Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values? 25 25

[jimjum12]

I guess it's going to be the same here in Paperback-land as it was in Comic-ville, I'm to be amongst just a few who appreciate a good war book. Oh well, more for me, I suppose. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Edited April 17 by jimjum12

[OtherEric]

On 4/17/2024 at 9:44 AM, jimjum12 said:

I guess it's going to be the same here in Paperback-land as it was in Comic-ville, I'm to be amongst just a few who appreciate a good war book. Oh well, more for me I suppose. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Well, I've got complete runs of Two Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, so you can count me among those who appreciate a good war comic.  Let's see if I can find a few paperbacks to share as well:

 

[OtherEric]

Today's books.  High Heel Homicide, in particular, is just a classic example of a tastefully lurid paperback, isn't it? 

[Darwination]

KILLER batch today, Eric.  I'm not sure I'm putting High Heel Homicide in the "tasteful" category, but I likey   I actually prefer the cover for Night Drop, the double going on my pb huntlist - which is getting longer and longer by the day

I like the cover on Long Pig, too, what's the back look like?

[Black Cactus]

On 4/17/2024 at 9:44 AM, jimjum12 said:

 

 

 

My grandfather was a frogman in WWII. 

A little history... The Frogmen were the group that the Navy Seals originated from. As depicted in this book cover, one common task for the frogmen was to deactivate naval mines. From what my grandfather told me however, they never wore scuba tanks as they could risk bumping into the mines and the impact of metal on metal could trigger an explosion. Instead, the frogmen held their breath and cut into the navel mines with hand tools (while free diving in freezing ocean waters) in order to defuse them.

My grandfather and other frogmen were among other things, given "a pouch of herbs and chemicals to be worn at the waist, that will keep the sharks away." From what I remember him telling me, all they had was a swim suit, their tool kit, and their trusty bag of shark repellent.

The Navy frogmen received special training during WWII, and my grandfather's swim coach in the navy was Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who played Tarzan in the original black and white Tarzan movies. He was also an olympic medal swimmer and trained Frogmen during WWII. Apparently Johnny was quite the playboy of his day, being an olympian and hollywood star who spent his free time training the troops.

My grandfather was 6'7", and in order to get into the Navy his local recruiting officer (a friend of my grandfather's) lied on his application and said he was 5'11". Due to the small size of the ship's below deck quarters, you legally couldn't join the Navy if you were above a certain height.

He ended up being the tallest man in the US Navy during WWII, and I have a post-war newspaper clipping about this fact to prove the story.   During one of his landings in the Pacific Islands, he got separated from his team and was traveling through the local jungle on foot. He was ambushed by a small group of indiginous fighters, who upon seeing him, immediately fled. My grandpa believed it may have been because they had never seen a white man before, and certainly not one as tall as him. (Disclaimer: my grandpa never harmed anyone in the war that I know of, and was the most gentle of souls).

[pmpknface]

On 4/17/2024 at 2:25 PM, Black Cactus said:

My grandfather was a frogman in WWII. 

A little history... The Frogmen were the group that the Navy Seals originated from. As depicted in this book cover, one common task for the frogmen was to deactivate naval mines. From what my grandfather told me however, they never wore scuba tanks as they could risk bumping into the mines and the impact of metal on metal could trigger an explosion. Instead, the frogmen held their breath and cut into the navel mines with hand tools (while free diving in freezing ocean waters) in order to defuse them.

My grandfather and other frogmen were among other things, given "a pouch of herbs and chemicals to be worn at the waist, that will keep the sharks away." From what I remember him telling me, all they had was a swim suit, their tool kit, and their trusty bag of shark repellent.

The Navy frogmen received special training during WWII, and my grandfather's swim coach in the navy was Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who played Tarzan in the original black and white Tarzan movies. He was also an olympic medal swimmer and trained Frogmen during WWII. Apparently Johnny was quite the playboy of his day, being an olympian and hollywood star who spent his free time training the troops.

My grandfather was 6'7", and in order to get into the Navy his local recruiting officer (a friend of my grandfather's) lied on his application and said he was 5'11". Due to the small size of the ship's below deck quarters, you legally couldn't join the Navy if you were above a certain height.

He ended up being the tallest man in the US Navy during WWII, and I have a post-war newspaper clipping about this fact to prove the story.   During one of his landings in the Pacific Islands, he got separated from his team and was traveling through the local jungle on foot. He was ambushed by a small group of indiginous fighters, who upon seeing him, immediately fled. My grandpa believed it may have been because they had never seen a white man before, and certainly not one as tall as him. (Disclaimer: my grandpa never harmed anyone in the war that I know of, and was the most gentle of souls).

This is the coolest thing I'll hear all week.  

[Black Cactus]

Just read a blurb about Johnny Weissmuller. Not only did he win 5 Olympic gold medals while setting several world records, he also starred in 12 Tarzan movies and did many of his own stunts including riding a wild rhino     

Edited April 17 by Black Cactus

[Pat Calhoun]

just read a great war-/-detective crossover: a WWII flashback where Blake is sent aboard a Brit warship escorting a merchant convoy to Murmansk with the job of finding the traitor who's communicating their location to U-boats in the area. The icy waters add an eerie backdrop as suspense mounts each time the convoy is attacked. The scene where the gunnery officer shoots down a plane was particular meaningful to me as my dad was a star gunnery officer back in the day: I can almost hear those big booms...

[OtherEric]

On 4/17/2024 at 11:19 AM, Darwination said:

KILLER batch today, Eric.  I'm not sure I'm putting High Heel Homicide in the "tasteful" category, but I likey   I actually prefer the cover for Night Drop, the double going on my pb huntlist - which is getting longer and longer by the day

I like the cover on Long Pig, too, what's the back look like?

It's just a wall of text, mostly, with a small single color cameo of the three faces at the top of the front cover.

[Number 6]

On 4/17/2024 at 11:25 AM, Black Cactus said:

My grandfather and other frogmen were among other things, given "a pouch of herbs and chemicals to be worn at the waist, that will keep the sharks away." From what I remember him telling me, all they had was a swim suit, their tool kit, and their trusty bag of shark repellent.
 

I find this part a bit suspect. Everyone knows shark repellent comes in aerosol form. 
 

[moonpool]

[Surfing Alien]

On 4/17/2024 at 6:20 PM, moonpool said:

[Surfing Alien]

Here's a nice example of a Digest, this one of the periodical type with a suwheet Saunders bondage cover

[Darwination]

I'm totally down with the crime -digests- as fitting the bill.  Periodical.  Correct size.  Heck, it's why we call em digests. Humor digests, too, even if they don't fit the part of the possible definition of a collection of stories from various sources which gets left out here when we're talking about paperbacks (i.e. reader's digest, SF reprint digests).

I'm a little more iffy on some of what I have traditionally thought of as paperbacks being called digests.  I've got modern paperbacks that fit the size parameters of a digest and many a periodical that would fit in a digest bag that I wouldn't call a digest even if we specify their dimensions as saying digest-sized  

Some of the paperback series went out to the newsstands/retailers on a regular schedule in the forties into the early fifties which I was thinking had something to do with the digest label.

I'm happy enough to stick with a simple definition based on the size when it comes to the PBs, though that does seem to exclude modern books of the same dimensions somewhat arbitrarily

Really, I'm a convention follower, though, and solely a stranger in a strange land with some of the paperbacks stuffs...

[Surfing Alien]

This too is a nice example of a Digest. This one of the numbered, individual novel type highly prevalent in the 40's - 60's with a suwheet GGA cover of Dr. Wertham engaging in what he engaged in when he wasn't having headlight fantasies about Phantom Lady 

Digests are easy. I know 'em when I see 'em. These are them 

 

[Surfing Alien]

@moonpool owns a few digests 

[Surfing Alien]

On 4/17/2024 at 6:59 PM, Darwination said:

I'm happy enough to stick with a simple definition based on the size when it comes to the PBs, though that does seem to exclude modern books of the same dimensions somewhat arbitrarily

Moderns aren't vintage so it's a fair exclusion. We're really talking about 40's-60's although there's a fair amount into the 70's and early 80's with comic book material digests 

[moonpool]

On 4/17/2024 at 7:10 PM, Surfing Alien said:

@moonpool owns a few digests 

I would say of the American digests, high grade originals are really nice, esp the darker covers.

[Surfing Alien]

Digest?  

 

[Darwination]

I may have to go to a meeting or something.  I seem to be picking up a habit   New one in today:

I've had an interest in Quantrill from a young age, as I come from Lawrence, KS, a town he raided during the Civil War.   We had a great flea market by the name for many years.  I wish I could take the time machine back there right now and pick up some of these paperbacks that were no doubt all over the place.

George Appell was prolific in the pulps from the late 40s until their demise appearing in Adventure, Argosy, Short Stories, Detective Tales  as well as many western titles in addition to some slick appearances. The hero of the book, Curtis Blakeman, was an ancestor of Appell.

Not sure I've noticed the cover artist, Robert Schulz, before (not exactly why I picked the book), but it looks like he did some work in the sweats both on covers and splashes as well as some notable paperback covers.

OA for The Big Boodle, a Robert Sylvester book I've got on my "target of opportunity" list

OA for PKD's The World That Jones Made, fetched 60 grand a couple years ago.  Because PKD fans be crazy

Edited April 18 by Darwination