Tagged: The Spider

Hall of Fame, Mystery as a Hobby, Dr. Death Returns, and More From Radio Archives!

  • News
  • March 31, 2012
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March 23, 2012
 
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From the earliest days of broadcasting, radio audiences always loved a “really big show”. In December of 1943, a musical variety series that would quickly become one of the most distinguished – and expensive – radio shows on the air debuted on the then newly formed Blue Network. Titled the Radio Hall of Fame, this hour-long Sunday evening offering presented itself as a weekly tribute to the best entertainment then available on stage, in radio, on recordings, and in motion pictures.
 
Sponsored by the Philco Corporation, makers of refrigerators and the largest radio manufacturer in the country, Radio Hall of Fame featured entertainers considered the best of the best then, many still remembered today, including Fred Allen, Bing Crosby, Orson Welles, and many more!
 
Heard today, the Radio Hall of Fame remains outstanding entertainment, reflecting the tastes of the general public during the latter years of World War II. There’s never any shortage of talent on hand. And today, in a time when the once-common variety show has completely disappeared from the airwaves, it’s fun to return to an era when listeners could literally expect to hear anyone or anything presented in a sixty-minute line-up.
 
The nine broadcasts in Radio Hall of Fame, Volume 2 have been fully and beautifully restored to the best sparkling audio quality possible. These programs are truly a piece of history as well as examples of some of the finest entertainers of the Twentieth Century and belong in any Pop Culture enthusiast’s collection! Get yours today, Nine Audio CDs for $26.98!
 
 
Bob Elliott will celebrate his 89th birthday on Monday the 26th. Ray Goulding would have celebrated his 90th birthday on March 20th.
 
You can send Bob a Happy Birthday greeting by sending an email to bob@bobandray.com
 
 
 
 

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One way to tell a radio show is truly great is when it stands out above its own format, which in today’s terms may be overdone and clichéd. Mystery is My Hobby, by that definition is a truly great show.
 

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Aired originally from 1945 to 1947, this fantastic, albeit formulaic program featured Barton Drake, as played by Glenn Langan. A mystery writer by trade, Drake spends much of his time solving mysteries that seem to occur naturally all around him, plying his ‘hobby’ on a regular basis with his sidekick, Policeman Noah Danton. Usually the crime is committed, either while Drake and Danton are around or just prior to their arrival on the scene. Drake then, in the style of The Falcon or The Saint, works his way through the clues given and danger offered and solves the mystery, using the last few minutes to explain just how he did it to the slightly obtuse Danton.
 
On first listen, “Mystery is My Hobby” sounds like several other radio shows of the same format and you can definitely tell that it was one of the precursors to television shows like “Murder, She Wrote’, ‘Diagnosis Murder’ and others. What makes this light mystery program stand out, however, are the two lead characters – Drake and Danton. There’s most definitely a typical ‘Lead and sidekick’ relationship between them, but there’s something more. The two characters interact with each other with a humor and relaxed ease that not only makes the listener grin, but serves to ingratiate and involve them in the plot. The banter between Danton and Drake engages you to the point that you’re wrapped up in the mystery almost immediately and even though you have the general idea of how it’s going to play out, you’re fully invested and enjoy the entire episode.
 
Although most of the mysteries that Drake finds himself engaged in do end up in murder, another intriguing aspect of the show is that all the crimes aren’t always centered on something so fatal. Blackmail, theft, and other interesting crimes pop their head up throughout this collection. Mystery is My Hobby is a good example of a well established light formulaic mystery program, but even more so it’s a hoot to listen to because of the bickering between Drake and Danton. And you can enjoy ten hours of this wonderfully fun amateur detective show for only $29.98 on Audio CDs from Radio Archives!
 
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Doctor Death is back for second clash with supernatural detective, Jimmy Holm, and his team. When a Zombi strangles a wealthy and influencial Egyptian in his New York apartment, Holm and Police Inspector Ricks knows it signals that Doctor Death is opening up a strange new front on his sworn war against modern man. Master of many forbidden sciences, servant of Satan, Death—in reality disgraced Yale psychologist Rance Mandarin—has assembled a legion of living dead and unclean elementals to do this wicked bidding. But Death wants more. Much more.
 
The trail of dead and undead alike leads to Egypt, land of a million mystical mysteries. There, lies the tomb of Anubis, the jackal-headed Lord of the Underworld. Thought to have been a god, in reality he was once a wizard. And in his sarcophagus rests the long-lost secret of reanimating an unstoppable new army to do Death’s bidding. For Doctor Death will not rest until he has resurrected all of Egypt’s entombed mummies!
 

Only Jimmy Holm and the strange alliance of power political leaders and Underworld kingpins known collectively as the Secret Twelve possess the will to stand against Death and his Undead things. But to win, Holm must ally himself with the mysterious Egyptian ruler known as Queen Charmion. Can she be trusted? More importantly, how do you defeat a human monster who can implant his soul in the body of any living person at will? Can anyone be trusted if they might be in reality…Doctor Death? Buy the second audiobook of one of our most popular titles for only $17.98 on Audio CDs from Radio Archives.

Audiobook Reader Profile: An Interview with Joey D’Auria
 

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A Scientist driven mad by his own desires and evil depravity! Zombies, giants, and horrible powers of the mind at his disposal! The world on its knees! And a stalwart group of Twelve led by an intrepid Police Detective stand as the only thing between this lunatic and world domination! All of this and more is what readers of Pulps in the early 20th Century thrilled and chilled to in stories written by Harold Ward under the mysterious nom de guerre Zorro! These were the tales of Doctor Death!
 
Listeners today will find just as much horror and adventure in Doctor Death as they are presented as audiobooks as a part of Will Murray’s Pulp Classics! Brought to chilling life by the fantastic reading provided by Joey D’Auria, the heroic adventure of Jimmy Holm and his team as well as the true horror of the mad Doctor Death keeps listeners coming back for more and leaves goosebumps at the end of every chapter.
 
Translating a classic Pulp Tale to a modern Audiobook is exciting enough. That challenge becomes even greater when the lead character in the story is not the dashing hero rushing into save the day, but instead the insane villain of the piece. This sort of story requires a special talent, someone who can easily move back and forth between the cruel machinations of Doctor Death and the desperate do-gooding of Jimmy Holm. Joey D’Auria is exactly the voice talent to do just that and much more.
 
“I have always been a huge fan of radio drama,” D’Auria stated. “In fact, back in the mid 1970’s in Los Angeles, my very good friend Roger Rittner and I created the Variety Arts Radio Theater, performing recreations of classic radio shows from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s on stage for a live audience. Our sound effects man did all our sound effects live and without recordings. We even recreated classic period radio commercials.”
 
Even when life pushed Joey other directions, he made his way back to audio. “When I was offered the job as WGN-TV’s Bozo the Clown in 1984, my family and I left L. A. for Chicago, and while there, in addition to working as Bozo the Clown, I also worked in stage productions and in TV and radio commercials. When the Bozo Show ended in 2001, my wife and I moved back to California, and in Hollywood, I returned to working in voice over and animation. One of my first jobs back in L. A. in 2002 was for the anime series Daigunder, in which I played Commissioner Spinklestarber.
 
In 2003,” D’Auria continued, “I was in Great Britain as the principle writer and show coordinator on Star Trek the Experience For See Entertainment in Hyde Park, London. Returning to the States, I became head writer and did occasional voices for Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventures on PBS. And I also supplied assorted voices for Universal/Imagine’s “Curious George” (The Movie). From there I worked on War of the Worlds: Goliath for Tripod Entertainment and most recently was the voice of General Alister Azimuth for Insomniac Games Ratchet & Clank Future – A Crack in Time. Today most of my work is for video games.”
 
Signing on as one of the voices of Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, Joey brought his own knowledge and experience with Pulp to the table. “When I was a kid,” he related, “a friend’s father had a huge pulp collection stashed inside the family’s fallout shelter in the back yard. My friend and I would spend lazy summer days sequestered down there eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and reading Amazing Stories, Captain Future, Man of Tomorrow and several other collections whose names I don’t remember. However, the thing that really drew me into “The Pulps” was the fantastic artwork on the covers.”
 
Joey sees Pulp today as just as attractive for modern readers and listeners today as it was for him as a child. When asked what appeal Pulp tales like ‘Doctor Death’ might have for fans today, he stated, “The same things that no doubt appealed to the audiences of the 1930’s, ’40’s and ’50’s! Action, adventure, thrills! Momentary escapism into a fantastic world where anything is possible!”
 
That escapism is something that D’Auria definitely enjoys about his work on Doctor Death. “The Doctor Death stories are marvelous period melodrama. For starters, you have tough talking 1930’s detectives and they are coming up against a world of mad scientists and occult creatures. Here the heroes are 100% patriotic, noble and forthright – even the notorious uncrowned king of the underworld Tony Caminetti steps up and puts all criminal activity in the USA on hold for the good of the country.”
 
The cast that D’Auria has to work with in his reading of this Pulp series is definitely varied and interesting. He explained, “It’s true the stories are all centered on Doctor Death and his insane schemes, but we also have a lot of wonderful characters who are integral to each Doctor Death plot. I approach my reading by not just telling the story – but by attempting to breathe life into all the assorted characters that people this world.”
 
Joey admits, however, that even as grand as the heroes are, he finds just as much amusement in playing the lead role. “The madly deranged Doctor Death,” D’Auria added, “brings to the party a delightfully unrepentant mad scientist who wants to take over the world and doesn’t care how many people he has to kill to do it! Doctor Death is a wonderful villain . . . and I must confess that I really miss him when he doesn’t show up in a chapter to spread his special brand of whimsical malevolence. So, I guess you could say the most fun for me in reading these stories is playing Doctor Death!”
 
D’Auria believes that listeners to the Will Murray Pulp Classics audiobooks will be drawn to the same aspects of the stories as fans of the original Pulp tales were, particularly the action. “The beauty of the pulps is that they don’t short-change the reader on action and excitement. And it’s that same action and excitement that also makes them such wonderful material for us readers. All of the other readers (many of whom are old friends of mine) are fine actors and each brings his or her own special talents to each of their stories.”
 
Joey D’Auria definitely plans to keep going with Doctor Death as long as the dastardly doctor is a part of the Will Murray Pulp Classics line up, but he also wouldn’t mind reliving some of his childhood Pulp favorites as a reader as well. “I would love to continue with the series. However, if I were to head into another direction – I guess I would have to confess to a desire for some old fashioned science fiction that harkens back to those days so long ago when I was reading stories like Captain Future, Man of Tomorrow down in my friend Peter’s fallout shelter.”
 
Will Murray’s Pulp Classics is proud to present Two Volumes of Doctor Death as read by the spectacularly talented Joey D’Auria. Get ’12 Must Die’ for $14.98 and the latest audibook “The Gray Creatures’ for $17.98! If you’re looking for the best in Audiobook and Pulp entertainment and a good villain to boot, then Doctor Death as performed by Joey D’Auria and presented by Will Murray’s Pulp Classics is exactly what you’re after!
 
by Derrick Ferguson
 
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People are forever asking me what do I see in this Pulp stuff anyway? “It’s old” they’ll say or “That stuff is corny”
 
Maybe so, but if a crime fighting Buddhist monk is corny, then give me more of it because that’s the kind of corn I love to eat. Up until now my knowledge of The Green Lama has only been limited to the prose anthologies and novels I’ve read. The thing that grabbed me about The Green Lama is that it’s a concept I’d have bet good money on wouldn’t work in the pulps but I’m switched if it doesn’t. Which actually is a good thing. The Green Lama is a refreshing change of pace from guys like The Shadow and The Spider who usually leave several dump trucks full of dead bad guys at the end of their adventures. Not The Green Lama. He relies on his trusty prayer scarf and his knowledge of human anatomy to incapacitate his foes. After listening to “The Case of The Crimson Hand” and “Croesus of Murder” I wonder if Gene Roddenberry got the idea for the Vulcan nerve pinch from The Green Lama.
 
The Radio Archives audiobook is voiced by Michael McConnohie who is my favorite voice talent when it comes to Radio Archives audiobooks. Not to take away from the others because I honestly haven’t yet listened to an audiobook of theirs I didn’t like. But Mr. McConnohie’s ability to do different voices never fails to amaze me. Mr. Connohie is absolutely terrific in his dramatic reading that conveys the excitement of the stories.
 
Once again Radio Archives filled one of my slow Sunday afternoons with a wonderful production that kept me glued to my seat. My intention was to do some household chores while listening to “The Case of The Crimson Hand” and “Croesus of Murder” but that quickly went out the window as I simply did not want to get up. Another worthy addition to any pulp fan’s audio drama library. And it can be a part of yours for only $17.98 from Radio Archives!
 
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The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge Ebooks! Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your E-Reader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and Operator 5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like Doctor Death and more, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
 
Five new golden age Pulp tales exquisitely reformatted into visually stunning E-books!

 
In the heart of New York’s Chinatown, on his imperial throne, guarded by swordsmen and gunmen and a labyrinth of death traps, sat the Arch-Criminal of all time. Master of life and death, of disease, of horrible, crawling things — the Emperor of Vermin released destruction over city and nation. The Spider, Master of Men, champion of humanity, fought with every ounce of his cunning, against the monster who personified evil incarnate — while one faithful servant gave his life in this, the Spider’s most bitter, hopeless battle, and Nita herself was faced with a doom more ghastly than any criminal mind had conceived before! Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 
Sere, ghastly, the Severed Hand brought its grisly warning to New York. Its citizens must pay the extortioner’s price or die, their living bodies slowly, agonizingly transformed into rigid mummies! The police were helpless, and only Richard Wentworth, in the Spider’s weird garb, could wage battle — against the master murder-chemist who killed to corral a fortune! Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 

Walking cadavers! Blood-thirsty, nauseous gray creatures! In the dank tombs of Egypt where he seeks the secret of resurrection, Doctor Death strikes at his pursuers with the terrible inventions of his warped brain. This gripping account of a brave detective’s struggle against a scientific fiend is packed with thrills and horror. The maddest of the Mad Scientists — Doctor Death — starred in his own bizarre pulp magazine in early 1935. He consorted with demons, elementals, zombies, disinterred mummies, and other unclean denizens of Hell. Standing against him were the Secret Twelve, a band of the top U. S. civil and business leaders, headed by Jimmy Holm, a millionaire criminologist and occultist. One of the rare unabashedly supernatural series the pulps ever produced, Doctor Death returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.

 
One moment good-will bound the United States and the great Power across the sea… the next, shells screamed their death wails into Coast homes and factories. No citizen was safe from the bloody holocaust when the Yellow Empire struck without warning from the Pacific. With fiendish artifice the world was turned against us. And somewhere in this country, covertly completing the terrifying work of wholesale destruction, lurked the ruthless agent of the invading hordes. Operator 5 alone guessed the dread secret and matched his individual might against a million war-drunk terrorists — while the nation trembled on the brink of red wreckage! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.
 

From Earth, Venus and Mercury, three Musketeers of Space, accompanied by a female D’Artagnan, rocket out in a grim battle against the League of the Cold Worlds! From the blistering surface of Mercury to Pluto’s frosty icefields, their fame had spread. John Thorn, Sual Av and Gunner Welk—better known as The Three Planeteers! Are they heroes, or outlaws? Could they be both? No more knew. When the tyrannical League of the Cold Worlds devises a super-weapon capable of annihilating the defenses of the democratic Alliance of Inner Planets, The Three Planeteers go undercover to choke off Dictator Haskell Trask’s critical power supply of radite. But the mission brings them into the realm of the D’Artagnan of space, Lana Cain, legendary leader of the most brazen band of buccaneers ever to ply the space lanes. In the year 2952, the fate of the Solar System rests on a trio of hired ray-guns who dare the pirate-infested asteroid wilderness known as the Zone…from which few return…
 
When you purchase these beautifully reformatted eBooks from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
 
Find these legendary Pulp tales and more in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, available in the Kindle store and coming very soon to the iBook Store! The best Pulp eBooks now available for only $2.99 each from Radio Archives!
 
 

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by Kendell Foster Crossen, introduction by Will Murray
Om! Ma-ni pad-me Hum! The first of its kind, the complete adventures of the Green Lama follows the adventures of Buddhist Jethro Dumont and his aides as they battle the forces of evil in the western world. Written by Kendell Foster Crossen, it’s non-stop action in the vein of The Shadow! Never completely reprinted before, the series is collected in three volumes. Each volume contains an all-new introduction, focusing on a different aspect of the character’s life across several forms of popular media. Volume 1 contains in introduction by Will Murray and features the first five stories. Only $34.95 in the Pulp Book Store!
 

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by Henry Kuttner, introduction by Will Murray
Available for the first time… the complete saga of Thunder Jim Wade! Written by fantasy legend Henry Kuttner, this collection reprints all five adventures of Thunder Jim Wade from 1941. Long discounted as a Doc Savage clone, Thunder Jim Wade: The Complete Series brings to life this classic pulp hero and shows him to be much more than a knock-off! Ride along with Wade and his two stalwart companions, Dirk Marat and Red Argyle, as they battle evil across the globe! Thrill along with them as they traverse the world in The Thunderbug, Jim’s multifunctional transforming vehicle! Includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray! Now available in the Pulp Book Store for $29.95!
 
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Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The Shadow’s underworld agents Hawkeye and Cliff Marsland take center stage in two thrilling pulp novels by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, what is the strange secret of “The Green Box” that is worth human life? The Shadow seeks the deadly secret in a masterpiece of misdirection that introduced aides Hawkeye and Tapper. Then, the Master of Darkness and his underworld operatives investigate “The Getaway Ring,” a racket that helps mobsters evade capture via a modern-day “underground railway.” BONUS: “The Crawling Death,” a lost thriller scripted by radio Shadow Bret Morrison! This instant collector’s item reprints the classic color cover paintings by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the original interior illustrations by Tom Lovell and Edd Cartier, with historical articles by Anthony Tollin and Will Murray. Buy it today for $14.95.
 
TRIPLE NOVEL SPECIAL Tarzan’s influence on the Man of Bronze is examined in three action-packed adventures by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, a giant “Dagger in the Sky” materializes from thin air and disappears after bizarre murders, leading Doc Savage to a South American war started by Earth’s wealthiest men. Then, the Man of Bronze is asked to locate an heiress who disappeared into the Brazilian jungles years earlier. Finally, while attempting to license one of Monk’s chemical inventions, Henry Jones comes into possession of “The Monkey Suit” that leads into a strange adventure, narrated in the first person. This triple-novel collector’s edition showcases the original color pulp covers by Emery Clarke and Walter Swenson, the classic interior illustrations by Paul Orban and Edd Cartier and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of nine Doc Savage novels. Priced at only $14.95.
 
The Pulp Era’s strangest mystery man returns in two more epic adventures by Paul Ernst writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, can Justice, Inc. prevent secrets of an ancient civilization buried for centuries in The River of Ice from destroying the modern world? Then, scientists in Paris, Berlin and Montreal exhale fire as they die, setting The Avenger on the trail of The Flame Breathers and a deadly secret that threatens to plunge the world into a fiery infernal! BONUS: a thrilling adventure of Police Commissioner James Gordon, a.k.a. The Whisperer! This classic pulp reprint showcases H. W. Scott’s classic pulp covers, all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban, and historical commentary by Will Murray for $14.95!

Pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men returns in two classic novels from the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction, written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Overlord of the Damned” (October 1935), the Boss unleashes horrible death with his demonic acid guns… with a vat of the same deadly corrosive reserved for those who talk too much! With his beloved Nita van Sloan a hostage to a terrible doom, the Spider faces the soul-tearing prospect of planting the Spider seal on his friend Stanley Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police! Then, in “Dictator’s Death Merchants!” (July 1940), The jaws of death gape open when El Crocodilo feasts! With uncanny skill, he forestalls even the Spider’s best attempts to trap him. Striking without mercy, this menace from the past rises anew by demolishing a banking institution each night, in a mad scheme to take control of nothing less than all of America’s finances! This volume is available in two editions and features the original artwork from the October 1935 or the July 1940 edition of “The Spider” magazine. Both versions feature reformatted text and original interior illustrations to accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
 
 
 
 
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By Art Sippo

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It is the middle of the Great Depression. In the town of Crescent City, poor but honest Tom Worth disappears. Two days later he reappears on his front porch and tells a tale of being captured by a band of tiny golden ogres dressed in loin cloths and held prisoner in a cave. These miniature cavemen were no higher than his knee. They beat him with clubs and warned that they were going to do horrible things to him and the people of Crescent City. Shortly thereafter he disappeared again.
 
Tom’s son, Don is away at summer camp when his mother sends him the news of his father’s final disappearance. Don was a hard working lad and a good student. He intended to work hard and better himself. A serious lad, Don worked odd jobs to help the family make ends meet. Any bully who tried to mess with him learned the hard way that Don was no pushover. In fact Don tried to emulate his hero, the amazing Doc Savage! He wanted to be sound in mind, body, and conscience.
 
Don had three good friends: B. Elmer Dexter who always had some get-rich-quick scheme, Morris ‘Mental” Byron a dreamer and philosopher, and Leander ‘Funny’ Tucker a chubby good-natured boy and a practical joker. Together, they plan to solve the mystery of Tom Worth’s disappearance. The weird aspects of this case lead Don to one logical conclusion: they must seek help from Doc Savage.
 
In one of his few solo adventures without his aides, Doc goes to Crescent City and almost immediately, an attempt is made on his life. He links up with Don Worth and his three friends to solve the mystery of the gold ogres.
 
This adventure was written specifically to inaugurate a new series of juvenile adventures starring Don Worth and his friends that would emulate the more mature stories in the Doc Savage series for younger readers. The projected series never did materialize but Lester Dent left us an example of his writing talents for a young adult audience. Every Doc savage should read this unique addition to the Doc Savage canon and you can get yours today, plus another titanic Doc Savage tale in Doc Savage Volume 20 from Radio Archives for only $12.95!
 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
C. Eugene Schneider writes:
When I found Radio Archives in 2000, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Continuing on 11 or so years later, I must say you produce the finest quality Old Time Radio recordings in your industry. I am very grateful for them and looking forward to what may be around the corner. The quality you provide is better than the original broadcasts. Thank you and keep up the fantastic work.
 
Larry Hultgren writes:
THANKS for all of your work in making excellent quality old time radio programs available. Great variety in your selections and wonderful service!
 
Mitzi McLaughlin writes:
This is great! I appreciate all of you so much for keeping this alive!
 
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.

BOX 13, DAN FOWLER, OPERATOR 5, JACK BENNY, AND MORE! FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • February 27, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

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February 24, 2012
 
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NEW Radio Set: Box Thirteen, Volume 4

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“Adventure wanted. Will go anyplace, do anything. Box Thirteen.” These words sent Dan Holiday, reporter turned author, into mystery and action for fifty-two episodes of ‘Box Thirteen’, a stand out radio program produced in 1948-49. Holiday, played by screen star Alan Ladd, checked his box at his paper, the Star-Times, each week and every single time launched himself into a brand new adventure.
 
The basic premise of the show is simple. Interested in writing the most successful and thrilling stories possible, Dan Holiday places an ad in the paper he works for – the Star-Times. Apparently prospering as a mystery writer, Holiday rarely charges a fee to any of the colorful clients that cross his path, most of whom need his assistance in one way or another.
 
“Box Thirteen” stood out amongst its contemporaries for more than one reason. The device Holiday uses to get his story ideas is one aspect of Box Thirteen that adds to its different flavor. Even though this technique, placing an ad in a paper advertising for adventure, was not a new one, actually present in at least one other old time radio show at the time, the way it was handled within this show was special. Holiday wasn’t a retired cop or a super secret agent with no war to fight. He was a guy who wanted to live the stories he wrote about so he’d write better books. He had no intention of making money directly off of helping someone out of a jam or being locked away in an asylum or any of the other calamities he intentionally encountered over fifty-two episodes. Thanks to Ladd’s portrayal, Holiday used the want-ad gimmick to better the lives of those he came into contact with in this unique way whenever he could.
 
Some sources cite that Alan Ladd played Dan Holiday as somewhat stiff and wooden in the early episodes of Box Thirteen. By the last episodes in the series, however, all agree that Ladd made the character and the show itself what it was always intended to be – a showpiece for what Alan Ladd could really do. Hang on tight and read over Dan Holiday’s shoulder as he learns what danger and death awaits him when he checks in at the Star-Times. All the mystery, suspense, and pure adventure you can handle await you in Box Thirteen, Volume 4, the last episodes in this classic program. This Six hour collection is available now on Audio CDs for $17.98 from Radio Archives!

 
This already fantastic collection of a Classic Adventures series also comes with incredible new artwork! Pulp Artist extraordinaire Doug Klauba brings Dan Holiday as played by Alan Ladd to visual life! A print of this great piece can be yours in one of the newest additions to the Pulp Book Store, The Art of Doug Klauba! Get this artwork as a poster in the new store featuring the varied and awesome work of Doug Klauba!
 

ra219-250-7001215 Many works from the Golden Age of Radio had their origins in other mediums. A best selling book, a movie, a hit Broadway play. Some even went on to have their time in the spotlight on TV. One show to rise out or grow into all of these mediums and become a part of radio history as well was a stand out unique soap opera called “Claudia.”

“Claudia” was based on the literary works of Rose Franken, a writer, novelist, playwright, and theatrical director who had first written about the Naughton’s in the mid-1930s. By the end of the decade, the highly popular short stories had been brought together into a series of best-selling novels which, in 1941, were adapted by Franken into a Broadway play starring Donald Cook as David and a young actress named Dorothy McGuire in the title role. Claudia Naughton was a breakout role for McGuire; the sincerity, simplicity, and captivating charm which she brought to the part made the play a long-running hit and soon brought her to Hollywood to reprise the role in the 20th Century Fox film version, released in 1943 and co-starring Robert Young as David. Based on that film’s success, in 1945, RKO Pictures starred McGuire and Young in “The Enchanted Cottage” and 1946 found them together again in “Claudia and David,” a sequel to the earlier film.
 
Heard today, “Claudia” remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its lighthearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters. Claudia, a bit younger than her years, is often impulsive, sometimes irresponsible, usually perky, and just a bit flighty. As she matures, she becomes a unique mixture of enthusiasm, incompetence and over-confidence — deeply in love with her somewhat older husband David, but frequently naive and too likely to trust in her insecurities rather than her instincts.
 
Claudia, Volume 9 continues Radio Archives’ collection of the complete run of this classic series. Restored to the best and clearest audio quality possible, these shows sparkle and are best heard in the way they were presented, in fifteen minute chapters every single day. Whether you enjoy them as they originally aired or can’t wait and sit through them all at once, Claudia, Volume 9 continues a wonderful episodic tale of a woman and the man she loves living life the way most of their listeners did and do. This volume can be yours today on Audio CDs for only $17.98.
 

by Tommy Hancock

 

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It’s often amazing and sometimes atrocious when a character begins in one medium and then is translated into other venues. Sometimes the essence of the original concept and story are maintained and fans simply get a different version of the tale they love. Other times, alterations made for whatever reason are so dramatic that whatever results from said changes is a pale imitation, if not something completely different than where the idea began. There is that rare instance, though, of something beginning one way, then being interpreted slightly differently through a different lens, so to speak.
 
Or in this case, through a radio speaker.
 
Casey, Crime Photographer, Volume 1 contains twenty episodes of good old-fashioned pulpy, fun, action packed newspaper mysteries that any fan would enjoy! Originally created for Black Mask magazine by writer George Harmon Coxe, the character that headlines this show was originally known as Flashgun Casey. And those original tales as well as the novels to follow were written in the trademark detective pulp style of two fisted hard boiled action made famous by Black Mask. Coxe imbued the initial version of his camera wielding newspaper photographer with a thirst for justice, a nose for news, and enough grit and iron to take on any thug or crime boss. Thankfully for fans of such stories, those aspects of Casey survived into the radio show, even though the sobriquet of ‘Flashgun’ didn’t for the most part.
 
Even though Casey can be heard doggedly pursuing right and wanting to spread wrongdoing all over the front page of the Morning Express, there was a not all that subtle shift in the character by the time he made it to radio. This was not uncommon in the days of radio, to take especially a rough-hewn hard boiled type and lighten him up a bit for his audio incarnation. There’s multiple examples of this attached to some pretty well known characters. Unfortunately, there’s usually something lost when this occurs, a particular aspect of the character that just doesn’t survive the translation. A prime example of this that comes to mind is the Wally Maher version of ‘Michael Shayne’ (The Jeff Chandler version, also available via Radio Archives, nails the character solidly by the way). Maybe the portrayal comes off as too soft or downright goofy or the stories get feathery. Not so with “Casey, Crime Photographer.”
 
One of the major appeals of this show is the fact that the writers and producers built a likable, interesting supporting cast around Casey. There’s Miss Anne Williams, Casey’s very own reporter and love interest; Captain Logan, the almost standard irascible police contact; and Ethelbert, the most enjoyable owner and bartender of Casey’s favorite watering hole, the Blue Note. Each of the episodes in this collection follow a standard formula for the show. Casey and Ethelbert embark upon banter that leads to Tony Marvin, the announcer, opening the show and hawking the sponsor, Anchor-Hocking Glass. Then oftentimes the mystery or crime that Casey and Anne have to track down for the paper is reported to them while sitting again at Ethelbert’s bar. From there, each show contains a good balance of humorous repartee, well paced action and twists, and Casey showing the flashbulb blazing heroic side of himself Coxe imbued him with while maintaining a likability that added to the mass audience appeal of the character.
 
Throw in the fact that two of the best possible voices for the two best characters in “Casey” are present in this collection and you can’t lose! Staats Cotsworth, although not the only actor to voice Casey, owned the role the longest and definitely left his mark on it with his jovial baritone voice. John Gibson’s high tenor portrayal of Ethelbert clearly stands out in every episode, making the role that Gibson played for the entire run of the radio show one of the favorites among fans.
 
Casey, Crime Photographer, Volume 1 is that rare case where listeners get both the original take on the character wrapped in new interpretations…and it works! Available from Radio Archives for $29.98 on Audio CDs, this is a series that needs to be yours today! Get the picture?

 
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In the flood of pulp magazines featuring the hard-hitting exploits of a single hero, only one magazine read as if its stories had been torn out of the headlines. That was G-Men, starring the closest equivalent to Eliot Ness and his Untouchables the pulps dared offer up.
 
The origins of this exemplary series are obscure. Leo Margulies, editor-in-chief of the Thrilling chain, may have been eyeing rival titles such as Secret Service Operator #5 and Secret Agent X, thinking there’s gold in fictionalizing the exploits of undercover men. Early in 1935, Margulies let it be known in the trade that he was planning to issue Secret Service Detective Stories—a bland and uninspiring title if one was ever floated.
 
But Secret Service Detective Stories never materialized. In April, James Cagney starred in a blockbuster film, G Men.  That July, a radio program by that same name debuted to strong ratings. It later became even more famous as Gang Busters. Pulp editors always looked to Hollywood and the headlines for inspiration. Margulies didn’t need to be hit over the head.  He scrapped the Secret Service concept and appropriated the popular title, which had been coined by gangster George “Machine Gun” Kelly when, after being surrounded by armed F.B.I. agents in 1933, threw up his hands and cried, “Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot, G-Men!” Or so the legend goes. G-Man stood for Government Men, specifically F.B.I. agents.
 
These were the days of iron-fisted Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover battling back the gangster tide that was overrunning major cities all across America. Seeing the local law-enforcement was outnumbered and outgunned—if not compromised—by organized crime he reorganized the old Bureau of Investigation into America’s first national police force—sanctioned to cross state lines in the pursuit of justice. In the pulps, the urban menace of mobster crime had given rise to The Shadow and all the superhuman crime-fighters who followed.
 
Five years into this ever-shifting reality, Margulies and his editors must have decided the reading public was ready for a crime-crusher who didn’t wear a black cape or a weird mask, and who operated within the law. They were ready for the real deal.
 
So they created Special Agent Daniel Fowler. Young but hardened, the product of the FBI’s new scientific investigation methods, Fowler and his aides, Larry Kendal and Sally Vane, formed a special roving unit of the Bureau, willing and able to rush to any state in the Union to combat counterfeiters, extortionists and sundry foreign spies.
 
To write the exploits of such a non-nonsense hero, they understood that they needed a writer of a different cut than the boys who were grinding out The Phantom Detective every month. Maybe they tried a few of their Phantom authors and they flopped. In any case, they called in George Fielding Eliot, a former major in U. S. intelligence.
 
Titled after an underworld slang term for kidnapping, with the Lindbergh baby kidnapping fresh in the public consciousness, and inspired by the notorious Purple Gang, the premier exploit of Dan Fowler and his team was called Snatch! It was an instant success among readers who had been reading daily newspaper accounts of the F. B. I.’s successful crusade against John Dillinger and “Baby Face” Nelson, and other otherwise-unstoppable Public Enemies. Their bodies were fast piling up—filled with government lead, with no sign of The Shadow or the Spider anywhere in real life.
 
Seared by crime, trained by Hoover, and motivated by a stern sense of justice, Special Agent Fowler went on to a long and successful career spanning nearly two decades, and a single 1937 film, Federal Bullets. Only the death of the pulp magazine industry put an end to his fame.
 
In order to do justice to this riveting hero, we’ve recruited the impeccable-voiced Richard Epcar to narrate Snatch! If you like Richard’s hard-hitting performance as much as we do, expect to hear a big announcement regarding Richard Epcar and Radio Archives next month. We can’t wait!
 
Available for only $14.98 on Audio CDs, 5 Hours of G-Man Action from Will Murray’s Pulp Classics and Radio Archives!

 
by Derrick Ferguson
 

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The more audiobooks produced by Radio Archives that I listen to, the more impressed I am and the more I’m getting hooked on them. What I really enjoy first off is the mixture of music and sound effects that make the audiobooks a little closer to audio dramas than just a straight reading of the text. Which isn’t a bad thing, depending on who’s doing the reading. For White Eyes we’ve got Richard Epcar who has a clear, firm, muscular voice, which is just what you want for a Doc Savage adventure.
 
And what an adventure it is! In White Eyes, Doc Savage is up against one of the most formidable villains he’s ever faced. The mysterious White Eyes dresses entirely in white. His skin is the color of porcelain and his eyes have no pupils. He appears to have supernatural abilities such as his mastery of The Blind Death. A horrifying method of murder, it turns the eyes of its victims as blank and as white as cue balls.
 
There’s quite a lot of eccentric supporting characters running around here, including a goodly number of New York’s criminal element. These criminals are bonded together into an army by White Eyes to seize Doc’s source of wealth: the Mayan gold that was bequeathed to him by his father in The Man of Bronze, Doc’s first recorded adventure.
 
It’s an ambitious scheme and one I found highly intriguing as for a change, it’s the criminals who go on the offensive to challenge Doc and his crew.
 
As an added bonus, there are two interviews with Will Murray where he gives interesting and entertaining background information about Doc Savage and Lester Dent in general and White Eyes in particular. Being a writer myself, I’m always fascinated to hear how another writer goes about crafting his stories.
 
Out of the two highly excellent Doc Savage audiobooks I’ve listened to so far, I’d have to give White Eyes the edge. That’s not to say that Python Isle suffers at all. It’s an outstanding Doc Savage adventure and well worth your time and money. But I’d have to say that White Eyes is probably my favorite out of the two. Tell you what, why not go listen to both of ‘em then get back to me and we can argue about it, okay? Get your copy for $31.98 on Audio CDs from Radio Archives!

 
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The Best Pulp From Yesterday for Your Digital Reader Today! That’s what Will Murray’s Pulp Classics line of eBooks from Radio Archives brings you! Thrill to Heroic Tales of Pulp Icons like The Spider and Chill to the Machinations of Villains like Doctor Death! Two fisted action and high octane adventure written by the Authors who defined Pulp Fiction forever!
 
These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and feature the original full color cover. Will Murray’s Pulp Classics line of eBooks are of the highest quality and feature the great Pulp Fiction stories of the 1930s-1950s.
 
Two new eBooks starring the violent vigilante adventures of the Master of men! The Spider, America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s, erupts guns blazing in these two exquisitely reformatted classic tales!
 
The Spider #3 Wings of the Black Death
Like the consuming flames of a prairie fire the dread news spread: “The Spider has gone mad! He will massacre us all!” But Richard Wentworth, never more sane, was even then gambling life itself in one desperate effort to save the city which cursed his name — from the awful ravages of man-spread plague!
 
 
When night falls you’ll think of Zara. You’ll see those eyes of his glowing with the very fires of hell — and you’ll be glad that the Spider prowls the night to help mankind. For Zara rose from Underworld filth… to enslave all peoples. And his crowning glory was saved for the Spider — Master of Men — whom he swore to make an idiot, the clowning jester of Zara’s court!
 
As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.
 
Joining the Spider are three names well known to Pulp Fans and characters full of intrigue, adventure, and excitement all their own!
 
Operator #5 – April 1934 
#1 The Masked Invasion

by Frederick C. Davis writing as Curtis Steele
Invisible, secret, deadly, the masked empire wielded its dread power of darkness throughout the nation. Havoc and ruin followed the terror-torn thousands who fled the country to escape the Thirteenth Darkness. America, faced with certain disaster, placed her chance of survival in one man’s capable hands — and prayed that the warrior gods might smile once more upon the miracle man of her Secret Service — Jimmy Christopher! Jimmy Christopher, clean-cut, square-jawed and clear-eyed, was the star of the most audacious pulp magazines ever conceived — Operator #5. As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.
 

Dan Fowler: G-Man – October 1935 
Snatch!

by George Fielding Eliot writing as C.K.M. Scanlon
Into the arena of the endless war which society wages on the criminal has stepped a new and gallant warrior — G-Man Dan Fowler, special agent of the Department of Justice. In this classic tale, Fowler takes to the trail of the Grey Gang — that band of masked killers who laugh at the Law while committing every heinous crime known to humanity! Dan Fowler, special agent of the Department of Justice, appeared as a long-running series inside G-Men Detective magazine from 1935 to 1953. Join him as he battles the brutal instruments of crimedom in this fast-paced battle against the minions of the lawless.
 
Doctor Death – February 1935 
#1 12 Must Die
by Harold Ward writing as Zorro
Who Is Doctor Death? A mad old wizard with the power to summon loathsome gray horrors from hell’s attic, decrees that the country’s 12 most famous men must die as carrion for his ghostly vultures. Only one man has a clue to the strange power of Doctor Death and that man faces torture and death to combat the master of carnage. The maddest of the Mad Scientists — Doctor Death — starred in his own bizarre pulp magazine in early 1935. Standing against him were the Secret Twelve, a band of the top U. S. civil and business leaders, headed by Jimmy Holm, a millionaire criminologist and occultist. One of the rare unabashedly supernatural series the pulps ever produced.
 
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you purchase this eBook from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle; and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
 
Jump Feet First into Classic Pulp with eBooks for only $2.99 each! All Radio Archives eBooks are available at the Kindle Store.

 

 
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Radio Archives is proud to count the International Jack Benny Fan Club as one of the newest members of the Pulp Book Store! The Fan Club’s store features 39 Forever: Second Edition, Volume 3 written by Laura Leff and Martin Gostanian. This book is part of a series that focuses on Benny’s career and illustrates the impact that he had as a comedian and an individual on the entertainment industry and society at large. In the following interview, Laura and Martin discuss their personal interest in Jack Benny as well as the Fan Club itself and the importance of Jack Benny to fans, listeners, and Pop Culture Enthusiasts today.
 
Radio Archives: First, could you share something about yourself and how you developed your interest in Jack Benny?
 
jackbennypose-8445599Laura: The short version is that it all started for me with the 1958 Warner Brothers’ cartoon The Mouse That Jack Built. It portrayed many of the classic radio characters as mice, and included a rare live-action sequence with Jack at the end. Later, I was drawn to reruns of Jack’s programs on a Detroit station in the late 1970s, and then decided it was high time to start the Jack Benny Fan Club.
 
Martin: Along with family, friends and my mother’s cooking, my earliest memories starting in the early 1960s revolved around and were defined by television. To be sure, I loved to read and my interests were varied, from history to math. But when it came to TV, I was just simply obsessed by it, there’s no other way to put it. Through it all, my preferences always lead to comedy, physical as well as verbal and literate humor. My first memory of Jack Benny was his weekly TV series in 1963 when it was on Tuesday nights right after Petticoat Junction – that is why I usually watched it. I will admit I gravitated to whatever physical comedy and sight gags that Jack would either instigate or had become the butt of, but it wasn’t until I had become fascinated with what was dubbed “old-time radio” that was resurfacing on local radio stations in the late 1960s that I really first discovered who Jack Benny really was.
 
It was when I was becoming more mentally discerning that I had latched onto Jack’s deft comedic skills. I started to fathom his virtuosity and his escalated absurdist vision of the world he inhabited, which constantly plagued him and bordered on the surreal. This rewarded audiences with not only what he espoused but also how he expressed his finely calculated wit. Such was the sum total of his greatness as a communicator. I had grown to understand and cherish the subtleties as well as the broad mental conjuring that only Benny’s radio comedy could evoke so superbly and unfailingly – and which had been translated so organically and envisioned so imaginatively when adapted for television. As a writer, I also have a true reverence for the scribes Benny employed who helped shape, hone and perfect Jack’s peerless humor for the ear as well as the eye.
 
In adulthood, I appreciated most the genuineness and universality of his comedy that other more astute pundits and mavens of comedy have already attested more eloquently and precisely. After over 45 years, the more I listen and watch Mr. B, the more I am in sheer awe of his depth, influence and humanity.
 
Radio Archives: What is the background/history of the International Jack Benny Fan Club?
 
Laura: I started the club when I was 10, and have to credit Jay Hickerson for giving it the first boost of publicity. Once upon a time there was no Internet (*GASP!*), and you had to get the word out by connecting to other people and groups who were interested in the same kinds of things that you were! Through 32+ years of accumulating members, shows, information, technology…progressively everything comes together. Today we have an extensive Web site, monthly chats, a newsletter that is published three times per year, audio and video libraries, and lots of resources to help members connect with the things they love most about Jack Benny, his life, and his work.
 
Radio Archives: What do you think there is about the legacy and work Jack Benny has left behind that still makes him popular today?
 
Laura: The major factor is that his comedy was based on character, not topical humor. Everyone still knows someone who is cheap, who thinks they do something very well (like play the violin) when they really don’t, someone who is silly and naive (like Dennis), etc. The characters are people to whom you can relate immediately without running for Wikipedia (“Who was Wendell Wilkie again?”). I have had many members tell me how they enjoy listening to the shows with their children, and even use them as bedtime stories.
 
Martin: Jack’s esteem in the pantheon of American entertainment is celebrated to this day for a variety of reasons. First and foremost was his “everyman” character persona that was so empathetic, sincere and endearing to audiences. His comic logic of inflating his own sense of self and in reacting to the inanities of life that unmercifully and hilariously confronted him revealed his mastery of humor and his ingenuity in connecting with audiences. On a larger scale, Jack’s influence and legacy stemmed from the acknowledged achievements that he innovated or epitomized on radio: character-driven humor, the running gag and the ensemble comedy.
 
Admittedly, there are a good many people, mostly under thirty, who have never seen or even have heard of Jack Benny. However, when they delight in the uproarious antics of sitcom favorites such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends and 30 Rock, they indirectly know who Jack is because he set the standards for the character-driven, ensemble comedy. And when these same deprived viewers are treated for the first time to Jack’s unique brand of humor, whether from radio or TV, they most always are rewarded with belly laughs, a true sense of appreciation for such a comedic talent and an earnest desire for more Mr. B.
 
By far the greatest testament to Jack’s comedy legacy is readily apparent in late night network talk shows. As learned author and television scholar David Marc observed in his essay, “Lending Character to American Comedy,” hosts such as Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, David Letterman (and more recently Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien) are “heirs to the mechanics of the Benny inheritance.” He perceptively noted that these stars (and well as other post-primetime “desk-and-sofa” scions since Marc’s 1993 observations) have developed their own versions of the “Benny stare” to minimally express “their personal aggravation with onstage occurrences” and in beseeching viewer support, all while “creating identity with audiences and picking up laughs in the bargain.” In one regard they are like Benny in that each is an “everyman” who tries to make sense of the world around them, all while juggling the vainglorious as well as the self-deprecating within their comic repertoire. Carson was the most vocal on air about his love for Jack and the influence Benny’s comedy wielded in shaping Johnny’s own comic vision, which in turn still serves as the hallmark for any successful comedy-variety talk show on late night TV.
 
Radio Archives: Comedy is a slippery slope as far as timeliness. Does Benny’s work transcend that and if so, what about his work appeals to a modern audience?
 
Laura: Many things don’t age well because people simply don’t understand them any more, or can’t relate them to their own personal experience. For example, consider immigrant humor of the early 20th century. People understood it in the context of that society, and experiencing it today can provide a sociological study of how people were struggling to make the transition into American society. Yet the Irish washerwoman or the Yiddish peddler is largely an artifact of the past, inspiring question marks over the heads of most people who don’t have a first-hand memory of the Reagan administration (and many who do).
 
While you get the very occasional topical joke on Jack’s program, it’s in the larger context of character with which people can connect. Stinginess aside, who doesn’t laugh at Jack playing a broken-down Tarzan opposite Carol Burnett as his put-upon Jane? It’s still character-based, with the humor of a robust young couple growing older in amusing ways.
 
Martin: The timeliness of Jack’s comedy lies in the individuality of Jack’s persona and how he is simply trying to rationalize the world around him, regardless of the scenario. How Jack interprets and reacts to a situation or a condition under one pretense while cleverly revealing his true motivation or hidden agenda resonates with and relates to audiences across all generations because it speaks to our emotional make-up and traits in its many shades through the prism of human behavior.
 
On the whole, people aspire to the same things Jack does: we want to be loved, we want to excel, we want to be respected, we want to know the how and why of situations affecting us, etc. His comic slant is predicated on and motivated by these universal desires and goals. Moreover, Jack’s exaggerated and likeable comic outlook was tinged with self-deprecating humor, yet he carried the veneer of a vulnerable, genteel and harmless fussbudget. The dynamics of Benny’s outward appearance clashing but coexisting with his visceral inner agenda only enhanced the hilarity. Again, comedy emerging out of a well-developed character.
 
This contrasts to comedy that heavily relies on topical references that are soon dated and eventually rendered arcane or obtuse. True, Benny did use topical references and idioms of the day, but the contexts were so broadly used that latter-day audiences unfamiliar with such timely citations could usually get the gist of the joke or outrageous allegory regardless of the era when they first occurred or still had prominence in the then-current culture.
 
Jack Benny endures as an eloquent comic presence and influence who appeals to modern audiences because he was most human and humane of them all in the 20th century. And thanks to the wonders of digital entertainment and the internet, Jack will continue to attract, amuse and amaze legions of new fans in the generations ahead.
 
jack-benny-2963645Radio Archives: What is the goal and purpose of the Fan Club as well as your mission in terms of sharing Jack Benny with today’s listeners/readers/fans?
 
Laura: We are a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit, with the official purpose being to educate people about the life and work of Jack Benny and his associates. We do so by preserving and making material available through our libraries, online resources, and other publications. We also do ongoing research for books such as the 39 Forever series and the newsletter to provide a growing body of knowledge about Jack Benny, expanding the context of understanding who he was as a person, an artist, and one of the foremost comedians of the 20th century.
 
Learn about one of the greatest comedic talents in history by visiting the International Jack Benny Fan Club’s page in the Pulp Book Store!
 

 

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Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The pulp era’s greatest crimebuster journeys to Maine on golden quests in two thrilling pulp novels by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, The Shadow and G-man Vic Marquette hunt enemy agents sabotaging maritime shipping from a mysterious Castle of Crime. Then, a sea captain’s dying words lead to serial slayings along the long-buried trail to a Dead Man’s Chest and Cuban gold! This instant collector’s item reprints the classic color cover paintings by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and Paul Orban, with historical commentary by Will Murray. Yours for only $14.95!
 
The pulp era’s greatest superman returns in classic pulp thrillers by Laurence Donovan and Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc and Patricia Savage attempt to discover the secret behind the baffling series of “black spot murders” that confounds the law. Then, an auction gallery bidding war leads to the abduction of Monk Mayfair. Can the Man of Bronze uncover the sinister secret of The Terrible Stork in time to save his right-hand aide? This special collectors edition showcases the original color pulp covers by Walter M. Baumhofer and Modest Stein, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and a behind-the-scenes article by Will Murray, writer of nine Doc Savage novels. Yours for only $14.95!
 
The double life of Police Commissioner James Gordon is explored in a pair of two-fisted thrillers that inspired classic Batman stories! First, The Whisperer goes undercover to close down a “School for Murder” that prepares teenagers for criminal careers! Then, Wildcat Gordon investigates corruption in the trucking industry in “Murder on the Line.” BONUS: an adventure of Norgil the Magician by The Shadow’s Maxwell Grant! This historic collector’s item showcases both original color pulp covers by Spider artist John Newton Howitt, classic interior illustrations by Paul Orban and golden-age great Creig Flessel, and historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. Now at Radio Archives for $14.95!

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The Spider, Volume 22 – 1935 & 1940 Variant Cover Editions 

Pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men returns in two classic novels from the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction, written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Overlord of the Damned” (October 1935), the Boss unleashes horrible death with his demonic acid guns… with a vat of the same deadly corrosive reserved for those who talk too much! With his beloved Nita van Sloan a hostage to a terrible doom, the Spider faces the soul-tearing prospect of planting the Spider seal on his friend Stanley Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police! Then, in “Dictator’s Death Merchants!” (July 1940), The jaws of death gape open when El Crocodilo feasts! With uncanny skill, he forestalls even the Spider’s best attempts to trap him. Striking without mercy, this menace from the past rises anew by demolishing a banking institution each night, in a mad scheme to take control of nothing less than all of America’s finances! This volume is available in two editions and features the original artwork from the October 1935 or the July 1940 edition of “The Spider” magazine. Both versions feature reformatted text and original interior illustrations to accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
 

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Classic Reprints! New Pulp Tales! History, Pop Culture, and Much More! Where do you find the finest of these? In the Pulp Book Store! And in the Treasure Chest, you find unbelievable deals from the following Publishers!
 
The Lord of the Vampires Returns and you can get him for 20% off original price. Dracula Lives by Joshua Reynolds is a page turning chill ride and can be yours at a steal!
 
Puttin’ The Monthly Back into Pulp, Pro Se Productions offers the finest in modern Pulp Magazines! For the month of February, pick up any or all of the first three issues of Pro Se Presents at an amazing 25% off each copy!
 
The greatest Minds of the 19th Century go to battle with the most evil forces known to man! Buy Modern Marvels: Viktoriana by Wayne Reinagel and get 5% off the regular price for the entire month of February!
 
Just click on the Treasure Chest on the Pulp Book Store Page for these terrific offers! And enjoy the best that these companies and more have to offer in the Pulp Book Store!

 
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By Art Sippo

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Four scientists were stranded on Cormoral Island when the Kendall Foundation of St. Louis that funded their expedition went bust. They were rescued by a passing ship, the Meg Finegan. It should have been a coincidence, but one of the scientists KNEW it would find them. He also started knowing a lot of other things before they happened. Professor Macbeth Williams was a hydrologist and the heir to a 500 million dollar fortune. He had taken the job on the expedition to escape from the pressure of managing his family fortune. He did not think his judgment skills were up to par. Now he was literally predicting poker hands before they were dealt and showing keen insight into future events. But Professor Williams was a man of science and did not place any stock in such things as precognition. But even after landing in Miami, the prediction kept coming. His fellow stranded scientists see this as a good thing and they insist to Williams that maybe he does have enough in sight to manage his vast fortune. But he was frightened that he might be losing his mind. He needed to get professional help to set his mind at ease. So he decided to call on the greatest Psychiatrist of his time: Dr. Clark Savage Jr.
 
But as he attempted to make contact with Doc Savage, strange things start happening. The telegrapher who took his initial message was murdered. Thugs in New York attacked Doc at his headquarters to prevent him from going to Macbeth Williams’ aid. Doc Savage becomes intrigued. There is an enormous fortune at stake, and its unwilling heir suddenly manifests almost supernatural insight which he thinks is a sign of madness. Meanwhile nefarious influences are working to isolate this heir from Doc Savage’s help. Something does not add up.
 
Can Doc Savage figure out this puzzle? Is Macbeth Williams really a prophet? Why are criminal elements interested in him? Is this an elaborate scam to get access to the Williams family fortune?
 
This was the penultimate adventure of the original Doc Savage pulp series. The story harkens back to the heyday of the series with the literary polish that marked many of the later stories. Don’t miss this one! Get it and another Doc Classic today in Doc Savage #15 for $12.95 from Radio Archives!

 

Comments From Our Customers!
 

Dominick Cancilla:
Thanks again for the assistance and for the great customer service (as usual). I have a six-hour drive tomorrow for work and The Green Llama will be keeping me company. I will certainly continue to buy every pulp audiobook you put out.
 
Eugene Dungan:
I am getting ready to order The Green Lama audiobook. I have all of the audiobooks that you have published. I sure am enjoying all of the audiobooks that you have put out so far.
 
Bobby McGowen Jr.:
I have been getting all of The Spider ebooks and I love them.
 
Bryan Pears from the United Kingdom:
Do you have any Operator 5 eBooks available? I have just bought The Spider eBook “City of Flaming Shadows” and was really impressed.

 
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.
 

WELCOME TO MY PARLOR, SAID THE SPIDER TO OPERATOR 5!

  • News
  • February 25, 2012
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The Spider & Operator 5 ™ Argosy Communications. Artwork © Dan Brereton.

New Pulp Author, Martin Powell shared the news of a team up he’s writing featuring pulp heroes The Spider and Operator 5.

“Well, I thought I was done with THE SPIDER,” Powell said. “Until I was approached a few days ago to write a historic first-time-ever team-up prose novella of THE SPIDER with OPERATOR 5. This will be featured in Moonstone’s upcoming OPERATOR 5 anthology, along with other thrill-a-second adventures from some of the finest pulp authors today. I’m dedicating my tale to the memory of the late Howard Hopkins, a great friend and brilliant writer, who surely would have been included in this volume. This one is for you, pal.”

You can learn more about Martin Powell at http://martinpowell221bcom.blogspot.com/
You can learn more about Moonstone Books at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/.

Vengeance is a dish best served bloody!

  • Uncategorized
  • December 27, 2011
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New Pulp Author Howard Hopkins (The Lone Ranger, The Avenger, The Spider) has announced that his novel, Blood Creek is now available exclusively for Amazon Kindle. Blood Creek is a Western novel of vicious revenge upon those who committed a heinous crime long ago and thought they got away with it, Blood Creek was originally published in hardcover under the Black Horse Western line and in large print Linford Library paperback edition under Howard’s Lance Howard penname. With a completely redesigned cover, this is its first electronic imprint, published under Howard’s own name, and will remain an exclusive Kindle release through arrangement with Amazon.com.

From the Blurb:

Fifteen years ago five unruly sons of rich parents committed a heinous crime against a young Ute woman, only to walk away unpunished.

Now a ruthless killer bent on revenge is stalking them, murdering their wives, and destroying their lives piece by piece.

After manhunter Calin Travers is mysteriously attacked, then lured under false pretenses to Sundown, Colorado, a town to which he swore he’d never return, he discovers himself face to face with old guilts and a brutal killer who has marked him for death.

“This author does miracles with the written word. He takes the reader to the heart of the story and holds them glued to the pages with passion to the very end…”
–Romance and Friends Reviews

“…believable characters and settings will have you breathing 1800s dust and seeing by the flickering light of an oil lamp as you turn every tension-filled page.”
–Tim Greaton, Maine’s Other Author (TM)

Vengeance is a dish best served bloody…Blood Creek by Howard Hopkins
Now available exclusively for Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006QD6VK8

You can learn more about Howard Hopkins at http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com/

MOONSTONE LAUNCHES NEWS SITE

  • News
  • November 24, 2011

Press Release:

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Moonstone Books, a leading publisher in the New Pulp movement, has recently launched the all-new Moonstone News Site at http://moonstonebooks.blogspot.com/, where readers can comment on articles and interact with others who share their passions for the work produced by the folks at Moonstone.
Bookmark the Moonstone News site for the latest news, solicitations, release information, interviews, book reviews and more.

Moonstone Books was founded in the late 1990s to provide a home to new and classic tales of speculative fiction. Over the years, Moonstone has carved a niche for itself in the comic book and prose worlds with properties such as Kolchak the Nightstalker, The Phantom, Buckaroo Banzai, The Spider, Domino Lady, Justice Machine, Honey West, Rotten, The Saint, The Avenger, Doc Savage, Sheena, The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Zorro and many more.

For more on Moonstone Books, visit them at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/ and http://moonstonebooks.blogspot.com/.

THE I’S HAVE IT

  • News
  • November 12, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

The i’s have it. The “it” they have is Weird Horror Tales, the first of a trilogy of braided horror novels by Michael Vance set in the outré town of Light’s End, Maine. And the “it” that has Weird Horror Tales is iPulpFiction, a cloud-based reading service that publishes classic and contemporary short stories that are accessible from any device with an up-to-date browser and an Internet connection including i-phones, i-pads, and ay-yi-yi, most everything electronic.

Weird Horror Tales offers 13 harrowing stories of horror and suspense in the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, both of whom were prominent writers for the pulp magazines of the ‘20s, ‘30’s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. It is a perfect fit for the iPulpFiction site that includes stories from pulp titles including The Spider, Horror Tales, Amazing Stories, Astonishing Stories, and All Story Love.

The location for Vance’s trilogy is the desolate, rocky coast of Maine where squats the uncanny, isolated town of Light’s End. Built along a metaphysical fault line between order and chaos, it is the setting for horror and depravity. There is something lurking behind the white picket fences of Light’s End and in the shadows of August Street. For here, amidst the age old Victorian houses and the New England traditions of its citizens broods a dark secret, a religious cult which infects every aspect of life. The first of these thirteen stories, Picked Clean, is set in the year 1653, and can be found at http://ipulpfiction.com. Just type in the title in the site’s browser. Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a “benchmark in comics history”. Vance briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, wrote his own strip and several comic books. He is listed in the Who’s Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars. IPulpFiction also offers classic stories in Super Science Stories, Black Mask, Kolchak, Rangeland Romances, Horror Tales and many, many other titles. So, the next time you’re in the mood for fun in the form of prose, keep your eye out for IPulp.

Picked Clean

1653—Murderer Caleb Elliott flees England for Maine only to sire an eldritch horror on a squamous thing deep beneath the murky water of Abomination Bay. The dirty consequence is that Caleb, and Ezekiel and Hiram Azreal, found the outre town of Light’s End and leave a monstrosity that writhes under the ominous cliffs of that dead bay. Or do they?

You can read Picked Clean at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-01-PickedClean/jacketNotes.php

The Well Sunk In The Sky

1838 — Does Light’s End’s ebon lighthouse at the mouth of Abomination Bay warn wooden ships of the bay’s deadly reef hidden by murky fog or raging storm, or welcome silver ships from the stars? Under the watchful eye of Jake Horne, is the lighthouse the site of an outre Azrealite prenuptial ritual for Charlotte Elliott and Obediah Azreal, or a stone womb for The Other?

You can read The Well Sunk In The Sky at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-02-TheWellSunkInTheSky/jacketNotes.php

Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End are now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores. Best price for traditional book is from Cornerstone Book Publishers at (http://www.gopulp.info/). For electronic version, go to: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.htm

Meet ThePulp.Net

  • Uncategorized
  • October 25, 2011

ThePulp.Net is a fan-produced Web site devoted to the pulp magazines of the 1890s through the 1950s. ThePulp.Net debuted March 26, 1996, as .Pulp on America Online. Its initial concept was for a Web site devoted to The Shadow. But eventually that changed to encompass additional pulp characters and books.

From the TPN site, “In mid-1995, we found it difficult to track down Web sites about pulp magazines. You had to search Yahoo (there wasn’t a Google then) and otherwise just surf the Net looking for pulp-related sites. Out of that frustration grew the seed for ThePulp.Net.”

.Pulp started with links pages to Web sites devoted to The Shadow, Doc Savage and The Spider and a page to other pulp-related sites, plus a brief history of the pulps that was originally published in 1979. In July 1998, ThePulp.Net got its own domain name and really began to grow.

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In addition to turning 10 years old in 2006, ThePulp.Net celebrated another milestone in January 2006 when the site surpassed 500,000 visitors. It is their hope that it won’t take another 10 years to reach one million visitors to the site. ThePulp.Net was created to help pulp fans increase their enjoyment of the pulp magazines.

In addition to information on the heyday of the pulps as well as new pulp, you can find links to other pulp sites, pulp publishers, blogs, websites, character bios, and more. ThePulp.Net is a treasure trove of pulp information.

You can visit ThePulp.Net at http://www.thepulp.net/.
Tell ‘em All Pulp sent ya.

PIRATES, A PULP BOOKSTORE, AND RAVE REVIEWS! ALL FROM RADIO ARCHIVES

  • News
  • October 21, 2011

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

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October 21, 2011

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NEW Radio Set: Afloat with Henry Morgan, Volume 1

Pulse Pounding Pirate Adventure!
 
In 1947, a new serial sailed its way to the airwaves, one quite unlike anything to come before it. High seas intrigue. Colorful, exciting characters, both within the stories and behind the mike. Pulse pounding, pulpy tales of pirates and buccaneers. All of this and more can be found in fifteen-minute punches of action and adventure with Afloat with Henry Morgan, Volume 1.
 
A 52 episode Australian series, Afloat with Henry Morgan definitely has an all ages appeal. This is due primarily to the intense pacing of the stories themselves as well as the historical component, the fact that Henry Morgan, the buccaneer spotlighted in ‘Afloat’ was indeed a real person! Spending nearly his entire seafaring career in the Caribbean, wild tales of adventure swirl around the real life Morgan from 1655, his first noted appearance in the area, up until his death in 1688. Morgan’s legend as a carousing, hard fighting ambitious man lived far beyond his passing, providing fertile soil for Afloat with Henry Morgan to sprout from nearly 300 years later.
 
This classic program was produced by well-known Australian radio personality George Edwards. Edwards lent not only his production skills to Afloat, but shared his amazing vocal talents as well. Known as “The Man with a Thousand Voices,” Edwards parlayed his ability to sound like a young child, any male he wanted to, nearly any nationality necessary, and even older women into a legendary career as a radio actor. The skill to do sometimes twelve different voices in a single episode definitely fit the needs of Afloat with Henry Morgan, with it being a lower budget affair.
 
Written by Warren Berry, Afloat with Henry Morgan follows Morgan and his intrepid band of privateers through storms, swamps, deep into the hands of the enemy, and of course across the wide-open seas. Stories center around political conspiracies, pilfered Aztec necklaces, coups and swordplay, and of course the double crossing and conniving ways of good old-fashioned pirates!
 
The first 28 episodes of this cliffhanger non-stop serial are presented in Afloat with Henry Morgan, Volume 1. Restored to the finest sparkling quality possible by Radio Archives, this collection brings you seven hours of history, mystery, hard men, courageous women, and sea battles galore! Thrill as Morgan becomes involved in the theft of an Aztec artifact, plots are hatched and betrayed, raids are planned and double crossed, and a plethora of characters, many voiced by George Edwards, all come together to take you Afloat with Henry Morgan in this first volume of this classic show brought to you by RadioArchives.com.
 
Order your Seven Hour CD set today for only $20.98 or Download the entire volume for $13.98! Only from RadioArchives.com.
 
 
by Tommy Hancock
 

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When one ponders words and phrases like ‘hard boiled,’ ‘gritty,’ ‘pulp,’ or ‘noir,’ most usually get images of a rugged fedora wearing gun toting Private Eye or Gangster skulking in a dark alley, waiting to either fire the next bullet or take the next one between the eyes. Not often do those descriptors bring to mind a solitary reporter working the streets of Chicago after the sun goes down, looking for the horror and humanity that his readers will wake up to over coffee.
 
Listen to Nightbeat, Volume 1 and I bet the next time you hear those words, you’ll think of Randy Stone and his nightly sojourn into the underbelly of Chicago.
 
Following the popular trend in films, literature, and radio of focusing on the darker aspects of people and the lives they led, Nightbeat was a program that debuted in 1950. The pilot episode, ‘The Elevator’ details an adventure in the life of one Lucky Stone, reporter for the Chicago Examiner, voiced by character actor Frank Lovejoy. The frantic, frenetic approach Lovejoy used in voicing a man walking the line between getting a story for his newspaper and taking vengeance for a departed friend combined with a memorable opening theme and a moody soundtrack definitely shows why NBC added Nightbeat to its schedule for the next two years.
 
Debuting February 6, 1950, Nightbeat came to the listening public a bit different than its previous incarnation. Lucky had given way to Randy Stone, now a reporter for The Chicago Star. There was also a subtle, but distinct difference between Lovejoy’s portrayal of Stone in the pilot and from the first show forward. More confident and harder boiled in many ways than Lucky, Randy Stone found his way into one adventure after another, dealing with plotlines that twisted and turned along the way.
 
The simple premise made wonderfully intricate stories full of layered characters and fleshed out nuances come to life quickly for listeners. Randy Stone was just a guy doing his job and, when confronted with decisions and situations, he worked to do the right thing, even if it meant slapping someone around or putting his life on the line. This ‘Good American’ mentality combined with the seedier side of life, Stone often confronted, were strong reasons it was popular both amongst listeners who heard its original two-year run and fans and enthusiasts today.
 
This twenty episode collection features ‘special rebroadcasts’ of previous Nightbeat episodes. These shows played on Sunday nights instead of Mondays to bring listeners to the show on its regular night. It’s actually really neat to hear these programs because they’re not actually rebroadcasts. In at least one of them, the only voice that appeared in the first version was Lovejoy’s, so there’s an opportunity to hear how different actors played the same roles.
 
The twenty episodes in this collection take Randy all over Chicago and the human experience. Frank Lovejoy’s fantastic voice talent and the terse, rapid fire pacing of each tale makes Nightbeat, Volume 1 a collection not to be missed for fans of hard boiled pulp radio or the drama of humanity. Only $29.98 for the Ten Hour CD set or $13.98 for the Digital Download version.
 
 
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A criminal army is attacking the financial centers of New York.  They are led by a mysterious mastermind so clever and so ruthless, that only one man can possibly stop him.  And that man has been targeted for death by the gang’s leader.  Can Richard Wentworth, the infamous Spider, match wits with The Fly and save the lives and fortunes of the people of New York?
 
RadioArchives.com’s newest audiobook, Prince of the Red Looters, the first audio adventure of The Spider, packs mile-a-minute thrills as Richard Wentworth races to discover the identity of The Fly, one of the Spider’s most fiendish foes.  A master of the blade, who can anticipate The Spider’s every move, The Fly is bent on The Spider’s destruction, leaving The Fly’s criminal organization free to loot, maim, and kill.
 
Prince of the Red Looters, available now in both a deluxe six-CD set and MP3 digital download, is the first in RadioArchives.com series of Will Murray’s Pulp Classics.  Each entry in the series is a classic pulp adventure personally chosen by Will Murray, one of the country’s foremost experts on all things pulp.
 
Producer/Director Roger Rittner says, “Prince of the Red Looters is an astounding accomplishment, wedding dynamic narration from two unique stars of stage and screen, specially selected sound effects, and a complete period music score.”
 
This action-packed story features Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker narrating and voicing the character parts.  “They’ve done outstanding work in this exciting novel-length adventure of the classic pulp hero, The Spider,” Roger says.
 
Early listeners say:
  “It looks terrific and sounds even better.”
  “It’s excellent.  Really held my attention.”
  “The results are amazing.”
 
 
Prince of the Red Looters is available now in a six-CD set, priced at $19.98, with original cover art and a special bonus audio feature of Will Murray explaining the genesis of The Spider.  The audiobook is also available as an MP3 Digital Download, including the special bonus feature, at just $13.98.
 
“Prince of the Red Looters is a listening experience that will thrill every fan of audiobooks and pulp fiction,” Roger says.
 
Doc Savage Fans Continue to Praise Man of Bronze Audiobooks
 
RadioArchives.com first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray’s Python Isle and White Eyes – along with the full-cast NPR series The Adventures of Doc Savage –  continue to garner accolades from Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.
 
Richard Brunner writes,
“The production values are fantastic.  I missed the first one when it was on NPR.  I have listened to a number of audio books over the years, but the music and sound you have added to these two really make them come alive.  Both of the narrators are really pros.
 
RadioArchives.com customer Eugene Dungan says,
“I just wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed your two Doc Savage audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes.  Keep up the great work.”
 
Python Isle, narrated by Michael McConnohie, White Eyes, narrated by Richard Epcar, and The Adventures of Doc Savage with a full Hollywood cast, are available in impressive CD sets and as digital downloads.  Python Isle and White Eyes are also available in special Signed Director’s Editions.
 
And coming soon: Will Murray’s monumental Doc Savage adventure, The Jade Ogre, in a deluxe 12-hour audiobook edition. 
 

Known for continually offering its customers the best in products and service, Radio Archives is proud to announce the opening of The Pulp Book Store. This innovative site will provide both Pulp enthusiasts and those who are simply curious a one-stop opportunity to browse and shop the best the Pulp market in all its many facets has to offer every single day!

 
Pulp Fiction, even though its heyday was in the early 20th Century, has been popular as long as it has existed and continues to excite readers today. Often fast paced, action packed, and full of fantastical ideas, over the top characters, and imaginative adventures, Pulp can be about cowboys, aliens, ancient gods, two-fisted detectives, bigger than life gangsters, femme fatales, and so many other sorts of characters as it reaches into nearly every genre imaginable.
 
In the last few years, Pulp has resurged. Some have called it a renaissance, others simply saying that due to current economic and societal situations, pulp literature is once again sought by the masses. Regardless of the view taken, the fact that so many companies are involved in either the reproduction of classic Pulp stories or creating brand new pulp stories written by modern writers proves that Pulp is still viable as a creative outlet. Add to that the rising prominence once again of such classic Pulp icons as Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Spider, there can be no denying that Pulp strikes a chord with consumers and shows no signs of that changing.
 

Pulp is also all about variety. Not only are there classic and new pulp stories, but nearly every genre has stories within it that are clearly pulp. Be it science fiction, hard boiled crime, rootin’ tootin’ westerns and so many others, Pulp discriminates against no genre. This, along with the resurgence of Pulp publishers and its popularity, is why Radio Archives has established the Pulp Book Store.
 
The plan for the Book Store is simple, to become a central hub for all Pulp products. Although this may be a lofty goal, the vision behind it is basic. Instead of having to shop all over the internet and go from site to site to buy the Pulp that they want, consumers will have one location to browse a multitude of Publishers and Pulp Providers. Publishers will have a single location that will sell their products, a location that is set aside for Pulp type material only, so as customers come to view one item, every publisher gets a chance with their store to win new customers for their products.
 
This concept even works for the accidental browser, one who is slightly curious about Pulp or maybe knows nothing about it. In the Pulp Book Store, that person will find more than enough information and opportunities to sample this thing called Pulp.
 

If you’re interested in Pulp Classics, then the Pulp Book Store features the best in Pulp Reprint Publishers. Ride along with the well remembered classic Pulp heroes as they fight wrong and make right! Or, if your interest leans more toward more obscure characters, you’ll find those too in some of the great replicas and reprints produced by leading publishers in the Pulp world, all right here at The Pulp Book Store!
 
Looking for something new? Pulpy tales written by modern writers and using either original characters or simply new stories about existing characters, are growing in popularity. Pulp icons blaze new trails in original adventures, such as Will Murray’s all new Doc Savage novels. A pantheon of modern original heroes step front and center to keep up the good fight as well. New tales in a classic style keep Pulp Fiction current and alive and can be found here at the Pulp Book Store!
 
Pulp Publishers, your home can easily be here. The Pulp Book Store is a shared marketplace where you have your own store, your own identity, yet you’re in a market of like products, of companies that like you are interested in promoting Pulp. There is no better place to be to do that than amongst others doing it. Opportunity exists for all to succeed within the Pulp Book Store.
 
If you purchase several products from several publishers, everything is shipped to you in the same box. Our Flat Rate ground postage means that no matter how many companies you buy from, you pay only one small amount for postage and you pay for everything together. Possibly the best news, Place your order by 7:30pm Eastern Time and your order is mailed the same day. Unbelievable but true.
 
If Pulp is a part of your life, then browse the Pulp Book Store and enjoy. If you end up there out of curiosity or by accident, then please look around. We’re sure there is something offered by our many Publishers that will intrigue you. And if you’re a publisher and wish to be a part of this, send a message to Service@radioarchives.com. Regardless, Radio Archives recognizes Pulp is here to stay and wants the Pulp Book Store to be the one stop all encompassing site where it grows and thrives.
 
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Review of “Tower of Death” from The Shadow, Volume 22

By John Olsen
 

Tower Of Death was published in the May 1, 1934 issue of The Shadow Magazine. The tower of the story’s title is only a part of a fortlike mansion known as Montgard. The large looming old house sits on the country estate, with the tall tower in the center. The gigantic turret serves as a huge entry to the house. Inside on the round tower floor, a double circle of tile borders the circumference of the room, decorated by Egyptian hieroglyphics along with signs of the zodiac. A strange tower, indeed, it was built long ago by old Windrop Raleigh, an eccentric inventor.
 
Rumor has it that Windrop Raleigh left a treasure hidden in the old mansion when he died. Racketeers Mallet Haverly and “Speedy” Tyron have been in contact with Luskin, a former servant of Windrop Raleigh, and have been informed of the rumored millions. But there’s more than just a treasure to worry about. There’s the mysterious disappearances. Men have been known to enter the huge turret, to never be heard from again! Two half-brothers and a cousin. One by one they disappeared – always after paying visits to Windrop Raleigh. They entered Montgard, one by one, never to reappear! Let’s not also forget the strange terms of the will of recently deceased Windrop Raleigh.
 
There are many questions to be answered in this strange, sinister mystery. It will take The Shadow to find out the answers! The Shadow is aided by his agents Cliff Marsland and Harry Vincent in this story. They are dispatched to the town of Glenwood to assist The Shadow in his investigation of the sinister goings-on at Montgard. Investment broker Rutledge Mann, contact man Burbank and reporter Clyde Burke also make brief appearances. Detective Cardona appears at the beginning of the novel and again at the end. The Shadow, himself, appears twice as Lamont Cranston, but throughout most of the story appears attired in his black cloak and slouch hat.
 
It’s interesting to note that The Shadow climbs the stone walls of Montgard with his gloved hands. No use is made of those rubber suction cups which he would occasionally use to scale the outsides of buildings. In this story, he’s as a human fly. But wouldn’t it have been safer to remove the gloves?
 
Again in this story, The Shadow grabs the falling body of a wounded thug and uses it as a shield in his gun battle with a mob of gangsters. This has happened in many other Shadow novels, so it appears to be somewhat of a standard practice. And to think that when I saw that technique used in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Total Recall” some years ago, I thought it was original. Nope, The Shadow was doing it fifty years earlier!
 
You’ll really enjoy this wonderfully moody story with its fading twilight, looming edifices, darkened turrets and forbidding walls. And it can be yours for $12.95 along with another great Shadow tale in The Shadow Volume 22 from Radio Archives!
 
 

Deal of the DayHigh quality Audio, Pulp, and Classic DVDs! And at a fantastic price! That’s the Radio Archives Deal of the Day! The Deal of the Day is actually several great deals at all times. No limits! Simply Great Products at Unbelievable Prices!

Look for the yellow ‘Deal Of The Day’ price tag on the right side of the home page and click it for a great deal every Single Day from RadioArchives.com!

 

 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
Greg Burton writes:
Fort Laramie is one of my favorite westerns, and I was so excited when I saw that you now had it available for download. In the past few years I had listened to the series 3 or 4 times, and was curious as to how much better it would sound from Radio Archives. The quality on my “old” copies is not bad, but the sound quality from Radio Archives is magnificent. There is such a dramatic difference that I almost did not recognize a couple of the voices. Bravo. Another job well done.
 
Erick Ingram writes:
Thank you for the free gifts you included with my order of the “The Unexpected” Volumes 1 and 2. They were a pleasant surprise. Again thanks. Satisfied customer.
 
Steve Sher writes:
Just started to listen today to Box Thirteen.  Wow!  Excellent addition to my drive time activities.  Any more in this series available?  Great also to hear Bob and Ray after many years.  They were great favorites of mine from the old “Omnibus” days of NBC.
 
Curtis Spencer writes:
Understanding that Doc Savage will soon be released. Will order as soon as it’s out. Thank you very much.
 
Gary Brown writes:
Any news on any New Doc Savage novels. I hear that Will Murray is writing some. I bet it is going to be great.
 
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.

PULP! PULP!! AND MORE PULP!!! plus so much more from Radio Archives!

  • News
  • October 7, 2011

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

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October 7, 2011

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NEW Radio Set: Claudia, Volume 6ra216-250-1914015

Since the inception of the soap opera on radio, various things have been part and parcel of that genre; melodrama, tear jerking storylines, scandal and rumor, and enough deceit to fill a bathtub. In 1947, however, a new twist on that formula hit the airwaves thanks to the sponsorship of Coca Cola. And this new take on soap operas had a name. Claudia.
 
“Claudia” told the tale of Claudia and David Naughton, newlyweds, just beginning their married life. Young, enthusiastic, and very much in love, they weren’t suffering from any medical problems, suspicions, or ungrateful children. Instead, they were simply facing the many challenges of any new marriage in the years following World War II – finding an apartment, getting used to each other’s quirks, and learning to live together as husband and wife.
 
The very elements that made Claudia different from other soap operas quickly became its strengths. There were very few “tune in tomorrow” hooks that most soaps used to lure listeners back. People came back to “Claudia” for the interesting, fully developed characters, the lighthearted banter, and the familiarity of their day-to-day situations.
 
Based on the literary works of Rose Franken, “Claudia” began as short stories. Immensely popular, those grew into a series of best selling novels and then in 1941, were adapted into a Broadway play, with a young actress named Dorothy McGuire in the title role. Claudia was a breakout role for McGuire; one that brought her to Hollywood to reprise the role in the 20th Century Fox film version, released in 1943 and co-starring Robert Young as David. Based on that film’s success, 1946 found them together again in “Claudia and David,” a sequel to the earlier film. Due in large part to the success of the two “Claudia” movies, in 1947, the D’Arcy advertising agency decided to bring the characters to radio in a five-a-week quarter-hour serial on behalf of its client, Coca-Cola. This was the third attempt to bring the story of Claudia to radio and would be followed by a try as a TV series as well.
 
Due to the diligent work of Radio Archives, all 390 episodes of the series, which had an eighteen-month run, have been located and preserved to the highest standard. This sixth volume of 24 episodes continues on where the others left off, marching through Spring and toward the start of Summer 1948. Heard today, “Claudia” remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its lighthearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters and will make a fine addition to any Old Time Radio Fan’s collection! Order your 6 Hour CD set today for only 17.98 or Download the entire volume for $11.98! Only from Radio Archives!
 
 
 
Radio Archives, well known for high quality audio collections, introduces a new category of Old Time Radio! Are you a fan of fast paced, action packed adventures? Do you enjoy larger than life heroes, over the top villains, and impossible plots and schemes? Whether or not you’re a Mystery, Western, Science Fiction,or simply a fan of Adventure and Suspense, Radio Archives has what you’re looking for in its new category, Pulp Radio!

Pulp means many things to many people. Historically, Pulp refers to fiction magazines that were printed on cheap wood pulp paper. The paper was coarse with rough edges. Publishers found this cheaper to produce and began turning out magazines that ran around 128 or so pages and only cost a dime. For ten cents, readers could encounter far away lands, lost civilizations, thugs with guns, cowboys and Indians, and anything else fiction writers of the day came up with.

Although first introduced in the 1890s, Pulp magazines really came into their own in the 1930s and 40s. This was due in large part to the popularity of what have come to be known as the Hero Pulps. Take a poll today on what Pulp heroes the public remembers, any that have a clue what Pulp is will likely say, “Doc Savage” or “The Shadow” or “The Spider.” Well-versed armchair fans might even rattle off “The Black Bat” or “The Avenger.” Hero Pulps provided readers with stories about ideal men fighting for right and justice against insurmountable odds.

Although Hero Pulps are the most fondly remembered by some, Pulp magazines provided the stage for so many other genres. Nearly regardless of a reader’s taste in fiction, it could be found in a Pulp magazine. Western, Action Adventure, Sports, Mystery, Crime, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, even Romance Pulps dominated newsstands and kiosks all over America. That is, until the early 1950s when for various reasons, Pulp magazines faded from view.

ra186-200-9803543In an effort to explain why Pulp has had the impact it has, many have come up with definitions of what Pulp is. Most include Pulp being fast paced and plot oriented with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists and creative descriptions, clever use of turns of phrase and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story. Any of that sound familiar, radio Detective fans? Or how about those of you who enjoy a good frontier shootout on your favorite western show? Looking at that definition, it is clear that Pulp had not only an impact on later mediums, but definitely shared characteristics with a source of entertainment that experienced its golden age simultaneously with the Pulps. That entertainment that we now call Old Time Radio.

Like Pulp, Old Time Radio covers many genres and many styles of storytelling. There are shows, though, that fit squarely into what many would consider to be Pulp. Detective programs, particularly, fit the model extremely well. In the space of a little over twenty minutes, radio writers had to introduce the detective, establish the cast of characters, set up the mystery to be solved, throw in one or two red herrings or a fight scene, and then resolve everything. These detectives were tough, heroic men and stood out in one way or another, like Richard Diamond and his singing, Johnny Dollar and his expense account, or Nero Wolfe and his eccentricities. And the bad guys, always some grand plan to dupe money out of someone or even larger schemes. Some would call stories like that plot oriented, fast paced fiction with larger than life heroes and villains. Here at Radio Archives, we call it Pulp Radio.

And Pulp Radio doesn’t stop at hard-boiled gumshoes, either! Western lawmen and the desperadoes they tangled with week in and week out on the radio rode the same trails as their Pulp cowboy counterparts. Astronauts and aliens on the airwaves fit the bill for larger than life and fast paced! And even characters that first found life in the Pulps lived even longer thanks to Radio. Pulp Radio is full of mayhem and monsters, good and evil, and stories that still today ring true with Fans of great Heroic Fiction of any medium.

Titles that you’ll find in Radio Archives’ Pulp Radio section include:

The New Adventures of Michael Shayne – Jeff Chandler’s rugged voice adds to the pace and intensity of this Pulp type detective program from beginning to end, bringing Brett Halliday’s fictional detective to explosive life!

The Shadow of Fu Manchu – Sax Rohmer’s Villain of All Villains continues his life of Tyranny and Evil in this relentlessly fast paced radio show!

The Planet Man – This Sci-Fi show definitely walks the line between Camp and Pulp, but has all the ear markings of excitement, over the top characters, and life and death situations it needs to be Pure Pulp!

Luke Slaughter of Tombstone – Westerns, prime Pulp territory, shined just as brightly in Radio’s Golden Age. The adventures of Luke Slaughter have all the toughness, six guns, horses and outlaws that it takes to make a Western tale great Radio Pulp!

If you’re a Pulp fan looking for something that sounds like what you love to read, then the shows in Radio Archive’s Pulp Section are just what you’ve been after. The fact that aspects of Pulp can be found in Old Time Radio adds a whole other level of enjoyment for Pulp Fiction readers. Not only can you get the visceral excitement of following adventure on the written page, but you can hear stories in the same vein, tales that make your heart beat faster and even sometimes make your blood run cold. Rapid fire dialogue and matching action, characters that fire the imagination, and everything else you love about Pulp can be found in the shows in Radio Archive’s Pulp Radio!
 
And if you’re an Old Time Radio enthusiast intrigued by fast paced, exciting adventures, then you’ve come to the right place! Detective fans that peruse this new section may find that the same elements that appeal to them in their whodunits also are part and parcel to frontier tales and space operas. Likewise, cowboy aficionados might find just as much pistol shootin’ and desperadoes in a mystery or crime show! Not convinced yet? Then hear for yourself by picking up one of the collections in Radio Archives’ Pulp Radio section today!
 
‘Pulp Radio’ is a registered trademark of Roger Rittner Productions, Inc., used with permission.
 
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The Spider Strikes! In First Audiobook

One of pulp fiction’s most popular vigilante avengers comes to audiobooks for the first time in Prince of the Red Looters, the first Spider audiobook from RadioArchives.com. Prince of the Red Looters is available now in both a deluxe six-CD set and MP3 digital download.

Producer/Director Roger Rittner says, “Prince of the Red Looters is an astounding accomplishment, wedding dynamic narration from two unique stars of stage and screen, specially selected sound effects, and a complete period music score.”

This action-packed story features Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker narrating and voicing the character parts. “They’ve done outstanding work in this exciting novel-length adventure of the classic pulp hero, The Spider,” Roger says.

In Prince of the Red Looters, The Spider faces one of his most cunning criminal enemies — The Fly! The Fly’s ruthlessly efficient crime organization commits a chain of bold and deadly atrocities on New York City, while The Fly taunts The Spider in a series of ever more dangerous duels.

“The sword fights will have listeners sitting on the edge of their seats,” Roger says. “Prince of the Red Looters will be a stunning addition to RadioArchives.com’s audiobook line.”

Prince of the Red Looters inaugurates Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, a new series of pulp-related audiobooks from RadioArchives.com. Each entry in the series is a classic pulp adventures personally chosen by Will Murray, one of the country’s foremost experts on all things pulp.

“I’m very excited to present to listeners some of my favorite pulp stories in this engaging format,” Will says. “This first Spider audiobook is a grand launch to the series.”

Listeners who have previewed Prince of the Red Looters are enthused:

  • “It’s excellent. Really held my attention. I think it works wonderfully.”
  • “An exceptional job.”
  • “The results are amazing.”


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Prince of the Red Looters is available now in a six-CD set, priced at $19.98, with original cover art and a special bonus audio feature of Will Murray explaining the genesis of The Spider. The audiobook is also available as an MP3 Digital Download, including the special bonus feature, at just $13.98.

“Prince of the Red Looters is a listening experience that will thrill every fan of audiobooks and pulp fiction,” Roger says.

Doc Savage Audiobooks Continue to Delight Fans

2011’s ‘Summer of Doc Savage’ continues into the Fall, as RadioArchives.com’s first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray’s Python Isle and White Eyes continue to attract and delight Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.

RadioArchives.com customer Eugene Dungan says,

“I just wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed your two Doc Savage audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes. Please tell all your people to keep up the great work. I am looking forward to buying all of the audiobooks that you come out with.”

Python Isle, narrated by Michael McConnohie, and White Eyes, narrated by Richard Epcar, are available in impressive CD sets, as digital downloads, and also in special Signed Director’s Editions.

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The legendary Master of Men returns in two classic stories from the 1930s. First, a spider should be able to catch a fly, but this particular Fly has other plans in mind! In “Prince of the Red Looters” (1934), you’ll join Richard Wentworth as he battles a criminal mastermind more lethal, more ruthless than any he has encountered before. So confident is the Fly of his own abilities that he dares challenge The Spider himself to a duel – to the death! Then, in “The City That Dared Not Eat” (1937), New York City staggers under a vicious crime wave aimed at controlling the very food supply! Mass murder, wholesale poisoning — nothing is beyond the maniac leading a gang of ruthless killers in their battle for supremacy. While The Spider matches guns and wits against an army of crime, the city starves! These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available from RadioArchives.com for only $14.95.
 
NEW Pulp Fiction Reprints

In a world where evil and danger loomed at every corner, a time when no one knew what might be waiting for them in the dark, a place where the future was in no way certain, a trembling populace reached out for an escape and found it in Pulp Magazines! That same doorway to Adventure, those tales of Heroes tried and true are available still today as classic pulp novel reprints from Radio Archives! Need a break from your reality? Find it in Pulp Fiction here at Radio Archives!

Spider Pulp Doubles #21

The Spider fights his way through two classic tales! First, The Spider squares off with The Corpse Broker! For a ten percent commission on murder, the Master of the Green Death guarantees immunity from the police! The Spider sets out to stop wholesale slaughter that turns the dead green! Next, The Spider marches against the Volunteer Corpse Brigade! Deadly plague-germs are used against the nation as Smiler Miordan crushes all who oppose him. The Spider, himself stricken with the virus, takes on the criminal Underworld Union! All of this available for $14.95 from Radio Archives!

Doc Savage, Volume 51: Halloween Special

The Pulp Era’s legendary superhero follows terror trails in two classic thrillers. First, the Man of Bronze journeys to “The Land of Fear” to discover the deadly secret behind the “skeleton death” that dissolves human flesh to the bone. Then, a grisly vampire murder in the lobby of his own headquarters building leads Doc Savage and his beautiful cousin Patricia in pursuit of “The Fiery Menace.” Enjoy these tales and extra features for only $14.95 at RadioArchives.com
 
The Knight of Darkness investigates deadly vampire attacks in two heart-stopping chillers and a classic radio mystery! First, the Shadow must battle a giant vampire bat and enter the dangerous “Garden of Death” to discover the secret behind a deadly drug monopoly. Then, The Shadow enters haunted Haldrew Hall to investigate “The Vampire Murders” in a sequel to the legendary Victorian thriller, “Varney the Vampire.” BONUS: “Vampires Prowl by Night,” a lost thriller from the Golden Age of Radio! All of this and more available now for $14.95 from RadioArchives.com.
 

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Review of “The Land of Terror” from Doc Savage, Volume 14

By Dr. Art Sippo
 

Doc Savage’s old chemistry tutor, Jerome Coffern, asked him to dinner to seek his help. While waiting for Doc to arrive, Dr. Coffern is assaulted and struck dead by a heavy led pipe. His attackers use an air pistol to fire a hollow metal capsule onto the body and a strange reaction ensues. The body along with the lead pipe and part of the sidewalk disintegrate into a vile cloud of gray ash. All that is left is Coffern’s left hand and the wrist watch that Doc Savage gave him. When Doc arrives mere moments later, he finds this and he immediately sets out to avenge his teacher.

The evil mastermind Kar discovered an irresistible weapon: the Smoke of Eternity. It is a universal solvent that can destroy flesh, metal, even stone. Jerome Coffern knew the secret of this new weapon and was going to reveal it to Doc but he was brutally assassinated before he could. Now Doc and Kar begin a life and death struggle. They will battle to a standstill in New York and the body count rises as the stakes get higher.

Doc traces the secret of the Smoke of Eternity to a recent expedition to the Indian Ocean in which Jerome Coffern and another chemist, Gabe Yuder, were joined by adventurer Oliver Wording Bittman. Bittman was a friend of Doc’s father who saved Clark Sr.’s life by killing an African lion on safari. The three men found a strange volcanic land they called Thunder Island studded with minerals unknown elsewhere on earth and harboring all manner of extinct monsters including dinosaurs, flying reptiles, and enormous mammals. This is the most foreboding place on Earth. Doc saved Bittman from Kar’s henchmen and allowed him to join in the expedition back to Thunder Island. Gabe Yuder is the only one of the three that is unaccounted for and it seems that he is the villain Kar. Doc and his men travel to Thunder Island and confront danger on all sides, including a battle with a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

This is the second Doc Savage story in the original print order and it hit the newsstands in March 1933. It remains one of the best. Doc has not developed his code against killing at this point and he takes out several villains spectacularly. It should be noted that this story was on the newsstands the month before the movie King Kong which opened on 7 April 1933.

Own Land Of Terror today in Doc Savage Volume 14 for only $12.95 here at RadioArchives.com!

 

Deal of the DayHigh quality Audio, Pulp, and Classic DVDs! And at a fantastic price! Why, that’s the Radio Archives Deal of the Day!

The Deal of the Day is actually Three Deals at All Times! No limits! No minimum amount! Simply Great Products at Unbelievable Prices!

Every Day a Different Item is available at 10% Off.

If you’re into Pulp, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days to pick up a great Pulp deal at a 10% discount!

For The Next Two Weeks Only – 10 Hours of Radio’s Greatest Shows for 25% off!

Discover the magic of radio’s Golden Age with this handpicked selection of shows. Your mind’s eye will come alive with timeless mystery, comedy, science fiction and detective shows. Experience the greatness of the Nelson Family, Don Ameche and Francis Langford, as well as the genius of Ray Bradbury, Willis Cooper, Orson Welles, Jack Webb, and many more in this ten hour collection.

The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Aldrich Family, Baby Snooks, Beulah, The Bickersons, Big Town, The Bill Stern Colgate Sports Reel, Boston Blackie, Night Beat, Casey, Crime Photographer, Dimension X, X-Minus One, The Fred Allen Show, The Great Gildersleeve, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Lights Out, The Lux Radio Theatre, Orson Welles Meets H.G. Wells, Pat Novak, For Hire, The Saint, The Unexpected, Lights Out. And it can be yours for $22.49, 25% off the regular price until October 20th at RadioArchives.com!

October Deal Of The Month – Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection for 50% off

Actor and crooner Bing Crosby had a rich, long film career and this collection features some of the best of his lesser-known films. Crosby is joined by costars such as Anthony Quinn, Joan Blondell, Gloria Jean, Betty Hutton, and more! And Bing lends his voice to such classics as “Sweet Leilani,” That Old Black Magic,” “Ac-cent-u-ate the Positive,” and many others! The collection is a great cross-section of Crosby’s career and shouldn’t be missed by fans of him or of American films of the 1930s and 1940s. The movies included are:

Waikiki Wedding (1937, directed by Frank Tuttle)

Double or Nothing (1937, directed by Theodore Reed)

East Side of Heaven (1939, directed by David Butler)

If I Had My Way (1940, directed by David Butler)

For the month of October this classic collection of Crosby films is half price at $13.49 from Radio Archives! Look for the yellow ‘Deal Of The Day’ price tag in the upper right hand corner of the home page and click it for a great deal Every Single Day from RadioArchives.com!

 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
D. Ernie Frick:
Your news letter is awesome.
 
Charles T. St. George:

I was just thinking how far Radio Archives has come since the days of snail mail. You deserve all the credit for making the right changes.

 
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.
 
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All Pulp Interviews: Moonstone’s Return of the Monsters – Jay Piscopo

  • News
  • September 20, 2011
Cover: Dan Brereton

This Halloween, Moonstone heads back to their monstrous roots with the Return of the Monsters Event. Return of the Monsters features four stand-alone tales of pulp’s mightiest heroes facing off against some classic monsters. One of those titles called The Spider vs. The Werewolf by writer Martin Powell with art by Jay Piscopo. All Pulp sat down with Jay Piscopo about this upcoming book.

All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.

Jay Piscopo: Well, I’ve been working as a commercial artist for over 20 years and I’m very engaged with my own company Nemo Publishing and The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series. As to pulp interests, I remember seeing Doc Savage paperback covers when I was little and when Marvel and DC created the comic adaptations of Doc, The Shadow and The Avenger I was hooked- and it prompted me to seek out the prose. I love the primal aspects of pulp heroes and created an homage character in Capt’n Eli named Commander X.

Art: Jay Piscopo

AP: You’re providing the art and tones for the Return of the Monsters Halloween event book, The Spider vs. The Werewolf. What can we expect from this titanic throw down

JP: As I mentioned before– the 70s pulp comic adaptations really hooked me- and finally to work on a pulp/comic was really a thrill. The Spider is primal, savage energy and The Werewolf is as well- Let’s just say when they clash, the fur is flying!

AP: The Spider Vs. The Werewolf has a pulp hero battling a classic monster, a combination that even though done in some regards hasn’t ever really been done the way Moonstone is doing it with the Return of the Monster event. What do these genres have in common and how do they differ in ways that complement each other?

Art: Jay Piscopo

JP: What is interesting to me is how The Spider is very much like a classic monster as well as a hero. The Werewolf and The Spider seem to be opposite sides of the same coin. Both are primal and savage, but the legend of the werewolf is rooted in tragedy, where The Spider always triumphs. And The Spider seems to be in control of his bloodlust and savage nature enough to focus it.

AP: The Return of the Monsters Halloween event brings back several classic monster archetypes to Moonstone’s lineup. How does this version of the werewolf compare and contrast to previous versions of the character?

JP: I think the writer, Martin Powell has added a new human element we haven’t seen before to the werewolf human host. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this werewolf is very much in the vein of other incarnations but has his own tragic twists.

Art: Jay Piscopo

AP: What appeals to you about pulp heroes battling classic monsters? What was it that excited you about visually pitting the Spider against a werewolf?

JP: To overuse a word, I’d have to say the characters are both primal.. Constantly in movement and unpredictable — pitting two characters like this against each other and drawing them in action is a dream.

AP: What, if any, existing pulp, monster, or comic book characters would you like to try your hand at drawing?

JP: I think like most pulp fans and creators- Doc Savage and The Shadow would be first choices-

Return of the Monsters Covers By Dan Brereton
Art: Jay Piscopo

AP: What does Jay Piscopo do when he’s not drawing?

JP: ah— i try to take a breath once in awhile.

AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?

JP: www.captneli.com would be the best place and here’s a facebook link https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Jay-Piscopo/112769612079000

AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?

JP: Our 4th annual Commander Xmas free online book will be available this December at the Capt’n Eli website- featuring comic and new pulp creators-

And Ive got some new characters that are going to finally see print soon- as well as a third Capt’n Eli book on the way.

AP: Thanks, Jay.

JP: Thank You!

The Spider vs. The Werewolf is solicited in August Previews for an October in store release.

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