Todd Klein's Blog, page 15

Incoming: DC FINEST SUICIDE SQUAD

Images © DC Comics

Just arrived, 560 pages of Suicide Squad, including their introduction in LEGENDS 1-6, and the first ten issues of their own title, which I lettered, plus more, see the fine print in the back cover image, all material originally released in 1986-1988. Retail price is $39.99. The paper is surprisingly white and glossy, but I think the work reads and looks fine. Release date is March 11, check with your comics retailer or Amazon. This is probably the superhero team book I worked on the longest.

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Rereading: CHIMNEY COTTAGE by M. E. Atkinson

Cover and illustrations by Dorothy Craigie

The eleventh book in Atkinson’s holiday adventures series featuring the Lockett children and their friends shows the formula stretched to the breaking point. Long gone are the relatively simple stories with Oliver, Jane, and Bill Lockett as the main focus, this one doesn’t even take place on a holiday break. And the new illustrator’s work is quite awful, with barely recognizable images.

Much of the book takes place in London with Evelyn Standish and her friend Veronica as the main characters. They also sparked the story in the last book, “Problem Party.” Evelyn is a fan of the Locketts, and wants to form her own gang for having adventures. They meet a boy, Rickie, in the park who seems interested, and he has a cousin, Caspar, who lives in his house who Evelyn wants to include, but Caspar proves difficult to befriend. He’s a musical prodigy, spending most of his time practicing the piano, when he isn’t laid low with health issues. Veronica finally gets to know him and becomes his friend, and she and Evelyn hatch a wild plan to kidnap Caspar’s doctor, who they think is not helping him, in a remote cottage in the country. Evelyn even asks Lockett nemesis Fenella for help with their plan. Soon Jane and Bill Lockett and another friend, Terry the boy detective, are also involved, trying to stop this dangerous plot. Everyone comes together at Chimney Cottage for the surprising finale.

Mildly recommended this time, when the Locketts get involved things improve.

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Rereading: MR. REVERE AND I by Robert Lawson

Like “Ben and Me,” “I Discover Columbus,” and “Capt. Kidd’s Cat,” this is a historical tale told by an animal companion of a famous person, in this case the American Revolution’s Paul Revere. I think I like it the best of the four. Sherry, the horse, comes to Boston as part of the British forces sent to quell American revolutionaries, and through his narration we see his thinking evolve from staunchly pro-British to ardently pro-colonists, something that probably happened to many at the time under the harsh laws of the English king. Also, he paints Revere honestly but does not belittle him, as is true of the other animals in their stories. We readers are allowed to understand Paul as a good family man who believes in his cause, and is willing to put aside his silversmith trade to become a messenger for the revolution even though he never rode a horse before, and doesn’t enjoy it much. Despite that, he is a true hero, and Sherry’s help, while vital, doesn’t overshadow Revere’s own accomplishments. Well written and with wonderful illustrations. Recommended.

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My Music: LAUGHING

If I were making an album of the songs I’d written so far, this would be the single. I wrote it in May 1973 at a time when I was beginning a new chapter of my life. When I recorded it around 1978, I ran the guitar through my phase shifter pedal, which made it sound almost electric, and there’s an energy and drive to the song I didn’t often achieve. Here it is: Laughing.

I’m not sure why I wrote it out on music paper, above, but perhaps I was trying to retain some of the music writing knowledge I’d acquired when doing the previous song, “Twilight.” Otherwise I have only unfinished songs from late 1971 to early 1973, or ones where I have words but no longer remember the melody or chords.

In the fall of 1972 I met Franceen at my job, and we began dating. She was short and cute, smart and charming, and full of energy. She kind of scooped me up and I followed in her wake. The relationship developed, and in May, 1973, we got married at the court house in New Brunswick, NJ, and rented an apartment in nearby Highland Park. We were not really a good match, as I would find out, but at this time I was in love and hopeful. I think that comes through in the song.

Laughing is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.

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Rereading: THE CASTLE OF YEW by Lucy Boston

Cover and illustrations by Margery Gill

The author is better known as L. M. Boston, I think this was an attempt to update her work a bit for young readers, using her actual first name, and having this short chapter book illustrated by Margery Gill rather than her son Peter Boston, as was usually done. The story seems to take place at the house Boston lived in for 50 years, Hemingford Grey, like her famous Green Knowe series, though it’s not named. The old woman living in the house is probably Lucy herself.

Young Joseph lives near the riverside house with its massive garden, and longs to see more of it than he can from outside the fence. He decides to try going in the front gate, and then the postman asks him to bring the mail in for him, a stroke of luck. Joseph asks the old woman who lives there if he can explore the garden, and she gives permission. He has a fine time doing that, and when he comes to a part where yew hedges have been shaped to look like chess pieces, he finds one that seems to be made into a small castle. Joseph yearns to get inside to see more, and his wish is granted when he’s suddenly a few inches tall. The yew castle has been improved with a spiral stair up the trunk and several rooms, and soon Joseph meets another boy about his age, Robin, who has been playing knight in the castle. The two join forces to repel invaders like a moorhen and a cat.

Simple, short, but full of magic and beautiful writing. Recommended.

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Rereading: THE BLACK STALLION’S SULKY COLT by Walter Farley

The tenth book in Farley’s horse series combines the harness-racing son of the Black Stallion from “The Blood Bay Colt” with Alec Ramsey and Henry Dailey from the main series. Jimmy Creech, the owner and trainer of Bonfire is desperate to get him to harness racing’s biggest feature race The Hamiltonian, and while he’s too ill to go himself, Jimmy has sent his horse and his rider Tom Messenger to Roosevelt Raceway, near New York City, where harness racing is done at night. Jimmy wants Bonfire to get in some races with other top horses in the sport there, but Tom is nervous about it.

Meanwhile, Alec Ramsey has come to see Bonfire race, he’s interested in the second son of his own stallion The Black. He meets Tom and Bonfire and their assistant George, and offers his help. Tom and George are suspicious, even though Jimmy Creech and Alec’s trainer Henry Dailey are old friends. Then a race accident puts Tom out of commission with a broken hip. Alec offers to ride for him even though he’s never tried harness racing, but will Bonfire be able to overcome his own fears after the accident?

These books are becoming more predictable but well written and fun to read. Recommended.

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Incoming: BATMAN KNIGHTFALL OMNIBUS 2 KNIGHTQUEST

Images © DC Comics

Just in, another massively thick book of Batman title reprints from all the Batman titles of 1993-94 and more. See the fine print on the back cover above for details. This is a 2025 reissue of a 2017 hardcover, 976 pages, release date Feb 18. It weighs almost 6 pounds, and the retail price is $125. If you missed it the first time and want it now, check with your comics retailer or Amazon. I don’t see a signature on the cover art, but it’s certainly by Kelley Jones.

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My Music: TWILIGHT

The big field east of Pluckemin, NJ Sept 1971

This song was inspired by my walks from home to the upper end of the field seen above, where I liked to sit and watch the sunset, though the photo was taken on a cloudy day. It was a time to think about the day and about my life in general. It was written in September 1971 and recorded around 1978. Here’s the song: Twilight.

My original plan for Twilight was quite different. I had always had some interest in classical music, and in particular I liked choral music. My high school choir was quite good, and I regret that I never tried to join it, though I don’t know that I had the right kind of voice for that. After coming up with the idea for the song, I decided to try to write it as a choral piece for four voices, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. I took books out of the library to study musical composition on my own, and eventually composed the choral piece and wrote it out on music paper, the first page is above. I showed it to the director of my high school choir, who I knew through mutual friends, and he went through it with me on a church organ. He had some suggestions, but didn’t seem enthused. When I heard it played, I was disappointed. Now I realize I didn’t have the knowledge or skill to write choral music. I could work out harmonies on my guitar, but didn’t even have a keyboard to play them all together, and didn’t have the piano skill for that anyway. Mostly what I was missing was the ability to give each voice something unique to sing, rather than just making chords. Discouraged, I gave it up, but later I recorded the above version with just my guitar and vocal. I still like it.

Twilight is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.

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Rereading: A DOG WORTH STEALING by William Corbin

Cover art by Peter Catalanotto

Jud Linden is in trouble and angry with himself for breaking his promise to his father not to fight at school. His dad is away driving his big rig on a delivery, and Jud decides to take off on his own into the southern Oregon wilderness near his home. A hike with his dad had been planned but canceled, and despite having to leave his step-mom home alone against her wishes, he decides to go anyway. Jud is an experienced hiker, and has all the gear he needs in his pack, but despite that, wandering thoughts get him lost. Then he finds a cleared space with an illicit pot farm, a young woman staying there, and a wonderful black German Shepherd, who while young, impresses Jud with his energy and intelligence. Jud talks to Yvonne and makes friends with the dog, Bo, while learning that Yvonne’s man, Bull, is away, but is planning to train Bo to be a guard dog through cruel methods, something that will turn the friendly beast into a killer. This almost breaks Jud’s heart, and he comes up with a daring plan to steal Bo that could easily get himself killed if he’s caught by Bull, but he feels the dog is worth the risk.

Well written, as with all Corbin books, some similarities to his book “Smoke,” but entertaining. Recommended.

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Rereading: KING OF SHADOWS by Susan Cooper

Cover illustration by John Clapp

Best known for her “The Dark is Rising” series, Susan Cooper wrote other fine fantasies like this one. It’s more historical than fantasy, but hinges on a kind of time travel.

Nat Field lives with his Aunt Jen in North Carolina since his parents have passed, but his passion is acting. He’s been chosen for a select troupe, The American Company of Boys, who will go to London to perform in the newly built historical replica of Shakespeare’s theater. Nat is to play Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When the company gets there and begins rehearsing, Nat has some dizzy spells, and a bad headache, and is put to bed. When he wakes up, he’s in Shakespeare’s time, and in Shakespeare’s own company preparing to perform Dream for Queen Elizabeth the First in the Globe Theatre, the original one. Nat is understandably confused by all this, but when he meets Shakespeare himself and realizes they can be friends as well as acting together (Will is playing Oberon), he throws himself into the role, even though a few other players are unfriendly. It seems that he’s somehow changed places with another boy also named Nat Field. That boy is in modern London, and very ill with The Plague. Once that’s discovered, he’s hospitalized and quarantined.

In the past, Nat makes new friends, and proves himself as an actor and tumbler to the company’s satisfaction. But can he really perform on stage in front of an audience unlike any he’s known, and what will happen to him after that?

Great story, the historical times feel authentic, and the characters come to life. Recommended.

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