Greetings Loyal Airmen, we’re going to start this week off with some artwork from several comic projects the Air Chief is involved with.

We’ve mentioned JIN & TONIK often in the past year. Created by artist Cesar Feliciano and further developed by yours truly, it is the story of two unique assassins, one Chinese and the other Russian. Above is Cesar’s most recent drawing of Darya Tonikova. Guess which one she is. Chuckle. Kidding aside, Cesar is such an amazing artist and working with him is a joy.

On other fronts Chief Engineer Rob Davis and the Air Chief recorded Episode # 72 of the Airship 27 Podcast a few days ago and it’s up at You Tube…at this link.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Xw29s60rU&feature=youtu.be) We hope you’ll check it out.

About a month ago, artist Mike Belcher drew the above colored pin-up of classic pulp heroes Domino Lady and the Black Bat, the piece being colored by his super talented son, Aiden. Well shortly after he’d completed that, he suggested we do a new Black Bat comic book together. All of which evolved into us doing a full out Black Bat graphic novel. Mike will pencil, ink and letter and Aiden will color. Once completed it will be self-published via Ka-Blam and sold on their retail site, Indy Planet.com – The Air Chief couldn’t be happier.

In discussing the project, we decided we’d use to graphic novel to retell the characters origin story as it appeared back in Black Book Detective dated Sept. 1938 – Written by Norman Daniels under the house name of Wayman Jones, it tells of how crusading District Attorney is blinded in court by criminals he’s attempting to convict. Long after he’s accepted his fate, a mysterious young lady shows up and offers him a chance to regain his sight. Tony jumps at it. A special operation not only returns his sight, but it also allows him to see clearly in pitch black darkness.

Tony decided to keep the fact that he can see a secret and use his new found abilities to fight crime as the masked the avenger, the Black Bat. He’s aided not only by Carol, ex-prize fighter Butch O’Leary and reformed con-artist Silk Kirby. Now initially our thought was to adapt Daniel’s story word for word, scene for scene. But upon reading, it simply isn’t the right approach. The story takes more twist and turns than a pretzel and Mike and the Air Chief wanted to present a straight narrative with a beginning, middle and ending, filled with drama and action. So our version will be that, an adaptation for the graphic media. When will it be available? You’re guess is as good as ours. We’ve started writing the script and hope to have it wrapped up in March. Then its off to Mike to work his magic. Wish us luck, keep your fingers crossed and we’ll keep you posted along the way.

Finally this past week Christians around the world celebrated the beginning of Lent, the 40 days period of prayers and fasting before Easter. It is a time of reflection, of setting one’s house in order and being aware God loves us despite our sins and failings. To all of you on this journey, know we are fellow travelers and every day of this Lent the Air Chief will be praying for you, that you reach Easter with a heart full of hope and love. Amen.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, we’ve got a new pulp book to announce this week. And if, like the Air Chief, you’re a fan of those old swashbuckling movies, then you will love this one.

“The Musketeers – New Adventures Vol One” is a collection of three brand new adventures starring Alexandre Dumas classic swordsmen, Athos, Aramis, Porthos and the you D’Artagnan. Paul Beale and Alan J. Porter provide two short stories and Joel Jenkins a full length novella. Ed Catto did all the wonderful black and white interiors and Adam Shaw painted the gorgeous cover you see above. Now available at Amazon in paperback and soon on Kindle. En Garde!!  Pulp fans.

As most of you Loyal Airmen are aware, the Air Chief writes a review blog devoted to all things pulp, both old and new. Recently we reviewed the first issue of a new title “MEN’S ADVENTURE Quarterly” produced by friend Bill Cunningham and Bob Deis. It is a tribute to all those Men’s Adventure Magazines (MAMS) that filled the newstands between the 1950s and 70s. This premier issue is devoted to westerns and filled with reprints of both fiction and factual articles. All of which are wonderfully done. It is a truly beautiful package and we recommend it highly. It’s available from Amazon.

Earlier in the year we wrote a new I.V. Frost story that will be published soon by Moonstone Books. In our story, a massive train engine disappears in the woods of Vermont and Frost and his comely assistant, Jean Moray are called in to help the police. In writing the story, we had to have our detective pair travel the railroad line where the train engine disappeared from. Immediately we reached out to the train authority in our family, our oldest son, Scott. Scott grew up loving trains. We lost count of how many he now has and how many sets he’s constructed over the years. We wanted to know the name of those little train mobiles that inspectors used when checking out rails. Scott immediately replied, “Speeders.” Our next step was to find several images on-line of these vehicles and then pass them on to the publisher. He turned passed them to the artist doing the illustration for the story. It’s above to the right. He did a great job and of course, thanks Scott. We couldn’t have done it without you.

And that’s all for this week, Loyal Airmen.  As ever thanks for dropping by and we’ll see you here next week.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, well even though Airship 27 presents ALL STAR PULP COMICS Vol 6 is out, it has yet to arrive at the retail on-line site, Indy Planet. Trust that when it does the Air Chief will let all of you know and share that link.

Meanwhile our copies arrived in the mail this week. These are being put away for when we are back to conventions. Got to love that amazing Mike Belcher cover.

On the writing front, earlier this week the Air Chief finished his newest story, “The Last Trail.” It is our fictionalize telling of famed Oklahoma Lawman Bass Reeves’ final case. After thirty-two years of traveling through the Territories, and bringing in over 3,000 outlaws, Reeves learned that his oldest son, Benjamin, had in a fit of rage shot and murdered his own wife. Whereas none of the other Deputy Marshals wanted to go after him, Reeves personally demanded the warrant from Muskogee Marshal Leo Bennett and rode after Bennie. “The Last Trail” tells that heart-wrenching story. It is being to submitted to Pre So Production, owned and operated by Tommy Hancock. If accepted and published, we’ll be sure to let you know where and when. This was our third Bass Reeves tale.

Another piece of good news we want to share. This week, both Valerie and the Air Chief received their first Covid 19 vaccine shot here in Fort Collins. We have to wait 21 days before we can get the second, which will be the 25th of the month. Needless to say we drove home from the hospital very happy and feeling a whole lot safer. It’s our wish that all you Loyal Airmen will be vaccinated and eventually we can all start socializing again. Thank God.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal airmen. The Air Chief first discovered science fiction literature while in high school. During our senior year, Analog magazine serialized a new novel by Frank Hebert called DUNE. We were enamored by the scope of its tale that when the actual book came out, we immediately bought a copy. Eventually DUNE was brought to movies by director David Lynch in 1984.

Though not considered a critical hit, the reaction among sci-fi fans was missed. Whereas we loved it. Of course that was not the end as in 2000, director John Harrison did his own version which aired as a min-series on the Science Fiction Channel. It was somewhat different from Lynch’s version, but the same story staying true to Hebert’s tale. When this arrived on DVD, you guessed it, we wasted no time buying a copy.

Years later, while browsing in a book store, we discovered a wonderful, illustrated version of the book and had to own it. Immediately upon getting home, we sat down and re-read it. And amazingly the book again amazed us with its complexities, fully realized worlds and characters. It has obviously become the Air Chief’s favorite sci-fi book. Then back in 2019 rumors surfaced that as yet another film adaptation was in the works to be directed by one Denis Villeneuve. Stills from the production began to pop up on the internet and we were thrilled. All ready to see this one too. But then 2020 rolled around, Covid hit and the movie was put on hold. As of today, it is scheduled for an Oct 2021 release date. All fingers.

Whereas the marketing people behind this new version could not predict the pandemic, their plans to create merchandising went ahead full tilt even to producing action figures of the lead characters. Imagine our surprise when we learned of this. We wasted no time and ordering the above figure of the book’s hero, Duke Paul Atreides as played this time by actor Timothee Chalomet. We posed it in front of that much read illustrated volume above. Here’s fingers crossed the new DUNE will arrive in October and wow us again.

And there you have it for this week, Loyal Airmen. Looks like Jan 2021 is almost done. Time just keeping whipping by at hyper speed.  Be well and stay safe. See you back here next week.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, well this week we have the fun of announcing the release of our first Airship 27 pulp title for 2021.

JEZEBEL JOHNSTON – MASTIFF, is the 7th volume in this pirate queen saga by the wonderful Nancy Hansen.  Our very own Rob Davis provides the interior illustrations and the amazing Adam Shaw painted that beautiful cover you see above. As ever the book is available at Amazon in both paperback on Kindle.

Meanwhile Captain Ron & Chief Engineer Rob just posted their 71st Airship 27 Podcast up at You Tube. If you want to see and hear and hour of madcap fun, check us out. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scT5NBLIYEE)

On the comic front we are thrilled to let you know that BLACK LION # 3 is finally available for purchase from Indy Planet. (https://indyplanet.com/black-lion-3)  Note 1 & 2 are there as well, while we are busy putting together fourth and final issue. Stay tuned.

And finally, coming just under the wire to get this posted today, we have Airship 27’s second title of the year, RUNEMASTER – Shield Maiden’s Blade by writer Mike Bullock. This is Mike’s first work for us and we hope it isn’t the the last. Artist Christ Nye provided the nine interior illustrations with painter Steve Otis turning in that amazing cover. All in all, a great read if you like the old style sword and sorcery action adventure ala the great Robert E. Howard. Again, you can find this at Amazon in both paperback and on Kindle. Looking like 2021 is starting to shape up quite nicely. Til next week, be well and stay safe,

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, recently the Air Chief had the fun of being a guest on the AdamMesser Radio/podcast show with our dear friend and writing colleague Bobby Nash. It was a fun hour to help Adam launch his new magazine.

Called STORYTELLERS MAG – every issue will feature interviews with today’s writers discussing their craft. Above is the cover to issue number one. Each issue will be offered both digitally and as a hardcopy. Interested folks can sign up for a free digital subscription at this link. (https://mailchi.mp/07c166f10e94/storytellers-mag?fbclid=IwAR0Q8YsB8rFE6DMT2XES5Ff48-eayiA_jpXJLh9P-BNJKMOUnzljB0bQU2s) We’re very excited about its debut and hope you Loyal Airmen will check it out.

Now for the world of comics. We’re sure many of you remember Raizee the Ram, and character created by the Air Chief and artist Olivia DeGaine who appeared in several different comic titles, including his very own called “The Wooden Blade.” Well after a long hiatus, Olivia has been hard a work on issue

number two and  above are two random pages from that issue. In this one our wandering paladin is reacquainted with an old flame at the same time challenged to a unique seaside footrace we think you won’t want to miss. As ever we’ll keep you posted on its progress and when it is finished and available. We love with with Olivia on this series.

Another comic project in the works is JIN & TONIK created by artist Cesar Feliciano and developed by the Air Chief. It tells the story of two different assassins, one a scientifically enhanced Soviet named Darya Tonikova and the other a lethally trained martial artist, one Sammy Jin.

Recently Cesar has been doing lots of new sketches of these characters in different artistic interpretations as he tried to define what he wants the “look” of the series to have. It is our hope that by year’s end to have most of the first issue completed and a Kickstarter program launched so that we can publish and bring it to you in full, dazzling color. Again, stay tuned.

And that’s all for this week, Loyal Airmen. Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you here next week.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, this week we want to discuss a subject near and dear to us, movie music. Ever since we devoted ourselves to becoming a professional writer, we learned that listening to music scores from movies helped put us in the proper frame of thought for whatever we writing.

In fact the first actual novel we ever penned, “Trail of the Seahawks” co-written with the late Ardath Mayhar owes much of its existence to John Williams score to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It was such a rousing score, that before starting the novel, the Air Chief bought a vinyl album of the score and then proceeded to play it all the while we were pounding away at the keyboards. Honestly, thought it did help a great deal, poor Valerie was really happy when the book was finished and she wouldn’t have to listen to that one album over and over again.

Seriously though, from that point on, we continued to collect movie soundtracks. Eventually when CDs came along, we switched over to them. During that time we’ve amassed a collection of nearly 500 movie music score. And us clarify that, by score we me original music written by a composer. No songs ala a soundtrack. Songs would only conflict with our creative juices while writing. This little hobby of the Air Chief has been really rewarding to the point we were actually wrote liner notes for a Marco Polo disc recording of “The Most Dangerous Game” & “Son of Kong” CD produced and conducted by Hollywood composers John Morgan and Bill Stromberg, two good friends.

Now in the past, a few enterprising composers have actually written music scores for books. One such was composer Joel McNeel who was asked to write a score for writer Steve Perry’s Star Wars novel “Shadow of the Empire” which was based on a SW video game. Taking cues from many of John Williams earlier movie scores, McNeely created others from the characters in the book and with a full orchestra  actually produced a beautiful score that was packaged and sold. We have a copy. It was recently re-released on-line.

Now another such talented young composers did the exact same thing, which in turn led to a rather surprise meeting with the Air Chief.

George Mann is a British writer of steampunk, that sci-fi sub-genre that is so popular these days. In fact Mann is one of its best proponents and over the past twenty years has written several novels in his fantasy adventure series featuring Queen Victoria’s personal agents Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes beginning with “The Affinity Bridge” back in 2000. It was later followed by “The Osiris Ritual” and “The Immorality Engine,” and several others. Among Mann’s legion of fans, was American music composer, Brad Hoyt. Hoyt contact the author and somewhere in their exchanges, suggested the possibility of his writing a music score for each of these first three books. Mann agreed and Hoyt set about writing his score.

Hoyt set up his own webpage and as he completed each musical score, he would make them digitally available there. All until a few months ago when he was ready to combine all three scored into one CD set and sell that. To help promote it, author Mann shared the news of the album’s completion on his own Facebook page, which is where the Air Chief discovered all of this. Going to Hoyt’s own FB page, we queried him about ordering a copy of the disc and he immediately responded asking that we provide him with our mailing address. We did so. Less then ten minutes later he got back to us very, very surprised. You see, Brad Hoyt and his wife now live in Loveland, Co. our neighbor town. We actually live less then five miles away from each other. Amazing. By the end of that very day, we rendezvous in the parking lot of our local comic shop where he personally delivered my copy of his CD “The Music of Newbury & Hobbes.”

We’ve now had the pleasure of listening to it several times and it is beautiful. The cues and character motifs exceptional, moving and even haunting. He has totally captured the mood and atmosphere of each novel and when listening to the music, it is all too easy to see those various scenes coming to life in one’s imagination. So, if any of you Loyal Airmen love movie music as much as the Air Chief, do yourselves a favor and go check out his site (www.bradhoyt.com) – You’ll be glad you did.

Ron – Over & Out!

Greetings Loyal Airmen on our very first Flight Log of 2021. What with the pandemic and the loss of many of our loved ones, our Mom at the top of that list, 2020 proved to be a truly sad time for many of us. And our hearts do go out to all you Loyal Airmen who suffered similar losses. But here we are, at the start of a brand new year, with a viable vaccine now making its way to the general population and hopefully by year’s end, social gatherings such as comic and pulp conventions will be back in full swing.

Of course life has a way of balancing out things, if one is willing to see the silver lining even under dark clouds. Most likely because there were no conventions last year, and lots less traveling on our parts, we soon discovered most of our Airship 27 writers and artists were putting their pent-up frustrations to positive actions by producing more great titles. Thus here we are happy to tell you that in 2020 we produced and released a total of 23 books. Now that’s a busy year for a small publisher like us. And the 23rd, just out a few days ago, was BASS REEVES – Frontier Marshal Vol 4 – It features four new stories based on the historical black lawman, as written by Mel Odom Terry Alexander, Derrick Ferguson and the Air Chief. Interior illustrations were provided by Howard Simpson (the book is dedicated to his father) and Art Director Rob Davis did that great cover seen above. As always, the book is available at Amazon in both paperback and on Kindle. We hope you’ll check it out.

All the while, the Air Chief was out straight with Airship 27, we also found time to do our own writing and manages to get completed several short stories that will be seeing publication in 2021. These include a different kind of Dracula, a new I.V. Frost for Moonstone Books and a brand new pulp character, Doc Dunninger for Pro Se Productions; all of which we are extremely proud of and anxious for you Loyal Airmen to read. Whereas in the past few weeks, the Air Chief has started looking ahead to new writing assignments for 2021 and believe us, we’ve got some rather amazing writing projects in the work.

The most ambitious of all these proposed writing projects is going to be a new full length novel called CAPE NOIRE – Beauty & The Beest.  As most to you Loyal Airmen are aware, Cape Noire is the fictional city on the coast of the Pacific North West that we created to set our Brother Bones pulp stories. The thing is, when we first launched the series with the first collection, BROTHER BONES – The Undead Avenger, we presented certain aspects as already being a part of that landscape. But we’ve never actually told those prequel stories in detail and after ten years, it is time we did so. Thus, this book will present the hell-hole that is Cape Noire a few years before the coming of Brother Bones. It is our hope that Brother Bones fans will be intrigued by the idea and anxious to discover the events that set the saga of the Undead Avenger in motion.

Now while working on the Cape Noire novel, we’ve also promised certain publishers more short stories. The first in line will be my third ever Bass Reeves story. This one will deal with reality in relating the legendary lawman’s very last mission. The one that in the end had him give up his badge and retire. It will be coming from Pro Se Productions and you won’t want to miss it.

Then, along about mid-summer we hope to write a prose story featuring comic artist Dario Carrasco’s avenging hero, the Gargoyle. We’ve several of his comic adventures in the past, whereas Dario asked if we could whip up a pulp-like prose tale. Wish us luck.

Of course we haven’t even discussed the great comic book projects lining up for 2021.  We’ve got JIN & TONIK with artist Cesar Feliciano, SATIN’S WAYS is still at Silverline but we did lose our artist on the project and publisher/editor Roland Mann is once again on the hunt to bring this two part mini-series to life. There’s also a top-secret one shot project with artist Mike Belcher and the return of another old series, back by popular demand, with pal Rob Davis providing the art.

So as you can see, 2021 looks to be a really busy year for the Air Chief.  Heck, we’re getting tired just thinking about it.  Ha.  Honestly, we’ve always loved telling stories and entertaining good people like you. Here’s hoping we can keep doing it for long while to come.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!

Ron – Over & Out!

Greeting Loyal Airmen, today is a very special day throughout the world, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

One of the Air Chief’s favorite Christmas song is “Holy Night.” In Roquemaure at the end of 1943, the church organ had recently been renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest persuaded poet Placide Cappeau, a native of the town, to write a Christmas poem. Soon afterwards that same year, Adopphe Adam composed the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey. The song would remain solely in French until 1855 when Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of “Dwight’s Journal of Music” wrote the English version now known the world over.

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining:

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, divine, O night, O night divine!

And so, on this day of great tidings, Valerie and the Air Chief wish all of you Loyal Airmen and your families and loved ones a truly joyous MERRY CHRISTMAS! God bless you all.

Ron – Over & Out!!

Greetings Loyal Airmen, well time is really whipping along and looks like Santa is starting to get his sleigh tuned up and his reindeer ready for his Big Night. Meanwhile we at Airship 27 and Redbud Studio have been keeping wicked busy with all kinds of end of the year projects both in new comics and pulp titles.

As of this past week Rob Davis and the Air Chief have assembled the 5th issue of AIRSHIP 27 presents ALL STAR PULP COMICS. It features a great cover by artist Mike Belcher showing Brother Bones and Nightshift taking on a gang of crooks. Wheres the issue contains five 8 pg strips.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NIGHTSHIFT in “A Greater Calling.”Writer – Ron Fortier, Art & Lettering – Mike W. Belcher

THE CRIMSON MASK in “The Vampire of Broadway.” Writer – Mark Davis, Art – Luis Rivera, Letters – Mike Rickaby

DR FEAR in “Fear and Loathing.” Writer Michael Vance, Art – Brian Cote, Letters – Warren Montgomery

RAVENWOOD STEPSON OF MYSTERY in “Death Leaves a Message.” Writer – Ron Fortier, Art & Letters – Sam A. Salas

BROTHER BONES in “Behind the Mask.” Writer – Ron Fortier, Art & Letters – T. Glenn Bane

We think its a great package and once the book becomes available at (www.IndyPlanet.com) we’ll let you know and display the finished cover the logo etc.

Next up more on the pulp front. Several months ago Moonstone Publisher Joe Gentile approached us about writing a new I.V. Frost story for a new series he would soon be launching called Moonstone Double Shot that would feature two novellas per issue. Well today they put out their press release and the cover image. It his here below and then the PR.

MOONSTONE DOUBLE SHOT (April Issue): The Green Hornet

Written by: Mel Odom, Ron Fortier

Art: Sergio Ibanez

Cover: Malcom McClinton

100pgs, squarebound, b/w prose, 6” by9”

UPC: 68523990019

Written by Buffy/NCSI/Roswell novelist Mel Odom! Two different novellas in every issue!

Our premier issue brings the return of the Green Hornet!

When an international thief with an interesting body count on his crimes, hits the streets of Detroit, the Green Hornet and Kato set their sights on the killer crew. Whatever the target of this madness is. The Green Hornet and Kato have to take the killers down hard, still pretending that they themselves are hardened criminals!

In the second feature, I.V. Frost and Jean Moray investigate a several ton locomotive that disappeared without a trace.

—————–

And there you have this week’s Flight Log Loyal Airmen. We want to close by wishing all of you and your families and loved ones a truly blessed and joyous MERRY CHRISTMAS. May Santa bringing you all you ever hoped for and may our loving God bless each and everyone one of you.

Ron – Over & Out!