Discovering the Pulps

As an old geek I have been reading and loving these magazines most of my reading life. The fact is this... Fiction as we know it has been profoundly influenced by the Pulps. This essay, while intentionally short. (I promise much longer essays in the Future)is just the beginning of what I Hope to be many more.

But first a Brief History.

In 1896 Argosy magazine became an all fiction magazine. The paper it was printed on was made of cheap pulp wood. This is where we get the name for these magazines. over the years magazine would spawn many competitors. Who would absolutely in my opinion revolutionize what we read and how we read. It is my contention that the comic book superhero was born in these pages. Future essays will expound on this.

But lets look at few of the genre's presented and some of the hero's that were produced.

Western/Adventure- Zorro the idea of a wealthy nobleman who is inherently a playboy by day and costumed vigilante by night. He was created in 1919 by Johnston McCulley.

Crime/ Noir- The Shadow. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows HAHAHA. What made the character different is that he first appeared as a narrator on a radio show that dramatized stories From Detective Mystery Magazine. He would eventually become so popular he he would gain his own long running magazine.

Scifi/Adventure- Doc Savage. Clark Savage junior was raised by secret means to be the perfect human being. Along with his associates Monk, Ham, Rennie/Long Tom, Johnny and his cousin Patricia or pat Savage he used his extensive he used his extensive physical, financial, and mental resources to battle crime.

There are so many other genres and characters I could and will touch on in future essays. This essay I hope will just whet your appetite to know more and discover for your selves "The Joys Of The Pulps".