Friends of mine had some very good Sherlock Holmes related news recently and it got to thinking to my interaction with the world's most famous private detective.
In high school and into college, I went into a heavy Sherlock Holmes phase. I remember finding the complete works of the consulting detective at the store I worked at and bought it. Every adventure written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (via Dr. John Watson) between two covers.
I read them all. And watched the Basil Rathbone Holmes movies whenever they popped up on local TV in the pre-streaming age. Then, the media kinda went into a heavy Sherlock Homes phase (once the character went public domain), new novels were written, new movies, new TV shows. There was something about that deerstalker cap and cunning ways that kept drawing me in.
In high school and into college, I went into a heavy Sherlock Holmes phase. I remember finding the complete works of the consulting detective at the store I worked at and bought it. Every adventure written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (via Dr. John Watson) between two covers.
I read them all. And watched the Basil Rathbone Holmes movies whenever they popped up on local TV in the pre-streaming age. Then, the media kinda went into a heavy Sherlock Homes phase (once the character went public domain), new novels were written, new movies, new TV shows. There was something about that deerstalker cap and cunning ways that kept drawing me in.
I would say that there was A LOT of new Holmes content created back then. New mysteries. Old mysteries. Real mysteries. Spin-offs and side bars. Even Doyle's son wrote some short stories based on odd references of other cases in the original folio. Some of non-canon stories were getting ridiculous. Moriarty was a time traveler. Holmes was Jack the Ripper. Watson becomes a woman. Holmes has additional siblings. Moriarty was a figment of Holmes' imagination. Holmes and Watson met when they were kids. Then there were comedies and patashes. It was around then I walked into the fray. I wrote a Sherlock Holmes parody short story. It was called "The Adventure of the Angry Author."
It was a very meta-story. Arthur Conan Doyle comes to Sherlock Holmes quarters to demand Holmes quit. We know Doyle tired of writing the Holmes stories and wanted to be known for other works. I thought it was a clever bit and it mocked a lot of the latest stories that were getting published (starting, frankly, with the Seven Percent Solution). These stories all felt they needed to put a twist or spin on the character to make him more marketable or relatable or relevant. I really didn't do much with the story, except thinking up a sequel to it.
A few years later, the college humor magazine I was part of (NYU's The Plague) ran it in its Spring 1980 issue. From there, it got included in some massive data base that gathered up all Holmes literature. Then it took a crazy leap. I got an email from a publisher that saw the story and wanted to include it in an anthology they were putting together. In France. It was published in 2007 in the collection called “Sherlock Holmes Dans Tous Ses États” (still available on Amazon).
A few years later, the college humor magazine I was part of (NYU's The Plague) ran it in its Spring 1980 issue. From there, it got included in some massive data base that gathered up all Holmes literature. Then it took a crazy leap. I got an email from a publisher that saw the story and wanted to include it in an anthology they were putting together. In France. It was published in 2007 in the collection called “Sherlock Holmes Dans Tous Ses États” (still available on Amazon).
Based on that, I decided to upload the English version to my AOL page which existed in the age before blogs and websites. Sometime after, I got an unsolicited email from Legacy Interactive. This is a gaming company that did a lot of games based on TV shows and mystery characters. They had stumbled across my various Sherlock Holmes-related material online and invited me to work on a video game they were creating, a follow-up to their PC game, "The Lost Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." It was a game of puzzles, matching games and hidden objects. They had the people to design that stuff, and needed a plain old writer to come up with plotlines and dialogue for the 16 newest games.
I jumped on it and it turned out to be pretty tough. I had to come up with 16 "mysteries" and suspects. Sixteen settings. The first couple were fine, then it became a little tougher. I resorted to "parody." I researched things that occured back in the 1890s that I could latch onto.
I jumped on it and it turned out to be pretty tough. I had to come up with 16 "mysteries" and suspects. Sixteen settings. The first couple were fine, then it became a little tougher. I resorted to "parody." I researched things that occured back in the 1890s that I could latch onto.
I pulled a Nicholas Meyer, and started to work in real people and events. I brought in other fictional characters. A time traveler for H.G. Wells style tale, or the 1899 Paris Exhibition, the "So Long at the Fair" exhibition. But it was still tough sledding, because I had to bring in various "red herrings," for each story and the Sherlock stories weren't really about red herrings, it truly was about watching how Holmes' mind worked, figured out the clues and how he got his man.
I admitted I really didn't get how my scenarios would be translated into a game. But, I gave them the stories and the programers would take bits from the story, or rework it, to develop their set pieces (hidden objects, matching, word puzzles) to insert into the "plot."
I did get paid. And one copy of the game. I'm not really a video game player, but it was cute and fun and I was happy that my material blended in so well. But, like many of my jobs, it was a dead end and I was not asked back.
I admitted I really didn't get how my scenarios would be translated into a game. But, I gave them the stories and the programers would take bits from the story, or rework it, to develop their set pieces (hidden objects, matching, word puzzles) to insert into the "plot."
I did get paid. And one copy of the game. I'm not really a video game player, but it was cute and fun and I was happy that my material blended in so well. But, like many of my jobs, it was a dead end and I was not asked back.
But my attachment to Holmes remains. There were other sketches, like "Laverne & Sherlock." I had written "The Adventure after the Adventure of the Angry Author" back in college, which I posted online back in my Themestream days, but I'll have to dig it out and post it here. I've had a a script idea on the back burner forever, "Holmes Alone," which would be like an Abbott & Costello Meet Sherlock Holmes story.
Now, there are new movies making him an action hero. I've seen new series that moved Holmes to modern times. Then moved him to modern times and to NYC. I mean, how many changes can you make and still be allowed to call the character "Sherlock Holmes?"
How long have I been dealing with Sherlock? From grammar school it feels like, elementary, my dear Watson.
Now, there are new movies making him an action hero. I've seen new series that moved Holmes to modern times. Then moved him to modern times and to NYC. I mean, how many changes can you make and still be allowed to call the character "Sherlock Holmes?"
How long have I been dealing with Sherlock? From grammar school it feels like, elementary, my dear Watson.
