Monthly Archive: July 2011

Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese looks at Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead

Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead
Steve Perry
ISBN 978-0345506986

I was thrilled to see a new Indy novel after many years and even more excited that it was being handled by a fairly “big-name” author.

Set during a period where we really haven’t seen much with Indy (the World War II period where Indy worked as a spy), this novel sends our hero after the Heart of Darkness, which is also being pursued by Germans, the Japanese and a Voodoo priest. The search leads them all into Haiti and the Island of the Dead. Along the way we learn about the Voodoo religion and get to see Indy taking on zombies, both of the living and undead varieties.

Unfortunately, while the story wasn’t bad per se, it didn’t really succeed as an Indiana Jones adventure. There were times when the book’s pacing was too slow and things seemed almost pedestrian (even with Zombies and Nazis running around!). There was no real sense of danger or excitement — it was like we were being told about things that were exciting, but without the excitement being displayed in the prose itself.

It was fun seeing Indy during WW II and there were one or two moments where I could see where the author was trying to go… but overall it fell flat. Go and read the Indy books by Rob McGregor. You won’t be disappointed there.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Peter David’s New Novel Launches Crazy 8 Press

c8-final-logo1-300x247-3643009Crazy 8 Press exists because the founders — Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg, and Howard Weinstein — have found selling their original works to mainstream publishers increasingly difficult. Illogical barriers have been erected and the website was conceived to directly connect the authors with the readers.

The concept was conceived by Friedman at last summer’s Shore Leave convention and now, a year later, the site is officially open for business this afternoon. Its initial offering is an original novel, The Camelot Papers, which is unrelated to David’s previous Camelot trilogy. The novel is available in all eBook formats in addition to Print on Demand.

At a launch panel Saturday at noon, the founders will outline their plans for the future, addressing issues such as frequency, backlist, and if non-member authors will be published through the site.  “It’s not a business,” Greenberger said. “It’s a consortium with a handshake binding friends together. Our goal is to have all our audiences come to one source to find our older and newer original works.”

To bring attention to the new operation and to raise much-needed funds for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the six authors will collaborate on a short story, written in shifts during the convention, based on an opening line supplied by a fan during Friday night’s Meet the Authors event.

Since most of the authors write for ComicMix, we’re particularly proud of their accomplishment.

BOOM! Studios Makes Their Elric Available Digitally Day & Date

  • Uncategorized
  • July 6, 2011

elric_the_balance_lost_01_cvr_a-292x450-7765194Increasingly, publishers are making their titles available in digital form the day the print version hits shops. Today’s release from BOOM! is just the latest in this trend. Some retailers accept it as an inevitable realty, others cry about it. What do you, the readers, think?

PHILADELPHIA — Taking another step toward offering comics in stores and digitally on the same day, publisher BOOM! Studios says its new series, Elric: The Balance Lost will do just that.

The series, written by Chris Roberson and drawn by Francesco Biagini, is based on author Michael Moorcock’s fan-favorite fantasy hero Elric of Melnibone.

The book will be on sale in comic book shops Wednesday, but will also be available for download through BOOM! Studios own comics app and comiXology’s app, too. Unlike other publishers, however, the issue’s 10-page prelude will also be accessible on its own website at no cost.

“With Elric we’re not only focusing on print and mobile devices exclusively but getting out onto Internet browsers that billions of people use every day,” BOOM!’s marketing and sales director Chip Mosher said of the comic, which will retail for $3.99 in print and digital form.

“While there are only 25 million iPads out in the marketplace, there are billions of potential readers that have the ability to find comic books through the Internet,” he said.

Offering comics digitally and in stores on the same day is growing among publishers, with more and more of them embracing it as readers opt to read issues on tablets, smart phones and personal computers.

BOOM! first did so in January 2008 with the debut of its “North Wind” title and again a year later with “Hexed.”

At the end of May, DC Comics said it would start selling digital copies of its printed ongoing superhero titles through apps and a website the same day they’re released in comic shops, a move dubbed by the industry as day-and-date sales. That will affect the company’s superhero titles.

Similarly, Archie Comics began same-day digital and print sales in April, along with other smaller publishers.

 

Sucker Punch Adds Feature

  • Uncategorized
  • July 6, 2011

suckerpunch-300x168-2849647With the video of release of Sucker Punch last week, the debate over director Zack Snyder’s vision and treatment of women has been renewed across the boards. Frankly, we were disappointed by the empty characterizations mixed with pretty visuals. Still, it has its fans so let us cluye you in to a new feature on the movie’s website.

Close your eyes. Open your mind. Engage in a spectacular fantasy adventure. Create your own Sucker Punch custom videos by combining clips, audio, effects and transitions. Then save your creations to the Gallery and share with friends!

 

Preferred Messaging:


BIG BANG IS BACK THANKS TO PULP 2.0 PRESS!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July
5th, 2011
        
                                                                                                                    Pulp
2.0 Press


Pulp 2.0 Press Acquires Publishing Rights to Big Bang Universe


Pulp Publisher to reprint classic Big Bang Comics as Collector’s Volumes




Los Angeles, CA – Pulp 2.0 Press CEO Bill Cunningham today announced that the company has acquired the publishing and media licensing rights to the library of work by creators Gary Carlson and Chris Ecker under their Big Bang Comics imprint.  This deal signals another expansion for the company’s library of graphic novels. “I’ve always loved the history and the classic sensibility of the Big Bang Comics characters like Knight Watchman, Ultiman, Thunder Girl and others that Gary and Chris have created.  I’m very pleased we have a chance to bring their work and the work of celebrated giants like Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, Shelly Moldoff, and Marty Nodell out in collector’s editions that capture that four color fun we all enjoyed when we were kids.”

The company plans to issue their editions as showcases to each individual Big Bang Comics character by collecting all of that character’s work under one cover, and adding historical reference, essays and rare, behind-the-scenes photos, sketches, covers, and memorabilia.  Formerly published by Image comics, Big Bang made a reputation for itself as the place where comics were fun again by creating the classic comics work of BB giants like Tom King and Jack Kingler.
“Big Bang Comics is an example of the kind of of fun we want to inject back into book publishing,” said Cunningham.  “I grew up reading books like The Great Comic Book Heroes and Batman:
From the 30’s to the 70’s. Each Big Bang character deserves the same sort of presentation so fans old and new can read and appreciate both the comics and the history behind the company just
like I did.”

“Big Bang Comics began in 1992 when Chris Ecker told me that he was tired of comic book publishers and art directors telling him that he drew like an “old guy” and that he was going to sit down and draw an old style comic book story and that I was going to write it.  We talked his ideaover at a small comic convention in Elgin, Illinois where we both lived. Then we got Gary Reed  at Caliber Press involved as our first publisher and the rest is history. With Big Bang I got to write stories about the characters I had loved and even got to work with some of my favorite creators: Shelly Moldoff, Mart Nodell, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (they even signed it “Swanderson”!), Dave Cockrum and Rich Buckler,” said Big Bang Creator Gary Carlson.
Big Bang Co-Creator Chris Ecker adds, “If the Golden Age and Silver Age creators had the opportunity to see their work available on “space aged” digital devices (like, say a Kindle or Nook), they’d have jumped at it. With Pulp2.0, we’re able to do things with our “vintage” comic universe that they could only dream–and write or draw–about. I also think there’s an untapped group of potential fans that aren’t familiar with Big Bang out there, and the digital and print on demand capabilities that our Pulp 2.0 partnership presents will allow them total access. “

Individual editions in Pulp 2.0’s Big Bang Comics Collector’s series will be announced as they become available.  The first editions are scheduled for 2nd quarter 2012. For more information on Big Bang go to: www.bigbangcomics.com

About Pulp 2.0:
Pulp 2.0 is a publishing and media company that creates and distributes quality pulp entertainment media in every manner possible for its audience all over the world to enjoy. The company licenses, redesigns and republishes classic pulp, exploitation paperbacks and magazines through a variety of print and digital media; breathing new life into many of these ‘lost’ properties.

The company also creates new pulp entertainment for its target audience including the original vampire blaxploitation novel Brother Blood by Donald F. Glut, the internet radio adventure serial   “The Murder Legion Strikes at Midnight” (produced in association with Toronto’s  Decoder Ring Theater), and the tribute to legendary radio adventure historian Jim Harmon, Radio Western Adventures that features a lost western tale by Doc Savage creator Lester Dent.  In addition, the company is developing the re-release of Glut’s widely acclaimed horror-adventure book series The
New Adventures of Frankenstein in collectible editions for print and digital.  For more information go to: www.pulp2ohpress.com




Crazy 8 Press Plans CBLDF Benefit Story

c8-final-logo-300x247-3867144Yeah, yeah, it ‘s a bit of shameless self-promotion but it’s for a good cause.

Hunt Valley, Maryland — They may not be wearing super-hero capes, but members of the new web-based writers’ group Crazy 8 Press will swoop in to help the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) at the 33rd annual Shore Leave science fiction media convention the weekend of July 8-10, 2011.

Crazy 8 founders Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg and Howard Weinstein will raise funds for the CBLDF by tag-team writing an original story on the floor of the convention at Baltimore’s Marriott Hunt Valley Inn.

Fans will have a chance to participate by contributing possible opening sentences, one of which will be randomly chosen as the story’s starting point. First-sentence candidates can be submitted in advance through the Crazy 8 Press Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Crazy-8-Press) page, as well as at the convention on Friday evening. The finished work will be sold as a low-cost e-book, on sale through Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and other internet booksellers.

Profits from this story will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization fighting censorship and defending the First Amendment rights of comic book professionals. All of Crazy 8’s founding writers have worked in the comic book industry and David currently serves on the CBLDF board of directors.

Crazy 8 Press, which announced its formation in February, is a home for its established authors to sell original novels directly to readers through online book retailers. Together, Crazy 8’s founders have written hundreds of books and comics over the past 35 years, with combined sales of more than 15 million copies. The group has set a first-year goal of presenting at least one new novel-length title every other month.

The first new novel will be Peter David’s The Camelot Papers. Aaron Rosenberg’s novel No Small Bills will follow in September. Information on these and all future Crazy 8 Press projects can be found at www.crazy8press.com. All new stories (and some older, out of print works) by the Crazy 8 writers will be available for purchase through online booksellers including Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Friedman described Crazy 8 Press as a natural response to upheavals in book publishing. “With publishers and retailers under pressure,” he said, “distribution channels are shrinking. We’re offering our readers a way to receive our work that’s not dependent on any third party.”

“Until now,” said David, “we’ve been at the mercy of book store buyers, who would tell publishers if what we wrote was suitable for their stores. Now that barrier is down. We’re coming to readers pure and unleashed, with stories they would never have seen in a traditional publishing environment.”

“Science fiction has always been a community where writers and readers enjoy a close relationship and exchange ideas,” Greenberger added. “The Crazy 8 platform allows us to make that relationship even closer and more interactive.”

Here are your 2011 Harvey Award nominees

harvey_winner_logo-300x294-4733029Well, we know who we’re voting for and ComicMix will be on hand, covering events and news happening at next month’s Baltimore Comic-Con.

BALTIMORE, MD (July 5, 2011) — The 2011 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con.  Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry’s most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented August 20, 2011 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators – those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field.  They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.  Thank you to all that have already participated by submitting a nomination ballot.

Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Saturday, August 6, 2011.  Full details for submission of completed ballots can be found on the final ballot.  Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field.  Final ballots are available for download at www.harveyawards.org.  Those without Internet access may request that paper ballots be sent to them via mail or fax by calling the Baltimore Comic-Con (410-526-7410) or e-mailing baltimorecomiccon@yahoo.com.

This will be the sixth year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD.  Our Master of Ceremonies this year for the 3rd year in a row will be Scott Kurtz (www.pvponline.com).

This year’s Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011.  The ceremony and banquet for the 2011 Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 20.

Without further delay, the 2011 Harvey Award Nominees: (more…)

Green Lantern Limps Past the $100 Million Threshold

blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-green-lantern-thumb-420xauto-27679-300x191-8754649For those paying attention, Green Lantern’s failure to remain in the domestic box office top five has to be of concern to Warner Bros. The film took in an estimated $6,270,000, down a steep 65% from the second weekend which was already down a steep 66.1% from the opening weekend. This means that the core geek audience expected to revel in the galactic adventure multiple times decided once was enough and word of mouth was not positive enough to make up the difference.

Beyond that, the studio gambled on the 3-D effects being a lure but by the time the movie opened June 17, the warning signs were already crystal clear that 3-D was once more a passing fad and not a silver bullet to re-energize theater going habits.

After 17 days in release, the movie has taken in approximately $101,962, about a third of what was spent on production and marketing. The international box office has been anemic as well, with just $33.3 million taken in so after three weeks, the film has not cracked the $200 million barrier that would have at least allowed Warner and DC Entertainment to save face.

And while Warner has commissioned work on a second script, there is no guarantee that they will invest in an expensive sequel. The mantra among the fans is that it took Paramount two films before they got Star Trek right but DC had a lot riding on this as their first entry into the shared universe superhero market and attempting to compete directly with Marvel. A core difference between the rivals is that Marvel’s production arm is independent of studio interference while DC’s Creative Officer, Geoff Johns, still has to dance to Warners’ tune. There’s no direct evidence that Warner execs meddled in the film, but if they didn’t then the film’s disappointing commercial results has to be placed at Johns’ feet.

Should they choose not to go forward with a sequel, Green Lantern will continue to headline multiple titles from DC plus continue his animated adventures on the Cartoon Network. It will, though, limit his merchandising appeal which will affect the conglomerate’s bottom line.

How this may impact the films already in development, notably The Flash, Johns’ other baby, remains to be seen. In some ways, not having it before the cameras means there’s plenty of time to take the lessons learned and apply them. On the other hand, Marvel has already staked two key dates in 2013 (for Iron Man 3 and Thor 2) so if the DC Universe expects to compete on the silver screen, there has to be energy expended to get things rolling.

FIREWORKS AND FREEDOM-THANKS FROM ALL PULP

ALL PULP wishes everyone who celebrates July 4th or any day of freedome a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY and specifically thanks each and every man and woman who ever wore a uniform, stood against tyranny, and/or fought for the right that every American has to be free today!   Enjoy your families, fellowship, and your freedom, not just today, but every single moment.  Happy 4th of July from ALL PULP!

Comedy, Mystery, Pulp, and More….all from RADIO ARCHIVES!

newsletterheader60-6154130
July 1, 2011

It’s a Download Bonanza at RadioArchives.com!
* New Downloads: The Lost Episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly
* Python Isle: Reviews Are Coming In
* New in Pulp Fiction
* Who Knows What Evil…
* New: Classic Whodunits with Sherlock Holmes
New Downloads: The Lost Episodes of Fibber McGee and Mollyra050-200-4241434For over two decades, whenever the front doorbell rang at 79 Wistful Vista, millions of radio listeners could be sure that laughter was soon going to follow. For behind that door lived a memorable couple whose misadventures entertained audiences both young and old for more than twenty years.

Fibber McGee and Molly were an institution on radio, bringing us belly laughs thru the dark days of the Great Depression, the challenging years of World War II, and well into the prosperity of the 1950s. And now, thanks to a new series of Digital Downloads from RadioArchives.com, you can enjoy hour after hour of smiles and chuckles with the irrepressible Fibber, sweet and patient Molly, and all of their bizarre neighbors – including Wallace Wimple, the Old Timer, and McGee’s friend and sometimes nemesis Doc Gamble.
With the discovery of literally hundreds of long-lost NBC master recordings, RadioArchives.com has brought you twelve collections of “The Fibber McGee and Molly Show” on audio compact discs. Now all of these great sets can also be purchased as Digital Downloads – and at a price considerably lower than the comparable CD set! Just visit RadioArchives.com today and browse our new Digital Downloads section, where you’ll find Fibber and Molly, “The Lux Radio Theater”, Orson Welles in “The Lives of Harry Lime”, and many other radio and audiobook favorites. Place your order, download your sets, and in just minutes you’ll be enjoying some great audio entertainment.

Digital Downloads from RadioArchives.com come to you as high bitrate MP3 files to ensure that you’ll enjoy the same sparkling audio fidelity as in our CD sets. You can play them on your computer, on most mobile phones, or on your favorite portable device – and, whether you live in Seattle, Stockholm, or San Juan, each downloadable collection is available worldwide with immediate delivery and NO postal charges to pay!

So stop by RadioArchives.com today and enjoy our new and ever-expanding array of Digital Downloads – and watch out for that closet door!

Python Isle: Reviews Are Coming In At Radio Archives, we always like to please our customers. But we’ve truly been overwhelmed by the compliments we’re receiving about “Python Isle”, the Doc Savage adventure that introduces our new line of pulp audiobooks!

Dale from Littleton, Colorado writes:
Absolutely fantastic! The narrator did all kinds of different voices for all the characters and kept everything very well paced. All audiobooks should be like this one.

Larry Scheflin writes:
I’ve been listening to “Python Isle” and I must say that Michael McConnohie has done an excellent job. His voice characterizations are a joy. Kudos to all and thanks for a wonderful listening experience.

From the All Pulp Blog, reviewer Tommy Hancock writes:
“Python Isle” is the stuff pulp dreams are made of. From fistfights and gun battles to harrowing chases in various locales all the way to an epic conflict aboard a zeppelin, “Python Isle” delivers all the thrills and chills anyone could want. It’s more than a treat, better than a nice surprise. It is simply New Pulp storytelling at its best.

If you thrill to the excitement and suspense that only a great adventure story can provide, you’ll want to visit RadioArchives.com today and pick up your copy of “Python Isle”. Written by Will Murray and directed and produced by Roger Rittner – the same team that brought you “The Adventures of Doc Savage” radio series – this eight hour collection also features two exclusive and newly recorded interviews with the author and striking cover art by Joe DeVito. Priced at just $25.98 for the 8-CD set or $17.98 for the Digital Download, this action-packed tale is one we know you’ll want to share with your entire family. And, next month, be sure to watch this newsletter for our next exciting audiobook, in which the Man of Bronze faces one of his most challenging foes: the mysterious White Eyes!

New in Pulp FictionDuring the 1930s, both kids and grown-ups alike would often rush to their favorite newsstands to anxiously await the delivery of the latest magazines featuring their three favorite adventure heroes: Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Spider! Now RadioArchives.com offers you a series of double-novel reprints featuring the timeless stories of these crime fighting icons, all featuring full-color covers and many special features! The new arrivals include:

“The Shadow, Volume 50”, priced at just $14.95, an extra-length special issue showcasing three of the Dark Knight’s most thrilling stories: “The Man from Shanghai”, “The Golden Dog Murders”, and “Jabberwocky Thrust”. Then, in “Doc Savage, Volume 45”, priced at just $14.95, The Man of Bronze returns in two of his most engrossing adventures: “Merchants of Disaster” & “Measures for a Coffin”. Finally, The Spider – pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men – returns in two thrill-packed adventures, combined into one volume for the low price of just $14.95: “Slaves of the Dragon” and “The Spider and his Hobo Army”.

Often neglected and unrecognized in their own time, the stories of these three influential superheroes are now seen as classics of popular culture. If you love pulp fiction – or if you’re just discovering it for the first time – be sure to visit RadioArchives.com today and order copies of these and our other classic pulp fiction titles for your personal library.

Who Knows What Evil… “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow Knows!”…and so does John Olsen, whose insightful reviews share the web pages for every double-novel Shadow reprint offered by RadioArchives.com. John is the only fellow we know who has read, re-read, and re-re-read every adventure of this crime fighting foe of the underworld – all 325 of them – and, thanks to his generosity, he regularly shares his thoughts and opinions about the novels of the Knight of Darkness with the visitors to RadioArchives.com.

If you share John’s love of The Shadow, you may or may not share his opinions, but you’re sure to agree that he knows his subject and writes about it very well. If you’re only casually acquainted with this iconic vigilante of justice, we know you’ll appreciate John’s insightful reviews of his many adventures. And if you’ve never read a Shadow novel – well, there’s no one like John Olsen to entice you to get started right away!

So the next time you come to RadioArchives.com for entertainment, visit the Pulp Fiction section and read a few of John Olsen’s reviews. If you’re like us, we bet you’ll soon be just as big of a fan of The Shadow as he is – and understand completely that “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay! The Shadow Knows!”
New: Classic Whodunits with Sherlock HolmesIn the annals of detective fiction, there are many investigators who could lay claim to legendary status. But, for many, the most famous, the most unique, and the most emulated would be the pipe smoking, violin playing, and deer-stalker clad gentleman known as Sherlock Holmes.

Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes and his faithful friend and companion Doctor Watson have been a significant part of popular culture ever since their adventures first appeared in the Strand Magazine in 1887. In the years that have followed, Holmes and Watson have made their way to the stage, the movies, television, and even graphic novels – but, for fans of classic radio, “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” remains among the best interpretations of these two unforgettable characters and their often baffling cases.

The two actors most associated with the roles during radio’s Golden Age were, of course, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. But Rathbone’s departure from the series in 1946 resulted in another actor taking on the part: Tom Conway, the suave and handsome leading man who had recently been seen as The Falcon in the popular RKO movie series. Though long-time fans were understandably dubious of the change, Conway’s talents fit the role like a glove and he, along with Nigel Bruce, continued to broadcast the series from Hollywood for another successful season.

In “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1”, RadioArchives.com brings you ten exciting and fully restored episodes from this little-known chapter in the life of the World’s Greatest Consulting Detective, just as originally aired in 1946 and starring Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce. Priced at just $14.98 for the five audio CD set, or $9.98 for the digital download, this collection also features original cover art by Timothy Lantz. Visit RadioArchives.com and add Sherlock Holmes to your personal library of mystery favorites right away!

(Note for long-time customers: this 5-hour collection is a repackaged re-release of the first half of a 10-CD set which we previously offered in our catalog. In addition to new cover art, all of the shows in this collection have been newly restored from the original masters to ensure outstanding audio fidelity.)
We’d love to hear from you! Send an e-mail to Service@RadioArchives.com or call us toll free at 800-886-0551 with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Listen to this Newsletter!


Sit back, relax, and enjoy this newsletter as an Audio Podcast! Click anywhere in the colorful banner at the top and you’ll automatically hear the Radio Archives Newsletter, enhanced with narration, music, and clips from our latest collections! This audio version of our regular newsletter is a pleasant and convenient way to hear all about our latest products, as well as the newest pulp fiction reprints, special offers, and much, much more!

The releases we’ve described in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you’ll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it’s pulp fiction classics, our new line of audiobooks, colorful and exciting items from Moonstone, timeless movies and television shows on DVD, or the over 150 compact disc collections and downloads containing thousands of sparkling and fully restored classic radio shows, we hope you’ll make RadioArchives.com your source for the best in timeless entertainment.

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