THE SURVIVALIST MARCHES ON

            Thanks guys for all your input in recasting THE SURVIVALIST characters; taking them out of the 80s and bringing them into the present day.  The one major thing I’ve learned from this is that I spend too much time watching movies on TCM.  The majority of people you suggested for the various roles, I have never heard of!  Ok – Hugh Jackman can play anyone he wants to play and I’ll make sure I see him.  Kurt Russell is the right age and build to play John Thomas Rourke and a fine actor but after Captain Ron and Snake Plissken, I more imagine him as Hank Frost, the one-eyed mercenary with the horrible jokes in the THEY CALL ME THE MERCENARY series.  Mel Gibson and Dolph Lundgren – I don’t know! 

            Russell Crowe’s name has come up a few times as Rourke and once as Wolfgang Mann. Bob Anderson, co-writer of the new SURVIVALIST series thinks Mark Harmon or Mathew McConaughey would both be excellent choices.   Mark Wahlberg was another suggestion.  What do you think about Alex O’Loughlin from HAWAII FIVE-O?  I think he’s got that “normal guy look” that a lot of people like. 

Some of the unknown to me actors suggested for Rourke – all quite good looking, by the way – were Jeremy Renner, Thomas Jane, Josh Holloway and Timothy Olyphant.  Those of you who live in the modern era may have heard of them or have seen their works.  I had to look them up on Google.

            When we originally came up with the characters, John Thomas Rourke was a combination of Clint Eastwood and Charlton Heston.  We could imagine him both logical and patient as well as, when necessary, a killing machine.  We always tried to make his character one who was put in the ultimate survival situation; a situation that did not necessarily get resolved with logical solutions.  He was no better than anyone else; he just used his brain and with all things, planned ahead.

            Natalia was easy for us to cast.  Picture a thirty-something Sophia Loren in a leather jumpsuit – with a lot of attitude.  Sophia Loren is still one of the most beautiful women in the world and still has that look.  Much later, after Jerry saw Milla Jovovich movies - over and over again - he envisioned her as Natalia.  Another contributor suggested Angelina Jolie for the role.  Some suggested Mariska Hargitay and Summer Glau.  Whoever played her would have to exude confidence and be as graceful as the ballerina she could have become. 

            Everybody likes Noah Wyle and wants him to play Paul!  Hands down, he got more votes than anyone else. We all watched him grow up on ER and are proud of him having his own TV gig now.  We even like him as THE LIBRARIAN movies.  He just comes off like a nice guy who could learn how to do anything and you wouldn’t mind him marrying into the family.  Michael Cera from ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT received some votes as did Paul Rudd. 

            Jerry and I had a real person in mind with Paul.  We knew John since before we were married.  He suffered through some classes with Jerry at DePaul University and the three of us would hang out together.  He was and still is a gentle soul which meant that Jerry and I picked on him unmercifully.  We always knew though, that in a pinch, John could step up and do what ever was needed.

            Sarah was a hard character to write.  She was like Paul, an average person thrown into a desperate situation but, unlike Paul, who had his mentor to show him the ropes, Sarah had to learn to survive and to be able to protect her then, small children, all by herself.  One day we applauded her bravery, the next we lamented her liberal naiveté   She was the character you wanted to hate but just couldn’t.  In some ways, Sarah had more sadness dealt to her than most of us could even imagine.  Eventually, she was as much a survivalist as her husband. 

            I don’t think either one of us ever had one person in mind for Sarah but looking back I can picture Geraldine Page in the 1953 classic movie HONDO being a Sarah type.  Some suggestions from you were Suzanna Thompson and Gwynneth Paltrow.  We also got some votes for Milla Jovovich.  Any thoughts on this?     

            Michael Rourke will always be pictured by me as that little boy who became a man overnight.  I guess we all know some real life Michaels.  You picked a diverse group of adult Michaels.   Channing Tatum got the most votes, then Chris Pine from STAR TREK fame and ARROW’s Stephen Amell.  Someone named Jason suggested that he was born to play the part.  I don’t know.

            Annie is the little girl who grew up to be this sensible, domestic diva who could blow your head off so fast you wouldn’t have time to blink  She could sew buttons on a shirt and concoct a recipe for incendiary devices at the same time.  My choice for Annie is Ashley Greene.  The first time I saw her in THE TWILIGHT movies I knew she was the one.  You guys like Piper Perabo, Drew Barrymore and Willa Holland from O.C., all good choices as well.

            I certainly wouldn’t consider Karamatsov a secondary character because he did so much to propel the story forward.  He was so good at being evil; you just want to hug him.  Aaron Eckhart name was put out there as a choice. The guy I think would be great is the tall, bloodsucking vamp on TRUE BLOOD, Alexander Skarsgard.  Picture him with dark hair and a sneer.  Another thought, James Purefoy who plays Joe Carroll on THE FOLLOWING.

            Didn’t get much action on some characters.  Russell Crowe has his pick of John Rourke or Wolfgang, whichever character he wishes to play.  Emma, who is now a major player in the saga had the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE actress, Michelle Monaghan suggested for the role.  Paul Blackthorne from ARROW was suggested for the part of Tim Shaw. 

            As you continue reading the series, you’ll meet a lot more characters.  I hope we do this again when you’ll have to come up with an actor to play future ETs and astronauts as well as new family members.  I had a good time compiling these results and I look forward to your comments.

            Remember to always plan ahead!

Sharon

THE BLADE SHOW IS COMING! THE BLADE SHOW IS COMING!

I just wanted to remind everyone that the BLADE SHOW along with the Living Ready Expo will be in Atlanta this weekend.  It is a great family event with plenty of seminars and demonstrations as diverse as knife throwing, survival tips, forging and the art of the Japanese sword.  There will be displays from many of your major knife companies as well as custom knife and sword makers who will be happy to talk with you and show you their latest projects.  

This will be the eleventh year for the BLADE SHOW and Jerry attended each and every one.  I missed last year and it turned into a father and son outing with Jason escorting his dad.  This year it will be a mother and son outing where we will be able to catch up with some of our friends in the knife world like Pat Crawford and his son Wes who make some of the neatest knives out there and the people at CAS Hanwei and Benchmade and many more.

If any of you can make it, you'll be happy you did.  Maybe it can become a family tradition for you and yours.  While you're there, go to the Martin Knives booth #319 and see the knives John Thomas Rourke is going to be using in THE SURVIVALIST #31.  They were designed by Jerry and Bob Anderson and crafted by the Martins.

Next week I'll be posting the results of a poll taken to determine who would be cast today in the movie version of THE SURVIVALIST. Votes are still open until then so get yours in.  Comment here or go to facebook and Jerry Ahern.

THE INHERITORS OF EARTH

             Book #30 in THE SURVIVALIST series is finally out!  THE INHERITORS OF EARTH has been a long and complicated journey for Bob Anderson and me; he as an avid reader of the series with lots of ideas concerning the continuing saga and me as the original co-creator now left in the position of deciding how Jerry would feel about the decisions made with our characters. This part of the series is based on a long term plan of action Jerry and I came up with quite some time ago so, Bob and I know where we’re going, it’s just all in the getting there. 

            This book is for those of you who have realized that perhaps some issues were not fully resolved in the series. This is also for those who read the last installment and were not satisfied that John Rourke seemed to be doomed to a new life, consumed with growing old and star gazing.  THE INHERITORS OF EARTH is especially for all the loyal fans and friends who cared for the Rourke family and for the Aherns as well.

            As Jerry would have said, “God bless you all.”

"IT PAYS TO PLAN AHEAD"

            First of all, I want to apologize for not putting something new up on this site for a while.  It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say; in fact, I’ve had too much to say.  Every time I started to write about something happening in the world, something new would occur and things just got worse.  There was so much sad news and angry words being posted that I just decided that mine didn’t need to be added to the mix.  Anyway, a lot of good stuff is going on and I’ll try to focus on that for now.

            The state of Georgia – a really lovely place to be – has gotten even better in terms of firearms carry and ownership.  The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill allowing citizens holding firearms carry permits to be able to bring concealed weapons to houses of worship, bars and onto college campuses.  It would also allow firearms into government buildings that lack screening systems.  This bill still has to pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor during the next session.  Members of both political parties were involved in the crafting of this legislation so it seems likely to pass.  Before conclusions are drawn, please be advised that in all these areas, there are caveats that would allow for a no firearms allowed status.

            On a still more local level in Georgia, many counties within the state are offering training sessions on safe firearms handling to concerned individuals.  Having a firearm available is not good if you don’t know what to do with it. These classes are being taught by qualified personnel.  Some counties have also offered classes to law enforcement in correct procedures for school, business or government facility active shooting incidents. These classes were also open to teachers and administrators so that they could have a better understanding of such situations and what to do.

          In the world we live in today, we can’t always rely on outside help coming in the nick of time.  As John Thomas Rourke always said, “It pays to plan ahead.”

            Speaking of John Thomas Rourke…  I just finished reading the final proof copy of THE SURVIVALIST Number 30, THE INHERITORS OF EARTH.  Co-author, Bob Anderson and I hope that those of you who have followed the series since book #1: TOTAL WAR, which came out in 1981, will continue to enjoy the exploits of the family; albeit there are a few more members that haven’t until now been introduced.  There’s still a lot of action going on (guns, knives, politics, etc.) but, THE FAMILY and what it means to be part of one, is still the heart of the story.

            Jerry and I had given a lot of thought over the years as to what could come next in the Rourke saga.  This, with Bob’s help, is our vision.

            I’ll keep you posted as to when the first installment of this continuing series will be available from www.speakingvolumes.us.

Sharon

AS WE GROW OLD

Even before Jerry and I married, weekend dates often consisted of driving way out into the boonies, rummaging around in antique stores and resale shops, marveling at the wonderful stuff that could be had for a mere pittance..  Running our hands over a beautiful old oak buffet or counting the prisms dangling from a magnificent chandelier, we dreamed of how these items would fit in with any home we chose to live in.  Then, reality set in. 

We moved into a tiny, very 1960s, very modern apartment.  Every apartment in the complex had white walls and beige carpet and a tiny five foot by two foot deck that shook every time a train went by.  Did I mention that this apartment abutted a very busy train yard?  The beauty of it was that I could walk out the door, cross over various sets of train tracks (wearing high heels, of course) jump on the train and be on my way to work in downtown Chicago in mere minutes.  After the first week or so, we didn’t even notice the coupling sounds or the horns. We were young and in love. 

Our next apartment was out in the suburbs, in the village of Oak Park, llinois. Some of you may recognize Oak Park as the home of many Frank Lloyd Wright structures.  This apartment building was not one of them.  We lived at the top of a four story walk up where the long winter months were spent huddled below window level to stay warm and out of the winds that were coming through ill fitting windows; a tropical fish mobile hung from the living room ceiling, in constant motion.

     Staying in Oak Park, we eventually bought a house, ready to start a family.  First to come along was Nibbles, an adorable Wire Haired Fox Terrier that we were in love with from day one., then Jason and then Samantha.  Due to the deaths of family members and living in a neighborhood where residents were constantly on the move, we acquired for our growing family an old dining room set and some miscellaneous tables and chairs.  Rather than buy new stuff as needed, we opted for odd pieces that had character.  Yard sales were not so common but word of mouth got around pretty fast that someone was selling old furniture inexpensively or just leaving it out for someone to pick up.  If it could fit in or on top of a Volkswagen station wagon, it was ours.

By the time we had moved to Georgia, a lot of our modern , or as some like to call it, “cheap” furniture stayed in the North.  The house we bought had thirteen rooms, consisting of five thousand square feet and was situated on five acres.  It was also just shy of one hundred years old.  There was no central heat, just a giant space heater in the front hallway.  Half of the rooms had no electricity and the other half had wiring that electricians laughed at.  The floors were bare wood, the walls white washed and, packs of wild dogs roamed the property.  I loved it!  Finally we had a proper home for our antiques.

Over the years, we acquired more old stuff and eventually we even got into the business end of antiques, in a very small way but, most items from the family, stayed in the family.  Old things have stories.  We have a hand made bed cover that was made by one of Jerry’s aunts while she was waiting for her boyfriend to return from the war and, the blanket chest that she kept it in.  We have crocheted doilies my Aunt Louise made while watching her favorite soap operas and my mother’s Sunbeam Mixmaster from the late 30s or early 40s which I still use.

I have a slanted book shelf that Jason crafted years ago in school, and sitting on a shelf in the kitchen, a wooden watermelon slice on a dowel rod that Samantha made. These are the next generation of family “antiques.” 

            Antiques should make you smile.  Antiques should make your hand want to touch them.  Antiques bring back memories of different times and people.  Antiques should make you wonder about the how and why of its existence. 

            What would you rather be remembered as – a cherished and loved antique or an old piece of discarded junk?

Sharon