I grew up on some of the greatest pulp this nation has ever churned out. Instead of risking life and limb playing outside with my posse (and they say I don't relate to the kids!), I communed nightly with such cultural luminaries as Batman, Mannix, Ironside, Gilligan, and the Holy Trinity of Mystery -- Columbo, McMillan, and McCloud.

So when in the depths of a mid-life yearning for new creative frontiers (my normal bailiwick being agriculture and federal farm policy), I discovered a marvelous forum for every would-be novelist or frustrated viewer who'd ever wished their favorite character had zigged when they'd zagged or who refused to accept that life ended with a network executive's bad judgment call. The fanfic: That ultimate vox populi of the pop culture.

But as a member of the pre-PC generation, I brought my own cultural biases and sensibilities to the game. I wanted not only to breathe new life into my favorite telepulp heroes, but also to tell a good story. I have tried in the X-Files I have spun for various sites, as well as in my own Columbo, Rockford Files, and X-Files pages, to offer stories that stand on their own as fiction and that are true to the vision of my characters' original creators -- in other words, I've tried to create genuine episodes in prose for true fans to enjoy.

In the course of my fanfic sojourn, I've written in three separate X-Files universes, renewed '70s private eye Jim Rockford's literary license, and invited a talented crew of other devoted mystery fans to reimagine  the great Lt. Columbo in an collection of what I hope you'll find to be genuinely puzzling detective tales.

Further, I've had the pleasure of chatting with some of the top mystery writers Illinois has produced, and I've reprinted some of those interviews here.

Finally, I'm featuring a wide variety of food-based and other oddball presets for BladePro and, now, Super BladePro , all-purpose, dirt cheap filter for Photoshop (my graphic cookware of choice) or Paint Shop Pro.

BladePro enables the user to apply specific textures, bevels, glosses and glares, and colors and lights to selected text or objects. The results are realistic and astounding. Presets are sort of like macros - saved combinations of BladePro settings that together create a special effect. Super BladePro refines these features and adds corrosion, mold, and other new 3-D effects.

There are dozens of skilled preset authors on the Web, and I wanted to offer something a little bit new. Secondly, I love food - ask my wife, the boy, the guys at Ming's Wok and the Chicago-Style Pizzeria who know me by name, beverage order, and seating preference.