Pulp Sci-Fi Week: Flash Gordon

Hello pulp-friends,

Welcome to the first edition of Pulp Sci Fi Week. I said first because we will get more sci-fi weeks in the near future, if you guys enjoy this one.
I couldn't start this edition without spotlighting the most famous sci-fi pulp hero of all: Flash Gordon!
Do I need to introduce him? Really? Ok, just a quick overview then ;) Flash Gordon is the "son" of Alex Raymond, one of the greatest artist of the american (and world wide) comics. Flash is athletic, tall, strong, and ready to action. He is "born" in 1934 to defend the men of Earth from the evil Ming (see below), emperor of planet Mongo, who wants to conquer the Earth and put it under his tyranny. The story and the characters were so strong that they jumped off the newspaper strips to become a radio show, a series of movies in the 40s, and to live until the modern days.


Some of the most recent "incarnations" of this character include the world famous De Laurentis big budget adaption for the big screen in the 80s and a tv series last year for the tv channel Sci-Fi. While a little cheesy in parts, the movie has lots to be enjoyed like the beautiful Ornella Muti as Ming's daughter, Ming himself played by a superb Max Von Sydow, the cool visuals and the rocking (pun fully intended) soundtrack by Queen. The tv show... well, that's completely another story ;)

Cheers,
Francesco

"Carnival of Death" (Nov 10, 1940)

Hello Pulp friends,

I am back and I am back with apologies for my long interruption of your favorite radio program. I was under a couple of very important (and tight) deadlines, and pretty much turned myself in one of those monks from the Middle Age who spent the whole day (every holy day) hunched on the table and writing miniature text. I think they were Benedettini, from San benedetto, and their motto was "Ora et Labora" (prey and work, that's all you have to do ;)). But I am digressing. So, I am back with another Shadow radio episode (see below) and with an announcement: to make up for the long absence, what if we declare this upcoming week the Pulp Sci-Fi week? Every day I will spotlight some cool pulp sci-fi hero. Stay tuned :)


"Every move you make will be closely watched by...
The Shadow!"
Police's song comes to mind ;)

Dead bodies in the wax museum, real quicksand in the basement, an underground secret railway, a ghost train, and the shadow of a tragedy happened 10 years earlier looming over the colorful lights and the festive crowd of the Carnival.
Is this really an amusement park? Well, not much amusement for Lamont and Margo who were planning to have some fun at the Carnival and eneded up solving a case of missing people and murders. I know, it sounds like a lot of meat for one single episode, but the writers manage to make it work perfectly and even give more "screen time" to Margo in this episode. Even if there is a feel of "hauntings" and "ghosts" around the old subway and the wax museum, we will discover that once again the mind behind all this is pretty "real" and directly connected to the tragedy that hit the amusement park years before.

Have a Pulp SUnday, everyone!

Francesco

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Pulp in the Making

The Radio Transmissions Will Be Resumed Soon.

Meanwhile hope you guys enjoy this sneak peek at the process behind Zorro #2 (which will be out at the very beginning of April) :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Pulp Spotlight: The Rocketeer

Hello pulp-friends,

I usually try to keep one spotlight a month so we can have room for the radio episodes, but when I heard today the sad news of Dave Stevens passing away I felt I had to spotlight his most famous creation which is, undoubtly, Pulp at its core. And it's also the occasion to celebrate the man himself.

I met Dave at a couple of shows and in both cases he was in company of our common friend Jim Steranko. The last time we met was particularly nice as it was away from the chaos of the convention but in the comfortable and realxing enviroment of the hotel lounge. A very good person, a real nice and classy guy. We'll miss you, Dave.




The Rocketeer has been created in what we can define "recent times" but its settings and the art deco style of the illustrations make it feel like it coming out straight from the '30s. Accidentally becoming a superhero after finding a (cool) jetpack and with a helmet that seems inspired by Commando Cody, pilot Cliff secord battles nazi spies and evil villains while surrounded/helped by beautiful women who are the paper version of pinup moodel of that period like Bettie Page.
The Rocketeer was so popular that eventually got also a big budget movie feature which was quite enjoyable in my opinion.
I still listen to the soundtrack every now and then while working on my stuff. Speaking of which, I will definitely get back to that Rocketeer pencils (see above) and finish to ink them as my tribute to the great Dave.

Cheers,
Francesco

Pulp Spotlight is the monthly feature where I cover other famous characters that have helped to build the Pulp genre not just on the radio but also in the other media.

Pulp Spotlight: Captain Midnight & the Secret Squadron

Hello pulp-friends,

I know, I know, I am a day late but I hope you all will forgive me and will bear with me as I go through one of the busiest period of the year (and I know, the year just started, kinda, but hey, it started pretty busy so let's hope it will lighten up a bit ;))

This month (it's already March, isn't it?) spotlight is dedicated to Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron. I am hoping to feature some radio episodes too but I still have to find an episode that works as standalone (the shows were serialized so it's like the pulp version of a soap, but way more cool ;))


Captain Midnight began as a radio show in September 1940. The first comic book appeared in July 1941. Captain Midnight was really the aviator Captain Albright, who was to defeat the Nazis. A movie serial was made in 1942 and a comic strip was published for a short time. The comic book Captain Midnight ended his career in 1948. The radio premiums are the prized collector memorabilia today.
I am pretty sure this is not the last time we will see Captain Midnight on this blog, so more good news for Bill ;)

Cheers,
Francesco

Pulp Spotlight is the monthly feature where I cover other famous characters that have helped to build the Pulp genre not just on the radio but also in the other media.

Zorro #1 by Wagner & Francavilla

Please allow me some pimpin' time, as Zorro is a Pulp hero, actually one of the first pulp heroes, no doubt about that :)
The first issue of the new Zorro series by Dynamite just came out this week: it's written by the Maestro Matt Wagner and illustrated by truly yours Francesco. If you have picked it up or you plan to, feel free to hit me back with comments, compliments, or insults: I take everything ;)

The above is the teaser for issue 2.

Cheers,
Francesco

"Ghost Town" (Oct 05, 1940)

Before getting to the today business, let me apologize for the missing episode of last Sunday: sadly I was incapacitated to do anything 'cause of a bad flu. I haven’t been sick in years and I forgot how bad it feels to have aches all over the body, high fever, and a throat on fire. Thankfully the classic old remedies (plenty of fluids and rest) and the love of my better half helped me to get through this and get back in shape :)
To make up for the missing episode, I will have a double feature sometime soon, so it's all good :)


While every common mortal uses to go do picnic in some nice place (a park, on the lake, etc), our dynamic duo, Lamont & Margot have the better idea to spend a weekend in a real ghost town. The town, Bed Creek, once center of activities for many gold miners working in the close mines, has bee abandoned for more than half century as it happened to many of these towns where the people move on to a different place after the mines get dry.
The owner of the only hotel still running in town tells to our duo that the ghosts of Bed Creek are real indeed and there is no joking about. Lamont and Margot will soon discover that they are real aright, but not so ghostly after all...
Cool and straight forward little story that I hope you guys enjoy :)

Have a Pulp Sunday, everyone!

Cheers,
Francesco

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