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I love ElfQuest! Still have all the original mag-sized b&w's!

Agreed on Pink Eyes.

Thanks wild-seven...I was attempting to hunt down 'Coven Swap' by Wysteria Lee today, but no luck! I have already ordered the book Mr. Gloady got you, though!

Does anyone else remember these? There were two issues put out in the mid-90's, one on Atomeka and one on Blackball Comics. Both volumes were n anthology format similar to 2000AD

At the time Simon Bisley and Kevin Eastman were the big names, but Kevin O'Neill, Simon Furman, Dave Gibbons, Keith Giffen - and - Henry Flint (not even credited on the back cover with the rest).

Bisley's up to his usual stuff, but what stands out is his collaboration with Kevin Eastman in the second volume. Henry Flint's strip, "Of Ill Omen" is outstanding. O'Neill's bit is a bit of madness as usual, with all kinds of  - stuff - smushed into each frame.

Anyway, lovely books that go for very cheap on ebay if you don't have them.

Thanks for the advice Jim, much appreciated!

Ah, well done if you pulled all of that from your imagination. The details of the facehugger (my one pet peev by chance; how can the Alien truly be the 'perfect organism' by being so dependant on an easily breakable egg cycle) were nicely worked out. Must have been an exhausting write, to have to mimic a technical manual.

Yeah, I'm not sure Fester. I mean, I wanted them to publish it, signed over the rights and took the money...so I don't know! I'm sure if I have a look at the contract there must be some sort of expiry. Couldn't imagine they could keep it forever!

Yep I was paid. Money is gone.

So where did you get your research materials? Did Dark Horse/Fox provide them for you, or did you invent most of that yourself?

Edit: It was due to be published this December, but I got an email saying that the mag was going under - but that the owners planned a new mag to launch in the future and still planned to use the story. So I guess that means I have no choice but to give up. If I knew for certain I could place it elsewhere, I'd pay the money back (it was only $100) and publish it for free even. I just want it in print!

Splendid stuff, Mr. Campbell - particularly like the part about Alien respiratory systems (or lack thereof). I always assumed the Aliens hissing was a form of stridulation, like the hissing cockroach. In fact, I always felt Aliens "breathed" similar to insects, with fibres (the tubes on their backs) "sucking" in oxygen, or other breathable substances, in whatever quantities that could be found.

As far as my proposed novel, I converted it ino a short story, changed the Aliens around to make them another type of creature and had it accepted for publication - only to have the magazine fold! I'm waiting to hear if I can get my rights back since the mag had first publication and first anthology rights...bad luck all the way, I suppose...

I am envious of your collection wild-seven...now that this sudden interest in these trash novels has made it's way to the surface...I...must...have...them...

Which ones would you suggest starting with? I want some good, sleazy fun (well, don't we all?)

Well Jim, it's still amazing that even in a small way you're a part of such a cool science-fiction world. That's how Dark Horse goes about their business, I guess.

Interestingly enough, last year I wrote a treatment about "pygmie aliens" (yup I said it) for Dark Horse and they were very interested in me writing a novel... interested for almost a year but never committing. It was frustrating, the closest I've ever gotten to "the big score", but in the end they dismissed me without really telling me why... .

Funnily enough, wild-seven, the weirdo inside of me would not only like to read those stories, but write one as well. It's like when I was making films and I got heavily into sleazy Italian zombie flicks and had to create my own!

Where, might I ask, can I get my hands on a few of these?

My guilty (but not that guilty!) secret is my collection of trashy pulp novels like these

http://www.bookscans.com/Oddities/greenleaf.htm

The cover art is always fantastic and the contents? Usually awful 

On an almost similar note, I have a few hundred science fiction hardbacks from the 40's, 50's and 60's (doubleday, pocket, ace), all with trashy, lurid covers that have little to do with the cover. As much as I love books like Dune and Starship Troopers, I LOVE boolks like The Angry Planet, Trapped in Space and The Other Side of Time!

I know...what the hell was I thinking? Well, I'm a happy drunk so this may happen...

If there had to be a sequel to Aliens, the premise (imo) was already sabotaged by the series' dependency on the Ripley character. With Aliens, Ripley's story ended. A perfect circle. Alien: encounters Alien, friends/crewmates destroyed, indirectly the Alien causes her to lose her daughter. Aliens: her chance at revenge, destroys the Aliens colony (Queen Aliens' children are killed), she regains her daughter through Newt. Perfect, done.

Another Aliens 'story arc' could then have been established with new characters, new worlds, ect. We didn't need to continue Ripley's story. That said, I can buy it for Alien 3 okay...but the 4th film was an incredible reach.

The Whole Wide World is an amazing film, very well-directed and acted. It's really a sweet and tragic love story in a way...not much in the way of Conan, as he's only mentioned briefly, but a great film for someone interested in REH's life!

What was the pitchfest, oh King of Trouts? Sounds interesting.