Table Talk: At What Price? with Mike Bullock, Barry Reese, and Bobby Nash is now available at http://www.newpulpfiction.com/
Two Fisted News from the World of Pulp!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Table Talk - Kill 'Em All!
Table Talk: At What Price? with Mike Bullock, Barry Reese, and Bobby Nash is now available at http://www.newpulpfiction.com/
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Bobby Nash
Next up is Lance Star: Sky Ranger writer, Bobby Nash.
You can read the full interview at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Doing Double Duty?
What do you think? Is having the same license and multiple publishers simultaneously a good or bad thing? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Shannon Hall.
Next up is Lance Star: Sky Ranger artist, Shannon Hall.
You can read the full interview at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Van Allen Plexico.
Next up is Lance Star: Sky Ranger writer, Van Allen Plexico.
You can read the full interview at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Monday, August 29, 2011
IDW Wins Four Harvey Awards
From http://www.idwpublishing.com/:
IDW Publishing and its talented team of creators, editors and designers were honored with four prestigious Harvey Awards at the 2011 ceremony in Baltimore on Saturday, August 20th. IDW’s four wins ties as the most awards for any one publisher this year, and include two for famed creator, Darwyn Cooke.
Starting off IDW’s impressive roster of wins, Cooke was voted both “Best Artist” and “Best Cartoonist” for his much-lauded work, RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE OUTFIT, a sequel to the first book in this series, THE HUNTER. At Long Beach Comic-Con in October, IDW and Cooke will release RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE MARTINI EDITION, collecting the first two, award-winning books in the series, plus all-new material in an oversized volume.
IDW’s hugely popular DAVE STEVENS’ THE ROCKETEER: ARTIST’S EDITION also won two categories. This first Artist’s Edition in IDW’s rapidly growing series was voted “Best Domestic Reprint Project,” as well as honored with the “Special Award for Excellence in Presentation.” DAVE STEVENS’ THE ROCKETEER: ARTIST’S EDITION was designed by Randall Dahlk, and edited by
IDW’s senior editor for special projects, Scott Dunbier, who edits all of the Artist’s Edition books. Currently, the series also includes WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR, which launched at San Diego Comic-Con. The Artist’s Edition series will expand impressively over the next year, with the release of WALLY WOOD’S EC STORIES in October, and JOHN ROMITA’S THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN in December. As announced at Comic-Con, IDW will also release WILL EISNER’S THE SPIRIT: ARTIST’S EDITION in 2012. 
Conceived to "recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art," voting in the Harvey Awards is open to all creative professionals in the comics industry. Nominees and winners for the Harvey Awards are both selected by comic book professionals.
For more information on IDW, please visit them online at http://www.idwpublishing.com/.
You can find a full list of winners at http://www.harveyawards.org/.
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Digital Comic Book Now Available At Graphic.ly!
http://graphicly.com/ben-books/lance-star-sky-ranger-one-shot/1
Lance Star: Sky Ranger "One Shot!"
November, 1941. Ace Air Adventurer Lance Star accepts a dangerous mission into an enemy stronghold to stop the Nazi’s from uncovering plans for a weapon long believed destroyed. Lance flies a solo mission to Kiev where he is to plant explosives and destroy a weapons facility when he runs into an old enemy. Now, Lance is faced with a choice. Complete the mission? Or take down the Sky Ranger’s greatest adversary? He’s only going to get one shot at this. Will he choose the mission or revenge?
Learn more about Lance Star: Sky Ranger "One Shot!" and the Graphic.ly edition at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Sean Taylor
Next up is Lance Star: Sky Ranger writer, Sean Taylor.
You can read the full interview at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Rob Davis
Next up is Airship 27’s Art Director, Rob Davis.
You can read the full interview at
http://www.lance-star.com/.
Lance Star: Sky Ranger Volume 3 Launch Interview: Ron Fortier
First up is Airship 27’s Air Chief, Ron Fortier.
You can read the full interview at http://www.lance-star.com/.
Friday, August 26, 2011
FLASH GORDON RETURNS AT DYNAMITE!
Flash Gordon - Zeitgeist
As Flash Gordon's story begins, it is a time of two-fisted swashbuckling, of fearsome threats and wild adventure-and of ever-growing threats on the horizon. Three valiant humans -- Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov -- are plucked from the Earth, traveling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone! And coming up, witness a startling meeting with Ming the Merciless! With the fate of our world helpless, can even Flash Gordon save us?
"I couldn't be happier about this project," stated writer Eric Trautmann. "It is a genuine treat to be able to let my inner 'pulpster' out, and write in an idiom I rarely get to play in, which has a rich core of optimism and innocence. We're very much approaching the comic as if it were the Flash Gordon movie we'd all want to see. Add to that, I've adored Flash Gordon for as long as I've been reading, and the opportunity to play with Alex Raymond's material -- in a way I don't think has been done before -- is truly exciting. The Raymond strips were just so plot-dense, with a sense of 'anything goes' that I look for -- often unsuccessfully -- in contemporary comics. And, of course, several times a week, I check my e-mail, and find a dozen amazing pieces of artwork from Alex Ross; I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who has a greater understanding of the characters, or who harbors more affection for them, than Alex. He has laser-like clarity about the look and feel of the characters, the setting, the story, technology, making it all look new, and at the same time quite familiar. He's an exceptional 'vision holder' for our tale."
PICK UP FLASH GORDON - ZEITGEIST #1 THIS NOVEMBER AT COMIC BOOK STORES EVERYWHERE!
To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, visit www.dynamite.net
#1 is written by Eric Trautmann (Vampirella, Red Sonja), from a story and designs by Alex Ross (Project: Superpowers, Kingdom Come, Marvels), and illustrated by Daniel Lindro!
RADIO ARCHIVE BRINGS HOLMES HOME! AND MORE!
August 26, 2011
Harlan Zinck, a long time member of the Radio Archives family, has moved on to take advantage of new opportunities. Radio Archives wishes Harlan all the best in his future endeavors.
Starting with this issue, the Radio Archives Newsletter will be bi-weekly and emailed to you every other Friday afternoon. Tommy Hancock, a good friend and supporter of the Archives, joins the Archives as editor of this newsletter. Tommy is one of the bright lights in New Pulp. A partner in a publishing company, Tommy is an author with many fiction short stories and one published novel to his credit. Tommy also runs a Pulp convention each year while maintaining several blogs and a podcast.
We are excited that the infrastructure of our website has been dramatically upgraded and you should see a much faster and snappier website.
Stay tuned for the same great info and quality you've come to know and for a few new surprises as well, all from RadioArchives.com!
The World's Greatest Detective Back On The Case
NEW RELEASE - The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2
Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, the character of Sherlock Holmes was a fixture of American broadcasting almost from the beginning of network radio. First heard over NBC in the fall of 1930, Holmes and Dr. John Watson - his friend, right-hand man, and chronicler (his "Boswell" as Holmes called him) - were portrayed by a number of actors on screen and on radio throughout the 1930s. Most definitely the appearance of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the 1939 20th Century Fox film "The Hound of the Baskervilles" created, for many, the perfect embodiment of the characters. Because of this, Rathbone and Bruce would come to be seen as Holmes and Watson in the flesh for the next six years - both on radio, in series for NBC and Mutual, and in a lengthy series of second features made for both Fox and Universal through 1945. By the middle of 1946, however, Basil Rathbone had grown weary of playing Holmes - so much so, in fact, that he refused to sign a lucrative seven-year radio contract. And so, at the end of the 1945-46 season, the producers of "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" faced the necessity of finding another actor to play the leading part - and, after considering a number of talented members of Hollywood's British colony, happened upon the name of Tom Conway.
Born in Russia and educated in England, Tom Conway was certainly no stranger to the detective genre, having taken over the movie role of The Falcon from his brother George Sanders in 1942. His seasoned acting abilities gave him the ability to adopt a voice and delivery very similar to that of Basil Rathbone, performing his lines in much the same clipped and precise way that his predecessor had done. He quickly acquainted himself with the role and, in the company of Nigel Bruce - who opted to stay with the series in exchange for being assigned star billing in the weekly adventures - was introduced as Sherlock Holmes in October of 1946. Also, in 1946, the series moved from the Mutual network to ABC - the former Blue Network - and was given a few more production values to boost interest, as well as a new sponsor - the Semler Company, promoting their Kreml Hair Tonic and Shampoo.
Unfortunately, due to a combination of Rathbone's departure and the inevitable loss of interest in a series that had been on the air for over six years led to both Conway and Bruce leaving the roles at the end of the 1946/47 season. "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" would return the following season, moving from Hollywood to New York and recast with John Stanley and Alfred Shirley in the leading roles which is also available from RadioArchives.com.
Heard today, "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", with Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce, not only retain their entertainment value but compare quite favorably with the earlier series with Rathbone. Conway is indeed quite good as Holmes and Nigel Bruce, though often disdained by the "Baker Street Irregulars" who prefer their Conan Doyle adventures straight, is always charming as the sometimes baffled but always loyal Dr. Watson. Wisely, the producers retained the framing device of Watson introducing each story from the cozy scene of his fireside, retired (as radio would have it) comfortably in California.
This collection offers ten full length broadcasts of "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" starring Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce, all taken from the original reference recordings and beautifully restored for outstanding audio fidelity. If you're a long-time fan of "the world's greatest consulting detective", or if you just love a good mystery, you'll definitely want to add The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2 to your collection today priced at only $14.98 for the five Audio CD set or $9.98 for the Digital Download.
Celebrating Sherlock Means More Holmes For You!
With the debut of The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2, Radio Archives is celebrating Sherlock Holmes for the next two weeks! And you're invited to the party!
Radio Archives, in association with Moonstone Entertainment, commissioned the beautifully rendered art for this collection from Timothy Lantz. Radio Archives is proud to offer you Moonstone's comic take on the World's Greatest Detective as part of a limited time promotion!
Buy any of the Sherlock Holmes products listed below from now until the next newsletter is released and RadioArchives.com will automatically include for absolutely FREE The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, Volume One, a Graphic Novel from Moonstone, normally priced at $22.95. No coupon code required.
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2
Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 from Nostalgia Ventures
Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2 from Nostalgia Ventures
Sherlock Holmes (Classic Television Series) DVD
And with your order, you'll be able to thrill to the World's Greatest Detective combating Dracula and the Invisible Man in Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, Volume One from Moonstone for FREE! Offer good for the next two weeks. (The bonus offer does not apply to the Download versions of these products)
New Digital Downloads Now Available
Laugh out loud at the lovable neighbor Harold Peary made famous - The Great Gildersleeve!
RA006 The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 1
RA035 The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 2
Dive into the original Medical Drama with The Story of Dr. Kildare!
RA018 The Story of Dr. Kildare, Volume 1
RA048 The Story of Dr. Kildare, Volume 2
Ride the Vocal Range with America's Singing Cowboy - Gene Autry's Melody Ranch! RA104 Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, Volume 1
RA126 Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, Volume 2
Follow Ann Sothern's antics as that Jill-of-all-trades - The Adventures of Maisie!
RA157 The Adventures of Maisie, Volume 1
RA197 The Adventures of Maisie, Volume 2
Find Mystery, Intrigue, and Espionage in The Adventures of Frank Race!
RA170 The Adventures of Frank Race, Volume 1
RA191 The Adventures of Frank Race, Volume 2
Fighting his way from Dime Novels to Radio - The Adventures of Frank Merriwell! RA101 The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Volume 1
RA203 The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Volume 2
Digital Downloads from RadioArchives.com literally give you the best of everything. The same sparkling high quality audio content as our compact disc collections at a reduced price; Delivery immediately upon payment and the ability to play them on your phone, computer, iPod or portable device! Purchase the audio collections you love and enjoy them in a whole new way. Click here to see all the sets available for download.
New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 50 and The Shadow Volume 52
Anyone living in the world today knows that true heroes are very hard to come by. But, in the pulp fiction world of the 1930s and 1940s, heroes were always on watch to fight the criminals and evildoers that threatened our way of life. You'll find proof of this in the two new double-novel pulp reprints now available from RadioArchives.com, featuring the top heroes from this Golden Age of literary entertainment:
Doc Savage Volume 50
The Pulp Era's greatest superman journeys to the American West in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, a bequest from a dying scientist leads Doc Savage to Death Valley in search of a long-dead pirate's legendary treasure. Can this amazing invention allow The Pirate's Ghost to speak from beyond the grave? Then, the Man of Bronze goes undercover at a Wyoming dude ranch to solve the bizarre puzzle of a strange Green Eagle with lead feathers. This special anniversary edition showcases the original color pulp covers by Emery Clarke, Paul Orban's classic interior illustrations and an intriguing article by The Shadow's famous raconteur, Walter B. Gibson. Priced at $14.95. 
The Shadow Volume 52Knowing The Shadow
Reviews Of The Shadow Pulp Tales By John Olsen
"The Golden Vulture" was published in the July 15, 1938 issue of The Shadow Magazine. It was actually written much earlier, in July of 1932. And it was written, not by Walter Gibson, but Lester Dent - the same Lester Dent who would begin writing the adventures of Doc Savage a few months later. It is the only Shadow pulp mystery ever written by Lester Dent, and was greatly revised by Walter Gibson before its 1938 publication, all which makes it a unique collaboration between the two.
Many of Lester Dent's famous touches are evident in this story -- little things that would later show up in his Doc Savage stories. Great strength, for example. The Shadow, as described by the pen of Lester Dent, is capable of great strength. Even Walter Gibson's Shadow was exceedingly strong, but Dent's description of The Shadow's display of strength seems quite familiar to anyone who has read Doc Savage. His grip is that of steel bands. He easily overpowers a foe of tremendous strength and throws him through a door, reducing it to splinters. And then, there's the gadgets. Lester Dent loved to use gadgets in his stories. And although Walter Gibson enjoyed using them in his Shadow stories as well, he employed far fewer of them than did Dent. In this story, the coolest gadget of all is the actual statues of The Golden Vulture. Most are small statuettes of under two feet tall. But their insides contain enough electronics to receive and transmit both audio and video as well as enough explosive charges to create tremendous destruction.
The Golden Vulture is an unseen master criminal who extorts millions from wealthy men of society. He controls a vast empire of gangsters who do his every bidding. He communicates his instructions to his minions via small golden statues of a vulture which can receive and transmit radio and television signals. Who is The Golden Vulture? Who will be his next victim? And who can stop him? Only The Shadow can stop this super fiend's quest for power and wealth!
Many of Lester Dent's famous touches are evident in this story -- little things that would later show up in his Doc Savage stories. Great strength, for example. The Shadow, as described by the pen of Lester Dent, is capable of great strength. Even Walter Gibson's Shadow was exceedingly strong, but Dent's description of The Shadow's display of strength seems quite familiar to anyone who has read Doc Savage. His grip is that of steel bands. He easily overpowers a foe of tremendous strength and throws him through a door, reducing it to splinters. And then, there's the gadgets. Lester Dent loved to use gadgets in his stories. And although Walter Gibson enjoyed using them in his Shadow stories as well, he employed far fewer of them than did Dent. In this story, the coolest gadget of all is the actual statues of The Golden Vulture. Most are small statuettes of under two feet tall. But their insides contain enough electronics to receive and transmit both audio and video as well as enough explosive charges to create tremendous destruction.We also see the touch of Walter Gibson in this story. He keeps the character of The Shadow true to the version readers had come to recognize in 1938. The Shadow creates a temporary sanctum in Miami, where he puts his thoughts to paper with pen and disappearing ink. The Shadow has strange but vague powers to compel others to do his wishes. He communicates secret messages by the use of slightly emphasized words in otherwise seemingly innocent announcements. He disappears from the back of taxi-cabs, leaving a five dollar bill on the seat. He is a master of disguise, who can make himself faultlessly appear as others.
I really enjoyed reading this partial collaboration of Dent and Gibson, and I think you will too. You'll appreciate the exotic locations and gadgets typical of Doc Savage, mixed with the moody atmosphere and frenetic action of Walter Gibson's Shadow. A very unique story, and one that is definitely recommended!
Read The Golden Vulture and another Shadow tale when you get your copy of The Shadow, Volume 1 available at RadioArchives.com for only $12.95.
Read The Golden Vulture and another Shadow tale when you get your copy of The Shadow, Volume 1 available at RadioArchives.com for only $12.95.
AUDIOBOOKS
Special Collectors' Editions of Audiobooks
Attention collectors and autograph seekers! Here's a special offer just made for you. RadioArchives.com's two new audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes, are now available in special signed limited editions, available only from RadioArchives.com!
Each Special Edition CD set is autographed by the entire production team including author Will Murray, producer/director Roger Rittner, and the voice actors and recordist. They come with a special bookplate to certify their authenticity.
There are only 50 copies of each set available. There will be no more.
These special collector editions are available for just $45.98 for Python Isle, and $51.98 for White Eyes. That includes the complete set of CDs, plus the autographed case, and certified bookplate.
White Eyes Reviews Are Stunning
Reviews are starting to come in for White Eyes, the latest audiobook from RadioArchives.com. And they're just as enthusiastic as the reviews for our first audiobook, Python Isle. Stephen Brandt at Audiobook Heaven says:
"The whole idea behind these Doc Savage productions is to give them the feel of an old-time radio program. Richard Epcar achieved this with his radio-announcer voice, and his melodramatic characterizations. White Eyes is narrated in 3D stereo, with Epcar's narration coming through the center channel, and his character voices coming from the right or left, putting the listener right in the middle. Add to this Radio Archive's crystal clear reproduction technology, and you have a cinema quality extravaganza." At The Retroist, Vic Sage says:
"... you can really tell how much work the likes of Roger Rittner and of course Radio Archives puts into these audiobooks. The sound is crisp and clear and they make sure to get a narrator that can not only portray the Man of Bronze and his "fabulous five" but EVERY character in the tale as well, and they've chosen wisely with Richard Epcar. I have to say that in Chapter 28 "Gangdom's Long Arm" I was pacing the floor in front of the radio, since this is a chapter where Doc Savage's skyscraper headquarters comes under siege by the united criminal underworld. That I think is the greatest compliment I can give to Radio Archives and Will Murray, the writing and production is so strong that I actually got nervous for Doc Savage and his friends!"
http://www.retroist.com/2011/08/17/radio-archives-doc-savage-white-eyes-review/ And don't miss narrator Michael McConnohie's exclusive "Python Isle" promotional video, including a number of dialog excerpts (scroll to the bottom of the page):
http://www.radioarchives.com/Doc_Savage_Python_Isle_Audiobook_p/401.html Deal of the Day - Great Quality Great Price
Radio Archives not only offers the finest Audio and Pulp Products, but we also give you awesome bargains with the RadioArchives.com Deal Of The Day! You can take advantage of Three Deals at All Times with the Deal of the Day! Every Day a Different Item is available at 10% Off. If you're into Pulp, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days to pick up a great Pulp deal at a 10% discount!
Every two weeks as the newsletter comes out, a different item is available at 25% off from RadioArchives.com
Each month, one item is 50% off for the entire month!
Enjoy Quality. Enjoy Savings. Take advantage of the Deal of the Day from RadioArchives.com!
Hearing From You!
Comments From Customers!
Greg Burton listened to Let George Do It and writes:
I am so glad you have made the radio shows available as downloads. I started collecting old radio shows in mp3 format in 1995 and have listened regularly (daily) since that time. Last year I purchased a CD from you ("Let George Do It"), and since you have been making shows available as a download, I have purchased three items from you. I have been amazingly surprised how much more I enjoy listening to your top-quality productions. I did not think it would make that big of a difference, but it does. I can't thank you enough. There are many more that over time I will purchase. I get on your site regularly to see if you have any new releases.
Find out for yourself what Greg is talking about! Pick up an Old Time Radio Classic, on CD or by Digital Download, today from RadioArchives.com!
Talking GRIOTS With Milton Davis
GRIOTS is an anthology co-edited by Milton Davis and Charles Saunders featuring fantasy stories based on African mythology. ALL PULP is pleased and proud to present an interview with Milton Davis so he can tell us first hand about this ambitious and exciting anthology. Enjoy!
All Pulp:Let’s start with an easy question: who is Milton Davis?
Milton Davis: Milton Davis works as an R&D Chemist during the day in order to hide his identity as an obsessed speculative fiction writer during the night. He a husband of 25 years and father to two children, a boy and a girl. He currently resides in Fayetteville, GA.
AP: How long have you been writing?
MD: I've been dabbling at it since college but got serious in 2005.
AP: What writers have influenced your style and interests?
MD: The main two are Frank Herbert and James Baldwin. Herbert blew me away with Dune and its world building. James Baldwin captured me with his simple but powerful prose.
AP: From where do you draw your inspiration?
MD: I'm inspired by many things but the main inspirations are art and music. Of course I'm also inspired by history, specifically African history.
AP: Before we get deep into this, a bit of explanation first: what is a Griot and why did you choose GRIOTS for the title of the anthology?
MD: Griot (gree-oh) is a French word used for the traditional African storyteller/historian. There are many other words used among different African people; djeli, jali, gassere and gewel just to name a few. We chose GRIOTS because it fit what we were trying to accomplish.
AP: For those who are unfamiliar with the term what is Sword and Soul?
MD: Sword and Soul is fantasy, heroic fiction and sword and sorcery based on African culture, tradition, mythology and history.
AP: Tell us about some of the talented writers who are in this anthology.
MD: We have a wide variety of writers. Some are independent writers like me; others are mainstream published. Some have never been published before and others have been published in other genres. What we all have in common is an appreciation of Africa and a desire to based stories on this wonderful and diverse continent.
AP: Are there plans for GRIOTS to be a yearly event?
MD: I don't know about yearly but there will be a GRIOTS II next year.
AP: Can you tell us what you learned about putting together an anthology like this? Was there a certain order you put the stories in? Were there certain themes or stylistic choices on the part of the writers that took you by surprise?
MD: GRIOTS is my second anthology. I did the preliminary work for GENESIS, the Black Science Fiction Society anthology. So this wasn't difficult to do. The main challenge was getting writers to meet deadlines. Creative people are allergic to deadlines. We hoped that the writers participating would expand the interpretation for Sword and Soul and they did. There are stories that stick close to the definition and there are others that hint at the source. I think readers are going to be very entertained.
AP: What was it like working with Charles Saunders?
MD: It was excellent. Charles is one of the nicest and most gracious people I know. We're Sword and Soul brothers. We have a lot in common; we were even born in the same month. His excitement about this project was one of the main reasons it came to be.
AP: People of color haven’t been well represented in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and pulp adventure in the past. Are you seeing a definite and hopefully lasting change in that representation through not only your work but that of other black writers and artists?
MD: I definitely see a change. In mainstream publishing folks like Nnedi Okorafor, N.K. Jemison, David Anthony Durham and others are making great progress. However I think the greatest changes have and are going to take place in independent publishing. With POD and e-books breaking down the gates to reader access we finally have a chance to expose everyone to our work and our perspective. Add to that the growing black middle class and readership, it's a good time to be a writer of color if you're willing to work hard to make it happen.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life Of Milton Davis like?
MD: I'm up early to cook (yes, cook) breakfast and do a little writing. Then it's off to work. Once I get home I take a few hours rest then write some more.
AP: Here’s your chance for a shout-out or to plug something; Go.
MD: A special shout out to all the folks who kept encouraging me to pursue my passion. I hope I'm doing you proud. Oh yeah, buy GRIOTS. You'll love it.
All Pulp: Anything else we should know?
Milton Davis: Sword and Soul is just getting started. 2012 is going to be a special year. I have a few surprises in store. Peace!
- Paperback: 292 pages
- Publisher: MVmedia, LLC (August 7, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0980084288
- ISBN-13: 978-0980084283
CATCHING UP WITH FLYING GLORY!
She wants to conquer the charts using the same superhero identity as her grandmother who dutifully served her country in WWII. Backed by her band, the Hounds of Glory, Flying Glory struggles with life's battles while fighting supervillians
ALTUS PRESS ANNOUNCES CASEBOOK OF CARDIGAN!
Coming Soon from Altus Press- www.altuspress.com
The Complete Casebook of Cardigan, Volume 1: 1931-32
by Frederick Nebel, introduction by Will Murray, illustrations by John
Fleming Gould, cover by Walter Baumhofer
The greatest series from the pages of Dime Detective Magazine is finally collected in four large editions. Running from 1931-37,
Frederick Nebel's P.I. Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons for that magazine's success as well as highly influential to the most popular hard-boiled writers of the day. Sadly, only a handful of the 44-installment series have ever been reprinted since their original appearances 80 years ago. This reprint series will reprint the entire run.
Volume 1 contains an all-new introduction by Will Murray and features the first 11 stories, complete, uncut, and with the original John
Fleming Gould illustrations: "Death Alley (November, 1931)," "Hell’s
Pay Check (December, 1931)," "Six Diamonds and a Dick (January,
1932)," "And There Was Murder (February, 1932)," "Phantom Fingers
(March, 1932)," "Murder on the Loose (April, 1932)," "Rogues' Ransom
(August, 1932)," "Lead Pearls (September, 1932," "The Dead Don't Die
(October, 1932)," and "The Candy Killer (November, 1932)," "A
Truck-Load of Diamonds (December, 1932)."
394 pages, price TBD
The Complete Casebook of Cardigan, Volume 1: 1931-32
by Frederick Nebel, introduction by Will Murray, illustrations by John
Fleming Gould, cover by Walter Baumhofer
The greatest series from the pages of Dime Detective Magazine is finally collected in four large editions. Running from 1931-37,Frederick Nebel's P.I. Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons for that magazine's success as well as highly influential to the most popular hard-boiled writers of the day. Sadly, only a handful of the 44-installment series have ever been reprinted since their original appearances 80 years ago. This reprint series will reprint the entire run.
Volume 1 contains an all-new introduction by Will Murray and features the first 11 stories, complete, uncut, and with the original John
Fleming Gould illustrations: "Death Alley (November, 1931)," "Hell’s
Pay Check (December, 1931)," "Six Diamonds and a Dick (January,
1932)," "And There Was Murder (February, 1932)," "Phantom Fingers
(March, 1932)," "Murder on the Loose (April, 1932)," "Rogues' Ransom
(August, 1932)," "Lead Pearls (September, 1932," "The Dead Don't Die
(October, 1932)," and "The Candy Killer (November, 1932)," "A
Truck-Load of Diamonds (December, 1932)."
394 pages, price TBD
Thursday, August 25, 2011
SEQUENTIAL PULP COMICS LANDS RICHARD PRATHER'S SHELL SCOTT LICENSE
You can learn more about Shell Scott at http://user.dtcc.edu/~dean/
You can learn more about Sequential Pulp Comics at http://www.sequentialpulpcomics.com/
You can learn more about Dark Horse Comics at http://www.darkhorse.com/
The Golden Age Good Girls Return!
Heroines of the Golden Age of comics and pulp magazines return in all new adventures. Thrill to tales of Amazona, Jill Trent: Science Sleuth, Moon Girl, Vivian Lachan, and Rulah the Jungle Goddess, plus all new original stories of Ms. Amazing and Steam Bunny. Written by Terry Alexander, Jason Bullock, Chuck Miller, Bobby Nash, Sean Taylor, and Gaylord Tause.
Digital Download: $3.00
To learn more about Golden Age Good Girls and Mini Komix, visit them at http://minikomix.blogspot.com.
FORTIER PLAYS A REVIEW DOUBLE HEADER WITH HARD CASE CRIME!
ALL PULP REVIEWS-Reviews by Ron Fortier
GETTING OFF
By Lawrence Block
(Writing as Jill Emerson)
Hard Case Crime
335 pages
Release Date 20 Sept 2011
One of the classic traits of a noire crime story is the protagonist being an unsympathetic character. The history of American literature took a sharp left turn when this new genre came into its own, evolving from the hardcore crime pulps of the 1930s. Till then, the majority of books generally portrayed the central figures as worthy of the readers’ admiration when the behaved in true heroic style, or sympathetic when they did not. But either way, one was able to identify with the characters.
Noire changed all that and GETTING OFF is a truly fitting example of the genre as the lead character is a female sociopath without a conscience. Early in the tale we learn that Kit Tolliver was sexually abused by her father from a very young age. But whether that abuse caused her unrelenting psychosis is not argued in the slightest, as her personal response to it is to coldly murder total strangers. Block does make it clear that Kit is in some bizarre mentally deranged way killing her father over and over again with each new man she sleeps with. What he does not do his judge her for it and therein lies the perspective that is truly unsettling.
At times the book’s heavy handedness slips into black comedy territory and the prevailing humor is twisted in its perversity. Along Kit’s journey of life, and death-dealing, she logically encounters partners who are just as sick as she is. In those scenes it is all too easy to start rooting for her as if she is somehow more worthy of survival then the other monsters she has crossed paths with. The last noire thriller to have bothered me this much was Jim Thompson’s classic THE KILLER INSIDE ME. And like that book, this one is not for the faint of heart.
In the end, GETTING OFF is a cautionary tale about the sexual mores of our times and the dangerous waters singles, and cheaters, swim in. Let them read GETTING OFF and I guarantee you they will think twice about their next plunge into those dark depths where the toothy sharks prowl.
QUARRY’S EX
By Max Allan Collins
Hard Case Crime
211 pages
Available 20 Sept.2011
Review by Ron Fortier
Max Allan Collins started writing his Quarry books back in 1976 with The Broker. It was the first time we were introduced to the Vietnam vet turned paid assassin. In that tale, we learned how Quarry, not his real name of course, came home to find his wife in bed with another man. He murders the guy by dropping a car on him and then, because of his service record as a war hero, is acquitted by jury. Shortly thereafter he is recruited by a man known only as the Broker to become a professional killer.
In the books that have appeared since that stellar debut, that opening scenario has often been retold many times to bring the new readers up to speed. Recently, since becoming affiliated with Hard Case Crime, Collins has begun filling in specific details of Quarry’s life, each more compelling than the last. In this particular book, we are told what happened to Quarry’s ex-wife after they divorced and parted. But Quarry’s personal life is, as always case, only the subplot of the story.
Quarry has come to a small Arizona town where a movie studio is shooting an action B movie. When he discovers that the director of the film is the target of a hit, Quarry approaches the man and offers his own lethal services to both eliminate the threat and discover who put out the contract in the first place. It is this neat little twist combination of mystery and crime thriller that makes this series so original and fun. Quarry is no knight-in-shining armor private eye out to save the world. He’s a killer who makes a good living taking out other killers.
Once the first part of his contract has been efficiently resolved, Quarry is a master of death-dealing, he then becomes a detective chasing down the person who put out the contract on the moviemaker. As always, there are plenty of juicy suspects from the mob boss who is financing the project to the director’s wife who inherits all if he dies. The problem is the woman is Quarry’s ex-wife. The second he lays eyes on her, old familiar feelings he thought long dead begin to resurface, complicating an already precarious situation.
Paying homage to the potboilers of the 40s and 50s, Collins laces his tale with the most outrageous sexual encounters; all done with a sly, sharp wit that is ingratiating. At the same time he balances that adult humor with explosive violence that is as mesmerizing as it is ugly. His prose falls into place with the deft touch of a contemporary poet, each line awakening a new possibility in how we see the world. Reading Quarry is an education in human psychology taught from the barrel of a silenced automatic.
(Postscript – This review was written and posted last year when the book was first published by Dorchester Press. Shortly thereafter Hard Case Crime parted company with that firm and this new edition is now being released by their new British publisher, Titan Books.)
GETTING OFF
By Lawrence Block
(Writing as Jill Emerson)
Hard Case Crime
335 pages
Release Date 20 Sept 2011
One of the classic traits of a noire crime story is the protagonist being an unsympathetic character. The history of American literature took a sharp left turn when this new genre came into its own, evolving from the hardcore crime pulps of the 1930s. Till then, the majority of books generally portrayed the central figures as worthy of the readers’ admiration when the behaved in true heroic style, or sympathetic when they did not. But either way, one was able to identify with the characters.Noire changed all that and GETTING OFF is a truly fitting example of the genre as the lead character is a female sociopath without a conscience. Early in the tale we learn that Kit Tolliver was sexually abused by her father from a very young age. But whether that abuse caused her unrelenting psychosis is not argued in the slightest, as her personal response to it is to coldly murder total strangers. Block does make it clear that Kit is in some bizarre mentally deranged way killing her father over and over again with each new man she sleeps with. What he does not do his judge her for it and therein lies the perspective that is truly unsettling.
At times the book’s heavy handedness slips into black comedy territory and the prevailing humor is twisted in its perversity. Along Kit’s journey of life, and death-dealing, she logically encounters partners who are just as sick as she is. In those scenes it is all too easy to start rooting for her as if she is somehow more worthy of survival then the other monsters she has crossed paths with. The last noire thriller to have bothered me this much was Jim Thompson’s classic THE KILLER INSIDE ME. And like that book, this one is not for the faint of heart.
In the end, GETTING OFF is a cautionary tale about the sexual mores of our times and the dangerous waters singles, and cheaters, swim in. Let them read GETTING OFF and I guarantee you they will think twice about their next plunge into those dark depths where the toothy sharks prowl.
QUARRY’S EX
By Max Allan Collins
Hard Case Crime
211 pages
Available 20 Sept.2011
Review by Ron Fortier
Max Allan Collins started writing his Quarry books back in 1976 with The Broker. It was the first time we were introduced to the Vietnam vet turned paid assassin. In that tale, we learned how Quarry, not his real name of course, came home to find his wife in bed with another man. He murders the guy by dropping a car on him and then, because of his service record as a war hero, is acquitted by jury. Shortly thereafter he is recruited by a man known only as the Broker to become a professional killer.In the books that have appeared since that stellar debut, that opening scenario has often been retold many times to bring the new readers up to speed. Recently, since becoming affiliated with Hard Case Crime, Collins has begun filling in specific details of Quarry’s life, each more compelling than the last. In this particular book, we are told what happened to Quarry’s ex-wife after they divorced and parted. But Quarry’s personal life is, as always case, only the subplot of the story.
Quarry has come to a small Arizona town where a movie studio is shooting an action B movie. When he discovers that the director of the film is the target of a hit, Quarry approaches the man and offers his own lethal services to both eliminate the threat and discover who put out the contract in the first place. It is this neat little twist combination of mystery and crime thriller that makes this series so original and fun. Quarry is no knight-in-shining armor private eye out to save the world. He’s a killer who makes a good living taking out other killers.
Once the first part of his contract has been efficiently resolved, Quarry is a master of death-dealing, he then becomes a detective chasing down the person who put out the contract on the moviemaker. As always, there are plenty of juicy suspects from the mob boss who is financing the project to the director’s wife who inherits all if he dies. The problem is the woman is Quarry’s ex-wife. The second he lays eyes on her, old familiar feelings he thought long dead begin to resurface, complicating an already precarious situation.
Paying homage to the potboilers of the 40s and 50s, Collins laces his tale with the most outrageous sexual encounters; all done with a sly, sharp wit that is ingratiating. At the same time he balances that adult humor with explosive violence that is as mesmerizing as it is ugly. His prose falls into place with the deft touch of a contemporary poet, each line awakening a new possibility in how we see the world. Reading Quarry is an education in human psychology taught from the barrel of a silenced automatic.
(Postscript – This review was written and posted last year when the book was first published by Dorchester Press. Shortly thereafter Hard Case Crime parted company with that firm and this new edition is now being released by their new British publisher, Titan Books.)
GOING BEHIND THE VEIL WITH SEAN ELLIS
BEHIND THE VEIL by Joshua Pantalleresco
Sean Ellis is the talented author of multiple novels, including Heaven’s Shroud and The Chessmen series. He is also the creator of his own New Pulp character, Dodge Dalton, which has currently two books out in his series. Dodge Dalton In The Shadow of Falcons Wings and Dodge Dalton and the Outpost of Fate are as high adventure as they sound and after talking to Sean, Dodge’s origins come Ellis’ own sense of adventure .
Sean admits, “When I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark as a kid, I fell in love with adventure stories, and I really became fascinated with the pre-World War II time period. It was a turning point for the way we saw the world in terms of exploration and technology. The world of the 1930’s was still pretty big and there were a lot of unexplored places. If you wanted to find a lost city or something like that, you couldn’t just jump on Google Earth and do satellite reconnaissance and then fly directly there in a helicopter.
That fascination for the time period, and the fact that I was making a serious bid to write for the (now mostly defunct) Indiana Jones novel series, led me to the pulps, and particularly Doc Savage. I had a passing familiarity with pulp fiction, but once I started doing some research, I realized that there was a lot of potential for a new pulp renaissance, not just in terms of content, but in the way books are published.
I had the idea to launch a series where several authors would be working simultaneously to produce titles for a single series—much like Charles Ardai did with the Gabriel Hunt series a few years later—and so I enlisted some friends to help me draw up the characters and brainstorm some plots. My original dream didn’t quite happen as planned, but the process got the ball rolling creatively.
The concept that came out of that mix was a passing of the torch story loosely based on Doc Savage. The pitch went something like this: An evil force is rising and the world needs its greatest hero…but he’s been missing for years. A young journalist tracks down the hero’s associates in an effort to find the missing hero, battling the villains every step of the way, and eventually becomes the world’s new champion.
The desire to be an adventurer and a writer perhaps is the biggest connection between Ellis and Dalton.
“One of my favorite tropes has always been the writer as protagonist. I like the idea of the writer trying to imitate his literary creations, probably because my childhood dream was to be a writer/adventure hero.
In the story, Dodge is a sportswriter for a New York newspaper, who get tapped to ghostwrite stories about a war hero named Captain Falcon, as told by one of Falcon’s purported associates, “Hurricane” Hurley. Dodge thinks that stories are fiction, or at the very least exaggerated from a factual account, so he writes them that way, and they become a runaway success. The idea of becoming an adventurer is that last thing on Dodge’s mind…at least until the bad guys show up, demanding to square off with Captain Falcon.
I suppose in that respect, I’m quite a bit different than Dodge. One of my earliest sources of inspiration as a writer was Clive Cussler. I still remember reading the bio in one of his early novels; it talked about how he spent his free time searching for shipwrecks and lost mines, just like his hero Dirk Pitt. When I read that, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. And while I haven’t found any lost cities, I have managed to have a few adventures along the way, and I’d like to think some of that comes through in my novels.”
While Sean didn’t divulge any details of his own adventures, his experiences definitely help color his action scenes.
“There are some scenes in the first Dodge Dalton novel where Dodge is underwater and trying to get back to the surface; when I write that, I try to tap in on my own memories of making some deep free dives and thinking: ‘Why is it taking so long to get to the surface? I really need to breathe...starting to panic a little.’ I like to get a little of that adrenaline rush onto the page. You don't really get that from watching a movie, where the hero--Bond or Indy--can calmly react to whatever life-threatening situation comes along.”
Both books are available on amazon.com.
Sean Ellis is the talented author of multiple novels, including Heaven’s Shroud and The Chessmen series. He is also the creator of his own New Pulp character, Dodge Dalton, which has currently two books out in his series. Dodge Dalton In The Shadow of Falcons Wings and Dodge Dalton and the Outpost of Fate are as high adventure as they sound and after talking to Sean, Dodge’s origins come Ellis’ own sense of adventure .Sean admits, “When I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark as a kid, I fell in love with adventure stories, and I really became fascinated with the pre-World War II time period. It was a turning point for the way we saw the world in terms of exploration and technology. The world of the 1930’s was still pretty big and there were a lot of unexplored places. If you wanted to find a lost city or something like that, you couldn’t just jump on Google Earth and do satellite reconnaissance and then fly directly there in a helicopter.
That fascination for the time period, and the fact that I was making a serious bid to write for the (now mostly defunct) Indiana Jones novel series, led me to the pulps, and particularly Doc Savage. I had a passing familiarity with pulp fiction, but once I started doing some research, I realized that there was a lot of potential for a new pulp renaissance, not just in terms of content, but in the way books are published. I had the idea to launch a series where several authors would be working simultaneously to produce titles for a single series—much like Charles Ardai did with the Gabriel Hunt series a few years later—and so I enlisted some friends to help me draw up the characters and brainstorm some plots. My original dream didn’t quite happen as planned, but the process got the ball rolling creatively.
The concept that came out of that mix was a passing of the torch story loosely based on Doc Savage. The pitch went something like this: An evil force is rising and the world needs its greatest hero…but he’s been missing for years. A young journalist tracks down the hero’s associates in an effort to find the missing hero, battling the villains every step of the way, and eventually becomes the world’s new champion.
As much as I was influenced by the Doc Savage concept, I didn’t want my hero to be larger-than-life. Instead of being a war-hero, surgeon, inventor, etc. with unlimited resources, he would be young and inexperienced, but intelligent and resourceful enough to outwit the villains and earn the respect of the old champion’s team of seasoned veteran adventurers.”
The desire to be an adventurer and a writer perhaps is the biggest connection between Ellis and Dalton.
“One of my favorite tropes has always been the writer as protagonist. I like the idea of the writer trying to imitate his literary creations, probably because my childhood dream was to be a writer/adventure hero.
In the story, Dodge is a sportswriter for a New York newspaper, who get tapped to ghostwrite stories about a war hero named Captain Falcon, as told by one of Falcon’s purported associates, “Hurricane” Hurley. Dodge thinks that stories are fiction, or at the very least exaggerated from a factual account, so he writes them that way, and they become a runaway success. The idea of becoming an adventurer is that last thing on Dodge’s mind…at least until the bad guys show up, demanding to square off with Captain Falcon.
I suppose in that respect, I’m quite a bit different than Dodge. One of my earliest sources of inspiration as a writer was Clive Cussler. I still remember reading the bio in one of his early novels; it talked about how he spent his free time searching for shipwrecks and lost mines, just like his hero Dirk Pitt. When I read that, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. And while I haven’t found any lost cities, I have managed to have a few adventures along the way, and I’d like to think some of that comes through in my novels.”While Sean didn’t divulge any details of his own adventures, his experiences definitely help color his action scenes.
“There are some scenes in the first Dodge Dalton novel where Dodge is underwater and trying to get back to the surface; when I write that, I try to tap in on my own memories of making some deep free dives and thinking: ‘Why is it taking so long to get to the surface? I really need to breathe...starting to panic a little.’ I like to get a little of that adrenaline rush onto the page. You don't really get that from watching a movie, where the hero--Bond or Indy--can calmly react to whatever life-threatening situation comes along.”
Both books are available on amazon.com.
Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese Looks at The Myth Hunter
THE MYTH HUNTER
Written by Percival Constantine
ISBN 978-1461050599
Pulpwork Press
208 pages, $11.95
When one first looks at The Myth Hunter, thoughts of Tomb Raider (or even the short-lived Tia Carrere vehicle, Relic Hunter) invariably come to the fore. This isn't to suggest that the book is merely an homage to to earlier creations, though: it's just an inevitable comparison that will be made by virtually everyone who reads the book.
Elisa Hill is our "Myth Hunter" in question and she's the daughter of parents whose belief in a lost civilization led to their professional ruin. Originally seeking out treasures for profit, Elisa eventually turns to more noble callings and attracts the attention of an organization known as the Order. Former associates become enemies and Elisa is thrown into a thrilling adventure that a search for Lemuria, battles with changelings and a whole lot of by-the-seat-of-your-pants excitement.
What separates Elisa from Lara Croft and the others who came before her is that Constantine takes the time to flesh her out, showing her to be a flawed but ultimately heroic figure. She's not just your standard issue "adventuring hottie," and that works well for the book as a whole.
The growth shown between this and the previous book I reviewed by this author (Love and Bullets) is quite noticeable. With that one, there were scenes that really jumped off the page but it was tempered by creative choices that I thought brought other scenes to a screeching halt (mainly the lampoonish behavior of the main villain). There's no such worries here -- this was great fun, handled with a deft hand. I'd love to see more adventures of The Myth Hunter.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
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