Tagged: creation

Alberto Uderzo retires from drawing ‘Asterix’

Alberto Uderzo retires from drawing ‘Asterix’

Asterix and the Goths by Rene Goscinny depicte...

Image via Wikipedia

He is perhaps the last great legacy cartoonist still working on his original creation. But at age 84, Alberto Uderzo, co-creator of ASTERIX, one of the world’s most popular comics, is hanging up his drawing pen, citing fatigue.

Debuting in 1959, ASTERIX was the co-creation of Rene Goscinny, and with his fractured take on European history, via Asterix and Obelix, two bumbling Bronze age Gauls. The series has gone on to sell 350 million copies, according to publisher Hachette.

via 350 million copies later, Uderzo retires from drawing Asterix | The Beat.

Fortier Takes on Sword and Soul Stories with "GRIOTS!"

GRIOTS
Edited by Milton Davis & Charles Saunders
MV Media LLC.
284 pages

This reviewer has often made it known that he enjoys anthologies for two reasons; the first being the concept of similarly themed tales from various writers collected between two cover is just plain fun.  The second is the continued encouragement of the short story format. For many years academics were decrying the extinction of this form with the loss of so many monthly literary magazines and they were right to do so. But thanks to the emergence of genre themed anthologies, the short story has truly had a strong resurgence in popularity over the past decade.

Now comes this truly unique book which heralds the supposed creation of yet another fiction genre, that of “sword and soul.”  In the opening introduction, editors Davis and Saunders, both African Americans and leading writers in the field of fantasy adventure, detail a history of the genre first established by pulp writer Robert E. Howard when he invented sword and sorcery with his well known Conan adventures.  Whereas Saunders entered the field in the 1970s with the creation of his own barbaric warrior hero, Imaro and later Davis followed suit, each imbuing this fantasy sub-genre with what they believe is a clearly felt African sensibility.  Davis argues this is a new, original evolution of the well established sword and sorcery theme.  Are they correct, or simply trying to sell us something old with a new coat of paint?

As always, reviewing an anthology to determine its entertainment worth is pure mathematics.  You simply count how many stories are in the volume and then during the course of reading label those which are exceptional, those which are simply mediocre and those that are ineffective. At the end, whichever way the scales tip, you have your verdict.  GRIOTS, that’s French  for African storytellers, collects fourteen tales of exotic action and adventure all presented by African American writers.  Here are my favorite six in this collection.

“Changeling” by Carole McDonnell is my favorite of the bunch.  It tells the story of three sisters and their fates in a poignant tale of human emotions from the noble self-scarifying nature of true love to the petty ugliness of greed and jealousy.  Three princesses, each cast in a different mold confront the meanings of their lives and truth while resigning themselves to destiny proving the age old adage that a leopard can’t change its spots.  McDonnell is a gifted writer and she lays out her plot with an efficiency of words that mesmerize and paint images long remembered after the reading.

“The Three Faced One,” by Charles Saunders was no surprise as my second favorite here in that it is us another great tale of the wandering warrior, Imaro, the hero of several of Saunders’ novels.  This story finds Imaro coming to the aid of a tribe of cattle herders being taken abused by a three-faced demon.  Once more the powerful hero must pit his muscles against the forces of evil sorcery.  This is pure Imaro gold and worth the price of admission by itself.

“Skin Magic” by P.Djeli Clark is a gripping, original action piece about the victim of a dying sorcerer’s curse.  A young thief must live with moving tattoos etched his chest that are actual portals to other worlds and the monsters that live there.  How he comes to deal with this horrid fate is a very gripping and exciting entry. 

Whereas co-editor Milton Davis’s own “Captured Beauty” is the rollicking action tale of Changa, who despises slavery and risks his own position with his sympathetic employer to find a kidnapped maiden and rescue her from a cruel master who wields black magic.  

Another winner is “The Demon in the Wall,” by Stafford L.Battle featuring beautiful Makhulu and her warrior grandson Zende.  Together they must rescue their captured family from the demoness Swallow and her human ally, the rich and fat Fabu. Together they are an unbeatable combination of sorcery and strength.
In “The Queen, The Demon & The Mercenary,” by Ronald T. Jones, Queen Zara’s land is besieged by an evil demon warrior and her salvation lies in the hands of an enigmatic mercenary with a cocky air of self-confidence.

The above half dozen are extremely well done and highly recommended.  At the same time honorable mention goes to “Awakening” by Valjeanne Jeffers, “Lost Son” by Maurice Broaddus, “The General’s Daughter” by Anthony Kwamu and “The Leopard Walks Alone,” by Melvin Carter.

The remaining four failed to impress me and one was so convoluted in its prose, I re-read it twice and still couldn’t decipher what exactly was going in the story.  You may have a different opinion.  Still six truly well crafted adventures and four equally well told make GRIOTS a winning anthology unlike most of the fantasy found on today’s book shelves.  Is it really a new genre?  I leave that for you to decide, me, I just enjoyed the stories regardless of what anyone wishes to label them.

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Review Postscript – I do have one final critique concerning GRIOTS, but as it does not concern its literary contents, I felt it best to set this issue apart from my main review.  Many readers do not give much attention to the accompanying artwork in such volumes but they are, at least to this reviewer, an integral part of the book’s overall presentation.  Following the tradition of classic pulp fiction, GRIOTS, besides its lovely cover painting, also showcases fourteen black and white interior illustrations, one for each of the stories. 

And therein is my frustration as the art is delivered by half a dozen artists.  At their basic core, anthologies are diverse stories all connected by a central theme.  Nothing helps cement that theme more than one artist bringing his or her talent to a book, giving it a visual cohesiveness that is crucial to the overall feel of the tome.  But when a reader is confronted by multiple art pieces done in a variety of styles with differing levels of quality that unifying thread is shattered. 

Consider this analogy if you will.  Imagine being invited to a fancy, hip hop dance with lively modern music.  You’re out on the dance floor have a grand time when suddenly you have to hold up because every new track being played has to be handled by a new D.J.  All too soon what was once a fun time is now a discordant mess.  A single, talented D.J. can clearly leave his or her personality imprint on such a party, a single illustrator for GRIOTS would have left the same kind of visual oneness.

I would strongly urge the editors to consider using only one interior artist for their follow up sequels.  And just so you do not think I’m anti artists, let me finish with saying I really liked the work of Stanley Weaver, John Jennings, Paul Davey and Shawn Alleyne found in this book.

Pulp 2.0 Press Unleashes The Terror Of Frankenstein!

Cover Art: Mark Maddox

The 2nd volume in our NEW ADVENTURES OF FRANKENSTEIN series, TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN by Donald F. Glut is now being processed by Kindle and Nook and should be available tomorrow for your devices.

In this adventure, the Frankenstein monster is captured by a notorious group known as OGRE and spirited away to their island headquarters. Under the leadership of the Mandarin, they use the monster to further their plans, by kidnapping the lovely Lynn Powell, assistant and fiancee of Dr. Burt Winslow – the man who brought the terrifying creature back to life.

In order to rescue Lynn and stop the creature once and for all, Winslow invents a robot into which he can place his consciousness and control the metalloid. But Winslow doesn’t realize the deadly power of the Mandarin and the hordes of men at his command on OGRE Island.

As always, the price for this volume of pure digital pulp entertainment is a mere 99¢. It is available on Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE (Germany) and Nook.

The cover for this spectacular showdown between creator and creation is our own Mark Maddox. The art can be seen at http://www.pulp2ohpress.com/.

Pulp 2.0 is also finalizing edits for our first graphic novel THE MIRACLE SQUAD which will come out in print first through Amazon/Createspace. Expect this edition to be ready in October, and will feature a ton of bonus features never before seen.

We will also be releasing an ERB THRILLOGY for digital-only and featuring brand new cover art and interior illustrations by Doug Klauba! Three classic heroic novels by the Master of Adventure Edgar Rice Burroughs – TARZAN OF THE APES, A PRINCESS OF MARS and THE MUCKER. Available in a new digital edition for only 99¢. It will make a great ‘Kindle-stuffer” this Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas – Pulp 2.0 will be releasing our 2nd graphic novel – the 25th Anniversary edition of SCARLET IN GASLIGHT. The horror-mystery will be out in time for the holidays and the new blockbuster movie coming out starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. This will be a print-first edition that must go under your Christmas tree. This 25th anniversary edition features an in-depth interview with creator Martin Powell who discloses all of the mystery behind the creation of the 1st meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.

To learn more about Pulp 2.0 Press, please visit them at http://www.pulp2ohpress.com/.

Addendum –

The sales of this digital edition of TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN are now on hold. Artist Mark Maddox is not satisfied with his work and is revising the already spectacular cover art to meet the exacting standards he wants to set for this series.

Keep checking this space for details on the updated release date.

New Pulp’s Table Talk – Powers, Life and Death

Barry, Mike, and Bobby Are Back!

This week, the Dangerous Duo (plus Mike) dig into character creation and character assassination as Barry Reese, Bobby Nash and Mike Bullock discuss the life and death of their characters.

Table Talk: Powers, Life and Death with Barry Reese, Bobby Nash, and Mike Bullock is now available at http://www.newpulpfiction.com/ or click the title above for a direct link.

Direct link:
http://www.newpulpfiction.com/2011/09/table-talk-powers-life-and-death.html

DENNIS O’NEIL: Superman’s Two Daddies

When Jerry Siegel first conjured up Superman, some time in 1934, he really didn’t tell us much about the Man of Steel’s doomed homeworld. We were informed that it exploded and that only baby Kal-El survived the big bang because his father, Jor-El, shot him into space in a prototypical spacecraft which, for reasons not really explained, had room for only one subsize occupant. This was after Jor-El had appeared before some governing body or other and warned of impending doom, and was ignored.

Not a lot of information there. For openers, we might ask where, exactly, Krypton was located. I’m betting that Jerry had our solar system in mind, and why not? In the early 30s, not even degree-bearing scientists knew their way around our sun and its planets, much less a kid from Cleveland. If Jerry were doing his creation today, he might mention alien stars, or distant galaxies, and worm holes and space/time warps, and then he’d have to explain how someone so far away could know about Earth and an ecosphere capable of sustaining Kryptonian fauna. (Or maybe he’d just ignore the whole question. If so, he’d get no scolding from me, my friend.)

Jerry gave no hints about Kryptonian socio-politics, geography, religion, or customs. We don’t even know if the planet had any moon(s). Nor do we know why Jor-El was the Kryptonian version of Cassandra. (Remember Cassie, from Greek myth? She could foretell the future but was cursed to have nobody ever believe her.) Lately, I’ve been wondering if Jerry was himself a prophet, albeit of the accidental variety.

Let me elucidate:

We begin with raw speculation, but, not having information we can be forgiven for trying to fill in a few blanks ourselves. Let us, then, suppose that at the time of Jor-El’s Cassandra number, the Els had been recently removed from office – the Els being, or course, the legislative clan Jor belonged to. They were replaced in the chambers of Krypton’s odd government by their age-long rivals, the Les. (Long “E.”)

Among those who scoffed at Jor:

Chain-Le: Chain was an industrialist-turned-politician who saw an opportunity to enrich himself and his cronies by blaming the symptoms of impending doom on secret weaponry unleashed by another nation and having war declared on these presumed enemies.

Rev-Le: Rev was a clergyman who said that according to scripture, the world wasn’t supposed to end until half-past the next millennium and so, not only was Jor wrong, he was a heretic who should be stoned.

Iggy-Le: Iggy was another politician who thought these scientists, like Jor, were just a bunch of snooty eggheads who ought to be ignored, though Iggy thought that maybe Rev-Le had something with that stoning notion.

Geo-Le: Geo, the most powerful official in the legislature, didn’t actually join in the condemnation of Jor because Geo was a puppet. It seems that ancient and ill-understood Kryptonian custom allowed hand puppets to occupy the position of head-of-state if the electoral process somehow became hopelessly subverted. The only explanation for this anomaly was written in a long-dead language and has been translated as: Why not?

We could possibly go on but…hey – is it just me or is it globally warm in here?

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases

FORTIER TAKES ON CLIVE CUSSLER (?) AND ‘WRECKER’

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
THE WRECKER
By Justin Scott (& Clive Cussler)
Berkley Books
562 pages

Several years ago best selling writer Clive Cussler created a new turn of the century hero in Isaac Bell, an operative for the Van Dorn Detective Agency in the early 1900s. Bell appeared in Cussler’s excellent novel, “The Chase.” It is the one and only Isaac Bell adventure Cussler has ever written, although there are two more currently on the market with a fourth on the way all bearing his name on the covers. But then again, as most book lovers know, covers do lie.

So here’s more pulp history. Publishers would create characters then hire writers to spin their adventures. Aware their demands for monthly stories would be too much of any one scribe to produce, they would hire several and print their work under a house pseudonym. That’s why all of Walter Gibson’s great Shadow novels were published under the by-line of Maxwell Grant, because he did not write all the Shadow adventures. Likewise, even though Lester Dent did write the majority of Doc Savage tales, he did not write them all. But they were published under the bogus house name of Kenneth Robeson. This was an established practice of the times and as long as their checks didn’t bounce, most pulp writers never quibbled about such aesthetics as fame and glory.

Jump ahead to the early 1980s and this established deceitful tradition was suddenly given a new spin by the publishers’ marketing departments when they realized certain bestselling authors’ names have what is commonly referred in the advertising game as Brand Recognition. That simply means that over a period of time these writers (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler to name a few) have created, via their books, an army of loyal fans numbering in the thousands. Fans who will buy anything with their names on it, regardless of the plots, themes, genres etc. If it says Clive Cussler on the cover, X number of thousands of copies are guaranteed to sell. Thus for Cussler’s publisher the logical next step was to get him to write more books every year to keep those sales coming in on an annual basis. After all the book business is no different than any other, the bottom line isn’t art, its profits.

Unfortunately they soon discovered that poor Cussler didn’t want to be chained to his PC twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The guy very much wanted to eat, drink, sleep, spend time with his loved ones and actually have a life. What’s the point of making all this money if he couldn’t have time to enjoy it? Such an awful dilemma to have. So what’s was the solution that placated both the writer and the publisher’s needs at the same? The answer, most likely first originated by some truly ingenious marketing manager, was to use the famous author’s name but hire someone else to do the actual writing. We are not talking about co-writing here, although that is what these money hungry publishers would like you to assume. Oh, no, they went out and hired other writers to take over the series created by the big name authors and then let them write them solo.

Of course not being privy to these inside machinations, we can only speculate. As a reviewer who does enjoy Cussler’s work, I’d like to believe that when he first began whipping up all these spin-off series from his Dirk Pitt books, he did take some time in overseeing the creation of these new concepts and did investigate, as much as time would allow him, who these new writers would be. He may even have contributed an occasional plot or two in the beginning. But that’s it, readers. At present Cussler has his name on a total of five on-going series and the I’m guessing the only one he actually any writing on are the Dirk Pitt books which he now co-authors with his son Dirk Cussler.

The Kurt Austin adventures, the Fargo Adventures, the Oregon Files and now the Isaac Bell adventures are handled entirely by hired guns. If the books are still good, is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. But it remains a deceitful trade practice this reviewer is getting more and more tired of because it does rob the real authors from the full praise they deserve. Thus, I for one, will from this point on list the names of the true writers over those of the “brand name” celebrity. That said, let’s look at “The Wrecker” by Justin Scott.

The year is 1907 and Southern Pacific Railroad is on the verge of completing the last section of its Cascades express line. It is a project the company is heavily invested in and should it fail would mean their ruin. When a brilliant saboteur known as the Wrecker is wreaking havoc and destruction on the line, causing multiple deaths in the process, the company is thrown into turmoil. Finally the president and owner, Osgood Hennessy, hires the famous Van Dorn Detective agency to hunt down Wrecker and bring him to justice before he totally destroys their operations. Because of the prestige status of his client, Joe Van Dorn assigns his best agent, Isaac Bell, to the case and thus the hunt is on.

This book is a fast paced thriller pitting two cunning intellects against each other, with the Wrecker having the advantage as his true identity is unknown to the determined investigator. From one end of the sprawling continent to the other, Bell and the Wrecker play a deadly cat and mouse game like Grandmasters at a chess tournament, each moving his pieces skillfully with deadly intent. Soon both are aware there can only be one victor in this contest; only to who will survive their final conflict. “The Wrecker” is a truly magnificent historical adventure with a relentless pace as speedy as the trains it describes populated by noble heroes and dastardly villains. If you enjoy solid adventure with an authentic historical background, this is one book you do not want to miss. Kudos to Mr.Justin Scott, we can’t wait to read the next book in this entertaining series.

Krazy Kat & The Art of George Herriman A Celebration

Krazy Kat & The Art of George Herriman A Celebration
By Craig Yoe
176 pages, Abrams ComicArts, U.S. $29.95/Can. $35.95

As a kid, my first exposure to Krazy Kat were the 50 animated shorts that were produced between 1962-1964 and ran with Beetle Bailey and Snuffy Smith cartoons in a thirty minute block. I found the cartoons charming if a little odd and it was years later before I finally saw some of George Herriman’s wonderful comic strip work. While a comic genius, I knew little about him or how the world perceived his amazing creation.

Thankfully, Craig Yoe, a man with a keen eye for pop art and culture, has assembled a work dedicated to Herriman’s art but also serves as a biography. I now know that the Herriman was born as a light-skinned, Creole African-American in Louisiana before moving west where he did his professional work. In California, he began as a newspaper cartoonist and did everything from political cartoons to sports cartoons before settling down to produce the daily adventures of The Dingbat Family. At the bottom of the panels first appeared a cat of indeterminate gender and a mouse. In time, the mouse began throwing things at the cat and audiences picked up on the drama so Herriman was encouraged to give the two their own feature.

In time, Krazy Kat and the brick-tossing Ignatz Mouse were joined by Offissa Bull Pupp and other denizens of Coconino County, Arizona. They soared in popularity while Herriman took full advantage of the comic strip form before it became rule-bound and limited. The dailies and later Sunday pages rarely repeated themselves and careful reading showed a literary and poetic quality to the writing that belied the physical comedy.

Herriman’s characters enchanted a nation between 1913 and 1944, when he died way too soon at 63. They remain enshrined in Arizona folklore where Herriman maintained a vacation home and became fascinated with the Native Americans who lived in the vicinity. (more…)

FORTIER TAKES ON DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN ONE LAST TIME!

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier

FRANKENSTEIN: The Dead Town

By Dean Koontz

Bantam Books

402 pages

Seems like there is a new trend in wrapping up great, fantastic literary journeys.  The folks at Warner Brothers wisely split the last J.K. Rowling Harry Potter book, “The Deathly Hollows” into two truly amazing movies, the finale now showing in theaters everywhere is a superb adaptation of the book’s climatic ending.

Likewise writer Dean Koontz went deliriously overboard in relating the final conflict between the mad scientist Victor Frankenstein and his pathos filled creation, the so called “monster” now known as Deaucalion and offered it to his legion of fans in two parts.  “Frankenstein: The Dead Town” is a truly fitting resolution to not only the first part of the narrative, “Lost Souls” but the entire five book series.

One of the common traits of most successful pulp writers today is that they are prolific.  The tons of words they produce daily is staggering and would make the old pulp writers proud.  Koontz is no exception in this ability.  Whereas being fast does not assure quality, only a professional competency his readers have come to expect.  Of all his series, the new Frankenstein books are easily some of his most enjoyable action heavy offerings yet.

In part four, “Lost Souls,” the town of Rainbow Falls, Montana, was being invaded by clones created with super nano-technology in a hidden missile silo long abandoned by the military.  The twisted genius behind this assault on humanity was the surviving clone of the first Victor Frankenstein; his goal, the complete eradication of all life, human, plant and animal, on the planet. Battling him at every step is Deucalion, that stitched together protagonist.  Whereas in this series, he is a near indestructible superman who has developed a truly beautiful soul and is determined to fowl his mad creator and save the world.

The fun of this, and the previous volume, is the eclectic band of town citizens, all of them unique, eccentric characters in their own right, who ultimately band together as Deucalion’s army and bravely aid him this apocalyptic battle that has the fate of all mankind resting on its outcome.  Koontz is truly a master tale spinner and in “Frankenstein – The Dead Town,” he is at his best.  And that’s saying a lot!

NOTED AUTHOR AND AIRSHIP 27 DEBUT HISTORIC NEW PULP HERO!

From Airship 27 Productions-
DAMBALLA

Making Pulp History!
From the heart of Africa to the streets of Harlem, a new hero is born sworn to support and protect Americans of all races and creeds; he is Damballa and he strikes from the shadows.  When the reigning black heavy weight boxing champion of the world agrees to defend his crown against a German fighter representing Hitler’s Nazis regime, the ring becomes the stage for a greater political contest.  The Nazis’ agenda is to humble the American champion and prove the superiority of their pure-blood Aryan heritage.  To achieve this end, they employ an unscrupulous scientist capable of transforming their warrior into a superhuman killing machine.
Can the mysterious Damballa unravel their insidious plot before it is too late to save a brave and noble man?  Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers are proud to introduce pulpdom’s first ever 1930s African-American pulp hero as created by the acclaimed author, Charles Saunders.
“Racism and sexism were a few of the ugly aspects of the pulps we’d all like to forget,” Editor Ron Fortier comments.  “Minority groups based on race, sex and religion were ostracized and either ignored completely or denigrated in their outlandish portrayals.  Since its creation, Airship 27 Productions has made it a goal to address these wrongs and help correct them within the context of providing top-notch action fiction to our readers.  DAMBALLA is a major step in that direction and we are truly excited about its release.” 
Praise for DAMBALLA and writer Charles Saunders has already begun.  “Having revolutionized the genre of epic fantasy with the creation of Imaro, a black warrior easily equal to such classic characters as Tarzan and Conan, Charles Saunders has done it again.  This time he has created DAMBALLA, a true hero in every sense of the word. Battling racism and evil in the 1930’s, DAMBALLA is no pale imitation of The Shadow or The Avenger.  In fact, after reading this excellent book, I think that they would be proud to consider him a brother in the ceaseless war against crime and injustice.”   Derrick Ferguson – “Dillon and the Voice of Odin”
DAMBALLA by Charles Saunders features a cover by Charles Fetherolf and interior illustrations by Clayton Hinkle, with book design by award-winning artist Rob Davis.
Airship 27 Productions – Pulp Fiction for a New Generation!
ISBN:  1-613420-12-9
ISBN 13:  978-1-613420-12-6
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 06/17/2011
Retail Price: $24.95
On-Line Shop (http://www.gopulp.info/)
$3 Digital copy (http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html)


HANCOCK TIPS HIS HAT TO ‘THE MYTH HUNTER’!

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock

THE MYTH HUNTER
Percival Constantine
Pulpwork Press
http://www.pulpwork.com/

One of the great things about New Pulp is that the old is often made, well, new again.  I’m not simply talking about styles, description, or even storylines and characters, although this has to do with a character.   What I’m referring to is archetypes.  They exist in Pulp as they do in genre, probably more so since there are so many facets to Pulp.  The standard ‘types’ of heroes and villains and such that populate stories and often reappear under different names penned by different authors.  Like the masked vigilante.  The Super Man of Science.  The Cowboy.  And the Explorer, the Archeological Adventurer.

It’s that last one that Percival Constantine tackled within his new work, THE MYTH HUNTER.  Elisa Hill, the central character of the piece, is just what the title implies..a Myth Hunter.  This is basically an individual who goes on the hunt for strange and unusual artifacts, often thought to be the stuff of legend.  In this particular tale, she is in pursuit of artifacts related to a great lost civilization, a goal her parents pursued to the ruin of their professional reputations before their passing.  Initially a Myth Hunter for money, Elisa found a better path due to an old Myth Hunter and friend of her parents and now works for the betterment of the world.  This adventure brings her into contact with shady aspects of her dubious past, introduces her to new friends, sets her against a conspiratorial secret organization, and renews a feud with a psychopath named Seth that will likely be the death of Hill herself.

This book is full of vivid descriptions, fantastically crafted narrative, intriguing and engaging dialogue, but its biggest star is the characterization.  Constantine brings each and every character to life, not just with vivid details, but with emotions and passions.  Even the characters we are meant to like leave us feeling a little divided on just how much we like them, and that’s a sign of humanity granted to a written creation, a skill many writers never ever develop. 

Constantine also takes the stereotype of the ‘Indiana Jones-Lara Croft’ type and ups the ante.  Elisa is complex, complicated, and admittedly confused throughout the book.  Not because she’s not a great hero in all ways because she is just that, but because she is also human.  Simultaneously Constantine gives the reader a real woman, complete with desires, flaws, and strengths, and cloaks her in that nearly bullet proof visage of the explorer who always gets what she wants one way or the other.

There were some continuity gaffs here and there and editing issues in spots, but nothing that should keep anyone from picking up THE MYTH HUNTER by Percival Constantine and enjoying the heck out of it!

FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-This New Pulp tale delivers everything you want a Pulp story to with the added bonus of humanity within its characterization.