At Hill's panel Saturday afternoon, he did discuss his pedigree lineage, and his desire to not cash in on it. Joseph Hillstrom King began writing as Joe Hill in 1997. He was worried that unscrupulous publishers might rush to print his early work, even if it wasn't any good. The drive for a quick buck could also ruin his reputation - and that would have been much harder to live down than famous parents.
So he met with the same rejection that most young authors face. But he kept writing, and in 2005 a British publisher agreed to print 20th Century Ghosts , a book of short stories.
When Heart Shaped Box came out, and met with success, Hill began to attend literary events. & And that is when the rumors started to pop up on the Internet. & Joe does look like his dad, and shares some of the same mannerisms. & But his talent is unique, and the voice he speaks with is his own.
Hill is currently writing a comic for IDW called Lock and Key . The initial printing of the first issue sold out. & He also hinted at a project for DC Comics Vertigo line, but that one could take a while.
Before taking questions, he read a short passage from his upcoming novel Surrealist's Lens. It was great. The imagery was rich and powerful. & The relationship between an old, blind painter and a young aspiring cartoonist felt genuine and sincere. & But one of them is doomed. & I will be thinking about those two men, and worrying about them until I learn the rest of their story.
