Bummer News From Bud

I have a Google alert set up so that whenever "The Black Bat" appears in the news, in articles, etc., I receive an e-mail notification.

That often means that I am made aware of a baseball/cricket player using a black bat, pro wrestler Sting making an appearance somewhere, Jack White's Black Bat Licorice song, the horrid black bat flower and a variety of other subjects that have nothing at all to do with Anthony Quinn, masked nemesis of crime. But today's alert did, and the news wasn't good.

I was directed to Bud's Art Books website. Bud sells...well...books, including the Sanctum reprints of the Black Bat stories from Black Book Detective.

Since I was there anyway, I looked to see if anything new had been added of late. I had read some time ago that Sanctum's 10th issue of The Black Bat was scheduled for this month. #9 had only recently been released so that seemed unlikely. Hopefully Bud would set me straight as to #10's release date.

Alas, Bud did so but indirectly. He included the following information with the description of #9.

Publication note: I spoke with publisher Anthony Tollin in October 2017 and was told that this series and The Spider will now appear on an annual basis, which may help explain the long wait between last issue and this one.

Blargh. Altus Press releases have slowed to a crawl and now this. Collecting the classics is turning into a chore.

But let's not shoot the messenger with twin .45s. Between the quality of preview images (see below) and his own description of the product, Bud does a great job selling these and his shipping charges are the best I've seen. I might just give him a little business soon even if he ruined my evening. ;-)

Good Things Come In Fours

From Lucky Comics' Facebook page:

New this Winter: Unknown Tales #2 - With TWO origin stories: The Rotting Corpse and the Golden Age Black Bat!

Sweet.

These books are only 8 pages long so the plan is for The Black Bat's portion to take up the last four.

Meanwhile, work progresses on Lucky's modern day version of the character. The cover revealed earlier is now showing a little colour. I've added it to the Lucky Comics page above, but here it is below.

Four pages from that book are going to be made available to download for free on Christmas Day so after you're done opening presents, float on over to Lucky Comics for some Bat goodness.

We Are Experiencing A Lull

Aside from Lucky Comics, it seems that publication of Black Bat material has ground to a halt for the time being. Probably the most we can hope for, at least early in the new year, are more reprints of original tales from the 1940s from Altus Press and/or Adventure House.

I was using the free time that was thrust upon me to add to the Pabel Fledermaus cover collection.  With several hundred Black Bat stories published in Germany, that's a task I may never live to see fulfilled to my expectation. But while searching out more covers from that series, I found out that the Black Bat caught on to some degree in other parts of the world as well.

From what I've been able to uncover, DetektivMagasinet was published in Norway between 1928 and 1966. It included a few Black Bat stories, under the name Svarta Pantern, but did not embrace the character to the degree that Pabel Kriminalroman did when they made the character their leading feature.

Somewhat oddly, Svarta Pantern actually translates to Black Panther, not Black Bat, so I am slightly curious as to how the translation handled references to the character's appearance, specifically the ribbed cape made to look like bat wings.

And the pretense of being blind was so much more appropriate to a bat-themed character. It seems like deviating from that causes more problems than it solves.

In any event, I'm going to attempt to record which stories were reprinted and when. Finding covers to display may be more problematic but as you can see from the example at left, they tend to be knock offs (and poor ones, at that) of the original Black Book Detective covers anyway so that may not be much of a loss. As far as I can tell, the story Murder Among The Dying was the first to be reprinted, in 1947.

The Black Bat also had a presence in Sweden, it would seem.

Nyckel-Bockerna ran from 1934 to 1970 or so. In its final years, it tended to publish Westerns more so than pulp detective stories but for some time it did reprint original Black Bat tales.

As you can see from the cover at right, like DetektivMagasinet, Nyckel also duplicated the original Black Book Detective covers (rather poorly, mind you) and credited G. Wayman Jones. It also inexplicably used the Black Panther name.

The more I write that the less I get it. That's like taking Spider-Man and and naming him The Red Mouse.

But whatever. I shall track down some info about these as well. In order to make room, I've combined Dynamite's Masks series covers and the Black Bat 12-issue series pages into one and I will create a new page specific to Norway/Sweden reprints and whatever graphics I can find.

Hopefully that gets me through this dead zone and we can have new Black Bat material to look forward to.

Coming Next Year: The Bat #1

At this rate, I might as well self-appoint myself as the unofficial Lucky Comics blog...

The Bat #1 Arrives This Winter! 

Michael Quinn, the Modern Black Bat, is unleashed in his own title from Lucky Comics this winter with The Bat #1!!! 

This two part story titled "All Points Bulletin" will set the tone and kick off this ongoing series as Hill Top PD hunts the mythical Bat creature. With story by John Michael Helmer and stunning art by Daniel Solano, The Bat will hit Lucky Comics with a bang. 

Dan Solano is no stranger to the Lucky Comics Universe as he brought his creator-owned title "Cyber Jane" and her ultra police force "Unit Black" on board in 2016. Now, Daniel is helping launch the Black Bat, spilling from the pages of Beetle Girl, as a modern vigilante bent on bringing his own brand of justice to the world where the police and the justice system cannot. Co-starring Cyber Jane and Unit Black. 

Join us for The Bat #1 in early 2018.
Pages: 8
Format: B & W
Price: $2.00 (print) .75 (digital)

Black Bat Tales will continue to provide, well, tales of the '30s version of the character, no doubt.

Wait a minute...Michael Quinn? Have we got a multi-generational thing going on here? Let's find out in a couple of months!

And Still More Updates On Black Bat Projects From Lucky Comics

Only a few days after sharing posting news about upcoming Black Bat projects from Lucky Comics, additional update were posted on the publisher's own blog. I copy those below, with more than a little anticipation and giddiness.

Lou Mougin has ramped up his Black Bat scripting (to include) several 1932 adventures and has plans to continue his Eliot Ness/Black Bat trilogy as the two work through their tumultuous relationship.  

Lou has another Pulp Legends tales in mind as he continues to expands The Black Bat Golden Age Universe at Lucky Comics.

Publisher John  Michael Helmer has scripted three Black Bat stories: Black Bat vs. Houdini and Black Bat vs. the Pearl Thief are some of the notables. He's also produced "Fantom Face #1" and the "Masked Angel #1" which occur in the Black Bat universe of the 1930's.  

Look for a team-up book consisting of Black Bat, Miss Fury, Masked Angel and Fantom Face in the spring of 2018.

Lots to look forward to there. Miss Fury used to be a co-star on this blog but got bumped when her material dried up and, frankly, I became more interested in The Black Bat both past and current.  She's not new to Lucky Comics though. She appeared in an issue of Girl Commandos.

Fantom Face and Masked Angel, to the best of my knowledge, are new characters or based on public domain character but renamed. My guess is the former. Either way, the notion of a Black Bat "universe" with a set continuity, recurring villains and fellow crime fighters is welcomed.

Black Bat Update From Lucky Comics

Now that Black Bat Tales #3 is available on drive-thru, Lucky Comics publisher John Michael Helmer gave us a peek on Facebook of what we can expect in the (near?) future.

Lucky Comics is pleased to announce that artist Christopher Martinez will be drawing an upcoming Black Bat Tales issue. The story is set in 1932 and features Black Bat's helpers Butch & Silk as they team up to stop a pearl thief. Carlos' dark, moody art is a perfect fit for the noir feel of Black Bat Tales! Welcome aboard.

Pulp Legends #1: The Black Bat

This short story had been in production for some time. I was nearing the point of wondering if it would ever be released and then it appeared out of nowhere last night.

Lucky Comics begins its PROSE series with old fashioned, high action pulp stories! 

This issue: The Black Bat strikes terror in a mobster who has information on the murder of a policeman!

The next issue is already scheduled to feature Secret Agent X but since The (Black) Bat is a key member of the Lucky Comics roster, a traditional version appearing in Black Bat Tales and a modern take guest-starring in Beetle Girl and Dixie Squad, let's not be surprised if he shows up in this series again down the road.

Edit: Black Bat Tales #3 was released on October 3rd and appears to include the same content.

 

IN THIS ISSUE: The Bat has captured a murderer whose evaded the long arm of the law and uses a most unusual technique to interrogate him--a deadly black widow spider!

Fighting Crime One Dime At A Time

I don't know how much "face time" the masked nemesis of crime gets in this book but the fact that his name appears in the sales pitch is promising, even if he doesn't appear on the cover.

The Shadow, The Spider, The Avenger, Doc Savage, The Black Bat, The Phantom Detective — these swashbuckling heroes of mid-20th-century pulp fiction all had one thing in common: They fought crime from outside the law, unhindered by red tape and unmindful of such legal niceties as due process. They fought with fists and guns, for the most part hiding their true identities beneath outlandish costume and grotesque disguises. 

This collection of essays by distinguished pulp-fiction aficionados chronicles the era of single-character magazines from offbeat angles and with keen insight. The pieces herein analyze key stories and characters while offering rare, behind-the-scenes glimpses of authors and editors at work, crafting and polishing the pulp-paper fever dreams that enthralled millions of young readers during the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond. Ed Hulse, editor of Blood ‘n’ Thunder, the award-winning journal of adventure, mystery and melodrama, has assembled these affectionate essays with loving care and a discerning eye for the high-water marks in this phase of American popular culture. 

This third volume of Blood ‘n’ Thunder Presents, like its predecessors, is profusely illustrated with pulp-magazine covers and original artwork.

Order here.

APN's Black Bat Story Preview Art

Work on Always Punch Nazis, a comic book anthology which will include a Black Bat story, appears to be coming along nicely.

A few days ago, artist Stuart Berryhill shared a page from that Black Bat story and since he seemed open to making it public, well, here it is.

Evidently we're going to get a traditional version of the character, based on the full-face mask. I also assume that's "Team Bat" as a whole in the second panel; Butch and Silk at left and Carol at bottom right.

I think I'm going to avoid seeing additional preview material so there's still some newness in it for me when I buy this book. But it's interesting to watch it being built up.

Black Bat Omnibus Volume Three Now In E-Book Format

Are e-books your thing? If so, you're the target market for one of Altus Press' most recent releases, announced last week.

The Black Bat returns! This collection contains the next three adventures of the Black Bat: “The Black Bat’s Flame Trail,” “The Black Bat’s Triumph,” and “The Black Bat and the Trojan Horse,” uncut and restored. It’s the next volume of the complete reprinting of the series.

By purchasing them at altuspress.com for $4.99, you'll receive a .zip file containing both .mobi (for Kindle devices) and .epub versions (for IPhones, IPads and Nook devices.

The print versions are at volume 6 but I suspect 7 is on the way soon.

Two More Sanctum Reprints Coming Soon!

Good to see The Black Bat still in Sanctum's plans! It seems like forever since I'd heard about one of their reprints being released but that seems to be simply because I missed the announcement.

Volumes 9 and 10 continue to follow the format of previous volumes; two stories and a comic reprint. There's a twist though, when you get to the solicitation text to #10. Read on:

The Nemesis of Crime returns in classic pulp novels by Norman A. Daniels writing as "G. Wayman Jones."

First, the Masked Avenger of Crime rips aside the veil of secrecy that shrouds a mob leader’s murderous activities in “The Black Bat’s Invisible Enemy.”   

Then, the Black Bat pursues “The Voice of Doom," a human scourge who attacks the underworld and upperworld alike!

GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS BONUS: The Mask returns in another illustrated adventure from Nedor's EXCITING COMICS! This instant collector's item showcases the original cover paintings by Rudolph Belarski and interior illustrations by V. E. Pyles, with historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.

The above volume is expected to be available next month, and I've been able to track down a release date of November 29th for volume 10.

The Nemesis of Crime returns in classic pulp novels by Norman A. Daniels writing as "G. Wayman Jones."

First, the Black Bat risks his own eyes to aid victims deprived of their sight in “The Eyes of the Blind.”

Then, Tony Quinn battles a monstrous killer as “The Blackout Murders" panic the nation!

GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS BONUS: The origin of the Black Terror from Nedor's EXCITING COMICS #9 by Richard Hughes and David Gabrielsen! 

This instant collector's item showcases the original covers and interior illustrations by V. E. Pyles, with historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.

The Black Terror? I know there are only so many stories of The Mask to reprint, but what does Black Terror have to do with anything? Now I'll be curious to know who they feature next. Green Lama? Miss Masque?

Not that The Black Bat and The Black Terror wouldn't make a good team, mind you...Get on that, Dynamite!

The Black Bat Will Always Punch Nazis

The near future may appear bleak in terms of new tales of The Black Bat but we found out yesterday that before longthe masked nemesis of crime will be punching Nazis right between their beady eyes.

The news came courtesy of writer Gordon Dymowski on Twitter.



I'm proud to say that I solved that mystery in a matter of minutes!

The anthology in question is in comic book form and while it is still in the planning stages, each story should run somewhere between 4-8 pages. The original Black Bat's stories were first published between 1939 and 1951 and therefore the character is no stranger to Nazis. Gordon Dymowski is likewise familiar with the Black Bat, having contributed the story "The Magnificent Anderson" to Airship 27's third volume of Black Bat Mystery.

It appears that Erik Franklin will be handling art duties. Erik also contributed a story to volume three of Black Bat Mystery entitled The Dark Magician and has seen his work included in anthologies for Sherlock Holmes and The Purple Scar as well, among others. I don't know of any published work as an artist, however.

It seems that interest among creators is such that there may already be enough material for a second issue. They do want to get the first one out there quickly though so it should not be long until we...

The Black Bat in Superhero 2044

We are deep in the middle of a dry spell when it comes to Black Bat material. No doubt Lucky Comics are continuing to work on both of their versions (1930s and modern day) of the character, and Altus Press will announce the next volume of their reprints before too long, but right at the moment, we have little to look forward to.

Unexpectedly, the next time we see the character might be in a format in which he's never appeared, that I know of. The Black Bat will be among the playable character in a role-playing game called Superhero 2044.

Now my role-playing game days are in my distant past but I can't help but find this one interesting if only for the number of public domain characters that it features. In a press release from this past May (about Checker BPG acquiring the rights to the game), Superhero 2044 was described as follows:

...the first commercially available superhero-themed role playing game at the dawn of the industry appearing in 1977 shortly after the explosive launch of early games like Dungeons and Dragons and Runequest. Innovative for the time period it featured such specific rules as classifications for differing types of super heroes, melee rules unique to super heroes, a ranged combat system,  point based character construction, and eventually a comprehensive defined list of super powers.

And now it is being updated and upgraded. Starting on Wednesday, August 16th, a Kickstarter campaign will launch to help fund the new version. Checker will also create a collectible card game.

Let's have a look at the cast of playable characters.

A partial roster of playable HEROES:
Domino Lady, The Heap, Arrow, Arsene Lupin, Purple Zombie, Thor, Golden Age Daredevil,  Uncle Sam, The Spider, Fantomah, The Black Terror, Hercules, The Black Bat, Mister Monster, Silver Streak, Hugo Danner, Circe, Isis, The Werewolf, Atom Master, The Face, Target, The Ghost, Ms. Fury, The Flame,  Cheshire Cat,  Black Orchid,  Lady Justice,  Fantomas, Man O’ War, The Moth, Avenger, Dr. Nemesis, The Grim Reaper, Miss Masque,  Black Angel, Magno, Tesla, Kid Frankenstein, Perseus, Hydroman, Sinbad,  G-8 and His Battledrones,  Birdman, Hang-Man, Black Panther, John Henry, Monkey King, and more…

Very cool to see not only the Black Bat but a common team-up partner in Domino Lady and this site's former co-star, Ms Fury.

So we'll look in later this week, assuming plans to launch the Kickstarter campaign on Wednesday have not changed, and see if they offer some character-specific perks. Some of the art displayed on the Checker website is phenomenal but unfortunately, I have yet to see their interpretation of The Black Bat.

They also have mini figurines which might be of interest. What appears to be a work-in-progress Domino Lady is displayed below. The opportunity to create a little pulp team-up in my office, with the Black Bat front and center, might be too good to pass up if it comes to pass!

The Bat Guest Stars in Dixie Squad #2

The (Black) Bat is all over the Lucky Comics line. Black Bat Tales, which features stories taking place in the 30s, recently saw the release of its second issue and a modern take on the character has appeared in a couple of issues of Beetle Girl (see, Dynamite? It CAN be done!). He was also given a spotlight during Free Comic Book Day.

And now, that modern version makes a surprise (well, to me, anyway) appearance in Lucky's Dixie Squad title.

Lucky Comics unique super hero team title featuring dynamic Southern Heroes destined to save America from ALL threats! 

In this issue:  

Dixie Squad is finally given a new commander named Colonel Hobbs! 

The Squad's next mission: Capture the BAT! 

Johnny Rebel, Mountain Man, Superfortress, Virginia Dare, Whistlin' Dixie 

With a fantastic cover by Oscar Suyama, Cássia Alves & Daniel Vardi

The treatment of the character is consistent with his appearances in Beetle Girl. His harsher methods create a perception that he's a menace that needs to be controlled and so the DS sets out to do that very thing.

That being said, a recent issue of the Beetle Girl book saw her chased by Dixie Squad as well. Could the Beetle and Bat end up on the same side? Let's wait and see.

Kill The Lady Goodbye (A Short Story)

This was a nice surprise. I spend so much time searching (and waiting) for Black Bat material, yet from time to time a story will pop out out of nowhere.

A comment on a previous post on June 2nd drew my attention ti this so thank you for that, Ray. I was on my way to my cottage so couldn't act on it until now, but I appreciate the heads up. The story had actually only been released the previous day but I had no idea it was even in the works.

Here's the sales pitch: 

Long before Wonder Woman, Supergirl or the Black Widow hit newsstands there was the Domino Lady--the first masked female crimefighter from the golden age of pulp magazines.  

Driven by the murder of her crusading District Attorney father, beautiful socialite Ellen Patrick assumes the alter ego of the Domino Lady to fight crime, break up political machines, expose corruption in the courts, as well as the Capitol. Arming herself with a .45 pistol and a syringe full of knockout serum, the Domino Lady’s most effective weapon is her sensual beauty, which often distracts her opponents before she turns the tables on them. 

In Kill the Lady Goodbye, Ellen Patrick’s steamy romance with a hotshot attorney is cut short when his father—a carnival tycoon—mysteriously disappears. An investigation plunges pulpdom’s sexiest avenger into a dangerous conspiracy involving a powerful criminal organization with ties to the highest levels of city government, a corrupt carnival empire—and into the crosshairs of the notorious vigilante known as the Black Bat. 

Before the Dark Knight patrolled the streets, before Daredevil prowled the back alleys of Hell’s Kitchen, the Black Bat battled the dark underbelly of New York. Former District Attorney Anthony Quinn was blinded by acid, but has gained the ability to see in the dark, enabling him a great advantage as he prowls the streets as a dark avenger. 

In this tale of blazing action, deadly intrigue, and saucy romance, two-time Bram Stoker Award nominated author Taylor Grant brings together two of pulp fictions greatest heroes. They will come face-to-face with the dark underworld of NYC and a mob boss who will stop at nothing to see them dead. 

A treat for longtime Domino Lady and Black Bat fans and a perfect introduction to the characters for a whole new generation of readers. Grab your fedora and .45s as Kill the Lady Goodbye unleashes the pulse-pounding excitement of the pulp detective fiction magazines of the 1930s and 40s.

It's said to only pay 33 pages long, so heads up on that level. You can purchase the story digitally here and learn more about Grant from his website.

Black Bat Collection Coming From Moonstone Books

This post from The Black Bat Facebook page, managed by writer/publisher Ron Fortier, catches us up on Moonstone's plans for the character, specifically the mini series with Domino Lady.

Having bought the Guns mini series already, I'm not wild about paying twice for the same material, but so long as the price is reasonable, I'm still getting four issues worth of new stuff. And it's stuff I've waited several years for, so I'm fairly pleased. Maybe the original books will decorate my secret crime fighting lab.

That said...This is Moonstone. Make yourself comfortable, it could be quite some time before this thing sees the light of day. Not trying to be clever, it's just the way it is.

The Black Bat On Film.

I came across the following comment on Twitter a few weeks ago.

I was a little thrown at first. While the image used was clearly not specific to the film, the reference to a 30s comic book made me believe that Mr. Eastwood and I weren't thinking about the same Black Bat. But I asked and, evidently, we were.

So if it does come to pass it's still far on the horizon but it may be worth keeping an eye on Orlando Eastwood Films regardless.

Now this wouldn't be the first time that The Black Bat has found his way onto screens. Are you familiar with Rise Of The Black Bat?

If you are, then you have my sympathies. This film made me wish I was blind.

And I wanted to like it, obviously. It's my favourite pulp character in a film shot in my home town. I'd met the guy playing the Black Bat; he worked (perhaps still does) at a comics store on Bank Street in Ottawa. Good lad.

But sadly not a good movie, even taking into account budget restraints. I admit that I didn't finish it and for that reason won't pile on with yet another nasty review. You can Google search those quite easily.  I will just say that while some movies are so bad that they are entertaining, I don't believe this one fits that description.

So the bar is set quite low for Eastwood. I wish them all the best, I would love to have a quality film to add to my Black Bat collection.

The Black Bat Part of Pro Se's LEGACY Imprint

Pro Se Productions sent out the press release below earlier today. It wasn't Black Bat specific, I was just stoked to The Black Bat mentioned as one of the "taken" characters.

But first, let's look back at an earlier (and abbreviated) release. It's from April 21st, to be specific.

Known for breathing new life into classic characters from Pulp Fiction, both licensed and in the public domain, Pro Se takes a step into an exciting new avenue for stories, utilizing Pulp characters in the Public Domain in ways to bring them into the modern era, telling tales using the archetypes from yesterday so many know to tell relevant stories set today. Using, at least initially, only Pulp characters in the Public Domain, Pro Se’s LEGACY imprint will be telling these tales. 

... 

The characters utilized in LEGACY works can be written in two ways-either as updates of the original character and his/her supporting cast OR as a character inheriting a legacy left to him or her by the original character. For this, research will be required. If writers cannot acquire the original works, various resources with information exist on the internet and/or a request can be made of Pro Se Productions at submissions@prose-press.com to provide links. 

... 

The first LEGACY volume set for release in late 2017 will be THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE: IGNITION by B. Chris Bell.

And more specific to our masked nemesis of crime...

PRO SE'S NEWLY ANNOUNCED 'LEGACY' IMPRINT HAS ONLY TWO OPENINGS LEFT FOR FIRST YEAR! 

...LEGACY is an imprint that will feature only digest novels (30 thousand words) or full length novels. The lead characters in these works MUST have originated in Pulp Magazines, circa 1896-1954 and MUST currently be in the Public Domain... 

Pro Se Productions opened the LEGACY imprint with the intent to fill 12 slots, enough to produce a book a month beginning in July 2017. When these slots are filled, new proposals will not be take in this imprint until at least January 2018 to fill the second year. As of this announcement, only two of the original twelve slots remain. 

Once an author makes a submission and that submission is accepted, then the character featured in that submission 'belongs' to that author, at least through the publication of the accepted work, if not longer. The update versions of the following characters are now a part of the LEGACY imprint and are off limits for further submissions at this time- 

Dan Fowler, G-Man
The Thunderbolt
Major Lacy and Amusement, Inc.
Secret Agent X
Domino Lady
The Black Bat
The Griffon
Ravenwood, Stepson of Mystery
The Phantom Detective
Dr. Satan

So I guess this means we get new Black Bat material from Pro Se some time between August 2017 and...May 2018! I'm sure the time will just fly by. ;-)

This isn't Pro Se's first go at the character. He was also included in the second of their two-part Sons of Thor story.

Early Look at Lucky Comics' FCBD Offering

The following image was recently shared with Lucky Comics fans on the publisher's new Facebook group.

It is the work of Lucky Comics regular Eric Douthitt and is an in-progress page for Lucky's Free Comic Book Day offering this year. The issue will follow Lucky's eight-page format with four being dedicated to The Black Bat and the other four to Beetle Girl.

At around the same time, the second issue of Black Bat Tales should become available and hopefully the Pulp Legends prose anthology will follow as planned.

The Germans Always Make Good Stuff

Black Bat material might be hard to come by in North America these days, but the Germans are about to be treated to another batch of books by Blitz-Verlag. Volumes 10, 11 and 12 of their paperback series are currently available for pre-order on their website.

These appear to be reprints of the original material from the late 30s to the early 50s. I believe the books are The Black Bat's Triumph, The Black Bat And The Trojan Horse and The Black Bat's Dragon Trail, based on Google Translate's rough translations of the titles. Those came out consecutively in the early 40s.

So Blitz is among the chronological original material reprinting scene and they are using updated versions of covers from the first German series for their current releases.  Example below.

The artist for those covers, by the way, was the extremely prolific Rudolf Sieber-Lonati. He was responsible for a ridiculous amount of cover art for crime and fantasy books from the 50s to the 80s but I believe he was best known for his science fiction work.

In any event, researching him specifically led me to a boatload of Fledermaus covers I still had not found, though they are of small size and/or of poor quality. I might have a little work to do there but the collection is becoming quite complete.  Here are a couple that struck me as being particularly eye-grabbing.

BG11 Available Now, BBT2 on Monday!

Lucky Comics' Beetle Girl #11, discussed in the previous post, showed up on Drive Thru Comics earlier today. It was originally believed that it would be available only in early April so the early release was a pleasant (and extremely rare) surprise.

The 8-page format that Lucky uses has very much grown on me. More along the lines of the golden/silver age material, Lucky's books pack a lot on a page, unlike most of today's books which commit three pages to show two dudes shaking hands or ordering coffee. At $0.75, they're not too hard on your comics budget and it's a good deal on a per-page basis, if you feel the need to analyze it to that degree.

And since we're talking finances, I've never been one to collect variant or rare covers. Never saw the point of buying the same content multiple times for what amounts to a single different page no matter how attractive the rare cover might be.

But for smaller, inexpensive books...Why not? The following cover was shared with me earlier this week (and has since been added to the Lucky Comics page above).

I didn't know if it was done with some degree of confidentiality so I didn't include it here right away, but my understanding is that the book is coming out early next week and a smaller version appears on Lucky's website blog now. I doubt I'm spoiling some big reveal then.

I quite dig this Marcelo Salaza work but I also liked the first cover that was made public. It is my understanding that the book will be available with either one, so I'll get both. One goes in the read pile, the other goes up on my wall. "Problem" solved.

As to the Beetle Girl issue, Lucky might have landed their finest artist yet (I say this without having read their entire catalog, mind you). Geanes Holland seems like a very good fit for the book.

Also, I enjoyed having the Black Bat butt heads with The Shadow in regards to methodology in the first Masks volume from Dynamite Entertainment a couple of years back. Something similar happens here, yet the Black Bat is on the opposite of the argument, interestingly enough.

The Black Bat appears in at least one more future issue of Beetle Girl and to the best of my knowledge, Black Bat Tales is meant to be an ongoing series. So it seems that Lucky Comics has become our proverbial "Bat channel" for the moment.

The Bat Prowls, Part 2 - Coming Soon in Lucky Comics' Beetle Girl!

When Lucky Comics announced in issue #9 of Beetle Girl that the Black Bat would guest-star in three issues, I incorrectly assumed that they would be consecutive.  That is not the case, since he was nowhere to be found in issue #10, but he returns in a big way for issue #11 in early April.

Art by Geanes Holland
Colours by Federico Pepito Sioc Jr.

Taking into account the Black Bat Tales series and the upcoming pulp classics prose book in which the character will appear, Lucky might well become our most regular and reliable source of new Black Bat material.

Airship 27 throws down an anthology every couple of years but has been quiet on that front since the third volume was released in late 2015. Moonstone's offerings are constantly months (sometimes years) late and Dynamite appears to have forgotten about the character altogether.

So don't be surprised if Lucky Comics gets mentioned here relatively frequently in the coming months. It's clear they have a vision, a plan and enthusiasm for the character.

The Black Bat in Behind The Mask, Volume 2

Coming soon from Fading Shadows. Contains four stories: Satan’s Minions, a Phantom Detective story, The Star of Africa, a Funny Face story, Guns of Vengeance featuring The Black Bat, and Seven Men of Greed featuring The Man In Purple. Kindle edition only for now.

Guns Of Vengeance guest-stars The Phantom Detective and his entourage.

Coming Later This Month: Black Bat Tales #2!

The first issue of Black Bat Tales from Lucky Comics came out late last summer and the second is now close enough to release that the publisher is comfortable with promoting it on social media.

The original plan was for this issue to feature a short story (prose) by Lou Mougin. That has since changed and we are getting another comics story while Mougin's tale is being saved for a book called Pulp Legends. Presumably we are getting the 1930s version as opposed to the current-day Bat character that guest-starred in Lucky's Beetle Girl title recently.

Speaking of Beetle Girl, some time back Lucky Comics announced a book called Girl Commandos which would team that character with Flame Girl and Miss Fury. That book should come out at around the same time as BBT2 and its cover was recently revealed as well. Looks sharp.

The Black Bat's appearance in Beetle Girl was drawn by one Saulo Silva. I stumbled into Mr. Silva's Facebook page this weekend and found the sketch below which teams The Bat and Beetle Girl with, I believe, a Brazilian superhero.

At first glance, I couldn't help but wonder if Lucky hadn't created its own "trinity" to match DC's Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman team. I guess we'll find out before too long if Lucky Comics has something along those lines brewing.

Digital and print versions of the Lucky line of comics are available from Indyplanet.

Shipping in June from Sanctum Books: The Black Bat, Volume 8!

The Nemesis of Crime returns in classic pulp novels by THE SPIDER’s Norvell Page and Norman A. Daniels writing as "G. Wayman Jones." 

First, the Masked Avenger of Crime fights to save a city from sinister looters, pitting himself against evil murderers with blank faces in “The Black Bat’s Summons.” 

Then, a Master Hypnotist materializes the Grim Reaper in his audience, hurling Tony Quinn into the bizarre mystery of “The White Witch." 

GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS BONUS: The Mask returns in an illustrated adventure by Kin Platt from Nedor's EXCITING COMICS plus the origin of Super-Mouse, the ONLY non-DC Golden Age superhero to continue into the Silver Age! 

This instant collector's item showcases a knockout voodoo cover by Rudolph Belarski and interior illustrations by V. E. Pyles, with historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. 

(Sanctum Books) 978-1-60877-231-5 Softcover, 7x10, 112 pages, B&W, $14.95

Ladies And Gentlemen, Carol...Quinn!

Several of the Black Bat stories published in Germany included "extras" such as a blueprint of stately Quinn manor and character sketches.

I believe the one below, of the now married Carol Baldwin, was the back cover to one of the books and displayed during a sale on ebay.

I was going to comment that she looked a bit older than I'd imagined her to be but then if Anthony Quinn and Carol Baldwin got married, it would be at the tail end of their crime-fighting careers. So in fact her appearance is probably quite appropriate.

Very nice. Hope to stumble into quality images of the rest of the cast at some point as well.

Behind The Mask by Tom Johnson

According to Pulp Coming Attractions...

An anthology series by Tom Johnson returns in Kindle format in early February with Volume One. Right now only four issues are planned between February and July.

Behind The Mask was an anthology series that ran from the late 80's to about 2005, I believe. It reprinted pulp stories from the genre's heyday.

That is not quite the case with this edition, at least not with this first issue.  Murder Under The Big Top, unless Mr. Johnson used the exact name twice for some reason, is a Black Bat story of his that has found its way into a number of anthology books.

If you're into detective books, I probably don't have to announce which pulp character appears in The Masked Detective's Deadly Trail story (here's a clue, just in case: He's a detective and he wears a mask).

The Skull Killer is a Purple Scar story, while Fangs Of Death and The Legend are short stories. It is difficult to comment on Fangs without ruining it a bit so I won't, and I believe The Legend is a Tom Johnson original creation.

Might there be more material of interest to Black Bat fans in future releases? Absolutely. Tom Johnson has written several stories featuring The Black Bat. Mind you, he's written many stories NOT featuring the Black Bat, too, so perhaps the masked nemesis of crime gets bumped so I guess there are no guarantees. But we'll be watching.

Here's what we might get (and most, if not all of them, have been covered here to some degree):

The Black Bat's War: In the trenches of war-torn Germany, soldiers were dying from the medicines they received for their wounds. The Army generals blamed America for the bad drugs, yet nothing could be done until the source of the deadly medicine was uncovered and replaced with good drugs. While investigators are stymied, The Black Bat and his team of crime fighters take up the challenge in New York, uncovering a giant plot by a master criminal. But would they be in time to save brave young soldiers dying of their wounds in a far off No-Man’s Land? 

City Of Phantoms / Guns Of Vengeance: When an old case resurfaces, the world's greatest detective is pulled back into a new battle with a deadly enemy, while ex-fighting district attorney Tony Quinn's lovely secretary, Carol Baldwin is kidnapped by a vicious mob, hoping to force the prosecution to drop its case against their boss. Two champions of justice meet in a race against time!

There are a couple of other Black Bat stories by Tom Johnson for which I need clarification. They are The Black Bat's Crisis (1995) and Crimson Harvest (1999).

Some of these stories have changed names since being written. The Black Bat's War above, for example, was originally known as Drugs Of Destruction. So it may be that I've already read them under a different name without knowing it. If not, I hope the second coming of BTM provides the opportunity.

Another New Page: Reprint Resource

When Sanctum Books began reprinting the original Black Bat stories from Black Book Detective, someone commenting on the announcement on Facebook said something along the lines of "why those stories?"

My initial interpretation of that comment was the poster thought the stories sucked but in clarifying later, he explained that those stories had already been reprinted plenty of times and are still accessible now, so why bother?

Fair point. To that end, I've completed a little project that I've been meaning to get to for some time; a page to assist those looking for the original stories.

The "Reprint Resource" page is at the top right, just under the banner. For now it includes the three publishers (that I'm aware of) actively reproducing the material, being Altus Press, Adventure House and Sanctum Books.

It was a fun exercise and I learned a few things while doing it.

• I was surprised to find that aside from the Brand Of The Black Bat origin, no other story has been reprinted by all three publishers. It's just a matter of time until that changes, however, as each continues to add to its respective catalog. Still, I expected a bit more overlap.
• There are two stories called The Murder Prophet. I don't know how the hell I didn't pick up on this before since both covers are on the Black Book Detective page. The first, from 1942, was not written by Black Bat creator and primary author Norman Daniels but the second, from 1947, was. At first I wondered if the earlier story had simply been used a second time but evidently not. Judging from the brief synopsis in The Black Bat Companion, they are vastly different tales with an identical title. Strange.
• While it may seem like the majority of the Black Book Detective stories have been reprinted, these three publishers combine for about half of them. The last dozen or so have yet to be made available.

For now we'll focus on these three publishers and ignore prior attempts that are only available on ebay and such. So if you want to collect the stories in original order of release, or as quickly as possible, or with a certain type of additional material included, that page should assist you in building a strategy to do so.

Volume Seven of Sanctum Press' Black Bat Reprints Coming Soon!

There seems to be a trend built where whenever an Altus Black Bat omnibus volume is announced, it is followed by a Sanctum book reprint shortly thereafter. It is no doubt coincidental, but Altus made volume six of their reprint series available last last week, and now volume seven of Sanctum's is at the printing stage.

The Nemesis of Crime returns in classic pulp novels by Norman A. Daniels writing as "G. Wayman Jones."

First, when murder pays off in millions, "The Black Bat's Justice" snarls a corrupt killer's ingenious web of doom! Then, Tony Quinn follows the trail of Soviet saboteurs who seek to undermine America's defense effort in "The Black Bat and the Red Menace."

GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS BONUS: The Mask returns in TWO illustrated adventures by Kin Platt from Nedor's EXCITING COMICS.

This instant collector's item showcases the classic color pulp covers and original interior illustrations by V. E. Pyles, with historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.

An exact release date has yet to be announced, however.

New Page: Blitz

It only takes up a small portion of the space underneath the banner, at far right, so you may not have noticed it, but I've created a page simply called Blitz.

From time to time, historical info about The Black Bat will mention that following the end of his adventures in Black Book Detective in 1953, he became something of a sensation in Germany. Translated versions of his stories began to appear in the 100th edition of Pabel Kriminal Roman in 1960 and in short order he became the series' leading man from issue 135 to at least 667.

But you can't keep a good bat down for long.

A publisher named Blitz-Verlag has been publishing Black Bat stories for the better part of the last decade now. A number of them have been reprints from the Black Book Detective run of 1939 to 1953 but there has been some original material as well. A.S. Jones, at right, refers to a Angelika Schröder who probably added the "Jones" to her initials in homage to the G.W. Jones name that accompanied so much of the character's past adventures.

Thus far, Blitz has published 12 books, reprint and new tales in equal amounts. The Blitz page above provides cover images for each one as well as translations of the solicitation text, to the best of my ability to do so. It's a little...choppy...at times, but you'll get the idea.

I've also fleshed out the Black Book Detective page a bit, adding names and publishing dates for the covers that are NOT yet available.

I was pleased to score a decent scan of the cover to one of the last issues (Winter 1952) which, interestingly, makes reference to a Tony Quinn and Carol Baldwin mystery. Miss Baldwin did not usually get named on the cover. Being that she was such an integral part of the Black Bat's origin and entourage, it's good to see her getting equal billing, however short-lived it was.

Ravenwood/Black Bat shift to a Special Edition

I was on the Dynamite Entertainment message board earlier today discussing the Guns Of The Black Bat mini series from Moonstone Books.

Being that Ron Fortier's work was the topic of conversation, it occurred to me to ask who among the regular visitors might be readers of Airship 27's material. While gathering the link to display on the message board for those who may not have been aware of Fortier's (and Rob Davis') publishing company, I came across the following solicitation.

Of the original Ravenwood Stepson of Mystery stories, there were only ever five. In the past three years Airship 27 Productions has published nine short stories and one full length novel starring this unique occult detective. 

Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to reprint four of those fan-favorite tales in this new edition. This volume features writers Aaron Smith, Jonathan Fisher, Gene Moyers and Ron Fortier, as each adds his own storytelling talents to one of pulpdom’s least known but most original heroes. Sit back and prepare to encounter bizarre, supernatural mysteries as only Airship 27 Productions can deliver. 

(reprints three stories from the out of print Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery V.2 and a Ravenwood story from OCCULT Detectives V.1).

In December 2015, writer Aaron Smith pointed out to me (on Twitter) that his story in the second volume of Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery included The Black Bat. I'd added that book to my wish list on Amazon but it was never in stock.

Small wonder! As stated above, it's out of print! But since Aaron Smith is listed among the writers in the Special Edition, then presumably his story from volume two is included in it now instead.

You can purchase Ravenwood from Amazon.com or Createspace.