Sunday, December 16, 2012

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: THE RUBY FILES

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR PULP ARK 2013 AWARDS!

Nominations for the PULP ARK 2013 Awards are now open and will close at 5 PM CST on January 15th, 2013. The awards are given in conjunction with Pulp Ark, the convention/creators' conference and the official New Pulp Convention to be held in Springdale, AR, April 26-28, 2013!  The Awards are given for excellence in the field of Pulp, including books, stories, comic books, magazines, and characters as well as creators.

To determine if a work or creator qualifies for these awards the definition for works that qualify is as follows-New Pulp is fast-paced, plot-oriented storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists, creative descriptions, clever use of turns of phrase and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story.

Tommy Hancock, Coordinator of Pulp Ark explains something that has become a tradition of the Pulp Ark Awards-adding categories for which awards are given.  “There will be one additional award this year added to the Pulp Ark Awards roster.  A point that is often debated within fiction circles is just what qualifies as a short story, a novella, and a novel.  Usually this argument centers around word length.   It has become increasingly apparent that stories that are longer than short, but not quite novel length are a primary part of New Pulp.  To that end, Pulp Ark will be adding an award for Best Novella of the Year as of the 2013 awards.”

“For the purposes of the Pulp Ark Awards,” Hancock continued, “A Short Story is any tale consisting of 17,500 words or less.  A Novella is any tale consisting of 17,500 words to 40,000 words.  A Novel is any work of 40,000 + words.  As with all Pulp Ark award categories, these works can be print or in ebook form or both.”

Hancock also states, “We will also give a Lifetime Achievement Award again this year as well.  A Ten Person committee selected from well-known Creators in New Pulp currently will decide the recipient of this award.  This award is given to someone who has contributed to Pulp, not necessarily just New Pulp, but to the continuation of the interest and promotion of Pulp in all its forms.” Last year’s winner of the Pulp Ark Lifetime Achievement Award was Howard Hopkins.

The only works eligible for the Pulp Ark 2013 Awards are those produced between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Anyone can make a nomination and anyone that makes a nomination will receive a ballot on January 15th, 2013 and voting will be open until 5 PM CST on February 15, 2013. The only people voting in these eleven awards will be those who made a minimum of one nomination. Also, each individual is allowed only ONE NOMINATION PER CATEGORY. A person may nominate someone in all nine categories, but may only nominate once in each category. All nominations are confidential and sources of nominations will not be revealed. All nominations should be mailed to Tommy Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net. The categories open for nomination are (in no particular order and this can be cut and pasted for your nominations ballot):

1. Best Novel (This includes E-books as well as print books and length must be 40,000 + words)

2. Best Collection/Anthology (This includes single author story collections and multi author anthologies.  This includes E-publications as well as print books)

3. Best short story (this includes stories that appear in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and e magazines. If from an e-mag, the story must appear on a site identified as an e-magazine, not simply be posted on a site or blog. It includes e-publications as well as traditionally printed works. Length must be 17,500 words or less.)

4.  Best Novella (this includes stories that appear in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and e magazines. If from an e-mag, the story must appear on a site identified as an e-magazine, not simply be posted on a site or blog. It includes e-publications as well as traditionally printed works.  Length must be 17,500- 40,000 words)

5. Best Cover Art (This is restricted to prose book publications, including e-books)

6. Best Interior Art (This is restricted to prose book publications, including e-books)

7. Best Pulp Related Comic (This refers to a series, complete run, one shot, etc. This award is for art, writing, and all other work associated with the nominated comics and the winner. This includes e-publications as well. )

8. Best Pulp Magazine (This award is for art, writing, and all other work associated with the nominated comics and the winner. This includes e-publications as well, but the e-publication must be identified as an e-magazine on the site supporting it. )

9. Best Pulp Revival (The Revival nominated must be published within the calendar year of 2012 and relates specifically to characters featured in Pulps when they were originally created. This includes epublications as well.)

10.  Best New Character (This must be a character that debuts in a New Pulp work published in 2012.  This included e-publications as well)

11. Best Author (This reward refers to the author and any author with work published in 2012 is eligible, including novels, short stories, etc. This includes e-publications as well).

12. Best New Writer (To be nominated, a writer must have been published for the first time in the pulp field in the calendar year of 2012. This includes e-publications as well).

Send all nominations to Hancock via email at proseproductions@earthlink.net

For More information on how to attend Pulp Ark 2013 as Guest, Vendor, or fan, go to www.pulpark.blogspot.com for regular updates!

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And now for the politicking…

The Ruby Files Vol. 1 is available for nomination for several of the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards should anyone wish to nominate them as the Pulp Ark Nominations are open to the public. Only those who make nominations can vote so, please, if you have a favorite that fits these categories (even if it's not The Ruby Files) please nominate today.

Best New Character: Rick Ruby
Best Cover Art: Mark Wheatley
Best Interior Art: Rob Moran
Best Short Story: "Wounds" by Andrew Salmon
Best Short Story: "The Case of the Wayward Brother" by Bobby Nash
Best Short Story: "Tulsa Blackie's Last Dive" by William Patrick Maynard
Best Short Story: "Die Giftige lilie" by Sean Taylor
Best Collection/Anthology: The Ruby Files Vol. 1

See you at Pulp Ark!

Friday, December 14, 2012

THE RUBY FILES VOL. 2 INTERIOR ARTIST ANNOUNCED



Artist Nik Poliwko
It was announced on the Airship 27 Productions Facebook page today that artist Nik Poliwko has been tapped to provide interior illustrations for the upcoming 2013 release of The Ruby Files Volume 2.

From the announcement:
Talented artist Nik Poliwko has signed on to do the illustrations for THE RUBY FILES Vol II to be released next year. This series follows the adventures of hard-hitting 1930s New York private eye, Rick Ruby. Volume two will contain new stories by Alan Porter, Ron Fortier & the creators of the series, Bobby Nash and Sean Taylor.

Vol. 1 Cover: Mark Wheatley
The Ruby Files Volume 1 is still available in paperback and ebook editions.
Click here for where to buy.

We here at Belle's are excited to see Nik's take on our pal, Rick Ruby.

Below are a couple of examples of Nik's artwork.
Click on images to enlarge.





Art: Nik Poliwko

Art: Nik Poliwko

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE RECOMMENDS THE RUBY FILES


Cover: Mark Wheatley
New Pulp Author Lee Houston, Jr. listed his New Pulp Reader Christmas Recommendations at The Free Choice E-Zine website. The lists includes The Ruby Files as well as several great books by talented creators.

You can read Lee’s complete list of recommended New Pulp reads here.

The crew over at Belle's would like to thank Lee for the kind words about The Ruby Files. Maybe if we sell a few books then ol' Rick Ruby can pay off his bar tab.

Maybe.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Rick Ruby takes your questions #2


 Do you ever plan to settle down and get married? -- Sweet Thing in New York

If you'da asked me that questions even two years ago, I'da told you no way, never. But after the scrapes I've seen in the past few years, it does make a man rethink his choices a bit. 

The trouble is I got too many ladies around who all have a lot -- a helluva lot -- to offer. There's Donna and her... well, let's just say legs and keep it safe for the kids. Then there's Carla, and I'm sure nothing would make her happier than settlin' down, but even knowing her daddy's money could keep me fat and satisfied for a long time, I think I'd miss the action. The danger, I mean. And sweet little Edie, she's more like a kid sister, but damn if she isn't filling out in all the right places. Enough to make a man reconsider his options, if you know what I mean. And of course, and here's where it gets complicated, there's Evelyn. She's got it all, the looks, the figure, the excitement, and I'm damn sure she loves me, but there ain't no way we could ever get away with it. Not in our world. 

In the short run, no. Doesn't look like I'll be able to settle down.

In the long run, who knows.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

THE BOOK CAVE CELEBRATES 200 EPISODES


The creators and crew behind The Ruby Files congratulates Art Sippo and Ric Croxton on their 200th episode of The Book Cave. The hosts celebrate with shout-outs from past guests and listeners including some familiar names from The Ruby Files.

Listen now at http://thebookcave.libsyn.com.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Words and Art: Finding the Right Blend in Comic Book Scriptwriting


This week's roundtable at Ruby Files co-creator/writer Sean Taylor’s Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action Blog focuses specifically on comic book scriptwriting. Sean posted the top three questions he hears often at conventions or from those wanting to start writing comics or looking to turn an indie movie or small press novel into a graphic novel.

Sean assembled a collection of comic book writers together to find out what they had to say. The writers include:
Jim Beard (Ghostbusters Con-Volution, Star Wars Tales, Hawkman Secret Files)
Mike Bullock (Lions, Tigers, and Bears, The Phantom)
Erik Burnham (Ghostbusters, TMNT Splinter, A-Team)
Percival Constantine (Femforce, Kagemono, All-Star Pulp Comics)
Ron Fortier (The Green Hornet, Popeye, Street Fighter, The Ruby Files)
Dan Jurgens (Superman, Booster Gold, Teen Titans, Captain America)
Roland Mann (Cat and Mouse, Ex-Mutants, Switchblade)
John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knight Errant, Iron Man, Mass Effect)
Michael Avon Oeming (The Victories, Powers, Thor, Red Sonja)
Bobby Nash (Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Fuzzy Bunnies from Hell, Domino Lady vs. The Mummy, The Ruby Files)
Jenny Reed (Around the World in 80 Days, Charles Darwin)
Janet Stone Wade (Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa)

You can read their answers now at http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2012/10/words-and-art-finding-right-blend-in.html

Tuesday, October 2, 2012