Mark West's Blog, page 19
January 28, 2019
Heart Of Glass, at 40
Heart Of Glass, the fourth single (following Picture This, I’m Gonna Love You Too and Hanging On The Telephone) from Parallel Lines (which I wrote about here), was released on 27th January 1979 in the UK. Recorded at The Record Plant in New York during June 1977, it was written by Chris Stein & Debbie Harry and produced by Mike Chapman.
Heart Of Glass broke Blondie worldwide and was a huge hit
Heart Of Glass broke Blondie worldwide and was a huge hit
January 21, 2019
Nostalgic For My Childhood - The Crunch comic at 40
Forty years ago this week, D.C. Thomson launched a new comic called The Crunch (cover dated 20th January 1979), edited by Bill Graham. Warlord aside, it was a bit more brutal than their usual fare in, according to some, an attempt to compete with rival publisher IPC’s 2000AD. At the time, ten-year-old me wasn’t too bothered, I was just happy I’d found a new comic after the demise of my
January 14, 2019
Happy Birthday, Caroline Munro!
Back in the mid-70s, on an advertising hoarding in Corby, I saw my first ad for Lamb’s Navy Rum and fell instantly in love with the model on it. She had a pretty face, long dark hair and her wet-suit was zipped to her belly. A little while later, with some school-mates, I went to see The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad and there she was, my first crush! Later still, Dad took me to see The Spy Who
January 7, 2019
Hell Ship, by Benedict J. Jones (a review and Q&A)
In a new edition of the occasional series, I want to tell you about a book I've read and loved, which I think adds to the horror genre and that I think you'll enjoy if you're a fan.
1944, The Malacca Straights; Blood slicks the deck of a Japanese ship as a terrible ritual is enacting to aid the failing Imperial Forces against the Allies. The ritual rends the very fabric of our world giving
1944, The Malacca Straights; Blood slicks the deck of a Japanese ship as a terrible ritual is enacting to aid the failing Imperial Forces against the Allies. The ritual rends the very fabric of our world giving
December 27, 2018
My Creative Year 2018
Continuing a tradition (now in its sixth year), here's my annual look back at 2018 from a creative standpoint.
During the year, I wrote one short story (Brooks Pond), which Tracy Fahey was kind enough to ask me for (see below for more details), as well as a load of essays for this blog (which is always enjoyable). On the novel front, I began sending my submission package out in April and,
During the year, I wrote one short story (Brooks Pond), which Tracy Fahey was kind enough to ask me for (see below for more details), as well as a load of essays for this blog (which is always enjoyable). On the novel front, I began sending my submission package out in April and,
December 24, 2018
Happy Christmas!
I’d like to take the opportunity to wish readers of this blog a very Happy Christmas, with all best wishes for the New Year.
Thank you, as ever, for your continued support and interest - let's hope 2019 is as good to us as we want it to be!
Thank you, as ever, for your continued support and interest - let's hope 2019 is as good to us as we want it to be!
December 17, 2018
The Tenth Annual Westies - review of the year 2018
Well, here we are again (where does the time go, eh?), gearing up for Christmas and all things festive so that means it's time to indulge in the annual blog custom and remember the good books of 2018.
Once again, it's been a great reading year for me with a nice mixture of brand new novels (I was on the BFS Horror Novel Award jury again), a few books that have been languishing on my TBR pile
Once again, it's been a great reading year for me with a nice mixture of brand new novels (I was on the BFS Horror Novel Award jury again), a few books that have been languishing on my TBR pile
December 10, 2018
Nostalgic For My Childhood - Christmas Annuals (part 2)
"Christmas is coming!"
Me & Tracy, Christmas 1976 - I am clearly chuffed to have the Action Man game AND Evel Knieval, while TJ is pleased to have her Sindy horse (or could it really be Black Beauty?)
As I wrote about last year (you can read it here), one of the Christmas highlights when I was a kid (beyond the catalogues I wrote about in 2016) was seeing which annual I got that particular
Me & Tracy, Christmas 1976 - I am clearly chuffed to have the Action Man game AND Evel Knieval, while TJ is pleased to have her Sindy horse (or could it really be Black Beauty?)
As I wrote about last year (you can read it here), one of the Christmas highlights when I was a kid (beyond the catalogues I wrote about in 2016) was seeing which annual I got that particular
December 3, 2018
Bullet, 40 years on...
Last summer, on holiday, we visited Whitby (a town all three
of us loved) and, quite by chance, I discovered a retro shop on Baxtergate (it was next door to The
Whitby Cobbler, but appears to have closed down now) and couldn't resist a look around. At
the back of the shop was a big section full of old comics and I found three
boxes full of Warlord, Battle, Crunch and Bullet comics and was
of us loved) and, quite by chance, I discovered a retro shop on Baxtergate (it was next door to The
Whitby Cobbler, but appears to have closed down now) and couldn't resist a look around. At
the back of the shop was a big section full of old comics and I found three
boxes full of Warlord, Battle, Crunch and Bullet comics and was
November 26, 2018
Sledge-Lit 4, Derby, 24th November 2018
This year saw the fourth Sledge-Lit event in Derby, held at the Quad and as I had such a good time at the previous events (I wrote about 2015 here, 2016 here and 2017 here), I bought my ticket as soon as it was announced. Intrigued by the event - and my enthusiasm for it - my old friend David Roberts (who I've been co-plotting my thriller novels with) decided to come along too. Organised and
