Brian Keene's Blog, page 151

“A killer piece of horror film history”

The first official teaser trailer for Dark Hollow was released last weekend. Here’s a sample of what critics are saying so far.

Dreadful Tales: “And now, with the help of Paul Campion, Keene’s vision is coming to the big screen… Shane Rangi (Spartacus, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia) is attached to play Hylinus, with Weta Workshop attached for special makeup effects. Seriously? HOW MUCH BETTER CAN THIS GET???… Keene is running, yet again, to film fans everywhere, but this time with a couple of howitzers under each arm, screaming war cries aplenty. This is going to be a bloodbath people. I expect awards here. I DEMAND awards, ’cause this is going to be a killer piece of horror film history…”

The Hollywood News: “Short but striking… The trailer is very simple, but the final reveal is one that is intriguing but not overblown.”

Twitch: “New Zealand director Paul Campion won himself a lot of fans around the world a few years back with his absolutely fabulous short film Eel Girl, success he built into his debut feature The Devil’s Rock. And now Campion is working towards his sophomore effort, an adaptation of Brian Keene’s novel Dark Hollow.”

Brotherhood & Betrayal

My friend Weston Ochse has a new novel – Seal Team 666 – in stores next Tuesday. You can pre-order it here in hardcover or for your Kindle.

In preparation for the book’s release, Weston has been conducting a series of brief interviews with other writers and former military guys. Today it was my turn. I talk about brotherhood, betrayal, why Platoon is my favorite war movie, and what we all should have learned by now. Check out the interview here. (There’s also a very old picture of us from when I still had hair…)

DARK HOLLOW Official Teaser Trailer

The Devil’s Rock director Paul Campion’s adaptation of US horror author Brian Keene’s novel Dark Hollow has been picked up for world sales by Raven Banner Entertainment. Shane Rangi (Spartacus, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings) is attached to play the satyr Hylinus, with Weta Workshop in New Zealand attached to create the special makeup effects.

Back on THE DAMNED HIGHWAY

This is Gak’s cover to the forthcoming limited edition hardcover of The Damned Highway. It might also be my next tattoo. The Damned Highway (a novel I co-wrote with Nick Mamatas) is currently available in paperback and digital for Nook and Kobo.

Early next year, Thunderstorm Books will release a signed limited edition version of The Damned Highway which will include bonus material such as an essay by myself on Hunter S. Thompson and horror, and an essay by Nick on H.P. Lovecraft and politics. It’s not up for pre-order yet. This is just a teaser, so you can go “Wow” at that cover.

Richard M. Nixon has never looked so good…

More Than Man’s Best Friend

Epitaph to a Dog by Sir William Watson (with thanks to Laird Barron for sharing it with me)

His friends he loved. His fellest earthly foes –

Cats — I believe he did but feign to hate.

My hand will miss the insinuated nose,

Mine eyes that tail that wagged contempt at Fate.

Sam passed away this evening. If you’ve read my books, then you know him as Sanchez from Scratch, Samhain from Clickers vs. Zombies, as himself in various Hail Saten volumes and the meta-fictional The Girl on the Glider, and of course, his starring role in Dark Hollow as Big Steve.

Sam and me on the day we brought him home.

Sam was my best friend. And that’s coming from a guy who’s lucky enough to have several of those. I wrote a bit about friendship a few weeks back, and I’d take a bullet for any of those guys, as well as some of my friends from my military days. But Sam was a different kind of best friend. You don’t necessarily have to be a dog person or a cat person to understand that, but you do have to be a human being. People who say things like, “It’s just a dog” are miscreants who deserve to be locked in a cage with Michael Vick.

Sam was a lot more than “just a dog”. As I said, he was my best friend. We’ve shared many adventures together — exploring beaches and stirring up deer far out in the woods, hunting snakes and splashing in streams, road trips and long walks, and many, many afternoon naps. My tears fell on his muzzle countless times and deepest were the secrets and confessions I mumbled into his furry, floppy ears. He knew my fears, my joys, my failings, and my foibles. Most importantly, he knew my love.

And I knew his.

Sam and Max prepare to use their powers.

Sam was a shelter dog. My ex-wife has always said that he chose us, rather than us choosing him, and I believe this to be true. A few years after we brought him home, another castaway showed up — Max (my cat). And although Sam occupied the spot in my office beneath my desk on a daily basis, he was more than willing to share that space with Max. That’s just the kind of dog he was. Obviously, given the time he spent at my feet while writing, and the amount of times he’s shown up in my work, Sam was my muse. But he was also our family’s protector. If Sam didn’t like you, chances were good I didn’t like you, either. Not that he was a mean dog. Far from it. He was kind and gentle — except to snakes, which he loathed as much as I do, and on one occasion, a pit bull that tried to charge me. He was a dutiful and happy playmate to Turtle, taking on the role of Doctor Doom to Turtle’s Iron Man, and more recently (as Turtle has now discovered Star Wars) he’d been filling the role of Chewbacca.

Sam’s decline was quick and sudden. In a matter of weeks, he went from his old (if older) self to a shadow of that former self. The culprit was a hemorrhagic tumor on his spleen. Luckily, he didn’t suffer. We got to say our goodbyes to him, and he got to say his to us. He’s buried in a special place next to another special friend, and I’m sitting here typing this with the mud from his grave still damp on my clothes, and I know what I want to say, but I fear I’m not saying it well, because last night was a long night, and today was the longest day, and I don’t see tonight being any shorter. I’m grieving and I miss my friend, and I don’t have the words to express it properly — which is a frustrating, heart-wrenching thing for a writer to admit.

Here are two excerpts from Dark Hollow that I hope will serve instead. Goodbye, Sam-dog. You were a good boy, and I love you.

* * *

During those rough months, I’d have gone insane if not for Big Steve. Tara brought him home from the pound to keep me company during the day. Big Steve was a mixed breed mutt — part Beagle, part Rottweiler, part Black Lab, and one hundred percent pussy. Despite his formidable size and bark, Big Steve was scared of his own shadow. He ran from butterflies and squirrels, fled from birds and wind-tossed leaves, and cowered when the mailwoman came to the door. When Tara first brought him home, he hid in the corner of the kitchen for half a day, shaking, with his tail between his legs. He warmed up to us fairly quick, but he was still frightened by anything else. Not that he let it show. When something—it didn’t matter what, a groundhog or Seth Ferguson, the kid from across the street—stepped onto our property, the Rottweiler inside him came out. He was all bark and no bite, but a robber would have had a hard time believing that.

Big Steve became my best friend. He listened while I read manuscript pages out loud to him. He’d lie on the couch and watch television with me when I took a break from writing. We liked the same beer, and the same food (because dog food just didn’t do it for Big Steve; he preferred a nice, juicy steak or some cheese-dripping pizza). Most importantly, Big Steve knew when it was time to drag my ass away from the computer. That was how we started our daily walks, and now they were a scheduled routine. Two per day—one at dawn, shortly after Tara left for work, and the second at sundown, before I started making dinner, when she was on her way home. Tara commutes to Baltimore everyday, and it was at those times—when she first left and when she was due home—that the house seemed especially lonely. Big Steve had impeccable timing. He’d get me outside and that always cheered me up.

and

And then, before we could move, Big Steve finally found his courage. Tara pranced by again, writhing in time to the music. Big Steve watched her pass. Then he slipped his collar and leaped from the undergrowth, landing in the midst of the circle, interrupting the orgy. The women screamed and scattered. Big Steve barked. The music stopped.

I clutched the dog’s empty leash in my hand.

Roaring, Hylinus charged.

Snarling, Big Steve sprang to meet him.

Following Your Dreams, or “What I Learned From Brian Keene” (Guest Blog by Jeff Heimbuch)

Jeff Heimbuch is the director of The Ties That Bind, Leeds Point, and Fast Zombies Suck, and one of the founding partners in my film production company, Drunken Tentacle Productions. He’s also just written a book — It’s Kind Of A Cute Story — that will appeal to Disney-philes young and old. He’s here to tell you that, and the truth about me…

Brian Keene changed my life.

It sounds like he paid me to say that, but it’s true (the life changing, not the paying me to say that part).

In the past few years, he’s gone from an author I enjoyed reading to a great friend whose sage advice, whether solicited or not, has helped me become a better person.

I first met Brian at the release party for the first issue of his run on Marvel Comics Dead of Night: Devil Slayer at Comix Connection. I drove 3 hours, from NJ, to the wilds of York, PA, in order to hang out with like-minded individuals (read: horror nuts), and to get to meet the author of some books I really enjoyed.

I emailed him earlier to ask about doing a film based on one of his short stories, and he suggested we talk about it after the release party. So, the release party came and went, and a bunch of us wound up at a hotel bar nearby for some drinks. It was in the dark and dank bar that I first got a glimpse at not Brian Keene, the author, but Brian Keene, the person.

He took his time to thank each person for coming individually, and really got to know his fans. That, to me, showed how much he appreciated their support. Hell, he even bought everyone a round. Knocking back a few brews with a mid-list horror author? Sounds like a good way to spend the evening.

(As an aside, that was also the night I first met some folks who wound up being some of the best damn friends I could ever have: Matt Blazi, Mike ‘Gorebeast ‘ Antonio, and Mike Lombardo. It was that very night, in the lobby of the Holiday Inn at 2AM, that the beginnings of Drunken Tentacle Productions began to form.)

When we began to talk about the film, I could see the fire in his eyes begin to ignite. This was about the time that the film version of The Rising had so many false starts that it was beginning to dishearten him. But, he was kind enough to take a chance on a wide-eyed Jersey Boy, and let him run wild with one of his creations, to see if some low-budget filmmaker could do what Hollywood couldn’t: make a Brian Keene movie.

Within a year, Brian Keene’s The Ties That Bind was completed, and the foundation of our friendship was solidified.

Now, for those of you who follow Keene’s non-fiction works, whether just here on his blog or the Hail Saten collections, you know he is a pretty outspoken guy when it comes to the topic of his career. He dispenses some fantastic advice to writers, both newly blossoming and seasoned veterans, that really should be heard.

But to me, it is his unspoken advice that is really the most invaluable. You see, in coming to know Brian, I began to see how he acts in both his professional and personal life. I’ve seen what makes him tick. I’ve watched him in action during some of his highest highs and his lowest lows. And the thing I took away from all of that is this: Keep moving forward, because things will get better.

No matter what life has thrown at him (heart attacks, divorce, Dorchester, break-ups), Brian has thrived by not dwelling on the past, and continuing to do what he loves best.

That’s not to say “what he loves best” doesn’t change day-to-day. One day it could be writing. Another could be spending time with his boys. And yet another could be a quiet night at home. But no matter what it is he is doing, the same principle applies: he lives the life he wants to lead, and does what makes him happy.

That’s some pretty goddamn profound advice, if you ask me.

Now, a lot of you may know me as a “horror” guy. I’ve directed, or been involved with, numerous horror films the past few years, like the aforementioned Brian Keene’s The Ties That Bind and the upcoming Drunken Tentacle Productions film Fast Zombies Suck. I’m at every horror convention on the East Coast that I can get too. I watch horror films constantly. I read horror novels. I pretty much am a horror guy.

But aside from all the horror stuff, there is another part of me that will probably surprise you: I’m a total Disney freak. Seriously. I’m obsessed with the Theme Parks, the films, and the history behind everything. I visit Walt Disney World at least once a year, if not more. I write 2 columns every week for one of the largest Disney fan sites out there. I do a weekly podcast, called Communicore Weekly, which explores the history behind the Parks. And now, the cherry on top of all that, I have a book being released today that helps tell the life story of someone whom I admire greatly, who helped create the Parks that I love dearly.

By now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Horror and Disney? What the hell? Talk about two opposite ends of the spectrum!”

You’re right about that.

But a little birdie once told me, through his actions and not his words, to do what I’m passionate about. And I did. I’ve done so ever since. Life has thrown me some curve balls along the way, too, but I continued to do what I love, and I’ve always come out on top at the end.

Monkey see, monkey do.

You see, Brian is more than just some guy who writes about giant, people-devouring worms and sexually active satyrs. He’s a damn good friend, and without him even realizing it, a damn good mentor.

Sure, we may poke fun at him most of the time, but the bottom line is this: I honestly don’t think I would be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for the actions of Brian Keene. I wouldn’t be following my dreams so feverishly if I hadn’t seen him do the very same for himself. Hell, I wouldn’t have some of the best damn friends I ever made if it wasn’t for him.

So, my advice? Listen to Brian Keene. That asshole certainly knows what he’s talking about.

ABOUT THE BOOK: It’s Kind Of A Cute Story is the story of one of the most beloved Disney Imagineers, Rolly Crump. Covering his long and varied career, including designing some of Disney’s most famous attractions and working with Walt Disney, Jacques Cousteau, Steve Wynn, and many other pop culture icons, Rolly’s stories weave into a lighthearted yet riveting narrative of his life and accomplishments. Packed with over 200 photos, many of which have never been seen before, It’s Kind Of A Cute Story is a tribute to the life and work of a true original.

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Kind-Cute-Story-Rolly-Crump/dp/098547064X

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-kind-of-a-cute-story-jeff-heimbuch/1111673845?ean=9780985470647

Limited Edition Signed Hardcover: http://bambooforest.storenvy.com/products/678052-it-s-kind-of-a-cute-story-limited-edition-hardback

Hurricane Sandy Fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/communicoreweekly

The Labyrinth’s Entrance

Longtime readers know that all of my work occupies a shared universe. Most fans have referred to it as The Labyrinth Mythos, and I’m okay with that — it’s as good a name as any. Readers also know that a seven-book series called The Labyrinth is in the works. Comparisons to Stephen King’s Dark Tower epic are fair, although in truth, it will be more like Marvel’s Secret Wars and DC’s Crisis On Infinite Earths.

The first book in that series — The Seven (The Labyrinth, Book 1) is halfway finished. I intend to finish it once I’ve gotten these works in progress out of the way. But there are three books that serve as a prologue to this event and if you read them now, you’ll really get a sense of what the series is going to be like. They are Clickers vs. Zombies, Tequila’s Sunrise, and Earthworm Gods II: Deluge. Here’s how that works. Clickers vs. Zombies and Earthworm Gods II: Deluge are direct prologues to The Labyrinth — foreshadowing of things to come, with events that will directly impact future novels. Tequila’s Sunrise is more of a preface — a history lesson giving new readers a sense of just what The Labyrinth is.

Of these three, Clickers vs. Zombies offers the best feel of what The Labyrinth series will be like. In Clickers vs. Zombies, characters from The Rising and City of the Dead (including Ob, Jim Thurmond, and Jim’s son Danny) crossover with characters from the Clickers series, as Ob and the Siqqusim try to destroy yet another Earth. But there are also appearances by Levi (from Ghost Walk, A Gathering of Crows, and The Witching Tree), Black Lodge (from various short stories), Dez (from Darkness On The Edge Of Town) and many more. There’s even a glimpse at a few pages from The Field Guide To The Thirteen. And you’ve got all of these disparate characters waging an all-out war against the forces of the Thirteen.

Which is pretty much what The Labyrinth series will be. In The Seven, characters from various novels will be called together to wage final battle. You’ll find out what happened to Frankie at the end of City of the Dead. You’ll find out where Nelson LeHorn really disappeared to at the end of Dark Hollow. You’ll learn why the Exit does what he does. The secret history of Black Lodge. The fate of Teddy Garnett from Earthworm Gods. And much more.

So if you haven’t, read these three books now. Then the stage will be set and the main show can begin. And oh what a show it’s going to be…

Clickers vs. Zombies is currently available in trade paperback. Digital is forthcoming.

Tequila’s Sunrise is currently available in trade paperback, Kindle, and Nook.

Earthworm Gods II: Deluge is currently available in hardcover. Paperback and digital forthcoming next year.

All of them can be ordered by either clicking their cover images in this Blog post, or by clicking here.

Keene For Congress?

Scott Blanchard’s piece in today’s York Daily Record examines York County’s write-in votes from the election earlier this month. He reports: “Satan received six votes, all but one from a precinct in Dallastown. It’s probably just coincidence that Stephen King, master horror novelist, and York County resident and horror novelist Brian Keene got votes here, too.“

Yes. Yes, I’m sure it’s just coincidence. But I’ll be forming an exploratory committee nevertheless…

THE LAST ZOMBIE: BEFORE THE AFTER #2

On sale today is The Last Zombie: Before the After #2. If your local comic book store doesn’t carry it, you can buy it direct from the publisher here.

When a freak snowstorm forces the team to seek shelter inside an abandoned hotel, they learn each others deepest, darkest secrets. And as the vaccine keeping him alive begins to show signs of weakening, Ian confides in Ananti, reminiscing about his last contact with Jen and wondering what has become of her. Meanwhile, Doctor Federman’s suspicions about Ian’s illness grow stronger, and will put the entire mission at risk.

MEETING THE BLACK by Tom Piccirilli – Guest Blog (UPDATED)

As you know, Tom Piccirilli is battling brain cancer. So far, chemo and radiation are going well. The pills he will have to take for the rest of his life cost $14,000 a month (no, that is not a typo). Luckily, he has been accepted into a program that will help pay for those. But even so, he and his wife Michelle can still use your help. You can donate money to Tom via PayPal to PicSelf1@aol.com. You can also purchase one of his digital books published by Crossroads Press.

Last month, when I visited Tom after his surgery, he told me he’d “written a little something” about what he was going through before and after the operation. That little something was called Meeting the Black.

UPDATE: Meeting the Black was hosted here, but now Crossroads Press have released it in digital. So that Tom will get those future sales, I have removed the essay. You can download it here.