The BBC has confirmed the recovery of nine episodes of th Patricke Troughton era Doctor Who, a complete set of The Enemy of the World, and all but part three of The Web of Fear. Both adventures are available now from iTunes, with DVD releases to follow. Part three of Web of Fear, still missing, is included with a restored audio track and a series of telesnaps. It’s unknown if it may at some time receive the animated treatment that many past adventures have gotten.
The rumors circulating around fandom since the early summer have ended up being truer than many assumed, but not as true as most hoped. The episodes, hailing from Nigeria (not Ethiopia, as the rumor claimed) and ended up falling far short of the outlandish tales of a hundred or more episodes.
While it was standard practice to record the broadcasts onto 16mm film, those films (And those of many shows, both British and American) were lost as stations wiped tapes and destroyed films as a cost cutting measure. In the early days of television, most assumed there’d be no desire to re-watch television programs, also resulting in the lack of residual agreements for so many stars of early American TV.
The episodes were sold to foreign markets after their initial broadcast, and many times the episodes were passed on through several countries as they continued to be sold. The tapes/films usually came with an order to return or destroy the masters upon broadcast. It’s only through that ordered being ignored that allows these episodes to be found today.
It can only be hoped that more episodes may be found in TV station vaults, but as time passes, the possibilities dwindle. Unless more episodes were found here and are secretly awaiting restoration, this may be the last big score we’ll see in quite a while.
Until the discovery of time travel of course, which will likely first be used to recover our recent history than ancient history. Yeah, it’s be nice to record the Sermon on the Mount, but I for one would rather get all those Ernie Kovacs Shows back.
Glee has always been somewhat infuriating in its realistic portrayal of teenage travails (doing it better than most other prime time series) but setting it in such an unrealistic setting since no high school runs the way McKinley does in fictional Lima, Ohio. These kids never have homework or need to balance their studies with extracurricular activities, especially those in time intensive groups such as the Cheerios or the sports teams.
Still Ryan Murphy’s band of misfits remains entertaining and a winning mix. The fourth season, out now on Home Video from 20th Century Home Entertainment, finally addressed the aging cast, sending most away to college. Notably, Rachel (Lea Michele) was attending NYADA the performing arts college, while struggling to maintain her long distance relationship with Finn (Cory Monteith), who had surprisingly enlisted at the end of the previous season. Following her to the Big Apple was Kurt (Chris Colfer), who didn’t get into the school but was determined to make it somehow.
Back at school, new members were recruited and here were some true gems, starting with Melissa Benoist as Marley Rose, a true talent and cute as a button. Less interesting was the introduction of Puck’s half-brother Jake (Jacob Artist) who started off a bad boy but had his edge quickly shorn away. In fact, all the characters that arrived with nasty angles to their personalities got worn down into saccharine sweetness with Becca Tobin’s Kitty the last holdout.
The show short-changed everyone by glossing over their characters in favor of splitting the focus between NYC and Lima. The proposed spinoff for the graduates was never picked up so the emphasis needed to change, which is a shame since the issues both crews face are vastly different ones and the frequent trips home once more beggared the imagination.
The season differed from the first three in that it did not cover a complete school year, instead ending late in the school year but before the all-important national competition. Along the way, we watched Finn become a lost soul, leaving the service and filling in for Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison), who was off at a conference. The character’s search for a direction at the same time the actor was struggling with his personal addictions lends revisiting this arc a poignant feel. His late addition to the DVD cover art was a nice touch.
The major themes of the year including the struggles of growing up, bulimia/anorexia, cancer, marriage, fidelity, and similar trials. Each week they sang and danced their way through the issues, often in catchy ways that belied the seriousness of the issues. In many cases, trouble never met with consequences such as Kitty’s trying to convince Marley she was gaining weight or When Wade “catfished” Ryder.
As the season wound down, the absurdity got worse climaxing with Brittany’s suddenly discovered savant genius with math and being whisked off “now” to MIT. Other characters seemed to have nothing to do, with Jane Lynch’s Sue Sylvester emasculated and left to be supportive. The season wound down as they readied for Nationals and the impending graduation of other members of the glee club.
The film to high definition transfer is well done, as is expected from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. And for a series dependent on music, the audio is more than up to the task making rewatching moments work well.
Each of the four discs in the Blu-ray set contains a mix of features such as the Glee Music Jukebox (1:03:28); Movin’ On Up: Glee in NYC (10:02), talking about the location shooting; Building New York (6:29); Jarley (8:53), a look at the new members Jake and Marley; and Deleted Scenes (15:24). Disc two has another look at those musical sequences in Glee Music Jukebox (1:01:48) offers a tour through the musical sequences of each episode on the disc, and Deleted Scenes (5:04). Disc three offers Glee Music Jukebox (1:29:35), Glee On Film (11:56) looks at the cinema-centric episode; and, The Road to 500 (3:54), which is the number of musical sequences. The final disc gives us Glee Music Jukebox (1:15:52); Blaine’s Time Capsule (8:12), a cheesy message for his adult self; and Glee Premiere Party! (3:41).
The show may have lost some of its cache as a trendsetter and star maker but it remains an entertaining diversion. Personally, the Mike O’Malley scenes as Kurt’s father Burt dealing with his son remain the best material year after year but then again, I’m a father and not a star-struck teen. No doubt, most everyone will find something to identify with or sing-along to.
Leverage takes a curtain call this month as 20th Century Home Entertainment releases the fifth and final season on DVD. The four-disc set contains the complete fifteen episode season, which was aired in two batches across summer and winter 2012. Since then, the series has remained in the public eye thanks to three incredibly fun novels along with its well-deserved honor as Favorite Cable TV Drama at the 39th People’s Choice Awards.
Much as we here at ComicMix have adored the show, the audience has been dwindling; opening the final year with 3.39 million viewers and the final drew a smaller 3.04 million, far too small these days to be sustained. However, co-creators Dean Devlin and John Rogers suspected this was the make-it or break-it season and prepared accordingly. From the outset of the season, Nate Ford (Tim Hutton) was up to something and we saw him pushing the other members of the team to either take leadership roles or step out of their comfort zones. The why remained unclear until the very end.
Along the way, though, the series saw the criminals turned good Samaritans relocate from Boston to Portland, setting up shop in a microbrewery/pub now owned by Alec Hardison (Aldus Hodge). At its heart the show has always been about justice and redemption with every character in need of both. For the producers, it was also about shining a spotlight on the sorts of white collar crime and corruption that doesn’t make the headlines with any regularity. As noted in the extensive show by show notes at Rogers’ Kung Fu Monkey blog, the writing staff did their homework and then some, socking away tidbits for later use.
Each week there’s someone who has been cheated and they turn to Leverage, Inc. for help, with one or the other member of the squad taking their case to heart and convincing the others to pitch in. By now they have become a tight team and more than a bit of a family so they remain there for one another despite their idiosyncrasies. Alec remains a control freak and uber-nerd; Sophie (Gina Bellman) has become a drama coach despite her lack of talent on the stage; Elliot Spencer (Christian Kane) is a tough guy/gourmand; and poor Parker (Beth Riesgraf) is still trying to connect with society.
The cases by now have become almost secondary to the actual mechanics of the con and the personal touches along the way. In the steady hands of the strong writing staff and a stable of repeat directors, the show hit a nice rhythm that made for a weekly hour of pure fun. One of the most entertaining this time around was “The First Contact Job”, where director Jonathan Frakes even let them add in a little TNG humor. One of the most interesting from a plot standpoint was “The French Connection Job”, spotlighting Elliot’s softer side. From writing and performing standpoint the second best one of the bunch may be “The D.B. Cooper Job” where the cast doubles for 1971 counterparts as they try to unravel the story of the famed skyjacker. There were others that also tweaked the formula such as “The Broken Wing Job” when an injured Parker recruits the pub’s waitress (Aarti Mann) to help while the others were in Japan.
But it was all leading up to “The Long Goodbye Job”, which aired on Christmas Day but was actually a valentine from the crew to the fans. Suspecting this was their swan song, Devlin, Rogers, and Chris Downey actually conned the audience in a brilliantly executed story. Listening to the commentary track, we discover how much of episode 77 echoed episode 1. It also reset the status quo just in case there was a chance of more stories in the future. And of course, the episode wouldn’t be complete had their nemesis Sterling (Mark A. Sheppard) not made a final appearance.
There’s audio commentary for all fifteen episodes, a handful of deleted scenes, giving you that much more to enjoy, and then a brief gag reel.
The show’s gone, the cast gone their separate ways, but the spirit remains and with luck there will be chances to follow their adventures in some other way. For now, we have the five seasons on home video to enjoy.
For years, I have railed against how often Paramount Pictures demonstrates their lack of understanding their Star Trek fans. One misguided decision after another dating back to the 1970s builds a fairly convincing case. The latest misfire is the release pattern to Star Trek Into Darkness, out on disc this week. In case you missed it, the combo pack includes the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy we have all come to expect. You do get Bonus Materail on the Blu-ray disc, but it’s a mere 42 minutes of fairly perfunctory material, discussed a little later. On the other hand, there’s roughly another 60 minutes of features plus an audio commentary that exists but you have to be willing to buy retailer exclusive editions to get them or download the film from iTunes. Hopefully the outcry from consumers and failure to ignite massive sales to fans who must have everything will make this a one-time doomed experiment.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/gcSsn5f-w48[/youtube]
In a summer filled with disappointment, the release of the film is a reminder of what a squandered opportunity J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot had to sustain their reboot of the storied franchise. After making us wait four years, we get a fairly inept story with logic gaps the size of Qo’noS, raising themes but refusing to explore them in the Gene Roddenberry style, favoring action sequences that are prolonged and largely pointless. There are some very strong ideas presented here and given a surface presentation, not allowing the characters to chew over what it means to violate the laws and their oath or to interfere with a civilization’s destiny.
I09 has a brilliant deconstruction of the film’s major plot holes and I commend your attention over there.
Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof appear to have taken the most obvious traits the mass audience knows about James T. Kirk and ignored the rest. This means Chris Pine gets to play a hotheaded jerk who is all instinct and no intellect. Let’s compare: the TOS Kirk knew his ship inside and out, and kept current with the tech, otherwise he never would have known what to do to the deflector dish in Star Trek Generations. Pine’s Kirk kicked the hardware into place. Gary Mitchell chided Kirk for studying too hard, striving too hard to be perfect and still, Kirk had enough outside-the-box thinking to outthink the Kobyashi Maru test. Pine’s Kirk is smug and seems to skate through without effort. The television Kirk loved books and was pensive, quoting the Constitution of the United Sates and John Masefield. Pine’s Kirk gives us no clue he has such depth and dimension.
The biggest issue is how the Kirk approached the Prime Directive. On television, every time Kirk skirted or violated the law, it was for the good of the people (see Vaal, Landru) or to undo the contamination from other Starfleet personnel (see John Gill, Ron Tracy). In this film, the story starts with Kirk breaking the laws to save Spock’s life, a selfish, thoughtless act that led to his omitting vital information from Starfleet.
It’s as if the production crew at Bad Robot loved Star Trek without understanding it. The sloppiness in the plotting, what I termed a Swiss cheese script, is a deep shame given they took four years to write this disappointment and then tell us they waited for the right story to present itself.
By remaking Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, they demonstrated a complete misreading of why that film worked. We had invested sixteen years with these actors and characters so the themes of age and renewal, sacrifice and friendship worked. Here, we had to wait four years for a second installment and we’re still coming to terms with new actors in familiar roles so killing Kirk and making a big deal out of it fell flat.
I’m also really tried of military-minded rogue Starfleet officers, too easy a plot device. (I didn’t quite get how the detonation of Vulcan meant it was time to start a war with the Klingons.) Peter Weller is wasted as the bad guy and the movie’s closing scenes totally ignore the questions his crimes raised. Let’s see: how did the conspiracy work? Were there others involved and have they been arrested? Where’s the dreadnought’s construction crew? With Starfleet command compromised, who is vetting the new command structure? Are we that much closer to war with the Klingons after Weller’s unsanctioned visit to Qo’noS (the proper spelling damn it).
Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant and mesmerizing to watch. But his Khan is cold and apparently an enigma to the historians since no one troubled to look him up in the databanks. Instead, Spock-2 calls Spock-1 for the most pointless cameo yet. While the film is chockfull of winks and nods to the TV series it is distancing itself from, it doesn’t mention the Eugenics Wars or properly explain Khan’s amazing intellect and physique (he appears as invulnerable as Superman and has genesis blood so no one will ever die again).
After he craftily lures Starfleet’s brain trust into one room, he casually flies to HQ and opens fire. Here’s where I lost it. It’s a heightened security situation so they sit in a room full of windows and the airspace around Starfleet Command apparently isn’t patrolled. Similarly, two Federation ships cross the Klingon border and are undetected, then orbit the homeworld and remain undetected for a while. Really? The warrior race just lets anyone come visit?
The script had some terrific ideas buried under pacing that called for a loud, messy, lens-flare filled action sequence to interrupt every few minutes. It began to feel like a script written with an egg timer. The new characters are introduced and left to be underdeveloped so Admiral Marcus and his daughter, the curvaceous Carol, are pretty much cyphers while the supporting cast gets a few token moments of screen time. (Chekov being a transporter genius sort of makes sense since it’s an extension of navigation but being an engineering whiz stretches the point.)
Michael Giacchino’s wonderful score and Cumberbatch salvage the film from being a complete misfire. We should be thankful that director J.J. Abrams will be a galaxy far, far away when the third film is prepped for the series’ golden anniversary in 2016. Maybe they can actually hire a script editor to smooth over the rough spots.
That said, the film transfer is stunning in its beauty. The 1080p, 2.40:1-framed image is rich with color and detail. Similarly, the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack means business is just about flawless.
As for the paltry features, they’re all short and focus on elements of the production with cast and crew discussing how things were created or determined. While interesting, it all leaves you wanting more detail and information, especially Abrams’ conclusion that Khan was the most compelling opponent from the original 79 epsidoes, echoing Harve Bennett’s conclusion thirty years ago. He never addresses why they didn’t just create someone new.
Anyway, you get: Creating the Red Planet (8:28), Attack on Starfleet (5:25); The Klingon Home World (7:30); The Enemy of My Enemy (7:03); Ship to Ship (6:03); Brawl by the Bay (5:44); Continuing the Mission (1:57): A look at Star Trek‘s work with returning veterans and public service projects; and, The Mission Continues (1:29).
Starting September 1, AudioComics will begin taking pre-orders for the audio drama adaptation of Moonstone Entertainment‘s “Battle for LA,” starring the Phantom Detective, the Black Bat, the Domino Lady, Secret Agent X, and Airboy.
“Battle” will be released as a digital download October 1, available exclusively through the AudioComics website at www.audiocomicscompany.com!
Between September 1 and October 1, you can preorder the “Battle” MP3 for $6.45 ($1.50 off the retail
price of $7.95).
Plus you will receive a FREE episode from AudioComics’ “Horrorscopes” series!
The first Fight Card novel to be made available on unabridged audio via audible.com is Tomato Can Comeback with Henry Brown writing as Jack Tunney and narrated by John Podulka.
Tom Garrick had a heart of gold, a jaw of iron, and heavy artillery in both fists. This orphan from the Windy City returned from the Korean War, determined to battle his way up the welterweight ranks, inspiring
speculation about a title bid. Then he slugged it out with a top contender, who humiliated him over eleven rounds, cutting short his victory march.
ebook cover
Popular opinion was that he had been exposed as a lucky pretender. The newspapers dubbed him ‘Tomato Can’ after watching the blood splatter around the ring like tomato juice from a tin can being battered by a
tire iron.
Now, for some mysterious reason, ‘Tomato Can’ Garrick is lacing up his gloves again, hoping for a shot at redemption. He has no promoter, no manager, and not even a sparring partner. The only one in his corner is a buddy from the war, who has never been inside a boxing ring before.
There’s a punch-drunk pantheon of bums, brawlers, and cutthroat contenders just waiting to pound him into Palookaville…a lonely war widow with her claws in his heart…and a regimen of dubious training methods which may do more harm than good to his chances at success. But Garrick isn’t going to go down in history as “the Tomato Can” – at least, not without a fight.
The Fight Card: Tomato Can Comeback audio is 2 hours and 45 minutes in length.
For more information on The Fight Card: Tomato Can Comeback audio, click here.
For more information on The Fight Card: Tomato Can Comeback ebook, click here.
The first box set, starring Anthony Howell as Keel and Julian Wadham as Steed will be available in January and you can pre-order it now by click here.
About The Avengers – The Lost Episodes: Volume 1–
In 1961 The Avengers burst onto our TV screens, starring Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel and Patrick Macnee as John Steed. It began with a tragedy – and then pitted Keel and Steed against the underworld over the course of 26 episodes (of which only two episodes still exist in their entirety).
The Avengers – The Lost Episodes recreates the existing scripts on audio with a full cast of actors. Discover, for the first time in over 50 years, the beginnings of a TV legend…
Jungle Jim! The very name conjures up images of exotic locales, wild beasts and hostile natives. Jungle Jim braved these with the aid of his faithful Hindu companion, Kolu, as he traveled the wilds of southeastern Asia in search of adventure.
Jungle Jim is best remembered as the star of sixteen Columbia B-movies starring Johnny Weissmuller, fresh off his twelve-year stint as Tarzan, beginning in 1948. But Jungle Jim’s history goes back more than a decade.
Produced by Jay Clark and often written by Gene Stafford, The Adventures of Jungle Jim was on the air weekly from 1935 to 1954. A combination of jungle danger and colonial politics, the show brought listeners tales of slave traders, pirates, foreign spies, wild beasts, poachers, hostile tribes, and, during World War II, the Japanese, as Jim often served as an Allied operative. Armed with his trusty .45 automatic, the adventurer searched for lost treasure and investigated such mysteries as ghosts and unknown islands. Throughout it all, Jungle Jim maintained a cool head.
Beginning with Tarzan, the twentieth century was full of jungle characters. Jungle Jim is one of the unique ones, in that he wasn’t a barely-literate loincloth-clad tree-dwelling wild man, but rather Jim Bradley, a professional hunter in the mold of heroes of earlier popular fiction such as H. Rider Haggard’s Allan Quatermain and Lord John Roxton from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World.
Jungle Jim was the archetypal Great White Hunter who usually explores the kind of “lost worlds” which filled the pages of adventure magazines, and later, movie serials. He was everything one could ask for in a pulp protagonist – handsome, brave, resourceful.
This volume contains 40 fifteen-minute episodes from 1936 and 1937, including the conclusion of The Purple Triangle (#41-53) and the beginning of The Tiger’s Claw (#54-80), for ten hours of exciting and intelligent adventure. 10 hours $29.98 Audio CDs / $14.99 Download.
New Radio Digital Downloads now Available
For fourteen years, Radio Archives has been known for the amazing audio quality of our classic radio audio CD collections and it’s no wonder. We insist upon finding the absolute best quality masters, then carefully restoring them so that they retain all of the audio luster of the original recordings with none of the crackle, pops, hiss, or muffling so often heard in radio shows from other sources.
So, when we decided to start offering digital downloads of these same collections, two years ago, we knew that you’d accept nothing but the absolute best quality.
If you enjoy audio entertainment on your computer, your cell phone, or a portable device, you’ll be glad to hear that we’ve just added another sizable batch of digital downloads. Included are such long-time customer favorites as Suspense, The Best of the Big Bands, Boston Blackie, Archive Masters, Mystery is My Hobby, Night Watch, and Crime Club!
Digital downloads from RadioArchives.com give you the best of everything. Top quality shows in sparkling audio fidelity, available to you for instant delivery around the clock and, with digital downloads, you’ll pay no postage or delivery charges! Whether you live in Beijing, Basingstoke, or Bakersfield, just place your order and, within minutes, you’ll be enjoying some great entertainment.
We have 239 radio collections and the final 12 sets are now being converted to the Digital Download format. We are very pleased to announce that 4 radio collections are available for the first time today as digital downloads. The remaining 8 sets will be released in the next month. Great shows, great sound, and great prices, too!
It was CBS News commentator/curmudgeon Andy Rooney who once observed, “A lot of people think, as I do, that they appreciate Bob and Ray more than anyone else does.” Included in that “a lot of people” are undoubtedly old-time radio fans, many of whom have delighted in the offbeat radio antics of Messrs. Elliott and Goulding for the past half-century. Both men capitalized on their uncanny ability to intuit what each other was thinking to carve a small niche in the field of entertainment, generating big laughs by gently skewering and mocking the banality and pomposity of the business in which they had devoted both their careers: radio.
Boston native Robert Brackett Elliott was hired by 5000-watt radio station WHDH shortly after the start of World War II and, upon completing his stint in the service, returned to continue working the station’s morning drive time slot as a disc jockey. At that same time, the station also hired Raymond Walter Goulding to do WHDH’s hourly newscasts. Goulding was also a fellow New Englander, having been raised in nearby Lowell. The two men soon discovered that they enjoyed a real rapport over the airwaves and, after Goulding’s newscast was over, he would often join Elliott in witty, ad-libbed skits that slowly and surely developed a devoted fan base. When WHDH obtained the rights to the Braves-Red Sox games, management offered the two men twenty-five minutes before the start of each game to showcase their unique buffoonery, and dubbed the proceedings with the catchy title “Matinee with Bob and Ray.”
“Matinee with Bob and Ray” continued on WHDH in various formats and time slots until 1951. Thanks to the efforts of Bob and Ray fan Sheryl Smith, who helped us to gain access to the original 16″ WHDH transcriptions, Radio Archives is able to present the two men at their finest, with a collection of hilarious “Matinee” shows that now sound better than ever before. 10 hours. Regular Price $29.98 – Specially priced until August 29 for $14.99 Audio CDs / $7.49 Download.
Read by Nick Santa Maria. Liner Notes by Will Murray
For ten grim years, The Spider battled the Underworld, imprinting his scarlet seal on the bodies of the criminals he slew. No one knew his name. His face was unknown. Pursued by the police, sought by the mob, The Spider crushed crime with a blazing intensity never witnessed before or since. Now he’s back with a vengeance in a new series of audiobooks retelling his pulp-pounding exploits, as chronicled by Norvell W. Page, writing as Grant Stockbridge.
Never before or since has there been a hero like him. Driven, hunted, and violently committed to exterminating criminals of all calibers. A self-appointed savior of humanity, driven manic-depressive, and possibly undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, The Spider was known as the Master of Men.
The most compelling of the classic pulp heroes, Richard Wentworth had a fiancé, a coterie of equally committed aides, and a tense relationship with New York Police Commissioner Stanley Kirkpatrick, Wentworth’s best friend, but also a dedicated lawman sworn to send The Spider to the electric chair—no matter who he turns out to be.
Garbed in a black silk cloak, slouch hat and wearing an assortment of masks and strange disguises to make him look as fierce as his namesake, The Spider ran roughshod over a vicious legion of thugs and hoodlums, leaving behind him a trail of cold corpses branded by his calling card, a scarlet spider burned into their foreheads.
After three years of writing The Spider, Norvell Page suddenly dropped out in the Fall of 1936. No one is sure why this was, but nervous strain due to overwork, along with making unforgiving monthly deadlines, are the likeliest explanations for Page abandoning The Spider series.
For several months, Emile C. Tepperman ghosted the series as Grant Stockbridge. Suddenly, Norvell Page returned. And he returned with a vengeance! Tepperman introduced a new character to the series, Ben Lasker, but Page ruthlessly obliterated him in the beginning of his return novel, The Man Who Ruled in Hell. Not content with that, Page introduced a new alternate identity for Richard Wentworth, safecracker Blinky McQuade.
The Man Who Ruled in Hell pits the Master of Men against The Red Hand, a vicious supercriminal who has audaciously unionized New York’s Underworld. But how can Richard Wentworth overcome this new threat when he himself has been cast in prison?
This thrilling Spider audiobook features acclaimed voice talent Nick Santa Maria, who has made The Spider his own! Also included is Arthur Leo Zagat’s “Doc Turner–-Slave Buyer,” read by Roy Worley. 6 hours $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download.
RadioArchives.com and Will Murray are giving away the downloadable version of the newly released Strange Detective Mysteries audiobook for FREE.
If you prefer the Audio CDs to play in your car or home CD player, the coupon code will subtract the $11.99 price of the download version from the Audio CDs. That makes the Audio CDs half price.
Add Strange Detective Mysteries to the shopping cart and use the Coupon Code AUDIOBOOK.
“Strange Detective Mysteries #1 is one of my favorite pulps and I am excited to produce it as an audiobook with my good friends at Radio Archives. It leads off with Norvell W. Page’s bizarre novelette, “When the Death-Bat Flies,” and includes thrilling stories by Norbert Davis, Paul Ernst, Arthur Leo Zagat, Wayne Rogers and others. Popular Publications went all-out to make this 1937 debut issue a winner. And they succeeded!”
Happy listening,
Will Murray
New Will Murray’s Pulp Classics eBooks
The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge eBooks! Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your eReader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as The Spider and Operator #5 as well as wonderfully obscure characters like TheOctopus and Captain Satan. Will Murray’s Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday’s Pulp today!
Must New York bow down in abject terror before the relentless onslaughts of the IRON MAN — the super-criminal who could direct gigantic steel robots to spill the blood of hundreds at his merest whim?… Richard Wentworth said no! Yet his only weapons with which to back his heroic denial were his few loyal aides, and the garb of The Spider, Master of Men!… The greatest Spider story ever told! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. $2.99.
Out of the caverns of the lost came the deathless beast-men of Herr Goulon, Hunland’s Master-mind of Murder and to save the world he was fighting for, the Ace American Flying Spy had to undertake a solo flight beyond the grave! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. $2.99.
Bill Combat stands beside the dead body of his mother and swears an oath, before God and man, which her murderers shall perish by his hand! Here is an American Ace, thrown into the hell and misery of Europe’s war, offering his life, his courage, his guns and his flying skill, that dictators may vanish from a troubled world! Fly the skies of early World War II with Captain Bill Combat — the war ace who fought across Europe through the smoke of human liberties as it vanished from the earth. Fearlessly he battled the minions of the Nazi war machine. The Nazi evil had murdered his mother and uncle, and he vowed vengeance. It was a rousing call to America, which had not yet entered the war. But it was a call that only lasted for three issues of Captain Combat magazine: April, June and August of 1940. Captain Combat was a symbol created by author Barry Barton to do and say the things that America couldn’t officially say in those perilous times. Read along as blue skies turn red above, as green pastures become the barren homes of the dead. Today it stands as a rare glimpse of what fear fanned across America in the days when war was an ominous threat upon a bloody horizon. Captain Combat returns in these vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, all written by John H. Knox, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
99 cent eBook Singles
Each 99 cent eBook Single contains a single short story, one of the many amazing tales selected from the pages of Terror Tales and Rangeland Romances. These short stories are not included in any of our other eBooks.
I let my wife stand witness to Dr. Klitgard’s monstrous experiments with a giant ape — against my will… Good God! Could I have only known the ghastly plan went further… In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
Enden built his setting with the genius of the damned — and the mad gods laughed when his vengeance plan proved a deadly boomerang! In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
In the abandoned clipper’s rotting hold, Bruce Cameron saw his sweetheart go mad with a strange and frightful greed! In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird me most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
Sourapple Gulch was a city of dreary, unhappy women. Pert Cinnie was sure she had the right remedy to liven up the girls — even though handsome Rand thought her a frivolous brat. A story of new love and ancient hatred in the grandeur of San Gabriel Canyon. One of the most popular settings for romance stories was the old west, where men were men and women were women. As many a swooning damsel could attest, “There’s something about a cowboy.” The western romance became one of the most popular types of magazines sold during the early and mid-twentieth century. $0.99.
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
Find these legendary Pulp tales and more in Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, now available at:
Receive an exciting original Spider adventure FREE! Part of the Will Murray Pulp Classics line, The Spider #11, Prince of the Red Looters first saw print in 1934 and features his momentous battle with The Fly and his armies of crazed criminal killers.
For those who have been unsure about digging into the wonderful world of pulps, this is a perfect chance to give one of these fantastic yarns a real test run. With a full introduction to The Spider written by famed pulp historian and author Will Murray, The Spider #11 was written by one of pulp’s most respected authors, Norvell W. Page. Writing as Grant Stockbridge, Page’s stories included some of the most bizarre and fun takes on heroes and crime fighting in the history of escapist fiction.
Even today Page’s scenarios and his edge-of-the-seat writing style are still thrilling both new and old fans everywhere. For those who have never read one of these rollercoaster adventures, you are in for a thrill. If you already know how much fun a classic pulp is, make sure you get a copy of this classic.
See what the Total Pulp Experience is for yourself. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine.
Send an eMail to eBooks@RadioArchives.com and start reading your FREE copy of The Spider #11 within seconds! Experience The Best Pulps the Past has to offer in the most modern way possible!
Pulp fiction’s Master of Men returns in two classic stories from 1939 and 1942. First, in “The Silver Death Rain”, The Silver Falcon, aided by The Vixen, has a bizarre plan to wreak havoc on the city: he’s trained a flock of crazed owls to kill at the sight of the color red! Then, in “Hell Rolls on the Highways”, The Evangelist seeks to take over the nation’s truck and bus systems, aided by his beautiful slave girl Kalimumtaz. The Spider’s efforts to defeat his evil plans are complicated by the fact that his faithful friend Ram Singh has fallen violently in love with the girl. These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations to accompany each story. On sale for $12.95, save $2.00
The Knight of Darkness battles diabolical supervillains in classic pulp thrillers by all three “Maxwell Grants.” First, the Master of Darkness confronts his greatest superfoe, Shiwan Khan, “The Golden Master,” in Walter Gibson’s landmark novel that inspired the blockbuster 1994 movie. Then, The Shadow battles The Light in “Death’s Bright Finger,” a violent thriller by Theodore Tinsley. Finally, The Shadow and his agents are faced with a “Reign of Terror” in Bruce Elliott’s final (and best) pulp novel. This instant collector’s item showcases the classic color pulp covers by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and Paul Orban, with commentary by popular culture historian Will Murray. $14.95.
The Man of Bronze and his daredevil cousin Pat Savage return in two classic pulp novels by Lester Dent and William Bogart writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc Savage is accused of serial murders and jailed. Can Pat and Doc’s aides help unearth the strange secret of “The Invisible-Box Murders” and prove the Man of Bronze’s innocence? Then, Doc journeys to Honolulu after a strange letter makes Pat’s friend, Sally Trent, a “Target for Death.” BONUS: “The Hang String,” a rare 1933 tale by Lester Dent from the back pages of The Shadow Magazine. This double-novel collector’s edition leads off with a classic color cover by Emery Clarke, and showcases all of Paul Orban’s original interior illustrations and new historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of eleven Doc Savage novels. $14.95.
Philip José Farmer tribute edition
The pulp era’s greatest superhero returns in two imaginative novels by Laurence Donovan and Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” What is the strange connection between a snowstorm in July and the death of a woman transformed into a shadow? Doc and Pat Savage journey to the Syrian Desert to unravel the strange secret of the “Murder Mirage” in the novel that inspired a 1940 Superman story! Then, a mysterious animal pelt leads Doc and his aides through a crack in the Earth to the prehistoric dangers of “The Other World.” Pulp historian Will Murray provides historical commentary and a tribute to the late Doc Savage writer Philip José Farmer. This deluxe pulp reprint showcase a stunning cover painting by the legendary James Bama, the classic color covers by Walter Baumhofer and Emery Clarke and all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban. $14.95.
The pulps’ original “Man of Steel” returns in three action-packed pulp thrillers by Paul Ernst and Emile Tepperman writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, smuggled “Pictures of Death” are only the sinister prelude to deadly sabotage and mass destruction. Then, Justice Inc. hunts for the antidote to a deadly malady that transforms men into apelike monstrosities in “The Green Killer.” Will the cure bring death to The Avenger? PLUS “Calling Justice Inc.,” a bonus Avenger thriller by Spider-scribe Emile Tepperman! This classic pulp reprint showcases the classic color pulp covers by Lenosci and William Timmons, Paul Orban’s interior illustrations and commentary by pulp historian Will Murray. $14.95.
This is an authentic replica of an original pulp magazine published by Girasol Collectables. This edition is designed to give the reader an authentic taste of what a typical pulp magazine was like when it was first issued – but without the frailty or expense of trying to find a decades-old collectable to enjoy. The outer covers, the interior pages, and the advertisements are reprinted just as they appeared in the original magazine, left intact to give the reader the true feel of the original as well as an appreciation for the way in which these publications were first offered to their avid readers. To further enhance the “pulp experience”, this edition is printed on off-white bond paper intended to simulate the original look while, at the same time, assuring that this edition will last far longer than the original upon which it is based. The overall construction and appearance of this reprint is designed to be as faithful to the original magazine as is reasonably possible, given the unavoidable changes in production methods and materials. $25.00.
Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Doc Savage and King Kong
Eighty years ago in February, 1933 the Street & Smith company released the first issue of Doc Savage Magazine, introducing one of the most popular and influential pulp superheroes ever to hit the American scene. Doc Savage was the greatest adventurer and scientist of his era, and while his magazine ended in 1949, he influenced the creators of Superman, Batman, Star Trek, The Man from UNCLE and the Marvel Universe—to name only a few.
While that first issue of Doc Savage was fresh on Depression newsstands, RKO Radio Pictures released one of the most important fantasy films of all time. Everyone knows the story of how King Kong was discovered on Skull Island and hauled back to New York in chains, only to perish tragically atop the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Empire State Building.
As it happened, that was where Doc Savage had his world headquarters. For decades, fans have wondered: Where was Doc the day Kong fell?
On the eightieth anniversary of these fictional giants, Altus Press is proud to release the first authorized clash between The Man of Bronze and the Eighth Wonder of the World—Doc Savage: Skull Island. Written by Will Murray in collaboration with Joe DeVito, creator of KONG: King of Skull Island,Doc Savage: Skull Island is a new pulp epic.
The story opens when Doc returns from his secret retreat in the North Pole to discover the cold corpse of Kong lying on his doorstep.
“I know this creature,” Doc tells his dumbfounded men.
Tasked to dispose of the remains, the Man of Bronze then relates the untold story of his epic encounter with Kong back in 1920, after Doc returns from service in World War I, long before Kong became known to the civilized world as “King” Kong.
Doc Savage: Skull Island is a multi-generational story in which Doc and his father—the man who placed him in the hands of scientists who made him into a superman—sail to the Indian Ocean in search of Doc’s grandfather, the legendary Stormalong Savage, whose famous clipper ship has been discovered floating, deserted, her masts snapped by some incredible force.
The quest for Stormalong Savage leads to the fog-shrouded Indian Ocean and—Skull Island! There, Doc Savage faces his first great test as he encounters its prehistoric dangers and tangles with the towering, unstoppable Kong.
“When Joe DeVito brought this idea to me,” says Will Murray, “I knew it had to be written with reverence for both of these immortal characters. So I used the locale of Skull Island to tell a larger story, an untold origin for Doc Savage. It all started back on Skull Island….”
“Pulling off the first ever face-off between Doc Savage and King Kong was both challenging and exhilarating,” adds DeVito. “Will’s unique take on the tale scatters the primordial mists surrounding Skull Island long enough to reveal secrets of both classic characters hidden since their creation.”
Doc Savage: Skull Island has already been hailed as “The Doc Savage novel that Doc fans have been waiting on for 80 years!”
Doc Savage: Skull Island is the fifth entry in Altus Press’ popular Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series. Cover by Joe DeVito. $24.95.
Doc Savage announces to the world that he has succeeded in a quest that has eluded man for thousands of years. He has discovered a way to resurrect the dead! Doc asks the general public whom they think he should resurrect. The consensus is that he should revive the man reputed to have been the wisest man to ever live, King Solomon. But nefarious forces are at work. They substitute the mummy of the evil Egyptian Pharaoh Pey-deh-eh-ghan for King Solomon. This Pharaoh was reputed to have hidden a secret treasure which was never found.
Doc does not discover the substitution and the Pharaoh is resurrected. The villains who made the switch come to claim their prize but they soon discover that Pey-deh-eh-ghan is more crafty and nefarious than they thought. He adapts well to the 20th Century and lights out on his own to recover his treasure wreaking havoc and destruction at every turn.
Meanwhile, Doc Savage and his Iron Crew continue in pursuit hoping to stop the mad Pharaoh and the criminals who have unleashed him on mankind.
Can Doc stop this reign of terror? Will he be able to bring Pey-deh-eh-ghan to justice? Does the fabled lost treasure even exist after thousands of years?
Don’t miss this one! Double Novel reprint $12.95
Comments From Our Customers!
Joy Mahoney writes:
Thanks for all your work! The Secret 6 is another great audiobook my husband will love.
Robert Gilpin writes:
I received my books and they are perfect. The packaging was excellent, as well. Thank you for always giving my books special attention. Be back soon!
Rick Kuenzel writes:
I loved the audio clip of Jungle Jim that was in a recent newsletter.
Mary Magaldo writes:
I absolutely love your audio books and can see why they are your most popular products. I’m so enjoying Joey d’Auria performing the Doctor Death audio book. I’ve never heard audio books this well done before.
If you’d like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We’d love to hear from you!
The products you’ve read about in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you’ll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it’s the sparkling audio fidelity of our classic radio collections, the excitement of our new line of audiobooks, or the timeless novels of the pulp heroes, you’ll find hundreds of intriguing items at RadioArchives.com.
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, or if this newsletter has been sent to you in error, please reply to this e-mail with the subject line UN-SUBSCRIBE and your name will immediately be removed from our mailing list.
What if the dead could be summoned from their graves- for a price? What if a quartet of distinctive storytellers took a stab at this deceptively simple idea- on a date? The answers lie here, in Four Summoner’s Tales, as Kelley Armstrong, David Liss, Christopher Golden, and Jonathan Maberry accept the challenge in uniquely chilling ways. Available September 17 in print, EBook and audio. (NOTE: This book includes a never-before-published Joe Ledger novella by Maberry)
The BBC has confirmed the recovery of nine episodes of th Patricke Troughton era Doctor Who, a complete set of The Enemy of the World, and all but part three of The Web of Fear. Both adventures are available now from iTunes, with DVD releases to follow. Part three of Web of Fear, still missing, is included with a restored audio track and a series of telesnaps. It’s unknown if it may at some time receive the animated treatment that many past adventures have gotten.
Featured Girasol Replica: The Magic Carpet #2 April 1933 [Pulp Replica]
