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MORE HAT TIPPIN’ FROM HANCOCK TO CAPT’N ELI!!

  • News
  • March 11, 2011

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT’N ELI:VOLUME TWO
Created, Written, and Illustrated by Jay Piscopo
Cover by Joe Zierman
Nemo Publishing, 2008

The first issue/appearance/episode of anything is the best, right?  It’s a law, someone surely has said, that sequels and/or continuations cannot stand up to the first time whatever great awesome concept it is we’re encountering again made itself known.  It’s just not possible, right?

Well, maybe so…but that was all before Jay Piscopo released the second volume of THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT’N ELI!

CAPT’N ELI is a story centered around a boy orphaned from one set of parents and found in the sea by a second set of parents and reared and raised with great values and a penchant for finding danger and adventure.  Along the way he picked up a dog he taught to tie knots, a parrot able to speak in complete sentences in around 70 languages, a mentor who was once a golden age hero turned villain, but is he?, a team of sea based researchers, some time travel, and an encounter with an undersea world made up of warring factions of seadwellers…oh…and dinosaurs….and robots, big and little, and…and…yeah, there’s lots more…

Just as in the previous volume, Jay Piscopo deftly captures a feel for old cartoons and comic books while at the same time crafting the images and the story in such a way that any modern reader would thoroughly enjoy the romp they were being taken on.    The art is fantastic and evocative of great Saturday morning adventures.  You can see the influence of Alex Toth especially throughout this volume, which continues THE MYSTERY OF THE SARGASSO SEA’ adventure started in the first volume.   I found myself seeing hints of all sorts of cartoon heroes I grew up with hidden..and sometimes not so hidden…in the faces of Eli and those around him.  

The pacing of this tale never lets up, but you don’t get lost in it.  The edutainment factor I found in the first volume is handled just as well in this story, teaching enough to move to the story along as buildings crumble and ships explode.  Something that is easier to say in a second volume than with a first can be said here as well.  The characters, good, bad, and otherwise, are likable and make the reader want to learn more about them, to see what happens to them.  And Jay gives hints and origins and background in a teasing sort of ‘here’s just enough for you to come back’ way, but it works…it makes the reader want to know more, yet still leaves the reader feeling like they know enough to like (or dislike) the character.

The only drawback to this volume may be that TOO much happens.  Pacing is excellent, but the inclusion of so many characters and events might boggle a reader not prepared for the sensory overload that this fantastically told tale is.

FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-No doubt.  This middle chapter of this great adventure had everything the first part had and more.   If this were a movie, I’d be in line for VOLUME THREE now.

ALL PULP INTERVIEWS BARRY REESE ON THE ROOK AT PRO SE!

  • News
  • March 10, 2011
1.  AP: Barry, thanks for taking time out of your day for a sitdown with ALL PULP.   Some very interesting news broke today that concerns you.  Do you mind recapping it for our readers?
BR: Well, for the next two years at least, The Rook has a new home: Pro Se Productions. The previous five volumes of the series will remain in print from Wild Cat Books but volumes six and up will appear under the Pro Se banner. There are lots of exciting plans in the works, including anthologies, spinoff projects, comic books and merchandising regarding The Rook and it will appear from Pro Se.

AP:  There’s an obvious question, so let’s just ask it.  Why the change? 

BR: Certainly no ill feelings are directed towards Wild Cat. Ron Hanna has long believed in me and in the property – without him agreeing to publish it in the first place, The Rook wouldn’t be as successful as it’s become. But I think the time was right for The Rook to move into other media and expand as a property. Over the next couple of years, I want to work hard on establishing The Rook as a pulp adventure brand.

AP: For those who might be unfamiliar with the property, can you tell us a bit about THE ROOK?

BR: The Rook is an adventurer whose career begins in the late 1920s and expands out into the Thirties, Forties and beyond.  His real name is Max Davies and he, along with a small cadre of assistants, fights the good fight in Atlanta, Georgia. The Rook series takes established pulp fiction stereotypes and both embraces and challenges them. It’s meant to appeal both to the fans of the classics and to those who prefer a little postmodernism with their pulp.

AP: Now, Max does not come alone.  You’ve created a pretty expansive universe.  Who else is making the leap to Pro Se with The Rook?

BR: Well, there are a number of characters who have debuted in The Rook series that are worth expanding upon: The Claws of the Rook are a strike force of heroes who sometimes assist The Rook; there’s Leonid Kaslov, known as The Russian Doc Savage to his fans; and Violet Cambridge, the star of The Damned Thing, to name just a few.

AP: The Rook has blazed some pretty amazing adventures in five volumes and various stories.   As his creator, what do you have in mind for the future of Max and Company story wise? Any hints or rumors?

BR: Well, The Rook Volume Six will pit our hero against Sun Koh, the German equivalent of Doc Savage. We’ll also see The Rook teaming up with Lazarus Gray, who is a character I’ve been writing for Pro Se already.

Beyond that, a major pulp author is signed on to do three Rook novels! This trilogy will take The Rook into some strange new directions that people will enjoy a lot. I’m excited about seeing this author’s take on the universe.
And there’s talk of an anthology that would allow many other writers to play in the universe.
AP: What sort of plans have been discussed about The Rook’s future product and placement wise?  More books, obviously, but what else is being bandied about? 
BR: Well, comic books are an obvious growth area but there are also plans for posters, t-shirts and all sorts of merchandising. We’re looking to expand The Rook into various forms of multimedia.
AP: You’ve teased a bit about someone else writing The Rook in future volumes and the Pro Se release today mentioned a possible non Reese written Rook anthology.  Is this something Pro Se as licensor is pushing or are you comfortable with others playing in the sandbox you’ve filled?
BR: I’m very comfortable with it – in fact, I think it’s an essential part of establishing it as a brand name. There’s only so many hours in the day and I’m busy with numerous other projects but I want The Rook to continue to flourish, both under my direct supervision and as written by others.
AP: We’ve talked about plans, now let’s look at potential.  Obviously being the Rook’s ‘father’, so to speak, you’re biased, but what potential do you think this concept as a whole has?  And do you feel like Pro Se has intentions to realize as much of that potential as possible?

BR: I think Pro Se recognizes the potential as I do and they’re ready to pursue it. I think The Rook has the potential to appeal to multiple audiences. I’d love to see Rook toys, cartoons, etc. And there are numerous characters within The Rook Universe who could be the focus of their own spinoff projects. The sky’s the limit.

AP: How about merchandise?  Are Rook salt and pepper shakers in the near future?  What are your thoughts on turning The Rook into toys, t-shirts, dinnerware, whatever may be the merchandise de jour?
BR: I’d love to see those things! And Underoos, of course.

AP: There’s definitely Rook in your future, both as writer and keeper of the concept.  But what else do you have brewing for pulp fans everywhere?

BR: I’m working on a Lazarus Gray novel right now and will be contributing to Moonstone’s Johnny Dollar anthology. I also have Avenger and Green Hornet stories on the way from Moonstone.  So, I’m certainly keeping busy!

AP: Thanks Barry and congratulations and best wishes on this new endeavor!

BR: Thank You!


FORTIER CONFRONTS ‘THE DAMNED THING’!

  • News
  • March 10, 2011
PULP REVIEWS by RON FORTIER
 
THE DAMNED THING
By Barry Reese
Wild Cat Books Digest
152 pages
Pulp writer Reese takes a stab at turning Dashiel Hammetts’ classic “The Maltese Falcon” into an occult thriller with delightful results.  Instead of tough guy private eye, Sam Spade, he gives us tough gal, Violet Cambridge.  She’s a widow whose husband, Walter Cambridge, was killed on a case and rather than seeing the offices of Cambridge and Knopf shut down, she assumes his position in the company.  Violet has no qualms about shooting first and asking questions later.  Always dressing in mourning black, she is a femme fatale who is perfectly at ease using her feminine wiles to achieve her ends; a true Black Widow in way.
When her partner is cruelly murdered by an occult sect in search of an ancient artifact said to possess immeasurable power, Violet takes up the hunt for “The Damn Thing” to solve his death and bring them to justice.  Along with way she soon discovers there are several other factions competing with her.
There’s a religious order, dedicated to finding the cursed statue for the sole purpose of destroying it while the world famous occultist, Aleister Crowley, represents those seeking to possess it for their own twisted ends.  During this danger laden hunt Violet discovers it was this very affair that led to her husband’s murder.  From that point on, the case becomes a personal vendetta and nothing is going to stop this Atlanta based, strong willed investigator from uncovering the truth, no matter who she has to shoot to do so.
A fan of Reese’s work for several years now, this reader believes “The Damn Thing” is by far his most polished story.  As a writer he continues to grow and the prose here is smooth, economic and effective.  There’s no wastage of words to get the tale across with as much power and drama as it requires with not a superfluous sentence more.  It’s fun, suspenseful and introduces one of the classiest dames in fiction since Honey West.  Here’s hoping there’s lot more Violet Cambridge in all our futures.

Mix March Madness: Pibgorn vs. Theater Hopper!

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  • March 10, 2011

ComicMix March Madness Webcomics Tournament

It’s the final showdown of Round 1 of our Webcomics battle!

To my left… just because she’s a fairy doesn’t mean she won’t knock you out…

Pibgorn!

And to my right… the unjaundiced look at movies that can only come from being a…

Theater Hopper!

Fresh air vs. Times Square! Either way… Vote now!

[poll id=”34″]

Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!

Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!

Mix March Madness: Shortpacked vs. Goats!

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  • March 10, 2011

ComicMix March Madness Webcomics Tournament

Round 1 of the Webcomics battle for the ages, and we aren’t toying around!

To my left… they toy with you, but you better call them action figures! It’s the crew from…

Shortpacked!

And to my right, straight from the Peculier Pub in Manhattan 3…

Goats!

Will the Shortpacked crew pack p Jon and Phillip and send them to New Jersey? Vote now!

[poll id=”32″]

Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!

Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!

Mix March Madness: Lackadaisy vs. Questionable Content!

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  • March 10, 2011

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Round 1 of the Webcomics battle for the ages, and it’s turning into a cat fight!

To our left… the fancy cats from St. Louis, Missouri, slinging gin and speaking easy…

Lackadaisy!

And to our right, it’s rock’em sock’em rock and relationships…

Questionable Content!

It’s indie rock vs. the original gangsters! Vote now!

[poll id=”31″]

Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!

Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!

PRO SE PLANS FOR BARRY REESE’S THE ROOK!

  • News
  • March 10, 2011

Pro Se Productions, LLC and Barry Reese, noted author and creator of the popular character, THE ROOK, announced earlier today that THE ROOK would join the family of characters already being published at Pro Se for at least the next two years. 

Pro Se Editor in Chief Tommy Hancock issued the following statement concerning the licensing deal and plans for THE ROOK property-

“I can’t even put into words how honored and excited Pro Se Productions is to be able to add THE ROOK and all the action and wonder that Barry has infused in this universe and property to our lineup.   We are not only getting a Pulp concept that people recognize and even cite as one of the best modern pulp characters yet, but we’re getting a property that has been well cared for thus far.  Ron Hanna and WILD CAT Books  have produced top quality work featuring The Rook and have, along with Barry’s talent, made sure THE ROOK was a viable concept with a ton of growth potential.

As for what plans there are for THE ROOK with Pro Se, its a bit early to talk about all the ideas, suggestions, and such that we have batted back and forth with Barry.  We can, though, say that THE ROOK will have an increased presence on the net, with trailers and other special advertising type things being developed and designed as we speak.   Of course, the books will continue, starting with Volume 6, written by Barry.   At least three more novels are already planned as well and there is currently discussion about a ROOK anthology made up of other writers taking their turn with Barry’s creation.  Another plan that we can discuss is to develop THE ROOK as an audiobook along with some other Pro Se properties.   Will there be more, oh yes, most definitely, but you’ll have to wait like the rest of us to find out what.

A character the quality of THE ROOK and a creator of the calibre of Barry Reese can only be a positive for any company.  Pro Se Productions is glad and very fortunate to be that publisher.”

STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS AND ALL THE PULP THAT IS NEWS STORIES ON ALL PULP!

Mix March Madness: Multiplex vs. Kevin & Kell!

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  • March 10, 2011

comicmixmarchmadness550x681-3258655

Round 1 of the Webcomics battle for the ages heating up here!

To our left… from the greater Chicago area, the wrecking crew working at the…

Multiplex!

And to our right… he’s a bunny, she’s a wolf, together they fight crime raise a family…

Kevin & Kell!

Would you rather spend your time at the movies or the zoo? Vote now!

[poll id=”30″]

Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!

Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!

Mix March Madness: American Elf vs. Dork Tower

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  • March 10, 2011

comicmixmarchmadness550x681-5496163

Round 1, Webcomics battle for the ages getting up close and personal!

To my left…he’s not a midget, or little person. He’s the festive and feisty…

American Elf!

And to my right… dorks. What? There ain’t much else to say about…

Dork Tower!

They’re both cute. Perhaps a little awkward. And we’re positive that neither of them know how to throw a punch, unless they roll 2d20 and perform a DEX check. Vote now!

[poll id=”29″]

Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!

Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!

BARRY REESE’S THE ROOK ROOSTS AT PRO SE!!

  • News
  • March 10, 2011
NOTED PULP AUTHOR BRINGS BEST KNOWN CHARACTER TO NEW HOME!
Pro Se Productions, LLC. announces today that noted award winning Pulp author Barry Reese has entered into a contract licensing his character, THE ROOK, and all related concepts to Pro Se Productions for a period of two years!
THE ROOK, Reese’s excellent take on the classic pulp hero and one of the penultimate characters leading the current Pulp Renaissance, has built up an extensive following and fan base, thanks to Reese and WILD CAT BOOKS and publisher Ron Hanna.  The agreement is that the fine work that has been done on the first five volumes will remain with WILD CAT and this arrangement is for new print material as well as development of other product featuring THE ROOK.
Reese provided the following statement-
“I’m really excited about the new relationship with Pro Se. It’s a tremendous opportunity that will hopefully introduce The Rook to new audiences and new media. In a relatively short period of time, Pro Se has established itself as one of the leaders in the pulp field and I consider it an honor to bring The Rook to their publishing platform. I still consider all the folks at Wild Cat Books to be great friends and will continue to work with them on future projects.”
STAY TUNED TO ALL PULP FOR A FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW WITH REESE AS WELL AS STATEMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PRO SE PRODUCTIONS CONCERNING PLANS FOR BARRY REESE’S THE ROOK!

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