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THE METEOR HAS STRUCK!!! WOLD NEWTON TAKES OVER ALL PULP!

  • News
  • December 11, 2010

From Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief (sort of) of ALL PULP, one of the Spectacled Seven-

I had intended to write a long letter of sorts to open up this event that I’m about to talk about, but as I sat down to do it, I realized that the material we have, the contributions we have garnered from people really, truly in the know and devoted to, well, this thing I haven’t told you about yet, would do more than enough to explain what ALL PULP is up to.  But I’ll set the table a little bit…

Philip Jose Farmer, whether you love him, hate him, or even know who he is as a writer, has had a truly significant, almost immeasurable impact on pulp fiction today, if not literature as a whole.  Although people were mixing characters from different stories and even different mediums long before PJF came along, no one, in my opinion, has done so much work to turn that neat little convention of having Sherlock Holmes or Tarzan (for example) meet, well, just about anybody you want them to as Farmer did through his writing.  

On December 13, 1795, a meteor crashed to the earth.   Its final destination was near a small english Village, Wold Newton.   From that singular real incident, PJF wove an entire universe of adventures and a family tree that would boggle the minds of most genealogists.  Essentially, the Wold Newton concept intertwines, tangles, and ties up a passle of notable literary characters by  making them all somehow related to someone who was present when the meteor struck near Wold Newton.

In celebration of not only the actual strike, but moreso Farmer’s work and dedication to literary development, ALL PULP is hosting WOLD NEWTON DAYS from December 11-13!  Not only did Farmer create Wold Newton in a sense and turn out a volume of work related to it, he has also inspired a fan and creator following almost unparalleled by anyone else.  Scholars, both amateur and professional, have studied Wold Newton and writers of all stripes have either directly written their own contributions and caveats into the concept or unknowingly riff of of Farmer’s ideas because many of them have become ‘grist for the rumor mill’ among writers.   It is, however, the dedicated writer base, that group of people who studied and even grew close to PJF before his passing that ALL PULP turns the reins over to for this wonderful and hopefully inspirational celebration.

In the next three days, you will see articles, both new and reprinted, interviews, transcripts from speeches, even PJF/Wold Newton inspired music possibly, as well as reviews of current work in the Wold Newton Universe.  So, welcome to ALL PULP’s WOLD NEWTON DAYS…Enjoy..and remember, take notes…there’s a lot to keep up with here;)

Tommy Hancock
12/11/10

The Point Radio: Alan Alda On 30 ROCK Vs MASH


TV and movie vet Alan Alda explains why he came back to television for 30 ROCK and how that show compares to his days on MASH, plus Mark Waid sez Bye To Boom and NetFlix just became even cooler!

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Sarge Portera does it again with another eclectic column!! INSIDE SUPREME!!!

  • News
  • December 10, 2010
INSIDE SUPREME by Sarge Portera
Justice, Inc vs. U.N.C.L.E.
By a show of hands how many of you baby boomers, out there, were faithful viewers of the “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” television series?
How did Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo surreptitiously enter the secret headquarters of U.N.C.L.E. in mid-town Manhattan week after week?
Does Del Florio’s Tailor Shop & Drycleaners sound familiar?

How many of you read the “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” digest magazine?

How many of you read at least three or more “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” paperbacks?
How many of you can describe the mid-town Manhattan U.N.C.L.E. headquarters from memory?
Does the following sound familiar?
The mid-town Manhattan U.N.C.L.E. headquarters is somewhere near the lower East 40’s near the United Nations building. U.N.C.L.E. headquarters is sandwiched between two rows of aging brownstones. U.N.C.L.E. agents live in these brownstones posing as their tenants. Far beneath the sidewalks of this city block is a subterranean harbor connected by an underwater tunnel to the East River. On the rooftops of this block’s buildings are billboards that conceal anti-aircraft batteries, a helicopter pad, radar and telecommunication receiving and sending devices.
At one end of the block that this secret headquarters occupies is a public parking garage. At the other end is an elegant whitestone with two rather interesting occupants. On one floor of the whitestone are the U.N.C.L.E. offices opened to the public. This suite of offices is staffed by young men and women in business dress. These functionaries efficiently maintain the corporate appearance of the day-to-day functions of a nondescript governmental agency. In all appearances this face of U.N.C.L.E. looks like a harmless fact gathering agency or a do-gooders’ organization of a world-spanning nature.
The remainder of the whitestone is occupied by an exclusive key club known as “The Mask Club.” The club’s wealthy members hide their faces behind masks while the charming hostesses and cocktail waitresses wear hardly anything but Mardi gras masks. It’s through this men’s club that the sedate Mr. Waverly entered and left U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. He most likely had a room of his own at the club.
How am I doing thus far?
If the baby boomers are still with me, you’ll recall that it was a few years later that Warren Paperback Library issued “The Avenger” paperback reprints by Paul Ernst.
Most of us who’ve read an Avenger actioneer by this particular pulp author recall the formulaic description of Justice, Inc. that prefaced each mystery. Some of us Avenger fans can even recite from memory a fair description of

Bleek Street

down to the nonstandard Venetian blinds.

That’s why I’d like to share an alternative description to Justice, Inc. that compliments Paul Ernst’s. It’s by Emile Tepperman when he wrote “Calling Justice, Inc.” for “Clue Detective Magazine.” I guess what I like most about this summary is its economy of words where it not only describes Justice, Inc. but encapsulates the Avenger’s credo, too! Here’s how the opening of the fourth chapter of this short story plays out.
“On Bleek Street in the city of New York there is a modest building upon the front of which appears a small plaque bearing the cryptic inscription: Justice, Inc. Bleek Street is no thoroughfare. It is a dead-end street and there are no pedestrians that pass by chance, only those that are bound for the building of Justice, Inc. And those are people in deadly need of help. For this is the headquarters of Dick Benson – The Avenger. Having himself passed through a baptism of fire, his life and his huge fortune have been devoted to saving others from the ordeal to which he was subjected. No person who seeks his protection from the overlords of crime – in whatever part of the world it may be – is denied assistance. The organization
Avenger Art from Moonstone!
which The Avenger has built-up is small, but compact and deadly efficient. Operating like the well-greased fighting machine that it is, it clicks on all eight once it rolls into action..”
Nuff said!
Each time I go back to a “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” paperback I can’t help but compare them to the descriptions Paul Ernst or Emile Tepperman used when setting the Avenger’s cases against the  Bleek Street location of Justice, Inc. In fact, I think I’ll settle down in one of our comfortable high back chairs with a copy of “The Copenhagen Affair” by John Oram, right now. You’re welcomed to join me! Care for a cold glass of lemonade or loganberry? Afterwards we can conspirationally converse about locating copies of “The Rainbow Affair” by David McDaniel and “The Coin of El Diablo Affair” by Walter Gibson.
ALL PULP Post Script

In Chapter 5 PULP HEROES: MORE THAN MORTAL, it’s imaginative author, Wayne Reinagel, takes us behind the scenes in “Simon Blake – The Guardian” with the byline reading, “April 5, 1945 7:30pm” It’s in this chapter that Reinagel sheds some light on the secrets behind The Guardian’s Unsolved Mysteries, Inc. and Praetorian Securities!

“Unsolved Mysteries, Inc.” is inscribed on a small but simple plaque by the only door that gains public access to the Guardian’s headquarters on  Barren Street. The reception area is simply furnished and sports the same bulletproof windows that adorn all the buildings on the block. All these other buildings are false fronts that conceal reinforced concrete walls. This makes the entire city block that Simon Blake owns a veritable fortress! Around the corner on Seminary and 8th Street are Mick McGrath’s pharmacy and pharmacological lab next door to Wall Walker’s electronic workshop. Neither of these labs can be reached by their trick entrances. Instead, Blake’s Barren St. headquarters is a maze of concealed armories, elevators, garages, hidden hallways, living quarters, book lined meeting rooms, offices and secret stairwells.
On the waterfront, a few blocks from Doc Titan’s Global Navigator Consortium is a large warehouse with a sign that reads “Praetorian Securities.” Praetorian warehouses Blake’s fleet of autogyros, speedboats, armored towncars, swift roadsters and trucks with the most advanced detection and listening devices available for the pulp era.
Unsolved Mysteries, Inc. and Praetorian Securities day-to-day operations & staff are managed capably by Gabe and Bell Robinson.

NINE FOR THE NEW-Interview with Pro Se’s MEGAN SMITH!

  • News
  • December 10, 2010

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)
Megan Smith-Writer/Creator

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

MS: I would love to. I was born in Jonesboro, AR in 1990. A momentous day for the world :) I technically have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. 3 step and 2 whole. I grew up in Batesville and absolutely love it here! I hope to stick around for a while, but who knows which direction the wind will blow. I never really wrote through high school much. I had a friend who loved to write and him and I occasionally got together and jotted things down. Poems was about as far as I went with writing. But it is a huge passion of mine. While I don’t have as much time to dedicate to it as I would like, I fall more in love with it every time I do.

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?

 
MS: I have always been a video gamer and honestly, I think those above anything else are what have influenced me the most. My mom has always wanted to write a book so I think I got some of my ambition from her. My dad writes all the time so I’m sure some of it came from him as well. My favorite genre is Science Fiction. I have always loved it. Anime is also tied for first place. You might notice that from the art in Perry Lell. 
AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?  
 
MS: I get uncomfortable when I write anything “realistic”. I realize there is a level of realism in every story, but if I were to have to write an “true story” I think it would be a huge challenge for me. Pulp has been extremely intimidating for me, but I have had a lot of support along the way. I think the fighting part of pulp is the toughest for me. Since it is Pulp, fighting is a common occurrence and I’ve had to accept that and learn how to incorporate it into my stories.

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?

 
MS: I haven’t been a longtime fan actually. I didn’t even know it existed until it was introduced to me. But the moment I learned what it was I knew I wanted to write it.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?     I know the art used in my stories is completely different than the art everyone else uses. My style is a little bit different than the Pulp styles I’ve read too and I think the art lends itself to what I do. Good or bad, I’m not sure, but it’s different.

AP: You’re the writer on PERRY LELL, GIRL OF A THOUSAND EARTHS for Pro Se.  The title sounds great.  Tell us about Perry.  

 
 
Perry Lell, Girl of a Thousand Earths
Art by Alex Shear
MS: Perry is a character and concept created and sometimes co-plotted by Tommy Hancock.  Perry is a teenager who every time she falls asleep, she wakes up in a new world. Sometimes more than one a day. The Perrys in all the parallels are dying and it’s her destiny to save them. As time goes on she learns that there’s more to earth dancing than she thought and sets out to save the world.

AP: Do you think it helps that a young woman is writing PERRY LELL, a story about a young woman?  If so, why?  

 
MS:You know, I don’t really think age has much of an issue in this. Even if the author was a little older she could still remember what it was like being 17. I think gender does have something to do with it though. I think because I am a girl I can tap into her emotions a little bit better because she’s a girl too and most girls tend to be alike in that area. I also read a lot of stories that follow a young girl on an adventure, so this is right up my alley.

AP: You are developing your own idea coming soon to Pro Se. Care to share a little about that?  

 
MS: I am working on a story about elves who save the world from the fairies. It’s a little bit out there, but thats what I enjoy writing.

AP: Any future projects from you you want to talk about with us?

 
MS: I have one that I have been working on periodically about a girl who’s aunt turns the entire town into vegetables. I am hoping to have it out at some point in the near future. It may not be pulp necessarily when it’s done, but it’s a project dear to me

AP: Megan, ALL PULP appreciates you taking the time to visit!

Review: ‘Fantasia’ & ‘Fantasia 2000’

Walt Disney saw possibilities where others did not. He turned Mickey Mouse into an American icon and launched a bustling animation business, but wasn’t satisfied with his amusing shorts. Instead, he wanted more and defied the critics who thought a full-length animated feature would hurt viewers’ eyes and test their patience.[[[Snow White]]] proved them wrong. Emboldened, Disney spent the 1930s experimenting with animation in ways none of his peers tried. He adapted classics and he gave us indelible characters and song. He even tried for Art with a capital ‘A’.

His third feature-length film was [[[Fantasia]]] and in eight segments, introduced audiences to a variety of classical music set to animated tales inspired by each. Today, we know it best for the entertaining “[[[Sorcerer’s Apprentice]]]” bit guest starring Mickey in his feature debut; but the film was so much more. It opened up what animation could be and do and while it was a box office disappointment during its 1940 release, it has also endured as a sampling of masterful animation.

In time for the holidays, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released Fantasia in Blu-ray, packaging in numerous ways including a four-disc set, accompanied by [[[Fantasia 2000]]]. You most certainly want Fantasia one way or the other so the ultimate decision is how badly do you want the follow-up feature.

It was said that Disney intended Fantasia to be a living laboratory as segments were added and dropped every few years, keeping it fresh and imaginative. The lack of business scuttled that plan until 1990 when Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew, got animators started on a new version. This time, three of the original segments were to be retained with five new ones added but in the end, Mickey remained and everything else was new and nowhere near as wonderful as the original.

The original Fantasia was edited and re-scored and altered throughout the years but with the passage of time, Disney’s crew has been slowly restoring it to as close to the original 125-minute roadshow release as was possible. About the only questionable edit was keeping a few seconds of a racist black centaur on the cutting room floor, but what you get on the Blu-ray is the definitive version and the one to endure. The restoration and transfer are pristine, which has become the Disney gold standard. Obviously, this was made to be heard as well as seen so the audio is equally exceptional. (more…)

FORTIER REVIEWS GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN!!

  • News
  • December 10, 2010

ALL PULP REVIEWS

GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN

By George Mann

Pyr Books

236 pages

ISBN 10 – 1616141948

ISBN 13 – 978 – 1616141943

Release – April 27, 2010

Pulp adventure, mystery, steampunk, alternate world sci-fi

If anyone doubts there is a major renaissance in pulp fiction going on today, then let them pick up this old fashion thriller. George Mann has delivered a very typical pulp avenger story with an added twist of steampunk. If you are unfamiliar with the term, steampunk refers to a technology based on steam power as was first developed in the 19th century focusing in large part to Victorian Era Britain. It is a subgenre of science fiction and often used in alternate world settings.

The year is 1926, shortly after World War One. All transportation is steam powered including automobiles. Tesla coils light up cities and viewing tube-telephones are familiar household appliances. Police dirigibles patrol Manhattan’s canyons and bi-planes docked on rooftop rocket launchers are part of the city’s skyline silhouette.

Gabriel Cross is a disillusioned, wealthy veteran living on his vast estate on Long Island. Bored with his life and the shallow social circles he inhibits, Cross dons special night goggles, rocket boots, a dark trench coat and slouch hat and becomes the urban vigilante known as the Ghost. It would be impossible for any pulp fan not to recognize the Ghost’s pedigree, he is an heir to such classic pulp avengers as the Shadow and the Spider and dozens of others who emerged from pages saturated in purple prose.

Of course you can’t have a good pulp hero without an equally impressive pulp villain. In this tale he is a mysterious fiend known as the Roman. The police christened such because he leaves Roman coins on the eyes of his victims, all of whom are prominent public figures. As the Ghost begins his hunt for the Roman, he finds himself distracted by two other players in the game. One is the tenacious police detective Felix Donovan who has been charged to apprehend both the Ghost and the Roman. The other is a beautiful jazz singer named Celeste Parker with whom Cross is enamored.

At first Celeste appears to be merely a love interest whose insight into Cross’ wounded soul slowly begins to heal him. But when a group of the Roman’s henchmen attempt to kidnap her one night, the Ghost is dealt another mystery. Who is she really and what is her importance to the Roman? These are but a few of the elements that add cleverly written layers of suspense to an action packed adventure.

GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN, with its colorful steampunk setting, wonderfully echoes the exuberant fun of the original pulps. In the end it is a romantic tip of the fedora to those times long passed but never forgotten.　
　

Mark Waid Leaves BOOM!

  • News
  • December 9, 2010

Mark Waid has been a good friend to ComicMix and we wish him well as he returns to the always exciting life of a fulltime freelancer.

Here’s the official word from BOOM! Studios:

December 9th, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – It is with a heavy heart but also with great warmth and fondness that BOOM! Studios bids adieu to one of its own: effective immediately, Mark Waid is stepping down from the responsibility of Chief Creative Officer at BOOM! Studios. Waid will continue his run on IRREDEEMABLE and INCORRUPTIBLE and his brand new break-out hit collaboration with Stan Lee, THE TRAVELER.

“Mark was key in BOOM!’s transition from a promising upstart to top tier  publisher,” Ross Richie, the Chief Executive Officer of BOOM! Studios remarked. “Now that we’ve reached this stage, Mark’s made it clear to me that he’s ready to take on new challenges. And we wish him the best!”

“I learned a lot in my time at BOOM! about the ever-evolving job of publishing comics in the 21st century, and it’s been an invaluable experience,” Waid said. “But now that BOOM! is in a strong place with its best foothold ever in the market, it’s time for me to refocus my energies on writing and on creating. And maybe take one of these ‘vacation’ things that people are always talking about.”

At Comic-Con International in 2007, BOOM! Studios shocked the industry with the appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief of BOOM! Studios. After three years as Editor-in-Chief, and writer of some of the bestselling BOOM! Studios titles like IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE and most recently THE TRAVELER, Waid was promoted to Chief Creative Officer in the summer of 2010. Today, after a little over three years at the company, Waid leaves BOOM! Studios firmly entrenched as one of the top comic book companies in North America.

“Working day-to-day with a creator of Mark’s caliber is an experience I’ll never forget,” said recently-minted Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Thankfully, with IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE, and THE TRAVELER going strong on the stands, I still get the pleasure of working day-in-and-day-out with Mark. He’s one of the greats and I wish him the best in the next chapter of his influential career.”

“Mark’s such a phenomenal talent, but also a phenomenally good sport.” Chip Mosher, Marketing Director added. “I’d like to publicly apologize that the tagline ‘Mark Waid is Evil’ will follow him the rest of his days! While Mark’s presence on the BOOM! team will be missed, I look forward to reading what is next on all the BOOM! books he will continue to concentrate on.”

While Mark Waid exits the executive team at BOOM! Studios, Waid will continue writing all three of his current BOOM! Studios titles. This December sees the release of IRREDEEMABLE #20 and INCORRUPTIBLE #13, in what continues to be one of the most successful launches of a new series in the past five years in the Direct Market. The success of the single issues for both series have been surpassed only by the massive trade paperback sales, with December also seeing blockbuster pre-orders for IRREDEEMABLE VOL. 5 and INCORRUPTIBLE VOL. 3 TPBs, that will be hitting store shelves later this month. Waid’s collaboration with Stan Lee, THE TRAVELER #2, also tearing up the sales charts, hits store shelves later this month.

DC keeps moving to LA, but will there be any comics when they get there?

  • News
  • December 9, 2010

Two business stories making for an interesting juxtaposition.

First, ComicsBeat reports:

More and more ch-ch-changes at DC, as various folks in the online department have announced they are heading to the West Coast office as the DC Online department moves to Burbank next summer. Ron Perazza will become VP of Online for DC Entertainment, Dave McCullough will become Director of Online for DC Entertainment, and Kwanza Johnson is Digital Editor. Heading up the department, you may recall, is Hank Kanalz, Senior Vice President, Digital of DC Entertainment These are the first announced westward personnel changes, although at least two DCU editors are also moving west to work more closely with CCO Geoff Johns.

diamond-comics-7075568Of course, by the time they get there, Diamond will have shut down their west coast warehouse.

Diamond Comics Distribution has informed comic stores that the warehouse will be closed from next March.

It’s been a good long while since Diamond closed any such warehouse.
In 2008 they consolidated a few into the new massive Olive Branch
centre, but at one point they used to have 24 warehouses. Now they’ll
have 4. The impact of this move will mean there will be no storage
facility for comics and their like on the West Coast.

Affected retailers will notice a change immediately in the new year,
with January the fifth delivering the last shipment from Diamond Los
Angeles. The next week, all deliversies will come from their new,
expanded Olive Branch center in Mississippi. Customers who pick up from
the Los Angeles warehouse can continue to do so until March, and then
will move over to a new LA-based pick up point.

Merry Christmas to everybody who’s losing a job right before the holidays.

One additional problem, not discussed or considered: there are a lot of books that are coming from Asia– not just manga and manwha, but a lot of books from DC, Marvel, and IDW that are printed overseas. One has to wonder what this will do to shipping times and costs for trades, etc.

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