Flex Mentallo

Intervention be damned - keep 'em coming, oh master of the deck!

If you start feeling bad about your books, just think about mine. Most are faded, water damaged, rusty staples, dry paper, extra staples, you name it. If one looks good it was either an accident or it has some hidden flaw (but rest assured that they are loved just the same It's not what they look like that counts, but who they are inside.Looks can fade, but quality never dims.

They still feel futuristic, if not downright prescient!

i) they are usually good, sometimes great - look out for issues with Everett and Heath art ii)Jim's grading is usually sound, especially in the low to midgrades - maybe less sure by current standards on the very high grades - say, VF and above.

I'm with you BB, the content generally sucks, but you have to give it to the writers, who came up with such highly colorful titles month after month. Even so, apologists who claim that they are what pulps evolved into conveniently neglect the fact that the pulp writers were incomparable, while the magazine writers were journeymen at best. But above all, what is missing from the magazines but fully present in the pulps at all times is - not high adventure - but high romance! And I dont mean Mills and Boone! Something, some essence, was lost in the war years...

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this one BZ - having taken a look through a fair few mags and done a little more research, the gist of it is that while the pulp artists found a home working for Martin Goodman and other magazine publishers after the war, the wonderful pulp writers apparently did not. It's difficult to be certain, because from what I can gather, the majority of stories were written under pseudonym. Also, much of the content while claiming to be based more or less on real life experiences, were simply made up by the authors. One writer made the mistake of writing about a mythical agency on the west coast that arranged marriages for reformed prostitutes - and the offices were allegedly besieged by lonely men! Anyway, harking back to adventure covers, here are a few by Mort Kunstler - who never worked for the pulps as far as I know, but did make a reputation for himself as a historical painter - especially of the civil war - and the last one is by Bama.

Compliments to BZ, Steve and Ryan for posting the wonderful pulps! Keep 'em coming boys - I'm only sorry I have nothing to contribute, but maybe one day!

...and - oh joy - the complete Golden Amazon stories! http://www.batteredbox.com/LostTreasures/10-GoldenAmazon3V.htm

Seeing Steve's great Weird tales pick ups reminded me that while I have no originals, I do have this rather nice book with lots of repros. It was published by Jupiter Press in the UK circa 1979, though I imagine there is a preceding US imprint? Anyway, here are a few of the covers reproduced. (I daresay BZ has copies of ther originals!) This set me to wondering what other great compilations might be out there - I have one or two myself if they would be of interest.

You guys had a party last night, and as usual I missed most of the fun. So I will do my catching up - again as usual - while you are all sleeping. (Apart from Annihilus, who apparently never sleeps.) That April 1934 is just such a fantastic cover, and the colors really "pop" on that copy Steve! I am probably going to content myself with Girasol facsimiles - my first order is lined up and almost ready to ship. (I'm slightlyasthmatic and even magazines can get me a bit wheezy, so I thought I'd steer clear of the originals.) But Steve's adventures in pulp collecting are enough to make me change my mind.... Just one problem though - I'm living on the wrong bloody continent!

I love your collection, Pat. Like I've said previously, you've got lots of stuff that no one else is sharing with us. Thanks. ...which all contributes to the richness and fascination of this thread.

Hmmmm - good question! I will take a look...

"Wow!" indeed! The back story to our hobby is often where the real adventure lies!

Hear hear! I love the rising sun logo on this one!

Another pith helmet!

I'm particularly partial to some of the wildlife covers myself - especially whales and polar bears! (Go figure) Here is another whale of a cover, by Kunstler:

Jack Hearne ( who drew the Four Most covers I believe):

Stan Borack:

My favourite Kunstler:

Mort Kunstler:

John Styga:

Raphael de Soto (you should have lots of pulp covers by him BZ!):

more than happy to oblige! George Eisenberg: