Michael Mallory facts for kids
Michael Mallory (born in 1955) is a writer who loves to explore the worlds of animation and popular culture from after World War II. He has written many books, including ones about the X-Men, Universal Studios Monsters, and horror movies.
As a historian of animation and film, he has written over 600 articles for well-known publications like Variety, the Los Angeles Times, and Animation Magazine. You might have also seen him in documentaries and special features on DVDs about animation. He even helped write the life story of famous animation artist Iwao Takamoto, which was published in 2009. Since the mid-1990s, Michael Mallory has also written the script for the annual Annie Awards, which are like the Oscars for animation.
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About Michael Mallory's Life
Michael Mallory was born in Port Huron, Michigan, and grew up in Pontiac, Michigan. When he was a teenager, he acted in summer plays. He later earned a degree in Speech from Drury College (now Drury University) in Springfield, Missouri, focusing on theater and broadcasting.
Early Career and Acting Roles
After working as a radio newscaster in Springfield, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He appeared in many local plays and had small roles in movies like Frances and Staying Alive (both from 1982). He also appeared on TV shows such as Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara, and General Hospital. More recently, he has been seen on shows like Mad Men, Vegas, Mob City, Angie Tribeca, and NCIS.
Becoming a Writer
In the late 1980s, Michael Mallory decided to focus mainly on writing. For a while, he wrote for Disneyland and other theme parks. He wrote the script for a large 3-D movie attraction called Haunts of the Olde Country. This film first opened at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1993 and was shown there for several years.
His 2009 book, Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror, which tells the history of Universal's horror films, received an honorable mention from the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. His work Marvel: The Expanding Universe Wall Chart won a Silver Book of the Year Award in 2009 from ForeWord Reviews. Today, Michael Mallory lives with his wife in Glendale, California.
Mystery Stories by Michael Mallory
Michael Mallory also writes exciting murder mysteries. Many of his mystery stories feature a character named "Amelia Watson." She is the second wife of Dr. Watson, who is famous for being the friend of Sherlock Holmes.
Amelia Watson and Other Detectives
So far, five books about Amelia Watson have been published:
- The Adventures of the Second Mrs. Watson (2000)
- Murder in the Bath (2004)
- The Exploits of the Second Mrs. Watson (2008)
- The Stratford Conspiracy (2012)
- The Other Mrs. Watson (2016, published in England)
He also started another mystery series in 2013, featuring a detective named Dave Beauchamp, who works in Hollywood. The first book in this series was Kill the Mother!. The most recent Dave Beauchamp adventure is Dig That Crazy Sphinx!, which came out in 2022.
Short Stories and Awards
Michael Mallory has written more than 190 short stories for both adults and children. This includes a series of mysteries about an eleven-year-old detective named "Scotty," which appeared regularly in the Los Angeles Times. He also helped create and edit mystery story collections like Murder on Sunset Boulevard and LAndmarked for Murder.
He was one of the first people to win a Derringer Award in 1998 for the Best Flash (very short) Mystery Story. His story "What the Cat Dragged In" was chosen for The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best American Mystery Stories, 2023. He has also been nominated three times for a Pushcart Prize for both his fiction and non-fiction writing.
Horror Stories by Michael Mallory
Michael Mallory has written scary horror stories for young readers and adults.
Books for Young Readers and Adults
His short novel Night Shocker was published in 1997 as part of the "FrightTime" series. This series was similar to the popular Goosebumps books. He also wrote more short horror tales for kids for the "Chiller" page on the website MysteryNet.com.
In 2012, his first horror novel for adults, The Mural, was published. A second horror thriller, The Book of Diagom, was published under the name Gordon Turcott. However, Mallory used his own name for his book The Ambulance.
Journalism and Pop Culture Writing
Michael Mallory has written over 650 articles for magazines, newspapers, and online publications. These articles are about film, animation, and popular culture. You can find his work in places like The Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Animation Magazine, and Mystery Scene.
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