Back in the 1980s, as the emphasis switched from characters and editors to creators, it was inevitable that agents would arrive to help the new super-stars cut favorable deals. As a result, its a little surprising it took this long for a marketing agency to arrive to service the “geek culture”. The principals involved are certainly industry-tested and both are well liked. We wish them and their new endeavor well.
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Jan. 3, 2011) – Two veteran New York marketing executives are joining forces to open a new full-service advertising and marketing firm, Bonfire Agency, LLC, specializing in helping brands target highly influential but difficult to engage pop culture consumers. This demo, labeled by some as geek or comic culture, is comprised of incredibly passionate and highly influential fans of everything from comic books, video games and action films to underground music, sci-fi inspired television and cutting edge adult comedy.
“We’re calling them ‘firestarters,’” said Steve Rotterdam, former Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for TimeWarner’s DC Comics and co-founder of Bonfire Agency. “These are hyper-networked consumers that film studios strive to connect with through events like the San Diego Comic-Con because their endorsement of a project, especially in its early stages, can generate serious heat that can propel a film to box office success or green light a second season for a TV series on the bubble.”
“They’re evangelists for everything ‘awesome,’” said co-founder Ed Catto, former Senior Vice President at Reed Exhibitions and a specialist in uniting brands with pop culture icons. “They’re the first in line and the first to pass judgment as to whether something is authentic or not – and because of their intense, passionate engagement, they’ll go to incredible extremes to let others know exactly what they think.”
“These are the guys that, in 2009, made Paranormal Activity a surprise hit and sank Brüno,” added Rotterdam.
Industry figures indicate that this core group spends $400 million annually on comics, graphic novels, toys and other pop culture collectibles. “But the degree to which they influence movies, television, gaming, music, fashion, even food, is immeasurable,” noted Rotterdam.
AP: Thanks for being with us! Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became a writer?
JWL: First thank you for the review and the interview. It is difficult for the novice to learn marketing and you guys are great to work with.
Y’know everyone says they started writing as a kid, and I know that’s true for me. I started telling and then writing stories as soon as I could hold a pencil. I learned to read and to write very early, and was reading a lot of classic literature late in elementary school. I used to drive my English teacher crazy with this very literary stuff when all she wanted was a theme about my weekend adventures. I wrote my first screenplay in Sixth grade, it was an episode of The A Team, it was terrible… Through High School I wrote a lot of Sci-Fi and combat stuff, war fiction and the super soldier stuff was big in the late 1980s. I didn’t write much when I was in the Army, but I did put on a lot of mileage.
By maybe 1999 or 2000 I was looking at taking it to the next level but I wasn’t quite sure what that was… I was writing a lot of very over the top stuff, but you don’t really know how to write anything beyond a few thousand words until you do it. My first real book project was an editing and rewriting gig with an old friend who was into mythos fiction. After that I was cranking out a lot of flash fictions and short stories over at www.zoetrope.com. It was one of those flash fiction contests that prompted my first novel.
AP: Who were some of the early influences on your writing style?
JWL: Good question, because I believe in a lot of ways you are what you read. I wasn’t allowed to play sports as a kid, so I spent a lot of time in my books and in my head. I read everybody from Judy Blume to Emile Zola. I loved comics, particularly horror and detective stuff. I read my way through Burroughs, Tarzan was my favorite. Robert Heinlein was and is a favorite, matter of fact I’m reading Glory Road right now. I discovered pulp in a box of comics and detective magazines bought for a dollar at a garage sale in the mid 1980s. It was racy stuff compared to David Copperfield. I still remember reading Paul Cain’s One, Two, Three for the first time. Wow.
When you’re a kid though, there’s a certain pressure to have an eye on what’s popular at the time, even if you’re not particularly concerned, and so I got into the fictional accounts and history of the Vietnam War. I read Platoon, Hamburger Hill, and Deadly Green, but the one that hit me hardest and still resonates is Body Count, by William Turner Huggett. He was writing a contemporary, gritty, war novel, but it was graphic in both its language, and depiction. He was a year out of Vietnam when he wrote it, the war hadn’t sat on his shelf long enough to mellow and age. In the service I read a ton of biographies about military people, all the bigger than life generals anyhow.
In the last 10 years or so it has been a mixed bag, Spider Robinson, pulp anthologies, Becky Benston, Bobby Nash, and the dystopian stuff like Fahrenheit 451.
AP: Your first book, Frank Testimony, was released in 2006. Can you tell us a bit about what it’s about and how readers can get ahold of it?
JWL: Frank Testimony is a legal thriller set in 1950s Mississippi. I didn’t even know that book was inside me until it sort of exploded. It was about this time (December 29, 2005) when I was gearing up for the weekly flash over at Zoetrope. As it turned out there was no regular contest because of the holiday weekend. Another regular poster who hosted a site called The Redrum Tavern, posted a prompt, ‘Death’. The very second I started writing I knew something was up because it was just pouring out on the page. 40 days and 144,000 words later I had something that I had a sense was very special, to me at least. It wasn’t until I started getting reader feedback that I realized that I’d turned a corner as a writer.
Frank Testimony is the story of jealousy gone bad. Frank Burchill is implicated in the murders of his would be sweetheart Mae Whitaker and her father. If it was up to Sheriff Cobb, the prosecutor and other good ol’ boys Frank would have a one way ticket to the gas chamber. But Judge Hull smells a rat, a big one named Bobby Lee Russell who is almost genealogically predisposed to criminal mischief, Klan violence, and just being generally hateful and nasty.
It is a big story, big characters, with a pretty good recipe for pulled pork and gatorbacks. Available at www.createspace.com/3352654
AP: A Week in Hell is your newest release and is the first in the Champion City series. What led to the development of this novel and how will future books carry the story forward?
JWL: Spade, Marlowe, and Hammer are all detectives in big cities, Gothams, Metropolises, everyone knows those places are dens of scum. Thurman Dicke is a big Slavic/German cop in a dying Midwestern blue collar city. Champion City is a big bowl of the low parts of Americana. It has a Tammany-esque political machine, restrictive ethnicity in neighborhoods, both Irish and Italian organized crime, dying industry, and dirty business. There are varying degrees of justice and as the top cop says: There’s a right way, a wrong way and the CCPD way.
The series will chronicle Thurman’s rise to glory, his fall from grace, and his redemption. Thurman won’t always be a beat cop, he won’t always work for CCPD, and there will be points when his white hat turns a very dark gray. He’s a bigger than life guy, and thus his highs are higher and his lows will be catastrophic. He isn’t a one man army, but he does what he has to do to get things done. I hesitate to say that each book builds on the last building up steam for the big finish, but the last book is already written, not set in stone… But I pretty well have it.
AP: The language and situations in A Week in Hell are pretty mature — was there ever a point when you were writing the story where you felt you were pushing the envelope too far?
JWL: It is a bit more than edgy. I count the book as a victory, but in the future my narrative can be accomplished with much more ferocity with less explicit display. I don’t think it oversteps its bounds much more than any of the so called Neo-Pulp, but I’m trying to do something more traditional that loosing a hedonistic gorilla on an idyllic hamlet. The masters of the style got it there without the use of such devices and I should endeavor to do so.
AP: What do you think about the modern pulp revival? What role do you think the hardboiled genre has to play in its resurgence?
JWL: I think it’s about time. There was so much great stuff written that laid the ground work for people who are writing now. I think the best stuff is yet to come, and there’s some guy or gal out there writing right now, something that will get passed on by a big house that will turn the pulp community on its ear, just like pulp did to so called polite society 70 years ago.
I think that when a lot of people think of pulp they think of the hardboiled genre. They don’t consider that it was ever about Heroes, Villains, or Characters other than those considered on the fringe. I guess I fall in that camp also because I equate the hardboiled style to a language and landscape painted in shades of noir with the good guys and the bad guys being varying shades of gray, and evil being true black.
I think that hardboiled stories are going to be an introduction to pulp for a lot of people. A resurgence or renaissance of traditional pulp is a great thing, and opened the genre for a brand new generation of readers and writers, ushering in a new era. I think that there are also some negatives, depraved things that masquerade as pulp that aren’t are where warning labels and censorship will come into play.
AP: What’s next for you?
JWL: Rewriting and editing the second book in the Champion City Series. Then I have a WWII story that I am very interested in, that came to me first as an April Fools shaggy dog in a small town newspaper. I’m a history nerd, and the story of Operation Pastorius is an excellent foil for plausible deniability, gets good mileage for the war effort, and makes great conspiracy… Fiction with firm foundations in real history make for very gripping stories…
There’s also an opportunity to write another pulp horror story. A hardboiled mythos thing. Not sure of a lot of detail about that at this point its still written ona napkin with a coffee ring…
AP: If readers want to find out more about you and your work, where can they do so?
JWL:I’m easy to find, Author J Walt Layne on facebook. I’m being pushed to relaunch my blog at www.championcityontheweb.blogspot.com but I don’t know that I have enough going on to devote an entire blog to it.
Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers bring back another classic pulp hero from the 1930s in an all new collection of fast paced, macabre adventures of the supernatural. Meet Ravenwood – Stepson of Mystery!bring back another classic pulp hero from the 1930s in an all new collection of fast paced, macabre adventures of the supernatural. Meet Ravenwood – Stepson of Mystery!
He is an orphan raised by a Tibetan mystic known only as the Nameless One. As an Occult Detective he has no equal and is called upon by the authorities when they are challenged by supernatural mysteries. One of the more obscure pulp characters, Ravenwood – The Stepson of Mystery appeared as a back-up feature in the pages of Secret Agent X magazine. There were only five Ravenwood stories ever written, all by his creator, the prolific pulp veteran, Frederick C. Davis.
Now he returns in this brand new series of weird adventures, beginning with this volume in which he combats Sun Koh, a lost prince of Atlantis, battles with monstrous Yetis in Manhattan and deals with murderous ghosts and zombie assassins. Four of today’s finest pulp storytellers Frank Schildiner, B.C. Bell, Bill Gladman and Bobby Nash offer up a quartet of fast paced, bizarre thrillers that rekindle the excitement and wonder that were the pulps.
With a stunning cover by Bryan Fowler and dramatic interior illustrations by Charles Fetherolf, Ravenwood – Stepson of Mystery was designed by Rob Davis and edited by Ron Fortier. Once again Airship 27 Productions presents pulp fans with another one-of-kind quality pulp reading experience like no other on the market today.
AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS – Pulp fiction for a new generation!
I am now taking pitches for stories to be published in How the West Was Weird, Vol. 2 in 2011.
What am I looking for?
I’m looking for stories that qualify as “weird westerns” – basically a western mixed with some other genre. This usually means a western with a horror or sci-fi twist, but feel free to play with the concept. I’ll consider anything that’s both a western and weird. The less obvious, the better. If you need some more coaching on what a weird western is, Wikipedia has a pretty good article on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weird_western.
Stories should be between 1K and 8K words. I’ll consider stories up to 10K, but it really better be something special if you’re going that long. Shoot for 8K.
Your deadline for the completed story is March 31, 2011. However, some time before that I’m going to need a pitch. This is just a couple of sentences or paragraphs that gives me an idea of what your story is going to be about. This is so I don’t get three stories that have essentially the same plot (zombie cowboys vs. vampire indians, for example), and you don’t spend a couple months writing a story that I then have to pass on. There is no deadline to get me your pitch, but the earlier I get it, the more likely someone isn’t already doing that sort of story.
I have no problem with you using series characters that you’ve used in other stories or books, but there are a couple of rules with that. I want a story that hasn’t been published elsewhere yet, with a gentleman’s agreement that it won’t be republished until at least a year after our book’s publication. Also, the story has to be fully understandable outside the context of your character’s other stories. Even if I’ve never read the book you introduced Robo-Sheriff Z9 in, I shouldn’t have any problem following the story you write about him for HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD.
What’s in it for you?
Unfortunately, I’m not offering any upfront pay. If the book breaks even, any profit it makes will be split evenly between the contributors on a quarterly basis, minus 10% for the publisher, Pulpwork Press. Please keep in mind that the last sentence contains a very big IF. How the West Was Weird, Vol. 1 has been out for 9 months now, and even though it continues to sell steadily every month, it hasn’t made its money back yet.
This isn’t to discourage you – I truly believe in the long-term lifespan of these books – but I don’t want anybody planning to go buy a car with the proceeds.
So with that pie in the sky stuff out of the way, what do you realistically get?
A nifty little book with your name on it, mostly. Unlike the last volume, I will also be providing a contributor copy for everybody this time around.
What else?
As with the last volume, Jim Rugg has signed on to create another cover for us. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he comes up with, and I’ll share it with the contributors as soon as I’ve got it.
AP: Ken, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?
KJ: Well, I’ve been writing for almost two decades in some capacity or another. Though I had a little success, I didn’t really start to break out until the last year or so. I’ve lived my whole life in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and think it’s one of the best places on the planet… when it’s not February and in the middle of a minus thirty-five degree cold snap. But, hey, I’m a Canadian. We’re a hardy stock.
AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?
KJ: My influences come mostly from my childhood. For some reason, I became attached to the “noir” type fare that I came across and have been infatuated with that stuff since. In those days, it was the original Scooby Doo mysteries cartoon and the Three Investigators novels as well as Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. I love 1880s London and it has the biggest pull for me of any time period. So, from all that, one can gather that I love mysteries and down-to-earth horror stories (or at least stories of a cryptozoological bent).
AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?
PECULIAR ADVENTURES, Home of ‘THE CEREBUS CLAN’
KJ: I don’t know if any make me uncomfortable but I will say that I’m not much for space adventure stories. There are, of course, exceptions. I’m a fan of the original Star Wars trilogy and the first two Alien movies, but other than that, they aren’t really my thing. Now that I’ve said that, though, I am planning to write a moon-based story for Pro Se Presents. But like any story of a supernatural or sci-fi nature, I will bring it down to earth (no pun intended, honest). To tease it I’ll say it has to do with a road construction worker on the terra-formed moon who happens across a terrorist plot. I like when fantastic topics are provided as the spice of a story, not the stew.
AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps. If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?
KJ: I am a pulp fan by proxy. I have been a fan of detective comic books my entire life, which would be nowhere without the pulps of the 1920s and 30s. I am tangentially aware of most of the popular pulp characters through my love of the history of all media and am a Philip Marlowe fan. If I was born a half-century earlier, I’m sure I would have been totally into the pulps since they are the embodiment of the “noir” and detective facets that I love.
AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?
KJ: That’s a tough one. Besides my love of “noir” that I’ve referenced earlier, it would just be my sensibilities as a writer. The human element always comes first with me. I think that helps make my pulp stories relatable and hopefully somewhat absorbing reads.
AP: You’re a staff writer at Pro Se Productions and you may be the king of serial characters there. Tell us about Sherringford Bell.
FANTASY AND FEAR Home of ‘SHERRINGFORD BELL’
KJ: The Sherringford Bell stories are sort of my modern day take on Sherlock Holmes if he tracked down the demonically-possessed. Sherringford is an ex-FBI forensic psychologist who resides on the miserable and condescending side of life. Along with Nigerian priest Paul Anyogu, who acts as the Watson narrator type for the stories as well as the exorcist on their adventures, Sherringford uses his superior intellect and insight into the human mind in Washington D.C. to do what others can’t. The series often delves into government programs and the lives of political figures as its local dictates.
AP: Now, onto another series at Pro Se. Moving from the supernatural to the adventure serial. Who are the Cerberus Clan?
KJ: The Cerberus Clan is about a family in the 1930s who lose the patriarch of the family and decide to venture to the African Serengeti to learn about his roots. Once there, through some traumatic events, Kate and her two sons become the guardians of a long cave called the Gateway. Though they don’t know to where the cave leads, they do know one thing: their new job is to not let anyone in and not to let anything out. The “anything” of the previous statement seems to be what might be considered monsters. What I really like about the Cerberus Clan is each story appears to give the reader a vague answer to what is at the other end of the cave’s tunnel. The first tale hints that it is Hell but the second one gives a decidely different viewpoint. I know what the real story is behind the Gateway but, of course, that won’t be revealed for a few more stories. Yeah, I’m such an a$$.
AP: And lastly, but definitely not least, let’s talk about the character that was the first story most saw from you at Pro Se. Tell us about the wonderfully crafted Aloha McCoy.
MASKED GUN MYSTERY Home of ‘ALOHA MCCOY’
KJ: Aloha McCoy is the closest character that I have to the old hardboiled crime detectives like Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. She doesn’t like many people and never backs down from a confrontation, no matter how outmatched she is. Aloha is a Hawaiian/Irish ex-gymnast who now runs a youth recreation center. Because of financial difficulties and a twist of fate, she has started to take on private detective cases, even though she is not that good at the whole thing. It is more her perseverance and moxy that get her through the adventure. Aloha, along with her brother Kam—a sumo wrestler-sized party entertainer, lives in “The City” just outside “The Core”. The Core is an Irish-dominated neighborhood that they grew up in and is the most dangerous part of the city. Every case brings them back to this neighborhood to Kam’s dismay and Aloha’s gradual intrigue.
AP: ALL PULP assumes your series at Pro Se will continue, but are there any other projects you want to discuss?
KJ: Also at Pro Se, my comic book mini-series (which I believe will be serialized in the pages of Pro Se Presents) titled “Caleb Elsewhere” will be out in the future. It is about a disgraced cop who is begrudgingly brought back to assist his son in recapturing a serial killer he had put away over twenty years ago. The obstacles that line up against him are his ex-partner, who hates him and is now the police chief, and his son’s belief in Caleb’s “abilities”.
Anyone that wants to read another of my pulp stories can find it in the anthology book “Pulp Empire, Volume 2” It’s a one-off about a petty criminal that has to make a choice while he is caught in a life-threatening scenario.
A few of my other ventures include a couple comic book proposals to companies as well as two television proposals, one to American television and one to Canadian television. Keep your fingers crossed for me, folks.
AP: Ken, thanks for stepping away from the computer for a few minutes to visit with ALL PULP!
KJ: Always a pleasure. Keep up the good work, All Pulp. We need a site like yours to spread the word about the great pulp fiction out there.
And with this final FLASHBACK, ALL PULP’s archiving is complete!! Enjoy news from the earliest days of ALL PULP!!
Announcing the newest place for Pulp Writers, Artists and Fans to come together!
PULP ARK MAY 13-15, 2011 BATESVILLE, ARKANSAS!!!
Pro Se Productions, LLC. (www.proseproductions.com) in conjunction with Main Street Batesville of Batesville, AR announces PULP ARK 2011!! Pro Se Productions, a company specializing in pulp storytelling in various mediums, primarily magazines and comics, made its debut in March, 2010! Pro Se also seeks to bring all the over the top, grandiose, slam-bang impact of pulp to the South! PULP ARK, scheduled for May 13-15, 2011 will be a convention dedicated to the Pulp Genre as well as a conference made up of panels, workshops, and activities to appeal to the Pulp writer, the Pulp fan, and that most unique creature, The Pulp Writer/Fan! PULP ARK will be held in the historical town of Batesville, AR. Nestled in the scenic Ozark foothills, Batesville provides most definitely a small town charm, but has facilities of all sorts, including hotels, major and local restaurants, and several venues for hosting panels, conferences, and vendors. Batesville also affords a relaxed setting, different from most large cities where conventions are held, but also conducive to creativity, relaxation, and a furthering of Pulp fandom!
PUBLISHERS AND VENDORS WELCOME-REASONABLE TABLE RATES
LEADING NAMES IN PULP TODAY AS GUESTS (OFFICIAL LIST ANNOUNCED SOON!)
PANELS LED BY WRITERS, ARTISTS AND PUBLISHING COMPANIES
WRITERS AND ARTISTS WORKSHOPS BY LEADING NAMES IN PULP TODAY
A PULP STYLE INTERACTIVE ADVENTURE THROUGHOUT PULP ARK
EVENTS FOR SPOUSES AND FAMILY MEMBERS
DISCOUNTS AT LOCAL HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS!
MAY 13-15, 2011-Prepare for the Flood of All that is Pulp-Get your place on the PULP ARK today!
For more information, contact Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief and Audio Director for Pro Se Productions at proseproductions@earthlink.net or call or text at 870-834-4022
STAY TUNED TO ALL PULP FOR FIRST RUN PULP ARK NEWS!!!
CAPTAIN FUTURE FLIES AGAIN, THANKS TO MOONSTONE BOOKS!
Prior to the 1939 World Science Fiction convention, editor Mort Weisinger dreamed up a new character to present to the hordes of ravenous science fiction fans: Mr. Future. Weisinger handed the idea over to young and talented writer, Ed Hamilton, who retooled the initial concept into Captain Future: Wizard of Science. Wiesinger knew they were on to something, but had little idea his initial idea would lead to the birth of the space opera sub-genre that spawned such undying favorites as Flash Gordon, Star Trek and Star Wars.
Over 70 years later, Captain Future returns to serialized fiction in the pages of Moonstone Books with stories penned by Mike “Phantom” Bullock with spectacular art from Norm Lanting and Bullock’s fellow Phantom creator Silvestre Szilagyi. Look for the first Captain Future tale, Voices, in the upcoming Moonstone Pulp Magazine.
FIRST EVER PULP THEMED RESTAURANT OPENS DOORS FOR FIRST TIME TODAY!!
Pulp writer and Owner/Publisher of Age of Adventure Publishing, Wayne Skiver announces today that his dream project (He’s also a master chef as well!) will be opening its doors for a special preview party tonight! Skiver is owner and proprietor of RAYGUN CAFE (Rue St. Francois, in Historic, Old Town. Florissant, Mo. That’s St. Louis basically, folks!). This experience is described as “AMAZING Food served in an explosion of Retro Sci-Fi, Super Hero, and Pulp Art. You won’t believe your tastebuds or your eyes!”
The preview party being held this evening at 6 PM is the (invited) public’s first look at this exciting dining adventure! It is also a fundraiser for a very worthy cause. According to Skiver, “A $10 Donation (Not necessary for kids 12 and under) gets you any menu item, side and drink as well as mountains of appetizer sized versions of our other menu items! Part of the proceeds from this event will go towards St. Judes Childrens Hospital.” In a ‘sort of’ All Pulp exclusive, Skiver has provided the menu for tonight’s event as follows:
Chicago style Hot Dogs Loaded Chili Cheese dogs Italian roast beef with spicy Giardianera Italian Sausage with grilled onions Rosemary Chicken Breast and Bacon Panini Chipotle Turkey Panini on Herbed Focacia Signature Spicy Deviled Eggs Fresh Chili Summer Vegetable Soup Red Skinned Mustard Potato Salad Home made Chocolate chip pecan pie
Raygun Cafe will be open to the public in October and All Pulp will carry the news of the grand opening!! The intent as Skiver noted, is for Raygun to be more than eating, but to be education and truly an experience. “Where can you learn about the history of the Pulps? The forgotten heroes of the Golden Age? Where can you experience Science Fiction art from the 1930’s to the 1970’s? Online? Sure…But why not LIVE and IN PERSON? RAYGUN Cafe’ will feature a constantly rotating dreamscape of art and exhibits from Pulp, Comic, and… Pop culture! Its a place to meet, explore, and of course EAT! Feed your body and your imagination!”
EPISODES FROM THE ZERO HOUR! DELIVERS ADVENTURE WITH VOLUME 3
NEW JERSEY – Modern pulp publishers Episodes from the Zero Hour! are proud of their latest installment, Volume Three, featuring globe-trotting adventure with Rex Rockwell, Weird Game Hunter and Mac Samson: The Secrets of the Lost City.
Volume Three, on sale at the Zero Hour! electronic storefront, www.lulu.com/zerohour, also marks the publishers’ first book away from the hard-boiled, neo-noir world of Federal City and its resident Tough Guy for Hire, Tommy “Knuckles” McNichols.
“When Jason and I first imagined Episodes from the Zero Hour!, we never believed that it should be restricted to the hard-boiled stories we featured in Volumes 1 and 2,” said publisher and book designer Anthony Schiavino. “The original pulps ran the gamut from weird fantasy to far-flung science fiction, from tough guy detectives to war heroes and even prototype superheroes. From the beginning, we said we wanted to tell good stories, and didn’t want to be tied down to a specific genre.”
“Volume 3 has been a long time coming, but we think it’s worth the wait,” said author and editor Jason Butkowski. “Rex and Mac are completely different characters from Knuckles, but the stories live up to the standard of good story-telling we strove for with our first two volumes. If you’re looking for a good read that stays true to the sense of adventure from the original pulps, Episodes from the Zero Hour! is your destination for modern pulp.”
Episodes from the Zero Hour! Volume Three contains three tales of adventure featuring Rex Rockwell, Weird Game Hunter, written by Butkowski (author of Episodes from the Zero Hour! Volume One: Featuring Knuckles, Tough Guy for Hire) and illustrated by Rich Woodall (artist of creator-owned comic Johnny Raygun and art director for the ZombieBomb! comic anthology) and three stories featuring Mac Samson: The Secrets of the Lost City, written by newcomer S.E. Dogaru and illustrated by Duane Spurlock (proprietor of The Pulp Rack Web site, www.pulprack.com).
The volume also features the first part of a serialized story, C.T. and the Savage Chimps of Cannibal Mesas, written by Schiavino (creator/writer of the Sgt. Zero independent comic) and Butkowski and illustrated by Dave Flora (artist/writer/creator of independent comic Ghost Zero) and the usual back-ups and special features that Zero Hour! Productions have become known for.
The synopsis for Rex Rockwell, Weird Game Hunter, from the book jacket: Behind the walls of Blaylock Manor, hidden from prying eyes, lies the Evy Rockwell Nature Preserve for the Weird and Unusual, home to some of the strangest animals ever to roam the Earth. Rooted in the myths, folklore and fables of primitive people, these beasts – collected by Rex Rockwell and his band of adventurers – live out their lives, protected from a world that would fear and kill them. Rockwell and his team travel the world, employing the latest technological marvels and ancient mystical relics to discover the undiscovered and protect mankind from threats beyond human understanding.
“Jason’s created a universe where myths come to life, and a team of adventurers protect us for the things that go bump in the night,” said Schiavino. “He takes inspiration from steampunk and gothic fiction, as well as a litany of world folklore and legends, and weaves a cryptid Victorian fantasy that draws you in from page one.”
The synopsis for Mac Samson: The Secrets of the Lost City from the book jacket: Mac Samson’s been a lot of things in his years: hired muscle, treasure hunter, thief, rum runner… but it’s when an exotic women from his past shows up that he gets pulled into the greatest adventure of his life! What secrets does the mysterious journal of Professor Jennings hold?! Why is the Third Reich tirelessly pursuing his lovely companion?! And will Mac survive this pulse-pounding, globetrotting, gun-toting escapade wrought with intrigue, danger, explosion and fearsome air battles to discover the secrets of the Lost City?!
“Stefan has created a reluctant hero who can stand toe-to-toe with the best of the best in terms of pulp and pulp-inspired protagonists,” said Butkowski. “Mac Samson is a tough-talking, two-fisted throwback to an era when the world was in turmoil, and heroes stepped up to do the right thing, whether it was convenient or not.”
Episodes from the Zero Hour! Volume Three is now available at www.lulu.com/zerohour in hardcover for $21.60 and paperback for $14.00. In addition, all three volumes of the Zero Hour! publications will soon be available in eBook format, to bring the best of modern pulp to the latest platforms in book distribution.
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A BLINDING FORCE PRODUCTIONS SERIALIZED FEATURE EPISODES FROM THE ZERO HOUR! VOLUME THREE
Written by Jason Butkowski and S.E. Dogaru Cover by Rich Woodall Illustration by Rich Woodall and Duane Spurlock Production and design by Anthony Schiavino
180 Pages PRICE: $14.00 for paperback / $21.60 for hardcover
Find them on Facebook and at their electronic storefront: LULU.COM/ZEROHOUR
FOLLOW UP TO GREEN HORNET ANTHOLOGY ANNOUNCED BY MOONSTONE!!
Cover by Ruben Procopio
Cover by Kaluta
Moonstone Books announces the title and cover art to its follow-up to The Green Hornet Chronicles. The Green Hornet Casefiles will feature more great stories featuring the fabulous ’60s version of The Green Hornet and Kato.
Rubén Procopio’s cover effectively teases the mysterious and thrilling tales to be found on the pages between the covers. And Moonstone doesn’t stop there! The alternate cover is by none other than Michael Wm. Kaluta!
Co-Editors Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert are currently hard at work editing the stories.The book is due out in April 2011.
In the meantime, be on the lookout for Volume One, The Green Hornet Chronicles, hitting shelves any day now!
NEED ACTION, MYSTERY, ADVENTURE?? THEN VISIT SOVEREIGN CITY FROM PRO SE PRODUCTIONS!
Pro Se Productions, LLC, the company putting monthly back into pulp with its PRO SE PRESENTS titles (Peculiar Adventures, Masked Gun Mystery, and Fantasy and Fear) announces the SOVEREIGN CITY PROJECT! Three writers join together to undertake the building of a Pulp Universe in a grand style!
Derrick Ferguson begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting, Barry Reese begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting, and Tommy Hancock, all published pulp authors and fans to boot, are the creators of THE SOVEREIGN CITY PROJECT. “The task,” Hancock stated, “was not only to come up with three ideas that shared the same space, but to figure out how to develop that space in a way that blends creativity and design was the trick. But then we came up with Sovereign City.”
The city, so named because of its prime location, having access to any and all a city needs to grow into a metropolis, is as much a character as the three action packed, two fisted concepts the three writers have placed in Sovereign-
FORTUNE McCALL by Derrick Ferguson-An enigmatic, charming man makes his mark on Sovereign City by fighting crime and injustice from the deck of his floating casino! With a cast of characters as exciting as the adventures he leads them into, Fortune McCall is a man of muscle, mind, and means to bring Sovereign City out of the darkness!
Barry Reese’s LAZARUS GRAY (Art by Tarik El)
LAZARUS GRAY by Barry Reese begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting-A man wakes up on a Sovereign City beach. No name, very few clues, but with a purpose. To seek out evil in every shadow and hole that Sovereign City has and to save the city some thought would save the world from its own version of Hell. Surrounded by skilled, colorful aides, Lazarus Gray delves into the mysteries of Sovereign as well as his own!
DOC DAYE, 24 HOUR HERO by Tommy Hancock-Born to heroism. Raised for perfection. The Savior of Sovereign City. Doctor Tempus Daye, scientist, scholar, adventurer, hero, and more, but also a man with a curse that could not only destroy his life, but could ultimately mean the fall of Sovereign itself. How does a man who was created to save the world protect it from himself??
THE SOVEREIGN CITY PROJECT debuts in September’s PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2, with the first LAZARUS GRAY story. FORTUNE MCCALL debuts in October’s issue of PSP MASKED GUN MYSTERY #2, followed in November by DOC DAYE in PSP FANTASY AND FEAR #2. Each issue of PRO SE PRESENTS starting in September will have at least one SOVEREIGN story within its covers.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this collaboration” reported Barry Reese begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting, “and think that my new character, Lazarus Gray, will have a lot of legs. The idea of a shared universe is something that I think a lot of pulp fans will really embrace and the nice thing about it is that all three of us have the freedom to maintain our own natural styles, while simultaneously sharing the load of building a whole new world!”
For release dates on all of Pro Se’s wonderful Pulpiness, check out www.proseproductions.com!
THE ROOK FLIES AGAIN IN HIS FIFTH VOLUME!
Wild Cat Books is proud to announce the fifth volume in The Rook Chronicles. Thrills and chills galore, featuring many characters, both old & new, and villains & enemies from The Great Old Ones to Count Dracula himself… Not to mention the death of a Pulp Hero!
The book will be 6″x9″, 316 pages, and priced at $14.95. Great artwork by Anthony Castrillo and a special bonus “Rook” story by Stacy Dooks… and there’s even have a Pin-Up by the legendary Fred Hembeck!
NOTED COMIC AND PULP VETERAN WINS AWARD!
Springfield, Ohio played host to the second annual Champion City Comic Con this past weekend. A show dedicated and focusing not only the collecting of comics, but the independent creators who make and self-publish their own books. Among the half-dozen guests invited to the show was comics veteran (and pulp writer and publisher), writer Ron Fortier. Later, during the awards ceremony, the Champion City Comic Con Award for Best Continuing Independent Series went to Mr.Jigsaw – Man of a Thousand Parts, by Ron and artist Gary Kato. Mr.Jigsaw, a comedy super hero has been around for over twenty years and has appeared in a half dozen comic publications in that now. This is the first on-going series of his adventures and is published by Rob Davis’ Redbud Studio through on-demand facilities of Ka-Blam.
The books are sold via the Indy Planet internet store and by Ron and Gary at their con appearances.
There have been seven issues released in the past year and a half with number eight currently in production.
PULP 2.0 PRESS UPDATE: 13 September, 2010 RADIO WESTERN ADVENTURES TO INCLUDE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN LESTER DENT WESTERN TALE “SNARE SAVVY!”
Los Angeles, CA : Pulp 2.0 Press Mad Pulp Bastard Bill Cunningham announced today that the publisher is adding a never-before-seen Lester Dent tale to its upcoming wild west book release RADIO WESTERN ADVENTURES (RWA). Dent of course is the world-famous pulp writer of the 30’s and 40’s who created the legendary DOC SAVAGE and THE AVENGER pulp characters. This wild west tale, “Snare Savvy” written in 1932 will join Donald F. Glut’s cover tale, “Who Really Was That Masked Man?” to create a western “double feature” tribute to Jim Harmon, the Old Time Radio historian and author, to whom this special book is dedicated. The contract for “Snare Savvy” was negotiated by the author’s agent, noted pulp writer and historian Will Murray on behalf of the Dent estate. The story is a classic western featuring Dent’s smart alec cowboy character Haw Kain who rides into town and a whole mess of trouble when he goes up against greedy land grabbers looking to strike it rich. “We are pleased as punch to be able to add Dent’s ‘Snare Savvy’ to Radio Western Adventures,” said Cunningham. “ It makes an already unique book like RWA that much more special to western and pulp fans. As I read it I could easily see Roy Rogers and Dale Evans as the lead characters Haw Kain and Genie Quayle. Their banter matched perfectly, each giving as good as he or she got. I’m ecstatic over the prospect of publishing a pulp master like Dent’s work, and grateful that Will Murray thought Pulp 2.0 would be a good publisher for the tale.” Radio Western Adventures will be published on Amazon’s Kindle platform for digital reading and will later come out as a print release via Createspace. The Kindle edition will feature both stories as well as an essay tribute to Jim Harmon whose love for radio western heroes was well known amongst fans. This digital edition will also include several photos resurrected from Don Glut’s archives showing the profound influence these radio cowboys had on the author and his peers. Pulp 2.0 Press’s print edition will include all of the above plus even more bonus features exclusive to the print version. Both versions will feature a stunning cover by artist Nik Macaluso (www.scripttease.tv) who created the fantastic blaxploitation cover art for Pulp 2.0’s first release BROTHER BLOOD (also by Glut). For more information on this book please visit our website at: www.pulp2ohpress.com About Pulp 2.0 Press: Pulp 2.0 Press, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA was initially formed to republish classic pulp and paperback series which had fallen out of print. The company’s mandate is to place affordable pulp entertainment into eager fans’ hands using the latest internet technology. This includes print, ebooks, video, audio, merchandise and games. To us, ‘pulp’ is not a particular genre, format, medium nor literary time frame. Pulp is an attitude. In this way, Pulp 2.0 Press is positioned in a slightly different, more expansive manner than other publishers. The company is poised to create, develop and distribute ‘pulp entertainment’ across a variety of media through the portal of the internet and mobile devices.
BLACK COAT PRESS ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER RELEASES!! Black Coat Press, a publisher known for its international pulp fiction, announces the following releases for September, 2010.
In Helgvor of the Blue River (1929), two desperate women flee their barbarous tribe, and cross paths with a prodigious warrior. The Giant Feline (1918) features two friends of different races who set off in search of greener pastures for their tribe, befriend a wild creature, and ally themselves with Wolf-Women… Rosny’s final, action-packed prehistoric adventure novels chart the domestication and integration of savage human instincts into sympathetic culture. Together with Vamireh and Quest for Fire, they combine the restless vigor of youth, the violence and wisdom of ages, the species-imperative of accepting difference and diversity, and the exhilarating joy of defying tyranny and death.
Daniel Diersant drives his Volkswagen up to the factory gates and presents his pass to the guard. Over and over and over, Daniel Diersant drives his Volkswagen up to the gates, in the course of this narrative, only sometimes they are not quite the same gates, nor is the guard the same, nor does the pass read precisely the same, and perhaps the picture on it is of another man’s face. But then, Daniel Diersant may be Dr. Robert Holzach from time to time, despite the fact that Dr. Holzach may not have been born yet…
Chronolysis is one of the most important French SF novels of the 1970s. It deals with time and its manipulation through the use of chronolytic drugs. Its protagonists are psychronauts, helpless explorers of a confusing, multidimensional universe, facing threats from alternate realities, such as Harry Krupp Hitler 1st, Emperor of the Undetermined, or the mysterious Phords from the future world of Garichankar. They search for secret paradises, hidden within the folds of space and time, away from their bleak realities, such as the tropical realm of Oblivion-by-Ruaba.
This volume also includes a foreword by Theodore Sturgeon, a biography and illustrated bibliography of Jeury and a never-before-published short story translated by Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier.
A team of spelunkers is found dead in mysterious circumstances in the shadow of the once-proud Cathar redoubt of Montségur, in Southern France. What mysterious treasure were they seeking–and did they find it? A ruthless battle over long-buried secrets is going to pit the Roman Catholic Church against an ancient secret society and descendents of the Nazis who once looked for the Holy Grail in Montségur, with the very future of Humanity at stake…
Published in France two years before the world-famous Da Vinci Code, The Song of Montségur is an award-winning, fast-paced supernatural thriller which blends elements from French history with modern-day conspiracies.
Brian M. Stableford has been a professional writer since 1965. He has published more than 60 science fiction and fantasy novels, as well as several authoritative non-fiction books. He is also translating the works of Paul Féval and other French writers of the fantastique for Black Coat Press which also published his most two recent fantasy novels: The New Faust at the Tragicomique, The Wayward Muse and The Stones of Camelot.
VAMPIRES VS. WEREWOLVES!
Age of Adventure is currently in production on an anthology that will pit two sets of classic monsters against one another! Featuring a cover by the incredible Rob Moran, this anthology will feature tales that run the gamut from traditional horror to post-modern reinterpretations of the classic myths.Expect this one to arrive in time for Halloween!
THE SEA-WITCH AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
For a limited time, Joel Jenkins’ newest foray into the world of pulp fiction, The Sea-Witch, will be available for pre-order via the Pulpwork Press website! And if you order from the US, you’ll receive free shipping, with reduced shipping for everyone else!
To get a taste of what it’s all about, visit Pulpwork Press’ UPCOMING RELEASES page at http://www.pulpworkpress.com/upcomingreleases.htm. Then stop by our store and order your copy today!
And later on this month, ALL PULP will be interviewing Joel Jenkins about not only The Sea-Witch but his other Pulpwork Press projects, including the acclaimed Dire Planet series.
Coming in September! PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2!!
Alternate histories!!! Unknown worlds!!! Heroes that save the world right after their morning coffee!!! What, you say you don’t know where to get all that, plus a weirder than weird tales comic adventure starring some guy named Gary Wooten?? Well, look no further! Coming in September from Pro Se Productions, PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2 will meet all your strange tales and high adventure needs and then some! Read stories by newcomers Lee Houston, Jr. and Robert Butt! Marvel at the continuing adventures of Perry Lell, Girl of a Thousand Earths by Megan Smith begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting and the Cerberus Clan by Ken Janssens! Thrill to the wild, weird world of alternate realities by veteran Joshua Reynolds! DO NOT MISS THE DEBUT OF THE SOVEREIGN CITY PROJECT! The first story in this fantastic endeavor appears in this issue, introducing a mysterious character who walks the supernatural line in Sovereign City! Be sure to read Lazarus Gray’s debut adventure by veteran author Barry Reese! And discover a sneak peek at an upcoming anthology from John Morgan Neal and friends that defines adventure! And lastly, concerning the title character, hold on tight, Oddfellowians, for the debut of pages of the official Fan’s Guide to the Varied Adventures of Peculiar Oddfellow, recently rediscovered and written by his number one fan! There’s even more than that coming to you this month in PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2 from Pro Se Productions!
PRO SE PRESENTS PECULIAR ADVENTURES #2
Edited by Nancy Hansen begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting, Editor in Chief, Tommy Hancock
Shipping this week! Doc Savage # 6 from DC’s First Wave line!
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO & IVAN BRANDON · Co-feature written by JASON STARR · Art by NIC KLEIN · Co-feature art by SCOTT HAMPTON · Cover by J.G. JONES · Variant cover by JOHN CASSADAY The US government has offered Doc and his men a deal: run a secret mission in the war-ravaged, blockaded ruins of the Middle East, and they’ll wipe the slate clean of the frame-up job that the Secretary of State ran on them. Doc Savage is nobody’s errand boy – but if the mission involves saving the life of one of his former compatriots, he might just have to cut a deal with the men who set him up! Eisner Award-winner Brian Azzarello joins Ivan Brandon for a six-part epic that reveals the most dangerous corner of the FIRST WAVE world!
And in the JUSTICE, INC. co-feature, a new story sheds light on the criminal past of Smitty, one of Benson’s most trusted detectives… and sets both men on a bloody odyssey that will clearly draw the line between “Vengeance and Murder!”
NEVER BEFORE SEEN IMAGES FROM MOONSTONE’S FROM THE VAULT: THE PULP FILES!!
Before Batman, Superman, Daredevil, Punisher and Wonder Woman there was a group of heroes who influenced those who created today’s icons. From Gladiator, Spider, Black Bat and Golden Amazon to Captain Future, Phantom Detective, Rocketman and many more sprung all that comic readers know and love today. Now, Moonstone Books is bringing back those original characters, some for the first time in comics, so you can enjoy what laid the foundation for the entire comic book medium. As a primer to this new originals universe, Moonstone is releasing the Pulp Handbook, packed from cover to cover with everything you need to know in order to embrace the characters Stan Lee, Joel Simon, Jack Kirby and many other comic book pioneers loved. CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR HANDBOOK PAGES ON THE BLACK BAT AND DEATH ANGEL!! (Written by Mike Bullock, Art by Mike Metcalf, Layout/Assembly by Josh Aitken)
On Sale Now!
THE PHANTOM UNMASKED #2, Written by Martin Powell, illustrated by Hannibal King, cover by Franchesco.
Investigator Laughton Brice, brilliant as she is icily beautiful, traces the true origins of The Phantom into the Deep Woods, ultimately meeting the Ghost Who Walks face to face. In a deadly cat-and-mouse game of deceitful double-crosses and unexpected alliance, the Man Who Cannot Die finally faces his most evil and ancient adversary. Conclusion of the Moonstone series.
Coming October 1, 2010 – the newest pulp thriller from author Bill Raetz: SIN CITY SPY!
“Las Vegas. It’s known as the city of sin. But beneath all the sleaze lies the underworld of shady deals, thugs, and double-crosses—the stomping ground of a spy!”
Dateline: Friday, September 3, 2010 BROTHER BLOOD is now on Kindle! The modern horror classic by Donald F. Glut is now electronic! Only $2.99 delivered direct to your devices. Yes, this book is DRM free. Its publisher, Pulp 2.0 Press wants you to read it how and where YOU want to read it.
Pulp 2.0 Press is also readying BROTHER BLOOD, as well as other books in its catalog, for other devices like the IPad.
Check out Pulp 2.0 Press’ website, http://pulp2ohpress.com/, for more information in coming days!!
Dateline: Friday, September 3, 2010
The Green Hornet Chronicles is at the printer and is shipping soon from Moonstone Books!
Edited by Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert Covers by Glen Orbik and Rubén Procopio/interior illustrations by Procopio
CONTENTS:
“Reflections on The Green Hornet”: Introduction by Van Williams
“The Night Car” by Will Murray
“I Had The Green Hornet’s Love Child!” by Greg Cox
“Weakness” by C.J. Henderson
“Topsy-Turvy” by James Chambers
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Richard Dean Starr
“Just a Man” by Thom Brannan
“The Cold Cash Kill” by James Reasoner
“Flight of the Yellow Jacket” by Howard Hopkins
“By Scarab and Scorpion” by Mark Ellis
“You Can’t Pick the Number” by Rich Harvey
“Eyes of the Madonna” by Ron Fortier
“Stormy Weather” by Patricia Weakley
“The Auction” by Terry Alexander
“Go Go Gone” by Robert Greenberger
“Mutual Assured Destruction” by Bill Spangler
“The Crimson Dragon” by Mark Justice
“Fang and Sting” by Win Scott Eckert
“The Inside Man” by Matthew Baugh
“The Soul of Solomon” by Harlan Ellison(R)
“Life at 90 MPH”: Afterword by Dean Jeffries
“The Green Hornet’s Hunch” by Dennis O’Neil (bonus story in Limited Editions only)
The Green Hornet Chronicles is at the printer and is shipping soon from Moonstone Books!
Shipping to comics shops 9/9/10!
Domino Lady Noir Apr101013 (W) Nancy Holder (A) Shawn Van Briesen (C) Michael J. Williams Great jumping on point! Bram Stoker Award-winner and New York Times best-selling author Nancy Holder tells of bad love gone bad in the comic novella “D.O.A.” Steamy white hot passion, the business of violent crime, and a girl who should know better! Gorgeous greyscaled art by Shawn Van Briesen!
Coming from Moonstone Books in September 2010! Part of Moonstone’s “Return of the Originals” line! By the team of Bullock and Metcalf!
DA Anthony Quinn is sick of watching criminals slip through his fingers due to legal technicalities. When a mobster’s attempt to destroy evidence goes horribly wrong, Quinn finds himself blinded by acid and hopelessly broken. Now sightless, Quinn sharpens his other four senses to near superhuman levels and develops a sixth ‘radar’ sense. He vows to work outside the law to do whatever it takes to bring criminals to justice.
Before the caped crusader patrolled the streets, before horn head prowled the back alleys, the original dark avenger hunted evil men. The Black Bat is back and hell’s coming with him!
The second feature stars Death Angel, the avenging hand of justice. The critically acclaimed new pulp character co-stars in this gritty, noir battle of good versus evil on the mean streets and in the darkest recesses of the human mind.
Dateline Friday, September 3, 2010
PRESS RELEASE – Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic book “One Shot!” now available!
November, 1941. Ace Air Adventurer Lance Star accepts a dangerous mission into an enemy stronghold to stop the Nazi’s from uncovering plans for a weapon long believed destroyed. Lance flies a solo mission to Kiev where he is to plant explosives and destroy a weapons facility when he runs into an old enemy. Now, Lance is faced with a choice. Complete the mission? Or take down the Sky Ranger’s greatest adversary? He’s only going to get one shot at this. Will he choose the mission or revenge?
Featuring high-flying adventure, aerial dog fights, explosive action, and stunning artwork, Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” is pure pulp fun from start to finish.
“Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” is exactly the sort of high-flying, action-packed air war yarn I really enjoy. It’s fine pulpish fun from start to finish. Bobby Nash and James Burns are aces!”
— James Reasoner
Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” Written by Bobby Nash Art/Letters/Colors by James Burns 24 pages $3.00
Read Bobby Nash’s work. Your life will be better because of it. Trust me, I know! –Beau Smith
Based on the characters created for the Airship 27/Cornerstone Books Lance Star: Sky Ranger pulp anthologies that can be found at http://www.gopulp.info or wherever your favorite pulp fiction is sold. More high-flying action is on the way with the Lance Star: Sky Ranger novel, “Cold Snap” by Bobby Nash. Coming soon.
Since 2006, Lance Star and his air aces, the Sky Rangers have thrilled readers with their amazing adventures. The first Lance Star: Sky Ranger pulp anthology was published by Wild Cat Books in 2004. Vol. 1 was reissued in 2006 by Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Books where they remain available today. A second volume of anthology tales was released in 2009 and is also still available. You can find out information on the Lance Star: Sky Ranger Pulp Anthologies, volumes 1 and 2 on the site. Additionally, Bobby Nash is currently working on the first Lance Star: Sky Ranger novel, “Cold Snap.” Nash says that he hopes “Cold Snap” and “One Shot” will be the first of many Sky Ranger projects to come.
Keep watching www.lance-star.com and http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com for updates.
Dateline Friday, September 3, 2010 PRESS RELEASE – TALES OF THE BAGMAN (A New Hero in Old Chicago)
Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers are happy to announce the release of their thirtieth title, TALES OF THE BAGMAN by B.C. Bell. This book features the debut of a brand new pulp hero, the Bagman, and he’s unlike any other crime buster you’ve ever seen before.
In the 1930s, Chicago was one of the fastest growing metropolises in the country. Situated on mighty Lake Michigan, it was the home to millions of hard working Americans looking to a better themselves. The Windy City was also shackled by its bootleg history, a time of violent gang wars that had permanently established a brutal underworld empire second to none. Corruption was the order of the day and both the police and government were in the pay of the mob bosses.
Frank “Mac” McCullough was a foot-soldier in one of the city’s toughest families until he was ordered to rough up his uncle; a decent man with a gambling problem. The innate decency in Mac rebelled and suddenly he found himself up against the very men he had once admired and followed. Determined to put an end to their lawlessness, he put a bag over his head as a crude disguise only to become labeled the Bagman by the press.
Now writer B.C. Bells tells the amazing stories of old Chicago’s most unique hero. Aided solely by a tough, black WW I veteran named Crankshaft, Mac wages war against the mobs in these fast pace, non-stop action tales pulp fans will cheer. “Bell’s writing is a terrific mix of pulp action and wry humor,” applauds Airship 27 Productions’ Ron Fortier. “It’s really a breath of fresh air in the pulp genre and we know our fans are going to love the Bagman.” Designed by Rob Davis, the book features nine illustrations by Kelly Everaert and a gorgeous cover by Laura Givens. Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to present pulpdom’s newest avenger, THE BAGMAN.
AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERATION! ISBN: 1-934935-76-X ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-76-7 Produced by Airship 27 Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers Release date: 09/03/2010 Retail Price: $21.95
Available now at on-line store (http://www.gopulp.info/)
ADAM GARCIA, Author of GREEN LAMA: Unbound, Airship 27 Productions
AP: Who is Adam Garcia?
AG: Trick question, there are several Adam Garcia’s. But, if you look on IMDB you’ll find at least four. One of them is me. We often battle every few years to determine who will reign supreme, ala Highlander.
I’m Adam Lance Garcia—sometimes Adam L. Garcia—and recently, “That Kid Who Writes the Green Lama.”
AP: Tell us a little about yourself. Family, job, background… you know the routine.
AG: I was born in late 20th Century, 1983 to be exact, and raised in the small town called Brooklyn, NY, just east of Manhattan. My father sold cold cuts. My mother was a homemaker before returning to teaching. Times were simpler back then. The Cold War was cooling. Eddie Murphy was two years away from telling us about how his girl liked to party all the time. The Internet had yet to be invented. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were about to take television by storm. Comic books were printed on substance called “paper.” Simpler times.
My father raised me on comics and movie serials, so I knew who the Green Lama was before I knew who the President was. You think I’m kidding. If you walk into my parents’ living room you’ll find on the wall, in place of family photo, original comic book artwork from artists such as Alex Ross and Shelly Moldoff; in place of fine china, there are maquettes of Captain Marvel, Mighty Mouse, Captain America, etc. Whenever my friends visit they look around and softly say: “Oh. It all makes sense now.” My mom is a saint for putting up with this. Though considering my parent’s first date was McDonald’s and a comic book convention I think she knew what she was getting into. My dad’s a charmer.
I attended Abraham Lincoln High School in south Brooklyn where my main focus was photography, thanks to an incredible teacher named Howard Wallach. My work has been on display at the Brooklyn Museum and across the country. After that I went to film school at New York University. I studied under some amazing professors such as James Gardner and Terence Winter—his show Boardwalk Empire will premiere on HBO very soon.
Currently, I work in television for a daytime show staring a famous female mogul. Not Oprah.
It’s a good thing.
AP: How long have you been writing?
AG: If we count when I was writing the “Adventures of Adam” in my Mead notebook in elementary school, at least twenty years. Two years, professionally.
AP: What got you started writing?
AG: I wanted to impress a girl, so I figured stories about superheroes wouldmake her like me.
Honestly, I really don’t know. That’s kind of like asking a fish why he swims or the bears in Jellystone National Park why they like to steal pic-a-nic baskets. I’ve found notebooks and folders filled with stories from when I was incredibly young. The earliest story I could find was “The Land of Nowhere” from when I was eight. My first attempt at a novel was when I was 16, called Justice’s Kingdom. I had ideas and it seemed natural to write them, there’s not much more to it. I liked telling stories.
It wasn’t until my senior year of college that a light bulb appeared over my head and I realized that I wanted to be a professional writer and, more importantly, that I was halfway decent. It wasn’t just my mom who liked my writing.
Though I will confess, I do try to impress girls with my writing.
AP: Would you say that you found Pulp or did it find you?
AG: I’ve always been aware of pulp. You simply couldn’t grow up in my house and not be, I knew of Doc Savage and the Shadow, the hero pulps, the westeRns, etc., but it wasn’t something I was very well versed in. It wasn’t untIl I met Ron Fortier of Airship 27 Productions at the 2009 New York Comic Con by puRe happenstance that I began really becoming entrenched in the world of pulp.
So I suppose you could say Pulp found me, but I knew it was looking.
AP: I suppose we ought to get down to what people really want to hear about Tell us who The Green Lama is.
AG: Welcome to Green Lama 101.
The Green Lama was created by Kendell Foster Crossen in 1940 as potential competitor for the Shadow. While never explicitly stated in the original pulps it was always very heavily implied that Jethro Dumont, an American millionaire who had spent 10 years in Tibet studying Buddhism. Jethro had several secret identities and an impressive supporting cast. Around the same time, the Green Lama appeared in short comic stories in Prize Comics.
In 1945, the Lama had received his own title where he was more superhero than pulp hero. In 1949 he made it to radio as something of a Buddhist detective.
Most recently he’s appeared in Dynamite’s Project: Superpowers and his self-titled adventures from AC Comics.
AP: Why do you think there’s such an interest in The Green Lama now?
AG: I think it’s partly due to his increased exposure thanks to Dynamite’s Project: Superpowers and Airship 27’s releases, but I honestly believe it has to do with the fact that Jethro is simply a fascinating character. Of all the pulp heroes out there, Jethro fights for justice solely because of what he believes. For him it’s an issue of faith. He doesn’t want to fight, he’s not looking for revenge—he’s fighting because he truly believes there is no other choice.
AP: Where do you plan to go with the character? Can we expect to find=you still writing Green Lama novels five or even ten years from now?
AG: Green Lama: Unbound is the first of trilogy of novels that takes place after the original pulps (treating them as canon) and will follow a tight continuity, building towards a very definitive ending. At the core of this series are Jethro Dumont and Jean Farrell. Each book will reflect where these two characters are in their relationship.
The next novel is Green Lama: Crimson Circle. In many ways it will be a direct sequel to the Green Lama’s very first pulp story “Case of the Crimson Hand” and will hopefully act as the de facto conclusion to Crossen’s original pulp stories. While Unbound was a major crossover with the Cthulhu Mythos, Crimson Circle is solely a Green Lama story and isn’t so much about the Green Lama facing a new threat, rather his past victories will be coming back to haunt him. All of the Lama’s original associates will appear and not all will survive. I know that might upset some purists, but=as I’ve mentioned, these novels are set after the pulps and won’t go against established canon. I feel that if these stories are to really resonate with readers (both old and new) it is important that Jethro and his ilk to face the darker side of heroism, and paying the price for their actions. (I’ve included a teaser image for the book by artist Mike Fyles exclusively to ALL PULP).
The final novel in the trilogy will be Green Lama: Legacy. Since it’s still two years away I don’t want to spoil too much of this novel, but the story is centered on Jethro coming to terms with his birthright set against the backdrop of the lead up to America’s entering World War II. My goal is to make this novel to both act as the epilogue to the pulp era and the dawn of a new era for the characters.
After that I might be taking a break from the character but I’m considering writing an anthology of Green Lama stories or a novel set during World War II. Let’s call it Green Lama: War Torn for now. It would probably feature stand-alone adventures of Lama working with other pulp and comic heroes at the time fighting on the frontlines. If there’s enough of a demand for it I might write it. With that in mind I do have a very specific direction for the characters. I can tell you where they going to be in 1942, in 1945, in 1950, in 1970, etc. (Be on the lookout for Andrew Salmon’s book for a clue as to what happens to the Lama after the War).
For what its worth, I have a story in mind of very old Jethro Dumont living alone in rural Tibet in modern day, deeply saddened by how divided the world has become.
So while I can’t say for certain I’ll be writing Green Lama five years from now, Jethro Dumont will be keeping me busy for at least the next two years or so.
AP: What other pulp characters do you like? And do you have plans to=write stories or novels about them?
AG: I would like one day write Sherlock Holmes, and a few other name characters… I would kill to write the Phantom or Conan, but to be honest none hold my heart like the Green Lama. I do have ideas for a several original characters and stories that will take a more post-modern bent on the pulps.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life of Adam Garcia like?
AG: I usually spend my days heavily inebriated beneath the Verrazano Bridge fighting the C.H.U.D.s.
AP: Here’s your chance to give somebody a shoutout or pimp something. Go.
AG:In addition to Crimson Circle, I’m currently working on an original pulp hero called Dock Doyle for Airship 27. Dock Doyle is an examination of the hero pulp genre and works to play against the audience’s expectations. I’ll hopefully get the story to Ron sooner rather than later, before he comes after me.
I’ll also be at the New York Comic Con at the Javits Center Oct 8th-10th. Feel free to stop by for Comic Con Exclusive merchandise.
AP: And now, bless us with a final word of wisdom from you
AG: Someone once told me to add “um’s” and “ah’s” to my interview so as to sound more natural. Rather than place them in interview itself here they all are in order of appearance: “Uh, mm, uh, ahem, ah, uh, yub, nub, eee, chop, yub, nub.”
Don Glut, Writer of “Who Really Was That Masked Man?” for Radio Western Adventures, Pulp 2.0 Press
AP: We’ll start with an easy one. Tell us a bit about Radio Western Adventures and what attracted you to this project. DG: Yes, that is fairly easy. The recently late Jim Harmon had been editing a series of anthology books of radio “cross-over” stories – e.g., the Whistler meets the Mysterious Traveler, Johnny Dollar visits Duffy’s Tavern, Captain Midnight interacts with Sky King, and so forth. After getting several of these books under his belt, Jim – knowing I was a huge Frankenstein fan — asked me if I’d like to write a story, indeed one possibly with the Frankenstein Monster (there’d been numerous radio adaptations of Frankenstein over the years) meeting some other horror or mystery character, maybe the Hermit or The Shadow. By that time, however, I’d written so many stories, novels, comic books, articles, etc. about the Monster, that I told Jim I was really kind of burnt out on writing about the Monster and would rather tackle some other characters. I’ve always loved Westerns and, as a kid, heard a lot of the classic old cowboy radio programs. So I started thinking about what radio Western characters could have met each other and what the results of such a hypothetical meeting would be.
AP: Radio Western Adventures features your story, “Who Really Was That Masked Man?” Please tell us a little about the story.
DG: Well, it started out kind of small – maybe Matt Dillon meeting Paladin or whatever. But then I started noticing certain similarities between certain Western characters. For example, both the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy rode white horses, Straight Arrow and Hoppy had old geezer sidekicks, Tonto and Straight Arrow were both Indians, and so forth. I started to wonder what would happen if a character like the Lone Ranger got waylaid and had to be impersonated for a brief time by some other Western hero. From that point on the story just grew and took on its own life, with more and more characters from various Western radio shows participating. When the cast of characters grew sufficiently big I decided to pull out all the stops and bring in characters from virtually every Western radio show that ever existed, those set in the modern as well as Old West.
AP: Radio Western Adventures is dedicated to radio historian and author, Jim Harmon, who passed away earlier this year. How did Mr. Harmon’s legacy impact this book?
DG: Yes, that dedication was my idea and Bill Cunningham, the publisher and editor and now good friend, agreed that it was appropriate. Well, remember that “Masked Man” was originally intended for Jim’s series of “cross-over” books. But even though Jim found the story I’d written for him “very charming” (his exact words), it was way too long for inclusion within the format he’d established…and brought in too many characters (Jim wanted to stick pretty much to crossing-over just two programs). Also, even though my story was essentially a parody and protected as such by law, Jim was somewhat nervous about my using so many copyrighted and trademarked characters. (In the version I sent to Jim I’d used all of the characters real names.) Then, to put the final nail into the coffin, Jim’s book series did not continue. So that left me with a story but nowhere to place it – that is until Bill came along.
AP: I’ve noticed something of a resurgence of western prose beginning to happen, especially in the United States, where westerns have not been hot sellers as they are in other parts of the world. Do you think it’s time for the western novels to make a comeback?
DG: It’s time for Westerns in all media to make a comeback, as far as I’m concerned.
AP: Where can readers find information on your books?
AP: What upcoming projects do you have coming up that you can tell us about at this time?
DG: I have a number of new pulp-style novels coming out from Bill’s company, including reissues in various deluxe formats of my 11-book “NEW ADVENTURES OF FRANKENSTEIN” series, and a pulp-style masked hero adventure titled JAWBREAKER VS. THE SCARLET SKULL. I’m also still writing my “DINOSAURS: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA” series of semi-technical non-fiction books, motion picture scripts and other things, always keeping busy.
AP: Thanks, Don. If there’s any other information you’d like, let me know and we can add more questions.
DG: Will do. And if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
AP: We’ll start with an easy one. Tell us a bit about Radio Western Adventures and what attracted you to this project.
BC: RWA started out because I was licensing these other novels from Don Glut. Don said he had a short story that was a western featuring every radio, movie serial and TV cowboy he ever loved getting together for one last heroic adventure. It was a short story, and not a novel – but how could I pass that up?
At first it was sort of an orphan and I really thought the story would end up being a bonus feature for one of our other novels we’re publishing with Don, but after I read it I knew that it could stand on its own, and I needed to create a book package around it. Then it hit me that since there were all these tie-in comics for many of these radio heroes back in the day then there could have, should have been a tie-in pulp for some of these over-the-air cowboys. That’s when I came up with the idea of Radio Western Adventures – a pulp that was created as a promotional tool by the radio stations who broadcast these particular programs.
Once we came up with the premise as to how this particular pulp have existed, I went about creating the sort of magazine this could have been.
AP: Radio Western Adventures features a story by Donald F. Glut. Is this a new or previously unpublished story by Mr. Glut? Please, tell us a bit about “Who Really Was That Masked Man?”
BC: “Masked Man” is Don’s love letter to all those cowboy heroes he grew up with – on the radio, at the movies and on television. The story takes all of those western hero archetypes and brings them together for one last adventure. The names and costumes are somewhat different, but you’ll recognize all sorts of cowboys from the thrilling days of yesteryear.
AP: Radio Western Adventures also features a story by Doc Savage creator Lester Dent. Please, tell us a bit about “Snare Savvy” and how it came to be part of this project and what part Will Murray played in making it happen.
BC: Will Murray saw our website and the book’s cover (by artist Nik Macaluso), and contacted me afterward about “Snare Savvy.” He offered the story to us to publish and after I read it I negotiated for the rights to this never-before-seen story by Dent. It happened very quickly as far as these things go which is the speed at which I like to operate.
AP: Radio Western Adventures is dedicated to radio historian and author, Jim Harmon, who passed away earlier this year. How did Mr. Harmon’s legacy impact this book?
BC: When the book was being assembled Jim passed away. I had briefly corresponded with him regarding licensing some of his stories for Pulp 2.0 Press. We never did a deal, and I always regretted that. Jim’s book THE GREAT RADIO HEROES was one of those books I nearly wore the cover off of at my local library when I was a teen. I knew he had been a longtime friend and collaborator of Don’s so it seemed natural for RWA to became a tribute book to Jim at some point. It just felt right – especially when Don told me that he originally wrote the story for one of Jim’s books.
AP: Your press release mentions that Radio Western Adventures will be available through Kindle first, then in print at a later date. Not to debate print vs. Digital, but how has digital publishing helped your company compete in a very competitive publishing landscape?
BC: There is no debate regarding digital v. print. Each has its place in our Pulp 2.0 business plan. Because we deal in pulp – we are essentially creating entertainment that is meant to be consumed quickly and easily. It’s fast food in that regard. Thanks to today’s technology we are able to digitally recreate the speed and spread by which the old pulps used to operate and distribute their stories. If someone out there is bored and wants a great read now – we have something for them to download and start reading right away. Trust me, they won’t be bored for long!
If we manage to create a fan out of them then they can collect our print editions. These books feature behind-the scenes bonus features just like your favorite special edition DVDs. Thanks to the technology we are able to cater to different market segments and satisfy their needs with what we feel is fun, unique entertainment.
We’re also using the internet to promote our books – through sites like yours, through our social networks and through videos we create and distribute through Youtube. We’re a small outfit and you won’t find us in bookstores – but thanks to technology we’re going to be everywhere else. If you see us at a convention or a signing, please come up and tell us where you found out about us, and what you want to see from Pulp 2.0 Press.
AP: I’ve noticed something of a resurgence of western prose beginning to happen, especially in the United States, where westerns have not been hot sellers as they are in other parts of the world. Do you think it’s time for the western novels to make a comeback?
BC: I sure hope so, but to be honest I think they never really left. My father is a huge western fan and he’ll devour paperback after paperback of all sorts of western series books. In that very large, very crowded market I hope we’ve created something unique with Radio Western Adventures.
AP: Where can readers find information on Pulp 2.0 Press?
BC: The number one spot of course is our website at www.pulp2ohpress.com where you can sign up for our newsletter or you can join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/pulp2ohpress . We run special reader promotions through both sites so there’s a chance you could win a free book, or a signed limited edition cover proof, or a poster or t-shirt.
AP: What other books can readers find from Pulp 2.0 Press?
BC: Our first book BROTHER BLOOD is also by Don Glut and is available in print or digital through our website. It’s the perfect book for horror- blaxploitation fans. It’s another unique story in that it was originally written in 1969 pre-dating its famous cousin BLACULA by several years, and features actual 1960’s Sunset Strip locations as the swinging background for its sinister blood-sucking.
AP What upcoming Pulp 2.0 Press projects can you tell us about at this time?
We are the official publisher of Don’s NEW ADVENTURES OF FRANKENSTEIN SERIES. That’s 11 novels of pure pulp horror-adventure. The cover is by fan favorite artist Mark Maddox, and again we are making each book a unique monster-lovers’ experience. Don has opened up his extensive archives of Frankenstein memorabilia and we’re including a lot of it in the bonus sections of the series.
We also have a book which is an action-packed tribute to Republic studios called JAWBREAKER… a series of classic Kindle-only pulp magazines that will be available at the low low price of only 99 cents each…
And two COMIC BOOK series which pack a pulp one-two punch. We’ll be announcing those later this year as soon as the contracts are signed. Again we’re going to be releasing those digitally first followed by the collectible print editions.
Then we’ll be moving into Phase II where you’ll see original book series written in the pulp aesthetic. These will be scifi, fantasy, horror and adventure books that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. We’ll also be continuing our mission to republish the best in yesteryear’s pulp entertainment for today’s audience.
STAY TUNED FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH VETERAN WRITER DON GLUT, A COMPANION TO THIS EXCELLENT CONVERSATION WITH BILL CUNNINGHAM!!
BILL CRAIG, Author of the Hardluck Hannigan series, the Jack Riley books and more!
AP: Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down with us! Before we get into a discussion about your writing, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how the writing bug ended up biting you?
Bill: The writing bug bit me before I even turned five. I taught myself to read on Dan Frontier when I was four years old and started writing my own stories at age 6.
AP: You have several series that are ongoing but let’s start with Hardluck Hannigan. Tell us how you came up with the character and a little bit about his adventures?
Bill: Hardluck Hannigan came about through a group discussion with Sean Ellis and Wayne Skiver. We were talking about a shared universe of pulp era characters and I came up with Hardluck Hannigan. I ended up using a much older version of Hardluck Hannigan in the Jack Riley book the Mummy’s Tomb, and I liked him enough to want to see how he had eveolved into that man so the fantastic adventures of Hardluck Hannigan were born.
AP: You’ve done other books besides the Riley and Hannigan ones — can you let our readers know about the other genres you like to dabble in?
Bill: I also write in the mystery and suspense fields. I write the Decker PI or Sam Decker books and have The Butterfly Tattoo a noir suspense thriller featuring Bayport Detective Joe Collins.
AP: When it comes to the pulp market right now, what are your favorite “new” authors and characters? Or do you usually stick to the classics?
Bill: I tend to stick to the classics like Doc Savage and the Shadow and the Avenger, but Mack Bolan is also a favorite as well as Remo Williams. I have read a Rook Novel and a Captain Hazzard and find them great fun as well.
AP: Can you tell us how your writing process works? Do you outline extensively or are you one of those who likes to wing it?
Bill: I admit I wing it. I start out with a paragraph long proposal and then go where the characters take me…
AP: If our readers would like to find out more about you and your writings, where should they go?
Bill: The Bill Craig author’s page on amazon.com is the best place but I also have an author’s page on facebook and Hardluck Hannigan has his own page there as well.
WAYNE REINAGEL, Publisher and Writer ofPulp Heroes! Trilogy
AP: Wayne, I’m personally delighted to be interviewing you on behalf of ALL PULP! As you may know, if I include me darlin’ daughter, Alanna, our family has had a love affair of a storgian nature, of course, with bronze & silhouette pastiches! To me no pastiche is just a mere imitation of its source!! This is what I love most about pastiches & it’s that not only has their creator paid tribute to a character they admire but have gone the extra mile to make them their own!!! Each pastiche has had something extra added to them so none of them are just carbon copies of the original! This can definitely be said for your landmark making trilogy as soon as anyone opens the pages of PULP HEROES! This being said, let me offer you an overflowing helping of questions that you can pick & choose to answer. A goal of twenty-one questions being answered would be most fortuitous, all around! Please remember, that as a curriculum specialist; test development, scoring & analysis has been part & parcel of my 36 year career as a professional educator. Yeah, as weird as some of these questions may sound there’s a reason behind each one of them! Here goes: (Those who answered similar questions, before, salute you!)
WR: Well said, Sarge! The main goal of writing PulpHeroes was to step outside the established box. This trilogy isn’t about exploring things that have already been written. After all, as you said, who needs an exact (or even pale) carbon copy of the original? These PulpHeroes stories assume that every main hero has already battled their fair share of vampires, mummies, crooks, gangsters, Nazis, and the occasional madman. PulpHeroes explores a world beyond, where heroes and villains die, deadly family secrets are discovered, and our heroes are truly fighting for their very lives. It’s an on-the-edge-of-your-seat action/adventure story of epic proportions, with the dial cranked up past 11. “Lightning in a bottle,” as one reader described it.
Being a true fan of the original pulp heroes of the 1930’s and 1940’s, I originally wanted to use the real characters. However, obtaining the necessary copyrights for a story of this scope would have been impossible. And, honestly, writing this as an ‘alternate earth’ works much better, since I can step outside the confines of the sandbox without offending long-time fans or battling corporation lawyers. The goal wasn’t to reinvent the wheel or rewrite history, although I might have bent the established boundaries slightly. This is a true period piece. You won’t find cell phones alongside zeppelins and I pray those “ten 70 year-old fans”, that other writers tend to disregard and disrespect, will love these novels just as much as new readers.
So, taking a page from Planetary and LeagueofExtraordinaryGentlemen, the original names and characters have been altered where absolutely necessary, and kept whenever possible.
AP: It’s grand to have this golden opportunity to interview you! Did we catch you at a good time? Are you comfortable? Would you care for a cup of coffee, tea or an ice-cold glass of loganberry? I’d offer you an espresso but a diminutive extraterrestrial has taken up residence in our machine.
WR: As you can see above, I am already pumped to begin. I couldn’t even wait for the first question to start, before writing answers. I am happy to announce that this is my first interview regarding my Pulp Heroes novels. (By the way, I’ll contact a friend at NASA to help you with your E.T. problem after the interview. Are we talking Barsoomian or Venusian?)
AP: When & where were you born & raised? In PULP HEROES you gave us a rather colorful background to the mysterious man behind Knightraven Studios! Do you think you can level with us & give us the facts, mam … er, sorry, I meant to say sir but slipped into my “Dragnet” persona!
WR: Obviously, you are referring to the ‘Have you seen this lunatic?’ poster which reads:
Wayne Reinagel is a short, hairy gnome-like creature who dwells in dimly illuminated Hobbit burrows and cackles madly to himself as he pecks away at his computer keyboard. Raised on a steady diet of paperback novels, Mountain Dew, comic books, Snickers, and adventure movies, he churns out a steady flow of poetry, paintings, novels and other silly stuff. Warning: If sighted, approach with extreme caution!
That’s actually a fairly accurate description. Born in Collinsville, Illinois nearly five decades ago, I’ve never moved more than ten miles away from home. My parents are good people and I enjoy being able to visit with them whenever time allows.
AP: Could you tell us a bit about your childhood? Were you an only child or the youngest, middle or oldest child in a larger crew of siblings? Where did you attend school? Were you bookish or enjoyed sports? Were you a loner or a teamplayer kinda scout?
WR: The third of four sons, attended Collinsville High School in small town Illinois, enjoyed sports but was never really a team player. Yep, always the last one picked for softball. But this made me an independent free-thinker, not relying on others to complete any task. Always suffered from a ‘can-do’ attitude. If I don’t know how to do something, I teach myself.
AP: What kind of books did you like to read as a child? Did your parents read to you, when you were young? What did they read to you? What was the first science fiction that you read?
WR: My parents never really read much. In the first week of second grade, I was nearly kicked off the school bus for bad behavior and was instructed to sit quietly in the front seat, directly behind the driver. I knew my folks would throw a fit if I got into trouble, so I dug into my backpack and fished out a brand new Dracula novel, which I had only bought because it featured a cool Bela Lugosi cover. This was the first novel I ever read and was immediately hooked. From there, I began reading all the Victorian classics, including Frankenstein, WaroftheWorlds, JourneytotheCenteroftheEarth, TheInvisibleMan, TheLostWorld, TheThreeMusketeers, and many more. Nearly every book the Scholastic program offered. Looking back, that was some pretty heavy reading for a seven year-old. I spent every penny of my allowance on books and within the next few years I had assembled quite a library. By reading about adventures in distant lands and faraway worlds, I was able to escape the confines of Smallville … I mean Collinsville.
AP: How were you introduced to Doc Savage & other pulp heroes? Did you read John Carter or Tarzan first?
WR: In 1969, my father bought DocSavage Bantam novel #62 – ThePirate’sGhost, for me and my older brother, Steve. (Dad’s never admitted to reading the original pulps, but I think he had exposure to them, being born in the late twenties.) I was immediately hooked. A local store was going out of business and was selling the entire run for a dime per book. I begged my folks for six dollars to buy them all, but times were hard and I had to settle for fifty cents. It took another thirty years to fill in all the missing gaps in my Doc Savage collection. Steve and I took turns reading each one as we discovered them at other stores. Doc Savage was such a timelessly classic series that it wasn’t until later that I discovered they were originally written in the 30’s and 40’s. Two years later, I began buying the Avenger reprints as they came out. The Shadow, John Carter, Tarzan, and many others soon followed, but I always gravitated back to the Doc Savage stories.
AP: What were your favorite movies, television shows & music as a youngster? What impact do you think they had on your writing?
WR: Naturally, as a child of the 60’s and 70’s I grew up watching StarTrek, LostinSpace, TwilightZone, BattlestarGallactica, Space1999, etc. Anything that involved science fiction or action/adventure. I didn’t see many movies on the big screen until StarWars and IndianaJones. By the mid 70’s, bored by most TV programs, I began reading a lot of comics, including Avengers, NickFury, CaptainAmerica, IronMan, Thor, Submariner, Xmen, FantasticFour and Batman. I wasn’t a true Marvel zombie, but danged close. Reading Doc Savage novels and comic books, and listening to Rock music by ELO, Styx, Meatloaf and Aerosmith, carried me through the 70’s and early 80’s.
AP: What or who was your motivation behind Knightraven Studios?
WR: I established Knightraven Enterprises in the early 80’s, printing illustrations, portfolios and posters, hoping to catch the eye of the editors at Marvel or DC Comics. The name changed to Knightraven Books when I self-published two joke books in the mid 90’s. And changed again to Knightraven Studios LLC with the publication of the Pulp Heroes novels. Nowadays, I’m so busy writing and illustrating my own books that I no longer have any real desire to work for any of the major comic book companies.
AP: When did you begin writing? Was there a teacher, friend or relative that encouraged you to become a writer?
WR: I was about 12 years old when my older brother Steve noticed something that completely altered my life. Pointing at X-Men #50 and Nick Fury #2, he noted that a fella named Jim Steranko had illustrated both covers. Oddly enough, until that moment, it never occurred to me that someone could actually make a living drawing comic books. Then we noticed that this Steranko guy had also written the stories for both books. At that very moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a writer/illustrator. Although I’ve been sidetracked throughout my life, working as a draftsman, a lumber salesman, a homebuilder, this has always remained my one true goal. I’ve written hundreds of unpublished comic book scripts, many of which might be altered slightly and used in future novels. There’s even a 1200 page illustrated space odyssey adventure packed away in a box in my studio that I might return to someday.
AP: Is it true that the thought provoking illustrations in PULP HEROES were wrought by your own hands? If so, where were you taught to draw so well? If not, did you & your illustrator experience the Vulcan mind meld?
WR: I began drawing at age 12. Over the past thirty years I’ve used pencils, inks, paints – oils and acrylics, and finally moved into computer graphics. I currently use Adobe Photoshop with a digitizer pad or Adobe Illustrator and am 100% pleased with the results. These programs are incredible tools but just like any paintbrush or pen, they still require the user to possess artistic skills. The main difference is that I can complete an illustration in days that previously took weeks when done by hand. And the cleanup afterwards is much easier.
AP: If I were teaching a college level literature course I certainly would make PULP HEROES required reading but I’d still hafta ask you, “What did Robert Lewis Stevenson ever do to to you?”
WR: I write what I consider ‘historical fiction.’ Which means even though it didn’t happen exactly as I write, it very well might have. So, for instance, if Adolph Hitler, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Hugo Danner aka the Gladiator, were all at the front lines at the end of WWI, then there is a possibility that they might have crossed paths. If you read what I did to R.L.S. and read accounts about his last days in the Samoan Islands, then the events that I wrote in Khan Dynasty really could have happened. Marvel Comics calls it ‘What If?’ and DC Comics has ‘Elseworlds.’ My interlinked series of novels takes place in a universe called Infinite Horizons, where Doctor Henry Jekyll might meet Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, and Jules Verne. Roughly half of each novel takes place during the pulp era of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the other half occurs a generation earlier. The Pulp Heroes trilogy covers roughly 150 years, from 1800 to 1950, and travels around the globe.
AP: Are you aware that you gave all of us a glimpse into a very real parallel world when you began writing about pulp heroes & comicbook superheroes that, at first, seem quite familiar but distinctly diverge from the characters they mirror?
WR: Incorporating real world events and events from classic novels alongside the new fictional world helps anchor the entire story. Upon reading the novels, folks will occasionally wonder exactly where reality ends and fiction begins. The basic concept of Infinite Horizons is that there are no real limits. I outline all the known facts and borders, before stretching and manipulating them. I will read entire novels, just to find a few relevant facts. For example, in Khan Dynasty four men meet in Cairo, Egypt in early 1868. By quickly scanning my timeline poster, I discover that the Captain Nemo and the Nautilus passed through the southeastern portion of the Mediterranean on February 13, 1868. (Verne was very precise.) Thus, without altering a single word in Jules Verne’s original novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I can have these men cross paths with the infamous sea pirate. Nemo and the Nautilus appear several times in Pulp Heroes, as do Allan Quatermain, Doctor Henry Jekyll, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Rasputin, Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger, Ned Land, Hugo Danner, Jack the Ripper, and a cast consisting of dozens of well-known characters. Infinite Horizons does not challenge any of the elements, events or timelines of the original works, but rather it adds richly detailed, chronologically accurate tales – occurring before, after and sometimes even during the events of many existing novels and short stories, such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Gladiator, King Solomon’s Mines, Lost World, Thing from Another World, Tai-Pan, etc.
AP: PULP HEROES: MORE THAN MORTAL is populated with both major & minor characters from classic literature, comic books & the pulps. What made you open your trilogy with Captain Lucifer?
WR: I wanted to show a lead character and his supporting cast that closely mimicked Doc Titan and his five friends, to illustrate from the very beginning that really bad things could happen to any of these mystery men.
AP: With the appearance of a marvel-ous patriotic hero & the master of magic what’s your opinion of the other major comicbook? Is it that you didn’t care much for George Reeves or Adam West in your formative years?
WR: I’ve enjoyed most of the mainstream Marvel characters for the last 40 years. There have been good years and bad, good writers/illustrators and bad. I’ve also collected several of the DC mainstream, such as Batman, Warlord, or Green Arrow. Personally, I found it difficult to believe in Superman, when he moves planet earth in one issue and the very next issue a ten year-old boy beats the crud out of him. Kryptonite, yeah right. I prefer more grounded heroes, where it’s possible for a real person to attain superpowers or enhancements, or better yet, trained to acquire them. Much like Doc Savage, Shadow, Spider, Batman, Daredevil, Captain America or even Doctor Strange. And that’s why I have a dark knight, a sorcerer supreme, or a sentinel of justice, pop up as a supporting member of the cast. The heroes who existed in the last days before the appearance of the ‘superhero.’
AP: How soon before PULP HEROES: SANCTUARY FALLS will be available on the internet?
WR: I am currently writing both Sanctuary Falls and the first novel of the next trilogy, which takes place in the same Infinite Horizons universe, but involving a different cast of main characters. Hopefully they will both be done in the spring of 2011. But you don’t need Sanctuary Falls to enjoy the first two novels. Each novel is a standalone story.
AP: Do you know how many Language Arts teachers bought your immensely informative timeline poster? The educated consumer would like to know!
WR: I’m not really certain, but many of the local libraries now have a copy hanging on the wall. I’ve distributed several hundred and everyone seems to enjoy them. With over 800 events – both real and imaginary (clearly identified as to which), and a huge listing of births and deaths of the most famous people and characters of the last 150 years, it takes several hours to read the entire poster.
AP: Did you ever see “Twilight of the Gods?”
WR: If you’re referring to the 1995 movie, where after a pitched battle, a Maori warrior finds a wounded European soldier and helps him back to health – I haven’t had an opportunity to find and watch it. But it sounds interesting.
If you’re referring to the end of the world and the end of all the gods, including Thor, and the inevitable doom of Ragnarok – only what I’ve read in the Thor comics. Unfortunately, mythology is the stuff of legends that appeals to me the least. The various gods are too much like Superman, with vast extremes in their strengths and weaknesses. Even Thor would allow himself to get beaten silly in nearly every issue, before pulling out the big guns and frying his adversary with a bolt of lightning. The biggest attraction to mythology was when I decided to christen the main family of characters Titan, the title taken from the children of the original Greek Gods. I really couldn’t believe that nobody had used the name Doc Titan before.
AP: If you were to take a two dozen tweens (preteens) on a field trip where would you take them?
WR: To the public library computer department, where they can access and visit the ALLPULP website and also introduce them to LibroVox.org, where they can download and listen to thousands of public domain novels, including many of the first pulps.
One of my goals in writing Pulp Heroes and introducing so many characters in my novels is enticing younger readers to search out and read the original classics from the Victorian and pulp eras. In the back of my books, there are two entire pages listing novels, pulps and short stories that I highly recommend.
AP: What summer television shows have you been following?
WR: LOST, Survivor, and CSI were the only shows I’ve watched this year. I tend to read a lot, both for recreation and for research, and I have overflowing bookshelves of novels and comics that I still hope to read soon.
AP: Anyone reading your trilogy thus far would say you’re hinting at the existence of Agharta. What have you been reading?
WR: Actually, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne was the second book I read, right after Dracula. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed reading the Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar/Earth’s Core series and Mike Grell’s Warlord series. And so the answer is, yes, we will be seeing much more of the hollow earth (Agharta/Skartaris/Pellucidar) in Sanctuary Falls. Before I wrote Pulp Heroes, I plotted out two movie screenplays, one involving the aforementioned Warlord. The original intent was to submit it to DC Comics, but the story is a perfect fit for Sanctuary Falls.
AP: What was the last movie you’ve seen at the theatre?
WR: This year I’ve seen and enjoyed Iron Man 2, Clash of the Titans, Avatar (wow), and Sherlock Holmes. But one of my all-time favorite movies is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Great soundtrack, believable and likable characters, incredible sets, and I thought it was an intriguing story. Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer were great additions to the cast! Not everyone agrees with my opinion but I enjoyed it much more than the comic book series. Alan Moore wrote about drug addicts, sex offenders and pedophiles. I prefer my heroes to be, well, more heroic. The LXG movie and the Planetary comic book series were my two greatest inspirations when I began writing Pulp Heroes.
AP: What’s your favorite game show? Board game? Place to hang out on a typical Friday night?
WR: Honestly, I’ve never been into role-playing, game shows or board games. Guess it’s all part being an independent, self-achiever. But I currently have one of the best jobs ever, writing about characters like Sherlock Holmes, Jekyll & Hyde, and Frankenstein. For entertainment, I enjoy reading or watching movies about the same characters. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
AP: What conventions have you attended lately? I don’t want to put you on the spot but is there anyone you want to say “hello” to? What upcoming conventions will you be attending? Have you ever been to either Doc Savage convention? Will you be going to either of them this coming year?
WR: This year I attended the Windy City Pulp & Paper in Chicago and the Imagicon in Birmingham, Alabama. Living near St Louis, I hope to attend the Doc Con 2010 this month. I’ve been to the Arizona Con in 2007 and 2009 but, sadly, don’t think I can attend this year. And, yes, I would like to acknowledge my appreciation of my two greatest supporters, my wife and my mother. Pulp Heroes would never had been written without their help.
AP: Well, on behalf of the Spectacled 7 & the readers of ALL PULP I want to thank you again for graciously taking the time to answer some questions for us! Any parting remarks before we tie you up, er, ah, I mean tie this interview up?
WR: First, I want to thank all the folks that have bought the first two novels and the timeline posters. Next, I wish to thank all the people who have both inspired and supported my writing efforts. At the top of this list is Philip Jose Farmer, who wrote some of the greatest pastiche novels about Doc Savage and Tarzan, including the establishing of the original Wold-Newton World. (A huge tip of the hat to Win Scott Eckert and friends for vastly expanding the concept and creating the Wold-Newton Universe.)
Four years ago, I began rereading The Feast Unknown by Philip Jose Farmer, which starts with the line spoken by Tarzan (Lord Grandrith), “Jack the Ripper was my father.” This single line about the Victorian serial killer started my mental wheels turning and became one of the first subplots to Pulp Heroes – More Than Mortal. Although my Infinite Horizons Universe doesn’t match the Wold-Newton Universe mold in every regard, it has been an incredible inspiration. Thanks, PJF!
RON HANNA, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Wild Cat Books
AP: Thanks for joining us, Ron! Can you tell us about your history with the pulps — how did you first discover them and what led to the founding of Wild Cat Books?
RON: Well, like most people my age, I first discovered pulps through the many paperback reprints in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, especially the Doc Savage Bantam books. I’ll never forget the first ones I saw on the newsstand. “Land of Terror”, “Lost Oasis”, “Brand of the Werewolf” all had awesome covers, and when I first saw James Bama’s art, well, that intrigued me even more. I had never heard of Kenneth Robeson before, but he quickly became my favorite author. I read a lot when I was a kid, from Comic Books to the Classics. I always had something to read with me wherever I went. But it wasn’t until many years later that I decided to take my love of books, and pulp fiction in particular, to the next level by starting a fanzine in 1997. It was called “Secret Sanctum” and was probably the first “fan publication” that had glossy full-color artwork. My partner at that time worked in a printing company and he had all the pages printed at work, mailed them to me, where I then collated and stapled them, and then mailed them out to people who had heard about us on the Internet. This was before Facebook, MySpace and other social-networking sites. Back then I used the Prodigy network and everything was just a text message board and Usenet groups. Eventually, my partner and I parted ways, and I began Wild Cat Books, using my experience to try and make something even better than before. It was also in those early days that I discovered pulp fandom and met a variety of people who had the same interests as me. I still work with some of those people to this date.
AP: In the early days of WCB, the Internet was quite different. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in pulp fandom over the years?
RON: I would have to say the social-networking sites such as Facebook, Yahoo and others. They opened up a much wider world and the vast advances in technology and software allowed much more discourse and interaction between fans all over the world. Although there have been many various conventions for over a generation, I believe it was some of these changes that really changed a lot of things. It used to be that only very wealthy people could afford a Web Site, but nowadays it seems the costs are much more reasonable, and it can really help a small-press publisher when they have their own page where they can showcase their work and attempt to attract new fans and readers. I say this with a caveat however: There is a big push toward everything becoming digital these days and the eBook format has become extremely popular. I have nothing against that, and we even have produced some digital books of our own, but to me there is nothing like holding a book or magazine in your hands. The tactile sensations, the smell of the paper or newsprint, the ability to have something really tangible to hold and treasure is something that is very important to me, and as a publisher I will never stop producing “hard copy” as my main source of publishing. Maybe it’s because of the generation I grew up in, but to me, an eBook could never replace an actual, real book… Besides, I also collect old pulps, comics and books and they are something I proudly display in my home. To me, those are repositories of adventure and imagination that I will never tire of, and I can re-read them even if the power goes out to the Internet or the batteries die on an eBook reader. Yes, everything does eventually decay or die, but the books on my shelf will always hold a special place in my heart.
AP: The pulp market is getting rather crowded these days — what makes WCB stand out from the rest?
RON: That’s a good question. I’d have to say it’s because of the passion we have for what we do, not to mention the ever-improving quality of our publications. A lot of other companies concentrate on reprints in various genres, which is great for the collector who can’t afford the original issues, and others publish new fiction and characters, but I believe that we are one of the few who are actively publishing both classic and new fiction, and more importantly, history and art reference books as well. We try to offer something for everyone.
AP: Ver Curtiss and Bill Carney are both key members of the WCB production family — can you tell us how they became involved with the company and what their duties are?
RON: Ver is my Art Director, and he has been with me from the very start back in 1997. He submitted some Doc Savage pieces he had done, and as soon as I saw the first one, I begged for more. He and I are totally different people in terms of personality, beliefs and lifestyles, but we have one thing in common: Our love of the pulps and popular culture. That is the bond that has kept us together after all these years, and even despite some clashes and disagreements. I consider him my brother, and I even moved to Virginia from California back in 2001 to live near him. He is an entirely self-taught artist and he works in many different areas: Sculpture, Photography, and he’s now also working as a comic book artist for Moonstone Comics illustrating the “Black Angel” series for their Air Fighters title, which is written by Martin Powell. Ver has also done the interior art for Moonstone’s “Domino Lady” prose anthology. His work is in high demand, but he always will find the time to do something new for me if I need something special done on a moments notice. He is one of the most talented and wonderful person I’ve ever known.
Bill Carney joined WCB about 3-4 years ago when he and his brother Chris submitted their original creation “The Scarlet Shroud” to me for possible publication. Both of them are talented artists, and while Chris does most of the story writing, Bill is also a fine writer who has written some fine historical reference pieces, especially dealing with Science Fiction and Fantasy. He’s one of the most knowledgeable people in those areas that I’ve ever met. And like Ver, he’s also a great person to be around. He and I have gone to conventions together, I spend a few days each year visiting him in Upstate New York, as well as both of us going to visit his brother Chris in Pennsylvania. We all get along great, and I look forward to each of my trips to visit them. However, the best thing that Bill does is Graphic Design. I used to do all the book formatting for our titles myself, and while they were “acceptable” they were nowhere near as good as what Bill can do. He’s a professional designer by trade, and has even won some national awards for his Production Design work, and I finally approached him about becoming the head designer for WCB and he has really delivered the goods! I’ve had several people tell me that our titles are some of the most professional and beautifully designed books on the market today, and I owe all that to Bill… which is one of the reasons I recently promoted him to Managing Editor. He’s not only a voracious reader, but he knows how to best edit stories that are submitted to us. And, to tell the truth, what with all the “management” details I have to deal with as the publisher, it made perfect sense to have him edit our books as well. He’s much better at it than I ever was! He’s also in charge of our revival of the old pulp “Startling Stories”. He has full editorial control over that project, and I’m very thankful that he loves doing it. It really is one of our finest on-going projects.
AP: Looking back, what books has WCB published in the past that you think are ones you’re particularly proud of?
RON: Well, I love all my children equally (joke!) but I would have to say I’m really proud of some of our Pulp History reference books by Award-winning historian Wooda “Nick” Carr. He grew up with the pulps (he’s in his mid-80’s now) and, like Ver, has been with me from the beginning. Each issue of my various fanzines always had a new article by him… but it’s the book collections I’m most proud of: “The Pulp Hero”, “Master of the Pulps”, and “The Pulp Magazine Scrapbook”… All of these belong on any pulp fan’s bookshelf… “Pulp Hero” is an encyclopedia of over 100 heroes and villains, plus a complete bibliography of all of Nick’s articles and books. “Master” contains a variety of some of his finest articles gathered over the years from various publications. But the “Pulp Magazine Scrapbook” is something totally different. This contains copies of the letters that Nick received over the years from many of the original pulp writers and artists: Walter Gibson, Robert G. Harris, Harry Steeger, Ryerson Johnson, and many more. It’s a historian’s dream to actually go back in time and read what the creators had to say about their work and what it was like back in the days of pulp fiction.
Another one of my favorites is “The Captain Future Handbook” by Chuck Juzek. It’s a hard-cover full-color book that contains everything you could possibly want in regards to this classic space hero. It has complete story summaries, the very rare first chapter written by Edmond Hamilton that was only published previously in a small-press fanzine, and it’s lavishly illustrated with every pulp and paperback cover, including all the German and Japanese editions, and is probably one of the most comprehensive and beautiful books we’ve ever published. It retails for $75.00 but in today’s marketplace, that’s a steal when you consider the high-quality product that you’ll receive. It’s a true masterpiece!
Another book I’m very proud of is K.G. McAbee’s “Bewitched by Darkness”, a collection of some of this Award-winning writer’s finest short stories with Cover and Interior Art by the fantastic British artist Nick Neocleous. Nick has illustrated a lot of our book covers, and every one of them has been a winner. He’s one of my favorite artists, and he’s always willing to pitch in and do wonderful work for us. He’s been involved with some high-profile characters such as “Doctor Who” and “Indiana Jones”, so he’s always in demand, but I’m very happy he is able to find the time to work with a small-press company such as WCB. We even published a full-color art book of his finest pieces called “Cosmic Eye”, which is another book I’m very proud of. It’s absolutely beautiful…
Another character I really enjoy is “The Rook” created and written by Barry Reese. I can’t name just one book as there are now five volumes in the series, each one better than the last. These books are pure pulp action and adventure, and some of the Cover Artists include Storn Cook, Frank Brunner, Norm Breyfogle and Anthony Castrillo. Not only are there some great original characters in these tales, but the author also brings in some classic pulp heroes that are in Public Domain, which makes this series so much fun for all of us fans… These are some really great tales!
I could go on and on, but I really do like all our books, and the weird thing is that some of our best, and my personal favorites, are not always our best-sellers… Go figure…
AP: One of WCB’s key components is STARTLING STORIES, a revival of a classic pulp magazine. Can you tell us about the magazine and are you accepting submissions for it at the present time?
RON: “Startling Stories” is a mutant. We not only reprint classic Golden Age Science-Fiction in each issue, but we even include some of the advertisements that appeared back then. We also include new stories by some of the most talented new writers on the market today such as K.G. McAbee, S. Clayton Rhodes, and others. We also have a Retro-Review section, and in our first issues we were very pleased to offer a comic story written and illustrated by the very talented Ron Wilber. A lot of people really loved his “Saucy Blaine” strip, but that will be ending soon. Ron Wilber is one of the few people on the planet who does not have a computer and has never used the Internet, so he doesn’t get the feedback that all creators desire. Despite the fact that I call him and tell him how much everyone loves “Saucy”, he has apparently lost the desire to continue on with it past the sixth story, which really disappoints me. I hope he regains his enthusiasm again at some point, as I enjoy working with him very much.
As for submissions, yes, we are always accepting submissions for “Startling Stories” of any length. Although it’s only a quarterly magazine, we need to have a supply of tales on hand to give us ample time to plan and pace each issue. We try to maintain a certain page count, and sometimes it’s tough to find just the right story to balance both the texture and variety we try to offer. Not everything has to be Sci-Fi or Fantasy, as we also accept Horror and, well, pretty much anything that could be called “Startling”!
AP: What new titles are on the way and what you can tell us about each?
RON: We have a few books in various stages of development. “Zombies in Time and Space” (an anthology) was recently released, as well as the massive Sword and Sorcery novel “Legends” by Tim Jones with a Cover by a new artist on our team, Gary McCluskey. His work is awesome, and we hope to have a lot more from him in the future. Coming soon is a new book by Rick Lai called “Shadows of the Opera” and “The Halloween Legion” by Martin Powell with Cover and Art by Danny Kelly. And the next issue of “Startling Stories” is always in the works as it’s our one on-going publication that comes out on a quarterly basis. By the time people read this, “The Rook – Volume Five” will be available at Amazon, and we already have the files for Volume Six. I’m hoping to one day see a “Rook” comic book… That would be fantastic. But I’m not holding my breath on that one!
AP: If fans want to purchase WCB books or learn more about the company, where can they do so?
RON: We have a website that I try to keep updated at _www.wildcatbooks.net <http://www.wildcatbooks.net/>_ and it has various pages listing our books at Amazon, as well as our other store that we maintain at lulu.com. You’ll find most of our earlier works at Lulu, but when we had the chance to move to Amazon we discovered that the quality was just as good, if not better, but the production costs were a lot lower so we were able to start pricing our books at a more affordable price in today’s economy than if we had stayed at Lulu.
AP: What’s your stance on public domain characters? WCB has used a few in the past but it’s emphasis now seems to be on original heroes.
RON: I’ve always enjoyed the Public Domain (PD) characters, and have no problem using more of them, but a lot of that depends on what is submitted to us. We recently published a book called “The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown” written by Mike Frigon and lavishly illustrated by Verne Anderson that featured The Moon Man, Doctor Satan, and Secret Agent X… It’s quite good, and I’d love to see more of the same by the creative team. They work quite well together. However, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, there are a lot of other companies using the PD characters so we try to offer more of a variety. A few PD heroes and villains make some appearances in the “Rook” tales, but as far as a new collection of stories or even a full-length novel is concerned, well, it all depends on the writers out there! As I’ve said, if it’s good, we’ll certainly consider publishing it, whether it’s PD characters, original creations or whatever. I will give you a little teaser though… Sometime down the road we plan on publishing the adventures of “Major Toad”, the frog from “The Wind in the Willows” in his own series of pulp adventures! This will hopefully be an on-going series, and the artist is working on the first book’s art even as we speak… We hope that this title will appeal to a wide cross-section of fans, both old and new, and for all ages… From what I’ve seen so far, I’m really excited about it…
AP: At one point, Airship 27 was associated with WCB… there have been many rumors about why the schism occurred, including tales that you and Ron Fortier now hated one another. Can you tell us what happened and what the current state of relations between creators and companies are now?
RON: Well, it’s a long story, but I’ll try to condense it. A few years ago, Ron Fortier of Airship 27 discovered WCB and submitted some really great stuff, and of course I immediately accepted, and even asked for more. Although we were the publisher, RF was the producer and he insisted on total editorial control. For a while that division worked well but eventually I found myself not having a say in anything: writers, artists, even the logo being used were not anything I had a say in, and even some of my suggestions were shrugged off. When he kept rejecting my ideas and insulted one of my best artists, well, that’s when I decided we needed to part ways. I returned all control and rights to his books back to him to re-release under his own publishing company, although some changes were made when he couldn’t get everyone who had been involved before to go along with the changes. I freely admit that there were a lot of hard feelings for quite a while. Too many people in the pulp world know what happened for me to even try to deny it, so I won’t. Yes, I was angry and hurt and he and I didn’t speak for a couple of years. But as they say: “Time heals all wounds” and since the pulp community is so close knit, I realized that there was no way we could, or should, continue under that veil of anger… It was time to let bygones be bygones, water under the bridge and all that. So we finally buried the hatchet (and not in each other’s heads) and agreed that we both had made mistakes and to let it go. He’s doing very well now with his Airship 27 titles, and I wish him all the best. He even told me that if it wasn’t for WCB he probably wouldn’t even be in the pulp business in the first place, and he obviously loves what he’s doing, so in a way, I guess, everything happens for a reason. We’re friends again… and that’s where it stands today. Heck, we’re even friends on Facebook!
AP: Have you read any of DC’s First Wave revivals? What do you think about the changes to the heroes that they’ve made? For that matter, where do you stand on making changes to classic heroes in general?
RON: I have read some of the First Wave revivals and, except for the cover art, I was really not impressed at all. In fact, as much as I love the characters (Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Spirit, etc.) I think DC has made a terrible blunder in how they are presenting these classics. Supposedly, everyone involved wanted to remain true to the “roots” of the pulp heroes, but it seems to me that they basically revamped them to the point that they are no longer recognizable to me. However, that being said, I really don’t have many problems with making some changes to the classics. But it has to be done with respect and love, and I didn’t get that feeling at all from DC’s revisionist take on them. They pretty much ruined the characters for all of us long-time fans, and by presenting them in the way they have, I doubt if new readers would be willing to read the original tales (which were so much fun), and that’s too bad, because the original tales make for very fine reading. In fact, I wish they would have adapted all those great stories to comics rather than see them turn out to be a miserable tragedy, and epic failure, for everyone involved with them.
AP: On a related note, how do you feel about Moonstone’s Return of the Originals?
RON: Now those are something I’m looking forward to reading because I know that Moonstone has a very high regard for keeping the faith! I haven’t read any of them yet (I don’t get to the local comic store as much as I used to) but from all I know about the creators involved, I have much higher expectations for this project than any others I’ve seen recently. In fact, I’m pretty much disgusted with all comics today. There’s only a few out there that I would even consider buying on a regular basis. DC and Marvel have both become gross distortions of their former selves, bloated from their greed, and I’m at the point where most comics no longer have the attraction to me that they did before. I’d rather spend my money on old Silver Age comics that I grew up with as a child. Those were inspiring and bring back many wonderful memories. Today’s comics pretty much just suck…
AP: As one of the elder statesmen in pulp and a Munsey Award Nominee, your words carry a lot of weight in the community. Does this ever influence your publishing decisions in any way?
RON: Well, thanks for the kind words, but I don’t consider myself as anything special. I’m just someone who really loves the pulps, the heroes, comics, and pretty much everything related to our Popular Culture. The only thing that I ever consider when making publishing decisions is: Do I like it?… I try to print the type of things that I would personally want to read. Not all of our books sell like gangbusters, but I’ve never been in this for the money… I do this because I really and truly love doing it… and I only hope our fans enjoy our books as much as I do!
DAVID BURTON, Pulp Artist
AP: First, thanks so much for sitting down with All Pulp for a few minutes, David. Why don’t you share with our audience a little about
yourself, both personally and as an artist, background and such?
DB: You’re welcome, its my pleasure. As far as my personal life goes, I’m a pretty private person. I’ve been drawing and painting pretty much all of my life. I’m mostly self taught but have had some of the best people in the industry, who also happen to be friends of mine both encourage me and give my pointers over the years. The nice thing is that I’ve been able to help them as well.
AP: Now, looking at your site (www.davidburtonart.net) you have a particular interest and affinity for pulp themed work. How did you get into painting pulp? Have you always been a fan or did you come to it some other way?
DB: I’ve always been a fan and still am. That all started with THE SHADOW radio show, which my dad got me interested in when I was about 7. Than at about 12 I started reading DOC SAVAGE and was hooked. I started getting my work published in fanzines, most notably ECHOES and THE BRONZE GAZETTE. When I can I’ll do a piece for the BG. From there the subject matter has pretty much been fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Lately though its been pin-up and female figure work. I’m dealing with a few galleries right now about carrying that line of work.
AP: What appeals to you about painting pulp themed figures and works? Is there something about the characters and setting themselves or is it more about the stories?
DB: The sense of action and suspense mostly. The characters and the stories both offer something that just gets my imagination really going.
AP: Can you share with us a little about the process you use when painting a pulp piece? Do you do research, any special preparation, go in any particular order, like with pencils and such, or do you just go straight to paints?
DB: Each piece is different and I approach them accordingly. Regardless of the piece, unless the client wants something very specific, I’ll do research. I’m a stickler for getting things right. I’m working on a piece right now for an upcoming DOC SAVAGE painting that will feature both Doc and Princess Monja. I went to great lengths contacting Dr. Richard D. Hansen, who is one of the leading authorities on Mayan culture and was the advisor on the film, “Apocalypto”, who was a great help in getting me currect information on how a Mayan Princess would be dressed. As far as my approach to how I work goes, I always start with pencils sketches and then work them out into a full drawing if needed, then go to the paints.
AP: Is there a pulp character, series, etc. that appeals to you over the others as an artist? If so, why?
DB: Its a toss up between Doc Savage and The Shadow. They have a lot more of offer more in the way of potential than any of the others. Though I also like The Spider because he’s so over the top.
AP: The classic pulp covers were, of course, all painted works. That’s sort of a staple for classic pulp. Do you think that its important to establish the same sort of link between painted work and modern pulp? If so or if not, why?
DB: I’d like to think that any media could make that connection. But I’ve seen hundreds of pulp related stuff done in electronic and it just doesn’t have the same impact, so for now anyway, painting in traditional media is the only way to go.
AP: Any tips for artists who are working on pulp projects?
DB: Know your subject and know your history. Study the old overs and ask yourself, what colors did they use and why, look at how they lit scenes and how they managed their composition. And don’;t copy or rip them off, if you can’t come up with something on your own, then you need to practice more to see what you’re doing wrong. Copying or ripping another cover off is a fool’s journey. You think no one has ever seen any of the covers you’re taking stuff from, but they have and if they don’t call you on it now, they will. That’s inevitable. It will only give you a poor rep and that’s nearly impossible to overcome. Be known for YOU and let your work stand out that way. You’ll shine and that alone is priceless.
AP: Do you have anything in the works that would be of interest to pulpsters everywhere?
DB: Other than the above mentioned Doc painting, I’ve got a few things that are in various stages. Something with The Shadow again, it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything with him. I’ll be working on a Doc drawing from my friend TOM JOHNSON that will feature Doc and Big Foot and there are some others, but I’d like to share those as they come along.
AP: Awesome! Thanks so much, David!
B. C. Bell: Creator/writer of THE BAGMAN, Airship 27 Productions
AP: Who is B.C. Bell?
BCB: Byron Christopher Bell is a work in progress; a writer who hopes he never stops learning, or at least being curious; a bundle of contradictions. Mostly I’m a guy that likes a good yarn, something a little bit different that will still keep me on the edge of my seat. I love comics, heroes, hard boiled crime, horror, science fiction and pulp.
AP: What’s your background?
BCB: I was born a seventh generation Texan, and moved out while everybody else was moving in. I’ve worked as a musician, ranch hand, retail manager, construction worker, print salesman, artist and writer. I’ve also worked as Senior Resident at a halfway house, and both sides of the mental health desk. I’m from one of those families where the kids raised themselves, and I made a lot of mistakes on the way, so I’m probably one of the few hard-boiled pulp guys writing that has actually lived on the street. Hell, there’s a part of me that’s still dreaming up crooked schemes in my head—I’ve mentally pulled off at least three armored car jobs in the last year. But hey, that’s all for art, right? Hmmmm, well, at least part of it. The biggest thing as far as pulp goes is that without the heroes of my youth I know I’d be in jail.
AP: Where do you live?
BCB: My adopted hometown of Chicago, North Side. I think I’m in my fifteenth year here. Don’t even ask me about Cubbies vs. White Sox.
AP: How long have you been writing?
BCB: Since I learned the alphabet, in one form or another. Before I wrote, I wanted to be a cartoonist, so I wrote what I drew. I majored in journalism at the University of North Texas, but when I saw what was happening to American media, I dropped out and started working as a musician (bass, vocals, and blues harp). All through my years as a musician, I was writing songs and lyrics. Then one day in my thirties I read a lousy book by a famous writer, and said, “I can do better.” Subconsciously, I’m pretty sure I was aiming at the fact that Raymond Chandler (of Philip Marlowe fame) had started really writing at about the same age. Not that I’m comparing myself to Chandler, even though I’d love to.
AP: Share with us your thoughts on the current boom in pulp action/adventure fiction.
BCB: I love it, other than the fact that I can’t keep up with all the characters. Seriously, this is one of those weird moments in history where we get to see things change. Adventure fiction kind of got forgotten by all the big publishers, and I love being one of the guys to pick up the slack. I also think with my particular background, I have the chance to inject a voice that others might not know about. I’d seriously love to see a homegrown pulp movement that while still holding the moral virtues of the past, can also grow into a whole different new animal. In a way that’s what I tried to do with TALES OF THE BAGMAN, create a character, who in a world gone corrupt, still has a moral compass—even it is a little bit wonky. In the book I refer a lot to his “moral flexibility,” a nice way of saying legal, illegal, and extralegal.
AP: You’ve written SECRET AGENT X, JIM ANTHONY & DAN FOWLER, G-MAN for Airship 27 Productions. Who’s your favorite character of those three?
BCB: Tough question, I’ll try not to use the phrase “apples and oranges,” but it certainly applies. Secret Agent X is a man so dedicated to his mission he doesn’t even have his own identity. That takes a lot of commitment. On the other hand we have Fowler, who’s also a Federal Agent, yet is so recognizable that he really can’t go undercover—and his entire identity is wrapped up in being the stereotypical Hoover FBI man. Meanwhile, Jim Anthony, especially in his new Airship 27 tales, has vast potential. So part of me wants to say Dan Fowler, because I love the image of the thirties G-Man and want to write another one of those. But, since we’ve already been exposed to Elliot Ness, Dick Tracy and a host of others, Dan might not seem too original—there’s a lot of work left to be done by the author. So, OK, X is probably the best character, but I have to go with Dan Fowler because I still have my Melvin Purvis, Junior G-Man badge.
AP: Is it safe to say that TALES OF THE BAGMAN is your most ambitious project to date?
BCB: Definitely Maybe. Obviously, it’s my most ambitious to be published, and it’s definitely the most fun thing I’ve ever written—fun to write, fun to read. But my first novel, Bipolar Express, was pretty ambitious, too. Picture a Science Fiction/Noir story written like a 1950’s Gold Medal paperback, starring three dually-diagnosed, mentally ill, homeless men, trying to survive the worst winter in Chicago history—and all the while the magnetic poles are shifting. Of course, what I’ve learned in the last few years is that I better think every project is my most ambitious; you stop aiming high, you’re going to start digging a rut. That’s my big lesson for 2010. And yes, I’d definitely love to write a few more Bagman books. I’m thinking Chicago World’s Fair and Dillinger, since The Bagman’s living in June of 1933.
AP: Who is The Bagman?
BCB: The Bagman is Frank “Mac” MacCullough, a criminal just on the edge of climbing organized crime’s corporate ladder. Then one day they send him to break his uncle’s legs, and he can’t do it. In the end he has to take on the mob, and deal with the cops at the same time. But in the beginning the only thing he has on hand to disguise himself is a paper bag that he wedges on under his fedora. Thus a man who was a bagman for the mob becomes, The Bagman. He uses a gun because so does everybody else, and he prefers a revolver to an automatic—that alone ought to tell you he’s a little bit different. Working with him, and every bit his equal, is “Crankshaft” Jones, an ace mechanic and WWI vet who served with The Harlem Hellfighters, to win the French Medal of Honor. So here he we have a black man who’s a war hero in France, but comes back to the states and he’s just another face lost in the crowd. Crankshaft is practically Mac’s foster dad, but his best friend, too. Also a bit of a cynic. And, I’d also like to point out that Mac is a character who I plan to evolve, so his future could get a whole lot weirder, and there are some definite signals toward that in the book.
AP: What works in progress can you tell us about?
BCB: Well, let’s see… I’ve got two novelettes for Airship 27 coming out sometime soon here. RAVENWOOD, STEPSON OF MYSTERY, the only occult character in the pulps to actually have supernatural powers. Another, newer BAGMAN story to appear in an anthology of all new pulp heroes. And a novel I’ve started, but have no idea where it’s going, that features Elizabethan playwright and spy Christopher Marlowe coming back to earth as a modern demon hunter. But, I have to say now, as of this second, I just decided I’m going to do another Dan Fowler. How many opportunities am I going to get in this life to write G-Man stories? Which I think kind of brings us back again to this whole pulp revolution. I love this stuff!
AP: What do you think are your strengths as a writer and what are your weaknesses?
BCB:I think one of my best strengths is visualization—at least that’s what I’ve been told. Being a visual thinker, it seems, makes it easier for the writer to pass that picture along to the reader. I’m pretty good with dialogue, and I’m also pretty big on history. Put it this way, I actually enjoy doing research. As far as what I’m not good at? I think plotting might be my weakest point. I like having a general idea of where the story’s going, but I hate writing outlines. Sometimes I finish an outline and there’s a part of my brain that says “Why write the story? You already know what’s going to happen?” Then again, Dashiell Hammet thought plotting was his big weakness, and it didn’t stop him from defining a whole new genre.
AP: Hobbies? Other Interests?
BCB: I like baseball, anybody that reads The Bagman book ought to figure that out. I have to admit I really do spend a lot of my spare time reading. Writing is such an imperfect art form, in that it’s never perfect, and I like to see how other people pull it off. I also ride a bike. I don’t drive. My wife and I buy and sell vintage goods so I always like looking at old stuff. Of course, there’s the whole musician thing, and music is like food: you got to try all kinds. Anybody that knows me also knows I’m a bit of a political activist; I really do hate injustice.
AP: Here’s your chance to give somebody a shoutout or plug something. Go.
BCB: I’ve got a story you can read for free up at SFReader.com, on their annual short story contest page, “How Pappy Got Five Acres Back and Calvin Stayed on the Farm.” It’s got monsters. And you need to check out Andrew Salmon’s The Light of Men. Not your average pulp novel.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life Of B.C. Bell like?
BCB: Oh, I wake up. Have a Pop-Tart. Go back to bed—wait, I think that was an episode of Lifestyles of the Poor and Decrepit…
AP: What else should we know about B.C. Bell?
BCB: I think we should just go right back to “he’s a bundle of contradictions.” Yeah, I may be conflicted, but I’m never boring.
JOHN MORGAN NEAL Co creator/writer of AYM GERONIMO AND THE POST MODERN PIONEERS All concepts and artwork is copyright John Morgan Neal and Todd Fox.
AP: Before we find out who Aym Geronimo is, tell us who John Morgan Neal is.
JMN: John Morgan Neal is a Texan Scot/Cherokee who grew up in the county seat of Grayson County on the edge of the Red River and who has always dreamed about being a storyteller such as the ones that entertained me in my youth in vibrant four colors and on yellowed paged paperbacks. I’m also a bit of a crusty ol’ kook as the regulars over at the Dixonverse, the official message board of Chuck Dixon where I help moderate can attest.
AP: Now, describe Aym Geronimo as a character. Who is she? Where’d the idea come from? What influenced you?
JMN: Aym Geronimo is a quintessential adventurer. She doesn’t do what she does as a job. She isn’t a spy or Tomb Raider or any other occupation that itself brings her to adventure. She herself seeks it out in various ways. Her motivations are to help people and investigate strange things and to basically find things out. And this leads to all sorts of danger. Which she enjoys. It’s why someone with Aym’s abilities doesn’t stay in a lab. She would wither and die there.
The idea came from Doc Savage of course. By way of Buckaroo Banzai. The idea was originally to try and get the license to do Buckaroo after a group of other creators and myself had tried to do the same with the Evil Dead property. But soon it became obvious we should just do our own. So start with the original Doc Savage, toss in some Jonny Quest, Challengers of the Unknown and Fantastic Four and shake well. And tons of other influences as well to be sure. Aym comes from a rich and full pedigree.
AP: Now, although there are a few, there are not a tremendous amount of female lead characters in the pulp genre, particularly in the hero-leader mold you’ve cast Aym in. Tell us how you came to create the character as female.
JMN: To be utterly honest. It came from the name. I wanted a name like Savage and Banzai and we knew we were going with the American Southwest. So I came up with Geronimo and thought about what would work with that and came up with the slightly altered and misspelled short name for Amethyst and came up with Aym. Which for the readers of this interview’s sake is pronounced aim. So Aim Geronimo. Or Aym Geronimo. And it had to be a woman. Very quickly Aym herself started to take shape and form.
AP: Aym has her own cast of characters all around her. Tell us about the Post Modern Pioneers.
JMN: The PostModern Pioneers are Aym’s fellow adventurers, compatriots, allies, and pals that operate with her out of the Wonder Wall, which is located in a wall of the Grand Canyon near the Havasupi reservation. They are all experts and specialists in their respective fields except for one. And he is just Odd. Otis Delacroix to be exact. He has been an adventurer for many years prior to Aym and is her mentor now. He is a mysterious figure of advanced age and copious skills and knowledge that even Aym doesn’t know the full story about. We also have Bird the pilot, driver and mechanic. He had served in the military with Aym’s father and sort of looks out for her as his proxy. His real name is Charlton Portamayne and he tends to try and serve as the voice for reason in Aym’s ear. Which usually is deaf. Esmeralda Kausoulos is a former tomb raiding archeologist and geologist who Aym has given a new lease on life due to Aym’s loyalty to her as her former instructor. Pebbles tends to be saucy and sassy and sexy despite her more mature years starting to show. Danielle Roh, or Granny tinkers in her ‘Kitchen’ in the Wonder Wall as the resident technical and computer genius. She is by far the youngest of the PMP as she is barely out of her teens. She tends to be sardonic sometimes and can be distracted by her many youthful interests but is supremely capable and loyal. Erica ‘Flipper’ Ra is Aym’s best friend and a denizen of the Ocean since she was a little girl and first saw it. It has been a hopeless cause to get her out of it very long since then. Flipper is the provider of boats and diving equipment and information on the watery depths of the planet due to her talents as an Oceanographer. And finally last but not least is Aym’s big brother Granite. Going by his spiritual name of Wind. Aym serves as the expert on Legend Lore and the more esoteric non scientific side of things, many times in opposition to Aym’s point of view. Wind serves as Aym’s conscious and connection to her people. Wind also is an expert tracker and hunter.
AP: You’re working on a major project now concerning Aym and her crew, a story collection. Can you let us in on that?
JMN: That would be Aym Geronimo and the PostModern Pioneers: Tall Tales. It is a collection of prose short stories from various writers who I invited and they knocked it out of the park. The book is currently in the last stages of editing and will then go to the design stage and hopefully will be ready to debut very soon. I am very excited about this book.
(JMN also had his editor on this project, Sarah Beach comment on this question as follows) John asked me (Sarah Beach) as editor of the prose project to comment about this. Since he and Todd had hit some delays in getting a new graphic novel version of Aym and her team into print, John wanted to keep Aym in front of the audience. So some time ago he approached me about writing a prose story using the characters. He said he’d asked a number of other friends to do one as well. He gave us free rein, to use whichever characters we wanted and any type of story. Sometime later, I got involved as editor, proofreading the stories as they came in and doing a little bit of editing. It’s been a lot of fun, because there’s quite a variety of stories in the collection: character pieces, action adventures, mysteries and even a dash of some comedy. And yet, they are all credibly stories of Aym and the PostModern Pioneers. It’s a credit to John in the creation of the characters and the strength of Todd’s artwork that has given them real shape, that so many different writers have caught the nature of them.
AP: Your characters in Aym run pretty much the ethnic gamut. Was that because the characters just developed that way or was there a greater purpose?
JMN: No grand design really. Only that I knew she would have a team and that I wanted to avoid them all being WASP males. Other than that they pretty much came organically without much prior thought. Some of it came from mental casting. Like Bird is a combo of Yaphet Kotto and Morgan Freeman. And I knew I wanted Danille to be a cute little Asian college age girl and I wanted the Archeologist to be from Greece. And Wind had to be Apache like his sister. So that leaves Odd. Who’s just a typical old man. Or is he?
AP: What is in the future for Aym? More comics or other mediums? And as far as stories, anywhere you’re going to take her that we’d like to know about, any interesting locales or situations awaiting Aym that you can share?
JMN: Todd Fox and I are working on 12 page comic story for a special project I can’t mention yet and then we will get back to work on the epic Aym tale “The Devil’s Cauldron” which will be a huge comic volume. Or graphic novel as they are called. We also have wanted to do something online with her and I imagine I will be revisiting the prose world with her. As for locales and situations. There could be a certain large footed mammal missing link in her life and a trip to the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific to stop a cataclysm. And a trip to Russia to track down what might be a Werewolf. I think that’s good enough to whet the appetite for now.
AP: Do you have any other projects that would interest the pulp realm?
JMN: I have a western called Death and Texas that concerns a group of various folks who for one reason or another have “gone to Texas’ either to run from something or run to something. Primary among them is the Chinese American gunslinger named Ran Wu, dubbed The Yellow Devil by the Dime Novels. I also soon will have with my English partner from across the Pond a little number called Them: Atomic Age Heroes. Which is set in the 50’s and concerns the mutinous crew of various aliens on a flying saucer that attempts to save the Earth from their despotic masters.
AP: Thanks for your time and we can’t wait for the further adventures of Aym Geronimo and her Post Modern Pioneers. Any final thoughts?
JMN: Long Live All Pulp. And Aym for Adventure!
To find Aym Geronimo on the web, check out www,aymgeronimo.com And on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aym-Geronimo-and-the-Post-Modern-Pioneers/105564933516
DANNY KELLY, Artist on HALLOWEEN LEGION
All artwork is copyright Danny Kelly. Halloween Legion is copyright Martin Powell and Danny Kelly.
AP: What’s the secret origin of Danny Kelly?
DANNY KELLY: I’ve spent a lifetime in seclusion, with pencil in hand, creating imaginary worlds hoping that just once I’ll create one that I can actually jump in and hide. I attended the Joe Kubert school where I was completely humbled and became rededicated, after school I toiled away in the ”real world” until realizing that I had to escape this world at all costs, and the only way of doing that was to become a professional comics artist, over the last few years I’ve completely immersed myself in comic art and tutorials, eventually spreading my work far enough on the internet that I was ”discovered” by some great folks like Martin Powell and Neil Vokes, who have been so gracious and helpful to me, and it now appears that my sacrifices have paid off. My REAL Secret Origin? I’m a canine-human hybrid from a galaxy nearby who was put on earth to save all of dog-kind. After realizing the impossibility of such a task I decided to draw for a living :)
AP: We’ve heard a little bit about Halloween Legion already but what can you add to it? How did you become involved in the project and how much of a free hand did you have in designing the characters?
DANNY KELLY: Martin has kept alot of the details to himself, I just know it’s a great quirky twist on superheroes and the Horror genre with deceptively simple looking heroes who hide several secrets just below the surface, and the Skeleton, well, much as I’d love to tell you his secret, and it’s a real good one, I just cannot at this time…Martin brought up the idea to me and I told him that of course I’d love to work with him and have something published by Ron Hanna, another one of my favorite people that I’ve been lucky enough to meet online, Martin gave me good thorough descriptions and I drew the crew several times to try to get a feel for them, Martin liked what he saw and I was on! I just had to follow Martin’s descriptions for the characters and try to keep them iconic but unique at once. We’ll see how well I pull that off,lol.
AP: What else are you currently involved in?
DANNY KELLY: Right now I’m involved in self publishing a book that I penciled called The Curse of the Vessel, written by Michael Leal, about a mob gangster who shakes down the wrong guy and gets branded with a sigil that allow the dead to occupy his body, we won the third round of the now-stalled Small Press Idol contest for this year, I also have several small projects and stories in the works with a few different writers, the next thing that I’ve worked on that should be done is M.O.N.S.T.E.R. Home by Dan Barnes, a tale of Van Helsing being admitted to an asylum full of classic Universal Horror monsters, good fun!
AP: For folks who might want to find out more about you or your works, where should they go?
DANNY KELLY: Facebook.com/Dannydog is my profile, send me a friend request! I have no website up just yet, I’m thinking about it but for now Facebook is my best networking tool and where I’ve gotten the most useful feedback on my work, I can also be reached at DrFate420@aol.com
AP: Any dream projects that you’d like to work on?
DANNY KELLY: So very many! I’d love to do several short stories featuring my favorite characters like The Shadow, The Green Hornet, Hourman and Dr. Midnight, Space Ghost, but as someone who was most motivated to pursue comics art by books like Year One, The Killing Joke and Dark Knight Returns, and as someone with the black Golden Age Bat-symbol tattooed on my arm (my first one) I’d love to draw a Batman tale, if just once!
MARTIN POWELL AND ‘THE HALLOWEEN LEGION’
THE HALLOWEEN LEGION are TM and copyrighted by Martin Powell and Danny Kelly
Longtime author Martin Powell recently sat down with All Pulp contributor Barry Reese to talk about his upcoming book THE HALLOWEEN LEGION. THL will be released in October from Wild Cat Books. All images shown are rough preliminary sketches and are not finished artwork.
BR: Tell us a little bit about The Halloween Legion and how it came about.
POWELL: Be glad to. THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is a concept and group of characters that I originally dreamed up many years ago, way back in the vacuous days of high school. One day, during a mind-numbing semantics class, I started sketching these figures in my notebook: a Skeleton, Witch, Devil, Ghost, and a Black Cat, the iconic archetypes of All Hallows Eve.
I remember getting a mild chill when I first drew them all together, a sort of jolt of anticipation. Suddenly I began imagining a whole series of adventures for the weird little group.
Of course, they’ve been simmering in my subconscious until recently, never quite forgotten, and patiently waiting for their chance to be born. I’m actually very glad that I waited this long. I needed the last couple decades of writing experience to prepare me for their debut. This is a very important, very personal project for me.
I’ve always loved the autumn and Halloween in particular. I wanted to somehow capture that feeling of magic and mystery, the sort of thrill you get as a kid when the falling orange and yellow leaves appear to follow you down the street. It’s too brief a season and I suppose in some crazy way I wanted to have that feeling with me always. THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is the result of that yearning.
BR: You’re collaborating on this project with Danny Kelly — what is he bringing to the table that you think will enhance the experience for readers?
POWELL: I hand-picked Danny from a number of artists that I had to choose from. There is something raw and elemental in his artwork that mixes perfectly with what I had in mind for these characters. I look at Danny’s drawings and I immediately smile. I wanted his sense of energetic, creepy fun.
Although I had lots of suggestions, and directed him a little, Danny essentially designed the visuals of THE HALLOWEEN LEGION himself. The fact that he gives the Ghost such amazing expressions, in spite of the fact that he’s a kid wearing a simple sheet with eye-holes cut out, is phenomenal.
I didn’t want this group to be photo-realistic, and the works of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams were closer to what I had in mind. Danny fits that sort of style perfectly, while also maintaining his own artistic identity.
BR: The promotional artwork by Danny Kelly suggests a somewhat fanciful tone to the book. Is this an all-ages story or something a bit darker?
POWELL: Hmm. It’s tough to describe. Sounds ambitious, I know, but I’ve always wanted THE HALLOWEEN LEGION to appeal to everyone, kid and grown-up alike. I suppose I can safely compare the book to John Bellairs’ eerie mysteries in its tone. I love his scary novellas.
There is a certainly a whimsical side to my story, but it’s pretty dark, too, even terrifying in some places, I hope. Fans of the pulps, Harry Potter, and Baum’s Oz books will probably feel quite at home here, but I like to think that THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is unique and original.
BR: Again, just by looking at the promotional images, it seems like this is perfectly suited to become a continuing series and even has possibilities for multimedia usage. Any plans for any of this?
POWELL: That’s exactly what I’ve always had in mind for them. Although Danny and I are starting THE HALLOWEEN LEGION off with an illustrated novella, we have lots of other plans, too. I’d love to do HL comic books, animation, action figures, lunch boxes, t-shirts, Halloween masks, radio shows, newspaper comic strips, feature films, and even a gentler picture book version for younger kids, too. I’m going to do my best to make all of that happen.
BR: This is your first foray into the Wild Cat Books publishing line. How long have you known publisher Ron Hanna and what led to WCB becoming the home for The Halloween Legion?
POWELL: Actually, I first worked for Wild Cat Books several years ago, co-writing the Captain Hazzard novel, “The Citadel of Fear”, with Ron Fortier. I’d wanted to do something more for quite a long while, but I could never manage to free up enough time in my schedule.
I’m a full-time freelance writer, and in order to make a living at this I need to write constantly. Luckily, my desk is usually happily swamped with contracted projects, but there just never seemed to be time for anything more.
Then, several months ago, Ron Hanna made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He offered to publish anything I wanted to write. Anything. Anything at all. In over two decades as a professional writer, no one has ever done that for me. I’ve always been lucky enough to get to write for many terrific characters, like Superman, Batman, The Spider, and Sherlock Holmes, but I’ve very rarely ever been given the opportunity to create, and to own, my own characters.
Well, I doubled up on my writing schedule, working twelve hour days and more, including weekends. Fortunately, I hardly ever sleep. After a few months, I’d finally cleared the space necessary to devote to Wild Cat Books. I thought about what I wanted to do for a few weeks. Ron had stressed “anything” I wanted, after all. That’s quite a situation to wrap your mind around.
Then, THE HALLOWEEN LEGION reacquainted themselves to me, from the back corners of my brain. Of course! I thought, with a distinct, rather giddy thrill. It had to be them. Just had to be. They had been waiting so long for me to get my act together. So, I dusted the cobwebs off my little group and contacted Danny Kelly almost immediately. And now here we are.
BR: You’re also busy these days with Moonstone’s Return of the Originals project. Any information you’d like to share on that front?
POWELL: Thanks for mentioning that. I’m the writer on the new comic book series for THE SPIDER, with artist Pablo Marcos, which is a dream come true for me. In addition to the regular comic book series, I’m also writing a semi-regular illustrated SPIDER prose pulp ‘zine, too. I’ve lots of plans for THE SPIDER.
Also, I’m writing KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD, in collaboration with artist, Tom Floyd. I should mention that Tom is the recent recipient of the Golden Lion Award from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliophiles, in recognition of his Tarzan and other Burroughs work. Past recipients have been folks like: Hal Foster, Russ Manning, Harlan Ellison, Johnny Weissmuller, Joe Jusko, and Frank Frazetta, so I’m honored to be working with Tom. He’s also my best friend.
BR: For folks who might be interested in learning more about you and your work, where should they go?
AP: We’ll start with an easy one. Tell us a bit about Radio Western Adventures and what attracted you to this project.
BC: RWA started out because I was licensing these other novels from Don Glut. Don said he had a short story that was a western featuring every radio, movie serial and TV cowboy he ever loved getting together for one last heroic adventure. It was a short story, and not a novel – but how could I pass that up?
At first it was sort of an orphan and I really thought the story would end up being a bonus feature for one of our other novels we’re publishing with Don, but after I read it I knew that it could stand on its own, and I needed to create a book package around it. Then it hit me that since there were all these tie-in comics for many of these radio heroes back in the day then there could have, should have been a tie-in pulp for some of these over-the-air cowboys. That’s when I came up with the idea of Radio Western Adventures – a pulp that was created as a promotional tool by the radio stations who broadcast these particular programs.
Once we came up with the premise as to how this particular pulp have existed, I went about creating the sort of magazine this could have been.
AP: Radio Western Adventures features a story by Donald F. Glut. Is this a new or previously unpublished story by Mr. Glut? Please, tell us a bit about “Who Really Was That Masked Man?”
BC: “Masked Man” is Don’s love letter to all those cowboy heroes he grew up with – on the radio, at the movies and on television. The story takes all of those western hero archetypes and brings them together for one last adventure. The names and costumes are somewhat different, but you’ll recognize all sorts of cowboys from the thrilling days of yesteryear.
AP: Radio Western Adventures also features a story by Doc Savage creator Lester Dent. Please, tell us a bit about “Snare Savvy” and how it came to be part of this project and what part Will Murray played in making it happen.
BC: Will Murray saw our website and the book’s cover (by artist Nik Macaluso), and contacted me afterward about “Snare Savvy.” He offered the story to us to publish and after I read it I negotiated for the rights to this never-before-seen story by Dent. It happened very quickly as far as these things go which is the speed at which I like to operate.
AP: Radio Western Adventures is dedicated to radio historian and author, Jim Harmon, who passed away earlier this year. How did Mr. Harmon’s legacy impact this book?
BC: When the book was being assembled Jim passed away. I had briefly corresponded with him regarding licensing some of his stories for Pulp 2.0 Press. We never did a deal, and I always regretted that. Jim’s book THE GREAT RADIO HEROES was one of those books I nearly wore the cover off of at my local library when I was a teen. I knew he had been a longtime friend and collaborator of Don’s so it seemed natural for RWA to became a tribute book to Jim at some point. It just felt right – especially when Don told me that he originally wrote the story for one of Jim’s books.
AP: Your press release mentions that Radio Western Adventures will be available through Kindle first, then in print at a later date. Not to debate print vs. Digital, but how has digital publishing helped your company compete in a very competitive publishing landscape?
BC: There is no debate regarding digital v. print. Each has its place in our Pulp 2.0 business plan. Because we deal in pulp – we are essentially creating entertainment that is meant to be consumed quickly and easily. It’s fast food in that regard. Thanks to today’s technology we are able to digitally recreate the speed and spread by which the old pulps used to operate and distribute their stories. If someone out there is bored and wants a great read now – we have something for them to download and start reading right away. Trust me, they won’t be bored for long!
If we manage to create a fan out of them then they can collect our print editions. These books feature behind-the scenes bonus features just like your favorite special edition DVDs. Thanks to the technology we are able to cater to different market segments and satisfy their needs with what we feel is fun, unique entertainment.
We’re also using the internet to promote our books – through sites like yours, through our social networks and through videos we create and distribute through Youtube. We’re a small outfit and you won’t find us in bookstores – but thanks to technology we’re going to be everywhere else. If you see us at a convention or a signing, please come up and tell us where you found out about us, and what you want to see from Pulp 2.0 Press.
AP: I’ve noticed something of a resurgence of western prose beginning to happen, especially in the United States, where westerns have not been hot sellers as they are in other parts of the world. Do you think it’s time for the western novels to make a comeback?
BC: I sure hope so, but to be honest I think they never really left. My father is a huge western fan and he’ll devour paperback after paperback of all sorts of western series books. In that very large, very crowded market I hope we’ve created something unique with Radio Western Adventures.
AP: Where can readers find information on Pulp 2.0 Press?
BC: The number one spot of course is our website at www.pulp2ohpress.com where you can sign up for our newsletter or you can join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/pulp2ohpress . We run special reader promotions through both sites so there’s a chance you could win a free book, or a signed limited edition cover proof, or a poster or t-shirt.
AP: What other books can readers find from Pulp 2.0 Press?
BC: Our first book BROTHER BLOOD is also by Don Glut and is available in print or digital through our website. It’s the perfect book for horror- blaxploitation fans. It’s another unique story in that it was originally written in 1969 pre-dating its famous cousin BLACULA by several years, and features actual 1960’s Sunset Strip locations as the swinging background for its sinister blood-sucking.
AP What upcoming Pulp 2.0 Press projects can you tell us about at this time?
We are the official publisher of Don’s NEW ADVENTURES OF FRANKENSTEIN SERIES. That’s 11 novels of pure pulp horror-adventure. The cover is by fan favorite artist Mark Maddox, and again we are making each book a unique monster-lovers’ experience. Don has opened up his extensive archives of Frankenstein memorabilia and we’re including a lot of it in the bonus sections of the series.
We also have a book which is an action-packed tribute to Republic studios called JAWBREAKER… a series of classic Kindle-only pulp magazines that will be available at the low low price of only 99 cents each…
And two COMIC BOOK series which pack a pulp one-two punch. We’ll be announcing those later this year as soon as the contracts are signed. Again we’re going to be releasing those digitally first followed by the collectible print editions.
Then we’ll be moving into Phase II where you’ll see original book series written in the pulp aesthetic. These will be scifi, fantasy, horror and adventure books that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. We’ll also be continuing our mission to republish the best in yesteryear’s pulp entertainment for today’s audience.
STAY TUNED FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH VETERAN WRITER DON GLUT, A COMPANION TO THIS EXCELLENT CONVERSATION WITH BILL CUNNINGHAM!!
BILL CRAIG, Author of the Hardluck Hannigan series, the Jack Riley books and more!
AP: Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down with us! Before we get into a discussion about your writing, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how the writing bug ended up biting you?
Bill: The writing bug bit me before I even turned five. I taught myself to read on Dan Frontier when I was four years old and started writing my own stories at age 6.
AP: You have several series that are ongoing but let’s start with Hardluck Hannigan. Tell us how you came up with the character and a little bit about his adventures?
Bill: Hardluck Hannigan came about through a group discussion with Sean Ellis and Wayne Skiver. We were talking about a shared universe of pulp era characters and I came up with Hardluck Hannigan. I ended up using a much older version of Hardluck Hannigan in the Jack Riley book the Mummy’s Tomb, and I liked him enough to want to see how he had eveolved into that man so the fantastic adventures of Hardluck Hannigan were born.
AP: You’ve done other books besides the Riley and Hannigan ones — can you let our readers know about the other genres you like to dabble in?
Bill: I also write in the mystery and suspense fields. I write the Decker PI or Sam Decker books and have The Butterfly Tattoo a noir suspense thriller featuring Bayport Detective Joe Collins.
AP: When it comes to the pulp market right now, what are your favorite “new” authors and characters? Or do you usually stick to the classics?
Bill: I tend to stick to the classics like Doc Savage and the Shadow and the Avenger, but Mack Bolan is also a favorite as well as Remo Williams. I have read a Rook Novel and a Captain Hazzard and find them great fun as well.
AP: Can you tell us how your writing process works? Do you outline extensively or are you one of those who likes to wing it?
Bill: I admit I wing it. I start out with a paragraph long proposal and then go where the characters take me…
AP: If our readers would like to find out more about you and your writings, where should they go?
Bill: The Bill Craig author’s page on amazon.com is the best place but I also have an author’s page on facebook and Hardluck Hannigan has his own page there as well.
WAYNE REINAGEL, Publisher and Writer ofPulp Heroes! Trilogy
AP: Wayne, I’m personally delighted to be interviewing you on behalf of ALL PULP! As you may know, if I include me darlin’ daughter, Alanna, our family has had a love affair of a storgian nature, of course, with bronze & silhouette pastiches! To me no pastiche is just a mere imitation of its source!! This is what I love most about pastiches & it’s that not only has their creator paid tribute to a character they admire but have gone the extra mile to make them their own!!! Each pastiche has had something extra added to them so none of them are just carbon copies of the original! This can definitely be said for your landmark making trilogy as soon as anyone opens the pages of PULP HEROES! This being said, let me offer you an overflowing helping of questions that you can pick & choose to answer. A goal of twenty-one questions being answered would be most fortuitous, all around! Please remember, that as a curriculum specialist; test development, scoring & analysis has been part & parcel of my 36 year career as a professional educator. Yeah, as weird as some of these questions may sound there’s a reason behind each one of them! Here goes: (Those who answered similar questions, before, salute you!)
WR: Well said, Sarge! The main goal of writing PulpHeroes was to step outside the established box. This trilogy isn’t about exploring things that have already been written. After all, as you said, who needs an exact (or even pale) carbon copy of the original? These PulpHeroes stories assume that every main hero has already battled their fair share of vampires, mummies, crooks, gangsters, Nazis, and the occasional madman. PulpHeroes explores a world beyond, where heroes and villains die, deadly family secrets are discovered, and our heroes are truly fighting for their very lives. It’s an on-the-edge-of-your-seat action/adventure story of epic proportions, with the dial cranked up past 11. “Lightning in a bottle,” as one reader described it.
Being a true fan of the original pulp heroes of the 1930’s and 1940’s, I originally wanted to use the real characters. However, obtaining the necessary copyrights for a story of this scope would have been impossible. And, honestly, writing this as an ‘alternate earth’ works much better, since I can step outside the confines of the sandbox without offending long-time fans or battling corporation lawyers. The goal wasn’t to reinvent the wheel or rewrite history, although I might have bent the established boundaries slightly. This is a true period piece. You won’t find cell phones alongside zeppelins and I pray those “ten 70 year-old fans”, that other writers tend to disregard and disrespect, will love these novels just as much as new readers.
So, taking a page from Planetary and LeagueofExtraordinaryGentlemen, the original names and characters have been altered where absolutely necessary, and kept whenever possible.
AP: It’s grand to have this golden opportunity to interview you! Did we catch you at a good time? Are you comfortable? Would you care for a cup of coffee, tea or an ice-cold glass of loganberry? I’d offer you an espresso but a diminutive extraterrestrial has taken up residence in our machine.
WR: As you can see above, I am already pumped to begin. I couldn’t even wait for the first question to start, before writing answers. I am happy to announce that this is my first interview regarding my Pulp Heroes novels. (By the way, I’ll contact a friend at NASA to help you with your E.T. problem after the interview. Are we talking Barsoomian or Venusian?)
AP: When & where were you born & raised? In PULP HEROES you gave us a rather colorful background to the mysterious man behind Knightraven Studios! Do you think you can level with us & give us the facts, mam … er, sorry, I meant to say sir but slipped into my “Dragnet” persona!
WR: Obviously, you are referring to the ‘Have you seen this lunatic?’ poster which reads:
Wayne Reinagel is a short, hairy gnome-like creature who dwells in dimly illuminated Hobbit burrows and cackles madly to himself as he pecks away at his computer keyboard. Raised on a steady diet of paperback novels, Mountain Dew, comic books, Snickers, and adventure movies, he churns out a steady flow of poetry, paintings, novels and other silly stuff. Warning: If sighted, approach with extreme caution!
That’s actually a fairly accurate description. Born in Collinsville, Illinois nearly five decades ago, I’ve never moved more than ten miles away from home. My parents are good people and I enjoy being able to visit with them whenever time allows.
AP: Could you tell us a bit about your childhood? Were you an only child or the youngest, middle or oldest child in a larger crew of siblings? Where did you attend school? Were you bookish or enjoyed sports? Were you a loner or a teamplayer kinda scout?
WR: The third of four sons, attended Collinsville High School in small town Illinois, enjoyed sports but was never really a team player. Yep, always the last one picked for softball. But this made me an independent free-thinker, not relying on others to complete any task. Always suffered from a ‘can-do’ attitude. If I don’t know how to do something, I teach myself.
AP: What kind of books did you like to read as a child? Did your parents read to you, when you were young? What did they read to you? What was the first science fiction that you read?
WR: My parents never really read much. In the first week of second grade, I was nearly kicked off the school bus for bad behavior and was instructed to sit quietly in the front seat, directly behind the driver. I knew my folks would throw a fit if I got into trouble, so I dug into my backpack and fished out a brand new Dracula novel, which I had only bought because it featured a cool Bela Lugosi cover. This was the first novel I ever read and was immediately hooked. From there, I began reading all the Victorian classics, including Frankenstein, WaroftheWorlds, JourneytotheCenteroftheEarth, TheInvisibleMan, TheLostWorld, TheThreeMusketeers, and many more. Nearly every book the Scholastic program offered. Looking back, that was some pretty heavy reading for a seven year-old. I spent every penny of my allowance on books and within the next few years I had assembled quite a library. By reading about adventures in distant lands and faraway worlds, I was able to escape the confines of Smallville … I mean Collinsville.
AP: How were you introduced to Doc Savage & other pulp heroes? Did you read John Carter or Tarzan first?
WR: In 1969, my father bought DocSavage Bantam novel #62 – ThePirate’sGhost, for me and my older brother, Steve. (Dad’s never admitted to reading the original pulps, but I think he had exposure to them, being born in the late twenties.) I was immediately hooked. A local store was going out of business and was selling the entire run for a dime per book. I begged my folks for six dollars to buy them all, but times were hard and I had to settle for fifty cents. It took another thirty years to fill in all the missing gaps in my Doc Savage collection. Steve and I took turns reading each one as we discovered them at other stores. Doc Savage was such a timelessly classic series that it wasn’t until later that I discovered they were originally written in the 30’s and 40’s. Two years later, I began buying the Avenger reprints as they came out. The Shadow, John Carter, Tarzan, and many others soon followed, but I always gravitated back to the Doc Savage stories.
AP: What were your favorite movies, television shows & music as a youngster? What impact do you think they had on your writing?
WR: Naturally, as a child of the 60’s and 70’s I grew up watching StarTrek, LostinSpace, TwilightZone, BattlestarGallactica, Space1999, etc. Anything that involved science fiction or action/adventure. I didn’t see many movies on the big screen until StarWars and IndianaJones. By the mid 70’s, bored by most TV programs, I began reading a lot of comics, including Avengers, NickFury, CaptainAmerica, IronMan, Thor, Submariner, Xmen, FantasticFour and Batman. I wasn’t a true Marvel zombie, but danged close. Reading Doc Savage novels and comic books, and listening to Rock music by ELO, Styx, Meatloaf and Aerosmith, carried me through the 70’s and early 80’s.
AP: What or who was your motivation behind Knightraven Studios?
WR: I established Knightraven Enterprises in the early 80’s, printing illustrations, portfolios and posters, hoping to catch the eye of the editors at Marvel or DC Comics. The name changed to Knightraven Books when I self-published two joke books in the mid 90’s. And changed again to Knightraven Studios LLC with the publication of the Pulp Heroes novels. Nowadays, I’m so busy writing and illustrating my own books that I no longer have any real desire to work for any of the major comic book companies.
AP: When did you begin writing? Was there a teacher, friend or relative that encouraged you to become a writer?
WR: I was about 12 years old when my older brother Steve noticed something that completely altered my life. Pointing at X-Men #50 and Nick Fury #2, he noted that a fella named Jim Steranko had illustrated both covers. Oddly enough, until that moment, it never occurred to me that someone could actually make a living drawing comic books. Then we noticed that this Steranko guy had also written the stories for both books. At that very moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a writer/illustrator. Although I’ve been sidetracked throughout my life, working as a draftsman, a lumber salesman, a homebuilder, this has always remained my one true goal. I’ve written hundreds of unpublished comic book scripts, many of which might be altered slightly and used in future novels. There’s even a 1200 page illustrated space odyssey adventure packed away in a box in my studio that I might return to someday.
AP: Is it true that the thought provoking illustrations in PULP HEROES were wrought by your own hands? If so, where were you taught to draw so well? If not, did you & your illustrator experience the Vulcan mind meld?
WR: I began drawing at age 12. Over the past thirty years I’ve used pencils, inks, paints – oils and acrylics, and finally moved into computer graphics. I currently use Adobe Photoshop with a digitizer pad or Adobe Illustrator and am 100% pleased with the results. These programs are incredible tools but just like any paintbrush or pen, they still require the user to possess artistic skills. The main difference is that I can complete an illustration in days that previously took weeks when done by hand. And the cleanup afterwards is much easier.
AP: If I were teaching a college level literature course I certainly would make PULP HEROES required reading but I’d still hafta ask you, “What did Robert Lewis Stevenson ever do to to you?”
WR: I write what I consider ‘historical fiction.’ Which means even though it didn’t happen exactly as I write, it very well might have. So, for instance, if Adolph Hitler, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Hugo Danner aka the Gladiator, were all at the front lines at the end of WWI, then there is a possibility that they might have crossed paths. If you read what I did to R.L.S. and read accounts about his last days in the Samoan Islands, then the events that I wrote in Khan Dynasty really could have happened. Marvel Comics calls it ‘What If?’ and DC Comics has ‘Elseworlds.’ My interlinked series of novels takes place in a universe called Infinite Horizons, where Doctor Henry Jekyll might meet Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, and Jules Verne. Roughly half of each novel takes place during the pulp era of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the other half occurs a generation earlier. The Pulp Heroes trilogy covers roughly 150 years, from 1800 to 1950, and travels around the globe.
AP: Are you aware that you gave all of us a glimpse into a very real parallel world when you began writing about pulp heroes & comicbook superheroes that, at first, seem quite familiar but distinctly diverge from the characters they mirror?
WR: Incorporating real world events and events from classic novels alongside the new fictional world helps anchor the entire story. Upon reading the novels, folks will occasionally wonder exactly where reality ends and fiction begins. The basic concept of Infinite Horizons is that there are no real limits. I outline all the known facts and borders, before stretching and manipulating them. I will read entire novels, just to find a few relevant facts. For example, in Khan Dynasty four men meet in Cairo, Egypt in early 1868. By quickly scanning my timeline poster, I discover that the Captain Nemo and the Nautilus passed through the southeastern portion of the Mediterranean on February 13, 1868. (Verne was very precise.) Thus, without altering a single word in Jules Verne’s original novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I can have these men cross paths with the infamous sea pirate. Nemo and the Nautilus appear several times in Pulp Heroes, as do Allan Quatermain, Doctor Henry Jekyll, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Rasputin, Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger, Ned Land, Hugo Danner, Jack the Ripper, and a cast consisting of dozens of well-known characters. Infinite Horizons does not challenge any of the elements, events or timelines of the original works, but rather it adds richly detailed, chronologically accurate tales – occurring before, after and sometimes even during the events of many existing novels and short stories, such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Gladiator, King Solomon’s Mines, Lost World, Thing from Another World, Tai-Pan, etc.
AP: PULP HEROES: MORE THAN MORTAL is populated with both major & minor characters from classic literature, comic books & the pulps. What made you open your trilogy with Captain Lucifer?
WR: I wanted to show a lead character and his supporting cast that closely mimicked Doc Titan and his five friends, to illustrate from the very beginning that really bad things could happen to any of these mystery men.
AP: With the appearance of a marvel-ous patriotic hero & the master of magic what’s your opinion of the other major comicbook? Is it that you didn’t care much for George Reeves or Adam West in your formative years?
WR: I’ve enjoyed most of the mainstream Marvel characters for the last 40 years. There have been good years and bad, good writers/illustrators and bad. I’ve also collected several of the DC mainstream, such as Batman, Warlord, or Green Arrow. Personally, I found it difficult to believe in Superman, when he moves planet earth in one issue and the very next issue a ten year-old boy beats the crud out of him. Kryptonite, yeah right. I prefer more grounded heroes, where it’s possible for a real person to attain superpowers or enhancements, or better yet, trained to acquire them. Much like Doc Savage, Shadow, Spider, Batman, Daredevil, Captain America or even Doctor Strange. And that’s why I have a dark knight, a sorcerer supreme, or a sentinel of justice, pop up as a supporting member of the cast. The heroes who existed in the last days before the appearance of the ‘superhero.’
AP: How soon before PULP HEROES: SANCTUARY FALLS will be available on the internet?
WR: I am currently writing both Sanctuary Falls and the first novel of the next trilogy, which takes place in the same Infinite Horizons universe, but involving a different cast of main characters. Hopefully they will both be done in the spring of 2011. But you don’t need Sanctuary Falls to enjoy the first two novels. Each novel is a standalone story.
AP: Do you know how many Language Arts teachers bought your immensely informative timeline poster? The educated consumer would like to know!
WR: I’m not really certain, but many of the local libraries now have a copy hanging on the wall. I’ve distributed several hundred and everyone seems to enjoy them. With over 800 events – both real and imaginary (clearly identified as to which), and a huge listing of births and deaths of the most famous people and characters of the last 150 years, it takes several hours to read the entire poster.
AP: Did you ever see “Twilight of the Gods?”
WR: If you’re referring to the 1995 movie, where after a pitched battle, a Maori warrior finds a wounded European soldier and helps him back to health – I haven’t had an opportunity to find and watch it. But it sounds interesting.
If you’re referring to the end of the world and the end of all the gods, including Thor, and the inevitable doom of Ragnarok – only what I’ve read in the Thor comics. Unfortunately, mythology is the stuff of legends that appeals to me the least. The various gods are too much like Superman, with vast extremes in their strengths and weaknesses. Even Thor would allow himself to get beaten silly in nearly every issue, before pulling out the big guns and frying his adversary with a bolt of lightning. The biggest attraction to mythology was when I decided to christen the main family of characters Titan, the title taken from the children of the original Greek Gods. I really couldn’t believe that nobody had used the name Doc Titan before.
AP: If you were to take a two dozen tweens (preteens) on a field trip where would you take them?
WR: To the public library computer department, where they can access and visit the ALLPULP website and also introduce them to LibroVox.org, where they can download and listen to thousands of public domain novels, including many of the first pulps.
One of my goals in writing Pulp Heroes and introducing so many characters in my novels is enticing younger readers to search out and read the original classics from the Victorian and pulp eras. In the back of my books, there are two entire pages listing novels, pulps and short stories that I highly recommend.
AP: What summer television shows have you been following?
WR: LOST, Survivor, and CSI were the only shows I’ve watched this year. I tend to read a lot, both for recreation and for research, and I have overflowing bookshelves of novels and comics that I still hope to read soon.
AP: Anyone reading your trilogy thus far would say you’re hinting at the existence of Agharta. What have you been reading?
WR: Actually, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne was the second book I read, right after Dracula. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed reading the Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar/Earth’s Core series and Mike Grell’s Warlord series. And so the answer is, yes, we will be seeing much more of the hollow earth (Agharta/Skartaris/Pellucidar) in Sanctuary Falls. Before I wrote Pulp Heroes, I plotted out two movie screenplays, one involving the aforementioned Warlord. The original intent was to submit it to DC Comics, but the story is a perfect fit for Sanctuary Falls.
AP: What was the last movie you’ve seen at the theatre?
WR: This year I’ve seen and enjoyed Iron Man 2, Clash of the Titans, Avatar (wow), and Sherlock Holmes. But one of my all-time favorite movies is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Great soundtrack, believable and likable characters, incredible sets, and I thought it was an intriguing story. Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer were great additions to the cast! Not everyone agrees with my opinion but I enjoyed it much more than the comic book series. Alan Moore wrote about drug addicts, sex offenders and pedophiles. I prefer my heroes to be, well, more heroic. The LXG movie and the Planetary comic book series were my two greatest inspirations when I began writing Pulp Heroes.
AP: What’s your favorite game show? Board game? Place to hang out on a typical Friday night?
WR: Honestly, I’ve never been into role-playing, game shows or board games. Guess it’s all part being an independent, self-achiever. But I currently have one of the best jobs ever, writing about characters like Sherlock Holmes, Jekyll & Hyde, and Frankenstein. For entertainment, I enjoy reading or watching movies about the same characters. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
AP: What conventions have you attended lately? I don’t want to put you on the spot but is there anyone you want to say “hello” to? What upcoming conventions will you be attending? Have you ever been to either Doc Savage convention? Will you be going to either of them this coming year?
WR: This year I attended the Windy City Pulp & Paper in Chicago and the Imagicon in Birmingham, Alabama. Living near St Louis, I hope to attend the Doc Con 2010 this month. I’ve been to the Arizona Con in 2007 and 2009 but, sadly, don’t think I can attend this year. And, yes, I would like to acknowledge my appreciation of my two greatest supporters, my wife and my mother. Pulp Heroes would never had been written without their help.
AP: Well, on behalf of the Spectacled 7 & the readers of ALL PULP I want to thank you again for graciously taking the time to answer some questions for us! Any parting remarks before we tie you up, er, ah, I mean tie this interview up?
WR: First, I want to thank all the folks that have bought the first two novels and the timeline posters. Next, I wish to thank all the people who have both inspired and supported my writing efforts. At the top of this list is Philip Jose Farmer, who wrote some of the greatest pastiche novels about Doc Savage and Tarzan, including the establishing of the original Wold-Newton World. (A huge tip of the hat to Win Scott Eckert and friends for vastly expanding the concept and creating the Wold-Newton Universe.)
Four years ago, I began rereading The Feast Unknown by Philip Jose Farmer, which starts with the line spoken by Tarzan (Lord Grandrith), “Jack the Ripper was my father.” This single line about the Victorian serial killer started my mental wheels turning and became one of the first subplots to Pulp Heroes – More Than Mortal. Although my Infinite Horizons Universe doesn’t match the Wold-Newton Universe mold in every regard, it has been an incredible inspiration. Thanks, PJF!
RON HANNA, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Wild Cat Books
AP: Thanks for joining us, Ron! Can you tell us about your history with the pulps — how did you first discover them and what led to the founding of Wild Cat Books?
RON: Well, like most people my age, I first discovered pulps through the many paperback reprints in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, especially the Doc Savage Bantam books. I’ll never forget the first ones I saw on the newsstand. “Land of Terror”, “Lost Oasis”, “Brand of the Werewolf” all had awesome covers, and when I first saw James Bama’s art, well, that intrigued me even more. I had never heard of Kenneth Robeson before, but he quickly became my favorite author. I read a lot when I was a kid, from Comic Books to the Classics. I always had something to read with me wherever I went. But it wasn’t until many years later that I decided to take my love of books, and pulp fiction in particular, to the next level by starting a fanzine in 1997. It was called “Secret Sanctum” and was probably the first “fan publication” that had glossy full-color artwork. My partner at that time worked in a printing company and he had all the pages printed at work, mailed them to me, where I then collated and stapled them, and then mailed them out to people who had heard about us on the Internet. This was before Facebook, MySpace and other social-networking sites. Back then I used the Prodigy network and everything was just a text message board and Usenet groups. Eventually, my partner and I parted ways, and I began Wild Cat Books, using my experience to try and make something even better than before. It was also in those early days that I discovered pulp fandom and met a variety of people who had the same interests as me. I still work with some of those people to this date.
AP: In the early days of WCB, the Internet was quite different. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in pulp fandom over the years?
RON: I would have to say the social-networking sites such as Facebook, Yahoo and others. They opened up a much wider world and the vast advances in technology and software allowed much more discourse and interaction between fans all over the world. Although there have been many various conventions for over a generation, I believe it was some of these changes that really changed a lot of things. It used to be that only very wealthy people could afford a Web Site, but nowadays it seems the costs are much more reasonable, and it can really help a small-press publisher when they have their own page where they can showcase their work and attempt to attract new fans and readers. I say this with a caveat however: There is a big push toward everything becoming digital these days and the eBook format has become extremely popular. I have nothing against that, and we even have produced some digital books of our own, but to me there is nothing like holding a book or magazine in your hands. The tactile sensations, the smell of the paper or newsprint, the ability to have something really tangible to hold and treasure is something that is very important to me, and as a publisher I will never stop producing “hard copy” as my main source of publishing. Maybe it’s because of the generation I grew up in, but to me, an eBook could never replace an actual, real book… Besides, I also collect old pulps, comics and books and they are something I proudly display in my home. To me, those are repositories of adventure and imagination that I will never tire of, and I can re-read them even if the power goes out to the Internet or the batteries die on an eBook reader. Yes, everything does eventually decay or die, but the books on my shelf will always hold a special place in my heart.
AP: The pulp market is getting rather crowded these days — what makes WCB stand out from the rest?
RON: That’s a good question. I’d have to say it’s because of the passion we have for what we do, not to mention the ever-improving quality of our publications. A lot of other companies concentrate on reprints in various genres, which is great for the collector who can’t afford the original issues, and others publish new fiction and characters, but I believe that we are one of the few who are actively publishing both classic and new fiction, and more importantly, history and art reference books as well. We try to offer something for everyone.
AP: Ver Curtiss and Bill Carney are both key members of the WCB production family — can you tell us how they became involved with the company and what their duties are?
RON: Ver is my Art Director, and he has been with me from the very start back in 1997. He submitted some Doc Savage pieces he had done, and as soon as I saw the first one, I begged for more. He and I are totally different people in terms of personality, beliefs and lifestyles, but we have one thing in common: Our love of the pulps and popular culture. That is the bond that has kept us together after all these years, and even despite some clashes and disagreements. I consider him my brother, and I even moved to Virginia from California back in 2001 to live near him. He is an entirely self-taught artist and he works in many different areas: Sculpture, Photography, and he’s now also working as a comic book artist for Moonstone Comics illustrating the “Black Angel” series for their Air Fighters title, which is written by Martin Powell. Ver has also done the interior art for Moonstone’s “Domino Lady” prose anthology. His work is in high demand, but he always will find the time to do something new for me if I need something special done on a moments notice. He is one of the most talented and wonderful person I’ve ever known.
Bill Carney joined WCB about 3-4 years ago when he and his brother Chris submitted their original creation “The Scarlet Shroud” to me for possible publication. Both of them are talented artists, and while Chris does most of the story writing, Bill is also a fine writer who has written some fine historical reference pieces, especially dealing with Science Fiction and Fantasy. He’s one of the most knowledgeable people in those areas that I’ve ever met. And like Ver, he’s also a great person to be around. He and I have gone to conventions together, I spend a few days each year visiting him in Upstate New York, as well as both of us going to visit his brother Chris in Pennsylvania. We all get along great, and I look forward to each of my trips to visit them. However, the best thing that Bill does is Graphic Design. I used to do all the book formatting for our titles myself, and while they were “acceptable” they were nowhere near as good as what Bill can do. He’s a professional designer by trade, and has even won some national awards for his Production Design work, and I finally approached him about becoming the head designer for WCB and he has really delivered the goods! I’ve had several people tell me that our titles are some of the most professional and beautifully designed books on the market today, and I owe all that to Bill… which is one of the reasons I recently promoted him to Managing Editor. He’s not only a voracious reader, but he knows how to best edit stories that are submitted to us. And, to tell the truth, what with all the “management” details I have to deal with as the publisher, it made perfect sense to have him edit our books as well. He’s much better at it than I ever was! He’s also in charge of our revival of the old pulp “Startling Stories”. He has full editorial control over that project, and I’m very thankful that he loves doing it. It really is one of our finest on-going projects.
AP: Looking back, what books has WCB published in the past that you think are ones you’re particularly proud of?
RON: Well, I love all my children equally (joke!) but I would have to say I’m really proud of some of our Pulp History reference books by Award-winning historian Wooda “Nick” Carr. He grew up with the pulps (he’s in his mid-80’s now) and, like Ver, has been with me from the beginning. Each issue of my various fanzines always had a new article by him… but it’s the book collections I’m most proud of: “The Pulp Hero”, “Master of the Pulps”, and “The Pulp Magazine Scrapbook”… All of these belong on any pulp fan’s bookshelf… “Pulp Hero” is an encyclopedia of over 100 heroes and villains, plus a complete bibliography of all of Nick’s articles and books. “Master” contains a variety of some of his finest articles gathered over the years from various publications. But the “Pulp Magazine Scrapbook” is something totally different. This contains copies of the letters that Nick received over the years from many of the original pulp writers and artists: Walter Gibson, Robert G. Harris, Harry Steeger, Ryerson Johnson, and many more. It’s a historian’s dream to actually go back in time and read what the creators had to say about their work and what it was like back in the days of pulp fiction.
Another one of my favorites is “The Captain Future Handbook” by Chuck Juzek. It’s a hard-cover full-color book that contains everything you could possibly want in regards to this classic space hero. It has complete story summaries, the very rare first chapter written by Edmond Hamilton that was only published previously in a small-press fanzine, and it’s lavishly illustrated with every pulp and paperback cover, including all the German and Japanese editions, and is probably one of the most comprehensive and beautiful books we’ve ever published. It retails for $75.00 but in today’s marketplace, that’s a steal when you consider the high-quality product that you’ll receive. It’s a true masterpiece!
Another book I’m very proud of is K.G. McAbee’s “Bewitched by Darkness”, a collection of some of this Award-winning writer’s finest short stories with Cover and Interior Art by the fantastic British artist Nick Neocleous. Nick has illustrated a lot of our book covers, and every one of them has been a winner. He’s one of my favorite artists, and he’s always willing to pitch in and do wonderful work for us. He’s been involved with some high-profile characters such as “Doctor Who” and “Indiana Jones”, so he’s always in demand, but I’m very happy he is able to find the time to work with a small-press company such as WCB. We even published a full-color art book of his finest pieces called “Cosmic Eye”, which is another book I’m very proud of. It’s absolutely beautiful…
Another character I really enjoy is “The Rook” created and written by Barry Reese. I can’t name just one book as there are now five volumes in the series, each one better than the last. These books are pure pulp action and adventure, and some of the Cover Artists include Storn Cook, Frank Brunner, Norm Breyfogle and Anthony Castrillo. Not only are there some great original characters in these tales, but the author also brings in some classic pulp heroes that are in Public Domain, which makes this series so much fun for all of us fans… These are some really great tales!
I could go on and on, but I really do like all our books, and the weird thing is that some of our best, and my personal favorites, are not always our best-sellers… Go figure…
AP: One of WCB’s key components is STARTLING STORIES, a revival of a classic pulp magazine. Can you tell us about the magazine and are you accepting submissions for it at the present time?
RON: “Startling Stories” is a mutant. We not only reprint classic Golden Age Science-Fiction in each issue, but we even include some of the advertisements that appeared back then. We also include new stories by some of the most talented new writers on the market today such as K.G. McAbee, S. Clayton Rhodes, and others. We also have a Retro-Review section, and in our first issues we were very pleased to offer a comic story written and illustrated by the very talented Ron Wilber. A lot of people really loved his “Saucy Blaine” strip, but that will be ending soon. Ron Wilber is one of the few people on the planet who does not have a computer and has never used the Internet, so he doesn’t get the feedback that all creators desire. Despite the fact that I call him and tell him how much everyone loves “Saucy”, he has apparently lost the desire to continue on with it past the sixth story, which really disappoints me. I hope he regains his enthusiasm again at some point, as I enjoy working with him very much.
As for submissions, yes, we are always accepting submissions for “Startling Stories” of any length. Although it’s only a quarterly magazine, we need to have a supply of tales on hand to give us ample time to plan and pace each issue. We try to maintain a certain page count, and sometimes it’s tough to find just the right story to balance both the texture and variety we try to offer. Not everything has to be Sci-Fi or Fantasy, as we also accept Horror and, well, pretty much anything that could be called “Startling”!
AP: What new titles are on the way and what you can tell us about each?
RON: We have a few books in various stages of development. “Zombies in Time and Space” (an anthology) was recently released, as well as the massive Sword and Sorcery novel “Legends” by Tim Jones with a Cover by a new artist on our team, Gary McCluskey. His work is awesome, and we hope to have a lot more from him in the future. Coming soon is a new book by Rick Lai called “Shadows of the Opera” and “The Halloween Legion” by Martin Powell with Cover and Art by Danny Kelly. And the next issue of “Startling Stories” is always in the works as it’s our one on-going publication that comes out on a quarterly basis. By the time people read this, “The Rook – Volume Five” will be available at Amazon, and we already have the files for Volume Six. I’m hoping to one day see a “Rook” comic book… That would be fantastic. But I’m not holding my breath on that one!
AP: If fans want to purchase WCB books or learn more about the company, where can they do so?
RON: We have a website that I try to keep updated at _www.wildcatbooks.net <http://www.wildcatbooks.net/>_ and it has various pages listing our books at Amazon, as well as our other store that we maintain at lulu.com. You’ll find most of our earlier works at Lulu, but when we had the chance to move to Amazon we discovered that the quality was just as good, if not better, but the production costs were a lot lower so we were able to start pricing our books at a more affordable price in today’s economy than if we had stayed at Lulu.
AP: What’s your stance on public domain characters? WCB has used a few in the past but it’s emphasis now seems to be on original heroes.
RON: I’ve always enjoyed the Public Domain (PD) characters, and have no problem using more of them, but a lot of that depends on what is submitted to us. We recently published a book called “The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown” written by Mike Frigon and lavishly illustrated by Verne Anderson that featured The Moon Man, Doctor Satan, and Secret Agent X… It’s quite good, and I’d love to see more of the same by the creative team. They work quite well together. However, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, there are a lot of other companies using the PD characters so we try to offer more of a variety. A few PD heroes and villains make some appearances in the “Rook” tales, but as far as a new collection of stories or even a full-length novel is concerned, well, it all depends on the writers out there! As I’ve said, if it’s good, we’ll certainly consider publishing it, whether it’s PD characters, original creations or whatever. I will give you a little teaser though… Sometime down the road we plan on publishing the adventures of “Major Toad”, the frog from “The Wind in the Willows” in his own series of pulp adventures! This will hopefully be an on-going series, and the artist is working on the first book’s art even as we speak… We hope that this title will appeal to a wide cross-section of fans, both old and new, and for all ages… From what I’ve seen so far, I’m really excited about it…
AP: At one point, Airship 27 was associated with WCB… there have been many rumors about why the schism occurred, including tales that you and Ron Fortier now hated one another. Can you tell us what happened and what the current state of relations between creators and companies are now?
RON: Well, it’s a long story, but I’ll try to condense it. A few years ago, Ron Fortier of Airship 27 discovered WCB and submitted some really great stuff, and of course I immediately accepted, and even asked for more. Although we were the publisher, RF was the producer and he insisted on total editorial control. For a while that division worked well but eventually I found myself not having a say in anything: writers, artists, even the logo being used were not anything I had a say in, and even some of my suggestions were shrugged off. When he kept rejecting my ideas and insulted one of my best artists, well, that’s when I decided we needed to part ways. I returned all control and rights to his books back to him to re-release under his own publishing company, although some changes were made when he couldn’t get everyone who had been involved before to go along with the changes. I freely admit that there were a lot of hard feelings for quite a while. Too many people in the pulp world know what happened for me to even try to deny it, so I won’t. Yes, I was angry and hurt and he and I didn’t speak for a couple of years. But as they say: “Time heals all wounds” and since the pulp community is so close knit, I realized that there was no way we could, or should, continue under that veil of anger… It was time to let bygones be bygones, water under the bridge and all that. So we finally buried the hatchet (and not in each other’s heads) and agreed that we both had made mistakes and to let it go. He’s doing very well now with his Airship 27 titles, and I wish him all the best. He even told me that if it wasn’t for WCB he probably wouldn’t even be in the pulp business in the first place, and he obviously loves what he’s doing, so in a way, I guess, everything happens for a reason. We’re friends again… and that’s where it stands today. Heck, we’re even friends on Facebook!
AP: Have you read any of DC’s First Wave revivals? What do you think about the changes to the heroes that they’ve made? For that matter, where do you stand on making changes to classic heroes in general?
RON: I have read some of the First Wave revivals and, except for the cover art, I was really not impressed at all. In fact, as much as I love the characters (Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Spirit, etc.) I think DC has made a terrible blunder in how they are presenting these classics. Supposedly, everyone involved wanted to remain true to the “roots” of the pulp heroes, but it seems to me that they basically revamped them to the point that they are no longer recognizable to me. However, that being said, I really don’t have many problems with making some changes to the classics. But it has to be done with respect and love, and I didn’t get that feeling at all from DC’s revisionist take on them. They pretty much ruined the characters for all of us long-time fans, and by presenting them in the way they have, I doubt if new readers would be willing to read the original tales (which were so much fun), and that’s too bad, because the original tales make for very fine reading. In fact, I wish they would have adapted all those great stories to comics rather than see them turn out to be a miserable tragedy, and epic failure, for everyone involved with them.
AP: On a related note, how do you feel about Moonstone’s Return of the Originals?
RON: Now those are something I’m looking forward to reading because I know that Moonstone has a very high regard for keeping the faith! I haven’t read any of them yet (I don’t get to the local comic store as much as I used to) but from all I know about the creators involved, I have much higher expectations for this project than any others I’ve seen recently. In fact, I’m pretty much disgusted with all comics today. There’s only a few out there that I would even consider buying on a regular basis. DC and Marvel have both become gross distortions of their former selves, bloated from their greed, and I’m at the point where most comics no longer have the attraction to me that they did before. I’d rather spend my money on old Silver Age comics that I grew up with as a child. Those were inspiring and bring back many wonderful memories. Today’s comics pretty much just suck…
AP: As one of the elder statesmen in pulp and a Munsey Award Nominee, your words carry a lot of weight in the community. Does this ever influence your publishing decisions in any way?
RON: Well, thanks for the kind words, but I don’t consider myself as anything special. I’m just someone who really loves the pulps, the heroes, comics, and pretty much everything related to our Popular Culture. The only thing that I ever consider when making publishing decisions is: Do I like it?… I try to print the type of things that I would personally want to read. Not all of our books sell like gangbusters, but I’ve never been in this for the money… I do this because I really and truly love doing it… and I only hope our fans enjoy our books as much as I do!
JOE GENTILE, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, Moonstone
JOE GENTILE (on right)
AP: Joe, first off, thanks a lot for sitting down with All Pulp! We definitely understand how busy you are with all the irons in the fire that Moonstone has, so this interview is definitely much appreciated. To kick this off, give us some background on you, as much as personal info as you want to give as well as your background in the publishing industry.
JG: Ah, starting off with the not-so pulp adventure life I have led, eh?
Well, lets see…briefly…I have been a freelance writer for many (many) years now, have a book retail background, a television production background, and I play bass guitar in a working band.
AP: Now that we know all about its brain and backbone, give us a brief history of Moonstone. Where it started, what Moonstone’s overall mission and purpose has been, etc.
JG: Moonstone started from the ashes of a company that never quite made it off the ground about 15 years ago. A bunch of us creators in the Chicagoland area suddenly had a bunch of projects without homes.
I was interested in having another publisher pick up those titles, but we didn’t really find what we were looking for, so my partner Dave Ulanski talked me into doing it ourselves. Dave, Rafael Nieves, and myself started up Moonstone at that point there. We published a bunch of small press b/w creator-owned comics. This went on this way for years.
One day, on the day before I was leaving for a Vegas vacation…(!)…I thought “hey. Why aren’t there comics about the White Wolf Games stuff?’’…and “what about all of these other cool characters…and pulps that I like? Someone should do something with those guys!
So, even though I left for vacation, this was pressing on my brain. When I got back, I started with the phone calls…cold…never having had to track down licensors, contracts, creative teams, etc. Just jumped in. Saying this out loud…now….the idea seems insane.
So our purpose became “telling good stories” foremost, and bringing NEW fans to comics (or fans who left) by having material based on sources OUTSIDE of comics (like the pulps, old time radio, newspaper strips, TV, etc.
AP: Moonstone is known largely for bringing established characters from the past, most if not all of them in the Public Domain, and introducing them to a modern audience. Moonstone has done this in a volume that no other publisher really has. The question is, why? Why the focus on these characters that some say may have outlived their own value?
JG: Well, first, I must set you straight a little…MOST of what we do is licensed. Very few characters of interest are public domain. You would be surprised to know who owns what.
If we thought these characters have outlived their value…um, we wouldn’t be doing them, right?
We fervently believe that these characters are more than vital…they have resonance today.
These characters had hundreds and hundreds of stories told about them, and some lasted for decades. But, even if you never heard of these characters, thats cool, because it really doesn’t matter either way. We tell interesting stories about unusual characters. We don’t necessarily need more superhero comics per se…the market is still quite full of them. Why put out more of the same?
AP: Some fans of Moonstone found your early comics years ago. At that time, you had titles like ‘Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,’ ‘Boston Blackie’, and ‘Pat Novak For Hire.’ Those titles, among others, were based on characters drawn from old time radio programs, popular in the 1930s-50s. This is a fascinating, still largely uncultivated area for new fiction. What drew you and Moonstone to tackle these stories and bring a modern take to them?
JG: Well, quite honestly, it was an area of interest of mine that had not been tried much in comics.
Johnny Dollar sold out, Boston Blackie’s GN sold out, and Pat Novak was in that “1000 Comics you need to read” book by Tony Isabella!
AP: Any future plans for further OTR treatments? If not, why not?
JG: Well, those characters do appear in other books from time to time…like our “crime team up novel” PARTNERS in CRIME…and our crime prose anthology “Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes”.
And there is always talk of further adventures. We do have some characters coming up that have appeared on radio, but wasn’t what they were primarily known for….stay tuned.
AP: Moonstone just didn’t resurrect radio characters. Talk to us about some of the other early characters you brought to an audience who may have not been familiar with them, such as The Phantom and Kolchak, among others? Are there other TV or comic characters you’d like to pull under the Moonstone banner?
JG: There is always more we want…we are insatiable that way! If you check our website, we are always leaving hints of whats coming…although we will have a press release about this soon, we have THE SAINT, The JUSTICE MACHINE, FLINT, and SHEENA…!
Kolchak…way ahead of its time, inspiration behind the XFILES, and is one of the highest rated TV movies OF ALL TIME! This was horror on primetime network television, my friends…unheard of!
There has been a cult following of Kolchak for many years, and a strong one as evidence by Columbia’s DVD sales of the movies and TV shows.
The Phantom is one of those characters that has been around for a long time…1936 (predating Batman and Supes)…I think people know of him…but we needed to tell some stories about TODAy to showcase this guy for all to read! He’s a well thought out character that still holds up today.
Buckaroo Banzai…cult movie of the 80’s with GREAT stars like John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Weller…all in one crazy neo pulp adventure!
It is a movie like no other…I mean, Banzai is a renown brain surgeon, rock star, adventurer…c’mon, how cool is that?)
AP: It seems that some of the characters you’ve taken on over the years, both early on and currently, were originally created for one medium only (prose largely, but we’re also thinking of the radio shows again). Yet when Moonstone gets them, they show up in comics, prose, etc. What goes into deciding what medium Moonstone puts an established property into?
JG: Well, that depends on some of the legalities, Some contracts specify. Sometimes a character just calls to us in that way…like Kolchak….and others.
AP: Speaking of processes, can you share a little bit of what goes into your daily job? What are your responsibilities and who within Moonstone do you delegate things to?
JG: OMG…what I do on a daily basis? Well…I contact creative teams for progress on ongoing projects or to set up new ones, I talk to the printers about scheduling and book details, I talk to distributors about PR and such, I create in house ads, I gather monthly solicitations, handle all incoming email, update the website, edit stories, write…scream!
*In addition to my insanity, we have Art Director Dave Ulanksi (also edits, writes, invoicing, and does cover set up),
*we have Editor Lori G (who handles both comics and prose projects, as well as administration),
*and Erik Enervold, Marshall Dillon, and Bernie Lee- who handle everything from prepress, lettering, and design.
*Mike Bullock (writer, group editor, project coordinator)
*We have Tim Lasiuta…research and development.
*Richard Dean Starr and Matthew Baugh (editors, writers, and project leads)
AP: We’ve asked a lot of questions about established properties Moonstone has handled and we’ll talk more about some Moonstone is now handling. But before that, what about original characters, newly created concepts? What’s Moonstone’s history with stepping off into the new and original arena?
JG: Original creation from a non M/DC/I/DH company is very difficult…and these lean times make it even more so. With a couple exceptions, Moonstone no longer handles projects we don’t completely control.
Our history with this has been a very rock road…we have had some successes, but not nearly as many as we would like.
Exceptions to the rule: “ROTTEN”, “VAMPIRE, PA” and the upcoming “SAVAGE BEAUTY”
AP: All right, now to the modern day meat and potatoes. It has been no secret over the years that Moonstone Books has been one of the biggest promoters and supporters of Pulp genre fiction. In the last few years, though you’ve really stepped up to the forefront, providing anthologies of known pulp types as well as the new comics line you have now. Before we get into specifics, why do you feel like pulp is such an important genre that needs to be introduced to a modern day audience?
JG: I just think the times we live in scream out for this.
Its adrenaline escapism roller coaster rides…
It’s justice being served…without legal technicalities. Who doesn’t want some justice, when most feel powerless in an escalating crazy society?
It’s also about folks with little to no powers, per se…just guts, guile, skill, and indomitable will.
There is an emotional impact that comes with these stories because these folks aren’t invulnerable…or whatnot…
Pulps are an important part of American history…it was a huge step up (from the penny novels)in fiction for the masses…selling to a people during the time of great strife….like today.
Without pulps, there would be no paperbacks…think about that…and all of the things that paperbacks have spawned (including increased literacy).
Without pulps, there would be no comic books…and all that they have inspired, from movies, to video games, etc!
AP: Let’s tackle the prose anthologies first. What characters has Moonstone spotlighted in prose collections?
JG: Ok, here we go…
The Green Hornet (any day now), Kolchak, The Avenger, The Spider, Doc Savage, Domino Lady, The Phantom, Zorro…and these do not include the characters that appeared in the anthologies with multiple characters.
Upcoming we have…more Avenger, more Green Hornet, more Spider, Sherlock Holmes, “Chicks in Capes”, and one surprise looming…
AP: Some would say that printed prose is no longer the way to go, yet Moonstone is still turning out anthologies. What is it about the print format that keeps Moonstone putting out these collections, instead of sending them all straight to e-book or in some other medium?
JG: Well, some people still read books of course…not sure that’s going away entirely. And we also do E-book stuff. You need both to make it work.
AP: A major emphasis for Moonstone right now is its new comics line. Tell us about Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS. How did the idea develop? Who was involved on the front end? And why populate this idea with characters that people may not recognize, some of them not seen for over fifty years?
JG: It started as a one shot graphic novel…then turned into a MOVEMENT!
And again, while some of these characters haven’t been seen in a while…does not mean they are not interesting for gosh sakes!
We did try to have some recognizable faces in there as well.
Many people encouraged us here…and Mike Bullock was probably one of the earliest “idea man” behind this.
AP: What is the general plotline behind RETURN? Who character wise is involved?
JG: It all starts with “The Battle for L.A”, which as some know, was a historical event. The history fascinated me.
Briefly…during WW2, near LA…a strange object is seen in the night skies (there is a newspaper photo on line), and no one knows what it is (to this day). Planes were scrambled…shore batteries opened fire…direct hits were scored by thousands of bullets…thousands…but to no avail. The odd thing just kept moving slowly until is disappeared. Just an odd little piece of history (WHICH WILL BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE) that was the catalyst.)
AP: The history of pulp characters being translated to the comic page has been spotty at best, especially with recent efforts by other companies. What is Moonstone doing to make sure that RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS is an appealing concept that will bring in new readers, while maintaining the characters and history that pulp fans truly enjoy in their characters?
JG: That, my friend is the rub. We have VERY unique characters that I think comic fans will dig in a refreshing way…and we didn’t feel that these guys needed to be changed to be cool.
AP: The collection of writers and artists you have assembled for RETURN is truly staggering. We won’t force you to list all of them, but how did you get this stellar crew together? From so many different fields you have drawn top talent. What brought them to a pulp comic project? Did they all come for their own reasons or was there some sort of underlying theme that drew them to this concept?
JG: The creators kept coming…like a snowball rolling down a hill…all of them love the pulps and were just as excited as I was!
AP: So, what are the future plans regarding the cast of RETURN? Will there be ongoing series for all of them, more specials, what?
JG: At the present…there will be the one shot BATTLE that I mentioned, and ongoings for Black Bat, Secret Agent X, Phantom Detective, The Spider, and Rocket Man.
We are also putting together a “non-team” team ongoing series.
Some big mini series that will feature all of the characters…!
There are various Spider specials in the loop INCLUDING A NEW SPIDER NOVEL… an AIRBOY-G8 mini series,
A Domino Lady-Golden Amazon one shot…
A “all female team up” with Domino Lady, Golden Amazon, Blue Bulleteer (courtesy of AC comics), Valkyrie, Black Angel, Bald Eagle, and more!
AP: Joe, it’s been a blast! Stop by All Pulp anytime you want to chat!
Aaron Shaps, Writer of The Phantom Detective for Return of the Originals, Moonstone
AP: Aaron, thanks for sitting down with ALL PULP about your pulp themed project. Before we jump fedoras first into that, give us some background on you as a creator. What sort of writing have you done in the past?
AS: Well, my background is in film, so I began my writing adventure as an aspiring screenwriter before getting into comics and prose.
I have only been writing for comics since 2006, and I am probably best known at this point (if I am known at all) for my creator-owned character General Jack Cosmo, a kind of cross between Hunter S. Thompson and Flash Gordon, and for my studio/creative collective, General Jack Cosmo Productions. In addition to the comics starring General Jack Cosmo himself, our stable includes creator Mike Beazley’s series The Grimm, and also Pulp Will Eat Itself, which you folks were kind enough to review on this very site.
For Moonstone specifically, I have also done a few stories starring the Lee Falk Phantom, and I am currently having a blast writing their licensed series Zeroids, which is based on the classic line of robot toys from the 60s and 70s.
AP: Moonstone is bringing some new punch to pulp with its RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS project. You’re a part of that. Can you share with us what the overall concept is? What’s Moonstone’s plan with bringing back all these classic, some rather unknown characters?
AS: Over the last several years, I think Moonstone has done a fantastic job of establishing themselves as the premier publisher of faithful pulp and pulp-era characters and adventures. Obviously The Phantom has led that charge, and every Phantom “phan” I have encountered really feels like Moonstone was a great steward for that legacy during their time chronicling the Phantom’s saga. I kind of see Moonstone’s niche as being the company that keeps the pulp tradition alive, and I think that’s a very important responsibility to have, because without the legacy of pulp, the landscape of popular culture would obviously be very, very different today. So I think the overall idea is to really spearhead a full-on pulp revival, and remind the world why these characters were so great, and that their legacy is literally everything that comic book and sci-fi and fantasy and horror fandom consumes on a regular basis.
AP: Now, specifically, you are working on the Phantom Detective. Although hardcore fans may be familiar with this great actioneer, share with us a little about where he came from? Who was the Phantom Detective in his original incarnation?
AS: In a nutshell, the Phantom Detective is an early proto-Batman character. He was the second costumed pulp hero ever, debuting only slightly behind the Shadow, and before Doc Savage, and although both those heroes had more adventures than the Phantom Detective, he had a longer run: from 1933 to 1953.
Like Batman, the Phantom Detective was orphaned at a young age and inherited a vast fortune. At the encouragement of a close family friend, he turned his listless but formidable mind to criminology, and ultimately became the world’s greatest sleuth, a two-fisted nocturnal avenger, master of disguise, and escape artist extraordinaire who aided law enforcement all over the globe. None of that has changed for my version of the character. He is essentially the same Phantom Detective that he was in those original stories, he has just…let’s call it “evolved”.
AP: Now that you’re taking on the Phantom Detective’s story, what are your plans? Will the setting remain in the glory days of the pulps or is this a more modern tale? What do you bring to this character as a modern writer that you think will make him both viable with today’s readers and still faithful to what pulp fans expect?
AS: My Phantom Detective stories are all set during the pulp era, and more specifically the early- to mid-1940s. For a long time now, I have wanted to tell a story about a heroic character, an ordinary human, who straddles the line between the age of the pulp heroes and the age of the super heroes. What would it be like to be that man, that hero, and see the world changing around you…to see the explosion of technology and science that was sparked by WWII, and all the fundamental changes that new science and tech affected in the way we live our lives? What would it be like to be an ordinary man like the Spider or the Shadow and see someone like Captain America or Superman or Green Lantern come onto the scene? Would you begin to feel obsolete? Or would you do everything in your power to remain relevant in a world that threatened to pass you by?
These are big questions, and this is the kind of stuff that the Phantom Detective is giving me the opportunity to explore. As for relevance, we deal with feelings like this every day in the real world…the fear of being left behind by changing times, of not being able to keep up with the way the world is moving forward, of becoming obsolete. You ask any American blue-collar worker in manufacturing if he or she worries about becoming obsolete—if they haven’t already—and see what they say. Ask the people who own record stores how they felt when iTunes came along, or the people who own video stores how they feel about Netflix and Redbox. Whether we like it or not, time marches on. So what do we do? Do we lie down and let it march over us, or do we lean into the wind and try to keep up? These are the questions that the Phantom Detective has to answer for himself.
AP: The Phantom Detective had a cast of supporters, even a dear friend who knew his secret identity as well as a signal beacon. Are you bringing any of these extras associated with the character into your version and if so, which ones? And if not, why not?
AS: Yes, I am definitely plugging a solid chunk of his classic supporting cast into this new series. Frank Havens, publisher of The New York Clarion newspaper (among many others), will be there for sure. For those unfamiliar with Phantom Detective lore, Havens is sort of a surrogate father to Richard Curtis Van Loan, the true identity of the Phantom Detective. It was actually Havens’ idea for Van Loan to assume the identity of the Phantom Detective, and in my series he remains the hero’s closest and most trusted confidant. And, yes, the spotlight signal on the roof of the Clarion building is still there. Obviously, that single gimmick was the one most clearly cribbed by the early Batman writers, so I had to include it. In fact, two early Batman editors, Jack Schiff and the legendary Mort Wesinger, had previously worked as editors at Thrilling Publishing, the home of the Phantom Detective, and had even edited Phantom Detective stories…so there you have it.
But back to the characters, Frank’s daughter, Muriel Havens, is basically the love of Van Loan’s life, and she is in there, too, although she does not know Van Loan’s secret in my stories, at least not right from the get-go. Also familiar to fans of the classic stories will be the character of Steve Huston, the young, crack Clarion reporter who, in my mind, and in the minds of many others, was a likely inspiration for Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen. So it’s those three—Frank, Muriel, and Steve—who will be the most significant imports from the classic stories, although other characters will pop up here and there.
AP: I noticed that the word ‘psychedelic’ is used in some of the promotional material for your take on the Detective. That’s an interesting word in relation to a pulp character. Can you shed some light on that?
AS: Sure. Basically, as someone on the Moonstone forums astutely pointed out when the project was first announced, one of the reasons that the Phantom Detective is kind of a forgotten pulp hero, even though he had such a long and historic run, is that he is sort of generic. The Shadow had his Eastern secrets and gimmicks, Doc Savage had his super science and physical perfection, the Spider had the horror angle and ultra-violence…but what did the Phantom Detective have? He was a super-detective and a master of disguise…and how many times did we hear that, you know? How many other characters of the era put those two skillsets on their resumes? Practically all of them.
So my challenge was, how do I make this character stand out from Secret Agent X and Moon Man and some of the other, ostensibly very similar, characters in the Return of the Originals line? The answer was a single word: Steranko.
Although I am writing new prose adventures for the character, the lynchpin of the new Phantom Detective saga is his comic series, and Danilo (the artist) and I decided very early on that Jim Steranko was going to be our primary influence in terms of aesthetics: both his noir stuff, which I think has yet to be equaled, and his more psychedelic stuff from the 60s and beyond. And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Not only is the new Phantom Detective going to star in stories that are visually psychedelic, but in terms of content, some of them are quite trippy as well. A lot of them deal with era-appropriate fringe science, and Van Loan himself has taken to using what I suppose I would describe as performance-enhancing drugs to help maintain an edge in his rapidly evolving world.
To that end, one new addition to his mythology is something he calls his “Elixir”, which is a potion he drinks that allows him to see things ordinary men cannot see…it expands and enhances his senses, and all kinds of other weird and cool stuff. It makes him a better detective, and more of a creature of the night as well. I don’t want to give the impression that he’s like Jekyll and Hyde or something…it’s not like that. It’s more like, if you remember the movie Big Trouble in Little China, when Jack Burton and Wang and their whole crew drink that magic potion before they descend into the underworld to fight Lo Pan, it’s more like that. That’s the direct inspiration.
AP: A lot of classic characters come with their own trademarks, a team of supporters, certain gadgets they always use, etc? Does the Phantom Detective have any of this baggage and if he does, what of it are you bringing into your stories?
AS: Other than the core supporting cast, and the signal beacon, there isn’t much, specifically, that is being directly imported, because he didn’t have too many signature gizmos…there’s no Hornet Sting or Batarangs or Fabulous Five or anything like that. But overall, the character is the same character he was in the early stories, I have just added this concept, this sort of underlying theme, of a man trying to figure out his place in a changing world.
AP: The Phantom Detective stories had a habit of introducing something in one story, then forgetting it in the next. Although this can be an issue for continuity buffs, it also sometimes offers freedom to someone like you taking the reins on the character? Did you rely on the source material much? Did you feel hampered by the loose way the character’s history was written?
AS: I didn’t feel hampered at all. One of the very first things I decided, as soon as I knew I was going to set these stories in the early 40s, was that I was going to treat the Phantom Detective’s stories from the 30s as canon, at least whenever possible. So unless it comes into direct conflict with stuff I am planning to do with the character, much of what the Phantom Detective experienced in his first seven to eight years of adventures is considered history and backstory for my version of the hero.
Now there are definitely some continuity conflicts in those early stories, when you view them as a body, a mythology, as you mentioned, so there are certain places where I will have to embrace one story and ignore another, but in planning the first few years’ worth of storylines for this new incarnation, it hasn’t been too difficult to settle on which stuff I want to use and which stuff I want to discard. Basically, if I want to draw from a previous story, and that story conflicts with another, whatever the coolest stuff is stays, and everything else gets cast back into the ether.
AP: This is a major project for Moonstone and for you. What else do you have going on that pulp fans can look forward to? AS: Pulp fans will definitely be interested in a creator-owned project called New Dreaming Men that I am putting together with artist Douglas Klauba for Olympian Publishing. We just released a special, limited edition preview at Chicago Comic Con, so some of your readers might have picked that up. New Dreaming Men is an epic, pulp-flavored adventure saga for children ages eight to eighty, a serialized story to be told through a seamless marriage of prose, sequential art, and alternative storytelling means such as mock newspaper clippings and vintage playbills. It is the story of a group known as the Brotherhood of Forgotten Worlds, a fraternity of men that for centuries has fought to protect mysterious and exotic locales—on this world and far beyond—from all those who would seek to exploit or destroy them. You can fan New Dreaming Men on Facebook for more info.
And of course, as I mentioned at the very beginning, General Jack Cosmo Productions has Pulp Will Eat Itself, which is kind of like what would happen if Moonstone’s Return of the Originals line and the Coen Bros. movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? had a baby. It’s the twisted progeny of two of my Jack Cosmo cohorts, writer Adam Lahners and writer/artist Jim McKern. General Jack Cosmo Productions and Pulp Will Eat Itself are both on Facebook, too, so you can fan those for updates, info, and announcements.
AP: Thank you for your time, Aaron!
AS: Thank you for giving my newest baby here a bit of attention.
HOWARD HOPKINS, Writer of
THE GOLDEN AMAZON, for RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: Could you tell us about your secret origin? When did you decide you wanted to pursue writing?
Howard: I caught the writing bug back in the early ‘80s, first with articles for the various pulp fanzines at the time—Echoes, Nemesis, Inc., Savage Society of Bronze—then fiction, initially horror. Once it bit, it bit hard. I took Ray Bradbury’s advice, which I had read somewhere, and started churning out a short story a week.
AP: Before we delve into your pulp writings, can you tell us a little about your Black Horse western books? I’m not sure that many people are aware of your extensive career as Lance Howard.
Howard: I’ve written 32 westerns as Lance Howard—my first and middle names switched—the most recent called Dead Man Riding just published. These are marvelous hardcover books produced by Robert Hale, one of the few original publishers left that started in the 1930s. It’s a great company to work for and they have let me take the Western into areas many other publishers would not, blending Shoot ‘em Ups with a bit of horror, mystery, even romance. They’ve pushed a few boundaries and have met with enthusiastic response from the publisher and their readers, so I’m lucky. My next is scheduled for early next year and is called The Killing Kind. Anyone who’d like to see covers, read excerpts, etc. please mosey on over to my western page at http://www.howardhopkins.com/western-books.htm
AP:You’ve written so many classic pulp characters – ranging from The Spider to The Avenger to Captain Midnight and beyond. How do you approach handling these types of characters and what do you think about attempts to modernize them (for example, see DC’s First Wave books)?
Howard: I truly don’t mind a bit of updating or tinkering as long as the “soul” of the character is left intact and the source material respected. If your have to change the character so much it becomes unrecognizable—make up your own. In fact, I have certainly taken liberty with my own charge for the Moonstone Originals line, The Golden Amazon. My approach to writing characters like The Avenger, The Spider, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes and others is to try to zero in on what makes them tick, what makes them so endearing to their fans and not introduce change merely for the sake of change. These characters are beloved for a reason—why take that reason away? With The Avenger you have a man who has lost everything that really meant anything to him. His wife, his daughter. It sends him over the edge and when he comes back…he does not come back all the way. He’s changed, become a machine of justice driven by their loss. When I write Benson, I sit down and recall what it felt like to lose something I cared about. All these characters have a core, and any writer handling them needs to find it. If you’re going to change something, make sure that core is intact. The Shadow does not need a robotic head! That said, pulp writers wrote fast, revised little and sometimes plotted less. Modern writers shouldn’t imitate their mistakes. The standard of writing needs to be higher now, where we do have time to rework. Which is not to say it still shouldn’t be fun!
AP: The Golden Amazon is coming soon from Moonstone. What can you tell us about this character and the types of stories we can expect featuring her?
Howard: The Golden Amazon is a pretty unique character for one who didn’t have a lot of pulp adventures. She had TWO separate origins, which made trying to bring her into the comic medium an interesting prospect. The first was a sort of Tarzan on Venus origin and the second was more akin to Captain America’s, though ending up set in the future. She was also a very cold, emotionless character, with very little characterization and abilities that seemed to pop out of nowhere whenever the plot got sticky. So, keeping in mind that core thing I was talking about, I pulled a few choice bits from both versions and fused them into something totally new. I decided to focus on Violet Ray Brant’s journey to becoming The Golden Amazon and her eventual attempt to conquer the world, subsequent “demise” and rebirth in the future. She is a woman who has lost much memory of her past and is afflicted with something inside that is struggling to take over. She’s often cold, violent, but repentant for it. She has flashes of the past, dark brutal flashes. Shadow agencies and foreign powers want her secrets—secrets she is not even consciously aware of. Her own sense of justice and right fights her urges to kill and maim! But will she be able to control herself, or lose herself completely? You just never know if she will help or hurt you. And readers will take the journey to the discovery of her past and who and WHAT she is. They’ll learn about the forces against her—and those seeking to guide her. And—aliens…
AP: You write for both adults (The Chloe Files) and for kids (The Nightmare Club). How do you approach each project, keeping the target audience in mind? Does your working style differ or is it as simple as adjusting the vocabulary and plot complexity?
Howard: I never really think about it much—I just slip into the mood, tone, and style of whatever I am working on. It comes naturally for the most part. I never write “down” to kids. They are too smart nowadays and will spot it the instant you try. Of course, situation and language differ between adult and children’s fiction and I think you can’t be as morally ambiguous with a younger audience.
AP: I’ve always been intrigued by The Chloe Files — can you tell me about the series? Is this something that would appeal to pulp fans?
Howard: I think Chloe Files would definitely appeal to pulp fans. Chloe is pretty spunky, with her attitude origins taking a note from a certain Miss Nellie Gray and Miss Patricia Savage. Chloe gets embroiled in supernatural mysteries—real witches, demons, devils and maybe even a politician or two! The supernatural is after her, but she kicks Evil’s ass one demon at a time. Rippers, ghosts, just about anything might show up in The Chloe Files. In fact, in the second book, Sliver of Darkness, Chloe’s entire world turns into a black and white nightmare at times, thrusting her back into the world of the very early ‘60s when the ghost of dead actor shows up in her apartment. The actor disappeared after a performance of his character The Sliver of Darkness (big nod to The Shadow). Now he’s caught in character and between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Who knows what crimes cripple the minds of the guilty?
AP: You’re the co-editor on Moonstone’s The Avenger Chronicles. How did you end up in that position and what makes The Avenger so special as a character? What things are you looking for in the stories that you select for each volume?
Howard: Well, I had to deposit quite a bit of bullion in Joe’s private Swiss account…seriously, years back I wrote an Avenger history book called The Gray Nemesis and Benson has always been my favorite character, along with Doc Savage. Joe gave me the honor and privilege of working on these volumes as coeditor, as well as writing stories for them and I am eternally grateful. I touched on what makes Benson such a special character a couple questions back, but he was one of the only characters actually “driven” to do what he does. He suffered a great loss and handles it the only way his psyche will allow him to remain a functioning human being (if not totally sane by definition)—by helping others oppressed by crime and criminals. The first Avenger novel is probably one of the best pulp novels ever written, certainly one with the most depth. Paul Ernst, The Avenger writer, had a gift that made this pulpwood character into something that transcended the genre and medium. Benson’s aides, too, are all bonded together by tragedy. They are not the adventure-loving pals of Clark Savage, Jr., nor the obligated-to-serve aides of The Shadow. They are, in a particular way, family. Each would die for the other. Each has nothing to live for both the other, with the possible exception of a late add, Cole Wilson. Joe and I look for not only great action and well-told stories, but stories with emotional depth and deep understanding of what makes Richard Henry Benson tick.
AP: As someone who’s handled both The Spider and The Avenger, can you answer a What If? scenario for us? Let’s say your loved ones had been kidnapped by a typical bloodthirsty pulp villain. Which of those two heroes would you want on the case and why?
Howard: I want The Avenger on the case. No offense to Richard Wentworth, but those left in his charge have a distressing habit of ending up dead in the most horrible of ways! He saves the city, but there’s a high body count. The Avenger is less openly reckless, more likely to pull your loved one out of the pickle.
AP:I realize that you probably don’t want to tear down the competition but can you compare and contrast what Moonstone is doing with its Return of the Originals line as compared to DC’s re-interpretative approach with Doc Savage and The Avenger?
Howard: Moonstone loves and respects the characters and wants to preserve what made them great. The various writers working on the different projects all love and care about these characters. I know some of them and I know how they feel about these heroes. I am honestly not sure what DC’s motivation is on their line, so it wouldn’t be fair of me to compare it. I have my opinions, especially on The Avenger…but I do like their Spirit book.
AP: For those folks who want to learn more about you and your work, where they can do so?
Howard: I hope they will take a look at my website at http://www.howardhopkins.com/, which spotlights all my books, with separate pages for horror, western and children’s works. I have a story coming very soon in The Green Hornet Chronicles called “Flight of the Yellowjacket”, which I hope pulp fans will enjoy and a number of Spider widescreen comics and a graphic novel coming from Moonstone, along with my own original pulp heroine creation, The Veil, who makes her debut in a comic called “Threesome,” also starring the Domino Lady and The Golden Amazon.
WIN SCOTT ECKERT AND ERIC FEIN, Writers of THE GREEN GHOST, for RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: First, gentlemen, let All Pulp welcome you to Moonstone Monday! Now, this interview is a bit different, in that it’s being done sort of in tandem. So, each you will just give your answers and in the final copy they will run together. So, first, introduce yourself to the audience and give them a bit of background, especially about your history in Pulp.
WIN SCOTT ECKERT (WSE): Howard Waldrop has said, “Like most things from the Seventies, this is Philip José Farmer’s fault… If you don’t like it, don’t write me. Write Philip José Farmer.” I was born in the Sixties, but the mid-Seventies marked the beginning of an eight-year-old’s lifelong fascination with pulp fiction. No doubt that fascination sprang, in greater part, from the fact that I received a bunch of the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks and a copy of Phil’s Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life in 1975 when I was eight years old. That spurred me on a two-decade quest to collect all the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks. Phil’s Doc Savage “biography” and his Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke had also left me with an undying hunger to read all the other characters he had referenced in the books—The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu, The Spider, Philip Marlowe, Nero Wolfe, Sam Spade, James Bond, Travis McGee, and so on.
Along with that, I became fascinated with crossovers, and with Phil’s shared-universe Wold Newton mythos, the “Wold Newton Family” (outlined in the two “mock biographies” listed above) and pretty soon I was compiling a shared-universe timeline of my own, which I called the Wold Newton Universe Crossover Chronology. I posted it on my Wold Newton Universe site (the first of its kind), and after that readers began sending in their own Wold Newton articles. So I created online essay section. A few years later a couple other contributors started their own sites, and a few years after that we had such a great stockpile of Wold Newton-inspired articles, it seemed a natural move to put together a print anthology, which I edited: Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe (MonkeyBrain Books, 2005) (a 2007 Locus Awards finalist).
With a fairly encyclopedic background on pulp and other characters, fiction writing seemed the next logical step. I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute to Black Coat Press’ anthology Tales of the Shadowmen, and have been in every annual volume since then (six so far; Volume 7 is forthcoming). I’ve penned tales featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, Doc Ardan (a version of Doc Savage), Dr. Natas (a disguised version of Fu Manchu), Antinéa, and Sexton Blake. I wrote a tale for Airship 27’s Lance Star—Sky Ranger, and since then my time has been fully booked writing pulp fiction! For Moonstone Books: The Green Hornet Chronicles (co-editing with Moonstone’s Joe Gentile, as well as a contributing writer), The Avenger Chronicles, The Phantom Chronicles 2, The Captain Midnight Chronicles, and More Tales of Zorro (forthcoming). I also was invited to write the Foreword to the new edition of Farmer’s seminal “fictional biography,” Tarzan Alive (Bison Books, 2006) and am writing a series of tales about the origin of the Wold Newton Family, the first of which appeared in the just-released The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions (Meteor House, 2010). I dived back into “non-fiction” with the encyclopedic Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World 1 & 2 (Black Coat Press, 2010), and somehow also found time to write a novel that Philip José Farmer began back in the ’70s, but never had a chance to finish himself: The Evil in Pemberley House (Subterranean Press, 2009), about Patricia Wildman, the kick-ass daughter of a certain bronze-skinned pulp hero—if you know what I mean.
That’s a lot of background—sorry about that.
Eric Fein (EF): I discovered and fell in love with Pulp characters around the same time I started to read and collect comic books. Like Win, I was a kid in the mid-Seventies so there was plenty of pulp related books in bookstores and candy stores. One of my favorite all time comic book characters is Batman and I remember having the two issues (Batman #’s 253 and 259) of his series that guest-starred The Shadow. That led me to seek out DC’s original Shadow comic book series and around the same time I discovered the Pyramid/Jove Shadow reprints with those gorgeous Steranko covers. After reading a couple of those, I was hooked and started collecting anything pulp related. During this time, I also got my hands on Walter B. Gibson’s Shadow Scrapbook and was just fascinated by every aspect of the character and what went into creating him. The fact that Gibson was able to write more than 1 million words on a manual typewriter year after year is just amazing to me. . My fascination with The Shadow led me to Doc Savage, The Avenger, and The Spider. I’m also a big fan of the James Bond novels and movies, the Mike Hammer novels, film noir, crime novels and private eye novels, anything by or with Orson Welles, and Old-Time Radio.
In college, I landed an internship at Marvel Comics, which led to a job as an assistant editor after graduation. I eventually became one of the editors in the Spider-Man group and at one point I was editing three of the then four monthly titles: Spider-Man, The Web of Spider-Man, and The Spectacular Spider-Man. I also edited several Spider-Man one-shots and limited series including the very first team-up between Spider-Man and Batman. After Marvel, I worked at DC Comics in their licensed publishing department doing How-to draw books, coloring and activities books, and storybooks.
After DC, I moved into educational publishing writing and editing nonfiction and fiction books for kids who have trouble reading.
Recently, thanks to Joe Gentile and Moonstone Books, I’ve had the opportunity to write some pulp stories. I have a story slated for an upcoming volume of The Avenger Chronicles and another story scheduled to appear in The Green Hornet Chronicles, Volume 2. I also wrote a Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar story for Moonstone’s Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes anthology.
AP: You both are involved with THE GREEN GHOST, a fairly obscure pulp character, which is featured in Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS line. Give us some history on this character, focusing on the parts you feel are important for readers to know.
WSE: Sure. The Green Ghost—magician sleuth George Chance—started out as The Ghost in the Winter 1940 issue of a self-titled pulp magazine, with a novel called, appropriately enough, Calling the Ghost. Over the next four years Chance appeared in thirteen additional tales, all penned by master pulpsmith G.T. Fleming-Roberts, in The Ghost Super-Detective, then Green Ghost Detective, finally migrating to Thrilling Mystery, and making his final appearance in the October 1944 issue of Thrilling Detective.
Chance equals his mentor, the late Harry Houdini, in the art of escape. He’s also a renowned skeptic and debunker of fakes and frauds, as well as a master criminologist, excelling in makeup and disguise, lock-picking, knife-throwing, illusion—anything and everything a top-notch magician knows. Chance puts his expertise to use as a relentless crusader for justice, donning a skull mask to become “The Ghost” (shortly after changing his name to “The Green Ghost”), and aiding Police Commissioner Standish against criminals everywhere, solving impossible crimes. Chance is aided by a select band of six agents and friends who know his secret and share in his mission for justice.
EF: I think Win covered all the bases on this question.
AP: What makes the Green Ghost a viable hero for a modern audience? Clones of characters, stereotypes, don’t typically appeal to readers today, but so many of the classic pulp characters were simply different riffs on Doc Savage, the Shadow, etc. What about The Green Ghost makes him more than just another avenging detective hero type?
WSE: The covers to the pulps that carried his stories depicted a character with a ghoulish visage—one that Eric has noted harkens back to Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera. Our new stories in Moonstone’s Return of the Originals will match the mood and intensity promised by the pulp covers. The Green Ghost strikes terror in the hearts of criminals and even civilians due to his horrific skull-like appearance and his seemingly supernatural abilities.
And for the first time, The Green Ghost is going to face a few real supernatural menaces. We won’t go overboard, but the idea of a Houdini-type skeptic facing the real occult, as opposed to charlatans, and how he responds to it, is intriguing. In addition, his girlfriend Meriem “Merry” White had “flashes of intuition” in the original pulps, i.e. she’s psychic. How does her skeptic boyfriend deal with that? We’re going for a Mulder/Scully in reverse vibe here.
EF: Certainly from a visual perspective The Green Ghost falls into The Shadow end of the spectrum with his dark fedora and trench coat. However, there are several things that make him stand apart from being just another Shadow knockoff. One, his creator, G.T. Fleming-Roberts, made him a magician and gave him a drive to expose phony spiritualists. The other thing that separates him from The Shadow and Doc Savage is the relationship he had with his girlfriend Meriem White and his assistants. He wasn’t portrayed as some mysterious or awe-inspiring character when he interacted with them. Chance is very down to earth. His associates knew who he was and why he did what he did. It gave the stories a different dynamic.
AP: Now, each of you is working primarily in different media on the Green Ghost. Tell the audience what medium you are focusing on and how you go into adapting your version of the Green Ghost to said medium.
WSE: Eric is tackling the comic scripts, while I handle the prose stories, which will be featured in Moonstone’s “wide vision” format with spot illustrations. It turned out my time constraints necessitated collaboration on the first prose story, as well: I wrote the detailed outline, Eric wrote a first draft, and I wrote a second draft from that. We had fun with it, and we hope you’ll enjoy the results.
EF: Writing comic book stories allows you the freedom to play up more of the visual effects of the character – having him perform magic tricks, getting in and out of deathtraps, and other cool things that might not translate as well in just a prose story. And let me say that we have a wonderful artist illustrating both the comic book stories and the prose stories – David Niehaus. He shares our enthusiasm for the character and it shows in his artwork for the series.
AP: Two people sharing the reins on an idea with an already established history must be quite interesting. How do you two work this combined effort? Is someone the Senior Partner? Who contributes what? And how do you as a team tackle the fact that The Green Ghost has a history when you come to it?
WSE: I made the original pitch to Joe Gentile at Moonstone (the seed of the idea having been planted by my pal and fellow writer Martin Powell several years back) and did the initial draft of the series bible. Then I decided that I had too many projects going to write both the comics stories and the prose stories so Joe brought in Eric, a very talented writer, to write the comics scripts. Eric contributed several great ideas and we revised the bible; it’s a collaborative effort. We rarely disagree, and if we do, we resolve it quickly.
As far as the history and keeping things straight…. I am a continuity geek. I’m not slavish to it if the story dictates a different direction, but I do everything I can to accommodate and account for continuity. The history of the character matters to me. Look, for the co-editing duties for The Green Hornet Chronicles books, I created a timeline of the ’60s television series, and then inserted each and every story I read/edited into the timeline, based on textual clues and other references in the stories. This was purely for my own use so I could keep things straight. In some cases I asked the writers to make slight changes so as not to create a continuity gaffe with the timeline. So, yeah…a little OCD, maybe, but if you’re going to work on a character, or a shared universe, it’s worth the effort to take care of these little details, as well as the overall storytelling. Because believe me, someone will notice. J We’re bringing the same sort of effort and care and attention to The Green Ghost.
EF: From the first time we spoke and began trading ideas it was clear that we shared very similar sensibilities when it came to the character and our approach to storytelling so it has been a lot of fun working together.
As far as The Green Ghost’s history, Win wanted to make sure that we respected it and didn’t radically change it and I totally agreed. The main thing we adjusted was the tone of the stories. Ours have a harder edge to them than the original pulps did. At the same time, we have been careful not to contradict or negate any of the events in the original stories.
AP: Does the Green Ghost come with any supporting cast, special weapons, things that are identified with him? If so, are you adapting them for your stories?
WSE: All of the Green Ghost’s original supporting cast is back with our series. I’ll let Eric give the particulars on the cast. Chance also has the same bag of tricks, plus a bit more. In our continuation, Chance served in the OSS during World War II for a few years, and has returned home with a few additional things up his sleeve, but nothing radical.
EF: As mentioned earlier, The Green Ghost is a magician so we’ve worked in some magic tricks, such as gloves coated with a flash powder that emit a blinding green light when he snaps his fingers. The other thing we did is that we gave him a mask. In the original pulps every time he became the Green Ghost he had to put on makeup. We figured that might become cumbersome for some of the stories we wanted to tell. I had suggested that since the stories were going to be set just after the end of WWII that someone with Chance’s talents could have done secret missions for the government during the war, so we decided to establish the fact that he served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and that their scientists fashioned a mask for him that has special lenses that glow green, allow him to see in the dark, and also has an apparatus inside it that functions as a mini-oxygen tank.
As for his supporting cast, we are using all of them. However, not everyone will appear in every story. We just don’t have the space for that. Here’s a rundown of The Green Ghost’s associates:
Meriem White is George Chance’s girlfriend and sometimes assistant. She is very smart and strong willed and, as Win pointed out, has some psychic abilities.
Ned Standish is the New York City Police Commissioner. Standish was the one who encouraged Chance to cultivate his interest in criminology into actual crime fighting.
Tiny Tim Terry is a childhood friend of George Chance. They both lived and worked in the circus as children.
Joe Harper is a racetrack bookmaker, a theatrical booking agent, and gambler. He’s got contacts in every strata of society, which makes him quite valuable to The Green Ghost.
Dr. Robert Demarest is the New York City Chief Coroner and works closely with Chance and Standish when needed.
Glenn Saunders is Chance’s assistant and a dead ringer for Chance.
AP: Some pulp purists believe updating characters like Moonstone is doing is being unfaithful to them, not keeping true to what they originally were. What is your response to this in terms of The Green Ghost?
WSE: Our approach is not to create an alternate neo-pulp universe where the characters are radically different. We see no reason to change what works—just provide a logical continuation, a view into what The Green Ghost’s adventures could have been had they continued in the pulps.
We are not changing the characters’ general backgrounds, although certain details are certainly being elaborated and expanded upon. As I said, George Chance has been off to war and back, so this is a continuation—not a “reboot.” For the modern audience, we can also ramp up the action quotient a bit, and where appropriate, provide a more frank and honest portrayal of characters’ sex lives.
Let’s face it, in The Spider, you knew Richard Wentworth and Nita Van Sloan were having sex. They weren’t celibate for the eleven years that were “engaged.” Similarly, the Green Ghost (George Chance) and Merry White (now a more grown up, Meriem White) are not a perpetually celibate couple: they wind down from their adventures and celebrate their victories, and living to fight another day, in bed. I know this may alienate a few folks who feel their pulp heroes should not have sex lives, but this doesn’t alter the basic premise of The Green Ghost—it just provides a window, another angle, into his life, and his relationship with Meriem. It rounds them out as characters. We don’t plan to be explicit—I’ll save that for when I collaborate with Mr. Farmer J—but we do plan to be a bit more realistic in a way that the original pulps weren’t.
Another difference with our Green Ghost is that he is actually part of a wider universe and continuity. The beauty of a shared pulp universe is that, unlike superhero universes, it could actually be our universe, the world outside our window. Yes, maybe occult menaces or mad scientist death rays really couldn’t happen in our world—but if one squints, or puts on the 3-D glasses, perhaps they could be rationalized away. Unlike the cosmic and world-altering events shown in the superhero universes, a shared pulp fiction universe is relatable to the “everyman.”
EF: I certainly understand their concerns and as a fan myself I am leery when any character with a long history is reinvented. We went took great care to make sure we didn’t throw away or contradict any part of The Green Ghost’s history. Again, the major change we did make has to do with the tone of the stories. In the original pulps, the stories were not as hardboiled or as spooky as you would have thought from looking at the covers. Win and I both wanted to do edgier stories without making wholesale changes to the character and we both feel that we’ve accomplished that. Hopefully, the readers will agree.
AP: OK, what about future plans for the Green Ghost, any hints? And what other irons do you have in the works you’d like to mention?
WSE: Eric’s two comic stories (so far) are called “The Mystery Named Rosabelle” and “Of Monsters and Men.” There a lot of fun, with art by the talented David Niehaus. The stories are set to appear as backups in Moonstone’s The Phantom Detective # 1 and 2, respectively. Both issues are already available for order (The Phantom Detective # 1 hits the shelves on October), so get out there and buy ’em!
Our “wide vision” prose story is called “Zombies under Broadway,” and is chock full of undead mayhem, with spot illustrations by the aforementioned Mr. Niehaus. It hasn’t been scheduled yet, so keep an eye out!
For my part, I’ve just submitted my second Avenger story to Moonstone. It’s an Avenger/Domino Lady crossover story, and I had a blast writing it. Next is an as-yet untitled story for Black Coat Press’ Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 7: Femmes Fatales; then editing Moonstone’s The Green Hornet Chronicles Volume 2 and possibly writing a sequel to my tale “Fang and Sting” which is in volume 1; then an as-yet untitled crossover story for a Sherlock Holmes anthology; and finally researching and taking notes for a novel I intend to write in 2011—wish I could say more about that, but the timing isn’t right. I hope you’ll have me back to discuss it when it is. J
EF: Well, the first comic book story, “The Mystery Named Rosabelle” concerns someone from Chance’s past trying to kill him and involves him attempting Houdini’s Chinese Water Torture Cell escape trick. “Of Monsters and Men” pits The Green Ghost against an escaped Nazi scientist and his man-made monstrosities and introduces a new member to his cast, an associate from his days with the OSS.
As for me, I have a novel I am shopping around as well as a couple of screenplays and of course more pulp stories, including more Green Ghost adventures, that I hope will see print real soon.
AP: Once again, guys, thank you for your time and your work in the pulp field!
WSE: And thank you for having us, and for the great work you’re doing promoting pulp fiction and keeping the genre alive!
EF: Yes, thank you for the opportunity to talk to you and your readers about The Green Ghost. It was a pleasure.
TIM LASIUTA, Line Editor, RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: So tell us a little about your history in comics, Tim and in particular how you hooked up with Moonstone?
TL: I must have been born with a book in my hands, since I could read, my father would buy comic books (in the mid to late 1960’s), and we would read them at home. When he ‘grew’ up, I inherited a small collection of X Men, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Richie Rich. Today, I still have most of them. However, once reading bit me, I began to read his paperbacks too. I can still see his book shelf, double filled with mystery, western, and pulp. Doc Savage was probably my first ‘adult’ book, and what an introduction. I rabidly ate up any Doc, Shadow, Ace Doubles, while still reading and by now buying my own comics with newspaper money. It is a strange truth that what you imagine, you can become. When I was 14, I remember reading a Batman comic, and seeing the first ads for Kuberts School of Art. From that point on, I began to illustrate my own adaptation of Stokers “Jewel of Seven Stars”. It was terrible, but my limitations in art led me to begin writing, and my first novel was drafted out. I wrote short stories, and illuminated my social assignments with elements of the fantastic. Tarzan even flew through one of my Psych papers in grade 11. That aside, I wanted to be a comic book something. It was not to be, and I ventured into university, still buying and reading. Marriage kind of stopped that, and when I approached CBG about doing an article on Tom Gill, my mentor, I was ‘in’. From there I worked reviewing books, comics and doing articles for them for 4 years. Along the way, I found that a company called Moonstone was doing the Phantom, I emailed the publisher who actually responded. As a young(er) writer, I was thrilled. Joe sent me copies and for 3 years I stuck to mainly Indy books and Moonstone. When I approached Joe with an idea to help him, he accepted, and I have written short fiction, edited, arranged PR, negotiated for properties, written bibles, and promoted Moonstone in Calgary and elsewhere.
TIM LASIUTA (on left)
AP: What do you believe has been the motivating factor for Moonstone’s recent attraction to classic pulp heroes?
TL: Every publisher has an audience, and the DC audience is not the same as Marvels’, or IDWs’ or Archie. With our focus on the pulps and adventure characters, it is almost like we have re-introduced the ‘First’ Wave into the media. DC may have the splash, but we are the real thing. One thing that I am learning is that the concept of our pulp lines is a recurrent theme. For decades westerns were the preferred genre due to the quick justice and characterizations. My grandfather and father shared a love of books for decades. I share the same tastes, and have re-read the same books. Today, it seems that vengeance driven characters (ie pulp) are popular. Where else can you be so politically incorrect and solve a drug lord problem with a pipe bomb??? This may be the new release for society’s pent up anger and hostility. In terms of the genre, and our Originals line, our authors are true fans. They may write a good mystery in their day job but I suspect at night when the Black Bat flies, or the Green Ghost wanders the night, trench coats, gloves and weapons of all sorts come out of the hidden compartments. Need therapy, write a Spider tale. No need for valium… Joe and I have always said that we are cut from the same cloth, and our interests are almost identical. I love the concept of the ‘old’, and the new at the same time. For me, the Phantom, and Doc Savage are highlights of my time so far, but I can hardly wait until the New Originals mature and take off.
AP: Why do you think pulps are becoming popular again and will today’s comic readers embrace them or give them the cold shoulder?
TL: The wave of pulp reprints from the numerous houses, the new books from Airship 27, DCs’ First Wave, and our New Originals, all contribute to a genre that is growing. There is some kind of appeal to the vintage art that adorns the books, and with increased scholarship into the artists, writers, and industry, it is developing a momentum. In some instances, pulp readers are comic readers. An Archie reader will not pick up Phantom Detective, but someone who reads Sanctums’ Doc Savage, Avenger, or Shadow, will. However, while that book is on the coffee table, it may catch the eye of a parent, or friend. Someone who reads an adventure or team book may pick these up. Any new line or character is a literary crap shoot. That is the beauty of this line. We are not new. But I can guarantee that any reader who buys these books will love them.
Characters from IV FROST, edited by Tim Lasiuta
AP: Joe Gentile has a reputation for running a tight ship and in the past handling the majority of the editorial chores. With Return of the Originals, both you and Mike Bullock seemed to have assumed Associate Editor roles. What exactly are your responsibilities in this capacity?
TL: Joe is a one man army. With my growing interest in Moonstone, and some as of yet unannounced properties, I have been recruited to read, track, and do whatever Joe asks me to do. Mike is busy writing for the line, and with that, his duties will be what I cannot do. For instance, he is doing the Pulp Manual due out soon. I had no time, but I did read and edit 30 plus stories already. If you’re asking what my duties really are, I would tell you, and have to shoot you! I would love to write A Richard Diamond piece, and perhaps another Captain Midnight tale, but the New Originals take up a good amount of time.
AP: For those readers having been lost in the Amazon all year, would you please explain exactly what Return of the Originals is?
TL: The Return of the New Originals is an event unlike any other we have done at Moonstone. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, pulp characters were everywhere. You could not look at a newsstand and not be assailed without a lurid cover, and often trashy fiction. We have taken the best of those, and asked one question. “How can we turn these characters into viable icons for our time?” The result is a 20 plus character mix that ranges from occult to adventure. There are tough secret agents, strong teams, pilots, gutsy avengers, and dangerous sirens. They all share one commonality, Stamp out crime! We even tackle the issue of racism with Decimator Smith. One thing about our staff of writers, artists, and production personnel is that we share a love for the genre and medium. Every author, as Joe put it, was invited to play in our sandbox with his/her favorite character. They came with their own pails and shovels. The result is a stable of creators who write with passion. We all get to enjoy that.
AP: Which of these characters are you involved with personally and were you familiar with them before taking on this assignment?
TL: I was familiar with many of the characters before. I knew G-8, the Spider, Honey West, Domino Lady, Phantom Detective, Green Llama, KiGor and others, but once I saw the entire line-up, I was shocked. We have one busy setting, and by mid 2025, it should be free of crime. Until then, there are many stories to tell, and many crimes to correct.
AP: Tim, are there any plans for any Originals Universe crossovers between any of these great characters? Aside from the C.J. Henderson book, that is. And are you free to divulge those yet? TL: As of this point, there are no plans that I am aware of, but only the Shadow knows…
AP: Any last words you like to leave the All Pulp readers with concerning Return of the Originals?
TL: Pulp fiction will never die as long as readers continue to support great writers! I love this job!
AP: Tim, this has been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
DAVID BURTON, Pulp Artist
AP: First, thanks so much for sitting down with All Pulp for a few minutes, David. Why don’t you share with our audience a little about
yourself, both personally and as an artist, background and such?
DB: You’re welcome, its my pleasure. As far as my personal life goes, I’m a pretty private person. I’ve been drawing and painting pretty much all of my life. I’m mostly self taught but have had some of the best people in the industry, who also happen to be friends of mine both encourage me and give my pointers over the years. The nice thing is that I’ve been able to help them as well.
AP: Now, looking at your site (www.davidburtonart.net) you have a particular interest and affinity for pulp themed work. How did you get into painting pulp? Have you always been a fan or did you come to it some other way?
DB: I’ve always been a fan and still am. That all started with THE SHADOW radio show, which my dad got me interested in when I was about 7. Than at about 12 I started reading DOC SAVAGE and was hooked. I started getting my work published in fanzines, most notably ECHOES and THE BRONZE GAZETTE. When I can I’ll do a piece for the BG. From there the subject matter has pretty much been fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Lately though its been pin-up and female figure work. I’m dealing with a few galleries right now about carrying that line of work.
AP: What appeals to you about painting pulp themed figures and works? Is there something about the characters and setting themselves or is it more about the stories?
DB: The sense of action and suspense mostly. The characters and the stories both offer something that just gets my imagination really going.
AP: Can you share with us a little about the process you use when painting a pulp piece? Do you do research, any special preparation, go in any particular order, like with pencils and such, or do you just go straight to paints?
DB: Each piece is different and I approach them accordingly. Regardless of the piece, unless the client wants something very specific, I’ll do research. I’m a stickler for getting things right. I’m working on a piece right now for an upcoming DOC SAVAGE painting that will feature both Doc and Princess Monja. I went to great lengths contacting Dr. Richard D. Hansen, who is one of the leading authorities on Mayan culture and was the advisor on the film, “Apocalypto”, who was a great help in getting me currect information on how a Mayan Princess would be dressed. As far as my approach to how I work goes, I always start with pencils sketches and then work them out into a full drawing if needed, then go to the paints.
AP: Is there a pulp character, series, etc. that appeals to you over the others as an artist? If so, why?
DB: Its a toss up between Doc Savage and The Shadow. They have a lot more of offer more in the way of potential than any of the others. Though I also like The Spider because he’s so over the top.
AP: The classic pulp covers were, of course, all painted works. That’s sort of a staple for classic pulp. Do you think that its important to establish the same sort of link between painted work and modern pulp? If so or if not, why?
DB: I’d like to think that any media could make that connection. But I’ve seen hundreds of pulp related stuff done in electronic and it just doesn’t have the same impact, so for now anyway, painting in traditional media is the only way to go.
AP: Any tips for artists who are working on pulp projects?
DB: Know your subject and know your history. Study the old overs and ask yourself, what colors did they use and why, look at how they lit scenes and how they managed their composition. And don’;t copy or rip them off, if you can’t come up with something on your own, then you need to practice more to see what you’re doing wrong. Copying or ripping another cover off is a fool’s journey. You think no one has ever seen any of the covers you’re taking stuff from, but they have and if they don’t call you on it now, they will. That’s inevitable. It will only give you a poor rep and that’s nearly impossible to overcome. Be known for YOU and let your work stand out that way. You’ll shine and that alone is priceless.
AP: Do you have anything in the works that would be of interest to pulpsters everywhere?
DB: Other than the above mentioned Doc painting, I’ve got a few things that are in various stages. Something with The Shadow again, it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything with him. I’ll be working on a Doc drawing from my friend TOM JOHNSON that will feature Doc and Big Foot and there are some others, but I’d like to share those as they come along.
AP: Awesome! Thanks so much, David!
B. C. Bell: Creator/writer of THE BAGMAN, Airship 27 Productions
AP: Who is B.C. Bell?
BCB: Byron Christopher Bell is a work in progress; a writer who hopes he never stops learning, or at least being curious; a bundle of contradictions. Mostly I’m a guy that likes a good yarn, something a little bit different that will still keep me on the edge of my seat. I love comics, heroes, hard boiled crime, horror, science fiction and pulp.
AP: What’s your background?
BCB: I was born a seventh generation Texan, and moved out while everybody else was moving in. I’ve worked as a musician, ranch hand, retail manager, construction worker, print salesman, artist and writer. I’ve also worked as Senior Resident at a halfway house, and both sides of the mental health desk. I’m from one of those families where the kids raised themselves, and I made a lot of mistakes on the way, so I’m probably one of the few hard-boiled pulp guys writing that has actually lived on the street. Hell, there’s a part of me that’s still dreaming up crooked schemes in my head—I’ve mentally pulled off at least three armored car jobs in the last year. But hey, that’s all for art, right? Hmmmm, well, at least part of it. The biggest thing as far as pulp goes is that without the heroes of my youth I know I’d be in jail.
AP: Where do you live?
BCB: My adopted hometown of Chicago, North Side. I think I’m in my fifteenth year here. Don’t even ask me about Cubbies vs. White Sox.
AP: How long have you been writing?
BCB: Since I learned the alphabet, in one form or another. Before I wrote, I wanted to be a cartoonist, so I wrote what I drew. I majored in journalism at the University of North Texas, but when I saw what was happening to American media, I dropped out and started working as a musician (bass, vocals, and blues harp). All through my years as a musician, I was writing songs and lyrics. Then one day in my thirties I read a lousy book by a famous writer, and said, “I can do better.” Subconsciously, I’m pretty sure I was aiming at the fact that Raymond Chandler (of Philip Marlowe fame) had started really writing at about the same age. Not that I’m comparing myself to Chandler, even though I’d love to.
AP: Share with us your thoughts on the current boom in pulp action/adventure fiction.
BCB: I love it, other than the fact that I can’t keep up with all the characters. Seriously, this is one of those weird moments in history where we get to see things change. Adventure fiction kind of got forgotten by all the big publishers, and I love being one of the guys to pick up the slack. I also think with my particular background, I have the chance to inject a voice that others might not know about. I’d seriously love to see a homegrown pulp movement that while still holding the moral virtues of the past, can also grow into a whole different new animal. In a way that’s what I tried to do with TALES OF THE BAGMAN, create a character, who in a world gone corrupt, still has a moral compass—even it is a little bit wonky. In the book I refer a lot to his “moral flexibility,” a nice way of saying legal, illegal, and extralegal.
AP: You’ve written SECRET AGENT X, JIM ANTHONY & DAN FOWLER, G-MAN for Airship 27 Productions. Who’s your favorite character of those three?
BCB: Tough question, I’ll try not to use the phrase “apples and oranges,” but it certainly applies. Secret Agent X is a man so dedicated to his mission he doesn’t even have his own identity. That takes a lot of commitment. On the other hand we have Fowler, who’s also a Federal Agent, yet is so recognizable that he really can’t go undercover—and his entire identity is wrapped up in being the stereotypical Hoover FBI man. Meanwhile, Jim Anthony, especially in his new Airship 27 tales, has vast potential. So part of me wants to say Dan Fowler, because I love the image of the thirties G-Man and want to write another one of those. But, since we’ve already been exposed to Elliot Ness, Dick Tracy and a host of others, Dan might not seem too original—there’s a lot of work left to be done by the author. So, OK, X is probably the best character, but I have to go with Dan Fowler because I still have my Melvin Purvis, Junior G-Man badge.
AP: Is it safe to say that TALES OF THE BAGMAN is your most ambitious project to date?
BCB: Definitely Maybe. Obviously, it’s my most ambitious to be published, and it’s definitely the most fun thing I’ve ever written—fun to write, fun to read. But my first novel, Bipolar Express, was pretty ambitious, too. Picture a Science Fiction/Noir story written like a 1950’s Gold Medal paperback, starring three dually-diagnosed, mentally ill, homeless men, trying to survive the worst winter in Chicago history—and all the while the magnetic poles are shifting. Of course, what I’ve learned in the last few years is that I better think every project is my most ambitious; you stop aiming high, you’re going to start digging a rut. That’s my big lesson for 2010. And yes, I’d definitely love to write a few more Bagman books. I’m thinking Chicago World’s Fair and Dillinger, since The Bagman’s living in June of 1933.
AP: Who is The Bagman?
BCB: The Bagman is Frank “Mac” MacCullough, a criminal just on the edge of climbing organized crime’s corporate ladder. Then one day they send him to break his uncle’s legs, and he can’t do it. In the end he has to take on the mob, and deal with the cops at the same time. But in the beginning the only thing he has on hand to disguise himself is a paper bag that he wedges on under his fedora. Thus a man who was a bagman for the mob becomes, The Bagman. He uses a gun because so does everybody else, and he prefers a revolver to an automatic—that alone ought to tell you he’s a little bit different. Working with him, and every bit his equal, is “Crankshaft” Jones, an ace mechanic and WWI vet who served with The Harlem Hellfighters, to win the French Medal of Honor. So here he we have a black man who’s a war hero in France, but comes back to the states and he’s just another face lost in the crowd. Crankshaft is practically Mac’s foster dad, but his best friend, too. Also a bit of a cynic. And, I’d also like to point out that Mac is a character who I plan to evolve, so his future could get a whole lot weirder, and there are some definite signals toward that in the book.
AP: What works in progress can you tell us about?
BCB: Well, let’s see… I’ve got two novelettes for Airship 27 coming out sometime soon here. RAVENWOOD, STEPSON OF MYSTERY, the only occult character in the pulps to actually have supernatural powers. Another, newer BAGMAN story to appear in an anthology of all new pulp heroes. And a novel I’ve started, but have no idea where it’s going, that features Elizabethan playwright and spy Christopher Marlowe coming back to earth as a modern demon hunter. But, I have to say now, as of this second, I just decided I’m going to do another Dan Fowler. How many opportunities am I going to get in this life to write G-Man stories? Which I think kind of brings us back again to this whole pulp revolution. I love this stuff!
AP: What do you think are your strengths as a writer and what are your weaknesses?
BCB:I think one of my best strengths is visualization—at least that’s what I’ve been told. Being a visual thinker, it seems, makes it easier for the writer to pass that picture along to the reader. I’m pretty good with dialogue, and I’m also pretty big on history. Put it this way, I actually enjoy doing research. As far as what I’m not good at? I think plotting might be my weakest point. I like having a general idea of where the story’s going, but I hate writing outlines. Sometimes I finish an outline and there’s a part of my brain that says “Why write the story? You already know what’s going to happen?” Then again, Dashiell Hammet thought plotting was his big weakness, and it didn’t stop him from defining a whole new genre.
AP: Hobbies? Other Interests?
BCB: I like baseball, anybody that reads The Bagman book ought to figure that out. I have to admit I really do spend a lot of my spare time reading. Writing is such an imperfect art form, in that it’s never perfect, and I like to see how other people pull it off. I also ride a bike. I don’t drive. My wife and I buy and sell vintage goods so I always like looking at old stuff. Of course, there’s the whole musician thing, and music is like food: you got to try all kinds. Anybody that knows me also knows I’m a bit of a political activist; I really do hate injustice.
AP: Here’s your chance to give somebody a shoutout or plug something. Go.
BCB: I’ve got a story you can read for free up at SFReader.com, on their annual short story contest page, “How Pappy Got Five Acres Back and Calvin Stayed on the Farm.” It’s got monsters. And you need to check out Andrew Salmon’s The Light of Men. Not your average pulp novel.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life Of B.C. Bell like?
BCB: Oh, I wake up. Have a Pop-Tart. Go back to bed—wait, I think that was an episode of Lifestyles of the Poor and Decrepit…
AP: What else should we know about B.C. Bell?
BCB: I think we should just go right back to “he’s a bundle of contradictions.” Yeah, I may be conflicted, but I’m never boring.
JOHN MORGAN NEAL Co creator/writer of AYM GERONIMO AND THE POST MODERN PIONEERS All concepts and artwork is copyright John Morgan Neal and Todd Fox.
AP: Before we find out who Aym Geronimo is, tell us who John Morgan Neal is.
JMN: John Morgan Neal is a Texan Scot/Cherokee who grew up in the county seat of Grayson County on the edge of the Red River and who has always dreamed about being a storyteller such as the ones that entertained me in my youth in vibrant four colors and on yellowed paged paperbacks. I’m also a bit of a crusty ol’ kook as the regulars over at the Dixonverse, the official message board of Chuck Dixon where I help moderate can attest.
AP: Now, describe Aym Geronimo as a character. Who is she? Where’d the idea come from? What influenced you?
JMN: Aym Geronimo is a quintessential adventurer. She doesn’t do what she does as a job. She isn’t a spy or Tomb Raider or any other occupation that itself brings her to adventure. She herself seeks it out in various ways. Her motivations are to help people and investigate strange things and to basically find things out. And this leads to all sorts of danger. Which she enjoys. It’s why someone with Aym’s abilities doesn’t stay in a lab. She would wither and die there.
The idea came from Doc Savage of course. By way of Buckaroo Banzai. The idea was originally to try and get the license to do Buckaroo after a group of other creators and myself had tried to do the same with the Evil Dead property. But soon it became obvious we should just do our own. So start with the original Doc Savage, toss in some Jonny Quest, Challengers of the Unknown and Fantastic Four and shake well. And tons of other influences as well to be sure. Aym comes from a rich and full pedigree.
AP: Now, although there are a few, there are not a tremendous amount of female lead characters in the pulp genre, particularly in the hero-leader mold you’ve cast Aym in. Tell us how you came to create the character as female.
JMN: To be utterly honest. It came from the name. I wanted a name like Savage and Banzai and we knew we were going with the American Southwest. So I came up with Geronimo and thought about what would work with that and came up with the slightly altered and misspelled short name for Amethyst and came up with Aym. Which for the readers of this interview’s sake is pronounced aim. So Aim Geronimo. Or Aym Geronimo. And it had to be a woman. Very quickly Aym herself started to take shape and form.
AP: Aym has her own cast of characters all around her. Tell us about the Post Modern Pioneers.
JMN: The PostModern Pioneers are Aym’s fellow adventurers, compatriots, allies, and pals that operate with her out of the Wonder Wall, which is located in a wall of the Grand Canyon near the Havasupi reservation. They are all experts and specialists in their respective fields except for one. And he is just Odd. Otis Delacroix to be exact. He has been an adventurer for many years prior to Aym and is her mentor now. He is a mysterious figure of advanced age and copious skills and knowledge that even Aym doesn’t know the full story about. We also have Bird the pilot, driver and mechanic. He had served in the military with Aym’s father and sort of looks out for her as his proxy. His real name is Charlton Portamayne and he tends to try and serve as the voice for reason in Aym’s ear. Which usually is deaf. Esmeralda Kausoulos is a former tomb raiding archeologist and geologist who Aym has given a new lease on life due to Aym’s loyalty to her as her former instructor. Pebbles tends to be saucy and sassy and sexy despite her more mature years starting to show. Danielle Roh, or Granny tinkers in her ‘Kitchen’ in the Wonder Wall as the resident technical and computer genius. She is by far the youngest of the PMP as she is barely out of her teens. She tends to be sardonic sometimes and can be distracted by her many youthful interests but is supremely capable and loyal. Erica ‘Flipper’ Ra is Aym’s best friend and a denizen of the Ocean since she was a little girl and first saw it. It has been a hopeless cause to get her out of it very long since then. Flipper is the provider of boats and diving equipment and information on the watery depths of the planet due to her talents as an Oceanographer. And finally last but not least is Aym’s big brother Granite. Going by his spiritual name of Wind. Aym serves as the expert on Legend Lore and the more esoteric non scientific side of things, many times in opposition to Aym’s point of view. Wind serves as Aym’s conscious and connection to her people. Wind also is an expert tracker and hunter.
AP: You’re working on a major project now concerning Aym and her crew, a story collection. Can you let us in on that?
JMN: That would be Aym Geronimo and the PostModern Pioneers: Tall Tales. It is a collection of prose short stories from various writers who I invited and they knocked it out of the park. The book is currently in the last stages of editing and will then go to the design stage and hopefully will be ready to debut very soon. I am very excited about this book.
(JMN also had his editor on this project, Sarah Beach comment on this question as follows) John asked me (Sarah Beach) as editor of the prose project to comment about this. Since he and Todd had hit some delays in getting a new graphic novel version of Aym and her team into print, John wanted to keep Aym in front of the audience. So some time ago he approached me about writing a prose story using the characters. He said he’d asked a number of other friends to do one as well. He gave us free rein, to use whichever characters we wanted and any type of story. Sometime later, I got involved as editor, proofreading the stories as they came in and doing a little bit of editing. It’s been a lot of fun, because there’s quite a variety of stories in the collection: character pieces, action adventures, mysteries and even a dash of some comedy. And yet, they are all credibly stories of Aym and the PostModern Pioneers. It’s a credit to John in the creation of the characters and the strength of Todd’s artwork that has given them real shape, that so many different writers have caught the nature of them.
AP: Your characters in Aym run pretty much the ethnic gamut. Was that because the characters just developed that way or was there a greater purpose?
JMN: No grand design really. Only that I knew she would have a team and that I wanted to avoid them all being WASP males. Other than that they pretty much came organically without much prior thought. Some of it came from mental casting. Like Bird is a combo of Yaphet Kotto and Morgan Freeman. And I knew I wanted Danille to be a cute little Asian college age girl and I wanted the Archeologist to be from Greece. And Wind had to be Apache like his sister. So that leaves Odd. Who’s just a typical old man. Or is he?
AP: What is in the future for Aym? More comics or other mediums? And as far as stories, anywhere you’re going to take her that we’d like to know about, any interesting locales or situations awaiting Aym that you can share?
JMN: Todd Fox and I are working on 12 page comic story for a special project I can’t mention yet and then we will get back to work on the epic Aym tale “The Devil’s Cauldron” which will be a huge comic volume. Or graphic novel as they are called. We also have wanted to do something online with her and I imagine I will be revisiting the prose world with her. As for locales and situations. There could be a certain large footed mammal missing link in her life and a trip to the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific to stop a cataclysm. And a trip to Russia to track down what might be a Werewolf. I think that’s good enough to whet the appetite for now.
AP: Do you have any other projects that would interest the pulp realm?
JMN: I have a western called Death and Texas that concerns a group of various folks who for one reason or another have “gone to Texas’ either to run from something or run to something. Primary among them is the Chinese American gunslinger named Ran Wu, dubbed The Yellow Devil by the Dime Novels. I also soon will have with my English partner from across the Pond a little number called Them: Atomic Age Heroes. Which is set in the 50’s and concerns the mutinous crew of various aliens on a flying saucer that attempts to save the Earth from their despotic masters.
AP: Thanks for your time and we can’t wait for the further adventures of Aym Geronimo and her Post Modern Pioneers. Any final thoughts?
JMN: Long Live All Pulp. And Aym for Adventure!
To find Aym Geronimo on the web, check out www,aymgeronimo.com And on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aym-Geronimo-and-the-Post-Modern-Pioneers/105564933516
DANNY KELLY, Artist on HALLOWEEN LEGION
All artwork is copyright Danny Kelly. Halloween Legion is copyright Martin Powell and Danny Kelly.
AP: What’s the secret origin of Danny Kelly?
DANNY KELLY: I’ve spent a lifetime in seclusion, with pencil in hand, creating imaginary worlds hoping that just once I’ll create one that I can actually jump in and hide. I attended the Joe Kubert school where I was completely humbled and became rededicated, after school I toiled away in the ”real world” until realizing that I had to escape this world at all costs, and the only way of doing that was to become a professional comics artist, over the last few years I’ve completely immersed myself in comic art and tutorials, eventually spreading my work far enough on the internet that I was ”discovered” by some great folks like Martin Powell and Neil Vokes, who have been so gracious and helpful to me, and it now appears that my sacrifices have paid off. My REAL Secret Origin? I’m a canine-human hybrid from a galaxy nearby who was put on earth to save all of dog-kind. After realizing the impossibility of such a task I decided to draw for a living :)
AP: We’ve heard a little bit about Halloween Legion already but what can you add to it? How did you become involved in the project and how much of a free hand did you have in designing the characters?
DANNY KELLY: Martin has kept alot of the details to himself, I just know it’s a great quirky twist on superheroes and the Horror genre with deceptively simple looking heroes who hide several secrets just below the surface, and the Skeleton, well, much as I’d love to tell you his secret, and it’s a real good one, I just cannot at this time…Martin brought up the idea to me and I told him that of course I’d love to work with him and have something published by Ron Hanna, another one of my favorite people that I’ve been lucky enough to meet online, Martin gave me good thorough descriptions and I drew the crew several times to try to get a feel for them, Martin liked what he saw and I was on! I just had to follow Martin’s descriptions for the characters and try to keep them iconic but unique at once. We’ll see how well I pull that off,lol.
AP: What else are you currently involved in?
DANNY KELLY: Right now I’m involved in self publishing a book that I penciled called The Curse of the Vessel, written by Michael Leal, about a mob gangster who shakes down the wrong guy and gets branded with a sigil that allow the dead to occupy his body, we won the third round of the now-stalled Small Press Idol contest for this year, I also have several small projects and stories in the works with a few different writers, the next thing that I’ve worked on that should be done is M.O.N.S.T.E.R. Home by Dan Barnes, a tale of Van Helsing being admitted to an asylum full of classic Universal Horror monsters, good fun!
AP: For folks who might want to find out more about you or your works, where should they go?
DANNY KELLY: Facebook.com/Dannydog is my profile, send me a friend request! I have no website up just yet, I’m thinking about it but for now Facebook is my best networking tool and where I’ve gotten the most useful feedback on my work, I can also be reached at DrFate420@aol.com
AP: Any dream projects that you’d like to work on?
DANNY KELLY: So very many! I’d love to do several short stories featuring my favorite characters like The Shadow, The Green Hornet, Hourman and Dr. Midnight, Space Ghost, but as someone who was most motivated to pursue comics art by books like Year One, The Killing Joke and Dark Knight Returns, and as someone with the black Golden Age Bat-symbol tattooed on my arm (my first one) I’d love to draw a Batman tale, if just once!
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW MICHAEL METCALF Artist on BLACK BAT and DEATH ANGEL
AP: Michael, welcome to All Pulp’s first ever Moonstone Monday! Before we jump right into the excellent work you’re doing at Moonstone, give us some background on you and what work you’ve done up until now.
MICHAEL METCALF: Glad to be here. Moonstone Monday is one of my favorite days! I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Before I became a part of these Moonstone projects, I worked on various children’s graphic novels such as Timothy and the Transgalactic Towel and The Secrets of the Seasons: Gimoles. Before those I worked on a strange mix of pinups, covers, one panel cartoons, catalog illustrations, and what I like to call “not-yet-published” comics.
AP: You’re working with writer Mike Bullock on two characters involved in Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS. One is an original character, Death Angel. Having looked at some of the images of this character, it’s clearly a frightening avenger type. Tell us something about the Death Angel and give us some insight into what goes into your art on this particular concept.
MM: Yeah, Death Angel is a dark, vengeful character born out of a tortured, abused childhood. The Death Angel costume is all black with a white skull mask and large tattered wings so there is a terrific opportunity to play with heavy shadows and the contrast of light and dark areas in the comic panels. An important part of the costume is the pulsing light and sound devices concealed in both gloves. These devices induce disorientation and hallucinations in Death Angel’s foes so I like to use alot of swirling flowing lines and trippy distorted images during the fight scenes.
AP: Switching gears, but only slightly, you’re also bringing a pulp icon to life on the comic page, The Black Bat, as written also by Mike Bullock. Pulp fans know how the Black Bat is and he’s also a dark avenger night type of hero, but the styles seem different from your BLACK BAT to your DEATH ANGEL. Can you point out the differences and explain why you’ve sort of approached each of these from different angles artistically?
MM: I think that both of these characters are psychologically damaged. They both want to fight evil, and they are doing it in a very violent way that is outside of the normal limits of the law. The Black Bat once worked within the legal system and knows how the system works. Readers will notice that the Black Bat’s mind is now fractured into different personalities, the defender, prosecutor, judge and executioner, and it’s these four distinct voices that determine how he deals with the bad guys. The Black Bat has heightened senses and a huge need for justice. On the other hand, Death Angel’s roots are in twisted religion and a childhood of horrifying abuse. The result is a tortured soul seeking to punish the wicked. I think Death Angel is particularly obsessed with avenging crimes against women and children. Death Angel doesn’t have any superhuman abilities, just deep psychological scars, some powerful but horribly skewed religious convictions and a freaky costume armed with mind warping devices.
AP: With the Black Bat, you’re treading on what some would consider sacred ground. The costume the Bat wears in your work is slightly different from what most pulp aficionados would say he originally wore. Can you explain some of the changes and your reasons for them as well as wade in on the discussion of whether or not original characters should be changed/updated for modern readers or left as they were originally conceived?
MM: Mike B and I love the Black Bat, so hopefully we won’t be spoiling anyone’s enjoyment by making some changes. Mike B is the driving force here and he has a great deal of respect for the source materials. With the Black Bat making his way back into the visually driven comic format, I think it’s a great opportunity to add some new details and show him off to a whole new fan base while hopefully providing something new and enjoyable to the existing fans. Readers will find that he now sports a cowl similar to the traditional one but with no eye holes. His boots, gloves and other costume parts are all combat-durable and quite scarred because he has a tendency to brawl and break through windows, walls or crooks that get in his way. I’d say we approached the creation of the first issue from the point of view that “wow! this is what we’d like to see the Black Bat doing, and this is what he might wear to scare that crap out of some thugs before he beats them to a pulp.”
AP: What appeals to you about working with pulp characters in a comics medium?
MM: I think pulp fiction and comics are branches of the same family. It’s always a blast to draw dynamic characters having sensational adventures so I guess that’s what appealed to me.
AP: Any pulp characters you’d like to try your hand at, either those currently being played with at Moonstone or otherwise?
MM: The Shadow and Doc Savage spring to mind and there are many, many others that would be a hoot to draw.
AP: Do you have anything else in the works now, either within Moonstone or beyond?
MM: Mike and I just finished separate Black Bat and Death Angel pulp tales for the widevision books. These feature a different size/shape format and some very moody art. I’m working on the next ish of BLACK BAT DOUBLE SHOT and we have a four issue mini series called Lions Tigers and Bears Volume Three that is awaiting a print date and volume IV waiting in the wings. As far as other projects, I’m illustrating a mystery novel and a mini-series that I’m dying to talk about but I can’t yet! Hopefully I’ll chat with you again soon about the other stuff.
AP: Michael, your time and work is really appreciated!
MM: Hope you enjoy the BLACK BAT DOUBLE SHOT!
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW
Martin Powell-Writer of Ki-Gor and The Spider for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Martin, thanks for sitting down with All Pulp again so soon (For Martin’s first interview with All Pulp, actually All Pulp’s debut interview, click on the INTERVIEWS page on this site). Aside from the Halloween Legion, you mentioned other projects you’re working on. Can you tell us something about the RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS from Moonstone and your part in that?
POWELL: THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS is a pulp-packed event coming soon from Moonstone, resurrecting many of the classic pulp characters of the 1930s in both comics and pulp fiction form. It’s going to be really cool. I’m writing THE SPIDER’s new comic book series and prose adventures, as well as KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD.
AP: Wow, not only one but two classic characters. Of the two, Ki-Gor is probably the least familiar to most people. He has been identified as a ‘Tarzan clone’ by some. Is this a true description? If not, tell us about him? What if anything makes him stand out from the more famous Lord of the Jungle?
POWELL: He isn’t as well known today, and I’m going to try to fix that. There’s no doubt that Ki-Gor was originally created as a Tarzan imitator, and, in fact, the earliest Ki-Gor novels are very similar to the Tarzan movies of that same period, starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan. But Ki-Gor quickly developed his own unique personality as the orphaned child of a missionary, rescued and adopted by a powerful jungle shaman. Ki-Gor appeared as the lead feature in Fiction House’s Jungle Stories magazine, from 1938 all the way through to 1954, for a total of fifty-nine adventure novels, which significantly outnumbers Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels.
The most striking differences between Ki-Gor and Tarzan are that Ki-Gor’s stories are much, much weirder and they are far more sensually charged. Ki-Gor and Helene, his red-haired mate, have a very intimate relationship—and it shows in the stories, quite unlike Tarzan and Jane. Their adventures abound with deep passion, marauding prehistoric monsters, and terrifying black magic, with a touch of science fiction thrown in, too. It’s almost as if the concepts of Burroughs and Robert E. Howard came together in a macabre mix. Having said all that, I am a devoted Tarzan fan, by the way, and as such I’m working hard to make Ki-Gor very different from him.
AP: The concept of a ‘Jungle Lord’ doesn’t really fit well in the modern world where you can look at any point on the globe from a home computer. As the writer, how do you intend to make Ki-Gor resonate with a modern audience? What will you bring to the character that maybe hasn’t been there before?
POWELL: Well, I somewhat disagree with the notion that our “modern world” no longer offers any mystery or adventure. There are vast jungles in Africa and South America which have never been explored by so-called civilized humans. A lot of the planet is still completely unmapped and unknown, even in the 21st century. Within just the past couple years a vast “lost world” was discovered in Indonesia containing over 200 unknown species of animals, include a bizarre tree-climbing kangaroo. Our planet still has her secrets. Ki-Gor’s tales occur in the late 1930s, when Africa was even more mysterious than it is today. Mind you, this isn’t the same place as described in our geography books. It’s a strange world of terrible beauty and nature run amok, insidiously inhabited by witch doctors, cryptic creatures, missing links, and lost alien cities. Ki-Gor’s personality and, especially, his relationship with Helene will continue to evolve in my stories. This is not only a series of high adventure, it’s also an epic love story, which I’m enjoying very much.
AP: What, if any, concepts are you bringing forward from the original Ki-Gor tales? Any supporting cast, recurring themes, etc.?
POWELL: Helene Vaughn, from the original pulps, plays a very important role in this series. We sort of see the Jungle Lord, and his world, through her eyes. She is an extraordinary woman from civilization who has become Ki-Gor’s moral conscience and his mate. I’m also retaining N’kuni the Pygmy Warrior, and bringing in a lot of my own characters and concepts, too. My artist partner in this is Tom Floyd, who recently received the prestigious Golden Lion Award from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliophiles. Past recipients of the award have been folks like, Harlan Ellison, Johnny Weissmuller, and Frank Frazetta, so I’m really lucky to have Tom. It’s been great fun working with him on this grand, sweeping jungle adventure.
AP: Let’s go to your other character. To do that we go from the little known (Ki-Gor) to the pulp icon (The Spider). For many, writing the further adventures of Richard Wentworth would be a dream job. Was it that way for you and what appeals to you about the Spider as a writer?
POWELL: Oh, absolutely. I love the Spider. I’ve been a Spider fan since I was a teenager. It is a dream job. I’ve never thought of it as anything less, and I’m very grateful that Moonstone chose me to write this new series. Richard Wentworth, the Spider’s alter-ego (or…is it the other way around?), is a fascinating character. Arguably, he’s the most three-dimensional, fully realized personality of the pulps. I certainly consider him the most interesting of all the other contemporary pulp heroes. Those who superficially think of him merely as a killing machine, are missing the point of the Spider, in my opinion. I’m striving to remain as close to Norvell Page’s creation as possible by portraying Wentworth as highly intelligent, possessing lightning-fast deductive skills, and as a brilliantly commanding strategist. He also possesses nearly superhuman physical prowess, extraordinary endurance, and an incredible tolerance to pain. His fearsome reputation as the “Master of Men” is fully warranted, and yet he is also sorely afflicted with a messiah-complex. The Spider is wanted by the Law and the criminal Underworld alike, with most people believing that he is out of control and murderously insane. Privately, Wentworth himself is haunted by this terrifying possibility.
AP: What about the Spider will ring true with a modern crowd? Is it really just the violent way in which Wentworth handles his business or is there more to it?
POWELL: There is much more to the Spider than merely his body-count Alone among the pulp heroes on his day, the readers were privy to the Spider’s inner thoughts, his crazed obsessions, his astonishing genius, and his tormented and dreadful self-doubts. I will be preserving this and also adding to the concept considerably. Ultimately, the Spider is more terrible than the fiends he fights. In Wentworth’s nightmarish world, New York City teeters forever upon the brink of oblivion. It’s 911 every day. He boldly faces hordes of monstrous madmen with a venomous laugh and a thunderous brace of blasting automatics. No villain, no matter how diabolical, has ever defeated the Master of Men. He has become a monster in order to vanquish the devils that would destroy us. It is a transformation that will demand a terrible price, as we shall see, by the climax of my first year’s storyline.
AP: Writing pulp prose is one thing, but crafting a script to bring any pulp character to life in comic form is a tricky proposition, as we’ve seen from other companies in recent months. Tell us how you feel about the work you’ve done so far on both characters, how you feel they translate to the comic page and how telling these stories in this form brings anything different to them?
POWELL: I’ve been doing this sort of thing a long time, almost twenty-five years. Whether writing prose, or comic scripts, the classic concepts themselves must be preserved and maintained. My feeling is that the fans all want these iconic characters to be the same as from the source material. The readers are expecting to find themselves in a familiar world once they open these books. Anything less is disappointing and disrespectful. Visualize, for example, someone who has obtained, say, a Superman license, then hires a writer who immediately proceeds to change the costume, the powers, and the origin into something utterly unrecognizable. I’ll never understand that kind of thinking. There is nothing that needs to be fixed, rebooted, or re-imagined about the Spider. He is what he is, and that’s more than enough for his fans. And for me.
AP: The Spider has companions and recurring characters as well as techniques that are almost as recognizable as he is to pulpdom? What bits from the Spider’s original run are making it into your version?
POWELL: I’m using all of it. Nita Van Sloan, Ram Singh, Jackson, Commissioner Kirkpatrick, Professor Brownlee, and even a couple classic Spider villains—they will all be returning in my series. I’m focusing on Nita especially. As the only woman to share the Spider’s darkest secrets, her role, fighting alongside with him amid all this chaos and madness, fascinates me. There was no other romantic couple in the pulps quite like Wentworth and Nita. I will be delving deeper into their bizarre relationship with each story.
AP: What about pressure? Do you feel any obligations to handle an iconic character like The Spider in any certain way? Any fears or misgivings about taking on such a task?
POWELL: There’s always pressure, of course, and a certain amount of stress with any creative endeavor. I do feel a serious obligation to properly present an authentic version of the Spider. That is of the upmost importance to me as a writer and as a fellow Spider fan.
AP: Pulp is on an upswing, according to most of us in the pulp community. Obviously, this project from Moonstone is a major sign of that. Why should people, both pulp nuts and pulp newbies, pick up your books, or any of the RETURN titles?
POWELL: Well, the main reason I would want to buy them is because both the Spider and Ki-Gor are being illustrated by two very fine artists. Tom Floyd, as I’ve already said, is rendering KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD, and the legendary Pablo Marcos—and a long-time favorite of mine—is drawing THE SPIDER. Both series look spectacular.
AP: Any hints of future developments for Ki-Gor or the Spider?
POWELL: Tom and I will be re-visiting Ki-Gor’s origin in an upcoming story, and the conclusion of my first year’s worth of Spider adventures will team him, for the very first time, with another classic pulp hero—G-8 and his Battle Aces. That’s just the beginning, but the rest are secret. I have a lot of plans for the Spider.
AP: It’s been great, Martin! Thanks again!
POWELL: Not at all. I’m always happy to discuss the pulps. Thank you.
PENCILED PAGES FROM PABLO MARCOS FOR MOONSTONE’S SPIDER!!!
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW Mike Bullock-writer of Black Bat for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Mike, welcome to ALL PULP and thanks for taking time to answer a few questions. First, for those who don’t know your background, tell us about Mike Bullock.
MB: I’ve been writing since I was four years old, unprofessionally that is. I learned to read with Batman comics when I was three and always dreamed of a day when I could tell stories in comic books. When I was a teenager, I joined my first band as a singer/lyricist and quickly discovered I had a talent for poetry. I spent the next decade or so as a professional musician and when the day came to call it quits, I decided it was time to get serious about writing. A year later I was working for Broken Frontier and Panzer, a music magazine, writing articles and reviews. Soon thereafter, I landed my first comic work at Image and then took over writing The Phantom for Moonstone. After that, I woke up this morning and found this interview waiting for me. Sorry I’m late.
AP: You play a major role in Moonstone’s latest project, RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, which focuses on new comic stories featuring classic pulp characters. Can you give us any details on this project as a whole and specifically why you are glad to be a part of it?
MB: Back in 2007 Moonstone’s El Jeffe, Joe Gentile and I were tossing ideas back and forth and I suggested making a fictional city where we could tell stories featuring many of Moonstone’s characters like Domino Lady, Spider, Black Shirt and some new characters like Death Angel and one Joe had dreamed up whose name escapes me at the moment. We decided to do a team book to launch this idea, but Joe wasn’t sure that was the right time to push it, since they had the Twilight War series amping up. We continued discussing the idea and it soon evolved into a pulp city/universe, where we’d bring back a lot of original pulp characters and put them into a cohesive environment. It would also allow us a vehicle to introduce new characters that were exclusively under the Moonstone banner. Well, time went on and one day Joe emailed me and said he thought it was time to get the ball rolling on this idea. Pretty soon he handed me a list of characters and asked which one I’d like to pen. I wrote back and told him Black Bat, Gladiator, Golden Amazon and I tossed in Captain Future and Sign of the Crimson Dagger, as well as Death Angel. Joe loved the enthusiasm but realized that was too much for one writer to tackle all at once, especially since we were still going to co-write the team book and we settled on Black Bat, Death Angel, Gladiator and Captain Future. I was thrilled to say the least, especially with Black Bat and Captain Future. I’ve always held a love for characters like Black Bat, Batman and Moon Knight and this was a chance to guide the adventures of the one who started it all. The first prose book I ever read was the original Star Wars novelization. When I was done, I loved it so much I went to the book store looking for more and stumbled on a series about a Virginian who suddenly found himself on Mars fighting giant green men to save the most beautiful woman in the universe. Right then and there, I discovered the magic that is pulp fiction. I devoured every one of those John Carter books in less than a month and then branched out to Conan, Carson of Venus, etc. With that in mind, and my lifelong love of comic books, it’s no wonder that writing pulp comic books is a dream come true.
AP: One of the characters you’re tackling for RETURN is one that is known to most pulp fans, The Black Bat. Briefly, acquaint those who might not be so familiar about whom the Black Bat was in his original appearances. Also, weren’t there two pulp Black Bats? If so, which one are you writing?
MB: Anthony Quinn was a man on a mission, driven to make sure justice was done in the courtroom. However, just as often happens today, criminals slipped through the loopholes of our judicial system on technicalities time and time again, which brought with it a level of frustration that only motivated Quinn further. One day, in an attempt to destroy evidence, a mobster hit Quinn in the face with acid, blinding him and leaving horrific scarring around his eyes. Quinn’s career as a DA was over, and for a brief time, so was his life, as far as he was concerned. However, as the saying goes, ‘you can’t keep a good man down’ and Quinn was certainly a good man. As he sat in his parlor one night, contemplating his new found course of action, the smell of beautiful perfume wafted into the room. A gentle voice told Quinn of a secret operation that would restore his sight. Quinn and his right-hand man, Silk Kirby, drove out to the countryside where a doctor transplanted the eyes of a dead police officer into Quinn’s head, returning his eyesight. However, Quinn had already heightened his other senses and could now effectively see in the dark, as well as hear in a manner akin to bats, where minute air pressure changes alerted him to motion in his surroundings. Quinn took up the mantle of Black Bat, swearing to fight evil men with their own weapon: treachery, intimidation and terror. There were indeed two Black Bats, one a private investigator in search of the unknown and another, more successful version, which I’ve just detailed. Additionally, there were several other ‘Bat’ characters in the pulps as well as DC comics’ most famous one, Batman.
AP: As most pulp characters do, The Black Bat has a cast of helpers, a team of sorts, and a cast of recurring characters and even themes. What of these trappings are you bringing into your version of this masked avenger?
MB: We see Carol Baldwin in the first issue, Silk Kirby appears in #2 and Butch O’Leary enters in #4. Additionally, a new member of his inner circle, Langston Walker will join the ranks soon.
AP: There’s always a concern that a writer will ‘change’ an established character if he takes over the writing chores. What changes if any are you making in the Black Bat? Anything about his history or changes maybe in storytelling, tone, etc?
MB: I’m not sure what I’m doing necessarily falls under the heading of change, but more of deeper exploration of what came before. I did a lot of research on the impact of traumatic events, such as being hit with a face full of acid, and what it does to the human psyche and introduced my findings to the lore. I’ve also expounded on the heightened senses in a more realistic manner than what others did, (re: Marvel Comics’ Daredevil). Beyond that, the only real updates have been to the costume and storytelling style. On the costume front, I think artist Michael Metcalf has done a wonderful job bringing the Black Bat’s wardrobe into the 21st century. Hopefully, your readers agree.
AP: One aspect of your Black Bat that stands out is his deadly dedication to his mission. He intends to see justice done and sometimes that’s not so pretty. This is a trait, in my opinion, that he had even in his original stories, but it’s also a hot button with critics who claim that such violence is gratuitous, that it gives readers the wrong ideas about how to handle things. How would you handle such criticism if you received it for your Black Bat?
MB: I’ve already had such criticism and all I can say to the critics is wait and see. At first glance some of the ultra-violence in the first issue might seem gratuitous, but once a bigger picture unfolds, there’ll be more to the story than just a few two-dimensional thugs getting whacked.
AP: Let’s talk about time period. What era does your Black Bat take place in and why that particular period?
MB: We’ve intentionally left the time period for most of the Return line vague. While the Battle For LA story by pulp master C.J. Henderson obviously nails it down to the WWII era, this is an alternate earth where these tales take place, so you may see things in the books that defy chronological structures as we know them. Expect the unexpected, especially in the pages of Aaron Shaps’ Phantom Detective and the aforementioned team book Joe Gentile and I are doing.
AP: There seems to be two camps of pulp writers as well as pulp fans. Some want writers who take over established characters to stick right to the model already established, same costume, same friends, etc. Others allow that the modern writer may bring something different to the table and are more tolerant of change? Where do you fall as a writer and as a fan?
MB: I love new. No one will ever write stories exactly like the original authors and as a reader I’d rather not see someone try because they’ll ultimately fail. Instead, I think it’s the duty of writers to build on what came before. If you’re a professional writer and you have nothing new to say, your career will last as long as a mobster in Black Bat’s world. A lot has changed in our collective consciousness since these tales were first crafted; including the way we as a society look at storytelling. So, I’m excited to read Martin Powell’s new Spider tales, thrilled about what Aaron is doing in Phantom Detective and can’t wait to read Secret Agent X, Rocketman and the litany of other stories like I.V. Frost, Ki-Gor, G8 and more. I handed the reins of Gladiator over to Josh Aitken and can’t wait to see what he does with earth’s mightiest mortal, also. While I get the desire by purists to never have anything change, for those who subscribe to that mindset, there’s a litany of existing work to read. If nothing was to change, why bother doing anything new? On the flipside, if you’re going to do something new, to quote the cliché ‘Go big or go home’, which is a mantra I think a lot of Return writers are embracing.
AP: Depending on whom you talk to or what you read, The Black Bat had quite an influence on several modern day characters and concepts. Does that fact put you under any particular pressure to one up the original? What are your intentions with your Black Bat, to tell a great story or is there more?
MB: I don’t see any pressure from that angle; I do feel a pressure to live up to a great character and series of existing stories, just as I did when I took over the Phantom. Lee Falk was a master of speculative fiction and to walk in his shoes was quite intimidating at first, however I soon was able to spread my wings and fly with his great creation. I think with Black Bat, I’m revisiting those early Phantom days to some extent. I’ll make some mistakes, just as I did with The Ghost Who Walks, but hopefully the enjoyable parts will outweigh everything else. In the end, I just want to tell stories that I’d enjoy reading. Hopefully, they’ll be great stories and remembered as such, but I’m simply praying God allows me to do the best job humanly possible. I think if I do that and the book reaches a wide enough audience, it’ll all work out in the end.
AP: Other than breathing life back into a pulp icon, do you have anything else in the works that would make pulp fans sit on the edge of their seats?
MB: Well, Death Angel debuted in Phantom Doubleshot #1 last year and garnered some real excitement from readers. I’m hoping the character’s further appearances in Black Bat Doubleshot will build on that until ‘Angel can survive as the headliner.
Captain Future is another pulp character I’m working with that has me really excited. The idea that this character is so overlooked today boggles my mind. For those who aren’t aware, the good Captain was one of the originators of the space opera sub genre, popularized originally by Flash Gordon and later by Star Wars. Some describe Cap as Doc Savage in space, which is more than enough to get me jazzed. The original stores, penned by Edmond Hamilton, have all the excitement found in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter stories and they harken back to a time when our society was more innocent and captivated with imagination. Look for the first Captain Future tale in the Moonstone Pulp Fiction magazine’s first issue.
Outside the pulp arena, I’m writing a new “jungle girl” book called Savage Beauty which takes the sensibilities of my Phantom stories and infuses them into an old genre desperately in need of modernization. Savage Beauty #1 hits shelves in early 2011.
AP: Mike, thanks a lot for taking the time to spend Moonstone Monday with ALL PULP!
MB: Thanks for the interview, Tommy, it’s greatly appreciated.
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW Ron Fortier-writer of I.V FROST for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Ron, you’ve made a name for yourself in comics and recently in pulps. Now the two fields are coming together for you with your work for Moonstone. Let us in on the project overall that you’re a part of and how it came about.
RF: Well, I’m a small (note very, very small) part of Moonstone’s new pulp inspired comic book line, Return of the Originals spearheaded by Managing Editor Joe Gentile with able assistance from Mike Bullock and Tim Lasiuta. For the past several years Moonstone Books has been creating a really substantial presence in the pulp community with their excellent prose anthologies featuring such characters as the Spider, the Avenger and from the comic ranks, the Phantom. With this next step into pulp comics, Joe set about recruiting those writers who had contributed to the prose books and I am happily one of those.
AP: With the Pulp resurgence going as it is, fans are aware of Doc Savage, the Shadow, and even some of the lesser known names like the Black Bat and The Phantom Detective. But you’re putting your talents to a hero only die hard pulp fans may know. Just what is the story behind I.V. Frost? What’s his history?
RH: Honestly, the more obscure, the better where I’m concerned. These lesser known heroes are real gems. I.V. Frost was invented for Clues Detective Stories by veteran pulp writer Donald Wandrai. Between Sept. 1934 and Sept. 1937, Wandrai wrote a total of eighteen stories starring this scientific criminologist. Frost is best described as a cross between Sherlock Holmes and the two-fisted private eye Sam Spade. A genius who puts his intellect to use solving bizarre crimes, he is not above getting his hands dirty to bring the bad guys to justice. Frost is aided by a platinum blond beauty named Jean Moray who is not only sexy and street smart, but also a scientist with a college degree. They make a fantastic crime solving team.
AP: You’re known for your desire to stay as true to the history of the public domain characters you write as you can, but you are obviously a modern era writer. What do you think you bring to this idea that will make Frost appealing to readers who pick it up today?
RF: After writing comics for thirty years, I’d like to think I’ve learned what a graphic story requires to make it both interesting and fun for the average comic reader. Although a lot of what happens in Frost’s adventures is indeed cerebral, I’m well aware no one wants to read a comic made up mostly of the hero locked in his lab simply staring off into space thinking. Thus far all of my scripts have made a concentrated effort to get Frost out of his lab and out where the action is. As long as I remember to the keep the fists and bullets flying, hopefully no one will get bored with him.
AP: There are just some ideas from pulp that may not translate well from the written word to the comic panel. What do you think there is about Frost that makes comics a good medium for him to return in?
RF: One of the things I know for a fact is Sherlock Holmes’ lasting personality was never really about how he solved any of his cases, but what a truly unique and colorful personality he was given by Arthur Conan Doyle. Both I.V. Frost and the delectable Miss Moray are such original, different characters. I’m using this as a base line and then writing exotic, fantastic crimes to get them involved with. That combination of bizarre cases and Frost’s eclectic persona will hopefully be very appealing to comic readers. There really aren’t any other pulp heroes quite like him.
AP: A lot of classic characters come with their own trademarks, a team of supporters, certain gadgets they always use, etc? Does I. V. Frost have any of this baggage and if he does, what of it are you bringing into your stories?
RF: Well, I’ve already spoken quite a bit of Jean Moray. There were a few police detectives who worked with Frost and I will be incorporating one or two of these, plus others of my own invention. As for gadgets and gizmos, Frost’s own brownstone in New York City is filled with all manner of recording devices, electric surveillance equipment etc. It is practically a fortress. There is also his personal laboratory where he can whip up all manner of fiendish cocktails and contraptions to aid him in cracking a case, such as his bullet-proof plastic suit. Many of these I’ve lifted right out of the original stories.
AP: Those of us that are pulp fans as well as pulp writers and artists see a major push in not only the creation of new pulp characters, but also the revitalization of older characters. A question to ask, though, is why? Why do you think now is the time for a character like Frost to return to the public scene? Why do you think there’s a reading public interested in him and his fellow pulp characters?
RF: I’ve been thinking about this on and off for the past several years, watching this Renaissance of Pulps if you will, and trying to fathom its meaning. I may be all wet, but I just cannot accept that it is mere coincidence that the pulps were born during the Great Depression and now, when our country is once again undergoing economic woes, readers find themselves hungry for escapist entertainment to help them forger their troubles, if even for a few hours or minutes even. Pulp literature is a purer form of action adventure than what evolved over the past thirty years in this country. From the late sixties to the present, we’ve been given “realistic” anti-heroes who in the end are often indistinguishable from the villains they battle. I hate the word anti-hero, it’s a joke. The anti-hero is the villain. Always had been. People today are fed up with this narcissistic junk and want real old fashion heroes again and that’s why pulps are making a strong comeback in all mediums. Because the pulps were never afraid to create heroes people could look up to, emulate and find hope in. Pulps have always been a literature of hope.
AP: Any plans for Frost you can let your adoring fans in on ?
RF: Well, so far I’ve turned in one prose story and three comic strips, all of which are being beautifully illustrated by Jake Minor, a super talented artist whose work reminds me of Brian Bolland. Fans are going to love it. As for future plans, only to keep writing more of these as I’ve grown really fond of these characters. Hopefully so will the fans as it will be their vote that determines their future from here on out.
AP: I. V. Frost is not all you have cookin’ on the pulp stove. What else do you have your hands in currently that we can look forward to in the future?
RF: Well, I mentioned some of the prose stuff from Moonstone. I’ve an Avenger story due out in the second volume of that series and a Green Hornet story in the first volume of that set due out any day now. I’ve also written an Athena Voltaire prose story for creator Steve Bryant’s anthology book now in the works. There are several pulp and radio heroes that have never been translated to comics that I’m hoping to develop for various publishers next year. Obviously I’m not at liberty to divulge their names, but I think fans will be pleasantly surprised. I’m also working on my fifth Captain Hazzard novel for Airship 27 Productions and hope to start writing another set of stories for Pro Se Productions featuring another of my characters that’s been sitting on the shelves way too long. I guess you might say I’m kind of busy.
AP: Thanks a lot, Ron!
RF: My pleasure. Thanks for the opportunity.
MARTIN POWELL AND ‘THE HALLOWEEN LEGION’
THE HALLOWEEN LEGION are TM and copyrighted by Martin Powell and Danny Kelly
Longtime author Martin Powell recently sat down with All Pulp contributor Barry Reese to talk about his upcoming book THE HALLOWEEN LEGION. THL will be released in October from Wild Cat Books. All images shown are rough preliminary sketches and are not finished artwork.
BR: Tell us a little bit about The Halloween Legion and how it came about.
POWELL: Be glad to. THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is a concept and group of characters that I originally dreamed up many years ago, way back in the vacuous days of high school. One day, during a mind-numbing semantics class, I started sketching these figures in my notebook: a Skeleton, Witch, Devil, Ghost, and a Black Cat, the iconic archetypes of All Hallows Eve.
I remember getting a mild chill when I first drew them all together, a sort of jolt of anticipation. Suddenly I began imagining a whole series of adventures for the weird little group.
Of course, they’ve been simmering in my subconscious until recently, never quite forgotten, and patiently waiting for their chance to be born. I’m actually very glad that I waited this long. I needed the last couple decades of writing experience to prepare me for their debut. This is a very important, very personal project for me.
I’ve always loved the autumn and Halloween in particular. I wanted to somehow capture that feeling of magic and mystery, the sort of thrill you get as a kid when the falling orange and yellow leaves appear to follow you down the street. It’s too brief a season and I suppose in some crazy way I wanted to have that feeling with me always. THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is the result of that yearning.
BR: You’re collaborating on this project with Danny Kelly — what is he bringing to the table that you think will enhance the experience for readers?
POWELL: I hand-picked Danny from a number of artists that I had to choose from. There is something raw and elemental in his artwork that mixes perfectly with what I had in mind for these characters. I look at Danny’s drawings and I immediately smile. I wanted his sense of energetic, creepy fun.
Although I had lots of suggestions, and directed him a little, Danny essentially designed the visuals of THE HALLOWEEN LEGION himself. The fact that he gives the Ghost such amazing expressions, in spite of the fact that he’s a kid wearing a simple sheet with eye-holes cut out, is phenomenal.
I didn’t want this group to be photo-realistic, and the works of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams were closer to what I had in mind. Danny fits that sort of style perfectly, while also maintaining his own artistic identity.
BR: The promotional artwork by Danny Kelly suggests a somewhat fanciful tone to the book. Is this an all-ages story or something a bit darker?
POWELL: Hmm. It’s tough to describe. Sounds ambitious, I know, but I’ve always wanted THE HALLOWEEN LEGION to appeal to everyone, kid and grown-up alike. I suppose I can safely compare the book to John Bellairs’ eerie mysteries in its tone. I love his scary novellas.
There is a certainly a whimsical side to my story, but it’s pretty dark, too, even terrifying in some places, I hope. Fans of the pulps, Harry Potter, and Baum’s Oz books will probably feel quite at home here, but I like to think that THE HALLOWEEN LEGION is unique and original.
BR: Again, just by looking at the promotional images, it seems like this is perfectly suited to become a continuing series and even has possibilities for multimedia usage. Any plans for any of this?
POWELL: That’s exactly what I’ve always had in mind for them. Although Danny and I are starting THE HALLOWEEN LEGION off with an illustrated novella, we have lots of other plans, too. I’d love to do HL comic books, animation, action figures, lunch boxes, t-shirts, Halloween masks, radio shows, newspaper comic strips, feature films, and even a gentler picture book version for younger kids, too. I’m going to do my best to make all of that happen.
BR: This is your first foray into the Wild Cat Books publishing line. How long have you known publisher Ron Hanna and what led to WCB becoming the home for The Halloween Legion?
POWELL: Actually, I first worked for Wild Cat Books several years ago, co-writing the Captain Hazzard novel, “The Citadel of Fear”, with Ron Fortier. I’d wanted to do something more for quite a long while, but I could never manage to free up enough time in my schedule.
I’m a full-time freelance writer, and in order to make a living at this I need to write constantly. Luckily, my desk is usually happily swamped with contracted projects, but there just never seemed to be time for anything more.
Then, several months ago, Ron Hanna made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He offered to publish anything I wanted to write. Anything. Anything at all. In over two decades as a professional writer, no one has ever done that for me. I’ve always been lucky enough to get to write for many terrific characters, like Superman, Batman, The Spider, and Sherlock Holmes, but I’ve very rarely ever been given the opportunity to create, and to own, my own characters.
Well, I doubled up on my writing schedule, working twelve hour days and more, including weekends. Fortunately, I hardly ever sleep. After a few months, I’d finally cleared the space necessary to devote to Wild Cat Books. I thought about what I wanted to do for a few weeks. Ron had stressed “anything” I wanted, after all. That’s quite a situation to wrap your mind around.
Then, THE HALLOWEEN LEGION reacquainted themselves to me, from the back corners of my brain. Of course! I thought, with a distinct, rather giddy thrill. It had to be them. Just had to be. They had been waiting so long for me to get my act together. So, I dusted the cobwebs off my little group and contacted Danny Kelly almost immediately. And now here we are.
BR: You’re also busy these days with Moonstone’s Return of the Originals project. Any information you’d like to share on that front?
POWELL: Thanks for mentioning that. I’m the writer on the new comic book series for THE SPIDER, with artist Pablo Marcos, which is a dream come true for me. In addition to the regular comic book series, I’m also writing a semi-regular illustrated SPIDER prose pulp ‘zine, too. I’ve lots of plans for THE SPIDER.
Also, I’m writing KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD, in collaboration with artist, Tom Floyd. I should mention that Tom is the recent recipient of the Golden Lion Award from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliophiles, in recognition of his Tarzan and other Burroughs work. Past recipients have been folks like: Hal Foster, Russ Manning, Harlan Ellison, Johnny Weissmuller, Joe Jusko, and Frank Frazetta, so I’m honored to be working with Tom. He’s also my best friend.
BR: For folks who might be interested in learning more about you and your work, where should they go?
ALL PULP is taking some time to share with you readers, new and old, some of the first interviews done with Moonstone staff, writers, and artists some three months and almost 45,000 individual views ago!! This is in part to remind some of you of these great interviews, to introduce the new pulpsters to these guys, and in all honesty to add these classic interviews to the ALL PULP archives in view of our upcoming site changes!! So, enjoy a blast from the past!!
Ed Catto, Retropeneur, C & A Enterprises, LLC, partnered with Moonstone Books
AP: Ed, welcome to ALL PULP and to Moonstone Monday! Tell us about yourself, some personal as well as professional background?
EC: Sure, thanks for having me!
I’m a marketing professional and have spent my career building brands such as OREO, Snuggle, Chips Ahoy!, Lysol, KIA and Napa.But I’m also a long-time comic fan, and have worked with Marvel, DC, Valiant and Reed Expo’s New York Comic Con developing strategy and marketing initiatives.Developing Captain Action Enterprises, LLC, with my partner Joe Ahearn, seems a natural extension of both my marketing skills and my passion for comics.
AP: What is your involvement with Moonstone Books?
EC: We shopped our first property, Captain Action, around a bit when we were looking to develop the new comic series.Moonstone was really the best place for us to find a solid partner committed to working together to build an engaging series.
We work closely with the whole Moonstone team to develop our series, manage the monthly ebb and flow of producing the comics, and to develop new initiatives. Examples include our digital relationships with ComiXology and Panelfly and our new partnership with Overdrive, the group that manages digital comics and books for libraries worldwide. Some of the other programs have been more straight forward, like the enamel/cloisonné pins we created for The Phantom and for Captain Acton.
We’ve been thrilled with our partnership with Moonstone. It’s been a great place to be creative and work with fantastic talent.And now our titles with Moonstone are growing to include Zeroids, Savage Beauty, Lady Action and Captain Action Classified, the new 60’s series featuring the “original” Captain Action.
AP: Captain Action seems to be your primary property. Can you give us some background on Captain Action as a character?
EC: After the success of G.I. Joe, Stan Weston created the Captain Action toy line for Ideal.Just as G.I. Joe could change into an army soldier or an astronaut, Captain Action could change into superheroes.Originally he could change into a plethora of heroes including Spider-Man, Captain America, Batman, Superman…even The Green Hornet and Buck Rogers.
On the very basic level, Captain Action is all about imagining the possibilities of oneself.The idea is that “you can be anything you want to be” but always tempered with “being yourself is pretty cool too.”We try to bring that into our Moonstone series.
He has a rich cast of characters too, including his arch-enemy, Dr. Eville, his sidekick, Action Boy and his amazing amphibious car, the Silver Streak!
AP: Can you talk about the process of how you came to be involved with Captain Action on a business level? This is also probably a good place to have you explain the term you use on your facebook page to refer to yourself..Just what is a retropreneur?
EC: Our company, CAE, LLC is based on the idea of taking old properties that still have appeal or a nostalgia value, polishing them up and getting them out there once more – both for original fans and a whole new audience too.
So –we’re kind of entrepreneurs with throwback/retro perspective. We get a lot of positive feedback when we offer our business cards to folks and they see Retropreneur. It’s a little whimsical, but it’s memorable!
AP: Why Moonstone for Captain Action? What about Moonstone appeals to you to help get the legend of Captain Action out to the masses.
EC: Moonstone has been a great place to serve as a launch pad for many of our own ideas, but publisher Joe Gentile also provides great guidance and insight.Plus, he’s a tireless worker, so there’s always a sense that he’s working hard for us and our books.The Moonstone extended family, with Dave Ulanski, Lori G and the whole crowd, including solid folks like Marshall Dillon have been a joy to work with.And Mike Bullock, the Phantom/Black Bat/Lions, Tigers and Bears writer, has been a great compadre.We worked with him on our Phantom/Captain Action miniseries and are working even more closely developing our upcoming Savage Beauty Series!
Moonstone’s also a publisher with a big tent. We’re publishing a superhero comic, and robot/Zombie/Sorority Girl comic and a jungle comic..and they all seem to fit perfectly under the Moonstone banner.
In 15 years, Moonstone’s been good and honest with creatives too.So when we call up our favorites to say, “Hey, wanna work with us”, they know that Moonstone is a reliable outfit.
AP: How do you make a concept like Captain Action, one that started as a toy decades ago, relevant to the modern audience?
EC: We ask ourselves that every day. And I’m not sure if there’s an easy answer. But we’ve worked hard to be true to the characters, while finding fresh voices and innovations.We want to keep the core of what made the toy interesting in the first place (otherwise, why bother with it?) and yet spin it out so you’ll be pleasantly surprising the old fans and still providing engaging, welcoming entertainment for new fans.
AP: Do you have any other projects with Moonstone currently?
EC: Zeroids was another Ideal property from the sixties. They were a sort of early Transformers – robots from space.We’ve brought that back with a vengeance. The first issue just met huge critical acclaim and the second issue will be out in about 2 weeks.Then we’ll continue on in 2012 with an ongoing Zeroids monthly comic.For this one, we worked with writer Aaron Schapps to create a SciFi mash up of several concepts, including robots, zombies, aliens and, of course, sorority girls.In fact, the series real protagonist is a college sophomore named Destiny Zero. She has sort of a Dorothy-in-Oz relationshipto the Zeroids!
After that we have a Captain Action Winter Special! And what a special this is! It’ll include:
A classic Captain Action tale of a beautiful French double-agent and a communist Yeti penned by Beau Smith and expertly rendered by the great Eduardo Baretto.
1.Lady Action in “The Spy Who Snowballed Me” by our favorite British madman, Tony Lee with art by Reno Maniquis.
2.For the first time ever, Green Hornet will team up with Captain Action in a prose story by Matthew Baugh.
3.Covers are by Mark Wheately and Ruben Propocio – it’ll be a quite a package.
Then we’ll debut Savage Beauty in February! This is a re-imagining of the old Jungle Girl Comics, but with a modern day twist.
Starting with a generous sneak peek at New York Comic Con, we’ll be inviting readers to take a walk on the wild side withSavage Beauty, our new comic series that tells the stories of sisters Lacy and Livvy Rae. This series focuses on their travels throughout modern-day Africa as they are called upon to help right wrongs, protect the innocent and punish evildoers. As reporters forAfrica Adventures Online, the Rae sisters are guided by the mysterious Mr. Eden to assume the identity of the mythical goddess Ayana. Disguised as this “Savage Beauty”, the two girls fight modern-day pirates, hard corps militias, corrupt politicians and various other real-world adversaries torn from today’s headlines.
Savage Beautywill take you on an exciting journey as the Rae sisters discover their purpose in life, even as they make a real difference in the world.
Plus the comic book series intends to make a difference too – each issue will donate a full page to partner causes such asOxfam, Just A DropandInvisible Children, among others.
And our first issue will be oversized, with a Savage Beauty story, a classic reprint of the first Jungle Girl – Sheena, and special features including lost promotional art to 60’s Raquel Welch Jungle Girl movie pitch…and we’ll be offering it all for just $2.99.
And future covers read like a who’s who of comics – Paul Gulacy, Mark Wheately, Dave Hoover, Chris Short and even a few non-traditional surprises!Series write and co-creator Mike Bullock has a long list of hot stories that we can’t wait to publish.We’re really excited for this project!
So much else going on too: Our Phantom-Captain Action Hardcover is coming out and it looks gorgeous.Wait till you see the wonderful John Byrne cover on issue #1 of Captain Action Classified. Future storylines in that title include a Berlin Wall story with Nazi’s and LSD, and a story that features the Beatles in Paris right before their historic Ed Sullivan appearance.And be on the lookout in November when that British Bombshell, Lady Action appears in the prose collection of short stories in the anthology: Chicks in Capes, edited by Lori G!Look for the lovely Nicola (Wonder Woman/Secret Six) Scott cover!
And convention-wise, we have two more this season. I’ll be a guest of Honor at the 35th Annual Ithacon in Ithaca, NY September 25th, and then we’ll have strong presence again at booth #2380 at New York Comic Con October 8-10th.
AP: What is the appeal of reviving old toy characters/lines and giving them new life in the modern era?
EC: In one sense, it’s a big-boys-big-toys kind of thing.We like to play with entertainment properties and get down to their essence, and then build them back up again in an engaging story.
In another sense, it’s what every kid does with every Imagination-based toy. They make their own story up. We’re doing just that- with a talented group of collaborators- and it’s a great challenge to put it out there and see if anyone likes it!
AP: Any future projects you care to let the ALL PULP pulpsters in on?
EC: Our biggest news isn’t quite ready yet, but it’s so very, very close. We’ll be making a big toy announcement soon – hopefully before New York Comic Con – that both new and old fans will be jump-out-of-their-seats excited about!
AP: Thanks a lot, Ed!
EC: It’s been a pleasure – thanks for having me!
WILL MURRAY-Pulp Legend/Writer/Creator
AP: Will, ALL PULP really appreciates this opportunity to visit with you. Let’s pretend that there are people reading this who know little to nothing about pulps and don’t know who you are. Give us some personal and professional background on Will Murray.
WM: I am this lost soul who stumbled into the world of The Shadow, Doc Savage and the pulps and never found my way back to my True Path. Consequently I am the author of over 50 novels, most featuring the indomitable Remo Williams and Chiun. A smattering star Doc Savage and his merry misfits, The Executioner, and others. Somehow, through diligent research and omnivoracious reading of pulps, I am became an expert on All Things Pulp.
AP: This interview is a part of our MOONSTONE MONDAY. What specifically have you written/are you writing for Moonstone?
WM: I’ve contributed to many of the Moonstone hero anthologies of the last few years. Right now, I’m trying to finish my third Spider prose story, “Clutch of the Blue Reaper,” for Spider Chronicles Vol. 2. It’s my favorite so far, being full of frenetic Norvell Page-style hyper-action in which for a change Nita van Sloan ends up in slammer, charged with being the infamous Spider!
Also on the horizon, I’m pleased that my Green Hornet tale, “The Night Car,” leads off The Green Hornet Chronicles Vol 1. I tried to write it exactly like an episode of the ’66 TV show, and it appears that I pulled it off. What happens when a computer whiz designs a program which will track the Black Beauty back to its lair?
I came up with a really wild premise for my contribution to Avenger Chronicles Vol. 2. Originally, the character of Smitty was a Black guy. What if, I thought, a Black Smitty shows up at Justice Inc. HQ, acting like he’s the real deal? Then what if he WAS the real deal? I called that dark tale “The Changeling.”
There’s a Sherlock Holmes story scheduled for in a Holmes crossover anthology. Rather than team him up with another fictional character, I matched him with Colonel Richard Henry Savage, the real-life inspiration Doc and The Avenger. Savage was so larger than life that he plays well as an semi-fictitious person. That’s “The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist.” It’s based on a true event in Savage’s remarkable life.
My first Secret 6 story, “The Meteor Men” will reintroduce Robert J. Hogan’s intrepid band of adventurers as they plunge into a maelstrom of horror which results after a green meteorite crashes near their Long Island headquarters and suddenly the surrounding towns are filled with green-eye Zombies shooting death beams from their unblinking eyes. For the sequel, it will be up to the Canadian border for an old-fashioned Wendigo hunt. After that, Mole Men start pouring out of caves and cracks in the Earth. Life is never dull for the wanted fugitives who call themselves the Secret 6!
AP: You are closely associated with Doc Savage and the Lester Dent estate. Can you share a little background on “Doc Savage: The Lost Radio Scripts of Lester Dent” recently published by Moonstone. Many pulp fans may not be aware of scripts actually written by Dent. How were they ‘lost’, were they ever recorded, could you just share a bit about this project?
WM: Doc creator Lester Dent scripted back in 1934 26 episodes of a syndicated Doc radio show. No recordings survive, but I have the scripts. We put them all together, including some unproduced scripts, like the one adapting The Man of Bronze, in a nice fat illustrated book of Doc Savage tales that never made it into the pulp magazine. It’s a must-have for all Doc fans. I’m really proud of it.
AP: It was announced sometime back that you would be working on new Doc Savage novels? Can you discuss anything about where you are in terms of that project currently?
WM: I’m talking to two publishers right now. The reintroductory novel, The Desert Demons, is finished. Joe DeVito has painted a magnificent cover, using a 1960s photo of model Steve Holland as Doc. Horror in Gold is drafted and Joe is working on that cover. Five other Docs are in various stages of construction. It’s only a matter of landing a deal that works for everyone. Stay tuned.
AP: Although Doc is tied to your name quite tightly, you are also noted as an overall Pulp Historian as well as a writer. You’ve written stories for Moonstone centering around two other pulpy type characters that never actually appeared in the pulps: The Phantom and The Green Hornet. What about heroic characters in masks appeals to the prose writer in you?
WM: If you are what you eat, you become what you read as a kid. I was always a fan of comic book superheroes and similar supermen. So I naturally gravitated to their literary ancestors, the pulp heroes. Writing about ordinary people bores me, I guess, because I’m not very ordinary. So out of my imagination have come novels and stories starring characters ranging from The Destroyer to Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. It’s a living. I’m not sure the mask is key, since Doc Savage is my favorite character. But I do like mystery men. They never disappoint.
AP: In no way are you sexist when it comes to pulp. You are the creative force behind HONEY WEST, a revival of a character, yet again for Moonstone. Who is the ‘historical’ Honey West?
WM: Honey was a hot LA private eye back in the 50s and 60s, and the star of a series of top-selling paperback originals by the husband and wife team who called themselves G. G. Fickling—the true creative force behind Honey. She had her own TV show which I watched faithfully back in ’65. When Joe Gentile offered me a menu of characters to write, I skipped over favorites like The Spider to do Honey, Why? Well, I had written the first new Honey West story in almost 40 years for Moonstone’s planned Honey West Chronicles, and it just wrote itself. That fact that they are told in the first person meant that I could do a better job in the short story length than say, Operator #5, another favorite of mine.
I agreed to pen 3 prose stories and 3 comics scripts per year. I had done one of each, and out came the HW comic book by Trina Robbins! So I don’t know where my stuff stands at the moment. But I will resume writing them once Joe figures it all out. I have plotted ‘em all, btw.
AP: Now that we know where Honey West came from, where do you plan to take her now that you’re writing her adventures?
WM: Well, I’d like to take her out to dinner. But Moonstone’s license prohibits fraternization between writers and characters. J Since I’m setting these new stories back in her heyday and they are petty lean, my sole focus is in getting her right and keeping her real. If the series goes anywhere, it will be because Honey is leading me. J Stories written so far are “Cat’s-Paw in Heat,” “Seer Suckers,” and “Tapestry in Teal.”
AP: The term ‘pulp historian’ is associated often with your name. This may seem like a silly question, but what do you do as a ‘pulp historian’?
WM: Over the years, this has covered activities such as interviewing survivors of the pulp era to get their stories, and reading through decades of old magazines like Writer’s Digest and Author & Journalist to ferret out cool pulp lore. All of this is poured into articles for the Sanctum Books’ Doc and Shadow reprints, not to mention introductions to volumes like Altus Press’ massive Norvell Page collection, When the Death-Bat Flies, just about out. I’ve written about 30 intros for Altus, Black Dog Books and Off-Trail Books in the fast three or four years. I’m a busy historian.
AP: Why is pulp relevant at all? I’m not asking in terms of time periods, really, just overall. Why is pulp relevant?
WM: Pulp is relevant because entertainment is always relevant. Prose styles, means of delivery, types of heroes and their opposite numbers may change with each half-decade, but pulp stories and pulp heroes will always be with us. Always. Check back in a 100 years and you’ll find I am correct.
AP: You have been involved with multiple pulp characters. Are there any you haven’t worked with/researched enough/been involved with in some way that are on your to do list?
WM: I suppose The Shadow is the top one. But with so many unreprinted Walter Gibson Shadow novels, why bother? Still, it’s my dream to write an authentic Doc Savage-Shadow crossover novel. Maybe some day….. I once plotted a Bill Barnes novelette with original author Chuck Verral. I’d love to write that one. A Spider novel would be fun too.
AP: There seems to be two camps when it comes to writing new adventures of established characters. One camp feels that new adventures should simply continue on in the tradition of the original tales, preserving feel, characters, time period, etc. The other camp, although not throwing the entire baby out with the bath water, feels that new adventures of old characters need to be modernized, made different to give them extra whatever. As a writer, where do you fall in this discussion and why?
WM: People read certain characters—Sherlock Holmes, Doc Savage and The Shadow to name three—because they want to be taken back to the specific time period of those heroes. Other characters like Superman, Batman and James Bond have been around continuously for so long that they have naturally evolved with the times. So both approaches can work, depending on the hero. As a writer, it interests me most to step into the shoes of a dead writer and write his hero as closely to the way he would have done it as possible. It’s a bigger, better challenge. A Will Murray Doc Savage mav or may not be interesting in itself, but a Will Murray-Lester Dent Doc collaboration is, I hope, the best of both worlds. Some day I may stumble upon a vintage hero who begs to be updated. Hasn’t happened yet. With Secret 6, I hew straight to the original stories in their time. The series didn’t last very long, so I thought I would see where it might go in its own era. You could update them, but I suspect Joe asked me to write this series because it was a weird analogue to Doc Savage. And why waste Will Murray on an update? Anybody could write that.
About Honey West, I feel the same say. She’s an expression of her time. I had never read any of the original novels, but I did for this project and I was delighted to discover that she has the same voice as Anne Francis. Another reason the stories write themselves. When I did the Phantom, I jumped around. But the most recent version was set in the 30s—even though he’s the same Phantom sitting on the Skull Throne today.
Having written a 60s Green Hornet, I’m planning to tackle the radio version in a story I’m calling “The Black Torpedo.”
AP: Any upcoming projects you haven’t discussed that you care to share with the readers?
WM: Yes, I can officially announce for the first time, the October 1 release on CD and in downloadable formats the 25th anniversary rerelease of Roger Rittner’s Adventures of Doc Savage radio show from 1985. Roger has remastered the series, which adapts Fear Cay and The Thousand-Headed Man, along with a Bob Larkin cover and a new audio documentary on the making of this now-classic series. Doc Savage is rarely done right. This is one time we got it right. I say, “we” since I scripted Thousand-Headed Man. Check out Radioarchives.com for ordering info.
Beyond that, I have a lot of Cthulhu stories coming up in various anthologies like Mythos Books’ Cthulhu 2012 and others yet untitled. Watch for them.
AP: Thank you again so much for your time on this MOONSTONE MONDAY!
WM: It’s been real. Real pulpy. J
JOE GENTILE, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, Moonstone
JOE GENTILE (on right)
AP: Joe, first off, thanks a lot for sitting down with All Pulp! We definitely understand how busy you are with all the irons in the fire that Moonstone has, so this interview is definitely much appreciated. To kick this off, give us some background on you, as much as personal info as you want to give as well as your background in the publishing industry.
JG: Ah, starting off with the not-so pulp adventure life I have led, eh?
Well, lets see…briefly…I have been a freelance writer for many (many) years now, have a book retail background, a television production background, and I play bass guitar in a working band.
AP: Now that we know all about its brain and backbone, give us a brief history of Moonstone. Where it started, what Moonstone’s overall mission and purpose has been, etc.
JG: Moonstone started from the ashes of a company that never quite made it off the ground about 15 years ago. A bunch of us creators in the Chicagoland area suddenly had a bunch of projects without homes.
I was interested in having another publisher pick up those titles, but we didn’t really find what we were looking for, so my partner Dave Ulanski talked me into doing it ourselves. Dave, Rafael Nieves, and myself started up Moonstone at that point there. We published a bunch of small press b/w creator-owned comics. This went on this way for years.
One day, on the day before I was leaving for a Vegas vacation…(!)…I thought “hey. Why aren’t there comics about the White Wolf Games stuff?’’…and “what about all of these other cool characters…and pulps that I like? Someone should do something with those guys!
So, even though I left for vacation, this was pressing on my brain. When I got back, I started with the phone calls…cold…never having had to track down licensors, contracts, creative teams, etc. Just jumped in. Saying this out loud…now….the idea seems insane.
So our purpose became “telling good stories” foremost, and bringing NEW fans to comics (or fans who left) by having material based on sources OUTSIDE of comics (like the pulps, old time radio, newspaper strips, TV, etc.
AP: Moonstone is known largely for bringing established characters from the past, most if not all of them in the Public Domain, and introducing them to a modern audience. Moonstone has done this in a volume that no other publisher really has. The question is, why? Why the focus on these characters that some say may have outlived their own value?
JG: Well, first, I must set you straight a little…MOST of what we do is licensed. Very few characters of interest are public domain. You would be surprised to know who owns what.
If we thought these characters have outlived their value…um, we wouldn’t be doing them, right?
We fervently believe that these characters are more than vital…they have resonance today.
These characters had hundreds and hundreds of stories told about them, and some lasted for decades. But, even if you never heard of these characters, thats cool, because it really doesn’t matter either way. We tell interesting stories about unusual characters. We don’t necessarily need more superhero comics per se…the market is still quite full of them. Why put out more of the same?
AP: Some fans of Moonstone found your early comics years ago. At that time, you had titles like ‘Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,’ ‘Boston Blackie’, and ‘Pat Novak For Hire.’ Those titles, among others, were based on characters drawn from old time radio programs, popular in the 1930s-50s. This is a fascinating, still largely uncultivated area for new fiction. What drew you and Moonstone to tackle these stories and bring a modern take to them?
JG: Well, quite honestly, it was an area of interest of mine that had not been tried much in comics.
Johnny Dollar sold out, Boston Blackie’s GN sold out, and Pat Novak was in that “1000 Comics you need to read” book by Tony Isabella!
AP: Any future plans for further OTR treatments? If not, why not?
JG: Well, those characters do appear in other books from time to time…like our “crime team up novel” PARTNERS in CRIME…and our crime prose anthology “Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes”.
And there is always talk of further adventures. We do have some characters coming up that have appeared on radio, but wasn’t what they were primarily known for….stay tuned.
AP: Moonstone just didn’t resurrect radio characters. Talk to us about some of the other early characters you brought to an audience who may have not been familiar with them, such as The Phantom and Kolchak, among others? Are there other TV or comic characters you’d like to pull under the Moonstone banner?
JG: There is always more we want…we are insatiable that way! If you check our website, we are always leaving hints of whats coming…although we will have a press release about this soon, we have THE SAINT, The JUSTICE MACHINE, FLINT, and SHEENA…!
Kolchak…way ahead of its time, inspiration behind the XFILES, and is one of the highest rated TV movies OF ALL TIME! This was horror on primetime network television, my friends…unheard of!
There has been a cult following of Kolchak for many years, and a strong one as evidence by Columbia’s DVD sales of the movies and TV shows.
The Phantom is one of those characters that has been around for a long time…1936 (predating Batman and Supes)…I think people know of him…but we needed to tell some stories about TODAy to showcase this guy for all to read! He’s a well thought out character that still holds up today.
Buckaroo Banzai…cult movie of the 80’s with GREAT stars like John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Weller…all in one crazy neo pulp adventure!
It is a movie like no other…I mean, Banzai is a renown brain surgeon, rock star, adventurer…c’mon, how cool is that?)
AP: It seems that some of the characters you’ve taken on over the years, both early on and currently, were originally created for one medium only (prose largely, but we’re also thinking of the radio shows again). Yet when Moonstone gets them, they show up in comics, prose, etc. What goes into deciding what medium Moonstone puts an established property into?
JG: Well, that depends on some of the legalities, Some contracts specify. Sometimes a character just calls to us in that way…like Kolchak….and others.
AP: Speaking of processes, can you share a little bit of what goes into your daily job? What are your responsibilities and who within Moonstone do you delegate things to?
JG: OMG…what I do on a daily basis? Well…I contact creative teams for progress on ongoing projects or to set up new ones, I talk to the printers about scheduling and book details, I talk to distributors about PR and such, I create in house ads, I gather monthly solicitations, handle all incoming email, update the website, edit stories, write…scream!
*In addition to my insanity, we have Art Director Dave Ulanksi (also edits, writes, invoicing, and does cover set up),
*we have Editor Lori G (who handles both comics and prose projects, as well as administration),
*and Erik Enervold, Marshall Dillon, and Bernie Lee- who handle everything from prepress, lettering, and design.
*Mike Bullock (writer, group editor, project coordinator)
*We have Tim Lasiuta…research and development.
*Richard Dean Starr and Matthew Baugh (editors, writers, and project leads)
AP: We’ve asked a lot of questions about established properties Moonstone has handled and we’ll talk more about some Moonstone is now handling. But before that, what about original characters, newly created concepts? What’s Moonstone’s history with stepping off into the new and original arena?
JG: Original creation from a non M/DC/I/DH company is very difficult…and these lean times make it even more so. With a couple exceptions, Moonstone no longer handles projects we don’t completely control.
Our history with this has been a very rock road…we have had some successes, but not nearly as many as we would like.
Exceptions to the rule: “ROTTEN”, “VAMPIRE, PA” and the upcoming “SAVAGE BEAUTY”
AP: All right, now to the modern day meat and potatoes. It has been no secret over the years that Moonstone Books has been one of the biggest promoters and supporters of Pulp genre fiction. In the last few years, though you’ve really stepped up to the forefront, providing anthologies of known pulp types as well as the new comics line you have now. Before we get into specifics, why do you feel like pulp is such an important genre that needs to be introduced to a modern day audience?
JG: I just think the times we live in scream out for this.
Its adrenaline escapism roller coaster rides…
It’s justice being served…without legal technicalities. Who doesn’t want some justice, when most feel powerless in an escalating crazy society?
It’s also about folks with little to no powers, per se…just guts, guile, skill, and indomitable will.
There is an emotional impact that comes with these stories because these folks aren’t invulnerable…or whatnot…
Pulps are an important part of American history…it was a huge step up (from the penny novels)in fiction for the masses…selling to a people during the time of great strife….like today.
Without pulps, there would be no paperbacks…think about that…and all of the things that paperbacks have spawned (including increased literacy).
Without pulps, there would be no comic books…and all that they have inspired, from movies, to video games, etc!
AP: Let’s tackle the prose anthologies first. What characters has Moonstone spotlighted in prose collections?
JG: Ok, here we go…
The Green Hornet (any day now), Kolchak, The Avenger, The Spider, Doc Savage, Domino Lady, The Phantom, Zorro…and these do not include the characters that appeared in the anthologies with multiple characters.
Upcoming we have…more Avenger, more Green Hornet, more Spider, Sherlock Holmes, “Chicks in Capes”, and one surprise looming…
AP: Some would say that printed prose is no longer the way to go, yet Moonstone is still turning out anthologies. What is it about the print format that keeps Moonstone putting out these collections, instead of sending them all straight to e-book or in some other medium?
JG: Well, some people still read books of course…not sure that’s going away entirely. And we also do E-book stuff. You need both to make it work.
AP: A major emphasis for Moonstone right now is its new comics line. Tell us about Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS. How did the idea develop? Who was involved on the front end? And why populate this idea with characters that people may not recognize, some of them not seen for over fifty years?
JG: It started as a one shot graphic novel…then turned into a MOVEMENT!
And again, while some of these characters haven’t been seen in a while…does not mean they are not interesting for gosh sakes!
We did try to have some recognizable faces in there as well.
Many people encouraged us here…and Mike Bullock was probably one of the earliest “idea man” behind this.
AP: What is the general plotline behind RETURN? Who character wise is involved?
JG: It all starts with “The Battle for L.A”, which as some know, was a historical event. The history fascinated me.
Briefly…during WW2, near LA…a strange object is seen in the night skies (there is a newspaper photo on line), and no one knows what it is (to this day). Planes were scrambled…shore batteries opened fire…direct hits were scored by thousands of bullets…thousands…but to no avail. The odd thing just kept moving slowly until is disappeared. Just an odd little piece of history (WHICH WILL BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE) that was the catalyst.)
AP: The history of pulp characters being translated to the comic page has been spotty at best, especially with recent efforts by other companies. What is Moonstone doing to make sure that RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS is an appealing concept that will bring in new readers, while maintaining the characters and history that pulp fans truly enjoy in their characters?
JG: That, my friend is the rub. We have VERY unique characters that I think comic fans will dig in a refreshing way…and we didn’t feel that these guys needed to be changed to be cool.
AP: The collection of writers and artists you have assembled for RETURN is truly staggering. We won’t force you to list all of them, but how did you get this stellar crew together? From so many different fields you have drawn top talent. What brought them to a pulp comic project? Did they all come for their own reasons or was there some sort of underlying theme that drew them to this concept?
JG: The creators kept coming…like a snowball rolling down a hill…all of them love the pulps and were just as excited as I was!
AP: So, what are the future plans regarding the cast of RETURN? Will there be ongoing series for all of them, more specials, what?
JG: At the present…there will be the one shot BATTLE that I mentioned, and ongoings for Black Bat, Secret Agent X, Phantom Detective, The Spider, and Rocket Man.
We are also putting together a “non-team” team ongoing series.
Some big mini series that will feature all of the characters…!
There are various Spider specials in the loop INCLUDING A NEW SPIDER NOVEL… an AIRBOY-G8 mini series,
A Domino Lady-Golden Amazon one shot…
A “all female team up” with Domino Lady, Golden Amazon, Blue Bulleteer (courtesy of AC comics), Valkyrie, Black Angel, Bald Eagle, and more!
AP: Joe, it’s been a blast! Stop by All Pulp anytime you want to chat!
Aaron Shaps, Writer of The Phantom Detective for Return of the Originals, Moonstone
AP: Aaron, thanks for sitting down with ALL PULP about your pulp themed project. Before we jump fedoras first into that, give us some background on you as a creator. What sort of writing have you done in the past?
AS: Well, my background is in film, so I began my writing adventure as an aspiring screenwriter before getting into comics and prose.
I have only been writing for comics since 2006, and I am probably best known at this point (if I am known at all) for my creator-owned character General Jack Cosmo, a kind of cross between Hunter S. Thompson and Flash Gordon, and for my studio/creative collective, General Jack Cosmo Productions. In addition to the comics starring General Jack Cosmo himself, our stable includes creator Mike Beazley’s series The Grimm, and also Pulp Will Eat Itself, which you folks were kind enough to review on this very site.
For Moonstone specifically, I have also done a few stories starring the Lee Falk Phantom, and I am currently having a blast writing their licensed series Zeroids, which is based on the classic line of robot toys from the 60s and 70s.
AP: Moonstone is bringing some new punch to pulp with its RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS project. You’re a part of that. Can you share with us what the overall concept is? What’s Moonstone’s plan with bringing back all these classic, some rather unknown characters?
AS: Over the last several years, I think Moonstone has done a fantastic job of establishing themselves as the premier publisher of faithful pulp and pulp-era characters and adventures. Obviously The Phantom has led that charge, and every Phantom “phan” I have encountered really feels like Moonstone was a great steward for that legacy during their time chronicling the Phantom’s saga. I kind of see Moonstone’s niche as being the company that keeps the pulp tradition alive, and I think that’s a very important responsibility to have, because without the legacy of pulp, the landscape of popular culture would obviously be very, very different today. So I think the overall idea is to really spearhead a full-on pulp revival, and remind the world why these characters were so great, and that their legacy is literally everything that comic book and sci-fi and fantasy and horror fandom consumes on a regular basis.
AP: Now, specifically, you are working on the Phantom Detective. Although hardcore fans may be familiar with this great actioneer, share with us a little about where he came from? Who was the Phantom Detective in his original incarnation?
AS: In a nutshell, the Phantom Detective is an early proto-Batman character. He was the second costumed pulp hero ever, debuting only slightly behind the Shadow, and before Doc Savage, and although both those heroes had more adventures than the Phantom Detective, he had a longer run: from 1933 to 1953.
Like Batman, the Phantom Detective was orphaned at a young age and inherited a vast fortune. At the encouragement of a close family friend, he turned his listless but formidable mind to criminology, and ultimately became the world’s greatest sleuth, a two-fisted nocturnal avenger, master of disguise, and escape artist extraordinaire who aided law enforcement all over the globe. None of that has changed for my version of the character. He is essentially the same Phantom Detective that he was in those original stories, he has just…let’s call it “evolved”.
AP: Now that you’re taking on the Phantom Detective’s story, what are your plans? Will the setting remain in the glory days of the pulps or is this a more modern tale? What do you bring to this character as a modern writer that you think will make him both viable with today’s readers and still faithful to what pulp fans expect?
AS: My Phantom Detective stories are all set during the pulp era, and more specifically the early- to mid-1940s. For a long time now, I have wanted to tell a story about a heroic character, an ordinary human, who straddles the line between the age of the pulp heroes and the age of the super heroes. What would it be like to be that man, that hero, and see the world changing around you…to see the explosion of technology and science that was sparked by WWII, and all the fundamental changes that new science and tech affected in the way we live our lives? What would it be like to be an ordinary man like the Spider or the Shadow and see someone like Captain America or Superman or Green Lantern come onto the scene? Would you begin to feel obsolete? Or would you do everything in your power to remain relevant in a world that threatened to pass you by?
These are big questions, and this is the kind of stuff that the Phantom Detective is giving me the opportunity to explore. As for relevance, we deal with feelings like this every day in the real world…the fear of being left behind by changing times, of not being able to keep up with the way the world is moving forward, of becoming obsolete. You ask any American blue-collar worker in manufacturing if he or she worries about becoming obsolete—if they haven’t already—and see what they say. Ask the people who own record stores how they felt when iTunes came along, or the people who own video stores how they feel about Netflix and Redbox. Whether we like it or not, time marches on. So what do we do? Do we lie down and let it march over us, or do we lean into the wind and try to keep up? These are the questions that the Phantom Detective has to answer for himself.
AP: The Phantom Detective had a cast of supporters, even a dear friend who knew his secret identity as well as a signal beacon. Are you bringing any of these extras associated with the character into your version and if so, which ones? And if not, why not?
AS: Yes, I am definitely plugging a solid chunk of his classic supporting cast into this new series. Frank Havens, publisher of The New York Clarion newspaper (among many others), will be there for sure. For those unfamiliar with Phantom Detective lore, Havens is sort of a surrogate father to Richard Curtis Van Loan, the true identity of the Phantom Detective. It was actually Havens’ idea for Van Loan to assume the identity of the Phantom Detective, and in my series he remains the hero’s closest and most trusted confidant. And, yes, the spotlight signal on the roof of the Clarion building is still there. Obviously, that single gimmick was the one most clearly cribbed by the early Batman writers, so I had to include it. In fact, two early Batman editors, Jack Schiff and the legendary Mort Wesinger, had previously worked as editors at Thrilling Publishing, the home of the Phantom Detective, and had even edited Phantom Detective stories…so there you have it.
But back to the characters, Frank’s daughter, Muriel Havens, is basically the love of Van Loan’s life, and she is in there, too, although she does not know Van Loan’s secret in my stories, at least not right from the get-go. Also familiar to fans of the classic stories will be the character of Steve Huston, the young, crack Clarion reporter who, in my mind, and in the minds of many others, was a likely inspiration for Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen. So it’s those three—Frank, Muriel, and Steve—who will be the most significant imports from the classic stories, although other characters will pop up here and there.
AP: I noticed that the word ‘psychedelic’ is used in some of the promotional material for your take on the Detective. That’s an interesting word in relation to a pulp character. Can you shed some light on that?
AS: Sure. Basically, as someone on the Moonstone forums astutely pointed out when the project was first announced, one of the reasons that the Phantom Detective is kind of a forgotten pulp hero, even though he had such a long and historic run, is that he is sort of generic. The Shadow had his Eastern secrets and gimmicks, Doc Savage had his super science and physical perfection, the Spider had the horror angle and ultra-violence…but what did the Phantom Detective have? He was a super-detective and a master of disguise…and how many times did we hear that, you know? How many other characters of the era put those two skillsets on their resumes? Practically all of them.
So my challenge was, how do I make this character stand out from Secret Agent X and Moon Man and some of the other, ostensibly very similar, characters in the Return of the Originals line? The answer was a single word: Steranko.
Although I am writing new prose adventures for the character, the lynchpin of the new Phantom Detective saga is his comic series, and Danilo (the artist) and I decided very early on that Jim Steranko was going to be our primary influence in terms of aesthetics: both his noir stuff, which I think has yet to be equaled, and his more psychedelic stuff from the 60s and beyond. And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Not only is the new Phantom Detective going to star in stories that are visually psychedelic, but in terms of content, some of them are quite trippy as well. A lot of them deal with era-appropriate fringe science, and Van Loan himself has taken to using what I suppose I would describe as performance-enhancing drugs to help maintain an edge in his rapidly evolving world.
To that end, one new addition to his mythology is something he calls his “Elixir”, which is a potion he drinks that allows him to see things ordinary men cannot see…it expands and enhances his senses, and all kinds of other weird and cool stuff. It makes him a better detective, and more of a creature of the night as well. I don’t want to give the impression that he’s like Jekyll and Hyde or something…it’s not like that. It’s more like, if you remember the movie Big Trouble in Little China, when Jack Burton and Wang and their whole crew drink that magic potion before they descend into the underworld to fight Lo Pan, it’s more like that. That’s the direct inspiration.
AP: A lot of classic characters come with their own trademarks, a team of supporters, certain gadgets they always use, etc? Does the Phantom Detective have any of this baggage and if he does, what of it are you bringing into your stories?
AS: Other than the core supporting cast, and the signal beacon, there isn’t much, specifically, that is being directly imported, because he didn’t have too many signature gizmos…there’s no Hornet Sting or Batarangs or Fabulous Five or anything like that. But overall, the character is the same character he was in the early stories, I have just added this concept, this sort of underlying theme, of a man trying to figure out his place in a changing world.
AP: The Phantom Detective stories had a habit of introducing something in one story, then forgetting it in the next. Although this can be an issue for continuity buffs, it also sometimes offers freedom to someone like you taking the reins on the character? Did you rely on the source material much? Did you feel hampered by the loose way the character’s history was written?
AS: I didn’t feel hampered at all. One of the very first things I decided, as soon as I knew I was going to set these stories in the early 40s, was that I was going to treat the Phantom Detective’s stories from the 30s as canon, at least whenever possible. So unless it comes into direct conflict with stuff I am planning to do with the character, much of what the Phantom Detective experienced in his first seven to eight years of adventures is considered history and backstory for my version of the hero.
Now there are definitely some continuity conflicts in those early stories, when you view them as a body, a mythology, as you mentioned, so there are certain places where I will have to embrace one story and ignore another, but in planning the first few years’ worth of storylines for this new incarnation, it hasn’t been too difficult to settle on which stuff I want to use and which stuff I want to discard. Basically, if I want to draw from a previous story, and that story conflicts with another, whatever the coolest stuff is stays, and everything else gets cast back into the ether.
AP: This is a major project for Moonstone and for you. What else do you have going on that pulp fans can look forward to? AS: Pulp fans will definitely be interested in a creator-owned project called New Dreaming Men that I am putting together with artist Douglas Klauba for Olympian Publishing. We just released a special, limited edition preview at Chicago Comic Con, so some of your readers might have picked that up. New Dreaming Men is an epic, pulp-flavored adventure saga for children ages eight to eighty, a serialized story to be told through a seamless marriage of prose, sequential art, and alternative storytelling means such as mock newspaper clippings and vintage playbills. It is the story of a group known as the Brotherhood of Forgotten Worlds, a fraternity of men that for centuries has fought to protect mysterious and exotic locales—on this world and far beyond—from all those who would seek to exploit or destroy them. You can fan New Dreaming Men on Facebook for more info.
And of course, as I mentioned at the very beginning, General Jack Cosmo Productions has Pulp Will Eat Itself, which is kind of like what would happen if Moonstone’s Return of the Originals line and the Coen Bros. movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? had a baby. It’s the twisted progeny of two of my Jack Cosmo cohorts, writer Adam Lahners and writer/artist Jim McKern. General Jack Cosmo Productions and Pulp Will Eat Itself are both on Facebook, too, so you can fan those for updates, info, and announcements.
AP: Thank you for your time, Aaron!
AS: Thank you for giving my newest baby here a bit of attention.
HOWARD HOPKINS, Writer of
THE GOLDEN AMAZON, for RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: Could you tell us about your secret origin? When did you decide you wanted to pursue writing?
Howard: I caught the writing bug back in the early ‘80s, first with articles for the various pulp fanzines at the time—Echoes, Nemesis, Inc., Savage Society of Bronze—then fiction, initially horror. Once it bit, it bit hard. I took Ray Bradbury’s advice, which I had read somewhere, and started churning out a short story a week.
AP: Before we delve into your pulp writings, can you tell us a little about your Black Horse western books? I’m not sure that many people are aware of your extensive career as Lance Howard.
Howard: I’ve written 32 westerns as Lance Howard—my first and middle names switched—the most recent called Dead Man Riding just published. These are marvelous hardcover books produced by Robert Hale, one of the few original publishers left that started in the 1930s. It’s a great company to work for and they have let me take the Western into areas many other publishers would not, blending Shoot ‘em Ups with a bit of horror, mystery, even romance. They’ve pushed a few boundaries and have met with enthusiastic response from the publisher and their readers, so I’m lucky. My next is scheduled for early next year and is called The Killing Kind. Anyone who’d like to see covers, read excerpts, etc. please mosey on over to my western page at http://www.howardhopkins.com/western-books.htm
AP:You’ve written so many classic pulp characters – ranging from The Spider to The Avenger to Captain Midnight and beyond. How do you approach handling these types of characters and what do you think about attempts to modernize them (for example, see DC’s First Wave books)?
Howard: I truly don’t mind a bit of updating or tinkering as long as the “soul” of the character is left intact and the source material respected. If your have to change the character so much it becomes unrecognizable—make up your own. In fact, I have certainly taken liberty with my own charge for the Moonstone Originals line, The Golden Amazon. My approach to writing characters like The Avenger, The Spider, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes and others is to try to zero in on what makes them tick, what makes them so endearing to their fans and not introduce change merely for the sake of change. These characters are beloved for a reason—why take that reason away? With The Avenger you have a man who has lost everything that really meant anything to him. His wife, his daughter. It sends him over the edge and when he comes back…he does not come back all the way. He’s changed, become a machine of justice driven by their loss. When I write Benson, I sit down and recall what it felt like to lose something I cared about. All these characters have a core, and any writer handling them needs to find it. If you’re going to change something, make sure that core is intact. The Shadow does not need a robotic head! That said, pulp writers wrote fast, revised little and sometimes plotted less. Modern writers shouldn’t imitate their mistakes. The standard of writing needs to be higher now, where we do have time to rework. Which is not to say it still shouldn’t be fun!
AP: The Golden Amazon is coming soon from Moonstone. What can you tell us about this character and the types of stories we can expect featuring her?
Howard: The Golden Amazon is a pretty unique character for one who didn’t have a lot of pulp adventures. She had TWO separate origins, which made trying to bring her into the comic medium an interesting prospect. The first was a sort of Tarzan on Venus origin and the second was more akin to Captain America’s, though ending up set in the future. She was also a very cold, emotionless character, with very little characterization and abilities that seemed to pop out of nowhere whenever the plot got sticky. So, keeping in mind that core thing I was talking about, I pulled a few choice bits from both versions and fused them into something totally new. I decided to focus on Violet Ray Brant’s journey to becoming The Golden Amazon and her eventual attempt to conquer the world, subsequent “demise” and rebirth in the future. She is a woman who has lost much memory of her past and is afflicted with something inside that is struggling to take over. She’s often cold, violent, but repentant for it. She has flashes of the past, dark brutal flashes. Shadow agencies and foreign powers want her secrets—secrets she is not even consciously aware of. Her own sense of justice and right fights her urges to kill and maim! But will she be able to control herself, or lose herself completely? You just never know if she will help or hurt you. And readers will take the journey to the discovery of her past and who and WHAT she is. They’ll learn about the forces against her—and those seeking to guide her. And—aliens…
AP: You write for both adults (The Chloe Files) and for kids (The Nightmare Club). How do you approach each project, keeping the target audience in mind? Does your working style differ or is it as simple as adjusting the vocabulary and plot complexity?
Howard: I never really think about it much—I just slip into the mood, tone, and style of whatever I am working on. It comes naturally for the most part. I never write “down” to kids. They are too smart nowadays and will spot it the instant you try. Of course, situation and language differ between adult and children’s fiction and I think you can’t be as morally ambiguous with a younger audience.
AP: I’ve always been intrigued by The Chloe Files — can you tell me about the series? Is this something that would appeal to pulp fans?
Howard: I think Chloe Files would definitely appeal to pulp fans. Chloe is pretty spunky, with her attitude origins taking a note from a certain Miss Nellie Gray and Miss Patricia Savage. Chloe gets embroiled in supernatural mysteries—real witches, demons, devils and maybe even a politician or two! The supernatural is after her, but she kicks Evil’s ass one demon at a time. Rippers, ghosts, just about anything might show up in The Chloe Files. In fact, in the second book, Sliver of Darkness, Chloe’s entire world turns into a black and white nightmare at times, thrusting her back into the world of the very early ‘60s when the ghost of dead actor shows up in her apartment. The actor disappeared after a performance of his character The Sliver of Darkness (big nod to The Shadow). Now he’s caught in character and between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Who knows what crimes cripple the minds of the guilty?
AP: You’re the co-editor on Moonstone’s The Avenger Chronicles. How did you end up in that position and what makes The Avenger so special as a character? What things are you looking for in the stories that you select for each volume?
Howard: Well, I had to deposit quite a bit of bullion in Joe’s private Swiss account…seriously, years back I wrote an Avenger history book called The Gray Nemesis and Benson has always been my favorite character, along with Doc Savage. Joe gave me the honor and privilege of working on these volumes as coeditor, as well as writing stories for them and I am eternally grateful. I touched on what makes Benson such a special character a couple questions back, but he was one of the only characters actually “driven” to do what he does. He suffered a great loss and handles it the only way his psyche will allow him to remain a functioning human being (if not totally sane by definition)—by helping others oppressed by crime and criminals. The first Avenger novel is probably one of the best pulp novels ever written, certainly one with the most depth. Paul Ernst, The Avenger writer, had a gift that made this pulpwood character into something that transcended the genre and medium. Benson’s aides, too, are all bonded together by tragedy. They are not the adventure-loving pals of Clark Savage, Jr., nor the obligated-to-serve aides of The Shadow. They are, in a particular way, family. Each would die for the other. Each has nothing to live for both the other, with the possible exception of a late add, Cole Wilson. Joe and I look for not only great action and well-told stories, but stories with emotional depth and deep understanding of what makes Richard Henry Benson tick.
AP: As someone who’s handled both The Spider and The Avenger, can you answer a What If? scenario for us? Let’s say your loved ones had been kidnapped by a typical bloodthirsty pulp villain. Which of those two heroes would you want on the case and why?
Howard: I want The Avenger on the case. No offense to Richard Wentworth, but those left in his charge have a distressing habit of ending up dead in the most horrible of ways! He saves the city, but there’s a high body count. The Avenger is less openly reckless, more likely to pull your loved one out of the pickle.
AP:I realize that you probably don’t want to tear down the competition but can you compare and contrast what Moonstone is doing with its Return of the Originals line as compared to DC’s re-interpretative approach with Doc Savage and The Avenger?
Howard: Moonstone loves and respects the characters and wants to preserve what made them great. The various writers working on the different projects all love and care about these characters. I know some of them and I know how they feel about these heroes. I am honestly not sure what DC’s motivation is on their line, so it wouldn’t be fair of me to compare it. I have my opinions, especially on The Avenger…but I do like their Spirit book.
AP: For those folks who want to learn more about you and your work, where they can do so?
Howard: I hope they will take a look at my website at http://www.howardhopkins.com/, which spotlights all my books, with separate pages for horror, western and children’s works. I have a story coming very soon in The Green Hornet Chronicles called “Flight of the Yellowjacket”, which I hope pulp fans will enjoy and a number of Spider widescreen comics and a graphic novel coming from Moonstone, along with my own original pulp heroine creation, The Veil, who makes her debut in a comic called “Threesome,” also starring the Domino Lady and The Golden Amazon.
WIN SCOTT ECKERT AND ERIC FEIN, Writers of THE GREEN GHOST, for RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: First, gentlemen, let All Pulp welcome you to Moonstone Monday! Now, this interview is a bit different, in that it’s being done sort of in tandem. So, each you will just give your answers and in the final copy they will run together. So, first, introduce yourself to the audience and give them a bit of background, especially about your history in Pulp.
WIN SCOTT ECKERT (WSE): Howard Waldrop has said, “Like most things from the Seventies, this is Philip José Farmer’s fault… If you don’t like it, don’t write me. Write Philip José Farmer.” I was born in the Sixties, but the mid-Seventies marked the beginning of an eight-year-old’s lifelong fascination with pulp fiction. No doubt that fascination sprang, in greater part, from the fact that I received a bunch of the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks and a copy of Phil’s Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life in 1975 when I was eight years old. That spurred me on a two-decade quest to collect all the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks. Phil’s Doc Savage “biography” and his Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke had also left me with an undying hunger to read all the other characters he had referenced in the books—The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu, The Spider, Philip Marlowe, Nero Wolfe, Sam Spade, James Bond, Travis McGee, and so on.
Along with that, I became fascinated with crossovers, and with Phil’s shared-universe Wold Newton mythos, the “Wold Newton Family” (outlined in the two “mock biographies” listed above) and pretty soon I was compiling a shared-universe timeline of my own, which I called the Wold Newton Universe Crossover Chronology. I posted it on my Wold Newton Universe site (the first of its kind), and after that readers began sending in their own Wold Newton articles. So I created online essay section. A few years later a couple other contributors started their own sites, and a few years after that we had such a great stockpile of Wold Newton-inspired articles, it seemed a natural move to put together a print anthology, which I edited: Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe (MonkeyBrain Books, 2005) (a 2007 Locus Awards finalist).
With a fairly encyclopedic background on pulp and other characters, fiction writing seemed the next logical step. I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute to Black Coat Press’ anthology Tales of the Shadowmen, and have been in every annual volume since then (six so far; Volume 7 is forthcoming). I’ve penned tales featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, Doc Ardan (a version of Doc Savage), Dr. Natas (a disguised version of Fu Manchu), Antinéa, and Sexton Blake. I wrote a tale for Airship 27’s Lance Star—Sky Ranger, and since then my time has been fully booked writing pulp fiction! For Moonstone Books: The Green Hornet Chronicles (co-editing with Moonstone’s Joe Gentile, as well as a contributing writer), The Avenger Chronicles, The Phantom Chronicles 2, The Captain Midnight Chronicles, and More Tales of Zorro (forthcoming). I also was invited to write the Foreword to the new edition of Farmer’s seminal “fictional biography,” Tarzan Alive (Bison Books, 2006) and am writing a series of tales about the origin of the Wold Newton Family, the first of which appeared in the just-released The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions (Meteor House, 2010). I dived back into “non-fiction” with the encyclopedic Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World 1 & 2 (Black Coat Press, 2010), and somehow also found time to write a novel that Philip José Farmer began back in the ’70s, but never had a chance to finish himself: The Evil in Pemberley House (Subterranean Press, 2009), about Patricia Wildman, the kick-ass daughter of a certain bronze-skinned pulp hero—if you know what I mean.
That’s a lot of background—sorry about that.
Eric Fein (EF): I discovered and fell in love with Pulp characters around the same time I started to read and collect comic books. Like Win, I was a kid in the mid-Seventies so there was plenty of pulp related books in bookstores and candy stores. One of my favorite all time comic book characters is Batman and I remember having the two issues (Batman #’s 253 and 259) of his series that guest-starred The Shadow. That led me to seek out DC’s original Shadow comic book series and around the same time I discovered the Pyramid/Jove Shadow reprints with those gorgeous Steranko covers. After reading a couple of those, I was hooked and started collecting anything pulp related. During this time, I also got my hands on Walter B. Gibson’s Shadow Scrapbook and was just fascinated by every aspect of the character and what went into creating him. The fact that Gibson was able to write more than 1 million words on a manual typewriter year after year is just amazing to me. . My fascination with The Shadow led me to Doc Savage, The Avenger, and The Spider. I’m also a big fan of the James Bond novels and movies, the Mike Hammer novels, film noir, crime novels and private eye novels, anything by or with Orson Welles, and Old-Time Radio.
In college, I landed an internship at Marvel Comics, which led to a job as an assistant editor after graduation. I eventually became one of the editors in the Spider-Man group and at one point I was editing three of the then four monthly titles: Spider-Man, The Web of Spider-Man, and The Spectacular Spider-Man. I also edited several Spider-Man one-shots and limited series including the very first team-up between Spider-Man and Batman. After Marvel, I worked at DC Comics in their licensed publishing department doing How-to draw books, coloring and activities books, and storybooks.
After DC, I moved into educational publishing writing and editing nonfiction and fiction books for kids who have trouble reading.
Recently, thanks to Joe Gentile and Moonstone Books, I’ve had the opportunity to write some pulp stories. I have a story slated for an upcoming volume of The Avenger Chronicles and another story scheduled to appear in The Green Hornet Chronicles, Volume 2. I also wrote a Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar story for Moonstone’s Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes anthology.
AP: You both are involved with THE GREEN GHOST, a fairly obscure pulp character, which is featured in Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS line. Give us some history on this character, focusing on the parts you feel are important for readers to know.
WSE: Sure. The Green Ghost—magician sleuth George Chance—started out as The Ghost in the Winter 1940 issue of a self-titled pulp magazine, with a novel called, appropriately enough, Calling the Ghost. Over the next four years Chance appeared in thirteen additional tales, all penned by master pulpsmith G.T. Fleming-Roberts, in The Ghost Super-Detective, then Green Ghost Detective, finally migrating to Thrilling Mystery, and making his final appearance in the October 1944 issue of Thrilling Detective.
Chance equals his mentor, the late Harry Houdini, in the art of escape. He’s also a renowned skeptic and debunker of fakes and frauds, as well as a master criminologist, excelling in makeup and disguise, lock-picking, knife-throwing, illusion—anything and everything a top-notch magician knows. Chance puts his expertise to use as a relentless crusader for justice, donning a skull mask to become “The Ghost” (shortly after changing his name to “The Green Ghost”), and aiding Police Commissioner Standish against criminals everywhere, solving impossible crimes. Chance is aided by a select band of six agents and friends who know his secret and share in his mission for justice.
EF: I think Win covered all the bases on this question.
AP: What makes the Green Ghost a viable hero for a modern audience? Clones of characters, stereotypes, don’t typically appeal to readers today, but so many of the classic pulp characters were simply different riffs on Doc Savage, the Shadow, etc. What about The Green Ghost makes him more than just another avenging detective hero type?
WSE: The covers to the pulps that carried his stories depicted a character with a ghoulish visage—one that Eric has noted harkens back to Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera. Our new stories in Moonstone’s Return of the Originals will match the mood and intensity promised by the pulp covers. The Green Ghost strikes terror in the hearts of criminals and even civilians due to his horrific skull-like appearance and his seemingly supernatural abilities.
And for the first time, The Green Ghost is going to face a few real supernatural menaces. We won’t go overboard, but the idea of a Houdini-type skeptic facing the real occult, as opposed to charlatans, and how he responds to it, is intriguing. In addition, his girlfriend Meriem “Merry” White had “flashes of intuition” in the original pulps, i.e. she’s psychic. How does her skeptic boyfriend deal with that? We’re going for a Mulder/Scully in reverse vibe here.
EF: Certainly from a visual perspective The Green Ghost falls into The Shadow end of the spectrum with his dark fedora and trench coat. However, there are several things that make him stand apart from being just another Shadow knockoff. One, his creator, G.T. Fleming-Roberts, made him a magician and gave him a drive to expose phony spiritualists. The other thing that separates him from The Shadow and Doc Savage is the relationship he had with his girlfriend Meriem White and his assistants. He wasn’t portrayed as some mysterious or awe-inspiring character when he interacted with them. Chance is very down to earth. His associates knew who he was and why he did what he did. It gave the stories a different dynamic.
AP: Now, each of you is working primarily in different media on the Green Ghost. Tell the audience what medium you are focusing on and how you go into adapting your version of the Green Ghost to said medium.
WSE: Eric is tackling the comic scripts, while I handle the prose stories, which will be featured in Moonstone’s “wide vision” format with spot illustrations. It turned out my time constraints necessitated collaboration on the first prose story, as well: I wrote the detailed outline, Eric wrote a first draft, and I wrote a second draft from that. We had fun with it, and we hope you’ll enjoy the results.
EF: Writing comic book stories allows you the freedom to play up more of the visual effects of the character – having him perform magic tricks, getting in and out of deathtraps, and other cool things that might not translate as well in just a prose story. And let me say that we have a wonderful artist illustrating both the comic book stories and the prose stories – David Niehaus. He shares our enthusiasm for the character and it shows in his artwork for the series.
AP: Two people sharing the reins on an idea with an already established history must be quite interesting. How do you two work this combined effort? Is someone the Senior Partner? Who contributes what? And how do you as a team tackle the fact that The Green Ghost has a history when you come to it?
WSE: I made the original pitch to Joe Gentile at Moonstone (the seed of the idea having been planted by my pal and fellow writer Martin Powell several years back) and did the initial draft of the series bible. Then I decided that I had too many projects going to write both the comics stories and the prose stories so Joe brought in Eric, a very talented writer, to write the comics scripts. Eric contributed several great ideas and we revised the bible; it’s a collaborative effort. We rarely disagree, and if we do, we resolve it quickly.
As far as the history and keeping things straight…. I am a continuity geek. I’m not slavish to it if the story dictates a different direction, but I do everything I can to accommodate and account for continuity. The history of the character matters to me. Look, for the co-editing duties for The Green Hornet Chronicles books, I created a timeline of the ’60s television series, and then inserted each and every story I read/edited into the timeline, based on textual clues and other references in the stories. This was purely for my own use so I could keep things straight. In some cases I asked the writers to make slight changes so as not to create a continuity gaffe with the timeline. So, yeah…a little OCD, maybe, but if you’re going to work on a character, or a shared universe, it’s worth the effort to take care of these little details, as well as the overall storytelling. Because believe me, someone will notice. J We’re bringing the same sort of effort and care and attention to The Green Ghost.
EF: From the first time we spoke and began trading ideas it was clear that we shared very similar sensibilities when it came to the character and our approach to storytelling so it has been a lot of fun working together.
As far as The Green Ghost’s history, Win wanted to make sure that we respected it and didn’t radically change it and I totally agreed. The main thing we adjusted was the tone of the stories. Ours have a harder edge to them than the original pulps did. At the same time, we have been careful not to contradict or negate any of the events in the original stories.
AP: Does the Green Ghost come with any supporting cast, special weapons, things that are identified with him? If so, are you adapting them for your stories?
WSE: All of the Green Ghost’s original supporting cast is back with our series. I’ll let Eric give the particulars on the cast. Chance also has the same bag of tricks, plus a bit more. In our continuation, Chance served in the OSS during World War II for a few years, and has returned home with a few additional things up his sleeve, but nothing radical.
EF: As mentioned earlier, The Green Ghost is a magician so we’ve worked in some magic tricks, such as gloves coated with a flash powder that emit a blinding green light when he snaps his fingers. The other thing we did is that we gave him a mask. In the original pulps every time he became the Green Ghost he had to put on makeup. We figured that might become cumbersome for some of the stories we wanted to tell. I had suggested that since the stories were going to be set just after the end of WWII that someone with Chance’s talents could have done secret missions for the government during the war, so we decided to establish the fact that he served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and that their scientists fashioned a mask for him that has special lenses that glow green, allow him to see in the dark, and also has an apparatus inside it that functions as a mini-oxygen tank.
As for his supporting cast, we are using all of them. However, not everyone will appear in every story. We just don’t have the space for that. Here’s a rundown of The Green Ghost’s associates:
Meriem White is George Chance’s girlfriend and sometimes assistant. She is very smart and strong willed and, as Win pointed out, has some psychic abilities.
Ned Standish is the New York City Police Commissioner. Standish was the one who encouraged Chance to cultivate his interest in criminology into actual crime fighting.
Tiny Tim Terry is a childhood friend of George Chance. They both lived and worked in the circus as children.
Joe Harper is a racetrack bookmaker, a theatrical booking agent, and gambler. He’s got contacts in every strata of society, which makes him quite valuable to The Green Ghost.
Dr. Robert Demarest is the New York City Chief Coroner and works closely with Chance and Standish when needed.
Glenn Saunders is Chance’s assistant and a dead ringer for Chance.
AP: Some pulp purists believe updating characters like Moonstone is doing is being unfaithful to them, not keeping true to what they originally were. What is your response to this in terms of The Green Ghost?
WSE: Our approach is not to create an alternate neo-pulp universe where the characters are radically different. We see no reason to change what works—just provide a logical continuation, a view into what The Green Ghost’s adventures could have been had they continued in the pulps.
We are not changing the characters’ general backgrounds, although certain details are certainly being elaborated and expanded upon. As I said, George Chance has been off to war and back, so this is a continuation—not a “reboot.” For the modern audience, we can also ramp up the action quotient a bit, and where appropriate, provide a more frank and honest portrayal of characters’ sex lives.
Let’s face it, in The Spider, you knew Richard Wentworth and Nita Van Sloan were having sex. They weren’t celibate for the eleven years that were “engaged.” Similarly, the Green Ghost (George Chance) and Merry White (now a more grown up, Meriem White) are not a perpetually celibate couple: they wind down from their adventures and celebrate their victories, and living to fight another day, in bed. I know this may alienate a few folks who feel their pulp heroes should not have sex lives, but this doesn’t alter the basic premise of The Green Ghost—it just provides a window, another angle, into his life, and his relationship with Meriem. It rounds them out as characters. We don’t plan to be explicit—I’ll save that for when I collaborate with Mr. Farmer J—but we do plan to be a bit more realistic in a way that the original pulps weren’t.
Another difference with our Green Ghost is that he is actually part of a wider universe and continuity. The beauty of a shared pulp universe is that, unlike superhero universes, it could actually be our universe, the world outside our window. Yes, maybe occult menaces or mad scientist death rays really couldn’t happen in our world—but if one squints, or puts on the 3-D glasses, perhaps they could be rationalized away. Unlike the cosmic and world-altering events shown in the superhero universes, a shared pulp fiction universe is relatable to the “everyman.”
EF: I certainly understand their concerns and as a fan myself I am leery when any character with a long history is reinvented. We went took great care to make sure we didn’t throw away or contradict any part of The Green Ghost’s history. Again, the major change we did make has to do with the tone of the stories. In the original pulps, the stories were not as hardboiled or as spooky as you would have thought from looking at the covers. Win and I both wanted to do edgier stories without making wholesale changes to the character and we both feel that we’ve accomplished that. Hopefully, the readers will agree.
AP: OK, what about future plans for the Green Ghost, any hints? And what other irons do you have in the works you’d like to mention?
WSE: Eric’s two comic stories (so far) are called “The Mystery Named Rosabelle” and “Of Monsters and Men.” There a lot of fun, with art by the talented David Niehaus. The stories are set to appear as backups in Moonstone’s The Phantom Detective # 1 and 2, respectively. Both issues are already available for order (The Phantom Detective # 1 hits the shelves on October), so get out there and buy ’em!
Our “wide vision” prose story is called “Zombies under Broadway,” and is chock full of undead mayhem, with spot illustrations by the aforementioned Mr. Niehaus. It hasn’t been scheduled yet, so keep an eye out!
For my part, I’ve just submitted my second Avenger story to Moonstone. It’s an Avenger/Domino Lady crossover story, and I had a blast writing it. Next is an as-yet untitled story for Black Coat Press’ Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 7: Femmes Fatales; then editing Moonstone’s The Green Hornet Chronicles Volume 2 and possibly writing a sequel to my tale “Fang and Sting” which is in volume 1; then an as-yet untitled crossover story for a Sherlock Holmes anthology; and finally researching and taking notes for a novel I intend to write in 2011—wish I could say more about that, but the timing isn’t right. I hope you’ll have me back to discuss it when it is. J
EF: Well, the first comic book story, “The Mystery Named Rosabelle” concerns someone from Chance’s past trying to kill him and involves him attempting Houdini’s Chinese Water Torture Cell escape trick. “Of Monsters and Men” pits The Green Ghost against an escaped Nazi scientist and his man-made monstrosities and introduces a new member to his cast, an associate from his days with the OSS.
As for me, I have a novel I am shopping around as well as a couple of screenplays and of course more pulp stories, including more Green Ghost adventures, that I hope will see print real soon.
AP: Once again, guys, thank you for your time and your work in the pulp field!
WSE: And thank you for having us, and for the great work you’re doing promoting pulp fiction and keeping the genre alive!
EF: Yes, thank you for the opportunity to talk to you and your readers about The Green Ghost. It was a pleasure.
TIM LASIUTA, Line Editor, RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, Moonstone
AP: So tell us a little about your history in comics, Tim and in particular how you hooked up with Moonstone?
TL: I must have been born with a book in my hands, since I could read, my father would buy comic books (in the mid to late 1960’s), and we would read them at home. When he ‘grew’ up, I inherited a small collection of X Men, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Richie Rich. Today, I still have most of them. However, once reading bit me, I began to read his paperbacks too. I can still see his book shelf, double filled with mystery, western, and pulp. Doc Savage was probably my first ‘adult’ book, and what an introduction. I rabidly ate up any Doc, Shadow, Ace Doubles, while still reading and by now buying my own comics with newspaper money. It is a strange truth that what you imagine, you can become. When I was 14, I remember reading a Batman comic, and seeing the first ads for Kuberts School of Art. From that point on, I began to illustrate my own adaptation of Stokers “Jewel of Seven Stars”. It was terrible, but my limitations in art led me to begin writing, and my first novel was drafted out. I wrote short stories, and illuminated my social assignments with elements of the fantastic. Tarzan even flew through one of my Psych papers in grade 11. That aside, I wanted to be a comic book something. It was not to be, and I ventured into university, still buying and reading. Marriage kind of stopped that, and when I approached CBG about doing an article on Tom Gill, my mentor, I was ‘in’. From there I worked reviewing books, comics and doing articles for them for 4 years. Along the way, I found that a company called Moonstone was doing the Phantom, I emailed the publisher who actually responded. As a young(er) writer, I was thrilled. Joe sent me copies and for 3 years I stuck to mainly Indy books and Moonstone. When I approached Joe with an idea to help him, he accepted, and I have written short fiction, edited, arranged PR, negotiated for properties, written bibles, and promoted Moonstone in Calgary and elsewhere.
TIM LASIUTA (on left)
AP: What do you believe has been the motivating factor for Moonstone’s recent attraction to classic pulp heroes?
TL: Every publisher has an audience, and the DC audience is not the same as Marvels’, or IDWs’ or Archie. With our focus on the pulps and adventure characters, it is almost like we have re-introduced the ‘First’ Wave into the media. DC may have the splash, but we are the real thing. One thing that I am learning is that the concept of our pulp lines is a recurrent theme. For decades westerns were the preferred genre due to the quick justice and characterizations. My grandfather and father shared a love of books for decades. I share the same tastes, and have re-read the same books. Today, it seems that vengeance driven characters (ie pulp) are popular. Where else can you be so politically incorrect and solve a drug lord problem with a pipe bomb??? This may be the new release for society’s pent up anger and hostility. In terms of the genre, and our Originals line, our authors are true fans. They may write a good mystery in their day job but I suspect at night when the Black Bat flies, or the Green Ghost wanders the night, trench coats, gloves and weapons of all sorts come out of the hidden compartments. Need therapy, write a Spider tale. No need for valium… Joe and I have always said that we are cut from the same cloth, and our interests are almost identical. I love the concept of the ‘old’, and the new at the same time. For me, the Phantom, and Doc Savage are highlights of my time so far, but I can hardly wait until the New Originals mature and take off.
AP: Why do you think pulps are becoming popular again and will today’s comic readers embrace them or give them the cold shoulder?
TL: The wave of pulp reprints from the numerous houses, the new books from Airship 27, DCs’ First Wave, and our New Originals, all contribute to a genre that is growing. There is some kind of appeal to the vintage art that adorns the books, and with increased scholarship into the artists, writers, and industry, it is developing a momentum. In some instances, pulp readers are comic readers. An Archie reader will not pick up Phantom Detective, but someone who reads Sanctums’ Doc Savage, Avenger, or Shadow, will. However, while that book is on the coffee table, it may catch the eye of a parent, or friend. Someone who reads an adventure or team book may pick these up. Any new line or character is a literary crap shoot. That is the beauty of this line. We are not new. But I can guarantee that any reader who buys these books will love them.
Characters from IV FROST, edited by Tim Lasiuta
AP: Joe Gentile has a reputation for running a tight ship and in the past handling the majority of the editorial chores. With Return of the Originals, both you and Mike Bullock seemed to have assumed Associate Editor roles. What exactly are your responsibilities in this capacity?
TL: Joe is a one man army. With my growing interest in Moonstone, and some as of yet unannounced properties, I have been recruited to read, track, and do whatever Joe asks me to do. Mike is busy writing for the line, and with that, his duties will be what I cannot do. For instance, he is doing the Pulp Manual due out soon. I had no time, but I did read and edit 30 plus stories already. If you’re asking what my duties really are, I would tell you, and have to shoot you! I would love to write A Richard Diamond piece, and perhaps another Captain Midnight tale, but the New Originals take up a good amount of time.
AP: For those readers having been lost in the Amazon all year, would you please explain exactly what Return of the Originals is?
TL: The Return of the New Originals is an event unlike any other we have done at Moonstone. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, pulp characters were everywhere. You could not look at a newsstand and not be assailed without a lurid cover, and often trashy fiction. We have taken the best of those, and asked one question. “How can we turn these characters into viable icons for our time?” The result is a 20 plus character mix that ranges from occult to adventure. There are tough secret agents, strong teams, pilots, gutsy avengers, and dangerous sirens. They all share one commonality, Stamp out crime! We even tackle the issue of racism with Decimator Smith. One thing about our staff of writers, artists, and production personnel is that we share a love for the genre and medium. Every author, as Joe put it, was invited to play in our sandbox with his/her favorite character. They came with their own pails and shovels. The result is a stable of creators who write with passion. We all get to enjoy that.
AP: Which of these characters are you involved with personally and were you familiar with them before taking on this assignment?
TL: I was familiar with many of the characters before. I knew G-8, the Spider, Honey West, Domino Lady, Phantom Detective, Green Llama, KiGor and others, but once I saw the entire line-up, I was shocked. We have one busy setting, and by mid 2025, it should be free of crime. Until then, there are many stories to tell, and many crimes to correct.
AP: Tim, are there any plans for any Originals Universe crossovers between any of these great characters? Aside from the C.J. Henderson book, that is. And are you free to divulge those yet? TL: As of this point, there are no plans that I am aware of, but only the Shadow knows…
AP: Any last words you like to leave the All Pulp readers with concerning Return of the Originals?
TL: Pulp fiction will never die as long as readers continue to support great writers! I love this job!
AP: Tim, this has been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
MICHAEL METCALF Artist on BLACK BAT and DEATH ANGEL
AP: Michael, welcome to All Pulp’s first ever Moonstone Monday! Before we jump right into the excellent work you’re doing at Moonstone, give us some background on you and what work you’ve done up until now.
MICHAEL METCALF: Glad to be here. Moonstone Monday is one of my favorite days! I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Before I became a part of these Moonstone projects, I worked on various children’s graphic novels such as Timothy and the Transgalactic Towel and The Secrets of the Seasons: Gimoles. Before those I worked on a strange mix of pinups, covers, one panel cartoons, catalog illustrations, and what I like to call “not-yet-published” comics.
AP: You’re working with writer Mike Bullock on two characters involved in Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS. One is an original character, Death Angel. Having looked at some of the images of this character, it’s clearly a frightening avenger type. Tell us something about the Death Angel and give us some insight into what goes into your art on this particular concept.
MM: Yeah, Death Angel is a dark, vengeful character born out of a tortured, abused childhood. The Death Angel costume is all black with a white skull mask and large tattered wings so there is a terrific opportunity to play with heavy shadows and the contrast of light and dark areas in the comic panels. An important part of the costume is the pulsing light and sound devices concealed in both gloves. These devices induce disorientation and hallucinations in Death Angel’s foes so I like to use alot of swirling flowing lines and trippy distorted images during the fight scenes.
AP: Switching gears, but only slightly, you’re also bringing a pulp icon to life on the comic page, The Black Bat, as written also by Mike Bullock. Pulp fans know how the Black Bat is and he’s also a dark avenger night type of hero, but the styles seem different from your BLACK BAT to your DEATH ANGEL. Can you point out the differences and explain why you’ve sort of approached each of these from different angles artistically?
MM: I think that both of these characters are psychologically damaged. They both want to fight evil, and they are doing it in a very violent way that is outside of the normal limits of the law. The Black Bat once worked within the legal system and knows how the system works. Readers will notice that the Black Bat’s mind is now fractured into different personalities, the defender, prosecutor, judge and executioner, and it’s these four distinct voices that determine how he deals with the bad guys. The Black Bat has heightened senses and a huge need for justice. On the other hand, Death Angel’s roots are in twisted religion and a childhood of horrifying abuse. The result is a tortured soul seeking to punish the wicked. I think Death Angel is particularly obsessed with avenging crimes against women and children. Death Angel doesn’t have any superhuman abilities, just deep psychological scars, some powerful but horribly skewed religious convictions and a freaky costume armed with mind warping devices.
AP: With the Black Bat, you’re treading on what some would consider sacred ground. The costume the Bat wears in your work is slightly different from what most pulp aficionados would say he originally wore. Can you explain some of the changes and your reasons for them as well as wade in on the discussion of whether or not original characters should be changed/updated for modern readers or left as they were originally conceived?
MM: Mike B and I love the Black Bat, so hopefully we won’t be spoiling anyone’s enjoyment by making some changes. Mike B is the driving force here and he has a great deal of respect for the source materials. With the Black Bat making his way back into the visually driven comic format, I think it’s a great opportunity to add some new details and show him off to a whole new fan base while hopefully providing something new and enjoyable to the existing fans. Readers will find that he now sports a cowl similar to the traditional one but with no eye holes. His boots, gloves and other costume parts are all combat-durable and quite scarred because he has a tendency to brawl and break through windows, walls or crooks that get in his way. I’d say we approached the creation of the first issue from the point of view that “wow! this is what we’d like to see the Black Bat doing, and this is what he might wear to scare that crap out of some thugs before he beats them to a pulp.”
AP: What appeals to you about working with pulp characters in a comics medium?
MM: I think pulp fiction and comics are branches of the same family. It’s always a blast to draw dynamic characters having sensational adventures so I guess that’s what appealed to me.
AP: Any pulp characters you’d like to try your hand at, either those currently being played with at Moonstone or otherwise?
MM: The Shadow and Doc Savage spring to mind and there are many, many others that would be a hoot to draw.
AP: Do you have anything else in the works now, either within Moonstone or beyond?
MM: Mike and I just finished separate Black Bat and Death Angel pulp tales for the widevision books. These feature a different size/shape format and some very moody art. I’m working on the next ish of BLACK BAT DOUBLE SHOT and we have a four issue mini series called Lions Tigers and Bears Volume Three that is awaiting a print date and volume IV waiting in the wings. As far as other projects, I’m illustrating a mystery novel and a mini-series that I’m dying to talk about but I can’t yet! Hopefully I’ll chat with you again soon about the other stuff.
AP: Michael, your time and work is really appreciated!
MM: Hope you enjoy the BLACK BAT DOUBLE SHOT!
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW
Martin Powell-Writer of Ki-Gor and The Spider for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Martin, thanks for sitting down with All Pulp again so soon (For Martin’s first interview with All Pulp, actually All Pulp’s debut interview, click on the INTERVIEWS page on this site). Aside from the Halloween Legion, you mentioned other projects you’re working on. Can you tell us something about the RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS from Moonstone and your part in that?
POWELL: THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS is a pulp-packed event coming soon from Moonstone, resurrecting many of the classic pulp characters of the 1930s in both comics and pulp fiction form. It’s going to be really cool. I’m writing THE SPIDER’s new comic book series and prose adventures, as well as KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD.
AP: Wow, not only one but two classic characters. Of the two, Ki-Gor is probably the least familiar to most people. He has been identified as a ‘Tarzan clone’ by some. Is this a true description? If not, tell us about him? What if anything makes him stand out from the more famous Lord of the Jungle?
POWELL: He isn’t as well known today, and I’m going to try to fix that. There’s no doubt that Ki-Gor was originally created as a Tarzan imitator, and, in fact, the earliest Ki-Gor novels are very similar to the Tarzan movies of that same period, starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan. But Ki-Gor quickly developed his own unique personality as the orphaned child of a missionary, rescued and adopted by a powerful jungle shaman. Ki-Gor appeared as the lead feature in Fiction House’s Jungle Stories magazine, from 1938 all the way through to 1954, for a total of fifty-nine adventure novels, which significantly outnumbers Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels.
The most striking differences between Ki-Gor and Tarzan are that Ki-Gor’s stories are much, much weirder and they are far more sensually charged. Ki-Gor and Helene, his red-haired mate, have a very intimate relationship—and it shows in the stories, quite unlike Tarzan and Jane. Their adventures abound with deep passion, marauding prehistoric monsters, and terrifying black magic, with a touch of science fiction thrown in, too. It’s almost as if the concepts of Burroughs and Robert E. Howard came together in a macabre mix. Having said all that, I am a devoted Tarzan fan, by the way, and as such I’m working hard to make Ki-Gor very different from him.
AP: The concept of a ‘Jungle Lord’ doesn’t really fit well in the modern world where you can look at any point on the globe from a home computer. As the writer, how do you intend to make Ki-Gor resonate with a modern audience? What will you bring to the character that maybe hasn’t been there before?
POWELL: Well, I somewhat disagree with the notion that our “modern world” no longer offers any mystery or adventure. There are vast jungles in Africa and South America which have never been explored by so-called civilized humans. A lot of the planet is still completely unmapped and unknown, even in the 21st century. Within just the past couple years a vast “lost world” was discovered in Indonesia containing over 200 unknown species of animals, include a bizarre tree-climbing kangaroo. Our planet still has her secrets. Ki-Gor’s tales occur in the late 1930s, when Africa was even more mysterious than it is today. Mind you, this isn’t the same place as described in our geography books. It’s a strange world of terrible beauty and nature run amok, insidiously inhabited by witch doctors, cryptic creatures, missing links, and lost alien cities. Ki-Gor’s personality and, especially, his relationship with Helene will continue to evolve in my stories. This is not only a series of high adventure, it’s also an epic love story, which I’m enjoying very much.
AP: What, if any, concepts are you bringing forward from the original Ki-Gor tales? Any supporting cast, recurring themes, etc.?
POWELL: Helene Vaughn, from the original pulps, plays a very important role in this series. We sort of see the Jungle Lord, and his world, through her eyes. She is an extraordinary woman from civilization who has become Ki-Gor’s moral conscience and his mate. I’m also retaining N’kuni the Pygmy Warrior, and bringing in a lot of my own characters and concepts, too. My artist partner in this is Tom Floyd, who recently received the prestigious Golden Lion Award from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibliophiles. Past recipients of the award have been folks like, Harlan Ellison, Johnny Weissmuller, and Frank Frazetta, so I’m really lucky to have Tom. It’s been great fun working with him on this grand, sweeping jungle adventure.
AP: Let’s go to your other character. To do that we go from the little known (Ki-Gor) to the pulp icon (The Spider). For many, writing the further adventures of Richard Wentworth would be a dream job. Was it that way for you and what appeals to you about the Spider as a writer?
POWELL: Oh, absolutely. I love the Spider. I’ve been a Spider fan since I was a teenager. It is a dream job. I’ve never thought of it as anything less, and I’m very grateful that Moonstone chose me to write this new series. Richard Wentworth, the Spider’s alter-ego (or…is it the other way around?), is a fascinating character. Arguably, he’s the most three-dimensional, fully realized personality of the pulps. I certainly consider him the most interesting of all the other contemporary pulp heroes. Those who superficially think of him merely as a killing machine, are missing the point of the Spider, in my opinion. I’m striving to remain as close to Norvell Page’s creation as possible by portraying Wentworth as highly intelligent, possessing lightning-fast deductive skills, and as a brilliantly commanding strategist. He also possesses nearly superhuman physical prowess, extraordinary endurance, and an incredible tolerance to pain. His fearsome reputation as the “Master of Men” is fully warranted, and yet he is also sorely afflicted with a messiah-complex. The Spider is wanted by the Law and the criminal Underworld alike, with most people believing that he is out of control and murderously insane. Privately, Wentworth himself is haunted by this terrifying possibility.
AP: What about the Spider will ring true with a modern crowd? Is it really just the violent way in which Wentworth handles his business or is there more to it?
POWELL: There is much more to the Spider than merely his body-count Alone among the pulp heroes on his day, the readers were privy to the Spider’s inner thoughts, his crazed obsessions, his astonishing genius, and his tormented and dreadful self-doubts. I will be preserving this and also adding to the concept considerably. Ultimately, the Spider is more terrible than the fiends he fights. In Wentworth’s nightmarish world, New York City teeters forever upon the brink of oblivion. It’s 911 every day. He boldly faces hordes of monstrous madmen with a venomous laugh and a thunderous brace of blasting automatics. No villain, no matter how diabolical, has ever defeated the Master of Men. He has become a monster in order to vanquish the devils that would destroy us. It is a transformation that will demand a terrible price, as we shall see, by the climax of my first year’s storyline.
AP: Writing pulp prose is one thing, but crafting a script to bring any pulp character to life in comic form is a tricky proposition, as we’ve seen from other companies in recent months. Tell us how you feel about the work you’ve done so far on both characters, how you feel they translate to the comic page and how telling these stories in this form brings anything different to them?
POWELL: I’ve been doing this sort of thing a long time, almost twenty-five years. Whether writing prose, or comic scripts, the classic concepts themselves must be preserved and maintained. My feeling is that the fans all want these iconic characters to be the same as from the source material. The readers are expecting to find themselves in a familiar world once they open these books. Anything less is disappointing and disrespectful. Visualize, for example, someone who has obtained, say, a Superman license, then hires a writer who immediately proceeds to change the costume, the powers, and the origin into something utterly unrecognizable. I’ll never understand that kind of thinking. There is nothing that needs to be fixed, rebooted, or re-imagined about the Spider. He is what he is, and that’s more than enough for his fans. And for me.
AP: The Spider has companions and recurring characters as well as techniques that are almost as recognizable as he is to pulpdom? What bits from the Spider’s original run are making it into your version?
POWELL: I’m using all of it. Nita Van Sloan, Ram Singh, Jackson, Commissioner Kirkpatrick, Professor Brownlee, and even a couple classic Spider villains—they will all be returning in my series. I’m focusing on Nita especially. As the only woman to share the Spider’s darkest secrets, her role, fighting alongside with him amid all this chaos and madness, fascinates me. There was no other romantic couple in the pulps quite like Wentworth and Nita. I will be delving deeper into their bizarre relationship with each story.
AP: What about pressure? Do you feel any obligations to handle an iconic character like The Spider in any certain way? Any fears or misgivings about taking on such a task?
POWELL: There’s always pressure, of course, and a certain amount of stress with any creative endeavor. I do feel a serious obligation to properly present an authentic version of the Spider. That is of the upmost importance to me as a writer and as a fellow Spider fan.
AP: Pulp is on an upswing, according to most of us in the pulp community. Obviously, this project from Moonstone is a major sign of that. Why should people, both pulp nuts and pulp newbies, pick up your books, or any of the RETURN titles?
POWELL: Well, the main reason I would want to buy them is because both the Spider and Ki-Gor are being illustrated by two very fine artists. Tom Floyd, as I’ve already said, is rendering KI-GOR THE JUNGLE LORD, and the legendary Pablo Marcos—and a long-time favorite of mine—is drawing THE SPIDER. Both series look spectacular.
AP: Any hints of future developments for Ki-Gor or the Spider?
POWELL: Tom and I will be re-visiting Ki-Gor’s origin in an upcoming story, and the conclusion of my first year’s worth of Spider adventures will team him, for the very first time, with another classic pulp hero—G-8 and his Battle Aces. That’s just the beginning, but the rest are secret. I have a lot of plans for the Spider.
AP: It’s been great, Martin! Thanks again!
POWELL: Not at all. I’m always happy to discuss the pulps. Thank you.
PENCILED PAGES FROM PABLO MARCOS FOR MOONSTONE’S SPIDER!!!
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW Mike Bullock-writer of Black Bat for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Mike, welcome to ALL PULP and thanks for taking time to answer a few questions. First, for those who don’t know your background, tell us about Mike Bullock.
MB: I’ve been writing since I was four years old, unprofessionally that is. I learned to read with Batman comics when I was three and always dreamed of a day when I could tell stories in comic books. When I was a teenager, I joined my first band as a singer/lyricist and quickly discovered I had a talent for poetry. I spent the next decade or so as a professional musician and when the day came to call it quits, I decided it was time to get serious about writing. A year later I was working for Broken Frontier and Panzer, a music magazine, writing articles and reviews. Soon thereafter, I landed my first comic work at Image and then took over writing The Phantom for Moonstone. After that, I woke up this morning and found this interview waiting for me. Sorry I’m late.
AP: You play a major role in Moonstone’s latest project, RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS, which focuses on new comic stories featuring classic pulp characters. Can you give us any details on this project as a whole and specifically why you are glad to be a part of it?
MB: Back in 2007 Moonstone’s El Jeffe, Joe Gentile and I were tossing ideas back and forth and I suggested making a fictional city where we could tell stories featuring many of Moonstone’s characters like Domino Lady, Spider, Black Shirt and some new characters like Death Angel and one Joe had dreamed up whose name escapes me at the moment. We decided to do a team book to launch this idea, but Joe wasn’t sure that was the right time to push it, since they had the Twilight War series amping up. We continued discussing the idea and it soon evolved into a pulp city/universe, where we’d bring back a lot of original pulp characters and put them into a cohesive environment. It would also allow us a vehicle to introduce new characters that were exclusively under the Moonstone banner. Well, time went on and one day Joe emailed me and said he thought it was time to get the ball rolling on this idea. Pretty soon he handed me a list of characters and asked which one I’d like to pen. I wrote back and told him Black Bat, Gladiator, Golden Amazon and I tossed in Captain Future and Sign of the Crimson Dagger, as well as Death Angel. Joe loved the enthusiasm but realized that was too much for one writer to tackle all at once, especially since we were still going to co-write the team book and we settled on Black Bat, Death Angel, Gladiator and Captain Future. I was thrilled to say the least, especially with Black Bat and Captain Future. I’ve always held a love for characters like Black Bat, Batman and Moon Knight and this was a chance to guide the adventures of the one who started it all. The first prose book I ever read was the original Star Wars novelization. When I was done, I loved it so much I went to the book store looking for more and stumbled on a series about a Virginian who suddenly found himself on Mars fighting giant green men to save the most beautiful woman in the universe. Right then and there, I discovered the magic that is pulp fiction. I devoured every one of those John Carter books in less than a month and then branched out to Conan, Carson of Venus, etc. With that in mind, and my lifelong love of comic books, it’s no wonder that writing pulp comic books is a dream come true.
AP: One of the characters you’re tackling for RETURN is one that is known to most pulp fans, The Black Bat. Briefly, acquaint those who might not be so familiar about whom the Black Bat was in his original appearances. Also, weren’t there two pulp Black Bats? If so, which one are you writing?
MB: Anthony Quinn was a man on a mission, driven to make sure justice was done in the courtroom. However, just as often happens today, criminals slipped through the loopholes of our judicial system on technicalities time and time again, which brought with it a level of frustration that only motivated Quinn further. One day, in an attempt to destroy evidence, a mobster hit Quinn in the face with acid, blinding him and leaving horrific scarring around his eyes. Quinn’s career as a DA was over, and for a brief time, so was his life, as far as he was concerned. However, as the saying goes, ‘you can’t keep a good man down’ and Quinn was certainly a good man. As he sat in his parlor one night, contemplating his new found course of action, the smell of beautiful perfume wafted into the room. A gentle voice told Quinn of a secret operation that would restore his sight. Quinn and his right-hand man, Silk Kirby, drove out to the countryside where a doctor transplanted the eyes of a dead police officer into Quinn’s head, returning his eyesight. However, Quinn had already heightened his other senses and could now effectively see in the dark, as well as hear in a manner akin to bats, where minute air pressure changes alerted him to motion in his surroundings. Quinn took up the mantle of Black Bat, swearing to fight evil men with their own weapon: treachery, intimidation and terror. There were indeed two Black Bats, one a private investigator in search of the unknown and another, more successful version, which I’ve just detailed. Additionally, there were several other ‘Bat’ characters in the pulps as well as DC comics’ most famous one, Batman.
AP: As most pulp characters do, The Black Bat has a cast of helpers, a team of sorts, and a cast of recurring characters and even themes. What of these trappings are you bringing into your version of this masked avenger?
MB: We see Carol Baldwin in the first issue, Silk Kirby appears in #2 and Butch O’Leary enters in #4. Additionally, a new member of his inner circle, Langston Walker will join the ranks soon.
AP: There’s always a concern that a writer will ‘change’ an established character if he takes over the writing chores. What changes if any are you making in the Black Bat? Anything about his history or changes maybe in storytelling, tone, etc?
MB: I’m not sure what I’m doing necessarily falls under the heading of change, but more of deeper exploration of what came before. I did a lot of research on the impact of traumatic events, such as being hit with a face full of acid, and what it does to the human psyche and introduced my findings to the lore. I’ve also expounded on the heightened senses in a more realistic manner than what others did, (re: Marvel Comics’ Daredevil). Beyond that, the only real updates have been to the costume and storytelling style. On the costume front, I think artist Michael Metcalf has done a wonderful job bringing the Black Bat’s wardrobe into the 21st century. Hopefully, your readers agree.
AP: One aspect of your Black Bat that stands out is his deadly dedication to his mission. He intends to see justice done and sometimes that’s not so pretty. This is a trait, in my opinion, that he had even in his original stories, but it’s also a hot button with critics who claim that such violence is gratuitous, that it gives readers the wrong ideas about how to handle things. How would you handle such criticism if you received it for your Black Bat?
MB: I’ve already had such criticism and all I can say to the critics is wait and see. At first glance some of the ultra-violence in the first issue might seem gratuitous, but once a bigger picture unfolds, there’ll be more to the story than just a few two-dimensional thugs getting whacked.
AP: Let’s talk about time period. What era does your Black Bat take place in and why that particular period?
MB: We’ve intentionally left the time period for most of the Return line vague. While the Battle For LA story by pulp master C.J. Henderson obviously nails it down to the WWII era, this is an alternate earth where these tales take place, so you may see things in the books that defy chronological structures as we know them. Expect the unexpected, especially in the pages of Aaron Shaps’ Phantom Detective and the aforementioned team book Joe Gentile and I are doing.
AP: There seems to be two camps of pulp writers as well as pulp fans. Some want writers who take over established characters to stick right to the model already established, same costume, same friends, etc. Others allow that the modern writer may bring something different to the table and are more tolerant of change? Where do you fall as a writer and as a fan?
MB: I love new. No one will ever write stories exactly like the original authors and as a reader I’d rather not see someone try because they’ll ultimately fail. Instead, I think it’s the duty of writers to build on what came before. If you’re a professional writer and you have nothing new to say, your career will last as long as a mobster in Black Bat’s world. A lot has changed in our collective consciousness since these tales were first crafted; including the way we as a society look at storytelling. So, I’m excited to read Martin Powell’s new Spider tales, thrilled about what Aaron is doing in Phantom Detective and can’t wait to read Secret Agent X, Rocketman and the litany of other stories like I.V. Frost, Ki-Gor, G8 and more. I handed the reins of Gladiator over to Josh Aitken and can’t wait to see what he does with earth’s mightiest mortal, also. While I get the desire by purists to never have anything change, for those who subscribe to that mindset, there’s a litany of existing work to read. If nothing was to change, why bother doing anything new? On the flipside, if you’re going to do something new, to quote the cliché ‘Go big or go home’, which is a mantra I think a lot of Return writers are embracing.
AP: Depending on whom you talk to or what you read, The Black Bat had quite an influence on several modern day characters and concepts. Does that fact put you under any particular pressure to one up the original? What are your intentions with your Black Bat, to tell a great story or is there more?
MB: I don’t see any pressure from that angle; I do feel a pressure to live up to a great character and series of existing stories, just as I did when I took over the Phantom. Lee Falk was a master of speculative fiction and to walk in his shoes was quite intimidating at first, however I soon was able to spread my wings and fly with his great creation. I think with Black Bat, I’m revisiting those early Phantom days to some extent. I’ll make some mistakes, just as I did with The Ghost Who Walks, but hopefully the enjoyable parts will outweigh everything else. In the end, I just want to tell stories that I’d enjoy reading. Hopefully, they’ll be great stories and remembered as such, but I’m simply praying God allows me to do the best job humanly possible. I think if I do that and the book reaches a wide enough audience, it’ll all work out in the end.
AP: Other than breathing life back into a pulp icon, do you have anything else in the works that would make pulp fans sit on the edge of their seats?
MB: Well, Death Angel debuted in Phantom Doubleshot #1 last year and garnered some real excitement from readers. I’m hoping the character’s further appearances in Black Bat Doubleshot will build on that until ‘Angel can survive as the headliner.
Captain Future is another pulp character I’m working with that has me really excited. The idea that this character is so overlooked today boggles my mind. For those who aren’t aware, the good Captain was one of the originators of the space opera sub genre, popularized originally by Flash Gordon and later by Star Wars. Some describe Cap as Doc Savage in space, which is more than enough to get me jazzed. The original stores, penned by Edmond Hamilton, have all the excitement found in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter stories and they harken back to a time when our society was more innocent and captivated with imagination. Look for the first Captain Future tale in the Moonstone Pulp Fiction magazine’s first issue.
Outside the pulp arena, I’m writing a new “jungle girl” book called Savage Beauty which takes the sensibilities of my Phantom stories and infuses them into an old genre desperately in need of modernization. Savage Beauty #1 hits shelves in early 2011.
AP: Mike, thanks a lot for taking the time to spend Moonstone Monday with ALL PULP!
MB: Thanks for the interview, Tommy, it’s greatly appreciated.
MOONSTONE MONDAY INTERVIEW Ron Fortier-writer of I.V FROST for Moonstone’s RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS
AP: Ron, you’ve made a name for yourself in comics and recently in pulps. Now the two fields are coming together for you with your work for Moonstone. Let us in on the project overall that you’re a part of and how it came about.
RF: Well, I’m a small (note very, very small) part of Moonstone’s new pulp inspired comic book line, Return of the Originals spearheaded by Managing Editor Joe Gentile with able assistance from Mike Bullock and Tim Lasiuta. For the past several years Moonstone Books has been creating a really substantial presence in the pulp community with their excellent prose anthologies featuring such characters as the Spider, the Avenger and from the comic ranks, the Phantom. With this next step into pulp comics, Joe set about recruiting those writers who had contributed to the prose books and I am happily one of those.
AP: With the Pulp resurgence going as it is, fans are aware of Doc Savage, the Shadow, and even some of the lesser known names like the Black Bat and The Phantom Detective. But you’re putting your talents to a hero only die hard pulp fans may know. Just what is the story behind I.V. Frost? What’s his history?
RH: Honestly, the more obscure, the better where I’m concerned. These lesser known heroes are real gems. I.V. Frost was invented for Clues Detective Stories by veteran pulp writer Donald Wandrai. Between Sept. 1934 and Sept. 1937, Wandrai wrote a total of eighteen stories starring this scientific criminologist. Frost is best described as a cross between Sherlock Holmes and the two-fisted private eye Sam Spade. A genius who puts his intellect to use solving bizarre crimes, he is not above getting his hands dirty to bring the bad guys to justice. Frost is aided by a platinum blond beauty named Jean Moray who is not only sexy and street smart, but also a scientist with a college degree. They make a fantastic crime solving team.
AP: You’re known for your desire to stay as true to the history of the public domain characters you write as you can, but you are obviously a modern era writer. What do you think you bring to this idea that will make Frost appealing to readers who pick it up today?
RF: After writing comics for thirty years, I’d like to think I’ve learned what a graphic story requires to make it both interesting and fun for the average comic reader. Although a lot of what happens in Frost’s adventures is indeed cerebral, I’m well aware no one wants to read a comic made up mostly of the hero locked in his lab simply staring off into space thinking. Thus far all of my scripts have made a concentrated effort to get Frost out of his lab and out where the action is. As long as I remember to the keep the fists and bullets flying, hopefully no one will get bored with him.
AP: There are just some ideas from pulp that may not translate well from the written word to the comic panel. What do you think there is about Frost that makes comics a good medium for him to return in?
RF: One of the things I know for a fact is Sherlock Holmes’ lasting personality was never really about how he solved any of his cases, but what a truly unique and colorful personality he was given by Arthur Conan Doyle. Both I.V. Frost and the delectable Miss Moray are such original, different characters. I’m using this as a base line and then writing exotic, fantastic crimes to get them involved with. That combination of bizarre cases and Frost’s eclectic persona will hopefully be very appealing to comic readers. There really aren’t any other pulp heroes quite like him.
AP: A lot of classic characters come with their own trademarks, a team of supporters, certain gadgets they always use, etc? Does I. V. Frost have any of this baggage and if he does, what of it are you bringing into your stories?
RF: Well, I’ve already spoken quite a bit of Jean Moray. There were a few police detectives who worked with Frost and I will be incorporating one or two of these, plus others of my own invention. As for gadgets and gizmos, Frost’s own brownstone in New York City is filled with all manner of recording devices, electric surveillance equipment etc. It is practically a fortress. There is also his personal laboratory where he can whip up all manner of fiendish cocktails and contraptions to aid him in cracking a case, such as his bullet-proof plastic suit. Many of these I’ve lifted right out of the original stories.
AP: Those of us that are pulp fans as well as pulp writers and artists see a major push in not only the creation of new pulp characters, but also the revitalization of older characters. A question to ask, though, is why? Why do you think now is the time for a character like Frost to return to the public scene? Why do you think there’s a reading public interested in him and his fellow pulp characters?
RF: I’ve been thinking about this on and off for the past several years, watching this Renaissance of Pulps if you will, and trying to fathom its meaning. I may be all wet, but I just cannot accept that it is mere coincidence that the pulps were born during the Great Depression and now, when our country is once again undergoing economic woes, readers find themselves hungry for escapist entertainment to help them forger their troubles, if even for a few hours or minutes even. Pulp literature is a purer form of action adventure than what evolved over the past thirty years in this country. From the late sixties to the present, we’ve been given “realistic” anti-heroes who in the end are often indistinguishable from the villains they battle. I hate the word anti-hero, it’s a joke. The anti-hero is the villain. Always had been. People today are fed up with this narcissistic junk and want real old fashion heroes again and that’s why pulps are making a strong comeback in all mediums. Because the pulps were never afraid to create heroes people could look up to, emulate and find hope in. Pulps have always been a literature of hope.
AP: Any plans for Frost you can let your adoring fans in on ?
RF: Well, so far I’ve turned in one prose story and three comic strips, all of which are being beautifully illustrated by Jake Minor, a super talented artist whose work reminds me of Brian Bolland. Fans are going to love it. As for future plans, only to keep writing more of these as I’ve grown really fond of these characters. Hopefully so will the fans as it will be their vote that determines their future from here on out.
AP: I. V. Frost is not all you have cookin’ on the pulp stove. What else do you have your hands in currently that we can look forward to in the future?
RF: Well, I mentioned some of the prose stuff from Moonstone. I’ve an Avenger story due out in the second volume of that series and a Green Hornet story in the first volume of that set due out any day now. I’ve also written an Athena Voltaire prose story for creator Steve Bryant’s anthology book now in the works. There are several pulp and radio heroes that have never been translated to comics that I’m hoping to develop for various publishers next year. Obviously I’m not at liberty to divulge their names, but I think fans will be pleasantly surprised. I’m also working on my fifth Captain Hazzard novel for Airship 27 Productions and hope to start writing another set of stories for Pro Se Productions featuring another of my characters that’s been sitting on the shelves way too long. I guess you might say I’m kind of busy.
AP: Ali, ALL PULP really appreciates you taking a few minutes downtime to answer a few questions. First, can you introduce yourself, some personal background and such?
Ali: I could go with the classic Dr. Evil line, “The details of my life are quite inconsequential”, but that’s a heck of a spot to leave an interviewer in so let’s see if I can cliff note it. By day I labor quietly at a wonderfully dead end job I’m going leave as soon as politicians quit playing football with the economy and people’s lives; by night I’m a working graphic designer who happily gets a chance to do what he loves. If I’m really lucky I occasionally get paid at one profession or the other. So far the dead end day job’s in the lead on stable payments, but I live in hope for the rest.
I’ve been fortunate to be a working designer for the better part of two decades, I’ve been involved in the print business for the better part of three and have a practical working knowledge of prepress and print related workflows. I’ve worn a few hats and if pressed can actually take a project from concept to design, to production and finishing before I have to turn it over to another set of hands. I’m basically a one man digital print shop and I’m also an illustrator to boot when I get a second to actually sit down at a drafting table and sketch. The only thing I don’t have any major experience to be effective on is web work, building sites and whatnot; I’d kill, okay maybe maim, alright seriously annoy someone to get versed on that stuff.
I’ve freelanced and spent a decade doing event and convention graphics where I worked for practically every type of client imaginable. In case you’re curious, worst convention/client/group? a tie between a convention of Christians and Catholics and the X Games; best convention/client/group? an international convention of Coroners. Coroners are some of the best people on the planet and given the nature of their jobs, they’re pretty fun to be around. They have a great sense of humor as a group, bar none.
But I digress…
I usually pull off miracles of design and prepress in the wilder side of the San Francisco Bay Area, known to locals as Oakland, California, which is generally a nicer place to live than our press clippings would lead you to believe. At least once a month, usually while waiting for a bus headed home for a quiet weekend, someone tosses a bag over my head, tosses me onto the bus I was waiting for and insures I’m locked up in my own home for roughly three days to produce whatever Pro Se magazine is due on the stands. My only companion during those periods is Miles, their mighty watch cat. Apparently he’s underpaid because Miles naps the bulk of the time and insists I feed him when he’s not asleep. I think he’s the waterboarding workaround. So during my captivity, they usually run DVDs to keep me from calling Amnesty International. I’m hoping for Inception this month, I missed that one at the movies…
…oh, and a note to my Pro Se abductors: could we get the Mint Milano cookies? I’d like some to dip in my milk, thanks.
Should I say that I tend to be pretty tongue in cheek, or is that obscured by my sparkling wit and obvious modesty?
Okay I’ll try to be more serious from here on out, next question!
AP: As far as pulp is concerned, let’s talk about you as a fan first. Are you a fan of the pulp genre and, if so, what are your interests pulpwise and some of the bigger influences on you, both character and author wise?
Ali: Well I sort walked into pulp at an early age and was a fan and didn’t know it. I was encouraged to read at an early age and books were generally given to me more than toys so while other kids were struggling to get to the “See Dick run” stage I was reading the Gold Bug, Murders in the Rue Morgue, the Three Musketeers and Robin Hood. I was basically that strange quiet kid you’d find on the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits who has this spooky maturity thing going on who’s reading Conan Doyle and understanding world news situations at the age of three. I was also a fan of golden age comic book characters and a huge Batman fan. It was a good time, you got the Justice Society teaming up with their modern day counterparts in the Justice League, Denny O’Neil, Irv Novick, Neal Adams and others were doing some fine work over in the Batman books and it was there that I first encountered Maxwell Grant’s (or Walter Gibson’s if you prefer) signature character, the Shadow. That was my first encounter with the character and it was a DC Comics interpretation so there was some modification on the character, but it was good enough to follow the guy over to his own book by O’Neil and the amazing work of Mike Kaluta and I was hooked on the Shadow.
At that same time I was reading Conan and Doc Savage and the Avenger over in Justice, Inc. but didn’t even realize they were considered pulp fiction because they were all tied to comics I had been reading. I looked at Dash Hammett as mystery and crime fiction which is where the Shadow and the Avenger fell in my estimation. Doc and Conan were riding shotgun with the high adventure tales of guys like Jack London or Howard Pyle. For me, pulp was never really something that was concrete as a specific style of literature, it was just another form of fiction.
I can’t say if I’m really influenced as much as an appreciative fan of certain writers. The older I get, the less purple the prose gets. I have a healthy love for science fiction, espionage and crime fiction and a great respect for the works of Raymond Chandler, Dash Hammett, Rex Stout, Ray Bradbury, Poe, Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Isaac Asimov, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Matt Wagner, Robert B. Parker, Rod Serling and Harlan Ellison to name more than a few.
I think because my inclination is more visual and the artists from the comics I grew up with, and graphic novels and such I still follow, I’m a fan of great artists from back in the day like Wally Wood, Alex Raymond, Gil Kane Alex Toth, Mike Kaluta, Marshall Rogers, Mac Raboy, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Steranko, Frank Robbins, Ditko, Frazetta, Brent Anderson, Dave Stevens, Neal Adams, Will Eisner, Don Newton and Kirby and some of the modern guys who are bringing back the pulp style with their work like Darwyn Cooke, Michael Lark, Mitch Breitweiser, Francesco Francavilla, Keiron Dwyer, Paul Smith and Athena Voltaire’s Steve Bryant.
I like the trend away from the whole anime/manga and fusion style. It’s nice to see people that look like people and not some Sailor Moon variation. It would be nice to see art trend back into what it was before the cookie cutter anime era or the all flash gimmick days of Image where you had illustrators delivering solid storytelling which works in concert with strong writing as opposed to serving as an eye candy distraction. I know I sound like one of those crabby old guys who complain about change, but that’s not it at all, I just want artists who strive to be unique in such a way that when you see their work you know the story’s going to be that much stronger because the artist isn’t riding their ego, they are practicing their craft and enjoying every minute of it. In an age where any bloke with a laptop and a drawing tablet can call themselves an artist, I’d like to see a person who really knows what they’re doing and makes it work without a ton of fanfare.
I’m also an avid fan of audio dramas which started, oddly enough, with the Shadow and Sherlock Holmes. There was a great radio station that ran the old time radio shows on Saturdays and around the age of eleven, I noticed them as something other than background noise. My dad would occasionally listen to CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the 1970s, but I got hooked directly on a Shadow and Sherlock Holmes broadcast. The Shadow show was “the House that Death Built”, involving a crazy hanging judge type who rigged his house with all these execution gimmicks and was killing people who either escaped him or turned against him. The Holmes show was probably one of the best of Conan Doyle’s stories, the Speckled Band. It began a love affair with audio dramas that I have to this day and I follow the BBC regularly when I’m not sitting through a Johnny Dollar marathon or something…
AP: As far as your current involvement in Pulp, you are the designer/formatter/guru for Pro Se Productions. How did that association come to be?
Ali: Bus Stop. Bag over the head. I guess that’s not enough? Okay, I guess I can expand my answer a bit.
There was a fad online sometime ago called fan fiction, it’s not as heavy as it once was but it allowed a lot of writers (good, bad and needs their hands chopped off) a forum to express themselves by writing adventures of their favorite characters that probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day any other way. Among these groups was a little band called DC Futures headed by Erik Burnham. It was sort of DC Comics, the Next Generation, without the annoying android guy. At any rate it was there that I found a piece written by Tommy Hancock that dealt with the new generation of my Golden Age heroes and it was some really great writing. Somehow we got together in a conversation, I think I sent him an email praising him as the next best thing to sliced bread or something and we traded emails back and forth and found we had quite a bit in common. When he started a fan fic group of his own dealing specifically with those great old heroes, I pitched a couple of ideas and eventually did some very forgettable (in my humble opinion) writing on a few pieces. One of them, Gotham Knights, featuring Batman and other guys that were working Gotham City in the 30s and 40s was basically my War & Peace, and put the two of us on a path that’s led to a great friendship and creative collaboration.
We trod through a few trenches creatively, mostly with Tommy starting with “I’ve got this idea…” or “Got a sec?” which usually means a few hours later we’ve hammered out points, brainstormed and refined things first thought he had and he runs off six to ten alternate thoughts in the process. Most guys get one, maybe two brilliant ideas a week, Tommy gets something like a dozen in about an hour, every hour, all day, every day. I’ve been pretty fortunate to watch the writer Tommy is develop from the writer Tommy was. He was exceptional then and he’s only gotten better since. So he and I have always had a venture on the backburner where he’d eventually get around to doing something where my contribution would be more in my field of design like a magazine or something. During the fan fic days, I made the mistake of doing an ebook for one thing and it led to a sort of one off set of ebooks which didn’t really go anywhere. That might have been a good thing at the time, neither one of us were exactly where we needed to be in our respective skill sets.
As time went on, I’d do the occasional logo or comp together a piece of art for Tommy, but one day he came online in usual Tommy mode with “I’ve got this idea AND I want you to be a part of it.” Since he altered the script, I asked what he needed and he laid out the concept for what is now Pro Se Productions. Initially I had a small part in the thing, he needed logos for what was to be a series of audio dramas so I said, “Sure, no problem.” Confident he had me hooked, our hero moved on to the next phase of his plan which was a damn sight more ambitious, he springs on me that Pro Se is going to also have a print/publishing branch. So of course he asks, yours truly to lend a hand.
So of course with no guarantee of payment any time in my immediate future, and the knowledge that every month was going to be a grinder of pulling together all the disparate elements that make up the layout of an anthology book, I asked myself what any sane man would say to such a prospect…
…then I said yes anyway.
I’m a horrible businessman where my friends are concerned, so Pro Se’s my pro bono gig. I don’t take a check for it so the talent gets paid for their work. To be honest, Pro Se is the kind of seat of the pants design on the fly project that makes life fun, so I just enjoy the ride and add the credit to the resume. In another life I’d be Scotty on the Enterprise, doing wild things at the last minute just to see if I can pull it off before the Klingons blow us out of space…
AP: What exactly do you do as a formatter and designer? Walk us through the process of putting together one of the Pro Se magazines, if you would.
Ali: Well to be honest and in all seriousness, there’s not really a good way to answer that one.
I could be lightly technical and tell you that I use the Adobe Creative Suite software programs to get my job done. I work in Photoshop to process and format the images properly for what we do. some need to be tweaked more than others, occasionally I add something to an image or take it away, but it’s basic image prep work and file conversion since my images show up in any form from a jpeg to multiple page pdfs I have to pull apart and make separate images. In Illustrator, I create logos, cover layouts, and set up most of the ads I create on the fly. The actual book layout is set up as a template in InDesign where I do all the typesetting for the stories sent to Tommy, add in the visual elements and plug up major white spaces with house ads if we don’t have other folks plugging their products. We stir, say a few kind words and pray as I set up proof copies in pdf form for Tommy to review and note corrections, and we go back and forth until he says it’s good.
I upload files to Tommy and voila it’s soup!
We’ve gotten the process down from the first nightmare month where we actually ran through a few print houses and had to reformat files from an image based workflow to a pdf workflow. and the first month we did all three books together and it took weeks as we went back and forth with one printer then another and then we’d go somewhere else and have to redo the whole thing for those guys. I think during that whole challenge, Tommy and I were trying not to hang ourselves in an unspoken suicide pact, but it was a learning experience and there are things we know we wouldn’t do the same way again.
Now it’s a fairly quick process. The templates are streamlined, I redesigned the book so image placement is not as essential to the text and it made what used to take almost a week into a two day process. If I have everything and no interruptions, I can knock out the entire book from unrelated elements to finished product in about 12 hours. I’m competing with myself though, so I’m always trying to beat my best time and make it look better than it did before.
AP: Is your design influenced by any particular style, either derived from pulp or outside of that genre?
Ali: Not intentionally. I like the art deco look and feel of things, probably more from watching Agatha Christie’s Poirot than anything else. That look sort of played into the current direction of the Pro Se books house style. So much of the Pro Se look is supported by the way text is displayed that I’m in a constant state of refining things, so I try not to be married to anything because I may need to drop it down the road for something that might work better. There are some great font foundries out there like Nick Curtis, his fonts capture the look and feel of a bygone era while being a little more polished. He’s got great work over at My Fonts and it’s pretty reasonable. Of course my other go to font house is Nate Piekos and the wonderful folks over at Blambot, and their free fonts are so great that it makes typesetting and text design work a breeze.
In other aspects of my work, I try not to work in any particular style, that’s usually dictated by the client or the job. The more freedom I get on a project, the more I throw myself into it. Pro Se was a blank check design wise, so a lot of me is on each page.
When I’m doing my own art, I try not to follow any particular style but I’m getting back to studying artists Ilove and I’m hoping their work will continue to guide my own.
AP: Pulp seems to be having a resurgence currently. What are your thoughts on the reason for that and what part do you think design/format of material plays in that?
Ali: Everything comes back in style eventually, you just have to wait for it. I think in a world of global terrorism, political polarization and financial uncertainty we find ourselves pretty much in the same shoes as the generation who ushered in the pulp era. We’re looking for a bit of escapism where problems are solved in relatively short order, or someone plays the hero, or we enter world of high adventure that removes us from the overwhelming concerns of the world we actually live in for just a little while. Not necessarily a world of snap brim fedoras, or over the top heavies, but just something that starts out quietly enough before it hits you in the gut and catapults you to a “wow” finish. You leave feeling entertained and you want to come back for more later.
So what some are seeing as a rebirth of pulp is really just a recognition of what’s been with us the whole time. Sometimes we renamed it because the vehicle it was delivered in changed like, film noir, but pulp’s influence is in a lot of our entertainment and literature. There was pulp before pulp in penny dreadfuls and boys’ own stories across the pond, Sherlock Holmes is basically Doc Savage with a drug habit and fewer friends, Dorian Gray preceded the weird tale with a built in object lesson and morality play, heck you could look at Shakespeare and make a serious argument that he wrote a number of murder stories that would lay the framework for everything this side of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. I realize that might offend pulp purists, but we are in a constant state of change and growth as we age, why should pulp be a static thing in a specific niche? In its heyday, pulp ran the gamut in its chosen subject matter and pretty much every category of fiction you look at in Borders or Barnes & Noble has been used in pulp magazines, so to look at it now and say “Pulp is…” and you push in your view then you eliminate the possibility of it evolving into something else. Cyberpunk? It’s pulp. Steampunk? It’s pulp.. Harry Potter? It’s pulp. Twilight? Okay, maybe there are a few limits we should set, but the point is pulp fiction was simply an avenue to deliver entertainment to the masses relatively cheap and it encompassed a lot more than guys like the Shadow and Doc Savage.
It’s a trend that’s starting to return in comics where heroes are actually heroic. It’s returning to film where we are starting to see more masked avengers, or wrong men who have to clear themselves, we’ve fantasy stuff like Avatar and sci-fi thrillers like Inception. Pulp’s not just on the rise so is the concept of the heroic ideal. Some of these are executed well and you get novels like “It’s Superman!” which is the closest we’ve ever gotten to a pulp Superman novel which is one part superhero, one part pulp novel with a healthy dose of John Steinbeck thrown in. Or it’s executed awkwardly and you find an off beat version of Doc Savage or the Shadow falling short of its potential because you lose sight of the heart of the character. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we need to put those babies on the car and see where the road takes us next.
AP: You are a writer as well with a background in fan fiction. Any plans to try your hand at published pulp fiction?
Ali: I’ve been away from writing for the better part of a decade. I’ll see what happens when I shake the rust off my writer’s cap and take a stab at a new tale or two. Writing’s something I enjoy, but it requires time and a certain amount of peace and quiet for me. My life has been on the move nonstop since the fan fic days, so fact I’m even considering authoring a new story much less actually executing same is extraordinary. I’m rusty and will probably give whoever edits me the biggest headache this side of California, but Tommy has this idea I should give it a shot and it’s hard not to listen to that kind of coaxing.
I live by the motto of “Everything’s possible”, so I rule nothing out.
AP: You are a renaissance man as well. Designer/formatter, writer…and artist. What pieces have you done for Pro Se’s magazines and has your art work appeared elsewhere?
Ali: I’m also a pretty decent tenor, no one ever brings up the singing, sigh…
What pieces have I done for Pro Se’s magazines? You mean besides the magazines? This is a tough room!
I’ve done the bulk of the house ads that are currently in the books. I pinch hit on a couple of art pieces Let’s see in Fantasy and Fear (FnF) #1 I was lucky enough to get Ron Fortier’s “Beast of the Mountains”. It was a rush sketch, all pencil, that I had to complete in 20 minutes because we were on the absolute last day in our first month and were short one sketch. It never got inked but I played with it in Photoshop so it was close to the more finished art work we had for the other stories. In Masked Gun Mystery (MGM) #1, I got a piece of Tommy Hancock’s “Murphy’s Wake”, which was fun because it was from an earlier idea Tommy had about a book where everything was presented as newspaper clippings and diary entries and such, so the story was laid out the reflect that using fonts that changed with the material being viewed. I think I did a photo of the burning house in a newspaper clipping and an idealized appearance of the hero that was supposed to invoke the imagery of a great series of comic book stories in the 1970s featuring a ghostly hero called the Spectre. Finally over in Peculiar Advenutres (PA) #2 I contributed a piece to a story by Sean Ellis, “The Sorceror’s Ghost” which featured a scene from the story where I tried to capture this awesomely huge zeppelin in the skies over London. That was another fast sketch where inking, filters and lighting effects were done in Photoshop to cover up just how rough a piece it was.
I’m hoping to do some actual art that isn’t required five minutes after I get a story on press day, y’know just for kicks…
AP: With the myriad of talents you have, does pulp appeal to you because it can utilize all of them or is there something more that draws you to throw yourself into this sort of work?
Ali: I’m an artist and designer, so I’m always up for a project where I can exhibit and refine my skills. Pro Se covers that need in me because it’s an evolving work even with everything in place, I look at a piece and say to myself something can always be tightened or improved. The writer in me has sort of awakened cranky and hungry so I’m the process of completing a story for the first time in years which is really exciting because it’s another way to be artistic. Pro Se is open to the ideas I have, so occasionally it’s good to do favors, it opens up doors you didn’t even realize were in the building of your life. I’m even getting back to sketching so Pro Se has sort of drawn me back to skills I’ve left dormant for too long. Creatively, it’s a great place to be.
But really the appeal, the draw, the kick is to take up the challenge and see if you’re going to pull it off. It’s a rush that can’t be beat by anything when I’m in the zone and everything is falling into place. Nothing is greater than just living in that moment where you’re unstoppable and know you’ve nailed it.
AP: What about the future? What do you have in the works that might appeal to the ALL PULP audience?
Ali: Well I am constantly badgering Tommy to get some of my favorites in his bag of tricks (GIVE ME MY JOHNNY CRIMSON!) on the page…
…Oh, you mean from me specifically?
I’ve pitched a concept for Masked Gun Mystery using the magazine’s title for the story which will hopefully spawn a series of stories under that umbrella. I won’t spoil it at all other than to say it allows me to play in my favorite sandbox writing wise: crime, noir, espionage and detective fiction. I’m hoping to get the first installment into MGM’s next issue in February.
That’s the only definite thing on the horizon, though Tommy and I are constantly talking about projects. It would be nice to pull off an adventure tale or two over in PA and I have a couple of guys from some old ideas that might fit well there. So after I get my first installment in the can I’m open to more writing on top of the design work I do for Pro Se at least.
AP: Ali, without those people like you, writers and artists today would be suffering. Thanks so much for what you do for pulp fiction!
AP: Welcome to ALL PULP, Travis and thanks for letting us grill you unmercifully.Let’s start with the basics: who is Travis Hiltz?
TH: Wish I had something really exciting to say here, like I was rocketed from a doomed planet or something. In reality, I’m just a regular guy who has read too many comics, science fiction paperbacks, watched too many cartoons as a kid and then decided to see if I could make any money off this writing stuff. I am supported by my loving wife and tolerated by my teenage children.
AP: Where do you live and what do you do to keep the bill collectors away?
TH: I live in the quaint little town of Keene, in the wilds of New Hampshire. While I wait for the royalties to pour in, I work at Hannafords supermarket.
AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests?
TH: Pretty much everything: the ga-zillion comic books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, books I’ve read, music I’ve listened to and occasionally stuff from the real world. I’m equally influenced by stuff that I hate and think I could have done better, as well as stuff I loved and seethed with jealousy that I hadn’t written.
Specific writers that have influenced me are : Douglas Adams, Philip Jose Farmer, Lester Dent, Robert E. Howard, Alan Moore and I think I’ll stop there, as I could probably do this all day.
AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer? If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp? And what is your definition of Pulp?
TH: I’m a big pulp fan, got my start by discovering some old Doc Savage paperbacks at a library book sale and have never looked back. I think it’s had a big influence on my writing, as I like the larger than life feel of the heroes and adventures, as well as the exotic locals. I’m more a fan of the characters that have series, as opposed to stand alone stories. Captain Future, G-8, Doc Savage, and the Spider, guys like that.
As for a definition, I think pulp is guy literature, at its best and purest form. Its action, adventure, testosterone and very little time is wasted on romance and/or flowery language. The pulps are basically comic books, minus the pictures.
AP: Were you at all familiar with the Wold Newton Universe before you started writing stories set in that universe?
TH: I was. I’m a huge Philip Jose Farmer fan and had read several of his Wold Newton based books. I was thrilled to discover the website a couple years ago.
I was amazed that someone out there had enough free time to sort through and chart out all that info. It’s been a great resource for research for me.
AP: How did you get involved with TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN and Black Coat Press?
TH: I think I was tracking down books after visiting some website relating to Alan Moore’s ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ and one of the links was to the Blackcoat Press site. After buying a couple books and the euphoria of discovering a whole new world of characters I knew so little about, I discovered the ‘Shadowmen’ anthology and decided to finally take the big leap and pitch them a story.
Much to my happy surprise, they published it and I have now worked my way up to being listed as a ‘regular contributor’.
AP: Tell us about some of the stories you’ve written for TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN.
TH: My first, “Three Men, A Baby and A Martian” was a light hearted bit of sci-fi featuring Doctor Omega. He’s one of my favorite characters. He’s basically Doctor Who as created by Jules Verne and HG Wells.
“A Dance Of Night And Death” is a darker tale, featuring two of Blackcoat’s vilest villains fighting a duel on a rooftop in Paris.
“The Treasure Of Ubasti” is an adventure, set in the deep jungles of India and features a mix of characters on a treasure hunt. That was fun, as the setting of India was suggested by a friend of mine and I then had to hunt around and find characters that would fit the place and time period.
“The Robots of Metropolis” also features Doctor Omega. I wanted to find a mad scientist to have him face off against. I thought, if he is treated as Blackcoat’s ‘Doctor Who’ then Doctor Omega needed a ‘Master’ to fight and I thought Professor Rotwang from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis would be perfect.
Would it be bragging of me to mention that Blackcoat Press has a partner publisher in France, River Blanche, and that I have had several stories translated into French?( http://www.riviereblanche.com/compagnons2.htm) I’m a under-published cult figure in two countries.
AP: What can we expect from you in 2011?
TH: In January I will send out my next story pitch for Blackcoat as well as having several stories published in the ‘Pulp Empire’ anthology (http://pulpempire.com/mag/) series.
“The Green Pearl” is a humorous noir story. “Death Stalks The Underground” has a bit of a Blackcoat vibe, as it is a team up between several characters, but these are all original characters, but easily recognizable as classic pulp archetypes and after that is my first ever attempt at a western.
As well as working on several pitches for two other small press, pulp based publishers.
AP: What’s a typical Day In The Life of Travis Hiltz like?
TH: Again, I wish I had something more exciting to tell you I wake up at the crack of dawn, get my kids off to school and my wife to work. Then either head off to work myself, or if I have the day off, I get my coffee, check my e-mail and try to get some writing done. These days are a juggle of attempting to get some writing done, working on whatever ‘to do’ list my wife has given me and then chauffering kids wherever they need to be. We always try and have family dinner. After kids are done with homework, I catch up on either my movie/TV watching or podcast listening. I try to keep some kind of writing schedule, but it’s nothing carved in stone. I don’t stress over it, as I know at least several nights a week my insomnia will kick in and I’ll be able to catch up.
AP: Thanks again for the interview, Travis and we’ll be looking forward to reading more exciting pulp from you in the coming year!
Back in the 1980s, as the emphasis switched from characters and editors to creators, it was inevitable that agents would arrive to help the new super-stars cut favorable deals. As a result, its a little surprising it took this long for a marketing agency to arrive to service the “geek culture”. The principals involved are certainly industry-tested and both are well liked. We wish them and their new endeavor well.
