Monthly Archive: May 2012

Joe Kubert’s Tarzan of the Apes: Artist’s Edition coming in September from IDW

Cover Art: Joe Kubert

IDW Publishing has shared the following press release with All Pulp.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic creation.

San Diego, CA (May 18, 2012) – Joe Kubert is one of the most lauded artists in the history of comics, a true living legend. He has been a vital creative force since the 1940s and remains so to this day. He has had defining runs on Hawkman, Enemy Ace, Tor, Sgt. Rock, and many others. Among his career highlights is Tarzan of the Apes, and Kubert’s rendition could arguably be called the definitive comic adaptation of the Ape-man.

“To have the Tarzan stories I drew commemorate the 100th anniversary of a strip I fell in love with as a kid is the thrill of a lifetime,” said Joe Kubert, writer and artist of all the stories in this Artist’s Edition.

This Artist’s Edition collects six complete Kubert Tarzan adventures, including the classic four-part origin story. Each page is vividly reproduced from the original art and presented as no comics readers have seen before. For fans of Kubert and Tarzan, this new entry in the Eisner-winning Artist’s Edition line must be seen to be believed!

2012 is the centennial year for Tarzan. Created by master storyteller Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan is instantly recognizable to countless fans around the globe. Other notable creations of Burroughs’ include John Carter of Mars, Korak, Carson of Venus, and At the Earth’s Core.

“I first read these comics when I was 10 years old, and they remain some of my favorite stories ever,” said Editor Scott Dunbier, “this is Joe Kubert at his absolute best.”

What is an Artist’s Edition? Artist’s Editions are printed the same size as the original art. While appearing to be in black & white, each page has been scanned in COLOR to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for example, you are able to clearly see paste-overs, blue pencils in the art, editorial notes, and art corrections. Each page is printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible to the original art board.

JOE KUBERT’S TARZAN OF THE APE: ARTIST’S EDITION ($100, hardcover, black and white, 156 pages, 12” x 17”) will be available in stores September 2012.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books. IDW can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/idwpublishing and http://tumblr.idwpublishing.com/ and on Twitter at @idwpublishing.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

Mindy Newell: The Agony And The Ecstasy Of Writing

Ah, the joys of writing.

Well, not when you’re working on your capstone project, the culmination of the past 18 months, the paper that will lead me to that walk down the aisle in mortarboard and gown to the hallowed, somber notes of Pomp and Circumstance. How did that get to be the graduation processional march anyway? Wait, I’m going to look it up. Tawk amongst yawselves….

This is what Wikipedia says: “The Pomp and Circumstances Marches, Op. 39” are a series of marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar. In the United States, the Trio section,” Land of Hope and Glory” of March No. 1 is sometimes known simply as” Pomp and Circumstance” or as “The Graduation March,” and is played as the processional tune at virtually all high school and college graduation ceremonies. It was first played at such a ceremony on 28 June 1905, at Yale University, where Samuel Sanford, Professor of Music, invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary Doctorate of Music. Elgar accepted, and Sanford made certain he was the star of the proceedings, engaging the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the College Choir, the Glee Club, the music faculty members, and New York musicians to perform two parts from Elgar’s oratorio – “The Light of Life” and, as the graduates and officials marched out, “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.” Elgar repaid the compliment by dedicating the “Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47” at the first London Symphony Orchestra performance later that year. The tune soon became de rigueur at American graduations, used primarily as a processional at the opening of the ceremony, although it is still used now only as at Yale.”
Oy, the things you and I learn because of this column!

As I was saying, academic writing is not at all like writing fiction, or like writing this column – which could be fiction. Some of it, anyway. You’ll never know, will you? Academic writing is about rules that must not be broken under any circumstance, although I think that only God knows why. I’ve had arguments with several professors – before I learned better – about why academic writing must be so dry and impersonal and polysyllabic. In other words, b-o-r-i-n-g. “Look,” I said. “Doesn’t it make sense that if the writing’s engaging, fun, and inclusive of the audience, that audience will enjoy reading it, and if the audience enjoys reading it, then the audience will r-e-m-e-m-b-e-r it. As in, the audience will not need ten cups of coffee just to get through the abstract.”

“Ha-rumph!” said the professors, looking down their snoots. “Balderdash! Ms. Newell, we assume you want to pass this course.

”Yes, sir,” I said. “Yes, ma’am.”

In other words, just shut up and do what they say, Mindy. And I do. And my academic writing is damn good, if I do say so myself, even if those last two sentences would never get through the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Editon. Because they start with conjunctions.

But fiction writing – now that’s, as the doorman to the Emerald City said to Dorothy, a horse of a different color.

You can have fun when you’re writing fiction. Oh, there are rules about plot and structure and grammar. But those rules are easily broken. It’s about style. And style, baby? That’s the fun part. Style belongs to you. You, the author.

Raymond Chandler. Edna Ferber. Alan Moore. Toni Morrison. Ernest Hemingway. Anne McCaffrey. Brian K. Vaughn. Gail Simone. Neil Gaiman. Louise Simonson. Grant Morrison. Lynda Barry. Harvey Pekar. Mari Naomi. Frank Miller. Alison Bechdel. Each of these wonderful writers with their own style, their own voice. It’s one of the reasons, maybe the reason, why they are loved, why their books are snatched off shelves and downloaded onto e-readers.

Or maybe it’s not so fun. Maybe it’s hard, maybe it’s heartbreaking, maybe it’s terrifying, maybe it’s cathartic. Maybe you don’t really know where these words are coming from or why you have these ideas, but you only know that if you don’t get them out of your head or your soul and down on paper, someday they will eat at your guts and corrode your brain and destroy what’s left of your humanity.

Fiction as primal scream therapy.

Tuesday Morning: Michael Davis Continues With His Black Thing!

Tuesday Afternoon: Emily S. Whitten Reveals You, Too, Can Get Started! 

 

REVIEW: Red Tails

One of the reasons World War II is called the last good war is that the stakes were clear and unambiguous. Those years spawned countless stories of heroism, sacrifice, and loss that never cease to fascinate subsequent generations. Some movies have gone to great lengths to recreate what the horrors of war must have been like while others go for a different approach, going for a stark contrast to exemplify the acts of one or a few. The pilots resulting from the Tuskegee training program deserve proper treatment in mass media of their experiences.

It was long known that this was a passion project for filmmaker George Lucas, who has been discussing making this story for over 20 years. Not surprisingly, the bean counters at the studios balked at an all-Black film fearing it wouldn’t play well domestically and fare even worse overseas. Thankfully, Star Wars made Lucas a wealthy man and allowed him to help finance and see his project to fruition. During the intervening years, he brought survivors of those years to his ranch and interviewed them, capturing their tales while the men were still around to provide first-hand accounts.

He assigned the scripting to John Ridley and the direction to Anthony Hemingway and the story was shot in 2009. Dissatisfied with the results, Lucas himself helmed reshoots using script material from Aaron McGruder. The resulting film was released earlier this year and will be out Tuesday from 20th Century Home Entertainment. Given the amount of time devoted to research and the passion from Lucas, one would have hoped for a more satisfying yarn. Once more his vaunted storytelling skills failed him as Lucas neglected to make the characters anything more than cardboard constructs, each filling an archetype but denying them a chance to shine via personality or dialogue. Instead, the 332d Fighter Group are as flat and wooden as the war movies made decades ago. (more…)

John Ostrander: The Last Word On That Movie

So I finally joined the clamoring hordes who have gone to see The Avengers and, yes, I had a really good time. No spoilers but I can define my favorite scene in two words that won’t spoil the show: “Puny god.” ‘Nuff said. Those who have seen it know what I’m talking about. I also really enjoyed the little scene at the end of all the credits.

It’s made a billion dollars worldwide, and its already on its way towards making a bazillion, I’m sure. Marvel has played it very canny, building up to it by way of Iron Man (I and II), Thor and Captain America. You’d almost think that The Avengers success was inevitable and you’d be terribly, terribly wrong.

I got two words for you.

Joss Whedon.

Joss Whedon is the real star of the film, having both written and directed it (having worked up the story along with Zak Penn who, among other things, wrote a bunch of Marvel X-Men movies, created the TV show Alphas and directed and co-wrote – with Werner Herzog – the wonderfully strange and funny film Incident at Loch Ness and, yes, that’s a recommendation). It must be really nice to be Joss Whedon right now. The Avengers is making money hand over fist and breaking all sorts of records. That translates into power out in Hollyweird – the power to get the movies you want to do green-lighted.

Yet, I’m also sure there will be those (especially those on the studio end who will have to negotiate with Mr. Whedon’s agents on his next salary) who will claim that it was all set-up by the other films and that anybody could have directed The Avengers and it would have done just as well. That sort of mind just sees us puny artistic types as widgets – take one out, plug in another. Same result, right?

To minds that think like that, I have two more words for you (and not necessarily the ones you’re thinking):

Michael Bay.

Bay, in case you don’t remember, has directed all three Transformers movies, among other things. In many ways, I’m surprised they didn’t tap him – all three Transformers movies are big, spectacular, lots of special effects, playing with a franchise created elsewhere and made lots of money. In some ways, he’s the more logical choice – he has the experience with doing that kind of film.

Imagine what a Michael Bay version of The Avengers would have been like. This is also the guy who is producing the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, only now its just called Ninja Turtles and they’re not mutant turtles, they’re aliens from space. Go ahead; imagine what he would have done with The Avengers.

Okay, I’m obviously not a big Michael Bay fan. But plug in someone else as well (who I don’t like) such Roland Emmerich who also has experience with big special effects laden money making films like (gawd help me) Independence Day, 2012, The Patriot, Godzilla (the remake) and so much more. What would an Emmerich Avengers film have looked like?

If you subscribe to the artistic widget theory then these guys could have made The Avengers and it would have made money. Would it have made the kind of money, however, that Whedon’s version is making and, more to all of our fannish hearts, would it have been as good? Would it have been such a quintessential Marvel story? I don’t think so. I have relatives and friends who aren’t fan geeks like most of us and they’re going back to the film and seeing it more than once because they just plain enjoyed it so much.

Why? Because whether they know it or not, it’s a Joss Whedon film, a Joss Whedon story. We who know his work can see it all over the place. The respect and power of the female characters in the story. The traditional Marvel tropes (heroes meet heroes, don’t like each other, fight and bicker, and then come together) done RIGHT. The clever dialogue, insightful characterization, playing with theme that Whedon does over and over again. It’s Whedon who made The Avengers the film that we all, fan and novice alike, are really loving worldwide.

I’ll give the suits their due – they chose Whedon instead of the more logical and safer choices. Joss Whedon had never directed a film on this scale before (Serenity is great but it’s not on this scale). However, he brought a passion and respect for the source material that satisfied all of us fans and made it accessible to everyone else. There may have been some questions out in Hollyweird when Whedon was picked but there can’t be any now. He wasn’t the “artistic widget” choice; he was the right choice.

‘Nuff said.

MONDAY: Mindy Newell, R.N., CNOR, C.G.


 

2011 Nebula Awards Winners

Nebula AwardsThe 2011 Nebula Awards, presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America for excellence in the field, were presented last night in a ceremony at the Nebula Awards Weekend, held in Arlington, Virginia. Walter Jon Williams was Toastmaster, and Astronaut Michael Fincke was the keynote speaker. Connie Willis was honored with the 2011 Damon Knight Grand Master Award for her lifetime contributions and achievements in the field.

Novel

Novella

  • “The Man Who Bridged the Mist”, Kij Johnson (Asimov’s 10-11/11)
  • “With Unclean Hands”, Adam-Troy Castro (Analog 11/11)
  • “The Ice Owl”, Carolyn Ives Gilman (F&SF 11-12/11)
  • ‘‘Kiss Me Twice’’, Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s 6/11)
  • “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary”, Ken Liu (Panverse Three)
  • Silently and Very Fast, Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)

Novelette

  • ‘‘What We Found’’, Geoff Ryman (F&SF 9-10/11)
  • “Six Months, Three Days”, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com 6/8/11)
  • “The Old Equations”, Jake Kerr (Lightspeed 7/11)
  • “The Migratory Pattern of Dancers”, Katherine Sparrow (GigaNotoSaurus 7/11)
  • “Sauerkraut Station”, Ferrett Steinmetz (GigaNotoSaurus 11/11)
  • “Fields of Gold”, Rachel Swirsky (Eclipse 4)
  • “Ray of Light”, Brad R. Torgersen (Analog 12/11)

Short Story

  • “The Paper Menagerie”, Ken Liu (F&SF 3-4/11)
  • “Her Husband’s Hands”, Adam-Troy Castro (Lightspeed 10/11)
  • “Mama, We Are Zhenya, Your Son”, Tom Crosshill (Lightspeed 4/11)
  • “Shipbirth”, Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s 2/11)
  • “Movement”, Nancy Fulda (Asimov’s 3/11)
  • “The Axiom of Choice”, David W. Goldman (New Haven Review Winter ’11)
  • “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees”, E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld 4/11)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Book

Octavia Butler and John Clute received the Solstice Award. Bud Webster received the SFWA Service Award.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Marc Alan Fishman: Words of Advice, From One Noob to Another

The Sunday after Free Comic Book Day, we Unshaven lads participated in a very old-skool styled convention. Housed in a ballroom and corridor in a hotel off a major road with little to no foot traffic. Don’t get me wrong, the show was fine for us. We made back our cost of attending, and a little to spare. Even better? I found some old Exo-Squad action figures and Matt got some old Marvel trading cards. It was a good day. What really made the con for us though, was our across-the-aisle neighbor. A young pup, still in college, selling at his first show. Shucks, we thought, that was us just a few years ago.

And then he asked us for advice.

Gasp!

We tripped over ourselves to unearth every con-attending-tip we’d accrued over the years. And this dude … well … he ate it up. This is what it must feel like to be Mike Gold.

With that in mind, I thought I might take a week off my normal ranting and raving to give some sage advice to all four of you reading this column who are either younger than me, or like ironically reading advice from a nobody. Specifically, I want to address people out there looking to start a web-comic. Why? Well, because Unshaven Comics wants to do it. See? I’m offering advice to myself. How meta! But I digress … some things to consider:

1. Deadlines exist on the web too.

The best web-comics being produced today all share one thing in common. They update on a schedule. The point is clear: Commit or quit. If nothing else, I freely admit this is the single reason Unshaven Comics has yet to have to throw a tooned-up beard in the ring. We’ve simply never mustered the gumption to produce work in such a manner people can depend on it. With the advent of our website we’ve slowly come to terms with posting content on a schedule. We’ve released podcasts nearly every week the site’s been live … as well as releasing monthly sketch contests inspired by our fans. It’s only now that we feel comfortable enough to commit to a schedule. Hence … a forthcoming launch is inevitable.

2. Your voice will come all in good time.

I look at my favorite web-comics these days … Penny Arcade, PvP, Let’s Be Friends Again, The Gutters … and it’s easy to notice how styles (both in script and in presentation) evolve over time. Well, maybe not so much The Gutters, but there’s always an exception to the rule. One of the best parts of working on the web is that it’s a forever-shifting canvas. All artists evolve. A web-comic is as much a timeline of an artist’s work as anything else. The key here is to just start making strips, and let the product and the responses you get to it, help shape it as you continue. This applies not only to the ‘funnies’ mind you. Even the serious web-comic is a never-ending project in process. Just as joke writers learn to find their own voice … so too, do novelists, musicians, etc. Simply put? Your comic needs to have a point-of-view, and a set of rules to play with and then eventually break. None of this comes though, if you’re waiting to “perfect the idea.” Sometimes you just have to hit “post” and let it ride.

3. Putting your name on it means it shouldn’t suck.

It’s an oldie but a goodie. If you sign your name to something, mean it. A commitment to craft at all times can only stand to sway your readership to stick it out with you. Read and reread your script. Ensure characters stay on model. If you can’t draw a hand, go take some classes and come back when you’re ready. Your audience will evolve with you, but if your “pilot” isn’t enough to capture them the first time you’re wasting pixels and bandwidth. While this may seen an antithesis to my previous point, it is indeed not. Put frankly, you need to find a balance between delivering a product you’re proud of, and challenging yourself to get better with every book/strip/joke/piece.

4. No creator is an island.

The single best part of making comics for me is sharing the experience with my two best friends. The second best part of making comics is meeting and collaborating with like-minded creators. Scott Kurtz eventually packed his bags and moved to Seattle to be inspired and challenged by the Penny Arcade dudes. In Art School the critique exists not to knock us down as much as it’s there to pick us up after we fall. That being said, sharing your work as you create can only stand to ensure you reach your target audience with the best foot forward.

5. Don’t be afraid to get off-topic.

Some of my favorite strips have all been smart enough to know when to take a break. Not from posting mind you … but from continuing a narrative without coming up for air. Fans of PvP no doubt refer to LOLBat, Scott Kurtz’s love letter to Memes, action comics tropes, and lighter-than-normal punchlines. And after a heavier set of strips, nothing cleanses the palate (of both artist and reader) better than a well-placed non-sequitur. The key being able to know when to “go to the well” to take that break. Cookies are only a sometimes food, kiddos.

I’m sure there’s tons more points to be made on this subject. Consider this being me putting a pin in the idea. And hey, I’m no stranger to listening to myself. If you have any suggestions for budding web-comic creators … why not put some of them in the comments below?

See you in the funny pages. Well … webpages that is …

SUNDAY: John Ostrander Gets Weird On The Avengers

 

LORNE GREENE, VINCENT PRICE, LEONARD NIMOY, WEIRD TALES, THE SPIDER AND MORE!

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

 
May 18, 2012
 
 
“Weird Tales” was a proposed radio series recorded in Hollywood in 1932 and based on stories in the famous horror themed Pulp of the same name, notable for featuring such iconic authors as Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft. The series was produced by Hollywood Radio Attractions, 4376 Sunset Drive, Hollywood. In a promotional flyer for the program, they advertise three episodes that had been produced and the company was planning to record a total of 52 half-hour shows.
 
Scholars looking at the history of “Weird Tales” magazine have heard about the series for years, but no recordings of the shows themselves or many detail about the series have surfaced until now.
 
Radio Archives is giving you a chance to hear an episode of Weird Tales for Free! Similar to “The Witch’s Tale”, the show was created in such a way that they could be played as one half-hour program each week or split into two fifteen minute shows, completing one story each week. Click the Weird Tales Banner and listen to the Weird Tales radio show today!

 
 

 
Need proof that Radio Drama is timeless and can capture a modern, more sophisticated audience as well as classic shows did in the early 20th Century? The Mutual Radio Theater, Volume 1 is definitely evidence of that.
 
The Mutual Radio Theater aired every weeknight on hundreds of Mutual stations March to December 1980, 103 original one-hour shows being produced. This program was no small attempt to recapture the glory days of Old Time Radio by any means. It was reported to have a budget of several million dollars and involved talent that definitely was worth every penny spent.
 
Each program was written specifically for radio, including scripts penned by such radio legends as Arch Oboler, Norman, Corwin, and Elliot Lewis. And the stories themselves ranged the genre gambit.
 
As a matter of fact, Mutual Radio Theater’s commitment to variety is clearly evident in how each night’s program was dedicated to a certain genre and hosted by a different notable performer. Lorne Greene hosted Western Night on Monday. Andy Griffith followed on Tuesday with Comedy Night. Wednesday Night was Mystery Night hosted by Vincent Price. Love & Hate took center stage on Thursday, hosted by Cicely Tyson. Friday Night was Adventure Night with Leonard Nimoy as host.
 
Mutual Radio Theater, Volume 1 is a 20 CD set consisting of programs as they originally aired, complete and uncut, with original commercials, and produced in full stereo-high fidelity. Thrills, chills, laughs, tears, and more. Mutual Radio Theater, Volume 1 has it all with star power! And it can be yours for only $39.98 from Radio Archives in a beautful 20 CD storage case!
 

 
All good things must come to an end. At least in this case, Claudia, Volume 14 from Radio Archives finishes out a complete run of a timeless, unique soap opera from the classic era of Radio restored to the most sparkling audio quality possible. Engaging characters, plots that at times incite laughter and tears, and ups and downs that average listeners faced delivered in fifteen-minute punches every day. This was Claudia.
 
Claudia debuted in 1947 and was far different than its strife-ridden forbears. Claudia didn’t offer the anguish and heartbreak that typified most of its peers. But the very elements it was lacking quickly became its strengths. Heard today, Claudia remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its light-hearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters. As she presents in these last episodes, Claudia has become a unique mixture of enthusiasm, incompetence and over-confidence — deeply in love with her somewhat older husband David but frequently naive and too likely to trust her insecurities rather than her instincts. Listeners originally got to know Claudia, David, and all the people around them in daily doses of fifteen minutes. Radio Archives has been able to locate and preserve the entire eighteen-month run of Claudia allowing you to enjoy the complete series on a day-by-day basis. With Claudia, Volume 14 Radio Archives gives to you the closing chapters of the complete story beginning to end of two people and the world they made for themselves and their listeners – one day at a time. Seven hours for only $20.98 on Audio CDs.

 

 
 

The Spider Returns on “Wings of the Black Death”
 
A scourge not seen since the Middle Ages descends on America’s largest city, wielded by a criminal mastermind who threatens to wipe out New York … and reveal The Spider’s true identity in the process!
 
“Wings of the Black Death”, Norvell W. Page’s inaugural novel as author of The Spider, is now available in a deluxe audiobook from RadioArchives.com!
 
Following on the success of RadioArchives.com first Spider audiobook, “Prince of the Red Looters”, this new audio adventure pits Richard Wentworth, alias The Spider, against the first of a long line of evil malefactors devised by Page that would inhabit the webbed crusader’s life for the next ten years.
 
The Spider Battles a Vicious Foe
In “Wings of the Black Death”, Manhattan is under siege from a new brand of terrorist – a human monster who calls himself the Black Death. Unless the city fathers pay a monumental ransom, New York will become a city of unspeakable destruction.
 
As Will Murray says in his introduction, “With his first white-heat story, Norvell W. Page remade Richard Wentworth into a messianic avenger unlike anything pulp readers ever read before. Driven, deadly, The Spider was a daredevil caught between the law that branded him as a criminal and the underworld he terrorized with his metallic laugh and searing lead.”
 
Dynamic Narration and Production
Produced by Roger Rittner, with full period music score and extensive sound effects, “Wings of the Black Death”, like its predecessor, is narrated by Nick Santa Maria, with Robin Riker as Nita Van Sloan.
 
“Listeners who enjoyed ‘Prince of the Red Looters’ will delight in Nick’s dynamic narration,” Roger says, “as well as an extended and enhanced role for Robin as Nita battles the malevolent Black Death on her own. Will Wentworth come to the rescue? (Do you have to ask?)”
 

by Derrick Ferguson
 

Doctor Death is back and I for one am more than ecstatic to have a new adventure of this prince of Mad Scientists to listen and thrill to, thanks to Radio Archives. I first became acquainted with the character in “Twelve Must Die” in which we are introduced to Doctor Death aka psychology Professor Rance Mandarin, formerly of Yale. Professor Mandarin apparently needed a whole lot of psychological help himself as his train of thought completely goes off the rails. Mandarin renames himself Doctor Death and dedicates himself to forcing mankind to abandon all technology and industry. To accomplish these ends, Mandarin enters into an unholy compact with the very powers of darkness which gives him hideous supernatural abilities. All sorts of hellish creatures are at his beck and call. Who can stop such a monster?
 
Fortunately for us, Jimmy Holm is on our side. An occult criminologist and detective he battles against the schemes of Doctor Death with the stalwart New York Police Inspector John Ricks right by his side. In addition, Jimmy has the full support and considerable power of The Secret Twelve to back him up. The Secret Twelve are the most influential men in the country: industrialists, scientists, business magnates…even The President of The United States and the country’s Number #1 mobster are members of The Secret Twelve. And Jimmy is going to need all their help if he’s to stop Doctor Death’s latest fiendish scheme.
 
And Jimmy’s job is made more difficult due to Doctor Death having kidnapped his fiancé Nina. She was once Doctor Death’s assistant before falling into love with Jimmy and renouncing her allegiance to Doctor Death. She’s the one person who knows the most about Doctor Death and having her back in his clutches drives Jimmy to distraction but he’s going to have to keep his head in the game as the grisly blood-soaked trail of the insane Doctor Death takes him and Inspector Ricks to Egypt for a showdown.
 
I would dearly love more of Doctor Death as The Gray Creatures is excellent at blending spine-tingling supernatural thrills with pulse-pounding action/adventure. Once again Joey D’Auria demonstrates his remarkable vocal talents, giving an energy and vitality to the reading of the story that I couldn’t help but be mesmerized. Once again, a Radio Archives audiobook that I strongly suggest setting aside an afternoon to listen to the entire thing because once you start, I think I can safely guarantee you’ll be hooked. Enjoy.
 
Thrill and chill to Doctor Death: The Gray Creatures for only $17.98 from Radio Archives today!
 

 
1 cent Spider eBook!

 
For a limited time you can now download an exciting original Spider adventure for just one thin penny! Part of the Will Murray Pulp Classics line, The Spider #11, Prince of the Red Looters first saw print in 1934 and features his momentous battle with The Fly and his armies of crazed criminal killers. Their motto? Why “KILL THE SPIDER!” of course.
 
For those who have been unsure about digging into the wonderful world of pulps this is a perfect opportunity to give one of these fantastic yarns a real test run. With a full introduction to the Spider written by famed pulp historian and author Will Murray, The Spider #11 was written by one of pulp’s most respected authors, Norvell W. Page. Writing as Grant Stockbridge, Page’s stories included some of the most bizarre and fun takes on heroes and crime fighting in the history of escapist fiction.
 
Even today Page’s scenarios and his edge-of-the-seat writing style are still thrilling both new and old fans everywhere. For those who have never read one of these rollercoaster adventures, you are in for a thrill. If you already know how much fun a classic pulp is, make sure you download this bargain.
 
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you purchase this eBook from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your Spider novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new. Use the PDF version when reading on your PC or Mac computer. If you have a Kindle, the Mobi version is what you want. If you have an iPad/iPhone, Android, Sony eReader or Nook, then the ePub version is what you want.

 

 

The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge Ebooks! Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your E-Reader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator 5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like Doctor Death and more, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
 
Five new golden age Pulp tales exquisitely reformatted into visually stunning E-books!

 

By what strange twist of Fate did the fearful menace which was to shadow every man and woman in New York City first rear its venomous head in the distant Caribbean? When terror suddenly boarded a little tramp steamer and left crimson havoc littering its narrow decks a spluttering wireless flashed the doom of every living thing aboard. Within a week, the same ghastly fate struck a gigantic new ocean liner, its luxurious cabins occupied by the elite and powerful of a dozen different nations! Death — swift and terrible — rode the ocean lanes. And the Spider — taken for once off guard — was supposedly dying in a hospital room on the very day when that terror from the seas first showed itself in all its terror above the city skyline. How can the Spider, fighting death himself, help the nation he loves in her hour of greatest need? Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 
Thousands of busy persons bent over their desks in the tallest building in the world — conducting the commerce of the nation — when suddenly the steel girders began to creak and twist, and the gigantic edifice swayed giddily in the rising wind. Never before had criminal brains devised a more cunning or a more horrible weapon to garner their ill-gotten treasures. And never before was the Spider so strenuously put to test — for the Master, the man behind the devastation and death, eluded every suspicion, foresaw every contingency, left no tell-tale clues behind him as he ravaged, slayed and pillaged… Richard Wentworth, working for once hand in hand with the organized forces of law and order, fights the grimmest battle of his long career. Can the Spider avenge the countless dead who have already fallen? Can he bring the Murder Master to the justice he so richly deserves? Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 

A powerful army of invasion — armed with the most ghastly modern weapons: bacteria, plagues, hideous diseases — lay carefully hidden within the borders of the United States, ready to strike at the heart of the nation, to kill, pillage, demolish… A foreign demagogue, mad-drunk with power, greed, and lust, planned the slaughter of a million helpless men and women, to sate his twisted, race-proud ambition. Belligerent nations watched and waited, sighting America helpless before them. One man — Operator 5 — read the crimson writing on the wall — and he alone was left to battle the frightful odds!

 
Renegades from nine worlds crash out from interplanetary prison in a weird quest for phantom treasure. Follow the Futuremen as the greatest feud of all time catapults them into the fifth dimension. Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.

 

Renegades from nine worlds crash out from interplanetary prison in a weird quest for phantom treasure. Follow the Futuremen as the greatest feud of all time catapults them into the fifth dimension. Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.
 

When you purchase these beautifully reformatted eBooks from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
 
Find these legendary Pulp tales and more in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, now available in the Kindle store and the Barnes and Noble Nook store! The best Pulp eBooks now available for only $2.99 each from Radio Archives!
 

 

 

Altus Press is proud to announce the release of the third volume in its acclaimed Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series, written by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson.
 
Set in the Fall of 1936, The Infernal Buddha tells the epic story of Doc Savage’s desperate quest to control the Buddha of Ice, a relic of unknown origin—and what may become the most dangerous object on Earth!
 
When a mummy arrives at Doc Savage’s New York headquarters wearing the clothes of his missing assistant, engineer Renny Renwick, Doc, Monk, and Ham rush to Singapore where they get on the trail of a swashbuckling pirate who calls himself the Scourge of the South China Sea, in whose hands a piece of the infernal Buddha has fallen. The trail leads to Pirate Island, the fate of Renny, and a mysterious box containing a terrible, unstoppable power.
 
But that is only the beginning of the quest into which the Man of Bronze plunges—one that will take him to the upper reaches of the Yellow Sea and a series a wild ocean battles against the vicious factions fighting for control on the infernal Buddha.
 
Before it is all over, every human life on Earth will tremble on the brink of eternity, and Doc Savage will face his greatest test.
 
“This may be my wildest Doc novel to date,” says author Will Murray. “The Infernal Buddha is a fantasy epic full of corsairs, criminals and other culprits. The menace is planetary. The threat, extinction. Doc Savage has a reputation for saving the world. This time he does it on the greatest scale possible. I began this book back in 1992, working from an opening situation Lester Dent started in 1935. Together, we have produced a true Doc Savage epic. And it only took about 75 years….”
 
The Infernal Buddha features a startling cover painted by Joe DeVito, depicting Doc Savage as the Buccaneer of Bronze! This cover was painted from a still taken in 1964 of legendary model Steve Holland, and is a variant pose shot for famed illustrator James Bama’s classic cover to The Man of Bronze. There has never been a Doc cover like it! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.
 

 

The pulp era’s greatest superman returns in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent and William Bogart writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, the Man of Bronze is summoned to the Oklahoma oil fields to confront the horrific rampage of “The Derrick Devil.” Then, Doc and his aides journey to Lake Erie where a mysterious malady is turning steel workers into “The Spotted Men.” This double-novel collector’s edition features the classic color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of nine Doc Savage novels. Priced at only $14.95.
 

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! Triple Novel Special! The Knight of Darkness combats supercrime in an extra-length volume showcasing tales by each of the pulp wordsmiths who wrote as “Maxwell Grant.” First, in a violent thriller by Theodore Tinsley, The Shadow investigates the murderous machinations of “The Prince of Evil,” a sadistic fiend who delights in torture and human misery. Then, The Shadow enters a series of diabolical deathtraps disguised as a “Messenger of Death” to retrieve a secret formula in a classic mystery by Walter Gibson. Finally, Lamont Cranston tracks down a hidden serial killer in Bruce Elliott’s “Room 1313.” This extra-length collector’s special showcases the original color covers by Graves Gladney and Modest Stein and the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and Paul Orban, with historical articles by Will Murray and Rick Lai. Buy it today for $14.95.

 

One of the top crime-fighters from the golden age of pulp fiction, The Spider returns in two thrill-packed adventures written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “The Spider and the Scarlet Surgeon” (1941), With unheard of skill, the Red Surgeon can change a patient into an imbecile… or a genius of crime! Not only can he alter the physical shell, but this mad doctor can even amputate parts of a victim’s personality, even their conscience. And his greatest ambition is to operate on none other than Stanley Kirkpatrick, Nita van Sloan… and the Spider! Then, in “The Spider and the Death Piper” (1942), Weird compelling music lures the inhabitants of Martinsville to suicide! By ones and twos at first, then in a stampede of maddened self-destruction. Even Richard Wentworth, with the iron will of the Spider, felt the irresistible calling of that Devil-tune! Can even the Master of Men prevail against an unearthly power that goads the listener to suicide? These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
 
 
 
 

By Dr Art Sippo

 
It is 1948 in Shanghai China. A mysterious young woman known only as Canta works a freelance agent making her living on the shady side of post-War China’s economy. Only 25 years old and she is already a legend. One evening she is accosted by four thugs: huge men who know how to inflict pain. Out of the darkness a crippled man comes to her rescue and scatters her attackers. He sees her again several times and then tries to recruit her help in locating a man who recently disappeared while in Shanghai on business. That man was Long Tom Roberts. Roberts had been planning to investigate the activities of a man named Makaroff who moved like a ghost throughout the Far East and took with him a trio of bodyguards who never slept.
 
It turns out that Canta’s hobbled rescuer was Doc Savage in disguise and that the thugs had been hired by him to fake the attack. But they had gone off script and tried to harm the Bronze Man for real. Who had put them up to this? Canta herself. That is how this convoluted story begins.
 
The Hot war with Japan and Germany is just cooling down while Cold War is just beginning to heat up. Doc Savage and his men are working with Uncle Sam to thwart a major communist plot against the British Crown Colonies in Asia. Can they succeed? Or will the byzantine plots in the Shanghai underworld outwit even the Man of Bronze? Answer these questions and more, plus get another Doc adventure, by getting your copy of Doc Savage, Volume 15 today from Radio Archives for $12.95!
 

Comments From Our Customers!
 
Michael Payton:
Love the Spider eBooks. I sampled the audio books yesterday too. WOW. I’m buying both Spider volumes as soon as I get the extra cash. I posted links to them and the penny Spider ebook deal on my Facebook page, the Comic Book Resources Forum’s Spider thread and on Dynamite Comics’ FB page since they publish the new Spider comics. It’s a great comic and hopefully new fans will sample the original pulps too. Hope you get a few new customers.
 
Rolf Pickelmann from Germany writes:

Good job on the Adventures of Doc Savage! I love it. The remastery was really successful. I read Doc Savage as a child and love to hear today the old radio shows in new quality. I will be back with the next order soon

 
Linda Corigliano writes:
I wanted to thank you. I think this has been the first response I have ever received where the provider has been so willing to work with the customer. I just wanted you to know how impressed I am with your customer service response. Thank you so much for being one of the good guys.
 

Kristen writes:

The Shadow book arrived safely yesterday. Thanks for the box! My mail is so often bent out of shape, but not this time. Thanks also for the little extra, the radio play disc. I will definitely enjoy that! I’m so glad they are reprinting these stories. Now I can have fun reading them without spending too much money. Most of all, I love the artwork. 

 

If you’d like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We’d love to hear from you!

 
The products you’ve read about in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you’ll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it’s the sparkling audio fidelity of our classic radio collections, the excitement of our new line of audiobooks, or the timeless novels of the pulp heroes, you’ll find hundreds of intriguing items at RadioArchives.com.
 
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, or if this newsletter has been sent to you in error, please reply to this e-mail with the subject line UNSUBSCRIBE and your name will immediately be removed from our mailing list.
 

The Point Radio: America’s Got Howard Stern

Howard Stern has stepped into his new role on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT and guess what – the world didn’t end!  Howard talks to us about how NBC has treated him so far, his response to fans who said he “sold out” and why he feels he is “America‘s Judge”. Plus the GHOST HUNTERS team talks about how their jobs and personal lives collide, and Angie Harmon could be a smashing She Hulk!


The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Martha Thomases: Whedon and Women

Summer’s here and the time is right for geeking in the street. In a triumph of nerd culture, The Avengers may be the most successful movie of all time. Certainly, with the second week box office results breaking all kinds of records, there is more going on here than people who read comic books going opening day. There aren’t enough people who read superhero comics to make a movie that successful.

There are, however, enough shared values among comic book creators and movie creators to make a hit. In the case of The Avengers, a lot of the credit must go to Joss Whedon. Whedon earned his cred not only by writing awesome comics, but by producing Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Dollhouse.

Those shows had loyal fan bases (which didn’t overlap enough, or we’d still have the latter two on the air). They also shared a marvelous, matter-of-fact feminist sensibility.

The critical response? Not so much.

Most of the critical reviews single out Scarlett Johansson, saying she can’t act, or she’s only there to look pretty. One comment called her a female Keanu Reeves, which irked me for multiple reasons. I enjoy Keanu Reeves. I thought he was brilliant in My Own Private Idaho. And I really like Johansson in The Avengers. I believe she, like her character, has a brain in her head.

What I mostly enjoy about her character is the fact that her motivations are similar to those of her teammates. She wants to rescue her colleague, Hawkeye. Being on the team is part of her job, which she takes seriously.

The Black Widow is not on the team because she’s somebody’s girlfriend or sister. She’s not there to provide a love interest for a more important male character. She’s not there to be taken hostage by the bad guy (a role played, too some extent, by Hawkeye). She is not murdered and stuffed in a refrigerator. She doesn’t wear a costume that is more revealing than anyone else’s, or that defies the laws of physics to keep the film’s PG-13 rating. That’s reserved for the Hulk’s pants, which seem to grow when he does during the New York City battle.

Of course, she must be vilified.

In our popular culture, we’re very threatened by women who consider themselves to be just as able and just as interesting and just as important as men consider themselves to be. If women find meaning in their own lives, a huge market in cosmetics, plastic surgery, fashion and hair color dries up. If women think they can find meaning and value within themselves, they might only wear stiletto heels as a lark, and not proof of their femininity. They might have relationships with men they like, and not for status or validation.

The powers-that-be don’t enjoy that possibility. They’ve kept it out of almost all the other super-hero stories.

As fans and as feminists, we have an obligation to hold their feet to the fire when the inevitable sequels arrive. Joss can’t – and shouldn’t – have to do it alone.

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman 

LUCKY EDDIE – A STEEL CITY NOIR TALE

  • Uncategorized
  • May 17, 2012
Art: Julian Lopez

This month’s installment of STEEL CITY NOIR called “Lucky Eddie” is live at http://welcometotripcity.com/2012/05/steel-city-noir-lucky-eddie.

Lucky Eddie is written by Vito Delsante with Illustration by Julian Lopez.

“Lucky Eddie is a story about gambling, something which I’m not very fond of, but I do pretty often,” says Delsante about his latest Steel City Noir tale. “It’s also a story about luck and fate, and how much stock we tend to put in those two things, especially in a casino.”

You can read the Lucky Eddie Primer here and the full story here.

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