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Friday, December 2, 2011

ITS CHRISTMAS TIME AND DEALS APLENTY AT RADIO ARCHIVES!




RadioArchives.com Newsletter



 
December 2, 2011

 

NEW Radio Set: Fibber McGee and Molly - The Lost Episodes, Volume 13


The success of “Fibber McGee and Molly” as a legendary radio program can be attributed to many factors. The best comedy writing perhaps for any radio program in history. Memorable, lovable characters. The jokes and banter that people all across the country tuned in for every week. The primary reason, though, that this fantastically funny program still endures today, endearing itself to new fans all the time rests solely with the actors behind the title characters. The Real ‘Fibber McGee and Molly’. Jim and Marian Jordan.
 
Married just five days before Jim was drafted into World War I, both Jim and Marian Jordan had sought to work as performers their entire lives. Upon Jim’s return home, the Jordans entered into show business with a formula that would work for them their entire career. They did it together.
 
Working from hand to mouth for years, the break came for the couple in 1924 when on a bet they went to a Chicago radio station to sing better than a singer they’d heard on the radio and left that station with their first radio job. That spark led eventually to the Jordans leaving their mark on history as the couple in Wistful Vista that everybody wanted to visit. “Fibber McGee and Molly’ kept audiences in stitches for 24 years. By 1943, the Jordans had a number one show and one that still today resonates with people of all ages even today.
 
‘Fibber McGee and Molly’ fans now have the chance to hear many classic episodes of their later fifteen-minute daily series for NBC as Radio Archives has been releasing them in a series of popular compact disc collections - hilarious adventures that literally haven’t been heard since they were first aired in the mid-1950s. Featuring the Jordans, along with a cast of great characters, the newly-discovered shows in these collections are just as warm and entertaining today as they were more than fifty years ago.
 
Guaranteed to cause giggles and guffaws, “Fibber McGee and Molly: The Lost Episodes, Volume 13” is now available from Radio Archives! In this five hour collection set, priced at just $14.98 on CD and $9.98 for Digital Download, you’ll enjoy twenty full-length broadcasts, transferred from the original NBC master recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity.
 
 

 
A high riding western hero! A Great Price! And It Can Be Yours for The Holidays From Radio Archives! Radio Archives has a special offer on the Cisco Kid, Volume 1 featuring the Robin Hood of the Old West as portrayed by Jack Mather! Thrill to the adventures of Cisco and Pancho in 10 hours of wonderfully restored audio for only 99 Cents with a $35.00 Order!



That's right, classic family western audio entertainment, 10 CDs worth of Heroes, Villains, and wonderful tales to share and yours this Holiday Season for 99 cents with an order of $35.00 or more! Just add "The Cisco Kid, Volume 1" to your shopping cart, and then add $35.00 or more worth of additional merchandise to your cart as well. Before checking out, be sure to enter the coupon code BONUS to get the Cisco Kid set for just 99 Cents.



The Cisco Kid Volume 1 for .99 cents! Just one of many Gifts from Radio Archives to you this Christmas!
 
The Treasure Chest from Radio Archives is full of even more Great Gifts that Keep on Giving! Every single DVD we offer is available at unbelievable prices this Holiday Season just for you! At Least 50% off every single DVD in our catalog! Thrill to classic television shows like Gangbusters and Robin Hood! Laugh at Comic Antics from the likes of Lum and Abner and more! Own movie classics starring Bing Crosby, Roy Rogers, and a whole Stocking full of Hollywood Stars!
 

And if that's not enough to prove it's Christmas, check out these even more fantastic deals inside the Treasure Chest.
 
King Kong - The Classic Film, Hollywood's very own Beauty and the Beast tale on 1 DVD - Normally $12.98 now $5.19 - 60% off!
 
Best of Jack Benny - 4 DVDs of one of the true all time legends of classic comedy. Normally $14.98 now $5.99. A 60% discount!
 
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - A modern Pulpy Classic full of Action,
Robots and Heroes all on 1 DVD. Normally $9.98 now $3.99 - unbelievably discounted 60%!
 

Superman - The 1948 & 1950 Theatrical Serials Collection - 4 DVDs of two of the earliest screen portrayals of the Man of Steel - Normally $39.98 now $15.99 - A 60% discount!
 
Zorro - The Masked Avenger, Old Mexico's swashbuckling sword wielder on 3 DVDs - Normally $14.98 now $5.99. Available now at 60% off!
 
 
The Civil War - 8 hours of Audio on this Monumental Historical Event. Normally $29.98 now $14.99 - A 50% discount!
 
Great Detectives - Solve the mystery and save the day with 10 hours of Radio's best Sleuths! Regularly priced at $29.98 now $14.99 - a 50% savings!
 
Radio's Greatest Shows - Thrill, laugh, and tremble at 10 hours of the best shows ever from Radio's Golden Age! Normally $29.98 priced at $14.99 now - A 50% discount!
 
Find something for everyone on your Christmas List inside The Treasure Chest This Christmas! The Treasure Chest overflows at Christmastime!
 

 
Don't Miss these Yuletide Specials meant just for You!
 
'A Classic Christmas' with Ed Sullivan on DVD for only 99 cents! Televisions' Legendary Host and some of the world's best known stars celebrating Christmas with You for less than 1 dollar!
 

Famous Guest Stars – A two hour CD set for only Ten Cents. One Dime for some of the best stars to appear as guests in Old Time Radio Classics!
 
Do not miss out on these Terrific Holiday Gifts, from Our Family To Yours!
 
 
Wanting to share the joy of Old Time Radio with those on your Christmas List this year? Ready to give the best audio collections of Classic Drama, Mystery, Comedy and More to Those You Love? Then take a look at some of the wonderful gift ideas Radio Archives has to offer you!
 

A landmark show that left a mark on all of entertainment, Dragnet, Volume 1 features episodes from this classic police procedural's first season! Radio and television pioneer Jack Webb is dead on as deadpan Joe Friday doing his job day in and day out for the Los Angeles Police Department. Backed up by his partner Ben Romero portrayed by radio great Barton Yarbrough, Friday carries listeners through every step of every case, making even the mundane parts of the job edge-of-your-seat exciting. Thrill to ten hours of Dragnet, Volume 1 available today on CD for $29.98 or digital download for $19.98!
 

The Biggest Stars of Radio and Hollywood's Golden Age can be found today on The Big Show, Volume 1! "The Big Show" presented a weekly mixture of comedy, drama and music from such guest stars as Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, Rudy Vallee, Judy Garland and Fred Allen! Hosted by celebrated actress Tallulah Bankhead, 'The Big Show' was one of the most expensive, extravagant and excellent radio productions of its day. And all the glamour, fun, and music can be yours in The Big Show, Volume 1, ten CDs for $29.98 or via Digital Download for $19.98!
 

Flashing eyes and flashing knives...intrigue and mystery in the dusty, crowded streets of Cairo. And the man in all the action was named Rocky Jordan. Rocky Jordan, Volume 1 stars Jack Moyles as Jordan, the offer of the shadowy Café Tambourine. Jordan finds himself in trouble in every episode, either involving espionage or someone interested in taking his business. Almost always involving a velvet voiced female making eyes at Rocky. And Rocky doesn't find adventure alone. Cairo Police Captain Sam Sabaaya is always near by, ready to either help Jordan or arrest him! Find all the adventure and intrigue Cairo has to offer in Rocky Jordan, Volume 1, ten hours on CD for $29.98!
 

Very few shows had the impact on America in Radio's Golden age that Amos 'n' Andy had. The brainchild of Charles Correll and Freeman Gosden, Amos 'n' Andy, Volume 1 features the iconic lead characters and the comedy stylings that stopped most activity in every home, business, and town across the United States when the show was on. Laugh out loud as Amos 'n' Andy geehaw and joke with The Kingfish himself, his witty wife Sapphire, and all the members of the Mystic Knights of the Sea! Amos 'n' Andy, Volume 1 is classic Radio at its best and an important part of America's past! Available for $29.98 on CD or Digital Download for $19.98!
 
These and other fantastic and fascinating Audio Gift Ideas are waiting to be wrapped up for those special people on your list or for You yourself! All here for you this Holiday Season from Radio Archives!
 
Merry Christmas from Radio Archives!
 
 
 

The first audiobook of Will Murray's monumental Doc Savage adventure The Jade Ogre may be a little too big for all but the largest stocking. But this massive audiobook from RadioArchives.com is sure to delight fans of audio adventure this holiday season.
 
"In this tale of mistaken identity, Oriental mysticism, and high adventure, Doc faces one of his most formidable and mysterious foes," says Producer/Director Roger Rittner. "More than 11 hours in length, this tale never flags in excitement, mystery, and thrills."
 
Based on an outline by Lester Dent, The Jade Ogre tells the story of one of Doc Savage's most exciting and exotic adventures. Accompanied by his aides Monk Mayfair and Ham Brooks, his cousin Pat Savage, and a cast of unique characters, Doc races to unlock the secret of the Jade Ogre, a fantastic Oriental villain who unleashes death in the form of disembodied flying arms, capable of disintegrating its victims in a flash of fire. But the lethal flying arms are merely the cover for a more deadly menace – the mysterious Jade Fever, which strikes down its victims with a deadly virus that turns its victims green as jade.
 
"The Jade Ogre is my greatest pulp epic," author Will Murray says in his liner notes. "It's a wild quest into the darkest heart of Asia to track a malevolent monster."
 
Narrator Michael McConnohie essays every role in the story with unerring vocal impressions that give life to Murray's distinctive characters.
 
In addition to the 36-chapter story, the 12-CD set includes two bonus audio features: a continuation of Will Murray's discussion of the creation of Doc Savage, and his memory of creating The Jade Ogre from Lester Dent's notes, plus how Pat Savage has contributed to the Doc Savage canon.
 
 
The Jade Ogre is available now from RadioArchives.com at $37.98 for the deluxe 12-CD set, or $25.98 for instant digital download.
 
 

For over-the-top thrills, you can’t beat Prince of the Red Looters, the first audiobook from RadioArchives.com featuring the pulp hero, The Spider.
 
Eric Troup tells of his experience listening to Prince of the Red Looters:
 
“I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love the Spider, and I loved what I’d heard from ‘Python Isle’, so I was optimistic. However, I was fully unprepared for the amazing, often visceral, experience I had before me.
 
“The narration sweeps you along in an adrenaline-filled, nonstop wave of action and suspense that simply does not let up until the end of the book. The sound effects made the production even more immersive, making me feel like I was watching a narrated movie. And the music! It put the final touch on my ‘movie-going’ experience.
 
“This story has it all – sword fights, escapes, insurmountable odds, nail-biting suspense, unexpected twists, a superb villain, and so much more.
 
“I offer up a hearty thank-you to everyone involved, and I look forward to enjoying more productions of this caliber in the future.”
 
Prince of the Red Looters is available in a 6-CD deluxe set at just $19.98, or as an instant digital download at just $14.98.
 
 

In Booklist, the 100-year-old journal of the American Library Association, Kaite Mediatore Stover says that Python Isle, the first Doc Savage audiobook from Radio Archives.com,”takes listeners on a breathless, roller-coaster adventure ride.”
 
Stover says it “sounds like a throwback to spine-tingling radio serials in which families listened to stories while glued to the radio console.
 
“McConnohie’s deep, rich tones and changing vocal patterns may fool some listeners into thinking this is a multicast performance,” Stover goes on, “but the fantastic accents and voices come from McConnohie alone. His masterful pacing keeps the tension and suspense tighter than a python’s grip, and a superb blend of sound effects and music enhance the mood, lending the production a cinematic feel.”
 
 

The full-cast NPR series The Adventures of Doc Savage. With special adaptations of “Fear Cay” and “The Thousand-Headed Man” by Roger Rittner and Will Murray, a full cast of voice actors, extensive sound effects, and period music score, The Adventures of Doc Savage is non-stop action in 13 exciting installments.
 
A super-criminal emerges in White Eyes, the second Doc Savage audiobook from RadioArchives.com. From his skyscraper headquarters high above the streets of New York City to the sugarcane fields of Cuba, Doc Savage races to crush gangland’s latest uncrowned king! White Eyes features dramatic narration by Richard Epcar, cover art by Joe DeVito, plus fantastic extras!
 

The first Black Bat audiobook, Brand of the Black Bat, is a stirring story of crime and corruption, and of a courageous avenger determined to track down the vicious gangster who robbed him of his brilliant career, all the while thwarting Captain MacGrath of the N.Y.P.D., who suspects Quinn and the Black Bat are one and the same. Michael McConnohie reads this fantastic tale.
 
RadioArchives.com resurrects the wild and wonderful Doctor Death, one of the rare unabashedly supernatural pulp series. Equal parts Doctor Frankenstein and Albert Einstein, with a dash of Fu Manchu, Doctor Death’s supreme goal in life was to crush civilization. His first fatal foray into reversing mankind’s fortunes, 12 Must Die, is now available in an audiobook read by the talented Joey D’Auria.
 
 
 
As you're hustling to finish your Christmas shopping, don't you want to get those on your list, something special? Like Larger than Life Heroes? Two-fisted tales of intrigue, mystery, and more action than you can shake a boxing glove at? Mad Villains bent on world domination or destruction with insane, almost mystical means? You can wrap all of that up in a box and put a pretty bow on top right here at The Pulp Book Store!
 
Not sure which fantastic hero to introduce yourself or those on your list to? Want to get a feel for the Characters that fight, tumble, run, and save the day in the Pulp Book Store? Then let's take a look at three of the best known, true iconic Pulp Characters.
 
Clearly at the pinnacle of Pulp stands The Man of Bronze himself, Doc Savage. Largely the product of the immensely powerful imagination of author Lester Dent, Doc Savage has been the template for a multitude of heroes, homages, and pastiches since his debut in the Pulps in the 1930s. A genius and near the height of human physical perfection, Doc embodies the essence of justice and righting wrongs, a man of pure intellect as well as brawn working for a pure purpose from a pure heart. Facing some of the greatest evils ever conceived by any author, Doc thinks, works, invents, and often fights his way through to victory.
 
One of the best loved aspects of the Doc Savage stories, however, is not the man himself. Doc surrounds himself with a team of aides, confidantes known as 'The Fabulous Five.' Each of these men were experts in their own field and Dent used them in a variety of ways, including to add vibrant color to his tales and often as that undercurrent of comedy in the midst of blazing adventure. The tirades and sarcastic banter between Monk Mayfair and Ham Brooks add humor, but also humanity to characters who work with a man who seems almost more than human.
 
You can find Doc Savage tales, both Classic and New from Several of the Publishers in the Pulp Book Store, such as:
Nostalgia Ventures - Doc Savage, Volume 1 (Reprint) $12.95
Altus Press - The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage - The Desert Demons (New) $24.95
Radio Archives -The Adventures of Doc Savage (8 Hours on CD) $24.98
Moonstone Books - Doc Savage the Lost Radio Scripts of Lester Dent $22.95
 
Mentioned often in the same breath as Doc when discussing Pulp Icons is the legendary vigilante The Shadow. Originally a creepy voice host on an old time radio program, the two-gunned Hero of the Night that we all know as The Shadow was the brainchild of Walter Gibson. Although a Crusader for Justice, The Shadow's approach was much more in the Shoot-First-Ask-Questions-Later realm. Using the cowardice and fear present in all criminals, The Shadow utilized great physical prowess as well as abilities he'd learned in the past, including his ability to 'cloud men's minds' to insure Justice was done on the dark streets of the City, even the World.
 
The Shadow also made use of a team of operatives, this one a covert group of people who owed The Shadow for their lives in some way or another. Included amongst this clandestine crew of conspirators are such people as Burbank, the central communications link for The Shadow's organization; Moe Shrevnitz, a Cab Driver and the Shadow's wheelman; Joe Cardona, Policeman; Harry Vincent, one of the Shadow's oldest allies; Cliff Marsland, the Shadow's mole into the underworld; and many more!
 
If you like your Heroes dark, your action intense, and your villains mad, then The Shadow is just the Gift for you this holiday season! Check out these volumes of Shadow Adventures in The Pulp Book Store!
Nostalgic Ventures - The Shadow, Volume 5 (Reprint) $12.95
Sanctum Press - The Shadow, Volume 38 (Reprint) $14.95
Nostalgic Ventures - The Shadow, Volume 19 (Reprint) $12.95
Sanctum Press - The Shadow, Volume 55 (Reprint) $14.95
 
A Hero who walks the line between Paragon and Psychopath also shot his way through the Pulps with a Vengeance and is still alive and dealing death to wrongdoers today! Norvell W. Page's The Spider is considered one of the most unique Heroes in Pulp Fiction, primarily because of his tactics and the question of his own sanity. Actually Richard Wentworth, millionaire, The Spider wrought violent justice on any evil that threatened his precious city! With blazing .45's clenched in his hands and a horrifying fright mask over his face, The Spider made the city streets safe for its citizens by leaving corpses by the dozens littering the curbs!
 
Assisted by the lovely Nita van Sloan, who isn't afraid to put on the outfit and play the Spider herself as well as loyal right hand man Ronald Jackson and Ram Singh, Wentworth's Sikh bodyguard, The Spider does whatever is necessary to make sure New York City is safe! These stories reverberate with wonderfully wild characters, over the top plots, and more gunshots than one can count! Criminals beware! Evil take note! The Spider will make sure Good and Justice Prevail! At All Costs!
 
Find all the pulse pounding Spider Adventures your heart can handle for the Holidays from these Publishers in the Pulp Book Store. Stories like:
Girasol Collectables - The Spider, Volume 1 (Reprint) $14.95
Moonstone Books-The Spider Chronicles (New) $16.95
Radio Archives - The Spider: Prince of the Red Looters, Audio Book $19.98
Girasol Collectables - The Spider Issue 3 October 1933 (Pulp Replica) $35.00
 
The only Place to go to find Pulpy Presents this Christmas! Get all this and more at The Pulp Book Store!
 
 

The Man of Bronze battles the supernatural in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, Doc Savage follows his stolen dirigible to a magic island and discovers the lost city of Ost, in an expanded novel with never-before-published text from Lester Dent's original manuscript. Then, Renny Renwick awakens in the body of a fugitive gangster after encountering a strange impish man. What is the bizarre connection between the One-Eyed Mystic, a stolen military secret and a Nazi plot? This classic pulp reprint features the original color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Modest Stein, Paul Orban's classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of eight Doc Savage novels.
 
The Shadow's true identity takes center stage in two classic pulp novels that inspired the classic 1940 Shadow movie serial. First, explorer Kent Allard is invited to join The Green Hoods, a hooded secret society whose true purpose is an enigma. Then, airplanes carrying wealthy passengers disappear over the Rockies, setting The Shadow on the trail of the criminal mastermind called Silver Skull. PLUS "Prelude to Terror," a 1939 radio classic. This instant collector's item showcases both classic pulp covers by George Rozen, the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and commentary by popular-culture historians Ed Hulse and Will Murray.
 
 
 
Spicy Adventure Stories #6 June 1935
Spicy Detective Stories #22 February 1936
The Spider #74 November 1939
The Spider #75 December 1939
Weird Tales #96 December 1931
 
 
 

Review of "Lingo" from The Shadow, Volume 9

By John Olsen

"Lingo" was published in the April 1, 1935 issue of The Shadow Magazine. Currently, the head of all gangdom is Rook Hollister. But the underworld is in turmoil. Lately, his every efforts have been thwarted by forces of the law. Planned crimes are being broken up in the act; henchmen are either captured or killed by the police. And this continual failure of leadership has Rook Hollister's lieutenants preparing for a coup. Yes, Rook's on the way out. He's scheduled for "the bump." (Meaning, they are going to bump him off.)
 
Rook Hollister, kingpin of the underworld, decides to escape the wrath of his underlings by faking his own death. Sliding into place as the new boss of the underworld is Lingo Queed. Lingo can speak Greek, Italian and Chinese. And probably others that aren't mentioned. He claims credit for the killing of Rook Hollister, and takes over the reins of leadership. A new wave of crime is planned. It will take The Shadow to thwart those plans! It will take The Shadow to defeat Lingo Queed. And it will take The Shadow to reveal the hiding place of Rook Hollister and bring him to final justice.

 
The Shadow makes effective use of all of his aides in this story. Appearing are Clyde Burke, enterprising reporter on the staff of the Classic, Harry Vincent, the clean-cut chap who has long served The Shadow, Moe Shrevnitz, shrewd-faced cab driver whose taxi is actually owned by The Shadow, Cliff Marsland, alleged member of the underworld who is actually in The Shadow's employ, Hawkeye, the hunchy little trailer, Jericho, one of The Shadow's lesser agents who gets to play bodyguard for Lingo Queed, Burbank, vital communications man for The Shadow and Rutledge Mann, investment broker and contact man for The Shadow's organization. Representing the forces of law and order are acting inspector Joe Cardona and Deputy Police Commissioner Wainwright Barth.
 
The Shadow's famous girasol ring, the purplish, translucent gem that glows from The Shadow's third finger, appears in this story. In this story, it is worn only by The Shadow and is used as a means of identification. In later years, the ring was worn openly when disguised as Lamont Cranston (who, by the way, makes no appearance, here).
 
Lingo's a real classic and a thrilling Shadow mystery novel. It can be found in The Shadow, Volume 9 available from Radio Archives for $12.95!
 

Comments From Our Customers!
 
Gene Schneider:
Recently I found an offering of The Shadow that I’ve had for some time. Their re-mastering, etc. was quite bad. It can be a real shocker to play your work and compare it to other works. You have No peer in this business. Absolutely none! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
 
Dominick Cancilla:
I've listened to your first two Doc Savage audiobooks and just finished your first Spider tale. I want to complement you on the quality of these productions. They are entertaining and engaging without being overproduced, and the voice talent, sound effects, and music are all top notch. As soon as I finish this e-mail, I will be ordering Black Bat, Doctor Death, and the new Doc Savage. Keep 'em coming!

 
Larry Black:
Thanks a million for the super deals and the excellent quality of your product! I look forward to hours of listening pleasure and to many more years of a continuing GREAT relationship.
 
If you'd like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We'd love to hear from you!
 

The products you've read about in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you'll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it's the sparkling audio fidelity of our classic radio collections, the excitement of our new line of audiobooks, or the timeless novels of the pulp heroes, you'll find hundreds of intriguing items at RadioArchives.com.
 
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, or if this newsletter has been sent to you in error, please reply to this e-mail with the subject line UNSUBSCRIBE and your name will immediately be removed from our mailing list.
 

Britain's Commando Comics Celebrates 50 Years!

Britain’s favourite war comic, Commando, reached a major milestone in June 2011 when it celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first publication on 27th June 1961. Part of the Dundee-based DC Thomson & Co. Ltd stable of comics and magazines, Commando publishes 4 stories every fortnight — 2 new and 2 re-issued classic stories — and maintains its place as the home of comic action and adventure.Although it retains the classic illustrated cover and the iconic black and white comic artwork which has made it so beloved of the UK public, Commando has moved with the times over its 50 years and the stories contained within its pages now span a range of conflicts, right up to the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. Commando’s current editor, Calum Laird, who took over in 2007 said, "As someone who read Commando in the 60s and 70s, worked on the title as a junior member of staff in the 80s and 90s, and became editor in the 2000s, sitting in the hot seat for the 50th birthday is a great honour. Not everyone can have my career path but if Commando can entertain others as well as it did me, I’ll be very happy indeed!"

Visitors to the website (www.commandocomics.com) can also get their hands on some famous Commando cover posters (in A1 size format), exclusively, for the introductory price of £19.99. This September will also see a brand new collaboration for Commando, with the launch of the "Draw Your Weapons" exhibition – celebrating the iconic artwork from 50 years of the comic - at the National Army Museum in London. The exhibition will open on 1st September and Calum commented, "Everyone is delighted that this major exhibition of Commando artwork is to be hosted by the National Army Museum, as one of the key activities of our 50th anniversary celebrations. We’re sure that fans of Commando old and new, will revel in this display of comic art at its best, exhibited so dynamically by the National Army Museum.
Commando No 4447 Colours Of Courage

The proudest possessions of any regiment are its colours — the flags which it carries into battle. Its history is recorded on these colours, the victories it has won.
A regiment guards its colours fiercely. To have them captured by the enemy is a terrible thing. But when a man hands over the colours to save his own skin it is a disgrace that brave soldiers can hardly bear think about.

Introduction by Calum Laird, Commando Editor

If there are two things difficult to get right in a Commando they are French Resistance stories and ghosts. Resistance stories could easily be 63 pages of skulking about avoiding searching German soldiers and ghosts could easily look like normal characters drawn without enough ink.
Thanks to ace story-teller Cyril Walker, Colours Of Courage cracks along with plenty of action to break up the tension. And Arthur Fleming — an art teacher from Glasgow — manages to skilfully depict a glowing figure despite only having black ink and white paper to work with.
Wrapped in one of Ian Kennedy’s superbly drawn and laid-out covers it’s got all it needs for a cracking Commando.

Colours Of Courage, originally Commando No 1182 (December 1977), re-issued as No 2412 (October 1990)

Story: Cyril Walker
Art: Arthur Fleming
Cover Art: Ian Kennedy

Commando No 4448
The Four Scars

Corporal Bill Kirk felt the tiny life-raft rock lazily as the Jap struggled aboard. Both turned to look at the sinking Jap prison-ship they’d been on — Bill a prisoner, the Jap a guard. Then they turned back, to look at each other; and what that Jap read in Bill Kirk’s eyes made him start back in fear.
But there was no escape for him. With only the vast empty ocean and the sharks circling the raft for witnesses, they grappled in a fight to the finish.

Introduction by Calum Laird, Commando Editor

I’ve mentioned before that I my childhood Commando issues at the back of the garage a few years ago. Some I had to look at again to refresh my memory, but not this one. I don’t know how many times I read and re-read this in the 60s but it must have been a lot because I had almost total recall.
Ken Barr’s cover with its ethereal hand hovering over the action, Victor de la Fuente’s action-packed, high-energy inside art and Eric Hebden’s crackerjack of a story with its startling twist were just what the doctor ordered in 1965…and are equally so today. I think so anyway and I hope you’ll agree.
As an aside, Ken Barr used a sheet of transparent plastic sheet with the outline of the hand painted on it to get that ghostly effect. I certainly didn’t know that in 1965.

The Four Scars, originally Commando No 185 (October 1965), re-issued as No 831 (April 1974)

Story: Eric Hebden
Art: Victor de la Fuente
Cover Art: Ken Barr

Commando 4449
Days Of Danger

Simon Katz was a young German and a fervent anti-Nazi. A brilliant mathematician, he escaped Germany by the skin of his teeth and went to work as a code-breaker for the British.
Not long after, Sergeant Barney Taft also made an escape – from the bullet-strafed beaches of Dunkirk.
Though they were on the same side, when circumstances threw the pair together, they clashed bitterly. But could they manage to work together against a ruthless enemy? They would have to if they were to survive.

Story: Stephen Walsh
Art: Vila
Cover Art: Nicholas Forder

Commando No 4450
The Nightmare War

Private Franz Bauer, a German Army engineer wounded during the invasion of France, was haunted by the deaths of his comrades in the same battle — wiped out by a mine. When he recovered he threw himself into his new job developing the remote-controlled Borgward IV demolition vehicle, hoping it might save other German lives.
His chance to save thousands of lives would come, but he would be working alongside an unlikely ally — someone who had nightmares every bit as bad as Franz’s.

Story: Mac MacDonald
Art: Keith Page
Cover Art: Keith Page

Read Ardden Entertainment’s Flash Gordon #1 And #2 For Free

PRESS RELEASE:

Ardden Entertainment LLC is excited to offer the critically-acclaimed and sold-out FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS #0 and #1 for free! See where Ardden’s Flash Gordon series got started!

Find out why Publishers Weekly, Ain’t It Cool News, Newsarama and others have given it such raves, saying such things as: "With each new issue in (Ardden’s) series we are witnessing the definitive modern take on the Flash Gordon mythos" (Geek Goggle Reviews).

To read FG: TMW #0 and #1, simply click on the following link:


Additionally, any comic book retailer who sends Ardden Entertainment a copy of Dynamite’s FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST #1 will receive a FREE copy of FLASH GORDON: THE SECRET HISTORY OF MONGO, the 80 page trade paperback original that features stories by J.M. DeMatteis, Denny O’Neill, Joe Casey, Jim Krueger, Len Wein, Tom DeFalco, and more!

This 80 page book retails for $7.95! For more information, please email us at Ardden.Entertainment@GoogleMail.com or visit us at http://www.ardden-entertainment.com/

Ardden Entertainment LLC was formed in 2008 and is the proud publisher of FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS, FLASH GORDON: INVASION OF THE RED SWORD, and many more quality comics. They are also the publisher of the upcoming Flash Gordon arcs: THE VENGENACE OF MING, in which Ming invades Earth, and KING OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, promising a Flash Gordon unlike any ever seen before!
http://issuu.com/richemms/docs/www.ardden-entertainment.com

PULP OBSCURA ANNOUNCES WRITERS AND FIRST QUARTER PUBLISHING SCHEDULE!

Pro Se Productions, a leading Publisher in the New Pulp Movement, and Altus Press, the foremost Publisher of quality Pulp reprints and new works such as THE WILD ADVENTURES OF DOC SAVAGE, announced a partnership in November and revealed today specifics to what has become known as the PULP OBSCURA Imprint. 

The concept behind Pulp Obscura is that Altus Press and Pro Se Press will work in conjunction to produce related products.   When Altus Press publishes specially selected titles featuring rare and largely forgotten Pulp characters’ original stories, Pro Se will bring together the best writers of New Pulp today and simultaneously release a collection of newly written tales starring the same character. This stunning partnership will showcase both the classic adventures of some of pulp's lost treasures while simultaneously allowing New Pulp's finest to bring those characters back to life.

“This,” Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor-in-Chief of Pro Se Productions, “is no easy task.  First to provide New Pulp stories, brand new exciting adventures of rare classic Pulp Characters and to coordinate that with Altus Press.  But then finding the right creators, the authors who can breathe new life into these concepts and on top of that, deciding and planning which books will come out in the coming year.  It’s a heck of a task and one that has been rewarding on so many levels.”

Thirteen books in the Pulp Obscura line from Pro Se have been planned.   At least eight of these will be timed to release simultaneously with the reprinted adventures of the same characters as produced by Altus Press.  Five more will be published by Pro Se that will feature characters Altus Press has already published the available adventures of in the past. 

“We are extremely proud,” Hancock stated, “to be able to announce a fantastic line up of writers for Pulp Obscura.  Some of the creators involved are well known figures in the Pulp Community, others are prestigious in other genres and literary fields, and there’s even a blossoming new author or two thrown in the mix.  It shows a project has great promise when you as a Publisher simply put a call out for authors who might be interested in participating and you get not only a flood of interest, but also writers who stay on through the selection process of what will be written and who will write it.   Pulp Obscura could not have a better line up of creators for both their skill and their commitment.”

 "It's going to be great to see this new material. Interest in the series has been huge and the enthusiasm by the writers will certainly result in plenty of enjoyable reads," added Matt Moring, publisher of Altus Press. "I cannot recall such a publishing plan ever in the history of the pulp community."

The writers involved in the Pulp Obscura Line in 2012 are-

Howard Hopkins                        Allan Gilbreath             Barry Reese
Derrick Ferguson                        Joshua Reynolds          Andrew Salmon
Nick Ahlhelm                               Jon Edward Klement   Bobby Nash
I.A. Watson                                 Teel James Glenn         Nancy Hansen
Lee Houston, Jr.                        Chuck Miller                 R. P. Steeves
Don Thomas                              Adam L. Garcia           Van Allen Plexico
Frank Schildiner                        Mike Bullock                Sean Taylor
Andrea Judy                              C. William Russette      Phil Bledsoe
Ashley Mangin                          Russ Anderson             Brad Mengel
Terry Alexander                        BC Bell                        James Palmer
Andrew Hind                            Stefan Dogaru              Kevin Noel Olson



Just as exciting and important as the lineup of writers involved in PULP OBSCURA is the list of characters and volumes that the Imprint will have in 2012.  There are 13 planned volumes from Pro Se for the first year of PULP OBSCURA and the books, along with the writers contributing to them for the first quarter of the year include-

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF RICHARD KNIGHT VOLUME ONE-Adventures of a daring pilot/detective who encounters lost worlds and oddities galore!
Writers- Josh Reynolds
  Barry Reese
  Adam Garcia
  I.A. Watson
  Frank Schildiner
  Terry Alexander

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE EAGLE VOLUME ONE-Classic Two Fisted Spy Stories! Pulpy Espionage and Intrigue!
Writers- Rich Steeves
  Bobby Nash
  Teel James Glenn
  Lee Houston, Jr.
  Ashley Mangin
  Nick Ahlhelm

PRICE OF THE MISSIONARY’S GOLD: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ARMLESS ONEIL VOLUME ONE- Classic Pulp Adventure in Exotic Lands seeking Treasure and Action! And with a Tough as Nails Hook Handed Hero!
Writers- Sean Taylor
  Rich Steeves
  I.A. Watson
  Chuck Miller
  Andrew Hind
  Nick Ahlhelm

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE GRIFFON VOLUME ONE-Thrill to the adventures of Kerry Keen, the masked hero known as The Griffon! High Flying Escapades in the Pursuit of Justice!
Writers-Don Thomas
 Rich Steeves
 Chuck Miller
 Van Plexico
 Phil Bledsoe
 Stefan Dogaru

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE VOLUME ONE-Globe Spanning Adventures into the Darkest, Strangest Corners of the World with A Hero Like No Other!
Writers- Barry Reese
  Andrew Salmon
  Ashley Mangin
  Nick Ahlhelm
  Andrew Hind
  Frank Schildiner

THE CASES OF MAJOR LACY VOLUME ONE –Follow The Major and his intrepid team of men as they take on crimes and criminals No One Else Can Stop!
Writers-C. William Russette
             Andrew Salmon
             Bobby Nash
             Andrew Hind
             Don Thomas
             Rich Steeves


“At least seven more titles will follow later in 2012 in the Pulp Obscura line,” Hancock stated.  “We are immensely excited not only to be a part of something so great, but also because of the fantastic response this concept has received. We hope everyone joins Altus and Pro Se for the wild roller coaster ride into Pulp Obscura!”

For more information on Altus Press, go to www.altuspress.com

To learn more about Pro Se Productions, check out www.prosepulp.com

Press packets and further information can be provided upon request at
proseproductions@earthlink.net

Thursday, December 1, 2011

AUCTION SITE INVITES CREATORS TO PARTICIPATE TO HELP ARTIST AND WRITER!

http://magick4terri.livejournal.com/


Beloved editor, artist and writer Terri Windling is in need, and we are asking for your help in a fundraising auction to assist her. This auction will combine donations from professionals and fans in an online sale to help Terri through a serious financial crisis.

Terri is the creator of groundbreaking fantasy and mythic art and literature over the past several decades, ranging from the influential urban fantasy series Bordertown to the online Journal of Mythic Arts. With co-editor Ellen Datlow, she changed the face of contemporary short fiction with The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and other award-winning anthologies, including Silver Birch, Blood Moon and The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest. Her remarkable Endicott Studio blog continues to bring music, poetry, art and inspiration to people all over the world.

Terri Windling and her family have been coping with health and legal issues that have drained her financial resources at a critical time. Due to the serious nature of these issues, and privacy concerns for individual family members, we can't be more specific than that, but Terri is in need of our support. As a friend, a colleague and an inspiration, Terri has touched many, many lives over the years. She has been supremely generous in donating her own work and art to support friends and colleagues in crisis. Now, Terri is in need of some serious help from her community. Who better than her colleagues and fans to rise up to make some magick for her?

Through the next 18 days, we'll be posting personal offerings from the likes of Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, Wendy & Brian Froud, and many more! Besides bidding on these beautiful items, YOU can also post your own skills, services, arts, crafts, or whatever else you'd like to offer for auction! Please see our complete About Us page for FAQ about Terri, the auction process, and other ways to get involved. Thank you!


Bullets vs. Bonding at Sean Taylor's Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action Blog

New Pulp Author Sean Taylor has created a new blog called Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action at http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/

In his latest column, Bullets vs. Bonding, Sean discusses balancing action and characterization in pulp fiction with a few of New Pulp's finest. Here's a sample:

Anyone who is a fan of the genre knows how much pulp is defined by the action-oriented plots. That's a given. We get it, and we've beat that dead horse so hard it already got back up for a few hard-boiled western sequel novels.

But...

Is there room for the characterization that is so often maligned in this fast-paced genre?

And if not, what separates the Angel Dares (from Christa Faust's Money Shot and Choke Hold) from the Lance Stars (from Bobby Nash's Lance Star: Sky Ranger anthologies) from the Rook (from Barry Reese's series). Without character development, wouldn't all these two-fisted, bullet-evading heroes and heroines just be generic replicas of other archetypes?

Well, to go straight to the horses' mouths, I asked several of New Pulp's leading creators.

You can read the rest at Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action at http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com./

POWELL AND GORDON TACKLE THE ETERNAL SAVAGE


Artwork © Steven E. Gordon

Artwork © Steven E. Gordon
 New Pulp Writer Martin Powell has shared some new promo art for the upcoming graphic novel of THE ETERNAL SAVAGE he’s writing, illustrated by Steven E Gordon. The Eternal Savage is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic book and authorized by ERB, Inc. to be published by Sequential Pulp/Dark Horse Comics.
You can learn more about Sequential Pulp Comics at http://www.sequentialpulpcomics.com/

DISNEY RELEASES JOHN CARTER OF MARS TRAILER

Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom novels, the full-length trailer for Disney's John Carter of Mars movie has been released.


John Carter of Mars is inexplicably transported to the mysterious and exotic planet Mars, and becomes embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions and discovers that the survival of the planet and its people rests in his hands.


John Carter is a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

For more information on Disney's John Carter of Mars movie, visit http://disney.go.com/johncarter or follow on Twitter at @JohnCarter.

From the 86th Floor: Reviews by Barry Reese


THE GREEN LAMA UNBOUND
Written by Adam Lance Garcia
Published by Airship 27 Productions
ISBN 978-10934935-75-0
243 pages, $24.95

For much of the past year, I've had one person after another tell me that I should read this book. I resisted because nothing turns me off more than unceasing hype. Hell, I still haven't seen Titanic for just that reason. That and the fact that the history books ruined the ending for me. The ship sinks, right?

Anyway, I finally broke down and purchased this book not long ago. It is a high-priced item, costing a little more than I usually like to plunk down for a paperback book, but the production values are typical Airship 27: which means the paper is high quality, the cover is engaging and the formatting is professional. So you could definitely argue that you got your money's worth.

Now... about the story itself.

Let me start by saying that I don't think this book is particularly revolutionary but it is a damned good read, especially for someone's first novel.

Basically, Adam takes a mostly B-Level character and molds him into something more. Hell, the Green Lama is pitted against the hordes of the C'thulhu Mythos in this one! And Adam displays a deft hand at balancing action with characterization.

I particularly liked the supporting characters in this one: Caraway, Jean and Ken all stole quite a few scenes from the emerald-wearing hero. In fact, I'd say that the way they orbited the hero was quite well done and pretty classic, in my opinion. Even in the old Doc Savage series, Doc was pretty staid compared to the bickering of Monk and Ham.

There are several Easter eggs in the story that made me smile, especially the reference to the rampaging ape in the early chapters. It shows that Adam has a clear grasp on the audience who will be reading this.

If I had a complaint -- and it's a minor one -- I think that Adam overdoes it a little on the Lama-speak and the C'thulhu words. Throw in all the German and Greek phrases, too, and I felt like I was skimming an awful lot. I'd tone that down somewhat in future volumes. I mean, we get it -- that guy's German. This guy likes to say "Ma-ni pad me" a lot. Too much of that stuff breaks up the narrative flow, in my opinion.

This book is a terrific, fast-paced read that features believable characters that you grow to care about. It's a wonderful introduction to The Green Lama and definitely positions Adam Garcia as a leading voice in the New Pulp movement.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.