Book 3

Old Man Suddard: Hard Time



Written in the late 1980’s, Old Man Suddard: Hard Time is a non canon novelization by Trent Gurnstromm, set during the two years between the fourth and fifth Suddard films. Hard Time tells the story of Suddard’s time spent in Horton County Penitentiary. The book was well received by fans who consider it to be a very interesting part of the Suddard mythology.



Synopsis

Old man Suddard is sentenced to life in prison and sent to the notorious Horton County Penitentiary. On arrival, he is quickly attacked by a group of Hispanic inmates. He quickly shanks them all and heads to his cell. The White supremacist gang like Suddard’s style and approach him to join their gang. Suddard accepts but only long enough to frame the gang’s leader for the Hispanic murders. Suddard befriends an elderly black inmate named Chuck along with his young cellmate, Isaac. After a fight with a Chinese inmate in the recreation yard, the three decide to dig a tunnel out of the prison. The attempt fails and the tunnel caves in, causing the prison to go into lockdown. The three use this to front their new escape plan from the library but when the inmate working at the library learns of the plan, they are forced to eliminate him in the showers. A psychopathic inmate breaks free from his cell and attacks some guards. The group use this as cover for their escape but when Chuck is wounded by guard dogs, the plan is called off. Suddard builds a gun out of a toothbrush and gives it to Isaac to use to escape. Isaac is shot in the following struggle and dies in Suddard’s arms.

Suddard learns that an inmate named Shellby informed the guards of Isaac’s attack and so they knew he was coming. Suddard kills Shellby and blames it on Chuck who gets executed for the crime. After bribing his way into starting a riot, Suddard manages to break into the prison’s record room and change his file. He is soon released on good behaviour due to the fact that the guards thought he was someone else.



Trivia

Suddard is revealed in this book to speak a number of languages, most notably, Mandarin, which he used during his fight in the yard.



The character of Chuck would later have a small cameo role in the CGI animated series, SUDDAR3D in the early 2000’s. He would be shot and killed in a raid on Suddard’s house, even though he died in this book. That series has also since been seen as non canon.



This novel was rereleased after 7uddard with three variant covers, one with Suddard, one with Isaac and one with Warden Peace.



A rumour circled the internet during the release of this book that stated that Sheriff Green would be revealed as Old Man Suddard. This turned out to be a publicity stunt by the writer which caused a rise in sales for the product and spawned a t-shirt featuring Suddard in prison clothes with the phrase, “This cage can’t hold Horton’s jam,” written on it.