"The Pulpy Heroes That Time Forgot": Episode 1- The Prowler

In the '80's, as my Shadowmania was in the first spasmic throes, I would buy any comic I could find with a fedora or slouch hat on the cover. I was diving into the world of pulp heroes with gusto. I may not have understood or appreciated the history and effects of the pulp era yet; I just knew anything with a hat was cool.

Sue me: I was just a kid.

Anyway, the first pulp-pastiche hero I found was The Prowler (not to be confused with the Marvel character of the same name). I wish I could give you a better link, but time seems to have swallowed this character up. Weird.

Anyway, the series was set in the late 1980's, although sometimes the narrative would show a flashback set in the 30's or 40's. We are introduced to college student Scott Kida, amateur karate student and artist. Scott has found himself a friend and apprentice of one Leo Kragg. Leo was once a Spider-like vigilante called The Prowler, but had fallen on hard times and was planning a comeback... a comeback that Scott (as his apprentice) was to play a part in. During the series, Leo was grooming Scott to carry on the name of The Prowler, to someday wear the fedora, greatcoat, and ski-mask of the once legendary hero.

It's an understatement to say that the series was gritty and dark: one storyline has Leo, Scott, and some old allies (more on them in a moment) taking on a child pornography ring. Before it's over, the reader feels like he needs to take a shower to wash off the despair and dirt. Leo deals "death to the bringers of death" on a regular basis... the book's violence is a constant factor in the story, and Scott has a hard time dealing with it all. He's basically a nice kid, and it's a dark ride as he's drawn into the world of Leo Kragg, a truly scary, sinister figure.

Part of the appeal of the title is the mix of heroes and villains from the past that pop up here, and a few forgotten golden-age heroes are name-checked and make cameos. Those allies I mentioned earlier? They're Tom and Corby, the Marine heroes from the movie-serial "Fighting Devil Dogs". Then there's the connections with "White Zombie" (the movie, not the band), which sees Bela Lugosi's "reprisal" of his role as arch-villain and voodoo doctor Murder Legendre. There was even a black and white Prowler one-shot that connected directly to the movie. Connections also appeared to "The Vampire Bat", and real-life serial killer Ed Gein had a cameo in one issue as well. It seemed like the flashback material was more fun to read, and the modern-day stuff was a lot more pitch-black in it's world-view... Of course, it WAS the '80's, and a lot of that was going around at the time in comics.

Sadly, my Prowler collection is incomplete, and I haven't been able to track down the missing issues. But it was a fun ride while it lasted, and I recommend picking up an issue... if you can find one.

Don

3 Announcements

Attention America, this is Doctor Lightning broadcasting way above Mount Rushmore in my armored airship, the Flying Reaper. I am the master of the skies and none of you can do a thing to stop me.

I would make three important announcements.

1. Don is currently working on a new article about "forgotten" heroes.
   
2. Gabriel is working on one about the Paul Kirk Manhunter
   
3. Finally, I would like to welcome Tom Floyd

Mr. Floyd, welcome to the Collective. I expect many a good thing from you.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

Neo-pulp and magic - Helmet of Fate miniseries

Hi friends. Gabriel here with a quickie entry about the role of magic (or magicK as some silly pagans have you believe)in this wonderful world of pulp.

It's unavoidable. From secret profane societies worshipping a foul entity, to heroes like Mandrake and Dr. Strange casting cantrips and engaging in rituals to save our souls magic has been a vital element in many pulp stories.

In this entry, I'll discuss the Helmet of Fate series which was published by DC Comics, a company known to respect the history of their characters. Many of which are deeply rooted in pulp history.

I've always been fond of magic and the occult in comics. Wizards, priests, demons, ghost hunters. I love it. You can have your stupid cybernetically enhanced heroes, telekinetic bimbos and aliens. Me? I'll take the guy who can wave a finger and zap a monster into a puddle of primordial muck.

Anyway, during the Day of Vengeance storyline in DC, the Spectre (God's Angel of Wrath/Punishment/whatever) has, up to that time, been without a human host. A host is needed to control the Spectre's fury as he metes out particularly brutal vengeance against the worst sinners. Getting back, during the DoV story the Spectre was manipulated by God's former Angel of Wrath, Eclipso. The Spectre went on a crazed rampage killing off magic users in the DC universe. It took the death of Doctor Fate to get God's attention so he can step in to deal with this mounting mystical crisis. He bound the Spectre's essence to a dead cop to teach him a lesson in humility, compassion etc.

Btw, I'm reading the miniseries with the Spectre now and I gotta say, the big green ghost ain't learning his lessons.

But getting back before I lose myself, Doctor Fate's soul is sent back to the afterworld and a new Age of Magic begins in DC. The good Doctor's helmet is all that's left of him. The decision is made to toss the helmet and let it lay where it falls. Whoever finds the helmet will harness the magical powers of the new Age of Magic and be the new Doctor Fate. It's tossed into space by Captain Marvel whose magically enhanced power is so strong, the helmet passes through many dimensions until it hits the LITERAL EDGE of the universe and rebounds back. As the helmet flies back, it apparently gathers power. Recharging itself as it were.

It finally lands on Earth and smacks the Detective Chimp knocking the poor guy out. The chimp regains consciousness and uses the helmet to solve all sorts of crimes. Eventually he discovers that for all the good he does with the helmet, there are more problems that come with it and he becomes swamped in trying solve them. He gives the helmet a great kick, a dimensional aperture opens and it disappears. This was an entertaining story with great humor and action. What does one expect from a talking monkey who's a better detective than Batman? Incidentally, the Chimp can be found in the title Shadowpact. Another great supernatural/action comic.

The helmet then appears in Ibis the Invincible. Young Danny Khalifa, using the newfound powers as an avatar of benevolent Egyptian gods, prevents the helmet from being used by Set. A decent story with great old school art. The detail on the Egyptian gods is simply amazing. I think this character is going to have great potential.

The helmet turns up in Zauriel. Another one of God's Angels of War (at least that's the title according to Jack_of_Spades from City of Heroes) who willingly gave up his immortality to save humanity. A very intriguing and wholly spiritual character, Zauriel was utterly wasted in this story.

He's informed of the helmet's fate (no pun) and flies off to locate it and prevent an alien vampire from abusing its power.
Someone as powerful as an angel should be put in a story which is on more epic scale. Great art though.


I know I'm skipping head but I'm saving the best for last...









Now onto Black Alice. Interesting character, horrible story. Black Alice is a young woman who has the power to temporarily rob the powers of other magic users. Also, she's a cool looking goth chick. Ahh, how I miss gothing it up in the 90s. Shame that the scene is filled with fucking emo bitches, vampire freaks and S&M pervs. I'm pleased to see that Gail Simone didn't stereotype Alice as how other comic writers and TV tend to do with those in the goth subculture, but I can't help but get the feeling Simone could've done more with Alice's choice of subculture. At least Alice wasn't emo and whine. The story in fact is quite bland and boring. The helmet teaches Alice how to be responsible for herself. Yawn. I don't recommend it. Sorry Gail, you may be a hottie but this story SUCKED.

And now, the piece de resistance!

Somehow the helmet appears in Sargon the Sorcerer. Now THIS was an issue I **REALLY** enjoyed. The art was incredible, the story of how David Sargent inherited his grandfather's legacy and power was well done. The art had a distinct pulp look to it. The colors are dark yet muted, the inking thick and moody. He stumbles across the Ruby of Life, which his grandfather possessed and was told of his destiny. Using his new magic, he dealt with two humans-turned-demon who tried to bilk him out of his grandfather's estate. The way he deals with the two wizards is amusing and horrifying.

How cool does he look?! His looks SCREAMS pulp. Everything is perfect. Except for the star on his forehead. Out of all of the Helmet of Fate one shots, he has the most promise. The pulp influence is very obvious in this. Gotta love the non-reflective black cloth and the dark red aura.

Here's my ranking of them from best to worst

• Sargon - Great art, great origin, great story.
  
• Ibis - Great art, a weak origin but great a story about the war of gods.
  
• Chimp - A humor issue, it was fun seeing the Chimp with powers but I expected more magic.
  
• Zauriel - A great spiritual character (something hardly seen in DC or Marvel nowadays) but a crap-tacular sci-fi story holds him back.
• Black Alice - A fun character with a great power but a fucking DULL and DRAB USELESS STORY.
  

For my next entry, I will review the Manhunter collection written by Archie Goodwin.

Welcome Dave Flora

Attention America, this is Doctor Lightning broadcasting deep below the North Pole. I have successfully tamed the Lier in Wait utterly and completely. You will bow down to my whim or I shall unleash Him onto the heartland of your country.

For now, I wish to welcome Agent Flora whose work, Tales of the Revenant is a wholly cracking, rip-snorting adventure.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

Comic Space

A quick transmission before I release my robotic Hessians onto those Cossack savages in Russian...

I neglected to mention that agent Don will post another wonderful review and that I now have set up an account over at ComicSpace. Go there and peruse the many fine listings and discover other comics.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

Cinema

Attention America, this is Doctor Lightning broadcasting deep within the Ural Mountains in easter Europe. There is no place my airship, the Flying Reaper, can go. I am unfettered by the laws of air, sea or land.

Many thanks to Don and Professor Dare for their reviews. Very informative. I told my bodyguard, Mr. Bones, to get me copies of the film and book. I shall enjoy them this weekend when I take a break from planning my assault on the former Soviet empire. Bloody Cossack savages...

Come with me to the days of yesteryear in the mid 60s to late 70s as I discuss the theme of the "grindhouse" theater. Thanks to Quentin, Taratino, the art of neo-pulp/noir cinema is getting recognition. I point you to this site. The Grindhouse Film Festival has brought back these fine movies to unleash onthese mindless, clueless hipsters and deliver a swift smack to the faces of film elitists.

For more information, I direct your feeble minds to this article on Wikipedia about cinematic exploitation. The violence, the lust, the monsters, the mobsters, the heroes... everything in exploitation films and beyond owes their existence to the wonderful world of pulp.

Modern films which can be considered to be "grindhouse" worthy are Kill Bill Vol's 1 & 2, Big Trouble in Little China, The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Johnny Was (a superb British gangster movie about former IRA members and Yardies in Ireland) and Gangster No. 1 with my friend Malcolm McDowell.

Rent these movies and be enlightened.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

"The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril"- a review

Hi, friends. Don here with my first book review for The Pulp Collective. I barely got the book out of the Miskatonic University Library archives with my life intact, and between the security guards, their dogs, and that... thing they sent after me, I'm lucky to be writing this.

In his first novel, "The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril", Paul Malmont weaves together an interesting tapestry of pulp-fact and pulp-fiction. The novel throws a huge handful of pulp writers into a firestorm of a plot involving Chinatown tong wars, biological weapons, a vengeful Chinese warlord, and a shambling, undead H.P. Lovecraft.

It really is (to use a horrible cliche) a roller-coaster of a novel.
It begins with a bet, a story-telling competition between bitter rivals Walter Gibson (writer of The Shadow) and Lester Dent (writer of Doc Savage). Along the way, it snowballs to draw in the writers' significant others, along with a handful of other pulpsters: a mysterious Robert Heinlein, a cocky young L. Ron Hubbard (who, surprisingly, was my favorite character), E.E. "Doc" Smith (and his doughnuts), and a gun-slingin' Louis L'Amour. The book's relentless pace and ever-expanding cast leaves the reader a bit breathless, but always wanting to read "just one more chapter."

Many pulp-fans have complained that many of the "facts" in the book were changed or invented. I'm not one of those complaining fans, although the fabrications do stick out like a sore thumb if the reader is "in the know." C'mon, though: it's a really fun ride, and a true pulp fan should be able to set aside those fabrications and just enjoy it. I give this book my highest recommendation.

(PS: The book just came out in it's paperback form, so you can pick it up for cheap. Also, I've exchanged a few emails with the writer, and he's indicated there may be a sequel in the works! Stay tuned...)

A Brief Transmission From Doctor Lightning

This is Doctor Lightning once again, currently tunnelling through the soil beneath the White House in my every-terrain transformable zeppelin, the Flying Reaper.

Expect a transmission soon from my undercover agent Don. His report will feature his assessment of a manuscript by Paul Malmont, entitled "The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril". His preliminary findings reveal the novel to be "a roller-coaster ride through fact and fiction during the golden years of the pulp era."

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

(now how do I turn off this thing...)

The Neo-pulp manifesto

Welcome friends and agents of the Pulp Collective... This is Doctor Lightning broadcasting from the depths of the Atlantic ocean from my submersible armored zeppelin, the Flying Reaper.

What is it about pulp fiction and it's offspring (comics, movie serials) that has stood the test of time? Flash Gordon, Tom Mix, Zorro, Tarzan, the Green Hornet, the Shadow to name a few.

Each of those heroes mentioned, and those not mentioned, have had a direct influence in many movies over the last 80 years more or less. You may not see it, but the influences are there. From the clichéd piece of crap like Quentin Taratino's Pulp Fiction that panders to absurd, delusional movie elitists to the subtle, quietly boiling, softly simmering Sin City by Robert Rodriquez. From the REAL cyberpunk masterpiece that is Blade Runner and Wild Palms to the tawdry drivel that is the Matrix trilogy, pulp fiction exists in almost all forms of fiction.

So what exactly is "neo-pulp?" Well, the way I see is that one takes the sensibilities of cliffhanger serials, hardened pot-boilers, cracking good ripping yarns of masked men and evil scientists and apply a liberal dose of modern thought. Taking the literary gentrification disease that are "techno-thrillers" for example and crap like that, smacking hard it across the face with a roscoe.

Miss Zero, an associate from the online game City of Heroes has sent me this list she has found -
Further down the list, incidentally, you'll see red text. Those are things I wholly disagree.

So without further ado, I present to you... the NeoPulp Manifesto!

__________________________________________________

THE NEOPULP MANIFESTO (v.2)
(revised 21/12/2006)

Contents

1. To Begin With
2. Concerning Etymology
3. Furthermore
4. Some Attempts at Definition
5. Serving Suggestions
6. Fine Tuning
7. In Conclusion
8. NeoPulp salutes those who have paved the way

1. To Begin With:

NeoPulp is not a new style of writing. It is a fusion of several well-tenured styles of writing.

NeoPulp draws liberally from the fantastic stories of this and previous centuries, a melange of mythology and popular culture (take a bit of Godzilla, a bit of Paradise Lost, some giant robots, the sexual tension of a romance novel and the Bhagavad-Gita and mix them all together), and adds to this a “literary” understanding of characters’ motivations and emotional needs.

NeoPulp embraces the clichés of pulp writing: the naïve superscience of B-movies, the nefarious underworld criminal mastermind, the lone sheriff against a town of outlaws, the young woman torn between love for a mysterious stranger and respect for her fiancée, and the mad god bent on destruction, and examines them closely in an attempt to find - or try - something novel: a subversion, an inversion, a juxtaposition, a statement about the human condition.

NeoPulp is born of a love and admiration for the flawed nature of pulp culture; it is not an exercise in poking fun at the plot and character shortcomings that are endemic to pulp. Such things are obvious and have been done to death. Rather, NeoPulp attempts to create a real and sympathetic portrait of these bizarre and self-contradictory characters and situations.

NeoPulp fuses the legacy of romantic, realist, post-modern and modernist writing with popular culture entities such as B-movies, comics, television, pop music and airport novels.

NeoPulp places realistically-defined characters into fantastic situations. It avoids the two-dimensional characterisation of pulp fiction while embracing every aspect of its subject material.

NeoPulp takes what is great about pulp fiction - the action, the sense of adventure and danger, the exploration of strange and fascinating ideas - and combines it with what is great about contemporary fiction - sophisticated understanding of characterisation and an awareness of and a willingness to draw upon literary history.

NeoPulp stands opposed to the tendency to pigeonhole writing as one or another kind of genre or sub-genre.

NeoPulp is not restricted to one medium. NeoPulp occurs in poetry, short stories and novels alike. It occurs in comics, song lyrics, movies and television. NeoPulp transcends genre boundaries; it likewise transcends boundaries of medium.

NeoPulp lacks the po-faced portentousness of contemporary genre fiction.

NeoPulp is fun without being stupid.

NeoPulp is not aimed at a specific demographic.

NeoPulp is for anyone who enjoys reading.

2. Concerning Etymology:

The “Neo” of NeoPulp refers to NeoPulp’s tendency to use distinctive elements of contemporary popular culture. This is not to say that NeoPulp can only be set in the present. It is merely to imply that the sensibilities of NeoPulp tend toward the contemporary.

The “Pulp” of NeoPulp acknowledges the progenitors of this kind of writing: the authors who have worked within various genre fields and gone largely unacknowledged by people other than highly specialised groups of fans.

3. Furthermore:

It is a widely acknowledged fact that all manifestoes contain within them a series of outrageous and dubious claims. Here then is such a claim that may be freely associated with NeoPulp:

"The current trend toward 'realist' fiction has created a reading public who simply look for the most accurate reflection of themselves in what they read. They hold a mirror to themselves with the books that they choose. This is an intolerably narrow standpoint. NeoPulp challenges the idea that this is all that people want. It stimulates the imagination and the sense of adventure, the sense of humour, the sense of fun, the sense of amazement in a way that is beyond the capabilities of 'realist' fiction."

Another requisite element of manifestoes is a somewhat pompous and slightly incoherent rant about the purpose and future of the movement:

“NEOPULP IS NOT REALISM. IT IS UNREALISM, OVER-REALISM, COUNTER-REALISM. NO LONGER SHALL THERE BE ONE BOX FOR ACCURATE REALISM AND ANOTHER FOR UNREAL DEPICTIONS - THE LIKES OF FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION, ROMANCE AND REALISM ALL COME TOGETHER UNDER THE NEOPULP BANNER.”

4. Some Attempts at Definition:

The most important clarification is to point out what NeoPulp isn’t. This will allow an understanding of what NeoPulp is.

• NeoPulp is not horror, although elements of horror are present in NeoPulp, such as zombies, vampires, serial killers and haunted houses.

• NeoPulp is not fantasy, although elements of fantasy are present in NeoPulp, such as magic, Gods, mythological characters and certain character archetypes such as the warrior and the wise man.

• NeoPulp is not science fiction, although elements of science fiction are present in NeoPulp, such as advanced technologies (eg robots, cloning, teleportation devices) and alien races.

• NeoPulp is not realism, although elements of realism are present in NeoPulp, such as sophisticated portrayals of the psychological profiles of characters depicted, and aspects of the mundane world (eg the need for employment, desire to be entertained, governmental restrictions, a narrative understanding of the consequences of actions…)

• Most importantly, NeoPulp is not satire. The subject matter which NeoPulp draws from is undeniably flawed in many ways. To point out these flaws would be an easy and redundant matter. Instead NeoPulp attempts to respond to these flaws in a different way, utilising them as the underpinning of a re-interpretation of pulp fiction conventions that is sympathetic to its protagonists, rather than cynical, critical or dismissive.

5. Serving Suggestions:

NeoPulp draws on various sources for its iconography and archetypes, including (but not restricted to) comics, pop-songs, mythology, B-movies, epic poetry, cartoons, romance novels, westerns, television and fairytales. The following are examples of NeoPulp archetypes.

a) The goddess suffering an existential crisis.
b) Philosophical musings of the radioactive dinosaur.
c) The robot in love with the evil robot it was designed to destroy.
d) The internal politics of a superhero team.
e) The childhood reminiscences of the astronaut monkey.
f) The broken-hearted ex-sheriff with a time machine.
g) Frankenstein runs for President.
h) Vishnu joins the space program.
i) The ex-commando private eye is diagnosed with cancer.

These are not held up as proscriptive examples, merely a taste of what is possible within the ambit of NeoPulp (see point 8, "NeoPulp salutes those who have paved the way" for more examples).

6. Fine Tuning

Since its inception, NeoPulp has encountered several well-meaning misinterpretations of its fundamental characteristics. The following are intended to correct common misconceptions regarding whether or not a piece of writing is truly NeoPulp:

• NeoPulp always contains a significant amount of recognisable, tangible elements drawn directly from the contemporary culture of the authors of NeoPulp stories.

• NeoPulp is more than the simple name-dropping of obvious popular culture icons for the sake of humour or nostalgia. A key element of NeoPulp is a considered and creative approach to the consequences of the structural inadequacies of pulp writing.

• NeoPulp is not deliberately constructed as an allegorical story-telling form. Thinly-disguised concepts that "stand in" for contemporary social situations are unnecessary in NeoPulp. The social situations themselves can be used in NeoPulp stories.

• It is acknowledged that NeoPulp bears a striking resemblance to postmodernism, but its dialectic is more concerned with the interplay between "high" and "low" culture than it is with the interplay between the past and the present.

7. In Conclusion:

It should be pointed out at this time that, as with most manifestoes, the use-by date on the NeoPulp Manifesto is rather close. By the time the reader reaches this point of the NeoPulp Manifesto, the manifesto itself will have become obsolete.

8. NeoPulp salutes those who have paved the way.

The writers of the following texts are presently unaware of the existence of the NeoPulp manifesto. Many of these texts predate the manifesto's existence. Regardless, the following is a list of exemplary NeoPulp writing, to be used as a benchmark indicating the form's potential.

books

• Steven Sherrill - The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break
• Michael Moorcock - The Cornelius Quartet
• Kirstin Bakis - Lives of the Monster Dogs
• Earl Mac Raunch - Buckaroo Banzai
• Jan Lars Jensen - Shiva 3000
• Stephen Dobyns - Heat Death

comics

• Ben Kooyman - Hamlet vs. Faustus (new addition)
• Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba - Casanova (new addition)
• Alan Moore – League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
• Elizabeth Watasin – Charm School
• Warren Ellis – Planetary
• Grant Morrison - The Invisibles
• Ann Nocenti - Longshot
• Jill Thompson - Scary Godmother
• Benjamin Birdie - Genre City

(Doctor Lighting -What nonsense... music?)
music

• The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
• The Buggles - The Age of Plastic
• Devo - Duty Now for the Future (esp. "Secret Agent Man" & "Smart Patrol")
• Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak
• Batboy the Musical

film and television

(Doctor Lightning - Buffy? Bill Murray? I think not. Though his film The Man who knew too little would be much more appropiate)

• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (film) (new addition)
• Firefly/Serenity (TV/movie) (new addition)
• Bubba-Ho-Tep (film)
• Heat Vision and Jack (television pilot)
• Amateur (film)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
• Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness (film)

_________________________________________________

Truly an insightful piece of information. Follow the guidelines and soon you too will be able to understand.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

Find Me Guilty: DVD Review

Intro

My name is Professor Dare. From time to time, I will be contributing reviews of films and video games that have a pulp bent to them. My first review is of Find Me Guilty, a Sidney Lumet courtroom mafia "dramedy" starring Vin Diesel - who is cast against type. Can the chrome-domed action star make it work? This time, he has...HAIR! Keep reading...
______________________________________________

Find Me Guilty: DVD Review

Vin Diesel has hair.

Vin Diesel has a potbelly.

Vin Diesel can act.

Those three statements generally aren't made about the usually bald and always physically toned action star - but they all apply to Diesel in Sidney Lumet's mafia courtroom "dramedy" Find Me Guilty, which is based on the true story of the longest criminal trial in U.S. history.

Much of the dialogue was taken from actual testimony. There are some situations and exchanges in the movie that would be considered unbelievable and absurd in a fictional narrative, but they actually happened in the real trial.

Diesel plays a Mafia wiseguy, Jackie DiNorscio, who defends himself in court instead of relying on a lawyer. The judge warns him that a man who represents himself "has a fool for a client." Shortly thereafter, Vin approaches the jury and says "I'm no gangster, I'm a gagster." He proves the latter part of his statement with his hilarious, offbeat antics throughout the trial. It becomes a common occurrence for the judge to pound his gavel several times in frustration, yell for order in the court, and repeatedly threaten to hold Diesel "in contempt of court."

Joe Pesci was apparently Lumet's first choice, so you can pretty much figure out the type of character to expect. I'm glad Diesel ended up doing it though. If Pesci had gotten the role, it would've been just more of him playing the same character he always does (which is a treat, granted). Diesel is cast so against type, and he pulls it off beautifully. It's much more fun and rewarding to watch him at work.

While there are definitely dramatic elements to the film, there's also a fair bit of comedy as well (hence the reason I referred to it as a "dramedy" earlier). The trial turns into a bit of a circus, with tons of lawyers present in the courtroom at the same time, an army of witnesses, evidence numbering in the hundreds, Diesel's "gagster" antics, and other assorted bits of tomfoolery.

Peter Dinklage is also a revelation. He's a dwarf in real life, but that's never once played for laughs. In fact, his character - a lawyer - might be the most serious in the movie. And it works. It works because Dinklage brings a professionalism and intensity to the role that makes his stature completely irrelevant.

Ron Silver is also fantastic as the judge. I've only seen him in smarmy villain roles, and his persona was always unlikable and grating to me. Not here. He tones it down and plays the judge with a great degree of empathy for the characters and situations.

Annabella Sciorra also shines in a small role as Vin Diesel's spunky wife.

As for Diesel himself, this is easily the best performance of his career - and believe it or not, it's right up there with any of Pesci's finest.

Lumet hasn't lost his touch. (He is, of course, famous for another courtroom classic, 12 Angry Men - as well as Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, and others.)

This is a great movie. It's funny, touching, and highly recommended.

Welcome Professor Dare!

Welcome aboard Professor Dare! I heard alot about your stuff from Chris Sabga. I look forward to reading your reviews and having roundtable discussions with you!

Welcome Daniel Dare

This is Doctor Lightning once again. This time welcoming Daniel Dare who has insight in his game and movie reviews.

Welcome aboard, Mr. Dare. Make me proud.

Don's Entry

Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North America and all the ships at sea; let's go to press!!

(I just felt like starting my introduction with an archaic Walter Winchell reference)

My name is Don Gates (no, no relation to Bill, I'm afraid). I guess you could say my first pulp-type experience was as a four or five year-old, when my grandmother played an episode of "The Shadow" for me. Scared the hell out of me, but also set in motion the events that would lead me to a lifetime hobby.

Here I am now, a die-hard pulp-era adventure fan. How die-hard? Well, I don't know how many Shadow fans have a tattoo of their hero, but I do. I don't know how many pulp fans nearly got teary watching "Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow", but I did.

I'm kinda hard-core, I guess.

My new friend Gabriel and I kinda clicked with our interests in the pulpy side of entertainment, and so have collaborated on this site.I am mostly a fan of The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Avenger in all their forms (I even have a handful of the original pulps), but also have a great deal of affection for those other pulp heroes and magazine titles, as well as period-style adventure films, movie serials, radio shows and comic books...

These are all culminating in a trio of pulpy projects I'm working on: Challenger Storm, The Cipher, and The Black Wing. I'm going to be bouncing these developing ideas off of an all-star team of pulp fans (who each have their own impressive project, whether it's a blog, webcomic, or anything else), and will pobably be starting an online journal of the developments in the near future.

My personal goal is to have at least one pulp novel published, and maybe to do some crossover collaborations as well. We'll see what happens, and I'm sure it'll be a good time.

Brought to you by rich, chocolaty Ovaltine, and by The Goodrich Safety Silvertown Tire (with the "Life-Saver Tread")!

Gabriel's Entry

Hello friends. Thanks to the sponsorship of Blue Coal, I'm here to introduce myself. My name is Luis-Gabriel Leal. I go by Gabriel, Gabe or Lou.

My exposure to the wonderful genre of pulp heroes and cliffhanger movie serials was back in 1985 when I was but a wee lad in St. Michael's School for Boys. I was flipping through the channels on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I happen to come across Flash Gordon. I was enthralled by the elaborate sets, the amazing costumes and the wonderful production value.

To me this was far better than the Star Wars and Star Trek movies. As time progressed, I began to collect DC Comics which is a great company that respects the pulp-esque roots of many of their heroes.

Flash forward 23 years and here I am collaborating with my new friend Don Gates on what I hope to be a blossoming pulp project for our respective projects.

I am an embittered, ex-graphic designer. This former Generation X'er barely survived the dot.com bust of the late 90s with the shirt on his back and a head full of photoshop ideas.

Now, I am an amateur comic writer who's been blessed to be hooked up with a professional comic artist. My comic, the Red Phantom can be seen at ComicSpace. You can also view my journal as I write about my research for future Red Phantom stories.

As to what I've planned here... Well, I don't know yet. Keep checking back!

This is Doctor Lightning broadcasting on the frequency between 45.57 and 67.83 megacycles....

Greetings America, this is Doctor Lightning founder of the Pulp Collective.

Broadcasting from a secret location way above the Rocky Mountains in my armored zepplin the Flying Reaper, I wish to thank the 2 newest members of the Pulp Collective for their respective entries. I am positive their articles on pulp, neo-pulp/noir will prove to be not only informative but accessible to many people.

Over the months to come, members of the Pulp Collective will have discussions, reviews of movies, comics and video games thereby informing you of the very best in historical fiction.

From emails exchanged with Gabriel, he will put up a review of the video game "Heroes of the Pacific" which has been compared to "Secret Weapons over Normandy" but HOTP has been shown to be the better game.

So until the next time dear friends, this is Doctor Lightning telling you to use rich, chocolaty Ovaltine for those important nutrients and to heat your homes with Blue Coal.