, y'know-there's also champion Mojo photographer Karen
Lansdale! Take a peek at her magic here.
[Thanks, Judi!]
01/31/02-ChampionJoe's Mojo runs
all the way to Italy! If you speak Italian, check it out! [Thanks,
Judi!] 11/29/01-You come to The Orbit
more than twice, you're sure to catch Judi here-she's a reg'lar! She ran into
champion Joe down Texas way, and wrote this
here story about it, with pictures and all. Enjoy! [Thanks,
Judi!]
10/18/01-Champion Joe's "Bob
the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland" comes to life in a comics adaptation!
Read it online here!
[Thanks, Rick!] 08/30/01-Whether you're a Hap
&Leonard fan or one of the uninitiated, you're going to love this! Champion
Joe co-wrote a Hap & Leonard short story with Andrew Vachss back in 1999.
Previously available only in a limited edition, you can now read "Veil's Visit" here. Then be sure to
pick up the new Hap & Leonard novel, Captains Outrageous, and Andrew Vachss' new
novel, Pain Management. [Thanks, Kim!] 08/16/01-Someof champion Joe's
Mojo magic is available in "Talking Book" and Braille editions. Check
it out by visiting the website for the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and
searching "Joe Lansdale." [Thanks, Kim!] 08/02/01-Ablast from the past!
Take a look at champion Joe back when he was young champion Joe, in this
picture
taken at Aggiecon in 1980! The folks with him are his good
friends Bill and Judy Crider. 08/02/01-Die-hardcollectors will
love the latest feature added to Dale's Hap & Leonard page: Go here,
click on the covers, and up pops a page with a bunch of the variations on the
covers![Thanks, Dale!] 05/17/01-Ifyou want to hear what
champion Joe has to say for himself, click
here. And thank dynamite Dale for allhis hard work! [Thanks,
dynamite Dale!] 05/17/01-Oneof the things
champion Joe will tell you is that Ardath Mayhar writes damn fine books. You
can find out more about Ardath at her official web site,
and about her latest book-adouble novel in trade paperback, featuring The
Snowlost and Exile on Vlahil-through StoneDragon Press. 05/07/01-Congratulations to our
very own champion Mojo storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale! The Bottoms was
awarded the Edgar for Best Novel of 2000. Rock on, Joe!
01/18/01-Whenyou're done getting
your fill of this week's Mojo feature, be sure to head overto NickSharman.co.uk for a midnight snack. It's the
home page for one of Joe R. Lansdale's favorite writers, Mark Timlin. 01/04/00-This week we have a special
Mojo game for you, called Around the World with Rick Klaw! See if you can guess
what these Web sites—uncovered by The Klaw himself—are saying about champion
Joe! Click here
forweb site #1, and herefor web site #2.
01/04/00-Wanta look-see at a
hunka burning Joe? Click here,
here, and here!
[Thanks, Judi! Thanks, Kim!] 12/14/00-The New York
Times has chosen champion Joe's latest, The Bottoms, as one of their
notable books of the year, calling it a "mesmerizing period mystery ...
that draws on the idiom of regional folk legend to filter the horror of race
violence and serial murder in a small East Texas town during the
Depression." If you haven't already picked it up, go get it now! 10/05/00-Whathappens if you throw
little Joe Lansdale's puppy in the creek? Find out in this interview with Mike Shea of The Austin Chronicle.
[Thanks, Rick!] 09/28/00-DynamiteDale's Hap and
Leonard page is complete! Check it out,
and let Dale know what you think! 09/14/00-Youever discover something
so great, you couldn't put words to it? Well, damned if Rick Klaw hasn't found
the words. Check out "Being
Dragged by a Runaway Mule." 08/10/00-Thefine folks at
About.com had a nice long chat with champion Joe recently. Eavesdrop on their
ramblings here! [Thanks, Judi!] 06/29/00-"People always talk
about a lot of my books being on the cutting edge and all this stuff. I always
think of myself as an old-fashioned storyteller that's writing for now."
Read the entirety of Judi
Rohrig's interview with champion Joe! 05/04/00-Everwonder what kind of
in-home security system you'd need if you were a champion Mojo storyteller? Click
here for the answer! 04/13/00-ChampionJoe is beloved
the world over! Want to see the cover treatments of his German editions? Click here and
here! [Thanks, Judi!] 09/09/99-Here'sa rare piece o'
Joe for ya: Back in 1996, Texas Magazine celebrated Writers Month by
commissioning a batch of Texas authors to contribute to a collaborative story.
Champion Joe's piece of the pie is
here. [Thanks, Judi!] 03/18/99-Checkout this excellent Scandanavian Lansdale page. You won't be able to
read most of it, but you'll definitely want to seethe totally amazing cover
treatment on Savage Season! 09/10/98-Here's a fun one for ya!
The folks at Mysterious Press hired Mojo man Joe R. Lansdale to interview those
blazing stars of the literary world, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine! Read the interview! 07/01/98-Welcometo the grand
opening of The Orbit, the official drive-in theatre of champion Mojo
storyteller Joe R. Lansdale! |
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