Happy Birthday to the literary and martial arts master Joe R. Lansdale

Probably the only person in the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame who has received an Edgar, ten Stokers, a Grandmaster
of Horror, the British Fantasy, and the Herodotus Awards, Joe R. Lansdale has written more than 40 novels, four
hundred shorter works, and devised the Shen
Chuan Martial Science
.

His novels include the Edgar Award-winning THE BOTTOMS, COLD IN JULY, NIGHTRUNNERS, FLAMING ZEPPELINS, A FINE DARK LINE, THE DRIVE-IN, THE THICKET, FENDER LIZARDS, and PARADISE SKY. Beginning with BY BIZARRE HANDS, Lansdale’s numerous short stories have been collected in several volumes including THE BEST OF JOE R. LANSDALE, ELECTRIC GUMBO, WRITER OF THE PURPLE RAGE, HIGH COTTON, SANCTIFIED AND CHICKEN FRIED, DEADMAN’S ROAD, DEADMAN’S CROSSING, and BLEEDING SHADOWS. He’s edited 15 anthologies including RAZORED SADDLES (with Pat LoBrutto), DARK AT HEART (with Karen Lansdale), WEIRD BUSINESS (with Richard Klaw), RETRO PULP TALES, CROSS PLAINS UNIVERSE (with Scott Cupp), CRUCIFIED DREAMS, and THE URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY (with Peter S. Beagle). As if this wasn’t enough, Lansdale has written comics for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, and others.

Lansdale’s most famous creation is the unlikely duo of Hap and Leonard. Hap Collins is white, liberal, and even tempered. Leonard Pine, who is quick to anger, is black, conservative and gay. In a series of 8 novels, beginning with SAVAGE SEASON, and several novellas, the best friends encounter violence, racism, and adventure in their East Texas haunts. The often humorous tales have garnered much praise and a legion of loyal fans. The 9th novel, HONKY TONK SAMURAI, and a pair of collections, HAP AND LEONARD and HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN, come out this February.  Also in early 2016, the pair comes to SUNDANCE TV with the series HAP AND LEONARD, starring Michael K. Williams, James Purefoy, and Christina Hendricks.

Other works that
have enjoyed the film treatment include BUBBA HO-TEP, COLD IN JULY,
INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD, and CHRISTMAS WITH DEAD, which
Lansdale produced with a screenplay by his son, Keith. He has written many screenplays and teleplays, most notable for BATMAN THE ANIMATED
SERIES and SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES. He wrote the script for the
animated film THE SON OF BATMAN.

All of us at Tachyon wish champion Joe, a happy birthday!

For more info about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about FLAMING ZEPPELINS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Coulthart

For more info about THE BEST OF JOE R. LANSDALE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Picacio

For more info about DEADMAN’S ROAD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art “The Quick and the Undead” by Travis J. Elston

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about DEADMAN’S CROSSING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art “The Quick and the Undead” by Travis J. Elston

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about CRUCIFIED DREAMS, visit the Tachyon page.

cover by Josh Beatman

For more info about THE URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY, visit the Tachyon page

cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on HAP AND LEONARD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more info about HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story