Allan Duffin - Writer/Producer

New article in Leatherneck Magazine about HBO's "The Pacific"

2010-03-14T19:06:55-07:00

I had the privilege of writing the cover story for this month's issue of Leatherneck Magazine, the official publication of the Marine Corps Association. HBO's new 10-hour TV miniseries "The Pacific," which follows the wartime exploits of three World War II Marines, premieres this month.

Many thanks to the following folks who took time out of their busy schedules to do interviews for the article: Bruce McKenna, co-executive producer and writer; Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret.), senior military advisor; Penny Rose, costume designer; and actor Jon Seda, who portrays legendary Marine "Manila John" Basilone. HBO's media relations staff was equally giving of their time and assistance -- thank you so much!

You can take a look at this issue of Leatherneck by clicking here, but you'll need a subscription to read the entire article.

Thanks also to Colonel Walt Ford, USMC (Ret.), the editor of Leatherneck, who's a terrific boss. He loves his job, and it shows.

Policewomen On Patrol, New York City, 1974

2010-03-01T08:47:11-08:00

March is Women's History Month! Celebrating the publication of my new book, History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers: Here's a clip from YouTube featuring rare black-and-white footage of New York policewomen on patrol in the Bronx, 1974. For more information, click on the clip to contact the filmmaker.

History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers is published by Kaplan Publishing (a division of the Washington Post Company) and distributed by Simon & Schuster. Visit your local bookstore, or order your copy from the Simon & Schuster website or from Amazon.com, Borders.com, or BarnesandNoble.com.

Comic books, Charlton Comics, and how the job gets done

2010-02-18T07:55:18-08:00

If you're a fan of comic books, head on over to Diversions of the Groovy Kind for lots of info and even scanned artwork to enjoy. I've always loved comic books, and it's nice to be able to look at issues online, appreciating the stories and art that provided fun diversions when I was a kid -- and still do today. Two of my favorite artists, Russ Heath and Pete Morisi , are featured in Diversions. (Morisi, by the way, was an officer with the NYPD who moonlighted as a comic book artist. How's that for variety?)

Diversions of the Groovy Kind includes material from the big companies like Marvel and DC, but also takes the time to feature smaller publishers (many of them defunct) like Charlton Comics, one of my favorites. Charlton was never known for quality printing, but they published a lot of fun books with material by big names in the comics industry, including John Byrne, Mike Zeck, Dick Giordano, Sam Glanzman, Tom Sutton, Steve Ditko, Joe Staton, and others. Many of these luminaries were new to comics and had their early work published by Charlton.

As a kid I visited the Charlton plant in Derby, Connecticut. It was my first real exposure to how the publishing world worked, and it was fascinating -- especially since Charlton was vertically integrated. All functions, from layout to printing to distribution, were under one roof. My visit was a crash course in the publishing process. Later on I worked in a printing plant for awhile. All of this occurred before I became a writer, but I'm grateful that I learned about -- and learned to appreciate -- the industry at such an early age.

(Graphic: A gorgeous Mike Zeck cover for Charlton Comics' Scary Tales. Click here for a closer look.)

Women in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

2010-02-09T16:05:11-08:00

Celebrating the publication of my new book, History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers: Here's a clip from YouTube featuring women of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Official publication date for History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers

2010-02-02T07:22:15-08:00

It's February 2, 2010 — the official publication date for History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers. Check your local bookstore today!

— We're #1 in Australia! History in Blue is listed as the #1 title at Borders.com in Australia (under "Police & Security Services Books"). Check it out here.

— Our publisher, Kaplan Publishing, is generously supporting charity events like the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association's Black Tie Gala on February 25, 2010. Five copies of History in Blue will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Association's college scholarship program, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation, and the Minnesota Special Olympics.

I want to thank a bunch of people for making this happen: Jane Dystel, my agent; Don Fehr, editorial director at Kaplan Publishing; Rachel Bergmann, my editor on the book; Kim Bowers, production editor; Tim Brazier, director of marketing at Kaplan Publishing; Janet Renard, copyeditor; Nancy Gillan, proofreader; Adina Kahn, who sold the original concept; and everyone else who helped turn a pretty cool idea into a real, honest-to-goodness book. (I've missed a few people who were part of the process and will update my thank-you's to include them soon.) Thanks so much!

100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All Time

2010-01-23T11:22:38-08:00

Just plain fun. Compiled by Pajiba.com.

Many thanks to BearManor Media and Ben Ohmart

2010-01-16T18:30:43-08:00

With History in Blue about to come out, I wanted to take a moment to thank the publisher of my first book — The "12 O'Clock High" Logbook — for believing in me during that first go-round, and generously publicizing History in Blue on his website and blog.

Ben Ohmart founded BearManor Media to publish unique books about "classic cinema, retro radio, and timeless television." Hey, why don't I stop explaining and let him tell you about it? From his website:

Ben Ohmart here, and I started this publishing company in 2001, as a writer. I learned how hard it was to tap into the mainstream market with what is essentially nostalgia fodder. So I published The Great Gildersleeve myself. Then I learned something important. I seemed to enjoy the publishing side more than the writing side, so, when I began to get offers to publish other people's work (Jane Kean was one of the first), I began doing what I love full time. It still doesn't seem like work. And I know now that that's the greatest life of all.

Back in 2004, when co-writer Paul Matheis and I were shopping The "12 O'Clock High" Logbook to publishers, we were fortunate to meet Ben, because the book was a perfect fit for his catalog and his company's interests. And because Ben was so generous with his time and expertise, he made the process of creating my first book a terrific experience. He taught me a lot, and for that I am forever grateful.

So Ben, though I've said it before, many, many thanks to you. You made a huge difference in my life. And I hope you enjoy the new book!

Police Magazine and women in law enforcement

2010-01-06T11:49:43-08:00

As we count down to the release date (February 2) for my new book — History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers — I'll be cross-posting information from various sources so you can read more about the topic if you'd like to.

Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine has a section that focuses on women in law enforcement. (Click here to access.) Here's an excerpt from a current article:

Gone are the days when a woman police officer was acting as a social worker with a badge, and they now fill as many roles as male police officers do. Many companies are adjusting what they manufacture and sell to specifically meet the needs of women police officers. This is after years of providing only unisex products and using a one size fits most business model.

I'd like to thank David Griffith, editor of Police Magazine, for taking the time to read and review History in Blue. In part:

History in Blue is an excellent social history of women in law enforcement that's full of powerful stories of the creativity, determination, and courage of women on the job.

History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers arrives on bookshelves in February 2010 from Kaplan Publishing (a division of the Washington Post Company), distributed by Simon & Schuster. Pre-order your copy now from the Simon & Schuster website or from Amazon.com, Borders.com, or BarnesandNoble.com. Or you can place an order at your local bookstore.

Early review for History in Blue

2009-12-07T14:55:08-08:00

An early review just came in for my new book, History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers. Publication date is February 2, 2010. First up, a review by Frank Borelli, editor-in-chief of Officer.com (a police/law enforcement website) and a retired police officer:

". . . it caught and held my attention. . . . a very interesting book that draws you just enough into the lives and duties of women in the law enforcement field that you may find it difficult to put down. My own fairly narrow mindset gave way to an interest that pushed me to read much later into each evening than I had intended.

So, I recommend it to you. If you have any interest in the history of law enforcement, know a female officer, or are a woman considering entry into the field, this is good information you'll benefit from having — and it's pretty entertaining along the way."

Thanks very much for taking the time to read and review the book!

Harlan Glenn's "Battle Rats" on the Military Channel

2009-11-22T14:51:03-08:00

Catch Harlan Glenn's new TV show "Battle Rats: Iwo Jima," a one-hour pilot for a proposed series, this month on the Military Channel. I've been fortunate to work with Harlan on a number of TV programs over the years, and it's thrilling to see his new show come together. Congratulations Harlan! Here's a trailer for the show: