THE TALE OF THE KNIGHT, THE WITCH AND THE DRAGON!

THE TALE OF THE KNIGHT, THE WITCH AND THE DRAGON!

THANKS TO SFF AUDIO FOR THE LINK TO THIS VERY COOL AUDIO DRAMA STARRING PATRICK STEWART . . .

Written by J.C.W. Brook
Directed by Ian Cotterell
Performed by a full cast
Approx. 84 Minutes
BBC Radio 4 (Saturday Night Theatre)
Broadcast: Saturday 8th April 1978

“…a story of the past… the past of the imagination where all things are possible. A tale of power, love, sacrifice and of when the last fingers of myth and legend, sorcery and magic, trailed across the Earth before the world was so. It is a cosy world at peace. Where war is a make-believe and people know their place. A set, defined, established land of order and tranquility where evil only lies in the past… but that past approaches fast.”

CAST:

Patrick Stewart … The Knight, Sir Hugh of Monreth
Peggy Paige … The Witch Kavern
Anthony Newlands … The King
Elizabeth Proud … The Princess Edith
Gavin Campbell … Sir Edmund
Henry Knowles … The Herald
Marcus Campbell … Ian, Sir Hugh’s Page
Sheila Grant … Jane, The Princess’s Gentlewoman
Kate Binchy … Marianne, The Witch’s Daughter
Kenneth Shanley and Jonathan Scott … The King’s Subjects
Timothy Bateson … Scrimp, the Story Teller
Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop … sound effects and score

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

WHEN YELLOW CASTS A CRIMSON SHADOW!

WHEN YELLOW CASTS A CRIMSON SHADOW!

THE LATEST AUDIO DRAMA FROM 19 NOCTURNE BOULEVARD
WRITTEN BY JULIE HOVERSON

In the style of the classic Italian Giallo thrillers of the 1970s and 80s!! Hot chicks in peril, black leather-gloved killer, faces through plate glass, badly-dubbed voices, and lots and lots of the red stuff!

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ICEBOX RADIO THEATER!

ICEBOX RADIO THEATER!

The Summer Season continues on the Icebox Radio Podcast with a classic of Old Time Radio: 'I Love a Mystery' by legendary producer Carlton E. Morse. Jeff introduces two chapters from the epic pulp story: 'Temple of Vampires' and gives some insight into how an adventure serial produced for 9-year-old boys has such a lasting and loyal following. Plus, Jeff gives you the link to enjoy the Icebox Radio Theater's recent appearance on the evening news! And no, they didn't appear in handcuffs.

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #68!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #68!

Aloha, Hi-Fi fans! To honor the anniversary of Hawaii’s 50th birthday in becoming a state, we have compiled over 20 great Space-Age Polynesian sounds just for you this evening. Sit back, grab a Mai Tai, and enjoy our musical tribute to the 50th state on a special

PLAYLIST:

•Rock-A-Hula-Baby - Elvis Presely
• Pagan Love Song - Billy Vaughn
• Keep Your Eyes On The Hands - Bing Crosby
• Tiny Bubbles - Henry Mancini
• Little Grass Shack - The Hi-Lo’s
• Mai Tai - Les Baxter
• Hawaii - The Beach Boys
• Hawaiian Eye - Buddy Morrow
• Blue Hawaii - Frank Sinatra
• Pearly Shells - Arthur Lyman
• Holiday In Hawaii - Annette Funicello
• Hawaii Five-O - Morton Stevens
• E Le Ka Lei Lei(beach Party Song) - Don Ho
• Princess Poo-Poo-ly Has Plenty Papaya – The Four Preps
• Aloha, I Love You - Martin Denny
• The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai - Andy Cummings
• Honolulu Baby - Laurel & Hardy
• The Hukilau Song - Lucky Luck
• Hula Love - Buddy Knox
• One Paddle, Two Paddle - Hawaiian Calls
• Aloha Oe - Alvino Rey
• Sweet Leilani - Werner Muller
• Hawaiian War Chant - Marty Gold

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

NEWLY DISCOVERED CHRISTIE/POIROT SERIALIZED!

NEWLY DISCOVERED CHRISTIE/POIROT SERIALIZED!

Unseen for 60 years, the Daily Mail begins today the serialization of a lost short story by Agatha Christie featuring her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Titled "The Capture of Cerberus" (which was also the title the author used for another, completely different story published in 1947), it features a Russian femme fatale, a crazed tyrant, and an assassination that shakes the world.

Her story notes had lain undiscovered for decades, gathering dust in a battered cardboard box. There were shopping lists and jottings, hastily scribbled notes, and page after page of virtually indecipherable handwriting in blue-lined notebooks. But author and dedicated Christie enthusiast John Curran painstakingly threaded together the notes and handwritten ingredients of an unseen story that eventually became a typed script.

The story is unusual in that Christie ventures into (then) contemporary politics, surely one of the reasons the story wasn't accepted for publication at the time, and it includes a hint of sex: Poirot is stirred into excitement by feminine beauty.

Curran writes of his discovery in a new book, Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making, to be published in the UK next month. In the meantime, visit the Daily Mail to read a serialized version of "The Capture of Cerberus" now.

TO READ THE DAILY MAIL ARTICLE CLICK HERE

HAT TIP TO MYSTERY BOOK NEWS

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ MONTY PYTHON VERSION!

SHAMUS AWARD NOMINEES!

SHAMUS AWARD NOMINEES!

BEST HARD COVER:

• Salvation Boulevard, by Larry Beinhart

Nation Books
• Empty Ever After, by Reed Farrel Coleman

Bleak House Books
• The Blue Door, by David Fulmer

Harcourt
• The Price of Blood, by Declan Hughes

Morrow
• The Ancient Rain, by Domenic Stansberry

St. Martin’s Minotaur

BEST FIRST P.I. NOVEL:

• Stalking Susan, by Julie Kramer

Doubleday
• Swann’s Last Song, by Charles Salzberg

Five Star
• The Eye of Jade, by Diane Wei Liang

Simon & Schuster
• In the Heat, by Ian Vasquez

St. Martin’s Minotaur
• Veil of Lies, by Jeri Westerson

St. Martin’s Minotaur

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:

• Snow Blind, by Lori Armstrong

Medallion
• Shot Girl, by Karen Olson

Obsidian
• The Stolen, by Jason Pinter

Mira
• The Black Hand, by Will Thomas

Touchstone
• The Evil That Men Do, by Dave White

Three Rivers Press

BEST SHORT STORY:

• “Family Values,” by Mitch Alderman

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2008
• “Last Island South,” by John C. Boland

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2008
• “The Blonde Tigress,” by Max Allan Collins

EQMM, June 2008
• “Discovery,” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

AHMM, November 2008
• “Panic on Portage Path,” by Dick Stodghill

AHMM, January/February 2008

SINATRA: NEW YORK

SINATRA: NEW YORK

Five-Disc Boxed Set Features All Previously Unreleased
Live Performances Of Ol’ Blue Eyes In “The Apple”

Collection Highlights Performances Recorded Between
1955 and 1990 At Iconic New York City Venues

Available From Reprise November 3

LOS ANGELES — Frank Sinatra may have been born in Hoboken, New Jersey, but the Chairman of the Board always held a special place in his heart for the city that never sleeps—“The Apple,”as he called it. From a surprise appearance with Tommy Dorsey in 1955 to a 1990 concert at Radio City Music Hall, SINATRA: NEW YORK follows the singer onstage at various iconic New York City venues, living out one of his most famous lines: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” The five-disc boxed set (4-CD/1-DVD) of previously unreleased live performances will be available November 3, at all retail outlets, including www.Sinatra.com, for a suggested list price of $79.99 (physical) and $34.99 (digital).

The 71 previously unreleased performances gathered here (55 on CD/16 on DVD) capture the singer giving his electricifying best, reminding listeners why Sinatra’s celebrated baritone has been hailed as the “The Voice.” The set, produced by Charles Pignone, features deluxe packaging with rare, never-before-seen photos, tributes from Martin Scorsese, Tony Bennett, Yogi Berra, and Twyla Tharp, liner notes by Nat Hentoff, and essays by William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist and French Connection; George Kalinsky, official photographer for Madison Square Garden for over 40 years; Tom Young, engineer for Sinatra; Joe & Sal Scognamillo, owners of Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York City; and Frank Sinatra Jr.

SINATRA: NEW YORK begins in February 1955, at the Manhattan Center, where Sinatra made a surprise appearance with Tommy Dorsey and his band during a concert celebrating the group’s 20-year anniversary. Sinatra, who first became a star singing with Dorsey in the early ’40s, sang a trio of his biggest hits with Dorsey: “Oh! Look At Me Now,” “This Love Of Mine;” and “I’ll Never Smile Again,” a song that spent 12 weeks at #1 in 1940. The remainder of the first disc was recorded in September 1963, at the United Nations. To celebrate U.N. Staff Day, Sinatra sang at the organization’s Manhattan offices, accompanied only by pianist Skitch Henderson, who incidentally played on Sinatra’s first solo recording session in 1942. During the show, the duo performed “I Have Dreamed” and “My Heart Stood Still” from The Concert Sinatra, an album released earlier that year.

Sinatra “retired” in 1971, at the age of 55, but returned in 1973, with Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back. A year later, he launched a tour to benefit an international children’s charity that included a show at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The second disc features classics such as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Come Fly With Me.” Sinatra also performed Joe Raposo’s “There Used To Be A Ballpark” and “You Will Be My Music” from Ol’ Blue Eyes.

From October 1974, the third disc contains the first night of Sinatra’s two-night stand at Madison Square Garden. The second night was televised and dubbed ‘The Main Event’ concert. With the famous arena set up for a boxing match—complete with ringside seats—Howard Cosell introduced Sinatra before the singer took the stage wearing boxing gloves. Bill Miller conducted Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd as the band accompanied Sinatra on signature hits (“The Lady Is A Tramp,” “My Way”), ballads (“Let Me Try Again,” “Angel Eyes”), and “Autumn In New York.”

The final CD returns to Carnegie Hall for a sold-out June 1984 show, and Sinatra taps his extensive songbook for an eclectic evening of music that spans four decades: “Fly Me To The Moon”; “Pennies From Heaven”; “My Way”; and “Come Rain Or Come Shine.” The second half of disc four, from Radio City Music Hall in June 1990, finds Sinatra performing with an orchestra conducted by his son Frank Sinatra Jr., and includes such hits as “Strangers In The Night,” “Mack The Knife,” and “Theme From New York, New York.”

SINATRA: NEW YORK closes with a DVD containing the singer’s June 25, 1980, concert at Carnegie Hall. At the time, the two-week engagement set a record for the venue by selling out in just a day. The shows followed the release of 1980’s Trilogy, Sinatra’s ambitious triple-album comeback that featured “The Theme From New York, New York.” Sinatra mixes “Summer Me, Winter Me” from that album with his hits “I’ve Got The World On A String” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Foreshadowing the follow-up to Trilogy is “The Gal That Got Away”/“It Never Entered My Mind,” a medley that would appear on She Shot Me Down in 1981.

For additional information regarding SINATRA: NEW YORK, please contact Lellie Capwell in the Reprise Records Media Relations Department at 818-238-6246 or Lellie.Capwell@SinatraEnterprises.com

SINATRA: NEW YORK

TRACK LISTING:

DISC 1
Manhattan Center
1955

1. Introductions: Martin Block and Tommy Dorsey
2. “I’ll Never Smile Again”
3. “Oh! Look At Me Now”
4. “This Love Of Mine”
United Nations, 1963
5. “Too Marvelous For Words”
6. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”
7. “I Have Dreamed”
8. Monologue
9. “A Foggy Day”
10. “My Heart Stood Still”
11. “I Get A Kick Out Of You”

DISC 2
Carnegie Hall
April 8, 1974

1. Overture: “All The Way,”/“My Kind Of Town,”/“You Will Be My Music”
2. “Come Fly With Me”
3. “I Get A Kick Out Of You”
4. “Don’t Worry About Me”
5. “If”
6. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
7. Medley: “Last Night When We Were Young”/“Violets For Your Furs”/“Here’s That Rainy Day”
8. Bows – “You Will Be My Music”
9. Monologue
10. “My Way”
11. “You Will Be My Music”
12. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
13. “Send In The Clowns”
14. “That’s Life”
15. Bows – “My Way”
16. “There Used To Be A Ballpark”
17. “My Kind Of Town”
18. Bows – “My Way”

DISC 3
Madison Square Garden
October 12, 1974

1. Overture: “It Was A Very Good Year”/“All The Way”/“My Kind Of Town”
2. “The Lady Is A Tramp”
3. “I Get A Kick Out Of You”
4. “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?”
5. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
6. “Let Me Try Again (Laisse Moi Le Temps)”
7. “Send In The Clowns”
8. “My Kind Of Town”
9. Monologue
10. “Autumn In New York”
11. “If”
12. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
13. “Angel Eyes”
14. “The House I Live In”
15. “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”
16. “My Way”
17. Bows – “My Way”

DISC 4
Carnegie Hall
June 1984

1. “Fly Me To The Moon”
2. “Luck Be A Lady”
3. “This Is All I Ask”
4. “Come Rain Or Come Shine”
5. Monologue
6. “My Way”
7. “Teach Me Tonight”
8. “Pennies From Heaven”
Radio City Music Hall, June 1990
9. “For Once In My Life”
10. “Strangers In The Night”
11. Monologue
12. “Mack The Knife”
13. “Summer Wind”
14. “Theme From New York, New York”
15. Bows – ‘Good-Bye’

DVD
Carnegie Hall
1980

1. “I’ve Got The World On A String”
2. “The Best Is Yet To Come”
3. “The Lady Is A Tramp”
4. “When Your Lover Has Gone”
5. “This Is All I Ask”
6. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
7. “Summer Me, Winter Me”
8. “Street Of Dreams”
9. Medley: “The Gal That Got Away”/“It Never Entered My Mind”
10. “I Can’t Get Started”
11. “Send In The Clowns”
12. “Come Fly With Me”
13. “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”
14. “You And Me (We Wanted It All)”
15. “The Song Is You”
16. “Theme From New York, New York”

PRE-ORDER HERE

THE SPIDER VS. THE EMPIRE STATE!

THE SPIDER VS. THE EMPIRE STATE!

While I am far from a pulp expert, I am a pulp aficionado. I was aware of the adventures of the character known as The Spider, but had never been drawn to immerse myself in Norvell Page’s tales. I had no idea I was missing out on a great character and great tales!

Anyway, how could you resist the brilliant packaging for The Spider vs. The Empire State, the latest pulp reprint offering from the good folks at Age of Aces? And while I am more familiar with their regular blend of Air Ace pulp stories, their love of the pulps is clear in this meticulously compiled collection.

I’ll get to the stories themselves in a moment, but starting with the stunning Chris Kalb cover, which invokes the flavor of the iconic V for Vendetta, the package gets off to a great start.

The promise of the cover begins to be immediately fulfilled with the well researched and authoritative introduction by PEAPS member Tom Krabacher. The placing of the trinity of Spider stories, known collectively as the Black Police Trilogy, within the historical context of when they were written adds immensely to their enjoyment.

It also points out their importance . . .

What? Importance in the pulps? You bet. Like any other style of writing, when it is done with a passion for ideas and justice, pulp writing can be as important as any literary diatribe.

Here the trilogy of tales featuring The Spider taking on his greatest foe – an American police state – whips along at breakneck speed while exploring a hot topic issue of the day, which could have easily come true.

THEY SAID IT COULDN'T HAPPEN HERE. THEN THEY SAID ONE MAN COULDN'T STOP IT!

Richard Wentworth spent his vigilante career as The Spider always in the shadows. Now evil acted in broad daylight. The Party of Justice swept into office, rewriting the laws of New York state overnight to benefit their criminal backers and make slaves of its people.

This American Reichstag gave itself sweeping powers and raised a private army to exert its malevolent will. How could The Spider hope to stop a criminal conspiracy as big as the state itself?

This time The Master of Men would go beyond taking the lives of evildoers... by bringing Hope to the tyrannized citizens of the Empire State!

The "Black Police Trilogy" is author Norvell Page's classic pulp fiction Nazi allegory from 1938. Originally introduced 71 years ago this week in three consecutive months of The Spider Magazine, the novels "The City That Paid To Die", "The Spider at Bay", and "Scourge of the Black Legions" are collected in book form for the first time.

Often the hype used to push the pulps was sadly lacking between the actual pages, but The Spider vs. The Empire State is the real deal. The illustrations throughout the collection are clearly reproduced and the follow up info provided as an unofficial appendix finishes the package with a flourish.

GET IT NOW!

FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE

SHINKEI!

SHINKEI!

NEW FROM DECODER RING THEATRE . . .

Are there any two phrases in the English language that offer as much delight at "mildly dystopian" and "not-too-distant future"? If there are, they can only be "career criminal" and "one last big score". And yet for all those comfortable tropes, expect the unexpected from... Shinkei!

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

THE RED CIRCLE: THE HANGMAN!

THE RED CIRCLE: THE HANGMAN!

Fan-favorite writer J. Michael Straczynski is updating a quartet of superheroes that were once under the Archie Comics family of the 1940s, in a series of one-shots.

First up is THE RED CIRCLE: THE HANGMAN #1, and it tells the story of Dr. Dickering, who unwillingly inherits a Civil War-era curse that has him become the titular terror — a masked, immortal man who gets to decide who’s guilty and who’s innocent.

If they’re innocent, he fights to protect them. If they’re not … well, that’s obviously the fun part. You can’t go wrong with vigilante justice, and Straczynski gets this reboot off to a rousing start, complemented by Tom Derenick’s pencils and Bill Sienkiewicz’s color.

If you’re into THE PUNISHER, odds are you’ll like this.

ANOTHER TIP OF THE FEDORA TO ROD LOTT AT BOOKGASM

KID COLT!

KID COLT!

One of my favorite western comic characters from Marvel’s yesteryear is revived in KID COLT #1.

The titular teenage antihero is Blaine Cole, who was forced to become an outlaw when a corrupt sheriff had his family murdered over their land. The law is looking for Cole because of a farmer he’s supposed to have shot, but he claims his innocence.

A bounty hunter tells him finding an eyewitness might help his case, so that’s exactly what he tries to do. Unfortunately, everywhere he goes, people are trying to kill him or capture him.

Guns a-blazin’ in this four-chapter tale — originally a webcomic — written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Rick Burchett. Western comics aren’t exactly a dime a dozen these days, so when they do come out, you should snap them up.

A TWO PISTOL SALUTE TO ROD LOTT AT BOOKGASM

HONEY WEST ~ THE COMIC!

HONEY WEST ~ THE COMIC!

COMING FROM MOONSTONE BOOKS:

Honey West, created by Gloria and Forest Fickling, is a sexy noir blend of Marilyn Monroe and Mike Hammer!

She is a sassy, curvy, and tough P.I. She was one of the first female private detectives in popular fiction. She first appeared in the 1957 book This Girl for Hire and would go on to appear in 10 more novels.

Honey West was also the star of a short lived TV show, A slinky, glamorous female private eye, was something new to television. In an era when actresses were confined to sedate housewife and girlfriend roles, this series marked a unique and original departure. This was the first dramatic TV series in the U.S. with a female star in an action-adventure role traditionally played by a male actor. It was unprecedented to see a beautiful, curvacious woman in a catsuit beating up male attackers with a high-kick, judo-flip, or well-placed karate chop.

Her untamed feline qualites were reflected by her leopard spot and animal-print wardrobe and decor. She also kept an exotic pet ocelot and raced around in a Cobra convertible sportscar. The risque aspect of the novels was toned down for television, although sultry Anne Francis nevertheless exuded a considerable sex appeal. And she frequently went on undercover missions requiring some revealing outfit or bikini, etc.

MOONSTONE will be producing all new stories, both in comics, as well as prose!

This wickedly cool detective will be tested by writers Elaine Lee, Rafael Nieves, and Trina Robbins!

Y/A CORNER ~ JACK BOLT AND THE HIGHWAYMEN’S HIDEOUT BY RICHARD HAMILTON!

Y/A CORNER ~ JACK BOLT AND THE HIGHWAYMEN’S HIDEOUT BY RICHARD HAMILTON!

When a gang of 18th century highwaymen break into Jack Bolt’s bedroom, they are in for quite a surprise—they’ve landed in the 21st century! Luckily for them, Jack agrees to keep their time-traveling secret to himself, if they agree to show him what it’s like in the 18th Century. Jack soon realizes that the past is far from safe, and he finds himself caught up in a breathtaking and dangerous adventure.

This galloping and swashbuckling tale will delight all would-be time travelers from beginning to end.

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: KILL ME IN YOSHIWARA BY EARL NORMAN!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: KILL ME IN YOSHIWARA BY EARL NORMAN!

In his blog last week, James Reasoner made mention of PI Burns Bannion, which got me scurrying for my collection of this esoteric series.

Kill Me In Yoshiwara was the fourth of author Earl Norman's (pseudonym of Norman Thompson) fourth of ten novels in his Kill Me series, all featuring American GI turned Tokyo private eye Burns Bannion. Set in the aftermath or WWII, the series is considered to be the first to use karate as a major plot device.

This outing takes Bannion to Yoshiwara, the prostitution district of Tokyo, to find the slayer of a young woman killed by karate. Bannion started out in Tokyo as a karate student, becoming a private eye by accident after being mistaken for a real private investigator from California.

Bannion did his private eye bit through the whole series of novels written in the late fifties and early sixties. The books are filled with the racial stereotypes (such as slant-eyed babes), which today (and perhaps even then) would be considered offensive.

In reality, the books are worth more for their cool covers than the words between those covers, unless you are into cheesy writing for the sake of cheesy writing -- or as the Thrilling Detective website describes it, “the so-bad-it's-good school of detective writing.”

Cover blubs include these gems calling Bannion a "blood brother to Shell Scott and Mike Hammer (who) keeps running into his two favorite pastimes -- gorgeous girls and deadly killers."

The Thrilling Detective website further fills us in that author Earl Norman/Norman Thomson was a radio, stage and film actor who worked as an entertainment supervisor for U.S. military bases in the Far East after the second World War, spending 30 years in Tokyo.

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Kill Me in Tokyo (1958)
Kill Me in Shimbashi (1959)
Kill Me in Yokohama (1960)
Kill Me in Yoshiwara (1961)
Kill Me in Shinjunku (1961)
Kill Me in Atami (1962)
Kill Me on the Ginza (1962)
Kill Me In Yokosuka (1966)
Kill Me in Roppongi (1967)
Kill Me in Hong Kong (1976)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ JILL ST. JOHN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ JILL ST. JOHN!

OVER AT HIS CARTOON CAVE BLOG, ARTIST PETE EMSLIE HAS A NICE BIRTHDAY (IT WAS ACTUALLY YESTERDAY) TRIBUTE TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOND GIRLS ~ JILL ST. JOHN!

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

SOLOMON KANE ~ COMING SOON!

SHAG INTERVIEW!

SHAG INTERVIEW!

THE TIP OFF FROM JASON WHITON’S SPY VIBE BLOG:

Josh Agle, better known by his artistic non-de-plume Shag, has captured our imaginations and retro-lovin' hearts by mining elements of the Spy Vibe form of 50s-60s culture in his paintings.

His universe is filled with evil lairs, bachelor pads, femme fatales, cocktail lounges, Tiki and Mid-Century Modern, and Vespa-riding hipsters. Read more about his influences, career, and more over at Mod Culture, and a cool nod over at My Design Fix.

SERGEANT ZERO PREVIEW!

SERGEANT ZERO PREVIEW!

A preview of issue one of the Sergeant Zero comic series including conceptual design and promotional artwork.

Back from the War, Joe Sinclair struggles to survive in the bowels of Century City coping with near-superhuman memories he doesn’t remember living. Is he losing his mind or is he something more? Forged from a past now lost, his memory used for an inner fire, Sergeant Zero is a soldier few remember and most have forgotten…including himself.

Created, Written, Colored, and Lettered by Anthony Schiavino
Illustrated by Simone Guglielmini
Cover colors by Stephen Downer
Standard Comic
Full Color
Page Count: 16
POD $3.50

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

SKORPION!

SKORPION!

OVER AT HIS SPY-FI BLOG, FELLOW C.O.B.R.A.S. BLOGGER CHRIS MILLS GIVES US A PREVIEW OF THIS ULTRA COOL, EURO-SPY INSPIRED, NEW CHARACTER HE HAS COOKED UP WITH ARTIST RICK BURCHETT.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

KINGS OF MADISON AVENUE: THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO MAD MEN!

KINGS OF MADISON AVENUE: THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO MAD MEN!

Reveling in the consumerist decadence of AMC’s infamous advertising house Sterling Cooper, this complementary volume to the groundbreaking series Mad Men provides behind-the-scenes revelations, episode guides, cast biographies, and rich sidebar content, including “How to Party Like the Mad Men.” Delving beneath the glitz and glamour to highlight the workings of a sophisticated modern classic, this definitive fan guide also offers fascinating sociological context and cultural analysis. The details of historical ad campaigns that are woven into the show’s storylines are provided—such as Volkswagen Beetle’s landmark “Think Small” campaign, the Nixon/Kennedy presidential push, and the creation of Lucky Strike’s “It’s toasted” slogan. This is the ultimate guide to a series that has been praised by the New York Times, Time magazine, and USA Today.

BBC RADIO DOWNLOADER!

BBC RADIO DOWNLOADER!

CHECKING OUT THE SSF AUDIO SITE TURNED UP THIS GEM OF A COMPUTER PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TRANSLATE THE MANY WONDERFUL BBC AUDIO PROGRAMS INTO MP3 FORMAT FOR BURNING TO DISK. THIS MEANS I CAN NOW HEAR BBC IN MY CAR WHERE I DO MOST OF MY LISTENING.

THE DOWNLOADS ARE SIMPLE AND THE PROGRAMS WORK GREAT. I’M DELIGHTED.

HERE’S THE WORD FROM THE SFF AUDIO SITE:

RADIO DOWNLOADER is a cool piece of software called that is making me very happy.

Created by Matt Robinson, and found on his website, NERDOFTHEHERD.COM – Radio Downloader is a program that browses, automatically retrieves, downloads, and converts BBC Radio programs into MP3s.

Anything that shows up on BBC iPlayer can now be subscribed to and made ultra-portable. The only thing Radio Downloader doesn’t do is interface with iTunes or other podcatcher software. The browser is relatively simple to use and lists all the upcoming programs available (as well as older shows that may repeat).

I’ve found myself subscribed to regular slots in the BBC schedule like: “Afternoon Play”, “Book At Bedtime”, “Book Of The Week”, “Saturday Play” and many many others. But you can also subscribe by title (see above). After you download and install Radio Downloader play around a bit with it. The interface is clean and simple, but requires a bit of training to find all of the goodness stored within it.

Of his software Matt sez:
It brings Podcast-like abilities to stream downloading, as well as handling Podcasts. This gives you the convenience of being able to subscribe to regular downloads of your favourite programmes, which you can then listen to on your pc or mp3 player.

Radio Downloader runs on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, and requires the .Net Framework 2.0, which you can get via Windows Update, or download from microsoft.com.

AND, MOST IMPORTANT, RD IS FREE

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #67 ~ SPECIAL EDITION!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #67 ~ SPECIAL EDITION!

Elvis died 32 years ago today (8/16/77), and here at the Buddies Lounge we’re HUGE fans of his. To honor the anniversary of his untimely passing, we have compiled 24 of the worst, yet very entertaining songs Elvis recorded for his movies. Sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy our movie musical tribute to “The King” on a special “An Evening At The Buddies Lounge”. It's all in good fun!

PLAYLIST:

• Old MacDonald
• I’m A Roustabout
• She’s A Machine
• Clambake
• A Dogs Life
• We’re Comin’ In Loaded
• Smorgasbord
• Barefoot Ballad
• Petunia, The Gardeners Daughter
• Goin’ Home
• He’s Your Uncle, Not Your Dad
• I’m Not The Marryng Kind
• Take Me To The Fair
• Chesay
• Who Needs Money
• Do The Clam
• Signs Of The Zodiac
• Datin’
• Song Of The Shrimp
• No Room To Rhumba In A Sportscar
• Poison Ivy League
• Harem Holday
• Yoga Is As Yoga Does
• Happy Ending

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

PINNOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER!

PINNOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER!

"The book is a really fun and ridiculous mash-up of horror, humor, action and folktale, and I think it's something that just about anyone can pick up and enjoy. It's loaded with cool fights and jokes that could've come from a Steven Seagal movie. But Dusty and I also worked diligently to give it heart and depth, too. I imagine there will be people who dismiss it as frivolous, but we did treat Pinocchio as a real, fully realized character. So I like to think folks looking for more cerebral fare will appreciate it as well."

MENTAL! I'M IN

TO READ A FULL INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATORS CLICK HERE

A THRUST OF THE WOODEN STAKE TO PIMPERNEL'S BLOG

SHERLOCK & ZOMBIES!

SHERLOCK AND ZOMBIES!

FIRST IS WAS JANE AUSTEN ~ NO IT'S SHERLOCK'S TURN TO GET THE ZOMBIE TREATMENT!

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #1

Written by Ian Edginton

Art by Davide Fabbri

Cover by Tony Moore

Variant cover by Simon Coleby

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Those are the words of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the world's first consulting detective, yet even he finds his skills tested to their limit as he and his erstwhile comrade Dr. John Watson are confronted with the most extraordinary case of their career the dead are returning to life! Can a plague of Biblical proportions be far behind for Victorian London? And who or what is behind the resurrection of these ravenous revenants?

From renowned writer Ian Edginton (STORMWATCH: PHD) and acclaimed international artist Davide Fabbri (Star Wars) comes the first chapter in an incredible new 6-issue Sherlock Holmes adventure!

Featuring a cover by original Walking Dead artist Tony Moore!

A TIP OF THE DEERSTALKER TO PIMPERNEL'S BLOG

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ TRIPLE PLAY!

THE SPIDER: JUDGEMENT KNIGHT!

THE SPIDER: JUDGEMENT KNIGHT!

If you like your justice served ice cold, baby, The SPIDER is it!

The body count is high as the most ruthless crime fighter of all time stars in his very own wide-vision graphic novel! No one comes close to how deliciously deadly The Spider dispatches justice. The criminals are not left behind for the police; they are not rehabilitated. They are no longer a burden on society, as The Spider just mows them down with extreme prejudice!

A murderous ghost of crime terrorizes New York City, dealing gruesome agonized death to any who stand in the way of his quest for power. The city reeling, threatened with wholesale murder, The Spider finds himself wounded and caught in a desperate battle within America’s very symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. At stake, the fate of millions and the life of the woman he loves—Nita van Sloan!

Story: Norvell W. Page, Howard Hopkins
Art: Gary Carbon
72pgs
$9.95

FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE

GUYS, DOLLS, AND CURVEBALLS!

GUYS, DOLLS, AND CURVEBALLS!

Guys, Dolls, and Curveballs is a delightful collection of ballpark dispatches from one of the game’s most unique chroniclers—Damon Runyon, the legendary reporter and creator of such mythic gangster icons as Nathan Detroit and the Lemon Drop Kid. Best known as the bard of Broadway for turning two-bit hustlers and deadbeat horseplayers of Jazz Age New York City into literary legend, Runyon was first and foremost a newspaperman. After arriving in New York from Colorado in 1911, Runyon went to work for Hearst News Service as a baseball beat writer. It was at the ballpark that he honed his legendary skills for finding the story where no one else bothered to look.

A master wordsmith, Runyon covered giants of the era such as Ty Cobb, and a Boston Red Sox pitcher named Babe Ruth. In addition, he brought an influential style to observing the rituals and rhythms of the ballpark, wryly commenting on everything from the gamblers and bookies doing business to the particular style of hat worn by a woman in the crowd. Editor Jim Reisler collects Runyon’s writings on every facet of the game, making this a unique and indispensable look at our beloved pastime.

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ COCKTAIL CAT & ONE-TOO-MANY COCKTAILS CAT!

BEAT TO A PULP #37!

BEAT TO A PULP #37!

DISEASES FROM LOVING BY ALEC CIZAK

She pulled it out of her purse. Slowly, cautiously, always looking around, making sure I was the only one who could see it. She said it was a .32. I believed her. Just as quickly as she showed it to me, she shoved it back in between a plastic bundle of tissues and what appeared to be a thin red wallet.

"That's why I'm drinking like this, mister." She chased her words with a shot of whiskey. Her fifth, by my count.

You know you can't stop there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alec Cizak is a writer from Indianapolis. His work has appeared in Thuglit, A Twist of Noir, Nite Blade, and Static Movement. He also contributes poems to zygote in my coffee.

TO FINISH CIZAK'S MASTERFUL NOIR CLICK HERE

Next: Clair Dickson's "Hit Women," featuring fiction's boldest and baddest detective, Bo Fexler.

CONAN ~ QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST!

CONAN ~ QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST!

THE FIRST EVER AUDIO DRAMATIZATION OF ROBERT E. HOWARD’S QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST IS AVAILABLE AGAIN!

PER SFF AUDIO:

Broken Sea Audio Productions’ fan produced programs were non-commercial, released for free, and 100% legal (being derived from public domain stories) had been unavailable for several months due to the “false copyright notice and we turn-off your internet” provisions of New Zealand’s copyright legislation. This is the same anti-judicial oversight provisions that anti-circumvention DRM lobbyists in Canada are asking for in the current Canadian Copyright Consultations.
But now two of the three Howard-dervied stories are available other than on Broken Sea’s website.

Some fan seems to have uploaded two of the three BSAP Howard productions to the Archive.org servers. And a PirateBay.org search turns up a torrent version of the audio drama. It seems to me that given Archive.org’s size it will be better able to fight off any false claims of copyright ownership over the original stories than was BSAP, but I’m not 100% sure. The torrented audio drama is probably even more bulletproof. But I’d recommend that if you haven’t already you get them both earlier rather than later.

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #87 ~ MUSIC AND COCKTAIL AND MUSIC!

COCKTAIL NATION #87 ~ MUSIC AND COCKTAIL AND MUSIC!

Thanks to the Tiki Shark it's Koop Kooper and the Cocktail Nation in the Penthouse looking over the city of Sydney chatting to the the man behind a supurb event of music and cocktails by the lake. Also, speaking of events, Koop will check out lots of things to attend including a movie where Aztec Mummys take on Wrestling Women...who would win that fight?

Listen in as Kooper keeps himself wrapped up nice and warm in the Penthouse, the heating cranked up nice and high, while Sydney freeezes away in the middle of winter.

TO CHECK OUT AN INTERVIEW WITH KOOP CLICK HERE

PLAYLIST:

Lucas Vigor ~ WapWap
Cocktail Preachers ~ A Taste of honey
Alvino Rey ~ Isn't It Romantic
The Ulterior Motive Orchestra ~ I Spy
Clouseaux ~ Kiss of Ku
Perez Prado ~ Moniter Mambo
Liz Geyson ~ You turn me on baby
Martini Kings ~ Enchanted Lovers
Tikiyaki Orchesta ~ Balli Hi Ball
Waitiki ~ Plamingo Flagoda
Spy Fi ~ Memory Burn
Mel Tormé ~ Sunday In New York
Al Caoila ~ I Got it Bad
Les Baxter ~ Love Beat Of The City
Mighty Blue Kings ~ Don't Let Go

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE