Friday, January 24, 2003

Those of you who have visited this site in the last few months may be aware of the ongoing MYSTERY PHOTO CONTEST, whereby you have to guess the cultural/historic significance of an unmarked photo that I have taken (with a chance to win a free, signed book.)

Well, I can announce now that those photos are all part of a book I have coming this May from Santa Monica Press called "James Dean Died Here… The Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks." My idea was to locate the exact sites where all sorts of pop culture history was made, from music to movies to crime to TV to Americana and beyond. (Over 650 sites will be included.) From where Columbus landed to where James Dean died to where the Hindenburg crashed to where The Brady Bunch house is to where the famous Bigfoot movie was filmed to where Marilyn Monroe’s famous skirt blew up—it’s all in here.

Though the release date is still a few months away, I’ve created a page here with some details on the book, including a new feature in the most recent issue of Publisher’s Weekly and a nice one-page.

The photo contest continues as well, and a new shot has been added here. (Congrats to Wes in Texas on guessing that the last shot was from the finale of the original Planet of the Apes. It’s located near Zuma Beach and I’ve included the still from the movie as well. Many of you got it, but Wes’s named was picked.) A new photo has been posted, too—good luck—but no hints this time.

On the "Diary of an Adman" front, I’m making revisions to the final galley right now and the book should be available in March.

…if my head doesn’t explode before then.