In Robert B. Parker’s latest mystery novel “Rough Weather,” he mentions Jan Eliot’s Stone Soup. On page 269, he writes, “I was studying a strip called Stone Soup, which seemed pretty good, and might fill the void left by Calvin & Hobbes, when Maggie Lane came in to see me.”
This is not the first time the writer has specifically mentioned a comic strip. In previous books he has mentioned Calvin and Hobbes (“Now and Then”) and Arlo and Janis (“Back Story”).
Robert Parker mentioned Tank McNamara in several Spenser novels. It was even mentioned at the beginning of one of the Joe Mantegna “Spenser” movies. We returned the favor, and featured the characters Spenser and Hawk in a week of Tank that took place in Boston.
Does being married to a mystery novelist count?
(Teri Holbrook; she’s written four novels for Bantam Books)
Tom Clancy mentioned “Non Sequitur” in one of his novels a few years ago.
Bill Gates and I used to be lovers.
“Used to be”? Does Bill know that? I heard he had big plans made.
Okay Mike, that image just ruined my day [closed eyes, hands to ears, la, la, la, I can’t hear you]! 😉
I once spoke to Robert Parker at a book-signing (see how close we are), and suggested to him that he write a Spencer novel involving cartoonists. He seemed to gaze right through me as he pondered this suggestion, and then said, “next, please.”
I expect a book about the murder/abduction of/by a cartoonist any month now.
Any suggestions for a plot?
“Any suggestions for a plot?”
This was an idea I’ve had for years… a comic strip cartoonist who is just barely getting by in syndication as papers aren’t changing their comics section unless someone dies. So he sets out to start killing other cartoonists to make room for his strip and build his client list. Then he starts picking up even more papers when other cartoonists mysteriously disappear that he had nothing to do with. Eventually he becomes widely syndicated… which makes him a target by another cartoonist who’s been killing off the other cartoonists.
oh, great. Now I bet Pastis is going to do a three month series on his characters killing off other characters in the comics to make room for his comic. Oh wait, was that done already? I forget.
“This was an idea Iâ??ve had for yearsâ?¦ a comic strip cartoonist who is just barely getting by in syndication as papers arenâ??t changing their comics section unless someone dies. So he sets out to start killing other cartoonists to make room for his strip and build his client list. Then he starts picking up even more papers when other cartoonists mysteriously disappear that he had nothing to do with. Eventually he becomes widely syndicatedâ?¦ which makes him a target by another cartoonist whoâ??s been killing off the other cartoonists.”
I know where you live, Wiley
Yeah, but I can see you coming, Corey. And you’d never get past our dogs!
â??… which makes him a target by another cartoonist whoâ??s been killing off the other cartoonists.â?
The final twist is that the ‘Net had killed off all the newspapers.
O. Henry would love it.