Robert Bloch

See also: Bloch

Robert Bloch (born the April 5th 1917 with Chicago and deceased the September 23rd 1994 with Los Angeles) is an American writer, author of detective novels and news fantastic, having worked much for the cinema and television as a scenario writer.

Biography

It is by seeing Lon Chaney in the Phantom of the Opera at the 8 years age, that it is impassioned for the fantastic one. At the 15 years age it is friendly with Lovecraft and maintains a regular correspondence with this one. It will put it in scene in Retour to Arkham . Several of its novels and news take again the Mythe of Cthulhu created by Lovecraft.

With used the pseudonyms of Tartleton Fiske, Malone Sherry, E.K. Jarvis, Wilson Kane, John Sheldon, Will Folke.

In addition, he wrote to several stories around Jack the eventror: Your devoted Jack the eventror , one of his more famous news, the novel the night of the eventror …

In 1942, Bloch creates one of his most popular characters Lefty Feep , which will appear in 22 news in " Fantastic Adventures". These accounts are new in French because filled with untranslatable word games: it is a swindler sympathetic nerve always embarked in combine twisted which finishes by him falling down above unrelentingly.

Working for the advertizing agency " Gustav Marx advertising agency", he is contacted by James Doolittle, campaign director of Carl Zeidler, the assistant of the prosecutor of Milwaukee. One asks him to work on the speeches, the publicity of the candidate; in collaboration with Harold Gauer, it organizes " shows électoraux" who will bring Zedler to the victory, but will bring to Bloch neither recognition, nor the discounted wages. In his autobiography, Bloch reports that if he had not written a little story of vampire entitled " the Cloak" for the magazine " Unknown" , Carl Zeidler would never have become Maire of Milwaukee.

In 1957, he intends to speak with radio operator about the " to stop of Plainfield" , ED Gein, which has just been stopped for the murder of Bernice Worden and at which one discovered a few tens of objects manufactured starting from corpses unearthed in the neighbouring cemeteries. Bloch, who does not live very far, wonders what can push a man at such ends, the imagination of the novelist is started, and that gives Psychose from which Alfred Hitchock will draw what can undoubtedly be regarded as its best film, very faithful to the original novel.

Having moved with Hollywood, he writes simultaneously:

  • its own novels and news (see bibliography)
  • scenarios for the cinema:
  • of the scenarios or adaptations for televised series:
    • Lock-up (with Mc Donald Carey)
    • Whispering Smith (western with Audie Murphy)
    • Alfred Hitchcock presents (17 episodes)
    • Thriller (presented by Boris Karloff)
    • Star Trek 3 episodes
      • 1.07 (1966) " What are little girls made off? " (Planet of the illusions)
      • 2.07 (1967) " Catspaw" (In the claws of the cat)
      • 2.14 (1967) " Wolf in the fold" (A wolf in the sheep-fold)
    • Darkroom with James Coburn
  • of the articles and news for male magazines (Playboy, Rogue, Rider, Rascal, Swank…)

In 1959, it gains the Prix Hugo for his news " That Hell-Bound Train" (which concerns more of fantastic than the science fiction). In 1969, he writes for Collier Young (producing of cinema and television) the novellisation of a scenario which will never be turned. This last will publish the text the strange business Todd (Ed.Néo 1985) under its own name, whereas Robert Bloch always asserted the integral writing of it.

French works

Novels

Collections of news

English works

as an author

  • 1958 : Dragons and nightmares (Mirage Close, to travel series)

  • 1960: Pleasant dreams (Jove Publ.)
  • 1977: The King off Terror (Mysterious Near)
  • 1979: Out off the Mouths off Serious (Mysterious Near)
  • 1986: Unholy Trinity (scream near) illustr. Harry O. Morris
  • 1987: Lost in time and space with Lefty Feep (Broad Ed.Creatures At)
  • 1987: The Selected Stories (Underwood Miller) - (3 volumes: 1. Final Reckonings 2. Bitter Ends 3. Last Rites)
  • 1989: Screams (Underwood Miller) The Will to Kill - Firebug - The Star Stalker
  • 1991: Yours truly, Jack the Ripper (Pulphouse Publishing n°6)
  • 1992: The skull off Marquis de Sade (Pulphouse Publishing n°31)
  • 1998: Flowers from the moon & other Lunacies (Arkham Publishers House)
  • 2005: The fear planet (Subterranean Near)

In 1995, Richard Matheson published (at TOR) as an editor a collection (entitled Apreciations off has master ) better fantastic news of Robert Bloch (Enoch, Hell-bound Train, Your truly Jack the ripper…), each text being prefaced by one of his/her friends (Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Brian Lumley, Arthur C. Clarke, Christopher Lee, William Peter Blatty…)

as an editor

  • 1976 : The best off Fredric Brown (Nelson Doubleday Inc)

  • 1994: Monsters in our Midst (Robert Hauls) with Lawrence Block, Charles Grant, Jack Williamson…

adaptations as cartoons

  • 1972 : Yours Truly… Jack the Ripper , drawing Gil Kane and Ralph Reese, scenario Ron Goulart (ED. Marvel Comics, Journey into Mystery n° 2)

  • 1972: The Shambler from the stars , drawing Jim Starlin and Tom Micrometer caliper, scenario Ron Goulart (ED. Marvel Comics, Journey into Mystery n° 3)
  • 1973: The Shadow from the steeple , drawing Rich Buckler, scenario Ron Goulart (ED. Marvel Comics, Journey into Mystery n° 5)
  • 1973: The man who cried werewolf! , drawing Pablo Marcos, scenario Gerry Conway (ED. Marvel Comics, Monsters Uneashed! n°1)
  • 1974: The living room dead , drawing Alan Kupper & Mick Giordano, scenario Roy Thomas (ED. Marvel Comics, Vampires bruise n°5)
  • 1985: Hell one earth (ED. cd. Comics, drawing Keith Giffe, scenario Robert Loren Fleming)
  • 1992: Psycho (Ed.Innovation, drawing Felipe Echevarria, scenario Matt Thompson)

tests and fanzines

  • 1985 : Horror Show (volume 3, exit 4, fall 1985) special Bloch with interview

  • 1991: Weird Bruise n°300 (spring 1991) special Bloch, with Henry Kuttner, illustrations Gaham Wilson
  • 1993: Mystery scene n° 40: building the Packsaddlled Motel

Sources

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