The Shudder Pulps: A History of the Weird Menace Magazines of the 1930s PDF
Preview The Shudder Pulps: A History of the Weird Menace Magazines of the 1930s
PLUME A HISTORY OF THE ; WEIRD MENACE : MAGAZINES OF THE 1930s Robert Kenneth* Jones “A QUEER THING, THIS FEAR EMOTION! BRAVE MEN CAN COME THROUGH BLOODY BATTLE UNTOUCHED BY ANY CRAVEN WEAKNESS, YET TURN PALE AND SHIVER IN THEIR BEDS AT THE DISTANT BAYING OF SOME JACKAL DOG BENEATH THE MIDNIGHT MOON . . . FEAR IS ALSO STIMULATING . . . FEAR, THE MOST DREADED OF ALL HUMAN EMOTIONS, IS ALSO THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER . . . THIS MAGAZINE IS PRESENTING TALES WHICH SATISFY A PRIMITIVE, AGE-OLD URGE IN THE HEART OF EVERY RED-BLOODED HU MAN—THE KEEN DESIRE TO KNOW FEAR.” The above credo of one leading pulp horror magazine of the 1930s could well have spoken for all of them—as in tales with titles like DEATH LIVES IN MY LIPS, THE FLESH HUNGRY PHANTOMS, BRIDES OF THE HALF DEAD and countless other chilling con coctions, fear in every shape, style, and man ner poured out upon the coarse-grained page. Now those wondrously weird tales and their indefatigable creators are brought back from the grave of time so stalk the earth again in— Robert Kenneth Jones is a newspaperman with a passionate interest in the shudder pulps’ counter part, the comics, as well. He has written books on such unrelated subjects as jazz history and urban freeway systems. A History of theWeird Menace Magazines ■ of the 1930 s ’ by Robert Kenneth Jones © A PLUME BOOK IVieW AMERICAN LIBRARY • nivws Minnon N£W VORK AND SCARBOROUGH. ONTARIO NAL BOOKS ARE AI.SO AVAILABLE AT D:SCOUNTS ]N BULK QUANTITY TOR INDUSTRIAL OR SALES-PROMOTIONAL USE. FOR DETAILS, WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION, NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY. INC., 1301 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019. Text copyright © 1975 by FAX Collector’s Editions, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted, except for brief passages quoted in reviews, without the written consent of the publisher. For information address Fax Collector’s Editions c/o Spectrum Literary Agency, Pan Am Building, Suite 303 East, 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 74-82614 This is an authorized reprint of a hardcover edition published by FAX Collector’s Editions. © PLUME TRADEMARK REG. U S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA HECHO EN FORGE VILLAGE, MASS., U.S.A. Signet, Signet Classics, Mentor, Plume and Meridian Books are published in the United States by The New American Library, Inc., 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, in Canada by The New American Library of Canada Limited, 81 Mack Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario M 1L-IM8 First Plume Printing, October, 1978 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his gratitude to the fol lowing: Rick Minter, for his interest and support from the time some of this material first appeared as a series of articles, and for his later intercession which led directly to this volume. Walker Martin, another “author’s advocate,” for the loan of many issues that form an integral part of this study, and more importantly, for his encouragement long before this book was started. Wyatt Blassingame, an author’s author, if ever there was one, for his graciousness, solicitude and responsiveness. Bernie Wermers, for the many magazines he made avail able. Les Mayer, for the loan of magazines. Art Dobin, for the loan of magazines. And to two collector-publishers, many thanks: Fred Cook, whose BRONZE SHADOWS precipitated this history, by providing a forum for a briefer version, and Lynn Hickman, whose PULP ERA printed additional supplementary material since integrated here. Last, but not least, to the following publishers, for their gracious permission to reproduce covers and interior illustra tions from material still under copyright. Popular Publications: for covers and interiors from the fol lowing: ACE-HIGH DETECTIVE, DIME DETECTIVE, DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE, HORROR STORIES, RED STAR MYSTERY, SINISTER STORIES, STRANGE DETECTIVE MYSTERIES, TERROR TALES-copyrighted 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941; V VI The Shudder Pulps copyrights renewed 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969. Popular Library (The Thrilling Group): for covers and in teriors from the following: THRILLING MYSTERY-copy righted 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941; copyrights renewed 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969. Also, covers and interiors have been reproduced from the following magazines and dates: ACE MYSTERY, 1936; DETECTIVE SHORT STORIES, 1937, 1938; EERIE MYS TERIES, 1938; EERIE STORIES, 1937; MYSTERY AD VENTURE MAGAZINE, 1936; MYSTERY NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES, 1939, 1940; MYSTERY TALES, 1938, 1939; SHOCK MYSTERY TALES, 1961, 1962; UNCANNY TALES, 1939. CONTENTS Acknowledgments ...................... V Illustrations . ..............................................- ................IX Introduction ..................................................................XI 1. “The Weirdest Stories Ever Told” .............................. 3 2. Mr. Popular vs. the Little Giant.....................................16 3. Secret Shrines of Mystery .......................................... 28 4. Blood Brothers ........................................................... 41 5. Purple Prose Pros . .................................................... 64 6. Foul Fiends and Fair Maidens .....................................67 7. “The Speed Merchant of the Pulps” ......................... 83 8. Weird Fantasy............................................................... 96 9. Battle at the Newsstands ............................. 112 10. From the Esoteric to the Erotic...................................121 11. The Defective Detectives ............................................151 12. Femmes Fatales.............................................................161 13. Variations on a Theme ................................................170 14. The Sensuous (Science Fiction) Woman.......................184 15. Gothicism’s Last Gasp ................................................194 Epilogue.........................................................................214 Index .............................................................................227 VII • .
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