Tagged: novel

JUST ANOTHER DAY ON MONSTER ISLAND

  • Uncategorized
  • July 30, 2012
Art: Graham Nolan

As a promotion for the upcoming release of Graham Nolan‘s MONSTER ISLAND, Pulp 2.0 Press is running the comic strip version of the graphic novel on the Pulp 2.0 Facebook page.

The strip will run until August 15th. During that time you will have the opportunity to pre-order the book for $9.99 postage paid!

The comic strip version of MONSTER ISLAND has never been seen before and is one of the many bonus features you’ll find in the new edition. Our 80 page book has over 30 new pages of material including commentary from Graham, an interview, sketches, layouts and a few notes by the Mad Pulp Bastard himself, Bill Cunningham.

Story and Art: Graham Nolan

Later in the year, Pulp 2.0 Press will be following this comic strip promotion up with a brand new strip by Chris Ecker and Steve Skeates featuring Big Bang Comics’ The Knight Watchman.

About Monster Island:

Monster Island is the story of two pilots who crash land and become stranded on a lost island that serves as the holding area for an alien consortium that removes problem monsters from other worlds for a fee. Now our two heroes – Mac, a feisty female with two fists that do her talking for her, and Duke, a macho fighter jock with a soft spot for Mac – must learn not only how to survive in this deadly alien zoo, but escape it before Monster Island is drawn back through time and space to another point in the universe!

Story and Art: Graham Nolan

Monster Island features all of those things you loved about 1950’s classic monster movies – monsters, mysterious islands, aliens, flying saucers, and half-naked alien queens, but in a fresh, new way that piles on the fun with the fantastic! This comic is Graham Nolan’s love letter to 12¢ comic books, Aurora model kits, BUZ SAWYER comic strips, 1950’s monster movies, Ray Harryhausen and FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine. Self-published 15 years ago, Monster Island is one of those books that you can hand anyone of any age and they will immediately “get it.” Those are the kinds of projects we adore here at Pulp 2.0 – and we know you will too!

Martha Thomases: Batman and Reality

  • News
  • July 27, 2012

Bob left a message on my phone last Friday. “I’m glad you aren’t DC’s publicity manager today,” he said.

Me, too.

After the Columbine shootings in the 1990s, we got calls at DC because the killers wore trench coats and so did John Constantine. This time, the alleged gunman actually said he was the Joker.

Most likely, if I were still the publicity manager at DC I would have received a zillion phone calls on Friday. And, most likely, I wouldn’t have been allowed to say anything. I would have told the media to call Warner Bros. corporate communications VP and let that person sweat it. Since I’m no longer on the payroll, let me show you what I would say if I got one of those phone calls and could speak freely.

Reporter: Does DC Comics have anything to say about the Batman massacre?

Me: This tragedy has nothing to do with DC Comics or the Batman.

Reporter: The shooter said he was the Joker. He died his hair orange.

Me: The Joker has green hair.

Reporter: Doesn’t the violence in Batman glorify killing and inspire acts such as this?

Me: For more than 50 years and scores of writers and artists, Batman has been an outspoken opponent of guns. Insane people will find inspiration where there is none. Son of Sam took orders from his dog, but no one blames the dog. I think it was Lenny Bruce who said, you can take any page of the Sears catalog, and someone will whack off to it.

Reporter: What’s a Sears catalog?

As usual, the mainstream culture misses the point. Batman isn’t the problem. Batman fans are not the problem. Guns are the problem.

Yes, I know the right to bear arms is guaranteed in the Second Amendment. You know what’s guaranteed in the First Amendment? The right to free expression. In the wake of Friday’s horror, theater chains didn’t ban guns in their places of business but instead banned costumes. Maybe the costumes they should ban include loaded weapons and Kevlar?

(Side note: I cannot imagine getting dressed up in a costume to go to the movies. I don’t even really understand why people get dressed up in costumes to go to go to comics conventions. There’s Halloween, and St. Marks Place, and, for me, that’s enough room for funny outfits. Also, the 1980s.)

It is true that the alleged shooter had unfettered access to comic books, graphic novels, fantasy films, video games and hair dye. He also had unfettered access to weapons and ammunition. Opinions may vary, but I think it’s pretty cut-and-dried about which contributed more directly to the massacre.

If there is a graphic novel that should be attracting media attention, it’s My Friend Dahmer  by Derf Backderf, published by Abrams ComicArts imprint. The author, with a grace and elegance that awed me, shows how easily society ignores and humiliates misfits, some of whom grow up to do horrible rings.

If you don’t have it, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman

 

GUEST REVIEW-ANDREW SALMON ON ‘THE GRIMNOIR CHRONICLES’

  • News
  • July 24, 2012

HARD TO MISS

A Review of Hard Magic Book 1: The Grimnoir Chronicles

by
Andrew Salmon
     Larry Correia burst onto the publishing scene a few years back with a self-published first instalment of his Monster Hunter International series. That classic first book was snapped up by Baen Books and re-issued and each book in the series has gone on to become a bestseller, making Correia one of New Pulp’s bestselling authors.
     While continuing that series, Correia has branched out with a couple of new series – one of which is the Grimnoir Chronicles. Book 1 introduces us to an alternate world where magic has existed for decades and has had a profound impact on world events.
     The year is 1932 but this isn’t your grandfather’s 1932. Japan is power hungry, Berlin has been destroyed and thanks to some very dangerous Tesla weapons, a fragile peace is maintained. However in this world, two groups of Actives (people possessing magic abilities) are caught in a power struggle. One group works for Japan’s emperor and wants to “strengthen” the human race in preparation for a war with an alien that is only touched on in the first book, while the other group, the Grimnoir led by Blackjack Pershing, are fighting to keep all of mankind safe and free. Both parties are persecuted by Normals who see them as a threat.
     Into this mix comes Private Investigator Jake Sullivan, a WWI hero and ex-con. When we first meet Jake, he is on parole, working for the FBI, rounding up rogue Actives. He is J. Edgar Hoover’s lapdog and he either does what he’s told or goes back to the Big House.
     The second narrative thread concerns Faye, a tough teenager who witnesses her father’s murder at the hand of Jake’s brother, who works for the Emperor. Seems the baddies are collecting the components of a device which will allow the Emperor to rule the world.
     Before covering what I liked about the novel, I’d like to touch on what I felt hurt the book. The first knock, and one that normally would have stopped me reading further, is that there is little or no attempt by Correia to have the book read like a period novel. Again, the year is 1932, but aside from a few touches here and there, the book could just as easily been set in 2012, or 2032 for that matter. What saved the book for this reader is that we are clearly in an alternate timeline here. This allowed me to get past the modern sound of the book. Hey, it’s an alternate 1932 – anything goes. Magic-related “quotes” from famous historical figures begin each chapter and everyone from Einstein, Darwin, Hitler, Lincoln and Babe Ruth have words put into their mouths to help flesh out the world.
     The other knock on the book is that it suffers, as most “mainstream” novels do, from long-bookitis. At 573 pages, Hard Magic often bogs down in needless exposition, tangents and flashbacks and probably would read better is it was about 100 pages shorter. Also, as this is the first of a new series, there are endless character introductions which also slow the story down.
     Okay, onto the good. When this novel gets going, it gets going. In spades. Taking a page from Wayne Reinagel’s book, Correia throws in everything AND the kitchen sink. Ninjas, secret societies, betrayals, alternate history, gun battles, magic battles, world shaking events, brothers at each other’s throats, super zeppelin dogfights, fisticuffs, deaths, tragedy, triumph, explosions, blood and guts – you get it all! Correia’s strength as a writer is in his action sequences and this book has plenty of these. All are a rollicking roller-coaster ride you do not want to miss.
     The novel features a great cover by Allan Pollack and 8 interior character pin-up illustrations sprinkled throughout the text by artists Justin Otis, Aura Farwell and Zachary Hill.
     Summing up, Hard Magic is a worthy read. It’s no masterpiece but it is well worth your time to plow through the uneven start to the novel. It’s a great action ride which is ultimately satisfying despite the book’s shortcomings. Recommended.

FORTIER TAKES ON ‘THE COLD DISH’!

  • News
  • July 24, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
THE COLD DISH
By Craig Johnson
Penguins Books
354 pages
One of the benefits of writer Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries being adapted into a critically well received television series is having the publisher re-issue new editions of the books; to include the very first, “The Cold Dish.”  For those of you who have never read any of these or have yet to catch the TV show, which airs on A & E on Sunday evenings, you are missing some truly excellent entertainment and might want to run down to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of “The Cold Dish” right now.
The protagonist is Walt Longmire who has been the sheriff of Wyoming’s rugged Absaroka County for twenty-four years. A widow with an adult daughter, Longmire’s solitary life resolves around his job and his tight knit circle of friends and co-workers that include his feisty Deputy Victoria ‘Vic’ Moretti and Native American tavern owner, Henry Standing Bear. Longmire’s dry wit and sarcasm fuel his personality and adds a great deal of humor to otherwise somber, intense plots obviously centered around gruesome crimes.
In this first novel, a mysterious assassin is stalking four young men who two years prior had sexual assaulted an innocent Cheyenne girl with fetal alcohol syndrome.  When the judge lets them off with a light sentence, it only serves to heighten the tension between the local white community and residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.  No sooner are the men released from prison then one of them is found shot to death and Longmire finds himself saddled with a case wherein the majority of the county has a motive; revenge.
One of the distinguishing peculiarities of the case is that the victim was murdered with a classic Sharps Buffalo rifle capable, in the hands of a marksman, of hitting a target at long range distances.  This one piece of information shortens the sheriff’s lists of possible suspects to a small handful to include Henry Standing Bear.
Johnson’s writing is brilliant and he combines the classic traits of a standard police procedural with the homey affectations of a western adventure; the beautiful Wyoming setting becoming as important an element of his tale as his characters.  He is also unafraid to add elements of Indian mysticism which lend a truly unique humanity to the story not found in most mysteries.  “The Cold Dish” is a masterful book that is both enjoyable and captivating and once finished, had this reviewer all too eager to find the next book in the series.  Honestly, it is that good…and then some.

Review: “Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler, Illustrated by Maira Kalman

Review: “Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler, Illustrated by Maira Kalman

Handler has written for younger readers before: under his pen-name Lemony Snicket, he’s written one long, excellent middle-grade series (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and several one-offs, mostly of those ostensibly for even younger readers than that. But Why We Broke Up is a novel aimed at teenagers, a YA novel rather than a middle-grade, and it appears under Handler’s own name, both of which feel important. Why We Broke Up is also told in first person by a character in the story — the novel itself is a long letter that she writes to her ex-boyfriend to accompany a box full of the detritus of their relationship — and in an emotionally colored, immediate voice much more like Handler’s adult novels (particularly his first book, the similarly teenager-focused The Basic Eight) than like the cool, detached, almost nihilistic voice of Lemony Snicket.

Minerva aims Why We Broke Up directly at that ex-boyfriend, Ed, in the way that angry ex-lovers always do. She’s young and unsteady and intensely wounded by what Ed did — what that was, we don’t learn until late in the novel — and digging through the wreckage of their lives to grab each memento and stab it back at him, hoping to hurt him the way he hurt her.

Min suspects, though — as we readers do — that he won’t be hurt the way she was; that he doesn’t have that capacity. Min and Ed were at opposite ends of high-school life: she was a foreign-movie-loving, semi-outcast underachiever, while he was a thoughtless, beloved basketball star. How could they have anything in common to begin with? How could they ever get together?

Why We Broke Up tells that story — what they found in common, how they spent their time, how they fell in love. And, then, how Ed screwed it all up. Handler seamlessly creates the voice of a real young woman — as he did in Basic Eighty, though Min isn’t nearly as screwed up as Flannery — and tells his story entirely through what she tells Ed (and, through him, us).

Why We Broke Up is also heavily illustrated — there’s a full-page painting by Kalman to begin each chapter, plus some smaller pieces as well — but those are entirely illustrations; they show the things that Min is writing about (and throwing into that box) rather than telling the story in a direct way. Kalman’s art has a loose, quick quality about it that fits well with Min’s headlong letter-writing; they both feel like things done immediately to express immediate emotion.

Why We Broke Up has the immediacy and emotion of a broken heart; it’s a thoughtful and heartfelt story of two people who just didn’t connect the way they should have, and what that meant for one of them. Even if you’re no longer a teenager, you might well appreciate Why We Broke Up if your heart was ever broken. (Also, it has a great back-cover line-up of quotes from fine writers talking about their own heartbreaks — my favorite is from Brian Selznick: “I knew I had to break up with Ann Rosenberg after she chose a teal dress for the prom. I had never heard of teal. Also, I was gay.”)

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A Game of Thone Season One Coming in Deluxe Edition

game-deluxe-300x124-7321799While we’re sweltering in the summer heat, we have to be reminded that Winter is Coming. At least so says the Stark Family of Winterfell. HBO has just announced the forthcoming deluxe release of A Game of Thrones season one, in a handsome package for the holiday season.  Read the details in this press release:

New York, N.Y., July 11, 2012 – Season one of the television phenomenon Game of Thrones will be available for the first time on Blu-ray with HBO Select (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy* in one box set) this fall with the release of Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season Collector’s Edition. The beautiful collector’s box set is designed with the sigils of the four main houses and comes with a premium dragon egg paperweight, a Blu-ray bonus disc of season two, episode one, as well as all of the bonus materials and interactive features from the original DVD and BD releases for only $99.97. This limited edition set is the perfect gift for any Game of Thrones fan!

Based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire, the sweeping fantasy saga instantly became one of the network’s biggest hits and the fastest selling TV on BD titles of all time. The Emmy® award winning show, which has been called “tantalizing” (Los Angeles Times) and an “HBO Triumph” (Boston Globe), follows kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noblemen as they vie for power in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. As two powerful families engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, betrayal, lust, intrigue and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms and the bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences.

Blu-ray (5 discs) – includes all DVD features plus:

•           Blu-ray Complete Guide to Westeros – an interactive compendium of the noble houses and lands featured in season one, PLUS 24 exclusive histories of the Seven Kingdoms as told by the characters themselves done with animated illustrations that provide more information on the background of Game of Thrones.

•           In-Episode Guide – in-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations, and relevant histories while each episode plays.

•           Anatomy of an Episode – an in-episode experience that explores the creative minds and colossal efforts behind episode six, “A Golden Crown.”

•           Hidden Dragon Eggs – find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content.

DVD (5 discs):

•           Complete Guide to Westeros – an interactive compendium of the noble houses and lands featured in season one.

•           Making Game of Thrones -an exclusive 30-minute feature including never-before-seen footage from the set and interviews from the cast and crew.

•           Character Profiles – profiles of 15 major characters as described by the actors portraying them.

•           Creating the Show Open – an inside look at the creation of the Emmy®-winning opening title sequence for Game of Thrones

•           From the Book to the Screen – executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss along with author George R.R. Martin talk about the challenges of bringing Martin’s epic fantasy novel to life on HBO.

•           The Night’s Watch – an in-depth look at the unique order of men who patrol and protect the Wall, a 700-foot ice structure that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the darkness beyond.

•           Creating the Dothraki Language – an insightful glance into the comprehensive language created for the Dothraki people in Game of Thrones.

•           Audio Commentaries – Seven audio commentaries with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Bryan Cogman, Harry Lloyd, Daniel Minahan and Alan Taylor.

Game of Thrones series regulars include (in alphabetical order): Mark Addy as King Robert Baratheon, Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Sean Bean as Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark, Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish (“Littlefinger”), Jack Gleeson as Prince Joffrey Baratheon, Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister, Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen, Richard Madden as Robb Stark, Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane (“The Hound”), Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. The series is executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; co-executive producers, Carolyn Strauss, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and George R.R. Martin; producers, Mark Huffam and Frank Doelger; directors include Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, Alan Taylor and Tim Van Patten; writers include David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson and George R.R. Martin.

The Hunger Games Special Features Spotlighted

  • News
  • July 11, 2012

The news about Philip Seymour Hoffman being expertly cast in Catching Fire reminds us that we’re just over a month away from the frenzy that will be the Blu-ray release of The Hunger Games. Lionsgate will be releasing the box office smash on Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand, and Digital Download on August 18, 2012 at 12:01 A.M.

In addition to the Jennifer Lawrence-starring adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ young adult novel, the release will come with a host of special features. To learn more, check out this Official Special Features Trailer.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/2zccITxJ8tY[/youtube]

Comics sales for first half of 2012 18% ahead of last year

The Diamond Comic Distributors sales report for the middle of the comics year always hits right before Comic Con International: San Diego, which itself is about the future of the business; we see where we’ve been right before we see where we’re going. Last year, the industry arrived in San Diego with the first half of 2011 off 8% versus the year before; this year, orders by Direct Market comics shops in North America are up more than 18% year-to-date. It’s quite the turnaround. Retailers have already ordered more material through June — nearly $223 million in retail dollars— than they did in last year through July.

Marvel’s Avengers Vs. X-Men #6 led the charts, with four DC Before Watchmen debut issues landing in fifth through eight place. Click to see the preliminary top sellers for June. June 2011 was a five-week month versus four shipping weeks for June 2012, and the beats were a little smaller than we’ve seen — but periodical units and dollars were still up double-digits. All the comics in the Top 10 were priced at $3.99.

On the trade paperback side, the release of Walking Dead Vol. 16: A Larger World both topped the charts. There was a slight year-to-year drop in graphic novel units, but not dollars — suggesting that maybe with the DC hardcovers and a new Walking Dead release priced higher than some of the earlier backlist releases, the average price for each graphic novel ordered increased some.

Retailers appear to have ordered $40.5 million in comic books and trade paperbacks from Diamond in the month, a sum that brings the second quarter orders to more than $20 million higher than the same three-month period last year. For the year to date, all Direct Market sales are more than $34 million ahead of the first half of 2011.

But the comparison observers may be more interested in isn’t between the first six months of this year and the first six months of 2011 — but rather, with the last six months, which included the DC reboot. Direct Market orders were $224.92 million from July 2011 to December 2011 — so even with the reboot titles reaching double-digit issue numbers, the market is down less than 1% from that blockbuster six-month period. The reasons are several: Marvel has Avengers Vs. X-Men on the playing field, and graphic novels are rebounding with the DC hardcovers and Walking Dead. But the fact we can compare at all is significant, because the second half of the year has outperformed the previous first half every year for the last 10 years — and by an average of 10%.

AIRSHIP 27 ENTERS THE REALM OF LICENSED WORK WITH ‘CAPTAIN ACTION’ PULP NOVEL DEBUT!

CAPTAIN ACTION – PULP HERO!
Airship 27 Productions, one of the premier publishers in the New Pulp movement, and Captain Action Enterprises, licensors of the popular Captain Action toy line, have joined forces to produce the first ever Captain Action pulp novel, “Riddle of the Glowing Men,” by Jim Beard.  The book debuts this Aug. at Pulp Fest in Columbus, Ohio.
“We are tremendously excited to be working with Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises,” said Airship 27 Productions’ Managing Editor, Ron Fortier.  “This is the first time we’ve ever put together a title based on a highly popular and successful license.”
Captain Action is based on the action figure created in 1966 by Stan Weston for Ideal Toys. He came equipped with a wardrobe of costumes allowing him to become many different heroes such as Batman, The Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet and many more. In 1967, Captain Action proved so popular that the line was expanded to include a sidekick, Action Boy and a blue skinned alien foe with bug eyes, the nefarious Dr. Evil.  The following year, DC Comics licensed the character from Ideal and published five issues of Captain Action featuring industry luminaries such as Jim Shooter, Wally Wood and Gil Kane.

Since 2005, Captain Action Enterprises, has been producing an array of exciting new collectibles, including statues, toys, comics, trading cards, and apparel.  Still, the one remaining venue the enduring hero had yet to conquer was that of a prose novel.  Enter veteran writer Jim Beard, a life-long fan of the character.  “Jim approached us late last year with this idea for a Captain Action pulp novel,” recalls Catto. “We were immediately intrigued by the possibilities and began seriously exploring the idea.”
It was Beard who then brought Ahearn and Catto to Airship 27 Productions.  “At the time I’d just finished my first book for Airship 27,” Beard elaborates.  “Impressed with their industry leading quality and professionalism, I knew they were the right people to usher Captain Action into the fast-paced world of pulpdom.”

The challenge of doing a licensed property appealed to Fortier and his partner and Art Director, Rob Davis and they signed on.  Their first goal was to assemble the finest art team possible. This was achieved by recruiting the talented cover painter, Nick Runge.  Runge’s work on such IDW titles as Angel & Terminator –Salvation has spotlighted him as being one of the finest new artists in the graphic field today.  Davis himself took on the task of doing the nine interior illustrations while also designing the entire package.

“Riddle of the Glowing Men,” is set in the sixties where secret agent, Miles Drake, aka, Captain Action, is attacked at A.C.T.I.O.N. headquarters by several assassins whose green skin glows as if radiated.  In the process of learning the identity of these killers and the reason behind their attack, Captain Action teams with a beautiful female Russian agent and their quest leads them to a hidden civilization under the frozen wasteland of Siberia. “Jim Beard has written a terrific, authentic Captain Action adventure,” applauds Fortier. “It perfectly captures the break-neck speed and thrills of the early pulps only with today’s modern sensibilities. This book is sure to appeal to both Captain Action fans and new pulp enthusiasts alike.”
Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto will be hosting a Captain Action panel at this year’s San Diego Comic Con with further details about other exciting plans for the classic hero.  Artist Nick Runge will also be present at his table in Artist Alley.  Fortier, Davis and Beard will be in attendance at Pulp Fest and will announce the book’s actual publication date.

About Captain Action Enterprises

As Retropreneurs, Captain Action Enterprises, LLC specializes in taking old properties and rejuvenating them for a new generation. Captain Action now appears in an on-going comic book series, lithographs, statues, action figures, T-shirts, model kits and an iPhone app. Additional properties include Lady Action, the Zeroids and Savage Beauty. For additional information, contact ed.catto@bonfireagency.com.


About Airship 27 Productions

Begun in 2004 to produce new novels and anthologies featuring classic, public domain pulp heroes of the 30s and 40s, Airship 27 Productions was one of the major factors behind the pulp renaissance which evolved into the New Pulp Movement.  Today they have over fifty titles in their ever expanding catalog, sell both hard copy and digital versions of their books and will soon be launching audio books of their titles. They can be found at airship27hangar.com



PJF NEWSLETTER GETS SET FOR NEW RELEASES AND FARMERCON!

PJF NEWSLETTER GETS SET FOR NEW RELEASES AND FARMERCON!

From Michael Croteau

Hello to everyone. This month’s newsletter is to remind you FarmerCon VII is just over a month away! It runs from August 9th to 12 in Columbus, Ohio, right smack dab in the middle of that science fiction, mystery, horror, and adventure book (and magazine) collector’s dream: PulpFest.

Meteor House will be releasing two new books at FarmerCon this year, The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 3: Portraits of a Trickster and Exiles of Kho. You can preorder either book now, whether you are coming to FarmerCon or not. However, if you would like your name to be printed in Exiles of Kho (how cool is that, and the book is a very short run signed limited edition to boot), you need to order TODAY. That’s right, today is the deadline to preorder, but it may also be your last chance to get a copy of the book at all. As of this moment Exiles of Kho will be a signed limited edition of only 200 copies. Of those two hundred, all but about thirty of them are spoken for. Those thirty could very easily sell out at PulpFest, where about four hundred book collectors will be hanging out. If we get a surge of orders before the book goes to the printer, we may bump the print run up a little bit. But once it goes to the printer, that is it, no more copies will be available.

As for The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 3: Portraits of a Trickster, it’s the best volume in the series to date. The material around the theme of Farmer’s trickster nature will make your jaw drop and your head spin. But once you get to the Expanded Worlds section of the book, all bets are off. Four stories about some of Farmer’s most popular characters and featuring The Wild Hunstman, a Wold Newton origins novella by Win Scott Eckert.

But let’s get back to FarmerCon shall we? Just take a look at the line up of interesting movies, readings, presentations, and panels, fully integrated into PulpFest’s programming:
Thursday, August 9 2012
8:00 PM The French Connection – Rick Lai will discuss “How French Literature May Have Influenced American Pulp Heroes” in a presentation concerning The Count of Monte Cristo, Arsene Lupin, Fantomas, Doc Savage, The Shadow, Zorro, and more.10:00 PM Henry G. Franke, III, editor of The Burroughs Bulletin, discusses Edgar Rice Burroughs’ best-known creation–Tarzan of the Apes (100 years old in October)–and the character’s many incarnations in popular culture.
Friday, August 10 2012
11:00 AM – Exiles of Kho book launch. Christopher Paul Carey will sign the limited edition release of his book, a novella about the early days of the Khokarsan empire featuring the gray-eyed god Sahhindar!1:00 PM – The New Fictioneers – Christopher Paul Carey will read from his novel co-authored with Philip José Farmer, The Song of Kwasin, part of the Gods of Opar: Tales of Lost Khokarsa omnibus, forthcoming from Subterranean Press. 2:00 PM – The New Fictioneers – William Patrick Maynard will read from his new, fully authorized novel, The Destiny of Fu Manchu, a continuation of the classic mystery and adventure series created by Sax Rohmer. 7:10 PM – Lord Tyger, Time’s Last Gift, and Gods of Opar – our FarmerCon VII panelists discuss a sampling of the Burroughs and Verne-inspired works of Philip José Farmer. Moderated by Paul Spiteri, editor of Pearls from Peoria and featuring authors Win Scott Eckert and Christopher Paul Carey. 11:10 PM – I, Tarzan – set in an English castle, this documentary features George McWhorter, editor emeritus of The Burroughs Bulletin, Philip José Farmer, Grand Master of Science Fiction, and popular culture expert Francis Lacassin in a discussion about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most famous creation, Tarzan.
Saturday, August 11 2012
1:00 PM – The New Pulp Fiction – Ron Fortier of Airship 27 moderates a panel featuring contemporary authors inspired by the pulp fiction of yore. Jim Beard, Mark Halegua, Tommy Hancock, Rick Lai, William Patrick Maynard, and Frank Schildiner will join Ron for a discussion of New Pulp fiction.2:30 PM – The New Fictioneers – one of the founders of the New Pulp movement, Win Scott Eckert, will read from works written for The Green Hornet: Still at Large, The Avenger: Tales from the Roaring Crucible, and The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 3. 3:30 PM – A Tribute to Howard Hopkins and David Burton – author and editor Win Scott Eckert and Wild Cat Books publisher Ron Hanna will lead a celebration of the lives and works of these two creative pulp fans, recently departed.

In addition to all of that, you will get to hang out with other fans, including those at the forefront of keeping Farmer’s legacy alive: Christopher Paul Carey, Win Scott Eckert, Rick Lai, Art Sippo. Paul Spiteri, and others.
So here is the real point of this email. If you don’t reply and tell me you are coming, you are going to miss out on a lot of the fun. And the freebies. That’s right, we have swag, we have outings, we stay up way too late talking about books! There will be books from Farmer’s personal collection, and other Farmer titles, and books by FarmerCon attendees for sale at the Meteor House tables in the dealer’s room. Now, if you want to be a part of all this, don’t just think about maybe perhaps dropping by late on Saturday. You need to let me know. It’s hard enough getting dinner reservations for thirty people; trying to add in several more at the last minute probably won’t happen.

Well, that’s it. All I’m asking for is a heads up if you want to come. If you don’t want to come, or if I contacted you in the last few days to say I know you are coming, then you don’t need to reply to this email, you don’t need to do a thing. Except preorder Exiles of Kho if you haven’t already. Seriously, there are only hours left now.
Mike Croteau
The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page
www.pjfarmer.com


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