Author: Tommy Hancock

NIGHTBEAT: NIGHT STORIES GETS PULPED!

  • News
  • November 20, 2012

In a very special episode, Tommy Hancock invites four writers- Paul Bishop, Bobby Nash, Mark Squirek and Will Murray- who participated in a very special project with Hancock as a fellow writer and editor- the first originally produced audiobook and ebook from Pulp leader Radio Archives- NIGHTBEAT: NIGHT STORIES!  Based on the classic 1950s radio show, this collection follows Reporter Randy Stone on brand new adventures penned by modern writers.  Also in this special episode, Tommy interviews noted actor Michael C. Gwynne, the voice of the NIGHTBEAT: NIGHT STORIES audiobook!  Join Tommy and this exceptional crew of creators as they talk Old Time Radio, modern takes on classic tales, and more as NIGHTBEAT: NIGHT STORIES gets PULPED!
LISTEN HERE!

FORTIER TAKES ON ‘THE BAT STAFFEL’ WITH G-8!

  • Uncategorized
  • November 17, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS- by Ron Fortier
G-8 And His BATTLE ACES
THE BAT STAFFEL
By Robert J. Hogan
A Berkley Medallion Book
Cover by Jim Steranko
Dated 1969
142 pages
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As most pulp fans know, back in the late 1960s and early 70s, many paperback publishers began reprinting the old classic pulp magazines.  The most popular of these reprint series were the Doc Savage books with the stylized James Bama covers and the Conan adventures as defined by master artist, Frank Frazetta.  Of course many other pulp heroes also received the paperback treatment as the fad caught on for several years introducing a whole new generation of readers to these classic figures.  Among some of the other heroes to find new life in the small softcover market were the Avenger, the Shadow, Operator 5 and the man known as the Flying Master Spy, G-8 And His Battle Aces.
Put out by Popular Publications, G-8 was one of many aviation heroes of the time to include Bill Barnes and Dusty Ayres amongst others.  Yet his magazine was the one with the longest run.  Debuting in October of 1933 it went to produce a whopping 110 issues; all of them written by Robert J. Hogan.  Another uniqueness with this title was the fact that Popular allowed Hogan’s name to be used. The habit of the pulps was to create a bogus house-name for a monthly series so that they could employ multiple writers, as most of them did, without the fans being any the wiser.  Not so with Hogan, who at the height of his career was writing three monthly books and numerous short stories to compile a staggering average of 200,000 words a month; a feat no other American writer has ever equaled. 
Robert Jasper Hogan was the son of a Dutch Reformer minister born in 1897 and raised in Buskirk, NY.  A graduate of St. Lawrence University, before turning to writing full time, he was a cowboy, a boxer, piano player, pilot and airplane salesman.  Thus his realistic descriptions of G-8’s aerial combats have a ring of authenticity to them.  Hogan became friends with many veteran airmen who had fought in World War One and he based a great deal of his adventures on them and their exploits while at the same adding a heavy dose of the macabre.  Each of his G-8 adventures were an efficient blend of spy thriller, aviation adventure and horror fantasy.
Although aware of the character, I’d never read a G-8 story before and decided to correct that while attending this year’s Pulp Fest in Columbus, Ohio.  Luckily, with the help of pulp fan David Walker, I managed to find three of those Berkley paperback reprints including the very first G-8 novel, THE BAT STAFFEL.  It is a solid, rousing debut of the series introducing us not only to the mysterious G-8, whose true identity we are never to learn, but his colorful supporting cast to include his British valet, Battle and his soon to be arch nemesis, Herr Doktor Krueger, the Kairser’s number one mad scientist.  Krueger has developed a deadly poison gas that, when inhaled, turns its victims into piles of ashes.  The German air corps has built half a dozen flying machines resembling giant bats and fitted them with tanks to carry the deadly fumes.
No sooner does G-8 discover this plot then the Bat Staffel attacks a small French town and completely decimates it.  Infuriated by this merciless savagery, G-8 flies off to combat these bat-planes single handedly and is almost done in.  Fortunately he is saved by two American pilots who come to his aid.  The first is the small, happy-go-lucky Nippy Weston who has a penchant for magic tricks and practical jokes and then there is the former college All American Half Back, Bull Martin is a giant of fellow with a granite-like jaw and the heart of a kitten.
Loyal to a fault, Nippy and Weston, upon discovering they have just saved the famous spy, G-8, enthusiastically sign on to be his wingmen in his campaign to foil the Bat Staffel.  From that point on the three of them escape one dangerous death-trap after another, each using his flying skills and other abilities to stay alive and defeat their enemies.  THE BAT STAFFEL is a fast paced, truly imaginative glimpse back into the heyday of the pulps and a fantastic introduction to one of pulpdom’s all time greatest heroes.  Next time you’re at a pulp convention, follow my lead and hunt up copies of G-8  And His Battle Aces.  You won’t be disappointed.

NEW ORIGINAL NIGHTBEAT COLLECTION FROM RADIO ARCHIVES! AND MORE!

  • News
  • November 16, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

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November 16, 2012
 
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“Hi, This is Randy Stone. I cover the Nightbeat for the Chicago Star. Stories start in many different ways…”
 
One of the more memorable openings from the days of old time Radio, these lines spoken by actor Frank Lovejoy opened each episode of Nightbeat. For over two years from February 1950 through September 1952, NBC played host to the adventures of Randy Stone, wisecracking, tough guy reporter with a heart of gold.
 
An actor of many talents, Lovejoy worked as an announcer and actor on radio, his first leading role being that of comic book super hero The Blue Beetle in the 1940s. His distinctive voice, however, can be heard in multiple shows, from Dragnet to Suspense. Lovejoy also made a career in films, establishing himself as a strong character actor. Lovejoy’s straight forward tough guy with a heart persona gave him a career well into the era of early television, including leads in two television series as well as multiple guest appearances on other programs until his death in 1962.
 
Frank Lovejoy brought a certain everyman edge to the role of Randy Stone, the after hours scribe scouring Chicago for the best and the worst the night had to offer. He also had just enough muscle and grit in his voice to let everyone know, both characters and listeners, that Randy Stone was a man of strength and morals, “someone who knew the city that he worked in like a lover.” Couple that with a thunderous opening fanfare, well crafted and tightly plotted stories, and a strong supporting cast of actors and Nightbeat clearly stands out as one of the best remembered shows from Radio’s Golden era, even though it only lasted 28 months in its initial run.
 
Nightbeat, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 now features a new wonderfully atmospheric cover by Douglas Klauba. Stone, looking remarkably like Lovejoy, is front and center in this piece as he is in each story, facing danger while taking care of others. Klauba’s cover captures the essence of each episode of Nightbeat and these three Radio Archives collections feature 20 episodes per volume restored to sparkling audio quality.
 
Nightbeat is not only a classic radio show, but a program that combines the best elements of storytelling together to make each episode stand out as a classic. Enjoy the newspaper adventures of Randy Stone for yourself with Nightbeat, Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Each collection contains Ten hours, Twenty shows of Nightbeat. $29.98 Audio CDs / $14.99 Download.
 
 
Spotlight on Artist, Douglas Klauba
 

Artist Douglas Klauba is no stranger to applying his artistic talents to classic characters of Pulp, Radio, and more. He brings his fantastic ability to Radio Archives once again with a cover that is featured both on an old time radio collection as well as products featuring new tales of a classic character.
 
Randy Stone, the Chicago Reporter in the radio program Nightbeat, is captured by Klauba in an action scene worthy of the show itself. Doug’s cover also fronts the Nightbeat: Night Stories audiobook and ebook, new tales of Randy Stone produced by Radio Archives.
 
Not only is he an artist known for bringing his talent to reviving concepts from the past, Doug is also a fan. “I grew up with a great bunch of friends that collected comic books, monster magazines, made Super 8 films, recorded our own amateur OTR dramas, and created and published our own fanzines. I drew all the time! Those interests led me toward art school and I am a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago.”
 
His interests growing up definitely influenced Doug’s work. “There is a large part of me that has always had an interest in shadows and light playing its part in storytelling in cinema and art. I also get that same thrill with listening to OTR, since I have an active imagination. Pulp art and comic books! Golden age illustration, movie poster art and paperback covers! They have always been an influence on my drawings and paintings. It’s what interests me and I let it inspire my work.”
 
As for the Nightbeat artwork specifically, Doug stated, “It’s a straight forward film noir inspired, pulp cover composition. I took a bit of a chance and worked with a different color palette that I normally would have worked in – and different brand of paint. I also put myself into the mindset as a depression era illustrator working for the pulps. I worked on this project only at night, listening to hours of Frank Lovejoy’s thrilling stories set in Chicago. Plain and simple, I wanted it to look like a pulp magazine cover.”
 
Doug has a connection to Nightbeat that goes beyond an artist painting a picture. “Nightbeat is Frank Lovejoy in Chicago. I’m born and raised in Chicago. I’ve lived and worked in the city most of my life. I worked in an illustration studio that was in a building on Wabash Avenue right behind the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper building and pretty much right across the street from the Chicago Tribune building. My uncle worked for the Sun-Times and I saw newspapermen and women all the time. The memory of the city at night, with its lights and shadows, and nighttime noises of cars and people. I love the city and I love the Nightbeat stories. They capture the imagination that lurks in a big city without us knowing. It gives us the excitement of the good guys solving the crime and us being a part of it along the way.”
 
Thrill to the classic episodes of Nightbeat in Radio Archives’ three volume set as well as the new adventures featured in the Nightbeat: Night Stories audiobook and eBook, all featuring a wonderfully rendered cover by Douglas Klauba.
 

 
Spotlight on Designer, Russell Pierce
 
An integral part of every product produced by Radio Archives is the design work that goes into each radio set, audiobook cover, eBook cover, the website and more. Russell Pierce is the magician behind the design work done for Radio Archives and brings a wealth of experience with him.
 
“I studied graphic design and illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City,” said Russell, “and started my first design firm there after leaving school. This was before the advent of computers and I was well-versed in all the traditional production methods. When computers came into the industry I jumped into the digital world right away. I’ve always considered myself on the bleeding edge of technology and was constantly exploring and experimenting with different systems. Over the years I’ve had the privilege to work with many top brands including Hewlett-Packard, Yamaha, MTV, Sony-Columbia Tri-Star, Mattel, Pepsi and many others and have worked in every major category producing branding, advertising, packaging as well as interactive work that now includes mobile app design.”
 
Although he’s had a wide and varied career, Pierce looks at what he does for Radio Archives a bit differently. “I regard my work with Radio Archives as fun. I enjoy the category and have always been a fan of pulp artwork especially. When I first started working for Radio Archives, my goal was to establish a professional, cohesive brand for the entire line of products. I feel we’ve been very successful so far and I’m proud of everything we produce from the audiobooks, eBooks, etc. as well as all the various marketing materials we’re producing.”
 
When putting together packaging for Radio Archives products, Russell finds that, although different forms of art may be used, one fact remains true. “When you have a great piece of art to start with the job is relatively easy. Usually the art comes from a pulp cover that needs to have type and other graphics removed so it can work for our covers. Luckily the sophistication of the digital tools today makes it fairly easy to edit the art. Sometimes I also need to re-create the original logos so that we would have the flexibility to move it around on the artwork.”
 
In terms of the new designs for both existing and new Nightbeat related products, Russell Pierce is thankful for the artist involved. “Working with Doug has been great, he understands what our needs are. Doug makes my job easy. He doesn’t require a lot of art direction if any, he just hones in on the subject and goes for it. The best part is no digital retouching is needed and he gives me lots of room around the main subject to work with so that it will crop easily in various layouts. His work is great, it captures the essence of the old pulp art yet has a somewhat contemporary feel to it. Having custom illustration produced exclusively for Radio Archives brings a lot to our brand.” Russell Pierce himself also brings quite a bit to the look and brand of Radio Archives as well.

 

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NEW OTR Audiobook: Nightbeat: “Night Stories”
 

In 1950, NBC began broadcasting Nightbeat, considered one of the finest shows of its time. The show featured Randy Stone, a reporter who covered the night beat for the Chicago Star with a unique blend of wit, compassion and toughness. From murder to mystery, gunplay to climactic chases, from heartache to hardboiled, every night brought a new story to Randy Stone. Radio Archives invites you to listen to six brand new Nightbeat stories set on the streets of Randy Stone’s Chicago in Nightbeat: Night Stories.
 
Authors Howard Hopkins, Will Murray, Paul Bishop, Mark Squirek, Bobby Nash and Tommy Hancock breathe new life into Randy Stone, bringing the nostalgic noir feel of the radio series fans have enjoyed for over sixty years to newly written tales that capture the true essence of Nightbeat.
 
A mystery involving a puzzle. A mad killer strangling women. A young boy on the wrong road. An old flame threatening to burn again. Blood and conspiracy in the boxing ring. The murder of a reporter. And at the center of every tale, Randy Stone. This nostalgic collection of new tales for your listening pleasure comes alive courtesy of noted voice actor Michael C. Gwynne. Delivering each line with a mix of two fisted determination and humanity, Gwynne makes Randy Stone and his Chicago living, breathing realities for both Nightbeat fans and new listeners.
 
Listen as 1950s Chicago comes alive when the sun sets. Join Michael C. Gwynne as Randy Stone in Nightbeat: Night Stories. Features an original oil painting cover by Douglas Klauba.
 

This Collection includes:
Introduction by Tommy Hancock
Strangler by Howard Hopkins
The Chicago Punch by Paul Bishop
Puzzle in Purple by Will Murray
Down Addison Road by Mark Squirek
Lucky by Tommy Hancock
The One That Got Away by Bobby Nash
 
Step into the world that comes alive when the sun sets with Nightbeat: Night Stories. Six exciting hours. $23.98 Audio CDs / $12.99 Download.
 

Nightbeat Audiobook Reader, Michael C. Gwynne
 
Nightbeat: Night Stories comes to life as an original audiobook from Radio Archives, voiced by noted actor Michael C. Gwynne. A fan of old time radio, Gwynne counts Nightbeat among one of his favorite programs and found both enjoyment and value in being a part of Nightbeat: Night Stories.
 
“Good story writing,” says Gwynne in reference to both the classic Nightbeat and the new audiobook, “that’s the essence of real education. Learning about ourselves, learning about our behavior. We go to movies to see things blow up and everything like that, that’s fine, eyeball candy we call it, but there has to be a story and Randy Stone told stories. And thanks to the people at Radio Archives we have another outlet for stories. It doesn’t matter, they go on forever in any time zone, yesterday, tomorrow, today, it all works if you’ve got a tale to tell, a tale well calculated.”
 
Referring to storytelling as “magic”, Gwynne continues, “There must be something else in there about this kind of storytelling and I’m really thankful to Radio Archives for bringing them back out. There must be a huge audience of people who don’t know about Old Time Radio shows yet, so in some ways I’m honored to be part of something that gets it out there.”
 
Experience Nightbeat: Night Stories performed by Michael C. Gwynne today.
 

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Tune in to a special Podcast episode of PULPED! Featuring the voice of the Nightbeat: Night Stories audiobook, Michael C. Gwynne!

 

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NEW OTR eBook: Nightbeat: “Night Stories”

In 1950, NBC began broadcasting Nightbeat, considered one of the finest shows of its time. The show featured Randy Stone, a reporter who covered the night beat for the Chicago Star with a unique blend of wit, compassion and toughness. From murder to mystery, gunplay to climactic chases, from heartache to hardboiled, every night brought a new story to Randy Stone and he would be drawn in, eager to see them, hear them, live them, and record them. Nightbeat was more than a crime drama. It was a human drama.
 
Radio Archives invites you to return to the streets of Randy Stone’s Chicago in Nightbeat: Night Stories. Six brand new Nightbeat stories are now available in this beautifully formatted eBook. Authors Howard Hopkins, Will Murray, Paul Bishop, Mark Squirek, Bobby Nash and Tommy Hancock breathe new life into Randy Stone, bringing the nostalgic noir feel of the radio series fans have enjoyed for over sixty years to newly written tales that capture the true essence of Nightbeat. A mystery involving a puzzle. A mad killer strangling women. A young boy on the wrong road. An old flame threatening to burn again. Blood and Conspiracy in the boxing ring. The murder of a reporter. And at the center of every tale, Randy Stone. This nostalgic newly written collection issued for your reading pleasure in electronic format also features a cover by Douglas Klauba.
 
This Collection includes:
Introduction by Tommy Hancock
Strangler by Howard Hopkins
The Chicago Punch by Paul Bishop
Puzzle in Purple by Will Murray
Down Addison Road by Mark Squirek
Lucky by Tommy Hancock
The One That Got Away by Bobby Nash
 
Step into the world that comes alive when the sun sets with Nightbeat: Night Stories. eBook only $4.99.

 
Spotlight on the Creators – Nightbeat: Night Stories
 
For over two years from February 1950 through September 1952, NBC played host to the adventures of Randy Stone, wisecracking, tough guy reporter with a heart of gold. Nightbeat clearly stands out as one of the best remembered shows from Radio’s Golden era, even though it only lasted 28 months in its initial run.
 

Nightbeat: Night Stories, a collection of new tales written about Randy Stone and his Chicago from Radio Archives welcomes readers into what was basically a dream project for its editor. A long time fan of Old Time Radio, Tommy Hancock, editor and a writer for the collection, wasn’t around when Nightbeat originally aired, but became a fan early on in his life.

 
“I was eight years old in a small Arkansas town,” Hancock says. “I’d found a station out of a college about 100 miles away that played the neatest stuff I’d yet to hear. Shows that were like television programs, but on the radio! My favorite hands down was Nightbeat.”
 
“There’s something basic that appeals to anyone familiar with Nightbeat,” explains Hancock. “Some stories are two fisted pulpy tales of action and crime, while others are really human interest tales dressed up in the ebony of the night.”
 
As he became a writer, publisher, editor, podcaster, and convention organizer, Hancock carried the memories of Nightbeat with him, always wanting an opportunity to put his own spin on the classic concept. “Nightbeat: Night Stories is the realization for me of not only telling those type of stories, but actually being involved in stories continuing the exploits of Randy Stone and his Chicago. Radio Archives recognizes the strength of the concept of the original show and the appeal that these types of stories carry for readers even still today.”
 
Nightbeat: Night Stories are all new tales written by a variety of talented modern writers, but set squarely in the 1950s Chicago Randy Stone called home. Paul Bishop, Will Murray, Mark Squirek, Bobby Nash, and Howard Hopkins, and Hancock bring Randy to life once more. And just as the show did, each story covers the spectrum, from true human drama to adrenaline filled action.
 
Will Murray is the uncrowned King of all Pulp, and heavy hangs the head of he who must write Doc Savage novels, co-edit the Sanctum Books reprints of Doc, The Shadow, and The Avenger, and helps oversee the Will Murray Pulp Classics line of audiobooks and eBooks produced by RadioArchives.com. Over fifty-plus novels, uncounted short stories, and innumerable articles, Murray has striven to be worthy to stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before him.
 
Murray’s story, Puzzle in Purple begins with jigsaw pieces that lead Randy to a greater mystery. “Although it stars a newspaper reporter, not a private eye,” says Murray, “Nightbeat: Night Stories is in the great trench-coated tradition of the hardboiled pulp writers who contributed to Black Mask magazine during its heyday when Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler were top contributors. I see Nightbeat as a 1950s incarnation of the great 1930s tough guys.”
 
Paul Bishop is a thirty-five year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department. Paul has had twelve novels published, including five novels in his L.A.P.D. Detective Fey Croaker series.
 
Paul has also written feature film scripts and numerous episodic scripts for television, including such shows as Diagnosis: Murder, LA Dragnet, The New Detectives, and Navy Seals: The Untold Stories. Paul is currently writing and editing the monthly Fight Card series, 25,000 word e-novels inspired by the fight pulps of the 1930s and ‘40s
 
The Chicago Punch, Bishop’s tale, reaches into Randy’s boxing past and brings a one-two punch to his present. Bishop states, “The Nightbeat stories originally spoke – literally – to a generation hungry for upstanding heroes. The Nightbeat stories thrill us because, while they entertain, they also inspire us to believe we can each make a difference.”
 
With an interest in multiple genres, Bobby Nash writes a little bit of everything. From his secret lair in the wilds of Bethlehem, Georgia, Bobby has penned novels, comic books, short prose, novellas, graphic novels, screenplays, media tie-ins , and even a little pulp fiction.
 
Nash’s story, The One That Got Away reunites Randy with an old flame that may burn him alive this time. “Randy Stone,” says Nash, “is one of those great pulpy noir characters that are so much fun to write. He’s more than just a rough and tumble guy. Stone’s a thinker. By it’s very format, Nightbeat allows writers to tell a variety of stories. Randy Stone’s job is anything but boring.”
 
Mark Squirek has published several short stories in the pulp fiction field. He has written for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Comic Book Marketplace, Comics and Games Weekly, Hogan’s Alley, and many other magazines. He is currently a staff reviewer for The New York Journal of Books. A half dozen of his plays have been produced in the Baltimore area over the last six years.
 
Down Addison Road, Squirek’s entry in the collection, follows Stone as he fights to keep a young boy off the wrong road. Squirek says, “Writing a Nightbeat story was a dream for me. I love Chicago. It is one of the greatest of all American Cities and I had the privilege of living there for a year while I was in school in the late eighties. The radio show is a classic and to listen to them again today with fresh ears was a joy.”
 
Howard Hopkins wrote 31 westerns under the pen name Lance Howard and horror stories under his own. Howard began his writing career in the late 1980s. His interest in pulp magazines led him to create a magazine of his own. He produced and edited Golden Perils, a journal for fans of the magazines, and went on to produce other fanzines as well and write modern Pulp stories for Moonstone Books. Howard passed away in January 2012. His story, Strangler pits Randy against a murderer of women who may add the reporter to the kill list.
 
Tommy Hancock, also a writer, contributed a tale to the collection. Lucky centers around the mystery of a reporter’s death, a reporter named Stone.
 
Nightbeat: Night Stories brings six stories from six talented writers together, but this eBook is really more than that. It is the continuation of the adventures of a truly iconic character for both longtime fans and new readers to enjoy.
 

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Listen to a special Podcast episode of PULPED! Featuring the writers behind Nightbeat: Night Stories!

 

Spotlight on eBooks, John Olsen

 
Nightbeat: Night Stories, an original eBook produced by Radio Archives, features tales based on the classic radio program. Thanks to the design and format work of John Olsen, this collection of six stories is available to you in a beautifully crafted eBook, handled with the same care and precision Olsen handles all the eBooks from Radio Archives.
 
“I’ve been a fan of old radio all my life,” Olsen states, “especially The Shadow, but my interest in pulps began in late 1996 when I read my first Shadow pulp. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software was rather primitive at that time, but I wanted to see if I could digitize a pulp novel and successfully transfer it from the printed page to the digital medium. I succeeded, although it was a bit of a challenge, and I began regularly scanning pulps and OCRing them. In 2010 I began working with RadioArchives.com on their huge pulp preservation project. In the past year, I have worked on transitioning several hundred more pulps from old crumbling paper to digital medium.”
 
Olsen brings his experience to bear on bringing classic Pulp as well as this new collection to customers at Radio Archives and it is an extensive process. According to him, “You need a real mixed-bag of tricks to do this stuff. I don’t do all of the steps. We have a dedicated and tireless team of over thirty people, most who specialize in one or two of the below processes. My job is to coordinate all of them. One person scans the old pulp magazine. This gets a picture of the individual pages digitized and in the computer. Another person uses OCR software to convert those pictures into text that can be edited. Another person reads through the newly created text file and corrects the errors that the OCR software has made. Another person takes that word processor document and formats it, indenting messages, making chapter titles in bold print, adding the cover graphics, and creating the table of contents. The proofer proofreads the story, and reports any errors that have slipped through. For the ultimate in quality control, we then send the file to a second person for another proofreading, to fix any last little lingering errors. Then another person takes that word processor document and converts it into the eBook formats, epub and mobi. Liner notes are created, to describe the product on the web site. And finally, the finished files are submitted to Kindle, Nook, iTunes and RadioArchives.com.
 
One thing is certain. Olsen wants to be sure that readers have a unique experience when they read a Radio Archives eBook. We want our readers to enjoy a pulp-like experience when they read one of our pulp eBooks. And we want this to be attractive and easy on the eyes. We use a font that is the proper size so that it can be resized up or down by the device the reader is using, all to adjust to their personal taste.”
 
“It has been said,” comments Olsen, “that eBooks have made “reading” cool, again. I’m not sure that’s true. I think it’s always been cool. It’s just that in today’s busy world, it has become inconvenient. But with the advent of the mobile eBook reader, reading has once more become convenient. So people can now read on their iPhones, their Kindle Fires and other devices, because it’s so easy to take with them wherever they are. People have always wanted to read for enjoyment, and now they can find it easier to do just that!”
 
Enjoy the work of John Olsen and all those involved in the eBook process with Nightbeat: Night Stories.

 

 

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 eReader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator #5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like the Octopus and more, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
 

In amusement parks, restaurants and private homes people were dying, convulsed in the throes of a horrible death! Some were marked for endless torture — awaiting the will of the Doctor of Murder… Richard Wentworth’s own friend, Stanley Kirkpatrick, lay stricken with the drug of the living dead. Then — his beloved, Nita van Sloan, became a victim of the madman’s venom!… Faced with the bitter despair in his own heart and the blind apathy of a nation ensnared in a death trap, the Spider launches forth on one of the most pulse-quickening adventures of his career! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine.
 

The leprous hordes of the Eastern world descend like a blighting plague upon a terrified New York. The citadels of the natron’s commercial strongholds totter under a Juggernaut of crime. And Richard Wentworth, the one man able to cope with the menace, must offer himself, as a sacrifice to the pestilence! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. As a special bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of eBooks.

 

It was a sultry day in August when the ghastly cold first came. Snow began to fall; ice formed, and in a brief hour, New York City was paralyzed. A new and deadly weapon had been directed at America by a ruthless, international syndicate, for, under cover of the sub-zero weather, barbarous, armored warriors swarmed into the United States, turning our country into a helpless colony to be exploited savagely. In quick succession, other cities — Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans — fell before the assault of the astute enemy and the marrow-chilling cold. Could Operator 5 of the disabled Secret Service — Jimmy Christopher to his friends — save our land from shameful slavery? With Tim Donovan, his father and his beloved Diane all in the bloody clutches of the invader, Jimmy Christopher gambled for the highest stakes in the world — America — with his own life only an extra counter! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. As a special bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of eBooks.

 
Terror Tales Nat Schachner, Book 1

In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Terror Tales magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, all written by Nat Schachner, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.

 

In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Terror Tales magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, all written by Wayne Rogers, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
 

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.
 
This is one of the infamous “final seven” Captain Future tales. After a run of twenty pulp issues, the quarterly magazine closed. But that was not the end of Captain Future. He returned in a series of short stories published in Startling Stories magazine, beginning with the January 1950 issue. Edmond Hamilton, creator of Captain Future and author of the majority of the full-length novels, returned to pen seven more Captain Future stories. His style had matured, as had his original audience, and these final seven Captain Future stories are considered to be some of his best. Captain Future left the pages of Startling Stories with the May 1951 issue, but editors left open the possibility that Captain Future might return some day. True fans are still waiting. Until then, Captain Future returns in these vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
 

All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook 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! and RadioArchives.com!

 

FREE Spider eBook!

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Receive an exciting original Spider adventure for FREE! 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.
 
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 get a copy of this classic.
 

See what the Total Pulp Experience is for yourself. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine.
 
Send an eMail to eBooks@RadioArchives.com and start reading your FREE copy of  the Spider #11 within seconds! Experience The Best Pulps the Past has to offer in the most modern way possible!

 

 
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 Jewels Of Hell” (1940), Tough, dauntless miners, accustomed to hardship and danger, paled in helpless terror as their homes were destroyed, their loved ones slaughtered! No one was safe, above ground or below, when The Killer walked among them. Only the Spider dared challenge the strangle-hold of fear that held an entire town in its deadly grip! Then, in “Recruit For the Spider Legion” (1943), Staunch supporter of justice and champion of the law Stanley Kirkpatrick, finds himself about to gain unexpected insights into the workings of the system when he himself is faced with the electric chair! Can the very man who has forever branded the Spider a criminal for his vigilante efforts join with his old enemy to battle the forces of Kali? 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. Buy it today for $14.95!
 
 

The Knight of Darkness crushes crime in the classic pulp novels that inspired Hollywood’s first two Shadow feature films! First, the bizarre terms of a dead man’s will lead to a series of murders that will condemn an innocent man unless The Shadow can unmask the true killer in Walter Gibson’s “The Ghost of the Manor,” the inspiration for the 1937 film, “The Shadow Strikes.” Then, the Dark Avenger hunts a sadistic blonde murderess and the masked supervillain known as “Foxhound” in Theodore Tinsley’s violent novel that was filmed in 1938 as “International Crime.” BONUS: Film historian Ed Hulse unearths rare secrets behind the making of the first Shadow feature films! This instant collector’s item showcases the original pulp covers by George Rozen and the classic interior illustrations by Tom Lovell, with historical commentary by Will Murray. Buy it today for $14.95.
 
The Pulps’ original “Man of Steel” returns in three action-packed tales by Paul Ernst and Emile Tepperman writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, The Avenger enters a “House of Death” to unravel the mysterious murders befalling the owners of strange gold medallions! Then, the fate of the nation hangs in the balance as Dick Benson attempts to prevent “The Hate Master” from winning the presidential election! Finally, a single misstep could result in “A Coffin for The Avenger” in an exciting novelette by Spider-wordsmith Emile Tepperman. BONUS: a Nick Carter mystery by Bruce Elliott! This classic pulp reprint leads off with a knockout color cover by Graves Gladney, and also features Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and commentary by pulp historian Will Murray. Buy it today for $14.95.
 
 
 

 
 

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Review of “The Whisker of Hercules” from Doc Savage, Volume 18
By Dr. Art Sippo

 

“Was Hercules real?” That was the question the beautiful Lee Mayland kept asking. She came to see Doc Savage to get the answer. But thugs intervened and kidnapped her before she could enlist the Bronze Man’s aid. But Doc and his Iron Crew are on the case and track her to a country home owned by a physical culture guru whose ads in the magazines promise to “make YOU into a Hercules.”
 
But when they arrive, Doc and his crew encounter strange doings. Objects appear and vanish as if by magic. Unparalleled criminal events occur that can be nothing less than feats of superhuman strength by an unseen party who tosses Doc and his men around like tenpins. And who is the elderly man who collapsed at the scene of the crime of apparent old age?
 
From the Old World, the legend of Hercules comes into modern New York. Has someone discovered the secret of Hercules’ legendary strength? Can even Doc Savage, the modern Galahad, fight the power of the ancient Greek Demigod?
 
The Whisker of Hercules is a pivotal Doc Savage story marking the transition from the adventurous editorship of John Nanovic to the more sedate story type that the new editors at Street and Smith wanted. Ironically, it was ten years to the month after the iconic 1934 story The Monsters which had been an all-time favorite Doc Savage Adventure. After this story, the editors wanted no more gadgets and no more fantastic plots. Doc Savage was to become a Science Detective to appeal to a different audience.
 
This was the last truly weird adventure Doc would have until Up From Earth’s Center in 1949 which ended the series. You don’t want to miss this one! Get Doc Savage, Volume 18 containing this story and another full length Doc Savage novel for only $12.95 from Radio Archives!

 

Will Murray’s New Doc Savage Novel: “Death’s Dark Domain”
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The shattering sequel to Fortress of Solitude.
 
The Doc Savage exploit that went untold for 74 years—Death’s Dark Domain!
 
In the aftermath of the evil John Sunlight’s pillaging of the secret Fortress of Solitude, a dreadful super-weapon has fallen the hands of a Balkan dictator intent upon seizing control of the vampire-haunted zone of desolation known as Ultra-Stygia. War is imminent. Monsters are loose in the disputed region. A strange darkness falls over the sinister landscape. Only Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, understands the terrible threat to humanity. And only he can prevent the terror from spreading…
 
There are unknown Things prowling the darkest patch of land on the planet. Haunted by creatures that might have emerged from the Hell’s lowest regions, ancient Ultra-Stygia has turned into a cauldron of conflict between rival countries. Monster bats careen through the night sky. Invisible Cyclopes patrol the scorched battleground. And a power beyond understanding robs men of their vision.
 
Can the 20th century’s premier scientist and superman untangle this Gordian knot of carnage before neighboring nations are drawn into an apocalyptic new world war? Or will the Man of Bronze succumb to an unstoppable power he himself has unleashed upon mankind?
 
From the frozen Arctic to the war-torn Balkans, Doc Savage and his fighting five follow a winding trail of terror to a blood-freezing climax.

 
Death’s Dark Domain features a fantastic cover painted by Joe DeVito! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.

 
Will Murray’s Doc Savage Novel is Back “The Forgotten Realm”
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Back in print after 20 years! The rare Lester Dent-Will Murray collaboration resurrecting the original pulp superman…

 
Also available is the first Altus Press edition of Will Murray’s 1993 Doc Savage adventure, The Forgotten Realm. Deep in the heart of the African Congo lies a secret unsuspected for thousands of years. Doc Savage and his men embark on a quest to discover the secret of the strange individual known only as X Man, X for unknown. Before they come to the end of the trail, they find themselves fighting for their lives like gladiators of old!
 
No one knows who—or what—the strange being who calls himself “X Man” truly is. He was found wandering the ruins of a crumbling Roman fort, dressed in a toga, speaking classical Latin—and clutching a handful of unearthly black seeds.
 
Declared insane, the X Man patiently tends his weird plants until the day, impelled by a nameless terror, he flees Wyndmoor Asylum to unleash a cyclone of violence that is destined to suck the mighty Man of Bronze into the blackest, most unbelievable mystery of his entire career. For far from Scotland lies a domain of death unknown to the world and called by the ancient Latin name of Novum Eboracum—New York!
 
From the wild Scottish moors to the unexplored heart of darkest Africa, Doc Savage and his indomitable men embarked upon a desperate quest for the Forgotten Realm….
 

The Forgotten Realm features a spectacular cover painted by Joe DeVito! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.

 

Comments From Our Customers!
 
Louis Hemmi writes:
I love what I bought, Fibber McGee and Molly, the Lost Episodes and the free Operator #5 – Masked Invasion CD. I’m getting ready to order something else, and really like your newsletter that shows a lot of effort, and a great result. Thanks very much,
 
John  Doyle writes:
Top notch quality! So appreciated. John Doyle Retired from WSB-TV, Channel 2, and The Weather Channel
 
James Felder writes:
Just finished the first volume of Wu Fang and enjoyed it.
 
Regina Zeyzus writes:
I’d love to try this eBook edition of Spider. You are very generous to offer this sample. Thank you very much.
 
Chad Wrataric writes:
I love The Spider pulps you guys have published as books and am excited to read another. Thank you very much for offering a free eBook edition!
 
Ted writes:
OTR books and audiobooks are helping me to lose weight because I used to get bored walking in the same areas all the time and seeing the same backgrounds. Now I can walk in the same areas and am never bored because of the entertaining images that continually come to mind while listening to OTR / audiobooks. People need to know about this technique for weight loss because it really works.

 

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.
 

OUTLANDERS: GENESIS SINISTER BY RIK HOSKIN DEBUTS!

  • Uncategorized
  • November 15, 2012

The latest volume of James Axler’s OUTLANDERS series, GENESIS SINISTER, is available now.

OUTLANDERS:  GENESIS SINISTER
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The new world is coming — at the expense of our own.  But when the blood-soaked birth of the new age begins eating up all of existence it’s up to the heroes of the Cerberus operation to hold back tomorrow and save the world they know.
This volume of the modern-day pulp sci-fi series is written by Rik Hoskin and opens a dangerous new chapter in the lives of the heroes.
About the author:  Writing as “James Axler”, Rik Hoskin has been the primary author of the Outlanders series since 2008 as well as contributing several volumes to James Axler’s Deathlands.  He is also a comic book author and has written Superman for DC Comics, helped develop a successful Spider-Man series for Marvel Comics’ European licensor, Panini, and currently writes for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic as well as several younger readers titles.

AUDIOBOOKS DEBUT FROM MOONSTONE AND DYNAMIC RAM AUDIO PRODUCTIONS!

  • News
  • November 8, 2012

Moonstone, a leading Publisher of New Pulp and Heroic Fiction, announced the debut of unabridged audiobook versions of two of its best titles written by a fan favorite author and featuring characters familiar to fans of genre fiction everywhere! In conjunction with Dynamic Ram Audio Productions, a company bringing several New Pulp companies’ works into audiobooks, Moonstone released “PARTNERS IN CRIME” written by CJ Henderson with Joe Gentile and read by Fiona Thraille and “KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER: A BLACK & EVIL TRUTH” also written by CJ Henderson and read by Mark Kalita.

In Partners in Crime by CJ Henderson and Joe Gentile, the Past meets the Future to defeat an unspeakable evil! Europe, 1945, the final days of World War II. A sinister plan to defeat the Allies using black sorcery is thwarted, only to be resurrected again in a form more terrible than ever before! Now, over six turbulent decades, across multiple continents, and through the darkest alternate dimensions, a force of unimaginable power is poised to subjugate all mankind! Bound by time, a band of heroes will rise! Their names are legend; their exploits are known around the world: Kolchak: the Nightstalker, Boston Blackie, Johnny Dollar, Lai Wan, Candy Matson, Pat Novak, Blackshirt, Mr. Keen, and Jack Hagee. Now, this amazing group will find themselves pitted against a power that transcends time and space… an evil so corrupt that the fate of humanity may hang in the balance! Listen as these classic characters of Television, Novels, and Radio explode into being as read by Fiona Thraille. 

Download Partners in Crime for only $9.99, over 7 hours of mystery and intrigue at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fionathraille. 

Kolchak: The Night Stalker A Black & Evil Truth by CJ Henderson stars everyone’s favorite reporter of the weird and strange, Karl Kolchak, in his most bizarre adventure yet.  Carl Kolchak was just your average reporter until the day he put two and two together and came up with evil. A reluctant paranormal investigator, Kolchak couldn’t stop tripping over the unusual even if he wanted to. And for all of his efforts of seeking the truth… unemployment and ridicule have followed him like the plague. Someone, or something, is tearing people up into little pieces in small town West Virginia. It’s up to Kolchak to wade through the bloody science jigsaw puzzle, while watching his back against an unseen foe! It’s a cat and mouse game, as he battles a maelstrom of terror that everyone around him gets sucked into.  Chills and thrills abound in this Adventure Horror tale thrillingly voiced by Mark Kalita.  Over 7 Hours of Kolchak for only $9.99! Download Kolchak the Nightstalker: A Black & Evil Truth from Moonstone and Dynamic Ram at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markkalita. 

Both titles are coming soon to Amazon, iTunes and other online providers of Audiobooks!

Put yourself in the action, adventure, horror, and terror of two of Moonstone’s most popular novels by downloading and listening to the Audiobooks today!

JEFF DEISCHER’S LATEST NOVEL REVIVES CLASSIC COMIC CHARACTERS AND GETS PULPED!

  • News
  • November 6, 2012

Tommy Hancock solo hosts The Official New Pulp Podcast once again, joined this week by Author Jeff Deischer. Jeff discusses his latest book, the Super Hero Pulp novel THE GOLDEN AGE published by White Rocket Books. Listen as Jeff talks about reviving classic comic characters in prose and more as THE GOLDEN AGE and Jeff Deischer get PULPED! HERE!

Dragnet, Terror Tales, a Spider Announcement and Review, Doc Savage, and So Much More! from Radio Archives!

  • News
  • November 2, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

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November 2, 2012
 
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Dragnet is considered a classic program for a multitude of reasons. The memorable opening theme, classic lines, and dedication to detail and more have imprinted this program on American society permanently. One of the best aspects of Dragnet and the very reason for the show’s existence was its creator and star Jack Webb. Webb’s portrayal of Joe Friday takes center stage in Dragnet, Volume 6 from Radio Archives.
 
Jack Webb made sure that Joe Friday was a policeman that other policemen could relate to and that listeners enjoyed. Played almost to understated perfection, Friday walks listeners through every episode, unfurling the case as he sees it in stark detail. While most of his fictional peers were cracking wise on other shows, Webb took a different approach with Friday. Stripped down, essential dialogue in a tone that oftentimes bubbled with an emotional undercurrent was Friday’s trademark.
 
Webb also imparted a particular humanity to Joe Friday that many other fictional policemen and detective of the era lacked. He remained a bachelor for the entire run of the show, living with his mother. He showed sympathy for those who deserved it and sarcasm for those who earned it. He playfully picked on his partners. He never rushed to violence first. In essence, Joe Friday was as real a cop as a fictional one could be, thanks to Jack Webb. Dragnet, Volume 6 features Jack Webb as Joe Friday at his best and Radio Archives has restored each episode to Sparkling Audio quality!

 
Ten hours, twenty shows of Dragnet. $29.98 Audio CDs / $14.99 Download.
 
OTR Digital Downloads at Half Price
 
Because of your great response, Digital Downloads of any of our Old Time Radio sets will be priced at 50% off the regular Audio CD price through the end of the year. You get the same sparkling high quality audio content as our compact disc collections at a reduced price, Delivery immediately upon payment, and the ability to play them on your phone, computer, or portable device! Purchase the audio collections you love and enjoy them in a whole new way!
 

 

“…One of the great citadels of American medicine…”
 
Radio listeners in the 1940s and 50s were introduced to Blair Memorial Hospital this way and welcomed into the life of one of the most enduring physicians of American Fiction. The Story of Dr. Kildare, Volume 3 gives modern listeners the chance to enjoy the drama, humor, and fantastic storytelling that have made Kildare and company a part of American culture.
 
Based on the highly successful Dr. Kildare series of B-Movies by MGM, The Story of Dr. Kildare retained not only the charm and pathos of the films, but also brought two stars from the movies that’d left their marks on the series. Lew Ayers, who portrayed the idealistic young Dr. Kildare in the first MGM films, reprised the part for radio. As important as Ayers, acting legend John Barrymore lent his talents once more to the role of Dr. Leonard Gillespie, Kildare’s curmudgeonly mentor and often partner in the cases Kildare worked in each episode.
 
Great talent was not The Story of Dr. Kildare’s only strong point. Production on this syndicated, relatively low budgeted program was top notch, featuring William P. Rousseau as director, an original score by Walter Schumann, and scripts from such greats as Jean Holloway and Les Crutchfield. Each episode was a self contained superbly presented drama. The Story of Dr. Kildare Volume 3 from Radio Archives is six hours of classic drama at its finest restored to the highest quality possible for pure listening enjoyment. Make The Story of Dr. Kildare, Volume 3 part of your essential listening
 
Six hours, twelve shows of great fun. $17.98 Audio CDs / $8.99 Download.

 

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Read by Joey D’Auria and Michael C. Gwynne
 

Among fans of classic pulp fiction, aficionados of supernatural stories consider Popular Publications’ Terror Tales the magazine for people who found the Lovecraftian stories in Weird Tales too tame and Universal’s classic monsters too Hollywood!
 
Between 1934 and 1941, Terror Tales and its legion of unholy authors spewed forth an unremitting litany of horror, terror, torment and torture—all directed at ordinary American couples faced with supernatural menaces torn from their deepest, darkest nightmares. Think Scream during the Great Depression.
 
We have selected seven of the most compelling stories torn from the pages of Terror Tales for this sampler from Hell.
 
In Paul Ernst’s horrific “The Mummy Maker,” an innocent woman faces the fearsome fate of being mummified alive! Norvell Page’s disquieting “Accursed Thirst” takes us into the dark mind of a vampire—or is it a werewolf? The specter of a dead Egyptian deity loosed upon the modern world comes alive in E. Hoffmann Price’s eerie “The Cat Goddess.” Asian elementals harass the curious in Arthur J. Burks’ creepy “Six Doors to Death.” G. T. Fleming-Robert’s gruesome “Moulder of Monsters” serves up twisted human flesh. Maitland Scott’s unsettling “Shadows of Desire” leads us inexorably to a traumatic climax. Finally, terror and horror compete for supremacy in Frederick C. Davis deeply disturbing “Dig Deep the Graves!”
 
Terror Tales is narrated with appropriate doom-laden solemnity by Joey D’Auria and Michael C. Gwynne. Shivers await! Horrors abound! Try not to listen after midnight. We are serious about this. Not for children! Seven terrifying hours. $27.98 Audio CDs / $13.99 Download.

By Dale Vied

 
Recently I’ve become a huge fan of the ‘weird menace’ pulps. They tend to be very satisfying and melodramatic short horror stories that are much different in their approach to the genre than those that constitute the bulk of ‘modern’ horror stories. When I saw that Radio Archives had released an audio book for Terror Tales my mind raced with possibilities and cautious anticipation.
 
The resurrection of the weird menace tale is an important development in the history of horror literature. Long shunned as the ‘black sheep’ of the pulp world and unjustly maligned for many years, pulp readers are now discovering that the weird menace stories are in fact much better written than was indicated by their reputation. The fact that many of the authors like Hugh B. Cave and Wyatt Blassingame also went on to write for the ‘slicks’ is a testament to their quality.
 
While many modern horror authors seem to be more concerned with excessive character development, convoluted plots and showing off their literary dexterity rather than spinning a ripping yarn that maintains a sense of impending horror, the weird menace pulps show just what modern horror storytelling has lost. I find them to be incredibly charming in their unabashed desire to ‘creep out’ readers with melodramatic and sometimes lurid depictions of horror, usually featuring bizarre villains such as mad scientists, crazed cultists, and disfigured fiends menacing lovely ‘damsels in distress’.
 
Terror seems to be lurking around every corner and the hero isn’t always the usual detective that populates other pulp stories, but is often the ‘everyman’ simply battling horrible odds to try to save the woman he loves. These stories often get down to business right away and don’t tend to waste the reader’s time, moving along with masterful techniques that build suspense (which at times can be positively nail biting). When the peril kicks in the depictions of horror and torment are often shocking even by today’s standards.
 
It’s actually a refreshing revelation to know that such strong horror stories were being published during a time of great despair in American history because horror stories are cathartic and they no doubt helped many readers feel better about their own lives after reading about the awful perils and torments of hapless characters in weird menace stories. Suddenly things weren’t so bad after all.
 
It only makes sense that these long overlooked stories are making a comeback during modern troubled times as our great nation is divided more so than it’s been in quite some time and many are in the grip of anxiety.
 
Speaking of anxiety it was in this unnerving state that I began to listen to the first Terror Tales audiobook. I was eager to know if it would be the artistic success I was hoping for or a crushing disappointment.
 
I was pleasantly surprised when the first story reader Joey D’Auria began telling the tale of ‘The Mummy Maker’. Mr. D’Auria’s talents are perfect for this type of material as he has a great reading voice for mystery / horror tales and a nice technique for continually expressing urgency. At no point did he seem to lose his passion for the material. He masterfully ratchets up the tension during times of horrific peril and is on par with the best audio horror / OTR voice actors I’ve ever heard.
 
This suspenseful story about a woman who visits a dark museum after hours is finely rendered here and is a great introduction to the world of ‘weird menace’. Mr. D’Auria’s story readings are always welcome as far as I’m concerned and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his story readings in this audiobook.
 
Michael C. Gwynne, the other reader, has a very deep voice and is an excellent reader as well, especially for stories that require a serious and solemn delivery. He has an incredibly rich voice that is very enjoyable to hear and when he’s fully engaged and delivering creepy imperative action Mr. Gwynne is among the best I’ve ever heard. He did a fine job of delivering the proper atmosphere and creepy tone to his stories.
 
It is with great relief that I can say that the first Terror Tales audiobook is indeed an artistic success. It could have been a disaster if it had been approached from a ‘campy’ perspective with readers hamming it up for over-the-top comedic effect. Thankfully this was not the case.
 
This is a fine introduction for those not familiar with the deeply satisfying pleasures of experiencing great ‘weird menace’ stories and those who are already fans of the material will most likely love this presentation. It’s like experiencing new ‘midnight horror movies’ in your mind.
 

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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 eReader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator #5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like the Octopus and more, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
 

The most fearful terror ever to be visited upon a city had struck with malicious force and suddenness at Cincinnati. So fiendish were the machinations of the misshapen and malignant little monsters who were making the city their unholy playground, Richard Wentworth, famed as the Spider, knew that only one man could be directing them in their devil’s sport. Only Tang-akhmut, the sinister Egyptian, the man whose vices were ageless and uncounted, could be engineering those wholesale murders, torturings and mass kidnapings. Grimly, Richard Wentworth sets his face toward Cincinnati — and a finish fight with the Man From the East! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine.
 

The city of New York was held in thrall by that sinister menace from the East, the ageless man out of Egypt, Tang-akhmut, the mass murderer. Bands of ruthless killers roamed the streets, following his dread commands to loot and pillage. Richard Wentworth, the avenging Spider, the one man who could stop the holocaust, was speeding toward his beloved city, in an attempt to save it — yet he knew that there was a fabulous price on his head — dead or alive! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. As a special bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of eBooks.

 

Kasma, baleful divinity from the wastes of Asia, had laid his blighting curse upon America. All who opposed him came to ghastly ends: amnesia, madness, and screaming, agonized death — for the cult of Kasma enforced its dread dictates with a new, deadly weapon, unseen, unheard, which razed the mightiest buildings, which lay wide regions barren — without man or bird or beast! One man, Jimmy Christopher — known in the Secret Service as Operator 5 — understood the grim purpose behind that crafty plan. And Operator 5, hampered by a superior’s shortsightedness, beset on every side by peril and treachery, takes the greatest gamble in his career to keep an army of religion-crazed zealots from delivering America into the bondage of an Asiatic Moloch! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. As a special bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of eBooks.

 
Terror Tales Arthur J. Burks Book 1

In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Terror Tales magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, all written by Arthur J. Burks, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.

 

In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Terror Tales magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, all written by Wyatt Blassingame, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
 

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.
 
This is one of the infamous “final seven” Captain Future tales. After a run of twenty pulp issues, the quarterly magazine closed. But that was not the end of Captain Future. He returned in a series of short stories published in Startling Stories magazine, beginning with the January 1950 issue. Edmond Hamilton, creator of Captain Future and author of the majority of the full-length novels, returned to pen seven more Captain Future stories. His style had matured, as had his original audience, and these final seven Captain Future stories are considered to be some of his best. Captain Future left the pages of Startling Stories with the May 1951 issue, but editors left open the possibility that Captain Future might return some day. True fans are still waiting. Until then, Captain Future returns in these vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
 

All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook 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! and RadioArchives.com!

 

FREE Spider eBook!

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Receive an exciting original Spider adventure for FREE! 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.
 
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 get a copy of this classic.
 

See what the Total Pulp Experience is for yourself. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine.
 
Send an eMail to eBooks@RadioArchives.com and start reading your FREE copy of  the Spider #11 within seconds! Experience The Best Pulps the Past has to offer in the most modern way possible!

 

 
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Girasol Collectables Inc, known for top quality reprints and replicas of Classic Pulp Tales, and Radio Archives,LLC, a leader in Pulp Audiobooks, eBooks, Old Time Radio, and Pulp Reprints, revealed today results of recent negotiations.

Girasol and Radio Archives have a long standing history of doing business together.  Due to this already strong relationship, Radio Archives has purchased Girasol’s The Spider double novel product line. This line, containing double novels numbered 1 through 25, has thrilled enthusiasts with its high quality and consistent publication and introduced new fans to the exploits of the Master of Men, The Spider. Girasol will continue publishing their extremely popular The Spider Pulp Replicas product line which is the Finest reprint of the Spider ever done.

Neil and Leigh Mechem, owners of Girasol Collectables, Inc. stated, “We’re especially pleased to have Radio Archives taking over the handling of sales of our Spider Pulp Doubles. The scope of the pulp related material they have to offer, combined with their excellent customer service, make them the ideal one-stop shopping venue for pulp fans. We’re proud of the 25 issues we produced, and seeing them managed diligently helps enormously while we concentrate on the prep work required for our Pulp Replica line.”

Recognizing this and the overall quality of Girasol’s work, Radio Archives is proud to add The Spider Double Novel line to its already impressive lineup of not only Pulp, but specifically Spider related material.   “This product line,” said Tom Brown, Owner of Radio Archives, “dovetails so well into our Spider Audiobooks and eBook product lines.”  The purchase includes existing inventory, intellectual property, and substantial amounts of artwork and other material.

Radio Archives and Girasol have also formed a strategic relationship for future projects that will insure the cooperation of the two companies continues on and that top quality Pulp products will be available to fans and enthusiasts for years.

Wholesale dealer inquiries are now accepted at Radio Archives for this product line.  Email Radio Archives at Service@RadioArchives.com or call 1-800-886-0551.

Visit Girasol Collectables at www.girasolcollectables.com
Visit Radio Archives at www.RadioArchives.com
 

 
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 Jewels Of Hell” (1940), Tough, dauntless miners, accustomed to hardship and danger, paled in helpless terror as their homes were destroyed, their loved ones slaughtered! No one was safe, above ground or below, when The Killer walked among them. Only the Spider dared challenge the strangle-hold of fear that held an entire town in its deadly grip! Then, in “Recruit For the Spider Legion” (1943), Staunch supporter of justice and champion of the law Stanley Kirkpatrick, finds himself about to gain unexpected insights into the workings of the system when he himself is faced with the electric chair! Can the very man who has forever branded the Spider a criminal for his vigilante efforts join with his old enemy to battle the forces of Kali? 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!
 
To Celebrate Radio Archives purchase of The Spider Reprints, the brand new issue #25 is specially priced for the next two weeks for only $9.95!

 

Review of “The Spider and the Jewels of Hell” from The Spider, Volume 25
By David White
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The Master of Men barrels his way into a pulse pounding, action packed adventure in this tale as he travels to the skiing paradise of Colorado to spin his web. The story is packed with action from start to finish. Ram Singh, Nita, and Jackson are all thrown into the fray, as corruption and greed lead to yet another diabolical plot against mankind.
 
The desire of a few faltering millionaires to re-open a few mines for the purpose of clearing out whatever ore may be left turns into murder and torture. It all seems to be a plot to shut down the mining of ore for future armaments. But, is that really the reason or is there some other twisted purpose for the horrific onslaught? A strange black box that causes metal to grow red hot and even bullets to explode without being triggered, wreaks havoc on its victims and local law enforcement, all a part of this insidious plan.
 
The story takes as many twists and turns as the toughest slopes of the Rockies. I will admit I was baffled as to the identity of the fiend right up till the end. The cruel and cunning villain discovers that there is a wealth of a new material for making airplane metal in one of the mines. This would of course make him quite rich. The problem is his greed! He wants the money all to himself and decides to eliminate any possible competition. He of course never counted on the dark visage of The Spider to thwart his plans.
 
The Spider is pushed to the limit as everyone including the law is against him. He has only a short time to close the case before he is either killed or imprisoned. Stories like this are when The Spider is presented best. He sweeps into action and begins to systematically thwart the plans of the killer. Nita, ever trying to be at his side, is captured by the evil villain adding to the suspense. The odds against The Spider mount and the clock is ticking away as the situation grows grim for the Master of Men. The Spider stares death in the face several times, but through cunning and wit, he manages to stay alive and on the trail.
 
The story and action never slow and the mystery keeps a stranglehold on you from the moment you start reading. This story ranks right up at the top of The Spider stories I have read. I found myself never wanting to put it down!
 
You too can experience the thrills and chills of this story as well as another full length Spider novel in The Spider #25 for only $14.95 from Radio Archives!

 

Will Murray’s New Doc Savage Novel: “Death’s Dark Domain”
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The shattering sequel to Fortress of Solitude.
 
The Doc Savage exploit that went untold for 74 years—Death’s Dark Domain!
 
In the aftermath of the evil John Sunlight’s pillaging of the secret Fortress of Solitude, a dreadful super-weapon has fallen the hands of a Balkan dictator intent upon seizing control of the vampire-haunted zone of desolation known as Ultra-Stygia. War is imminent. Monsters are loose in the disputed region. A strange darkness falls over the sinister landscape. Only Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, understands the terrible threat to humanity. And only he can prevent the terror from spreading…
 
There are unknown Things prowling the darkest patch of land on the planet. Haunted by creatures that might have emerged from the Hell’s lowest regions, ancient Ultra-Stygia has turned into a cauldron of conflict between rival countries. Monster bats careen through the night sky. Invisible Cyclopes patrol the scorched battleground. And a power beyond understanding robs men of their vision.
 
Can the 20th century’s premier scientist and superman untangle this Gordian knot of carnage before neighboring nations are drawn into an apocalyptic new world war? Or will the Man of Bronze succumb to an unstoppable power he himself has unleashed upon mankind?
 
From the frozen Arctic to the war-torn Balkans, Doc Savage and his fighting five follow a winding trail of terror to a blood-freezing climax.

 
Death’s Dark Domain features a fantastic cover painted by Joe DeVito! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.

 
Will Murray’s Doc Savage Novel is Back “The Forgotten Realm”
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Back in print after 20 years! The rare Lester Dent-Will Murray collaboration resurrecting the original pulp superman…

 
Also available is the first Altus Press edition of Will Murray’s 1993 Doc Savage adventure, The Forgotten Realm. Deep in the heart of the African Congo lies a secret unsuspected for thousands of years. Doc Savage and his men embark on a quest to discover the secret of the strange individual known only as X Man, X for unknown. Before they come to the end of the trail, they find themselves fighting for their lives like gladiators of old!
 
No one knows who—or what—the strange being who calls himself “X Man” truly is. He was found wandering the ruins of a crumbling Roman fort, dressed in a toga, speaking classical Latin—and clutching a handful of unearthly black seeds.
 
Declared insane, the X Man patiently tends his weird plants until the day, impelled by a nameless terror, he flees Wyndmoor Asylum to unleash a cyclone of violence that is destined to suck the mighty Man of Bronze into the blackest, most unbelievable mystery of his entire career. For far from Scotland lies a domain of death unknown to the world and called by the ancient Latin name of Novum Eboracum—New York!
 
From the wild Scottish moors to the unexplored heart of darkest Africa, Doc Savage and his indomitable men embarked upon a desperate quest for the Forgotten Realm….
 

The Forgotten Realm features a spectacular cover painted by Joe DeVito! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.

 

Eerie Halloween Special
The Master of Darkness investigates baffling mysteries in two classic pulp novels by Walter B. Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, a deadly outbreak of “Gypsy Vengeance” pittin gclan against clan can only be ended by The Shadow’s justice! Then, the Knight of Darkness must pierce the mystery behind a silver veil to end the murderous crimewave commanded by “The Veiled Prophet.” BONUS: legendary sleuth Nick Carter investigates murder on the set of a Shadow movie in a classic story from the Golden Age of Comics! This instant collector’s item showcases the original pulp covers by George Rozen and Graves Gladney plus the classic interior illustrations by Tom Lovell and Edd Cartier, with historical commentary by Anthony Tollin and Will Murray. Buy it today for $14.95.

 

Expanded Manuscript Edition Plus Supersnipe!
The pulp era’s greatest superhero returns in two incredible tales by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc, Monk and Ham journey to the Indo-China jungles to solve the strange enigma of “The Flaming Falcons” in a novel expanded from Lester Dent’s original 1939 manuscript. Then, what is the bizarre connection between “The Two-Wise Owl” and the murder of Ham Brooks’ brother? BONUS: Supersnipe, “the boy with the most comic books in America,” gets imto mischief on the set of a Shadow movie in a classic story from the Golden Age of Comics! This double-novel collector’s edition features both original color pulp covers by Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of ten Doc Savage novels. Buy it today for $14.95.

 

Expanded Manuscript Edition Plus Supersnipe!
The pulp era’s greatest superhero returns in two incredible tales by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc, Monk and Ham journey to the Indo-China jungles to solve the strange enigma of “The Flaming Falcons” in a novel expanded from Lester Dent’s original 1939 manuscript. Then, what is the bizarre connection between “The Two-Wise Owl” and the murder of Ham Brooks’ brother? BONUS: Supersnipe, “the boy with the most comic books in America,” gets imto mischief on the set of a Shadow movie in a classic story from the Golden Age of Comics! This double-novel collector’s edition features both original color pulp covers by Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of ten Doc Savage novels. Buy it today for $14.95.

 

Comments From Our Customers!
 
Regina Zeyzus writes:
Thank you very much for this free volume of The Spider. I am looking forward to a new experience!
 
Loyce Deen writes:
i have been a radio archive customer for about two years. i just wanted to say that this is the best site for buying pulps and radio shows and the customer service is the best of any internet site and where you find that if you have a problem you can call on phone and talk to a person that answers your question while on the phone. Super Super customer service and products.  thank you for this wonderful site from a customer for life.
 
Jery M. Bruno writes:
I just wanted to say that I have a friend who is a History Teacher. He, with my suggestion has been using shows like “Fibber McGee and Molly” along with “The Great Gildersleeve” and “Henry Aldrich” to teach WWII era history. We discovered that by hearing these shows, the class gets the sense of what it was like to live during those days. Hearing about War Bonds and Rationing along with the atmosphere of the time, they get a much greater insight on the time itself. You are giving generation after generation the opportunity to FEEL that time in History through these shows.
 
Chad Wrataric writes:
I love The Spider pulps you guys have published as books and am excited to read another. Thank you very much for offering a free edition.
 
Peter Soldan writes:
Fantastic job well done on the audiobooks. Having the download price be 1/2 that of the CDs makes the books affordable. I hope you find it worth your while to produce more books. I am especially enjoying Moon Pool and would like to listen to more books similar to it. Good work!

 

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.
 

FORTIER TAKES ON ‘ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRIKA’!

  • News
  • November 2, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS- Reviews by Ron Fortier
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRIKA
By Balogun Ojetade
Meji Books
MV Media LLC
145 pages
Since the advent of Sword & Soul, a subgenre focusing primarily on African mythology, we’ve seen many wonderful anthologies and novels come along that are breathing new life and welcomed vigor into fantasy literature.  The two biggest proponents, creators if you will, of this new classification are authors Charles Saunders and Milton Davis.  Saunders is known for his lifelong achievements in authoring some of the finest black fantasy fiction ever put to paper to include his marvelous heroes, Imaro and Dossouye.  Whereas Davis, beside his own amazing fiction, has been the driving force behind MV media, LLC, a publishing brand devoted to Sword & Soul.
Now, from that house, we have ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRICA by Balgum Ojetade; a sprawling, colorful and fast moving adventure that defines the best of Sword & Soul.  It is a tale of whimsy, love, magic and war told with such comfortable ease as to pull the reader along effortlessly.  Now in all fairness, this reviewer was challenged to keep the many characters separate due to their exotic foreign names that twists one’s mental tongue in a variety of unique vowels and consonants.  Thankfully Ojetade does provide a glossary of names at the book’s conclusion which was most helpful.  Despite this minor annoyance, he does distinguish each figure in unique ways that did allow us to enjoy the action without getting overly concerned about proper pronunciations along the way.
Alaafin, the Emperor of the Empire of Oyo wishes to marry off his beautiful but mischievous daughter, Princess Esuseeke.  Seeke, as she is referred to, is very much a “tomboy” who prefers studying martial arts rather than learning sewing or poetry in the royal palace.  It is Alaafin’s prime minister, Temileke who suggest Alaafin sponsor a Grand Tournament to feature the best fighters in all the land brought together to battle for the hand of the princess.  The emperor approves of the idea and dispatches Temileke to the furthest corners of Oyo to recruit only the greatest warriors in the kingdom to participate.
Meanwhile, Seeke, frustrated by her role as the prize in such a contest, accidently encounters her father’s chief general, Aare Ona Kakanfo.  Or so she believes. In reality the person she meets wearing the general’s combat mask is actually Akinkugbe; a young warrior wishing to enter the contest disguised as the general.  When Akin manages to win Seeke’s heart, things start to get complicated.  All the while the real Kakanfo is commanding the forces of Oyo in the south against their enemies the Urabi, desert people whose singular goal is to conquer Oyo.
As the day of the tournament fast approaches, Akin is trapped having to maintain his disguise and somehow figure a way to defeat the other fighters to win the hand of the woman he loves.  While at the same time, the Urabi, unable to defeat Kakanfo’s troops, desperately recruit the services of a brutal demon and a deadly female assassin to help turn the tide of battle in their favor.
All these various plot elements converge dramatically at the book’s conclusion wherein Akin and Seeke not only must overcome overwhelming odds to be together but at the same time rally their people to withstand the calamitous assault of their fiendish enemies and save the empire.  ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRIKA is a rousing, old fashion adventure tale that had me wishing Hollywood would pick it up and film it; it is that captivating an epic.  Ojetade is a writer worth taking note of, he delivers on all fronts and this reviewer has become an instant fan. 

IDEAS LIKE BULLETS RETURNS TO ALL PULP!

  • News
  • October 31, 2012

IDEAS LIKE BULLETS- A Column by Tommy Hancock

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That’s right.  Although I’ve struck out with my own blog (ideaslikebullets.blogspot.com), I have been encouraged in the last few days to restore the ILB column to its first home.  So, when there is an idea that I feel I want to share, it will most definitely appear here.  There may even be a frew ALL PULP exclusives, ideas that I don’t share anywhere but here…. but now to our first new ILB!  

How this game is played, guys and dolls, is simple.  Generally I share an idea that I don’t have time to write or run with and give any and all of You a chance to write it.  Sometimes I want to retain ownership and let you play with it.  Sometimes its a freely given seed of inspiration that You may take and do with as You please.  Today’s is a bit of both.

This idea I have is very much just an inkling, but it is for a character that I will hold onto at least most of the proprietary rights to, in a ‘Concept created by’ sense.   The reason for that is I’m toying with this character becoming a regular addition to the Pro Se line up, someone who might show up in every magazine or somesuch like that. But other than that, I’m going to leave the door pretty open to whatever you as a writer want to do with it….and, if enough of You play along, you’ll all even get to see your take on this concept in print.

Here we go, first with the idea-  A man, six feet tall, athletic build, black suit and shirt, red tie, red gloves, black shoes, black fedora, red mask that is pulled over the top of his head and ends at the bridge of his nose..so sort of like a full face mask cut in half, the bottom hem resembling a domino cut.  He has a plethora of weapons, reliant on no one in particular, but the weapons are not high tech gizmos- just guns, knives, anything that is needed to fight crime and destroy evil.  No one knows who he is under the mask, but one key element is that when he slips that mask on, he is a total and completely focused Pursuer of Justice.   Justice as he defines it, by the Law if that fits, in the Spirit of Justice if that is more applicable.   He investigates…He brings to trial…and he prosecutes in his own unique way…That is why  they call him… THE D.A.!

Now, the actual reason they call him The DA is, except for the mask, he wears an outfit that is exactly what prominent up and coming D.A. Frank ‘Two Fisted’ Finnegan wore on every single day he was seen in public.  Finnegan was also mercilessly killed and butchered, first riddled with bullets by unseen gunmen and then literally sliced into pieces by a fast moving blade wielding assassin known only as The Knife…in front of over 300,000 people at a campaign rally in the largest park in the city in October, 1938.  On January 1st, 1939, this character in a mask and Finnegan’s outfit delivered The Knife and six gunmen to the city police station, beaten, unconscious and bound.   The papers immediately picked up on the resemblance to Finnegan and theories abounded….so the name- The D. A.- struck and stuck hard.

So, that’s the idea…and here’s the rest of it.   You, if you’re interested, write a 1,000 word story (I know, didn’t say it would be easy) focused on the D.A.  Not one word more, not one word less.  1,000.  It must be complete, beginning, middle, and end.   Any and all who write one will not only be reprinted here, but will also find their way into a future issue of PRO SE PRESENTS (after editing of course).
So, you get a chance to breathe life into this character and get published as a result.  Oh and let’s say by December 1st, that thousand words.  Work for you? Good.   Just email to tommyhancockpulp@yahoo.com as you get it done with the subject -THE D.A.-IDEAS LIKE BULLETS.  And don’t ask me questions about the character…You have all the information you’re going to get…the rest, dear Bulleteer, is up to you.

EBOOK NOW AVAILABLE- THE ROOK VOLUME 1 SPECIAL EDITION!

  • Uncategorized
  • October 30, 2012

Pro Se Productions, a cutting edge Publisher of Heroic Fiction and New Pulp, is proud to announce the perfect jumping-on point for fans of adventure – The Rook Volume One Special Edition! NOW AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK!

Created by author Barry Reese, The Rook has become one of the most famous New Pulp heroes. Originally published by Wild Cat Books, The Rook joined Pro Se prior to the release of Volume Six. Now Pro Se begins the process of bringing books 1-5 back into print.


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With a beautiful new cover and four interior pieces by George Sellas, The Rook Volume One Special Edition has been completely re-edited and gorgeously packaged by Pro Se designer Sean Ali.

THE ROOK VOLUME ONE SPECIAL EDITION is available from Amazon for the Kindle at 
http://www.amazon.com/Rook-Volume-1-Special-Edition-ebook/dp/B009Z7135U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351721657&sr=8-2&keywords=rook+volume+1+special+edition for $4.99!

Get your copy in multiple formats from Smashwords at 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250205 for $4.99!

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