THE SPIDER GOES EBOOK! ALL OF ALTUS NOW AVAILABLE! DRAMA AND THE GREEN LAMA AND MORE!
January 27, 2012
NEW Radio Set: Claudia, Volume 7
Soap Operas in the heyday of Radio were very similar to one another. For the most part, their content was predictable, but deeply engrossing. Soap operas played on the apparent human need for intrigue, insider knowledge, gossip, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that, no matter how tedious or dull or awful your life is, someone out there has it much worse than you do.
But, in 1947, a new soap opera debuted that was far different – far more quiet and gentle and down-to-earth – than its strife-ridden forbears. This show brought listeners more than the ‘tune in tomorrow’ hooks its peers produced. Listeners tuned in day after day for the interesting, fully developed characters, the light-hearted banter between them, and the familiarity of their day-to-day situations. This soap opera, probably more of a light drama in modern terms, is “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 maladies or suspicions of infidelity. Instead, they were simply facing the many challenges of any new marriage – finding an apartment, getting used to each other’s quirks, and learning to live together on a daily basis. 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 her insecurities rather than her instincts.
Heard today, “Claudia” remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its lighthearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters. In a feat that is rare where old time radio is concerned, Radio Archives has been able to locate and preserve the entire eighteen-month run of “Claudia” – 390 episodes in all – with no missing shows, allowing you to enjoy the complete series on a day-by-day basis. This collection offers 24 episodes of “Claudia” and marks the midway point of the remaining volumes. Claudia, Volume 7 and the series as a whole are a real treasure for radio enthusiasts to enjoy for many years to come and are available today from Radio Archives! Six hours on Audio CDs for $17.98.
by Tommy Hancock
Old Time Radio is responsible for at least the longevity of so many character types that the public have enjoyed for decades and still today. One of those is the brassy Brooklyn dame who while seeming ditzy to some, actually brings a bit of her own wisdom of the world to every predicament she finds herself in, of which there are many. If you haven’t guessed it, I’ve just described one Maisie Revere, often out of work entertainer and just as often consistent entertainment as the heroine of The Adventures of Maisie.
Portrayed by Ann Sothern, MGM starlet and the originator of the Maisie role in a series of high grade B movies for the studio, Maisie came to life on the radio waves in 1949. Although this is actually the second series to feature the character, it’s the only series of which any episodes are known to exist.
From the cracker jack opening of Maisie’s heels clicking, a man asking her “Hiya babe! Say, how ’bout-“ and a slap and Maisie saying, “Does that answer your question, buddy?” the stage is set in each episode for Sothern to play brassy and funny to the hilt. And she does this with a style and a sort of rough grace that adds credence to the character. Maisie sounds and moves within each episode as you would expect a girl from Brooklyn who finds herself in non-Brooklyn type situations constantly to sound and move. And although, by her own account, Maisie may not be the highest limb on the tree intellectually, her view of the world around her and how those she encounters mistakenly see things is simultaneously hilarious, refreshing, and enlightening.
On so many levels, “The Adventures of Maisie” is most definitely a comedy, leaning heavily toward screwball in a few of the episodes on this collection. But something else manifests from the crucible of mixing Sothern’s acting and dead on voice with the skill of the writers and the quirky plots of this show. Whether Maisie is having to work off rent as a hotel clerk and mistakenly rents a room to phony royalty or pretends to be a lady herself and almost nabs her a Lord all her own or rooks a snobby diva out of her stylish clothes by convincing her she’s a near dowager, there is something that comes out of each episode more than guffaws and giggles.
Played with that street rough, yet simplistic delivery Sothern brings to the role, Maisie Revere delivers quite a bit of Brooklyn spun philosophy as she stumbles in and out of trouble. You don’t have to listen hard to hear her ideas on rich people, authority, and even her own place in the crazy world she lives in. This adds a distinct appeal to the show as a whole, making it not only a solid old time radio comedy, but also something with a bit of insightful veritas to it as well.
The Adventures of Maisie, Volume 1 is definitely a comedy worth having in your collection and one that is one step above the ‘lighter fare’ of its audio peers. Available today from Radio Archives, 10 hours of Maisie on Audio CDs for $29.98.
Radio Archives always strives to be the best and continually improve our products. We embarked on a massive project two years ago to update the artwork for the 200 Old Time Radio CD sets available.
This project is now complete and all orders are now shipping with the newest artwork. Take a look at the Covers which we upgraded this week.
Radio Archives wants to share its excitement with YOU! From now until February 29th, 2012, you can add any of the new artwork for Radio Archives sets you already own to your collection for absolutely FREE with your next order! Add to the experience of the programs you already enjoy with these creative pieces of art!
The process to upgrade your Radio Archives covers is simple! First, search the Radio Archives website to find the set you own. Then copy the Product Description. As an example, the Product Description would look like this:
Mystery Is My Hobby – 10 hours [Audio CDs] #RA132
You then paste the Product Descriptions of all the sets you want updated into the comments section of your next order. The artwork will be sent free of charge along with your order!
This offer expires on February 29th and artwork can only be provided for products currently offered on RadioArchives.com. Radio Archives appreciates your business and wants you to have the newest Cover Artwork so that you have the best quality product, both inside and out!
A more unlikely multi-media success than the jade-robed Buddhist monk who fought crime under the nom de guerre of The Green Lama would be hard to imagine.
Conceived in 1939 at the behest of the editors of Munsey Publications to compete with the juggernaut that The Shadow had become in print, on radio and in film, The Green Lama was the creation of writer Kendall Foster Crossen, who was asked to think up a hero who could lure mystery-minded readers away from The Shadow’s loyal legion of followers. Inspired by a Columbia University student named Theos Casimir Barnard, who had journeyed to far-off Tibet to plumb the occult mysteries of Lamaism, Crossen concocted millionaire Jethro Dumont, who did the same.
It was an outlandish concept. While The Shadow possessed the power to cloud men’s minds after his time in the East, The Green Lama relied on other, even weirder, powers—including the ability to become radioactive and electrically shock opponents into submission! He carried a traditional scarf, which he employed to bind and befuddle opponents and possessed a knowledge of vulnerable nerve centers which he put to good use in hand-and-hand combat. Being a practicing Buddhist, it would not do to pack a pair of .45 automatics a la The Shadow!
Writing as Richard Foster, Crossen produced The Case of the Crimson Hand, which was published in the April, 1940 Double Detective under the equally colorful title, The Green Lama. That first installment raised the magazine’s circulation several notches. Amazingly, the Lama was a hit. Thirteen additional stories followed over the next four years, with provocative titles like The Case of the Hollywood Ghost and Babies for Sale. Assistants ranging from ordinary Manhattanites to a professional magician came and went with every adventure, which often involved emerging super-criminals and Fifth Column menaces.
RadioArchives.com has selected The Green Lama to be the first 2012 release in its acclaimed Will Murray Pulp Classics line of audiobooks. His first case and its sequel, Croesus of Murder, are presented in one set, voiced by the talented Michael McConnohie. Thus, the hero of a dozen different incarnations has found a new world to conquer! You’ll never encounter another hero anything like him. Om Mani Padme Hum! The Green Lama knows! Will Murray’s Audio Pulp Classics #5 The Green Lama is available now!
The Green Lama, by Kendell Foster Crossen, first appeared in the April 1940 issue of Double-Detective magazine. Copyright © 1940 by The Red Star News Company. Copyright renewed © 1968 and assigned to Argosy Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “The Green Lama” is a trademark controlled by Argosy Communications, Inc. Produced by arrangement with Argosy Communications, Inc.
Being both a Doc Savage fan from way back (I bought my first Doc Savage Bantam paperback back in the 1970’s) as well as a fan of Old Time Radio I was more than eager to check out the audiobook PYTHON ISLE. And I was not disappointed. Channeling the spirit of Lester Dent/Kenneth Robeson, Will Murray wonderfully captures the relentless sprint of headlong excitement that I feel is essential to a Doc Savage adventure.
PYTHON ISLE is based on an actual outline written by Lester Dent back in the 1930’s but rejected for reasons that are explained by Will Murray himself in one of two extra interviews where he explains how he found the outline and turned it into a finished novel. It’s an added bonus to an already entertaining package.
Like the best of any Doc Savage adventure, PYTHON ISLE begins with a situation that immediately promises this is going to be a humdinger of a supersaga. A gang of ruthless diamond smugglers catches sight of a plane crash landing into the water near their ship. At first fearing it’s the law, they quickly mount a rescue upon seeing that the plane has been repaired with gold plating. There are only two passengers aboard. A man carrying a bamboo tube sealed at both ends and an astoundingly beautiful woman who speaks no language anybody can understand. Both are dressed in clothes that haven’t been worn since Biblical times. The man has but a single objective in mind: find Doc Savage. And we need no more to get the adventure started.
As always, my opinion of an audiobook depends mainly on the voice I’m listening to. If the voice is boring and puts me to sleep, what difference does it make how terrific the story is? I’m delighted to say the voice of Michael McConnohie is anything but boring. He doesn’t just read the story, he performs it and I’m simply flabbergasted by the diversity and range of his voice. In passages where there are two or three different characters talking it actually sounds as if there are distinct and separate voices talking to each other. In addition, his straight reading of description sounds more like the narration of a genuine old time radio drama than just a reading of the text. It’s wonderful to listen to.
So should you listen to PYTHON ISLE? Absolutely. If you’re a Doc Savage fan there’s no way that you cannot have this in your collection. And if you have a friend you want to turn onto Doc Savage, pulp adventure or audiobooks, this is an excellent way to do so.
NEW Product Line: Pulp eBooks
A growing leader in providing Pulp Fiction in a variety of forms to modern fans, Radio Archives adds one more line to its ever growing number of Pulp Products! Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, already known for fantastic audio book versions of Classic Pulp tales now also features eBooks! Will Murray’s Pulp Classic eBook line will spotlight original Pulp characters in their original tales from the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction! This exciting new line debuts with four stories of Norvell Page’s Master of Men himself – The Spider!
Thanks to the modern technology of digital publishing and eBooks, collectors and fans can experience stories from the original Pulps of the early 20th Century in an easy, affordable fashion. Referred to by some as ‘today’s pulp,’ eBooks are similar to Pulp magazines in the sense that digital eBooks, like their Pulp counterparts were, can be easily and inexpensively produced and sold to customers! Add to that the absolute top quality production that Radio Archives brings to this project and Will Murray’s Pulp Classic eBooks are a must have for every fan from the novice to the hardcore Pulp Collector!
Will Murray’s Pulp Classic eBooks are available now for only $2.99! And not only do you get the eBook for that fantastic price, but you get it in THREE different formats. With the ever evolving technology of today, Radio Archives recognizes that readers may have different devices that read different eBook files and may change devices as well. To this end, each Will Murray Pulp Classic eBook will be delivered to you as a .mobi file, an .epub file, and a PDF, making the eBook readable on The Kindle, iPad, The Nook, and most e-readers, computers, and smart phones!
The four titles kicking off the eBook line feature The Spider, the vengeful vigilante from the past that lives as a Pulp icon today! Each eBook contains the tale as originally written when it appeared as well as an introduction from Will Murray to acquaint readers with the character they’re going to encounter as well as original cover art!
New Spider titles will be released every two weeks, as well as surprises yet to come!
With the addition of The Spider eBooks, The Pulp Book Store is quickly becoming the best place to find everything Spider. From audio books by Radio Archives to exquisite Pulp reprints and replicas from Girasol Collectables and new tales of the Spider from Moonstone Books, The Master of Men is alive and well in The Pulp Book Store!
Stay tuned, Pulp fans, for the best in Pulp eBooks from Will Murray’s Pulp Classics and Radio Archives!
Horror in Gold, a brand new Doc Savage novel written by prolific pulp veteran Will Murray, has been released by Altus Press. Set in 1936 Manhattan, the story opens with an inexplicable wave of human detonations that brings legendary scientist-adventurer Doc Savage into the investigation to confront a strange new type of terrorism.
Murray, who won acclaim for his tenure ghostwriting Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir’s Destroyer action-adventure series and his works of original fiction and pop culture history, knows his subject well.
The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage is a continuation of the well-received novels he wrote for Bantam Books back in the 1990s, which he worked on with Doc Savage’s creator and original writer, the late Lester Dent.
These new posthumous collaborations will be published under the familiar pen name of Kenneth Robeson.
“Horror in Gold is a CSI-style Doc Savage story,” Murray said. “Most of the action takes place in and around Doc’s skyscraper headquarters, which we see in more detail than ever before. With ordinary Gothamites falling victim to the most grisly murder method ever recorded, Doc spends a lot of time in the city morgue and in his super-scientific laboratory assembling the pieces of the puzzle. In between, the action never stops, as Doc and his men race to prevent an escalating tragedy—culminating in an explosive climax around a dormant Alaskan volcano which shouldn’t be rumbling to life, but is!”
The author hasn’t strayed far from Dent for the basis of this new tale.
“This story is based on an unused Doc Savage plot Lester Dent wrote in 1935, but was considered too visceral to be published in the pages of Doc Savage Magazine back then. To live up to its potential, I wrote the most jaw-dropping opening chapter of my 50-novel career. I introduce one of the most vicious super-criminals in pulp history, The Alchemist, and a half-forgotten member of the original Doc Savage cast returns after an absence of almost 80 years,” he said. Buy this NEW 330 page Doc Savage novel in trade paperback today for only $24.95. The cover is a beautiful Doc Savage oil painting by the talented Joe DeVito.
With the addition of 31 new titles from Altus Press, the prolific Pulp reprint publisher’s entire catalogue is now available from the Pulp Book Store.
One of the leaders in Pulp today, Altus Press provides the reading public with top of the line reprints as well as professionally designed collections, comprehensive Pulp academic works, and new material, including The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage written by author Will Murray.
From new adventures of Doc Savage to reprints of classic Pulp characters like the Black Bat and even more obscure creations such as Armless O’Neill and Senorita Scorpion, Altus Press has something to offer every Pulp reader!
Altus Press answers the needs of a growing fan base for Pulp, readers finding something in these classic stories that appeal to modern sensibilities. The company takes its overall mission very seriously-to produce the best quality product possible. And every single title, close to 100 top of the line collections, novels, and other works, from Altus Press is now featured in the Pulp Book Store!
The Knight of Darkness battles evil supercriminals in two action-packed pulp novels by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, in a never-reprinted 1932 epic, The Shadow seeks to unmask The Five Chameleons, master villains whose uncanny ability to blend with their surroundings rivals his own. Then, the Dark Avenger feels the savage sting of The Wasp in his first confrontation with one of his deadliest foes. This double-novel reprints the classic cover paintings by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the original interior illustrations by Tom Lovell and Earl Mayan, with historical articles by Will Murray. Get it now for $14.95!
The pulp era’s greatest superman returns in two classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc and Patricia Savage enter an Arctic abyss where dinosaurs and prehistoric humans survive, and race against Japanese agents to uncover the secret of The Time Terror that could change the outcome of the war. Then, a series of crimes committed by “graduates” of the Man of Bronze’s Crime College threaten to destroy Doc’s reputation. What is the sinister secret of The Talking Devil? This special collectors edition showcases both color pulp covers by Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of eight 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!
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!
On the hunt for quality Pulp Fiction, both classic and new? In search of great prices? Then dig into the Treasure Chest, exclusively featuring products for the Pulp Book Store! Just click on the Treasure Chest on the Pulp Book Store Page and you’ll find fantastic monthly discounts on an everchanging variety of items from our various stores! From everyone from the avid Pulp Fan to the casual reader, the Treasure Chest offers great deals on wonderful products from The Pulp Book Store!
Review of “Brand of the Werewolf” from Doc Savage, Volume 13
By Dr Art Sippo
Doc Savage and his crew travel to Canada to visit his only known living relatives: his Uncle Alex Savage and his cousin Patricia.
On the train, Doc receives a message from his uncle telling him to stay away. He leaves the cabin to investigate leaving his crew there. While he is gone, his men are stricken with unexplained unconsciousness. When Doc returns to the cabin he finds them and emblazoned on the wall is a hideous face that is a cross between a man and a wolf. The Brand of the Werewolf!
When they arrive at the Savage ranch they discover that Alex Savage has been murdered after the alleged message had been sent. The ranch is under attack by local thugs and mysterious forces that the local people attribute to the loup-garou a half-man/half-wolf monster. He moves among the inhabitance with impunity using his powers to subdue them and then kill them at will.
Meanwhile Patricia Savage has taken charge of the ranch. She is also guarding a mysterious Ivory cube that belonged to her father which the thugs have been trying to steal from her father and now from her. Pat is a tall striking woman with bronze colored hair like her cousin’s, who is mentally and physically strong enough to fight to defend her property. But as her superstitious ranch hands desert her, she cannot hold out against the enemies ranged against her.
Enter Doc Savage and his crew of adventurers. Now the odds are more even, but can even they defy the power of the Werewolf? With his entire physical and mental prowess, can Doc Savage defeat a supernatural monster?
This was the story that introduced Patricia Savage as a recurring character in the Doc Savage series. It was the most popular story in the original Bantam reprints form the 1960s and remains a fan favorite. This is a classic story from the golden age of the 1930s. And it along with another Doc Savage classic can be yours in Doc Savage Volume 13 for $12.95 from Radio Archives!
Comments From Our Customers!
Joseph (Joe) Cierniak
I have ordered from RadioArchives in the past and have nothing but praise the for merchandise’s quality and great customer service response. Ah, you guys do business just as it was done in my younger days. It was called trust. I’m not against (positive ) change but how many companies out there today would ship an item(s) and trust the purchaser to pay the bill. Not many. Thanks again. Received my order in today’s mail for Volume 2 of Suspense. Wow, what service!
Jim McCuaig:
Great quality, folks – a pleasure to be able to hear these shows like they sounded when they were new.
Tom C. Miller:
Just wanted to thank you for the prompt shipping of my last order. Your record time in attempting to ship same day as ordered is much appreciated..
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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