Monthly Archive: December 2010

Meet the mysterious members of the PERSONA PROJECT in IDEAS LIKE BULLETS!!

Meet the mysterious members of the PERSONA PROJECT in IDEAS LIKE BULLETS!!

  • News
  • December 5, 2010

Logo created by Ali

Extra Pulp From the Mind of Tommy Hancock

Welcome back to IDEAS LIKE BULLETS and I’m glad to say someone has taken the first shot!!  After I posted the outline for THE NINTH CIRCLE in my last column, three fellow writers and I visited and THE NINTH CIRCLE is now an idea that will be a four story anthology in March, 2011 from Pro Se Productions!  This is how this column should work!
Today’s idea from Hancock’s six shooter of imagination is actually a modern take on a golden age concept I developed.   I’ll cover the original character (who is also open for use) first, then let the segment concerning his modern counterparts speak for itself.
The character’s name is PERSONA.  The original Persona was Gabriel Vincent, a sailor on a luxury ship in 1941.  Vincent assisted a group of saboteurs in setting explosives on a ship.  Realizing that the intent was to destroy the ship and all its passengers instead of just cripple the vessel, Vincent doublecrossed the spies at the last minute and attempted to evacuate the ship and stop the explosion.  Although he helped get over 100 people evacuated in time, he was unable to evacuate to save everyone.  In a last minute battle with the saboteurs, Vincent was standing literally over the experimental bomb (using some sort of unknown radiation) when it exploded.  Vincent was the only survivor of the non evacuated pulled out of the water.   As he recovered, he learned two things: 532 people died on the ship…and Vincent, his face horribly scarred…had the ability to become any of these 532 people he wanted to, down to their memories.
The piece you are about to read is from a story written sometime ago and introduces an idea that, well…takes advantage of the original Persona’s tale.   You’ll see…and no, the really cool assassin who is a part of the scene is not available as he, Patch Tatters, will be a titular character in my upcoming THE VARIED ADVENTURES OF PECULIAR ODDFELLOW novel. 
Anyone interested in either Persona or the Persona Project, let me know.  I will retain rights to the concept, but what you do with them is really up to you.  let me know at allpulp@yahoo.com!

*********

Taverly looked at his employee again.　 The man was well built, wore nothing but black, down to the eye patch over his right eye.　 His coal black hair was short and currently matted to his forehead.　 “I just hope you’ve not misled me concerning your ability to eliminate him, Mr. Tatters.”

The man grinned mischievously.　 “Please, Taverly, call me Patch.　 All my employers do.　 And speaking of misleading,” he raised his left hand, his fingers holding a tiny cylinder, “I believe you may be more fluent in that than myself.”　 He pressed the end of the cylinder with his thumb.

The burst of light was almost explosive.　 Taverly shouted, his voice rising to almost a scream and never lessening.　 He stumbled back, throwing up his arms.　 As he did, something happened.　 The colors of his suit and his skin shifted, mottled together.　 For the briefest instant, Taverly’s entire body seemed to run as if it were a fresh painting caught in summer shower.　 He dropped to one knee as the mixed colors faded, starting at his feet and going up, faded to a pure white.　 His form also changed, contorted and shrunk to that of an athletically built young woman.

“Damn..you.”　 She looked up at Patch Tatters, her eyes squinted.　 He offered her a hand up, but she slapped it away and stood on her own.　 She stood rather tall for a woman, nearly six feet, and looked nothing like Taverly.　 She wore a white costume, full body suit and full face mask. Thick white hair cascaded down her back in full curls.　 Her face was almost featureless, except for two black slits where her eyes must have been.

“Sorry about that.”　 Patch Tatters lowered the light in his hand, but, using his right hand, undid the holster on his leg and pulled the specially outfitted pistol from its holster.　 “Didn’t know you were a lady.” He snickered.　 “Don’t guess it’d have mattered, though.”

“What..what did you do to me?”

“Nothing, really.”　 Patch raised the pistol, not out of fear, more out of caution.　 “Once I figured out who…or at least what you were, it was just a matter of disrupting your concentration.　 You Persona types have to work like demons to keep up your illusions.　 Especially when you go transgender, I understand.”

The woman stood still, studying him.　 As she regained composure, her posture changed, showing her confidence, her poise, even a hint of arrogance.　 “I know you didn’t make me.　 I’m better than that.”

Tatters laughed.　 “I don’t know about that, but you’re right.　 Most of you who survived the Persona Project have one fatal weakness.　 Probably the reason the program was discontinued.　 You all develop markers, some distinct characteristic, gesture, or abnormality that you just can’t help but display.　　 You all have it, but I understand that some of you have learned to mask it excellently.”　 He nodded his approval of her ability.　 “No, I found out you weren’t Taverly quite by an accident of your poor research.　 I checked into Taverly’s background, just as I would any employer.　 Verified his physical appearance, employment with a government agency, even his shoe size and penchant for tailored suits.　 And the fact that Quentin Taverly died seven years ago in an ‘accident.’　 One I’m assuming you caused.　 After that, the leap to you being a Persona wasn’t long.”

“Aren’t you a little genius?”　 She sneered, completely unimpressed with the man she’d paid 100 million dollars to kill the Public Defender.　 “How, pray tell, does a common murderer know so much about the Persona Project?”

“You forgot again,” Tatters playfully chastised.　 “I’m going to have get new business cards that explains this better.　 I am in the business of dealing with people with extraordinary abilities for money.　 That usually means making sure they don’t ever fly, shape shift, or fire death rays again.　 For a man in my profession, research is key.　 I know all I need to know about most heroes and villains.　 For instance,” he walked closer to her, the gun still leveled at her chest, “I know that the Persona Project was a failed private enterprise experiment of the late eighties.　 Based on the accident that gave the original Persona, Gabriel Vincent, his powers in 1941, a conglomerate of businesses selected twenty five people to undergo extensive tests and treatments, hoping to give them the power to assume any form.”

“Problem was,” Tatters said, walking around her slowly, enjoying his monologue, “the scientists involved didn’t know that Vincent’s power revolved around the fact that Vincent’s power consisted of being able to become any one of the 532 people that died on the ship that exploded with him on it.　 Your ‘creators’ didn’t know that since they mimicked the same events, that they were dooming all of you to the same fate.　 To only being able to assume the identities of those who died around you or due to your actions.”

“We..we were let go.”　 Her voice faltered, but only slightly.　 “Twelve of us went insane, were ‘dealt with’ onsite.　 The other thirteen were just let loose.　 We were nothing when it was over.　 Just blank…white slates.　 They had erased us and left nothing but shells. Shells that could only be filled by the deaths of others.　 Some of the others went out and became villains, but most of us went to work for governments, mercenary groups, anywhere we could work at adding to the identities we could use.　 There aren’t many of us left.　 Six, maybe seven.”

“You,” Tatters asked, unsure if she’d answer, “How many have you killed to become them?”

“341.”　 She laughed sadly.　 “You’d think it’d be hard to remember that many, but it’s not. It’s quite easy when they are what makes you a person.”

IAN WATSON, WRITER, INTERVIEWED!!!!

  • News
  • December 4, 2010

IAN WATSON-Pulp Writer

AP – Hello, Ian, thanks for agreeing to do this interview with us. In recent years your excellent fiction has certainly made you a lot of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Why don’t we start this with a short bio of yourself. Where were you raised? What was your formal education? Your current occupation and status; married or single?

IW – I suspect that I’m a thwarted pulp supervillain. Look at the evidence: I have a British accent, which is always a sure giveaway to American audiences; despite my humble origins I gained a scholarship to a public school (which is an English private school) and learned to crave wealth and power; I live in a gothic Victorian townhouse with my beautiful daughter and scheming son; and I appear when companies are in trouble to take over and impose order or I initiate elaborate masterplans for world-conquering projects – for a living.

Or you could say I’m a freelance management process consultant with two kids living in Yorkshire, England. Your choice.

AP – Before your work for Airship 27 Productions, what other fiction had you written and where did your first published fiction appear?

IW – In 1974, at the age of 11, I won an award at the Ilkley Literature Festival and the piece was published in their annual. I think I had a story published in the Daily Telegraph magazine somewhere in my early teens but really I only remember that I won a free LP a week from them for a year. When I was 16 my first play, The Golden Talents, was produced, the first of four productions I got on stage. None of them made me world famous.

I had a column in a local newspaper for a decade and I turn out business reports every week, but fiction writing has always been a hobby. I never submitted anything for print, believing the axiom that when your hobby becomes your job it’s time for a new hobby. If I hadn’t suffered an unhappy divorce a couple of years back I don’t think I would ever have questioned that choice. Since then I’ve contributed stories to White Rocket Books’ Sentinels: Alternate Visions and Gideon Cain: Demon Hunter and text articles to Assembled, Assembled 2, and the forthcoming Assembled 3. There’s a story called “Loss Adjustment” by me in Planetary Stories #18 at http://www.planetarystories.com/PS18.htm

I think the weirdest publication credit I have is appearing in a special anniversary volume produced by the Lewis Caroll Society of Canada. I got an e-mail from their honorary secretary asking to reprint an online parody poem of Jabberwocky I’d once written. I was honoured.

AP – Do you have a favorite genre to write in?

IW – I’m most comfortable in adventure horror, but of a particular kind. I was an avid teenage fan of M.R James and H.P. Lovecraft and I sometimes wish I could write their kind of slow-creep terror tales, but my interests lie in the struggle between heroes and the forces of evil. So the fiction I like to write isn’t about a hopeless relentless evil gradually destroying a victim. That’s where I like to start, but then I want a champion to get involved and fight back the agents of darkness. I’m a fan of William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki, the Ghost Finder.

I like to write episodically. I find it quite hard to do short stories that are genuinely short. I find that my book-length tales tend to turn out to be very defined by their chapters. I use chapter ends as cliffhangers, to underline the latest story twist. Of course, that’s a helpful trait for someone to have in writing pulp fiction.

AP – How did you first hook up with Airship 27?

IW – Van Allen Plexico asked if I could turn round a Sherlock Holmes story very quickly, so I obliged. Then he asked if I could actually write a different one since what was required was twice the word count he’d thought, so I did. Almost everything I write is written by request, even if it’s only some pestering family member wanting to read it.

AP – Your first work for them was a Sherlock Holmes story. Is he a favored character of yours and was the story easy or hard to do?

IW – I find Holmes quite hard to like but his stories are fascinating to read. There’s a lot to admire in the Great Detective but I suspect he’d be tough to be around for any length of time.

I hadn’t read any Holmes for a very long while when I was asked to do the Consulting Detective story; I first read the whole canon as a teenager. I decided against doing a major reread, afraid I might end up churning out Conan Doyle pastiche rather then a genuine Holmes mystery. Instead I tried to distill my impression of Holmes, Watson, the world they lived in, and the way their stories worked. Only afterwards did I go back and read some of the original tales to check my instincts had been good.

The hardest part of the writing was keeping the content appropriate to the word count and balancing the presenting and solving of the puzzle with narrating a story that people might want to read. Conan Doyle was a master at offering a stripped-down mystery but still furnishing it with interesting characters and a driving plotline. Having to try and do that with his characters gave me a new appreciation for his skill.

AP – As your name is Watson, you aren’t by any chance related to that other bloke who appears in these tales?

IW – The family tend not to speak about great uncle John. His brother’s drinking was bad enough, but nobody supported John in throwing away a flourishing medical practice to join up with the Berkshires for the Afghan campaign. His subsequent marriage to an American was the last straw. It’s very hard to get any of the senior Watsons to comment on that lost chapter of our family history. Sadly, the only memento we have of our great uncle is a rather beaten-up walking stick that looks like it’s been gnawed by a bull-mastiff.

AP – How many Sherlock Holmes stories have you done for Airship 27 as of today?

IW – I’ve done four. Consulting Detective volume 1 featured Dead Man’s Manuscript. Volume 2 included “The Western Mail” and “The Last Deposit”. The projected Volume 3 may contain “The Lucky Leprechaun”.

AP – Will you be doing anymore of these?

IW – If we ever get to volume 4 I’d like to submit “Moriarty’s Death Mask”.

AP – You followed up these Holmes shorts with a full length Robin Hood novel which caused quite a favorable stir among the pulp community. Tell us a bit about this book and your own version of this classic hero?

IW – There’s hundreds of takes on Robin Hood, but few of them really show how he got to be the hero who robs from the rich and gives to the poor. A lot of versions offer a backstory origin where he’s dispossessed of his lands or returns from the crusades to discover injustice or whatever, but few show the slow process of him constricting himself into the man who stands against Prince and Sheriff for the poor and dispossessed. I was interested in spending some time showing that character arc.

So what does motivate a young man to turn from being a selfish if loveable rogue to becoming the champion of the people? What ever motivates young men? There had to be a girl.

Robin Hood: King of Sherwood is about a young outlaw and a noble heiress thrown together against the world, and how each changes the other until they become Robin Hood and his Maid Marian of legend. Robin and Marian is one of fable’s great romances so why shy away from it? is about a young outlaw and a noble heiress thrown together against the world, and how each changes the other until they become Robin Hood and his Maid Marian of legend. Robin and Marian is one of fable’s great romances so why shy away from it?

Once we had Robin and Marian as the centerpiece of the book it was important to give definition to the other characters to prevent them being swamped by the star players. Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Much the Miller’s Son and each of the other merry men had to have their own tale woven in; each needed a story arc to make them memorable.

Because I believe that great heroes need great villains I took a lot of trouble with scheming, sinister William de Vendenal, Lord High Sheriff of Nottingham, with the sadistic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, with vindictive lustful Prince John, and with brutal Handsome Jack, the bandit-king; but only one man can rise to truly be “King of Sherwood”. The book explains who, how, and why.

Finally, I wanted to offer as authentic a version of twelfth century England as I could manage without making the book a history text. This was a time when an indigenous Saxon population was still enslaved by ruthless Norman conquerors; when churchmen could damn a man’s soul for eternity for not paying his tithes; when serfs could have their hands chopped off for hunting field mice or gathering fallen wood in the king’s forests; and when the ruler of England had abandoned it to crusade a thousand miles away, leaving powerful barons and corrupt officials to carve the nation as they chose. It’s no wonder that the oppressed people told themselves stories of a champion who stood for them when no one else would. It’s a situation that still resonates with us today.

AP – Would you consider Robin Hood a pulp hero and if so, why?

IW – Airship 27 circulated a list of “classic” properties they’d like to consider stories about. At first I looked at King Arthur – I happened to have a trilogy’s worth of Pendragon stories ready to send, and I’ve published scholarly articles on The Matter of Britain – but it occurred that Robin Hood was a much more “pulp” figure.

In many ways, Hood is one of the very first true pulp heroes. His ballads were circulated originally in taverns and fairs, and he was one of the first characters to appear in print as soon as the presses were invented. His tales were based around a common man fighting for the little people. He had his band of friends helping him out, and eventually his lady love as well. He had a recurring villain and a set of nasty one-off baddies in his rogues gallery. And that was all before the seventeenth century.

For me pulp fiction is a very visceral form of writing. It’s supposed to stir the blood, to raise the ire, to provoke an emotional reaction. We want the two-fisted hero to punch out the wicked tyrant. We want him to save the girl from a fate worse than death. We want thrills and chills and shocks and cliffhangers and we want to experience that Saturday-morning edge-of-the-seat investment where we care about what’s going on in the narrative.

Robin Hood has always been good at that. He’s the lone man who makes a difference. He’s the people’s champion when all hope seems lost. He’s the outlaw who stands for justice when the law’s gone bad. He’s the trickster who outsmarts the system. It’s hard not to cheer for Robin Hood – and that makes him pure pulp.

AP – Your historical background for this book was meticulously researched. Is it true you reside near Sherwood Forest?

IW – Go back three hundred years and my house would have been in Sherwood Forest. Sherwood was a vast tract of land running halfway across England and linked to other woods beyond that. It was said a squirrel could go from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland and never touch the floor. With deforestation from Robin’s time onward, now I live about twenty miles from Sherwood.

England is divided from ancient times into counties. I’m in the southernmost part of Yorkshire, which adjoins Nottinghamshire. The earliest Robin Hood stories place him in Yorkshire, as attested by the number of places there named “Robin Hood’s [whatever]” (Leap, Grave, Run, Bridge etc). Little John came from Hathersage, about twenty miles northwest of my home. Robin roamed Barnsdale Woods, fifteen miles due east.

Later tales place Robin down around Nottingham, and that’s where most stories now set him. Nottinghamshire takes this really seriously; even their road signs have the strap-line “Robin Hood Country” on them. They make millions from Robin Hood tourism every year as people go to see the Major Oak in Sherwood where Robin was said to have camped or visit the high hill where old Nottingham Castle once crouched over the city.

When I wrote King of Sherwood I decided to reconcile these conflicting locations by starting Robin, as the earliest tales did, in his Yorkshire haunts then having him move south towards Nottingham and his more famous stamping grounds in the sequel Arrow of Justice. Little did I know how many Nottinghamshire Robin Hood fanatics such a decision would upset! Think of the kind of furore that happens when a US football team defects from one city to go to another and the kind of feelings that stirs up and you’re on the right track.

Nobody’s actually shot me with an arrow yet but it’s only a matter of time.

AP – Artist Mike Manley painted a beautiful cover for the book. Your thoughts on first seeing it?

IW – I think kudos go to both the interior and exterior artists. I wrote a younger Robin than most and Mike managed to capture that. I suspect that portraying an athlete holding a bow is quite difficult for a modern artist, and doing so while conveying drama and offering an iconic image of a genuine icon is more difficult yet. I’m glad I only had to write it!

The tragedy of all good cover art is that some of it gets covered by that pesky writing.

Did you see Mike Manley’s blog on this, by the way? He goes into some fascinating detail about the process of constructing his cover art at http://drawman.blogspot.com/2010/03/robin-hood-king-of-sherwood.html

AP – Is it true there is a second Robin Hood novel now in production and when can we expect to see it?

IW – When I was plotting then writing the first volume it became very clear that to do justice to the story it had to be told in three chunks. There were natural breaks which allowed each of the three parts to have a narrative completeness but there needed to be a grand sweep to properly convey the story of Robin and Marion. The first book covers a madcap couple of weeks where the legend of Robin Hood is birthed. A second volume chases on through the next three months to see the consequences of a world with Robin Hood in it.

Amongst plenty of other events, the second book covers one of the most famous bits of Robin’s story, the Sheriff’s archery contest.

I believe Airship 27 intends to put Robin Hood: Arrow of Justice out sometime around March 2012. The old gang are back – and by that I don’t mean Robin and his merry men (though they are) nor the Sheriff and his grisly crew (though they are too). I mean Mike Manley’s on covers and Rob Davis is on interiors and Ron Fortier doing all the stuff Ron Fortier does and so on. So if you liked the last one you’ll love this. If you didn’t like the last one you’ll hate it.

AP – That’s great news, Ian. So before we close this out, what are projects do you have in the works that
pulp fans can look forward to?

IW – I wish I was an organized enough writer to think in terms of projects. I’ll be catching up on a month’s vacation sometime in the new year and there’s a couple of novels I hope to finish up, Robin Hood volume three and St George and the Dragon. I’ve promised a bunch of stories to a bunch of magazines that I should really do soon. And I’ve got a couple of epics that are much too long for the regular-sized volumes from Airship 27 and White Rocket that I’ll need to go back to and decide what can be done with them.

Meanwhile I’m waiting for my complimentary copy of Gideon Cain: Demon Hunter, containing my story “The Girl in the Glass Coffin”, smug in the knowledge that my volume two story “Feast of the Gallows Harvest” is already written.

AP – Thanks so much, Ian. This has been both informative and fun.

IW – Hey, you didn’t ask what the current Sheriff of Nottingham said about my book. Or the important input from the Bishop of Wakefield. Or how to break into Nottingham Castle from the secret underground tunnels that are still there. Or what my opinion is about John Watson’s migrating war wound. Or why a 17th century swashbuckler like Gideon Cain needs to understand the apocryphal Books of Enoch. Or why St George had to be in Libya when he killed that dragon. Oh, well. Maybe next time?

  • News
  • December 4, 2010
A PULP EXTRA FROM SARGE PORTERA!!
Known for his interesting ‘pulp’ voice, his merging of pulpy worlds with our own, and his overall enthusiasm for all things Pulp, ALL PULP’s own Sarge Portera has little special thoughts and lists and other such miscellany that he finds from time to time…and shares with ALL PULP..so now we will share it with you…A PULP EXTRA FROM SARGE PORTERA!
PAPERBACK & PULP GENRES
I am always amazed & astonished by the sheer number of literary genres that paperbacks & pulps encompass! The following list is far from exhaustive. I’m, also, well aware that some genres & subgenres below may overlap each other. Hopefully, at best, it will give any pulp fan a general idea of the vast variety of fiction themes that are out there.
  1. Action Adventure
  2. Airport
  3. Arabesque
  4. Aviation
  5. Campus Life (School Life or MilitaryAcademy)
  6. Character Pulps (Both heroes & villains)
  7. Circus
  8. Combat (Military)
  9. Crime
  10. Fantasy
  11. Gothic Horror
  12. Gothic Romance
  13. Hard-boiled Detective
  14. Historical
  15. Hollywood
  16. Intrigue (Spy Fi)
  17. Jungle
  18. Mystery
  19. Northern
  20. Occult Detective
  21. Orient
  22. Parody
  23. Pirate
  24. Prison
  25. Railroad
  26. Regency (Ruritanian, too)
  27. Romance
  28. Science Fiction
  29. Seafaring
  30. Shaver Mystery
  31. Shipwreck
  32. SouthSea Adventure Romance
  33. Space Opera
  34. Sports
  35. Sword & Planet
  36. Sword & Sorcery
  37. Thriller
  38. Time Travel
  39. Urban
  40. Western
Many of the GenreIslands south of the supercontinent of Techzotica are in need of Governor Generals. Please contact Sarge Portera @ fb if you’re interested!

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION!!

  • News
  • December 4, 2010

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND

BULLDOG EDITION
12/4/10

ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR FUTURE PRO SE COLLECTION
Lazarus Gray in progress
by Anthony Castrillo
Pro Se Productions and ‘Lazarus Gray’ creator Barry Reese announced the art team for the LAZARUS GRAY collection of stories, to be produced by Pro Se in collected form in 2011 after four-to six Gray stories appear in PRO SE PRESENTS magazines.
According to Reese, Anthony Castrillo, whose past credits include DC’s ‘Flash’ and Valiant’s ‘Timewalker’, will handle the cover chores for the as of yet unnamed Gray collection.  Interior art will be handled by Mark Propst, whose past work has been on the classic independent title ‘Southern Knights’ and Marvel’s ‘Spider Man.’
“The stories,” Tommy Hancock, EIC of Pro Se Productions said, “are already an awesome part of the Sovereign City mythos Pro Se is building.  To add the work of these two great artists to it is fantastic. We are very much looking forward to putting this great work together.”

GHOSTLY CHILLS BOOKSTORE-BOOKS ON SALE FOR $1.25

Ghostly Chills Bookstore, an online outlet for horror and weird tale stories, announces that its already affordable lineup now includes books of all horror types for as low as $1.25! From the site-

GhostlyChillsBookStore.com sells customized horror books published by Olin Sain, Brand Name Writer’s, Adaptations, New Arrivals and Contemporary. Find horror books written by Stephen King and Washington Irving or Adaptations from Halloween to Deranged.

At GhostlyChillsBookStore.com find the horror books that will chill the bones at night, during reads before bed.

This site was designed for the horror reader, tired of the of the same old lines. Horror books published by Olin Sain and Brand Name writer’s lines come-alive for the horror reader.

GhostlyChillsBookStore.com offers eight years of story telling developement for the 18 to 24 year old horror book market and has been in business for two years.
TITLES AVAILABLE FROM GHOSTLY CHILLS!
Original works – Published by Olin Sain are in new condition, supplied by Lulu.com, sample material from Olin Sain can be read at Google Book Search at Google.com. Or type into the seach box one of Olin Sain’s titles.

Brand Names – New to used condition, depending on supply, cost for most Brand Name horror books are $1.25. Hard-to-find and out-of-print Brand Name horror books cost more.

Adaptations – New to used condition horror books adapted to film, cost for horror books are $1.25, depending on supply from publisher.

New Arrivals – New, freshly printed horror books from Brand Name and Adaptations, published within a year of current date.

Contemporary – Published horror books in the last ten years. Horror books are in new to used condition paper backs, depending on the availability from the publisher.

Check out GHOSTLY CHILLS at http://horrorbookstore3.com/default.aspx

The Point Radio: Christmas On COMMUNITY

The Point Radio: Christmas On COMMUNITY


There’s no argument that NBC’s COMMUNITY isn’t your traditional comedy. So it is a surprise that when they do a Christmas Episode – it isn’t quite traditional? Series regular Danny Pudi explains the episode you’ll be talking about next week, plus a sneak peek at Free Comic Book Day 2011 and good news for the heirs to the Jack Kirby estate.

And be sure to stay on The Point via iTunes - ComicMix, RSS, MyPodcast.Comor Podbean!

Follow us now on and !

Don’t forget that you can now enjoy THE POINT 24 hours a Day – 7 Days a week!. Updates on all parts of pop culture, special programming by some of your favorite personalities and the biggest variety of contemporary music on the net – plus there is a great round of new programs on the air including classic radio each night at 12mid (Eastern) on RETRO RADIO COMICMIX’s Mark Wheatley hitting the FREQUENCY every Saturday at 9pm and even the Editor-In-Chief of COMICMIX, Mike Gold, with his daily WEIRD SCENES and two full hours of insanity every Sunday (7pm ET) with WEIRD SOUNDS!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE FOR FREE or go to GetThePointRadio for more including a connection for mobile phones including iPhone & Blackberrys.

YET ANOTHER ONE OF THE SPECTACLED SEVEN REVEALS HIMSELF!

  • News
  • December 3, 2010
BOBBY  NASH-Writer, Columnist and member of ALL PULP’S SPECTACLED SEVEN!
AP: Bobby, thanks for putting away your convention travelin’ shoes and visiting with ALL PULP today. Tell us first, just who is Bobby Nash?
BN: Bobby Nash is a mystery wrapped in an enigma with a candy coated outer shell, a man who travels from town to town sharing tall tales with anyone who will listen.  He–  Oh, you wanted a serious answer.  Well, in that case Bobby Nash is a writer of novels, comic books, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and the occasional article, interview, column, and screenplay.
My official bio goes a little something like this:
From his secret lair in the wilds of Bethlehem, Georgia, Bobby Nash writes. A multitasker, Bobby’s certain that he does not suffer from ADD, but instead he… ooh, shiny. When he finally manages to put fingers to the keyboard, Bobby writes novels (Evil Ways, Fantastix), comic books (Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, Demonslayer), short prose (A Fistful of Legends, Full Throttle Space Tales Vol. 2: Space Sirens), novellas (Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery), graphic novels (Yin Yang, I Am Googol: The Great Invasion), and even a little pulp fiction (Domino Lady, Secret Agent X) just for good measure.  Despite what his brother says, Bobby is not addicted to buying DVD box sets and can quit anytime he wants to. You can check out Bobby’s work at http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com, www.bobbynash.com, www.facebook.com/bobbyenash, www.twitter.com/bobbynash, and www.lance-star.com, among other places across the web.
AP: You’re a writer. When did you start writing and how did you end up writing in the pulp field?
BN: I started out writing comic book stories that I could draw because I wanted to be a comic book artist. Eventually, I realized that I would never make a living drawing comics, but I was told my stories showed promise.  When I was in high school English class we used to get a list of words each week that we had to use in a sentence, but there was no challenge there so I asked the teacher if I could write a story and incorporate those words.  He said fine and off I went. To challenge myself further I started writer cliffhangers and would have to use next week’s works to help get my characters out of whatever jam I’d gotten them into this week.  I took these characters on grand adventures around the world.  It was a lot of fun.  One of the stories was published in a literary magazine so I guess that was my first pulp story.
Eventually I started writing comics for various publishers.  I was having a ball with it, but one day I decided to write a sci fi novel, so I did.  It needed a lot of work, but the story was told.  I guess I was doing NA NO RI MO before I even knew what that was.  Ha! Ha!  I decided to try it again and started on a story that would eventually become Evil Ways, which turned out to be my first published novel.
Cut to a couple years later at Dragon Con in Atlanta and I’m set up in artist alley next to Ron Fortier, who I knew as a comic book writer.  We talked writing a bit and he went home with a copy of Evil Ways, which he read and also reviewed on his Pulp Fiction Reviews site.  When Ron started up what would become known as Airship 27 he invited me along to work on the anthology that became Lance Star: Sky Ranger.  I had so much fun writing that one that I wrote Domino Lady, Secret Agent X, Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery, and more Lance Star.  The rest, as they say, is history.
AP: Can you give us a quick overview of what you’ve written?
BN: Sure. Here’s a list of my published works.
Novels: Evil Ways and Fantastix: Code Red. 
Short story, novella, and anthology work: Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 [Airship 27 Prod./Cornerstone Books], Startling Stories Magazine [Wild Cat Books], Sentinels Widescreen Special Edition [White Rocket Books], Full Throttle Space Tales Vol. 2: Space Sirens [Flying Pen Press], Sentinels: Alternate Visions [White Rocket Books], Domino Lady: Sex As A Weapon [Moonstone Books], Shadow One: Shades Of Gray [BEN Books], Real Magicalism [Daemon Press], and A Fistful of Legends [Express Westerns].
Comic books and graphic novels: Life In The Faster Lane, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell [FYI Comics], Bubba The Redneck Werewolf [Brass Ball Comics], Demonslayer [Avatar Press], Threshold [Avatar Press], Doc Dresden: The Immortal [Odyssey Comics], Jungle Fantasy [Avatar Press], The Garden [Planetary Stories], Fantastix [FYI Comics], Yin Yang [Arcana Comics], and Lance Star: Sky Ranger [BEN Books].
AP: You’re closely associated with Lance Star, Sky Ranger. Who is Lance and what inspired you to create an aviator hero?
BN: Lance Star is a pulp-inspired aviator hero in the vein of G-8, Airboy, Captain Midnight, and Bill Barnes with just a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure.  Along with his Sky Rangers, Lance Star is a globetrotting adventurer.  Whether they are fighting pirates off the coast of Hawaii, traveling to far off hidden mystical lands, running afoul of spies and saboteurs, or battling evil doers, the Sky Rangers are there.
Lance Star and the Sky Rangers were created as a group effort when the first anthology was being put together.  Since I took ownership of the copyright I tweaked a few things, but the Sky Rangers remains heroic pulp characters much as they were in their first adventure in 2006.
AP: Pulp is a genre that wanes and waxes in popularity. What do you think is the reason for the current increase in popularity of Pulp today and how can writers and artists of new Pulp, such as yourself, make sure that Pulp becomes even more well known than it is and doesn’t see a downturn?
BN: Like everything, pulp will have its high and low points of popularity, but these things are cyclical so they will eventually come back around. All pulp creators can do is tell the best darn stories they can. Readers will find good stories.
AP: What about Pulp appeals to you as a writer?
BN: Pulp stories appeal to me because they are simple, fun adventures.  I enjoy involved storytelling as much as the next guy, but sometimes I want a simple, fun, balls-to-the-wall adventure I can enjoy. I find pulp stories a joy to write.
AP: You’ve got a novel under your belt that might have some pulp overtones. What is EVIL WAYS about?
BN: Evil Ways is a mystery thriller novel.  It is planned as a first in a series featuring FBI Agent Harold Palmer.  I have already started a second novel titled Evil Intent.  My plan is to complete the novel in 2011 and shop it around to publishers.  The current publishing contract for Evil Ways ends in August of 2011 and I plan to (hopefully) rerelease it elsewhere as well.
Here’s the synopsis for Evil Ways:
A close call on the job sends FBI agent Harold Palmer on a non-voluntary vacation.  At his wife’s insistence, Harold travels from Washington DC to Sommersville, Georgia where his brother, former Atlanta Journal Constitution investigative journalist Franklin Palmer, owns and operates the local newspaper.  After a really intense story, Franklin called it quits and moved on to quieter surroundings, hoping to have put corruption and murder behind him.
Unfortunately, that kind of evil is not consigned only to major cities, as Franklin Palmer soon learns when another body is found inside Fort Greene State Park.  He sees the timely arrival of his federal agent brother as his means to solve the case.
Also looking to recruit the help of the FBI agent is Sommersville Sheriff Tom Myers, who openly admits that he is out of his depth on the case.  Multiple homicides are not something with which he has had much experience.
Reluctantly, Harold agrees to work with the two men to solve the case.
While the investigation proceeds, many visitors come home to Sommerville for the annual Autumn Festival as well as Sommersville High’s ten-year reunion.  The town is abuzz with excitement.
Until the next victim is found. 
As EVIL WAYS builds to its startling outcome, Harold, Franklin, and Sheriff Myers find themselves between a sadistic killer who feeds on the fear of his prey and the unsuspecting victims still on the killer’s hit list.
They should fear his evil ways.
One of the best reviews of Evil Ways said (paraphrasing) “Imagine if Die Hard’s John McClane found himself in a horror movie.” I love that and I use it all the time when telling people about the book.
AP: Writers often get into a story because of personal interests. What interests brought you to write EVIL WAYS?
BN: Not really. Evil Ways started out as a potential screenplay idea for a friend of mine who was wanting to shoot his first feature length movie.  I came up with a story that utilized locations I knew we had access to and wrote for the actors available.  When that didn’t happen I reworked and added to it for the novel.  At the time I was doing that I did go to my ten year high school reunion and that gave me the reason to have all of the characters coming back to town in the story.  My reunion wasn’t necessarily as exciting as the one in the novel, but at least we all survived it.  Ha! Ha!
The two main protagonists, Harold and Franklin Palmer are brothers.  I was talking a writing class at the time I wrote Evil Ways and I read some pages with the brothers and several of the others told me that they didn’t “feel” like brothers.  I worked at it, but something was missing.  Finally, I decided to give one of the brothers my personality and the other my brothers and then wrote how we interact.  Suddenly, people could tell they were brothers without me telling them.  I learned a lot about casting my characters that day.
AP: Your main character is a FBI agent pulled into this suspense thriller. Was there any inspiration for Harold Palmer or is this a case of the writer writing himself into the tale?
BN: I don’t recall any specific reason for making Harold an FBI agent other than I thought it would make for a nice dynamic between him and the local sheriff when they meet and find themselves working together to stop a killer.  As I mentioned before, the part of Harold that is “me” is his personality when it comes to interacting with his brother.  A secondary concern that came near the end of writing the novel was an idea for a second novel featuring Harold Palmer.  That caused me to add a few tweaks to his job with the FBI and also led to the opening chapter being added to set up book two.  The first thing you read in Evil Ways was actually the last thing I wrote for it.

AP: You have a background in comics as well, including the Lance Star ONE SHOT. What other comics have you worked on. Any you would consider pulp comics or at least having pulp influences or connections?
BN: Comics were my first love. I started reading them when I was a kid after discovering the 60’s Spider-man cartoon in syndication, but really got into them in my teenage years.  The first comics I remember owning came in a 3-pack.  Amazing Spider-man 192, 193, and 194.  I still have them to this day.  We moved when I was twelve and the first new friends I made at my new school were comic fans and they were also big into creating their own comics.  After that I was hooked.
I’ve bounced around with some local productions and even published a fanzine for a few years called Odyssey Magazine.  My first professional comic writing gig was on Marat Mychaels’ Demonslayer, published by Avatar Press. I also worked on Threshold and Jungle Fantasy for Avatar.  For 12 years I wrote and drew Life In The Faster Lane for Keeping Up With Kids Magazine, which was a lot of fun.  I also wrote Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, Bubba The Redneck Werewolf (a back up story), Doc Dresden: The Immortal, Fantastix, Yin Yang, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, and The Garden (for Planetary Stories online magazine).  Coming up I have I Am Googol: The Great Invasion, more Lance star: Sky Ranger, and a few projects I can’t talk about quite yet.
AP: Expanding on the last question, many fans and creators agree that pulps gave birth to a lot of ideas we now see in comic books. Are pulps still a viable source of comic inspiration or are the two more or less influencing/encouraging one another now idea wise?
BN: Sure.  I think there are comic book characters that fit the definition of pulp.  I also think there are pulp characters that will translate well into comics.  I’m actually working on a comic book anthology featuring pulp characters and it was interesting to see these characters in that format.
AP: You are known for attending conventions seemingly year round. How many conventions did you attend this year?
BN: As of today, I have been a guest at 15 conventions this year.  This coming weekend I’ll be at the first Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con and there is a 1 day show in Charlotte, NC in December I may attend.  That would bring my total to 16 or 17 for the year.
AP: What is the draw for you to attend conventions? Is it more than just selling product?
BN: Absolutely.  I have a lot of fun at conventions whether they are money makers or not.  Obviously, I would prefer to cover my costs and bring a little extra home, but that doesn’t always happen.  Sometimes it does.  Not only are the cons a great ways to meet your fans and promote and sell your books, but it’s also a great place to meet new people and visit new places you’ve never been before.  Plus, it gets me out of the house.  I love ‘em.  I’d do more if I could afford it.
AP: What about the future? What do you have in the works that might appeal to the ALL PULP audience?
BN: There are plans for some upcoming pulpy stuff from me.  I recently turned in my story for Lance Star: Sky Ranger anthology vol. 3, which will be out sometime in 2011.  I’m about halfway on a lance Star: Sky Ranger novel titled “Cold Snap” for next year as well.  The Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery anthology should be out in either December or January and features a story by me.  Other anthologies in the works are Secret Agent X, The Wraith, Mars McCoy: Space Ranger, and a few other surprises.  The aforementioned are from Airship 27 and Cornerstone Books.  I’ve also written a Green Hornet tale for Moonstone and have turned in stories for Aym Geronimo and the post Modern Pioneers: Tall Tales and Tales From The Zero Hour: Weird Tales. I’m also planning more Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic books as well.  I’m also shopping around and writing more novels.  Plus, a few hush-hush items I’ll have to tell you about later.
2011 looks to be a busy year for me.
AP: Bobby, ALL PULP appreciates you stopping by! See ya on the road!
BN: My pleasure.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID BOOP!!!

  • News
  • December 3, 2010
DAVID BOOP-Pulp Writer
AP: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.
DB: I’m a single dad, full time employee, returning college student and author. I’ve gone in and out of pulp fandom over the years, but keep coming back. I guess I’m here to stay this time. Heh. I mostly came at it from the film industry; the serials, film noir, and pulp mysteries. I didn’t get into the pulp heroes until later, maybe late eighties.
AP: What does pulp mean to you?
DB: There are many ways to look at pulp, from the pure meaning of books published quickly and cheaply in the 30s-40s, to the style of writing you get when you publish quickly and cheaply. They didn’t have the time to develop complicated plots and deep characters. These guys were straight forward, courageous and everything they weren’t and wanted to be. I considered that when I created Gridiron. I was never into sports and don’t do well with pain. *snicker* He’s able to handle both. I wanted to make someone I could hope to be when the chips were down.
AP: Your novel, She Murdered Me with Science is a mix of noir action and good old-fashioned pulp adventure. What was your inspiration for the novel and do you have any plans to return to the world introduced in She Murdered Me With Science?
DB: The novel came from a dream, mostly what you see in the prolog of the book; a hairless man, running down an alleyway, trying to flee someone unseen. He thinks he’s escaped into a crowd of people when all of a sudden his head explodes. I woke up wanting to know what killed him and why. I knew I didn’t have the answer, so I had to invent someone who could. I came up with my scientist-detective and set him in a pulp-noir world of hideous hit men, dangerous dames and strange science. As for returning, yes. I’m currently working on the follow-up, Murdered in a Mechanical World (and I’m a Mechanical Girl).
AP: You have worked on shorter pulp tales Full Throttle Space Tales, Tales Of The Talisman, 2020 Visions, Six Guns Straight from Hell, and Mystery Men vol. 1, plus others.  What draws you to these shorter tales?
DB: When I get an idea, I kind of know instinctually how much story it’s going to need to be realized. Most of the ideas I get don’t have a full novel in them. Thank God, or otherwise, I’d never sleep. Sometimes I’ll also test the waters of the world/characters by writing it as a short and seeing if it has legs for a novel.
AP: Do you have a favorite genre in which to work or do you like to play the field and work in as many different genres as possible?
DB: I get inspiration across all spectrums. I love writing with a noir panache. I enjoy crossing genres, especially. Weird westerns are my current blend of choice. As mentioned, I’m also spending time back in the fifties for MG, so that infusing my work with that pulp mentality again.
AP: What, if any, existing characters would you like to try your hand at writing?
DB: Indiana Jones, hands down. I’ve been bugging Lucasbooks for years. I have both a short and novel waiting for them. I wish I could have written the Phantom before it left Moonstone. I might have one or two tie-ins in the near future, but those are super secret projects. Shhhhh!
AP: Who are some of your creative influences?
DB: For classics: Rex Stout, Dashiell Hammett, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Modern word slingers include Alan Dean Foster, Mike Stackpole, Michael Connelly, Kevin J. Anderson.
AP: What does David Boop do when he’s not writing?
DB: Mostly, focus on my son. He’s autistic and needs a lot of attention. I feel blessed, as the situation could have been so much worse had we not caught it as early as we did. I’ve learned a lot about patience. I also watch a lot of movies, read comics, and other geeky endeavors. Oh, and date. But we’re not talking horror stories today. *snicker*  
AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?
DB: http://www.davidboop.com/. I have interviews, a page for each of my works, and good clean fun like the “Finding Bobby Nash” game. You’d like it.
AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
DB: I have three anthos in the fourth quarter: Mystery Men (and Women) Vol 1., Six-Guns Straight From Hell, and 2020 Visions. In the first q, I have my first non-crossed-over mystery in a new mystery magazine called “Bête Noire.” Also, I should be able to announce one of those secret projects before Christmas, if all goes well.
AP: Are there any upcoming convention appearances or signings coming up where fans can meet you?
DB: Not until late in the first quarter, unless you’re in Colorado Springs. I do COSine every January. Then in May, you can find me in Arkansas at PulpArk.
AP: And finally, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a writer?
DB: If writing was not your focus before now, go back to school, get good critical feedback from a creative writing course, then surround yourself with other people hungry as you to be published and read. Oh, and go to conventions, learn about publishing from the pros. Find out their mistakes and don’t repeat them. Make all new ones. You will, and that’s just fine.
AP: Thanks, David.

Reviews from the 86th Floor – Book Reviews by Barry Reese

  • News
  • December 3, 2010


This book is a bit of an odd beast. It’s set in between the first and second trilogies in the Sentinels series and is comprised of a couple of shorts from the creator (Van Allen Plexico), a bunch of short stories by other authors set in the Sentinels Universe, an essay on the origin and development of the series and an Official Handbook of sorts to the various characters. As with any anthology, there are stories that work better than others. I can honestly say that there are no absolute stinkers in the bunch, though there are certainly stories that didn’t really click with me for whatever reason. There is also art sprinkled throughout the book and the vast majority of it features Pulsar (which is fine with me, as she’s my favorite character in the Sentinels universe). The piece on page 41 by Gary Bedell is my favorite and I wish he’d contributed more than just that one image. My favorite stores in the book were: “Best Laid Plans” by Wayne Skiver, “The Camping Trip” by Ron Fortier, “The Road to Hell” by Bobby Nash and “The Adventures of Captain Cook” by David Wright. That last one is a really odd piece but I found myself quite interested in the “behind the scenes” storyline dealing with the Captain Cook series. As for Van’s two ‘official’ contributions, the second one was a lot of fun but the first one didn’t really impress me. There were some cute moments but it kind of felt like a “fill-in” or “inventory” story. I think I get what Van was going for — something lighter than the usual Sentinels fare but I thought some of the humorous moments missed the mark. “Future Shocked” was a major improvement, however. Actually, what I enjoyed more than anything was “The Making of the Sentinels” which summarizes how Van came up with the core concepts and developed them. I’ve always enjoyed those kinds of things and this piece was more than a little inspiring.

In summary, is this an essential piece of the Sentinels saga? Eh, I don’t know. It is fun, though and if you’re a fan of the Sentinels Universe, I’d recommend it. I would NOT recommend that anyone start their journey into the Sentinels universe with this book, however. Start with the original trilogy and if you enjoy that, try Alternate Visions.

BOBBY NASH and ALL PULP INTERVIEW CHUCK DIXON!!!

  • News
  • December 3, 2010

Chuck Dixon-Comic Creator and Pulp Writer

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

CD: If you want to know the history of comics you have to go back to the newspaper strips and the pulps. Those are the parents of the comic book. In the 70s they were reprinting a lot of stuff so I got to sample G-8, the Shadow, Conan, Captain Future and lots of other classic pulp characters.

AP: What does pulp mean to you?

CD: Story. Story. Story. Pulp is pure plot advancement and action. No pretense to literature or art. Pulp has become our literature. Lost is pulp. What you see on the bestselling book lists is all pulp. Most of our movies are pulp. But there’s art there nonetheless. Cormac McCarthy is literary pulp.

AP: You are known as a writer of comic books and pulp stories. How did you get your start and what was your first published work in each?

CD: I’m like 99.99% comic book writer. A few pulpy short stories as opposed to thousands of comics scripts.

My first paying work was for an awful Heavy Metal rip-off called Gasm. That was like 1978. I futzed around on the edge after that for a few years and then got a break on Airboy and Savage Sword of Conan almost simultaneously. My first pulp thing was a Kolchak story for Moonstone.

AP: You have worked on short prose tales for Domino Lady and The Spider Chronicles. What draws you to these shorter stories and can we expect to see more short pulp from you in the future?

CD: What draws me to short stories is my fear of working in prose. I only wrote those stories because Joe Gentile at Moonstone dared me. The idea of writing a long form novel is intimidating to me. I’m a comic book writer through and through. The only reason I would turn to writing prose full time would be out of desperation. And wasn’t that what drove most pulp writers?

AP: Mixing comic books and pulp has brought some interesting characters to the masses. Airboy was one of those characters. How did you come to be associated with Airboy? What is it about this character that continues to thrill readers?

CD: I think there’s a core improbability to the character that’s appealing. Here’s this kid with this ridiculous plane who gets to kill bad guys in the name of his country. No parental supervision and he winds up with one of the hottest characters in comics as his girlfriend. Pure wish-fulfillment fantasy.

AP: You’ve written many comic books and are often associated with the Batman family of titles as well as kick starting one of my favorite titles, Birds Of Prey. What is it about writing comics that keeps you coming back for more and are there any areas in comics that you’ve not worked in that you would like to try your hand?

CD: I dream of writing an ongoing daily strip. Though, these days, that’s like dreaming of being a radio scripter.

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

CD: Fantastic Four, the Jetsons and the Lone Ranger. The Shadow would be fun. I actually got to meet Walter Gibson. What a workhorse that guy was! And a self-effacing gentleman to talk to. Probably the first real writer I’d ever met. Also, the Lone Ranger. And any of the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters.

AP: Who are some of your creative influences?

CD: Aw, anything. I’m a very eclectic reader. Anything from Jim Thompson to P.G. Wodehouse. In comics my biggest influence was Archie Goodwin. A massive talent a mentor to me when I was trying to break in with my weak efforts. Stan Lee as well. Charles Schulz to a great extent and Larry Hama who was my first editor at Marvel and really helped me polish my craft for the bigs.

AP: It’s understood that pulps inspired many comic book creations. Are pulps still a viable source of comic book inspiration or are the two more or less influencing/encouraging one another now idea wise?

CD: They’re the same genre in different mediums.

AP: What does Chuck Dixon do when he’s not writing?

CD: I’m always writing! Naps are nice. I enjoy walking and getting to the shooting range when I can.

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

CD: My website at either dixonverse.net or thedixonverse.com. Lots more about me there and a message board I frequent.

AP: Any current or upcoming projects you would like to mention?

CD: For lovers of pulpy SF, I have a new Alien Legion mini-series coming out soon from Dark Horse. Larry Stroman on pencils and Carl Potts inking. Fun stuff. I’m also on two GI Joe titles including Snake Eyes new monthly coming in May. And I’ve written some scripts for a new Spongebob Squarepants comic from Bongo.

AP: Are there any upcoming convention appearances or signings where fans can meet you?

CD: Nothing in the foreseeable future.

AP: And finally, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a writer?

CD: You won’t be working for publishing houses, you’ll be working for people. Your rapport with your editor is the most important working relationship of your life. Rather than schmooze your way into work, find editors you have something in common with; share a common goal with. It makes life easier. For both of you.

AP: Thanks, Chuck.

  • News
  • December 3, 2010

Chuck Dixon-Comic Creator and Pulp Writer

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

CD: If you want to know the history of comics you have to go back to the newspaper strips and the pulps. Those are the parents of the comic book. In the 70s they were reprinting a lot of stuff so I got to sample G-8, the Shadow, Conan, Captain Future and lots of other classic pulp characters.

AP: What does pulp mean to you?

CD: Story. Story. Story. Pulp is pure plot advancement and action. No pretense to literature or art. Pulp has become our literature. Lost is pulp. What you see on the bestselling book lists is all pulp. Most of our movies are pulp. But there’s art there nonetheless. Cormac McCarthy is literary pulp.

AP: You are known as a writer of comic books and pulp stories. How did you get your start and what was your first published work in each?

CD: I’m like 99.99% comic book writer. A few pulpy short stories as opposed to thousands of comics scripts.

My first paying work was for an awful Heavy Metal rip-off called Gasm. That was like 1978. I futzed around on the edge after that for a few years and then got a break on Airboy and Savage Sword of Conan almost simultaneously. My first pulp thing was a Kolchak story for Moonstone.

AP: You have worked on short prose tales for Domino Lady and The Spider Chronicles. What draws you to these shorter stories and can we expect to see more short pulp from you in the future?

CD: What draws me to short stories is my fear of working in prose. I only wrote those stories because Joe Gentile at Moonstone dared me. The idea of writing a long form novel is intimidating to me. I’m a comic book writer through and through. The only reason I would turn to writing prose full time would be out of desperation. And wasn’t that what drove most pulp writers?

AP: Mixing comic books and pulp has brought some interesting characters to the masses. Airboy was one of those characters. How did you come to be associated with Airboy? What is it about this character that continues to thrill readers?

CD: I think there’s a core improbability to the character that’s appealing. Here’s this kid with this ridiculous plane who gets to kill bad guys in the name of his country. No parental supervision and he winds up with one of the hottest characters in comics as his girlfriend. Pure wish-fulfillment fantasy.

AP: You’ve written many comic books and are often associated with the Batman family of titles as well as kick starting one of my favorite titles, Birds Of Prey. What is it about writing comics that keeps you coming back for more and are there any areas in comics that you’ve not worked in that you would like to try your hand?

CD: I dream of writing an ongoing daily strip. Though, these days, that’s like dreaming of being a radio scripter.

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

CD: Fantastic Four, the Jetsons and the Lone Ranger. The Shadow would be fun. I actually got to meet Walter Gibson. What a workhorse that guy was! And a self-effacing gentleman to talk to. Probably the first real writer I’d ever met. Also, the Lone Ranger. And any of the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters.

AP: Who are some of your creative influences?

CD: Aw, anything. I’m a very eclectic reader. Anything from Jim Thompson to P.G. Wodehouse. In comics my biggest influence was Archie Goodwin. A massive talent a mentor to me when I was trying to break in with my weak efforts. Stan Lee as well. Charles Schulz to a great extent and Larry Hama who was my first editor at Marvel and really helped me polish my craft for the bigs.

AP: It’s understood that pulps inspired many comic book creations. Are pulps still a viable source of comic book inspiration or are the two more or less influencing/encouraging one another now idea wise?

CD: They’re the same genre in different mediums.

AP: What does Chuck Dixon do when he’s not writing?

CD: I’m always writing! Naps are nice. I enjoy walking and getting to the shooting range when I can.

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

CD: My website at either dixonverse.net or thedixonverse.com. Lots more about me there and a message board I frequent.

AP: Any current or upcoming projects you would like to mention?

CD: For lovers of pulpy SF, I have a new Alien Legion mini-series coming out soon from Dark Horse. Larry Stroman on pencils and Carl Potts inking. Fun stuff. I’m also on two GI Joe titles including Snake Eyes new monthly coming in May. And I’ve written some scripts for a new Spongebob Squarepants comic from Bongo.

AP: Are there any upcoming convention appearances or signings where fans can meet you?

CD: Nothing in the foreseeable future.

AP: And finally, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a writer?

CD: You won’t be working for publishing houses, you’ll be working for people. Your rapport with your editor is the most important working relationship of your life. Rather than schmooze your way into work, find editors you have something in common with; share a common goal with. It makes life easier. For both of you.

AP: Thanks, Chuck.

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