CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOLUME 4: RED NAILS AND OTHER STORIES will be available in comic shops on May 5th.  Volume four collects the end of Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith's seminal run on Conan the Barbarian. As with any collaboration between two extremely talented artists, before their partnership on Conan came to an end, Thomas and Windsor-Smith were producing the finest work of their careers up to that point. Also included is the first issue of artist John Buscema's run. Collecting issues 23 through 26 of the original Marvel series and material from the second and third issues of Savage Tales, originally published in the 1970s. As a bonus, this volume features Richard Isonove, colorist of Marvel's Origin: The True Story of Wolverine and Neil Gaiman's 1602, bringing to life Thomas and Windsor-Smith's ultimate masterpiece, Red Nails. 

Click here for a preview on the Dark Horse website.

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.

Blackmask Online: 
Doc Savage in Fire and Ice (07/46)
Doc Savage in Terror And The Lonely Widow (03/46)
The Circle of Zero by Stanley G. Weinbaum
The Dictator by Stanley G. Weinbaum
Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum
Tidal Moon by Stanley G. Weinbaum
The Sleeper Awakes by H. G. Wells

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 400 stories online!
Spider Tong by Perley Poore Sheehan from THRILLING ADVENTURES [November, 1932]
The fifth installment in the Captain Trouble series, in which the Kubla's Sword, the sceptre of the Grand Mogul, falls into unholy hands!
An Unexpected Solution by B. Traven from SHORT STORIES [June 1957]
Twists and turns regarding a marriage approval, from the mysterious Sierra Madre guy.
Sweet Finger by Frank E. Marks from SPICY DETECTIVE STORIES [November 1935]
The old burglar-on-the-lam-picking-a-random-window spicy plot, only this one has a good twist.
Ten Dollars--No Sense! by Thomas Thursday from TOP-NOTCH MAGAZINE [December 15, 1922]
A top effort from Thursday about two showmen on the streets of Manhattan with a gimmick to test whether people are basically honest.

Originally titled Justice Society: Lord Dynamo, the limited series has since been retitled JSA: Strange Adventures, "with a nice pulp-magazine looking logo," according to Anderson. The August-debuting six issue miniseries is extra-sized, according to the writer. "It's a miniseries with six giant issues - 30 pages each. Since this is really a heartfelt homage to retro science fiction and the glory days of pulp magazines, it's more on target to emphasize the pulp aspect. Lord Dynamo is the continuing villain of this story arc, but the series isn't really 'about' him. Lord Dynamo is a new villain -- wonderfully pulpy and retro, flying around in a giant zeppelin studded with lightning rods - part Captain Nemo and part megalomaniac. A pulpish title more accurately reflects the feel of these books."

Part homage as well, Strange Adventures features the comic book appearance of one of America's earliest pulp magazine authors and the magazine that gave birth to the term "scientifiction," or now known as science fiction or sci-fi. 

"This is a 'classic' Justice Society of America story, set in the early 1940s with the Golden Age JSA members -- Sandman, the Jay Garrick Flash, the Alan Scott Green Lantern, Wildcat, Starman, Star-Spangled Kid, Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Atom and Johnny Thunder. Wonder Woman is also in the JSA. No Superman or Batman, though," Anderson said.

Johnny Thunder, the JSA's rather dimwitted gosh-wow 'mascot,' wants to be a writer for AMAZING STORIES magazine, one of the classic pulps of the '40s. But his writing is terrible -- however, the editor of Amazing sees this as his opportunity to get the real inside story of the famed JSA superheroes. So he has his best writer, Jack Williamson, team up with Johnny to teach him how to write... and to follow him on his adventures. I got permission from the real Jack Williamson - who's a grand master, multiple-award-winning writer -- 96 years old - to use him in the story, and also permission from the owner of AMAZING STORIES to use their magazine."

The brainchild of legendary publisher and editor Hugo Gernsback, AMAZING STORIES magazine was first published in April 1926. It was a classic pulp magazine and was one of the pioneers of science fiction in the United States. Early stories were reprints of Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells and Jules Verne tales as well as supporting stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Philip Francis Nowlan (Buck Rogers) and Alpheus Hyatt Verrill (The Radio Detectives). Jack Williamson's first published story, "The Metal Man," appeared in the December 1928 issue of AMAZING STORIES. 

Asked what his fascination with the magazine is, Anderson clarified one point. "Well, I certainly didn't grow up in the 1940s! But AMAZING is a cornerstone in the history of science fiction. Its first issue was released in 1926 and was the very first science fiction magazine. The editor, Hugo Gernsback, who is also a character in JSA: Strange Adventures, invented the term 'scientifiction' which he later shortened to 'science fiction.' Science fiction's highest award, the Hugo, is named after him. After a several-year hiatus, AMAZING is resuming publication again this summer, coincidentally right around the time when this series hits the stores.

"Jack [Williamson] was one of the most popular SF writers in the golden days of the pulp magazines, which is why I used him as a main character here. His first story was published in AMAZING in 1928 and, even though he is 96 years old, he still publishes a new novel just about every year, and last year he won the coveted Nebula Award for one of his shorter works. He's also won the Hugo Award, has been declared a Grand Master of Science Fiction, and is a past president of the Science Fiction Writers of America. If you don't know who Jack is, you should.

"I've known Jack personally for about fifteen years. He is a kind gentleman and very talented. When I was developing this storyline, I wrote to Jack and asked if I could use him as a character; he readily agreed, saying that he himself used to read the JSA comics when he was much younger. I have also written several pieces for AMAZING STORIES in its various incarnations -- Brian Herbert and I published the first-ever original Dune short story in AMAZING -- and I know the publisher and editor well. DC thought it would be impossible to get legal permission to use AMAZING, but the publisher was also very enthusiastic - turns out he's a JSA fan as well."

Source: Newsarama

They're also trying to make this version "emotionally truthful. I put that ahead of anything else, including technology and the realism of the effects. Everybody's image of 'King Kong' is that it's this amazing beauty-and-the-beast love story. And when you look at the original film, there is as sense that Kong is feeling an attraction toward Ann-probably the first empathy he's felt in his life toward another living creature. But Ann is not giving him a thing. She just looks at him as an object of horror the entire time. She screams at him, she's terrified. Her relationship with Kong doesn't go beyond that. We're having a lot of fun making it more psychologically real" 

THE COMPLEAT MOON MAN by Frederick C. Davis
The Moon Man was Stephen Thatcher, the son of the city police chief, Peter Thatcher. Stephen was a 25-year-old police Sergeant with what seemed to be a normal life, including a fiancee (the gutsy Sue McEwen, an amateur sleuth who often got involved in the Moon Man’s cases) and friends. But at night he put on a domed helmet (with one-way Argus glass) and a long black cloak and did the Robin Hood thing, robbing from the criminals to pay the poor.  This two volume set will include all of the Moon Man stories ever published.  The price is $175. 
Summer 2004

THE MAGICAL MYSTERIES OF DON DIAVOLO by Clayton Rawson
Authorized by the Rawson estate, this volume will include the four very scarce Don Diavolo novels from the pulps as well as Rawson's five other pulp detective short stories.  Making it a true collector's item, BSDB hopes to have a new introduction for the book by Clayton Rawson's son.  The price is $50.  Fall 2004

THE ADVENTURES OF THE GOLDEN AMAZON, Volume 1 (of three) by John Russell Fearn
The price is $75. November 2004

THE COMPLETE GADGET MAN STORIES by Lester Dent 
Click Rush, the Gadget Man, was created by Lester Dent and appeared in CRIME BUSTERS from 1937 to 1938. Rush was a tall, lean, strong young man with brown hair and eyes. (Brown was his favorite color; he usually dressed all in brown.) Rush was an amateur investigator who invented gadgets towards this end. He'd come to the "big city" with the "notion of selling super-modern, crook-catching gadgets to the police." After the cops laughed him out of the station house he went out on his own. 
The price is $45.    Spring 2005

THE MAGICAL MYSTERIES OF THE GREEN GHOST by G. T. Fleming-Roberts
George Chance is a magician, one so good that he "excelled the late Harry Houdini in the technique of escape." He also teaches magic, being proficient in disguise, criminology, lock-picking, knife-throwing, psychology, stage illusion, background construction, and other such things as a professional magician needs to know. Naturally, he wished to put his skills to use fighting crime, and so he put on a fright mask and became "the Ghost" (sometimes "the Green Ghost"), aiding Police Commissioner Standish against the bad guys.  This two volume set will include all of the Green Ghost stories ever published.  The price is $150. Spring 2005

THE PHILIP M. FISHER PORTFOLIO 
Not yet scheduled.

THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK GOTCH by Albert Richard Wetjen
Created by Albert Richard Wetjen and appearing in ACTION STORIES starting in 1928, Shark Gotch (“that’s Gootch!”) was a small, thin man, almost frail-looking, who was a gun for hire. To his advantage was his draw, which was quicker than anyone he encountered and perhaps on the level of the greats’. Gotch was active in the South Pacific, fighting against every kind of ill-intentioned character one might think of, from pearl rustlers to Chinese pirates. His arch-enemy was the vicious Larsen of Singapore, who ended up killing Gotch.
Not yet scheduled.

Also on the slate from Battered Silicon are THE OTHER SEABURY QUINN STORIES (his non-de Grandin yarns from WEIRD TALES), and possibly hardcover versions of Miller and Contento's FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION PULP INDEX, Cook, Miller, and Contento's MYSTERY FICTION PULP INDEX, and McKinstry, Weinberg, and Murray's THE ULTIMATE HERO PULP INDEX. None of these titles currently have prices or release dates.

Thanks to Jess Nevins excellent Pulp Hero website for the character descriptions above.
Visit Jess Nevins Pulp Hero website at http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/pulpsintro.html

Mike Chomko is now accepting pre-orders for the above titles:
Orders over $30 are discounted 10% and shipped postpaid. 
For shipments to Canada, please add $4 to your order.
Orders under $30 are no discount and add $3 ($5 for Canada) for shipping and handling.
Mike accepts cash payments (but not credit card payments) through Paypal at chomko@enter.net.
Checks and money orders can be sent to Michael Chomko, 2217 W. Fairview Street, Allentown, PA  18104-6542 
Contact Mike by email at chomko@enter.net.

According to the The Hollywood Reporter, Kenneth Branagh has signed on to do the film, possibly playing a villain - thought it isn't confirmed. They're apparently keeping the details of his character under lock and key for now. 
The trade adds that further casting is under way on the sequel, which is due to go into production in late summer. Frank Darabont is writing for the third installment, which Joe Carnahan will direct. 

Paramount Pictures has tapped Scarlett Johansson to portray an ally of Cruise's Ethan Hunt character. 

SLAMM! THE HARDBOILED FICTION OF CJ HENDERSON by CJ Henderson & Various; cover by Scott Hanna will be available in comic shops on May 5th.

Eleven tales of hate, despair, and runaway violence from today's premier writer of hardboiled fiction, novelist and Punisher/Batman scribe CJ Henderson! It's bounty hunters, sex addicts, vampires, and more, set against backdrops of revenge, defiance, and urban madness. This is the man Detective Story Magazine said "knows the mean streets around us today and makes them sing with the blood and sweat of life." Contributors include Fred Harper, Richard Clark, Trevor Von Eeden, and more! 
Soft Cover, 7x10, 96 pages, b&w $10.95

Visit the Moonstone Books website at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/

Another update features an extensive bibliography -- still a work in progress -- for the prolific Beatrice (Ethel) Grimshaw, whose career spanned the Gaslight era of magazines, the pulp era, and on to the post-pulp era of slicks. Compiled by Peter Ruber and Victor A. Berch, with contributions by Mike Ashley. Many thanks to you all!
You can view the bibliography, which includes some links at the bottom, by visiting this URL:
http://pulprack.com/arch/000168.html#000168

Duane Spurlock, proprietor, The Pulp Rack

Who among film fans and movie buffs cannot remember with fondness the marvelously realistic dinosaurs, fantastic aliens, and imaginative mythological creatures in 20 Millions Miles to Earth, Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C., and Clash of the Titans? Who cannot recall the battling skeletons in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad or the chaos and destruction wrought from the skies over our nation's capitol in Earth vs. The Flying Saucers? These and other classic movie moments represent the work of Ray Harryhausen, arguably the greatest stop-motion animator in the history of motion pictures. 

Inspired by Willis O'Brien's King Kong and schooled by animation genius George Pal (The War of the Worlds, Time Machine, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm), Harryhausen blazed new trails in special effects from the 1950s to the 1980s. Now, in the animator's own words, accompanied by hundreds of previously unpublished photos, sketches, and storyboards from his personal archive, comes RAY HARRYHAUSEN: AN ANIMATED LIFE. 

Anecdotal, insightful, illuminating, and honest, the book takes readers through Harryhausen's entire career - film by film, triumph by triumph - from the impact that watching The Lost World and King Kong had on his life to creating the magnificent creatures seen in Clash of the Titans, his last movie. In words and images, it explains the basics of special effects and stop-motion animation, along the way telling tales of working with the film stars of the day - such as Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, and Lionel Jeffries, to name a few - and revealing how Raquel Welch was picked up by a flying dinosaur in One Million Years B.C., why the octopus in Mysterious Island was really only a sixtopus, and what Madusa's blood was made from in Clash of the Titans. 
* No motion picture animator has greater recognition than Ray Harryhausen 
* The book explores in detail how the animation models were made 
* It also offers a film-by-film breakdown of the animation techniques used 
* And it includes never before seen concept sketches and movie production drawings from films such as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans, and many more 
* And provides frame-by-frame deconstructions of how ground-breaking effects were achieved 
* Finally, it contains previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photos revealing Harryhausen's expert artistry, unique talent, and production secrets 

Hard Cover, 9x11, 304 pages, Full Color,  691 black and white illustrations, 366 color illustrations, Publisher: Watson-Guptill / Billboard, $50.00

Crusader has now counter-sued, accusing Cussler of delaying production of the film. In its complaint the company said, "To option the rights to the entire [Dirk Pitt] series, Crusader paid Cussler an extremely handsome price -- even by Hollywood standards." Crusader also accuses Cussler of attempting to "foment opposition to the film among his fans, and to organize a fan campaign to coerce Crusader into letting Cussler write the screenplay.

Price: £3.95 + 0.55p P&P (overseas shipping + £1.55)
Subscriptions: £15.00 (overseas £20.00) 

Please make cheques, postal orders or international money orders payable to: T. Fountain and send to: 
ThrillerUK, 130 Sackville Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 7AA, United Kingdom. 
Cash can be sent at your own risk (and in your own currency!) 
ThrillerUK now accepts credit cards via Paypal. 

Visit the ThrillerUK website at http://www.thrilleruk.fsnet.co.uk/

Buckle up for a high-flying tale that takes Tom and his companions from the back streets of Millennium City to the top of the world! Aircraft across the world are mysteriously grounded as all engine-driven flight is rendered impossible. Now, after discovering a secret from his past, Tom Strong must solve this mystery - or mankind will forever be banned from the skies! Featuring guest creative team Mark Schultz (Cadillacs and Dinosaurs) and Pascual Ferry (SUPERMAN).

AMERICA'S BEST COMICS, 32 pages, $2.95

Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection, another 2-disc set including Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein on Disc One, with Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein on Disc Two. The SRP is $26.98.

The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection  includes The Wolf Man and Werewolf of London on Disc One, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman and She-Wolf of London on Disc Two. The SRP is $26.98.

The Monster Legacy Gift Set  6-disc set (SRP $79.98) includes all three of the above Legacy collection discs, along with collectible Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolf Man figurines in a boxed set.

This issue features a brief article on DETECTIVE BOOK MAGAZINE by Virginia E. Johnson.

Click here for a four page preview.

Pulp Hero: The HERO System returns to the thrilling adventures of the Pulp genre with Pulp Hero, a successor to the venerated and beloved Justice, Inc. Like Hero's other genre books, Pulp Hero provides a thorough overview of the genre and its elements, character creation notes, equipment and vehicles, GMing tips, and sample characters. It also includes a thorough, gaming-friendly guide to the world of the 1920s and '30s.
Author: Steven S. Long, et al.  Tentative Release Date: Late 2005

BURMA GUNS by E. Hoffmann Price
The Pakokku Teak Company needed more production in order to save her leasing rights. So Denis Ward set out to build a railway through the steaming jungles of Burma. With the railway in place logs could easily be transported to the river and then upstream to Rangoon before the monsoon rains hit. But was there time?   Suddenly disaster struck at every turn!  His elephants became sick, superstitions made his native workman desert, the government threatened to shut him down for illegal harvesting of forests. Then to top it off a meddlesome and snooping girl showed up on the scene.   So many problems could spell only one thing--Sabotage! Who was behind it all?  What unseen enemy was out to ruin Ward and the Teak Company? And can he find out in time to quell a sudden native uprising?  Find out the answers in another thrilling adventure of exotic lands as penned by E. Hoffmann Price. 

Each chapbook is 5x8 in size, staple bound, and retails for $9. 
Shipping and handling:  1 book $2;  2-4 books $4; 5-7 books please inquiry.

Black Dog Books also carrys DVDs of serials, adventure, mysteries and pulp-type things.
Send an email to blackdogbooks_tomroberts@yahoo.com to get your name on the BDB email list.

Order from:
Black Dog Books
1102 N. Roosevelt Ave.
Bloomington, IL 61701-2767
blackdogbooks_tomroberts@yahoo.com

Bold Venture Press is putting the finishing touches on COMPLIMENTS OF THE DOMINO LADY. 
Steranko has outdone himself on this volume, which raises pulp fiction anthologies to new levels. 
The street date is June 30th ... Do we want this on sale in time for Pulpcon? Of course! 
Cover price is $14.95, 96 pages, six stories by Lars Anderson, original pulp illustrations, new cover and six new title page illustrations by STERANKO.  Norman Saunders’ original covers from SAUCY ROMANTIC and NEW MYSTERY ADVENTURES are reproduced on the back.  Please let Bold Venture Press know by May 15th how many copies you would like of DOMINO LADY.

The Bold Venture Press website is at http://www.boldventurepress.com/
Send orders to:
Bold Venture Press
P.O. Box 64
Bordentown, NJ 08505
boldventurepress@aol.com

Click here or on the image at the right for a larger image of the spectacular STERANKO cover for COMPLIMENTS OF THE DOMINO LADY.

The 44th statue in the series is offered in an extremely limited edition of 600 numbered pieces. Tonto comes packaged in a special litho-printed full-color tin box and includes a vintage-style pinback button, and booklet about the characters and their creator, Fran Striker. 

5 1/4" tall, packaged in a full-color tin w/pinback button and booklet, $49.95.

Request Diamond Item Code OCT030084 at your local comic shop.

CLASSIC COMIC CHARACTERS #44: LONE RANGER can be ordered online from Things From Another World.

The 45th statue in the series is offered in an extremely limited edition of 600 numbered pieces. Tonto comes packaged in a special litho-printed full-color tin box and includes a vintage-style pinback button, and booklet about the characters and their creator, Fran Striker. 

On sale March 10, 5 1/4" tall, packaged in a full-color tin w/pinback button and booklet, $49.95.

Request Diamond Item Code NOV030076 at your local comic shop.

CLASSIC COMIC CHARACTERS #45: TONTO can be ordered online from Things From Another World.

But before we get to that, Freaks of the Heartland artist Greg Ruth teams with Kurt Busiek for the first part of Born on the Battlefield. Issue #8 of the monthly will be the first fill-in issue of the book, breaking Cary Nord's celebrated run. But we don't feel too bad about dropping in this fill-in. Greg's work on Freaks has been turning heads, and the story warrants a change in look. 

When Kurt and I first talked about what to do with the new series, he offered the option of starting at Conan's birth in a field of battle, which his people considered a factor in shaping him as the powerful man he'd become. We'd follow him through his early years, up to the historic Battle of Venarium. We realized that this would mean that our main character would be a child, and not really the Conan that people want to see, for nearly half a year. So we shelved it, with the idea that we'd get back to it shortly.

So with issue #8 we present the first standalone chapter of Born on the Battlefield, written by Kurt and drawn by Greg Ruth. The following issue, Cary and his cohorts will return, under new cover artist Leinil Yu, for Conan's intro to Hyborean civilization. In the meantime, stick with the monthly to see how things shake out for Conan in Hyperborea, and let us know what you think of the book.

In the aftermath of The Frost Giant's Daughter, Conan heads into battle with the men of Asgard, never suspecting the treachery they hold in store for him, nor the horror coming down from Hyperborea. Dark Horse's new interpretation of Robert E. Howard's greatest creation. 32 pages, $2.99

Click here for a four page preview.

This book is available in three editions.
Limited Edition - $221
This Edition is limited to just 1950 copies worldwide.
Artists Edition - $391
The Artists Edition is limited to just 50 copies worldwide and comes with extra preliminary drawings.
Leather Ultra Edition - $552.50
The Ultra Edition is limited to only 100 copies worldwide and is leatherbound and comes with a leather slipcase and extra preliminary drawings. 

All three editions will be available in June 2004 and can be pre-ordered from The Book Palace.
The Limited Edition can also be pre-ordered through your local comic shop.
The Diamond Item Code is APR043231.
The Limited Edition will be available from Bud Plant after publication.

The new Collinwood is the Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills, California, as used in the 1991 incarnation of Dark Shadows; however, the "new" Old House will be somewhere else entirely. ShadowGram (the longest-running Dark Shadows fanzine) reports that the Old House will be filmed elsewhere on location. In other location news, San Pedro's Ports O' Call village, which was used for Collinsport in 1991, will again be doubling for the fictional towen. 

The site is still growing, so watch for upcoming coverage on the Pulp Con Doc Savage Suites from the late 90's. 
You can visit the Doc Savage Convention Center website at http://members.aol.com/jryands/DocConHome/

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.

Blackmask Online: 
No Good From a Corpse by Leigh Brackett
A Martian Odyssey by Stanley Weinbaum
Valley Of Dreams by Stanley Weinbaum

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 400 stories online!
Beyond Justice by Robert Leslie Bellem from SPICY DETECTIVE STORIES [November 1935]
Nothing is left to the imagination when Dan Turner judges a beauty contest of Hollywood cuties.
Ranger's Ruse by Charles N. Heckelmann from TEXAS RANGERS [August 1943]
A cowtown murder mystery.
Score None for the Chair by Thomas Thursday from SMASHING DETECTIVE [September 1951]
A Miami man carves up his wife and is caught tossing the pieces into the river. 
It's a one-way trip to the Big Jolt--or is it?
I'm a Bum by Cliff Campbell from SUPER SPORTS [May 1942]
The Barry Bonds story.

Shocklines is now accepting orders for the limited edition.  All copies are autographed.
The price is $36 plus $5 shipping.

You can also order direct from Cemetery Dance Publications.  Copies are not autographed.
The price is $40 plus shipping. 

"Like any good production relationship between top-tier producers and a studio, you're always going to have disagreements," he said. "We had a lot of disagreements on the last Bond, and they all got sorted out to everybody's satisfaction."  McGurk said that aside from the fact that no 007 is currently linked to the picture, it's business as usual for the Bond franchise.  "All creative decisions are mutual between the studio and the producers. They make recommendations and both sides can say yea or nay. We're going to go through the same process on this one." 
The new Bond will be announced in a few months. 

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (now available). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY042906.

Zeppelin Bait
Teeth of Revenge
Frozen Flight
One Billion -- Gold!

This statue can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (now available). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043811.

The Lone Ranger statue is produced by Electric Tiki Design.
You can order and view a much larger image on the Electric Tiki Design website.
Electric Tiki is also planning a retro-version of the statue featuring the Lone Ranger in his red shirt, black scarf/pants as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive. They will also be offering part of this special edition via the Electric Tiki web site for those who can't make it to San Diego.

Entertainment Weekly has asked filmmaker Robert Rodriguez about his status as the director of Paramount/Alphaville's A Princess of Mars (a.k.a. John Carter of Mars). Rodriguez's recent decision to resign from the Directors Guild of America placed his ability to helm the big-screen adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic sci-fi novel in doubt. As a DGA signatory, Paramount is not allowed to hire a non-union director. Rodriguez advised EW, however, that the situation is under control.

"I can still do that movie," claims Rodriguez, "because I was assigned to it before I left the DGA. I'll occupy that island of misfit directors like Quentin Tarantino and George Lucas. (Laughs) It's actually quite nice here". 

This latest addition comes to The Pulp Rack thanks to pulp fan John Locke. 
John's contribution this time around is an article by Lemuel LeBra for the June 1924 issue of THE AUTHOR & JOURNALIST MAGAZINE.  Titled "The Truth About Writers and Writing," you'll find it at this URL:
http://pulprack.com/index5.html

SKY CAPTAIN had been set to open a week before SPIDER-MAN 2, but Sony recently announced that it was moving the web-slinging sequel up to June 29, leaving SKY CAPTAIN just four days in the spotlight.  Paramount vice chairman Rob Friedman told the trade, "To have a window of a mere four days seemed to be wrong.  We have a great movie that the public is excited about and the media is excited about. With think it's a bigger opportunity in what is right now an extraordinarily crowded summer to put (the movie) in a less competitive situation where we will have a greater opportunity."  Friedman added that the visuals weren't a holdup.  "It would definitely have made it," he says.  But with the new date, the studio will be able to conduct extensive screenings and promote the film heavily for several months at events like Comic-Con International. 

Thanks to James Van Hise for the information.

Disc Four will feature all new and exclusive bonus material. The centerpiece of the disc Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. According to Lucasfilm: "This two-and-a-half hour documentary traces the evolution of the saga, from a low-budget labor-of-love space saga to the movie phenomenon that defied the odds and reinvented the rules. This comprehensive documentary features all new interviews with George Lucas and more than 40 members of the cast and crew from the original trilogy, as well as a host of filmmakers and media personalities. Empire of Dreams includes some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the three films."

When you're done with that, you can check out the Episode III behind-the-scenes preview featurette, The Return of Darth Vader, in which Lucas reveals how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. We also get a first look at the new Vader costume for Episode III, and see how actors Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor prepared for the epic lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Next up, The Birth of the Lightsaber featurette takes a look at the origins and creation of "this elegant weapon from a more civilized age." The Characters of Star Wars featurette takes an in-depth look at how all the classic characters developed, from original concept art to interviews with Lucas and the cast. The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars featurette looks at the influence of the Star Wars films on filmmaking and entertainment as a whole, and includes interviews with "the most notable filmmakers of our time." Rounding out the film content on this disc, are the original theatrical teaser, launch and re-release trailers for each film, plus TV spots, a gallery of hundreds of rare production art images and photos, and a gallery of poster and print campaign artwork.

Then there's "the rest of the disc", which will be of less interest to film fans. This includes preview trailers for the Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Episode III videogames, an Xbox playable demo of Battlefront, and DVD-ROM access to a special online site with additional exclusive content.

With lively text that is both entertaining and informative, alongside eye-popping samples of full-colour magazine covers, True Crime, True North leads readers back to the pulps of the 1940s, exploring the themes that characterized true crime in Canada: the unquestioned adherence to retributive justice, the unwavering faith in lawmen and the enduring affection for the men of the RCMP. 

TRUE CRIME, TRUE NORTH is 109 pages for $24.95 and can be purchased from Amazon.ca.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (now available). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043199.

Zorro Rides Again 1 features Chapters 1 through 6.
Zorro Rides Again 2 features Chapters 7 through 12.
Each DVD retails for $9.99.
 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume Two HC from America's Best Comics has also been nominated in the Best Illustrated Narrative category. The story is by Alan Moore and the art is by Kevin O'Neil.

The Stokers are awarded annual by the Horror Writers Association, a worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting dark literature and the interests of those who write it. 
Winners will be announced at the Stoker Banquet dinner in June in NYC.

$9.95 plus $2.50 shipping (Media Mail) for a single copy.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043121.

$7.95 plus $2.50 shipping (Media Mail) for a single copy.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043123.
 

In this third issue, Brian Vaughan pens the captivating story, To Reign in Hell, told in classic 1940s style, and former Swamp Thing artist Roger Petersen richly illustrates this spotlight on Big Al. Marv Wolfman writes Heil and Fear Well, a story in the infamous EC horror style With art by veteran cartoonist Joe Staton and indie stalwart Bob Sikoryak, this tale of nefarious post-war Nazis shocks and chills. Finally, the mysterious powers of Luna Moth may be up for grabs ... is our favorite mild-mannered librarian worthy of them? Kevin McCarthy and Dean Haspiel serve up a tribute to Jack Kirby's 1960s Marvel work in The Trial of Judy Dark. Don't miss out on this thrilling third issue of the (now back on schedule!) quarterly anthology MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST, edited by the dynamic duo of Schutz and Chabon! 

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics, 80 pages, $8.95, in stores on July 14. 

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st).
The Diamond Item Code is MAY040041.

Gladiator by Philip Wylie
Introduction by Janny Wurts
“‘What would you do if you were the strongest man in the world, the strongest thing in the world, mightier than the machine?’ He made himself guess answers for that rhetorical inquiry. ‘I would run the universe single-handed. I would scorn the universe and turn it to my own ends. I would be a criminal. I would rip open banks and gut them. I would kill and destroy. I would be a secret, invisible blight. I would set out to stamp crime off the earth.’”

Hugo Danner is the strongest man on earth, the result of a monstrous experiment by his scientist father. Nearly invulnerable, he can run faster than a train, leap higher than trees, lift a wrecked vehicle to rescue its pinned driver, and hurl boulders like baseballs. His remarkable abilities, however, cannot gain him what he desires most—acceptance—for Hugo Danner is desperately lonely, shunned and feared for his enormous strength.

An enduring classic in speculative fiction and the reported inspiration for the original comic hero, Superman, Gladiator is a melancholic tale of a boy set apart because of his unique gift and his lifelong struggle to come to terms with it.

Trade paperback, ISBN : 0-8032-9840-4, $15.95 

Visit the Bison Frontiers of Imagination website at http://unp.unl.edu/BisonFrontiers.html

Thanks to Joe Marek for this information.

BURMA GUNS by E. Hoffmann Price
The Pakokku Teak Company needed more production in order to save her leasing rights. So Denis Ward set out to build a railway through the steaming jungles of Burma. With the railway in place logs could easily be transported to the river and then upstream to Rangoon before the monsoon rains hit. But was there time?   Suddenly disaster struck at every turn!  His elephants became sick, superstitions made his native workman desert, the government threatened to shut him down for illegal harvesting of forests. Then to top it off a meddlesome and snooping girl showed up on the scene.     So many problems could spell only one thing--Sabotage! Who was behind it all?  What unseen enemy was out to ruin Ward and the Teak Company? And can he find out in time to quell a sudden native uprising?  Find out the answers in another thrilling adventure of exotic lands as penned by E. Hoffmann Price. 

Each chapbook is 5x8 in size, staple bound, and retails for $9. 

Black Dog Books can be ordered from Mike Chomko
Orders over $30 are discounted 10% and shipped postpaid. 
For shipments to Canada, please add $4 to your order.
Orders under $30 are no discount and add $3 ($5 for Canada) for shipping and handling.
Mike accepts cash payments (but not credit card payments) through Paypal at chomko@enter.net.
Checks and money orders can be sent to Michael Chomko, 2217 W. Fairview Street, Allentown, PA  18104-6542 
Contact Mike by email at chomko@enter.net.

The return of Conan is at hand.  By the mid 1970s, Robert E Howard’s seminal Sword and Sorcery hero had cut a path through the comic-book world, restored to vivid life by prolific writer Roy Thomas and his host of talented artists  Of those artists, none contributed more to Conan’s legacy than the legendary John Buscema.  Taking the lush and detailed realism that had already been established in the comic-book series, Buscema pushed the look of Howard’s creation in an entirely new direction, illustrating what would become the definitive version of Conan for an entire generation of readers. Collecting issues #27-#33 of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian series. Featuring completely remastered color.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY040034.

Once a slave, now an angry rebel, it’s Conan versus the full might of the sorcerous kingdom of Hyperborea! With the lives of his allies and his lover in the balance, the swordsman must triumph over the most ancient and corrupt kingdom of his world—or watch them die! Original Conan author Robert E. Howard showed that the barbarian held a deep hatred against this magical nation, and vowed one day to grind them into the dust. Now his reasons, and the grisly truth about Hyperborea’s most sacred rites, are finally revealed.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY040032.

The Deep One will be in comic shops on April 21st.
Request Diamond Item Code NOV033331 at your local comic shop.
The Deep One can be ordered online from Entertainment Earth.

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.

Blackmask Online: 
The Shadow in THE JADE DRAGON
DEMONS OF DISASTER by JOHNSTON McCULLEY
THE FALL OF FRISCO FREDDIE by Jerome Severs Perry
THE MYSTERY OF ST. AGNES' HOSPITAL by Nicholas Carter
NICK CARTER'S GHOST STORY by Nicholas Carter
THE CRIME OF THE FRENCH CAFE by Nicholas Carter
WHO KILLED BOB TEAL? by Dashiell Hammett
NIGHT SHOTS by Dashiell Hammett
THE SECOND-STORY ANGEL by Dashiell Hammett
ZIGZAGS OF TREACHERY by Dashiell Hammett
DEATH ON PINE STREET by Dashiell Hammett
RUFFIAN'S WIFE by Dashiell Hammett
AFRAID OF A GUN by Dashiell Hammett
THE ASSISTANT MURDERER by Dashiell Hammett

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 400 stories online!
No Greater Love by Michael Bittner from HARLEM STORIES [May 1932] 
Trouble Goalie by Cliff Campbell from ALL SPORTS [December 1950] 
Demons of Disaster by Johnston McCulley from MASKED RIDER WESTERN [March 1946] 
The Fall of Frisco Freddie by Jerome Severs Perry from SPICY DETECTIVE STORIES [November 1935] 

We were advised that, as of now, Sommers will most certainly produce Flash Gordon but has not yet decided whether he will write and direct it, too. We were also told that Sommers won't announce his decision on Flash Gordon until after Van Helsing opens in May.

In the year 2035, robots are an everyday household item, and everyone trusts them, except one, slightly paranoid detective (Smith) investigating what he alone believes is a crime perpetrated by a robot. The case leads him to discover a far more frightening threat to the human race.

This book can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043124.

ILLUSTRATION MAGAZINE, 3640 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
48 pages in black and white and full color for $9.
Four issue subscriptions are available for $36.

The April 2004 issue of LOCUS (now available) features a one page article on the 2004 Jack Williamson Lectureship.  The article includes 3 photos of attendees.

This statue can be pre-ordered from the May PREVIEWS (available April 21st). 
The Diamond Item Code is MAY043811.

Click here or on the images at the right for larger images.

THE MEMOIRS OF HORATIO HUMBERTON by J. Paul Suter, introduction by Robert Weinberg
A total of ten adventure novelettes appeared in DIME DETECTIVE MAGAZINE between July 1932 and January 1937 featuring the Necrologist Sleuth, Horatio Humberton. These stories feature elements of the supernatural, and the outrageous, and are collected here for the first time. Unfortunately only one featured a cover illustration for the magazine. You will not be disappointed with these hard-boiled escapades, bordering on humorous escapist detective fiction.  The ten stories are:  The Angel of the Damned, Eyes of the Dead, The Werewolf Horrors, The Mill of Horror, Seconds of Doom, Shoes for the Dead, Post Mortem, Dead and Buried, The Hairy Death, and The Corpse the Cat Dragged In. 

Writing in THE DIME DETECTIVES (The Mysterious Press, 1988), Ron Goulart said: "Horatio Humberton...was a part-time dick and a full-time undertaker. 'Though Horatio Humberton earned the principal part of his living by the
direction of funerals," it was explained "another science, the study of crime, was much nearer his heart. When it came to embalming a murdered man, he could do a good job; but he would be far more enthusiastic in the task of
finding the murderer."  The retail price of this 386-page book will be $50.

THE COMPLEAT ADVENTURES OF THE DEAN by Merle Constiner, introduction by Robert Weinberg
The Dean operates a fortune-telling business in a disreputable part of town. He is assisted in his adventures by Benton Matthews, a specialist in locks and guns. He also has the ear of Captain Kunkle, and grudgingly, the assistance of Lieutenant Malloy of the police department. Clients arrive with outrageous problems which generally lead to brilliant solutions. These nineteen unusual and unique stories will be published in THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF THE DEAN, by Merle Constiner and introduced by Robert Weinberg. They were originally published in DIME DETECTIVE MAGAZINE from August 1940 through December 1945. A folio-sized hardcover, this "Lost Treasure from the Pulps" will retail for $75. 

THE COMPLEAT ADVENTURES OF BILL BRENT by Frederick C. Davis, introduction by Robert Weinberg
Bill Brent works for a newspaper, and as punishment he is assigned the "Lorna Lorne's Lost Lover's Advice Column" by his editor. However, inquiries for advise addressed to Lorna often result in misadventures, murder, and mayhem. The fifteen stories to be published in THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF BILL BRENT, by Frederick C. Davis, introduced by Robert Weinberg, were originally published in DIME DETECTIVE MAGAZINE from May 1941 through June 1946. A folio-sized hardcover, this "Lost Treasure from the Pulps" will retail for $75. 

Several new titles have been added to the LOST TREASURES FROM THE PULPS series for later in 2004. 
Coming up are:  THE COMPLEAT MOON MAN by Frederick C. Davis - which will include all of the Moon Man stories ever published  and THE MAGICAL MYSTERIES OF DON DIAVOLO by Clayton Rawson - authorized by the Rawson estate, this volume will include the four very scarce Don Dia