From Spooked!: A Gay Ghost Hunters’s Snippits of Life—And the Afterlife
This is the same person who I wrote about here.
Remember, Rebecca, I didn’t say you were a sideshow, just that they treated you that way. Some of my favorite TV shows are Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead, GhostHunters, Most Haunted, and Rescue Mediums.
Greetings, Mystery Lover.
We are pleased to announce that our new Mystery Catalogue 86 is available for download. You may view or download the catalogue here:
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(html for maximum compatibility)
(pdf - you need the free Adobe Acrobat software - see link at our website)
Catalogue 86 features over 1100 items including a large number of pre and post-war mysteries, many in dust jacket and a selection of mystery anthologies and mystery reference titles. Included are a number of very scarce Robert Van Gulik titles, a nice run of Dick Francis mysteries including many English first editions and many signed copies, and a collection of Frank Gruber titles, many signed.
Thank you and good hunting,
Steve Powell & Bill Dunn
Dunn & Powell Books
Artists and photographers of all ages can post their creations for free on Flickr. If you haven’t heard about it yet, Flickr has become a great gallery of original, personal, artistic, and not so beautiful images stored in one gigantic place. It is fun to browse around and make new discoveries. In fact, one popular blog, FFFFOUND!, uses nothing but links to Flickr for its content.
In the coming days you will see postings of Lizzie Borden related images tagged from Flickr. Enjoy!
Here is a collection of articles that have Lizzie Borden as the main topic. Yes, she still makes the news! And they are still talking about her, after all these years.
“Deciding Lizzie Borden’s Fate” by Margaret Smith, Wicked Local, Tewksbury.
Another find by CLEWS crime historian Laura James that I thought might apply here is the site WOWIO.com. They are giving away, for free, books, magazines, essays, and comics for downloading. You are allowed three per day and must register with a real email address.
I took Laura up on her suggestion and have selected the True Crime comics “Family Bones.”
One publisher who is partnering with Wowio is King Tractor Press, the company that publishes the “Family Bones” works. Here is their press release.
January 23, 2008 — King Tractor Press is making their comic book / manga back catalog available online for free. Working with Wowio.com, the indie publisher is embracing the internet instead of fighting the illegal downloading that is already happening.
“We’re too small to fight every internet pirate,” said Claudia Nolasco, King Tractor Press representative. “So why not join them? If fans are going to download our books anyway, why not let them download them straight from the source? At least then we retain control over the work. With Wowio as a e-manga partner we’re able to leverage the best possible solution to the problem that many publishers face today. Wowio.com has helped us join with advertising partners who pay a small fee and allow us to make the manga available for free. This is good for us, good for advertisers and especially good for fans of comic books and manga. I think it’s a win-win-win.”
The free titles can be downloaded at http://www.wowio.com/users/searchresults.asp?nPublisherId=132
The first two titles available online are King Tractor Press’ highest in overall sales. “Family Bones” is the true crime comic book that’s been a hit with critics and readers alike. It’s the story of Ray and Faye Copeland as told through the eyes of their unwitting nephew. The city boy must learn to adapt to the rigors of farm life and survive the murderous plot going on around him. It’s written by Shawn Granger, an actual great nephew of the Copelands. The first five issues are available now; the sixth issue should be available in February.
Reviews of “Family Bones” have been consistently positive over the year. “…delivers something fresh in a superhero stuck field,” said Bart Croonenborghs of Broken Frontier. Dave Baxter said, “I recommend Family Bones for any reader looking for a long-term payoff, for a story that will inexplicably call them back every month and demand to be placed on the top of their weekly reading pile.” Indy-Pendant’s Brant Fowler said, “…both intrigues and sends chills up my spine.”
Shawn was quick to jump on board to the new idea of offering his comic books online for free. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “I’m surprised that you don’t see more of the big companies doing this. With ‘Family Bones’ you’ve got such a niche market already, and then how many true crime fans go into comic stores? Actually from the sales, a lot do…but not as many as surf the net. And that’s the point isn’t it? I don’t write in my closet for only myself. I’m writing to entertain as many people as I can while stuffing them into my closet. The more the merrier.”
The second series being offered through this new free online program is Steven Barr’s “Devil Water”. The horrific and comedic series about Henry Hill’s encounters with outlaws, demons, angels, and religious fanatics in the Old West, a gang of bandits murder an old prospector who has discovered the Mother Lode. When they blast their way inside, they discover more gold than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes…and a pool of magical water that makes the gold irrelevant.
When asked Mr. Barr said “I’m very happy that more people will be reading the comic. I’m really proud of the work we–” He was cut off as he was swept up in the picket line for the Writer’s Guild strike. “Devil Water” received accolades from several online comic book review websites and magazines. Comic Avalanche said of Devil Water that it’s “…well done, the dialogue is fitting, and the art is superb.” HeroSpy.com says “incredibly cool” and Silver Bullet Comic Books says “captivating and intriguing.”
This new direction will not affect the continued support for printed books. King Tractor Press plans to continue to print and distribute its catalog through Diamond, Ingram and through many book outlets. “We’re not going to stop printing comic books, graphic novels, or manga,” Claudia pointed out. “We’ve got ‘Innocent Volume 1′ going out to stores this month and first volume of collected issues of “Family Bones” will be soliciting in the spring. King Tractor Press is definitely not going to pull back on printing, but we’re convinced that making the online versions available for free won’t hurt sales. At least we hope not.”
“Keep an eye out for two new sci-fi series appearing as free e-comics next month,” Claudia reported. “We’ll be releasing the first issue of ‘Gene Gardens’ and ‘Mr. Phelps Space Detective’ in February 2008. Plus the manga ‘Innocent’ is being packaged for download. It’s all very exciting.”
About King Tractor Press”
Since 2004 King Tractor Press has published many popular independent manga, comic books, and graphic novels including “Innocent” ISBN-13: 978-0978748623 - NOV073695, “Family Bones” ISBN-13: 978-0978748609, “Devil Water”, and “Alecto : Songbook”. “Gene Gardens” and “Mr. Phelps Space Detective” will join the line-up in early 2008. The website is at http://www.kingtractorpress.com.
Contact King Tractor Press at info @ kingtractorpress.com
Crime Historian Laura James does a yeoman’s job at her blog CLEWS: The Historic True Crime Blog, offering interviews with new and important crime authors, links to fantastic article on other sites, and commentary on the state of true crime investigations and popular media.
Most recently she added a few items that I know will be of interest to those studying the Lizzie Borden case and its side issues.
She posted in this thread The Edmund L. Pearson Index, a list of the Pearson essays in other works, created and copyrighted by Jim Rockhill. There are also links beside each title that point us to the purchase of each work.
We are truly indebted to Mr. Rockhill and Ms. James for this great addition to the oeuvre.
As you know, Pearson wrote the seminal The Trial of Lizzie Borden in 1937.
For another great entry on CLEWS to Pearson, check this out.
This is a very early mention of the Lizzie Borden case (or the Borden Trial as it was known in the aftermath). It is from The Cyclopedic Review of Current History, Detroit, Mich., The Evening News Association [etc.] 1892-93; Buffalo, N.Y., Garretson, Cox & Co.
This is from Vol. 3, published in 1894, and digitized from the New York Public Library collection. It appears on page 292.
A new item, recently published, is now on Amazon.com. Its title is Shocking Psychic Solution: The Lizzie Borden Case (Book & Audio CD set) (Paperback) by Richard and Debbie Senate (Author), Sean Casteel (Editor).
Here is the skinny according to Amazon:
Review
“We are all interested in the Lizzie Borden murder story. It is one of the most intriguing in our history. Debbie and Richard have come up with the best explanation — this time by psychic means.” –Tim Swartz, ConspiracyJournal.comProduct Description
AFTER OVER A CENTURY ONE OF THE BLOODEST CRIMES OF ALL TIMES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN A NEW BOOK AND AUDIO CD SET Richard and Debbie Senate are two of the world’s foremost paranormal researchers. You Know The Chant. . . “Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done SHe gave her father forty one? This large size, 8×11,book and audio media takes a look at one of the most bizarre and controversial killings in American history. THOUGH the crime took place over a century ago no one could ever prove who killed Andrew and Abby Borden on August 4, 1892. Their daughter, an otherwise mild mannered school marm named Lizzie was convicted in a public court of law. Most felt she was responsible but how did she behave so calmly after the murder? How did she hide the murder weapon? And why wasn’t she covered in blood? HERE is never discussed “evidence” and a very unusual list of suspects. The book contains the ONLY post humonous interview conducted with Lizzie Borden by co-author Debbie Senate a highly qualified medium.Paperback: 185 pages
Publisher: Inner Light/Global Communications; First edition (February 12, 2008)
Inner Light/Global Communications is a vanity press.
5 to 8 weeks delivery. Link.
UPDATE: Michael Brimbau points out that there are TWO original Porter’s (not one) on abebook.com. Both equally priced at $950.
Here is the second one first:
The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders. Porter, Edwin H.
Bookseller: Berry Hill Book Shop
(Deansboro, NY, U.S.A.)
US$ 950.00Description: 1893, First Edition, Good Plus/no dj, octavo, 312pp., dark green cloth with gold lettering faded off cover & backstrip, both interior hinge papers cracking, small owner’s stamps on t.p. & top margins of c.25pp. of text, frayed at bottom of backstrip& bumped at corners, circular 1″ stain top margins pp 111-115, 1″ top corner clipped off p. 7-8, owner’s name & inscription on ffe, b&w ill’s throughout, extremely scarce original edition of the first history of the Borden case by the Fall River Globe police reporter, most copies allegedly bought up & destroyed by Lizzie. Bookseller Inventory # 30
The Fall River Tragedy. A history of the Borden murders. PORTER, EDWIN H.
Bookseller: John Waite Rare Books, ABAA
(Ascutney, VT, U.S.A.)
Book Price: US$ 950.00
Bibliographic DetailsPublisher: Fall River, MA: Geo. R. H. Buffinton, 1893
Publication Date: 1893
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st EditionDescription: 8vo., pp. [1 ff] + [3]-312; navy cloth, dulled; tips and spine ends lightly worn; joints cracked; old cellotape to gutter at front hinges; good only. First edition. Riveting account of perhaps the most famous murders in America during the 19th century — the Lizzie Borden case. Porter, a police reporter for the Fall River Globe, gives a full narrative of the crime and subsequent trial. Highly desirable and scarce in trade. Bookseller Inventory # 4356
