Castle | ComicMix

Marvel-Disney Connection Now Includes Once Upon a Time Hardcover Graphic Novel

News
March 28, 2013

The connections between Marvel Comics and its sister divisions within Walt Disney continue to evolve. After the success of graphic novels tying in the quasi-related genre of ABC’s Castle, now the company is about to launch a graphic novel based on another ABC property, Once Upon a Time. It’s fully expected that in 2015, Marvel will once more publish Star Wars comics as the relationship between Lucasfilm, now a Disney vassal, and Dark Horse, comes to a conclusion. Should this continue, we can expect a continuing line of comics tied to other Disney properties, both film and television.

New York, NY (March 28^th, 2013)—Dive into the immersive world of ABC’s Once Upon a Time like never before as Marvel Entertainment and Disney-ABC Television Group are proud to announce Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, an all-new original graphic novel hardcover inspired by the popular series. Plotted by series writer & co-producer Dan Thomsen, and co-written by Corinna Bechko (Planet of The Apes), this landmark release fits into the official continuity of Once Upon a Time and features the lush art of Nimit Malavia, Vasilis Lolos, Mike Del Mundo, Stephanie Hans and Mike Henderson.

Welcome to Storybrooke, a small New England town where seemingly regular people go about their everyday lives with no idea who they really are – the fabled storybook characters we all grew up with! It’s real, all of it! But Fairy Tale Land is not the “happily ever after” you may have heard about – their stories continued, and the Evil Queen cast a Dark Curse over their homeland.

In Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, the Evil Queen has, quite literally, captured the Huntsman’s heart. With the Huntsman a slave, experience the never-before-told tale behind their twisted relationship—and what happens when a good man is forced to do bad. And when Regina cooks up yet another devious plan to capture Snow White the Huntsman comes face-to-face with his past — including an independent spirit in Red Riding Hood that just may match his own. Can these two break free of the forces that bind them and save Snow White?

The release of Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen marks the first official graphic fiction tie-in to the hit ABC Studios series.

“Once Upon a Time fans are in for a treat with this incredible story that reveals some shocking secrets about Regina and the Huntsman”, said David Gabriel, SVP Sales, Print and Digital Media. “It’s been a pleasure to work with ABC to create a line of high quality original graphic novels that bring new fans into comic stores and also allow us to introduce great franchises like Once Upon a Time to our die-hard fans.”

“Shadow of the Queen will bring fans a whole new thread of the intriguing backstory between Regina and the Huntsman – in a uniquely Marvel way”, said Adam Sanderson, SVP Franchise Management for the Disney-ABC Television Group. “We hope this brand extension will further deepen the engagement our viewers have with one of ABC’s signature series.”

When put to the test, where will the Huntsman’s loyalties lie? Has the Evil Queen stolen his heart in more ways than one? Find out in Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen available on September 4^th in book stores, comic shops, the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch® & Android devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.

Peter David has stroke

News
December 30, 2012

UPDATE: Peter’s site is back. Feel free to add well-wishes there.

Peter David, writer of over one thousand comics for everyone over the past four decades, has suffered a stroke. He writes on his site:

I have had a stroke. We were on vacation in Florida when I lost control of the right side of my body. I cannot see properly and I cannot move my right arm or leg. We are currently getting the extent of the damage sorted out and will report as further details become clarified.

His main website, PeterDavid.net, is getting hammered, but we’ll be updating as we have more information. He’s still planning on hitting all his deadlines, though.

Peter, of course, is well known for his comics work, holding the current record for most months consistently published. comic book resume includes an award-winning twelve-year run on The Incredible Hulk, and he has also worked on such varied and popular titles as X-Factor, Supergirl, Young Justice, Soulsearchers and Company, Aquaman, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Star Trek, Wolverine, The Phantom, Sachs & Violens, The Dark Tower, and many others. He has also written comic book related novels, such as The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast, and co-edited The Ultimate Hulk short story collection. Furthermore, his opinion column, “But I Digress…,” has been running in the industry trade newspaper The Comic Buyers’s Guide for nearly a decade, and in that time has been the paper’s consistently most popular feature and was also collected into a trade paperback edition.

His latest prose fiction, Pulling Up Stakes, is available from Crazy 8 Press. Part one is available as an e-book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble now, with part two arriving shortly. His latest comic, Richard Castle’s A Calm Before Storm, is a spinoff from the TV series Castle, starring Nathan Fillion.

Marvel Adds “Castle Miniseries to be Written by Peter David

Press Releases
September 19, 2012

Marvel Entertainment and ABC Studios are proud to announce Castle: A Calm Before A Storm, an all-new comic book limited series by the popular Castle television series. The first issue of this five issue series, based the titular novel from noted author Richard Castle, hits comic shops, the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Web Store on December 5^th, 2012. Following issues will ship monthly through April 2013. Castle: A Calm Before A Storm is written by New York Times best-selling author Peter David (Stephen King’s Dark Tower, X-Factor), penciled by popular artist Robert Atkins (Amazing Spider-Man) and features powerful covers by Mico Suayan (Moon Knight).

Derrick Storm is looking forward to finally getting out of the game – stocking up his cabin cruiser and heading out into the open Atlantic for good. But his plans are put on hold when, on the eve of a UN summit, the severed head of a Russian diplomat is found bobbing in the backwaters of the Hudson. Storm’s CIA handler Clara Strike, enlists him to crack a plot of global proportions, pitting the uncanny PI against a legion of eastern bloc mercenaries, and an ex-KGB hit-man known simply as “The Fear.”

“The continued success by Marvel with these graphic fiction adaptations of my work is incredible. I’m thrilled to welcome Peter, Robert and Mico to the family,” said Richard Castle. “Derrick Storm is one of my favorite creations and it’s great to have such an excellent creative team join us with this new comic series,”

This is the third Castle graphic fiction adaptation to be released through a collaborative effort between Marvel, ABC Studios and the producers of Castle. In 2011, Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm dominated sales charts and garner worldwide acclaim. And on October 15^th, 2012, Castle: Richard Castle’s Storm Season will be released on sale in comic shops, the Marvel Comics app, Marvel Web Store, iBookstore, Nook Bookstore and everywhere books are sold

“The partnership with Marvel has been a dream,” said Andrew W. Marlowe, “Castle” creator/executive producer. ‘Their extraordinary creative vision has given our audience a new and exciting way to enjoy Richard Castle’s work.”

“With the newest adaptation of the Derrick Storm novels it’s safe to say that Richard Castle’s work is a hit with comic book fans around the world!” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor in Chief. “Castle: A Calm Before A Storm follows in the tradition of our Castle projects full of great characters, international intrigue and packs every page with lots of action!”

CASTLE: A CALM BEFORE THE STORM #1
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by ROBERT ATKINS
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
13 & Up …$3.99
ON SALE DECEMBER 5, 2012

Castle stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as NYPD Captain Roy Montgomery, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, and Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan.

Castle is produced by ABC Studios. Andrew Marlowe is the show’s creator/executive producer, along with executive producers Rob Bowman, David Amann, Laurie Zaks and Armyan Bernstein.

George Newbern reprises role of Man of Steel for SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE

News
May 30, 2012

George Newbern makes his triumphant return as the voice of the Man of Steel in SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, the latest DC Comics Premiere Movie coming June 12 from Warner Home Video.

Newbern put all the resounding tones of truth, justice and the American way into the commanding vocals behind the animation of Superman in both the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited television series. He last reprised the character’s voice for the DC Showcase original animated short, Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam.

Newbern is a constant on primetime television, appearing on current hit series like NCIS, The Mentalist, Castle and Grey’s Anatomy, to name a but a few. He’s widely recognized for his starring turn opposite Steve Martin in Father of the Bride, and for the NBC series Providence. His latest projects include a recurring role on the new ABC hit series Scandal.

In SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, Superman’s effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as “The Elite,” appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy — putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical and decidedly non-lethal Man of Steel.

Newbern is joined in the core cast by NCIS star Pauley Perrette as Lois Lane and versatile voice actor Robin Atkin Downes (Babylon 5) as Manchester Black, leader of The Elite. David Kaufman (Justice League: Doom) also reprises his Justice League TV series role as Jimmy Olsen.

Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives June 12, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViolet™ Digital Copy.

Newbern offered a few thoughts about playing Superman in a short chat following his final recording session for the film. (more…)

JOHN OSTRANDER: WWKL?

Columns
March 11, 2012

This week marked fifteen years since the death of my sometime writing partner and lovely wife, Kimberly Ann Yale. Since here we talk about pop culture in so many different forms, I thought I would pose myself a question – WWKL? What Would Kim Like? What has come out since her death that she would really have gotten into?

Let’s start right here – on the Internet. First of all, she would have loved ComicMix and probably would have had her own column here. Kim was a terrific essayist – much better at it than me, I think. She was thoughtful, she picked words with care and grammar and punctuation really mattered to her. Me? If it gets past spellchek, I’m good.

In fact, I think Kim would have been all over the Internet. She would have had a blog or two or three, she would have been answering other peoples’ blogs, she would have been Queen of Facebook. Facebook was invented for someone like Kim. She would have had a bazillion friends on FB. I would have had to pry the computer from her.

Kim was also big into monsters and horror, vampires being her especial faves. I think she would have favored True Blood over the others because of the sex and the melodrama and the Southern-fried aspects of it all. (Kim’s mom was Southern and Kim fancied herself as a Southern belle. Kind of hard to do when you’re born up North but her mind worked it around.) The Dark Shadows movie starring Johnny Depp? Eeeeeeeeee! She would be camped out for it right now.

I think both The Walking Dead comic and TV series would have sucked her in but she would have been tickled by Shaun Of The Dead. Kim had a terrific sense of humor and the world’s most infectious laugh. Trust me – if you were a stand-up comic or doing a comedy in the theater, you wanted Kim in the audience.

I wonder what she would have made of Cowboys And Aliens? She was the one who got me started watching westerns and they were among her favorite genre films and, of course, adding sci/fi to it would have really intrigued her but I’m not sure what she would have made of the execution. I only give it two stars and I think she would have agreed (Kim also worked as a movie critic back in Chicago for a small suburban newspaper, so she could really knew how to dissect a movie.)

On the cowboys and spaceships mode, I think she would have been into both Firefly and the movie tie-up, Serenity. And Nathan Fillion would have led her to the Castle TV series (she also loved fun mysteries and strong female characters).

Then there’s Doctor Who. Kim and I met at a Doctor Who con (actually, a combined Doctor Who / Chicago Comic Con) and she would have rejoiced at the Doctor’s return. I think she would have liked David Tennant’s Doctor the best; she would have described him as a “creamie” – as in cream your jeans. However, she would have liked all three incarnations that have come out since the series’ return and, as a writer, would really enjoyed Stephen Moffat’s writing and now running of the franchise. She would have also liked his take on Sherlock Holmes and on Jekyll and Hyde. I stopped watching the latter during its first season; not because it wasn’t good but because it really creeped me out too much.

On movies, she would have been amazed and ecstatic with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and would, as Mary and I are doing, been waiting impatiently for The Hobbit movies coming out. Viggo Mortensen would also have been counted as a creamie.

She would have been fascinated by how CGI made superhero movies possible and what happened as a result. Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, especially The Dark Knight, would have sucked her in and, come Hallowe’en, she would have dressed up as Ledger’s Joker, no question in my mind about it. I think, however, she would have been even more taken with Inception – Kim had an active dreamscape and tried to spend as much time in it as possible so the movie’s setting would have fascinated her.

She would have liked Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (less so the sequel) not only because he was so good (and he was) but because she was also a sucker for redemption stories and Downey’s reclamation of his career would have stirred her. She would also have really liked Chris Hemsworth as Thor (creamie) and the whole Captain America film and she would really be anticipating The Avengers, not the least because Joss Whedon is helming it.

I could go on much longer but I think I’ve tried everyone’s patience enough. I may be just projecting onto Kim what some of my own likes and dislikes are but it refreshes her memory in my own mind and heart, keeping the flame alive. She was full of life and she would have brought that with her into the future. Like all those we treasure, she lives on in me and in all those she loved and loved her.

Memory doesn’t die with the body, and neither does love.

MONDAY: Mindy Newell

COMEDY, DRAMA, AND PULP, PULP, PULP! ALL FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

News
March 10, 2012

March 9, 2012

NEW Radio Set: Fibber McGee and Molly – The Lost Episodes, Volume 14

What makes classic radio comedy? The best comedy writing perhaps for any radio program in history. Memorable, lovable characters. The banter and jokes that people all across the country tuned in for every week. And the best possible leads for a show about an endearing, quirky couple living in small town America. That is why listeners still become fans today of ‘Fibber McGee and Molly.”

It’s not surprising, then, that “Fibber McGee and Molly” enjoyed one of the most successful runs in radio history, being heard on the air in one form or another for nearly twenty-five years. It’s also not surprising that today, over fifty years after they made their last appearance as a team, Jim and Marion Jordan remain a part of our culture; people of a certain age still say “Tain’t funny, McGee” when someone’s joke falls flat and many of the character types used so well on this show still populate Comedy shows today.

For many years, radio enthusiasts and the general public have been enjoying the antics of Fibber and Molly thanks to the generous recording library left by the Johnson’s Wax Company, the long-time sponsor of the series. To add to these programs, RadioArchives.com has acquired many classic episodes of their later fifteen-minute daily series for NBC and has been releasing them in a series of popular compact disc collections – hilarious adventures that literally haven’t been heard since they were first aired in the mid-1950s. Featuring the Jordans, along with neighbors like Wallace Wimple, the Old Timer, and Doc Gamble, played by Bill Thompson and Arthur Q. Bryan, the newly-discovered shows in these collections are just as warm and entertaining today as they were more than fifty years ago.

Providing great laughs and stories until the end, Fibber McGee and Molly – The Lost Episodes, Volume 14 is the final volume in this fantastic series. Transferred from the original NBC master recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity, enjoy twenty one full length broadcasts, a total of five hours, of hilarity and hijinks for only $14.98 for Audio CDs.

Special note about this fantastic collection. The last show in this set is the very last Fibber McGee and Molly show ever broadcast. Although short pieces would be done for a few more years on Monitor, the final episode in this collection was the last time Fibber McGee and Molly had their own stage to share their magic with the world.

NEW Radio Set: Claudia, Volume 10

The Soap Opera as we know it today is not much different than when it began back in the golden age of Radio. The only real difference between then and now is that shows are no longer sponsored by soap companies, hence the name originally attached to these episodic programs full of villains, passion, twists and turns, scandal and rumor and murderous melodrama. In 1947, however, a show that broke the mold and still stands out as a unique example of the soap opera hit the airwaves thanks to the sponsorship of Coca Cola. And this new take on soap operas had a name. Claudia.
The very elements that made Claudia different from other soap operas quickly became its strengths. People came back to “Claudia” for the interesting, fully developed characters, the lighthearted banter, and the familiarity of their day-to-day situations. Given this, most modern listeners view “Claudia” as a continuing daytime situation comedy, rather than as a soap opera — and enjoy it immensely.

The title character and her husband are the best part of the show. Claudia, a bit younger than her years, is often impulsive, sometimes irresponsible, usually perky, and just a bit flighty. Her father had died when she was still a young girl and, as an only child, had been raised by her widowed mother. As she matures, she becomes a unique mixture of enthusiasm, incompetence and over-confidence — deeply in love with her somewhat older husband David, but frequently naive and too likely to trust in her insecurities rather than her instincts. Claudia’s loving and patient husband David came from a substantial family and he had trained to be an architect until World War II interrupted his plans. Like many a returning veteran, he’s working to get ahead in his field, but he sometimes questions whether he’s chosen the right career path.

Claudia, Volume 10 continues the story of Claudia and David restored to the highest audio quality possible, showing not only the success of the program, but also the level of writing involved. Clearly the characters, especially the two leads, grow and mature over the course of the series, as clearly heard in this latest volume now available from Radio Archives on Audio CDs for $17.98.

Radio Reviews – Rocky Jordan, Volume 1

by Tommy Hancock

An exotic locale, an ancient city thrust into modern times surrounded by a mysterious desert. People of all types and nationalities, as mysterious as their surroundings and usually running to or away from something. A bar, its smoke filled liquor heavy air stirred by patrons crowding in to drown sorrows or make mischief. And at his own private table in the establishment, the bar’s owner, a man of intrigue himself who always ends up knee deep in danger.

For many Classic Movie fans, that description fits the legendary film “Casablanca” like Dooley Wilson fits a piano. It also applies to a wonderfully exciting radio show that has proven to be popular among collectors today, in part because so many episodes have survived. Rocky Jordan, Volume 1 definitely bears resemblance to the better known classic film on the surface, but really it stands on its own merits, owing more to the Pulp Detective shows and tales of the time than to a film making a not so veiled political statement.

Rocky Jordan, Volume 1 features well known radio character actor Jack Moyles in the title role. Having left the States for reasons never fully revealed, Jordan now owns the Café Tambourine, a nightclub in Cairo that everyone seems to want to buy, hide in, steal from, or die within its walls. And each time, Jordan ends up involved, accused, pursued, or otherwise with his neck in a proverbial noose. Helped or sometimes chased by Captain Sam Sabaaya of the Police, Jordan ends up hard boiling his way through the mystery and mayhem just as each episode comes to a close.

General similarities aside, “Rocky Jordan” is much more Philip Marlowe or Michael Shayne if they happened to own a bar in Egypt that it is ‘Casablanca’. Tough as nails and twice as sharp, Jordan takes no guff off anyone, but Moyles brings a necessary duality to his portrayal of Rocky, making him a guy who can throw his fists like wildfire, yet still give a plug nickel about the common joe. The stories are strong, well paced and tightly plotted tales, guaranteed to excite and wow in the short time given.

NEW Audiobook: Dan Fowler: G-Man

In the flood of pulp magazines featuring the hard-hitting exploits of a single hero, only one magazine read as if its stories had been torn out of the headlines. That was G-Men, starring the closest equivalent to Eliot Ness and his Untouchables the pulps dared offer up.

The origins of this exemplary series are obscure. Leo Margulies, editor-in-chief of the Thrilling chain, may have been eyeing rival titles such as Secret Service Operator #5 and Secret Agent X, thinking there’s gold in fictionalizing the exploits of undercover men. Early in 1935, Margulies let it be known in the trade that he was planning to issue Secret Service Detective Stories—a bland and uninspiring title if one was ever floated.

But Secret Service Detective Stories never materialized. In April, James Cagney starred in a blockbuster film, G Men. That July, a radio program by that same name debuted to strong ratings. It later became even more famous as Gang Busters. Pulp editors always looked to Hollywood and the headlines for inspiration. Margulies didn’t need to be hit over the head. He scrapped the Secret Service concept and appropriated the popular title, which had been coined by gangster George “Machine Gun” Kelly when, after being surrounded by armed F.B.I. agents in 1933, threw up his hands and cried, “Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot, G-Men!” Or so the legend goes. G-Man stood for Government Men, specifically F.B.I. agents.

These were the days of iron-fisted Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover battling back the gangster tide that was overrunning major cities all across America. Seeing the local law-enforcement was outnumbered and outgunned—if not compromised—by organized crime he reorganized the old Bureau of Investigation into America’s first national police force—sanctioned to cross state lines in the pursuit of justice. In the pulps, the urban menace of mobster crime had given rise to The Shadow and all the superhuman crime-fighters who followed.

Five years into this ever-shifting reality, Margulies and his editors must have decided the reading public was ready for a crime-crusher who didn’t wear a black cape or a weird mask, and who operated within the law. They were ready for the real deal.

So they created Special Agent Daniel Fowler. Young but hardened, the product of the FBI’s new scientific investigation methods, Fowler and his aides, Larry Kendal and Sally Vane, formed a special roving unit of the Bureau, willing and able to rush to any state in the Union to combat counterfeiters, extortionists and sundry foreign spies.

To write the exploits of such a non-nonsense hero, they understood that they needed a writer of a different cut than the boys who were grinding out The Phantom Detective every month. Maybe they tried a few of their Phantom authors and they flopped. In any case, they called in George Fielding Eliot, a former major in U. S. intelligence.

Titled after an underworld slang term for kidnapping, with the Lindbergh baby kidnapping fresh in the public consciousness, and inspired by the notorious Purple Gang, the premier exploit of Dan Fowler and his team was called Snatch! It was an instant success among readers who had been reading daily newspaper accounts of the F. B. I.’s successful crusade against John Dillinger and “Baby Face” Nelson, and other otherwise-unstoppable Public Enemies. Their bodies were fast piling up—filled with government lead, with no sign of The Shadow or the Spider anywhere in real life.

Seared by crime, trained by Hoover, and motivated by a stern sense of justice, Special Agent Fowler went on to a long and successful career spanning nearly two decades, and a single 1937 film, Federal Bullets. Only the death of the pulp magazine industry put an end to his fame.

In order to do justice to this riveting hero, we’ve recruited the impeccable-voiced Richard Epcar to narrate Snatch! If you like Richard’s hard-hitting performance as much as we do, expect to hear a big announcement regarding Richard Epcar and Radio Archives next month. We can’t wait!

Available for only $14.98 on Audio CDs, 5 Hours of G-Man Action from Will Murray’s Pulp Classics and Radio Archives!

Audiobook Reviews – Secret Agent “X” – The Torture Trust

by Derrick Ferguson

Part of my love of Classic Pulp heroes stems from their method of operating. Unlike most modern heroes of today who are content with simply picking up a gun and blasting away at the bad guys until there’s nobody left alive to blast, those Classic Pulp heroes were on a whole other level. There’s more thought and planning going into their war on evildoers and indeed, for being good guys they had to be far more devious than the bad guys in order to succeed. Many of the Classic Pulp guys could have become quite formidable supercriminals in their own right if they had decided to go over to the Dark Side. Take Secret Agent “X” for instance.

Here’s a guy who’s true identity isn’t known to anybody. Not even his operatives. There’s a great moment in The Torture Trust where X identifies himself to his main girl Betty Dale by writing the letter ‘X’ on one of her apartment walls in glow-in-the-dark ink. That’s because every time he shows up to bring Betty into a new case, he looks like a different man. Secret Agent “X” gets his money from a consortium of millionaires who just dump money into a secret bank account and trust him to do the right thing with it. Lotta people take this guy X on a lotta faith, if you ask me.

But my paranoia has nothing to do with the sheer exuberant fun of listening to The Torture Trust and a large part of that is the exuberant fun of X himself. He truly delights in his outwitting his enemies at every turn and escaping the police by just thatmuch. Before this, I didn’t know that much about Secret Agent X and listening to The Torture Trust is a wonderful introduction to the character and his world.

As usual, the voice work is excellent. Radio Archives obviously doesn’t pinch pennies when it comes to acquiring vocal talent for their audiobooks. I usually go to bed at night intending to listen to just two or three chapters of an audiobook before going to sleep but usually end up listening to the whole thing, so compelling is the voice I’m listening to and so well communicates the energy and excitement of the story. By all means, give Secret Agent “X” – The Torture Trust a listen. Five hours on Audio CDs for only $14.98 from Radio Archives!

FIVE NEW eBOOKS: The Spider, The Black Bat, Operator #5, and Secret Agent X

The Best Pulp From Yesterday for Your Digital Reader Today! Radio Archives guarantees that is what you will get with Will Murray’s Pulp Classics line of eBooks!

Find the greatest heroes and best action in these five new exquisitely reformatted classic tales!

The Spider #11 Prince of the Red Looters

Never before had any criminal dared give open challenge to the Spider! Until now. And while they fought — the Spider and the Fly — a new and fearless criminal army was flocking to the dark banner of that gentlemanly killer whose battle cry was “Kill the Spider — and the world is ours!” As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.

The Spider #100 Death and the Spider

“When your people need you most… When Death walks the earth like a man…” spoke Mar-lar-delan, Richard Wentworth’s counsellor in the ancient mysticism of the East, “… in that hour, my son — you will die!” That black hour had come. In such a crisis, the Spider undertakes what may be his last foray! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction: “Meet the Spider” especially for this series of eBooks.

The Black Bat #1 Brand of the Black Bat

Doomed to darkness by a murder monger, the Black Bat makes darkness his weapon — and a Mysterious Avenger is born! The foul, ruthless rule of a Lord of Crime, striking terror to a city, calls for the daring and swift justice of Tony Quinn. The Black Bat was the featured story in Black Book Detective magazine beginning in July of 1939, and running through 1953. Blinded former District Attorney Anthony Quinn was the costumed crusader who regained his sight to an amazing extent: he could now see in the dark. With super hearing, an enanced sense of touch and smell, he battled the dark underbelly of crimedom. Around him he gathered a small band of aides, Carol Baldwin, daughter of a small-town policeman, Butch O’Leary, none too bright, but a staunch battler, and Silk Kirby, an ex-crook, now Quinn’s valet.

Operator 5
#2 The Invisible Empire

Unseen, impregnable, the strange war engine of a foreign power hovered over America, waiting the fatal moment to hurl death upon a thousand cities and towns. Foredoomed to destruction and desolation before the ravaging hordes of the Yellow Empire, bleak despair gripped the nation’s millions. And then men held their breath in agonizing hope — as Operator 5, single-handed, seized the last grim chance to save the United States! As a special Bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of Operator #5 eBooks.

Secret Agent “X” #1 The Torture Trust

Men with skulls for faces — these were the victims of that terrible trio who met in a hidden room. And Secret Agent “X” went against them, daring the bottled torment of their deaf-mute slaves, in a desperate battle of wits at the gateway of destruction! From 1934 to 1939 America thrilled to the adventures of Secret Agent “X” — the “man of a thousand faces” — as he battled futuristic weapons and mad scientists. The true identity of Secret Agent “X” was never revealed. He used his mastery of disguise to work undercover for the U.S. government. With his aide, newspaper reporter Betty Dale, and his secretive government handler K-9, he battled weird and fantastical threats to America for forty-one amazing issues.

When you purchase these beautifully reformatted eBooks from RadioArchives.com you receive all three formats in one ZIP file: PDF for PC or Mac computer; Mobi for Kindle and ePub for iPad/IPhone, Android, Sony eReader, and Nook. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook novels to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.

All Radio Archives eBooks are in the Kindle Store and coming very soon to the iBook Store!

Will Murray’s Pulp Classics eBooks are $2.99 each from Radio Archives!

The Shadow, Volume 58

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The pulp era’s greatest crimebuster journeys to Maine on golden quests in two thrilling pulp novels by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, The Shadow and G-man Vic Marquette hunt enemy agents sabotaging maritime shipping from a mysterious Castle of Crime. Then, a sea captain’s dying words lead to serial slayings along the long-buried trail to a Dead Man’s Chest and Cuban gold! This instant collector’s item reprints the classic color cover paintings by George Rozen and Graves Gladney and the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and Paul Orban, with historical commentary by Will Murray. Yours for only $14.95!

Doc Savage, Volume 56

The pulp era’s greatest superman returns in classic pulp thrillers by Laurence Donovan and Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, Doc and Patricia Savage attempt to discover the secret behind the baffling series of “black spot murders” that confounds the law. Then, an auction gallery bidding war leads to the abduction of Monk Mayfair. Can the Man of Bronze uncover the sinister secret of The Terrible Stork in time to save his right-hand aide? This special collectors edition showcases the original color pulp covers by Walter M. Baumhofer and Modest Stein, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and a behind-the-scenes article by Will Murray, writer of nine Doc Savage novels. Yours for only $14.95!

The Whisperer, Volume 5

The double life of Police Commissioner James Gordon is explored in a pair of two-fisted thrillers that inspired classic Batman stories! First, The Whisperer goes undercover to close down a “School for Murder” that prepares teenagers for criminal careers! Then, Wildcat Gordon investigates corruption in the trucking industry in “Murder on the Line.” BONUS: an adventure of Norgil the Magician by The Shadow’s Maxwell Grant! This historic collector’s item showcases both original color pulp covers by Spider artist John Newton Howitt, classic interior illustrations by Paul Orban and golden-age great Creig Flessel, and historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. Now at Radio Archives for $14.95!

The Spider, Volume 22 – 1935 & 1940 Variant Cover Editions

Pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men returns in two classic novels from the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction, written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Overlord of the Damned” (October 1935), the Boss unleashes horrible death with his demonic acid guns… with a vat of the same deadly corrosive reserved for those who talk too much! With his beloved Nita van Sloan a hostage to a terrible doom, the Spider faces the soul-tearing prospect of planting the Spider seal on his friend Stanley Kirkpatrick, Commissioner of Police! Then, in “Dictator’s Death Merchants!” (July 1940), The jaws of death gape open when El Crocodilo feasts! With uncanny skill, he forestalls even the Spider’s best attempts to trap him. Striking without mercy, this menace from the past rises anew by demolishing a banking institution each night, in a mad scheme to take control of nothing less than all of America’s finances! This volume is available in two editions and features the original artwork from the October 1935 or the July 1940 edition of “The Spider” magazine. Both versions feature reformatted text and original interior illustrations to accompany each story. Available now for $14.95!

Review of “Castle of Doom” from The Shadow, Volume 8

By John Olsen

Castle of Doom was originally published in the January 15, 1936 issue of The Shadow Magazine. Now we’re talking! To me, this is what The Shadow is all about. Stealthily stalking through the night, he uncovers strange plottings in an old English castle. Secret passages, ghostly visitations, hidden treasure. Only The Shadow can unravel the secrets of the Castle of Doom!

The Shadow travels to London, England. Tales of crime have crossed the seas to Manhattan, where The Shadow hears of the swift, mysterious crime wave. The theft of gold, jewels, jade, tapestries and much more. Valuables worth a million and a half dollars. Along with the thefts, also murder; two and counting. So, disguised as Lamont Cranston, The Shadow makes a prompt trip to the British capital.

The strange tale gradually unwinds set against a backdrop of a three-hundred-year-old castle sitting high on a cliff overlooking the raging ocean on the rural English coast. It’s an amazingly intricate story that’s a real joy to read.

This is The Shadow as he is meant to be read about. He is at his full power, with stealth abilities bordering on invisibility. He spends nearly the entire story in the background, skulking about in the dark of night. He appears only occasionally in disguise; he prefers his black cloak and slouch hat. He only rarely needs the assistance of his agent, Harry Vincent. And his mastery of languages now includes the Afghan language, as well as so many others.

We see The Shadow with his portable make-up kit, that small flat box which he uses to manipulate his waxlike features. He only appears briefly as Lamont Cranston. And similarly makes brief appearances as a rustic farmer in one scene, and as Professor Roderick Danglar, of Cambridge, in two others. No one sees any similarity between the three characters, so effective is his skill at disguise.

But it’s as his black-garbed true self that he spends most of his time, here. As he slides across the wide green lawns at midnight, he appears as a flickering shadow cast by the fringe of trees surrounding the estate.

This is one Shadow pulp mystery that I can recommend unconditionally. Mystery and intrigue abound in this atmospheric adventure. Set among ancient underground passages, hidden rooms, secret chambers, spiral staircases, spy rooms and mysterious vaults filled with flapping bats, this story weaves a tale of strange murder! It all makes for a story not to be missed! And You can enjoy “Castle of Doom” and another great Shadow tale in The Shadow, Volume 8 for only $12.95 from Radio Archives!

Comments From Our Customers!

Shaun Pettit:

I ordered “The Whistler – Volume 1” and it is great…The sound quality is superb! I hope to order “The Whistler Vol. 2” real soon!! Thanks to everyone at Radio Archives for the excellent products and customer service.

Ernest Spellmeyer:

Thank you for your prompt response and the quality of your products. I look forward to doing business with you in the future.

Michael Johnson:

Love these pulp reprint books. Thanks!

Clay Carter:

A great story on Jack Benny. My dad got us interested in Jack’s show when we first listened to him on radio and of course followed by TV.

Dennis Roy:

I’ve recently become interested in your “Will Murray’s Pulp Classics” Audiobooks, after getting the first couple of Doc Savage CD sets. Let me commend you on the selection of pulp stories you have produced thus far.

Allen Hickerson:

LOVED the Spider audiobook! Is there a new one coming out soon?

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.

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