Three Pieces of Good News for fans of Western Fiction & Old West Movies

1. HONDO IN 3D

Lots of good news out there for those of us who love westerns.  The western genre, both western fiction in books and in movies, has shown an increase in interest around  the country. One of the all time favorite stars of Old West movies, John Wayne, is about to have a kind of resurrection. Of course, Wayne has long been dead, but his movie, Hondo, is about now on 3D.  From NBC in Philidelphia comes this story:

John Wayne cuts a classic cowboy figure in 1953′s “Hondo,” one of his most beloved films. It’s a good time to be a John Wayne fan. One of the most iconic and prolific actors in the history of Hollywood, with an image that defined rugged, just-minded American manhood, Wayne’s cinematic legacy still remains vibrant on home video. Unparalleled classics like “Stagecoach,” “The Searchers” and “True Grit” have never seen their Western vistas that look more gorgeous than on Blu-ray. The latest treasure to emerge is the much beloved “Hondo,” the 1953 adaptation of a Louis L’Amour story that was originally produced for theaters – by Wayne himself – in 3D.

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2. LARGEST BOOKSELLER IN THE WORLD PURCHASES AVALON BOOKS

Avalon Books has just been scooped up by Amazon Publishing. The value for authors of westerns is that this has long been a venue for authors for the publishing of quality western fiction that is not profanity laced, and has stayed true to the old fashioned values such as practiced by Louis L’Amour, the premier western fiction writer of all times. Here’s a story you may have missed on the L.A. Times:

 On Monday, Amazon Publishing announced that it had purchased Avalon Books, a 62-year-old publisher. The acquisition means that Amazon Publishing has just added 3,000 titles to its list.  Avalon is an independent publisher that has focused on specific genres. In the past, that included science fiction. Now it primarily publishes mysteries, westerns and romance. While romance is hot right now — hot and heavy, like “50 Shades of Grey” — these novels are anything but. The books Avalon has published are, it writes, “good stories and wholesome entertainment.”

How good and how wholesome? Very good. Very wholesome. “There is no explicit sexual content or profanity in any of our novels,” Avalon states in its writers guidelines. “It is the author’s responsibility to heighten the romantic atmosphere by developing love scenes with tenderness, emotion, and perception

Q. WHAT IS TOO SEXY FOR AVALON?

A. Sexual tension is fine but not more than a kiss or embrace is allowed.

    Q. WHAT ARE THE RULES ON ROUGH LANGUAGE?

    A. No cursing throughout all of our books. Nothing heavier than a “hell,” “damn” in Westerns and Mysteries. We don’t like cursing at all in our romances. We do not accept racial epithets, no harsh language, and no sexy talk.   More…

3. WESTERNS GOOD FOR CABLE

There have been several westerns that have enjoyed enormous popularity with the viewing public. It seems that most of us who grew up on Roy Rogers and Gene Autry have a rather enormous hunger for movies on the Old West, and finally, those who produce such things are glimpsing that pile of green. Here’s a story about a new series, Longmire.

 Westerns Are Riding High on Cable: A&E Sets Network Record With Series Debut NY Times.

A&E set a network record with the debut of its new Western-style drama series, The New York Times’ Media Decoder reports. Sunday’s premiere of “Longmire” attracted 4.1 million viewers, more than any new drama series on cable TV this season, the story reports. Most of the show’s viewers were older, but it still attracted 1.4 million viewers in the 25 to 54 demographic, which is the main demo for the network, the story points out. The number is also the best in the demo this year for a new drama series, the story reports. More…

One day those who produce movies for a living are going to realize that there are millions of us older citizens who absolutely love all things western, whether it’s a western fiction novel, or a western movie, or shucks, even a restaurant with a western theme. We are fans of the Old West.  All in all, it’s looking good for westerns, and for those of us who write western books, and for those of us who love a good old fashioned western movie.