Results tagged “dark tower”

Yesterday I posted that Stephen King would be returning to the Dark Tower, writing a novel or a collection of interwoven short stories that take place between the events of Wizard & Glass and Wolves of the Calla.

This is big news. Dark Tower fans are a cult I am proudly a part of.

It was announced on his website that the tentative title for the book will be:

The Wind Through the Keyhole

I love it!

It will be at least 8 months before Sai King can begin writing the new book. Which begs the question: What is he working on right now? A screenplay for the zombie story Cell but what else? Wish it was the The Talisman / Black House sequel…

Here is a video of Stephen King from last night’s book signing for his new book, Under the Dome. He is absolutely hilarious in it:

Enjoy!

There will be a new Dark Tower novel!

It seems the doors into Roland Deschain’s universe are not entirely closed to Stephen King after all! It is widely known that such doors were not readily open to him over the years. It took ka to open them and ka can be a fickle thing. But it seems the door has opened one more time and King will be writing a new novel set in the middle of the Dark Tower timeline, the plot to take place between the end of Wizard & Glass and Wolves of the Calla.

Back in March 2009, Stephen King spoke to USA Today where he hinted at the prospect of possibly re-entering Roland’s world:

When we were chatting about his (King’s) upcoming book Under the Dome, a novel with political subtext out in November, King said he had recently had an idea for a short story. “And then I thought, ‘Well, why don’t I find three more like this and do a book that would be almost like modern fairy tales?’ Then this thing started to add on bits and pieces so I guess it will be a novel.” That idea, according to King, is for a new Dark Tower novel, a continuation of his epic seven-part fantasy/sci-fi/Western series about a lone gunslinger named Roland and his ongoing hunt for the Man in Black. “It’s not really done yet,” King admits of his magnum opus. “Those seven books are really sections of one long uber-novel.”

With that said, it left a lot unknown, specifically in my mind if King would really venture back into his opus. Apparently while out on tour in support of Under the Dome, King has made a concrete statement about it:

King stated he will write another Dark Tower novel. It will center around supporting characters and revolve around some important events between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. One fan asked him to make sure Oy comes back, and King said not to worry, that Oy would return.

This is great news for Dark Tower fans! Even if the story doesn’t revolve around Roland, it will assuredly be a lot of fun. Now if we could only find out how far King is into writing this new book and when he conceivably believes it will be published…?

Ka is a wheel…

It is November 10th, the release day for the new Stephen King novel, Under the Dome!

This book is massive in the King lexicon; only The Stand and It are larger self-contained stories. It is a return for the King of Horror to the epic kind of stories he once told at the outset of his career. Under the Dome is also a story that King has said numerous times he tried writing at various times during his life but could never get quite right. He just wasn’t ready yet for it.

In the last two years he became more than ready, apparently. Under the Dome has arrived in bookstores everywhere today and below are some links to Stephen King video content, interviews and other goodies about the new novel:

• Interview: Stephen King on his 10 Longest Novels
• UK Book Trailer (:31 seconds)
• Interview: Susan Moldow, King’s Publisher
• Amazon Videos: King Talks and Reads From Under the Dome
• Video: King Discusses Under the Dome
• Video: King Reads Under the Dome

I am really looking forward to reading reviews about Under the Dome and what people think. I believe it will be King’s strongest social commentary piece of literature we have seen and that can promote some great discussion on the internet(s).

Under the Dome is now out!

Here is the comic book cover for Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill Issue #3.

As usual, Jae Lee and Richard Isanove have done a gorgeous job depicting an emotionally destroyed Roland Deschain, the young man ready for war but saddened that Mid-World has come to its end.

The battle of Jericho Hill will be epic!

Cannot wait!

Aristotle once coined the general principle of holism as: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”

It can be great fun, however, analyzing the parts!

Where do the parts that comprise you come from?

Where did the parts that make up Shawn Charlton Speakman come from?

I am extremely self aware of who I am—at least who I think I am. Every daily event I have experienced in life has become a part of me. From birth until my last breath, I know that I will be shaped by anyone and everything. It is inevitable. That includes the books I read too. In a way the authors I’ve read over the years have taken up residence in my soul and, like the guiding influence of my parents when I was young, live inside of me, to be called on when needed.

It’s no wonder I love collecting those books that are most meaningful to me.

What characters in fantasy / science fiction best explain who you are?

Here are the main four I can definitively say reside inside:

Superman

No, no father of mine gave his son away, to rocket through the cosmos and help bring light to a barbaric humanity.

That would be cool though, right?

In all seriousness, the majority of who I am can be explained by Clark Kent and how he sheds all selfish desires to help others less fortunate. I try to emulate that. When a friend needs help I am there offering what I can. If a stranger falls down in front of me, I help them up if I don’t catch them first. When a wheelchair-bound man tries to belly up to the bar, I clear away the stools before the bartender can do it. I spend a lot of time and energy putting people at ease, to add a meaningful dialogue with all I meet whether it is talking about sports or giving heartfelt listening and advice.

I try to be a hero for other people who need it, even for what seems the most mundane of needs.

I have always held those ideals, from my earliest memories. But Superman became something more to me when I was diagnosed with cancer almost nine years ago. I began chemotherapy just like many thousands do every day. To represent the strength I would need to survive, I wore one of three Superman t-shirts to treatment every day. It brought a smile to those being infused around me; it kept me focused on the strength I would have to bring to bear.

Needless to say, there is a Man of Steel in my persona—despite looking like Lex Luthor on the outside!

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

That opening sentence to The Gunslinger by Stephen King will be imprinted on my brain until the day I die. It is just one of the best opening lines of any book—ever—and sets up a conflict that resonates for another six books, a short story, and numerous prequel comic book issues.

It appears as though Marvel Comics is not through with Stephen King just yet!

It was just announced that the creative team of Robin Furth, Peter David and Richard Isanove would be returning for another series of mini-series devoted to the adaptation of The Gunslinger. Next month the last arc of new material begins, Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill, and as it is the climax to his first ka-tet Stephen King and Marvel want to shed more light on why the last gunslinger is the way he is and what pushed him toward his quest for the enigmatic Dark Tower.

I am happy about this. I love that piece of artwork above. I only pray, sai King and sai Quesada, that Jae Lee is doing the pencil artwork throughout the series. Without him or a true penciler on board, this project will be lackluster.

Time will tell!

Ka is a wheel. And it turns, turns, turns…

Dark Tower fans, get ready.

In November the battle of Jericho Hill begins!

Gilead has fallen. Few survive. Roland and his ka-tet flee the horde of the Crimson King, who is bent on reducing reality to utter chaos. The battle of Jericho Hill looms and nothing for Roland will ever be the same again.

Those who are Dark Tower fans know the significance of Jericho Hill. It was mentioned in the novels but much of it is still a mystery. When Marvel announced they would be adding new stories of Roland and his search for the Dark Tower to canon, all Dark Tower fans I can safely say wanted the battle of Jericho Hill told.

And it is coming. On November 25th.

And not only that, but Jae Lee returns to penciling duties!

So not only does the new Stephen King epic novel Under the Dome (Nov. 10th) and The Talisman #1 (Nov. 25th) comic book adaptation come out in November, but the Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill #1 does too!

What a great month to be a Stephen King fan, eh?

Let the horn be blown!

M-O-O-N! That spells adaptation!

As reported HERE in February, Del Rey Books will be adapting The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub into a monthly comic book series, to start releasing at the end of the year!

And since it was announced the project has been moving forward!

The Talisman is definitely one of those foundational books that make up who I am as a whole. I first read it after I had read the first two Dark Tower books and the connection between them could not be ignored. And like the Dark Tower series The Talisman is filled with great characters—both good, evil and in between—and the settings are wondrous. The kid who still lives within me and who yearns to visit the Territories is excited to see the tale of Jack Sawyer come to life!

Tony Shasteen, the artist Del Rey tapped for the project, produced character sketches before the first page of the comic book was produced, each one of them sanctioned by King and Straub. In February we showed you Morgan Sloat and Speedy Parker.

Well, Tony, Del Rey, and StephenKing.com have released the next three!

Visit HERE to view the character sketches for Lily Cavanaugh, Jack Sawyer and Phil Sawyer!

A lot more will be coming in the next few months concerning the adaptation of The Talisman, so stay tuned!

M-O-O-N!

Dear Mr. King,

If the universe aligns right, this short letter will make its way to the King of Horror.

The Master of Modern Macabre.

The Condemner of Ill-Written Vampires.

And if it does, it will bring you, Stephen King, a true tale—and a thank you.

On September 20, 2004, the night before The Dark Tower strict on sale date, I ran across information on the internet(s) about a lone signing taking place in Connecticut at a bookstore named Just Books. You and artist Michael Whelan were appearing together, signing copies of the new book. A certain amount of tickets had been given out for the signing, meaning only a certain amount of copies of The Dark Tower would be signed.

I cursed when I discovered the signing, a mere day before its happening.

Somehow news of the signing had eluded me.

It was just after eleven at night in Seattle, the three hour time difference stark in my mind when I picked up my cell phone. No one would be at the bookstore assuredly. I called anyway, hoping to capture an answering machine letting me know the signing was entirely booked and no more tickets were being given out.

For my sanity, yeh understand?

“Hello?” answered a feminine voice, all too tired.

As you may have already heard, Del Rey Books has acquired the right from Stephen King and Peter Straub to adapt in a monthly comic book the very successful novel The Talisman, one of the stories loosely tied to the Dark Tower saga.

In an effort to have this project be the best it could be, Del Rey hired Robin Furth, the long time friend and research assistant of Stephen King, to write the series. Robin knows more about the Dark Tower than anyone and she will be bringing the skills she learned on the Dark Tower comic book adaptations into this project.

Del Rey also hired a wonderful artist, Tony Shasteen, whom both Stephen King and Peter Straub have complete confidence in bringing the worlds of The Talisman to life on the page.

Since I am really excited about this project—having been a long time fan of The Talisman and the Dark Tower in general—I thought it would be fun to have those two creators stop by monthly and let us know what is going on with the project as well as answer some questions you all may have.

So write your questions HERE!

It will of course require you to join Suvudu but it is a quick process and wholly free. Post your questions beneath in that thread and from now until Issue #0 hits the San Diego Comic Con between 3 and 7 of them will be chosen at the end of each month—Robin answering the writing/adapting questions, Tony answering the art questions.

Starting on April 1st, I will post the Questions and the Answers in a separate Forum here and add onto it as the rolling interview progresses month to month. That way all questions are gathered in one spot for easy access!

And apparently Del Rey Books will be giving us early looks at the process in the next two months. That should bring the questions rolling in!

If you have any questions about ASK ROBIN/TONY, feel free to write me at shawn@suvudu.com!

As I said in my accompanying article NYCC Interview: Robin Furth, I can’t wait for the Del Rey Books adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman.

Can’t wait. Can’t wait. Can’t wait.

I love revisiting books through adaptations, whether the adaptations are comic books, movies or games. It reminds me of the great reading I’ve done in the past and how it is always fun to view the material through someone else’s eyes in a new medium.

Tony Shasteen, the artist on The Talisman, took a few moments to answer some my questions concerning his new project and what it is to come. The interview is broken into seven video pieces!

Part I of VII: Who is Tony Shasteen?

Continue onward to interview parts II-VII with Tony Shasteen!

From the very beginning of Marvel’s Dark Tower comic book series, Stephen King fans were ready for two things—watching the fall of Gilead and what transpires at Jericho Hill.

Well, here comes one of the two: Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead!

The name of the story arc says it all. Gilead is the last bastion of light in the world, the home of many gunslingers, a Camelot of sorts, and darkness is about to fall upon it. The cover to issue #1 is interesting because, and I might be mistaken in this, it seems like the left hand panel of a much large piece of artwork. I might be wrong, but if it is one piece I can’t wait to see the right hand panel.

What spooks me about this issue is the lack of Jae Lee’s names on the credits. He is credited with the cover art but Richard Isanove is credited for doing the interior pencils. In my opinion: Not good. I like continuity and one of the things I liked was that Jae said he would be on this project through to its end. It appears that isn’t true…

… and I’d love someone to clear that point up for me.

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

At worst, we’ll find out May 6, 2009 when The Fall of Gilead #1 is released.

Every comic con has a highlight for those who go—and a highlight for one person might not be for another.

For me, the 2009 NY Comic Con will always be remembered as the first time I met Robin Furth.

The Dark Tower series, written by Stephen King, is a foundational piece in who I am. I am a fantasy reader at heart, but the combination of fantasy, horror and western really gripped me at a young age and it followed me long into adulthood. Roland Deschain is probably my favorite character in literature and those he surrounds himself with—from David, Alain, Bert and Susan, to Oy, Jake, Eddie and Susannah—live inside of me like they do for millions of other Dark Tower fans (junkies).

I have two framed Michael Whelan prints, both with the Dark Tower in the background, both with Roland staring longingly at it from a vast distance.

To remind me of my own Tower I hope to gain entrance to one day.

Robin Furth has her own Tower of sorts. She is the person responsible for researching the Dark Tower series from The Gunslinger to Wizard & Glass, enabling Stephen King to finish his saga with barely a continuity glitch. She has worked closely with Stephen King and the Dark Tower series for years, and to talk to to her about her experiences was fantastic. She exudes Dark Tower lore and I always love being around people like that. She is also one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met—always carrying a ready smile, always willing to put people at ease.

Robin has recently signed on with Del Rey Books to adapt The Talisman, a novel written by both Stephen King and Peter Straub which is irrevocably tied into the Dark Tower series. Along with artist Tony Shasteen, Robin will bring the story of Jack Sawyer to life as he tries to save two worlds and two mothers.

And so far I love what I am hearing and what I have seen from this project!

Here is my Interview with Robin Furth!

Part I of VIII: The Mistress behind The Tailsman!

To watch the rest of Robin’s interview (Parts II-VIII), make the jump!

Being Stephen King must be something grand! I swear!

Why? Because although he is really talented and financially stable and is successful and has a supportive family and has seen his stories come alive in various forms over the years, he also gets to work with some of the best people to adapt his projects into different mediums—and they do it right.

Just look at the Dark Tower comic book series as an example.

The Talisman, written by Stephen King & Peter Straub, is one of my favorite books. It also ties into the Dark Tower series and you all already know what a huge fan I am of Roland’s journey. Now that Del Rey Books has begun adapting The Talisman into a monthly comic book series, you can bet you’ll be seeing more posts like this one concerning the progress of the project.

We all know who Robin Furth is. She was Stephen King’s Dark Tower research assistant and now she is plotting and writing his comic book adaptations. She has a direct line to the man himself, so that always bodes well.

But what about the artist, Tony Shasteen? What will his artwork look like? If you are like me, artwork can kill a comic book reading experience. Will that happen with The Talisman comic book adaptation?

I’m happy to see it won’t!

Below are two character designs/sketches penciled by Tony Shasteen. He has done four or five others as well. These were the first two to be approved by Stephen King: Morgan Sloat and Speedy Parker - Click to Enlarge!
I have to do a re-read of The Talisman as it has been at least eight years since I read it for the second time, but those character designs look great to me! And I can’t wait to see Jack and his mother and the Queen and Wolf and… M-O-O-N, that spells moon!

So, what do you think of the character designs?

I am at NY Comic Con. Where cool things happen.

The convention is busy, as a con of this size usually is, and it is only Friday. Saturday the real rush will come and with it most of the celebrities, authors, panels, interviews and buying masses (hopefully)—but I think my my entire weekend has already been made complete.

Because today I spoke for half an hour with Stephen King comic book plotter/writer Robin Furth and comic book artist Tony Shasteen!

And that means good news for Stephen King fans!

Who are they, you may ask?

Robin Furth is the plotter of the Dark Tower comic book series published by Marvel. She was Stephen King’s research assistant from 2000-2004 as he finished up the final three volumes in the Dark Tower saga and it was her efforts that helped King keep all the details of that opus straight.

Tony Shasteen is a comic book artist They are the creative team responsible for the comic book adaptation of The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub.

And that is cool!

By now everyone who reads this blog knows I have a Dark Tower passion bordering on hysteria. Daily I check for updates on the comic books series; daily I look for items I may not possess in my collections. Which reminds me, I should go and get my original page from The Gunslinger Born penciled by Jae Lee framed soon…

Back on topic, one of the best websites for Stephen King fans is Lilja’s Library, a fansite that has grown over the years into just a fantastic resource. It often gets the scoop on any King news, from novels to movies to the comic books.

Lilja posted the comic book cover to Dark Tower: Treachery #6… and I just had to make mention of it and post it here. In my view it is one of the most gorgeous that artist Jae Lee and colorist Richard Isanove have come up with! And if you are a fan of the Dark Tower series and you aren’t reading these, shame on you, do ye kennit!?

Issue #3 has just been released in fine comic books stores around the world!

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

A prophetic first sentence for one of the grandest epic and romantic fantasies out there. Several years ago, in anticipation of the three-book conclusion to the Dark Tower saga, Stephen King rewrote and updated The Gunslinger, book one in the series, a novel that was originally released in magazine segments thirty years ago. Thankfully King didn’t alter that first sentence one bit. But much did change and the rewrite helped bring the first novel in line with what had come after.

Now Grant Books, a small press publisher who has been releasing finely made Stephen King limited editions for decades, will be releasing the updated The Gunslinger held by the same spine as the Dark Tower short story The Little Sisters of Eluria!

This is very cool. Michael Whelan, one of the best artists working right now, has created all new artwork for this book. Whelan was the artist on The Gunslinger all those years ago and he returned to illustrate the ending book The Dark Tower. This new Grant Books edition will be beautiful and it is a must have for Dark Tower fans!

Interested? If so, order fast. The signed and numbered Stephen King/Michael Whelan editions may be already gone, but a few Artist Editions might be left. Good luck!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a fanatical Dark Tower fan!

And today I’ve been given two gifts!

First, Dark Tower: Treachery #2 is now available for purchase and reading. I have read it and enjoyed it a great deal. It takes off right from the ending of Issue #1, answers some questions, and introduces an interesting new female character. To see that intriguing character’s introduction, read the Six Page Preview from Dark Tower: Treachery #2.

Second, Marvel has collected all five issues from the Dark Tower: The Long Road Home mini-series and put them in a gorgeous hardcover. The hardcover comes with your choice of three different covers; Amazon is selling an exclusive cover, B&N is selling an exclusive cover, and the main cover is sold in fine bookstores and comic book stores everywhere. Dark Tower: The Long Road Home is the second mini-series to be collected into a hardcover.

If you enjoyed Stephen King’s Dark Tower Saga, definitely try these out. You won’t regret it!

When Marvel Comics announced they’d be working with Stephen King to not only adapt The Gunslinger and Wizard & Glass but also use the comic book medium to fill in some of Roland Deschain’s back story, someone had to peel me off of the roof!

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born was released two years ago and Dark Tower fans loved it! The creative team Marvel brought together—artist Jae Lee, colorist Richard Isanove, writer Peter David and plotter Robin Furth—really did a fantastic job of bringing King’s original vision to the initial seven issue mini-series.

Marvel was doing it right!

Then the five issue mini-series Dark Tower: The Long Road Home continued the story, but with a twist. The Long Road Home was all original content no Dark Tower fan had previously known.

The creative team handled it just as smoothly as the first mini-series!

Now Dark Tower: Treachery #1 has been released. And I can already tell you the creative team has taken their endeavor many notches higher now that the fledgling gunslingers have returned to their home of Gilead!