Tagged: New Pulp

HANCOCK AND HIS HAT GO INTO ‘THE BLEEDING HELLS’!

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
THE BLEEDING HELLS
by Barry Reese
Published by Wild Cat Books
2008

If you know New Pulp, then you probably know the work of author Barry Reese.  Even more likely you know the character Reese is best known for creating, THE ROOK, formerly with Wild Cat Books, coming soon from Pro Se Press.  Barry has made quite a name for himself by producing ROOK story after ROOK story, most of them collected in six total volumes with plans for three full novels to come over the next year or two. What you may not know about, though, is a little Reese gem that slides under most radars.  And not only is The Rook central to the story, but Reese with all his New Pulp skill and style reaches into the land of Classic Pulp and the Public Domain and adds a liberal dose of The Black Bat, Ascott Keane, and Doctor Satan into one bleeding helluva story that may be one of my favorite ROOK adventures.

THE BLEEDING HELLS focuses on The Knife of Elohim, a blade that is a major part of The Rook’s arsenal.  This blade, once bathed in the blood of Christ, is blessed with supernatural energy.  Within this story, it turns out there were four such blades and two criminals have decided to collect all four and open up a portal into The Bleeding Hells, essentially the worst version of Lucifer’s headquarters one could imagine.  It turns out that not only does The Rook have one of these knives, but The Black Bat has one and the infamous Dr. Satan has the other two.   The criminals of course end up getting hands on all four and our heroes…and yes, one incredibly evil villain…have to pool resources, set aside differences, and hope they can save the world, even if they already be too late.

THE BLEEDING HELLS is Reese’s ROOK  at its best.  The characterization of Max Davies shows not only an avenger of justice, but a man troubled enough by his own past to fight like heck to insure the safety of the future.  Reese goes to a whole other level, however, within this tale than just putting his best Rook forward.  Once again, Barry shows an excellent grasp of what’s come before and gives fantastic portrayals of THE BLACK BAT, ASCOTT KEANE, and a thoroughly chilling and enjoyable DOCTOR SATAN.  Other strengths shine through as well, including the pacing being dead on.  Barry builds the tension of the story well, even as he thrusts you immediately into the action.  Dialogue pops all the way through, from the smarminess of Satan to the back and forth charming dialogue between the various heroes’ sidekicks.  In all ways Reese, this is one of the best efforts I’ve yet to see and definitely makes me want to see this collection of heroes and villains once again…and even twice.

The only drawback to this volume and unfortunately it’s a significant one, is the editing.  It’s not that there’s a mistake on every page, but the misspelling and absence of words is enough that it proved distracting from the beginning to the end.  I thoroughly enjoyed THE BLEEDING HELLS, but I have also built up a tolerance to editing errors to a small degree.  Even with that, though, the editing or lack of it made THE BLEEDING HELLS a little more difficult to read than I would have liked.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-The editing is an issue for me, but to be honest, the story is just awesome enough to overcome it.

TIPPIN’ THE HAT TO BRYCE BEATTIES ‘TRAVELER’!

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
PRIDE OF THE TRAVELER
by Bryce Beattie
Originally Published in Astonishing Adventures Magazine #2
Now Available at http://www.smashwords.com/ and http://www.storyhack.com/ (Author’s site)

It’s always nice to discover new authors plying the New Pulp trade, especially when it’s via digital media, the wave of the future for New Pulp creators and stories.   Such is the case with PRIDE OF THE TRAVELER, a short swashbuckler by Bryce Beattie. 

Set in Beattie’s own land of fantasy and swords, Caldera, this tale focuses on a sword for hire by the name of Key who essentially goes town to town challenging swordsmen for money.  Also on his travels, Key has made a habit of stopping into visit fortune tellers and gypsies and that is where this story starts.  Visiting a gypsy named Drabardi Fawe, Key asks for his fortune to be told.  What the gypsy shares with him figures prominently into his working the crowd in this latest town, a town peopled with guards who are not only practiced swordsmen, but have a few dark practices as well.

This short story did exactly what a short piece should do.  It lured me in, hooked me with the dialogue, the characters, and the fight scenes, and left me wanting to see more of Key and other characters.  Beattie definitely set this up for other adventures and I for one hope to see more.  Theres a real Errol Flynn feel to Key that is quite obvious and enjoyable throughout the story.

Although the dialogue could be a bit more consistent, shifting from ‘formal’ to modern vernacular here and there, PRIDE OF THE TRAVELER is most definitely a fantastic introduction into Bryce Beatties work and into the world of Caldera itself.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-Would love to unlock more stories with Key and crew for sure and certain!

PULPWORK PRESS ANNOUNCES WEIRD WEST 2 PREORDER!

HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD 2 Now Available for Pre-Order

On July 1, HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD VOL. 2 will be available to the whole wide world, through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and a host of other places, both offline and on. Twenty stories by some of the top names in New Pulp, mashing the western with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy – and all wrapped in a gorgeous new cover by Jim Rugg.
But say you don’t want to wait – nay, you CAN’T wait – a whole month for the release of this 368-page blockbuster. There’s no need! Pulpwork Press (in association with Anderfam Press) is now taking advance orders for HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD VOL. 2.
Here’s what you get with your pre-order:
  1. The book, of course.
  2. Free shipping.
  3. A free bonus e-book: HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD: CAMPFIRE TALES. This e-book, available in just about any format you like, includes weird west stories by Josh Reynolds, Joel Jenkins, Derrick Ferguson, and Russ Anderson. These are stories that aren’t included in either of the HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD books, and this is the only way you’re going to get your hands on them. Here’s the cover.
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD VOL. 2 is $14.99.

THE LATEST FLYING GLORY AND A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY 
Page 10 of the Special Issue 0 “Generational Glory”
Debra Clay watches in awe and excitement as FLYING GLORY arrives to rescue her concert and the school reunion. This story is nearly over as we get ready to celebrate the comic’s tenth anniversary starting in June. http://www.flying-glory.com
 
 

WEBCOMIC FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY
CELEBRATES TEN YEARS ON THE WEB
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2011 (Fullerton, CA) – The fourteenth issue of the webcomic “Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory,” located at http://www.flying-glory.com, will celebrate the ten year anniversary of the storyline in an expanded 36-page issue.   The story, entitled “Reverberations,” will show readers more of the past of Flying Glory as well as provide glimpses into what lies ahead. A mini-comic prequel Issue 0, entitled “Generational Glory,” launched at the start of the year in anticipation of this major event and shows the cast during the summer right before the series opens.
“Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory” is a webcomic featuring the adventures of super powered teen Debra Clay, known as Flying Glory, and her backing band the Hounds of Glory. The webcomic launched in the summer of 2001 with a four page short, soon followed by a twenty-nine page first issue. Artwork is drawn by Kevin Paul Shaw Broden, who co-writes the adventures with Shannon Muir, she also pens the poetic lyrics sung by the band. Currently, each issue is twenty-four pages in length and generally posted as one page weekly in black and white, though the original few issues were later reposted in color. As of June 2011, the website features roughly 350 comic story pages. In addition, “Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory” appeared in print for the first time this year as part of a charity cookbook by TGT Media (http://www.tgtmedia.com) entitled “Webcomics: What’s Cooking?” that raises funds to feed the hungry.
“What originally drew us into doing this webcomic was the idea of superhero as celebrity, and I think we are still true to that,” webcomic co-writer and lyric writer Muir says. “Teens look at those who are successful and want to emulate them. Our main heroine, Debra Clay, has now spent a lot of time trying to learn from her grandmother Elsie Carmichael Stokes, the previous Flying Glory. Like many teens, it gets easy to be impatient, and to think you know it all.  Sometimes that comes with consequences, and you realize the value of experience. She’s also needed to struggle with finding her identity as a growing woman, independent of the powers, which only brings added depth to the adventure. There’s also a wealth of stories to be told about the Hounds of Glory, most of who were Debra’s friends before the whole superpower factor came into play, and how she relates to them when they have struggles.”
Flying Glory came out of Broden’s love for the ‘Golden Age’ of comic book mystery men of the 1930’s and 1940’s. “I developed an idea of such a heroine and wrote a script for the book based on her adventures.” He was surprised by how many people liked the story, including professionals in the comic book industry. There were also positive responses from publishers, but nothing ever came from that. So Broden and Muir developed a second comic book series about the heroine’s granddaughter taking up the mantel and the mask.
For artist and co-writer Kevin Paul Shaw Broden, “Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory” has been a magnificent way to express his creativity while continuing to pursue his career. Broden began his professional career as an art assistant for Brian Murray, where he worked on early issues of “Supreme” for Image Comics. Before that, he storyboarded the video for BiGod20’s “One,” as well as videos for John Wesley Harding and Kristin Hersch as part of the Summer Arts program in Humboldt, California. More recently, he’s been contracted to do illustrations for commercials and television series pitches, and his work is featured in Muir’s two textbooks on the animation business – “Gardner’s Guide to Writing and Producing Animation” and “Gardner’s Guide to Pitching and Selling Animation”. He also has a successful New Pulp online serial, “Revenge of the Masked Ghost” (http://revengeofthemaskedghost.blogspot.com/). Broden and Muir also have shared writing credits on several episodes of the Japanese animated series “Midnight Horror School”.
In addition to her work with Broden and the previously mentioned textbooks, Muir’s worked in production on several animated television series for such major studios as Sony, Nickelodeon, and SD Entertainment. Muir also recently began self-publishing fiction work such as her recent release “Touch the Stars” currently available on Amazon and through Lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com).
Issue 14, “Reverberations,” is scheduled to begin on June 26, 2011.
MEDIA CONTACT E-MAIL:  kevinpsb@sbcglobal.net
FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY Copyright 1997-2011 Kevin Paul Shaw Broden and Shannon Muir. All rights reserved.

HANCOCK TIPS HIS HAT TO ‘THE MYTH HUNTER’!

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock

THE MYTH HUNTER
Percival Constantine
Pulpwork Press
http://www.pulpwork.com/

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One of the great things about New Pulp is that the old is often made, well, new again.  I’m not simply talking about styles, description, or even storylines and characters, although this has to do with a character.   What I’m referring to is archetypes.  They exist in Pulp as they do in genre, probably more so since there are so many facets to Pulp.  The standard ‘types’ of heroes and villains and such that populate stories and often reappear under different names penned by different authors.  Like the masked vigilante.  The Super Man of Science.  The Cowboy.  And the Explorer, the Archeological Adventurer.

It’s that last one that Percival Constantine tackled within his new work, THE MYTH HUNTER.  Elisa Hill, the central character of the piece, is just what the title implies..a Myth Hunter.  This is basically an individual who goes on the hunt for strange and unusual artifacts, often thought to be the stuff of legend.  In this particular tale, she is in pursuit of artifacts related to a great lost civilization, a goal her parents pursued to the ruin of their professional reputations before their passing.  Initially a Myth Hunter for money, Elisa found a better path due to an old Myth Hunter and friend of her parents and now works for the betterment of the world.  This adventure brings her into contact with shady aspects of her dubious past, introduces her to new friends, sets her against a conspiratorial secret organization, and renews a feud with a psychopath named Seth that will likely be the death of Hill herself.

This book is full of vivid descriptions, fantastically crafted narrative, intriguing and engaging dialogue, but its biggest star is the characterization.  Constantine brings each and every character to life, not just with vivid details, but with emotions and passions.  Even the characters we are meant to like leave us feeling a little divided on just how much we like them, and that’s a sign of humanity granted to a written creation, a skill many writers never ever develop. 

Constantine also takes the stereotype of the ‘Indiana Jones-Lara Croft’ type and ups the ante.  Elisa is complex, complicated, and admittedly confused throughout the book.  Not because she’s not a great hero in all ways because she is just that, but because she is also human.  Simultaneously Constantine gives the reader a real woman, complete with desires, flaws, and strengths, and cloaks her in that nearly bullet proof visage of the explorer who always gets what she wants one way or the other.

There were some continuity gaffs here and there and editing issues in spots, but nothing that should keep anyone from picking up THE MYTH HUNTER by Percival Constantine and enjoying the heck out of it!

FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-This New Pulp tale delivers everything you want a Pulp story to with the added bonus of humanity within its characterization.

Percy Constantine’s new novel THE MYTH HUNTER from Pulpwork Press (http://www.pulpwork.com/) hits the streets today!  The author takes some time out of his busy promoting schedule to do some…ah…promotion with ALL PULP!  Stay tuned for a couple of more tidbits related to THE MYTH HUNTER throughout the day!

AP:  Perry, welcome to ALL PULP!  First, share  a little bit about yourself with us.
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PC: Well, I’m a writer in his late twenties (going to hold onto that tidbit for as long as possible). A native Chicagoan who has been residing in Japan for the past few years. I first entered the world of publishing in 2005 as a comic book editor and then in 2007 as a novelist. In 2010, my first pulp novel, LOVE & BULLETS, was released through Pulpwork Press. I’m also a professional comic book letterer and writer and have a few small press credits to my name in those areas. Other than that, I’m obsessed with movies, which is where I draw most of my inspiration from.
AP:  Your newest book, THE MYTH HUNTER debuts today.  What wonderful adventure awaits within its pages?
PC: With THE MYTH HUNTER, you are looking at an action-packed tale bringing mythology from various regions and eras into the modern age. You’ve got shadowy organizations, legendary creatures, lost continents, and a heroine who can both kick your ass and outsmart you.
AP:  Now, this project has taken some time to actually see print.  What can you say about that?
PC: THE MYTH HUNTER first began with Elisa Hill, the main character. I’ve always been drawn to heroines who can hold their own against the classic hero archetypes and I wanted to create one of my own. Derrick Ferguson (creator of the brilliant Dillon series) helped me with some of the initial ideas that really led to the character’s first incarnation.
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At first, THE MYTH HUNTER was intended to begin life as a comic book that Derrick and I were going to collaborate on with whatever artist we could locate. It didn’t quite work out that way and after a few setbacks, I decided to just do it as a book series. I had two artists who contributed some character designs, which will appear on my blog (percivalconstantine.wordpress.com).
AP:  You’ve created a character in Elisa Hill that is multifaceted and seems to, while being your creation, draw from several ‘muses’.  What were your influences in creating her and why is it important that a lead character have such variety within its personality?
PC: I’d say my primary influences for the character were Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, as far as initial inspiration. Visually, I’ve always imagined Elisa as being similar to actress Kate Beckinsale. Her name was inspired by someone I knew in high school who’s a very strong woman. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was also a source of influence, as I’ve found her to be a very positive, very strong heroine and she was really the first heroine who had a massive influence on me.
Other than that, I draw influence from wherever I can find them. Elisa, like many of my characters, are drawn from a hodgepodge of influences. But the ones I mentioned are really the major ones.
AP:  You’re known for writing strong female characters, particularly as leads.  Do you prefer female leads and if so, why? Or does the story just sort of write its own participants in as you go?
PC: I appreciate the fact that I’ve become known for strong female characters, as that’s important to me. I’ve felt heroines are either under-represented or portrayed as inferior to the heroes. I guess part of that is because I’ve known a lot of strong women in my life, and so I want to give them their due. 
I don’t have a preference for either gender, though. My first two novels featured male leads. And the next book in my Infernum series, OUTLAW BLUES (due for a release either later this year or early next year) will feature a male lead.
I’m attracted to aspects of both types and I enjoy writing them both. It’s more the characters themselves that speak to me and when they first come to me in my mind, they come with their gender already predetermined. I never thought of Elisa Hill or Angela Lockhart (of LOVE & BULLETS) as anything other than female, just as I never thought of Riker Stone (of CHASING THE DRAGON) or Gabriel (of FALLEN) as anything other than male. That’s just how they were when they first approached me.
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AP:  THE MYTH HUNTER treads familiar ground for Pulp fans, that of the explorer finding strange artifacts, etc.  But you focus on the dichotomy of doing this for profit as opposed to doing it for betterment of mankind. Care to discuss that?
PC: The idea of profit vs. betterment of mankind has always interested me. And I know that the two aren’t mutually exclusive, which is something you see a little bit of in the book. I don’t think there’s a black and white way to look at the two. I’m someone who believes in a balance and I think I try to get that across in the book. You see aspects of both in the characters on either side of the issue. Some are doing it for profit and are completely selfish. But some aren’t doing it for profit but are still equally selfish. And some fall to a place in the middle. 
Dichotomy in general is something I really love to explore as a writer. To be, the best heroes and villains are the ones that are two sides of the same coin. So that’s why I try to focus on those things in my writing whenever I can.
AP:  This novel is peppered with a ton of interesting supporting characters as well.  What makes a good supporting character for a Pulp tale?  And why does a strong lead like Elisa even need supporting cast?
PC: It’s often been said that you can’t have a good hero without a good villain, and that’s true. But you need more than that–you need good supporting characters. The supporting characters are not just there to support the hero, they’re also there to challenge him or her in ways that the villain can’t. 
The various supporting characters are there to explore different facets of the hero. With Elisa, I think you see that a lot with her supporting players because they reflect different aspects of her. Max Finch is her experience and knowledge, Laki is her innocence, Lucas is her rebellious nature and Asami is her desire for adventure. Each of them are great characters in their own right, but when they interact with Elisa, it really helps to round her out as a better character.
AP:  You’re in the ranks of the New Pulp writers.  What is New Pulp to you?
PC: New Pulp to me is taking these classic techniques and aspects that made “old” pulp so great and seeing how we can add to them. I think New Pulp isn’t just doing what Lester Dent, Robert Howard, and others did back in their time. It’s taking what they did as an inspiration and building on it, incorporating influences from other writers who followed a similar path. 
As Bob Dylan said, the times they are a’changing. And we have to change with them. We can’t just copy what the pulp founders did, because what they did was influenced from what they knew at that time. We have to build on it. We have to take what they did, incorporate what we’ve learned since then, and use it to create something that’s different, that’s relatable to modern audiences (regardless of the time period the story is set in) but still recognizable as pulp. One of the brilliant things about Indiana Jones is that even though the films were set in the age of pulps, they were still relatable to modern audiences.
And this can be done in a number of different ways. As Indiana Jones and authors like Barry Reese have proven, you can set these stories in the age of pulps and make them relatable to modern audiences because you have the benefit of hindsight or because you understand the tastes of modern audiences. Or you can take the route that the James Bond series or authors like Derrick Ferguson have done, which is take that style of storytelling and apply it to the modern day. 
There are some people who believe that it has to be either or. You can’t appeal to modern audiences without alienating fans of the past or vice versa. And this kind of thinking is really lazy and uncreative. I was born in 1983 and yet Casablanca, a movie that was made decades before I was born, remains one of my favorite films of all time, and I know many people my age who feel the same. So to say that the past holds no appeal for the present shows creative bankruptcy in my opinion.
AP:  Any future plans for Elisa and company to return in future works?
PC: Oh absolutely. The sequel, DRAGON KINGS OF THE ORIENT, already has a draft that’s been completed. There’s no tentative release date for it yet, but it will be a bit of a wait. I’ve got some other tales in mind for Elisa and friends following that.
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AP:  Speaking of future, anything else coming from you that ALL PULP should be on the lookout for?
PC: A few things. OUTLAW BLUES, a follow-up to LOVE & BULLETS and the second book in the Infernum series, is due for a release either the end of this year or early next year. As I’ve also mentioned I’ve got DRAGON KINGS OF THE ORIENT, the sequel to THE MYTH HUNTER.
Other than that, I’m writing a Domino Lady comic story for Airship 27’s All-Star Pulp Comics anthology and Tommy Hancock and I are developing a project called THE ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS SAINT.
I also have a few other things in mind, but it’s a bit too early to talk about those at the moment.
AP:  Thanks again for stopping by and great work on THE MYTH HUNTER!
PC: It’s been an absolute pleasure and I hope everyone enjoys it! Also, please keep an eye on my site, percivalconstantine.wordpress.com, because we’ll soon have some announcement about giveaways to be associated with the release of THE MYTH HUNTER!

NEW PULP GIVEAWAY-THE FIRST PULPTRESS STORY EVER!

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Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions and member of the New Pulp Movement announced today that the first ever tale of THE PULPTRESS, 21st Century Pulp Heroine and spokesperson for Pro Se and New Pulp, would be available for anyone interested for FREE for a period of one week.

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“The Pulptress,” Hancock said in his statement, “is a concept and a figure that has already drawn much interest since her debut two weeks ago at Pulp Ark. But she’s more than that.   She is just a hint at all that New Pulp has to offer any reader, from the uninitiated person to the avid, obsessed Pulp fan.  There’s a vibrance, an excitement to The Pulptress that draws directly from the vibrant exciting pace and and action that New Pulp is rifled with.  And to celebrate that connection as well as to put a little more New Pulp out there, we’d like to offer this first tale of The Pulptress for free to any takers for a limited time.  And New Pulp fans take note-There is a special guest star in this first tale that many New Pulpsters may recognize.”

The tale, written by Hancock, is one of a collection that is being written and will be printed by Pro Se Productions when complete.  Other writers currently participating in this collection include Derrick Ferguson, Robin Bailey, Ron Fortier, and Barry Reese.  

In order to get your free copy, email Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net between now and Sunday, June 5th, 2011 and the story will be emailed to you directly.

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“This is an opportunity,” Hancock pointed out, “to introduce your friends who may know nothing of New Pulp to the Movement and get others interested in the heroic fiction some of today’s best writers are producing!”

ALL PULP INTERVIEWS THE FACE OF NEW PULP-THE PULPTRESS!

AP:  It is indeed a pleasure to have you at ALL PULP today!  I’m fairly sure this will be a short answer, but can you tell us something about you personally?  Some background maybe?
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PULPTRESS: (laughs) Sorry, but the mask is my free pass on most of that question.  Let’s see, I’m twenty something…maybe.   I have august red hair…unless I don’t.   My eyes are brown with hints of green…except when they aren’t.  I’m just your every day average girl…who can use any weapon put in her pretty porcelain hands.  I will say that I came into the world much like everyone else did, even though things changed dramatically not long after my auspicious beginnings.   But looking back on it, I don’t think I’d change a day.  Except maybe one, my ninety third one, so I’ve been told.
AP:  Your…when you were three months old.  That would be when your parents…
PULPTRESS:  Yes, when they disappeared.    They were well known in the Pulp crime fighting circle, probably the best known.  I haven’t been told much about them, only that they had made a plan in case something like….them disappearing happened.  Which it did, so I’m thankful they planned ahead.
AP:  Best known?  Many people speculate that your parents weren’t just any crimefighters, but-
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THE PULPTRESS as drawn by
Rob Davis
PULPTRESS:  Ah, ah, ah. (shaking a single red nail tipped finger playfully) Not something to discuss on, off, or even to break a record.  I didn’t have them at all that I can remember, but they gave me the next best thing.  A family like none anyone has ever had.
AP:  Yes, you had a particularly interesting raising.  Can you talk about that at all?
PULPTRESS:  Enough just to tease your readers, certainly.  The plan that my parents had devised in case of their…being unable to raise me was basically the next best possible option.  I was left with one of my parents’ closest confidantes until I was able to walk and talk. At that point, my training began.  I have lived with Cherokee Indians, Inuit tribesmen, Shinto priests, and any other group of experts in anything you can think of.  I’ve been taught every style of fighting by the fiercest warriors, academics by today’s greatest minds, science and other disciplines by people that most only believe are legend and rumor.  From my first steps until my 18th birthday, I was steeped in disguise, strategy, espionage, and every learnable skill, field, and technique that the world had an expert in. 
AP:  Really?  To what purpose?
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PULPTRESS:  That’s another thing wrapped in innuendo and smoke.  Some say that there’s a greater good I’m being prepared for, something my parents knew I would have to be ready to face.  Others say it wasn’t so grand, that they just wanted to groom me to follow in their footsteps.  (Chuckles)  There’s a few who think that I was brought up that way because it was the only life my parents ever knew.  Regardless, I consider myself the luckiest gal in the world for the way I came up in the world.
AP:  And now that you’ve survived until adulthood, you seem to actually have taken up where your parents left off.  Why?
PULPTRESS:  Not just my parents, but most of my foster family as well.  And the why is fairly simple.  Even though I learned many different things from all the teachers and mentors I had around the world, they each imparted one common idea to me, almost a mantra.  ‘Regardless of how the world changes, it will always need a Hero.”  I had other options, choices I could have made.  Any career I wanted was an open door.  But those words were etched in my heart and wear heavy on my mind every day.  And there’s not a truer statement.  So, yeah, that’s why.
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THE PULPTRESS as drawn by
Ralf van der Hoeven
AP:  Interesting.  All right, what is it you do, then?  How do you describe your chosen vocation?
PULPTRESS:  Adventurer, Explorer, Problem Solver, a gal who likes a good fight and is good at fighting?  All of those fit and a few more.  Basically I’m the person that Henry Fonda described even better than Steinbeck himself wrote it.  Wherever someone is need, wherever someone is hurt and abused, wherever there’s absolutely no chance to survive, no way out, no justice at all, I am there.  I do all I can to meet the need, fix the hurt, save all I can, cut a door where there isn’t any, and bring justice in the prettiest package ever.  That’s what I do.
AP:  And on top of that, you recently debuted as the public face and voice for Pro Se Productions and even more than that, for the New Pulp Movement at the recent first PULP ARK Convention/Conference.  How did that happen?
PULPTRESS:  Have you met Tommy Hancock?  That man could talk the North Wind into blowing from the South if he wanted to.  (Laughs) Among many of the attributes that I picked up through the years was reading.  I often would rather read than eat and sleep and almost more than punching bad guys.  (Grins) Almost.   I’ve read thousands and thousands of volumes, tomes, and manifestos, but my favorite genre has always been Pulp.  I know, right?   But it has.  The classic heroic fiction rendered by Gibson, Burroughs, Dent, and others has a special place in my heart.  Part of that has to do with it being so reminiscent of people I have known throughout my life, heroes who lived Pulp lives all their own.
When I got to know Tommy due to our paths crossing, and that’s a tale someone should one day write, he exposed me to the writers and artists that have made New Pulp the force it is today.  And he brought up the fact that many consider me the New Pulp Heroine of the 21st Century and that New Pulp, while continuing the traditions established by the classics, is its own Movement, so there’s a relationship of sorts between the two.  And it doesn’t hurt a girl, even one in a mask, to be associated with the best stories told today for the readers of tomorrow!
AP:  So, you signed on just because you liked to read Pulp?  Or is there more, does New Pulp have an importance all its own?
PULPTRESS:  Of course it does.  Actually, it’s the same importance, the same mission that I feel like I have.  Regardless of how the world changes, it will always need stories about Heroes.  New Pulp provides that in spades and aces.   You don’t just get a rapid action high adventure tale with New Pulp stories.  You get ideals to reach, models to follow, and the reassuring fact that no matter how dark reality gets, the light eventually shines through.  You can’t get more important than that. 
AP:  What about your stories?  Any plans for a New Pulp writer to tackle the life and times of The Pulptress?  Or are you more of a to yourself kind of girl?
pulptress5-9794712
PULPTRESS:  Are you kidding?  The lady who, depending on what the adventure is, comes dressed as a cowgirl, a space explorer, pirate, or whatever fits being a to herself kind of girl?  Yeah, right.  Stories are not only underway, but multiple authors, like Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, Ron Fortier, and Robin Bailey, are already committed to a collection spotlighting me and my rollicking adventures. The collection, when ready, will be available from Pro Se Productions. And, on the ball as he is, Tommy has already completed one story about me in the Big Apple and is hard at work on another one…one about me at home. 

 AP:  That brings up a good final question.  Where is home?  Who are you when you hang up the mask on the hook beside your fedora?  Who are you when you’re not The Pulptress?

PULPTRESS:  Home is…the only place where The Pulptress isn’t.  Other than there, I can’t be…don’t want to be anything other than The Pulptress.
AP:  And the New Pulp Movement and the world are thankful for that.  Thank you so much for taking time to talk to ALL PULP.
PULPTRESS:  Hey, anytime.  It’s not often bullets stop flying and villains stop trying to conquer the world long enough for me just to visit. So thank you!


(Want to follow The Pulptress daily?  Then join ‘The Pulptress’ Page on Facebook!!!  And follow her here at ALL PULP, as well as at pulpmachine.blogspot.com and http://www.newpulpfiction.com/!)

PORTABLE NEW PULP PROGRAMMING FOR CONVENTIONS OF ALL TYPES NOW AVAILABLE!

 

Press Release-
PRO SE PRODUCTIONS’ NEW PULP PROGRAMMING
SETS SAIL TO A CONVENTION NEAR YOU!
May 28th, 2011                                                              Batesville, AR
Pro Se Productions, LLC.,  a Publisher of New Pulp books, anthologies, and magazines, as well as the sponsor of PULP ARK, a Creators Conference/Fan Convention that debuted in Arkansas May 13-15, 2011, announces today plans to offer Pulp convention programming to other Conventions, Pulp and otherwise.
Dubbed NEW PULP CONVENTION PROGRAMMING, Pro Se Productions Partner and Editor in Chief Tommy Hancock states, “With the success of PULP ARK in terms of programming, education, and entertainment all in a Pulp vein, there has been much discussion on how to share this with others that can’t get to Arkansas. PULP ARK 2012 is already being planned, but we began looking at avenues to do even more than that.  Out of a discussion about possibly hosting other NEW PULP conventions came an extremely interesting idea.

“So many conventions,” Hancock continued, “that have or should have aspects related to New Pulp already exist.  Comic conventions, old time radio and new audio drama shows, genre specific gatherings like Horror, Western, etc., the list is probably endless.  Instead of adding a whole roster of NEW PULP Cons to that, Pro Se Productions now offers NEW PULP CON PROGRAMMING PACKAGES.  Essentially what this means is Pro Se Productions will provide any interested convention or show with Pulp related programming.  These packages will range from a single one hour session to a full blown multiday experience, including panels, classrooms, interactive theater drama, and other special events.  Although this is New Pulp programming, panels and classrooms will also include sessions on classic Pulp as well because without those at the beginning, there would not be a New Pulp Movement today.”

These packages, according to Hancock, will include Panel and Classroom presenters, actors for any dramas and participants from other activities drawn from some of the biggest names in New Pulp today. The packages emulate the program used for the first PULP ARK, one that received rave reviews from guests and fans in attendance.  And location is not a concern.  “If your show is in Colorado for example,” Hancock explains, “then we would draw our presenters for various panels and classrooms from the New Pulp community that exists there.  The same goes for Georgia, New York, other states, and even Canada.   Our plan is to provide conventions with the best New Pulp programming possible at the best rate possible. However, if you want a full line up of top of the line New Pulp writers and artists and are willing to cover expenses, Pro Se will at the best of our ability arrange to partner with the best possible and get them to your event.”
The Packages are as follows-(NOTE-All packages depend on Author/Artist availability.  No financial exchange will occur until the Convention Producers, Pro Se Productions, and the Staff Pro Se will dispatch are in full agreement)
NEW PULP PACKAGE ONE-Introduction-Basic
If a New Pulp Artist or Author is within 50 miles of your convention/show and you are interested in a one hour Classroom or Panel, then Pro Se will set this up.  The only cost is that the attending NEW PULP Author/artist be provided a table at the convention free of charge, if requested.
NEW PULP PACKAGE TWO-Single Day-Full Basic Programming
Three Classrooms and/or Panels utilizing a minimum of Three NEW PULP Artists/Writers. (If more than three are wanted/necessary, then cost may be higher)
Cost-$200.00 plus free tables for each Artist/Author Attending as well as any travel expenses incurred by Authors/Artists more than 50 miles away from Convention site.
NEW PULP PACKAGE THREE-Single Day-Deluxe Programming
Three Classrooms and/or Panels utilizing a minimum of Three NEW PULP Artists/Writers. (If more than three are wanted/necessary, then cost may be higher)
A fully produced Pulp Drama done onsite or another similar event (total time 1.5-2.5 hours
Cost-$300.00 plus free tables for each Artist/Author Attending as well as any travel expenses incurred by Authors/Artists more than 50 miles away from Convention site.
NEW PULP PACKAGE FOUR-MultiDay Deluxe Programming
Three Classrooms and/or Panels  each FULL DAY utilizing a minimum of Three NEW PULP Artists/Writers. (If more than three are wanted/necessary, then cost may be higher) (One-two panels/classrooms on partial days)
A fully produced Pulp Drama done onsite (total time 1.5-2.5 hours) that can either be performed in one setting or throughout the convention’s run.
An event to be determined in negotiation (Old Time Radio recreations, further drama, Pulped! Game Show, and other possibilities exist)
Cost will include free tables for each Artist/Author Attending as well as any travel expenses incurred by Authors/Artists more than 50 miles away from Convention site and Hotel expenses incurred by those who are not local to the area.   Cost beyond this must be negotiated due to multiple factors, including number of days expected, etc.
Hancock also reports, “Although we have a beginning list of writers and artists from one coast to the other and beyond that will participate in this Programming, schedules allowing, any New Pulp Writer/Artist interested in participating can contact me and if they fit what we’re looking for, we’ll add them to our list of available personalities to participate.”
Hancock states, “What we want to do with NEW PULP Programming is allow any Convention or Show interested in having a Pulp line of programming included in their regular schedule of events, programming that they do not have to plan, design, recruit, or set up for.  We will come in and all we’ll require is to be pointed in the direction where we’ll speak, teach, and perform from.  This will be beneficial to not only New Pulp, but also to the Convention itself as well as bringing new fans to each and introducing existing fanbases to another entertaining aspect of Pop Culture-New Pulp!”
For More information, contact Hancock at 870-834-4022 or at proseproductions@earthlink.net.

TIPPIN’ HANCOCKS HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD: VOL II-
Barry Reese, David Boop, Ian Taylor, Joel Jenkins, Ron Fortier, Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Deja, Desmond Reddick, Grahm Eberhardt, Dale W. Glaser, Ian Mileham, Stacy Dooks, Mark Mousquet, Matthew P. Mayo, Kevin Thornton, David Golightly, Tommy Hancock, Tony Wilson, Derrick Ferguson, Mike McGee
Edited by Russ Anderson
Published by Pulpwork Press
A truly American genre, the Western story holds so much meaning, so much emotion, so much raw action for anyone who reads it.  It also holds a whole passle of potential that until recent years, people were afraid to explore.  Due to the impact of western movies and such iconic luminaries as Louis L’Amour (one known to put the genre on its ear every now and again himself), the Western had for many years this ‘Oh, you can’t go outside the established boundaries’ unspoken rule.   And I’ll be the first to say that there are still a ton of stories that can be told within those parameters.  But I’m also glad to say that there’s a group of writers, an entire movement known as New Pulp, that recognizes just where Westerns can go that they haven’t yet, and those writers are taking this genre there yet again.
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD: VOL II, edited by Russ Anderson and published by Pulpwork Press, is a follow up collection to the very popular bestselling first volume, but stands on its own as a stellar collection of speculative Western fiction.  Not only are the traditional trappings strapped on for this rollicking rodeo of weirdness, but even the ‘supernatural’ or ‘strange’ elements seem to go beyond the ken in several of the stories.  This is a major positive because it shows that New Pulp can be different, can be enjoyable, and yet still hold on to the traditions and style that classic Pulps originated.
NOTE-As I review each story and the book overall, I will not be commenting on my story in this volume.  WEST OF FORT SMITH is my tale and that will be reviewed by others when they look at the collection, but I do not feel right talking about my work. 
DESIGN AND FORMAT-This is absolutely an exceptionally formatted book.  Easy to read, well laid out, and the Tamas Jakab designed cover, fantastically rendered by Jim Rugg adds that ‘new classic’ touch to this gorgeous looking paper back collection.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
EDITING-Anderson does a tremendous job at not only providing mostly error free editing, but also in how these tales were placed in the book.  Each one seemed to build on the ones previous to it in terms of tension and quality.  Determining placement in such a mixed bag anthology as this one is extremely difficult, so fedoras off to Russ for handling this extremely well.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
STORIES-
DESOLATION by BARRY REESE-This is a tale about family, about belief, and about just how crazy perception can be.  But it’s more than that, it’s a peek into the desperation that haunts every human soul, but must have been particularly strong in the wide open spaces of the West.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
THE RAG DOLL KID by DAVID BOOP-This is not just any ghost story, although it is a well crafted one of those.  This tale takes the reader on a journey of what makes a man who he is and how even at the end of his life, keeps him going until the job is done.  FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
THEY CALL HIM PAT by IAN TAYLOR- This one falls into the weird category because of ‘Pat’ and is one of those that goes a little farther than most would think.  Saying that, this is one helluva classic western ‘Stranger in town’ tale and were Clint Eastwood prone to play weird parts, Pat was written for him.  FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
THE LOST VALE by JOEL JENKINS-Mixing historical characters with Doyle influenced locations and creatures is something that sounds easy, but would actually take an artisan to pull off.  Joel Jenkins proves to be just the man for the job.  The story reads as it should, like a Western with weird sprinkled throughout it for good taste and measure.  The sheer number of characters to follow is a slight drawback, but Jenkins turns out one heckuva tale that would make a Challenger proud! FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THE YELLOW DOG by RON FORTIER- This story goes into an area many Western writers haven’t gone, even traditionally and that’s the Western Animal subgenre.  Typified by such books as OL’ YELLER and the FLICKA series, writers tend to shy away from this direction because it’s a fine line between Western rawness and sentimentality.  Fortier walks that line well, dipping liberally from both sides and producing a hard edged Western tale that explores the connection between man and beast.  FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
MR. BRASS AND THE DEVIL’S TEETH by JOSHUA REYNOLDS-Reynolds gets points right off the bat for teaming up his steampunk Pinkerton with one of the most underrated yet interesting outlaws that ever rode the West.  Frank James and Brass set out after a whole pack of owlhoots that have a bit of an advantage, thanks to cursed objects.  Reynolds keeps a distinctly Western flavor throughout, while still interspersing the conflict Brass feels about being more…or is that less…than human.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THUNDER PURSUED by THOMAS DEJA-This was a fantastically fun tale that went a different direction than most of the others did.  Suffice it to say, seeing a Western character that had hints and glimmers of Doc Savage is not only something I enjoyed, but something I hope I see much more of.    Deja also deftly handled an exploration of Western family and friendship dynamics as well.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
WALKER ON THE WIND by DESMOND REDDICK-Reddick takes the reader to the far West, using members of the Mounted Police, and plunges them all into the desolate, frozen West and all the horrors that and a man’s mind may hide.  The suspense built well, the character narration was engaging, and the end result extremely and appropriately disturbing.  Although putting together the pieces of the story seemed to be a bit slow, Reddick definitely knows how to make one’s hair stand up and never hear the wind blowing the same way again.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THE VELVET SCOURGE by GRAHM EBERHARDT-This story so intrigued me I had to immediately read it again.  Eberhardt must have been channeling Sergio Leone with a liberal dash of Poe and Hitchcock to boot.  A totally reprehensible character takes the lead and by the end of it becomes the only one I was cheering for.  Characterization was top notch, establishment of atmosphere was unbelievable, and I’d be more than happy to see more from this author and this character in the near future.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THE DEMON WRESTLER by DALE W. GLASER-This story took a little bit to get into, but as the smoke cleared, what remained in whole was a fantastic story of just what people will believe and what others will go through to benefit from those beliefs.  FOUR OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME AND THAT’LL BE AN END TO IT by IAN MILEHAM-Mileham does two things in this tale:  He delivers one heck of an atmospheric telling of just how a murder might be handled in the Old West; and He drifts into the psychological as well as supernatural thriller realm as smoothly as silk and leaves the reader happily frighteningly chilled.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
UNHALLOWED GROUND by STACY DOOKS-Going back North for this Western tale, Dooks creates two memorable leads that basically fit the ‘buddy cop’ motif Old West style and then promptly throws them into a psychedelic Hell.  Even with that twist, this story holds up as a wonderfully written Western because, after all, Westerns are about ordinary men facing extraordinary challenges.  And Dooks definitely provides all of that in spades.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
TRAIN COMES A-BURNIN’ by MARK BOUSQUET-I don’t know how to summarize this tale except to say that I hope there’s a novel that rises out of it in the future.  Two women board a train, each with a shared, yet their own distinct missions to complete.  Throw in a special forces type outfit, some monsters, and kids and their teddy bears, and you have one wild Western roundup.  It very much felt like the middle of a story, though, and sorting things out was a bit jarring, but as I opened with, I want the novel.  Now.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THE WITCH HOLE by MATTHEW P. MAYO-Let me admit, this type of tale is not usually my favorite.  I can’t really tell you why, except that I wasn’t the kid who was into the mystery comics and such when I was young.  And this one reads as if it would fit perfectly in an old DC House of Mystery or an EC comic.   That, however, is the reason that I liked it as much as I did-because as I read it, I could see the artwork, I could see the creepy green and black coloring.  The set up, the premise, and the characters smack heavily and enjoyably of that 1950s and 60s weird tale comic story, even though it’s in prose.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
THE TESTIMONY OF CONSTABLE FRASER by KEVIN THORNTON-It’s interesting that in this volume of Western tales, so many writers chose to explore the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for stories.  And thankfully so.  Thornton not only paints a great image of a central character in Fraser, but he tells a story that simultaneously is serial killer/Western/ancient history mystery and it all blends together like hardtack and coffee at a campfire.  And yes, that’s good.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
RAID AT RAZORFANG RANCH by DAVID GOLIGHTLY-This was refreshing in the midst and toward the end of the book. Golightly takes us not only into the Weird West, but into ranch life and shows how hard both the work and that sort of living can be in general.  Combining that with the peculiar livestock the ranch deals in, Golightly delivers a quick draw blast of action and characterization.  FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
WEST OF FORT SMITH by TOMMY HANCOCK-As said before, skipping this one.
BEAST OF THE BLACK HILLS by TONY WILSON-Yes, this is a weird tale, involving everything from green glowing severed heads to hairy bipeds and more, but Wilson does something even more fantastic.  The two main characters in this story could just as well be in any John Wayne buddy western or Larry McMurtry’s LONESOME DOVE or Robert B. Parker’s turn at Western series.  They are men fully realized, strengths and flaws and bonds between them included.  The internal voice of one of them that Wilson uses for narration is absolutely dead on.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
STORMS OF BLOOD AND SNOW by DERRICK FERGUSON-Derrick Ferguson has a gift.  That is to take aspects and traits and render whole cloth full blown love and hate ‘em characters from varied pieces and parts.  Sebastian Red and the cast he leads through Derrick’s multilayered Western tale, that is part ‘man in pursuit,’ ‘blood feud’ and ‘Act of God versus Man’ all rolled together, are real people by the time you finish the story, real enough you want to see them again.  And often.  FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT
TERROR IN TOYLAND by Mike McGee-Now, for me, this story just didn’t fit.  It’s a modern tale, which is all right with me, but I didn’t get that it had a Western feel to it.  It was, however, a fantastic slice of life after some apocalyptic event had changed at least the part of the world it’s set in.  McGee tells a great story and the narration was fun and equally creepy, which I feel like was the intent.  As a matter of fact, the strength of the story itself overcomes a little of my discombulation about its inclusion in this collection.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD: VOLUME II will be out  July 1st, 2011.  You’re a dagnabbed fool if you don’t get it as soon as it splits the batwing doors of your favorite online book outlet.  Stay tuned at http://www.pulpwork.com/ for more details and get it on your wish list today, Pard. Or Else.
OVERALL RATING-FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-Yeehaw, indeed!

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