TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews by Tommy Hancock The Scar-A Secret Agent X Thriller-Written by Sean Ellis Available for FREE via Barnes and Noble (ebook)
59 pages. That’s how long this book/story/fictional escapade (choose your own term please) is. And I must say I have not read a more pulpy, fast paced, bullet riddled, punch filled 59 pages in a long, long time.
Ellis takes an established pulp character, Secret Agent X, and instead of updating the character for modern sensibilities, he simply plops said Agent into a story written with modern sensibilities. The action is unrelenting, beginning with the opening sentences and not stopping till the last period. There’s a mystery involved as well due to title object-a scar Secret Agent X doesn’t recall getting. The plot is tight and twists around and in on itself several times. The characters are well described and Ellis definitely shows the range of emotions even a pulp hero like Secret Agent X must go through in their dangerous lives.
Very much so something worth reading…again and again and again. When talking to new writers recently, I’ve pointed this tale out as one to read and learn from. No kiddin’.
Five out of Five Tips of Hancock’s Hat (Five tips are reserved only for those who have channeled Dent, Gibson,Doyle, Page, or one of the long gone, but not forgotten greats.)
The 1970s was not a kind decade for live-action television based on comic book heroes. First there was the Cathy lee Crosby misfire of a [[[Wonder Woman]]] telefilm then there were the Reb Brown[[[ Captain America]]] telefilms.[[[Spider-Man]]] made it to prime time as a series but it didn’t resemble the comic in tone or style and died a swift death. But the absolute most mind-numbing and cringe worthy hours featured DC Comics’ stalwart heroes and villains.
I’ve never seen an NBC executive explain what made them think the two specials that aired in January 1979. The Challenge and The Roast, aired as [[[Legends of the Superheroes]]], were probably the first time mass audiences were introduced to [[[Green Lantern]]] or[[[Flash]]] or Hawkman but they certainly knew Adam West’s Batman, Burt Ward’s Robin and Frank Gorshin’s delightful Riddler. As a result, the aging trio donned the tights once more to anchor the two specials. A veritable who’s who of B-list performers and outright unknowns filled the remainder of the costumes.
Comic book fans probably loved seeing Captain Marvel, Hawkman, Huntress, Black Canary, and others in real life but the shows did not earn great ratings and have been derided by those who recall seeing them. While illegal bootlegs have circulated for years, Warner Archive has collected them on a single disc from the best source material available.
You have to love kitsch, bad writing, awful acting, and comic books to enjoy (or endure) these specials.
The Challenge pits a gaggle of villains led by Mordru the Merciless to once more destroy the world. The heroes split up and run around like idiots in an attempt to find and disarm the doomsday device. Mike Marmer and Peter Gallay, who wrote the script for both specials, apparently never learned that humor is derived from character and situation. Not a single hero or villain has a personality depriving the story from any humorous opportunities. The heroes act like dim-wits and never use their powers when they would be needed. The laugh track is badly handled since it is triggered by the lamest of activities. The costumes are authentic but clearly done on the cheap as were the visual effects. (And why on earth is Batman’s cowl worn over his cape?)
The Roast, hosted by Ed McMahon, has some genuinely funny lines but far too few and again, mostly ignoring their characters so are generic jokes. The villains and others arrive to roast the collected heroes, causing mayhem and nonsense.
Nicely, the disc does contain some deleted scenes and outtake, making this a true collector’s item but this is really for the die-hard fans only.
AP:Barry, it’s your turn on the other side of the table.Before we dive into your writing career, tell us a little about yourself.
BR: Well, I’m turning 38 on November 11, 2010 and I’m very happily married to my high school sweetheart. Together, we have a 4-year-old son. I was born and raised in Milledgeville, Georgia. I’m currently the Library Director for the Twin Lakes Library System, which is based in Baldwin County, Georgia. I’ve always loved reading and from a very young age, I wanted to be a writer. But somewhere in my teen years, I gave up on the dream and pursued other things… thankfully, things have a way of working out and in 2003 I was approached about writing for Marvel Comics. I jumped at the opportunity and spent the next four years writing various things for them, including a volume in their Marvel Encyclopedia series (the Marvel Knights volume) and quite a few entries in their Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe line of titles. I’m a huge comic book fan, love movies and music and spend far too much time pounding away at the keyboard.
AP: Now, onto Pulp.How long have you been writing pulp fiction? How/Why did you get into writing pulp?And can you give us a rundown of some of the stories/books you’ve written?
BR: Well, I always loved pulp growing up – when I was very little, my father had all the old Doc Savage and Avengers lying around and the covers really grabbed me. Even before I could read an entire book by myself, I would carry around those Doc novels. But by the time I became an adult, it seemed like very few people remembered those old heroes and even fewer were writing in that style. This wasn’t quite true, of course, but I was unaware of publishers like Wild Cat Books and Black Coat Press at the time.
So I decided that I’d take a break from the Marvel and role-playing game stuff I’d been doing and try to write something different. I decided to do a pulp novel because it seemed like it would be a fun thing to write and I wanted to enjoy the process. So I wrote The Conquerors of Shadow, which was basically my big love letter to the John Carter of Mars series that Edgar Rice Burroughs did. Around that time I came across a copy of Hounds of Hell, a book published originally by Wild Cat Books and written by Ron Fortier. It was very exciting and pitted Doctor Satan against the Moon Man. I was enthusiastic enough to write my first Rook story and from there I ended up contacting Ron Hanna of Wild Cat to see if he’d be interested in publishing them.
So far, my pulp career consists of: five published volumes in The Rook Chronicles (with a sixth coming next year); a pirate novel called Guan-Yin and the Horrors of Skull Island; Savage Tales of Ki-Gor, Lord of the Jungle; Rabbit Heart; and The Conquerors of Shadow. I’ve also completed a novel entitled The Damned Thing that’s awaiting publication from Wild Cat Books. Then there are all the short stories I’ve done for various magazines and anthologies! I won’t list them all but I’ve been included in books like How The West Was Weird, Tales of the Norse Gods and Airship 27’s upcoming Mystery Men Volume One. I’m also currently writing a series of stories starring a new character, Lazarus Gray, for Pro Se Productions.
AP:You are probably currently best known for one of your own creations.Can you tell us a little about The Rook starting with who he is and what he does?
BR: The Rook does tend to be the first thing people think of when it comes to me… The Rook is a masked vigilante who operates out of Boston in the late 1920s and early 1930s before moving to Atlanta in 1936. His real name is Max Davies and in classic pulp fashion, he watched his father die at the hands of criminals. Soon after this tragedy, Max began experiencing painful visions of future crimes. Deciding that he had to do something about these visions, he set off on a trip around the world, mastering almost all known forms of combat, as well as learning about various sciences and the occult. Unlike most masked heroes like The Shadow or The Spider, The Rook tends to encounter actual occult menaces with astonishing frequency. In a twist on things, he later learns that his visions are actually sent from beyond by his own father, who pressured his son from beyond the grave, hoping to create an instrument of vengeance. This places a tremendous strain on their renewed relationship.
AP:Where did the inspiration for The Rook come from for you?Is he based on anyone in particular?
BR: The Rook was inspired by a number of sources, most notably: Batman, Doc Savage, The Shadow, Indiana Jones and Nexus. I took all the things I liked about those heroes, added a bit of spice and created something that hopefully stands on its own.
AP: The Rook has a rich, varied supporting cast.Would you share a few of them with us?
BR: Well, first and foremost you have his wife Evelyn. A minor star on stage and screen, Evelyn Gould Davies is introduced in the very first Rook story I wrote (“Lucifer’s Cage”) and they’re married in the second. Evelyn sometimes adventures alongside her husband though she does this less frequently after they begin having children. They have two during the course of the series: William and Emma. Both of their kids end up becoming The Rook in the 1960s and 1970s, respectively.
Will McKenzie is the Police Chief and is, according to “Kingdom of Blood” (his debut), the youngest police chief in the country. Will has matinee idol good looks and is as brave as they come. Not only does Will help The Rook in his adventures but he’s also a major character in The Damned Thing, which is set in 1939. A few years after that he marries a former Nazi agent, who defects to the Allied side after falling in love with Will.
There’s also Leonid Kaslov, dubbed “The Russian Doc Savage” by many fans. The son of genius Nikolai Kaslov, Leonid is brilliant and capable. He has his own set of aides and battles alongside The Rook in numerous adventures, most notably “Kazlov’s Fire,” which was his debut.
Later in The Rook series (Volume Five), we’re introduced to The Claws of the Rook, which unites various supporting characters like Revenant, Frankenstein’s Monster, Catalyst and Esper into their team. The Rook adventures alongside them and also sends them into the field in his stead. They’re joined by public domain Golden Age heroes The Flame, The Black Terror & Tim and Miss Masque.
AP:Is a supporting cast important to a pulp character like The Rook?If so, what purpose does it serve, for both the story and the readers?
BR: I certainly think it helps flesh out the characters, to show them in various relationships and in different settings. Little scenes where we see Max hanging out with his kids or on a date with his wife helps make him a little more human than some of the classic pulp characters were depicted. It also reinforces the notion that The Rook isn’t a one-man army; he needs help and this sometimes makes him vulnerable. One of the things I wanted to do early on was give Max a stable relationship and one in which his wife was treated as an equal. While I love Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow, I wanted a hero who was a little more human.
AP:Now, aside from the Rook, can you pick out your favorite one or two other tales you’ve written and discuss them?
BR: Sure! I love The Rook but I sometimes feel like everything else I do is cast under its shadow.
It’s not out yet but I’m very proud of The Damned Thing. It’s an occult noir set in 1939 Atlanta and is a bit of a kooky love letter to The Maltese Falcon. I had great fun writing it and it’s set firmly in The Rook universe. In fact, the main character (Violet Cambridge) shows up in 2011’s The Rook Volume Six.
Rabbit Heart was released in February 2010 and it’s a slasher horror novel with pulp influences. It’s set in my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia and is a lot different than everything else I’ve written. It’s violent, it’s dirty and it’s just plain mean-spirited in places. But I’m very proud of it and think the main character (Fiona Chapman) was a lot of fun to write – and her partner in the story is classic pulp hero Ascott Keane (who used to fight Doctor Satan in the old days). I’m hoping that Rabbit Heart will get a few votes for Book of the Year in the Pulp Ark Awards but I don’t expect to win. The subject matter turns some people off and besides, as much as I pimp my work, there are those out there who seem dedicated to mobilizing their voters to ensure their books or their publisher’s books are the forefront of everything. I just don’t have the time or energy to engage in that much effort when it comes to awards.
The Lazarus Gray stories I’m currently writing for Pro Se Productions are good ones, too. Only one has seen print yet but eventually you’ll see the first six compiled into a collection. I’m also planning to team Lazarus Gray with The Rook for the Pulp Ark charity book.
And though I have no real idea when it will be out, I did an Avenger story for Moonstone that I really enjoyed. The Avenger is my all-time favorite pulp hero and to write an official story featuring him… that was a dream come true.
AP: This is a question that ends up in almost every interview ALL PULP does in one form or another.For Barry Reese, what does the term ‘pulp’ mean?
BR: Pulp is not an era. It is not specifically tied to the sort of paper the stories were printed on. That may have been where the origins of pulp came from and the earliest definition but it’s expanded beyond that. Pulp is a mindset. It’s about escapism. It’s about fun. It’s about excitement. Pulp doesn’t hold a mirror up to humanity in an attempt to examine what being human “means,” pulp is about telling you an exciting story that takes you out of your day-to-day life for a little while. I frequently tell this anecdote at conventions: The “point” of a Doc Savage story is this: if you build a crazy weather-controlling machine and try to take over the world, Doc Savage is going to come and kick your ass.
That’s the point of pulp. It’s beer-and-pretzels fiction.
AP:There’s the ongoing debate of whether or not pulp creators should be true to the standard set by the original writers of pulp fiction or if they should modernize/tweak/update both characters and concepts to give stories more relevance with a modern audience.What is your take on this?
BR: I think there’s room for modernization but not bastardization. If you’re going to remove the core premise and alter the characters beyond recognition, do something new and leave the old stuff alone. But you can certainly keep the spirit and update things. First Wave has gotten it all wrong but The Spirit stories by Darwyne Cooke got it right. Cooke updated The Spirit to a modern sensibility but kept all the charm of the original. First Wave has people using the names of heroes like The Avenger but nothing else.
AP: What are your strengths as a pulp author?What about your weaknesses?
BR: I think I create interesting characters and have pretty cool ideas. But I don’t think I write action scenes all that well and if you really break down my plots, I don’t think they’re particularly complex. For me, it’s all about putting the characters into situations where I can see what they’re feeling and trying to convey that in dialogue. So I’m good at characterization, not so good at the actual nuts-and-bolts of writing. I always hope that my enthusiasm will pass on to the reader and that will make up for any faults in my style.
AP:Now, you’re also one of the Spectacled Seven with ALL PULP.What are your duties with the news site and why is being a part of this important to you?
BR: I do the occasional interview, book reviews and I seem to have fallen into the role of doing the First Wave news items, just because nobody else will touch them.
I love pulp and I think anything that portrays it as a legitimate genre and community is a good thing. We’re kind of in a ghetto at present – even with the pulp “renaissance,” everyone’s sales are in the toilet and don’t let anyone lie to you. Massive pulp “hits” sell hundreds of copies, not thousands. We need to consistently improve our presentation and our message to get new readers and not just cater to the old ones.
AP: You’re also planning to attend Pulp Ark next May.You’re one of the guests and you’re doing a panel as well.Can you tell us about your panel, if you have it plotted out as of yet?
BR: I’d like to do something about capturing the spirit of pulp on the page. In other words, how do you write in that style? Is it a mindset? Are there specific techniques that can help? Does Lester Dent’s formula for writing pulp still apply today? That sort of thing.
AP:You have a project you’re working on that’s just recently been announced.Mind sharing with our readers a little about TURNING THE PAGE: TODAY’S PULP HEROES?
BR: It was a real honor to be approached about working on the project with Tommy Hancock and with Tom Johnson’s approval. We’re going to be looking at all the original pulp heroes created post 1955. Through fanzines and small press publications, there has been a steady stream of pulp characters created since the golden age ended and we’re going to shine the light on them. Many are well worthy of standing side-by-side with the classics. The first volume should be out sometime next year.
AP:You’re a librarian by trade.Does pulp have a place in our country’s libraries?And if so, why isn’t in more libraries or is it and the pulp community just isn’t aware of it?
BR: Of course it has a place in libraries. The library I run has books on its shelves by Derrick Ferguson, Maxwell Grant, Lester Dent, Robert E. Howard and many more. But why don’t most libraries stock it? The answer’s really, really simple.
Most pulp is published by print-on-demand publishers. Print-on-demand publishers are not generally listed by major resale vendors like Baker & Taylor, Ingram and Brodart. Almost all libraries do their book ordering through those vendors. My own Rook books aren’t listed in them so if I want a library to stock them, I have several routes I could take: I could sell the books to them directly or I could direct them to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or some other online source. But I can say from experience that a lot of libraries (including our own) don’t like buying from multiple vendors. It makes accounting more difficult and it’s easier to simply say “We order books from Ingram.” Print-on-demand works for the small market that is pulp but it is still regarded by libraries as being one step above a vanity press.
AP:All right, what does the future hold for Barry Reese and all his pulpy goodness?Any projects you want to share with ALL PULP?
BR: Both The Damned Thing and The Rook Volume Six are at Wild Cat Books now but I don’t think you’ll see either until sometime next year. I’m continuing to work on the Lazarus Gray stories and hope that eventually they’ll be as popular as The Rook has proven to be. And even though I always think I’m burning out on Max Davies, I’m sure I have more Rook novels in me. Another new character of mine, Dusk, will also debut in Airship 27’s Mystery Men book, so maybe folks will like her enough for me to write more.
Beyond that, we’ll see. Many of my books just came to me out of the blue and I’d imagine my next one will do the same.
DOC ARDAN: CITY OF GOLD AND LEPERS Written by Guy D’Armen Adapted and Retold by Dean-Marc & Randy Lofficier ISBN 1-932983-03-1
This book is published by Black Coat Press and features a retelling of a 1928 French pulp novel. The main character is similar in style and theme to Doc Savage and the enemy of the book is reminiscent of Fu Manchu, making this confrontation all the more fun.
The basic plot is this: Doc Ardan accidentally wanders into the City of Gold, a hidden kingdom ruled over by Doctor Natas. Natas (Satan spelled backward) is a super-genius with absolutely no morals. He’s discovered a way to transform ordinary items into gold and has inflicted his slaves with a mutated form of super leprosy which only his healing Z-Rays can hold off. In other words, if you try to escape or turn against him, he’ll simply turn off the Z-Rays and you’ll literally fall to pieces in minutes. Along the way, Ardan befriends the lovely Louise Ducharme and the two of them enter into a bloody conflict with Natas.
I greatly enjoyed the story and, given the ending, wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel. But I’m curious how much “adapting” the Lofficiers did. There’s a wink-wink reference to an ore from Wakanda that conducts sound. This is obviously tying into the Marvel Comics’ Black Panther mythos and was added in by the authors. I’m just curious how many other changes they made.
If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned pulp adventure, you really can’t go wrong with this one. The first 20 pages or so were a bit of a slow starter but once Natas arrives, the excitement really begins.
[[[Toy Story 3]]] is a textbook example of how to conclude a trilogy, a lesson that needs to be learned by movie studios. It also illustrates how a family film can work on multiple levels, touching all who watch it. This Pixar film is a farewell to childhood, one that parents watch wistfully and one that warns children to enjoy their youth while it lasts. Even the most jaded people will tear up during the final twenty minutes while the rest of us stated crying long before.
Disney has released Toy Story 3 in a variety of formats today, including the Combo Pack with two Blu-ray discs, standard DVD, and digital copy. Everyone should have this.
Andy has grown up. He’s packing his room, readying to leave for college and its time to part with his beloved toys. They’ve remained in the wagon-like chest for years, neglected and lonely, fretting for their future: garbage, attic or worse. The movie shows us that the attractive options also hide dark secrets and not every toy has a happy outcome. But toys endure and are meant to be handed down from generation to generation, which is what we learn once again.
Since the first film fifteen years ago, Pixar has remained at the technological edge and the characters look sharper and more refined, their movements more fluid and their world more realistic. The biggest improvement has to be in their depiction of human beings as we see Andy all grown up along with his family. Many of the key crew members involved have been along from the beginning along with musical composer Randy Newman which keeps the internal integrity solid.
Martin Powell, renowned Pulp and Comic Author got a mention in the Washington Post recently for his well known work SCARLET IN GASLIGHT. The article is reposted below, with appropriate credits and links provided following!!
Three books on Dracula, selected by Michael Sims
Friday, October 29, 2010
Like Bela Lugosi, his most famous incarnation, Dracula refuses to retire. From his first appearance in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel to his latest cameo in a Halloween candy commercial, the king of the undead still haunts our imagination. Because the sleazy old reprobate just won’t die, here are three good ways to get to know him better.
1 The New Annotated Dracula , by Bram Stoker, edited by Leslie S. Klinger (Norton, $39.95) Renowned as the encyclopedic editor of the three fat volumes of “The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes,” Klinger opens up Stoker’s text with irresistible glee, supplying countless marginal notes, illustrations, photographs and other juicy tidbits. Along the way, he plays what Sherlockians call “the Game,” pretending that Stoker’s account is true. In doing so he not only provides a feast of details but also creates a shadow text that would have amused Vladimir Nabokov in “Pale Fire“ mode. Stoker’s slapdash errors become oversights and perhaps deliberate falsifications. Literary inspirations become historical antecedents. And at the center of this devout playfulness is a handsome, authoritative text for Stoker’s original novel – so you get two books in one.
2 Scarlet in Gaslight , written by Martin Powell, drawn by Seppo Makinen (a four-book series of graphic novels from Eternity Comics, originally $1.95 apiece or in single volumes, apparently all now out of print but easily available on-line). Stoker’s “Dracula” is available in countless editions, and since its publication countless other authors have exploited the vampire-in-chief’s undying appeal. Often fans of Victoriana have united Dracula and Sherlock Holmes – and of course Dracula has played Jack the Ripper. One entertaining and surprising take on such a dream team appears in this series, which has been reprinted in a single volume more than once. Powell’s florid story and Makinen’s elegant draftsmanship create a vision of Dracula more satisfyingly cinematic than many of the movies, and almost inevitably give both him and Holmes a super-villain and -hero look, which seems appropriate.
3 Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend , by Mark Collins Jenkins (National Geographic Society, $25). This is a nonfiction book to take you behind the scenes of Dracula tales. A frequent contributor to National Geographic publications, Jenkins has written a lively and entertaining survey of the historical and scientific materials relating to the natural phenomena that earlier centuries relentlessly misinterpreted as evidence for the undead. What were people seeing – or what did they think they were seeing – that led them to theorize that their Great-aunt Helga had returned from the grave to dine on her kin? These ideas didn’t blossom out of nowhere. Jenkins looks at allegedly eyewitness accounts, examines the revelations of contemporary pathologists and explores how one might explain the other. He has a lot of fun. I wish this book had existed last year, when I was writing about this topic myself.
“Elections are won not by converting the opposition but by getting out your own vote, and Scudder’s organization did just that. According to histories I studied at Boondock, the election of 2012 turned out 63 percent of the registered voters (which in turn was less than half of those eligible to register); the True American party (Nehemiah Scudder) polled 27 percent of the popular vote… which won 81 percent of the Electoral College votes.”
AP: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us! How about we start with you telling us a little bit about yourself — where are you from and how did you develop an interesting in writing?
RB: Thanks for having me here to share my story with your readers. I’m a freelance journalist/photojournalist from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. I have had a passion for writing since I was 10 years old. I started reading comics before I was in kindergarten. I love how a great storyteller can weave an epic tale. When I started writing in my school journal, I wanted to make my journal sound more like an adventure than a simple record of school events. My third grade teacher complimented me on my imagination. I continued writing and felt a fire inside me. I pursued that interest to North Bay where I studied journalism at Canadore College. I received the North Bay Nugget Journalism Award. My articles have appeared in newspapers all across Ontario and on the Internet. My most renowned piece was a five-part series on child pornography called, “They Hide in Suits. The feature appeared in Osprey newspapers across Ontario. Since then writing has been my mistress.
AP: In addition to writing, you’re also a photographer — do you think that helps you in any way as a writer? Are you able to look at things from a different visual perspective and then transfer that to the page?
RB: That’s an excellent question. Without a doubt, photography has played a key role in my writing. A photo is a visual account of an event or moment. It captures the essence of the scene and tells the story. Photography brings it all to life in front of our eyes. Before I take a photo, I follow three principle steps: What is the best angle to take a photo? Will the new angle change the meaning of the photo or add more detail to the story? And what can I do to add more feeling into this picture? In photography, as in writing, we change the angles of our characters, the scene, the plot, and the essence. A writer begins with a mental image of what he/she sees for the scene in question. As well, drawing is a form of photography, and it allows us to focus on what’s going on in the scene. I believe photography has been a faithful guide in my writing. One of the fathers of photography, Louis Daguerre said it best, ‘I have seized the light. I have arrested its flight.’ And that’s what writing is all about, capturing your readers’ attention by giving them a visual picture in their minds.
AP: You recently published your first novel (The Resurgence: Chronicles of the Shadow Chaser), which is actually the first book in a two-part series. What’s the story on The Shadow Chaser and are there plans to continue the series past the announced two volumes?RB: I created Shadow Chaser when I was 16 years old. Me and the guys were always getting together once a week to play a role-playing game (rpg). It was a few weeks after Christmas, and I just got this new super-hero rpg. So, we started a new campaign. The other players took all the cool heroes, so I decided to create my own. I started to draw a rough design, and then it was time to give my hero a name. The smoke was coming out of my ears; I wanted use something cool and original. So I decided, for now, I’ll call my hero Shadow Chaser. As the weeks went by, I started to expand on the story and the characters. It came to the point I had created a binder just for Shadow Chaser. Then about a few months later, I forgot to do an English assignment where you had to create a short fiction story. To save myself from the jaws of detention, I used a quick short story I did on Shadow Chaser, and I got an “A” for originality. Many friends told me I should write a Shadow Chaser novel. In 2005, I decided to put the character to the test. Five years and several rewrites later, The Shadow Chaser is ready to fight against the forces of evil. So, the first book is an origin story. We have the old Shadow Chaser, Dr. Arthur Brown, looking for a new Shadow Chaser to take on the evil Scorpion Syndicate. He chooses, Kevin Wolf, a dispirited seventeen-year-old, damaged by the brutal murder of a loved one, to reprise his role. But will Kevin be able to live up to the Shadow Chaser legacy? It’s a question readers will be asking at the end of the story.
At the present, we’re editing the second novel, The Reckoning: Chronicles of the Shadow Chaser, the conclusion of the two-book series. We’re gunning for a 2011 release, but rest assured, it’s not the end. I don’t want to add a spoiler alert, but you will see a big change in our hero’s life, and I don’t mean two fives for a ten. I’m also in the free writing process for a third Shadow Chaser novel; where we will encounter Shadow Chaser’s newest and most powerful villain, Deathlore. My nephew, Ron Belaire Jr. (who also did the inks for the cover), and I created this bad boy. And believe me; SC will have his hands full. I’m also in the talks with some artists to bring SC into the comic book world. So, I will be quite busy, but it’s a great busy, and I’m lovin’ every minute of it.
AP: Shadow Chaser certainly looks like he draws from both the classic pulps and also from the world of comic books. What influences went into the development of the character?
RB: I believe it goes back my years reading comics and the classic pulp characters such as the Shadow, the Spider, and the Phantom. Since I was a kid, my mom would tell me stories of when my grandfather used to listen to the classic radio series of the Shadow. She used to tell how Orson Well’s portrayal of the Shadow frightened her. She said his laugh echoed in their small wooden cabin. But my grandfather was glued to the radio and enjoyed every moment of drama and escapism. Times were tough in 1940’s Quebec; he worked hard and for just under a dollar a day. When he arrived home, he would turn on the radio and listen to the Shadow. I never met my grandfather, but the story always stayed with me. It would be a safe bet to say, in a way, Shadow Chaser has allowed me to be closer to my grandfather. Also, the classic Spider-man stories of the 70’s and 80’s really played a role in developing the character. What I loved about Spider-man was his humanity and he was a teen with real-life problems. So, I wanted Shadow Chaser to have the same realism. He’s far from perfect; he’s constantly making choices, and those choices have consequences. Consequences lead to conflict, and conflict leads to great storytelling.
AP: One thing that’s kind of unusual about your promotion of the book are all the trailers and videos you’ve posted — who creates those and what kind of work goes into them? Do you think this has worked in terms of attracting attention to the book?
RB: My nephew Ron and I have created them all to this point. We used a computer game called the Movies by Lionhead Studios. The software allowed us to create movies in a Sims type atmosphere. It takes many man-hours to come up with 3 to 4 minutes of footage, but I think it’s worth the effort; especially when I saw Shadow Chaser coming alive and knocking out a thug in front of my monitor. I stumbled on this by accident. At first, we were thinking of doing audio trailers with photo stills, but I happened to be checking trailers and spotted the word “machinima” during my search. The technology behind it is amazing. I checked out the forums and asked if anyone could create a Shadow Chaser costume template. I was fortunate that I found such a person in Mr. Michael Perkey. He created the template and the first teaser trailer went up in the fall of 2009. The reaction was amazing; I had responses from people from all over the world. The highlight was when former Marvel and DC artist, Michael Netzer added my teaser trailer to his favourites on his YouTube channel. After the creation and positive feedback I received from the teaser trailer, came the extended trailer. And I was surprised by another turn of events. I had supporters and Facebook friends, whom I have never met, asked me if they could take part in lending out their voices for characters. From that moment, I knew I had something special. The best part of all of is I met some awesome people as result of these trailers. So, I have spread the word about the book and made new friends. That alone is incredible. With YouTube and social media, book trailers have now become just as popular as movie trailers. Hopefully within the next year, I will be upgrading my software to increase the quality of the trailers. They’re a great promotional tool.
AP: This is a real boom time for modern pulp fiction: are there any authors or series out there that you’re currently a fan of? Do you see yourself branching out into other characters besides just the Shadow Chaser?
RB: I’m just starting to follow the modern pulp scene, but what I’m seeing so far is off the charts. One of these modern pulp characters I am following is Don Gates’s upcoming series, Challenger Storm. Recently, I watched a Challenger Storm tribute video, and it really brought the series alive. I can’t wait for its release. I believe there is a resurgence of interest in the classic pulp tales of the past. Many of my members have said that Shadow Chaser, and other new heroes like him, are considered to be within the “Neo-Pulp” genre. I’m honoured and humbled to be a part of this new and exciting universe, but at the same time, I feel the old pulp stories are still of tremendous interest to readers today.
As for branching out, I’m currently talking with Dan Barnes, the creator of Tree Frog Comics, to do a Shadow Chaser crossover with his flagship character, Vatican: the Angel of Justice. And I’m thinking of bringing in another creation of mine to the public. But for now, Shadow Chaser is my top priority.
AP: If people want to learn more about you or the Shadow Chaser, where should they go? And where can they buy a copy of the book?
The novel is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble online, and Lulu.com. Currently, if they go to Lulu.com, they can save 25% off the cover price. As well, if anyone is interested to have a signed copy, you can check out the official website and send me a message.
AP: Thanks for joining us!
RB: Thank you for having me. If I may, I want to take this moment to thank all my family, friends, and supporters. You’re all the best. For story is nothing without the reader.
The Spectacled Seven of ALL PULP as well as our loyal readers from time to time come across non ALL PULP reviews that just deserve to be shown to a wider audience. From now on, if you come across such a review, send it to allpulp@yahoo.com. If it’s selected as being just too good for the pulp world to miss, then it will be posted as an upcoming GUEST REVIEW OF THE WEEK…like our first one right here…
This March 1939 adventure is best remembered for the infamous “Henry Peace” affair, but before we get into that, I’d like to discuss the story itself. THE FRECKLED SHARK is a lively, quick-moving tale about an assortment of shady characters chasing each other around over a fortune worth millions (forty or fifty), involving the lives or deaths of thirty people. No one’s version of what’s going on can really be taken at face value, not even the seemingly trustworthy folks. These people mean business, too; there are plenty of murders, torture and cruelty going on and it’s not a genteel jewel robbery caper by any means.
Despite all the suspense and action, Lester Dent throws in some genuinely funny lines almost as afterthoughts. When he was trying to write outright farce, Dent seemed uncomfortable; when he has a character make a joking remark in a tight situation, the little touch of humour strikes me as just the sort of thing a real person would say to break the tension. The narrative asides are also wry; Doc ties up a suspect, and “about the only thing he could move was his ears.” Of course, the whole hook of the story, the Henry Peace scandal, is amusing in itself and also shows some rare insight into a normally opaque character.
In the first twenty pages, Lester Dent gets the reader hooked by laying down one puzzling incident after another, all of which seem to fit together somehow. Who is this guy Jep Dee, found half-dead from exposure and vicious torture, with a knotted rope around his neck which he refuses to have removed? What’s the deal with the scrap of freckled shark hide, which he thinks is immensely crucial but which is a clue absolutely no one can figure out? Why are this gangster Horst (who looks like the Devil with muscles) or Senor Steel (the dread dictator of Blanca Grande) interested in the whole mess? Then there’s the cantankerous old soldier of fortune Tex Haven (who carries five pistols hidden on his person) or his nubile daughter Rhoda (who has degrees from four universities and is expert in medicine, archaeology and government administration as well as being a mercenary with a reward on her head). They’re in it up to their chins but they won’t explain anything either.
When Rhoda goes to enlist Doc Savage’s aid, she pours out lies (she starts with, “My name is Mary Morse”) but because she is sitting in a chair with a built-in lie detector, it gets her nowhere. Doc doesn’t show himself, but he sends her off with Johnny to recruit Monk and Ham, and the pulp rollercoaster ride takes off. After that, there is much violence, intrigue, running back and forth, sneaking through the Florida mangroves at night, aerial dogfights, double-crosses and deception, until gradually it all becomes clear. Even Doc finds himself surprised at a few of the plot twists, and is shocked to think he has been duped..
Johnny is along for the ride, and he is (as usual) the most likeable of the aides. He makes conscious efforts to use understandable language, although he keeps backsliding into the frankly irritating habit. Just once, I would like for someone to remind him that one sign of an educated person is the ability to communicate clearly. As it is, one goon says, “Oh. One of them guys, eh? I don’t see why these foreigners who come over here can’t speak English.”
Even so, Johnny is the most thoughtful and considerate of the regular cast, and Doc (as he does in other stories) seems to appreciate Johnny’s opinions the most. Here, he takes the bony archaeologist away from the other two aides to ask him what he should do in a delicate situation. Monk and Ham tend to bulldoze over people, either physically or through verbal manipulation but Johnny is concerned with other peoples’ feelings. Doc trusts only him to give sound advice; I always got the impression Johnny was the oldest of the gang, maybe even one of Doc’s teachers. This is still pulp characterization, of course with broad strokes and bright colors, but Dent always manages to add little human touches to his cast.
Monk and Ham are their usual selves, carrying on their schizoid love affair where they can’t stop insulting each other but fret when the other is in trouble. I know they’re straight (c’mon), but honestly they remind me of several married couples I know. We can note here that Chemistry barely comes up past Monk’s knees (pretty tiny for a chimp and he can’t really be a baboon because he doesn’t have a muzzle or tail). Alan Hathaway and Harold A Davis somehow got the idea that Chemistry was five feet tall, able to wear adult clothing or drive an ambulance (!), but Dent’s original concept was that he was not much bigger than a monkey. Maybe Doc tried some growth hormones on the ape.
I do like the way that, when trapped in an underground room with a gang, Monk yells to lock the door so they can’t escape (“There were at least a dozen men in the room. Monk, the optimist, didn’t want any of THEM to get away.”).
The main appeal of THE FRECKLED SHARK, of course, is that Doc spends most of it disguised as a rude, insolent ruffin with bright red hair and a larcenous streak. This is Henry Peace, and it’s not really giving much away by revealing the pose because Lester Dent lays on some heavy hints from the start and quickly makes it obvious. As Henry, Doc gets to laugh loud and often, propose marriage to a beautiful girl as soon as he meets her, and insult Monk and Ham. He tells Monk,”If you had kept that nose out of other people’s business, it might not look so funny.” Then he goes over to Ham (the “dandy”) and yanks up the tails of the fashion-obsessed lawyer’s coat, splitting it up the back. He also knocks both of them on their backs with a single punch each, then chases them off by throwing bricks (“Irish confetti”) at them.
Gee. Do you think Doc might be acting out impulses toward these two guys he had kept bottled up for years? Not to mention then acting on the powerful attraction to women he felt but could barely admit, even to himself. The price for Doc’s superhuman abilities and knowledge was lifelong discipline and self-sacrifice, being a scientific Puritan. As much as we might like a quick glimpse of Doc up in the Fortress of Solitude, unshaven and reading SPICY ROMANCES in his underwear, while working on a six-pack, it would never happen. It took a few years of World War II and a nearly fatal head trauma before his emotional repression began to crack and he could open up. Doc was never quite the invincible demi-god again after his feelings started coming out, but I sort of think he started enjoying life more and not living every moment for his noble mission.
Doc is a trained psychologist, of course, and he has just enough self-awareness to realize this Henry Peace role could easily get out of hand. Sort of like Catholic high school girls getting drunk for the first time when their folks are away — once you uncork the bottle, it’s tough to get the djinn back in; if Doc started enjoying being Henry for too long, it might be tempting to start skipping those two-hour daily exercises and long hours sweating over hot test tubes or dull 1200-page textbooks. He is also understandably tempted when the gorgeous Rhoda starts to tumble for Henry and there is every sign he could easily be getting somewhere with her. What a pickle for the severely repressed bronze man.
Personally, I would have liked to see Henry come back as a recurring character whenever the situation allowed it. He could be Doc’s secret identity, a boisterous and fun-loving Mr Hyde offering much-needed chances to blow off steam. Since Monk immediately and strongly dislikes the guy, there could be some fresh comic relief to replace the tired bickering with Ham. Dent could even have pulled the old amnesia gag where Doc is struck on the head while in the disguise and thinks he really IS Henry Peace. Only Doc himself can come up with a defense against the shrivelling Purple Fog or whatever, and this Henry guy is just getting in the way of the search for him. (Fan fiction writers out there, these ideas are free.)
As it is, although he will occasionally impersonate other uncouth galoots, Doc puts Henry away and never goes back. By the end of the story, Ham and Johnny have learned about the impersonation, but since Henry has treated him so rough and easily won Rhoda over despite Monk’s efforts, Doc sternly tells them never to let the lecherous chemist know. “The bronze man sounded so deathly serious that Johnny and Ham doubled over laughing. It was the first time they had ever laughed AT Doc Savage” (actually, there was the earlier case where Doc somehow found himself engaged without knowing how in METEOR MENACE….)
Even when his hero was at his most stoic and poker-faced, Lester Dent usually dropped hints that Doc felt normal emotions like fear or doubt and even sexual attraction, but just kept them pushed below the surface. Here is the clearest instance of the writer letting us in on what is actually going on behind those swirling gold-flecked eyes, and it makes this book a lot of fun. THE FRECKLED SHARK is one of the top dozen or so Doc novels I’d recommend every fan should be sure to read.
Headline: MOONSTONE nabs Tommy Hancock! Date: 11/1/2010 12:00:00 AM News: We welcome Tommy Hancock to the Moonstone family this week, as he brings a heavy dose of enthusiasm and can-do mentality to the challenging position of Marketing and Promotions Coordinator!…He will be chained to the computer until further notice.
And Hancock’s comments when asked by ALL PULP- I’m of two minds on this. One is the fanboy in me who remembers seeing JOHNNY DOLLAR and BOSTON BLACKIE comics on a bookshelf side by side and being amazed at this company named Moonstone writing two of my favorite characters. Then there’s the Marketing and Promotions guy in me who is ready to help Moonstone take all of its work (comics, pulp, and whatever) to the next level. Both of those minds are still excited, humbled, and ready to give Moonstone the best I have to give.
The 1970s was not a kind decade for live-action television based on comic book heroes. First there was the Cathy lee Crosby misfire of a [[[Wonder Woman]]] telefilm then there were the Reb Brown[[[ Captain America]]] telefilms.[[[Spider-Man]]] made it to prime time as a series but it didn’t resemble the comic in tone or style and died a swift death. But the absolute most mind-numbing and cringe worthy hours featured DC Comics’ stalwart heroes and villains.
“Elections are won not by converting the opposition but by getting out your own vote, and Scudder’s organization did just that. According to histories I studied at Boondock, the election of 2012 turned out 63 percent of the registered voters (which in turn was less than half of those eligible to register); the True American party (Nehemiah Scudder) polled 27 percent of the popular vote… which won 81 percent of the Electoral College votes.”
