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Dangerous Curves
Two Fisted News from the World of Pulp!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
WAYNE REINAGEL, AUTHOR OF EPICS, INTERVIEWED!
WAYNE REINAGEL-Publisher/Writer/Artist
AP: Wayne, thanks for stopping by ALL PULP once more! Your interviews in the past concerning the first two books in your epic PULP HEROES trilogy still pull the viewers in! Before we get into what you have happening right now, remind us what PULP HEROES is about.
WR: The original concept of Pulp Heroes was to involve all the greatest heroes of the pulp era in one gigantic epic story, traveling around the world and backwards through time 150 years utilizing a series of flashbacks. The overall story would explain the beginning, middle, and end of the pulp era, roughly 1931 to 1949.
Chronologically, Khan Dynasty is the first part of the epic. It introduces one of the main characters from More Than Mortal and takes place seven years earlier, in 1938, during a period where our heroes are above reproach and filled with the unbridled arrogance of youth. They were still considered supermen by the adoring general public, and respected and trusted by the authorities. My first novel, More Than Mortal, is actually the middle of the epic, although I didn’t realize this when I was writing it. It marked an age when mankind stood on the brink of destruction during the final days of WWII, in 1945. A time when a large number of people sacrificed everything they had to make the world a better place and defeat the Axis forces. The final novel, which I’m writing now, is Sanctuary Falls. In takes place in 1949 and the Cold War is in full swing. The hard years of the Depression are a thing of the past. Joseph McCarthy, communism, and Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent loom large on the horizon. The entire outlook of the world was altered after the war because it marked an end to an age of innocence, especially after Pearl Harbor, the battles in the South Seas, and the bombing of Japan. And as one of my characters noted, some things, once done, cannot be undone. And because of all of this, the world has changed and moved on. Our steadfast heroes are no longer desired by society and some are even branded as vigilantes. And so, these mystery men are forced to adapt to this strange new world. And, just as the pulps ended in 1949, so too will the story of our heroes.
AP: You have a new work coming out very soon that is set in the same universe as PULP HEROES, is that right? Share what you can about MODERN MARVELS.
WR: Modern Marvels - Viktoriana takes place in the darker corner of the Infinite Horizons universe and is set exclusively in 1888. August 8, to be precise. (8/8/1888) The story revolves around the concept that every 111 years a planetary alignment takes place that allows beasties, ghoulies, and things that go bump in the night to invade our planet from adjoining dimensions. This explains why London burned in 1666 and why certain unexplained events occurred during the Revolutionary War in 1777. And thus, a fellowship of nine unique individuals gather together to combat the forces of evil. To add to the confusion, our heroes find themselves trapped in a battle between this ancient evil and the vampire nations, lead by illustrious Count Dracula.
AP: You have some definite historic powerhouses in MODERN MARVELS. Why these particular figures from history? What makes them just right for this story?
WR: As I mentioned in a previous interview, when I briefly hinted at this project, the novels I read as a youngster would greatly influence my casting call for Modern Marvels. When I first started reading for recreation at age seven, I began with Dracula, Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Time Machine, The Lost World, and many other classics from the previous century. So when I came up with this concept of gathering a group of writers together, I naturally thought of the authors of the novels I loved as a child. And the setting of Victoria era England was perfect. And what is more natural than to tie each writer to their own greatest creation? Which means H.R. Haggard is the hunter/warrior of the group. H.G. Wells is the scientist. Conan Doyle is the doctor and forensic expert. And so on. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more interesting and diverse group of people. And, since Shelley and Poe are supposed to be dead in 1888, I had to explain why they are still above ground and walking around.
AP: In PULP HEROES, you used largely your take on fictional characters. Although you do some of that in MODERN MARVELS, you rely much more on your take on actual once living real people. Why the shift between the two series? Which is easier for you to write?
WR: Well, Pulp Heroes was my homage to the pulp characters of the 1930’s and 1940’s that I spent most of my teens reading and enjoying. Modern Marvels is my personal adoration of the people who wrote the classics before I discovered the world of pulps. One day I simply realized, that if it weren’t for this group of Victorian writers, the pulp writers would have lacked the enormous inspirational wellspring from which the pulp world drew its wealth and endless source of material. These were the unique men and women, an entire generation of idealists and thinkers of the 19th century, who inspired the great pulp writers of the 20th century, such as Dent, Gibson, Howard, Burroughs, and so on. You probably couldn’t throw a stone and not hit a writer who didn’t grow up reading these classics and wasn’t somehow influenced by them. I dare say that nearly the entire pulp genre drew from this group of writers, whether it was gothic horror, heroes and adventurers, lost civilizations, or even space travel or time travel. These guys are the progenitors of the pulp genre.
I’m referring to Edgar Allen Poe and Jules Verne, the men who first developed the theory of a Hollow Earth. Henry Rider Haggard, the original discoverer of the lost worlds and lost civilizations genre. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the founding fathers of science fiction. Mary Shelley, John Polidori, and Bram Stoker, the progenitors of modern Gothic horror. Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, the intellects behind the first forensic detective characters. Harry Houdini, the greatest escape artist of all time. And Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating electrical current. These are men and women who shaped generations to come and even the world in which we currently exist. And without their visions, the pulp world would not have been the same.
These wonderful men and women are responsible for thousands of books, millions of written pages, spanning a period of over one hundred years. And many of their works are still in print today. Hollywood movies constantly tie into these timeless classics. The story of Frankenstein, where scientists who don’t respect the power of their own creations, has been used and adapted thousands of times. Shows like Twilight and Vampire Diaries owe a huge debt to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (By the way, vampires in Modern Marvels - Viktoriana don’t sparkle. They are referred to as the ‘infected.’) The ever-popular CSI TV shows began their origins with Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin. Then there’s King Solomon’s Mines, War of the Worlds, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Time Machine, Allan Quatermain, The Lost World, and the list goes on and on.
In response to the second question, Pulp Heroes was much easier to write, simply because I had already read so many of the pulps. With Modern Marvels, I not only had to reread many of the classics, but also intently studied biographies and autobiographies of every one of the characters. I spent every morning for five months writing the story and every evening reading additional research material.
AP: Why epics? What appeals to you about the grand sweeping tale more than short stories?
WR: I love the concept of the grand, heroic journey, battling overwhelming odds. And I believe a good story should not only entertain, but also allow the reader to get to know each character in the story intimately. It should make them laugh, cry, adore the heroes, and boo the villains. Going an additional step further, I try to give the villain enough character and charisma that the reader feels a connection to them as well. They might be bad, but it’s understandable why they are who they are. Sometimes, they’re not truly evil. They merely have their own agenda.
AP: Is there a theme or themes within MODERN MARVELS, a greater lesson or moral beyond the action and adventure? If so, what is it?
WR: Any time you gather together a group of individuals to accomplish a goal, there will be conflict. Each person must adjust to the group dynamic in order to contribute. For instance, in real life it’s rumored that Poe might have been murdered by members of the Freemasons, because he publicly spoke out against the organization. But several of his companions in Modern Marvels - including Verne, Doyle, Stoker, and Haggard - were members of the secret fraternity. Is this a conflict of interest? You bet. Patience and tolerance must be practiced between members to succeed. And I like to believe all my novels have themes and lessons for the reader. Events that take place that will make them think for a while, even after they’ve finished the book.
AP: You provided your own artwork for the PULP HEROES books. Will you do the same for this novel? If so, can you describe your artistic process in creating the images?
WR: As before, I’ve painting the cover, several advertising posters, and a handful of interior illustrations. This way, both the writer and artist segments of my brain get to contribute to the final product. I do all of my artwork using Photoshop and Illustrator. To use these programs you must still have the skills, but they simply make the job cleaner, faster, and easier. In writer terms, it’s the difference between using a typewriter and a computer program like Microsoft Word.
AP: There's definitely an increase in pulpy goodness these days with various publishers and writers throwing their fedoras into the arena. What do you think is the draw for a creator toward pulp fiction?
WR: Mmmm. Pulpy goodness describers it to a ‘T.’ Fast-paced excitement and breath-taking adventure. Traveling around the globe to distant lands. Battling the bad guys and stopping those insane plans for world domination. Saving the beautiful damsel in distress and keeping the world safe for democracy. Heck, what’s not to love? Honestly, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather write.
AP: OK, sort of an extension of that last question. What do you feel pulp creators as a whole need to do to not only maintain, but increase the fan base for pulp tales? Should they change anything or focus more on something than on other things?
WR: If you are searching for a perfect example of the right way to do things when dealing with pulp-related characters, see what Ron Fortier and Rob Davis are doing over at Airship 27 Productions. These are authors and artists who are also loyal fans of the genre, writing stories about the characters they love and enjoy. The wrong way? Check out the recent Doc Savage comic series by DC Comics, where they randomly altered everything interesting about Doc and his amazing five. He was completely homogenized. In my opinion, if the initial goal is to completely change everything about a character, just create a new one.
AP: MODERN MARVELS, stand alone or the beginning of another series? If it's the kickoff for more, can you give any hints of what's coming?
WR: Oh, there will be more, I assure you. I really enjoyed working on this novel. I have two more novels already outlined. The first one is called Modern Marvels - Gothika. And a few of the main characters in Modern Marvels - Viktoriana will also show up in Pulp Heroes - Sanctuary Falls. That’s one reason I did this novel before finishing the third book of the Pulp Heroes Trilogy.
AP: What else is happening in the world of Wayne Reinagel writing wise in the near future?
WR: Next up will be Sanctuary Falls and then a series of art books loaded with various pulp hero short stories, including the long-awaited Hunter Island Adventure.
AP: Thanks, Wayne!
AP: Wayne, thanks for stopping by ALL PULP once more! Your interviews in the past concerning the first two books in your epic PULP HEROES trilogy still pull the viewers in! Before we get into what you have happening right now, remind us what PULP HEROES is about.
Chronologically, Khan Dynasty is the first part of the epic. It introduces one of the main characters from More Than Mortal and takes place seven years earlier, in 1938, during a period where our heroes are above reproach and filled with the unbridled arrogance of youth. They were still considered supermen by the adoring general public, and respected and trusted by the authorities. My first novel, More Than Mortal, is actually the middle of the epic, although I didn’t realize this when I was writing it. It marked an age when mankind stood on the brink of destruction during the final days of WWII, in 1945. A time when a large number of people sacrificed everything they had to make the world a better place and defeat the Axis forces. The final novel, which I’m writing now, is Sanctuary Falls. In takes place in 1949 and the Cold War is in full swing. The hard years of the Depression are a thing of the past. Joseph McCarthy, communism, and Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent loom large on the horizon. The entire outlook of the world was altered after the war because it marked an end to an age of innocence, especially after Pearl Harbor, the battles in the South Seas, and the bombing of Japan. And as one of my characters noted, some things, once done, cannot be undone. And because of all of this, the world has changed and moved on. Our steadfast heroes are no longer desired by society and some are even branded as vigilantes. And so, these mystery men are forced to adapt to this strange new world. And, just as the pulps ended in 1949, so too will the story of our heroes.
AP: You have a new work coming out very soon that is set in the same universe as PULP HEROES, is that right? Share what you can about MODERN MARVELS.
WR: Modern Marvels - Viktoriana takes place in the darker corner of the Infinite Horizons universe and is set exclusively in 1888. August 8, to be precise. (8/8/1888) The story revolves around the concept that every 111 years a planetary alignment takes place that allows beasties, ghoulies, and things that go bump in the night to invade our planet from adjoining dimensions. This explains why London burned in 1666 and why certain unexplained events occurred during the Revolutionary War in 1777. And thus, a fellowship of nine unique individuals gather together to combat the forces of evil. To add to the confusion, our heroes find themselves trapped in a battle between this ancient evil and the vampire nations, lead by illustrious Count Dracula.
AP: You have some definite historic powerhouses in MODERN MARVELS. Why these particular figures from history? What makes them just right for this story?
WR: As I mentioned in a previous interview, when I briefly hinted at this project, the novels I read as a youngster would greatly influence my casting call for Modern Marvels. When I first started reading for recreation at age seven, I began with Dracula, Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Time Machine, The Lost World, and many other classics from the previous century. So when I came up with this concept of gathering a group of writers together, I naturally thought of the authors of the novels I loved as a child. And the setting of Victoria era England was perfect. And what is more natural than to tie each writer to their own greatest creation? Which means H.R. Haggard is the hunter/warrior of the group. H.G. Wells is the scientist. Conan Doyle is the doctor and forensic expert. And so on. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more interesting and diverse group of people. And, since Shelley and Poe are supposed to be dead in 1888, I had to explain why they are still above ground and walking around.
AP: In PULP HEROES, you used largely your take on fictional characters. Although you do some of that in MODERN MARVELS, you rely much more on your take on actual once living real people. Why the shift between the two series? Which is easier for you to write?
I’m referring to Edgar Allen Poe and Jules Verne, the men who first developed the theory of a Hollow Earth. Henry Rider Haggard, the original discoverer of the lost worlds and lost civilizations genre. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the founding fathers of science fiction. Mary Shelley, John Polidori, and Bram Stoker, the progenitors of modern Gothic horror. Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, the intellects behind the first forensic detective characters. Harry Houdini, the greatest escape artist of all time. And Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating electrical current. These are men and women who shaped generations to come and even the world in which we currently exist. And without their visions, the pulp world would not have been the same.
These wonderful men and women are responsible for thousands of books, millions of written pages, spanning a period of over one hundred years. And many of their works are still in print today. Hollywood movies constantly tie into these timeless classics. The story of Frankenstein, where scientists who don’t respect the power of their own creations, has been used and adapted thousands of times. Shows like Twilight and Vampire Diaries owe a huge debt to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (By the way, vampires in Modern Marvels - Viktoriana don’t sparkle. They are referred to as the ‘infected.’) The ever-popular CSI TV shows began their origins with Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin. Then there’s King Solomon’s Mines, War of the Worlds, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Time Machine, Allan Quatermain, The Lost World, and the list goes on and on.
In response to the second question, Pulp Heroes was much easier to write, simply because I had already read so many of the pulps. With Modern Marvels, I not only had to reread many of the classics, but also intently studied biographies and autobiographies of every one of the characters. I spent every morning for five months writing the story and every evening reading additional research material.
AP: Why epics? What appeals to you about the grand sweeping tale more than short stories?
WR: I love the concept of the grand, heroic journey, battling overwhelming odds. And I believe a good story should not only entertain, but also allow the reader to get to know each character in the story intimately. It should make them laugh, cry, adore the heroes, and boo the villains. Going an additional step further, I try to give the villain enough character and charisma that the reader feels a connection to them as well. They might be bad, but it’s understandable why they are who they are. Sometimes, they’re not truly evil. They merely have their own agenda.
AP: Is there a theme or themes within MODERN MARVELS, a greater lesson or moral beyond the action and adventure? If so, what is it?
WR: Any time you gather together a group of individuals to accomplish a goal, there will be conflict. Each person must adjust to the group dynamic in order to contribute. For instance, in real life it’s rumored that Poe might have been murdered by members of the Freemasons, because he publicly spoke out against the organization. But several of his companions in Modern Marvels - including Verne, Doyle, Stoker, and Haggard - were members of the secret fraternity. Is this a conflict of interest? You bet. Patience and tolerance must be practiced between members to succeed. And I like to believe all my novels have themes and lessons for the reader. Events that take place that will make them think for a while, even after they’ve finished the book.
AP: You provided your own artwork for the PULP HEROES books. Will you do the same for this novel? If so, can you describe your artistic process in creating the images?
WR: As before, I’ve painting the cover, several advertising posters, and a handful of interior illustrations. This way, both the writer and artist segments of my brain get to contribute to the final product. I do all of my artwork using Photoshop and Illustrator. To use these programs you must still have the skills, but they simply make the job cleaner, faster, and easier. In writer terms, it’s the difference between using a typewriter and a computer program like Microsoft Word.
WR: Mmmm. Pulpy goodness describers it to a ‘T.’ Fast-paced excitement and breath-taking adventure. Traveling around the globe to distant lands. Battling the bad guys and stopping those insane plans for world domination. Saving the beautiful damsel in distress and keeping the world safe for democracy. Heck, what’s not to love? Honestly, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather write.
AP: OK, sort of an extension of that last question. What do you feel pulp creators as a whole need to do to not only maintain, but increase the fan base for pulp tales? Should they change anything or focus more on something than on other things?
WR: If you are searching for a perfect example of the right way to do things when dealing with pulp-related characters, see what Ron Fortier and Rob Davis are doing over at Airship 27 Productions. These are authors and artists who are also loyal fans of the genre, writing stories about the characters they love and enjoy. The wrong way? Check out the recent Doc Savage comic series by DC Comics, where they randomly altered everything interesting about Doc and his amazing five. He was completely homogenized. In my opinion, if the initial goal is to completely change everything about a character, just create a new one.
AP: MODERN MARVELS, stand alone or the beginning of another series? If it's the kickoff for more, can you give any hints of what's coming?
WR: Oh, there will be more, I assure you. I really enjoyed working on this novel. I have two more novels already outlined. The first one is called Modern Marvels - Gothika. And a few of the main characters in Modern Marvels - Viktoriana will also show up in Pulp Heroes - Sanctuary Falls. That’s one reason I did this novel before finishing the third book of the Pulp Heroes Trilogy.
AP: What else is happening in the world of Wayne Reinagel writing wise in the near future?
WR: Next up will be Sanctuary Falls and then a series of art books loaded with various pulp hero short stories, including the long-awaited Hunter Island Adventure.
AP: Thanks, Wayne!
THE LONG MATINEE TAKES ON BATTLE:LA
THE LONG MATINEE-Movie Reviews by Derrick Ferguson
BATTLE: LA
2011
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman
Produced by Jeffrey Chernov and Neal H. Moritz
Written by Christopher Bertolini
Much of the creative entertainments we enjoy are done according to formula, agreed? Why is such practiced, especially in movies? Because there are certain movie formulas that are guaranteed to work no matter if the movie is made in 1959 or 1977 or in 2011. Criticizing a Western for having gunfights at high noon, horses and buffalos is kinda silly because when you watch a Western you have certain expectations of what you’re going to see. After all, isn’t that why you’re watching a Western? Because you know the formula, you just want to see them played out in a different mix, is all.
Now, as my dear Aunt Lottie would put it; I say that to say this: I’ve read reviews criticizing BATTLE: LOS ANGELES for being a cliché war movie. Not that the reviews are wrong. In fact, it is a cliché war movie. This is exactly the same kind of movie John Wayne and Audie Murphy were making back in the 40’s and 50’s except the enemies were German and Japanese soldiers, not aliens. In fact, this could have been a war movie set in Afghanistan or Iraq as that’s how it’s played out: as a modern day war movie. The only exceptional thing about the enemy is that they come from Outer Space and not Over There.
Meteors land in the waters off major coastal cities. And inside the meteors are spacecraft containing hostile alien soldiers that swiftly spread into the cities, killing every human in sight. They make no effort at communication and are not interested in taking prisoners for anal probing. They’re simply and efficiently going about the job of exterminating the human race.
Marine Staff Sergeant Nanze (Aaron Eckhart) is forced to put off his retirement as he has to replace a platoon sergeant for an important mission. The platoon he’s assigned to has to rescue civilians from an LAPD station within three hours. That’s when the Air Force is going to carpet bomb the area. The platoon commander, Lt. Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) is kinda leery about Nanze. The Staff Sergeant is a good Marine, no doubt about that. But a lot of rumors about Nanze’s last mission have been floating around Camp Pendleton that he doesn’t like. But orders are orders and so the platoon is off on their mission. One that swiftly goes wrong as they are ambushed time and again by the relentless alien invaders.
All that you can get just from the TV commercials and the trailers. BATTLE: LOS ANGELES isn’t trying to make you think it’s going to be one thing, then get you in the theater to find out it’s something else. It’s about a platoon of Marines trying their best to survive against an enemy they never dreamed they’d be facing. The movie is as brutally uncomplicated as a cast iron skillet upside the head. Before the invasion, we get brief vignettes of the various platoon members and they each are a proven War Movie Type: The Green Lieutenant Who Has No Combat Experience. The Virgin. The Heroic Black Guy. The Soldier With A Dark Past. The Soldier Who Choked Under Fire And Fears He’s A Coward. And as you watch each one of their vignettes, go ahead and play the game of Who Gets Killed And In Which Order.
So what’s right about the movie? Aaron Eckhart, who I’m convinced is incapable of turning in a bad performance. He plays his role as if he’s assuming you’ve never seen a War Movie before. Michelle Rodriguez surprised me in this one. Usually she plays one of two roles: The Pissed-Off Latina With Bigger Balls Than Any Man or The Really Pissed-Off Latina With Bigger Balls Than Any Man. But in this movie she dials her usual anger way back and comes off more as a person and less like a stereotype.
I also liked how we never really get to know the aliens or why they’re here. Oh, there’s some kind of technobabble about them needing our resources but it’s really not necessary. They’re The Enemy and that’s all we need to know. The aliens are tough mollyfoggers but they’re not indestructible. They’re worthy adversaries for the platoon.
What didn’t I like? That damn shaky-cam. The use of it renders the firefights a jumble of meaningless images. The use of shaky-cam in this movie is so bad that in the first two firefights I could swear that the entire platoon was wiped out and I was honestly surprised when everybody regrouped alive and well. Once the action starts, the Marines are difficult to tell apart.
So should you see BATTLE: LOS ANGELES? You should if you can’t wait until the summer to see a summer popcorn movie. ‘Cause that’s what it is, no more no less. It’s just here a few months early, that’s all.
116 minutes
PG-13
NEW RELEASES FROM THE MAN IN THE MOON...STONE!
| Awaken your sense of ADVENTURE! |
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| AT PRESS NOW: Rotten/Zombies vs Cheerleaders Flip book! AngelTown HC |
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
ALL PULP INTERVIEWS BILL CRAIG!
BILL CRAIG, Writer/Creator
Interview by Chuck Miller, All Pulp Staff Writer
AP: Welcome back to ALL PULP! You’ve been busy since the last time we talked. What have you got going on right now that you’d particularly like to bring to the attention of our readers?
Bill: Well I just finished off a short story for a future Airship 27 book, and I am in the home stretch on the next Hardluck Hannigan book: The Golden Scorpion, and then I was just invited to submit a story for a new weird western anthology, Showdown At Midnight, from the same people who did Six-Guns Straight from Hell.
AP: What do you like to read, and what have you taken from it over the years? Is there any writer or character in particular that inspired you and helped you shape your own narrative voice?
Bill: I read a lot of mystery, high adventure when I can find it, and westerns. Doc Savage and the Shadow were inspirational and I used to be able to set down and read one of them in a couple of hours. Of course I was younger then. Also Don Pendleton’s Executioner and Jerry Ahern’s The SURVIVALIST both taught me a lot about making my characters human enough for the readers to care about. Don and Jerry both mentored me to a great degree and I still keep in touch with Don’s wife Linda and with Jerry and his wife Sharon.
AP: Describe for us the writing process. Is there a particular time of day that you find more productive? Do you listen to music? What sort of an atmosphere do you like to work in?
Bill: I usually write from about 9:30pm till about 11:30pm after I put my 5 year old to bed. When I listen to music, it is either Jazz or a Soundtrack. I like when the house has quieted down for the night and actually find rainy nights in the summer when I can open the patio and listen to the rain hitting on the tin roof. Great atmosphere!
AP: How do you define “pulp?” Everyone seems to have somewhat different ideas about what it entails. What would you include or exclude from the definition?
Bill: To me “pulp” defines anything that takes place before 1950. After 1950, it becomes under the label of “High Adventure”. Jerry Ahern’s The Takers is a good example and of course the Gideon Hunt books. But Doc Savage and the Shadow both ran to near the end of the 1940s so I feel the forties need to be included under the definition. Anything before 1900 falls under the heading of Historical.
AP: Obviously, pulp in the 21st century isn’t going to be exactly like pulp in the 1930s. There’s a whole different perspective, and more than half a century of scientific and cultural progress. In what way do your stories remain true to pulp’s origins, and in what ways do they depart from that?
Bill: Well, for one thing, the Hardluck Hannigan books take place during World War Two. But Nazis aren’t the only enemies that Hannigan faces. He’s also fought a demon and a Russian scientist who wanted to wipe out life on the surface of the Earth and maintain a utopian society in an undersea city. Future plans also have him going up against criminal masterminds and war profiteers as well. As far as a departure, the characters are much more three dimensional and you begin to almost think of them as real people.
AP: One of your series stars, Mike "Hardluck" Hannigan, takes place against an authentic historical backdrop—he finds himself contending against Nazis. And there is more than one layer of history and/or folklore here. In “Emerald Death,” for example, you have the story itself set in the Nazi era, and you also have the backstory of the Emerald of Eternity, and, in other stories, the Spear of Goliath and other exotic relics. Are you a history buff? How much do you draw on genuine historical personages and events?
Bill: I do enjoy history, and I find the World War Two era and the old west to be my favorite areas. In River of the Sun, Hardluck Hannigan and his friends went in search of legendary explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett, and Englishman who vanished in the Matto Grasso region of the Amazon Basin
AP: I understand that you based Mike Hannigan on your father. Tell us a bit about that.
Bill: My Dad is a very important figure in my life. He grew up in the great depression and read Pulp tales himself. He also is a Korean War vet and has a good knowledge of the era I am writing about. Like Hannigan, my Dad grew up on a farm in Greensboro , Indiana
AP: You’ve done several novels featuring Jack Riley and Moria Clark. Tell us a bit about that, and how you think those stories compare and contrast with the Hannigan novels. You’re coming from a somewhat different area there.
Bill: The Jack Riley books are more in tone of what I refer to as High Adventure. Like the Hannigan books, they are generally globe-spanning stories against large than life villains. One such being my Oriental Mastermind, Chi Pei Chi Pei
Both series have elements of the fantastic, where the Hannigan books are set against a historical backdrop, the Riley books have each been drawn from headlines in the news at the time they were being written. Big Oil was a villain in two of the books, the Russian Mob in another, Chi Pei in one, another was the return of an old villain that was bankrolling genetic research to breed perfect killers, and then up against Chi Pei again in the final book.
AP: Have you ever come up with a story idea or concept that you found intimidating? Is there anything you’d like to tackle that you haven’t attempted yet?
Bill: The Child Stealers was a very intimidating book because it dealt with Child Abductions through Social Services and then the children were sold either into slavery or for genetic testing. Another dark book was a one shot thriller The Butterfly Tattoo about a serial killer in a small town. I’d like to write a full length western novel.
AP: You recently did a Hardluck Hannigan video trailer. What inspired you to do that, and how did you go about it?
Bill: Actually Don Gates had done a trailer for Challenger Storm, his upcoming title for Airship 27 and I liked it. Plus, I thought it might be a good way to build up a buzz for The Golden Scorpion which I am hoping to have out in early May. I simply used Windows Movie maker and shots of all the covers plus some additional artwork that Laura Givens created for me, and then added American Patrol as the music to provide some period authenticity and give the trailer a lively soundtrack.
AP: What’s coming from Bill Craig? You seem to have quite a number of irons in the fire. Any projects you want to discuss? Publications? New characters or series?
Bill: I am working on the next Hannigan of course, as well as the next two Decker P.I. books, Smugglers’ Blues and A cold and Lonely Death. I am also in the middle of a project titled Harmony Hills: Savage Autumn about small town secrets. I’m in line to do stories for some other Airship 27 projects and contemplating a new modern day action series following a character named Jake Donovan. And of Course Hardluck Hannigan 8: Peril in the North.
THE LONG MATINEE races along the edge with BLADE RUNNER!
THE LONG MATINEE-Movie Reviews by Derrick Ferguson
BLADE RUNNER: The Theatrical Version
1982
Warner Bros.
Directed by Ridley Scott
Produced by Michael Deeley
Screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples
Based on the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” by Philip K. Dick
There’s a good reason why BLADE RUNNER is still hailed as a masterpiece of science fiction/neo-noir/detective pulp filmmaking today. It’s just that good. This is the movie; along with “Alien” released two years earlier defined the look and feel of science fiction movies for the next thirty years. BLADE RUNNER is innovative in a lot of ways but most of all in the way it presented the future. Of course, for us living in 2011 which isn’t so far away from the 2019 depicted in the movie we can get a chuckle at how far off the movie is in predicting where we would be.
But you look at the movie and what pulls you in is how lived in it looks. This is no sterile “Logan’s Run” future where everything is clean and shiny. This is a nasty future with dirt, grim, filth, machines that are made to be functional not pretty. People wear real clothes with wrinkles that need to be washed. There are billboards everywhere urging you to buy, buy, buy. The streets are clogged with pedestrians that walk too fast who cuss at cars that honk at pedestrians who walk too slowly. All the people don’t look pretty. In fact they look bored, worn down, used up, tired. Kinda like the people you pass everyday on your way to and home from work, right?
Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is enjoying his retirement. Once an honored member of L.A.’s Blade Runner Squad, he got sick of it and quit. You see, his job was killing. Killing Replicants. Genetically engineered humanoids created by The Tyrell Corporation as slave labor for Earth’s off-world colonies. The Replicants are stronger, faster and smarter than humans. In fact, The Tyrell Corporation claims that their new Nexus-6 models are “More Human Than Human”. And maybe they are. Six of them prove resourceful enough to make it back to Earth and Los Angeles. Which is where the Blade Runner comes in.
Deckard is pressed back into service by his old boss Bryant (M. Emmett Walsh) and Bryant’s brown-noser Gaff (Edward James Olmos) to hunt down and retire the Nexus-6 Replicants. It won’t be easy as they’re the most advanced Replicant models. And they are determined to get to their creator Tyrell (Joe Turkel) and find a way to extend their four-year life span. Deckard has to navigate through a minefield of humans and Replicants, all with their own agenda and their own plans to discover the truth of what being human means. At the end of this tangled road is Rachel (Sean Young) a Replicant who believes is human and puts her trust and love in Deckard. A man who comes to question his own humanity as the line between Human and Replicant becomes more blurred in his relentless pursuit of his quarry.
I love BLADE RUNNER. That’s the simplest and best way I can put it. I saw it during its original theatrical run and I love it now. Mostly because of the way that it looks at the future by looking back.
Let me explain: even though BLADE RUNNER is a movie about the future, there are a lot of throwbacks to the past which make the movie look even more futuristic simply because we haven’t seen stuff like this in movies in a long time. Rachel’s hair styles and clothing, inspired by Joan Crawford’s look of the 1930’s. Deckard’s clothing and trenchcoat, inspired by private eyes of the 50’s. The gritty, noir-ish look of the city with it’s rain-swept streets. The reto-technology. And I love the multi-cultural look of the movie which implies that Los Angeles of the future is a Third World culture unto itself.
At the time this movie was made Harrison Ford was #1 at the box office. And why not? He was starring in two major movie franchises and he took the BLADE RUNNER job to expand his range. And I think he pulled it off extremely well. There’s a real Humphrey Bogart-ish quality to his performance in this one. The role of Deckard is obviously meant to be a throwback to Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe and it works. Again, the whole success of this movie lies in the setting and technology reaching to the future while the clothing, attitudes and style of filmmaking reaches to the past. It an extraordinary melding of past and future that many films have tried to copy but only BLADE RUNNER captured and captured exceedingly well.
Sean Young quickly got a reputation in Hollywood as being exceeding difficult to work with which I think is a shame. She’s astoundingly good in this movie and I again point to her Joan Crawford-influenced make-up, wardrobe and style of acting as to why. Rutgar Hauer steals the movie in terms of acting. As Roy Batty his final speech has gone down in movie history. And rightly so. Few movie characters have died in such a memorable fashion as Roy Batty.
So should you see BLADE RUNNER? Chances are you already have. At least one of the several versions available. There’s a Director’s Cut. A Final Director’s Cut. An Ultimate Final Director’s Cut. An Ultimate Platinum Final Director’s Cut and who knows how many others. Last I heard there were seven versions available. My recommendation? Start with the Theatrical Version so you can see it the way we saw it back in 1982 and then go from there. But any way you see BLADE RUNNER, but all means see it and enjoy it.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
ALL PULP ON VACATION! BUT NOT LONG!
ALL PULP just had a chance to take a few days with family and that doesn't come very often, so ALL PULP WILL BE ON VACATION, but will return to exciting life on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23!!!
Take some time with your own while we're gone!
Take some time with your own while we're gone!
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 3/20/11
www.flying-glory.com
She wants to conquer the charts using the same superhero identity as her grandmother who dutifully served her country in WWII. Backed by her band, the Hounds of Glory, Flying Glory struggles with life's battles while fighting supervillians.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A BOOK A DAY FROM ALL PULP GETS BLONDE!
As usual, except with one notable exception, ALL PULP's Book a Day comes from http://www.bearmanormedia.com/, one of the best outlets for books on pulp and popular culture today! If you have other books, though, that you feel should be featured here, drop ALL PULP a line at allpulp@yahoo.com!
'50s Blondes
Friday, March 18, 2011
A BOOK A DAY AND PULP REVIEW ALL ROLLED INTO ONE!!
PULP REVIEWS BY RON FORTIER
AND ALL PULP'S BOOK A DAY!
THE BONUS
By Georgia Lowe
Lucky Dime Press
398 pages
Release Date – Oct.10, 2010
ISBN 10 – 0615371450
ISBN 13 – 978-0615371450
(historical fiction/drama)
The trouble with most history books is that they are generally impersonal. They offer up the facts and then focus solely on the public figures who actually shaped events. What is omitted, save for the grainy black and white photos of yesterday, are the tales of the average people who experienced those moments; days now slowly morphing into ghostly images of a past all too soon forgotten. In choosing to read and review Georgia Lowe’s powerful retelling of the Bonus March, I purposely stepped away from this column’s focus on pulp fiction. Why? Because too many of us who love this unique brand of fiction some times need to be reminded of the times in which it was born. To better appreciate those exciting and colorful tales of escapist fancy, we should be aware that they were created during a time of national pain and suffering; the Great Depression.
Sadly there have been too few novels set in this time of social upheaval, economic tragedy and hopelessness. Not that there haven’t been many competent historical text, several of which the author mentions in her own lists of references, still it takes a fiction writer to make history personal. John Steinbeck did it with his “Grapes of Wrath” and now, first time novelist, Georgia Lowe achieves the same emotional impact with “The Bonus.” This is not an easy book to read for any American who loves his or her country. Its honest depiction of the Hoover administration and the cavalier, egotistical attitude of its chief participants from the President on down to his Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur is deplorable, to say the least.
In 1924, several years after the end of the War to End All Wars, America’s veterans were promised a bonus payment for their service. The country’s representatives spend the next five years debating on what form and amount this “bonus” will be in. Then comes the Wall Street crash of 1929 sending the economy into an unparalleled nosedive. Unemployment rises to 25%, banks collapse like dominoes, home foreclosures are rampant. On top of all this, Mother Nature delivers the second knock out punch in the form of a far reaching drought that devastates America’s central farmlands, turning abundant fields of wheat and corn into arid wastelands soon to be known as the Dust Bowl. The end result, Congress votes to defer the Bonus until 1945.
Three years later, in the Spring of 1932, thousands of veterans, feeling betrayed by their own government, began to organize throughout the country. As the news of their discontent and public gatherings spread, the idea of a united march on the Capitol is born and eagerly approved. Charismatic leaders among the various groups like the VFW arise and by the start of summer, they are leading thousands of desperate veterans to Washington in every mode of travel possible from automobile caravans to train boxcars filled with weary travelers. Their one unifying goal, to force Congress into giving them their money now.
We experience this historical pilgrimage through the yes of several characters including Will Hardy, a reporter for a Los Angeles tabloid, himself a veteran still enduring the effects of “shellshock,” and his lovely girlfriend, Bonnie. Bonnie, enjoying her life as a Hollywood extra is naively unaware of the country’s ailing condition until she embarks on this odyssey with her girlfriend Myrna to rendezvous with their men. By the time she arrives in Washington, she and Will become eye-witnesses to the monumental injustice perpetrated by President Hoover and his cronies. Not only does Hoover publicly ignore the peaceful petitions and demonstrations of the Bonus marchers, in the end, he has them attacked and driven out by Army troops under the command of General McArthur.
“The Bonus” is one of the finest historical novels I’ve ever read and it left me emotional drained. It is clearly a cautionary tale of what happens to a people when its elected officials allow themselves to become disassociated with their constituents. It is a story of governmental betrayal at its worst and a timely warning considering our nation’s current situation. It is also a fine work of fiction with moving, believable characters that any reader will quickly recognize as each is driven to find their own piece of the American promise. We tip our pulp fedora to Georgia Lowe and we thank her deeply for reminding us all what happened that summer in 1932. It is up to each and every one of us to make sure it never happens again.
GRANTON CITY PRESS PUBLISHER/CREATOR INTERVIEWED!
CALVIN DANIELS-Writer, Publisher, Creator-Granton City Press
Interview conducted by ALL PULP Staff writer CHUCK MILLER
Interview conducted by ALL PULP Staff writer CHUCK MILLER
AP: Welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?
CD: Well let's see, I was born in the suburbs of Granton City ... Oh wait, that's not right. Darned fantasy world encroaches on reality at times LOL. I was actually born in Saskatchewan (sounds more made up than Granton City doesn't it), in Canada. I was a farm boy who sort of backed into journalism. I had no
formal training when started doing sports at hometown paper – the Tisdale Recorder. A dear friend of mine, Brenda Campbell, actually awoke my fictional muse, and in time that led to a book of short
stories on hockey (How Canadian is that). It is called Skating the Edge, and actually had a small review in the Globe and Mail out of Toronto, one of the major dailies up here. From there two non-fiction books followed and 25 Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association awards happened before turning to pulp fiction stories.
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?
CD: I suppose every book I ever read, and every person I have met is an influence even if we don't always recognize it. In more specific terms fantasy is a favoured genre, and comics. I collected
for a while, with Batman at the top of my list. The love of Bats is a definite reason for writing pulp-inspired tales now. I like the idea of period pieces in 20s/30s because it allows for the anonymity a hero requires. In the current era of GPS, cellphones and Internet, Batman's identity would be known in a week, and bad guys would have killed him 37 times by Tuesday. By setting The Black Wolf and our other stories in the past we allow some reasonable belief they might keep a secret identity secret.
AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?
CD: Not sure I've found one. I have a character Dark Heart. She operates in the 'old' part of Granton City. It's sort of a bloodier Sin City, more 'adult'. I have no problem with the concept, but I have co-authors run from it.
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?
CD: The Spider and the old purple clad Phantom are favs. I haven't read a library of pulps though. In fact I find some of the hyperbole of the old pulps a bit too over-the-top. That said the idea of a lone hero, The Black Wolf, Ghost Wind, The Starling, with no real superpowers protecting a city intrigues me.
AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?
CD: Hopefully the 'feel' of the old heroes with less of the hyperbole. Hopefully a bit more truthful too.
By that I mean characters will die and stay dead. Our heroes will kill rather than trust the courts to let a criminal off on a technicality. I mean really how many times can The Joker escape before Batman clues in and kills him? Of course truth is limited by the genre too. It comes to perspective. A recent reviewer noted as a war vet the fight scenes in Unit 13 didn't ring true to him, which is a comment I respect.
However, by genre we don't write for that sort of 'real-life' accuracy either. Did anyone buy the scenes in the recent Green Hornet movie? The stunts were almost all proven inaccurate on The Mythbusters. The Batman movies, comics and books are the same way. We write worlds were exaggeration is a must. From kung fu movies, to heroes and scifi/fantasy. As readers we ask you to suspend belief on page one, and just enjoy the ride. But, we do take a somewhat more realistic vision of heroes in the sense they are not all shiny, goodie-goodie, two shoes *smile.
AP; Tell us about the Black Wolf and some of the other characters you work with. What is Granton City all about?
CD: Granton City started off merely as home to The Black Wolf, a pulpish hero facing everything from common thugs to the supernatural. From there the city 'grew'. Ghost Wind is sort of a Bruce Lee-ish hero in the city's 'Chinatown'. This title really brings Japanese Manga/Anime together with a touch of pulp. Crake & Crane Casefiles is being written. It's sort of the Johnny Depp character in From Hell meets
Mike Hammer, mixed with the Odd Couple. Crake is a veteran of the Great War, a hard-boiled detective, working with Crane, finely dressed, man of strange science. Together the PIs work cases in the city. Dark Heart is in 'old town'. Blood, death, sex, only thing missing is rock 'n roll. Outside Granton City other titles exist in the same world, Unit 13, Drago Demon Slayer, Churchill Alien Bounty Hunter and The Starling among them.
AP: What is your creative process as far as developing a character? What techniques or steps do you take?
CD: I get a flash of an idea. It rolls around in my head for a while until the voice gets so loud it has to get out. Probably coming from my journalism background, I look at chapters as sort of assignments and just sit down and write. Since I work with co-writers always inspired by what they do. We use no pre-planned story outline. It's very much follow-the-leader as we weave the stories.
AP: What’s coming from Calvin Daniels and Granton City? Any projects you want to discuss? Publications?
CD: To start a tip of my hat and heartfelt thanks to Kevin Lee, Mitchel Rose and Tyrell Tinnin for their support, effort and words as co-writers on The Black Wolf, Ghost Wind and Unit 13 respectively. Without them the already in-print titles from Granton City Press would not exist.
It's been interesting how many people, connections you need in this sort of project, great cover artists like Daniel Bradford, Guillermo A. Angel, and Gil Murillo, the editing eyes of Dixie and Sandy, our fans and readers who encourage us, and sites like this which help us promote.
As stated earlier we have a number of new titles in development. That doesn't mean we are forgetting those already out. The Ghost Wind #2 - The Runaway Princess is mere days from written, and Black Wolf #3 should be started by the time readers see this. With upcoming titles expect to see a major cameo by another current Pulp-hero, and we are hoping for a few bonus shorts from some established and new writers too. We just hope readers come along for the ride.
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 3/18/11
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
BULLDOG EDITION
3/18/11
OFFICIAL PJF NEWSLETTER!!
PulpFest is held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. Rooms are available at the "PulpFest Rate" of only $79 per night. However, to get this rate, you cannot book your room online, you must call their toll free number: 877-609-6086 and reserve your room over the phone. Remember to mention PulpFest to get the discounted rate.
To sign up for FarmerCon VI, first reply to this email to be added to the list.
While there is no charge for FarmerCon VI, you must Register with PulpFest to attend. Amazingly, you can attend all three days of PulpFest for only $30!
If you will be traveling to Columbus and staying overnight, I urge you to book a room at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center now. The $79 per night room rate is a great deal, and being in the same hotel gives FarmerCon attendees that much more time to hang out. We almost always go out together somewhere for a meal or two and we will be looking to do that again. So be sure to tell me you're coming, don't just decide to drop in at the last minute.
PulpFest and FarmerCon programming is still to be determined, but suggestions are welcome; both to me for FarmerCon and to PulpFest for their programming as well. Also, Meteor House will have a table in the Dealers Room where you will find back issues of Farmerphile, select items from Philip José Farmer's estate sale, The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions, The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 2: Of Dust and Soul and perhaps more.
So, if you want to come to FarmerCon VI, here is a quick summary of the steps you need to take:
- 1. Reply to this email and tell me you are coming. 2. Register for PulpFest 3. Unless you live nearby, call 877-609-6086 and book your room.
I hope I will see you there!
Mike CroteauThe Official Philip José Farmer Home Page
http://www.pjfarmer.com/
PLANETARY BOOK AVAILABLE IN PREVIEWS!
From Sequart-
PRESS RELEASE:
“Highly recommended.” – Ain’t It Cool News
Edited by Cody Walker, Keeping the World Strange offers essays that examine the highly-acclaimed WildStorm series from varied, thought-provoking viewpoints:
* We Contain Universes: The Delicately Spinning Reality of the Snowflake, by Kevin Thurman
* Surfing through Planetary: The Characters behind the Fiction, by Andy Richardson
* The Secret History of the WildStorm Universe, by Cody Walker
* When Third is Fourth: The Mystery of the Fourth Man, by Chad Nevett
* Bleeding Between the Lines: Planetary and Vertigo, by Timothy Callahan
* “The Hidden Wonders of the World”: Planetary and Reconstructionism, by Julian Darius
* Archaeologists, Architects, and Acolytes: Reading Futures Studies in Planetary, by Caleb Stokes
* The Monster Within: Examining Monstrous Archetypes in Planetary, by Ross Payton
* Planetary and Decompression, by Patrick Meaney
* The Ideal and the Strange: Order Vs. Freedom in Planetary, by Peter Sanderson
* The Man Who Knows the Game, by A. David Lewis (viewing Planetary as a game that begins with Elijah Snow’s white suit)
* Apocrypha or Canon? Fitting the Three Crossover One-Shots into Planetary, by Chad Nevett
* Appendix: Sequencing Planetary, by Julian Darius (a suggested reading order for Planetary’s 31 stories)
No Planetary fan or comics scholar should go without this critical analysis of one of the best series of the 21st century. (Softcover, 6”x9”, 188 pgs, B&W, $19.95 cover price, ISBN 9780578077017.)
- - - - - - - - - -
THE YEAR OF WARREN ELLIS: Keeping the World Strange is the first offering from Sequart’s “2011: The Year of Ellis” campaign, which includes two other books (Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan and Voyage in Noise: Warren Ellis and the Demise of Western Civilization) and the documentary film Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts.
- - - - - - - - - -
NOTE: Don't assume your comics store will order copies – some stores might not even notice it in the catalog. The best thing you can do is tell your local retailer ASAP (they have to place orders before the end of March) that you want them to order you a copy. And because we're buried in the catalog, it might help to give them the book's order code, which is MAR111401.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Planetary and related characters are trademarks of DC Comics. This book is not endorsed by DC Comics.
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