Clive Barker

I first met Clive back in the late 80s. I worked at Tower Video, just out of University. I was reading a Newsweek magazine. There was a blurb in it about Clive Barker, this new British Horror Writer who was taking the world with his Books of Blood anthologies. Steve King, the "King of Horror fiction" said of Clive: "I have read the future of Horror and it is, Clive Barker." Nice blurb, huh?

About what I looked like back in the late 80s

For some reason, I decided to write to both Steven King and Clive Barker. Clive wrote back. I never heard from King. Nothing, nada, zip, not even the standard fake promo material. Well, now, admittedly, Steve was an icon even then. So I didn't expect much. But Clive actually wrote back. So I wrote him again. And he wrote back.

Clive Barker some years ago

One day, I heard he was going to be at Tower Books, so I was first in line to meet him. While I stood there, I listened to those in line behind me. It seemed like forever when Clive arrived. I had by now, read his books. He came in, wearing a light colored suit and a man asked him if he could get him anything. Some kind of aide or handler of which there were two. Clive said, coffee would be nice and the one man asked her he would like it. Clive said "White," and the man was totally confused. The other man jumped in and said to Clive, "okay, no problem, thank you," and walked off telling the other man that "white" was another way of saying milk or cream in it.

I was first in line and Clive looked up at me and smiled and said, "Hi." I said, "Hi." And we started talking. I told him that most the people in line behind me were Steve King fans. They were there to give Clive a chance. Etcetera. Clive got a kick out of it. He said, "I'll take fans where ever I can get them." He signed my books. All of them. I was married at the time, so I even had him sign some so she could have her own collection.

Funny story. After we divorced, I was at her apartment one day to pick up my son. Now, I had been missing one of my Books of blood and couldn't figure out where It was. As I was waiting for her to get our son ready for me to take him for the weekend, I noticed on the floor a line of books next to her stereo, and in the middle were the Books of Blood. I didn't think anything of it until I noticed there was a duplicate of one book.

So I picked it up and opened it and sure enough, it was signed to me by Clive. I mentioned that when she returned to the room and she got angry. She said something like "Why don't you just look through all my stuff to see if I took anything else?" I said, "well, hey, it has, like, my NAME in it." I was about to blow her off on her offer to look though her things but then I realized that she knew damn well she had my book. So I looked through her other books and I found another. She was pissed. I was humble. But once outside, I felt so good about it. It annoyed me that she wouldn't even have those books if I hadn't paid for them, got them signed and gave them to her; and then she tries to keep one of my set of his books. Low.

Some time later, I heard Clive was coming back. I was still married and my wife (the one I mentioned above) was off somewhere, possibly at work and I had our son. So, I took him at the last minute, down to Lower Queen Anne Tower Books in his stroller. He was maybe 18 months old or so. I strolled him in and we saw Clive. I reminded Clive we'd met (how's he supposed to remember with all he meets?) and had corresponded and he fell into an amiable attitude. I asked him to shake hands with my son, as even though he doesn't understand, I could one day tell him he shook Clive's hand.

So Clive shook his hand. My son had the strangest look on his face and Clive and I remarked to one another about it, laughing.

And now, its years later and I'm looking for Clive to give me a blurb for my book like King did for his. Will it happen? Probably not. Should it happen? I don't know, but hey, who wouldn't want it to happen? Clive will always be my favorite. His prose is better than King, he's more direct, he's more my style. King, you are the original, after Poe, perhaps. Clive, in my book you'll always be "The Man" of Horror Fiction.

So, I got a response from Clive's people. They will forward my email to him and gave me his address to send him my manuscript once its ready to be reviewed. I forwarded this to my publisher which will make her very happy. They had said he's very busy with deadlines but hey, I could wait. For a while. Considering I didn't think I'd even get this far all I can say is, only time will tell, and it never hurts to ask.

Midnight Meat Train DVD and What's up with Clive Barker's Voice?

Hello, Horror Lovers. Welcome, fans of Clive Barker.

I've been a fan of Clive Barker since his first Book of Blood came out in 1984. The year I read that book, I wrote to both Stephen King and Clive Barker. Never heard from King. Barker, however, personally answered my letters. I spoke to him on several occasions at book signings at Tower Books in Seattle. We talked at length several times and once I was able to have him shake hands with my son, who was at the time, about 2 and in his stroller.

When I told him in person, that I had written, he rather animatedly said, "And I wrote you back too didn't I?" And I said, "Yes you did and it was appreciated." To which he replied, "See, I try to answer all my mail. But its been getting harder to keep up anymore." And I said, I understood. I still have his response letters. Once he moved to Los Angeles, I'm sad to say, I completely lost track of him; and at which point, he became very famous. I was all too happy that he was getting the acclaim I had long known, that he well deserved. I have all his Books of Blood, and signed by him, as well as some of his other, later books like Weaveworld (one of my favorites), Imagica, etc.

One of them he took his time and drew some art in. I was first in line when he arrived at Tower Books. I had been waiting for a while and there was a long line behind me, of mostly Stephen King fans. I chatted with them before he got there. When he arrived, he was asked, "Would you like some tea or coffee?" To which he replied, "Coffee would be nice." Then he was asked how he would like it and he said, "White." This confused the person pretty badly, but another handler said, "That's OK, I know what he means, I'll get it." What he meant, obviously, was with cream.

Once he sat down he said hi and we talked for like fifteen minutes. I tried to beg off not wanting to be a "star hog" but he said don't worry about it. I explained that he was about to meet a long line of King fans, which he laughed about. He said he was always happy to pick up new readers. I bantered with him about what I thought of King, giving the appropriate respect, but also the honest and accurate opinion, also explaining why I so much more appreciated Clive's prose and stories. I found him to be one of the nicest guys and funny.

Lately, I've been watching some online videos of him and I noticed a few things. Like he had been into working out since I last saw him. And, that his voice was sounding too strained. I just watched my new DVD of Midnight Meat Train, from one of his first short stories in the Books of Blood. The video of him in the extras, again had his voice sounding very strained and it concerned me this time to the point I looked it up on line. Below is what I found.

In listening to the second audio track of the Midnight Meat Train DVD, with Clive and Director, Ryûhei Kitamura ("Sky High" and "Aragami"), his voice sounds very much better. I would like to say, this is one of the best Clive movies ever made. Both he and Kitamura laughed at the movies made from Clive stories and how many of them are horrible and Clive has pretty much had it and fully agrees about that. I could never understand why, such a great horror writer and just writer in general and a great artist, could have such bad movies keep coming out. But he had little to do with most of those.

Clive admits to several things on this DVD. There is a short about his paintings, very worth checking out. How he is, Irish, Italian and Gay. Brooke Shields, did a great job in this film as did, Bradley Cooper and every one really. Vinnie Jones, was excellent, love his many films. Roger Bart of Desperate Housewives fame, was also excellent. Peter Jacobson, from House, M.D., as the cafe cook, was a pleasant surprise, too.

Love that they mention Tom Savini, as well as some of the homage shots from, The Exorcist. Clive also mentions that he loves Andrei Tarkovsky (as do I), the famous Russian (Soviet?) director of such films as 1972s, Solaris (a far better book than anyone has been able to capture on film; do check out other novels also by, Stanislaw Lem, the brilliant Polish Science Fiction and speculative fiction writer). He said some of it was also an homage to David Cronenberg, another favored director of mine since Scanners (1981) Videodrome (1983) and more recently, eXistenZ (1999), A History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007).

They said the DVD has much more blood and guts than the MPAA released theatrical version. Some very fresh shots in this movie. Like the eyeball gag, reminds me of a scene in a short story and script of mine, "Sarah", where a pigeon, is the catalyst of the next shot, to dramatic results.

Overall, if you like horror and especially, Clive, check this movie out.

Anyway, in the thought that someone else may too be wondering about Clive's voice, here is a reprint of admittedly old, but happy information. I've been wondering what's up with his voice and I'm happy to hear its been now taken care of.

"Great News About Clive Barker's Voice and Health Condition!"
from by Roger - Thursday, 27 March 2008

From the Fifth Dominion web site.

"For a couple years now many Clive Barker fans have had great concern over Clive's raspy voice and shortness of breath... basically a radical change in voice from what it was previously.

"This was speculated to be everything from too many cigars, a mysterious health problem, and Cenobite attacks. Always worried but hoping for the best the fans can now relax.

"Clive spoke to Revelations on March 26, 2008 and asked them to make this public announcement:

"Over the past couple of years at signings, people have often come up to me saying, 'Your voice doesn't sound too good, are you OK?' So, to all those people who have shown me kindness and concern, I would like to say 'Thank You'. There was an issue - I have had polyps on my throat which has constricted my breathing and affected my voice - and this has just recently been addressed, with great success."

"I am feeling far healthier and more energetic! I may be a little less talkative for a short while, but it's all good news and I want to make a point of thanking all of you who have shown concern - it has been much appreciated..." - Clive Barker"

[Thanks to Doug for bringing this to our attention, Revelations, and especially to Clive for sharing such personal news with his fans.]

http://www.clivebarker.info/newsmarch08.html

Keep on hanging in there Clive....