Kastle, Herbert D.

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Kastle.jpg

Herbert D(avid) Kastle

The Who's Who entry reads:

CASTLE, HERB
......Name and vital stats
......CASTLE, HERB (writer)
............DELL PUBLICATIONS
..................BRAIN BOY (wr/) 1962-64
............WESTERN PUBLISHING
..................MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER (wr/) 1966-67 in #13-15,17

The name is incorrect, and should read:

Kastle, Herbert D(avid) [11 July 1924, Brooklyn, New York - 19 October 1987]

The original BRAIN BOY comic book credit for Kastle is attributed to artist Frank Springer as passed to Jerry Bails, likely through L. B. Cole (art director and editor at Dell) or his assistant. It erroneously ran as Castle in 1962 in an entry in THE COMIC READER and echoed throughout the web ever since.

The first print version of the WHO'S WHO [THE WHO'S WHO OF AMERICAN COMIC BOOKS: VOLUME 1 by Jerry G. Bails, Hames Ware (1973)] says explicitly that BRAIN BOY is his "only known comic book credit". So the 1966-67 MAGNUS credit (while Kastle was in Los Angeles) may have come from a later Russ Manning, Chase Craig or other interview.

The MR. OZYMANDIAS credits at the GCD seems to be the attribution of a GCD indexer.

"Edgeworks 3: The Harlan Ellison hornbook & Harlan Ellison's Movie" by Harlan Ellison (White Wolf Pub., 1997) contains a 1970's essay by Ellison where he discusses Kastle's comic book career.

Using the sources listed at the end, this is Kastle's professional career, listed chronologically. Except as noted, these are all print stories, in English:

NOTES

  • He worked as an editor, copywriter, and screenwriter before devoting himself exclusively to producing novels in 1958. He is quoted as saying, "I write because I dislike, intensely, all other forms of making a living." His books have been published in England, France, Italy, Holland, Germany, Australia, and Japan.
  • Married Laura Kastle, born 1928; he had two children: Rhona Deborah Kastle, born 1953, now of San Jose, California; and Matthew Lloyd Kastle, born 1958, of Cortlandt Manor, New York

1924

  • Birthdate: 11 July 1924, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Meyer and Eva Kastle

1940s

  • U.S. Army Air Forces, three years, World War II; member of Disabled American Veterans

1949

  • Washington Square College of Arts & Sciences, B.A.

1950

  • New York University, M.A.

1953

  • birth of Rhona Deborah Kastle, his first child

1955

  • Texas Rangers January, 1955: Stupid Ox
  • If February 1955: The York Problem
  • Ranch Romances (Best Books Inc.) February 25, 1955: Bride of Treachery
  • Double Action Western March, 1955: The Wide Loop
  • Ranch Romances (Best Books Inc.) Apr #1 1955: Blood Dream
  • If May 1955: The Outer Quiet
  • Texas Rangers June, 1955: The Slow Draw
  • Justice - Amazing Detective Stories (Non-Pareil Publishing) July, 1955 (Harry Widmer, editor): Drifter
  • Startling Stories Spring 1955: Workin' of the Green
  • Triple Western Summer, 1955: Double Trouble
  • Startling Stories Summer, 1955: Non-Bursting Bubbles
  • Startling Stories Summer, 1955: The Hot Spot
  • Startling Stories Fall, 1955: What's New Under the Sun
  • NOTE: Startling Stories editor, 2 issues, Summer 1955 and Fall 1955
  • Argosy November, 1955: The Real Crazy Night
  • Male November, 1955: I Used to Have Guts
  • Texas Rangers December, 1955: The Enemies
    • reprinted Jim Hatfield Texas Ranger Summer 1958
    • reprinted Bar6 Roundup of Best Western Stories: Volume 6; edited by Scott Meredith (PermaBook, 1957)
  • Stories Annual v1 #1 1955: King Lode Revisited

1956

  • Texas Rangers January, 1956: The Last Hostile
  • Manhunt (Flying Eagle Publications) February, 1956: They're Chasing Us
  • Real March, 1956: The Big Ride
  • Adventure March, 1956: Killer For Kicks

1957

  • Short Stories March, 1957: By the Shores of the Lake
  • Sure-Fire Detective Magazine April, 1957: I, the Condemned!
  • One Thing on My Mind (Popular Library #823, 1957; Grafton, 1986)

1958

  • birth of Matthew Lloyd Kastle
  • Keys to Seven Rooms (W. H. Allen, London, 1958)
  • Koptic Court (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1958; Mayflower, 1975)
    • reprinted as 7 Keys to Koptic Court (Crest D271, 1959)

NOTE: the above two novels may be the same book, retitled

1959

  • Mystery Tales April, 1959: Freckles and His Friends
  • Bachelor Summer (Avon # T-355, 1959; Grafton Books, London, 1986)
  • Camera (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1959; Bantam Books # F 2133, New York, 1960; W. H. Allen, London, 1960)

1960

  • Double-Action Detective and Mystery Stories January, 1960: The Pro
  • Mermaid Magazine 1960: Volume 2 Number 2 (Garden of Eve Publications, New York): What a Night (8 pages)

1961

  • Trapped Detective Story Magazine May 1961: Don’t Say I’m Crazy
  • Galaxy Magazine June 1961: Breakdown
  • Manhunt June, 1961: Lady Killer
  • Analog Science Fact -> Fiction July 1961: The First One
  • The World They Wanted (St. Martin's Press, 1961; Avon, 1972; Mayflower, 1975)
  • Countdown to Murder (Crest Books #S491, 1961; Grafton, 1978; Granada, 1978)
  • Ed McBain’s Mystery Book #3 (Pocket Books Inc., 1961): Game
    • reprinted American Pulp (Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1997)
    • reprinted Best Detective Stories of the Year, 17th Annual Collection (E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1962)

1962

  • The Gent (Excellent Publications) February, 1962, Volume 6, Number 3 (Nat Lehrman, editor): Vengeance
  • Comic Book - Four Color (Dell) #1330 (April-June 1962): Brain Boy: Brain Boy (32 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #2 (July-September 1962): Brain Boy: Pirates of the Air (27 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #2 (July-September 1962): Mr. Ozymandias: The Strange Mr. Ozymandias (4 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #3 (December 1962-February 1963): Brain Boy: The Frozen Monster (27 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #3 (December 1962-February 1963): Mr. Ozymandias: The Strange Mr. Ozimandias (4 pages)

1963

  • Amazing Stories December 1963: The God on the 36th Floor
    • reprinted The Most Thrilling Science Fiction Ever Told No 2 (Ultimate, 1966)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #4 (March-May 1963): Brain Boy: The Time Robber (27 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #5 (June-August 1963): Brain Boy: The Metal People (27 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #5 (June-August 1963): Mr. Ozymandias: The Strange Mr. Ozymandias (4 pages)
  • Comic Book - Brain Boy (Dell) #6 (September - November 1963): Brain Boy: The Mindless Ones (27 pages)

1964

  • The Reassembled Man (Fawcett Gold Medal, #L1494, 1964; Eclipse Books, 1970) Cover: Frank Frazetta
    • the second half of 1975's Edward Berner Is Alive Again! is lifted from this book

NOTE: Kastle moved from New York to Los Angeles around this time.

1965

  • Hot Prowl (Fawcett Gold Medal, #d1591, 1965)

1966

  • Comic Book - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #13 (February 1966): Magnus, Robot Fighter: The Evil Ark of Dr Noel (24 pages)
    • Reprinted Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #34 (February 1973)
    • Reprinted Vintage Magnus Robot Fighter (Acclaim) #3 (March 1992)
  • Comic Book - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #14 (May 1966): Magnus, Robot Fighter: The Monster Robs (24 pages)
    • Reprinted Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #31 (April 1972)
  • Comic Book - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #15 (August 1966): Magnus, Robot Fighter: The Weird World of Mogul Badur (24 pg)
    • Reprinted Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #30 (February 1972)

1967

  • Comic Book - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #17 (February 1967): Magnus, Robot Fighter: The Deadly Peril From Sirius (24 pages)
    • Reprinted Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) #40 (August 1975)
  • TV - Bonanza episode: Black Friday (22 January 1967)

1968

  • The Movie Maker (Geis, 1968; Dell #5866, 1969; Grafton, London, 1970)

1969

  • Miami Golden Boy (Bernard Geis, 1969; W. H. Allen, London, 1970; Avon #W253, 1971; Granada, London, 1982)

1971

1972

  • Millionaires (Delacourt, 1972; W.H.Allen, 1972; Dell, 1973; Grafton, 1974)

1973

  • Little Love (W. H. Allen, London, 1973; Grafton, London, 1974, 1986; Granada, 1982)
    • reissued in the UK as Ellie; A Novel (Delacorte Press, 1973; Dell, 1974)

1975

  • Cross-country (Delacorte Press, 1975; Dell 4585, 1975, 1984; W. H. Allen, London, 1975; Mayflower, 1977, 1985)
    • The first book in the Detective Sgt. Roersch trilogy
  • Edward Berner Is Alive Again! (Prentice-Hall Inc. 1975)
    • reissued as The Three Lives of Edward Berner (W.H. Allen / Howard & Wyndham, London, 1975; Mayflower, 1978)
    • The first half of this book is original, with the rest lifted from 1964's The Reassembled Man

1976

  • The Gang (Dell, 1976; W. H. Allen, London, 1977; Grafton, 1978)
  • The second book in the Detective Sgt. Roersch trilogy.

1977

  • Death Squad (Dell, 1977)
    • The third book in the Detective Sgt. Roersch trilogy
    • reissued as Hit Squad (Granada, 1979; HarperCollins, 1979; Panther, 1984; Grafton, 1988)

1979

  • Ladies of the Valley (Arbor House, 1979; Dell, 1980)
    • reissued in the UK as Dirty Movies (W. H. Allen, 1979; Mayflower, 1980)

1980

  • Sunset People (Jove Books, 1980)
  • David's War (W H Allen, 1982; Granada, 1983)
  • Movie - Cross Country (1983) (based on the novel Cross-Country)

1987

  • Died: 19 October 1987, Los Angeles, California, of a heart ailment

Further Reading

  • Book World, August 24, 1969
  • Books and Bookmen, June, 1969
  • Fantasy and Science Fiction, June, 1965
  • New York Times Book Review, December 29, 1968
  • Spectator, September 1, 1973
  • Variety, November 5, 1969

Book covers

Sources


(end of list)


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