Tagged: Marvel Comics

VAN ALLEN PLEXICO UNLEASHES THE LORDS OF FIRE!

New Pulp Author Van Allen Plexico’s latest novel is the first in a series of Military Science Fiction New Pulp Space Opera adventure novels called The Shattering, published by White Rocket Books.

Press Release – For Immediate Release

THE SHATTERING: LORDS OF FIRE Arrives in Trade Paperback!

Plexico Brings Military SF/Space Opera to the world of New Pulp!

(January 28, 2013)  White Rocket Books proudly announces the release in trade paperback format of Van Allen Plexico’s THE SHATTERING, LEGION I: LORDS OF FIRE!

Stripped of his authority by the Emperor of Mankind and assigned to duty in deepest space for failing to prevent the greatest robbery in history, former Colonel Ezekial Tamerlane believes his career as a soldier is over.  But strange forces are at work, urging the Emperor to set out on a journey fraught with dangers into a nightmare realm a universe away from our own; and Tamerlane, like it or not, is going along for the ride.  What he and his high-tech super-soldiers find along the way will shake the Empire to its very foundations, and unleash a crisis of galactic proportions that not all the armies in creation can hold back…

“Plexico is the master of space opera.” –Pulp Fiction Reviews

LORDS OF FIRE begins a new galaxy-shattering adventure from the author of HAWK: HAND OF THE MACHINE and LUCIAN: DARK GOD’S HOMECOMING, and bridges the divide between those two novels and universes.  Here we see the fallout from the war of the gods in LUCIAN, and the growing crisis that will lead to the creation of Hawk and the other Hands of the Machine.  Futuristic armies clash, godlike beings manipulate empires, and the gateway to the Underverse of the Below is reopened, unleashing slavering demonic hordes upon an unsuspecting galaxy!

Plexico’s previous novel, SENTINELS: METALGOD, reached #1 on the New Pulp Best-Sellers List in December 2012.  “Nobody—not even Abnett and Lanning—does cosmic superheroes like Van Allen Plexico.  Nobody,” said Barry Reese, creator of the Rook and Lazarus Grey.

“I wanted this book to kick off the new “Shattering” saga with a bang—with action from start to finish,” says Plexico of LORDS OF FIRE, “and that’s exactly what it does.  I have no doubt that my loyal cadre of longtime readers will enjoy it, and I’m confident it will appeal to a new readership of bold Military SF enthusiasts who like a mash-up of high-tech combat and supernatural menaces in the vein of the Warhammer 40,000 books.”

White Rocket Books is a leader in the New Pulp movement, publishing exciting action and adventure novels and anthologies since 2005, in both traditional and electronic formats.   White Rocket books have hit the Amazon.com Top 15-by-Genre and reached #1 on the New Pulp Best-Sellers List, and have garnered praise from everyone from Marvel Comics Vice-President Tom Brevoort to Kirkus Reviews.

THE SHATTERING, LEGION I: LORDS OF FIRE is a $15.95, 6×9 format trade paperback from White Rocket Books.
316 pages.
ISBN-13:  978-0-61575-419-2  
ISBN-10:   0-61575-419-8  
(6×9” Trade Paperback)

Now available in paperback at Amazon.

Coming soon: 
The Shattering:
Legion II: Sons of Terra

Marvel’s Original Sin

Sean Howe shows us proof that Marvel sold original artwork instead of returning it to the artists, or compensating them in any way.

Marvel began returning current pages to artists sometime in 1974, and eventually worked retroactively back a few months, to comics cover-dated from January 1974; among the earliest issues from which art was sent back were Avengers #119 and Amazing Spider-Man #128.

But a year earlier, Marvel sold the covers to these issues, cover-dated January 1973, to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Seven covers, plus progressive proofs and color guides for each, for a total of $770.

Back in 1986, Irene Vartanoff (who began managing artwork return in 1975) told The Comics Journal that Marvel would occasionally send artwork to exhibits. But as far as I know, this is the only evidence that exists of Marvel actually accepting money for pages of original art.

It’s unclear if the gallery still possesses the pages; nothing comes up on their inventory database. But if Rich Buckler, Joe Sinnott, Barry Smith, John Romita, Sal Buscema, or Tom Palmer happens to read this, they may want to give them a call.

via MARVEL COMICS: THE UNTOLD STORY (Untold Stories: Marvel Sells Stash of Original Art…).

It has been long suspected that lots of comic art went out the door. But this is the first documented proof I’ve seen that Marvel did so and profited from it.

A quick guess puts the value of all that original art at $35,000 today. We wonder if the artists are ever going to see any of it.

Dennis O’Neil: Puzzles

O'Neil Art 130110Show of hands: who here works the New York Times crossword puzzle? Okay, put ‘em down. Those of you who raised your hands, and you know who you are (though I don’t) might have a definition for the word “olio,” which has been known to appear in the puzzle now and again, and nowhere else that I’ve ever seen. The rest of you? Well, maybe I just shrugged. (How can you ever be sure?)

Anyway, today’s blatherthon will be a bit of an olio.

Which we’ll begin with an item about, yes, a crossword puzzle. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart enlisted the puzzle’s editor, Will Shortz, in helping him propose to the lady who’s now Mrs. Stewart. Together, they concocted a puzzle that contained the proposal and gave it to the object of Jon’s affections. You can guess the rest. And is this not one of the coolest proposals ever?

Had lunch Saturday with my old pal/colleague Carl Potts, who informed me that another one-time colleague, Bobbie Chase, has joined her old boss, Bob Harris, in the enchanted precincts of DC Comics editorial suite. I knew both Bob and Bobbie when I worked for Marvel Comics long ago. The comics biz thus continues to be a revolving door kind of enterprise with many creative and editorial serfs going from one company to the other and maybe back again. Yet both companies have managed to retain their identities. Curious, huh? Any business majors looking for a thesis topic? Or do you disagree? Could I be wrong? Did I just shudder? (How can you ever be sure?)

Notice the italicized word in the previous paragraph? If not, maybe it isn’t there and Crankus, the evil god of technology, has struck again! Italics were absent from a sentence in last week’s blatherthon, spirited away somewhere between this computer and your screen. Gone! Pfut! And does this mean that some did not get the joke the italic was supposed to serve, and did legions weep?

Notice the exclamation point in the previous paragraph? You did. Ah, Crankus is napping. But did you know that when I crept into the comics business 47 years ago, give or take, we writers were instructed to end (here comes another italic) every sentence with an exclaimer? Enough to make a (punctuation-loving) grammarian gag, isn’t it? Newly minted young snot English major that I was back then, I bristled, but so slightly that no one noticed and besides, the guys in suits (italics alert!) did have a reason for the rule. We were told that the printing was so crude that ordinary periods might not transfer onto the page.

About those guys in suits: that was pretty much everyone who had a desk job. First day, I got my orders: suit and tie, though maybe nice jacket and tie might have eked past muster. Bit of a problem for me because, though I was used to wearing ties, I didn’t have a suit. Roy Thomas took me to Macy’s and I dropped a fast thirty bucks or so on new haberdashery. At last, the big time…

RECOMMENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The Spiritual Brain: Science and the Religious Experience. Lecture series presented by Dr. Andrew Newberg, from The Teaching Company/Great Courses.

Friday: Martha Thomases Gets Soapy

 

John Ostrander’s Favorite Things – 2012

This is the time of year when all manner of people and media post their best/worst selections of the year. The main purpose is to elicit outrage or agreement or bewilderment regarding the selections. Anyone can play. So I guess I will with these caveats. I’m not saying that what follows is the best of any the categories. It’s simply what I most enjoyed. Some books, TV shows, music, movies I simply didn’t experience (e.g. Argo and The Hobbit) or didn’t enjoy as much as those listed (i.e. the latest Dresden book, The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man). I’m only touching on what was new in 2012 – not those things I’ve enjoyed from other years and enjoyed again in 2012.

Caveats away. Let’s get down to it.

Doctor Who: The mid-season finale didn’t please me as much as I hoped. The departure of long time companions Amy and Rory had me scratching my head. However, the Christmas Special – The Snowmen – made up for it, introducing an intriguing new companion for the time and space faring Doctor and a tantalizing mystery. Steven Moffat – show runner and head writer – remains in fine form.

Justified: Big tough ass series based on an Elmore Leonard character. This season was even better than the one last season, which is saying a lot. Star performances made the season starting with Timothy Olyphant as Marshall Raylan Givens, along with Walter Goggins, Nick Searcy, Neal McDonough as a truly scary bad guy from Detroit, and Mykelti Williamson as an equally scary local bad guy. It’s violent, sexual, badass, and Raylan Givens is so damn cool he should be illegal.

Fringe: It’s now on its final episodes and taking a whole different tack from the previous seasons. I’m hoping it all ties up and makes sense by the end but this was created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci who also did Lost and the ending of that got a little bit away from them. Still, John Noble’s Walter Bishop is a delight to watch and is reason enough to tune in.

The Daily Show/The Colbert Report: This got me through the freakin’ election. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are both geniuses. Stewart does the faux news show and Colbert does a faux conservative commentator ala Bill O’Reilly. Colbert’s may be the more brilliant show but I have to admit that Jon Stewart makes me laugh more. However, Colbert did perhaps the last interview that famed children’s book writer Maurice Sendak ever gave and its hysterical and touching. Both shows are must-see TV for me.

Suits: I would not have bet you that a series set in a high powered law firm with people I don’t especially like would keep me riveted, but this one sure does. Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams and Rick Hoffman are superb but for me the best characters are two women – Gina Torres (who you might recognize from Firefly) as the really tough head of the firm and especially Sarah Rafferty as Macht’s tart tongued, all knowing secretary who steals the show. Morally complex, suspenseful, and witty.

Kate Bush: 50 Words For Snow: I’ve been a big Kate Bush fan for a long time and it becomes an event when she brings out a new CD. Kate Bush is one of the most influential female singer/songwriters in the music business. This is one of her best CDs in recent years and the duet she sings with Elton John, Snowed In At Wheeler Street, is haunting. I play it over and over again. It’s influencing a concept that I’m working on. I love this CD.

The Avengers: The most perfect cinema realization of the Marvel comics ethos. Joss Whedon (director and writer) rules. This made umpty gazillion dollars and you’ve probably seen it. One of the best moments: Hulk vs. Loki. ‘Nuff said.

Lincoln: I’ve talked about this in one of my other columns. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the great movie performances of all time but he’s not the only one. Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones. Hal Holbrick, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who has had a very good year), James Spader and so many others make the film an acting delight.

Skyfall: James Bond’s 50th Anniversary in films and this one is a knockout. Bond is not simply an icon in this film; he’s a character with a deeper story. We see a seedy Bond, we see a Bond off his game, we see an aging Bond who may be outdated in the modern espionage world and knows it. This is right up there with my other two all-time favorite Bond movies, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger and it may be my favorite of the three. A key to the film’s success was hiring noted director Sam Mendes who delivered not only the action set pieces we expect from a Bond film but visual style, pacing, and performances. Daniel Craig gives his best outing yet as Bond, Javier Bardem’s Silva is one of the scariest all time Bond villains and Judy Dench – ah, Judy Dench. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about and, if you haven’t, I won’t ruin it for you. It’s not just a good Bond film; Skyfall is a really good film – period.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: One of the pleasures of series books is coming back and seeing characters that you’ve come to regard as friends in a setting, a world, that has become real to you. Alexander McCall Smith has done that for me with his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, a detective series set in Botswana, Africa, and starring his woman detective, Precious Ramotswe. This series is a long ways from a hardboiled noir detective. The stories are gentle and filled with characters I love. The challenge with series books is to give the reader everything they remember and want in the series while also covering new ground. It’s a tough trick to pull off; the books could become stale. This series progresses slightly with each book and stays fresh. I look forward to my next trip back to Botswana.

Favorite Person In the Whole Wide World: My Mary. Who else? Love you, cutie pie.

I’ll be back next year. Happy New Year to you all.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: Mindy Newell

 

Happy 90th birthday, Stan Lee!

Happy birthday to Stan the Man! (If you don’t know who he is, we can’t imagine why you’re even reading this website.)

Excelsior from all of us true believers! May you keep making cameos in Marvel films for decades to come…

…in fact, we have most of them here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C26dzgNOj5Q[/youtube]

 

THE MASKED RIDER RIDES AGAIN!

Coming Soon!

Altus Press’ Matt Moring shared a pre-Christmas announcement!

Press Release:

The Masked Rider Archives Volume 1
By Oscar Schisgall and William H. Stueber
Introduction by Will Murray

Collected for the first time: the original Masked Rider series! Originally published by Ranger Publications, Altus Press has committed to collecting all the rare and illusive Masked Rider yarns from these early years prior to its acquisition by Standard Publications. Each volume will include new articles and information about the series as well as the history of Ranger Publications, one of the earliest companies run by Marvel Comics founder Martin Goodman.

Volume 1 contains the first three stories, uncut, in order, and accompanied by the original illustrations: “The Black Caballero” by Oscar Schisgall along with “The Avenging Shadow” and “Sapphire Mesa,” both by William H. Stueber.

Available soon!

Learn more at www.altuspress.com.

SENTINELS: METALGOD Arrives in Trade Paperback!

The Next Epic Adventure in “The World’s Greatest Superhero Novel Series” Begins Here!

White Rocket Books proudly announces the release in trade paperback format of Van Allen Plexico’s SENTINELS: METALGOD, the newest adventure in the famed and very popular cosmic superhero saga!
Debuting in 2008 with Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord from Swarm Press, Plexico’s Sentinels series has built a worldwide base of enthusiastic fans eager for another installment in the action-packed series.  Now the new volume has arrived—as has perhaps the deadliest threat yet encountered: Metalgod!
In the wake of the Worldmind/Stellarax Crisis, what’s left of the team has scattered to the four winds. Brachis and Mondrian cross the depths of space in a desperate attempt to stave off galactic civil war, while Pulsar and her sister work to assemble an entirely new team of heroes back on Earth. Time is short, the supply of heroes is shorter, and no one is exactly who he appears to be.  And into this precarious situation arrives the deadly and enigmatic mechanoid from space—the being known only as METALGOD!
Presenting the first volume in the new SENTINELS story arc—a great “jumping-on point”—where action and adventure await at every turn, and nothing is quite what it seems!  Interior illustrations are by fan-favorite series artist Chris Kohler, who also takes over cover art duties this time around, assisted with fantastic color work by the incomparable Sarah White.
“This book accomplishes several major things,” says Plexico of METALGOD. “We get to see Pulsar fighting to become the leader everyone hopes she can be, attempting to assemble an entirely new team before another disaster strikes—as you know it will.  We see Esro and Mondy assuming their rightful roles as members of the Elites, dealing with a coming galactic war. There’s action, danger, and even comedy—and we get what I think is the biggest shock ending in the series to date.  Better buckle up!”
“I’ve already bought the next Sentinels book! Van’s got me hooked!” says Percival Constantine, author of Fallen.
“Spectacular.  Action-packed. Imaginative and wonderful,” adds Pulp Fiction Reviews.  “If you grew up loving the Avengers comic books from Marvel, these books are for you in a big, big way.”
The previous volume, Stellarax, was nominated for Author, Artist, and Novel of the Year by PulpArk.
White Rocket Booksis a leader in the New Pulp movement, publishing exciting action and adventure novels and anthologies since 2005, in both traditional and electronic formats.   White Rocket books have hit the Amazon.com Top 15-by-Genre and reached as high as #2 on the New Pulp Bestsellers List, and have garnered praise from everyone from Marvel Comics Vice-President Tom Brevoort to Kirkus Reviews.
SENTINELS: METALGODis a $14.95, 6×9 format trade paperback from White Rocket Books.  (Previous volumes in the series are available in two omnibus paperbacks, and each is a $2.99 e-book for Kindle and other e-readers.)
194 pages; 5 full-page illustrations by Chris Kohler
ISBN-13:   978-0-61573-390-6 (6×9” Trade Paperback)

PLEXICO AND WHITE ROCK UNLEASH ‘SENTINELS: METALGOD’

SENTINELS: METALGOD Arrives in Trade Paperback!

The Next Epic Adventure in “The World’s Greatest Superhero Novel Series” Begins Here!


White Rocket Books proudly announces the release in trade paperback format of Van Allen Plexico’s SENTINELS: METALGOD, the newest adventure in the famed and very popular cosmic superhero saga!

Debuting in 2008 with Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord from Swarm Press, Plexico’s Sentinels series has built a worldwide base of enthusiastic fans eager for another installment in the action-packed series.  Now the new volume has arrived—as has perhaps the deadliest threat yet encountered: Metalgod!

In the wake of the Worldmind/Stellarax Crisis, what’s left of the team has scattered to the four winds. Brachis and Mondrian cross the depths of space in a desperate attempt to stave off galactic civil war, while Pulsar and her sister work to assemble an entirely new team of heroes back on Earth. Time is short, the supply of heroes is shorter, and no one is exactly who he appears to be.  And into this precarious situation arrives the deadly and enigmatic mechanoid from space—the being known only as METALGOD!

Presenting the first volume in the new SENTINELS story arc—a great “jumping-on point”—where action and adventure await at every turn, and nothing is quite what it seems!  Interior illustrations are by fan-favorite series artist Chris Kohler, who also takes over cover art duties this time around, assisted with fantastic color work by the incomparable Sarah White.

“This book accomplishes several major things,” says Plexico of METALGOD. “We get to see Pulsar fighting to become the leader everyone hopes she can be, attempting to assemble an entirely new team before another disaster strikes—as you know it will.  We see Esro and Mondy assuming their rightful roles as members of the Elites, dealing with a coming galactic war. There’s action, danger, and even comedy—and we get what I think is the biggest shock ending in the series to date.  Better buckle up!”

“I’ve already bought the next Sentinels book! Van’s got me hooked!” says Percival Constantine, author of Fallen.
“Spectacular.  Action-packed. Imaginative and wonderful,” adds Pulp Fiction Reviews.  “If you grew up loving the Avengers comic books from Marvel, these books are for you in a big, big way.”

The previous volume, Stellarax, was nominated for Author, Artist, and Novel of the Year by PulpArk.

White Rocket Books is a leader in the New Pulp movement, publishing exciting action and adventure novels and anthologies since 2005, in both traditional and electronic formats.   White Rocket books have hit the Amazon.com Top 15-by-Genre and reached as high as #2 on the New Pulp Bestsellers List, and have garnered praise from everyone from Marvel Comics Vice-President Tom Brevoort to Kirkus Reviews.

SENTINELS: METALGOD is a $14.95, 6×9 format trade paperback from White Rocket Books.  (Previous volumes in the series are available in two omnibus paperbacks, and each is a $2.99 e-book for Kindle and other e-readers.)
194 pages; 5 full-page illustrations by Chris Kohler
ISBN-13:   978-0-61573-390-6 (6×9” Trade Paperback)

WHITE ROCKET PODCASTS TO THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: THE SEQUEL

This week on the White Rocket Podcast, a part of the Earth Station One Network, New Pulp Author Van Allen Plexico is joined by writer/publisher/director Jim Yelton for part 2 of their exploration of Marvel’s movies, past-present-future. Van and Jim also look at what DC is doing (and should be doing).  It’s a fun show.

This and all previous episodes are available on iTunes (Search “White Rocket Podcast”) or at http://www.whiterocketbooks.com

Next week, Van is joined by Mark Finn (author of BLOOD AND THUNDER: THE LIFE AND ART OF ROBERT E HOWARD) to talk about Richard Stark’s violent world of PARKER!

Episode 7 of The White Rocket Podcast is now available on Podbean, iTunes, via the Podcast app on iPhone/iPad, or you can use the mini-player at the White Rocket site.

Listen to Part 1 of this conversation here.

The Point Radio: ARROW’s Aim Is Still True


As ARROW  hits the halfway mark of the TV season, fans and critics alike say it keeps getting better. We go backstage with the creators and cast to find out how they got this far, and what lies ahead for new characters including one played by fan favorite John Barrowman. Plus How about Captain Kirk, Ron Burgundy or Spock doing your voice mail message? It can happen if you hurry.

Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio  – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other  mobile device with the Tune In Radio app – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.