The past few weeks—hell, months—have been hectic and harrowing here at the Homestead. Thus, I didn’t get this post up a week ago as intended. However, I’m sure there are DMR Blog fans out there who haven’t completed their holiday purchases quite yet. This blog entry is for them…and for those who just think they’re done spending their hard-earned ducats.

First off, I must recommend all of DMR’s recent releases. Not because I’m a DMR blogger. The reason I’m a DMR blogger is because I believe in Dave Ritzlin and his publishing house. Dave delivers the goods. Good n’ hard.

The three sword and sorcery anthologies that DMR released in the last few months must take precedence. S&S started out at the short story/sub-novel length and that is—arguably—still the sweet spot when it comes to tales of bloody mayhem and dark magic. The two-fisted release of Death Dealers & Diabolists—with Warlords, Warlocks & Witches following close upon its blood-stained heels—is possibly the most devastating one-two punch in the history of S&S anthologies. If I had to pick one to buy, it would be DD&D, but don’t short yourself. Buy both.

The Swords of Steel Omnibus is also a landmark in its own right. It collects all three of the groundbreaking “Swords of Steel” anthos in one volume, while adding cool extras from Howie Bentley and others. Dave Ritzlin proved with the SoS anthologies that heavy metal artists have what it takes when it comes to writing quality S&S. I discovered the grim and bloody tales of Byron Roberts, Jason Tarpey, Howie Bentley and others thanks to the SoS gateway. Check ‘em out.

For those who love pulp-style adventures set in Atlantis and Lemuria—and Mu!—the DMR antho, Heroes of Atlantis & Lemuria, is outstanding. One would have to go back to Lin Carter’s The Magic of Atlantis to try to find a better anthology centered around the “sunken lands” theme. Even then, ol’ Linwood didn’t include any tales set in Lemuria or Mu. I really do love this book.

Sticking with the theme of supporting independent publishers… Shadowridge Press has been releasing quality trade paperbacks of new and vintage horror—and other cool stuff—for the past several years. Two of their publications that I whole-heartedly recommend are Roads from Seabury Quinn—I reviewed it here—and Worse Things Waiting, which reprints the classic Manly Wade Wellman collection originally published by Carcosa Press.

A post I meant to write early this year—and something I still might get around to—was one in praise of Jim FitzPatrick’s mail-order operation. I ordered several prints from him about this time last year. They arrived on time and in great condition—all at a reasonable price. The recipients of said gifts loved ‘em. In addition—I don’t want to piss anybody off in case Jim didn’t hook them up as sweet as he did me—let’s just say that there were extra items tossed in, some of them signed. Jim won’t do ya wrong. Here is a chance to support one of the world’s greatest living artists. Don’t throw it away. In most cases, you can buy any two prints and get one of equal or lesser value free. Yep, free. That’s the deal I jumped on last year.

While we’re discussing great artists, how about that new Roy G. Krenkel art book? You know about it, right? It’s titled Roy G. Krenkel: Father of Heroic Fantasy—A Centennial Celebration. It just dropped the other day. I haven’t seen it, but the word on the street is it’s bad-ass. The best such collection in thirty years. Some might find the title a little wonky, but as Dennis McHaney—art maven and publisher—put it, “You’re gonna pass up a great RGK art book because you think the title is wrong?” Buy it here.

As I’ve pointed out before, Krenkel was a huge Edgar Rice Burroughs fan—as are most right-thinking people. I’d like to believe Roy would support the online comics at edgarriceburroughs.com. The Burroughs estate is still managed by his family and they’ve done a fine job of stewardship. Their online comics are written by the likes of Roy Thomas, Chuck “The Legend” Dixon and Martin Powell. Some of their artists include Tom Grindberg, Benito Gallego, Gary “Savage Sword of Conan” Kwapisz and Pablo Marcos. In other words, old school quality. If anybody on your to-buy list is a fan of comics the way they used to be, this is a no-brainer. A subscription doesn’t even amount to two dollars a month. Even if I didn’t enjoy the comics—which I absolutely do—as a lifelong Edgar Rice Burroughs fan, I look upon my subscription as a meager tithe of what I owe ERB. As it is, my cup runneth over.

While some cyberpunks and transhumanists may look upon wall calendars as useless and vestigial relics of a bygone age, I know that I’m not alone in loving such artifacts. Cool art/pics every month! What’s not to like? Naysayers be damned. Bob Deis and his cool bros over at Men’s Adventure Library have put out a calendar devoted to Eva Lynd, the Countess Who Always Brought the Hotness. Get it while you can. Meanwhile, the truly good people over at the Frazetta Museum have their most excellent 2020 calendar ready to go. Proceeds help sustain the Frazetta Museum and they keep the legacy of Frank and Ellie alive for this and future generations. Get it here.

Well, I’m sure I’ve forgotten a myriad of deserving people/products, but this will have to stand as is. I hope y’all have a great December!