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ACCLAIMED NOVEL ‘LUCIAN’ NOW AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE!

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  • October 25, 2011

Press Release – For Immediate Release

LUCIAN: Dark God’s Homecoming–Now Available for Kindle!


Acclaimed SF/Action/Mystery Pulp Debuts on Popular E-Reader

Smithton, IL (October 26, 2011) White Rocket Books proudly announces the release in Kindle format of LUCIAN: Dark God’s Homecoming, the acclaimed Science Fiction/Action/Mystery pulp by Van Allen Plexico (SENTINELS; GIDEON CAIN).
Drawing inspiration from the fantastic pulp-SF tales of Roger Zelazny (Chronicles of Amber), Jack Vance (The Dying Earth) and Philip Jose Farmer (World of Tiers), LUCIAN introduces us to the Dark Lord of the Golden City, an arrogant and selfish god whose insurgency to rule in Heaven failed and led to his exile on the human-occupied worlds of the far-future. When circumstances conspire to bring him back to his celestial City, Lucian discovers that most of his fellow gods and goddesses have been murdered and that, as the devil, he is of course the prime suspect. Now he’s on the run, barely a step ahead of his vengeful brothers and sisters, seeking evidence to prove his innocence (at least this once!) and to find the real killer—before his fellow gods catch him and end his immortal existence once and for all. Along the way, he becomes saddled with a beautiful and resourceful starship captain, who may force him to confront the hard truths about himself—if he doesn’t kill her first!
Says Van Allen Plexico of this new electronic edition: “The response this book has received in its paperback format, from Airship 27, has been more than gratifying. Readers seem to love this black sheep of a character and find themselves enjoying rooting for the bad guy! Now that it’s available on Kindle, I’m hoping it finds a whole new audience that will take the Dark Lord into their hearts!”

Pulp Fiction Reviews said of LUCIAN: “Fans of Jack Vance and Roger Zelazny will eat this up. Good stuff start to finish.”
Van Allen Plexico is best known for the popular SENTINELS series of contemporary superhero pulp novels, as well as for the sword-and-sorcery anthology GIDEON CAIN: DEMON HUNTER (with Kurt Busiek and others) and the ASSEMBLED! books, exploring the history of Marvel Comics’ Avengers. In 2011 he was nominated for Pulp Story of the Year (by the Pulp Factory, for “The Red Flame of Death,” from GIDEON CAIN) and Writer of the Year (by PulpArk).
White Rocket Books is a leader in the New Pulp movement, publishing exciting action and adventure novels and anthologies since 2005, in both traditional and electronic formats. White Rocket books have hit the Amazon.com Top 15-by-Genre and have garnered praise from everyone from Marvel Comics Editor Tom Brevoort to Kirkus Reviews.
On sale as of October 25, 2011, LUCIAN: Dark God’s Homecoming is a $2.99 Kindle e-book from White Rocket Books.
www.whiterocketbooks.com

Steed and Mrs. Peel Return!

  • Uncategorized
  • October 25, 2011
steed-6191758

Boom! Studios has announced that Steed and Mrs. Peel issue #1 will be in stores January 2012. Written by Grant Morrison with illustrations and a cover by Ian Gibson, this comic book mini series is based on characters created for the classic British TV series, “The Avengers”.

From writer Grant Morrison — “The Golden Game Part One: Crown and Anchor!” Your favorite Avengers finally return! When Tara King is kidnapped by a mysterious organization, John Steed and Emma Peel must reunite to solve this mystery. Featuring gorgeous art from Ian Gibson, best known for his work with Alan Moore on “The Ballad of Halo Jones.” A science fiction/spy fiction mash-up from Grant Morrison and two of TV’s most iconic heroes!

32 pages, $3.99.

Boom! Studios’, “Steed and Mrs. Peel” is a 6 issue mini series starting in January 2012.

For more information on BOOM! Studios and their offerings, visit http://www.boom-studios.com/.

Some Additional Convention Thoughts

  • News
  • October 25, 2011

Sometime in the late 1970s, there was a show in New York where DC Comics actually had a booth and I got to wander over as a fan and chat casually with president Sol Harrison. It was the earliest memory I had of a publishing taking booth space on the convention floor. Before then, the tables were given over to fanzine vendors, back issue and new release dealers and that was about it. Little in the way or merchandise and even less original art was being sold.

Fans and creators could mix in the aisles, chat in the lobby, and talk before and after panels. It was a far smaller, more collegial atmosphere and certainly formed relationships with people I still have today.

By the time I joined staff at DC in 1984, the major publishers had been taking booth space with increasing regularity at shows from coast to coast. These were standard trade show booth designs that were decorated with the company’s wares, maybe a TV monitor with a video tape playing but that was about it. Editors and creators sat at tables and signed comics, did sketches, and handed out sampler comics or buttons.

During the 1980s, things continued to grow and more customized booth set-ups were showing up but fans could still walk into a publisher’s booth and talk to editors and talent. That began to change in 1992-1993 when Image arrived with show biz razzle dazzle and DC, flush with Death of Superman profits, gave us a mammoth booth dubbed Wayne’s World, nicknamed after Bob Wayne. Since nature abhors a vacuum, this new space filled with a growing number of fans, but patient ones could still talk to staff and freelancers.

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Meet ThePulp.Net

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  • October 25, 2011

ThePulp.Net is a fan-produced Web site devoted to the pulp magazines of the 1890s through the 1950s. ThePulp.Net debuted March 26, 1996, as .Pulp on America Online. Its initial concept was for a Web site devoted to The Shadow. But eventually that changed to encompass additional pulp characters and books.

From the TPN site, “In mid-1995, we found it difficult to track down Web sites about pulp magazines. You had to search Yahoo (there wasn’t a Google then) and otherwise just surf the Net looking for pulp-related sites. Out of that frustration grew the seed for ThePulp.Net.”

.Pulp started with links pages to Web sites devoted to The Shadow, Doc Savage and The Spider and a page to other pulp-related sites, plus a brief history of the pulps that was originally published in 1979. In July 1998, ThePulp.Net got its own domain name and really began to grow.

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In addition to turning 10 years old in 2006, ThePulp.Net celebrated another milestone in January 2006 when the site surpassed 500,000 visitors. It is their hope that it won’t take another 10 years to reach one million visitors to the site. ThePulp.Net was created to help pulp fans increase their enjoyment of the pulp magazines.

In addition to information on the heyday of the pulps as well as new pulp, you can find links to other pulp sites, pulp publishers, blogs, websites, character bios, and more. ThePulp.Net is a treasure trove of pulp information.

You can visit ThePulp.Net at http://www.thepulp.net/.
Tell ‘em All Pulp sent ya.

If I rebooted Flash, Atom, and Green Arrow

  • Uncategorized
  • October 25, 2011

On the list of simple comic book truths: Superhero comics need major female superheroes. I like the idea that the Flash should be a woman. A speedster called Jesse Quick briefly took over the role:

                            jesse_quick_flash_132-9298329

It’d be great if The Fastest Man On Earth was a woman, but DC is conservative with the characters it considers its most valuable properties, so I doubt they would go with a female Flash, even though that’s the best way to get a second woman into DC’s Big Five of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash.

That argument doesn’t apply to the Atom and Green Arrow.

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RADIO ARCHIVES PULP BOOK STORE MANAGER INTERVIEWED!

  • News
  • October 25, 2011
TOMMY HANCOCK
Store Manager, www.pulpbookstore.com, Radio Archives
ALL PULP: Tommy, thanks for joining us today to talk about yet another project that you’re involved in!  Lots going on in Pulp with you these days, it seems.
TOMMY HANCOCK: Yeah, there is.  But it’s okay, I like it that way.
AP:  With everything you’ve got going, we’ll let our readers Google you or search through our page to get a handle on all the stuff you’re doing and jump right into the interview.  One association you have is with Radio Archives.  What does Radio Archives do and what do you do for them?
TH:  Radio Archives is the leading company in, well, several things really.  Probably most known for high quality restorations of old time radio programs, now with around 180 in their catalog, Radio Archives is also providing brand new audio entertainment to Pulp fans today.  Through both enhanced audio books as done by Roger Rittner Productions as well a more traditional line of audiobooks, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, audio versions of both new stories as well as Pulp classics are seeing life over at Radio Archives.   It’s also the go to place for Pulp reprints, particularly if your interest is Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Spider.
I am the newsletter editor for Radio Archives and I provide liner notes for products as well.   The newsletter comes out every two weeks and thanks to All Pulp for posting it like you guys do.   Recently, I’ve picked up another title.  I am Store Manager for the Pulp Book Store.
AP: What is the Pulp Book Store?
TH:  It’s something a lot of people in Pulp have talked about off and on for awhile.  Whether they publish classic reprints or New Pulp, many publishers have discussed having a ‘one stop shop’ for Pulp somewhere online.  A place that a consumer could go and browse for Pulp products from a whole variety of Publishers.  Radio Archives has set that very thing up at www.pulpbookstore.com.
The concept’s easy.  The product sold at the Pulp Book Store will be at the same price it’s sold elsewhere, there’s no increase in cost at all.   The convenience for the consumer is amazing.  If someone is a fan of a particular company, they usually just go to that publisher’s site and nowhere else and that’s fine.  But, speaking as a fan myself, most of us enjoy Pulp stuff from a variety of sources.   With The Pulp Book Store, I can go and find several companies providing and promoting books I want.  Each company that signs on will have its own ‘store within a store’ and it can be designed basically however they want it to make their wares more appealing.
AP:  Why would Pulp publishers be interested in being a part of this?  And if they are, how do they sign on?
TH:  Well, as I mentioned already, this puts several Pulp companies together in one place.  So there’s the possibility of cross shopping.  A customer goes looking for the latest Shadow reprint and they see Moonstone, Pulpwork Press, Twit Publishing, and other companies listed on the same page.  Curiosity takes over and suddenly their shopping horizons have expanded.
Delivery and such is easy as well.  A publisher sends Radio Archives stock and Radio Archives handles all the processing and shipping. So as long as companies keep stock in the hands of Radio Archives, then that’s really all they have to do other than collect the benefits.
Another great benefit is the marketing and promotion that Radio Archives will be providing.  The newsletter goes out to thousands of people every two weeks.  Also, as store manager, I will be handling regular promotion by providing sites like All Pulp, Coming Attractions, and other Pulp and press outlets with at least weekly updates and news and such, including new Publishers coming on board or even new product being available. 
The Pulp Book Store isn’t meant to replace anything a Publisher is already doing.  It’s simply an additional resource that brings with it exposure to a whole host of fans that may not be seeing a Publisher’s product yet and also marketing and support provided by the Radio Archives team.
AP:  When does the Pulp Book Store open?

TH: It’s already open!  The grand opening was this past Friday and several Pulp publishers, including Pro Se Press, are already there.   We’re still in the ‘construction’ process and working out details like store design and such, but we’re very pleased with the response so far and hope to have even more companies become a part of it.

AP:  If a publisher wants to get involved or to simply ask questions, whom do they contact?
TH:  TommyHancock@RadioArchives.com and I’ll not only answer questions, but I plan to help Publishers with making their stores as awesome as they want to be by assisting with liner notes and things such as that if requested.  Also, if a publisher is interested, but isn’t sure if their material qualifies as Pulp, either in the classic or new sense, I can help with that as well.
AP:  Tommy, thanks again for joining us!
TH: Thank you!

Watch “Zombies: A Living History”

  • News
  • October 25, 2011

Premiering tonight on the History Channel!

Relentless. Infectious. All consuming. Since the beginning of time they have embodied our deepest fears and today their power to frighten us is more potent than ever before. They are the monster that history cannot kill.

Get ready for an unprecedented exploration of history’s most terrifying and enduring horror. What are the origins of the living dead and what makes them more relevant than ever before? Join Max Brooks, Jonathan Maberry, Roger Ma, JL Bourne, Kim Paffenroth, Rebekah McKendry, Steven Schlozman, Daniel Drezner, The Zombie Squad and many more as we investigate the roots of our ultimate fear and find out what you can do to prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse.

…Because if you’re prepared for zombies, you’re prepared for anything.

You’ll even see a few ComicMix contributors in the special. The producers wanted them for their braiiinnnnnssss…

NYCC 2011 Cosplay: The Biggest %$#@! Hand Cannon I’ve Ever Seen…

  • News
  • October 25, 2011

…along with Wonder Woman, the Terminator directing traffic, Cobra Commander giving free hugs, the no-so-White Queen, and the cutest little Dalek ever. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Crazy Sexy Geeks: Tim Gunn on Star Trek Part 2!

  • News
  • October 25, 2011
Tim Gunn joins geeky actress Jennifer Ewing and comic book historian Alan Kistler to continue their discussion on the fashion of Star Trek TOS and the films that followed Kirk and his crew. If you like Crazy Sexy Geeks, listen to our podcast on iTunes and donate via PayPal to SizzlerKistler at gmail dot com. (Read more…)

MICHAEL DAVIS: Spider-Man, Superman… you messing with my head.

  • Uncategorized
  • October 25, 2011

davis-column-art-111025-3622362A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Comics made the mainstream news only with some event regular folk could understand and think was worth going into a comic book store for the first time…ever.

Superman is dead.

Superman gets married. Which is the same thing as being dead.

Spider-Man gets married.

Spider-Man becomes Latino and black.

Spider-Man gets divorced (because he became Latino and black).

Archie kisses a black girl.

Archie is booted out of the Tea Party (you know why).

The news that DC is being kicked out of major bookstore chains because of an exclusive deal they made with Amazon is messing with my head.

That’s not the only thing either, I read an article in Wired magazine recently that stated that iPads could both revolutionize and destroy the industry.

Again. My head is being messed with.

I don’t want to see mainstream media talk about comics unless it’s a new comic book movie, Comic Con or Archie uses the ‘N’ word during a argument with his black girl friend.

Yes, I know I’m being naïve. Yes I know that comics are a business and change is inevitable, yada, yada, whatever. I get that.

But…

I long for a return to the good old days when the press would make a big deal out of The Death Of Superman and regular folk would be naive enough to buy dozens of copies because it never occurred to them that Superman would be back.

“It’s a comic book you moron.” I said to about a zillion people who were shocked that Superman was not dead forever so the 50 copies they purchased along with the 50 billion sold would not be so valuable as to put the kids through college.

I remember a “regular folk” about to pay a retailer $40 bucks for two copies of The Death Of Superman at a NY Comic Con when the very same issue was cover priced at a newsstand in the lobby of the Javits Center where the con was being held.

I told the guy about the newsstand price and assured him they still had plenty of copies left. He thanked me like I just handed him a winning lottery ticket. Man, was he happy!

The retailer, not so much.

Yes, mainstream press, give me that kind of comic book news and keep your gloom and doom for what you do best: Lindsey Lohan.

WEDNESDAY: Mike Gold

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