June 29, 2012
Hen-reeee!, Henry Aldrich!
Comedy is taking something mundane and ordinary and turning it into a masterpiece of hilarity and humor. No classic radio show did this as well as one centered on the daily chaos surrounding teenager Henry Aldrich! Henry and an entire cast of characters bring laughter to everyday life once more in The Aldrich Family, a collection from Radio Archives!
"The Aldrich Family" spotlighted the adolescent escapades of young Henry and the hijinks that ensued from simple things like a bicycle's flat tire or an overdue library book. The show also features one of the best-remembered openings from classic radio – Alice, Henry's stalwart mother summons her son by yelling "Hen-reeee! Henry Aldrich!" And Henry responds with a voice riddled with the crackle of puberty, "Coming, Mother!" The show's opening salvo had such an impact that some play on it still crops up occasionally in modern entertainment.
The Aldrich Family features as rich and colorful a cast as any show could. From Alice to Sam, Henry's father to Homer Brown, Henry's usual partner in confusion right through to Kathleen Anderson, Henry's sweetheart, and his arch nemesis George Bigelow. Each character was distinct and had a life beyond the gags and jokes, making this show both real and larger than life at the same time.
Restored to sparkling audio quality, The Aldrich Family is a great set for both golden age comedy and characters so believable you can't help but relate to and laugh with them. Available now from Radio Archives for only $26.98.
Rapid Fire Radio
A Column by Tommy Hancock
Reviews!
The Kraft Music Hall Starring Al Jolson - Very few entertainers have as complete a package of talent, personality, and sheer staying power as Al Jolson had. This collection proves that, spotlighting Jolson as the lead on The Kraft Music Hall in 1947-48. Jolson parlayed the success of a movie based on his life into a comeback and this show was one of the results. Not only is Jolson at the top of his game, but the sarcastic wit of Oscar Levant and the tuneful stylings of Lou Bring and his orchestra make this an enjoyable peek into the career of a true entertainer! Available now for $14.98 from Radio Archives!
Calling All Cars, Volume 1 - Although most people would rightfully call Dragnet the best of the police procedural radio shows, one that set the stage for it and all other comers is an excellent example of the genre! Calling All Cars, a show sponsored by Rio Grande Oil Company, featured true to life cases of all sorts and highlighted the hard work, dedication, car chases, and gunfights policemen got into to solve them! Fantastic pacing and great performances make this a stand out show and it's only $29.98 from Radio Archives!
One Man's Family, Volume 1 - Rarely does a show come along that is equal part family drama, soap opera, and slice of life, but in so many ways Carlton E. Morse achieved this with One Man's Family. Centered on the Barbour Family, this program gave listeners something radio often did not. People written so well they might live down the street from you. And they were people that grew, changed, lived, aged, and died. Truly a classic of modern entertainment, One Man's Family is a great addition to any fan's collection. Only $17.98 at Radio Archives!
Character Spotlight!
Cut from the same cloth as any cowboy played by John Wayne, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone stands out as a classic character from a fantastic show. A rancher bound and determined to protect what is his, Slaughter is the epitome of a frontier hero slow to talk, quick to defend himself and others, and determined to leave his brand on the West! Performed to near perfection by Sam Buffington, Luke Slaughter is must listen for fans of Western Adventure and is only $23.98 from Radio Archives!
Hancock's Favorite Episodes!
The Unexpected, Volume 1 "The Cripple" starring Marjorie Riordan.
With a program title like The Unexpected, one can expect something different, a twist or turn to set the whole episode on its ear. "The Cripple" is an eerie episode that does this best. A tale of a woman desperate to be with her true love forever but saddled with the care of her paraplegic sister, this show makes my skin crawl every time I hear it. Marjorie Riordan is deliciously evil as the lead character, going to deadly lengths to get the life she feels entitled to and is well deserving of how it all turns out! Definitely top notch acting and writing in this one! You can hear "The Cripple" and more fantastic episodes of The Unexpected, Volume 1 for only $14.98 from Radio Archives!
The Spider Battles Lightning Itself In New Audiobook
Devastating lightning, aimed at the highest buildings and critical public facilities of the city. Targeted with precise malevolence by a Man from Mars – with the flowing mane and deadly claws of the king of beasts. The Lion Man! The Flame Master!
In one of Norvell Page’s wildest Spider adventures, Richard Wentworth battles not one outrageous foe, but two. The Lion Man, who can rip a man’s flesh with deadly claws and unleash lightning with devastating results at any target he chooses. And a mysterious munitions master, whose allegiance can be bought by the highest bidder.
Electric Audio Adventure
“The Flame Master” is the newest Spider audiobook from RadioArchives.com, continuing the fantastic adventures of one of the 1930s’ most relentless avengers. This audio adventure once again features stage and screen actors Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker as Richard Wentworth, alias The Spider, Master of Men … and Nita Van Sloan, his daring companion who battles at his side despite unspeakable danger.
The Spider faces Aronk Dong, the self-proclaimed Man from Mars, who unleashes the wrath of the heavens to subjugate Earth. But what is his real purpose? And hiding behind his deadly French Apaches is Toussaints Louvaine, a mysterious dealer in death who may be on Wentworth’s side … or may not.
“In this incredible adventure, no one is who they seem, and everyone has a private agenda,” says director Roger Rittner. “Nick and Robin are at their best, portraying all the characters in this lightning-charged adventure.”
A Unique Listening Experience
“The Flame Master”, like its predecessors “Prince of the Red Looters” and “Wings of the Black Death”, is enhanced with extensive sound effects and period music score.
For a sample of the excitement, listen to a preview:
“The Flame Master” is available now at just $19.95 in a deluxe six-CD set. The first two Spider audiobooks, “Prince of the Red Looters” and “Wings of the Black Death” are still available at RadioArchives.com.
The Voice of the Spider! Nick Santa Maria
I always enjoyed voice work. When I was a kid, I’d improvise crazy comedies into an audio cassette recorder with my friends. During those days, I would try to voice as many different characters as I could as we struggled to make each other laugh. Little did I know how valuable that experience came to be. Eventually, after becoming a professional actor, I was hired to do a great many radio commercials, utilizing some of the very same voices I’d created in my youth. Eventually I got away from voice work to concentrate on other areas of performance. But my heart still belonged in the sound studio.
Fast forward quite a number of years. One day I got a call from a friend who asked if I would take part in a radio musical comedy. I took on the task happily. It was only when I arrived that I found I was to play opposite that legendary vocal artist, June Foray.
The writer/producer/director of the project was the very talented Roger Rittner. Roger seemed to like my work, because soon afterward came a phone call that would change my life and get me happily back into the sound booth.
It turns out that Roger wanted me to be the voice of The Spider. I’d heard of the Shadow, Doc Savage, and a few other pulp novel characters. But the Spider had eluded me.
At lunch one day, Roger handed me a box containing the script for the first book I was to tackle, “Prince of the Red Looters”. After reading it, I was hooked. Being a vintage movie fanatic, I could only see an old serial excitingly playing out in my mind’s eye. The characters were rich and full, the writing was vibrant and thrilling, and Roger’s adaptation was brilliantly done. This was not to be a typical audio book; it played out like a radio adventure, complete with sound effects, music, and atmosphere.
I found that I would not only be narrating the story, but enacting all of the male characters - with Nita Van Sloan and the other female characters portrayed by the incredible Robin Riker. It was a veritable feast for an old ham like me, as I fully embraced the characters of Richard Wentworth, Police Commissioner Kirkpatrick, and especially the villains.
I’m now a veteran of four Spider adventures and look forward to many more. I certainly hope you enjoy what we’ve done with these classic stories, and that the characters are as vivid and enjoyable as they were for readers back in the 1930s.
The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge Ebooks! Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your E-Reader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator 5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like Doctor Death and more, Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday's Pulp today!
Five new golden age Pulp tales exquisitely reformatted into visually stunning E-books!
In that single, unguarded moment while he played his precious Stradivarius, the combined forces of the Mayor of Hell — the crooked Law and the vengeful Underworld — besieged Richard Wentworth, otherwise known as the Spider, nemesis of criminals! Mourned as dead, the Spider must start life anew, without friends or funds or hidden refuge, so that the Mayor of Hell’s bloody-handed henchmen — who judge no deed too base, who respect neither man nor God — may find their just reward — in death! Another epic exploit of America's best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
Note: #29 is the sequel to #28 The Mayor of Hell.
America faces certain doom as its citizens fall in screaming thousands before the noxious death vapors loosed upon them by the Green Hand. How can the Spider, harried and threatened by a hundred new and deadly perils, check the rising power of the next Dictator — and lay bare the scheming, criminal mind which seeks to enslave the nation? Another epic exploit of America's best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
Speeding through the silent blackness of the night, a long freight-train was laden with a cargo more precious than fine gold — wheat! Then suddenly, the hirelings of Apocryphos unleashed red destruction, and the great machine lay wrecked, its cars of priceless grain afire... Another blow in the ruthless campaign that was driving a proud people, whimpering, to slavery — overwhelmed by the cruel pangs of hunger! The four horsemen of the Apocalypse, thundered sharp-hoofed over the sterile reaches of a famine-wasted continent, while only one man — Operator 5 — realized the ghastly extent of the diabolical plot. And only he — America's undercover ace — could hope to bring the canny schemer to the justice he deserved — death!
Jimmy Christopher, clean-cut, square-jawed and clear-eyed, was the star of the most audacious pulp magazines ever conceived — Operator #5. Savage would-be conquerors, creepy cults, weird weather-controllers and famine-creating menaces to our mid-western breadbasket... these were but a few of the fiendish horrors that Jimmy Christopher was forced to confront. Operator #5 returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.
Carried far outside the solar system, and wrecked on a volcanic planetoid in company with a shipload of condemned criminals, Captain Future faces the supreme test of his courage! Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.
Captain Future and his valiant aides speed to the rescue of the Sagittarian system — ready to lock in mortal combat with deadly enemies from another dimension! Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.
When you purchase these beautifully reformatted eBooks from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
Find these legendary Pulp tales and more in Will Murray's Pulp Classics, now available in the Kindle store and the Barnes and Noble Nook store! The best Pulp eBooks now available for only $2.99 each from Radio Archives!
1 cent Spider eBook! For a limited time you can now download an exciting original Spider adventure for just one thin penny! Part of the Will Murray Pulp Classics line, The Spider #11, Prince of the Red Looters first saw print in 1934 and features his momentous battle with The Fly and his armies of crazed criminal killers. Their motto? Why "KILL THE SPIDER!" of course.
For those who have been unsure about digging into the wonderful world of pulps this is a perfect opportunity to give one of these fantastic yarns a real test run. With a full introduction to the Spider written by famed pulp historian and author Will Murray, The Spider #11 was written by one of pulp's most respected authors, Norvell W. Page. Writing as Grant Stockbridge, Page's stories included some of the most bizarre and fun takes on heroes and crime fighting in the history of escapist fiction.
Even today Page's scenarios and his edge-of-the-seat writing style are still thrilling both new and old fans everywhere. For those who have never read one of these rollercoaster adventures, you are in for a thrill. If you already know how much fun a classic pulp is, make sure you download this bargain.
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you purchase this eBook from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your Spider novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new. Use the PDF version when reading on your PC or Mac computer. If you have a Kindle, the Mobi version is what you want. If you have an iPad/iPhone, Android, Sony eReader or Nook, then the ePub version is what you want.
The Pulp Book Store at Radio Archives is proud to announce the addition of a store featuring one of the best modern Pulp Artists today! The Art of Joe DeVito spotlights the phenomenal work of a multitalented creator. A writer, sculptor, and more, DeVito is perhaps best known for his fantastic paintings that have graced book covers, billboards and more. Notably, DeVito is the artist responsible for the stunning covers of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series written by Will Murray and published by Altus Press.
Art and creativity are definitely part of what defines Joe DeVito. “I guess you can say I’ve been an artist all of my life” he stated. “I was born the year the Russians launched Sputnik, was told I began drawing recognizably and continuously around the age of 3 or 4, and have been working at it professionally for over 30 years now. Drawing, sculpting (albeit with Play Doh at first) and telling stories (such as, at the age of 4, describing the reason for drawing an entire town in crayon on my mother’s newly waxed kitchen floor) go as far back as I can remember.”
As with many creators, the influences, which led Joe down the path he’s traveled, were a part of his early life. “I’m originally from a large family that started out in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. We moved to NJ in the early 60’s and I went from the Museum of Natural History and an asphalt playground with metal monkey bars and steel swings, to being able to run around in fields and explore woods and rivers almost overnight. It was quite a shock and greatly augmented my emotional, creative and physical landscape. I like to think the two halves made for a more complete whole.”
Pulp found its way into Joe’s formative years as well. “It was my utter infatuation with dinosaurs, books, magazines and monster movies that perhaps were my earliest connection with the pulps, at least in a visual sense. Watching our small B&W TV with the ubiquitous rabbit-ear antenna, virtually everything had a mysterious, atmospheric pulp quality to it! Those early years indelibly stamped my imagination. An essential part of being creative (for me at least) was never losing that initial sense of mystery, wonder and infatuation that I first experienced.”
When asked to define Pulp Art, Joe offered, “One way is to say that Pulp art is characterized by its tremendously atmospheric lighting, generally created by a strong light source that in turn generates powerful, cast shadows. These effects are heighted still further by the use of exaggerated perspective, unusual angles and topped off by eye-catching color accents on a limited palette, often applied with bold brush work.”
“Of course,” he continued, “subject matter consisting of an edge-of-your-seat, life-threatening situation involving a tough guy; multi-tentacled/orbed alien; monster or other creature either saving or threatening a curvatious woman - often while putting a .38, .45, Tommy gun, ray gun, laser beam, surgical implement or other threatening device through its paces - have been known to be associated with pulp art from time to time as well.” Using those standards, Pulp Art most definitely is something that, like much of the fiction from that era, transcends the period most associated with it and appeals to a modern audience. According to Joe, “There are certainly a multitude of different reasons for people to escape into the pulps. It would not surprise me if one of the subliminal common threads was a certain nostalgia. Maybe it’s that in such a complicated, psychobabble-saturated world as the one we now live in the Pulps often hearken back to a time where there were good guys, there were bad guys and in the end the good guy wins. End of story.”
“As for the art, it is an optical thrill ride: All the things mentioned earlier and more apply: Heroes, heroines, villains, monsters, flying saucers and aliens, action, adventure, danger – all combined in a picture making feast for the eyeballs.”
Joe finds his own escape and enjoyment in the very Pulp art he creates for others looking for the same. He also cites a plethora of influences on his work. “There aren’t many things as enjoyable as creating a dramatically lit, action packed pulp-inspired painting. My initial art influences and inspirations in this area are too numerous to mention. After all these years it’s now second nature. Others would be the aforementioned old movies, most notably the original King Kong and all the great (and not so great) B monster movies; film noir and associated spy, detective (epitomized by Bogey, of course), and other flicks, not to mention SF/Fantasy/Adventure Pulp magazine covers to name a few.”
And like all fans, even those who are also creators, Joe has a favorite Pulp character to work on. And it’s one he’s very familiar with. “Doc Savage: It’s the nostalgia of the imagery, him being a superhero character who is still human; camaraderie; super villains; lots of old fashioned monsters and mystery; action; adventure; fabulous steam punk inspiring gadgetry that could be tinkered together in your own personal lab…did I mention ray guns?”
The Art of Joe DeVito is the place to get visually stunning posters featuring the truly amazing Pulp Art of Joe DeVito. Each poster is 12 X 18 and available for $19.98! From the 86th Floor of the Empire State Building to the shores of Skull Island and beyond, The Art of Joe DeVito is your ticket to Pulp adventure!
The Master of Darkness battles murderous master villains in thrilling pulp novels by Walter B. Gibson and Theodore Tinsley writing as "Maxwell Grant." First, the Master of Darkness journeys to New Orleans to uncover the hidden identity of the international swindler known only as "Cyro." Then, The Shadow suspects that "The Man Who Died Twice" still lives, and is the key to the Prince of Evil's plot to murder Lamont Cranston! This instant collector's item showcases the original color covers by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the classic interior illustrations by legendary illustrators Tom Lovell and Earl Mayan, with historical commentary by Will Murray. Buy it today for $14.95.
A knockout painting by legendary paperback artist James Bama leads off a special variant edition of two action-packed pulp epics 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 also 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 only $14.95.
The Pulp Era's most unusual mystery man returns in three action-packed adventures by Paul Ernst and Emile Tepperman writing as "Kenneth Robeson." Dick Benson's life will be forever changed after "Murder on Wheels" and the mysterious Cole Wilson lure The Avenger into a deadly trap! Then, "The Three Gold Crowns" and a dentist's forceps leads The Avenger to Mr. Death's house of murder. PLUS: "Death to The Avenger," a bonus Avenger novelette, and a Whisperer thriller by Alan Hathway. This classic pulp reprint features the color pulp covers by H. W. Scott, Paul Orban's original interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray. Priced at only $14.95
One of the top crime-fighters from the golden age of pulp fiction, The Spider returns in two thrill-packed adventures written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in "The Spider and the Scarlet Surgeon" (1941), With unheard of skill, the Red Surgeon can change a patient into an imbecile… or a genius of crime! Not only can he alter the physical shell, but this mad doctor can even amputate parts of a victim's personality, even their conscience. And his greatest ambition is to operate on none other than Stanley Kirkpatrick, Nita van Sloan… and the Spider! Then, in "The Spider and the Death Piper" (1942), Weird compelling music lures the inhabitants of Martinsville to suicide! By ones and twos at first, then in a stampede of maddened self-destruction. Even Richard Wentworth, with the iron will of the Spider, felt the irresistible calling of that Devil-tune! Can even the Master of Men prevail against an unearthly power that goads the listener to suicide? These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
By John Olsen
"The Plot Master" is a battle of wits or a gang of international crooks against The Shadow. And at stake are millions of dollars and the security of our nation. The Plot Master is out to steal the Navy Department's mystery submarine and only The Shadow can stop him!
What a great story we have, here. It's a face-off between two masters of disguise -- The Shadow and Eric Hildrow, the Plot Master. You can never be too sure who's who in this thrilling tale of espionage. This story has plenty of suspense and action, and any pulp mystery with a location known as Death Island gets bonus points from me, to start with. This is one Shadow story that delivers the goods, right from the start.
Yes, this is one terrific Shadow novel, and it's one in which surprisingly few of The Shadow's agents appear. Harry Vincent plays a leading role in this story. Burbank is there to pass along messages, and Clyde Burke is mentioned but doesn't actually appear. Cliff Marsland appears about halfway through the story and gets to see some action with The Shadow. And of course new agent Miles Crofton gets to see a bit of action, too. But most of the action is carried by The Shadow and Harry Vincent.
The Shadow really gets batted around in this story. Entombed, shot, blown up... yet he miraculously survives. But not without injury. By the end of the story, he's pretty beat up. And that's where the strange vial of purplish liquid comes into play. As he was going through his earlier trials, I kept wondering why he didn't use that incredible restorative fluid. But at the story's fantastic climax, he finally does.
This is one of the top Shadow novels. It's got just about everything. It's got death traps from which there can be no escape: "The Shadow was encased in a trap of death. Death by confinement, within the suffocating walls of the air-tight submarine chamber." And yet, amazingly, he does escape.
There's also the squishy rubber suction cups that The Shadow uses to climb sheer walls. There's the explosives in the lining of his cloak. There's the secret messages transmitted on the open airwaves using emphasized words in advertisements over WNX Radio in New York. There's the amazing autogyro. And the famous vial containing the purple liquid. If you're looking for a top Shadow pulp novel to read, you won't do much better than this one. It's a lot of fun, and will make you glad you chose to read The Shadow. And it can be yours along with another great Shadow novel for only $12.95 from Radio Archives!
Comments From Our Customers!
Ernest Spellmeyer writes:
I thank you for your prompt response in sending 2 sets of Dragnet CDs to me. The quality of your product and the sound quality of the CDs are terrific.
Ed Morrissey writes:
I really enjoyed The Spider - Wings of the Black Death CD set. Keep it up.
Larry Scheflin:
I really love the stuff you've been doing. Many thanks for all your efforts. I have purchased all four Doc Savage audiobooks and was wondering if there are any plans for more. They are excellent.
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.
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