KICKIN' THE WILLY BOBO WITH ~ JAMES HOPWOOD
Over a his Blood and Ink
blog, my buddy and Fight Card alum Derrick
Ferguson recently interviewed my good friend from down under, Fight Card mainstay David Foster (aka:
James Hopwood) about a new anthology in which he appears, Hollywood Murder. Derrick was kind enough to let me reprint their
interview here...So, for this post, I’m turning Bish’s Beat over to Derrick to kick the Willy Bobo (don’t ask) around with
David Foster/James Hopwood...
********
DERRICK FERGUSON: Who is James Hopwood?
DAVID FOSTER: James
Hopwood is my pen name. I have also been Jack Tunney three times. But in the
real world I am David James Foster. I assumed a pen name to separate myself
from three successful artists, albeit in different disciplines, who have
published under the name David Foster. Firstly there is an excellent award
winning Australian author; then a world champion woodchopper; and finally a
successful musician and music producer. Then there's David Foster Wallace, of
course. Adding another David Foster to the marketplace, would not only detract
from their achievements—as well as my own—but would create confusion for the
reading public.
Where do you live and what do you do to keep the bill
collectors, away?
I live in Melbourne, Australia, in a little seaside suburb
called Seaford. Near the pier that featured in the original Mad Max with
Mel Gibson. Yeah, those bill collectors, can't outrun those guys. I mainly work
in graphic design and typesetting—small scale stuff, my illustration skills
aren't too crash hot these days. But I get by, no complaints.
Tell us something about your background.
I grew up in rural Australia, about 2.5 hours north of
Melbourne on the Murray River. It was a small town called Echuca. They filmed a
TV mini—series there in the early 80s called All The Rivers Run, which
starred Sigrid Thornton and John Waters. I only mention it, because those
who've seen it will have a pretty good idea about my old home town. I got out
of there pretty early though, in my late teens, to study art and design.
Finally made my way to the big smoke, and have lived here ever since.
How long have you been writing?
I guess I've toyed around with writing since I was in my
twenties, but I was one of those guys who kept it all hidden away in a bottom
drawer. But the internet changed all that. I corresponded with like—minded
people from all around the globe, people who were into the same kind of books
and stories as I was, and I thought if they're giving it a go, then I should
too. Five years ago, I broke the shackles when I penned a novella for the Fight Card series, called King
Of The Outback. The reaction to it was pretty positive, which
gave me the confidence to keep going.
What's your philosophy of writing?
I'm pretty loose with my approach, and I keep changing to
suit my circumstances. I write pretty much every day because I enjoy it, but I
am not too concerned if I miss a day or even a week. The thing for me is to be
at least thinking about my work, and how I will use the time when I do get in
front of a computer. I hate sitting in front of a blank screen waiting for
inspiration to strike. I am also a big believer in research. Like any writer, I hit
road—blocks and snags along the way. But I have found the harder I work
researching, the more likely I am to find that nugget that will get the story
back on course. That's not to say my stories are based on fact, or some kind of
concrete truth, but it's from there I find ideas spring forth.
How did you get involved with Hollywood Mystery? Whose
idea was it?
Pro Se Productions put out an open call a couple of years ago
for the anthology, and at the time I was tied up with a few other projects, so
I reluctantly let it slide. However, when my schedule opened up, I was
surprised to find there were still a spot open and decided to pounce. My idea
was for a Thin Man type of story,
featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
I presented a proposal for a 10,000 word story that featured
Myrna Loy being stalked by a taxi driver at the premiere of her latest movie.
However, corresponding with Tommy Hancock, Pro Se's Editor-in-chief, I lamented
that with such few words, I couldn't really do a traditional 'cozy' ending—you
know the type, where all the suspects are gathered in one room, and the
detective announces who the killer is. To create that kind of ending, I
suggested I'd need more words to define each of the individual suspects. Much
to my surprise and delight, Tommy got back to me and said, if I needed more
words, take them. So I did, and a new story arose.
The idea for the anthology was Tommy's—he appears to be as
much of a fan of classic mystery movies as I am. The other authors on board the
project are Mark Squirek, Christofer Nigro, Wayne Carey and Gordon Dymowski.
Admittedly, I am biased, but I think we've put together a damn good package.
Judging by the story you wrote for Hollywood Mystery—The Poison
Pen—You're quite the fan of William Powell and Myrna Loy and the work they
did in the classic Thin Man series. What was the first Thin Man movie
you saw and how old were you when he saw it?
I was in my early 20s (about 25+ years ago) when I first
caught The Thin Man on late night
television, and I loved it. I don't think it was ever released on VHS or DVD in
Australia (but am happy to be proven wrong). It was many years later once
online shopping became available that I was able to pick up the series from
England, and they have remained a regular part of my movie diet ever since
(along with the Michael Shayne movies, with Lloyd Nolan).
What's your favorite Thin Man movie and
why?
Undoubtedly the first one. While all the movies are good, as
the series progressed a little bit of what we'd now call 'political
correctness' seeped in. When Nick and Nora Charles had a son, the boozy comedic
antics were toned back, and they were gently transformed into more respectable
role models—albeit with their flaws and nuances.
I was impressed by how you captured the style and
elegance that was the hallmark of both William Powell and Myrna Loy. How much
research into the background of their relationship did you do?
Thanks, Derrick. Of course, I watched all the films in the
series repeatedly—and a documentary or two, about Powell and Loy. But I did
stay away from Dashiell Hammett's original story. I wanted The Poison Pen to reflect the breezy style of the movies, rather
than the source material.
You planning on writing any more stories about Powell
& Loy?
I have no plans at the moment, but if there's demand for
more, I'd be happy to oblige.
Do you have any dreams of writing a Thin Man story
and/or novel for Pro Se?
That would be fantastic, but I am sure the estate of
Dashiell Hammett would have a thing or two to say. Into that mix throw whoever
holds the rights to the film series, and I'm guessing it would be a potential
minefield. But it is a nice dream. Hey, if a deal can be arranged, sign me up!
You and Paul Bishop collaborated on creating a character:
Mace Bullard of the Foreign Legion. How did that work out? How'd you guys come
up with the character?
Paul Bishop actually came up with the idea for Mace Bullard
for a project he was putting together with Tommy Hancock, called Bishop
& Hancock's Pulse Fiction. Pulse Fiction featured a whole swag
of new characters, and when I first heard about the project I was interested in
an American Indian character who'd washed up on a shore in Africa. But Paul
pulled me aside, and said that he wanted me to take a look at Bullard. I hadn't
really read any Foreign Legion pulps at that time, but he hooked me up with
some Robert Carse
Legion tales, which I devoured, and realized it was a genre I could sink my
teeth into. Paul had Bullard's backstory all mapped out. All I had to do was
plonk him in the middle of an adventure. Paul loved what I came up with, and
basically said, Kid, the character's all
yours now. Do with him what you will. Of course, I run all my Bullard
stories past Paul for approval. So far, it's been a blast.
Where has he appeared so far and what future plans do you
have for him?
As hinted at above, he first appeared in Bishop&
Hancock's Pulse Fiction: Volume 1, in a tale called Honor of the
Legion. He returned in The Pirate King for Airship 27's mammoth Legends
of New Pulp Fiction. Hopefully Bullard will re-appear before the
end of the year in Sahara Six, a novella length tale, which sees our
intrepid hero transferred to the most remote outpost in Morocco. Then, ssshhhh,
this is a little secret, I have plans for a novel length story, called Dead
Man's Key. It's a little way off at the moment, but it's coming.
What's a typical Day In The Life of James Hopwood like?
Ah, I'm an early riser, so I'll usually have the computer on
around 6:00am, and start working on a few projects before breakfast. Then I
head to the beach for a spot of snorkling, then return home for my first martini
of the day. Sorry, that last sentence is a bare-faced lie—just pretending to
live out an Ian Fleming fantasy life. After breakfast I squeeze whatever tasks
the day has in store for me, the usual working—stiff drudgery. But it gets me
out of the house. However, I carry multiple notepads around with me at all
times, and I'm always scribbling notes. At night, if I'm not drawn to the
'idiot box', I'll try to convert some of those scrawled notes into something
cohesive.
These days, I hate to admit I don't read as much as I used
to. My work consists of sitting in front of computers for most of the day, and
it can strain my eyes. The sad offshoot is I read less. However, I have really
taken to audio books, and find they are a great way to close the day. I have
been listening to some of the Robert Stark (Donald Westlake) Parker novels
lately, and they are fantastic. Currently I am on The Rare Coin Score.
********
Cheers, Derrick, thanks for your time, and continued support
for your fellow writers in the New Pulp community.
DAVID FOSTER/JAMES
HOPWOOD’S WEBSITE
DAVID FOSTER/JAMES
HOPWOOD’S BOOKS
********
Derrick Ferguson is the creator of the pulptastic adventures
of the high adventure hero, Dillon as
well as The Adventures of Fortune McCall,
among many others. He is also the author of the Fight Card novel, Brooklyn Beatdown.
TO VISIT DERRICK’S
WEBSITE
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