All Pulp Interviews: Moonstone’s Return of the Monsters - Bobby Nash

Cover Art: Dan Brereton

This Halloween, Moonstone heads back to their monstrous roots with the Return of the Monsters Event. Return of the Monsters features four stand-alone tales of pulp’s mightiest heroes facing off against some classic monsters. One of those titles is Domino Lady vs. the Mummy by co-writers Nancy Holder and Bobby Nash with art by Rock Baker and Jeff Austin. All Pulp sat down with Bobby Nash about this upcoming book.

All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.

Bobby Nash: I’m a writer of prose and comic books, many of which feature pulp characters and themes. Some of the characters I’ve written include Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Domino Lady, Secret Agent X, Ravenwood - Stepson of Mystery, the Green Hornet, and more. You can see all of my various books at http://www.bobbynash.com/. I also run the http://www.lance-star.com/ website as well.

AP: Your story, co-written with Nancy Holder, for the Return of the Monsters Halloween event is called Domino Lady vs. the Mummy. What can we expect from this titanic throw down?

Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin

BN: Domino Lady’s adversaries tend to be more human so it was a fun experiment having her face off against a supernatural threat. Getting the opportunity to work with writer Nancy Holder, whose novels and comics I’ve enjoyed over the years was just icing on the cake. She developed an interesting plot that was fun to play with. She has Domino Lady’s character down pat. Working with the art team of Rock Baker and Jeff Austin again was an added bonus. Together, Rock and Jeff have that classic art style that really fits a character like Domino Lady and the world she inhabits. I hope we get to see them work on this character again.

Here’s a tease about the story. The Domino Lady and her police friend, Detective "Mad Dog" Vernia are targeted by an Egyptian sorceress and her mistress, a mummy hell-bent on finding the perfect mate. The mummy’s search for the perfect "parts" leaves a rail of victims all over 1930’s Hollywood and only the Domino Lady stands in her way.



Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin

 AP: Domino Lady Vs. The Mummy has a pulp hero battling a classic monster, a combination that even though done in some regards hasn't ever really been done the way Moonstone is doing it with the Return of the Monster event. What do these genres have in common and how do they differ in ways that complement each other?

BN: When Moonstone boss, Joe Gentile first told me about this project he mentioned going for a black and white with gray tones feel I thought it was a brilliant idea that would capture the mood of both those old noir films as well as monster movies. From that point on it clicked for me and I play around with things like lurking shadows a lot in the script. Seriously, see how many you can find when the book comes out in October.

AP: The Return of the Monsters Halloween event brings back several classic monster archetypes to Moonstone’s lineup. How does this version of the Mummy compare and contrast to previous versions of the character?

BN: It compares in that it’s a mummy and that comes along with certain trappings like being wrapped in bandages, canopic jars, ritual organ harvesting, that sort of thing. Y’know, just a fun night in Hollywood. (laughs). This particular mummy isn’t based on any particular mummy we’ve seen before. Taking Nancy’s concept of the mummy as a starting point, I tried to make it as scary and dangerous a mummy as possible. The art really sells that, starting with Dan Brereton’s cover straight through the book.

Covers by Dan Brereton

AP: What appeals to you about pulp heroes battling classic monsters? What was it that excited you about pitting the Domino Lady against a mummy?

Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin

BN: I was excited for the opportunity to write the character again. I really took a liking to the Domino Lady when I was reading the original stories as research for my story in the Moonstone Domino Lady prose anthology. Since then I’d been looking for any excuse to work on the character again. The thought of dropping Domino Lady into a situation that is completely alien to her was of interest. We played up her detective skills, which I really enjoyed. All of that had me excited, but then I found out I would be co-writing with Nancy Holder and I got even more excited. Then Rock and Jeff came on board. Then I saw the cover. By that point I was over the moon.

AP: What, if any, existing pulp, monster, or comic book characters would you like to try your hand at writing?

BN: Oh, take your pick. I’ve written a few pulp characters, but would love to try my hand at the Spider, Captain Action, or maybe team up G-8 with Lance Star: Sky Ranger. That would be fun. As for monsters, I’ve written a lot of werewolves over the past year or two (not one, but two comic book projects that feature a werewolf are in process), plus I’ve written Dracula and now the mummy. I might have to go with a sea monster next. With comics, my dream gig would have to be the Fantastic Four, but I wouldn’t sneeze at Spider-man, Thor, Nightwing, or Captain America either.

Cover: Shannon Hall

AP: What does Bobby Nash do when he’s not writing?

BN: I sleep. I also spend way too much time in front of the TV or with my nose in a novel. I love traveling and attend a lot of conventions, which even though not technically writing is still part of the job. I’m also a co-host for the Earth Station One podcast. We record an episode each week. Check it out at www.esopodcast.com. We always like new listeners. Other than that I’m generally doing something creative. I’ve never learned the art of sitting around and doing nothing.

AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?

BN: I’m all over the web, but most of the time you can find me at http://www.bobbynash.com/, http://www.lance-star.com/, http://www.bloodyoldeenglund.com/, www.facebook.com/bobbyenash, and www.twitter.com/bobbynash.

Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin

AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?

BN: Just released: Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 3 (Airship 27), Green Hornet Casefiles (Moonstone), and Golden Age Good Girls (Mini Komix). Coming soon (in no particular order): The Ruby Files (Airship 27), Domino Lady vs. the Mummy (Moonstone), Zombies Vs. Robots (IDW), Tales From The Zero Hour Vol. 4 (Blinding Force Productions), Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (Moonstone), All-Star Pulp Comics (Airship 27), Green Hornet: Still At Large (Moonstone), and more Lance Star: Sky Ranger prose and comics. Plus a few surprises I can't talk about yet. You can see all of my upcoming announcements at http://www.bobbynash.com/.

AP: Thanks, Bobby.

BN: My pleasure.

Domino Lady vs. the Mummy is solicited in August Previews for an October in store release.