AP: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for us, Tommy. Can you explain exactly what your title is at Moonstone and what your job duties entail?
TH: Sure! I am Marketing and Promotions Coordinator and the title pretty much explains the job duties. I am the guy responsible for making sure the buying public knows what Moonstone produces and buys that product. I will be working on various ways to make sure that both that niche that already buys from Moonstone and that largely untouched ‘non pulp’ market as well get full exposure to the wonderful lineup that Moonstone carries. It’s a pretty big responsibility, being the town crier for guys like The Spider, Kolchak, Zorro, and so on.
Basically, I’ll handle both ‘in the box’ and ‘out of the box’ promotional and marketing plans. I’ll put together press releases, interviews, and various forms of information and make sure that every outlet I can get to has them. I will also be looking at past promotions as well as future possibilities for putting a twist on the Moonstone line, a hook to pull in everyone who isn’t reading our stuff and to keep those who are coming back.
AP: How did the opportunity to work for Moonstone come about?
TH: Actually, I have ALL PULP and my convention/conference, Pulp Ark, to thank for that. While getting ready for Pulp Ark, I met Mike Bullock. We are both members of The Pulp Factory, a yahoo group focused on pulp. Through my being one of the Spectacled Seven, I came into contact with several other Moonstone creators, such as Martin Powell, Win Eckert, and others. The support from those I have come to know contributed greatly to this opportunity. Gaining a familiarity with the content Moonstone puts together, I just started visiting with Bullock and talking about various ways ALL PULP could help Moonstone, which led to ALL PULP’s Moonstone Mondays. Those discussions continued and eventually Mike and I talked about me contributing some marketing assistance to Moonstone. He talked with Joe Gentile, Moonstone EIC about it. Well, by that time, my idea creatin’ brain had already spun out more than just a little help. Those discussions turned into Joe and I talking about what I could do as an active staffer. A phone conversation later, I was the Marketing and Promotions Coordinator.
AP: There’s kind of an unspoken fear amongst many of the small press pulp publishers that the bigger publishers might eventually “strike it rich” with the pulp characters and then drive the smaller presses out of business — how do you think the success of failure of ventures like The Return of the Originals or First Wave might impact smaller outfits like Pro Se Productions, Wild Cat Books, Black Coat Press, Airship 27, etc.?
TH: Although several of the smaller outfits are producing both original and public domain based content, I truly believe that there is room for everyone at this point. Now, Moonstone is positioned better than a lot of the smaller outfits, including Pro Se Productions, the outfit I’m a partner in. The field, though, is still open enough for all to make the big strike at some point or another. Sure, Moonstone may hit the right vein in the market, but Airship 27 could do the same thing. I personally feel like smaller publishers have a better chance of making it big pushing original creations. That’s why I’m handling the magazines at Pro Se the way I am. But, again, the market is wide open enough that I don’t think failure of the bigger companies in the Pulp arena will necessarily impact and success can only help us all.
AP: Anything else you’d like to add about your new position or Moonstone’s role in the pulp community?
TH: I hope that I can do my position justice, not just for Moonstone, but for the furtherance of the pulp genre as a whole because I really do believe, at this point, success for one company, big or little, means well for all of us with our hands deep in pulp!
