In episode 72 of the Earth Station One Podcast, the ESO crew (including some New Pulp Creators you might recognize) discusses one of the pulpiest movies when they discuss the fan favorite Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Join the ESO Crew as they grab their whips, put on their leather jackets and talk about the classic George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaboration, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and it’s sequels. But wait… that’s not all. The crew also discusses the fiery 5th episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, continues with their Countdown To Dragon Con, and author Debbie Viguie takes a turn in the ESO Geek Seat.
You can listen to the ESO podcast at www.esopodcast.com/ or on find them on itunes.
We know you’ve been saving up all summer to buy Star Wars: The Complete Saga so we wanted to make you aware that the Early Access App is now available for iPad, Iphone and iTouch. An earlier version of this was unveiled in time for Comic-Con International, but this updated free download will tide you over until the actual DVD release.
Before Star Wars: The Complete Saga hits shelves on September 16, fans can get a sneak peek at the 40+ hours of bonus footage on the Blu-ray collection through the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App. The App, available for all iDevices including the iPad and iPhone highlights a sampling of bonus materials featured in the Blu-ray collection, including never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm Archives such as matte paintings and concept art; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more.
This heavy tome collects the entire 12 issue run of Moonstone’s second ongoing Phantom series. All issues are written by Mike Bullock while Silvestre Szilagyi handles the art on what was originally issues 1-3, 5-6 and 8-12. Fernando Peniche is the artist on issues 4 and 7.
If you’re a fan of The Phantom, then you’re probably already aware of Bullock’s contributions to the character. He was the primary writer of The Phantom during the character’s time with Moonstone and he peppered his stories with real-life issues related to Africa. This collection is very much a sequel to Bullock’s work on the first Moonstone Phantom series, as it brings back one of his greatest creations, the villain known as Him. Indeed, the entire 12-issue arc is based around Him’s return and the various ways that he manipulates The Phantom. The stories are fast-paced and action-packed, featuring The Phantom in a number of dramatic situations… he even battles a polar bear towards the end!
The artwork is serviceable — Szilagyi is a good storyteller though his style lacks some of the flair that would help set the stories apart. He seems to come from the lineage of guys like Don Heck: draftsman who know how to clearly lay out a page and can hit all the required notes but there’s not any pages here that scream “Boy, I wish I could get that one as a poster!” Peniche is a far more dramatic artist but has some wonky anatomy and layouts at times.
If I had any criticism of the storyline as a whole, it would be that there’s little downtime for The Phantom. Diana is very much a background figure in the series and Kit and Heloise do show up for a couple of drama-inducing pages but I would have enjoyed seeing an issue somewhere in the run where The Phantom would have spent more time with his family: I think mixing in a “small” story amidst the proceedings would have made the final chapters have more power. As it is, readers are required to already have feelings for the kids and understand The Phantom’s devotion to his family — there’s not really much in the way of explaining that to new readers along the way.
I consider this book well worth the money and it should be of interest to any Phantom fans. I will say that my favorite Bullock storyline is collected in The Phantom: Checkmate and it serves as an excellent lead-in to this volume, since it also features Him. Get ’em both, if you haven’t already.
We told you a while back that the animated series M.A.S.K. was coming to DVD at long last. For those less familiar with the series, our friends at Shout! Factory provided us with this slide show.
M.A.S.K.: The Complete Original Series DVD box set debuts on August 9, 2011 from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with FremantleMedia Enterprises. Poised to attract an audience of kids, young adults and parents who grew up withthis animated series, this 12-DVD box set contains all 65 action-packed episodes – known to fans as the original series aired in 1985, as well as insightful bonus features.
Led by multimillionaire Matt Trakker, the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand — better known simply as M.A.S.K.— defends the world against Miles Mayhem and his nefarious international criminal organization V.E.N.O.M., the very same group responsible for the death of Trakker’s teenage brother. With his own son, Scott, and a secret strike force including his friends — engineer Bruce Sato, courageous historian Hondo MacLean, mechanic Buddy Hawks, rocker Brad Turner, computer expert Alex Sector, stunt driver Dusty Hayes and beautiful martial artist Gloria Baker — it’s up to Trakker, equipped with special power-granting masks and a garage of special militarized vehicles, to keep the world safe from Mayhem and the villainy of V.E.N.O.M (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem).
Throughout the years, M.A.S.K. boasts a large fan following and spawned a series of toy line, comic books and video games. The complete original series of M.A.S.K. has been sub-licensed to home video distribution to Shout! Factory by FremantleMedia Enterprises.
One of the joys of the Warner Archive program is that movies and television shows for small groups of fans can be released. The restoration costs seem to have reached a reasonable scale and these direct-to-order projects don’t really require the bells and whistles higher profile releases deserve. As a result, we can revel in the stuff we grew up or recall fondly. In my case, that includes a ton of Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears stuff that has been coming out over the last year or two. It also meant I finally got a good copy of the pilot to theSearch series.
And while some will turn their noses up to those offerings, they may begin salivating at some of the others that have been released; titles which I personally find not worth our time and attention. One such series is the short-lived NBC clunker Man from Atlantis, best known as the vehicle that gave the world Patrick Duffy pre-Dallas. The premise is certain high concept enough to have been interesting: amnesiac Mark Harris displayed the ability to breathe underwater and withstand the crushing deep sea water pressure. His origins remained murky but as was the formula from the 1970s, he was immediately set up with a purpose that served others rather than himself: working for the Foundation for Oceanic Research, a front for top secret activity. He was accompanied by a team of humans (co-stars Belinda J. Montgomery and Alan Fudge) aboard the high-tech sub called the Cetacean. And rather than delve into her personality or explore the things that made him unique, he became another handsome, shirtless hunk who went through the motions.
NBC’s Fred Silverman green lit the series, first as a number of telefilms, running four during the 1976-1977 television season and these are collected in the just-released two-disc Man from Atlantis: The Complete TV Movies Collection.
The concept proved durable enough it was given a weekly series order and those 13 episodes have also been collected and released as a four-disc Man from Atlantis: The Complete Television Series. I should stress, the pilot film was previously released on its own. (more…)
I came home from the San Diego Comic-Com last Sunday night around 9:30. I went to bed around 9:32. I slept all day Monday and most of the day Tuesday.
Why do I need so much sleep after Comic-Con? Because I had maybe 20 hours sleep total the two weeks before Comic-Con and five hours sleep during Comic-Con.
Here’s my Comic-Con recap.
Friday morning my annual Black Panel did a tribute to my fallen partner Dwayne McDuffie and I do think we did him justice. It was supposed to be a joyous celebration and for the most part it was, but there were a few times when the tears did flow. All and all it was great being around fans, friends and pros that all loved Dwayne. The highlight for me was the video taped message from Wayne Brady. In it Wayne told the audience what a big fan of Dwayne he was. that was cool!
Also at the Black Panel, I announced the “Search For The Next Great Graphic Novelist”contest! FAN, Final Draft and my imprint Level Next are sponsoring the contest. More details to come right here at ComicMix!
Friday afternoon saw me as a panelist on the cool ass upstart panel, “The Nappy Hour.” I make it a point not to do any panels except The Black Panel while at Comic-Con. The Black Panel is so much work that doing another panel is simply out of the question and I’m asked to be on at least four panels every year. Keith Knight, the founder of the Nappy Panel, had a bit of a run in last year on the net. Years ago the run in would have turned into a war but now the kinder, gentler Michael Davis look for other options than to smite those who dare to speak ill of me. FYI: Keith did not speak ill of me and in fact it was me that took something he wrote the wrong way. If you know anything about me you know that when I’m wrong I own up to it.
Keith and I decided to do what black men don’t do. We decided to talk! Then we decided to do each other…each other’s panel. Get your mind out of the gutter! The Nappy Panel was so much fun that I’m thinking he and I should create a panel that would showcase the best of The Nappy and the Black panels. What do you think, Keith?
A few hours after the Nappy Panel I met with co-publisher of DC Comics Dan Didio to talk about a possible project. It was the first official meeting I’ve had with DC in over a decade. What happened? Well…
It’s the Radio Archives Newsletter! * New Doc Savage Audiobook: “White Eyes” * New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider Volume 20, Doc Savage Volume 49, and The Shadow Volume 51 * New in Digital Downloads * Deal of the Day * The Critics Love “Python Isle” * New in Classic Radio: Claudia, Volume 5 New Doc Savage Audiobook: “White Eyes” The place: New York City. During the depths of the Great Depression, in the shadow of streamlined skyscrapers, reporters scramble for clues about an insidious wave of bizarre deaths – everyday citizens struck dead, the eyes in their lifeless bodies turned a sightless and ghastly white. The Blind Death has the teeming city paralyzed with fear; in desperation, civic leaders turn to the one man who can discover who or what is behind this gruesome series of murders: Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze.
From his offices high above the city, Doc and his band of trusted colleagues soon uncover a terrifying scheme to gather together all of the city’s criminal elements as a single and seemingly undefeatable force. Their intent: to seize the wealth of the Man of Bronze and destroy him once and for all!
“White Eyes”, the second in a new line of audiobook adventures from RadioArchives.com, is an epic tale of crime from the pen of Will Murray, heir apparent to Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage. Featuring dramatic narration by Richard Epcar, “White Eyes” is a roller coaster ride of action and excitement that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Produced and directed by Roger Rittner, who joined with Will Murray to bring you both “The Adventures of Doc Savage” radio series and the thrilling audiobook “Python Isle”, “White Eyes” brings you ten hours of engrossing entertainment. Now available as both a ten audio compact disc collection priced at Just $31.98 and a ten hour digital download priced at Just $21.98, this new release from RadioArchives.com also features evocative cover art by Joe DeVito and two fascinating and exclusive audio interviews with the author.
Join the Man of Bronze for a suspenseful tale of action and adventure in “White Eyes”, the new Doc Savage audiobook now available from RadioArchives.com!
New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider Volume 20, Doc Savage Volume 49 and The Shadow Volume 51If you’re a fan of pulp fiction, you know that, in the 1930s and 1940s, there were three heroes who dominated the newsstands of America: the mysterious enemy of the underworld known as The Shadow, the tall and muscular Doc Savage, and a troubled and vengeful vigilante known as The Spider. Here at RadioArchives.com, we’re delighted to carry a full line of double novel reprints featuring all three of these iconic supermen – including three new books that have just been released:
“The Spider Volume 20” features two thrill-packed adventures written by Norvell Page and Wayne Rogers under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “The Devil’s Candlesticks”, a mystic murder spell falls over Manhattan, transforming America’s moneyed aristocracy into ruthless fiends and criminals. Only The Spider can battle a horror league that has turned America’s most wealthy citizens into lawless butchers! Then, in “Revolt of the Underworld”, America’s most ruthless criminals declare war on the Spider. Organized by the Fox, this tireless and devious band have succeeded in framing Richard Wentworth for the apparent murder of his fiancé Nita Van Sloan. Can the Spider successfully clear his name while also searching for the whereabouts of his beloved fiancée?
Then, in “Doc Savage Volume 49”, you’ll thrill as the Man of Bronze and his daredevil cousin Patricia Savage battle deadly menaces in two classic pulp novels by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson: “The Terror in the Navy” and “Waves of Death”.
Finally, in “The Shadow Volume 51”, the Knight of Darkness battles strange supercrime in two thrillers by Walter Gibson: “The Living Joss” and “Judge Lawless”.
These beautifully formatted issues, priced at Just $14.95 each, feature classic cover art, interior illustrations, full-length stories reformatted for relaxed reading, and many special features to add to your enjoyment. Radio Archives carries the latest issues of these exciting publications, plus all of the back issues as well, ensuring you hours of edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Be sure to stop by RadioArchives.com and pick up your copies of these new releases right away! New in Digital Downloads For years, entertainment on the go meant a transistor radio or a portable 8-track or cassette player. But nowadays, thanks to the new digital technologies, you can travel the world and take a world of entertainment with you to enjoy along the way!
Whether you enjoy your entertainment on your laptop, your cell phone, or one of the many small portable devices now available, when you’re on the go, be sure to take the great sounding radio shows and audiobooks from Radio Archives right along with you. All of our digital downloads offer the same impressive audio fidelity as our compact disc collections and are available to you around the world around the clock at RadioArchives.com. And, best of all, with digital downloads, you’ll pay no postage or delivery charges!
This week, we’re excited to feature our new line of audiobooks for digital download – including the Doc Savage adventures “Python Isle” and “White Eyes”. “The Adventures of Doc Savage” radio series is downloadable, too, as well as radio classics like the long-lost daytime serial “Claudia”, the mystery whodunits of “Philo Vance”, the bizarre tales of “The Unexpected”, and the hilarious misadventures of “Fibber McGee and Molly”. Whether you’re a fan of drama, westerns, comedy, detectives, or musical variety, you’ll find it on the Digital Downloads page at RadioArchives.com. Place your order, download your shows and, within minutes, you’ll be enjoying some delightful audio entertainment.
Digital downloads from Radio Archive give you the best of everything: great shows, great selection, great sound quality, and all at great prices, too! Stop by RadioArchives.com today and see what’s waiting for you!Deal of the DayLooking for a great deal in entertainment? Then you can’t go wrong with the Deal of the Day, a new feature now available at RadioArchives.com!
When you visit our home page, look for the bright yellow Deal of the Day tag on the top right hand side. Click on it and you’ll see today’s special deal. Sometimes a pulp reprint, other times a book, a DVD, or a compact disc collection, these limited time bargains are available at a fraction of their regular price – and there’s no minimum purchase required! Whether you want just that day’s special deal or whether you add it to the rest of your order with RadioArchives.com, the price you see is the price you’ll pay – and that price will reflect a discount of 10, 20, or even 50 percent off the retail price!
But remember: the Deal of the Day may change at any time! If you like what you see, order it right away; wait and it may be gone!
Visit RadioArchives.com often and check out the Deal of the Day. It’s a great way to stretch your budget, add to your personal library, and enjoy some timeless entertainment! The Critics Love “Python Isle”For well over a decade, Radio Archives has maintained only the highest standards of quality, making our reputation by offering the very best audio fidelity, packaging, and customer service. So, when we decided to begin producing our own line of audiobooks, we wanted to make sure that they were the very best you could get anywhere at any price – and, thanks to the impressive talents of producer/director Roger Rittner and the skills of our world-class narrator Michael McConnohie, “Python Isle” had not only met but exceeded our standards and expectations.
But don’t take our word for it! Here are some reviews that have recently appeared:
In “Mass Movement Magazine”, Tim Cundle writes: “It’s an incredible tale of an ancient tribe of Solomon, a queen and a sorcerer locked in political struggle, pirates, New York gangsters, undiscovered islands, lost explorers, hijacked zeppelins and much, much, much more. Michael McConnohie’s narration is nothing short of breath taking, capturing Dent and Murray’s frantic pacing perfectly whilst bringing each and every character to glorious life. ‘Python Isle’ is an astonishing accomplishment that I can’t recommend highly enough. Brilliant. Just…Brilliant.”
In “Comics Bulletin”, Penny Kenny writes: “The skillful use of language and vocabulary is one of the delights of the story, and narrator Michael McConnohie’s smooth, rich voice is more than up to the task of bringing it to life for the listener. Without overdoing it, McConnohie brings out the humor in lines that could easily be glided over, and he creates tension simply by the way he reads a passage. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read a Doc Savage book again without hearing McConnohie’s interpretation in my head. If you’re looking for a fun action-adventure story, or if you want to try some of the original pulp fiction, you need to give the ‘Python Isle’ audiobook a try.”
“Python Isle”, written by Will Murray and directed and produced by Roger Rittner, is available as an eight audio compact disc collection priced at Just $25.98 and as an eight hour digital download priced at just $17.98. Join the thousands of excited listeners who are now thrilling to the audio exploits of the Man of Bronze. Visit RadioArchives.com and order your copy of “Python Isle” and our latest audiobook “White Eyes” right away ! New in Classic Radio: Claudia, Volume 5If you were a stay-at-home housewife in the 1930s and 1940s, you were most likely a fan of the soap operas. Ever-present on radio, and later on television, these daytime dramas of romance, heartbreak, mother love, sacrifice, and somewhat overdramatized family life became a staple in the lives of millions of avid listeners – many of whom planned their daytime chores around the five-times-a-week adventures of “Our Gal Sunday”, “Ma Perkins”, “Stella Dallas”, and the other dramas that dominated the airwaves between 10 AM and 5 PM.
But, in 1947, a new soap opera debuted that was far more quiet and gentle and down-to-earth than its strife-ridden neighbors on the radio dial. “Claudia”, based on the best-selling novel and play by author Rose Franken, told the tale of Claudia and David Naughton, two newlyweds just beginning their married life. Young, enthusiastic, and very much in love, they weren’t suffering from any of the crises or tragedies that were the common plot points of most daytime dramas. Instead, they were two people simply facing the many challenges of marriage and learning to live together as husband and wife. Thanks to insightful scripting, as well as charming performances by Kathryn Bard and Paul Crabtree in the leading roles, “Claudia” remains one of the unsung classics of radio’s golden age – as well as one of the most entertaining soap operas ever aired.
In “Claudia, Volume 5”, you’ll enjoy 24 more consecutive broadcasts that were first heard in April and May of 1948. Priced at Just $17.98 for the six audio CD set and Just $11.98 for the six hour digital download, this charming series is one you’ll want to share at home with your family – or keep it in the car and play one episode a day as you drive to or from work. Either way, we know you’ll be delighted by the endearing adventures of “Claudia”, now available from RadioArchives.com!
Listen to this Newsletter!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this newsletter as an Audio Podcast! Click anywhere in the colorful banner at the top and you’ll automatically hear the Radio Archives Newsletter, enhanced with narration, music, and clips from our latest collections! This audio version of our regular newsletter is a pleasant and convenient way to hear all about our latest products, as well as the newest pulp fiction reprints, special offers, and much, much more!
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night played for about three weeks in the spring and is being released Tuesday by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Blu-ray. In an exclusive conversation with ComicMix, director Kevin Munroe talked about the experience.
Munroe first came to attention with his revival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, released in 2007 as TMNT and is absolutely no stranger to comics. “Yeah, I think I started with Sgt. Rock and then the European titles which I read growing up on the east coast of Canada. I read Tin Tin, Lucky Luke, Asterix then discovered Plastic Man, “he said.
An avid comic book fan, Munroe became an artist and found work storyboarding episodes of Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold! before scripting and producing ABC Family’s Christmas special Donner. Comics weren’t far from his mind, though as he wound up writing Dark Horse Comics’ El Zombo Fantasma, with Dave Wilkins. His other comics work includes Olympus Heights from IDW.
Given his work with Dark Horse, Munroe found himself in consideration for the director’s chair at a fortuitous time. “That was happenstance,” he admitted. “I heard of the project, while doing my own project for Dark Horse. I saw they had just done the first issue of the American edition of Dylan Dog and I picked it up. The series had everything I liked about comics.”
His fan interests certainly informed his career choices and he’s perfectly happy finding ways to adapt comics to the screen. “I think comics are such rich world and it’s just so easy to do,” Munroe explained. “I’m a fan on a visceral level. I like how active it is to read a comic and see the pacing and hear the voices in your head. Personally, I get a kick out of it. Where are the best stories being told? In comics. Who has the best characters? They take their time; create an entire world and mythos.” (more…)
I wrote last time about digital comics and I realize there was another big question for me as we cross the digital Rubicon into this brave new world: will there be letter columns?
Now you might point out to me, “John, most comics don’t have letter columns now.” I’ve always felt that was a mistake. In fact, I think it’s one of the reasons for the decline of comics, if not of the entire Western Civilization as we know it. My first work in comics appeared in a letter column. During the Overlord saga in Thor, I pretty much figured out who the mysterious Overlord really was. (I think it was Odin or some manifestation of Odin or something.) I even was awarded a Mighty Marvel No-Prize for my efforts, which was supposed to be for service above and beyond the call of duty to Marvel before they cheapened it for giving it out to every slob who wrote in and said, “Make Mine Marvel!” and yes it still burns me today that they did that but never mind. (For those of you who are interested, the No-Prize consisted of a an envelope mailed to you that clearly stamped “No Prize” on the front. You opened the envelope and it was empty – there was no prize! That was the gag. My first reaction was that somebody slipped up and forgotten to include my No-Prize in the envelope. I did eventually get the joke. I’m not always real swift but I get there.)
I had a better letter published in a Savage Sword Of Conan. One story had Conan betrayed by his female companion and he snarled at her, “Waitress!” Of course, they meant to say “Traitress!” Obviously, an error no one caught but my letter tried to prove that it wasn’t an error but a nice bit of characterization, showing that Conan obviously had bad experiences with female serving staff; thus, the worst thing he could call the wench was “Waitress!” I remember my closing line was, “After all, have you ever seen the big Cimmerian lug tip?!” I figured the letter was clever enough to make the letter column, and it did.
If you’re a fan of pulp fiction, you know that, in the 1930s and 1940s, there were three heroes who dominated the newsstands of America: the mysterious enemy of the underworld known as The Shadow, the tall and muscular Doc Savage, and a troubled and vengeful vigilante known as The Spider. Here at 
“The Spider Volume 20” 
For years, entertainment on the go meant a transistor radio or a portable 8-track or cassette player. But nowadays, thanks to the new digital technologies, you can travel the world and take a world of entertainment with you to enjoy along the way!
Whether you enjoy your entertainment on your laptop, your cell phone, or one of the many small portable devices now available, when you’re on the go, be sure to take the great sounding radio shows and audiobooks from Radio Archives right along with you. All of our digital downloads offer the same impressive audio fidelity as our compact disc collections and are available to you around the world around the clock at 
Looking for a great deal in entertainment? Then you can’t go wrong with the 
In “Mass Movement Magazine”, Tim Cundle writes: 
If you were a stay-at-home housewife in the 1930s and 1940s, you were most likely a fan of the soap operas. Ever-present on radio, and later on television, these daytime dramas of romance, heartbreak, mother love, sacrifice, and somewhat overdramatized family life became a staple in the lives of millions of avid listeners – many of whom planned their daytime chores around the five-times-a-week adventures of “Our Gal Sunday”, “Ma Perkins”, “Stella Dallas”, and the other dramas that dominated the airwaves between 10 AM and 5 PM.
Listen to this Newsletter! 
