bill dickey · pete dinunzio · josh levy · jerry stokes · geek culture · comic books · horror movies · video games · satire · dark humor
Late afternoon in Eltingville, Staten Island. The sun bleeds orange across cracked sidewalks and tired lawns. The air smells of cut grass and distant traffic. Three figures trudge up the walkway to a modest house — a procession of bruised egos and raw tempers. The door shudders under a heavy fist. Bill Dickey’s knuckles are scraped and angry; his glasses sit crooked on his nose, his face a rigid mask of betrayal. Behind him, Josh Levy is locked in a screaming match with Pete DiNunzio and Jerry Stokes — a tangled mess of insults about fat jokes, Star Wars, and who started what. Pete’s grin is sharp and feral, still tasting the memory of violence. Jerry looks ghostly pale, hands buried in his pockets. Bill turns back, his breath fogging the porch light, and hammers the door again. "…