I grew up reading 1960's Marvel Comics, Mad Magazine, and Famous Monsters of Filmland, watching Universal's horror movies from the '30s & 40s and a lot of cheesy 1950's science fiction films, and pretty much anything from the early Hal Roach studios or the Three Stooges (like everyone else, I can't help but to adore Curly and his antics, but I'm actually a long-standing Shemp-o-phile). Also, having lived in Germany for a few years (from 6 to 9 years of age), I discovered -- and subsequently went gaga over -- Peyo's little blue Smurfs almost 15 years before they were introduced to America. They were called "Schlumpfs" in the Rolf Kauka produced "Fix und Foxi" comic books published there ("Schtroumpfs" in the original French), and I eagerly sought out and voraciously devoured those issues every Thursday when they dropped at the newstand. But Schlumpfs weren't my only guilty pleasure while living in Europe. During our three-year stint there I cultivated a love for old castles and fortresses, and the rich, wonderful histories that went with them. On weekends, we would visit scads of Mediæval and Renaissance cities, stroll through beautifully preserved marvels of constuction (think Neuschwanstein or Linderhof), and explore even more ruins that didn't quite endure the tests of time and warfare. It totally enthralled me, and is surely the greatest impetus in spurring me to write novels with a European Mediæval flavour.
Bookwise, I've always enjoyed the fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs, particularly his "Mars" books (I dare say that ERB has truly been one of my greatest influences in choosing to write my own adventure novels). It's a shame that Disney's 2012 film, "John Carter," based on A Princess of Mars, had such a lacklustre advertising campaign, because I'm convinced that if more people had been enticed by the ads it would have done gangbusters at the box office. However, of all of my literary and celluloid inspirations, Homer's Odyssey remains my favourite fictional work ever. I find it not only a magnificent opus, but to me it is the metaphoric mother lode for the entire human condition. Of course, another superior reference to that same human condition is the Holy Bible, which demonstrates everything that is good and maybe not so good in humankind, and provides a multitude of accounts and views into who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. In my personal life I've recently discovered the Bible study courses of Les Feldick Ministries, and I love getting my daily dose of the Lord through Les and his half-hour informative programs. I testify that, through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, and by the grace bestowed by the Lord -- and illustrated through the writings of his missionary apostle, Paul -- I am saved.
You can reach me at gverdegast@gmail.com
