Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Dark Knight, 60’s Style
With Christopher Nolan in town this week shooting The Dark Knight Rises, we’ve come across a possible version of the opening credits…
Hat tip to Steve Saffel and Peter Sanderson.
The Mix : What are people talking about today?
MARC ALAN FISHMAN: Crisis on Infinite Indie Earths
I was going to write an article about The Boys this week. I like The Boys. It’s violent. It’s intriguing. It’s full of rich character moments, surprising plot twists, and gritty and emotionally charged artwork. It’s also very close to finishing. So, I digress. I’ll cover it after it’s over. Spoiler alert. I love the series.
With that off my plate, what to write about? I could rant about why I think it’s a silly idea to bring back the Phoenix Force. I could rant about why I think it’s sillier to bring back Johnny Storm. I could rant about why I think it’s silly that DC rebooted its universe, and it’s already suffering from continuity errors. Nah. How about I just take a big fat crap on The War of the Independents. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
So, there I was, looking over the rack a couple weeks back. See, I was a little light that week on books in hand. I gave myself an excuse to nab one more book before I checked out. And there it was at the tail end of the indie racks… War of the Independents. Why not? The cover boasts a bevy of characters from just about every nameable indie cape book you can think of. Bone. Cerebus. The Tick. Scud: The Disposable Assassin. Cassy Hack. Captain Action. Hell, even the Flaming Carrot and Gumby are on the cover. Based on that, and a name that boasts a potential war with them all? There’s no way that could not be awesome, right? It’s like communism. It works on paper. But this here rag, written and occasionally drawn by Dave Ryan, doesn’t work. In fact, if this comic were a person, it would be the drum-beating hippie downing free pints of Ben and Jerry’s at Occupy: Branson.
Disclaimer: I like the Occupy movement in theory. But standing around demanding change isn’t exactly what I’d do to change the world. But I digress.
War of the Independents should be amazing. Getting the permission to work with scads of semi-known characters in a crisis-like setting just makes my mouth water. Who here amongst you would not want to see The Tick and Scud fight alongside Too-Much-Coffee-Man and Milk and Cheese? And then you open the book. Dave Ryan, utilizing every cliché known to comics, pens a tale we’ve already read a million times over… and fails to do anything original with it.
An age-old evil is going across the multiverse killing things. It’s up to a ragtag group of no-names to assemble and save us all. When Captain Action and Madman are on the same page, it’s not the time for prophecies and posturing. When Toyboy and Pokey share page space, it’s not enough to simply have them say “I’ll fight!” and call it a day.
The issue wastes six or seven pages filling us in on a villain as bland as mayo on white. Then Cerebus shows up with a team of people I’ve never heard or seen to fight a muscular super demon… for seven more pages. That’s a little shy of half the book wasted on the kind of crap we’ve read and reread! The other half of the book is just the putting together of the team. You’ve seen this all before. Ryan just hands the reigns over to various authors to pen a panel or two featuring their own creations. And before you know it, the book is over.
Next issue? It’s the all black-hero spectacular. Michael Davis should fire up the death ray. It’s simply not enough to get permission from this pantheon of partial fame, and just plop their character into a panel or two, and hope showing them will be enough. Any fans of the parent books from whence these people came from are hoping to see more than just a silent panel. Comic characters are more than just pretty drawings. War of the Independents thinks it’s simply enough to have them assembled. It’s not.
What I was truly hoping from this book was what the cover itself promised. Page after page of crazy Pérez-packed panels with wave after wave of indie heroes knocking heads with wave after wave of… something. Anything. Zombies. Other villains. Each other. Kids. Puppies. But we never get that far. 31 pages of content yield nothing more than a single fight scene (starring nary a single recognizable hero) and page after page of singularly unimpressive moments. War of the Independents? My Jewish Ass. I’m a firm believer of under-promising and over-delivering. This book should have been called 1 Great Double Page Splash, and Then Some Nonsense. (And the Tick Yells SPOON!)
It’s not a secret that I’m an indie comic creator. Given permission to assemble even a quarter of these creations, I would do more than simply waste time showing them join together. The fun of this idea is all in the fighting. If you’ve got The Badger, The Opossum, and the Unbelievable Laundry Detergent Man coming together, forget the subtext. And for the love of God, spend some time honing the art. No offense (because I know how hard it is to make a comic), but Dave Ryan’s panels are just terrible looking. Front to back, page after page… this was a waste of paper, talent, resources, and my money. And nothing gets my ire up more than wasting my money. To steal a contrived writers trick Dave Ryan likes to use… here’s a nice quote to make me sound fancy:
It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it.
Robert E. Lee
SUNDAY: John Ostrander
A NEW HERO FROM AIRSHIP 27-ENTER CHALLENGER STORM!
PRESS RELEASE
Move over Doc Savage and Captain Hazzard, here comes America’s newest pulp hero –
CHALLENGER STORM
Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers present another new pulp hero crafted in the mold of the classic 1930s adventurers. The sole survivor of a senseless tragedy, the heir to a massive fortune devotes himself to a life protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty. From his base of operations at the Miami Aerodrome Research & Development Laboratories, he and his colorful associates brave any danger to bring justice to those in need.
His name is Clifton Storm… the world will call him “Challenger”.
THE ISLE OF BLOOD
When a wealthy aviation tycoon asks Storm to help return his kidnapped daughter, the MARDL crew is plunged into a rescue-mission on the tiny island-nation of La Isla de Sangre. From the sunny streets of Miami to the assault on a guerrilla enclave & the ruins of a lost-city deep in the jungle, the action is non-stop in this debut pulp thriller. Can Storm rid La Isla de Sangre from the vicious warlords known as the Villalobos Brothers and defeat the mysterious Goddess of Death?
Join Challenger Storm and his loyal band of adventurers as they fly off on this, the first of a brand new series of pulp thrillers. Writer Don Gates and legendary graphic artist, Michael Kaluta join forces to unleash this exciting and original new pulp hero guaranteed to provide pulp fans with explosive thrill-a-minute entertainment. All brought to you by the always ground-breaking crew of Airship 27 Productions; Pulp Fiction for a New Generation!
ISBN: 1-613420-23-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-613420-23-2
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 11/15/2011
Retail Price: $16.95
Digital Download Now Available for $3 –
(http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html)
11/20/2011 @ (www.IndyPlanet.com) for $15
The Point Radio: Ed Helms On Life At THE OFFICE
There’s a new man behind the big desk at Dundler Mifflin. It’s Ed Helms who has stepped in for Steve Carell. How is he handling the spot in the NBC comedy hit? Plus what’s hot this week? Would you believe Game Shows?
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.
IDW Presents Jack Avarice IS The Courier
IDW Presents Jack Avarice IS The Courier All-new five-weekly miniseries coming in November
San Diego, CA (September 20, 2011) — IDW Publishing is thrilled to introduce JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER, an exciting, month-long, weekly comic series for the five-Wednesday month of November. Created, written, drawn, and lettered by rising star Chris Madden, the artist on the upcoming Danger Girl: Revolver series, this special five-part series is timed specifically to release one issue a week for each Wednesday of the month.
“When Chris Madden first presented JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER to me, I was absolutely floored,” said editor Tom Waltz. “I mean, the guy is writing, drawing, coloring AND lettering the series—and doing it at top-notch levels on all accounts! It’s a great comic book story filled with exciting and entertaining characters and distinctly fun artwork. Madden is the real deal and I’m so happy IDW gets the chance to show off his diverse talents to the world!”
This explosive miniseries tells the story of Jack Avarice, a down-on-his-luck kid who dreams of a life like the movies. His world is about to change when he’s recruited by the secretive agency called Courier and is dumped head-first into the world of international spying. Each issue will take Jack on an exhilarating new adventure, where he’ll discover that the reality of spycraft is far deadlier than any movie he could imagine. Spies, voodoo magic, deadly beauties, high-caliber thrills, and high-octane destruction, JACK AVARICE IS has it all.THE COURIER
“I can’t wait for Jack Avarice to hit stands,” creator Madden said. “And I couldn’t be happier releasing it through IDW—it’s a perfect match!”
To kick off this great comic event, IDW is offering a special 5% discount on the entire series. Plus, readers are encouraged to contact their local retailers about the special variant Madden sketch cover.
Click on images for a larger view.
JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 2, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0253.
IS THE COURIER #2 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 9, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0255.
Be careful what you ask for—it might get you! Jack Avarice has just been dumped head-first into the world of international spying, and he’s about to find out if he can swim! Recruited by the secretive Courier agency, it quickly becomes apparent to Jack that his life might not be quite as it seems. But before he can digest this revelation, he’s off on his first harrowing mission with a gorgeous new partner, and a deadly new mission—unravel the mystery of the Eyes of Fate… before they can unleash their horror upon the world!
JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #3 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 16, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0257.
IS ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 23, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0259.
IS ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 30, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0261.
Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.
About IDW Publishing:::::
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; Sony’s Ghostbusters; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio; and is the print publisher for EA Comics.
IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com/.THE COURIER #5
JACK AVARICE THE COURIER #4
JACK AVARICE Spies, explosions, voodoo magic, deadly beauties, high-caliber thrills, and high-octane destruction… action-adventure has a brand-new name, and it’s JACK AVARICE! The world of spies and intrigue is very much real and lies hidden just below the surface. But when a down-on-his-luck kid who dreams of a life like the movies meets the world’s greatest secret agent, he’ll discover the reality of spycraft is far deadlier and more explosive than any movie he could imagine—and he now has a starring role! The explosive five-issue miniseries starts here!
JACK AVARICE
Manga Friday: ‘J-Pop America Funtime Now!’
We haven’t done a Manga Friday post in a while, but this is just a bit too accurate to brush off. From Saturday Night Live with guest host Anna Faris, two college students celebrate their love of Japanese culture with their TV show “J-Pop America Fun Time Now!”
Warning: ComicMix Management takes no responsibility if the %$#@! theme song gets stuck in your head.
Will Meugniot Giving Away Original Art To Promote ‘N.E.D.O.R. Agents’
To celebrate the November 9th release of Will Meugniotâs new N.E.D.O.R. Agents series first full length 26 page adventure in AC Comicsâ FemForce #157, the artist has teamed with PREVIEWSworld on Facebook for an original art giveaway. Three pieces of Meugniotâs art are up for grabs, one for cosplayers, one for retailers, and one for fans. The full contest rules and directions can be found on PREVIEWSworldâs Facebook page. Meugniot is best known as co-creator of the DNAgents, creator of Vanity, and animation producer director of X-Men TAS, Jem, Captain Planet, The Real Ghostbusters, and EXOsquad.
âIâm very excited about PREVIEWSworld hosting this contest for my comicâ, says Meugniot. âItâs been over 20 years since my last long form stories in DNAgents and Vanity, and itâs thrilling to see the interest N.E.D.O.R. Agents is garnering. Vince Brusio at Previews World, Bill Black and Mark Heike at AC and I are trying to give something back to the people who support independent comics in the form of a fun give away.â
Here’s more details about the contest:
WILL MURRAY’S PULP CLASSICS AT RADIOARCHIVES.COM! AND MORE!
November 4, 2011
NEW Radio Set: Box Thirteen, Volume 2
“Adventure wanted. Will go anyplace, do anything. Box Thirteen.” This want ad, placed by reporter turned mystery writer Dan Holiday in the Star-Times serves as the centerpiece of ‘Box Thirteen’, a classic mystery adventure program starring screen legend Alan Ladd.
Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Alan Ladd found his way to Hollywood, California by his high school years. Finding work initially on the radio, landing roles such as ‘The Richfield Reporter,” Ladd also began appearing in several films, taking the small roles he could get. The part that would change Ladd’s life forever and cement him as a movie tough guy came in 1942. Playing Raven, a conscientious murderer for hire, in ‘This Gun For Hire,’ Ladd gained fame for being able to play hard-boiled characters with at least some heart.
Now a leading man, Ladd played his hard bitten world wearied warrior with a soul in films now considered classics – including the role he’s most known for, Shane. With the creation of his own production company, Mayfair in 1948, Ladd found yet another way to turn the skills he’d become famous for into a program that radio listeners would thrill to decades after its original run.
In “Box Thirteen,” Ladd played Dan Holiday, a journalist who was now an author of mystery fiction. Interested in writing the most successful and thrilling stories possible, Holiday placed an ad in the paper he worked for – the Star-Times. Apparently prospering as a mystery writer, Holiday rarely charged a fee to any of the colorful clients that crossed his path, most of whom needed his assistance in one way or another.
Even on a rail thin budget, “Box Thirteen” was a fairly high-quality program. Writer Russell Hughes supplied the show with witty, engaging scripts and many of radio’s acting professionals, including Betty Lou Gerson, Lurene Tuttle, Alan Reed, Joseph Kearns, Frank Lovejoy, John Beal, and others, lent their talents to ‘Box Thirteen’ throughout its run.
“Box Thirteen” clearly showcased Alan Ladd at his best. Known largely for tough guy roles in film, this series allowed Ladd to take his charisma and stoic presence from the screen and apply it to a good guy character in a different medium. The show’s format also guaranteed that each week, something new and exciting awaited Holiday and the show’s listeners. This second volume of twelve episodes restored to the highest quality continues Holiday’s adventures into the mystery and unknown that he discovered every week when he checked ‘Box Thirteen.’ Available today on CD for $17.98 and as a digital download for $11.98!
by Tommy Hancock
Adapting a story from one medium to another is never an easy task. Difficulty increases when the tale being adapted is a classic work first written hundreds of years ago and those adapting it have to figure out a way to make it work for their intended audience. So many things can go wrong with this process; too much can be cut out of the story, making it something else entirely; too much of the original work gets included, adding unnecessary weight and exposition to the new product; or the sensibilities of the intended consumers isn’t considered enough and what is produced seems boring and tepid to said consumers. So it’s a hard journey, this road of adaptation, sometimes.
Fortunately for Old Time Radio enthusiasts today, this trip was a successful one for the people behind The Adventures of Marco Polo, Volume 1. Written originally in 1300, this seminal work, part adventure tale and part exotic travelogue, not only told a wonderfully exciting tale of world travels and of a wayward boy growing into a legendary explorer, but it also set the standard for both future volumes of this sort as well as for the men those volumes would be about. Many explorers from the 1300s into the modern day cite one of their earliest inspirations to breach the unknown around them, being the thrill of reading about Polo and the Kublai Khan and the wondrous things Polo encountered on his journeys. This appeal over the centuries is just one factor that likely led to George Edwards, a noted Australian radio performer and producer, to adapting the book into a radio serial in the 1940s.
The Adventures of Marco Polo, Volume 1, is a great OTR collection for several reasons. As already stated, the material was suited for adaptation due to both its popularity and its content. Also, the assembled cast and staff behind its production speak volumes for quality. Edwards, known as much for his ability to mimic hundreds if not more voices as he is for the shows he produced, lends his incredible talent to this production. Filling the roles of many of the characters, the most intriguing task Edwards takes on is playing both Marco Polo and the Kublai Khan. It’s truly a treat listening to this show and knowing when these two distinct sounding characters are having a conversation, it’s Edwards talking to himself!
If you’re looking for dialogue laden completely character driven audio, The Adventures of Marco Polo may not be your bag. That’s not really a negative with this show, though. The narrative moves the story along at a pretty quick clip at the slowest moments and at a nearly breakneck speed in the action scenes. In this program, narration and dialogue comfortably compliment each other, making what might have seemed dry to some readers in school actually exciting and vibrant to the listener.
Another aspect of this program that is done extremely well is how it’s handled as a serial. Serialization, like adaptation, is as much art as it is work. Building the tension in small snippets of story just right to leave the listener wanting more is no easy chore. The Adventures of Marco Polo is a well paced, finely crafted serial, its cliffhangers and surprise twists of which there are a few are written and delivered in a manner that hooks the listener for the rest of the ride.
The Adventures of Marco Polo, Volume 1 from Radio Archives is a wonderful program for those interested in serial adventures and/or history period. Combine the pacing, the performance, and the production quality with the fact that it has been restored by Radio Archives to the finest sound quality possible and this collection is a must have for fans of Old Time Radio, history, serials, or just those who like a well told tale. Only $20.98 for the Seven hour CD set or $13.98 for the Digital Download version.
Radio Archives, known as a leading producer of quality Audio collections as well as a popular purveyor of Pulp Fiction announces the blending of the two in its latest product line. Not only is Radio Archives adding twelve new audiobooks to its future lineup, it is doing so with the direction of perhaps the best known Pulp expert and author of the modern era. Acting as series producer, historian/author Will Murray lends his name to Radio Archive’s newest line of audiobooks. Will Murray’s Pulp Classics are now available from Radio Archives and take both Pulp and audio to a whole new level! Murray’s involvement with past Radio Archives projects led to this new innovation in sharing Pulp classics with today’s audience. “Like everything about my association with RadioArchives.com,” stated Murray, “it was like being struck by lightning. They had just released the first two Doc Savage audiobooks and were preparing The Spider and Secret Agent X, which I had recommended to them, when Tom Brown suggested expanding the line under the umbrella of Will Murray’s Pulp Classics.”
With the success of the Doc Savage audiobooks, based on Murray’s Doc novels, and the early indicators that The Spider audiobook was a hit, discussion of this project turned toward what other classic characters would get the Will Murray’s Pulp Classic treatment. “We already had a full Spider program planned, and the first Secret Agent X novel, The Torture Trust, mapped out,” Murray explained, “so Tom and I hashed out a number of titles that would both compliment and contrast those. As a kind of pulp alternate-reality version of Batman, the Black Bat was a natural. Since Zombies are all the rage, who better than the past master of the undead, Dr. Death? With the legions of weird menaces like mad scientists, vampires and—yes, more Zombies—that he fought, G-8 and His Battles Aces, made sense. And for a dose of Untouchables-style reality, George Fielding-Eliot’s hard-fighting G-Man, Dan Fowler. In almost every case, we’re launching each character with his inaugural exploit.”
Although the stories used in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics first appeared in print during the heyday of the Pulp magazines, Murray sees the transition of these tales to audiobooks as a good and logical one. “Pulp fiction endures because in contrast to the bloated novels modern publishers insist on foisting upon the reading public, vintage pulp fiction tells a fast-moving, never-flagging, riveting narrative that holds you in your seat until you careen to The End. Audiobooks demand that the reader’s attention be held tightly. Whether it’s Doc Savage, the Spider or Dan Fowler, pulp novels are a perfect fit. I’ve had several of my Destroyer novels adapted as audiobooks in years past, but this is the first time I’d been hands-on in this medium since I worked with Roger Rittner on the Adventures of Doc Savage radio series.”
Murray looks forward to the future of the Pulp Classics line and sees the customers and listeners as a vital part of it. “For the first year, we’re going to be introducing our top heroes. The buying public will tell us whether they want more G-8, Dr. Death or the Spider. And I’m sure that same audience will make suggestions. I’d like to do some horror and fantasy pulp writers, like A. Merritt and William Hodgson, a few exceptional Westerns, and high adventures in the Talbot Mundy vein. But pulp fans prefer heroes, so we’ll see if, for example, we can find a Dan Turner detective story that works as an audiobook. Ultimately, I hope we can mine all the major pulp genres. We expect involved and excited listeners will be the ones to surprise us, not vice versa.”
The first two entries in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics are now available from Radio Archives.
If Batman ever had a brother, he would be the pulp hero called the Black Bat.
Both bat-caped heroes debuted in the same year, 1939. It was a strange coincidence. Blame The Shadow for that. He was in his eighth year fighting crime in the pages of his celebrated pulp magazine, and Orson Welles was bringing him to life on radio, when two different publishers decided the time was perfect to copy The Shadow.
Batman was the creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. He debuted in Detective Comics #37, dated March, 1939, in “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” which was freely adapted from the 1936 Shadow mystery, Partners of Peril.
At virtually the same time, over at the Thrilling Group pulp house, editor in chief Leo Margulies asked prolific writer Norman A. Daniels to create a new hero for Black Book Detective magazine. Daniels came up with a character he called the Tiger. Margulies liked his idea, but decided the new hero should be more mysterioso, like The Shadow, and renamed him the Black Bat. The new nemesis of criminals was first published in the July, 1939 Black Book Detective.
As they appeared on the covers of their respective magazines, Batman and the Black Bat were strikingly similar. While the Black Bat lacked Batman’s signature spread-winged chest emblem and bat-ears on his cowl, both had similar finned gauntlets.
The similarities did not go much beyond their ebony costumes. The Black Bat was a district attorney named Anthony Quinn—this was long before the actor of that name made the scene. Blinded by a cowardly criminal, Quinn lost his sight, his face acid-scarred around the eyes. No longer able to practice law, Quinn retired. But a miracle eye transplant restored his sight, and more. Quinn discovered that he could see in the dark. This gave him inspiration.
Gathering together a small band of assistants—reformed conman “Silk” Kirby and muscleman “Butch” O’Leary—Quinn decided to wage an unrelenting secret war on the criminal element. Joining him is lovely Carol Baldwin. It was the corneas of her dying policeman father which were grafted into Tony’s own eyes, restoring his sight.
The first Black Bat adventure, Brand of the Black Bat, relates all that. It’s a stirring story of crime and corruption, and of a courageous avenger determined to track down the vicious gangster who robbed him of his brilliant career, all the while thwarting Captain MacGrath of the N.Y.P.D., who suspects Quinn and the Black Bat are one and the same. For like The Shadow, but unlike Batman, The Bat carries a brace of .45 automatics and the will to use them. This does not make the cloaked vigilante popular with the police.
There has never been a media crossover for this long-running pulp hero. No radio show, no movie serial, no comic books. So it is with justifiable pride that RadioArchives.com lures the Black Bat out of the shadows of his original era and into the 21st century with his first audiobook, read with impeccable skill and fidelity by the accomplished Michael McConnohie. Brand of the Black Bat is available now from Radio Archives for $14.98 for Audio CDs and $9.98 for the Digital Download!
Prince of the Red Looters, the first audio adventure of The Spider and the first of Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, packs mile-a-minute thrills as Richard Wentworth races to discover the identity of The Fly, one of the Spider’s most fiendish foes. A master of the blade who can anticipate The Spider’s every move, The Fly is bent on The Spider’s destruction, leaving The Fly’s criminal organization free to loot, maim, and kill.
Producer/Director Roger Rittner says, “Prince of the Red Looters is an astounding accomplishment, wedding dynamic narration from two unique stars of stage and screen, specially selected sound effects, and a complete period music score.”
Prince of the Red Looters is available now in a six-CD set, priced at $19.98, with original cover art and special bonus features. The audiobook is also available as an MP3 Digital Download, including the special bonus feature, at just $13.98.
Also, RadioArchives.com first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray’s Python Isle and White Eyes continue to garner accolades from Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.
Python Isle, narrated by Michael McConnohie, and White Eyes, narrated by Richard Epcar, are available in impressive CD sets and as digital downloads. Python Isle and White Eyes are also available in special Signed Director’s Editions.
Like your audiobooks Adventure filled and Pulpy? Then RadioArchives.com is the right place for you!
Yesteryear or Today, Pulp Fiction is where readers find adventure, suspense, justice, and thrills a minute! And The Pulp Book Store is where the finest of Pulp can be found! Whether you’re seeking Classic Pulp tales from legendary authors or you’re looking for new tales of derring do by today’s writers, all of it and more is right here for you in The Pulp Book Store!
Find these and more in the Pulp Book Store!
The Dark Avenger and Harry Vincent share center stage in two thrilling tales of lost treasure by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, The Shadow and his ablest agent journey to Michigan timber country in The Golden Quest, a thrilling tale of deadly avarice, betrayal and a forgotten gold mine. Then, a supercrook preys upon aristocratic refugees from the Spanish civil war, leading The Shadow into a deadly dual with The Masked Headsman. This instant collector’s item showcases both classic pulp covers by George Rozen, the original interior illustrations by Tom Lovell, commentary by popular-culture historian Will Murray plus “The Shadow Around the World.” Enjoy these tales and extra features for only $14.95 from Sanctum Press in The Pulp Book Store!
Triple-novel World War II Special: The Man of Bronze battles America’s enemies in three World War II thrillers by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc Savage has only two days to unmask the disguised Adolf Hitler, who has fled a collapsing Nazi Germany! Then, the Man of Bronze is framed for murder as he hunts an undercover Gestapo officer. Finally, after Johnny Littlejohn vanishes on a secret mission for Army Intelligence, Doc goes on a rescue mission to the Far East. Can he unmask a murderous fugitive from Nazi Germany in time to save his aide? This classic pulp reprint features the original color pulp covers by Modest Stein, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of eight Doc Savage novels. All of this and more available now for $14.95 from Sanctum Press from The Pulp Book Store!
First, The Spider sets out to stop wholesale slaughter that turns the dead green as he squares off with The Corpse Broker! Next, The Spider encounters deadly plague germs used against the nation and, stricken himself, battles the Volunteer Corpse Brigade! All of this available from Girasol Collectables for $14.95 in the Pulp Book Store!
In 1939, author Paul Ernst gave Pulp fiction a frozen faced force of Justice. Now the greatest crime-fighter of the 40s returns in a stunning collection from Moonstone of original action-packed tales of adventure, intrigue and revenge written by leading names in Pulp today, including the first and only time The Avenger meets the uncompromising relentless justice of The Spider! From Moonstone Books, available in the Pulp Book Store for $18.95!
The only survivor of a doomed starship, stranded in his spacesuit, leaves a frantic message about a strange alien “talent”. Classic sci-fi by Peter Baily, from Astounding Science Fiction magazine, February 1959. A full cast audio play adapted from a Pulp magazine of the late 1950s. Specially dramatized and produced in dimensional sound with professional cast, stereo sound effects, and period music. Starring Terwilliger Rhinehart. From Roger Rittner Productions! Only $4.95 in The Pulp Book Store!
Fighting the aerial forces of evil for nearly ten years in the pages of Flying Aces, Kerry Keen AKA The Griffon returns to print! This edition begins a complete reprinting of the entire series. Volume 1 contains his first six stories, all from 1935, including the debut story-“Guns of the Griffon”: Meet Kerry Keen sky sleuth in this new series of modern thrillers! Also included is an article by series author, Arch Whitehouse. From Altus Press and only $19.95 in the Pulp Book Store!
The Pulp Book Store – The Place to get the Pulp You Need.
Review of “The Genghis Khan” from Doc Savage, Volume 1
By Dr. Art Sippo
The Man of Bronze confronts his greatest enemy in The Devil Genghis, reprinted in Doc Savage, Volume 1! From the Arctic to the French Riviera, men begin to go mad and lash out at invisible opponents until they are either exhausted or physically restrained. Then Doc Savage on his way to play the violin and the clarinet in a charity concert is kidnapped! He escapes but discovers that whoever ordered the kidnapping wanted to bring him to Europe. Doc and his aides set sail for Europe to find out what was behind the plot to capture the Man of Bronze. Along the way they encounter danger and Renny falls victim to the invisible enemy madness. Meanwhile, the stunning and resourceful woman, Toni Lash joins up with Doc and his crew to solve the mystery. She is an exceptional woman and even Doc takes notice.
The trail leads to the Arctic and to the unthinkable. Is John Sunlight still alive? It was believed that he had been devoured by a polar bear months before. But unmistakably, Sunlight is alive and well and he is plotting again to conquer the world. Now under the title of “The Devil Genghis” he plans to create a world empire under his absolute rule. But this time instead of fighting Doc Savage, Sunlight will offer him a Faustian bargain. Can even Doc Savage refuse an offer to share dominion over the entire world?
John Sunlight is the greatest villain the Man of Bronze has ever faced. No other enemy had ever survived to confront Doc a second time. Sunlight is a man of great physical and mental powers with the indomitable will to survive death itself. Has Doc Savage finally met his match? Find all the answers to these troubling questions for $12.95 in Doc Savage, Volume 1 from Radio Archives!
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Water for Elephants
Why are we reviewing this failed adaptation of Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, Water for Elephants? Well, we like circuses and my wife enjoyed the novel. We think Christoph Waltz is one of the more interesting actors to watch these days and frankly, we just plain like Reese Witherspoon, who hasn’t made enough solid films the last few years. Then there’s director Francis Lawrence, whose Constantine I thought was underrated. With the box office disappointment out this week on disc from 20th Century Home Entertainment, it was time to give it a look.
This Depression-era story tells of Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson), a would-be veterinarian whose studies at Cornell were cut short given the economy. He hits the road, as did so many others, but only he stumbled across the Benzini Brothers Circus, run by August (Waltz) and featuring his wife Marlena (Witherspoon). They need a doctor on the cheap and he gains invaluable practical experience caring for the menagerie being carted from town to town.
Jacob also gets a hard lesson in life as he watches August abuse both wife and elephant and Jacob tenderly fills the void for both. Things go awry when August learns of Jacob’s interference with his life and profession, setting up an inevitable confrontation.
There’s plenty of drama here, plenty of atmosphere and themes to explore, but the power of the novel is sapped by a labored film adaptation in the hands of screenwriter Richard LaGravenese and director Francis Lawrence. While he struggled to successful bring Constantine’s snark to film, ruined by the Americanization to accommodate Keanu Reeves, he did Richard Matheson a disservice with I Am Legend so the jury was still out on his skills. This third flawed adaptation proves the man is tone deaf to the beauty inherent in the prose. All three films call for unique settings and moods but rather than feast on a bleak 1930s America, this feels like a typical Hollywood vision of that time.
In adapting the book’s rich characters and psychological interrelationships, Lawrence comes up short, robbing every character of their depth. The attractive cast is also the wrong cast and doesn’t give them enough actual direction leaving Waltz in need of restraint and Pattinson and Witherspoon mismatched, lacking any real spark between them. He does his best work with Rosie the Elephant which isn’t saying a lot. Had the circus performers and crew been allowed to do anything in the story, it could have been a rich ensemble piece and more satisfying look at this life on the rails.
The Blu-ray edition, not sent for review, contains plenty of featurettes while the DVD comes with just a Robert Pattinson Spotlight (yawn), a by-the-numbers piece on Reese Witherspoon, and the most interesting piece The Traveling Show: From Page to Screen. There’s also an audio commentary from Lawrence and LaGravenese but I just couldn’t care enough to finish it.
For those interested, the Blu-ray comes with the above plus Working Without A Net – The Visual Effects of Water for Elephants; The Star Attraction; Raising the Tent; and, Secrets of the Big Top.
Ten Reasons Why Science Fiction Writers are Like Porn Stars
Why Science Fiction Writers are Like Porn Stars from io9.
Our list:
- First you do it for love, then you do it for a few friends, and finally you do it for money.
- You can look like Ron Jeremy and still have a good career.
- Each of them lust after phallic objects; in the case of the SF writers, it’s the Hugo award.
- The more exotic the characters, the better.
- Both have devoted groupies that you don’t always want to be around.
- Both get flattering offers from fans that are rarely followed up on.
- When they get censored, they know they’re doing something right.
- Both are respected by Playboy and Penthouse.
- Most of them hope to get picked up by the real movies for a big payday. Few of them are.
- You don’t have to be a big dick to be successful, but it can’t hurt.
