Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention 2018 3 3

[PopKulture]

For those of you who couldn't attend the 2018 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention, here is a cursory peek. It's definitely got that old-time comic convention feel but in a more spacious ballroom at the Westin in Lombard, Illinois. No cos-players (they were at C2E2 some twenty miles east) and very little in the way of new merch (except for pulp reprints and what not). There are several contemporary authors and artists set up, but I'm more focused on the good ol' stuff as I'm sure most of you are as well, so that's what I tried most to capture. It's a show with something for everyone, with some people (including yours truly) hunting two dollar mapbacks and others nailing down some bigger game (like the gent I met who just bagged a Young Allies 1!). The show certainly has its share of great original art as well, from vintage pulp and paperback cover art as well as some killer comic pages. Anyway, as Jackie Gleason used to say: And away we go!!

From these first few pics, you can see it's just us diehard curmudgeons that show up. You'd be hard-pressed to bump elbows with too many people unless someone pulls Robert E. Howard's typewriter out of a 708 box.

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

Entering the hall to our right we find the bountiful pulp goodness of Adventure House: 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

Continuing on, we find dealer after dealer with an eclectic mix, like this wonderful hodgepodge of movie memorabilia, pulp fiction, comics, etc.

There's a lot of love for Burroughs at the con, as hinted at in this great display case:

[PopKulture]

I filled a few holes in my early Dells at this booth and picked up some other nice paperbacks as well as a Lois Lane I didn't have (can't wait to read it - yeah, you read that right!):

[PopKulture]

This booth is a must-stop for serious readers. These guys are the nicest guys to talk to and they boast encyclopedic knowledge whatever the genre: sleaze, JD, hard-boiled - you name it. They made sure I had my reading homework as I freely admitted I'm too focused on the cover art and have too long ignored those little things inside: words.

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Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[Randall Dowling]

Loving this report!  

[PopKulture]

I've seen a lot of mags in my day, but I had never seen this bedsheet before:

[PopKulture]

If this assortment doesn't get your heart racing at least a tad, you're in the WRONG thread!  

[PopKulture]

Whether you're parked between my little old lady friends at the local postcard show or mining high grade at SDCC, box diving always delivers a thrill:

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

This seamless row of bookcases spans the booth of a real ERB diehard and a gentlemen who passionately carries on his father's legacy and love for "lost" cities and civilizations - a great genre itself that I admit no immunity to:

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

I freely admit to stopping by this booth every year to pick up some cool paperbacks, and this show was no exception. I just hope my new Avon Leopard Men and Burn Witch Burn are the upgrades I think they are and not just another dupe!!

 

p.s. if you look front row middle, you'll see a copy of Elmer Gantry peeking out - the very first Avon paperback!! 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

While the Windy City show may lack the pre-Robin Tecs of the larger shows (we'll get to comics later), it holds its own when it comes to killer illustration art. I've been privileged every year to see the works of artists like Avati, Baumhofer, Chiriacka, Saunders, Ward, Gross, Belarski, Freas, Emsh, Finlay, Whitcomb, and on and on - even stuff by James Montgomery Flagg and Joseph Clement Coll.

p.s. The show IS big enough however that we had a Carbo sighting or two... 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

So many great books at this show, like these beauties in their perfectly pleasing dust jackets:

Whether you're hunting Arkhams or Gnome Press, there's bound to be something here to make you smile. I've even seen things like first state Jules Verne and Bram Stroker's "Dracula." Now THAT'S something you don't see everyday. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

Some more random goodness including a Clayton Astounding right there in the middle:

[PopKulture]

There are always a few gents who offer great vintage sci-fi from across the pond, which I myself don't collect (since I'm stubbornly provincial) but that I do admire the heck out of.

[PopKulture]

Superman 12?? Yes, sir!

If you can remember when Feature Books ruled the day along with the Ducks, then you just might have as much grey hair as me.

[PopKulture]

I was tickled to see the original cover art to "The Ant Men," long since one of my favorite sci-fi covers.

[PopKulture]

For you pulp lovers, move along: nothing to see here... 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

Back-to-back killer booths from two friendly and knowledgeable art dealers:

To think, I'm happy finding the mags or books that these paintings appeared on while a small handful of lucky folks get to hang the real thing above their mantle. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by PopKulture

[PopKulture]

That Iron Man 55 can stay, Dave, but thank goodness you took down those NM 98's to make room for some killer detective mags. It's a pulp show, after all.