CHICKS IN CAPES SPOTLIGHTS FEMALE HEROINES AND CREATORS!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Lori Gentile CiC Editor
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc takes Super Hero fiction to an all new level with CHICKS IN CAPES! Chicks in Capes is a fun and provoking collection of ALL NEW prose short stories by a wide range of female authors: including NYT Bestselling authors Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguie, and Jennifer Fallon, along with comic book herstorian Trina Robbins, and a host of other popular fiction and comic book contributors.
Elaine Lee Author, ‘Mischief’
All of the stories are about super heroines, many characters created exclusively for this collection, and featuring ALL NEW stories about established characters: Lady Action and Domino Lady. All contributors for the book are female, including the interior illustrator, the cover artists, and the editors!
Gillian Horvath Author, ‘The Survivor: Coming of Age’
What will you find within the pages of CHICKS IN CAPES? Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Science-fiction…!Authors include Trina Robbins; Nancy Holder; Gillian Horvath; Cathy Clamp; Barbara Randall Kesel; Elaine Lee; Kathe Catto; Valerie D’Orazio;K.G. McAbee; Jennifer Fallon; Debbie Viguie; and Elizabeth Massie
Debbie Viguie, Author, ‘A Touch of Glamour’
The wonderful art in CHICKS IN CAPES also came from talented female professionals. Emily Stone provided interior illustrations as well as one of the two covers for the book. Nicola Scott also produced a cover used for one edition of the collection. Lori Gentile and Karen O’Brien edited the anthology.
Nancy Holder, Author of ‘Beneath the Cape: A Domino Lady Story’
Strong female super-heroine characters from all walks of life are included in this stellar anthology: a parking valet, an archeologist, a bike messenger, a nurse, a holocaust survivor and many more. Also new stories featuring Lady Action and Domino Lady are included in this fantastic collection!
Trina Robbins, Author of ‘Inanna: Witchwoman’
One of the strongest points of CHICKS IN CAPES is that its creators feel that its high time the world had more super heroine fiction written by women. According to contributor Trina Robbins, “We need to see more creative concepts of superheroines, and we need to see them from a woman’s point of view. I’m not saying men can’t write good women, many men do…but I do believe that women tend to know what women like, because, being women, it’s what THEY like, no? But it’s revolutionary, by golly, to see not just a woman’s take on an already established superheroine, but to see a woman create her own superheroine.”
Jennifer Fallon, Author, ‘Diary of a Superchick’
CHICKS IN CAPES spotlights not only female characters by female creators, but it casts a new light on the concept of super heroes in general. According to contributor Jennifer Fallon, “I think it’s a timely reminder that superheroes are not just for boys. They come in all shapes and sizes. We should judge our superheroes by their deeds, not their gender. Just like real people.”
CHICKS IN CAPES from Moonstone Entertainment, Inc! AVAILABLE NOW!
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to “awaken your sense of adventure”, featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment, Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, Graphic Novels and prose…books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
Moonstone Entertainment, Inc., Captain Action Enterprises, and Runemaster Studios, announce that SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 is on its way!
An updating of the Jungle Girl genre tale, SAVAGE BEAUTY uses two very strong female leads to not only introduce pulp like heroics into the jungles of today’s world, but also tackles real life issues. The comic is a tool of vital partnership between its creators and agencies and organizations dedicated to making life better and even saving lives in Kenya, Africa, and other ravaged lands.
SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 Ripped from today’s world news comes a reimagining of the classic jungle girl genre debuting a newhero for the modern age!
Anaya trails the PLA into the mountains of the DR Congo after they kidnap the wife of a Ugandan dignitary intent on selling her into slavery. Follow the trail of political upheaval down the streets of human trafficking as Lacy and Liv unleash their Savage Beauty!
Also, SAVAGE BEAUTY #2 takes another great look back at the golden age with jungle pulp covers. SAVAGE BEAUTY’S charity partners this issue are Do Good Day and Resolve.
Enjoy preview pages from SAVAGE BEAUTY #2, jungle action at its best from Moonstone!
And in case you’re wondering what people thought of SAVAGE BEAUTY #1, read on!
Eric J., www.thepullbox.com, summed up the origins and appeal of SAVAGE BEAUTY wonderfully-
I am a huge pulp fan, always have been…The adventure, thrill and danger of an altruistic hero risking life and limb to take down a dastardly villain was almost too much for my little 7-year heart to handle. Well, what I know (as most of you do too) is that when creative teams try to “modernize” the genre something is lost in the translation and they fail more often than they succeed…Running counter to that sad norm, the folks over at Moonstone have been lighting the way for years and showing fans that pulp can still be done and done well. Savage Beauty, as a title, just continues to add to their testimony.
In his review at www.playeraffinity.com, Dustin Cabeal points out what makes SAVAGE BEAUTY a modern and relevant title in his ‘Short Version’-
If you’re looking for a sexy jungle story about two women fighting the crimes of Africa then you’ll only be half right. This story is anything but goofy and uses the comic to look at a very realistic problem in the world, while presenting it in a very accessible way. Simply put this isn’t a kid’s comic, but it’s still really good.
a welcome addition to the jungle girls category of books. The writers and artists direct their talents to raise awareness about real world vermin while creating satisfying escapism in a twist on legacy heroism.
Don’t let the cover fool you, this is more than just an excuse to draw pretty girls in fur bikinis. This new spin on the jungle heroine looks like it will be a serious and at times dark journey to, at least in the literary world, bring justice to the criminals that deserve it most.
SAVAGE BEAUTY #2-Swinging at You soon from MOONSTONE!
Moonstone Entertainment Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to “awaken your sense of adventure”, featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, Graphic Novels and prose…books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
Captain Action Enterprises, LLC is dedicated to creating new character experiences for both the collectible/nostalgia market and passionate fans of adventure toys and fiction through licensing, re-creations and creative innovations. Properties included Savage Beauty, Captain Action, the Zeroids and Lady Action. More information is available at www.CaptainActionNow.com.
If you’ve written or read Pulp for a while, then you’ve been asked the question…Just What is Pulp??Although there is no definitive answer and likely never will be, the purpose of this column is to look at stories, books, movies, audio shows, etc., and to determine, in this columnist’s opinion if works covered qualify as pulp. If they do, why and of course if they don’t why not?Now, I am the same individual who put forth a few months ago why the movie THE WIZARD OF OZ could be considered Pulp.Some of you agreed, some of you were neutral, and some of you still think I should be strung up for such an opinion.Well, we’ll see if I can please all of you at some point.Yeah, right.
In order to do this column, though, I had to find or devise a definition, a set of parameters to follow that I could apply to whatever I was looking at and determine its level of Pulpiness.A newly formed group designed in part to do just that, PULP DEFINED, has come up with a definition that I think fits Pulp well and will be the one I use for this column.By this definition, Pulp is-
fast-paced, plot-orientated storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists and creative descriptions and clever use of turns of phrase, words, and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story.
Now, there will be some more specific points I bring out that will flesh out this definition, but overall this is the standard by which DIAGNOSIS: PULP will be looking at various tales of derring do…or don’t…and diagnosing them as Pulp…or something else…. Stay tuned!
DIAGNOSIS: PULP
PULP FICTION OR PULP LITERATURE?
Another question just as myriad and varied as ‘What is Pulp’ came crashing down on me in various ways this weekend. For those who don’t know, among the many hats I wear, I am the Editor in Chief and a partner in Pro Se Productions, a company who is focused on producing quality pulp fiction by various creators.In pursuit of selling said fiction, Pro Se plans to spend some time at conventions, conferences, and other venues (including our very own PULP ARK).Our first such event was the Arkansas Literary Festival, held this weekend (April 9-10 for vendors) in Little Rock.This event, which brings in authors of all sorts from all over, boasted over 7,000 guests last year and expected 9,000 this year.I didn’t see anywhere near that walk by our badly placed vendors’ table or anyone else’s.But something I did discover, both from the scattered passers-by we had as well as fellow vendors is that many do not know that a majority of fiction they grew up reading or even read today could qualify as Pulp Fiction AND many of them don’t feel even today that Pulp Fiction should be considered literature.
Now in all truthfulness, I knew that this mindset of people looking down on Pulp and considering it non literature or worse existed and has since Pulp began.But discovering it face to face in several people all at once over two days was a bit staggering.And got me to thinking of the question myself, which leads me to make this the topic, albeit briefly, of my first diagnosis…Pulp- literature or something else?
Instead of giving you in depth analysis and my opinion, I’m going to approach this diagnosis a tad differently.First, a smattering of comments I heard this weekend.
“Pulp fiction?You mean stuff that reads like that Travolta movie watches?That’s mixed up crap!”
“Pulp achieves nothing for the reader except escapism.There are no levels, there is no higher purpose for Pulp like there is in literary works.”
“Heroes are cool, but Pulp gives us unattainable ideals.No one can be The Shadow or lives a life that’s as rapid fire as Pulp is.”
“Pulp?You mean that stuff hack writers wrote so they could eat back in the Depression?People still like that stuff?”
“Pulp aspires to nothing.That’s why it can cross so many genres, because in the end, unlike real literature, Pulp aspires to nothing.” (This last comment was made by an author at the Festival who writes detective stories.)
OK, again, no deep philosophy and such on this one, but let me comment on each of these-
1. Yeah, heard this one a lot.Even had discussions about why the movie is a Pulp movie beyond its title.This one won’t go away for awhile.
2. We don’t read to escape??I missed the memo.Also, if Pulp doesn’t have layers, can anyone explain to me how Phillip Jose Farmer pulled enough out of Doc Savage and Tarzan to give birth to the Wold Newton Family (And that’s just one example)
3. We live in a world where people really are putting on masks and tights and going to try to save their little bit of the world.And maybe it’s not bullet riddled, but the last time I checked I’m living faster than Lamont Cranston could fly.
4. Yes, people still like it, as is evidenced by all the new publishers coming out as well as conventions for such work!
5. Pulp aspires to good storytelling, interesting characters, and fascinating, thought provoking plots.Much like the blurb on the back of this person’s book read.Yep, no aspiration here.
I also heard things about Pulp being overly descriptive, too purple prose-y, long on flower and short on substance, etc.
Now in response, I will throw in two different definition of literature-
Literature is-
•The body of written works of a language, period, or culture.
•Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value: “Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity” (Rebecca West). (American Heritage Dictionary)
LITERATURE-literature(ˈlɪtərɪtʃə, ˈlɪtrɪ-)— nwritten material such as poetry, novels, essays, etc, esp works of imagination characterized by excellence of style and expression and by themes of general or enduring interest (World English Dictionary)
Hmmm.Written work of a certain period.Imaginative and creative writing.Artistic.Works of imagination.Style and expression.Themes of general or enduring interest.
PANEL QUESTION- Pulps, both classic and new, are chock full of heroes. Larger than life action types who swing in, throw fists, sling bullets or magical blasts or some such, and then swing out having routed the villains, wooed the love interest de jour, and gone on to the next adventure. But what are these heroic types made of? What does a character have to have to be a Pulp Hero?
Send your responses to allpulp@yahoo.com and they will be posted here! THIS IS YOUR PANEL, TOO!
From Rob Davis- Pulp heroes must have a strong, overriding sense of justice and/or right and wrong.
From Nancy Hansen- A pulp hero is always inspiring. This is someone any of us could look up to in awe; a person who rises to the occasion, sacrificing whatever it takes to make sure justice is done. She or he may not be the strongest, smartest, or most skilled warrior in the group, but there is a feeling of competence, a dogged persistence, at least some self-discipline, and enough grit and determination to see a situation through. That is what it takes to keep these larger than life characters in there fighting when all hope is gone, energy is flagging, and the injuries are taking their toll—in essence to the last dying moment and ounce of strength. And because pulp heroes have made at least some kind of bonds with others in the tales, there is generally a supporting cast of characters with more specialized skills and interests who may wade to assist at a critical moment. Add a dash of good luck and a few shakes of quirky yet comfortably predictable behavior, stir well, and you have a rousing good story and the birth of a legend.
From Percival Constantine- A pulp hero should be larger than life, a character who readers stand in awe of. A pulp hero needs to have style and flair with which he or she goes about their duties. A healthy dose of wit also doesn’t hurt.
From Martin Powell- That’s best answered, I think, by a pulp hero. Put in simplest terms, and in the words of Doc Savage himself:
“…Let me think of the right and lend all my assistance to those who need it, with no regard for anything but justice.”
After a hiatus of 15 years, PULP VAULT returns with its 14th issue, which is by far our largest yet. Clocking in at over 250 pages, it starts off with a full color cover, featuring a previously unpublished Virgil Finlay painting. Inside are a host of articles on, and fiction from, the pulps, including:
BLUE BOOK-THE SLICK IN PULP CLOTHING by Mike Ashley – This in-depth look at Blue Book is the most detailed article ever on one of the longest lived and important pulps. In this 20,000 word essay, Mike Ashley explores the history of Blue Book, from its first issue to its final one nearly 70 years later. Covering a span of 613 issues, this is the definitive study of Blue Book.
THE THRILL BOOK STORY by Will Murray – One of the scarcest of all pulp titles, few magazines have the aura that legendary The Thrill Book does. In a lengthy article, Will Murray sheds light on this unique experiment from Street & Smith. Illustrated with every cover from this rare pulp.
THE STRANGE STORIES THAT NEVER WAS by Robert Weinberg – When the fantasy pulp, Strange Stories, folded after its unlucky thirteenth issue, several manuscripts remained in the inventory. Most eventually saw print in other pulps of the Thrilling chain, such as Thrilling Mystery and Thrilling Adventure. Robert Weinberg dons his pulp detective hat to track down those stories which, had the magazine continued, would have made up the next few issues of Strange Stories.
PULP VAULT #14 includes articles by 3 pulp writers — ONE OLD-TIMER’S VIEW OF THE PULPS by Hugh B. Cave (written shortly before Hugh passed away), THE OUTSIDER—AND NO OTHERS by Robert Barbour Johnson (written by this Weird Tales author in the 1970s and appearing for the first time) and TWENTY-FIVE YEARS+ OF GLORY! by J. Edward Leithead (a little seen look back at the world of western pulps, from 1967).
Our fiction offerings are:
THE GIANT AND THE DINOSAUR by Donald Wandrei – a previously unpublished Cyrus North novelette!
THE FLAMING SKULL by Hugh B. Cave – one of Hugh’s favorite stories, a previously unreprinted novelette from Popular Fiction, November 1931.
THE SPLENDOR OF ASIA by L. Adams Beck – from the September 7, 1922 issue of The Popular Magazine, “The Splendor of Asia” is a complete adventure-packed novel set high in the snowy passes of the Himalayan mountains, featuring lost cities, fabled treasures and the hideous Things that Run.
Also included are:
THE SAGA OF SINGAPORE SAMMY by Rick Lai ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF NORMAN SAUNDERS by David Saunders INTRODUCING CYRUS NORTH by D.H. Olson FRANKLYN E. HAMILTON by Link Hullar – accompanied by several of Frank’s great illustrations COVERING THE MAN OF BRONZE by Doug Klauba PAINTING THE MAN OF BRONZE by Tom Roberts An index to FIGHTING ROMANCES FROM THE WEST AND EAST Never before published photos from the 1939 World Science Fiction Convention in New York
And more!
PULP VAULT #14 is $24.95 and is available from Black Dog Books (www.blackdogbooks.net) or from Amazon.
And for those attending next week’s Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention, we’ll have copies there!
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD-THE COVER!
From Pulpwork Press-
Two things (and only two things) about How the West Was Weird, Vol. 2:
1) It’s scheduled to appear on July 1, 2011. 2) Jim Rugg has out-awesomed his cover for the first volume. Check it out!
…Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more news and pre-release promotions!
The Book Cave Episode 121: Modern Marvels-Viktoriana! (Posting later today)
Wayne ‘the Kitchen Sink’ Reinagel joins the Book Cave crew to talk about his latest epic-to-beat-all-epics of heroic fiction!! Modern Marvesl Viktoriana! And of course, ALL PULP NEWS!
As Margaret has been comforting her mother, Donald has returned home with more questions than answers. The answers he does have all lead in one direction, and he can’t take them to the police. Will Donald Raymond be forced to do the one thing he’s sworn never to do again. Find out in the latest chapter of REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST.
ELLIS’ SECRET AGENT X GOES DIGITAL!
Need a shot of pulpy goodness? Noted Pulp Author Sean Ellis’ Secret Agent X novella, Masterpiece of Vengeance is now available for your Kindle. This story also introduces a group of villains that will be appearing in the forthcoming Adventures of Dodge Dalton at the Outpost of Fate. http://tinyurl.com/3pk6wln
And for the NOOK-www.tinyurl.com/3wnjvyl
Classic pulp crime fighter Secret Agent X, the man of a thousand faces, encounters a villain from his past and a deadly brotherhood of assassins who will stop at nothing to destroy him.
Biography
Sean Ellis enjoys a lifelong love affair with adventure. His early years were spent chasing the Tom Sawyer dream on the banks of the Siletz River in Oregon. As a teenager, he pursued an elusive pirate legend and combed the Pacific coast for buried treasure. He has searched for Mayan ruins in the jungles of Honduras and chased after the Golden City of Cibola in the American Southwest. Sean enjoys adventure racing, competitive mountain biking and has competed in several off-road triathlons. He is also a decorated combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan 2006-2007) where among other duties performed, he played chauffeur to filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) during the filming of the documentary Where in the World is Osama bin Laden. If you look real close, you may catch a glimpse. Sean has a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources policy, and currently resides in Arizona where he daily experiences his greatest adventure: fatherhood.
From Tommy Hancock, one of the founding members of PULP DEFINED-
We all know that Pulp is in the midst of what some call a resurgence, others a renaissance, still others a reawakening. Whatever you term it, Pulp is probably more discussed, more involved, and more active now than it has been since its heyday. Due to that, new publishers, new characters, and new concepts are popping up right and left. One of those is the idea of the internet pulp groups, of which there are some sterling examples, that focus on the works of creators, allow for fan interaction, and simply further the cause of Pulp in exemplary fashion. The one that comes to mind immediately is THE PULP FACTORY, headed by Ron Fortier and Rob Davis.
With the increase in the pace of the growth of Pulp being as fast as it seems within the last few years, many discussions and conversations have focused on how to legitimize Pulp more, how to appeal to a modern audience, how to stake our claim to being valid literature and to make an impact that everyone will notice. One way to do that is to improve the craft, to focus on quality and other factors. Another way is to provide a group that acts as support, advocacy, and encouragement for Pulp creators. The latter is the dream that started what has now become PULP DEFINED.
PULP DEFINED began as an attempt to form a creator’s organization much like other fields have on a large scale. Something that those involved in this idea learned very quickly was that was a monumental task and one that Pulp may not be as ready for as it needs to be. So PULP DEFINED has stepped back and considered what is needed in Pulp right now to move that direction. And that is a group, a body of writers initially, since the ideas do spring forth from the writer’s pen, to focus on the craft of creating Pulp, to address some key issues about Pulp as a genre and a group unto itself.
In the process, though, of working toward the original big picture plan, a few things had to be defined. One that was successfully defined was a definition for what Pulp would be for this group. We all know that if you ask ten pulp writers, artists, publishers, and fans to define Pulp, you’re liable to get answers that share characteristics, but tend to go off in different directions. To form a cohesiveness for this planned group, we determined it was necessary to set a broad definition for Pulp so at least some differentiation could be made. So, for that purpose, the definition of what is Pulp as seen by PULP DEFINED is as follows-
PULP IS -fast-paced, plot-orientated storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists and creative descriptions and clever use of turns of phrase, words, and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story.
Using this definition as our parameters, PULP DEFINED wants to establish itself as a Writer’s Group (Again, initially) focused seriously on writing in terms of three areas-
EDUCATION/IMPROVEMENT-We have all been in online writers’ groups that start out with good intentions, that really want to focus on reading each other’s work, offering helpful hints, even discussing key points that are universal to the field we’re writing in. Then they fizzle out. I won’t say that won’t happen here, but I will say we don’t want or need that to happen here. PULP DEFINED will be focused on specifically working with every writer who is a member and wants to sort of put their stuff out there for the group as a whole to help with. Whether that’s editing, idea generation, or marketing and such after the work is done, PULP DEFINED intends to be a place where a writer can bring their work and from start to finish learn from others in the field ways to improve and be sure the idea gets out there.
QUALITY-Although this ties in somewhat to the first one, PULP DEFINED intends to be a group where not only writers can improve, but hopefully we as a group can establish standards for quality amongst ourselves that raise the bar for us all and while still keeping true to the essence of Pulp, improve our work in ways that will make it appeal to mainstream readers and those markets. No one is looking to set up rules for how ‘good’ a pulp story should be, but there is enough work out there passing itself off as Pulp that is not of the quality that some of things serious writers are producing.
COMMUNITY-This is as important as the other two. This group, open to Pulp writers, is open to Pulp writers regardless of medium. That’s novelists, short story writers, comic writers, audio show writers, film, tv, etc. Even though the mediums we each use may be different, Pulp work done in any medium only furthers the cause of PULP DEFINED. We hope this group will become a haven for the Pulp writer, regardless of how they transmit that to the general masses.
With these three things in mind, PULP DEFINED is going to be a group of writers focused on writing. Other groups exist to handle discussions of Pulp history, fandom, and other aspects. And those are as needed, if not more needed in some respects than a writer’s group. But PULP DEFINED intends to be a writer’s group that elevates Pulp, both writer and product. And this group intends to provide education, support, and whatever is needed as it grows. Notice, I didn’t say if. AS it grows.
So, interested in being a member? First, make sure your work meets the definition above! Secondly, be ready to work, to share, to help, to give yourself to the group to make it what it needs to be. This group is not for the writer wanting to try a taste, we are the hoarders at the buffet and are very serious about what we plan to do. Thirdly, email me at braedenalex@centurytel.net requesting membership. If I don’t know you, then provide me something that let’s me know your work in Pulp. Other founding members of this group can put you up for membership as well if you know them. They are-RON FORTIER, DERRICK FERGUSON, BARRY REESE, PAUL MANNERING, ANDREW SALMON, and JOSHUA REYNOLDS. Any of the founding members can ‘sponsor’ you so to speak,which simply means bringing you to that core group for approval. Then you’re invited and PULP DEFINED takes off!
Some will have issues with this concept for a variety of reasons. The intent of PULP DEFINED is to improve, elevate, publicize, and make Pulp into something that is even longer lasting, even more influential, and could be a career for some of us. This is not intended to be a fly-by-night exercise. We are very serious about what we plan to do.
Sometimes great minds think alike and even simultaneously. Two noted modern pulp writers within hours of each other sent ALL PULP an email, one asking to do an interview, the other wanting to submit an essay. Each of these writers wanted to use these vehicles to dig deeper into their own creative processes, to pull back the shade and show where some of the influences for their characters and some of the reasons behind creative decisions they made came from. The writer who requested the interview was Mike Bullock and that interview was posted yesterday on MOONSTONE MONDAY. The writer who’d written the essay is ALL PULP’s very own Barry Reese and it will be posted below to officially kick off BEHIND THE VEIL.
In the coming weeks, Perry Constantine, ALL PULP guest columnist will be contacting some pulp creators with a list of interview questions, not the basic questions, but some real get tough and deep type questions about relationships these writers have with particular characters they have created or have written. If you prefer, however, to do an essay as Barry did, then please do so and send that to allpulp@yahoo.com Both interviews and essays will be featured in BEHIND THE VEIL.
Behind the Veil: The Rook & Me
by Barry Reese
I was very young when my parents divorced. As a result, most of my memories of my father are ones where he was either drunk or making my mother cry, or both. He did get me on some weekends, though, and there are two very fond memories that I have of him: on Friday nights, he would let me stay up far too late to watch one of those B-Movie shows at midnight; and he always had those Bantam pulp reprints of Doc Savage and The Avenger lying around. From the former, I think I gained my appreciation of bad cinema and from the latter, I gained a lifelong appreciation for heroes that many of my peers had never heard of. While I could speak comfortably to them about the nuances of Batman, Spider-Man or Nova, I was always conversant in the more obscure realms of Doc Savage, The Shadow, Justice, Inc. and Conan the Barbarian.
Eventually, my father moved to Florida and his appearances in my life became more infrequent.In 1985 (when I was 13 years old), he showed up unannounced at the house I lived in with my mother and stepfather (the man whom I always think of as my “real” father). He brought me a huge supply of paperback books and spent a couple of hours with me. He made an off-color joke about a girl in my class that I mentioned having a crush on and then he hugged me and said he’d see me again soon.
It’s 2011 and he’s yet to keep that promise.
I grew up, suffered through the typical high school angst, found my future wife and a career as a librarian. Eventually, I kind of stumbled into a career as a writer. One of my creations, the one that I’m most known for, was a pulp-style hero known as The Rook. In this series, young Max Davies loses his father when he’s a young boy and grows up thinking that he has to somehow ensure that others won’t suffer the pain that he did. Eventually, he discovers that his father has controlled his growth, even from beyond the grave, transforming him into the man that he becomes. He’s tormented by conflicting feelings upon encountering his father’s ghost: does he hate this man who has shaped him or does he desperately want his approval? In the fictional world, their relationship heats and cools repeatedly before they finally bury the hatchet as his father is symbolically killed by the son and vanishes into the afterlife, finally at peace.
I never saw The Rook as any reflection upon my life until a reporter doing a story on me kept going back to my relationship with my own father. And then I wondered: did this man who hasn’t seen me in over 25 years still control me? Is The Rook some sort of grotesque parody of my own personal relationship with a man who in some ways is dead to me?
I sent my father a few of my books and he emailed me back, saying he loved them and that he appreciated how I used some of the heroes he used to admire. He also said he loved me. I thanked him for the comments on the books but I’ve never said I love you back.
Just as in The Rook, the grave isn’t always the end. Shortly after my stepfather passed away, my genetic father re-entered my life, through the magic of the Internet and Facebook.He sometimes posts on my wall and tells me how proud he is of me.
I sometime wonder if it’ll take his death for me to put all the complex issues to rest.
If he does die, will I attend his funeral? Seems strange not to but at the same time, I haven’t seen him in 26 years… how do you vanish from your child’s life for so long? Now that I’m a father, I (like Max in The Rook series) can’t imagine turning my back on my own flesh and blood. I’d gladly die for him… and can’t fathom simply walking away from him.
Sometimes I want to reach out to my father and embrace him but then I think that maybe I just miss my stepfather.
From Pulpwork Press’s site-http://www.pulpwork.com/2011/04/weird-in-west.html?spref=fb
WEIRD IN THE WEST
The TOC for How the West was Weird 2 looks to have been finalized, with ALL of the stories now in editor Russ Anderson’s hands. Included among the roster of contributing authors are Ron Fortier, Tommy Hancock, and Barry Reese, as well as Derrick Ferguson and Joel Jenkins! And with TWENTY-ONE tall tales of western weirdness, this volume doubles the fun of the previous one.
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD VOL 1
Be sure to check back soon for a sneak peek of the cover, as well as a look at the stories inside! Too, there’ll be an awesome little pre-order incentive coming in the next month or so, so make ready to crack your wallets wide, weird western fans, because it’ll be a hum-dinger!
For those of you that remember the AFRN, and the nights they would play Old Time Radio programs, Don Leary of Seymour has set up a website that you can listen to daily. There is a listing on the Main Page for the weekly schedule (program only, not the title of the episode). The same episode will play in three different time periods. The hours are listed (Central Standard Time – Texas). There are buttons at the top of the screen for the listening format. Right now, Don doesn’t have it set up for you to download the shows. Some other programs are THE LONE RANGER, JOHNNY DOLLAR, X MINUS ONE, GUNSMOKE, SHERLOCK HOLMES, SUSPENSE, DIMENSION X, and so many more! http://theiotrs.com/ Check out the schedule.
FLYING GLORY-THE LATEST FROM KPSB!
FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY
Special Issue 0 Page 2
You, um, missed the fireworks about that… Debra runs off to tell her band members in the Hounds of Glory the news, only to find something else has happened. What’s going on? Find out in the next page of the prelude story, “Generational Glory,” at http://www.flying-glory.com/ !
Mike Bullock: Thanks! [looks at the new blinds] I love what you’ve done with the place.
AP: Ha! Catch everyone up on what you’ve been up to and what you’re working on.
MB: Well, I have a lot of irons in the fire, but the ones that AP’s readers are most likely interested in include putting the finishing touches on the first Black Bat/Death Angel graphic novel, which heads to the printer this week.
AP: You’ve been involved heavily in Moonstone’s pulp comic line, including bringing your own character, Death Angel into the mix as well as working with well known characters from Pulp’s Golden Age. In general, what appeals to you about these types of characters as a creator?
MB: Since the first moment I saw the Michael Whelan cover on A Princess of Mars back in the ‘70s, I’ve been a pulp fan. There’s just something about speculative fiction created in the early 20th century that’s always captivated my imagination. I think it has something to do with the sheer sense of wonder many of those tales possess. Those stories were also more clear-cut, in that you always knew the hero, always knew the villain and were never bogged down in the “shades of grey” trends and anti-hero shtick that’s so prevalent these days. I’ve since become greatly intrigued by the creation process many pulp writers went through back then and how they combined elements from the real world with what we now call “fringe science,” melding both into a bubbling concoction of imaginative zeal.
AP: Let’s narrow the scope here. You are the writer behind Moonstone’s BLACK BAT. This iconic character is credited for being the inspiration for many heroes that followed him, most notably Batman and Daredevil. Who/what is THE BLACK BAT?
MB: He is a DA, a hero, a man who burns with a desire to use everything at his disposal to bring the guilty to justice. In his pre-Bat life, Anthony Quinn was nearly single-minded in his pursuit of justice through the legal system. I’ve often found that those who truly excel at what they do share this trait, and sometimes it takes them to heights those of us who tend to multi-task can never hope to achieve. That was true of Anthony Quinn, which put him directly in the crosshairs of organized crime. After an attempt to destroy evidence goes horribly wrong, blinding Quinn in the courtroom that was his battlefield, he learns to adapt, (with that same single-mindedness) and move outside the confines of the system he so diligently defends by taking on the persona of the Black Bat.
AP: When you were given the BLACK BAT to write, what sort of feelings went through your head, how did you feel about taking on a character that, although not well known, had a definite established history, personality, and a loyal fan base?
MB: Whether I like it or not, I’m no stranger to dealing with a character with a decades-old, passionate, vocal fan-base. I mean, you can’t write a character like The Phantom and not have that ghost hanging over you every time you work on a story. So, that part of taking on Black Bat didn’t faze me much. I’m cognizant of the fact that some people will love what I’ve done, some will hate it and some will find themselves indifferent. The only group I really fret over is the last one.
AP: What’s the creative process you used when you started working on BLACK BAT? Any special techniques, rituals, etc. that you go through when writing a character for the first time and/or when developing a story line?
MB: First, I dig around and read as much as I can about the character such as past stories, online bios, information by knowledgeable fans, etc. Then I sit down and try to imagine what was going through the original creator’s mind when coming at the character for the first time. Once I have a handle on how I feel the character will react to certain situations and themes, I then turn around and try to concoct a series of events I can transform into a story based on how the character will interact with them.
AP: As you considered the directions you might go with the character, what stood out to you the most from the BLACK BAT’s story? What aspects hooked you as a fan that you then wanted to bring out to the readers?
MB: As I mentioned upstream, it’s the single-mindedness of Quinn. I’ve been fascinated with people many consider “game changers” for years now, studying how they approach things. One commonality I’ve seen in such people, from sports icons, to filmmakers, to inventors, is their single-mindedness. Men such as Robert E. Howard, Bruce Lee, Dale Earnhardt, Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan and George Lucas all embody this trait and it’s something that jumped out at me about Black Bat; a laser-like focus on the task at hand. While none of these men are striving to be the absolute best at what they do as an end game, their dedication to the craft brings that about as a by-product.
AP: A major discussion that goes on all the time in various media, but particularly it seems where pulp characters are concerned, is why modern creators change the classic characters in some way when they write them. Did you come to BLACK BAT intending to change it, to update it, to make it fit with modern stories? Or was that more of an organic process, change happening as you put the idea together?
MB: I certainly didn’t set out to do that, but somewhere along the line I think I did re-imagine him to a certain extent, or possibly a more accurate way to say it would be ‘re-create’ him. My fascination with the old pulp writers, combined with the study of game-changing men made me stop and take a hard look at just what I thought a man like Norman Daniels might do with Black Bat were he to create the character now instead of the 1930s. He’d have the backdrop of the early 21st century mindset to work from, with our lessened societal moral code: what was considered “R” rated in the 20th century is “PG” these days. He’d also have a solid working knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorder and how it can ‘cause personality fragmentation. He’d know how personality fragmentation works and how it manifests. He’d also know that rarely is a man who is so driven justified with what most consider normal.
All those factors lead to a perfect storm of sorts, ignited by the acid that hit Quinn in the face and brought the genesis of the Black Bat.
AP: One change, subtle to some, glaring to others, is that your BLACK BAT is a killer. Even though BLACK BAT did sometimes use maximum force in the original stories, your take on Tony Quinn is definitely more savage, more ruthless. What was the motivation behind this? Was it because these types of characters sell or was it more to do with the character itself?
MB: I don’t do anything because I think it will sell, because honestly I have no clue what will or won’t sell. If I did know, I wouldn’t need to write anymore, except to sign my name to royalty checks at the bank [laughing]. The decision to go there with this incarnation of Black Bat was nothing more than the logical progression of what I mentioned above: A single-minded, traumatized, fractured man who views criminals as a disease that needs to be cured. Or, maybe it’s all part of a larger campaign to strike fear in the powerful men behind those Black Bat encounters? Since the original Black Bat vowed to use fear as a weapon, it makes sense that he would communicate that fear in a language his adversaries speak. In the interests of not spoiling what’s to come, I don’t want to say which way it’s really going…
AP: Is your version of BLACK BAT more relevant today than the original version? Does relevance even matter?
MB: I have no idea. Relevance is in the eye of the beholder. Some might only find it relevant if I adhere exactly to what’s come before, others might see it as me doing something that fits into modern times, others might only consider it relevant if they’re entertained. That’s another one of those questions, like “what sells” that I’m just not smart enough to answer.
AP: One of the arguments many of the pulp purists have when discussing changing existing characters is “If you want to make him different than what he was, give him a different name and create a new character!” What are your thoughts on that? Why are creators looking at these old, largely forgotten properties and tweaking and changing them instead of creating whole new characters from top to bottom?
MB: I couldn’t speak for why anyone else does that other than creators create, it’s in our DNA. For me, I acknowledge that no one will ever write a Black Bat story as good as the ones already in print written by the Bat’s creator. No one will ever write Conan as well as Howard, no one will ever write Doc Savage as well as Lester Dent and I never wrote a Phantom story that measures up to one from Lee Falk. So, instead of trying to do the impossible, I felt led to try and sit in Daniels’ seat, think inside his parameters, but include what we know these days in regards to the psychology of fear.
All the old tales, and all the news ones as well, always have a certain degree of social commentary, a certain amount of the writer’s worldview and life experience built into them, sometimes overtly, but more often than not subconsciously. I think we have to acknowledge the age old adage: Life imitates art. It’s hard to imitate certain aspects of a life we’ve never led, while striving to remove aspects of the one we do lead.
There’s also the real possibility I’m simply off my rocker…
And, to touch on the other point, I did create my own pulp character from top to bottom with Death Angel.
AP: To follow that tangent, tell us about that. What makes Death Angel fit into the pulp world?
MB: Death Angel is a combination of unquenchable drive, righteous anger and fringe science all balled into one package of “night stalking” vigilante. ‘Angel is my tip of the hat to the great writers who heralded the golden age of speculative fiction from the 20th century. My chance to create my own take, do with it as I want, and tell the sorts of stories that have no place in my other creator-owned properties like Lions, Tigers and Bears or Timothy and the Transgalactic Towel. So far, reader feedback has been very positive, so I think I’m doing something right… for once [laughing]
AP: All right, soapbox time. You have as long as you want to pitch BLACK BAT to the purists, to the readers and fans who feel like you should have left BLACK BAT as is. Why should they read what you’re doing with the character? What will they find that they can connect to in your take on this character?
MB: All I’d ask is that everyone waits for the story to unfold before jumping to any conclusions. I know it falls under the “not your Father’s” cliché, but I love the character and really tried to imbue that into the stories. I really want to show people who never read Black Bat stories why he’s such a great character, and hopefully, that will lead them back to the source material. Unlike some people who have taken on older characters of late, I truly love the pulp “genre”, truly love the characters and want them to regain the spotlight they deserve. If you disagree, then by all means, speak your mind, but I’d ask that you give it a fair shake before deciding it is or isn’t for you. That’s all I can ask.
AP: What else do you have cooking, pulp wise and beyond, in the future?
MB: Well, I’m looking forward to doing more with Black Bat and Death Angel, as well as Captain Future and a few other things. Joe Gentile and I are slowly laying the ground work for a Return of the Originals: Battle for LA sequel, of sorts (not really a continuation of what CJ Henderson wrote, but just another epic tale featuring a multitude of pulp heroes). On the pulp event-horizon you’ll find Savage Beauty, our new jungle girl book, and Air Vixens, featuring a new tale with Bald Eagle, Black Angel and Jasmine LaForge of Iron Ace fame.
I’m working on another “brought back to life” property that I can’t talk about just yet, but I can say the last time the character was in comics, he was one of the five most popular comic characters on Earth.
For anyone into all-ages comics, my own Lions, Tigers and Bears is roaring back into book stores in May, with the debut of volume III, followed soon thereafter by re-issues of volume I & II. I also have another all-ages property I’m creating right now that will hopefully hit stores in 2012.
