Here are all the books I’ve added to my professional library over the past two months. Every time I start to think I’m slowing down I buy a bunch more stuff…
There. I thought I’d document this bunch since I have another bunch coming in…
Posts Tagged ‘H. P. Lovecraft’
The Lame Excuse Books December 2010 Catalog
Monday, December 20th, 2010I sent out the Lame Excuse Books December 2010 to regular customers last week. Here it is (minus the books that sold out) in “just plopped the hell down as text on a blog” form:
Greetings, and welcome to Lawrence Person’s Lame Excuse for a Book Catalog! Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Greg Egan, Jay Lake, Peter Straub, Charles Stross, and the new, definitive H. P. Lovecraft biography (in two hefty volumes!), plus a excellent signed first of Ender’s Game, a bunch of signed Michael Bishop, and numerous small press books from Subterranean, Night Shade and Tachyon, among others. Most in-print books start at $3 off cover price, and as usual I only have one or two copies for many titles, so you might want to act quickly.
The URL for the main Lame Excuse Books webpage is:
https://www.lawrenceperson.com/lame.html
I’m still doing a Lame Excuse Books Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/LameExcuseBooks
Payment, Contact & Shipping Information
E-mail me at lawrenceperson@gmail.com. I can hold books ten days on e-mail or phone requests (please leave a message on my voice mail for the latter: (512) 569-9036). U.S. shipping is $5.00 for the first book, and $1.00 a book thereafter. Foreign shipping is at cost (please inquire; for most locations, Global Priority starts at $13.00). Books may be returned in the same condition sent for any reason within 10 days of purchase for a full refund. Please make checks payable to Lawrence Person. I can also take Paypal payment from funds on account to this e-mail address at http://www.paypal.com, and I can take MC and Visa directly through my merchant account.
Please mail checks to:
Lawrence Person
Lame Excuse Books
P.O. Box 27231
Austin, Texas 78755
There might be a slight Christmas delay for mailing out some books, but I’ll try to get out as many as I can before the holiday hits full force.
Finally, if you want me to take you off this mailing list, please let me know. I hate spam just as much as the next person.
Now the books!
LP1837. Adams, Douglas, and John Lloyd. The Deeper Meaning of Liff. Harmony Books, 1990. First American edition, a Fine- copy with three small, short lines of writing to front free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of words that don’t exist but should. Seems to have had fewer reprints than Adams’ other works. $15.
LP1838. Bennett, Robert Jackson. Mr. Shivers. Orbit (U.S.), 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Joe Dominici, thriller writer and former co-owner of Future Visions in Houston, called this “The finest first novel I have read in years” just a couple of months before his untimely death earlier this year, and having just read it I agree. It’s the story of several men in the depression hunting down the title character, a tall, scarred man who has violently taken loved ones from each of them. But the longer the search, the more apparent that Mr. Shivers isn’t a man at all, but perhaps the Devil (or even Death) himself. A very strong debut novel, reminiscent of K. W. Jeter’s In the Land of the Dead, but I liked this better. A dark and gripping book. Recommended. I only have one. $15.
LP21. Bishop, Michael. Ancient of Days. Arbor House, 1985. First edition hardback , F-/NF+, with slight bumping to head and heel, a 1/8″ closed tear on heel, and a small amount of wear to bottom boards. Still nice. Signed by Bishop. $9.
LP23. Bishop, Michael. Brittle Innings. Bantam, 1994. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj. Wonderful novel about Frankenstein’s Monster playing minor league baseball in the W.W.II-era south. Hugo nominee. “It’s a helluva novel (one of the best I’ve read in the last ten years), a brilliant period study, and it combines baseball and Frankenstein. What more could you want?” Caroline Spector in Nova Express. Recommended. Signed by Bishop. $20.
LP1327. Bishop, Michael. No Enemy But Time. Timescape Books, 1982. First edition hardback, a NF copy with on long, gray diagonal streak (doesn’t look like a remainder mark) across bottom page block, with a trace of dust soiling on top page block, in a VG dust jacket which is complete, but which has four closed tears at the bottom of the back, each of which was unfortunately at one time “repaired” by non-archival tape which has left light yellow/brownish stains on the back, 2 about 2 1/2″ to 3″, the others about 1/2″; beautiful front and spine, but notably flawed back, and now encased in a dj protector. Not a perfect copy, but a big step up from an Ex-Library copy. Signed by Bishop. $30.
LP386. Bishop, Michael. No Enemy But Time. Timescape, 1982. First edition hardback, an ex-library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/VG+, with spine leaned and rolled, wear to top and bottom boards, internal mends, leaves starting to loosen (and some mended), and some water rippling or spotting to a few interior pages. A well read copy, but a true first of his Nebula winner. Not too bad spine out, an adequate space filler or reading copy. Signed by Bishop. $10.
LP25. Bishop, Michael. The Secret Ascension (aka Philip K. Dick is Dead, Alas). Tor, 1987. First Edition, Hardback NF+/NF, with some slight soiling to page edges, wrinkles, rubbing, and a 1/2″ scratch on the font dj, part of which goes through the dj. Still, better than it sounds. Author’s preferred title is Philip K. Dick is Dead, Alas. Went into a second printing almost immediately. Signed by Bishop. $9.
LP22. Bishop, Michael. And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees. Harper & Row, 1976 First edition hardback, ex-Library copy, with all the usual flaws, otherwise VG+/NF-, with significant spine lean. Signed by Bishop. $5.
LP27. Bishop, Michael. Transfigurations. Berkley Putnam, 1979. First edition hardback, F/NF cover, with shallow chipping at dj head and one long, semi-closed tear intact in dj protector. Signed by Bishop. $8
LP471. Bishop, Michael and Di Filippo, Paul (as Philip Lawson). Muskrat Courage. St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2000. First edition hardback, Fine in Fine dj. Humorous mystery novel featuring Will Keats, the protagonist of Would It Kill You to Smile?. Signed by Bishop. $15.
LP1838. Butler, Octavia. Patternmaster. Doubleday, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s signature on inside front cover and slight spine lean (but NO remainder spray) in a Near Fine dust jacket with a few tiny scratches and abrasions, tiny bit of foxing on interior flap edges, and foxing to blind side of dust jacket spine. Still a very attractive and presentable first edition of Butler’s first book. $75.
LP1839. Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Tor, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Card to fellow writer (and noted book collector) Scott Cupp: “to Scott Cupp—/A child-rearing guide/for the military school set…/Best,/Orson Scott Card/NASFIC-’85.” Hugo and Nebula winner for Best Novel, Card’s most famous work, and probably the most difficult domestic SF novel from a mainstream publishers in the last 30 years. $2,200.
LP1836. Egan, Greg. Zendegi. Night Shade Press, 2010. First U.S. edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Egan’s latest novel, set in a post-theocracy Iran and a popular virtual reality game. $19.
LP1402. Haldeman, Joe. Camouflage. Ace, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj with the tiniest, teensy-ist wrinkle at heel, otherwise new and unread. Nebula Award winner for best novel. Signed by Haldeman. Got scarcer after it won the Nebula…$65.
LP1095. Hughart, Barry. The Story of the Stone. Doubleday/Foundation, 1988. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj; a beautiful, immaculate copy. The second Master Li & Number 10 Ox story. Funny, and brilliant, and highly recommended. $30.
LP1844. King, Stephen. The Bachman Books (Rage, Roadwork, The Long Walk, and The Running Man). NAL, 1985. Book club hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with edgewear and slight wrinkling at head. Four novels first published as Richard Bachman, including Rage, which King has vowed never to allow to be published again, and The Long Walk, one of his best (IMHO). Highly recommended. Nice reading copy. $10.
LP1845. King, Stephen. Pet Sematary. Doubleday, 1983. Book club hardback, a Near Fine copy in a VG+ dust jacket with several small tears at head and heel. Reading copy. $3.
LP1846. Lake, Jay. The Sky That Wraps. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 signed copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection by the author of the Hugo-nominated Mainspring, and a swell guy to boot. $37.
LP1847. Lake, Jay. The Specific Gravity of Grief. Fairwoods Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of only 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. With an introduction by Maureen McHugh. Novella about a man with cancer (with which Jay has had more than one bout), so probably not something for the light reading pile. Only have one. $22.
LP1848. Lansdale, Joe R. By Bizarre Hands Rides Again. Morning Star Press, 2010. Expanded edition with new stories and story notes, one of 300 copies signed by Lansdale, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The original was a great short story collection, and thus new edition has everything in the original and more. Highly recommended. $72.
LP1849. Lansdale, Joe R. Deadman’s Road. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Features the ass-kicking Reverend Jedidiah Mercer, first seen in Dead in the West (the complete text of which is here), fighting “zombies, ghouls, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters and kobolds.” Dead in the West is great fun, and the one story I heard Joe read at the 2006 World Fantasy Convention was as well. If you like Lansdale, you need one. Recommended. $37.
LP1731. Lansdale, Joe R. Captains Outrageous. Mysterious Press, 2001. First trade edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Hap and Leonard go on cruise. Happiness does not ensue. Recommended. Signed by Lansdale. $15.
LP1732. Lansdale, Joe R. Sanctified and Chicken Fried: The Portable Lansdale. University of Texas Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket, with tiny bends at the very tips of the top edges; if I hadn’t told you about them, you probably wouldn’t notice them. A “Best of Lansdale” sampler of sorts, with some very good stuff you’ve probably seen before (“Night They Missed the Horror Show” and “Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back”) along with a few I’m not familiar with (“Dirt Devils,” “White Mule, Spotted Pig”). Recommended from what I have read. Coming from the UT Press, copies might not crop up in your neck of the woods. Signed by Lansdale. $26.
LP1794. Lansdale, Joe R. and Keith Lansdale, editors. (Joe R. Lansdale, Harlan Ellison, David J. Schow, William F. Nolan, Mike Resnick, Cherie Priest, etc.) Son of Retro Pulp Tales. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Another collection of pulp goodness, and I enjoyed the first one. All of these are new except the Ellison. And how often do you see a new William F. Nolan story these days? Signed by Joe R. Lansdale. $37.
LP1850. Leiber, Fritz. Strange Wonders. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection various work, some previously unpublished or uncollected. I ended up with an extra copy or two, so let’s take $5 off the cover price. $35.
LP1538. Lethem, Jonathan. Gun, With Occasional Music. Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1994. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. His first novel, from back before he started winning literary awards left and right. $30.
LP1851. (Lovecraft, H. P.) Joshi, S. T. I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft. Hippocampus Press, 2010. First edition hardback, two volume set, both Fine copies in Fine dust jackets, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Remember how S. T. Joshi’s Lovecraft: A Life instantly became THE definitive Lovecraft biography upon publication? And remember how the hardback of that shot up to about $500 in short order? Well, more than 150,000 words of that were cut for space constraints. I Am Providence not only restores those 150,000 words, but also incorporates new research, correction updates, etc., and instantly becomes the definitive Lovecraft biography in its own right. List price is $100 for the set. For you? $95. (Add an extra buck for shipping in the U.S., and considerably more overseas.)
LP1852. Marusek, David. Counting Heads. Tor, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. His first novel, which garnered much acclaim and quickly went into second printing. Haven’t read it, but David is a good guy. $20.
LP1853. Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The latest huge Subterranean career retrospective collection. The last book to make it into the catalog, and I only have one copy on hand (but more on order). $37.
LP1855. Straub, Peter. The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 250 numbered leatherbound copies signed by Straub, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of novellas set in the same world as Koko, Mystery, and The Throat, along with and interview conducted by Bill Sheehan. This edition is sold out from the publisher. $95.
LP1856. Straub, Peter. The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,500 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of novellas set in the same world as Koko, Mystery, and The Throat, along with and interview conducted by Bill Sheehan. $30.
LP1857. Stross, Charles. Toast. Wyrm Publishing, 2010. First signed, limited edition hardback and first edition thus, with additional material not in previous editions, one of 700 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. If you don’t have one of the previous editions, you need a copy of this, especially for the Lovecraftian “A Colder War,” which features a U.S./Soviet Cold War featuring Elder technology and a “Shoggoth Gap.” $34.
LP1858. Wilson, Robert Charles. Axis. Tor, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Sequel to the Hugo Award-winning Spin. $10.
Trade Paperbacks
Note: I only have one each of these, so if you want one, better ask quick.
LP1861. Lansdale, Joe R. Flaming Zeppelins. Tachyon, 2010. Trade paperback first edition original thus (omnibus edition), a Fine copy, new and unread. Combines the two “Ned the Seal” volumes Zeppelins West and Flaming London. Crazy stuff. $13.
LP1862. Moorcock, Michael. The Best of Michael Moorcock. Tachyon, 2009. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Well, I think that title’s self-explanatory, don’t you? $13.
Mass Market Paperbacks
LP1863. Barrett, Jr., Neal. Through Darkest America. Worldwide Library, 1988. First paperback edition, a NF copy with faint spine creasing and a wrinkle at heel. Part of the Asimov Presents line. One of Neal’s better novels. Recommended. $5.
LP1864. Bloch, Robert. Dragons and Nightmares. Belmont, 1969. First paperback and first mass market edition (preceded by the Mirage Press hardback), VG- with creasing, general wear, and a stamp on the blurb page. Fun stories, somewhat lighter than most of his work. Solid reading copy. $3.
LP1865. Davidson, Avram (edited by John Silbersack). Collected Fantasies. Berkley, 1982. First edition paperback original, a VG- copy with 3/8″ tip of bottom front cover missing, line at heel, sticker ghost and abrasions to front cover, and general wear, but quite square and sturdy for all that. Contains some fine stories, including “Or All the Seas With Oysters.” Recommended. $5.
LP1866. Hawke, Simon. Timewars 10: The Hellfire Rebellion. Ace, 1990. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with just faint touches of edgewear at head and heel, otherwise apparently new and unread. The later volumes of the Timewars series are the hardest to find. Simon used to write under his birth name of Nicholas Yermakov, but legally changed his name to Simon Hawke, possibly after hearing one too many “In Soviet Russia” jokes. $9.
LP1867. Kurtz, Katherine. Lammas Night. Ballentine Books, 1988. Paperback reprint, a NF copy with one page slightly loose, otherwise quite a nice copy. Nazis vs. druids. No American hardback, and one of her harder-to-find titles. $10.
LP1868. Smith, E. E. “Doc” and Stephen Goldin. Revolt of the Galaxy (The Family D’Alembert Series #10). Berkley, 1985. First edition paperback original, a NF- copy with wrinkling near spine, a bit of edgewear at head, a tiny bit of spine lean, an invisible spine crease, foxing to inside cover, and a touch of general wear; a bit better than it sounds, this is actually a nice copy. The later volumes in this series are harder to find. $10.
LP1869. Tepper, Sheri S. Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore. Ace, 1985. Third printing, a VG copy with spine creasing, spine line, number stamp at head, and general wear. The Marianne titles are probably the least common of all Tepper’s books. $9.
LP1870. Wagner, Karl Edward. Conan: The Road of Kings. Bantam, 1989. First edition paperback original, VG- with serious spine creasing, crease across top back corner, spine lean, and general wear, though the Tim Kirk foldout cover is intact; solid reading copy. I haven’t read these, and am generally skeptical of non-Robert E. Howard Conan stories, but Wagner was probably closer stylistically than anyone else who attempted it. $5.
LP1871. Westerfield, Scott. Polymorph. Roc, 1997. First edition paperback original, a VG- copy with spine creasing, corner creasing, and previous owner’s name in black magic marker and silver ink (?) on inside covers. Still an acceptable reading copy of his first novel, which is hard to find due to his YA success. $10.
New Lame Excuse Books Catalog This Week
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010I intend to send out my latest Lame Excuse for a Book Catalog to regular customers via email this week. Lots of new small press books by the likes of Joe R. Lansdale, Jay Lake, Ted Chiang, Peter Straub, Joe Hill and Charles Stross, along with the huge, definitive, two-volume H. P. Lovecraft biography I Am Providence, a signed pristine first edition of Ender’s Game, etc. If you aren’t already receiving my catalog, drop me a line at lawrenceperson@gmail.com to receive a copy when I send it out.
In The Sunken Tattoo Upon Your Back, Dead Cthulhu Lies Dreaming
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010I’m not particularly a tattoo fan, but these Cthulhu tattoos are something to behold.
A Brief Disquisition on Sundry Issues Involving Insane Clown Posse
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010Since it’s the Halloween season, what better way to celebrate than a look at two (theoretically) scary clowns?
I am not a fan of rap music. Or hip-hop. Or crunk. Or whatever derivative nomenclatures have been attached to that particular style of music and its various spin-offs. Every time I think I hear rap music I like, such as Body Count’s first album, or the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” or Bloodhound Gang’s “Bad Touch,” I am informed by people who actually like rap that it’s not real rap music. All right, then. Carry on.
So I am not the person to offer an aesthetic defense of Insane Clown Posse’s particular “horrorcore” oeuvre. Not my cup of poison, thank you. But I have been amused by some of the cultural issues surrounding ICP, including “Juggalos,” their large and devoted band of followers. Like furries for science fiction or Oakland Raiders fans for football, Juggalos seem to exist for every other clique to look down upon. I also find it interesting that the MSM seem to be attempting to gin up a minor moral panic about two guys who sing in clown makeup and the people that listen to them.
There are many celebrities, musicians, etc., swelled up with a sense of their own self-importance. Thankfully, ICP do not appear to be among them. Take this David Itzkoff New York Times piece on various Insane Clown Posse parodies, and ICP’s reaction to same.
How did ICP feel when Saturday Night Live started doing parodies of them?
In a single word: Delighted.
Shaggy 2 Dope, Insane Clown Posse: How can you be mad at “Saturday Night Live”? That’s what they do. They make parodies. They’re funny. That’s flattering, that you’re a large enough player in the game that “Saturday Night Live” even recognizes you.
Violent J: It felt incredible – like, wow, man, we’re on the radar.
They started out parodying the 2009 “Gathering of the Juggalos” commercial seen below (NSFW language warning applies to this and all the other videos embedded here):
And here’s the SNL parody. (Hulu, so no embedding.)
Next came Internet comedian Scott Gairdner’s “Juggalo News Network” skit:
And then, of course, came “Miracles,” the Little Song That Could…Troll the Entire Internet.
Before that, ICP was most known for songs like this (which is probably not bad of its kind, and would seem to have (dare I say it?) redeeming social qualities):
Or this, which isn’t, and doesn’t:
Yes, I can certainly see why they might have opted for a more subtle approach. In this interview for the Onion A/V Club, they noted:
It just looks a lot better in your head than it does to actually see us cutting somebody’s head off or something. That’s our opinion. We did a video for the song “Bowling Balls,” and the video was like a 15-minute horror movie in 3D. It comes with the album Hell’s Pit. When we did that video, we weren’t totally happy with the outcome, because it was all bloody, and it just didn’t look cool. Like I said, it’s much better when you’re imagining it all than to actually see us as villains killing the people. It just didn’t work for us.
And thus have ICP rediscovered H. P. Lovecraft’s power of the unseen over the explicated. A segment of the video in question:
Yeah, more subtle and less shown is probably the right direction for them in the genre of horror videos.
“Miracles,” by contrast, not only aired their mystification with magnets, it displayed a softer, non-horror side of ICP that most non-Juggalos never even suspected.
A few observations:
- Not my cup of tea, but I actually hate “Miracles” much less than the average rap song.
- It’s obvious, even in context, that the word “miracle” is used metaphorically rather than the literal meaning of an unexplained phenomena of divine will.
- After an entire career spent talking about hell and serial killers (not that there’s anything wrong with that), the video that people actually condemn is the one expressing wonder at the myriad splendor of creation.
Or, as Shaggy 2 Dope put it:
If Celine Dion would have come out with that song, people would have been, like, “Oh, that’s a beautiful song.” But because it’s coming out of our mouths, all of a sudden, we’re retards.
Actually, if Celine Dion did it, we’d probably make fun of it in an entirely different way. But the point stands.
And speaking of “Miracles,” there’s this:
Violent J: To me, I’d rather be the dumbed-down guy appreciating everything than the guy who knows everything and doesn’t appreciate [anything].
Lisa Simpson made a chart to explain these sentiments:
Naturally, “Miracles” spawned its own SNL parody.
To me, however, the most interesting part of the AV Club interview was ICP talking about how Nightline had lied about them, distorted their words, and taken things out of context in an attempt to generate some sort of moral panic:
You know, I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan. Me and Shaggy both are. So, we knew who [Martin Bashir] was, and we also knew what he was going to do. They had their minds set on the story they were going to make before we even did the interview. It really didn’t even matter what we said. The whole reason they even did an interview with us was looking for lines or something to come out of our mouth that we can say to further make their point. We might have sat down for that hour, and we might have actually changed Martin Bashir’s opinion of us, but he wasn’t going to let that show. They knew the picture they were painting before we even fucking did that interview. They knew exactly what they were going for. The one thing that really hurt me is that they said we make $10 million a year. I don’t know anybody that wouldn’t do what we do for $10 million a year.
If we made $10 million a year, who the fuck wouldn’t do what we do? If people knew how little money we actually make, I think it makes us more impressive. It shows the Juggalos that we’re that much more dedicated to what we do, because there aren’t millions floating around here at all. When we go on a tour, our goal is to break even. That’s a whole other subject, I know, but that’s what really bothered me about Martin Bashir, because they asked me what we made. They asked us, and we told them. But that’s what they said, $10 million a year. Well, what the fuck they ask us for? Part of it’s cool, people thinking you make that much money. Part of that’s cool, I guess. But at the same time, who wouldn’t be a wicked clown for $10 million a year?
They took what we said, and they turned the interview to make it to their point. But we filmed the interview as well, and we posted the whole thing up on our website. It’s still out there on YouTube or whatever, but you could see the whole interview, unedited. We talked about everything. We talked about the Joker Cards. They talked about crime happening and about how some Juggalos have committed these crimes. We made the point that millions of people bought our albums, and out of millions of people, there is going to be some bad apples. I’m sure Barbra Streisand fans have committed crimes as well….
Things like that we talked about, and he just kept rephrasing the same questions. They were going for what they needed. They needed some blue in their picture, and they needed some green. No matter what we said, they were going to get what they needed to paint that picture.
AVC: How did you feel about Martin Bashir’s treatment of Michael Jackson?
VJ: Man, it was insane. It murdered him. It killed him. He never recovered from that. The Martin Bashir documentary is what spawned the second set of charges. He was fucking innocent in an American court of law! He was innocent by all counts. Michael Jackson is a lot of things, know what I’m saying? A lot of things, but he’s not a pedophile. I believe, believe it or not, in the American judicial system, if that’s what it’s called. In other words, I believe in the courts, when they get a long, drawn-out trial like that, they get to the nitty-gritty of things. I read enough books on it.
I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan, as I said. I just believe there was a lot wrong in the man, but he wasn’t a pedophile. He never recovered from that. That documentary was so damaging to him, and that spawned the second set of charges. And even though he defeated the charges, it was too much for him. When he tried to make a comeback, he died in the process. It was Martin Bashir’s documentary that eventually killed Michael Jackson. I believe that. I honestly believe that. He let him into his life for six months. Martin Bashir is your typical fucking snaky guy that’s gonna shake your hand, laugh at your jokes, and all that shit, and make you think he’s cool with you, and then do whatever’s gonna get him up the ladder.
AVC: How did you feel about Martin Bashir’s treatment of Michael Jackson?
VJ: Man, it was insane. It murdered him. It killed him. He never recovered from that. The Martin Bashir documentary is what spawned the second set of charges. He was fucking innocent in an American court of law! He was innocent by all counts. Michael Jackson is a lot of things, know what I’m saying? A lot of things, but he’s not a pedophile. I believe, believe it or not, in the American judicial system, if that’s what it’s called. In other words, I believe in the courts, when they get a long, drawn-out trial like that, they get to the nitty-gritty of things. I read enough books on it.
I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan, as I said. I just believe there was a lot wrong in the man, but he wasn’t a pedophile. He never recovered from that. That documentary was so damaging to him, and that spawned the second set of charges. And even though he defeated the charges, it was too much for him. When he tried to make a comeback, he died in the process. It was Martin Bashir’s documentary that eventually killed Michael Jackson. I believe that. I honestly believe that. He let him into his life for six months. Martin Bashir is your typical fucking snaky guy that’s gonna shake your hand, laugh at your jokes, and all that shit, and make you think he’s cool with you, and then do whatever’s gonna get him up the ladder.
AVC: What Bashir was saying about the Insane Clown Posse and the effect its music has on its fans reminded me a lot like the mid-’50s, when busybodies were saying that Elvis Presley was going to destroy society, and his fans were hoodlums. That’s something you see over and over again in pop music.
VJ: It’s the oldest argument in the world. It’s the fucking oldest argument in the world. Does rock ’n’ roll corrupt the young? It’s ridiculous! It’s the oldest fucking argument in the world. It’s been rehashed. New names, same fucking thing. It’s the oldest shit in the world. That was a stretch for Nightline. They got a lot of old people watching it, old people stuck in old ways. I’m sure they ate that shit up and loved it. I don’t think it’s young America watching Nightline like that. Know what I mean? I don’t know. Maybe it is. It was stupid for even them to say, and that’s why they kept hammering.
To be honest with you, at one point—and this is what’s insane—they took my response to one question and edited it so I looked like I was responding to another question. And what’s scary to me is that this is Nightline. This is a respected piece of American journalism, and they were full of shit. That just makes me think, 90 percent of what I watch is full of shit. I couldn’t believe what they did with us, with the $10 million thing. He was so clever, the way he was saying, “No, no, no, Violent. I never said that, Violent.” It’s so clever what he’s doing—it was so clever!
Then they had me sitting on the edge of my chair to make it look like I was getting mad. In reality, that was my response to another question. It was just so clever the way they did that. I said this before, and I don’t want to say something that I said before, but this is the best way I can explain it: It reminded me when I was a kid, and I had a schoolteacher saying that I said something I didn’t. Of course, everybody’s gonna believe the schoolteacher, but I never said it. She said I called some kid a name, a swear word, and I didn’t do that. I didn’t call that kid a name. When that lady lied on me, or she was misunderstood or whatever, I was scared of that lady, man. I was like, “Damn, here’s this lady who has power. She’s my teacher. And she’s telling a fucking lie that made me fear that lady.” Well, that’s how I felt when Nightline said we made $10 million a year, and bringing up those criminal charges that Juggalos have had. It was like somebody with power abusing it. It was scary to me. I watched it one time, and I never watched it again. And I didn’t even want to watch it when I watched it, because I knew what it was going to be. It’s scary to me to see somebody that’s that trusted pulling shenanigans like that. It’s just fucking crazy to me.
I’m afraid that ICP’s charges ring true to me, since what they describe seems to be fairly common operating procedures for much of the news media in the 21st century.
I’ve long been undecided over the Michael Jackson pedophilia allegations. On the one hand, he was a pretty strange, oddly damaged individual. On the other hand, rich celebrities attract far more than their fair share of crooks, parasites and hustlers, and the evidence presented amounted to far less than conclusive proof in a court of law. But in light of this interview, and the fact that members of MSM news shows have lied to get ratings before, I must admit that I am now inclined to give the late Mr. Jackson more benefit of the doubt than before.
When it comes right down to it, I’m more inclined to believe two rappers in clown makeup with fans that hurl projectiles and off-brand soda at performers over the producer of a major TV news show. How’s that for a Halloween horror?