Tagged: Amazing Stories

THE I’S HAVE IT

  • News
  • November 12, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

The i’s have it. The “it” they have is Weird Horror Tales, the first of a trilogy of braided horror novels by Michael Vance set in the outré town of Light’s End, Maine. And the “it” that has Weird Horror Tales is iPulpFiction, a cloud-based reading service that publishes classic and contemporary short stories that are accessible from any device with an up-to-date browser and an Internet connection including i-phones, i-pads, and ay-yi-yi, most everything electronic.

Weird Horror Tales offers 13 harrowing stories of horror and suspense in the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, both of whom were prominent writers for the pulp magazines of the ‘20s, ‘30’s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. It is a perfect fit for the iPulpFiction site that includes stories from pulp titles including The Spider, Horror Tales, Amazing Stories, Astonishing Stories, and All Story Love.

The location for Vance’s trilogy is the desolate, rocky coast of Maine where squats the uncanny, isolated town of Light’s End. Built along a metaphysical fault line between order and chaos, it is the setting for horror and depravity. There is something lurking behind the white picket fences of Light’s End and in the shadows of August Street. For here, amidst the age old Victorian houses and the New England traditions of its citizens broods a dark secret, a religious cult which infects every aspect of life. The first of these thirteen stories, Picked Clean, is set in the year 1653, and can be found at http://ipulpfiction.com. Just type in the title in the site’s browser. Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a “benchmark in comics history”. Vance briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, wrote his own strip and several comic books. He is listed in the Who’s Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars. IPulpFiction also offers classic stories in Super Science Stories, Black Mask, Kolchak, Rangeland Romances, Horror Tales and many, many other titles. So, the next time you’re in the mood for fun in the form of prose, keep your eye out for IPulp.

Picked Clean

1653—Murderer Caleb Elliott flees England for Maine only to sire an eldritch horror on a squamous thing deep beneath the murky water of Abomination Bay. The dirty consequence is that Caleb, and Ezekiel and Hiram Azreal, found the outre town of Light’s End and leave a monstrosity that writhes under the ominous cliffs of that dead bay. Or do they?

You can read Picked Clean at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-01-PickedClean/jacketNotes.php

The Well Sunk In The Sky

1838 — Does Light’s End’s ebon lighthouse at the mouth of Abomination Bay warn wooden ships of the bay’s deadly reef hidden by murky fog or raging storm, or welcome silver ships from the stars? Under the watchful eye of Jake Horne, is the lighthouse the site of an outre Azrealite prenuptial ritual for Charlotte Elliott and Obediah Azreal, or a stone womb for The Other?

You can read The Well Sunk In The Sky at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-02-TheWellSunkInTheSky/jacketNotes.php

Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End are now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores. Best price for traditional book is from Cornerstone Book Publishers at (http://www.gopulp.info/). For electronic version, go to: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.htm

AMAZING STORIES NEAR TO RELAUNCH! BOARD ESTABLISHED!

AMAZING STORIES NEAR TO RELAUNCH! BOARD ESTABLISHED!

  • News
  • October 31, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amazing Stories Project Announces Editorial Advisory Board; Commissions Cover Art
Hillsboro, NH 10/21/11 – Steve Davidson (Crotchety Old Fan) who recently acquired the Trademarks for Amazing Stories, has announced the creation of an Editorial Advisory Board to assist in the re-launch of the world’s first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories.
Currently serving on the board in a voluntary capacity are four former editors of Amazing Stories – Barry Malzberg, Patrick L. Price, Ted White and Joseph Wrzos (who edited under the pen name Joseph Ross).  Their tenures as editors of Amazing Stories spans nearly three decades and includes some of the most volatile, challenging and innovative periods in the magazine’s history.
Each of the board members has made important contributions to the genre, servingvariously as authors, agents, editors, collectors and historians. Their combined experience with the genre provides the Amazing Stories project with access to an unparalleled wealth of information.
Steve has also commissioned Frank Wu, multiple Hugo Award winning artist, to create a re-imagining of  Frank R. Paul’s inaugural cover illustration for the magazine. The cover art will be made available on a variety of different media and will be used as a fund raising and promotional vehicle.
Additional details about the Amazing Stories project can be found in Steve Davidson’s monthly column on the review blog Grasping for the Wind (10/21/11)
Those interested in following the project can visit the magazine’s website at Amazing Stories Mag (sign up for a newsletter is available there) and on its Facebook page.
Steve Davidson is a science fiction fan, blogger, curator of the Classic Science Fiction Channel website, author of several paintball books and currently edits the news and information website for paintball – 68Caliber.  He made application for the Amazing Stories trademarks in 2008 and was granted the marks in September 2011.
Steve can be contacted directly at steve.davmailto:steve.davidson33@comcast.net (please put “Amazing” somewhere in the subject line) or by calling 603-290-0351
2010 Hugo Awards Winners Announced

2010 Hugo Awards Winners Announced

  • News
  • September 6, 2010

Kudos and congratulations are in order for the winners of this year’s Hugo Awards.  Named for “Amazing Stories” founder, Hugo Gernsback, the Hugos were awarded at this year’s WorldCon (Aussiecon 4, in Melbourne, Australia) to celebrate fine contributions for the year’s top science fiction or fantasy works. So, without further adieu, let us present this year’s winners, and offer our congratulations!

And the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (presented by Dell Magazines): Seanan McGuire

We here at ComicMix congratulate all the winners above, and recommend you give a gander at their (now award winning!) work next time you get a touch of the wanderlust for the stars or sword.

George H. Scithers: 1929-2010

  • News
  • April 20, 2010

We regret to announce the passing of George Scithers, who died Monday after suffering a heart attack on Saturday at the age of 80. He was an award winning editor, winning the Hugo award four times, and a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2002.

Scithers’ first published fiction, the story “Faithful Messenger,” appeared in If magazine in 1969. His involvement in the field, however, dates back to 1957, when he began submitting to the fanzine Yandro. Two years later, he began publishing the Hugo Award-winning fanzine Amra. The term “swords and sorcery” first appeared there, and Amra became a leading proponent of the genre. Several of the articles originally published in Amra were later re-printed as part of two volumes about Conan the Barbarian which Scithers co-edited with L. Sprague de Camp.

In 1963, Scithers chaired Discon I, the 21st Worldcon, held in Washington, D.C.. He was a regular parliamentarian for business meetings of the World Science Fiction Society (the people behind WorldCon) and authored an invaluable guide to running science fiction conventions, The Con-Committee Chairman’s Guide.

In 1973, Scithers founded Owlswick Press, a small independent publishing company.
In 1977, he was named the first editor for Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, staying in that position until 1982 and winning two more Hugo Awards for his work there. After leaving IASFM, Scithers took the helm at Amazing Stories, and edited that magazine until 1986.

In 1988, he worked with John Gregory Betancourt and Darrell Schweitzer to re-establish Weird Tales, the magazine that had introduced one of his earliest interests, Conan the Barbarian, to the world, which won him a World Fantasy Award in 1992.

He was also a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac
Asimov’s fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers.

He was the first publisher of many SF and fantasy talents, including Esther Friesner.

For a good look at the man, here’s an essay about George Scithers written when he was Fan Guest of Honor at the Millenium Philcon in 2001.

Frank Miller Moves from Central City to 25th Century

Frank Miller Moves from Central City to 25th Century

  • News
  • December 19, 2008

No sooner did Buck Rogers get optioned for a feature film this summer than the rumors named Frank Miller as the director, something that everyone involved has denied until now.  The Hollywood Reporter and Variety both say Odd Lot Entertainment is close to signing Miller to adapt the comic strip to the screen.

Odd Lot hired Miller to direct The Spirit, which opens on Christmas Day and producer Deborah Del Prete let slip in October that Miller would move to the science fiction hero next. Odd Lot obtained the rights from Nu Image/Millennium, which has been holding the rights since the summer, obtained from the Dille Trust. The Trust is headed by John Flint Dille, a longtime friend of Miller’s, and he may have started the rumor at the time of the deal.

Miller will reportedly write and direct the adaptation which will likely follow his personal dark vision of dystopias.

Acclaimed for his work in comics on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns, his film work has been less well received starting with his work on RoboCop 2.  His Sin City was a major success and 300 was based on his Dark Horse graphic novel, although it was adapted by Zack Snyder.  Miller is making his solo debut on The Spirit, based on Will Eisner’s legendary comic strip.  Early reviews broke yesterday and have been uniformly negative.  This could well be the second straight super-hero misfire from Lionsgate, which delivered Punisher War Zone DOA earlier this month.

Buck Rogers was based on a 1928 novella, Armageddon 2419 AD by Philip Francis Nowlan which appeared in Amazing Stories. It quickly spawned a sequel and the stories caught the imagination of John F. Dille, president of the National Newspaper Service syndicate. He brought the feature to the newspapers as a comic strip in 1929, coming to own the property. America’s first SF comic strip, it was written by Nowlan with art by Dick Calkins. Through the years, the strip was graced with terrific art from the likes of Murphy Anderson and George Tuska, until it ended in 1967. The strip was revived in 1979 by artist Gray Morrow and writers Jim Lawrence and Cary Bates lasting until the strip’s ending in 1983.

Buck Rogers has appeared in comic books (with stunning Frank Frazetta art), serials (with Buster Crabbe), a four-times-a-week radio serial from 1932 through 1947; a 1950 half-hour television series and the 1979 NBC series (the horrible adaptation with Gil Gerard).

The Dille Trust under Flint Dille has repeatedly attempted to revive the character for modern audiences through Role Playing games, comics and media. All the attempts have yet to capture the fancy of today’s audiences.

Buck Rogers to Visit ‘Sin City’

Buck Rogers to Visit ‘Sin City’

  • News
  • October 24, 2008

It’s pretty amazing what people accidentally will say on the red carpet at awards shows.  The most recent example happened over the weekend when The Spirit producer Deborah Del Prete referred to her next project with director Frank Miller was an old sci-fi hero.  This virtually confirmed the rumor that began over the summer that Miller would tackle the first SF comic strip character.

When the rumor first surfaced over at IGN, Nu Image/Millennium Films quickly told him “that no deal is set yet for the rights or Miller, and that they are still mulling over director contenders.”

IESB’s Robert Sanchez could not get Del Prete to confirm if she was referring to Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers, both of whom have been optioned for film this year.  The site did some additional digging and report, “sources very close to the Miller camp…confirmed the sci-fi hero that Del Prete made a reference to was indeed Buck Rogers.”

Nu Image/Millennium Films has not confirmed the report for IESB but Del Prete insisted Miller will have an announcement shortly.

Buck Rogers was based on a 1928 novella, Armageddon 2419 AD by Philip Francis Nowlan which appeared in Amazing Stories. It quickly spawned a sequel and the stories caught the imagination of John F. Dille, president of the National Newspaper Service syndicate. He brought the feature to the newspapers as a comic strip in 1929, coming to own the property. America’s first SF comic strip, it was written by Nowlan with art by Dick Calkins. Through the years, the strip was graced with terrific art from the likes of Murphy Anderson and George Tuska, until it ended in 1967. The strip was revived in 1979 by artist Gray Morrow and writers Jim Lawrence and Cary Bates lasting until the strip’s ending in 1983.

Buck Rogers has appeared in comic books (with stunning Frank Frazetta art), serials (with Buster Crabbe), a four-times-a-week radio serial from 1932 through 1947; a 1950 half-hour television series and the 1979 NBC series (the horrible adaptation with Gil Gerard).

The Dille Trust under Flint Dille has repeatedly attempted to revive the character for modern audiences through Role Playing games, comics and media. All the attempts have yet to capture the fancy of today’s audiences.

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