Pulpvault

One of the more risque spicy pulp bondage covers. French Frolics January 1934.

One of the more risque spicy pulp bondage covers. French Frolics January 1934.

I didn't say I didn't own a Nick Carter stamp.

Author Ryerson Johnson had a long career in the pulps, but is probably best remembered among pulp fans for the three Doc Savage novels he ghost wrote. But Doc wasn't the only hero pulp that Ryerson wrote a lead novel for. He also wrote one Phantom Detective novel, "The Silent Death", which appeared under the Robert Wallace house name in the December 1936 issue. I acquired this copy several years ago from Ryerson's daughter, and on the table of contents, next to the story title, Ryerson has written "ghost Ryerson Johnson".

I have several issues of the pulp, Nick Carter Magazine, which were purchased (I assume off the newsstand) by a big fan of the magazine. He or she was a member of the Nick Carter Club, and picked up the Nick Carter Club stamp, which they then proceeded to stamp the pulp covers with. They were member B451. Usually I'm not a fan of stamp marks on pulp covers, but I think these are pretty cool.

I have several issues of the pulp, Nick Carter Magazine, which were purchased (I assume off the newsstand) by a big fan of the magazine. He or she was a member of the Nick Carter Club, and picked up the Nick Carter Club stamp, which they then proceeded to stamp the pulp covers with. They were member B451. Usually I'm not a fan of stamp marks on pulp covers, but I think these are pretty cool.

It was a bit of a gloomy, rainy morning here, so it seems appropriate to post another Ghost Stories. This is the April 1929 issue, which features Robert E. Howard's only contribution to this title. His story, "The Apparition in the Prize Ring," appeared under the name John Taverel.

A friend of mine posted the cover to his copy of the November 1929 issue of Ghost Stories in one of the FB pulp groups a few days ago. Today I was buzzed by some giant insect when I was outside for a few minutes so this cover image came back to me, though fortunately the insect that buzzed me wasn't quite so large and lacked the skulls on its wings. But I thought I'd scan and post my copy. The artist is John Drew.

Our friendly neighborhood UPS man delivered this yesterday. By the great Earle Bergey, it was used as the cover for the December 1930 issue of Snappy.

Our friendly neighborhood UPS man delivered this yesterday. By the great Earle Bergey, it was used as the cover for the December 1930 issue of Snappy.

It sold for $3100 at Windy City.

You can see the original painting in this shot.

I picked up this ashcan issue of Modern Detective at the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention last weekend. Dated August 1934 (v1n1), this copy was received by the Library of Congress on June 18,1934. It was published by The Lans Publishing Co., Publishers, in Mount Morris, IL. Thomas H. Dyson was both editor and President. The ashcan is small, only 36 pages, most of which is devoted to "Murder on the Gold Coast" by former Weird Tales editor Edwin Baird. I don't know if this was a retitled reprint of an earlier Baird story. The last two pages are an editorial, "Who Reads Detective Stories." I believe that Modern Detective was intended to be a pulp, but it never appeared on the newsstand. Nor does The Lans Publishing Co. appear to have ever published anything else.

Windy City Pulp Stories #21 (the program book for the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention) can now be ordered on Amazon. This year's book is devoted to Fiction House, publishers of Planet Stories. https://www.amazon.com/Windy-City-Pulp-Stories-no-21/dp/1884449867/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OIMI72KGTICK&keywords=windy+city+pulp+stories&qid=1652453820&sprefix=windy+city+pulp+stories%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1

Prize Air Pilot Stories was a short-lived pulp, running three issues from November 1929 through March 1930, before being renamed Fighting Air Pilot Stories for one issue dated June 1930. I'd seen the last three issues before, but had never spotted the first issue. At last weekend's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention, I managed to find (and buy) the first issue. It turns out it's a small (roughly 4.25" x 6.5"), 8 page ashcan. It contains one story, "Lost War-Birds" by Edmund Ingersoll Leeds, Jr.

Among the rare pulps in the auctions at this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, IL), is this issue of Juicy Tales. Bearing a cover date of November 1929, it would prove to be the first and only issue; with its second issue, it was renamed Joy Stories (nearly equally as rare). Published by Merwil Publishing, this was one of Harry Donenfeld’s first pulp publishing companies (in conjunction with Frank Armer and Merle Hersey). Donenfeld and Armer would later launch Culture Publications and the Spicy chain of pulps, and Donenfeld would later take over what became DC Comics.

Among the rare pulps in the auctions at this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, IL), is this issue of Juicy Tales. Bearing a cover date of November 1929, it would prove to be the first and only issue; with its second issue, it was renamed Joy Stories (nearly equally as rare). Published by Merwil Publishing, this was one of Harry Donenfeld’s first pulp publishing companies (in conjunction with Frank Armer and Merle Hersey). Donenfeld and Armer would later launch Culture Publications and the Spicy chain of pulps, and Donenfeld would later take over what became DC Comics.

Among the rare pulps in the auctions at this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, IL), is this issue of Juicy Tales. Bearing a cover date of November 1929, it would prove to be the first and only issue; with its second issue, it was renamed Joy Stories (nearly equally as rare). Published by Merwil Publishing, this was one of Harry Donenfeld’s first pulp publishing companies (in conjunction with Frank Armer and Merle Hersey). Donenfeld and Armer would later launch Culture Publications and the Spicy chain of pulps, and Donenfeld would later take over what became DC Comics.

The program book for the 2022 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-May 8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) arrived today. Published by Tom Roberts of Black Dog Books, this one features 130 pages of material on, or reprinted from, the Fiction House pulp chain.

The program book for the 2022 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-May 8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) arrived today. Cover is from an issue of Planet Stories. Published by Tom Roberts of Black Dog Books, this one features 130 pages of material on, or reprinted from, the Fiction House pulp chain.

According to an article back in the day in Life magazine, in 1962 with the Burroughs boom in paperbacks, one in every 30 paperbacks sold in the country was by Burroughs. That's a lot of Tarzan books sold (just in that one year), beyond of course his appearances in pulps, hardcovers, comics, movies and radio. I did a brief article on it a few years back that ran on Black Gate: https://www.blackgate.com/2020/12/31/the-burroughs-boom/

The auction images for this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) are being loaded in the next few days to our website (www.windycitypulpandpaper.com). The first 100 lots for Friday are on there now, and instructions on how to bid are at the website's first Friday night auction page. In the meantime, you can download or view the catalog and the images here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hpby1vfm8mh1u13/AAD5FO0PIWrw4zci6avaegxca?dl=0

The auction images for this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) are being loaded in the next few days to our website (www.windycitypulpandpaper.com). The first 100 lots for Friday are on there now, and instructions on how to bid are at the website's first Friday night auction page. In the meantime, you can download or view the catalog and the images here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hpby1vfm8mh1u13/AAD5FO0PIWrw4zci6avaegxca?dl=0

The auction images for this year's Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (May 6-8, 2022 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) are being loaded in the next few days to our website (www.windycitypulpandpaper.com). The first 100 lots for Friday are on there now, and instructions on how to bid are at the website's first Friday night auction page. In the meantime, you can download or view the catalog and the images here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hpby1vfm8mh1u13/AAD5FO0PIWrw4zci6avaegxca?dl=0

The original cover to Avon Fantasy Reader #9, by Ann Cantor, for Clark Ashton Smith's "The Flower-Women".