The Great Pulp Heroes

Here is an affectionate look back at the outsized heroes who once occupied the imagination of millions of loyal readers-The Shadow, Tarzan, Doc Savage, Captain Future, The Spider, Zorro. They were the original super guys, godfathers and inspiration to the likes of Superman, Batman and James Bond. Fascinating and informative, THE GREAT PULP HEROES is a lively and entertaining history of those fabulous characters, of the gaudy, glorious magazines that spawned them, and of the amazing wordsmiths who churned out their monthly adventures

The Shadow, Doc Savage, the Spider, G-8, Captain Future, Zorro, Tarzan…an affectionate look back at the heroes of the pulp era.

The Shadow, The Spider, The Avenger, Doc Savage, The Black Bat, The Phantom Detective - these swashbuckling heroes of mid-20th-century pulp fiction all had one thing in common: They fought crime from outside the law, unhindered by red tape and unmindful of such legal niceties as due process. They fought with fists and guns, for the most part hiding their true identities beneath outlandish costume and grotesque disguises. This collection of essays by distinguished pulp-fiction aficionados chronicles the era of single-character magazines from offbeat angles and with keen insight. The pieces herein analyze key stories and characters while offering rare, behind-the-scenes glimpses of authors and editors at work, crafting and polishing the pulp-paper fever dreams that enthralled millions of young readers during the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond. Ed Hulse, editor of BLOOD 'N' THUNDER, the award-winning journal of adventure, mystery and melodrama, has assembled these affectionate essays with loving care and a discerning eye for the high-water marks in this phase of American popular culture. This third volume in the series BLOOD 'N' THUNDER PRESENTS, like its predecessors, is profusely illustrated with pulp-magazine covers and original artwork.

An epic adventure spanning two centuries that links the lives of history's most popular Victorian Age adventures with the greatest action heroes of the Pulp Era.

The Twenties and Thirties were a golden age of adventure as two-fisted heroes and daring explorers came to life in the pages of pulp magazines. Now you can create roleplaying games and characters set in this thrilling era!

A collection of stories featuring characters of African origin, or descent, in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction.

This enormous volume is the first comprehensive encyclopedia of fantastic literature of the nineteenth century. From detective fiction to historical novels, from well-known authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to Russian newspaper serials and Chinese martial arts novels, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FANTASTIC VICTORIANA is a truly exhaustive look at every aspect of fantastic literature in the days of Queen Victoria. Readers of science fiction and fantasy will be surprised to find here the roots of genres thought to be strictly contemporary, and students of literature will be amazed at the breadth and scope of writings produced in the Victoriana era. This is an invaluable reference, and truly one-of-a-kind.

Victor Renquist, centuries-old nosferatu leader, is called to England. Some archaeologists are excavating a burial mound, but what they will uncover is no Saxon warrior but the being once known as the Merlin. And he's not the kindly old duffer of The Sword in the Stone. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The first half of the twentieth century was a golden age of American storytelling. Mailboxes burgeoned with pulp magazines, conveying an endless variety of fiction. Comic strips, with their ongoing dramatic storylines, were a staple of the papers, eagerly followed by millions of readers. Families gathered around the radio, anxious to hear the exploits of their favorite heroes and villains. Before the emergence of television as a dominant--and stifling--cultural force, storytelling blossomed in America as audiences and artists alike embraced new mediums of expression. This examination of storytelling in America during the first half of the twentieth century covers comics, radio, and pulp magazines. Each was bolstered by new or improved technologies and used unique attributes to tell dramatic stories. Sections of the book cover each medium. One appendix gives a timeline for developments relative to the subject, and another highlights particular episodes and story arcs that typify radio drama. Illustrations and a bibliography are included.

'500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes' is both a great pocket reference tool for aficionados - and a superb introduction to a host of fascinating information for newcomers to the subject. Want to know when Superman or Batman first appeared, and who created them? Or how Flash Gordeon got his name? Or who illustrated the first X-Men stories? - the answers are all here! The book begins with a concise history of comics and action heroes and heroines, tracing their development from the first US comics - such as Busch's Max und Moritz, which was published in the 1870s - right up to present-day developments. The main part of the book is divided into six chapters, each covering a different category of action hero. Forty key characters are profiled on dedicated double-page spreads, while a typical spread profiles some four characters, providing all the core information the reader will require. Special stand-alone features are interspersed with these reference pages. Covering topics of particular interest in depth - whether it's the life and career of Stan Lee, the amazingly creative partnership of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, or how comic creators' perceptions of the Cold War influenced their storylines - these spreads provide a wealth of background information, and insights into the role comics have played in shaping popular culture. The book is illustrated in colour throughout - not just with classic artworks of famous characters' key scenes, but also with many rarely seen gems from the past.