Tagged: Batman

Yesteryear is on the Way! Tommy Hancock Interview

  • News
  • February 11, 2011


AP: Thanks for joining us, Tommy! Can you tell us a little about the genesis of Yesteryear and what it’s about?


TH: Thanks, it’s cool to be sitting on this side of the interview again. The genesis of YESTERYEAR is rooted way back in my fan fiction days. I was making a decent name for myself writing Golden Age inspired Fan Fiction on the internet in the late 1990s and up into the early 2000s, but, like so many writers of said stuff, realized it was simply what its name implied, fiction written by a fan. So, I started putting my thoughts toward original work and several great ideas came out of that period. Most of those ideas ended up populating one particular story line, one universe in my imagination. I started looking at what the impact of super types would be on our world if they simply just started on one day in history. What would they make their costumes out of? Why would they even wear costumes? And what about history, would heroes and villains impact history as dramatically as we think they would or would history have rolled on pretty much the same as it has? Out of that came the concept of public perception versus private realities. That’s the genesis of YESTERYEAR and mostly what its about.


The plot of YESTERYEAR is different, also. There are really three stories going on here. There is a modern tale being told about a manuscript that was written by a former Hero in 1955, but the author and said book both vanished. The unfinished manuscript and all the research accompanying it show up at a publisher’s office in the modern era. What ensues from there is a chase tale combined with a mystery. Who all wants this book and why? What does it contain that could be so dangerous to so many people? Where is the author of this explosive tome? And why did THIS publisher get it?


Included within YESTERYEAR along with the modern tale are excerpts from the fabled manuscript. Some of these are finished pieces by the missing writer, others are letters, notes on napkins, etc. that he gathered for research. Within this manuscript, there are two storylines going on, one showing how the public viewed their first heroes and villains and the truth behind that view. There’s a lot packed into this, but hopefully it all unravels into one great story.

AP: Who are the major characters in the novel and are they based on any pre-existing pulp/superhero archetypes?


TH: Major characters, yeah, there’s a handful. Based on pulp/hero archetypes? You bet. The Hero is my take on Superman, except he’s a human who has these powers thrust on him. The Night, one of my personal favorites, is Batman, The Shadow, and The Spirit all mixed together. The archetype discussion could go on forever and many of them will be obvious, but will also have a twist to them. The real main character of this novel is the book that stirs the whole controversy. It may not be the key to the meaning of life, but its definitely a pot stirrer in this particular universe.

AP: Yesteryear is your first full-length novel — how do you find writing in longer-former to be different than the short story and novellas you’re known for?


Well, that’s not really a question I can answer yet because YESTERYEAR, although it’s a full length novel, is like writing short stories and novellas and even short shorts because it’s a big tapestry sewn together with a central storyline. It’s not a linear novel in several respects. One thing, though, that I think is like other novels, is that you have to insure the story is intriguing and engaging from the first to the last word. I hope I’ve achieved this with YESTERYEAR and not just made something that comes off as gimmicky.

AP: Are there sequels in the works involving these characters?


TH: Oh, most definitely. YESTERYEAR tells a complete story in one way, but intentionally leaves so many questions to be answered. There are at least two direct sequels to this book that are possible, but there are tons of other directions to go as well. Each character could have at least their own collection or novel or series of novels and every one of them would fit into the mosaic that makes up this universe. Can YESTERYEAR be the only novel and readers be satisfied. Yes, I think so. Are there many, many more pieces that should be seen and add to the whole shebang. You bet.

cooper2bfirst2bone-9054233AP: I’ve heard that the book is being featured in an Arkansas-based literacy campaign? Can you tell us about that?


Yeah, this is the coolest part. A literacy organization that covers a large part of Northern Arkansas has seen the cover done by Jay Piscopo, a cover featuring three heroes reading a book, and want to use it as a part of a reading campaign. This is in the works and will be announced very shortly formally, but its really exciting that a pulp/hero novel gets the opportunity to encourage people to read more. Yes, its publicity for the book, but its more about being a part of what this is all about…getting people to read what we write.



AP: The cover by Jay Piscopo is gorgeous — how much direction did you give him on that?


TH: Jay requires little to no direction, he is such an awesome talent. I did give him the three characters I wanted in it (From left to right, The Hero, The Freelancer, and The Night) and the fact that a book should be featured in some way. As far as design goes, though, that’s all Jay. The way he blended the characters, colors, and overall theme into a single image….wow. That cover says it all and sets the tone for the novel it fronts very well.

AP: Where and how will people be able to buy the book?


TH: Pro Se is making the move from Lulu to Createspace and this novel may be the first after that transition. But we’re also not sure how long this will take, so I’ll stay in touch to let you know exactly how to get it.

AP: Thanks for joining us and good luck with the novel!

The Point Radio: THE CAPE’S Biggest Battle


NBC’s PrimeTime SuperHero, THE CAPE, is facing his biggest foe – ratings. Series star, David Lyons talks about the challenge of being a hero and plans for things on the show to heat up fast. Plus comic sales take a nose dive in January!

 

And be sure to stay on The Point via iTunes - ComicMix, RSS, MyPodcast.Com or Podbean!Follow us now on and !

Don’t forget that you can now enjoy THE POINT 24 hours a Day – 7 Days a week!. Updates on all parts of pop culture, special programming by some of your favorite personalities and the biggest variety of contemporary music on the net – plus there is a great round of new programs on the air including classic radio each night at 12mid (Eastern) on RETRO RADIO COMICMIX’s Mark Wheatley hitting the FREQUENCY every Saturday at 9pm and even the Editor-In-Chief of COMICMIX, Mike Gold, with his daily WEIRD SCENES and two full hours of insanity every Sunday (7pm ET) with WEIRD SOUNDS!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE FOR FREE or go to GetThePointRadio for more including a connection for mobile phones including iPhone & Blackberrys.

 

ALL PULP interviews Long Time Comic Fan Turns to Pulps BILL GLADMAN

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  • February 2, 2011

BILL GLADMAN-Writer/Artist

Bill Gladman, a writer/artist has been involved with comics most of his life. He recently helped form a local comics studio, Twilight Star Productions and last year they released twelve titles in their first year. Bill also ventured into the world of pulps for the first time ever when he contributed a story to RAVENWOOD – Stepson of Mystery from Airship 27 Productions. We caught up with this fellow in his home town of Springfield, Ohio and sat down to talk about his new pulp writing career.

AP – Bill, thanks for joining us today. Give us a short bio of yourself, age, where you were born, schooling, family etc.

BG –Born in Marysville, Ohio. About a half hour drive north of Springfield. In true dynamic fashion. In a middle of a thunderstorm, two minutes before midnight July 25th 1967, making me 44 years old this summer.

As far as schooling goes it seems I’ve learned all the important stuff by accident. I did graduate from Springfield North High School in 1985. I also went to Springfield Joint Vocational School during my junior and senior years of high school where I studied commercial art and girls. Unfortunately I didn’t get a certificate in art because I missed way too many days my senior year. I was sure the garage band I was in at the time was going to be world famous in six months and rock stars were too cool to go to school, right?

Currently married to my second wife and love of my life 13 years this April….between us and our previous marriages we have four kids and five grand kids.

AP – How old were you when you first became a comic book fan. What was the attraction?

BG – I was seven years old. My grandmother bought me a copy of Avengers #145 at the gift shop at one of the local hospitals. We were visiting my grandfather who had suffered the first of many strokes that would eventually claim his life a few years later and she wanted to keep my mind off things at the time so she bought me that comic. It all started then and there, so my grandmother gets all the credit, or blame. Depends on how you look at it I guess.

AP – Marvel or DC? Who was your favorite comic book superhero and why?

BG –Captain America. He’s the guy for me…..guess he always has been. He played a large role in that first Avengers story and although over the years when asked this question I may have said something along the lines of Daredevil or Batman, maybe even Dr. Strange…truthfully I guess it would really have to be Cap. The amount of Captain America comics in my collection would seem to only cement that train of thought.

AP – How did you come to write a Ravenwood story? Had you ever heard of the character before?

BG – I never heard of the character at all. I ran across a post on the Comic Related website made by Ron Fortier in which he was attempting to recruit fresh blood to write pulp stories for Airship 27. I’d never wrote a pulp story before, and never really read any either but I thought it would be a nice creative challenge so I e-mailed Ron to let him know I was interested. He sent me a list of characters that was available and that Airship 27 was interested in publishing stories about. Ravenwood was one of about three characters that seemed to appeal to me and the ball got rolling from there.

AP – What’s the name of your story in the Ravenwood collection? What appealed to you about this particular pulp hero?

BG –“When Death Calls”. After I received more background information about Ravenwood I felt there were elements of Dr. Strange, Bruce Wayne (both personas of that character), and Tony Stark (Iron Man) in the Ravenwood character. That allowed me to have a safety net of sorts. Plus there was just enough background info to get me interested in the character but I wasn’t smothered with details. There was a lot of room for me to breath as writer with this character.

AP – Was writing pulp easier or harder than your comics work? Elaborate, please.

BG –It was actually easier for me. It was exciting, new, and fresh. It was a great experience for me. I’m a big history buff as well so I enjoyed the research aspects of the story as well….what was the most popular film of 1938…how much did a pack of cigarettes cost 73 years ago. That type of thing. And I’m a very wordy writer. This story allowed me to express myself in a way that writing comics do not. I get grief from the artists I work with all the time about the amount of dialog in my stories. And in the end I still went over the word count for the story requirement. Go figure. Needles to say a good portion of it ended up on the editing floor.

AP – There seems to be a real renaissance of pulps today in both prose, comics and movies. Why do you think that is?

BG –I think it’s a couple of things, and this is just the opinion of some hack in Ohio so bare with me.

I think that pulps in prose and comic formats and hopefully film caters to the mature reading audience that actually collect comics and go to the movies. They’re action packed, entertaining, suspenseful, and fun. Mature doesn’t have to mean sex and violence. Mature can mean, wow that story made me think and I liked that.

Also I think the escape level in the pulp stuff is higher than your super-hero comics or horror comics. The time period that these stories take part in for the most part was less complicated and negative. At the same time the fiction is a little more realistic. I mean nobody is finding a baby from another planet in a rocket ship in a Ravenwood story.

AP – Will you ever do another Ravenwood story?

BG –Oh yeah. I loved working with this character and the cast of characters involved with this story. I already have ideas for a second and a third story.

AP – Is there any other pulp character you’d like to write some day?

BG –Possibly. I’m quite content writing Ravenwood for now but one of the other choices that appealed to me at first was Moon Man. He sounded like a fun character to write.

AP – Finally, what’s on the horizon for Bill Gladman and Twilight Star Productions?

BG –At times there’s so much stuff going on at Twilight Star Studios I can’t see the horizon! Seriously this studio has been very productive and although I have been involved in several different studios in the past there has not been an experience like this. One a personal note I’ll be involved with several of our books including Tales From The ‘Field which is our flag ship title and an anthology comic. I usually write short stories and even sometimes ink other short stories for this title. I write short stories for our horror anthology series Pandemonium Spotlight, write and draw Prodigy an on-going cosmic super hero tale, write and draw Jack the Rabbit an action/adventure/fantasy limited series. I also write and ink the Un-Naturals and recently co-wrote Hero Of The Day featuring the character Hero Montgomery created by a good friend of mine (Chad Strohl) as well as act as Executive Editor on all of our books. I also plan to re-release my first novel The Book Of Noheim through the studio. More novels will follow.

I also write two weekly web comics for the Comic Related web site (New Comic Day and Price For The Asking-with Ron Fortier) there is a third web comic about to launch on that site as well (The Bumtastic Four) I can also be found every other Monday co-hosting the RaynMan Power Podcast on that same site with Frank Raynor.

I have comic projects in the work with Penny Dreadful Press and Studio Akumakaze and a few other bigger companies which I’m not “allowed” to talk about at the moment.

AP – This has been fun and informative, Bill. Thanks and good luck with all your many projects.

BG –Thank you! It was a blast!!! Hope I didn’t bore you to death!!!　
　

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION, 1/26/11

  • News
  • January 26, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
BULLDOG EDITION
1/26/11
PJF NEWS FROM THE OFFICIAL PJF WEBSITE!
Edited from the PJF Newsletter
Mike Croteau
The Official Philip José Farmer Home Page
www.pjfarmer.com

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The big news this month is that Subterranean Press’ new collection, UP THE BRIGHT RIVER, will be shipping any time now. If you haven’t pre-ordered a copy, you might want to check out these two online reviews we’ve added to the site, one from SF Crows Nest and one from Strange Horizons.
 
One thing we forgot to mention is that with the publication of this book, the forthcoming books page is now empty! No new titles have been announced from any publisher. This is the first time this webpage has been blank in years, hopefully it won’t stay that way for long.
 
Today, January 26th, would have been Phil’s 93rd birthday. In honor of this I’m asking everyone to read a short story or essay by Phil. Then, if you are on facebook, go to this fan page. If you have not already, “Like” this page, and then you can write on the Wall. Post the title of the story or article you read tomorrow. Just something like, “In honor of Philip José Farmer’s 93rd birthday, I just reread his short story ‘Sail On! Sail On!’ today.”
 
Now, if you won’t have access to any of Phil’s work tomorrow, here is a link to one of his great short stories, The Sliced-Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World. Or you can visit the articles page where you will find several “read it here” links.
 
For those of you who don’t use facebook, you can still participate. Read a story, then reply this email and tell me what you read. I will go to the Farmer facebook page and say, “My friend Tim Howller read the article ‘The Lord Mountford Mystery’ today in honor of Phil’s 93rd birthday.”
 
With any luck, so many people will see their friends reading a Farmer story tomorrow and posting about it, maybe we’ll get some to do it that are not on this newsletter list. Or how about this; 951 people currently “like” that fan page. Let’s see if we can make that number go up by the end of the day, let’s see if we can create any kind of buzz today.
 
One final note for you. The 30% off discount on the Estate Sale (which can go up to 50% off if you purchase multiple books) will end on February 9th. After that only the volume discounts will remain.
 
That’s all for now, don’t forget to read some Farmer today!

 
DOCUMENTARY ON ‘MOST HATED MAN IN COMICS HISTORY’ ANNOUNCED

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PRESS RELEASE:from sequart.com


Sequart Research & Literacy Organization is proud to announce a documentary film about the most hated man in comics history: psychiatrist Fredric Wertham.

Tentatively scheduled for an early 2012 release, Diagram for Delinquents: Fredric Wertham and the Evolution of Comic Books (directed by Robert A. Emmons Jr.) will study Fredric Wertham’s crusade to link comics with juvenile delinquency, which helped spur burnings of comics in the United States, Congressional hearings into the role of comics and juvenile delinquency, and the creation of the Comics Code Authority as a censoring body. The film will explore these events in light of comics’ subsequent evolution into more sophisticated material that is no longer primarily children’s fare. To illustrate this story, the film will use recreations and Wertham’s own files, almost none of which has ever been seen before.
(By the way, we’ve already lined up some great people to interview: Bart Beaty, Amy Kiste Nyberg, and Douglas Wolk!)

To make this film a reality and tell this important story, we’re asking for your help. We’ve set up a page on Kickstarter where you can pledge donations through 24 April 2011. In return for your generous help, we’re offering various rewards, from the movie poster and Wertham DVD to various Sequart products — and even an array of credits in the film. (Also, pledging through Kickstarter is currently the only way you can order our other upcoming documentary, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, and our upcoming book on Planetary, Keeping the World Strange.) We’re looking for $6,000 in pledges, and even a dollar donation helps! Any money over our goal will be used to support Sequart’s overall book and film production.

Thank you for supporting this project and helping to ensure that this captivating and important chapter in comics history is told. For more information, go to kickstarter.com/projects/sequart/diagram-for-delinquents and fredricwertham.com.

THE FILM IN MORE DETAIL:

Beginning in the late 1940s, Wertham began publishing articles linking comics to juvenile delinquency. This work culminated in his now-infamous 1954 book, Seduction of the Innocent. Burnings of comics were reported across the US, and Congress held hearings into the matter, which helped spur the creation of the self-censoring body the Comics Code Authority (only just recently dropped by DC and Archie Comics).

Wertham was himself a contradiction. Although forever linked with artistic repression, he was a social crusader whose writings on the damaging effects of segregation were used as evidence in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Although forever linked to the Comics Code, he claimed to be against censorship. Wertham developed his theories about comics while caring for juvenile delinquents, which biased his analysis by ignoring healthy juveniles who read comics — a fact that has caused his case to be often used as a negative example in statistical analysis. But his theories about comics, highlighting Wonder Woman’s themes of lesbianism and bondage, claims of Batman and Robin’s homosexuality, and the excesses of the era’s crime comics, had a lasting impact on the medium.

Wertham’s last book, in 1974, defended the culture of comics fanzines, almost as a belated and lackluster apology for his involvement in the by-then infamous Congressional hearings. This led to him being invited to speak at the New York Comic Art Convention, where the audience heckled him. He died in 1981.

Featuring interviews from comics scholars and professionals, this documentary will not defend Wertham. Instead, it seeks to place the wider story of Wertham and his effects on comics into a historical context.

The film’s title comes from Wertham’s own notes, in which he claimed comics provide a “detailed diagram for delinquents.”

ABOUT THE FILM’S CREATORS:

Diagram for Delinquency is written and directed by Robert A. Emmons Jr. It is produced by Robert A. Emmons Jr., Peter J. Gambino, Julian Darius, and Mike Phillips; with first assistant director Justin J. Emmons; first assistant camera Stephen P. McMaster; and production assistant Andrew Tan Mai.  The film is produced in association with Gambino Boys Studios and Scifidelity Pictures.

ABOUT SEQUART RESEARCH & LITERACY ORGANIZATION:

Sequart’s first documentary film, Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, was released in 2010 to widespread critical acclaim. Its follow-up, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, is scheduled for release later this year.

Sequart is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting comic books as a legitimate artform. To this end, it publishes books, produces documentary films, and maintains online resources that encourage comics scholarship.

 
 

Call for Submissions – Horror (Anywhere)

trembles-3843118
A new horror magazine is seeking horror submissions for it’s April 2011 issue (and beyond.) Stories will appear in electronic and print form. There is a small token payment for short stories ($5), flash fiction and poetry ($2). We are also looking for cover art if anyone does that.

Please send manuscripts as a .DOC, .DOCX or .RTF attachment to trembleshorrormag@gmail.com with a cover letter in the body of an e-mail. Do not send your manuscript in the body of an e-mail, it will automatically be deleted. Make sure your manuscript uses standard formatting like 12-pt New Times Roman font and double-spacing. On the first page of your manuscript, please include your name, address, phone and e-mail in the upper-left corner and the word count rounded to the nearest hundred in the upper-right.

For complete guidelines, visit http://www.tremblesmag.com/

MOONSTONE MONDAY-Interview with CHICKS IN CAPES Author TRINA ROBBINS!

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  • January 24, 2011

Moonstone Entertainment, Inc. is releasing interviews done with the creative staff behind its upcoming CHICKS IN CAPES anthology.  The first of these is with noted comic writer and herstorian, Trina Robbins!

Trina Robbins-CHICKS IN CAPES Contributor/Herstorian/Writer/Creator

1.Trina, can you share some of your experience, both in general where writing is concerned as well as specifically relating to comics and super heroes?

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TR: I was very lucky to have a schoolteacher mother who taught me to read and write at the age of 4, and I’ver been doing both with great gusto ever since. I’ve been writing professionally for over 30 years, books and comics, and there’s nothing I’d rather do. Just sitting at the computer and pressing those keys is for me a pleasurable experience.

I was thrilled when Lori invited me to contrinute to Chicks In Capes, because I feel that for the most part, comic books don’t “get it” when it comes to superheroines, so this was my chance to do it right! It frustrates me that a potentially great character like Wonder Woman can be written really well by one writer, but then someone else can take over and make a mess of her. But Witchwoman is MINE, all mine, and nobody can mess with her!

2. You have a story featured in the Moonstone anthology, CHICKS IN CAPES. What’s it about?

TR: It’s a little bit political and a little bit feminist, because it takes place in a (I hope not!) possible future where the extreme Christian right wing has taken over. And of course, as expected, one of the things they do is oppress women. It’s a world in which women are encouraged to go back to the kitchen and be good little wives and mothers, nothing more, and any woman who breaks those rules is in danger of being considered a witch. And yes, they burn witches! I will say no more!

3. You’re also known as an authority on comics, referred to as a ‘herstorian’ by some. Do you think an anthology such as CHICKS IN CAPES has the potential to be significant in publishing history, specifically relating to the portrayal of female characters?

TR: Yes! We need to see more creative concepts of superheroines, and we need to see them from a woman’s point of view. I’m not saying men can’t write good women, many men do — the Hernandez brothers immediately come to mind — but I do believe that women tend to know what women like, because, being women, it’s what THEY like, no? But it’s revolutionary, by golly, to see not just a woman’s take on an already established superheroine, but to see a woman create her own superheroine. As a comics herstorian, I can tell you that that’s only been done once before, by the incredible Tarpe Mills, who created Miss Fury in her own image in 1941.

4. What are the ingredients to building a good super hero character and/or telling a good super tale in prose?

TR: First of all, to tell a super tale you need a whole helluva lot more than page after page of fight scenes, you need something called a plot. Plots have beginnings, middles, and ends, and it amazes me how some comics writers don’t seem to know that.

As for creating your character, I happen to be a fan of Joseph Campbell and his writings on the universal hero of myth. You’ll find that all mythic heroes, from whatever culture, have certain things in common. They need to be orphaned, they need to be demi-gods, with one mortal parent and one divine parent, they need to die, at least symbolically, by going underground to the land of the dead, and they need to emerge again and heal the land. Not every hero bears all these traits, but (s)he has to have some of them in order to resonate in our collective unconscious. Superman, Wonder Woman, batman, and Captain Marvel all contained these traits, which is why they have survived so long while lesser superheroes fell by the wayside. I think my Witchwoman also bears these traits.

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 1/24/11

  • News
  • January 24, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
BULLDOG EDITION
1/24/11

For immediate release — January 24, 2011

THE GHOST WIND – COMBINING PULP and MANGA INSPIRATIONS from GRANTON CITY PRESS

The Ghost Wind is the first spin-off title for Granton City Press.

Following on the heels of The Ghost Wind, The Ghost Wind operates in the same fictional locale of Granton City, being a force of good in the city’s Chinatown district, a place where the magic of the Far East is still a force.

In a remote monastery in the mountains of Japan young Yoshi Kobayashi is trained in the ways of the ninja, forged into a deadly weapon, his instincts and fighting prowess honed to perfection. He is the ultimate warrior. He is the Ghost Wind.

Indentured into the service of Japanese Crime Lord Hideki Yakamura Yoshi is sent halfway across the world to the glamour and madness of 1920s America and the gritty streets of Granton City. Plunged into a seedy underworld of gangsters and speakeasies Yoshi soon realizes nothing and nobody are really what they seem.

Yakamura is no mere mobster but in reality an ancient sorcerer and the target of powerful supernatural forces hungry for his power. Yoshi becomes embroiled in a dark and terrible war beyond the Veil between worlds which only he alone can put an end to.

In the climactic battle to come Yoshi is forced to choose between his duty as Ghost Wind and the woman he loves. Supported by strange allies and beset by monstrous enemies is he strong enough to stop the legions of darkness from conquering the earth when the Veil is finally torn?

The story comes from the co-writing team of Canadian Calvin Daniels and Brit Mitchel Rose, who have yet to meet face-to-face.

Daniels said the social networking site Facebook actually proved an important networking tool for Granton City Press, and The Ghost Wind.

“Mitchel is another writer I connected with on Facebook. I saw he had an interest in Manga and thought he might be a good fit for Ghost Wind, and he has been perfect,” said Daniels.

Rose said the book, and it’s follow-up The Runaway Princess which is nearing completion, has been fun.

“I’ve really enjoyed writing for Ghost Wind. I love pulp style adventures and I had the freedom to take it to down some pretty strange and fantastic avenues.” added Mitchel.

Ghost Wind is a young ninja who owes hie life to a local crime lord and community leader in the ‘Chinatown’ of Granton City in the 1920s.

“It’s sort of Green Hornet and Big Trouble In Little China meets The Untouchables,” said Daniels. “It’s quite unique from the other books, but has the same terms of reference.”

“A real roller coaster ride of a story.” added Mitchel.

In preparation for the book’s release, Granton City Press did some pre-selling which Daniels said was important to bolster interest in the book,and to offset initial costs. People were provided a chance to pre-purchase the book, however, not just a regular copy of the book.

Instead, the first 100 pre-sales were sold as signed &_numbered copies of the book. They were numbered 1/100, 2/100, 3/100 etc., and signed by both Daniels and Mitchel.

Anyone purchasing a book through the offer will have an opportunity to purchase signed &_numbered editions of future Black Wolf novels with the same sequence number. That will mean ensuring every book you purchase has a matching number such as 3/100, said Daniels, adding there are a few S&N copies of The Torn Veil still available.

For further information or interviews contact:

Calvin Daniels 306-782-1783
or
email calmardan@sasktel.net

THE BLACK WOLF – A NEW PULP-INSPIRED HERO from GRANTON CITY PRESS

A noted mechanical engineer has gone missing in Granton City, as has a professor with a past live as an inventor of miraculous machines.
That puts The Black Wolf on the case.

The Wolf is a vigilante with a pair of Colt .45s, and the attitude that the cops in 1920s’ Granton City can too easily be bought, so he has appointed himself sheriff, judge, jury and at times executioner.

But can even a bad attitude and a loaded gun solve the newest mystery before the world is threatened by a diabolical menace?

To find out you will have to read The Black Wolf #1 – Metal Monsters of Doom, the first release from Granton City Press, and Canadian authors Calvin Daniels and Kevin Lee. The book was released in 2010, and has already been followed by Book #2 – The Demon Door.

A third volume of The Black Wolf will appear later this year.

Creator Calvin Daniels said the idea of doing pulp-era novels sort of popped into his head one day while trolling through Facebook.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for the purple clad Phantom from reading his stories in the old Charlton Comics line, and of course The Shadow, and Batman,” said Daniels who has been a journalist for more than 20-years. “But, that interest really never coalesced into wanting to write a pulp book until early last year (2009).”

So Daniels, who has previously published three books with a hockey theme, one fiction the others non-fiction, came up with a broad concept, then went looking for a co-writer.

“I had a basic idea for The Black Wolf,” he said, adding, “I thought it would be fun to share the writing.”

That’s where Kevin Lee came on-board.

“I’ve known Kevin casually for a while, and I had written stories for Yorkton This Week on his fantasy trilogy TRIO, so I thought why not ask him,” said Daniels. “Thankfully he said yes.”

Lee said he decided to take on the project because it was a story quite different from his fantasy world.

“Black Wolf sounded like fun when Calvin first pitched the idea of being a co-writer with him on it, and it was an entirely different universe in comparison with my fantasy trilogy TRIO. Black Wolf is a lot shorter in length as well, which makes the story move along rather quickly. It’s been fun and challenging at the same time because Calvin tends to work at a much faster rate than I do!,” he said.

Co-writing The Black Wolf has been a great experience, said Daniels.

“It’s great because we use a pretty simple system, basically taking turns writing chapters,” he said. “It really keeps you focused because you feel obligated to get back to writing every time a chapter comes in.

“It also keeps ideas flowing, because we feed off each other. You never know what the other will do in their chapter. It’s fascinating to watch characters and plots develop.

Lee said he too finds the process an interesting one from a writer’s perspective.

“By working on a pulp style of story instead of a fantasy setting it gets the imagination working on a completely different level because you’re not thinking of sword and sorcery but more along the lines of those old crime TV shows, heroes and villains that are from our own world. Not to mention by switching up on the two stories the creative energy gets renewed each time!” he said.

The process has resulted in books the pair are proud of.

“The first book is great! After it was all said and done I found it to be fun romp and now as my third TRIO novel is nearly done my focus is back on Black Wolf #2 and the creative ideas are already beginning to roll! It should be just as fun if not better on the second go around,” said Lee.

“They may not win a Pulitzer, but pulps are supposed to be quick, easy and fun reads, and I think The Black Wolf is all three,” added Daniels.

Metal Monsters of Doom and The Demon Door both have cover art by Daniel Bradford, who is the artist of the indie comic Robot 13 from Blacklist Studios (www.blackliststudios.com).

“I fell in love with his art when reviewing his comic for Yorkton This Week,” said Daniels. “He was a friend on Facebook, so it was a natural to ask him to come on board.

For further information or interviews contact:
Calvin Daniels 306-782-1783
or
email calmardan@sasktel.net　
　

NINE FOR THE NEW SPOTLIGHTS CHUCK MILLER!!!

  • News
  • January 21, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

CHUCK MILLER-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator
http://theblackcentipede.blogspot.com/

AP: Chuck, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

CM: I’m a lifelong fan of comics, pulps, detective stories, horror movies, and so forth. I’ve got a BA in creative writing from the University of South Alabama, and have worked as a journalist and a paralegal, among other things.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

CM: In terms of writing style, the craft of writing itself, my four biggest influences, or role models, are Flannery O’Connor, William S. Burroughs, Carson McCullers and Hunter S. Thompson. Each of them had things—and this is more in terms of style than content—that I admire and have tried to cultivate in myself.

I should also mention Rex Stout and the Nero Wolfe novels and stories. There are some pretty strong echoes of Archie Goodwin in my first-person protagonists, I think.

Another big influence on me was the AP Stylebook. Working as a journalist, I learned to practice a certain economy of words, and how to get the most out of a limited number of them. Though I do tend to get long-winded when I’m not working under any restraints.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

CM: Going into it, I didn’t have a lot of experience doing pure action scenes. I was kind of intimidated by that, and wasn’t sure I could pull it off. But I’ve gotten my feet wet, and it’s getting easier to do them, and they seem to flow better as time goes on. It’s one of those things that you don’t want to overdo, but you really can’t have a piece of pulp fiction without it. I’m learning new ways to handle it, and ways in which I can make it more unique to the characters I write. Vionna Valis is going to have a much different approach to a fight or a chase scene than the Black Centipede will.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

CM: Well, I’m a comic book fan literally as far back as I can remember. And, of course, there’s been a lot of cross-pollination between comics and pulps. I first encountered the Shadow and Doc Savage in their early-70s comic book incarnations, from DC and Marvel, respectively. Not long after that I got into the paperback reprints of the pulp magazine tales, and realized that these particular characters worked better in this format than they did in comics. Now, I had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for a few years, the Conan Doyle stories, and was also into H.G. Wells and a few other things. And I saw all of that as something completely different from comic books, though not inconsistent with them, if you see what I mean. But characters like the Shadow and Doc Savage seemed like sort of a “missing link.”

At this point, I can see how everything connects, and have no trouble moving from one genre or medium or era to another. You can have Sherlock Holmes in a comic book and Batman in a novel, and the two can interact anywhere—books, comics, movies, whatever.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

CM: I have a pretty good imagination, and I also have a head full of comic books and pulp magazines and detective stories and monster movies. I bring a lot of different elements into my stories. I mine a lot of sources. You’ll find bits and pieces from all over the place. And I think I combine them in unique ways, and draw from them things that have not been seen before. And I use a lot of humor. I guess one of my main influences there would be the old “Kolchak: the Night Stalker” TV show, of which I have been a devoted fan since the night the first episode aired. The show was a great mixture of pulp detective and classic horror sensibilities—like Sam Spade got his wires crossed with a Universal Studios monster movie. Darren McGavin held it all together as Kolchak, who was a very funny guy, very accessible character. Not anybody’s idea of a superman. But, at the same time, you took him seriously as a monster hunter. He wasn’t an idiot. Most of the people he dealt with thought he was, but the viewer was in on the secret and could relate. Kolchak was an ordinary guy who kept running up against extraordinary threats—and he always won! That really worked its way into my blood, and I think I have that kind of sensibility in mind with any character I write.

AP: You have an extensive website already chock full of your work. Just Who is The BLACK CENTIPEDE?

CM: The Black Centipede started out as a very peripheral character in a comic book series I wanted to do twenty or so years ago. As originally conceived, he was a sort of cross between the Shadow and William S. Burroughs. Burroughs is an author I find fascinating in terms of his personal life and things he has said and done, though much of his work is unreadable. Not all of it. He did some fine work. His first novel, “Junkie,” was a big influence on my own writing style. It was the only one of his works that I would cite as an influence, but it was a pretty profound one. It was a very low-key, matter-of-fact, reportorial style he used, which I’ve always found to be the best way to present sensational material. I never got into his more experimental stuff, like “The Ticket That Exploded.” And there’s a pulp connection there, because I first got interested in Burroughs through Philip Jose Farmer’s Doc Savage biography. In the chapter called “The Fourfold Vision,” he discusses E.E. Smith, Lester Dent, Henry Miller and Burroughs.

Anyhow, as I say, the Centipede was just this little grain of an idea in my head for a long time. The comic book thing never happened back then, and I forgot about it in the press of other things. Then, a couple years ago, I decided wanted to get serious with my writing, and start producing some original material. It always helps if you actually HAVE some, and so I went back to those old comic book characters I’d never done anything with. That turned into “The Optimist Book One: You Don’t Know Jack,” which focused on Jack Christian, a 20-something guy who had, when he was much younger been the kid sidekick of a superhero called Captain Mercury. Mercury had died years before under very dodgy circumstances, and Jack’s life had pretty much gone to hell. The novel deals with his return to the city of Zenith and his involvement with an assortment of oddball characters, including the Black Centipede.

As I was writing it, the Centipede evidently decided he wasn’t happy with his relatively minor role, and started demanding more “screen time.” I started to see the potential in this character whose very long life—he had been active since the late 20s– was a question mark, and I had alluded to past adventures—rather like Conan Doyle did in the Sherlock Holmes stories, when he mentioned things like “The Giant Rat of Sumatra” and “The Politician, the Lighthouse, and the Trained Cormorant.”

So, once I had finished the novel, which I posted and promoted myself, online—I realized that, with the internet, I could do more than just submit manuscripts to publishers and sit around waiting for a response—I decided the next step would be to produce some short stories featuring some of the supporting cast from “The Optimist.”

The Black Centipede was the obvious choice for the first of these, and I wrote “Wisconsin Death Trip.” Set in 1957, it tells the story of the Centipede’s involvement in the strange case of the notorious Ed Gein. Since the Centipede’s career spans about 80 years (so far), I thought it would be a nice touch to have him meet and interact with genuine historical personages. In “Forty Whacks: the Secret origin of the Black Centipede,” he has a fateful encounter with Lizzie Borden, and in “Gasp, Choke, Good Lord,” an homage to the old EC horror comics of the 50s, he meets Dr. Fredric Wertham, William M. Gaines, and Albert Fish.

AP: The Centipede’s universe is peopled with other characters who also appear in stories on your site. Tell us a bit about each of them if you would?

CM: The other character from “The Optimist” that I’ve really taken and run with is Vionna Valis. I’ve started a series about her and her friend, Mary Kelly, and the detective agency they operate in Zenith. Mary is an interesting character, because she is also a real person—Mary Jane Kelly, who was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper back in 1888. Much of the action in “The Optimist Book One” centers around the activities of what appears to be the malevolent ghost of the Ripper, and the efforts of Jack and his friends to contain him. The Black Centipede comes up with the idea of summoning the spirits of the Ripper’s original victims to lend a hand. Well, the whole thing gets a bit out of hand, and the five victims end up manifesting, not as ghosts, but as living, breathing women.

Vionna is a rather troubled young woman. Most of her past is a complete blank to her. She has somehow lost almost all of her memories, and she shares space in her head with something she calls her “roommate.” This is an entity of unknown origin and nature that communicates information to her—sometimes helpful, sometimes just puzzling. This whole thing was going to be a major part of the storyline in the continuing “Optimist” series, but since I have put that on the back burner to concentrate on these individual adventures, the solution to this mystery will have to wait a while, and I downplay it somewhat in Vionna’s current adventures. There have been two of these so far: “Close Encounters of a Kind We’d Rather Not Think About,” in which Vionna and Mary learn some disturbing truths about the phenomenon of alien abduction, and “Vionna and the Vampires,” in which the girls meet the ghost of Sherlock Holmes, and learn how Professor James Moriarty came to supplant Dracula as Lord of the Vampires.

AP: What is your creative process as far as developing a character? What techniques or steps do you take?

CM: I will come up with a basic concept, then just start writing. The characters usually flesh themselves out during that process if they’re any good at all. Everything I do is first-person narrative, and so far I have three primary narrators: Jack Christian, the Black Centipede and Vionna Valis. So, whichever one I’m writing as, I “get into character,” so to speak, and then just take it wherever it goes. The characters then develop through these extended glimpses into their minds, or, for characters that are important but do not narrate, through their interactions with the characters that do.

AP: What’s coming from Chuck Miller? Any projects you want to discuss? Publications?

CM: Right now, I’m working on something for Pro Se. “Pulp Friction” is a story about the Black Centipede’s earliest days as a crimefighter in Zenith, and deals with some of the trials and tribulations he experienced while establishing himself. It’s set in 1933, six years after the events in “Forty Whacks,” and the “real world” guest-stars include William Randolph Hearst, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and Frank Nitti, among others. We also get some insight into three of the Black Centipede’s arch-enemies, “Bloody” Mary Jane Gallows, Doctor Almanac, and the Stiff. Hearst takes on the job of polishing up the Centipede’s public image, which our hero has tarnished through the use of excessive violence. The Centipede has a sort of troubling amorality at this stage of his career. One thing I want to explore with the series is the way in which his character develops between 1933 and 2011.

And just on my own, for Black Centipede Press, I’m working on the first Doctor Unknown Junior story. Doctor Dana Unknown is the daughter of the original superhero/sorcerer Doctor Unknown. The original Doctor has retired after a traumatic incident in which he accidentally destroyed the planet Earth. He and Dana were able to monkey with the time stream and erase the incident from history. Which was good, it had a happy ending, but the whole thing really took its toll on him, as you can imagine. Dana appeared in “The Optimist Book One,” and I thought she ought to have some adventures of her own. So I have teamed her up with Jack Christian (as her “Watson”), and we will soon learn the harrowing tale of “The Return of Little Precious.”

I’m also doing “The Journal of Bloody Mary Jane”, the inside scoop on the Black Centipede’s arch-enemy.

AP: Chuck, you’ve been awesome! Thanks!

CM: Thank you! I enjoyed it!

NINE FOR THE NEW spotlights KEVIN RODGERS

  • News
  • January 20, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

KEVIN RODGERS-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator

AP: Kevin, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

KR: I’ve been writing stories since I was 6 years old. I remember when my parents let me use their typewriter. I created a series called “The Ancient Tomb”. Each episode would end with a cliff-hanger that would be resolved in the next installment. I included a synopsis and front cover art work for each one. I’d distribute them to my grandparents and other relatives. It was fun! Over the years, my stories got longer and more complicated. I’m 39 years old now, and I can still remember writing “The Ancient Tomb” stories and realizing just how much I enjoyed writing.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

KR: I enjoy writing fantasy and dark fiction, or horror. Some of my work contains science fiction elements. As a boy, I was fascinated by “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. A 1978 miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel, ‘Salem’s Lot, also left a lasting impression on me. I’ve always been a big fan of comic books as well, and “The Green Lantern” is still at the top of the list in that category. I was always amazed by how such enormous powers could be contained in a ring! In the last few years, I’ve become intrigued by the work of Arthur Machen and H.P. Lovecraft.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

KR: I’d say I’m most intimidated by mysteries, due to the fact that I haven’t tried it much. I gave it a try with a story called “Tomahawk Mountain”, which I recently submitted to Pro Se Productions. I hope I did a good job! But until I get more comfortable with that genre, I think mysteries will intimidate me the most.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

KR: As mentioned earlier, I’m a big fan of comic books, specifically “The Green Lantern”. I love the fast-paced action and the outlandish situations! I think the original “Star Wars” trilogy and the “Indiana Jones” films also got me hooked on action and adventure. Another film that resonates with me is the original “Batman” movie with Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, and Michael Keaton.


AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

KR: I want my stories to resonate after the final page has been turned. I try to keep the stories fast-paced and free-flowing, which I think is an important element of pulp. I want to place my characters in bizarre situations that will leave the reader wondering: “What would I have done in that situation?”

AP: Your work has been published recently with PRO SE PRODUCTIONS in their various magazines. First, tell us about HELLHOUND, both about the story and what inspired you?

KR: At the facility where I’m employed, there is an officer tower. There are rumors that strange things happen on the sixth floor of the tower (unexplained footsteps, odd music, and radios that turn on without warning). After hearing some of these rumors, I had a nightmare in which I stepped off an elevator, became paralyzed, and felt electricity flowing through my body. I woke up, jotted notes on a piece of paper, and finished “Hellhound” two days later. Many of my ideas come from dreams, but none have ever been as vivid and disturbing as the one that resulted in “Hellhound”.

AP: You wrote an interestingly titled tale that was published recently by PRO SE. What can you tell our readers about DEMOLITION?

KR: “Demolition” resulted from a much shorter dream, which involved a recurring image of a wall in a basement…that was infested by a swarm of insects. Before I had this dream, I’d been brainstorming about having a character trapped in the basement of a house while it was being demolished. I decided to incorporate the insect wall into that idea…and then it only took me three days to finish the story. Originally, I wanted the title to be “Wrecking Ball”, but I changed it at the last moment.

AP: What is your creative process as far as creating a story and writing? What techniques or steps do you take?

KR: Sometimes I like to go all out and create an outline and synopsis before I get started. But lately, I’ve just been pulling up MicroSoft word on my computer and going with the flow. I think I’m learning that making a story so structured and pre-planned isn’t always best…because being spontaneous allows the story to grow on its own. And I always have to listen to music when I write. Sometimes it’s Beethoven and sometimes it’s Three Days Grace. I was jamming to Nine Inch Nails when I wrote “Demolition”.

AP: What’s coming from Kevin Rodgers? Any projects you want to discuss?

KR: I recently submitted two of my stories, “The Citadel of the New Moon” and “Tomahawk Mountain”, to Pro Se Productions. Hopefully they’ll appear in the months to come! I reworked a couple of old, unpublished stories and submitted them to Dark Valentine Magazine and Weird Tales Magazine. I’m working on a few projects that I hope to complete soon and submit to Pro Se Productions. At the same time, I am polishing and editing a huge novel (900 manuscript pages) that will hopefully generate some interest!

AP: Kevin, it’s been a pleasure!

MOONSTONE MONDAY-THE GREEN HORNET!!!

  • News
  • January 17, 2011

As most readers of ALL PULP know, THE GREEN HORNET, a film starring Seth Rogen as the title character, debuted this past weekend.  Although Moonstone had nothing to do directly with the film itself, most of you also know of the fine body of work Moonstone has produced concerning The Green Hornet, most notably the extremely well done prose adventures done by the top modern writers of today!  Due to that connection, ALL PULP is going to run Three pieces concerning the movie.  Two are reviews, one from each end of the spectrum, and then the third is from a contingent that most movies don’t have-Those who refuse to see the movie based on certain principles.   Then to wrap up this coverage of The Green Hornet, a very special added addition will be a full length Green Hornet tale from one of Moonstone’s collections (More on that to come)!

So, for now..let’s go with a review from guest reviewer Adam Garcia…

THE GREEN HORNET
Guest Review by Adam L. Garcia
Art by Ruben Procopio
This is not your father’s Green Hornet, nor it is your grandfather’s.
And that is not a bad thing.
There had been a lot of negativity around this film from the pulp community, which has been wholly disheartening and something that I have not so subtly fought against, and has made me a bit of a pariah. It’s no secret I’ve been anticipating this film, being a fan of the Green Hornet, Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry, this film was unexpected combination that promised a unique take on the character. But many in the pulp community ballyhooed every aspect of this film, angry that this interpretation of the character didn’t match their vision—which perhaps is part of the reason I was so excited for it. I won’t go too deep into my belief that pulp characters need to break free of their arguably simplistic characterization, which at times feel more like a conglomerations of character traits than actual characters, nor will I discuss my desire to see the genre as a whole updated for a modern audience, there’ll be another time for that, but for now let’s focus on the Green Hornet.
Having watched the original Green Hornet TV show and serials when I was kid (thanks to my father’s massive collection of serials) and most recently before the film’s release, I couldn’t get past how two-dimensional Britt Reid was. Sure, Van Williams played him great and treated the role seriously, but ultimately there was nothing about the character that made him stand out; as character he had as much depth as a cardboard cut out. Sure, it worked great in the show, but for all the praise washed onto the show I couldn’t help but be disappointed, because for all his heroics he never had a reason why Maybe I’m missing an episode or maybe I’m forgetting an important face, or maybe it’s because I grew up reading/watching characters like Spider-man and Batman, whose reasons for being heroes were born out of a single moment that defined them, but for me as a audience and as a writer the whole concept of a “hero for hero’s sake” just doesn’t cut it. There’s need to be something more.
The Green Hornet, for the first time I’ve seen, tries to approach perhaps the big plot hole with these sort of characters: Why would a millionaire playboy choose to risk his life for the greater good? When first meet Britt Reid as an adult, he is boorish and selfish, more interested in parties and women than any higher purpose. In many ways he’s a poor man’s Tony Stark, which gives him a story arc that allows him to grow into a hero. Yes, much of this growth is done for comedic effect, but it’s funny not because it’s campy, but because it’s a normal human being in way over his head. (Sidenote: The 60s TV show is incredibly campy by today’s standards. Holding paintings for a million dollar ransom while you have a multimillion-dollar laser at your disposal? Dr. Evil had more plausible plans.) Which is part of the reason why I loved this film. At the center of it is a goofy lay-about millionaire playboy, who over the course of the film becomes the hero he wants to be. Yes, he begins his heroics after an act of vandalism gone bad, but what was initially another activity for an idle mind becomes a pursuit of justice that is ultimately more legitimate than some vague sense of justice, even if the real hero is Kato.
The decision to make Kato “the power behind the mask” is an inspired one and works well with the Green Hornet’s central concept of deception as a means for heroics. Britt Reid works to save the city by pretending to be a villain; so while everyone’s eyes are on the Green Hornet, Kato is able to use his strength and guile to save the day. Jay Chou isn’t Bruce Lee—then again who is?—but his Kato is pretty damn great, and for those of my generation out perception of the Green Hornet has always been “that show with Bruce Lee… and the other guy.” In many ways, this film is how my generation vaguely views the two characters. Ask most kids and they would think Kato was the brains and the brawn; the Green Hornet was the façade.
Plus Kato vision is fantastic.
But what really make this film work is the relationship between Britt and Kato. Their friendship—really their brotherly love for one another—drives the story forward. They bond over their love-hate relationship with James Reid, their directionless life and waste of potential. It is through each other that they not only discover crime fighting, but also the best of themselves. They are competitive, each fighting for the affection of the miscast Cameron Diaz, each trying to prove to other who is the real hero, but at the end of the film realize they would be nothing without each other. Kato does not exist with Green Hornet and vice versa. Because the filmmakers understood this, they made a superhero film that chucks away the idea of hero and sidekick and is instead a story of a superhero partnership.
I promised I’d keep this review as objective as possible so let’s talk about what didn’t work. Oftentimes there are scenes that simply don’t work, that are either superfluous or awkwardly written. Case in point is the opening scene with young Britt Reid and his father. Christoph Waltz’s Chudnofsky is a halfway decent villain that is either underutilized or poorly drawn, I’m still not sure which. At times the editing can be a little too frenetic, though this Gondry’s style. However these elements are easily ignored as the story comes together nicely at the end, making for an origin of a modern pulp hero that is earned and true to these versions of the character. Is this film perfect? Lord no. There are narrative bumps, odd transitions and more than one groan inducing piece of dialogue, but as a whole, it is a fun film.
Purists will refuse to see The Green Hornet, and will most likely be upset by this review (I’m almost certain to have enraged them with some of my earlier comments, but these are my views, and much as I respect their point of view, I humbly ask they respect mine). I urge you to see with movie with an open mind, remember, this is a licensed character open to interpretation and adaptation.



gh21-9144016
Cover by Ruben Procopio



Most importantly, this movie is fun; something so many pulp fans have argued these sort of films should be. I cannot tell you how many times my dad, in all his 67 years, would turn to me and say: “That’s so cool! This is awesome!” When asked him what he would rate the film he said: “three and half stars, I would recommend this to everybody.”
And while I know this film isn’t for everybody I can safely say this is my generation’s Green Hornet and I wouldn’t be too surprised to see more than a few Green Hornets and Katos running around this Halloween.
Which is pretty flippin’ cool.

PULP ARK WEEKEND-GUEST INTERVIEW WITH MARK HALEGUA

  • News
  • January 14, 2011

PULP ARK GUEST PREVIEW INTERVIEW

PULP ARK has a host of guests planning to attend in May.  ALL PULP will be posting interviews of some of these guests throughout ALL PULP WEEKEND, some of them interviewed for the first time time here, others interviewed specifically about their part in PULP ARK!  To kick this off, we have…

Mark Halegua-Collector/Writer/Entrepulpneur

AP: Mark, its really great of you to take time out to sit down with ALL PULP! First, tell us a little about yourself?
 

MH:OK, I live alone, except for my pet Sun Conure, Apollo, in Queens County NYC. Born in Alaska, came to NYC when 1 year old. Love to read, and generally prefer SF and fantasy, action/adventure (what some might refer to as new pulp like the Destroyer, Gunsmith, and others), and collect comic books. My favorite comic characters are Green Lantern, the Batman, Flash and mostly DC comics, used to have a complete set of Batman, golden age to current. Sold off a lot of the early issues. Like SF and action/adventure TV.

AP: Your involvement in Pulp is from a few different angles.
We’ll get into them, but can you give an overview of what you have done/do/are doing that relates to the field of Pulp?

MH: Well, I collect pulps, I’ve organized the Gotham Pulp Collectors Club, which meets once a month, I sell digital pulp cover images in sets from my big DVD with over 23,000 images to smaller CD genre sets for westerns, Detective and Mystery, Hero and Villain, Anthology titles, Air and War, and others to come., and I write pulp stories of which I’ll write more later.

AP: You are the organizer/driving force behind Gotham Pulp Collectors. What is the purpose of this group? Is there an overall mission or is this simply a gathering of enthusiasts?

MH: I guess you could say getting pulp fans is the mission. NYC and the metropolitan/Gotham area has a lot of collectors and we meet once a month, the 2nd Saturday, to share our common affliction um, hobby. For anyone interested they can go to the gothampulpcollectors.com web site.

When we get together we talk about old pulps, we sometimes have a show and tell showing our new acquisitions, we talk about pulp adaptations in film, radio, comics, and what ever other media. One of our members, Ed Hulse, is a film and serial aficionado and the Windy City film expert, playing pulp related films during the convention. Another, Chris Kalb maintains a couple of web sites on the Spider and other pulp heroes. He’s also involved in pulp reprints called Age of Aces and did the reprint of the Spider versus the Black Police. Robert Lesser collects pulp cover original art, has written some books on that subject. David Saunders is the son of pulp artist Norman Saunders, a pulp art historian (written books on his father and H. J. Ward). We have other members as well.

We sometimes play pulp related movies, TV, and radio. We don’t charge to attend or be a member. We just share a common insanity … er … like for pulps.
　
AP: Do you think organizing pulp fandom as you have with the Collectors and through other ways, like fanzines, blogs, etc. is important to the existence and future of pulp? If so, why?

MH: I haven’t done anything in fanzines or blogs other in response to the yahoo groups I’m part of, PulpMags and others. I did create a Google group for pulp collectors, but, since PulpMags already existed, I really haven’t done anything with it. One of the purposes of the GPCC is to try and get younger people involved in the hobby. It’s been a (very little) successful in that. Most pulp magazine collectors are in their late 40s and later. I do know of a very few younger, a couple attend the meeting (Chris Kalb is one)

AP: You show a definite interest in pulps, covers especially. So much so that you’ve turned it into a business, Pulps 1st. A couple of questions about this. What is it about pulp covers that draws you and others as fans?
MH: I wouldn’t say I’m interested in covers particularly. I do like them. Frankly, my main interest is reading them. How I accumulated the images is interesting. Initially I did it for recognition purposes. I wanted to know what the covers I wanted looked like so I’d recognize them at conventions.

One day I wondered how many covers I’d gotten from the and other places. I had over 5,000! I thought to myself others might want to see them as well, and PulpCon was coming up in a few months, perhaps I could sell CDs of the images there. I’d already take tables at PulpCon in the past to sell pulp cover t-shirts. There are issues with doing that, so I wanted to change what to sell.

In the next few months before the convention I collected another 6,000 images, put together a disk, made my own cover for the disk, and went to the con. I sold 20 disks for $50 each. There was obviously a market for it.

Over the years I continued getting images and improving on images I already had. The current DVD now has over 23,000 images, including complete sets of Doc Savage, Shadow, Phantom Detective, and others and long runs of other titles (over 1,500 Argosy, nearly complete Weird Tales), this disk is the Pulp Image Library version 7. A few years after my first disk people started asking for single genre disks. They didn’t collect everything, only Western titles, or hero, or … well you get the idea. So, I’ve been adding them to the mix.

The market isn’t as big now. Anyone who has wanted a disk has one, so I don’t sell that many at conventions anymore.

Now, the question is, who has bought them? Well, artists, pulp collectors, people who like good cover art.
If anyone is interested, http://pulps1st.com. It needs updating, but they can enquire what I have for sale.
One thing I have done is add images scanned from my collection. Those are generally scanned at 150 and 300 DPI. I’d like to replace all my images with this kind of resolution, but I don’t own more than a couple three thousand pulps.

AP: What goes into turning an interest in pulp covers into a business? Is there a market for this and if so, who/what is it?

MH: I think I answered this above. There is a market, but it’s not a big one. I do all the work myself, from the DVD/CD covers to manufacturing the disks. One thing, I generally make enough money selling the disks and pulp mags I sell at my table to pay for the table and travel.

AP: You are a collector. Do you collect pulps in general or do you have a genre or character(s) you prefer? What draws you to the particular favorites you have?

MH:I started off collecting mostly hero and SF. I have widened my scope and have pulps in all genres. I started collecting Thrilling Western because the early covers were just beautiful. Ed Hulse got me more interested in Blue Book and Adventure (I’d already had some Argosy because of Zorro, Johnston McCulley, and Ray Cummings), and Earle Stanley Gardner stories got me into Detective Fiction Weekly. I love his Lester Lieth stories in particular, and pretty much anything he has written.

I also have, limited, samples of romance, sports, and railroad pulps.

AP: You are a creator and writer as well and have an original pulp character appearing soon. Just who/what is The Red Badge?

MH:Red Badge was born in tragedy and rage. A young woman was raped and beaten and left for dead. Someone didn’t like that. In the first story, Red Badge Attacks, he goes after one particular gang in a mid-western city (Central City) and. Like the Spider and Shadow) kills them. Unlike those two he also aims to cripple, shooting or knifing some of the gang in the joints. He wants the thugs to fear him more for the crippling than the killing.

The setting is the mid-1930s, a rather lawless time, where there are corrupt politicians and police.

This first story is scheduled for Airship 27’s Mystery Men and Women, vol 2, coming out sometime in mid year.

After submitting my bible for the characters and a short story, Ron Fortier asked me to add 10,000 words, which I did, and then Andrew Salmon helped me put a shine on it.

The mystery of the story is not what Red Badge or who he’s after is. The mystery is who is he behind the mask.

If you want to see one interpretation of how he looks, go to http://red-badge.com/
AP: When creating a character that you want to be considered pulp, what goes into that, sort of like ingredients? What does a good modern pulp character need to have to be good and pulpy?

MH:Writing in a pulp style is interesting. It’s getting to the action quickly, not getting verbose and flowery. I’ve heard some say it’s a punch in the nose.

You want action! You want the protagonists to get in each other’s face and duke it out! It’s like a heavy weight prize fight with the fighters going toe-to-toe and trading punches! You do want a good story and plot, but action drives the story.

I think that comes out in the two pulp stories I’ve completed, the Red Badge, published later this year, and a story I wrote for Christmas and put on the group for pulp writers and artists thepulpfactory. This story, titled the Night Before Christmas, was also published here on All Pulp. It’s about Santa Claus as a crime fighter on Christmas Eve.

I’m working on a second Red Badge story, a Secret Agent X story, and a couple of other characters I’m creating, one called Crescent Moon and the other … well, I’m deciding between two names for him. Stay tuned.   

AP: Pulp lately seems to be divided into three camps-The Purists who want new pulp to pretty much be in the vein of the classic pulps and for original pulp characters to be treated with respect and their original directions maintained…The Modernists who want to bring in new themes, take characters different directions, and explore broader horizons through the venue of pulp…Then there’s those who don’t really fit either category or waffle back and forth. Where do you fall and why?

MH:In most ways I’m a purist, however, I don’t agree with your concept of three adversarial camps. What I don’t like is people making radical changes to characters. For example, what DC has been doing to Doc Savage and the Avenger. First, they exist in some unidentifiable time period that includes jets, cell phones, TVs, autogyros, zeppelins, and such.

Next, they have people call the Avenger, Richard Henry Benson, Benny? And have Josh Newton be an inveterate gambler, owing big money to bookies, with his hair in cornrows?

These show a lack of respect for the characters.

In trying to integrate this indiscriminate time period with some of the rest of the DC universe, Doc Savage and Batman are teamed. Batman has and uses guns (I know Batman used guns in his first year, 1939, but since then he doesn’t and abhors them. You’re going to forget 70 years of a character for one year most people don’t remember or know about?).

Plus, the story was lame, vanilla, and plot-less. It just seemed like a vehicle, a bad one, to get these two together. It made no use of the things they have in common (and they do have things in common) or the things which are totally different about them.

To fix this, at least for myself, I wrote a comic script teaming them and, did exactly what DC didn’t do. The story is available for pulpfactory members in the files section.

Moonstone seems to be following a similar path. I’ve only just read the semi-graphic novel teaming Black Bat, the Phantom (Detective), Domino Lady, Secret Agent X, and G-8, and I wasn’t impressed. I’d like to see at least one issue of the individual characters before I continue further.

To get to the question posed, I do like new stories about the old pulp characters. But radical changes no. I don’t want my pulp characters gaining super powers. There were only 3 such published– 4 if you count Captain Hazard and his telepathy – in the Black Bat being able to see in the dark, even when there was no light; Richard Henry Benson – The Avenger – when he could manipulate his face; Captain Zero, who could uncontrollably turn invisible (from midnight to 7AM).

I’m not including real magic.

And I don’t want their personalities to radically change either, or at least not without a period of time for it to happen.

But, I can see making gradual changes, with good reasons.

I’m not a fan of giving the Black Bat a costume, for example. He wore a business suit with a cowl (to hide his facial scars) and his ribbed cape (those stories need be before he was given a dog by Lt. McGrath). His guns were in shoulder holsters.

There’s enough good characters out there with good back stories radical changes are unnecessary. Use what’s given. There’s a lot given.

AP: What’s coming up on all fronts pulp wise for you?

MH: What I’ve just expounded on isn’t enough?

My real job is as a Computer Consultant or Information Technologist (no, I’m not related to cousin It!). I try to keep up with technology and install and maintain it for small business and home users in New York.
That’s how I integrated my love for pulps and pulp covers into selling the disks. I combined my knowledge of one with my passion for the other.

I’m scheduled to attend the Windy City convention in April, Pulp Ark in May, and PulpFest in July.

I might come up with an update for vol 8 of my Pulp Image Library DVD and one or more of the genre CDs.

And I hope to have more pulp stories finished and published.

Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it.

AP: Mark, thanks for dropping by!

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