New Pulp Publisher Fight Card Books has shared the covers for two upcoming titles in the new Fight Card MMA series.
COMING IN APRIL … FIGHT CARD MMA: THE KALAMAZOO KID …
COMING IN APRIL … FIGHT CARD MMA: WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON …
Learn more at www.fightcardbooks.com.
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| David Wood |
New Pulp Author David Wood announced his forthcoming novel, Freedom.
From David’s Facebook page:
Okay, it’s Monday somewhere, so time for the big announcement:
Have you ever wanted to hear the story of how Dane and Bones met, how their friendship formed, and what sorts of adventures they stumbled into during their early years? I’m pleased to announce FREEDOM- book one of the forthcoming “Dane and Bones Origins” series. Co-authored by Sean Sweeney (author of the “Agent” series,) FREEDOM tells the story of Dane and Bones’ first adventure: a mystery dating back to the founding of our nation.
Don’t miss it!
Learn more about David Wood and The Dane Maddock novel series at http://davidwoodweb.com.
On their Facebook page, Seven Realms Publishing offered a peek at the brand new cover for New Pulp Author Sean Ellis‘ FORTUNE FAVORS (A Nick Kismet Adventure)
Coming May 2013!
A fractured, ruined world where forgotten, legendary creatures live and thrive in towering mountains, magical forests, and barren deserts. Angelique Bosc and her allies will traverse harsh, nightmarish landscapes to discover the secrets of the past, stabilize events in the present day, and unlock the
mysteries of the future as they journey to CADAVER ISLAND!
Pro Se Productions Proudly Presents CADAVER ISLAND, the debut novel from Author Kevin Rodgers!
In the year 2212, long after the world has been reshaped by seismic cataclysms and polar shifts, Princess Angelique Bosc recovers from a terrible Hovercraft accident, which left her injured and near death. Her friend and physician, Dr. Laurent Stine, used his skills as a robotics engineer to replace her damaged organs with android components. Angelique realizes that her mechanical heart will require a fresh battery pack within 48 hours. However, a loathed and exiled warlock, Xavier Thames, steals all of the battery packs and transports them to his castle, Thames Keep, in order to build a time machine. Angelique, Dr. Stine, and their allies are forced to embark on a long, perilous trek to Thames Keep located on Cadaver Island. Can they reach Thames Keep and replace Angelique’s battery pack before she goes into cardiac arrest?
“Kevin Rodgers,” stated Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions, “is one of the strongest new voices in Genre Fiction. Able to write well in any genre, Kevin has excelled at the sort of cross genre mash up type stories that today’s readers enjoy. One of our more prolific contributors to Pro Se Presents, our magazine, Kevin can chill, thrill, and excite readers as well as any author. Pro Se is more than proud to be publishing not only Kevin’s debut novel, but the first in a trilogy guaranteed to Cadaver Island is the first installment of a trilogy by Author Kevin Rodgers, replete with all the horror, action, and adventure Kevin’s work is known for.”
Featuring stunning artwork by Ariadne Soares of Fitztown and mindblowing design and format by Sean Ali, Cadaver Island is a nonstop futuristic horror thriller guaranteed to chill and amaze! From Pro Se Productions, a leader in Genre and New Pulp Fiction!
CADAVER ISLAND is now available at Amazon HERE and via Pro Se’s CreateSpace eStore at https://www.createspace.com/4198141 for $15.00. And coming soon in Ebook for your Kindle, Nook, and other devices for only $2.99!
When I was in the eighth grade I began to notice that all things were not created equal. Up until then the sneakers I wore were generic sneakers. No brand name that I can recall everyone just called them Skips.
One day some other kids started making fun of my sneakers. They were all wearing Pro Keds or Converse. That’s the moment I realized things were not created equal. Back in the day you wore either Pro Keds or Converse or you were not cool.
Back then I thought being cool was important. Well, it was for me, my Junior High experience sucked and anything I could do to ease my lame ass rep I was willing to try.
So I asked my mother for some new sneakers…
Me: I need new sneakers.
Mom: I just brought you new sneakers.
Me: (having thought this out beforehand, I was ready for that) those were for everyday. I need new sneakers for Gym.
Mom: Let Jim get his own sneakers.
Needless to say I didn’t get any new sneakers and my mother kept insisting that gym was Jim and simply kept me on the defensive. The kids in my school were ruthless about my Skips.
Peer pressure where I lived was no joke. I lived in the hood. Not the play hood you see on television the real hood. Not being part of the cool kids could be a health hazard. I’d make a joke that most of the kids that teased me are now dead or in jail but it wouldn’t be funny because it’s true.
I was into the status thing for a long time. When I started making money I brought only designer this or brand name that. If I hadn’t heard of it I didn’t even look at it no matter how cool I thought it was.
Stupid.
Now?
The last pair of brand name sneakers I purchased were Reebok’s some 20 years ago (When I was 5, Jean) and a pair of Converses a year or so ago which I have yet to wear. I’m glad to say I have no and I mean no interest in buying or doing anything because of a preconceived status.
There is one exception to that rule. I’ve been a real snob when it’s come to movies and comics. When I write I listen to music in my office but in my studio I watch movies and unless I’ve heard of the movie I simply won’t watch it.
That is, until now.
Over the last few weeks I’ve had a serious case of insomnia fueled no doubt by a serious case of stress. One particular sleep deprived day I was in my studio working (or trying too) and watching movies on Netflix, AT&T U-verse, Amazon Prime, On Demand and a few outlets on the net. You name a way to get movies and I’m pretty sure I have access to it.
Out of the blue I decided to watch something I’d never heard of with the full expectation that after a few minutes of sucking I’d watch something else.
It was great.
I then watched four straight movies I had never heard of and all were great or pretty damn good.
That got me thinking about comics and my reading habits. Like movies unless I’ve heard of the book or really like the creative team I’ve been hesitant to give certain comics a look.
Again, stupid.
I’ll admit, I was not as bad with comics as I have been with movies but I wonder why I will pick up a novel read the back for an overview and rather I’ve heard of it or not if it’s interesting to me I’ll buy it.
That’s exactly how I came to read The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay, one of the best books I’ve ever read – and I’ve read thousands. I was looking for something to read on a flight and purchased the book at an airport bookstore.
If by some chance you have never heard of The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay, do your self a favor and get that book yesterday.
Really.
I still have insomnia (still stressed) but I was wondering if any ComicMix readers would be so kind as to suggest movies or comics that are off the beaten path that you loved and think I may enjoy.
I’ll really appreciate it. Please send them in anytime. I’ll be up.
WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold
THUESDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil
It’s been a very good week for Ang Lee and novelist Yann Martel. Lee, of course, won the Best Director Oscar for The Life of Pi, adapting Martel’s magical novel. The film itself was warmly received, earning it admiration from the Academy. The film is being released by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on March 12.
Based on the acclaimed best-selling novel from Yann Martel that has been published in 40 languages, and brought to life by visionary Academy Award winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this magical adventure of hope, wonder, survival, and the power of the human spirit has been celebrated by critics all over the world.
Much was made of the animals brought to life through digital legerdemain but the film was far from the first to bring artificial animals to the screen, dating all the way back to Windsor McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur. In more recent times, puppetry was the way to go, pioneered in numerous ways. The first commercially successful film to use puppets, of course, was from Jim Henson.
THE MUPPETS
The first Muppet movie came to our screens in 1979 and these lovable characters were created without the use of CGI. Each Muppet character was carved out of various types of foam, and then covered with fleece, fur, or other felt-like material. Muppets represented a multitude of species including animals, humans and aliens. Even in this modern age, when interacting with Muppets, children still tend to act as though the Muppets were living creatures, even when they can see the puppeteers.
STAR WARS
The original Star Wars trilogy contained over 100 alien animals spanning a multitude of planets without using CGI. The first film in this epic saga provided audiences with a multitude of film-firsts, including the first ever animated 3D wireframe graphic. Star Wars: A New Hope was made with a relatively small budget by today’s standards and many of the animals and aliens looked surprisingly familiar, check out the very Wolfman-like alien from the iconic Mos Eisley Cantina scene below. This character was changed using CGI for the special edition re-release in 1997.
LABRYNTH
Blink and you will miss the first use of a realistic CGI animal in a feature film. The 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth showed off a flying digital owl in the opening credits. The opening sequence of Labyrinth was created by animators Laryy Yaeger and Bill Kroyer and won its animators the NCGA Best Computer Animation award of 1986.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kVD-X0eqB2w[/youtube]
JURASSIC PARK
Lucasfilm’s ILM division provided the Oscar-winning visual effects wizardry in this classic film. The studio used CGI along with animatronics and stop-motion miniatures to create the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The iconic first glimpse of those Brachiosauri was voted in the top 30 most magical moments in film by Empire magazine and broke new ground in CGI animation of animals on the big screen.
RISE OF PLANET OF THE APES
The latest addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise did not use a single real-life ape during filming. Working with WETA Digital the studio created lifelike apes through revolutionary motion-capture technology and visual effects. The film highlights the journey of an ape named Caesar, a fully CGI creation realized through a brilliant motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis, who used body suits and cameras to create the realistic movement we see in the film. This is the same technology Serkis used to play Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
LIFE OF PI
Ang Lee’s award winning adaptation Life of Pi relied on the use of CGI to create the Bengal tiger “Richard Parker” which shares the lifeboat with Pi. This was a tough task and so Lee brought in James Cameron and his team from the blockbuster Avatar to make sure that the CGI was the best it could be. To put this into context, the production team employed 15 artists to work only on Richard Parker’s fur, combing and placing all 10 million hairs on the tiger’s body to create the beautiful creature pacing across the screen.
One of the new methods authors are using to reach readers is bundling their works so readers get a set of novels to read at a discounted price. The latest such digital initiative comes from Bundle of Holding, which is offering six novels of fantasy and science fiction. The brains behind the bundle include Matt Forbeck (Brave New World), Chuck Wendig (Hunter: The Vigil), Jenna Moran (Nobilis, Exalted), Stephen D. Sullivan (D&D/AD&D, Chill), Rafael Chandler (Scorn, Spite), Sarah Newton (Mindjammer, Legends of Anglerre), Derek Pearcy (In Nomine), and Aaron Rosenberg (Asylum, Spookshow).
What makes them a unique set of authors? They are all noted game designers who have since added exciting fiction to their credits. “As game designers, we’ve all spent years building worlds and adventures and characters for other people to play in and with,” said Forbeck, who writes the Magic: The Gathering comic for IDW as well. “That’s just one chunk of spinning a fantastic tale, of course, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any group better at it. With the Bundle of Holding, you get to pay what you want to read what happens when writers with that rare skill set cut loose in worlds they’ve built for themselves.” Forbeck’s contribution to the bundle — Hard Times in Dragon City — is one of the bonus books that patrons receive if they pitch in more than the up-to-date average. It’s a fantasy noir murder mystery novel set in a mountain city surrounded by zombies and ruled over by a dragon emperor who offers the citizens his protection for their fealty.
“It’s a natural evolution,” Rosenberg explained. “Game designers are worldbuilders and storytellers, except in our games we set everything up so the gamemasters and the players can create the stories. Most of us have our own stories to tell too, though, and we do that in our individual game campaigns but sometimes we branch out into fiction, where we can tell stories to a much wider audience than a single game group.” His offering for the bundle, The Birth of the Dread Remora, is a dashing space-opera reminiscent of the old Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Lensman books. “It’s a genre I’ve always loved,” he said, “and one I was really excited to write.”
Bundle of Holding also offers an added twist. Readers have the option of paying the talent the money or it could be donated to either Reading is Fundamental or Child’s Play, both excellent charities dedicated to improving childrens’ lives through games and reading. Readers could also split their payment between the consortium and the charities so everyone benefits.
Another unique touch is that the reader sets the price. They could offer up as much or as little as they want but if the offer exceeds the average, currently $16.08, the reader’s bundle would include two additional bonus books. With nearly seven dozen sold, the writers behind this initiative are jazzed.
The books being offered include Fable of the Swan, Hexcommunicated, Hero Worship, Birth of the Dread Remora, Irregular Creatures, Tournament of Death, with the bonus books being Hard Times in Dragon City and Mindjammer. All told, purchasing these one by one for the Kindle would cost almost $23, but by setting your own price there’s sure to be substantial savings. Additionally, the books will come free of DRM, providing increased flexibility in where these can be read.
There are just over two weeks left on this unique promotion.
We’re less than a month away from the release of Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful, coming from Disney on March 8. Can James Franco make us forget Frank Morgan’s indelible performance as the Wizard in 1939’s classic MGM musical version of L. Frank Baum’s immortal novel? No one is sure yet but the trailers look cool and here’s a just-released clip for you to sample.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/c1u5r1CXcLE [/youtube]
Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.
Oz The Great and Powerful is produced by Joe Roth, with screen story by Mitchell Kapner and screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire. Grant Curtis, Palak Patel, Josh Donen and Philip Steuer are serving as executive producers. “Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
Stephen Colbert, we have your writer for “The Chronicles of Amber”!
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