Dark Shadows -TV Milestones by Harry M. Benshoff

[The Doctor and K9]

I've just started this book, which was published by Wayne State University Press.  It's a scholarly examination of DS and the cult phenomena surrounding it. I've not read very far into it, but it seems to have been written by a fan. At $14.95, it's a bit pricey for a mass paperback.  The way I look at it though, DS does not exactly saturate the market as compared with say, Star Trek or Doctor Who. It's relatively inexpensive to be a virtual completist when it comes to DS. OK, I draw the line at the Barnabas Vampire Van! I'm also not likely to own a set of original Groovy Horror Heads, or even the Pink Gum Cards. They are too pricey for me. The former two have little to do with DS, and the latter can be reproduced on a quality printer.  I had once hoped to own the model kits, but the 12 inch Majestic Barnabas and Quentin figures have rendered my interest in the kits obsolete.  I'm not very skilled at either building or painting, and the end result, even in the  hands of an expert, is only a mediocre likeness of the characters. Aside from those rare artifacts and a few others like them, I try to get most anything new that's connected to the program. 

I want to apologize in advance if information about this book has already been posted. I tried to do a search several times and got a notice that told me that the page could not be displayed. This happens often to me on several different computers. Is this typical for most people?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If one does a normal search sometimes the system doesn't respond because there are so many posts on the forum to search. The best way to get a result is to do an advanced search and to search the individual boards where what you're looking for would have been most likely to have been posted - or at least to eliminate the boards where it's not likely to have been posted.  

As for the book, it sounds interesting. I'll have to look out for it. Thanks for the heads up.  

[The Doctor and K9]

I meant to add that Amazon is selling it.

[Midnite]

Good catch, Doctor and K9!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I forgot to mention that if someone is looking to see if current news has already been posted, the simplest thing to do is to open the current board where it's most likely to have been posted and then to type what's being searched for right in the search box at the top of the page because whatever is typed in that box is only searched for on the currently opened board. (I use that method all the time when I'm searching for things on the Robservations board.)

And good to know the book is available through Amazon. Thanks.    I'll definitely look it up.

[Gothick]

Didn't Benshoff write the Monsters in the Closet book some years ago about fandoms and subcultures?  He also wrote an article that was in a volume on the gay element within DS fandom.  This was the piece that included a few infamous paragraphs about Dr. Julia Hoffman "as a drag queen."

Thanks for letting us know about this book, Doctor & K9.  It sounds potentially interesting.

G.

[MsCriseyde]

The author has expressed concerns on his Facebook page about how long the book will be available. He's apparently been contacted by Jim Pierson over some sort of DCP copyright claim. Not sure what the basis of the complaint would be since a book about the series by a film studies professor published by an academic press would seem to be about as scholarly as you can get for fair use purposes.

Regarding the price for the book, $14-15 for a paperback from a university press is an absolute steal. They're usually at least twice that in my discipline.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The author has expressed concerns on his Facebook page about how long the book will be available. He's apparently been contacted by Jim Pierson over some sort of DCP copyright claim.

Hmmm? Interesting.

Not sure what the basis of the complaint would be since a book about the series by a film studies professor published by an academic press would seem to be about as scholarly as you can get for fair use purposes.

I would have thought that, too.    But perhaps not. 

I suppose I should count myself lucky that I'd already ordered my copy...

[KMR]

Not sure what the basis of the complaint would be since a book about the series by a film studies professor published by an academic press would seem to be about as scholarly as you can get for fair use purposes.

"Scholarly" does not equal "fair use". The fair use exemption for "educational purposes" is generally meant to cover use of materials in an educational setting. A book published by a university press is a commercial product and does not fall under that exemption.

[MsCriseyde]

I was thinking more in terms of criticism and comment, which I failed miserably to articulate. Hoping to get my hands on a copy soon to see what the flap is.

[Nancy]

Could be the copyright issue is over the use of photographs which, if you put into a book and sell commercially, DCP will come after you for.

[Gothick]

Wow, poor Harry Benshoff if the problem is that "Wayne State University Press" (sounds tiny and probably indigent) failed to secure the needed clearances for him to use the DS brand name and photographs, etc. in his book.  (I was wondering whether objection #1 may have been the title; it might have been OK if it had been marketed under some variant such as "Shadows in the Afternoon: blah blah blah.")  Of course, as the author he needed to be aware of getting this stuff taken care of, and the press may have reassured him right down the tubes if they didn't fill out the paperwork and pay up. 

As someone all too keenly aware of how much work is involved in getting a book out into the world, I genuinely do feel for the man.  As a previously published author, however, I'm startled that he didn't make extra sure all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed.

This is starting to seem like Ten Little Indians.  Who will be the next victim of that most feared among legal sub-creatures--the infamous Jim Pierson?  Bwa ha ha ha.  Do you tremble when your cell phone rings?

shuddering, G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Hmmm - it seems like Amazon isn't actually paying attention if the point was to get them to stop selling the book because when I checked the listing this morning, it said there was only 1 copy left in stock - but more were coming. Well, I just checked again a couple of minutes ago, and it now says that 20 are in stock - and more are coming.

[MsCriseyde]

Hmmm - it seems like Amazon isn't actually paying attention if the point was to get them to stop selling the book

I doubt they're going to pull it unless the university press recalls the book. If Amazon took sides every time there was a copyright dispute with an established publisher, they'd be pulling titles left and right.

Getting off topic, but an example. In recent years, the University of Tennessee Press was forced to pull a title by Fred Ruhlman that dealt with Andersonville because he plagiarized quite a bit of it. Copies had already been sold when the problem was discovered, and they continue to be sold by individual sellers on Amazon even though Amazon ceased selling new copies directly when the book was recalled.

Amazon might pull the DS title at the request of WSU press, but copies are likely to continue to circulate via their independent sellers.

[Midnite]

The reasonable price may have to do with the size of the book-- the cover is only a little larger than a pocket-size paperback yet is not even a half inch thick.

I may be wrong, and the few images of the DS merchandise aside (which the author could have copied himself), but the vast majority of the pictures look to me to be screen grabs from the DVDs, and that could prove problematic for him.