Everyone's Articles - Dieselpunks

Lord K's Garage #185: Hats Off to Bucciali!

2013-05-24T10:30:00.000Z

An undisputed Diesel Era icon, the Bucciali TAV8/32 Flèche d'Or (Golden Arrow) deserves a special place in our Garage.

Unlike most upcoming manufacturers, Alberto Bucciali nearly lost his life fighting as a pilot in the WW1 before manufacturing his own cars*. And of the few he made with his brother Paul-Albert, this TAV8 was their best. Flanked on its side was the same stork that adorned the fuselage of his SPAD XIII fighter plane during dangerously low photo reconnaissance missions amongst anti-air assaults and braces of German Fokkers.

1924 Bucciali B6 by dmentd, on Flickr

Lucky to make it out alive, even after sustaining a gun wound to the neck, Bucciali's need to fly aircraft was eventually satisfied enough to concentrate on motor car design. His first cars were unconventional, using small two-stroke engines, and in 1926 the Bucciali brothers decided to design and implement a front-wheel-drive system known as the Traction Avant (TAV).

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

Using an oversize ball joint design, the front suspension was independent and one of the more complicated systems of its time. To highlight their innovation, several show cars were constructed and displayed around the world with hope of selling the Traction Avant patent rights to larger manufacturers.

1930 Bucciali Double Huit (U-16) Auto Show Chasis (revolutionary 16-cylinder engine never produced) by Jack Snell, on Flickr

Unfortunately, despite campaigning TAV3 around America, very few orders came in and the first was made at the 1930 Paris Motor Show.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

Georges Roure was so taken with the front-engine Bucciali and a mockup sixteen cylinder engine at the show, that he ordered the top model with a Guillet cabriolet body. When the engine couldn't be delivered, a Voisin sleeve valve engine was substituted and it was first shown at the Nice Concours d'Elegance. During the trip, Roure was critical of many details and offered to pay more money to have his car rebodied. Impressed by a Saoutchik convertible that was fitted to a show chassis, Roure eventually ordered a strikingly low, four door saloon body by Saoutchik.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

After receiving its Saoutchik body, the Bucciali brothers must have been particularly pleased. During a period of financial troubles they could view the ultimate expression of their efforts. Saoutchik's design was exceptional as a whole and in detail with its, armchair radiator, Grebel headlights, enormous length, curvaceous fenders and low ride height. At the front was the Bucciali script pierced by a golden arrow to reflect Saoutchik's name. Before being delivered, it was driven over 1000 kms by engineer Paul-Albert.

Photos by Wouter Melissen / Rob Clements, Ultimatecarpage

Upset with the cumbersome maintenance of the sleeve valve engine and front wheel drive system, the next owner, Count de Rivaud, removed the body and fitted it on his Bugatti Type 46. With a transmission and drive train in the way, the Saoutchik body sat much higher and new fenders had to be crafted. This did little for the original elegance of the car, and fortunately, with much persistence, the TAV8 was pieced back together.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

In the 1970s, the original Saoutchik body greenhouse was taken off the Bugatti and used as a basis to recreate the Bucciali. The car's original engine and drive train was found, but a new chassis, fenders and many other pieces had to be manufactured.

Photos by Wouter Melissen / Rob Clements, Ultimatecarpage

Not until 1991 did TAV8 make its grand return by being offered for public sale at Christies Pebble Beach Auction. At the time, it failed to sell, until being offered again by Chrisites at Retromobile and subsequently ending up in America. It took several more years until the car made its official Concours debut at the Pebble Beach in 2006.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

Unfortunately, while the Bucciali brothers were daring innovators, had they not taken the decision to develop a complicated front wheel drive system they probably would have produced a far greater number of cars. The example seen here is among only six road-cars that did little to recoup the initial financial investment.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

---------------

* Story by Richard Owen, Supercars

Headline photo by sjb4photos, on Flickr

Diesel Movie Review: Richard III (1995)

2013-05-23T14:34:23.000Z

Now is the Winter of our Discontent...

You may have heard this story once or twice before. The hunchbacked usurper who steals the kingdom, murders the competition, and is only toppled from his tyrany by the True King. You may not, however, have seen it quite like this. [Image from wikimedia, (C) United Artists, used here under Fair Use]

Richard III, one of Shakespeare's best known and most quotable plays, has seen plenty of cinematic portrayals, but from the second the tank bursts through the living room wall in the opening scene you know this isn't your typical Royal Shakespeare Company performance. With the recent recovery of King Richard's body, it certainly seems the time to dust off this cinematic gem.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, it is Shakespeare's version of the historical final chapter of the War of the Roses in Late Medieval England. Hunchbacked Richard III claims the throne through guile and assassination only to (**really really really late-comer spoiler alert**) finally be taken down by Richard Tudor. It's a story every English schoolkid is required to know and most of the rest of the Anglophone world likely knows by osmosis. For this reason I won't go long into the plot or details thereof, for it is the execution of this old bit of Drama/Political Propoganda that is the story of this review.

And what an execution!

With the setting moved to Diesel-era England, the story of the Fall of the Plantagenet and Rise of the Tudor takes on a decidedly more modern interpretation, redefining the historical characters into socio-political and military positions that are more likely to resonate with modern audiences, despite being set in Grandpa's day. Ian McKellen takes Richard III to a (no-kidding) Hitler-like level, limping menacingly through the art deco inspired sets in WW2-inspired uniforms, chewing the scenery to a delitefully wicked level as he plots and then executes his master plan to usurp the throne of England. His machinations and power and influence are visually expressed through clothing as his Royal Army inspired khakis transition into a gestapo-like black and the Union Jack is slowly pushed aside by a Naziesque red personal banner derived from Richard's historical coat of arms.

And while the titular Richard commands every scene, the supporting cast fills every role to a perfect degree. Annette Benning's conflicted performance as Queen Elizabeth, John Wood's sickly Edward IV, the incomparable Dame Maggie Smith as the Cassandra-like Dutchess of York, and the inevitably scene-stealing performance of Robert Downey jr as Lord Rivers all perfectly achieve the spirit of their roles and reinvent them in a Diesel-era setting. All combined the versimilitude holds true and the Tudor-era dialog manages to flow seemlessly with the Diesel-era setting...no mean feat! This Postmodern combination of Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern parts works flawlessly, and the sheer acting power of the performers, their expressions and body dynamics, and the scene direction and visual cues, all tell the story even when the Shakespearian English gets a little too muddled and idiomatic for today's viewer.

And then there's the set design, costumes, and scenery. This stuff is a Diesel gold mine between the decadent art deco inspired costumes and set pieces, the WW2-inspired uniforms and militaria, the inspired location shots (good old Battersea Power Station!) and reimagined locations (the Tower of London redefined as a Speer-like brutalist art deco monolith), and the well-integrated effects shots (while outdated and low budget, their minimalistic and integrated use reduces the negative impact of any effects limitations such that it doesn't break the suspension of disbelief) all combine to immerse the viewer into the alt-period. As an example of this flawless integration of disparate elements, when the classic "My Kingdom for a Horse" line is uttered, you're not the least bit put off that his "horse" is a Jeep or his "sword" a machine gun. Simply put, this is a movie that feels like a Dieselpunk piece despite the 400-year-old dialog and politics and manages to transcend both period-piece feel and its classic Shakespearian roots to become something even greater than the sum of its parts.

And then, for all the explosions and scene-chewing and Nazi imagery, there's an understated subtlety to the work. It mananges to take this 400-year-old Tudor propoganda piece and show the villainy not just of baby-killing Richard but highlights the machinations and corruptions of power itself. The designated hero of Shakespeare's story is given very subtle hints of tyrany to come. Take the final scene (Late-comer Spoiler alert!) where Henry, flush from victory, gives the camera a final look that echoes the very look Richard gave at the start when he first appeared, flush with his own victory (cue strains of "here's the new boss, same as the old boss"). This brief scene alone makes this story subtly "punk" in a way I feel Shakespeare, himself rather subtly anti-authoritarian in his work (which is quite the accomplishment given the high cost of Treason in his day), would have loved.

This stuff really is Shakespeare - Dieselpunk Style.

Ratings (1 - 4 stars)

Diesel*: 4 - Captures the look, sound, feel, and times of the Diesel Era with great costumes, vintage technology, and great location shooting and set building. Manages to flawlessly achieve a Diesel feel even while retelling a Shakespearian story and make the story relevent to today.
Punk**: 4 - Yes, Shakespeare can be punk! Even Shakespeare that was obviously Tudor propoganda from the start. It arguably always was punk (Shakespeare had some amazingly subtle digs at authority in his work!). In this case it shows us the dark machinations of power, even to the final scene.
Acting: 4 - Flawless. All actors a perfect fit for the roles. Ian McKellen in particular manages to flip between amicable, affiable "team player" facade and chew the scenery over-the-top villainous portrayal in every scene in a manner so brazenly over the top that the film would be lesser without it. This is ficticious villany at its finest, lending a subtle, self-concious self-aware irony to the story.
Production: 4 - Brilliant. Richard Loncraine and his editors have pieced together from disparate parts and different eras and different values a cohesive updated retelling which is at one eternal and relevent.
Overall: 4 - My first all-fours rating for a reason! I've always been sceptical of attempts to "modernize" or "update" Shakespeare or other classic stories, but this one pulls it off brilliantly.

* "Diesel" measures the movie's capture and use of the Diesel era aesthetic and/or ethos, including set design, costumes, culture, music, technology, and direction.

** "Punk" measures how well the movie uses or explores punk themes or values.

Two-Fisted Tuesday - Johnny Dollar's Out of the Fire Into The Frying Pan, and Alias Boston Blackie

2013-05-21T13:00:00.000Z

Welcome to Two-Fisted Tuesdays, where we throw on our trench coats, don our fedoras, and walk down the mean streets of classic crime fiction.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a crime drama that ran for over 12 years during the golden age of radio. The main character, Johnny Dollar, was a smart, tough, wisecracking insurance detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. While always a friend of the police, Johnny wasn't necessarily a stickler for the strictest interpretation of the law. He was willing to let some things slide to satisfy his own sense of justice, as long as his employers were also protected.

Download this week's episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar:

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in Out of the Fire Into The Frying Pan.mp3

Special thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries for tipping us to Johnny Dollar's radio adventures.

Boston Blackie, enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend, was created by pulp author Jack Boyle. He appeared in Boyle's 1920 novel Boston Blackie, which was a compilation of his short stories "Boston Blackie's Mary" and "Fred the Count," published in Red Book Magazine in Nov. 1917 and Jan. 1918, respectively. Originally conceived as a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, Blackie became a “reformed” criminal and private detective in later adaptions. Blackie made the jump to silent films treatments in the late teens and early twenties, eventually scoring big time in 1941 thanks to Columbia's Boston Blackie series.

In this week's picture, Alias Boston Blackie, Blackie tracks down a wrongly convicted prisoner who escapes during a Christmas magic show. Although the charming detective is suspect number one whenever a daring crime is committed, Boston Blackie's adventures always find a way to bring the actual culprit to justice.

Watch Boston Blackie in Alias Boston Blackie (1942)

Cap'n's Cabaret #77: "Larry" Sent Me!

2013-05-18T22:30:00.000Z

*KNOCK KNOCK* "Yea?" "Umm...my friend, uh, 'Larry', says this is a good place to visit." "Larry's right. Come on in then, pal..."

[image from sonorareview.com]

Shhhh! Don't tell nobody, but the Cap'n knows the place a guy or gal can get a drink. I ain't talkin' coffee, folks, but the good stuff, the real McCoy! Volstead may be in vogue on Main Street, but here at the Cabaret we know just where to go. Follow us down the alley. That non-descript door in the back? Yea, that's the place!

Might not be the Ritz, but it's got the juice. Call it a Blind Pig, a Blind Tiger, a Watering Hole, or a Speak-Easy, the back-room bar is becoming the place to go under the tyranny of the 18th Amendment.

And strange as it might seem, this ain't your pappy's pub! Gone are the days of the old smokey room of beer-swilling blue collar men playing cards and drinking away the baby's milk money. This is a hip new joint where - squares beware! - Anything Goes, as the great Cole Porter likes to say. Flapper girls in short dresses smoking (yes, smoking!) and drinking, dapper Dans hoisting a cocktail of top quality gin made from the finest bathtub distillery, Hot Jazz, roulette, and raucous laughter...an event the whole family can enjoy, assuming you've got one swingin' family!

I tell ya, pal, this place is the bee's knees, the cat's meow, the be-all and end-all finer-than-frog-hair party of the new century!

The Treasury Department may not like it, but we do. And if they want to make criminals and scoff-laws out of the majority of the American people...well, that's just the way it's going to be!

So, hang out and hoist a few, pally...the Cap'n sure will! And in the words of tonight's lovely performer, the wildly talented (and talentedly wild) Bessie Smith, "Tain't Nobody Business if I Do!"

So, belly up to the bar and have a cocktail. I recommend the Dorflinger, which adds a splash of even-illegal-before-Volstead absinthe and some orange bitters to help smooth the, ahem, rough edges of our home-made gin.

Cheers!

And drink plenty of water...tomorrow morning is going to be rough!

Dorflinger Cocktail:

[image from cocktails.about.com; (C) Shannon Graham]

2 oz Gin
1 oz Absinthe
Dash of Orange Bitters (or more to taste)

Stir well over ice & strain into a cocktail glass.

Lord K's Garage #184: Swiss Wheels

2013-05-17T10:30:00.000Z

Swiss vehicles are far less famous than Swiss watches, Swiss cheese and Swiss pocket knives. Let's give some Dieselpunk love to Helvetic omnibuses!

In Switzerland, dozens of Saurer, FBW and Berna buses, as good as new, are the stars of numerous automotive events. Thanks to Elmar (orangevolvobusdriver4u, on Flickr) we can have them in our Garage this Friday. Enjoy!

FBW

Saurer

FBW

Berna

Saurer

Berna

Saurer

FBW

Saurer

Berna

Saurer

All photos by orangevolvobusdriver4u, on Flickr

Two-Fisted Tuesday - Confessions of Boston Blackie and The Robert W. Perry Case

2013-05-14T13:00:00.000Z

Welcome to Two-Fisted Tuesdays, where we throw on our trench coats, don our fedoras, and walk down the mean streets of classic crime fiction.

Download this week's episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar:

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in The Robert W. Perry Case.mp3

Special thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries for tipping us to Johnny Dollar's radio adventures.

In this week's picture, Confessions of Boston Blackie, Blackie is accused of murdering a man at an art auction, which leads to the uncovering of an art racket. Although the charming detective is suspect number one whenever a daring crime is committed, Boston Blackie's adventures always find a way to bring the actual culprit to justice.

Watch Boston Blackie in Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)

The Great Gatsby - Movie review from a dieselpunk perspective

2013-05-13T14:30:00.000Z

Hello, old sport. Have I seen The Great Gatsby? But of course! It’s simply the talk of the town, and anybody who’s anyone was there at the premiere.

Let me say that Baz Luhrmann, the director of this shindig, really knows how to throw a party. His bombastic style is the perfect technicolor stage for a story about the 1920s. I didn’t want to miss a beat, so I re-read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tale of obsession just last week. Like most people, I originally read the story in high school, but I’ve also had the pleasure of reading Trimalchio, Fitzgerald’s first-pass at the Gatsby story, sometime in 2002. If the high school book was the masterpiece, then Trimalchio is the unedited director’s cut. With my brain fully loaded with hype, I was ready to slap on a pair of 3D glasses at my local IMAX.

That’s not entirely true. As a marketing professional, I’m pretty jaded. I know that movies are movies and books are books, and I know that other celebrated directors like Francis Ford Coppola have run this gamut before and failed. That set the bar a little lower for my expectations, and I wasn’t quite sure what I was walking into.

Let me reassure you all that it didn’t disappoint. The movie ran true to the story with the exception of two minor elements that, if anything, enhanced the pacing of the film. The first act introduces us to the narrator, the main characters, and the decadence of a setting that could only be described as a rap video as shot with rich white folks in the ‘20s. The second act drives the suspense with quite a few moving moments, and the third act concludes with a gunshot. I would enjoy seeing it again, and I would recommend the 3D version. It doesn’t add too much to the storytelling, but the movie was shot in 3D (not converted after-the-fact) and there quite a few elements that benefit from the effect that wouldn’t translate well to 2D.

I might even go as far as saying I prefer the movie to the book, because the movie’s visual style clarifies some pieces that Fitzgerald glosses over due to his lack of first-hand experience (speakeasies) and the narrative limitations of the time period (love scenes).

All of the actors stayed very true to their characters, and Joel Edgerton’s portrayal of the racist, cheating asshole Tom Buchanan was so sympathetic it actually gave me a new angle to the story I hadn’t thought of before. The women were simply angelic, especially newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Although a minor character, I was completely mesmerized whenever she appeared.

The soundtrack was almost entirely new work, mixing a blend of electroswing, hip hop, and modern pop artists like Lana Del Rey, Jay Z (who also doubled as a executive producer), and Florence & The Machine. There were a few fitting period songs, but you won’t see them on the CD. While you might cringe at the line-up, the most modern tunes are only used briefly as background music with few exceptions, making the whole thing gel together quite well. You have to give it to a guy like Baz Luhrmann for pushing the dieselpunk style in his own way.

Here there be spoilers.

How different is it from the book? The movie starts and ends with a book-end narrative where Nick is writing Gatsby’s tale as therapy. Since the events of the tale, he’s fallen into depression and alcoholism, and his therapist suggests getting his thoughts out on paper. This is very minor (5-10 minutes at most), and adds a narrative cushion to the story’s framework so we’re not instantly thrown into the chaos of the Roaring Twenties. It’s not needed in a book, but it works in the movie. The other major detail is that Jay’s dad does not appear at the end of the story. This part of the epilogue was probably cut to keep the movie from dragging after the finale, but it does feel significant enough to mention. There are a few other trivial things, but they’re not missed.

4 out of 5 stars

Cap'n's Cabaret #76: No Spirits for 76

2013-05-11T22:30:00.000Z

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You Dry bastards! You dumped it out! Damn you! Damn you to hell!!

Oh, the humanity! The bastards have done it! That damned Russell and his pack of meddling preacher pals and nattering old nannies have, against the will of the majority, pressured through the 18th Amendment, making the production, consumption, and distribution of alcoholic beverages illegal in these United States.

Yes, an amendment that removes a public right rather than protects a right...think about that precident for a minute.

Now, the Temperance Movement and their firebrand Anti-Saloon League radicals can claim the high moral ground all they want, but remember that these same guys and gals put the Washingtonian movement, an honest and highly-sucessful self-help by drunkards for drunkards group, out of business for having the audacity to be more sucessfull at helping people break their drinking problems than the traditional temperance approach of judgementally berating them as "dirty sinners". Keep in mind also the company these so-called Temperance folks keep: yep, they're closely allied to our "old frineds" the Klan. Those same whiskey-swilling murderers in the white robes. No longer content to simply hang colored folks or harass catholics, the KKK was an instrumental ally in the 18th Amendment and the follow-on Volstead Act.

Hooray for American Democracy.

Now the government is going on a booze-dumping spree, disgracefully pouring gallon after gallon into the rivers (lucky fish). Not just the hard stuff neither, but beer and wine, even communion wine - so much for Christian Soldiers. Apparently spilling the blood of the savior is a perfectly acceptable collateral casualty to these hypocrites in their War on Rum.

Meanwhile, you can talk to the Reefer Man right there on the street corner in Harlem or swing by Chinatown and kick the gong any time, but having a beer after a hard day at the factory? Nice try, you filthy sinner!

I hardly know what to play for today's Cabaret. Some mourning song, perhaps. A down-tempo durge? Or bow to our new white-gowned temperance overlords and play "Not One Drop".

How about Nora Bayes and the ol' Prohibition Blues?

So here ya' go, pally, enjoy a nice cup of Joe for today's Cocktail:

Cap'n's Coffee:

[image from simpalife.com]

1 tbsp ground Coffee Beans
8 oz Water
Cream & Sugar (Optional)

Place ground coffee into a french press. Heat water to boiling and pour over grounds in press. Let steep 2-4 minutes, stirring vigorously. Pour into cup & add cream and sugar to taste (optional). Sell the hot coffee to neighbor for a nickle and use nickle to hop a streetcar to the train station. Take train to Canada and have a proper drink.

Four and twenty Yankees, feeling very dry,
Went across the border to get a drink of rye.
When the rye was opened, the Yanks began to sing,
"God bless America, but God save the King!"

Lord K's Garage #183: The Great Bentley

2013-05-10T18:00:00.000Z

This Friday, in the midst of Gatsby Craze, it's time to remember a true supercar - the most ambitious creation of W O Bentley:

The 8-Liter Bentley was introduced at the 1930 London Motor Show*. It featured an 8-liter engine which was a development of Bentley's race-winning 6.5-liter unit. The main purpose of this model was to add competition in the luxury car segment and challenge the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

By dmentd, on Flickr

The power-plant was an engineering marvel, fitted with an Elektron crankcase and sump. The engine was a single iron block and cylinder head with four-valves per cylinder. It had an twin-spark ignition, a bore of 110 mm and a stroke of 140 mm.

By dmentd, on Flickr

The straight-six engine carried chassis with wheelbases of 144 inches or 156 inches. The 156-inch wheelbase was the largest car produced in the UK up to that point in history. It could carry the large and luxurious bodies to speeds of 100 mph. To keep the weight of the vehicle to a minimum, many of the bodies and mechanical components were formed from aluminum. An overall weight of about 3700 pounds was typical for the chassis alone. A completed vehicle often tipped the scale at over 2.5 tons.

1931 Bentley 8-Litre Tourer by Zappadong, on Flickr

Four-wheel servo-assisted brakes helped keep the vehicle in the drivers control. There was a four-speed manual gearbox with a single-plate dry clutch and semi-elliptical springs on all four corners.

1930 Bentley 8-Litre by Albert S. Bite, on Flickr

This example was the second car built, it features saloon bodywork by HJ Mulliner and was W O's "company car" which he used to tour Europe after he had sold the company to Rolls-Royce.

The launch of the Bentley 8-Liter coincided with the onset of the Great Depression. As a result, the small pool of wealthy individuals who could afford one of these machines, dwindled. Competition between marques became even more fierce, as prices dropped and more amenities and accessories were offered in an attempt to lure buyers. This model was financially devastating to Bentley. Bentley's principal backer at the time, Woolf Barnato, was enduring financial difficulty during this sad time in history. As a result, he severed his financial support with Bentley.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

Production of the 8-Liter Bentley reached 100 units before production ceased. Rolls-Royce took the opportunity to rescue the struggling company and brought it under its financial protection. This move by Rolls-Royce, also ensured that the marque would never again offer competition to its luxury brand. The Bentley line was modified and acted as the entry-level cars in the luxury department.

1931 Bentley 8-Litre Sedan by dmentd, on Flickr

Most of the Bentley 8-Liter cars were given limousine or four-door saloon coachwork. A few were outfitted with sporty coachwork. Most were in closed configuration with fewer than 25% outfitted with open bodies. The list of coachbuilders included Vanden Plas, Kellner, Thrupp and Maberly, Arthur Mulliner, Gurney Nutting, Park Ward, Freestone & Webb, Letourner et Marchand, Binder and Walter J. Murphy.

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

1931 Bentley 8-Liter Sportsman Coupe at Amelia Island by gswetsky, on Flickr

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

Watch it!

----------------

* Text: Daniel Vaughan, Conceptcarz

Headline image: Bentley 8-Litre Barker Tourer hood ornament by Wouter Melissen, Ultimatecarpage

Shane Black, director of Iron Man 3, is now working on a Doc Savage movie

2013-05-08T02:22:36.000Z

Shane Black (writer of Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad, The Long Kiss Goodnight and director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) is both awesome and on a commercial career high after the record breaking release of his second directorial effort, Iron Man 3.

While we know he’s got an adaptation of the anime classic Death Note on his dance card, that project will have to wait while he tackles Doc Savage. Per The Wrap, it looks like it will be his next project.

Doc Savage “is a scientist, physician, adventurer, inventor, explorer and researcher. He has been trained since birth to be nearly superhuman in every way, with outstanding strength, a photographic memory, and vast knowledge and intelligence. He uses his skills and powers to punish evil wherever in the world he finds it.”

The books gained notoriety in the 1930s and '40s. Neil Moritz will produce the film which will be written by Black, Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry.

Via: TheWrap

Two-Fisted Tuesday - Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in Milford Brooks III and Meet Boston Blackie

2013-05-07T13:00:00.000Z

Welcome to Two-Fisted Tuesdays, where we throw on our trench coats, don our fedoras, and walk down the mean streets of classic crime fiction. This week, we’re pumping two new bullets into your hard-boiled ear drums, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar and Boston Blackie.

Download this week's episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar:

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in Milford Brooks III.mp3

Special thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries for tipping us to Johnny Dollar's radio adventures.

Meet Boston Blackie became the first film in Columbia's profitable 14 film series, with Chester Morris providing an amiable, charming hero in all episodes. Although the charming detective is suspect number one whenever a daring crime is committed, Boston Blackie's adventures always find a way to bring the actual culprit to justice.

Watch Boston Blackie in Meet Boston Blackie (1941)

Comics for Dieselpunks (Spring/Summer 2013 Edition)

2013-05-05T12:00:00.000Z

Yesterday was Comic Book Day in the States.

We didn’t have a parade, and there were no fireworks in honor of Superman’s latest haircut, but we do still conduct our strange ritual as American nerds. Gathered in our motley robes, we descend upon the closest comic book store in search of community and free swag. The day passes, we endure strange smells, and the 14 year old boy inside us hopes beyond hope that a cute girl will arrive dressed as Power Girl… but she never does.

In the end, it’s not really the day that matters, or the cold pizza. It’s knowing that there are other nerds out there who have the same kink for funny books that you do, and that makes all the difference.

So, in honor of May the 4th, here are some comic book titles I think you dieselpunks (and steampunks) will love to track down in the coming months.

Mister X: Eviction

Creators: Dean Motter
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: Out now, May 2013

Description: Dean Motter and his groundbreaking creation are back in a new series perfect for first-time readers and longtime fans! Radiant City’s government has been overtaken in a coup, and only the mysterious Mister. X can stop its new masters from using authoritarian psychetecture to remake the minds of every citizen! Mister X: Eviction is a great jumping-on point to the classic series, and it also features an additional, standalone Mister X tale!

Learn More: http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/17-214/Mister-X-Eviction-1

The Steam Engines of Oz

Creators: Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Erik Hendrix, and Yannis Roumboulias
Publisher: Arcana Comics
Release Date: May 4th - Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) 2013

Description: Epic steampunk re-imagining of the World of Oz set 100 years after the events of the original movie. In an Oz ruled by a once revered hero, salvation comes from the unlikely wrench of Victoria Wright, who dares to question the status quo and sparks a rebellion. This FCBD edition will give you an exciting extended preview of the upcoming graphic novel and a look at what else Arcana’s SteamPunk Originals line has in store for readers!

Learn More: http://www.arcana.com/newsletter/?p=205

Uber #0

Creators: Kieron Gillen
Publisher: Avatar Press
Release Date: May 2013

Description: A new alt-history WWII series introducing a reversal of the Captain America tale where the Nazis have unleashed super-powered soldiers to either win the war or salt the Earth behind them. It’s told with a splatterpunk fanbase in mind, so gorehounds should keep a bloody eye open for this one.

Learn More: http://www.kierongillen.com/

Breath of Bones: A Tale of The Golem

Creators: Steve Niles, Matt Santoro, and Dave Watcher
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: June 12, 2013

Description: The giant clay monster from Jewish legend goes on a Nazi-killing rampage in order to protect the inhabitants of a small Jewish stronghold and an injured British pilot.

Learn More: http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/22-772/Breath-of-Bones-A-Tale-of-the-Golem-1

Captain Midnight #0

Creators: Joshua Williamson
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: June 19, 2013

Description: Captain Midnight - fighter pilot extraordinaire and expert inventor - hurtles out of a freak storm in the Bermuda Triangle and into the twenty-first century.

Learn More: http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/22-972/Captain-Midnight-0

Satellite Sam

Creators: Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin
Publisher: Image
Release Date: July 3, 2013

Description: The star of beloved daily television serial “Satellite Sam” turns up dead in a flophouse filled with dirty secrets. The police think it was death by natural causes but his son knows there was something more… if only he could sober up long enough to do something about it. This noir mystery shot through with sex and violence exposes the seedy underbelly of the golden age of television.

Learn More: http://satellitesam.tumblr.com/ (NSFW)

Chronos Commandos

Creators: Stuart Jennett
Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: July 3, 2013

Description: When the Allies and Nazis develop time-diving technology that could see the Second World War derailed by creatures from the Cretaceous, only the Sarge and his band of misfit soldiers can save the future – by saving history! Dinosaurs! Giant crocodiles! Albert Einstein with a machinegun! All that barely scratches the surface of the first issue of this astounding, fully-painted pulp spectacular!

Learn More: http://titan-comics.com/comics/chronos001/

The Rocketeer / The Spirit: Pulp Friction

Creators: Mark Waid and Paul Smith
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: July 10, 2013

Description: The Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction features a murder mystery and political intrigue. From the grim and gritty streets of Central City where The Spirit navigates through the urban underbelly of corruption to the sunny skies of Los Angeles where The Rocketeer soars above the Hollywood elite, these two classic characters will become enthralled in murder, mayhem, and all manner of danger-and with a healthy dose of signature humor tossed in for good measure.

Learn More: http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/2546

Cap'n's Cabaret #75: Peace Forever More!

2013-05-04T22:30:00.000Z

VICTORY!! At long last this horrible war is over! The authoritarian powers of Europe are all in collapse and it appears that the flowering of democracy is in bloom, like the Poppies that now sprout over Flanders fields. With Wilson's new league of nations to shepherd the new peace and freedom, we may soon come to know the 20th Century as the Century of Peace.

Yes, at long last, with literally millions dead, the Great War, the War to End All Wars, has ended in Entente victory. [image from nzhistory.net] It's hard to believe after so many years of apocalyptic struggle that it can be over. From the first aggressive drives of 1914, through the stasis of the trenches with its gas, tanks, shells, and bombs, from the cities where the planes and airships dropped their bombs, across the seas in a worldwide struggle that sent thousands of tons of shipping to the bottom of the sea, to the last, desperate pushes that led to the final, long-sought END. To believe that it would all come to an end at last on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...the moment which brought Armistice.

This war litterally spread the world over, a first World War, and it left in its wake the deaths of not just millions - yes, MILLIONS!! - of individuals, but of nations themselves and an entire generation lost in Europe. The entire world order has been flipped on its head. Russia has collapsed into a Red experiment that is so far proving as brutal as the Czar it replaced (we hope this will die down as the civil war abates). Italy is in political chaos despite the victory. Who knows what may arise from there? The German Reich has collapsed, thankfully into a liberal democracy out of Weimar, but ill feelings fester. Even the ancient empires of old, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, have fragmented into dozens of statlets.

In the latter case, the quest for petroleum has had the victors dividing the Middle Eastern spoils amongst themselves without a thought for the geographical, cultural, religious, or linguistic lines their mapmakers are randomly bisecting. Wasn't it the same kind of multinational-pollyreligious problems in the Balkans that started this damned war to begin with?

But there is hope. I've had my reservations about that Klansman in the Oval Office, but this League of Nations of his, an international body dedicated to peace, holds real promise. We may well see peace in our time.

Either way, the boys, including the Cap'n, are finally home.

Let us mourn those whom we have lost. Let us hope and pray that the world never sees another war like this.

But, also, let us celebrate...not for the victory for its own sake, but for the peace it finally brings. Strike up the band, and join the parade!

And finally, to my fellow Americans, our old friends the Peerless Quartet to sing our American boys home:

Enjoy a Regent's Punch (a harmonious, worldly amalgamation of spirits and ingredients) with the whole returning company:

Regent's Punch Cocktail:

[image from saveur.com]

1 pint Brandy
1 pint Rum
1 pint Arrack (substitute Anisette, Ouzo, or Sambuca))
1 pint Curacao liqueur
3 cups strong hot Green Tea
3 cups lemon juice
3 cups orange simple syrup
1 bottle Champagne
1 pineapple, sliced
2 oranges, sliced

Combine all ingredients save the champagne and fruit slices into a punch bowl and mix well. You can let it sit for a few minutes to allow flavors to meld. Immediately before serving add champagne, fruit, and ice. Stir and serve in punch glasses. [Adapted from from Jerry Thomas' 1887 Bar-Tender's Guide]

Lord K's Garage #182: The Ursaab

2013-05-03T10:30:00.000Z

The Swedish Ur best translates as 'original', and Ursaab was the Saab’s first prototype automobile*.

Project 92, so-called as numbers 90 and 91 had already been assigned to civilian aircraft, was agreed in 1945. Saab had decided that, with the Second World War drawing to a close, there would be a need to diversify away from military aircraft. Ideas included motorcycles, cars, commercial vehicles and even fitted kitchens! Other Swedish companies, however, had the motorcycle market sewn up, Volvo already produced cars, and trucks were manufactured by Scania-Vabis. A Saab had to be the right size, type, construction and price – a small, affordable car. Thus, Saab had found its niche.

By trollpowersaab, on Flickr

Project 92 involved just 20 people led by Gunnar Ljungström. Stylist Sixten Sason** and Engineer Gunnar Ljungström made the Ursaab and the 92 real. A 1:10 scale model Ursaab was tested in a wind tunnel by the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology and gave a drag coefficient of 0.32, an impressive figure even by today’s standards.

By trollpowersaab, on Flickr

Preliminary drawings for the body were completed by January 1946 and a full-scale model, finished with black boot polish, was completed by 15 April. The full size buck was viewed with some reservations by Saab management but Ljungström argued: “…if it can save 100 litres of fuel a year, it doesn’t matter if it looks like a frog.”

URSAAB 92001 by Oort2.nl, on Flickr

Panel beaters used the wooden buck, on a bed of horse manure, to beat the metal panels for 92.001 – the first working prototype. Ursaab was propelled by a DKW 18hp two-cylinder; two-stroke engine, an Auto Union fuel tank and many other components that were salvaged from a scrap yard.

URSAAB 92001, logo by Oort2.nl, on Flickr

Ursaab was a compact, front-wheel drive, monocoque construction – a rare combination in the Forties and the sort of departure from the norm that was only possible with aircraft manufacturers developing an automobile without any automobile design baggage. This is the sort of unconventional thinking that has come to typify Saab ever since.

By Davydutchy, on Flickr

The first Ursaab, 92.001, registered E14783, was ready to drive by the end of summer 1946 and was immediately tested day and night. By this time Saab had developed its own blueprint for an engine and the testing provided much useful information about how Ursaab may be improved.

Saab 92001 by Cabsaab900, on Flickr

URSAAB 92001, dashboard by Oort2.nl, on Flickr

URSAAB by mikper, on Flickr

92.001 had very thick doors. Too thick – they were impractical. The front wheels were too enclosed in Sason’s drag-cheating design and were prone to trapping snow during the winter. There were ways in which a production car could be improved.

Via ComparaOnline.com, on Flickr

In the winter of 1946, one Swedish Newspaper reported that Ursaab had “…defied all efforts of its driver to destroy it.” (Over 50 years later, Ursaab is in working order, in good shape and complete with original stone chipped paintwork exhibited in the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan.)

Ursaab by Saukkorauta, on Flickr

In 1947 the site in Trollhättan was transformed to allow construction of cars and those working on project 92 moved from Linköping.

URSAAB by clicks_1000, on Flickr

Sister cars 92.002 and 92.003 were driven on every possible type of road surface and with 92.001 they have clocked up over 530,000km – equivalent to 13 journeys around the world and typical of Saab’s commitment to thorough testing.

Saab 92003 via trollpowersaab, on Flickr

It wasn’t until 10 June 1949, after thorough testing of 20 pre-production prototypes, that the Saab 92 was launched to the press and public in Trollhättan.

1949 Saab 92 and Saab 91 Safir aircraft. GM photo via coconv, on Flickr

-----------------------------------

* Text: The Saab Museum

** Of the Hasselblad fame

Headline photo: 1946 Saab 92 Prototype by clicks_1000, on Flickr

Spring Is Here, And Pilsner's Picks Springs Eternal!

2013-05-01T09:32:02.000Z

May, of course, means Mother's Day; but since I don't have any appropriate songs about mothers in my collection, I'll substitute a fine old sentimental number about Grandma, as sung by the immortal Billy Murray. Other than that, though, it's the usual jive, jam, and joviality!

http://www.pilsnerspicks.blogspot.com/

Two Fisted Tuesdays with The Shadow - Spotlight on the Duchess with special guest narrator Grace Gibson

2013-04-30T16:00:00.000Z

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries, we're going all the way Down Under with this week's episode of Two-Fisted Tuesday.

A lot of The Shadow episodes are lost to the winds of time, and I mean a lot, like 450 episodes are missing. Thankfully, we still have a bunch of the radio scripts including the missing episodes, and these scripts were recorded in a 1940s Australian adaptation of the show. Starring Lloyd Lamble as the Shadow, Lyndall Barbour as Margo Lane, and Grace Gibson as the infamous Announcer, we can enjoy these blasts from the past that were previously lost to the American audience.

Click on the link below to download our two-fisted radio broadcast in MP3 format.

This week's episode is...

The Shadow - Spotlight on the Duchess with special guest narrator Grace Gibson (originally broadcast in 1973).

Special thanks to John Picha for collecting all of the classic Shadow covers for us!

Miskatonic Monday - A Study in Emerald board game

2013-04-29T12:00:00.000Z

Lights out, everybody.

In this segment of Pocket Change on Miskatonic Mondays, we're looking at a KickStarter board game based on the Lovecraft-inspired work of Neil Gaiman.

‘A Study in Emerald’ the board game takes as its inspiration the world conjured up by Neil Gaiman in the award winning short story. This is an alternative reality where fiction has become fact. The Old Ones have not only returned but have been ruling the earth for centuries. Opposition is rising, though, as humanity fights between itself to decide its future. Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty are but two figures caught in this struggle.

Martin Wallace has concocted possibly his most subtle, complex, and downright evil design yet. If you know what you’re doing after the third game then you have not understood the rules!

The game takes an original slant on the deck-building mechanic. Instead of buying the cards you want you have to bid for them with influence. The range of cards is massive, with only a few duplicates. You can employ secret agents to carry out your plans, or quietly subvert a city to your control, call up monsters from other dimensions to destroy your enemies, or raise an army of zombies. No two games will ever be the same.

This game will initially only be available via Kickstarter or direct from Treefrog Games, it will not be going into general distribution. We may or may not publish a second edition of the game for general distribution, but if we do the earliest you are likely to see it is 2015.

You can pitch in at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1799046854/a-study-in-emerald

Cap'n's Cabaret #74: Yanks, Tanks, and a Break in the Ranks!

2013-04-27T22:30:00.000Z

The appearance of mechanized war tractors and the late entrance of the USA is breaking the stasis of the Western Front. Meanwhile Revolution in Russia and the systematic collapse of the Italian Front at Caporetto threatens to drive both those nations from the Entente. Has the tide of this horrible war finally turned? If so, to whose advantage?

"Tanks" they call them, a deceptively benign name for these great tracked steel behemoths armed with cannons and machine guns. They lumber over trench and shell hole, crush barbed wire, and shrug off all but direct hits from artillery. This new mechanized cavalry may be what is needed to end the futile "over the top" infantry charges that have characterized the Western Front of the war so far, but at what a horrible price on the ground! These things crush men with just as much ease, yet turn into burning death traps for those inside when they do falter. I'll leave the rest to our friend Peter Dawson in his song "The Tanks that Broke the Ranks Out in Piccardy":

Adding to the chaos, the Italians are in full retreat while Russia is on the verge of implosion. The Russian Army and Navy are in open revolt against Nicholas II, forcing him to abdicate. The provisional Government remains in the war, but for how long? Adding further to the fire, one of the strongest factions in the incipent revolution are the Communist forces under a revolutionary named Vladimir Lenin. [image from historyofrussia.org] Some of the band, those who harbor more Left-Socialist sympathies than myself, see this Lenin as a Russian Washington, here to liberate the Russian people from the repression of the Czardom. Yet the quasi-religious rhetoric of this Marxist uprising sets me at ill-ease. I keep thinking about Robespierre and Oliver Cromwell rather than Washington or Jefferson of Adams. I fear the situation will only worsen before it gets better...

Meanwhile the Italian line has collapsed and is in full retreat towards Veneto. The King may soon sue for peace if the line is not stabilized soon. A year ago I might not have cared which batch of gray-haired old Monarchists came out on top of this furball and would have welcomed anything that spelled an end to the pointless meat-grinder slaughter. But suddenly, I have a Dog in the Fight. Yes the Kaiser's renewal of unrestricted submarine warfare has pulled even my distant nation into this mess. Even that damned Virginia Klansman in the White House couldn't maintain our neutrality. I will say to his credit he has a plan for a peace without repercussions and an idea for an international peace-keeping league that might actually be worth the price of admission in the long run.

To my end, knowing that my draft number would come up eventually, I decided to join the war effort. Thankfully for those of you at home fearing I'll soon be among the trench rows, one of the fans of our show is Marine Corps Colonel Smedley Butler, a real American hero. It looks like the Kid Tony Band will live on as an adjunct part of the United States Marine Band, bringing the popular Ragtime and Jazz sounds to entertain the troops, particularly the Leathernecks en route to the front near Paris. As a part of this deal yours truly gets a Commission in the USMC as a Captain. I guess I'll be Captain Tony now! Seems so formal...

So, strike up the band and raise the colors, folks, because the Yanks are Coming!

The question remains, will we be in time to save the Entente?

Until the fates decide, let's celebrate with a Whisky Smash as we prepare to smash the Hun flat!

Whiskey Smash Cocktail:

[image from makersmark.com]

2 oz Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 of a Lemon
3-4 sprigs of fresh Mint

Slice lemon quarter into 2-3 pieces and muddle (Smash!) mint and lemon. Add Bourbon and simple syrup and shake vigourously over ice (~30 seconds). Strain into a Highball or Rocks Glass and garnish with a mint sprig.

S.A.M. #83: Italian Flying Fortress

2013-04-27T10:30:00.000Z

The Piaggio P.108 was the only four-engine heavy bomber used by the Regia Aeronautica during World War II.

In 1938 the Regia Aeronautica issued a request for proposal for a BGR (Bombardiere a Grande Raggio, long-range bomber); proposals came from Caproni with their Ca.204 and Ca.211 projects, CRDA with Cant. Z.1014 (built only in mock-up form), Piaggio with the P.108B (a private venture project, offered as an additional entry) and the P.112. Also considered was the purchasing of a production license for the Boeing B-17C 'Fortress', but this idea was later discarded for reasons of autarchia (national self-sufficiency). The competition was won by the Cant. Z.1014, but since the development of the P.108B was already at an advanced stage, this aircraft was chosen to be produced in quantity.

The Piaggio P.108 was a development of the earlier underpowered and wooden-structured P.50-II (above) which was unable to take-off at its designed maximum weight.

Giovanni Casiraghi, an experienced engineer who had previously worked in the USA for several years, re-engineered the aircraft, giving it a metallic structure. Still not entirely satisfied, he started another, almost new project, the P.108, and initial developments resulted in the P.108B (Bombardiere).

The first prototype P.108B flew on 24 November 1939. The "teething problems" of the P.108 involved a very long period of debugging, and the process of improving its reliability was never totally successful. The first machines were sent to 274 Squadron (274ma Squadriglia) in 1941.

On 7 August 1941, Bruno Mussolini, the son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and commander of 274 squadron, was piloting one of the prototypes of the "secret" bomber.

He flew too low and crashed into a house. The cockpit section separated from the rest of the aircraft and although the aircraft did not catch fire, it was nevertheless totally destroyed in the impact. Bruno Mussolini died of his injuries.

By the end of 1941, the P.108B had flown just 391 flying hours which does not compare favorably with the 9,293 hours flown by the first 12 B-17s. Nonetheless, the new bomber showed much promise. The average Italian bomber cost around 2.1 million lire, the SM.79 cost 1.7 million lire, while the P.108 cost 5.2 million lire.

With a single squadron of nine P.108s capable of flying 1,100 km (700 mi) with 3,500 kg (7,700 lb), the estimated efficiency was comparable to a group of 26 SM.79s covering 1,000 km (620 mi) with 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The total cost of the aircraft was 46.8 and 45.6 million lire respectively, but only 54 crew were required to man the P.108s compared to 130 required to man the SM.79s.

The variants, built only as prototypes or in small numbers, comprised first the single P.108A Artiglieri anti-shipping aircraft (above) which, converted from the P.108 prototype, had its standard armament supplemented by the installation of a 102-mm cannon. Captured by German forces at the time of the Allied-Italian armistice, it was impressed for service with the Luftwaffe. The P.108C Civile was a civil transport version with increased wing span and a redesigned fuselage to accommodate 32 passengers. A total of 16 was built, including one prototype, but these were modified for use as military transports accommodating 56 troops, and about 24 P.108Bs were also converted to this configuration. One P.108T (Trasporto) military transport prototype was built as a conversion from a P.108C, from which it differed primarily by incorporating side loading doors and a ventral hatch.

Proposed variants included the P.108M (Modificato), a development of the P.108B with the single machine-gun in the nose turret replaced by four guns and a 20-mm cannon; and the P.133 (above), an advanced version of the P.108B with uprated engines and an increased bomb load.

The P.108B's engines were designed to be more powerful than those propelling the B-17, and most of its defensive gun turrets were remote-controlled, but its reliability fell short of the typical Allied heavy bombers, and this type remained relatively unknown until the 1970s.

The second series, designated P.108B II, were a revised sub-category having had the nose turret removed. While this reduced defence against head-on attacks, the aircraft was operated mainly at night. The speed gain was 10 km/h (6 mph), due to the weight reduction and the more aerodynamic nose.

They were hardly used by the Regia Aeronautica, the main user being the German Luftwaffe. In 9/43, after the Italian armistice, the Luftwaffe captured all fifteen P.108 Cs and the only P.108 T built. They were used at the Russian front as part of Luftflotte 2 where they performed sterling service, evacuating encircled German troops. The P-108Cs/T proved to be more reliable than the bombers, following successful efforts to improve and modify them.

Sources: Aerei della Regia Aeronautica, Commando Supremo

Lord K's Garage #181: Silver Fish, Part 4

2013-04-26T10:30:00.000Z

It's time for the Auto Union Type D racer - the last but not the least in line.

By limiting the maximum weight of Grand Prix cars from the 1934 season onwards to 750 kg, the sport's governing body, the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), figured the performance of the racing cars would be sufficiently limited. Judging from the Bugattis, Maseratis, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeos of the day, they believed that with this maximum weight it would be highly unlikely to exceed an engine displacement of three litres*. This was done for safety and economic reasons, but in the following years, the very fast and high tech machines proved them very wrong. Instead of keeping the displacement down, weight was saved by extensive cross drilling the every part of the chassis and suspension, which did not make the cars any safer at all. To set things straight, the AIACR set new rules limiting supercharged engines to three litres and Naturally Aspirated ones to four and a half.

The 750 kg era was dominated by the two government backed German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams. While the former could build on some previous racing experience, the success of the Auto Union was, simply put, down to engineering abilities of Ferdinand Porsche and even more so the driving abilities of Bernd Rosemeyer. Porsche had come up with a single seater powered by a mid-mounted V16 engine that eventually grew in size to six litres and produced a staggering 520 bhp. The Auto Union racer quickly built a reputation for being nearly impossible to drive, at the time wrongly attributed to the unconventional location of the engine. In reality the unpredictable handling was caused by Porsche's typical swing axle rear suspension and also the outdated tires, which were not able to cope with the power and speed. The former motorcycle racer, Rosemeyer was the only one capable of really taming the beast, but nevertheless the underdog, Auto Union, took 18 victories against 'only' 22 for the Mercedes-Benz team.

If the major rule changes were not enough, the departure of Auto Union's two biggest 'assets' were a blow few manufacturers could have successfully dealt with. Porsche had left early in 1937 to completely focus on the Fuhrer's Volkswagen and for Rosemeyer tragedy struck on January 28th in 1938 when he lost control of a special Auto Union Type C during a speed record attempt on the Autobahn**. Especially the death of their star driver hit the small team hard and it has forever left the question unanswered how good the young German really was as the only car he ever raced was the V16 Auto Union. Amazingly two highly capable replacements were found in the form of designer Prof. Eberan von Eberhorst and later in the season racing legend Tazio Nuvolari. All teams had to start from scratch, but the major personal changes put Auto Union even more behind. After forfeiting the first three races, the all new Type D made its debut at the French Grand Prix.

At first glance there was a resemblance between the Type C and new Type D, but other than the basic chassis design everything was different. The tubular ladder frame was retained together with the torsion bars fitted inside the frame members. Taking a page out of the Mercedes-Benz book, the rear suspension now featured a DeDion tube with single radius arms. The engine was again mounted behind the driver, but was of a completely new V12 design. With the displacement limited to just three litres, a much higher specific output was required and a somewhat unusual valve train was installed. The intake valves were operated through push-rod actuated by a single camshaft mounted inside the V, while each bank of exhausts valves had their own camshaft, so Von Eberhorst's V12 sported three camshafts. Helped by a Roots-Type Supercharger, the new V12 produced a competitive 420 bhp at 7000 rpm. Another major change was the move of a single central mounted fuel tank to two side-tanks, which enabled the driver to sit further back in the chassis.

Although there were new cars from Italy and France, the Type D's only serious competition came from arch-rivals Mercedes-Benz, who had also constructed a three litre Grand Prix racer, but of a more conventional design. Weighing in at 100 kg under the new Mercedes W154 while matching its power, the expectations for the Type D were high. Sadly the debut at the French Grand Prix was nothing short of embarrassing with both cars entered retiring in the opening lap. The low morale was given a good boost when Tazio Nuvolari was hired to headline the team for the remainder of the 1938 season. Despite his rarely matched abilities, the 'Flying Mantuan' struggled to get to grips with the Type D.

Tazio Nuvolari at Italian Gran Prix (above) and Donington Grand Prix (below). 1938

Once he did there was no stopping him and he took a well deserved victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the Donnington Grand Prix. For 1939, the chassis and suspension were further refined and the handling problems that had dogged previous Auto Unions were completely forgotten. A new twin-stage blower literally boosted the power to 485 bhp and the team was ready to take on the boys from Stuttgart once again.

Sadly world affairs caught up with racing and the start of the War cut the season short after just four Grands Prix, one of which was won by the twin-stage Auto Union Type D. For political reasons, the championship was awarded to Mercedes' Hermann Lang even though Auto Union's HP Muller had scored more points.

In the years after the Second World War, the Auto Unions quickly gained legendary status, thanks in no small part to the fact that it was believed that none of the racing cars had survived the War... But then the Silver Fish started to resurface here and there. To learn the story of the D Type 19, now owned by Audi AG, please read an article by Terry Shea on Hemmings Blog.

-------------------------

*An article by Wouter Melissen, Ultimatecarpage (2009)

** This tragic story is worth a separate article. Stay tuned!

Flying men make a comeback in John Picha's "Skyracos: The Mining Mess"

2013-04-25T14:54:21.000Z

Our friend John Picha, the driving force behind our recent Dieselpunk ePulp anthology, has certainly been busy this year.

But before we go into detail about his latest work, I want to say a few things about the man behind the fedora. You should know that John is a fierce supporter of DIY publishing. His work within our community has helped blaze a trail for those who were either too unsure about the eBook process to try it, or were simply too scared to take the plunge by themselves. He's been a leader in our e-Publishing circle, and along with fellow authors like David Mark Brown, Bard Constantine, Grant Gardiner, and Jack Philpott, he has really opened new avenues of creativity that were previously unknown to dieselpunks.

I support what John and these authors are doing, and I think you should as well. Now, let’s get to the good stuff.

The Skyracos ePulp has Arrived!

Have you dreamt of visiting alien worlds? Ever wished you could zip through space via jet pack? What if you could defy gravity and freely explore unknown realms? Imagine being a space adventurer, paid to meet and greet alien cultures, while representing and protecting all of humanid-kind. You'd live to tell tales of glory. You'd be the stuff of legends. Sounds like a dream job, right? Well, no job is perfect, and there is a high price for this fantasy. That's reality for a Skyraco.

In "Skyracos: The Mining Mess", recent recruit Chip Daniels wants to be a hero, but gets more than he bargained for once encased in his streamlined flight-suit. Chip and the rest of Unit 9901 are ordered to investigate the outbreak of a mysterious plague in an isolated mining colony. What starts out as a game quickly unravels into a life or death crisis. Notions of good and evil spin into a nightmare of moral ambiguity, which challenges Chip's definition of heroics.

"Skyracos: The Mining Mess" is a retro sci-fi ePulp adventure tale of flying men forged from the same mettle as Flash Gordon, John Carter and the Rocketeer.

Download your copy before it's too late!

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Skyracos-The-Mining-Mess-ebook/dp/B00C5R03LM/

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skyracos-john-picha/1114979772

DriveThruFiction
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/113102/Skyracos%3A-The-Mining-Mess

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/skyracos-the-mining-mess/id630914766?ls=11

Kobo
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Skyracos-The-Mining-Mess/book-ramKd1HA1Eyk4yTCRBhhVQ/page1.html?s=Fnz3MMpGIUSHyNFzas0bNQ&r=2

Lulu
http://www.lulu.com/shop/john-picha/skyracos-the-mining-mess/ebook/product-20954726.html

Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/302333

GoodReads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727214-skyracos

The New Albion Trilogy

2013-04-23T22:30:00.000Z

Lately, I've had the privilege to be asked to design a set of covers for albums of the "New Albion Trilogy", a set of operas by Paul Shapera, a very talented composer. The opus is basically about the story of the city of New Albion. A Steampunk Opera, a Dieselpunk opera... aren't they what the genres needed and fully deserved? Paul Shapera is busy making up for this gap with his New Albion Trilogy. Learn more about Paul's great work at:

http://mochalab.bandcamp.com/album/the-dolls-of-new-albion-a-steampunk-opera

Not to be missed if you call yourself a Steampunk and/or a Dieselpunk!

The first opus, "The Dolls of New Albion - A Steampunk Opera" is available at:

http://mochalab.bandcamp.com/album/the-dolls-of-new-albion-a-steampunk-opera

Don't miss the first part of Act I: it's available for free.

The second part, "The New Albion Radio Hour - A Dieselpunk Opera" will be released in May. A Demo-version is already available at: http://mochalab.bandcamp.com/album/the-dieselpunk-radio-hour-act-1-demo

The third and last part of the Trilogy, "An Atompunk", is still in progress and will be released soon. All Dieselpunks know that the Atom era is still... something to come, anyway!

Two Fisted Tuesdays with The Shadow - The Juggernaut

2013-04-23T16:00:00.000Z

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries, we're going all the way Down Under with this week's episode of Two-Fisted Tuesday.

A lot of The Shadow episodes are lost to the winds of time, and I mean a lot, like 450 episodes are missing. Thankfully, we still have a bunch of the radio scripts including the missing episodes, and these scripts were recorded in a 1940s Australian adaptation of the show. Starring Lloyd Lamble as the Shadow, Lyndall Barbour as Margo Lane, and Lloyd Berrill as the infamous Announcer, we can enjoy these blasts from the past that were previously lost to the American audience.

Click on the link below to download our two-fisted radio broadcast in MP3 format.

This week's episode is...

The Shadow - The Juggernaut (originally broadcast on December 26, 1948).

Special thanks to John Picha for collecting all of the classic Shadow covers for us!

Miskatonic Monday - Go home Cthulhu, you're drunk

2013-04-22T16:00:00.000Z

Via: The Lovecraftsman

Cap'n's Cabaret #73: Hell's Angels, Neptune's Chosen

2013-04-20T22:30:00.000Z

Up in the Heavens, daring Devils bring Hell to Earth! On and under the Seas Men of Iron in Ships of Steel duel for supremacy of the seas.

Yes, those Gallant Knights of the Air in their Incredible Flying Aeroplanes! The glory! The romance! The excitement! Oh, and the old "die horribly in a fiery plummet after ripping apart near-defenceless footmen" part of the game, don't forget that. [image from badasshistoricalpictures.com]

Sure, you've probably heard Henry Burr and his Peerless Quartet sing about the excitement of the air war [Listen to the Original Cylinder Recording from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Cylinder Preservation & Digitization Project], but to live it up-close is another horrifying aspect of our modern, industrialized warfare. Those amazing machines that awed you at the air show have taken on a new killer aspect with machine guns and bombs. Whether the sleek Albatross, Fokker, Nieuport, or Sopwith Pursuit aircraft, or the big, lumbering Vickers and Gotha Bombardment ones...or even the Hun's nasty Airship Bombers!...these amazing technical marvels grow more powerful, sophisticated, and deadly with each generation.

For some, like Richthofen, Ball, or Fonck, it is playing the deadly reaper, the Flying Knight, the Ace. For most, only an agonizing death by crash or fire or bullets awaits. For a new pilot, life expectancy is measured in minutes rather than days.

Yet compared to the muddy hell of the trenches, the perceived clean, noble life of the Airman looks alluring, even gallant. So we sing Mr. Burr and the Quartet's famous pre-war "Aeroplane Glide" in memory of a more innocent day of aviation, when the danger was only to the self, and salute the bravery, or foolhardiness, of the men who fight in the new Front of the Air.

And then there is the War at Sea.

Those massive Dreadnoughts, all in a line, present an awe-inspiring visage of Modern Might and Prowess, and for the Trenchman or Citizen once again evoke an image of cleaner warfare. Yet the smoke-choked, grease-stained metal bowels of a Battlecruiser are no leisurely cruise on a Transatlantic Steamer. The massive shells of their giant cannons - some a full foot in diameter! - rend steel like paper and turn flesh and bone to mist.

Take the Battle of Jutland where 25 ships were sunk, including four large Battlecruisers, sending over 8,000 men to a fiery or waterlogged death. Or take the cramped, hot existance of life on a submarine, dealing assassin's death to surface shipping and falling prey in return to the feared depth charges.

Wherever the war takes you, there is only misery and death in this War Without End, a mindless exchange of futile assaults for the glory of outdated Emperors.

In that spirit of that which looks beautiful and glorious, but has deadly consequences, enjoy a Morning Glory cocktail, named for a flower that is at once beautiful, yet will slowly choke off its surrounding neighbors:

Morning Glory Cocktail:

[image from cocktail.uk.com]

1 oz Rye Whisky
1 oz Cognac
1 tsp Curacao
1 tsp Simple Syrup
1 tsp Absinthe
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Club Soda

Stir all but the soda over ice, pour into a Highball glass, top with soda. Garnish with a lemon twist.

S.A.M. #82: Wings of Passion (III)

2013-04-20T10:30:00.000Z

This is the last chapter of the Early Lockheed's Saga.

The Lockheed Model 9 Orion was the last of Lockheed's single engine transports, seated six passengers and was powered by a 420hp P&W Wasp engine. The Orion cruised at 180-195 mph and is claimed to be the first transport capable of 200 mph. The Orion was also the first commercial aircraft with an efficient retractable undercarriage. Orions first went into service in May, 1931 with Bowen Airlines.

One of the most classic designs in the aeronautical field came into being in 1931 with the advent of the Lockheed Model 9 series - the "Orion". These aircraft were the last in the remarkable series of "wooden wonders". The success of the earlier high wing Lockheed "Vega" line, which made its debut in 1927, brought about a succession of Lockheed and Detroit-Lockheed aircraft based on that outstanding design.

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

The "Vega" was an advanced concept by Allan Lockheed and John Northrop. Its basic design led to numerous innovations and concepts for almost seven years of production, including the parasol monoplane "Air Express", the first low wing experimental "Explorer" and the "Sirius" models. Then came the "Altair" before the Orion came onto the scene. With each new type came impressive records in safety, speed and handling qualities.

John Northrop remained as chief engineer with Lockheed for only a short time, and Northrop left Lockheed in 1928 because of his intense interest in the flying wing theory and all-metal construction of aircraft. Further development of the "wooden wonders" fell into the capable hands of Gerald Vultee, who then became chief engineer.

Vultee, however, was also not to remain with Lockheed for long. In 1930 he was transferred to Detroit operations to oversee the metal fuselage "Vegas" then under construction. This was at the time when the Detroit firm gained controlling interest in the Lockheed Aircraft Company. Vultee remained with Detroit-Lockheed briefly and then left to form his own company.

Richard Von Hake became chief engineer and he was responsible for the final development of the "Orion". This low wing monoplane was designed to meet the growing needs of the airlines where the "Vegas" had already proven their popularity. The low wing version offered even greater speed, comfort and profitable operation.

The first "Orion", c/n 168, X960Y (NC960Y, see the photo above) was completed in March 1931 and made its maiden flight the following month with chief test pilot Marshall Headle at the controls. Little trouble was encountered during the trials and speeds up to 225 mph were recorded. Like its predecessors, the "Orions" were made from the same basic mold and jigs. Construction was all wood, including plywood skin and a final, fine linen covering.

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

Advanced features included a full N.A.C.A. aluminum engine cowl over the 450 hp Pratt and Whitney "Wasp" engine. A fully retractable main landing gear was incorporated, the first designed and used on a commercial aircraft. This gear system was first worked out on a company "Sirius", demonstrated in September 1930 and incorporated in the first of the "Altair" line. A hand crank method of retraction was initially employed, but by the time of the "Orion" production, a hydraulic hand pump system had been developed. Six passengers could be carried in the fuselage although, admittedly, in rather confined quarters.

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

The "Orions" were produced during extremely trying times and strenuous financial conditions. The economic situation and uncertainties of the early 1930s did not lend itself to an unbroken or predetermined production line. As a result, the series was produced in slightly varying configurations and performance specifications.

All Model 9 "Orions" had the same 42' 9 ½" wing span except for the special "Orion Explorer" of Wiley Post (see the picture above and click on it!) which used a 48" 6" "Explorer" wing and was also modified in other ways. Overall lengths varied from 27' 1" to 28' 11", according to engine and propeller installation and various other alterations made to suit specific customers.

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

In the spring of 1929 Detroit Aircraft Corporation, a holding company of Detroit, Michigan, successfully maneuvered themselves into gaining controlling interest in the original Lockheed Aircraft Company. This concern had plans of entering the aeronautical field by applying the same mass production and standardized policies as used in the automotive field. Several months later the stock market crashed and by the end of 1931 Detroit Aircraft went into bankruptcy, and dragged the Lockheed subsidiary under, too.

The future looked bleak indeed, when the "Orion" was introduced in April 1931. When the Detroit organization went into liquidation, the jigs, machinery and structural steel used in making the original metal fuselage "Vegas" were shipped to the Burbank facilities. On October 27, 1931 the Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles became receivers for the Lockheed assets. Throughout 1931, 17 "Orions" were produced before manufacturing ceased and the doors were closed.

Lockheed Orion 9C Special Shellightning. Pilot: Jimmy Doolittle

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

Lockheed Orion Shellightning flown by Jimmy Doolittle

The first two "Orions" were sold to Bowen Air Lines, Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas. There followed similar small but important orders from other airlines and one was produced for private use. It was Walter T. Varney; however, who became the earliest and greatest proponent of the "Orion". During the big "shake-up" within the airline industry in 1930, Walter Varney resigned as president of the Varney Air Lines when it was acquired by United Air Lines that year. Their policies of using only specified equipment did not fit his idea of running an airline. He started a new service called Varney Air Services, Ltd., with two operating companies, Varney Speed Lanes and Air Ferries, Ltd.

(via Kemon01, on Flickr)

Varney's approach to the airline business was to be free of consolidated business contingencies and acquire the best, most comfortable, safest and speediest equipment available. He turned to Lockheed ordering six "Orions" at a cost of almost $150,000, taking delivery between September and October 1931. As soon as they became available they were put into service between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Lockheed Orion of Varney Speed/Air Lines serving Northern California. By Bill Larkins, on Flickr

Billed as the "Fastest Airline in the World" it carried passengers between the two major California cities on a schedule of 65 minutes, for an average of 254 mph. To attain speed, designers equipped the Orion with the first successful retractable landing gear developed for commercial aircraft. Varney's Speed Lanes gained wide and immediate recognition. By March 1932 the lane included Hollywood, Oakland and the state capital of Sacramento. Not only was Varney making history but the use of "Orions" as of inestimable promotional value. The order from Varney was also of great help in keeping the Lockheed plant open a while longer.

Lockheed Orion 9A Special, NC 12229 "The Spirit of Fun" leaving Mascot airport on its flight around the world, with Arthur M. Loew and James Rosthal on board, and Jimmy Dickson as pilot, 1932. Via Batman_60, on Flickr

During 1933 a total of 13 more "Orions" were built. The end of the line was reached in 1934 when only four "Orions" were produced.

One of the twoSwissair Orions

Many safe miles flown in airline service and headlines won by a few made, at the hands of expert speed pilots, proved the advanced design and reliability of the "Orion". Those that went into airline use as a passenger transport had their life span limited, however. In 1934 the Civil Aeronautics Authority issued a ruling prohibiting further use of single engine passenger aircraft from operating on all major networks. It also became mandatory to have a co-pilot and thus a two-seat cockpit arrangement on all such flights.

Paul Mantz's Lockheed Orion 9-C at the old San Francisco Bay Airdrome in Alameda in 1939. By Bill Larkins, on Flickr

Lockheed Orion 9D NC230Y cn 201 Alaska Star Airlines, c. 1940. Via Batman_60, on Flickr

The requirements of the ruling brought an end to the "Orion" as a passenger carrying airlines' airplane, but a number of leading lines converted their "Orions" to cargo or mail carrying machines exclusively. Others disposed of them and looked to new aircraft.

Source: Aeronautical World Airlines

Headline photo: Lockheed Orion byKemon01, on Flickr

Lord K's Garage #180: Long'n'Low Ruxton

2013-04-19T10:30:00.000Z

A front-wheel drive posh car in the early 1930s? A few thousand bucks will buy you a Cord... or a Ruxton.

The Ruxton is a forgotten manufacturer, often overlooked when considering early pioneers in automotive design and mechanics. One of their biggest automotive achievements was the use of front-drive automobiles. In 1966, Oldsmobile introduced the Toronado, a front wheel drive vehicle and the only American built front-drive vehicle since the Cord. When Ruxton introduced their version, it was roughly the same time that Cord introduced theirs however it was Cord that survived longer.

1930 Ruxton Saloon by aldenjewell, on Flickr. A bold claim of "the first front-wheel drive" title

William Muller, an employee of Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Co. of Philadelphia and a racing engineer, was instrumental in design and development of many of the components on the Ruxton. The body was styled by Budd Manufacturing Co's chief engineer Joseph Ledwinka. The resulting automobile was a large and luxurious automobile with the engine in the front and unconventionally powering the front wheels. Because it was front-drive, the vehicle was able to sit lower than most cars and lowering its center of gravity making it stable at speed.

1930 Ruxton Hansom by aldenjewell, on Flickr (This is page 3 of a 4-page ad which appeared in Aug. 2, 1929 Life magazine)

Archie Andrews, a member of Budd's board of directors and a Wall Street financier was fascinated by the vehicle and immediately acquired the prototype. He approached Hupmobiles with hopes of having them produce it. When negotiations fell through, Andrews decided to produce the vehicle himself. In 1929, he formed the New Era Motors Inc. He hired Muller as vice-president. Muller handled the engineering aspects while Andrews sought financial backing which he found in a New York stockbroker named William Ruxton. Andrews decided to name the automobile after his new found friend, unfortunately, Andrews never received any money from Ruxton.

1930 Ruxton Roadster, Phaeton & Saloon by aldenjewell, on Flickr (page 4 of the same ad)

Andrews approached Gardner Motor Co, located in St. Louis. Just like the incident with Hupmobiles, the Gardner Motor Company showed desire but eventually pulled out of the deal. Disappointed, Andrews approached Marmon Motor Car Company located in Indianpolis. One the day the agreement was signed, the stock market crashed and Marmon Motor Car Company declined the agreement. Jordan, Stutz, and Pierce were approached by Andrews but none wanted to build the Ruxton. Finally, a deal was struck with the Moon Motor Car Company and by the middle of 1930, the Ruxton had begun produced.

1929 Ruxton Model C Roadster (what a psychodelic paintjob!) by Rex Gray, on Flickr

The facilities, according to Muller, were unsuitable so Andrews approached the Kissel Motor Company concerning the use of their facilities. They agreed and soon the Ruxton was being produced in St. Louis at the Moon facility and in Hartford, Wisconsin at the Kissel Motor Company.

1929 Ruxton Muller Prototype at Amelia Island 2010 by gswetsky, on Flickr

The Ruxton was one of the most unique American automobiles ever built and this one-of-a-kind front drive prototype with body by Budd is truly unique. It was built by William Muller, designer of the Ruxton as a 'little, sporty supercharged roadster for fellows....who enjoyed fast road cars.' Oh did he succeed! At the Indianapolis 500 in 1930 it was nicknamed 'The Alligator,' following a tug of war on the infield with the Cord L-29 pace car. Bill Muller drove the car for several years after Ruxton closed its doors in 1930.

1930 Ruxton engine by dmentd, on Flickr

The engine that powered the Ruxton was a Continental 4.4 liter side-valve, straight-eight cylinder engine capable of producing 100 horsepower. The three-speed manual gearbox was of Muller-design and was rather unique. It was split with the second and third gears behind the worm-drive differential and the first and reverse gears in front of it.

1930 Ruxton Saloon by dmentd, on Flickr

A spare tire was mounted on the outside in front of the driver's door. There were no running boards and the fenders were long and slightly sloped. An optional 'Woodlite' headlamp was available.

1930 Ruxton 5-passenger Sedan by Jack Snell "Snappy Jack", on Flickr

1930 Ruxton Phaeton by aldenjewell, on Flickr

1930 Ruxton Model C Rauch & Lang Phaeton by Rex Gray, on Flickr

The Great Depression was a difficult time for many. The ones that were hurt the most were the manufacturers that offered mostly high-priced, luxury automobiles. Since the Depression greatly reduced the amount of spending power of many individuals, they were often the first to go out of business. The Ruxton cost roughly $3,000, a price tag that was out of the reach for most buyers. After about 500 examples produced, Ruxton closed its doors and ceased production.

1930 Ruxton Roadster by aldenjewell, on Flickr

1930 Ruxton Roadster by Latvian98, on Flickr

---------------------
* An article by Daniel Vaughan @ Conceptcarz

Headline picture: 1930 Ruxton Model C Rauch & Lang Phaeton hood ornament by Rex Gray, on Flickr

Two Fisted Tuesdays with The Shadow - Return to Life

2013-04-16T16:00:00.000Z

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Thanks to Scott from Dieselpunk Industries, we're going all the way Down Under with this week's episode of Two-Fisted Tuesday.

A lot of The Shadow episodes are lost to the winds of time, and I mean a lot, like 450 episodes are missing. Thankfully, we still have a bunch of the radio scripts including the missing episodes, and these scripts were recorded in a 1940s Australian adaptation of the show. Starring Lloyd Lamble as the Shadow, Lyndall Barbour as Margo Lane, and Lloyd Berrill as the infamous Announcer, we can enjoy these blasts from the past that were previously lost to the American audience.

Click on the link below to download our two-fisted radio broadcast in MP3 format.

This week's episode is...

The Shadow - Return to Life (originally broadcast on November 19, 1943).

Special thanks to John Picha for collecting all of the classic Shadow covers for us!

Cap'n's Cabaret #72: Dug In Like a Mole...it's a Gas

2013-04-13T22:30:00.000Z

War is Hell...why not find a way to dig in faster?

It's a year into this horrible war, this Great War, and we're going nowhere fast. The western and eastern fronts have stabilized with no significant progress. Even the Italians joining the Entente have merely created a third static front. All sides have dug in, creating elaborate, labrinthine networks of trenches fronted by snarles of barbed wire, defended by machine guns, and backed by rapid-fire artilliery with airborne spotters.

And since we humans can never be satisfied with just any old Hell, scientists have created a lovely little thing called Mustard Gas which, despite its innoctuous name, is most adept at turning lungs into liquid and skin into sores.

Yes, friends, the glory of war! Live like a rat in a muddy hole while shrapnel and lead attempt to tear you to bits, struggling to get your gas mask on in time to avoid drowning in your own blood.

Thank God my nation has kept out of this insanity. With the recent sinking of the Luisitania by a German U-boat, however, that repreive might be short lived.

Yet, my friends at home, the strange resiliancy of humanity holds on even in the darkest of places. Bittersweet and mornfully hopeful music is pushing aside the patriotic tunes of last year. Take, for example, the melancholy "Somewhere in France, Dear Mother" by the amazing artist Stanley Kirkby, which captures both the fear of the trenches and the fears of those at home who may never see their loved ones again.

So, hold on, my dear listeners, and pray for an end to this increasingly pointless slaughter. Until then, heed John McCormack's advice and "Keep the Home Fires Burning (Till the Boys Come Home)".

Have a strong drink...you'll need it.

Gin & Bitters Cocktail (aka Pink Gin):

[image from chow.com]

1 1/2 oz Gin
3-4 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir over ice, strain into a cocktail glass.

Lord K's Garage #179: Say Cisitalia!

2013-04-12T21:30:00.000Z

A bright star of the immediate post-war period, the Cisitalia (pronounced Cheese-Italia) was small, modern and gorgeous.

As a successful businessman and experienced amateur driver, Piero Dusio started Cisitalia, officially known as Consorzio Industriale Sportive Italia*. The company employed a wealth of talent to develop limited production sports cars that were based around upgraded Fiat components. Cisitalia's first product was the D46, a small single seater which used a space frame to support its Fiat 1090cc engine and Fiat 500 suspension.

Cisitalia D46 by dmentd, on Flickr

After producing a several customer D46s, and achieving a debut victory in the Brezzi Cup in Turin, Cisitalia focused on building small passenger car based on the D46, including it's Fiat components and space frame chassis. Called the 202, each cars was finished as a rolling chassis and bodied by various design houses. Pinin Farina was responsible for a definitive coupe which set the visual standard for all future sports car bodies having a low and flat hood.

1947 Cisitalia 202 by Pininfarina, via aldenjewell, on Flickr

Since the 202 never made large scale production and all the cars were handmade, the small talented group at Cisitalia, including Carlos Abarth, Dante Giacosa and Giavonni Savonuzzi, made several variants of the 202.

1947 Cisitalia 202 Savonuzzi Streamliner by dmentd, on Flickr

Of the more important versions, the SMM Nuvolari Spider was built and named after a class victory at the 1947 Mille Miglia. It is easily identified by its large rear fins, twin windscreens and usual Italian blood red paint scheme.

1948 Cisitalia Nuvolari by alvial111, on Flickr

1947 Cisitalia 202 Spider Nuvolari at Amelia Island 2012 by gswetsky, on Flickr

Partly due to expensive construction of the mid-engine, four wheel drive formula one car designed by Ferry Porsche, Cisitalia went into receivership in 1949 and was sold in 1952. In total, around 200 cars were made which made a large impact on the later marques, including Abarth's later range of cars.

1947 Porsche Typ 360 Cisitalia by stkone - Thanks for 4 Million views!, on Flickr

With resources and talent from the defunct Cisitalia Automobili, Carlos Abarth started his own company called Abarth & C. in Turin and the 204 A roadster was his first car. He acquired the remnants of Cisitalia including the 204 which he had modified by Porsche to fit their torsion bar rear suspension.

1949 Cisitalia-Abarth 204 by dmentd, on Flickr

Visually the cars appeared like a scaled-down version of the Cisitalia grand prix cars. The engine was derived from a Fiat 1089cc unit fitted with twin Webers. The car was successfully raced in the 1949 season by the Cisitalia-Carlo Abarth Team in the 1200cc class. After wins by Pierro Taruffi at the Circuit of Reggio Emilia and the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo, it looked like Abarth was set to take the Grand Prix of Madrid. Unfortunately all the 204s failed, leaving victory to the Simca-Gordini. That year Taruffi still clinched the F2 title for sports cars.

By 1950, Abarth removed all the Cisitalia logos from the 204 and prepared extensively for Tazio Nuvolari's drive in the 10th Giro de Sicilia. At 57 years old, this was Nuvolari's last stab at professional racing. He won the Palmero-Monte Pellegrino hillcimb which was his last victory in professional racing. Nuvolari retired from the team before the great Sicilian race. (Source: Richard Owen, Supercars)

1951 Cisitalia 202 Alemano Berlinetta (Supercars)

By sjb4photos, on Flickr

------------------------

* Article: Supercars

Headline image: 1947 Cisitalia 202 Coupe hood by dmentd, on Flickr