Scott and Benita Story's JOHNN SATURN is a terrific grim and gritty superhero tale in the tradition of WATCHMEN and DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.

Johnny Saturn is an aged, burned-out street level crimefighter. He's scarred up and constantly on painkillers. But he never says die - even when he does die. That's the premise of Scott and Benita Story's hard-hitting daily superhero series, JOHNNY SATURN. There are many superheroes in Spire City, the world Johnny lives in, and he doesn't get along with many of them, especially the ones that get in his way. The Squadrom Premiere is the large superhero group that polices Spire City, but Johnny has never felt like he belonged with them. Opposing Johnny for most of his life is Dr. Horatio Synn, a sadistic doctor with interest in the occult. Johnny is ably drawn by Scott Story, who is equally good at the quiet, street-level scenes and high-flying, sometimes very bloody action. The series is co-written and lettered by Scott's wife, Benita Story. The lettering is a perfect fit for the no-holds-barred scripting. Check out Johnny Saturn if you want a darker, fascinating take on superheroes. I recommend it highly. ... read it now!

Craig A. Taillefer's Gold Fever, a short story from his "Unknown Vistas" collection, is a gem of pulp illustration and plotting. "Gold Fever" is a modern science fiction story told in the style of the pulps of the 30s and 40s, with an EC twist

Craig A. Taillefer's Gold Fever, a short story from his "Unknown Vistas" collection, is a gem of classic pulp illustration and plotting.

"Gold Fever" is a modern science fiction story told in the style of the pulp heroics of the 30s and 40s, but with an EC-horror-style twist ending. 

In the story, an fortune-seeking astronaut lands on an uncharted planet where he's met by a seemingly primitive tribe whose village abounds with gold. Eager to discover - and plunder - the source of the gold, he tricks the tribespeople and follows them to a cave full of gold - and monsters!

Though he escapes with his treasure, he escapes with something else, something deadly, too.

Taillefer employs a beautifully rendered classic pulp illustration style here. I don't know my illustration history well enough to cal out the homages, but his page composition and sheer rendering skill are impressive and attractive. 

And, to boot, the story uses one of my favorite EC Comics sound effects: "choke."

Anyone who enjoys a good pulp or SF yarn ought to check out Gold Fever. 

... read it now!

Red Kelso is a full bodied red with an adventuresome aftertaste. Pulpy, with a hint of cheekiness, this Australian made webcomic is very satisfying.

Red Kelso is a rip-roaring, old fashioned adventure serial that reminds me of King Kong (the original) mixed with a dash of Indiana Jones and a sprinkling of Tintin. Gary Chaloner's crisp artwork is only matched by crisper dialogue with a real "pulp" feel to it. And like some other modern pulp tales, it doesn't feel forced. Gary has used a very subdued colour palette for the strip, but the use of vibrant red against the "sepia" tone really makes each page stand out. My favourite scene to date would have to be the salty "Cock Eye Bob" getting kicked in the face sending his false eye sailing across the dock with a simple "pop". I'm looking forward to see how the story will lead us from New York to the jungle standoff that we witness in the prologue. ... read it now!