This site went live in October 2010 to flesh out technology and legality of CYBER PRIVATEERING as I wrote DADDY'S LITTLE FELONS. The novel pays homage to my old friend Judge Pat Brian, who died of pancreatic cancer on June 28, 2010.To get updates as new articles are posted, enter your email below:
Back in 1978, when STAR WARS producer Gary Kurtz gave me 5 posters and a Darth Vader Helmet, they were filming the next STAR WARS movie. I asked if I could be one of their storm trooper extras, and that I'd even pay my own expenses to fly wherever. Alas, he said that wouldn't be possible. Sigh.
I had high hopes for my first novel, DESTROYING ANGEL. Then the television series CASTLE came out, where mystery writer Rick Castle played poker with real-life bestselling authors James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Stephen J. Cannell, and Dennis Lehane. Alas, my novel got GREAT reviews but didn't put me in the orbit of best selling. Drat.
Heck, G. Gordon Liddy got to be on MIAMI VICE. And I even would have loved to play a bad guy on NYPD BLUE. I've written all my novels as if they were movies. DESTROYING ANGEL, DADDY'S LITTLE FELONS, and THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF HARLEY & HIS DOG would all have made blockbuster movies. But no dice.
Yo, David Ellison Films, my ads helped make your dad his first billion dollars at Oracle. Any chance Skydance could use an enthusiastic extra in the next Jack Reacher series?
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
In 1978, Gary had a private collection of Darth Vader prototype helmets, one of which he gave me in trade for one of my inventions (a voice stress analyzer which I had anodized in black to commemorate Darth Vader). Gary is dead now, and I keep the helmet locked in my safe.
In 2000, Gary also gave me a great review for my first novel, DESTROYING ANGEL. Too bad it didn't get made into a movie. Maybe I'll get it out today and wear it when answering the door? Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
We need to see some open-field running to suck the air out of A.I. marketing. Darn it, but I'm chomping at the bit to get a client with guts to take on the world. Siincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
That's right. We are lost in the wash of "me-too" ads. Whenever a new client approaches me with their AI story, I simply ask "What do you do that nobody else can do." I get a lot of throat-clearing noises. If you have an AI story that can start with the headline "No other AI can adequately answer this question," then give me a call. I'd love to do some open-field running with you. Sincerely Yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
From the beginning, I wrote my novels to be made into movies. DESTROYING ANGEL could also have been a Broadway musical. Here's a scene in which BJ, who doesn't yet know he's being groom to become the real Destroying Angel, has a meeting with John the Old Testament Revelation prophet atop 727 flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The plane is flying at 30,000 feet. Obviously, only two immortal beings could be in this place at this altitude.
To do this cover shot, that's me in the white suit. And that's the REAL BJ (Brian Johnson) who I've been trying to relocate after lo these 26 years.
Sincerely Yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
Here's a link to the scene. Enjoy!
Back around 1982, Brian Johnson (aka BJ) was a tekkie at Synapse Computer. He was bigger than life, and I ended up putting a BJ-like character in my first novel: DESTROYING ANGEL. BJ once laid a slick with his Harley in front of Synapse president Mark Leslie's office, which damn near got him fired. But when the carpet guys came to replace the carpet and heard the story, they replaced the carpet free. Seems the carpet guys were also bikers. I have lost track of BJ and had no luck finding him. Help! You can't lose track of old friends. The last time I saw him was in 2000 when I had dinner at his house with he and Carla Perumian. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
I had to get a license from not only Star Wars Corporation, but a music license from the Bee Gees and Abba, all on the condition that this movie would never be used commercailly.
Yeah, I took a summer off and then ran for congress. Luckily I lost and had to go into guerrilla warfare. Had I won, I wouldn't have met Tony Schwartz (his Daisy commercial ran one time on one network and destroyed Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign). Tony taught me real GUERRILLA WARFARE.
Sincerley yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
I designed this logo for my first novel: DESTROYING ANGEL. I've owned the .com URL for over 25 years, and worn the logo on my black shirts for as long. But I must say, the Sun logo, made up of "U" creatively, is IMHO the best ever. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
Frank and I became friends back in my media superstar days, when I mentioned that DUNE was the "greatest science fiction novel ever written." He called and said that since I'd used his name "in vain" we should get to know each other. Over the next few months, he promoted me to run for Congress in the state of Washington. I won his district (Port Townsend) but lost the race. He held an environmentalist rally for me near his home, and I confess my desire to save the planet with hydrogen-based technology and solid-state batteries has only grown over the years. Here's thinking of you, Frank. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
Amazing. Sixteen minutes on national television. The interesting part? The previous week we had a church "slave auction" to raise money for charity. I offered to mention you, your family, or your family business, during my upcoming appearance on the TOMORROW show. Toward the end, see how I delivered on that promise, promoting Pick's restaurant in Issaquah, Washington. Yeah, I crack myself up.
By the way, Pick's restaurant paid $50 to the slave auction.
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
I think I came up with a great one-liner when I talked about my Hagoth voice stress analyzer's potential effect on society: "Either there will be an emphasis on telling the truth in your conversations, or there will be a renaissance in letter writing."
I guess I was into guerrilla warfare my whole life?
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
Entrepreneurs need to find what I call a "media anomaly," or a media platform that all the network TV assignment editors use to get unique stories to air. I found one in a now-defunct magazine called THE NEW TIMES. I flew to NYC and dropped in to their offices to personally deliver a press release. A few weeks later, a short blurb appeared in NEW TIMES, after which I started getting calls from all the network television shows. Here's my appearance on GOOD MORNING AMERICA with David Hartman.
If you have a unique story (unlike all the AI-wannabes who say the same old thing), find today's media anomalies (yes, Grasshopper, there are some). Get them to cover your nobody-else-can-do-this story, and you too can become a star.
Caveat: I don't recommend you believe your own PR. I believed mine and sold the company to run for the U.S. Congress that very year. Of course, I'm glad I lost the election. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten into guerrilla warfare.
Here's the YouTube link to my GOOD MORNING AMERICA stint:
After the concert, one of my buddies came up to me and said I'd raised the bar too high for the rest of the guys.
Yeah, I'm a hopeless Romantic. We've been married 60 years.
Below is a link to the performance. Enjoy.
Three decades ago, I arranged to pay off the mortgage of an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. I found out about this from my next door neighbor's father. Missionaries Tyler Engar (pictured Left) and his companion Kirby Heyborne (right) donated a day a week at Casa Lubian, a sad place where people from the DR left their retarded, ill, or deformed children.
In later years, Kirby starred in several movies and numerous television commercials. He's now host of the Emmy-nominated BYUTV show MAKING GOOD. He's also currently serving as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I predict you'll see more of this genuinely nice guy.
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
For those of you who think Paris is a hotbed of anti-American sentiment, my experience in Paris doesn't fit that narrative. On April 30, 1999, I snagged a hotel room with my #2 son Matthew, and just paid for the round-trip airfare. While he attended meetings, I rode my bike around Paris. I didn't meet a single rude Frenchman (or woman).
In fact, I inadvertently sailed onto the JFK Expressway in Paris, missing the no-bicycles sign. It quickly became apparent that I'd blundered into freeway traffic. In my helmet-mounted mirror, I could see an ocean of cars coming toward me. Peddling as hard as I could, I heard the beep-beep of a Taxi to my right. The driver motioned me in front of him, offering to block me from certain death. But moments later, a furniture truck passed us and I quickly drafted onto him, quickly accelerating to freeway speeds. Shortly thereafter, I spotted my off-ramp to salvation.
As I blew off the Paris JFK exit ramp, a group of French bicyclists parked nearby gave me a round of applause.
I have nothing but fond memories of my two cycling trips to France. But this trip happened to be the greatest bicycling trip ever.
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
(L to R) Plumb, Kwanza Cherry, and Choke Cherry Trees bring the promise of a great new year. Happy Spring, one and all. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
Of course, nobody was a SOUTH PARK fan and they thought I created this myself. I had to disabuse them of this, as they gave me far more credit than I deserved. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
BTW, I had a buddy who was a neighbor of Christopher Lloyd. Lloyd wanted a "TAXI" license plate on both of his cars. My buddy, Dave Ledeen, told him to make one "TAX1". Dave was very smart. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
There are several all-time-great clips I've collected over the years. Here's Eagles founder Glenn Frey in a guest appearance on MIAMI VICE. Sincerely yours, Rick Bennett Ad Hit Man
5.0 out of 5 stars
So good.
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Awesome, could not put this story down. Exactly what I was wanting to read. Great story. Believable characters. Funny humor, talking dogs. Yeah. Was sorry it came to an end. 🥰
Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man
