Hello, Insiders!
David here, co-creator of the Uncanny Kingdom (also known as “the handsome one”).
I’ve posted plenty of blogs already, but I’ve yet to properly introduce myself. So here goes…
I’m six-foot-three, I was born when bell-bottoms were still fashionable, and I have no middle name. My background is in the fine arts, but the only arting I do these days is designing the Uncanny Kingdom’s book covers.
I first met my co-writer Matt (better known as “the less attractive one”) on a comedy writing forum, and we’ve worked together ever since, writing screenplays and sketches for TV before we moved into books. If you look hard enough you can still find some of our earlier work on the internet, including some of my nascent stand-up (treat yourself and don’t do that).
I’m also a big comic book fan. In case you need evidence of that, here’s a photo of my study*…
People tend to think of super-heroes when they think of comics, but there’s some great urban fantasy out there too, by which I mean contemporary fantasy that doesn’t involve gamma rays and radioactive spiders. Don’t get me wrong, I like the spandex suit set as much as the next guy (big Peter Parker fan here), but these days I find myself more drawn to the spookier/quirkier side of the medium, and that’s where the urban fantasy lives.
Here are three of my absolute favourites:
Preacher is an absolutely cracking tale, and one that you should definitely check out if you haven’t already. The TV show can be a lot of fun, but it isn’t a patch on Garth Ennis’ original run, which is vile and surprising in equal measure.
John Constantine is pretty much the gold standard for male anti-heroes, and the UF genre owes him a huge debt. Without Alan Moore’s character, serialised in the Hellblazer comics, there never would have been a Harry Dresden, and there certainly wouldn’t have been a Jake Fletcher, Spectral Detective.
Locke & Key is my pick of the bunch here, a limited series written by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King). It’s a history-hopping, Lovecraftian tale about magical keys that I pick up and re-read at least once a year. Locke & Key is a truly incredible story, and you’d be off your rocker not to give it a squiz.
Anyway, that’s enough of my jawing. Any comic book fans in the house? My ears are always open for a great new read.
*You can’t see the shelves full of comic books behind me from this photo, but trust me when I tell you that there are plenty of them!
David.
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