Return of the pulp hero

In addition to dozens of pulp reprints and replicas being published these days, there are a handful of folks out there producing new “pulp” adventures and resurrecting vintage characters. Among those folks is Ron Fortier.

Ron wrote the Green Hornet series for Now Comics in the early ’90s, Brother Grimm from a few years ago and, more recently pulling from the pulps, Captain Hazzard, The Spider, The Moon Man, Ki-Gor and Secret Agent X revivals. (Oh, and he’s contributed a few reviews a few years back to ThePulp.Net’s Pulp Companion.)

So why pick vintage pulp characters to write new stories for, rather than create new characters?

“Because people don’t know how to write heroes any more,” Ron says. “I’m sorry to have to say that, but look at the so-called heroes that have emerged from the 1960s onward, with James Bond (a good guy assassin… isn’t that an oxymoron?) and Clint Eastwood (a good guy archetype 10 times crueler than the bad guys he wipes out). Duh?

“No, we live in the age of the anti-hero (another oxymoron if ever there was one). So going back in time to when one knew who the good guys were, was a no brainer.

“Part of what I was attempting to do was wake up an entire generation unfamiliar with true heroes, by revisiting these grand old pulp characters.”

In his first Captain Hazzard book, Python Men of the Lost City, Ron took Chester Hawks’ original pulp story and patched all of the holes, expanded on the characters and plot, and turned a prime example of the pulp era’s worst into a fun read. Ron’s since written two more Captain Hazzard novels and is working on a fourth.

When I spoke to him at last year’s PulpCon, Ron was working with Ron Hanna’s Wild Cat Books. Recently, though, it was announced that Ron Fortier’s Airship 27 Productions had signed with Adamant Entertainment to publish and distribute his books. But that’s changed, too.

“Well, it seems the publishing game is way more volatile than I could have ever imagined and before we could produce one single book with Adamant, our plans hit a snag and we were forced to call the entire deal off. It truly was no one’s fault, just a truly unfortunate series of events. So now I’m a packager with no one to package for.”

A packager?

“A packager is someone who devises the idea for a book, be it anthology or novel, then recruits the writers and artists to do it,” Ron says. “When the work comes in, he designs the entire package, cover to cover so that it is ready for the printers. And although we have parted ways with Adamant, (artist Rob Davis) and I hope to continue packaging pulp books in the future, if we can make deals with other publishers.”

He says, “Adamant would have assumed the role of publisher, i.e. taking the books which we put together, then publishing them and offering them to distributors. Without a publisher, we couldn’t proceed with our plans and many of the writers and artists who would have worked on our books have now gone to Wild Cat Books.”

Speaking of writers and artists, Ron’s been involved in the creation of a virtual bullpen of modern-day fictioneers call the Pulp Factory.

“One old designer at Wild Cat Books, Anthony Schiavino got the idea for us starting a group of pulp writers and artists informal internet club. So we first created the public Pulp Factory blog where we can promote our various efforts to the public at large.

“Then we established a Yahoo Group… which is private and by invitation only, where we can talk freely amongst ourselves. So far the Pulp Factory’s been a rousing success.”

Though you probably don’t have access to the Pulp Factory’s Yahoo Group, you can keep up with their latest projects on their blog.

So, what’s up next for Ron?

“Well, now with the packaging operation of Airship 27 Production on hold, I’m going to be devoting a little more time to my own writings. I’m working on a fourth Captain Hazzard novel which I hope to have out by the end of the year. Moonstone has also graciously invited me to participate in their forthcoming The Phantom Chronicles and The Avenger Chronicles.

“And my artist amigo Rob Davis and I are looking at publishing one or two books we had finished assembling when the deal with Adamant terminated. I don’t want to name these books, as getting them done and out is still tentative and would rather keep that private until we are ready to announce (if we can get it done) the official publication of these volumes. So we aren’t completely dead yet. Ha.”

Whatever they are, I’m sure they will be of interest to pulp fans. Keep an eye on Ron’s blog for the latest.

– William