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Review: “Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler, Illustrated by Maira Kalman

Review: “Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler, Illustrated by Maira Kalman

Handler has written for younger readers before: under his pen-name Lemony Snicket, he’s written one long, excellent middle-grade series (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and several one-offs, mostly of those ostensibly for even younger readers than that. But Why We Broke Up is a novel aimed at teenagers, a YA novel rather than a middle-grade, and it appears under Handler’s own name, both of which feel important. Why We Broke Up is also told in first person by a character in the story — the novel itself is a long letter that she writes to her ex-boyfriend to accompany a box full of the detritus of their relationship — and in an emotionally colored, immediate voice much more like Handler’s adult novels (particularly his first book, the similarly teenager-focused The Basic Eight) than like the cool, detached, almost nihilistic voice of Lemony Snicket.

Minerva aims Why We Broke Up directly at that ex-boyfriend, Ed, in the way that angry ex-lovers always do. She’s young and unsteady and intensely wounded by what Ed did — what that was, we don’t learn until late in the novel — and digging through the wreckage of their lives to grab each memento and stab it back at him, hoping to hurt him the way he hurt her.

Min suspects, though — as we readers do — that he won’t be hurt the way she was; that he doesn’t have that capacity. Min and Ed were at opposite ends of high-school life: she was a foreign-movie-loving, semi-outcast underachiever, while he was a thoughtless, beloved basketball star. How could they have anything in common to begin with? How could they ever get together?

Why We Broke Up tells that story — what they found in common, how they spent their time, how they fell in love. And, then, how Ed screwed it all up. Handler seamlessly creates the voice of a real young woman — as he did in Basic Eighty, though Min isn’t nearly as screwed up as Flannery — and tells his story entirely through what she tells Ed (and, through him, us).

Why We Broke Up is also heavily illustrated — there’s a full-page painting by Kalman to begin each chapter, plus some smaller pieces as well — but those are entirely illustrations; they show the things that Min is writing about (and throwing into that box) rather than telling the story in a direct way. Kalman’s art has a loose, quick quality about it that fits well with Min’s headlong letter-writing; they both feel like things done immediately to express immediate emotion.

Why We Broke Up has the immediacy and emotion of a broken heart; it’s a thoughtful and heartfelt story of two people who just didn’t connect the way they should have, and what that meant for one of them. Even if you’re no longer a teenager, you might well appreciate Why We Broke Up if your heart was ever broken. (Also, it has a great back-cover line-up of quotes from fine writers talking about their own heartbreaks — my favorite is from Brian Selznick: “I knew I had to break up with Ann Rosenberg after she chose a teal dress for the prom. I had never heard of teal. Also, I was gay.”)

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Marc Alan Fishman: Crunch Time

I know that normally I’m a pretty verbose guy. But you will excuse me if I am a bit shorter than normal this week. And next week. Maybe even the week after that. It’s not that I have laryngitis of the fingers, and it’s not that I don’t want to spend time dissecting Axel Alonso’s recent verbal smackdown of DC. It’s not that I don’t want to postulate on Marvel Now, and how I think it might effect the industry. It just happens to be Unshaven Comics’ crunch time.

For the record? Axel probably went too far to lay out a sick burn on DC, but I like when people play the heel. Marvel NOW won’t see the spikes at the retail stores like the New 52 did, but it will keep more subscribers coming back for more a little at a time. But I digress.

In just about a month from now, we will be attending the Wizard World Chicago comic convention. This is, for all intents and purposes, our home show. We have touted on our weekly podcast, our Facebook page, and just about anywhere and everywhere people are listening to us that we’ll have a new book on the table. So here I sit, with 17 pages to color and letter, and 18 more to edit. Oh and then there’s the cover. And laying out the pages for print. I’m gonna be a busy guy.

We’ve all been there before. Back up against the wall, with no more time to waste on Angry Birds. No more time to check in on Facebook. Hell, there isn’t even time to write this article. That being said, I couldn’t not write to you all… I love your bitter comments far too much to give them up.

So what does crunch time look like for me? I never thought you’d ask. Well, for starters, my amazing wife tends to our son which, above all else, allows me to get anything done in the first place. I click off the television. I slap on some noise canceling headphones. And then it’s podcast time. Nothing gets me mentally ready more than having a solid block of interesting conversation to get my production juices flowing. While I’m unable to write with any noise what-so-ever… when it comes down to doing all the grunt work of taking a comic from roughs to final pages, I need one part of my brain paying attention, and the other in-the-zone.

I love listening to “This American Life” from NPR, Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, and most recently, a few from Too-Fat-To-Fly-No-More, Kevin Smith. I should note Kevin produces about 1300 podcasts a day, so I’m picky. At present moment, in my queue I have a two-part interview with Mark Hamill. Color me interested, fellow ComicMixers.

And when the podcasts run out, there is a final tool in my digital art box that is truly unique to my process. That tool? An audience. I keep Skype open while I work. For just about anyone who knows me, I keep my studio video casting as I work. Why in Rao’s name would I do this? Well, there’s nothing like having another set of curious eyes on your work as you do it. I can say without doubt that having a live audience when I have to finish work keeps me honest. It’s like having a virtual studio night, every night.

Unshaven Comics cut our teeth on the “live studio” atmosphere. Being able to have fresh eyes half a chairs turn away (or prying right there via webcam) ensures the continual feeling that work needs to be done. Left to my own devices, the modern world – with its tireless barrage of aforementioned distractions – shrunk my attention span. I admit it. In the years following high school, when the world stopped watching me work… Everything felt smaller, faster, and more annoying. With a cell phone next to my ear, a DVR box allowing me to tape four shows while I watch three more, compounded with dual monitors and a Netflix account? Well, who needs serenity!

But it’s here, in those times when I need to detach myself from all the extraneous distractions… and just make art? Well, those are the rare and magnificent times where I feel I connected to my fellow comic book creators.

Suffice to say, making comics when you have a day job, a five-month old son, a wife, a mortgage, and a string of needy freelance clients makes for a less-than-stellar work environment. But all of that is put to the side. Now, with Mark Hamill in my ears, and the Samurnauts on my screen… I get to see the collaboration, blood, sweat, and tears of 20 years of friendship come to fruition on my monitor. And in a month? All of that collective DNA will make its way across the table to yearning fans.

And when they come back with a smile for the next book? Well, it makes crunch time the best time.

SUNDAY: John Ostrander Speaks! Well, at least, he types…

 

SDCC 2012: Eisner Award Winners 2012

SDCC 2012: Eisner Award Winners 2012

  • News
  • July 14, 2012

An updated and corrected list — congrats to all the winners.

Best Short Story
“The Seventh,” by Darwyn Cooke, in Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition(IDW)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Daredevil #7, by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series
Daredevil, by Mark Waid, Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)

Best Limited Series
Criminal: The Last of the Innocent, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
Dragon Puncher Island, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12)
Snarked, by Roger Langridge (kaboom!)

Best Publication for Young Adults (Ages 12–17)
Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

Best Anthology
Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Best Humor Publication
Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)

Best Digital Comic
Battlepug, by Mike Norton, www.battlepug.com

Best Reality-Based Work
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case (Dark Horse Books)

Best Graphic Album – New
Jim Hensons Tale of Sand, adapted by Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia)

Best Graphic Album – Reprint
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project – Comic Strips
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse vols. 1-2, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project – Comic Books
Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
The Manara Library, vol. 1: Indian Summer and Other Stories, by Milo Manara with Hugo Pratt (Dark Horse Books)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Writer
Mark Waid, Irredeemable, Incorruptible (BOOM!); Daredevil (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist
Craig Thompson, Habibi (Pantheon)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Ramón K. Pérez, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (Archaia)

Best Cover Artist
Francesco Francavilla, Black Panther (Marvel); Lone Ranger, Lone Ranger/Zorro, Dark Shadows, Warlord of Mars (Dynamite); Archie Meets
Kiss (Archie)

Best Coloring
Laura Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special (Image)

Best Lettering
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Journalism
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com

Best Educational/Academic Work (tie)
Cartooning: Philosophy & Practice, by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby, by Charles Hatfield (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Comics-Related Book
MetaMaus, by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

Best Publication Design
Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, designed by Eric Skillman (Archaia)

Hall of Fame

Judges’ Choices: Rudolf Dirks, Harry Lucey
Bill Blackbeard, Richard Corben, Katsuhiro Otomo, Gilbert Shelton

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award:
Tyler Crook

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Morrie Turner

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award:
Frank Doyle, Steve Skeates

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:
Akira Comics, Madrid, Spain – Jesus Marugan Escobar and
The Dragon, Guelph, ON, Canada – Jennifer Haines

WILD CAT BOOKS RELEASES STARTLING STORIES SUMMER 2012!

  • News
  • July 13, 2012
ON SALE NOW AT AMAZON!

STARTLING STORIES, one of the finest pulp anthologies, returns with its Summer 2012 — featuring my horror novella, “The Evil of Dracula”.

Also included are: “Null-ABC” by H. Beam Piper and John McGuire, “The Happy Man” by Gerald W. Page, “An Incident at Plenivici” by Chris Carney, as well as the final installment of Ron Wilber’s “Saucy Blaine” comic strip.

Edited and Designed by William Carne. Published by Wild Cat Books.

http://www.amazon.com/Startling-Stories-H-Beam-Piper/dp/0983953228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341873839&sr=8-1&keywords=startling+stories+-+summer+2012″

DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT, THREE PLANETEERS, THE SPIDER, THE MOON POOL AND EVEN MORE PULP FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • July 13, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

 
July 13, 2012
 
Radio Archives in the Book Cave! Listen Now!
 
Tom Brown and Will Murray visit the Book Cave to inform the listeners of some of the great new projects coming from Radio Archives!

 
Yeah, danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can’t even pronounce. They all spell the same thing, though – trouble.
 
The 1950s in America was a period of both prosperity and paranoia, of families and fear. Even though victorious in World War II, American society still saw criminals in every shadow, villains around the corner, all laying in wait to disrupt the American way of life. Movies, television, books, and entertainment of all sorts capitalized on this anxiety, turning out tales of foreign infiltrators, nefarious plots to overthrow America, and the broad shouldered barrel chested heroes who stood up for the United States. Radio was no different and one of the best examples of this type of program was Dangerous Assignment.
 
Debuting in 1949 on NBC, Dangerous Assignment featured tough guy actor Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell, a troubleshooting agent of some sort, no real title or number is identified, for an unnamed agency established to protect the country and prevent unrest and turmoil from abroad. Given orders each week by The Commissioner, Mitchell embarked on globe hopping adventures in each episode, usually posing as a foreign correspondent working a lead on some possible threat to America or even the entire world. Wading into the fray in stereotypical United States tough guy hard boiled style, Mitchell would uncover the plot, deal with the villains, and leave the world safe once again for democracy, all within thirty minutes.
 
Restored to sparkling audio quality by Radio Archives, Dangerous Assignment, Volume 1 features 20 episodes on 10 Audio CDs of two-fisted action, worldwide intrigue, and a dash of humor and heroics! Classic radio adventure! And it’s available now from Radio Archives for only $29.98!
 

 
In “Dangerous Assignment”, U. S. Special Agent Steve Mitchell played by Brian Donlevy is sent to exotic locales where he encounters adventure and intrigue and gets involved in situations that have the potential to shift the balance of world power. Also starring Herbert Butterfield as The Commissioner, the series first aired in 1952. This collection features three full-length television adventures.
 
In “Mr. & Mrs. North”, Richard Denning and Barbara Britton star as Jerry and Pamela North, amateur sleuths, who investigate mysteries from the comfort of their Greenwich Village apartment. Jerry is a mystery magazine publisher and, while he remains skeptical of Pamela’s intuitions, he can’t deny her uncanny ability to find the clues necessary to unravel the most complex crimes. The collection features three of their most delightful television adventures, all originally aired in 1952.
 
Buy all six television episodes for only $9.98, exclusively from Radio Archives. A perfect addition to our new Dangerous Assignment Radio Collection.

 
Rapid Fire Radio
A Column by Tommy Hancock

 

Reviews!
Radio shows were at their most popular at the same time Pulp Magazines sold by the millions. It’s no surprise then that some classic Radio programs were influenced or even directly based on Pulp stories on the newsstands or even written by Pulp writers. Like these fantastic examples of Pulp Radio at Radio Archives.
 
Boston Blackie, Volume 1 Originally conceived by creator Jack Boyle as a safecracking criminal, Boston Blackie took movies, books, and eventually radio by storm and in the process became ‘A Friend to Those Who Had No Friends.’ Portrayed by Dick Kollmar in this collection, Boston Blackie is a wisecracking, tough talking, smooth as ice former criminal turned crime buster, often bringing his girlfriend Mary Wesley along and always to the chagrin of Inspector Farriday, his sparring partner on the Police Department. These shows are fun, action packed, and intelligently written and available to you now for $29.98 from Radio Archives!
 
Box Thirteen, Volume 1 “Adventure Wanted. Will go anyplace, do anything…” These words, a part of the ad that Dan Holliday, played by Alan Ladd in Box Thirteen, posts in the newspaper to get ideas for his books describes this show perfectly. Tightly plotted, quickly paced action each and every episode as Holliday finds himself in different predicaments, thanks to Box Thirteen. Alan Ladd’s tough guy persona plays extremely well in this almost hard boiled hero role! Every episode sounds like a Pulp story right off the pages! Box Thirteen, Volume 1 can be yours for $20.98!
 
The Shadow of Fu Manchu As popular as Pulp heroes are, Pulp Villains often overshadow their foes! Such has always been the case with Sax Rohmer’s creation, Fu Manchu. From magazines to books onto films, comics, television, and more Fu Manchu has definitely left his mark on Popular culture and radio is no different. The Shadow of Fu Manchu is mad, maniacal fun, relentlessly paced tales with over the top characters and action! Pulp and Radio Fans alike will thrill to each exciting episode and it’s only $29.98!
 

Character Spotlight!
While the galaxies and spaceways were full of heroes, protectors, and policemen in the early 1950s, one of the most memorable was Commander Buzz Corey from the classic radio program Space Patrol. Focusing on the adventures of a thirtieth century intergalactic police force, ‘Space Patrol’ told the tales of Commander Corey, portrayed by Ed Kemmer, and his crew as they patrolled the stars, protecting planets from the likes of Mister Proteus, Agent X, and The Black Falcon! Definitely cast in the mold of Buck Rogers and other spacegoing heroes, Buzz Corey was a true blue galactic hero on each and every episode. Experience Space Patrol, Volume 1 for only $29.98!
 
Hancock’s Favorite Episodes!
Dragnet, Volume 1 “The City Hall Bombing”
Considered an entertainment icon, Jack Webb delivered riveting stories nearly every episode of the radio classic Dragnet. This episode was by far one of the best for several reasons. The plot, a man showing up at City Hall with a package supposedly carrying a bomb he will detonate if his brother is not released from jail, is truly nail biting and intense, even by today’s standards. Couple this with the fact that this episode unfolds in real time, Friday and his partner Romero have less than a half hour to resolve this case and you have a truly excellent program. The performances by all involved from Webb down are top notch and add a sense of ‘They just might not make it’ to the entire program that makes it an edge of your seat thriller. Find out for yourself by picking up Dragnet, Volume 1 for only $29.98 at Radio Archives!

 
 

During the Golden Age of Science Fiction, one writer towered over all others. The legendary Edmond Hamilton was the pulp pioneer who took over where Jules Verne and H. G. Wells left off. Hamilton wrote on a scale that dwarfed anything that had come before. Where other writer’s imaginations saw only expeditions to the Moon and Mars, Hamilton envisioned a future filled with an interplanetary police force, space pirates and fearsome weapons capable of destroying whole planets. Among readers of his early fiction in magazines ranging from Amazing Stories to Weird Tales, this penchant for galaxy-spanning space opera soon earned him the nickname of “World-Wrecker” Hamilton.

 

Although NASA has all but debunked the possibility of humanoid life on Mars and Venus—not to mention the frigid, inhospitable outer planets—21st century readers still thrill to Hamilton’s infectiously enthusiastic yarns, which influenced both Star Trek and Star Wars.

 

One of the most intriguing is The Three Planeteers, which ran in the January, 1940 issue of Startling Stories. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ classic adventure tale, The Three Musketeers, Hamilton’s reinterpretation of the concept brings together an Earthman, John Thorn, allied a pair of friendly aliens, Sual Av of Venus and hulking Mercurian, Gunner Welk, who are out to stop a sinister despot from shifting the balance of power from the peace-loving Alliance of Inner Planets to the planet-hungry League of Cold Worlds. When the resourceful trio are branded interplanetary outlaws, their only hope is to ally themselves with the renegade Companions of Space, led by the bewitching pirate princess, Lana Cain.

 

This swashbuckling space opera was the type of pulp Hamilton did best, and set the stage for his legendary Captain Future series, also from the publisher of Startling Stories. In that series, as in The Three Planeteers, Hamilton postulated a future Solar System inhabited by distinct races of aliens, each with their own characteristics and cultures. Against this backdrop, the non-stop action races from the inner worlds to the outer regions, with atom-pistols and ray-blasters frying combatants on both sides.

 

Joey D’Auria voices The Three Planeteers’ stellar cast of heroes and despicable space pirates. This is vintage space opera at its most arresting and audacious! Only $20.98 in a deluxe Six Audio CD set.
 
 

The Spider Battles Lightning Itself In New Audiobook
 
Devastating lightning, aimed at the highest buildings and critical public facilities of the city. Targeted with precise malevolence by a Man from Mars – with the flowing mane and deadly claws of the king of beasts.  The Lion Man!  The Flame Master!
 
In one of Norvell Page’s wildest Spider adventures, Richard Wentworth battles not one outrageous foe, but two. The Lion Man, who can rip a man’s flesh with deadly claws and unleash lightning with devastating results at any target he chooses. And a mysterious munitions master, whose allegiance can be bought by the highest bidder.
 
Electric Audio Adventure
“The Flame Master” is the newest Spider audiobook from RadioArchives.com, continuing the fantastic adventures of one of the 1930s’ most relentless avengers. This audio adventure once again features stage and screen actors Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker as Richard Wentworth, alias The Spider, Master of Men … and Nita Van Sloan, his daring companion who battles at his side despite unspeakable danger.
 
The Spider faces Aronk Dong, the self-proclaimed Man from Mars, who unleashes the wrath of the heavens to subjugate Earth. But what is his real purpose? And hiding behind his deadly French Apaches is Toussaints Louvaine, a mysterious dealer in death who may be on Wentworth’s side … or may not.
 
“In this incredible adventure, no one is who they seem, and everyone has a private agenda,” says director Roger Rittner.  “Nick and Robin are at their best, portraying all the characters in this lightning-charged adventure.”
 
A Unique Listening Experience
“The Flame Master”, like its predecessors “Prince of the Red Looters” and “Wings of the Black Death”, is enhanced with extensive sound effects and period music score.
 
For a sample of the excitement, listen to a preview:

“The Flame Master” is available for just $19.95 in a deluxe six Audio CD set.

 
by Derrick Ferguson
 

The Moon Pool and Other Wonders is truly a different Radio Archives audiobook that took me kinda by surprise. By now I’m used to the single-character, slam-bang, punchy-punchy-run-run of the previous audiobooks I’ve listened to with heroes such as Doc Savage, Operator #5, Secret Agent X. So engrossed did I get in my listening that frequently I intended to listen to only two or three chapters then save the rest for the next day. Of course I ended up listening to the whole thing as I just had to know what happened next.
 
But The Moon Pool and Other Wonders actually seems to be an audiobook designed for listening in small bites instead of one huge meal as it’s an audiobook of separate stories. Which means that if you choose to do so, you can listen to one story a night or when you’ve got a short drive or even taking a short walk. The whole point I think I’m trying to make here is that this isn’t your usual audiobook and shouldn’t be listened to the same way.
 
Take the excellent voice work that is done here by three talented voice actors, some of whose performances I’ve greatly enjoyed on past Radio Archives audiobooks. Joey D’Auria, Doug Stone and John Shelton share duties in narrating the five stories and I think it was an excellent decision to have different voices on different stories. It gave me a feeling almost as if I were attending a reading of the works of these various authors.
 
A. Merritt is a writer I freely admit I don’t know much about but after listening to “The Moon Pool” I’m now interested in reading the prose version and looking out for other stories by this writer. Even though I’m convinced that whatever A. Merritt story I read I won’t hear it in my head in my own voice but in Joey D’Auria’s.
 
“The House and The Brain” is a story in a genre I’m a sucker for: the haunted house story. H.P. Lovecraft is always a safe bet for an anthology such as this and he’s well represented in “The Moon-Bog” and “What The Moon Brings”
 
“The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen is another one of those stories I’ve always heard so much about but never read. It’s regarded as one of the classics of horror and now, thanks to John Shelton’s voice work, I now know why.
 
Another excellent Radio Archives production that is most definitely worth listening to. As I said earlier, it’s a lot different from the usual Radio Archives fare but it’s a good different.

 

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!

 

No man was safe in the city streets—no woman could be left long alone in her own home—when the Underworld, newly organized into one compact army of crime, declared a new and bloody social war against society. How can the SPIDER, his prestige gone, wage successful battle against a criminal horde which laughs at death and ignores the grim warning of the “spider seal”? 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.
 

Never before in history had anything quite so horrible as the Mad Horde been loosed upon a terrified humanity! In rural towns and through the thronging streets of great cities the death-bringers stalked, spreading the slow madness of which they themselves must soon die! The Spider, dismayed and horrified as never before in his long career, is forced at last into risking the life of the girl he loves — so that a million others may live! Another epic exploit of America’s best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider — Master of Men! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.

 

A happy crowd, inspired by the spirit of Christmas, was milling joyously in Times Square, New York. Suddenly, cutting through the sounds of gayety, came a shrill whine. It became louder, and at the very second of midnight, a gigantic shell exploded, killing, maiming, destroying! At twelve hour intervals thereafter — no man knew in advance where — another shell burst devastatingly. Two great powers were openly accused in the newspapers. War — savage and bloody — was imminent, and Operator 5 realized that he had encountered his most cunning foe, the clever woman spy — Radi Havara!
 
Jimmy Christopher, clean-cut, square-jawed and clear-eyed, was the star of the most audacious pulp magazines ever conceived — Operator #5. Savage would-be conquerors, creepy cults, weird weather-controllers and famine-creating menaces to our mid-western breadbasket… these were but a few of the fiendish horrors that Jimmy Christopher was forced to confront. Operator #5 returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.

 
The world’s greatest space-farers battle to expose a dangerous secret menacing mankind and face desperate risks as they pursue two scheming miscreants across the void! Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets.

 

“There is one Val Kildare, government agent. It is my wish that he die the most painful death in our power to inflict.” From an underground room in Limehouse this order was given. And now, across the Atlantic, sped a murder cargo to wipe out the only man who stood between Wu Fang, Emperor of Crime, and his conquest of the world! Toward New York sped that great ocean liner. And only two Americans knew that somewhere onboard was an unwanted passenger, guessed that thousands of men and women were marked for death in the murder schemes of a tall, smiling yellow man whose name was Wu Fang and whose ambition was to own the world?
 
Wu Fang is a Chinese criminal mastermind and scientific genius. With his hybrid monkey-men, he plans to conquer America. He is member of various secret societies and has spies everywhere. Opposing him is Val Kildare of the F.B.I.  His aides, reporter Jerry Hazard, archaeologist Rod Carson and newsboy Cappy, help him in his battles against the sinister man of evil known as Wu Fang.
 
Inspired by the Asian menace of Fu Manchu, Harry Steeger, publisher of Popular Publications, decided to publish a villain-centered pulp magazine series. And so, The Mysterious Wu Fang was born.  The series was written by Robert J. Hogan, who also wrote for G-8 and his Battle Aces and The Secret Six.  But after seven stories, the series was ended.  An eighth story “The Case of the Living Poison” was planned, but never was printed.

 

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

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

 
In the Florida Keys, a black fisherman named Jep Dee is discovered on the beach mutilated and blinded with a loop of rope tied around his neck. He had obviously been tortured. Jep Dee had come to Matecumbe Island supposedly to catch lobsters, but he was actually looking for something. But what? In his delirium, he kept mumbling something about Mr. Steel but in more lucid moments he would not say anything more.
 
After his rescue, he escapes from the hospital and mails a strange piece of freckled shark skin to a Rhoda Haven in New York. Shortly thereafter, Rhoda and her father Tex are attacked by thugs searching for that piece of shark skin. Rhoda was a beautiful woman with expertise in archaeology, infectious disease, and governmental administration. Her father wasn’t much to look at but he was one of the foremost exponents of Jiu Jitsu in the world. They were adventurers who dabbled in all sorts of dangerous affairs around the globe, but this freckled shark matter had them spooked. So, they went in disguise to seek the help of Doc Savage. But their intention was merely to use him without letting on what was really happening.
 
During this story Doc travels to Florida in disguise under the name Henry Peace. He pretends to be a rough and ready scrapper who had fallen in love with Miss Havens and wants to marry her. Rhoda is a well-educated and complex woman who finds Henry Peace’s attention repulsive. She does not know who he really is. Meanwhile, while playing this role, Doc Savage begins to enjoy being an uninhibited bumpkin and we get a rare insight into the mind of the Bronze Man and his inner psychology. What is the secret of the freckled shark skin? What is Rhoda and Tex Haven’s real agenda? And after getting a taste of Henry Peace will Doc Savage want to return to his old life?
 
This is a story of intrigue, role reversal, and revelation with a mystery, high adventure and plenty of action. It is one of the more unusual Doc Savage stories. Rhoda Haven is a woman with skills and brains who is worthy of Doc Savage’s affections. But will she fall for him or Henry Peace?
 
Don’t miss this exciting Doc Savage adventure! Get it today and another great Doc tale in Doc Savage 19 for only $12.95 from Radio Archives!
 

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

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

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

One of the top crime-fighters from the golden age of pulp fiction, The Spider returns in two thrill-packed adventures written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “The Spider and the Scarlet Surgeon” (1941), With unheard of skill, the Red Surgeon can change a patient into an imbecile… or a genius of crime! Not only can he alter the physical shell, but this mad doctor can even amputate parts of a victim’s personality, even their conscience. And his greatest ambition is to operate on none other than Stanley Kirkpatrick, Nita van Sloan… and the Spider! Then, in “The Spider and the Death Piper” (1942), Weird compelling music lures the inhabitants of Martinsville to suicide! By ones and twos at first, then in a stampede of maddened self-destruction. Even Richard Wentworth, with the iron will of the Spider, felt the irresistible calling of that Devil-tune! Can even the Master of Men prevail against an unearthly power that goads the listener to suicide? These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!
 
 

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

The very first issue of the Pulp Magazine that would introduce the world to Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and more! Girasol Collectables, a leader in Pulp reproductions, offers a complete Pulp Replica of this classic magazine! Reproducing all the stories and accompanying material presented in the original, Girasol Replicas are also crafted to get as close to the feel of an actual pulp magazine, while making sure this issue lasts much longer than the original! A chance to read a piece of Pulp history from Girasol for only 35.00 in the Pulp Book Store!

 

The Complete Cases of Detective Lee Nace
by Lester Dent
Although best known for Doc Savage, writer Lester Dent gave Pulp several fascinating characters. Lee Nace, the Blond Adder, is a detective and crime fighter known to utilize gadgets, as many of Dent’s creations did. These stories are exceptional in light of what Dent went on to create and definitely carry shades of what was to come to full bloom in Doc Savage! This collection also features an introduction by Will Murray and a real treat for fans and creators, the actual bible that Dent developed to write the series from! Only $29.95 from Altus Press in the Pulp Book Store!

 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
Carolyn Andersen writes:
The Railroad Hour, Volume 1 is so good that I can hardly wait for my order of Vol. 2 & 3 to arrive!
 
Blain Toman writes:
Thank you again for bring the Spider to life!
 
Dominick Cancilla writes:
I’ve read Doc Savage, The Spider, and The Shadow for years, but through this audio series I’m discovering many pulp heroes that I’d somehow overlooked through. I just finished listening to your first Operator #5 audiobook, The Masked Invasion, and am definitely ready for another! Operator #5 has everything I look for in a pulp adventure: a bigger-than-life hero, off-the-wall action, a battle against world-endangering villainy, and an author who occasionally wields his thesaurus like a hammer. So far, the secondary characters in Operator #5 haven’t made much of an impression on me, but the hero has a number of interesting facets that help him stand out from the crowd. These include some interesting gadgets (such as a belt that somehow contains a full-length rapier) and a propensity for doing magic tricks (the secrets of which he immediately explains — I guess he didn’t get the memo from the Magician’s Union about keeping secrets). The book had off-the wall science, massive battle scenes, masked cultist underworld figures — and I did I mention the blimps? Operator #5 hasn’t risen to the level of Doc, Spider, and Shadow in my mind, but it’s certainly one of my new favorites among Radio Archives offerings. Thanks again for the continued awesomeness!
 
Barney McCasland writes:
I just finished Chapter 1 of The Flame Master. Wow! This one sounds incredible! As I was listening to Nick Santa Maria, it came to me that if you ever produce any of The Shadows, he’d be a great narrator for them. Also, when reading his interview in the newsletter, Nick mentioned that he’d already finished four Spiders. Any idea when the fourth one will be available? Gotta stop now as I’ve got to get back to The Spider!

 
Richard Selwood from England writes:
I had the pleasure to buy your Al Jolson Kraft Music Hall set some time ago and I can see how many great reviews you have had about it, it truly is a most magnificent set, the best I’ve ever heard, bar none. I and many others would love to see more in the Jolson series so how about it? There are some terrific shows in this series. Fantastic work.

 

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.
 

“Electric Man” premieres at SDCC tonight

  • News
  • July 13, 2012

Electric Man, the micro-budget comedy shot in Edinburgh, has been selected for the prestigious San Diego Comic Con International Film Festival on July 13th – and is the only UK feature film to play at the world famous comic convention this year.

The film tells the story of Jazz and Wolf, two cash-strapped comic shop owners who need £5,000 in a hurry if they are to save their comic shop in Edinburgh. As luck would have it they chance across a copy of Electric Man issue 1 which just happens to be worth £100,000. But there are other people after the comic and it is soon lost, stolen, switched and switched again as Jazz and Wolf try to save both their business and their love lives.

Shot on a micro budget, the film has already gained BAFTA New Talent Awards nominations for its script and score as well as being shortlisted for Best Feature at the Celtic Media Festival. Selection for San Diego Comic Con places the film with the industry big hitters. The movie was selected as only one of three feature films to play this year’s festival from over 200 initial entries.

Director David Barras explains: “This is a game changer for us. We had already planned for digital distribution later in the year but we were going to limit that to the UK. Comic Con is enormous and we’re now looking to give the film a global launchpad. As a small independent movie we have to pick and choose where we go. But San Diego was the holy grail for us. Yes, it has blown a massive hole in the budget but we would be mad not to go. Who wouldn’t want to be at the same convention as Iron Man 3 and the new Superman movie?”

Cinema goers in London had the opportunity to see for themselves what all the fuss is about on Sunday 8th July, when the film played at The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Place. The film has already played to a sold out audience at the cinema in May but the team are bring it back to coincide with the London Film and Comic Con and give the capital’s movie goers a sneak peak before they fly to California for the film’s big night at Comic Con.

Electric Man is already a UK success story but the movie is far from your typical British fare. In an industry that is used to producing Scottish films that are usually about shooting up or shooting grouse, Electric Man is a distinct change of pace. Billed as ‘The Maltese Falcon meets Clerks’ the film makers have produced something set in the UK but with a definite American flavour.

PRO SE AND REESE UNLIMITED DEBUT LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME TWO: DIE GLOCKE!

  • News
  • July 13, 2012
Pro Se Productions, a leading New Pulp Publisher proudly announces its latest release.  From Reese Unlimited, an imprint of Pro Se Productions, and Pro Se’s Sovereign City Project comes the second volume of one of New Pulp’s most popular and newest heroes- THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME TWO: DIE GLOCKE! by Veteran New Pulp Author Barry Reese!

Lazarus Gray and his aides in Assistance Unlimited return for what may prove to be their greatest challenge… What is the secret of Die Glocke? Will Lazarus Gray and his teammates discover the answer in time to stop a power hungry madman and his undead soldiers? The Adventures of Lazarus Gray returns with an epic adventure where the fate of the world is at stake. Is even Lazarus Gray up to a task that could take him to the very gates of Hell itself? Also, Assistance Unlimited takes a case that will bring them face to face with Terror and the making of a Hero! Included in this volume is an updated timeline of Reese’s works and an interview with the author himself!

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME TWO: DIE GLOCKE most definitely builds on what Reese established in Volume Two, but also explodes with new concepts and themes.  “I never really think about themes when I’m writing a story,” Reese says, “but in hindsight, sometimes I can see recurring ideas. With Die Glocke, I really wanted to focus on the family dynamic that we’ve established with the members of Assistance Unlimited. These people would die for one another and I wanted to show why that was and how far that loyalty could be tested.”

“The story is also about paying homage to the many things that went into the creation of Lazarus Gray,” continues Reese. “Obviously, there are elements of The Avenger in the series but I also drew heavily upon Indiana Jones, the Hellboy stories by Mike Mignola and Andy McDermott’s novels. I wanted to incorporate elements from all of those, in terms of plot elements, specific scenes and just the overall feel of those works.  Hopefully, I’ve taken all of that and combined it with my own creations to feel fresh and new – but with all my New Pulp work, I feel like I’m standing on the shoulders of giants.”

 

Featuring cover and interiors by George Sellas and one interior piece by Anthony Castrillo and logo, format, and design work by Sean Ali, DIE GLOCKE-THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME TWO: DIE GLOCKE is a must have for any fan of Action, Adventure, and New Pulp! Available now at Amazon – http://tinyurl.com/c9rs42f , and directly from Pro Se’s own store at http://tinyurl.com/7gj2axb. And Coming Soon in Ebook Format!

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME TWO: DIE GLOCKE! From Reese Unlimited and Pro Se Productions- Puttin’ The Monthly Back Into Pulp!

“Life In Hell” ends today for Matt Groening

  • News
  • July 13, 2012
Cover of Life In Hell No. 4, published in 1978.

Cover of Life In Hell No. 4, published in 1978. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No, the San Diego Comic-Con isn’t ending early… but today is the official end of Matt Groening’s comic, Life In Hell.

After exploring a world populated by “anthropomorphic rabbits and a pair of gay lovers” for over 30 years, “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening is putting down his pen and ending his highly acclaimed comic strip, “Life in Hell.”

The last “Life in Hell,” Groening’s 1,669th strip, was released on Friday, June 15. For the next four weeks, editors will have their choice of strips from Groening’s extensive archive before they close up shop in July on Friday the 13, which seems oddly appropriate.

“I’ve had great fun, in a Sisyphean kind of way, but the time has come to let Binky and Sheba and Bongo and Akbar and Jeff take some time off,” Groening, 58, said by email.

“It’s hard to imagine how the business model that sustained alternative social-commentary and political cartooning for two decades (and is now all but dead) would have evolved had papers not discovered the power of Groening’s strip and its ability to attract readers,” said syndicated cartoonist Ted Rall by phone.

The popularity of “Life in Hell” opened a path for a new breed of alternative cartoonists to appear in alt-weeklies across the country, cartoonists like Tom Tomorrow, Ruben Bolling, Ward Sutton, Keith Knight and Rall. It also showcased the power of sharp, biting cartoons to editors looking to attain and grow a new group of readers.

“Groening is modern cartooning’s rock God, a Moses who came down from the mountain (or the East Village office of the Voice) and handed us the rules we followed,” said Rall.

“Life in Hell” actually earned Groening his big break in Hollywood. It started running in Wet Magazine in 1978, then moved to the now-defunct LA Reader, where Groening worked. The strip eventually made its way to LA Weekly. Its popularity grew, amassing a client list of more than 250 papers, when producer Polly Platt noticed “Life in Hell” and showed it to actor/producer James L. Brooks.

Brooks contacted Groening and wanted him to develop a series of “bumpers” based on “Life in Hell” for “The Tracey Ullman Show.” Groening was a bit apprehensive at the thought of handing over the rights to his characters, so he created the Simpsons to fill the slot.

via ‘Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening ends ‘Life in Hell,’ comic that started it all | Poynter.

This is the final “Life is Hell” strip, which ran Friday, June 15.

 

Martha Thomases: Las Vegas vs. San Diego

While the rest of the pop culture community prepares for Comic-Con International in San Diego, I’m in Las Vegas. Since I don’t gamble, it has been an interesting sociological experience for me. And also, the spa at my hotel is awesome.

I have been to Vegas four times now, and to SDCC about fifteen times. The two share more than one might think. Both are really crowded at all hours. Both mostly take place indoors, but if you need to go outside, you probably won’t get rained on. There’s a lot of noise about every little thing, so that you lose all sense of proportion.

And both count on dazzling you with enough glitz and glamor that you won’t notice how much you’re being hustled.

Still, I’m having a great time on The Strip, and I never need to go to Comic-Con again. What’s the difference?

Although things have improved somewhat in recent years, the city of San Diego doesn’t feel welcoming to me. I went once for a library convention, and that was much more pleasant. As a Comic-Con visitor, I feel like the city regards me as a pig, a beast to tolerate because I spend money. The convention brings in celebrities, whom I’m sure are treated well (if only because they have people on the payroll to guarantee it), but me? I’m the rube paying $4 for a bottle of water.

The water in my Vegas hotel room mini-bar is $8. And I don’t drink it. But you know what? A lovely woman comes by twice a day to ask if I want anything. She is thrilled when I have a request for her, even if it’s just for more free shampoo.

At Comic-Con, I have to stand in line for hours to see a panel, which I may not get to see because thousands of other people want to see the same panel. In Vegas, if the hot new Batman slot machine is being used, there are more around the corner, or down the street.

At Comic-Con, if I don’t make a dinner reservation by five, I can forget about eating anyplace where I can sit down. In Vegas, there are world-class restaurants (many outposts of places I love in New York) stacked up on top of each other.

I was a little afraid to come to Vegas as an older, single woman, afraid I would feel unattractive and unworthy. The hotel at which I’m staying, the Cosmopolitan, goes out of its way to make women feel welcome. Everyone who works there is super-friendly and helpful. In San Diego, there are, instead, lots of jokes about how unsexy geeks can be. True, lots of those jokes come from us geeks. I don’t think that kind of self-hatred would be funny anyplace else.

My friend Pennie used to live here, back in the days when the Mob were the new guys in town. She says that there is a tradition of service here because the populace knows that’s how they keep their jobs. San Diego, on the other hand, is a city with more than just a hospitality industry. I don’t mean to say that San Diego is rude (because, as a New Yorker, how would I know?), but they don’t make me feel like my needs are a priority.

There has been talk for years of moving Comic-Con to Las Vegas. I don’t think it would work. This city is too expensive. It would be a lovely idea, however, to move Las Vegas to Comic-Con.

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman

 

 

Your Avengers Movie Roundup

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

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

Here are the promotional details surrounding this event:

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

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

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

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