Several log entries back, I posted the illustration above by artist Rich Woodall and asked all you airmen to guess what famous pulp hero he was. I got quite a few good guesses, to include G-8 and Dusty Ayers among the more popular. But nobody actually nailed it. The flying action hero above is none other than, Lance Star-Sky Ranger.

He is the star of a new anthology I am going to be editing for Wild Cat Books. Each volume will contain all new stories about a specific pulp star. Choosing Lance Star as the first to open this series was easy. Flying heroes were really popular in the heydey of the pulps and there were dozens of such published monthly. Starr was certainly one of the more famous and his adventures are actually still being produced in South America.

To aid me in getting this first book off the ground, I've recruited four top-notch writers. They are Bobby Nash, Bill Spangler, Frank Dirscherl and Win Eckert. Bobby and I met at Dragon Con in Atlanta several years ago just when he was about to debut his first novel, a thriller called EVIL WAYS. He is one of the most gifted new writers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Bill Spangler and I go way back, in our comic writing careers. Bill is a newspaper journalist by day and a sci-fi writer by night. Frank Dirscherl is an Australian who loves pulps, as is evidence by his character, THE WRAITH, who stars in both prose books and comics. There's even an independent Wraith movie on the way. This guy has creative drive to spare. And finally, another recent acquaintance, is Win Eckert, another pulp fan and authority. Win loves crossovers and I'm assured his Star story will feature some deligthful cameos from unexpected pulp characters. It's a classy group of penmen.

While I'm at, let me add that both EVIL WAYS and THE WRAITH are still available from Amazon Books. Check them out.

As part of my format, each anthology will sport lots of interior black and white illustrations and a new, colorful cover painting. Each book will spotlight one particular artist. For this premier outing, Rich Woodall, of JOHNNY RAYGUN fame, has taken the job. I've been a fan of Rich's graphic work for several years and when he once, in passing, mentioned wanting to some day spot illo a prose project, I knew I had my man.

So loyal airmen and other pulp lovers, keep your eyers glued to this flight log as I continue to update the progroess of the book. Right now I'm hoping to see in the print by the start of summer. Fingers crossed. At same time, while on the subject of new pulps books, my long-awaited rewrite of CAPTAIN HAZZARD is only weeks away as well. Gonna be a busy time in the old Hangar 27. Stay tuned.

Final reminder, airmen, the new DOCTOR WHO premiers on the Sci-Fi channel tonight. I've heard lots of good things about this new,updated Doctor. Should be fun.

Ron, for another week. Over and out.