No really, what the hell is "Hammerfist?"

Now it's time to answer the question I completely neglected to answer in my first post. Look at that, this blog thing is off to a great start already!

The name of my novel is "Hammerfist".

At its core, Hammerfist is a story about an angsty high-school kid that can't catch a break. He longs for adventure, and wants a chance to prove himself - but most of all, he craves purpose. Our hero's name? Jonathan Bane. We'll talk more about him in a future post.

Through a series of rather dramatic and escalatingly improbable events, young Jonathan ends up finding all the adventure he could ever want - and much more. But like all things in life, the seemingly simple pursuits come at unforeseen costs. In this case, Jonathan is forced to mature in ways that he isn't ready for. It's a dark road ahead of him, and he'll have to grow in order to overcome the obstacles.

That's the basis of the general plot. Simple, right? In fact, I'll bet you've seen it a dozen times before. And that's the point.

See, Hammerfist is one thing above all else: a tribute. The entire story was meant as an homage to one of my favorite eras in cinematic history - the 1980's. The pinnacle of over-the-top action, effortless style (or lack thereof), quirky dialogue, extraneous technology, casual violence, cringe-worthy bigotry, and cheesy acting. It was an era that will never be outdone in terms of pure fun and stripped-down entertainment.

But here's the problem: a lot of my favorite movies from that time were of drastically different tones and genres, and didn't play well together. But maybe they should have.

What if Paul Verhoeven directed a John Hughes story? What if John Carpenter adapted a Robert Zemeckis script?

What if Pretty In Pink and Cobra were part of the same series?

You see where I'm going with this?

This polarizing mix of coming-of-age teen comedies and steamy blockbuster action flicks creates a rather unique blend, and one that I think worked rather well to create something interesting. But I guess I'll let my readers be the judges there (they'll have to be, because so far, I'm the only one that's read this thing).

But this idea of mixing two extremely different tones into something resembling a single, self-contained story...well, it's a tough nut to crack. We need to find a way to organically blend teen dramedy with pulp action.

So, what's the solution?

The answer is simple: The Kurt Russell Origin Story.