The Octopus Audiobook
by Edith and Eljir Jakobsson writing as Randolph Craig
One of the most bizarre pulp magazines ever published was titled The Octopus.
Released in 1939 by Popular Publications, it turned the formula of The Spider on its head. Instead of centering on a fearless avenger of crime, it focused on the master criminal himself!
His true identity unknown, The Octopus is a denizen of the underworld, bent on bringing America’s greatest city to its knees through a campaign of terror and horror never before seen.
Writers Norvell W. Page of Spider fame, backed by Edith and Eljir Jakobsson produced this weird epic under the name of Randolph Craig. Evidently they were attempting to duplicate the success of The Spider—with a weird twist. But there was more to The Octopus than an archfiend who dressed like a cuttlefish. Just as no pulp series can last long without a worthy villain, they understood that without a formidable foe, The Octopus would flop. So they created a hero with three identities. Jeffrey Fairchild is a wealthy medico. By day, he masquerades as kindly old Dr. Skull, treater of the sick in New York’s East Side slums. But at night, he dons a more sinister guise and becomes the sworn foe of all crime—The Skull Killer! Branding his kills on the forehead like the Spider, The Skull Killer takes on The Octopus and his purple-eyed minions in the wildly over-the-top story, The City Condemned to Hell.
Backing up this masterpiece of weird menace are three novelettes torn from the pages of the only issue of The Octopus ever published. This audiobook is read by the talented brothers of Doug Stone and Glen Stone.
The City Condemned to Hell
Read by Doug Stone
Chapter 1: When the Beast Hungers
Chapter 2: The Skull Killer
Chapter 3: A Surprise for Dr. Skull
Chapter 4: Hell’s Hospital
Chapter 5: While the City Sleeps
Chapter 6: The Purple Warning!
Chapter 7: Creatures That Once Were Men
Chapter 8: When Hell Locked Its Gates
Chapter 9: Jeff Plays a Lone Hand
Chapter 10: Fresh Blood for the Octopus
Chapter 11: Blood Bank of the Damned
Chapter 12: Voice of the Skull Killer
The Little Dolls of Death
Read by Glen Stone
Chapter 1: Death for Sale!
Chapter 2: The Murdering Doll
Chapter 3: Death Strikes Again
Chapter 4: Approach to Death
Chapter 5: Secret of the Corpse-Maker
Detour to the Grave
Read by Doug Stone
Locked in with Murder
Read by Glen Stone
Chapter 1: Blood on Her Throat!
Chapter 2: The Invisible Prowler
Chapter 3: The House Where Death Dwells
Chapter 4: A Sucker for Murder
Chapter 5: The Odor of Fear
Doug Stone Born in Toronto, Canada, where he had worked primarily on stage, Doug moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to star as 6 characters in the network cartoon series, M.A.S.K. in 1985. Since that time he has voiced on original animation, commercials, video games, industrials, anime and supplied his voice for almost 1,000 TV shows and films, including series like ER and Chicago Hope.
Animation has also included Lilo and Stitch, Felix the Cat, The Chipmunks, The Mutant League, 227 Institials of The Adventures of Dynamo Duck with The Simpsons: Don Castellaneta starring. His own looping (voices) company, Synchronicity Looping, supplied the voices for the entire 243 episodes of the Hercules and Xena TV series. He is the winner of 5 Golden Reel Awards for voice casting for looping and has also cast for games, anime and Interactives. His anime credits number well in the hundreds and include many major titles and he has characters in many video game, perhaps most notably as Psycho Mantis in the popular Metal Gear Solid.
His commercial work includes being the voice for Hot Pockets products for many years, Bud Ice, Nissan Trucks, the Things Happen campaign for over 100 Insurance companies. Plus Industrials for clients as diverse as UCLA medical group, to BOTS cartoons, to McDonald’s Trivia Trek. Most currently he can be heard as his recurring character, “Speed The Turtle,” in the new video release in the Swan Princess series. And he has a lead role in the animated film, The Enchaunted House, scheduled for release in 2013.
Glen Stone is the brother of Voice Actor Doug Stone and Director, Corporate Communications at Insurance Bureau of Canada. Glen has thirty years in PR, government relations, communications, media relations, speech writing, journalism and entertainment. Highlights include speechwriter for the Premier of Ontario (as well as many other politicians and senior executives), Director of Public Affairs for the largest local business organization in Canada, Director of Communications for the Official Opposition at Queen's Park, newspaper columnist, Editor of Government Publications and Senior Communications Advisor for the Government of Ontario, News Director and Parliament Hill Bureau Chief for Canada's largest private radio network, registered lobbyist (federal and provincial), entrepreneur, published poet, GR consultant and lecturer, newscaster, communications consultant for major multi-nationals, radio actor, talk show host, political platform writer, science journalist, commercial voice-over artist, semi-pro blues harp player, and audiobook reader for Radio Archives.
