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NEW PULP HISTORY BLOG DEBUTS ON ALL PULP!

  • News
  • April 29, 2011
Pulp IS History!!!
History of the Pulps Part 3
By Mark S. Halegua
Yes, that’s right, I said part 3.  So, you’re wondering where are parts 1 and 2?  You haven’t seen them on All Pulp.  So, where are they?
They’re on comicrelated.com.  See, I started writing a pulp blog there and the first two were on the history of pulps, the first pulp magazine (Argosy) and the ones that followed.
But, then Tommy Hancock said, “Hey Mark, will you write a blog for All Pulp on the history of pulps?”
So, I’m thinking, “but, I’ve already started that on comicrelated.com.  If I were to do that I’d be essentially writing what I’ve already started and it would be on two blogs.  Not cool.  How can I differentiate the two?”
A thought came to me.  What if I did the history for All Pulp and something different for comicrelated?  Something maybe more pertinent to comics?  Something interesting about pulps but of more interest to comic book people?
So, here’s the deal, which the kind people at comicrelated.com have agreed to.  I will write there about pulps, but not pulp history.  I will write on All Pulp about pulp history.  And, when I think people need to know about something I’ve written on one or the other site, I will publish a link to it.
The last blog I sent to comicrelated.com was about the recent Windy City Pulp and Paperback convention in Chicago, which I attended as both a dealer and a collector.  If you want to read about that, go to: http://comicrelated.com/news/11678/pulp-1st-returns!
It also has links to some interviews and other things I digitally recorded about the con on YouTube.
You can read the first two parts of my history of pulps here: http://comicrelated.com/news/10971/pulp-1st-debuts
So, that brings you up to date so far.
So last we looked Railroad Man’s Magazine had just come out and was the first pulp to have stories, in this case fiction and non-fiction, about the railroads, and only the railroads.  The first pulp to focus on one genre.  All previous pulps were general fiction, mixing genres.
The next four pulps published were all from Munsey, The Ocean, The Live Wire, The Cavalier, and Munsey’s.
The Ocean published stories occuring on the ocean.  The Live Wire, I don’t know what was published.  If anyone knows, please inform me.  It was a short lived pulp,  starting in February 1908 and ending, or chainging its title, in September 1908.  The Ocean was also a short lived pulp lasting about a year.
The Cavalier was another genaral fiction pulp which lasted several years, till 1914 and 163 issues, before folding into All-Story.  This was a common thing to do to keep the subscribers with the company.
Munsey’s started out as a slick magazine and was converted in 1909 to a pulp.  It was also a general fiction pulp.
In 1909 another title converted from a magazine to a pulp.  Short Stories, one of the longest running of all pulps which for most of its history as a pulp published twice a month, on the 10th and 25th of every month.  It was also notable, starting around 1921, for including a red sun on each issue cover.
In 1910 two more pulps were introduced, one by Street and Smith the other by the Ridgeway Co.  These were Top-Notch and Adventure.  Both were general fiction pulps with Top Notch slanting the stories to a younger audience.
With this the Big Four were now publishing.  Argosy, Blue Book, Adventure, and Short Stories were considered the top pulps, consistently producing best stories and would do so for decades.
In retrospect two others should join these four as notables, All-Story and The Popular.  The Popular in particular was noted for authors starting their careers there and moving on to the higher paying slicks.
Over the next years to 1916 several new pulps would come to the newsstands: New Story, Snappy Stories, Women’s Stories, Romance, Live Stories, Clever Stories, Tip Top Semi-Monthly, Parisienne Monthly, Breezy Stories, Detective Story, Wide-Awake, All Around, Thriller, and Saucy Stories.  So, in this second decade of the pulps 20 new titles were published.  Not all lasted, some lasted a very long time.  But the notables, were Adventure, Short Stories, and Detective Story.
Detective Story was the first all detective and mystery pulp.  The term mystery would have a different meaning for pulps in the 30s and 40s, but this had detective and mystery stories.  Published by Street and Smith, it was renamed from its long running nickel weekly story paper titled either New Nick Carter or Nick Carter Weekly.  Street and Smith did something similar with it’s Buffalo Bill story paper and Western Story a couple of years later.
Women’s Stories published stories directed toward women’s interests and Romance was fiction about, well romance.  It lasted from 1914 thru 1916 and 28 issues.  No fewer than two other pulps with the same name would be published later.

Must There Be An “American Way”?

  • News
  • April 29, 2011

superman-citizenship-1303916053-300x213-9024541By now, you’ve probably heard about the controversy– ZOMG SUPERMAN RENOUNCES AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP!!! A lot of people are taking this panel at right from Action Comics #900 out of context.

For me, I always thought that “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” was a bit redundant. At least, I hoped that it was, because that implied that the American Way didn’t actually include truth and justice. As it turns out, the phrase wasn’t even original to the character. Remember the introduction to the Fleischer Superman cartoons of the 40s?

Heard it? Never-ending Battle for Truth and Justice… but no American Way. Same with The Adventures Of Superman radio show, which started with:

Look! Up in the sky!
It’s a bird!
It’s a plane!
It’s Superman!

“Yes, it’s Superman–strange visitor from the planet Krypton who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, race a speeding bullet to its target, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice.”

And this was during World War II, not exactly a time short on American patriotism.

It wasn’t until 1952 that the TV series gave us:

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! (“Look! Up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “It’s Superman!”)… Yes, it’s Superman … strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Superman … who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way! And now, another exciting episode, in The Adventures of Superman!

Why was “the American Way” phrase added? Probably for the same reason that the words “under God” started showing up in the Pledge of Allegiance around the same time– it was supposed to help fight communism.

Considering this issue shipped the same day Barack Obama had to take extraordinary steps to prove that he was born in this country to the same sort of people who are now braying that Superman has betrayed them, I cannot help but be a bit confused. The fictional character is a real American citizen, and the President of the United States isn’t?

Of course, Superman really wasn’t born in the United States. (He really wasn’t born at all, but play along with me here.) If you asked Superman to produce a birth certificate, he couldn’t– hell, the Kents lied to get Clark one.

Now, whether DC made a good storytelling choice here– that’s for the next article.

gene_colan_collage3-9058985

Gene Colan Moves to Rehab Facility

  • News
  • April 29, 2011

gene_colan_collage3-9058985Gene Colan has left the hospital and is now in rehab. But he will not be going home. He and his family are deciding on an appropriate place where he can live the rest of his life comfortably with proper care. Despite this, Gene remains positive. He would like to draw again but is too weak and the drugs that block his pain don’t make that possible now. Nevertheless he is determined not to be a financial burden on his children and wants to do what he can to pay his own way, so limited signings will continue. And we continue to sell his art and books. Click here to see what’s available.

At his family’s request, Gene’s whereabouts will remain private and everyone is asked to respect that. If you are an old friend, contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Gene… or you can send a letter to him through me.

REVIEW OF FIRST ENTRY INTO JASON DARK SERIES!

  • News
  • April 28, 2011
ALL PULP REVIEWS-Demon’s Night, a Jason Dark Supernatural Mystery
Guido Henkel
Reviewed by  All Pulp staffer Suzanne Fuller

Enter the fog filled docks of Victorian London. A pair of golden eyes with black, reptilian slits stare back at you, suspended in a cloud of green mist. It soon takes prey on a lone watchman, wrapping itself around the man’s body, draining his life until he is nothing more than a leathery cadaver. A ship pulls into the docks, and as the men are unloading the cargo the mist makes it’s move yet again, taking both of them this time. It floats through the boxes, searching for something, but is unsuccessful. Angrily, it mentions a ‘Father’ and tosses the two bodies into the Thames.

This is how Demon’s Night, the first of the Jason Dark Supernatural Mysteries, begins, and the intrigue is instant. It pulls you in with it’s wonderful descriptions of foggy industrial London and the terrifying unknown of the mist creature that appears to drain people’s lives from their bodies. Then you are introduced to Jason Dark, the supernatural detective who notices the strange story of the dock killings in his morning paper. Not a lot is given to you right away, emotionally, but you continue to read because his interest is the same as yours. What exactly was it that did this to these men? What was it’s purpose?

It’s only when Dark stumbles upon the creature, having possessed a man’s body as it attempts to choke a young girl, that you feel an emotional connection with any of the characters. The girl, whose parents only moments before met their death with the demonic creature, fights with skill. Dark kills the human vessel and the demon scurries in fear of his knife. The question and wonder is there, but the dying need to find out why just wasn’t. The interest is primarily with the demon and even as its final mystery unfolds it feels a little empty.

Nevertheless, that isn’t to say Demon’s Night wasn’t enjoyable. In fact, quite the opposite. The story is perfect for the Novella sized Series to continue without becoming strained. Henkel’s writing style is easy to read but not simplified either. Sometimes a Gothic story such as this can be written in an overly poetic style, leaving room for confusion but Demon’s Night  strays from that stereo type. There are some spine tingling scenes, all of which manage to avoid the in-your-face violence some authors rely on. And despite any emptiness before, the end makes up for it. The words are beautifully written and it leaves you hanging with a few  questions that you want to know the answers to.

I’m sure the character development will grow as they progress and that characters like Siu Lin will reappear as well. I thoroughly look forward to reading Theater of Vampires, the next in the Jason Dark Supernatural Mysteries. The title alone already has me on the edge of curiosity.

Smallville: The Complete Series Celebrates a Decade of Clark Kent

  • Uncategorized
  • April 28, 2011

We’re down to the final episodes of the CW’s [[[Smallville]]] leading up to the two-hour finale on May 13. And Warner Home Video is wasting no time letting you know that not only will the tenth and final season be out this year, but so will the mammoth ten season box set. We can relive the show when it was good and made sense, with terrific writing and winning performances, how it lost is way and then clawed back to something more engaging.

Here’s the formal press release with the complete details:

BURBANK, CA (April 27, 2011) – After 10 incredible seasons, [[[Smallville: The Complete Series]]] will arrive on DVD this fall. This ultimate collector’s set for the ultimate fan features over 192 hours of content – including all 218 episodes, over five hours of newly added special features such as an unaired, never-before-seen Superboy pilot from 1961, a 90-minute series retrospective with all new interviews, the 2010 final Comic-Con panel and more!

In addition, exclusive printed materials include a Daily Planet newspaper, written by DC Comics, that highlights the important storylines developed during the 10-year run of the show and an episode guide with never-before-seen production art (storyboards/sketches) and behind-the-scenes photos. Smallville: The Complete Series is presented in highly collectable new packaging consisting of two lay-flat picture books that hold 62 discs.

“It’s been an unbelievable 10 season run for Smallville, still one of the most popular series on television and one of our best-selling titles on DVD,” said Rosemary Markson, WHV Vice President, TV and Special Interest Marketing. “The fan base for the franchise is not only huge, but loyal and they’re going to love this ultimate collector’s edition.”

Soaring toward the end of its 10th and final season, this modern retelling of a hero’s legendary origins blends realism, action, heart and humor as Clark Kent completes his epic journey by claiming his birthright as the world’s ultimate hero – Superman. (more…)

Twitter Updates for 2011-04-28

  • News
  • April 28, 2011
  • I know http://ow.ly/i/aQoie is to advertise First Class, but all I can think of is Dos Equus… #
  • @hubcomics Yes, Twitter is Thor's half-brother. The god of miscellaneous stuff. Check issue 353. #
  • I know http://ow.ly/i/aQoi is to advertise X:Men: First Class, but all I can think of is Dos Equis… #

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND NIGHTHAWK EDITION 4/27/11

  • News
  • April 27, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
NIGHTHAWK EDITION
4/27/11
NEW AUTHORS TO CONTINUE PARKER’S LEGACY!
 From Publisher’s Weekly-
In a deal cut by Robert B. Parker’s estate, Penguin’s Putnam imprint will continue to publish two of the author’s most popular series — Spenser and Jesse Stone — under the authorship of writers Michael Brandman and Ace Atkins. The Spenser series debuted in 1974 and is made up of 39 novels; the Jesse Stone series began in 1997 and is comprised of nine novels.

Brandman produced (and wrote the screenplays) for the TV movies based on Parker’s small-town Massachusetts detective, Jesse Stone, that appeared on CBS and starred Tom Selleck in the title role. The first Jesse Stone novel Brandman will release is Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues, which is scheduled for September 13, 2011. Atkins, a tested crime author at Putnam with books like White Sahdow and Infamous to his credit, will release the first new Parker-branded Spenser novel in Spring 2012. Parker’s longtime editor, Chris Pepe, will be overseeing both projects.

Parker, who wrote over 60 novels, died in January, 2010.

Algernon D’Ammassa to join AudioComics as Green Lama writer

From audiocomics.com-

As thus, the triumverate is complete. Following the announcements of writer Adam Garcia and actor Craig Neibaur as part of The AudioComics Company’s forthcoming Green Lama series, we present to you the second of our Green Lama playwrights, Algernon D’Ammassa:

Originally from Rhode Island, Algernon D’Ammassa is an actor, playwright, and longtime pulp aficionado based in southern New Mexico. He did his professional training at Rhode Island’s Tony-award winning regional theatre, Trinity Repertory Company from 1996 – 1999, appearing in numerous productions on the Company mainstage.  He has performed on stages all over the United States and made his film debut with the 2007 release THE CELLAR DOOR, which took a prize at the 2007 Shriekfest. He also appears in the forthcoming releases FOLKLORE and LAST DAYS. Algernon is the author of several plays for radio which have been broadcast on public radio and satellite, including the mind-bending comedy DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR, originally performed by the Shoestring Radio Theatre in San Francisco in 2008.

Domino Lady news to come soon!

CATCHING UP ON THE BOOK CAVE AND MORE!

ALL PULP brings you the last few weeks of the BOOK CAVE, ALL PULP’s official podcast, but also something extra! Tune into the pulp podcast master, Ric Croxton’s other podcasts as well, covering comics, pulp, and tangents near and far!!!

Wed, 27 April 2011
Adam Garcia, James Ritchey, Kevin Noel Olson and Jim Krueger join Ric to talk about the history and future of the Green Lama.
Adam Garcia – Blog:          http://adamlgarcia.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Lance-Garcia/132014963506283
Twitter:      @AdamLanceGarcia
James Ritchey – http://comicspace.com/groups/radio-free-comicksspark-comics/
http://jamesritcheyiii.deviantart.com/
http://www.firstcomicsnews.com/
RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Store: http://www.cafepress.com/thebookcave
PayPal: RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Direct download: Rics_Comics_ep_055.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 1:21 AM
Fri, 22 April 2011
Direct download: F4C_ep-046.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 1:53 PM
Thu, 21 April 2011
The title doesn’t mean that Art has gone back to his old Ways. Bill Cunning ham of Pulp2.0 joins Ric to talk about his “Frankenstein Lives Again” by Don Glut and everything else from his company. Make sure and buy a digital copy of the book for only .99
Website:   www.pulp2ohpress.com

Twitter:  @madpulpbastard

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pulp2ohpress

FRANKENSTEIN ON KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-Lives-Again-Adventures-ebook/dp/B004R1QGHE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

FRANKENSTEIN ON NOOK:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Frankenstein-Lives-Again/Donald-F-Glut/e/2940012321961/?itm=1&USRI=frankenstein+lives+again
RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Store: http://www.cafepress.com/thebookcave
PayPal: RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Coming Attractions – http://members.cox.net/comingattractions/index.html

Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_123.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 12:41 PM
Sat, 16 April 2011
Direct download: F4C_ep-045.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 2:36 AM
Thu, 14 April 2011
Pulp ARK and YesterYear plus a few other tangents are thrown around as Tommy Hanck from All Pulp joins the Book Cave for the evening.
Pro Se Productions- www.proseproductions.com
                                www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com

All Pulp- www.allpulp.blogspot.com

Yesteryear Createspace store- https://www.createspace.com/3589965

Fan Page on Facebook- Tommy Hancock-Pulp Writer

Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_122.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 1:10 PM
Fri, 8 April 2011
Direct download: F4c_ep-044.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 12:57 PM
Fri, 8 April 2011
Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_121.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 1:33 AM
Fri, 1 April 2011
Direct download: F4C_ep-043.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 1:30 PM
Thu, 31 March 2011
Ron Fortier joins Art and Ric to introduce the newest book from Airship27.
Airship27.com
GoPulpsInfo
Airship27Hangar.com
RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Store: http://www.cafepress.com/thebookcave
PayPal: RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Coming Attractions – http://members.cox.net/comingattractions/index.html
All Pulp -  http://allpulp.blogspot.com/
Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_120.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 7:46 PM
Tue, 29 March 2011
Direct download: Rics_Comics_ep_054.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 10:25 PM
Fri, 25 March 2011
Direct download: F4C_ep-042.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 12:46 PM
Thu, 24 March 2011
The title says it best.  After the show, Tommy Hancock of All Pulp gives us the various and sundry news of the Pulp world. All Pulp was on vacation for a few days.

RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Store: http://www.cafepress.com/thebookcave
PayPal: RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Coming Attractions – http://members.cox.net/comingattractions/index.html
All Pulp -  http://allpulp.blogspot.com/

Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_119.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 4:07 PM
Fri, 18 March 2011
Direct download: F4C_ep-041.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 5:19 PM
Thu, 17 March 2011
aisi_cover_image-8019964 Mark Eidemiller joins Art and Ric to discuss his Bronze Saga series.

The Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind: http://www.Oralhull.org


RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Store: http://www.cafepress.com/thebookcave
PayPal: RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Coming Attractions – http://members.cox.net/comingattractions/index.html
All Pulp -  http://allpulp.blogspot.com/

Direct download: Book_Cave_ep_118.mp3
Category:podcasts — posted at: 8:28 PM

A Clockwork Orange is Coming to Blu-ray

  • News
  • April 27, 2011

Warner Home Video is readying the Blu-ray debut of [[[A Clockwork Orange]]], coming in late May, and released a new trailer for your entertainment.

Here’s the official release:

Burbank, Calif., March 31, 2011 – Stanley Kubrick was one of the great filmmakers of our time and his profound influence on motion pictures continues to this day. His 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, starring Malcolm McDowell, portrayed an oppressive lawless society where man was reduced to little more than a machine. The film introduced into popular culture the concept of “ultra-violence,” as singing, tap-dancing, derby-topped hooligan Alex (McDowell) has a “good time” – at the tragic expense of others. His journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen and back again forms the dynamic arc of Kubrick’s future-shock vision of Anthony Burgess’ novel.

This was a powerful film made by a director at the height of his artistry and its impact generated worldwide controversy. Forty years later, the world is a different place but the film’s power still entices, shocks and mesmerizes today.

On May 31, Warner Home Video will honor Kubrick and the film with A Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray ($34.99 SRP). The two-disc release includes two newly-produced bonus features: Turning Like Clockwork, a 25-minute documentary about the film’s “ultra-violence” and its cultural impact, and a short documentary where Malcolm McDowell reminiscences on working closely with the legendary director. This two-disc edition will also contain the feature-length documentaries, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures and O Lucky Malcolm! The 40th Anniversary Edition will be packaged in a 40-page Blu-ray book with rare photos and production notes. (more…)

BEHIND THE VEIL WITH DERRICK FERGUSON!

  • News
  • April 26, 2011
BEHIND THE VEIL
Dillon and Race
By Percival Constantine
how_you_doin-9068983
The character who first introduced me to pulp fiction is one that may surprise a lot of people. While I had grown up as a fan of James Bond and Indiana Jones, the first time I experienced a pulp story that I consciously knew was a pulp story was when I read Dillon and the Voice of Odin.
Dillon was my gateway drug into the world of pulp, and I’m forever in Derrick Ferguson’s debt for that. Derrick’s a guy I know personally, we’ve been friends for a while and we’ve had discussions on all manner of topics. Once, when talking about Dillon, Derrick told me that he received some criticism for pairing Dillon with Kris Quinlan, a woman of South American descent, as opposed to a black heroine. And a lot of that criticism came from black women.
And with that, I realized that there’s an interesting racial component to Dillon. It’s definitely not overt, it’s actually very, very subtle. When asked how important race is in the Dillon stories, Derrick said, “In terms of having a black action adventure hero who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Doc Savage, James Bond, Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, The Avenger, Conan, Solomon Kane, The Shadow, The Saint and a dozen other heroes, it’s very important to me. You have to understand something: I discovered this stuff during the 70s. And since there were no black heroes to read about, I had to read what was available. Not that it mattered to me. What resonated in my soul was the style and excitement of the stories being told. The morals and qualities of the heroes. To put it very simply, the pulps told stories I loved to read.”
Derrick is very clear that this played an important role in crafting Dillon and his world. “The creation of Dillon was directly inspired by my desire to create a black action adventure hero that I would have liked to read about when I was twelve years old. And not just be a white hero in blackface. But a hero unique unto himself, who would look at racial situations and at the world as a whole with a different eye.”
dillon_logo-7745413
And here we come to another factor—Dillon truly does have a unique take on race. Something which also seems to come from Derrick’s exposure to the pulps while growing up. In my correspondence with him, Derrick tells of an incident, of which he says there were more than one, when he was on the train and reading a Tarzan novel. Three older guys sat next to him and demanded to know why he was reading “the white man’s racist trash.”
It’s obvious this had an impact on Dillon’s genesis, because while Dillon isn’t a white hero in blackface, he also isn’t a black hero whose stories are all focused on race—he’s a hero, period. And that unique perspective Dillon has on race? Here’s what it is: His age is unknown, but according to his biography (located at the Dillon site), he began hiring himself out as a soldier of fortune “some ten years ago.” Given this fact and the descriptions of him in the books, we can safely say Dillon is in his early or mid-thirties, at the youngest (he could very well be older given his unique physiology, which I’ll let you read about at the above link). So while a man Dillon’s age would have grown up in the Civil Rights era (or at the very least, immediately following it), he would have felt the sting of racism in one form or another had he grown up in American society.
But Dillon doesn’t have that experience—he wasn’t raised in American society or any other society we can identify with. “There’s a reason why I had Dillon raised in a hidden civilization far away from the cultures we know,” says Derrick. “He sees no reason why he should ally himself with a black cause just because he’s black or why he should be against a white cause just because it’s white. He was raised to judge individuals, causes and governments and institutions based on what they do, for good or ill.”
This is one of the very unique aspects of what Derrick’s done with Dillon. He’s a pulp hero in contemporary society, which already sets him apart from both classic and new pulp creations. But beyond that, there’s a very subtle undercurrent of progressive racial ideas that runs through Derrick’s work. And it doesn’t end with Dillon, it just begins with him.
dillon-castrillo1-2567963
In Dillon and the Legend of the Golden Bell, there’s a very interesting scene in the fictional country of Xonira. In the book, Xonira is described as having been founded by pirate kings, mercenaries, and freebooters and that it quickly attracted many who were not desired in their home countries. As Lord C’jai of Xonira tells Dillon and his friends, “your typical Xoniran is a mixture of many different bloods. Take me for example. I can claim Ethiopian, Greek, Egyptian, Chinese and English among my ancestors. Most of the population of Xonira have similar mixing of different races in their personal histories. This mixture explains our polyglot of a language, our blending of cultures, styles and cultures.”
In Derrick’s own words, “It’s a country that hasn’t forgotten it’s populated by mutts. Much like our own beloved USA. The difference is that here we all either have forgotten we’re mutts or like to pretend we aren’t.”
Xonira represents a post-racial society, one in which culture, language and race have blended together. But Derrick isn’t so naïve as to believe that any society, even one which manages to transcend race, is perfect (anyone who’s read Dillon and the Legend of the Golden Bell knows they’ve got more than their fair share of problems). There’s still work to be done and there is no Shangri-La.
And although there’s quite a bit of keen insight and forward-thinking in Derrick’s work, he’s quick to take the modest ground: “I’m not out to enlighten or uplift. I leave that for those better qualified to do so. I’m just a guy who likes to make stuff up and share.”
__________________________________________________________
Percival Constantine is the author of Love & Bullets and The Myth Hunter (coming this summer). He lives in southern Japan and has entirely too much time on his hands.

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