The Stephen King Companion

by George Beahm

  Revival (Scribner, trade hardback edition, November).

  Carrie (Cemetery Dance, artist edition and trade edition, December 23).

  Visual Adaptation

  The film A Good Marriage was released (October 3).

  2015

  Published

  Finders Keepers, the second in a trilogy featuring former Detective Bill Hodges (Scribner, trade edition, June 2). The first book in the series is Mr. Mercedes, which won an Edgar for “Best Novel” from the Mystery Writers of America.

  Joyland: Illustrated Edition (a reissue, September 8, from Titan Books/Hardcase Crime).

  The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, a collection (Scribner, trade hardback edition, November 30).

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing may be a solitary act, but publishing is a team effort, and on this book, I am especially grateful for the small army of people who signed up to work on this project and turn an idea into a manuscript, and then into a finished book.

  They are listed below in alphabetical order.

  I’d first like to thank my friends at St. Martin’s Press, who believed in this project, put their shoulders to the wheel, and worked as a synchronized team to take my lengthy manuscript and stack of photos and artwork, and create a beautiful book. Those deserving special mention:

  My editor, Peter Joseph, this book’s first reader who helped shape the final manuscript, and shared my vision for a king-sized book, even as it grew in length and grew … Also in Editorial, Melanie Fried, my main contact whose constant stream of emails kept the flow of work moving efficiently. Angela Gibson, who carefully and diligently went through this tombstone-sized book and thereby significantly improved it. Eric Gladstone and Susannah Noel who proofread the book with eagle’s eyes to catch errors and omissions I missed.

  The production team that gave the book its final shape and look, transforming a pile of manuscript into a handsome book. On a truncated timetable, they pulled everything together in record time: Elizabeth Curione (Production Editor), Cheryl Mamaril (Production Manager), Nancy Singer (Interior Designer), Ervin Serrano (Jacket Designer), and Paul Hochman (Team Leader).

  Finally, with a book on hand, ready to bring into the world, Justin Velella (Publicist) got the word out, and Kelsey Lawrence (Marketing Manager) got the sales in.

  I could not ask for a better task force, which assembled on short notice to take on a king-sized book that proved to be so challenging.

  I felt strongly that although my voice is the book’s narrative thread, its tapestry was enhanced by the contribution of other hands who have given the book its richness and depth. The contributors—artists, writers, and photographers—reflect multiple perspectives that give the book its scope: Indeed, in an overview that covers forty years of King’s life, such a book demands diversity.

  The following people deserve special thanks:

  Michael Collings, who was teaching at Pepperdine University when we first began corresponding about King in the eighties, was instrumental in helping King criticism take root in the academic community. His Starmont Press books lent legitimacy and a tone of seriousness to King criticism that, back then, was sorely lacking.

  Glenn Chadbourne, a Maine artist who’s worked on numerous King projects with Cemetery Dance, cheerfully provided much-needed illustrations, working in real-time as I worked my way through the manuscript. No matter what I threw at him in terms of art requests, Glenn delivered.

  Chris Chesley spent a full day with me, showing me Durham, and sharing details of his time with King when they both were teens and serious about writing, which resulted in their collaborating. No overview book on King is complete without Chris’s voice: He was there from the beginning, and is a talented writer in his own right.

  I am grateful to the late Burton Hatlen, a pivotal figure and mentor at UMO when King was then an undergraduate, and who, in the post-grad years, become his invaluable friend. I am similarly grateful to his wife, Virginia Nees-Hatlen, who gave permission for me to reprint his insightful review of Carrie, which took King and his work seriously, and helped shape the tone of King criticism in academia.

  Thanks, too, to Frank Darabont, whose insightful comments about King and the art of making films bring much to this book.

  The late Rick Hautala, who attended UMO at the same time King did. Rick gave me an interview, which appears here for the first time, and also shared many anecdotes about King during dinners and get-togethers he and I enjoyed, in the company of Dave Lowell and Glenn Chadbourne. Rick is sorely missed.

  The late Edward M. “Ted” Holmes, who spent an afternoon sharing his thoughts about Stephen King with me.

  Tim Kirk, who has worked with me on many projects, allowed me to reprint some previously published art, which was tailor-made for the text. Few artists have the range he has, from horror to fantasy and, especially, whimsy.

  Stephanie Kloss, a Library Journal staffer, kindly let me reprint her illuminating interview with Stephen King’s researcher, Russell Dorr.

  Hans-Åke Lilja gave me carte blanche to reprint anything I wished from his Web site and book, Lilja’s Library: The World of Stephen King. The interviews I chose, which he conducted, gave the book a depth that otherwise would be sorely missed.

  Dave Lowell, a Maine writer and my drinking buddy, took innumerable phone calls during the course of this project to provide details about Maine, Maine life, and of course King, whose career he’s followed since Carrie.

  Tony Magistrale, who is the chair of the English department at the University of Vermont, gave me carte blanche to reprint anything I wished from his body of work on King. I chose a long interview between the two gentlemen, which distinguishes itself by being the most thoughtful and thought-provoking King interview published to date.

  Rob Montana, managing editor of the Times Record, kindly gave me permission to reprint Don Hansen’s article about the Kings’ home-brewed newspaper.

  Sanford Phippen (writer, author, and UMO professor) was, as always, an invaluable resource; he revised and updated his classic non-fiction piece about King’s years at UMO, and to my delight and surprise, wrote a long piece reminiscing about his friendship with King over the years.

  J. K. Potter, a magician working in Photoshop, who gave me an interview for Knowing Darkness that shed light on his work with Scream Press for Skeleton Crew.

  Photographer Greg Preston, whose portrait of Michael Whalen graces this book.

  Kevin Quigley, perhaps the most enthusiastic King fan on the planet, began as a fan writer and became a pro with his fine chapbooks about King from Cemetery Dance. He contributed a fine piece recalling the first time he met King. (Kev, you can be my wingman anytime.)

  Photo editor Anthony Ronzio of the Bangor Daily News, who allowed me to reprint the Carroll Hall photo of King that graced the cover of the 1989 edition of The Stephen King Companion.

  Stephen Spignesi, who has been with me in writing about King every step of the way, provided an introduction on short notice, which perfectly set the stage for the main text that followed.

  Terry Steel, who designed the Kings’ gate for their Bangor home, kindly gave me an interview about his work for them, and also gave me permission to reprint what he wrote about the commission from Taunton Press. I am indebted to both for allowing me to use his material in the first, and now third, edition of this book.

  Drew Struzan, who warmly welcomed me into his studio to give me an interview about his work for his longtime friend, Frank Darabont, and share his insights on illustrating King’s work.

  The late Carroll Terrell, who gave me an interview that shed light on King as an undergraduate and bestselling writer. I was privileged to work with Carroll in helping him behind the scenes on his book, Stephen King: Man and Artist.

  Suzi Thayer, a photographer/writer for the Boothbay Register, responded quickly to my request to reprint her portrait of Glenn Chadbourne, and shared a heartwarming anecdote about King that I published as a sidebar.

  Stuart Tinker, a
longtime Bangorite, who knows more about collecting King’s books than anyone on the planet, who provided behind-the-scenes information on all things Bangor.

  Michael Whelan (one of the busiest artists on the planet) and his wife, Audrey Price, aided by their webmaster Mike Jackson, stopped everything they were doing to insure a portfolio of Michael’s art would be included herein: sixteen pages in full color that amply showcase his talent. Working as a team, they also edited all the text I needed reviewed on short notice, and promptly returned it, including an interview I conducted with him on the Dark Tower for an art book, Knowing Darkness. All I can say is: Wow. And thankee-sai.

  Nye Willden, King’s contact at Cavalier magazine, who kindly wrote an article about his reminiscences about those early years with a fledgling writer from Bangor whom he deeply respected.

  David A. Williamson of Betts Bookstore, who gave me an interview and assisted in other matters, large and small.

  Bernie Wrightson, whom I met through the late Jeffrey Jones and Vaughn Bodé, who opened his apartment to me and Tim Kirk, and gave us an interview about his collaborations with Stephen King over the years. (Thanks, Bernie, for the coffee and donuts as well.)

  On a personal note, I owe thanks, more than I can say, to my longtime friend and literary agent, Scott Mendel of Mendel Media LLC. Scott, who has been with me every step of the way, found the perfect home for this book—St. Martin’s Press.

  And, finally, my wife, Mary, who has heard me talk about King more than any person should ever have to. A sounding board for the contents of this book in all three editions—1989, 1995, and 2015—Mary, a former English teacher, helped me immeasurably on this book from start to finish.

  To anyone whom I have inadvertently overlooked, or whose contribution I haven’t properly acknowledged, I extend my sincere apologies.

  Thank you, one and all.

  ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

  Glenn Chadbourne is a freelance artist specializing in the horror/dark fantasy genres. His work has appeared in numerous books and magazines and has accompanied many of today’s top authors, notably Stephen King, for whom he illustrated the two volume set, The Secretary Of Dreams (Cemetery Dance Publications). Other King projects include the collector’s edition of Colorado Kid (PS publishing), The Dark Man, an illustrated poem by King, as a book and art portfolio (Cemetery Dance Publications), and an anniversary edition of Carrie (PS Publishing). Chadbourne lives in Newcastle, Maine, with his wife Sheila and their Boston terrier Evan. His Web site is www.glennchadbourne.com.

  The late Carroll Hall, who took the iconic photo of King standing in front of his Bangor home, was a staff photographer for the Bangor Daily News.

  Tim Kirk is a designer and illustrator with wide experience in a broad media spectrum, from greeting cards and book and magazine illustration to theme park and museum exhibit design. Tim’s paintings based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings appeared in the 1975 Tolkien Calendar published by Ballantine Books. Tim was employed as an imagineer by the Walt Disney Company for 22 years, and still consults with them for the Disney theme parks worldwide. He is a five-time winner of the prestigious Hugo Award for science fiction and fantasy illustration. His Tolkien artwork can be found in the Greisinger Museum in Switzerland, and in private collections worldwide. Kirk’s works can be found online at his official website, www.timkirkcreative.com.

  Greg Preston (Sampsen Preston Photography) is the author/photographer of The Artist Within (Dark Horse Books, 2007), a collection of portraits depicting comic book artists in their home studios. He is currently working on a follow-up book. An accomplished lensman whose work includes numerous assignments for commercial clients, Greg is married to photographer Sharon Sampsel, whom he met when they were both students at Art Center in Pasadena. Their Web site is: sampselpreston.com.

  Suzi Thayer has worked at the Boothbay Register for 10 years. After majoring in art education in college, she switched to graphics, and has been designing ads and laying out pages for more years than she cares to count. She began writing for the Register in 2012, winning a first place award from Maine Press Association in 2012 for her feature on the footbridge owners. She now divides her time between writing about new businesses and local characters, and her newest endeavor, her very own column: “On Eating (and loving) Food.”

  Michael Whelan has for four decades created iconic cover art for legends like Asimov and Bradbury, as well as contemporary bestsellers Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson. A native Californian, he graduated from San Jose State as a President’s scholar with a degree in Painting, and briefly attended the Art Center College of Design, but he dropped out in 1974 to move east and accept his first book cover assignment.

  Thinking that one should be able to tell a book by its cover, Whelan, whose art dominated the science fiction/ fantasy field throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, was largely responsible for the realistic style on covers of that era. Since 1995 he has also pursued a fine art career, and his non-commissioned works are in established collections throughout the world.

  Michael was the first living artist inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. He is a Spectrum Grand Master, and among his many awards are an unprecedented 15 Hugos, 3 World Fantasy Awards, and 13 Chesleys. Locus magazine has named him Best Professional Artist 30 times in their annual poll (including 2014). One of his most favorite honors is the Solstice Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America.

  He has published three art books, numerous limited edition prints, posters, and licensed products, available on his Web site, www.MichaelWhelan.com.

  His paintings are rich in symbolism and offer many layers of meaning to be explored, but Michael Whelan’s lifelong passion has been to live up to his favorite quote from G.K. Chesterton: “The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.”

  It is the tale, not he who tells it.

  —Stephen King, “The Breathing Method,” Different Seasons (1982)

  Photo by Carroll Hall reprinted by permission from the Bangor Daily News.

  FURTHER COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

  All photographs, unless otherwise credited, are copyright © 2015 by George Beahm.

  The credit for the photograph of Glenn Chadbourne: Suzi Thayer photo/Courtesy of the Boothbay Register.

  The credit for the photograph of Stephen King in front of his house: Carroll Hall, reprinted with permission, from the Bangor Daily News.

  The credit for the previously unpublished photograph of Michael Whelan: Greg Preston, courtesy of Sampsel Preston Photography and copyright © 2015.

  Glenn Chadbourne artwork is copyright © 2015.

  Tim Kirk art is copyright © 2015.

  “The Learn’d Astronomer” was written especially for this book, and is copyright © 2015 by Stephen J. Spignesi.

  “Bats and Spiders” is an excerpt from “Terry Steel on the Kings’ Fence,” which was originally published as “Wrought Iron” in Fine Homebuilding (October/November 1983), and © 1983 by Taunton Press. It is reprinted with the permission of Terry Steel and Taunton Press.

  “Three Durham Lads Publishing Bright Hometown Newspaper” by Don Hansen originally appeared in Brunswick Record (April 23, 1959), and © 1959. It is reprinted with permission from the Times Record.

  “Stephen King at the University of Maine: A Writer in the Making” originally appeared in the Maine Alumnus magazine (Fall 1989 issue), and has been revised for its appearance herein, and copyright © 2015 by Sanford Phippen.

  “Campus Columnist Publishes Novel” by Burton Hatlen was originally published in the Maine Alumnus magazine (1974). It is © 1974 by Virginia Nees-Hatlen, and reprinted with permission.

  The extracts of Stephen King’s and Frank Darabont’s comments on limited edition books were originally published online at Lilja’s Library (www.liljas-library.com), reprinted in Lilja’s Library: The World of Stephen King (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2009). It is © 2009 by Hans-Åke Lilja, and
reprinted with his permission.

  “Frank Darabont on ‘The Mist’” originally appeared in Lilja’s Library: The World of Stephen King, and is copyright © 2009 by Hans-Åke Lilja.

  “Marsha DeFilippo: An Interview” originally appeared in Lilja’s Library: The World of Stephen King, and is copyright © 2009 by Hans-Åke Lilja.

  “Bag of Nerves: Meeting Stephen King” was written especially for this book, and is copyright © 2015 by Kevin Quigley.

  “Q&A: Russell Dorr, Stephen King’s Researcher” by Stephanie Klose originally appeared in Library Journal (December 4, 2013), and is © 2013 by Library Journals LLC, and is reprinted with permission from Stephanie Klose.

  All text by Dr. Michael Collings originally appeared in The Stephen King Companion (Revised edition, 1995, Andrews and McMeel), and is copyright © 1995 by Dr. Collings.

  “Stewart O’Nan: An Interview” originally appeared in Lilja’s Library: The World of Stephen King, and is copyright © 2009 by Hans-Åke Lilja.

  “Stephen King and the Critics: A Personal Perspective” by Dr. Michael R. Collings originally appeared in The Stephen King Companion (Revised edition, 1995, Andrews and McMeel), and is copyright © 1995 by Dr. Collings.

  “Steve’s Take: An Interview with Stephen King” originally appeared in Hollywood’s Stephen King (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), and is copyright © 2003 by Dr. Tony Magistrale.

  “The King and I: Further Adventures with Stephen King” was written especially for this book, and is copyright © 2015 by Sanford Phippen.

  MICHAEL WHELAN’S COLOR PORTFOLIO

  Plate 1: Illustration © 2004. From The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, for Part Two: Blue Heaven, Chapter V: “Seek-Tete” (Grant, Publisher, 2004).

  Plate 2: “Firestarter” © 1980. Dust jacket illustration for the limited edition of Firestarter (1980) from Phantasia Press.