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| June 18, 2010 |
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DADS & COWBOYS read... |
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Greeting Loyal Airmen, sorry we are late getting this week's Flight Log up and running. Seems our servers have been getting zapped by shifting power surges. Our son, Scott, runs those servers and he lives down in Conn. where all this funky electrical stuff has been going on. So here it is Friday afternoon and we're hoping we can log this in before another such surge shuts him down again. Here we go.
Mom & Dad 1945
What with Father's Day coming up this Sunday, the Air Chief's thoughts have been giving this fatherhood thing a lot of thought. He was blessed from the get go with one of the greatest dads ever, George J. Fortier. Sadly he passed away in 1976, and although he lived to see Scott, Kevin and Heather born, he never had the chance to be a grandfather to them. Which is one of the reasons the Air Chief wrote that play about how he and Mom met and fell and love. So that my own children might get to know him a little bit better. Most boys do grow up idolizing their dads and memorizing in their hearts all the stories they tell them. The Air Chief was no exception and recently the U.S Post Office has been instrumental in helping us relive one of those facts.
You see, when George Fortier was a teenager he got a job as an usher in the local movie house. That would have been in the mid-1930s and he loved it because he loved the movies and now got to see them for free. Easily his favorite genre was westerns and his favorite cowboy actor was Tom Mix.
Western Super Star Tom Mix
Dad would go on and on about Mix and his Wonder Horse Tony and the fact that they once made a personal appearance in the nearby town of Rochester when he was very young. Over the years Dad would become a fan of all the great cowboy stars from Randolff Scott and Joel McCrea to the Duke, John Wayne. But in his heart, there was never anyone to hold a candle to Tom Mix.
So you Loyal Airmen can all imagine the Air Chief's thrill when a few months ago the U.S. Post Office released a set of commemorative stamps entitled Cowboys of the Silver Screen, and they featured four of the greatest ever, William S.Hart, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and ....Tom Mix. You better believe the Air Chief went right and bought several sheets immediately. It is such a joy when slapping them on an envelope. We never look at the Mix stamp without thinking, "Gee, Dad would have loved these."
It is funny what little things will bring back the memories of our loved ones. So as we near this particular family orientated holiday, we want to wish a special Happy Father's Day to sons Alan, Scott and son-in-law Chris, three of the BEST DADS we know. These men are terrific husbands and loving fathers to our six grand kids. Our family is so blessed to have them and they carry on a rich tradition we are all so very proud off.
To all you Loyal Airmen who are dads, especially my pal and partner, Rob Davis, God Bless you and continue to guide you as you watch over and protect our most precious treasures of all, our kids.
Ron - Over & Out.
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| June 10, 2010 |
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LITTLE GIRLS GROW UP read... |
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Greetings Loyal Airmen, as promised, we are releasing our newest pulp title today. But before we get to that, we've another story to relate to you. One so dear and precious to both Valerie and the Air Chief. Over seventeen years ago, our daughter, Michelle, gave birth to a daughter, our very first grandchild. She named her Kristi Valori Leclerc. Valori is a combination of her grandmother's name (Val) and her great-grandmother's name, Lorraine (Lori). She was born late at night and Val was at the hospital with Michelle and her husband, Chris, for the delivery. By the time she drove home it was after midnight and she was happily exhausted. The next morning she rested while the Air Chief jumped into his Toyota pick-up truck and headed out to the hospital to meet his new granddaughter. As he drove, he said a special prayer that he be allowed to be a special part of this new life, that they would form a truly loving bond together. Ten minutes after arriving at the hospital, the Air Chief was holding little Miss Kristi carefully in his arms. It was the beginning of a beautiful thing.
Me & Kristi Go For A Ride
From the day they took her home, Kristi changed all our lives. Michelle and Chris learned the true joys of parenthood and Val and the Air Chief took to being grandparents like ducks to water. All four of us, and all the other members of her family, totally surrounded this happy child with unending love from day one. Kristi's visits to our house were always occasions of unabashed joy and laughter.
Kristi Takes The Wheel of the Toyota Pick-Up.
As she continued to grow, so did the laughter and joy. All of us became better people because of her and she continued to bless all our lives with her infectious spirit of happiness. When she was three, Michelle had their second daughter, Chelsea, and Kristi quickly and easily became a loving Big Sister. The two of them are still loving sisters who rely and depend on each other without question. It was just an added dimension to Kristi's personality.
And time just kept rolling along as she started pre-school at Bunny's & Blocks, where the Air Chief would pick her up every Wednesday at noon and they would go to lunch at the nearby McDonald's. Then came regular school and she excelled. Was there ever any doubt. Then she was playing soccer and softball and still getting all As. Middle school came and went and suddenly she was in highly school and going to proms. It was a whirlwind ride for all of us.
Miss Kristi Valori Leclerc - High School Graduate
On Saturday night, 12 June 2010, our Kristi will graduate from Noble High School Suma Cum Laude. You can well imagine the excitement our entire family is going through. Kristi has grown into a beautiful, intelligent, wise and truly loving young woman. As the Air Chief writes these words, he can't help but wonder where did all those years go? How did that curly-haired muppet he sat on his lap turn into this engaging creature? And no, dear Loyal Airmen, we don't feel old. We feel blessed, and we thank the Good Lord for answering our special prayer on that ride to the hospital so many years ago. In a few months she'll be attending the University of New Hampshire, a college student. Good luck, Princess, me and Mem love you so very, very much. Thank you for making the past 17 years so wonderful.
Val and the Air Chief have six amazing grand kids. All of them are gifts from God and family truly is the greatest treasure this world can offer any of us. We pray all you Loyal Airmen are equally blessed. And now to the long awaited release of Airship 27 Productions 27th pulp title - BLACK BAT MYSTERY.
This book features four brand new, action packed stories starring this classic pulp hero said to have inspired many comic book heroes like DC's Batman and Marvel's Daredevil. Writers Andrew Salmon, Aaron Smith, Frank Schildiner and Mark Justice, each pits the night avenger against a series of colorful and deadly foes. With his unique ability to see in the dark, he will answer each challenge with both courage and blazing .45 automatics. These stories of pure pulp fun start to finish. The cover is by Mark Maddox, design and interior illustrations by Rob Davis. And as usual, the book is available right now at our on-line store. Simply click on to the dirigible logo to the left of this column.
So 27 books in our catalog for Airship 27 Productions. That's a good feeling. But we aren't about to quit just yet. All of us, writers and artists, are having way too much fun bringing these books to all you Loyal Airmen. And there you have it, as this very, very special weeks wraps up for the Air Chief and his family. Take care, do good deeds and appreciate your loved ones every single day. You can never thank them enough for their love. See you in seven.
Ron - Over & Out.
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| June 3, 2010 |
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NO BLACK BAT YET read... |
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Greetings Loyal Airmen. Sadly we cannot announce the release of our new BLACK BAT MYSTERY pulp book this week as he had hoped. Our dedicated proof-reader, Charles Saunders, ran into some PC problems that forced him to have to go back to square one and this simply put us off track. So keep your fingers crossed we'll have it for you next week. Meanwhile we never did get around to showing you all our photos from our wonderful trip to Chicago after the Windy City Con. And there were a few the Air Chief really wanted to share with you.
AT WRIGLEY FIELD
As you all know, the Air Chief is a baseball fan and every years cheers on the home team, the Boston Red Sox. One of the joys of this franchise is that they play in one of the oldest stadiums still in operation, Fenway Park. Another in this select history is the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field and the opportunity to catch a game there was too good to pass up. God bless our daughter, Heather, who got us tickets to a Monday night game against the Washington Nationals. Heather lives within walking distance of the ballpark. Above is a shot of the two of us taken by Val, as we wait to get in.
Heather & The Air Chief at Wrigley Field
The night was a pure blast, not too hot or cold. Perfect for a ballgame. The crowd was totally into the game and we really loved being there. The Cubs fans have a wonderful tradition. If the team wins, they all stand up at the end of the game and sing a special song to them. Thousands of fans in one voice, singing to their team. Both Val and the Air Chief were really touched by this wonderful moment of fan appreciation.
And the other very cool thing awaited us outside, when we turned around and saw the brightly lit neon letters announcing the team's victory. We will never forget our first trip to Wrigley and the fun we had there. And we can't think of a better way to close out our Chicago trip but with the cheer, GO CUBS!!!
On to another very cool topic. One of the Air Chief's all time favorite comic book heroes has always been Captain America. Created during World War II by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, he was the ultimate patriotic hero for young boys and girls during those difficult times. When Stan Lee and Kirby brought him back in the early 1960s as part of their super team, the Avengers, this young 13 yr. comic fan was in his glory. Cap soon became my number one comic hero. Now as all of you know, Marvel has been bringing all their fantastic characters to movie life what with such hits as the Spiderman movies, the X-Men films and most recently the highly successful Ironman pictures with Robert Downey Jr. Coming up next will be a big screen adaption of their Norse God hero, THOR. Then some time next year, 2012, under the helm of director Joe Johnson, we are at long last going to get, CAPTAIN AMERICA -The First Avenger.
The Air Chief has been a huge fan of Joe Johnson since he made his directorial debut with the great comic book movie, The Rocketeer, and we are convinced he will do justice to our red, white and blue warrior. A few days ago the studio released several illustrations which depict actor Chris Evans wearing the official Captain America costume as it will be done in the movie. We could not have been happier.
The Movie Captain America
The costume is a truly fitting adaption of his star-spangled look, done with much respect to Kirby's original drawings in the comics. The movie will be set in WW II, as it should, depicting Cap's battling his dreaded foe, the Nazi fiend Red Skull, to be played by Hugo Weaving. When the Air Chief sees all these great comic book movies, the 13 yr old kid inside truly is yelling for joy. These are really fun times to be a comic book lover.
And there you have it, Loyal Airmen. We hope your own summer has gotten off to a great start. See you all back here next week. Till then, take care,
Ron- Over & Out.
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| May 27, 2010 |
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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND read... |
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ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Greeting Loyal Airmen. Well, here we go rolling into the unofficial start of the summer season with the Memorial Day weekend. With good weather predicted throughout most of the country, Americans everywhere will be stoking up the grills, playing baseball, hitting the beaches and just having lots of good old fashion fun with friends and family. The Air Chief hopes to be among these having a good time, but at the same time, as Monday rolls around, we will also be find time to reflect on the actual purpose of this holiday of remembrance. It is a time for all Americans to recall those brave men and women in uniform who paid the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our cherished way of life. From the Revolution, through the various wars and campaigns, Americas soldiers, sailors and marines have given their all for our country. It is only right that we take one day a year to dwell on their sacrifices and offer a silent prayer of thank. Then we should all recommit ourselves to the same grand ideal they so courageously fought and died for, liberty and justice for all mankind. Amen.
Barring any major catastrophes, Airship 27 Productions should be announcing the release of our 27th title next week, BLACK BAT MYSTERY. As we don't want to give away the gorgeous cover by Mark Maddox, we thought we'd whet your appetite with this excellent back cover illustration by art director, Rob Davis inspired by a black and white illustration by Ver Curtiss. This is going to be a great title. Stay tuned, official announcement coming next week.
We also want to thank all you Loyal Airmen who were kind enough to write and congratulate us on the re-staging of our play, Where Love Takes You. A few days ago we stopped by the Sanford Maine Stage Company and met with our old friends, directors Mary Stair and David Goodwin. They, like us, are very, very excited about doing the show again. Play dates have been set and the company will do four performances between 22nd and 25th of July. The first three Thur.-Fri-Sat) will be 8 PM evening showings and the last on Sunday the 25th, will be a 2 PM Matinee. Note, should any of you Loyal Airmen be vacationing in the area, we'd love to have you come and see the show. The Air Chief will continue to keep you posted as they begin auditions to fill the cast.
Finally we recently displayed a Green Lama bookmark painted by British artist Mike Fyles as a promotional piece for the new novel GREEN LAMA UNBOUND by Adam Lance Garcia, which we hope to have out within a month or so. Above is the latest in this collection and it features one of the creepy fishmen who are the minions of the book's villains. This is a truly amazing pulp adventure and we can't wait to publish it.
So there you have it, Loyal Airmen, for another week. Thanks as always for stopping by, have a super holiday weekend and do keep our current men and women in uniform in your thoughts and prayers. They are the ones who make our freedoms possible.
Ron - Over & Out!
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| May 20, 2010 |
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A SECOND PRODUCTION read... |
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Greetings Loyal Airmen. We had promised to both show you more of our Chicago photos and some graphic art this time around and we will be sticking to one half of that plan. Some truly good news has come our way and we've opted to hold off on the Chicago shots a little longer to bring you all up to speed on this wonderful "other" event.
Almost nine years ago, a small community theater group called the Sanford Maine Stage company staged my three act play, WHERE LOVE TAKES YOU. It is a romantic comedy based on the true story of how my father, George Fortier, met and fell in love with my mother, Gabrielle Richer just prior to World War II. When the SMS performed it, we actually filled the hall with family, both the Richers and Fortiers, and it was a truly magical night for all of us. A great cast brought my grandparents and father back to all of us for a few hours and it was nothing short of a miracle.
Since that long ago weekend, we've tried to get the play published but alas, to no success and had honestly given up any thought of ever seeing it staged again. Then out of the blue, last week, the two directors who put this on, Mary Stair & David Goodwin, wrote me an e-mail inquiring to see if it would be okay for them to produce it again this summer. We were pretty much in shock those first few seconds of reading their offer. Then we wasted no time in replying affirmatively. Next week, auditions will be held May 26 & 27 at the theater and we hope by then they will have set an actual play date. As you can well imagine, the Air Chief was wound for sound all week, especially in telling the news to my mother and the rest of the family. Everyone is thrilled at seeing it done again. We'll keep you posted once the production and rehearsals get underway.
As for comics, check out the gorgeous illustration above announcing the arrival of a new webstrip to be called CHIVALRY, INC. Created and written by yours truly with art by Canadian artist Olivier Raymond. This is still months away, but I truly wanted to show off Olivier's beautiful work. The strip is about a Montreal police detective named Valerie Chevalier, who quits the force to start her own Private Investigation Agency. There's a whole lot more to the story, but we'll save that for later. Don't want to give it all away now.
And finally, on the pulp front, Airship 27 Productions writer Adam Lance Garcia has finished writing a brand new Green Lama novel entitled GREEN LAMA UNBOUND. We are in the process of putting it together now, and it will feature a cover by British artist supreme, Mike Fyles. To help promote the book, Adam and Mike got the idea to do up a special Green Lama Unboud bookmark. See above. Pretty neat, huh? Once made up, they will be giving these away at conventions. Fingers crossed, the book should be out some time next month or shortly thereafter.
So there you have it, Loyal Airmen. Starting to get real busy around the old Hanger 27. But then again, that's always a good thing. Heck, even the Red Sox have won their last three games. May not be anything spectacular, but it sure is better than losing three in a row. All for now.
Ron-Over & Out!
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