Portfolio Categories: Book Design

The year was 1933. The country was in the height of a Depression and weeks after the Bank Holiday concluded, RKO Radio Pictures promoted a new motion picture as “the picture destined to startle the world.”

In the weeks leading up to the theatrical release of KING KONG, executives at RKO purchased an unusual time slot for an eight-week radio serial, adapted from the screenplay. The studio made a daring move by giving away the entire plot of the movie before it was released. Eliminating the advertising agency, the studio hired stage actors in New York City to report to the radio studios at NBC, twice a week, to dramatize the epic that took place on an unchartered island and a monster rampage through the streets of New York City.

Recordings from that 1933 radio serial do not exist and until recently, the radio scripts were considered “lost” – a Holy Grail among radio researchers and fans of the horror classic. Recently discovered in the hands of a private collector, this book reprints scans of all 15 radio scripts from 1933, the complete run, along with bonus extras such as radio scripts for the April 1933 New York City and Hollywood movie premieres. Also included (and most important) is a history of the short-lived radio program. For fans of King Kong, this is a treasure.

Very few television shows withstand the test of time, and Rod Serling’s THE TWILIGHT ZONE is one of the notable exceptions. Proven to be an important part of American culture since its debut on CBS in October 1959, many Hollywood producers, screenwriters and directors have been inspired and influenced by this series. Comic books, magazine articles, numerous television revivals, a major motion picture and even modern audio productions have been produced, showcasing the continuing popularity of this television classic. This definitive history presents a portrait of the beloved Rod Serling and his television program, recounting the major changes the show underwent in format and story selection, including censorship battles, production details, and exclusive memories from cast and crew. The complete episode guide recalls all 156 episodes of the series in detail that has never before been accomplished in any publication. This book will make you want to look back at the episodes once again, whether you are a casual fan or serious enthusiast of the series. Unlock the door to a television classic by reading about the in-jokes, bloopers, and other trivia associated with the behind-the-scenes production of . . . THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

Rod Serling is an author who carefully blended science-fiction with eerie horror to create stories that have stood the test of time. Today, he is remembered as the creator of The Twilight Zone. Behind the scenes, he was a master craftsman. This book reprints hundreds of archival letters and documents, including letters from fans sent to Rod Serling, and newspaper and magazine reviews. Never has there been a closer and more intimate behind-the-scenes view of Rod Serling behind his typewriter than the letters and memos that are contained within.

Among his fans are countless “completists” who have made it a mission to absorb as much of his work as possible. For fans of The Twilight Zone, this is a feast for the eyes.

400 pages and full 8 x 11 size!

With so many books about Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone published, we never thought it was possible for anyone to publish another book without rehashing the same material already covered… until now. Just remember as you read these letters, be prepared. You may find yourself falling down a rabbit hole… or into the abyss of fascination known as The Twilight Zone.

Three days of fun. Come meet movie stars, get their autograph, and have your photo taken with them. Vendors will have vintage collectibles for sale. Vintage movies will be shown on the big screen. Celebrities will do participate with a Q&A on stage.

The Clarion Hotel, 3034 Richmond Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Hotel Phone Number (757) 565-2600

“Indisputably Ireland’s most talented and prolific interviewer.” — Irish Daily Mail

The Writing Irish is an anthology of in-depth interviews with some of the island’s leading literary luminaries.

This wide-ranging collection of 18 subjects includes several of Ireland’s most critically acclaimed novelists: Jennifer Johnston, Sebastian Barry, John Boyne, Emma Donoghue, Donal Ryan, Joseph O’Connor, Pat McCabe, and Dermot Healy, who was described as a Celtic Hemingway.

There’s two entire chapters dedicated to the many candid discussions O’Toole enjoyed with the late Irish-American author JP Donleavy, whose book The Ginger Man was selected 99th out of the Modern Library’s Best 100 Novels of the 20th Century. As the great man himself quipped, “I guess that’s better than a kick in the arse!”

The eclectic collection also includes best-selling authors Deirdre Purcell, Derek Landy and Lee Dunne, who held the dubious honor of being Ireland’s most banned novelist.

The Writing Irish has a posthumously published lengthy Q&A with the critically acclaimed poet Leland Bardwell and a rare personal interview with the two-term, sitting Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

O’Toole also enjoyed fascinating exchanges with Brendan Behan’s biographer Ulick O’Connor and Ian Gibson, whose authoritative tomes on Lorca and Salvador Dalí have seen him hailed as “the creator of modern biography in Spain.”

“O’Toole specialises in in-your-face interviews.”— Sunday Independent

Jason O’Toole is frequently hailed as the finest interviewer of his generation. He is a columnist with the Irish Sunday Mirror and a music writer for the Irish Daily Mirror. The Writing Irish is his ninth book.

“A keen wind had come up that wailed through the streets. With Caine was Peter, the Ancient, Master Khan, Steadman and Rykker. The ‘Magnificent Seven’ looked around the streets where they would be fighting. None of them spoke. The ambiance weighed heavily on them. Peter looked up at the rooftops that surrounded the streets. Steadman and Rykker also took note of the rooftops. More of the ruined buildings crowded in around them. It was a setting that did not sit well with our heroes.”

One of the most prolific writers of his generation, Michael Sloan has written and produced over 300 hours of prime time television, including such cult TV series as ‘THE EQUALIZER’ (which he created), the original ‘BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’, ‘HARDY BOYS & NANCY DREW MYSTERIES’, new episodes of ‘ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS’, the new ‘OUTER LIMITS’, ‘KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES’ and ‘MYSTERY WOMAN’, Hallmark Channel’s most successful TV series.
Sloan was also the show runner on ‘THE MASTER’ (which he created), ‘McCLOUD’ and ‘BJ & THE BEAR.’ He has written and produced several TV Movies, including ‘EARTHQUAKE IN NEW YORK’, ‘FREEFALL’, ‘RETURN OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.’, ‘RIVIERA’ and three hugely successful ‘RETURN OF THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN & THE BIONIC WOMAN’ movies. He has written and produced several features including ‘MOMENTS’, ‘MAX HAVOC: RING OF FIRE’, ‘ALIEN AGENT’ and ‘ART OF WAR II: BETRAYAL, starring Wesley Snipes. He has had a successful thriller play, ‘UNDERGROUND’, mounted in the West End of London.

“Our comedies are not to be laughed at!”

A funny line, admittedly, but dead wrong. This quip, supposedly uttered by one of the Stern Brothers, is another example of the legend becoming “fact,” and has defined – and tarnished –
the lasting reputation of the brothers and their films.

In spite of budgetary constraints and a lack of star power, Julius and Abe Stern were responsible for nearly 900 silent comedy shorts over the fifteen year period 1914-29; films often just as good – if not better – than those of their primary competitors, Mack Sennett and Hal Roach. They were financially successful as well, the brothers retiring from filmmaking at the end of the silent
era as millionaires.

But there is more to the story. Little known is the breadth and depth of the Sterns’ relationship with their brother-in-law, Universal head Carl Laemmle, and the relationship’s eventual downturn. Or Julius’s humanitarian endeavors in the 1930s, sponsoring the emigration of numerous Jews from Hitler’s Germany.

TIME IS MONEY! THE CENTURY, RAINBOW, AND STERN BROTHERS COMEDIES OF JULIUS AND ABE STERN finally reveals the intriguing – and true – story of the lives and careers of Julius and Abe Stern. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 rare photos, TIME IS MONEY! details the making of the brothers’ films, and delves into their previously undocumented, behind the scenes importance to Laemmle and the growth of Universal.

Forthcoming 2021

Forthcoming 2021

Annual nostalgia convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland.