I have to share this. Today on Bernita's blog she talked about the "Doom Dog," a spectral dog seen on occasion in the wild places of the British Isles. The dog is almost always black in color. I commented about a legend I've heard in the US of a black dog. This is what I wrote: "I've heard of the black dog legend that truckers talk about. I'm guessing it's a transplant from overseas."
When I posted my comments I was thinking particularly of a 1998 movie starring Patrick Swayze called "Black Dog," which I saw years ago. This evening, as I'm flipping through the TV channels, guess which movie was playing. Not only that, but less than a minute after I flipped to the movie one of the few scenes of the black dog actually played. It has been a very long time since that movie was shown on TV. I haven't seen it in years and it wasn't very popular even when it was released. How weird is that?
In other news, the Flashing Swords Summer Extravaganza issue is out,("Special Edition Summer 2008), and it's twice the usual size. I have a story in it called "Worms in the Earth," a humorous fantasy tale, and there is also an interview with me in the magazine. It's available as download or in print. If you want to check it out you can do so here.
And in other, other news, CrazyCath was kind enough to present me with Arte De Pico award. Here's the criteria:
inspire others with their creative energy and talents.
This can be through writing, artwork, design, interesting
material or contribution to the bigger community.
It is a special honour to receive it.
That was very nice of CrazyCath and I greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Synchronicity is *such* a fact of life. Odd, but irrefutable.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very pretty award! It'll look good on the (virtual) shelf next to Lana's...
grats on the award, charles... with lana's, you two have great bookends ;) lol
ReplyDeletethx for the info/link... as for the flck, how cool was that?
Makes the little shivers run, Charles.
ReplyDeleteAnd you truly deserve that award. You have frequently inspired me.
Cool about the black dog - I'm off to Bernita's to check out the post! And congrats for the award!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award and publication. I've been trying to break into Flashing Swords for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty weird about "Black Dog." Maybe next time you should think of a better movie!
I remember seeing the movie, and I believe you are right about it being a transplant from European legends. Congratulations on the award.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Charles and I hope I didn't offend when I said I hadn't read any of your books. The point I was trying to make was that despite that, through your blog alone, you are inspiring and I admire your writing and your values. I hope that came across.
ReplyDeleteOne day, I may get down to reading. I may not like the genre, but then I won't know till I try. ;0)
The black dog is something that gives you the creeps. Eerie that the movie should be on for the first time in so long...
Congrats on the award Charles. I remember that movie too. I have a book that's a collection of Scottish legends that contains the Doom Dog legend. I'd pull it out and read it, but my reach isn't quite that long. I'll bet the writer/screen writer was influenced by the legend.
ReplyDeleteMaking the rounds today...as promised in my last post. I'll probably wear out my eyes in the next 24 hours catching up.
I have never heard of the 'doom dog'. Love the award.
ReplyDeleteOff to see the story about the doom dog.
Steve, yeah, it's happened to me more and more in the past few years, especially since I moved to Abita Springs.
ReplyDeleteLaughingwolf, yeah, it's a very nice award. And cool.
Bernita, thank you. Yes, very odd on the synchronicity.
Sam, thanks. Bernita's is a great post.
Greg Schwartz. LOL on the better movie. Yeah.
Bernardl, I didn't watch it all again since I've seen it, but yeah. Thanks for the congrats.
Crazycath, no that certainly didn't offend me about the books. Different folks read different kinds of stuff. I have plenty of family members who don't read my books because they aren't interested in the genres. Thanks again for the award.
J.L. Krueger, I'm actually going to do some research on that legend today. It's got me interested.
Good luck on your rounds.
Monique, thanks. The doom dog is definitely a cool legend.
Spooky!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new story and on the award -- very appropriate and much deserved.
cool story, cool publication, and cool award, congrats!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the award, Charles! Well deserved. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave you heard of Ian McEwans novel "Black Dogs", which features an encounter with "two huge, ferocious dogs--incarnations of the savagely irrational eruptions that recur throughout history--" (quote from Publisher's Weekly)?
Correction:
ReplyDeleteIan McEwan's ....
Sorry!
"Makes the little shivers run" indeed.
ReplyDeleteMy relatives from Western Ukraine
(Not far from Trannsylvania) have similar stories.
The dog woul have yellow, glowing eyes and would place himself on a footbridge across a brook to confront the passer by. It seemed to have all the attributes of a dog while at the same time seeming to be something else.
Creeps me out just thinking of the srory.
Glad you pointed me to Bernita's blog.
I've been trying to get a handle on this Baskerville thing for some years.
P.s. to Charles,
ReplyDeleteGood trophy.
Victory.
What a nice award! Congrats on that very true. Black Dog huh? I might have to look into the legend sounds interesting
ReplyDeleteIf the Black Dog thing freaked you out, just wait until you see Wayne's post today...
ReplyDeleteLisa, thanks.
ReplyDeleteBenjibopper, thanks as well.
Merisi, I have heard of that but not read it. I bet I'd enjoy it.
Ivan, my family doesn't have any of these stories, although my brother once claimed to see a kangaroo in the hills of Arkansas.
Sarai, cool.
Lana, uh oh. I'm gonna go have a look.
I was going to say "synchronicity" but Steve beat me to it! No coincidences in life. I've got to run back and read the interview-congrats! And nice of Crazy Cath to give you the well deserved award! Take care. Donnetta
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think Kevin Sorbo was originally supposed to be in that movie instead of Patrick S. and something didn't work out. Read that around the time it came out. I don't think I've ever seen it all the way through. It's kind of an oddity I guess in that it's a trucker movie long after trucker movies were the "in" thing.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award—you certainly deserve it. Your posts have often inspired me. Congratulations, too, on the publication of your story.
ReplyDeleteDonnetta Lee, definitely an interesting synchronicity.
ReplyDeleteSidney, it was worth watching once for some kind of cool truck stuff, but I don't need to see it again.
Shauna, thank you very much.
And part of Black Dog was filmed in Amarillo.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on both the award and the publication.
ReplyDeleteThe black dog coincidence is an interesting one.
coincidences like that are cool. Sometimes creepy, too. I have never seen Black Dog all the way through, but have seen bits of it fairly recently (this spring some time) on satellite tv channels.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on yet another publication credit and the award.
Travis Erwin, I didn't know that about the movie.
ReplyDeleteX-Dell, thanks. Yes, the synchronicity was pretty strong.
Writtenwyrd, I haven't seen it on in quite a while but I don't watch that much TV so I may have missed it. Thanks for the congrats.
Doom Dog
ReplyDeleteBanshee's
Jersey Devil
Moth Man
Can these and other harbingers really all be myths?
happy 4th to you and yours, charles! :D
ReplyDeleteJust an observation: There's been an increase in Patrick Swayze movies lately; perhaps it has something to do with his health.
ReplyDeleteWhat a synchronicity! Congrats on the award!
ReplyDeleteMark, oh I'm sure the stories have some basis in fact. Not necessarily supernatural fact, though. But if you read SF and fantasy you'll see that humans have a nearly infinite imagination.
ReplyDeleteLaughingwolf, and to you.
JR, I think you're right. I've seen a few others of his, as well. OF course, Roadhouse is running 24/7 somewhere I think.
Billy, thanks.
Weird. I remember that flick, Randy Travis is pretty convincing as an old trucker who tells the black dog story, isn't he?
ReplyDeleteSingers first can act second, actors first can't usually sing worth a dang.
Oh yeah -- Meatloaf is the bad chaser guy!
p.s. Congrats on the award, too!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the award. There are times in your posts that I have been inspired to improve my writing, and how to fix those little problems.
ReplyDeleteSynchronicity about the black dog and then seeing the movie.
Erik, Randy Travis really was pretty good. and thanks.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Martin, thanks much. I'm glad if my posts have helped.