Tag: Secrets

Three Pulp Tales: No fiction, only the truth

Tales discovered while searching for other stuff. Music to my ears JULIUS F. STONE says that rehabilitating Key West for the FERA has its ups and down.He gives an example. His staff had renovated a famous old sea-captain’s home down there in order to rent it to visitors. Stone rented the first floor apartment to… Continue reading Three Pulp Tales: No fiction, only the truth

Thirteen Pulp Tales – Secrets of Robert A. W. Lowndes, pulp juggler

This profile of Robert A. W. Lowndes appeared in a 1956 newspaper. WHIRL-A-JIGBY IRVING L. JOFFEE.NEW YORK. Sept. 23 (NANA).—A man who has never lived west of the Hudson and has always been a law-abiding citizen is sole editor of a baker’s dozen true life Western and mystery magazines. He is mild-mannered bespectacled Robert W… Continue reading Thirteen Pulp Tales – Secrets of Robert A. W. Lowndes, pulp juggler

Lon T. Williams : Weird writings of a Law Clerk

Lon T. Williams followed Robert E. Howard in writing weird westerns. Rather obscure, he was first republished by Larry Estep at pulpgen.com (which has now vanished into the aether). Williams’ stories of deputy sheriff Lee Winters, most of which appeared in Real Western Stories, are formulaic, with the hero encountering weirdness as he returns from… Continue reading Lon T. Williams : Weird writings of a Law Clerk

Elliott W. Michener: From Criminal to Author and Gardener

For nearly 30 years, Alcatraz was THE prison, the one no one escaped from. Al Capone was held there, as were Machine Gun Kelly, Mickey Cohen and other prominent gangsters. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice. 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape,… Continue reading Elliott W. Michener: From Criminal to Author and Gardener

Art of the Sale: The taxing business of illustration

In 1937, the City of New York tried to bring art into the ambit of the sales tax that had been passed three years earlier. Only to find out artists can be talented in more than one domain. From the La Grande Observer, Oregon, May 05, 1937 Artists Up In Arms Because Of The Sales… Continue reading Art of the Sale: The taxing business of illustration

Tricks of the trade: The Bargain Counter, Ace-High, May 1926

Most pulp magazines had regular letter columns and editorial departments. Ace-High, Clayton’s first pulp, offered The Bargain Counter, a department for people to exchange or trade items. It was quite popular, and if someone were to index it, would offer quite the look at pulp readership. I recently read the May 3, 1926 of Ace-High,… Continue reading Tricks of the trade: The Bargain Counter, Ace-High, May 1926

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