Last week, we took a look at the May 1938 issue of Western Trails. Let’s now look at the November 1943 issue. Cover by John Krank, which could be a pseudonym. The content structure looks similar to the earlier issue, two novelettes, seven short stories and one fact article. Western Trails [Vol. XXXVII No. 3,… Continue reading Off-beat Tales: Western Trails, November 1943
Tag: Western
Off-beat Tales: Review of Western Trails, May 1938
Why read a second-tier title like Western Trails? Most of my western reading in the pulps has been from Street & Smith’s Western Story. I’ve also sampled Doubleday’s West, Popular Publications’ Dime Western, Star Western and a few issues of Clayton’s Cowboy Stories and Ace-High. Flirted with a few Ranch Romances. But the western was… Continue reading Off-beat Tales: Review of Western Trails, May 1938
Action Packed Western Stories: A writer’s creed
MUCH as the swift-moving Western story offends the ultra-cultured tastes of the intelligentsia, it has made for itself a very definite place in American literature. It may not be “art,” as the literati consider art. It may lack the polish of urban tales or the heart-throbs of bucolic stories. But it has something of which… Continue reading Action Packed Western Stories: A writer’s creed
3 Pulp Tales: Words are money, Speed thrills and more
Three pulp tales from the newspapers. Words are Money Since basic pulp pay is a cent per word, and since the creation of any sort of fiction is to most authors slow and difficult labor, the majority of practitioners in pulp are poorly paid. But there are others who through long practice, have mastered the… Continue reading 3 Pulp Tales: Words are money, Speed thrills and more
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
Saddle Up for Love: Ranch Romances, Sep 21, 1956
Ranch Romances was Harold Hersey’s biggest success, started in 1924. A title so profitable it lasted nearly fifty years. The issue I;m reviewing is from September 21 1956. But before we take a look inside this issue, let’s look around. 1956 is a bad time in the pulp market. From 65 issues a month just… Continue reading Saddle Up for Love: Ranch Romances, Sep 21, 1956
Million word man: Utah writer Frank C. Robertson
Frank C. Robertson, of Springville, prolific western writer who is now hard at work on a new book, says he’ll be glad when the European war is over and the Britishers get back to their reading again. This Utah writer has had about 65 novels appear in book form in Great Britain, of which about… Continue reading Million word man: Utah writer Frank C. Robertson
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
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