My short story "Sleeping with Wolves" came out in the literary journal Typewriter Emergencies!
Please check it out at my The Angry Goblin - My Bibliography Blog or on the journal's official link here: Typewriter Emergencies May 2017 Edition!
Also, here are the official web links to the publisher and the lit journal's Mission Statement:
Weasel Press
Typewriter Emergencies literary journal
P.S. Please let me know what you think about the journal in general. I read through it myself and am really excited that this is just the first issue! When you read the story, let me know what you think in the comments below!
Showing posts with label furry lit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label furry lit. Show all posts
Monday, May 1, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
A new short story accepted!
The literary journal Typewriter Emergencies has accepted a new short story based on my historical novel manuscript.
It's titled "Sleeping with Wolves" and will come out in May 2017!
Before the story's publication, I will keep my readers and visitors posted. Once published, I will make available any URLs or links.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
"Watership Down" author, Richard Adams, dead at 96
I just learned that author Richard Adams passed away today at 96.
Before cable, a lot of special cartoon films and animations would be on regular TV channels. It's how I got to see a lot of these stories before they were put on VHS and later migrated to cable companies' channels. When I was about six or seven, I caught "Watership Down" one evening. With its Genesis-like 'In the beginning'-type introduction, I was immediately pulled into the very brutal story about a group of rabbits leaving their warren to journey where there would be plenty of food, space, and resources where they could breed and live in peace.
These rabbits had a society, they had culture - their oral history was expansive - and they had spiritual beliefs - the sun was Lord to them - and they had lore and legends - Elahrairah was their Adam and the one that made them fall from grace. However, he was still revered and considered responsible for giving the rabbit race their cunning, skills, and physical capabilities.
Early in the animation, it got quite violent and visceral, with Fiver, the runt of the group but also a prophet, experiencing horrific visions that compelled the small group of protagonists on their quest. One of my siblings, I am the youngest, came into the living room and asked in horror what kind of bloody cartoon was I watching. I begged them not to change the channel and for the rest of the program, my belly on the rug, twirling my feet in the air, I was enraptured.
When I learned "Watership Down" was a book, I kept in mind I would read it when I had a chance. That chance came when I was in community college and usually hung out in the English department, chatting with my Creative Writing professor and some of the other faculty that knew me. One day, while wandering in the department's lobby, I chanced on a table of books. An office worker said I could take as many as I wanted. She explained that every couple of months, faculty members will cull through their office libraries and bring their findings to the lobby for anyone popping up to take what they could. Lo, there was a copy of "Watership Down"! I immediately looked at how many pages (it's a hefty novel) and grabbed it. When I got home, I couldn't put the story down. It had, of course, more details and subplots that the film could not include. It was still as brutal but with the psychological impact of the reader's imagination. To use a cliche', it 'fired my imagination'. I had already decided I wanted to write fantasy when in high school after getting the "Death Gate" trilogy from my sister as a Xmas gift. Reading 'Watership' validated for me to continue to write in the Furry genre!
RIP Richard Adams. We will miss you but your characters, Elahrairah, the Black Rabbit of Elil, Hazel-Rah, Fiver, and Bigwig will continue to live on as will you, in our hearts. :(
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| Lee Gambin 3/23/16 |
 |
| reddit.com/r/thewarren/ |
These rabbits had a society, they had culture - their oral history was expansive - and they had spiritual beliefs - the sun was Lord to them - and they had lore and legends - Elahrairah was their Adam and the one that made them fall from grace. However, he was still revered and considered responsible for giving the rabbit race their cunning, skills, and physical capabilities.
 |
watershipdown.wikia.com/wiki/Violet |
 |
| Goodreads.com |
RIP Richard Adams. We will miss you but your characters, Elahrairah, the Black Rabbit of Elil, Hazel-Rah, Fiver, and Bigwig will continue to live on as will you, in our hearts. :(
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
My short story “Night Sounds” is out! Prick of the Spindle AVAILABLE at Amazon.com (Print or Kindle)
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| http://prickofthespindle.org |
PRICK OF THE SPINDLE Issue 9 is out!
My short story “Night Sounds”, based on my work-in-progress novel, is one of many luminous prose/poems/illustrations/reviews in the journal!
Prick of the Spindle is available in PRINT and on KINDLE!
Available at Amazon.com!
Prick of the Spindle (Kindle or Print)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Early influences..
NOTE: Originally written on Dec. 29, 2009
At 6, 7, or 8, when I watched "Star Wars", the animated "Lord of the Rings" and "Watership Down", I didn't know, at the time, that it would foster my 4 biggest interests: Animation, SF, Fantasy, and Anthropomorphic.
All those 70s Disney nature movies, as well as the phenomenal "Wild America", and public TV nature shows, plus all those children books with talking animals, including Saturday early afternoon's "Storybook", would be the clincher that made me love writing and drawing animal characters.
At 6, 7, or 8, when I watched "Star Wars", the animated "Lord of the Rings" and "Watership Down", I didn't know, at the time, that it would foster my 4 biggest interests: Animation, SF, Fantasy, and Anthropomorphic.
All those 70s Disney nature movies, as well as the phenomenal "Wild America", and public TV nature shows, plus all those children books with talking animals, including Saturday early afternoon's "Storybook", would be the clincher that made me love writing and drawing animal characters.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Inspiration & a Despised Cult Classic
Anyone remembers "Ren & Stimpy"?
If you do, G*d help you, and if you don't, I won't remind you further.
I considered "Ren & Stimpy" a tasteless, crass piece of junk.
The spastic animation, garish use of colors, the very potty humor, I found grating to the brain, ears and eyes..but I digress.
Why do I mention a cartoon I didn't give a flying fig about then or now?
Let me explain, the animation studio that created "Ren & Stimpy" actually did produce a little gem about pet dogs.
Though this standalone picture had the same above pet-peeves, it actually did not turn my stomach so much as my head.
Let me see if my memory serves me:
A new dog arrives in the neighborhood. He is young, quite scrawny, and with bugged-out eyes. Immediately, he is approached and sized up by the local canine Casanova, who looks like a muscular white Husky type.
This new rival is better-looking than our pencil-thin hero. The rival lets it be known to the Scrawny Dog he is king-of-the-hill, the Top Dog.
But it does not end there.
A poodle, stereotypically of wealthy owners, arrives in town and becomes the target of the amorous top dog.
While Top Dog sets his sights on the Poodle, and in a sequence I believe also inspired by the spaghetti-eating scene from 'Lady & the Tramp' (read previous post), he wines and dines the Poodle.
The Poodle does not seem impressed and is a bit worldly, however, she is befriended by a heavy-set, Mama-type dog.
This same Mama-type constantly accuses, at the top of her lungs, that the Top Dog is the father to her own puppies.
When the Top Dog confronts her at her owner's fence to deny the accusation: "Those pups don't look anything like me!" he rages, the puppies all begin to jump up and down behind the fence.
Each and everyone of them LOOK EXACTLY like him! The top dog's mouth drops and he is rendered speechless.
The scene is both poignant but also side-splitting hilarious. Why poignant? Well, the Mama-type has put on weight since having the litter. She tells the Poodle that at one point, the Top Dog found her attractive (and throughout the film, she is still trying to get the Top Dog back while still beating him down to help take care of his kids).
The Mama-type warns the Poodle not to let the Top Dog trap her, that he will get her pregnant and leave.
In the meantime, I don't remember what the overall plot to the story, but I also remember the Poodle was not at all perfect, but had either an eating disorder/addiction (who comes up with this stuff?). Whenever she smelled and saw a certain food (forgot what it was), she would gorge herself to the point that she would be sick and immobile for days.
Yet when she divulges this to the scrawny dog, they find acceptance and understanding for their flaws.
(I know the Scrawny Dog had some self-confidence issues. Some adventure ensues but I'll be darned if I remember it.)
At the end of the film, Scrawny Dog proves himself to the bully/Top Dog.
Poodle had also rejected Top Dog.
Mama-type, for a time, has the Top Dog taking responsibility with the puppies.
Poodle and Scrawny Dog end up a couple. END.
Now, don't ask if this was part of the 'Ren & Stimpy' feature, or was a separate project from the animation company.
I don't remember the title, the characters' names, or even what the story was about, just certain scenes.
All I know is the cartoon made a huge impact when I first viewed it, even though I wasn't a fan of the animation studio's body of work.
If you do, G*d help you, and if you don't, I won't remind you further.
I considered "Ren & Stimpy" a tasteless, crass piece of junk.
The spastic animation, garish use of colors, the very potty humor, I found grating to the brain, ears and eyes..but I digress.
Why do I mention a cartoon I didn't give a flying fig about then or now?
Let me explain, the animation studio that created "Ren & Stimpy" actually did produce a little gem about pet dogs.
Though this standalone picture had the same above pet-peeves, it actually did not turn my stomach so much as my head.
Let me see if my memory serves me:
A new dog arrives in the neighborhood. He is young, quite scrawny, and with bugged-out eyes. Immediately, he is approached and sized up by the local canine Casanova, who looks like a muscular white Husky type.
This new rival is better-looking than our pencil-thin hero. The rival lets it be known to the Scrawny Dog he is king-of-the-hill, the Top Dog.
But it does not end there.
A poodle, stereotypically of wealthy owners, arrives in town and becomes the target of the amorous top dog.
While Top Dog sets his sights on the Poodle, and in a sequence I believe also inspired by the spaghetti-eating scene from 'Lady & the Tramp' (read previous post), he wines and dines the Poodle.
The Poodle does not seem impressed and is a bit worldly, however, she is befriended by a heavy-set, Mama-type dog.
This same Mama-type constantly accuses, at the top of her lungs, that the Top Dog is the father to her own puppies.
When the Top Dog confronts her at her owner's fence to deny the accusation: "Those pups don't look anything like me!" he rages, the puppies all begin to jump up and down behind the fence.
Each and everyone of them LOOK EXACTLY like him! The top dog's mouth drops and he is rendered speechless.
The scene is both poignant but also side-splitting hilarious. Why poignant? Well, the Mama-type has put on weight since having the litter. She tells the Poodle that at one point, the Top Dog found her attractive (and throughout the film, she is still trying to get the Top Dog back while still beating him down to help take care of his kids).
The Mama-type warns the Poodle not to let the Top Dog trap her, that he will get her pregnant and leave.
In the meantime, I don't remember what the overall plot to the story, but I also remember the Poodle was not at all perfect, but had either an eating disorder/addiction (who comes up with this stuff?). Whenever she smelled and saw a certain food (forgot what it was), she would gorge herself to the point that she would be sick and immobile for days.
Yet when she divulges this to the scrawny dog, they find acceptance and understanding for their flaws.
(I know the Scrawny Dog had some self-confidence issues. Some adventure ensues but I'll be darned if I remember it.)
At the end of the film, Scrawny Dog proves himself to the bully/Top Dog.
Poodle had also rejected Top Dog.
Mama-type, for a time, has the Top Dog taking responsibility with the puppies.
Poodle and Scrawny Dog end up a couple. END.
Now, don't ask if this was part of the 'Ren & Stimpy' feature, or was a separate project from the animation company.
I don't remember the title, the characters' names, or even what the story was about, just certain scenes.
All I know is the cartoon made a huge impact when I first viewed it, even though I wasn't a fan of the animation studio's body of work.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Inspiration, Disney & the Tramp
When you hear about 'gangster dogs', what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Well, for me, it all began with a tidy, little movie called "Lady & the Tramp".
I first watched this film, I think, in the New York Public Library, when they had movie time for the kiddies.
I had no idea when first viewing this classic film how much I was soaking in!
I watched a lot of Disney films via public library, but let me focus on this story: a young, pampered Cocker Spaniel, owned by a human couple, finds herself out in the cold, cruel world and a dashing terrier-mix stray finds her and takes her under his (paw?) wing.
Lady, as she is known, finds out her rescuer is known as the Tramp, and he has quite a seedy reputation.
Upon review when older, I picked up the sheer genius and creativity of the story - that it took place at turn-of-the-century U.S., in an affluent area, and that there was still undeveloped land (when Lady and her Tramp run about town, painting it red, and later, they nap together on a grassy hill overlooking the city...the scene is SO tender and picturesque!).
Also, the romance flows so smoothly. Character development does not feel rushed.
Another important scene: Lady, after spending her time at the dog pound, and then she's brought safely home (she had a license, after all), Tramp comes by to apologize, and the offended Lady literally goes off on him! In that moment, she's grown up, from girl to woman, and basically tells the man she is falling for how much he hurt and betrayed her!
It's funny, to see dogs act in so human a manner, especially watching Tramp's contrite face and body language, and it is heartbreaking, because Lady has grown up!
Now, as I work on my latest project (is it or isn't it a novel?), I've found how much I've gleaned from Disney's "Lady & the Tramp".
Using a wide, divergent, even culturally different cast, such as the Scottish terrier and the American Southern bloodhound, etc. inspired the use of applying human history to canine-centered story.
Though one of many, I can credit "Lady & the Tramp" to a degree that, had I NOT watched the film, my current WIP would NOT have been possible, or even come to fruition.
Now, *plug* Disney has "Lady & the Tramp" out on Blue-ray! Watch it again! And if you have NEVER seen this wonderful film (where have you been?), then I implore you to get it, watch with the children, your spouse, your partner, or by yourself.
It is enjoyable at every level.
Well, for me, it all began with a tidy, little movie called "Lady & the Tramp".
I first watched this film, I think, in the New York Public Library, when they had movie time for the kiddies.
I had no idea when first viewing this classic film how much I was soaking in!
 |
| Disney's (c) Impawards.com 1955 Movie poster ? |
I watched a lot of Disney films via public library, but let me focus on this story: a young, pampered Cocker Spaniel, owned by a human couple, finds herself out in the cold, cruel world and a dashing terrier-mix stray finds her and takes her under his (paw?) wing.
Lady, as she is known, finds out her rescuer is known as the Tramp, and he has quite a seedy reputation.
Upon review when older, I picked up the sheer genius and creativity of the story - that it took place at turn-of-the-century U.S., in an affluent area, and that there was still undeveloped land (when Lady and her Tramp run about town, painting it red, and later, they nap together on a grassy hill overlooking the city...the scene is SO tender and picturesque!).
Also, the romance flows so smoothly. Character development does not feel rushed.
Another important scene: Lady, after spending her time at the dog pound, and then she's brought safely home (she had a license, after all), Tramp comes by to apologize, and the offended Lady literally goes off on him! In that moment, she's grown up, from girl to woman, and basically tells the man she is falling for how much he hurt and betrayed her!
It's funny, to see dogs act in so human a manner, especially watching Tramp's contrite face and body language, and it is heartbreaking, because Lady has grown up!
Now, as I work on my latest project (is it or isn't it a novel?), I've found how much I've gleaned from Disney's "Lady & the Tramp".
Using a wide, divergent, even culturally different cast, such as the Scottish terrier and the American Southern bloodhound, etc. inspired the use of applying human history to canine-centered story.
Though one of many, I can credit "Lady & the Tramp" to a degree that, had I NOT watched the film, my current WIP would NOT have been possible, or even come to fruition.
Now, *plug* Disney has "Lady & the Tramp" out on Blue-ray! Watch it again! And if you have NEVER seen this wonderful film (where have you been?), then I implore you to get it, watch with the children, your spouse, your partner, or by yourself.
It is enjoyable at every level.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
1st part is winding down
Finally. Work is hopefully winding down. I don't just mean the J-O-B either.
The story (1st part) seems to be finished. Wow. That sounds magnanimous..but it's true! After reaching the 12th journal, what I'm writing seems to be filler, or added details.
Characters have been born, been killed, married, and in a few cases, divorced or separated. Now comes the hard part...
While typing, I will do more edits and categorize the references. The Dreaded Second Draft...Oy.
The story (1st part) seems to be finished. Wow. That sounds magnanimous..but it's true! After reaching the 12th journal, what I'm writing seems to be filler, or added details.
Characters have been born, been killed, married, and in a few cases, divorced or separated. Now comes the hard part...
While typing, I will do more edits and categorize the references. The Dreaded Second Draft...Oy.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Don't worry...Art series will continue
I know I promised my dog historical fiction illustrations. Have no fear - I have some folders saved and dated. I just need to do some digital touch-ups before I post. This is what happens when a person both writes and draws. Procrastination becomes almost chronic.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The art of plugging away
My dog crime drama has been an on-again-off-again relationship since 6th grade.
Some years back, I gave it up. Just got sick and tired of plugging at something that wasn't growing.
The plot, the characters, didn't seem to want to attain fruition.
So I gave up on it.
And you want to know something? That's when the story grew.
Like a seed you plant, and water, sprinkle plant food, till it, and nothing.
But as you ignore the pot/garden/field..that's when it happens.
Magic.
Some years back, I gave it up. Just got sick and tired of plugging at something that wasn't growing.
The plot, the characters, didn't seem to want to attain fruition.
So I gave up on it.
And you want to know something? That's when the story grew.
Like a seed you plant, and water, sprinkle plant food, till it, and nothing.
But as you ignore the pot/garden/field..that's when it happens.
Magic.
Monday, December 27, 2010
'Invitation to World Literature' continued...Part 2
"1000 and 1 Nights", though many of the stories seem disjointed or meander to other characters and places, is held together by the frame of a single, intelligent and wise young woman who changes a tyrant to become a loving husband, father and ruler.
This brought to mine my own collection of short stories.
When 'Tabber the Red' was originally a novel, it couldn't work. I had many stylistic problems with it. Once I began to break it down into short stories is when the work soared and magazines began to publish them.
In a nutshell, 'Tabber the Red' is my tabby warrior who manages, through cunning, stealth, and an unusual intelligence not perceived among his particular clan group, to fix the world as he sees fit, to end the rival squabbles, the genocides, as well as bring peace to the tabby tribes that rule the Grassland Region.
Sometimes, the short stories revolve around him, or go beyond his timeline, touch the past and even into the future, so that Tabber, in just a few stories, his parents are the focus, or, his childhood is in focus. Later, the meeting of his wife, and soon, what events are affected by his children and grandchildren.
The stories even will mention people in history on this world, other times, other breeds and other cultures. This is why I'm glad that I named my official website after him instead of after me.
TabbertheRed.com
This brought to mine my own collection of short stories.
When 'Tabber the Red' was originally a novel, it couldn't work. I had many stylistic problems with it. Once I began to break it down into short stories is when the work soared and magazines began to publish them.
In a nutshell, 'Tabber the Red' is my tabby warrior who manages, through cunning, stealth, and an unusual intelligence not perceived among his particular clan group, to fix the world as he sees fit, to end the rival squabbles, the genocides, as well as bring peace to the tabby tribes that rule the Grassland Region.
Sometimes, the short stories revolve around him, or go beyond his timeline, touch the past and even into the future, so that Tabber, in just a few stories, his parents are the focus, or, his childhood is in focus. Later, the meeting of his wife, and soon, what events are affected by his children and grandchildren.
The stories even will mention people in history on this world, other times, other breeds and other cultures. This is why I'm glad that I named my official website after him instead of after me.
TabbertheRed.com
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