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58-468: Jonathan Maberry was born in Kensington, Philadelphia , attended Frankford High School , and then went on to Temple University . Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he began learning martial arts at the age of 6. Maberry's early work featured martial arts as a topic, such as Judo and You ( Kendall Hunt 1990), Ultimate Jujutsu (Strider Nolan, 2002) and Ultimate Sparring (Strider Nolan 2003). In

116-720: A contributing editor for The Big Thrill , the monthly newsletter of the International Thriller Writers , and a founding partner of The Liars Club, a networking group of professionals in publishing and other aspects of entertainment. Maberry holds an 8th degree black belt in Shinowara-ryu Jujutsu. In 2004 he was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Date Zero Tolerance Deep, Dark Material Witness Dog Days Doctor Nine Property Condemned Adventure of

174-549: A large influx of primarily white young urban professionals and gentrification , particularly in Fishtown – which is no longer considered to be Kensington – and in Olde Kensington, Norris Square, and East Kensington. Since the 1970s Kensington has been an open-air drug market due to the area's favorable conditions for one including empty factories and buildings where drugs could be stored, sold and used, easy access to

232-450: A more accurate map). The area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. The area is densely residential, but crime rates are highest in this part of Kensington and, because of relocation actions taken by Philadelphia's Police, it has the highest concentration of homeless and opioid addicted residents. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. It

290-431: A more central North Philadelphia identity; however, exactly where the neighborhoods separate is subject to much debate and there are people within both neighborhoods who identify with Kensington. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. Port Richmond has a historically Polish population but is becoming more mixed, and Olde Richmond, an area just north of Fishtown,

348-529: A rare standalone novel, Ghostwalkers , based on the Deadlands table top role playing game. The book was nominated for a Scribe Award for best original novel based on a licensed property. His most recent standalone novel was Glimpse , published in March 2018 by St. Martin's Press. Glimpse is a chilling thriller that explores what happens when reality and nightmares converge, and how far one will go to protect

406-1201: A small subsection of Kensington, has transformed with a new affluent population, as well as greater investments from real estate developers. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. Parks in and adjacent to the neighborhood include Harrowgate Park, McPherson Square, Hope Park, Fairhill Square Park, Norris Square Park, Mascher Park, Frankford Avenue Garden, Arcadia Commons, Trenton and Auburn Park, Letterly Green, Emerald Park, Konrad Square, and Palmer Park. Kensington has many playgrounds within or adjacent to its boundaries including Nelson Playground, Waterloo Playground, Hissey Playground, McPherson Square Playground, Heitzman Recreation Center, McKinley Playground / McVeigh Recreation Center, Scanlon Playground and Ice Rink, Harrowgate Park Playground, Fairhill Square Park Playground, Eric Casiano Field, Mascher Park / Maguire Playground, Black Coyle and McBride Playground, Pop's Playground, Pop's Skatepark, Hagert Street Playground, Shissler Recreation Center, and Towey Playground. Strong community groups and nonprofits in Kensington have used

464-617: Is Out There, and The X-Files: Secret Agendas, all from IDW Publishing); horror ( Nights of the Living Dead , with George A. Romero ); mystery pastiche ( Alternate Sherlocks , with Michael Ventrella), political thrillers with horror ( V-wars, V-Wars: Blood and Fire, V-Wars: Night Terrors , and V-Wars: Shockwaves) , and an anthology of horror stories for teens ( Scary Out There ) which features original stories and poetry by R.L. Stine, Ellen Hopkins, Linda Addision, Ilsa J. Bick, and many others. In 2017 he published Devil's Advocate , one of

522-727: Is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. In 2011 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the closures of three Kensington Catholic schools, as their student numbers had declined: Ascension of Our Lord, St. Anne , and St. Hugh of Cluny. The Free Library of Philadelphia operates the McPherson Square Branch at 601 East Indiana Avenue, and the Kensington Branch at 104 W Dauphin Street. Kensington

580-599: Is also a freelance comic book writer, first for Marvel and later for Dark Horse and IDW Publishing . His first story, " Wolverine : Ghosts", was published as a backup story in Wolverine: Anniversary , April 2009. In August 2009 he became the regular writer for Marvel's Black Panther series, starting on the 7th issue, and he wrote Marvel Zombies Return : Wolverine . In 2010 , he wrote Doom War and Marvel Universe Vs The Punisher, Marvel Universe Vs Wolverine, Marvel Universe Vs The Avengers; Klaws of

638-654: Is also historically known for its large working class Irish Catholic community and was the site of the Philadelphia nativist riots in the 19th century. It was also the birthplace of the K&;A Gang , currently known as the Northeast Philly Irish Mob , an Irish American organized crime network. By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in carpet . McNeil Laboratories began with

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696-602: Is considered Fishtown and excludes West Kensington. Kensington belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia . It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North Philadelphia. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. Fairhill and Norris Square are separate from Kensington with

754-577: Is experiencing similar gentrification. Juniata , the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Harrowgate , Lower Kensington, West Kensington . Central Kensington, or "the Heart of Kensington" as it is called in a recent Impact Services neighborhood plan, stretches along Kensington Avenue from Tusculum and Somerset Streets to Tioga Street (see Impact Services plan for

812-445: Is recruited into a Special Ops unit attached to the mysterious Department of Military Sciences, which is run by enigmatic Mr. Church. Each of the books in the series pits Ledger and his team against a different kind of extreme science threat. In the first novel, Patient Zero , the threat is a pathogen that turns people into zombies. In the second book, The Dragon Factory , the villains are geneticists using cutting-edge science to restart

870-404: Is similar to Central Kensington but is slightly quieter and has fewer crimes. The part of Kensington below Lehigh Street, or as it has been rebranded "Lower Kensington" or "East Kensington", is the part of Kensington most clearly experiencing gentrification. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. West Kensington

928-537: Is similar to Norris Square and Fairhill in that it has a similar demographic to most of Kensington while having a more North Central Philadelphia identity, but unlike the other two neighborhoods it remains certainly part of Kensington. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis, Palmer purchased what

986-657: Is the Councilmember for District 7. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Parts of the neighborhood lie in the 177th or 197th Districts, represented by Joseph C. Hohenstein and Danilo Burgos respectively. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave. The U.S. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). The U.S. Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as

1044-621: The Market–Frankford Line which, running on top of Kensington Avenue, dominates the intersection. SEPTA City Bus routes 3 (on Kensington Avenue, running underneath the "El") and 60 on Allegheny Avenue, with route 5 nearby on Frankford Avenue, also serve the K & A area. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. Public schools in Kensington include Kensington High School Complex , Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High School , Russell H. Conwell Middle Magnet School and John H. Webster Elementary School. There

1102-425: The 1950s, leading to a significant population loss, high unemployment, economic decline, and abandoned homes. However, some sections of the neighborhood have been revitalized in recent years, especially those near Frankford Avenue, Kensington's neighbor south of Lehigh Avenue, and Fishtown , another traditionally working-class neighborhood which has seen rents increase. While most of the large manufacturers have left,

1160-541: The Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards. It became the first of a new series of post-apocalyptic zombie thrillers such as Dust & Decay (winner of a 2011 Bram Stoker Award) Flesh & Bone (winner of a 2012 Bram Stoker Award), Fire & Ash , a collection of short stories, Bits and Pieces , Broken Lands , and Lost Roads , which

1218-764: The Graveyard Kensington, Philadelphia Kensington is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to Lower Northeast . As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time and are disputed among locals. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East (or Lower) Kensington, West Kensington , and Harrowgate . The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were historically included. The most conservative boundaries of

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1276-841: The Greenbrier Ghost Cooked Penguin Group Jo Fletcher Books Wheeler Publishing Brilliance Audio A Zombie Anthology Chokepoint Pegleg and Paddy Save the World The Wind through the Fence Zero Tolerance Deep, Dark Material Witness Changeling Mad Science Artifact The Handyman Gets Out Borrowed Power Inside the DMS Interview with Ray Porter Mister Pockets Property Condemned Whistlin' Past

1334-597: The Living Dead (2008); They Bite (also with David F. Kramer, 2009); and Wanted Undead or Alive (with Janice Gable Bashman, 2010). The Cryptopedia won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-Fiction . His first novel, Ghost Road Blues , won the 2007 Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel . That book was the first of the Pine Deep Trilogy and was followed by Dead Man's Song (2007) and Bad Moon Rising (2008), all from Pinnacle Books . Maberry

1392-471: The Nazi master race eugenics program. The rest of the series follows with The King of Plagues , Assassin's Code , Extinction Machine , Code Zero , Predator One , Kill Switch , Dogs of War ; and Deep Silence . Maberry recently launched Rage , the first in the follow-up Rogue Team International series, also featuring Joe Ledger. A collection of Maberry's Joe Ledger short stories, Joe Ledger: Special Ops ,

1450-598: The Panther, and Captain America: Hail Hydra. He moved to Dark Horse Comics and produced a single miniseries, Bad Blood , with artist Tyler Crook, which went on to win the Bram Stoker Award for Best Graphic Novel. His work for IDW Publishing includes two collections of V-Wars, a five-issue standalone series Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart, and his latest series Pandemic. His bestselling work

1508-580: The Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL) . The closure, which happened without consulting with residents and lacked advance notice, was ostensibly to repair elevators that had been damaged by human waste and trash and concerns about safety for workers. However, the decision to close the station "indefinitely" led hundreds of Kensington residents to march from Somerset Station to Allegheny Station in protest, recreating

1566-469: The Somerset and Allegheny train stations, in nearby parks, and on residential streets, angering long-term residents. The neighborhood has gained nationwide attention and great notoriety because of extensive press coverage of its thriving narcotics drug scene, often described as the largest on the east coast. The intersection of Kensington Avenue and Somerset Street was listed number one in a 2007 list of

1624-511: The area has many small shops and large renovated factories and warehouses for newer artisans to set up shop. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places : Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Kensington has a population of approximately 42,000 people according to data from ASC 2020 survey. The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. Of

1682-479: The area known as Port Richmond. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134). The intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues (commonly referred to by Philadelphians as "K & A") is a major transportation and retail hub in the Kensington neighborhood, as it is served by the Frankford Elevated portion of

1740-442: The area's prevalent public drug use. Safehouse, a nonprofit founded in 2018 with the purpose of opening the first supervised injection site in the country, sought a location in Kensington after their proposed South Philly location ran into opposition from neighbors of the site. In Kensington, most residents have opposed the plans and organized against the site being located in Kensington, including leaders of five civic organizations in

1798-409: The area. However, some residents and many harm reduction advocates in the area are supportive. Kensington is home to a number of community development corporations working to improve housing conditions and economic activity in the neighborhood: Kensington is represented on the Philadelphia's City Council by Districts 1 and 7. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Quetcy Lozada

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1856-456: The city's top ten recreational drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly reporter Steve Volk. It is also known as an area of prostitution . Joe Ledger Series Joe Ledger is the name of an ongoing series of bio-terrorism thriller books written by Jonathan Maberry , beginning with the 2009 Patient Zero . The series also includes several short stories, audio originals and novellas. The first three books in

1914-455: The dominant businesses in Kensington in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kensington has traditionally been known as one of the working class centers of Philadelphia. Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. In the early 19th century, Kensington transitioned to iron and steel manufacturing and became home to a variety of factories, potteries, and machine works. Kensington

1972-759: The first season began and ended in 2018 for a 10-episode first season. The series premiered on December 5, 2019. Maberry is a speaker for the National Writers Union , a writing mentor for the Horror Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America , a member of the International Thriller Writers and president of the NJ-PA Chapter of the Horror Writers Association. Maberry is also

2030-467: The first two books in the X-Files Origins series. Maberry wrote the story about a young Dana Scully , while colleague Kami Garcia ( Beautiful Creatures), wrote Agent of Chaos , a young Fox Mulder story. Also in 2017, Maberry published Indigo , a collaborative work of fiction written with nine other authors including Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden . In May 2010, Maberry's work

2088-613: The innocent when their own brain is a threat. Another standalone, Ink , will be released by St. Martin's Griffin as a trade paperback in 2020. Although a standalone, Ink has elements of other books, including characters and locations from the Pine Deep Trilogy , and the appearance of Monk Addison and Patty Cakes from Glimpse . Maberry is also a prolific editor of anthologies in a variety of genre including dark fantasy ( Out of Tune and Out of Tune Vol 2 ), science fiction/horror ( The X-Files: Trust No One, The X-Files: The Truth

2146-474: The longer trip many of them had to take to access the MFL since the closure. Protestors demanded a clear reopening date for the station, safer conditions for SEPTA workers, addiction services, services for homeless people in the area, and more. The station was reopened on April 5 with increased police presence. The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite

2204-529: The market including more law enforcement targeting low level drug offenses and not spending money for addict supervisory services that had been provided by the city in the past. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. Before the Act of Consolidation, 1854 , the Kensington District included portions of

2262-796: The neighborhood are Front Street and 5th Street to the West; the Amtrak train tracks to the North; Trenton Avenue, the Trenton Avenue train tracks, and Frankford Avenue to the East; and Cecil B. Moore Avenue to the South. More simply, some define Kensington as the triangular area bounded by Erie Avenue to the north, Front Street (and sometimes Fifth Street) to the West, and Trenton Avenue to the East. Google Maps’ borders for Kensington show it including much of what

2320-513: The neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing drug addiction and/or experiencing homelessness . After Philadelphia Police forcibly removed a large encampment of these people from an abandoned railroad track by Lehigh Avenue, several smaller encampments formed under the tracks. Police, after a year and a half, removed these encampments causing its residents to spread up Kensington Avenue. People suffering from addiction and/or experiencing homelessness concentrate around

2378-454: The neighborhood for customers via SEPTA trains or I-95 , and neglect by Philadelphia government and law enforcement . In the 1990s heroin was sold there as people addicted to prescription opioids came to the neighborhood looking for opioids . By 2020 the area had become a billion-dollar drug market with people openly injecting drugs and passed out on sidewalks. In 2024 mayor Cherelle Parker promised policies to address issues caused by

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2436-713: The neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. SEPTA 's Market–Frankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. Fishtown, formerly

2494-497: The neighborhood's empty lots as an opportunity to create community garden spaces. Community garden spaces in and around the neighborhood include Kensington Corridor Trust Community Garden, NKCDC Garden, Las Parcelas - Norris Square, El Batey - Norris Square, Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden, Emerald Street Community Farm, Rainbow Park, House of Grace Community Garden, Port Kensington, Hart Lane Farm, and Circle of Hope / Frankford Ave Garden. On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed

2552-437: The neighborhood, catalyzing several grassroots actions from its residents. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans , mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans , as well as African Americans and Irish Americans . Communities of Polish Americans and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. Additionally, there is a large population of homeless individuals. The neighborhood also recently has seen

2610-566: The neighborhood, shown in the map below, are Front Street and 5th Street to the west, the Amtrak train tracks to the North, Trenton Avenue, the Trenton Avenue train tracks, and Frankford Avenue to the east, and Cecil B. Moore Avenue to the south. Kensington is a primarily low income and working class area, and it experienced increasing poverty after the loss of its industries in the 1960s during deindustrialization . Disinvestment and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some sections of

2668-532: The neighborhoods known today as Olde Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, and Fishtown, with its northern border at Lehigh Avenue. These boundaries have since shifted so that a large area north of Lehigh Avenue is now considered part of Kensington, while Fishtown is no longer considered part of the neighborhood. The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District , Richmond District , Aramingo Borough , and Northern Liberties Township . The generally accepted boundaries of

2726-543: The next phase of his career, he departed from martial arts writing and wrote several books on the folklore and beliefs of the occult and paranormal, including The Vampire Slayers Field Guide to the Undead (Strider Nolan, 2000), written under the pen name of Shane MacDougall; Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us and Hunger for Us ( Citadel Press , 2006); The Cryptopedia , co-authored by David F. Kramer (2007); Zombie CSU: The Forensics of

2784-437: The non-Hispanic or Latino population, 19% is White, 15.1% is Black or African American, 3.6% is Asian, and 2.2% identify as two or more races. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $ 28,368, ranging from $ 18,516 to $ 77,979. Additionally, 65.8%, almost two thirds, of Kensington residents can be described financially as "poor or struggling" (defined by a Ratio of Income in 2020 to Poverty Level of under 2.00). The majority of

2842-406: The purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. In 1903 Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against child labor . They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York , carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines!" Deindustrialization eventually took hold in the neighborhood in

2900-455: The residency of the British crown. Palmer laid out his town and sold parcels to many of the shipwrights and shipbuilders who were outgrowing their riverfront lots in present-day Old City, Southwark, and Society Hill areas. He also sold to recent German fishermen immigrants. The original area of Kensington is now more commonly called "Fishtown," mainly because of the shad fishing that was one of

2958-494: The series were optioned for a potential television series on ABC and a pilot was written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach . It was not picked up for a full series. . In August of 2024, it was announced that a television series adaptation of the novels was to be developed and produced by Chad Stahelski and his production studio. The series follows the titular Captain Joe Ledger, a former Army Ranger and Baltimore police detective. Joe

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3016-782: Was called the Fairman Estate, located along the Delaware River in the Northern Liberties Township (area just north of the City of Philadelphia on the Delaware River). The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados . The town of Kensington was named for the area in London known as Kensington, which had been recently established as

3074-513: Was for his first young adult novel, Rot & Ruin (2010, Simon & Schuster ). It won the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel , was named in Booklist 's Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults , an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of

3132-443: Was released by JournalStone. The series' main publisher, Griffin, released Joe Ledger: Unstoppable , an anthology of Ledger stories written by a variety of top suspense and mystery writers including Tim Lebbon , Scott Sigler , Steve Alten , Weston Ochse , Dana Fredsti , Christopher Golden , Joe McKinney , Jeremy Robinson , Javier Grillo-Marxuach , Sherrilyn Kenyon , Bryan Thomas-Schmidt , and others. In 2015 Maberry released

3190-519: Was released on August 25, 2020. Maberry then launched a series called The Nightsiders that blends science fiction with horror. Book 1 of that series, The Orphan Army was named as one of the 100 Best Books for Children. A follow-up, Vault of Shadows was published in August 2016. The series for which Maberry is best known is the Joe Ledger Series , in which a Baltimore police detective

3248-550: Was the basis of a television pilot written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach named "Department Zero", which was moved into active production by ABC Television. In April 2018, it was announced that Netflix greenlit a television adaptation of the V-WARS novels and comics. Following the series announcement, it was confirmed that Maberry would be credited as an executive producer and creator for the Netflix series V Wars . Production for

3306-411: Was the birthplace of the K&A Gang , an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin , fentanyl , and crack cocaine . In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. Sections of

3364-701: Was the novelization of the 2010 film The Wolfman which starred Benicio del Toro , Anthony Hopkins , Emily Blunt , and Hugo Weaving . In March 2010, the novel reached #35 on the mass-market paperback section of The New York Times Best Seller List . It was nominated for and won the Scribe Award for Best Film Adaptation, issued by the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. In 2010 Maberry began writing young adult post-apocalyptic zombie stories. His first prestigious award

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