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Twitter Updates for 2011-04-07

  • News
  • April 7, 2011

Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese takes a look at YESTERYEAR

  • News
  • April 6, 2011


YESTERYEAR
Written by Tommy Hancock
Review based on a preview copy

Tommy Hancock is well known in pulp circles, primarily through his work with Pro Se Productions but also because of his associations with Pulp Ark, All Pulp and just about everything else with “pulp” in the title.

Yesteryear is Tommy’s first foray into novels and it is a superhero piece that straddles the line between traditional pulp and a prose version of a comic book. In that way, it’s somewhat reminiscent of Van Plexico’s SENTINELS series, though th subject matter is quite different. Like Plexico, Hancock wears his inspirations proudly but at no point does this book fall into the realms of parody or pastiche. The characters here have obvious jumping-off points that are recognizable to everyone but from there, they become unique individuals.

The story itself focuses around a long-lost history of the Heroes & Villains movement that began in 1929. Secrets lay within this book and there are people willing to kill to keep them from coming to light. Hancock jumps around throughout the text, alternating between the modern day and pieces of the lost book. This is “world building” at its finest as there are numerous characters introduced, with just enough hint of history to set your mind to wondering… but few of them have their stories told in total. This may frustrate some readers but if you look at it as the first in a series, it’s more understandable. Don’t get me wrong — there is a complete story here, but there are questions left unanswered along the way.

The artwork is nice and adds to the story but the real star here is the prose, which is concise and readable. There are times that I was reminded of both MARVELS (because of the common man’s view of the Heroes) and also of WATCHMEN (because of the conspiracy elements and mystery) — both of those books are classics and Hancock could certainly have done worse than illicit comparisons to them.

I enjoyed it quite a lot and think that if you’re a fan of superheroes, you should really check this out. Both Marvel and DC have tried to move their heroes into the prose realm with limited success but both Plexico and Hancock have shown how it can be done — and done very well.

Yesteryear will be released very soon and in all honesty, I can say that you need to put it on your “must read” list… I have a feeling it will be showing up on many ballots in next year’s Pulp Ark Awards and deservedly so.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’

  • News
  • April 6, 2011

It’s fascinating to see the enduring appeal of C.S. Lewis’ [[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]] at a time when people poo-poo the heavy-handed religious imagery and pales in comparison to the far richer world of Middle Earth as envisioned by Lewis’ friend J.R.R. Tolkien. The films based on both series have their fans and detractors and the success of Tolkien’s trilogy paved the way for the long-overdue big budget adaptation of Narnia.

Unfortunately, Walden Media, which has been spearheading these films, has decided to aim squarely for the religious and family audiences, which has led to a look of cheapness and familiarity that has robbed the three films to date of their specialness.

Walt Disney bailed on the series after the so-so reception and box office to Prince Caspian, which many involved felt may have strayed from their targets. 20th Century Fox stepped up and is now the studio behind the franchise and last fall released [[[The Voyage of the Dawn Traeder]]]. That film is coming to DVD on Tuesday in a variety of formats including the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy or component parts. The standard DVD was sent out for review and you will have to decide for yourself if you want the more involved versions.

Picking up three years after the last film, we find Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) packed off to stay with family, including their annoying younger cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter). They long to be in America with Susan and Peter and their parent and chafe at being the youngest, notably Lucy who is on the cusp of womanhood, yearning to be pretty and attractive to the older boys in town.

As has happened before, circumstances in the land of Narnia require their attention and they are summoned through a painting of a boat at sea hanging in their dingy quarters. Eustace, of course, comes along complaining all the way. It’s mildly amusing that he continues to journal about his adventure without acknowledging that any of this is real until he inevitably accepts the situation and embraces it. But first, he has to be turned into a fire-breathing dragon.

The story hews fairly close to the third book in the series but it has a look of cheapness about it, notably the CGI dragon and some of the visual effects. The acting is adequate but none of the leads are given much of anything to do. The thin script by an army of writers provides little substance to the characters so we just move from situation to situation in a quest story to assemble seven swords and lay them at Aslan’s table.

Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) remains the comforting deus ex machina Christ figure, a part that is emphasized in the final 15 minutes as we see the barrier between Narnia and Aslan’s lands where the dead reside. Lucy and Edmund, he says, have completed their role and yet what did they really do? It was Eustace who braved the fires of Mount Doom– I mean the less imaginatively named Dark Island.  Frankly, much of the Narnia material pales in comparison, from story to character to film adaptation.

This most decidedly family fare and keep that in mind when deciding to see the film or not. While the Blu-ray disc comes loaded with extras, all you will find on the standard DVD are a commentary and a handful of deleted scenes, none of which were missed.

PULP DEFINED Writer’s Group Formed and YOU could be a part of it!

  • News
  • April 6, 2011

From Tommy Hancock, one of the founding members of PULP DEFINED-

We all know that Pulp is in the midst of what some call a resurgence, others a renaissance, still others a reawakening.  Whatever you term it, Pulp is probably more discussed, more involved, and more active now than it has been since its heyday.  Due to that, new publishers, new characters, and new concepts are popping up right and left.  One of those is the idea of the internet pulp groups, of which there are some sterling examples, that focus on the works of creators, allow for fan interaction, and simply further the cause of Pulp in exemplary fashion.  The one that comes to mind immediately is THE PULP FACTORY, headed by Ron Fortier and Rob Davis.

With the increase in the pace of the growth of Pulp being as fast as it seems within the last few years, many discussions and conversations have focused on how to legitimize Pulp more, how to appeal to a modern audience, how to stake our claim to being valid literature and to make an impact that everyone will notice.  One way to do that is to improve the craft, to focus on quality and other factors.  Another way is to provide a group that acts as support, advocacy, and encouragement for Pulp creators.   The latter is the dream that started what has now become PULP DEFINED.

PULP DEFINED began as an attempt to form a creator’s organization much like other fields have on a large scale.  Something that those involved in this idea learned very quickly was that was a monumental task and one that Pulp may not be as ready for as it needs to be.   So PULP DEFINED has stepped back and considered what is needed in Pulp right now to move that direction.  And that is a group, a body of writers initially, since the ideas do spring forth from the writer’s pen, to focus on the craft of creating Pulp, to address some key issues about Pulp as a genre and a group unto itself.

In the process, though, of working toward the original big picture plan, a few things had to be defined.  One that was successfully defined was a definition for what Pulp would be for this group.  We all know that if you ask ten pulp writers, artists, publishers, and fans to define Pulp, you’re liable to get answers that share characteristics, but tend to go off in different directions.   To form a cohesiveness for this planned group, we determined it was necessary to set a broad definition for Pulp so at least some differentiation could be made.
So, for that purpose, the definition of what is Pulp as seen by PULP DEFINED is as follows-

PULP IS -fast-paced, plot-orientated storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists and creative descriptions and clever use of turns of phrase, words, and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story.
Using this definition as our parameters, PULP DEFINED wants to establish itself as a Writer’s Group (Again, initially) focused seriously on writing in terms of three areas-
EDUCATION/IMPROVEMENT-We have all been in online writers’ groups that start out with good intentions, that really want to focus on reading each other’s work, offering helpful hints, even discussing key points that are universal to the field we’re writing in.  Then they fizzle out.  I won’t say that won’t happen here, but I will say we don’t want or need that to happen here.  PULP DEFINED will be focused on specifically working with every writer who is a member and wants to sort of put their stuff out there for the group as a whole to help with.   Whether that’s editing, idea generation, or marketing and such after the work is done, PULP DEFINED intends to be a place where a writer can bring their work and from start to finish learn from others in the field ways to improve and be sure the idea gets out there.
QUALITY-Although this ties in somewhat to the first one, PULP DEFINED intends to be a group where not only writers can improve, but hopefully we as a group can establish standards for quality amongst ourselves that raise the bar for us all and while still keeping true to the essence of Pulp, improve our work in ways that will make it appeal to mainstream readers and those markets.   No one is looking to set up rules for how ‘good’ a pulp story should be, but there is enough work out there passing itself off as Pulp that is not of the quality that some of things serious writers are producing.
COMMUNITY-This is as important as the other two.  This group, open to Pulp writers, is open to Pulp writers regardless of medium.   That’s novelists, short story writers, comic writers, audio show writers, film, tv, etc.  Even though the mediums we each use may be different, Pulp work done in any medium only furthers the cause of PULP DEFINED.  We hope this group will become a haven for the Pulp writer, regardless of how they transmit that to the general masses.
With these three things in mind, PULP DEFINED is going to be a group of writers focused on writing.  Other groups exist to handle discussions of Pulp history, fandom, and other aspects.  And those are as needed, if not more needed in some respects than a writer’s group.  But PULP DEFINED intends to be a writer’s group that elevates Pulp, both writer and product.  And this group intends to provide education, support, and whatever is needed as it grows.  Notice, I didn’t say if.  AS it grows.
So, interested in being a member?  First, make sure your work meets the definition above!  Secondly, be ready to work, to share, to help, to give yourself to the group to make it what it needs to be.   This group is not for the writer wanting to try a taste, we are the hoarders at the buffet and are very serious about what we plan to do.  Thirdly, email me at braedenalex@centurytel.net requesting membership.  If I don’t know you, then provide me something that let’s me know your work in Pulp.   Other founding members of this group can put you up for membership as well if you know them.  They are-RON FORTIER, DERRICK FERGUSON, BARRY REESE, PAUL MANNERING, ANDREW SALMON, and JOSHUA REYNOLDS.  Any of the founding members can ‘sponsor’ you so to speak,which simply means bringing you to that core group for approval.   Then you’re invited and PULP DEFINED takes off!
Some will have issues with this concept for a variety of reasons.  The intent of PULP DEFINED is to improve, elevate, publicize, and make Pulp into something that is even longer lasting, even more influential, and could be a career for some of us.   This is not intended to be a fly-by-night exercise.  We are very serious about what we plan to do.
Join us, won’t you?
TOMMY HANCOCK

Doctor Who Invades New York (Again)

  • News
  • April 6, 2011

We understand there are Doctor Who fans reading this site, so we should give you a heads up: the Doctor and his companions are coming to America earlier than you thought.

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be making an in-store appearance this Friday at the Barnes & Noble store at 555 Fifth Avenue, New York, to sign copies of Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series boxed set. You will need a wristband to join the signing line for this event. Wristbands will be distributed starting at 9AM on Friday, April 8 with the purchase of the Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series boxed set. Call the store at 212-697-3048 for more details.

Then on Monday, BBC America will host a free premiere screening event of the first two episodes at the Village East Cinema, 189 2nd Ave at 7 PM. The event will be hosted by Chris Hardwick, with guests Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston, Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger and Beth Willis. Following a screening of the two-part season premiere (The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon) Chris will lead a discussion and Q&A, which he’ll record for a special Nerdist Podcast.

Last year, Matt, Karen and Steven Moffat went to New York for a publicity tour to promote Series 5. They attended a ‘Meet the Cast’ event at the Apple store in SoHo and did an episode premiere event, and ComicMix contributor Alan Kistler shamelessly flirted with Ms. Gillan at both events.

And of course, if you can’t make it, BBC America will premiere the show on April 23.

‘Elfquest’: the fan trailer

Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe, with the tacit approval of original creators Wendy and Richard Pini, have created a live-action trailer for Elfquest.

They’ll be doing a fuller premiere tonight at 6:45 PM PDT. You can find more at http://elfquestfantrailer.com/. And yes, if you look closely at the cast, that is lonelygirl15 Jessica Rose playing Aroree.

Obligatory search engine optimization words: elf, elves, hot elf women frolicking in nature

ALL PULP Introduces Powerful New Feature-BEHIND THE VEIL

  • News
  • April 5, 2011

Sometimes great minds think alike and even simultaneously.   Two noted modern pulp writers within hours of each other sent ALL PULP an email, one asking to do an interview, the other wanting to submit an essay.  Each of these writers wanted to use these vehicles to dig deeper into their own creative processes, to pull back the shade and show where some of the influences for their characters and some of the reasons behind creative decisions they made came from.  The writer who requested the interview was Mike Bullock and that interview was posted yesterday on MOONSTONE MONDAY.  The writer who’d written the essay is ALL PULP’s very own Barry Reese and it will be posted below to officially kick off BEHIND THE VEIL.

In the coming weeks, Perry Constantine, ALL PULP guest columnist will be contacting some pulp creators with a list of interview questions, not the basic questions, but some real get tough and deep type questions about relationships these writers have with particular characters they have created or have written.   If you prefer, however, to do an essay as Barry did, then please do so and send that to allpulp@yahoo.com  Both interviews and essays will be featured in BEHIND THE VEIL.

Behind the Veil: The Rook & Me
by Barry Reese
I was very young when my parents divorced. As a result, most of my memories of my father are ones where he was either drunk or making my mother cry, or both. He did get me on some weekends, though, and there are two very fond memories that I have of him: on Friday nights, he would let me stay up far too late to watch one of those B-Movie shows at midnight; and he always had those Bantam pulp reprints of Doc Savage and The Avenger lying around. From the former, I think I gained my appreciation of bad cinema and from the latter, I gained a lifelong appreciation for heroes that many of my peers had never heard of. While I could speak comfortably to them about the nuances of Batman, Spider-Man or Nova, I was always conversant in the more obscure realms of Doc Savage, The Shadow, Justice, Inc. and Conan the Barbarian.
Eventually, my father moved to Florida and his appearances in my life became more infrequent.  In 1985 (when I was 13 years old), he showed up unannounced at the house I lived in with my mother and stepfather (the man whom I always think of as my “real” father). He brought me a huge supply of paperback books and spent a couple of hours with me. He made an off-color joke about a girl in my class that I mentioned having a crush on and then he hugged me and said he’d see me again soon.
It’s 2011 and he’s yet to keep that promise.
I grew up, suffered through the typical high school angst, found my future wife and a career as a librarian. Eventually, I kind of stumbled into a career as a writer. One of my creations, the one that I’m most known for, was a pulp-style hero known as The Rook. In this series, young Max Davies loses his father when he’s a young boy and grows up thinking that he has to somehow ensure that others won’t suffer the pain that he did. Eventually, he discovers that his father has controlled his growth, even from beyond the grave, transforming him into the man that he becomes. He’s tormented by conflicting feelings upon encountering his father’s ghost: does he hate this man who has shaped him or does he desperately want his approval? In the fictional world, their relationship heats and cools repeatedly before they finally bury the hatchet as his father is symbolically killed by the son and vanishes into the afterlife, finally at peace.
I never saw The Rook as any reflection upon my life until a reporter doing a story on me kept going back to my relationship with my own father. And then I wondered: did this man who hasn’t seen me in over 25 years still control me? Is The Rook some sort of grotesque parody of my own personal relationship with a man who in some ways is dead to me?
I sent my father a few of my books and he emailed me back, saying he loved them and that he appreciated how I used some of the heroes he used to admire. He also said he loved me. I thanked him for the comments on the books but I’ve never said I love you back.
Just as in The Rook, the grave isn’t always the end. Shortly after my stepfather passed away, my genetic father re-entered my life, through the magic of the Internet and Facebook.   He sometimes posts on my wall and tells me how proud he is of me.
I sometime wonder if it’ll take his death for me to put all the complex issues to rest.
If he does die, will I attend his funeral? Seems strange not to but at the same time, I haven’t seen him in 26 years… how do you vanish from your child’s life for so long? Now that I’m a father, I (like Max in The Rook series) can’t imagine turning my back on my own flesh and blood. I’d gladly die for him… and can’t fathom simply walking away from him.
Sometimes I want to reach out to my father and embrace him but then I think that maybe I just miss my stepfather.
Sometimes I don’t know what I want.

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 4/5/11

  • News
  • April 5, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
BULLDOG EDITION
4/5/11
PULPWORK PRESS MAKES THE WEST EVEN WEIRDER!
From Pulpwork Press’s site-http://www.pulpwork.com/2011/04/weird-in-west.html?spref=fb

WEIRD IN THE WEST

The TOC for How the West was Weird 2 looks to have been finalized, with ALL of the stories now in editor Russ Anderson’s hands. Included among the roster of contributing authors are Ron Fortier, Tommy Hancock, and Barry Reese, as well as Derrick Ferguson and Joel Jenkins! And with TWENTY-ONE tall tales of western weirdness, this volume doubles the fun of the previous one.

HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD VOL 1
Be sure to check back soon for a sneak peek of the cover, as well as a look at the stories inside! Too, there’ll be an awesome little pre-order incentive coming in the next month or so, so make ready to crack your wallets wide, weird western fans, because it’ll be a hum-dinger!
Oh, and How the West was Weird 2 has a release date of July 1st, so you have plenty of time to order yourself a copy of How the West was Weird 1 in order to wet your whistle for what’s coming.
 OLD TIME RADIO GOODNESS FOR PULP FANS!
From Tom Johnson-
For those of you that remember the AFRN, and the nights they would play Old Time Radio programs, Don Leary of Seymour has set up a website that you can listen to daily. There is a listing on the Main Page for the weekly schedule (program only, not the title of the episode). The same episode will play in three different  time periods. The hours are listed (Central Standard Time – Texas). There are buttons at the top of the screen for the listening format. Right now, Don doesn’t have it set up for you to download the shows. Some other programs are THE LONE RANGER, JOHNNY DOLLAR, X MINUS ONE, GUNSMOKE, SHERLOCK HOLMES, SUSPENSE, DIMENSION X, and so many more! http://theiotrs.com/ Check out the schedule.

FLYING GLORY-THE LATEST FROM KPSB!

FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY
Special Issue 0 Page 2
You, um, missed the fireworks about that… Debra runs off to tell her band members in the Hounds of Glory the news, only to find something else has happened. What’s going on? Find out in the next page of the prelude story, “Generational Glory,” at http://www.flying-glory.com/ !

 

MOONSTONE MONDAY-BULLOCK GOES INTO THE BLACK BAT!

  • News
  • April 4, 2011

MIKE BULLOCK, Writer/Creator

AP:  Mike, welcome back to ALL PULP.

Mike Bullock: Thanks! [looks at the new blinds] I love what you’ve
done with the place.

AP: Ha! Catch everyone up on what you’ve been up to and what you’re working on.

MB: Well, I have a lot of irons in the fire, but the ones that AP’s
readers are most likely interested in include putting the finishing
touches on the first Black Bat/Death Angel graphic novel, which heads
to the printer this week.

AP:  You’ve been involved heavily in Moonstone’s pulp comic line,
including bringing your own character, Death Angel into the mix as
well as working with well known characters from Pulp’s Golden Age. In
general, what appeals to you about these types of characters as a
creator?

MB: Since the first moment I saw the Michael Whelan cover on A
Princess of Mars back in the ‘70s, I’ve been a pulp fan. There’s just
something about speculative fiction created in the early 20th century
that’s always captivated my imagination. I think it has something to
do with the sheer sense of wonder many of those tales possess. Those
stories were also more clear-cut, in that you always knew the hero,
always knew the villain and were never bogged down in the “shades of
grey” trends and anti-hero shtick that’s so prevalent these days. I’ve
since become greatly intrigued by the creation process many pulp
writers went through back then and how they combined elements from the
real world with what we now call “fringe science,” melding both into a
bubbling concoction of imaginative zeal.

AP:  Let’s narrow the scope here. You are the writer behind
Moonstone’s BLACK BAT. This iconic character is credited for being the
inspiration for many heroes that followed him, most notably Batman and
Daredevil. Who/what is THE BLACK BAT?

MB: He is a DA, a hero, a man who burns with a desire to use
everything at his disposal to bring the guilty to justice. In his
pre-Bat life, Anthony Quinn was nearly single-minded in his pursuit of justice through the legal system. I’ve often found that those who truly excel at what they do share this trait, and sometimes it takes them to heights those of us who tend to multi-task can never hope to achieve. That was true of Anthony Quinn, which put him directly in the crosshairs of organized crime. After an attempt to destroy evidence
goes horribly wrong, blinding Quinn in the courtroom that was his battlefield, he learns to adapt, (with that same single-mindedness) and move outside the confines of the system he so diligently defends by taking on the persona of the Black Bat.

AP:  When you were given the BLACK BAT to write, what sort of feelings
went through your head, how did you feel about taking on a character
that, although not well known, had a definite established history,
personality, and a loyal fan base?

MB: Whether I like it or not, I’m no stranger to dealing with a
character with a decades-old, passionate, vocal fan-base. I mean, you
can’t write a character like The Phantom and not have that ghost
hanging over you every time you work on a story. So, that part of
taking on Black Bat didn’t faze me much. I’m cognizant of the fact
that some people will love what I’ve done, some will hate it and some
will find themselves indifferent. The only group I really fret over is
the last one.

AP:  What’s the creative process you used when you started working on
BLACK BAT?  Any special techniques, rituals, etc. that you go through
when writing a character for the first time and/or when developing a
story line?

MB: First, I dig around and read as much as I can about the character
such as past stories, online bios, information by knowledgeable fans,
etc. Then I sit down and try to imagine what was going through the
original creator’s mind when coming at the character for the first
time. Once I have a handle on how I feel the character will react to
certain situations and themes, I then turn around and try to concoct a
series of events I can transform into a story based on how the
character will interact with them.

AP:  As you considered the directions you might go with the character, what stood out to you the most from the BLACK BAT’s story? What aspects hooked you as a fan that you then wanted to bring out to the readers?

MB: As I mentioned upstream, it’s the single-mindedness of Quinn. I’ve been fascinated with people many consider “game changers” for years
now, studying how they approach things. One commonality I’ve seen in such people, from sports icons, to filmmakers, to inventors, is their
single-mindedness. Men such as Robert E. Howard, Bruce Lee, Dale Earnhardt, Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan and George Lucas all embody this
trait and it’s something that jumped out at me about Black Bat; a laser-like focus on the task at hand. While none of these men are striving to be the absolute best at what they do as an end game, their dedication to the craft brings that about as a by-product.

AP: A major discussion that goes on all the time in various media, but
particularly it seems where pulp characters are concerned, is why
modern creators change the classic characters in some way when they
write them. Did you come to BLACK BAT intending to change it, to
update it, to make it fit with modern stories? Or was that more of an
organic process, change happening as you put the idea together?

MB: I certainly didn’t set out to do that, but somewhere along the
line I think I did re-imagine him to a certain extent, or possibly a
more accurate way to say it would be ‘re-create’ him. My fascination
with the old pulp writers, combined with the study of game-changing
men made me stop and take a hard look at just what I thought a man
like Norman Daniels might do with Black Bat were he to create the
character now instead of the 1930s. He’d have the backdrop of the
early 21st century mindset to work from, with our lessened societal
moral code: what was considered “R” rated in the 20th century is “PG”
these days. He’d also have a solid working knowledge of post-traumatic
stress disorder and how it can ‘cause personality fragmentation. He’d
know how personality fragmentation works and how it manifests. He’d
also know that rarely is a man who is so driven justified with what
most consider normal.

All those factors lead to a perfect storm of sorts, ignited by the
acid that hit Quinn in the face and brought the genesis of the Black
Bat.

AP: One change, subtle to some, glaring to others, is that your BLACK
BAT is a killer. Even though BLACK BAT did sometimes use maximum force in the original stories, your take on Tony Quinn is definitely more savage, more ruthless. What was the motivation behind this? Was it because these types of characters sell or was it more to do with the character itself?

MB: I don’t do anything because I think it will sell, because honestly
I have no clue what will or won’t sell. If I did know, I wouldn’t need
to write anymore, except to sign my name to royalty checks at the bank [laughing]. The decision to go there with this incarnation of Black Bat was nothing more than the logical progression of what I mentioned above: A single-minded, traumatized, fractured man who views criminals as a disease that needs to be cured. Or, maybe it’s all part of a larger campaign to strike fear in the powerful men behind those Black Bat encounters? Since the original Black Bat vowed to use fear as a weapon, it makes sense that he would communicate that fear in a language his adversaries speak. In the interests of not spoiling what’s to come, I don’t want to say which way it’s really going…

AP:  Is your version of BLACK BAT more relevant today than the
original version? Does relevance even matter?

MB: I have no idea. Relevance is in the eye of the beholder. Some
might only find it relevant if I adhere exactly to what’s come before,
others might see it as me doing something that fits into modern times,
others might only consider it relevant if they’re entertained. That’s
another one of those questions, like “what sells” that I’m just not
smart enough to answer.

AP: One of the arguments many of the pulp purists have when discussing
changing existing characters is “If you want to make him different
than what he was, give him a different name and create a new
character!” What are your thoughts on that? Why are creators looking
at these old, largely forgotten properties and tweaking and changing
them instead of creating whole new characters from top to bottom?

MB: I couldn’t speak for why anyone else does that other than creators create, it’s in our DNA. For me, I acknowledge that no one will ever write a Black Bat story as good as the ones already in print written by the Bat’s creator. No one will ever write Conan as well as Howard, no one will ever write Doc Savage as well as Lester Dent and I never wrote a Phantom story that measures up to one from Lee Falk. So, instead of trying to do the impossible, I felt led to try and sit in Daniels’ seat, think inside his parameters, but include what we know these days in regards to the psychology of fear.

All the old tales, and all the news ones as well, always have a
certain degree of social commentary, a certain amount of the writer’s
worldview and life experience built into them, sometimes overtly, but
more often than not subconsciously. I think we have to acknowledge the
age old adage: Life imitates art. It’s hard to imitate certain aspects
of a life we’ve never led, while striving to remove aspects of the one
we do lead.

There’s also the real possibility I’m simply off my rocker…

And, to touch on the other point, I did create my own pulp character
from top to bottom with Death Angel.

AP: To follow that tangent, tell us about that. What makes Death Angel
fit into the pulp world?

MB: Death Angel is a combination of unquenchable drive, righteous anger and fringe science all balled into one package of “night stalking” vigilante. ‘Angel is my tip of the hat to the great writers who heralded the golden age of speculative fiction from the 20th century. My chance to create my own take, do with it as I want, and tell the sorts of stories that have no place in my other creator-owned properties like Lions, Tigers and Bears or Timothy and the Transgalactic Towel. So far, reader feedback has been very positive, so I think I’m doing something right… for once [laughing]

AP:  All right, soapbox time. You have as long as you want to pitch
BLACK BAT to the purists, to the readers and fans who feel like you should have left BLACK BAT as is. Why should they read what you’re doing with the character? What will they find that they can connect to in your take on this character?

MB: All I’d ask is that everyone waits for the story to unfold before jumping to any conclusions. I know it falls under the “not your Father’s” cliché, but I love the character and really tried to imbue that into the stories. I really want to show people who never read
Black Bat stories why he’s such a great character, and hopefully, that
will lead them back to the source material. Unlike some people who
have taken on older characters of late, I truly love the pulp “genre”,
truly love the characters and want them to regain the spotlight they
deserve. If you disagree, then by all means, speak your mind, but I’d
ask that you give it a fair shake before deciding it is or isn’t for
you. That’s all I can ask.

AP:  What else do you have cooking, pulp wise and beyond, in the future?

MB: Well, I’m looking forward to doing more with Black Bat and Death Angel, as well as Captain Future and a few other things. Joe Gentile and I are slowly laying the ground work for a Return of the Originals: Battle for LA sequel, of sorts (not really a continuation of what CJ Henderson wrote, but just another epic tale featuring a multitude of pulp heroes). On the pulp event-horizon you’ll find Savage Beauty, our new jungle girl book, and Air Vixens, featuring a new tale with Bald Eagle, Black Angel and Jasmine LaForge of Iron Ace fame.

I’m working on another “brought back to life” property that I can’t
talk about just yet, but I can say the last time the character was in
comics, he was one of the five most popular comic characters on Earth.

For anyone into all-ages comics, my own Lions, Tigers and Bears is
roaring back into book stores in May, with the debut of volume III,
followed soon thereafter by re-issues of volume I & II. I also have
another all-ages property I’m creating right now that will hopefully
hit stores in 2012.

AP:  Thanks, Mike!

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