Episode 220: Interesting Though Elementary

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“Interesting, though elementary” [HOUN] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpdGy7zqRFjk95aKOaj_PW6dVLH3N48QMLWVtJdF42qCyRh9LSZg3JE8S_HrZlW9iY-TJp4L9PbtZjT09EYPUz5X2k91Lskayne_imrguAqMS0fhNDUHnaaeEx5k2G7Tx5RZpoDliT6Z9/s1920/Interesting+Though+Elementary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpdGy7zqRFjk95aKOaj_PW6dVLH3N48QMLWVtJdF42qCyRh9LSZg3JE8S_HrZlW9iY-TJp4L9PbtZjT09EYPUz5X2k91Lskayne_imrguAqMS0fhNDUHnaaeEx5k2G7Tx5RZpoDliT6Z9/w640-h360/Interesting+Though+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><p>Rob Nunn found the Sherlockian world not long ago, and since then, our impression of him is one not too far from the name of our show: "We hear of Rob Nunn everywhere."</p><p>From winning the coveted <a href="https://www.beaconsociety.com/the-beacon-award.html" target="_blank">Beacon Award</a> from the Beacon Society in recognition of his work in the classroom involving Sherlock Holmes, to his involvement in a number of Sherlockian Societies in the Midwest and the creation of <a href="https://parallelcasestl.wixsite.com/home/holmes-in-the-heartland">Holmes in the Heartland</a>, Rob has made his presence known. </p><p>Nor does it end in the classroom or society meeting; Rob has <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Rob%20Nunn#.YO-_jehKjb1" target="_blank">contributed to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a> as a columnist, wrote <i><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/products/the-criminal-mastermind-of-baker-street?_pos=1&_sid=2c9b7707c&_ss=r" target="_blank">The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</a></i> (MX Publishing), and has another major writing project in the works.</p><p>But his most prolific work comes in the form of <a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Interesting Though Elementary</a>, a blog that grew out of his first book and evolved into regular interviews of — wait for it — interesting Sherlockians (although, as you'll find, that's redundant).</p><p>We have another <b>Canonical Couplet</b> after the interview. If you are chosen as a winner, you'll get a copy of Rob's book <i>The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</i>. Answers are due by July 29, 2021 at 11:59 a.m. EDT.</p><br /><p>Information on sponsors, links, and notes available below.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606">Become a Patron!</a></div><script async="" src="https://c6.patreon.com/becomePatronButton.bundle.js"></script><p></p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Please do consider becoming a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">Patron of the Arts</a>. Your support helps us to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><h4 style="margin: 0px;"><b>BONUS CONTENT:</b></h4><div style="margin: 0px;">For our <a href="https://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a> supporters, we have some special images mentioned in the show. To unlock this content, become a supporter for as little as $1 a month.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h3><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock220.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 27 MB, 53:56</h3><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><br /><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1087841398&color=%234c845c&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="ihearofsherlock">ihearofsherlock</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock/interesting-though-elementary" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Interesting Though Elementary">Interesting Though Elementary</a></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div></div></div><h2><b><br /></b></h2><h2><b>Sponsors</b></h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> is the premier publisher of books about Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle, including <a href="https://wessexpress.com/html/shreview2.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sherlock Holmes Review</i></a><i>.</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a> has <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/search?type=product&q=david+Macgregor" target="_blank">three new books</a> available from David MacGregor.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This episode: <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose220">ihose.co/ihose220</a></li><li><b><a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Interesting Though Elementary</a></b></li><li>Rob Nunn on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/rob_nunn" target="_blank">@rob_nunn</a></li><li><i><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/products/the-criminal-mastermind-of-baker-street?_pos=1&_sid=2c9b7707c&_ss=r" target="_blank">The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</a></i> (MX Publishing)</li><li>Rob's first ITE interview: <a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspot.com/2018/01/about-being-sherlockian-interview-with.html" target="_blank">Chris Redmond</a></li><ul><li><a href="http://wildsidepress.com/about-being-a-sherlockian-edited-by-christopher-redmond-paperback/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">About Being a Sherlockian</a> by Chris Redmond</li></ul><li>ITE interview with <a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspot.com/2019/02/interesting-interview-leslie-klinger.html" target="_blank">Leslie S. Klinger</a></li><li>Previous episodes mentioned:</li><ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose142" target="_blank">Episode 142: The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</a></li></ul></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;">Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at <a href="https://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> as well as through our accounts on <a href="https://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Please subscribe via the podcast provider of your choosing:</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pod.link/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></div><br />And would you consider leaving us a rating and review? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">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).</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><h3><br />Transcript</h3><div style="margin: 0px;">We are so grateful for your support <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">on Patreon</a>, which makes our transcripts possible. The transcript for this episode will be available at <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose220">ihose.co/ihose220</a>.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606">Become a Patron!</a></div><script async="" src="https://c6.patreon.com/becomePatronButton.bundle.js"></script><p></p><div><div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><p style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 14px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px;"> <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/520427977/Transcript-I-Hear-of-Sherlock-Everywhere-Episode-220-Interesting-Though-Elementary#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Transcript - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 220: Interesting, Though Elementary on Scribd">Transcript - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 220: Interesting, Though Elementary</a> on Scribd</p><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_47627" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/520427977/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-UpOcbahNiVoGHpj26Zh7" title="Transcript - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 220: Interesting, Though Elementary" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">--</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>

Episode 220: Interesting Though Elementary

“Interesting, though elementary” [HOUN]  Rob Nunn found the Sherlockian world not long ago, and since then, our impression of him is one not...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <b>"...when a clever man turns his brains to crime..." [SPEC] </b></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOPqHUkFwgFfvqUyMGDPYl8ekUYodI4pX0WH1yxfKyRiE58mQ90HnphknTvGD7LfgmKa_iIh65pumpI-flHjZ6Wv6qSUbhlFVftMCmJw5lSq_YPRak5eZCLochq_Q5QLRRcbyoA_LFeTg/s1600/Nunn+-+Criminal+Mastermind+header+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="639" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOPqHUkFwgFfvqUyMGDPYl8ekUYodI4pX0WH1yxfKyRiE58mQ90HnphknTvGD7LfgmKa_iIh65pumpI-flHjZ6Wv6qSUbhlFVftMCmJw5lSq_YPRak5eZCLochq_Q5QLRRcbyoA_LFeTg/s640/Nunn+-+Criminal+Mastermind+header+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> What if Sherlock Holmes had turned his brilliant mind towards crime?  That is the question explored by author Rob Nunn in his exciting new book <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Criminal-Mastermind-Baker-Street-ebook/dp/B075RDHN2Z" target="_blank"><i>The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</i></a></u>. The book reimagines the entire 60-story Canon through the lens of Sherlock Holmes the master criminal. We interviewed Mr. Nunn, via email, to see what made him made him decide to rewrite this champion of justice as a law breaker.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:</b> What made you decide to have the cleverest of men turn his brains to crime?</h4> <b>Rob Nunn (RN):</b> I was rereading “The Greek Interpreter” for the umpteenth time one evening, and Gregson’s line, “It is a mercy that you are on the side of the force, and not against it, Mr. Holmes,” jumped out at me for whatever reason. I started mulling it over in my mind, what if Holmes had worked against the force instead of with it?  What would that look like? From there, I methodically worked my way through the Canon, imagining how each of the sixty stories would play out if Holmes were a criminal instead of a detective. I think I filled half a notebook with notes and speculations before I really had a grasp of what I was getting myself into. This idea had originally started out as a possible article for the <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/">Baker Street Journal</a></i>, but I quickly realized that it would adapt itself nicely to a book format.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>IHOSE: </b>Your book covers the entire Canon. How did you organize the stories? Did you have to rearrange some to help with your story arc?</h4> <b>RN:</b> I modeled my fictional biography off of William Baring-Gould’s <i>Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street</i> and used his chronology exclusively to outline my story arc. Once I had the dates in place, I fleshed out the outline with my notes and figured out where in the chronology other important events such as Holmes telling Watson about his early years and the Ripper murders of London would go. Having the outline of dates really helped keep me from twisting facts to suit theories.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>IHOSE: </b>Which story was the most difficult for you to incorporate in making Holmes a criminal? What made this story uniquely tricky?</h4> <b>RN:</b> “A Scandal in Bohemia.” I tried a couple of different versions of that story before I settled on a take that I liked.  You have to walk a fine line with the character of Irene Adler. She’s only in one canonical story, but she looms so large in the mind of many readers! One day, I would consider completely writing her off, and over-inflating her role in Holmes’ life the next. There are so many different ways to use that character, but I found a way to keep her role in <i>The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</i> very close to the role that Doyle gave her. I was really happy when I finally found an angle to use SCAN that showed Holmes’ criminal cunning while being true to the canonical characters.<br /> <br /> <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/AVvXsEg_SZ0W9_rrEDhFOGUQqeH25z5Z5rhNKk68kyOySnMJDLtjwL1-bsTCa1p3UO_OINc4kwn4I3WuKw5E7EY5y_lHiMDxFgrnyk8eRDowMeMAUvwbM5jlkmTIR9SW1U-qMlIb-usEVt4IE4QQ/s1600/920x920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SZ0W9_rrEDhFOGUQqeH25z5Z5rhNKk68kyOySnMJDLtjwL1-bsTCa1p3UO_OINc4kwn4I3WuKw5E7EY5y_lHiMDxFgrnyk8eRDowMeMAUvwbM5jlkmTIR9SW1U-qMlIb-usEVt4IE4QQ/s320/920x920.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Rob Nunn at a book signing for <u>The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div> <h4> <b>IHOSE: </b>If you were stranded on a desert island with just one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?</h4> </div> <div> <b>RN: </b><i>The Sign of the Four</i> is my favorite. Starting from the scene with Watson’s watch to the boat chase down the Thames, this is a story that has so many aspects! You get to see Holmes and Watson’s domestic life at 221B, Watson’s only recorded romance, a hidden and then stolen treasure, a murderous pygmy and a vengeful peg-legged man, the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes being snarky with an inspector, I could go on and on about how much is packed into SIGN. That is definitely my desert island Holmes story.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <h4> <b>IHOSE: </b>You are currently the head of the Program Committee for the <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/">Beacon Society</a>. Tell us a little about what this job entails.</h4> </div> <div> </div> <div> <b>RN: </b>The Program Committee proposes education related programs to the Beacon Society board of directors. We also recommend educational resources and activities for the Beacon Society to offer to educators in spreading the word about teaching students about Sherlock Holmes. The program committee is currently assessing the resources we have and looking for other resources to make available at all levels of education. Education never ends, and neither does trying to get students to learn about Holmes!</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <h4> <b>IHOSE: </b>Any upcoming projects?</h4> </div> <div> <b>RN: </b>I post on my blog, <a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspot.com/">Interesting Though Elementary</a> weekly about Sherlockian topics, so that is an ongoing project that keeps my creative juices flowing.  Chairing a committee for the Beacon Society is also keeping me pretty busy in the Sherlockian world.<br /> <br /></div> <div> Speaking of Sherlock Holmes and education, I have an essay about teaching Sherlock Holmes to my fifth graders in Chris Redmond’s new <i><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2017/11/about-being-sherlockian-its-more-than.html" rel="nofollow">About Being a Sherlockian</a></i> that is out this month and I am part of an upcoming BSI Profession Series book titled <i>Education Never Ends: Educators, Education and the Sherlockian Canon</i> due out in 2020. That seems really far away, but my deadlines for the project aren’t!</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> I am head of <a href="http://parallelcasestl.webs.com/">The Parallel Case of St. Louis</a>, and we are just about ready to dedicate a special collection of Sherlockiana at the St. Louis Public Library early next year, so that planning is also underway. I am part of one or two other upcoming Sherlockian projects, but I haven’t been told that I can announce them publicly yet.  </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Criminal-Mastermind-Baker-Street-ebook/dp/B075RDHN2Z"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSyeFrvFgchzz5-huU5xxJOdISep-5h4eoBXVB8ych42xOz36N3jwvJ4h-cU8rsS-URS8qeUqejw0j6KsOkbrpV7sqU6SsaIa0QhM5cbyt5P4l33qB60G1vneQ9_NiE4eoUU_a_fKXuVv/s400/Nunn+-+Criminal+Mastermind.jpg" width="266" /></a></div> <br /> <br /></div> <div> <i>Rob Nunn is the author of <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Criminal-Mastermind-Baker-Street-ebook/dp/B075RDHN2Z" target="_blank">The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street</a></u> and shares his thoughts on Sherlockiana at <a href="http://interestingthoughelementary.blogspost.com/" target="_blank">Interesting Though Elementary</a>. He lives in Edwardsville, IL with his wife and daughter. There he teaches fifth grade and enjoys reading and watching baseball in his spare time.</i></div> <div> <i><br /></i></div> <br /><i>Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" />, 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 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">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a 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">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" />. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/">Beyond Watson</a>. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br /><br /><div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div>

The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street

"...when a clever man turns his brains to crime..." [SPEC]  What if Sherlock Holmes had turned his brilliant mind towards c...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur - A Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "...the education of two young children" [THOR]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVc2K9ovQqNc9o8brdTydvxfxYepkVLXRuA7tQiGNgOfqaHwAa31qE4GlLZVl3briS2oYyL1YX3lY3C_VvfMS4r9v403bLRHYmfP6Tlt8JTrYgFSXFpn-iwXYqfzHR0n_aoUkwPKiyLYP/s1600/McDougall+Twins+Dinosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVc2K9ovQqNc9o8brdTydvxfxYepkVLXRuA7tQiGNgOfqaHwAa31qE4GlLZVl3briS2oYyL1YX3lY3C_VvfMS4r9v403bLRHYmfP6Tlt8JTrYgFSXFpn-iwXYqfzHR0n_aoUkwPKiyLYP/s640/McDougall+Twins+Dinosaur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1519173385" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a></i> is the third book in Derrick Belanger's The MacDougall Twins Mysteries with Sherlock Holmes series, and it serves up the same action that fans of the first two books enjoyed.  This series is meant to appeal to younger readers, with its ten-year old protagonists, accessible text and a story format that will introduce middle grade readers to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.<br /> <br /> This installment of the series starts off with the twins Jimmy and Emma MacDougall decorating their home at 222 Baker Street for Christmas when Mycroft Holmes knocks on their door.  Although their mother doesn't like the idea of her children being detectives and participating in adventures with Sherlock Holmes, she allows the twins to go with Mycroft to meet a client that is currently with Sherlock and Dr. Watson at 221B Baker Street.<br /> <br /> Once there, the story falls into a familiar canonical pace.  The twins make deductions about Holmes's client, Mr. Bogswell, and hear his story of a dinosaur that is terrorizing the local livestock in his country town.  Of course, the neighbors don't believe his story and have shunned the family, one lady going so far as to having put a curse on his household.  Bogswell's hope is that Sherlock Holmes can clear the mystery, and is quickly won over to the idea of Holmes's two junior partners coming along to Surrey to help in the investigation.<br /> <br /> The story really takes off when Holmes, Watson, and the MacDougall family arrive in Surrey.  From there, the story rockets through the investigation, while allowing for some comic relief as Jimmy MacDougall chafes under the over-protectiveness of his mother.  The later chapters of the book are bursting with action that will have kids turning the pages to find out what happens next.  More than two dozen illustrations are scattered throughout the 123-page book which will also appeal to readers.<br /> <br /> But Belanger knows that not just children will be interested in his tales of the MacDougall twins and Sherlock Holmes.  Throughout the story are small nods to the fans of Conan Doyle's original stories and those of us that continue to read the writings about the writings.  Young or old, seasoned Sherlockian or new arrival, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1519173385" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a></i> is a book meant to please.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5YEfbCpkCFDV0DITgCQRuYd1M8-DKFhfIN3CDvk1k_7ZJY_IDwx7CW5pp_lFew9uLO0Ztb7sXsn_WpPzCuaPAySordjwYAAPpcDiuP5xNniWU1hYLJDlHoHrwfaJ6C64w6xxjKfyNyC1/s1600/Deadly-Dinosaur-8-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5YEfbCpkCFDV0DITgCQRuYd1M8-DKFhfIN3CDvk1k_7ZJY_IDwx7CW5pp_lFew9uLO0Ztb7sXsn_WpPzCuaPAySordjwYAAPpcDiuP5xNniWU1hYLJDlHoHrwfaJ6C64w6xxjKfyNyC1/s320/Deadly-Dinosaur-8-2.jpg" width="240" /></a>  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe7hDA0JGLJOHTmHNytMiGMQSrVnhV6Tqzpy8aT4ONOPoOhqjHDjR04Yimz4fvnMS08IDXkB6VY-Av2RTgGKYVwm3SbE3Mh1lncOE-t-0iyOd-aJVJJFJAqqg8kZpyAaYVCDXG6A5AepT/s1600/Deadly-Dinosaur-9-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe7hDA0JGLJOHTmHNytMiGMQSrVnhV6Tqzpy8aT4ONOPoOhqjHDjR04Yimz4fvnMS08IDXkB6VY-Av2RTgGKYVwm3SbE3Mh1lncOE-t-0iyOd-aJVJJFJAqqg8kZpyAaYVCDXG6A5AepT/s320/Deadly-Dinosaur-9-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0zEeaA5mYbIouDF70sqDsP3neOCS4Htx_7qkReez0yIQXKjlG0clJuQZUkNkLdElLlhKx1WKW5QjmltbPcY4COsCzgjKAaZKplOsnBQZSiRthqgkbthul-eDAiTIWj-8njx9u3OsQKUL/s1600/Deadly-Dinosaur-10-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0zEeaA5mYbIouDF70sqDsP3neOCS4Htx_7qkReez0yIQXKjlG0clJuQZUkNkLdElLlhKx1WKW5QjmltbPcY4COsCzgjKAaZKplOsnBQZSiRthqgkbthul-eDAiTIWj-8njx9u3OsQKUL/s320/Deadly-Dinosaur-10-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur - A Review

"...the education of two young children" [THOR] Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur is the third book in Derrick Belanger's The...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Scones and Bones on Baker Street

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “…like a dog with its master” [SILV] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5rJsdFzM8f9x5j9u6Ou-DY3Tr347eTOoT1rfyz2_a9CUtB8jGO3qK0B7csN15MAOQ-2fLeQ6330udxGBDMzrYYZODu5Ejg0HlYoh2tcG2y-WPmzV0gZhFZr2csccJAvMvPmcOCB22C42/s1600/Scones+and+Bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1552" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5rJsdFzM8f9x5j9u6Ou-DY3Tr347eTOoT1rfyz2_a9CUtB8jGO3qK0B7csN15MAOQ-2fLeQ6330udxGBDMzrYYZODu5Ejg0HlYoh2tcG2y-WPmzV0gZhFZr2csccJAvMvPmcOCB22C42/s640/Scones+and+Bones.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> If you know a young person that you’d like to introduce to Sherlock Holmes, but they aren’t quite ready for murderous hounds stalking the moor, then there's a different dog that they should meet. Digby, a lovable street dog in Victorian London, is the main character of Brenda Seabrooke’s new novel, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scones-Bones-Street-Sherlocks-Dilemma/dp/1537352814" target="_blank">Scones and Bones on Baker Street, Sherlock’s Dog (Maybe!) and the Dirt Dilemma</a></i>.<br /> <br /> Digby is a dog living on the streets in London and looking for something to eat when he crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. After helping the famous duo with an exciting adventure at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Digby decides that he wants to become a watchdog and helper for the great detective. Although Holmes is not interested in having a street dog, or any dog for that matter, living at Baker Street, Doctor Watson and Mrs. Hudson prove to be more welcoming. Digby soon finds himself following Holmes and Watson through the events of “The Adventure of the Red-Headed League” while striving to change Holmes’ mind about having a dog around. As Digby would say, the game is apaw. <br /> <br /> This book follows the familiar tale from the dog’s point of view, an interesting take on a case well known to most of us. But the target audience for this book is young readers. By making the main character a lovable dog, young readers are sure to enjoy Digby’s adventures in London. Digby’s blunders with Holmes and Watson while in a restaurant and a violin concert are sure to please.<br /> <br /> The text is written at an accessible level for second to fourth graders, and most words or phrases that could be confusing to the reader are explained in footnotes on the page. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scones-Bones-Street-Sherlocks-Dilemma/dp/1537352814" target="_blank">Scones and Bones on Baker Street</a></i> is less than 150 pages with over 20 full page illustrations meant to please the young reader. This would be a welcome addition to the book collection of any budding Sherlockian, dog lover, history fan, or lover of a good story.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scones-Bones-Street-Sherlocks-Dilemma/dp/1537352814" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf5KdJpiDt0UJeArueuK42W_JNBmS-RDpNpGNNpmgLH3Y8KsD_wjpoqFNO62haBKdAw8-2oNEykSxhrBawoqInE7Axmz1-HVreyHJJga6f7iMhZRwe2w7eaNdzRpl94GnPXzwT3HEiAdQ/s320/Scones+and+Bones+cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Scones and Bones on Baker Street

“…like a dog with its master” [SILV]  If you know a young person that you’d like to introduce to Sherlock Holmes, but they aren’t quite...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Interview: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook

<div class="MsoNormal"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"So estimable a young man!" [GOLD] </span></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4pHEOWiZLnoLI-ngpdgpSU7NEzOW9KrTpGw2DbPqVJG4Yje6tgRKUWepAlp3j0gc-TKQOQBZQs8eGRded82sMEyBh46lKP1CLM1Fi-oHOfoXZ_aARlKASc34e-gpzY1prF1xfTEphmBW/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1397" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4pHEOWiZLnoLI-ngpdgpSU7NEzOW9KrTpGw2DbPqVJG4Yje6tgRKUWepAlp3j0gc-TKQOQBZQs8eGRded82sMEyBh46lKP1CLM1Fi-oHOfoXZ_aARlKASc34e-gpzY1prF1xfTEphmBW/s640/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's novel <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Mycroft-Holmes-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar/dp/1783291540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497390883&sr=8-1&keywords=KAREEM+ABDUL+JABBAR+MYCROFT"><i>Mycroft Holmes</i></a> was a huge hit when it was released in 2015. He spoke with Scott and Burt on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose81" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 81</a> of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, where he shared his early exposure to the stories and his favorites therein. [<i><b>Editor's note:</b> if you haven't listened to his interview yet, we highly recommend it.</i>]<br /> <br /> Abdul-Jabbar's Mycroft Holmes returned in comic book form last year with a five-issue limited run titled "Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook." The five issues have been collected into <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Mycroft-Holmes-Apocalypse-Handbook-Abdul-Jabbar/dp/1785853007/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497390883&sr=8-2&keywords=KAREEM+ABDUL+JABBAR+MYCROFT" target="_blank">a graphic novel set to come out in September</a>. I had a chance to interview Kareem about his interest in Mycroft and what made him take Sherlock's smarter brother to the world of comic books.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: What drew you to the character of Mycroft Holmes?</h3> <b>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: </b>People have been writing Sherlock Holmes stories for over a hundred years. I wanted to approach it from another angle, one that was still fairly unknown. Mycroft is a mystery, so writing a mystery about Mycroft is a mystery within a mystery. I got to imagine his origin story and personality with only the slightest clues from Conan Doyle. I especially liked the idea that he was smarter than Holmes and applied his gifts in the service of his government.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa1EpfYvrWmHC0Dg4dHjA2gHvk3VPXrU6-khkRfQ0csKmhSlm-MjXv5v2rHrNvT_guPPvScEOwziikOVqqQHT6wRgy1LPUjlb9kTtASjMyZhqhYbIf2NgSemUFAj5-PBAfJY4kzb-kh-9/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa1EpfYvrWmHC0Dg4dHjA2gHvk3VPXrU6-khkRfQ0csKmhSlm-MjXv5v2rHrNvT_guPPvScEOwziikOVqqQHT6wRgy1LPUjlb9kTtASjMyZhqhYbIf2NgSemUFAj5-PBAfJY4kzb-kh-9/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" width="263" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: How did you choose your coauthors for this series?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Anna Waterhouse, who co-wrote the novels, and Raymond Obstfeld, who co-wrote the comic book series, are actually friends. They are both college professors with long careers in writing movies and books. Anna’s penchant for evoking the historic era made her a natural choice for the novel. And Raymond’s encyclopedic knowledge of and passion for graphic novels made him an easy choice.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In this series, Mycroft Holmes is much more the man of adventure than he is in the Conan Doyle stories. This story line is more of an adventure than your Mycroft novel, also. What drew you to the action genre for this character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> In a novel, you have more time to build the subtleties of character and plot that you don’t have in a graphic novel. The graphic novel lends itself more to the visual adventure. Plus, having already imagined Mycroft as one kind of character, I was intrigued by the possibility of presenting him as an entirely different kind of character—a rogue and adventurer. The more I thought about that, the more fun I had with his character.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: You are an author who is constantly trying out <a href="https://kareemabduljabbar.com/books/">new genres in hiswriting</a>. Was that the impetus behind telling this story in a comic book format? How did you decide to make Mycroft a comic book hero?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Writing a comic book is much more like writing a sonnet than writing a novel. You are limited by how many panels you can get on a page and you are limited to 22 pages in an issue. So everything you do, from the image you select to the dialogue must be precise and serve a purpose. There’s no room for indulgence that you sometimes get in a novel. I also think that the comic book, like most popular culture, is on the forefront of revealing what our values are as a society. Mycroft is pretty much the same as a Millennial right now, trying to figure out what he stands for and what he wants to do about it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: With this being your second outing with Mycroft Holmes, what were the big changes to the storytelling process you had to address with changing from the medium of a novel to a comic book?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> As I said, precision is the greatest challenge. But that’s also what made the process so exciting. I wanted to tell a large sweeping story that spanned continents, included steampunk elements, had real historic figures, and was a combination of an Indiana Jones and James Bond adventure.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Being the history buff that you are, how much of an influence did historical research play in this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> A lot of research went into every page, from the opening scene at the British Museum to details about Queen Victoria and Jesse James, to the chemicals science in some of the weapons.<br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBms17q1GFf6-hpjGN9Z_UYFLZ3sctY8Ltt5drluI5QXxr8qvEsHUjMyrOZf_8XTh7vhkliW7EtYZNjtlVkqWjR1EZwBGC22W8Wdwomr3q-yMQMJQ6O68LluWUfjnFcbeUZtpAP6SMEyzG/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1004" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBms17q1GFf6-hpjGN9Z_UYFLZ3sctY8Ltt5drluI5QXxr8qvEsHUjMyrOZf_8XTh7vhkliW7EtYZNjtlVkqWjR1EZwBGC22W8Wdwomr3q-yMQMJQ6O68LluWUfjnFcbeUZtpAP6SMEyzG/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Can you describe the relationship between Mycroft and Sherlock in this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> We see Sherlock in person and in flashbacks when they were children. Sherlock is still just a college student when he appears, but there is fierce competitiveness between them. Where Sherlock has isolated himself from the world by abstaining from its pleasures, Mycroft has isolated himself by overindulging in its pleasures. Where Sherlock feels less, Mycroft feels too much and has to steel himself. Neither fits in because their brains won’t let them. But Mycroft feels it’s his responsibility to imbue some sense of humanity in his brother and that makes for some touching moments between them.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In both of your stories so far, Mycroft finds himself travelling the world. First to Trinidad, and now in America. When you envisioned these stories, did you plan on him being a globetrotter or did that come about later after you developed him? And what made you think to put him in the American west this time?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> I always wanted him to travel the world in order to have him react to the different locales. Getting his take on these exotic locations is fun and informational and adds a level of entertainment to the mysteries. I loved the idea of Mycroft in the American West just to see how he would handle himself. He sees himself as a bit of a rogue, but when he comes face to face will real rogues, he sees himself in a whole new light.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In your novel, Cyrus Douglas acts as Mycroft’s moral compass. With this story taking place before the novel, Cyrus is absent in the comics. We learn early on that Mycroft is not the most moral of characters. Did you ever find yourself letting Mycroft becoming too much of a cad while you were writing this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Not at all. We add struggle between the base impulses of our ids and the divine leanings of the superego. Stories of redemption are much more interesting because there’s always suspense about whether the character will make choices based on his roguish nature or desire to be better.<br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6H2hyphenhyphen-qy20B4tKqLUQg5nVhycZYYIrhsxHylRUkPWawSnhcjVjRRwPWi4HuN3uU9-ZYWb8iK1DHqW6ox2dwd8pVx06C_TQXCBqdxG2io7mGTC86rLsh6OX_Bu72wIrPhNLfMo5wVDzmv/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="1003" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6H2hyphenhyphen-qy20B4tKqLUQg5nVhycZYYIrhsxHylRUkPWawSnhcjVjRRwPWi4HuN3uU9-ZYWb8iK1DHqW6ox2dwd8pVx06C_TQXCBqdxG2io7mGTC86rLsh6OX_Bu72wIrPhNLfMo5wVDzmv/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In issue 1, Mycroft says, “We Holmes brothers are not religious.” The Holmes brothers' religion or lack thereof has been a debated topic in Sherlockian circles for decades. What made you decide to place them on the atheist side of that debate?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> I wanted them to embody pure reason, and religion is not a choice of reason but of faith, which by definition excludes reason. Faith means to believe in something for which there is no evidence. Many people, including myself, find a way to balance faith and reason, but the Holmes brothers cannot make that leap of faith.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Speaking of religion, Conan Doyle wrote that Sherlock Holmes visited Mecca after his battle with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Do you see an influence of the Islamic religion in Sherlock’s character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Reason and curiosity requires that one explore all religions before either selecting one or dismissing them altogether. The Holmes brothers are influenced by strong sense of human decency, which can be found in all the world’s major religions.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: The MacGuffin of this story isn’t one that you would see in a typical Sherlock Holmes story. What made you choose to use such fantastic items?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Fun. I want the reader to have a lot of fun with the story and imagining these devices added a level of surprise. Each issue the reader wonders what amazing device will appear next—at least I hope so.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Mycroft’s accomplice in his American adventure has a familiar name to Holmes fans. What was the thought process at naming the character that way, just a nod to the original stories, or is there something deeper there?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> There’s definitely more to the story. That relationship with [that character (name redacted)] will be revealed in future issues.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: A second series has been ordered by Titan Comics. Can we plan on seeing Mycroft abroad again? And can we ever hope to see him teaming up with his younger brother?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> The ending of the first series suggests they will be working together in some way in the future. That should be very entertaining.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Now that you have told Mycroft stories as a novel and a comic book, do you have a format that you prefer to work in for this character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Not really. Each has its own challenges and rewards. When I’m writing the novel, I’m very excited and passionate about that format. When I’m writing the comic book, I’m just as excited and passionate about that format.<br /> <br /> <br /> <i><b>Bonus material:</b> our interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose81" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 81</a> of IHOSE:</i><br /> <i><br /></i> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="100" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/3801278/height/100/width/600/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/d41111/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh-VJdQt52QjLm5erYbPVVKLR2MS4aKPpxh-SisC8qehPN0pFNQADJAkGxlHctQa1znjEMBORC6PdhjKk0LrrgivRc411G7xeP0A8XPBHQupm7qytP8uds5NTHVFrp-POjtbZoM9dFDxH/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh-VJdQt52QjLm5erYbPVVKLR2MS4aKPpxh-SisC8qehPN0pFNQADJAkGxlHctQa1znjEMBORC6PdhjKk0LrrgivRc411G7xeP0A8XPBHQupm7qytP8uds5NTHVFrp-POjtbZoM9dFDxH/s200/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" width="131" /></a></div> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1785853007?ref_=sr_1_2&qid=1497390883&sr=8-2&keywords=KAREEM%20ABDUL%20JABBAR%20MYCROFT&pldnSite=1" target="_blank"><i>Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook</i></a> by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is available for preorder on Amazon. It will be released on September 5, 2017.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Interview: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook

"So estimable a young man!" [GOLD]  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's novel Mycroft Holmes was a huge hit when it was released in ...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

The Well-Read Sherlockian's 12th Night Giveaway

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> <b>"it was really not more than twelve." [WIST] </b></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/AVvXsEgR2n3AQQzteXVkBlqMlCZqxqtL3e2PhXCjp77g2DuQ7dgXUgKmZCN7XSEZ5CmwbqrUSuZZiiE6r3DtwRJf1IqE-6E5sR91PGwSdLHVBOCr68fWGYHqqb2gHkdLzGN2FSOLhUiTMIEckKZv/s1600/IHOSE_Caption+59+CARD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sidney Paget - The Cardboard Box interview" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2n3AQQzteXVkBlqMlCZqxqtL3e2PhXCjp77g2DuQ7dgXUgKmZCN7XSEZ5CmwbqrUSuZZiiE6r3DtwRJf1IqE-6E5sR91PGwSdLHVBOCr68fWGYHqqb2gHkdLzGN2FSOLhUiTMIEckKZv/s640/IHOSE_Caption+59+CARD.jpg" title="Cardboard Box - interview with Miss Cushing" width="640" /></a></div> <b><br /> </b> There are a few constants in the Sherlockian world at the end of the year: Blue Carbuncle Day, hoping to find new Sherlockian items under the tree, and Leah Guinn's 12th Night Giveaway on her blog, <a href="https://wellreadsherlockian.com/" target="_blank">The Well-Read Sherlockian</a>.<br /> <br /> For the past five years, Leah has posted daily Canonical questions to her readers and rewarded correct answers with prizes guaranteed to make Sherlockians smile. Leah was nice enough to let us peek behind the curtain at her process of creating the annual contest that runs from December 24 - January 6.<br /> <b><br /> </b> <br /> <h3> <b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: This is the fifth annual 12th Night Giveaway. What prompted you to start a twelve day contest? </b></h3> <b>Leah Guinn:</b> I had seen various internet and blog giveaways, and I like giving presents, so I mentioned on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Well-Read-Sherlockian-294187613961282/" target="_blank">the blog’s Facebook page</a> something about wishing I could do a giveaway for 12th Night, but that I was running out of time and didn’t have a ton of money. Carrie (and I can’t remember her last name, but she was one of the Stormy Petrels blogging team at the time) said that the prizes didn’t have to be expensive, and I realized that she was right. Of course, I like Christmas Eve, so I ended up adding a few days.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: On average, how many correct responses do you receive for a standard question and what is the biggest response you've had to a question?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>The Giveaway has been steadily growing, but I’d say that the average number of responses is about 7. So people really do have a good chance at winning on any given day. The largest number of responses was about 25, for last year’s grand prize—a bound copy of The Strand Magazine.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: What is your favorite item to give away and why?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>I really like giving away <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html"><i>Baker Street Journal</i> subscriptions</a>. They’re hugely popular, and people try for them who don’t care about any of the other prizes. Plus, I like the idea that they can help people feel connected to the larger Sherlockian world, and be inspired to write their own articles.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: This year, your theme is literary allusions. What made you choose that theme?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>Themes make it easier to figure out questions, and to hopefully insure that I don’t repeat them very much. I just started skimming over the Canon for ideas, and I figured that “literary allusions” would give me a lot of question options, and that the answers would just challenging and interesting enough. I don’t want to insult people by asking them to answer easy questions, but I don’t want to make things so difficult that people give up, or that I risk not being able to answer them, either.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: How has the 12th Night Giveaway changed over the years?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>Well, I had to do some tweaking with the rules early on. I used to have the prizes grow bigger as the game went on, and if people could only win once, no one was going to try for the smaller items. Since those were often handcrafted by other Sherlockians, I didn’t want them to be passed by, so I changed things so that people could win twice, and then everyone could go for the grand prize. Now, too, the prizes vary in size and value throughout the Giveaway, although the Grand Prize is still pretty cool. I hope.  And the value of the prizes has been rising. Once I learned that I could find very nice Sherlockian collectibles at decent prices if I looked hard enough, and didn’t insist on mint condition, I found so much great stuff.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: How do you go about creating your questions for the contest and how far in advance do you start working on it?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>I think about it on and off all year, but I really start working on it after Thanksgiving. It takes time to make sure I have all of the prizes, to organize them, to come up with the questions, match the prize to the question and the question to the date. I have to write it all down, so I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: Each day’s question is prefaced by a short autobiographical story. Do you think of those first and then tie a question to it, or vice versa?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>It’s sad, but I tend to come up with those little posts on the fly. I was thinking today that I should actually write something educational for them, but to do that, I’d have to write them months in advance. In the rush of the holidays, I don’t have what it takes to do an in-depth article on Holmes every day.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZhgzLGnVHPSEOm_HKYQDk6Eqej0-GWfecx0Wx9VbecrgSPQmOXqRV7P_6HA0riFobOA3yKJX2ucIwlsnU2-JGLrQV4zZIAFxI1ZoH1Wes3GDLQrH5JglpPPsZbST4hM3xnYPemevvisX/s1600/Leah+Guinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZhgzLGnVHPSEOm_HKYQDk6Eqej0-GWfecx0Wx9VbecrgSPQmOXqRV7P_6HA0riFobOA3yKJX2ucIwlsnU2-JGLrQV4zZIAFxI1ZoH1Wes3GDLQrH5JglpPPsZbST4hM3xnYPemevvisX/s320/Leah+Guinn.jpg" width="301" /></a></div> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: How do you choose each year’s prizes?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>I look for them allllll year round. Everywhere we travel, every antique store, old book store, flea market, conference….I am always looking. Sometimes I spend a few hours trawling around eBay or ABE books. It is seriously the best part of the entire thing. I get really excited when I find something truly nice, and in the end, I tend to find I’ve overbought. I don’t have any 2015 holdovers, but last year, some 2014 prizes finally came out of the closet. I do try to keep track of what generates enthusiasm and what does not. I’ve learned, for example, that stuffed animals are not a thing for many people. Old BSJs and vintage copies of the novels and short story collections are always loved.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: What is your favorite Canonical story?</b></h3> <b>LG: "</b>The Illustrious Client."  I really like <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, because it’s an origin story, but when I read ILLU, I was blown away by Conan Doyle’s ability to portray actual evil and perverted sensuality in such subtle ways. I have known people as sociopathic as the Baron. And we’ve all known people as foolish as Miss de Merville, if we haven’t been her ourselves. I feel that Conan Doyle is at the height of his powers in that story.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>IHOSE: Your blog is also a treasure trove of Sherlockian book reviews from over the years. What makes a good book?</b></h3> <b>LG: </b>The characters. Your protagonist and antagonist in particular need to be living creatures. The reader has to care about them, otherwise your beautiful plotting won’t do you any good. For a good pastiche, you need to be able to show us who Holmes and Watson are, for example, and not just what they do. Also, pacing. Your story can’t move too quickly, or too slowly, and you need to keep the reader wondering what happens next. I once read a pastiche that needed so much improvement when it came to canonicity, etc., but the author was very, very good at pacing. It wasn’t a very good story, but it kept me turning pages.<br /> <br /> <br /> Leah Guinn has written a monograph on writing pastiche,<a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/product/sherlock-holmes-challenge-blank-page"> "Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blank Page"</a> that is available through the John H. Watson Society. She has also co-authored <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/curiouscollection.html"><i>A Curious Collection of Dates: Through the Year with Sherlock Holmes</i></a> with Jaime N. Mahoney, published by Wessex Press. She is also a member of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Illustrious-Clients-of-Indianapolis-184841455301/">the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis</a>, <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/">the John H Watson Society</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StudiousScarletsSocietyPage/">The Studious Scarlets</a>. You can find her on Twitter as <a href="http://twitter.com/leahguinn" target="_blank">@LeahGuinn</a>.<br /> <br /> And you can listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose95" target="_blank">Episode 95</a>, in which we interviewed Leah and Jaime about their book:<br /> <br /> <div> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/261630101&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

The Well-Read Sherlockian's 12th Night Giveaway

"it was really not more than twelve." [WIST]  There are a few constants in the Sherlockian world at the end of the year: B...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century — An Animated Series That Never Was

<div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> “…the future only could show how strange it was to be” [TWIS]</h4> <div style="text-align: center;"> <o:p></o:p></div> <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/AVvXsEg4g-5sjlt4fCoaK45Gu_R5iCL-eg9d5snS3EUrAgLXyTpu91q4_hnxpoxewE-D5uAeXxtWz-5zHu-zBsxFYKyYh95pb7A1miE0ozKcz6AB5pQlb1l2JA6liyiEOlg8kMUhzNgURlcRcRZj/s1600/Title+card.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4g-5sjlt4fCoaK45Gu_R5iCL-eg9d5snS3EUrAgLXyTpu91q4_hnxpoxewE-D5uAeXxtWz-5zHu-zBsxFYKyYh95pb7A1miE0ozKcz6AB5pQlb1l2JA6liyiEOlg8kMUhzNgURlcRcRZj/s640/Title+card.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Many Sherlockians are aware of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_in_the_22nd_Century" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes in the 22^nd Century</a></i>, an animated series that aired in the United States from 1999-2000. But how many would be aware of <i>Sherlock Holmes in the 23^rd Century</i>, a show planned more than a decade before, in 1988? It all began with space cowboy and would have been brought to you by the creative team behind He-Man.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmation" target="_blank">Filmation Studios</a> was known in the '60s, '70s and '80s for its massive animated output. Its cartoons included DC superheroes, Archie comics, Fat Albert, Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, Tom and Jerry, He-Man and She-Ra. But its tie to the Sherlockian world comes from its last animated series, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BraveStarr" target="_blank">Bravestarr</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiEHyZHHsIqSZuaQIPcb5V8HS1POr-5GTVh-dgLkSnhYpNnfzQquwJEUox70jGGrF-E-HC1iZg0yhCnXfgZWj6qnIzJbljZkLWOGdrDyOw_Hz8ilEcXV7PGFAEYtXq39qvga_Z5IqbWwr/s1600/Bravestarr-title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiEHyZHHsIqSZuaQIPcb5V8HS1POr-5GTVh-dgLkSnhYpNnfzQquwJEUox70jGGrF-E-HC1iZg0yhCnXfgZWj6qnIzJbljZkLWOGdrDyOw_Hz8ilEcXV7PGFAEYtXq39qvga_Z5IqbWwr/s1600/Bravestarr-title.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <i>Bravestarr</i> was a space western set on the planet of New Texas in the 23^rd century, and aired in syndication from 1987 to 1988. Marshal Bravestarr, the titular character of the series, kept peace and order on his planet in episodic installments.  <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> One notable exception to this format is the two-part episode, “Sherlock Holmes in the 23^rd Century,” meant to spin off as its own show. The first episode opens with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idSfpY4-kmk" target="_blank">the standard Bravestarr theme song</a>, and then takes the viewer to 1893 where Holmes and Professor Moriarty are battling atop the Reichenbach Falls during a brutal lightning storm.<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /> <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/AVvXsEgKFeKdCLlzLFSYPwnTK3k-m2xmMjmCENeUWIRtunz2z9uwkBXNF7HnTH4fA3b3MUnBEZadLsVakbOv_1dOOa4xqkvPQlqapGfzX0OYzlj65DSzaTz39bsWQkpqOlBg02R60ZBTUzQWAyaL/s1600/holmes-moriarty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFeKdCLlzLFSYPwnTK3k-m2xmMjmCENeUWIRtunz2z9uwkBXNF7HnTH4fA3b3MUnBEZadLsVakbOv_1dOOa4xqkvPQlqapGfzX0OYzlj65DSzaTz39bsWQkpqOlBg02R60ZBTUzQWAyaL/s400/holmes-moriarty.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decidedly gray Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> But it ends differently this time.  As Watson watches from below, Moriarty pushes Holmes off the cliff!  Luckily, a time warp opens and Holmes is transported to the year 2249.  Holmes crashes through the roof of a futuristic hansom cab and is taken to the nearest hospital by Dr. Wt’sn, an alien of substantial strength.<br /> <br /> <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/AVvXsEi7IzOF5GSxorH7YDy5J61lZ4oLXtq03TlJ2MtXoLOWSBjtr0_vdHHrLQonzGjvh-RQddOGWWvvCQ-SBx-g_qe_Hy8-2-3YdoSISaTzYcC79A24V9RHp4lPf1Z7Yb-EG_y5igoqDDvcN1Yh/s1600/Dr._Wt%2527sn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IzOF5GSxorH7YDy5J61lZ4oLXtq03TlJ2MtXoLOWSBjtr0_vdHHrLQonzGjvh-RQddOGWWvvCQ-SBx-g_qe_Hy8-2-3YdoSISaTzYcC79A24V9RHp4lPf1Z7Yb-EG_y5igoqDDvcN1Yh/s400/Dr._Wt%2527sn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Wt'sn - experience with women in three separate galaxies?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Holmes adjusts quickly to his new surroundings, and shows a strong knowledge of astronomy, specifically the constellation Rigel. Wt’sn equips Holmes with a suitably futuristic jacket and deerstalker while Holmes tries to get used to having a scanner pipe and his newfound power to blast lightning bolts from his hands. The duo moves through New London on their way to 221B Baker Street to meet a Scotland Yard agent descended from the Holmes family, Ms. Mycroft Holmes (and her very large gun).</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /> <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/AVvXsEgltK6DP_fck9NgtjNUqptKh-TgUHEHLsRcIpD6gZVW5FkjV0R3phqwlBZod3RNMXwzazf7tiiDTj76KfIedgH6WCV_C9U_QG9hT-IuOFq53AivbiuRXpeKfkLirmEDAOiWsluGC5googaP/s1600/mycroft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltK6DP_fck9NgtjNUqptKh-TgUHEHLsRcIpD6gZVW5FkjV0R3phqwlBZod3RNMXwzazf7tiiDTj76KfIedgH6WCV_C9U_QG9hT-IuOFq53AivbiuRXpeKfkLirmEDAOiWsluGC5googaP/s400/mycroft.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ms. Mycroft Holmes</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> Baker Street has been turned into a Sherlock Holmes Museum, where Marshal Bravestarr finally makes his entrance to the story. Bravestarr is tracking down a lost alien boy who was aboard a hijacked space freighter and comes to the great detective for help. During their interview, Holmes is kidnapped but is saved by three street urchins and their dog, Baskerville. Chief Inspector Kitty Lestrade comes to take the would-be kidnapper away, and our heroes find that he was working for a larger foe. While tracking down this new villain, Holmes, Wt’sn, Bravestarr and Mycroft become trapped in a dungeon, but our heroes escape and find the lost alien child.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RRH1X44pGBE9DCYgoPXjUoV4sRDz6hxJGME9Zd9IFgMQ1DPb2A7xcesHOYOeTIWU8CP9HL1bpfJLBsr3CZw92C4K_o6qKXF8Dih1CDG_5ES25SoqhXop-lE4wcEfsp1yBSKjcL-Jq_Dh/s1600/holmes-bravestarr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RRH1X44pGBE9DCYgoPXjUoV4sRDz6hxJGME9Zd9IFgMQ1DPb2A7xcesHOYOeTIWU8CP9HL1bpfJLBsr3CZw92C4K_o6qKXF8Dih1CDG_5ES25SoqhXop-lE4wcEfsp1yBSKjcL-Jq_Dh/s400/holmes-bravestarr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> And then Moriarty shows up.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> I won’t spoil the second half of this story, but things escalate quickly and include the Eiffel Tower and a futuristic punk rock band. You can watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTqu5ryoU5o" target="_blank">part two</a> of the episode on YouTube or own the episodes on DVD from <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Bravestarr-Complete-65-Episode-Collection/dp/B004RA7XZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474054547&sr=8-1&keywords=bravestarr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nTqu5ryoU5o?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Of course, there never was a <i>Sherlock Holmes in the 23^rd Century</i> series. Filmation was in financial trouble at this point. It was bought by the cosmetics company L’Oreal, and eventually shuttered, with no new series made after <i>Bravestarr.</i><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> But one could wonder what the series would have looked like. These two episodes spent a lot of time world building. Sherlock Holmes is quickly outfitted for the future, with his new powers, gadget and sidekick. An overarching foe is established in Professor Moriarty, and one assumes he would have a new scheme each week. New London is built up with street urchins to take the place of the Baker Street Irregulars, and Mycroft Holmes and Kitty Lestrade take the place of the Victorian Lestrade and Gregson. It wouldn’t be a far stretch to assume that Holmes and Wt’sn would take up residence in the Sherlock Holmes museum, and the finicky curator would take the place of Holmes’ previous landlady (I wouldn’t be surprised if the caretaker even turned out to be named Hudson).<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> But we will never know. It’s a mystery what could have been.<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century — An Animated Series That Never Was

“…the future only could show how strange it was to be” [TWIS] Many Sherlockians are aware of Sherlock Holmes in the 22 nd Centur...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

An Interview with the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt Master

<div class="MsoNormal"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> “This is treasure trove indeed." [BLUE]</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/AVvXsEjlW2GkfHm8bgQSMORBANub7va-smNheMqfLKvQBTDZKhbWDjAdlPQSfXOAJuamdM35B0iNrtNqx7iDDM4-2w8XGfpKoqId79njwEFn8cYXVSUv8pFuiZMgFqO4O1X9Cugyq3Di2hUOQCeC/s1600/BOSC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW2GkfHm8bgQSMORBANub7va-smNheMqfLKvQBTDZKhbWDjAdlPQSfXOAJuamdM35B0iNrtNqx7iDDM4-2w8XGfpKoqId79njwEFn8cYXVSUv8pFuiZMgFqO4O1X9Cugyq3Di2hUOQCeC/s640/BOSC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Every August, online Sherlockians can count on the <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/treasure-hunt">John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt</a> taxing their knowledge of the sacred writings.  Having just ended its fourth annual treasure hunt on September 1, we interviewed “The Napoleon of Questions” behind the event, Margie Deck.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: How did the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt get started?  Have you been associated with it since the beginning?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>Margie Deck:</b> The Treasure Hunt, along with the John H. Watson Society as a whole, was the brain-child of the late Don ‘Buttons’ Libey. He was a brilliant, enthusiastic, friendly and kind man.  He conceived the Treasure Hunt in 2013 as an individual competition. I read a posting he made at <i>Welcome Holmes</i> about the society and the hunt. My first thoughts were that I wanted to give it a try, and, instead of going it alone, I wanted to try it as part of a team made up of some of my Sherlockian friends from <a href="http://soundofthebaskervilles.com/">The Sound of the Baskervilles</a>. I wrote to Buttons asking if the JHWS would consider adding a team division to the hunt; he readily agreed.  Our Sherlockian friendship began at that time, and I was fortunate to enjoy working with him until his passing in early 2015. </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> The first Treasure Hunt was insanely difficult and wonderfully entertaining. I have no idea how many hours we worked on it but, in the end, the SOBs prevailed--and my SOB team mate and best friend, Sheila Holtgrieve, and I were solidly hooked on the process. I believe that first year two teams and one individual, the very clever Denny Dobry of Reading, Pennsylvania, <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/treasure-hunt/results">actually finished it</a>. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Buttons was posting a weekly quiz for the JHWS at that time. Sheila and I started doing those each week in order to practice for the next Treasure Hunt.  With Buttons’ urging, I began a puzzle column for <i><a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/the-watsonian">The Watsonian</a></i>; we discussed quizzing and the Treasure Hunt process often.  Buttons wrote the 2014 edition of the hunt, and the SOBs earned High Honors that year as well.  <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> In late December 2014, Buttons asked me to write the 2015 Treasure Hunt. I declined because I wanted to be a contestant one more time, and, to be honest, I was a little nervous about the whole idea. I made a commitment at that time to write the 2016 edition. When he passed away suddenly in March, it seemed only right that I volunteer to write for 2015. He had previously asked me to do so, and I wanted to help the JHWS continue. His loss was a crushing blow for me personally and for the society. It literally takes a dozen people to do all the tasks he took care of for JHWS. I miss him every day.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> I wrote the 2015 and the 2016 edition; I’m very proud of the work. I like to think Buttons would be proud of it as well.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: How have you seen the treasure hunt change over the years?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD:</b> The main change has been the number of participants actually submitting an entry. We have doubled each year, and I’m hopeful 2016 will be our best year yet in number of competitors. One thing I have loved about the Treasure Hunt is that it has been an international competition from the beginning. Having teams from various countries makes our competition unique. In 2015, we added teams from Canada and the UK to compete with our returning French, Italian and American teams. This year we added competitors from <a href="http://www.sherlockholmessociety.in/">The Sherlock Holmes Society of India</a>. I hope the growth continues.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> One change I instituted is the scoring by points. Each question is, of course, one point unless it has more than one element, and then each element has a point. I believe in the 2016 edition, questions range from one point to up to four or five points. I added this simply to make the hunt more competitive. Holmes said playing the game is its own reward but I think we still like to win. The points help mix it up a bit.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> The other changes in the hunt are in the writing process. Buttons crafted his hunts with lengthy threads where one answer was required in order to have the needed information to answer the next question.  The threads were good fun, but I made the decision to not use them. His threads required the use of a specific edition of the Canon due to the need for specific page numbers and word counts. I thought we might have more competitors if any edition of the Canon would suffice as a reference. Also, Buttons’ hunts required access to a great deal of the scholarship, including the old and new series of <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a></i> and <i>The Baker Street Miscellanea</i>. When I was a competitor, I did not have access to those publications, and I found it difficult to work on the threads without them at hand. So, again, I hoped to increase our numbers by not requiring that access.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> However, I do want to honor the scholarship and I do include some scholarship questions. When I write questions that require going outside the Canon, I spend some time on the internet looking for the sought answer. I do not use a question from outside the Canon that I cannot find an answer for with an internet search of some sort.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: Have you already started working on next year's devilish questions yet?  How far in advance do you start?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>Actually, as the plan is now, I will be a competitor again in 2017. The amazing Michele Lopez of the <a href="http://www.unostudioinholmes.org/homepage.htm">Uno Studio in Holmes</a> of Italy has agreed to be Treasure Hunt Master next year. He is a driving force within the Sherlockian community in Italy, and his team scored High Honors in the 2015 Treasure Hunt, and Honors in 2014. He has written some of the weekly quizzes at JHWS and I know he is going to be a terrific hunt master.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Asking Michele to write next year’s hunt was my idea; I think all volunteer organizations need a healthy spirit of rotation in order to thrive. Taking a break should help my creative process and keep my question writing from becoming stale; it is also good to be reminded what it is like to be a competitor. I hope to come back as Treasure Hunt Master in 2018, or 2019, depending on how things work out.  Should something go awry with our plan, I will write in 2017 if needed. Hopefully, I will have plenty of notice as it does take some time to craft the questions. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> In 2015, I did not know until March, of course, that I needed to write the hunt, so I had from March 15 to July 31. I finished the final draft about July 20^th. For 2016, I knew that I had a year to prepare.  I started drafting ideas in October, and writing questions in earnest in January; the final draft was complete around July 1. For my writing process, I need about six months. I do not know how long it took Buttons to write the first hunt; I know he did the second one in a month. I would not be able to do it in a month.  But then, he had read the Canon from beginning to end every single year for thirty consecutive years. He knew his Holmes and Watson.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> The time it takes to finish somewhat depends on the time my proof reader has available to work with me.  While I believe Buttons worked alone, I do not want to.  For 2015, my friend, the very astute Melissa Anderson of the Peoria-based <a href="http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/Hansom_pages/Hansomsmain.html">Hansoms of John Clayton</a>, worked with me, and in 2016, my SOB teammate Sheila Holtgrieve and I were back working together.   <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: Can you describe the question making process for us?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>For me, the first step is, oddly enough, the last question. “What is the treasure for the year?” must be answered first. Once that question is sorted, I spend a great deal of time just reading. When something seems interesting to me, I make a note, and then go back to reading. Like most people I know, I have a stack of Sherlockian books in the house. I open one at random, read a few paragraphs, make a few notes, close it, pickup another one and do the same thing. Before long, I have a stack of notes about things I found interesting from different sources. I take those topics to the Canon, and start searching for the applicable parts of the stories. I often get side-tracked. I will be reading a story, looking for one thing based on the notes I made, find something else more interesting, and start working on it. Once I am clear on the idea for the question, then I start working on the wording. The question must not be too easy but it must be answerable. This year I chose a quote from the Canon for the theme, and then crafted the questions in a manner that reflected the theme.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Once I have some questions written, I share them with my proof-reader. Besides the standard check-for-grammar-typing-spelling-errors, I ask my helper to apply a three-part assessment to each question:<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <ol> <li>When you read the question, do you understand what you are being asked to find? </li> <li>Do you see something in the wording that gives you a clue as to where to begin to look for an answer?</li> <li>Does the answer I have seem appropriate for the question as written?</li> </ol> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> If the helper cannot answer yes to each of the three questions, then I re-write it until she can. One question this year was re-written at least six times. Sheila went one step farther this year and drafted some question ideas as well; while she didn’t actually write questions, her ideas were very helpful. Being a three-year veteran of the hunt, she has some mad quizzing skills and I trust her instincts. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> When I have 100 questions written, I read the document out loud to see if it actually flows. Reading aloud engages a different part of the brain than reading silently; Sheila and I read it aloud in June, and found two errors that had been on the thing for months that our eyes simply didn’t ‘see.’ It is an interesting process. I like that you used the word ‘devilish’ when referring to the questions. As a matter of fact, Sheila referred to them the same way. I have no idea why I can write them that way.  I just can.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: What was your inspiration for the mixture questions that were added to this year's hunt?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>The mixtures idea came from the quote used for the theme—“…that mixture of imagination and reality which is the basis of my art…”  I was telling someone about the chosen theme, and I said “Here, I go. I’m going to mix things up,” and the idea for the structure just popped into my head.  <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: Sherlockian research and mentions of Holmes in other writer's works have appeared in questions from time to time.  How far do you allow yourself to stray from the Canon when making the questions?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>As I’ve noted before in this discussion, I want to honor the scholarship in a few questions, and occasionally something really interesting relating to Holmes and Watson will pop up in another, non-Sherlockian text. When I find something I would like to use, I use Google, or a similar search engine to see if I can arrive at the information online. If I can, then I start working with the information to craft a question. If I am directly quoting another writer, I try to make it very clear so the treasure hunter can see that he or she has the option of searching for those exact words. </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: Have you had any upset participants when a ruling didn't go in their favor?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>My experience has always been positive. Actually I think the only person ever even a tiny bit snappy about the Treasure Hunt was <i>me</i>; I was fussy with Buttons about a certain question pertaining to a proper noun in 2014. If anyone were to be grumpy with me, I would probably write it off to “third-week fatigue” and just go on. That was certainly the case with me, Buttons, and that proper noun. I understand it.  I have yet to have a truly rotten experience with a Sherlockian about anything.  </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> For those of us that read <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose56" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brad Keefauver</a>’s blog at <i><a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/">Sherlock Peoria</a></i>, we know that he has had some opinions about the Treasure Hunt, and, last year, he wrote a piece calling me out a bit for going too far to help someone with a question about the Treasure Hunt. His words were blunt but he was absolutely right. I appreciate the honesty.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: What is your favorite Canonical story?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>Most of the time, my favorite is "Charles Augustus Milverton," but I like "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" quite a bit, and I have a soft spot for "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." I guess that means that I am unable to name just one. I can tell you that "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" is my least favorite, except for that one line about Watson never failing to play the game. Love that!</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE: The John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt is available all over the world because of online communication.  What are your thoughts on the rise of online Sherlockiana?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>In 2003 I discovered the online group <i>Welcome Holmes</i>, and it changed my life.  Talking with Sherlockians from everywhere became an integral part of my life; when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I joined The Sound of the Baskervilles, and added the fellowship of a local group. I would not want to give up either way of having Sherlockian friends.<br /> <br /> Now, ten years later, online communication has exploded and it seems quaint to think there was a time it wasn’t available. Since BBC Sherlock became a force on the net, I feel happily over-whelmed by it all. I’ve given up trying to keep up, and as a tiny fish in vast ocean, I enjoy what comes my way and do not worry too much about the rest. I have never really enjoyed Sherlockian pastiche and therefore I tend to pass up the fanfic, and I don’t participate in Facebook, so I miss a lot. I have made some lasting, wonderful friendships online and I’m grateful for that. I understand there are some dust-ups online from time to time between various mind-sets about what constitutes being a Sherlockian. I stay out of the fray. I think online Sherlockiana is a blessing.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> [<i>Editor's note:</i> follow Margie on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/pawkypuzzler" target="_blank">@pawkypuzzler</a>]<br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <h4> <b>IHOSE:  Is there anything else you would like to share with the I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere readers about the John H. Watson Society or its treasure hunt?</b></h4> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>MD: </b>I appreciate your time and attention. I hope you will consider forming a Treasure Hunt team next year. Or perhaps joining The John H Watson Society—the publications are amazing.  Or both!</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <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/AVvXsEjcHsdXK7BpIFLm-EiZ_IAMPSMg1vNvRjONuCm08hVMnz1Xw6nTwq79zmRf_rUEO-hP4YpuCDluIWo9LPbaX6U2rpAcXvMSithFU9iiA8_Oiei21_O9kBsFRm21T5MNlKjLpTmCanQOdarU/s1600/Magie+Deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsdXK7BpIFLm-EiZ_IAMPSMg1vNvRjONuCm08hVMnz1Xw6nTwq79zmRf_rUEO-hP4YpuCDluIWo9LPbaX6U2rpAcXvMSithFU9iiA8_Oiei21_O9kBsFRm21T5MNlKjLpTmCanQOdarU/s640/Magie+Deck.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>Margie Deck</b> is a member of The Sound of the Baskervilles and The John H. Watson Society. She also volunteers for <a href="http://www.sherlock-seattle.org/">Sherlock Seattle</a>.  She has been interested in Holmes since 2003, and active in Sherlockian societies since 2006.</div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://www.johnhwatsonsociety.com/" target="_blank">The John H. Watson Society</a> was established in 2013 and is always seeking new members at all stages of involvement in Watsonian, Sherlockian and Holmesian interests.  Their publication, <i>The Watsonian</i>, is published on a bi-annual basis.  The society also publishes members’ longer works as part of their <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/product-category/publications/fiction-series">Fiction Series</a> and <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/product-category/publications/monograph-series">Monograph Series</a>.<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

An Interview with the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt Master

“This is treasure trove indeed." [BLUE] Every August, online Sherlockians can count on the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hun...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

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^th 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

A Study in Charlotte — A Fresh and Exciting Take on Sherlock Holmes

<div class="MsoNormal"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "I felt more than ever how true a descendant he was" [HOUN] </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/AVvXsEh3izMrp8yhqVzpaR33FPPceAybLBsWCNN8eV8PaYXOdEOfY9tJc6J8G3BDCWbSkYQM9_VIVkQqC8lsv0pbvT-IanFGQjthuRBGaPi6LnibC_6TNFheKA9EW7Als-jeOd0YIezYmigFAxrO/s1600/A+Study+in+Charlotte.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3izMrp8yhqVzpaR33FPPceAybLBsWCNN8eV8PaYXOdEOfY9tJc6J8G3BDCWbSkYQM9_VIVkQqC8lsv0pbvT-IanFGQjthuRBGaPi6LnibC_6TNFheKA9EW7Als-jeOd0YIezYmigFAxrO/s640/A+Study+in+Charlotte.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Charlotte-Holmes-Novel/dp/0062398903">A Study in Charlotte</a></i> is a Sherlock Holmes story in which Sherlock Holmes does not appear.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> That is because the story focuses on teen descendants of Holmes and Watson at a boarding school in modern-day Connecticut. Jamie Watson has been sent to Sherringford School on a rugby scholarship, the very same school that Charlotte Holmes attends. He’s always known of her; after all, he is a Watson.  But he has never met this member of the Holmes family that is his own age. The Holmes family has always been different, and has taken to training their children at an early age in the whole art of deduction. By the time she is a sophomore in high school, Charlotte Holmes is obviously not like any other girl at his school. Even though she is a descendant of the famous Holmes, helping Scotland Yard solve crimes at the age of ten, and Jamie is a descendant of the famous Watson, Charlotte is not interested in his friendship.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> That is, until a fellow student is murdered. Both Charlotte and Jamie have bad histories with the dead student, making them suspects to the police and outcasts among their classmates. From here, a partnership is forged that carries through the rest of the story in an original young adult novel that is a welcome addition to the world of Sherlock Holmes pastiches.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" 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> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" 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 style="text-align: center;"> <div style="margin: 0px;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SjIJFW8Uetw?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Written by <a href="http://www.brittanycavallaro.com/">Brittany Cavallaro</a>, <i>A Study in Charlotte</i> is the first in a planned trilogy featuring Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson. The first installment is written with a definitive voice that doesn’t try to imitate the Watsonian voice that so many pastiches are forced to use. Ms. Cavallaro gives the reader succinct but clear introductions to her two main characters, gets the story started, and lets her characters develop as the pages turn. Although the story lags a bit in the middle, the murder and canon-related crimes, family dramas in both the Watson and Holmes clans, as well as interpersonal relationships with other teenagers keeps you hooked.<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.britannycavallero.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5jv7o-xCjgfvtydxnbtwq9z7eVLqaNNnjFT-WMh3rzGpr1cjTNYaJGnGq1ruh5Z4etzo02L9BulN9sTGZPRyznYvzNxnhd61xfEnc3mzz-PItiSlaPLN50fTcBOMo6CxZggfGDfslzQR/s320/A+Study+in+Charlotte+-+cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div> <br /> While the writing is an easy read and is accessible to Sherlockians and non-Sherlockians alike, this book cannot exist without Sherlock Holmes, and Ms. Cavallaro knows her stuff, citing <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0517502917" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="03891d750d850c92b4c3d8b7add14add" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Baring-Gould" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-Fifty-Six/dp/0517502917/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=03891d750d850c92b4c3d8b7add14add&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8951194" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baring-Gould</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8951194" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=03891d750d850c92b4c3d8b7add14add&_cb=1461524477389" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> as an invaluable resource. Some canonical stories are key plot points along the way, and they are used with quick synopses as to not turn off the average reader, while still showing knowledge of the source material. Many sly nods are laid out in the pages for Sherlockians, such as Jamie Watson’s real name (James), a discussion about Watson's watch, and of course, the name of their school. But if the reader is unfamiliar with the original Canon, these Easter eggs don’t detract from the real story, and it is strong enough on its own.</div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> Many times with pastiches, references to the Canon can be forced or heavy handed, enough so that they detract from the story being told. Gladly, Ms. Cavallaro doesn’t fall into this trap. It would be easy enough to name the police detective Lestrade or Gregson, or Watson’s dorm mother could be named Mrs. Hudson, but <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0062398903" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="1063640595f5f8eb47dc3d06f48ac46c" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Charlotte" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Charlotte-Holmes-Novel/dp/0062398903/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=1063640595f5f8eb47dc3d06f48ac46c&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9122049" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Charlotte</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9122049" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=1063640595f5f8eb47dc3d06f48ac46c&_cb=1461524857730" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is a new story borne out of stories from over a hundred years ago, and the characters and plot are strong enough to stand on their own. Even though the story is labeled as a young adult title, it is a story that is worth a read, no matter your age.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> --<br /> <br /></div>

A Study in Charlotte — A Fresh and Exciting Take on Sherlock Holmes

"I felt more than ever how true a descendant he was" [HOUN]  A Study in Charlotte is a Sherlock Holmes story in which Sh...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn