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Martha Thomases: Not For Kids Anymore

thomases-art-130329-6063655As Blondie says, “Dreaming is free.”

Which is lucky for me, because I have a rather frantic week, and not a lot of original ideas for a column. Sure, I could write about the John Stewart scandal (or non-scandal, depending on which rumor you believe,), but I am late to that party. I could write about some obscure book that deserves more attention, but I am behind in my reading.

My sub-conscious came through for me.

Last night, I had one of my recurring dreams in which I still work for DC. Sometimes in these dreams I no longer work for DC, but sneak into an office and pretend I do. And sometimes, I even wear clothes. I can’t remember which of these scenarios was at play this time, but I remember getting a memo from Jenette Kahn about some new publishing initiative.

In my dream, I ran to my son, the genius writer, about the opportunity this afforded us. We had two ideas worth pursuing.

The first, and more interesting, was a graphic novel about an upper-middle-class teenage white girl in Georgia in the 1980s who is, unbeknownst to her or anyone else, the reincarnation of Mohammed Ali. I don’t think we should let the fact that Ali is still alive get in the way of the fact that this would be awesome.

However, since my subconscious apparently has no literary taste, in my dream I urged we concentrate our attention on an on-going series, The Legion of Jimmy Olsen. It would be like the Legion of Super-Heroes, but set in the present, not the future, and feature all the different characters Jimmy has morphed into over the years. You would have your Turtle Boy, your giant, your caveman Beatle, even your girl.

All at the same time.

I would buy that series in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you?

The New 52 doesn’t have a lot of Jimmy in it. There isn’t even much Lois Lane. They show up to take pictures or report on some Superman exploit or another, but that’s about it. Grant Morrison had Jimmy doing a bit more, as a friend to Clark.

Even Grant couldn’t work in any Turtle Boy.

As the comics audience has aged, publishers have tried to respond with more mature offerings. They don’t think their readers need a character like Jimmy with whom to identify. Today’s superhero reader, they think, needs stories where the universe is at stake every single issue.

This is a shame, because we could use somewhat less constant cosmic apocalypse, and a bit more whimsy.

And gorillas.

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman

SUNDAY: John Ostrander

 

PRO SE ANNOUNCES CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR BOLD EXPERIMENT- RAT-A-TAT!

  • News
  • March 29, 2013

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Classic Pulp Fiction was known as a proving ground for not only up and coming writers, but also new takes on genre fiction and experimenting with the style of writing Pulp.  New Pulp as a field and style is no different than its ancestor and one of the leading companies focused on pushing the boundaries of genre fiction, in both content and presentation, is Pro Se Productions!  To that end, Pro Se announces today a daring new collection is now open for submissions!
RAT-A-TAT!: Short Blasts of Pulp! Is a book that will spotlight extremely short pieces, popularly known as ‘flash fiction’ that, regardless of genre, will be Pulp in nature.   Pieces accepted for this collection must be no shorter than 500 words, but no longer than 3,000 words.  Also, the requirements are that these be complete stories, not scenes or excerpts from larger pieces.  Also, the pieces must be heretofore unpublished.  Each story will be read and reviewed and acceptance will be determined by the above standards as well as the determination of whether or not the story qualifies as Pulp.

“Flash Fiction,” Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Pro Se Editor in Chief says, “is a neatstyle all its own and to apply that to Pulp will be interesting.  The Classic Pulps, although not filled with them, ran shorts within the lengths we’ll have in this collection, so it’s not a new ground we’re breaking.   But to take these short pieces, to challenge writers to tell complete tales in a smattering of words, and to then bind all the genres, all the writers, all the stories into one collection, that’s a new take on things, a bit of an experiment, and a risk that Pro Se is more than ready to take.”

Hancock also stated that due to the fact there could potentially be nearly 100 authors in this collection, each contributor will get 1 print copy and 10 digitalcopies of the book, regardless of how many stories a writer submits.  Hancock said that multiple submissions by individual writers are accepted, but the intent is to have as wide a variety of authors as the book will have of stories.

RAT-A-TAT! : Short Blasts of Pulp! Will be open for submissions until June 1stor until the word count of 60,000 words is met.   Submissions must be COMPLETE stories, no proposals or queries.  Send submissions to Morgan Minor, Pro Se Director of Corporate Operations at Tommyhancockpulp@yahoo.com.  Direct any questions to that address as well.

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SENORITA SCORPION AVAILABLE AS EBOOK!

  • News
  • March 28, 2013

PULP OBSCURA, the imprint from Pro Se Productions in conjunction with Altus Press, announces its latest title now available as an Ebook!
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A fearless Avenger for Justice atop a blazing steed!  The explosive blast of six-guns filling the air, punctuated by the sharp crack of a whip!  A mask protecting the identity of someone fighting for Right in the Old West!  All the elements to make a fantastic Pulp story came together decades ago in tales crafted by a prolific Pulp Writer.  Now PULP OBSCURA, an imprint of Pro Se Productions in conjunction with Altus Press, proudly presents three new tales of this groundbreaking character from Pulp’s Golden Era!

Pulp Obscura’s THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SENORITA SCORPION, featuring Les Savage, Jr.’s Masked Mistress of the Range is now available, adding another stellar star to the lineup of classic, but often forgotten or underrated heroes now living again in Pro Se’s exciting imprint!

Created by Savage in 1944 for Action Stories, Senorita Scorpion is in fact Elgera Douglas, a young lady who became a legendary outlaw defending her family’s land and legacy, the fabled Lost Santiago Mine. Beautiful and deadly. A crack shot. A Fast thinking, daring fighter who is ruthless to those who threaten the land and people under her protection! 

Nancy A. Hansen sends Senorita Scorpion into action to the ringing of THE BELLS OF ST. FERDINAND!   Andrea Judy demonstrates that some jail breaks simply need A WOMAN’S TOUCH! And Brad Mengel posts a fantastic bounty with WANTED: SENORITA SCORPION!  Three great writers bring a classic Pulp character galloping back to life in three daring tales of hard riding action and bold adventure! 

From out of the Past comes New Tales of Classic Characters from PULP OBSCURA! With editing by Percival Constantine, an amazing cover by Mike Fyles, logos by Sean Ali, and Ebook Formatting by Russ Anderson, ride alongside the mysterious blond bandit of the Old West in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SENORITA SCORPION! 

Available for Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/cmaa5q2 and for the Nook at http://tinyurl.com/botfrdw! Also available in multiple formats from Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/300003! And only for $2.99! 

Marvel-Disney Connection Now Includes Once Upon a Time Hardcover Graphic Novel

  • News
  • March 28, 2013

onceuponatime-e1364506615533-4923551The connections between Marvel Comics and its sister divisions within Walt Disney continue to evolve. After the success of graphic novels tying in the quasi-related genre of ABC’s Castle, now the company is about to launch a graphic novel based on another ABC property, Once Upon a Time. It’s fully expected that in 2015, Marvel will once more publish Star Wars comics as the relationship between Lucasfilm, now a Disney vassal, and Dark Horse, comes to a conclusion. Should this continue, we can expect a continuing line of comics tied to other Disney properties, both film and television.

New York, NY (March 28th, 2013)—Dive into the immersive world of ABC’s Once Upon a Time like never before as Marvel Entertainment and Disney-ABC Television Group are proud to announce Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, an all-new original graphic novel hardcover inspired by the popular series. Plotted by series writer & co-producer Dan Thomsen, and co-written by Corinna Bechko (Planet of The Apes), this landmark release fits into the official continuity of Once Upon a Time and features the lush art of Nimit Malavia, Vasilis Lolos, Mike Del Mundo, Stephanie Hans and Mike Henderson.

Welcome to Storybrooke, a small New England town where seemingly regular people go about their everyday lives with no idea who they really are – the fabled storybook characters we all grew up with! It’s real, all of it! But Fairy Tale Land is not the “happily ever after” you may have heard about – their stories continued, and the Evil Queen cast a Dark Curse over their homeland.

In Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, the Evil Queen has, quite literally, captured the Huntsman’s heart. With the Huntsman a slave, experience the never-before-told tale behind their twisted relationship—and what happens when a good man is forced to do bad. And when Regina cooks up yet another devious plan to capture Snow White the Huntsman comes face-to-face with his past — including an independent spirit in Red Riding Hood that just may match his own.  Can these two break free of the forces that bind them and save Snow White?

The release of Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen marks the first official graphic fiction tie-in to the hit ABC Studios series.

“Once Upon a Time fans are in for a treat with this incredible story that reveals some shocking secrets about Regina and the Huntsman”, said David Gabriel, SVP Sales, Print and Digital Media. “It’s been a pleasure to work with ABC to create a line of high quality original graphic novels that bring new fans into comic stores and also allow us to introduce great franchises like Once Upon a Time to our die-hard fans.”

“Shadow of the Queen will bring fans a whole new thread of the intriguing backstory between Regina and the Huntsman – in a uniquely Marvel way”, said Adam Sanderson, SVP Franchise Management for the Disney-ABC Television Group.  “We hope this brand extension will further deepen the engagement our viewers have with one of ABC’s signature series.”

When put to the test, where will the Huntsman’s loyalties lie?  Has the Evil Queen stolen his heart in more ways than one? Find out in Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen available on September 4th in book stores, comic shops, the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch® & Android devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.

Second ReDeus Universe Anthology Announced

  • News
  • March 28, 2013

beyondboarders_lorraineschleter-e1364411443553-5979963One reviewer at Goodreads commented on ReDeus: Divine Tales, “The tales focus on different gods, many I had never heard of before. What I enjoyed most was how the authors dealt with the culture shock experienced by the characters, not just the mortals, who are now lorded over by these mythological figures, but also the gods who must come to grips with a world that has moved on without them. Hope to see future volumes. ”

That wish is being granted in May when Beyond Borders, the second volume in the ReDeus universe is released by Crazy 8 Press to coincide with Balticon. The new book continues a universe that was conceived by co-editors Aaron Rosenberg, Robert Greenberger, and Paul Kupperberg. Initially, the trio of established authors intended to be the only ones to write stories about an Earth that has had every pantheon of gods simultaneously return. Instead, they decided to invite their peers to join them in exploring this fertile territory and the eleven stories in the first volume spanned the first twenty years since the gods and goddesses appeared in the skies during the 2012 Olympics.

“Zeus, speaking for the gods, tells everyone they’re back for good and they want every man, woman, and child to return to their native land in order to properly worship them,” Greenberger explained. Some of the gods were horrified at the technological advances, not understanding them and therefore had them banned. Suddenly, some countries were without internet and television while some only allowed radio. Populations shifted and the global economy shuddered, causing untold chaos.

ReDeus Brings Back the Gods and Goddesses of YoreMost of the stories showed what was happening in America. For the second volume, the stories focus on other countries and their people. Several characters introduced in the first book will reappear while most of the stories focus on new characters interacting with ancient deities.

“Many of our Divine Tales authors found themselves growing attached to their characters,” Rosenberg explained, “so we were happy to see what happens to them next. But there are plenty of new characters as well, and the series in general continues to show a wide variety of people in different places and varying circumstances.”

Returning authors for Beyond Borders include  the recently Nebula-nominated Lawrence M. Schoen, Scott Pearson, Steve Wilson, Dave Galanter, Phil Giunta, William Leisner, and Allyn Gibson. Kelly Meding, Janna Silverstein, David McDonald, Steve Lyons, and  Lorraine Anderson will be making their ReDeus debut in this volume. Rosenberg, Greenberger, and Kupperberg will also have stories in the book.

Artist Lorraine Schleter provided the cover.

A third volume, Native Lands, was announced recently and will be out in August, in time for Crazy 8 Press’ second anniversary.

 

The 2013 Mix March Madness Webcomics Tournament Finals: Sandra and Woo vs. Bittersweet Candy Bowl!

  • News
  • March 28, 2013

comicmixmarchmadnesssquare20137-5103040It’s taken all month, but after seven rounds of voting and over $3000 of donations, we’re down to the last two contestants in the 2013 Mix March Madness Webcomics Tournament— Sandra and Woo vs. Bittersweet Candy Bowl!

(more…)

Flash Gordon (1979) vs Flash Gordon (1980)

  • News
  • March 28, 2013
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The end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s saw fans confronted with two completely different visions for what Flash Gordon could be.

It began in the late Seventies when producers Norm Prescott and Lou Scheimer wanted to make a full-blown, live-action Flash Gordon movie, probably for television but possibly for theatrical release.  They commissioned a script that turned out to be, in their description, extremely close to the original pulp source material and potentially amazing as a film–but also far, far too expensive to produce.

flashgordonanimatedcover-6181283Instead they decided to create an animated version of the movie using essentially the same script.  They did so, complete with references to Hitler and the Nazis working with Ming the Merciless, but then decided to revamp the concept into a weekly animated series.  That’s how we ended up with the show as it now exists–known at the time simply as FLASH GORDON but today called “The New Adventures of Flash Gordon” to distinguish it from other versions of the property.

Needing extra money to be able to complete the project, they hooked up with film producer Dino de Laurentiis (he of “Orca” and 1976 “King Kong” fame) to help fund the show in conjunction with the production of a live-action movie.  This, of course, would result in the Sam Jones/Max von Sydow 1980 “Flash Gordon” film.  De Laurentiis saw the animated series as perhaps raising public awareness of the property in the months leading up to his big-budget movie’s release.

As it turned out, the movie was about what one would’ve (or should have) expected from De Laurentiis–an over-the-top camp-fest, best remembered today mainly for its fantastic Queen music score.

The animated series, however, lives on as a mostly very-good-to-excellent example of late Seventies animation (with rotoscoping of human movement, interesting back-lighting effects, and pioneering use of scale models for spacecraft animation).  It’s also just a flat-out great planetary adventure pulp story, with Flash first confronting (as foes) and then gathering to his side the leaders of the various other kingdoms of Mongo, in common cause against their evil ruler, Ming.

As a side note, not only was the animation cutting-edge, the music is excellent (an orchestral score–for a Saturday morning cartoon!) and the women… well, let’s just say you can tell this project was conceived as a movie for grown-ups and retrofitted into being a kids’ cartoon!  Wow!

The series is available on DVD and, with the ability to fast-forward through some of the repetitive parts necessitated by the serialized format of a weekly half-hour show and budget constraints, it is well worth your time.

(Addendum: The voice of Ming the Merciless is performed by Allen Oppenheimer, later known as the voice of Skeletor in Filmation’s “He-Man” and “She-Ra” series.  This might prove distracting to some, as the voice is quite distinct.)

Doctor Who wins Peabody Award

  • News
  • March 28, 2013

doctor_who_season_7b_coming_soon-4125151Honoring its fifty-year history, Doctor Who has been awarded a Peabody award “for evolving with technology and the times like nothing else in the known television universe.”

First presented in 1941, the George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished achievement and meritorious service by broadcasters, cable and Webcasters, producing organizations, and individuals. The awards program is administered by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Selection is made each spring by the Peabody Board, a 16-member panel of distinguished academics, television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts.

The 72nd annual awards also honored such varied recipients as comedian Louis CK, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, and SCOTUSBlog.com, reporting on the US Supreme Court. A complete list of winners is available on the Peabody Awards website.

Doctor Who is also up for two BAFTA Television Craft Awards this Spring, one for composer Murray Gold and one for special effects house The Mill.  The awards will be presented on April 28th in London.

Doctor Who’s new season premieres this Saturday on BBC America at 8PM Eastern America time.

Dennis O’Neil: Resurrection

  • Uncategorized
  • March 28, 2013

oneil-art-130328-9614784Spring is sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where the boidies is…

Ah. Spring.

No matter that if you live in the midwest there may be snow on the ground, and if there isn’t, there was recently. It is, dammit, spring! What you gonna believe, Skippy – your eyes or the calendar?

And to herald spring, here comes one of my favorite holidays – Easter. You know the story: humanity’s savior gets crucified, chills in a tomb for three days, comes out and starts a religion. If you’re into comparative mythology. you can find that similar things happened to earlier deities, including Adonis, Osiris, and Mithra. The myths, and their attendant holidays, celebrate something real – the emotions,including hope, that we desperate humans experience when the long gloom of winter goes away and life returns to the Earth. Our ancestors tended to give phenomena they didn’t understand names and identities. Maybe that tendency still exists in their descendants.

Do we feel that you can’t keep a good god down?

Then what about comic book characters? They seem to have difficulty staying dead, too. I have personally participated in the demise of four that I can immediately remember, all of whom popped out of the afterlife in one form or another, and they’re only a few entries in a rather long list that includes some of the biggies: Superman, Captain America, Robin the Boy/Teen Wonder version two. And then there are the lesser but still prominent characters, including Cap America’s young pal Bucky, Elektra, and one of my personal favorite supporting cast members, Batman’s butler Alfred. (Full disclosure: Alfred wasn’t really dead, only, you know, deadish. For two years.)

And why do I feel compelled to include a spear-carrier who died and stayed dead? We’re talking Larry Lance, the detective husband of the original Black Canary. We gave him a one panel funeral in Justice League of America, sent his widow off to another universe and sweet love with Green Arrow, and forgot about him. Maybe I’ve given Larry a paragraph as a service to serious trivia freaks.

But Larry wasn’t even a superheroes and superheroes who die are our subject, so back to them. DC Comics has recently killed two prominent costumed good guys and raised a bit of a stink in the doing. The (late) characters are (were?) yet another incarnation of Batman’s youthful sidekick, Robin, and, evidently, John Stewart, the African American Green Lantern. What’s notable about the Robin is that he is (was) the first of his ilk who was Batman’s biological son. John Stewart? The stakes are a bit higher: he was one of the earliest of comics’ superdoers who wasn’t a white guy and for a time, he was pretty much the only Green Lantern in the DC Universe. I’d say that as fictional beings go, he’ll be missed. (The Robin? No idea.)

But will John (and Robin?) stay deceased? Well, they’re not gods, not exactly (though they are first cousins to the mythological deities). Will they return? History may be nodding its head yes, but I’ll content myself with a shrug.

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman

 

PRO SE PRESENTS GOES QUARTERLY UNDER NEW MANAGING EDITOR!

  • News
  • March 27, 2013

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Pro Se Productions, a leader in the New Pulp Movement, announces today a format change for its award winning magazine as well as a new head for the publication.

The latest issue of Pro Se Presents, the March 2013 #18 issue, will be the last monthly issue of the title.  With #19, Pro Se Presents will become a quarterly magazine, but will also double to triple in size, according to Tommy Hancock.
Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se explains the reason for this.  “Pro Se Presents has proven extremely popular and is considered by many to be an honest to goodness heir to the Pulp Magazines of old.  Even with that in mind, though, certain things have to be taken into consideration.   One of those is time and the rest of Pro Se’s ever growing schedule.”

“Due to a massive commitment to put out an amazing number of titles this year as well as the amount of time working on a single issue of the magazine consumes, some decisions had to be made.   The result is that the magazine will now be quarterly, will contain at least twice the amount of stories, and have some other cosmetic differences that both allow the magazine to continue and for Pro Se staff as a whole to give more time to all the titles being prepared.”

The first quarterly issue of Pro Se Presents will be 19, available in June 2013.

“Other changes,” Hancock stated, “are coming forthe magazine as well.  Until now, I have included the duties of the magazine as one of my Editor-In-Chief responsibilities.  And, as with everything else Pro Se, my time has become stretched thin enough that it’s become imperative to pass the duties of managing the magazine over to someone who’s been training for it for awhile as Chief Editor- Pro Se Presents’ new managing editor, Lee Houston, Jr.”

Houston made his New Pulp debut as a contributor to Pro Se’s first line of magazines and moved up quickly to the ranks of novelistwith his HUGH MONN and PROJECT ALPHA books, as well as various projects for Pro Se and other companies.  Houston has acted initially as an editor and then Chief Editor for the magazine. “Each issue we showcase the best short stories available, just like the classic anthology pulps of yesteryear did.”  Hancock will maintain company control of the magazine, but for all practical purposes Lee Houston, Jr. as of Issue 19 will be the Managing Editor for the two time Pulp Ark award winning magazine from Pro Se Productions!

Learn more about Pro Se at www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com and www.prose-press.com!

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