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ALL PULP REVIEWS-FORTIER TAKES ON ‘GHOSTS OF WAR’!

GHOSTS OF WAR
By George Mann
Pyr Books
231 pages
Available July 2011
Hot on the heels of earning a Pulp Factory Award nomination for Best Pulp Novel of 2010 for GHOST OF MANHATTAN, writer George Mann unleashes the second novel in this steampunk series.  Although considering the archetype pulp trappings these books are totally saturated with, one would suggest labeling them steampulp.
This new adventure of Gabriel Cross, the haunted veteran of World War One who protects New York City as the rocket-boot propelled, black garbed vigilante known as the Ghost, begins only a few weeks after the end of his last, horrific case.  He is still emotionally wounded having witnessed his lover, Celeste, sacrifice herself to save mankind from outer-dimensional monsters.
When a new threat to his city arises, he gratefully dons his Ghost garb and goes into action.  Weird hybrid mechanical flying creatures called Raptors are swooping out of the night sky and randomly kidnapping people with no apparent pattern or purpose other than to cause city wide terror.  The Ghost sets about catching one of these horrible monstrosities with the help of his friend, Inspector Felix Donovan, who shares his secret identity. 
At the same time, Donovan is given the task of hunting down a British spy by his superiors.  He is told the secret agent is a catalyst with information that will ignite a war between England and America.  When elements from both assignments suddenly come together, the Ghost and Donovan begin to suspect a much darker plot with tendrils leading to corruption among the highest ranks of City Hall.  In the end the Ghost allows himself to be captured by the raptors and taken to their hidden lair.  It is his one chance to uncover the evil mastermind behind the attacks and discover the true horror that awaits all mankind unless he and his small band of allies can save the day.
Hideous creatures from another dimension, a mad scientist more machine than man, an armed, massive airship on a mission of doom and more thrill-a-minute action than any other ten, oversized thrillers on the market today.  GHOSTS OF WAR is even better then its predecessor as Mann is truly warming up to this alternate world and his remarkable, colorful and appealing cast of characters that populate it.  This is new pulp fiction at its finest and I’m predicting there’s another Pulp Factory Award nod in its future.  Long live the Ghost! 

Rapture Ready Comics: ‘Dies Illa’ from Wasteland #3

There’s a lot of chatter about an event that may or may not happen tomorrow.

(SPOILER: It won’t happen. See Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.)

For what will become obvious reasons, it reminded me of this story from John Ostrander and David Lloyd from Wasteland #3, February 1988 from DC Comics.

As for me, I plan to spend Friday night going out and leaving strategically placed piles of clothes and shoes.

Artwork ©1988 DC Comics.

Amazon Now Sells More eBooks Than Paper Books

Yesterday. the future arrived.

[[[Amazon]]] announced that eBooks are now the most popular sales format on Amazon.com, outselling the joint sales of hardback and paperback books. Since April 1, 2011, for every 100 print books Amazon has sold, it has sold 105 Kindle editions. It took Amazon just about four years to make that statement come true, and it represents the tipping point.

Related to that, the Association of American Publishers released new sales figures for March 2011, and eBook sales were up from last year, but down from February 2011. March eBook sales totaled $69.9 million, compared to $90.3 million in February 2011. Still, this was a big increase from March 2010, which saw $28.1M in sales (a 145.7% increase).

And yes, they’re cannibalizing paper sales.

So far, we don’t have numbers on what it’s doing for comic sales, although Apple has stated that the most in-app purchases have come from comic book programs, although no one’s quoting hard numbers yet. But it will only be a matter of time and display technology.

As for me, I don’t feel like Kevin McCarthy screaming in traffic quite so much anymore.

WHAT? NOT ENOUGH PULP ARK YET? YES, THERE’S MORE…

You say you don’t have enough PULP ARK yet?  Well, others agree with you…for instance…

THE BOOK CAVE
Ric Croxton (left) and Art Sippo in PULP ARK’s Dungeon

Ric and Art are running recorded interviews, panels, classrooms, and general chatter from PULP ARK all this week!  If you missed it, listen to the magic!  If you were there, relive the wonder one more time!
Or if you’re more of a visual person, then check this out from Friday night (recorded by Derrick Ferguson)
And if you want to watch a scene or two from the exclusive PULP ARK drama, THE CASE OF THE BLOODY PULP, you can watch these provided by Van Plexico!
Enjoy! 

PULP ARK DAY THREE-WRAPPIN’ IT UP

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

PULP ARK came to a close at 12 Noon, May 15th, 2011.  That was four days ago.  Still, the internet is alive with pictures, comments, ideas, threads, and remembrances of a three days that we will never forget.  There are even more pictures below.  I had planned to do a major article here, but I won’t.  Instead I’ll say-There will be a PULP ARK 2012, most of the guests who were there for the first time around have already committed to return.  And I’ll also say…

Thank you.  Thank you all.

Tommy Hancock

And for some, the Con went on!

RADIO LIVES AGAIN!

Derrick Ferguson and Art Sippo

Derrick Ferguson and Lee Houston, Jr.

Bobby Nash and Van Plexico

Fuller Bumpers and Bobby Nash

Ron Fortier and the Domino Lady

Lee Houston, Jr.

Terry Alexander and his lovely wife

And The Pulptress awaits your return next year
to PULP ARK 2012!

ComicMix Quick Picks: May 19, 2011

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Closing them in our browsers so you can open them on yours…

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Begins Shooting

christian-bale-batman11-300x212-6842725Here’s the release with all the current information, reminding us of how much we’re looking to seeing how this wraps up:

BURBANK, CA, May 19, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises, the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s [[[Batman]]] trilogy.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (The Fighter) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

In helming The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on The Dark Knight, which had marked the first time that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX® cameras.  The results were so spectacular that the director wanted to expand the use of the large-format cameras for this film.

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Jeffrey Catherine Jones, 1944 – 2011

art-9b584ed64d74ddffffa82bbe9594caf9_h-2566473Noted illustrator and sometime comics artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones died yesterday of complications from emphysema.

In comics, her work appeared in Heavy Metal, the various Warren magazines, Epic Illustrated, and many, many others. Committing herself to illustration in general and expressionism in specific, she was a member of the legendary Studio along with Michael Kaluta, Barry Windsor-Smith and Bernie Wrightson. Jones’ illustrations graced a great many science fantasy novels (Michael Moorcock, Dean Koontz, Fritz Lieber, Andre Norton, and others) and magazines as well as publications such as The National Lampoon.

Her work has been reprinted in a number of albums, most recently IDW’s [[[Jeffrey Jones: A Life In Art]]]. This ironically titled tome was released at the beginning of this year.

Jones married Mary Louise Alexander (now Louise Simonson) in 1966 and had a daughter, Julianna, the following year. In 2001 Jeffrey had gender reassignment surgery. In recent years she suffered from numerous ailments, but had made a sadly brief return to the drawing board last month.

In one of the highest compliments imaginable, illustrator Frank Frazetta called Jones “the greatest living painter.”

PULP ARK DAY THREE-THE FINAL ACT OF THE BLOODY PULP!

Sunday, May 15, 2011
The theater day opened at PULP ARK with a rousing fight scene involving most of the cast that took two of them literally tumbling down the stairs into the middle of a panel!  After that, the cast gathered and presented the third and final act of this fast paced, high adrenaline Pulp play like no other!  And without further adieu….

CAST-
Merlin Montgomery-Tommy Hancock
Benita Isadore Magready (Bim)-Shannon O’Cain
Newt the Newsboy-Alex Hancock
Simon Sanders, The Rogue-Brian Coltharp
Nikola Deveraux-Tanya McClure
August-Bo Elrod
Captain Mordechai Maelstrom-David Jones
Buster-Lucas Smith
Shevara/Penny Preston-Megan Smith
Little Sister-Mackenzie Haugh

ACT THREE
(Puff of smoke, SHEVARA appears)
Merlin Montgomery antagonizes Shevara
BLOODY PULP, ACT THREE
SHEVARA-I have fed on the horror and hatred of a world gone mad and power flows through my body once more!  Trapped far too long in one prison, then another cage, reduced to nothing but ink and words by a trifle of an insect! No More!  I reentered life here so from here death shall spread!  And upon the bodies, the bones, the charred remains of humanity I will build my throne…my castle…my universe…starting here!
MERLIN-(Steps out in front of Shevara) Sorry, but I’ll have to see your building permits.
SHEVARA-What?? 
MERLIN-Permits….To build a throne…not to mention the red tape you’ll get tangled in trying to build your own universe.
SHEVARA-You speak nonsense!  What do you think, that you alone can stop one that your insipid ancestors worshipped as their own Goddess?  You, one pitiful little girl…
MERLIN (As she talks, all the former cast members who weren’t killed start coming out, forming a circle around her, each of them holding some kind of weapon)  Been a long time since anyone’s called me little girl.  But only my Daddy could do that and you don’t even step close to my Daddy. 
SHEVARA-I own you, rodent!  You and all like you exist only to give me power, to feed me with all the sin and terror your kind produce! You cannot stand against me!
MERLIN-I’ve stood against bigger than you, supposed deities who have whole books written about them.  You barely rated a pulp magazine!
SHEVARA-YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST TO DIE, THE CORNERSTONE I WILL BUILD MY THRONE UPON! DIE!
(SHEVARA zaps, shoots, something and MERLIN goes down…SHEVARA laughs evilly but is surprised as MERLIN stands up, grasping her shoulder)
SHEVARA-What? NO! No human can challenge the magic of SHE WHOM ALL FEAR!!



bloodypulp3-9693779
Shevara faces off with Merlin Montgomery
BLOODY PULP, ACT THREE



MERLIN-I told you I’ve gone one on one with monsters that make you look like Little Bo Peep.  I’ve picked up a few things and skills along the way.  This is barely a flesh wound.
SHEVARA-WHAT???
MERLIN-School’s out, sweetheart! NOW!
(Coordinated fight scene between SHEVARA and everyone with a weapon, but BUSTER never gets quite close.   And each one is defeated, not killed, but laid low, hurt, etc.)
SHEVARA-SHE WHOM ALL FEAR RULES ALL!  SHEVARA STRIPS ALL HOPE FROM HUMANITY!
BIM-Okay, distract and sneak attack didn’t work…any other notions?
MERLIN-Givens said something, something about the stanza…it was the key to freeing Shevara…
ROGUE-But also the key to stopping her!
CAPT’N-But who remembers that chant?
PENNY-I do!  I made sure I listened closed when Nikola said, just so I could get the scoop on all the other papers!
“Death and hatred,  take you life!
Murder and sin, become flesh and bone!
Walk this earth and spread your strife!
‘less you are laid low by man crafted stone!’
MERLIN-That’s it!  Where’s Newt?  (bolts to find him) Have to find-
NIKOLA-You have to do nothing but die, like Shevara decrees, dear Merlin
MERLIN-Nikola, what are you doing? We have to stop her!
Cast of Bloody Pulp trying to decide what to do next
BLOODY PULP, ACT THREE
NIKOLA-No.  I have realized that even though I do not control her, her will and my plans are the same.  I have served her and not even known it.  And I will continue to do so….by killing you.
SHEVARA-OH LOOK!   THEY FIGHT BECAUSE OF SHEVARA! ONE EAGER TO DIE, THE OTHER EAGER TO FEED ME!  HATRED AND PAIN FOR SHE WHOM ALL FEAR!
(Fight scene with Nikola and Merlin, Nikola gets beaten, Merlin stands up) NEWT! Where are you?
NEWT-Here, Merlin! 
(Merlin starts to cross to Newt, who is close to Shevara, but Nikola rises, grabs her.  Newt sees this, runs for Merlin, runs in front of Shevara, who grabs him)
SHEVARA-Ah, even the tiny ones throw themselves at me to sate my appetite.  Mmmm..this one is thin, but so full of energy that I can turn to hatred!
NEWT-Let me go!! Leggo!
MERLIN-NEWT, YOUR NEWSBAG! HIT HER WITH YOUR NEWSBAG!!
(Newt does just  that, smacks Shevara hard with his newsbag.  She looks as if she’s been shot with a bullet..Pain on her face.  She lets Newt go and stumbles, very clearly dying…
SHEVARA-Man…crafted…stone…from…a child….(She collapses, smoke if possible.  Lights go out.  When they come back up, Nikola and August are gone.  Penny is standing up slowly)
PENNY-What-What happened?
LITTLE SISTER-PENNY!
BUSTER-One minute she was a reporter, next minute she’s a demon goddess…now that Shevara frail is gone..vanished ! POOF!
BIM-Yeah, and so are Nikola and her pet boy!
MERLIN-Not like we didn’t expect that! Or like we won’t see them again.
CAPT’N-What is suprisin’, though, is that this yellow sapsucker stayed.
ROGUE-With eveything that I am, I’m not a sneak away type.  Besides, I figure we’ll all make scarce soon enough.  No one wants to be here when badges and sunglasses come through the door.
PENNY-I have to go to, have to get this story in, though no one will believe it.  But I don’t understand what happened.  How did Newt’s bag get that out of me?  How did it kill a demon??
MERLIN-Show ‘em, Newt.  Show ‘em what’s in the bag.
NEWT-THIS! (holds up a brick)
MERLIN-The incantation warned Shevara that she may be ‘laid low by man crafted stone.’  It’s part of the binding.  Whoever originally came up with the way to trap her built into it a weakness she couldn’t escape.  Once she was captured the very first time, the weakness stayed with her.  And bricks are
EVERYONE-Man crafted stone.
BUSTER-So she’s dead?
CAPN’-Probably.  At least gone.  But just to be sure, we need to destroy the Bloody Pulp.
MERLIN- (walks up)  No, no you don’t.
CAP’N-Eh? Whattya mean?
MERLIN-When…whatever that thing was disappeared…the Bloody Pulp did, too. I recovered it after Nikola threw it down yesterday.   But it’s gone.  It and the parchment.   Up in a green cloud of smoke.  And now we have nothing to show…nothing to exhibit….
BIM-And I’ll bet you old Givens’ body, wherever it was restin’, is gone, too! It always goes like that!  We have nothing!
PENNY-And no one will believe me…
MERLIN-Well, you both have eyewitnesses and the participants in what just happened.  You know, those who saved the world.  We could tell the story for you.
ROGUE-And what of those authorities I mentioned, Merlin?
MERLIN-Like Bim said, Simon, there’s nothing.  No evidence.   Just great stories.
NEWT-EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT, CASE OF THE BLOODY PULP CLOSED! WORLD SAVED FROM DEMONIC DESTRUCTION! MERLIN MONTGOMERY AND  HIS COMPANY OF HEROES OF THE DAY! EXTRA! EXTRA!
THE END
Since the end of PULP ARK, there has been some clamoring for further adventures of this crew. I am already writing the sequel.  There has also been discussion of turning this play into a story and writing other stories with this cast.  If you’d like to see that, please let me know either through comments here or at proseproductions@earthlink.net – Tommy Hancock

Henry Rollins Trains as Kilowog for ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’

  • Uncategorized
  • May 19, 2011

Henry Rollins is so many things to so many people.

One moment, he’s the uber-tattooed punk rock front man for [[[Black Flag]]] or [[[The Rollins Band]]]; the next, he’s stealing the spotlight as one of the memorable cast of [[[Sons of Anarchy]]]; and while that’s airing, he’s ranting live for hours to sold out crowds as one of the most popular spoken-word artists of our day, easily translating that mad-as-hell attitude and undying curiosity into his thought-provoking KCRW talk show. His quarter century of globe-trotting has recently added National Geographic to his resume, the latter-day Renaissance man now filming documentaries for the renowned publication.

Intelligent? Beyond your dreams. Intense? Absolutely. Restless? Without a doubt. But does Henry Rollins ever pause long enough to be playful? Animation fans know it all too well.

When he isn’t perusing the Sudan, performing in Prague or recording for public radio, Rollins takes to another of his true passions: voiceovers for animated projects.

Rollins’ latest animated incarnation is in the guise of Kilowog for the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video on Blu-Ray™, DVD, On Demand and for Download June 7, 2011.

Rollins voices one of the most beloved characters in the entire universe of Green Lanterns – Kilowog, the hardcore drill sergeant-style trainer of Green Lantern recruits.  Written by Peter J. Tomasi (based on “New Blood” by Tomasi & Chris Samnee) and directed by Lauren Montgomery, the “Kilowog” segment of the film depicts the gruff character’s initial days as a young recruit under the abusive tutelage of Deegan, an equally gruff character who shows Kilowog the true “tough love” principles of training. As the segment play out, Kilowog must assume an integral leadership role within the ranks.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is far from Rollins’ first venture down the animated path. For Warner Bros. alone, Rollins has recorded over the years for Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And then there’s his more recent forays into voiceovers for series like Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and the primetime series American Dad!

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights weaves six legendary stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan mentors new recruit Arisia in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Kilowog, Abin Sur, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona.

Rollins is joined in the voicecast of the intergalactic animated film by Nathan Fillion (Castle), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter films), Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), Kelly Hu (The Vampire Diaries), Wade Williams (Prison Break), professional wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper and Radio Hall of Fame commentator/talk show host Michael Jackson.

No stranger to the spoken word, Rollins spent some significant time after his initial recording session chatting about his character, his love of great literature, Too Much Coffee Man, his need to travel the Earth, and much, much more. Read on…

QUESTION: How did you approach the character of Kilowog for this story?

HENRY ROLLINS: For me, Kilowog is a man who’s pure of heart. He’s a warrior. He’s a soldier. And he loves his rookies. Deegan is the guy who broke him in – in boot camp – and kind of brought him into command position. So Kilowog came up through the ranks by being brave and by being a take-charge leader. In the Kilowog segment, you see that he had a grasp of the leadership idea from the get-go. He’s with other recruits and he immediately takes the leadership position. So I think he’s a good guy, but he always knew he was gonna be running things.

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