Derrick
Ferguson: Who is James Hopwood?
James
Hopwood: James Hopwood is my pen name. I have also been Jack Tunney
three times. But in the real world I am David James Foster.
I
assumed a pen name to separate myself from three successful artists,
albeit in different disciplines, who have published under the name
David Foster. Firstly there is an excellent award winning Australian
author; then a world champion woodchopper; and finally a successful
musician and music producer. Then there's David Foster Wallace, of
course. Adding another ‘David Foster’ to the marketplace, would
not only detract from their achievements – as well as my own –
but would also create confusion for the reading public.
DF:
Where do you live and what do you do to keep the bill collectors,
away?
JH:
I live in Melbourne, Australia, in a little
seaside suburb called Seaford. Near the pier that featured in the
original Mad Max
with Mel Gibson.
Yeah,
those bill collectors, can't outrun those guys. I mainly work in
graphic design and typesetting – small scale stuff, my illustration
skills aren't too crash hot these days. But I get by, no complaints.
DF:
Tell us something about your background.
JH:
I grew up in rural Australia, about 2.5 hours
north of Melbourne on the Murray River. It was a small town called
Echuca. They filmed a TV mini-series there in the early 80s called
All The Rivers Run, which
starred Sigrid Thornton and John Waters. I only mention it, because
those who've seen it will have a pretty good idea about my old home
town. I got out of there pretty early though, in my late teens, to
study art and design. Finally made my way to the big smoke, and have
lived here ever since.
DF:
How long have you been writing?
JH:
I
guess I've toyed around with writing since I was in my twenties, but
I was one of those guys who kept it all hidden away in a bottom
drawer. But the internet changed all that. I corresponded with like
minded people from all around the globe, people who were into the
same kind of books and stories as I was, and I thought if they're
giving it a go, then I should too. Five years ago, I broke the
shackles when I penned a novella for the Fight Card series, called
KING OF THE OUTBACK. The
reaction to it was pretty positive, which gave me the confidence to
keep going.
DF:
What's your philosophy of writing?
JH:
I'm pretty loose with my approach, and I keep
changing to suit my circumstances. I write pretty much every day
because I enjoy it, but I am not too concerned if I miss a day or
even a week. The thing for me is to be at least thinking about my
work, and how I will use the time when I do get in front of a
computer. I hate sitting in front of a blank screen waiting for
inspiration to strike.
I
am also a big believer in research. Like any writer, I hit
road-blocks and snags along the way. But I have found the harder I
work researching, the more likely I am to find that nugget that will
get the story back on course. That's not to say my stories are based
on fact, or some kind of concrete truth, but it's from there I find
ideas spring forth.
DF:
How did you get involved with HOLLYWOOD MYSTERY? Whose idea was it?
JH:
Pro Se Productions put out an open call a
couple of years ago for the anthology, and at the time I was tied up
with a few other projects, so I reluctantly let it slide. However,
when my schedule opened up, I was surprised to find there were still
a spot open and decided to pounce. My idea was for a THIN MAN type of
story, featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
I
presented a proposal for a 10,000 word story that featured Myrna Loy
being stalked by a taxi driver at the premiere of her latest movie.
However, corresponding with Tommy Hancock, Pro Se's Editor-in-chief,
I lamented that with such few words, I couldn't really do a
traditional 'cozy' ending – you know the type, where all the
suspects are gathered in one room, and the detective announces who
the killer is. To create that kind of ending, I suggested I'd need
more words to define each of the individual suspects. Much to my
surprise and delight, Tommy got back to me and said, if I needed more
words, take them. So I did, and a new story arose.
The
idea for the anthology was Tommy's – he appears to be as much of a
fan of classic mystery movies as I am. The other authors on board the
project are Mark Squirek, Christofer Nigro, Wayne Carey and Gordon
Dymowski. Admittedly, I am biased, but I think we've put together a
damn good package.
DF:
Judging by the story you wrote for HOLLYWOOD MYSTERY; “The Poison
Pen” You're quite the fan of William Powell and Myrna Loy and the
work they did in the classic THIN MAN series. What was the
first THIN MAN movie you saw and how old were you when he saw
it?
JH:I
was in my early 20s (about 25+ years ago) when I first caught THE
THIN MAN on late night television, and I loved it. I don't think it
was ever released on VHS or DVD in Australia (but am happy to be
proven wrong). It was many years later once online shopping became
available that I was able to pick up the series from England, and
they have remained a regular part of my movie diet ever since (along
with the Michael Shayne movies, with Lloyd Nolan).
DF:
What's your favorite THIN MAN movie and why?
JH:
Undoubtedly the first one. While all the movies
are good, as the series progressed a little bit of what we'd now call
'political correctness' seeped in. When Nick and Nora Charles had a
son, the boozy comedic antics were toned back, and they were gently
transformed into more respectable role models – albeit with their
flaws and nuances.
DF:
I was impressed by how you captured the style and elegance that was
the hallmark of both William Powell and Myrna Loy. How much research
into the background of their relationship did you do?
JH:
Thanks, Derrick. Of course, I watched all the
films in the series repeatedly – and a documentary or two, about
Powell and Loy. But I did stay away from Dashiell Hammett's original
story. I wanted 'The Poison Pen' to reflect the breezy style of the
movies, rather than the source material.
DF:
You planning on writing any more stories about Powell & Loy?
JH:
I have no plans at the moment, but if there's
demand for more, sure, I'd be happy to oblige.
DF:
Do you have any dreams of writing a THIN MAN story and/or
novel for Pro Se?
JH:
That would be fantastic, but I am sure the
Estate of Dashiell Hammett would have a thing or two to say. Into
that mix throw whoever holds the rights to the film series, and I'm
guessing it would be a potential minefield. But it is a nice dream.
Hey, if a deal can be arranged, sign me up!
DF:
You and Paul Bishop collaborated on creating a character: Mace
Bullard of the Foreign Legion. How did that work out? How'd you guys
come up with the character?
JH:
Paul Bishop actually came up with the idea for
Mace Bullard for a project he was putting together with Tommy
Hancock, called Bishop &
Hancock's Pulse Fiction. Pulse
Fiction featured a whole swag of new
characters, and when I first heard about the project I was interested
in an American Indian character who'd washed up on a shore in Africa.
But Paul pulled me aside, and said that he wanted me to take a look
at Bullard. I hadn't really read any Foreign Legion pulps at that
time, but he hooked me up with some Robert
Carse Legion tales, which
I devoured, and realized it was a genre I could sink my teeth into.
Paul had Bullard's backstory all mapped out. All I had to do was
plonk him in the middle of an adventure.
Paul loved what I came up with, and
basically said, 'Kid, the character's all yours now. Do with him what
you will.' Of course, I run all my Bullard stories past Paul for
approval. So far, it's been a blast.
DF:
Where has he appeared so far and what future plans do you have for
him?
JH:
As hinted at above, he first appeared in Bishop
& Hancock's Pulse Fiction: Volume 1,
in a tale called Honor of the Legion.
He returned in The Pirate King
for Airship 27's mammoth Legends
of New Pulp Fiction. Hopefully
Bullard will re-appear before the end of the year in Sahara
Six, a novella length tale, which
sees our intrepid hero transferred to the most remote outpost in
Morocco. Then, ssshhhh,
this is a little secret, I have plans for a novel length story,
called Dead Man's Key.
It's a little way off at the moment, but it's coming.
DF:
What's a typical Day In The Life of James Hopwood like?
JH:
Ah, I'm an early riser, so I'll usually have
the computer on around 6:00am, and start working on a few projects
before breakfast. Then I head to the beach for a spot of snorkling,
then return home for my first martini of the day. Sorry, that last
sentence is a bare-faced lie – just pretending to live out an Ian
Fleming fantasy life. After breakfast I squeeze whatever tasks the
day has in store for me, the usual working-stiff drudgery. But it
gets me out of the house. However, I carry multiple notepads around
with me at all times, and I'm always scribbling notes. At night, if
I'm not drawn to the 'idiot box', I'll try to convert some of those
scrawled notes into something cohesive.
These
days, I hate to admit I don't read as much as I used to. My work
consists of sitting in front of computers for most of the day, and
it can strain my eyes. The sad offshoot is I read less. However, I
have really taken to audio books, and find they are a great way to
close the day. I have been listening to some of the Robert Stark
(Donald Westlake) Parker novels lately, and they are fantastic.
Currently I am on The Rare Coin
Score.
James
Hopwood: For anyone who's interested in my
work, I can be found at:
And on occasion I
shoot my mouth off about films and books at my blog:
Cheers,
Derrick, thanks for your time, and continued support for your fellow
writers in the New Pulp community.
