Derrick Ferguson Gets Himself To Mars To See JOHN CARTER

Walt Disney Pictures

2012

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Produced by Jim Morris and Colin Wilson

Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon

Based on “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs

It was while waiting in the theater lobby for my wife after we had just seen JOHN CARTER that I heard a snatch of conversation that most likely was duplicated in one way or another in movie theater lobbies all across the country.  It went something like this; “It would have been a better movie if it didn’t try to rip off so many other movies.”

If I was not the sweet, gentle soul you all know and love I would have put that worthy in a serious headlock and informed him that the book the movie JOHN CARTER is based on, “A Princess of Mars” was written back in 1912 by Edgar Rice Burroughs who just about created the sub-genre of science fiction which could well be termed “Sword and Planet.”  With his series of novels set on the Red Planet, Mr. Burroughs also created a template for heroic adventure fiction that has has been homaged, borrowed, copied and downright stolen from then until now.  John Carter is the great-great grandfather of dozens, if not hundreds of heroes in comic books, novels, movies and television.  Not to mention the influence the books has had on writers, artists and scientists.  Most American astronauts will claim “A Princess of Mars” along with “Star Trek” as the major influence in them wanting to be an astronaut.  The importance of Edgar Rice Burroughs, his creation of John Carter and his vision of Mars simply cannot be overstated.

But that’s enough of the history lesson.  You’re here to find out if I think JOHN CARTER is worth your time and money.  Okay, for a change I won’t make you read the whole review to find out.  Yes.  JOHN CARTER is most definitely worth your time and your money.  Not having read the book in quite some time I’m not going to swear to the faithfulness of the adaptation but most of the major scenes rang true to me and they’re what I wanted to see and I wasn’t disappointed.

John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a former Confederate Army soldier who goes west to prospect for gold after The Civil War and finds a whole cave full of the stuff.  He also finds trouble from a Union Captain (Bryan Cranston) and some bloodthirsty Apaches.  This leads to Carter being trapped in the cave and transported to Barsoom, which is what the inhabitants of that planet call Mars.

The bewildered Carter is captured by Tars Tarkus (Willem Dafoe) the Jeddak (king) of the Tharks, the fierce Green Warriors of Barsoom.  Standing some seven feet tall with tusks, and a double torso with four arms, they are the first clue to the bewildered Earthman that he isn’t in Virginia anymore.  But it’s not as if Carter is entirely helpless.  Due to the lesser gravity of Barsoom and his denser bone/muscular structure he has the strength of a hundred men and is able to leap incredible distances.

Meanwhile, over in Helium which is home to the human looking Red Martians, they are realizing that they cannot win their long war with their hereditary enemies, the Zodanga.  Arraignments are made to marry the Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) to Zodanga’s ruler, Sab Than (Dominic West).

However, Dejah Thoris doesn’t think much of this at all and runs away, an act which leads her to being captured by the Tharks and meeting John Carter.  Once she sees his extraordinary abilities, combined with his exceptional swordsmanship, she sees a way out of her marriage and a way for Helium to win the war.  However, unknown to all, there is a third faction at work in this conflict.  The Holy Therns, led by Matai Shang (Mark Strong) have been secretly manipulating conflict between the various tribes and races of Barsoom for thousands of years for their own hidden purposes.  And they’re not about to let a wild card like John Carter interfere in the plans they have for Barsoom.  Or Earth…

The sheer joy of seeing a major motion picture based on anything written by Edgar Rice Burroughs probably prevents me from seeing any flaws in the movie.  Taylor Kitsch wouldn’t have been my first choice for John Carter but after seeing him I don’t know who else could have played the role so well.  He commits himself fully to the story and the character and there was never a moment he wasn’t convincing. 

As Dejah Thoris, Lynn Collins has a lot to live up to as Burroughs described her in the books as being so impossibly beautiful that any real woman would have a hard time fulfilling that description but she does the job admirably.  And her role in the story is fleshed out considerably by having her be a scientist/swordswoman  as well and not just a princess to be rescued.

Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkus and Thomas Haden Church as Tal Hajus, a rival Thark warrior do a superb job of giving the giant green warriors personality but Dominic West’s character could have been a better villain.  He’s little more than the errand boy for the Holy Tharns but West is such a good actor, I’m willing to let it go.

And maybe it’s just my thing, but when a movie costs as much as JOHN CARTER, I appreciate seeing it up on the screen and I certainly did.  This is a big-budget movie that actually does look like a big-budget movie with some really astonishing sets and eye-popping locations.  This is how a larger than life movie with larger than life characters is supposed to look.  Not like a TV movie on steroids.

Bottom line: I liked JOHN CARTER a lot.  It’s a movie made by talented folks who respect the source material and delivered what I was looking for and that’s more than enough for me.  Enjoy.

132 minutes

Rated PG-13

SHAKING THE SIX DEMON BAG: Six Extremely General Questions With Bobby Nash

New Pulp Author Joshua Reynolds interviews New Pulp Author Bobby Nash for the Shaking The Six Demon Bag interview series on his Hunting Monsters blog.

Visit http://joshuamreynolds.blogspot.com/2012/03/shaking-six-demon-bag-six-extremely_09.html to read Six Extremely General Questions With Bobby Nash.

For more information on Bobby Nash, visit http://www.bobbynash.com/

BROKEN SEA ANNOUNCES LATEST JAKE SAMPSON EPISODE!

An avalanche threatens a fatal end to a heroic quest in :-

Jake Sampson: Monster Hunter : “The Roof of the World” Episode 4

BrokenSea's pulp hero continues his adventures in Tibet with episode 4 of The Roof Of The World!

Pulp Empire announces Martian Holiday Sale!

Heroes of Mars is now available in print at Amazon and Createspace. And to tie-in with the original Martian hero’s first appearance on the silver screen on Friday, March 9, the book is now available at a special discount!

Use discount code Z43EJGX2 at Createspace and you can get the book for $2 off! That is only $9 for five great new stories and a fascinating essay by 2012 Pulp Ark best author Teel James Glenn!

But as a special thank you to all our fans buying Heroes of Mars in print, that discount will also extend to all our Createspace published titles from Metahuman Press/Pulp Empire. With the same discount code Z43EJGX2, you can also get deals on the following three titles:

Invasion by Mark Oldfield, the first in the modern super-powered fiction line from Metahuman Press, for $2.00 off!

The Heroes & Heretics anthology for $4.00 off!

Pulp Empire’s bestselling title ever, Pirates & Swashbucklers, for a whopping $5.00 off!

Our books also continue to be available at a very reasonable price for digital readers through Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. Check out the Metahuman Press home page for links to them all!

This sale is for a limited time only, so get the books at a great discount while you still can!

LANCE STAR: SKY RANGER VOL. 4 FLIES INTO PRODUCTION

Cover Sketch by Felipe Echevarria

Airship 27 publisher, Ron Fortier unveiled the cover artist and cover sketch for the fourth volume in the highly popular Lance Star: Sky Ranger pulp anthology series.

Cover mock up ad

The cover sketch by Felipe Echevarria included with this entry is just a tease of the upcoming painted cover, which depicts a scene from Bobby Nash’s story from this volume called "Ring of Fire."

Lance Star: Sky Ranger vol. 4 includes stories from New Pulp Authors Bobby Nash, Andrew Salmon, Tom Novak, and Sean Taylor. Edits by Ron Fortier. Production design by Rob Davis. Cover by Felipe Echevarria. Interior art by Scott "Doc" Vaughn.

Look for Lance Star: Sky Ranger vol. 4 coming from Airship 27 Productions.

You can learn more about artist Felipe Echevarria at http://www.felipe.tv/ or www.facebook.com/people/Felipe-Echevarria/100000501620661

For more information on Airship 27 Productions, visit them on-line at http://www.airship27.com/ and http://www.gopulp.info/

For more information on Lance Star: Sky Ranger, visit http://www.lance-star.com/

Lance Star: Sky Ranger volumes 1, 2, & 3, and the Lance Star comic book "One Shot!" are still available. Look for links at http://www.bobbynash.com/ and http://www.lance-star.com/.

THE MOON MAN RISES IN AIRSHIP'S NEWEST ANTHOLOGY!

PRESS RELEASE

THE ROBIN HOOD OF THE PULPS

Airship 27 Productions is very excited to announce the release of its latest pulp anthology featuring a classic hero from the past; the Moon Man.

Detective Sgt. Stephen Thatcher is the son of Police Chief Peter Thatcher. Sickened by the effects of the Great Depression on Great City, the young lawman cannot reconcile the rich society elite living the good life while across town the poor of Great City go hungry.  Unable to correct this injustice through the system he represents, Thatcher assumes the role of the vigilante thief the Moon Man by disguising himself behind a one-way Argus glass globe.  In this get up he then proceed to rob the rich and give to the needy via his loyal aide, former boxer Ned “Angel” Dargan.  He is also aided by the lovely Sue McEwen, the daughter of the man sworn to capture him, his own boss, Lt. Detective Gil McEwen.

Created by pulp legend Frederick C. Davis, the Moon Man’s exploits appeared in the pages of “Ten Detective Aces” and were all reader favorites.  “It really is amazing how many old pulp fans still recall this character with so much fondness,” commented Airship 27 Managing Editor, Ron Fortier.  “He was so unique and outlandish, fighting villains and avoiding the police all the while wearing that fish bowl on his head.” 

Now he returns to the streets of Great City in five new thrilling adventures written by writers Ken Janssens, Gary Lovisi, Erwin K.Roberts and Andrew Salmon.  Pulpdom’s most bizarre hero is back on the case with a cover by Rob Davis & Rich Woodall and twelve interior illustrations by Ralph Van Der Hoeven.

“This is just kind of book we started Airship 27 Productions for,” added Fortier.  “To shine a spotlight on these classic pulp heroes and showcase them to a new audience.  For many, this will be their first introduction to the Moon Man.  Hopefully while enjoying these new tales, they will be intrigued enough to go find reprints of the originals.”

Airship 27 Productions – Pulp Fiction For A New Generation!

Available from Amazon

(https://www.createspace.com/3809640)

$3 digital download at the Airship Hangar 27

(http://robmdavis.com/Airship27Hangar/airship27hangar.html)

And soon from (http://indyplanet.com/store/)

REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST AVAILABLE FOR HALF PRICE!

Enjoy The Revenge of the Masked Ghost! The tale is about a mystery man of the 1930's and how his murder influences his family. This New Pulp mystery began as an online serial, and is now in Ebook format, and includes multiple interior illustrations and another story "Bargain Basement Murder" which is unique to this book.

This week only March 4th through March 10th - REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST written by Kevin Paul Shaw Broden, is for sale at Half Price.

As part of the official "Read An EBook Week" REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST is on sale at half the list price

Visit Broden's Author Page on Smashwords: http://bit.ly/ysJ0Om
and enter the COUPON CODE:  REW50

Find out why the Masked Ghost haunts.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES WITH FLYING GLORY!

"Way to go Darlin'" - Elsie as Ol'Glory and Cassie come to the rescue as Molly is traumatized as she gets one last glimpse into the future.

Read the latest page of FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY
Page 30 of our 10th Anniversary Story.

http://www.flying-glory.com

GUEST REVIEW-DOC HERMES REVIEWS THE MAN OF BRONZE!

 

Whew, finally. After years of pleasant labor, I've gotten through all 182 original Doc Savage stories (counting THE RED SPIDER) and here we are with the very first novel, from the March 1933 issue. This started the saga of the pulp's greatest adventure hero, which ran for sixteen years and (beginning in 1964) was eventually completely reprinted by Bantam Books. 

The story itself is well enough known that I think we only need a brief summary. Clark Savage Senior has died of a mysterious ailment called the Red Death and his son Clark Jr (Doc) has returned to New York to summon his five best friends to both investigate the father's death and to begin their lifelong crusade to travel the world, helping those in need and punishing those who deserve it. The six men end up in the Valley of the Vanished, in the Central American country of Hidalgo. Here a lost city of purebred Mayans still survives, guarding a legacy of an immense treasure of gold which Doc must earn to finance his life mission. During the course of the story, of course, there are plenty of spills and thrills, close calls and pitched battles, which will be Doc's lifestyle until the last time we see him in 1949. 

Lester Dent does a fine job setting up the series without making it seem crowded or awkward. His style is already distinctive, but it doesn't have the occasional whacky touches which will give the series some of its screwball charm. At times, Dent gets a wee bit TOO purple, and his writing is choppier than it will become, with many! exclamation! points! and one-sentence paragraphs. Still, a totally enjoyable read and a great start (although I think Dent and Doc both hit their peak in 1934). 

The Doc Savage series was worked out in meetings between Dent, editor John Nanovic and publisher Henry Ralston. It's amazing how many details are here right in the first few pages that will continue until the end of the series. The appearance, personalties and mannerisms of all five aides are dead on target; Johnny doesn't have his annoying habit of unreasonably obscure words yet, Monk and Ham are not as slapstick as they will become, yet all five are recognizable from the start. 

Doc's strange upbringing and wide range of skills, his trilling, the mysterious Fortress of Solitude, the daily two-hour exercises, the Mayan gold with King Chaac and Princess Monja on hand, the headquarters on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building... all are right here. Some important things will be added in the next year or so. Pat Savage, the Crime College, the code against killing and the mercy bullets, the Hidalgo Trading Company, Habeas Corpus. All these will enrich the series immensely, of course, but the first story gets underway fine without them. 

There's also the first of many masked super-villains, Kukulcan the Feathered Serpent. This is an outsider wearing a snake hood and outfit made from an actual boa constrictor (its tail dragging behind him) who gives the Mayan warrior sect their orders, and who is behind the hideous Red Death. 

Let's check out a few annotations for the record. Doc is introduced in a wonderful piece of writing. A lurking assassin in another skyscraper sees what looks like a masterful bust of a handsome man carved in hard bronze. Then, "the bronze masterpiece opened its mouth, yawned - for it was no statue but a living man!" We get the familiar mantra that "the big bronze man is so well put together that the impression was not of size, but of power." 

Doc is described as being six feet tall and weighing two hundred pounds (impressive enough for a guy in 1933). Yet this is immediately contradicted. Renny is said to be four inches over six feet tall, and when Doc stands next to him, he's clearly taller and heavier. ("It was only then that one realized what a big man Doc was. Alongside Renny, Doc was like dynamite alongside gunpowder.") 

Ham is mentioned as having "a distinguished shock of prematurely grey hair." (Will Murray used this and few ambiguous remarks in the series to describe Ham as white-haired.) In nearly every description, though, our fighting lawyer is said to have jet-black hair, "straight as an Indian's" and I can only conclude that Theodore Marley Brooks is not above liberal use of dye to look younger. The shameless old rogue! It's also stated that not only did Monk frame his pal for stealing hams back in the war, but he was court-martialed and convicted. I always thought Ham managed an acquittal and it's odd to think an officer could be convicted of stealing Army property and retain his rank... maybe it was during a tough period in the war where his services were considered so needed that the charges were somehow dismissed? 

Doc himself is much more relaxed and open with his feelings than the poker-faced stoic Mr Spock he will soon become. He grins, chuckles and tells his friends "Dry up, you gorillas!" then assigns Monk to join Ham since "You two love each other so." The bronze man also has no compunction about taking life when necessary ("He did it - chopped a blow with the edge of his hand that snapped the Mayan's neck instantly.") Doc isn't pulling his punches at this stage, and his fights leave as many enemy stone cold dead as they do stunned. (Ham also skewers a few foes with his sword cane, the anesthetic coating still in the future.) 

And if you had reservations about the way the bronze man killed a polar bear with his bare hands in THE POLAR TREASURE, check this out: 

"His left arm flipped with electric speed around the head of the thing, securing what a wrestler would call a stranglehold. Doc's legs kicked powerfully. For a fractional moment he was able to lift the shark's head out of the water. In that interval his free right fist found the one spot where his vast knowledge told him it was possible to stun the man-eater." 

Yes. Doc Savage punches out a shark. If it wasn't right there on the page in black and white, I don't know if I'd believe it either. 

The bronze man has a remarkably fair-minded comment (for 1933) when his friends suggest that he owns the Valley legally and can just take it by force. "It's a lousy trick for a government to take some poor savage's land away from him and give it to a white man to exploit. Our own American Indians got that kind of a deal, you know." (From Missouri, Lester Dent always showed respect and sympathy for Indians and almost always used individuals in his stories who were educated and shrewd.) 

There is also a brief comment that gives support to those who like to think Doc retired after 1949 to go live in the Valley of the Vanished permanently with Princess Monja as his wife. "It was with genuine unwillingness that he had resolved to depart at once. This Valley of the Vanished was an idyllic spot in which to tarry. One could not desire more comforts than it offered." He tells King Chaac, "I would like to remain here - always." But his life's work has just begun and we, who would otherwise have been slaughtered by all the monsters, masterminds and mad scientists Doc defeated, should be grateful he decided so. 

I have always thought that Clark Savage Sr and his brother Alex brought back Mayan brides from their time in the valley, and this explained the distinctive bronze color of both Doc and Pat. (Growing up in Canada, Pat certainly wasn't exposed to a "thousand tropical suns.") If Doc was half-Mayan, it would explain why King Chaac would be so agreeable to supplying him with the tribe's wealth and trusting him to defend the Mayans when needed. 

And it's a pleasant thought that, nearing fifty and finally wearying of his mission, Doc returned to his spiritual homeland to find Monja still there and still unattached; and that somewhere in the Valley of the Vanished, the bronze man died a natural death at an advanced age and is buried peacefully beside his princess.

Tags: doc savage, lester dent, pulps

Guest Review-SALMON VISITS THE WORLD OF 'THE BLACK STILETTO'

COMPLIMENTS OF THE BLACK STILETTO...

A Review of Raymond Benson's THE BLACK STILETTO by Andrew Salmon

Raymond Benson's The Black Stiletto (Oceanview Publishing) has a lot going for it but the sum is not quite equal to the parts that make up the novel.

The set up is an intriguing one. Judy Talbot is an elderly woman stricken with Alzheimer's disease and slowing dying in a hospital. Her son, Martin, is given access to some of her personal effects as he awaits the inevitable end of the woman who raised him. Going through these papers he learns that his mother was a masked vigilante known as the Black Stiletto in the late 1950s and find diaries – the first of which relating her origin and early adventures.

The novel then branches off into three distinct storylines. We follow Martin as he uncovers his mother's secret lair and costumes, reads the diary and gets bogged down in losing his job, hassles with his ex-wife and his own daughter who seems to have inherited her grandmother's independent streak. Interspaced with this are the diary entries themselves as we see thirteen-year-old Judy suffer at the hands of her abusive stepfather, run away to New York and begin training as a fighter – picking up skills which will serve her well when the time comes to fight crime. The last storyline concerns the release of an ex-mobster who spent 50 years in prison courtesy of the Black Stiletto and is looking for a little payback in the modern day.

There's a lot of material to work with here and most of it is interesting. However Martin's job loss and trials with his daughter come across as needless padding. Judy's story is where the book really shines although it is not without its shortcomings. There's a heavy theme of chauvinism here and it's a testament to her character that she is able to break down barriers, live and train in a all-male gymnasium and hold her head up in what was then a male-dominated world. She also gets a solid base of fight training which takes years and adds credibility to her decision to hit the streets and fight crime. She's young and she stumbles out of the gate, falling for and eventually living with a mobster. When he is taken out, Judy is looking for revenge and the Black Stiletto is born. Media sensation, crime fighter hunted by the police, champion of the people... these elements are all present and the first person account of the birth of a costumed vigilante make for some interesting reading. When she tosses off a “courtesy of the Black Stiletto” you know the author is giving a nod to the Domino Lady.

It all sounds like fun stuff and, for the most part, it is, but the scenes from the 1950s rang utterly false to this reader. Aside from tossing in old song titles Judy hears constantly, the flashbacks read like modern day prose. I never felt like I was in the 50s reading these sections and that is a major failing of the book. Coupled with the padding I mentioned above and the novel, although short, begins to bog down. Also, as this is the first of a projected series, not a heck of a lot happens for the first 100 pages. This is no lean and mean pulp gripper but rather 266 meandering pages with occasional highlights.

Judy's story is a compelling one. Watching the ruthless old ex-con drawing closer to a now helpless Black Stiletto in the modern day keeps you turning the pages. However a lack of pace and the author's inability to capture the 50s authentically take away from what could have been a captivating take on the classic pulp hero.

I give The Black Stiletto a cautious recommendation as it pushes the New Pulp envelope. Hancock's Yesteryear does it better but that doesn't mean than Benson's book shouldn't find an audience. This reader found it an interesting read and others may find some of what I though detracted from the story riveting, which is why I recommend giving the novel a try. It's no classic but it does come at the pulp hero from a different angle and there's nothing wrong with that.

READ AN EBOOK WEEK - March 4-10 - 50% OFF BOBBY NASH'S DEADLY GAMES!

The E-Book edition of Bobby Nash’s novel, Deadly Games! is available from Smashwords at the discounted price of $1.50 (that’s 50% off normal cover price!) from March 4^th through March 10^th. After March 10^th, the E-Book will return to its normal $3.00 price.

You can purchase Deadly Games! at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101814

About Deadly Games!:

They Played The Most Dangerous Game Of All!
And Death Was Only The Beginning...

Six years ago, Police Detective John Bartlett and journalist Benjamin West were instrumental in the capture of notorious master criminal Darrin Morehouse. Their story played out in the media, rocketing both Bartlett and West into local celebrity status.

Today, Morehouse, still a master game player and manipulator, commits suicide while in prison. His death initiates one final game of survival for the people Morehouse felt wronged him the most. At that top of the list are Bartlett and West, who must set aside their differences to save the lives of Morehouse's other victims and solve one last game before a dead man’s hired killers catch them and his other enemies.

Deadly Games! is a fast-paced action/thriller featuring action, suspense, murder, and the occasional gunfire from Author Bobby Nash, the writer of Evil Ways, Domino Lady, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, and more.
You can learn more about Deadly Games! at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101814

You can learn more about Read An E-Book Week at http://ebookweek.com/index.html

You can learn more about Deadly Games! at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101814 and http://ben-books.blogspot.com/.

You can learn more about Deadly Games! Author Bobby Nash at http://www.bobbynash.com/.

FORTIER TAKES ON TRASH 'N' TREASURES!

ALL PULP REVIEWS- by Ron Fortier

ANTIQUES DISPOSAL

A Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mystery

Barbara Allan

Kensington Books

230 pages

Vivian Borne is an eccentric antiques dealer who lives in Serenity, a small Midwestern  town situated on the banks of the Mississippi river.  She lives with her daughters, Peggy Sue and Brandy.  Together Vivian and Brandy solve murders that in one way or another deal with the business of antiquing.  Which is the simplest way to describe this series, of which this book is the sixth and has been described by other reviewers as being a “cozy” series if anyone really knows exactly what that means.

As a fan of hardboiled detective fiction, I’m assuming “cozy” refers to those mysteries wherein the protagonist is a little old lady ala Agatha Christie’s popular Miss Marple books or the old Angela Landsbury TV show, “Murder She Wrote.”  In other words, not my particular brand of tea; I prefer a headier beverage literature.  Still, every now and then one desires to try something different.  I decided I’d take a chance with “Antiques Disposal.”

It is probably one of the smartest things I’ve done in a while.  Why?  Well simply because the book is so damn funny, I honestly couldn’t put it down.  And the characters!  Oh, my God, is there a more dysfunctional group then the Borne girls?  Remember I said Brandy was Vivian’s youngest daughter?  Well she’s actually Peggy Sue’s daughter.  Yup.  Echoes of “Chinatown.”  You see Peggy Sue got herself “in trouble” as a young, unmarried girl and left her baby with her mother to raise figuring it was best for the child.  Did I mention Vivian suffers from a bi-polar disorder and is on medication?  Never mind that Brandy herself has a daughter….oh, forget it.  Its way too complicated for me to keep track of after only one visit with this eclectic bunch.  The thing is the writing is so clean and precise, even though you haven’t read those first five books  (something I hope to one day correct) the reader just goes with the flow.  There is a charm and decency to these characters that immediately grabbed me and had me caring for them from page one. 

Look, here’s what every true mystery fan knows as a fact, series fail or succeed not on how brilliant the crimes are staged and then solved, but on how appealing and original the heroes are.  Don’t believe me, give this some thought.   Early fans of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came to demand more stories from Arthur Conan Doyle to read more about them and not the mysteries they dealt with, those became incidental.  The same can be said of every solid mystery series from Sam Spade, to Nero Wolfe and Nate Heller.  In fact one of those famous shamus plays a huge part in this book’s climatic dénouement finale in such a hilarious way, I will not spoil it for you.  It’s just too damn funny.

Okay, if you really need to know the plot, here it is.  Vivian and Brandy go to a storage unit auction, wherein the person who owned the unit stopped paying rental fees on it and the manager is legally free to sell its contents to recoup his or her loses.  These auctions have become very common among antique dealers and I believe there is even a reality show based on the practice.  So our two ladies end up winning the bid, begin transporting the boxed contents to their home and cataloguing them; everything perfectly normal and routine.  Until they return to the storage facility for their second trip and find the manager dead in the now empty unit.  The very next night someone breaks into Vivian’s home, attacks Peggy Sue leaving her unconscious and nearly kill’s Brandy’s loveable little blind poodle, Sushi.

From this point forward, both Vivian and Brandy are on the hunt for the killer and how they go about it so entertaining, pages simply fly by.  Sure, I was playing along and looking for clues too, but honestly, it was the ride I was enjoying to the max.  Bottom line, if all of the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries are as wonderful as “Antiques Disposal,” then sign me up for the long haul.

Hey, even if you end up not liking the book, did I mention there are recipes for chocolate brownies in it?  Now how can you go wrong with that? 

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT TEAMS WITH SERIEPLANETEN TO BRING
SWEDEN’S FIRST SUPERHERO, AGENT MARC SAUNDERS, TO AMERICA!

It was inevitable.   Sweden’s very first superhero, Agent Marc Saunders, the story of an American agent fighting the forces of evil worldwide, has finally reached the United States!
Teaming up with Serieplaneten, the original Swedish publisher of the hit comic book series, Ardden Entertainment, the publisher of Flash Gordon and Casper and the Spectrals, among others, is proud to bring this amazing new character to American shores.

Before Marc Saunders, Sweden never had a seriously meant superhero title of its own. There was "Dotty Whirlwind" back in 1945 - 1946, but she never carried her own book.

Until 2011, when writer/artist Mikael Bergkvist created Agent Marc Saunders.  A cross between James Bond and Doc Savage, Saunders is a super-powered agent working for the American government, facing a series of increasingly brutal enemies with bigger and bigger plans for destruction and mayhem.   Saunders is aided by his trusted team of allies, including the beautiful media tycoon Marion Gold. This series has been embraced by Sweden, largely due to its classic pulp type of adventure, like "The Shadow" or "Doc Savage", but set in in modern times.

Issue #1 of the American version of Agent Marc Saunders comes out in April and is currently available for order through Diamond Comics.  It features a cover by none other than the legendary Neal Adams!

Mikael Bergkvist has been writing comics for 25 years but Agent Marc Saunders is his first original creation.

Serieplaneten, an up and coming comic publisher in Sweden, publishes the Swedish version of “The Simpsons vs Futurama," among other titles, and in 2011 they began publishing Marc Saunders, making Swedish comic book history in the process.

Founded in 2008, Ardden Entertainment LLC is the proud publisher of FLASH GORDON, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, and the ATLAS COMICS resurrection, among others. Ardden is run by former Miramax Films executive Brendan Deneen and comic book store owner Richard Emms, with industry legend Mike Grell acting as the company's Editor-in-Chief.
Ardden's mission statement is to produce high quality licensed comic books as well as original concepts that work both as comic books and larger, multi-media properties. For more information about Arddenn Entertainment, please visit http://limited-edition-comix.com/atlas/index.htm

DARK HORSE PRESENTS 'THE BLACK BEETLE!'

Official Press Release

Adding an exciting new layer to Dark Horse Presents, Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a new three-part story by New York Times best-selling artist for Batman, and current Captain America artist, Francesco Francavilla: The Black Beetle!

The Black Beetle is centered on a pulp-noir character and takes place in a fictional universe that’s based in Colt City. Francavilla published several stories online and even put out an ashcan. When the ashcan sold out, Francesco quickly realized that many fans were interested in exploring this world with him. It was only a matter of time before Dark Horse approached him about bringing some Black Beetle tales to Dark Horse Presents!

“I’m working on a 24-page story, titled ‘Night Shift’ that will be spread over three issues of Dark Horse Presents. I am hugely influenced by pulp stories of the ‘30s and ‘40s, and wanted to develop a series that used that influence as a jumping-off point to explore some modern storytelling with fun twists. I think this will be a great introduction to readers who are new to this character and universe, but will also be an exciting new adventure for those who’ve been reading the online stories over the years,” Francesco states.

“As a huge fan of pulp and noir, working on my own characters and stories really gives me free reign to explore this world and create lots of fun scenarios and thrilling situations. The stories are definitely full of mystery and intrigue, plus I get to give The Black Beetle lots of cool and funky gadgets. ‘Night Shift’ promises to be full of action, excitement, danger, and double-crosses, so I am overjoyed to see this new tale in print, and hope this is the first of many more to come in Dark Horse Presents.”

For more on Francesco Francavilla’s art, check out his official website, www.francescofrancavilla.com, and his pulp blog, http://pulpsunday.blogspot.com.