Tagged: Avengers

JOLSON, RAPID FIRE RADIO, THE SPIDER, THREE PLANETEERS, AND MORE FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • July 27, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

 
July 27, 2012
 

 
The World’s Greatest Entertainer!
 
Al Jolson was and remains a towering figure of the musical theatre – unquestionably the most exciting stage star of his generation, and a profound influence on the generations to follow. He was the first breakthrough star of talking pictures. He was a recording artist of long standing. Although radio stardom eluded him most of his career, it was during Jolson’s dramatic resurgence in popularity after the Second World War that radio truly captured something of the dynamism Jolson brought to his live performances.
 
Jolson took over the venerable “Kraft Music Hall” in 1947 – a series he had headlined briefly in the early 1930s. The program was a masterpiece of careful planning and careful understanding of how to package a performer like Jolson to his best advantage. This 20 CD collection from Radio Archives features the ten programs contained in the original Kraft Music Hall collection from Radio Archives as well as 20 more Jolson hosted episodes, all newly restored to the highest audio quality using equipment that was not available when the first collection was produced nine years ago. In addition, this volume features other classic Jolson radio appearances, including three Lux Radio Theater episodes, two episodes from The Al Jolson Show from 1938, and 1943, and A Salute to Al Jolson.
 
Jolson on the Radio from Radio Archives, a 20 CD collection, is the most comprehensive, best sounding collection of this fantastic performer’s classic radio appearances, showing clearly why Al Jolson deserves every single accolade given him.
 
Due to this being an enhanced version of a previous Radio Archives collection, previous customers purchasing the original Kraft Music Hall featuring Al Jolson collection can upgrade to this enhanced collection for only $45.00 for the next two weeks! This Special Upgrade offer will be available to all customers for the next two weeks! Regularly $59.98, Jolson on the Radio can be a part of your collection for only $45.00 for the next two weeks!
 
Rapid Fire Radio

A Column by Tommy Hancock

 

Reviews!
Frontier Town – Westerns in all mediums continue to be popular among fans. One of the best little known examples of a classic radio western is Frontier Town. Featuring Jeff Chandler (and Reed Hadley in later episodes), this show follows frontier lawyer Chad Remington as he uses his knowledge and fists to bring justice to the wild town of Dos Rios. The dialogue as written by Paul Franklin is terse and delivered by Chandler and company in a way that makes Frontier Town a joy to listen to. And you can enjoy it as well for only $29.98 from Radio Archives.
 
Dr. Christian – Not only is Dr. Christian one of the best examples of family programming from classic radio, it was based loosely on the work of a real physician. Week after week, the action of the series focused more on the daily problems and issues of the patients who came through Christian’s office than the actual medical issues and that was the real charm of this personal endearing program. Get a taste of what so many loved about Dr. Christian with this 6 hour collection featuring the first 12 episodes for $17.98 from Radio Archives.
 
The Whistler, Volume 1 –  The anthology was a staple of classic radio throughout its heyday. One of the most popular and consistently thrilling and chilling series to ever air was The Whistler. Even though it never successfully went nationwide, this West Coast series is extremely popular among fans and collectors, due in large part to the eerie, haunting narration of the title character. Every episode opens with The Whistler leading listeners into the fears and horrors that plague everyday citizens and closes with those citizens suffering fates that kept audiences on the edges of their seats. Each and every episode in this collection is a winner and you can find out for only $29.98 at Radio Archives.
 

ra134-200-9710609

Character Spotlight!
Although he played multiple characters, the lead actor on “Mr. President” deserves attention. Featuring the voice work of Edward Arnold in the lead each week, this extremely interesting program brought history to its listeners in a rather unique way. Spotlighting a different President each week, ‘Mr. President’ dramatized some event in their lives, usually carrying through and ending on a patriotic note each week. Supported by a stunning cast of veteran radio actors, Arnold brings a strong and distinct feel to the program, making it stand out as a wonderful product of the era it first aired in! Available from Radio Archives for $29.98!
 
Hancock’s Favorite Episodes!
Not only is this a favorite episode of mine, but the story it’s based on by Raymond Chandler is one of my all time favorite examples of detective fiction. The words spoken by Gerald Mohr and penned by Chandler set a haunting stage for the fantastic episode: “It was one of those hot, dry Santa Ana’s that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair, make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that, every booze party ends up in a fight. And meek little housewives feel the edge of a carving knife and study their husband’s necks. Anything can happen when the Santa Ana blows in from the desert.” Enjoy this wonderful episode and nineteen others for $29.98 from Radio Archives!

 
audiobooks-6766254
 
 

During the Golden Age of Science Fiction, one writer towered over all others. The legendary Edmond Hamilton was the pulp pioneer who took over where Jules Verne and H. G. Wells left off. Hamilton wrote on a scale that dwarfed anything that had come before. Where other writer’s imaginations saw only expeditions to the Moon and Mars, Hamilton envisioned a future filled with an interplanetary police force, space pirates and fearsome weapons capable of destroying whole planets. Among readers of his early fiction in magazines ranging from Amazing Stories to Weird Tales, this penchant for galaxy-spanning space opera soon earned him the nickname of “World-Wrecker” Hamilton.   Although NASA has all but debunked the possibility of humanoid life on Mars and Venus—not to mention the frigid, inhospitable outer planets—21st century readers still thrill to Hamilton’s infectiously enthusiastic yarns, which influenced both Star Trek and Star Wars.   One of the most intriguing is The Three Planeteers, which ran in the January, 1940 issue of Startling Stories. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ classic adventure tale, The Three Musketeers, Hamilton’s reinterpretation of the concept brings together an Earthman, John Thorn, allied a pair of friendly aliens, Sual Av of Venus and hulking Mercurian, Gunner Welk, who are out to stop a sinister despot from shifting the balance of power from the peace-loving Alliance of Inner Planets to the planet-hungry League of Cold Worlds. When the resourceful trio are branded interplanetary outlaws, their only hope is to ally themselves with the renegade Companions of Space, led by the bewitching pirate princess, Lana Cain.   This swashbuckling space opera was the type of pulp Hamilton did best, and set the stage for his legendary Captain Future series, also from the publisher of Startling Stories. In that series, as in The Three Planeteers, Hamilton postulated a future Solar System inhabited by distinct races of aliens, each with their own characteristics and cultures. Against this backdrop, the non-stop action races from the inner worlds to the outer regions, with atom-pistols and ray-blasters frying combatants on both sides.  

Joey D’Auria voices The Three Planeteers’ stellar cast of heroes and despicable space pirates. This is vintage space opera at its most arresting and audacious! Only $20.98 in a deluxe Six Audio CD set.
 
 
 
On the next long trip you owe it to yourself, whether you are a fan of comics, movies or just good storytelling, to give one of Will Murray’s Pulp Classic Audiobooks a try. With well over a dozen adaptations already available for download or on CD sets, Radio Archives http://www.radioarchives.com is now offering what may be their best work yet in the series, The Spider: The Flame Master.
 
With a full musical score and complete sound effects, this Audiobook is the closet thing to the thrill of a great radio drama that modern technology can create. Masterfully produced by Roger Rittner, the set explodes across your speakers with all the thrills that good storytelling can give a listener. He places you right at the center of a movie that your ears are hearing but your mind creates. The reality of what he accomplished this time out makes The Flame Thrower his best work yet in the series. He may have even topped his earlier work on the Doc Savage stories Python Isle and The Jade Ogre as well as the pulp classic Doctor Death, that is saying quite a lot.
 
What sets this apart from the earlier works is not the addition of the musical score or sound effects, for Rittner has skillfully employed those on previous Spider volumes in the series, it is the non-stop breathless action delivered by author Norvell Page’s original story. Working directly from the original story as it first appeared in March 1935, Rittner and his crew give the listener a full take on what Page brought to the page. Noted for his unbelievable actions sequences, Page’s reputation as a writer also rests on his highly imaginative plots.
 
In The Flame Thrower Richard Wentworth, known to many only as The Spider, faces Aronk Dong, the self-proclaimed Man from Mars, who unleashes the wrath of the heavens to subjugate Earth. But what is his real purpose? And hiding behind his deadly French Apaches is Toussaints Louvaine, a mysterious dealer in death who may be on Wentworth’s side … or may not. It is a story filled with possible betrayal, countless battles and some of the most amazing escapes ever found in a Spider story.
 
Listening to the story unravel on CD as I drove, I almost forgot my destination. Actor Nick Santa Maria has truly captured The Spider in the same way that Orson Wells captured The Shadow all those years ago. A veteran of television film and a noted voice over actor in video games as well as advertising, Santa Maria takes The Spider, Master of Men, seriously and his dedication to the character shows in his performance. He pulls you right into the story.
 
Working with Santa Maria is noted voice over actress Robin Riker. She plays Wentworth’s girlfriend and partner, Nita Van Sloan. Her delivery and intonation provides the perfect balance to the work of Santa Maria. It is a thrill to hear the two professionals bounce off of each other as skillfully as they do.
 
The popularity of books on tape and CDs testifies to how many people enjoy their favorite authors in their home and in their car. Having the capability to pause the action is just like setting a good book down to take a breather. Radio Archives Audiobooks series is one of the most exciting entertainment series out there today.
 
Everyone I have heard so far, and I have listened to Doc Savage, G-Man and The Green Lama in their releases, makes me want to hear more.

 
by Derrick Ferguson
 

The more I delve into classic pulp adventure fiction, particularly the characters and series that take place in America I have to wonder why foreign invaders and supercriminals and fiendish dictators didn’t just go and try to overthrow some other country that didn’t have masked avengers or guys like Jimmy Christopher aka Operator #5 protecting it. Don’t these guys network or have a union hall where they meet to discuss why their plots to take over the country never work?

 
But with Jimmy Christopher on the job, it’s no wonder why the United States of America stays safe. Known by his official designation of Operator #5, Jimmy Christopher is virtually a one-man strike force, answerable only to The President of The United States and charged with the defense of the country against any and all aggressors to national security whether they be domestic or external.
 
Operator #5: The Masked Invasion is an interesting audiobook to listen to for a number of reasons. First of all is Jimmy Christopher himself. He’s not as flamboyant or as much of a lone wolf as say, Secret Agent X but he’s equally as effective and as deadly. Jimmy is an excellent magician and there are a couple of times during the story where he takes the time to explain how he pulled off a trick to his daring young sidekick, Tim Donovan. Operator #5 is regarded as a forerunner of 1960’s spies and I can see that in the outlandish villains, wild gimmicks and headlong, non-stop action. So if you’re a fan of the spy novels and movies of that period, this audiobook was made for you.
 
The choice of Richard Epcar to narrate this audiobook is a good one as he does so in a firm, no-nonsense style that matches that of the character of Jimmy Christopher who is a pretty no-nonsense guy himself in his determined pursuit of Loo Kong and his method of blacking out the electrical power of entire cities, thereby plunging them into total darkness and chaos. Radio Archives again gets my thanks for such a quality product that as always gives the Movie Theater of My Mind an excellent and thoroughly entertaining workout.

ebooks-8282068

 

 

The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge Ebooks! Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your E-Reader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator 5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like Doctor Death and more, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
 
Five new golden age Pulp tales exquisitely reformatted into visually stunning E-books!

 

How fight a menace which strikes without warning — which disintegrates flesh and blood and stone to mere chemical atoms! Men fled in blind panic from the merest rumor of a new attack, and even the Spider — dodging the death blasts — can find at first no weapon with which to combat this new and devastating evil which obliterates its victims in the fraction of time between two heart-beats! Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 

Thundering far beneath Manhattan’s thronging streets came the Death Express — a crack New York Central train bearing a gruesome cargo of lifeless men, women and children — their bodies stripped of valuables, naked and mutilated! A grim warning of the terror-reign that threatened America — at the hands of Twentieth Century land-pirates, whose weapon was neither gun nor sword, but the stunning, body-shivering force which lies in electricity! Can the Spider, using mortal weapons, fight the numbing power of the thunderbolt — and survive? Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.

 

A group of bitter men — a secret League of War — was ready to plunge the world into a new, earth-wide conflict. They issued orders, and bloody organized murder was loosed in the heart of Europe! And behind this carnage, a single man was scheming to make himself the Dictator of the World! Never before had a single person conceived such a colossal plan for profiting from the slaughter of humans. He had overcome all obstacles — except one lone avenger, Operator 5, America’s secret service ace. Can Jimmy Christopher, keep the nations of the world from hurling themselves into a war which can bring nothing but universal defeat, misery, and slavery?
 
Jimmy Christopher, clean-cut, square-jawed and clear-eyed, was the star of the most audacious pulp magazines ever conceived — Operator #5. Savage would-be conquerors, creepy cults, weird weather-controllers and famine-creating menaces to our mid-western breadbasket… these were but a few of the fiendish horrors that Jimmy Christopher was forced to confront. Operator #5 returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.

 
A cruel plot to seize the satellite Styx, third moon of Pluto, and enslave peaceful natives, sends Captain Future and his loyal aides out on the most dangerous adventure of their careers! Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.

 

“When I know the secret of the five casks, I will be all powerful. Find the one who can tell me this secret. I will wait — but not for long.” This was the command Wu Fang gave to his agents deep in New York’s Chinatown. And only two white men guessed his plans, could dare hope to pit their wits and detective skill against the murder scheme of the most dangerous crime master in the world!
 
“Mr. Kildare? This is Wu Fang speaking. I phoned to tell you that a man is going to be murdered. Also, that no attempt will he made on your life until midnight.” …Until midnight. Three hours! But before those three hours were up Kildare knew he was entered upon the most sinister mystery he had ever tackled — the case of the scarlet feather.
 

When you purchase these beautifully reformatted eBooks from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
 
Find these legendary Pulp tales and more in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, now available in the Kindle store and the Barnes and Noble Nook store! The best Pulp eBooks now available for only $2.99 each from Radio Archives!
 
ebook1centoffer-28038581 cent Spider eBook!

 
For a limited time you can now download an exciting original Spider adventure for just one thin penny! Part of the Will Murray Pulp Classics line, The Spider #11, Prince of the Red Looters first saw print in 1934 and features his momentous battle with The Fly and his armies of crazed criminal killers. Their motto? Why “KILL THE SPIDER!” of course.
 
For those who have been unsure about digging into the wonderful world of pulps this is a perfect opportunity to give one of these fantastic yarns a real test run. With a full introduction to the Spider written by famed pulp historian and author Will Murray, The Spider #11 was written by one of pulp’s most respected authors, Norvell W. Page. Writing as Grant Stockbridge, Page’s stories included some of the most bizarre and fun takes on heroes and crime fighting in the history of escapist fiction.
 
Even today Page’s scenarios and his edge-of-the-seat writing style are still thrilling both new and old fans everywhere. For those who have never read one of these rollercoaster adventures, you are in for a thrill. If you already know how much fun a classic pulp is, make sure you download this bargain.
 
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you purchase this eBook from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your Spider novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new. Use the PDF version when reading on your PC or Mac computer. If you have a Kindle, the Mobi version is what you want. If you have an iPad/iPhone, Android, Sony eReader or Nook, then the ePub version is what you want.

 

 
johnolsen-3680031

By John Olsen

 
Within a Druid Glen, men clad in grayish robes perform a strange ritual. For they are the Hooded Circle, one of the most bizarre gangs of cutthroats The Shadow has ever encountered.
 
It was a dark and stormy night. And here we go again! In the deeply wooded sections of an exclusive suburb known as Pinewood sat the ruins of the old Grimshaw estate. There was a circle within the ring of stones. A circle of human forms. All were clad in grayish robes, with cloth masks covering their faces. This was the secret meeting place of the Hooded Circle! Can The Shadow thwart the seemingly undefeatable evil? And who is the mysterious cowled leader of the Hooded Circle, those gray-robed outlaws who hold their secret meetings within a ring of Druid stones?
 
Pulling out all the stops, The Shadow calls in his full list of agents. All told, that makes six of The Shadow’s agents who are on hand to assist in the round-up of The Hooded Circle, in the action-packed final chapters.
 
There are a few anomalies in this story. All are subtle, but will be noticeable to anyone who has read all three-hundred-twenty-five Shadow pulp novels. There’s a “hell” uttered by Joe Cardona. Gibson’s characters never swore. Then there’s the matter of the female form. Gibson always wrote in vague terms, when describing a scantily clad female. The descriptions in this story are a bit more detailed. And since when does Cranston smile? Never! Maybe his masklike face carries the trace of a smile, but that’s the most Gibson ever allowed. Not so in this story. Could someone have ghosted the story, or part of it, for Gibson? Perhaps we’ll never know.
 

I found one passage that seemed significant: “It was not surprising that he had passed notice. Cranston had a way of remaining quietly in the background, when he came upon a situation such as this.” This describes the same ability to render oneself virtually invisible by remaining motionless, both physically and mentally, that was related to readers three months earlier in “The Golden Master.”

 
I enjoyed reading this story. It contained enough unique moments to keep me interested, unlike some other run-of-the-mill stories. This is a well-build Shadow mystery that would probably fall among the better stories of 1940. Maybe not the best, but still well worth reading.
And you can get The Hooded Circle and another full length Shadow Adventure for only $12.95 in The Shadow Volume 22 from Radio Archives!
 

The Knight of Darkness wages battles to the death with two of his greatest superfoes! First, The Shadow becomes “The Devil’s Paymaster” to end the sadistic reign of The Prince of Evil in the violent conclusion of Theodore Tinsley’s most acclaimed storyline. Then, Lamont Cranston must die to crush a superfiend’s evil plots when “The Wasp Returns” in an action-packed thriller by Walter B. Gibson. Foreword by Michael Uslan, executive producer of the Summer Bat-Blockbuster, “The Dark Knight Rises.” This instant collector’s item leads off with one of Graves Gladney’s greatest covers, and also showcases all the original interior illustrations by legendary illustrator Earl Mayan, with historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. BONUS: The Shadow tracks down “The Comic Strip Killer” in a classic adventure from the Golden Age of Radio. Buy it today for $14.95.
 

The Man of Bronze returns in two tales of super-science that inspired classic Superman stories. First, a silvery stratospheric craft showers vapors of death upon a Texas town, while Cosmic Rays alter Long Tom’s mental makeup. Doc and Patricia Savage attempt to thwart the deadly plots of a red-hooded mastermind in “He Could Stop the World,” a pulp classic by Laurence Donovan that inspired an early Superman story by Jerry Siegel. Then, “The Laugh of Death” could change the outcome of World War II, in a Lester Dent thriller that introduced Doc’s new Fortress of Solitude that inspired the Man of Steel’s glacier hideaway. This double-novel collector’s edition leads off with a knockout cover by legendary paperback artist James Bama. and also reprints both classic color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray. Priced at only $14.95.
 

The Man of Bronze returns in two tales of super-science that inspired classic Superman stories. First, a silvery stratospheric craft showers vapors of death upon a Texas town, while Cosmic Rays alter Long Tom’s mental makeup. Doc and Patricia Savage attempt to thwart the deadly plots of a red-hooded mastermind in “He Could Stop the World,” a pulp classic by Laurence Donovan that inspired an early Superman story by Jerry Siegel. Then, “The Laugh of Death” could change the outcome of World War II, in a Lester Dent thriller that introduced Doc’s new Fortress of Solitude that inspired the Man of Steel’s glacier hideaway. This double-novel collector’s edition features both classic color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of ten Doc Savage novels. Priced at only $14.95 
 

One of the top crime-fighters from the golden age of pulp fiction, The Spider returns in two thrill-packed adventures written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Laboratory Of The Damned” (1936), Poisoned! Struck down by a deadly assault from a mad murderer, the Spider finds his friend Stanley Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police, doomed to a stupor of living death. Nor is he the only victim… also stricken with the dread malady is Richard Wentworth’s fiancee, Nita van Sloan! The Spider battles both the Law and the Underworld to survive! Then, in “Hell’s Sales Manager” (1940), The Brand wields a weird new weapon that sucks everything in its path into a vortex of destruction! How can even the Master of Men fight an enemy that seems to simply vanish? While this reign of terror goes unchecked, the Spider finds his every effort hampered by a human bloodhound assigned to track down and eliminate him. These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
 
 

Altus Press is proud to announce the release of the third volume in its acclaimed Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series, written by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson.
 
Set in the Fall of 1936, The Infernal Buddha tells the epic story of Doc Savage’s desperate quest to control the Buddha of Ice, a relic of unknown origin—and what may become the most dangerous object on Earth!
 
When a mummy arrives at Doc Savage’s New York headquarters wearing the clothes of his missing assistant, engineer Renny Renwick, Doc, Monk, and Ham rush to Singapore where they get on the trail of a swashbuckling pirate who calls himself the Scourge of the South China Sea, in whose hands a piece of the infernal Buddha has fallen. The trail leads to Pirate Island, the fate of Renny, and a mysterious box containing a terrible, unstoppable power.
 
But that is only the beginning of the quest into which the Man of Bronze plunges—one that will take him to the upper reaches of the Yellow Sea and a series a wild ocean battles against the vicious factions fighting for control on the infernal Buddha.
 
Before it is all over, every human life on Earth will tremble on the brink of eternity, and Doc Savage will face his greatest test.
 
“This may be my wildest Doc novel to date,” says author Will Murray. “The Infernal Buddha is a fantasy epic full of corsairs, criminals and other culprits. The menace is planetary. The threat, extinction. Doc Savage has a reputation for saving the world. This time he does it on the greatest scale possible. I began this book back in 1992, working from an opening situation Lester Dent started in 1935. Together, we have produced a true Doc Savage epic. And it only took about 75 years….”
 
The Infernal Buddha features a startling cover painted by Joe DeVito, depicting Doc Savage as the Buccaneer of Bronze! This cover was painted from a still taken in 1964 of legendary model Steve Holland, and is a variant pose shot for famed illustrator James Bama’s classic cover to The Man of Bronze. There has never been a Doc cover like it! Buy it today for only $24.95 from Radio Archives.

 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
Brad Bennett writes:
When are you going to do a Vol 4 of the Railroad Hour? The first tree volumes are terrific. Just keep up the good work.
 
Charles Bourassa writes:
Wow!  Great place to shop.  I started by buying some Spider Ebooks from Amazon, and then found my way here. I’m mainly interested in the Spider magazines right now. My wish list has 28 Norvel Page novels that I’d like to read.
 
Eric Troup writes:
Thanks. I’ve certainly loved the other two Spiders. Ten stars just aren’t enough!
 
Rodger Johnson writes:
Dan Fowler: G-Man is my favorite audiobook, Richard Epcar is a fantasic reader, give him more to do. Thanks for all the good audio books.
 
Doctor Panic reviews the Kindle edition on Amazon:
The Spider #3 Wings of the Black Death. All I can say is WOW!!. This was the first story by Norvel Page when he stepped in for Scott after the first two issues. This book shows instantly why Page was the master hands down for the Spider. The book is non stop action as you expect, but delves into some of the personal feeling between the characters, not to mention a mastermind villain who right up to the end matches Dick wit for wit. The book is done in nice bold print that is so inviting to read. The book is masterfully redone and better than reading the original because of the layout. 5 happy stars

 

If you’d like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We’d love to hear from you!

 
The products you’ve read about in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you’ll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it’s the sparkling audio fidelity of our classic radio collections, the excitement of our new line of audiobooks, or the timeless novels of the pulp heroes, you’ll find hundreds of intriguing items at RadioArchives.com.
 
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, or if this newsletter has been sent to you in error, please reply to this e-mail with the subject line UNSUBSCRIBE and your name will immediately be removed from our mailing list.
 

Your Avengers Movie Roundup

phase-one-bd-300x194-8478960You know you’re saving up to buy Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled but now you might need to save a little longer once you see the packaging. As revealed yesterday at MTV’s Splash Page. The package looks pretty sweet.

Additionally, Entertainment Weekly showed off the poster promoting the short film Item 47, which will be found on the Avengers Blu-ray disc. Copies of the poster will be given away following an Exclusive Premiere Screening at San Diego Comic Con later this week.

Here are the promotional details surrounding this event:

In anticipation of upcoming home entertainment release of Marvel’s The Avengers, Marvel is unleashing an all-new alternate reality game (ARG)  that ultimately grants the first 300 fans with special access to an exclusive, premiere screening of Item 47, a Marvel One-Shot , fan experience & Special Filmmaker/Talent Q&A at Comic-Con.

Beginning on July 6th, Comic-Con attendees can download the all-new App – The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen App (at the iTunes store) – that will not only garner fans unprecedented access to exclusive content building up to the home entertainment release but also give them access to partake in the alternate reality game (ARG) at Comic-Con.

Beginning on Friday, July 13th, fans will be able to start solving special codes, that when unlocked, will guide them to their next clue. The App will also have a built in map of the Gas Lamp District in Downtown San Diego that will guide them to their location spots. There will be a total of 4 spots.  Fans must complete the entire ARG experience in order to redeem access to the special screening.

Comics sales for first half of 2012 18% ahead of last year

The Diamond Comic Distributors sales report for the middle of the comics year always hits right before Comic Con International: San Diego, which itself is about the future of the business; we see where we’ve been right before we see where we’re going. Last year, the industry arrived in San Diego with the first half of 2011 off 8% versus the year before; this year, orders by Direct Market comics shops in North America are up more than 18% year-to-date. It’s quite the turnaround. Retailers have already ordered more material through June — nearly $223 million in retail dollars— than they did in last year through July.

Marvel’s Avengers Vs. X-Men #6 led the charts, with four DC Before Watchmen debut issues landing in fifth through eight place. Click to see the preliminary top sellers for June. June 2011 was a five-week month versus four shipping weeks for June 2012, and the beats were a little smaller than we’ve seen — but periodical units and dollars were still up double-digits. All the comics in the Top 10 were priced at $3.99.

On the trade paperback side, the release of Walking Dead Vol. 16: A Larger World both topped the charts. There was a slight year-to-year drop in graphic novel units, but not dollars — suggesting that maybe with the DC hardcovers and a new Walking Dead release priced higher than some of the earlier backlist releases, the average price for each graphic novel ordered increased some.

thewalkingdeadvolume16-4197495Retailers appear to have ordered $40.5 million in comic books and trade paperbacks from Diamond in the month, a sum that brings the second quarter orders to more than $20 million higher than the same three-month period last year. For the year to date, all Direct Market sales are more than $34 million ahead of the first half of 2011.

But the comparison observers may be more interested in isn’t between the first six months of this year and the first six months of 2011 — but rather, with the last six months, which included the DC reboot. Direct Market orders were $224.92 million from July 2011 to December 2011 — so even with the reboot titles reaching double-digit issue numbers, the market is down less than 1% from that blockbuster six-month period. The reasons are several: Marvel has Avengers Vs. X-Men on the playing field, and graphic novels are rebounding with the DC hardcovers and Walking Dead. But the fact we can compare at all is significant, because the second half of the year has outperformed the previous first half every year for the last 10 years — and by an average of 10%.

Is Jim Starlin gearing up for a lawsuit over Thanos?

Jim Starlin has offered proof that he created Thanos, leading to speculation that he may launch a lawsuit against Marvel Comics.

The writer and artist has posted an early concept drawing of the Mad Titan from before he began working at the publisher, reports The Beat.

Interest in the character is growing following his cameo in The Avengers movie, the speculation of an upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film and the announcement of a Thanos: Son of Titan miniseries from Joe Keatinge and Richard Elson.

“This is probably one of the first concept drawings of Thanos I ever did, long before I started working at Marvel,” Starlin wrote on his Facebook page. “Jack Kirby’s Metron is clearly the more dominant influence in this character’s look. Not Darkseid.”

“Both D and T started off much smaller than they eventually became. This was one of the drawings I had in my portfolio when I was hired by Marvel. It was later inked by Rich Buckler.”

Marvel is reportedly struggling to find records relating to the period in the mid-’70s when Thanos debuted in its comics.

“This is the second film that had something I created for Marvel in it – the Infinity Gauntlet in Thor being the other – and both films I had to pay for my own ticket to see them,” Starlin previously said.

“Financial compensation to the creators of these characters doesn’t appear to be part of the equation.”

Avengers Second Screen App now Available

Marvel Studios has announced that people with iPods and iPads can now download the Avengers Second Screen app to access additional bonus material to extend your Avengers film experience.

Here’s the fact sheet:

App Overview:                     Second Screen transforms the movie watching experience by allowing viewers to explore the story behind the film perfectly synched on a second device, like an iPad™ or laptop, without interrupting their enjoyment of the movie. By accessing the Second Screen companion application on their Internet-connected device, consumers are able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with key elements of the movie.

This groundbreaking new application allows users to interact with their Blu-ray™ player by simply starting the Blu-ray movie, and then syncing Second Screen to the film automatically by following the easy on-screen instructions.  Once connected, they can explore interactive galleries, play games, and learn interesting facts about the scenes they’re watching.

Features:                              Enter the S.H.I.E.L.D. database on your second screen device accessing personnel files, comic book origins and exclusive interactive content with The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen Experience. By downloading the app, you can:

–          Become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and participate in the Item 47 Comic-Con experience either remotely or in the field.

–          Examine the confidential files of the Avengers including heroes, agents and villains.

–          Sync to the movie and explore exclusive behind-the-scenes interactive content such as visual effects labs where you can explore sequences layer by layer.

–          Seamlessly link the characters, stories, and scenes of the movie back to their comic book origins through the interactive Marvel digital reader.

–          View the major events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase 1 on the definitive timeline of all 6 movies.

Devices:                                                iPad or PC/MAC computer with FLASH

Formats:                               Optimized for Blu-ray™ and included in Combo Pack releases.

NEW – Now works with iTunes Extras

Access:                                  Visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avengers-initiative-marvel/id539555261?mt=8

Select your version (either iPad™ or Web)

Sync to the movie or explore on your own

Currently only available in US and English-speaking Canada

Marvel Expected to Announce Guardians, Big Hero 6 Films at San Diego

  • News
  • June 28, 2012

Marvel Studios is expected to announce the highly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy movie at Comic-Con International. The film, according to Latino Review, will be their second 2014 release, completing a roster of films now dubbed Phase Two.

The time- and star-spanning team was first created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan, appearing in the try-out title Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969). While never earning a title of their own, they went on to be recurring guest stars in a variety of titles all through the 1970s.

Under writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, a new incarnation of the Guardians have been a focal point of their cosmic stories, beginning in the Annihilation: Conquest stories. That particular cycle of stories ended a year or so back, paving the way for a new cycle, expected to be written by Brian Michael Bendis.

The new cycle of stories was teased with the arrival on Earth of Nova in the pages of Avengers vs. X-Men #1 followed by his digital exclusive story.

Meantime, Marvel has been registering domain names and laying claim to Guardian trademarks in a wide variety of merchandise, tipping their hands that such a feature was in development. It was even mentioned as one of several second tier properties being considered for later this decade but clearly it was a feint.

Marvel Comics has mastered the slow news leak, providing tips and nods in a certain direction, leading up to the not-so-surprising news announcement. You can trace this back to Joe Quesada badmouthing Peter Parker’s marriage to Mary Jane Watson at least a year before the eventual One More Day storyline that altered the Marvel reality.

Over the last few months, Marvel has been teasing that things are about to take a dramatic turn as one creative team after another have announced wrapping up storylines and paving the way for a freshening of the Marvel Universe.  Several Thanos titles were announced for this September including two by Jim Starlin the character’s creator.

With The Avengers completing Phase One, the second cycle of films begins in 2013 with Iron Man 3 to be followed in November by Thor 2. For 2014, Captain America 2 was previously announced for April 4with a TBA on the books. (Sony, meantime, has Amazing Spider-Man 2 pencilled in for May 2 and Fox has saved July 18 for another X-Men First Class Sequel). IMDB already has a placeholder page awaiting confirmation.

While there’s no word on which members of either version of the team will be used, we’re looking forward to Groot and Rocket Raccoon being a part of the cast. Apparently, Thanos will be the Big Bad to tie things together with his arrival hinted at with a sighting of his Infinity Gauntlet in Thor and his cameo at the end of The Avengers.  Latino’s piece speculates Thanos will appear in Guardians which will be the final film prior to 2015’s The Avengers 2.

Meantime, Marvel’s corporate masters, Walt Disney, just revealed this afternoon that they are working on their first Marvel animated property: Big Hero 6. The timing is interesting in that the Previews catalog out yesterday contains a new Big Hero 6 project from writer Chris Claremont.The team was introduced in 1998’s Sunfire and Big Hero 6 from Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau.

Planned for 2014, the blog says in part, “I promised my Bothans that I wouldn’t reveal much about the Marvel project that Walt Disney Animation Studios was working on, that I would only allude to it until something else broke about it. Well, now a website has let the cat out of the bag. Remember that I mentioned that the property would be unlike anything the Mouse had done before? I also mentioned to some that inquired about it, that Marvel owns 4000+ characters and everyone was thinking it was an animated Iron Man or X-Men or even “Power Pack.” Well, it’s not. It’s not one of the top 100 or 200 characters even. The actual title is much more obscure than most people know. In fact, most comic book fans will not even know the title, or most of the characters. So, what is the title/characters that Disney is adapting into an animated film?”

 

BEN BOOKS ANNOUNCES BOBBY NASH’S LATEST- EARTHSTRIKE AGENDA!

  • News
  • June 28, 2012

PRESS RELEASE:
EARTHSTRIKE AGENDA, the new novel by celebrated author Bobby Nash is now available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon as well as Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and more.
You can purchase the Earthstrike Agenda in paperback and ebook format at the following:
BEN Books Direct paperback
 
Amazon paperback
 
Amazon Kindle ebook
 
Smashwords ebook (Multiple formats)
 
Barnes and Noble Nook ebook
 
DriveThru Fiction ebook
 
Barnes and Noble paperback
COMING SOON!
 
About Earthstrike Agenda:
HUMANITY HAS GONE TO THE STARS.
Earth, once barren and decimated by war and the depletion of natural resources has been reborn.
Today, Scavengers prey on small mining towns and colonies. The United Planetary Alliance Marshal’s Service seems unable to stop these raids. They are outmanned and outgunned, but is the only law on many colonies.
Newly promoted Captain, Virgina Harmon takes command of her first starship, the Pegasus, the latest ship built to solve the Scavenger problem. Plagued by nervousness over her first command Captain Harmon is rocked by the news of her mentor’s murder. Just days before he was to report to her aboard the Pegasus as chief of engineering.
In Earth orbit, a science station becomes a target. An enemy has a plan to use the Space Lab facility as a means to claiming Earth.
In deep space, the United Planetary Alliance city-ship Ulysis welcomes aboard a high-ranking officer with a special mission for the crew. Those plotting against the Alliance are preparing to make their move and their first target is the Ulysis.
Meanwhile, in the deepest regions of space an enemy has returned. An enemy seeking vengeance.
EARTHSTRIKE AGENDA
Whoever controls Earth …Wins.
 
Visit BEN Books at http://BEN-Books.blogspot.com
Visit Earthstrike Agenda author, Bobby Nash at www.bobbynash.com
Visit Bobby Nash’s Amazon Author Page at www.amazon.com/-/e/B002QJ8QQS

Watch the Trailer for Avengers DVD

  • News
  • June 28, 2012

The Marvel Movie Universe has been an amazing success story and Disney is taking things to the next level with this fall’s release of Avengers on DVD. First, you can have the film in a variety of formats.

Or, you can buy the mega box set called Phase One containing:

  •  Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray)
  • The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray)
  • Iron Man (Blu-ray)
  • Bonus Disc – “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray)
  • Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

I suspect most of us own some or all of these, but the memorabilia may make us think twice. It is certainly a nice collection for late-comers or for that special someone’s holiday list.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks