My Friday Read:

So I've been reading this article in this month's Wired regarding how everything going to the web is going to be free (a gross oversimplification of an economic formula that is far more complex than what I want to go into here). What's interesting about the article as it relates to us mediamakers is the following:

"Over the past decade, however, a different sort of free has emerged. The new model is based not on cross-subsidies — the shifting of costs from one product to another — but on the fact that the cost of products themselves is falling fast. It's as if the price of steel had dropped so close to zero that King Gillette could give away both razor and blade, and make his money on something else entirely. (Shaving cream?)

You know this freaky land of free as the Web. A decade and a half into the great online experiment, the last debates over free versus pay online are ending. In 2007 The New York Times went free; this year, so will much of The Wall Street Journal. (The remaining fee-based parts, new owner Rupert Murdoch announced, will be "really special ... and, sorry to tell you, probably more expensive." This calls to mind one version of Stewart Brand's original aphorism from 1984: "Information wants to be free. Information also wants to be expensive ... That tension will not go away.")"

Now let's relate this to the debacle which is QUARTERLIFE.

So the word is out that QUARTERLIFE, the show that began its life as a web series and was later picked up by NBC is over with after having posted some of the worst ratings in that timeslot in 17 years (10 PM Tues). NBC has canceled the show and moved it over to Bravo for the rest of its run.

So, in the interest of figuring out the intricacies of future web-to-TV programming moves, and building a solid foundation for a viable business model, let’s conduct a post-mortem on what exactly went wrong with QUARTERLIFE and use the yardstick of "free on the web". There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing in this post as well as Monday-morning quarterbacking, but truly that’s the nature of the beast and I’m of the opinion that those involved really didn’t follow what has to be one of the most important factors for any web series:

No one listened nor talked to the audience.

Conceptually: QUARTERLIFE had a lot going for it --

- It premiered on the web, where its core audience (under 25ers) resides.
- It was created by the gentlemen who have given us MY SO-CALLED LIFE and THIRTYSOMETHING.
- It featured a good looking cast of unknowns.
- It had a social networking component on Facebook and MySpace.
- It had enough backing to create 4 episodes worth of material (4 x 44 mins)

With all this in their corner, what QUARTERLIFE creators Zwick and Herskowitz didn’t do was understand the web and what it provides. As Jill Golick pointed out in her posts, Z & H did not utilize the social networking component of their show to its best advantage - that is, they didn’t send out updates via Facebook or MySpace. They didn’t remind (read: market to) people that their show was on the web and new episodes were available… or at least they didn’t do it enough.

( I think this is because these guys are old school TV guys. Nothing wrong with that, but they should have brought in an expert at social networking and web marketing to develop QUARTERLIFE with them. The fact is they were selling the show when they should have been selling what was showcased on the show - the fashion, the music, the furnishings, etc...)

Kent Nichols also points out that Z & H got so far ahead of themselves that they didn’t listen to the feedback they were getting from their audience. They had a lot of very-expensive (for the web) episodes in the can by the time they were getting feedback. Interactivity is a huge component of the web and to ignore, or to not be able to respond to what their audience was telling them was a major handicap.

Another huge impediment to success on the web was the fact that QUARTERLIFE looked like a TV show when it was on the web and didn’t look like a TV show when it was on broadcast. Z & H have admitted as much. Storytelling is different on the web. Period. This is going to be a lesson many of us are going to have to learn and quickly adapt to if we are to succeed.

Another impediment to success was the fact the show was so expensive - QUARTERLIFE needed a sale to a broadcast network in order to be financially viable. I blame the fact that no one in mainstream TV or movies today knows how to create media for less. There has been a financial structure in place for so long that to move out of it is really uncomfortable for production mangers and producers.

QUARTERLIFE was made for around a million an episode. Cheap for Hollywood; dollar-burning extravagance in terms of web production. Hollywood has long fallen into the trap that production value is a function of budget. All they know how to do is throw money at a problem.

Production value is more a function of creativity and planning than it is budget. This is the formula by which Hollywood, if it wants to function in this new media, silicon-valley world, is going to have to operate. Doing more with less. At least that is the mantra that they are spouting now.

(Actually Hollywood is going to have indie guys like me do the production value-thinking and buy it all after the fact)

I also think that QUARTERLIFE didn’t know its audience. I would never have placed this show on NBC. I would have placed it on MTV. Think about who watches NBC: thirty and forty-somethings for the most part. MTV is where MY SO-CALLED LIFE found its audience, and MTV is the audience that uses the web the most everyday. MTV also markets to its audience really well. They stay in touch...and more importantly they respond.

So what does this all mean for other shows moving from the web to TV like SANCTUARY?

I think it means that in developing the rest of the series for SciFi, SANCTUARY is going to have to review all of the feedback they have received thus far and arrive at a consensus as to who their audience is and what they want out of the show. The tools are there to listen, learn and move forward.

I think their production model needs to be refined. The fact that they can shoot the entire thing green screen is a big help. The fact they can now create the rest of the series on a TV budget for Scifi is a big help, but they shouldn't relax the creative muscles they've had to develop through austerity.

If the world is moving toward a "free economic model" as the Wired article indicates, then it is up to the production and development folk to make it work from their end. Yes, I am saying it has to be made cheaper, faster and with just as much entertainment value as before. Maybe not as much spectacle, but surely just as much entertainment.

And that's where we come in...

My Gawd!

Will someone please get this man a computer?!
I miss his posts telling me, "Don't look."

It's too damn quiet...

For My Pulpy Reference:

It's about the vic, the trick and to whom does it stick...

Teaser and five.

Thanks All!

I had a great birthday yesterday that was completely quiet and "normal" and so stress free that it was... magic.

I got up in the morning and slung the laptop on my shoulder and headed to the coffee shop. There, I leisurely worked through my email and sat back on the nice leather couch and stared at all the worker bees as they zipped in for their "mocha, frappe, latte, soy, chai with a shot" drinks. Whatever happened to coffee?

I struck up a conversation with a young lady, who was cute, flirty and waaay too young for me. Ah yes, It does a body good. Especially on your birthday.

I watched Denis McGrath's recent episode of THE BORDER on my Veoh TV player. Denis, FYI - the opening computer/video credits look really good on a laptop, as if they were made for that presentation. Story was great too, but that credit sequence "fit" my laptop. I rarely see that on any "teevee" I see on the web.

I then went to my local comic book shop and spent money on several pulpy items. I had already received this in the mail so I was there for periodicals not books. Mission accomplished.

I went back to the house and went for the traditional "Three S" routine (Sh*t, Shower, Shave) and then checked my email - well-wishes hit my blog. Big smiles.

By this time - after I perused the latest issue of CRIMINAL, I got dressed and went over to a special screening of John Roger's new television show for TNT, LEVERAGE. Good show. Good time. Great conversation. But of course, even when I just bump into John over at the comic shop we end up sparking ideas everywhere. I had a great time and know that you will too when the show premieres later this year. I walked out of the screening awash in ideas and enthusiasm.

Then I trotted home, stopping by Taco Bell on the way, and chatting with Shawna as I did so. I got home, checked the email and had more well-wishes. Smiles all around.

Several comics later, I was fast asleep. No alcohol required.

Magic. The kind we often take for granted.

Happy birthday to me.

This came to my InBox....

So I thought I would share what's cooking over at StrikeTv:

Hello StrikeTVer's,

It's been awhile since we've communicated with all of you en masse, but now that the strike is over we realized an update was long overdue. We're happy to tell you that StrikeTV is thundering forward. We've truly been amazed by the response from the creative community. Although we've largely flown under the radar for the past few weeks, this has been an incredibly productive time for all of us. Currently, we've got 30 to 40 projects in various stages of pre-production, production or post-production. That's incredible for an enterprise that was only started in January. And these projects are going to give StrikeTV a truly diverse and eclectic slate of shows. We've got comedies, dramas, procedurals, some animation, game shows, sci-fi, horror and even two soap operas.

The writers creating these shows represent such well-known movies and TV shows as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, Tomb Raider and Die Hard, The Daily Show, The Office, Law & Order, the Child's Play films, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Prairie Home Companion, Lonelygirl 15, 30 Days of Night, Ghost Whisperer, 8 Simple Rules, General Hospital, Star Trek: Next Generation, King of Queens and the Bob Newhart Show (and yes, we've even got Bob Newhart himself!), among many others.

We've also gotten a tremendous outpouring of support and assistance from the entire entertainment community. Below-the-line crew members, actors, directors, editors, composers and even lawyers have stepped up and donated their time, expertise and energy to our mission. As to our cause -- the Writers Guild Foundation's Industry Support Fund - the fund is going to be a necessary resource for non-WGA members for months to come. The collateral damage of the writers strike, and the possibility of a SAG strike, is going to be affecting non-writing members of the industry well into the summer. So StrikeTV's purpose and mandate is still clear -- to raise money for the Industry Support Fund by monetizing original scripted content on the Internet.

But wait, the strike is over. Are you going to keep the name StrikeTV?

Yes, we are. Aside from being a strong brand name, as well as speaking to our endeavor being born from the writers strike, we want to expand upon its meaning. StrikeTV is about writers "striking out on their own," "striking while the iron is hot in New Media." It's about writers being entrepreneurial, independent and empowered.

Okay, so how do you plan on distributing StrikeTV?

To that end, we at StrikeTV Central are in the midst of ongoing discussions with potential sponsors. We're not ready to reveal specifics just yet, but suffice to say that the launch of StrikeTV is something we are handling with great deliberation and care. We want StrikeTV to be seen by as many people worldwide as possible, so it's in all of our best interests to take a little extra time and do it right. As a result, the launch of StrikeTV probably won't happen until late March. We hope to be able to make some more specific announcements very soon, and we're also planning on holding a meeting for all StrikeTV creators to discuss our launch strategy in full detail.

Until then, keep up the great work! The finished projects are already starting to come in, and we couldn't be more excited about where we're all headed.

All the best,

The StrikeTV Team

Oh Yeah, By the Way...

It's my birthday today. I would have forgotten it if both the Done Deal Pro Message Board and The Artful Writer Forum hadn't sent me an email.

You get to be my age you get just as forgetful as you do "distinguished." So in the spirit of "distinguished ramblings" I'm going to impart a few tidbits of wisdom...er, philosophy... er, you get the idea:

• You are in charge of you. Treat yourself accordingly.
• Summer is great as all the women are out and about in their summer dresses. Thank you ladies.
• Things your Dad told you when you were eight? They're going to start making sense when you're 45.
  
• Say what's on your mind - there is nothing worse than knowing you could have solved a problem, saved a relationship, moved ahead if you had just spoken up.
• Films are pretentious. Movies are fun. I make movies.
  
• Comics are going to the web. You have been warned.
  
• Television is going to be around for awhile, but it's going to face stiff competition.
• Quarterlife = Twentysomething. I hated it when it was Thirtysomething. It was whiny then and it's whiny now.
  
• Keep working. That's the secret.
  

Before I Forget...

We had a wonderful time chatting with comic book, TV, animation and video game writer Christy Marx on last night's Geekerati podcast.

However you won't hear my scratchy voice on the podcast as I took my place in the chat room and directed my questions from there. Christy was an excellent guest and her comment regarding the fact she has written so many different sorts of media because she needed to make a living was verrry pulpy.

Go listen to Christian, Shawna and Eric chat with Christy, and learn somethin' will ya?

[Just imagine I'm there in the background, swilling whiskey and stuffing bills down g-strings as I type on my laptop. The truth is far sadder, but I have some sort of rep to maintain ]

FYI - Scr(i)pt Magazine Readers...

I am quoted in this month's issue regarding "the challenges of web distribution" right alongside my good buddy, Bill Martell.

(p. 52 for those wishing to flip directly to the two Bill's brilliance)

RUN! Don't Walk...

To your nearest purveyor of all things DVD and get the 2 disc set of JLA: THE NEW FRONTIER. Tell them the Mad Pulp Bastard sent you (then duck).
(No, seriously - duck!)

John Polonia

I have just been informed via email from John Oak Dalton that John Polonia, one half of the indie filmmaking duo The Polonia Bros. has died due to an aneurysm. He was 39.

John and his twin brother Mark are guys that have helped define the indie filmmaking movement for the past 20 or so years. They were genre movie fans who didn't let the fact that they lived no where near Hollywood deter them from making movies and getting them distributed around the world. John isn't a household name, but I bet one or two of his movies have crossed your eye at the local video store.

Here's John Oak Dalton's tribute to the man he collaborated with:

For those of you who didn't hear the sad news, John Polonia died suddenly in his home this morning of a heart aneurysm. He was 39 and leaves a wife and young son.

John was an incredibly funny person who enjoyed home and family life and could talk movies with a great fervor. He turned this love of movies into a memorable filmmaking career.

John was a good friend to me and a lot of other filmmakers. He was a great lover of cinema and had a vast collection of movies stored on the shelves of his home and in his brain. He had a dream to make movies and lived that dream every single day since his teenage years. I spoke with him a few weeks ago about a new project I would rewrite over one of his scripts and he was as excited about these upcoming prospects as he was about every project.

I think we are too close to the Polonia Brothers' legacy for it to be properly measured. They first got distribution as teenagers and are noted for having one of the first shot on SVHS features to be accepted at Blockbuster. They produced and directed more than 30 features in 20-some years that were distributed direct to video. They were incredibly prolific and successful together and embraced a large fan base while being courteous to foes. Their role in the rise of VHS rentals, the mom and pop stores, the SOV era, and then the direct-to-video DVD boom, will have to be noted much farther down the timeline to see what they have really meant as people and professionals.

I can say in total honesty I have never met anyone like John. When I first saw "Blood Red Planet" I knew the Brothers were special as very unique filmmakers and I later came to learn they were incredible individuals as well. I hope you will join me in keeping his family in your thoughts during this time, and keeping his memorable legacy at the forefront in the future.

John Oak Dalton

The world is lessened by John's death. I am sure he had a lot more pulp to give us.

Get Your Creativity On...

Already my websurfing is paying off today with this little pamphlet/manifesto from Issuu.com:

Enjoy!

Darwyn Cooke Wonderful...

Darwyn Cooke, the mastermind behind the animated title sequence for the BATMAN BEYOND tv show, the NEW FRONTIER comic series and the relaunch of WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT was interviewed at Wondercon by editor Scott Dunbier.

Newsarama has the breakdown here.

What's interesting to the pulpster contingent reading this is how Cooke breaks down the idea of simplicity - something we've talked about here on the blog:

"Further explaining Toth’s influence on his work, Cooke said that his work is “fairly simple and open” and he finds himself always trying to figure out how to connect with his audience on an emotional level given his “simple” art. To illustrate that point, Cooke pointed out how that, if you took a photo-realistic painting of a person smiling, the simple yellow circle with two dots and a curved line will express the feeling more clearly, due to its simplicity. Cooke said he is always striving for what Toth had in his art – to use the simplest image to get the emotion across, from artist to audience."

Simplicity is hard to do, it requires you to strip your characters down to their main components and discard the "pinstriping" that seems in vogue with many writers (and artists) these days. But when you do strip your characters and their story down to the essentials - you are able to more directly communicate with your audience. They "get it", and more importantly -- they remember.

It's Early...

And I've had no where NEAR enough coffee yet this morning.

I am cooking up a free surprise for later this year.

That is all.

Back to writing.

(The Knightmare is trapped by the Murder Legion and I have to get him out of it)

But of Course, It's ONLY Promotional....

NBC and CBS have announced they are streaming television shows across their web portals.

I am not certain if these shows pay residuals anymore, which is a win for the corporations as they will be paid (via ads) to put these episodes online and use the interest to spur home entertainment sales. So yes, it is promotional... but promotions pay too.

That's why I have always found that "it's promotional" argument to be a load. They are promoting the shows so they can sell them in a variety of other media.

In other industries they call that "business."

Leverage This!

Had an exceptionally interesting (and exclusive!) talk with John Rogers last night on Geekerati where he spilled his guts about his new television show for TNT -- LEVERAGE. If you want to learn what it's like independently setting up a cable series in this era of "new television" then you'll want to tune in to the show player in my right sidebar. >>>>>>>

(It actually didn't take as long as I imagined it would as we had him under the hot lamp and he was singing like a canary in no time. I didn't even have to use the cattle prod or "big bertha.")

John talks about the 20 million or so other things he's doing as well. Give it a listen.

Mercury Rising...

Warren Ellis discusses his new print project from Avatar Comics, ANNA MERCURY:

-------------------------------

"So, yeah, Anna has elements of the Shadow in her, among other things, but that's not important. What's important is the connection it gives her to pulp roots, because I'm writing what I privately think of as "NewPulp" here -- it has a big engine, it has scale, it moves fast, something major happens every four pages, it drives hard, and then it kicks up a gear, we zoom back, and suddenly we perceive it all in a new and larger scale..."


--------------------------------

Here endeth the lesson for today.

No, Emily It Was NOT Worms...

But it sure felt like it at times as I disgusted even myself (a feat to be sure).

I am now well-rested and ready to meet James Moran tomorrow over at the Gallifrey One convention taking place here at the LAX Marriott.

James and I have corresponded from the early days of the blogosphere as he has gone from his pulpy debut, SEVERANCE to writing TORCHWOOD and PRIMEVAL.

In other, it's-a-small-world news, the Geekerati crew will be talking to John Rogers on monday night at 7pm. You can tune in here for details. I am already assembling a ton of questions for John about his new television series, Blue Beetle, and other pulpy items of interest that he hints at occasionally. I also want to get into what it is like writing for these different media.

I ran to the comic shop yesterday and picked up this:

I would suggest you do the same to see the wonderful B&W artwork of Joe Kubert. There's some early (read amateurish) stuff in there by other artists, but Kubert and John Severin show them how it's done when it comes to War Comics. I would like to see more Kubert stuff in these B&W Showcase editions. They are affordable (Yeah!) and allow artists and fans a look at the "raw" material. I get just as much entertainment out of reading these stories in this form as I do in color - maybe moreso - because I can read a lot of the story at once. So let's see Kubert's TARZAN, Azzarello and Risso's 100 BULLETS, and any other stuff you can think of in this format.

It works.

Trapped in Bed...

and not in a good way.
Sick with the flu...
Lost ten pounds...
and not in a good way.

Trying to get some work done in between the projectile...well, you get the picture.

A New Frontier

So many things going on right now that I truly don't have time to sit down and "compose" a post that fully examines every aspect of the issues surrounding us. That being said - let me get these impressions out into the blogosphere before my head explodes.

-- I am happy that the strike is over or at least appears to be over. I am hoping that the transition of going back to work is smooth for everyone, but truly I don't think it's going to be the same after this.

-- I am sad that it took a strike for many writers to realize they have to take greater control over their careers, and cast the net wider than just television or movies. I think it hit some of them especially hard when they realized they really didn't have the "equity" in the shows they were writing that they thought they had.

-- I am happy however that the Guild snapped to, and organized StrikeTV.org to get the membership thinking about ownership, equity and branding outward. That's important, and speaks to the future.

-- I am sad that Canada is going through its own turmoil right now. I can only hope that Canadian writers and other creatives flip the CTRC off, and head for the web (and elsewhere) where there is at least the promise of equity and control.

-- I am also sad that Canadians are wrestling with this whole culture v. entertainment (read commercial) problem, which in my (smart-alec American) estimation really isn't a problem. Entertainment in all its forms is an expression of a culture. Ballet is entertainment. Hip Hop is entertainment. Both are expressions of culture. Deal.

[Does this cultural v. commercial controversy come about from Canadians not defining who they are, but only defining who they are not? If so, I find that incredibly sad. ]

-- I am happy that I saw JLA: THE NEW FRONTIER today. It is one of the truest expressions of the American ideal and promise as I have ever seen. It is a story of courage - in all its forms - and the meaning of heroism. The story lives up to its inspiration - President John F. Kennedy's famous speech.

-- I am sad that I have to wait to get the 2 disc DVD set. I am chomping at the bit to learn more about the creative process behind this work.

-- I find it interesting that arguably the greatest comic creation of all time - SUPERMAN, the symbol of the American ideal - was co-created by a Canadian.

-- I also find it interesting that JLA: NEW FRONTIER was created by a Canadian - Darwyn Cooke.

-- What that means, I don't know, except to say that as I shake hands with my fellow creatives across the border - Canadian, British, European, Middle Eastern, Asian etc... - as we engage in the free exchange of ideas and learn more about one another; we understand that it is our similarities that matter most and not our differences.

We have a lot of work ahead...

Extry! Extry! Read all about it....

Curt Purcell over at The Groovy Age of Horror did me one better when he went about helping me prove the concept of digital comics and distribution. He uploaded a PDF he had of the infamous ADVENTURES OF PHOEBE ZEITGEIST by Michael O'Donoghue and Frank Springer.***

There is a change a'coming and it is going to make headlines.

Going to run off - have a photo shoot this morning for a DVD cover that I have to consult on... I'm taking my video camera along to shoot what goes into the making of a pulpy movie keyart.

*** I am not certain of the legality of this comic in terms of copyright. It is posted here in the interest of demonstration and discussion.

Proof of Concept...

Enjoy, and please feel free to link or embed this comic on your blog, Facebook or Myspace page, or website. Please tell us in the comments that you've linked up and where we can find you.

Let's see how far we can take this...

Forget the Past and say, "Good Morning, Future! "

Busy this morning "consulting" on a film (Hi Liz!) and finally got around to cleaning out the InBox when I found a nice little email from the folks at Content Agenda featuring two stories that speak not only to the past media business model, but to the future.

The first is an op-ed from Julian Lloyd Webber regarding the Price We Pay for Free Music. In it he discusses the fact that musicians will be putting more and more content up on the web for free and how this will hurt musicians overall - especially those without "name value."

I am certain Mr. Lloyd-Webber is a fine musician, however he knows little to nothing of the economics of the web. To be fair, not many people do know the economics of the web. That said, we all have to realize that programming on the web or television is designed to sell products through advertising. You aren't selling the programming itself, but that is the hook to get people to look at the ads and buy the merchandise.

That's the way it's always been, and people don't blink an eye at the idea of free television, yet somehow they blanch at the idea of giving things away for free on the web. People only pay for cable because it doesn't have advertising to pay for it (I'm talking HBO, etc... here), and in that case, waaaaay fewer people watch HBO programs than they do terrestrial broadcast programs.

Now understand that there is a huge fertile field of the internet out there to plant advertising. Doing an entertainment-to-ad spending comparison, there's a lot of room to grow the web.
A lot. Estimates are that right now only 14% of the web's potential is being used ad spending-wise. Already it's a multi-billion dollar business and it still has 86% more room to grow.
In light of that dollar potential for ads, is it so wrong to give music away for free?

The second article that caught my eye was the announcement by Damon Wayans that he is starting a web business called WayOutTv.com to, "feature videos produced by aspiring young comedians he handpicked. Wayans sees the free site as an online comedy club and production studio that could eventually change the way content is bought and sold in Hollywood."

Mr. Lloyd-Webber would do well to pay attention to Mr. Wayans. He is starting the online equivalent of In Living Color - the television series which brought us comedians David Alan Grier, Jim Carrey and others (including Jennifer Lopez. What? She's not a comedienne? Really?)... And like television and radio before him, he's doing it for free.

Gee, it's even happening in comics...

Are the economics that hard to understand?

I Have Issuus...

No, that's not a misspelling. Issuu (pronounced "Issue") is a new website where you can convert your PDF document into an interactive online magazine. You upload your document for free and create a magazine that is page-turning, embeddable and in looking at some of this stuff -- really cool.

This is Pulp 2.0, folks. Pure entertainment delivered digitally everywhere.

Hear that print comics? That is your freaking death cry. Seriously, you should be freaking wetting yourselves now.

(found by Warren Ellis, who manages to write 50 million comics a year and still comes up with this stuff from trolling the web)

Edit to add: This is the spike that will stop the bloodsucking distribution problems of print media. Digital magazines are being monetized.

Turok Today...

Get. It. Now.

From Emmy award winning Directors Curt Geda and Dan Riba (BATMAN BEYOND) and the producers behind HELLBOY ANIMATED and X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.

The one stupid, stupid thing about all of this is the fact that the ineptly named Genius Products is releasing the DVD...


AND IT'S NOT EVEN ON THEIR SITE!!!!!

(I typed it into the Search bar and zippo. Nada. Nothing)

IDIOTS. IDIOTS. IDIOTS.

Edit to add: Newsarama has an interview here.

Monday Morning Linkology

Because I am super-busy right now bloodying my fingertips (Shadow-philes will understand the reference) over this Knightmare script (I think I am over-thinking it... or maybe not... oh shit), I wanted to direct everyone over to a couple of things that caught the eyeballs this weekend:

Jim Henshaw rawks here and here.

Coming Attractions posts cool artwork from the old pulp days enticing me to spend more and more money. I am now convinced I need Black Bat and Phantom Detective pulp reprints for my collection. Aaargh.

Read Christa Faust's Money Shot this weekend. Go. Buy. Now.

Groovy Age continues mining the vein of Horror in paperbacks, fumetti, and groschenromaine.

Shawna sent me a link to this guy, who is making the web work. Read. Learn. Live.

Radio Science Funnies At Secret HQ

Ryan Heshka's pulpy RADIO SCIENCE FUNNIES will be on display tonight at The Secret Headquarters in Silverlake. For those who can't make it, here's a gallery to pop your eyeballs in pulpy retro pleasure.

Secret Headquarters
3817 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323.666.2228
www.thesecretheadquarters.com