Clifford Meth

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Clifford Meth

Birth name Clifford Lawrence Meth
Born February 22, 1961 (1961-02-22) (age 47)
Area(s) Writer

Clifford Lawrence Meth (February 22, 1961) is an American writer and editor best known for his dark fiction. He has said that his work is often "self-consciously Jewish."[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early career

In the early 1980s Meth worked as a freelance writer for The Los Angeles Times Entertainment Newswire[2] along with numerous periodicals including Billboard, Fangoria, Hit Parader, Seventeen, Starlog, and Video Magazine.

By the mid-1980s Meth became involved with Chabad-Lubavitch yeshivas, but in 1994 the group's reaction to the death of its leader, The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, led to Meth's disillusionment with the movement.[3] Encouraged by author Harlan Ellison, Meth embarked on a fiction-writing career. One of his first published works was the controversial[4] I, Gezheh, which dealt with corruption in Chabad. Author Robert Bloch provided an afterword for the story, which was illustrated by Dave Cockrum (co-creator of Marvel Comics Uncanny X-Men). I, Gezheh appeared in several anthologies, including Gauntlet, before being purchased and e-published by BarnesandNobel.com. Meth has written other articles and stories taking Chabad leadership to task for corrupting the movement, most notably "Wagging the Rebbe."

[edit] Aardwolf Publishing

With the aid of Cockrum and fantasy artist Gray Morrow, Meth co-founded Aardwolf Publishing along with partner Jim Reeber in 1994. The company published a series of comic books, art portfolios, and collections of illustrated fiction including many of Meth’s collections featuring covers and art contributions from comics illustration pioneers, including Jim Steranko, Joe Kubert, Mike Ploog, Frank Brunner, Alex Toth, Gene Colan, Marie Severin, Michael Kaluta and George Pérez.

[edit] Relations with other comic creators

On several occasions Meth has spearheaded campaigns to raise money and awareness for financially challenged comics’ creators, including Gene Colan and William Messner-Loebs. The most significant of these actions took place in 2003 when Meth, along with Neal Adams, negotiated an unprecedented royalty settlement with Marvel Entertainment on behalf of Dave Cockrum for his participation in creating X-Men characters. Meth also edited The Uncanny Dave Cockrum...A Tribute (Aardwolf Publishing), which set the standard for art-tribute books of its type.

Meth's personality and outspokenness have sometimes led to personal differences with some comics professionals, including artist Barry Windsor-Smith, whom Meth lambasted in his column "Past Masters".[5] But Meth is highly regarded by most of his peers and noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its deft mingling of real-world issues with humour and references to popular culture.[6]

[edit] Entertainment positions

In 2003 several of Meth's stories were optioned by producer Richard Saperstein, president of The Weinstein Company. Later that year Meth joined IDT Entertainment as V.P. of Creative Development where he worked with Stan Lee on POW Entertainment properties[7] as well as behind the scenes on Showtime's Masters of Horror[8] series and ABC's Masters of Science Fiction.[citation needed] In 2004 he completed The Futurians screenplay and oversaw the development of Gene Roddenberry's Starpoint Academy[9]. Meth left IDT Entertainment in 2006 when the division was sold to Starz Entertainment. In 2007 he oversaw the acquisition of IDW Publishing by IDT Corporation and joined IDW as Executive V.P. of Editorial/Strategies.[10] Meth's first comics series, Snaked (IDW, 2007), was optioned by Saperstein for film production, naming Meth as screenwriter and Executive Producer[11].

[edit] Quotes

"The only thing about Cliff’s writing that makes me crazy is the demented titles he puts on them. They’re just so fucking bad. For a guy who writes as well as he does, and who thinks as deeply as he does, I can’t figure it out..." - Harlan Ellison

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Recent publications

  • The Uncanny Dave Cockrum...A Tribute (Aardwolf Publishing, 2007)
  • Balm in Gilead (Mahrwood Press, 2007)
  • One Small Voice (IDW Publishing, 2008)
  • Meth, Colan & Other Theologians (Aardwolf Publishing, 2008)

[edit] Online short stories

[edit] Comics

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Introduction, God's 15 Minutes. Aardwolf Publishing (2003).
  2. ^ Matt Brady, Newsarama interview. (12/2007).
  3. ^ This Bastard Planet. Aardwolf Publishing (1997).
  4. ^ Steven Bergson, Jewish Comics. (2007).
  5. ^ Meth Addict, A Rare (and Unappreciated) Barry Windsor-Smith Citing. Comics Bulletin (2004).
  6. ^ Quotations on Meth, Eye of the Beholder, One Small Voice.
  7. ^ Interview with Stan Lee, Grand Master: Part Three. Comics Bulletin (2004)
  8. ^ Meth Addict, Update Delirious. Comics Bulletin (2004}
  9. ^ Gene Roddenberry's Starpoint Academy, Peter David, (2004)
  10. ^ Press Release, Clifford Meth Joins IDW Publishing, (2007}.
  11. ^ Saperstein takes on "Snaked", Variety (2008)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Interviews