It's been a bad week for western fans with the passing of author, Howard Hopkins AKA western legend, Lance Howard and we are further saddened to hear of the hardship now faced by the late author's family - we do hope western fans will be able to help. The following comes from
Meteor House
The tragic passing of pulp writer and editor Howard Hopkins at the age of 50: http://moonstonebooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/howard-hopkins-services-and.html, has been made even worse by the further misfortune of an insurance screw up.
Please forward the following as you see fit; it is copied from a post on the Yahoo “Flearun” and “Golden Perils” groups:
At the request of Howard’s wife,
Dominique, Chuck Juzek contacted me and asked me to pass the following
info along to the pulp fan community. Due to a mistake by their
insurance agent 6 months ago that Dominique only became aware of after
Howard’s death, Howard’s life insurance had lapsed at the time of his
death. As a result, in addition to everything else that his passing
means to her, she’s now scrambling in order to find the funds to pay for
his funeral expenses. If you have the ability, she’s accepting
donations to help pay for those expenses; at her request, I’m giving her
address for anyone that wishes to contribute.
Dominique Hopkins
2 McKee Drive
Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
Howard appeared here on the Archive many times and in tribute - below we repost several of Howard's contributions to this blog.
Black Horse Westerns. Many folks here in the USA, even long-time Western readers, do not know what they are, but that’s changing, and I think 2010 will be the
year they burst onto the trail. 2009 saw a great expansion in the
awareness of these rugged little hardcovers with their shiny,
action-packed covers. Much of that came from the efforts of dedicated
folks on the Black Horse Western group with their Author Days
initiative, their Black Horse Express online magazine (www.blackhorsewesterns.org)
and writer Ian Parham’s Black Horse Blog, as well as a new Express
Westerns line of anthologies. A plethora of blogs, including the one you
are reading, my own Dark Bits with its Western Wednesdays (http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com) and others have gone viral. Black Horse writer Chap O’Keefe’s Black Horse Extra (www.blackhorsewesterns.com) and new imprint of Misfit Lil books, Robert Hale’s own snazzy new webpage (www.halebooks.com) and newsletter have also forged the trail.
Word
is getting out and perhaps riding point in that effort is the man who
conceived this Black Horse Weekend, Gary Dobbs. Consummate actor and
author, he began his Black Horse writing with a novel that became
perhaps the catalyst of growth within the line, igniting more sales than
any other BHW before and initiating reprints on select titles. I want
to say a personal thank you to Gary, not only for giving me the
opportunity to participate in this weekend, but for his enthusiasm and
grab-the-bull-by-the-balls attitude.
Which
is why I think 2010 will be the year of the Black Horse Western. It’s
starting off with a bang and can only get bigger. Express Westerns, on
this very weekend, is releasing its second western short story
anthology, A Fistful of Legends, which includes some of the cream of the
Black Horse crop as well as a couple of talented newcomers, a book
slated to compete in the prestigious Western Writers of America Spur
awards. Readers will be able to sample 21 writers for the line and see
for themselves just how wide a range of talent Black Horse has to offer.
Amazon US is now carrying new Black Horse Westerns (but get ‘em fast!),
making them easier access for US fans (as well as less expensive).
Lance Howard is a pen name used by Howard Hopkins - under the Lance
Howard byline Mr Hopkins is responsible for more than thirty Black Horse
Western novels.
And so the Archive hands over to the big man himself who informs us that the western is very much alive and kicking.
The Western is dead.
Or so you'd think if you paid any attention to the big publishing
houses out there. But is that a self-fulfilling prophesy? Or is it
Westerns just aren't cool in their eyes so they make that excuse because
they don't want to publish them?
Amazon reports on Kindle the Western is the lowest selling genre.
But is that because folks don't want to read it or because there just
isn't the glut of material available as in a genre like mystery or
romance? Chicken, egg? (However, John Locke sold 30,000 downloads of his
first Western within a short period recently--that sounds pretty decent
to me.)
The Western has been reported moribund for too many years to bother
counting, it seems. And in a way some of us as Western writers and fans
haven't really helped that very much. We, as well as the general
public, suffer too often from a perception of what the Western should
be. Why it's a hoss, a cowboy and gunfight.
Is it? If that's all it is, it's easy to see why it would be on its way to boot hill.
But I can say with all faith--and against the grain of some western
writers, publishers and agents--that it is not. The Western was never
about those trappings, though certainly they have been and can be a part
of it. The Western is and has always been about the pioneering spirit,
about preserving against tremendous odds, about heroism. That has always
been in vogue. It always will be.
And so can the Western.
But it is time to loosen the cinch some?
Expand what the Western is and make sure readers know how much it can be.
This is the principle reason I sprinkle my own Westerns with
staples from the horror, mystery and romance genres. Much to the chagrin
of "Westboys", to coin a phrase. My two recent Westerns released on
Kindle and Nook, The Dark Riders (
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DC6B9Y) and Pistolero (
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DCCM1U),
are anything but your pappy's Westerns. They reach out of the genre,
Dark Riders with its band of bloodthirsty vampire outlaws and Pistolero
with its suspense/ripper motif. I've been criticized for infecting the
pure, told by agents reading The Dark Riders to "take out either the
vampires or the western part." I refused. The Dark Riders has become my
best-selling book, and most reader acclaimed. Because beyond vampires it
involves themes--themes of loss and courage, or heroism and overcoming
adversity--that are as valid today as they were in the old West, themes
upon which the Western has always been built.
Anyone who thinks blending genres doesn't spice things up should take a look at this weekend's release of Cowboys and Aliens.
Boxing in the roots of a tree kills it. Letting those roots expand
freely...lets it thrive. The Western is like that. Blending it,
expanding it, gives it new life and consequently creates an entire
forest. Traditional Westerns will grow, as the genre grows.
Everybody
wins.
It's time to make sure everybody knows the Western is still cool.
With Kindle we, as Western writers, have that chance. I hope we don't
fall into the same box that got the Western labeled boots up in the
first place.
INTERVIEW:
Howard Hopkins/Lance Howard is a prolific writer. He has published over
thirty westerns with Robert Hale LTD's Black Horse Western imprint as
well as supernatural thrillers for both adults and children. When the
Archive last interviewed Mr. Hopkins he was slaving away at several
projects and now we find him having sold another new western, Dead Man
Riding.
With so many oaters to his name this makes him a grand old man of the west - even if in reality he is still a vibrant, y
outhful fella. I wondered if Howard worries about running out of ideas?
" I ran out 20 books ago...
Seriously,
sometimes it is difficult not to repeat something and for a couple of
reasons. 1) Because after I write a book I tend to forget it nearly
completely, something I learned to do so I could edits drafts more
objectively. And 2) because when plotting sometimes it is tempting to
take the well-trodden trail on a troublesome passage. It's at that point
I really have buckle down and look for a fresh direction. Certainly
there are themes and such I revisit, as do all authors,
but
hopefully those come with a fresh look, a deeper insight or a better
take on the subject. As far as running out of stories about the Old
West, I don't think that's possible. The West has a life of its own,
never dying, never ending and the stories it has to tell are unlimited. "
Howard's
forthcoming western is less violent than usual with much of the
violence taking place off stage while the writer creates quieter
character moments. Is this the start of a new direction?
"With my
Black Horse Westerns, yes, I believe so. I want to focus more on
suspense and character reaction and interaction. In a number of my
previous books I probably pushed the envelope a bit, though they were
not that graphically violent, but rather dealt with violent subject
matter. I still want to deal with tough subject, however. My upcoming
Lance Howard, Dead Man Riding, does as well but violence takes place
more off stage or ends at the point of impact. I want to keep it
interesting for western fans with plenty of action and all the things
they expect from the genre, however, so this book proved a bit
difficult, and at times I doubted myself. But in the end it worked out. I
think editorial will appreciate the new direction too!"
As well as westerns, Howard works in the horror genre. I asked him to outline his horror work for Archive readers.
"I
write in two areas of the horror genre, horror for adults and horror
for children (ages 8 and up). My children's horror series is called The
Nightmare Club and involves a band of misfit kids who get together with
the common goal of solving ghostly mysteries. So far I have three titles
in the line: The Headless Paperboy, The Deadly Dragon and The Willow
Witch. This series, while being spooky fun, also deals with issues faced
by modern children in an age appropriate manner, such as racism, abuse
and grief. The series harkens ba
ck
to Scooby Doo, The Hardy Boys and Alvin Fernald with a bit of Doc
Savage thrown in for good measure. (For more info check out my
children’s horror page at
www.howardhopkins.com/nightmareclub.htm)
My adult horror novels range across the board, from the vampire/western
of The Dark Riders to the more Stephen Kingish/Dark Shadows style of
Night Demons. At present, I am writing a supernatural mystery series
called The Chloe Files, which involves the lead character from my horror
tale Grimm in her own adventures. I love writing Chloe. She’s tougher
than any of the guys in my stories and though she gets herself into a
heck of a lot of ghostly and demonly trouble she also gets herself out
of it using her own wits and strength. The first two books in the series
are out: Ashes to Ashes and Sliver of Darkness, and along with author
Betty Sullivan LaPierre I’ve recently finished a new Chloe book trailer
video, which can be seen on my homepage at
http://www.howardhopkins.com
We are pretty proud of this video. I am even hoping somehow to get a
bit of western ghostliness into a Chloe adventure soon, and get her up
on a horse!"
Howard has been very encouraging to new
writers, such as myself. He is never too busy to offer good wishes or a
useful snippet of advice. I wondered what would he tell new writers?
"Don’t
pay any attention to the naysayers and those who would subvert your
confidence. Ignore the negative types who like nothing better than to
piss all over your dreams. There are far too many of these types, who
through either petty jealousy or insecurity don’t want to see you
succeed. If you NEED to write, have a passion for it, then do it. The
realities of the business will set in, but don’t let them cripple your
creativity. Be aware of them but only in the capacity of finding ways to
overcome them. Writing is tough; you’ll need to be tougher. Don’t be
afraid to go for it
. Try to surround yourself with positive people and join positive groups."
Howard
has stuck with Robert Hale and their Black Horse Western range for many
years now, honing his craft with each new book. I wonder if he's ever
been tempted to stray over to the big American publishers?
"I’ve
tried a few times, but the climate over here (in the States, as Hale is
based in England) is much different for Westerns. Publishers are
conglomerates and the market for westerns isn’t very big at present,
though I think there is hope and certainly plenty of potential for
expansion. I have had a couple published over here under my own name,
Howard Hopkins, but they are more cross genre westerns, which is
actually what I prefer to write (such as Pistolero, a riper/western with
a bit of conspiracy thrown in. You can check these out along with my
BHWs on my western page at:
http://www.howardhopkins.com/western-books.htm).
I do enjoy the certain type of westerns Hale publishes, however, and
the company are a pleasure to work for, so as long as it remains that
way I will keep telling the stories I like to tell and hopefully readers
like to read."
Whatever Howard does one thing is certain
and that his that his fingers will never stray too far from the
keyboard. So what future projects can we look forward to?
"Most
of my recent stuff has focused on the latest books in The Nightmare
Club and The Chloe Files series, and also numerous comic book and short
story anthology projects for Moonstone Books. I have a graphic novel
based on the 1930s pulp hero The Spider due out any day called Judgment
Knight and a Spider wide-screen comic book titled The Strange Case of
The Spider and Mr. Hyde. Both have absolutely stunning artwork! And
aside from recently co-editing and writing for The Avenger Chronicles
(another pulp hero) and The Spider Chronicles, I am excited about doing a
Captain Midnight tale (which I feel is one of my best) for an anthology
due this year and working on The Green Hornet. I've started into a new
western as well. Aside from that I spend a lot of time writing for my
Dark Bits blog:
http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com/ "Finally for fun I put to Howard that Clint Eastwood goes up against John Wayne. Who would win?
"Oh,
man, an answer either way gets me a High Noon showdown from one camp or
the other. I think Clint’s got a little meaner look, so maybe would
give him the edge, but they are both icons and I’d like to think they’d
team up and tame the Wild West!"
Now that Howard would be something....
REST IN PEACE HOWARD HOPKINS/LANCE HOWARD - YOU LIVE ON THROUGH YOUR BOOKS
year they burst onto the trail. 2009 saw a great expansion in the
awareness of these rugged little hardcovers with their shiny,
action-packed covers. Much of that came from the efforts of dedicated
folks on the Black Horse Western group with their Author Days
initiative, their Black Horse Express online magazine (www.blackhorsewesterns.org)
and writer Ian Parham’s Black Horse Blog, as well as a new Express
Westerns line of anthologies. A plethora of blogs, including the one you
are reading, my own Dark Bits with its Western Wednesdays (http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com) and others have gone viral. Black Horse writer Chap O’Keefe’s Black Horse Extra (www.blackhorsewesterns.com) and new imprint of Misfit Lil books, Robert Hale’s own snazzy new webpage (www.halebooks.com) and newsletter have also forged the trail.
outhful fella. I wondered if Howard worries about running out of ideas?
but
hopefully those come with a fresh look, a deeper insight or a better
take on the subject. As far as running out of stories about the Old
West, I don't think that's possible. The West has a life of its own,
never dying, never ending and the stories it has to tell are unlimited. "
ck
to Scooby Doo, The Hardy Boys and Alvin Fernald with a bit of Doc
Savage thrown in for good measure. (For more info check out my
children’s horror page at www.howardhopkins.com/nightmareclub.htm)
My adult horror novels range across the board, from the vampire/western
of The Dark Riders to the more Stephen Kingish/Dark Shadows style of
Night Demons. At present, I am writing a supernatural mystery series
called The Chloe Files, which involves the lead character from my horror
tale Grimm in her own adventures. I love writing Chloe. She’s tougher
than any of the guys in my stories and though she gets herself into a
heck of a lot of ghostly and demonly trouble she also gets herself out
of it using her own wits and strength. The first two books in the series
are out: Ashes to Ashes and Sliver of Darkness, and along with author
Betty Sullivan LaPierre I’ve recently finished a new Chloe book trailer
video, which can be seen on my homepage at http://www.howardhopkins.com
We are pretty proud of this video. I am even hoping somehow to get a
bit of western ghostliness into a Chloe adventure soon, and get her up
on a horse!"
. Try to surround yourself with positive people and join positive groups."
ce Howard will this August see his 31st western, Dead Man Riding published by Black Horse Westerns.
k Horse Western - head over to his blog where he's talking about his books and the genre in general.
Sadly Howard passed away earlier this year and we are reposting this interview as a tribute to the great man.
er online sellers. I recently read a early draft of the book and I must say it is up there with Howard's usual high standards. It's an excellent read from start to finish.
