Member Introductions

I'll go first . . .

I'm Jason. I used to live in Tacoma, and I used to be a scuba diver. Thus, TacomaDiver. I think I only use this handle here and on TDT (which I can't access anymore for some reason . . .)

My origin story to the collectible book world is with CD's anniversary edition of IT. I don't remember where I heard about it at, but was somehow able to get a copy of it from Amazon. This was right around the same time SubPress offered their edition of The Shining and I've never looked back since.

I'd also like to point out (like I did in a different thread), that back in 2015, Cemetery Dance had a contest to celebrate having 10,000 fans on Facebook, and they were giving away a signed copy of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep.

And I was the winner!

(This was a great time for winning things for me - during the same time period, I also won the local rock radio station's $1000 giveaway - TWICE!)

I am Martin. Born in LA, raised in California, Oregon and Washington. Live on Vancouver and plan to be here for good. My love of horror books started when I was about 7 years old. I picked up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at the library and ripped through the whole series pretty quickly.  I have re-read a couple of the books and as an old man, they are not the least bit scary. As a kid they were terrifying and I loved them. I became a Stephen King fan in high school primarily reading library copies with the occasional used paperback. On 1986 I bought my 1st hardbound at Costco. That book was 'It', since then I have picked King's latest on release day.

I had started my journey into book collecting but had not realized it yet. In 1999 I discovered an anthology titled 999 with all new stories by several authors, including King so I grabbed it. I have a strange habit of reading every page of a book. On the copyright page it stated that the book had first been published as a signed limited edition by Hill House and Cemetery Dance. That sent me to the internet where I found Cemetery Dance. I know this will surprise anyone, but the book had not yet been released. I did not pick up the limited as I already had a copy and it was not to be signed by King. I did order a book that was due out soon and would have Kings Signature. That book was Legacies. Well also to no one's surprise That book did not release in 1999. I believ4e I finally received it in about 2010. Back then Chizmar actually cared and sent updates via a mail newsletter a couple of times a year and gave away free books for a while and eventually 50% discounts. I believe the purchase price was $200 and I think I got more than that in free books and discounts. I few months after I ordered that I chose my 1st free book. It was The Poker Club, that became my 1st signed limited book and I was hooked. The production quality was so much better than the trades I had been reading and it was a great story from an author, Ed Gorman, that I had not heard of before.

 My name is Dan. I was born and raised in The Bronx, New York, and I've lived in upstate New York since I was in my late teens. (Aside from a few years back in NYC in my 20s, which didn't stick.)

 I found my way into the small press by accident. I picked up a Horror anthology that contained a Richard Laymon short story, THE MAIDEN, which really impressed me. This was probably around 2000 or so, and I started looking for any other Laymon books that I could find. The first one I came across was TRIAGE, which I bought from Amazon. When it arrived, I was surprised to find that it was a signed, limited edition signed by Laymon, Jack Ketchum, and Edward Lee, whose story also impressed me. From there, I discovered Cemetery Dance, the late and much-lamented Shocklines store and message board, and now I own more signed & numbered limited editions than I'll probably ever get around to reading. 

 I've been around the message boards, and they all come and go, but my distaste for social media keeps me coming back to places like this...So thank you, Jason, for your hard work and quick thinking, which kept this small community of Horror-loving dinosaurs from being homeless and displaced. Your efforts are appreciated!

 Here's to old friends, and meeting new ones.

@dannyboy121070 I was introduced to Laymon through Cemetery Dance. Lovre his writing. Side note, at that time Richard Laymon's daughter Kelly worked for Cemetery Dance. When I had questions or order issues, she would usually be the person who would respond.

@lazlo I remember Kelly well! 

@dannyboy121070 She was great to deal with!

Hello this is Michael. My username is my hometown and also the only place I've ever lived. Plus being a horror fan so saginawhorror. My introduction to Cemetery Dance and Thunderstorm was actually through the  CD forum. I believe I started CD with the magazine and thunderstorm with the event elemental.

Posted by: @lazlo

↑

I am Martin. The Poker Club, that became my 1st signed limited book and I was hooked. The production quality was so much better than the trades I had been reading and it was a great story from an author, Ed Gorman, that I had not heard of before.

Damn, that's such a good book. I'm an ardent Gorman fan anyhow, but I've always thought that was one of his top three novels (the other two being CAGE OF NIGHT and BLACK RIVER FALLS).

Like most here, it appears, my first real introduction to the small press was Cemetery Dance. Mine was back in the late eighties, around 1988. I had flirted a bit earlier with a couple Dark Harvest releases and I suppose to a degree they are my true origin as a fan, but my true foray into the small press started with stumbling upon Cemetery Dance Magazine #2, which opened the door to other genre mags like Night Screams, The Horror Show, and Grue, et al, which led to an education on and an introduction to the whole small-press scene, including CD's own publishing line that began shortly thereafter. Effectively speaking, I was there at the beginning of Cemetery Dance and here I am, some 38 years later, still enjoying the scene.

I know CD receives a fair amount of criticism these days, and I've contributed my own grumblings now and then on delays, but I'll always hold nostalgic affection for the press, for the singular impact they had on the industry and my own development as a fan.

Greetings all,  

I'm Rick, Richard, or Rich - I answer to all 3 equally 😊 and I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life.

I've been a reader pretty much my entire life, being fortunate to have had parents and grandparents who would feed my addiction. I grew up on classic adventure stories/mysteries (think Tom Swift or The Hardy Boys) and made my way into science fiction, fantasy and horror. I still enjoy re-reading Asimov and Bradbury from time to time. 

Frank Herbert's Dune series (all 12,297 books 😊) is one of my favorites. I blame my oldest brother who gave me his beat up paperback copy of the original Dune story when I was probably 10. Growing up in the '60s and '70s meant there were a lot of horror, sci-fi and fantasy books and movies available, and I took full advantage.

My first introduction to Stephen King was likely seeing Carrie in theaters in the '70s. I don't recall which of his books was my first King read, but it was probably either Salem's Lot or The Stand. I never had the full set, but I was a subscriber to Castle Rock - The Stephen King Newsletter back in the '80s. I always looked forward to receiving the next issue to find out what was going on in the King universe. 

King origin stories are probably something we all have.

While not a regular listener of The Kingcast podcast, I do enjoy hearing the guest's origin stories with King.

In High School, King started having a number of mini-series on TV (It, The Golden Years, The Langoliers, etc.) and I remember reading Carrie from the library. I also remember having a beat up paperback of IT (with the Tim Curry Pennywise cover). The Dark Half might have been the first new release I was aware of, but I got it on paperback. Also have a vague memory of seeing a commercial for The Stand being Uncut for the first time.

It was also during this time period I remember seeing an ad for a limited edition of Insomnia I believe, but the $100 price tag was A LOT in 1992/1993.

Like @rmquist said, I have been a reader my whole life. I remember opting out of PE in 2nd grade to read The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Always had a book with me. Explains a lot about how I grew up for sure!

 I was raised by a single mom, and she really struggled financially, but she never refused me reading material. Stopping by the candy store on the way home every night to pick up a comic or five was part of the routine. I'm getting older and my memory is not as good as it used to be, but if you give me a comic title and an issue #, I'll have a vivid memory of what the weather was like the night I picked it up, who was working the register that night, when and where I read it, etc. Crazy.

 My mom was always a big reader, and she caught onto Stephen King early. I remember her being unable to put down THE SHINING. I think NIGHT SHIFT came out when I was 7, and I was really taken by the paperback cover when I saw it in a store, so I asked her to buy it for me. She took down a copy, showed me the inside, and said "This is a grown-up book, are you really going to read it?" I promised that I would, and I did, and that was my first King, and my first adult book. (We still share King's new releases, lol.)

I wish I remembered which guest it was (it may have been one of the hosts in fact) but on a recent episode of The Kingcast that I listened to, a theory was proposed about how so many of us discovered King through a woman in our life.

Like you, my memory isn't as solid as it once was (but I still remember the most random of things!) but part of me things that copy of Carrie that I read was actually a book my grandmother had checked out.

Posted by: @tacomadiver

↑

I remember opting out of PE in 2nd grade to read The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

I don't think opting out of PE to read was an option for us, but I totally would have! 😆 😆 😆 😆 

It was 2nd grade so it was probably recess.  🙂 

However, in 9th grade, I yo-yoed during PE - the teacher didn't care as long as you were dressed and doing something.

Posted by: @rmquist

↑

I don't think opting out of PE to read was an option for us, but I totally would have! 😆 😆 😆 😆