Karavansara

East of Constantinople, West of Shanghai

Category Archives: Other People’s Pulp


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Into the Badlands

My brother asked me why I never did a post about Into the Badlands. Because my memory is like a sieve, was the only possible answer.
But now that I have been reminded that I have been intending to do a post on the series, why wait?
Here we go.

Into the Badlands is an original TV series produced by AMC. It started in 2015, and it is currently in its third season. And I like it a lot, and I highly recommend it to anyone sharing my interest in adventure, science fiction, action, intrigue and a good solid entertainment, with a brain.

What are we talking about? Continue reading →


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Old and new dinos

It all started with a movie clip.
This movie clip.

It’s from the 1975 The Land That Time Forgot, based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same title, and adapted for the screen by Michael Moorcock and Nigel Cawthorn.
I first saw this in the parish cinema the priests had put up to attract the kids that would not be hooked by the football field by the church.
In the end, I never became a good Catholic kid, but I did develop a passion for Edgar Rice Burroughs, dinosaurs and old movies. Continue reading →


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Lizardmen vs the Mole People

I’ve just presented a very early first draft for a new project. There’s not much I can say about it right now, but let’s say there’s dinosaurs in it, and a lost world of sorts, and I’m trying not to do a rehash of The House of the Gods, and have fun.

My outline includes Mole People.
Because I loved that old movie, and Mole People are just cool, and I’d love to do a bit, as part of this project of mine, called Queen of the Mole People – featuring a character I cannot but envision as Sza Sza Gabor.

But it was suggested I use Lizardmen instead. Continue reading →


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The Magic Island (1929)

You realize that you are on to something when the book you need to check out for your next non-fiction article was written by a cannibal that tried to kill Hitler with a voodoo ritual.

William Buehler Seabrook was a writer and reporter, an explorer, an occultist, occasionally a cannibal. He served in the Great War and was gassed in action.
While visiting Africa he developed an interest in cannibalism, that led him to acquire a number of medical samples and cook them to try and see what they tasted like. This was in the ’20s.
Then, in ’29, he visited Haiti – that at the time was being controlled by the US, that had invaded it in 1914 – and “discovered” voodoo. Continue reading →


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Comic books turn your brains to pudding

According to the newly-appointed Minister of Education University & Research in my country, reading comics is a stupid way of spending your time, if you are a kid. He’d rather have the kids, during the summer, do their homework and

“…Better be stimulated by good readings and activities that will keep the brain active, vigilant, sharp and engaged.”

907125-U41106990816JeD--258x258@Quotidiano_Scuola-WebBasically, reading comics turns your brain to pudding, at least according to our Minister (that before he was a school administrator, was a Phys.Ed. teacher).
You can probably guess that I do not agree.
Mind you – reading a good book and doing something engaging1 is just great, and homework need to be done2, but this idea that comic books are inferior cultural products is so OLD. Continue reading →


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Writing across the cultural boundary

I’ve been interviewed.
I don’t know when or where the interview will be published, but it will be in Italian anyway, and for all I know my bits could be cut in the end.
But, something interesting came up during the interview and I thought I’d expand on the subject a bit here on Karavansara because… well, because as I said the question was interesting, because I think it might be worth expanding upon and yes, I love talking about myself and what I do.
So, like that man said, I suffered for my art, now it’s your turn… Continue reading →