BISH'S BEAT GOES INTERNATIONAL!

BISH'S BEAT GOES INTERNATIONAL!

HEY, ALL YOU COOL CATS, HIPSTERS, ALLIGATORS, SPIES, BOOK ADDICTS, AND CAT LOVERS, BISH'S BEAT IS HEADING OUT TO TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC ON EUROPEAN SHORES. AS A RESULT, THE BLOG HERE WILL BE VERY QUIET FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

KEEP SWINGING AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL ON THE FLIP SIDE AT THE END OF APRIL . . .

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ BONUS EDITION!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ ROCKFORD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ ROCKFORD!

JIM GARNER IS 81 TODAY. THE ILLUSTRATION IS BY PETE EMLSIE. TO CHECK OUT MORE OF HIS TRIBUTE TO GARNER/ROCKFORD AT HIS CARTOON CAVE WEBSITE CLICK HERE

TWENTY GREATEST CAR MOVIES!

TWENTY GREATEST CAR MOVIES!

THE TELEGRAPH.UK HAS A POSTED IT’S TOP TEN CAR MOVIES FEATURING SOME INTERESTING CHOICES, BUT NO SURPRISES IN THE #1 SPOT . . .

#1 BULLITT

Dodge Charger finished in a sinister shade of black? Check. Tough guy with leather gloves and impossibly earnest expression? Check. Hard-nosed accomplice with steely eyes and white mac? Check. Ford Mustang Fastback looming in the rear-view mirror, paragon of insouciance Steve McQueen at the wheel? Check. A minute or two of developing tension? Check. A sudden dab of throttle to herald several minutes of tyre-smoking, opposite-lock action through and around San Francisco? Check. Same green VW Beetle cropping up repeatedly in the background? Check. Gunfire? Check. Wimbledon Stadium tactics? Check. Charger ploughs into fuel station and explodes? Check. Baddies incinerated? Check. McQueen drives away as though he'd done nothing more taxing than switch radio channels? Check. Nine and a bit minutes of timeless cinema.

FOR THE FULL LIST CLICK HERE

A REV OF THE ENGINE TO BILL CRIDER

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THE IMAGINATION THEATRE NEWSLETTER VOL. 1 #4!

THE IMAGINATION THEATRE NEWSLETTER VOL. 1 #4!

Welcome to this edition of The Imagination Theatre Newsletter. This is a purely free subscriber based publication so if you'd like to be removed from our list simply scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the steps needed take your names off of our rolls.

IT'S SPRING AND WE'RE STILL HERE

Well the New Year is four months old, the economy is still struggling, Baseball is gearing up and we're still doing what we do best, producing the best audio dramas we're capable of to send your way. Back in the days of the Great Depression 1929 - 1940 Americans were always looking for that "thing" that would take their minds off of their financial troubles. Going to the movies, where the bill was changed twice week, was a big help. The admission price wasn't much and you could see two films for the price of one.

Big Band music was extremely popular and many were the dimes and dollars spent to hear Harry James, Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, the Dorsey Brothers and the like at the various venues they appeared at around the country.

Radio was the best way for those depression era families to let the cares of the times take a back seat for a while without hurting the family budget. However be it movies, dancing or using the imagination the main theme was the s ame, entertainment.

As we move into the second quarter of 2009 and as the economic news doesn't seem to be getting better as fast as we would like, the American public is once again asking for the magic of the films, music and the imagination the take them away for a short while to a place where the good guys win and all is right with world.

This is exactly where those of us at Jim French Productions are working hard to help take them... you to just that place. Harry Nile, Sherlock Holmes, Kincaid, Hilary Caine and the rest of our more then five hundred stories are dedicated to make this trying time a little less stressful and dark for the 25 to 50 minutes it takes to enjoy one of the modern audio plays we bring to the public through the local radio station, the internet, the Sirius/XM Satellite system, our CD volumes for sale or by direct download. Currently we have three new releases designed expressly to take the listeners to worlds where they get the bailout, for a short while at least, from bellowing politicians, talk show hosts, reality TV and warnings about switching to HD. Take a look at these:

THE HISTORY OF HARRY NILE VOLUME 21

6 Classic Harry Nile Episodes, 2 CD Set

1. COLD READING - A murder is recorded on tape and Harry has to not only find out whom the killer is he also has to figure out who the victim was since no one can find a body.

2. THE FIGHTER AND THE PHANTOM - Harry trys to help a young fighter who swears that a ghost is out to ruin his career.

3. THE IVOR LINDMAN MATTER - There's nothing like a straightforward case of murder, and this is nothing like a straightforward case of murder as Harry quickly discovers.

4. MODEL 386A - Harry is hired to keep the girlfriends of a two timing jewelry salesman from turning him into lunchmeat. Guest starring Cynthia Geary of "Northern Exposure."

5. THE HANDSHAKE - Harry is involved in a real estate deal that has all the earmarks of...well he can't quite figure it out. Guest starring Baseball Hall of Fame announcer Dave Neihaus.

6. THE CASE OF THE DESPERATE DEALER - Business partners should trust each other shouldn't they? In this case it doesn't hold true and Harry goes on the car chase of his life to prove it.

The price is $16.95 for the CD set or $12.00 as a download.

THE CLASSIC ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES VOL.S 5 & 6

In Volume 5 you'll hear

The Return of Sherlock Holmes - For the first time we've combine two of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Holmes stories into an hour long adventure, "The Final Problem" first published December 1893 and "The Empty House." originally published in October of 1903.The first is the Holmes tale Doyle longed to write and the second is the story he was in all essence forced to write. In this feature length dramatization we set you on the path to the historical meeting between Holmes and Professor Moriarty and their infamous confrontation at the Reichenbach Falls. Then it's back to London and a world without Sherlock Holmes. What has become of Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson and how is Lestrade doing when it comes to solving the strange death of the Honorable Ronald Adair?

With over six minutes of added material not heard in the Broadcasted version.

And Volume 6 has:

The Blue Carbuncle - Holmes and Watson are literally on a "tame" goose chase in this adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Yule Time story of a stolen diamond, a lost felt hat and a bird in the hand.

Charles Augustus Milverton - Conan Doyle's tale of a master blackmailer and Sherlock Holmes' efforts to thwart him, why he'd even get married if it would help bring the villain down.

Each Single CD volume is $12.95 or as a download for only $7.00

And that's not all

Since the last Newsletter edition we have added 20 new plays to our library of $1.99 Single Episode downloads. New Harry Nile, Sherlock Holmes, Anthony Rathe, Crisis and Movies For Your Mind shows some never before released on CD or cassette.

COMING SOON:

The Adventures of Harry Nile Vol. 5

The Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 14

Kincaid, the Strangeseeker Vol. 6

The Anthony Rathe Chronicles

Masters of Mystery

The Hilary Caine Mysteries Vol. 3

Raffles, the Gentleman Thief Vol. 4

Old Time radio Stars on Imagination Theatre

WEEKLY CDS ARE A BIG HIT!!

Since we've made them available to the public we've sent out several hundred of the Weekly CDs all over the country. We have thousands of these CDs ready for you to order and add to your collection and remember these are the same discs that are sent out to the radio stations every week.

For week # 560 on down to the earliest number we still have the price is only $2.00 per disc. For any disc over 560 the price is still low at only $5.00 per. Believe it or not we're selling almost as many of the later CDs as we are the $2.00 shows.

Either way the caveat still applies; many of the weeks only have a few items left and once they're gone we won't be making any new ones for that week. So if there's a special Sherlock Holmes, Harry Nile or any of other series episodes you may have missed this would be the time to get them and for only two bucks.

Now to order all you have to do is go to www.harrynile on the web or call us on our toll free line 1-877-875-6453 Monday thru Friday if you are within U. S. borders or at 1-425-865-0458 if you're not.

Have your Visa or MasterCard ready and we'll be happy to get your Imagination Theatre CDs out to right away. If you'd rather pay by check or money order simply mail them to Jim French Productions 16215 SE. Roanoke Pl. Bellevue, WA. 98006 along with a complete description of what discs you'd like.

Get that one particular show or start collecting a whole series. Hurry while supplies last!

REMEMBER OUR NEXT LIVE RECORDING SESSION:

Monday June 8th at the Kirkland Performance Center keep an eye out for the announcement of what we'll be doing. The doors open at 7:00 pm with the show starting at 7:30, for tickets just call the Performance Center at 412-983-9900 or go online to www.kpcenter.org. That's Monday June 8th at the Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Avenue in Kirkland Washington

THIS ISSUES CAST MEMBER: ELLEN McLAIN

Ellen McLain is originally from Nashville, Tennessee. She was educated at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she received her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees with Honors in Music, and is an award winner from the National Institute of Music Theatre in Washington D. C., where she's had the honor of performing at the White House.

On the concert stage she has appeared with the New York Choral Society, the Antonia Brico Symphony in Denver, the Nashville Symphony, Boston's Handel and Haydn Society, Cecelia Society and Musica Viva. Her work in opera is extensive, appearing as Adina in L'ELISIR D'AMORE and Norina in DON PASQUALE as well as creating the roles of the social worker and Sophia in such new works as X, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOM X and TWILIGHT VOICES, respectively. Equally at home in dramatic theatre and musical comedy, Ellen has played Magnolia in SHOW BOAT to sold out houses in Europe, performed on Broadway in MY FAIR LADY with Rex Harrison and with Peggy Lee in her show, PEG. She has toured nationally as Edith in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, as Hannah in A COUPLE OF WHITE CHICKS SITTIN' AROUND TALKIN' and as Linda Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN.

Ellen's vocal versatility allows us to cast her in an almost limitless variety of roles in the Sherlock Holmes stories as well as many episodes of our other series. She currently has the running parts of Dorothy Leland and Miss Hasbrook in the "War Comes to Harry Nile" series and was Mrs. Barrymore in our version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

FROM THE MAIL BAG:

Let me say that Imagination Theatre week 678 was a very rare thing: a PERFECT broadcast! As with everything else, there are some weeks that the broadcast soars to greater heights than other weeks. This was one of those weeks. Your writing and direction on this last Harry Nile episode was at the TOP of your form and then, what do you do? You pull out one of the best Crisis episodes as well. Even your spot for single episode instant downloads was well crafted.
- Frank M.

I've been listening to imagination theater on WCCO 830 am. Fantastic. I love Radio Theater. Please keep up the good work. - Jacqueline P

"The Projectionist" was one of the best-written and produced radio dramas I have ever heard. Thank you. - Remo S.

You have won me over with your Sherlock and Nile series. As a listener on the Sirius satellite network your programs are a daily ritual for me. You must know that I am in love with Murphy (not Pat French). In her you have created the ideal woman smart, attractive redhead who is interested in adventure and never bored with the library. The characters of your Holmes mysteries are quite excellent. Just so you know Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes is my all time favorite and you have seemed to garner a bit of the late Mr. Brett's hyper attentive Holmes who gets agitated with idleness and enjoys the chase more than the hounds. Thank you all for giving us the total enjoyment of pictures in the mind. My Murphy is perfect, Harry is the image of average Joe, Dr. Watson is a fit 50 something who can agilely keep up with the scampering Holmes. Yes you have given me the information to bring to life my own images of these important friends who visit me each Monday throug h Friday. - Boyd A.

A FAN’S REVIEW OF THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

This is without a doubt one of the finest audio adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's immensely popular story. John Patrick Lowrie's direction is first rate and M.J. Eliot's script is quite excellent. The sound of "the Hound" is got to be one of the most chilling sounds I've heard in radio to date and I've been a fan of radio dramas since I was around 12 years old. John Patrick Lowrie's interpretation of Holmes is right on the money. His rapid-fire delivery suggests that Holmes' mind just cannot slow down for the rest of we slower thinking denizens of a different mental plane. Lawrence Albert's Watson is a finely constructed performance of a solid, intelligent, loyal friend. He speaks his mind when he's not sure of Holmes' motives and never fails to be there when needed by Holmes. Dennis Bateman (spelling?) is the perfect Henry Baskerville. He doesn't sound like a Texan and doesn't sound British and everything about his performance is very robust an d quite like a titled gentleman should sound I think. The rest of the cast make this production perfectly balanced and well worth the listen. The talented people have even been praised by the BBC for their work. If you are indeed a Sherlock Holmes fan you can go no further for great listening of both the canon and new pastiches of the great detective and his friend's cases. - John R.

SEE YA'LL NEXT TIME

IAN RANKIN ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

IAN RANKIN ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

DC’s Vertigo is branching out into a new line: Vertigo Crime. The label will be dedicated to graphic novels in the crime and mystery genres, kicking off with two releases on Aug. 19: Brian Azzarello and Victor Santos’ pulpy FILTHY RICH and Ian Rankin and Werther Dell’Edera’s DARK ENTRIES. The latter is a John Constantine story written by the author of the Inspector Rebus novels. Lee Bermejo will provide covers for all the releases, which will be printed inside with appropriately noir-y black-and-white art.

THE CAT'S MEOW!

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

WHY MEN DON'T TAKE MESSAGES!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

HAPPY!

TIKI OASIS 2009 ~ SAN DEIGO!

TIKI OASIS 2009 ~ SAN DEIGO!

Tiki Oasis 2009, San Deigo, CATiki Oasis is the largest and longest running Tiki Event on planet earth. A family produced event by Otto and Baby Doe von Stroheim of Tiki News Magazine the Tiki Oasis is the Tiki community’s annual reunion! Guests have the opportunity to honor historic sites and celebrate all aspects of Tiki Style. This lineup for this year’s event has been announced:

THURSDAY NIGHT!

Kick off the weekend on Thursday with a pre-party at the historic Bali Hai restaurant on Shelter Island. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to meet and mingle with other Tiki enthusiasts and plan your Tiki Oasis calendar for the weekend. Live music & a burlesque showcase as well as DJ’s spinning vintage vinyl. Remember to make early dinner reservations at the Bali Hai restaurant. There is plenty of free parking at the Bali Hai but we recommend carpooling in taxis or hopping the WhereTours bus.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Doors 6:30 pm, Show 7:00 pm - 12 midnight

Featuring appearances by San Diego’s darlings, Sultry Savage Burlesque; Headline a full night of entertainment, King Kukulele

FRIDAY NIGHT!

Spend all day Friday lounging in the sun at the Crowne Plaza Tiki Lagoon and Pool. As the sun sets, the soothing sounds of Exotica fill the poolside gardens and guests prepare for an all-night Beach Party with live music, burlesque and Go-Go dancers, tiki fashion show, and late night Shindig dance party in the Kona Room with Bardot A Go Go, prizes and more!

** Please note the evening showcase is rated R for language and scantily clad vixens. May not be suitable for those 17 and under.**

Doors 5:30pm, Show 6:00pm - 12:00 midnight

SATURDAY POOLSIDE VENDING!

Shop around the Oasis in the Lahaina Bay Rom, luau lawn, and Artist’s Alley. If it’s Tiki, it’s for sale here! Cruise the Woody car show in the parking lot and see the wheels of Surf history. Enjoy poolside antics such as Dj’s spinning vintage vinyl, live music from The Waikiki Beachcombers, dancers and more!

10:00am - 4:00pm Vending
4:00pm - 6:00 pm Chill out poolside

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SYMPOSIUMS!

Tiki Tike Playroom and Book Signings Galore
Book signings include Derek Yaniger “Wildesville”, Domenic and Brian “Pop Surf Culture”, Jay Strongman and Holden Westland “Tiki Mugs”, Shag TBA

You do not need to be a Tiki Oasis ticket holder or hotel guest to purchase tickets to the symposia. Arrive early as admission is first come first serve basis. Festival seating.

SATURDAY EVENING SHOWCASE!

Aqua Surf shop presents a night of new Surf flicks in the Kona Room - bring your own popcorn, blankets, pillows, beach balls and lawn chairs!

** Please note the evening showcase is rated R for language and scantily clad vixens. May not be suitable for those 17 and under.**

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MARKETPLACE!

Take a Sunday stroll through the poolside bazaar and Artist Alley featuring over fifty vendors, enjoy educational Experts Symposiums, LIVE tiki carving courtesy of San Diego’s Chop Chop, groove to the tunes of DJ’s while relaxing in the pool, join in on the legendary Iuka Grogg’s Uke jam, and it is all FREE and open to the public!

Vending
10:00am - 4:00pm

Entertainment
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm

TO GET TICKET AND HOTEL INFORMATION CLICK HERE

A TIP OF THE TIKI TO TIKI TALK

NEW FROM AMAZON.COM!

NEW FROM AMAZON.COM!

CAT-IN-A-BOX. I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU ORDER ONE OF THESE FROM AMAZON, BUT THEY MIGHT JUST BE VERY PISSED OFF WHEN YOU OPEN THE BOX.

THANKS FOR A LAUGH TO EURO CRIME

JAGGER ~ TIME SERVED!

JAGGER ~ TIME SERVED!

From Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers comes a brand new pulp series filled with suspense, action and mystery.

Upon his return home, Marine James Jagger wanted nothing more than to start a new life with, Michelle, the girl he loved. Alas a cruel twist of fate sends him spiraling down a nightmarish detour. Wrongly accused and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, Jagger spends the next seven years of his life behind bars.

Now on parole, he discovers a sadistic child predator is terrorizing a small New England town. An old friend from the past begs him to help save these innocent children. But to do so, Jagger will have to break parole and jeopardize his newfound freedom. First time novelist, Jared L.Cantin, delivers a fast paced, modern thriller that echoes the suspense of classic pulp adventures. In doing so he creates a new, modern hero for our times.

Featuring a classic pulp crime cover by Rob Davis and Shane Evans and edited by pulp writer Ron Fortier, Airship 27 Prod. is proud to present JAGGER – TIME SERVED, the first in a brand new series featuring ex-Marine warrior, James Jagger. Airship 27 Prod. pulp fiction for a new generation.

ISBN: 1-934935-51-4
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 04/03/2009
Retail Price: $24.95

COOL BOOKCASE!

COOL BOOKCASE!

AMAZING DESIGN BY RON ARAD WOULD LOOK GREAT ON A WALL BIG ENOUGH TO DO IT JUSTICE.

SERIAL VIGILANTES OF PAPERBACK FICTION!

SERIAL VIGILANTES OF PAPERBACK FICTION!

THIS IS ONE I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

SERIAL VIGILANTES OF PAPERBACK FICTION: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA FROM ABLE TEAM TO Z-COMM ~ BY BRAD MENGEL ~ AVAILABLE SUMMER 2009!

Rough justice has often been served in the pages of serial novels, notably beginning with Don Pendleton’s The Executioner in 1969. This is the first overview of the serial vigilante genre, which featured such hard-boiled protagonists as Nick Carter, Mark Stone, Jake Brand and Able Team among the 130 series that followed Pendleton’s novel. Serial vigilantes repeatedly take the law into their own hands, establishing and imposing their own moral standards, usually by force. The book examines the connections between the serial vigilante and the pulp hero that preceded him and how the serial vigilante has influenced a variety of tough guys, private eyes, spies and cops in different media. A complete bibliography for each series is featured.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Mengel works in Australia’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He’s contributed critical analysis to Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe and short fiction to Tales of the Shadowmen Vol. 3.

ISBN 978-0-7864-4165-5

A TIP OF THE GAT TO WIN SCOTT ECKERT

BEAT TO A PULP #17 ~ PREFERRED CUSTOMER BY MIKE SHEETER!

BEAT TO A PULP #17 ~ PREFERRED CUSTOMER BY MIKE SHEETER!

Why is this man in the picture behind bars? I’m not sure but BEAT to a PULP has his latest story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Sheeter's short fiction has appeared in Thuglit, Crime Spree, Spinetingler, Hardluck Stories, Muzzle Flash, and Out of the Gutter.

TO READ THE STORY CLICK HERE

Next week: "Maker’s and Coke" by Jake HinksonComing Soon: Travis Erwin's "Y Not"

COCKTAIL NATION #68 ~TIKI SHARK JUMP ONBOARD!

COCKTAIL NATION #68 ~TIKI SHARK JUMP ONBOARD!

Koop Kooper on a special edition of the cocktail nation as we name a new sponsor of the show ~ Tiki Shark! Good friend of the show Brad Parker and his associates have decided to use this radio show and podcast to tell the world about their fantastic tiki inspired products with the season’s new beach towels hitting shops along the east coast of the state.

TO CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE CLICK HERE

On the show this week, a new Sinatra album and we will hear from the man himself on the art of crooning. There's a new Bond museum opened up, so we'll check that out. Also, some brand new music from the SG Sound, the Tiki Cowboys, and the Stolen Idols

PLAYLIST:

Eartha Kitt ~I want to be Evil

Diana Krall ~ So Nice

Frank Sinatra ~ More

Charles Williams ~ Workroom

Waitiki ~ Hula Lady

Jimmy Vargas ~ Black Widow

Fire and Theft ~ Segu Save Algo

Stolen Idols ~ On Tonga Shores

Scott Walker ~ It's Raining Today

Enoch Light ~ April in Portugal

Tiki Cowboys ~ Tiki Lady

Russ Garcia ~ Sophisticated Lady

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ~ Come on with the Come on

SG Sound ~ Satellite Feed

Yoshinori Sunahara ~ Theme from Take-Off

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE