Gangsters and Vampires: A Chat With Brian McKinley

Today I'd like to introduce you to Brian McKinley, an author from New Jersey who's written a novel with an interesting take on the vampire genre.

In Drawing Dead the world of the gangster is written very well. The two worlds (gangster and vampire) merge seamlessly. Had you done a lot of research on the gangster culture of the time?

Thank you, first of all. To answer: yes. I’ve always been a fan of gangster movies and novels, and had wanted to write a gangster movie about the 20s/30s that was more reality-based and factual than most were. Faolan was actually going to be the main character in that story as a human mobster.

Which came first: The desire to write a vampire novel using gangsters or a gangster novel using vampires? In other words, were the two separate interests that merged or did one inspire research on the other?

Well, Faolan began as the antagonist of another novel called The Chermasu and, the more scenes with him that I wrote, the more I liked him and didn’t want to kill him off. So I started changing the plot to allow him to live, but that still wasn’t quite enough. Then a friend of mine suggested that I write a novel about Faolan and I decided that I wanted to start from the beginning. That started the idea of making a series about his rise to power. So I suppose the vampire came first, but the attraction of telling Faolan’s story lay in his gangster roots.

When/how did you become interested in vampires?

Wow, probably back when I was very young. I used to watch the classic Universal movies on TV and loved them (though at the time my favorite was Frankenstein’s Monster). I don’t think it was until I read Interview with the Vampire in high school that the idea of a vampire protagonist really hit me. I still didn’t start writing about vampires for many years later, when I started being inspired to use some of my roleplaying characters in my fiction.

In terms of the genre, what book do you consider over rated and what book do you think should have more popularity?

I’m going to avoid the obvious Twilight, because that’s too easy. I actually don’t think that much of Dracula as a novel, considering the cultural impact that it’s had. The characters are iconic, but the book itself is badly-paced and episodic. As for which book I think should be more popular (aside from my own!)...

Who are some of your favorite authors?

George R.R. Martin, Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod, Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Thomas Harris.

When/how did the writing bug bite you?

I remember writing stories for my grandparents from the time that I could put sentences together. I always loved making up stories and creating worlds.

Anyone else in your family interested in writing?

Not really. I have a few relatives who read, but I seem to be a bit of a rarity.

You have in the past mentioned your battles with depression. Can you explain how this has affected your writing (alternatively, if writing has helped with the depression)?

It’s definitely effected my writing, but mostly as a detriment. My depressive episodes tend to sap my energy, focus, and motivation, so I might think about my story, but I don’t get any writing done. Occasionally, I’ve managed to force myself to write while depressed and I usually feel better afterwards, but that never makes it easier to get started.

Would you ever try writing outside the vampire genre?

Absolutely. I started off writing psychological thrillers, but I’ve always had an interest in historical fiction as well as sci-fi. I have an idea for a sci-fi series, but I’ve been sticking with the vampire books for the moment because I feel like I need to establish myself in one genre before expanding into others.

Is Drawing Dead the first book in a continuing series or only one in a set number of sequels planned?

As I mentioned, I plan it as the first in a series that will span the 20^th Century and up to the present with each book taking place in a different decade. I want to try to reflect what’s happening in America with what’s happening with the characters.

What is Drawing Dead about?

In essence, it’s about a terrible human being who, by turning into a “monster”, actually becomes a better person. That’s contrasted by his quest to be a success in the vampire society, despite tremendous odds against him.

You have another novel out there, don’t you? What's the title and plot of that one?

Well, Ancient Blood is only out there as an audiobook currently, but I’m planning to re-release that one. AB takes place in the same universe as Drawing Dead, but in the modern day. It’s the story of Avery, a vampire fanboy who becomes a real vampire, and is forced to deal with the ruling council and their politics.

Do you have any sort of routine for when you write: Favorite music you listen to, a particular time you prefer to write?

I try to make myself write whenever I have time, but it seems to work best if I isolate myself away from TV or the internet. I do a lot of writing in restaurants, especially a truck stop near me that has a good buffet and no internet. I also like music and I tend to create playlists for different characters that help me get into their headspace. I don’t have any real writing rituals, though.

What are some of your favorites in books, movies and TV?

I’m watching a lot more TV shows than I used to, since it seems like the quality of cable and even network dramas are improving. "Penny Dreadful," "Game of Thrones," "Hannibal," "Walking Dead," "Rome," "Boardwalk Empire," "Blacklist," and all those CW super-hero shows. Most of my favorite movies are older now, things like "Goodfellas," "The Godfather," "Silence of the Lambs," "Princess Bride," "Young Frankenstein," "Pulp Fiction," and such, but I like a lot of the new Marvel movies, too.

Have you ever written anything that afterward surprised you? Perhaps after a reading it you recognized a hidden subtext that you didn’t realize was there?

I can’t really think of anything, because I tend to obsess and struggle over every scene as I write it so everything in there is usually deliberate. However, I have still been surprised sometimes by things that other people will see in my writing. Sometimes I see what they mean afterwards and sometimes it baffles me because it wasn’t at all what I intended.

Who would you like to see play the characters in a movie.

Is it ridiculous that I think about that stuff a lot? It’s kind of a difficult decision because I know enough about the movie business to understand that who I’d want and who would actually be possible to cast are very different. A lot of the actors I originally pictured in these roles are now way too old to be appropriate. Then there are certain actors who might perfectly capture the essence of a character but not look anything like what I describe in my novel. I may open this up as a contest in the future and see what others think.

What do you like best and like least about the marketing process?

You’re kidding, right? I enjoy doing interviews like this and talking casually about my work, but I absolutely hate trying to “sell” it. Even though I believe in what I’ve done completely, I’d much rather have other people say good things about it. I’ve still never done any sort of ad or post about my books that didn’t make me feel a little cheesy.

Any future projects you can tell us about?

Sure. Right now I’m working on the sequel to Drawing Dead which will probably be called Drawing Thin. I’ve got a bunch of pages written for the sequel to Ancient Blood, but I still have the second half of that to write. I’d also like to revisit The Chermasu and try to make that work.

Where can people find more information on you or your projects?
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940812763

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Dead-Faolan-OConnor-Novel-ebook/dp/B015RD8CRM

http://pdmipub.wix.com/drawingdead

https://brianpatrickmckinley.wordpress.com/

Thanks Brian

A Trip to the Stars with Jex Collyer

Today I'd like to feature an author from England whose first novel has gotten some great reviews. Zero by Jex Collyer was released Aug. 15, 2014. The sequel, Haven, is due out Oct. 24.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Shropshire in the midlands but now live in Lancaster in the North West.

When did the writing bug hit you?

I’ve been scribbling stories since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I used to fold paper in half and staple it together to make books and wrote stories about trolls and pirates. When I started my Creative Writing degrees was when I first started getting serious about learning to write and being determined to get somewhere with it.

Do you have any authors or works that inspired you?

My biggest influences were actually fantasy writers and anime series from the nineties. Robin Hobb, fantasy author of the "Farseer Series," showed me exactly what sort of fiction I wanted to write: character-driven, emotive and epic but with buckets of other-worldliness. I also grew up with "Star Wars" and watching Japanese TV shows and movies like "Akira" and "Patlabore": these had a big influence on the style of setting and story types I enjoy.

Had you published prior to Zero: An Orbit Novel?

I have had a few short stories published in various anthologies, including Dagda Publishing’s Tuned to a Dead Channel and All Hail the New Flesh. My short stories tend to be science fiction, though I have had a horror story published in online E-Zine ‘Sirens’ Call’ also.

Zero is a science fiction novel. Is that the genre you feel more comfortable writing in?

Absolutely. I veered hither and yon with genre when I was doing my degrees. I tried literary, supernatural, general, horror. Secretly, I always thought I’d end up writing fantasy like my hero Robin Hobb. I even planned and started a fantasy novel. But then I was given a deadline for Zero and it brought roaring back everything I loved about "Star Wars" and the anime I grew up with. Never say never but I strongly suspect it will be SciFi and SpecFic from here on in.

Would you ever try anything outside that genre?

If I got an idea that just had to be done I probably would. Not many story ideas come to me these days that don’t have a scifi setting or element to them. My other great author hero apart from Robin Hobb, however, is Anne Rice. Old-style, decadent vampire fiction will always by a guilty pleasure of mine and I may have to try my hand at it one day.

What is the plot of your Zero?

Zero is set in the not-too-distant future of our own world and follows the story of Kaleb Hugo, a conservative, well-born soldier who holds a high rank in the Orbit-wide military establishment known as The Service. He is publicly disgraced after disobeying orders but is secretly re-assigned to captain the Zero – an undercover vessel engaged in smuggling and espionage charged with feeding underworld intelligence to the Service. He sees it has a demotion, especially after meeting the rag-tag crew he is to captain who look to their sardonic and wry commander, Ezekiel Webb, for leadership. But together they stumble into Orbit-wide conspiracies and revolutionary threats. Hugo will have to decide which side he’s on to prevent disaster. 

Zero is part of a series. What’s the title of the sequel and when is that due out?

Book 2 in the Orbit Series is called Haven and is released this October on the 24th.  The advance copies have gone out to a few reviewers already and feedback so far has been good. It continues the story of Hugo and how he deals with the aftermath of the events in book 1.

What if anything inspired the Zero?

I think my biggest influence for the setting was an Japanese anime TV series called "Gundam Wing" that was on in the nineties. However, the characters and narrative are inspired by a hundred different things I’ve read, watched or listened to. A lot of people draw comparisons to "Firefly", but I have never actually watched it. Given its premise and popularity, however, I certainly don’t  mind this comparison.

I really like the cover for Zero (and what I’ve seen of the follow up, Haven). Did you have any input on the artwork for the cover?

I was lucky enough to choose my own cover artist and was able to confer with him directly on the art, but it was all down to his talent. His name is Matt Davis and he works for Rock and Hill Studio. You can find his company online rockandhillstudio.com and he is well worth investing in. He’s doing the art for the next two books too.

Do you have a particular writing routine that you stick to? Perhaps you prefer to write at night, or you outline the book before writing it, etc.?

I have a full-time job so I have to be pretty strict with my writing routine to ensure I meet deadlines. I usually write after work, every day, for a few hours, but I prefer sinking bigger chunks of time into it. I take time off my day job as regularly as I can and often go away for a long weekend at a B & B to make a decent amount of progress on whatever project I’m working on. I always outline a book before I write it. I embellish and deviate from the plans usually, but I have to know where a plot is going before I start writing it.

Were other members of your family interested in writing?

My mum is a big reader – I got my love of fiction from her. My brother reads a lot too, and is creative in other ways, but I’m the only writer in the family. 

Have you ever written anything that, once you were done, sort of took you by surprise? For example, as you were writing you didn’t realize there was a subtext there that you caught later?

I’ve often written things that have surprised me with the direction they’ve taken. I always have an idea about what sort of thing I want to write and where I want it to go, but I often find the characters surprise me as I discover more about them by putting them in different situations. Sometimes they reveal significances about themselves that it never previously occurred to me they would have. I can’t say a subtext has ever taken me by surprise, but readers may find ones in there yet that I didn’t realise were there.

What are some of the books considered classic that you like?

I steered clear of classics for a long time. I was often bored, intimidated or mystified by them and didn’t find them an enjoyable experience growing up. However, I have continued to explore in the name of informing and improving my own writing and have since discovered that I love Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, Rebecca  and To Kill a Mockingbird. It has proved to me that you should never write anything off in fiction: you never know what you might end up falling in love with.

Do you have any favorite music that inspires you or that you listen to while you write? 

I listen to a lot of film soundtracks when I write. I find they are great for producing emotion and mental images of action and drama so I find them very inspiring. My favourites are "Lord of the Rings," "300" and the "Troy" soundtracks. I also have a favourite band, mind.in.a.box, that have a very SciFi feel and they, too, help me get ideas and generate mood.



What author (living or dead) would you love to meet?

I would love to meet my favourite authors Robin Hobb, fantasy writer who I’ve already spoken about and Anne Rice whose "Vampire Chronicles" had a major influence on me as a young reader.

Have you seen a marked difference in your writing since you started? Not necessarily in quality but perhaps direction? Do you perhaps approach it differently than you once did?

I approach it with more discipline and with a perhaps more sensible attitude than I used to. It used to be something I did just for fun and was all dreams and premise and plans. It’s still a hobby, and I love it, but it’s now something I’ve invested a lot of time, effort and money in to get to the point where it’s at. I’d now really like to see it go somewhere, so I’m sensible about making sure it gets the time, dedication and commitment it needs to get books written, promoted and sold.

As for direction, I still do it for the love of it and for the love of having people read my stories. That direction is still the same. It’s just now I feel like it’s actually starting to happen rather than just a distant dream.

Do you have any hobbies?
Apart from writing I love, probably predictably: reading, walking, going to gigs and listening to music.

What are some of your favorite TV and Movies (and have any helped inspire your writing)?

I’ve already mentioned some of the Japanese anime that had a big impact on me and still does to this day: "Gundam Wing" which was a SciFi TV series for teenage boys, "Akira", the classic dystopian 80s anime movie and "Patlabore" which is another post-apocalyptic futuristic Japanese SciFi. As far as current entertainment goes, I like anything I find well-written which has depth but I tend to get drawn to things that are Scifi, Fantasy of Supernatural. I do enjoy a good whodunit too. My favorites are "Supernatural", "Gotham", "The Mentalist", "Midsomer Murders", the "Alien" films, the "Predator" films…all pretty obvious choices probably!

Who would you like to see in a movie version of your novel?

I’ve thought about this a lot. What writer doesn’t? One of my favorite pastimes. But have yet to decide absolutely who would be best in the leading roles, though I’m leaning toward Idris Elba or Colin Farrel as the moody, conservative Hugo and Cylian Murphy as the sarcastic, wry-humoured Webb. Would also love to see Charlize Theron, Lena Headey, and Judi Dench in there too.

I have a friend who told me that marketing a book can be a full time gig in itself. I now know of course how right he was. Yet there are particulars to the marketing process that I happen to enjoy. Do you have any marketing tips to share with fellow authors? Also, are there aspects of marketing that you like and aspects that you really would rather not do?

Marketing is definitely a big job and works best with professional input and budget it too. Of course, not everyone has access to a professional marketing budget or manager, so it really is worth investing time in that which you can do yourself: set up a Twitter, a Facebook page and a Goodreads account. Get a blog too (I use wordpress) then sling content up and do it regularly. 

My biggest tip is don’t use these platforms to just say BUY MY BOOK. It won’t work and you look desperate when you probably aren’t. Put up book reviews, thoughts on the writing process, announcements, articles that interest you or advertise events you’re attending or support. I enjoy all these things, though they do take a lot of time. So be realistic about this: it needs to be done and it takes time and people will engage if you’re enthusiastic. My favourite form of marketing is attending conventions. I get tables at cons and SciFi festival and local comic days regularly to sell my books and meet new fans and readers. The personable approach is very effective and is also a lot more fun. Of course, this costs money and time. Again, be realistic.

I don’t mind doing any of the things I do (all of the above). I do wish I had more of a budget to invest in events, conventions and getting on booklists and websites, but going through an independent publisher means swings and roundabouts. I may not have a professional budget to sink into things at this stage, but having the control of my work that I do as well as the hands-on approach to marketing and the great support of an enthusiastic publisher more than make up for it.

Do you have any advice, words of wisdom, suggestions for other up and coming and authors? Also, was there anything that surprised you (positively and negatively) about the writing game once you were immersed in it?

The best piece of advice is: write. It may seem obvious but I’m constantly surprised by the amount of people I meet who want to be writers, but then don’t actually write anything. I understand in some ways: the idea of writing a whole novel is daunting. What if it’s no good? What if I run out of ideas? What if no one reads it? What if no one wants to publish it? These are understandable doubts, but they are not helpful. You squash them all buy just doing it. When you write and write and write, bang, surprise surprise: you have material. When you have material, you can then work with it, get advice, feedback and progress and BAM, you have a PRODUCT. This carries on forever: never stop wanting to get better but never stop going. This means you leave books, stories and readers and a growing audience in your wake.

The only thing that surprised me, and it was in an immeasurably pleasurable way, was that, good Lord, I could actually write a book. And, even better, that people enjoyed reading it. Having done that, I feel I could do anything.


Any links people can use to find information on you and your work?

Absolutely!

My wordpress for publication and eventt reviews and announcements: http://jcollyer.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jscollyer
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jexshinigami
Booklist on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8331150.J_S_Collyer

Look forward to connecting with anyone and everyone who likes fiction/scifi/writing!

Thanks Jex.

A Chat with JD Atkin, Author of Divine Nature

From time to time I like to post interviews with other writers to get an idea of the writing game from other people's perspectives. Today I'd like to introduce you to J.D. Atkin, a writer from Nottingham, England, who recently wrote a novel, Divine Nature that he's trying to get published and he's using an interesting promotional method to do it. More on that toward the end of the interview.

When did the writing bug hit you?

I have always been an avid reader and have dabbled in word bothering since I was a child. I suppose the 'bug' got me proper a few years back, when I started work on my magnum opus which is a still an on going project, a tale without end.

Do you have any authors or works that inspired you?

My earliest influence was definitely Roald Dahl. The worlds he created are without compare. From there I was utterly enthralled by Douglas Adams and then Terry Pratchett and finally Robert Rankin.

Have you published before?

I haven't published before, no. I am excited to get the ball rolling with Divine Nature.

What genre do you feel more comfortable writing in?

Initially I started writing non-fiction, I have an utter fascination for almost everything. I began writing an encyclopedia but kept making things up. From there I settled reluctantly into science fiction, the genre allows for such creativity and encompasses almost any topic.

Would you ever try anything again outside that genre?

Oh absolutely! I include both comedy and horror in my work but would love to expand on one of those. I'd also love to write tales from history; the story of Bela Kiss the Hungarian serial killer is fascinating as are my grandfather's tales of his youth, though I suspect they are greatly exaggerated...

What is the plot of your novel Divine Nature?

Divine Nature follows the character Meris, a girl of sorts blessed with strange powers at the end of the world. She is trapped within the ruins of a vast, labyrinthine laboratory called The Institute that is the focal point of a civil war between science and atheism and is fighting to avoid both sides.
Along the way she encounters a whole host of hooligans, robots, an unspeakable horror and many, many fish.

Is the novel part of a series?

It isn't, I generally like to write single stories though I am working on a novel that may eventually have to become a series.

What if anything inspired the novel?

As cliché as it sounds, it came to me in a dream. I saw a war between two gangs in the remains of a huge warehouse filled with fish tanks. Meris then was just a nameless girl that kept disappearing into the water and was guarded by a gigantic, robotic Cyclops.

Directly I suppose the city of Rapture from the "Bioshock" series had a influence in as far as the style of the decor within the Institute goes.

Do you have a particular writing routine that you stick to? Perhaps you write at night, or you outline the book etc.?

I am rather hectic and ad hoc in my writing but I certainly find Pringles and red wine helps the process...

Were other members of your family interested in writing?

Not really though the mother did want to write a story about her experiences with our insane Labrador. Sadly Marley and Me came out first though I'd argue Sam was a much heavier handful...

Have you ever written anything that, once you were done, sort of took you by surprise? For example, as you were writing you didn’t realize there was a subtext there that you caught later.

Occasionally yes. I generally start out with a fun and light idea but then the subtext becomes quite dark. The fight against the idea of God was something I hadn't planned when writing Divine Nature but it slowly grew as people read the original version and pointed it out.

What are some of the books considered classic that you like?

It has to be Frankenstein, an absolute beauty of a book and definitely goes alongside Divine Nature. The work of Dickens always fascinates me and of course Tolkien, everyone loves Tolkien.

A lot of writers get in the mood to write with music. Do you have any favorite music that inspires you or that you listen to while you write? 

Remarkably I find Daftpunk to be the best music to write to. That and classical, especially Debussy. Anything without lyrics really, I am very easily distracted.

What author (alive or dead) would you like to meet?

Douglas Adams, without hesitation.
Closely followed by Sir Terry Pratchett.
Alive, well that would have to be Robert Rankin though Operation Best Friend is still in progress...

Have you seen a marked difference in your writing since you started? Not necessarily in quality but perhaps direction? Do you perhaps approach it differently than you once did?

I compromise more. My actual writing style is incredibly hectic and is overly chatty and tangential. My early work is quite difficult to read as I write for myself so have a lot of obscure references. My much put upon girlfriend is a ruthless editor so has helped me to write for humans...

What hobbies do you have?

Heavy drinking mostly, for my sins.

What are some of your favorite TV shows and Movies (and have any helped inspire your writing)?

As nerdy as it is I utterly love "Doctor Who". The fact that every episode can be anywhere, anywhen and can feature anything just captures me. I was a young teen when the series was revived and something about the Doctor's character really spoke to me.

I have a few plots for 'Who novels tucked away, it would be an honour to write for the programme or contribute to the mythos in some way.



Movie wise, how good is the "Big Lebowski"? That is a brilliant film.

Explain your involvement with Britain's Next Bestseller? I find the idea interesting: It's not a Go Fund Me organization but definitely one in which the author has to drum up a fair amount of support to gain a book contract. 

BNBS is essentially a pitching platform for new authors to speak to their audience and prove there is a market for their book. As long as the orders are there Live it, through BNBS will publish, market and take it forwards. It is a refreshing break from the dull lottery that is dealing with publishers. If the publisher is having a bad day, boom that's your book denied. With BNBS you can prove yourself without relying on the mood and tastes of a complete a stranger.



So it isn't exactly like self publishing either since, if the book is accepted you have more of support system for marketing. What do people need to do to preorder the book?

To support Divine Nature all you need to do is go to the site, register and the hit Preorder. It costs you nothing up front and the money is only taken on the 30th of October and only then if I get 250 or more.

Preordering Divine Nature has been proven to make you happy, more than a little bit sexy and has been reported to sporadically imbue superpowers...

Your book hasn’t been published yet but it’s well on the way. At this point do you have any advice, words of wisdom, suggestions for other up and coming and authors? Also, was there anything that surprised you (positively and negatively) about the writing game once you were immersed in it?

Words of wisdom huh? In general I'd go with my late grandfather's motto of, 'Why be awkward, with a little more effort you could be ruddy intolerable.'

As for authors I would say just go for it. You have a book or many inside of you and it needs writing. Worry not what other people may think of your work, you are writing for you, not them.

As for what I have learned? Well initially raising orders for a book is hard. 250 is a surprisingly large number. It is rewarding though and surprisingly fun.

Your supporters will surprise you though. People who you haven't heard from in years pop up in support of you which is really nice.

Any links people can use to find information on you and your work?

You can find me on Facebook as JD Atkin: Word Botherer. As soon as I cease being a luddite I shall also be on Twitter. And of course if you want to check out Divine Nature then click the link to Britain's Next Bestseller.


As JD has implied, the publishing industry can be a difficult thing where new voices aren't given a chance unless they can guarantee Fifty Shades of Grey sales. Self publishing, however, often leaves an author alone in marketing hell to really get word of their book out there. This seems like a good compromise that could be beneficial for both author and publisher. Let's support JD's publishing efforts with some preorders.

Ujaali tease

Photo credit Matt Tuteur

Adios, Dave

David Letterman quitting Late Night and NBC in 1993 and moving his show to CBS was a risky thing. Starting at 10:30 (central time) he would be going up against the Tonight Show, the show that had ruled that time slot for almost 40 years. The Tonight Show was a comfy habit for people winding down before bed. Set in California, it also had easier access to celebrities than Letterman's Late Night show set in New York. Realizing the show's energy was more productive in New York, Letterman chose to operate the CBS show from that city.

To their credit, CBS took a chance also by giving him a lot of leeway. They even remodeled the theater for the show.

There'd be no more Late Night frat boy antics (well, at least not as many). Letterman was a decade older and he knew some of that wasn't going to fly in the earlier time slot.

The Late Show was going to be produced from the old Ed Sullivan Theater. Ed Sullivan had been a staple of TV variety shows from 1948-1971. Letterman was one of the 73 million people glued to the set the night the Beatles made their historic first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Many years later, Letterman would be able to watch one of the Beatles perform lie on the marquis of the Ed Sullivan Theater as Paul McCartney and his band gave a free mini concert to the people crowding the streets around the theater.

Letterman always featured some of the best most interesting music out there, but his proximity to Broadway enabled him to feature numbers from Broadway musicals, something frequently done on the Ed Sullivan show.

Letterman took less and less field trips as his time at CBS progressed and admittedly, I missed that a little. He was playing with a bigger toy now though, and the reality was he was much better known. The antics he pulled off during the Late Night years probably would be more difficult considering his notoriety. He didn't lose that love of stunts however, and the ability to cordon off Broadway to pull off an outside production helped immensely. In some respects, the frat boy matured just as did the party he was throwing. Broadway was great for Dave, and for the next 22 years, that street outside would be host to a number of fun and fabulous spectacles.

The Late Show was glitzier than its predecessor. The theater larger, the set more impressive. The World's Most Dangerous Band became the Late Show Orchestra with horns. And Letterman emerged triumphantly from the nastiness of the Tonight Show scandal hosting not a retread of a show that had been on since the mid-50s, but rather, hosting his very own show. A template created by him and his staff on a larger scale than the previous one. 



Those who thought he would fail without the strong lead-in that the Tonight Show provided were proven wrong. As were those who thought the show would tank competing against the Tonight Show. In fact, for the first two years, The Late Show dominated the Tonight Show in the ratings. While this didn't last, the ratings were never low enough to threaten the show's continuation on CBS.

In fact, Letterman would be on air long after both of his rival's Leno's retirements from the Tonight Show. Indeed, Jay Leno had signed a contract in 2004 that he would step down from the Tonight Show in 2009 handing the reins over to Conan O'Brien. A chronic workaholic, Jay couldn't stay away long and arranged with NBC to start The Jay Leno Show, which seemed like a truncated version of the Tonight Show. Shown before the nightly news, it served as a poor lead-in to the Tonight Show and O'Brien's ratings began to dip. Skiddish, NBC called Jay Leno back to take over the show again, and he was only too happy to oblige. Thus started the second Tonight Show scandal. 

Confident in his own standing now, Letterman watched from the sidelines, commenting on the whole affair as only someone who'd experience similar could. He knew the players and understood the dynamics.

 




When the smoke cleared, Leno lasted another four years at the Tonight Show before finally handing it over, for real this time, to Jimmy Fallon. 

So Letterman lasted longer than his idol, Johnny Carson, and longer than his one-time friend/one-time rival Jay Leno. But now it's time to say goodbye. Letterman is 68 years old. A year older than his idol Carson was when he retired. Perhaps, like Carson, he wants to go before the welcome wears out.

In some respects, like his idol, people began to question whether or not he had lost his edge. He was the irreverent wise-ass we knew starting out. 

I don't completely agree with this. I don't think he lost his edge as much as the perspective shifted. He could still goof around with his own exuberance, still slam some points home when he wanted to but he had decades of life experience to reshape his attitude. He grew up.

But then, I grew up too, so maybe my perspective has changed also. Maybe that's one more reason I'm going to miss him. 

They're Not Booing. They're Chanting, "Dave! Dave! Dave!"

David Letterman has but a few shows left before he ends an illustrious career as a TV talk show host. I'm finding these last shows particularly bitter-sweet especially when he has on guests that have appeared on the show for decades.

Decades. It's hard to believe but since 1982, he's been sitting behind a desk interviewing people. And he is to many of those guests what Johnny Carson, host of the Tonight Show decades, was to him: An idol. No matter how many shows were out there and there were and are a ton, his was the show to be on. 

I was born in 1964. I grew up with the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and enjoyed it enough. But the Carson I grew up with had by the 70s and 80s become a bit played out. I began looking forward to the guest hosts.

One of those guest hosts was David Letterman. Letterman made his debut on the Tonight Show in 1978. Carson and Letterman would begin a close friendship that would last until Carson's death in 2005. 




The two had a lot in common. A Midwestern upbringing, a particular shyness off camera as well as a need to guard their personal lives. A quick, acerbic wit that belied their nice-guy looks. Letterman grew up idolizing Carson so you can just imagine his joy that first night on the Tonight Show when Carson called him over to the couch after Letterman was done with his stand up routine. If Carson called them over after a set, most comics knew their career was on the rise. 

Eventually, with NBC looking to fill the time slot after the Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman was born. The David Letterman Show was a morning show that he had in 1980 but it failed to garner an audience. Letterman's edgy, quirky brand of humor didn't work in the mornings.

At night though...nighttime was the perfect time for the odd, free-style sort of humor that he and his staff excelled at. It was the perfect time. When Mom and Dad went to bed after the Tonight Show, the kids stayed up to watch Late Night.

Late Night was technically a talk show but it was really less about the guest and more about the latest stunts Letterman and his staff would dream up for the show. Monkey-cam, dropping things from tall buildings, Stupid Pet Tricks, Stupid Human Tricks, Chris Elliot's many incarnations on the show, the Top Ten List. People were tuning in more for these things than for the celebrities. The set was minimal, there was no "orchestra" but rather a four man ensemble known as The World's Most Dangerous Band led by Paul Shaffer. 



Shaffer had been a member of the house band for Saturday Night Live from 1975-80 and along with a clever talent for music, he was a perfect comedic compliment for Letterman.

The show debuted in 1982, the year I graduated high school. I was already a bit smitten with this tall, gangly, gap-toothed guy but my crush only deepened with a nightly fix. I wrote many letters to the show hoping they'd be read during the "Viewer Mail" segment. They never were, possibly because they were usually about two pages long and written in an attempt to impress the staff with my own comedy skills. I used to dream of becoming a writer on Late Night.

That never came to pass either.



I have VHS tapes filled with what I considered some of the show's best bits. Usually it involved some sort of field trip away from the studio for Dave or Dave and Paul. I think this is where Letterman truly shined. He was at his best in situations where he dealt with the average person on the street making off the cuff, wise-ass, often absurdist comments that could be funnier than the written material (and sometimes the bit was funnier when the written material fell completely flat and he was left floundering).



There was an accessibility you got with Late Night that you didn't get with its more glitzier relative The Tonight Show. You got the feeling, unlikely as it was, that you might bump into Dave on the street. Carson seemed like he palled around with the big celebrities he interviewed (I don't think he did), while Letterman seemed intimidated by them. He was one of the guys. Carson might feature interviews with average folk like the "potato chip lady" (she collected potato chips that looked like people) from behind his desk, Letterman went out into the world to track down the characters. 



Initially, as an interviewer, he seemed a bit awkward interviewing big name guests. He'd hone his skills over time but the audience found a particular pleasure in watching Dave squirm during an awkward interview. Especially when they knew that at some point during the interview, Dave would drop the pretense and take back his territory with a well-timed and often well-deserved slam. Still, those awkward moments, where he seemed to be floundering, could be golden. 



Most times, Letterman was prepared for the unusual in a guest and gladly had them on. Avant garde comedians, surly artists, obscure actors; these were people you didn't see a lot on other shows but he was willing to take a chance on them and their careers benefited from this support.




This simply wasn't being done on other shows.

The Late Show also featured new and often times unknown musicians. A variety of genres as well. One musician that didn't get a lot of play here was Elvis Costello who would end up appearing on Letterman's shows 27 times over the years including a stint as a guest host when Letterman was recuperating from open heart surgery.



Letterman started out as a stand up so it's not unusual that he would be willing to feature stand up comedians, just like his idol, Johnny Carson did on the Tonight Show. And like his idol, often Letterman could often help spur a comedian's career to greater heights. A lot of these comedians were people he played the clubs with when he was starting out. One such comedian was Jay Leno. The battle for the Tonight Show is legendary but it's interesting to note that Jay may not have been given the chance to host the Tonight Show had he not been featured so often on The Late Show and become such a household name. The Leno on the Late Show was edgy, cocky, with an act that he would eventually be watered down when he hosted the Tonight Show. Dave had been in the clubs with Jay and the two seemed to have a great rapport when he came on as a guest on the show.



When Carson retired and the Tonight Show scandal blew, Dave's upset might not have been only due to NBC's passing him over for the host but also to Leno's accepting the job knowing how dear it was to Dave's heart.

I think it worked out for the best. When Dave moved to CBS in 1993, the earlier time slot led him to lose a little of that more bizarre edge that Late Night had, but he retained a level of unpredictability so beloved by the audience that followed him to CBS. It was just on a grander scale.

Ultimately he got the last laugh.

To Touch the Sun Book Trailer

Well, just popping in for today. It took me a bit, but I finally got around to having a book trailer made for To Touch the Sun. 



I think it turned out pretty cool! It's perched nicely on my YouTube channel which I hope to start populating soon with fun and interesting videos. I'll have to get to work on the trailer for the sequel, Ujaali, which is hopefully still due to be released in May or June.