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| Art: Will Meugiot |
Michael Hudson posted some artwork by artist Will Meugiot for the upcoming Sequential Pulp Comics graphic novel adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Caspak: The Land That Time Forgot, written by New Pulp Author Martin Powell, on the Sequential Pulp Blog. You can see the entire article at http://sequentialpulpcomics.blogspot.com/.
This weekend, DOLPHIN TALE opens in theaters and we talk to Harry Connick Jr and Morgan Freeman on what is was like doing a strict “family” film and how Morgan just can’t seem to get away from his fans. Plus more with Kathy Bates on the new season of HARRY’S LAW and a 24/7 SIMPSONS Channel? It could happen!
The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebookright here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
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| Cover: Dan Brereton |
This Halloween, Moonstone heads back to their monstrous roots with the Return of the Monsters Event. Return of the Monsters features four stand-alone tales of pulpâs mightiest heroes facing off against some classic monsters. One of those titles is The Black Bat vs. Dracula by Mike Bullock and Eric Johns. All Pulp sat down with the artist to talk about this upcoming book.
All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.
Eric Johns: I’m just a regular guy, who spent far too much time studying the way the world works and the best way to record it. After unlocking some esoteric doors, I found my path as a Comic book artist. There are no limits to this format, all stories are possible, no production restraints, no boundaries like other mediums have.
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| Art: Eric Johns |
Having owned a comic book store, I’ve read all kinds of Pulp: John Carter, The Shadow, Tarzan, Conan, and Doc Savage to name a few off the top of my head. These guys trailblazed the way for the comic book heroes we know today. Pulps, directly or indirectly, influence nearly all creators in the comic field.
AP: Youâre providing pencils and inks for the Return of the Monsters Halloween event book, The Black Bat vs. Dracula. What can we expect from this titanic throw down?
EJ: Expect a captivating thrill ride, with a harrowing glimpse into Death Angel’s soul, as penned by the masterful Mike Bullock.
AP: The Black Bat vs. Dracula has a pulp hero battling a classic monster, a combination that even though done in some regards hasn’t ever really been done the way Moonstone is doing it with the Return of the Monster event. What do these genres have in common and how do they differ in ways that complement each other?
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| Art: Eric Johns |
EJ: Well both deal with the dark side. They both wield weird, often powerful abilities that make brawls and action sequences far above the realm of knuckles and the 40 inch vertical leap of mere humans.
The Heroes of Pulp fit nicely in opposition to the evil Monsters, completing the chess pieces necessary for battle. A battle between beings that can actually go toe to toe, or claw in some cases.
AP: The Return of the Monsters Halloween event brings back several classic monster archetypes to Moonstoneâs lineup. How does this version of Dracula compare and contrast to previous versions of the character?
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| Return of the Monsters Cover Art: Dan Brereton |
EJ: Well he compares in power and weaknesses, and is shadowed comfortably in the darkness, like previous incarnations. Mike Bullock’s version deviates only slightly from the classic, he hides in plain sight at the beginning. Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. (laughs.) He has long hair, but otherwise it’s our beloved Drac.
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| Art: Eric Johns |
AP: What appeals to you about pulp heroes battling classic monsters? What was it that excited you about visually pitting the Black Bat against the lord of the vampires?
EJ: Are you kidding me? Anytime you get to draw one of the classic monsters, it’s an opportunity not to be wasted.
AP: What, if any, existing pulp, monster, or comic book characters would you like to try your hand at drawing?
EJ: The Shadow, any of the Monsters, and Daredevil or Batman. My art style is probably better suited to Superman or Captain America, however, and I love both of those characters as well.
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| Art: Eric Johns |
AP: What does Eric Johns do when heâs not drawing?
EJ: I’m a strange mixture of nerd and athlete. Athnerd or dorklete. I play basketball and Magic the Gathering, and love my comics.
AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?
EJ: For those willing to ask, I’m pretty accessible: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1058905780
AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
EJ: I’m illustrating “SGT. Janus: Spirit Breaker,” it’s prose style Pulp fiction. I could give accolades to this book and it’s writer, Gentleman Jim Beard, but it’s better to just relate what I told Jim. There is a fairy tale that he created, pure Jim Beard, but it resonated with me and my mind kept telling me, “I remember that story,” as I read it for the first time. That is profound writing!
AP: Thanks, Eric.
The Black Bat vs. Dracula is solicited in August Previews for an October in store release.
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| Cover: Dan Brereton |
This Halloween, Moonstone heads back to their monstrous roots with the Return of the Monsters Event. Return of the Monsters features four stand-alone tales of pulpâs mightiest heroes facing off against some classic monsters. One of those titles called The Spider vs. The Werewolf by writer Martin Powell with art by Jay Piscopo. All Pulp sat down with Martin Powell about this upcoming book.
All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.
Martin Powell: Iâve been a professional writer for over twenty-five years, and although Iâve written everything from educational science books to childrenâs stories, my creative roots have always been firmly set in the pulps. A neighborhood friend introduced me to the Doc Savage paperbacks when I was about eleven years old, and James Bamaâs fantastic ultra-realistic cover paintings really grabbed me. I just had to see what was going on inside those books.
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| Art: Jay Piscopo |
Finally, I found the paperbacks at a nearby department storeâthere seemed to be a zillion of them. My pocket contained just enough spare change for one bookâabout sixty centsâand it was a tough decision. Ultimately, “Devil on the Moon” came home with me, mostly because I was keenly fascinated by the Apollo 11 moon landing, and that evening I read the novel cover to cover. I was hooked.
I knew nothing whatsoever about pulp magazines, had never even heard of them. Although I did notice on the inside of the book that it had originally appeared in “Doc Savage Magazine” in 1938. I was very intrigued. I visited the big library downtown in search of back issues. No luck. Happily, I returned to the department store with some birthday money and bought six more paperbacks, but I didnât actually find and purchase my first authentic Doc Savage pulp magazine until about ten years later. Along the way I learned more about the pulps themselves, including other great characters like The Shadow, The Avenger, and especially The Spider, through the great books of Philip Jose Farmer.
Eventually I would collect the entire series of 182 Doc Savage paperback novels, and lots from the other characters, too, and today I have a nice collection of the original pulps which Iâd never ever part with.
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| Art: Jay Piscopo |
AP: Your story for the Return of the Monsters Halloween event is called The Spider Vs. The Werewolf. What can we expect from this titanic throw down?
MP: Actually, itâs called “The Werewolf War Massacres.” I couldnât resist giving it a more Norvell Page-inspired title. Hopefully Moonstone will go for that on the inside front cover. No one could dream up pulp titles like Norvell, and Iâve always tried to mimic him as best I can. As for the story itself, it has more depth, is more action-packed, is more vicious, and has richer characterization that most of what Iâve gotten to write for the Spider in the past, thanks to its greater page length. I had a lot more space to work with, which was a luxury. Itâs a horror story, to be sure, but itâs also about how the nightmare of war has changed two men.
AP: The Spider Vs. The Werewolf has a classic pulp hero battling a classic monster, a combination that even though done in some regards hasn’t ever really been done the way Moonstone is doing it with the Return of the Monsters event. What do these genres have in common and how do they differ in ways that complement each other?
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| Return of the Monsters Cover Art By Dan Brereton |
MP: Well, Iâve always thought of the Spider as a sort of werewolf himself, and Iâve written him that way, in that he seems to transform into an alternate personality. The real question in my Spider adventures is which is the true identity, Wentworth or his lethal alter-ego? Which one is wearing the mask? The Spider is sort of a composite of Count Dracula and Mr. Hyde. Heâs one of the original monster-heroes, and can be genuinely terrifying. The major difference is the Spider actually cares about us. Sure, heâs crazy as Renfield at times, but he also has a conscience, a lot of heart, and something of a messiah complex. It was a very easy, compatible fit combining the Master of Men with a gothic supernatural element. They seemed made for each other.
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| Art: Jay Piscopo |
AP: The Return of the Monsters Halloween event brings back several classic monster archetypes to Moonstoneâs lineup. How does this version of the Werewolf compare and contrast to previous versions of the character?
MP: This mystery-adventure is set in 1937, so the public at that time werenât very educated on exactly what werewolves were supposed to be. The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney, Jr. was still a few years away, so I based my monster mostly on lycanthrope mythology and folklore. Both the aspect of transforming under the full moon and being vulnerable only to silver weapons are Hollywood-created devices, so I ignored them. My werewolves change unpredictably, at any time, just like the creatures of legend. That makes them much more frightening and dangerous, and they are very tough to kill. However, I did strive to make the werewolf in this story ultimately a sympathetic character, which I think is very important. Heâs a creature without any personal physical control. He canât help himself.
AP: What appeals to you about pulp heroes battling classic monsters? What was it that excited you about pitting the Spider against a werewolf?

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| Art: Jay Piscopo |
 MP: Iâm always excited about a new Spider story, especially getting to write an adventure of this length. Also, although “The Werewolf War Massacres” is not exactly an origin tale, it does provide us with a gruesome glimpse into Richard Wentworthâs past while he was a soldier in World War One. We get to see the Spiderâs personae beginning to take form. The added excitement, for me, was finally getting to work with prolific artist Jay Piscopo, who understands and loves the 1930âs period pulp atmosphere as much as I do.
AP: Youâve been spearheading the Spiderâs comic book adventures for Moonstone. Whatâs ahead for the book and character?
MP: Thatâs largely up to Moonstone. We have discussed a couple ideas, both dealing with larger formats which Iâd really like to do. I have an especially massive apocalyptic epic in mind, with my regular Spider artist Hannibal King, which would resurrect one of the Spiderâs classic and most deadly enemies. Also, Jay Piscopo and I have had a grand sweeping adventure planned which would team-up the Spider, Operator 5, and G-8 and His Battle Aces for the very first time.
AP: What, if any, existing pulp, monster, or comic book characters would you like to try your hand at writing?
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| Cover: Dan Brereton |
MP: People who know me well realize that my favorite fictional worlds are the original 1933 King Kong, the classic Universal monster movies, the Hammer Studios horror films, and the Dark Shadows television series. So, I felt quite at home among the Spider and werewolves. Iâve written several Dracula stories over the past twenty-five years, and I just wrote a prose filmbook of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man for Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, which should be on sale before Halloween. I also have a new graphic novel reviving Dick Brieferâs classic pre-code Monster of Frankenstein horror series coming up, illustrated by Nik Poliwko, and will be published by Michael Hudsonâs Sequential Pulp Comics, an imprint of Dark Horse. I have something in the works specifically for The Creature from the Black Lagoon with another publisher, too, but thatâs all I can say for now. As for other pulp heroes, Iâd love a shot at Doc Savage someday. The Shadow, too. And Tarzan most of all.
AP: What does Martin Powell do when heâs not writing?
MP: Iâm a full-time writer, but I do have a lot of other interests. I havenât watched commercial or cable television since 2004, and I fill some of that time with model kit building, collecting vintage books, and hunting for fossils. Some of my best times are spent playing with our beagle and three cats in our newly purchased 1925 bungalow, which weâre decorating in its proper 20s and 30s period. I suspect gardening will become another passion come next spring, now that we have our own yard. Among other things, Iâm really looking forward to growing my own pumpkin patch. As Vincent Price once said, “Thereâs a whole world up on the stage and screen, but thereâs a bigger world off of them. The person who limits their interests, limits their life.”
AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?
MP: You can find me on Facebook and at my Blog.
https://www.facebook.com/martin.powell1
http://martinpowell221bcom.blogspot.com/
AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
MP: Yes! Iâm very excited to be writing a number of graphic novels for Sequential Pulp/Dark Horse Comics. Currently in the works are Martians, Go Home, The Hound of the Baskervilles, the Frankenstein book I already mentioned, plus a very cool upcoming werewolf project. Also, Iâm writing several graphic novels based upon books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and licensed by his estate, including Caspak: The Land That Time Forgot, Number 13 (based on The Monster Men), and The Cave Girl, with more to come which I canât talk about yet. All dream projects, to be sure. However, Iâm most excited about the first graphic novel of my The Halloween Legion, from the same publisher. Itâs a very exciting, very productive time for me. Iâm very lucky.
AP: Thanks, Martin.
MP: Itâs been fun. Thank you.
The Spider vs. The Werewolf is solicited in August Previews for an October in store release.
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| Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin |
This Halloween, Moonstone heads back to their monstrous roots with the Return of the Monsters Event. Return of the Monsters features four stand-alone tales of pulpâÂÂs mightiest heroes facing off against some classic monsters. One of those titles is Domino Lady vs. the Mummy by co-writers Nancy Holder and Bobby Nash with art by Rock Baker and Jeff Austin. All Pulp sat down with artist Jeff Austin to talk about this upcoming book.
All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.

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| Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin |
 Rock Baker: Well, I’ve always been very heavy into classic monster movies, period adventure stories, and I’m a cheescake cartoonist by trade, so you can imagine how much of a dream something like Domino Lady vs. The Mummy sounded when the assignment was offered to me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have, though, because I was forced to draw everything very small in order to accommodate my rather shrimpy scanner. That matter aside, though, it was a real treat to work with a pulp character in a monster story.
AP: YouâÂÂre providing pencils for the Return of the Monsters Halloween event book, Domino Lady Vs. The Mummy. What can we expect from this titanic throw down?
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| Art: Rock Baker |
RB: A lot of creepy atmosphere. The pages are dripping with shadows. There’s a vibe of unearthly violence that creeps into high society and makes even the most well-lit locale look sinister. There’s also a pretty big event in the lives of these characters that fans will be excited to see!
I also want to take a second and note that the key to making all this work is that I have Jeff Austin doing the inks. He has to be the best inker in the business, and I’m blessed to have him as a partner on this book!
AP: Domino Lady Vs. The Mummy has a pulp hero battling a classic monster, a combination that even though done in some regards hasn’t ever really been done the way Moonstone is doing it with the Return of the Monster event. What do these genres have in common and how do they differ in ways that complement each other?
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| Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin |
RB: Well, both genres work within a world that looks a lot like ours, but plays by slightly different rules. Pulp heroes tend to take beatings that would kill them in real life, but they shrug it off pretty quick on paper. Likewise, monsters tend to be fancifully indestructible in their worlds. Touches of the supernatural often surface in hard-boiled detective literature. Tossing a monster into the mix is the same logic taken to its extreme. One has to be careful, though, to keep it from being TOO radical an addition. Crime fiction has a locked down set of rules concerning how people live, die, talk, whatever, while horror fare throws any such pretense out the window.
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| Art: Rock Baker |
AP: The Return of the Monsters Halloween event brings back several classic monster archetypes to MoonstoneâÂÂs lineup. How does this version of the Mummy compare and contrast to previous versions of the character?
RB: Most obviously, this one is female, where most classic mummies are male. More importantly, she’s smart. Most mummies in stories like this function as classic zombies, they shamble around and do the bidding of another. They’re usually the foot soldier of a high priest. This mummy, on the other hand, is the brains of the operation. That’s a fairly fresh take when one considers the more famous Lon Chaney-type mummies we’ve seen. (To be fair, Karloff’s Im-ho-tep was such a creature, but again he was male.)
AP: What appeals to you about pulp heroes battling classic monsters? What was it that excited you about visually pitting the Domino Lady against a mummy?
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| Art: Rock Baker & Jeff Austin |
RB: It mixes together so many things that fire the imagination, and its nice to see imaginative storytelling isn’t something we grow out of. What can be better than two-fisted adventure and a monster on the side?
Drawing a female mummy was a nice challenge. I wanted to make her a powerful monster, as she is in the script, yet I also wanted her to not be too monstrous. In her time, I’m sure this woman was a very beautiful girl. That became my hook. She’s got a nice figure, loaded down with jewelry, has plenty of poise and grace one might expect from Egyptian royalty. Mostly, she’s aged around the eyes, where her supernatural power is focused. Between her supernatural ways and the embalming procedures developed by the ancient Egyptians, she should retain an echo of her former beauty.
AP: What, if any, existing pulp, monster, or comic book characters would you like to try your hand at drawing?
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| Return of the Monsters Covers By Dan Brereton |
RB: Interesting question. Sheena or one of the many similar jungle girl characters would be ideal, as I could combine cheesecake art with lush natural backgrounds. I’ve always been a fan of werewolf movies, so I might enjoy drawing a werewolf tale, provided I could actually draw a Wolf Man-type creature and not one of those more modern werewolves that look like bears and don’t wear clothing.

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| Art: Rock Baker |
AP: What does Rock Baker do when heâÂÂs not drawing?
RB: He watches a lot of movies. Motion pictures have always been my main area of interest. My library currently contains 1900+ titles that I’ve collected or taped from television. I encourage people to donate their VHS tapes to me rather than just throw them out, which would be a waste. I once wrote and edited a monster magazine, among other things involving genre films.
AP: Where can readers learn more about you and your work?
RB: My blog can be found here: http://rock-baker.blogspot.com/ (I should be posting a lot of artwork there in addition to movie reviews.) I can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bakercartoons

AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
RB: It’s hard to keep track sometimes. I try to get an assignment finished as quickly as possible and move onto the next thing on the list. I sometimes forget what I’ve drawn until it suddenly comes out a few months later! This Moonstone project is one of the big ones, for sure, and I’m looking forward to seeing it in print! I’m also pretty happy about the continuing adventures of my own character Dinosaur Girl, in the pages of AC Comics!
AP: Thanks, Rock.
RB: Thank you very much! It has been an honor!
Domino Lady vs. the Mummy is solicited in August Previews for an October in store release.
David E. Kelly‘s HARRY’S LAW has made it to a second season at NBC, and we sit down with star Kathy Bates to talk about what is coming up on the show including a few major cast changes. Plus Fox nabs The Spectre and Harlan is headed to court again.
The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebookright here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
Christine Ferretti covers the retrial for the Detroit News:
Barbara George was regarded as a devoted wife with no known enemies. But in 1990, the 32-year-old mother of two met a grisly fate when she was fatally shot in the back room of the Clinton Township comic book shop she co-owned with her husband.
Macomb County prosecutors say Michael George dreamed of a “McDonald’s-like” comic store empire while he kept a secret apartment and engaged in affairs behind his wife’s back. They say he wanted to be rid of his “overweight” wife and ultimately killed her to do it. […] George, now 51, is charged with first- and second-degree murder, insurance fraud, false pretenses and firearm offenses.
This is the saddest line in the story:
Prosecutors allege the then-30-year-old George dropped his children off at his mother’s home on the night of July 13, 1990, returned to the store, and slipped through the back entrance to ambush his wife. Barbara George had been at the store alone planning a surprise 30th birthday party she was hosting for her husband that night.
Well, it certainly was a surprise for somebody…
ComicMix contributor Aaron Rosenberg is a prolific writer, editor, and graphic designer who has written role playing games, comic books, fiction, and non-fiction. As a member of Crazy 8 Press, he has the honor of being the second author to launch an original work through the ePublishing site, a seriocomic work called No Small Bills, which goes on sale later this week (UPDATE: Already available now at Barnes & Noble). We sat down with Aaron to get some background on the project.
ComicMix: Aaron, you’re a writer of fiction and non-fiction. Where does No Small Bills fall?
Aaron Rosenberg: Gosh, I really hope it’s fiction! If that story’s real, we could all be in a lot of trouble!
CMix: Seriously, you’ve written fiction and non-fiction in a variety of genres, but you’re not known for comedy. Was this a stretch as a writer?
Rosenberg: It was, yes—and it wasn’t. It’s not what I normally write, but anyone who knows me in person knows that I can get a bit silly at times, so this was a chance to actually write that side of myself. As one friend commented, it was the first book of mine he’d read where he saw my actual voice instead of my “authorial” one. I also went about it much more freeform than usual—I’m normally an obsessive outliner but with No Small Bills I actually started with a basic notion and just let DuckBob lead me along on his merry little journey for a while, so in a way it was very freeing.
CMix: Where did the notion for NSB come from?
Rosenberg: It started as a joke, years back. I honestly don’t remember the circumstances, but I made some comment about a guy with a duck head, and that led to my slapping together a very silly picture of a duck-headed surfer with the label “DuckBob Surfs the Ion Storm!” And then I thought he’d be a fun character to write about, so I copied that line into my “Notions” folder, along with the second line “A fun-filled story of a man-duck’s quest for the perfect galactic wave.” And it sat there for a long, long time, until I decided to try my hand at writing something silly for once. Then it seemed like the perfect time to trot DuckBob back out and let him get some air.
CMix: Many writers are their character’s alter ego; can that be said for you and DuckBob?
Rosenberg: Well, DuckBob certainly bears some similarity to my snarky side. I don’t know about the rest of him, though. I hope I’m not that lazy! Or loud! We do have similar taste in shirts, though. (more…)
Yes it is a 60s-era series, but don’t call NBC‘s new series, THE PLAYBOY CLUB, “MADMAN with a tail & ears”. The crime drama also has a strong music element – and the series stars Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian explain it all. Plus more DC sell outs, updates on the CLUE and THREE STOOGES films and somebody ripped off Darth Vader!
The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebookright here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
With Thor
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
Stephen Colbert, we have your writer for “The Chronicles of Amber”!
January 20, 2023
The Law Is A Ass #460: Those “For Life” Sentences Are Nonsense
February 24, 2022
