Category: News

NEW PULP AT WIZARD CON AUSTIN!

  • News
  • November 11, 2011

New Pulp Authors at Wizard World Austin This Weekend!

Wizard World Austin, premiere pop culture convention for the state of Texas is
happening this weekend, Friday November 11th through Sunday the 13th.

On hand to represent the New Pulp
movement are authors Alan J. Porter and Mike
Bullock, both with tables in the creator section,
better known as Artist Alley.

Alan J. Porter is best known for his work
on JAMES BOND: The History of the Illustrated 007
and BATMAN: The Unofficial Collectors Guide
as well as the creator of the New Pulp character The 
Raven. Alan is currently writing the New Pulp column
Pulp Perusals that runs monthly on
www.newpulpfiction.com.

New Pulp fans and others interested in meeting
Alan can do so by going to table #1809.

Mike Bullock is best known in Pulp circles as
the longest tenured comic book writer of The Phantom.
Bullock wrote over forty original Phantom stories for
Moonstone Books, edited dozens more and helped
guide The Ghost Who Walks as the Phantom Group
Editor for Moonstone for much of the last decade.

Currently, Bullock is writing the exploits of the
Black Bat, Captain Future, Death Angel, The 
Runemaster and Xander: Guardian of Worlds. In
addition to his pulp work, Bullock is the creator and
writer behind the all-ages hit series Lions, Tigers and 
Bears, as well as Timothy and the Transgalactic Towel.
Bullock is participating in the Wizard World Kids
Adventure Passport program on Sunday as well. You
can find Bullock at table #1709 in the front section
of Artist’s Alley.

For more information on Wizard World Austin,
navigate to:
http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/home-tx.html

The Challengers of the Unknown Join The New DC Universe

  • News
  • November 10, 2011
challengerssookcover-2186316
The New Challengers of the Unknown.
Cover: Ryan Sook
challengerskirby-8769593
The original Challengers.
Art: Jack Kirby
DC Comics’ classic sci-fi adventure team the Challengers of the Unknown joins the brand new DC Universe under the creative team of writer Dan Didio and artist Jerry Ordway in February 2012’s DC Universe Presents #6.
The new Challengers of the Unknown feature imagines a new start for the team where the entirety of its membership will play a role…and one where they may not all make it out alive.
Comic Book Resources has an interview with Challengers of the Unknown writer and DC Comics co-publisher Dan Didio at http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=35378 about the return of these classic pulpy characters.

FORTIER TAKES ON VIKTORIANA!

  • News
  • November 10, 2011
ALL PULP PULP FICTION REVIEWS
By Ron Fortier
MODERN  MARVELS –Viktoriana
By Wayne Reinagel
Knight Raven Studios
440 pages
Several years ago, writer Wayne Reinagle burst upon the pulp fiction world with a self published tome that was the pulp equivalent of “Gone With the Wind.”  PULP HEROES – MORE THAN MORTAL was a giant white elephant of a clunker that was not well written and appeared to be stitched together by a fan boy who was irrevocably addicted to the classic pulp heroes of the 1930s & 40s.  Still, as badly exceuted as that book was, the poor mechanics could not disguise the genuine love and enthusiasm Reinagel possessed for these iconic heroes and how much fun he had playing with them.  You see, the audacity of the man is he put practically every single major ( & minor ) pulp hero in that one giant volume.  Here were Doc Savage, the Shadow, the Spider, the Avenger etc.etc., albeit all with new names to avoid legal repercussions from the rights holders, though readers knew exactly who each was.  Despite its literary flaws, the book is also important in that it was the beginning of Reinagel’s super saga that would invariably use every major literary hero and villain from both the 19th and 20th Centuries spread across an historical roadmap of herculean breath and girth.
Somewhere in all this Reinagel came to an unexplainable decision in regards to his pulp magnus opus; he’d inadvertently begun it in the middle.  After the subsequent release of MORE THAN MORTALS, he was plagued with plot threads that could only be rationalized by going backwards in time, rather than forward.  Thus the second book in the trilogy was actually the first chronologically: PULP HEROES – KHAN DYNASTY. It went back decades to give us the origins of the people who would ultimately sire the pulp heroes of the Great Depression.  Asserting his genuine talent, Reinagel’s prose is much improved with this book though it still suffered the same affliction as its predecessor; massive dumps of historical data were dropped helter skelter through the narrative even in the middle of some balls-out action sequences.  Again, Reinagel is not a man of moderations, he wants to give his readers ( & himself ) more and more.  Some times to the detriment of his tale.  Still KHAN DYNASTY was a major improvement and contained the portent of better things to come.
This reviewer is very happy to declare that literary promise has at long last been realized in Reinagel’s third book, MODERN MARVELS – VIKTORIANA.  Clocking in at an impressive 440 pages, it adds proof that the guy simply cannot write a short piece but it also loudly proclaims his arrival as a sophisticated storyteller.  This is the work of a craftsman who judiciously balances both action and characterizations and even though there are still many researched historical facts, they are kept concise and only used when propelling the action forward.  That this is the writer’s fastest paced, most colorful and grandiose book is blatantly obvious from the first page to last.
Once again, the author propels us backward to lay the foundation of heroic fiction in a brilliant twist that is pure nectar of the gods to any reader who grew up enjoying the fantastic literature of the 19th Century.  The heroes of this volume are the writers who produced those amazing works all of us encountered along the road to maturity and adulthood; the English classics with a few mongrel relatives thrown in for good measure.
The plot is simple enough.  The planet’s are about to align in a unique positioning only witnessed every thousand years and two insidious fiends, Varney the Vampire and his stooge, a teenage Aleister Crowley, plan to use the stellar phenomenon to their own twisted ends.  They wish to open a hole to another dimension; one filled with demons eager to crossover and destroy the earth.  But to do so, Varney requires nine special magical tablets or else his insane plot will fail.
Guarding those arcane items are the most famous and courageous souls of their times; H.R. Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Nikola Tesla, and an aged Edgar Allen Poe accompanied by a teenage magician named Harry Houdini. They are led by an enigmatic, seemingly immortal beauty, Mary Shelly.   Now if that isn’t a Who’s Who list of the most influential writers in English Literature during the late 19th Century, then I’d be at a loss to compile another.  The exuberant bravado of Reinagel is his fearlessness in employing this stellar cast and bringing them to wonderful life in his glorious adventure.  Their interaction amongst themselves, the romance between Haggard and the ever dangerous lovely Miss Shelley, the good-old-boys camaraderie between Doyle and Stoker is simply endearing and believable.
Wayne Reinagel clearly possesses one of the grandest imaginations ever unleashed on the printed page. His dreams and his fiction know no bounds when after adventure of the highest order and he delivers it beyond measure in this book.  Every one of his books is an experience with so many surprises in store for the reader but none have so entertained and delighted this reviewer as MODERN MARVELS VIKTORIANA.  Mark my words, pulp fans, your lives will be enriched for the better after reading this pure pulp odyssey by a truly one of a kind maser storyteller.  Bravo, Wayne Reinagel, bravo!

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES WARRIORS OF MARS IN FEBRUARY 2012!

  • News
  • November 9, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

THE NEWEST HIT-SERIES IN DYNAMITE’S WARLORD OF MARS LINE OF COMICS!

Cover Art: Joe Jusko

November 9, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – After the incredible critical and commercial success of Dynamite’s Warlord of Mars, Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris, and Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom series, comes Warriors of Mars #1! Before John Carter another earthman visited the Red planet: Lt. Gullivar Jones. Now these legendary warriors are brought together for the first time! When Lt. Guillivar Jones happens upon a mysterious old man with a beautiful carpet he soon finds himself transported through space and time to the planet Mars where he meets the beautiful Princess Hera and a ferocious tribe of Red Martians bent on capturing her! Warriors of Mars is written by Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom writer Robert Napton, drawn by Jack Jadson, with covers by the legendary Joe Jusko and will hit comic stores February 2012!

“Gullivar was written first, but Carter cornered the market and became a legend,” says writer Robert Napton. “It’s Gullivar Vs. John Carter-let the battle begin! It’s a thrill to bring these two southern gents together on the same stretch of red turf and let them have at it. But it won’t be all blood and guts. There’s a story to be told. Many have heard of Gullivar of Mars, but don’t know who he is and how he’s a different sort of man from Carter despite being caught in the same otherworldly circumstances. This is one mash-up fans of pulp won’t want to miss.”
“We’ve found a smart and clever way to tie these two pulp heroes together and rescue Gullivar from relative obscurity and place him up on the dais among the greats,” adds Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “We’re going to explore more of the eras of Mars with Gullivar, the past, present and future and Robert Napton has proven himself more than capable of spinning some excellent Barsoomian tales and we’ve paired him with a great new artistic find in Jack Jadson.”

Princess of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the first of his famous series, which initially began publication in serialized form within the pages of All-Story Magazine in February 1912. It is also Burroughs’ first novel, predating his Tarzan stories. Full of swordplay and daring feats, the story is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction.

Edwin Lester Arnold’s Gullivar of Mars novel, originally published as Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation in 1905, bears a number of striking similarities to Burroughs’ Princess of Mars. Both Gullivar and Burroughs’ protagonist John Carter are Southern United States soldiers who arrive on Mars by apparently magical means (magic carpet in the case of the former, astral projection in that of the latter) and have numerous adventures there, including falling in love with Martian princesses. Gullivar is a more hapless character, however, paling beside the heroic and accomplished Carter. Gullivar, in contrast, stumbles in and out of trouble and never quite succeeds in mastering it.

Robert Napton has written hundreds of comics. He is currently writing WARLORD OF MARS: THE FALL OF BARSOOM for DYNAMITE. In 2008, he adapted Terry Brooks’ DARK WRAITH OF SHANNARA as a graphic novel and wrote the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
Join the conversation on Twitter with #WarriorsOfMars

To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit: www.dynamite.net

Derrick Ferguson Hires HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE

  • News
  • November 9, 2011

Publication Date: Oct 27 2011
ISBN/EAN13: 1466481900 / 9781466481909
Page Count: 184
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Short Stories
The hard-boiled private eye genre is one I dearly love.  The trench-coated shamus with a cigarette dangling from his lip, .45 automatic or .38 revolver in a well-worn shoulder holster, fedora pulled down low over his forehead, the faithful gum-chewing secretary and even more faithful fifth of scotch in the desk drawer…it’s a genre I never get enough of.  And since television and movies have apparently abandoned the P.I. it’s up to writers like Lee Houston, Jr. and books like HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE to give me my fix.
Let me explain; even though Hugh Monn lives and works on the far distant planet of Frontera interacting with many different species and using advanced technology, the tone and feel of the character and the eight stories in the book are pure 1950’s.  Lee drops in a mention here and there of some bit of sci-fi such as a character having green or purple skin or Hugh’s weapon of choice being a Nuke 653 Rechargeable but that’s just throwaways Lee lobs at us once in a while to remind us that we’re not on Earth.  But he doesn’t go into any real detail as to how this future civilization operates or how the technology works.  When the subject of detective stories crossed with science fiction comes up, I usually mention Larry Niven’s stories and novels about Gil The Arm or Roger Zelazny’s “My Name Is Legion” since in those stories, the science fiction is integral to the story.  Take out the science fiction and you wouldn’t have a story.  Not so with Lee’s Hugh Monn stories.  They could easily have been set in 1950’s Los Angeles or New York with a little rewriting.  But I digress…let’s take HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE for what it is, not for what it isn’t.
Hugh Monn is a Human and yes, he freely admits to his clients that his name is a gag.  But one he prefers to use as he’s got some pretty big secrets in his past he’d prefer to keep to himself.  As a detective, Hugh is capable, sharp, principled and dogged in his determination to solve his cases and get to the truth.  Hugh isn’t a pain-in-the-ass who rebels against authority and isn’t a lone wolf who doesn’t play by the rules.  Matter of fact, Hugh conducts himself as a total professional.  He doesn’t shoot when he doesn’t have to, he’s polite to everybody he meets and he co-operates with the authorities.  In particular, Lawbot 714 who he runs into in a couple of stories and who I wouldn’t mind seeing become a regular if Lee gives us more Hugh Monn cases.  He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, he likes kids; he holds open the doors for old ladies.  I think you can tell where I’m going with this.  Hugh’s a fine detective but as a character I found myself wishing that once in a while he’d haul off and slug a suspect for no good reason other than he doesn’t like the fact the guy has eight eyes.  Hugh could stand to be a little rougher and not so polite.
The story “Shortages” is a good example of how Hugh Monn solves a case using his understanding of both humans and aliens and his powers of observation.  It also introduces the character of Big Louie, a Primoid.  Big Louie is the main suspect in a series of thefts being committed at a high security pier.  It’s a pretty good locked room mystery and the relationship between Hugh and Big Louie is the primary attraction in this story, as in “At What Price Gloria?”  Hugh and Big Louie have to rescue Big Louie’s wife Gloria and stop an assassination attempt.  I only wish more of the stories had been as suspenseful as this one.  In some of them, the mystery really isn’t that hard to figure out as there’s a lack of suspects so the solution comes down to either being this one or that one.  And I never got a sense of Hugh being in any real danger in any of these stories.  But Lee should be commended for trying different types of stories such as “For The Benefit of Master Tyke” which hinges more on the healing of a family than the solving of any real crime.  I picked up halfway through “Where Can I Get A Witness?” is intended as a homage to the 1944 film noir “Laura” and I enjoyed it until the very last paragraph where it felt to me as if the writer had stepped in to give his opinion of his own story and didn’t allow his character to do so.
So should you read HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE?  As a first book from a new writer, I’m inclined to give Lee a pat on the back.  There’s a lot to like in his writing style.  He does know how to keep a story moving but he shouldn’t shy away from rolling in the dirt and giving his characters some sharp edges.  I wouldn’t mind seeing Hugh Monn tackle some more cases but I also wouldn’t mind seeing Lee Houston, Jr. strip away the political correctness and explore the real darkness of Frontera.

The Point Radio: HAROLD & KUMAR Do Christmas Wrong


Here’s an interesting holiday recipe – take a popular stoner comedy franchise, toss in some claymation and even a musical number. It’s A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3-D CHRISTMAS, destined to burn up DVD shelves after it escapes theaters. We talk to John Cho & Kal Penn about how they’ve changed even if their movie counterparts haven’t. Plus more with Ed GHelms on how THE OFFICE still owes so much to Steve Carrel, and DC breaks even bigger comic sales records in October.

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

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR PULP ARK 2012 AWARDS!

  • News
  • November 8, 2011
Nominations for the PULP ARK Awards are now open and will close January 15th, 2012. The awards are given in conjunction with Pulp Ark, the convention/creators’ conference and the official New Pulp Convention to be held in Batesville, AR, April 20-22, 2012!  The Awards are given for excellence in the field of Pulp, including books, stories, comic books, magazines, and characters as well as creators. 
To determine if a work or creator qualifies for these awards the definition for works that qualify is as follows-New Pulp is fast-paced, plot-oriented storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists, creative descriptions, clever use of turns of phrase and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story.
Tommy Hancock, Coordinator of Pulp Ark explains additions to the Awards this year.  “We have,” Hancock stated, “added two awards, both by popular requests and thanks to our donor who supports and provides the awards.  Best Book has now been broken into two separate awards-Best Novel and Best Collection/Anthology.  Also, there is now a category for Best New Character.  This can include any New Pulp character created in 2011.”
Hancock also states, “We will also give a Lifetime Achievement Award again this year as well.  A Ten Person committee selected from well-known Creators in New Pulp currently will decide the recipient of this award.  This award is given to someone who has contributed to Pulp, not simply New Pulp, but to the continuation of the interest and promotion of Pulp in all its forms.” Last year’s winners of the first Pulp Ark Lifetime Achievement Award were Tom and Ginger Johnson.
The only works eligible for the Pulp Ark 2012 Awards are those produced between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Anyone can make a nomination and anyone that makes a nomination will receive a ballot. The only people voting in these eleven awards will be those who made a minimum of one nomination. Also, each individual is allowed only ONE NOMINATION PER CATEGORY. A person may nominate someone in all nine categories, but may only nominate once in each category. All nominations are confidential and sources of nominations will not be revealed. All nominations should be mailed to Tommy Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net.The categories open for nomination are (in no particular order and this can be cut and pasted for your nominations ballot):
1. Best Novel (This includes E-books as well as print books)
2. Best Collection/Anthology (This includes single author story collections and multi author anthologies.  This includes E-publications as well as print books)
3. Best short story (this includes stories that appear in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and e magazines. If from an e-mag, the story must appear on a site identified as an e-magazine, not simply be posted on a site or blog. It includes e-publications as well as traditionally printed works.
4. Best Cover Art (This is restricted to prose book publications, including e-books)
5. Best Interior Art (This is restricted to prose book publications, including e-books)
6. Best Pulp Related Comic (This refers to a series, complete run, one shot, etc. This award is for art, writing, and all other work associated with the nominated comics and the winner. This includes e-publications as well. )
7. Best Pulp Magazine (This award is for art, writing, and all other work associated with the nominated comics and the winner. This includes e-publications as well, but the e-publication must be identified as an e-magazine on the site supporting it. )
8. Best Pulp Revival (The Revival nominated must be published within the calendar year of 2010. This includes epublications as well.)
9.  Best New Character (This must be a character that debuts in a New Pulp work published in 2011.  This included e-publications as well)
10. Best Author (This reward refers to the author and any published author is eligible, including novels, short stories, etc. This includes e-publications as well).
11. Best New Writer (To be nominated, a writer must have been published for the first time in the pulp field in the calendar year of 2011. This includes e-publications as well).

Tales of the Rook

  • News
  • November 7, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

Pro Se Press and Reese Unlimited are proud to announce TALES OF THE ROOK, a special anthology project that will bring together many of New Pulp’s finest! The Rook has become one of New Pulp’s most popular characters and has starred in six volumes so far, with more on the way. Tales of the Rook will allow other writers to tackle the character and his world, many of whom will be doing so for the very first time. Confirmed for the book are:

* Mike Bullock
* Perry Constantine
* Michael Edwards
* Ron Fortier
* Tommy Hancock
* Bobby Nash

In addition, Rook creator Barry Reese will also be contributing a brand new tale!

All stories will be set in the official Rook canon and several stories will feature cameo appearances by other New Pulp heroes.

“I’m both amazed and honored to have creators of this caliber doing stories featuring The Rook. I can easily predict that a wonderful time will be had by all who read this book,” Reese said.

TALES OF THE ROOK is expected to take flight in 2012.

TALES OF YESTERYEAR DEBUTS AT IPULPFICTION.COM! FIRST STORY FREE!

  • News
  • November 6, 2011
toycover-9206285

Pro Se Productions and Tommy Hancock announce today that the first story in Hancock’s iPulpFiction.com series ‘Tales of YesterYear’, drawn from the same set of characters spotlighted in Hancock’s debut novel ‘YesterYear’, is now available at iPulpFiction.com.  The first story, THE FIRST YESTERDAY, spotlighting an overview of the universe of the story as well as the origin of the first Hero, is available for absolutely FREE! Go to www.iPulpFiction.com and log in or register for a free account and then browse the shelves for the Tales of YesterYear cover and click the image!  Download THE FIRST YESTERDAY for free from Tommy Hancock and Pro Se Productions!

The Complete Lance Star: Sky Ranger Library

  • News
  • November 5, 2011
lssradnov2011-4239731

The Lance Star: Sky Ranger series of pulp anthologies and comic books has grown again with the addition of “One Shot!” to MyDigitalComics. Below is a handy list of the places where Lance Star: Sky Ranger books are available. Visit http://www.lance-star.com/ for more information about the Sky Rangers.

PRINT EDITIONS:

Airship 27’s Lance Star: Sky Ranger pulp anthologies volumes 1, 2, and 3 remain available to bookstores and on-line outlets via Cornerstone Books (http://www.cornerstonepublishers.com/). In addition to these outlets, the pulp anthology series joins the Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic book at Indy Planet (http://www.indyplanet.com/) at a new low price. A quick find search for Lance Star will pull up all four titles.

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 1 Pulp Anthology: http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5897

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 2 Pulp Anthology: http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5896

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 3 Pulp Anthology: http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5895

Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” Comic Book: http://www.indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4019

DIGITAL EDITIONS:

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 1 eBook Pulp Anthology: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html#lancestar1

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 2 eBook Pulp Anthology:
http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html#lancestar2

Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 3 eBook Pulp Anthology: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html#lancestarvolume3

Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” Digital Comic Book is available at the following:
My Digital Comics: http://www.mydigitalcomics.com/product.aspx?id=c3430ffc-eabf-4a6e-8449-5bdfce110cb7

DriveThru Comics: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=96166

The Illustrated Section: http://theillustratedsection.com/lance-star-sky-ranger-one-shot

Graphic.ly: http://graphicly.com/ben-books/lance-star-sky-ranger-one-shot/1

iPulp Fiction Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #1: Attack of the Bird Man by Frank Dirsherl: http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/LanceStar-Vol1-1-AttackOfTheBirdMan/jacketNotes.php

iPulp Fiction Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #2: Where the Sea Meets the Sky by Bobby Nash: http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/LanceStar-Vol1-2-WhereTheSeaMeetsTheSky/jacketNotes.php

iPulp Fiction Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #3: Talons of the Red Condors by Bill Spangler: http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/LanceStar-Vol1-3-TalonsOfTheRedCondors/jacketNotes.php

iPulp Fiction Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #3: Shadows Over Kunlun by Win Scott Eckert: http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/LanceStar-Vol1-4-ShadowsOverKunlun/jacketNotes.php

iPulp Fiction Domino Lady Vol. 1 – “Target: Domino Lady” by Bobby Nash (features a brief Lance Star cameo): http://www.ipulpfiction.com/books/DominoLady3-TargetDominoLady/jacketNotes.php

Secret Agent X – “The Sea Wraiths” by Sean Ellis (featuring Lance Star): http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Agent-Wraiths-novel-ebook/dp/B0055V3EB6

Keep watching http://www.lance-star.com/ for the latest Sky Ranger news.

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