Author: Tommy Hancock

ALL PULP INTERVIEWS RIC CROXTON, PULP PODCASTING PIONEER!

  • News
  • January 21, 2011

ALL PULP INTERVIEW-RIC CROXTON-PODCASTER

AP: Well, it’s about time! Ric, thanks a ton for stopping by and sharing your wit and wisdom with ALL PULP! Tell us a bit about yourself if you don’t mind.

RC: I’m just your average guy that was kidnapped by aliens to be taken back to their homeworld as a slave. On the way I was lucky enough to lead a revolt and take over the ship and become captain until it crashed on a distant planet. I quickly became Warlord and married the Princess (the most beautiful woman of two worlds)….. My wife just told me that I should just talk about my earth bound adventures.

I grew up mostly in southern Missouri in a small town of Preston, where if it wasn’t for the flashing red light you would never know it was there. My maternal grandparents would bring me a sack of old comics from an older cousin, which began a lifetime love of reading. At around the age of 12 while visiting my other cousins in north Missouri I became ill and my aunt let me read her oldest son’s Doc Savage books. Luckily this was the early 1970s and whenever I could I would buy both all the comics I could and whatever Doc Savage novels available.

At the start of my senior year in high school, my Dad decided we were going to move again (we did that a lot while I was growing up, but always moving back to Preston). We ended up in Springdale, Arkansas. While I was still in high school I opened up a used book shop in the local flea market. A few years later I bought a local used bookstore that soon became a comic book shop until I sold it in 1988 to a larger card and comic shop that started in the area. I became the manager for a time until he sold it to a chain of shops. I decided that I wanted a regular job where I wasn’t working up to 20 hours a day 7 days a week and could have a life outside of books. (What was I thinking? There is no life outside of books).

After that, I worked in the real world, met and married my wife of the last 16 years. Deborah, my wife had three brats…I mean adult kids and I soon became a grandfather to 4 monsters…I mean grandkids. We recently moved back to the Little Rock area so that we can be next to the monsters.

AP: You are most definitely a pulp fan from a long way back. What about the pulp tales intrigues you so much that you not only built a pod cast around them, but you have followed the various genres within the field for most of your life and are an avid collector?

RC: As I mentioned before I’ve been a comic book fan from the age of 7. I didn’t know at the time that I was reading Pulps with Doc Savage, Tarzan, Conan, Shadow and later, The Spider. Living in the area I was in was difficult at the time to find any Pulps. I was lucky to find the paperback reprints, even owning a bookstore. It was a little over 10 years ago when my wife and I were first living in Little Rock I bought my first Pulp at the local comic shop. It was a Fantastic Adventures issue with a Oscar the Martian Detective. “Oscar Saves The Union”. I still have it and my small collection of Pulps. My collection of Pulp reprints has taken over a bookcase and is growing. The thing I love most about Pulps is that not only does it cover my favorite, the hero Pulps, but it covers everything else like SF, mystery, crime, westerns and everything else. Plus I found out I have a connection the Pulps. My maternal grandfather (the same one that brought me comics) was a western Pulp writer of the late 1940s to 50s. He was L.C. Davis.

AP: Speaking of you collecting, describe if you would your collection of pulp and action/hero/etc. literature.

RC: As I mentioned above, I have a bookcase that is full of the hero Pulps and in another bookcase I am filling it with the comic book prose paperbacks. The house we live in I have a room of nothing but books, comics and magazines surrounding me. My wife has suggested I put another bookcase in the living room for some of my hardbacks so that I can display all my collection easier. My closet is full of drawer boxes of comics. I have 2 bookcases of nothing but comic book tpbs and hardbacks. Believe me I have more than enough paperbacks, comics, hardcovers and to read for a long time, but I am still adding more.

AP: You’re the founder, original host, and now co-host of THE BOOK CAVE. What possessed you to start a pod cast and what was the original intent of the show?

RC: About 4 years ago a very good friend of mine, Bruce Rosenberger was talking about podcasts on the Yahoo group we are on. He did around 12 episodes for the group before he went public and started KomicsKast. I was a guest on an early episode and became interested. Bruce mentioned other podcasts like Comic Geek Speak, SciFi Dig and others. Because I was working third shift 10 hours a night where I didn’t have to do much thinking I could listen to all the episodes I wanted.

What a lot people don’t know is that before the Book Cave I was part of another podcast called Legion of Substitute Podcasters, a Legion of Super-Heroes podcast. During that time was when I decided to start the Book Cave. Paul French, the leader of LSP was a great tech help to starting the podcast. Due to my working nights and only having the weekends off made it difficult for me to record with LSP. Like I said I worked nights and they worked days, it made it difficult for all of us to get together. They are a great bunch of guys with a fantastic podcast.

When I first thought about doing a podcast it was very different than what the first episode turned into. My first efforts I tried to script an dialog about Pulps and comics. When I recorded it and played it back, I hated it. I asked myself what I liked about podcasts and what I didn’t. I liked how Comic Geek Speak talked to the creators and got some great info. I learned that I’m not a big fan of the stick to the script podcasts. Some of their shows it felt like they were all reading the scripts and would laugh because the script says insert laugh here. My biggest influence is from Bruce’s KomicsKast, where he would talk about small press comics, comic strips and all the things he enjoyed. I thought why don’t I do a podcast talking about what I like and thus began The Book Cave.

AP: THE BOOK CAVE has grown into a fantastic venue for Pulp fiction, its writers, artists, and creators to really get out and talk about their work. Why do you think it has had the impact it has?

RC: The reason The Book Cave has had the impact is because Art and I are fans. As Art would say :This is a show by fans for fans”.

AP: There’s a ton of discussion within the pulp field these days on various topics. One of these is do we write public domain pulp characters as they were originally conceived or do we update, add to, take away from, or wholesale change them for a modern audience? Where do you fall on this?

RC: I think that if you want to write about Ki-Gor, keep true to what he is. I have no problem with a writer adding something to flesh him out. If they decide that Ki-Gor loses an arm or leg and they make him a cyborg with a laser eye and has a jetpack, this is no longer Ki-Gor. Change his name and make it your character. I’ve read other books where the writer has taken someone like the Shadow and changed him into what he wants and given him another name, but you know he is a different version of the Shadow. Remember if you are going to write the Shadow, he doesn’t wear purple tights, mask and green cape and he isn’t a head on a robot body.

AP: There’s also a lot of talk about how relevant pulp is today. Is relevance really important or is it more about telling a good tale? If the story is solid, will fans find it or does it need to impact modern society in some way?

RC: I read to escape reality, to imagine myself doing things I either never would do or never be able to do. If the story has relevance in the world, great, but the most important thing a story must do is entertain.

AP: You’ve interviewed everyone from brand new writers to legends like Tom Johnson. Anyone you haven’t had in THE BOOK CAVE yet that is sort of a dream guest for you?

RC: I’d love to have a group of Pulp greats like Tom Johnson, Will Murray and a couple of others to talk about the Pulps. Art and I could introduce them, then step back and let them have the mic for as long as they want.

AP: You’ve also added a pod cast or two to your lineup. Tell us about those, if you would.

RC: I started three other podcasts of which one Popcorn Theatre is in limbo. Ric’s Comics is my comic book podcast where I can talk about comics. I know there are a ton of comic book podcasts, but most of the hosts are much younger than me. I wanted a podcast that appealed to the older fan.

Future 4 Color started in my Ric’s Comics, but grew too big for it. F4C is podcast about Previews. While almost every comic book podcast has a Previews episode. F4C is Previews and my co-host, Bruce Rosenberger and I give some history on some of the books. Each week is a different section of Preview, DC, Marvel, major Independents and other Independents in the back of the book. The show was inspired by Bruce’s BOP (Bottom of the Pile) episodes on his podcasts. On F4C, Bruce and I and guests would chat about a book and maybe give a history or ask each other if we know anything about the creators. Sometimes we would gripe about prices.

AP: You have a co-host on the book cave. Tell ALL PULP what it’s like sharing a desk, so to speak, with Art Sippo.


Art Sippo, Co-Host of THE BOOK CAVE


RC: It has been a great honor and pleasure having “The Mad Doctor” as co-host. If you think Art and I geek out during the show, you should hear us when we aren’t recording.

Art and I met in person at the 2006 La Plata, MO Doc Savage Convention. We met again in the 2007 and 2008 Cons. At the 2008 I told Art I was thinking about starting a podcast and asked if he would be interested in coming on for an episode. Art was on episode 4 to talk Sun Koh and several other episodes before becoming my co-host in 2009. My running joke on the show is where everyone else Googles, I Sippo. Art is a walking encyclopedia on Pulp. He’s a lot of fun having him on the show, plus I get to do Mad Doctor jokes when he is unable to be there.

AP: So, can you pull back the veil and share anything about future guests on THE BOOK CAVE with our readers?

RC: Coming in February is the return of Bill Preston. If you remember Art and I went nuts trying to find a copy of his story in Asimov. Bill was gracious and sent us a copy of “Helping Them To Take the Old Man Down”. This February in Asimov he has a new “Old Man” story, “Clockworks”.

AP: Ric, we really appreciate you taking the time to visit! You are now leaving ALL PULP…

NINE FOR THE NEW SPOTLIGHTS CHUCK MILLER!!!

  • News
  • January 21, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

CHUCK MILLER-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator
http://theblackcentipede.blogspot.com/

AP: Chuck, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

CM: I’m a lifelong fan of comics, pulps, detective stories, horror movies, and so forth. I’ve got a BA in creative writing from the University of South Alabama, and have worked as a journalist and a paralegal, among other things.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

CM: In terms of writing style, the craft of writing itself, my four biggest influences, or role models, are Flannery O’Connor, William S. Burroughs, Carson McCullers and Hunter S. Thompson. Each of them had things—and this is more in terms of style than content—that I admire and have tried to cultivate in myself.

I should also mention Rex Stout and the Nero Wolfe novels and stories. There are some pretty strong echoes of Archie Goodwin in my first-person protagonists, I think.

Another big influence on me was the AP Stylebook. Working as a journalist, I learned to practice a certain economy of words, and how to get the most out of a limited number of them. Though I do tend to get long-winded when I’m not working under any restraints.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

CM: Going into it, I didn’t have a lot of experience doing pure action scenes. I was kind of intimidated by that, and wasn’t sure I could pull it off. But I’ve gotten my feet wet, and it’s getting easier to do them, and they seem to flow better as time goes on. It’s one of those things that you don’t want to overdo, but you really can’t have a piece of pulp fiction without it. I’m learning new ways to handle it, and ways in which I can make it more unique to the characters I write. Vionna Valis is going to have a much different approach to a fight or a chase scene than the Black Centipede will.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

CM: Well, I’m a comic book fan literally as far back as I can remember. And, of course, there’s been a lot of cross-pollination between comics and pulps. I first encountered the Shadow and Doc Savage in their early-70s comic book incarnations, from DC and Marvel, respectively. Not long after that I got into the paperback reprints of the pulp magazine tales, and realized that these particular characters worked better in this format than they did in comics. Now, I had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for a few years, the Conan Doyle stories, and was also into H.G. Wells and a few other things. And I saw all of that as something completely different from comic books, though not inconsistent with them, if you see what I mean. But characters like the Shadow and Doc Savage seemed like sort of a “missing link.”

At this point, I can see how everything connects, and have no trouble moving from one genre or medium or era to another. You can have Sherlock Holmes in a comic book and Batman in a novel, and the two can interact anywhere—books, comics, movies, whatever.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

CM: I have a pretty good imagination, and I also have a head full of comic books and pulp magazines and detective stories and monster movies. I bring a lot of different elements into my stories. I mine a lot of sources. You’ll find bits and pieces from all over the place. And I think I combine them in unique ways, and draw from them things that have not been seen before. And I use a lot of humor. I guess one of my main influences there would be the old “Kolchak: the Night Stalker” TV show, of which I have been a devoted fan since the night the first episode aired. The show was a great mixture of pulp detective and classic horror sensibilities—like Sam Spade got his wires crossed with a Universal Studios monster movie. Darren McGavin held it all together as Kolchak, who was a very funny guy, very accessible character. Not anybody’s idea of a superman. But, at the same time, you took him seriously as a monster hunter. He wasn’t an idiot. Most of the people he dealt with thought he was, but the viewer was in on the secret and could relate. Kolchak was an ordinary guy who kept running up against extraordinary threats—and he always won! That really worked its way into my blood, and I think I have that kind of sensibility in mind with any character I write.

AP: You have an extensive website already chock full of your work. Just Who is The BLACK CENTIPEDE?

CM: The Black Centipede started out as a very peripheral character in a comic book series I wanted to do twenty or so years ago. As originally conceived, he was a sort of cross between the Shadow and William S. Burroughs. Burroughs is an author I find fascinating in terms of his personal life and things he has said and done, though much of his work is unreadable. Not all of it. He did some fine work. His first novel, “Junkie,” was a big influence on my own writing style. It was the only one of his works that I would cite as an influence, but it was a pretty profound one. It was a very low-key, matter-of-fact, reportorial style he used, which I’ve always found to be the best way to present sensational material. I never got into his more experimental stuff, like “The Ticket That Exploded.” And there’s a pulp connection there, because I first got interested in Burroughs through Philip Jose Farmer’s Doc Savage biography. In the chapter called “The Fourfold Vision,” he discusses E.E. Smith, Lester Dent, Henry Miller and Burroughs.

Anyhow, as I say, the Centipede was just this little grain of an idea in my head for a long time. The comic book thing never happened back then, and I forgot about it in the press of other things. Then, a couple years ago, I decided wanted to get serious with my writing, and start producing some original material. It always helps if you actually HAVE some, and so I went back to those old comic book characters I’d never done anything with. That turned into “The Optimist Book One: You Don’t Know Jack,” which focused on Jack Christian, a 20-something guy who had, when he was much younger been the kid sidekick of a superhero called Captain Mercury. Mercury had died years before under very dodgy circumstances, and Jack’s life had pretty much gone to hell. The novel deals with his return to the city of Zenith and his involvement with an assortment of oddball characters, including the Black Centipede.

As I was writing it, the Centipede evidently decided he wasn’t happy with his relatively minor role, and started demanding more “screen time.” I started to see the potential in this character whose very long life—he had been active since the late 20s– was a question mark, and I had alluded to past adventures—rather like Conan Doyle did in the Sherlock Holmes stories, when he mentioned things like “The Giant Rat of Sumatra” and “The Politician, the Lighthouse, and the Trained Cormorant.”

So, once I had finished the novel, which I posted and promoted myself, online—I realized that, with the internet, I could do more than just submit manuscripts to publishers and sit around waiting for a response—I decided the next step would be to produce some short stories featuring some of the supporting cast from “The Optimist.”

The Black Centipede was the obvious choice for the first of these, and I wrote “Wisconsin Death Trip.” Set in 1957, it tells the story of the Centipede’s involvement in the strange case of the notorious Ed Gein. Since the Centipede’s career spans about 80 years (so far), I thought it would be a nice touch to have him meet and interact with genuine historical personages. In “Forty Whacks: the Secret origin of the Black Centipede,” he has a fateful encounter with Lizzie Borden, and in “Gasp, Choke, Good Lord,” an homage to the old EC horror comics of the 50s, he meets Dr. Fredric Wertham, William M. Gaines, and Albert Fish.

AP: The Centipede’s universe is peopled with other characters who also appear in stories on your site. Tell us a bit about each of them if you would?

CM: The other character from “The Optimist” that I’ve really taken and run with is Vionna Valis. I’ve started a series about her and her friend, Mary Kelly, and the detective agency they operate in Zenith. Mary is an interesting character, because she is also a real person—Mary Jane Kelly, who was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper back in 1888. Much of the action in “The Optimist Book One” centers around the activities of what appears to be the malevolent ghost of the Ripper, and the efforts of Jack and his friends to contain him. The Black Centipede comes up with the idea of summoning the spirits of the Ripper’s original victims to lend a hand. Well, the whole thing gets a bit out of hand, and the five victims end up manifesting, not as ghosts, but as living, breathing women.

Vionna is a rather troubled young woman. Most of her past is a complete blank to her. She has somehow lost almost all of her memories, and she shares space in her head with something she calls her “roommate.” This is an entity of unknown origin and nature that communicates information to her—sometimes helpful, sometimes just puzzling. This whole thing was going to be a major part of the storyline in the continuing “Optimist” series, but since I have put that on the back burner to concentrate on these individual adventures, the solution to this mystery will have to wait a while, and I downplay it somewhat in Vionna’s current adventures. There have been two of these so far: “Close Encounters of a Kind We’d Rather Not Think About,” in which Vionna and Mary learn some disturbing truths about the phenomenon of alien abduction, and “Vionna and the Vampires,” in which the girls meet the ghost of Sherlock Holmes, and learn how Professor James Moriarty came to supplant Dracula as Lord of the Vampires.

AP: What is your creative process as far as developing a character? What techniques or steps do you take?

CM: I will come up with a basic concept, then just start writing. The characters usually flesh themselves out during that process if they’re any good at all. Everything I do is first-person narrative, and so far I have three primary narrators: Jack Christian, the Black Centipede and Vionna Valis. So, whichever one I’m writing as, I “get into character,” so to speak, and then just take it wherever it goes. The characters then develop through these extended glimpses into their minds, or, for characters that are important but do not narrate, through their interactions with the characters that do.

AP: What’s coming from Chuck Miller? Any projects you want to discuss? Publications?

CM: Right now, I’m working on something for Pro Se. “Pulp Friction” is a story about the Black Centipede’s earliest days as a crimefighter in Zenith, and deals with some of the trials and tribulations he experienced while establishing himself. It’s set in 1933, six years after the events in “Forty Whacks,” and the “real world” guest-stars include William Randolph Hearst, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and Frank Nitti, among others. We also get some insight into three of the Black Centipede’s arch-enemies, “Bloody” Mary Jane Gallows, Doctor Almanac, and the Stiff. Hearst takes on the job of polishing up the Centipede’s public image, which our hero has tarnished through the use of excessive violence. The Centipede has a sort of troubling amorality at this stage of his career. One thing I want to explore with the series is the way in which his character develops between 1933 and 2011.

And just on my own, for Black Centipede Press, I’m working on the first Doctor Unknown Junior story. Doctor Dana Unknown is the daughter of the original superhero/sorcerer Doctor Unknown. The original Doctor has retired after a traumatic incident in which he accidentally destroyed the planet Earth. He and Dana were able to monkey with the time stream and erase the incident from history. Which was good, it had a happy ending, but the whole thing really took its toll on him, as you can imagine. Dana appeared in “The Optimist Book One,” and I thought she ought to have some adventures of her own. So I have teamed her up with Jack Christian (as her “Watson”), and we will soon learn the harrowing tale of “The Return of Little Precious.”

I’m also doing “The Journal of Bloody Mary Jane”, the inside scoop on the Black Centipede’s arch-enemy.

AP: Chuck, you’ve been awesome! Thanks!

CM: Thank you! I enjoyed it!

NINE FOR THE NEW spotlights Seven Realms Author R. P. STEEVES!

  • News
  • January 21, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

R. P. Steeves-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator

AP: R. P., welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

RS: I taught middle school English for 9 years, and worked for 2 years as an editorial assistant at a puzzle magazine. I have been writing my whole life, starting with plays in high school, radio dramas in college, and short stories recently. Misty Johnson is my first novel.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

RS: I devour just about any kind of fiction. I love mysteries, especially Agatha Christie, whose Poirot novels are a big influence. As a kid, I loved science fiction, and the Wild Cards Series edited by George R. R. Martin was my favorite as well as anything by Douglas Adams. Nowadays I read a lot of fantasy, such as Jim Butcher and Anton Strout, two authors that have greatly influenced my own paranormal detective story. I’ve also been reading comic books since I was a kid, enjoying writers such as Peter David, Mark Gruenwald and Brian K. Vaughan.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

RS: I love just about any genre, though at times, I feel a lot of tension between following the conventions of a genre and pushing the limits. Working within a genre allows a writer to play with archetypes and classic themes, but it can be tough to make a story that doesn’t feel like it’s a carbon copy of what’s come before. I’ve always been intimidated by mystery, and it was a challenge to write one, knowing I had to play by certain rules but still keep my reader guessing

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

RS: I’ve been a fan of pulp for my whole life without really realizing it. As a youth, I listened to a lot of classic radio dramas, such as the Shadow, which I learned later had his roots in pulp. I also read a lot of comics, gravitating toward Conan and Ka-Zar and the like. And as an adult, I’ve read many classic pulp characters as well as contemporary works in the traditional pulp genres.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

RS: I like to think that I bring a certain sense of humor and levity to pulp writing. A lot of the classic pulp that I’ve been exposed to had a serious air to it, and I wanted to write a book that had visceral pulp elements but still had room for character based humor and a lighter tone than a typical urban fantasy detective story.

AP: Your first work in the pulp field is also your first novel. Tell us about MISTY JOHNSON, SUPERNATURAL DICK IN CAPITOL HELL

RS: Misty Johnson is a noir detective with a few twists thrown in. She was cursed with eternal life 900 years ago and has traveled the world, immersing herself in the ways of magic. She was a detective earlier in the century, when they were called ‘dicks’ and now she has set up her shingle once again to investigate supernatural crimes in Washington, DC. She and her partner, everyman Dru Chance, catch a case that is tangled up in both national politics and the mystical underworld.

AP: What do you think is the appeal of supernatural stories, not just to pulp fans, but overall to the reading public?

RS: Supernatural stories allow authors and readers to explore common themes from creative angles. A vampire, for example, is isolated from humanity, simultaneously shunning them and relying on them for sustenance. That’s a powerful metaphor for us regular humans who struggle with our place in society. Just about every common supernatural character and situation can be played as a variety of metaphors for the human condition. Also, supernatural stories allow us to read about cool stuff, like magic powers and items, which has a wish-fulfillment element to it.

AP: What is your creative process as far as creating a story and writing? What techniques or steps do you take?

RS: I like to think that my strength as a writer is generating ideas. I have notebooks full of ideas, some of which I’ll actually get around to expanding! I primarily write down character traits and concepts that I want to use, and when I get enough of those, I create a character who has those traits, and go from there. Misty and Dru started out that way, and then I created a world for them to inhabit and a series of challenges for them to face that will help dig deep into their characters. As a reader, I love getting to know interesting characters, so that is the start and endpoint of when I write. I then bang out a first draft pretty quickly, and then spend a LOT of time on revision, where the story itself really takes shape.

AP: What’s coming from R. P. Steeves? Any projects you want to discuss?

RS: Misty Johnson will return! She makes an appearance in an upcoming short story anthology called The Game, which will be published in the spring by Seven Realms. It features stories inspired by “The Most Dangerous Game,” and it fills in a bit of Misty’s past and hints at some challenges she’ll face in the future. The second Misty Johnson novel will be out soon, too, tentatively titles Misty Johnson, Supernatural Dick in the National Maul. It will pick up on the big cliffhanger from Capitol Hell and introduce a few more major players in the DC underworld. Beyond that, I have more Misty in mind, as well as a few ideas for sci-fi novels and a comic book story I am dying to tell, if I have time for it!

AP: Thanks a ton, R. P.!

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 1/21/11!

  • News
  • January 21, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
BULLDOG EDITION
1/21/11
PRO SE NAMES NEW MAGAZINE EDITOR
Pro Se Productions announced today that yet another talented writer, creator, and editor in the Pulp field has joined the Pro Se staff.   Pro Se recently announced the promotion of one of its magazine line editors, Barry Reese, to position of Submissions Editor.  This left a vacancy as far as Line Editor for the MASKED GUN MYSTERY magazine imprint.  Until now.
Pro Se Productions Editor in Chief Tommy Hancock announced today that writer/creator Frank Schildiner will be the Line Editor for PRO SE PRESENTS MASKED GUN MYSTERY as of today. Schildiner is a Pulp writer with several solid credits to his name, including stories for Airship 27 Productions in various volumes, such as the recently released RAVENWOOD, STEPSON OF MYSTERY, as well as past volumes of SECRET AGENT X and THE BLACK BAT.  Schildiner has also penned stories based on Jean Kariven for volumes of TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN from Black Coat Press.    Schildiner’s latest story, a character of his own creation entitled LEE COHEN, MONSTER MOBSTER debuts in MASKED GUN MYSTERY #3 in February from Pro Se Productions.
When asked about his new position and his plans for the Imprint, Schildiner said, “My first thought was this was a huge honor. Editing a pulp magazine is a dream come true, even if it is a daunting task. As to the future, I’m looking forward to finding and promoting all new pulp heroes from current writers and continuing the pulp explosion that’s happned the last few years.”
Check out Pro Se Productions at http://www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com/

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND NIGHTHAWK EDITION 1/20/11

  • News
  • January 21, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
NIGHTHAWK EDITION
1/20/11
1128 South State Street
Lockport, Illinois, 60441
815-834-1658
http://www.moonstonebooks.com/
Tommy Hancock, Marketing and Promotions
moonstonepr@ymail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-
1/21/11, Lockport Illinois-

ORIGINAL SCI FI EPIC LAUNCHING SOON FROM MOONSTONE!

Moonstone Entertainment, Inc., a leading publisher of comics and books, has just signed a contract to publish an epic science fiction project called NEUTRAL WORLD, as created by well known comic and pulp writer Ron Fortier and comic superstar artist, Joe Bennett.

 Bennett, a self-taught Brazilian artist, entered the field in the early 1990s and soon became one of the most sought after talents in comics. His fantastic pencils and inks have graced dozens of titles both at Marvel and DC and there are very few iconic superheroes he has not worked on in his amazing career. Today, along with his current assignments for the DC, he operates a studio in his hometown of Belem, which is where NEUTRAL WORLD was first conceived.

A lifelong fan of the great Jack Kirby, Bennett dreamed of creating an epic science fiction saga that would span both space and time. Grandiose in its imagination, it would be his ultimate homage to the man who inspired him to become a comic book illustrator.  From creation to the far flung future, NEUTRAL WORLD weaves an action heavy tale of high adventure populated by some of the greatest new heroes and villains ever conceived on a comic page.

Once Bennett felt the concept was complete, his objective became taking it to the next level; shaping his multiple plots and ideas into a single, linear narrative. To help him achieve that end and turn his dreams into actual comic scripts, he reached out to the writer who had penned his first ever professional comics work twenty years earlier; Ron Fortier.

Ron Fortier started writing comics professionally in 1976 with two stories, both accepted and published in the try-out series, “Bullseye” from Charlton Comics. From that beginning, Fortier’s work began to appear in various independent companies from Ocean Comics. Eclipse, Malibu and ultimately Now Comics where he was brought on to write “The Terminator” series starting with issue # 9.

Fortier’s crowning achievement was successfully assisting Now Comics in obtaining the license to produce a brand new Green Hornet comic series. Fortier’s presentation offered a generational family saga that cleverly incorporated all the various incarnations of the hero. Now Comics’ Green Hornet proved to be the company’s most successful title and Fortier’s name would became irrevocably connected to the character to this day. He recently wrote his first new Green Hornet tale in over twenty years when he contributed to the recently produced anthology from Moonstone Books, “The Green Hornet Chronicles.”

And now these two popular comic creators, Bennett & Fortier, have reunited to bring the world NEUTRAL WORLD, a mega saga nearly 200 pages long. Moonstone Comics will present the entire series in three, stunning, full color graphic novels. Ace cover painter Mark Maddox will provide the covers for NEUTRAL WORLD and is thrilled to be involved with the project. All art will be produced in Bennett’s studio with the lettering being handled by American artist, Rob Davis.

To better set the concept of NEUTRAL WORLD, Moonstone will release a 16 pgs, full color preview comic to be sold for .99 cents. It will showcase a nine page action sequence from the first volume plus seven gorgeous character sketches complete with biographies. This mini Issue O will serve to introduce comic fans to the excitement and thrills of NEUTRAL WORLD and whet their appetites for the first graphic novel, now in production.

NEUTRAL WORLD, a gifted artist’s twenty year dream is about to become a stellar, ground breaking comic event! And it’s coming to 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/


ALL PULP INTERVIEWS A SUPER FAN!

  • News
  • January 20, 2011

A few months ago, Barry Reese interviewed Michael Brown, a noted fan of Pulp.  This interview has received many positive comments and nods, so this will be something we will be doing periodically, checking in with the biggest fans of Pulp we can find and getting their thoughts on all things Pulp…so, without further ado, please meet–

STEVEN HAGER-PULP FAN

AP: Steven, it’s always a real pleasure to sit down and interview someone who is a Fan, so thanks for taking the time. First, can you give us a bit of background on yourself?

SH: First, thanks for this opportunity! I was raised on a small farm in PA and have a degree in Chemistry and work as a analytical chemist for a generic drug company. But let’s get to the good stuff! I have many hobbies such as reading comic books, listening to old time radio, 50’s sci-fi/horror movies, and of course pulp fiction. Also I am an actor at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire , write and self publish the comic Dutchy Digest and study paleontology. Like Doc I study many things but I unlike him no doctorates! lol

AP: We’ve already identified that you’re a fan of pulp fiction and other related areas. Before we get into what you like specifically, let’s talk generally. What about pulp fiction appeals to you enough that you’d call yourself a fan?

SH: I believe the escapism is a big part of it for me. We all need to escape from the world and our problems at some point and pulps are an excellent way of doing it. The thrilling adventures set in a different time and in a world that seemed much larger and still in need of exploration really appeals to me. The Pulp heroes also seem more human to me. They are extraordinary which I enjoy but not super human.

AP: What are your some of your favorite pulp characters? Classic or modern, doesn’t matter? Favorite pulp authors?

SH: My favorite classic characters are the mainstays The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Avenger and the Spider, but I also like Green Lama, The Secret Six and Secret Agent X. Like many others I have a deep respect for the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E Howard and HP Lovecraft. The Modern writer’s that I have been enjoying are Ron Fortier’s Captain Hazzard, the work of Barry Reese and Gregg Taylor’s Red Panda.

AP: There’s a lot of discussion lately about whether or not classic characters should be updated or simply left as they were originally conceived in any new works based on them. What are your thoughts on this? And more to the point, did you see THE GREEN HORNET yet?

SH: It is important that classic characters survive. Whether they evolve with the times or stay static in their niche it all depends on how well it is handled. I would have never thought Sherlock Holmes could be updated to modern times successfully but after watching the BBC’s Sherlock I changed my mind. It was excellent show and moved Sherlock into the 21st century. I did see Green Hornet and enjoyed it. Could it have been better? Certainly. But now more people are aware of the character and may be interested enough to learn about his history. Without the movie would we have gotten Dynamite’s wonderful series Green Hornet: Year One by Matt Wagner and Aaron Campbell?

AP: Why is pulp still around? A genre that had its golden age seventy or more years ago and has fallen on hard times in the past still persists and now new writers and creators are flocking to it every day. As a fan, what do you attribute the strength of pulp to remain viable to?

SH: People love edge of your seat adventure! I think the current renaissance has a lot to do with the age we are living in. The ease of print on demand publishing, the ability to connect with like minded people on the internet, and the fact that some characters are now in public domain. I love when creators bring us new characters but there is something really cool when an old character is brought back to life.

AP: Any existing pulp characters that you haven’t seen written in new tales yet that you’d like to see?

　SH: That’s a good question! Everyone is doing such a great job bring back their favorite characters in their original form or in pastiches. I would like to see more adventures of The Secret Six and perhaps the return Dr Skull from The Octopus/Scorpion series.

AP: You’re also a fan of Old Time Radio and audio drama in general. Does this medium have connections to pulp?

SH: Oh certainly! Old Time Radio was the TV of it’s day. Many characters had their own programs. The Shadow, Doc Savage and The Green Lama first come to mind. Unfortunately only 4 Green Lama shows exist and no recordings of Doc Savage at all. Another favorite that is not adapted from pulps is I Love a Mystery. Great pulp action adventure! And if you like classic science fiction X-Minus One adapted a lot of the classic 50”s stories.

AP: Do you feel that audio drama is a medium that modern pulp writers should be capitalizing on to further their work and expose a larger audience to it?

SH: Certainly! My favorite modern audio drama is Decoder Ring Theater. All I know is that I will buy anything from Gregg Taylor from Decoder Ring Theater/Red Panda fame because I love his podcast! I believe Gregg has done a lot to introduce new people the pulp genre through his well crafted, always on time and definitely pulpy stories. He currently has three novels out and I have them all.

AP: Even though you’re not a pulp writer, you do self publish a rather interesting comic. What can you tell us about DUTCHY DIGEST?

SH: Dutchy Digest is written by me and drawn by Bruce Rosenberger and is based on Pennsylvania Dutch culture. It stars Amos Dingledorffer and his pet chicken Duke as they solve all sorts of farm related mysteries. Currently we have published the case of the Missing Shoo Fly Pie, The Trojan Hay Bale, The Haunted Quilt and The Four Mice Society. Hopefully in 2011 we will be publishing the Auction House of Mystery in which Amos becomes inspired to become a detective after reading some pulp magazines!

AP: As a fan, what would you like to see in future pulp stories, not just characters or storylines, but in the way of techniques, issues addressed, etc.?

SH: Perhaps I would like to see some humor in the future. And I am not talking parody or satire but just fun adventure tales in the style of Robert E Howards’s Breckenridge Elkins stories. But actually I have very little complaints from all the modern pulp stories I have read and I am looking forward to the titles that have already been announced for 2011!

AP: Steven, it’s been great! Thanks!

NINE FOR THE NEW spotlights KEVIN RODGERS

  • News
  • January 20, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

KEVIN RODGERS-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator

AP: Kevin, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

KR: I’ve been writing stories since I was 6 years old. I remember when my parents let me use their typewriter. I created a series called “The Ancient Tomb”. Each episode would end with a cliff-hanger that would be resolved in the next installment. I included a synopsis and front cover art work for each one. I’d distribute them to my grandparents and other relatives. It was fun! Over the years, my stories got longer and more complicated. I’m 39 years old now, and I can still remember writing “The Ancient Tomb” stories and realizing just how much I enjoyed writing.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

KR: I enjoy writing fantasy and dark fiction, or horror. Some of my work contains science fiction elements. As a boy, I was fascinated by “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. A 1978 miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel, ‘Salem’s Lot, also left a lasting impression on me. I’ve always been a big fan of comic books as well, and “The Green Lantern” is still at the top of the list in that category. I was always amazed by how such enormous powers could be contained in a ring! In the last few years, I’ve become intrigued by the work of Arthur Machen and H.P. Lovecraft.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

KR: I’d say I’m most intimidated by mysteries, due to the fact that I haven’t tried it much. I gave it a try with a story called “Tomahawk Mountain”, which I recently submitted to Pro Se Productions. I hope I did a good job! But until I get more comfortable with that genre, I think mysteries will intimidate me the most.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

KR: As mentioned earlier, I’m a big fan of comic books, specifically “The Green Lantern”. I love the fast-paced action and the outlandish situations! I think the original “Star Wars” trilogy and the “Indiana Jones” films also got me hooked on action and adventure. Another film that resonates with me is the original “Batman” movie with Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, and Michael Keaton.


AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

KR: I want my stories to resonate after the final page has been turned. I try to keep the stories fast-paced and free-flowing, which I think is an important element of pulp. I want to place my characters in bizarre situations that will leave the reader wondering: “What would I have done in that situation?”

AP: Your work has been published recently with PRO SE PRODUCTIONS in their various magazines. First, tell us about HELLHOUND, both about the story and what inspired you?

KR: At the facility where I’m employed, there is an officer tower. There are rumors that strange things happen on the sixth floor of the tower (unexplained footsteps, odd music, and radios that turn on without warning). After hearing some of these rumors, I had a nightmare in which I stepped off an elevator, became paralyzed, and felt electricity flowing through my body. I woke up, jotted notes on a piece of paper, and finished “Hellhound” two days later. Many of my ideas come from dreams, but none have ever been as vivid and disturbing as the one that resulted in “Hellhound”.

AP: You wrote an interestingly titled tale that was published recently by PRO SE. What can you tell our readers about DEMOLITION?

KR: “Demolition” resulted from a much shorter dream, which involved a recurring image of a wall in a basement…that was infested by a swarm of insects. Before I had this dream, I’d been brainstorming about having a character trapped in the basement of a house while it was being demolished. I decided to incorporate the insect wall into that idea…and then it only took me three days to finish the story. Originally, I wanted the title to be “Wrecking Ball”, but I changed it at the last moment.

AP: What is your creative process as far as creating a story and writing? What techniques or steps do you take?

KR: Sometimes I like to go all out and create an outline and synopsis before I get started. But lately, I’ve just been pulling up MicroSoft word on my computer and going with the flow. I think I’m learning that making a story so structured and pre-planned isn’t always best…because being spontaneous allows the story to grow on its own. And I always have to listen to music when I write. Sometimes it’s Beethoven and sometimes it’s Three Days Grace. I was jamming to Nine Inch Nails when I wrote “Demolition”.

AP: What’s coming from Kevin Rodgers? Any projects you want to discuss?

KR: I recently submitted two of my stories, “The Citadel of the New Moon” and “Tomahawk Mountain”, to Pro Se Productions. Hopefully they’ll appear in the months to come! I reworked a couple of old, unpublished stories and submitted them to Dark Valentine Magazine and Weird Tales Magazine. I’m working on a few projects that I hope to complete soon and submit to Pro Se Productions. At the same time, I am polishing and editing a huge novel (900 manuscript pages) that will hopefully generate some interest!

AP: Kevin, it’s been a pleasure!

ALL PULP NEWSSTAND NIGHTHAWK EDITION 1/19/11

  • News
  • January 20, 2011
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
NIGHTHAWK EDITION
1/19/11
PRO SE WELCOMES NEW SUBMISSIONS EDITOR
Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions, announced the creation of a new position within its company today.  “Although Pro Se is still in its infancy,” Hancock stated, “we are definitely growing quickly.   Wonderfully, a part of that growth is a continuing and increasing number of writers showing interest in writing for our magazine line and actually submitting proposals and even complete stories for possible publication.  This has been a duty I’ve handled as EIC since our inception, but due to other commitments within the company, the time has come to turn this duty over to someone else.  To that end, I would like to announce the creation of the position of Submissions Editor within Pro Se.  This individual will focus on all submissions coming in from this point on for our magazine line.  At this time, I will continue to oversee the submissions for anthologies and book length manuscripts.”
“This position,” Hancock continued, “needs to be filled by a person with a few qualifications.  The Submissions Editor not only needs to have a good handle on what generally qualifies as Pulp, but also be able to identify what falls within the parameters of Pro Se.  We work with a broad brush, but still we’re looking for particular kinds of stories.  This person will also need to be able to identify what’s ready for publication upon submission and what may need a little help and grooming before publication.  It also wouldn’t hurt if this person was someone known to the Pulp community and with a good reputation as a writer and in all things pulp related.  That’s why I’m proud to say that Barry Reese is now the Submissions Editor for Pro Se Productions.”
Reese, noted pulp author and creator of The Rook, Lazarus Gray, and the writer of novels including RABBIT HEART and the recently released THE DAMNED THING, formerly served as one of Pro Se’s Magazine Line Editors, handling editing chores for MASKED GUN MYSTERY, one of the imprints of the PRO SE PRESENTS line.   Reese’s new position becomes effective immediately and Hancock informed ALL PULP that the search for a new Line Editor for MGM was already under way.
When asked to comment on what his plans were for this position, Reese stated, “Well, my intentions are to not only maintain the high quality that Pro Se’s become known for but to really get out there and beat the bushes, looking for new blood. I think the best thing about Pro Se’s products so far has been the way they’ve mixed established writers with newcomers — it’s very important to not only provide a venue for well-known types like Derrick Ferguson or Ron Fortier, but to also provide a nurturing starting ground for the next generation.

In terms of specifics, I’d love to see a wide range of submissions that cover all the genres of pulp: sword-and-sorcery, hardboiled P.I.s, masked vigilantes and everything in between!”

Check out Pro Se’s new site-www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com

NINE FOR THE NEW spotlights Author/Creator Don Gates!

  • News
  • January 19, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

DON GATES-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator
AP: Don, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

DG: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here!

There really isn’t much to tell: I was born and raised in Florida and I’ve lived here all of my life. I’m currently 36 years old. My dad was a police detective in Tampa and through him I got to see the reality of police work in the 80’s (“Miami Vice” it wasn’t!) Being one of those people who floated around while trying to find themselves, I’ve worked a lot of jobs, including stints at a bakery; a trophy shop; working with developmentally disabled individuals; Toys R Us (which probably remains the most fun of all my jobs, particularly during the holidays); and doing customer service on the phone, first for magazine subscriptions and now currently for a phone company’s repair department. I am currently going back to school for digital design and animation. My wife Annie is a wonderful and supportive woman who has improved my life 200% (and she deserves a medal for putting up with me), and we have a small horde of pets: 4 dogs and 2 cats.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

DG: I think that anything I’ve read has influenced me in one way or another. I’ve always had a love for science fiction and comic books, and though my tastes have changed a little over the years I still think that the books I’ve read when I was younger still hold sway and nudge me in the directions I’m going as a writer. I think the three works that have affected me the most are Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea”, William Gibson’s “Neuromancer”, and Dave Stevens’ “The Rocketeer”, which was like the word of God to me when I discovered it as a teenager. I also think that other media influences me as well, in particular I enjoy movies and some video games and the effects those have had on me trickle down into my writing too.

As far as one particular genre or type of story that I prefer, pulp in general is turning out to be a blast. I’ve tried to write a few other kinds of things- fantasy and such- but just couldn’t keep my interest in it up like I can with pulp. Within pulp writing, I prefer the adventure sub-genre, but I wouldn’t mind branching out into other areas, particularly more of the hero-pulp stuff.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

DG: Oh God… without a doubt, that would be the mystery genre. I’m the guy that has to re-read sections of a mystery sometimes to get the gist of what actually happened, or has to see a movie a few times sometimes in order to get all the plot info processed. I’m constantly in awe of Walter Gibson’s writing in The Shadow, with all the various Chinese-box-like puzzles and such… I’m jealous that I can never seem to come up with things that intricate.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

DG: I’ve been a huge fan of the pulp genre for years, ever since the age of about 13. After falling in love with The Shadow radio show, I ended up tracking down some of the pulps and it was like a gateway drug: The Shadow hooked me on Doc Savage, then The Avenger, and on and on. And then of course, there’s all the awesome new pulp fiction that’s coming out from so many great writers out there, and the modern equivalent of pulp by guys like Clive Cussler and Preston & Child… geez, what a stack of as-yet unread books I have. I still haven’t read as much as of everything as I’d like to, but I’m working on it!

I think that being a fan of pulps, “getting” what it’s all about, has helped me understand what’s expected from that kind of writing somewhat. It helps to understand that in some ways, a pulp fan is looking for certain clichés but wants them to be “remixed” along with new elements. And plus: it’s a great playground. Who wouldn’t want to write about high adventure, dark & gritty crime, or mad science gone out of control? It’s melodrama, and it’s a kick.

Author’s concept sketch of CHALLENGER STORM

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

DG: I think that what I bring to the table is maybe a bit of modern sensibilities as an undercurrent to some of my projects; at least I hope that’s what comes through. I’m hoping a lot of my characters come across as relatable, even if they’re still that larger-than-life type of person that saturates pulp novels. I notice that a lot of writers bring in figures and events from history- and I love that- but a lot of times I’ll try to bring in more imaginary elements. For example, there were no “commandos” as we know them during WWI but in my writing they were there, although they were a secret military unit and largely unknown. I’ve always had a fascination with hidden history and the concepts of alternate history, and I think that will show up throughout my writing.

I also occasionally drop some obscure references to 80’s sitcoms into some of my writings, lol. There were two references to “The Golden Girls” in CHALLENGER STORM: THE ISLE OF BLOOD and I wonder if anyone but my wife will pick up on those little Easter Eggs.

AP: Your first work to be published is coming very soon from AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS. Can you tell us a bit about CHALLENGER STORM?

DG: I often describe my character Clifton Storm to people who aren’t versed in pulp terms as “a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Howard Hughes”. He’s yet another one of those rich playboys that dominate pulp and comic books, and he grew up mean and cold and very elitist despite the best wishes of his philanthropic parents. Long story short: his parents were killed in an accident, and while flying back home to attend to their funeral the plane carrying Storm crashes in the mountains during a freak blizzard. Storm is the only survivor and the events changed him as well as scarred his face, and ignited within him the need to redeem his past actions and to do everything within his power to help those in need. From then on, Storm threw himself into schooling and training in order to strive to be the hero that he feels people need to have. He starts a collective of scientists, engineers, and troubleshooters based out of a complex on a private airfield and this organization is known as the Miami Aerodrome Research and Development Laboratories, or MARDL for short. He and his associates quickly make a name for themselves after several high-profile incidents and the media gives him the nickname “Challenger” because of his habit of challenging the odds. At heart, though, he’s very human and grapples with things like self-doubt and fear. He’s like us: he’s not perfect. I guess you could say that he’s not Doc Savage, but he would like to be.

The first Storm novel, THE ISLE OF BLOOD, concerns Storm’s efforts to rescue the daughter of a wealthy aviation tycoon from the Villalobos Brothers, a band of warlords and guerrillas operating on the tiny island-nation of La Isla de Sangre. Once on the case, however, things come to light that tasks Storm and his team with saving the entire island from the Villalobos Brothers’ super weapon, known only as The Goddess of Death. There’s also a subplot that involves a secret government group’s efforts to recruit Clifton Storm’s services, and this will resonate throughout other plotlines that (hopefully) will be published as well some day.

Something that I’m very, very excited about in THE ISLE OF BLOOD is the artwork, both interior and exterior, is being handled by a super-mystery artist. I’ve been sworn to secrecy by my publisher, Ron Fortier, and so I can’t divulge the identity of The Artist just yet. Trust me when I say this though: I’ve seen rough sketches of what he’s doing and it is amazing, exciting stuff. Also: this guy is my all-time favorite artist, and to have the chance to work with him is literally a dream come true. I’m busting inside, really going nuts with this.

AP: Many writers in the pulp field break in these days by working on someone else’s characters, but you’re going full force ahead with your own. What made you decide to take the step and on the first time out put your own creation out there for the world to read?

DG: To be honest with you, I never considered myself worthy of writing those great old characters. I thought that it would be much easier on me to try my hand at my own character rather than attempt and potentially sully the history of an established character. Hopefully, people will like what I’m doing enough and show an interest in it… friends have been telling me for years “You should write this stuff you come up with!” I’ve been coming up with characters and stories in my head since I was a kid, and it’s only recently that I’ve felt that I’ve had worthy creations. Some of the stuff I came up with when I was a kid was ridiculous, lol.

AP: What is your creative process as far as developing a character? What techniques or steps do you take?

DG: When I develop a character, I often get a rough idea first about what kind of a character they will be. Will they be an adventurer? A vigilante? A villain? Then a short time later, I will unexpectedly come up with everything, all the details, etc., all at once for that character. It’s weird, but once I’ve had this “vision” of the character, there’s very little that I want to change about them, and I almost feel like I can’t change a lot of details. It’s almost like meeting someone: they are who they are when you meet them and you have to accept it, good or bad. It sounds simple, but that’s the way it works for me: most of my characters pop into my head, nearly fully-formed and whole.

AP: What’s coming from Don Gates in the future after CHALLENGER STORM? Any projects you want to discuss?

Mock up of
Challenger Storm Movie Poster

DG: Well, I’d love to continue writing Challenger Storm novels. I’m already working on the follow up, THE CURSE OF POSEIDON, and have about eight or nine others being developed. The third book will tie-in with the subplots in the first book and will introduce Storm’s arch-nemesis… his Lex Luthor or Joker, if you will.

There are several more series that I’d like to work on as well, and they all tie into the same universe (the MARDLverse?). If Challenger Storm is my Doc Savage, then The Cipher would be my Shadow: a mysterious vigilante with a twist when it comes to secret identities. Another planned character, Codename: Shanghai, would be my Secret Agent X: a masked secret agent with a mysterious past. I have a couple of other characters I wouldn’t mind doing in either one-shot books or a multi-part series as well, and some friends and I are working on producing comic books, so there really is a lot that I’d like to do creatively. The problem is finding the time to do the actual writing, though. It took a longer time than it should have to write CHALLENGER STORM: THE ISLE OF BLOOD and I really need to streamline the writing process and to force myself to find the time and energy to work on this stuff. I’ve had a taste of writing, and now I want to do more, much more.

AP: Don, it‘s been a pleasure!

DG: Thank you, the pleasure is all mine!

NINE FOR THE NEW SPOTLIGHTS DON THOMAS!!

  • News
  • January 19, 2011

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)

DON THOMAS-Writer/CreatorWriter/Creator

AP: Don, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

 

DT: I was born in a small town in Tennessee, and my father was in the Air Force so we tended to move around a lot. Then my mom divorced him and married another guy that had a job where we moved around even more. And my older brother and I just got used to finding the closest library in the area we were in and reading as many of their books as they had to offer.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?

DT: This last year there seems to have been a serious clash of ideologies in America, and for that matter the ideologies of America clashing with the rest of the world. It’s like that old song “Something’s happening here.” Lots of tension and no one really knows what the final result will be.

I have always enjoyed Fantasy, as it was influenced by older legends and mythology. And my first love as far as what genre to write was Horror, and from time to time I like to go back to it. So I would say that both would be at the top of my list as far as the type of story I like to write. But with that said, I do enjoy tackling a genre or style that I’ve never done before, and one day I’ll eventually write a lowbrow slapstick comedic story, mainly because I haven’t as of yet.

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?

DT: Not really one to get uncomfortable when it comes to genres. There’s some that I just haven’t done as much as others, and one is prone to be more comfortable writing in the genres that they are used to. And as far as my pulp writing I would probably have to say that Science Fiction oriented pulp is a little bit intimidating because I was such a fan of all the old 30’s to 50’s pulp Science Fiction writing that was done back then. And to me it just seems that those guys back then raised the bar pretty high.

AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?

DT: Oh yeah I would say that I’m a pulp fan, and throughout my life I have run through several different styles and genres of pulp. And the majority of it has been very enjoyable to me. And as a writer it has a “in the trenches” feel to it, very dramatic with a quicker pace than the standard type of story from beginning to end.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?

DT: I’m a storyteller, and have been all my life. If I’d been born in an earlier age before computers or even books for that matter, I would have been the guy sitting by the campfire keeping everyone else entertained with a good story. And that’s another thing, to me a good story is exactly that, it captures the interest of the reader, instilling in them a want to get to the next page to find out what happens next. So when I’m writing I like to keep that in mind.

AP: Your work has been published recently with PRO SE PRODUCTIONS in their various magazines. Can you tell a bit about THE BROTHERS JADE three part novella as well as MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM.

DT: THE BROTHERS JADE is a Fantasy story involving the beginning of the quest for the Drink of the Gods. And the drink is a magical brew that imbues upon the drinker immortality and possibly godhood. They are the ones foretold about in the sacred Prophecies of Michael Crucible. Earlier Michael Crucible, the greatest god of good in the world of Mythas sacrificed himself to finally defeat the Great Enemy, “He who should not be named”. And both were undone by that sacrifice, resulting in a major power vacuum on the world stage, especially when it comes to the forces of good.

But luckily Michael Crucible left a series of prophecies that predicted that a group of adventurers that would come. And they would be charged with the responsibility of not only achieving the fabled Drink of the Gods, but also restoring the overall balance of power.

And if THE BROTHERS JADE is the story that deals with important events going on worldwide throughout all of Mythas, then the characters and setting of MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM is more of a different more localized story. It is more about the smaller picture in one particular city, and although it to is a Fantasy story, I would say that it is the more mundane of the two. Gim Bolt and Mohrian the Wizard are crime investigators for the city of Trentonium, and their specialty is going after murderous individuals whose crimes have brought them to the attention of the city guard for various reasons.

AP: These stories exist in the same universe, right? Do you have a thought out universe using these characters and will readers get more of this in upcoming issues of PRO SE PRESENTS or elsewhere?

Fantasy and Fear 1 Cover
Featuing ‘Trentonium’ Characters
Art by Erik Burnham

DT: Yes both stories exist in the same universe. In fact several of the characters from MURDER IN THE GHETTO OF TRENTONIUM appear in the second novella installment of THE BROTHERS JADE. And yes the universe of Mythas has been pretty intensively thought out, and the plan is to reveal more and more details about this universe with all of my Fantasy stories that will be based in that setting.

AP: What is your creative process as far as creating a story and writing? What techniques or steps do you take?

DT: Before I start a story I’ll usually think a lot of the basic points of it out before I ever set pen to paper. And even than I’ll still usually come up with a least a basic outline of events, coupled with information about the major characters of each storyline. Then at that point I will think about the interlocking chain of events that will take the reader from the initial first steps down the road towards the eventual climax. And then I set down and start writing things out, with all of those various steps in mind. Although sometimes a story will take me down a road or avenue that I hadn’t expected originally.

AP: What’s coming from Don Thomas? Any projects you want to discuss?

DT: In the world of Mythas, even before the prophesized group from THE BROTHERS JADE, there were others that quested for the fabled drink of the gods. And they were a band of notorious villains that had a lot to do with tilting all of Mythas so dangerously close to being subjugated the remaining gods of evil. So there is not only a parallel to both stories, but also to a degree each interweaves with the other.

Besides that I am also working on another story involving Gim, Mohrian, and their tight knit group of friends as they try to counter an outside force attempts to organize into a formidable threat against the entire city of Trentonium. And this particular story will highlight other characters in the group, especially Storm the pit fighter.

And there’s also my series of stories about the masked adventurer THE RAPIER, and his climatic battle in 1940’s Los Angeles against a very real evil mastermind, whose nefarious plan causes Jason Graves aka The Rapier to evolve from Hollywood bad boy actor just playing the role of a hero, to him becoming a full-fledged costumed vigilante.

AP: Don, thanks so much!

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