Rick Hipson Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Cemetery Dance Online

Interview: Ride or Die with James Newman

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 21, 2021July 11, 2021InterviewsInterviews, James Newman, Rick Hipson, Ride or DieLeave a comment

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photo of author James Newman — James Newman

James Newman is that rare breed of storyteller where reading him is akin to being transported to the other side of his kitchen table as he recounts his latest experience. You can just about feel a cool breeze blowing in from an open window to carry his voice far beyond the written pages they were intended for. His natural, intimate writing style easily pulls in all who read him so that they’re not just enjoying his tales, but made to feel a part of them.

From his critically acclaimed debut novel, Midnight Rain, to several novels and novellas since including Ugly As Sin, Animosity, and Night of the Loving Dead, to the film adaptation based on his novella The Special (co-written with Mark Streensland), Newman continues to prove why he’s worth keeping a sharp eye on. Continue Reading

Interview: Barry Hoffman on his Silent Scream

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 9, 2021July 7, 2021InterviewsBarry Hoffman, Interviews, Rick Hipson, Silent ScreamLeave a comment

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photo of Gauntlet Press founder Barry Hoffman — Barry Hoffman (photo by Dara Hoffman-Fox)

Barry Hoffman is a veteran author who isn’t afraid to speak or write his mind when it comes to the darker, more troubled side of society’s core. Founder of the Bram Stoker award-winning specialty press, Gauntlet Press, Barry is well known for his Eyes series and several outstanding stand-alone novels such as Track of My Eyes and, most recently, Silent Scream. Never one to shy from controversy, Hoffman often pushes the envelope on the personal turmoil of his characters while navigating them through the streets of Philadelphia, whether it’s to track down human monsters or fight to survive a force that’s not quite human at all.Continue Reading

Review: Silent Scream by Barry Hoffman

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 6, 2021July 8, 2021ReviewsBarry Hoffman, Crossroads Press, Gordian Knot Books, Reviews, Rick Hipson, Silent ScreamLeave a comment

cover of Silent Scream by Barry Hoffman Silent Scream by Barry Hoffman
Gordian Knot Books/Crossroads Press (May 2021)
298 pages; $14.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Rick Hipson

Inspired (or most likely angered) by the real-life public murder of Kitty Genovese, Barry Hoffman delivers another character-driven novel in which we’re forced to ask tough questions about our own morality and values. Each character is dissected and examined with surgical precision, and long-time readers of Hoffman should recognize some familiar names in the crowd.Continue Reading

Interview: Brian Keene Sinks His Teeth into the Vampire Genre

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 11, 2021June 6, 2021InterviewsBrian Keene, cemetery dance, Interviews, Rick Hipson, With TeethLeave a comment

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photo of author Brian Keene — Brian Keene
(Photo by John Urbancik)

Brian Keene is a multi award-winning author of over fifty books in the horror, fantasy and crime fiction world. Heavily influencing the resurgence of current zombie popularity, he also writes comic books in the same DC and Marvel universes he grew up loving. He also organizes the charity event Scares That Care, is a family man who enjoys fishing along the borders of Casa Keene and routinely supports his fellow writers to usher in a new era of dark scribes to help keep this thing of ours trucking along.

Most recently, I sat down with Brian to discuss his newest novella, With Teeth, a breakneck vampire tale several years in the making. Along the way, we also discuss the inner workings and eventual conclusion of Keene’s own Labyrinth mythos, what he’s working on next, his favorite vampire, and a whole lot more.Continue Reading

Interview: Ray Garton on Re-releasing Ravenous

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 4, 2021May 25, 2021InterviewsGauntlet Press, Interview, Ravenous, Ray Garton, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

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Ray Garton is a World Horror Convention Grand Master award-winning author with over sixty books and approximately a ton of short stories to his credit — so far. Although I have been hearing about Ray’s work for the past twenty years, I only first got around to reading him earlier this year with his monumental vampire novel, Live Girls. Man, have I been missing out and clearly have much reading to catch up on. Suffice to say the hype is real and if you haven’t read this man’s work yet, do yourself a favor and don’t wait as long as I did.

Most recently, I was lucky enough to get a hold of his werewolf novel, Ravenous. Originally published in 2008, Gauntlet Press is giving it the limited signed hardcover treatment, complete with gorgeous cover artwork by the always outstanding Harry O’Morris. With the same treatment being given to its sequel, Bestial, this is a great time to jump on board the beast train and find out what nightmarish thrills Ray Garton has in store for you.

Get ready to whet your appetite as Ray and I discuss his werewolf novels, revisiting old haunts, the danger of censorship, and so much more.Continue Reading

Review: Necronomicon – A Manual of Corpse Eating by Martin Llewellyn

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 7, 2021May 1, 2021ReviewsBiting Dog Press, Martin Llewellyn, Necronomicon, Reviews, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

Necronomicon: A Manual of Corpse Eating by Martin Llewellyn
Biting Dog Press (December 2019)
42 pages; Limited Edition (35 copies)
Reviewed by Rick Hipson

Welcome to a grotesque and fascinating journey into the historical depths of the Book of the Dead and its curator, the mad alchemist, Abdullah Alhazred. Martin Llewellyn, who provides translations from Alhazred’s ancient texts, proclaims he obtained the pages in error when they fell from another book he had requested from the Rare Books and Music in the British Library. Knowing he shouldn’t scour the third century torn, scorched and barely illegible texts, how could he resist? His translations now remain for your eyes only. Or, at least for those lucky enough to own one of only thirty-five copies produced.Continue Reading

The Cemetery Dance Interview: Illustrating the Necronomicon with George A. Walker

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 5, 2021May 10, 2021InterviewsGeorge A. Walker, Interviews, Necronomicon, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

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photo of illustrator George A. Walker — NECRONOMICON illustrator George A. Walker (Photo courtesy Michelle Walker)

An Associate Professor at OCAD University of Toronto, George A. Walker is an award-winning Canadian wood engraver, teacher, book artist, author and illustrator who resides in Toronto, Ontario. Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art for his contribution to the cultural area of Book Arts, George has exhibited his wood engravings and limited-edition books internationally for over twenty years through such presses as Cheshire Cat Press, Porcupine Quill Press, and Biting Dog Press. George has also created highly collectable, revered works such as The Mysterious Death of Tom Thompson (2011), Book of Hours: A 9/11 Story (2008) and The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe (2005) among many others. George continues to carve his visionary style and prowess into the woods of Canadian Maple, often making his paper by scratch, and inspires awe and wonder with every groove of his engraving tools.

Most recently, I sat down with George to discuss his design work on Necronomicon: A Manual of Corpse Eating, written by Martin Llewellyn. Originally published in 2019, it’s promotional push was interrupted by our current pandemic, but a proper launch party is planned for the near future. Sit back and enjoy as George and I discuss what drew him to this morbid and fascinating world of sacrifice and scientific controversy. Continue Reading

The Cemetery Dance Interview: Unearthing the Necronomicon with Martin Llewellyn

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 3, 2021May 6, 2021InterviewsInterviews, Martin Llewellyn, Necronomicon, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

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photo of author Martin Llewellyn — Author Martin Llewellyn

Martin Llewellyn is a graduate of King’s College in London, UK, where he studied literature and earned his doctorate. His novels include House of the Missing and Necronomicon: A Manual of Corpse Eating, which I was fortunate enough to chat with him about.

Necronomicon is a metafictional representation of Abdulah Alhazred polarizing medical practices as he evolved into ritualistic religious practices which eventually drove him insane during his pursuit to communicate with the Old Gods and achieve life beyond death.

Join Martin and I as we discuss teachings and inspirations surrounding his newest book, poignantly illustrated by the award-winning wood engraver, George A. Walker.Continue Reading

Interview: Dave Rash and Dominic Stefano take us to The Outer Limits

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 26, 2021March 26, 2021InterviewsDave Rash, Dominic Stefano, From the Inner Mind to...The Outer Limits, Gauntlet Press, Interview, Joseph Stefano, Rick Hipson, ScriptsLeave a comment

banner graphic that says Cemetery Dance Interviews 1963 would prove to be a historical year for lovers of science fiction and monsters alike with the introduction of the now iconic television show, The Outer Limits (originally titled Beyond Control). For one hour at a time, television sets across the nation would be controlled by the transmissions of show runners Leslie Stevens and Joseph Stefano. Season one in particular would leave a mark destined to echo across generations to come. The original show enjoyed a run of two seasons (thirty-two episodes and seventeen episodes respectively) before being revived in 1995 until its final airing to date in 2002.Continue Reading

Interview: In Conversation with Gauntlet Press Founder Barry Hoffman

Cemetery Dance OnlineDecember 7, 2020December 6, 2020InterviewsBarry Hoffman, Gauntlet Press, Hope and Miracles, Interviews, Rick Hipson, Stephen King, The Green Mile, The Shawshank RedemptionLeave a comment

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Barry Hoffman is a former inner city school teacher who founded Gauntlet Press Magazine, which focused on topics of censorship and controversial subject matters of the day. Barry is currently the founder and editor of Gauntlet Press Publications, a Bram Stoker award-winning independent specialty Press with numerous titles from legendary authors such as Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and Jack Ketchum., and is also an author in his own right with several titles to his name including the ongoing acclaimed Eyes series.

I recently sat down with Barry to discuss Gauntlet Press’s most recent title, Hope And Miracles: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile (Two Screenplays By Frank Darabont). This signed limited book is due to release in December and, as of this writing, there is now a waiting list for the platinum edition signed by Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Frank Darabont and Stephen King, among others; the edition also comes with a replica rock pick carved from a tree felled from the very set of The Shawshank Redemption.

Join us as we chat about this latest specialty release, certain to become one of Gauntlet’s crowning achievements. Barry details what it took to put this cinematic celebration together, what it means to have done so, and more. Continue Reading

Interview: Frank Darabont on Hope and Miracles, Redemption, and Walking the Mile

Cemetery Dance OnlineDecember 4, 2020December 3, 2020InterviewsFrank Darabont, Gauntlet Press, Hope and Miracles, Interviews, Rick Hipson, Stephen King, The Green Mile, The Shawshank RedemptionLeave a comment

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From the Academy Award-nominated short film The Woman in the Room, Frank Darabont’s first writer/director effort, to The Blob, The Fly II, The Mist, the first season of The Walking Dead and, of course, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile and several more in between, Darabont has spent over thirty years creating films to capture, scare, and otherwise stir the hearts and minds across multiple generations of film fans across the globe. I got to corner the man himself by way of the phone to discuss Gauntlet Press’s upcoming publication of their newest specialty title: Hope And Miracles: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile (Two Screenplays By Frank Darabont).

Join us we chat about Frank’s contributions to making this book the highly collectable time capsule it’s destined to become. Get comfortable as we delve into the undertaking of this massive project, reminisce about Darabont’s experience during the making of these two iconic films, and the legacy of what this book has to offer for established and budding filmmakers alike.Continue Reading

Review: Hope and Miracles – The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile edited by Tyson Blue

Cemetery Dance OnlineDecember 2, 2020December 1, 2020ReviewsFrank Darabont, Gauntlet Press, Hope and Miracles, Reviews, Rick Hipson, Stephen King, The Green Mile, The Shawshank RedemptionLeave a comment

cover of Hope and Miracles featuring images from The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile Hope and Miracles: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile (Two Screenplays by Frank Darabont) edited by Tyson Blue
Gauntlet Press (Fall 2020)
Signed and Limited Editions: $199.00 – $4,000.00
Reviewed by Rick Hipson

Preceding the twenty and twenty-fifth anniversaries of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile comes Hope and Miracles, a literary celebration of two of Stephen King’s most iconic cinematic adaptations (Shawshank being the highest ranking film listed on IMDB). The book provides a cornucopia of behind-the-scenes insights, retrospectives, essays and more from writer/director Frank Darabont, Stephen King, RC Matheson and several others, including an exclusive interview from the late, but always great Michael Clark Duncan. Several never before released photos from Darabont’s personal archive are also included. Continue Reading

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