SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING LESTER DENT’S AVIATOR SPY! “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE BLACK BAT” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

With a licensing agreement with the Heirs of Norma Dent for anthologies of all new stories of characters created by Lester Dent, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE BLACK BAT.

“Yes,” explains Tommy Hancock, “there is a third Black Bat from the Pulps, and this one is not only an aviator involved in espionage, but he happened to be created by Lester Dent! Although he’s known for being the genius behind Doc Savage, as well as other known characters, this one came as a surprise even to me.  Although not immediately considered a writer of aviation pulp, Dent’s early career is peppered with the publication of such tales in various pulp magazines. The Black Bat starred in just one of those stories, but even in that brief tale, Dent introduced a mysterious character whose face was unknown to anyone that took his spying and fighting to the airways! This is such a fun character for writers to get an opportunity to be a part of. Dent packed a lot of style and details on this aviator hero into one tale while also leaving a lot of room for writers to explore while respecting the original work.”

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE BLACK BAT should contact Hancock at editorinchief@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. 

For more information on this announcement, email editorinchief@prose-press.com.

To learn more about Pro Se Productions, go to www.prose-press.com. Like Pro Se on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProSeProductions.

Ron Fortier -- Of Course It's an Art

Ron Fortier is the Cap'n. I'm proud to call him editor, publisher, and friend. He's 1/2 of the brains and brawn behind Airship 27 Productions, and a damn fine writer and purveyor of pulp pulchritudes. 

Tell us a bit about your latest work. 

Considering I usually have three to four things in the fire at the same time, that simple question could be overly long. So let’s Reader’s Digest it. Comics-wise, I’ve just finished writing a 108-pg Black Bat graphic novel which artist Mike Belcher is drawing and will self-publish when finished. Pulp-wise, I’m in the middle of a new novel that will be a prequel to my Brother Bones series. And I recently finished a short story for Tommy Hancock’s tribute book for our late dear friend, Derrick Ferguson.

What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer? 

Comics happened. My Dad started giving me comics when I was all of five years old. I couldn’t even read, but I sure could follow the pictures. From that I got a sense of narrative and then by the time I could read, it was all I ever wanted to do. Ergo, it only became natural for me to get the bug and want to tell my own stories.

What inspires you to write? 

The joy and pleasure I can give others, be they friends and families or total strangers. If my stories can entertain people in a positive way, that reward is priceless to me. 

What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work? 

The standard good versus evil is at the core of anything I write. Whether it’s a comedy superhero like Mr. Jigsaw defeating bad guys in his own hilarious fashion, on the creepy undead Brother Bones blowing away gangsters. With that as a foundation, I can layer on other themes such as loyalty, courage and sacrifice. Often times doing the right thing requires lots of sacrifice and that is great drama.

What would be your dream project? 

Writing a graphic novel detailing the making of the 1938 movie KING KONG.

What writers have influenced your style and technique? 

By the time I was 13, I was an avid reader and discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edmond Hamilton, Richard Prather and Robert Heinlein. But the one writer who totally shaped my style was Evan Hunter writing his 87th Precinct mysterious under the pseudonym of Ed McBain. His economy of words and efficiency in using dialog was amazing and I marveled at it. Enough to try and emulate him every time I write…even to this day.

If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do? 

I once co-wrote a pulp entitled GHOST SQUAD with Andrew Salmon that we’d hoped to be the start of a pulp series. Unfortunately the book was coming in short and I urged to Andrew to extend a certain car-chase sequence. It was padding and we were called on it by several reviewers. That was all on me. If I could go back re-edit it, that scene would be severely trimmed. It was a hard lesson to learn.

Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or it is a science continuum?" Why? 

Of course it’s an art. It is nothing you put in a can or build in a machine shop, no matter what formula you envision. Whereas I consider all art spiritual, a gift from the Creator. All of us possess such a gift and have an obligation to use it for the betterment of mankind, be you a cook, auto mechanic, or singer. Writing is a gift, it is art.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The actual creating itself. As my old pal Derrick Ferguson always said, “You can’t correct it if it isn’t on the page.” I procrastinate way too much, always coming up with excuses to avoid that blank screen. But when I finally write something, the pump is primed and away we go.

How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not? 

All my writing colleagues inspire me.  As I said before, I’m a lazy writer. When I see them producing so much work, it pushes me to do more. To join in the fun. I owe them all a great deal. People like Jim Beard, Barry Reese, Nancy Hansen, Fred Adams Jr., Tommy Hancock and so many others.

What does literary success look like to you? 

The words…THE END on a page.

Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug? 

Too many to remember them all. I’ve done a really different kind of Dracula story that will be coming from an Australian publisher later this year. And who knows, maybe those producers out in Hollywood pushing a Brother Bones TV series may get lucky. Time will tell.

For more information, visit:

www.airship27.com 

airship27.blogspot.com

PUBLIC DOMAIN CHARACTERS: A USER'S GUIDE -- IF YOU LIKE...

by Frank Schildiner 

One of the issues that writers face is an inability to fulfill the lifelong desire of writing a character they love. Take me, for example; I am one of the last major fans of the occult work of Dennis Wheatley. My chances of writing his seminal hero, the elderly soldier/magus the Duke de Richleau are, as some of my Southern friends like to say, “slim to none and slim already left town”. Sad fact, but absolutely true. I have also reconciled to the fact that I will also never have the luck of writing the Shadow, John Thunstone, Shang Chi, Daredevil, or Kull the Conqueror.

 However, when examining the world of public domain heroes, you can enjoy a piece of your dream by grabbing some of the pastiche and homage characters that appeared over the years. Here are a few you may wish to consider.

If you like…

1. Doc Savage – One of the most imitated heroes in fiction, Doc Savage has influenced comics, films, and many other areas of media. However, he is basically untouchable and shall remain so for the next few lifetimes. Here are three characters, however, written in the pulp period based on the great adventurer that are available to writers:

a. Jim Anthony – half-Native American, half Irish, manly, strong, brilliant, and wealthy. Jim Anthony is a version of Doc that fought evil world-shaking foes (for his first 10 tales) and enjoyed the company of beautiful women. An excellent alternative. 

b. Thunder Jim Wade – Created by horror writing legend Henry Kuttner, Thunder Jim Wade grew up in an advanced civilization in Africa and even owns his own island. His favorite device is the Thunderbug, a combination plane/tank/sub and he battles evil-doers around the world. Also, he owns his own secret island as a base.

c. Captain Hazzard – Blinded as a child in an explosion, Hazzard developed a form of ESP before surgery restored his eyesight. A genius adventurer with a team of aides, Captain Hazzard only appeared one time in pulps and has received a few revivals since that single appearance. A great deal can be done if you read the first rather poorly written novel and take this Doc Savage pastiche your own direction.

2. The Shadow – The Shadow’s influence upon fictional heroes is probably the only one equal or greater to Doc Savage. Even legendary pulp hero Richard Wentworth, the Spider, emerged from this character’s influence. He did spawn several effective pastiches over the years, though most remain under the control of individuals or companies. Therefore, I will simply give you one that should fulfill your dreams:

a. The Black Bat – Tony Quinn, a crusading District Attorney, has acid thrown in his eyes by a gangster. Blinded, he secretly receives sight again from an experimental procedure that also grants him perfect night vision. Pretending his blindness continued, he dresses in a black costume and battles crime as the Black Bat. This one practically writes itself; the only thing lacking are interesting villains. The Black Bat’s enemies were dull and forgettable, which probably hurt sales. Always remember, his DC comics counterpart’s villains are known throughout the world by non-comic fans. If you create some fantastic enemies, the Black Bat may grant you your dreams of the Shadow.

3. Tarzan – Hero of pulp, films, radio, television and more, Tarzan is probably one of the top five best known fictional heroes in history. Whether people know him from the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, the many films using him in various capacities, or the television series that emerged, people know this archetype. Obviously, Tarzan is as untouchable as the above heroes (and do not listen to those who believe otherwise unless you plan on enriching lawyers), but he has many public domain peers. Here are a few:

a. Polaris of the Snows – Written in 1915 by Charles B. Stilson, Polaris was raised by his father in Antarctica and grew up a giant, blond Tarzan type. After his father passes away, he decides he will find civilization and discover his identity. Of course, he rescues a beautiful woman along the way and discovers a lost civilization in the process. Polaris is a basically forgotten character who has a slightly different direction for his origin.

b. Ki-Gor – Subject of over fifty novels, Ki-Gor is a blond jungle lord who had most of the ideas Burroughs brought in his tales. He possesses a beautiful wife, native friends who he trusts and  who provide good tales (under the better writers), and an Africa replete with lost civilizations, evil adventurers, and weird creatures. You really cannot go wrong with writing Ki-Gor if your dream is to write Tarzan tales.

c. Mowgli – Created by the legendary Rudyard Kipling, Mowgli and his Jungle Book stories are about as much fun as you can have reading fiction. Most know the characters from the Disney animated film (which I happen to adore), but there is so much greater depth to that world than any film can impart. Mowgli, Shere Khan the lame tiger, Bagheera the black panther, Baloo the sloth bear, Kaa the giant python, Mother and Father Wolf…I could go on for days of the rich world Kipling created. Mowgli and his tales are the stuff of dreams and a great choice for any prospective writer. One final note—the character of King Louis is NOT from Kipling. That is a Disney creation (played by musical great Louis Prima), so do not use him in your stories.

This is just a start, but the best plan is to usually start at the top of any list, so Pulp heroes you can write to get the feel of writing the untouchable should be no different.

===========================

Frank Schildiner is a martial arts instructor at Amorosi’s Mixed Martial Arts in New Jersey. He is the writer of the novels, THE QUEST OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE TRIUMPH OF FRANKENSTEIN, NAPOLEON’S VAMPIRE HUNTERS, THE DEVIL PLAGUE OF NAPLES, THE KLAUS PROTOCOL, and IRMA VEP AND THE GREAT BRAIN OF MARS.  Frank is a regular contributor to the fictional series TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN and has been published in FROM BAYOU TO ABYSS: EXAMINING JOHN CONSTANTINE, HELLBLAZER, THE JOY OF JOE, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE, SECRET AGENT X Volumes 3, 4, 5, 6, THE LONE RANGER AND TONTO: FRONTIER JUSTICE, and THE AVENGER: THE JUSTICE FILES. He resides in New Jersey with his wife Gail who is his top supporter and two cats who are indifferent on the subject.

NOTE: This article was originally posted at Bibliorati. It is reprinted here by permission. 

Mike Bullock: Writing the Thousand Words (and more)

My first encounter with Mike Bullock was his wonderful fantasy comic book Lions, Tigers, and Bears. But it's time to discover what he's been up to lately. 

Tell us a bit about your latest work.

My first full-length sword & sorcery novel, Runemaster: Shield Maiden's Blade just dropped from Airship 27. It's been a long time coming and was so much fun to complete, it's almost surreal to have copies on my desk finally. Ron Fortier approached me about doing a book for Airship back in 2010 and soon after I started and wrote the first 10,000 words for the book. Well, life got in the way and I wasn't able to write the final 50k words until last Fall. 

The story follows Skarl Kirwall, born during the Last Great War, he was destined to lead his clan as the next Runemaster. Betrayed by a clansman, Skarl is banished from his village, only to learn of its destruction at the hands of their bitter enemies, the Ysling clan. Mourning his father’s death, he discovers his beloved Lacina is still alive, but taken by the bloodthirsty Yslings as a sacrifice to their god, Ysfang, the world serpent. Now, Skarl must pursue his lost love across the frozen wastes of Njordica and save her from the slathering jaws of the serpent god and in the process, take his rightful place as the next Runemaster.

What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?

As a kid, I was raised with my brother and two cousins until I hit elementary school. The three of them all got into drawing when I was four years old, but try as I might I could not draw a recognizable stick figure. One morning, I complained to my aunt that they were all drawing and I couldn't and she told me "Well, they say a picture's worth a thousand words, so if you can't draw the picture you better learn to write the thousand words." I took that at face value and went back in the other room and wrote my first story, with exactly one thousand words. (haha) The rest is history. 

What inspires you to write?

Anything imaginative. I think imagination is its own fuel, so when I see something creative, it sparks a fire in me. Going back to my childhood, as I grew older through the elementary and high school years, I spent a lot of time alone. Left to my own devices, back in the days when kids didn't have a million options for entertainment like they do now, I was forced to dream up ways to entertain myself. From creating games, to imagining far off worlds, conjuring new characters, places and conflicts just became something I did, spurred on by an intense fear of boredom. 

What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?

Personal loss and broken families seem to come up a lot...

What would be your dream project?

Honestly, while I love a lot of IPs created by others (John Carter, Conan, Batman, Moon Knight, Silver Surfer, ROM, Micronauts, Star Wars, etc...) my dream revolves around having my own version of something like Pixar, where I could create all sorts of things and bring them to life with unlimited resources. Taking my Lions, Tigers and Bears graphic novel series to the big and small screens, seeing Runemaster done as a video game, just having the ability to tell fantastical stories in a wide variety of mediums. 

What writers have influenced your style and technique?

Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard had the biggest impact on my pulp writing, while the old Rankin/Bass stop motion movies of the 60s and 70s inspired my all-ages writing. There are also particular books that hooked me and stuck with me over the years, such as The Phantom Tollbooth and the Flash Gordon book series from ACE in the 70s. 

If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?

I took a shot at re-imagining the Black Bat over at Moonstone Books years ago and the existing fan base didn't much care for it. In hindsight, I think we should have established the original character in the Moonstone pulp universe first, then brought the re-imagined version in later on. Sort of eased folks into it instead of driving it right out of the gate. 

Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or it is a science continuum?" Why?

While there's certainly a scientific craft to it, but I think it's more art, for sure. You can hit all the scientific marks of great storytelling and not invoke feelings in the reader. Conversely, a total hot mess of structure/theory can still trigger an emotional response. This is why you hear the word "lifeless" used to describe stories occasionally in reviews. A story is worthless if it doesn't make the reader feel something. 

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Landing the plane. I'll often psyche myself out with the ending of a tale, thinking it has to be a mind-blowing, paradigm-shifting, life-altering revelation. In reality, it just has to be a satisfying conclusion to the tensions created in the story. 

How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?

A big part of it is inspiration. Guys like Joe Gentile, Bobby Nash, Barry Reese, Ron Marz, JM DeMatteis and others have all inspired me to no end with their work, but also poured wisdom, knowledge and encouragement into me over the years to help make my work better. I wouldn't be the writer I am without those guys and their inspiration and advice. 

What does literary success look like to you?

Having the work enjoyed by the audience. To clarify, I don't create to please anyone but myself - I write stories (and songs) I want to read (and hear). However, when I do that and others enjoy it too, then it feels like I did my job well. 

Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?

I'm working on a handful of things for Moonstone at the moment, including a dream gig with a well established property. Just wrapped up the first story yesterday, as a matter of fact. Along with that, I completed a tale featuring Gladiator, Golden Amazon and my own character, Death Angel at the end of 2020. Coming up we're introducing a few more of my original characters, The Red Widow, Lady Judex and others as well. 

For more information, visit:

runemasterpress.com

The Black Bat and Me (And the Golden Amazon too)

Hey, everybody! When you are looking through Previews this month, don't miss page 374 (Moonstone Books). My newest work will appear in The Black Bat Returns anthology listed there. Be sure to pre-order your copy!

Features my story, "The Blood of Gordon Pruett," which features the first and only (I believe) team-up between the Black Bat and the Golden Amazon.

But don't wait too long. Orders must be placed by September 25!

Moonstone Brings Back The Black Bat Prose

Moonstone Books has a new release coming up later this year, The Black Bat Returns. The 270-page prose contains stories of the classic pulp character along with the Green Lama, Golden Amazon and Domino Lady. It includes stories by Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Adam L. Garcia, Colin B. Harvey, Sean Taylor, James Palmer, David Boop, David White, and Josh Vogt with a cover by Mike Fyles.

The Black Bat Returns is due out in November 2015.

This one features my team-up tale of the Black Bat and the Golden Amazon!

THE BAT IS BACK!

Cover by Rob Davis & Ingrid Hardy

with interiors by Andres Labrad

Airship 27 Productions is super thrilled to announce the release of BLACK BAT MYSTERY, Vol Two. This is the second in their anthology series featuring all brand new adventures of one of pulpdom’s most loved heroes, the Black Bat!

Crusading Attorney Anthony Quinn believed his career was over when a criminal threw acid into his face blinding him. Months later, desperate to regain his sight, Quinn underwent a unique transplant operation which gave him the eyes of a slain lawman. Not only did the procedure work, but it also gave Quinn the ability to see in the dark.  Using this fantastic gift, he created the Black Bat, a justice seeking vigilante able to battle those villains beyond the reach of the law. Aided by his team of loyal crime-fighters, Carol Baldwin, Silk Kerby and Butch O’Leary, the Black Bat is once again on the prowl, his target, the depraved and evil denizens of his beloved city.

“This new collection of stories are so much fun,” stated Managing Editor, Ron Fortier.  “We knew after the success of Volume One, we needed to really find other unique and original stories that our readers would appreciate.”  New pulp writers, Aaron Smith, Joshua Reynolds, Jim Beard and Frank Byrns offer up a deadly quartet of fast pace action thrills.  There are traditional pulp themed plots that pit the Black Bat against super human Nazis monsters and mysterious aircrafts terrorizing a small town.  But at the same time there is Frank Byrn’s yarn about corrupt politicians involved with Major League Baseball.  “The idea of using a 1930s baseball background for a Black Bat adventure was extremely exciting for us,” Fortier continued.  “And then there’s Reynolds' story that has him teaming up with another classic pulp legend, Jim Anthony the Super Detective.  Now who doesn’t love a good pulp team-up?”

The book features a stunning cover by Ingrid Hardy and Rob Davis based on Byrn’s story and has gorgeous interior illustrations by Andres Labrada.  BLACK BAT MYSTERY Vol. Two is another great pulp collection from the high flying Airship 27 Productions you won’t want to miss.

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERATION!

Available at:

Create Space  (https://www.createspace.com/3974551)
At regular Amazon a week later.

Airship 27 Hangar as $3 Digital Download
(http://robmdavis.com/Airship27Hangar/index.airshipHangar.html)

And in two weeks at (http://indyplanet.com/) as a POD.