Tagged: Look

‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ hits new earning record

‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ hits new earning record

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark promotional poster.

More money in a week than Steve Ditko has seen from Spider-Man, ever.

Look who’s sporting a big smile behind his mask on Broadway — none other than the once-mocked Spider-Man. The Broadway League reported Tuesday that “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” took in a whopping $2,941,790 over nine performances last week, which is the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history.The musical shattered the old record held by “Wicked,” which last January recorded the then-highest one-week take on Broadway with a $2,228,235 haul, though over an eight-show week.

via Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’ musical earns new record – Yahoo! News.

Dynamite Entertainment Releases an Extended Preview of QUEEN SONJA #25

Cover: Chasen Grieshop

Dynamite Entertainment has released a preview of the upcoming QUEEN SONJA #25, which debuts November 30th wherever you buy your favorite comic book entertainment.
Click on images for a larger view.

Cover: Lucio Parrillo

QUEEN SONJA #25
32 pages FC • $4.99 • Teen +
Written by LUKE LIEBERMAN
Art by FRITZ CASAS
Covers by LUCIO PARRILLO (50%), CHASEN GRIESHOP (50%)

An over-sized anniversary issue! The final battle for the throne, the fate of an empire hangs in the balance! All loyalties tested and schemes lain bare in the final showdown between Queen Sonja and Emperor Antonious!

To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit http://www.dynamite.net/.
Look for QUEEN SONJA #25 in stores November 30th.

Dynamite Entertainment Releases an Extended Preview of WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF BARSOOM #4

Cover: Francesco Francavilla

Dynamite Entertainment has released a preview of the upcoming WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF
BARSOOM #4, which debuts November 30th wherever you buy your favorite comic book entertainment.
Click on images for a larger view.

WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF BARSOOM #4
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +
Written by ROBERT PLACE NAPTON
Art by ROBERTO CASTRO
Covers by JOE JUSKO (main), FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (1-in-10)
“Black & White” Retailer incentive cover by JOE JUSKO
“Virgin Art” Retailer incentive cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

Cover: Joe Jusko

100,000 YEARS BEFORE THE TIME OF JOHN CARTER! A tribe of Red Martians attacks the Atmosphere Plant just as it’s about to go operational. Meanwhile, the savage Warhoon march on the last stronghold of the Orovar — the city of Horz–determined to wipe the White Martians from the face Mars.
This is the penultimate chapter in the Fall of Barsoom!

To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit http://www.dynamite.net/.

Look for WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF BARSOOM #4 in stores November 30th.

BEHIND THE VEIL-AN ANALYSIS OF ‘DILLON’ FROM A BLACK PERSPECTIVE!

BEHIND THE VEIL

Dillon and The Legend of the Golden Bell: From a Modern Black Perspective

 As written by Brent Lambert, ALL PULP Staffer


When I first heard the term “post racial” being thrown around I was put off by it.  It seemed like terminology invented for the sole purpose of creating a false reality and to create cultural repression.  Whoever thought the advent of an African-American President somehow spelled a symbolic end to racism was smoking something real good and I still want some of it. 

The other idea proposed by this concept of “post-racial” was a bit sneakier and less obviously wrong because it’s an idea that’s been pushed on those America has considered “other” since its inception.  Assimilation.  That was what I felt was at the real core of this “post-racial” word.  Minorities were being called to lay down their cultural heritage and grievances in the name of this unseen new racial harmony that supposedly miraculously sprung up after November 2008.  Fortunately, most of us weren’t that stupid.

So what does any of this have to do with Derrick Ferguson and his novel, Dillon and The Legend of the Golden Bell?  Well, some might look at the novel, see the character of Dillon and see what might be the world’s first post-racial pulp hero.  Dillon is African-American, but you could see him as any race and he’d be just as enjoyable.  One of his best friends is a white man and the friendship, thankfully, is one that exists without any sort of racial footing.  In fact, one could argue that every character in the novel could be white and you’d enjoy it all the same.  I agree except for the fact that it would be implying Derrick had no racial concerns when constructing this story, which is something I just can’t buy. 

See, I’ve had the unique pleasure of discussing race in general and in terms of writing with Derrick.  So can I assure everyone that he is without a doubt a black man and is smart enough to not buy into the political correctness of the supposed “post-racial”.  The thing with Derrick is that he’s nuanced and I believe he’s so nuanced that some things in this novel could only be picked up on by someone who’s had the black experience.  So race is very much in Dillon and The Legend of the Golden Bell, but it does not have to be shouted from the rooftops.

 Too much of our media with a black focus has to scream “black, black, black” and Derrick avoids that trap.  It’s a tempting trap to fall into because there is such a severe lack of quality black media that aspiring black artists feel the need to take the entire burden on their shoulders.  Derrick contributes even more than I think he realizes because he avoids that pitfall.

Let’s look at Dillon to see the nuance I was talking about.  Derrick gracefully dodges the “Macho Guy” stereotype that plagues African-American male characters from TV to comic books.  Yes, Dillon is tough and he is undoubtedly an ass kicker, but the difference is that the core of his character isn’t centered on those things.  Derrick defies the stereotype of the black man as a mere macho and as a deadbeat father in a one-two punch through the character of Brandon.

Dillon shows a great deal of vulnerable emotions through his interactions with Brandon and becomes the boy’s surrogate father throughout the story.  He takes full responsibility for the young man and seems to really be the only character truly concerned with taking this young man on a dangerous mission.  Without ever having to get preachy, Derrick uses Dillon to spit in the face of the idea that the black man is lacking in paternal instincts.

A term popular amongst urban inclined people my age and younger is “swagger” or “swagga” if you want the hip spelling.  I think the term holds a particular affinity for black men because it harkens back to the 20s and The Harlem Renaissance.  Our vision of that time was everyone was cool whether they were a slick gangster or a skit skatting musician.  There’s a sense that black men in that time period commanded their respect simply by their presence and got it.  It’s something to aspire to and therefore those who seem to command that kind of presence are admired.

Even though the word has seen a bit of a resurgence, the essence of “swagger” is something that permeates the black male consciousness as far back as The Great Migration.  Look at the classic character of Shaft if you want a more modern example that represents this ideal.  He’s nearly unshakeable in his self-confidence and makes everyone around him better as they admire his bravado.  It’s easy to venture into Mary Sue territory with these kind of characters, but thankfully Derrick knows better.  Dillon is a worthy inheritor of this tradition.  He displays soap opera worthy suave with an equal dose of Herculean bravado.  On top of all that there’s a good bit of Imaro’s raw intensity thrown in the mix.

Dillon ultimately is a critique of this idea that to create racial harmony one must let go of culture.  He is a guy entrenched in a very racially focused world, but he elevates himself past it without giving up his identity in the process.  Dillon is capable of loving a white man as a father figure without having to worry about the oft-used label of Uncle Tom.   The fact Derrick is able to work past that sub-conscious complex and get a black audience to genuinely believe in Dillon’s blackness without divulging into the insanely urban is a testament to his skills as a writer.

The Clown Car of Literary Awards

So, let me get this straight.

If the people administering an award are so incompetent that they can’t even manage to communicate effectively with each other, and mangle their own list of nominees, the only way to “preserve the integrity of the award and the judges’ work” is to ask the author you just screwed over to withdraw her book from contention?

First of all, it’s idiotic to “withdraw” a book once it’s already on the shortlist.

Second, withdrawing a book implies that something is wrong with the book — or that the author dislikes the award process for some reason — which is the opposite of the problem here.

Third — and, as a father, this is by far the most important lesson to me — if you make a mistake, you need to be the one to fix it. You don’t ask if the person you just injured can go away quietly so that it’s less trouble for you. You screw up; you fix it — that’s the rule.

Look, we all know that Shine would have no change of actually winning this award — the same set of judges that will make the final decision decided on the mangled shortlist — but demanding that Shine be removed entirely is the action of a petty, self-centered prick. You don’t fix thoughtless stupidity by being a prick; you fix it by being generous and apologetic. Someone at the NBA — maybe the administrators, maybe the judges, maybe both — hasn’t learned a lesson my ten-year-old already knows well.

Lauren Myracle is way too polite and understanding; the correct answer to the NBA’s insulting request could only be “fuck off.”

The Lone Ranger Returns With A Vendetta

Cover Art: Douglas Klauba

New Pulp Author Howard Hopkins confirmed the announcement on Amazon today that he has written a new The Lone Ranger novel for Moonstone Books. The Masked Rider of the Plains rides again in a gritty tale of the vengeance from out of his past. The paperback preorder price is $4.99 with a great cover by Artist Doug Klauba.

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Ranger-Vedetta-Howard-Hopkins/dp/1936814153/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317752878&sr=1-1

The novel is Black Horse Western length, the first in a new line from Moonstone books. Look for Howard’s novel The Golden Amazon: Ripper, Burning Bright coming from Moonstone as well.

About The Lone Ranger – Vendetta:

The Masked Man in a brand-new adventure! From out of the past comes a mysterious killer systematically murdering anyone with a connection to the Masked Rider of the Pains former identity. When all signs point to Butch Cavendish, a man long dead, The Lone Ranger finds himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the life of his faithful Indian companion hanging in the balance!

For more on Howard Hopkins, visit http://www.howardhopkins.com/.
For more on Moonstone Books, visit http://www.moonstonebooks.com/.

MARTHA THOMASES: The DC (And NY And LA) Implosion

There used to be ten comic book stores within a mile of my apartment. Now, there are two.

To be fair, this is two more than most people have. And when I expand the radius to two miles, there are more than a dozen. Which, again, is more than most people have. There used to be a lot more bookstores, too, even before the Borders bankruptcy. Some of this is the ebb and flow of commerce, and some of it is specific to publishing.

Most of the comic book stores near me closed in the early 1990s, when the direct market imploded. Speculators stopped buying, and there simply weren’t enough reading fans to support so many stores. With bookstores, the same kind of competition had an effect. Instead of speculators, bookstores suffered from Internet offering lower prices and free delivery. More recently, the success of Kindles and other e-readers means that fewer readers are buying physical books.

Comic fans have been reading comics online for years. You, yourself, can read comics – for free – on this very site. It’s possible to illegally download comics you’d otherwise have to pay for, through a process I’ve always thought was too complicated to bother with. Also, I don’t mind artists and writers getting paid.

Starting next month, DC Comics will offer readers the chance to buy comics digitally at the same time (and at the same price) they are available in stores. Naturally, comic book stores are less than thrilled about this.

This is a long and winding way to get to my rant.

(more…)

Green Hornet: Still At Large Cover Art Revealed!

Green Hornet: Still At Large Cover Art Revealed!

Over at his blog, Win Scott Eckert posted the cover to the recently announced third volume of Green Hornet stories based on the 60’s TV series version of the characters. You can read the original post at http://woldnewton.blogspot.com/2011/07/green-hornet-still-at-large.html

The new volume will be titled The Green Hornet: Still at Large!

Says Win, “Yes, that’s right, folks… there will be a third volume of short stories from Moonstone Books about the 1960s Green Hornet and Kato. Feast your eyes on the cover by Rubén Procopio!”

Green Hornet: Still At Large Cover: Ruben Procopio

“This time around, Joe Gentile and I will be joined by Matthew Baugh in sharing the editorial duties. Our lineup of writers is complete and they are getting busy. Look for the book some time in 2012!”

The Green Hornet Casefiles, Volume Two in the series, will be available soon.

Green Hornet Casefiles coming soon

Keep checking All Pulp for more information as it is released.

Attention Shoppers: Marvel’s Trying To Pull A Fast One This Week

We’ve already heard a few complaints about the two comics racked above.

What’s the complaint? One’s an Avengers book, the other’s Captain Britain. They both look like retro-throwbacks to the 80’s, and they both look like they’re tying into The Iron Age miniseries, right? Okay, they’re a little pricy at $4.99, but–

–wait a minute. Open them up.

They’re the same comic.

These are both covers for The Iron Age #1. The series title is right up there, in that little red bar at the top of the issues. The Captain Britain cover? Marvel is considering that to be a variant cover.

Look at that picture of them on the rack. Would you have thought they were just variant covers, or would you have thought they were the same book? And would you be angry when you got home and discovered you paid $4.99 for a duplicate you didn’t want?

Consider this a public service announcement to help save money in these tough economic times. And the next time somebody behind the counter at your local comic book shop yells at you for looking through the books with the time-honored “This ain’t a library, bub!” you can simply tell them that you have to because comic book publishers are pulling stunts like this.

The Point Radio: Explaining WEEDS To A Ten Year Old?

The Point Radio: Explaining WEEDS To A Ten Year Old?

Alexander Gould (Shane) is one of the biggest parts of the Showtime series WEEDS. Over the last five se4asons, his character has been embroiled in some pretty heavy storylines. So, how did this all work for Alex who was only ten when he started the series? He explains what is was like growing up on cable, plus GL makes it to 3-D, MASS EFFECT is headed to the troops and somebody is still interested in THE SHADOW.


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