Tagged: review

Derrick Ferguson Takes A Trip To The DIRE PLANET

  • News
  • July 22, 2011

·  Paperback: 248 pages
·  Publisher: PulpWork Press; 1St Edition edition (September 15, 2009)
·  Language: English
·  ISBN-10: 0979732948
·  ISBN-13: 978-0979732942
Not being an historian I’m not sure if Edgar Rice Burroughs created the Planetary Romance genre.  But I am certain that he refined it into something so unique and special that all anybody has to do is say “John Carter” or “Dejah Thoris” or “Barsoom” and most everybody even remotely acquainted with Pulp will know what you’re talking about.  Planetary Romance or Sword and Planet as some like to call it is a wildly popular genre in its own right.  Burroughs having struck great success with his Mars books pulled off the same trick with his Carson of Venus books.   In the 1980’s I discovered other books/series in the genre written by Lin Carter, Michael Moorcock, Alan Burke Akers and even…sigh, the “Gor” books written by John Norman.
Suffice it to say without going into detail that some of them I enjoyed and others I shook my head in downright disbelief that they ever got published.  I can happily say that DIRE PLANET by Joel Jenkins is one that I’m glad got published as it’s a wonderful example of what New Pulp is about.  Joel embraces the conventions of Burroughsian Planetary Romance but it does it with a modern day eye.  As a result it’s a book that at once feels familiar and fresh.  Just when you think you know which way the plot is going to go, Joel manages to find another fork in the road that takes you someplace else.
The Earthman taken from his native world to the planet Mars this time around is Garvey Dire and he doesn’t get there by mystical means.  He gets there by spaceship, the NASA Mars Orbiter.  Garvey Dire’s mission is not just one of exploration and discovery.  His mission is one of vital importance to the continued security and safety of The United States.  China wants to establish their own base on Mars.  And so the race is on.
It’s a race that ends in disaster when Garvey’s ship crash lands on Mars.  With his leg broken, losing air and blood, it seems as if Garvey’s story is over.  But that all changes when he sees the image of a gorgeous green skinned swordswoman in armor.  And it’s because of that image his life is saved as he’s transported 50,000 years back into the past and to a Mars unlike any he’s ever dreamed of.
It’s all here; flashing swords against ancient super science.  Hideous beasts and their even more hideous masters.  Noble warriors battling against grotesque humanoid creatures of astounding cruelty.  Captures.  Chases.  Escapes.  Fates worse than death.  And romance.  Garvey Dire finds it all on ancient Mars.
But what really makes DIRE PLANET a cut above other Burroughs inspired Sword and Planet stories is the political element.  Once Garvey gets hurtled back to ancient Mars, Joel doesn’t forget the U.S./China conflict and indeed, the way he cuts back and forth between the two time periods is in true Burroughs tradition as he was expert at juggling two sets of characters, leaving one set in a nail-biting cliffhanger at the end of a chapter then bouncing over to the other set of characters for a chapter then leaving them in a inescapable trap then going back and-
Well, you get the idea.  It’s a good technique that never failed to work for Burroughs because it’s a surefire way of keeping the story going.  Joel even manages to resolve the conflicts in both time periods in a manner that while it’s clever it also involved just a little too much bouncing back and forth through time for my taste.  Not that I’m opposed to time travel, mind you.  But I think that Joel figured that the only way out was to pinball various characters back and forth between the two time periods.  It’s a little bit dizzying but hey, if you’ve hung on with Garvey Dire all that way, you’re going to go on to the end and you won’t be disappointed.
I can’t finish this review without mentioning two of my favorite bits in the book; Number one is the revelation of who The President of The United States. And number two is that Joel apparently is psychic because he predicted one of the most popular devices in use today way back in 2005 when this book was first published.
So should you read DIRE PLANET?  You certainly should.  If you’ve never read anything by Joel Jenkins this is the perfect place to start.  Joel has been writing what we’re now calling New Pulp as long as I’ve known him and we’re talking roughly around 15 years.  And in all that time he’s built up quite the respectable amount of work.  DIRE PLANET is one of his best.
For more information about Joel Jenkins please visit:
The Vaults of Caladrex  http://www.joeljenkins.com/
Pulpwork Press   http://www.pulpwork.com/

Review: “Limitless”

What would you do if you could fully tap your brain’s capabilities? Every generation or so, the question is pondered, thanks to the latest breakthroughs or studies in neuroscience. It makes for an interesting discussion and sometimes, brilliant works such as Flowers for Algernon (the great book by Daniel Keyes, and Charly the movie with Cliff Robertson). The most recent addition to this sub-genre of fiction is The Dark Fields, a novel by Alan Glynn, which became the basis for the movie [[[Limitless]]], which was released on DVD this week by Twentieth-Century Fox Home Entertainment.

If you were Eddie Morra, you apparently turn into something unlike yourself. We meet him teetering atop a high-rise as people bang on his security door to enter his apartment fortress. Flashing back, we learn what happened to turn a slacker into a genius. Leslie Dixon’s screenplay, which makes huge changes from the novel, shows us a sad sack, but a sad sack with a novel contract, unable to write. After months of not writing and living like a slob, he meets his book editor girlfriend Lindy only to be dumped.

A chance meeting with the brother of his ex-wife introduces him to the experimental drug NZT-48 which clarifies his thinking, making him hyper-aware of the world around him and focuses his mind, allowing him to accomplish more in a day than he has in six months. We see him write the overdue first chapters and actually hand printed pages to his stunned editor (mostly because editors so rarely see printed anything until the final book, but I digress).

The brother-in-law winds up dead and Eddie locates and steals the remaining supply of the drug and begins using them with increasing regularity to take his newfound powers of concentration and improve his life. He masters the piano, learns multiple languages, can see trends and capitalize on them– and here’s where both book and movie begin to veer off course. Rather than tap the creative energies that led to Eddie’s career, he somehow switches gears to become a day trader to get rich and then moves into the financial world. Meantime, his drug dependency grows and weird things begin to happen to him. (more…)

MARC ALAN FISHMAN: Flash Fact – Barry Allen Sucks!

Flash (Barry Allen)

Image via Wikipedia

Hello all you crazy-awesome ComicMix fans. For those who don’t know me (and when you share a space with guys like Mike Gold, John Ostrander, Martha Thomases, Michael Davis, Denny O’Neil, and Mindy Newell? I don’t blame you!) allow me to introduce myself by way of witty, snarky banter. I figured if I am to come out of the gate anew with a comic focused op-ed piece, I might as well start by swinging for the fences. So, let me point to the rafters over center field, and take the biggest swing I can.

Simply put: DC’s Flashpoint is a ten-pound turd in a five gallon bowl.

I use this nasty language, mind you, because I “covered” the event for a podcast I do from time to time… and have spent my hard earned dollars on this bloated excuse to sell toys, and piss off fans.

In June, DC boldly told the world they are “star-wiping” their universe to engage the next era of fans, by removing that pesky continuity. So, while those new and shiny number ones are getting printed, why not release yet-another-epic-that-will-change-the-universe-as-we-know-it™ event? “Flashpoint” was to turn the DCU on its ears. It chortles in every issue with its logo emblazoned on the title card, that it gives us a world where “everything you know has changed in a flash…” My ass. What they’ve done instead, is created an unnecessary mega-crisis for no better reason than “going out with a bang”. So for all us fans who don’t mind a little history to go with our comics… we’re treated to DC choosing to end their current universe’s life on yet-another-Crisis.

In a nutshell, Flashpoint is DC’s attempt at taking an obvious Elseworlds story and shoehorning it into continuity. I honestly don’t care how many well-produced interviews they have Dan DiDio do celebrating the ‘ground breaking’ idea. I don’t care how many Newsarama, Comic Book Resources, or Bleeding Cool articles are written kissing the ass of all the creators involved (and yes, all three have since reviewed many of the series’ minis very poorly). To tell the fans that this event will matter, is akin to the DCU toking up a massive joint, and blowing the Funion fumes right in our face in hopes we’ll get the munchies. I’ve not seen better hype for a dumber product since The Phantom Menace.

On DCU’s “The Source” blog, they asked some hard hitting questions to this effect:

(more…)

GUEST REVIEW AND INTERVIEW-MYSTERY MEN FROM MARVEL COMICS!

  • News
  • July 12, 2011
ALL PULP thanks Peter Miller – docsavagetales.blogspot.com – very much for providing this Guest Review AND a Creator Interview to go with It!
Mystery Men #1 and #2 of 5
Written by David Liss
Art by Patrick Zircher
Published by Marvel Comics

 
 
DC comics made a big splash when the First Wave Universe premiered. They were making pulp comics in a new way. Not set in the past, not set in the DC Universe, but set in their own universe. They hyped it as cel phones and airships. What they created, combining pieces of the past—Doc Savage, the Avenger, The Spirit—with non-super-powered DC characters like Batman and the Blackhawks, was a failed mess. In most of the books the world seemed just like our own except for an extra airship or two. The best book was the Spirit, but even Spirit fans didn’t seem to love it.

Now Marvel has taken a stab at New Pulp and I think they are on to something great. Mystery Men takes place in New York in the regular Marvel Universe in 1932. As far as I know, this is the earliest a series has been set in the MU. The heroes (thus far) are not super-powered. The villain, however, is another story. He exudes occult mystical powers.

Mystery Men follows a millionaire playboy with a Robin Hood complex. He puts on a mask and calls himself the Operative. The Operative is trying to unravel a criminal conspiracy among the New York elite that is led by a frightening occult powered character called the General. The Operative is trying to find a killer.

Also involved in the case is another masked hero, the Revenant. He looks a bit like Moonknight and acts like the Shadow. He seems to have gotten the corrupt NYPD on his case and after crossing paths with the Operative, he decides they should work together.

The Operative doesn’t want the help and the fact that the Revenant is black doesn’t make it any easier, but we know they’re getting together. Issue #2 introduces the Rockettrix (not her real name, but the best description) with ties to the murder.

David Liss has nicely tied together a trio of pulp characters that I want to see more of. The story is good so far and the characters are charming, crude, tough, fascinating, and believable. I like the book a lot so far. Hopefully sales will be good enough to have the title continue.

I haven’t mentioned the art yet. The art is GREAT. Patrick Zircher’s style feels right for the period, but is modern at the same time. The entire first issue is done with horizontal panels, giving it a very cinematic style. The art is clear and direct and reminds me a little bit of Steve Bryant (Athena Voltaire). That is a compliment, by the way.

The second issue continues with the horizontal panels, but does break them up a bit. The colors by Andy Troy are also excellent, clean and subdued, but with color motifs to help define locations.

The final page of each issue so far has been an essay. Issue One’s article is by the writer, David Liss, and he discusses the thrill of adding to the beginning of the Marvel canon. He relates how he decided that the social issues of the 1930s would not be glossed over—that racism, sexism, poverty, and worker’s rights would play a part in the narrative. They do, and I think he has used them in his story well.

In the second issue, artist Patrick Zircher discusses the design path of the character’s looks.

I really hope these essays continue.

Go out and buy this great bit of New Pulp, you won’t be disappointed.

Interview with David Liss

The first two issues of Mystery Men are out and they are terrific. The essay at the back of the first issue tells a bit about the genesis of the project, but I was wondering about your background with pulp and the history of the 1930s. Had you studied the era or was this an excuse to do just that?

It really was more of an excuse to learn about the 1930s. Over the years I’ve read various things from and about the period, and, of course, there are films. Like anyone who enjoys comics, I have always found a lot to love in the pulp era, but this was my first serious creative engagement with the period.

Have you read much original pulp of the era? If so, what titles or characters are you familiar with?

I’ve read a lot of pulp crime over the years, and I’ve read most of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories. I have not actually read that much of the primary heroic pulp, though I have read the original stories of some characters like Doc Savage and the Spider. And then, of course, many of these characters have ongoing legacies in comics and other media that I’ve read.

Are you aware of the “New Pulp” movement – contemporary authors writing new stories set in the classic pulp era?

Yes, I have several friends who have contributed to some of these new pulp anthologies, and I have another new pulp project of my own in the works, though I can’t yet talk about it. I love the revival.

So far it seems that the 3 main characters – The Operative, The Revenant, and Sarah Starr have no innate super-powers. The villains do. Will we be seeing super-powered heroes in Mystery Men?

Hmm. Best to stay away from spoilers, but I will say that the amulet the General is after is packed with all kinds of surprises.

How did you go from writing historical mystery novels to comics?

I was asked! Marvel editor, and pulp-enthusiast, Bill Rosemann read one of my books and contacted me to ask if I liked comics and would I be interested in writing them. The answer was yes & yes. My first project for Marvel featured the pulp hero, the Phantom Reporter.

Are you a long time comics reader or are you new to the genre?

I was away from comics for the period of time I was in graduate school, when I lacked the time and money for comics — or just about any leisure activity — but otherwise I’m a lifelong fan.

What titles or characters are your favorites?

Some of my long-time faves include Daredevil, Spider-Man, Punisher, Captain America, Batman, Superman, Legion of Super-Heroes & Martian Manhunter, but I’ve always followed the story more than the character. My investment has always been less in titles and individual heroes than which creators are putting together good comics, so I’ll read just about anything with a cool story.

What writers or artists excite you?


On the writing side, these days my favorite creators are probably Robert Kirkman, Mark Millar, Brian Bendis and Ed Brubaker. I feel like I’ve been very lucky, because in my projects at Marvel I’ve been paired with some of the best artists out there. Francesco Francavilla and Jefte Palo, who have been doing the art for Black Panther, are both fantastic. And then, of course, there’s Patrick Zircher’s phenomenal work on Mystery Men. In terms of detail and beauty, as well as art that advances character and story, Patrick’s work on this book is about as good as it gets.

ALL PULP SEEKS NEWSHOUNDS, KEYBOARD JOCKEYS, AND VERBAL PAPARAZZI!

  • News
  • July 11, 2011

ALL PULP (www.allpulp.blogspot.com) , a leading site for news related to Pulp fiction in any medium, announces today a talent search for open staff reporter/reviewer positions.  Started in September, 2010, ALL PULP quickly became the go to site for news, reviews, interviews, and columns related to Pulp fiction, both classic and New Pulp.  Started by a group of New Pulp creators that became known as The Spectacled Seven, All Pulp has strived to provide interesting, current, and topical news and views on a daily basis.   In order to continue the tradition and standards that the site has set for itself, the Spectacled Seven, headed up by Editor in Chief Tommy Hancock, have determined that ALL PULP is in need of additional staff to work as reporters, reviewers, and columnists to provide content for the site.

“We are looking for,” Hancock states, “3-5 individuals who have either an interest in the Pulp genre/field of writing, a background or interest in journalism, or a combination of the two.   In order to stay on top of all the news that happens in Pulp every day, an amount that is increasing on a weekly basis, ALL PULP needs a dedicated staff of field reporters collecting news releases, conducting interviews, and writing columns and reviews of the latest Pulp available as well as all the classic Pulp available to the public today.  We have the Spectacled Seven and a handful of other contributors who provide content as they acquire it or as they can, but what is needed is a small select group of people providing 3-5 pieces of news a week.  Length is not an issue, it can be a 5,000 word column or a 300 word newsbyte.  ALL PULP is about making sure the news is delivered to its readers consistently, concisely, and regularly.”

Hancock notes that there is currently no monetary compensation for these open positions or any position currently filled at ALL PULP, including his own.  “This is all volunteer at this time, but other benefit do exist.  The opportunity to be a part of known pop culture news site, to interact with publishers, writers, artists, and personalities in the Pulp field, and to expand the coverage ALL PULP already has are all advantages one would gain by being a part of ALL PULP.”

Anyone interested in applying for the open positions can submit a mock interview, review, column or news story (or an actual story written for another publication) to Hancock at allpulp@yahoo.com.

NEW PULP’S LATEST PULPED! IS LIVE!

  • News
  • June 27, 2011
Mon, 27 June 2011

PULPED! The Official New Pulp Podcast-Episode 2-Chronologies get PULPED!

PULPED! is a Podcast dedicated to the creators and fans of New Pulp! New Pulp, heroic fiction by modern artists written with the sensibility and in the tradition of the Pulp genre! This week, Tommy and Ron take on the hosting duties and visit with Jeff Deischer, Pulp Writer and Chronologist about his latest book! THE WAY THEY WERE contains essays on various and sundry points about Doc Savage, The Avenger, Dracula, Captain Nemo, Gullivar of Mars, and other noted Pulp and literary characters! And if you don’t think this is New Pulp, then listen and learn, children!

Then, New Pulp’s own Diva of Justice, The Pulptress swings in with a review of CROSSOVERS by Win Scott Eckert, Noted Pulp Author and Chronologist! Tune in, listen, and be sure to get PULPED!

PULPED! will post each Monday!

Check out PULPED! and the New Pulp Movement at www.newpulpfiction.com and at the New Pulp forum hosted by Comic Related at http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/ under NEW PULP! Also, like New Pulp on Facebook!

Ron Fortier-www.airship27.com

Tommy Hancock-www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com

Barry Reese-www.barryreese.net

Derrick Ferguson-www.dillon-dlferguson.blogspot.com

Like Barry’s Writer Page, Tommy’s Writer Page, and Airship 27 on Facebook!

FAMOUS MONSTERS EDITOR INTERVIEWED BY ALL PULP!

  • News
  • June 27, 2011

Jessie Lilley has been publishing and editing small press magazines for 20+ years. She is the original publisher of the much acclaimed Scarlet Street: The Magazine of Mystery and Horror, Worldly Remains: A Pop Culture Review and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Mondo Cult Magazine and MondoCult.com as well as Editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Jessie is only the fourth editor of FM since it first published back in 1958. Her freelance work has appeared in the pages of Los Angeles’ Valley Scene Magazine and Perth, Australia’s Messenger along with a host of small press publications and websites related to horror films and music.

Jessie also edits biographies, including the memoir GLORIA by Bond-girl Gloria Hendry; an in-depth and candid look at the life of an African-American actress coming up in the extraordinary time known simply as ‘The 60s”. It is currently available at amazon.com. Another project which was completed in the fall of 2009 is the biography of character actor Paul Reed, Sr. by his son Paul, Jr. A delightful remembrance by a loving son and a retelling of the stories his father told him about making a mark in “the business” in early 20th century New York City. Entitled You Grew Up, the book is available from Bear Manor Media and amazon.com. Jessie is currently editing a series of children’s books called Rowdy and Me. The first in the series, Rowdy Comes Home, is due to hit bookstores later this year.

Jessie lives in Santa Cruz County, CA at the top of a hill at the end of the road with her husband, musician David Paul Campbell, four sleek, rescued cats and various, visiting doggies.

AP:  Jessie, first we’d like to welcome you to ALL PULP!  Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to visit.  Before we get into specifics, can you share a bit about yourself, your background and such?

 JL:  it’s my pleasure to talk with you and thanks so much for including me in All Pulp with the likes of such luminaries as Martin Powell. I’m flattered. There really isn’t much to tell. I was brought into this business via the back door, kicking and screaming all the way. Richard Valley, who had dragged me down the rabbit hole with him several times in our 20 year friendship, did it to me again with Scarlet Street. From there, things seemed to just move along to the coveted chair that I hold today. Being Editor of Famous Monsters is truly an unbelievable opportunity for me. Philip Kim flatters me with the position which I’ve held for over a year now.



 AP: You’ve been involved in the Horror arena for some time, including working with such luminaries in the horror magazine field as Forrest J.  Ackerman.  Has the field of horror changed dramatically since you became a part of it, particularly in the magazine arena?  If so, how?


 JL: You know, Forry had names for everyone. Brad Linaweaver was always “pal” and I was Wonder Woman. I was very lucky to have known the man and will always be grateful for the time I was able to spend with him. God, how that man loved his music. A love of all kinds of music was something he and I shared. Between us, we knew more lyrics than my husband. (Laughs) And that’s saying something! But you asked if the horror field has changed since I got into it in 1990. It certainly has. For one thing, the state of the US and world economy has removed 99% of the disposable income folks use to enjoy. These days if you’re making $75K a year, you’re just scraping by so those of us who make a lot less than that are just barely off the streets. The internet seems to have come along at just the right time for the news hungry populace that doesn’t have the extra change for a daily paper, let alone a monthly magazine at anywhere from $6 to $12 a pop. And those lower prices are amazing. I know what it costs to get one of these things printed and as I refuse to print overseas, it costs even more. Advertising has become extremely important to print mags at this point, even more than in decades past. Without the advertising income, a magazine like FM would be in a whole lot of trouble. 

Jessie with Forrest Ackerman

 And of course, the second thing that’s changed regarding the magazine arena is the aforementioned internet. There are countless web-only zines out there spreading the word and most any print mag worth its salt has a website to go with it as well as a forum where, hopefully, the magazine’s readers come to chat about the articles they’ve read and what they’d like to read about in the future.



 That part hasn’t changed. We still want to know what the reader wants information on so we can continue to have those people as readers.


 AP:  Why is horror a popular genre?  More so than most of the others, Horror seems to have a very active, committed community following and supporting it.  Why is that?



 JL: Because it’s fun. Because it’s easier to take than the evening news. Because it brings back memories of our youth, when times were better (they tell me) and life was simpler (they continue to tell me – it wasn’t you know, it just seemed that way because we were kids) and the world was new and fun. Horror helps keep the world fun. In the world we know today, that counts for a whole lot.


AP: Has the fact you’re a woman working in the Horror field been a benefit or hindrance, or maybe even both, in any way?   Do you feel like women contribute something different within Horror that men do and if so, what?


 JL: I get that question a lot and I’ve answered it a lot, but am happy to reiterate my thoughts on the matter for your readership. It’s amazingly important that people get all sides of this story. I seem to be alone in my thoughts here. There are a lot of women who really don’t like what I have to say so brace yourselves. This question always seems to generate a lot of letters.


 I wish to start by saying that my being a woman – and at the time I started in this business a rather comely wench at that (I’m old and fat now) – was never a problem for me.  God knows women have been in publishing for decades and while some may say that what I did in 1990 with Scarlet Street was no big deal because of the likes of Helen Gurley Brown (can’t imagine why they’d lump me into that august company, but there it is), the fact is that at the time I was the only female publisher in the horror market. That didn’t last long but for a short while that’s the way it was. So from the git go, my being a woman was a benefit because it was new. I had a different outlook than the boys did and Richard Valley, as editor, had a far different outlook than the other boys did. By 1990 when we put out issue 1, we were all so tired of the same writers writing the same stuff and commenting about each others’ work that we thought it might be time to shake things up a bit with some different viewpoints. We succeeded in that and after I left SS, Richard continued to shake things up in his own inimitable style. He’s gone now, but the legacy he left changed horror publishing forever and I’m proud to have been associated with that project and with him.


As to the second part of your question – and this is where the letters come from – may I say the answer is an emphatic yes. It’s called the mother instinct. Whether a woman has given birth, adopted or never had children, there is something inherent in the female of the species that nurtures. Men are not natural caregivers. Women are. Also, when it comes to beating on male monsters, women are better at it because it’s part of their natural defense mechanism. It’s the lesson life has taught many of us. Very few people out there are really interested in anyone but themselves. There are both men and women in this world that are out for whatever they can get. Being the “weaker” of the species – in theory, if not in fact – women are aware that men (and women too, let’s be fair here) will take any advantage they can and as a result, while a man meeting a man will assume an attitude of bonhomme, a woman’s defenses will always be up. A man can be blindsided by another man’s evil intent but a woman has a better chance of being prepared out of hand.


AP:  Horror films can be divided into many categories, one of those being classic monster movies.  Do you feel like the old Universal monsters still have a strong appeal today and if so, what do you think contributes to that?


 JL: Yes, in fact I know those old films still appeal in the 21st century. I believe they will appeal for decades, if not centuries, to come. Many things contribute to this, I think, and while this is all speculation on my part, it comes from a fairly rich education on the subject. There’s the nostalgia factor of course. When I was a kid, the ‘new stuff’ included the goodies that Roger Corman was putting out, like the Vincent Price Poe films. I saw those at the drive-ins and movie houses. At home though, on TV, I saw the classic horror flicks; those that starred Lugosi, Karloff, Chaney and later, Rathbone and Zucco to name just a few. Wonderful films in black & white, with scripts that were well-written, actors that took the roles seriously and delivered wonderful performances and directors that knew how to scare the pants off an audience – not to mention some really cool make-up.


I’m not the only Monster Kid out here you know. We are legion and many have had kids of their own. The parents still love the old movies and their kids – through the wonder of videotape and now DVD and Blu-Ray – are being exposed to these old favorites along with the new. A large enough percentage of them have fallen in love with the Universal classics and some of those kids – older now and with their own progeny – are showing the films to their kids.


 These films were very well done for the most part and the love of them will never die as long as we have recordings of them to show our children.


AP:   A current project you have in the works is a new take on FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN.  What details can you share about this, including format, creative team, where it will appear, etc.


JL: You know, of all the things I’ve worked on with Phil Kim, this project has to be my favorite. For 20 years or more I’ve simply been gaga for the artwork of Joe Jusko. I’ve had a mad fan crush on the guy just because of the spectacular renditions of the male and female forms divine. And his use of color is so wonderfully vibrant. I’ll never stop being in awe of those who paint. Jusko, Stout, Wrightson…. Can’t name them all here. There’s not enough room! These creatures come off the page at you when they turn their talents to paint and canvas, and you know that one night something is going to lumber off the wall and get you while you’re in bed… when Martin Powell started to lobby for the FMTWM project in one of the Retro issues, I – being a Powell fan – immediately started to lobby for it with Phil for Retro 71. Then Martin says to me, he says, “So Jessie. What do you think about the cover artist? I mean, do you know about Joe Jusko?” I almost died right then and there. What a perfect idea. What a spectacular choice. Oh, man! And Joe said yes. And Phil said yes. And I am one very happy camper. It’s like a dream come true. So, the format will be close to the original filmbooks from Forry’s day and that’s all you’re going to get out of me. I know Phil is hoping to have it for Comic Con, but it’s actual scheduled release is September of 2011. If we can get it done in time for Comic Con, we would be bringing a limited number for sale there. That’s’ the last I heard anyway.


AP:  We’ve talked about the appeal of the classic monsters already.  Specifically, though, what about this particular film adaptation do you think speaks to a modern audience?


JL: The fact is, there was no deep meaning in this film; not that I could see at any rate. The film says the same thing today that it said to the audience back then. Here are a couple of our monsters that you liked before. We thought we’d get them together for you and see what happens. Perhaps that statement will be seen as disrespectful by some, but it is the way I see it. FMTWM was discussed in the pages of Famous Monsters back in the day, but it never got a filmbook treatment. It struck us that it oughta have one and so Retro 71 seemed to be the logical place for it.


AP: As an editor, how do you make sure the tension and drama and fear that builds up in a horror movie translates well enough to the page to have similar effects?


JL: As an editor, you get the best writer for the project. When the writer presents the project and himself as the best writer for the job, you really don’t have to do much. Pretty much be sure all the words are spelled properly and that said writer doesn’t ramble off into areas not necessary to the project. I’ll tell you that working with Martin is quite possibly the easiest job I’ve had in 20 years. The fella knows his stuff. I guess that hardest part of the whole thing is figuring out what else goes in this issue with the filmbook.


AP:  Specifically about the creative team behind this project, what do Martin Powell and Joe Jusko bring to the process that makes them the best for the job?


 JL: I think other than what I’ve already stated earlier, they bring the thing back to life through the eyes of the children that they once were. Both of these men were so completely overjoyed to be doing this for Famous Monsters that it was almost laughable. Almost, but not quite – because I knew exactly how they felt. I felt the same way when someone told me that, yeah, I was the editor of Famous Monsters now.

AP:  Are there any projects for the magazine or yourself personally that you can or want to let our readers know about coming up in the near future?



JL: Oh absolutely! My favorite personal project is issue 3 of Mondo Cult, the magazine I edit for Brad Linaweaver. It’s a completely different gig from FM. I’m looking forward to being able to write about music again, and in a publication that is written for adults. FM is written as a strictly family friendly magazine, which is only proper as that’s where it started out and the idea was to bring FM back in the same vein as it always was. Mondo, on the other hand, started out as a magazine of which I am Editor-In-Chief and I don’t censor my writers. I never pretended the thing was for kids so the language you will find in the pages of Mondo is usually a bit more ripe than that which you will find in FM.


This issue of Mondo Cult is going to rock. I’m really excited about it because I’m finally putting my piece on Black Zoo together. I’ve wanted to write about that film for years and now I have my chance. I think I’ve got a little something to discuss about this film that hasn’t been touched on before. It has to do with women again. What a surprise. Ron Garmon is going after DeSade and Medved and Brad Linaweaver is going after the world in general. Paul Gaita is back as Music Editor and all is right with the world. The best thing though, is the cover. It’s by L.J. Dopp but that’s all I’m going to say about it. You’ll just have to be surprised along with everyone else. We’ll have it on the stands by the end of the year.


 AP:  Thank you so much for your time, Jessie!


 JL: As I said before, it’s my pleasure. Thanks again.

NEW PODCAST FOCUSED ON NEW PULP DEBUTS-Go Get PULPED!

  • News
  • June 21, 2011
Press Release-
Four New Pulp creators and proclaimed members of what some are calling The New Pulp Movement, announced today that they have united to present the world with the first official New Pulp Podcast!  PULPED!, a podcast focused on the works and trends that comprise and contribute to works created after the heyday of the Pulps that have the sensibilities of classic Pulp works and yet are new tales, debuted with its first episode on June 20th.
Tommy Hancock, Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, and Ron Fortier, all noted pulp authors and personalities within New Pulp, make up the core circle behind PULPED!  Functioning as a rotating circle of hosts, the PULPED! Four will spotlight different creators and New Pulp works each week as well as discussing trends in the sub genre.  There will be a News section of the podcast, but it will be slightly different than traditional newscasts.  Each co-host will bring a topic of New Pulp news to the table and then the assembled hosts will discuss and/or debate it.  Also, PULPED! will be the home of reviews done by THE PULPTRESS, the spokesperson for New Pulp!  Each week, she will deliver a review of current New Pulp books, audio, movies, tv, and other things that qualify as New Pulp.
“New Pulp,” said Tommy Hancock, “is a vibrant, relevant part of the fiction Pulp fans love and enjoy.  Edgy at times, traditional at others, New Pulp shows that the fantastic heroic adventure fiction enjoyed by so many in the early 20th Century is not only still alive and well, but is on the verge of being an important part of literature of the 21st Century.  PULPED!’s focus will not simply be on books, but on all aspects of how New Pulp permeates our society. It will also focus on everyone from major players in publishing and other fields right down to the small press publishers and independent creators that truly are the lifeblood of this movement.”
PULPED! will post a new episode every Monday at http://www.pulped.libsyn.com/ and will be available in the coming weeks via ITunes and other providers.
“Anyone who is a writer, artist, publisher,” Hancock stated, “that wants to be a guest on PULPED!, all they need to do is to send an email to braedenalex@centurytel.net or contact any of the four hosts.”
The first episode is now available at http://www.pulped.libsyn.com/ and its description is as follows-
PULPED! The Official New Pulp Podcast-Episode 1-PULPED! For The First Time!

PULPED! is a Podcast dedicated to the creators and fans of New Pulp!  New Pulp, heroic fiction by modern artists written with the sensibility and in the tradition of the Pulp genre!  Pulp creators Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, Ron Fortier, and Tommy Hancock kick off this podcast dedicated to the promotion of The New Pulp Movement by explaining what the podcast is about, defining and discussing New Pulp, and letting know listeners what they’re in store for. 

Then Tommy and Barry take off their hosts hats and climb in the guest spotlight to discuss Barry’s latest book, THE ROOK-VOLUME SIX, published by Hancock through the company he’s a partner in, Pro Se Productions.  The origins of the Rook, Reese’s inspirations, and the logic behind Pro Se acquiring the Rook as well as future plans for the well known character are discussed in length.  Following that, our intrepid co-hosts take on the PULPED! News.  Each week, the co-hosts will bring one topic of New Pulp news to the table and they will discuss, analyze, explore, and debate it!  If you like your fiction heroic, if you seek adventure and action in every word you read, then come on in, take a seat, and get PULPED!

PULPED! will post each Monday!

Check out PULPED! and the New Pulp Movement at www.newpulpfiction.com and at the New Pulp forum hosted by Comic Related at
http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/ under NEW PULP!  Also, like New Pulp on Facebook!

TUNE INTO PULP RETURNS ON A TRIP TO ‘PYTHON ISLE’!

  • News
  • June 21, 2011

First, some housekeeping.  Yes, it’s been a while since I debuted this column and due to a variety of reasons, this is the first one in awhile.  Do not worry, pulpsters, there will be one a week after this ad infinitum!  Audio Pulp is not only an important part of Pulp history that many are not aware of, but its a growing facet of the genre even today, as you will see in this column today and weeks to come.

You’ll notice an addition to our logo.  Yes, its true, Radio Archives has stepped forward, noticing the trend toward Audio Pulp and entered into an arrangement with All Pulp to sponsor this column.  RA produces top of the line audio material bringing old time classic radio of all varieties to a modern audience.  Fantastic sound quality, tremendous effort to not only preserve material, but also provide new and interesting information on material, and awesome packaging make RA’s offerings top notch.  RA as well is readying itself to be one of the leaders in New Audio Pulp with its foray into audiobooks based on Pulp characters starring in new stories, just like the one I’m about to leap into the middle of.  I will continue to cover all aspects of New Pulp Audio, not simply RA’s contributions, but I do want to thank Harlan Zinck and RA for the support and material and willingness to see the importance of this column enough to sponsor it.

PYTHON ISLE-A Doc Savage Audiobook
Written by Will Murray based on a concept By Lester Dent
Narrated by Michael McConnohie
Directed and Produced by Roger Rittner
Published by Radio Archives (www.radioarchives.com)

Not only has Radio Archives decided to move into New Pulp audio, They have done it by taking giant steps.  The first RA offering in their Pulp Audiobook lineup is not only no lightweight when it comes to Pulp, but instead it is probably the top of the heap, the primo of premium pulp.  And, not to telegraph this review or anything, Radio Archives meets that challenge just the way Doc Savage would have.

PYTHON ISLE is an audiobook version of the novel written in 1991 by Will Murray, based on a concept by Lester Dent.  Directed and produced by Roger Rittner for RA and narrated by Michael Mcconnohie.  The story opens with diamond smugglers catching sight of a plane they believe to be the authorities.  Once the plane is downed, the smugglers discover that not only are there two strangely garbed people aboard, but the plane, once damaged, had been patched and repaired with what appears to be soft, pure gold.  One of the plane passengers, a man who can speak English, is desperate to protect a bamboo tube he has and to make contact with only one man-Doc Savage!



Author Will Murray

 What ensues from this tense, in your face opening is the stuff pulp dreams are made of.  From fist fights and gun battles to harrowing chases in various locales all the way to a ride and epic conflict aboard a Zeppelin, PYTHON ISLE delivers all the thrills and chills anyone could want.  Add into that that this is a Doc Savage tale complete with Doc’s stoic presence, supreme intelligence, and skills honed finer than any blade as well as three of the five aides in their finest form ever and what you have in PYTHON ISLE is more than a treat, better than a nice surprise.  It is simply New Pulp storytelling at its best. 



Narrator Michael McConnohie

 With material like this, one would think that it would be difficult for an audiobook version to add anything at all to it.  Boy, one would be wrong.  PYTHON ISLE from Radio Archives takes this story from the pinnacle it already reaches in prose to an unbelievable high mark as an audiobook.  Michael McConnohie is more than the ‘reader’ or ‘narrator’ of this adventure.  He brings the exact intensity and passion to this story that any well crafted Doc tale would command.  His mastery of his own voice is phenomenal, switching back and forth from Monk’s high pitched affectation to Renny’s thunderous rumblings and then to Bull Pizano’s gravelly retort.  McConnohie makes this feel like a full cast audio drama and that brings the listener completely into the folds of the story.



Director/Producer Roger Rittner

 One issue many audiobooks have, and this is in part due to the fact that they are based on written prose, not scripts, is pacing.  At times, audiobooks lag in the middle and whatever gait had been set previously is lost.  This is definitely an issue with Pulp stories due to the naturally frenetic pacing good Pulp should have.  PYTHON ISLE does not fall victim to this.  Due to McConnohie’s voicing as well as Roger Rittner’s directing, this tale moves along at a good clip from beginning to end.  There are points that I, being both an avid Pulp reader and an audio fan, predicted were going to be those spots where things started to plod and slow down, but every single time due to either a musical sting or a change in inflection or even the speed at which the words were delivered, that plodding never came, nothing slowed down.  Rittner produced a fine piece of roller coaster up and down drama, probably the finest I’ve ever listened to.

Could PYTHON ISLE be better?  Usually I would say that any audiobook could be improved by adding voices and sound effects and changing the leopard’s spots, so to speak, from audiobook to full cast drama.  And don’t get me wrong, I would love to hear this story given that treatment.  Having said that, though, I think that in this case, it would not improve what has been done to make it a full cast drama. I feel like that this audiobook would sit on a shelf right alongside the best possible version of this story as a full drama and still hold its own.   The feeling I got from listening to PYTHON ISLE was much akin to what it must have felt like sitting in a darkened theater in the 1940s waiting to see what Captain Marvel or Gene Autry would do in the next chapter of the latest serial.  It was nail biting, cliff hanging, and inspiring.

Radio Archives has announced that this is only the first of their Pulp Audio books and that future volumes would not only include Doc, but cover other characters as well.  If that’s the case, then I’m one heckuva happy Pulpster.

Review: “The Warrior’s Way”

Mixing genres can be fun. Take a traditional western story and set it in outer space. Take a submarine thriller and set it during the Civil War. Transplant a samurai to the western frontier. Should work, right?

The Warrior’s Way, a modestly budgeted flop from last year, is such a collection of joyless clichés that a sure-fire gimmick fails to impress, let alone entertain. The film, coming out this week from 20th Century Home Entertainment, had the makings of something fun or compelling or something instead of arriving limp

Yang (Jang Dong Gun) is an assassin for a clan in blood feud with a rival group. Without expression, he slices and dices his way through the opponents, turning the Japanese roads red with spilled blood. All that now remains is an infant girl and rather than kill her, he takes the babe with him and heads east to America. Somehow, other members of his clan find out this innocent child remains breathing and fear a renewal of the rivalry if she’s allowed to live, so they sail in search of Yang.

The stoic Asian arrives in a late nineteenth century town to seek a friend, who has died. Encouraged by Lynne (Kate Bosworth) to reopen the laundry, she teaches him how to wash clothing and a bond slowly forms. The oddball town has the local drunk with a past, Ron (Geoffrey Rush), and a carnival in residence, its misfit performers led by Eight Ball (Tony Cox). Life settles down and Yang becomes part of the fabric, enjoying the simple things such as planting a garden and delighting in the baby’s development.

Lynne, though, is a tortured soul, having seen her family gunned down by the corrupt ex-Army colonel (Danny Huston) who tried to rape her a decade earlier. When the Colonel returns to town, Lynne tries to exact revenge but is endangered. Yang is then forced to unseal his katana and defend her. The act, though, lets the sword sing, a sound heard leagues away by his clan who come seeking the baby.

After that it gets messily predicable until the end credits. We’ve seen the archetype characters before, all better written and the American cast has certainly done better work in similar roles. Even the wire work felt familiar and uninspiring. There’s little wonder the $42 million film grossed barely over $11 million worldwide. Been there, done that and done far better. This is neither clever or original, funny or a touching homage to what’s come before. This is just a clear misfire from the first frame forward.

I will give the video transfer props for looking great and the score sounds lovely. There are scant extras: a two minute production montage and 12 minutes of mildly interesting deleted scenes.

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