Crossover Cover: Diamondback: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

 

Are you an Orson Welles fan?

Then you'll love this novel by Derrick Ferguson, which has a nod to Citizen Kane, as well as connections to many of Ferguson's other works!

For more information, be sure to pick up a copy of my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3 when Meteor House publishes it! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED companions to Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover of the Week

Winter 2019

KICKIN’ THE WILLY BOBO WITH...DILLON 

Author Derrick Ferguson interviews his “character” Dillon. Asked what living person he most admires, Dillon names Dr. Harry Wolper, who he studied under at the Northfield Institute for Advanced Research in California. He also mentions the North African country of Khusra. Dillon’s most treasured possession is a portrait of his mother that formerly hung in the New York branch of the Baltimore Gun Club, which he saw when he was there looking for Jim Anthony. When Ferguson asks Dillon his favorite writers, he responds with a long list: Jackson Bentley, Henry Chinaski, Jessica Fletcher, Jason King, Garth Marenghi, Robin Masters, Thom E. Gemcity, Kilgore Trout, and Nathan Zuckerman. 

Metafictional interview included in the introduction to Derrick Ferguson’s book Dillon Annual Collection 2019, Pro Se Productions, 2019. Dr. Harry Wolper is from the movie Creator. Besides Dillon’s adventures, Khusra also appears in the stories of Ferguson’s 1930s adventurer Fortune McCall. The Baltimore Gun Club is from Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. Jim Anthony appeared in the pulp magazine Super-Detective. A young Dillon met Anthony at the New York branch of the Gun Club in Ferguson and Josh Reynolds’ The Vril Agenda. Jackson Bentley is from the movie Lawrence of Arabia. Henry Chinaski is author Charles Bukowski’s fictional alter ego. Jessica Fletcher is from the television series Murder, She Wrote. Jason King is from the TV series Department S and Jason King. Garth Marenghi is from the TV show Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Robin Masters is from the TV series Magnum, P.I. “Thom E. Gemcity” is the anagrammatic penname of Special Agent Timothy McGee on the TV series NCIS. Wold Newton Family member Kilgore Trout is a recurring character in Kurt Vonnegut’s novels. Nathan Zuckerman is a frequent protagonist of Philip Roth’s novels. 

This crossover writeup is one of hundreds included in my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, which will be published by Meteor House! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED companions to Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover of the Week

Late December 2011 

DILLON AND THE PROPHECY OF FIRE 

Dillon brings his friends Wyatt Hyatt and Reynard Hansen and their new acquaintance Professor Ursula Van Houghton of Grand Lakes University to his home in Grand, Pennsylvania, which is filled with pictures by Ben Munceford, a photojournalist who disappeared in the 1960s. A group of villains seek the Vril energy from Dillon, who at one point wears a Gantlet Brothers T-shirt. Wyatt works on his Clip Pad. Dillon’s friend Eli Creed has been asked to consult on a new airplane design by friends at the Miami Aerospace Research & Dynamic Logistics. Germany’s Ministry of State Security has an extensive dossier on Dillon’s encounter with Sun Koh years ago. Another dossier on the subject was once in the hands of the Office of Scientific Intelligence. Dillon and friends are shown a laboratory right up there with any that can be found at Alternative Technologies or Hazzard Laboratories. At MARDL, Eli says goodbye to Clifton Storm, formerly known as Challenger Storm. Dillon met Master Gunnery Sergeant Morrell on a train ride from Harak to Khusra a few years ago. The mastermind behind the Vril plot is Li Shoon, the leader of the Ui Kwoon Ah-How. 

Story by Derrick Ferguson in Dillon Annual Collection 2019, Pro Se Productions, 2019. Grand Lakes University is from the movie Back to School. Dillon first met Ursula Van Houghton in “Dillon and the Night of the Krampus,” which takes place right before this story. Grand, Pennsylvania is from the television series Grand. Ben Munceford is from the movie The Bedford Incident. The Vril is from Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s The Coming Race. The Gantlet Brothers are the protagonists of a series of novels by Joel Jenkins. The Clip Pad is from Jenkins’ Dire Planet; Jenkins and Ferguson’s The Specialists reveals the Pad was invented by Wyatt Hyatt. The Miami Aerodrome Research & Development Laboratories (to use its name in the 1930s) and their head, Clifton “Challenger” Storm, are seen in novels by Don Gates. Sun Koh is a German pulp hero sometimes dubbed “the Nazi Doc Savage”; Dillon encountered him and the Vril in Ferguson and Josh Reynolds’ The Vril Agenda. The Office of Scientific Intelligence is from the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. The Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies is from Ferguson’s serialized novel “A Man Called Mongrel,” appearing in the anthology series Mystery Men (& Women). Hazzard Laboratories is run by Captain Hazzard, a one-shot pulp hero created by “Chester Hawks” (Paul Chadwick). Khusra is from Ferguson’s Fortune McCall stories. The train ride was seen in Dillon and the Last Rail to Khusra. Li Shoon appeared in stories by H. Irving Hancock in Detective Story Magazine. 

This crossover writeup is one of hundreds included in my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, which will be published by Meteor House! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED continuations of Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover Cover: Murder Island

 

In this Executioner novel by Josh Reynolds, Mack Bolan and his latest target, arms dealer Byron Cloud, find themselves on an island being hunted by a man called Sarban Rainsford. Tony Spence, the CIA’s man in Hong Kong, tells Bolan that Cloud is a third-generation criminal: “His granddaddy used to run a floating casino. He was mostly a blackmailer, but he dabbled in the arms trade and murder-for-hire. His daddy was of similar cut. Both were pretty nasty, so Byron’s comparatively harmless.” The Yellow Chrysanthemum is mentioned.  Sarban Rainsford’s name is inspired by Sanger Rainsford, the protagonist of Richard Connell’s story “The Most Dangerous Game,” which has already been included in the CU. Bolan suggests in passing that Rainsford may be using an alias. If so, he likely read Sanger’s account of his duel with the Russian General Zaroff and was inspired to adopt both Zaroff’s M.O. and Rainsford’s surname. Byron Cloud’s grandfather is Reinhardt Cloud, a foe of the pulp hero Jim Anthony. Reinhardt was first mentioned in Reynolds’ novel The Death's Head Cloud and made his first physical appearance in Red Shambhala. The Yellow Chrysanthemum is likely another name for the Brotherhood of the Golden Chrysanthemum, mentioned in other works by Reynolds, and related to the Sons of the Golden Chrysanthemum from Derrick Ferguson’s Dillon series. 

This novel is one of hundreds of crossovers that will be covered in my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, which will be published by Meteor House! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED companions to Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover Cover: Young Dillon in the Halls of Shamballah

 

Twelve-year-old Dillon is taken into the hidden city of Shamballah after his mother’s death, with the Warmasters of Liguria desiring to train him in combat. One of Shamballah’s sentries says, “Who would be shooting out here? There's no game and the Migou haven’t been seen in this region for two years now. Some say they’re in hibernation mode. And there’s not been so much as a sign of the Tcho-Tcho for going on five years.” Mr. Waingro of the Reardon Square Gang swears by Arioch. The trees seem to whisper to Dillon, “Our youngest sapling was ancient when the foundations for the pyramids of Leng were built.” Dillon already has several solid connections to the CU. The Migou (or Mi-Go), the Tcho-Tcho, and Leng are all associated with the Cthulhu Mythos. Arioch is one of the Dukes of Hell in Michael Moorcock’s Elric series, once again proving the CU is part of Moorcock’s Multiverse.

This novel is one of hundreds of crossovers covered in my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, which will be published by Meteor House! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED companions to Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover Cover: Search for the Beast

 

Are you a fan of the late great New Pulp author Derrick Ferguson?

Then you'll love this film novelization by him that adds in nods to Joel Jenkins' rock stars/mercenaries the Gantlet Brothers and the Joan Crawford film Berserk!

For more information, consult my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, to be published by Meteor House! All three volumes are AUTHORIZED companions to Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2!

Crossover of the Week

This post is dedicated to the late great Derrick Ferguson. Derrick was a great guy, a great author, and a great film critic. He always had praise for my work, particularly my ability to spot references in his own stories. His passing in 2021 was a great loss, and I miss him so much.

Autumn 2002

DILLON AND THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN BELL 

Dillon embarks on a mission to acquire the legendary Golden Bell of Malacar to end the country of Xonira’s civil war. Appearing or mentioned are: Hazzard Laboratories; the Banzai Institute; the Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies; the Lupin Casino; the Khusran army; a black double-breasted Marley Brooks suit; Comanapracil; Professor Simon Kane, aka the Scarf; Intelligence One; Sovereign City; Lowell O’Neal, the author who writes up Regency’s adventures in a series of popular novels; Sylvester Henderson and his brother Mongrel Henderson; the Gantlet Brothers; Max Damage, Seth Armstrong, and Damage, Inc.; Damon St. Cloud and his reporter girlfriend Sasha Benbow in Denbrook; Tenku Beer; Sutter Cane; Liz Sheridan; Johnny Kelly; Omega Elite; Triplets of Belleville; a huge Bowie knife with a well-worn bone handle that had once been owned by the notorious Cole Younger; the Hand of Midas; Steve Austin; and the Behinder. 

Novel by Derrick Ferguson, 2010; revised Deluxe Edition published by PulpWork Press in 2015. Hazzard Laboratories is run by Paul Chadwick’s pulp hero Captain Hazzard, whose adventures have been continued by Ron Fortier. The Banzai Institute is from the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. The Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies is run by Dr. Sylvester Henderson, whose brother, Charalambides “Mongrel” Henderson, is featured in Ferguson’s serialized novel “A Man Called Mongrel,” appearing in the Mystery Men (& Women) anthology series. The Lupin Casino is presumably named for Maurice Leblanc’s gentleman burglar Arsène Lupin or one of his relatives, such as his grandson Lupin III. Ferguson’s 1930s adventurer Fortune McCall is a member of the royal family of the African nation of Khusra. The Marley Brooks fashion company must have been founded by one of the bronze man’s aides, who was known for his sartorial splendor. A man wearing a Marley Brooks suit also appears in Howard Hopkins’ Green Ghost story “Ghost of a Chance.” Comanapracil is from “Believe in the Stars,” an episode of the sitcom 30 Rock. The Scarf is mentioned in the first Fortune McCall story, “The Scarlet Courtesan of Sovereign City.” Intelligence One is from Ferguson’s stories “The Knobloch Collection Assignment” and “The Magic of Madness,” the latter of which also features Fortune McCall. Sovereign City is the site of a novel imprint published by Pro Se Press; McCall is one of Sovereign’s heroes. Regency (who is in fact Lowell O’Neal) is a former member of Omega Elite, which is mentioned in several of Ferguson’s works. He appears in Ferguson’s story “In Need of a Friend.” The Gantlet Brothers, a family of rock stars who moonlight as mercenaries, appear in a series of books by Joel Jenkins. Max Damage, Seth Armstrong, and Damage, Inc. are from Jenkins’ Damage Inc. series. Damon St. Cloud and Sasha Benbow are from Jenkins’ Denbrook Supernatural series. The city of Denbrook was the setting of several serialized novels by different authors (including Ferguson and Jenkins) on the Frontier Publishing website and was created by Mike McGee. Tenku Beer is from the movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Sutter Cane is from the movie In the Mouth of Madness. Liz (or Lil) Sheridan and Johnny Kelly are from the movie Johnny Dangerously. The Triplets of Belleville are from the French animated film of the same name. Cole Younger was a real outlaw of the Old West, but his Bowie knife is from the movie The Long Riders. The Hand of Midas is from the animated film Aladdin and the King of Thieves. The TV series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland features a counterpart of the villainous Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin movies. Since that show takes place in the CU, the Hand of Midas referenced here probably hails from Fairy Tale Land, as does Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’s version of Jafar. Steve Austin is the Six Million Dollar Man. The Behinder is from Manly Wade Wellman’s Silver John story “The Desrick on Yandro.”

This write-up, and many more, can be found in my book Crossovers Expanded: A Secret Chronology of the World Volume 3, to be published by Meteor House. As with the first two volumes, this book is an AUTHORIZED companion to Win Scott Eckert's works Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World Volumes 1 and 2.

Crossover Cover: Four Bullets for Dillon

This collection of stories by Derrick Ferguson featuring his New Pulp hero Dillon includes two stories with crossovers. The first is "Dead Beat in La Esca," coauthored with Joel Jenkins. Dillon and rock star/mercenary Sly Gantlet manage to evade a group of would-be killers despite having downed several drugged drinks. Sly has partied in the fleshpots of cities such as Morocco, Cairo, Isthmus City, and Casablanca. When Sly challenges Dillon to an arm-wrestling contest, Sly’s date suggests they rent the best room at the Cobalt Club after he wins to celebrate. Isthmus City is from the James Bond film Licence to Kill. The Cobalt Club is from Walter Gibson's pulp novels about a vigilante who knows the evil lurking in men's hearts. This crossover also brings in Jenkins’ Gantlet Brothers, sibling musicians who moonlight as mercenaries, who appear in the novel The Nuclear Suitcase and the collections The Gantlet Brothers’ Greatest Hits and The Gantlet Brothers: Sold Out. John Velvet from the Dillon series appears in The Nuclear Suitcase. This story was originally published in the anthology Thrilling Tales, and was reprinted again in The Gantlet Brothers' Greatest Hits. Dillon and Sly worked together again in three novellas by Ferguson and Jenkins collected as The Specialists. I covered the first story, "Dead Beat in Khusra," in a previous post. The other story in Four Bullets for Dillon with crossovers is "Dillon and the Judas Chalice." Dillon, being chased by police through the city of Denbrook, tells his ally Wyatt Hyatt he took some training from a French race car driver named Vaillant. A potential client, Diogenes Morales, tells Dillon his former best friend, Cornelius Spoto, is plotting to overthrow the Caribbean island republic of San Monique. Dillon’s comrade Reynard Hansen claims to have been trained by the Thieves Guild of Seville. Morales’ daughter Fiesta attended the Higgins School of Higher Learning for Girls. Spoto worked with Dillon’s enemy Cecil Henshaw in Parmistan. The city of Denbrook, created by Mike McGee, was the setting of nine serialized novels by various authors on the online fiction site Frontier Publishing. The French race car driver is the title character of Jean Graton’s comic book series Michel Vaillant. San Monique is from the film version of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novel Live and Let Die; since most of the Bond movies take place in an alternate universe to the CU, the San Monique mentioned in this story and Frank Schildiner’s “The True Cost of Doing Business” must be the CU version of the island. The Thieves Guild of Seville is a reference to Miguel de Cervantes’ short story “Rinconete and Cortadillo.” The Higgins School of Higher Learning for Girls is named after Professor Henry Higgins from George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, adapted as the stage musical My Fair Lady. Parmistan is a fictional country from the movie Gymkata.

Crossover Covers: Black Pulp

This anthology contains two stories with crossovers. In Gary Phillips' "Decimator Smith and the Fangs of the Fire Serpent," boxer Achilles "Decimator" Smith turns vigilante after the death of his sister. He meets inventor Abe Kaufman, who tells him, "When I was back east, I did some work for a few vigilantes you might say. I belonged to a kind of a loose association of scientists who helped out the best way we could." Abe’s brother Rocco adds, "You heard of that bloodthirsty joker with the weird laugh and the slouch hat in New York? Abe designed a few gadgets for him through his operatives." This is a reference to Walter Gibson's most famous character, of course. Decimator also appears in his boxing days in Phillips' story "Demon Slaves of the Red Claw," a crossover between the Spider and Operator #5. The other story relevant to this blog is Derrick Ferguson's "Dillon and the Alchemist's Morning Coffee." The Alchemist’s Morning Coffee is a method of encoding digital information in human DNA devised by Dr. Alejandro Candu of the Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies. The nation of Khusra is mentioned. Dillon’s friend Wyatt Hyatt has been hacking into government agencies’ computers since he was a kid, including hacking into CTU’s computer core when he was thirteen. Dillon mentions another friend, Elisa Hill. This story takes place during the eight-month gap between Chapters 1 and 2 of Dillon and the Pirates of Xonira. The head of the Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies is Dr. Sylvester Henderson, whose brother Mongrel is the protagonist of a series of stories by Ferguson in Airship 27 Productions’ anthology series Mystery Men (& Women). Ferguson’s 1930s adventurer Fortune McCall is a Prince of Khusra’s Royal Family. The CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) is from the television series 24, which features fictional U.S. Presidents and massive terrorist attacks, including a nuclear device being detonated in Los Angeles. Presumably, as with the Spider novels, the true details of Jack Bauer’s adventures have been exaggerated and distorted for dramatic effect. Elisa Hill is the main character of Percival Constantine’s Myth Hunter series.

Crossover Cover: Devil Take the Hindmost

In the city of Denbrook, former journalist Damon St. Cloud seeks to avenge his family’s murder. Along the way, he encounters Matthew Corrigan, Detective Christos, Frederick “the Whale” Whalen, Charybdis and Scylla, and Toulon. Kenneth Ottman and Laloosh are also mentioned. The city of Denbrook, created by Mike McGee, was the setting of nine serialized stories by various authors on the website Frontier Publishing. The first section of the book, “Club Red,” originally appeared on the website in 2004. Matthew Corrigan and Detective Christos are from Michael Franzoni’s Denbrook story “Missing Persons.” Frederick “the Whale” Whalen is from Derrick Ferguson’s novel Dillon and the Voice of Odin. Since Dillon is in the CU, so are the various inhabitants of Denbrook. Charybdis and Scylla, Toulon, and Laloosh are from Ferguson’s as-yet-unpublished Denbrook novel Diamondback: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. Kenneth Ottman is from Tom Lynch’s Denbrook story “Pentagram Whispers.”

Crossover Cover: PulpWork Christmas Special 2014

This special from PulpWork Press includes three stories with crossovers.

In Josh Reynolds' Royal Occultist story "The Teeth of Winter," Charles St. Cyprian, hunting down a man-eating wendigo in Alberta alongside his assistant Ebe Gallowglass and the elderly Native American gunfighter Lone Crow, makes the third Hloh gesture. St. Cyprian first met the Inuit angakkuq Ukaleq in London, before the War, when he was an assistant to Thomas Carnacki. St. Cyprian and Lone Crow discuss Dr. Silence. St. Cyprian traces the sacred shape of the Voorish Sign in the air. Lone Crow appears in weird Western stories by Joel Jenkins. Hloh is from Margery Lawrence’s stories about occult detective Miles Pennoyer. Thomas Carnacki is from William Hope Hodgson’s collection Carnacki the Ghost-Finder, while Dr. Silence is from Algernon Blackwood’s collection John Silence. The Voorish Sign is from H. P. Lovecraft’s story "The Dunwich Horror."

Just as Reynolds' story features a character created by Joel Jenkins, Jenkins' own contribution to the special is a Royal Occultist story. On Maitress Island, St. Cyprian and Gallowglass battle the God of the Dark Burgeoning Deaths. St. Cyprian notes, "Professor Moriarty Moreau is said to have possession of a fragment of the Pnakotic Manuscript which contains directions for sealing portals without the use of human blood." Bella Mae Jobson of the Royal Archaeological Society comes to St. Cyprian and Gallowglass’ aid. St. Cyprian and Gallowglass are from the Royal Occultist stories by Josh Reynolds. Professor Moriarty Moreau’s connection to Professor James Robert Moriarty and Doctor Alphonse Moreau is unknown. The Pnakotic Manuscript is from H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Bella Mae Jobson, originally from P. G. Wodehouse’s Drones Club story "The Editor Regrets," first encountered St. Cyprian and Gallowglass in Reynolds’ story "Deo Viridio."

The final story relevant to this blog is "Dillon and the Night of the Krampus" by Derrick Ferguson. Dillon and his friends Wyatt Hyatt and Reynard Hansen battle a Krampus in Reynolds, Alaska. Dillon receives a puppy from Hoover, a man he met years ago. Dillon once sought out a man named Jim Anthony in New York to learn certain specialized knowledge from him. Professor Ursula Van Houghton, who teaches at Grand Lakes University, has been hired by the people of Reynolds to help them deal with the Krampus and recover their stolen children. Dillon took some courses in archaeology and cultural anthropology at the University of Northeastern California under Professor Sydney Fox. Hoover is Alaska Jim Hoover from the German pulp magazine Alaska Jim, Ein Held der Kanadischen Polizei. Jim Anthony appeared in the American pulp Super Detective. Dillon first met Alaska Jim and Jim Anthony in the novel The Vril Agenda, coauthored by Ferguson and Reynolds. Grand Lakes University is from the movie Back to School. The University of Northeastern California is from the sitcom Undeclared. Professor Sydney Fox is from the television series Relic Hunter.

Happy holidays!

Crossover of the Week

2006

DEAD BEAT IN KHUSRA

Dillon, spending a few days in Khusra after his latest adventure, reluctantly teams up with Sly Gantlet when his old flame and Sly’s current lover, Princess Sathyra of Tosegio, is kidnapped. Appearing or mentioned are: a member of the Khusran royal family who achieved some notoriety adventuring around the world back in the 1930s and ’40s; a Forrester tux; U.N.C.L.E.; F.L.A.G.; Globex; Thema Sidibe (aka Tracy); the “Long Noodle” plague; Jekyll Island beer; Madeline Scocco; the Otwani tribe; Cry, Cry Again; See You Next Wednesday; Comanapracil; Al-Julhara; and the Willis-Brennan JJ/59 aircraft, aka the Skyspear.

Novella by Joel Jenkins and Derrick Ferguson in The Specialists, PulpWork Press, 2015. Dillon is the protagonist of a series of novels and short stories by Ferguson, while Sly Gantlet and his brothers, rock stars who double as mercenaries, appear in books by Jenkins. This story takes place immediately after Ferguson’s novel Dillon and the Last Rail to Khusra. Dillon and Sly first met in Jenkins and Ferguson’s story “Dead Beat in La Esca.” The member of the Khusran royal family who achieved some notoriety adventuring around the world back in the 1930s and ’40s is Fortune McCall, the hero of another series of stories by Ferguson. Thema Sidibe, Fortune’s cousin, used the name Tracy Scott in that era during her adventures alongside him. The “Long Noodle” plague and the Otwani tribe are also from the Fortune McCall tales. Madeline Scocco is the granddaughter of Ronald Scocco, one of Fortune’s aides. The Forrester tux is a reference to the Forrester family that owns the fashion house Forrester Creations on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. U.N.C.L.E. is from the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., of course. F.L.A.G. is from the TV series Knight Rider. Globex is from “You Only Move Twice,” an episode of the long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons. Since that show is too overtly absurd in its events to be incorporated into CU continuity, Globex must exist in both the CU and the Simpsons’ native universe. Jekyll Island beer has appeared in several TV series, including Burn Notice, Dexter, and Lost. Cry, Cry Again is a fictional movie from the Seinfeld episode “The Little Kicks.” See You Next Wednesday is a film that appears or is mentioned in several of John Landis’ films, including An American Werewolf in London, The Blues Brothers, and Trading Places. Comanapracil is a drug seen in “Believe in the Stars,” an episode of the sitcom 30 Rock. Al-Julhara is from the movie The Jewel of the Nile, a sequel to Romancing the Stone. The Willis-Brennan JJ/59 aircraft is a reference to Willis Aircraft Company owner Leland Willis and his employee Lt. Col. Matt Brennan from the film Chain Lightning. Matt must have become a partner in the company after the movie’s events.

Crossover Cover: Curse of the Necronomicon

“Myth hunter” Elisa Hill is hired by the wealthy Sebastian Clarke to locate her former lover and partner Lucas Davalos, who has gone incommunicado while tracking down the Necronomicon for Clarke. Elisa refers to an acquaintance of hers whose drink of choice is Demarara rum, as well as “that Diamondback character out of Denbrook.” The Necronomicon is a staple of Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Elisa’s Demerara-drinking acquaintance is Derrick Ferguson’s adventurer Dillon. Diamondback is from Ferguson’s as-yet unpublished novel Diamondback: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. The city of Denbrook was the setting of serialized novels by Constantine, Ferguson and other authors for the Frontier Publishing website.

Crossover Cover: Dillon and the Voice of Odin

Dillon battles the evil Odin, who is using a sonic device to menace the world. Dillon, whose catamaran is called the Copperfin, drinks a can of Tenku Beer. Double-O agents are mentioned in a flashback, and British Secret Service agent Gregory Tipp has an office on the tenth floor of the Transworld Consortium building, which is an elaborate front for the Service itself. At the headquarters of Odin’s ally Dr. Numby, Dillon admires swords handcrafted by Domingo Montoya, one of the greatest swordcrafters who ever lived. The president of the United States meets with Doctor Michael Cadwallander, Director of Special Projects for the Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies, and Milo Dane, head of the Omega Elite, the U.S. government’s ultimate “dirty tricks” department. Dillon’s friend Eli Creed drinks Old Dusseldorf beer. Dillon’s catamaran is named after the U.S.S. Copperfin submarine seen in the film Destination Tokyo. Tenku Beer is from the film Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Double-O agents and Transworld Consortium are from Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. Domingo Montoya is the father of Inigo Montoya, one of the main characters of William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride. The Henderson Institute of Alternative Technologies is run by Dr. Sylvester Henderson, whose brother Mongrel has appeared in stories by Ferguson for Airship 27 Productions’ Mystery Men (& Women) anthology series. Omega Elite has been mentioned in several of Ferguson’s stories. Old Dusseldorf beer is from the television series Magnum, P.I.