selegue Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Hopefully you'll like it. There's a lot in there about writers' frustration about editors, inspirations, the competition of new (and cheaper) writers and critics about story quality and market over-extension, ... It's also made me realize how hurtful to the pulp business the market crash and the depression was, which the writers felt bitterly when the word rate dropped significantly. Over were the days when the rate would be 7¢ a word for the best of them all. 2¢ became the normal top rate and some outfit paid beginners ½¢ a word!! Have you read "The Pulp Jungle" by Frank Gruber? I read it when it was first published in 1967 and thought it was great. .... I read it a couple of years ago and have photocopies of it. The most memorable part of the book for me was the tomato soup. IIRC, he went to a sandwich shop, one of those automatic ones in Manhattan, sat down, ordered tea or somesuch and proceeded to dump ketchup (free) into the hot water with some salt and voilà, tomato soup!! I agree it's a nice and easy book to read. HAH! Memorably borrowed in the film Midnight Cowboy! Jack "I'm walkin' heah..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Here's a sample of Pulp Fictioneers from Jerry K. Westerfield, editor of Amazing Stories and Fantactic Adventures, in Writer's Digest - January 1940. This is an excerpt of his article with lots of facts that I delighted in when I was reading them this morning - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Here's a sample of Pulp Fictioneers from Jerry K. Westerfield, editor of Amazing Stories and Fantactic Adventures, in Writer's Digest - January 1940. This is an excerpt of his article with lots of facts that I delighted in when I was reading them this morning - Fascinating article. I'm surprised that Westerfield was so forthcoming about the low word rates being paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Amazing Stories editorial comment regarding their covers is interesting reading. (April 1929) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 The same sort of controversy was raging in the letter columns of Weird Tales. (December 1933) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Thanks for the pics. Covers will sell books. Goodman knew it well (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selegue Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Thanks for the pics. Covers will sell books. Goodman knew it well (thumbs u and slabs are the ultimate proof! Jack (but no judging by the cover) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerKid Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Amazing Stories editorial comment regarding their covers is interesting reading. (April 1929) sleeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Put here because the thread is the recepticle (sp?) for such GA information: As posted on the Kirby Museum site - here An Open Letter from Joe Simon to Marvel Comics Dear Marvel Comics: Yesterday I received the latest Marvel Masterworks book, Golden Age Captain America. Thank you, Marvel. The book is wonderful, beautifully crafted, something to be proud of if it winds up in one’s collection. I read the first chapter of the introduction by Gerard Jones. Gerard, you are full of mess. You have already compromised your integrity by making statements and asking questions that you have no answers to. Why bring them up at all? The fly-by-nights were taking every advantage of the creators and that has been well documented in the past. You might have examined your statements but nobody ever asked me or Mr. Kirby if we had any papers or documents to confirm. Marvel is a big boy now. You should grow up. Learn to check your sources before you shoot off the hip. So, I make another friend. At this stage, why should I care? Joe Simon Postscript from Harry Mendryk: When I was leaving, Joe came with me to check his mail. As we waited for the elevator he commented: “After 90 you’ve earned the right to say someone is full of mess.” Further postscript from Harry Mendryk: Gerard Jones wrote about the early history of Timely and Captain America. He included the story that Joe wrote about in his book The Comic Book Makers that Goodman had made a deal with Simon and Kirby to share the royalties from Captain America but when he did not live up to that agreement Joe and Jack left for DC. Jones also wrote that Goodman’s story was that after Captain America’s success Simon and Kirby broke their deal to go to DC for more money. Jones also wrote that since all the documentary evidence has been destroyed there was no way of knowing whose story is correct. However Gerard Jones never contacted either Joe Simon or the Kirby estate to verify that statement." (I think Simon is right, once you get past 90, you should entitled to say what you want. However, it's still up to people to decide if they want to listen to you.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hand ® Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 It's funny though...When I was buying silver age as a kid, the covers didn't really stand out to me much, but the stories did. GA comics seemed to have much more remarkable covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I scanned a few more Fanzines that were in the oversize box. The quality of the reproduction was much better than earlier fanzines. bb The inside back cover and outside back cover of SS 6 had pictures of comic fans around the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Rocket Blast's Comicollect had also improved its appearance by issues 57 and 58. bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 There are a few other magazines in the over size box. bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 As posted on the Kirby Museum site - here An Open Letter from Joe Simon to Marvel Comics Thanks for alerting us to the Joe Simon letter, Scrooge. Here are further responses from both Simon and Jones. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 Thanks, BB. That page in Star Studded was my first glimpse of comic collectors outside my own neighborhood. At the time they all looked pretty old to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 Rocket Blast's Comicollect had also improved its appearance by issues 57 and 58. bb Fantucchio brought a professional look to all the fanzines that he did work for. My wife and I visited him last year. He's not only a talented artist, he's a super nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareHighGrade Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 As posted on the Kirby Museum site - here An Open Letter from Joe Simon to Marvel Comics Thanks for alerting us to the Joe Simon letter, Scrooge. Here are further responses from both Simon and Jones. Link Gerard Jones handled Simon's personal attacks against him in a very classy way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HouseofComics.Com Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) Gerard Jones handled Simon's personal attacks against him in a very classy way. Extremely classy. Looks like they've worked it out after further discussion and clarification. Edited August 5, 2008 by HouseofComics.Com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBedrock Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) I loved reading "Men of Tomorrow" but Gerard Jones has been taking heat from different corners in regards to his characterizations included in the book. The most recent issue of Alter Ego includes an interview with Jean Shuster, Joe Shuster's sister, in which she totally refutes the representation of him contained in the book and goes on to say that she was never contacted or interviewed by Mr. Jones. Further, the relatives of Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con, were obviously very upset by Mr. Jones portrayal of him as an eccentric odd-ball. They also say that they were never contacted. In one of Mr. Jones' responses to Joe Simon he states that he is revising parts of the book. From a historical perspective, it sounds like a much needed effort. Edited August 5, 2008 by MrBedrock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Oriental Stories (1930-1932) never receives the attention that its sister publication Weird Tales gets, but it deserves a share of the spotlight. They had a similar list of contributors. Cover illustration by J. Allen St. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
