Author: Tommy Hancock

GUEST REVIEW-SALMON REVIEWS PRESTON’S ‘UNEARTHED’!

  • News
  • July 31, 2012

BURIED TREASURE

A Review of William Preston’s “Unearthed”

by
Andrew Salmon
     “Unearthed” by William Preston (Asimov’s, Sept. 2012, in stores now) is the third story to feature his “Old Man” character. The first two: “Helping Them Take The Old Man Down” and “Clockworks” also appeared in Asimov’s (the pair are now available as an ebook) and are already New Pulp classics.       
     This third tale is the best yet.
     As the first two took place in the modern day and the 1960s respectively, “Unearthed” is set in 1925 – right in the meat of pulp’s Golden Age. It begins with a Mohawk woman in South America studying a local people who are working a mine for an unnamed owner. When a cave-in occurs, the men stagger out suffering from phantom ailments, and one man is missing. The woman, nicknamed “Qwerty” by her people, must call the mine’s owner for help. The owner’s simple reply is that he is sending his son, “Little Boss”, to deal with the situation.
     For those of you fresh to Preston’s work, now might be a good time to mention that the “Little Boss” here and the “Old Man” of the first two tales is one and the same person.
     That person, in no uncertain terms, is Doc Savage.
     Walking a razor’s edge of legality, Preston has given us three new Doc Savage stories – the best Doc tales of the New Pulp era – and the character is never mentioned by name.
     Yes, you did read the above statement correctly. And I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, isn’t Will Murray doing Doc?” Mr. Murray’s Doc Savage novels are great reads and each can easily be tacked onto the existing canon of tales, which ended in 1949, and not be out of place. He is to be commended for his ability to channel Lester Dent and provide us rabid New Pulp fans with more classic Doc adventures.
     However, William Preston is giving us a Doc Savage for the 21st Century. Forget the travesty that was First Wave or the plethora of comics (good and bad) which came before. Preston’s Old Man tales are not only great Doc stories, they are also the best New Pulp tales being written today. Period. And I say that with all due respect to my colleagues who, along with myself, are currently crafting heaps of purple prose for the ever growing audience out there.
     In “Unearthed” we meet the “Little Boss” (Doc in his twenties) and Preston captures all of Doc’s majesty and imposing presence as soon as he steps onto the stage. In a few lines, he gives Doc more personality than the first 50 Doc novels and this still-learning-the-ropes Doc is as captivating as always. Everything about him is just, well, different than most folks. First we see his medical abilities as he tries to diagnose the strange illness affecting the miners, then he leads Qwerty down into the collapsed mine where they encounter something that will forever shape their destinies. The result is a tale you won’t soon forget.
     Amidst the action, there is also a deeper layer. During their encounter with the things in the earth, “Little Boss” gets visions of the future and Preston makes the connection between this first, chronologically-speaking, story and “Helping Them Take The Old Man Down” – the first Old Man tale to see print. With a fourth tale in the works, that tie will no doubt be strengthened. With the course of his life now set, “Little Boss’s” odyssey truly begins and we are all along for the ride.
     “Unearthed” is a great read. Action, heart, and literary prose abound. Preston takes us into the hearts of the characters as deeply as they descend into the bowels of the earth and the pages fly by. The story is everything New Pulp should be: a captivating, larger-than-life adventure yet filled with a wealth of characterization and a evocation of setting the greats of yesteryear could never dream of pulling off as they raced deadlines decades ago. Preston’s prose is clean and powerful, demanding close reading to truly appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the tale’s construction.
     With three unforgettable tales, William Preston has set the standard for New Pulp excellence. Once a publisher rips the stories from the pages of soon-to-be musty magazines and returns them to print in book form, this collection will be the cornerstone of any fan’s New Pulp library.
     Until that happens, we get to read them they way the first generation of fandom got their pulp thrills, one at a time in magazine form. Pick up the September 2012 issue of Asimov’s, then sit back and enjoy a wonderful adventure. “Unearthed” gets my highest recommendation. Expect it to get serious consideration come award season. It is a gem.

BULLOCK TALKS NEW PULP CHARACTER DEBUTED IN ‘TALES OF THE ROOK’ FROM PRO SE!

  • News
  • July 29, 2012

Noted Comic Writer  Mike Bullock contributed as one of the authors to TALES OF THE ROOK, the first ever anthology set in veteran New Pulp Author Barry Reese’s universe and featuring his best known character, The Rook!

The Anthology debuted in May under the Reese Unlimited imprint from Pro Se Productions and features works by Reese, Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Percival Constantine, Tommy Hancock, and Bullock.  Best known for his work on Moonstone’s THE PHANTOM and his own LIONS, TIGERS, AND BEARS, Bullock has jumped feet first into New Pulp as an active member of the New Pulp Movement.  His Runemaster Studios is quickly becoming a fantastic source of New Pulp stories and characters, including his latest creation which saw life first in his TALES OF THE ROOK contribution.  Bullock joins All Pulp for an interview about the mysterious XANDER!

ALL PULP:   Who and/or what is Xander?

MIKE BULLOCK: He is the Guardian of Worlds, a man, a spirit and a legend. Over two thousand years ago, the first Xander stumbled on an ancient tomb in Capernaum. Inside he found a scroll, staff and armband lying in a sarcophagus. When he read the scroll, a transformation took place anointing him as the first Guardian of Worlds, charged with locating and closing the nether-portals opened from worlds below into our own.

Mentored by the spirit of his dead Grandfather, Xander employs a variety of martial and mystical arts to complete his tasks and prevent those who dwell in darkness from wreaking havoc on Earth.

AP:  What characters/ideas/creators influenced you in the creation of Xander?

MB: I had just finished reading a few of the Rook novels and had sat down with my beautiful wife to watch Fringe when a feeling of incredible creative inspiration came over me. As the show went on, I recall suddenly picturing Xander in my mind, and his totems of power (the armband and staff). I continued to watch the show but something triggered a memory and I recalled a story I’d seen as a child, where a boy’s shadow had a mind of its own, but was attached to the boy’s feet so they were forever linked. While the shadow wanted to do one thing, the boy wanted something else, which created an interesting tension with the character. I took that and molded it into the ‘legacy hero’ model from Phantom, painted all that on my original bit of inspiration and within 45 minutes had what would finally be named Xander: Guardian of Worlds.

AP:  What about this opportunity to be a part of the Tales of the Rook appealed to you enough to introduce Xander into it?

MB: It made perfect sense, since Xander was born out of a moment of inspiration catalyzed by Barry Reese’s work. It’s an honor to have Barry give me the keys to his character and I hope he’s as happy with the outcome as I am.

AP: For you, what is it about New Pulp that draws you in as a creator and inspires you to add characters and tales to it?

MB: I fell madly in love with pulp fiction the first time I laid eyes on A Princess of Mars back in the 70s. Since I have this compulsion/need to write and be creative, it seems only natural that I would do so in the New Pulp field. I love what others are doing in the field and just thank God I get to be part of that.

AP:  Any future plans/teasers about what we’ll see from Xander down the road?

MB: Right now I’ve laid the groundwork for his first novel, a series of short stories coming soon from Pro Se. In that, Xander will travel to Texas, New York and abroad hunting down demons, devils and the like in an effort to banish them once more to the hells they crawled from. We’ll learn more about who currently wears the totem, what it means to bear the strain of being the Guardian and maybe get a glimpse of his love life. Oh, and there will be lots and lots of action and adventure.

TALES OF THE ROOK is available at www.amazon.com and www.prosepulp.com in both print and ebook!

JOLSON, RAPID FIRE RADIO, THE SPIDER, THREE PLANETEERS, AND MORE FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • July 27, 2012

RadioArchives.com Newsletter

 
July 27, 2012
 

 
The World’s Greatest Entertainer!
 
Al Jolson was and remains a towering figure of the musical theatre – unquestionably the most exciting stage star of his generation, and a profound influence on the generations to follow. He was the first breakthrough star of talking pictures. He was a recording artist of long standing. Although radio stardom eluded him most of his career, it was during Jolson’s dramatic resurgence in popularity after the Second World War that radio truly captured something of the dynamism Jolson brought to his live performances.
 
Jolson took over the venerable “Kraft Music Hall” in 1947 – a series he had headlined briefly in the early 1930s. The program was a masterpiece of careful planning and careful understanding of how to package a performer like Jolson to his best advantage. This 20 CD collection from Radio Archives features the ten programs contained in the original Kraft Music Hall collection from Radio Archives as well as 20 more Jolson hosted episodes, all newly restored to the highest audio quality using equipment that was not available when the first collection was produced nine years ago. In addition, this volume features other classic Jolson radio appearances, including three Lux Radio Theater episodes, two episodes from The Al Jolson Show from 1938, and 1943, and A Salute to Al Jolson.
 
Jolson on the Radio from Radio Archives, a 20 CD collection, is the most comprehensive, best sounding collection of this fantastic performer’s classic radio appearances, showing clearly why Al Jolson deserves every single accolade given him.
 
Due to this being an enhanced version of a previous Radio Archives collection, previous customers purchasing the original Kraft Music Hall featuring Al Jolson collection can upgrade to this enhanced collection for only $45.00 for the next two weeks! This Special Upgrade offer will be available to all customers for the next two weeks! Regularly $59.98, Jolson on the Radio can be a part of your collection for only $45.00 for the next two weeks!
 
Rapid Fire Radio

A Column by Tommy Hancock

 

Reviews!
Frontier Town – Westerns in all mediums continue to be popular among fans. One of the best little known examples of a classic radio western is Frontier Town. Featuring Jeff Chandler (and Reed Hadley in later episodes), this show follows frontier lawyer Chad Remington as he uses his knowledge and fists to bring justice to the wild town of Dos Rios. The dialogue as written by Paul Franklin is terse and delivered by Chandler and company in a way that makes Frontier Town a joy to listen to. And you can enjoy it as well for only $29.98 from Radio Archives.
 
Dr. Christian – Not only is Dr. Christian one of the best examples of family programming from classic radio, it was based loosely on the work of a real physician. Week after week, the action of the series focused more on the daily problems and issues of the patients who came through Christian’s office than the actual medical issues and that was the real charm of this personal endearing program. Get a taste of what so many loved about Dr. Christian with this 6 hour collection featuring the first 12 episodes for $17.98 from Radio Archives.
 
The Whistler, Volume 1 –  The anthology was a staple of classic radio throughout its heyday. One of the most popular and consistently thrilling and chilling series to ever air was The Whistler. Even though it never successfully went nationwide, this West Coast series is extremely popular among fans and collectors, due in large part to the eerie, haunting narration of the title character. Every episode opens with The Whistler leading listeners into the fears and horrors that plague everyday citizens and closes with those citizens suffering fates that kept audiences on the edges of their seats. Each and every episode in this collection is a winner and you can find out for only $29.98 at Radio Archives.
 

Character Spotlight!
Although he played multiple characters, the lead actor on “Mr. President” deserves attention. Featuring the voice work of Edward Arnold in the lead each week, this extremely interesting program brought history to its listeners in a rather unique way. Spotlighting a different President each week, ‘Mr. President’ dramatized some event in their lives, usually carrying through and ending on a patriotic note each week. Supported by a stunning cast of veteran radio actors, Arnold brings a strong and distinct feel to the program, making it stand out as a wonderful product of the era it first aired in! Available from Radio Archives for $29.98!
 
Hancock’s Favorite Episodes!
Not only is this a favorite episode of mine, but the story it’s based on by Raymond Chandler is one of my all time favorite examples of detective fiction. The words spoken by Gerald Mohr and penned by Chandler set a haunting stage for the fantastic episode: “It was one of those hot, dry Santa Ana’s that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair, make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that, every booze party ends up in a fight. And meek little housewives feel the edge of a carving knife and study their husband’s necks. Anything can happen when the Santa Ana blows in from the desert.” Enjoy this wonderful episode and nineteen others for $29.98 from 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.
 
 
 
On the next long trip you owe it to yourself, whether you are a fan of comics, movies or just good storytelling, to give one of Will Murray’s Pulp Classic Audiobooks a try. With well over a dozen adaptations already available for download or on CD sets, Radio Archives http://www.radioarchives.com is now offering what may be their best work yet in the series, The Spider: The Flame Master.
 
With a full musical score and complete sound effects, this Audiobook is the closet thing to the thrill of a great radio drama that modern technology can create. Masterfully produced by Roger Rittner, the set explodes across your speakers with all the thrills that good storytelling can give a listener. He places you right at the center of a movie that your ears are hearing but your mind creates. The reality of what he accomplished this time out makes The Flame Thrower his best work yet in the series. He may have even topped his earlier work on the Doc Savage stories Python Isle and The Jade Ogre as well as the pulp classic Doctor Death, that is saying quite a lot.
 
What sets this apart from the earlier works is not the addition of the musical score or sound effects, for Rittner has skillfully employed those on previous Spider volumes in the series, it is the non-stop breathless action delivered by author Norvell Page’s original story. Working directly from the original story as it first appeared in March 1935, Rittner and his crew give the listener a full take on what Page brought to the page. Noted for his unbelievable actions sequences, Page’s reputation as a writer also rests on his highly imaginative plots.
 
In The Flame Thrower Richard Wentworth, known to many only as 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. It is a story filled with possible betrayal, countless battles and some of the most amazing escapes ever found in a Spider story.
 
Listening to the story unravel on CD as I drove, I almost forgot my destination. Actor Nick Santa Maria has truly captured The Spider in the same way that Orson Wells captured The Shadow all those years ago. A veteran of television film and a noted voice over actor in video games as well as advertising, Santa Maria takes The Spider, Master of Men, seriously and his dedication to the character shows in his performance. He pulls you right into the story.
 
Working with Santa Maria is noted voice over actress Robin Riker. She plays Wentworth’s girlfriend and partner, Nita Van Sloan. Her delivery and intonation provides the perfect balance to the work of Santa Maria. It is a thrill to hear the two professionals bounce off of each other as skillfully as they do.
 
The popularity of books on tape and CDs testifies to how many people enjoy their favorite authors in their home and in their car. Having the capability to pause the action is just like setting a good book down to take a breather. Radio Archives Audiobooks series is one of the most exciting entertainment series out there today.
 
Everyone I have heard so far, and I have listened to Doc Savage, G-Man and The Green Lama in their releases, makes me want to hear more.

 
by Derrick Ferguson
 

The more I delve into classic pulp adventure fiction, particularly the characters and series that take place in America I have to wonder why foreign invaders and supercriminals and fiendish dictators didn’t just go and try to overthrow some other country that didn’t have masked avengers or guys like Jimmy Christopher aka Operator #5 protecting it. Don’t these guys network or have a union hall where they meet to discuss why their plots to take over the country never work?

 
But with Jimmy Christopher on the job, it’s no wonder why the United States of America stays safe. Known by his official designation of Operator #5, Jimmy Christopher is virtually a one-man strike force, answerable only to The President of The United States and charged with the defense of the country against any and all aggressors to national security whether they be domestic or external.
 
Operator #5: The Masked Invasion is an interesting audiobook to listen to for a number of reasons. First of all is Jimmy Christopher himself. He’s not as flamboyant or as much of a lone wolf as say, Secret Agent X but he’s equally as effective and as deadly. Jimmy is an excellent magician and there are a couple of times during the story where he takes the time to explain how he pulled off a trick to his daring young sidekick, Tim Donovan. Operator #5 is regarded as a forerunner of 1960’s spies and I can see that in the outlandish villains, wild gimmicks and headlong, non-stop action. So if you’re a fan of the spy novels and movies of that period, this audiobook was made for you.
 
The choice of Richard Epcar to narrate this audiobook is a good one as he does so in a firm, no-nonsense style that matches that of the character of Jimmy Christopher who is a pretty no-nonsense guy himself in his determined pursuit of Loo Kong and his method of blacking out the electrical power of entire cities, thereby plunging them into total darkness and chaos. Radio Archives again gets my thanks for such a quality product that as always gives the Movie Theater of My Mind an excellent and thoroughly entertaining workout.

 

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!

 

How fight a menace which strikes without warning — which disintegrates flesh and blood and stone to mere chemical atoms! Men fled in blind panic from the merest rumor of a new attack, and even the Spider — dodging the death blasts — can find at first no weapon with which to combat this new and devastating evil which obliterates its victims in the fraction of time between two heart-beats! 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.
 

Thundering far beneath Manhattan’s thronging streets came the Death Express — a crack New York Central train bearing a gruesome cargo of lifeless men, women and children — their bodies stripped of valuables, naked and mutilated! A grim warning of the terror-reign that threatened America — at the hands of Twentieth Century land-pirates, whose weapon was neither gun nor sword, but the stunning, body-shivering force which lies in electricity! Can the Spider, using mortal weapons, fight the numbing power of the thunderbolt — and survive? 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 group of bitter men — a secret League of War — was ready to plunge the world into a new, earth-wide conflict. They issued orders, and bloody organized murder was loosed in the heart of Europe! And behind this carnage, a single man was scheming to make himself the Dictator of the World! Never before had a single person conceived such a colossal plan for profiting from the slaughter of humans. He had overcome all obstacles — except one lone avenger, Operator 5, America’s secret service ace. Can Jimmy Christopher, keep the nations of the world from hurling themselves into a war which can bring nothing but universal defeat, misery, and slavery?
 
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.

 
A cruel plot to seize the satellite Styx, third moon of Pluto, and enslave peaceful natives, sends Captain Future and his loyal aides out on the most dangerous adventure of their careers! 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.

 

“When I know the secret of the five casks, I will be all powerful. Find the one who can tell me this secret. I will wait — but not for long.” This was the command Wu Fang gave to his agents deep in New York’s Chinatown. And only two white men guessed his plans, could dare hope to pit their wits and detective skill against the murder scheme of the most dangerous crime master in the world!
 
“Mr. Kildare? This is Wu Fang speaking. I phoned to tell you that a man is going to be murdered. Also, that no attempt will he made on your life until midnight.” …Until midnight. Three hours! But before those three hours were up Kildare knew he was entered upon the most sinister mystery he had ever tackled — the case of the scarlet feather.
 

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.

 

 

By John Olsen

 
Within a Druid Glen, men clad in grayish robes perform a strange ritual. For they are the Hooded Circle, one of the most bizarre gangs of cutthroats The Shadow has ever encountered.
 
It was a dark and stormy night. And here we go again! In the deeply wooded sections of an exclusive suburb known as Pinewood sat the ruins of the old Grimshaw estate. There was a circle within the ring of stones. A circle of human forms. All were clad in grayish robes, with cloth masks covering their faces. This was the secret meeting place of the Hooded Circle! Can The Shadow thwart the seemingly undefeatable evil? And who is the mysterious cowled leader of the Hooded Circle, those gray-robed outlaws who hold their secret meetings within a ring of Druid stones?
 
Pulling out all the stops, The Shadow calls in his full list of agents. All told, that makes six of The Shadow’s agents who are on hand to assist in the round-up of The Hooded Circle, in the action-packed final chapters.
 
There are a few anomalies in this story. All are subtle, but will be noticeable to anyone who has read all three-hundred-twenty-five Shadow pulp novels. There’s a “hell” uttered by Joe Cardona. Gibson’s characters never swore. Then there’s the matter of the female form. Gibson always wrote in vague terms, when describing a scantily clad female. The descriptions in this story are a bit more detailed. And since when does Cranston smile? Never! Maybe his masklike face carries the trace of a smile, but that’s the most Gibson ever allowed. Not so in this story. Could someone have ghosted the story, or part of it, for Gibson? Perhaps we’ll never know.
 

I found one passage that seemed significant: “It was not surprising that he had passed notice. Cranston had a way of remaining quietly in the background, when he came upon a situation such as this.” This describes the same ability to render oneself virtually invisible by remaining motionless, both physically and mentally, that was related to readers three months earlier in “The Golden Master.”

 
I enjoyed reading this story. It contained enough unique moments to keep me interested, unlike some other run-of-the-mill stories. This is a well-build Shadow mystery that would probably fall among the better stories of 1940. Maybe not the best, but still well worth reading.
And you can get The Hooded Circle and another full length Shadow Adventure for only $12.95 in The Shadow Volume 22 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 “Laboratory Of The Damned” (1936), Poisoned! Struck down by a deadly assault from a mad murderer, the Spider finds his friend Stanley Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police, doomed to a stupor of living death. Nor is he the only victim… also stricken with the dread malady is Richard Wentworth’s fiancee, Nita van Sloan! The Spider battles both the Law and the Underworld to survive! Then, in “Hell’s Sales Manager” (1940), The Brand wields a weird new weapon that sucks everything in its path into a vortex of destruction! How can even the Master of Men fight an enemy that seems to simply vanish? While this reign of terror goes unchecked, the Spider finds his every effort hampered by a human bloodhound assigned to track down and eliminate him. 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.

 
Comments From Our Customers!
 
Brad Bennett writes:
When are you going to do a Vol 4 of the Railroad Hour? The first tree volumes are terrific. Just keep up the good work.
 
Charles Bourassa writes:
Wow!  Great place to shop.  I started by buying some Spider Ebooks from Amazon, and then found my way here. I’m mainly interested in the Spider magazines right now. My wish list has 28 Norvel Page novels that I’d like to read.
 
Eric Troup writes:
Thanks. I’ve certainly loved the other two Spiders. Ten stars just aren’t enough!
 
Rodger Johnson writes:
Dan Fowler: G-Man is my favorite audiobook, Richard Epcar is a fantasic reader, give him more to do. Thanks for all the good audio books.
 
Doctor Panic reviews the Kindle edition on Amazon:
The Spider #3 Wings of the Black Death. All I can say is WOW!!. This was the first story by Norvel Page when he stepped in for Scott after the first two issues. This book shows instantly why Page was the master hands down for the Spider. The book is non stop action as you expect, but delves into some of the personal feeling between the characters, not to mention a mastermind villain who right up to the end matches Dick wit for wit. The book is done in nice bold print that is so inviting to read. The book is masterfully redone and better than reading the original because of the layout. 5 happy stars

 

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.
 

PRO SE PRESENTS ENDS FIRST YEAR WITH BROTHER BONES AND MORE!

  • News
  • July 26, 2012
Pro Se Productions, a leading New Pulp Publisher, proudly announces the latest issue of its award winning magazine, PRO SE PRESENTS #12!
Keeping its promise of ‘Puttin’ The Monthly Back Into Pulp’, Pro Se Presents finishes out its first year with two fisted action, strange mystery, science fiction terror, and the return of a classic New Pulp Character! Ron Fortier’s Brother Bones leads off this month’s issue in a brand new story entitled ‘The Butcher From Bavaria!’ Kevin Rodgers introduces readers to the mystery and horror of ‘Energy Siphon’ and Don Thomas rounds out the issue with the introduction of Nathaniel Dante, a stranger who visited ‘The Town That Demanded Recompense’! Featuring Art, Design, and Formatting By Sean Ali, PRO SE PRESENTS TWELVE is the crowning achievement on the magazine’s first year! Pro Se Presents- Puttin’ The Monthly Back Into Pulp!




















PRO SE PRESENTS #12 is now available at http://tinyurl.com/d3r2wd7 for only $6.00 and coming soon as an ebook in all available platforms!

Pro Se Productions- www.prosepulp.com 








GUEST REVIEW-ANDREW SALMON ON ‘THE GRIMNOIR CHRONICLES’

  • News
  • July 24, 2012

HARD TO MISS

A Review of Hard Magic Book 1: The Grimnoir Chronicles

by
Andrew Salmon
     Larry Correia burst onto the publishing scene a few years back with a self-published first instalment of his Monster Hunter International series. That classic first book was snapped up by Baen Books and re-issued and each book in the series has gone on to become a bestseller, making Correia one of New Pulp’s bestselling authors.
     While continuing that series, Correia has branched out with a couple of new series – one of which is the Grimnoir Chronicles. Book 1 introduces us to an alternate world where magic has existed for decades and has had a profound impact on world events.
     The year is 1932 but this isn’t your grandfather’s 1932. Japan is power hungry, Berlin has been destroyed and thanks to some very dangerous Tesla weapons, a fragile peace is maintained. However in this world, two groups of Actives (people possessing magic abilities) are caught in a power struggle. One group works for Japan’s emperor and wants to “strengthen” the human race in preparation for a war with an alien that is only touched on in the first book, while the other group, the Grimnoir led by Blackjack Pershing, are fighting to keep all of mankind safe and free. Both parties are persecuted by Normals who see them as a threat.
     Into this mix comes Private Investigator Jake Sullivan, a WWI hero and ex-con. When we first meet Jake, he is on parole, working for the FBI, rounding up rogue Actives. He is J. Edgar Hoover’s lapdog and he either does what he’s told or goes back to the Big House.
     The second narrative thread concerns Faye, a tough teenager who witnesses her father’s murder at the hand of Jake’s brother, who works for the Emperor. Seems the baddies are collecting the components of a device which will allow the Emperor to rule the world.
     Before covering what I liked about the novel, I’d like to touch on what I felt hurt the book. The first knock, and one that normally would have stopped me reading further, is that there is little or no attempt by Correia to have the book read like a period novel. Again, the year is 1932, but aside from a few touches here and there, the book could just as easily been set in 2012, or 2032 for that matter. What saved the book for this reader is that we are clearly in an alternate timeline here. This allowed me to get past the modern sound of the book. Hey, it’s an alternate 1932 – anything goes. Magic-related “quotes” from famous historical figures begin each chapter and everyone from Einstein, Darwin, Hitler, Lincoln and Babe Ruth have words put into their mouths to help flesh out the world.
     The other knock on the book is that it suffers, as most “mainstream” novels do, from long-bookitis. At 573 pages, Hard Magic often bogs down in needless exposition, tangents and flashbacks and probably would read better is it was about 100 pages shorter. Also, as this is the first of a new series, there are endless character introductions which also slow the story down.
     Okay, onto the good. When this novel gets going, it gets going. In spades. Taking a page from Wayne Reinagel’s book, Correia throws in everything AND the kitchen sink. Ninjas, secret societies, betrayals, alternate history, gun battles, magic battles, world shaking events, brothers at each other’s throats, super zeppelin dogfights, fisticuffs, deaths, tragedy, triumph, explosions, blood and guts – you get it all! Correia’s strength as a writer is in his action sequences and this book has plenty of these. All are a rollicking roller-coaster ride you do not want to miss.
     The novel features a great cover by Allan Pollack and 8 interior character pin-up illustrations sprinkled throughout the text by artists Justin Otis, Aura Farwell and Zachary Hill.
     Summing up, Hard Magic is a worthy read. It’s no masterpiece but it is well worth your time to plow through the uneven start to the novel. It’s a great action ride which is ultimately satisfying despite the book’s shortcomings. Recommended.

FORTIER TAKES ON ‘THE COLD DISH’!

  • News
  • July 24, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
THE COLD DISH
By Craig Johnson
Penguins Books
354 pages
One of the benefits of writer Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries being adapted into a critically well received television series is having the publisher re-issue new editions of the books; to include the very first, “The Cold Dish.”  For those of you who have never read any of these or have yet to catch the TV show, which airs on A & E on Sunday evenings, you are missing some truly excellent entertainment and might want to run down to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of “The Cold Dish” right now.
The protagonist is Walt Longmire who has been the sheriff of Wyoming’s rugged Absaroka County for twenty-four years. A widow with an adult daughter, Longmire’s solitary life resolves around his job and his tight knit circle of friends and co-workers that include his feisty Deputy Victoria ‘Vic’ Moretti and Native American tavern owner, Henry Standing Bear. Longmire’s dry wit and sarcasm fuel his personality and adds a great deal of humor to otherwise somber, intense plots obviously centered around gruesome crimes.
In this first novel, a mysterious assassin is stalking four young men who two years prior had sexual assaulted an innocent Cheyenne girl with fetal alcohol syndrome.  When the judge lets them off with a light sentence, it only serves to heighten the tension between the local white community and residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.  No sooner are the men released from prison then one of them is found shot to death and Longmire finds himself saddled with a case wherein the majority of the county has a motive; revenge.
One of the distinguishing peculiarities of the case is that the victim was murdered with a classic Sharps Buffalo rifle capable, in the hands of a marksman, of hitting a target at long range distances.  This one piece of information shortens the sheriff’s lists of possible suspects to a small handful to include Henry Standing Bear.
Johnson’s writing is brilliant and he combines the classic traits of a standard police procedural with the homey affectations of a western adventure; the beautiful Wyoming setting becoming as important an element of his tale as his characters.  He is also unafraid to add elements of Indian mysticism which lend a truly unique humanity to the story not found in most mysteries.  “The Cold Dish” is a masterful book that is both enjoyable and captivating and once finished, had this reviewer all too eager to find the next book in the series.  Honestly, it is that good…and then some.

AIRSHIP 27 AND CAE’S CAPTAIN ACTION PULP NOVEL AVAILABLE NOW!

  • News
  • July 19, 2012
NOW AVAILABLE!

CAPTAIN ACTION – RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first ever Captain Action novel from Airship 27 Productions and Captain Action Enterprises, LLC is now on sale!  Written by Jim Beard, the book features a stunning cover by Nick Runge with interior illustrations and design by Rob Davis.
“Riddle of the Glowing Men,” is set in the sixties where secret agent, Miles Drake, aka, Captain Action, is attacked at A.C.T.I.O.N. headquarters by several assassins whose green skin glows as if radiated.  In the process of learning the identity of these killers and the reason behind their attack, Captain Action teams with a beautiful female Russian agent and their quest leads them to a hidden civilization under the frozen wasteland of Siberia. “Jim Beard has written a terrific, authentic Captain Action adventure,” applauds Airship 27 Productions Managing Editor Ron Fortier. “It perfectly captures the break-neck speed and thrills of the early pulps only with today’s modern sensibilities. This book is sure to appeal to both Captain Action fans and new pulp enthusiasts alike.”

Author Jim Beard will be signing copies at Pulp Fest, in Columbus, Ohio, at the Airship 27 table on Sat. 11th Aug.  He will also be signing at Captain Action’s New York Comic Con booth in October. 

Available Now at Amazon (https://www.createspace.com/3938619)
Captain Action Enterprises, LLC.

As Retropreneurs, Captain Action Enterprises, LLC specializes in rejuvenating old properties for a new generation. Captain Action toys and collectibles are available nationally. The Original Super Hero Action Figure will soon return to comics in an on-going comic book series.  Additional properties include Lady Action, the Zeroids and Savage Beauty. For more information, contact ed.catto@bonfireagency.com.


Airship 27 Productions

Begun in 2004 to produce new novels and anthologies featuring classic, public domain pulp heroes of the 30s and 40s, Airship 27 Productions was one of the major factors behind the pulp renaissance which evolved into the New Pulp Movement.  Today they have over fifty titles in their ever expanding catalog, sell both hard copy and digital versions of their books and will soon be launching audio books of their titles. They can be found at airship27hangar.com




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!
 
Radio Archives is seeking motivated, excited people to help us proof our eBooks. The team is working hard and we currently have a backlog of 100 eBooks that need to be read and any errors corrected before the eBooks are published.
 
If you have a love for classic Pulp tales as well as a good grasp of spelling, punctuation, capitalization and basic formatting, then you may be just the person we’re looking for! Send an email inquiry to Service@RadioArchives.com for more details! 

 

 

 

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.
 

AIRSHIP 27 ENTERS THE REALM OF LICENSED WORK WITH ‘CAPTAIN ACTION’ PULP NOVEL DEBUT!

CAPTAIN ACTION – PULP HERO!
Airship 27 Productions, one of the premier publishers in the New Pulp movement, and Captain Action Enterprises, licensors of the popular Captain Action toy line, have joined forces to produce the first ever Captain Action pulp novel, “Riddle of the Glowing Men,” by Jim Beard.  The book debuts this Aug. at Pulp Fest in Columbus, Ohio.
“We are tremendously excited to be working with Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises,” said Airship 27 Productions’ Managing Editor, Ron Fortier.  “This is the first time we’ve ever put together a title based on a highly popular and successful license.”
Captain Action is based on the action figure created in 1966 by Stan Weston for Ideal Toys. He came equipped with a wardrobe of costumes allowing him to become many different heroes such as Batman, The Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet and many more. In 1967, Captain Action proved so popular that the line was expanded to include a sidekick, Action Boy and a blue skinned alien foe with bug eyes, the nefarious Dr. Evil.  The following year, DC Comics licensed the character from Ideal and published five issues of Captain Action featuring industry luminaries such as Jim Shooter, Wally Wood and Gil Kane.

Since 2005, Captain Action Enterprises, has been producing an array of exciting new collectibles, including statues, toys, comics, trading cards, and apparel.  Still, the one remaining venue the enduring hero had yet to conquer was that of a prose novel.  Enter veteran writer Jim Beard, a life-long fan of the character.  “Jim approached us late last year with this idea for a Captain Action pulp novel,” recalls Catto. “We were immediately intrigued by the possibilities and began seriously exploring the idea.”
It was Beard who then brought Ahearn and Catto to Airship 27 Productions.  “At the time I’d just finished my first book for Airship 27,” Beard elaborates.  “Impressed with their industry leading quality and professionalism, I knew they were the right people to usher Captain Action into the fast-paced world of pulpdom.”

The challenge of doing a licensed property appealed to Fortier and his partner and Art Director, Rob Davis and they signed on.  Their first goal was to assemble the finest art team possible. This was achieved by recruiting the talented cover painter, Nick Runge.  Runge’s work on such IDW titles as Angel & Terminator –Salvation has spotlighted him as being one of the finest new artists in the graphic field today.  Davis himself took on the task of doing the nine interior illustrations while also designing the entire package.

“Riddle of the Glowing Men,” is set in the sixties where secret agent, Miles Drake, aka, Captain Action, is attacked at A.C.T.I.O.N. headquarters by several assassins whose green skin glows as if radiated.  In the process of learning the identity of these killers and the reason behind their attack, Captain Action teams with a beautiful female Russian agent and their quest leads them to a hidden civilization under the frozen wasteland of Siberia. “Jim Beard has written a terrific, authentic Captain Action adventure,” applauds Fortier. “It perfectly captures the break-neck speed and thrills of the early pulps only with today’s modern sensibilities. This book is sure to appeal to both Captain Action fans and new pulp enthusiasts alike.”
Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto will be hosting a Captain Action panel at this year’s San Diego Comic Con with further details about other exciting plans for the classic hero.  Artist Nick Runge will also be present at his table in Artist Alley.  Fortier, Davis and Beard will be in attendance at Pulp Fest and will announce the book’s actual publication date.

About Captain Action Enterprises

As Retropreneurs, Captain Action Enterprises, LLC specializes in taking old properties and rejuvenating them for a new generation. Captain Action now appears in an on-going comic book series, lithographs, statues, action figures, T-shirts, model kits and an iPhone app. Additional properties include Lady Action, the Zeroids and Savage Beauty. For additional information, contact ed.catto@bonfireagency.com.


About Airship 27 Productions

Begun in 2004 to produce new novels and anthologies featuring classic, public domain pulp heroes of the 30s and 40s, Airship 27 Productions was one of the major factors behind the pulp renaissance which evolved into the New Pulp Movement.  Today they have over fifty titles in their ever expanding catalog, sell both hard copy and digital versions of their books and will soon be launching audio books of their titles. They can be found at airship27hangar.com



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