markcrobinson-wordsword
MCRgh! ‘Toons & Reviews
Award-winning cartoonist/writer in DC area. Buckeye Newshawk Award winner. Reading’s my super power! Mystery buff & comics geek extraordinaire!
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New place, new bookcase
And friends, old and new
Worlds to explore
Words to bathe in
Pages filled with connection
#books #bookcase #reading
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“How does one get to be a private detective?” she said.
“I hesitate to generalize,” I said. “I was a cop, found myself restless with the hierarchy, decided to go private. I was helped to that decision by getting fired.”
“You speak rather well,” she said.
“You too,” I said.
She frowned for a moment and then her face widened into a smile.
“Good for you,” she said. “I was patronizing, wasn’t I.”
—Small Vices: A #Spenser novel by #RobertBParker
#spenserforhire #mystery #crimefiction #privateeye
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Happy Birthday to actress Nita Talbot (b. Aug 8, 1930)! With a wealth of varied film & TV roles, she is perhaps best known as Russian spy Marya on Hogan’s Heroes, for which she earned an Emmy Award nomination in 1968.
#nitatalbot #hogansheroes #film #television @televisionacad
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I posted 18 times in 2022
18 posts created (100%)
0 posts reblogged (0%)
I tagged 0 of my posts in 2022
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
My Inktober pen-and-ink illustration of Jeannie from “I Dream of Jeannie” in color! Cue the theme song!
#inktober #inktober2021 #IDreamOfJeannie #draw #BarbaraEden #cartoon #drawing #illustration #genie #television #cartooning
1 note - Posted January 23, 2022
#4
Here’s one of the illustrations I provided a couple of years ago for a PowerPoint presentation called Voices of Ethiopia. This is my interpretation of Yodit (Judit), warrior queen of the Agaw people during the 10th century A.D., who founded the Zagwe Dynasty and reigned for 40 years.
#africa #africanhistory #ethiopia #ethiopianhistory #queenyodit #warriorqueen
1 note - Posted February 28, 2022
#3
Remembering on what would’ve been her 82nd birthday, mystery author Sue Grafton (Apr 24, 1940 - Dec 28, 2017), best known for her “alphabet series,” beginning with “‘A’ is for Alibi” which introduced her popular main character, private investigator Kinsey Millhone. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald.
“I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I'd like to say I'm a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first.”
—Sue Grafton
#suegrafton #kinseymillhone #books #reading #aisforalibi #mystery #privateeye #crimefiction #hardboiledfiction
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1 note - Posted April 24, 2022
#2
Susan Spann delivers another compelling mystery set in 16th century Japan with this sequel to her first book, “Claws of the Cat,” featuring Hiro Hattori, a master shinobi (Westerners refer to them as “ninja”), who is charged with protecting Portuguese Jesuit priest Father Mateo in the guise of a ronin translator.
In this installment, the unlikely duo are drawn into another murder case when Hiro receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a brother shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours earlier, someone stabbed the shogun’s cousin to death at the palace. The murder weapon? Kazu’s own dagger. While Kazu proclaims his innocence, Hiro has reason to doubt the young shinobi’s claims. Though Hiro would like nothing better than to steer clear of another investigation, the shogun, having heard of Hiro and Father Mateo’s success in solving the events of “Claws of the Cat,” summons the shinobi and foreign priest to find the killer. Delving into the case as more deaths occur, the pair uncover a plot to assassinate the shogun and overthrow the ruling clan and must take care not to lose their own lives in a power struggle while revealing the culprit.
As with Spann’s first novel, I found this book to be a great read, bridging the cultural gap between East and West, creating memorable characters, action, political intrigue, unexpected plot twists, and a fascinating exploration of feudal Japan woven into a fun mystery. Four stars.
#mystery #crimefiction #feudaljapan #ninja #reading #books
1 note - Posted March 31, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
Harry McGraw: Look, Mrs. Fletcher, why don't you take some advice? Why don't you devote that boundless energy of yours to needlepoint or a bridge club?
Jessica Fletcher: Eh, I tried that. It's precisely the reason why I wrote my first book: I was bored out of my mind.
—Murder, She Wrote, Season 1, Episode 15: “Tough Guys Don’t Die”
#murdershewrote #jessicafletcher #mysterywriters #mystery
5 notes - Posted March 22, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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You are special.
You are beautiful.
You are wonderful.
You are worthwhile.
You are loved.
You matter.
You are not alone.
Help is available.
If you’re experiencing difficult thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
#youmatter #youarebeautiful #youarenotalone #youarespecial #youarewonderful #youareworthwhile #youareloved #cartoon #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters
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Whenever I see posts on social media asking “Who’s your favorite Batman?” and they usually feature photos of actors from the live-action films and TV shows, my answer always remains the same…
Kevin Conroy, who had been voicing the Dark Knight since the debut of “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1992.
I just found out that Conroy died yesterday at the age of 66.
Prior to BTAS, the first time I saw him perform was in the first season of the ABC drama “Ohara” with Pat Morita, and after that, in the CBS Vietnam War series “Tour of Duty.”
But, being a big superhero fan, it was his work as Batman in various Warner Bros. animation projects that made the biggest impression on me, creating an ice-cold voice that struck terror in the hearts of criminals while providing strength and warmth for friends and those in need. Kevin Conroy defined the Caped Crusader for generations of fans.
In 2019, Conroy finally got to play a live-action version of the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne on television in the CW’s Arrowverse crossover event “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
May he rest in peace.
#KevinConroy #Batman #BatmanTheAnimatedSeries #DCAnimatedUniverse #voiceactor #actor
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I quite enjoyed “Marple: Twelve New Mysteries,” a collection of new Miss Marple short stories by a myriad assortment of today’s writers.
Elderly spinster Jane Marple may appear to lead a quiet, retiring life in her small English village of St. Mary Mead, but as former police commissioner Sir Henry Clithering observed in Agatha Christie’s “The Body in the Library,” (her second book to feature the amateur sleuth) Miss Marple possessed “a mind that has plumbed the depths of human iniquity and taken as all in the day’s work.”
As evidenced in this volume, while she may occasionally miss a stitch or two in her knitting, Miss Marple hasn’t missed a step in solving murders. My favorite stories in this collection included “The Second Murder at the Vicarage” by Val McDermid, “Miss Marple Takes Manhattan” by Alyssa Cole, “The Jade Empress” by Jean Kwok, “Miss Marple’s Christmas” by Ruth Ware, “The Mystery of the Acid Soil” by Kate Mosse, and especially “A Deadly Wedding Day” by Dreda Say Mitchell, which introduces Jane Marple’s equal in sleuthing, Miss Bella Baptiste, who has “something of a reputation as an amateur detective amongst London’s Caribbean community,” referring obliquely to an as-yet-unpublished adventure. I also found the story “The Disappearance” by Leigh Bardugo to be particularly poignant.
I hope there will be more collections like this in the future. I’m particularly hoping to see more of Miss Bella’s solo exploits as penned by Mitchell. Five stars.
#MissMarple #JaneMarple #AgathaChristie #amateursleuth #mystery #crimefiction
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“Death and the Conjuror” by Tom Mead harkens back to the Golden Age of mystery fiction and the advent of the locked room mystery. Set in 1936 London, there are three impossible crimes, as celebrated psychiatrist Anselm Rees is found dead in his locked study with no apparent way for his killer to have escaped unseen with no clues and no murder weapon. Baffled, Inspector Flint calls on his old friend, retired magician and part-time sleuth, Joseph Spector, who soon has his hands full after another locked room murder occurs in an elevator, while also investigating an equally-mystifying theft of a priceless painting.
Mead keeps the story moving amid colorful characters; the story stalls slightly during the denouement with Spector’s explanation of the mechanics of the three seemingly impossible crimes (particularly the one in the elevator) but the elderly magician is a treat to behold, and I look forward to more installments. Four stars.
#mystery #crimefiction #lockedroommystery #deathandtheconjuror #tommead
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I recently reread “Hush Money” by Robert B. Parker, which I originally devoured when it came out in 1999, so it’s worth rereading. When the son of Hawk’s boyhood mentor is denied tenure at his university, Hawk asks his friend, Boston private eye Spenser, to investigate and uncovers a web of blackmail, deceit, and murder.
Meanwhile, Spenser’s psychologist girlfriend Susan Silverman asks him to handle another pro bono case: an old college friend who’s the victim of a stalker, but Spenser’s a little too effective as the college friend starts stalking the P.I.
Parker’s prose is always an enjoyable read now as then, especially Spenser’s banter with Hawk and Susan. Five stars.
#robertbparker #spensernovels #crimefiction #privateeye
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I used to have the best job a crime fiction fan could have, working at MysteryBooks in Washington, D.C. With every customer that came through the door, I already shared a common bond: we all enjoyed a good mystery. (Ok, occasionally, someone would ignore the “MysteryBooks” sign on the door and ask if we had atlases or textbooks, but aside from that…!)
Even better, once we attended to customers and other sundry chores, we were encouraged to read mysteries!
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Best of all, we would get visits from crime writers. I can remember a slow day when it was just me minding the store, and Walter Mosley popped in to sign copies of his books. I met George Pelecanos, Dick Francis, and so on, but the topper? Meeting my all-time favorite author, Robert B. Parker in early 2001.
The TV series “Spenser: For Hire” had led me to reading Parker’s stuff and from then on I was hooked. Initially, I was drawn to the novels for his tough private eye character Spenser, who lived life on his own terms, ready with a quip or a literary quote in the face of danger. His best friend? An equally tough African-American gun-for-hire named Hawk. The love of his life? Insightful psychologist Susan Silverman.
But the more I read Parker’s books, the more I savored the textures of his prose until I was reading almost everything he wrote, whether it was hard-boiled crime stories, Westerns, or young adult novels.
After a while, it became a ritual where there would be a new Parker novel, I’d make the mistake of starting it in the evening, intending to read just a few chapters, and before I knew it, I would finish the last page at daybreak.
It was a thrill to meet him, and he did not disappoint. He was gracious and engaging, and I treasure the photo we took together, as well as the inscribed books.
There are still a few of his books I haven’t read yet. I suspect I’ve been holding off on reading them because I know that there will be no more unread stories left from Parker afterwards.
Then again, I can always start from the beginning.
#RobertBParker #books #mystery #crimefiction #SpenserForHire
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Remembering on what would’ve been her 82nd birthday, mystery author Sue Grafton (Apr 24, 1940 - Dec 28, 2017), best known for her “alphabet series,” beginning with “‘A’ is for Alibi” which introduced her popular main character, private investigator Kinsey Millhone. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald.
“I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I'd like to say I'm a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first.”
—Sue Grafton
#suegrafton #kinseymillhone #books #reading #aisforalibi #mystery #privateeye #crimefiction #hardboiledfiction
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Susan Spann delivers another compelling mystery set in 16th century Japan with this sequel to her first book, “Claws of the Cat,” featuring Hiro Hattori, a master shinobi (Westerners refer to them as “ninja”), who is charged with protecting Portuguese Jesuit priest Father Mateo in the guise of a ronin translator.
In this installment, the unlikely duo are drawn into another murder case when Hiro receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a brother shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours earlier, someone stabbed the shogun’s cousin to death at the palace. The murder weapon? Kazu’s own dagger. While Kazu proclaims his innocence, Hiro has reason to doubt the young shinobi’s claims. Though Hiro would like nothing better than to steer clear of another investigation, the shogun, having heard of Hiro and Father Mateo’s success in solving the events of “Claws of the Cat,” summons the shinobi and foreign priest to find the killer. Delving into the case as more deaths occur, the pair uncover a plot to assassinate the shogun and overthrow the ruling clan and must take care not to lose their own lives in a power struggle while revealing the culprit.
As with Spann’s first novel, I found this book to be a great read, bridging the cultural gap between East and West, creating memorable characters, action, political intrigue, unexpected plot twists, and a fascinating exploration of feudal Japan woven into a fun mystery. Four stars.
#mystery #crimefiction #feudaljapan #ninja #reading #books
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Harry McGraw: Look, Mrs. Fletcher, why don't you take some advice? Why don't you devote that boundless energy of yours to needlepoint or a bridge club?
Jessica Fletcher: Eh, I tried that. It's precisely the reason why I wrote my first book: I was bored out of my mind.
—Murder, She Wrote, Season 1, Episode 15: “Tough Guys Don’t Die”
#murdershewrote #jessicafletcher #mysterywriters #mystery
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Here’s one of the illustrations I provided a couple of years ago for a PowerPoint presentation called Voices of Ethiopia. This is my interpretation of Yodit (Judit), warrior queen of the Agaw people during the 10th century A.D., who founded the Zagwe Dynasty and reigned for 40 years.
#africa #africanhistory #ethiopia #ethiopianhistory #queenyodit #warriorqueen
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He’ll put a shock to your system! Here’s my take on Milestone Media’s teenage superhero Static. Created by Milestone founders Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle, teenager Virgil Hawkins gains electromagnetic powers after being exposed to an experimental compound and decides to become the superhero Static in the city of Dakota. The character also appeared in his own animated series “Static Shock” in September 2000 for four seasons on the now-defunct WB Network.
#Static #StaticShock #MilestoneMedia #superhero #superheroes #blacksuperheroes #DCComics #comics #comicbooks
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Pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman (Jan. 26, 1892 – Apr. 30, 1926) was the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license, and was the first Black person to earn an international pilot's license.
#BessieColeman #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #NativeAmerican #NativeAmericanHistory #WomensHistory #AmericanHistory #aviation #aviationhistory #AfricanAmerican #AfricanAmericanHistory #airplane @nmaahc @aampmuseum
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From October 14, 2020: If you wanted freedom, Harriet Tubman would get you there.
#drawing #cartoon #illustration #harriettubman #undergroundrailroad #americanhistory #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #womenshistory #history #Harriet
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