Airship 27’s Lance Star: Sky Ranger pulp anthologies volumes 1, 2, and 3 are still available to bookstores and on-line outlets via Cornerstone Books. In addition to these outlets, the pulp anthology series joins the Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic book at Indy Planet at a new low price. A quick find search for Lance Star will pull up all four titles.
Pulp Anthology Vol. 2
PRESS RELEASE
LANCE STAR – SKY RANGER AVAILABLE AT INDY PLANET
Ron Fortier & Rob Davis of Airship 27 Production are happy to announce all three volumes of their pulp aviation series, LANCE STAR: SKY RANGER are now available for sale as Print-on-Demand books from (http://www.indyplanet.com/) for the price of $15 each plus shipping handling.
“Eventually all our books will be available at Indy Planet,” Fortier announced recently. “We’ve thirty-nine titles in our catalog and it will take a few more months before all are available there.”
Pulp Anthology Vol. 3
“Readers should log on to the main menu page at Indy Planet and type in the book’s title in the upper right hand search slot,” Fortier continued. “We are thrilled with partnering with Indy Planet and the quality of their product is as good, if not better, then all other POD outfits on the market today.”
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Comic Book Vol. 1
If you’ve been at all interested in picking up the entire Sky Ranger saga, you can get all three volumes and the comic book adventure for just $48. Now that’s a steal on any planet.
GRIOTS is an anthology co-edited by Milton Davis and Charles Saunders featuring fantasy stories based on African mythology.ALL PULP is pleased and proud to present an interview with Milton Davis so he can tell us first hand about this ambitious and exciting anthology.Enjoy!
All Pulp:Let’s start with an easy question: who is Milton Davis?
Milton Davis: Milton Davis works as an R&D Chemist during the day in order to hide his identity as an obsessed speculative fiction writer during the night. He a husband of 25 years and father to two children, a boy and a girl. He currently resides in Fayetteville, GA.
AP: How long have you been writing?
MD: I’ve been dabbling at it since college but got serious in 2005.
AP: What writers have influenced your style and interests?
MD: The main two are Frank Herbert and James Baldwin. Herbert blew me away with Dune and its world building. James Baldwin captured me with his simple but powerful prose.
AP: From where do you draw your inspiration?
MD: I’m inspired by many things but the main inspirations are art and music. Of course I’m also inspired by history, specifically African history.
AP: Before we get deep into this, a bit of explanation first: what is a Griot and why did you choose GRIOTS for the title of the anthology?
MD: Griot (gree-oh) is a French word used for the traditional African storyteller/historian. There are many other words used among different African people; djeli, jali, gassere and gewel just to name a few. We chose GRIOTS because it fit what we were trying to accomplish.
AP: For those who are unfamiliar with the term what is Sword and Soul?
MD: Sword and Soul is fantasy, heroic fiction and sword and sorcery based on African culture, tradition, mythology and history.
AP: Tell us about some of the talented writers who are in this anthology.
MD: We have a wide variety of writers. Some are independent writers like me; others are mainstream published. Some have never been published before and others have been published in other genres. What we all have in common is an appreciation of Africa and a desire to based stories on this wonderful and diverse continent.
AP: Are there plans for GRIOTS to be a yearly event?
MD: I don’t know about yearly but there will be a GRIOTS II next year.
AP: Can you tell us what you learned about putting together an anthology like this? Was there a certain order you put the stories in?Were there certain themes or stylistic choices on the part of the writers that took you by surprise?
MD: GRIOTS is my second anthology. I did the preliminary work for GENESIS, the Black Science Fiction Society anthology. So this wasn’t difficult to do. The main challenge was getting writers to meet deadlines. Creative people are allergic to deadlines. We hoped that the writers participating would expand the interpretation for Sword and Soul and they did. There are stories that stick close to the definition and there are others that hint at the source. I think readers are going to be very entertained.
AP: What was it like working with Charles Saunders?
MD: It was excellent. Charles is one of the nicest and most gracious people I know. We’re Sword and Soul brothers. We have a lot in common; we were even born in the same month. His excitement about this project was one of the main reasons it came to be.
AP: People of color haven’t been well represented in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and pulp adventure in the past.Are you seeing a definite and hopefully lasting change in that representation through not only your work but that of other black writers and artists?
MD: I definitely see a change. In mainstream publishing folks like Nnedi Okorafor, N.K. Jemison, David Anthony Durham and others are making great progress. However I think the greatest changes have and are going to take place in independent publishing. With POD and e-books breaking down the gates to reader access we finally have a chance to expose everyone to our work and our perspective. Add to that the growing black middle class and readership, it’s a good time to be a writer of color if you’re willing to work hard to make it happen.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life Of Milton Davis like?
MD: I’m up early to cook (yes, cook) breakfast and do a little writing. Then it’s off to work. Once I get home I take a few hours rest then write some more.
AP: Here’s your chance for a shout-out or to plug something; Go.
MD: A special shout out to all the folks who kept encouraging me to pursue my passion. I hope I’m doing you proud. Oh yeah, buy GRIOTS. You’ll love it.
All Pulp: Anything else we should know?
Milton Davis: Sword and Soul is just getting started. 2012 is going to be a special year. I have a few surprises in store. Peace!
You can learn more about The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files at http://moonstonebooks.com/. Look for them in your favorite bookstore and on-line retailer as well in a few days.
The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files SC Item #: avj Price/ea: $18.95
The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files HC Item #: AvCf Price/ea: $45.95
The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files
Written by: Robin Wayne Bailey, Will Murray, David Michelinie, Win Scott Eckert, Mark Ellis, Matthew Baugh, Ron Fortier, Howard Hopkins, Barry Reese, Eric Fein, Frank Schlidiner, Chris Paul Carey, Chris Bell… Cover Art: Tom Gianni Edited by: Joe Gentile & Howard Hopkins 336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″
The Avenger…All-New Stories for the Next Generation! Moonstone Books is proud to present this original anthology featuring never before seen tales of The Avenger.
**See it here…for the first and ONLY time anywhere…these two pulp titans collide… The AVENGER meets the uncompromising relentless justice of The SPIDER!
**See the never before told origin of The Avenger’s personal weapons “Mike” and “Ike”!
**The AVENGER meets up with the DOMINO LADY! **HC includes bonus stories of the Avenger’s aides!
From the Flames of Tragedy, a Hero Rises In the roaring heart of the crucible, steel is made. In the raging flame of personal tragedy, men are sometimes forged into something more than human. Life was bliss for millionaire adventurer Richard Henry Benson until the fateful day crime and greed took away his wife and younger daughter and turned him into something more than human.
Driven by loss, compelled by grief, he becomes a chilled impersonal force of justice, more machine than man, dedicated to the destruction of evildoers everywhere. A figure of ice and steel, more pitiless than both, Benson has been forged into an avatar of vengeance, possessed of superhuman genius and supernormal power. His frozen face and pale eyes, like ice in a polar dawn, only hint at the terrible force the underworld heedlessly invoked upon itself the day they created… The Avenger!
Now, the greatest crime-fighter of the 40s returns in a stunning collection of original action-packed tales of adventure, intrigue and revenge and even a chilling showdown with the Lord of Vampires himself!
Look for them in your favorite bookstore and on-line retailer as well in a few days.
Procopio Cover
The Green Hornet Casefiles SC
Item #: gh2s
Price/ea: $18.95
336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″, sc $18.95
The Green Hornet Casefiles HC
Item #: GH2hc
Price/ea: $43.95
336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″, Ltd Ed HC $43.95
The Green Hornet Casefiles
Edited by Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert
Written by: Joe McKinney, Jim Mullaney, John Everson, Paul D. Storrie, Eric Fein, Vito Delsante, Win Scott Eckert, Dan Wickline, Paul Kupperberg, Howard Hopkins, Bobby Nash, Arthur A. Lyon, Bradley Sinor, Matthew Baugh, F.J. Desanto, David Boop, Barry Reese, Micheal Uslan, Joe Gentile, Tim Lasiuta, Rafael Nieves
Covers by Ruben Procopio and Michael Kaluta
Kaluta Cover
The long-awaited return of the Green Hornet & Kato and their rolling arsenal the Black Beauty!
Back again with all-new stories!
Moonstone is proud to present The Green Hornet Casefiles, our second anthology featuring all-new, original crime fiction tales of the man who hunts the biggest of all game, public enemies that even the FBI can’t reach!
It’s the mid 1960’s, the political climate is shaky, there’s civil unrest, freedom and equality issues erupt everywhere from film to music to out in the streets.
On police records, the Green Hornet is actually a wanted criminal, a master manipulator, a crime boss who has his fingers in every pie. In reality, The Green Hornet is actually Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel. Alongside him rides his partner Kato, who is not only is a martial artist of unsurpassed prowess, but a skilled driver, and educated engineer as well. Their goal is to destroy crime from within by posing as criminals themselves!
The Matthew Baugh story, the Win Scott Eckert story, and the Howard Hopkins stories are sequels to their stories in the first volume!
Pulp Aviation Ace, Lance Star takes off for another thrill-packed collection of four brand new action tales. In this third volume, Lance and his Sky Rangers face off against Oklahoma rustlers, Chinese warlords, jungle magic and a saucy British femme fatale who flirts with danger. New Pulp witers, Bobby Nash, Bernadette Johnson, Van Allen Plexico and Sean Taylor spin their yarns of incredible bravery and daring among the clouds that will hold the most jaded reader spellbound.
So release the chocks, kick the props and pull back on the stick as adventure once again takes to the skies in Airship 27 Productions latest high flying anthology. All the art for this book was provided by talented newcomer, Shannon Hall, to include twelve black and white interior illustrations and a stunning, fully painted cover. Designed by Rob Davis and edited by Ron Fortier, LANCE STAR – SKY RANGER Vol III is another quality addition to this soaring pulp series you won’t want to miss.
ALL PULP is saddened to repost the news of the passing of Martin H. Greenberg. Though the name may not be familiar to many, Greenberg gained fame as being one of the most dedicated anthologists of recent years. Many fantastic story collections that inspired many ALL PULP readers as well as Pulp creators of all sorts, were thanks either in whole or at least in part to Mr. Greenberg. He will be missed.
Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941-June 25, 2011) was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.
Greenberg took a doctorate in Political Science in 1969, and has taught at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay since 1975. His first anthology was Political Science Fiction (1974, with Patricia Warrick), intended to be used as a teaching guide, then continuing with a sequence of educational anthology titles under the series name Through Science Fiction. In the late 70s Greenberg began partnering with Joseph D. Olander on more conventional SF anthologies. Early in his career, Greenberg was sometimes confused with Martin Greenberg the publisher of Gnome Press, but the anthologist has stated (at science fiction conventions, and in some of his anthologies) that they are no relation. Asimov suggested that he call himself “Martin H. Greenberg” or “Martin Harry Greenberg” to distinguish him from the other Martin Greenberg.
He shared the 2005 Prometheus Special Award with Mark Tier for the anthologies Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty.
Greenberg typically teamed up with another editor, splitting the duties of story selection, editing, copyright searches, and the handling of author royalties. Major partners include Isaac Asimov (127 anthologies), Charles G. Waugh, Jane Yolen, and Robert Silverberg.
In 2009, he was the recipient of one of the first three Solstice Awards presented by the SFWA in recognition of his contributions to the field of science fiction.
“Iron and Bronze” by Christopher Paul Carey & Win Scott Eckert now available on the Kindle and Nook
For a long time, my good friend and colleague Win Scott Eckert and I had been tossing around the idea of writing a story together. We had both been heavily influenced in our youth by the Doc Savage pulps, H. Rider Haggard, and Jules Verne (among others), and each of us had completed novels begun by Philip José Farmer. Win’s collaboration with Phil, The Evil in Pemberley House, came out in 2009, and mine, The Song of Kwasin, lined up behind Up the Bright River (a wonderful collection that came out to commemorate Phil’s long and wildly imaginative career following his passing), and is slated to be published in an omnibus of the Khokarsa series in 2012. So it only seemed natural that we should write a story together ourselves someday.
That opportunity finally came with the story “Iron and Bronze,” which was first published in 2009 by Black Coat Press in the anthology Tales of the Shadowmen 5: The Vampires of Paris (a terrific anthology and series that I highly recommend to pulp adventure enthusiasts), and which features two great heroes of the French pulps. Now the story is available in ebook format for both the Kindle and Nook. Here’s the product description:
Taduki-inspired visions draw an intrepid adventurer and a madman to a lost African outpost of Atlantis where they must confront an ancient mystery from the stars… Drawing on diverse sources such as Jules Verne’s The Barsac Mission, H. Rider Haggard’s She and Allan, Guy d’Armen’s Doc Ardan (who has been called the “French Doc Savage”), J.-H. Rosny âiné’s L’Étonnant Voyage de Hareton Ironcastle, Pierre Benoit’s L’Atlantide, and Philip José Farmer’s “monomyth,” “Iron and Bronze” hearkens back the classic SF adventure pulps of the 1920s and ’30s.
This story first appeared in the anthology Tales of the Shadowmen 5: The Vampires of Paris.
Christopher Paul Carey is the co-author with Philip José Farmer of The Song of Kwasin, the third novel in the Khokarsa series (omnibus forthcoming in 2012 from Subterranean Press).
Win Scott Eckert is the co-author with Philip José Farmer of the Wold Newton novel The Evil in Pemberley House, about Patricia Wildman, the daughter of a certain bronze-skinned pulp hero (Subterranean Press, 2009).
So if that grabs you, you can begin reading “Iron and Bronze” right now on the Kindle or Nook platform of your choice.
With the announcement of Lance Star: Sky Ranger joining the iPulp Fiction Library, we wanted to introduce readers to some of the Honorary Sky Rangers involved with making these stories happen. Next up is Lance Star: Sky Ranger Author Bobby Nash.
LSSR: Tell us a little about yourself and where readers can find out more about you and your work?
One Shot! Art by James Burns
BN: I’m a writer of novels, comic books, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and the occasional screenplay. My novels include Evil Ways and Fantastix. My comic book work includes Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, Demonslayer, Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot”, and the upcoming Domino Lady vs. Mummy. My short prose includes A Fistful of Legends, Full Throttle Space Tales Vol. 2: Space Sirens, and the upcoming Green Hornet Case Files and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. My novellas include Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery, Domino Lady; plus the upcoming Secret Agent X and The Avenger titles. My graphic novels include Yin Yang; I Am Googol: The Great Invasion, and Fantastix. You can see a full list of credits on my website, www.bobbynash.com. I also regularly post at www.lance-star.com, www.facebook.com/bobbyenash, and www.twitter.com/bobbynash.
LSSR: How did you become involved with the Lance Star: Sky Ranger series?
Space Ranger Art By Jeff Austin
BN: It’s all Ron Fortier’s fault. Ron my table neighbor at the 2005 Dragon Con convention in Atlanta in 2005. At least I think that’s the right year. The cons start to run together after awhile. Anyway, Ron and I had corresponded via message boards and email before, but this was the first time we’d met in person. Ron picked up my novel, Evil Ways, and reviewed it at his Pulp Fiction Reviews site. When he started up what eventually became Airship 27, he invited me to work on an anthology featuring a pulp aviator hero. That book became Lance Star: Sky Ranger. The rest, as they say, is history.
LSSR: Who is Lance Star? What makes pulp characters like Lance and the Sky Rangers appeal to you as a writer and a reader?
Lance Star Vol. 2 Cover by Shane Evans
BN: Lance Star embodies the best aspects of a pulp hero. He’s smart, inventive, courageous, fearless, and not afraid to do what’s necessary to stop the bad guys. Lance is also a nice guy. You want to be his friend, and if you are his friend you know he’s got your back. He’s a little bit John Wayne, a little bit Jimmy Stewart, and a little bit Indiana Jones. As a writer and reader, that’s a lot of fun.
LSSR: Digital content has changed the publishing landscape. As a creator, what excites you about digital content? As a reader?
BN: The digital frontier is an exciting undiscovered country for me. I’ve not read many eBooks, but that’s mainly because I spend all day writing and doing edits on computer so when I read for enjoyment it’s to get away from the computer. I like the idea of electronic books. Imagine the possibilities when you can have your entire library at your fingertips wherever you are. That’s pretty amazing.
The Adventure Continues…
As a writer, I think that eBooks, because of their easy access and generally lower prices, make it easier for readers to try something new. Someone who has never read my work may be more willing to give it a try for $1 as opposed to buying an entire novel or anthology. Digital content helps make that happen.
LSSR: Your Lance Star: Sky Ranger story, “Where The Sea Meets The Sky” is currently available in print and as an eBook from Airship 27, and is soon to be released individually at iPulp Fiction. What can you tell us about this story? (plug it, tease it)
Where The Sea Meets The Sky. Cover art: Rich Woodall
BN: “Where The Sea Meets The Sky” was the first pulp story I ever wrote and I am quite proud of it. Lance Star flies his newest creation, a specialized seaplane called “The Nessie” to Hawaii where he intends to present it to the US Navy. Lance looked on this trip as a working vacation. The last thing he expected to find waiting for him was a sunken treasure, pirates, mobsters, and a rival pilot with a massive chip on his shoulder. If Lance isn’t careful, this adventure could be his last.
From the back cover of the anthology: Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, off the shores of Tropical Hawaii, a hidden treasure has been discovered. Now a band of sky pirates is out to steal it no matter how many innocent lives must be sacrificed in the process. Only Lance Star and the Sky Rangers can end their bloody assault.
LSSR: Airship 27 currently has two Lance Star: Sky Ranger anthologies in print and available as eBooks with several of those stories soon to be released individually at iPulp Fiction as well as a Lance Star comic book. What’s next for these pulp heroes?
Still flying high…
BN: Volume 3 of the pulp anthology series from Airship 27 is in the works now. All four stories are in and the artist is currently busy working on the interior illustrations. Volume 3 features Lance Star: Sky Ranger stories from Bernadette Johnson, Sean Taylor, Van Allen Plexico, and myself. Interior art is by Shannon Hall. I’ll wait on the cover artist until the publisher announces it first.
In addition to volume 3, there are more comic book stories in the works, as well as some digital comic book offerings as well. Plus, the Lance Star: Sky Ranger novel, “Cold Snap!” is in production. I’ve had to set it aside for some other work, but it will be completed in 2011 to come out in 2012.
GH Cover Art: Reuben Procopio
LSSR: Any upcoming projects you would like to plug?
BN: July will see the release of two anthologies featuring stories by me. The Green Hornet Casefiles and Tales From The Zero Hour Vol. 4: Weird Tales. There are several other anthology tales in production, but I don’t know release dates as yet. On the comic book side of things, I wrote a Secret Agent X story (with Jeremy McHugh on art) for All-Star Pulp Comics, a one-shot comic anthology that should be out sometime this year. In October, Domino Lady Vs. Mummy will be out from Moonstone. Co-written by Nancy Holder and myself, this one-shot story is part of Moonstone’s Return Of The Monsters Halloween event and features gorgeous art by Rock Baker and Jeff Austin. Keep checking in at www.bobbynash.com for more information and release dates.
ZH Cover Art: Dirk Shearer
LSSR: Thanks, Bobby.
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Release schedule for Lance Star: Sky Ranger tales on iPulp: 06/17: Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #1: Attack of the Bird Man by Frank Dirsherl (now available) 07/07: Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #2: Where the Sea Meets the Sky by Bobby Nash 07/27: Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Vol.1 #3: Talons of the Red Condors by Bill Spangler
Harkening all the way back to the classic 1970s show, LOVE AMERICAN STYLE, NBC is rolling the dice on a love anthology series this summer. Greg Grundberg and Constance Zimmer talk sbout their place in the mix on LOVE BITES. And DC is doing what? We’ve gotta talk here….
Can a show like LOVE BITES be a hit? Drop us a comment below!
The Golden Age of Comics usually refers to the first period of massive super-hero output, roughly 1938 to around 1950, give or take. Super-heroes lost their following, and desperate publishers rushed to replace capes with westerns, romance, and horror – or all three, if they could figure out how to do it. Sometimes, decisions were made hastily and work was stopped mid-production, more often they printed off their inventory and moved on… sometimes to oblivion.
But there was an interesting phenomenon in which the “lead” super-heroes featured in or above the logo failed to appear on their very final covers. Here’s the ComicMix Six top golden age missing heroes covers. If we missed yours, please write in and let us know!
Number One: The Marvel Family
This is the most blatant example of the inadvertent trend. The Marvel Family – Captain, Mary and Junior (who were more like siblings than The Three Bears) are not only missing, but there’s white silhouettes where they were supposed to be! Again, this was the last issue, so they never reappeared on the cover of that series. And before long, The Marvel Family would fade to limbo due to poor sales and the weight of an unending lawsuit from DC Comics. An unfortunate ending to a proud family.
Number Two: Green Lantern
Okay, this really sucks. Try and tind Green Lantern on this cover, the last of his solo-series of the 1940s. You can’t, except for in the logo, which doesn’t count. He’s not on the cover. But his dog is. Just…his…dog. No wonder Alan Scott didn’t walk the dog over to the Justice Society. But if you think that sucks, here’s comes the real embarrassment.
The Golden Age of Comics usually refers to the first period of massive super-hero output, roughly 1938 to around 1950, give or take. Super-heroes lost their following, and desperate publishers rushed to replace capes with westerns, romance, and horror – or all three, if they could figure out how to do it. Sometimes, decisions were made hastily and work was stopped mid-production, more often they printed off their inventory and moved on… sometimes to oblivion.
But there was an interesting phenomenon in which the “lead” super-heroes featured in or above the logo failed to appear on their very final covers. Here’s the ComicMix Six top golden age missing heroes covers. If we missed yours, please write in and let us know!
Number Two: Green Lantern
