In a deal cut by Robert B. Parker’s estate, Penguin’s Putnam imprint will continue to publish two of the author’s most popular series — Spenser and Jesse Stone — under the authorship of writers Michael Brandman and Ace Atkins. The Spenser series debuted in 1974 and is made up of 39 novels; the Jesse Stone series began in 1997 and is comprised of nine novels.
Brandman produced (and wrote the screenplays) for the TV movies based on Parker’s small-town Massachusetts detective, Jesse Stone, that appeared on CBS and starred Tom Selleck in the title role. The first Jesse Stone novel Brandman will release is Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues, which is scheduled for September 13, 2011. Atkins, a tested crime author at Putnam with books like White Sahdow and Infamous to his credit, will release the first new Parker-branded Spenser novel in Spring 2012. Parker’s longtime editor, Chris Pepe, will be overseeing both projects.
Parker, who wrote over 60 novels, died in January, 2010.
As thus, the triumverate is complete. Following the announcements of writer Adam Garcia and actor Craig Neibaur as part of The AudioComics Company’s forthcoming Green Lama series, we present to you the second of our Green Lama playwrights, Algernon D’Ammassa:
Originally from Rhode Island, Algernon D’Ammassa is an actor, playwright, and longtime pulp aficionado based in southern New Mexico. He did his professional training at Rhode Island’s Tony-award winning regional theatre, Trinity Repertory Company from 1996 – 1999, appearing in numerous productions on the Company mainstage. He has performed on stages all over the United States and made his film debut with the 2007 release THE CELLAR DOOR, which took a prize at the 2007 Shriekfest. He also appears in the forthcoming releases FOLKLORE and LAST DAYS. Algernon is the author of several plays for radio which have been broadcast on public radio and satellite, including the mind-bending comedy DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR, originally performed by the Shoestring Radio Theatre in San Francisco in 2008.
Domino Lady news to come soon!
CATCHING UP ON THE BOOK CAVE AND MORE!
ALL PULP brings you the last few weeks of the BOOK CAVE, ALL PULP’s official podcast, but also something extra! Tune into the pulp podcast master, Ric Croxton’s other podcasts as well, covering comics, pulp, and tangents near and far!!!
The title doesn’t mean that Art has gone back to his old Ways. Bill Cunning ham of Pulp2.0 joins Ric to talk about his “Frankenstein Lives Again” by Don Glut and everything else from his company. Make sure and buy a digital copy of the book for only .99 Website: www.pulp2ohpress.com
The title says it best. After the show, Tommy Hancock of All Pulp gives us the various and sundry news of the Pulp world. All Pulp was on vacation for a few days.
The character who first introduced me to pulp fiction is one that may surprise a lot of people. While I had grown up as a fan of James Bond and Indiana Jones, the first time I experienced a pulp story that I consciously knew was a pulp story was when I read Dillon and the Voice of Odin.
Dillon was my gateway drug into the world of pulp, and I’m forever in Derrick Ferguson’s debt for that. Derrick’s a guy I know personally, we’ve been friends for a while and we’ve had discussions on all manner of topics. Once, when talking about Dillon, Derrick told me that he received some criticism for pairing Dillon with Kris Quinlan, a woman of South American descent, as opposed to a black heroine. And a lot of that criticism came from black women.
And with that, I realized that there’s an interesting racial component to Dillon. It’s definitely not overt, it’s actually very, very subtle. When asked how important race is in the Dillon stories, Derrick said, “In terms of having a black action adventure hero who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Doc Savage, James Bond, Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, The Avenger, Conan, Solomon Kane, The Shadow, The Saint and a dozen other heroes, it’s very important to me. You have to understand something: I discovered this stuff during the 70s. And since there were no black heroes to read about, I had to read what was available. Not that it mattered to me. What resonated in my soul was the style and excitement of the stories being told. The morals and qualities of the heroes. To put it very simply, the pulps told stories I loved to read.”
Derrick is very clear that this played an important role in crafting Dillon and his world. “The creation of Dillon was directly inspired by my desire to create a black action adventure hero that I would have liked to read about when I was twelve years old. And not just be a white hero in blackface. But a hero unique unto himself, who would look at racial situations and at the world as a whole with a different eye.”
And here we come to another factor—Dillon truly does have a unique take on race. Something which also seems to come from Derrick’s exposure to the pulps while growing up. In my correspondence with him, Derrick tells of an incident, of which he says there were more than one, when he was on the train and reading a Tarzan novel. Three older guys sat next to him and demanded to know why he was reading “the white man’s racist trash.”
It’s obvious this had an impact on Dillon’s genesis, because while Dillon isn’t a white hero in blackface, he also isn’t a black hero whose stories are all focused on race—he’s a hero, period. And that unique perspective Dillon has on race? Here’s what it is: His age is unknown, but according to his biography (located at the Dillon site), he began hiring himself out as a soldier of fortune “some ten years ago.” Given this fact and the descriptions of him in the books, we can safely say Dillon is in his early or mid-thirties, at the youngest (he could very well be older given his unique physiology, which I’ll let you read about at the above link). So while a man Dillon’s age would have grown up in the Civil Rights era (or at the very least, immediately following it), he would have felt the sting of racism in one form or another had he grown up in American society.
But Dillon doesn’t have that experience—he wasn’t raised in American society or any other society we can identify with. “There’s a reason why I had Dillon raised in a hidden civilization far away from the cultures we know,” says Derrick. “He sees no reason why he should ally himself with a black cause just because he’s black or why he should be against a white cause just because it’s white. He was raised to judge individuals, causes and governments and institutions based on what they do, for good or ill.”
This is one of the very unique aspects of what Derrick’s done with Dillon. He’s a pulp hero in contemporary society, which already sets him apart from both classic and new pulp creations. But beyond that, there’s a very subtle undercurrent of progressive racial ideas that runs through Derrick’s work. And it doesn’t end with Dillon, it just begins with him.
In Dillon and the Legend of the Golden Bell, there’s a very interesting scene in the fictional country of Xonira. In the book, Xonira is described as having been founded by pirate kings, mercenaries, and freebooters and that it quickly attracted many who were not desired in their home countries. As Lord C’jai of Xonira tells Dillon and his friends, “your typical Xoniran is a mixture of many different bloods. Take me for example. I can claim Ethiopian, Greek, Egyptian, Chinese and English among my ancestors. Most of the population of Xonira have similar mixing of different races in their personal histories. This mixture explains our polyglot of a language, our blending of cultures, styles and cultures.”
In Derrick’s own words, “It’s a country that hasn’t forgotten it’s populated by mutts. Much like our own beloved USA. The difference is that here we all either have forgotten we’re mutts or like to pretend we aren’t.”
Xonira represents a post-racial society, one in which culture, language and race have blended together. But Derrick isn’t so naïve as to believe that any society, even one which manages to transcend race, is perfect (anyone who’s read Dillon and the Legend of the Golden Bell knows they’ve got more than their fair share of problems). There’s still work to be done and there is no Shangri-La.
And although there’s quite a bit of keen insight and forward-thinking in Derrick’s work, he’s quick to take the modest ground: “I’m not out to enlighten or uplift. I leave that for those better qualified to do so. I’m just a guy who likes to make stuff up and share.”
Percival Constantine is the author of Love & Bullets and The Myth Hunter (coming this summer). He lives in southern Japan and has entirely too much time on his hands.
I sat down to write this…what you are reading…as an announcement and it is that, of course.But it’s not an announcement of a new Pro Se magazine or book, although Pro Se Productions will obviously be involved…obvious when you finish reading this, that is.It’s not a new ALL PULP column even though ALL PULP and any other news site, blog, page, etc. that is interested in Pulp will be a part of it if they choose to be.And it’s most definitely not a Tommy Hancock project.I hope to be pivotal to its execution as I hope many others are, but I’m simply the guy who hopefully is the spark that starts the fuse that leads to the revolution.
Heady words, right?But I don’t feel like they’re the wrong words.
Pulp Fiction has many layers.More than a genre or a field of writing, Pulp is a historic event, has been since the first cheaply made, quickly written magazines hit the newsstands so many decades ago.Was it necessarily a whole new form of literature, then?No, not when you take into account the dime novels and such that preceded pulps.What it became, however, is an unstoppable force, an unbelievable influence on writers of the era and especially writers, both famous and unknown, of every year since.The simplistic, yet layered storytelling, the one-two punch of the dialogue and the action, and the over the top antics, characters, and resolutions that made readers believe in the amazing, the fantastic, and the incredible have leaked into modern literature in ways that no one expected.
As a writer of New Pulp, something that has been going on really since the original era of the Pulps ended, I have heard many people say and have even said myself that we are in the midst of a Pulp Renaissance.That now with the advent of things like the internet, Print on Demand, and an overall increase in interest, Pulp is becoming more and more popular and noticed every day.I believe this simply because of the number of writers, artists, and especially publishers I am aware of that haveset up shop in the last 5 or so years, creators who are simply out to do one thing-write Pulp.And even before this new crop of artisans, Pulp still had a strong foothold.Collectors, dealers, and fans of the original works and legendary stories have been active enough over the decades that Pulp has shown up at a variety of conventions and venues, even so much so that there are at least two major Pulp conventions a year, not to mention smaller dealer shows and other events throughout the year.
It’s a proven fact.Pulp, if it ever really went away, is back and with a Norvell Page like vengeance. And out of this resurgence in interest, out of the dedication of dealers and collectors keeping the love of Pulp alive, and out of the creative, inspired minds of modern creators thirsting to express their ideas, stories, thoughts through the prism of Pulp, something else has arisen.Something innovative, yet not disconnected for the established work.Something original, yet grounded solidly in inspiration and influences past.Something novel, but familiar at the same time.
This is the era of New Pulp.
Pulp will never die.What has come before will never change.Dent, Gibson, et al. will continue to be the almost mythic purveyors of this most awesome fiction.But they have descendants in spirit, authors and artists who have picked up the banner and carried the standard of Pulp forward.The past of Pulp will be preserved by the historians, touted by the collectors, distributed by the dealers, and reprinted by the fantastic resources that have taken that on.Those unbelievably great adventures will thankfully never fade away.
And out of that legacy, out of that history, out of that imaginative period and body of work has come New Pulp.
It is time to define New Pulp as its own entity.Not separate from Pulp as a whole, but as something defined within the genre.What is New Pulp?Well, as far as my definition goes, the explanation is fairly simple.New Pulp is fiction written with the same sensibilities, linear storytelling, pattern of conflict, and creative use of words and phrases of original Pulp, but crafted by modern writers, artists, and publishers.New stories with either completely original characters or new tales of established characters from Pulp past.It’s really that simple.New Pulp is Pulp written today.
So much New Pulp is now available, including work from noted pulp historians such as Will Murray and Tom Johnson as well as the entire Wold Newton family of creators and beyond.Add to that the literal multitude of mavericks and new guns that have stepped forward, myself thankfully included, and New Pulp is suddenly more than just a group of guys and gals telling stories like the ones we grew up on.It’sits own movement, its own subgenre, within Pulp as a whole.And that doesn’t mean it is set apart from Pulp as we’ve all known it until now.New Pulp will always be a part of Pulp conventions, dealers shows, and the continuing appreciation and discussion of classic Pulp and all that made it what it was.
But I think it can be that…and much more.
Here’s what I’m proposing.And understand, this is a proposal, an idea…a suggestion.Having said that, I have discussed this line of thinking with other writers and creators, even if they didn’t know what my intent was at the time we discussed it, and feel that this is the right time for a defining of New Pulp.So, I bring this to you with some ideas and concrete plans.And with an invitation, but that’ll come later.
In order to define New Pulp, to bring in new audiences, to find and take on new markets, and to shine light on this wonderful literary form that thus far has been shined elsewhere, the first step is coming together.As a publisher myself, I know that there’s a certain level of competition, that ‘my stuff has to outsell your stuff’ mindset and that’s okay.That’s healthy.But we are at a point that if we want to break out, if we want people to walk by a bookshelf and see a New Pulp title and say, ‘Hey what is this?’ and in some instances if we even want to get on some bookshelves, then we have to recognize that although we are individual creators and companies, we are also invested in the same genre.We are all a part of New Pulp.
With that in mind, here’s what I’m proposing.A push for New Pulp.Getting the word out that New Pulp exists, that it is both a part of something classic and great and is its own movement.To establish an identity for New Pulp, a way that when someone encounters a tale published, written, or drawn by a New Pulp creator, that they know they have a New Pulp work in their hands.
One way to do this is combined advertising.We need to come together and work up some ads, print, net, and otherwise, that tout New Pulp, not just as a concept, but with creators, publishers, and product from various New Pulp purveyors.Pro Se, Airship 27,Wild Cat, White Rocket, Granton City Press, Seventh Realms, Moonstone, and the list goes on.Advertising, either free or paid (with each party tossing in a share of course) is crucial to any endeavor breaking beyond its established fanbase, but it is particularly critical for a field wanting to establish itself.To that end, I had Sean Ali, a great friend and Pro Se’s designer, develop a logo that will be free for any publisher of New Pulp to use.A handful of writers and publishers have already agreed to participate in efforts under this logo and anyone else in the New Pulp field is welcome to join in.
Also, I’ll announce that PULP ARK, the writer’s conference/convention that Pro Se is hosting May 13-15, 2011 in Batesville, AR, will be the first NEW PULP Conference/Convention.At current count, 25 writers, publishers, and artists of New Pulp will be in attendance at Pulp Ark, the biggest gathering of New Pulp creators in one place to date.Dealers and collectors are also welcome and several will be present, moving everything from classic pulp magazines to reprints to cds to all sorts of Pulp related material.But Pulp Ark will focus on New Pulp creators with panels, classrooms, and programming designed to promote New Pulp and welcome fans and new readers into the world New Pulp has established.
If Pulp Ark makes the mark we feel it will, talks are already in works for adding a convention in a different location under the New Pulp banner as early as next year.This would be done in an effort to give New Pulp creators who can’t make it to Arkansas every year to have at least one other venue, maybe even two eventually, to be a part of.And of course, it would also open up New Pulp to new fans and readers.
Another aspect of this is that shared, cooperative pages can be established.Already in the works are ideas for a NEW PULP site that spotlights all New Pulp creators who wish to participate and hawks their wares, either print or e-books.That piece will take a bit to get set up, but it is in development.
These few ideas and plans are just the tip of the iceberg.As I said at the start, this is not a Pro Se or a Tommy Hancock project, but I did feel and was encouraged by others that someone had to sort of step up and take the reins.The yahoo group PulpDefined, that some of you have requested membership, will be a major workplace for the New Pulp movement.If you are interested in participating, email me at braedenalex@centurytel.net that you are a writer, artist, or publisher and wish to be a part of Pulp Defined. Or if you just have questions or comments, the same email is good for those, too.
Of course, there is no rule that says you have to identify with, work with, or even support what I’ve proposed.This is one person, with the encouragement of a few others, who has recognized a need and hopes we can come together to fill it.We are all individuals, but we are also all New Pulp.It’s time to let the world know that we not only exist, but that we are here to stay and will provide them with endless fantastic tales and exciting adventures.That is our world.That is New Pulp.
Bay Area actor Craig Neibaur to don the hood of classic pulp hero in new AudioComics Company series
Contact:Lance Roger Axt, Producer/Director
audiocomicsinfo@gmail.com
Official press release:
The AudioComics Company is pleased to announce the casting of San Francisco Bay Area stage actor Craig Neibaur in the title role of The Green Lama, part of the production company’s classic pulp audio series.
Neibaur will portray Kendell Foster Crossen’s famed pulp crime-fighter in a brand new series of audio adventures set in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The alter-ego of millionaire Jethro Dumont, The Green Lama is both a detective endowed with superhuman powers through his knowledge of “radioactive salts,” and a practicing Buddhist, utilizing the basic doctrines through his war on crime. The Green Lama is only one of several of Dumont’s identities, his others being the Buddhist priest Dr Pali and adventurer Hugh Gilmore.
Craig Neibaur has graced stages in the San Francisco Bay Area for almost twenty years; after coming to grips with the fact that he was an actor and not a biology major, Craig graduated from San Francisco State University with his Bachelors in Theater and an eclectic body of work that included the classics and modern works. He has continued to work regularly with Berkeley Rep, Encore Theatre, and Bay Area TheatreSports (and its offshoot, True Fiction Magazine) on the West Coast premieres of Five Flights; Silence; Norton I; and The Lonesome West. He has been a core member of Porchlight Theater Company since 2006, appearing with them in Heartbreak House, Ideal Husband,and Under Milk Wood.Not only is Craig an actor but by day a certified massage therapist through his business “Massage for the Arts,” where he donates 10% of all proceeds to not-for-profit local theaters.
Director Lance Roger Axt: “As far as we are concerned, Craig is the Green Lama, hands down. I knew exactly who should play Jet Dumont the minute I started reading the classic Double Detective stories; I heard Craig’s voice in my head, and that was that. I’ve known Craig for many years now, and I know what he can bring to the role. Believe me, it will be a pleasure to work with him on this.”
The Green Lama first appeared in the pages of the pulp magazine Double Detective from 1940 to 1943 while simultaneously appearing in Prize Comics in stories that bridged the lines between crime drama and supernatural mystery, He then moved to his own title, The Green Lama published by Spark Publications, in stories that were more superhero in nature, although the scripts were still written by Crossen. More recently the Lama has reappeared in numerous series from publishers ranging from AC Comics to Dynamite Entertainment to Airship 27.
Three years after the demise of his comic series, the character returned for a short-lived CBS radio series in 1949, with the voice-over provided by the legendary Paul Frees, thus making Craig Neibaur the second actor in radio history to don the hood of The Green Lama. The Lama’s new audio adventures record this fall in San Francisco, CA. http://www.audiocomicscompany.com/
GARCIA TO WRITE GREEN LAMA AUDIO ADVENTURES!
Our pulp audio creative team continues to grow! Following the announcement of actor Craig Neibaur as The Green Lama, The AudioComics Company welcomes one of the country’s foremost Green Lama writers and historians, Adam Lance Garcia, to the fold; Adam will be one of a handful of writers to pen world-premiere audio adventures featuring the alter-ego of Jet Dumont, beginning with a half-hour supernatural mystery recording this fall in San Francisco, CA.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Adam was raised on comic books and movie serials. A graduate of New York University’s Film & Television program, he has worked in animation, film and television; won several awards for his photography; and has written and directed two short films. He has been writing the Green Lama since his first novella, “Horror in Clay” which was nominated for Best Short Story in 2009 Pulp Factory Awards. Most recently his first novel Green Lama: Unbound won the 2010 Pulp Factory Awards for Best Novel of the Year and Best Interior Art for the work of his frequent collaborator, Mike Fyles; as well as the 2010 Pulp Ark Award for best Pulp Revival. (http://cornerstonepublishers.com)
His short story “Green Lama & the Case of the Final Column” will be featured in the upcoming Altus Press reprints of the original pulp stories, and his original character Dock Doyle will make his premiere later this ear. He is currently at work on the next Green Lama novel, Crimson Circle.
ANOTHER PAGE OF FLYING GLORY COMIN’ AT YA! From Kevin Paul Shaw Broden-
FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY
by Kevin Paul Shaw Broden and Shannon Muir
ISSUE 0, Page 5
Play something everyone will like and not too loud… reunion day is underway, and Debra and her friends are under pressure to please everyone. How high are tensions going? Read the next page of “Generational Glory” to find out at http://www.flying-glory.com/ !
THE JUSTICE MACHINE IS BACK! The legendary super-team returns on the 30th anniversary of their 1981 debut! The Justice Machine fought to destroy tyranny on two worlds–but nearly twenty years ago they vanished, never to be seen again.
Until now! The Machine’s explosive return plunges them into a nightmarish landscape of two realities warring for dominion! The team races to thwart a dark destiny awaiting all humanity if they fail to stop an unspeakable evil from gaining a foothold to the future!
The gears of justice roll on in a new miniseries by best-selling SF author Mark (Doc Savage, Outlanders) Ellis, David (Batman/Superman, Infinity, Inc,) Enebral and Mar (Atomik Mike) Dégano
**retailer incentive: buy 4 get one free!
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ROTTEN TPB vol.2: Revival of the Fittest
Mark Rahner, Robert Horton, Dan Dougherty
156pgs, squarebound, 7”x10”, color, $15.99
ISBN: 978-1-936814-08-4
ZOMBIES! SPIES! THE WILD WEST!
One of the most acclaimed independent comics of 2010, the ROTTEN saga continues with “Revival of the Fittest”: on assignment to investigate an undead outbreak in the Pacific Northwest of 1877, Agent Wade becomes the quarry in a grueling marathon chase; and in Chicago, Agent Flynn confronts dangerous anti-evolution protestors. In “Love the Sinner”/”Hate the Sin,” the agents race to stop the infection that’s turning residents of a religious colony red-skinned, ravenous – and possessed, according to the familiar-looking Father von Becker who’s seized control.
(collects issues #7-11)
“A great new take on the zombie horror genre that is smart, grim and gritty.”
-Hypergeek
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ZOMBIES vs CHEERLEADERS #4
(W) Steven L Frank and pals (A) Various
Four awesome stories that are sure to make you laugh and cry! Easily the greatest 21 letter titled comic in history- that has zombies and cheerleaders! Featuring a Mandy cover by Dean Yeagle! Also, covers by Jeremy Dale, Rich Bonk and Jose Jaro.
THRICE the Action, as Captain Action’s Season 2 concludes with two new episodes of the new Captain Action & Action Boy plus a new Captain Action Classified spy thriller!
Though presumed dead, Captain Action’s actually in the secret city of Aggartha, getting a history lesson they don’t teach in schools in “Journey thru the Past” Then it’s an international catfight as the USA vs. the UK! Lady Action battles Liberty, of the sinister new super-team, Patriot Power! As the intrigue builds to a crescendo, everyone’s asking, “Where is Captain Action?”
And in this lost tale from the psychedelic sixties, the original Captain Action is embroiled in a CIA black op.
(Covers : Lilly = 80%, Frenz = 20%)
**for every purchase of 3 or more, and you can buy one limited edition Mark Sparacio variant cover for a retail of $6.99**
**Retailer incentive: buy 3 copies or more, and get one free!
HEAP #3
Story: Charles Knauf
Art: Sami Kivela
Colors: Ken Wolak
Cover: Mark Maddox
32pgs, color, $3.99
The return of the original muck-monster concludes!
Join CHARLES (Iron Man) KNAUF as he takes the HEAP on a journey of self-discovery through Norse magics and mythology, while sorting through the horrors of Nazi mayhem!
It is time for Midgard’s last defender to arise, amidst the devastation and inhumanity of World War 2.
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HONEY WEST calendar:
8.5” x 11”, spiral bound , 12 month, b/w,
gorgeous photos of the incomparable Anne Francis, as well as the new Honey West: Hollis Mclachlan! $11.99
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BUCKAROO BANZAI calendar
8.5” x 11”, spiral bound, 12 month , color:
Show your Blue Blazer pride letting Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers brighten your wall!
ALL PULP would like to wish each and every reader the best possible Pulpy Easter ever. Regardless of your beliefs about this holiday, please enjoy it to its fullest with your family and friends with best wishes from ALL PULP….and remember….
TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
‘Dillon and The Judas Chalice’ by Derrick Ferguson Exclusive Author Released Short Story
In the New Pulp genre, there are a handful of characters that already have some name recognition, a following of fans eager for the next drop of pulpy goodness from this harbinger of action and adventure. One such character is Dillon, the all around jack of all trades hero type from the wonderful mind and world of Derrick Ferguson. Every time Ferguson speaks of Dillon on the Book Cave or his blog or wherever, murmurs begin about new Dillon, the next Dillon, untold tales of Dillon, etc. and so forth. This story is just such an event, one that was written by Ferguson as a birthday gift to all his friends and fans.
And what a gift it is!
This story opens with Dillon on a high speed chase, both chasing something and being chased by probably every law enforcement agency in the world. After this chase ends and Dillon saves the day in his own balls to the wall fashion, he is whisked away by a notorious millionaire who tells him of a wonderful artifact-the Judas Chalice, a cup made from the silver Judas Iscariot took for betraying Jesus Christ. This item allegedly will give its bearer whatever it wants as long as the bearer betrays those around them, the millionaire once its bearer, but now a victim of its power. Dillon, more out of an instant affection for the vile traitorous soul he’d just met than anything else, undertakes the mission to retrieve the Chalice, stolen by the millionaire’s former right hand man and his own traitorous wife.
What ensues at this point is one of the best all around rollicking roller coasters I’ve read in the short story form in a while. Dillon and his cohorts, including the millionaire’s own daughter, are complete and fully realized, full of facets and levels that are often hard to capture in just a few pages. The bad guys have all they need to have as well, being driven by their own desires, but even in the end, being basically people overwhelmed by their own urges. Explosions, gunfights, treachery, destruction, close calls, near misses, it’s all here! And that even includes hints and rumors about a mysterious group who hold a whole lot of power and sway!
The only drawback I found to this tale was the opening. It sets a tone for who Dillon is and what a day in his life would be like, but it was also distracting from what the story became. It set a stage, but it didn’t connect really well to what came later and showed Dillon’s skills, but somehow was more of a ‘oh, well, ok, he can drive fast’ than something that added weight to the blockbuster that followed. Even with that, though, this story is CANNOT MISS because the last 2/3 or so blow most full length novels out of the water.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-The beginning might be a little clunky, but overall the story is a fist in your face and an uppercut to your gut! Awesome stuff!
The Crimes of The Scarlet Ace: The Complete Stories of Major Lacy & Amusement, Inc. by Theodore A. Tinsley, covers by Frank Tinsley & Eugene Fradzen, Introduction by Will Murray
Major John Tattersall Lacy, once of the U.S. Marines–and now field leader of the Emergency Council for Crime Control with orders to meet the racketeers at their own game, to fight terror with terror and death with death…. Backed with tremendous resources, and the power of the six foremost men in the metropolis, Lacy and his ex-marine mates have broadcast their challenge–“Run, rat, or die!” And underworld war-lords ready an answer.
From the author of THE SHADOW! Reprinted in its entirety for the first time, the entire saga of Lacy’s battle with the underworld army of the Scarlet Ace from the pages of BLACK ACES and ALL DETECTIVE. And it features an all-new introduction by Will Murray.
Dan Fowler: G-Man Companion by Tom Johnson, Will Murray, Robert Sidney Bowen, Charles Greenberg, & Norvell W. Page
For nearly 20 years, Dan Fowler and his G-men battled crimedom in the pages of G-Men Detective. Now, author Tom Johnson has indexed each issue, listing everything you need to know about the series. Also included are complete reprints of the two best Dan Fowler stories as chosen by Johnson and pulp historian Will Murray: “Give ‘Em Hell” by Norvell W. Page and “Bullet Justice” by Charles Greenberg. And reprinted in its entirety for the first time: “I Cover the Murder Front,” the lost, rejected Dan Fowler story.
Featuring additional articles by Johnson and Murray, this is the ultimate history of the series.
414 pages | $34.95 softcover | $44.95 hardcover
The Green Lama: The Complete Pulp Adventures Volume 1 by Kendell Foster Crossen, Illustrated by V.E. Pyles, Introduction by Will Murray
Om! Ma-ni pad-me Hum! The first of its kind, the complete adventures of the Green Lama follows the adventures of Buddhist Jethro Dumont and his aides as the battle the forces of evil in the western world.
Written by Kendell Foster Crossen, it’s non-stop action in the vein of The Shadow!
Never completely reprinted before, the series is collected in three volumes. Each volume contains an all-new introduction, focusing on a different aspect of the character’s life across several forms of popular media. Volume 1 contains in introduction by Will Murray and features the first five stories: “The Case of the Crimson Hand,” “The Case of the Croesus of Murder,” “The Case of Babies for Sale,” “The Case of the Wave of Death,” and “The Case of the Man Who Wasn’t There.”
524 pages | $34.95 softcover | $44.95 hardcover
NOTE: Volumes 2 and 3 will follow immediately after the release of Volume 1.
Riding the Pulp Trail by Paul S. Powers, Edited by Laurie Powers
Most fans of Western fiction know Paul S. Powers as one of the foundation authors of the famous pulp magazine of the 1930s and 1940s, Wild West Weekly. Now, for the first time, are twelve Paul Powers stories written in the years after Wild West Weekly stopped publication. Six of these stories were published in magazines such as Exciting Western, Thrilling Western, The Rio Kid Western and Thrilling Ranch Stories. The other six are brand new stories – never before published – that were discovered in 2009. Altogether they make for an outstanding collection of western stories that represent the glory years of the Western short story and the best of Powers’ prolific pulp Western career.
350 pages | $29.95 softcover | $39.95 hardcover
Alias The Whirlwind by Johnston McCulley and Tom Johnson
Written in the depths of The Depression, this collects the entire saga of The Whirlwind, Johnston (Zorro) McCulley’s other Southwestern hero of the Old West!
Never before reprinted, this omnibus includes an all-new Whirlwind adventure by novelist Tom Johnson.
228 pages | $19.95 softcover | $29.95 hardcover
Secret Agent “X” – The Complete Series Volume 5 by Paul Chadwick & G.T. Fleming-Roberts, Introduction by Tom Johnson
For 41 issues from 1934 to 1939, SECRET AGENT “X” battled the forces of evil in the pages of his own pulp magazine. Now, for the first time… the complete pulp series is being reprinted in nine deluxe omnibus editions! The text has been reset and all the original interior illustrations have been remastered. This volume contains the next five stories, by Paul Chadwick and G.T. Fleming-Roberts: “MONARCH OF MURDER,” “LEGION OF THE LIVING DEAD,” “HORDE OF THE DAMNED,” “RINGMASTER OF DOOM” and “KINGDOM OF BLUE CORPSES.” This is THE Secret Agent “X” reprint series to own!
576 pages | $34.95 softcover | $44.95 hardcover
Secret Agent “X” – The Complete Series Volume 6 Authored by G.T. Fleming-Roberts & Paul Chadwick, Introduction by Tom Johnson
For 41 issues from 1934 to 1939, SECRET AGENT “X” battled the forces of evil in the pages of his own pulp magazine. Now, for the first time… the complete pulp series is being reprinted in nine deluxe omnibus editions! The text has been reset and all the original interior illustrations have been remastered. This volume contains the next five stories, by G.T. Fleming-Roberts and Paul Chadwick: “BRAND OF THE METAL MAIDEN,” “DIVIDENDS OF DOOM,” “THE FEAR MERCHANTS,” “FACELESS FURY” and “SUBTERRANEAN SCOURGE.” This is THE Secret Agent “X” reprint series to own!
492 pages | $34.95 softcover | $44.95 hardcover
The Complete Adventures of Senorita Scorpion Volume 1 by Les Savage Jr, Introduction by Will Murray
Saddle up! Taken from their original appearances ACTION STORIES from 1944-45, this book collects the first four adventures of Senorita Scorpion: “Senorita Scorpion,” “The Brand of Senorita Scorpion,” “Secret of Santiago” and “The Curse of Montezuma.” Volume 1 also includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray.
I’m pleased to announce I will be editing and contributing to a brand new anthology of short stories dedicated to the ’60s sexy PI chick Honey West.
Honey West began as a series of paperbacks in 1957 with This Girl For Hire, written by the husband and wife team of Gloria and Forest Fickling under the penname G.G. Fickling. The novels were a tad risque for their time and ran 10 novels through the ’60s, with two more in an early ’70s comeback. They became a cult favorite TV series in 1965-66, starring Anne Francis and running some 30 episodes, and while the toplessness might have been toned down for prime time, Anne was still allowed to be a slinky sexy investigator with a big pus–um, ocelot, named Bruce, at her side. She was one of the first female private eyes on television, given to quips and leopard print outfits, though the series made her a bit more like The Avengers’ Emma Peel, with Judo expertise, exploding compacts and other gadgets. Unfortunately, that very tact helped contribute to her demise on TV because it was cheaper for the network to import The Avengers than to continue with the series.
Recently Moonstone began a new series of Honey West comic books, written by the much talented Trina Robbins, who is slated to pen a brand new tale for this anthology. A number of other talented scribes have been brought aboard as well, such as Elaine Lee, Will Murray, Mark Ellis, CJ Henderson and Mel Odom, along with some surprises.
It promises to to be a Honey of a book.
MOONSTONE ANNOUNCES AVENGER: JUSTICE, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS!
TOC: ‘The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files’ Edited by Joe Gentile & Howard Hopkins
Here’s the table of contents for the upcoming The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files edited by Joe Gentile & Howard Hopkins, available next month from Moonstone Books:
TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
TRAIL OF THE BURNED MAN by Thomas McNulty Linford Western Library, 2009 270 Pages
It’s always interesting to me to look at genres of fiction that were and still are staples within the realm of Pulp, but have somehow drifted away from those roots. None of these is more apparent than the Western. What once was fast paced, dead aimed storytelling full of heroes, villains, guns, horses, shootouts and standoffs has, at least in the hands of some authors, become more about exposition, analysis, and the human condition. Many authors, well known ones even, have simply adapted a post modern take on literature to the western and by virtue of that have watered down an almost distinctly American form of storytelling. Fortunately, there are some notable exceptions, men and women who still wear their six guns proudly and know that all a good man needs in the Old West is a woman better than he is and a villain badder than he is.
Add author Thomas McNulty to that latter group.
TRAIL OF THE BURNED MAN is definitely a New Pulp western written with the distinct flavor of the classics as well as liberally laced with the bravado and rapidity of a modern tale. The characters are full and rich, complete portraits on a canvas of hard living, hair trigger decisions, and six gun action and adventure! The story opens with Rafe Morgan, a man with a reputation, riding into a Wyoming town looking to make a new start for himself. Almost immediately that gets complicated when Morgan gets into a fight with known badman Dutch Williams. Scarred horribly by fire during the fight with Morgan, Williams vows revenge. Morgan ends up staying on, working on Amy O’Hara’s ranch, even after her father, Ethan, also a Deputy U.S. Marshall, encourages Morgan to move on. Soon, Williams enacts his plan for vengeance and involves Amy, Ethan, Rafe, an African American blacksmith, a Shoshone Indian, a young orphan, and an old ranch hand! Oh, and did I mention the Sioux war party and a- no, I’ll let you find that one out yourself.
McNulty fires characters off like bullets from a hogleg. This story is flowing with fully realized images of men and women, good and bad, lost and found. The villain is grotesque and insane as any good Pulp villain would and should be. What stands out for me most, however, are three characters. I say three, but like many classic trios in the past, these men function as one, a sort of Trinity within McNulty’s story. There’s Ethan O’Hara, the Marshall, Adam Washington, the blacksmith, and Black Wolf. the Shoshone Indian. These three men have a connection that goes back beyond the start of this book and one that resonates loudly throughout the whole tale. I’m not sure if McNulty plans to or not, but I would highly encourage him to consider more stories with these three larger than life heroically inspiring characters as the focus.
The only part of TRAIL OF THE BURNED MAN that bothered me in the slightest initially was some of the phrasing. It just didn’t flow like most modern westerns I’d read in the last few years. Then, about page six or so, it hit me. It didn’t flow like most modern westerns because it’s not written like a modern western! This is true old wild west Pulp at its best, full of descriptive phrasing, interesting, tight, concise exposition, and imagery and scene setting that doesn’t get in the way of the blockbuster narrative being told. This is truly a New Pulp classic.
FIVE OF FIVE TIPS OF HANCOCK’S HAT-You won’t find a better New Pulp Western than McNulty’s TRAIL OF THE BURNED MAN. Some will equal it for sure, but there aren’t any better.
Continuing the coverage of the Windy City Con, held April 15-17 in Chicago, find for your viewing pleasure below videos done at the con by Mark Halegua, pulp enthusiast, historian, columnist, and writer (http://www.pulps1st.com/)
Walking into the Windy City Dealer Room
Tommy Hancock and Fuller Bumpers, Pro Se Press
Wayne Reinagel, Knightraven Studios
Thomas McNulty, Author and Historian
Will Murray, Author and Historian
John Gunnison, Adventure House Windy City Producer
Mark Eidemiller joins Art and Ric to discuss his Bronze Saga series.
