Bradley James Weber

Startling Stories for All Ages

Stories

Part 1 — Done?

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Photo copyright by Andrew Colunga. (Click image to see more of his work.)

Good news — Part I of Fear & Loathing of the Undead is done!

HUZZAH!

OK, more like done-ish. It’ll keep being tinkered with until the whole thing goes to press. Whenever that may be.

Meanwhile, this is a a milestone worthy of at least minor celebration.  The story is a solid 27,000 words crafted into sixteen tight chapters.  Target date for completion is sometime in November —- roughly seven months from now. It’s possible . . . but there’s a ton more research to do and several trips to work around including  a week-long stay at Disney World, a drive to Atlanta, and a recon mission to Aspen. Too much to do in not enough time? We’ll see.

High Praise

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There was no way to keep quite about Marty Flynn’s fantastic site detailing his HST collection and the guidance offered to others trying to find The Complete Works. Close on the heels of my March 2 post, Marty wrote:

Keep the Gonzo Fires Burning

There are Gonzo freaks and there are Gonzo freaks. The latter are the ones, who after absorbing copious amounts of Hunter Thompson’s texts feel the compulsion to share their freakish leanings with the world. They have all been mentioned here at one point or another. I wont make a list for fear of leaving someone out (which would happen.) These folks are so dedicated and brilliant at keeping Hunter’s name alive it is almost  redundant to say so.

The latest addition to this list is a chap who calls himself Bradley James Weber and the birth of His “Parody” Fear and Loathing of the Undead 78 a book in progress. The first 15 pages are on his site. I have read what he has written so far but I’ll wait until he’s finished before I review it. For now I’ll say, so far it’s clever, funny, and very Gonzoesque. I must stress (as he does) that it is a parody not a copycat affair. I’m looking forward to the rest. Lets hope he gets cracking and finishes it soon.

So Mr Weber, well done, keep the faith and keep working.

I’ve been called a lot of things, many of them deserved, most not suitable for print or polite conversation. But being tagged as a Gonzo Freak and having my name added to the rolls is deeply gratifying and a true honor.

Like Cyrano de Bergerac,  I tend to keep a chip on my shoulder and ‘carry my adornments only on my soul, decked with deeds instead of ribbons.’ What better place to sew the Gonzo Freak merit badge?

Takes one to know one, Marty. Thanks.

The Mouth of the Yukon — new fiction

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click here to download story (.pdf 472Kb)

(03/30 UPDATE: Had to pull and re-post the story document as it had some info on it that shouldn’t have been there. All clear now. Remain calm and carry on. That is all.)

A lot of stories have come off this machine lately, most of which are not entirely suitable for this site. Too many kids running around. Little kids — impressionable, not ready for restaurant hold-ups or the unpleasant demise of an old Southern matriarch.

And while this story isn’t for the wee young’uns, it’s ready material for the teenagers in your life. There’s some swearing in it, but nothing your average 6th grader hasn’t said or heard by now.

So, enough with the disclaimers. Enjoy the story; leave some comments. Repeat. Do it.

Avenge-O the Crime-fighting Robot (comics)

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Avenge-O Adventures (click to download)(1.9MB)

Click the above link to see the first couple of installments in the Avenge-O saga.

The first story, “Forging of a Hero,” was written and drawn (by me) in 1999. It was supposed to be part of Supermarket Action!, a compilation showcasing the work of each Fine Arts Guild member. The conceit was every story had to take place in, or do with, a supermarket or grocery store.

It was a great idea. Unfortunately, it suffered from the same fatal defects encountered on most group projects and was never published. I don’t know if any of the other FAGs finished their parts. Not that it matters now.

Anyway, Part Two, “.38 Caliber Discount”, was written by me, too. I did a version with art for the book. In 2005, I headed to San Diego’s Comic Con International in search of an artist to work on a larger (awesomely good) Avenge-O script. I met cartoonist and industry inker Jorge Pacheco. He did a great job on these three pages. We’d planned to work together more, but he got married and had a kid, so that fell through, too.

Avenge-O first saw print in the (ultra-limited edition) JMS SHOWCASE. I sold almost the full run these in San Diego last year.

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Other stories in this issue include “My Dead Grandmother Keeps Getting Mail,” an installment of “Monkeys On An Elevator”, and Parts I-III of “TOPOR: THE THING THAT SLEPT!”

I think there are still a few copies around. Anyone interested in a FREE! SIGNED! book, drop me a line in the comments section. I’ll give ’em away until there ain’t no more.

Kirk vs. Cthulhu?

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I’ve just finished reading Tales Of H.P. Lovecraft, a collection of the master’s shorter works selected and introduced by Joyce Carol Oates. (With some nice cover art by Mike Mignola, creator of the steampunk-tastic, Amazing Screw-On Head!)

Tales is a nice intro to Lovecraft’s mad and lonely world. The ten stories showcase what I imagine are some of the man’s best (and most accessible?) efforts, but also provide a Whitman’s Sampler of what has become known as The Cthulhu Mythos.

The central tenant of Lovecraft’s ‘pseudomythology’ is that Earth has been repeatedly invaded and populated over the eons by a series of alien races. In fact, “At The Mountains Of Madness,” hints that everything living here — plants, animals, humans — evolved from some ancient Elder Things’ experiments that were left to run wild.

So, if they (the Old Ones/Elder Things, Outer Gods, etc., etc.), are of outer space, and for as far and wide as the Enterprise ranged over the years, you’d think sometime, somewhere, Kirk & Co. would have come across these star-spawn, or at the very least, the degenerate remains of their home worlds.

I went looking for Star Trek/Cthulhu Mythos stories — authorized or fan fic — but my Interwebbular searches availed naught.

Has anyone written or found anything in this vein? If so, I humbly request your links. Please add them to the Comments section.

Many thanks.

( Kirk image courtesy of these nice people, Cthulhu image courtesy of this guy.)