THE PICTURE OF AMONTILLADO: My Short Story Hits Comics Shops

My short story "The Picture Of Amontillado" hits comic book stores across the country this Wednesday, March 30th, in the pages of the AHOY Comics title Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter Of Death # 6. 

"The Picture Of Amontillado" is a prose short story I wrote and sold in 2019 (as detailed here); after years of nonfiction freelancing, it was my second-ever fiction sale, and more have followed since. AHOY paid me for it upon acceptance, but it got lost in inventory and remained unpublished until now. This mashup of Poe with Oscar Wilde was written with the specific target of appearing in one of AHOY's Edgar Allan Poe books; hey, target acquired!

Illustration by Elliott Mattice

AHOY is a national publisher based in Syracuse, and my short story carries the additional local connection of a spot illustration by Elliott Mattice. Elliott is also well-known in my beloved Syracuse new wave rock 'n' roll scene as a former member of both Dress Code and the Unholy Wives, and as an accomplished graphic designer with, oh, a zillion credits. I'm not worthy! 

Portrait of the author enjoying a glass of milk at a rock 'n' roll show

The good folks at AHOY have also made the story available to read at their website: The Picture Of Amontillado. BUT! Physical copies of the whole damned thing can be purchased at your local funnybook peddler, and you can find the comic book store nearest you through the magic of Comic Shop Locator. I suggest you call ahead to see if the store stocks AHOY titles. For now, let's raise a glass to Dorian Gray as "The Picture Of Amontillado" hits the ol' spinner racks. More short stories to come.

Richard Williams' artwork for the cover of Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter Of Death # 6

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