I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Episode 101: Rebecca Romney

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion" [SIGN] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5EHNKaxhL8cWmPyDvs-7Nqu73qF7bfo03clB1IVtOCopD7DqnP-gOJ0pvOI5kU4wOBRnbXRr7Kjcq-7MgVDEaHDt06HanK1FS4MRpTU_u7X-IalqPBMohElMNCh2aooBiqwjfjCkbVoX/s1600/Rebecca+Romney.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5EHNKaxhL8cWmPyDvs-7Nqu73qF7bfo03clB1IVtOCopD7DqnP-gOJ0pvOI5kU4wOBRnbXRr7Kjcq-7MgVDEaHDt06HanK1FS4MRpTU_u7X-IalqPBMohElMNCh2aooBiqwjfjCkbVoX/s640/Rebecca+Romney.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4553091/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/87A93A/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
When your interview guest says that she was hooked on Sherlock Holmes based on the line "I confess that I covet your skull," [HOUN] you know it's going to be a fun and unusual discussion.<br />
<br />
Even more fun is the fact that Rebecca Romney is an extraordinarily well read and well informed Sherlockian, partially owing to the fact that she is also a rare book dealer. Professionally, she works with Honey and Wax Booksellers, but you may recall her from one of her appearances on <i>Pawn Stars</i>, where she was the rare books expert.<br />
<br />
Rebecca shares her journey, which goes from a youth filled with books to a degree in linguistics and classics, teaching English in Japan and launching Bauman Rare Books' Las Vegas gallery in 2007. Along the way, we discover other Sherlockians that Rebecca has met, the finer points of bookselling (and training to become one), and the magic of having conversations about books with people.<br />
<br />
The conversation ranges from Ronald A. Knox to Burgess Meredith, Christopher Morley to Richard Altick. Will it include the legendary Chumley? You'll have to listen in to find out.<br />
<br />
Rebecca and her husband J.P. Romney host the podcast Biblioclast and they have just completed a book called <i>Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</i>, which will be published by Harper Collins in early 2017. <br />
<br />
And perhaps there's an Easter egg somewhere as well...<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a div="" gt="" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fihearofsherlock.com%2Fpodcast"><br />
<img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br />
We thank Mary Miller for her ongoing and generous support of our program on <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. And we thank the many listeners to turned out to support us for our 100th show with <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=XKuLv5IYzHCA0BhABhtC8xByijsZm5IbqGLk4r2fiNrFH-NwC3ZlaSnktJa&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d64813b57e559a2578463e58274899069" target="_blank">one-time PayPal contributions</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Notes</b></h3>
1:37 Welcome and intro<br />
5:52 Sponsor: Wessex Press (<i>The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library</i>)<br />
7:20 Welcoming Rebecca Romney<br />
9:39 Getting Sherlock Holmes into her skull<br />
12:23 Sibling battles led to the path of book collecting<br />
17:05 How does one become a rare book dealer, anyway?<br />
26:25 Meeting a Sherlockian for the first time<br />
33:12 "The Skeptic's Guide to Sherlock Holmes" - from the Winter 2015 BSI<br />
38:09 Sponsor: <i>The Baker Street Journal</i> (eBSJ)<br />
40:16 Rebecca's podcast: Biblioclast<br />
43:32 A new book: <i>Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</i><br />
46:55 The most expensive Sherlockian book sold by Rebecca<br />
50:22 Buyer's remorse in a Las Vegas bookshop<br />
53:24 Collectors who view themselves as risky investors<br />
58:24 Advice from a bookseller - channeling Christopher Morley<br />
1:03:52 Sponsor: Sherlock Holmes Brand Rare Book Replicas<br />
1:04:51 Wrap-up and announcements<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and we thank them. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a>, featuring the <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/shrl.html" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Reference Library</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you can find an electronic archive of <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/ebooks/ebsj.html" target="_blank">the BSJ from 1946-2011 in the eBSJ</a>. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Would you care to become a sponsor? You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock101.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 33.5 MB, 1:10:57</h4>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/276027569&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Jimmy Stewart reads "<a href="https://youtu.be/byA3JAdqPQk" target="_blank">A Dog Named Beau</a>"</li>
<li>The classic film <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_(film)" target="_blank">Harvey</a></i></li>
<li><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="081420435X" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Scholar Adventurers" href="http://www.amazon.com/Scholar-Adventurers-RICHARD-ALTICK/dp/081420435X/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5965153" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Scholar Adventurers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5965153" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249&_cb=1469856615955" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by Richard Altick</li>
<li><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1584561122" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="ABC for Book Collectors" href="http://www.amazon.com/ABC-Book-Collectors-John-Carter/dp/1584561122/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1721828" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ABC for Book Collectors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1721828" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519&_cb=1469858280826" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></li>
<li>Jerry Margolin on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose16" target="_blank">Episode 16</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rebeccaromney.com/" target="_blank">Rebecca Romney's website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://honeyandwaxbooks.com/" target="_blank">Honey and Wax Booksellers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.biblioclastpodcast.com/" target="_blank">Biblioclast Podcast</a></li>
<li><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0062412310" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History" href="http://www.amazon.com/Printers-Error-Irreverent-Stories-History/dp/0062412310/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8178841" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8178841" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc&_cb=1469856506609" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></li>
<li>Leave us a rating or review <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">on iTunes by going here</a></li>
<li>The <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon</a> page</li>
<li>The <a href="http://ihose.co/ihosesurvey" target="_blank">IHOSE listener survey</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at  <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (with over 3,700 members), as well as through our accounts on  <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/04/ihose-on-snapchat-just-in-time-for.html">Snapchat</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>  and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Please <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">subscribe to us on iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I2nib4h55h3cz3yxmzovj6icbmi">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere?refid=stpr" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/user/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Spreaker</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable.<br />
<br />
Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">--</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br />
</span></div>

Episode 101: Rebecca Romney

"the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion" [SIGN] When your interview guest says that she was hooked on Sh...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in Moscow

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy" [GOLD]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wbWDVkWUSa2MlmmjzobMUYNeZnmlwTR7uZju_59IePig3F7Dc1QOckDrX6pQlCCFfGkP0y6CM02Hs4HlrGE4JrMgDzHneuUAs4OWwQ7G8xBaf9pgj8W4vaotmz-djHgOBYcJVIf6Ytry/s1600/20140714_151109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wbWDVkWUSa2MlmmjzobMUYNeZnmlwTR7uZju_59IePig3F7Dc1QOckDrX6pQlCCFfGkP0y6CM02Hs4HlrGE4JrMgDzHneuUAs4OWwQ7G8xBaf9pgj8W4vaotmz-djHgOBYcJVIf6Ytry/s640/20140714_151109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
In 2006, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2006/11/was-in-city-in-russia-gold_20.html#.V45wKWgrI2x" target="_blank">reported on the plans to create astatue</a> of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (who are perennially popular in
Russia) in the Russian capital of Moscow. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having recently returned from a trip to Moscow, much of
which was filled with visits to various literary monuments—of which Moscow is
full—I thought it would not be out of place to report on the aforementioned
Holmes and Watson statue, which now graces the embankment in front of the
British Embassy. I visited the statue on my first trip to Moscow, two years
ago, trekking through the 80-degree Moscow heat to a secluded embankment in an
otherwise unremarkable district to find the statue in question, and I must say
that the experience is slightly magical.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back when the statue was only planned, many different
locations were considered for it, with the Smolenskaya embankment (where the
embassy is located) finally chosen. Yet the figures of Holmes and Watson were
not based on Sidney Paget’s illustrations or Jeremy Brett’s depiction; rather,
they were in the form of Vitaly Solomin and Vasily Livanov, who incarnated
Holmes and Watson in an excellent and still-popular Soviet adaptation of the
Canon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is part of what makes the statue magical: this
cross-cultural connection. The Sherlock Holmes stories remain incredibly popular in Russian-speaking countries, while Livanov was
acknowledged to be the best incarnation of Sherlock Holmes by Queen Elizabeth
herself, and became an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. At
the unveiling of the statue in 2007, the actor himself noted this
cross-cultural connection:<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Anyone can destroy a monument,” he said, drawing on a
cigarette. “But to unite two cultures, two nations, with one idea – that is not
something anyone can do.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the <a href="http://www.kp.ru/daily/23895/66683/">Russian newspaper <i>Komsomolskaya Pravda</i></a> reported,
Livanov seated himself on the bench between his bronze self and Doctor Watson
and warned those present:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“If you touch Doctor Watson’s notebook, all problems and mysteries will be explained. As for whoever touches my pipe…. That person will become embroiled in a criminal conspiracy.” </blockquote>
</div>
<br />Not having heard Livanov’s warning prior to my visit, it appears I have managed to both embroil myself in a criminal undertaking and solve any unexplained mystery, as I took a whiff of Holmes’ pipe and looked over Watson’s shoulder at his notebook:</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15cQuFgLL6PUXLAINYoyMgjzi5bfgeL6Hh8EHytHiQK9q5-uiAwOGBqK1mFQjSnhdKhQxafXELFsjPiZrS_zb8gLkRy8BVxevTWaITwFX1n61fOvLaJRkwab2ZnEp5ifeAzWnW9cO5c4_/s1600/20140714_151040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15cQuFgLL6PUXLAINYoyMgjzi5bfgeL6Hh8EHytHiQK9q5-uiAwOGBqK1mFQjSnhdKhQxafXELFsjPiZrS_zb8gLkRy8BVxevTWaITwFX1n61fOvLaJRkwab2ZnEp5ifeAzWnW9cO5c4_/s320/20140714_151040.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkhurW2izUcEdhrHNGUaWKmYFEgpn91OjEtGklXFDdShifNydi4q_j0M_tt0TZSTqzbP_gJMfnuHxu0VKGlwHbhTgLvHFN29Dvp0rB41398gCGbeXIp8soABobJ1t50l7sAzvFW8y3kN4/s1600/20140714_150957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkhurW2izUcEdhrHNGUaWKmYFEgpn91OjEtGklXFDdShifNydi4q_j0M_tt0TZSTqzbP_gJMfnuHxu0VKGlwHbhTgLvHFN29Dvp0rB41398gCGbeXIp8soABobJ1t50l7sAzvFW8y3kN4/s320/20140714_150957.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><br />Some information in this post was taken from the article about the unveiling of the statue; all translations into English were done by me. All photos by me. </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
--</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in Moscow

"you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy" [GOLD] In 2006, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere reported on the plans...

+ Read more »

by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

Sherlock Series 4 — First Trailer and News From Comic-Con

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"we had this comic interlude" [3GAB]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L3Uxu7rA4r1fAKYUqSHMJoErx0ZhcVX1DbajpF3FLd6KZsHDPqNj-tQgygr_-O_DRbjrR8QhGgPqkzjIwMc2D4uzfr0l9m106JAexN5T4o_b6P5H6jlE3pxMtGyRYObH_dhvJ7jtI8eg/s1600/Sherlock+-+Series+4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L3Uxu7rA4r1fAKYUqSHMJoErx0ZhcVX1DbajpF3FLd6KZsHDPqNj-tQgygr_-O_DRbjrR8QhGgPqkzjIwMc2D4uzfr0l9m106JAexN5T4o_b6P5H6jlE3pxMtGyRYObH_dhvJ7jtI8eg/s640/Sherlock+-+Series+4.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Sherlock is always a draw at Comic-Con. Especially when there's a new series on the way. In this case, Series 4 is due in 2017 (no specific date yet), so fans and cast members alike gathered at the San Diego event to pick up as many hints as possible about the new shows.<br />
<br />
We already know that, like in previous series, there will be three episodes. You may recall when we spoke with <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose86" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue in Episode 86</a> prior to "The Abominable Bride," they mentioned how each episode is akin to shooting a feature-length film.<br />
<br />
But what else have we been able to glean over the last few months about the next series?<br />
<br />
Well, we know that <a href="http://www.empireonline.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/toby-jones-will-sherlock-new-villain/" target="_blank">Toby Jones is joining the cast</a> as none other than <a href="http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/sherlock/34751/sherlock-series-4-amanda-abbington-posts-last-day-image" target="_blank">the villain Culverton Smith</a>, who appeared in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" in the original stories.<br />
<br />
And Moffat, Vertue and Mark Gatiss revealed their now traditional "three words" to describe the episodes: Thatcher. Smith. Sherrinford. What do these names tell us?<br />
<br />
We've already established the significance of Smith above. But unlike Smith, the other two names are not Canonical — that is, they never appeared in the original Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
<br />
However, Sherrinford is significant because it is part of some of the most core and accepted Sherlockian scholarship. In <i>Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street</i>, a biography of Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould, BSI ("The <i>Gloria Scott</i>"), the author indicated that Holmes's parents were Siger Holmes and Violet Sherrinford, and that there were <b><i>three</i></b> Holmes brothers: Sherlock (the youngest), Mycroft, and the eldest brother, Sherrinford. That would seem to be where the hint is pointing, but we'll have to wait to see if a third Holmes brother is brought into the series this time around.<br />
<br />
Thatcher is a bit more problematic, however. There is no such name in the Canon. Offhand, it brings up two alternatives in our mind:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Some reference to Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of England. Given Mycroft's connection to the government, it's not completely out of the question.</li>
<li>A long-lost love interest for Sherlock, as Becky Thatcher was the paramour of Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain's book by the same name.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
One thing that was more apparent about the upcoming season, thanks to <a href="https://youtu.be/xj6c_nXsxW8" target="_blank">the trailer provided by PBS Masterpiece</a>: the dark themes throughout. We're treated to a glimpse of the ever-present Moriarty, the nefarious Smith, an unshaven Sherlock, a group of masked nurses (evidently shielding themselves from some infectious disease), explosions, gunplay, hand-to-hand combat and more.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xj6c_nXsxW8?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
Do you have any theories about what's going on or about the three words? Leave us a comment below.<br />
<br />
--

Sherlock Series 4 — First Trailer and News From Comic-Con

"we had this comic interlude" [3GAB] Sherlock is always a draw at Comic-Con. Especially when there's a new series on the ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Baker Street Jurors — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"a hard-headed British jury" [BOSC]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.booksense.com/images/068/060/9781250060068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.booksense.com/images/068/060/9781250060068.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1250060060" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Baker Street Jurors" href="http://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters/dp/1250060060/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5687855" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street Jurors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5687855" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda&_cb=1469326230536" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/author/michaelrobertson" target="_blank">Michael Robertson</a> is a delightful lighthearted mystery much in the vein of today's popular cozy mysteries. The book is part of the <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/series/thebakerstreetletters" target="_blank"><i>Baker Street Letters</i></a> series involving brothers Nigel and Reggie Robertson who have offices at 221B Baker Street and spend some of their time answering letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Nigel and Reggie are a legal team with Reggie as the barrister and Nigel as the solicitor.<br />
<br />
This book focuses on Nigel because Reggie is away on his honeymoon and is only mentioned in the book. This is part of Nigel's recent string of bad luck. While his happy brother is away enjoying marital bliss, Nigel has returned to London from Los Angeles where the love of his life, Mara Ramirez, has split with him.<br />
<br />
A big distraction comes to Nigel in the form of a jury summons. What could be the crime of the century has occurred. Rory McSweeney, a national hero who has led England's cricket team to the international championship has been accused of murdering his wife by beating her to death with his cricket bat. Nigel's law office has received two different summons.  One is addressed to him, the other is addressed to Sherlock Holmes.<br />
<br />
As Nigel ends up as an alternate on the jury, the real mystery starts to develop.  While hearing the case of Mr. McSweeney, many of the jurors start having accidents, and one by one, they need to be replaced by the alternates. Who is responsible for these accidents?  And what is the motivation?<br />
<br />
This book is a fun summer read. Nigel is a great sympathetic character. He is a nice guy who comes across as shy and kind, and throughout the book you can't help feeling bad for him, having to deal with being on a jury which he has no desire to be on, trying to solve the mystery while dealing with the other kooky jurors, and also running the law office while his brother is away.<br />
<br />
My only complaint with the book is that it is described as a great read for fans of Sherlock Holmes and it is no such thing. The book has a sort of Sherlock Holmes character who says some Sherlock Holmes quotes, but that connection to the consulting detective is tenuous at best. This is more of a book for fans of Agatha Christie than fans of Doyle, and that is not a criticism, just a fact. I wouldn't want someone reading this book expecting a Sherlock Holmes style mystery to be disappointed.  This book is too good for any form of disappointment. <br />
<br />
<i>The Baker Street Jurors</i> is available in both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters/dp/1250060060" target="_blank">hardcover</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters-ebook/dp/B017H2LBRO" target="_blank">Kindle</a> editions.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The Baker Street Jurors — A Review

"a hard-headed British jury" [BOSC] The Baker Street Jurors by Michael Robertson is a delightful lighthearted m...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

The End of Sherlockian.net?

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I had reached the end of my adventures" [EMPT]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7guoMSVQyrZfPLotEZZnI9i1micO7yfFuOOnlcECz77OLCTjGVhXPPnq7yUOkw8VziAam4V45WG3KqY8irPa_UePh63ktHaR_UQTCkQJKrJrSsvNMfeEHeFKlLgatd41MFNPG2FLtNrH/s1600/Sherlockian+dot+Net.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7guoMSVQyrZfPLotEZZnI9i1micO7yfFuOOnlcECz77OLCTjGVhXPPnq7yUOkw8VziAam4V45WG3KqY8irPa_UePh63ktHaR_UQTCkQJKrJrSsvNMfeEHeFKlLgatd41MFNPG2FLtNrH/s640/Sherlockian+dot+Net.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Our own online Sherlockian adventure extends to the early 1990s. During that time, there was a bulletin board at alt.fan.holmes and the Hounds of the Internet, but not much else.<br />
<br />
Then in 1994, along came <a href="http://sherlockian.net/" target="_blank">Sherlockian.net</a>, which set out to capture all of the links about Sherlock Holmes on the Internet. It still stands as one of—if not the—best sites of Sherlock Holmes reference material online.<br />
<br />
It became one of the sites we visited on a regular basis, and has constantly been an inspiration for some of the content we share here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. While our our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/resources.html#.V4-s5rgrLb0" target="_blank">Resources</a> section is nowhere near as complete, we tried to to our best to help keep up with some of the main links that we thought would be helpful.<br />
<br />
But as Sherlockian.net proprietor and IHOSE contributor Chris Redmond told us in <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose99" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 99</a>, trying to document everything on the web quickly became a very difficult task.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/271526279&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
As the online world of Sherlock Holmes has grown exponentially — particularly over the last four or five years of social media's rise to prominence — that task has only gotten more cumbersome.<br />
<br />
So it was with great surprise and alarm that we saw Chris's announcement today that Sherlockian.net would be shutting down on December 31, 2016. This grand and legendary resource that has been online for 22 years might not be with us much longer.<br />
<br />
We're hoping that we can get a stay of execution. We've already heard from some like-minded Sherlockians who want to see the site continue, or see its contents protected and given new life on other sites. The immense work that has gone into creating the hundreds of pages there (and believe us, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/06/reaching-milestone.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">we understand</a> what it's like to create that much content) is at times a thankless job.<br />
<br />
We have to believe that such a decision by Chris does not come lightly, and we don't want to see his life's work vanish in an instant. We have some ideas about how to keep the lights on or to continue to make the content available to interested Sherlockians around the world. Perhaps you have some ideas too. Feel free to leave a comment below or email us.<br />
<br />
A valid first step is to create a sitemap of Sherlockian.net and catalog all of the content. If there's anyone who can help take a stab at that, we'd appreciate it.<br />
<br />
The creative process is a daunting and lonely task at times. But preserving great content should be a collective work. And Chris's work at Sherlockian.net is as outstanding as it is prodigious. Let's make sure it's enduring.<br />
<br />
If you have ideas or would like to get involved in some meaningful way, please leave us a comment below or <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">email us</a>.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The End of Sherlockian.net?

"I had reached the end of my adventures" [EMPT] Our own online Sherlockian adventure extends to the early 1990s. During tha...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 100: A Sherlockian Centennial

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I am one of a hundred" [ILLU] </h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE9YJa-MjnZ2UaeQc5p6dPPbUqG1jL4n74BhGvjk5FyQMmvn1OoTJe9K3XrAr3aakAWU9RblirbRSSIPaCMbIqlqYxyqMah719VR02Lyh0FOuB_gzTnM-Jg__vAUXO1otEOP9llwf5yQ6/s1600/IHOSE+100+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gerry Turnbull created this nifty image for our 100th" border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE9YJa-MjnZ2UaeQc5p6dPPbUqG1jL4n74BhGvjk5FyQMmvn1OoTJe9K3XrAr3aakAWU9RblirbRSSIPaCMbIqlqYxyqMah719VR02Lyh0FOuB_gzTnM-Jg__vAUXO1otEOP9llwf5yQ6/s640/IHOSE+100+header.png" title="IHOSE 100 Header - via Gerry Tunrbull" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4517153/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/36140c/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br />
</center>
<br />
Well, we managed to do it. And it only took us nine years, an 18-month hiatus, one lost episode and thousands of fans.<br />
<br />
That's right, it's our <b><span style="font-size: large;">100th</span></b> episode.<br />
<br />
We asked you what you wanted to hear for the centenary of the first podcast for Sherlock Holmes devotees, and time and again, we heard from you, telling us to do a retrospective - a look back at our favorite moments from what we've accomplished. We also asked you what your favorite moments are and what you wanted to know from us. Well, we managed to deliver on both.<br />
<br />
Our 100th episode gave us a chance to reflect on exactly what turning 100 means, and to dive back into our murky and fuzzy origins. We try to answer some of your queries and we celebrate those who joined us previously before launching into our top memories of the show, as represented in audio clips. Our Gas-Lamp features two readings, including a new one created just for this episode. Finally, we wrap up with a couple of important announcements that you won't want to miss.<br />
<br />
And perhaps there's an Easter egg somewhere as well...<br />
<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a div="" gt="" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fihearofsherlock.com%2Fpodcast"><br />
<img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br />
We thank Mary Miller for her ongoing and generous support of our program on <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Perhaps you'd like to become a patron in honor of our 100th show. If ongoing support scares you, <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=XKuLv5IYzHCA0BhABhtC8xByijsZm5IbqGLk4r2fiNrFH-NwC3ZlaSnktJa&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d64813b57e559a2578463e58274899069" target="_blank">one-time PayPal contributions</a> are welcome too.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Additional Thanks</h3>
We have so many of you to thank — from those of you who wrote in with feedback, to those who provided reviews, created something for us, provided financial support, and of course, those who appeared on the show. It's all been absolutely overwhelming and this wouldn't be possible without you.<br />
<br />
So, in no particular order, thanks to: Steve Doyle, Mark Gagen, Steve Rothman, Mary Miller, John Rabe, James O'Leary, Kate Donley, Bob Katz, Andy Solberg, Jon Lellenberg, Dan Stashower, Mike Whelan, Peter Blau, Les Klinger, Bert Coules, Mike Berdan, Michael Dirda, Bob Thomalen, The Baker Street Babes, Otto Penzler, Maria Konnikova, Nicholas Meyer, Evelyn Herzog, Susan Rice, David Harnois, Gerry Turnbull, Steve Mason, Rob Nunn, Claire Strum, Peter Calamai, Nicholas Pidgeon, Nick Utechin, Ray Betzner, David Stuart Davies, David Ian Davies, Chris Redmond, Jamie Mahoney, Leah Guinn, Jerry Margolin, David Morrill, Sally Sugarman, Graham Moore, Henry Zecher, Tom Francis, Don Hobbs, Tom Richmond, Tim Johnson, Ken Ludwig, Glen Miranker, Zach Dundas, Bonnie MacBird, Bill Barnes, Roseane McNamara, Doug Elliott, Kerry Murphy, Christopher Sequeira, Erin O'Neill, and Robert Veld.<br />
<br />
And extra special thanks to our spouses  Kathi and Mindi, who tolerate this silliness and allow us to interrupt the flow of home life more than we thought they would. Or certainly more than they'd prefer.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Notes</b></h3>
1:37 Welcome and intro<br />
2:25 Someone else is pretty excited<br />
3:19 Other centenary celebrations in 2016<br />
7:10 Milestones can be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INhL0MYhOOI" target="_blank">difficult to celebrate</a>, featuring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Wolfberg" target="_blank">Dennis Wolfberg</a><br />
9:32 Our humble beginnings<br />
11:14 Spending time<br />
11:55 I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere - by the numbers<br />
15:49 Multiple IHOSE interview guests<br />
18:10 Your kind reviews <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">on iTunes</a><br />
20:24 <a href="http://wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a><br />
21:40 You asked for it / your favorite moments<br />
23:29 How it all began<br />
34:24 Remembering our hiatus<br />
41:00 Looking back at our favorite moments<br />
42:25 Mike Berdan on getting involved with Sherlock Holmes<br />
45:12 Christopher Morley on the reality of Sherlock Holmes<br />
48:00 Peter Blau on Edgar Smith<br />
51:38 Otto Penzler gets defensive about his literary doppelgänger<br />
55:23 Fritz Weaver recalls <i>Baker Street</i>, the characterization of Sherlock Holmes, and the importance of Conan Doyle<br />
57:54 Michael Dirda reads from <i>On Conan Doyle</i><br />
1:01:59 Lara Pulver reflects on her success<br />
1:05:03 Bert Coules on the role of the writer with BBC Radio, the importance of his director David Johnson recognizing the major characters in <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i><br />
1:11:20 Bert Coules talks about casting Michael Williams as Dr. Watson, as opposed to Nigel Bruce<br />
1:14:55 A comic interlude: a halfway decent Jack Benny impersonation<br />
1:20:22 Lyndsay, Ashley and Ardy from the Baker Street Babes play Jeopardy and make Burt's editing job a living nightmare<br />
1:24:06 A flashback within our flashback as Steve Rothman is unruffled and Bob Katz freaks out about Dr. Rosenbach's credentials<br />
1:26:57 Nicholas Meyer recounts how he was invited to the BSI dinner and how he overstepped<br />
1:35:25 Susan Rice shares the story of the afternoon when women were granted membership in the Baker Street Irregulars, together with a recording of Tom Stix presiding at that very event.<br />
1:42:53 <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal</a></i><br />
1:45:02 The Editor's Gas-Lamp: a two-fer with "221B" and "A Long Evening with Holmes"<br />
1:50:45 Housekeeping, special thanks and two announcements — listen closely, as we need your feedback<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and we thank them. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a>, featuring <i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/fixedpoint.html" target="_blank">The One Fixed Point in a Changing Age</a></i>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you can get a gift subscription for the up and coming Sherlockian. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Would you care to become a sponsor? You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock100.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 71.1 MB, 2:03:51</h4>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/273792699&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
<br />
</h3>
<h3>
Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Our <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseshows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Archives</a></li>
<li>Episodes <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose04" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose05" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5</a> (Sherlockian 101)</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose03" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 3</a>: Mike Berdan </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose04" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 4</a>: Sherlockian 101 </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose06" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 6</a>: Peter Blau </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 17</a>: Otto Penzler </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose26" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 26</a>: Fritz Weaver</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose38" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 38</a>: Michael Dirda </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose41" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 41</a>: Lara Pulver</li>
<li>Episodes <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">68</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose69" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">69</a>: Bert Coules</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose70" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 70</a>: The Baker Street Babes</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose85" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 85</a>: Nicholas Meyer</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose89" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 89</a>: Susan Rice and Evelyn Herzog</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose92" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 92</a>: that Jack Benny impersonation</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose93" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 93</a>: Bob Katz, Andy Solberg and Steven Rothman</li>
<li><a href="https://iamlostwithoutmyboswell.com/" target="_blank">I Am Lost Without My Boswell</a></li>
<li>Leave us a rating or review <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">on iTunes by going here</a></li>
<li>The <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon</a> page</li>
<li>The <a href="http://ihose.co/ihosesurvey" target="_blank">IHOSE listener survey</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at  <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (with over 3,700 members), as well as through our accounts on  <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/04/ihose-on-snapchat-just-in-time-for.html">Snapchat</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>  and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Please <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">subscribe to us on iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I2nib4h55h3cz3yxmzovj6icbmi">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere?refid=stpr" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/user/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Spreaker</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable.<br />
<br />
Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br />
</span>

Episode 100: A Sherlockian Centennial

"I am one of a hundred" [ILLU] Well, we managed to do it. And it only took us nine years, an 18-month hiatus, one lost...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes (1916) Gets a Score

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Holmes's musical disquisition" [STUD]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQgjloHvoduH3aOJ0bDxvkpyfy1rButWwLXfLpWeT37mqBr3wekq23jiNVohqwIF_mYt662JX0wTUCfrHTvdF6ZCIsBJcY_zh-4Cy1MKu24Xy1HIX85Y_u3aaZT0mcp5QLp4QRjjyOXFZ/s1600/Gillette+Still.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQgjloHvoduH3aOJ0bDxvkpyfy1rButWwLXfLpWeT37mqBr3wekq23jiNVohqwIF_mYt662JX0wTUCfrHTvdF6ZCIsBJcY_zh-4Cy1MKu24Xy1HIX85Y_u3aaZT0mcp5QLp4QRjjyOXFZ/s640/Gillette+Still.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The 1916 <i>Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual</i> will cover the topic of William Gillette's film <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. We here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere <a href="http://ihose.co/1916film" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">broke the news</a> that the long-lost film had been discovered in Paris and covered <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/06/sherlock-holmes-in-san-francisco.html#.V4eggLgrLb0" target="_blank">the screening of the film</a> at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last year.<br />
<br />
We're pleased to present four musical themes that were played for the American premiere of the restored Gillette <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>. The excerpts are meant to illustrate the article, “Scoring Gillette’s Sherlock Holmes,” that acclaimed composer Donald Sosin wrote for the <i>BSJ Christmas Annual</i>, describing how he composed his music. And although these film excerpts are best understood when used in conjunction with Donald’s article, they can also be enjoyed on their own — examples of how a great original Holmesian score is constructed and coordinated with the images.<br />
<br />
The tracks come from the opening night performance when Gillette’s film was screened at San Francisco’s Castro Theater on May 30, 2015, where 2,000 people heard the score that night, performed by Sosin and his ensemble: Donald on piano with Günther Buchwald, violin; Sascha Jacobsen, bass; and Frank Bockius, percussion.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL6m8pknf2xi93U_1gnk0plD7jgatMMz2V" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL6m8pknf2xi93U_1gnk0plD7jgatMMz2V&v=tmA3svbgk-4" target="_blank">Four Musical Themes from Gillette's <i>Sherlock Holmes</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Since then, the film has attracted several first-rate scores – all quite distinct and all fine examples of the broad range of silent film accompaniment. The film has attracted several leading silent film composers – Stephen Horne who accompanied the film in Bangkok; Neil Brand in Paris, London, Pordenone, and on the Flicker Alley DVD; Steve Sterner at New York’s Film Forum; Dan Drazin in Northbrook, Illinois; Dennis James in Santa Barbara, California; and Phil Carli at the Library of Congress and the BSI Conference in Chautauqua. No two performers sound alike, each creating his own signature motifs and building on those motifs to give fresh perspective to the characters and plot lines.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The themes performed here are the building blocks that Sosin created to build his extraordinary score. The themes recur, permitting improvisation and ingenious acoustic effects and designed to provide a musical mirror to the ever-changing mood and action.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sherlock-holmes-the-odessa-connection#/" target="_blank">According to Sosin in an Indiegogo</a> he ran, he has been commissioned by the Odessa International Film Festival to expand that 4-musician score for a 45-piece orchestra. The premiere of that composition is set for July 16, 2016. The music is in rehearsal and on schedule – a generous, anonymous donor stepped in to make up the short fall. We certainly hope that more audiences will have the benefit of hearing it outside of Odessa.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[<i><b>Editor's note:</b> special thanks to Prof. Russell Merritt, BSI ("The Trepoff Murder") for providing the clips and the written update.</i>]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>

William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes (1916) Gets a Score

"Holmes's musical disquisition" [STUD] The 1916 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual will cover the topic of William G...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"his manner suggested that it was some strange creature" [ENGR]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdcpEpV3cVKXWh-maZIHNJegHVu9B5E7XKLGY9YfE9FGEOnylOGk3gyfcos_HEMZuUsLyQehVgjHNT4PBluJaL3QkYlNW47u9aQMfdW7agsMEAgARPFmNcG4nEUjbW0qNojaregUMH2j/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein+-+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdcpEpV3cVKXWh-maZIHNJegHVu9B5E7XKLGY9YfE9FGEOnylOGk3gyfcos_HEMZuUsLyQehVgjHNT4PBluJaL3QkYlNW47u9aQMfdW7agsMEAgARPFmNcG4nEUjbW0qNojaregUMH2j/s640/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein+-+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Holmesian pastiche is rife with mashups, especially the literary kind. Hoping to generate a strong story, authors frequently pair Holmes and Watson with other characters and historical figures to create unique tales that might not fit regular canon.<br />
<br />
<b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780925042" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Horror-Frankenstein-Kuhns/dp/1780925042/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9040639" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9040639" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&_cb=1468243086011" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></b>, written by Luke Benjamen Kuhns and drawn by Marcie Klinger (published in 2013 by <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780925042/Sherlock+Holmes+and+The+Horror+of+Frankenstein" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a> and available through their site and on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Horror-Frankenstein-Kuhns/dp/1780925042/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&linkCode=ktl" target="_blank">Amazon</a>) is an exceptional mix of horror and detection that is well worth reading.<br />
<br />
The story opens with a man discovering — and chipping out — a figure in the ice. Discovering Holmes with his infamous seven-per-cent solution, Watson spurs Holmes to investigate a series of grave robberies. As the plot progresses, Holmes and Watson find themselves encountering the results of one scientist's ambitions...and facing the challenge of another ambitious scientist's plans.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddztfWkY0zdq1htD5NXESBZ6BQCZUyrpX47m0apd9Xhd-hSwl6y5SZdWrLCyJ2uZV09_U2Kw_UGLEF_Agmbm6VtpjC9tDeNli1ERW8Ie554DQ77ZSlBganxqxTeKIXsJpFccnvVmr_q2p/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddztfWkY0zdq1htD5NXESBZ6BQCZUyrpX47m0apd9Xhd-hSwl6y5SZdWrLCyJ2uZV09_U2Kw_UGLEF_Agmbm6VtpjC9tDeNli1ERW8Ie554DQ77ZSlBganxqxTeKIXsJpFccnvVmr_q2p/s400/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i> works as a more horror-oriented version of the canon. Klinger's art and layouts are very solid, driving the narrative and building the appropriate mood and atmosphere. Kuhn's writing is also exceptional - mostly dialogue-driven, but with clear awareness of both Conan Doyle and Mary Shelley's works, integrating both into a solid story that may seem reminiscent of past efforts, yet has a Holmesian flair of its own.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7B1yQNnBBnw?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
A relatively short yet enjoyable read, <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i> is a good example of a literary mashup executed well. It is definitely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B1yQNnBBnw" target="_blank">worth checking out</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Special thanks to Robert Skel for his assistance in acquiring a review copy</i><br />
<div>
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div>
<i>--</i></div>
<div>
<i><br />
</i></div>

Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein — A Review

"his manner suggested that it was some strange creature" [ENGR] Holmesian pastiche is rife with mashups, especially the lit...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

Sherlock Holmes and Secret Societies

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Through the haze" [HOUN]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAXBr_W_3LX9GWjdiM2vJICxOmhmgH2VJ6T1DjCsqIsd-3Dmry9b8z3PPrbTmJmbSOXFZUeyhSci8LUF2E0ISnrFCmaCeNeaGPsPHlYflulzyN-ces30Moa08oLLqXAdj-oOb1tG2p1IF/s1600/vall-wiles-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAXBr_W_3LX9GWjdiM2vJICxOmhmgH2VJ6T1DjCsqIsd-3Dmry9b8z3PPrbTmJmbSOXFZUeyhSci8LUF2E0ISnrFCmaCeNeaGPsPHlYflulzyN-ces30Moa08oLLqXAdj-oOb1tG2p1IF/s1600/vall-wiles-24.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Never say never about what Sherlockians might do or have already done, but so far as I know, the new society in the coal valleys of Pennsylvania, which held its first meeting recently, is the only one that has ever staged a reenactment of the Scowrers initiation from <i>The Valley of Fear</i> as a means of inducting new members. I wasn't there, and of course haven't passed through the necessary ordeals myself, so I don't know whether branding irons were involved. However, photos have appeared publicly demonstrating that there were blindfolds, and presumably ritual questions and answers (not the ones familiar to the Musgrave family). <br />
<br />
When Jack McMurdo was admitted to the original Lodge 341, Vermissa, he was already a member of the Ancient Order of Freemen and had passed through whatever tests the more respectable Lodge 29, Chicago, required. The Bodymaster's requirements at Vermissa were extra. Both experiences can be seen as examples of what would now be called hazing, which has two general purposes: to ensure that someone is fit to be part of an organization and know its secrets, and to make the newcomer temporarily uncomfortable for the amusement of those already on the inside.<br />
When Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the Vermissa scene (Part II, Chapter III of <i>The Valley of Fear</i>) in 1914, he surely was remembering his own experience of being initiated into Phoenix Lodge 257 of the Freemasons in Southsea in 1887. He was not of course branded or threatened with sharp points to the eyes, but the essence of the experience, being a novice and the center of attention while not knowing what's about to happen, must have informed his description of McMurdo's welcome at Vermissa many years later.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Freemasons in the Canon</h4>
The Freemasons, or simply Masons, figure several times in the Canon; much has been written about Jabez Wilson's "arc-and-compass breastpin," John Hector McFarlane's "watch-charm," and so on. Neither the secrets nor the activities of Freemasons figure in the stories in any substantial way — that was left for the scriptwriters of <i>Murder by Decree</i> in 1979. When Holmes says in "A  Scandal in Bohemia" that "There is a wonderful sympathy and freemasonry among horsy men," he is using the word in a very loose sense, and his initiation into that freemasonry seems to have involved nothing more than "[lending] the ostlers a hand in rubbing down their horses".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxbOpUmvtaB68YCYxhmnTQEvv7HJmNLyYwH41E0u9emn30icev3V4Wffk7e5Zi3IB8BKKPc_X3YM6yTl6_rjkGkzGeItgElTZsvYHV0vrFiZX8QZ6oH4ZP9mOvmi_CMcPfChM60bsN2uR/s1600/Murder+by+Decree+-+Masons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxbOpUmvtaB68YCYxhmnTQEvv7HJmNLyYwH41E0u9emn30icev3V4Wffk7e5Zi3IB8BKKPc_X3YM6yTl6_rjkGkzGeItgElTZsvYHV0vrFiZX8QZ6oH4ZP9mOvmi_CMcPfChM60bsN2uR/s640/Murder+by+Decree+-+Masons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
Secret Societies, or Societies with Secrets?</h4>
Everything about Masonic secrets is a sensitive subject. Doubly sensitive is the question of how far Masonic ritual influenced the ceremonies of Mormonism when they were being developed, mostly in Ohio in the 1830s, some forty years before the events narrated in the second part of A Study in Scarlet. I am neither a Mason nor a Mormon, but I am willing to believe various authors who see similarities in the ceremonial words and handshakes used in the two traditions. In both cases, the rituals have religious meanings, the Masons looking to "the Great Architect" and the Mormons to God as understood by the Latter-Day Saints churches, and neither group tolerates the horseplay that we would understand as "hazing". <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> mentions the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, but does not talk about the crucial Endowment ceremony that takes place there. However, the Mormons who figure in the novel certainly have secrets, and their flying squad, the Avenging Angels, have passwords just as the Masons and the Ancient Order of Freemen do.<br />
<br />
Other secret societies appear in the Canon as well, notably "the Red Circle, which was allied to the old Carbonari", into which Gennaro Lucca had been "initiated" at Naples. The arrival of the society in New York, with word that "a lodge would be held upon a certain date," precipitated the dreadful events of the story that is likewise called "The Red Circle". The society that figures as a red herring in "The Six Napoleons," though identified as "the Mafia," is not dissimilar, and no doubt has its own initiation rituals.<br />
<br />
Finally, there is the Ku Klux Klan, the "terrible secret society" appears in "The Five Orange Pips." It clearly had its symbols, "a sprig of oak-eaves in some parts, melon seeds or orange pips in others," but since the intended victims were meant to understand the messages they were sent, they were hardly very secret. We are not told whether aspiring members of this particular version of the Klan had to undergo an initiation, or whether adhering to its anti-Republican political views was enough.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Greek Interpreter Needed</h4>
In popular culture these days, hazing is mostly associated with college fraternities and sororities, although the reputable ones have largely repudiated it. "Greek letter organizations" date from the early 19th century, but most of their practices as they have been known over the past few generations originated after the American Civil War, largely in the southern states — interestingly, the same time and place in which the original Klan held sway. <br />
<br />
Unsurprisingly, no fraternities or sororities are mentioned in the Canonical stories, unless the Alpha Inn ("The Blue Carbuncle") qualifies on the strength of its single Greek letter. There is, however, what a newspaper quoted in "The Illustrious Client" called "that criminal fraternity which has so often had occasion to bewail the activity and ingenuity of the injured man", namely Sherlock Holmes. It is not clear whether the criminal fraternity had its own initiation procedures.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>

Sherlock Holmes and Secret Societies

"Through the haze" [HOUN] Never say never about what Sherlockians might do or have already done, but so far as I know, the n...

+ Read more »

by Chris Redmond

An Interview with Octavius Bear Author Harry DeMaio

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"bear upon the case" [VALL] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT8q-qnpVaVtbpmr8YJGhOvUtBUUxsozNTgM_iuGWPAdDZOXE7abVvdCAiAEP53G3-RgIM3yqwtKKohMQfyYZMoFH9om_0IHc2vswd540gh50ww9o-uHVyYF4xUKzWlSbvP5m43XN-NGC/s1600/Octavius+Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT8q-qnpVaVtbpmr8YJGhOvUtBUUxsozNTgM_iuGWPAdDZOXE7abVvdCAiAEP53G3-RgIM3yqwtKKohMQfyYZMoFH9om_0IHc2vswd540gh50ww9o-uHVyYF4xUKzWlSbvP5m43XN-NGC/s640/Octavius+Bear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Sherlock Holmes is no stranger to the animal kingdom. We have seen <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/07/thirty-years-of-great-mouse-detective.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a delightful rodent version</a> of the great detective in Basil of Baker street, a number of canine variations such as the animated Sherlock Hound and Wishbone, the dog from the children's series, dawning the Holmes role in "The Slobber Hound," and there has even been a Sherlock Sheep in the social network game of Farmville.<br />
<br />
But there never has been quite a Sherlockian character quite like Octavius Bear, a 1,400 pound anthropomorphic Kodiak bear living in an alternate future world where humans have perished and have been replaced by intelligent animals.<br />
<br />
We interviewed author Harry DeMaio on how he imagined this Holmesian series, one like no other.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: Tell us about <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/search?ssv=demaio" target="_blank">the world of Octavius Bear</a> and why you decided to make a Holmesian character in a world of intelligent animals.</b></h4>
<b>Harry DeMaio:</b> Here’s the story background: About 100,000 years ago, according to scientific experts, a colossal solar flare blasted out from the Sun, creating gigantic magnetic storms here on Earth. These highly charged electrical tempests caused startling physical and psychological imbalances in the then population of our world. The complete nervous systems of some species were totally destroyed. For example, <i>Homo sapiens</i> lost all mental and motor capabilities and rapidly became extinct. Less developed species exposed to the radiation were affected differently.  Four-footed and finned mammals, birds and reptiles suddenly found themselves capable of complex thought, enhanced emotions, self-awareness, social consciousness and the ability to communicate, sometimes orally, sometimes telepathically, often both. Both speech production and speech perception slowly progressed with the evolution of tongues, lips, vocal cords and enhanced ear to brain connections. Many species developed opposable digits, fingers or claws, further accelerating civilized progress. Some others (most fish and underground dwellers) were shielded from the radiation and remained only as sentient as they were before the blast. This event is referred to as The Big Shock.  It remains under intensive study.<br />
<br />
Alternate universes play an increasing level of importance in each succeeding book. Let’s hear it for Quantum Superposition and good old Schrodinger.<br />
<br />
I wanted a new type of detective and I based Octavius on several prototypes, including Holmes.<br />
<br />
Octavius is a nine foot tall, 1400 pound Kodiak Bear/consulting detective/scientist/inventor/seeker of justice/mega-billionaire owner of Universal Ursine Industries/narcoleptic war hero/gourmet-gourmand/somewhat sedentary and grouchy just on general principles. He is a hybrid character somewhat loosely based on Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe with some characteristics of each but definitely his own bear. Octavius, among his many talents and accomplishments, he is a brilliant, self-taught practitioner in the wide ranging fields of biology, physics, ursinology, voodoo, teleology, chemistry, apiculture and oenology as well as a first rate electrical, electronic, structural, marine, aeronautical, mechanical and chemical engineer.  He has a few other interesting characteristics such as falling into brief, deep narcoleptic comas – side effects of his successful genetic experiments to eliminate the need for him to hibernate. He, his associates and nemeses are all figments of my warped imagination.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Octavius is inspired by Holmes but he has some significant differences. What are some ways the characters are similar and different?</b></h4>
<b>HD: </b> The two primary inspirations for Octavius and his sidekick, Maury Meerkat are Holmes/Watson and Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin. Octavius is nine feet tall. Maury a little more than two feet. I wanted to play heavily on the sidekick dynamic with characters whose personalities, physical characteristics and backgrounds were wildly different but generally compatible. Octavius suffers from narcolepsy which pops up at very inopportune times.  Although he thinks he is, The Great Bear is not infallible and Maury lets him know it.   So do the Bearoness and Chita.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/file/GvaHKby/7ba6b714-e838-4489-94d0-ac9bc924f1d4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://www.mxpublishing.com/file/GvaHKby/7ba6b714-e838-4489-94d0-ac9bc924f1d4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncmyqELUkQrywgnB462fZWml2yuiop9nEbe3Mt844Xj3d3AIIUm2J4OoAERfkZn82fYmNNg165gFiwd5VoNhUH2wroVMpr2JubCuEpkuMQKd2NWiZkLT04CdK57piwrWhPYdC8rRQAEVg/s1600/lower+case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncmyqELUkQrywgnB462fZWml2yuiop9nEbe3Mt844Xj3d3AIIUm2J4OoAERfkZn82fYmNNg165gFiwd5VoNhUH2wroVMpr2JubCuEpkuMQKd2NWiZkLT04CdK57piwrWhPYdC8rRQAEVg/s320/lower+case.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: There really has never been a book series quite like this one. At times your books are as serious as <i>Watership Down</i> and at others as goofy as <i>Zootopia</i>.  What, besides the original Holmes tales, were your literary influences in crafting this series?</b></h4>
<b>HD: </b> I’ve already mentioned Nero Wolfe (Rex Stout.) I am an animal enthusiast with a special affection for bears so I did a lot of research on the animal kingdom and queendom.  One of my primary villains, Imperius Drake is described as “Moriarty with wings,” The Thin Man films and some of the Sam Spade stories helped. You may have noticed that every chapter begins with a limerick and there are periodic disquisitions on the nature of this alternative earth. I also include short descriptions of the <i>dramatis personae</i> at the beginning of each volume. All of these features resonate well with the reader.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>IHOSE:  Will we ever see Octavius Bear somehow meet the real Sherlock Holmes? </b></h4>
<b>HD:  </b>Octavius has had meetings and dealings with Fetlock Holmes, the Great Horse Detective. We’d have to switch to another alternative universe to have Octavius and Sherlock Holmes come together. One that includes Homo Sapiens. I describe one in Book Four- <i>The Lower Case</i>. The meeting is possible with a manipulation of time as well as location but not immediately in the cards.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://octaviusbearslair.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Octaviussketch-reduced1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://octaviusbearslair.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Octaviussketch-reduced1.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>IHOSE:  The question we ask every Sherlockian, if you were stranded on a desert island with just one Sherlock Holmes story, which would you choose and why?</b></h4>
<b>HD:</b>  "A Scandal in Bohemia" for several reasons. First, I greatly admire Irene Adler who comes as close to being a romantic interest as Conan Doyle ever invented. Second, Holmes both wins and loses in this one. Refreshing to see him caught up by The Woman. A shame she appears so seldom in the Canon and subsequent pastiches.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: What are your upcoming projects?</b></h4>
<b>HD: </b> Completion of Book Five - <i>The Curse of the Mummy’s Case</i> -  later this year. I’m also looking into converting the Casebooks into scripts for animated films.<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Any last thoughts?</b></h4>
</div>
<div>
<b>HD: </b>Females play major roles in my books. Chita, Frau Schuylkill and the Polar Bearoness Belinda Bearnaise Bruin Bear (nee Black) are reader favorites but there are many others – heroines and villains alike. Octavius’ mother, Juno, is one of my favorites. Octavius and the Bearoness marry in Book Two and at the end of Book Four, two cubs, one male, one female arrive on the scene. They have major roles in Book Five along with their governess, Mlle Woof. (Yes, it is possible for a polar bear and Kodiak to have offspring.)  Bearnice and Bearyl are identical twins and in addition to piloting Bearoness Belinda’s SST Concorde, they sing and act and appear in the Bearoness’ Aquashow – Some Like It Cold.  But Chita (or the  pseudonymous Madame Catherine Catt) seems to really resonate. Pardon the pun, but she’s a keeper.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b>Harry DeMaio</b> is a nom de plume of Harry B. DeMaio, successful author of several books on Information Security and Business Networks as well as the four volume The Casebooks of Octavius Bear – “Alternative Universe Mysteries for Adult Animal Lovers.” The latest volume, <i>The Lower Case</i>, <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780929514/The+Lower+Case%3A+Octavius+Bear+Book+4" target="_blank">is available from MX Publishing</a>. He is also a prolific writer of humorous poems and limericks. His website is <a href="http://www.octaviusbearslair.com/">www.octaviusbearslair.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman';">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i></div>
<div>
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>
</div>

An Interview with Octavius Bear Author Harry DeMaio

"bear upon the case" [VALL] Sherlock Holmes is no stranger to the animal kingdom. We have seen a delightful rodent versi...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Celebrating the Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"if it wasn't for this gentleman here..." [NORW]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpQUu2ayFm_CdtoKsjbNCQ_ZYVnfIxNuWna8-ld7Cu3LBgyZX7ciWYk3r9Qlhyphenhyphen_Nw1amaVbBabflhxP6Rl8Dniw1hhDJVRHBQ14gGeGK94UWt43VvCuIGBbyDsdGR3wzELWQCr_rWyxtY/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Motorcycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on a motorcycle. Your argument is invalid." border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpQUu2ayFm_CdtoKsjbNCQ_ZYVnfIxNuWna8-ld7Cu3LBgyZX7ciWYk3r9Qlhyphenhyphen_Nw1amaVbBabflhxP6Rl8Dniw1hhDJVRHBQ14gGeGK94UWt43VvCuIGBbyDsdGR3wzELWQCr_rWyxtY/s640/Conan+Doyle+Motorcycle.jpg" title="Arthur Conan Doyle on a motorcycle. " width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today marks 86 years since Arthur Conan Doyle became the ultimate spiritualist. On July 7, 1930, he died after suffering a heart attack. By all accounts, he was a remarkable man — one who was much more than simply the creator of the timeless detective Sherlock Holmes.<br />
<br />
Thanks to his own ability to document his life and the <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper2.html" target="_blank">growing interest by the press</a>, we know quite a bit about the life he had and the exploits he led. From serving on a whaling ship in the arctic to racing automobiles, taking on cricket legend W.G. Grace, popularizing alpine skiing in Switzerland, running for Parliament and much more, he was a giant of a man, both physically and symbolically.<br />
<br />
We have a few programs that might interest you, in which experts join us to discuss his life and his work - both renowned and newly discovered. Bookmark these and turn to them in your spare time to learn some of the intricacies behind the man who brought Sherlock Holmes to the world.<br />
<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 13: Arthur Conan Doyle - A Life In Letters</a>, we interviewed Jon Lellenberg and Dan Stashower, who, together with Charles Foley, edited a biography ofDoyle comprised of hundreds of letters, both personal and professional.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1114957/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/6fcdc8/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
The pair returned to join us for <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose37" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 37: The Lost Conan Doyle Manuscript</a> to tell the tale of how The Narrative of John Smith, written in 1883 when Conan Doyle was a struggling doctor, never made it to the publishers - until now.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1763847/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/6c0c0c/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post book critic and columnist Michael Dirda joined us to talk about one entry in his Writers on Writers series for <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose38" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 38: OnConan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1828424/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ef6300/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
And finally, Jon and Dan were with us for a third time on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose48" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 48: Dangerous Work</a>, in which they shared the stories behind a truly remarkable tome: Dangerous Work: Diary of an Arctic Adventure - a book comprised of the hand-written journal entries (and drawings) from Doyle's time on an arctic whaling ship when he was but 20 years old.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2148081/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/00bbb1/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
A true gentleman and a remarkable human being. May you enjoy this week reveling in the wonder of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Celebrating the Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"if it wasn't for this gentleman here..." [NORW] Today marks 86 years since Arthur Conan Doyle became the ultimate spiri...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Thirty Years of The Great Mouse Detective

<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
“it was remarkably animated” [SCAN]</h4>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiDGNGUOvQOXeBmp-mzHdWqm9ggWPcmktDi1BfaWN6KPxxkrzUffNuIKErynMqquUFZ6rW2dH5rbTAlKQGqudxGqzdWKYevQeNe06Guj8bd34j4DLJuVKA5fJ1vaCl1RHlOD9_3zvM7d4/s1600/The-great-mouse-detective-wallpapers-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiDGNGUOvQOXeBmp-mzHdWqm9ggWPcmktDi1BfaWN6KPxxkrzUffNuIKErynMqquUFZ6rW2dH5rbTAlKQGqudxGqzdWKYevQeNe06Guj8bd34j4DLJuVKA5fJ1vaCl1RHlOD9_3zvM7d4/s640/The-great-mouse-detective-wallpapers-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Disney’s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Detective-Two-Disc-Special-Blu-ray/dp/B0081VMYBI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467515080&sr=8-2&keywords=great+mouse+detective">The GreatMouse Detective</a></i> was released 30 years ago yesterday — July 2, 1986. While not a breakout hit for the studio, its
place in history not only laid the path for the Disney renaissance period of
the 1990s, but also paid homage to the Sherlockian past that had come before it.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While working on <i>The
Rescuers</i> in the mid 70s, studio heads at Disney Animation had discussed
creating an animated Sherlock Holmes film, and the <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Basil-Baker-Street/dp/0671702874">Basil of Baker Street</a></i> series of books by Eve Titus were agreed upon
to be adapted into a feature length film. The production was shelved for the time being, due to its similarities
with <i>The Rescuers</i>, and the world
would have to wait another decade for Basil, Doctor Dawson and Professor
Ratigan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1982, Disney Animation Studios was in turmoil. <i>The Fox
and the Hound</i> had been released but had underperformed, leading many Disney
executives to think that animated features had past their prime after Walt
Disney died. Funding was drying up for
animated projects, and the studio’s next release, <i>The Black Cauldron,</i> had many behind the scenes problems, leading to
newly appointed Disney heads Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg to reassign
some of its animators to begin work on a new project titled “Basil of Baker
Street.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOR9IRt6ofxLfn5TvRokFrSQNR5ED93cLUNv6Qw4gdbTdPnGnrgiHk4GcL_lUB13vcKWTBYXq_-1rm8F4Z2j_j_cg3dDZGpO8pu1tFLZ4dW28Y6a7ZvuQYv83biQxkelDgAK4ZRAJLWQQ/s1600/The-great-mouse-detective-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOR9IRt6ofxLfn5TvRokFrSQNR5ED93cLUNv6Qw4gdbTdPnGnrgiHk4GcL_lUB13vcKWTBYXq_-1rm8F4Z2j_j_cg3dDZGpO8pu1tFLZ4dW28Y6a7ZvuQYv83biQxkelDgAK4ZRAJLWQQ/s1600/The-great-mouse-detective-original.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following an initial meeting where the plot and early sketches
were presented to studio heads, animators were told that the story moved too
slowly.  Back to the literal drawing
board they went.  Along with the news
that instead of being released for Christmas of 1987, the film was to be ready
for a summer 1986 release, the budget of the film had been cut from $24 million
to $10 million and that the title sounded “too English.”    <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Animators John Musker and Ron Clements appeared at the BSI’s
conference in 2012, and their more detailed talk, describing the ups and downs
of the production can be found in <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/behindscreen.html">SherlockHolmes: Behind the Canonical Screen</a>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vNbGBK9loWxLVZWKhPCnzz8mzug_PYKY6Mp6175eT6rtVHCKr7NpiVo_mEAydotWeq_CXHxVQt5ybqr2TczRSibt-mU4aGgv4HN-KfTha8BIIkSchBRT9BB1F7gWLtxJxIm0wgjQuAB_/s1600/behind-the-canonical-screen-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vNbGBK9loWxLVZWKhPCnzz8mzug_PYKY6Mp6175eT6rtVHCKr7NpiVo_mEAydotWeq_CXHxVQt5ybqr2TczRSibt-mU4aGgv4HN-KfTha8BIIkSchBRT9BB1F7gWLtxJxIm0wgjQuAB_/s1600/behind-the-canonical-screen-cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the movie debuted for the July 4<sup>th</sup> weekend
in 1986, it was a moderate success, doing much better than <i>The Black Cauldron</i> that had preceded it. Critics enjoyed the movie. Gene Siskel called it the most “truly
memorable animated feature in 25 years" and many were enamored with the
chase sequence through the clockwork gears of Big Ben. This scene in itself was ground-breaking: the
first time that computer animation was used in conjunction with traditional
cell animation. This process would lead
Disney to their hits of the 90s such as <i>The
Little Mermaid</i> and <i>Beauty and the
Beast</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thirty years on, it’s easy to look back and see <i>The Great Mouse Detective</i> as an
important film in Disney history. But
what about Sherlockiana?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcNNR51I0YEYoDVX9-EsmQb-NbOEul4BT1ChS0ePOfhCGy9nD17a4blD-D0kNMshcAkr2uRsbI8EhUKsZEgsss03gfZv34CFGqFXSojeN5BoardexQLLjjGgSxutAU3kyhEkPL2fVAhvy/s1600/the-great-mouse-detective-15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcNNR51I0YEYoDVX9-EsmQb-NbOEul4BT1ChS0ePOfhCGy9nD17a4blD-D0kNMshcAkr2uRsbI8EhUKsZEgsss03gfZv34CFGqFXSojeN5BoardexQLLjjGgSxutAU3kyhEkPL2fVAhvy/s640/the-great-mouse-detective-15.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basil and Doctor Dawson introduced a new generation to
Sherlock Holmes and his capabilities. While children of this time may have been familiar with the deerstalker
and magnifying glass from the bumbling <i>Sesame
Street</i> character, Sherlock Hemlock, this was the first time that many
children got to see intelligence as a superpower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basil enters the story by charging into 221 1/2 Baker Street
in a manic fashion, and within minutes has shown his mastery of disguise,
ballistics, ingenuity and determination. Once Doctor Dawson introduces him to young Olivia Flaversham, and the
problem of her missing father, the game is afoot and the movie really takes
off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The viewers are then introduced to Professor Ratigan, voiced
by the incomparable Vincent Price. The rivalry between Basil and Ratigan is one
that both characters revel in, and the continual cat and mouse between Basil
and his “Napoleon of crime” urges the story along to its climaxes with a
dastardly Rube Goldberg-esque death machine, a mechanical queen, and the
aforementioned battle at Big Ben.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuukHP4CEA4UQiiFhKetTI03NDqgpnvVD1ylGpuM0bTC5JCLcXJq-lUtZJXA63mVjI5OM2W0OjK3YWwaqWjhO7iCQIVwNN8tf0ozvLDYJN0Xai7e8GBvFvVni2MmIhEGxbTr0m8jCAUWII/s1600/The-great-mouse-detective-ratigan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuukHP4CEA4UQiiFhKetTI03NDqgpnvVD1ylGpuM0bTC5JCLcXJq-lUtZJXA63mVjI5OM2W0OjK3YWwaqWjhO7iCQIVwNN8tf0ozvLDYJN0Xai7e8GBvFvVni2MmIhEGxbTr0m8jCAUWII/s640/The-great-mouse-detective-ratigan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The nods to the Sherlock Holmes stories abound through this
film. From the obvious inspiration of the name
of the main character to the inclusion of Basil Rathbone’s voice as Sherlock
Holmes, there is something for every Sherlockian out there. A personal favorite is Toby, Basil’s reliable
bloodhound, whom is a clear take off from Toby from <i>The Sign of Four</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many Sherlockians in their 30’s and 40’s have fond memories
of <i>The Great Mouse Detective</i>, and
although its stormy beginnings were not a high point in Disney history, it
sparked an interest in a new generation for Sherlock Holmes fans that have
grown over the years to treasure it for the great film it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
--<br />
<br /></div>

Thirty Years of The Great Mouse Detective

“it was remarkably animated” [SCAN] Disney’s The GreatMouse Detective was released 30 years ago yesterday — July 2, 1986. While no...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Rare First Edition of The Speckled Band at Auction

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Now and again I drive down to Sotheby's" [3GAR]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq99GzgVRCHh0oLSek3xU6gsYqL8BSK9EKWuI83ERKuOOtXTC8bojCSDAPw4mnXW8y87020VUMg5opJdDcqRwk7RJg5_DOGc9KxA55Q-qMj_d4Zi-0MsW0dy5g-RLOMLRDP49kE34EXwN9/s1600/The+Speckled+Band+-+play+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq99GzgVRCHh0oLSek3xU6gsYqL8BSK9EKWuI83ERKuOOtXTC8bojCSDAPw4mnXW8y87020VUMg5opJdDcqRwk7RJg5_DOGc9KxA55Q-qMj_d4Zi-0MsW0dy5g-RLOMLRDP49kE34EXwN9/s640/The+Speckled+Band+-+play+header.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
A rare item from the world of Sherlock Holmes will be up for auction. Sotheby's is offering a chance to own a first edition of the play "The Speckled Band," written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16404-.html" target="_blank">English Literature, History, Children's Books and Illustrations</a> auction is set for July 12, 2016 in London. <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16404-/lot.153.html" target="_blank">Lot 153 is a first edition of "The Speckled Band,"</a> written in December 1909 and based on the story of the same name, which was originally published in 1892. The estimate is £5,000-7,000.<br />
<br />
According to Green and Gibson,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[Doyle] took a six-month lease on the Adelphi Theatre so that The House of Temperley might be produced. The death of the King and a serious slump in audience attendance, coupled with the subject which was not thought suitable for women, meant that the run was short. 'When I saw the course that things were taking I shut myself up and devoted my whole mind to making a sensational Sherlock Holmes drama. I wrote it in a week and called it The Speckled Band after the short story of that name. I do not think that I exaggerate if I say that within a fortnight of the one play shutting down I had a company working upon the rehearsals of a second one, which had been written in the interval' (<i>Memories and Adventures</i>, p. 101). The new play was a great success. It opened at the Adelphi on 4 June 1910 and was transferred to the Globe on 8 August. It ran, in all, for 169 performances." (Green and Gibson, pp. 163-164).</blockquote>
<div>
The play enjoyed a successful tour in England, with two touring-companies on the road by the end of August. The actor who portrayed Sherlock Holmes in England was H.A. Saintsbury, who enjoyed Claude King as his Dr. Watson. Lyn Harding was cast at Dr. Rylott [sic] (a variation on the original Dr. Roylott). You may recall Harding as Professor Moriarty in the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Arthur%20Wontner#.V3dYD7grLb0" target="_blank">Arthur Wontner films</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdr0-R5Nh0v11dFHPzwVuzwaCmO1FRQMVaEALg5ETx8Yo9kgdQr0U8eAC9RxXVBfaSMdN_0bEdbLUAe1N67iQlIcFwApIZi6Lx_jGZFNUPrSUYrkkiohwIfYflO3n5y4L6ZgF49Jqc1iG/s1600/H.A.+Saintsbury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdr0-R5Nh0v11dFHPzwVuzwaCmO1FRQMVaEALg5ETx8Yo9kgdQr0U8eAC9RxXVBfaSMdN_0bEdbLUAe1N67iQlIcFwApIZi6Lx_jGZFNUPrSUYrkkiohwIfYflO3n5y4L6ZgF49Jqc1iG/s1600/H.A.+Saintsbury.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H.A. Saintsbury as Sherlock Holmes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the success of the play, it was committed to print. According to Green and Gibson, there were four impressions of "The Speckled Band" — the first issue on thick paper, published August 1912, the text block measuring 184 x 120 mm.; the title-page with [left of a vertical rule] "New York / Samuel French / Publisher / 28-30 West 38th Street" and to the right of a vertical rule "London / Samuel French, Ltd / 26, Southampton Street / Strand"; at the foot of p.124 under a rule "Printed by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London."; and pp.125-126 consist of publisher's advertisements for the plays of Alfred Sutro, etc.</div>
<div>
<br />
The second impression conforms textually with the first but is printed on thinner paper.<br />
<br />
The third and fourth impressions are quite different — the text block measures 183 x 123 mm.; the title-page has the New York and London addresses reversed with the London address now being to the left of the vertical line and the New York address being to the right. The "London" address now has the addition of ",WC2"; the imprint (previously at the foot of p.124 under a rule "Printed by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London.") has now moved to the foot of p. 4 and reads "Made and Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London"; and the publisher's advertisements pp.[125-126] "The Plays of Alfred Sutro" have now been replaced with publisher's advertisements for Sherlock Holmes, and the plays of Gertrude E. Jennings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjMOCb57a-kt-C2jMfFnAu-pU5hINS8IGU_nMB8BVAlL1P5UyzmrRJvomfoU6V0UG8lN2qxD0AxxlzDfHavLj7__mM-vg8uGRtFR7ppd0zMIMsUR5U4btyENsxXN2dKpMlPHXFMPDUcss/s1600/The+Speckled+Band+-+play.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjMOCb57a-kt-C2jMfFnAu-pU5hINS8IGU_nMB8BVAlL1P5UyzmrRJvomfoU6V0UG8lN2qxD0AxxlzDfHavLj7__mM-vg8uGRtFR7ppd0zMIMsUR5U4btyENsxXN2dKpMlPHXFMPDUcss/s640/The+Speckled+Band+-+play.PNG" width="433" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
According to <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16404-/lot.153.html" target="_blank">the description on Sotheby's</a>, the book (image above) is described as follows:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
8vo, FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, the author's dramatic adaptation of his celebrated Sherlock Holmes story, publisher's advertisements at the beginning and end, stage plot, properties plot and electric and lime plot at the end, original light green paper covers glued to spine blocked and titled in black with floral bands, some slight browning, backstrip partially unglued, slight creasing and wear to covers.</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Further note: the image of the item is severely cropped and no picture of the spine or rear cover is shown.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
While it is not certain which impression this lot is, a previous auction at Sotheby's offered a first impression in December 1998 in Lot 382 and brought £4,200 +15% premium, for a total of £4,830. And again, Sotheby's New York sold it as Lot 88 in December 2002 for $11,000 + 20% premiumk, or a total of $13,200. More recently, Swann Galleries offered what appears to be <a href="http://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2397+++++110+&refno=++709862&saletype=" target="_blank">a similar item in Lot 110 of its Sale 2397</a> in November 2015; the item appears to have gone unsold on an estimate of $10,000 - 15,000. Swann sold a different copy in May 2016 in <a href="http://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2416+++++126+&refno=++714753&saletype=" target="_blank">Lot 126 in Sale 2416 for $4,500</a>, including the buyer's premium.</div>
<br />
<div>
More information on the variants of the publication can be found on the <a href="http://www.davidbrassrarebooks.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-shopping-cart/single_book.php/?sbook=959" target="_blank">David Brass Rare Books</a> site.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>