Z File Books Takes a Break
Z File Books, which has been packaging and producing books and graphic novels since 2006, is now on hiatus, and has been for some period of time. There are no new projects in the pipeline, nor am I soliciting new assignments from Z File’s publishers.
But almost all the volumes we have produced are still in print and available, with new editions of Fahrenheit 451 licensed just this past year in French and Chinese, and new European editions of The Stuff of Life and Evolution as well.
I am currently working on outlining a memoir about my time in publishing, and collating my fairly extensive (4,000+) comic book collection. Anyone interested in my future editorial services, or has questions about any existing Z File books may contact me at howardzim@gmail.com.
Thank you for your ongoing interest, support, time and attention. It has been both a humbling and rewarding experience. We will see what the future brings, and if it’s of note, I will certainly let you know.
Howard Zimmerman
June 16, 2023
American History Comes Alive—Part One
Arlen Schumer Concept Artwork for Great American Documents It was more than three years ago when Hill & Wang publisher Thomas LeBien told me that he wanted to do a graphic history volume that told the story of America through its most important documents, and...
The Scariest Movies
My list of scary movies concludes with a chiller that is not gothic but rather psychological horror. It pits an innocent, naïve young, female FBI agent-in-training against monumental evil. Directed by Jonathan Demme, for me, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)...
MORE SCARY MOVIES
Most of the scary movies on my list so far have been of the gothic horror variety—small groups trapped in small spaces . . . with a monster of some kind knocking them off, one at a time. The next film on my list also of that genre. But it’s even more insidious...
REALLY SCARY MOVIES: Part Three
So far, my list has included The Thing (1951), Invaders from Mars(1953), and Psycho (1960). Now we jump ahead to 1975 for the scariest movie ever made by one of America’s best filmmakers of the past century. It is Steven Spielberg’s adaptation...
REALLY SCARY MOVIES: Part Two
My list of seven scariest movies—those that scared me most— started with The Thing and Invaders from Mars, both of which I saw as a child. Before I get to the third film, a word about “slasher movies.” This sub-genre is all about immortal maniacs who...
REALLY SCARY MOVIES
I just finished reading Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, the long-awaited sequel to The Shining. Doctor Sleep is an excellent read: not exactly a ghost story; not exactly a horror story; but enough of both to keep you away from small New England towns...
The History of America
I’ve just completed work on a project that has taken three years to see through from start to finish. It is a remarkable graphic volume on American history that will be published by Hill & Wang this May. It is called, simply enough, Uncle Sam...
WILL EISNER WEEK
On March 6th, Will Eisner would have been 97 years old. For the uninitiated, Eisner (after whom the major awards in the comic book industry are named) was one of the founding fathers of the modern comic book. His studio, Eisner and Eiger, produced the first comics...
AREA 51
I am pleased to announce that Z File has completed contracts to produce two wildly different titles for two new clients. Zenith Books has commissioned a nonfiction graphic history of the famously secretive Area 51. And North River Press has commissioned a graphic...
Jeffty Is Five
I first met Harlan Ellison in 1977. It was a Friday afternoon in late summer. He was in town for a while, staying at Spinrad’s apartment. I had recently been promoted to Editor of Starlog magazine, and I was there to meet and interview Harlan for a...
Ellison, Star Wars, and Me
So there I am, walking the floor of a major science-fiction convention in a New York City hotel, circa 1980. Back in the day, comic books and artwork and merchandise were always part of any con. I was the editor in chief of Starlog magazine and a guest of...
The Height of Power
I am a short person. Not by choice, you understand. I come from a long line of short folks on both sides of the family. When fully grown, I reached the unassuming height of five foot eight inches. But when I was a kid, I was really small. When I danced with my mother...