We see them at every convention, and anyone with a camera seem to adore them. They are The HEROES OF COSPLAY, now headlining a new series on SyFy. Cosplay Queen, Yaya Hahn, talks about how mainstream media has accepted the hobby and why it isn’t just about dressing up like comic book characters anymore. Plus DC edges to a #1 spot in comic store sales and is it bye bye to The Ultimate Universe?
This summer, we are updating once a week – every Friday – but you don’t have to miss any pop culture news. THE POINT covers it 24/7! Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other mobile device with the Tune In Radio app – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
In the latest episode of the Grind Pulp Podcast, the team discuss three Conan stories and three Conan movies. Things start slow but soon escalate as we get deeper into the stories and dive headlong into the Conan films. The Howard stories have become public domain and are available for free. This episode includes a special appearance of a Warlock and is the most epic Conan podcast ever!
1. “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) – directed by John Milus. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, and Max Von Sydow.
2. “Conan the Destroyer” (1984) – directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, and Wilt Chamberlain.
3. “Conan the Barbarian” (2011) – directed by Marcus Nispel. Starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, and Rose McGowan
This Epic Conan Episode clocks in at an hour-and-a-half, and we didn’t even scratch the surface. That adventure will be up to you.
You can listen to Grind Pulp Podcast Episode 06: Conan of Cimmeria aka The Epic Conan Episode here or via itunes.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 28: PulpFest 2013 Hero Pulp Premiums here.
About Hero Pulp Premiums and Promotions:
How did pulp magazine publishers keep readers coming back month after month? Of course the best way was to publish excellent stories. Regardless of genre, the leading pulps–Adventure, Astounding Stories, Black Mask, Blue Book, Dime Western, Doc Savage, Love Story, The Shadow, The Spider, Sports Stories, Startling Stories, Weird Tales, Wings–attempted to do just that, issue after issue.
Another method that publishers employed to lure dimes on a regular basis from buyers with thin wallets was to create a club and offer premiums. For a few cents or by clipping coupons from a favorite pulp magazine, a devoted fan could become a member in good standing of the Doc Savage Club, one of the Friends of the Phantom, or Adventure Magazine’s Camp-Fire Club. Also available were rings, pins, and other items such as the Spider Pencil, a celluloid mechanical pencil with rubber eraser of The Spider seal, produced in very limited quantity during 1941-42.
On Saturday, July 27th, PulpFest website designer Chris Kalb took us back to a time when a few cents not only bought a pulp magazine filled with thrills, but also an Operator #5 ring, a G-8 Battle Aces Club pin, or a membership in the Green Lama Club. Chris will be presenting Hero Pulp Premiums and Promotions, an event that you cannot afford to miss.
For a look at some other pulp premiums, please visit Pulpster editor Bill Lampkin’s The Pulp.Net website and do a search for “premiums.” Bill has photographs of rings, membership cards, pins, and other items on his highly informative website.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 28: PulpFest 2013 Hero Pulp Premiums here.
The Shadow Fan returns for Episode 44! This week, Barry Reese reviews two tales that are sure to stir up strong emotions from fans. First up: Reign of Terror, one of Bruce Elliott’s Shadow novels (1948). In Elliott’s final stab at the character, we finally get to see how the author would have handled the “traditional” version of the hero. Our second review: the final issue of Andrew Helfer’s controversial run on the DC Comic puts The Shadow’s head on top of a robot body! The Shadow # 19 (1988) can either be seen as one of the most unique moments in the character’s long history — or, perhaps, its absolute darkest.
If you love The Shadow, then this is the podcast for you!
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 27: PulpFest 2013 Yellow Peril here.
About Dr. Fu Manchu and the Yellow Peril panel:
One hundred years ago, Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu made his American debut in Collier’s, a five-cent weekly. “The Zayat Kiss” ran in the February 15, 1913 number. Nine more stories featuring Rohmer’s “devil doctor” would appear in Collier’s through June 28, 1913. In September of that year, McBride would release The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu, collecting all ten tales into novel form.
Although Sax Rohmer did not create the “yellow peril” genre of pulp fiction, his Fu Manchu stories would greatly influence the bloody pulps. From writers as diverse as Dashiell Hammett, Carroll John Daly, Walter B. Gibson, Norvell W. Page, Arthur J. Burks, Philip Nowlan, H. P. Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard, pulpsters delivered many a story inspired by Rohmer’s evil genius. Even Robert J. Hogan’s flying spy, G-8, battled oriental evildoers in the author’s fantasy version of the First World War.
On Saturday, July 27th, PulpFest 2013 saluted the American centennial of Dr. Fu Manchu with a panel exploring Sax Rohmer’s character and his influence on the pulp fiction of the early twentieth century. Moderated by Blood ‘n’ Thunder editor and publisher, Ed Hulse, the panel will consist of pop culture experts Gene Christie, editor of three collections of Rohmer’s fiction and a leading authority on early American science fiction and fantasy; Win Scott Eckert, known for his work on literary crossovers and chronologies, including Marvel Comics’ Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, a classic series concerning the son of Dr. Fu Manchu; Nathan Madison, author of Anti-Foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comics, 1920-1960; William Patrick Maynard, authorized by the literary estate of Sax Rohmer to continue the Fu Manchu series; and Will Murray, author of the Wild Adventures of Doc Savage and one of the world’s leading authorities on the pulp era.
The Page of Fu Manchu represents an ongoing effort by scholars and readers around the world to create a definitive Sax Rohmer bibliography, reference and archive. It is edited and maintained by Dr. Lawrence Knapp, an English Professor at Thomas Edison State College, located in Trenton, NJ.
Joseph Clement Coll’s Collier’s cover for April 12, 1913, illustrating “The Call of Siva,” Sax Rohmer’s fifth Fu-Manchu story to be published in the United States.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 27: PulpFest 2013 Yellow Peril here.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 26: PulpFest 2013 Jim Beard here.
About The Beard . . . . New Fictioneer!:
Jim Beard was introduced to comic books by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters that preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting, and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time, he’s written comic stories for Dark Horse’s Star Wars and IDW’s Ghostbusters and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.
A native of Toledo, Ohio where he is a regular columnist for the Toledo Free Press, Jim broke into the world of “New Pulp” in 2012 when Airship 27 published Sgt. Janus, Spirit-Breaker, a collection of ghost stories featuring an occult detective, and Captain Action: Riddle of the Glowing Men, the first prose novel based on the 1960s action figure. Jim provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and has new and forthcoming comic and prose work from Bluewater, TwoMorrows, Airship 27 and Pro Se Productions.
On Saturday, July 27th at PulpFest, “The Beard” did a reading from Sgt. Janus, Spirit-Breaker, Captain Action: Riddle of the Glowing Men, and “The Parade of Moments,” a story published in Monster Earth, a shared-world anthology of giant monster tales. And to learn more about this exciting new writer, please visit The Beard: The Jim Beard Fan Page.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 26: PulpFest 2013 Jim Beard here.
Legendary Pulp Author Robert E. Howard’s Puritan adventurer, Solomon Kane is discussed on the latest episode of the Pulp Crazy video podcast. The character celebrates his 85th anniversary this month. An excerpt from the Librivox.org reading of “Red Shadows” by Peter Siegel is also included in this episode.
Also, check out Pulp Crazy’s Pulpfest 2013 podcasts as well at the Pulp Crazy YouTube Channel or on iTunes.
The Doc Meets The King panel at Pulpfest 2013 featured a reading of the Doc Savage novel, Skull Island by Radio Archives’ Roger Price. Also, author Will Murray talks about how Skull Island came to be. It’s Doc Savage vs. King Kong live from Pulpfest. The panel was recorded by The Book Cave’s Art Sippo.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 25: PulpFest 2013 Will Murray here.
About Doc Meets The King:
Beginning with the premier of Standard Magazines’ The Phantom Detective at the start of the year and Nick Carter and Doc Savage from Street & Smith in February, on through to the fall when Popular Publications released G-8 and His Battle Aces and The Spider, 1933 was the “year of the hero pulp.” And let’s not forget that The Lone Eagle and Pete Rice likewise debuted that year.
But 1933 was not just the year of the hero pulp. On March 2 of that same year, RKO Radio Pictures premiered “the eighth wonder of the world,” King Kong, at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the Roxy. In just four days, the film earned nearly $90,000, a substantial sum in those dark Depression days.
To celebrate the 80th anniversaries of “The Man of Bronze” and King Kong, Will Murray, author of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage, paired the two characters in his novel, Skull Island. On Saturday, July 27th, at 2 PM, PulpFest 2013 hosted a special New Fictioneers reading of Mr. Murray’s bestselling novel by Radio Archives’ reader Roger Price.
During his lengthy career as an entertainer, Roger has performed on television, radio and the live stage. At one time or another, he has worked as a stand-up comic, hosted a late night movie series as a character called “The Baron,” worked as a morning radio personality, hosted and emceed numerous live events, served as an entertainment news anchor and even as a ring announcer for professional wrestling. Comic book and pop culture fans know Roger as the creator, director and “voice” of Mid-Ohio-Con, one of the largest and longest running shows of it’s kind.
Through Radio Archives, Roger Price can be heard reading various short stories on Strange Detective Mysteries #1, Captain Satan #1, Captain Zero #1 and other audiobooks. Roger also works with a wide variety of clients as an announcer and voice actor, specializing in character/cartoon voices and dialects.
Following the reading, both Will Murray and Roger Price were available for questions and conversation.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 25: PulpFest 2013 Will Murray here.
You’ve see the trailers. Jennifer Aniston, our favorite “Friend”, working the pole in the new R rated comedy, WE’RE THE MILLERS. We talk to Jen and co-star Jason Sudeikis about how the film has a big heart under all the raunch. Plus FACE OFF is back on SyFy and host Mackenzie Westmore (along with judge Glenn Hetrick) talk about the changes that start off Season Five.
This summer, we are updating once a week – every Friday – but you don’t have to miss any pop culture news. THE POINT covers it 24/7! Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other mobile device with the Tune In Radio app – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
Davis Saunders hosted the Walter Baumhofer: King of the Pulps panel at the 2013 PulpFest convention, spotlighting the artist’s life and career. The panel was recorded by The Book Cave’s Art Sippo.
You can listen to Panel Fest Episode 24: PulpFest 2013 Walter Baumhofer here.
About Walter Baumhofer: King of the Pulps:
Adventure35-08-15Who was the “King of the Pulps?” Some say it was H. Bedford Jones, while others claim the title for Frederick Faust, better known as Max Brand. But to the young readers who devoured the pulp magazines and “delighted in his four-color depictions of action and adventure,” the one and only “King of the Pulps” was Walter M. Baumhofer.
When an injury at age fourteen left him unable to perform manual labor, Baumhofer began to intently study art. A scholarship allowed him to attend the prestigious Pratt Institute where he was able to study under Dean Cornwell and H. Winfield Scott. While still a student, he began his art career drawing pen and ink story illustrations for Adventure Magazine. By 1926, he was contributing covers to Clayton Publications and, soon thereafter, to Harold Hersey’s line of pulps. Street & Smith signed him to a contract in 1932 to paint a cover each week for their pulps. Around the same time, he was sought out by Popular Publications to provide cover art for their line of magazines, and so began his reign as the “King of the Pulps.”
Baumhofer labored for the pulp market for just over a decade, painting about 550 covers for a wide variety of titles including Ace High, Adventure, Detective Tales, Dime Mystery Magazine,
Doc Savage, Fire Fighters, Gangland Stories, The Spider, Spy Stories, Western Story Magazine, and others. He moved into the slick market and advertising art in the late thirties, contributing work to American Weekly, Collier’s, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Redbook, Women’s Day, and other magazines. In later years, his paintings graced the covers of Argosy, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield and his portrait, landscape, and Western art were exhibited in fine art galleries nationwide.
At 9:30 PM on Friday, July 26th, David Saunders presented a biographical profile of Walter Baumhofer’s life story as well as the artist’s fascinating family history. He exhibited never-before-seen visual documents from the personal world of this pulp art master. Walter was a close friend of the presenter’s father, Norman Saunders, and as such David was personally acquainted with the artist for over thirty years. Baumhofer was a
sensationally colorful character and David Saunders looks forward to sharing many amusing anecdotes and incidents that will help to promote a greater awareness of this legendary artist.
