Signed pulps? 2 2

[Cushing Fan]

A question for the pulp collectors here - are there any signed pulps from the 1940s or 1950s out there? I would think the chances are slim as many of the artists and writers of pulps have since passed (and unfortunately CGC just only recently started grading pulps) . For my recent acquisition of The Spider pulp - I was able to track down a signed check by publisher Harry Steeger who originally created the character.  The check was made out to writer Joe Archibald who wrote for the Daredevil Aces pulp. 

Edited June 20 by Cushing Fan

[RedFury]

Signed pulps in general are pretty scarce.  I've seen one signed by Lovecraft.  I have a copy of the 1st Buck Rogers in Amazing signed by E.E. Smith at his story "The Skylark of Space" (arguably the more important story in the issue).  I also have Tennessee Wiliiams' signature in the Weird Tales issue he was in, his first published work.  And I have pulps signed by Robert Bloch and Virgil Finlay.

[Hibou]

When I went to PulpFest last year, there was one dealer who had quite a few signed copies of various pulps... I'll look through my pictures to see if anyone knows who this is.

[jimjum12]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:18 PM, RedFury said:

Signed pulps in general are pretty scarce.  I've seen one signed by Lovecraft.  I have a copy of the 1st Buck Rogers in Amazing signed by E.E. Smith at his story "The Skylark of Space" (arguably the more important story in the issue).  I also have Tennessee Wiliiams' signature in the Weird Tales issue he was in, his first published work.  And I have pulps signed by Robert Bloch and Virgil Finlay.

All kept here, I presume? ... in your private reading room?  GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Edited June 20 by jimjum12

[Darwination]

On 6/20/2024 at 2:47 PM, Cushing Fan said:

A question for the pulp collectors here - are there any signed pulps from the 1940s or 1950s out there? I would think the chances are slim as many of the artists and writers of pulps have since passed (and unfortunately CGC just only recently started grading pulps) . For my recent acquisition of The Spider pulp - I was able to track down a signed check by publisher Harry Steeger who originally created the character.  The check was made out to writer Joe Archibald who wrote for the Daredevil Aces pulp. 

Cool pulp artifact!

I didn't know Steeger created The Spider, but it's not too surprising, as I assume he was out to get in on the hero pulp action.

Joe Archibald was incredibly prolific.  His chronological listing of stories at Fictionmags goes from the late 20s into the late 50s and spans a number genres - aviation/war, westerns, detectives, and sports.  He later worked in the digests and also authored over 50 books.  His own estimate is that he wrote over 8 million words of fiction.

http://www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/i00/i00181.htm#A45

http://www.pulpartists.com/Archibald.html

 

Edited June 20 by Darwination

[Hibou]

I guess I don't have a picture and I can't really see anything in the walkthrough video either. 

Sorry.

[Cushing Fan]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:56 PM, Darwination said:

Cool pulp artifact!

I didn't know Steeger created The Spider, but it's not too surprising, as I assume he was out to get in on the hero pulp action.

Joe Archibald was incredibly prolific.  His chronological listing of stories at Fictionmags goes from the late 20s into the late 50s and spans a number genres - aviation/war, westerns, detectives, and sports.  He later worked in the digests and also authored over 50 books.  His own estimate is that he wrote over 8 million words of fiction.

http://www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/i00/i00181.htm#A45

http://www.pulpartists.com/Archibald.html

 

Yes, it seems Steeger was very interested in creating a new character in the same vein as The Shadow. 

[RedFury]

"Tennessee" Williams signed pulp.  He was just 17 when this came out, his first published work.

  

[Cushing Fan]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:30 PM, Hibou said:

When I went to PulpFest last year, there was one dealer who had quite a few signed copies of various pulps... I'll look through my pictures to see if anyone knows who this is.

I would love to know the name of the dealer. 

[comicjack]

Signed by Rafael DeSoto on the cape he had a pretty long career as an artist.

[Cushing Fan]

On 6/20/2024 at 6:03 PM, comicjack said:

Signed by Rafael DeSoto on the cape he had a pretty long career as an artist.

That's awesome!

[davet75]

On 6/20/2024 at 5:51 PM, RedFury said:

"Tennessee" Williams signed pulp.  He was just 17 when this came out, his first published work.

  

That's an incredible signature, very desirable signed pulp!  Especially considering Williams died in 1983.  Maybe it's just my experience, but I find more pulps signed by the authors than the illustrators/artists.  I have a beat and coverless copy of Weird Tales signed by Jack Williamson from his personal collection.  Probably worthless, but I find it extremely cool.

[Sarg]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:51 PM, RedFury said:

"Tennessee" Williams signed pulp.  He was just 17 when this came out, his first published work.

  

"If Poe were alive he would undoubtedly be a contributor." What chutzpah! 

[dickymoe74]

On 6/20/2024 at 3:03 PM, comicjack said:

Signed by Rafael DeSoto on the cape he had a pretty long career as an artist.

Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Don't see this everyday...........

[dickymoe74]

Planet Stories Fall 1954 - cover signed by = Kelly Freas.  "My only signed Pulp."

[OtherEric]

On 6/20/2024 at 3:38 PM, davet75 said:

Maybe it's just my experience, but I find more pulps signed by the authors than the illustrators/artists.  I have a beat and coverless copy of Weird Tales signed by Jack Williamson from his personal collection.  Probably worthless, but I find it extremely cool.

My only signed pulp (digest, actually) is a Williamson signature as well:

[davet75]

On 6/20/2024 at 11:56 PM, dickymoe74 said:

Planet Stories Fall 1954 - cover signed by = Kelly Freas.  "My only signed Pulp."

I love Freas!  I have a signed paperback by the great Kelly Freas

[Bookery]

Pulp signatures are going to be pretty rare, since there weren't dozens of conventions per year for them to attend like with comics, and most contributors were much older than than the comic creators, or long gone.  The vast majority of signatures will have come out of the the old PulpCon and Windy City shows, so the writers and artists that attended those will have signed a number of items.  Walter B. Gibson turns up fairly often, as he attended several of them, as did Robert Bloch, Hugh B. Cave, Walter Baumhofer, Ryerson Johnson, Nelson Bond, Norman Saunders, and a few others.  Even though he rarely ventured outside of California, I'd assume there are a number of signed Bradbury pulps out there.  I'm sure there is no such thing as a Robert E. Howard signed pulp, as most of the people in his town wouldn't have even known he was a writer.  And pulps weren't the kind of thing most readers thought about having signed to begin with.

[Sarg]

On 6/21/2024 at 8:12 AM, Bookery said:

And pulps weren't the kind of thing most readers thought about having signed to begin with.

It's telling that, with one or two exceptions, Lovecraft's large number of fan-correspondents apparently never sent him pulps to autograph. They saw the pulps as ephemeral -- worth saving, but not cherished objects to be autographed like hardcover first editions. 

[jimjum12]

On 6/21/2024 at 5:14 AM, davet75 said:

I love Freas!  I have a signed paperback by the great Kelly Freas

He attended one of the first Conventions I went to, in the early 70's. He brought art for sale, mostly paintings. The largest and nicest one had an "ask" of $ 150. That was more than what it sounds like, as that was equivalent to a week's pay for a Teamster or an auto worker. He was so friendly, not the cesspools of vitriol and vanity that many creators today are. I can still picture him, blue suit and dark blue tie. I think his wife was with him. He was the ONLY one with a suit on, everyone else wore jeans and needed haircuts. I'm sure i was wearing my jeans, jean jacket, and desert boots. I wonder if they make desert boots, or dashikis anymore? GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Edited June 21 by jimjum12