The Golden Age Series: Public Domain Heroes in Prose

 I recently introduced readers to The Steel Ring, a prose novel featuring many of the characters from the Centaur Universe written by R.A. Jones and edited by Jeff Deischer of Westerntainment. As it would so happen, Jeff saw the interview and contacted me. He was kind enough to provide me with this excellent interview which introduces us to his series of Public Domain Superhero novels under The Golden Age banner.

FBU: Jeff, how would you introduce yourself to the readers of the Flashback Universe?

Jeff: I’m best known for my chronologically-minded essays, particularly the book-length The Man of Bronze: a Definitive Chronology, about the pulp DOC SAVAGE series. It is a definitive chronology, rather than the definitive chronology, because each chronologist of the DOC SAVAGE series has his own rules for constructing his own chronology.

 Adventure fiction made a lasting impression on my creative view as a child, and everything I write has Good Guys and Bad Guys – in capital letters. As an adult writer, I try to make my characters human, as well.

I primarily write fiction, and, combining my twin loves of superheroes and pulp, began THE GOLDEN AGE series in 2012. This resurrected, revamped and revitalized the largely forgotten characters of Ned Pines’ Standard, Better and Nedor publishing companies.

These characters, drawn from superhero, pulp and mystic milieus, fill the “Auric Universe”, as I call it.

FBU: Why you enjoy working with Golden Age characters?

With the characters already created and possessing backgrounds (and foes), it provides a great base to start from. Ideas just start flowing. That’s true of any “resurrection” of old characters (at least for me). I specifically wanted to try golden age superheroes because superheroes are my first love, and I thought that they’d work really well with my style, which is pulpish. They’re not far removed from the pulp era, and really, they’re the next step in pulp – visual, long on action and short on characterization.

I looked through the various defunct comic book companies and saw that Ned Pines’ companies (Standard, Better and Nedor) had the most characters. That gave me a lot to work with, which fit into my plan of introducing an entire universe of characters in the book – which turned out to the first in a series. I also didn’t want to use characters that other writers were using, like R. A. Jones and the Centaur THE PROTECTORS. It wasn’t until I’d finished the first volume, The Golden Age, that a friend of mine said, “You know, Alan Moore’s using some of these characters. Tom Strong is Doc Strange.”

 D’oh! I found that he’d used very few characters and had altered them even more than me!


FBU: What new things have you brought to the characters

Jeff: Anyone who’s read golden age comics knows that the characters don’t have much personality, so that was my primary goal – giving the characters personality. This included detailed origins for them (which many didn’t have). I also did some revision to make the Auric Universe a more cohesive whole, altering a few names and such. Mostly, readers have liked this, though a few think I went too far in a couple of cases. That’s one reason I call it my Auric Universe – Ned Pines’ universe is still there, exactly as fans remember and want it. That said, I did as little revising as possible. Some of this was due to my lack of knowledge about the characters, relying on a couple of internet sources. I was over halfway through the first volume when I discovered online archives, and later books reflect my greater knowledge of the characters as I worked my way through the stories. I started to use more villains from the actual comic books in later volumes, and they are much more “comic booky” as a result (from Dark of the Moon on).

Here is a list of the books in the series so far:

	The Golden Age (Volume I) In 1942, the world is at war. Spies and saboteurs seem to lurk around every corner in America. But, in the shadows, real danger awaits. Following the Battle of Midway, the Dragon Society of Imperial Japan sends agents on a secret mission to knock the U.S. out of the war. And only the superheroes of the Auric Universe can stop them.
	Mystico (Volume II) 1940: The Nazis are obsessed with mystical artifacts. Believing one was hidden in America centuries ago by the mysterious Knights Templar, the black wizard Nacht sends a party led by the sorcerer the Baron to find it. He is aided in his quest to gain one of the greatest prizes of all by Reinhard Heydrich, the infamous “Hangman”, who now controls the dreaded Vril power, becoming Nietzsche’s Ubermensch.
	Dark of the Moon (Volume III) The Auric Universe's oddball, fringe and civilian heroes get play here as Dr. X, an “occult scientist”, sends his team, which includes his niece Cynthia, her fiancé Bob Stone, Judy of the Jungle and her companion Pistols Roberts of Europol, and a patchwork giant called Jobe, to investigate as cities are being destroyed by mysterious tidal waves.
	Future Tense (Volume X) Like many other heroes of the Auric Universe, Major Future seemed to come from nowhere. In his case, it was more true than in others’. In 1943, a man with superhuman powers that included strength, agility and the ability to see radio waves, found himself in Los Angeles. How he got there and why he had these special abilities, he did not know. Impelled by some inner drive to help others, he took the name “Major Future” and became a superhero.
	Bad Moon Rising (Volume XI) The spotlight is on Major Wonder, my homage to the fun (i.e., smartass) superheroes of my youth. In this volume containing six independent but interrelated short stories adapted from his series in MYSTERY and WONDER, he faces dark times that run the gamut from superhero to horror to Sci-Fi.

Included in each volume are End Notes, which describe the factual or historical basis for things in the story, as well as a documentation of the changes I made in original story or characters. There is also a timeline of events of the book, and a lexicon of characters used, as well as an Afterword.

My webpage is jeffdeischer.blogspot.com, where I post the first chapters of the first novel of each of my series, so that potential readers can peruse my work without having to spend several dollars on a trade paperback to find out if they like it or not. The publisher’s website is westerntainment.blogspot.com.

Thank you Jeff!

The Steel Ring - Rise of the Centaur Universe

Today it gives me great pleasure to present this interview with comics and novel writer R. A. Jones. Some of you may remember him as the writer on many Marvel and DC comics. Others may remember his public domain inspired series from Malibu, The Protectors.

 What prompted this interview is that I discovered RA has written a prose superhero novel called The Steel Ring which features many of the Centaur Universe superheroes. (The Clock, Amazing Man, The Ferret, The Eye, The Blue Lady, ect…)

 Being a fan of public domain heroes, I eagerly devoured the book. Afterwards, I found myself curious about a couple of things, so I reached out to RA for an interview. He graciously accepted my offer and here’s what he said:

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Jim: The Steel Ring is set during World War II which sets it apart from many modern superhero prose novels in a nice way. How did you happen to take that approach?

RA: Credit for the story in The Steel Ring being set in the time of World War II in large part should go to editor Jeff Deischer of Westerntainment, the company that published the novel. Jeff had been a fan of the work I did using the old Centaur characters in the Protectors comic book series I wrote back in the 1990s.  He contacted me a couple years ago and asked if I would consider re-visiting the Centaur heroes used in that series, only this time in the form of a prose novel.  His only other request was that I consider setting any such story during the time period when the Centaur comics had originally been released: the late 1930s, early 1940s.

The more I thought of it, the more excited and interested I became at the prospect and challenge such a book would present, and accepted Jeff’s generous offer to work with him. Deciding early on to tie the plot of the story into actual events of the time, it became evident that the biggest event of 1939 was clearly the start of WW II, when Germany invaded Poland.
From there, I was off to the races!

Jim: Of the characters involved in the story: Amazing Man, The Witch, Man of War, The Fantom of the Fair, The Clock, The Ferret, Iron Skull and The Eye, who did you enjoy writing about the most?

Amazing Man, Man of War, The Clock

RA: All of the Centaur characters hold their own appeal to me, but naturally I do have my favorites.  Ferret was probably the most fun for me to write in the comics, and he’s just as enjoyable in the novels. Fantom (that character’s original name: we called him “Gravestone” in Protectors) has also proven to be an intriguing character for me; as has the Witch. And I’m actually enjoying using Amazing Man even more than I did in the Protectors.

Jim: I also remember you wrote about many of the same characters in Malibu's Protectors from the 90's. What is it about the Centaur heroes that you find so attractive?

RA: As you mention, I used all these same characters when I was writing the Protectors comic book series back in the 1990s. But The Steel Ring is not just a rehash or continuation of those stories, and not just because it is set in a different time period. Westerntainment has graciously allowed me to essentially make this a total reboot of the Centaur heroes and their universe.

As I described it to Jeff: You can essentially consider the original Golden Age comics and stories to represent Centaur’s “Earth-1.” The version I wrote in the ‘90s could be thought of as Centaur’s “Earth-2.” And the stories I plan to tell now, in an entire series of novels, can be thought of as Centaur’s “Earth-3.”  It is similar in many ways to the first two versions, but significantly different in other ways.

As was common in the Golden Age, some of the Centaur heroes never had what we would consider to be real “origin stories.”  I’m giving them one now (or expanding and embellishing those origin stories that did originally appear in the comics).  With the help of my old friend Tom Derenick (the first artist on the Protectors comic book series), I have even redesigned the visual look of the heroes.

My hope is to stay true to the spirit of the originals and never disrespect them or their original creators – but otherwise to produce a new Centaur universe that could be said to be more truly and fully “mine.”

It may surprise you to learn that, until I began my preliminary work on the Protectors – I had never even heard of Centaur or its heroes! The editors at Malibu Comics had somehow gotten word of this stable of old heroes and the fact that they had been allowed to lapse out of copyright and into public domain, and decided they would serve as an excellent vehicle to launch Malibu’s first full-color superhero title.

I was flattered and grateful that they believed I was the freelancer on their roster who would be best suited to write such a series. Initially, all my knowledge of the Centaur heroes came from a sort of essay comics historian Ron Goulart had written. Additional assistance came from my old pal, writer Michael Vance.  He had donated a collection of Golden Age comics on microfiche to one of our local universities; among them were reproductions of a few Centaur comics.

It was actually in one of these that I discovered the Ferret character (he had not been mentioned in Goulart’s overview).  Anyone who has ever read one of the original Ferret stories will realize just how much I changed him for the new version.  In fact, Malibu initially thought I had created Ferret just for our series (as I did for most of the female characters who appeared in that book). And I also actually know more about Centaur’s Golden Age characters now (Thanks, Internet) than I did when I was writing the Protectors!

Part of what makes them attractive to me is the raw energy they possessed, shared in common with many of the Golden Age comic book heroes who took their cue from the pulp characters of the time but then moved off in directions unique to them.

I hope to capture that same “primitive” appeal, while presenting it in a form and style that will be attractive to a 21st century audience.


Jim: Do you plan on writing a sequel to The Steel Ring? If so, might we see some other characters from the Centaur universe?

RA: I have indeed written a sequel.  It is entitled The Twilight War.  It is now in the final editing stages.  Tom Derenick has kindly agreed to again supply us with cover art (as he did for Steel Ring), so we hope to have the book ready for release by early Fall of this year.

In Twilight War, we have moved forward in time to 1940; a great deal of the action revolves around the pivotal Battle of Dunkirk. Several heroes I used in the Protectors, but who did not play a role in the previous novel, now make their first appearance in this “new” universe I’m creating: Airman, the Arrow and Prince Zardi, the Eternal Man. This book also introduces my version of a Centaur hero who never appeared in the Protectors series: Phantom Princess.

 Also for the first time in this book, I make use of a couple of Centaur super-villains. I’ve had so much fun working on these two books that, Westerntainment willing and I live so long, I hope to write several more sequels that will not only carry our heroes through the entire length of World War II but also continue to (re)introduce additional Centaur heroes and villains along the way!


Jim: Are there any other projects you have in the works you can tell us about?

RA: For the last several years, most of my writing has been done in the form of prose novels.
As mentioned above, I’ve just wrapped up Twilight War, the sequel to The Steel Ring.
Like most of my novels, those who are interested can find them for sale on Amazon and, in some cases, Kindle.

Among the novels I’ve done are three that I co-wrote with Michael Vance (with whom I also collaborated on the 1980s comic book series Straw Men): The Equation, a modern day suspense thriller; Global Star, a sort of sci-fi parody of tabloid journalism; and Motor City Manhunt, a 1930s crime drama due out later this year from Airship 27.

Also for Airship 27, I wrote the solo novels Deathwalker, which is a bit in the vein of Robert E. Howard’s sword-and-sorcery writings – but featuring a hero who is a Cheyenne Indian in the days before Europeans came to America; and Gun Glory, the story of a bounty hunter in the Old West.

I am currently well into writing Comanche Blood, a sequel to the above-mentioned Gun Glory.
Nor have I given up on attempting to contribute to the comic book field.  Tom Derenick (who not only drew Protectors but also the Wolverine & Capt. America mini-series I wrote for Marvel) and I are currently shopping around a proposal for a new, original comics series.

Jim: As a writer with experience working at Marvel, DC and many independent publishers, who did you enjoy working with the most?

RA: As you say, I’ve been fortunate enough to do at least a little work for several of the major comics publishers of my day: Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image and Malibu. As with all companies, in all fields of endeavor, there is an upside and a downside to working for just about anybody.  In general, though, my experiences have been pretty good. But without a doubt I enjoyed my best (and longest) association with Malibu Comics.

It was very fulfilling creatively, because they allowed me to tackle such a diverse spectrum of genres: superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy, adult-oriented, manga-inspired, Westerns, pulp adventure.  I loved being able to jump back and forth from one type of storytelling to another. And I also enjoyed a great personal relationship with them.  Besides showing appreciation for my work, they made me feel like I was part of the “family.”  All of them – from publisher Scott Rosenberg to Dave Olbrich, Tom Mason, Chris Ulm, Dan Danko, Mickie Villa, Roland Mann and others – treated me not just as an employee but as a friend. And the feeling was definitely reciprocated. And still is: to this day I try to maintain contact with some of the old gang – both staffers and freelancers with whom I worked!
I still consider them all to be friends.


Jim: Do you have any thoughts about the current comics scene?

RA: Whether they like me as a person or as a writer, I don’t think anyone who knows me at all would deny that I possess a true love for the comic book art form. I have been deeply involved in comic books – first as a fan, then as a commentator, editor, writer and retailer – for 50 years!

I still love the medium and try to keep up with what’s going on in the field: including visiting one of the local comics shops virtually every week and reading several different titles each month.
While I’m delighted to see so many comics-inspired movies appearing and doing so well at the box-office (I know I never miss one!), I really wish the actual books themselves could regain the strong sales they once enjoyed.

One of the things I check out each month in the Diamond Distributors ordering catalog is their listing of the Top 100 selling titles. If the market was truly strong, the Top 10 would be composed of whatever the current issues were of the various regular monthly titles (Batman, X-Men, etc).
All too often in recent years, though, that Top 10 is actually heavily dominated by the current “Big Event” book and its spin-offs.

Remember the Fear Itself event?

I’m not wise enough to know how it could be accomplished, but I wish that consistent and strong sales could be achieved without the need for such nearly continuous “blockbusters” – for fear that if the buying public ever tires of them, they’ll stop buying comics all together.

That’ll never happen to me, though – I’ll remain a supportive fan of comics till the end!


In closing, let me just say thanks, Jim – for showing an interest in my work and me.
I hope some of your followers will check out some of that work and that they enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.


Jim: Thank you RA for that fantastic interview!

Is Dracula In Public Domain?

One of my most popular posts on this site is Is Frankenstein in Public Domain a question which sounds pretty easy to answer but actually has a few gotchas.

Thinking about the post had me wondering were there similar gotchas for Dracula? If not, then why haven't there been more comic books featuring the Prince of the Dark? The answers may surprise you! (I've always wanted to say that...)

The simple answer is yes. The original novel was published in 1897. Stoker did not register for a copyright on Dracula in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the work was protected for fifty years beyond Stoker's death in 1912 as dictated by law at the time — meaning that the book fully entered the public domain in 1962. Also included in public domain would be any of the supporting characters such as Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker, Lucy Westerna and Abraham Van Helsing.

But wait, didn't Universal try to trademark Van Helsing in hopes of creating a movie franchise?

 Well, yes they did. Back in 2003: http://www.trademarkia.com/van-helsing-76493920.html

However, Universal having acquired this (dubious) trademark simply means you might not want to use Van Helsing in the title of any media venture you may be thinking of pursuing. And while Universal makes rumblings every five years or so of trying to reinvent their classic Universal Monsters movies into a new 21st century shared universe franchise, I think the dismal returns on Dracula Untold may have stalled any momentum that idea had.

Dracula Unsold: Budget: 70 million  - Box Office: 50 million

Still, even though modern movies with Dracula don't tend to do very well, vampires in general still seem to be popular (judging by the number of vampire themed television shows), so why aren't there more comics with Dracula? After all, the bronze age Tomb of Dracula ran for 70 issues and is widely regarded as a classic which has resulted in two omnibus reprints:

And many other comic companies have used the character over the years. Here is some examples from Dark Horse, Boom Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Image and Caliber.

So why has neither Marvel or DC tried to feature a comic with the character? He's appeared in comics as a protagonist from both companies:

But I'm not aware of any other more recent appearances at Marvel or DC with the character. This strikes me as unfortunate as when the character is used well, it can lead to a great story. One of my favorite Dr. Strange arcs was the The Montesi Formula [ Doctor Strange 60 - 62.] SuperMegaMonkey has a great summation of the run which featured the Sorceror Supreme taking on Dracula head on with the help of the Scarlet Witch and Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel.

We also learn the origin of Vampirism in the Marvel universe.

After that story, Dracula and vampires pretty much disappeared out of the Marvel universe. In Amazing Heroes 182, Ralph Macchio commented on the dumping of vampires and the disposing of a lot of other characters: 

"We went through a period here where we taking away our fantasy concepts and trying to make our Marvel Universe too realistic. Now, we're going through a period where we're trying to bring those kinds of things back." ~SuperMegaMonkey

That comment suggests that there was a deliberate move away from more fanciful concepts at Marvel, most likely brought on by the more realistic, grim and gritty writing style that was gaining popularity in comics at the time. It seems odd to think that in universes with magic hammers, power rings, divinely embued Amazonian princesses and helmets of Fate that _Vampires_ would get tossed out as being too fantastic.

What do you think? Does Dracula come with too much fanciful baggage to make the character interesting to today's readers?

- Jim