John Martz author page
1 puzzle by John Martz
with Jeff Chen comments
John Martz is a cartoonist, illustrator and book designer in Toronto, Ontario, who specializes in picture books and graphic novels for kids.
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★ Plays on "novel" have been done so many times in crosswords — both in titles and grid entries — that I was predisposed to ennui. HOME PAGES referring to "Little House on the Prairie" melted some ice, especially since reading The Long Winter to my kids was chillingly captivating. However, it still felt like the rest of the puzzle would be more of the same.
Good thing so many themers were so NOVEL! The sheer breath and range of terms to describe books captivated the writer in me. I probably could have come up with WRITING, VOLUME, STORY, BOOK, but there's such creativity in employing SENTENCES, PRINT, and TITLE. John is Roget in action, and then some.
I was surprised by how many puns I couldn't immediately get. Already knowing the gist of the concept, I worried that the puzzle would fall flatly into place. But "Crime and Punishment" as PRISON SENTENCES? "The Help" as a WORKING TITLE? Yes!
And the coup de grace: "If Beale Street Could Talk" works doubly as an ADDRESS BOOK — once because it refers to the Beale Street address, and once more when you think of a speech as an orator's address. That is some amazing double-talk.
If I hadn't read Will Shortz's note, I would have guessed that this 140-word grid was made by a veteran constructor. There's an average number of short, gloopy entries, but things like ASSN ESE PSAS are minor. Although this is John's debut, it's no surprise that he's worked several years at his craft.
Sometimes I put down a book within the first few pages, convinced that it's not for me. I'm so glad that I forced myself to press on today, because John imbued his work with as much subtext as The Hunt for Red October.