Category: News

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

DON GATES-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator
AP: Don, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

DG: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here!

There really isn’t much to tell: I was born and raised in Florida and I’ve lived here all of my life. I’m currently 36 years old. My dad was a police detective in Tampa and through him I got to see the reality of police work in the 80’s (“Miami Vice” it wasn’t!) Being one of those people who floated around while trying to find themselves, I’ve worked a lot of jobs, including stints at a bakery; a trophy shop; working with developmentally disabled individuals; Toys R Us (which probably remains the most fun of all my jobs, particularly during the holidays); and doing customer service on the phone, first for magazine subscriptions and now currently for a phone company’s repair department. I am currently going back to school for digital design and animation. My wife Annie is a wonderful and supportive woman who has improved my life 200% (and she deserves a medal for putting up with me), and we have a small horde of pets: 4 dogs and 2 cats.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

DG: I think that anything I’ve read has influenced me in one way or another. I’ve always had a love for science fiction and comic books, and though my tastes have changed a little over the years I still think that the books I’ve read when I was younger still hold sway and nudge me in the directions I’m going as a writer. I think the three works that have affected me the most are Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea”, William Gibson’s “Neuromancer”, and Dave Stevens’ “The Rocketeer”, which was like the word of God to me when I discovered it as a teenager. I also think that other media influences me as well, in particular I enjoy movies and some video games and the effects those have had on me trickle down into my writing too.

As far as one particular genre or type of story that I prefer, pulp in general is turning out to be a blast. I’ve tried to write a few other kinds of things- fantasy and such- but just couldn’t keep my interest in it up like I can with pulp. Within pulp writing, I prefer the adventure sub-genre, but I wouldn’t mind branching out into other areas, particularly more of the hero-pulp stuff.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

DG: Oh God… without a doubt, that would be the mystery genre. I’m the guy that has to re-read sections of a mystery sometimes to get the gist of what actually happened, or has to see a movie a few times sometimes in order to get all the plot info processed. I’m constantly in awe of Walter Gibson’s writing in The Shadow, with all the various Chinese-box-like puzzles and such… I’m jealous that I can never seem to come up with things that intricate.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

DG: I’ve been a huge fan of the pulp genre for years, ever since the age of about 13. After falling in love with The Shadow radio show, I ended up tracking down some of the pulps and it was like a gateway drug: The Shadow hooked me on Doc Savage, then The Avenger, and on and on. And then of course, there’s all the awesome new pulp fiction that’s coming out from so many great writers out there, and the modern equivalent of pulp by guys like Clive Cussler and Preston & Child… geez, what a stack of as-yet unread books I have. I still haven’t read as much as of everything as I’d like to, but I’m working on it!

I think that being a fan of pulps, “getting” what it’s all about, has helped me understand what’s expected from that kind of writing somewhat. It helps to understand that in some ways, a pulp fan is looking for certain clichés but wants them to be “remixed” along with new elements. And plus: it’s a great playground. Who wouldn’t want to write about high adventure, dark & gritty crime, or mad science gone out of control? It’s melodrama, and it’s a kick.

Author’s concept sketch of CHALLENGER STORM

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

DG: I think that what I bring to the table is maybe a bit of modern sensibilities as an undercurrent to some of my projects; at least I hope that’s what comes through. I’m hoping a lot of my characters come across as relatable, even if they’re still that larger-than-life type of person that saturates pulp novels. I notice that a lot of writers bring in figures and events from history- and I love that- but a lot of times I’ll try to bring in more imaginary elements. For example, there were no “commandos” as we know them during WWI but in my writing they were there, although they were a secret military unit and largely unknown. I’ve always had a fascination with hidden history and the concepts of alternate history, and I think that will show up throughout my writing.

I also occasionally drop some obscure references to 80’s sitcoms into some of my writings, lol. There were two references to “The Golden Girls” in CHALLENGER STORM: THE ISLE OF BLOOD and I wonder if anyone but my wife will pick up on those little Easter Eggs.

AP: Your first work to be published is coming very soon from AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS. Can you tell us a bit about CHALLENGER STORM?

DG: I often describe my character Clifton Storm to people who aren’t versed in pulp terms as “a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Howard Hughes”. He’s yet another one of those rich playboys that dominate pulp and comic books, and he grew up mean and cold and very elitist despite the best wishes of his philanthropic parents. Long story short: his parents were killed in an accident, and while flying back home to attend to their funeral the plane carrying Storm crashes in the mountains during a freak blizzard. Storm is the only survivor and the events changed him as well as scarred his face, and ignited within him the need to redeem his past actions and to do everything within his power to help those in need. From then on, Storm threw himself into schooling and training in order to strive to be the hero that he feels people need to have. He starts a collective of scientists, engineers, and troubleshooters based out of a complex on a private airfield and this organization is known as the Miami Aerodrome Research and Development Laboratories, or MARDL for short. He and his associates quickly make a name for themselves after several high-profile incidents and the media gives him the nickname “Challenger” because of his habit of challenging the odds. At heart, though, he’s very human and grapples with things like self-doubt and fear. He’s like us: he’s not perfect. I guess you could say that he’s not Doc Savage, but he would like to be.

The first Storm novel, THE ISLE OF BLOOD, concerns Storm’s efforts to rescue the daughter of a wealthy aviation tycoon from the Villalobos Brothers, a band of warlords and guerrillas operating on the tiny island-nation of La Isla de Sangre. Once on the case, however, things come to light that tasks Storm and his team with saving the entire island from the Villalobos Brothers’ super weapon, known only as The Goddess of Death. There’s also a subplot that involves a secret government group’s efforts to recruit Clifton Storm’s services, and this will resonate throughout other plotlines that (hopefully) will be published as well some day.

Something that I’m very, very excited about in THE ISLE OF BLOOD is the artwork, both interior and exterior, is being handled by a super-mystery artist. I’ve been sworn to secrecy by my publisher, Ron Fortier, and so I can’t divulge the identity of The Artist just yet. Trust me when I say this though: I’ve seen rough sketches of what he’s doing and it is amazing, exciting stuff. Also: this guy is my all-time favorite artist, and to have the chance to work with him is literally a dream come true. I’m busting inside, really going nuts with this.

AP: Many writers in the pulp field break in these days by working on someone else’s characters, but you’re going full force ahead with your own. What made you decide to take the step and on the first time out put your own creation out there for the world to read?

DG: To be honest with you, I never considered myself worthy of writing those great old characters. I thought that it would be much easier on me to try my hand at my own character rather than attempt and potentially sully the history of an established character. Hopefully, people will like what I’m doing enough and show an interest in it… friends have been telling me for years “You should write this stuff you come up with!” I’ve been coming up with characters and stories in my head since I was a kid, and it’s only recently that I’ve felt that I’ve had worthy creations. Some of the stuff I came up with when I was a kid was ridiculous, lol.

AP: What is your creative process as far as developing a character? What techniques or steps do you take?

DG: When I develop a character, I often get a rough idea first about what kind of a character they will be. Will they be an adventurer? A vigilante? A villain? Then a short time later, I will unexpectedly come up with everything, all the details, etc., all at once for that character. It’s weird, but once I’ve had this “vision” of the character, there’s very little that I want to change about them, and I almost feel like I can’t change a lot of details. It’s almost like meeting someone: they are who they are when you meet them and you have to accept it, good or bad. It sounds simple, but that’s the way it works for me: most of my characters pop into my head, nearly fully-formed and whole.

AP: What’s coming from Don Gates in the future after CHALLENGER STORM? Any projects you want to discuss?

Mock up of Challenger Storm Movie Poster

DG: Well, I’d love to continue writing Challenger Storm novels. I’m already working on the follow up, THE CURSE OF POSEIDON, and have about eight or nine others being developed. The third book will tie-in with the subplots in the first book and will introduce Storm’s arch-nemesis… his Lex Luthor or Joker, if you will.

There are several more series that I’d like to work on as well, and they all tie into the same universe (the MARDLverse?). If Challenger Storm is my Doc Savage, then The Cipher would be my Shadow: a mysterious vigilante with a twist when it comes to secret identities. Another planned character, Codename: Shanghai, would be my Secret Agent X: a masked secret agent with a mysterious past. I have a couple of other characters I wouldn’t mind doing in either one-shot books or a multi-part series as well, and some friends and I are working on producing comic books, so there really is a lot that I’d like to do creatively. The problem is finding the time to do the actual writing, though. It took a longer time than it should have to write CHALLENGER STORM: THE ISLE OF BLOOD and I really need to streamline the writing process and to force myself to find the time and energy to work on this stuff. I’ve had a taste of writing, and now I want to do more, much more.

AP: Don, it‘s been a pleasure!

DG: Thank you, the pleasure is all mine!

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

DON THOMAS-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator

AP: Don, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

 

DT: I was born in a small town in Tennessee, and my father was in the Air Force so we tended to move around a lot. Then my mom divorced him and married another guy that had a job where we moved around even more. And my older brother and I just got used to finding the closest library in the area we were in and reading as many of their books as they had to offer.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

DT: This last year there seems to have been a serious clash of ideologies in America, and for that matter the ideologies of America clashing with the rest of the world. It’s like that old song “Something’s happening here.” Lots of tension and no one really knows what the final result will be.

I have always enjoyed Fantasy, as it was influenced by older legends and mythology. And my first love as far as what genre to write was Horror, and from time to time I like to go back to it. So I would say that both would be at the top of my list as far as the type of story I like to write. But with that said, I do enjoy tackling a genre or style that I’ve never done before, and one day I’ll eventually write a lowbrow slapstick comedic story, mainly because I haven’t as of yet.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

DT: Not really one to get uncomfortable when it comes to genres. There’s some that I just haven’t done as much as others, and one is prone to be more comfortable writing in the genres that they are used to. And as far as my pulp writing I would probably have to say that Science Fiction oriented pulp is a little bit intimidating because I was such a fan of all the old 30’s to 50’s pulp Science Fiction writing that was done back then. And to me it just seems that those guys back then raised the bar pretty high.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

DT: Oh yeah I would say that I’m a pulp fan, and throughout my life I have run through several different styles and genres of pulp. And the majority of it has been very enjoyable to me. And as a writer it has a “in the trenches” feel to it, very dramatic with a quicker pace than the standard type of story from beginning to end.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

DT: I’m a storyteller, and have been all my life. If I’d been born in an earlier age before computers or even books for that matter, I would have been the guy sitting by the campfire keeping everyone else entertained with a good story. And that’s another thing, to me a good story is exactly that, it captures the interest of the reader, instilling in them a want to get to the next page to find out what happens next. So when I’m writing I like to keep that in mind.

AP: Your work has been published recently with PRO SE PRODUCTIONS in their various magazines. Can you tell a bit about THE BROTHERS JADE three part novella as well as MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM.

DT: THE BROTHERS JADE is a Fantasy story involving the beginning of the quest for the Drink of the Gods. And the drink is a magical brew that imbues upon the drinker immortality and possibly godhood. They are the ones foretold about in the sacred Prophecies of Michael Crucible. Earlier Michael Crucible, the greatest god of good in the world of Mythas sacrificed himself to finally defeat the Great Enemy, “He who should not be named”. And both were undone by that sacrifice, resulting in a major power vacuum on the world stage, especially when it comes to the forces of good.

But luckily Michael Crucible left a series of prophecies that predicted that a group of adventurers that would come. And they would be charged with the responsibility of not only achieving the fabled Drink of the Gods, but also restoring the overall balance of power.

And if THE BROTHERS JADE is the story that deals with important events going on worldwide throughout all of Mythas, then the characters and setting of MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM is more of a different more localized story. It is more about the smaller picture in one particular city, and although it to is a Fantasy story, I would say that it is the more mundane of the two. Gim Bolt and Mohrian the Wizard are crime investigators for the city of Trentonium, and their specialty is going after murderous individuals whose crimes have brought them to the attention of the city guard for various reasons.

AP: These stories exist in the same universe, right? Do you have a thought out universe using these characters and will readers get more of this in upcoming issues of PRO SE PRESENTS or elsewhere?

Fantasy and Fear 1 Cover Featuing ‘Trentonium’ Characters Art by Erik Burnham

DT: Yes both stories exist in the same universe. In fact several of the characters from MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM appear in the second novella installment of THE BROTHERS JADE. And yes the universe of Mythas has been pretty intensively thought out, and the plan is to reveal more and more details about this universe with all of my Fantasy stories that will be based in that setting.

AP: What is your creative process as far as creating a story and writing? What techniques or steps do you take?

DT: Before I start a story I’ll usually think a lot of the basic points of it out before I ever set pen to paper. And even than I’ll still usually come up with a least a basic outline of events, coupled with information about the major characters of each storyline. Then at that point I will think about the interlocking chain of events that will take the reader from the initial first steps down the road towards the eventual climax. And then I set down and start writing things out, with all of those various steps in mind. Although sometimes a story will take me down a road or avenue that I hadn’t expected originally.

AP: What’s coming from Don Thomas? Any projects you want to discuss?

DT: In the world of Mythas, even before the prophesized group from THE BROTHERS JADE, there were others that quested for the fabled drink of the gods. And they were a band of notorious villains that had a lot to do with tilting all of Mythas so dangerously close to being subjugated the remaining gods of evil. So there is not only a parallel to both stories, but also to a degree each interweaves with the other.

Besides that I am also working on another story involving Gim, Mohrian, and their tight knit group of friends as they try to counter an outside force attempts to organize into a formidable threat against the entire city of Trentonium. And this particular story will highlight other characters in the group, especially Storm the pit fighter.

And there’s also my series of stories about the masked adventurer THE RAPIER, and his climatic battle in 1940’s Los Angeles against a very real evil mastermind, whose nefarious plan causes Jason Graves aka The Rapier to evolve from Hollywood bad boy actor just playing the role of a hero, to him becoming a full-fledged costumed vigilante.

AP: Don, thanks so much!

Long-time Dick Tracy aficionado Joe Staton will be taking the classic Dick Tracy newspaper strip following the retirement of long-time artist Dick Locher after March 13.

That’s the right man for the job. Of course, this writer made that suggestion to the newspaper syndicate 27 years ago. Joe should be admired for his patience as well as his craft.

Staton is well-known for his work on such comics characters as Superman, Spider-Man, E-Man, Green Lantern, the Justice Society, The Avengers, The Hulk, The Huntress, Scooby-Doo, Plastic Man … well, you get the point.

What this means is, unlike Brenda Starr and Little Orphan Annie, Tribune Media Services is not canceling Dick Tracy – contrary to rumor.

Joe will be joined by writer Mike Curtis.