EXCLUSIVE: Interview With THE GOSPEL OF BUCKY DENNIS Author J.R. Parks

J.R. Parks is the author of The Gospel of Bucky Dennis, a southern-fried monster epic featuring the titular anti-hero Bucky Dennis (review here). J.R. Parks has generated a fair amount of internet buzz for his first novel since offering both print and digital versions for free to gain readership. Luckily, I was encouraged by Parks’ fans to snag my own copy for review. J.R. Parks really kicks open the door to the horror fiction scene with his thrilling, action packed story. If you read the review, you know I loved The Gospel. Bucky’s gut-busting one liners, polite southern disposition, and badass monster killing moves stole my heart, so I had to talk with the creator himself, J.R. Parks, to find out the origins of Bucky D. and what we can expect in the future from this promising new talent.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with Destroy The Brain! First, could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started writing?

 

Parks: Well, I’m a silly-heart first off, a joker, a bona fide goofball. I was a bit of a smart ass in school, but never got into much trouble. When I was a young pup my school had these young author’s fairs every year or so and everybody wrote their own little masterpiece. I remember writing about dragons and such, basically retelling the same story every year until I lost interest all together and thought I’d be a puppeteer. Not even kidding. Puppets. That or be a Ghostbuster. Truth is I didn’t get serious about writing until I went to college in Los Angeles, originally thinking I’d make movies. Turns out movies are tough to make and take a lot of cooperation, so I got stuck with the stories, grabbed an English diploma (autographed by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and started publishing at speculative fiction magazines. Once I felt my chops were decent I applied to write graphic novels for a publishing house located in India–weird huh? Anyway, I did that for a while and then decided to jump ship and take my time with long fiction.

It’s interesting that you started out with aspirations of filmmaking because David Moody, author of Autumn, Hater, and Dog Blood, also started out with the same intention, but turned to the written word after realizing he didn’t have the resources he needed to make it happen. Another similarity you share is he offered one of his first novels for free via the internet. You have given away many copies of your book, The Gospel of Bucky Dennis, for free to bloggers for review and periodically offer the digital download for free as well. What made you decide to take this approach?

 

Parks: I think what made me take that approach boils down to: readership. I’m a web marketing professional by day, so I know the importance of sharing material freely and frequently — I firmly believe by making the content available in as many places as possible for free — in the long wrong it will drive sales and get folks talking. A great exampled of how successful that can be is Machine of Death. I’m just at the very, very beginning of the whole process, so there will be a whole slew of new methods and content to share in the future.

 

I think that is a great way to generate interest in your work, especially starting out.

But, back to your English diploma real quick – How did the opportunity come about for Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign your diploma!? And what is your favorite Schwarzenegger movie?

 

Parks: Haha, because he’s was the Governator, his electric governor’s signing machine signed them all! And my favorite Schwarzenegger movie? Lets see. Conan the Barbarian is a sword and sorcery staple and artfully adapted masterpiece of the great Robert E. Howard. However, Total Recall is a hilariously fantastic sci-fi romp birthed from the mind of Phillip K. Dick. Also…Twins exists. (pause) Ah screw it, I’m going to say Conan the Barbarian. “Crom laughs at your four winds!”

 

I thought you met him in person and asked him to autograph your diploma! That’s pretty funny. The Governor of Indiana, sadly, did not sign my diploma.

You were kind enough to send Destroy The Brain! a free copy of your novel The Gospel of Bucky Dennis. It was a gripping page-turner and I enjoyed it immensely. For our readers who are not familiar with the book, could you tell us a little about The Gospel?

 

Parks: It’s a southern gothic horror comedy at its core — a faux-biblical b-movie collected into shorts that mirror the same attitudes as Smokey and the Bandit (except Smokey is the Evil Dead and the Bandit is a bayou-bubba divorcé with sticks in his craw). The whole thing is told through the point of view of a liquored up anti-hero named Bucky Dennis, a tough guy’s tough guy, worn out, lonely, and pit against every manner of monster, fiend, and devil you could think of.

I don’t think I’ve ever beaten a character up so much. But then again, if the end times were coming and I had to get out of Dodge? I’d ask Bucky to drive the getaway car.

 

Bucky has definitely found a firm place at the top of my all-time list of anti-heroes. Is Bucky a character that was kicking around in your imagination for a long time, or did you just you just come up with this lovable, down-on-his-luck badass one day?

 

Parks: Bucky Dennis started out two ways. The first was a nightmare I had where a werewolf hounded me through a derelict building. I woke in sweats and thought, Werewolf story — shortly after the dream I wrote: “Mississippi Sunshine” and published it in a British pulp magazine called Theaker’s. He felt right on paper and was a hell of a lot of fun to play around with — but after about a year he sat on the shelf. Then something changed when I took a little trip to Arkansas (where we Parks’ hail from). I fell in love with Southern styles. Soon after I took another trip, this time through the desert from Los Angeles to Kingman, Arizona (this armpit of a town where my grandparents lived for a while, but the place sure has character — the kind of town where truckers tank up and whistle past sun bleached bones in the sand — think Wiley Coyote, think Dune). Anyhow, I got to thinking about wastelands and backwoods, solitude, loneliness and the end of the world and how that might pan out, the days leading up to it. Tribulations, revelations — what does a calendar read like before Doomsday? Well, I’m an optimist at heart, so I wanted to tell the story of a chosen one, a deliverer. So, I chose Bucky Dennis. Or I don’t know, maybe he chose me.

 

That answers 2 of my questions in one. The next was going to be, “why the south?” Based on the illustrations of Bucky on your website he looks a lot like a southern-fried version of Lemmy from Motorhead! Who are Bucky’s real life influences?

Parks: Bucky’s real life influences, eh? You know, I can’t say that there is any one individual. I mean, believe me, he bears likenesses to a plethora of folks I’ve met on the road, in the woods, at riverside bars, and in rib shacks, but I can’t pin point him to any one incredible individual. Bucky Dennis is more of a living concept, a kind of gung-ho, American archon of resilience and improvisation. He’s born of circumstances that are familiar to us, a post-war funk, a drinking problem, divorce. He is the avatar of defiance, his southernness, attitude, and general demeanor is the binding glue that makes him likable and relatable, but the way he deals, that’s what gives him that hero’s edge. Who better to deliver us from evil then a man that can take more licks and a lollipop?

 

How did you decide Bucky would be a Vietnam vet? Did that naturally become part of his history as he began forming in your imagination or was this a conscious decision?

 

Parks: Bucky being a Vietnam vet came pretty naturally and early on. My father fought in Vietnam, never talked much about it, but did have great insights on the effect it had on him, his friends, and his distaste for how he was treated when he returned. Think First Blood. I also felt the need to give some juice to him, some grit, and justify his extraordinary ability to insert his foot into the ass of bad dudes.

 

Who is the artist responsible for the illustrations and tarot card art on your website?

 

Parks: A brilliant artist by the name of Max Wittert, http://www.maxwittert.com — quality guy. In the next few months I’ll be releasing a Devil’s Tarot Game to my website where you’ll be able to draw three cards and read your fortune. Here’s a teaser:

“Down in the earth’s colon, where the magma burps and demons pluck bone guitars, there’s a little ol’ tavern called: Lucky Lilith’s. Crowded around tables made of sticks, slews of lesser imps drink tainted wine and eat tainted cheese. They place bets on mortal souls, collect sinister dues, and read each other’s fortunes by way of Devil’s Tarot.”

 What authors (or other artists) influence or inspire you?

 

Parks: Authors that influence me are definitely Cormac McCarthy for his sweeping descriptions and language, especially his mythic west, and Clive Barker for his incredible imagination and mastery of the surreal. Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft both have my pulp horror/fantasy heart thumping. I’m going to add Brian Leung, author of Take Me Home — the man was definitely an influence on me and my favorite writing professor, Brian embraced the concept of writing what you love and I love him for it. I’m also heavily influenced by graphic novels (a huge place in my heart for them and I’ve written a few). Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, Jeff Smith’s Bone, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy just to name a few.

 

You mentioned you wrote graphic novels for a publishing house in India. Can you tell us about the graphic novels you worked on? How does this medium compare to novels and short stories for you?

 

Parks: I wrote an adaptation of The Hounds of the Baskervilles for Campfire Press, as well as an original steampunk series that ended up getting shelved before publication (edited to death), I’ve also done some mini comics stuff with cartoonist Ben Costa (http://www.shilongpang.com) for a little fantasy anthology called Elf World (http://www.family-style.com/store.html). Ben and I have also got some other things brewing, so we’ll see.

Your bio states that you always wanted to give monsters a what for – which Bucky certainly does! – but is there any monster in particular you have a soft spot for?

 

Parks: Totally. I’ll always have a place in my heart for Harry of Harry and the Hendersons (http://youtu.be/r5CgeBEyTPc), Alf and his absurd laugh tracked shenanigans, and all those lonely dragons, because I imagine we share an interest in romantic poetry.

 

[Note: Initially, I glossed over Parks’ expressed interest in romantic poetry which, for a horror author, surprised me. I went back and asked him about it and he wasn’t pulling our chain. He specifically mentioned Yeats and even recited a bit for me. So, there you have it. Parks is a romantic at heart!]

 

I wondered about this specifically after reading one of your Six Sentences entries, The Vampires Lament, which I thought gave a heartfelt perspective relating to the sorrow of vamp life, but surprised me since you, or actually Bucky, kicked a lot of monster ass in The Gospel including a vampire-like creature, the Cannibal Pygmy Shit-Fiend.

I love your Six Sentences shorts and they illustrate a varied spectrum of prose compared to The Gospel. Do these six sentence shorts get the creative juices flowing or is it just for fun?

 

Parks: Ah, you’re right. I do have a little sympathy for the devil. The Six Sentences are my favorite creative flexing ground, lets me play around with prose — some of the sections are from my second novel (which I am working on currently), a much more “literary” (if I can stomach saying that) gothic western, centered around a mason’s journey to West Texas from Arkansas immediately following the Civil War.

 

 That’s exciting news! Can you reveal anymore related to the plot? How soon do you expect to release the novel?

 

Parks: Haha, thanks! No, no more of the plot now — I’m literally only about 1/3 of the way through it.

 

Bucky has fought a lot of dangerous monsters, from a wolfman to the devil himself, any monster you think would give Bucky a run for his money?

 

Parks: Ah, great question. My best answer? We’ll see. I’ve got some ideas brewing…

 

You have a novel in the works, what else is next for J.R. Parks?

 

Parks: What’s next, eh? Well, the first novel project I mentioned (the gothic western) is called ‘Still the Morning Peaks’ and the second, that’s going to be southern horror, a sort of tribute to a Parks Family legend from Arkansas, has no working title, but I’ve put pen to paper. I’m also working on some campy steam-punk stories with a fellow by name of Evin Wolverton and a graphic novel with Pang: The Wandering Shaolin Monk cartoonist, Ben Costa.

 

Destroy The Brain! looks forward to Parks’ next book and if he ever marries his passion for filmmaking and puppetry in a movie adaptation of The Gospel with puppets, I hope we’re the first to know!

You can pick up The Gospel of Bucky Dennis at Amazon.com in print form, for the Kindle, or from Barnes and Noble for the Nook. Visit Parks’ website or join the Facebook fanpage to find out more information about The Gospel of Bucky Dennis and Parks’ upcoming projects.

Stayed tuned, fiends, for a The Gospel of Bucky Dennis book giveaway!