                         Oliver Stewart

You were born a poor kid in New York City. 
Actually you were born a rich kid in New
Jersey.  Actually, you were born out in the
midwest....

You like to tell stories about your childhood,
almost all of which you have made up, and are
pointedly contradictory.  It allows you to be
mysterious, without having to be quiet.  The fact
is that you have blocked most of your childhood
out, and try not to think of it any more than
necessary.

You spent much of your childhood wrapped up
in comic books.  You were born just early
enough to be able to find old pre-code horror
comics if you looked hard enough, and you did. 
You could buy them for a nickel a piece used in
bins at the comic shop.  Most of your money
went there.

You lived not only the stories, but the extended
stories.  The things that went on outside of the
comics.  You were also and avid reader, and
digested everything in your path.  When you
read, you illustrated the scenes in your mind,
and when you read illustrated material, you
filled in the dialogue and behind-the-scenes
material.

It did not take you particularly long to become
a comic artist.  There were several years in the
late seventies of supporting yourself by odd
jobs, as the market for domestic underground
work had petered out, and the market for really
top-notch work like the material in Raw was not
yet fully established.  But you could draw, and
you managed to get yourself a job at Universal,
the major competitor of Marvel and D.C.  Like
most other companies, Universal had a catalogue
of wooden 1950's superheroes, and like most
other companies, they were in the process of
going through them with a chainsaw, and trying
to shape something sophisticated enough for an
eighties market.  

It took several years of working, but eventually
you were allowed to produce your own satirical
mini-series, "Captain Flapjack."  It had been
envisioned as sort of a minimal market bit of
fluff, but your biting humor, and hints at adult
themes, made it a very successful spoof.

After that, they turned you loose with Blood
Hound, and a career was born.  You handled the
adaptation of the insipid
1960's character with a grace and drama that
surprised even you.  Before long, the trail of
bloody footprints superimposed across a bleak
oil cover became a common site in shops that
handled "mature" comics.

Socially you began to get out a bit more.  You
made some friends, including horror author
Anthony Blaine, and occult writer Jeffrey Saxon. 
Saxon was a particularly happy camper, a
perfect contrast for your manically dark
personality.  The two of you shared and
apartment, and other interests.  "Ollie" Stewart
became a fairly noted figure, and the two of you
together became a little notorious as benign
troublemakers.

You got invited to parties and clubs, and
accumulated an odd coterie of acquaintances, in
which you were the stable central pivot.  Despite
the fact that Jeffrey was a health nut, and that
you exaggerated your addictions for stylistic
value, the fact is you were one of the more
stable members of your little social group.  It
was through Jeffrey that you met Karyn
Seidmann, Leda Deerden, and Jonathan Drake. 

Graphic horror never managed to completely
erase your business sense, and you realized that
Drake, a major editor at Thormond and Sons,
might be useful to know.  For one thing,
Universal Comics and Thormond Publishing are
both owned by Vista Communications, which
made Drake practically "in-house."  One
evening you were sitting around trashing
someone's apartment, and the subject of graphic
novels came up.  Drake mentioned that there
was some interest in a graphic novel based on
Grant Cochran's Sightless King.  

You read Sightless King that night.  It was full
of wonderful symbols and imagery, thrown
together in an appallingly bad way.  You sorted
it out, and began to storyboard it.  Drake loved
it.  Grant's agent loved it.  You met with
Cochran, and found him pompous and brusque,
which are fairly redeeming characteristics in
New York, or at least common characteristics. 
Your work on Blood Hound had clenched your
career as a writer, but much of the drawing and
all of the inking were done by flunkies.  Your
work on Sightless King clenched your reputation
as a serious illustrator.

During the time he was in New York, you got to
know Grant fairly well, and spent some time
with him.  Anthony Blaine, who had known
Grant for years, had nothing but bad things to
say about him, but the fact is for all of your
manic energy, you are an affable fellow and like
most everyone.  You even like Leda Deerden,
though her idea of art isn't fit to be used to
patch radiator pipes.  You have learned, unlike
Anthony, to keep such opinions to yourself. 
Perhaps Jeffrey taught you some restraint.

You do love to gossip of course.  Some time
ago Emily Breezewood divorced her husband
and came up to live with Karyn and Leda.  You
had not met her, but you had heard of her from
Linda Kane, a friend of Karyn and Jeffrey who
visits periodically on literary business of some
kind.  At any rate, you found out some very
interesting gossip about Grant Cochran and his
circle of friends.  Notably, you heard Emily's
ex-husband apparently actually wrote most of the
good stuff in Grant's novels.  You would be
interested in meeting the redoubtable Matthew
Allen Carter, and finding out if his sense of
horror is as acute as you have heard.

Earlier today you touched base with Linda who
mentioned that you should avoid discussing
business with Mr. Gary Morant this evening, as
he had just been wiped out in the stock market
crash.  You hadn't heard about the stock market
crash last week, so you had her fill you in on it. 
Perhaps you should listen to the news more. 
You had heard some loud noises from down
towards Wall street, so you presume that was
the sound of financiers hitting the pavement. 
Fascinating city, New York.  Never boring. 

Other than the near compulsive exchange of
gossip (it really is the only civilized recreation
man has invented), and making sure that Leda
behaves herself (Karyn asked you and Jeffrey to
pick Leda up in a rental car and bring her down
with you since Jeffrey actually knows how to
drive.  An odd thing in New York, but he has
places to go and people to see.  Drake and
Karyn were driving down separately, but you
have little faith they will actually make it,
considering how difficult it was for you to get
here, and how little experience either of them
have reading maps.  Leda is apparently trying to
close some sort of literary deal with Grant
Cochran, which is fine with you.  In the
meantime, you are looking for new material,
both for your work, and for conversation.

THE OTHERS

What they know about you:

Oliver Stewart:  A comic-book author and
illustrator for Universal Comics, a major
competitor of Marvel and D.C. 
Oliver responsible for the satirical Captain
Flapjack miniseries, but is best known for his
work with Blood Hound, a revitalized 1960's
Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-horror
miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-novel
adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless King,
which was somewhat more successful than the
actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but has
maintained a friendship with horror writer Grant
Cochran, and has come down with some of his
other New York acquaintances to make his
birthday an interesting affair.

PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL:

Anthony Blaine:  A New York writer
considered a protege of Grant Cochran, Blaine
is handled by Jonathan Drake, the same
publisher as Cochran.  It was rumored that
Blaine and Cochran had a very serious argument
while appearing together at a promotional
convention after the publication of Sightless
King.  Blaine is best known for his Fantasy-
Horror novel Wunderking, and his most recent
work The Dinner Guest.  

Emily Breezewood: a good kid, a little
confused.  She roomed with Karyn, who
probably wants something from her.

A college friend of Grant Cochran, and a prep-
school friend of Margot Matthews, Emily is the
daughter of Senator Breezewood of Connecticut,
a very powerful senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily
was married to Matthew Allen Carter, and
divorced him, in a particularly messy case
during which Mr. Carter was represented by
Gary Morant.  They are reported to be on barely
civil speaking terms now.  Emily is living with
Mike Ballistis.

Grant Cochran:  Grant Cochran is a horror
writer whose early work brought him wealth and
recognition.  His first acclaimed work was a
collection of short stories in 1977 entitled Look
Ma, No Hands!  Grant achieved a more limited
success with The Sickness in John Harrol, 1977;
The Collection, 1979; but his mainstream horror
novels  Dark Symbols,1980; and Trinity, 1982;
were extremely successful.  His Lovecraftian
fantasy-horror The Sightless King, 1984 was
universally panned.  Grant also wrote the
screenplay for the 1981 film The Blinding.
Numerous short stories including The Metallic
Taste of Blood Omni, Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Leda Deerden: has never written a word in her
life as far as you know, and is about as
talented as a Central Park pigeon, but she is a
quality person which is what matters.  She
believes in art, and culture, and stupid causes,
which is an important thing in this day and
age.  You like Leda, despite her dizziness, and
will gladly lie preposterously to aid in
prevaricating her literary credentials.   

A New York author, or visual artist, guest of
Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden is known for
her terra cotta figures, which are widely sold in
gift shops in the Village, and her work at the
42nd Street Gallery, but is a newcomer to the
writing field.  Her first project is projected to be
a collaboration with Grant Cochran.

Jonathan Drake:  Johnny (he hates to be
called that), is down here to close a deal with
Leda and Grant.  From what you've heard, he
wants Leda to rewrite Grant's prose.  You
aren't sure if she is capable, but after reading
Sightless King, you are convinced she couldn't
do it any harm.

Publisher of Grant Cochran, Drake is Editor of
Horror at Electra publishing, a division of
Robert W. Thormond and Sons, Inc., one of the
nations largest publishing houses.  Despite the
failure of Cochran's latest novel, Drake is
reported to be successful and on the rise.  He
handles many other writers including Anthony
Blaine, and is also in charge of titles under the
smaller, but profitable Medea imprintaur, for
occult paperbacks, which includes the works of
Jeffrey Saxon.

Linda Kane: a very nice girl who has visited in
New York several times.  You wish her very
well, and are profoundly interested in knowing
how she became involved with this den of
wolves.

Parapsychological researcher for the Institute for
Parapsychological Studies, 1567 23rd St. NW. 
Graduate of Columbia Prep, and Mary
Washington College.  M.A. Barnard.  Kane is a
literary agent for Matthew Allen Carter and is
rumored to be his lover.  

Jeffrey Saxon: is well...Jeff.  How can you
express it.  He can be a profound nerd, and a
brilliant entertainment.  The two of you are
capable of making profound amounts of trouble
at parties.  Jeffrey lost his family in a tragedy
about ten years ago, a fact which you try not to
remind him of.

A noted Parapsychology/Occult writer and
Astrologer, author of Health Signs, Astrology for
You, and Psychic Defense, and several other
successful books published in paperback. 
Jeffrey is rumored to be practically the only
person in New York who does not suffer from
an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann: a tragic and interesting
figure.  Karyn went to women's prison in the
1970's for fraud and embezzlement.  She was a
professional con-artist.  She was released, and
went to work as a semi-legit literary agent, and
actually landed a good writer.  She tries to be
straight, but has an almost unbearable
compulsion to rip off everyone she is associated
with.  Jeffrey knows this, and is safe.  You try
to avoid disclosing information on Karyn's past
to anyone, because she is trying to reform. 
Male reformed small-time gangsters seem to get
more respect in New York.  Maybe Karyn
would do better if she looked like Dustin
Hoffman.  At any rate, old habits die hard. 
When you last saw her, she was typing up some
work by a forgotten 1950's horror author
named Harold Poke to pass off as a sample of
Leda's writing. 

A New-York literary agent, Seidmann is not
well known in literary circles, though there are
some dark rumors about her past, including a
lawsuit.  Seidmann handles small time occult
authors, and until recently her biggest literary
success was Jeffrey Saxon, the popular occultist
and astrologer.

OTHER PEOPLE:

Mike Ballistas:  a wealthy international
consultant with impressive offices downtown. 
Ballistas has numerous prominent government
contacts, and is generally known to be an
influential businessman.  He donated heavily to
the Reagan Campaign.

Avery Carson: attended George Washington
University and has many acquaintances from that
period, and immediately afterward.  Avery met
most of Grant's circle of friends in the seventies
while they were working in Washington after
graduation.  Mr. Carson occupied a position in
the staff of the late Darrington Ripley, U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden.  Currently employed by
the State Department, Avery Carson is rumored
to actually work for the Company, or No-such-
agency.

Matthew Allen Carter:  A well known mystic,
Carter is associated with decadence, drugs, and
bizarre mysticism.  It is unclear where his
money comes from, though he is known to be at
least moderately wealthy, and eccentric.  
M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Thomas Cochran:  Grant's failure of a brother. 
Thomas dropped out of school, and was deeply
involved in drugs.  He narrowly avoided jail on
larceny charges.  He lost his share of the family
wealth, and is currently employed by his brother
as a handyman. 

Sarah Lamont: Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-
school and College friend of Margot Matthews,
Linda Kane, Emily Breezewood and others. 
Sarah went to work for Gary Morant as a
paralegal, and is now his chief secretary.  

Margot Matthews: Margot was a friend of
Grant Cochran, and several other attendees in
college, but went on to become a prominent
Washington socialite who rose out of the ranks
of minor political followers due to her
connections with the late U.S. ambassador to
Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley.  Margot is
giving this party in honor of Grant Cochran's
birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Gary Morant:  Washington Attorney. 
Graduated from George Washington University
in 1974, GW Law in 1978.  Formed Morant and
Steele with Harlan Steel in 1980.  Known for
handling some of the messiest and most
prominent divorce and lawsuit cases in the
Washington social spectrum.  Morant is a rising
star in the social constellation of Washington,
and is Grant Cochran's attorney, and is currently
representing him in all of his sordid legal
affairs. 

Mort Nicholson: a well known private
detective.  Nicholson has worked for Gary
Morant, and was a research reference for the
character of Detective George Panopalous in
Grant Cochran's Trinity.

Roger Pierce: a Professor/practitioner of
Psychology at George Washington University. 
Young but promising, for several years his 400
level course on Personality Disorders has been
considered the "most fun" class in the entire
psych department.  Many of Dr. Pierce's
associates consider him to be "that strung out
quack", Dr. Pierce considers himself a
"perceptually enhanced alternative practitioner." 
It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either has
something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

Tony Randall-Smith:  Olympic Equestrian
Medalist, winning two Silver and one Bronze
medal at Los Angeles in 1984.  Native of
McLean Virginia, the child of a former
ambassador to England.  Personally acquainted
with Princess Margaret, has appeared in Sports
Illustrated, and network television.  Currently
holds American and European Championships in
several categories of jumps.  Professional status
has been called into question, but intends to
compete in 1988.  

Craig Webber: An acquaintance of Margot
Matthews, Mr. Webber is a well-to-do local
business consultant, rumored to have
connections to smuggling and the underworld. 
Webber is said to be a business partner of Avery
Carson.
