Tagged: Archie

“In Our Mothers’ House” Restricted Access in Utah School District

  • News
  • June 16, 2012

in-our-mothers-house-restricted-access-in-utah-school-district-8316062With the President’s recent open approval of same-sex marriage; a federal appeals court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (claiming it unconstitutional); the success of Life with Archie #16, featuring the marriage of a gay character; and Marvel and DC’s inclusion of prominent storylines about gay characters, one may surmise it is easy for everyone to access constitutionally-protected LGBT materials. This is not the case, as students in a school district north of Salt Lake City will have to get parental permission before checking out a book about a lesbian couple raising a family, according to a recent article on the Huffington Post.

The book In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco is at the center of these prohibitive policies due to a complaint by the mother of a student who checked out the book, which features a family led by a lesbian couple and how they use love to give them the strength to overcome intolerance.

From the Huffington Post article by Jennifer Dolner:

Students in a Utah school district will need permission from their parents to read a book about a lesbian couple raising a family following the decision by a special committee to keep it behind library counters instead of on bookshelves.

The book In Our Mothers’ House, by Patricia Polacco, became the subject of controversy in January when the mother of a student who brought the book home complained to the school.

‘The book is still in the library and children can still have access to the book as long as they have written permission from their parents,’ said Chris Williams, a spokesman for the Davis School District, which covers an area north of Salt Lake City.

Dolner goes on to relate that the book has been challenged in libraries around the country:

The Davis district is not the first place parents have raised concerns about the book, which was published in 2009. A 2011 report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas shows the book was banned in several schools in that state.

Williams said a school-level committee made up of teachers, administrators and parents decided that access to In Our Mothers’ House should be restricted to students in grades 3 through 6. When that didn’t satisfy the parent, a district committee was petitioned to address the issue.

In late April, the district committee voted 6-1 that the book could stay in the collection, but should be kept behind the counter, instead of on shelves. A letter informing parents of the decision was sent out in May.

Williams said in the article that what’s objectionable to one person is not to another. Thusly, a person’s objection to legal material (that is not defined as offensive or profane by law) has led to a subjective decision to restrict access to said material. These policies, therefore, are based on personal ideologies, not law, and are in violation of a national canon of free expression.

Similar outcries and boycotts have been made by special interest groups, such as One Million Moms, against the comic industry for its depiction of gay characters. In February, One Million Moms lobbied to have an Archie comic removed from shelves and encouraged people to boycott the comic.

From a CBLDF article by Betsy Gomez:

One Million Moms — a division of the American Family Association, a conservative non-profit organization that ‘promotes traditional family values’ — recently made news over their boycott of retailer JC Penney over hiring lesbian TV host Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. They are in the news again with recent reports that they will be boycotting Toys ‘R’ Us over the display and sale of Life with Archie #16, which features the marriage of openly gay character Kevin Keller.

Despite the group’s efforts, the comic stayed on the shelves and even sold out.

More recently, the group has taken similar actions against Marvel’s Astonishing X-men #51, featuring the marriage of the mutant Northstar to his same-sex partner, and DC’s “outing” of the Green Lantern, according to an ICv2.com article.

From the ICv2 article:

American Family Association ‘project’ One Million Moms has added Marvel and DC to the list of comic publishers that it opposes because of their inclusion of gay characters. The group argues that the companies ‘want to indoctrate [sic] impressionable young minds by placing these gay characters on pedestals in a positive light.’ The group was reacting to the announcement by Marvel that its character Northstar would marry his same sex partner in Astonishing X-Men #51 (see A Gay Wedding for Marvel). DC announced this week that a major, iconic DC character would be revealed as gay next month (see DC Character to Come Out). ‘These companies are heavily influencing our youth by using children’s superheroes to desensitize and brainwash them in thinking that a gay lifestyle choice is normal and desirable,’ the group said.”

Though One Million Moms public objections are constitutionally protected speech, banning comics and books (as in the case of Texas schools banning In Our Mothers’ House) due to moral, political or religious ideologies violate these First Amendment rights.

From the First Amendment Center’s website FAQs concerning speech, schools and books:

School officials cannot pull books off library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas in those books. In Board of Education v. Pico, the Supreme Court ruled that school officials in New York violated the First Amendment by removing several books from junior high school library shelves for being too controversial.

The Court said the First Amendment protects students’ right to receive information and ideas and that the principal place for such information is the library.

However, in Pico, the Supreme Court also said school officials could remove books from library shelves if they were ‘pervasively vulgar.’ The Court noted that its decision did not involve school officials’ control over the curriculum or even the acquisition of books for school libraries.
•••
School districts should develop policies on how to handle challenges to books, and how to ensure that decisions regarding removal of books from the library or the curriculum respect the Constitution and reflect sound educational policy. School officials must also ensure that a book is not removed simply because a concerned parent or special-interest group dislikes its content.”

Visit the non-profit organization First Amendment Center’s website for more information.

LGBT publications, from books to comics, are often challenged, banned or subject to restrictive access policies in libraries. These materials are legal, non-obscene, and protected speech, but they often suffer the consequences of personal, religious, and moral dogmas that infringe on free speech and free access.

Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

Justin Brown is a journalism graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Archie Comics CEOs end their court fight… for now

  • News
  • June 10, 2012
English: Archie Comics logo

Have we achieved peace in our time? The Associated Press piece is skeptical…

The two CEOs of the company that publishes Archie Comics on Wednesday ended their court feud over control of the comics kingdom, but now some relatives are accusing both sides of funny business.

A judge on Wednesday signed off on a settlement between Nancy Silberkleit and Jon Goldwater, the co-CEOs of Archie Comic Publications, even as Goldwater’s nieces told the judge in court papers that they think both chief executives’ “hands are dirty.”

Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said the nieces weren’t in a legal position to weigh in on the settlement, but she noted that they could file a suit of their own. A lawyer for the nieces’ trust, Charles W. Grimes, said it “will be pursuing the requisite steps to protect the interests of the trust and its beneficiaries.”

The settlement ends — at least for now— a bitter and sometimes bizarre fight at the company that produces the congenial, more than 70-year-old comic that follows Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and others through dating and other teenage adventures.

via The Associated Press: Archie comics’ 2 CEOs end their NY court fight.

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GUEST COLUMN-WHIMSY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN PULP!

We are all serious about our Pulp, be we writers, artists, publishers, or fans.  The goal of ALL PULP is to make sure you as a reader have all the insight and news we can provide you about All Things Pulp!  That includes, although not frequently, whimsy.  Yes, whimsy can exist within the stark black and white right and wrong world of Pulp.  And the best whimsy of all is that which brings Pulp authors and Pulp style to the forefront.  Enjoy the following whimsical, yet extremely valid Pulp post, wont you?

FROM DOC HERMES via DERRICK FERGUSON
http://dochermes.livejournal.com/157023.html
I posted this a few years ago, when I was plowing through pulp stories as if they were going to be taken away any minute. Finishing a Nero Wolfe story right after a Solomon Kane one gave me a whimsical idea.

These are fun to write, please feel free to add a few.

WHAT IF… Robert E Howard wrote a Nero Wolfe mystery?

It was ten o’clock on a dreary winter morning, and as Wolfe lowered his immense bulk behind his desk and rang for the first of his unending series of beers, I couldn’t take it any longer. “Another exciting day, I suppose. It’s fine for you. You’ve got those filthy orchids and pouring beer into your gut while you pretend to read some 700 page book on Hungarian politics. But what about me?”

Wolfe raised one eyebrow, which for him was a dramatic reaction and I exploded, venting all my long pent up rage. “I’m not a bloated product of civilization!” I snapped. “I’m six feet of lean muscle and rawhide, wide shouldered and narrow hipped. I burn to smash my fist into Inspector Cramers sneering mug, feeling his teeth splinter under my knuckles. By God, Im tempted to go down to Centre Street and litter that place with bleeding cops.”

“Archie, cease this flummery,” Wolfe said with that insufferable smugness that made a red haze of fury pass over my eyes. “Have you been reading those so-callled pulp magazines again? Every month when WEIRD TALES comes out, it has a deleterious effect on your demeanor.”

“Well, what of it!” I roared, leaping up with the speed of a starving panther. “When are we going to get a case where I can sink my blade deep in my enemys heart and carry off some buxom wench? A case with the stolen eye from some heathen idol or a death cult of slant eyed killers? I'm sick of these sissy cases where only one person gets killed!" Beneath my heavy black brows, my volcanic blue eyes burned hotly. <br><br>"Pfui," said Wolfe, marking his place with a bookmarker. "First, Archie, I must remind you that your eyes are dark brown and you are not Irish on either side. As we have discussed before, you are English and Dutch, with some Cherokee on your paternal grandmother's side. This Celtomania is fatuous, coming from a man who resembles Humphrey Bogart." <br><br>I barely restrained myself from pouncing upon him in a blur of savage motion. That accursed paycheck held my hand. <br><br>"Furthermore," Wolfe went on as calmly as if I were not poised to leap at him, my iron fists clenched, "Fritz is preparing lamb kidneys with dumplings, and blueberry tarts for lunch and you wouldnt want to miss that.”

He had me there. Fritz made dumplings with chopped beef marrow, duck eggs and lemon rind. I could easily keep up with Wolfe as far as dumplings went. And faint vapors of the blueberry variety were teasingly drifting into the office.

“Fine”, I gave in with ill grace, and returned to my desk where my copy of WEIRD TALES sat. Wolfe glanced at me and snorted almost inaudibly. “I should be grateful, I suppose, that you don’t read THE SPIDER”, he muttered.

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WHAT IF… Don Pendleton Wrote a Nancy Drew Story?

Stepping away from her sporty red roadster with its running boards and rumble seat, Nancy felt the breeze stir her golden hair. Yeah, it was a good day to be sixteen and a little princess. It was just too darn bad that for Carmine it would be his last day on Gods earth. <br><br>She had parked high on the hill overlooking Makeout Point, where teenagers had been parking under the summer moon for years. Nancy remembered that moon and her face flushed red as she gazed coldly down at the figure waiting for her below. <br><br>How had she ever thought that Carmine Salvucci could help her in her solving of mysteries? And what was an Italian family doing in Bayport anyway? Nancys lovely eyes narrowed into slits as she saw Carmine leaning against the fender of his own jalopy, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Enjoy it, she thought, you darned little ruffian.

For a second, she touched the tiny hole where a button was missing from her pure white blouse with the blue collar, and her adorable mouth tightened. Then she turned and from the rumble seat she drew the thing she had taken from the closet of her father, noted detective Carson Drew. The Scheissekopf 374 (with the folding stock and chrome lined barrel) was a heavy weapon, and it took all her strength to lift it, much less hold it steady. But a girl had to do what was right in a world that was going to heck, no matter what the consquences. Yeah, she was determined to live large and stay firm. Soft but firm.

Carmine seemed to sense his danger for he suddenly flicked his butt to the ground and jerked his head up to look right at her. His eyes bugged out with raw terror and his jaw dropped so hard she heard the thump it made. Then she gently squeezed the trigger and a huge copper jacketed slug sizzled through the summer air to plow through Carmines face as it it wasnt there. And in fact, it wasnt there any longer. <br><br>Her shoulder ached from the recoil of the massive Scheissekopf but she didnt even feel it. She looked down grimly at the cold clay that a minute ago had been a high school student. “No one cops a feel off Nancy Drew,” she whispered.

____________________________
WHAT IF… H.P. Lovecraft Wrote a Lone Ranger Story?

THE UNPLEASANT KIVA

Despite the irridescent luminosity of the Arizona sun, which rivalled Hyperion in the late summer afternoon, the air around the Kiva had somehow a cold, clammy chill which carried a faint odious vapor with it. Even the scrub grass which grows sparsely in that land was absent around the foreboding area; the ground was black and barren, and they seen no sign of any living thing for nearly a mile.

Seated astride their splendid mounts, the masked man and his aboriginal comrade regarded the bleak structure with misgivings. Unlike the typical Kiva, religious structures used by the Indians of the American Southwest for their ancient heathen rituals, this structure stood by itself, far from the cliff dwelings. Its opening, surounded by a low adobe rim, resembled nothing so much as the phantasmagorical maw of some antedilivuian beast, the bones of which normally are only seen in museums.

“Cant recollect Ive ever laid eyes on a Kiva like that,” mused the Lone Ranger in a hushed tone.
“How old would you say it is, Tonto?”

“Ugh, me not know,” replied his stoic coppery countenanced companion.

“Confound it!” the masked rider vented angrily. “I know you speak English, Spanish and half a dozen Indian dialects. How is it you cannot manage correct pronouns?”

As his friend turned his head in grieved silence, the Ranger regretted his outburst. Before moving to the wilderness of Texas, his family had been among the oldest and most prominent of the gentry in New England and his innate breeding should have given him the tact to avoid giving offense. “Walll”, he said after a silence, “Since three townsfolk have been missing after they expressed interest in the treasure allegedly buried in this pagan structure, it is our duty to investigate.”

Alighting from his steed, the Ranger uncoiled his trusty lariat from its hook on his saddle and fastened one end securely to a projection on the outer ring of the Kiva. As he placed one polished boot on the rim, he turned and said, “Tonto, perhaps you had best secure our steeds in the shadow of those rather withered and unhealthy trees, since the direct sunlight cannot be good for their health. Then wait for me to climb back up.”

The Indian brave took the reins of the great white stallion which was most appropriately named Silver, but there was apprehension on his lined face. By that, I mean Tontos face, not Silvers. “Kemo sabe, me think there is bad medicine in that hole. Me hear tales of the Old Ones who lived here in the long ago time, before even the red man. Maybe best you wait for me”.
“Balderdash,” scoffed the noble champion of justice, flashing his brilliant smile. “What evil spirit can stand against silver bullets fired by one whose heart is pure?”

With obvious reluctance, the redman rode his painted pony to the shade, towing the magnificent argent beast with him, as behind him the masked man clambered lithely down the foreboding opening. Even as Tonto secured the reins to the trees, which did indeed look as if they had long been exposed to a malign influence, he heard the crisp retorts of two Colt revolvers being fired.

Faster than he would have thought possible, the agitiated brave raced back to the Kiva and thrust his weathered face over the opening, In his hand was his own weapon, drawing without his realized it. For only a second, he listened and then he whirled in fled in a dire panic dreadful to see in a man of such proven courage. The horse Silver he abandoned where it stood, later to be taken by wandering Navajo.

Tonto himself was a broken man after that, losing much weight and babbling dementedly, taking to strong drink and staying behind locked doors the remainder of his life. When asked what could have wrought such a change in his formerly heroic constitution, he would only mumble, “Chewing….me heard CHEWING!”

________________________
WHAT IF… Norvell Page Wrote an Oz Story?

RED PAIN SLAVES OF THE BLOOD DEATH KING

Dorothy reeled back in horror against the door of the summer palace. The Emerald City was in flames, crimson tongues of fire roaring upward but not drowning out the screams of pain. All around her,, hundreds of Munchkins were staggering in agony as red blood poured from their mouths and noses. As the Kansan gasped in disbelief, a dying Munchkin collapsed against her, lifes blood spewing from his face onto her blue gingham dress. "Ewww, gross," she said and pushed him off. <br><br>Horrified beyond words, the young girl turned back to where her best friends in Oz stood in the doorway behind her. The Tin Woodsmans cold
metallic face was unreadable, but Glinda……! On Glindas lovely ageless countenance was a scowl of pure hatred. <br><br>"These mishaps never happened in Oz before your arrival, she hissed at Dorothy. You must be responsible, Kansan! Kill her, Woodman!" <br><br>Even as the unliving horror drew back his mighty axe, Dorothy reacted. Her exploits in Oz had sharpened her wits and toughened her body, and for an eight year old, she was extremely dangerous. She knew Nick Choppers weakness. Even as he drew his axe high overhead, the Kansan leaped forward and shoved him hard in the chest with both hands. Taken off balance, the Woodman fell with a loud metallic clang and she knew from their past adventures together that he could not rise quickly.

Whirling toward Glinda, Dorothy cried out. “Have you gone mad? The citys on fire! Your people are dying from this strange affliction. Now is when we must work together to make things right." But there was a strange evil glitter in the Good Witchs eyes, and as she raised her star tipped wand, lurid red sparkles danced around it. In another instant, Dorothy would have been blasted into charcoal but quick as a litttle cat, the Kansan seized the Woodmans axe. The short tool was surprisingly light (it was made of tin after all) and she whirled it to smash the wand from Glindas hand. Even in her desperation, Dorothy was careful to use the flat of the blade, not the edge.
As the magic wand went flying, Dorothy spun to flee. She had to find out what was behind this. Could the Nome King have somehow cast a spell on Glinda?

Dorothy knew there was a farm just down the road with a scarecrow in its field. If she could reach it, she could disguise herself as her friend, the famous living Scarecrow, and be able to move around freely while she found out what was going on.

“Stop!” commanded Glindas icy voice. "Have you forgotten....Toto?" <br><br>Freezing where she was, Dorothy turned with reluctance to see Glindas servants wheeling out a large circus cage which was seperated into two compartments. In the smaller section was her beloved Toto, cringing in the corner, eyes rolling wildly. And in the other compartment, roaring and foaming at the mouth, was the Cowardly Lion. The great beast was too enraged to speak, its bloodshot eyes fixed on the tiny little pitiful beast
almost within its reach.

“Hah hahhh” laughed Glinda in hideous triumph. “The Lion has not been fed in three days and he is not Cowardly anymore only Ravenous. If I give the word, the barrier between him and your miserable little mutt will be lifted. Well, Kansan, wlll you surrender?”

In a few second, the young girl suffered terribly as she realized her awful decision. But Dorothy Gale came from tough pioneer stock and had never been one to give up. Quick as a bunny, she raced to the cage and brought the axe down as hard as her skinny little arms could weild it to snap off the lock on the cage holding the Lion. Even as she dropped flat, the great brute leaped over her to pounce full upon Glinda.

The hideous scene that followed does not bear describing (the editor said no). As Glinda met her fate at those leonine fangs, her spell broke. The Munchkins stopped spewing blood and the burning city began to return to normal.
Casting a wary eye on the feasting lion, the Kansan bent to pluck up the star tipped wand where its late owner had dropped it. A wry smile was on Dorothy`s lips. Killing witches was getting to be a habit with her.

______________________
WHAT IF… Shakespeare Wrote a Mike Hammer Story?

That very breath which inspires warmth and animation into this mortal clay fled her lips as doth mist off ice in the noonday sun. Still she found the will to speak.

“How couldst thou?” spake the virago and I in turn rushed to answer ere flesh and spirit were forever sundered.

“With ease,” I spake to ears which, alas, would never hear aught more.

RADIO ARCHIVES LATEST AND GREATEST!


Welcome to Another Weekly Newsletter from RadioArchives.com!

* New in Old Time Radio: The Jimmy Durante Show, Volume 2
* New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider Volume 19, The Shadow Volume 48, and Doc Savage Volume 47
* The Best Deals are in the Radio Archives Treasure Chest
* Also New in Old Time Radio: The Adventures of Archie Andrews
* Coming Soon: Pulp Audiobooks from RadioArchives.com

New in Old Time Radio: The Jimmy Durante Show, Volume 2 The first half of the 20th century was a great time for entertainment, with amazingly talented performers dominating the Broadway stage, vaudeville, and nightclubs. But, in the annals of show business, few entertainers achieved the lengthy and enduring career claimed by Jimmy Durante.

Nicknamed “Schnozzola” for his oversized nose, Jimmy Durante first came to prominence as a teenager, playing New York’s restaurant and nightclub circuit as Ragtime Jimmy. Bitten by the show-biz bug, he dropped out of school in the eighth grade and soon teamed up with fellow entertainers Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson to form a musical comedy trio that wowed nightclub audiences with its boisterous unpredictability, Durante’s aggressive interaction with the musicians, and his penchant for destroying pianos in mock frustration. Clayton, Jackson, and Durante quickly gained a reputation as one of the most hilarious acts in town – and, by the mid-1920s, the team was being featured in vaudeville, culminating in a lengthy run at New York’s Palace Theater. In 1929, Broadway called them for a featured spot in “Show Girl” and, by the time Cole Porter’s “The New Yorkers” opened in 1930, Durante was a star.

Jimmy continued his Broadway success in a string of popular shows and revues throughout the 1930s, but it was his role in “Jumbo” that brought him the most acclaim, playing the brash owner of a circus in an extravaganza that brought all of the delights of the Big Top to New York’s massive Hippodrome Theater. But he didn’t limit himself solely to the Great White Way; thanks to appearances in a series of films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a guest star spot on Rudy Vallee’s Fleischmann Hour, by 1933, Durante had taken over for Eddie Cantor as the host of radio’s “Chase and Sanborn Hour”. On the air, Durante’s broad delivery, overwhelming personality, and penchant for mangling his words only increased his popularity with laugh-hungry Depression-era audiences and his next radio series – “Jumbo”, based partially on the Broadway show – kept him a welcome visitor in American homes.

For a time, aside from an occasional radio guest appearance, Durante devoted himself solely to the stage and nightclubs. But, in 1943, Hollywood beckoned once again with the offer of comedic roles in a series of motion pictures. For this opportunity, Durante relocated to Hollywood, where he was also signed to headline a CBS series titled “The Camel Caravan”. The new series found the Schnozz co-starred with a fresh voiced young comedian named Garry Moore in what initially seemed to be an odd and highly unlikely pairing. As so often happens, however, the mismatched duo instantly clicked as a team, ratings went through the roof, and Durante’s patented brand of language mangling and outraged interaction with the orchestra introduced him to radio audiences all over again. Durante and Moore enjoyed four successful seasons together until Moore decided to pursue a solo career at the end of the 1946/47 season.

With Moore’s departure, in the fall of 1947, Jimmy Durante signed a contract to host a new series on NBC for the Rexall Drug Company, costarring vocalist Peggy Lee and character actor Victor Moore. Loud, boisterous, and wildly entertaining, “The Jimmy Durante Show” proved just as popular as its predecessor – so much so, in fact, that the following season found Durante back on CBS and back with Camel Cigarettes for another two years before the Schnozz finally moved full-time to television in the early 1950s.

The ten shows in this second compact disc collection, priced at just $14.98, showcase Jimmy Durante at his bigger-than-life best, complete with the fractured English, gravel voiced musical numbers, and warmhearted buffoonery that made him a show business legend. As an added bonus, this set includes two shows broadcast while Jimmy was in the hospital recovering from surgery – and it’s a mark of his reputation among show people that the personalities filling in for him include the Wizard of Oz himself, Frank Morgan, as well as the World’s Greatest Entertainer, Al Jolson. Taken directly from original master recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity, this second volume of “The Jimmy Durante Show” offers an additional selection of shows that are just as fresh, alive, and vibrant as they were when they were first aired over sixty years ago. If you love a good belly laugh, you’ll want to stop by RadioArchives.com and pick up your copy right away.
New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider Volume 19, The Shadow Volume 48, and Doc Savage Volume 47

At RadioArchives.com, we love the thrills, chills, and excitement that only a great pulp fiction story can provide. That’s why we’re excited to announce that three brand new reprints featuring the top heroes from the 1930s and 1940s are now available from RadioArchives.com:

Pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men returns in “The Spider Volume 19”, featuring two classic novels written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Slaves of the Dragon”, white slavery is stripping America of its wives, sisters and sweethearts. Richard Wentworth, valiant champion of human rights, knows that an Oriental master criminal is captaining the slavery syndicate and has guessed the unspeakable purpose behind these wholesale abductions. Can the Spider outwit his most formidable foe and save America’s doomed womanhood? Then, in “The Spider and his Hobo Army”, murder and destruction has stupefied the nation. The zero hour has come and the vast and insidious Order of the Double Cross is ready to blast America from the face of the earth. Can The Spider crush the minions of the Double Cross, with only a handful of ragged hobos to aid him? This beautifully reformatted double-novel version of these two pulp classics, priced at just $14.95, features the original cover art and interior illustrations that accompany each story.

Next, in “The Shadow Volume 48”, the Dark Avenger continues the celebration of his 80th anniversary in an extra-length issue that pairs his explosive second adventure with a gripping novel of international intrigue. In “The Eyes of The Shadow”, the Knight of Darkness assumes the identity of Lamont Cranston to investigate a series of baffling serial murders in a groundbreaking novel that introduced the Shadow’s famous alter ego and his enigmatic agent, Burbank. Then, can The Shadow stop “The Money Master” before his financial machinations destroy the global economy? This instant collectors’ item, priced at just $14.95, showcases the classic cover paintings by George Rozen and John A. Coughlin, the original interior illustrations by George H. Wert and Paul Orban, two never-before-published articles by the Shadow’s creator Walter B. Gibson, and historical commentary by Will Murray.

Finally, in “Doc Savage Volume 47”, pulp fiction’s legendary Man of Bronze returns in three action-packed thrillers by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. First, when a man claiming to have found the secret of eternal life is murdered, Doc Savage journeys to Mexico searching for an answer in the remote “Weird Valley”. Then, only the Man of Bronze can provide a beautiful con artist with an antidote for murder in “Let’s Kill Ames”. Finally, a lost city of Incas battles over the strange power of “The Green Master”. This classic pulp reprint, priced at just $14.95, features the original color pulp covers by George Rozen, Modest Stein, and Walter Swenson, plus Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray.

If you’ve been collecting these beautifully reformatted issues as they are released, you’ll want to place your order for these new books right away. And if you’ve never read a pulp novel – well, you’re in for a real treat! Be sure to stop by RadioArchives.com today and check out our pulp fiction section, where you’ll find more of the exciting and engrossing tales of Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider, the Whisperer, and The Avenger.
The Best Deals are in the Radio Archives Treasure Chest
If you’re a regular visitor to our website at RadioArchives.com, we don’t have to tell you about our Treasure Chest Bonus Deals. They’re right there on our home page, with new ones posted all the time, and they give you the chance to add something very special to each and every one of your orders with us.

But if you’ve never heard about our Treasure Chest, well, it’s high time that you did! You see, when you submit an order for $35.00 or more at RadioArchives.com, you get the chance to add a Treasure Chest Bonus Deal to your order. On the weekends following their release, you’ll find our newest compact disc collection there – and it will be priced at just 99 Cents! During the week, you’ll find other great deals, including pulp fiction reprints, books, DVD sets, and other CD collections containing hours of great sounding radio entertainment. But no matter what day you happen to stop by, you’ll find a great deal waiting for you on the home page of RadioArchives.com.

This week, for example, you’ll want to circle the dates on your calendar to remember to take advantage of these great deals:

* Today through Monday May 23rd, you can get our newest CD set – “The Jimmy Durante Show, Volume 2”, a $14.98 value – for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.

* On Tuesday May 24th, the Man of Bronze and his Fabulous Five are featured in “Doc Savage Volume 16”, featuring two exciting adventures from pulp fiction’s Golden Age. First, in “The Secret in the Sky”, Doc journeys to Oklahoma to investigate the murder of a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Then, in “The Giggling Ghosts,” a toxic outbreak of uncontrollable hilarity is causing New Jersey residents to literally laugh themselves to death. This beautifully reformatted double-novel reprint, chock full of special features, is normally priced at $12.95 – but you can enjoy these two exciting adventures for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.

* On Wednesday May 25th, you’ll laugh along with one of radio’s most hilarious and innovative comedy teams in “Matinee with Bob and Ray, Volume 1”, an hilarious ten-CD set featuring 20 rare broadcasts from Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding’s earliest days at radio station WHDH in Boston, Massachusetts. This ten-hour collection of improvisational entertainment, transferred from the original one-of-kind transcriptions and fully restored for impressive audio fidelity, normally sells for $29.98 – but it can be yours for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.

* In the 1930s, nobody combined high style, romantic comedy, and drama better than Carole Lombard. A talented comedic actress with the face of an angel, Lombard illuminated the silver screen with her sparkling wit and dazzling beauty. Now you have the chance to enjoy six of her most hilarious and heartwarming films in “Carole Lombard – The Glamour Collection”, featuring such top name costars as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Fred MacMurray, William Powell, John Barrymore, and Ralph Bellamy. This set, offering two double-sided DVDs, normally sells for $26.98 – but on Thursday, May 26th, it can be yours for Just $3.99 when you place an order of $35.00 or more.

We’re sorry but, at these low prices, multiple orders cannot be combined into single shipments. Each separate order must be placed on the days on which the specials are offered and no early or late orders will be accepted.

Make it a habit to visit RadioArchives.com often and see what’s waiting for you in the Treasure Chest. It’s great way to stretch your entertainment budget and add to your personal library of radio, pulp, and movie favorites.

New in Old Time Radio: The Adventures of Archie Andrews When we look back at American family life in the late 1930s, many of us view it not through the eyes of reality but, instead, thru the rose colored glasses of popular culture. If you were young yourself at that time, you have a more realistic memory of those years – but, if you’re a baby boomer and beyond, you’re more likely to imagine a typical American home, circa 1940, as being in Carvel where a teenager named Andy Hardy lives: clean, pleasant, prosperous, and where every challenge, crisis, or misadventure is resolved in time for a happy ending – complete with the occasional musical number.

It’s not surprising that we have this rosy vision of the past; after all, every entertainment medium did its best to create and sustain this image. Hollywood gave us a seemingly endless series of Andy Hardy movies, the Broadway stage gave us “What a Life!” which introduced the perpetually teenaged Henry Aldrich, and radio quickly turned Henry and his friend Homer into comedy characters that would endure for over a decade. As the 1940s progressed, the trend continued: perky teenager Corliss Archer came to radio in 1943, as did “A Date with Judy” – both sit-coms featuring a typical teenage girl dealing with her boyfriends, her often baffled parents, and the overwhelming dramas of high school social life. But it wasn’t the stage, screen, or radio that would bring us our most enduring and innocent image of teenaged life; it was, instead, the comics.

In December of 1941, just two weeks after Pearl Harbor, Pep Comics introduced a new character that continues to entertain readers to this very day – and his name is Archie Andrews. From the beginning, Archie was the epitome of the American teenager of the 1940s: dressed in a polka dot bow tie with a letterman’s sweater that proclaimed his loyalty to Riverdale High, he drove a souped-up jalopy, hung out with the perpetually lazy Jughead Jones, and spent most of his time in a lovesick haze. Aside from occasional crushes on movie goddesses, Archie divided his affection between two teenaged beauties: Betty Cooper, a bright and down-to-earth blonde, and Veronica Lodge, a wealthy brunette who loved to toy with Archie’s affections. Hitting just the right mix of familiarity, slapstick comedy, and small-town warmth, Archie and his pals were an instant hit with teen readers – and, in less than a year, the characters had made their way from comic books to a daily newspaper comic strip and to radio.

In its first incarnation, “The Adventures of Archie Andrews” was a daily fifteen-minute radio series, aired over the Blue Network. Ratings were respectable and, after a brief move to a half-hour weekly slot, the five-a-week format returned on Mutual in 1944. But the series really hit its stride in June of 1945, when a largely new cast was introduced and it premiered over NBC in a Saturday morning slot that it would happily occupy for eight years. For the majority of the Saturday morning run, Archie was played by Bob Hastings, a talented young actor who had already made his reputation playing juveniles on dramatic programs. Woman-hating food-loving Jughead was played by Harlan Stone, perky Betty was played by Rosemary Rice, and the honey-voiced Veronica was played by Gloria Mann. If you were looking for subtlety or teenaged angst, you were never going to find it on “The Adventures of Archie Andrews”; in typical sit-com fashion, the plots usually revolved around some simple misunderstanding that quickly turned into bedlam. Aimed straight at a pre-teen audience, the programs were designed to be nothing more than loud, goofy, and fun – and, from the reactions of the studio audience that attended each live broadcast, the show was clearly adored by its listeners.

Priced at just $20.98, “The Adventures of Archie Andrews” offers fourteen original NBC broadcasts, taken from the original network master recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity. If you’ve enjoyed the other comedy collections released by RadioArchives.com – and especially if Archie and his pals were a big part of your youth – this is a collection you simply won’t want to miss.
Coming Soon: Pulp Audiobooks from Radio Archives

You’ve thrilled to their exciting adventures in print! Now enjoy your favorite pulp stories in a whole new way in a brand new series of audiobooks, coming soon from RadioArchives.com!

For decades, the novels of Doc Savage, The Spider, and other classic heroes have occupied a special place in the hearts of readers everywhere. Now, by special arrangement with the authors, owners, and publishers of these thrill-packed adventures, Radio Archives.com will soon be offering full length unabridged audiobook adaptations of these timeless tales.

The first series of audiobooks, scheduled for release in the late Spring of 2011, will be the Doc Savage novels written by renowned writer Will Murray – starting with his classic adventure story, “Python Isle”. Future series will include the exploits of The Spider, the Master of Men, and Secret Agent “X”, as well as other well-known crimefighters from pulp fiction’s Golden Age. These new audio productions will feature the talents of some of the top voice actors in the country and will be produced and directed by Roger Rittner, who created the “Adventures of Doc Savage” full-cast radio series, now available from RadioArchives.com.

For more information on these exciting new releases, click here: Audiobooks from RadioArchives.com

Be watching for updates on our website and also special features in our weekly newsletters as we begin the “Countdown to Adventure” with pulp audiobooks, coming to you soon from RadioArchives.com!

Review: Creepy Archives Volume 1

Pretty soon, this is going to turn into a review of Dark Horse’s [[[Creepy Archives Volume 1]]]. Hang in there; I’ll get to it, I promise.

I miss Archie Goodwin, particularly this time of year. He died 10 years ago from cancer at the ridiculously young age of 60. He was one of the best writers this medium has ever seen. In a field that sports the talents of Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, and Dennis O’Neil, Archie was of that highest caliber. If Archie ghosted bible tracks for Jack Chick, I would have read them. He was that good.

As a human being, he was even better. A life-long EC Comics fan (you could see it in his work, as well as in those with whom he chose to associate), for a couple years Archie and I had adjoining offices at DC Comics. We used to go out to lunch and talk about, oh, [[[Tales From The Crypt]]] and Ronald Reagan. Did I mention Archie was very politically aware? Read his [[[Blazing Combat]]] stories. Anyway, sometimes our conversations scared the Manhattan businessmen who sat near us.

Archie enjoyed that. I enjoyed those conversations immensely; I wish I could relive them.

So why do miss Archie “particularly this time of year”? This is convention season. No matter where we were, we would run into each other a couple times each year at various airport gates. He could be leaving from New York and I from Chicago and we’d run into each other on connecting flights in Denver. We could both be at a show in, oh, his native Kansas City and we could be flying to two different places, but we’d still share the first leg of our respective flights. At first it was uncanny; quickly, it became another fact of life.

I haven’t met all 6,500,000,000 people on this planet, but based upon my unscientific sampling I can state with complete confidence that there are few people with greater wit, charm, and intelligence. So there.

This brings us to Dark Horse’s Creepy Archives Volume 1. Archie started writing for Jim Warren’s Creepy with the first issue; by issue two he was story editor and issue four he was the sole credited editor. He wrote most of the stories and, therefore, did a lot to define the 1960s horror story while working with a lot of EC greats like Reed Crandall, Jack Davis, Al Williamson, Alex Toth, George Evans, Joe Orlando, Wally Wood and Frank Frazetta. As time progressed, he added younger talent like Gray Morrow, Neal Adams, and Steve Ditko.

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