Besides writing for hit series such as Crazy Like a Fox and Jake and the Fatman, Paul Coyle was a writer for Xena: The Warrior Princess; a writer/producer for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys; and a writer for three Star Trek shows - The Animated Series; Voyager; and Deep Space Nine. Paul also wrote for other genre series, such as Superboy, The Dead Zone, and Space Precinct. Now, in his engrossing book revealing the ups and downs of a life writing and producing for TV, Paul takes the reader behind the scenes of these popular series. Paul shares inside information and candid recollections, bringing the reader deep into the worlds of Xena, Hercules, Trek, and others, to discover the secrets behind creating the characters and stories of iconic series dealing with Swords, Starships and Superheroes.

"In late 1992, on small budgets and under tight schedules, the cast and crew of X-Men: The Animated Series crafted a television show that, despite an industry full of naysayers, immediately shot to #1. This "kids' show" often landed more than half the TV viewers across America, and a twenty-year gold rush of Marvel motion pictures and TV series followed. Previously on X-Men is Eric Lewald's personal, inside account of how the series got on the air, the many challenges that were overcome, and how the show prevailed. The head writer interviewed 36 of the artists, writers, voice cast, and executives who helped make this game-changing series a worldwide success. This book is an authoritative look into the creation of the animated series that nobody expected to succeed. Lewald offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Saturday-morning cartoon series that changed Hollywood"--Back cover.

“Can you actually find spiritual truths in comicbooks and superhero movies?” Yes, you can! For more than 75 years of comic book history and dozens of gigantic cinematic releases, Superheros have captivated our imagination--filling our senses with heart-pounding adventures, riveting plots, and spectacular special effects—and sometimes they have profound messages woven into them. Often the underlying themes reveal a Judeo-Christian influence, and even when it isn’t intentional, you can still draw deep lessons from them. Whether it’s the self-sacrifice and humility of Captain America and the Hulk’s struggles with anger or the parallels between Superman and Jesus or between Black Widow and a ruthless Bible heroine, your favorite heroes and heroines (and even villains) have much to teach. If you’re a fan of this good vs. evil world, you will love The Superheroes Devotional—featuring 60 interesting, challenging, and encouraging readings. With devotions drawn from dozens of favorite superheroes from both the Marvel and DC Comics universes—well-known names like Captain America and Batman and lesser-known heroes like Shazam and Gambit—each reading includes spiritual lessons relating superheroes to the heroes of the Bible in themes like faith, hope, courage, pride, and power. You’ll also enjoy reading about the history and background of each superhero, shared by author and lifelong fan Ed Strauss. Read on, True Believer, and may you draw inspiration and encouragement from the characters and stories that you know and love from comicbook pages and big screen movies alike.

The writers of Captain America were originally criticized for being too harsh on Nazis. Batgirl was created to make Batman "less gay." Of the top ten greatest Marvel comics, five of them are X-Men stories. Shazam was originally more popular than Superman. Black Panther loves Game of Thrones. Wolverine was a Canadian secret agent. His first mission was to kill the Hulk. Keanu Reeves nearly played Plastic Man. The Punisher defeated the Hulk in three seconds. Aquaman's series was the first DC comic to be cancelled. Deadpool believes he is "the Canadian James Bond." Wonder Woman was nearly called Superma. Ant-Man merged with Ultron. Green Arrow has a tuning fork arrow. Hulk originally turned grey, not green. Green Lantern's original weakness was wood. Spider-Man's origin story is based on the Greek myth of Arachne. Superman was originally a bald, telekinetic villain.

A bone-chilling read about creating monsters, sisterhood turned toxic, and secrets that won't stay buried, perfect for fans of The Night She Disappeared, Wilder Girls, and The Blair Witch Project. Sixteen-year-old Skye is done playing the knight in shining armor for her insufferable younger sister, Deirdre. And moving across the country seems like the perfect chance to start over as someone different. In their isolated new neighborhood, Skye manages to fit in, but Deirdre withdraws from everyone, becoming fixated on the swampy woods behind their house and building monstrous sculptures out of sticks and bones. Then Deirdre disappears. And when something awful comes scratching at Skye's window in the middle of the night, claiming Skye's the only one who can save Deirdre, Skye knows she will stop at nothing to bring her sister home. A great buy for readers who want: young adult horror books the teen girl book best sellers of 2018 creepy stories Praise for Here There Are Monsters: "Thick with atmosphere and tension, Here There Are Monsters does what fairy tales do: it edifies as it terrifies."—Foreword *STARRED REVIEW* "Seamlessly executed... an intricate, subtle, and deeply unsettling read."—Kirkus "Dark and eerie with just the right amount of creepiness...perfect for any fan of young adult horror."—School Library Journal "Everything and everyone reeks of malice while nothing and no one can be trusted—perfect conditions for a compelling YA horror."—Shelf Awareness "The horror of this creepy tale rests upon an increasing sense of inevitability and powerlessness against the spirit entities that inhabit the woods."—BCCB Also by Amelinda Bérubé: The Dark Beneath the Ice

The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 1 documents the early career of Irwin Allen. It is a true rags-to-riches story, as Allen ventures from a humble beginning in the Bronx to his later incarnations in Hollywood as an entertainment journalist, radio and television host, a literary agent - all before becoming a successful motion picture producer and director. After winning an Academy Award in 1954, Allen entered the fantasy genre with films such as The Lost World and Voyages to the Bottom of the Sea. He then rolled the dice again with a move into television, creating and producing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and, one year later, Lost in Space.Lost in Space was the first primetime weekly series to take viewers into outer space's strange new alien worlds - something the networks believed impossible on a TV budget and schedule. In this book you'll be whisked back in time to the production offices, writers' conferences, and soundstages for the making of this iconic series. Included are hundreds of memos between Allen and his staff; production schedules; budgets; fan letters; more than 200 rare behind-the-scene images; and the TV ratings for every episode.

Superhero comic books are traditionally thought to have two distinct periods, two major waves of creativity: the Golden Age and the Silver Age. In simple terms, the Golden Age was the birth of the superhero proper out of the pulp novel characters of the early 1930s, and was primarily associated with the DC Comics Group. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman are the most famous creations of this period. In the early 1960s, Marvel Comics launched a completely new line of heroes, the primary figures of the Silver Age: the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, and Daredevil. In this book, Geoff Klock presents a study of the Third Movement of superhero comic books. He avoids, at all costs, the temptation to refer to this movement as "Postmodern," "Deconstructionist," or something equally tedious. Analyzing the works of Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, and Grant Morrison among others, and taking his cue from Harold Bloom, Klock unearths the birth of self-consciousness in the superhero narrative and guides us through an intricate world of traditions, influences, nostalgia and innovations - a world where comic books do indeed become literature.