Lombard, IL - 2021 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention - September 10-12, 2021 0

[Pulpvault]

With the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention now just over two weeks away (September 10-12, 2021), we thought we’d post a bit about the show.  We’re very excited to be back; our last show was in April 2019, so it will be nearly two and a half years between shows, which is much too long!

And don't let the name fool you -- while pulps are the focus on the show, there will be plenty of vintage comics and original comic at the show.

As has been the case since our show in 2008, this year’s convention will be held at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, Lombard, Illinois. 

Our pre-registration figures are in line with those in previous years, and all 180 tables in our dealer room are sold out.

Obviously, in the new reality we’re currently living with, we’re tracking what restrictions or changes might be required at our convention.  Based on the latest news from Illinois, a mask mandate goes into effect on August 30, which we anticipate will be in place for the show.

As usual, we will have auctions on both Friday (September 10) and Saturday (September 11) nights, and this year’s auctions will truly be fantastic.

The Friday night auction features 200 lots of material from the estate of famed collector Robert Weinberg, while the Saturday night auction begins with 96 lots from the estate of Glenn Lord, literary executor for the Robert E. Howard estate, followed by 5 lots from the estate of author and Arkham House co-founder August Derleth, finishing up with several lots from other consignors.  And additional lots will be added to the Saturday night auction at the convention, to include material consigned there by convention attendees.

Among the highlights in this year’s auctions are:

- A fine copy of the October 1933 issue of Weird Tales, featuring the Margaret Brundage’s famous Batgirl cover (See photos in this post)

- A beautiful copy of the August 1929 issue of Weird Tales, featuring Robert E. Howard’s “The Shadow Kingdom” – the first sword and sorcery story!

- A lovely copy of the February 1928 issue of Weird Tales, featuring “The Call of Cthulhu” by H.P. Lovecraft

- Numerous other issues of Weird Tales, including several Conan issues, many in gorgeous condition (likely publisher file copies)

- Robert E. Howard’s incredibly scarce first book, “A Gent from Bear Creek”; fewer than 20 copies are known to exist

- Several letters to Robert E. Howard

- August Derleth’s rarest book, “Love Letters to Caitlin”, of which fewer than 20 copies exist

- Clark Ashton Smith’s “Ebony and Crystal” – inscribed and signed by this legendary fantasist to his friend, Robert E. Howard

- A rare signed letter from Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright to one of Weird Tales’ few female authors, Greye La Spina, from 1925

- The manuscript for “Divide and Rule” by L. Sprague de Camp, which ran in Unknown

-  A signed copy of “The Horror on the Asteroid” by Edmond Hamilton, the author’s first book

- Other signed items by H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth, Otis Adelbert Kline, Dean Koontz, Max Brand, Fritz Leiber, Zorro author Johnston McCulley, Spider author Norvell Page and many others

- The first year of the pulp Astounding Stories of Super-Science

- The only issue of the Amazing Stories Annual from 1927, featuring “The Master Mind of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs

- Complete runs of the pulps Unknown, Strange Stories and Tales of Magic and Mystery

- Many rare U.K. and Australian science fiction pulps and books

- Numerous Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft items

- Rare items by Clark Ashton Smith, including “The Star Treader and Other Poems,” “Nero and Other Poems” and the manuscript for “The Dragon-Fly”

- Many early Arkham House books, including Robert E. Howard’s “Skull-Face and Others”, H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Outsider and Others” and “August Derleth: Twenty-Five Years of Writing, 1926-1951”

- Frank Belknap Long’s rare “A Man from Genoa and Other Poems”, published in 1926 in an edition of less than 300 copies

- A complete bound set of the legendary fanzine, “The Acolyte”

- And much more!

The complete auction catalog, along with images, is now available on our website:

www.windycitypulpandpaper.com

You can also find updates on our Facebook page -- search FB for Windy City Pulp and Paper or go to:

https://www.facebook.com/windycitypulp/

The website has details on absentee bidding, for those who can’t make it to the convention.  Note, however, that we can't do absentee bids as part of the live auction at the con, but we will start the bidding at the high absentee bid, and if it does not get overbid, then the absentee bid would win.  We don't have the tech or the staff to do it differently.

But the auctions aren’t our only highlight!  Friday through Sunday, our massive dealer room will be buzzing, bursting with 180 six foot long tables, with roughly 100 dealers displaying pulps, vintage paperbacks, science fiction, fantasy & mystery hardcovers, golden and silver age comics, original science fiction, comic and other illustration art, movie memorabilia and more!

Our art show will feature a great display of art from the pulps Astounding and Black Mask.  As usual, our film programming, curated by Ed Hulse, will run Friday and Saturday, showing movies and serials based on pulp stories.  Our evening programming will include presentations on Edgar Rice Burroughs and Black Mask.  And Sunday morning will see New Pulp Sunday, programming devoted to the vibrant and colorful world of New Pulp organized by Ron Fortier of Airship 27 Productions.  And all attendees will get a copy of our fabulous convention book, put out by Tom Roberts of Black Dog Books.

We hope you’ll join us for the fun and excitement at this year’s Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention!  For more info, contact Doug Ellis at pulpvault@msn.com.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Pulpvault

[manetteska]

Is it possible to add an option for early bird access for each day of the show?

[Pulpvault]

On 8/28/2021 at 7:01 PM, manetteska said:

Is it possible to add an option for early bird access for each day of the show?

Other than Friday, there's no need for an early bird on Saturday or Sunday, as the dealers and the attendees get in at the same time on those days.  So Early Bird is only useful for those who want to get in early on Friday.

 

[manetteska]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:03 PM, Pulpvault said:

Other than Friday, there's no need for an early bird on Saturday or Sunday, as the dealers and the attendees get in at the same time on those days.  So Early Bird is only useful for those who want to get in early on Friday.

 

if it doesn’t do anything for Saturday or Sunday why is it called a three day early bird membership?

But more specifically then, can there be an early bird pass for just Friday?

Currently choices are $25 for Friday or $60 for early bird (3 days of entry).

[Pulpvault]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:51 PM, manetteska said:

if it doesn’t do anything for Saturday or Sunday why is it called a three day early bird membership?

But more specifically then, can there be an early bird pass for just Friday?

Currently choices are $25 for Friday or $60 for early bird (3 days of entry).

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear.  The Early Bird is a 3 day membership.  It allows you early access on Friday, as well as regular access on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday and Sunday, early birds, regular three day membership and single day memberships all enter at the same time.  There is no one day Early Bird option; if you purchase Early Bird, it's a special three day membership, but the special feature is early admission on Friday.  Otherwise, it's the same as a regular three day membership. 

[manetteska]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:14 PM, Pulpvault said:

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear.  The Early Bird is a 3 day membership.  It allows you early access on Friday, as well as regular access on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday and Sunday, early birds, regular three day membership and single day memberships all enter at the same time.  There is no one day Early Bird option; if you purchase Early Bird, it's a special three day membership, but the special feature is early admission on Friday.  Otherwise, it's the same as a regular three day membership. 

I understand there is not a Friday early  option by itself. I’m wondering if it can be added as an option. 
 

For some attendees it’s a one day show, and it’s quite a jump from $25 to $60 (and not using the Saturday and Sunday pass). Additionally, many deals are made very early in this show (even in the hour where it’s dealers only) so early bird is the best option. 

[Pulpvault]

On 8/28/2021 at 11:38 PM, manetteska said:

I understand there is not a Friday early  option by itself. I’m wondering if it can be added as an option. 
 

For some attendees it’s a one day show, and it’s quite a jump from $25 to $60 (and not using the Saturday and Sunday pass). Additionally, many deals are made very early in this show (even in the hour where it’s dealers only) so early bird is the best option. 

We can think about it for down the road, but for this year it's not an option.