Twitter Updates for 2011-04-13
- Amazon.com Will Sell Kindle Digital Reader With Ads for $114 http://ow.ly/4yb7g And the prices keep dropping… #
Category: News
YESTERYEAR ON SALE NOW!
From Pro Se Press-
YESTERYEAR, the debut novel from Tommy Hancock as well as Pro Se Press’ first foray into the field of novels and anthologies, is now for sale! Printed via Createspace, YESTERYEAR, 190 pages, can be purchased for $12.00 here. In the next 1-3 weeks, it will be available via Amazon and after that available via online at other markets as well!
The following is taken from the Estore Page-
YesterYear
YesterYear by Tommy Hancock, Published by Pro Se Press. Cover Art by Jay Piscopo, Interior art by Peter Cooper, Format and Design by Sean Ali.
A world where heroes and villains existed since the day the market crashed and the world almost collapsed. Common people granted great powers and awesome responsibility. A world where one of them knew all the secrets, good and bad, and put them down in a book. A world where that man and that manuscript disappeared.
Until now.
YESTERYEAR is the first book in an epic series chronicling the adventures of Heroes and Villains, both in the Heroic Age of the 1920s-1950s and in the modern day. Centered around a missing manuscript that might hold information that could literally change history and even mean the end of the world, YESTERYEAR alternates between a fast paced modern storyline about the man who ends up with the legendary book and excerpts from the mythic tome itself. Marvel to pulp like adventures of glory and adrenaline and become engrossed in the humanity and horror of being a Hero.
YESTERYEAR by Tommy Hancock-Sometimes the Greatest Mystery of Tomorrow happened Yesterday!
As an added bonus, Pro Se is proud to share with ALL PULP readers the Introduction to YESTERYEAR, written by noted Pulp Author Derrick Ferguson! Enjoy and remember go buy YESTERYEAR TODAY!
Harlan Ellison has this classic answer he gives to people who ask the question that I suppose every writer gets asked at one time or another. Here’s how the scenario goes:
“Where do you get your ideas?”
“There’s this Idea Factory in Schenectady
It’s a lot funnier than it reads, trust me. You have to see and hear Harlan Ellison do the routine to appreciate the gag (as I did twice) but this whole set-up is just to get to the meat and potatoes of this intro.
See, I used to think that Harlan Ellison was just making up the Idea Factory, that it was just a smart-assed way to get a laugh and get out of answering a question he no doubt got tired of answering. But that was before I met Tommy Hancock.
And when I say ‘met’ I mean online. Tommy is one of at least a dozen talented writers who have become good friends of mine but have never met in person. Which makes it all the more remarkable when I realize that Tommy and I have been associated on a variety of projects for going on fifteen years now. And even when we weren’t working on something we were staying in touch by email and Instant Messaging, keeping each other up to date on our lives and our writings.
And in all that time, I’ve come to realize that Tommy Hancock IS the Idea Factory. Truly. I’ve worked with the man so I know whereof I speak. Tommy just isn’t satisfied with creating characters. He creates entire universes. Complete with history, mythology, technology. Ask Tommy how Sovereign City
Right about the time he’s telling you about that character’s great-grandmother you’ll start to get a little nervous. Because you’ll now be getting the notion that our Mr. Hancock must be talking about real people. He has to be. Nobody puts that much creativity and thought and caring into characters that don’t even exist.
Do they?
Tommy Hancock does. Because these characters do exist to him on a very real level. Because Tommy Hancock simply doesn’t know any other way to do it. For him to convince you of the reality of his characters and his universes he has to know it intimately. Right down to the very last atom.
Tommy is an inexhaustible Idea Factory. I’ve been on the receiving end of his output. The man comes up with more ideas in a day than I can in a week. And they’re GOOD ideas. That’s the frightening thing. I could easily take any one of Tommy’s ideas and get a trilogy of novels outta ‘em. That’s how good and how detailed they are.
And at last with this book you’re holding in your trembling hands, you’re going to see what Tommy does with his ideas in a novel. And I envy you if this is the first time you’re reading Tommy Hancock. YESTERYEAR is truly a marvelous work that I’ve been privileged to read bits and pieces of over the years. It’s an event that this work is at last being presented. Especially in light of the New Pulp Renaissance going on right now. Tommy has been out there on the front lines, getting the word out there about pulp and I’m delighted to see that he’s not only championing the works of others but now he’s got one of his own.
That’s enough of me running my mouth. I’ve done my warm-up bit and now it’s time for the main attraction. Dim the lights, make sure your favorite snacks and beverage of choice are within easy reach. Put on the appropriate mood music and let Tommy Hancock take you into his universe. He may call it YESTERYEAR but trust me, it’s as fresh and bright and exciting as all our unborn tomorrows.
Derrick Ferguson
February, 2011
FORTIER REVIEWS MODERN FORGOTTEN PULP CLASSIC!
REVIEW FOR ALL PULP
By Ron Fortier
IMARO :The Naama War
By Charles Saunders
Sword & Soul Media
331 pages
Available Only at (www.Lulu.com)
There are times when a review must, by necessity, become more than mere words praising or critiquing a literary work. When a reviewer recognizes a monumental injustice, then there arises a moral obligation to sound a clarion call in the hopes of shedding light on the issue. This is such a case. Read on.
Over twenty-five years ago, writer Charles Saunders created a new sword and sorcery hero whose roots and adventures were set in the mythological past of the African continent. For the first time ever, a writer had eschewed the dominant overshadowing umbrella of Western-European culture for an untapped history that was totally unique to its corner of the world. From this unbelievably rich untapped mythological tapestry came Imaro, a mixed blood outcast raised by the grasslands warrior people known as the Ilyassai after his mother abandoned him. He grows up bitter and resentful, his own salvation being that he is bigger, stronger and faster than anyone in the village. Once having achieved manhood, he leaves the tribe to seek out his destiny and perhaps learn the reasons why his mother gave him up as a child.
In the subsequent short stories and novels, Saunders took us on a fantastic journey through this rich and original African landscape. Along the way we discovered Imaro was in fact an unwilling pawn in a cosmic struggle between the forces of good, represented by the Cloud Striders, and evil, alien beings known as the Mashtaan. For centuries, the Mashtaan had been manipulating their earthly agents, wizards known as the Erriten, towards their ultimate goal of ripping apart the dimensional barrier between their world and ours, thus allowing them access to invade Earth. To stop them, the Cloud Striders set in play two remarkable humans, both touched by their celestial powers while still in the womb; the first was the sorceress queen Kandisa and the second, Imaro.
As he states in his afterword, Saunders initially planned to tell this saga as a trilogy, but the more he wrote of Imaro’s travels and adventures, the more the epic scope of his story continued to swell until he had no recourse but to continue on to a fourth, concluding chapter. This writer is damn happy he did. At the end of book three, “Imaro – The Trail of Bohu
It was then that Kandisa revealed to him that all the hardships of his life had been orchestrated by the Mashtaan because of their fear of him. A war was coming that would encompass all the known kingdoms in a final contest between to the gods with Imaro being the deciding factor. Imaro’s anger was only increased by this revelation that he had been manipulated as a mere pawn, that he was not the true master of his own fate. It was only Kandisa’s heartfelt persuasions that convinced him to reluctantly accept his role in the coming conflagration. Still he continued his hunt for Bohu. By the end of this third volume, he and his party found themselves in the land of Maguvurunde
“IMARO – The Naama War,” picks up where the last book ended and quickly begins the final events of this ground-breaking epic. Coming to grips with his new found family and heritage, the stoic Imaro begins to accept the supernatural abilities the Cloud Striders had bestowed upon him. He gradually assumes responsibility befitting his new role as a prince. With each new conflict he is drawn like a magnet to the cataclysmic confrontation Kandisa had predicted between the great armies and the Northern Highland and those of the Eritten controlled lowlands. Imaro takes his place alongside his father, warrior-chieftain uncle and courageous cousin to lead their forces and in doing so accepts his destiny.
Saunders writes the most gripping, complex and thrilling battles sequences since Homer’s tales of the Trojan War. His pen wields legions of humans and their nightmarish creature allies with a feverish skill that is unequalled in fantasy adventure and in the middle of it all, is Imaro, the greatest warrior ever to take up spear and shield and pit himself against the forces of the evil. But like all great stories, Imaro’s victory comes with a price that cuts deep into his soul and leaves him spiritually wounded. Though he saves mankind, he ironically remains the fates’ most tragic victim.
Charles Saunders is Robert E. Howard’s one true literary heir. He is the finest fantasy adventure writer of the past twenty-five years. This is no exaggeration. No other fantasist on the bestseller lists today, Robert Jordan, David Eddings, George R.R. Martin, etc. etc. comes close to equaling the raw power of his stories, his sweeping imagination and the grace and grandeur of his tales. And yet he is relegated to self-publishing his own material because no publisher in either America or Canada
When Saunders first created Imaro, his earlier books were published by DAW paperbacks. This was the early mid 70s and sadly the books, for whatever reason, failed to find a large audience. Maybe readers simply weren’t ready for a black fantasy hero. It is this reviewer’s hope that today that is no longer the issue, but rather the world at large is simply not aware of this magnificent epic and it has gotten lost on the larger digital stage. It is high time it was rediscovered. Both “Imaro – the Trail of Bohu” and “Imaro – The Naama War” are available at (www.Lulu.com). I would urge my readers not only to purchase both immediately, but to also tell all their friends and associates who love great fantasy adventure. Maybe together we can bring Imaro back to the prominence he and his creator truly deserve.
DC Comics July Releases – Covers & Solicitation Copy
We’ve received all the covers for DC Comics July solicitations, including the long awaited Games, the New Teen Titans graphic novel from Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. And when I say long awaited, I mean two decades long– which kinda ties in with all the DC Retroactive titles coming out, including our favorite, Green Lantern reuniting the team of ComicMix contributors Dennis O’Neil and Mike Grell.
Take a look.
MOONSTONE MONDAY-CLIFFHANGER FICTION, CHICKS IN CAPE PART TWO!
MOONSTONE CLIFFHANGER FICTION
This week we bring you the second half of a SUPER HEROINE story appearing in the recently released Moonstone collection, CHICKS IN CAPES! The staff behind this project, from editors through the writers, artists, and all others involved are women and put together not only super hero fiction from a feminine perspective, but also produce some of the best action, drama, and adventure you’ve read anywhere in a long time! Enjoy Elaine Lee’s tale, MISCHIEF, this week on CLIFFHANGER FICTION!
PART TWO
âThe road to hell is paved with good intentions,â Mischief mumbled, thinking mainly, but not entirely, of the vow sheâd made to confess all to Theo.
Now the SUV was weaving in and out of the oncoming lane, as though thinking about passing, then thinking better of it. There were too many curves in the road, hills and dense foliage, so the occasional car appeared from the fog, seemingly out of nowhere, making the prospect of passing on a double-yellow line a daunting prospect even for this guy.
But the jerk kept thinking about it.
She fantasized allowing herself to die in a fiery crash. Who would even miss her?
Okay, maybe the tabloids would miss her. The fat photo taken at the Empire State Building that was splashed across the cover of the National Pursuer under the clever headline MUCHO MISCHIEF should have taken the all-time record for embarrassing moments. Should have. But that was not the worst of it. And it did get worse. Lots worse.
âWhere am I?â Wendy asked, coming to in her own bed.
âYou donât know?â Theo said, answering a question with a question, though it sounded as though he were being rhetorical, so she didnât bother to answer.
Instead, she felt gingerly for the source of her monster headache. It was a lump the size of an eggplant just behind her left temple. Closing her eyes and engaging Mischiefâs power, Wendy slightly reduced the swelling in the lump, and the throbbing calmed a bit.
âHow⦠how did I get here?â
âTwo weird guys brought you here,â Theo said. âOne of them was glowing purple all over and the other one needs to call his doctor, because heâs definitely had an erection for more than four hours. And, oh yeah, he said he was your ex-boyfriend and, oh yeah, so did the purple guy. But I donât think that could possibly be true because youâve never said a word about the fact you were involved with two different guys who run around in Spandex fighting crime.â
Here Theo stopped and made the same face he made whenever sheâd drunk the last beer; eyes very large, lips very thin, disappointment strained through a filter of disapproval.
âIs there anything else youâd like to tell me?â he asked, sounding not at all rhetorical.
âI was going to tell you,â Wendy started.
âWhen?â Theo said. âAfter I had moved in?â
âI guess so, since youâre, you knowâ¦â Wendy fumbled, â⦠pretty much in already.â
âWhat does that mean?â
âAwww, come on Theo!â
âNo, what is that supposed to mean?â
âYour clothes are here, your bicycleâs here, your toothbrush is hereâ¦â
âI have a lot more stuff than that.â
âAre you talking about that box of records at Zachâs place? Because, once that box makes the trip here, thatâs pretty much it.â
After a long pause for drama, Theo said quietly, âIâm not the one with a secret identity that I kept secret from you, so how did all of this become about me?â
Wendy took a deep breath and tried not to say what she was thinking, which was âItâs always about you.â Instead, she sat up in bed and realized, for the first time, that she was naked.
âCrap,â Wendy said, beginning to remember.
âTell me about it,â Theo said.
He stood up and, holding his laptop, walked over to the bed.
âHere. You may want to look at these,â he said, handing her the computer.
âThey started appearing online just before your friends showed up.â
The pictures were truly shudder-worthy: Mischief and a visibly excited Amp on the rooftop, Mischief falling through the air in what appeared to be an embrace with Amp, incredibly fat Mischief in a tangle with Amp, Mischief pointing her breasts at The Vibe in a provocative manner, and, finally, a series of at least eighteen photos of Mischief transforming into naked Wendy while seeming to writhe on the ground in some sort of ecstatic state, breasts large, then small, the really large, then tiny. Even more shudder-worthy was the fact that Theo had collected, arranged and rearranged these images into a photo story, then posted it in an album on his Facebook page labeled: â50 Things Youâd Never Expect to See Your Girlfriend Do.â
âI guess I should say thanks for covering the, um⦠naughty bits with little black bars,â Wendy offered.
âI didnât want to get kicked off Facebook,â Theo replied.
âSo, I guess this means weâre breaking up,â Wendy said.
âOh, no!â Theo said. âYou donât get to break up with me!â
Mischief had slowed way down and was hugging the right edge of the road, hoping beyond hope that the SUV would pass. He pulled into the oncoming lane, sped up, beeped his horn andâ¦
Headlights appeared out of nowhere, as a Ford pickup topped a hill on a curve and broke through the curtain of fog. Horns blared and rubber burned. The Civicâs right-hand tires were halfway in a ditch, making the car impossible to steer. Mischief focused her power on the left side of the car, greatly increasing itâs weight. The right wheels lifted and she jerked back into the road. The SUV was still behind her.
She was starting to hate this guy as much as she hated camera phones.
Theo had taken the whole lies-and-secrets thing really badly. Sheâd been unable to convince him that sheâd planned all along to tell him the truth. It was like some bad soap opera in which the errant wife cheated on the faithful husband. But she hadnât cheated. Had she? It hadnât felt like cheating at the time.
Of course, she had found the perfect way to make things even worse.
It had, after all, been her idea to go into couples counseling.
The therapist removed her trendy glasses, leaned across the polished mahogany desk, rested her chin on her perfectly manicured fingertips, and addressed Theo.
âHow does that make you feel?â
She looked like she could eat him with a spoon.
Mischief glanced down at her own half-gnawed nails then slid her hands into her sleeves, surreptitiously repairing them with her matter-altering ability.
âI guess I feel betrayed,â Theo said, doing his best impression of Tobey Maguire in anything starring Tobey Maguire. âI guess I feelâ¦you know, betrayed.â
He looked self-consciously downward now, his thick lashes casting a shadow over the tops of his cheekbones. Did he practice that in a mirror?
Mischief sighed.
âIs that sigh a way of showing your contempt for Theo?â the therapist asked.
âNo!â
âIt felt like contempt,â Theo said.
âPerhaps the contempt is for me then, or for therapy in general.â
âNo! It was my idea!â
Theo shrugged and rolled his eyes toward the therapist, as if to say, See? What did I tell you?
âIâm just frustrated!â Mischief said, trying very hard not to scream.
âI canât just run around telling everybody about my secret identity. Iâ¦
âEverybody? Everybody!â
âI had to be sure we were going somewhere before I took thechance.â
âYou had me opening cans, for Chrissakes! I was opening cans for you!â
âWhat does that mean to you, opening cans?â the therapist asked.
Before he could answer, Mischief interrupted, saying, âActually, it was jars, I was going to open a jar, and he took the jar and opened it for me. I didnât know what to do. Of course I could open the jar. I could melt the jar. But maybe thatâs something boyfriends are supposed to do for you, and, if I didnât let him, that would open up a whole can of worms.â
âJar of wormsâ¦â Theo muttered under his breath, which certainly sounded contemptuous to Mischief, but the therapist remained silent.
Mischief took a deep breath, swallowed her witty retort, and continued, âItâs not like I have any experience with this keeping a secret identityâ¦um⦠secret. Before Theo, I only dated superheroes, so it nevercame up.â
âOh, okay! Here it comes!â
âWhat?â
âHereâs where I get compared to guys who can leap over buildings and blow up planets with their heat vision. How do I compete with that?â
The therapist looked at Mischief, as though waiting for an answer, but Theo continuedâ¦
âIt makes me feelâ¦â and here Theo stopped for a moment, as though searching for the right word. âIt makes me feel impotent.â
Mischief tried hard not to sigh again. âI didnât notice you having that problem with Natalie Portman.â
The twin suns went nova, collapsed into themselves, went nova, and collapsed again.
The SUV was blinking its lights now, turning her mirrors into strobes. Pain shot through Mischiefâs head. Was this a seizure coming on? She vaguely remembered something about seizures and blinking
lights. Theo had told her something about that.
Why was she obsessing about Theo? Had he ever given a damn about her? They had seen that damned therapist for seventeen weeks and sixteen of those weeks had been spent talking about Natalie Portman.
âIt wasnât always Natalie Portman. At first, he just wanted me to change into Mischief.â
âBut arenât you Mischief?â the therapist asked, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her shell-like ear.
Mischief, or Wendy, or whomever she was supposed to be at the moment, suppressed yet another sigh. How many weeks had they been in therapy? Seventeen? It felt like eons.
âWell, yes and no. I guess it would be more correct to say that I create Mischief out of Wendy-stuff. So maybe Mischief is Wendy, but Wendy isnât Mischief.â
âHow is using your power to enhance your appearance any different from putting on make-up or dying your hair?â
âHmm⦠yeah. Well, itâsâ¦Ookay. Iâm going to give you Mischief, even though it was pretty disheartening to realize that I hadnâtâ¦Wendy hadnâtâ¦been getting Theoâsâ¦â She stopped here, trying to think how to phrase this.
âHad not been getting Theoâs full attention.â
âThatâs not true!â Theo said.
âCâmon!â Mischief said, âAre you really trying to tell me that your response to Wendy was as âenergeticâ as your response toâ¦â
Suddenly realizing she was talking about both of her identities in third person, Mischief, or maybe it was Wendy, buried her face in her hands.
âI think Iâm going crazy,â she murmured.
âHow do you think I felt?â Theo asked.
It now dawned on Wendy/Mischief/Wendy that Theo didnât give a ratâs ass what she thought about his feelings, or felt about his thoughts, or felt and/or thought about anything, for that matter. She cleared her throat.
âI think you felt like screwing Mischief, then felt like screwing Scarlet Johanssen, then felt like screwing Kate Beckinsale, then felt like
screwingâ¦â
âHey!â
ââ¦the ever-popular Natalie Portman, over and over and over again!â
âYou lied to me. You let me make a fool of myself by opening cans,â Theo said, sounding like one of his skipping vinyl records. âI thought what we had was real.â
âSo, opening jars unnecessarily is betrayal. Me as Natalie Portman, tied up and helpless, pretending you can ravish me against my will is real?â
ââ¦I really like Natalie Portman.â
Here the therapist interrupted. âI think what Theo is trying to say is that his ego had been bruised and Natalie Portman was his way of putting the relationship back on what felt like equal footing.â
âWow! Is that what Theo said?â
âYes,â Theo said.
Wendy/Mischief took a deep breath to calm herself and decided to change tacks.
âYou know what?â she began. âWeâve spent so much time on my failings, why donât we talk about something else? Letâs see. We could talk about the fact that Theo has never made a living, that he pretends not to live with me while living with me in order to not pay rent, that he thinks heâs a musician, when he really answers phones at a music studio, part-time. We could talk about the fact that his name is really Tommy, or that Iâve paid for every date weâve ever had and half of his crappy vinyl records.â
âMaybe we should talk about your anger,â the therapist said.
âIâm not angry!â Mischief screamed.
Mischief (for Wendy was gone now) only realized what had happened when her head cracked the ceiling.
âOww!â she said, as a new lump began to rise. âSorry…I, umm⦠seem to have lost control of my…umm…size?â
She looked down past her own giant knees, to see their two small, white faces staring up at her in horror.
Mischief giggled oddly, âGuess this was my way of putting the relationship back on equal footing.â
It was true. She had been angry. And things had only gotten worse.
Theo had left her, was living with the therapist, and had written a best selling tell-all book about his painful relationship with a female superhero. Currently making the rounds of all the talk shows, he had finally found a way to make a livingâat Mischiefâs expense.
Her life, in the meantime, had become a living hell. Between Theoâs book and the embarrassing photos on the Internet, neither Mischief nor Wendy could walk down the street without being noticed. Men stared,women whispered, and little kids moved closer to their moms. Everywhere she went, cells phones clicked and the picturesânever flatteringâshot around the globe.
Like the gunslinger in an old western, she began to be challenged by upstart superpunks, out to make reps for themselves. Fending them off without doing them permanent damage had become an exhausting enterprise.
What if she got careless and killed one of these kids? Sheâd be dodging a murder rap, instead of cell phone paparazzi. At this point, the thought of a public trial was almost worse than the thought of twenty-five to life.
The civil suits were bad enough. Sheâd been slapped with three separate lawsuits by the City of New York for damage to the Brooklyn Bridge, damage to the Empire State Building, and there was that big battle during the World Series that demolished the new Yankee Stadium. Taxpayers were up in arms. Sports fans were homicidal.
And all this had happened because sheâd wanted something normal.
God, how she now hated normal! All the super villains sheâd defeated, all the superheroes sheâd dated, and the one whoâd finally done her in was a normal, human guy. She cursed herself for a chump.
What was it that man-filching therapist had said?
âYou donât really like people, do you?â
Sheâd denied it at the time, but was it true? In the seven years sheâd been Mischief, had she stopped caring about her fellow human beings?
The fog kept getting thicker and the SUV was still behind her, blinking its dreadful lights. One hand on the steering wheel, the other distractedly twisting her hair, Mischief briefly considered stomping on the brakes and letting the SOB plow into her, then decided that was crazy. Could she have seen her reflection in the Civicâs blazing mirrors, she wouldâve seen a multicolored tangle sprouting from her head. Yes, crazy.
Then the guy in the SUV honked his 200-decibel horn, laid on it really, and Mischief lost her mind.
Yanking the wheel sharply with her left hand, she swerved across the narrow road, pushing the fingers of her right through the glass of the windshield, so that the cool night air ran over them. Changing its nature at her command, the air became a field of force that surrounded the Civic, just as the SUV hit her left rear end.
The Civic spun forward, bounced off a roadside tree, hit the guardrail on the opposite side, and ended sitting sideways across the double yellow line. Hand glued to horn, the SOB in the SUV had swerved in the opposite direction, smashing both the guardrail and his monster car.
Mischief rolled down the window, touched her fingers to the outside of her door and smiled, as the color of the Civic changed from violet-gray to red and the exterior of the car crumpled, giving it that âtotaledâ look.
The SUVâs driver was outside the car now, waving his hands and yelling obscenities. Focused on the damage to his own vehicle, he had not even glanced at Mischief.
âThere was a deer,â said Mischief said, stepping out of the car. âDidnât you see the deer?â
As she slammed the door and turned to face the behemoth embedded in the guardrail, she allowed her left hand to slide along the dented surface of the Civicâs body and felt the black numbers on the white license plates rearrange themselves into another configuration.
The driver didnât see the numbers change. He was too busy staring at Natalie Portman, mouth hanging open.
âArenât youâ¦? No! Why wouldâ¦? What wouldâ¦?â
âTo answer your questions,â said Mischief, as she walked toward the stunned driverâs ruined SUV, âYes. Oh, yes! Visiting a friend upstate. And, as to what I would be doing here, I would be crushing your car.â
âI donât suppose you would consider going out with me?â asked the driver asked.
She placed her hands on the SUV and, though keeping its shape and color, it instantly organized its structure into something resembling tinfoil. Closing her fingers, Mischief began to scrunch and rumple and crease, while the shocked driver stared in amazement, as his car was crushed and rolled into a wrinkled ball by none other than Natalie Portman.
âNo, I wouldnât,â said Mischief, returning the carâs fabric to its former weight so that it hit the road with a resounding thwunk.
She turned to face the driver only to see him lifting his cell phone into camera position.
âGive me that!â she demanded, grabbing the phone from his hand. The phone melted, oozing between her fingers to drip onto the asphalt. Mischief looked at the silvery goop covering her hand, glanced around for something to clean it, and quickly settled on the driverâs white shirt. She took three steps toward him, wiped her hand down the front of his shirt, and then grabbed his tie to clean between her fingers.
The driver just stood there.
âLook what you did,â said Mischief said, âYou made me crush your car and now youâve got phone all over your tie.â
As she sped away in her dented red Civic, leaving the driver staring dumbly at a ball of car, Mischief felt almost happy. This had been much better therapy than couples counseling. Shedding Natalie Portman like an outgrown skin, she checked her reflection in the rearview mirror and spied, for the first time, her crazy multi-colored hair. Deciding she liked it, she morphed her car into a green VW and sped toward the turnoff to the thruway north.
Montreal was a straight five-hour shot up I-87. Sheâd always wanted to live in a city where people spoke French, and Canada had national healthcare. Getting a Canadian ID would be no problem for someone who could alter matter with the power of her mind.
As she entered the traffic circle and picked up her ticket at the tollbooth, she made a silent decision that things were going to change. No more dysfunctional relationships, no giving her power away for free, in fact, no more Ms. Nice Gal.
âI wonder what death rays are going for on eBay?â
She laughed at her own joke. Perhaps âMischiefâ would prove to be the right name after all!
Elaine Lee
Elaine Lee is an EMMY nominated actress turned comic book, animation
and game writer. As a comics writer, she is best known for her
sexy vampire series, Vamps, and her science fiction series, Starstruck,
which is being reprinted in 2009-2010 by IDW.
MOONSTONE MONDAY-CLASSIC NOIR COMING SOON-ANGELTOWN
MOONSTONE BRINGS MYSTERY, NOIR, AND COOL BACK
WITH ANGELTOWN COLLECTION!
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc., known for innovative books and comics starring classic as well as original characters, sets the standard once more for the Private Investigator story with its release of ANGELTOWN: THE NATE HOLLIS INVESTIGATIONS written by Gary Phillips, Interiors by Shawn Martinbrough, Cover by Michael Stribling.
Los Angeles is the birthplace of noir because the brighter the sunshine, the deeper the shadows and the more deadly the mischief that goes on in the dark.
Angeltown: The Nate Hollis Investigations is a hardcover from Moonstone reprinting the Vertigo mini series in glorious black and white — the original critically praised sequential mystery featuring the cool, tough private eye’s frenzied search in the shadows for a pro hoopster wanted for murder in “Baller.”
The brand of noir that encompasses private eye tales is all about style and gritty substance. Phillips tells a hard hitting story with rapid fire dialogue and staccato pacing. Martinbrough adds to the fist to the face this story gives the reader with both stark and subtle imagery. Between them, the original mini series set a new standard for PI Noir.
Exclusive to this hardcover, Gary Phillips (Operator 5), raises the bar once more with two original illustrated prose short stories; “Hollywood Killer,” wherein superhero pretenders prowling Hollywood Boulevard for tips are getting bumped off, art by Manoel Magalhães (Vincent Price Presents, Bluewater Comics) and “King Cow,” about cattle, low-riders and babes with nazi tattoos, art by Alejandro Aragon (28 Days Later, Boom Studios).
Slick as spit, big-shouldered Hollis walks the walk and talks the talk in the Angeltown comics, taking on a star-studded scandal that could rip the roof off post-Rodney King L.A.—
 Kevin Burton Smith, Mystery Scene
Anyone who has read his Monk series knows Gary Phillips can write great PI stories. Well as it turns out he is also quite adept at using the comics/ graphic novel medium as well. With Angel Town Phillips has introduced us to a new PI character, Nate Hollis, set in L.A. and ready to kick ass and take names. — Jon Jordan, Crimespree magazine
Gritty. Sordid. Dark. Hard boiled. And all cast against the canvas of the Land of Broken Dreams. Angeltown: The Nate Hollis Investigations is that and so much more and it’s all from Moonstone!
STAY TUNED TO ALL PULP FOR PREVIEW PAGES FROM
ANGELTOWN!
Moonstone Entertainment Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to âawaken your sense of adventureâ, featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, Graphic Novels and proseâ¦books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
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MOONSTONE MONDAY-CHICKS IN CAPES AND THEIR CREATORS!!!
CHICKSÂ IN CAPES SPOTLIGHTS FEMALE HEROINES AND CREATORS!
AVAILABLE NOW!

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| Lori Gentile CiC Editor |
 Moonstone Entertainment, Inc takes Super Hero fiction to an all new level with CHICKS IN CAPES! Chicks in Capes is a fun and provoking collection of ALL NEW prose short stories by a wide range of female authors: including NYT Bestselling authors Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguie, and Jennifer Fallon, along with comic book herstorian Trina Robbins, and a host of other popular fiction and comic book contributors.
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| Elaine Lee Author, ‘Mischief’ |
All of the stories are about super heroines, many characters created exclusively for this collection, and featuring ALL NEW stories about established characters: Lady Action and Domino Lady. All contributors for the book are female, including the interior illustrator, the cover artists, and the editors!

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| Gillian Horvath Author, ‘The Survivor: Coming of Age’ |
 What will you find within the pages of CHICKS IN CAPES? Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Science-fictionâ¦!Authors include Trina Robbins; Nancy Holder; Gillian Horvath; Cathy Clamp; Barbara Randall Kesel; Elaine Lee; Kathe Catto; Valerie D’Orazio;K.G. McAbee; Jennifer Fallon; Debbie Viguie; and Elizabeth Massie
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| Debbie Viguie, Author, ‘A Touch of Glamour’ |
The wonderful art in CHICKS IN CAPES also came from talented female professionals. Emily Stone provided interior illustrations as well as one of the two covers for the book. Nicola Scott also produced a cover used for one edition of the collection. Lori Gentile and Karen O’Brien edited the anthology.

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| Nancy Holder, Author of ‘Beneath the Cape: A Domino Lady Story’ |
 Strong female super-heroine characters from all walks of life are included in this stellar anthology: a parking valet, an archeologist, a bike messenger, a nurse, a holocaust survivor and many more. Also new stories featuring Lady Action and Domino Lady are included in this fantastic collection!

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| Trina Robbins, Author of ‘Inanna: Witchwoman’ |
 One of the strongest points of CHICKS IN CAPES is that its creators feel that its high time the world had more super heroine fiction written by women. According to contributor Trina Robbins, “We need to see more creative concepts of superheroines, and we need to see them from a woman’s point of view. I’m not saying men can’t write good women, many men do…but I do believe that women tend to know what women like, because, being women, it’s what THEY like, no? But it’s revolutionary, by golly, to see not just a woman’s take on an already established superheroine, but to see a woman create her own superheroine.”

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| Jennifer Fallon, Author, ‘Diary of a Superchick’ |

CHICKS IN CAPES spotlights not only female characters by female creators, but it casts a new light on the concept of super heroes in general. According to contributor Jennifer Fallon, “I think itâs a timely reminder that superheroes are not just for boys. They come in all shapes and sizes. We should judge our superheroes by their deeds, not their gender. Just like real people.”
CHICKS IN CAPES from Moonstone Entertainment, Inc! AVAILABLE NOW!
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to âawaken your sense of adventureâ, featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment, Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, Graphic Novels and proseâ¦books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
Swipe File: Rep. Paul Ryan and Gary “Smiler” Callahan
Swipe File is normally Rich Johnston’s beat, but since he’s not into American politics, he might not catch this one.
On the left is Gary Callahan, a.k.a. The Smiler, from Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s Transmetropolitan
One of these individuals has good looks and a certain amount of charisma, but has no empathy for the lower classes of society. He has designs on the presidency, and will cut odious political deals to make that happen, all while being fawned over by right wing pundits and a segment of the voters who are convince that he will save us from “the Beast”.
The other, of course, is a character out of the comic books.
For further comparison, consider this page from Transmetropolitan #41, and remember that this came out over 10 years ago. Sounds like something Ryan could have said last week, when he tried to shut down the U.S. federal government.
MOONSTONE MONDAY-SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 COMING SOON!
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc., Captain Action Enterprises, and Runemaster Studios, announce that SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 is on its way!
An updating of the Jungle Girl genre tale, SAVAGE BEAUTY uses two very strong female leads to not only introduce pulp like heroics into the jungles of today’s world, but also tackles real life issues.  The comic is a tool of vital partnership between its creators and agencies and organizations dedicated to making life better and even saving lives in Kenya, Africa, and other ravaged lands. Â
SAVAGE BEAUTY #2
Ripped from todayâs world news comes a reimagining of the classic jungle girl genre debuting a newhero for the modern age!
Anaya trails the PLA into the mountains of the DR Congo after they kidnap the wife of a Ugandan dignitary intent on selling her into slavery. Follow the trail of political upheaval down the streets of human trafficking as Lacy and Liv unleash their Savage Beauty!
Also, SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 takes another great look back at the golden age with jungle pulp covers. SAVAGE BEAUTY’S charity partners this issue are Do Good Day and Resolve.
 Enjoy preview pages from SAVAGE BEAUTY #2, jungle action at its best from Moonstone!
And in case you’re wondering what people thought of SAVAGE BEAUTY #1, read on!
Eric J., www.thepullbox.com, summed up the origins and appeal of SAVAGE BEAUTY wonderfully-
I am a huge pulp fan, always have been…The adventure, thrill and danger of an altruistic hero risking life and limb to take down a dastardly villain was almost too much for my little 7-year heart to handle. Well, what I know (as most of you do too) is that when creative teams try to âmodernizeâ the genre something is lost in the translation and they fail more often than they succeed…Running counter to that sad norm, the folks over at Moonstone have been lighting the way for years and showing fans that pulp can still be done and done well. Savage Beauty, as a title, just continues to add to their testimony.
In his review at www.playeraffinity.com, Dustin Cabeal points out what makes SAVAGE BEAUTY a modern and relevant title in his ‘Short Version’-
If youâre looking for a sexy jungle story about two women fighting the crimes of Africa then youâll only be half right. This story is anything but goofy and uses the comic to look at a very realistic problem in the world, while presenting it in a very accessible way. Simply put this isnât a kidâs comic, but itâs still really good.
Ray Tate with www.comicsbulletin.com sees SAVAGE BEAUTY as…
 a welcome addition to the jungle girls category of books. The writers and artists direct their talents to raise awareness about real world vermin while creating satisfying escapism in a twist on legacy heroism.
Christopher with www.jonja.net states-
Don’t let the cover fool you, this is more than just an excuse to draw pretty girls in fur bikinis. This new spin on the jungle heroine looks like it will be a serious and at times dark journey to, at least in the literary world, bring justice to the criminals that deserve it most.
SAVAGE BEAUTY #2-Swinging at You soon from MOONSTONE!
Moonstone Entertainment Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to âawaken your sense of adventureâ, featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, Graphic Novels and proseâ¦books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
Captain Action Enterprises, LLC is dedicated to creating new character experiences for both the collectible/nostalgia market and passionate fans of adventure toys and fiction through licensing, re-creations and creative innovations. Properties included Savage Beauty, Captain Action, the Zeroids and Lady Action. More information is available at www.CaptainActionNow.com.
FRINGE Moves Ahead – And Sideways!
Pass the antibiotics – we’re back after a week fighting the Cold From Hell. There’s plenty of good news to go around as Fox gives FRINGEanother season to play in the alternate reality and we celebrate with creators Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman plus Kristin Bell is headed to Showtime!
Are you glad to see another season of FRINGE? Drop us a comment below!
