The Coye book is a blast. The guy was one weird dude. The story about him taking a severed head to a bar is typical of the many antics he would pull. I think his art really puts some people off, and was way ahead of its time. It is obvious that Coye was not afraid to show visceral horrors in his art. The book talks about how he was working as a medical illustrator and kept body parts around his studio. (Thus explaining why he had a human head hanging around.) This book should get a lot more attention from the horror field, especially the Lovecraft crowd. It's a full-length bio with lots of art and photographs, including one showing Coye shaking hands with Bela Lugosi. The guy had art in the original, great pulp Weird Tales and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Buy one for my friend" must have shocked some of the bar goers, that's for sure. I'm surprised myself he hasn't received more exposure. Much of his work I'm sure was lost, as pulp illustration was usually thought to be disposable. Yet his elongated, twisted anatomy is so suited to bizarre stories, especially Lovecraft's, work stands out in the horror/fantasy field. His adventure in the stick house and with the "drums" at his grandfather's house makes him a natural fit for the horror/fantasy field. I wish a larger, coffee-table style book of his work would be published.

The stick house in the woods encounter, as described in the book by Coye, is quite creepy and was the source for Karl Wagner's story "Sticks". I think the book also mentions how the story may have influenced the filmmakers of The Blair Witch Project. The website of the publisher, www.nonstop-press.com, has a notice for a forthcoming limited edition portfolio of Coye art listed. I emailed them to let me know when this comes out.

Super! I'm heading to the publisher's site now. Thanks!