That’s right, pulpsters! Thanks to your need to know pulp news, All Pulp has now had over 10,000 visits in its less than three week life! The Spectacled Seven definitely thanks you all for your readin’, interest, and attention to what we are tryin’ to do here! Keep on comin’ and bring a friend with ya, let’s make ALL PULP what it should be, the leading source for Pulp news anywhere!
NOW AVAILABLE! The strangest action, the greatest heroes, the best high octane tales anywhere in the pulp world, PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2, now in a new format, over 140 pages of pilots, monsters, girls lost between worlds, men lost to themselves, and so much more for only TEN DOLLARS! What, you don’t believe us, then check out the table of contents below with selected excerpts from some of the tales told-
THE DIVINE WRAITH Robert Butt
One of the robed men thunders, “REAVERS, ATTACK!” He and his partners surround the Divine Wraith, demons circling overhead.
“If this must be,” the Wraith says defiantly, “Let it be now!”
THE CEREBUS CLAN: THE TOLL Ken Janssens
Joe tried not to think of these things. For now, he had a purpose, a legacy… maybe even a destiny. It might be scary but it was time to head into the Gateway—into the dark cave. There were things he needed to understand.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE BEASTLY CONCUBINES Joshua Reynolds
Sternberg crashed into the concubine, first slapping the gun aside, then his big hands were scrabbling for her throat. She howled and fell back, and Sternberg went flying out the door.
PERRY LELL: A DAY IN THE DEATH OF A GIRL Megan Smith
Feet. Pounding the pavement.
Sweat. Wetting the brow.
Adrenaline. Pulsing blood through the ears.
WYLDE WORLD: IN THE BEGINNING Lee Houston, Jr.
The beast was clearly angry, evidenced by its fiery red eyes and the loud snarl coming from a mouth full of sharp teeth. The large head swiveled and glared down at us, the eyes glowing as it drooled at the sight of two potential kills side by side.
“I guess it’s not happy that we aren’t tied up and helpless,” I said uneasily.
MR. BRASS AND THE SPAWN OF FRANKENSTEIN * Joshua Reynolds
 |
| FROM ‘THE TOLL’ |
Her name had been Marietta Conklin. A forgettable, plain woman who spent five years of her life practicing to be that way. She was a Pinkerton, an agent of the United States government, and she was dead.
THE SORCEROR’S GHOST Sean Ellis
The Sorcerer raised his fist, pointing the barrel of his pistol at the other man’s chest, while the two British aces circled around to stand behind him. “I saved your life, Wyatt. I saved it the first day you flew for me and I saved it two days ago… and this is how you repay that debt?”
THE GIRL WITH THE PHANTOM EYES: A SOVEREIGN CITY STORY Barry Reese
“Has he tried the police?”
“Yes. But they think he should be sent to the loony
bin, apparently.”
“And why is that?”
“The girl he’s looking for – she has glowing eyes.”
WHAT IS THE FATE OF GARY WOOTEN? – III Fuller Bumpers and John Palmer IV (COMIC STORY)
PRO SE PREVIEWS: AYM GERONIMO AND THE POSTMODERN PIONEERS – TALL TALES John Morgan Neal, Todd Fox and Sarah Beach
THE ONE TRUE GUIDEBOOK TO THE VARIED ADVENTURES OF PECULIAR ODDFELLOW Achilles Pater
“It was a Peculiar day to be introduced to the world. Even for an Oddfellow.”
FROM THE VAULT: THE PULP FILES
MOONSTONE BOOKS-THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
Wow. If it were kosher to leave one word reviews, then that would be my one word. This fine compendium of fact sheets on pulp characters that will appear in Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS line does not tell a story in a traditional comic sense, but it sure weaves a tale of heroes, tragedy, justice, and redemption like none you’ve ever read. From The Spider to the Green Lama to The Golden Amazon and Death Angel (Who? Why new additions to the genre of course), the breadth of pulp history that is covered in these 36 pages is astounding. The file like look of the fact sheets is awesome and the accompanying art, pretty much a pin up with each fact sheet, makes me not only want to see this line of books, but wants Moonstone to tackle ALL the pulp heroes AND villains in this format, just for informational purposes for us writers!
Five out of Five Tips of Hancock’s Hat-and if you didn’t hear me the first time…wow.
SHANNON DENTON, Writer of G-8 for RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, MOONSTONE BOOKS
AP: I think it’s safe to say you can be considered a Renaissance Man given the diversity of your creative output. To what do you attribute your success is so many different, yet related fields?
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: Thanks! I do like the occasional Renaissance fair and I’m pretty certain I have ADHD. So I guess that may cover the Renaissance aspects as well as the diversity. To be honest, I have no idea. I like to try new things. It’s not always a success but there’s a definite satisfaction in looking at some new field, psyching yourself up to give it a try, and then through grit and luck finding a way to do it.
AP: Tell us about Komikwerks
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: Komikwerks originally came together as a conduit for a collective of professional artists and writers from many different creative fields, who wanted to publish their creations free of editorial and corporate restraint, as well as not being confined to the standard 22 page format comic. Lately it’s morphed into the publishing arm for our ACTIONOPOLIS line of books. At the end of the day, it’s a home base for Patrick Coyle, Rob Worley, and I to pursue our pet projects.
AP: I’m a major Western fan so naturally I’m interested in “Graveslinger” Tell us what that’s all about.
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: Graveslinger is a fun supernatural western (and nominated for a 2010 Harvey Award to boot). The story centers around an prison undertaker on his quest to put 117 of the West’s worst killers back in their graves. After a supernatural mishap, these 117 formerly executed killers rose up en mass and set out to plunder anew. Now only one man, our undertaker hero, has what it takes to put them down for good. We have another Graveslinger book set to come out from IDW too so be on the lookout for an announcement on that. SHANNON ERIC DENTON: G-8 is an ace pilot and a master spy. He’s an adventure junkie with a heroes heart. I’m hoping in our run to establish a bit of why he’s so driven to do what he does without taking away anything from the original run. I’m a big believer in not reinventing stuff that’s already working. Instead I’m hoping it’ll be more like getting sneak peaks between the stuff you already know.
AP: So why Pulp? Have you always harbored a secret desire to be a pulp writer?
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: I have. In my public library as a kid, I had access to a lot of classic old pulps. Come summer, I’d pour through those books. I loved superheroes but ya had to have money to buy comics so that was a once a month purchase for me. These were free at the library so they’d tie me over till I could get my monthly dose of Spider-Man and Teen Titans at the 7-11.
AP: You’re writing G-8 for Moonstone as part of their “Return of The Originals” project. How’d you get G-8, did you request to write him?
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: I expressed an interest in the line and they suggested G-8. My AiT book ACES was partially inspired by G-8 along with Spy Smasher, Black Sheep Squadron, Air Wolf and a million other aviation heroes…including my dad who was a Naval aviator. I just always grew up around pilots and on air bases so it’s always going to be fascinating to me.
AP: Who is G-8?
AP: Why do you think there’s such an interest in pulp adventure and pulp characters now?
SHANNON ERIC DENTON: As long as folks continue to like high adventure and the world still has bad guys that need clobbered by men with the wherewithal to do so, I think Pulps will always have an audience.
Although this story is not newly published, it is one that bears reviewing, primarily because several people have mentioned it to me as ‘a story you just have to read’ or ‘the best Spider story ever.’ With praise like that, I had to look for myself.
Is it the best Spider story ever? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s close. Did it turn out to be something I just had to read. You bet your pointed teeth and spider ring it did!
In ten pages, Martin Powell twists a tale that in all honesty comes in at the middle. It’s a typical Spider and pulp type tale, Bad guy has the Spider’s beloved captured and is delivering chemical vengeance on the city and it’s up to the Spider to stop him. But what Powell works into this in a short space is pathos, action, romance, and character education as well as development. If you read this story and know nothing of the Spider, this ten pages gives you enough to say you know something about the character.
The art of Tom Floyd blends well with the storytelling in this tale. It’s classic art on one hand, yet disturbing on the other. The reason it’s disturbing is even though the Spider’s world is dark and scary, Floyd’s art makes it look very much like..our world. This story because of its art and its human portrayal of this most inhuman acting character hits a really poignant note of realism.
JOSH AITKEN, LETTERER, WRITER OF GLADIATOR FOR RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, MOONSTONE BOOKS
AP: Josh, thanks for joining ALL PULP on Moonstone Monday! Before we get into the awesome project you’re a part of, tell us something about yourself, both personally and professionally.
JA: The comic is based upon the short novel by Philip Wylie of the same name, written in 1930. Philip went on to write The Savage Gentleman, quite possibly the inspiration for Doc Savage, and When Worlds Collide, the basis for Flash Gordon. Gladiator tells the story of Hugo Danner, a man genetically modified by his father before he was born, and his constant struggle to live in a society that would never accept his secret.
With lettering and design, I feel I use more logical thinking, with a touch of creativity. It’s really about figuring out the flow of the page, where I can place the elements to supplement that flow, and making sure everything is set to be sent to the printer. I am a very analytical thinker, so I think that’s why lettering comes naturally to me. I love puzzles. It can be a real good one to figure out how I’m going to get the balloons to fit in a panel when there isn’t much room to work with. I also have to figure out what font will best represent a sound effect, and what color will compliment it. I also enjoy designing up new caption styles to give a comic a style all its own.
AP: Elizabeth, it’s a treat and a half to have you with All Pulp today! Can you give us a bit of background on yourself, personal and professional?
EM: Thanks so much! I’m a native Virginian, living within 20 miles of where my family moved in 1746. We tend to stay put once we put ourselves somewhere. I’ve been a newspaper receptionist, a camp counselor, a life guard, a teacher, and have been a full time freelance writer for 16 years. My first short story, “Whittler,” which was published in the now gone but well respected magazine, The Horror Show, earned me the grand sum of $2.00. Since then I’ve had close to 100 horror short stories published in magazines and anthologies, have had 23 novels for adults and young adults – both historical and horror – published by some of the best houses in the biz (Berkley, Tor, Simon & Schuster, Pocket. I’ve won two Bram Stoker Awards for my fiction, presented by the Horror Writers Association. I later branched out and did several media tie-in novels, one set in the Dark Shadows universe and one in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. It was the first time I’d hopped over to play in someone else’s sandbox but found it a great deal of fun. Since then I’ve continued writing original fiction, nonfiction for educational publishers, and media-tie ins. In 2001 I met illustrator Cortney Skinner at the best horror convention EVER – Necon, which is held in Rhode Island. He moved down to Virginia and we’ve been sharing life and abode ever since. In 2010 I won a Scribe Award from the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers for my novelization of the third season of Showtime’s television series, The Tudors. I love Pepsi and chai. I hate cheese. I love the beach and World’s Softest Brand socks. I have never bungee jumped or skydived. I hate fun houses; they scare me.
AP: Let’s talk about your work with Moonstone. You’ve worked with pretty two classic characters, Zorro and The Phantom. What about these iconic characters appeals to the writer in you?
EM: Well, Zorro was my first crush, so that’s an appeal all to itself. When I was a little girl we used to watch Disney’s Zorro. I was too young to know it was a crush, but why else would I carve a Z into the wooden base of my grandmother’s old-fashioned sewing machine? Plus, I loved that he was such a good guy with a sense of humor. So confident and so brave. People looked up to him and depended on his being there in the nick of time. What’s not to love? Even though he wore a mask and cape there was nothing scary about him. Writing about Zorro was really enjoyable in that I was able to take a serious story but highlight Don Diego’s sense of humor and ability to go back and forth between two completely different personas – the rich young man who enjoyed relaxing and playing cards and had no desire whatsoever to fight and the dashing mysterious hero who can out duel, out ride, and outwit any criminal who comes along.
The Phantom has many of the same appealing characteristics. He fights crime to protect the innocent from the clutches of evil. He also lives two different lives, and wears a disguise when fighting criminals and defending the defenseless. However, the Phantom (AKA Kit Walker) is a more brooding, more serious character, even during his “down time.” As a writer, I could appreciate the depths of character here, how his life truly is tuned in to the needs of others and how that can torment his soul. This gives a writer a lot to work with. I also love the exotic setting of his home – the fictional country of Bengalla in Africa.
AP: Your work with the Phantom involved a twist to the usual take on the character. Can you tell us a bit about ‘Julie Walker is the Phantom’? Was there any particular impetus or inspiration for the idea?
EM: Well, I was actually asked to do a “female Phantom” comic from the outset. I thought it was a grand idea, and set to work researching the Phantom and the various time periods in which Phantom stories have been written. Some might not know that there has been a long line of Phantoms, beginning in 1536; that the mantle is passed down from father to son. My story begins as a more typical Phantom story, with the legendary Nellie Bly setting out on her round-the-world trip in 1889. Kit, as the Phantom, sets off to secretly protect her from those who wish her harm, but is wounded terribly soon afterwards. This leaves Kit’s twin sister, Julie, to be the Phantom in his stead. I loved this…writing about two strong, independent, adventurous women in one comic.
AP:. You’ve also written a story for Moonstone about a classic TV character. Tell us about writing KOLCHAK, THE NIGHT STALKER.
EM: Carl Kolchak is another t.v. character on whom I had a bit of a crush, though this time I was definitely grown up! Unlike Zorro or the Phantom, Kolchak is just a guy wanting to do his job – a reporter who investigates and exposes and often unwittingly fights and conquers monsters of all every imaginable types. In my story, “They Came From the Dark Ride,” two of my favorite topics were merged – The Night Stalker and old Coney Island, which in itself was a fascinating, colorful, fun, yet potentially terrifying place. Kolchak encounters a man who has purchased several hundred-year-old rides from Coney Island, with no clue as to what supernatural elements he’s actually brought to his home by doing so. Good ole’ Carl must investigate, figure it out, and try to halt the deadly force.
AP: With your work with pulp characters, you’re definitely stepping into an area that has always been largely male dominated and unfortunately so, in most peoples’ opinions I think. Do you think female writers bring anything different to the table in presenting pulp stories than male writers?
EM: I don’t think so, at least not now. I’ve heard some people say women writers (in pulp, in horror, in science fiction, in mystery or crime fiction) tend to write more emotion-based or character-driven works, but honestly, these days I think men delve into the emotion of the pulp characters as often as women do, and women as often write action-packed, plot-driven, hard-edged stories as the men do.
AP: What do you feel is the appeal of pulp fiction and characters to the audience of today?
EM: People love a good hero, someone who, like themselves, struggles with the actualities of real life but are able to turn on a dime and go out and fight with strength, courage, determination, and purpose for those in need or those in peril. It’s fun to imagine such people exist; and hey, I not only imagine it but believe it. There are amazing heroes all around us, they just don’t wear capes or have comic books about them.
AP: You have an upcoming project that surely will be a favorite for pulp fans. Talk to us, if you can, about your MOON MAN comic.
EM: Moon Man is a great crime fighter. Living in the era of the Great Depression, he is a police detective in his real life but has an alter ego that robs from the rich and gives to the poor while wearing a robe (or cape, depending on the story) and an “Argus glass” bowl on his head. Quite a wild and wonderful bit or creativity there! The glass bowl allows him to see out, but others can’t see his face. It’s also rigged so his breath doesn’t steam up the inside. My wide vision Moon Man comic, “Feint of Heart,” pits our hero the Moon Man against a wealthy, devious, and evil real estate mogul who wants to destroy a tenement (where many poor people live!) for his own purposes while also luring his young ward (a pretty female boxer) back into his clutches for his foul purposes.
AP: Are there characters in the pulp realm that you haven’t tackled yet that you’d love to get your hands on? If so, who and why?
EM: Actually, I’d just love to do another Kolchak, Zorro, or Julie Walker/Phantom tale!
AP: Do you have any projects outside of Moonstone that might interest the pulp community?
At last I’ve been dragged into the world of e-books. While I love holding books and comics in my hand, I also realize that e-books are here and that many people are buying them. Soooooo…..some novels and collections from my back list are heading that way. In fact, my first novel, Sineater, (a Bram Stoker Award winner) is now available from Crossroad Press http://crossroadpress.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=126 and soon will be available as an audio book. I also have several new ghost stories out in anthologies from Woodland Press, including two due to be out October, 2010 –“Something You Need to Know” in Specters in Coal Dust and “Someone Came and Took Them Away” in Legends of the Mountain State 4.
AP: Any future Moonstone projects we haven’t discussed you’d like to share about?
EM: A new anthology, edited by Lori Gentile, is due out in a few months. It’s called Chicks in Capes. The title alone probably gives you a good idea of the contents! Each writer (yes, all female writers and illustrators in this project) was to write a new story based on a character they owned or a new character they created for the book. My story, “Silver Slut: And So It Begins,” features a young bike messenger who discovers to her amazement that, while wearing a silver-lined cape given her on her birthday she has several super powers, but also discovers to her dismay that the first name someone calls her when they see her in her cape becomes her super hero name. My story is fast-paced, character-driven, and with a lot of humor.
AP: Again, it’s been a pleasure to visit with you!
EM: Thanks! It’s been fun!
Ed Catto, Retropeneur, C & A Enterprises, LLC, partnered with Moonstone Books
Savage Beauty will take you on an exciting journey as the Rae sisters discover their purpose in life, even as they make a real difference in the world.
Plus the comic book series intends to make a difference too – each issue will donate a full page to partner causes such as Oxfam, Just A Drop and Invisible Children, among others.
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