The Mix : What are people talking about today?

  • News
  • March 9, 2013
Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions and Pulp Ark Coordinator, announces that voting has closed for the open nomination 2013 Pulp Ark Awards.   The Winners of the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards are-

Best Novel-

Die Glocke by Barry Reese in The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2: Die Glocke published by Pro Se Productions
Best Novella-

The Lone Ranger: Vendetta by Howard Hopkins published by Moonstone Books
Best Collection/Anthology-

The Green Hornet: Still at Large by Various published by Moonstone Books
Best Short Story-

Lucky by Tommy Hancock features in Night Beat: Night Stories published by Radio Archives
Best Cover-

The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2 by George Sellas published by Pro Se Productions
Best Interior Art-

The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2 by George Sellas published by Pro Se Productions
Best Pulp Revival-

The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage by Will Murray published by Altus Press
Best New Pulp Character-

Rick Ruby created by Bobby Nash and Sean Taylor as features in The Ruby Files Volume 1 Published by Airship 27 Productions
Best Pulp Comic-

The Shadow published by Dynamite Comics
Best Pulp Magazine-

Pro Se Presents published by Pro Se Productions
Best Author-

Bobby Nash
Best New Author-

Jim Beard
“The voting this year,” Hancock noted, “was exciting since it involved so many different creators, works and publishers.  Six different publishers are represented in the final tally, with both the Best Author and Best New Author winners being writers for various publishers in 2012.”


The Pulp Ark Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Hancock, is still being determined by the select committee chosen to give the honor to an individual who has done considerable work in furthering Pulp in his/her lifetime.
The awards, 8X10 engraved wooden plaques, will be awarded at  Pulp Ark 2013 in Springdale Arkansas , the evening of Saturday, April 27, 2013. Hancock stated that all winners as well as nominees are encouraged to attend, but any winners who could not would receive their awards by mail. Pulp Ark thanks all who nominated, all who voted, and congratulations to all the nominees and especially to the winners of the Pulp Ark 2013 Awards!

For any questions concerning Pulp Ark, contact Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net or follow Pulp Ark news at www.pulpark.blogspot.com

PULP ARK 2013 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

  • News
  • March 9, 2013

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Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions and Pulp Ark Coordinator, announces that voting has closed for the open nomination 2013 Pulp Ark Awards.   The Winners of the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards are-

Best Novel-

Die Glocke by Barry Reese in The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2: Die Glocke published by Pro Se Productions
Best Novella-

The Lone Ranger: Vendetta by Howard Hopkins published by Moonstone Books
Best Collection/Anthology-

The Green Hornet: Still at Large by Various, edited by Joe Gentile, Win Scott Eckert, and Matthew Baugh, published by Moonstone Books
Best Short Story-

Lucky by Tommy Hancock features in Night Beat: Night Stories published by Radio Archives
Best Cover-

The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2 by George Sellas published by Pro Se Productions
Best Interior Art-

The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 2 by George Sellas published by Pro Se Productions
Best Pulp Revival-

The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage by Will Murray published by Altus Press
Best New Pulp Character-

Rick Ruby created by Bobby Nash and Sean Taylor as features in The Ruby Files Volume 1 Published by Airship 27 Productions
Best Pulp Comic-

The Shadow published by Dynamite Comics
Best Pulp Magazine-

Pro Se Presents published by Pro Se Productions
Best Author-

Bobby Nash
Best New Author-

Jim Beard
“The voting this year,” Hancock noted, “was exciting since it involved so many different creators, works and publishers.  Six different publishers are represented in the final tally, with both the Best Author and Best New Author winners being writers for various publishers in 2012.”


The Pulp Ark Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Hancock, is still being determined by the select committee chosen to give the honor to an individual who has done considerable work in furthering Pulp in his/her lifetime.
The awards, 8X10 engraved wooden plaques, will be awarded at  Pulp Ark 2013 in Springdale Arkansas , the evening of Saturday, April 27, 2013. Hancock stated that all winners as well as nominees are encouraged to attend, but any winners who could not would receive their awards by mail. Pulp Ark thanks all who nominated, all who voted, and congratulations to all thenominees and especially to the winners of the Pulp Ark 2013 Awards!

For any questions concerning Pulp Ark, contact Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net or follow Pulp Ark news at www.pulpark.blogspot.com

Win a Copy of Willow on Blu-ray

  • News
  • March 9, 2013

willow-domestic-bddvd-e1362852617685-8601638Journey to the far corners of your imagination with Willow, for the first time ever on stunning Blu-ray!  Written and produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, the film tells a timeless fantasy tale in which heroes come in all sizes…and adventure is the greatest magic of all.  In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the unforgettable classic has been fully digitally restored and debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack March 12, 2013 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Willow Blu-ray and DVD include a dazzling array of extras with never-before-seen exclusive content such as deleted scenes with remarks from Ron Howard, a personal video diary of Warwick Davis, matte paintings and much more. In addition, look out for Ron Howard’s new introduction for the original 1988 featurette “The Making of an Adventure,” as well as special effect legend Dennis Muren’s new intro to his piece, “From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking.”

Special Features include:

  • NEW – Willow: Deleted Scenes with Ron Howard
  • NEW – Willow: An Unlikely Hero – Personal Video Diary of Warwick Davis
  • The Making of an Adventure with an all new introduction from Ron Howard
  • From Morf to Morphing with an all new introduction from Dennis Muren
  • Matte Paintings
  • Easter Egg

Our friends at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have given us two copies to giveaway. Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March  13. The decision of ComicMix is final. In order to win your very own copy of Willow on Blu-ray Combo Pack, simply answer the following question:

What did Ron Howard direct immediately after Willow?

  • Gung Ho
  • Parenthood
  • Apollo 13
  • Grand Theft Auto
  • A Beautiful Mind

 

AUTHOR’S FIRST NOVEL DEBUTS FROM PRO SE- JOURNEY TO ‘CADAVER ISLAND’!

  • News
  • March 9, 2013

A fractured, ruined world where forgotten, legendary creatures live and thrive in towering mountains, magical forests, and barren deserts. Angelique Bosc and her allies will traverse harsh, nightmarish landscapes to discover the secrets of the past, stabilize events in the present day, and unlock the  
mysteries of the future as they journey to CADAVER ISLAND!

Pro Se Productions Proudly Presents CADAVER ISLAND, the debut novel from Author Kevin Rodgers!

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In the year 2212, long after the world has been reshaped by seismic cataclysms and polar shifts, Princess Angelique Bosc recovers from a terrible Hovercraft accident, which left her injured and near death. Her friend and physician, Dr. Laurent Stine, used his skills as a robotics engineer to replace her damaged organs with android components. Angelique realizes that her mechanical heart will require a fresh battery pack within 48 hours. However, a loathed and exiled warlock, Xavier Thames, steals all of the battery packs and transports them to his castle, Thames Keep, in order to build a time machine. Angelique, Dr. Stine, and their allies are forced to embark on a long, perilous trek to Thames Keep located on Cadaver Island. Can they reach Thames Keep and replace Angelique’s battery pack before she goes into cardiac arrest?

“Kevin Rodgers,” stated Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions, “is one of the strongest new voices in Genre Fiction.   Able to write well in any genre, Kevin has excelled at the sort of cross genre mash up type stories that today’s readers enjoy.   One of our more prolific contributors to Pro Se Presents, our magazine, Kevin can chill, thrill, and excite readers as well as any author.   Pro Se is more than proud to be publishing not only Kevin’s debut novel, but the first in a trilogy guaranteed to Cadaver Island is the first installment of a trilogy by Author Kevin Rodgers, replete with all the horror, action, and adventure Kevin’s work is known for.”

Featuring stunning artwork by Ariadne Soares of Fitztown and mindblowing design and format by Sean Ali, Cadaver Island is a nonstop futuristic horror thriller guaranteed to chill and amaze! From Pro Se Productions, a leader in Genre and New Pulp Fiction!

CADAVER ISLAND is now available at Amazon HERE and via Pro Se’s CreateSpace eStore at https://www.createspace.com/4198141 for $15.00.  And coming soon in Ebook for your Kindle, Nook, and other devices for only $2.99!

Marc Alan Fishman: Mel Brooks, Jerry Ordway, and Me

  • Uncategorized
  • March 9, 2013

Fishman Art 130309Hey kiddos, this intro is a bit of a winding path. I feel it necessary so, please, bear with me. Due largely to it not being football season, my radio has been officially turned off the past month or so. As I trek into and out of my day job some 35-45 minutes away, I have most recently found a love of podcasts. Specifically, I’ve found WTF by Marc Maron to be the best of the bunch.

Within his hour-ish show twice each week, he interviews any number of comedians, musicians, or figures of pop-culture. But unlike your traditional interviewers, Maron always takes to a free-form conversation that usually drills down to the core of his interviewee… when he himself isn’t revealing his own intricately maudlin and beautiful sentiments on his own life. Recently I listened to such a conversation Maron had with Mel Brooks. Amidst the amazing discussion they shared on life, on being Jew-ish (yes… Jew-Ish), and the inherent entropy of life itself, Mel retorted a line that sunk to my own core: The only way to move in life is forward.

Mel Brooks’ career is legend. When I stumbled on my father’s VHS of Blazing Saddles, it absolutely changed my way of thinking when it came to comedy. Further study of the life and times of Mr. Brooks are staggering. But I digress. It’s this concept of “forward” that resonated with me.

Suffice to say, I hear many times in my e-mailing of various mentors and friends how young I am. But at 31, married, with a 1 year old butt-scooting about… I don’t feel young. I’ve changed day jobs so many times, it boarders on the hilarious. I’ve owned more cars in my driving life than either of my parents did in twice the time. And it seems like I’ve been trying to break into comics for over a decade.

To look at man like Brooks, who has worked now my entire life twice over, is a testament to who I’d like to be. My mother, whose Jewish Guilt™ knows no bounds, is never three connected statements away from telling me I work too much. And while yes, I spend upwards of 16-18 hours in front of a computer making stuff, it’s not as if I’m working for naught. Some of that time pays my bills, and fills my son up with pureed foods and waffles. The rest of that time though, is pursuing what Mel himself has for a lifetime; a way to connect to the world in an unforgettable way. Though I know my progeny is my immortality, I’m too much of an ego-centric bastard to be happy with that alone.

There was a time, not very long ago (all things considered) that Unshaven Comics got together – this was actually before we had a name – and made a sparking proclamation: If we didn’t make it by the time we were 30, we’d just go back to being fans. I wonder if Mel Brooks told himself when Sid Caesar hired him to write on Your Show of Shows: “If I don’t have something to hang my hat on by the time I’m 30, I’ll just go back to the garment district.” I sincerely doubt it.

The fact is that the need to create, and the need to be successful are not related. Breaking in is a myth. The fact is. the business itself is not an “in” or “out” industry. It’s “in”… and “not in.” In other words, when there’s work to be had, consider it a blessing. Not unlike acting, singing, or any other art form, making comics should be regarded as a state of being, and a state of notoriety.

Of course, making money sure helps the creative process go a bit further, don’t it? We need only look towards the aging creators in our industry to see how “breaking in” means a pile of bupkis when there are bills to pay and your name isn’t regularly on the racks anymore.

Jerry Ordway recently posted an online plea for work. One would think that by his résumé alone, the man was “in” and could regularly produce work until he deemed it unnecessary.

I could easily take this meandering rant and aim it towards this industry that is built (not unlike Hollyweird) to chew you up and spit you out when you’re no longer a profit machine. But let’s face it. I’ve not personally made it enough to feel that way. As far as I’m considered, the mountaintop is unattainable, and I no longer care to climb it.

The whole crux of this rant banks solely on the ideology of Mr. Brooks. It’s not about having my name next Robert Kirkman or Jeph Loeb anymore. We are living in a time of great change. If I were to be so bold, I’d squarely stand behind my tiny pulpit here and tell Mr. Ordway to choose to bet on himself rather than beg fans to bang down the door of DC on his behalf. Mel Brooks had to take Young Frankenstein to a young production company to see it make the light of day. So too, can we comic creators choose our destinies.

The purpose of life is to always move forward. There’s no time to sit still. The Earth doesn’t stop rotating because you need it to (nor does it reverse if you spin around it the other way a whole bunch). It’s coming to grips with the notion that we all have stories to tell; so long as we have the physical ability to produce them, we should.

And on that note… I have work to do.

SUNDAY: John Ostrander

MONDAY: Mindy Newell

 

The Point Radio: Allison Brie on Annie’s Love Life

  • News
  • March 8, 2013

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NBC’s COMMUNITY has had more than a few changes this run of episodes and series regular, Allison Brie, shares how her character “Annie” will be dealing with “Jeff” (Joel McHale), plus Danny Pudi talks about how the show is still an undiscovered gem to a lot of TV watchers. Plus get set for the biggest DOCTOR WHO Con ever – and zombies are headed to Riverdale.

Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio  – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other  mobile device with the Tune In Radio app - and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar Now a Paramount/Warner Co-Production

Paramount100Warner Bros Film Group Finalizing New PR Job For News Corp Publicist Jack HornerWhile we await confirmation that Christopher Nolan will be the new DC Film Universe guru and what that will actually mean, he is hard at work on his next film. Today, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. issued the following joint press release:

HOLLYWOOD, CA (March 8, 2013) – Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures jointly announced today that writer/director Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR will be co-produced and distributed by the two studios, with Paramount Pictures handling Domestic distribution and Warner Bros. Pictures distributing the film Internationally.  INTERSTELLAR will be released beginning November 7, 2014, in theaters and IMAX®.

Directed and written by Academy Award-nominee Nolan (INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES), INTERSTELLAR is based on a script by Jonathan Nolan. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan of Syncopy Films and Obst of Lynda Obst Productions. Kip Thorne will executive produce. The film will depict a heroic interstellar voyage to the furthest reaches of our scientific understanding.

Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures said, “As a filmmaker and storyteller, Chris has continuously entertained the world with his extraordinary and unparalleled talents. I am pleased beyond measure to welcome him to the Paramount Pictures family. Partnering with Chris, Emma, Lynda and Warner Bros. to release this original idea next November is the perfect way to start the Thanksgiving and holiday movie season for audiences around the world.”

Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said, “Christopher Nolan is truly one of the great auteurs working in film today, and we’re extremely proud of our successful and ongoing collaboration with him and Emma Thomas.  We are excited to be teaming with Paramount, and look forward to working with the Nolans, and producer Lynda Obst, on this extraordinary new project.”

Marcus Sedgwick Writes Third Doctor Who Anniversary E-Book

  • News
  • March 8, 2013

71xtiiunlsl-_sl1500_3-4131110This month’s anniversary Doctor Who e-book will be penned by British author Marcus Sedgwick, writer of the acclaimed novel Floodland,

The Spear of Destiny features The Doctor in his third incarnation and his assistant Jo Grant as they attempt to retrieve Odin’s spear Gungnir. Marcus notes an interesting parallel between “mythology and legend”, as he puts it – Odin was hung on the World Tree for nine days, until finally his side was pierced by his own weapon, the spear Gungnir. This same even would re-appear in Christian dogma as part of of the Crucifixion.

Braking from the previous two books, Mr. Sedgwick has elected to bring back a classic Who villain.  And this being the Pertwee era Doctor, there could be no more iconic villain that The Master.

Mr Sedgwick’s response to writing for the classic her is appropriately calm and reserved. from his Blog:

Doctor Who is iconic. There is no other word for it. It’s now been a part of British culture for 50 years. 50! That’s a lot. So I admit that when I finally sat down to write the opening words of my story, I had a sudden freeze. Hands poised over the keyboard, I thought “Holy -insert-your-own-expletive-here-, this is Doctor Who! Doctor Who!”

Following the practice of the previous releases, The Spear of Destiny will be released on the 23rd.  Pre-orders are available at Amazon.com.

THE SAME, YET DIFFERENT!-The All Pulp New Pulp Ebook Best Seller List for March 8, 2013

  • Uncategorized
  • March 8, 2013

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Welcome to All Pulp’s New Pulp EBook Best Seller List, inspired by the work of Barry Reese! Before we get to what you’re all waiting for, here are the rules by which this little list comes together.

1) This list only tracks Kindle sales through AMAZON. It does not keep track of sales through Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, or anything else!

2) This list only tracks DIGITAL sales. Exactly how Amazon calculates these things is mostly a trade secret and they vary wildly from day to day. If I checked this tomorrow, the list could be very different. This list reflects sales ranks as of Friday morning, March 8, 2013. 


3) In order to keep the focus on new releases, eligible works must have been published within the last three months. So, since this list is being done on December 8, 2013.  Please keep that in mind before complaining that Title X is not listed. Also, keep in mind that for the most part, we are tracking sales from smaller and mid level press publishers who actively publish New Pulp material. We won’t generally track sales from Simon and Schuster or places like that — they have the New York Times Bestseller List for that. If one of the major publishers starts doing The Shadow or something, we’ll track that, but some publishers will not be listed here in order to keep the focus on the publishers actively working to produce and promote New Pulp.

4)   
Like the name suggests, we’re tracking “New” pulp —not sales rankings for reprints of classic material. In order for something to qualify for this list, it has to be at least 50% new material that has not been printed in book form before.


5) We are human. If you are aware of a title that should be listed below (keeping in mind all the rules above), please let us know and we will make sure to remedy the situation.


6) This information is garnered mostly from All Pulp, New Pulp, the Pulp Factory mailing list and a few other sites. If you think we might miss your release, let us know in advance — drop All Pulp a line and tell us when it’s being released.

Without further ado, here’s the completely and totally unofficial New Pulp Ebook Bestseller List as of right now (title, then publisher, then release date, then sales rank):

1) The Cestus Concern by Mat Nastos (Nifty Entertainment, December 28,2012) 4,914

2) Fourteen Western Stories by Lloyd Fonvielle (Lloyd Fonvielle, December 18, 2012) – 36,613

3) Steamfunk by Various (MVMedia, February 20, 2013) – 45,702

4) Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, Volume 4 by Various (Airship 27 Productions, January 19, 2013) – 48,800

5) Monster Earth by Various (Mechanoid Press, January 13, 2013) – 52,441

6) The Detective, The Woman and the Winking Tree byAmy Thomas (MX Publishing, January 22, 2013) – 56,235

7) Nefertiti’s Heart by A. W. Exley (Curiosity Quills Press, February 13, 2013) – 78,096

8) The Essex Man by Gary Phillips (Over The Edge Books, January 31, 2013) – 94,624

9) Sherlock Holmes and Young Winston: The Jubilee Plot (MX Publishing, January 21, 2013) – 123, 304

10) Dreams of Steam Volume 3: Gadgets by Various (Dark Oak Press, February 19, 2013) 129, 178

Although there’s a bit of change in the lower end of the Top 10, the top five remains the same as last week, except for the meteoric reentrance of Monster Earth to the list and in the upper half.  Two new titles from two companies not yet featured on the Ebook List in its short life make it this week.  All in all, at least genre/content wise, the list is a veritable buffet of variety this week, which is a nice change from the Holmes/mystery/crime dominated lists we’ve seen before. 

MX Publishing chalks up two titles in the Best Seller List this week with Dark Oak Press, Over The Edge Books, Nifty Entertainment, MVMedia, Airship 27 Productions, Mechanoid Press, Curiosity Quills Press, and Lloyd Fonvielle all make it with one title each.   Got your grain of salt handy to go with the list?  Then, go!

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