Halloween is coming...

... and Paulette Goddard is ready. Are you?

I think her objections were reasonable...

This week, NUELOW Games will release the first issue of our new anthology series Werewolf Hunter. Here's an excerpt from one of the stories featuring the headliner Professor Broussard and his faithful companions in monster hunting Lilly and Dan. (The art is by Saul Rosen. Click on the images for larger, more easily readable versions.)

I think if I had been Lilly, I would have objected to the "new technique" as well. But, hey, at least Professor Broussard and Danny were nearby and ready to jump out with nets and cattle-prods... not hiding in the bushes  100 yards away.

You can read more of this excursion into inventive monster hunting in The Werewolf Hunter #1, coming later this week. In addition to two adventures featuring Broussard, the issue brings you the return of Lady Satan, a werewolf story illustrated by the great Lee Elias, and short stories by Robert E. Howard and yours truly, Steve Miller. 

To get warmed up, why don't you check out Lady Satan by George Tuska, also from NUELOW?

Professor Broussard's interesting methods will also be featured in the next issue of Science Sleuths

Halloween is coming...

... and Veronica Lake is MORE than ready. How about you?

Louise Brooks Quarterly

Louise Brooks returns from beyond the veil as Halloween draws near...

Halloween is coming...

and Vera Ellen is cleaning out last year's cobwebs and ghost dust so she'll be ready. What steps are you taking?

The June Collyer Quarterly

In the early part of the 20th century, it was common for movie studios to do holiday-themed promotional pictures featuring their starlets. In 1930, June posed for Paramount staff photographer Eugene Robert Richee in celebration of Halloween.

Why white cats? Maybe they were trying to marry Halloween witches with a Maneki-neko good luck and wealth them?

Rocketpacks never go out of style!

At least that's what L.L. Hundal and I hope, as we're replacing the scientific fisticuffs of girlfriends Jill Trent and Daisy Smythe (of "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth") with the high-flying adventure of inventors Cal Martin and Doris Dalton (of "Rocketman") in our ongoing Science Sleuths comic book/rpg series.

Cal Martin and Doris Dalton: Partners in business, love, and crime-fighting

The change is happening in part because the B-feature, "Spider Queen", is coming to close with the just-released issue #3. The intent all along was to replace it with "Rocketman," but as we started work on Science Sleuths #3 and beyond, we decided to change our plans slightly. The initial plan was to burn through our inventory of Jill Trent stories as quickly as possible, but that meant we'd be out of them as of Science Sleuths #4. We've been successful enough with the series so far that we think it might have some legs, so instead Jill will become the B-feature while Cal and Doris step into the front slot.

Here's the first page of the first "Rocketman" story to give you a little taste of what's being offered. The full tale can be read in Science Sleuths #3. (Click on it for a larger, more readable version.)

While the artwork on the "Rocketman" series is more pleasing to the eyes of modern readers than some on "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth," the writing is generally pretty weak. Current plans call for yours truly to write partially new scripts for at least one "Rocketman" story per issue. For Science Sleuths #3, there's only one bit of dialogue that I rewrote, and I think it made the story 100 times better. If you get the book, I'm sure you'll be able to spot it due to the inconsistent lettering. :)

We hope you'll give Science Sleuth #3 a try, giving Spider Queen a nice send-off while giving Cal and Doris a warm welcome. If you do check it you, be sure to tell us what you think. If you have a favorite Golden Age comic book scientist or inventor who you think needs to be returned to the spotlight, let us know about that, too. We might be able to fit stories featuring your favorite characters into future issues.

Meanwhile, please enjoy these illos of women with rocketpacks, which will be included in a sci-fi themed forthcoming NUELOW Games stock art collection.

Can Rocketgirl save the birds from the bird?!

Rocketpack vs. Two-headed Monster!

A quarter of a century ago...

... this is what Milla Jovovich looked like. (The first picture first saw print in September of 1988, 25 years ago.)

And here's what she looks like today...

Paulette Goddard is Jill Trent?

As some of you know (or will momentarily learn), I am the publisher and co-editor the Science Sleuth series from NUELOW Games. In the course of preparing the Jill Trent, Science Sleuth stories for publication, I came across something interesting.

Here's a drawing of Jill Trent, cropped from a panel in "Bubble Trouble," a story that originally appeared in Wonder Comics #12 (cover date June 1947) and reprinted in ROLF! Christmas Special III in July of 2013:

Jill Trent
(from ROLF! Christmas Special III)

I think it's safe to say that Al Camy, the primary artist on Jill Trent, Science Sleuth based Jill on actress Paulette Goddard. Why do I say that? If you don't see Paulette Goddard in that drawing, how about after looking at this 1942 photo (from a series of bathing suit shots she posed for):

Paulette Goddard in 1942

Coming August 1946 from Century Pictures: SCIENCE SLEUTHS! Starring Paulette Goddard as Jill Trent, Bob Hope as Eddie O'Malley, Lionel Atwill as Dr. Knight, Turhan Bey as Lefty Rubio, and Linda Turner as Daisy Smythe. Produced by Joseph Steiner, Directed by George Marshall.

Line, Please! (Contest Time!)

In July, NUELOW Games released its best-selling comics title so far--Science Sleuths #1.

On August 22, the second issue of Science Sleuths will be released through DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG. It contains three more tales featuring the hard-hitting inventor/crime-buster Jill Trent and another adventure starring the original web-slinger, Spider Queen.

NUELOW Games is offering Shades of Gray readers  an opportunity to win not only a free copy of  Science Sleuths #2, but free copies of every issue of Science Sleuths published for the rest of 2013.

To enter the contest, you need to write the best line for the this panel, taken from one of the Jill Trent, Science Sleuth stories:

By Al Camy

Submit your line through a comment below this post, through Twitter  or to nuelow@clearwire.net. The funniest or most interesting line will win the free four-month subscription to Science Sleuths while two runner-ups will win free copies of Science Sleuths #2.

Rules & Such
Contest entries must be submitted by Midnight on August 22, 2013. Winners will be selected by Steve Miller, and all decisions are final. Entrants grant permission for their submissions to appear on blogs operated by Steve Miller, as well as NUELOW Games's Facebook page. Entrants must provide a working email address in order to be notified, and winners will also need to have an account or to establish one with DriveThruComics, RPGNow, or DriveThruRPG in order to receive their winnings. DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG not involved with this contest in any way, nor is the mention of them to be construed as an endorsement. The awards have no cash value.