It was Paul Newman’s birthday the other day, which always reminds me of this cover.

I guess image rights laws are different in Europe… or maybe Paul’s lawyer got sloppy? Either way, Bastei Lubbe published an Ed Noon novel with a very handsome model standing in for Ed. He looks a little like Lew Archer… I mean… Harper. 

It’s a little window into an alternate world where some smart producer made an Ed Noon movie in the 1970s…

Sneak preview! 

Dave Acosta’s pencil sketch for the cover of the first NEW Ed Noon novel in decades! In the next month or so we’ll be releasing THE WALKING WOUNDED, an unpublished Michael Avallone Ed Noon novel from the early seventies, and a direct sequel to the first Noon mystery THE TALL DOLORES.

Dave Acosta is a talented artist, whose work can be seen in THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE SHADOW, DOC SAVAGE: RING OF FIRE (both written by David Avallone), and TWELVE DEVILS DANCING, written by Erica Schultz.

Michael Avallone famously said, “A professional writer should be able to write anything, from a garden seed catalog to the Bible.”

Over on the “garden seed catalog” side of things, here’s the cover for FRIDAY THE 13th Part 3, 3-D. (The book is, inarguably, a physical object that exists in three dimensions, so the title is technically accurate.)

He took this assignment at a time of considerable financial stress. I won’t lie: he wasn’t excited about it, wasn’t a fan of the series or the genre (though he loved the work of his pal Robert Bloch, and of John Carpenter, who are undeniably responsible for this movie’s existence.) 

When the script arrived, he took it into his office with a heavy sigh and got to work. A few hours later I heard typing. An hour after that he came out of his office with a few pages for me to read. He was smiling and happy, “I’m doing something really interesting with Jason here…”

I stared at him in disbelief. But it was the most important lesson anyone has ever taught me about writing. The memory of this moment has sustained me through any number of less-than-inspired projects. Even this was worth his full attention and talent. He found something in the assignment to engage his imagination, and he ran with it, with joy. 

German edition of the third Ed Noon adventure, DEAD GAME. Once again, the German publisher enlists an American movie star to “play” Noon on the cover. This time it’s handsome John Payne.

The second photo tells you what the first one is… an AP photo of Michael Avallone to accompany an interview. October, 1980.

This is the Brazilian/Portugese Language version of LUST IS NO LADY. The original title was THE BRUTAL KOOK. 

http://bit.ly/LustLady

Found this at the Paperback Expo in Glendale last week. Found a copy of PULP ADVENTURES #13 with “Michael Avallone” listed on the cover. Opened it up to the melancholy surprise: it was a reprinting of the LA Times obituary, illustrated with a few covers. RIP, Ed Noon. 

An essay about Michael Avallone’s work in the “horror” genre… not a bad overview. I don’t know what year the interview quotes are from.

atomic-chronoscaph:

Violence in Velvet - art by Robert Maguire (1956)

I guess someone didn’t like the color of the curtains, but otherwise this is the cover of Violence In Velvet.

An Avallone short story, in “Zest” magazine. January, 1955. Yes, that’s Sophia Loren in the middle… with her original nose and everything.