Philip Nutman R.I.P.

Philip Nutman died last night after a short hospitalization. Best known for his absolutely seminal zombie novel, Wet Work, (which was a profound influence on my own The Rising), Phil was also a screenwriter, comic book writer, editor, actor, journalist, and lecturer. Other books included Cities of Night. His filmography includes  The Girl Next Door, Abed, Thunderhead, and The Last Blood. He was a major contributor to Fangoria, as well as being featured regularly in Metal Hammer, Twilight Zone, Gorezone, Penthouse, Gallery, and Comics Scene.

It has been a hard year for our genre and industry, and this is another great loss. If you’ve been in this business long enough, you probably have a favorite Phil Nutman story. Some will probably be told in the next few days. Others should probably stay private. My own involves a particular NECON where Phil decided to make a movie, show it once, and then destroy it. He was adamant that Tim Lebbon and I appear in the film, but we were reluctant to do so, and thus ensued a weekend-long game of cat and mouse, ultimately ending on the final night of the convention, when Tim and I were hiding in a darkened hotel room, and Phil, camera in hand, finally tracked us down. I never did get to see that movie…