Thanks, and please check this book out

Tony Smith

As a serious thinker and a reader of all forms of literature, I was delighted to see this brilliant work in a genre which has been insulted and degraded by many (Teen Horror). Mr. Richards has not only brought new dignity to this book form, but has taken a worn-out character (Freddy Krueger) and taken him to whole new levels and dimensions.

This book may seem at first glance to focus on Alicia, the cheerleader who is driven blind by a car accident, but working on a more deep, subtle level, The story revolves around Evan, the tortured "nerd". And what Mr.Richards is trying to show here is that the villian is not Freddy, but is the group of "popular kids" who persist in torturing Evan. In this, he proves that the villian is not always the hideous ghoul, but is sometimes the (at least physically) real human.

I have never known a writer in this genre to work on so many levels in a novel. Other authors, whom I certainly respect simply for having the patie

The comic only ran for 52 week before it too was cancelled, and all of the comics are reproduced in this book. The comics cover six storylines: 1) Barnabas faces an ancient warlock who cannot die until he has killed the last of the Collins; 2) the goddess Isis has found all that she needs to restore her husband Osiris to life, except for his soul which is in the body of a certain vampire; 3) when a werewolf begins stalking the town of Collinsport, Barnabas acts; 4) the master of darkness, Mr. Sinestra, is angered that he never gained control of Barnabas Collins, and he sets out correct that; 5) when the daughter of an old college rival of Elizabeth arrives at Collinwood, people begin to die, and Barnabas needs to stop it; and 6) Barnabas sets out to change history and right a two hundred year wrong. Along the way, Barnabas uses his vampiric powers, but defeats his enemies with his wits and (more often) with his heart.

First of all, it must be said that these comics were written independently of the television show, and does *not* maintain continuity with it. That said, though, the stories are wonderful, the illustrations are excellent, and the book makes a wonderful purchase for anyone who fondly remembers the show. I loved this book, and highly recommend it!

Obviously Winder's title is a play on the idea of Crockett as the King of the Wild Frontier, which was immortalized in the Fess Parker Disney films. Winders makes it clear from the start that he is trying to separate the truth from the legends, while continuing to enjoy the tall tales. This juvenile biography tells of how Crockett grew up on the frontier, married his first wife Polly, and served as a militia scout in the war against the Red Sticks. After that, Crockett began building the reputation that would make him an American legend as he went from a famous hunter of bears to the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the interesting aspects of this book is that we actually learn some details about Crockett in Congress; for example, he opposed the U.S. Military Academy as West Point since the poor were paying taxes that allowed the sons of the rich and powerful to go to school. Crockett also spoke out against the unfair treatment of Native Americans by President Andrew Jackson's administration.

While Crockett was in Congress he became famous for representing the true American. He served as the model for a frontier politician Colonel Nimrod Wildfire in the popular play, "The Lion of the West." When others made money off of his name writing biographies about him, Crockett authored his own autobiography. Winders also talks about the political friction between Crockett and Jackson. Along with charges that he was too busy being famous to represent his district, Crockett was defeated for re-election. Crockett then left Tennessee to go to Texas for hunt, where, of course, he became involved in the War for Texas and met his death at the Alamo.

"Davy Crockett: The Legend of the Wild Frontier" does deal much more with the real story and is illustrated with historic paintings, etching, and documents. In telling the story of the Alamo, for example, Winders focuses what little is actually known about Crockett's final days. It is only at the end of the book that Winders returns to the legend as part of Crockett's legacy. Young readers, however, should have a much better understanding of the historical Crockett after reading Winders' informative book.