Tagged: Christmas

A Doctor a Day – “Aliens of London / World War Three”

Using the new Doctor Who Limited Edition Gift Set, your noble author will make his way through as much of the modern series as he can before the Christmas episode, The Snowmen. And thank you all for wearing your ID cards…

Rose has let time get away from her a bit, but once that’s sorted, she and The Doctor have come back just in time for the…

ALIENS OF LONDON / WORLD WAR THREE
by Russell T Davies
Directed by Keith Boak

“Harriet Jones, MP, Flydale North“

Rose returns home after a brief time away…no, sorry check that; she’s come back a year after she left, relative to the current timeline. So after a great deal of explanation to friends and family as to where she’s been, she ruminates about the things she’s seen on her roof, how nobody else knows about what she knows…until the giant alien spaceship comes careening through the skies over London and into the Thames.  Unable to make it past the police blockades in central, they watch the events on the TV.

tumblr_m73r9r9f1d1qfe17ro1_1280-1703069Inside Number Ten, the Prime Minister is missing, and a minor back-bencher, in a staggering coincidence, is the highest-ranking politician in the city, and is named acting PM.  A little TOO coincidental – as soon as he and a couple of civil servants are alone in the PM’s conference room, they begin to laugh with the confidence that a plan has come together. The spaceship, and the alien within, are all a dodge to place these three people in power.  They are members of a race called the Slitheen, who are packed into the skins of the now deceased politicos like Wonder Wart-Hog into his Philbert Desanex suit.  They plan to panic the planet into releasing nuclear hell, wiping everyone out, and sell off radioactive chunks like a galactic Odd-Lot.  The Doctor needs the help of Jackie and Mickey to do the only thing that can be done to eliminate the threat – blow up Number Ten.

This is the first two-parter  of the new series, and the end of the first episode is a perfect old-school cliffhanger, with every member of the cast in peril in separate locations.  This also gives the impression there’s more than a couple Slitheen suits, as well.  Even now, the subtle art of sleight of hand can stretch a dollar.

As he did with the Nestene, The Doctor offers the Slitheen a chance to walk away.  We see that happen quite a bit in the new series; like Sun-Tzu said, do everything you can to prevent going to war, but when you have to, go in hard and fast, with intent to win. Odds are The Doctor helped co-write that book.

Once again, the collection of recurring characters grows.  Penelope Wilton brings us the spectacular Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North, who will move on to great things in a very short period of time.  And another member of the Torchwood crew makes an appearance; Toshiko Sato, seen here as the coroner examining (and running from) the little alien.  The Slitheen themselves became recurring characters – they’ll return later this season, as well as more than a couple times on The Sarah Jane Adventures.  One recurring actor, Lachele Carl, is almost unnoticed, but she’s the only one to appear as a named character on all three Who series. The American newsreader she plays doesn’t even get a name in this adventure, but does eventually – Trinity Wells.  She appears every time news about aliens is reported from the US in future episodes throughout the Davies run of the show.

There’s an extra on the DVD that talks about the miniature work used to get the shot of the ship crashing through Big Ben.  After the shot was completed with the LEFT wing of the ship tearing through the clock, the CGI team realized it looked better with the RIGHT wing going through.  So the miniature shot was flipped, but not corrected – if you look quickly, you’ll see the number on the clock faces are reversed.

Re-watching the Eccletson season, I’m struck as how much more realistic the world feels.  The look on everyone’s faces as an alien ship crashed in their midst is that of not horror, but mild inconvenience.  Jackie’s reaction to Rose’s prodigal return is honest and angry. The series of shots as a progressively larger number of people fill up Rose and Jackie’s flat, more there to scold Rose than to see the events on the telly are hilarious. And at the same time, he shoehorns in the fact that uncontrollable flatulence is a tell for a Slitheen.  The balance of the serious and the silly is expertly done. Moffat’s interpretation of the world is much broader, more tongue in cheek,  Not better or worse, just different.  Similarly, each of The Doctor’s companions had family, as I’ve mentioned before.  Amy didn’t – no parents, just a mysterious aunt who never even appeared on screen.  This allowed the trips they took to be less tied to home.  When they brought Rory into the narrative in a larger way, he joined the crew, resulting in no substantive reason to pop back to Earth for a while.  Only in the first half of the season did we meet Rory’s Dad, and we learned that their visiting times on Earth were few and far between.

If anything, I think the more serious (relatively speaking) take Davies took in his years gave Steven the freedom go go bigger in his run of the show.  If they’d started that big, it might not have caught on.  It certainly looks like the back half of the new series will take a more serious turn, as the last couple of episode certainly did, but we’ll see how much of a balance Moffat can keep.

HANCOCK TIPS HIS HAT TO ‘SUPERHEROES VS. ZOMBIES’

  • News
  • October 22, 2012

Tippin’ Hancock’s Hat- Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
SUPERHEROES VS ZOMBIES
By Various
Edited by Eric S. Brown and Anthony Giangregorio
Published by Living Dead Press, 2011
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I have said this many times before and will hold this as a standard of my interest in Pulp for years to come.  Although it was not called such back in the days of the Classic Pulps and had just started its long life then, the phenomenon known as the genre mash up I think has blossomed full grown in today’s society and is a major part of New Pulp!  Seeing how writers masterfully weave two apparently disparate genres into one cohesive, knock your socks off collection always thrills me.
Except when it doesn’t.  At least not completely.
SUPERHEROES VS. ZOMBIES is a collection that mashes two things together that I feel passionately about.  One genre I am absolutely enthralled with and makes me feel like a little kid every time I read something from it.  And another that makes the bile rise in my mouth like a Baptist preacher griping because Christmas has become over commercialized and there’s just too much fat old man.  Except in this case, the fat old men are dead bodies that just won’t stay down.  Yeah, Walking Dead Fanatics, I’m not one of you.
These two genres have similarities most definitely, but at their root, there is one major difference.  Despite all of the post modern takes on the mask and cape crowd, the essence of Superheroes for me at least is that there is always one thing- The Hope that Good will overcome Evil in whatever form it takes.  Yeah, call me corny and retro or whatever, but it’s why I read comics as a kid and why I still thrill to the antics of masked types today.  Because, even in the darkest hours, they are the tiny bit that might make the difference.
Zombie stories, on the other hand, though having some of the trappings of Good overcoming Evil, tend to be more about how the World is Hell and no one’s getting out alive, except the already dead.  There’s a sense of dread, of hopeless, even in the victories.  And lately authors have gotten divided on just who should win in the end, the useless living or the rotting dead.  ‘
SUPERHEROES VS. ZOMBIES is a mix of mismatch.  The stories that fail to engage me, some of them even outright disgusting me both for content and lack of ability to blend the genres well, sadly outnumber the tales that overcome the inherent problem in blending these two.   But let’s focus on the positive.
M by Alan Spencer, Zomcomm by E. M. Maccallum, Whiz Bang by Terry Alexander, and The Heart of Heroism by Rebecca Besser are definite jewels in this book.  They portray the horror of being in a zombie-infested wasteland and balance it with the horror of being a hero, perhaps the only one in this landscape.  And don’t get me wrong; these tales don’t all end with the Zombie menace forever squashed.  What they do is balance the best parts of both genres extremely well.
Two other stories do this excellently as well, but in a very twisted way.  The Last Superhero by Anthony Giangregorio and The Detective by Kelly M. Hudson each take a well-known super hero archetype and turn it on its edge in the land of the Zombie.   Even with the way these two turn out, the basic tenets of what a Hero tries to do remains strong throughout the tale.
The others, some get close, some miss the mark for me completely.
THREE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT- If you could get the aforementioned stories as eBook singles, I’d definitely recommend them.

Dennis O’Neil’s Autumnal Time Warp

The sunshine is warm, but the air carries a tiny bite of chill. The trees are still green, except for a pioneering dogwood in the front yard, which is in the process of color changing. And our teacher friends are back at work. So is fall about to glorify the geography? Indeed.

What are we waiting for? Bundle the crowd into the car and let’s go down to he Chevy dealer’s to inspect next year’s models and after that we can go to the Ford dealer and we’ll still have time to visit the Chrysler showroom before supper. Then maybe we can stop at the soda fountain for a malt and wonder if the St. Louis Browns will ever climb out of the American League cellar…

Oooops. Time warp. I’ve been revisiting my childhood. The debut of new cars is no big event, not anymore. Oh, savvy shoppers may be aware that September is a good month to hunt the elusive bargain, but there’s not much hoopla attached to auto shopping, no balloons, no clowns, no big red signs. (The Edsel Is Here!!!) New sleds are just something that happens.

Same with television. Sure, (like a lot of you?) I scan the TV listings and make a mental note of premiers of shows I might want to sample. If we again time warp, we’ll see an era when the three networks (not counting the occasional wannabe) presented their wares pretty much simultaneously in early autumn like the car guys, and it was pretty darn stimulating to meet the folks who would keep is entertained while the snow fell. But with the coming of King Cable, shows pop up throughout the year, and some of our favorites are limited series that run in the summer. (Has anything recent been better than Newsroom?)

In the land of comics, back when comics cost maybe fifteen cents, the big moments tended to be in early summer when the oversize publications known as “annuals” graced the newsstands because, the wisdom went, readers weren’t busy during the warm months and had more time, and maybe more disposable income, for the funny books. At summer’s end, well… we got the things out and expected a slight dip in circulation. Later, when hardcover graphic novels became a factor, we had to have them almost done by September because, again nodding to conventional wisdom, we had to have the in stores by Thanksgiving to catch customers who might want them for Christmas gifts. If they weren’t ready for the printer by October, trouble was looming. In any case, autumn equaled doldrums.

I’d better quit blathering because I’ve got to get this to Mike so I can free the evening for television watching and… wait! What’s this? An unfamiliar vehicle in my driveway? What has that wife of mine been up to?

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: When Mike Gold and I initiated the Recommended Reading feature in The Question, lo those many years ago, most of my good information came from books. That’s less true now. So instead of recommending a book, let me direct you to a movie which you can rent from Netflix: Carbon Nation. Everyone should see this.

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases and Living Better in Reality

Shout! Factory brings ULTRASEVEN to US DVD

  • News
  • September 16, 2012

HenshinJustice.com reports that Shout Factory will release the second series in the legendary Ultraman franchise, Ultraseven on DVD in time for Christmas.

The eponymous hero, from The Land Of Light in the mysterious Nebula M-78, visits Earth and is fascinated by its creatures, especially humans. Taking the visage of a man he saved from a climbing accident, he pledges himself to protecting the world from various aliens and monsters that plague it.  Taking the name “Dan Moroboshi”, he works with the human military force the Ultra Garrison, and unbeknownst to them, fights the monsters hand-to-hand in his giant form.

The series, the first of many sequels to Ultraman, was first broadcast in Japan in 1967.  Ted Turner’s syndication company originally planned to dub the series into English back in 1985, the project was not completed and broadcast until 1994 on their cable channel TNT.  Not all episodes were completed, and while the adaptation was fairly well done and not “camped up” in any way, there were some edits to some episodes for tone and violence. One episode, “Crystallized Corpuscles” was banned entirely, and never broadcast.

At this date, it’s not been specified if the episodes will be the uncut Japanese originals, or if they will feature English subtitles or the TNT dubbed soundtrack.  Watch this proverbial space for more detail.

Amazon has already listed the set (ahead of Shout’s official announcement) as being released December 11th, with a price of $34.98, already nicely discounted from its list price of $49.97.

It’s My Birthday…

  • News
  • February 8, 2012

..but you guys are the ones who get the present. For one day only, February 8th, you can get an original Dillon adventure for free.  That’s right, I said free and I meant free.  The background behind DILLON AND THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS can be found here and it’ll explain why you’re getting a Christmas story in February.
Or you could just skip all that yakkity yak and bounce on over to Smashwords and just download the story for your Kindle, your Nook, your computer, your whatever.  You can find it here
I did mention it was free, right?

THE LATEST FROM PULP EMPIRE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY TODAY!

  • News
  • December 21, 2011
Heroes & Heretics now available for e-reader devices
December 20, 2011

Pulp Empire (http://www.pulpempire.com) is proud to announce that our next print anthology Heroes & Heretics is now available for purchase on all digital devices. The new book features 19 stories by a bevy of new and returning Pulp Empire authors. Almost every pulp genre is covered from Milo James Fowler’s western “Fool’s Gold” to Jack Mulcahy’s sword & sorcery saga “Into the Demesne of Dhuada”.

While a print edition will be available within the next few weeks, this is a great chance to get over 300 pages of new pulp storytelling just before Christmas. For the low, low price of $2.99, readers can experience Dixon Hill’s “Blazing Troubles” or Timothy Miller’s dark “The Devil Within”. With Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s gift services, it makes a great last minute gift for any e-reader owner.
Pick up your copy at the link’s below:
Pulp Empire is a subsidiary of Metahuman Press, a publisher of new super powered and pulp fiction. For more details on Metahuman Press and its line of print and electronic books, please visit http://www.metahumanpress.com.

The Point Radio: Backstage At COVERT AFFAIRS

That old Technical Boogey Man took us out of theme on Friday, but we’re back today with plenty to share including more backstage dish from USA Network‘s COVERT AFFAIRS. For example, how Chris Gorman trained to be “blind”, how Piper Peabo speaks all those languages and why the producers can’t seem to plan ahead. Plus those WATCHMEN 2 rumors and an early Christmas gift for FRINGE fans.

The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

NEW DOC AUDIO BOOK, MORE PULP BOOK GOODNESS, HARRY LIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! ALL AT RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • November 25, 2011
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November 25, 2011

The Treasure Chest overflows at Christmastime! It’s busting at the seams with DVDs! Radio Archives has put all of our DVDs in the chest and priced at a 50% discount! Just in time for the Holidays!
 
Dig deep into our Treasure Chest Today! Many of these great DVDs will sell out quickly at this tremendous discount! When they’re gone, they’re gone! Thrill to vintage movies starring classic Hollywood stars! Enjoy classic Television Programs! Give the gift of memories of yesteryear this Holiday Season!
 
 
We have two very special items in the Treasure Chest waiting for you!
 
‘A Classic Christmas’ with Ed Sullivan on DVD for only 99 cents and the Famous Guest Stars two hour CD set for only Ten Cents. There’s enough of these two products for everyone to enjoy them this Holiday Season.
 
Merry Christmas from Radio Archives!
 
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NEW Radio Set: The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 4
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Zither music. A gun shot. And a haunting baritone voice. “That was the shot that killed Harry Lime. He died in a sewer beneath Vienna, as those of you know who saw the movie “The Third Man”. Yes, that was the end of Harry Lime – but it was not the beginning. Harry Lime had many lives – and I can recount all of them. How do I know? Very simple: because my name is Harry Lime.” This opening, considered one of the classic introductions of old time radio, along with the exquisite talent of Orson Welles makes The Lives of Harry Lime one of the richest, most intriguing programs ever produced in Radio’s heyday.
 
Orson Welles played Harry Lime in the 1949 film The Third Man and in The Lives of Harry Lime. Welles had a unique and distinctive talent for radio; he had learned a great deal about dramatic production during his time as “The Shadow” in the 1930s and while creating and starring in “The Mercury Theatre on the Air” and “The Campbell Playhouse” and he brought many of radio’s production techniques to his films.
 
The character of Harry Lime is a somewhat difficult one to describe. Lime is a rogue, a scoundrel, and an opportunist – an amoral character whose main interest in life is making money and living well, no matter what underhanded activity is required. A criminal? Yes. A thief? Most certainly. And, of course, a man who is not to be trusted under any circumstances. But, for all of this, Harry Lime is a fascinating character that listeners have always found undeniably attractive – an anti-hero whose life, in some ways, bears a close resemblance to that of Welles himself, who was not above a bit of chicanery or performing a disappearing act to avoid responsibility. Harry is, above all, a survivor – and, to his credit, he has a habit of taking advantage of those who would readily be taking advantage of him if they had the chance.
 
In this final volume from Radio Archives, all of the nuances in the programs can be heard in sparkling high fidelity sound – an important consideration for a program chock full of plot details, overlapping conversations, and multi-layered sound patterns. The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 4 is the perfect closing chapter for a classic program that deserves exactly what it gave listeners-the best of everything. The five hour collection is $14.98 for the Audio CD version and $9.98 for the Digital Download version!
 
by Tommy Hancock
 

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Christmas is a time of many things. A time of remembering. A joyous celebration for children. And most definitely a time of tradition. Radio Archives brings you a timeless tale that is fondly remembered, speaks to children of all ages, and is a part of Christmas tradition in families all over the world. Looking for a Christmas adventure to enjoy with your family? Then look no further than Radio Archives’ The Complete Cinnamon Bear.
 
A 26 episode adventure that originally played six nights a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, The Cinnamon Bear relates the adventures of Judy and Jimmy, The Barton Twins, in Maybeland, a world they discover while hunting for decorations in their attic. On a hunt for the silver star to top their tree, the twins meet Paddy O’Cinnamon, the ‘Cinnamon Bear’. With shoe-button eyes and a growl that would make any bear envious, Paddy guides Judy and Jimmy through the fantastical realm of Maybeland in pursuit of their silver star. Along the way they confront the Crazy Quilt Dragon who has stolen the star as well as characters like Fe Fo The Giant, Captain Tin Top, Mr. Presto, and of course Santa Claus himself.
 
The Cinnamon Bear appeals to listeners of all ages. For some it will spark nostalgia of a simpler time, for others it carries hints of tales and stories they read as children, and for all, The Cinnamon Bear is an excellent example of what can be done with a good story in an audio format. Some of the best voices of the period participated in this program and that, combined with the wonderful musical score and the sparkling audio quality to which its been restored makes The Cinnamon Bear a must have. It’s available now for $20.98 on Audio CDs and $13.98 as a digital download.
 

 
And if you’re already a Cinnamon Bear fan and looking for great serials to add to your Christmastime collection, then Radio Archives has two other fantastic shows to offer! Jump Jump and the Ice Queen follows the adventures of an orphan named Tim determined to find Santa and make sure that he visits the orphanage. Lost in the woods, Tim encounters a three inch tall elf named Jump Jump, very appropriate indeed. The two set out on a quest to find Santa and save Christmas! Also available is Jonathan Thomas and His Christmas on the Moon. Elves on a moonbeam enter six year old Jonathan’s room, causing his teddy bear Guz to give chase. Jonathan follows right up the moonbeam after them and straight into a mission to save Santa Claus, held captive in the land of Squeebobble. Teaming up with the Man in the Moon and others, Jonathan races through one wild land after another trying to rescue Santa and save Christmas! Each collection is $17.98 on Audio CDs and $11.98 as a digital download.
 
Christmas is also of course a time of giving! Here’s a handful of Audio gems that would make great presents for your favorite audio fan!
 

Thrill to ten fantastic hours of the hard boiled adventures of ‘America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator,” in Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Volume 1 for $29.98 on Audio CDs and $19.98 for digital download!
 
Enjoy quality family entertainment and a slice of small town life with Dr. Christian only $17.98 on Audio CDs and $11.98 for digital download!
 
Cheer for a classic Comic strip character as he fights his way to success in and out of the boxing ring! Pick up Joe Palooka on CD for $14.98 or as a digital download for $9.98!
 
Ride into Yesteryear with one of the West’s best known heroes-It’s O’Henry’s frontier Robin Hood in The Cisco Kid, Volume 1! On CD for $29.98 and Digital download for $19.98!
 
Blast off this Holiday Season with classic Sci Fi Camp! Listen to great galactic adventures on The Planet Man, Volume 1, on CD for $29.98 and Digital download for $19.98!
 
Pack all these great Audio classics and more onto your sleigh this Christmas from Radio Archives!
 
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The Jade Ogre Is Doc Savage’s Epic Adventure
 
Will Murray’s monumental Doc Savage adventure The Jade Ogre is now available in a 12-hour audiobook from RadioArchives.com.
 
Based on an outline by Lester Dent, The Jade Ogre tells the story of one of Doc Savage’s most exciting and exotic adventures. Accompanied by his five aides, his cousin Pat Savage, and a cast of unique characters, Doc races to unlock the secret of the Jade Ogre, a fantastic Oriental villain who unleashes death in the form of disembodied flying arms, capable of disintegrating its victims in a flash of fire. But the lethal flying arms are merely the cover for a more deadly menace – the mysterious Jade Fever, which strikes down its victims with a deadly virus that turns its victims green as jade.
 
“In this tale of mistaken identity, Oriental mysticism, and high adventure, Doc faces one of his most formidable and mysterious foes,” says Producer/Director Roger Rittner. “More than 11 hours in length, this tale never flags in excitement, mystery, and thrills.”
 
As Will Murray says in his liner notes, “The Jade Ogre is my greatest pulp epic – a wild quest into the darkest heart of Asia to track a malevolent monster.”
 
Narrated by Michael McConnohie – whose previous Doc Savage audiobook, Python Isle, was an instant hit with listeners – Michael essays every role in the story with unerring vocal impressions that give life to Murray’s distinctive characters.
 
In addition to the 36-chapter story, the 12-CD set includes two bonus audio features: a continuation of Will Murray’s discussion of the creation of Doc Savage, and his memory of creating The Jade Ogre from Lester Dent’s notes, plus how Pat Savage has contributed to the Doc Savage canon.
 
Listen to a sample of The Jade Ogre. The Jade Ogre is available now from RadioArchives.com at $37.98 for the deluxe 12-CD set, or $25.98 for instant digital download.
 
 

Listeners are enthusiastic about Prince of the Red Looters, the first audiobook from RadioArchives.com featuring the pulp hero, The Spider.
 
Bobb Lynes writes:
“Listening to The Spider on audio is as close as you can get to the movie serial version … and you don’t have to use your eyes! Your production is as good as the serials, but with pulp ‘blood n’ guts’ thrown in.”
 
Eric Troup writes:
“The narration is perfect for the over-the-top style of The Spider. Nick Santa Maria sweeps you along in an adrenaline-filled, nonstop wave of action and suspense that simply does not let up until the end of the book. Robin Riker’s performance complements the narrative well.
 
“The sound effects made the production even more immersive, making me feel like I was watching a narrated movie. And the music! It put the final touch on my ‘movie-going’ experience. It sounded for all the world as if the sound were bouncing off the back wall of a theater. By the third chapter, I was popping popcorn and grabbing myself a soda, with my earbuds jammed into my ears all the while.
 
“This story has it all – sword fights, escapes, insurmountable odds, nail-biting suspense, unexpected twists, a superb villain, and so much more. This is an audiobook – as well as a great Spider story – that you simply can’t afford to miss!”
 
Prince of the Red Looters is available in an 6-CD deluxe set at just $19.98, or as a digital download at just $14.98.
 

 
Fans are flocking to RadioArchives.com to tune into to the audio tales of Doc Savage!

The full-cast NPR series The Adventures of Doc Savage continues to garner accolades from Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s. With a full cast of voice actors, and special scripting by Roger Rittner and Will Murray, The Adventures of Doc Savage is non-stop action in 13 exciting installments.

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In Python Isle, Doc Savage and his iron comrades race to untangle a weird puzzle so deep that the only clues can be found in the Bible! Written by Will Murray and produced and directed by Roger Rittner, Python Isle features dramatic narration by Michael McConnohie, cover art by Joe DeVito, and more!
 
A super-criminal emerges in White Eyes, the second Doc Savage audiobook from RadioArchives.com! From his skyscraper headquarters high above the streets of New York City to the sugarcane fields of Cuba, Doc Savage races to crush gangland’s latest uncrowned king! White Eyes features dramatic narration by Richard Epcar, cover art by Joe DeVito, plus fantastic extras!
 
 
Need a unique gift for the Adventure fan in your life? Looking for that surprise for that special someone who loves tales of Heroes and Villains? Want to put a bow on the best Mystery, Horror, Sci Fi Pulp available? Then you’re in the right place. The Pulp Book Store is your Christmas Connection for fantastic Classic and New Pulp books and other products!
 


Girasol Collectables Inc. is one of the world’s largest reprinters of classic 1920s through 1940s pulp fiction. There are more than 300 different issues available in their Pulp Replica line, plus their quarterly Spider Pulp Doubles trade paperbacks, in addition to several thousand pages of classic material in various hardcover collections available under their imprint. The primary goal is to produce high quality facsimile page reproductions, scanned directly from the original pages, with no editing or reset text. The Pulp Replica series is assembled pulp-style, on off-white paper, offering not only a complete reprint of the full magazine, but a sense of the original format as well. While other reprints often call themselves replicas, the Girasol line is the only one assembled pulp-style, the others are trade paperback format. The wraparound covers and spine are carefully retouched to be as close to ‘new’ as possible. The only thing missing is the flaking paper and the smell! They are also one of the few pulp reprint publishers who adhere rigidly to their self-imposed schedules, providing regular output consistently.
 
Girasol began as an offshoot of the pulp collection of brothers Leigh and Neil Mechem. Pulp collectors since the late 1970s, the Mechems decided to expand into buying and selling original pulps on a wider basis in the late 1990s, incorporating the company in 2003. The name is taken from one of their favorite characters, the Shadow, who wears a ring with a Girasol gem; the stone is a type of fire-opal, which changes hue in different lights, and is an identifying feature of the character. The Replica line began in the late 1990s with occasional offerings, which soon went to a twice-a-month schedule, then to three-a-month, which it continues today. Leigh and Neil are involved in all aspects of producing the Replicas, which involve considerable digital work, as well as hand-assembly of the final product. The original concept, which is still their mandate, is to offer high quality facsimile versions of classic issues that are otherwise unaffordable or unobtainable to many collectors, and to continue the spirit of the classic magazines into current times.
 
One of the great things about the vintage material is the understanding writers and artists had of the nature of the heroic; while there are certainly followers of flawed and anti- heroes, the pulps offer excitement and adventure with inspiring, clear-cut characters who follow their chosen path admirably. Pulp cover art also continues to be impactful and dynamic, in spite of the changes in styles and mediums over the years. Current pop culture devotees are appreciating not only the place the original magazines hold historically, but also their influence on comic books and movies. With their emphasis on short format, fast-paced, exciting reading, the pulps are ideal for readers looking for immediate thrills.
 
Among the Mechem brothers’ personal favorites is the Spider, and they have been particularly excited to tackle bringing this great hero to new audiences through the Pulp Replica line, as well as the Spider Doubles trade paperbacks series. The Replicas offer the originals in chronological order, from #1 on up, with 12 new issues each year. January 2012 will see the start of 1940, with issue #76. The Mechems are looking forward to having the complete run of 118 original issues available in Replica form in a few short years’ time. No other major pulp character has ever been completely reprinted in a facsimile edition. The brothers are also especially pleased to have made available the early years of Weird Tales magazine, which was a major influence on horror and weird fantasy as it is today; the 1923, 1924 and 1925 issues are all but impossible to obtain in original form.
 
Girasol Collectables has been concentrating in recent years mostly on maintaining top quality reprints for fans of not only the original pulp material, but the format and style of the physical magazines themselves. Leigh and Neil hope that the Replicas will not only provide existing collectors and enthusiasts with items for their collections, but will also introduce newcomers to a better understanding of these vintage classics via a convenient but faithful reprint medium.
 
 
Sanctum Press unleashes two new Reprint Volumes of Pulp’s Greatest Heroes into the Pulp Book Store!
 
DOC SAVAGE Volume 53!
The Man of Bronze battles the supernatural in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc Savage follows his stolen dirigible to a magic island and discovers the lost city of Ost, in an expanded novel with never-before-published text from Lester Dent’s original manuscript. Then, Renny Renwick awakens in the body of a fugitive gangster after encountering a strange impish man. What is the bizarre connection between the One-Eyed Mystic, a stolen military secret and a Nazi plot? This classic pulp reprint features the original color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Modest Stein, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of eight Doc Savage novels.
 
THE SHADOW Volume 55!
The Shadow’s true identity takes center stage in two classic pulp novels that inspired the classic 1940 Shadow movie serial. First, explorer Kent Allard is invited to join The Green Hoods, a hooded secret society whose true purpose is an enigma. Then, airplanes carrying wealthy passengers disappear over the Rockies, setting The Shadow on the trail of the criminal mastermind called Silver Skull. PLUS “Prelude to Terror,” a 1939 radio classic. This instant collector’s item showcases both classic pulp covers by George Rozen, the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and commentary by popular-culture historians Ed Hulse and Will Murray.
 
Knightraven Studios brings Epic Pulps to the Book Store
 
Radio Archives is proud to welcome Knightraven Studios and Wayne Reinagel to the Pulp Book Store!
 
Pulp Heroes – More Than Mortal
Pulp Heroes – Khan Dynasty
Modern Marvels – Viktoriana
 
ms020-200-5048941
 
artsippo-4657328Review of “The Murder Master” from Doc Savage, Volume 15

By Dr. Art Sippo

ds15-250-3618907

The Red Spider is an authentic lost Doc Savage novel that had not been printed in any magazine. It was rediscovered by Will Murray in the late 1970s among Lester Dent’s papers. The original title was “In Hell, Madonna” which was a quote from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Scene Five: “I think his soul is in Hell, madonna.”
 
It is 1949, and the world is buzzing with this question: “Do the Russians have the atomic bomb?” Doc Savage is sent on a secret mission to the heart of the Soviet Union to discover the answer. He is flown in by a supersonic aircraft and does a high altitude parachute jump into the heart of Mother Russia. Monk Mayfair and Ham Brooks are already there under deep cover. The plan is to infiltrate the heart of the Kremlin and discover the truth.
 
Doc and his aides must make their way through hostile territory where the secret police hold the populace in thrall and everyone is considered a spy until proven innocent. The Bronze man battles with both his wits and fists to carry out his mission.
 
During this adventure he meets a host of intriguing characters: Zardnov, the Russian spymaster, Seryi Mitroff, a beautiful female Russian agent whom Doc Savage starts to fall for, the mysterious Frunzoff who holds all of Russia’s secrets and Josef Stalin, the mad dictator of the Soviet Union whom Doc Savage confronts face to face. This is a cold war spy novel that presaged the work of Ian Fleming, John le Carre, and Len Deighton. Don’t miss it! Available now for $12.95 from Radio Archives!
 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
Fred Bacon:
Great quality and great programs. At 76 I have many fine memories of what is called Old Time Radio. I heard my dad tell my mom, years ago…”I know he has that radio on under his blankets”
 
Jim Gaudet:
Now that you are carrying the Altus books, among others, I plan to make a series of very large orders. Let me offer my congratulations on your audio productions! They are terrific. Also, congratulations on your expanded line of pulp reprints! I was requesting this back at the start of this year, and apparently I am not the only one doing so. I have been buying Shadow, Doc Savage, and Spider reprints from you for about a year now, and look forward to enjoying your expanded selection. Many thanks! And Happy Thanksgiving!
 
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.
 

Amazon Slashes Black Bat Mystery Price!

  • Uncategorized
  • November 2, 2011

Airship 27 Productions’ Black Bat Mystery Vol. One is now on SALE for $9.67 at Amazon.com, a whopping 61% off the cover price. “You are not going to find this book for a better price and just in time for Christmas,” says Airship 27 head honcho Ron Fortier. “Would make the perfect gift for the pulp fan in your life.”
For more information on Black Bat Mystery Vol. One, visit http://www.amazon.com/Black-Bat-Mystery-Andrew-Salmon/dp/1934935719/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320246151&sr=1-1

Reminder: Today’s the last day of free shipping in time for Christmas from Amazon

  • News
  • December 16, 2010

And if you want to support ComicMix every time you shop at Amazon, bookmark this link and use it whenever you do your online shopping.

Again: We are NOT asking you to forgo shopping at your local comic store, far from it. Support your local shops. If you don’t know if you have one near you, go to the Comic Shop Locator. Many stores really need your support– Cosmic Comics in NYC, for example, is doing 80% off of back issues from now to the end of the year. They were very close to closing, and have survived only with a last minute reprieve.

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