Jim Thompson

I’m not a huge fan of crime fiction but I’ll go to the mat for Jim Thompson any day.  Pop. 1280 is my personal favorite but The Killer Inside Me, first published in 1952 (and probably Thompson’s best known work), is a great starting point for the uninitiated.  An unflinching portrait of Lou Ford, murderous sociopath AND deputy sheriff, the novel transcends genre by probing Ford’s skewed psyche to disturbing effect.  Is it “hard boiled” or “pulp” fiction?  Probably…but don’t let dissuade you; tight plot pacing and an aversion to wordy description make for quick reading.  Besides, you may find it amusing to discover what a looong shadow Thompson’s writing has cast, his influence resonating in literary and cinematic cirles to this day. (JW)

Kris Kuksi

I got my first glimpse of Kris Kuksi’s model work in the October ‘08 issue of Juxtapoz, and suffice it to say, my mind was blown all over my face.  Channeling Bosch and Geiger (with Howard and Lovecraft on the reading table), Imminent Utopia, pictured above, is 11′ x 6′ (that’s FEET) of jaw-dropping detail.  Check out Kris’ website and lose yourself in the hi-res images he’s posted of this and other works.  Amazing stuff; I look forward to anything this guy does. (JW)