Steve Niles’ Legendary Occult Detective Returns In ‘Cal McDonald: Plague Of Evil And Other Stories’
by Brendan M. Allen
Steve Niles’ iconic paranormal detective Cal McDonald’s hard boiled adventures have captivated fans since his first appearance in the 1990 story Big Head. The character has seen it all: vampires, werewolves, ghouls, demons, mutants, maniacs, and every other thing that crawls out of the dark.
Throughout his celebrated career, Niles has returned to McDonald in novels, short fiction, and the comic series Criminal Macabre. He revisits his gruesome gumshoe with Cal McDonald: Plague Of Evil And Other Stories. The collection of short stories features a foreword by actor and horror creator David Dastmalchian and a painted cover by master illustrator Joe Jusko. The 216-page hardcover will collect ten brand-new Cal McDonald stories, each with an illustration by a different comic artist.
In the tradition of Mickey Spillane and Rymond Chandler, Niles sends Cal and his undead sidekick on a strange journey through a Los Angeles populated by monsters, freaks, ghouls, and all kinds of new creatures hell-bent on causing chaos.
“It’s hard to believe but I’ve been writing Cal McDonald in one form or another for almost forty years now,” said Niles. “The last short story collection came out almost 20 years ago, so I am excited to have Plague of Evil coming out through Clover Press. Cal has always been my favorite character to write and it feels good to be back in the saddle again. I am especially thrilled with this volume because I have so many friends along for the ride; some of my favorite artists in the industry have added their talents. I hope readers enjoy this collection because I’m aching to do more.”
Cal McDonald: Plague Of Evil And Other Stories will feature chapter illustrations by an incredible lineup of artists, including Cat Staggs, Liam Sharp, Scott Morse, Christopher Mitten, Gyula Nemeth, Steven Russell Black, Francesco Francavilla, Alison Sampson, and Damien Worm.
“In this collection, Cal McDonald returns to prose for ten new hard-boiled tales filled with occult threats, vicious creatures, and the kind of trouble he and Mo’Lock are reckless enough to confront.” said Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz. “It’s supernatural crime horror in the classic Cal McDonald tradition, full of blood, grit, dark humor, and noir only Steve Niles can deliver.”
In addition to the illustrated hardcover book, the Kickstarter campaign for Cal McDonald: Plague Of Evil And Other Stories will also include prints, lithographs, stickers, t-shirts, and a slipcase upgrade. The campaign ends on October 15th. Check it out at this link.
