The Art of the Pulps: An Illustrated History

Great production values PLUS outstanding editorial commentary on the main pulp genres as well as for each of the full-color cover images reproduced (dozens and dozens)! RECOMMENDED

The Published Media That Millions of Americans Chose to Read for Fun I was stunned that I had actually seen so many of the pulp magazines shown in this volume. I felt very old when I realized some of my illustrated articles had been published in “Argosy.” Then I realized the reason for my familiarity with this group of publications--I’d worked in a used book store in high school and was exposed to many older publications including many western and detective novels. The used book store had a trading policy. People could bring in their old publications and trade them 2 for 1 of the same type and value. This insured that there was always a fresh supply of the older issues. That’s the same way I learned about the fetish photographs of Bettie Page. And more Interestingly, when Bettie Page gave up her career as a fetish model because of censorship she became a sun worshipper and appeared completely nude in slick nudist magazines. Her fetish photography fans flocked to the nudist publications featuring her, but those magazines weren’t on display on local news stands or stores and they sold like crazy. In this slick collection of Pulp Art one of the writer/collectors makes the point that “If you come away with nothing else…the art should leave you feeling good. As you make your way through these pages, you’ll encounter various degrees of artist talent—some highly imaginative practitioners, some more prosaic in their approach, but all fun.” Most of the artists who worked on the pulp publications had no hope of lasting artistic fame, most figured that the individual pulp magazine would survive for a week or two. When the next issue hit the newsstands the current issue would be pitched out with the trash. They would have been surprised and pleased to see their work released in a more lasting format with slick and high-quality paper such as this coffee table edition. “During the First Half of the 20th Century, the primary form of inexpensive fiction for the American reading public was the pulp magazine.” One of the first pulps to specialize was for “railroad man” fans. But that pulp was soon followed by pulps with sports stories, love stories, adventure, war stories, “Cops, Crooks & Private Dicks,” Cowboy and Indian, Tarzan, Horror and Terror, Sex & Sadism In Weird Menace Pulps, Spicy Mystery Novels, Adventures in Other Worlds & Science Fiction, minor Super Heroes like the Shadow & Sheena and various combinations of all the other pulp types. “By 1960. The rough-paper magazine had taken its final breath.” And the reasons for this demise of the pulps is outlined in the final chapter of this very readable coffee table art book. Its an amazing education of what millions of Americans chose

We didn't have anything quite like this when I started getting interested in pulps 10 years ago. There were some other books that covered some of the same ground, but not with this combination of excellent illustrations and concise but helpful text.The various authors of the essays are dedicated pulp culture enthusiasts with long years of experience. Ed Hulse, one of the editors, wrote The Blood 'n' Thunder Guide to Pulp Fiction, an excellent, detailed overview of the writing that can be found in pulps (much of which is well done, and a lot of fun). Hulse covers the western pulps in this volume, and "The Great Pulp Authors." He is the right guy to do these segments. Doug Ellis, who co-founded one of the best pulp conventions now running, The Windy City Pulp and Paper convention, has edited several pulp anthologies, and put together an excellent study of the "spicy" pulps, a 2003 award winner. David Saunders, whose father was the celebrated pulp cover artist Norman Saunders, has done more than anyone I know to preserve the art and biographies of numerous of the artists whose work is seen in these pages. Each of the other authors are notable contributors themselves.Why do some of us become so taken with the pulp world? I think these pages help make that clear. During their years of popularity (mainly the first half of the 20th Century), pulps were central to American popular culture. As one dives into this world, one can find both much of what we grew up with in terms of cultural icons (both admirable and perhaps less so at times...), as well as the seeds of what was to come. Television, comic books, and hip pocket paperbacks eventually brought about the demise of the pulps, but not before the pulps left their stamp on our world.In part because of the efforts of the people involved in this book, pulps can be collected and preserved by those of us who have the collecting bug (like me, I confess). A 60 - 70 year old pulp in great condition is a delight to behold. As this collection attests, the illustrators involved could paint figurative story-telling art with terrific skill, craft and imagination. It's becoming a bit of a lost art it seems, but here it is to enjoy. Further, several of the writers in this book are involved with the mini-industry of reprinting pulp fiction to enjoy today, without trying to read the darn pulps themselves (which tend to be rather fragile, for reasons explained along with the history of the pulps in this book).For me, reading and collecting pulps has brought some real pleasure into my life -- a world totally different from that in which I make a living, and, too, a wonderful microcosmic view of the beginnings of the culture we live in. If you can get through this book without getting hooked, I'll be a bit surprised.

How could the contributors to this book manage to write such dull histories of such fantastic pulp art and writing? We need writing about this wonderful stuff that is as outlandish and wild as the original works. Robinson & Davidson's 'Pulp Culture : the art of fiction magazines' has more lively and interesting accompanying text. But the art in both books is fabulous.

Beautifully-produced, lavishly-illustrated survey of pulp magazines. The colour cover reproductions are fantastic (there are also a few b/w interior illustrations), and the text is by various experts in the field. Similar to Frank Robinson's Pulp Culture of a couple of decades ago, but better overall.

Beautiful book, covering a variety of genres.Great quality images, love this book

All those gorgeous covers. Those colours. If you love the pulps, you’ll love this book. Looks great on anyone’s coffee table.

What a great book! Very informative, well-structured and fantastic quality of images.