PLUG-A-RAMA LAMA DING DONG

[Kevin Burton Smith]

As you may or may not know, I've got a real blog out there at http://thrillingdetectiveblog.blogspot.com/, but for those of you who haven't wandered over to the THRILLING DETECTIVE BLOG, here's a recap of my latest message there: JACK OF ALL MEDIA (MASTER OF NONE) My recent appearance in a Los Angeles Times profile by journalist Scott Timberg, where he grilled me on on LA crime writer Robert Crais, was evidently just a warm-up act. This week, an interview I did with Shannon Clute and Richard Edwards, the creators of the popular and most excellent OUT OF THE PAST and BEHIND THE BLACK MASK shows, was podcast. THE NOIRCAST SPECIAL #2: ALTERNATIVE NOIR PUBLICATIONS, which you can find at http://outofthepast.libsyn.com/, featured interviews with the creators of three alternative noir publications: Tee Morris, founder of podiobooks and author of the fantasy-hardboiled podiobook "Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword and Seth Harwood, author of the podiobook "Jack Wakes Up" starring movie-star one-hit-wonder and ex-drug-addict Jack Palms. And me. They introduced me as the "creator of the superlative THRILLING DETECTIVE website and ezine" but I still think I was there mostly to cleanse the palate. I dunno... I don't think it's my finest moment (Does anyone really like listening to themselves talk? Do I really mumble and "um" and "er" that much? Do I always sound that obtuse and full of crap?) but it was fun chatting with Shannon and Richard. And this week, more or less, also saw the release of THE ROCKFORD FILES, SEASON FOUR. Which is good enough news for discerning fans of quality private eyes. But what makes it even cooler (for me, at least) is that, tucked away as a back-up feature, is my "television debut " from that Sleuth Network thing I did last year, featuring me and several other talking heads expounding on some of the most popular detectives in TV and film. It turns out this back-up feature is also included on a few other recent sets, including COLUMBO and MURDER, SHE WROTE, but it's being included on the Rockford package that I'm most proud of. As everyone knows, I'm a stone-cold fan. I mean, come on. Jimbo, Angel, Rocky, Beth, Dennis... and me? How cool is that? I only wish my mom was still alive -- she'd get a real kick out of THAT one. She was my Rockford buddy. Oh, and just because I'm stinkin' up the internet and television and newspapers and DVDs doesn't mean I've neglected my roots. Dave White's upcoming novel (his first), WHEN ONE MAN DIES, mentions me in the acknowledgements, and blames me and my THRILLING DETECTIVE partners in crime, Victoria and Gerald, for getting him into "this mess." Like, it's OUR fault the little bugger can write? But I tell ya, all this attention is definitely going to my head. I may have to invest in a larger tuque...

[helen black]

Hi.
I was on your bog thing and was interested by your comments on plugging.
I'm a brit and I think we find that sort of thing hard anyway. The - in your face- God I'm fantastic - style is alien to us and we're brought up to be self deprecating not publicising...
But I do admire your chutzpah over the pond where you're not afraid to put yourself out there.
I guess it's a balance.
H x