Author: Sai S

The Female of the Species: Gunslinging Gerta

Back in the early days of the American film industry, movies starring women in leading roles weren’t uncommon. Helen Holmes (Hazards of Helen, 1914-1917) and Pearl White (Perils of Pauline. 1914) showed that women could do action movies whether set on the ground, sky and water. Till the early 1920s, when movies transitioned from serials… Continue reading The Female of the Species: Gunslinging Gerta

Flappers, Cowboys, Slabbing and your guides to the pulp world

Recently, a reader of this blog reached out to me and asked for suggestions for pulp authors to read, having exhausted this blog. Part of this blog is for him and other passers-by. But first, the flappers Flappers A review of the book: Cowboys Louis L’Amour takes a look back on the history and mythology… Continue reading Flappers, Cowboys, Slabbing and your guides to the pulp world

Review: Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine: So bad it’s good

Most of the time, I review pulps that I like after having read them. Not so with Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine (FGSAM). Reading it was like watching a badly-made B-movie, and since Mystery Science Theatre 3000 showed that an audience exists that appreciates such a thing, here’s my attempt to grab a slice of… Continue reading Review: Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine: So bad it’s good

Richard McKenna: How to become a professional writer

The Wikipedia article on Richard McKenna covers his life and fiction reasonably well. But if you’re feeling lazy, I asked ChatGPT to summarize it for you. Richard McKenna (1913–1964) was an American naval officer and author known for his acclaimed debut novel, The Sand Pebbles(1962). Born in Idaho, McKenna served in the U.S. Navy for… Continue reading Richard McKenna: How to become a professional writer

Bill Gulick: No horsing around, and other secrets of a writer

A profile of Bill Gulick that originally appeared in the Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review dated July 20, 1958. I’ve added a few excerpts from another article in the Tacoma, Washington News-Tribune dated June 26, 1948. Gulick Brings Old West Alive By Jay Kalez IF BILL GULICK, Walla Walla’s prolific novelist and writer of Saturday Evening Post… Continue reading Bill Gulick: No horsing around, and other secrets of a writer

Negatives, Dragon’s Blood and Acid. How line drawings were reproduced

I’ve always been interested in all aspects of pulp production including how they reproduced line drawings in the pulps. The same process worked for stylistically very different artists like Hannes Bok, Virgil Finlay, Edd Cartier, Nick Eggenhoffer, Arthur Rodman Bowker, Dorothy Flack  and John R. Flanagan. Read on and find out how they did it.… Continue reading Negatives, Dragon’s Blood and Acid. How line drawings were reproduced

Carbon Copy: The Secret Home Life of an Authors’ Typist

You’ll learn here how one girl’s spare-time work at home became a full-time job—a “specialty” that she finds very satisfactory MARIAN PEHOWSKI “COMANCHE yells split the air as Dan Drew peered around the clearing before the shack. Suddenly, bang ! Bang! Pow—” An Indian raid or a double murder, it’s all in a day’s work… Continue reading Carbon Copy: The Secret Home Life of an Authors’ Typist

Original painting of a magazine cover, absolutely free

A bit late for those of us born later than 1936, unfortunately. If you were born before then, give a good excuse for why you don’t have one or share a photo of your original cover painting. Excerpted from the January 1936 issue of Gold Seal Detective, which would have been on the newsstands from… Continue reading Original painting of a magazine cover, absolutely free