TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954 Written by Martin Grams, Jr. Published by OTR Publishing 2011 830 pages
Reviewing Pulp is fun. Reading a story full of derring do and dastardly do badders is invigorating. Tackling a novel with larger than life heroes and plots that boggle the mind and senses makes me eager to pick up the next one and share with the world what I think. I think the process of reviewing, of sharing insight and opinion on anything has to be, at its basis, fun for the reviewer. Many would think, then, that tackling a book that is nonfiction, historical, and full of facts and such would be boring for a Pulp reviewer. Maybe so.
But not this book. Wow.
THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954, written by Martin Grams, Jr. opens with both of those on the first page-history and mystery. Welcoming the reader in with opening paragraphs that could well be the lead in of a pulp story in any magazine or collection, Grams takes what some might consider mundane information only for the most die hard of radio and/or Shadow fans and makes this entire work a sprawling, epic narrative bulging not only with what happened, but why things happened and who was involved. Grams tackles the variety of personalities involved in the development of the Shadow radio program and injects the feats and fallacies of all involved into every page.
This book is exactly what the title states, an extremely complex and comprehensive history of the phenomenon that was the long running SHADOW radio program. Grams starts with the origins of the character as a narrator for pulp tales and step by step takes the reader through the growth spurts and growing pains of the program that truly made The Shadow a part of the modern pantheon of American heroes. Although one would think that there would be urges to devote a lot of space to Orson Welles’ time on the program or to the intricacies and involvement of Street and Smith, Grams not only gives those and other well known aspects of this history their due, but he brings into light so many, one would daresay every aspect of this show and then does something even more startling. He makes every bit of it interesting, from the details about all the creative minds involved to the advertising to the effect that this program had on the industry and society alike.
One stand out section of this fantastic work is the episode guide. Grams is meticulous in not only describing the episode, but the way his guide is constructed lets you know not only where everything fits in continuity, but also gives you a sense of the impact of many of the episodes. This is not simply a reprinting or even a presentation of a new broadcast log or notes taken on each episode. Grams did a truly masterful job of providing information that was simultaneously educational and gratifying in this well done blow by blow episode guide.
THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954 is a must read for so many people-For the die hard pulp fan; for the Shadow fan; for the reader interested in OTR; for students of American culture; for the casual reader who wants to be exposed to multiple interests all at once; and probably several others I’m forgetting. This may sit on shelves as a reference or research book, which it is, but it is also highly entertaining and engaging.
FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF HANCOCK’S HAT-The Shadow may know what evil lurks in the hearts of men, but nobody knows the Shadow radio program and its history like Martin Grams, Jr.
ALL PULP’S OFFICIAL PODCAST-THE BOOK CAVE! It’s been busy, but that’s no reason why you can’t catch up on THE BOOK CAVE! Ric Croxton and Art Sippo provide the best in Pulp reviews and discussions, on track and off tangent as well every week! Here’s the last few weeks of material from these two podcasting legends and be on the lookout for the latest episode on ALL PULP!
The Book Cave is crowded tonight with a cast of thousands. Art and Ric are joined by Barry Reese, Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Tommy Hancock, Wayne Reinagel and later in the show, Ken Janssens. Artwork was given to us by Cari Reese.
Andrew Salmon Secret Agent X iPulp Launch Interview
With the upcoming June 27 release of his Secret Agent X tale, The Icarus Terror, All Pulp sat down with Andrew Salmon to get the skinny on Secret Agent X and the digital revolution.
AP: Tell us a little about yourself and where readers can find out more about you and your work?
AS: All right. I was born in Montreal, Canada but my wife and I now live in Vancouver. I’ve been writing pulp for more than three years now and really feel at home in the genre. I’ve had the great good fortune to have picked up three award nominations for my pulp work in the last couple of years and am still amazed I actually won a Pulp Factory Award for Best Pulp Short Story in ’09 for my contribution to Airship 27’s Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Volume One. Folks interested in my output to date can check out my author page on amazon. It’s got it all. Plus you’ll find almost all of my stuff on Airship 27’s various sites.
AP: How did you become involved with Secret Agent X?
AS: When I first hooked up with Airship 27 I was completely new to the pulp genre having read three or four Shadows and a couple dozen Docs. But I fell in love with the genre immediately and leapt at the chance to try my hand writing it. Well, my inexperience led Airship’s Ron Fortier to assign me a Jim Anthony tale since Anthony was a Doc Savage clone and I’d read more Docs than anything else at that point. So I banged out an Anthony tale and had a ball doing it! So much so that when I was done, I was hungry for more! Around the same time, Airship 27 was re-issuing the titles they had originally published with Wild Cat Books during their brief association and their first Secret Agent X anthology was on deck. Thing was, one of the contributors to that release decided, for whatever reason, to bow out of Airship 27’s re-issue of the book. My Anthony tale had not been released at this point and X was the next book they had on the flight deck. Ron knew I was chomping at the bit to officially become part of what has now become the New Pulp movement and offered me the slot – if I could bang out a Secret Agent X tale quickly. I did . They loved it. And I got the spot! I made my pulp debut with Secret Agent X and have loved the Agent ever since!
AP: Who is Secret Agent X? What makes pulp characters like Secret Agent X appeal to you as a writer and a reader?
AS: X is just a great character! He can be anyone and the fun in writing and reading X tales is to discover where he’s going to turn up next. The mysterious element to the character is what really drew me in. Along with his abilities as a master of disguise, readers are never sure who he really is as his true identity is never revealed. That’s a lot for a pulp writer to play around with and makes X novels and stories a delight to read. X is the Bond of his time and yet has a selfless dedication to duty. He has no time for martinis and fair ladies. He’s got a job to do and he does whatever it takes to get that job done. Also, in a way, he’s the quintessence of what pulp is all about. Very little time is spent on X’s background. Oh, he’s got a regular cast and a love interest, but X tales are all about action, misdirection, gadgets and disguises. Bond meets Mission: Impossible – that’s Secret Agent X!
AP: Digital content has changed the publishing landscape. As a creator, what excites you about digital content? As a reader?
AS: Well, this is the burning question of our time – right across the publishing landscape. The digital world has exploded traditional publishing in a good way. It’s easy to get stuff out there and doing so digitally means you can keep prices down. Everyone is pinching pennies these days and folks are careful about what they spend their money on. People want bang for their buck and tend to stick with content and creators they know to be, in their minds, a sure investment.
However, with digital publishing, readers can now branch out. Whether it be with a tablet, an e-reader or their cell phones thanks to iPulp, content, both good and bad, is now readily available at a great price. Pulp creators and fans have seen the impact the internet has had on creating the New Pulp revolution. Now with the surge in e-readers and the like, it’s not so big a gamble to try something other than whatever is on the Best Seller’s list at any given moment. What once was a $15-$30 roll of the dice can now be had for $3 or even $1 with iPulp. There are a lot of really great writers out there and their voices can now be heard thanks to the digital revolution. Readers can take chances now, branch out and it won’t break the bank. It’s great! I can’t tell you the number of writers I now read regularly that I’d have never heard of if not for the digital explosion. Or, if I’d heard of them, I probably couldn’t afford to take a chance on. No more! Now dabbling is easier than ever and it’s just great to wade into the tidal wave of New Pulp authors and artists. For avid readers, the digital boom is a dream come true!
AP: Your Secret Agent X story, “THE ICARUS TERROR” is currently available in print and as an eBook from Airship 27, and soon to be released individually at iPulp Fiction. What can you tell us about this story?
AS: My simple rule for an X tale is to have the thing start pedal to the metal and not let up for a heartbeat. That’s what I did for “The Icarus Terror” and the result is a wild ride. Imagine 1930s New York and an airship festival – airships and blimps hovering over the city, blocking out the sun. Then imagine those ships descending, squeezing between the towering, concrete spires of the city and before anyone can figure out what’s happening, the helium-filled airships begin to explode! How is it being done? Is some evil genius behind it? Is the city being held hostage? Can Secret Agent X get to the bottom of the mystery before more of the airships explode? Talk about bang for your buck! With iPulp offering “The Icarus Terror” for only $1, truer words were never spoken. Edge of your seat thrills await!
AP: Airship 27 currently has three Secret Agent X anthologies in print and available as eBooks with several of those stories soon to be released individually at iPulp Fiction. What’s next for these pulp heroes?
AS: I’ve got a Secret Agent X tale in the third Airship anthology and I’m hoping it will one day make its way to iPulp along with the other X tales they’ve done to date. X is made for this format. The stories are fast-paced, action-packed – just the sort of thing to read on the go or during brief breaks or down time on the job. They will get your heart pumping! As for the future of the great pulp heroes, the sky really is the limit. Back in the Golden Age of pulp fiction, the exploits of these great heroes were great escapism from the everyday. Folks in the 1930s craved these kinds of adventures and nothing has really changed. Action movies, books, video games and the like are still as popular as ever. Pulp fiction and the great pulp heroes of yesterday and today can still thrill while providing that much needed escapism we all need from time to time. Getting pulp tales out in all different formats means that readers looking for a white-knuckle thrill ride can access these tales however they prefer. A Mount Everest of pulp thrills was compiled during the heyday of pulp fiction and millions of readers enjoyed the terrific exploits of these timeless characters. Most of that stuff is becoming available for today’s readers. But, more importantly, a sister peak is being compiled of New Pulp tales, characters, exploits with a modern sensibility, currently created by talented writers and artists for today’s readers. It’s all breaking at the same time. Tons of great reading you do not want to miss! Whether you’re an old pulp fan or someone coming to the genre for the first time, you will find something you like. I guarantee it. Get your feet wet digitally if your wallet is a little light. Try an Airship PDF for $3 or an iPulp tale for $1. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you’re in for a real treat! Once you see what a wonderful reading experience one can have with pulp, you can upgrade to printed books to stock your library if you want or fill up the memory on your tablet with as much pulp as it’ll hold. You won’t be sorry.
Andrew Salmon (on left)
AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to plug?
AS: I’m currently working feverishly on a pulp novel featuring German pulp heroes called All-Men: The Shadow-Line. The book, if I can ever get the darn thing finished, is going to be something very different and, I hope, very eye-opening for pulp fans. I’m going out on more limbs than I can keep track of but I’m risking the fall in the hopes of providing readers with a reading experience they’ve not encountered with pulp to date. The novel is taking up almost all of my writing time these days but that doesn’t mean I don’t have other irons in the fire. I’ve contributed an easter-egg laden, hardboiled detective tale for an anthology Airship 27 is putting together featuring a PI named Rick Ruby and that was a lot of fun. I also collaborated with Mark Halegua crafting the first tale with his hero, the Red Badge, which is forthcoming as part of Airship 27’s Mystery Men & Women Volume Two which should be out before the end of the year. There are a lot of other things on the horizon both with Airship 27 and Pro Se that I’m not at liberty to talk about at the moment. Let’s just say that the pulp world hasn’t seen the last of me yet and leave it at that. I’m having a ton of fun writing pulp and it’s my hope that readers are having as much run reading what I’ve churned out so far. Hang on to your fedoras folks, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
AP: Thanks, Andrew.
For more information on iPulp Fiction’s offerings, please visit www.ipulpfiction.com
For more information on Airship 27 Productions’ offerings, please visit www.gopulp.info
Four New Pulp creators and proclaimed members of what some are calling The New Pulp Movement, announced today that they have united to present the world with the first official New Pulp Podcast! PULPED!, a podcast focused on the works and trends that comprise and contribute to works created after the heyday of the Pulps that have the sensibilities of classic Pulp works and yet are new tales, debuted with its first episode on June 20th.
Tommy Hancock, Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, and Ron Fortier, all noted pulp authors and personalities within New Pulp, make up the core circle behind PULPED! Functioning as a rotating circle of hosts, the PULPED! Four will spotlight different creators and New Pulp works each week as well as discussing trends in the sub genre. There will be a News section of the podcast, but it will be slightly different than traditional newscasts. Each co-host will bring a topic of New Pulp news to the table and then the assembled hosts will discuss and/or debate it. Also, PULPED! will be the home of reviews done by THE PULPTRESS, the spokesperson for New Pulp! Each week, she will deliver a review of current New Pulp books, audio, movies, tv, and other things that qualify as New Pulp.
“New Pulp,” said Tommy Hancock, “is a vibrant, relevant part of the fiction Pulp fans love and enjoy. Edgy at times, traditional at others, New Pulp shows that the fantastic heroic adventure fiction enjoyed by so many in the early 20th Century is not only still alive and well, but is on the verge of being an important part of literature of the 21st Century. PULPED!’s focus will not simply be on books, but on all aspects of how New Pulp permeates our society. It will also focus on everyone from major players in publishing and other fields right down to the small press publishers and independent creators that truly are the lifeblood of this movement.”
PULPED! will post a new episode every Monday at http://www.pulped.libsyn.com/ and will be available in the coming weeks via ITunes and other providers.
“Anyone who is a writer, artist, publisher,” Hancock stated, “that wants to be a guest on PULPED!, all they need to do is to send an email to braedenalex@centurytel.net or contact any of the four hosts.”
PULPED! The Official New Pulp Podcast-Episode 1-PULPED! For The First Time!
PULPED! is a Podcast dedicated to the creators and fans of New Pulp! New Pulp, heroic fiction by modern artists written with the sensibility and in the tradition of the Pulp genre! Pulp creators Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, Ron Fortier, and Tommy Hancock kick off this podcast dedicated to the promotion of The New Pulp Movement by explaining what the podcast is about, defining and discussing New Pulp, and letting know listeners what they’re in store for.
Then Tommy and Barry take off their hosts hats and climb in the guest spotlight to discuss Barry’s latest book, THE ROOK-VOLUME SIX, published by Hancock through the company he’s a partner in, Pro Se Productions. The origins of the Rook, Reese’s inspirations, and the logic behind Pro Se acquiring the Rook as well as future plans for the well known character are discussed in length. Following that, our intrepid co-hosts take on the PULPED! News. Each week, the co-hosts will bring one topic of New Pulp news to the table and they will discuss, analyze, explore, and debate it! If you like your fiction heroic, if you seek adventure and action in every word you read, then come on in, take a seat, and get PULPED!
First, some housekeeping. Yes, it’s been a while since I debuted this column and due to a variety of reasons, this is the first one in awhile. Do not worry, pulpsters, there will be one a week after this ad infinitum! Audio Pulp is not only an important part of Pulp history that many are not aware of, but its a growing facet of the genre even today, as you will see in this column today and weeks to come.
You’ll notice an addition to our logo. Yes, its true, Radio Archives has stepped forward, noticing the trend toward Audio Pulp and entered into an arrangement with All Pulp to sponsor this column. RA produces top of the line audio material bringing old time classic radio of all varieties to a modern audience. Fantastic sound quality, tremendous effort to not only preserve material, but also provide new and interesting information on material, and awesome packaging make RA’s offerings top notch. RA as well is readying itself to be one of the leaders in New Audio Pulp with its foray into audiobooks based on Pulp characters starring in new stories, just like the one I’m about to leap into the middle of. I will continue to cover all aspects of New Pulp Audio, not simply RA’s contributions, but I do want to thank Harlan Zinck and RA for the support and material and willingness to see the importance of this column enough to sponsor it.
PYTHON ISLE-A Doc Savage Audiobook Written by Will Murray based on a concept By Lester Dent Narrated by Michael McConnohie Directed and Produced by Roger Rittner Published by Radio Archives (www.radioarchives.com)
Not only has Radio Archives decided to move into New Pulp audio, They have done it by taking giant steps. The first RA offering in their Pulp Audiobook lineup is not only no lightweight when it comes to Pulp, but instead it is probably the top of the heap, the primo of premium pulp. And, not to telegraph this review or anything, Radio Archives meets that challenge just the way Doc Savage would have.
PYTHON ISLE is an audiobook version of the novel written in 1991 by Will Murray, based on a concept by Lester Dent. Directed and produced by Roger Rittner for RA and narrated by Michael Mcconnohie. The story opens with diamond smugglers catching sight of a plane they believe to be the authorities. Once the plane is downed, the smugglers discover that not only are there two strangely garbed people aboard, but the plane, once damaged, had been patched and repaired with what appears to be soft, pure gold. One of the plane passengers, a man who can speak English, is desperate to protect a bamboo tube he has and to make contact with only one man-Doc Savage!
Author Will Murray
What ensues from this tense, in your face opening is the stuff pulp dreams are made of. From fist fights and gun battles to harrowing chases in various locales all the way to a ride and epic conflict aboard a Zeppelin, PYTHON ISLE delivers all the thrills and chills anyone could want. Add into that that this is a Doc Savage tale complete with Doc’s stoic presence, supreme intelligence, and skills honed finer than any blade as well as three of the five aides in their finest form ever and what you have in PYTHON ISLE is more than a treat, better than a nice surprise. It is simply New Pulp storytelling at its best.
Narrator Michael McConnohie
With material like this, one would think that it would be difficult for an audiobook version to add anything at all to it. Boy, one would be wrong. PYTHON ISLE from Radio Archives takes this story from the pinnacle it already reaches in prose to an unbelievable high mark as an audiobook. Michael McConnohie is more than the ‘reader’ or ‘narrator’ of this adventure. He brings the exact intensity and passion to this story that any well crafted Doc tale would command. His mastery of his own voice is phenomenal, switching back and forth from Monk’s high pitched affectation to Renny’s thunderous rumblings and then to Bull Pizano’s gravelly retort. McConnohie makes this feel like a full cast audio drama and that brings the listener completely into the folds of the story.
Director/Producer Roger Rittner
One issue many audiobooks have, and this is in part due to the fact that they are based on written prose, not scripts, is pacing. At times, audiobooks lag in the middle and whatever gait had been set previously is lost. This is definitely an issue with Pulp stories due to the naturally frenetic pacing good Pulp should have. PYTHON ISLE does not fall victim to this. Due to McConnohie’s voicing as well as Roger Rittner’s directing, this tale moves along at a good clip from beginning to end. There are points that I, being both an avid Pulp reader and an audio fan, predicted were going to be those spots where things started to plod and slow down, but every single time due to either a musical sting or a change in inflection or even the speed at which the words were delivered, that plodding never came, nothing slowed down. Rittner produced a fine piece of roller coaster up and down drama, probably the finest I’ve ever listened to.
Could PYTHON ISLE be better? Usually I would say that any audiobook could be improved by adding voices and sound effects and changing the leopard’s spots, so to speak, from audiobook to full cast drama. And don’t get me wrong, I would love to hear this story given that treatment. Having said that, though, I think that in this case, it would not improve what has been done to make it a full cast drama. I feel like that this audiobook would sit on a shelf right alongside the best possible version of this story as a full drama and still hold its own. The feeling I got from listening to PYTHON ISLE was much akin to what it must have felt like sitting in a darkened theater in the 1940s waiting to see what Captain Marvel or Gene Autry would do in the next chapter of the latest serial. It was nail biting, cliff hanging, and inspiring.
Radio Archives has announced that this is only the first of their Pulp Audio books and that future volumes would not only include Doc, but cover other characters as well. If that’s the case, then I’m one heckuva happy Pulpster.
Get Your First Digital Download from RadioArchives.com for Just 99 Cents!
* Download Detective Adventures with Philip Marlowe * Just Released: Orson Welles in The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3 * Now Available: Doc Savage in Python Isle Audiobook * In the Treasure Chest This Week * New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 48 and The Shadow Volume 49 * New: Hollywood Classics in The Lux Radio Theatre, Volume 2 Download Detective Adventures with Philip Marlowe
His name is synonymous with classic detective fiction. Whether on the silver screen or on the air, Philip Marlowe personifies everything we know and love about the gumshoes of the 1940s: the snap brim fedora, the seedy office, the mean streets of Los Angeles, and a hard working detective just trying to make an honest living without getting punched or shot down in cold blood.
“The Adventures of Philip Marlowe” is a classic in the grand tradition of dramatic radio entertainment – and now, to introduce you to the New Digital Downloads available from RadioArchives.com, twelve of Marlowe’s most exciting cases can be yours to download – for Just 99 Cents!
Visit RadioArchives.com today and, to the right on our home page, look for the graphic that will take you directly to “The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, Volume 3”. Place your order, pay Just 99 Cents and, within minutes, you’ll be enjoying edge of your seat thrills from this detective classic, playable on your home computer or on your favorite portable device.
In the weeks to come, be sure to visit the Digital Downloads page at RadioArchives.com often to see what’s new. Whether it’s detective action with Philip Marlowe, the star-studded motion picture classics of “The Lux Radio Theatre”, or “The Adventures of Doc Savage”, you’ll find great audio entertainment waiting for you with Digital Downloads from RadioArchives.com!Just Released: Orson Welles in The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3
For film buffs, it’s a memorable image: Harry Lime – criminal, thief, and black market racketeer – has been killed by a runaway car in the ravaged streets of postwar Vienna. But suddenly, out of the darkness of a moonlit night, a stray spotlight happens upon a doorway – and there he is: Harry Lime, in the flesh, alive…and smiling.
“The Third Man” is a film noir classic, combining a stellar cast, an intriguing story, and images of a once glamorous European city damaged by war, greed, and intrigue. Though brief, Orson Welles performance as Harry Lime remains one of the most memorable characterizations in his long and varied career. Luckily, for fans of audio entertainment, Welles revisited his role in “The Lives of Harry Lime”, a radio series that recounted the adventures of this memorable scoundrel in a series of tongue in cheek adventures that remain some of the best and most imaginative programs ever produced for radio.
In “The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3”, RadioArchives.com brings you ten more light-hearted and colorful tales of crime and criminals starring the legendary Orson Welles. Available as a five-CD audio collection for just $14.98 or a five-hour digital download for just $9.98, these fascinating programs have been transferred directly from original transcriptions and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity. Visit RadioArchives.com and pick up your copy right away!
Python Isle Audiobook
Now Available: Doc Savage in
For over eighty years, the name Doc Savage has meant thrills and excitement to millions of readers worldwide. Now, for the very first time, the Man of Bronze comes to vivid life in “Python Isle”, the first audiobook adventure from RadioArchives.com!
In “Python Isle”, a long-lost pioneer flyer returns to civilization accompanied by an exotic woman who speaks in a lost tongue. From his towering skyscraper headquarters in New York, through a dangerous Zeppelin journey to Cape Town, climaxing on a serpent-haunted island in the forbidden reaches of the Indian Ocean, Doc Savage and his iron comrades race to untangle a weird puzzle so deep that the only clues can be found in the Bible!
Written by Will Murray and produced and directed by Roger Rittner – the same team that brought you “The Adventures of Doc Savage” radio series – “Python Isle” features dramatic narration by Michael McConnohie, cover art by Joe DeVito, and two exclusive interviews with Will Murray on the history of Doc Savage and the discovery of author Lester Dent’s long lost manuscripts.
“Python Isle”, the first in a new series of unabridged audiobooks from RadioArchives.com, is available now as an eight audio CD set, priced at just $25.98, or as a digital download for just $17.98. In the weeks to come, be sure to visit RadioArchives.com often for more exciting audiobook adventures featuring the top heroes of pulp fiction, including The Spider, Secret Agent X, and many, many more. If you’re looking for adventure, excitement, and suspense, you’ll find it on “Python Isle”, available now from RadioArchives.com!
In the Treasure Chest This Week
If you subscribe to our newsletter, you’re certainly familiar with the Treasure Chest Bonus deals that are available to you every day at RadioArchives.com. But what you may not know is that, each week, from Friday thru Monday, you’ll find our newest compact disc collection offered at an amazingly low bargain price. That’s right: our brand new collection of classic radio shows, priced so low that you’ll find it almost impossible to resist. Of course, for fans of pulp fiction, books, or other entertainment, the Treasure Chest offers you great deals as well – and, since these deals change on a regular basis, you’ll want to visit RadioArchives.com often and see what’s waiting for you. Here, for example, are the bargains you’ll find waiting for you this week:* Today through Monday June 20th, you can get our newest CD set – “The Lives of Harry Lime, Volume 3”, a $14.98 value – for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
* On Tuesday June 21st, pulp fiction’s legendary Knight of Darkness returns in “The Shadow Volume 14”, featuring two classic stories from pulp fiction’s Golden Age:
“The Grove of Doom” and“The Masked Lady”. This beautifully reformatted double-novel reprint is normally priced at $12.95 – but you can enjoy these two exciting adventures for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
* On Wednesday June 22nd and Thursday June 23rd, Richard Kollmar stars in “Boston Blackie, Volume 1”, a ten-CD collection featuring twenty exciting detective adventures. This audio compact disc collection normally sells for $29.98 – but, for one day only, it can be yours for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.Make it a habit to visit RadioArchives.com often and see what’s waiting for you in the Treasure Chest. You’ll find a deal we know you won’t want to miss! New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 48 and The Shadow Volume 49
If you just can’t get enough of the page-turning adventures of the great pulp heroes, stop by RadioArchives.com today for two new double novel pulp reprints:In “Doc Savage Volume 48”, priced at just $14.95, you’ll thrill to the classic adventures of the Man of Bronze in two original novels by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. First, what is the bizarre connection between the appearance of “Red Snow” and the disappearance of a United States senator? Our national security may depend on Doc Savage’s discovery of the sinister secret! Then, in “Death Had Yellow Eyes”, Monk Mayfair is abducted while the Man of Bronze is framed for bank robbery and murder. This classic pulp reprint is available in two editions: one features the original color pulp covers by Walter M. Baumhofer and Modest Stein, while the alternate edition features an impressive painting by Bantam artist James Bama. Both feature Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by historian Will Murray.
Next, the radio origins of the Knight of Darkness are showcased in “The Shadow Volume 49”, priced at just $14.95 and featuring two classic pulp novels by Walter Gibson, writing as Maxwell Grant. First, the Dark Avenger teams with Secret Service agent Vic Marquette to investigate a far-reaching counterfeiting ring in “The Shadow Laughs!”, the landmark novel that introduced the real Lamont Cranston. Then, how can The Shadow prove that an innocent man is not a murderer when several witnesses have identified the young man as the “Voice of Death”? This instant collector’s item features the original color pulp covers by Jerome Rozen and Graves Gladney, classic interior illustrations by Tom Lovell and Edd Cartier, and commentary by popular-culture historians Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.
There’s nothing like the action and excitement you’ll get from a great pulp fiction adventure story. Visit RadioArchives.com and browse our extensive array of pulp classics right away.
New: Hollywood Classics in The Lux Radio Theatre, Volume 2
During radio’s Golden Age, many dramatic programs capitalized on the tinsel and glamour of Hollywood – but none was more successful or legendary than “The Lux Radio Theatre”. Hosted by pioneer director Cecil B. DeMille, the show was a weekly habit for millions of avid listeners who tuned in to hear their favorite screen stars in hour-long adaptations of their recent film successes.
Star studded and lavishly produced, “The Lux Radio Theatre” remains a stylish part of both radio and motion picture entertainment – and, in a second collection of original programs, RadioArchives.com brings you six fully restored broadcasts featuring such superstars as Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Leslie Howard, and Olivia DeHavilland. Hearing them is just like taking a trip back to the 1930s and spending an evening at a glittering movie palace.
If you’re a movie or radio buff, you’ll love “The Lux Radio Theatre, Volume 2”. Available as a six audio CD set for just $17.98 or as a digital download for just $11.98, be sure to stop by RadioArchives.com and order your copy right away!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this newsletter as an Audio Podcast! Click anywhere in the colorful banner at the top and you’ll automatically hear the Radio Archives Newsletter, enhanced with narration, music, and clips from our latest compact disc collections! This audio version of our regular newsletter is a pleasant and convenient way to hear all about our latest CD sets, as well as the newest pulp fiction reprints, special offers, and much, much more!
A Review Of Granton City Press’s UNIT 13By Andrew Salmon
With the New Pulp movement in full swing these days it’s high time pulp fans took a look at what our fellow pulpsters north of the border are up to. Case in point: Unit 13 The Horrors of Altenschatten by Calvin Daniels and Tyrell Tinnin.
I really enjoyed this book and am anxious to see where further adventures will take this colorful cast of characters.
The novel gives us the inaugural adventure of Unit 13, a secret, elite military force fighting in France during World War One. Lead by Sergeant T.S. Crake, Unit 13 is not your average squad. In fact the war to end all wars depicted here is not your great, great grandfather’s fight. No, this conflict is more in keeping with Kurt Busiek’s Arrowsmith. Magic abounds and mythical creatures are fighting on both sides. Here’s where Unit 13 comes in.
Comprised of an enormously powerful Tollgre named Grymm, The Starling – a sultry female sniper/assassin, a wily First Nation Indian named Smoke, Solstice – an African-American with gloves which harness the power of the sun and Centurion a steampunk cyborg, Unit 13 takes on all comers and this is not a group you want to mess with.
Yeah, there’s something for everyone in this unit.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Early in the tale they encounter Chimera who is the product of German medical experiments to create an army of super soldiers. Like his namesake, Chimera is half-lion, half-lizard and one dangerous customer. Once converted to the side of right, Chimera fills them in on the horrible experiments being conducted at Altenshchatten Castle to which the capture Grymm has been taken.
It’s Unit 13 to the rescue! And the bodies, body parts, blood and guts begin to fly!
The novel is a great action ride that should satisfy any fan of pulp or adventure fiction. The writing can be a little uneven at times and the narrative jumps around, sometimes jarringly, but there’s still more than enough thrills to keep you turning pages.
As this is the first adventure of the group, a goodly portion of the text is given to filling in character back stories while laying the groundwork for future tales. Here the jumping around nature of the novel is a benefit as we don’t linger too long with any one character, or group of characters, at one time.
All in all, the book is a great read which I recommend. At only $13.99 you get 218 pages of WWI excitement mixed with magic, mayhem, superheroic action, a little romance and some betrayal to sweeten the pot.
Unit 13 The Horrors of Altenschatten is one of the best examples of what the New Pulp movement is all about. Check it out.
“Come on Hounds of Glory, let’s rock…” The 12th and Final Page of our special Issue 0 of FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY has been posted at http://www.flying-glory.com/. Use this time to get to know the series more before our 10th Anniversary Special, Reverberations, begins June 26th!
In the midst of battle our story reaches its explosive climax as the Masked Ghost must discover who else where’s the mask while capturing the madman intent on destroying New York City. Read Chapter 23 “A Ghost Goes to War”.
From the heart of Africa to the streets of Harlem, a new hero is born sworn to support and protect Americans of all races and creeds; he is Damballa and he strikes from the shadows.When the reigning black heavy weight boxing champion of the world agrees to defend his crown against a German fighter representing Hitler’s Nazis regime, the ring becomes the stage for a greater political contest.The Nazis’ agenda is to humble the American champion and prove the superiority of their pure-blood Aryan heritage.To achieve this end, they employ an unscrupulous scientist capable of transforming their warrior into a superhuman killing machine.
Can the mysterious Damballa unravel their insidious plot before it is too late to save a brave and noble man?Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers are proud to introduce pulpdom’s first ever 1930s African-American pulp hero as created by the acclaimed author, Charles Saunders.
“Racism and sexism were a few of the ugly aspects of the pulps we’d all like to forget,” Editor Ron Fortier comments.“Minority groups based on race, sex and religion were ostracized and either ignored completely or denigrated in their outlandish portrayals.Since its creation, Airship 27 Productions has made it a goal to address these wrongs and help correct them within the context of providing top-notch action fiction to our readers.DAMBALLA is a major step in that direction and we are truly excited about its release.”
Praise for DAMBALLA and writer Charles Saunders has already begun.“Having revolutionized the genre of epic fantasy with the creation of Imaro, a black warrior easily equal to such classic characters as Tarzan and Conan, Charles Saunders has done it again.This time he has created DAMBALLA, a true hero in every sense of the word. Battling racism and evil in the 1930’s, DAMBALLA is no pale imitation of The Shadow or The Avenger.In fact, after reading this excellent book, I think that they would be proud to consider him a brother in the ceaseless war against crime and injustice.”Derrick Ferguson – “Dillon and the Voice of Odin”
DAMBALLA by Charles Saunders features a cover by Charles Fetherolf and interior illustrations by Clayton Hinkle, with book design by award-winning artist Rob Davis.
Airship 27 Productions – Pulp Fiction for a New Generation!
ISBN:1-613420-12-9
ISBN 13:978-1-613420-12-6
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 06/17/2011
Retail Price: $24.95
On-Line Shop (http://www.gopulp.info/)
$3 Digital copy (http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html)
Lance Star: Sky Ranger joins the iPulp Fiction Library
Flying high in the pages of the Airship 27 Productions anthologies and eBooks, Lance Star: Sky Ranger’s writers and creators have partnered with iPulp Fiction to bring exciting pulp stories directly to your mobile device. The fiull story and artwork can be read at http://www.lance-star.com/.
iPulp Fiction is releasing a story a day throughout June and July including tales featuring Lance Star: Sky Ranger. Bobby Nash’s story, “Where The Sea Meets The Sky” will be released July 18th for the low price of $1.00. Visit iPulp at www.ipulpfiction.com for more information.
iPulpFiction is a cloud-based reading service that publishes classic and contemporary short stories that are accessible from any device with an up-to-date browser and an Internet connection. iPulp is on the cutting edge of a new generation of web apps.
Beginning this week, look for new Lance Star: Sky Ranger based interviews with the writers, editors, and the crew at iPulp Fiction and airship 27 Productions at the official Lance Star website, www.lance-star.com.
Make sure you check out Bobby Nash’s Lance Star: Sky Ranger story, “Where The Sea Meets The Sky” on July 18, 2011 when it is released for the low price of $1.00 at www.ipulpfiction.com. Print and digital editions from Airship 27 are also available.
Reviewing Pulp is fun. Reading a story full of derring do and dastardly do badders is invigorating. Tackling a novel with larger than life heroes and plots that boggle the mind and senses makes me eager to pick up the next one and share with the world what I think. I think the process of reviewing, of sharing insight and opinion on anything has to be, at its basis, fun for the reviewer. Many would think, then, that tackling a book that is nonfiction, historical, and full of facts and such would be boring for a Pulp reviewer. Maybe so.
The Book Cave is crowded tonight with a cast of thousands. Art and Ric are joined by Barry Reese, Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Tommy Hancock, Wayne Reinagel and later in the show, Ken Janssens.
