Max Clotfelter – Larque Press | The Digest Enthusiast

Uncategorized February 14, 2020

News Digest Feb. 14, 2020

Shadow of Doubt by Mary Wickizer Burgess

The British edition of Mary Wickizer Burgess’ latest Gail Brevard mystery, Shadow of Doubt, is out from Lynford Mystery. Meanwhile, the US version is available from Wildside Press, along with other books in the series.

The Winter 2020 newsletter from Paul D. Marks includes news about his coming novel: The Blues Don’t Care, notice of three new interviews/articles, including his discussion of the Bunker Hill series from Ellery Queen in The Digest Enthusiast No. 11, a little history lesson on La La Land, Noirville with Nat King Cole, What’s Next, and Dog Tails. Subscribe at PaulDMarks.com

Robert Lopresti highlights an intriguing story, “Murderer Bill” by John Grant, in the Jan. 2020 Mystery Weekly Magazine over at Little Big Crimes.

Just out is the new issue of Pulp Adventures, No. 34, with classic pulp fiction by William Decatur and a Hollywood Detective yarn by Robert Leslie Bellem. There’s new pulp fiction by William M. Hope, Logan Robichaud, Charles Burgess, Adam Beau McFarlane, Patti Boeckman & Sharla Wilkins, and Ron Riekki. Plus a Dan Turner comics adventure by Bellem and Adolphe Barreaux. PA is published by Rich Harvey and edited by Audrey Parente from Bold Venture. Print $9.95

Analog interviews Douglas F. Dluzen about his story “Welcome to the New You: Terms and Conditions for the iCRISPR Gene-Editing Kit” in the current issue. The Astounding Analog Companion

Auston Habershaw on “Three Gowns for Clara” F&SF blog.

Matthew X. Gomez reviews Occult Detective Magazine No. 6 at EconoClashReview.com

Michael Bracken exposes his life of crime over at SleuthSayers.com.

Mark SaFranko shares his thoughts “From the Short Story to the Big Screen” over at Something is Going to Happen.

John Boston reviews Amazing Stories March 1965 at GalacticJourney.org

Michael Neno reviews The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells on Goodreads.

Rick McCollum shared his WIP with Ken Meyer, Jr. over at Ink Stains this week. If you only click on one link from this week’s digest, make it this one!

Thanks to Chuck Carter for posting a link to this Forbes article on SF and Fantasy magazines’ readership in 2020.

Pulp Literature February 2020 e-news includes an offer for ARCs of Allaigna’s Song: Aria by J.M. Landels, The Muse Retreats for writers, author news, Contest deadlines, and much more. Read it here.

J.T. Yost announced Birdcage Bottom Books 2020 lineup Kickstarter campaign.

James Reasoner called The Digest Enthusiast No. 11 “a spectacular issue” on Rough Edges this week, and Walker Martin commented he wished “it was bi-monthly.” If you’re not already a regular reader of Reasoner’s blog it’s one of life’s daily pleasures, and Martin often adds to the fun.

Jim Main is launching a new mini comic called Brain Freeze (logo art by Marc Haines). The first issue will include a two-page comic by Bob Vojtko rebooting an adventure of Rocket Roach and Radar. Watch this space for availability.

Readin’ ’n Writin’
Alec Cizak and I have been busy working on the next Pulp Modern. Still no firm publication date, but we’re about one-third through production. Rick McCollum is lined up for the cover and Ran Scott will illustrate the stories. Next submission window will be one day, February 23, 2020. Keep an eye on Pulp Modern’s Facebook page for the official announcement.

One of Birdcage Bottom Books 2019 releases was Rooftop Stew by Max Clotfelter, which I read earlier this week. J.R. Williams’ blurb sez it all: “HA, ha! I just love Clotfelter’s weird, gnarly drawings and sick, twisted stories… enjoy this book now, before the final apocalypse brings a sudden, merciful end to this troubled world…”

Also read the Feb. 1957 issue of Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine. A diverse collection of crime stories: smart, screwball comedy by Veronica P. Johns; three solid deductive procedurals by Lee E. Wells, Jay Carroll, and Robert O’Neil Bristow; the suspense of abduction by Samuel W. Taylor, alternative realities by Henry Slesar, Robert Bloch, and Frank Kane; and the opening salvo of Brett Halliday’s Mike Shayne novel, Weep for a Blond Corpse. I’m reviewing this issue and the two that follow for either Peter Enfantino’s reboot of bare*bones magazine or The Digest Enthusiast No. 13.

From the Vault
True Crime Detective Winter 1953

True Crime Detective Vol. 2 No. 5 Winter 1953
Contents Page
Frank Mullady “The Wanton Murder of Arnold Schuster”
Edmund Pearson “The Day of Floradora”
J. Francis McComas “Until Your are Dead”
F. Tennyson Jesse “Murder in the King’s Household”
H.B. Irving “The Strange Case of Euphrasie Mercier”
Verdict of Two: a book review department by the Editors
Stuart Palmer “Once Aboard the Lugger”
Miriam Allen deFord “The Murderer was a Lady”
Index to Volume One and Two
Ad for The Book of Wit & Humor (Mercury Publications)

Publisher: Lawrence E. Spivak
Editors: Anthony Boucher, J. Francis McComas
General Manager: Joseph W. Ferman
Managing Editor: Robert P. Mills
Advisory Editor: Charles Angoff
Consulting Editor: Edward D. Radin
Art Director: George Salter
Cover: Dirone Photography from “Murder in the King’s Household”
5.5” x 7.75” 128 pages 35¢

News November 11, 2019

Clotfelter Collection

Most of the comics in Rooftop Stew originally appeared in Seattle’s comics tabloid The Intruder. So if you’re not a local, everything here is new. Max Clotfelter’s work harkens back to the underground comix of yesterday—gross, rude, rough, and hilarious.

Published by J.T. Yost’s Birdcage Bottom Books, Rooftop Stew is 120 pages of depraved fictional and autobiographical antics, blending ‘60s psychedelic underground comic sensibility with Southern style debauchery.

6” x 8” print only $12.00
Rooftop Stew

News March 5, 2019

Andros 8 and more

Max Clotfelter was kind enough to send a batch of his recent mini comics. The digest-sized Andros No. 8 features 20 pages (plus covers) of laugh-out-loud comics. Volume Two of The Elements of Rough is also digest-sized, with an inch sliced off the top. It’s 32 pages with a self-cover—all about “Liz’s Last Birthday Party.”

Not shown are Hole Shot and Lean Cuisine, two recent mini comics in the classic 1/4-sheet format.

I interviewed Max a while back for Copy This!. Here’s an excerpt:

RK: I’ve picked up most of your work from shows in Seattle and Portland. But for those who live elsewhere, where are some good places to find your comics?

MC: Ah, great question! If anyone wants any of my comics I would suggest they go to the Spit and a Half website and support John Porcellino’s fantastic distro. He carries a nice selection of my more accessible zines. Then if you really wanna get into the nooks and crannies of my catalog you can email me directly and I’ll send you a list of what’s currently in stock, along with directions on how to order. I’m also always going to be tabling at the great regional zine shows in the PNW such as The Olympia Comics Festival and Shortrun in Seattle. And occasionally I’ll even travel to other shows across the nation like CAKE, Autoptic and Fluke. Trades are always welcome through the mail or in person at the shows!

To stay current on Max’s work, check out his blog: Snake Meat.

News April 21, 2018

Max Clotfelter’s Rat Tactics

“Each page of this zine was created in under four hours during the monthly Dune Comics Night at Cafe Racer in Seattle…” Nov. 2012 thru Oct. 2017

The self-imposed timeframe give these single-page comix spontaneity. Their diversity of subject are likely the result of the five-year span of the sessions, I suspect influenced by cartoonist Max Clotfelter’s mood from his preceding daytime dramas. The styles here are also diverse, from intense crosshatching to more fluid outlined, twisting shapes—but all within the Clotfelter universe.

If you enjoy snake meat, Rat Tactics is a treasure trove of rough, dark humor. Several of the comix inside had me laughing out loud.

Rat Tactics smt-077 March 2018
Comix by Max Clotfelter
60 pages, 5.5” x 8.5”
$5.00 plus add a few bucks for postage
Snake Meat website