ALL PULP PAGES

Thursday, June 30, 2011

THE BOOK CAVE GOES TO PYTHON ISLE AND GETS PLANETARY!

Will Murray, Roger Ritner and Michael McConnohie join the Book Cave crew to discuss Python Isle and future audio books.
Will Murray - www.adventuresinbronze.com
On Facebook: The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage.
Radioarchives.com
Michael McConnohie
              
              



Shelby Vick of the online Pulp magazine Planetary joins the Book Cave crew to talk about his site.
http://www.planetarystories.com/
After the first one -- www.planetarystories.com/wonerlust.htm -- the other links are www.planetarystories.com/W2.htm -- www.planetarystories.com/W3.htm -- www.planetarystories.com/W4.htm -- www.planetarystories.com/W5.htm -- www.planetarystories.com/W6.htm
Also, I left out someone really important: Ron N Butler, of the Atlanta Radio group, turned up by Jerry Page. Ron has developed Rory Rammer, Space Marshal as, for instance, in www.planetarystories.com/rammer.htm and www.planetarystories.com/planetoid.htm for instance. Rory Rammer is PERFECT for Planetary Stories.
our Associate Editor is Robert Kennedy

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

FORTIER TAKES ON BLOOD OF THE REICH!!

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
BLOOD OF THE REICH
By William Dietrich
Harper Books
417 pages
Available July 2011
ISBN 13 – 978-0-06-198918-6

You realize there are books reviewers are predisposed to like by the title alone.  When the good folks at the New York Journal of Books offered to send me this book, it was because I’d already reviewed an earlier book by the same author and liked it a great deal.  But being brutally honest here, I’d forgotten what that title was until they showed me the cover image to “Blood of the Reich.”  Ah, yes, William Dietrich, I thought, the fellow who created that Revolutionary version of Indiana Jones in his first book, “Napoleon’s Hero.”  Yes, I had enjoyed that historical romp and was curious as to what this new stand alone offering might contain in the way of a fun reading experience.

Once I read the marketing copy, I was hooked.  Nazis scientists racing to Tibet in hopes of finding a hidden mystical power in the lost city of Shambhala.  These plot elements scream pulp pleasure and I knew immediately this was my kind of book.  Dietrich’s background as a naturalist and historian allow him to create outlandish plots against authentic, real world settings and it is that richness of historical data that catapults “Blood of the Reich” into action from page one.

In 1938 Kurt Raeder, a German archeologist, is given an assignment by Hitler’s personal advisor, SS Chief Heinrich Himmler.  Raeder and a handful of loyal Nazis scientists are to travel to Tibet, seek out the lost city of Shambhala and there retrieve an ancient power known as Vril.  Himmler and the members of the arcane Thule Society believe this Vril could tip the balance of the coming war in Germany’s favor and fulfill Hitler’s mad dreams of a Third Reich world conquest.

Raeder is an intellectual sadist and the temptation to achieve personal glory, maybe even immortality, through the success of such an undertaking is much too great for him to resist.  And so the mission is launched.  At the same time, American intelligence agencies discover Raeder’s purpose and recruit their own academic agent, zoologist Benjamin Hood, to go after the Nazis and beat them at their own game.  Failing that, he is to sabotage their efforts and assure Vril never becomes a German weapon.

Now this rollicking race across the world is exciting enough but Deitrich ups the ante by creating a second storyline; this one taking place today.  Rominy Pickett is a computer publicist living in Seattle when she is kidnapped by a mysterious, handsome journalist, who claims her life is in danger from Neo-Nazis.  They believe her to be the great granddaughter of Benjamin Hood.  These want-to-be Nazis have uncovered the records of Raeder’s Tibetan mission and hope Rominy will lead them to rediscover what was found in those rugged mountains back in 1938.  Thus is a smart, witty, normal young woman suddenly hurled head first into a life-or-death race around the globe accompanied by a charismatic stranger who appears to be a physical embodiment of all her romantic fantasies.  But is he really her knight-in-shining armor or someone with ulterior motives using her to achieve his own dark agenda?

“Blood of the Reich” is a barn-storming novel that sets its sights high and never fails to deliver on them.  My singular criticism is that the convoluted mystery of Rominy’s past and her evolution from frightened victim to pistol toting survivalist challenged even my willing suspension of disbelief.  Deitrich’s prose is much more accomplished when dealing with the 30s whereas his modern sequences aren’t as assured.  Still, this book has so much pulp goodness within its pages, I can’t help but recommend it enthusiastically.  It would make one hell of a great film. 


Modern "New Pulp" Classics?

Everyone knows what old pulp classics "should" be on everyone's reading list but what about the New Pulp novels and stories that have been produced in the last decade or so? What titles would you present to someone new to the genre as representative of the best of New Pulp? Would you push The Khan Dynasty by Wayne Reinagel into their hands? Or The Hounds of Hell by Fortier and Linzner? What about the vast libraries of Wild Cat Books, Airship 27 or even newer publishers like Age of Adventure or Pro Se? Post your lists either here on the Comments section or on our Facebook page! We'll try to compile a list once we've heard from everyone.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese looks at Diamondback: It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time


DIAMONDBACK: IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME
Derrick Ferguson
Pulpwork Press
ISBN 978-0-9797-3298-0

Derrick Ferguson is well-known in the pulp community, primarily for his character Dillon. But he's also the creator of Fortune McCall, Sebastian Red and... Diamondback Vogel. It's that last character who gets the spotlight here, in a story set in the shared world of Denbrook. No prior knowledge of Denbrook is required, however, as Ferguson capably gives you all the required information.

This is a place full of bad people and evil deeds. Overrun by crime and corruption, Denbrook is thrown for a loop when Diamondback arrives, selling his rapid-fire gunhands and keen skills for the right price. Word has gotten around that Diamonback should already be dead and, indeed, we're given information from the very first chapter that causes us to doubt if our protagonist is who he says he is. To be honest, it's this identity crisis that sets the story apart from other "badass" action adventure fests that are so common.

Ferguson's trademark skills are well represented: well-drawn characters, fun dialogue and the sense that you're reading a tough-guy novel.

I have to comment on the names the characters sport because I was alternately laughing my ass off and rolling my eyes every time a new one was introduced: the aforementioned Diamondback Vogel, Baby Delroy, Titus Hegemon and (my favorite) Nickleby LaLoosh. I loved this and it helped set the tone considerably.

There's a sequel promised at the end of this one and given the lingering questions about the main character, it's a well-deserved one. This is a high-octane thriller. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that's a good thing. Will it change your life? No -- but it's not meant to. It's meant to entertain and make you crack a smile along the way.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Monday, June 27, 2011

NEW PULP'S LATEST PULPED! IS LIVE!



PULPED! The Official New Pulp Podcast-Episode 2-Chronologies get PULPED!

PULPED! is a Podcast dedicated to the creators and fans of New Pulp! New Pulp, heroic fiction by modern artists written with the sensibility and in the tradition of the Pulp genre! This week, Tommy and Ron take on the hosting duties and visit with Jeff Deischer, Pulp Writer and Chronologist about his latest book! THE WAY THEY WERE contains essays on various and sundry points about Doc Savage, The Avenger, Dracula, Captain Nemo, Gullivar of Mars, and other noted Pulp and literary characters! And if you don't think this is New Pulp, then listen and learn, children!

Then, New Pulp's own Diva of Justice, The Pulptress swings in with a review of CROSSOVERS by Win Scott Eckert, Noted Pulp Author and Chronologist! Tune in, listen, and be sure to get PULPED!

PULPED! will post each Monday!

Check out PULPED! and the New Pulp Movement at www.newpulpfiction.com and at the New Pulp forum hosted by Comic Related at http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/ under NEW PULP! Also, like New Pulp on Facebook!

Ron Fortier-www.airship27.com

Tommy Hancock-www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com

Barry Reese-www.barryreese.net

Derrick Ferguson-www.dillon-dlferguson.blogspot.com

Like Barry's Writer Page, Tommy's Writer Page, and Airship 27 on Facebook!

MOONSTONE BRINGS A BIT OF HONEY TO ANGELTOWN..AND MORE!

Moonstone letterhead
In This Issue
HOT OFF THE PRESS
SUPER SALE Items!
Previously Released
AT PRESS NOW
Moonstone News
Quick Links

Battle.
BATTLE for L.A.
90pg graphic novel
by CJ Henderson &
Mark Sparacio!
teams up pulp heroes
Black Bat, Phantom
Detective, G8, Domino
Lady, &Secret Agent X!
was $9.95, NOW JUST
$6.99!!
Click the pic!
Chicks
CHICKS in CAPES
new stories of new super heroines...was $14.99,
NOW JUST $9.99
click the pic !
K love
KOLCHAK: Lovecraftian
Horror GN
was $13.99
now for a limited time,
JUST $8.99
Click the pic!
Awaken your sense of ADVENTURE!
SUPER SALE, 40% off on all
Radio Shows Cd's & all DVD movies!

HoneyBlackBat
HOT OFF THE PRESSES!
1. HONEY WEST #4 (mystery)
2. ANGEL TOWN (mystery)
3. HONEY WEST: Anne Francis commemorative
4. BLACK BAT GN (action)
SUPER SALE ITEMS! Limited Time offers!
1. BATTLE FOR LA GN
Pulp team up tale by CJ Henderson & Mark Sparacio-starring Black Bat, G8, Phantom Detective, Domino LAdy, & Secret Agent X!
was $9.95, NOW JUST $6.99!
_________________________________________
2. Chicks in Capes anthology
new superheroines prose collection!
was $14.95, NOW JUST $9.99!
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3. SKULL and BONES GN
Ed Hannigan's masked-hero/intrigue tale of
destruction!
was $15.95, NOW JUST $4.99!
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4. ROTTEN TPB was $15.95, now just $9.99!
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5. KOLCHAK: Lovecraft Horror GN
was $13.95, NOW JUST $8.99!
Previously released:
1. HACK SLASH meets Zombies vs Cheerleaders!
("humor"
2. ZOMBIES vs CHEERLEADERS #3 (Humor)
AT PRESS NOW:
  1. Spider #2
  2. Capt Action King Size #1
  3. Omega Paradox #0
  4. Green Hornet Casefiles
  5. The Avenger: Justice Inc Files
  6. PHASES of the MOON #1
  7. The SPIDER: Satan's Murder Machines HC
MOONSTONE NEWS TRANSMISSION
Coming up:
*BIG -hairy -news coming....stay tuned!
*Box 13, Johnny Dollar, and one lone masked surprise- prose anthologies TBA!
Thanks for your kind attention,
Joe, your Man in the Moon

FAMOUS MONSTERS EDITOR INTERVIEWED BY ALL PULP!

Jessie Lilley has been publishing and editing small press magazines for 20+ years. She is the original publisher of the much acclaimed Scarlet Street: The Magazine of Mystery and Horror, Worldly Remains: A Pop Culture Review and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Mondo Cult Magazine and MondoCult.com as well as Editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Jessie is only the fourth editor of FM since it first published back in 1958. Her freelance work has appeared in the pages of Los Angeles’ Valley Scene Magazine and Perth, Australia’s Messenger along with a host of small press publications and websites related to horror films and music.

Jessie also edits biographies, including the memoir GLORIA by Bond-girl Gloria Hendry; an in-depth and candid look at the life of an African-American actress coming up in the extraordinary time known simply as ‘The 60s”. It is currently available at amazon.com. Another project which was completed in the fall of 2009 is the biography of character actor Paul Reed, Sr. by his son Paul, Jr. A delightful remembrance by a loving son and a retelling of the stories his father told him about making a mark in “the business” in early 20th century New York City. Entitled You Grew Up, the book is available from Bear Manor Media and amazon.com. Jessie is currently editing a series of children’s books called Rowdy and Me. The first in the series, Rowdy Comes Home, is due to hit bookstores later this year.

Jessie lives in Santa Cruz County, CA at the top of a hill at the end of the road with her husband, musician David Paul Campbell, four sleek, rescued cats and various, visiting doggies.

AP:  Jessie, first we’d like to welcome you to ALL PULP!  Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to visit.  Before we get into specifics, can you share a bit about yourself, your background and such?

 JL:  it’s my pleasure to talk with you and thanks so much for including me in All Pulp with the likes of such luminaries as Martin Powell. I’m flattered. There really isn’t much to tell. I was brought into this business via the back door, kicking and screaming all the way. Richard Valley, who had dragged me down the rabbit hole with him several times in our 20 year friendship, did it to me again with Scarlet Street. From there, things seemed to just move along to the coveted chair that I hold today. Being Editor of Famous Monsters is truly an unbelievable opportunity for me. Philip Kim flatters me with the position which I’ve held for over a year now.


 AP: You’ve been involved in the Horror arena for some time, including working with such luminaries in the horror magazine field as Forrest J.  Ackerman.  Has the field of horror changed dramatically since you became a part of it, particularly in the magazine arena?  If so, how?


 JL: You know, Forry had names for everyone. Brad Linaweaver was always “pal” and I was Wonder Woman. I was very lucky to have known the man and will always be grateful for the time I was able to spend with him. God, how that man loved his music. A love of all kinds of music was something he and I shared. Between us, we knew more lyrics than my husband. (Laughs) And that’s saying something! But you asked if the horror field has changed since I got into it in 1990. It certainly has. For one thing, the state of the US and world economy has removed 99% of the disposable income folks use to enjoy. These days if you’re making $75K a year, you’re just scraping by so those of us who make a lot less than that are just barely off the streets. The internet seems to have come along at just the right time for the news hungry populace that doesn’t have the extra change for a daily paper, let alone a monthly magazine at anywhere from $6 to $12 a pop. And those lower prices are amazing. I know what it costs to get one of these things printed and as I refuse to print overseas, it costs even more. Advertising has become extremely important to print mags at this point, even more than in decades past. Without the advertising income, a magazine like FM would be in a whole lot of trouble. 

Jessie with Forrest Ackerman
 And of course, the second thing that’s changed regarding the magazine arena is the aforementioned internet. There are countless web-only zines out there spreading the word and most any print mag worth its salt has a website to go with it as well as a forum where, hopefully, the magazine’s readers come to chat about the articles they’ve read and what they’d like to read about in the future.


 That part hasn’t changed. We still want to know what the reader wants information on so we can continue to have those people as readers.

 AP:  Why is horror a popular genre?  More so than most of the others, Horror seems to have a very active, committed community following and supporting it.  Why is that?


 JL: Because it’s fun. Because it’s easier to take than the evening news. Because it brings back memories of our youth, when times were better (they tell me) and life was simpler (they continue to tell me – it wasn’t you know, it just seemed that way because we were kids) and the world was new and fun. Horror helps keep the world fun. In the world we know today, that counts for a whole lot.


AP: Has the fact you’re a woman working in the Horror field been a benefit or hindrance, or maybe even both, in any way?   Do you feel like women contribute something different within Horror that men do and if so, what?


 JL: I get that question a lot and I’ve answered it a lot, but am happy to reiterate my thoughts on the matter for your readership. It’s amazingly important that people get all sides of this story. I seem to be alone in my thoughts here. There are a lot of women who really don’t like what I have to say so brace yourselves. This question always seems to generate a lot of letters.


 I wish to start by saying that my being a woman – and at the time I started in this business a rather comely wench at that (I’m old and fat now) – was never a problem for me.  God knows women have been in publishing for decades and while some may say that what I did in 1990 with Scarlet Street was no big deal because of the likes of Helen Gurley Brown (can’t imagine why they’d lump me into that august company, but there it is), the fact is that at the time I was the only female publisher in the horror market. That didn’t last long but for a short while that’s the way it was. So from the git go, my being a woman was a benefit because it was new. I had a different outlook than the boys did and Richard Valley, as editor, had a far different outlook than the other boys did. By 1990 when we put out issue 1, we were all so tired of the same writers writing the same stuff and commenting about each others’ work that we thought it might be time to shake things up a bit with some different viewpoints. We succeeded in that and after I left SS, Richard continued to shake things up in his own inimitable style. He’s gone now, but the legacy he left changed horror publishing forever and I’m proud to have been associated with that project and with him.


As to the second part of your question – and this is where the letters come from – may I say the answer is an emphatic yes. It’s called the mother instinct. Whether a woman has given birth, adopted or never had children, there is something inherent in the female of the species that nurtures. Men are not natural caregivers. Women are. Also, when it comes to beating on male monsters, women are better at it because it’s part of their natural defense mechanism. It’s the lesson life has taught many of us. Very few people out there are really interested in anyone but themselves. There are both men and women in this world that are out for whatever they can get. Being the “weaker” of the species – in theory, if not in fact – women are aware that men (and women too, let’s be fair here) will take any advantage they can and as a result, while a man meeting a man will assume an attitude of bonhomme, a woman’s defenses will always be up. A man can be blindsided by another man’s evil intent but a woman has a better chance of being prepared out of hand.


AP:  Horror films can be divided into many categories, one of those being classic monster movies.  Do you feel like the old Universal monsters still have a strong appeal today and if so, what do you think contributes to that?


 JL: Yes, in fact I know those old films still appeal in the 21st century. I believe they will appeal for decades, if not centuries, to come. Many things contribute to this, I think, and while this is all speculation on my part, it comes from a fairly rich education on the subject. There’s the nostalgia factor of course. When I was a kid, the ‘new stuff’ included the goodies that Roger Corman was putting out, like the Vincent Price Poe films. I saw those at the drive-ins and movie houses. At home though, on TV, I saw the classic horror flicks; those that starred Lugosi, Karloff, Chaney and later, Rathbone and Zucco to name just a few. Wonderful films in black & white, with scripts that were well-written, actors that took the roles seriously and delivered wonderful performances and directors that knew how to scare the pants off an audience – not to mention some really cool make-up.


I’m not the only Monster Kid out here you know. We are legion and many have had kids of their own. The parents still love the old movies and their kids – through the wonder of videotape and now DVD and Blu-Ray – are being exposed to these old favorites along with the new. A large enough percentage of them have fallen in love with the Universal classics and some of those kids – older now and with their own progeny – are showing the films to their kids.


 These films were very well done for the most part and the love of them will never die as long as we have recordings of them to show our children.


AP:   A current project you have in the works is a new take on FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN.  What details can you share about this, including format, creative team, where it will appear, etc.


JL: You know, of all the things I’ve worked on with Phil Kim, this project has to be my favorite. For 20 years or more I’ve simply been gaga for the artwork of Joe Jusko. I’ve had a mad fan crush on the guy just because of the spectacular renditions of the male and female forms divine. And his use of color is so wonderfully vibrant. I’ll never stop being in awe of those who paint. Jusko, Stout, Wrightson…. Can’t name them all here. There’s not enough room! These creatures come off the page at you when they turn their talents to paint and canvas, and you know that one night something is going to lumber off the wall and get you while you’re in bed… when Martin Powell started to lobby for the FMTWM project in one of the Retro issues, I – being a Powell fan – immediately started to lobby for it with Phil for Retro 71. Then Martin says to me, he says, “So Jessie. What do you think about the cover artist? I mean, do you know about Joe Jusko?” I almost died right then and there. What a perfect idea. What a spectacular choice. Oh, man! And Joe said yes. And Phil said yes. And I am one very happy camper. It’s like a dream come true. So, the format will be close to the original filmbooks from Forry’s day and that’s all you’re going to get out of me. I know Phil is hoping to have it for Comic Con, but it’s actual scheduled release is September of 2011. If we can get it done in time for Comic Con, we would be bringing a limited number for sale there. That’s’ the last I heard anyway.


AP:  We’ve talked about the appeal of the classic monsters already.  Specifically, though, what about this particular film adaptation do you think speaks to a modern audience?


JL: The fact is, there was no deep meaning in this film; not that I could see at any rate. The film says the same thing today that it said to the audience back then. Here are a couple of our monsters that you liked before. We thought we’d get them together for you and see what happens. Perhaps that statement will be seen as disrespectful by some, but it is the way I see it. FMTWM was discussed in the pages of Famous Monsters back in the day, but it never got a filmbook treatment. It struck us that it oughta have one and so Retro 71 seemed to be the logical place for it.


AP: As an editor, how do you make sure the tension and drama and fear that builds up in a horror movie translates well enough to the page to have similar effects?


JL: As an editor, you get the best writer for the project. When the writer presents the project and himself as the best writer for the job, you really don’t have to do much. Pretty much be sure all the words are spelled properly and that said writer doesn’t ramble off into areas not necessary to the project. I’ll tell you that working with Martin is quite possibly the easiest job I’ve had in 20 years. The fella knows his stuff. I guess that hardest part of the whole thing is figuring out what else goes in this issue with the filmbook.


AP:  Specifically about the creative team behind this project, what do Martin Powell and Joe Jusko bring to the process that makes them the best for the job?


 JL: I think other than what I’ve already stated earlier, they bring the thing back to life through the eyes of the children that they once were. Both of these men were so completely overjoyed to be doing this for Famous Monsters that it was almost laughable. Almost, but not quite – because I knew exactly how they felt. I felt the same way when someone told me that, yeah, I was the editor of Famous Monsters now.

AP:  Are there any projects for the magazine or yourself personally that you can or want to let our readers know about coming up in the near future?


JL: Oh absolutely! My favorite personal project is issue 3 of Mondo Cult, the magazine I edit for Brad Linaweaver. It’s a completely different gig from FM. I’m looking forward to being able to write about music again, and in a publication that is written for adults. FM is written as a strictly family friendly magazine, which is only proper as that’s where it started out and the idea was to bring FM back in the same vein as it always was. Mondo, on the other hand, started out as a magazine of which I am Editor-In-Chief and I don’t censor my writers. I never pretended the thing was for kids so the language you will find in the pages of Mondo is usually a bit more ripe than that which you will find in FM.


This issue of Mondo Cult is going to rock. I’m really excited about it because I’m finally putting my piece on Black Zoo together. I’ve wanted to write about that film for years and now I have my chance. I think I’ve got a little something to discuss about this film that hasn’t been touched on before. It has to do with women again. What a surprise. Ron Garmon is going after DeSade and Medved and Brad Linaweaver is going after the world in general. Paul Gaita is back as Music Editor and all is right with the world. The best thing though, is the cover. It’s by L.J. Dopp but that’s all I’m going to say about it. You’ll just have to be surprised along with everyone else. We’ll have it on the stands by the end of the year.


 AP:  Thank you so much for your time, Jessie!


 JL: As I said before, it’s my pleasure. Thanks again.

MORE COMIC PULP ACTION FROM KPSB!


The cover for Issue 14 AND THE FIRST PAGE of "Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory" has been posted at http://www.flying-glory.com
 
Come celebrate 10 years of "Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory" and discover a secret that has haunted Flying Glory for decades that will threaten her future for many years to come. Read it all in the pages of "Reverberations"


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Legendary Writer/Anthologist Greenberg Passes

ALL PULP is saddened to repost the news of the passing of Martin H. Greenberg.  Though the name may not be familiar to many, Greenberg gained fame as being one of the most dedicated anthologists of recent years.  Many fantastic story collections that inspired many ALL PULP readers as well as Pulp creators of all sorts, were thanks either in whole or at least in part to Mr. Greenberg. He will be missed.

reposted from www.fantafiction.com

R.I.P. Martin H. Greenberg (1941-2011)

Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941-June 25, 2011) was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.

Greenberg took a doctorate in Political Science in 1969, and has taught at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay since 1975. His first anthology was Political Science Fiction (1974, with Patricia Warrick), intended to be used as a teaching guide, then continuing with a sequence of educational anthology titles under the series name Through Science Fiction. In the late 70s Greenberg began partnering with Joseph D. Olander on more conventional SF anthologies. Early in his career, Greenberg was sometimes confused with Martin Greenberg the publisher of Gnome Press, but the anthologist has stated (at science fiction conventions, and in some of his anthologies) that they are no relation. Asimov suggested that he call himself “Martin H. Greenberg” or “Martin Harry Greenberg” to distinguish him from the other Martin Greenberg.

He shared the 2005 Prometheus Special Award with Mark Tier for the anthologies Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty.

Greenberg typically teamed up with another editor, splitting the duties of story selection, editing, copyright searches, and the handling of author royalties. Major partners include Isaac Asimov (127 anthologies), Charles G. Waugh, Jane Yolen, and Robert Silverberg.

In 2009, he was the recipient of one of the first three Solstice Awards presented by the SFWA in recognition of his contributions to the field of science fiction.

IRON AND BRONZE NOW AVAILABLE!!

From http://cpcarey.blogspot.com/

"Iron and Bronze" by Christopher Paul Carey & Win Scott Eckert now available on the Kindle and Nook

For a long time, my good friend and colleague Win Scott Eckert and I had been tossing around the idea of writing a story together. We had both been heavily influenced in our youth by the Doc Savage pulps, H. Rider Haggard, and Jules Verne (among others), and each of us had completed novels begun by Philip José Farmer. Win's collaboration with Phil, The Evil in Pemberley House, came out in 2009, and mine, The Song of Kwasin, lined up behind Up the Bright River (a wonderful collection that came out to commemorate Phil's long and wildly imaginative career following his passing), and is slated to be published in an omnibus of the Khokarsa series in 2012. So it only seemed natural that we should write a story together ourselves someday.

That opportunity finally came with the story "Iron and Bronze," which was first published in 2009 by Black Coat Press in the anthology Tales of the Shadowmen 5: The Vampires of Paris (a terrific anthology and series that I highly recommend to pulp adventure enthusiasts), and which features two great heroes of the French pulps. Now the story is available in ebook format for both the Kindle and Nook. Here's the product description:

Taduki-inspired visions draw an intrepid adventurer and a madman to a lost African outpost of Atlantis where they must confront an ancient mystery from the stars... Drawing on diverse sources such as Jules Verne’s The Barsac Mission, H. Rider Haggard’s She and Allan, Guy d’Armen’s Doc Ardan (who has been called the “French Doc Savage”), J.-H. Rosny âiné’s L’Étonnant Voyage de Hareton Ironcastle, Pierre Benoit’s L’Atlantide, and Philip José Farmer’s “monomyth,” “Iron and Bronze” hearkens back the classic SF adventure pulps of the 1920s and ’30s.

This story first appeared in the anthology Tales of the Shadowmen 5: The Vampires of Paris.

Christopher Paul Carey is the co-author with Philip José Farmer of The Song of Kwasin, the third novel in the Khokarsa series (omnibus forthcoming in 2012 from Subterranean Press).

Win Scott Eckert is the co-author with Philip José Farmer of the Wold Newton novel The Evil in Pemberley House, about Patricia Wildman, the daughter of a certain bronze-skinned pulp hero (Subterranean Press, 2009).
So if that grabs you, you can begin reading "Iron and Bronze" right now on the Kindle or Nook platform of your choice.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

FLASH GORDON (1936)






FLASH GORDON (1936)

1936
Universal Pictures

Directed by Frederick Stephani
Produced by Henry MacRae
Written by Basil Dickey, Ella O’Neill, George H. Plympton
Based on the comic strip by Alex Raymond



Say whatever you want about The Internet.  It’s done all right by me so far.  It’s a never ending source of delight to me that I can find and rediscover movies, books, comics and old TV shows that I thought I’d never see or experience again.  But it’s all out there and thanks to the wonderful technology we now have, it’s a joy to be able to relive some of my childhood pleasures.  This is one of ‘em.

Set The Wayback Machine for pre-Netflix days, Sherman. (I’m talking about the 70’s and 80’s, folks) when the only way I could see cliffhanger serials from the 30’s and 40’s was to either borrow them from the library and hope the VHS tape hadn’t been dubbed from a poor copy or wait until they were shown on PBS.  Usually during the summer PBS would have a Saturday night marathon showing of “Spy Smasher” “Perils of Nyoka” “The Masked Marvel” or “Manhunt of Mystery Island” in their original form.  Much more common were the edited versions of cliffhangers that Channel 9 or Channel 11 here in New York would show on Saturday afternoons.  15 chapters were edited down into 90 minutes.  It gave you a good flavor of what cliffhangers were like but that was all.

But now we’ve got Netflix and it was while accidentally finding they had “King of The Rocketmen” available, I hunted up some other serials as well.  Including what is probably the best known and best loved cliffhanger serial of all; FLASH GORDON starring Larry “Buster” Crabbe.   The man was known as The King of The Serials due to his playing in serials arguably the three most popular comic strip heroes at that time: Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Tarzan.  Talk about your hat tricks.




But there’s a reason why Mr. Crabbe got to play such heroes.  The cat looks like a hero.   He had the genuine square chin, steely eyes and a build most guys would give ten years off their life for.  But I think that Buster Crabbe’s real appeal in this serial lay in his Everyman quality.  His Flash Gordon isn’t the smartest guy in the room.  And he’s okay with that.  He’s more than happy to let Dr. Zarkov be the brains of the outfit while he does the dirty work.   He’s clever and resourceful.  He’s got morals and compassion for the little guy.  And when it comes to kicking ass all over Mongo, just step back and give Flash some fightin’ room.

By now, the story is legend.  The planet Mongo is hurtling toward Earth on what appears to be a collision course.  Earth’s weather is going crazy as well as the populace.  Flash Gordon is on one of the last cross country flights as he wishes to be with his scientist father when the end comes.  Also on the plane is Dale Arden (Jean Rogers).  Due to the severity of the weather, Flash and Dale are forced to bail out by parachute and happen to land right near the spaceship of Dr. Hans Zarkov (Frank Shannon) who talks them into a suicide mission to fly through space to the planet Mongo and somehow stop it from crashing into Earth.

Flash and Dale agree to go along and our intrepid heroes successfully make it to Mongo where they are promptly captured by Captain Torch (Earl Askam) who takes them to his Emperor: Ming The Merciless (Charles Middleton) who rules Mongo by fear and terror.  Ming and Flash take an instant dislike to each other.  However, Ming’s daughter Princess Aura (Priscilla Lawson) falls immediately in love with Flash and tries to save him when her daddy throws Flash in the Arena of Death with three brutal ape men.  Now mind you, this is just the first chapter and I didn’t even describe half of what happens.



The next 12 chapters are a goofy blizzard of classic space opera pulp adventure as Flash and his friends are chased, captured, enslaved, escape, battle and struggle against Ming while making friends and allies with Vultan (John Lipson) King of The Hawkmen, Prince Barin (Richard Alexander) the rightful ruler of Mongo and Prince Thun (James Pierce) of The Lionmen.

First off let me say up front that you have to have a love of this kind of thing from Jump Street or at least be curious to learn more about this genre.  This entire serial was made for less than a million bucks which today wouldn’t even pay for the catering for some of today’s movie.  So we’re talking about production values that are downright laughable by today’s standards.  The acting is nothing to brag about.  But it is sincere.  Buster Crabbe sells it with all his heart.  When he’s up there on screen he convinces you that he’s in the deadliest of peril even while fighting the most obvious rubber octopus in the history of movies.  And the rest of the cast follow suit.  Especially John Lipson as Vultan who I was afraid would belly laugh himself a hernia, that’s how much he’s enjoying playing the Falstaffian King of The Hawkmen.

Jean Rogers as Dale Arden is kinda blah, even for this material.  She mostly just stands around looking gorgeous in her flowing, gossamer robes.  Mongo must really be hard up for women since everybody who meets Dale wants to marry her.  Her contribution to the story consists of either fainting or screaming at least once every chapter.  I gotta give her props, though.  Not many actresses even today could give so many inflections to one line; “What have you done with Flash?” which is usually all she gets to say.




Princess Aura is much more fun to watch as she’s the real woman of action here.  She’s always pulling a ray gun on someone, even on her own father to rescue Flash.  Something she does a surprising number of times.  There’s even a scene where Aura tells Dale that if Dale really cared about Flash, she’d do something and not just stand there cramming her fist in her mouth to hold back yet another scream.  Whenever she hears Flash has been captured yet again, Aura grabs  the nearest ray gun, holds up her dress so as not to trip and runs off in her marvelously high heels to save him.

Frank Shannon is amazing as Dr. Hans Zarkov, one of the greatest Mad Scientists in fiction.  There’s a scene in the spaceship that made me laugh out loud:  Our Heroes are heading for Mongo when Flash asks Zarkov if he’s ever done this before.  Zarkov admits that he hasn’t but he’s tested with models.  “What happened to them?” Flash asks.  “They never came back,” Zarkov sheepishly admits.  If you watch this serial, check out the expression on Flash’s face.  Priceless.

And while I’m sure that Mr. Crabbe didn’t mind having to wear shorts through the whole production, I would think Frank Shannon and Richard Alexander did since they don’t have the legs to pull that look off.  At least Charles Middleton didn’t have to.  He doesn’t have the fabulous wardrobe Max Von Sydow sported in the 1980 movie but he does have the sufficient gravitas to make us take Ming seriously.  Flash Gordon vs Ming The Merciless is one of the most celebrated hero/villain pairings in heroic fiction and I believe it’s largely due to the work Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Middleton do in this serial as well as the two sequels.  They are never less than convincing and in their best moments they make us forget the cheapness of the production.

So should you see the 1936 serial version of FLASH GORDON?  It depends.  Are you just looking for a casual Friday or Saturday night movie? Then  go Netflix the 1980 version starring Sam J. Jones as Flash and Max Von Sydow as Ming with the absolutely kickass Queen soundtrack.

But if you consider yourself a student of pulp fiction, of heroic fiction in film, of the cliffhanger serial or of the science fiction movie genre or of just plain movies then I say that there is no way you can call yourself a student of any/all those genres and not watch the 1936 FLASH GORDON at least once.  It’s the great-grandfather of 90% of filmic space opera that came after it and need I remind you that the major reason George Lucas created “Star Wars” is because he couldn’t get the rights to do FLASH GORDON, which is really what he wanted to do.  If things had turned out different we might have been watching Flash Gordon, Prince Thun and Prince Barin wielding those lightsabers.

Ideally you should do it the right way and watch one chapter a week on Saturday to get the real effect of watching Saturday morning cliffhangers but I’m a greedy bastard and watched it all in one day with 15 minutes breaks in between.  No, it’s not the same but I kinda think that after the first two of three chapters, you’re gonna keep watching.

Taken as a cultural artifact it is a superior example of a style of film storytelling that isn’t done anymore.  As a gateway drug into pulp in general and as cliffhanger serials in particular, there are few better examples than FLASH GORDON.  Load it up on Netflix and enjoy.

FLASH GORDON has no rating but be advised that it is a culturally and racial insensitive movie by our standard today.  If you’re willing to overlook that and understand it was made in a less socially enlightened time, fine.  If not, give it a pass.

245 minutes (13 Episodes)

Friday, June 24, 2011

HOLMES AND HARRY LIME AND MORE FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!


June 24, 2011

It's a Sherlock Holmes Weekend at RadioArchives.com!


* Just Released: Classic Whodunits with Sherlock Holmes
* In the Treasure Chest This Week
* New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 45 and The Shadow Volume 50
* Now Available: Doc Savage in Python Isle Audiobook
* New: Orson Welles in The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3
Exciting News! Thanks to an arrangement with Diamond Distributors, you'll soon be seeing audio compact disc collections from RadioArchives.com available from booksellers and on-line book stores world-wide! So the next time you visit your favorite bookseller or comic book store, ask for "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "The Adventures of Doc Savage", and other great audio collections from RadioArchives.com!

Just Released: Classic Whodunits with Sherlock Holmes

In the annals of detective fiction, there are many investigators who could lay claim to legendary status. But, for many, the most famous, the most unique, and the most emulated would be the pipe smoking, violin playing, and deer-stalker clad gentleman known as Sherlock Holmes.

Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes and his faithful friend and companion Doctor Watson have been a significant part of popular culture ever since their adventures first appeared in the Strand Magazine in 1887. In the years that have followed, Holmes and Watson have made their way to the stage, the movies, television, and even graphic novels - but, for fans of classic radio, "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" remains among the best interpretations of these two unforgettable characters and their often baffling cases.

The two actors most associated with the roles during radio's Golden Age were, of course, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. But Rathbone's departure from the series in 1946 resulted in another actor taking on the part: Tom Conway, the suave and handsome leading man who had recently been seen as The Falcon in the popular RKO movie series. Though long-time fans were understandably dubious of the change, Conway's talents fit the role like a glove and he, along with Nigel Bruce, continued to broadcast the series from Hollywood for another successful season.

In "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1", RadioArchives.com brings you ten exciting and fully restored episodes from this little-known chapter in the life of the World's Greatest Consulting Detective, just as originally aired in 1946 and starring Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce. Priced at just $14.98 for the five audio CD set, or $9.98 for the digital download, this collection also features original cover art by Timothy Lantz. Visit RadioArchives.com and add Sherlock Holmes to your personal library of mystery favorites right away!

(Note for long-time customers: this 5-hour collection is a repackaged re-release of the first half of a 10-CD set which we previously offered in our catalog. In addition to new cover art, all of the shows in this collection have been newly restored from the original masters to ensure outstanding audio fidelity.)

In the Treasure Chest This Week
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson have appeared in many mediums - but two of their most fascinating cases were recently featured in an exciting graphic novel from Moonstone, offering tales of two of their most challenging foes: Dracula and The Invisible Man!


"Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, Volume 1", a colorful 200 page softcover book, is normally available for sale on our website for $22.95. But, from Friday June 24th thru Monday June 27th, these suspenseful stories of crime and terror can be yours for Just 99 Cents with any purchase of $35.00 or more.

But that's not the only bargain you'll find this week in the Radio Archives Treasure Chest:

On Tuesday, June 28th, you'll enjoy two action-packed tales of The Man of Bronze in "Doc Savage, Volume 18". Normally priced at $12.95, for one day only, this book can be yours for Just 99 Cents with your purchase of $35.00 or
more. And, if detective stories are your passion, you can't do better than Bob Bailey starring in "Let
George Do It, Volume 1", a 10-CD set featuring twenty long-lost radio shows from the 1940s. This collection is normally priced at $29.98 but, on Wednesday June 29th and Thursday June 30th, it too can be added to your personal library for Just 99 Cents with any purchase of $35.00 or more.

Whether it's tales of mystery and suspense with Sherlock Holmes, the thrilling adventures of Doc Savage, or the detective cases of George Valentine, you'll find some great bargains in the Treasure Chest this week at RadioArchives.com!
New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 45 and The Shadow Volume 50
Great news! Two brand new double novel pulp reprints have just been released and are now available from RadioArchives.com!
In "The Shadow, Volume 50", priced at just $14.95, Sanctum Books celebrates the publication of its 100th Shadow novel with an extra-length volume showcasing tales by each of the pulp wordsmiths who wrote as Maxwell Grant. First, "The Man from Shanghai" is caught in the web of a murderous mastermind in one of Walter Gibson's greatest thrillers. Then, blood sapphires drip a deadly trail across Manhattan in Theodore Tinsley's "The Golden Dog Murders". Finally, Lamont Cranston and Joe Cardona go undercover to investigate murders at an Alice in Wonderland ball in Bruce Elliott's "Jabberwocky Thrust".
Next, in "Doc Savage, Volume 45", you'll thrill to two original pulp adventures as the Man of Bronze returns in two action-packed thrillers by Harold A. Davis and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. First, the War Department calls in Doc Savage after a weird wave of mass suffocations decimates the U. S. military. Can the Man of Bronze defeat "Merchants of Disaster" to restore national security? Then in "Measures for a Coffin", Doc Savage announces his retirement to a stunned world after a fiery accident. This alternate cover edition, issued with a classic cover earlier this year, features artwork by Bantam artist James Bama.

When it comes to thrills, chills, and excitement, there's nothing like a great pulp fiction story to really get your heart racing. Visit RadioArchives.com and pick up these new releases right away!



Now Available: Doc Savage in Python Isle Audiobook
For over eighty years, the name Doc Savage has meant thrills and excitement to millions of readers worldwide. Now, for the very first time, the Man of Bronze comes to vivid life in "Python Isle", the first audiobook adventure from RadioArchives.com!

In "Python Isle", a long-lost pioneer flyer returns to civilization accompanied by an exotic woman who speaks in a lost tongue. From his towering skyscraper headquarters in New York, through a dangerous Zeppelin journey to Cape Town, climaxing on a serpent-haunted island in the forbidden reaches of the Indian Ocean, Doc Savage and his iron comrades race to untangle a weird puzzle so deep that the only clues can be found in the Bible!

Written by Will Murray and produced and directed by Roger Rittner - the same team that brought you "The Adventures of Doc Savage" radio series - "Python Isle" features dramatic narration by Michael McConnohie, cover art by Joe DeVito, and two exclusive interviews with Will Murray on the history of Doc Savage and the discovery of author Lester Dent's long lost manuscripts.

"Python Isle", the first in a new series of unabridged audiobooks from RadioArchives.com, is available now as an eight audio CD set, priced at just $25.98, or as a digital download for just $17.98. In the weeks to come, be sure to visit RadioArchives.com often for more exciting audiobook adventures featuring the top heroes of pulp fiction, including The Spider, Secret Agent X, and many, many more. If you're looking for adventure, excitement, and suspense, you'll find it on "Python Isle", available now from RadioArchives.com!


New: Orson Welles in The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3
For film buffs, it's a memorable image: Harry Lime - criminal, thief, and black market racketeer - has been killed by a runaway car in the ravaged streets of postwar Vienna. But suddenly, out of the darkness of a moonlit night, a stray spotlight happens upon a doorway - and there he is: Harry Lime, in the flesh, alive...and smiling.

"The Third Man" is a film noir classic, combining a stellar cast, an intriguing story, and images of a once glamorous European city damaged by war, greed, and intrigue. Though brief, Orson Welles performance as Harry Lime remains one of the most memorable characterizations in his long and varied career. Luckily, for fans of audio entertainment, Welles revisited his role in "The Lives of Harry Lime", a radio series that recounted the adventures of this memorable scoundrel in a series of tongue in cheek adventures that remain some of the best and most imaginative programs ever produced for radio.

In "The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3", RadioArchives.com brings you ten more light-hearted and colorful tales of crime and criminals starring the legendary Orson Welles. Available as a five-CD audio collection for just $14.98 or a five-hour digital download for just $9.98, these fascinating programs have been transferred directly from original transcriptions and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity. Visit RadioArchives.com and pick up your copy right away!
We'd love to hear from you! Send an e-mail to Service@RadioArchives.com or call us toll free at 800-886-0551 with your comments, questions, or suggestions.
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The releases we've described in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you'll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it's pulp fiction classics, our new line of audiobooks, colorful and exciting items from Moonstone, timeless movies and television shows on DVD, or the over 150 compact disc collections containing thousands of sparkling and fully restored classic radio shows, we hope you'll make RadioArchives.com your source for the best in entertainment.