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Want to adapt a Lansdale story? Send
a book to be signed? Ask for advice on getting published?
Read
this first! No, Champion Joe won't sign your
ARC! Want to know why? Click here! 09/02/10-You heard it here first: Champion
Joe is tweeting! Catch his Twitter feed at #joelansdale! 09/02/10-And speaking of catching, catch
this deal: you can get a hardcover copy of the Hap & Leonard classic Captains
Outrageous signed by Champion
Joe for only $15 (plus s&h). Send
Kasey a message if you want in on that deal! 09/02/10-Clyde Edson was street-mean and
full of savvy and he knew what he wanted and got it any way he wanted. Brian
Blackwood was a good boy, never got in any trouble, but he's got no father at
home to be an example. When the two of them meet, it's going to be a strange
night in Galveston, Texas. It's "Boys Will Be Boys," and it's the totally free Mojo story
of the week. Enjoy! 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! 08/13/09-If you liked The Boar, Champion Joe has something special on
the horizon for you: a young adult novel titled All the Earth Thrown to the
Sky. It's about
the Great Depression in the Dust Bowl, takes place in Oklahoma and Texas.
You've got about two years before it'll come out, so if you know any little
kids now, you might start getting them ready for it! 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-Joemay 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-Booklistcalls Flaming
London, Joe's latest,
"one of the wildest alternate-worlds, rip-in-space-time, sf-pastiche romps
this side of fifties B-movies." Socheck 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-Howold 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 JakeMagazine! So
click here and get the answers! 12/08/05-Joefans 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'dlove 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-ThomasScott 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.neton November 2, 2005! 10/13/05-Joeconfesses, "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-ChampionJoe talked with
Fangoria about "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road."You
can eavesdrop by clicking here! [Thanks, Judi!] 07/14/05-Ifyou head over to RanchRecords,
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! 05/26/05-Horror
Writers Association will be releasing a revised edition of
Writing Horror. The new edition will contain the old favorite articles by some
of the most respected names in horror-including Mojo Joe-as well as some new
material that will deal with challenges "in today's marketing environment."
No word on a projected release date. [Thanks, Judi!] 05/19/05-ChampionJoe 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-Iftalking 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-Soyou've heard about The
Boar, but can't find a copy of
this champion Joe short novel that was published in 1998 as a limited edition?
Same with that old zombie Western classic, Dead in the West? Night Shade Books is here to save the day!
They've just published trade hardcovers of both. Click
here to learn more! 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-And if that's not enough
Bubba news for you, click here to see the Bubba Ho-Tep action figuresfrom NECA![Thanks,
Rick!] 04/21/05-Lotsafolks 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, clickhere! 04/21/05-"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 short-story
collection, Bumper Crop. It's
available now in trade paperback, so go on andget it! 04/07/05-Beenhankerin' for more
big-screen Mojo since you caught Don Coscarelli's adaptation of champion Joe's
"Bubba Ho-Tep"? Well, you can just keep waitin'. But in the meantime,
you'll want to keep your eye on the little screen. Showtime is launching a new
series called Masters of Horror, and one of the first six episodes is
Coscarelli's adaptation of champion Joe's "Incident On and Off a Mountain
Road." Click here for more information! [Thanks, Judi!] 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." 11/18/04-Whileyou're making up
your holiday wish list, think about this: You can get a champion Joe book
directly from the champion hisownself! And he'll sign it, too! For a list of
what can be yours, click
here![Thanks, Dale!] 11/18/04-BigJim Sweeney's Mojo
e-mailing list is five years old, and we're celebrating with a special offer!
You can subscribe now for free (for a limited time only)! Just think: you'll be
the first on your block to learn all the latest about Joe R. Lansdale. For more
details, click
here! 11/18/04-The Mojo list ain't
enough for you? Need another fix? Here's
the place to click! 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-"Thosethat 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-Winningthe 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! 06/03/04-TheBubba Ho-Tep DVD is out, and it's hot! It climbed as high as#2on
Amazon's bestseller list. Go get yours today! [Thanks, Rick!] 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-Wherewas 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-PublishersWeekly 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!] 04/08/04-Andin case you didn't
know, Sunset and Sawdust is
also available as an audiobook, read by champion Joe hisownself. You'll
find it here! [Thanks, Kim!] 01/08/04-ChampionJoe 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 sentya! 09/11/03-BubbaHo-Tep won a People's Choice Silver Award! Read
all about it here. [Thanks, Judi!] 08/07/03-Whenchampion 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-Evenin 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-Justbecause you live in
France doesn't mean you have to be a world away fromMudcreek, TX. Champion Joe
is available en Francais, at Entre-deux-Noirs! 03/06/03-Youprobably haven't yet
seen Bubba Ho-Tep, Don
Coscarelli's film adaptation of championJoe's short story. But those who have
are raving about it-including the judgesat the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival, who
honored Coscarelli with BestScreenplay, and star Bruce Campbell with Best
Actor. 02/20/03-Youthought 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 TexasMartial
Arts Hall of Fame and see for yourself! [Thanks, Danny!] 02/13/03-Thehits 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-ChampionJoe 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 "ByBizarre
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!] 08/08/02-Lookingto have more
sleepless nights? Get the God of the Razor model kit to decorate your bedroom! Check
it out here. 08/01/02-JudiRohrig 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!] 07/11/02-LongtimeJoe readers will
recognize the name Neal Barrett-he's one of the Mojo man's collaborators! Bad
Boy Barrett has a new one out, Piggs. Read what The AustinChronicle has to say about Piggs, about Neal and Joe, and about unibrows by clicking here. [Thanks again, Judi!] 07/04/02-ChampionJoe and his
daughter, killer Kasey Lansdale, rub elbows with Bruce Campbell. Click
here! 06/27/02-Dale'sHap & Leonard
page is no longer just a Hap & Leonard page. Now it's aHap & 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-Ourman Dale has done it
again! This time, he's put together a map so all you Hapand 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-Speakingof 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 BurroughsBibliophiles
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." 05/16/02-You'llget an extra scoop
of champion Joe this week by visiting RevolutionSF! They're running an
illustrated version of Joe R. Lansdale's classic tale of redemption and loss, "Godzilla's Twelve Step Program!"
[Thanks, Rick!] 02/14/02-ChampionJoe's got a
buddy by the name of Robert R. McCammon. Champion Joe andBig-hearted Robert
interviewed each other a while back. You can read
thoseinterviews on Big-hearted Robert's new website. So what
are you waiting for?[Thanks, Hunter!] 02/07/02-Joeain'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-Youcome 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!] 11/01/01-Is there a hard-to-find
Joe Lansdale book that's been eluding you? Well, now you can have it, signed by
champion Joe hisownself! Click
here for full details! [Thanks, Dale!] 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-Congratulationsto 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-Thisweek 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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