Armed with the secret weapon of the world's most hated dictator, the mysterious masked Führer sought to subjugate the free people of the world - but one man, The Green Lama, stood in his merciless path! 
Magazine, 112 pages, b&w, $7.95

HIGH ADVENTURE #75 is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN042961.

HIGH ADVENTURE #76 will feature KI-GOR in The Sword of Sheba and Lost Priestess of the Nile (May 2004)

Here is what Adventure House says about the book:
This collection is the result of combing through hundreds of issues of writing journals from the pulp era, mostly WRITER'S DIGEST and AUTHOR & JOURNALIST, but also a variety of lesser-known magazines: THE WRITER, THE EDITOR, WRITER'S REVIEW, and two magazines issued by correspondence schools, WRITERS' MARKETS AND METHODS and WRITER'S MONTHLY. One of the surprises of the project was in discovering how many magazines were devoted to the craft of writing at that time. This speaks, in some measure, to the opportunities presented by the pulps to the freelance writer. With hundreds of pulp magazines publishing thousands of stories, there may never have been a better time for making money selling fiction.

Many of the pulp-related articles in these journals deal with storytelling technique, usually genre-specific, e.g. "Action in Westerns," "Live Your Love Story," or "Why Aren't Your Detective Stories Selling?" Others assess the markets and advise on slanting for specific titles. But another category of article presents behind-the-scenes looks into the pulp world, the rise and fall of the business, the experiences of writers, editors, and publishers. And it is the most interesting and informative of this latter group that PULP FICTIONEERS attempts to gathers together.

PULP FICTIONEERS is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN043086.

Amazon Anne's first adventure, Riddle of the Black Scarab, is also still available.
Both stories are in PDF format.

Amazon Anne is highly recommended. 
The stories are a lot of great "pulpy" fun.

Diamond Comics Distributor is shipping ARGOSY MAGAZINE to arrive in comic shops on 02 January.
For a complete contents listing and ordering information, visit ARGOSY MAGAZINE's website at http://www.argosymag.com/.

ARGOSY MAGAZINE is also available from Mike Chomko.
Orders over $30 are discounted 10% and shipped postpaid.
There is no discount and a $2 shipping charge on orders of $30 or less.
Contact Mike at chomko@enter.net.

Soft Cover, b&w, $9.95

THE SPIDER #5: EMPIRE OF DOOM is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN043085.

Bold Venture Press has indicated that this issue of The Spider should be available by direct mail order around the first of February!

Here is what Collectors Press has to say:
They were pioneers of their art and of their generation, taking comic book art to an astonishing new level and paving the way for future artists. They were the artists of the Silver Age of comics (1956-1970), and their work is celebrated in the new book from Collectors Press THE SILVER AGE OF COMIC BOOK ART.

The first book dedicated to the Silver Age and the artists that defined it, author Arlen Schumer highlights the careers of eight acknowledged Hall of Fame artists who drew definitive versions of the industry's great characters. Silver Age concentrates on the importance of these artists, their work and their effects on the medium, while also commenting on the literary and sociological aspects of the era. Featuring biographical text and quotes and ideas from the artists themselves, Silver Age fully immerses the reader into the art form and the creative geniuses that produced it.

Designed by the author using a distinctive graphic style, actual comic book art is enlarged to full and double-page spreads, giving a comic book look and feel. In doing so, Schumer has designed the definitive art book that pays proper homage to this great era of comic books and the amazing artists responsible for it.

Featured Artists:
Carmine Infantino—The Flash, Adam Strange and Batman
Gene Colan—Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Daredevil
Jack Kirby—The Fantasic Four, Captain America, Thor and many Marvel Comics characters
Steve Ditko—Spider-Man and Doctor Strange
Gil Kane—The Atom and Green Lantern
Joe Kubert—Sgt. Rock, Hawkman and Enemy Ace
Jim Steranko—Nick Fury and Captain America
Neal Adams—Batman, The X-Men and Deadman

Deluxe Hardcover Edition: 192 Full Color Pages (16 extra pages) 
9"x13", Silver Metal Jacket,  $49.95

Softcover Edition: 176 Full Color pages
9" x 13",  $29.95

Diamond is shipping this book to arrive in comic shops on January 2nd.
This book is also available from Bud Plant.

On sale March 24, Full Color, 32 pages, $2.99.

Conan #2 is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN040034.
 

The Conan Collector Pin #2 is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN042671.

Four figures, comprise the set: young Conan is dressed for the snowy northern climes, the beautiful and ephemeral maiden who tempts him to follow her across the frozen waste, and her two savage trollish brothers, who close the savage trap she has baited.  Figures designed by noted artist Arthur Suydam. Conan stands approximately 4 high; the giants are a massive 7" high. 

On sale May 5, 4 figure, full color PVC set, $44.95

The Conan PVC Set is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN040081.

The Conan the Barbarian Movie Card Set is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN043187.

Robert Mullen's Shadow PDF:   Nothing new this week.

The Shadow Magazine Interior Artwork: Nothing new this week.

ShadowPDF: A new Amazon Anne story - The Aerie of Doom! 

Doc Savage PDF:   Murder Melody (November 1935) 

The Shrevnitz Memorial Library:
Coming Soon: The Phantom Detective in Crime Castle  (December 1934)

Blackmask Online: 
Doc Savage in The Shape of Terror (August 1944) and The Terrible Stork (June 1945)

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 350 stories online!
Good Fishing by Harold de Polo from DETECTIVE NOVELS (February, 1941) 
Round About Rigel by J. Harvey Haggard from THRILLING WONDER STORIES (August, 1937) 
The Wood Devil Thing by Gordon McCreagh from PEOPLE'S (January 1916) 
The Red Road to Shamballah by Perley Poore Sheehan from THRILLING ADVENTURES (September, 1932)
(Captain Trouble #3)

It has been awhile since the last issue of THE DARK MAN, however, the new editorial board has announced that the journal is still alive and will be producing a new issue in early 2004.  Individuals are encouraged to submit essays, book reviews, short notes and comments to the editor, Mark Hall at markhall@gol.com.  Submission guidelines are available on THE DARK MAN website at http://www.rehupa.com/tdm.htm.

THE DARK MAN Issue #7 is forthcoming and will include, among other items:
The Past is Dead, The Past is Deadly: Three Dragons in One Hour by Steven Tompkins
Bibliography of the Robert E. Howard Collections held by the University of California at Berkeley, Bancroft Library
by Glenn Lord

Some back issues are now available. Subscription rates are under review.
Visit THE DARK MAN website at http://www.rehupa.com/tdm.htm for further details.

This comic is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN040036.

A Fighting Man of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 
All 6 parts as they originally appeared in 1930 BLUE BOOK. Includes full color covers.
The Land of Hidden Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 
All 5 parts as they originally appeared in 1931 BLUE BOOK. Includes full color covers.
This volume includes 20 additional pages on ERB.
The Radio Planet by Ralph Milne Farley.
All 6 chapters as they originally appeared in 1926 ARGOSY. Includes full color covers.
The Planet of Peril by Otis Adelbert Kline.
All 6 chapters as they originally appeared in 1929 ARGOSY. Includes full color covers.

Each reprint is $25 plus shipping ($7 priority mail or $3 media mail).
Jim Van Hise, 57754 Onaga Trail, Yucca Valley, CA 91184. 
Check, money order or PayPal: Jimvanhise@aol.com

"Get ready for 'The Gun Club.' The game's afoot. Elijah Snow is building his own conspiracy to bring down the Four, and he's targeting William Leather first. But what does his plan, which entangles Anna Hark and John Stone, have to do with the first moonshot...in 1851?" 

Planetary #18 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95

Santa has posted a holiday treat for pulp fans to The Pulp Rack --  "George F. Worts: A Bibliography in Progress," compiled By Peter Ruber and Victor Berch. Even though this is a draft, you will find a very thorough listing of works by this prolific pulp author and creator of Gillian Hazeltine and Peter the Brazen.
You will find the bibliography at this URL: http://pulprack.com/arch/000155.html#000155

The front cover is Dian the Beautiful by G. M. Farley.
The back cover is from the pulps!
This issue has full color front and back covers and is profusely illustrated with full color and black & white illustrations throughout.  Copies are $6 each (postpaid) anywhere in USA.  Six issue subscriptions are $30.
Contact C. Cazedessus II, P.O. Box 2340, Pagosa Springs, Colorado 81147, email: cazbooks@frontier.net

ROCKET'S BLAST COMICOLLECTOR #5 is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN043048.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is set in late-1930s New York City and stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Polly Perkins, a crack reporter working on a story about numerous world-famous scientists who have gone missing.  Around this time, strange flying machines threaten Manhattan, and gigantic walking robots trample city blocks.  To get to the bottom of it all, Polly joins forces with her old flame and sometime adversary Capt. Joseph Sullivan (Jude Law), known as Sky Captain. He commands the Flying Legion, battling bad guys in his Warhawk P-40.  Sky and Polly fly to a remote part of Nepal (think Shangri-La) to track down the crazed mastermind Dr. Totenkopf, who wants to destroy the world.  Angelina Jolie appears in the film as an old friend of Law's character who runs a mobile reconnaissance outpost for the British Royal Navy, and Casey Affleck plays Sky Captain's technology-apt buddy. 
The website for the film is at http://www.skycaptain.com/ where you can preview the trailer for the film.

Greta Gabriel, Tom Strong's ill-fated lover, died in 1928, the result of a cryogenics experiment gone awry. Or did she? More than 70 years later, an accident uncovers the body of his lost love, and while she may be stone cold, she's still alive. Now Tom, guilt-ridden over what happened to Greta, must help her fit into the 21st century!

Tom Strong #24 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

Van Helsing is a Universal Picture written and directed by Stephen Sommers.  It stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Shuler Hensley, Will Kemp, Kevin J. O'Connor, Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, Josie Maran, and Sam West. The release date is May 7th, 2004.

Set in the late 19th century, Stephen Sommers' screenplay finds Bram Stoker's fabled monster hunter, Van Helsing (Jackman), summoned to a distant Eastern European land on a quest to vanquish evil. Now, for the first time since the 1940s, Universal's greatest classic monsters -- Dracula, the Frankenstein monster and The Wolf Man -- return to the screen as complex, multi-dimensional beings re-imagined by writer-director Sommers. 

The Official website is at http://www.vanhelsing.net/.

The new American Pulp! Featuring classic stories by Philip Jose Farmer, Archie Goodwin, and Ron Goulart, art by Jim Steranko, Jeff Jones, and Alex Nino, and a discussion with Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser author Fritz Leiber, WEIRD HEROES showcases a collection of five thrilling adventures of pulse-pounding action and super-heroics! 

Mass Market Paperback, 256 pages, $6.99, ISBN: 0743479556.  The cover is by STERANKO!

WEIRD HEROES VOLUME 1 is solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS (now available).
Request Diamond Item Code JAN043065.

Compiling the early Conan the Barbarian stories by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, this collection contains some of the most powerful and compelling comic stories ever created. Following Robert E. Howard's pulp hero Conan through the early part of his life, Thomas and Windsor-Smith (then going by the name "Barry Smith") wove together pieces of the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, all built around the framework of Howard's original fiction. Featuring completely remastered color and text corrections, these stories have been unavailable in color since their original publication, nearly thirty years ago. Volume Two reprints issues #9-15.
160 pages, $15.95, in stores on November 26. 

In addition, it was announced that the contents of THE BLOODY CROWN OF CONAN  have been finalized.
This is the second volume in the complete Robert E. Howard Conan trilogy and will feature three of the longest Conan adventures, including his one Conan novel, Hour of the Dragon, which will be produced from the original version that appeared in the legendary pulp magazine WEIRD TALES; a version which has been unavailable for about sixty years. Also included, The People of the Black Circle and A Witch Shall Be Born will be produced from carbon copies of Howard's original manuscript, and thus will appear in this form for the first time ever.

The books will feature the original stories, the fragments, the proposals--much of this material available for the first time in decades, some of it appearing for the first time ever!  There will be tales produced from Howard's original manuscripts, others will be reproduced exactly as they appeared in the classic magazine WEIRD TALES. 

Robert Mullen's Shadow PDF:   Nothing new this week.

The Shadow Magazine Interior Artwork: Nothing new this week.

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.
Coming soon: A new Amazon Anne story is coming before the end of the year. 

Doc Savage PDF:  The Terrible Stork (June 1945) 

The Shrevnitz Memorial Library:
Coming Soon: The Phantom Detective in Crime Castle  (December 1934)

Blackmask Online: 
Nothing new this week.

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 350 stories online!
Don't Meddle With Murder by C. S. Montanye from THRILLING DETECTIVE (May, 1946) 
The Blind Blade by Maitland Scott from ACE SPORTS (September, 1936) 
Where Terror Lurked by Perley Poore Sheehan from THRILLING ADVENTURES (August, 1932) 
   (Captain Trouble #2) 
And Howe! by Thomas Thursday from EVERYBODY'S (February 1929) 
In the Roar by Albert M. Treynor from TOP-NOTCH (April 1, 1918) 

Action at sea! Redhand Harry thinks he’s found easy prey when he sights El Cazador, but even if Captain Sin is out-gunned and out-manned, she won’t be out-sailed!

EL CAZADOR #3 is 32 pages for $2.95. 

The new issue features reprints of Basil Wolverton's illustrations from The Bible Story, "Harvey Champ Comics You Haven't Seen", a lost Joe Simon story, and the origins of Martin "Marvel Comics" Goodman with exclusive info on the first four issues of his seminal pulp COMPLETE WESTERN BOOK. 

You can see it free at http://www.geocities.com/missile_bender/hoohah

Based on the classic story collection by famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, I, Robot will concentrate on Detective Del Spooner, who, with the aid of psychologist, Dr. Susan Calvin, will investigate the death of Dr. Miles Hogenmiller, a brilliant scientist who worked at US Robotics. Initially labeled a suicide, Spooner has other ideas, convinced that a robot may have taken the doctor’s life.

The cookie jar is available from Buckboardtoo.com.

PHANTOM #1 by Ben Raab & Pat Quinn; coloring by Wolak; cover by John Cassidy
The Mighty Phantom breaks up a slave camp in his native Bangalla, whose captives are mining a vast diamond field at the command of the vile terrorist Ali Gutalle. A stone-cold killer, his counter strike is set against a black tie state function where Diana Walker is to give the keynote speech. As bullets fly, as time bombs click to detonation, will the Phantom have the power to catch villains with one hand, and save his family with the other? Cover by John Cassiday!  Full Color, 32 pages, $3.50.

The thrilling miniseries concludes with an oversized final issue! It all comes down to this, as our gallant heroes confront the source of the null field…and it’s not what anyone expects! Will our valiant heroes survive the encounter? 

40-pages with a cover price of $3.95.

The images to the right are the cover and one of the interior pieces by Ver Curtiss for RED NAILS. 
This is some of his finest work yet and this issue also includes the Artist's Introduction and Original Sketches!
Click here or on the images at the right for larger images.

130 pages, 8.5"x11", Bound Softcover, Color Cover, B&W interiors. 
The retail price is $15 plus postage ($3 via Media Mail or $5 via Priority Mail). 
Wild Cat Books accepts PayPal, Money Orders and Checks. Inquire for Overseas Postage. 

Visit the Wild Cat Books website at http://www.cpu-net.com/host/wildcatbooks

Wild Cat Books
6664 Valley Pike
Middletown, VA 22645-1720
wildcatbooks@vcmails.com
Please make all checks payable to Ron Hanna and not Wild Cat Books

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is set in late-1930s New York City and stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Polly Perkins, a crack reporter working on a story about numerous world-famous scientists who have gone missing.  Around this time, strange flying machines threaten Manhattan, and gigantic walking robots trample city blocks.  To get to the bottom of it all, Polly joins forces with her old flame and sometime adversary Capt. Joseph Sullivan (Jude Law), known as Sky Captain. He commands the Flying Legion, battling bad guys in his Warhawk P-40.  Sky and Polly fly to a remote part of Nepal (think Shangri-La) to track down the crazed mastermind Dr. Totenkopf, who wants to destroy the world.

Angelina Jolie appears in the film as an old friend of Law's character who runs a mobile reconnaissance outpost for the British Royal Navy, and Casey Affleck plays Sky Captain's technology-apt buddy. 

The website for the film is at http://www.skycaptain.com/

Pulps included in this volume are: THRILL BOOK, DOCTOR DEATH, STRANGE TALES, STRANGE STORIES, TALES OF MAGIC AND MYSTERY and more.  Magazines were deliberately chosen which had short runs and thus tended to be little known and scarce. Not included in this volume are bibliographies of some of the major magazines of supernatural, horror, and weird menace such as WEIRD TALES, GHOST STORIES, HORROR STORIES, TERROR TALES, DIME MYSTERY and THRILLING MYSTERY. These may be covered in future volumes. 

This is a full color, 9x12, 112 page, softbound book for $22.
For complete details, visit the Adventure House website at http://www.adventurehouse.com/advance/macabre.htm

The title of the anthology pretty much says it all, but let's start with what we’re not looking for. While a sense of humor is always welcome, we’re not looking for parody — particularly self-parody. We’re not looking for pastiche — homage, yes, but not pastiche. (We’re especially not, it should be noted, looking for Led Zeppelin stories.) 

We’re looking for pulp stories with a literary sensibility and literary stories with a pulp sensibility. We’re looking for stories with self-respect. We’re looking for your best work. And — this being a themed anthology — we’re looking for Zeppelins. Stories that do not include at least one Zeppelin, dirigible, blimp, aerostat, or similar lighter-than-air vessel will be rejected out of hand. 

First Print and Electronic World Anthology Rights. 
Submissions can be of any length, but we prefer stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words.
Five cents per word on acceptance (to maximum $400) plus two author's copies on publication. 
Open to submissions from January 1st to February 16th, 2004; responses should all be out by April 18th. 
No electronic submissions, except outside US, and then query first at zeppelin@allstarstories.com. 
No reprints, simultaneous submissions, or multiple submissions. 
Standard MS. Format.  Include SASE and e-mail address (if any) with submission.
Send to 
David Moles, Editor
All-Star Stories
3518 Fremont Ave. N. #524
Seattle, WA  98103-8814 USA

For full information, visit http://www.allstarstories.com/

The series features classic and little-known comic book stories from throughout Moore's career, some hard-to-find tales that have appeared only in comic books outside the U.S., and some surviving stories from the tragically-lost Lovecraftian Moore epic Yuggoth Cultures, which will be seen here in comic book form for the first time. The YUGGOTH CULTURES AND OTHER GROWTHS series will include such gems as the now-completed first part of Moore and Bryan Talbot's important lost classic NIGHTJAR, a story started 20 years ago which was supposed to appear in UK comic book WARRIOR, the legendary anthology where other Moore classics such as MIRACLEMAN and V FOR VENDETTA appeared.

As for the Lovecraftian fragments from the series, those stories are also emerging from a tragically-lost project of a different kind. "Yuggoth Cultures was originally intended as a series of texts that would have been inspired by HP Lovecraft's poem cycle FUNGI FROM YUGGOTH," recalls Alan Moore. "Unfortunately, when the texts were about half completed, I left the only copy of three or four of them in a London taxi cab. Since it was impossible to reconstruct, the work went on hold, remaining incomplete. Originally, THE COURTYARD was part of the proposed Yuggoth Cultures package, but there were some other interesting little fragments left over, and I suppose that what's gathered in this series is a collection of those and other interesting fragments. Things from projects that were, for one reason or another, never completed, which perhaps which hold some interest in their own right. I'm looking forward to seeing what is done with them."

Although several of the stories in this new series were scripted by Moore for comic books, the stories originally written for the Yuggoth Cultures series of texts are being adapted by frequent Moore collaborator Antony Johnston (ALAN MOORE'S THE COURTYARD, ALAN MOORE'S ANOTHER SUBURBAN ROMANCE) in consultation with Moore. "Once again I've risked my health and sanity, channeling the Northampton Bard through my weak plebiscite mind for the sake of entertainment. With each adaptation my grip on reality grows weaker, yet my stubble grows longer; a curious paradox, I hope you'll agree. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but working with Alan on these stories has been an absolute pleasure. The pieces I've handled are some of the strangest, most evocative things I've read, forcing me to think in strange and unnatural ways to get the best results possible. I'm really happy with it."

REGULAR-b&w, 40pg (3 of 3) $3.95
WRAPAROUND-b&w, 40pg (3 of 3) $3.95

"Greetings from the dead," declares Maxwell Broadbent on the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Broadbent accumulated over a half a billion dollars' worth of priceless art, gems, and artifacts before vanishing---along with his entire collection---from his mansion in New Mexico.

At first, robbery is suspected, but the truth proves far stranger: As a final challenge to his three sons, Broadbent has buried himself and his treasure somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If the sons wish to claim their fabulous inheritance, they must find their father's carefully concealed tomb.

The race is on, but the three brothers are not the only ones competing for the treasure. This secret is so astounding it cannot be kept quiet for long. With half a billion dollars at stake, as well as an ancient Mayan codex that may hold a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases, others soon join the hunt---and some of them will stop at nothing to claim the grave goods.

THE CODEX (ISBN: 0765307006) is a 400 page hardcover from Forge Books for $24.95. 

Bud Plant Comic Art is offering an exclusive signed, illustrated bookplate by Mark Schultz if you order THE COMING OF CONAN THE CIMMERIAN from them.  The bookplate is shown at the right.

Del Rey's present contract with Wandering Star is for five books.  The three volume COMPLETE CONAN OF CIMMERIA, THE SAVAGE TALES OF SOLOMAN KANE, and BRAN MAK MORN.  Amazon.com presently lists THE SAVAGE TALES OF SOLOMAN KANE as a June 29, 2004 release from Del Rey books as a 432 page paperback (ISBN: 0345461509).

According to The Howard Reader #8, Ballantine/Del Rey is presently negotiating with Wandering Star for a further package of books.  Editor Joe Marek says that he was told how many volumes are involved, but he declined to mention the quantity in print.  Marek did indicate that this was really exciting news, which leads one to believe many new Howard volumes are on the way.  He also hinted that we should think - King Kull!

The Howard Reader contains extremely rare stories, poetry, letters and essays by Robert E. Howard that were previously found only in obscure fanzines and publications. Originally seven issues were projected.  That number has now been increased to nine with #8 being the most recent. The Howard Reader is highly recommended for Howard fans.  Click here for ordering instructions. Don't delay, the first four issues are now Out-Of-Print!

This will be solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS available December 24th.

Four figures, comprise the set: young Conan is dressed for the snowy northern climes, the beautiful and ephemeral maiden who tempts him to follow her across the frozen waste, and her two savage trollish brothers, who close the savage trap she has baited.  Figures designed by noted artist Arthur Suydam. Conan stands approximately 4 high; the giants are a massive 7" high. 

On sale May 5, 4 figure, full color PVC set, $44.95

This will be solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS available December 24th.

Clark Ashton Smith -- one of the "big three" classic authors from the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales (the others being H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard) -- began writing early in the twentieth century. By the 1920s, he became a regular poet and author in WEIRD TALES magazine, helping to usher in its golden age. THE DOUBLE SHADOW was originally published by the Auburn Journal in 1933 in an oversized edition limited to only 1,000 copies. Smith carefully signed and hand-corrected many typographical errors for years to come. A collection of six stories ranging from contemporary horror to weird alternate-world fantasy, it remains a fascinating introduction and showcase to Smith's decadently jeweled prose.

Stories include: The Double Shadow, The Maze of the Enchanter, A Night in Malnéant, The Voyage of King Euvoran, 
plus two more.

THE DOUBLE SHADOW is available from Wildside Press.
THE DOUBLE SHADOW is also available from Mike Chomko.
Orders over $30 are discounted 10% and shipped postpaid.
There is no discount and a $2 shipping charge on orders of $30 or less.
Contact Mike at chomko@enter.net.

Robert Mullen's Shadow PDF:   Nothing new this week.

The Shadow Magazine Interior Artwork: Nothing new this week.

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.
Coming soon: A new Amazon Anne story is coming before the end of the year. 

Doc Savage PDF: Cargo Unknown (April 1945) and Rock Sinister (May 1945) 

The Shrevnitz Memorial Library:
Coming Soon: The Phantom Detective in Crime Castle  (December 1934)

Blackmask Online: 
Doc Savage in Cargo Unknown (April 1945)

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 350 stories online!
Kid Brother by David Goodis from RAF ACES (Canada) [December, 1944]
The Gun Runners by J.D. Newsom from SHORT STORIES (July 10, 1927)
Written in Blood by Seabury Quinn from REAL DETECTIVE TALES (August-September, 1926) 
The Fighting Fool (Captain Trouble #1) by Perley Poore Sheehan from THRILLING ADVENTURES (July, 1932) 
Demons of the Cold by Raymond S. Spears from ALL-STORY (September, 1913) 

80 pages, $5.95, in stores on March 3. 

This will be solicited in the January 2004 PREVIEWS available December 24th.

ILLUSTRATION '04 MAGAZINE can be ordered from your local comic shop.
The Diamond Item Code is DEC032853.

Both versions contain the following bonus features: Actor and Producer commentaries with Trevor Albert, Jason Flemyng and Tony Curran, a Visual Effects commentary by the Production Designer, Costume Designer, Make-up Effects, Visual Effects and the Miniatures Creators, a making of featurette, 12 deleted scenes, and more. 

The film was directed by Stephen Norrington, who also directed Blade. The cast includes Sean Connery as Allan Quartermain, Nasseruddin Shah as Captain Nemo, Pete Wilson as Mina Harker, Tony Curran as the Invisible Man, Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray, Shane West as Tom Sawyer and Jason Flemyng as Dr. Jekyll.

Hounds Of Hell by Ron Fortier & Gordon Linzner with spot illustrations provided by Rob Davis, Jim Schumaker and Bradley Walton is a classic pulp tale in 29 chapters.  Chapter Seventeen: An Unlikely Alliance is now available on the Modern Pulp website. Visit the Modern Pulp website at http://www.modernpulp.com/ to read this new adventure.

Hounds Of Hell is copyright © 2003 Ron Fortier and Gordon Linzner.

The primary focus of MYSTERY*FILE is not to be an up-to-date newsletter for the field, but a place where old and new works co-exist, where older mysteries can be brought up and discussed as well as those by the most recent hot authors, and where the careers of writers can be looked at in perspective.  MYSTERY*FILE will be for those fans who love to read and talk about mysteries and series characters, and those who love to make checklists and those who love to have them, and if you can assist in  accomplishing any of these goals, then so much the better.

The efforts of a number of people helped produce each issue, and they'd appreciate your comments, both on their work and on the books and the movies they talk about.  Letters are not only accepted for publication, they are requested, if not demanded. 

MYSTERY*FILE #40 is now available.
The main article is about Stewart Sterling and some of his background in the pulps is looked at.

MYSTERY*FILE will be published approximately eight times a year (every six weeks) by
Steve Lewis, 62 Chestnut Road, Newington CT 06111. 
Subscriptions are available at $3.50 an issue, or four for $13 U.S.
Canada: $4.00 an issue, or four for $15
Overseas: $5.50 an issue, four for $21

For a sampling from the first new issue, visit http://users.ntplx.net/~lewis/Mfile.htm

This is a 350 page trade hardcover for $40.00. 
Pre-orders are now being taken on the Night Shade Books website.

A January 2005 start of shooting date has been mentioned according to USA Today.

Surdez was a frequent contributor to ADVENTURE magazine. 
He's known today primarily for his Foreign Legion stories.

You'll find the bibliography at this URL: http://pulprack.com/arch/000151.html#000151

It is the greatest bounty hunt in history. The targets are the finest warriors in the world—commandos, spies, terrorists. And they must all be dead by 12 noon, today. The price on their heads: almost $20 million each. Among the names, one stands out—an enigmatic Marine with the call-sign Scarecrow. Schofield is plunged into a race around the world, pursued by a fearsome collection of international bounty hunters. The race is on and the pace is frantic as he fights for survival, in the process unveiling a vast international conspiracy and the terrible reason why he cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to live!

He led his men into hell in ICE STATION. He protected the President against all odds in AREA 7. But this time it's different, because he is the target. With all of his trademark action, Matthew Reilly continues to establish himself as one of the top thriller writers of today.

SCARECROW (ISBN: 0312289588) is a 368 page hardcover from Thomas Dunne Books for $24.95. 

Rising out of the stony canyons of Nevada, Utopia is a world on the cutting edge of technology. A theme park attracting 65,000 visitors each day, its dazzling array of robots and futuristic holograms make it a worldwide sensation. But ominous mishaps are beginning to disrupt the once flawless technology. A friendly robot goes haywire, causing panic, and a popular roller coaster malfunctions, nearly killing a teenaged rider. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant computer engineer who designed much of the park’s robotics, is summoned from the East Coast to get things back on track.

On the day Warne arrives, however, Utopia is caught in the grip of something far more sinister. A group of ruthless criminals has infiltrated the park’s computerized infrastructure, giving them complete access to all of Utopia’s attractions and systems. Their communication begins with a simple and dire warning: If their demands are met, none of the 65,000 people in the park that day will ever know they were there; if not, chaos will descend, and every man, woman, and child will become a target. As one of the brains behind Utopia, Warne finds himself thrust into a role he never imagined–trying to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. And as the minutes tick away, Warne’s struggle to outsmart his opponents grows ever more urgent, for his only daughter is among the unsuspecting crowds in the park.

UTOPIA (ISBN: 0345455207) is a 464 page paperback from Fawcett Books for $6.99.
Lincoln Child's second solo thriller, DEATH MATCH, will be published by Doubleday in May 2004.

The image to the right is one of the interior pieces by Ver Curtiss for RED NAILS. 
This is some of his finest work yet and this issue also includes the Artist's Introduction and Original Sketches!
Click here or on the image at the right for a larger image.

130 pages, 8.5"x11", Bound Softcover, Color Cover, B&W interiors. 
The retail price is $15 plus postage ($3 via Media Mail or $5 via Priority Mail). 
Wild Cat Books accepts PayPal, Money Orders and Checks. Inquire for Overseas Postage.

Visit the Wild Cat Books website at http://www.cpu-net.com/host/wildcatbooks

Wild Cat Books
6664 Valley Pike
Middletown, VA 22645-1720
wildcatbooks@vcmails.com
Please make all checks payable to Ron Hanna and not Wild Cat Books

The Zorro bust can be ordered from Bowen Designs.
The Zorro bust can also be ordered from Bud Plant and Things From Another Planet.

Long heralded as the master literary sorcerer of American dark fantasy, Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) finally comes into his own with this significant collection of 276 annotated letters to his closest friends – George Sterling, Samuel Loveman, Frank Belknap Long, H.P. Lovecraft, Donald Wandrei, August Derleth, Robert H. Barlow and others. SELECTED LETTERS OF CLARK ASHTON SMITH contains a wealth of fascinating new biographical and literary information about a classic fantasy writer associated with Arkham House for more than 60 years. Edited by David W. Schultz and Scott Connors. Photos of Smith’s fantasy sculptures from the Arkham House collection. Jacket design by JenGraph – Jennifer Niles. Price: $35.95 plus shipping.

Subscriptions are $28 for four quarterly issues from: 
The Burroughs Bibliophiles, University of Louisville Library, Louisville, KY 40292. 

The peril for everybody concerned is incalculable, and, desperately, Pitt, Al Giordino, and the rest of the NUMA crew rush to the rescue, but what they find in the storm's wake makes the furies of nature pale in comparison. For there is an all-too-human evil at work in that part of the world, and the brown tide is only a by-product of its plan. Soon, its work will be complete-and the world will be a very different place. 

Though if Summer's discovery is to be believed, the world is already a very different place... 

This is a 512 page hardcover for $27.95.

Robert Mullen's Shadow PDF:   Nothing new this week.

The Shadow Magazine Interior Artwork: Nothing new this week.

ShadowPDF:   Nothing new this week.
Coming soon: A new Amazon Anne story is coming before the end of the year. 

Doc Savage PDF: The Ten Ton Snakes (March 1945)

The Shrevnitz Memorial Library:
Coming Soon: The Phantom Detective in Crime Castle  (December 1934)

Blackmask Online: 
Doc Savage in Strange Fish (February 1945)
Doc Savage in The Ten Ton Snakes (March 1945)

Larry Estep-Online Pulps:    Now with over 350 stories online!
Shadow by Tom Curry from SHORT STORIES (April 25, 1929)
The Game Guy by Carroll John Daly from SPORT STORY MAGAZINE (October 8, 1925)
The People of the Fourth Dimension by S.B.H. Hurst from ADVENTURE (September 3, 1921) 
Six Bits by Samuel Taylor from COMPLETE WESTERN BOOK MAGAZINE (January 1935) 
Case of the Honest Thieves by Thomas Thursday from FAMOUS DETECTIVE STORIES (February 1953) 

BEHIND THE MASK #66 featuring:
  The Hornet and the Vulture by Sam Merwin from WORLD ADVENTURER, February 1934
  The Hawk and the Yellow Dragon by John Seabrooke from TOP NOTCH MAGAZINE, March 01, 1934
  Dice of Death by Carl MckSaunders from TEN DETECTIVE ACES, April 1936
  The Hawk's Double by John Seabrooke from TOP NOTCH MAGAZINE, April 15, 1930
  Fall Guy by Jack D'Arcy from FEDERAL AGENT, August 1936

DETECTIVE MYSTERY STORIES #43  featuring No. 5 by Derek Muk, Demise of the Didada Killer by Susan Pruitt, The Last Chapter by Rober Van Aken, Family Tradition by Larry K. Wellman, Intruder by Donald Sullivan, Perfume by Kenneth M. Austin, Endgame by David D. Jones, "Gary" by Michael Kanuckel, Per Diem by Jeffrey Burton, A Chilling Communication by Marianna Heusler, The Prisoner by Lawrence Harvey, and Testing Grounds by Mel Cartagena.

Click here or on the images to the right for a look at larger cover images.

Each issue is 5.5 by 8.5 inches in size and runs approximately 80 pages.
One issue is $6.30 postpaid. Two or more issues are $6 each postpaid.
Not responsible for packages lost in the mail.
Insurance is $1.10 per $50.00 value and highly recommended.

Order from: 
Fading Shadows, Inc.
504 E. Morris Street
Seymour, TX 76380-2212

Visit the Gauntlet Press website to order your copy.

Girasol Collectables is pleased to announce that it will boost its regular output to three new Replicas per month starting with December. We realize that this might cut into the food budget for those that faithfully buy all of our Replicas so we have a deal to ease the pain. Anyone that buys all three Replicas in a monthly offering will pay a reduced price that will be posted with each monthly notice. This month, anyone purchasing all three issues will pay $75 versus the actual total of $85.

We lead off with the first issue of The Spider - The Spider Strikes!, Oct. 1933. This is the first Replica edition of The Spider and the plan is to continue in order. Girasol has an initial deal for the first few issues and hopes to be able to carry on for many issues to come.  The second issue this month is a Shadow from December 1 1933, The Crime Clinic. This is an early story not available in paperback, so you will just have to put up with the parrot cover!  Finally, SPICY MYSTERY #4 from August 1935 rounds out the hat trick with a great skeleton motif…and of course the girl.

As always, these reprints are exact copies including the illustrations, ads and back-up stories and have been printed on off-white paper, staple-bound and finished off with a high quality reproduction of the original cover.
The only thing missing is the smell (alas) and the flaking newsprint.

THE SHADOW  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
The Living Shadow (April 1931)
The Five Chameleons (11/01/32)
The Romanoff Jewels (12/01/32)
The Creeping Death (01/15/33)
The Shadow's Justice  (04/15/33)
The Red Blot (06/01/33)
The Black Hush (08/01/33)
The Crime Clinic (12/01/33)
Gray Fist  (02/15/34)
The Green Box  (03/15/34)
The Plot Master (02/01/35)
Bells of Doom (03/15/35)
The Chinese Tapestry (11/01/35)
Strange Disappearance of Joe Cardona (11/15/36)
Intimidation Inc (12/15/36)
House of Silence  (07/15/37)
The Golden Dog Murders  (09/01/38) 
The Voice (11/01/38)
House of Shadows (12/15/39)
The Book of Death (01/15/42)
Death About Town  (07/15/42) 

THE SPIDER  ($35 each postpaid within North America)
#1 - The Spider Strikes! (October 1933)

SPICY ADVENTURE  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
#8   (May 1935) featuring a Great Middle Eastern motif cover
#26 (November 1936)

SPICY DETECTIVE  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
#10 (February 1935)
#30 (October 1936) featuring an incredible, truly classic HJ Ward cover
#76 (August 1940) featuring a great HJ Ward cover, Dan Turner, Eel stories

SPICY MYSTERY  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
#3   (July 1935) featuring a nice Parkhurst cover
#4   (August 1935)
#10 (February 1936) featuring Batman

DAN TURNER  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
Dan Turner Hollywood Detective No. 1 (January 1942)

STRANGE TALES  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
#1 - September 1931
#2 - November 1931
#3 - January 1932: Wolves of Darkness
#4 - March 1932
#5 - June 1932 
#6 - October 1932: Famous 'Worm Monster' cover
#7 - January 1933

SPICY WESTERN  ($25 each postpaid within North America)
Dec 37:  Great HJ Ward cover

TERROR TALES  ($35 each postpaid within North America)
TERROR TALES #1 (09/34)

WEIRD TALES  ($35 each postpaid within North America)
March 1923:  WEIRD TALES #1 
Available in 2 cover choices: the 'regular' cover, or the recently discovered 'rarer' version. 
Exactly the same, except the black and orange of the cover illustration are switched.

April 1923: WEIRD TALES #2
July/August 1923: WEIRD TALES #5
February 1924: WEIRD TALES #10

Email Girasol Collectables at: girasol@interlog.com to purchase any of these Pulp Replicas.
A complete listing, along with other items such as books, fanzines and of course pulps, can be found on
the Girasol Collectables website at http://www.girasolcollectables.com/

All payments must be made in $US payable to Girasol Collectables and mailed to:
Neil Mechem c/o Girasol Collectables
3501 Glen Erin Drive, Apt. 1409, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L 2E9

Last Months Replicas

Geologist-adventurer Philip Mercer finds himself drilling straight into the epicenter of an age-old conspiracy when a reclusive order of Himalayan monks predicts the end of the world-and sets a thermonuclear bomb in an underwater volcano to ensure that it comes to pass... 

Although I have not yet found time to read any of Du Brul's novels, they have been recommended to me as examples of modern day pulp fiction. 

This is a 496 page paperback for $7.50.

Ms. Rice had been working with editors Stefan Dziemianowicz and Jim Rockhill on the preparation of a volume that would collect all of her weird and macabre tales in one massive tome. The Idol of the Flies is a massive retrospective of Jane Rice's sixty-year career in weird fiction. From her earliest stories for John Campbell's UNKNOWN WORLDS, through the 1950's tales written for CHARM and THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE-FICTION, to the recent novelette The Sixth Dog, all of Ms. Rice's macabre fiction is collected in this book. Editors Stefan Dziemianowicz and Jim Rockhill have done a splendid job of tracking down stories from a wide variety of sources. Ms. Rice herself did revisions on several pieces to restore previously excised supernatural elements. 

Rumor has long been rampant of "missing" Jane Rice stories written for Campell's UNKNOWN WORLDS. Midnight House is pleased to report that those stories have been found and while not restored exactly to their original form, they now represent the author's preferred version. 

The Idol of the Flies can be ordered from the publisher, Darkside Press.
The list price is $40.
You can also order a copy from Mike Chomko.
Orders over $30 are discounted 10% and shipped postpaid.
There is no discount and a $2 shipping charge on orders of $30 or less.
Contact Mike at chomko@enter.net.

Director Peter Jackson, fresh from the Return of the King world premiere, will start work on his $200 million KING KONG film in Wellington next month. Jackson said he still had to edit an extended version of the third Lord of the Rings film for DVD late next year. He wanted it done before Christmas.  But after taking a short holiday, he would spend most of his time from January working on King Kong, inspired by the 1933 film. Shooting is planned for August mainly in Wellington. 

Jackson said that, because the film would be set in the 1930s, to create the period it would be easier to shoot about 80 per cent of the film at his Miramar studios. Some of the natural locations, including King Kong's home, Skull Island, would also be shot at the studios. A key feature of the film is a freighter ship, Manuia, – believed to be berthed at Miramar – which takes King Kong from Skull Island to New York. 

"I'm interested in (King) Kong being quite stylised and the jungles of Skull Island I want to be very over-the-top, like a jungle from hell. I imagine we are going to be more successful pulling that off in the studio or in a back lot than we are trying to find a beech forest in the South Island," he said. There would be some location shooting for scenes on beaches or in boats, "but I'm not imagining a huge amount". 

Jackson confirmed that it looks likely that Naomi Watts will play the lead, Ann Darrow, in the big budget film. 

Also, The Pulp Rack has added some links to the Achmed Abdullah bibliography that was posted last week, and John Locke has generously provided scans of a couple of photos of Abdullah. So you may want to take another look at that posting: http://pulprack.com/arch/000147.html#000147

Writer and radio producer Jim Harmon of Burbank, California, has written several books on radio. He wrote, produced, and appeared in a revival of “Tom Mix” in the early 1980s.

Forewords by Carleton E. Morse, Les Tremayne, and Jack Lester
ISBN: 0-7864-1810-9
302 pages, bibliography, appendix, index, $35 softcover