This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.  (Read 2318 times)

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7401
  • Now even more Toxic
Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« on: November 02, 2021, 07:53:28 PM »
Like the tin says, I'm interested in discovering pulp gems in the public domain, from any genre except lewd.

Right now binge reading Otis Adelbert Kline on Project Gutenberg Australia.

Any recomendations?
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Trond

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2743
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2021, 09:24:16 AM »
Did you read Johnston McCulley‘s original Zorro stories?

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7401
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2021, 06:54:33 PM »
Did you read Johnston McCulley‘s original Zorro stories?

No, I don't think I have, thanks for the recomendation.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

hedgehobbit

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1287
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2021, 07:40:54 PM »
Like the tin says, I'm interested in discovering pulp gems in the public domain, from any genre except lewd.

Are you talking about pulp as a genre or actual pulp magazines?

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7401
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2021, 01:34:50 PM »
Like the tin says, I'm interested in discovering pulp gems in the public domain, from any genre except lewd.

Are you talking about pulp as a genre or actual pulp magazines?

Pulp isn't a genre my dude, there were S&W, Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Mistery, Adventure, Horror, Western and Lewd Pulps.

I'm asking for stories regardless of genre except lewds.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

hedgehobbit

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1287
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2021, 09:04:46 PM »
Pulp isn't a genre my dude, there were S&W, Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Mistery, Adventure, Horror, Western and Lewd Pulps.

Despite your protestations, the vast majority of people use the term to describe a genre. A genre of preposterous action where a transgender lesbian British Commando fights Nazis riding robot dinosaurs. Oh, and Cthulhu is usually involved in some way as well.

As for the magazines of that description, I've read many from the Pulp Magazine Archives on archives.org. I tend to stick to Detective and Western pulps as those were the most popular and, thus, hired the best authors. I also have lots of reprints made by a company called Nostalgia Ventures. Mostly Shadow and Doc Savage. Unfortunately, the company went out of business before I could complete my collections.

But for me, you can't talk about the pulps without talking about Radio Dramas which is what got me into pulps in the first place. Sadly, many series are lost, but I recommend any episodes of Gunsmoke, The Shadow, and a crime series called Johnny Dollar. One series I'd like to find is Jack Armstrong, an adventure series that was what inspired Johnny Quest. What I like about Radio Dramas is that it's the media that is the most like RPGs, with all the action being spoken dialog.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7401
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2021, 02:43:11 PM »
Pulp isn't a genre my dude, there were S&W, Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Mistery, Adventure, Horror, Western and Lewd Pulps.

Despite your protestations, the vast majority of people use the term to describe a genre. A genre of preposterous action where a transgender lesbian British Commando fights Nazis riding robot dinosaurs. Oh, and Cthulhu is usually involved in some way as well.

As for the magazines of that description, I've read many from the Pulp Magazine Archives on archives.org. I tend to stick to Detective and Western pulps as those were the most popular and, thus, hired the best authors. I also have lots of reprints made by a company called Nostalgia Ventures. Mostly Shadow and Doc Savage. Unfortunately, the company went out of business before I could complete my collections.

But for me, you can't talk about the pulps without talking about Radio Dramas which is what got me into pulps in the first place. Sadly, many series are lost, but I recommend any episodes of Gunsmoke, The Shadow, and a crime series called Johnny Dollar. One series I'd like to find is Jack Armstrong, an adventure series that was what inspired Johnny Quest. What I like about Radio Dramas is that it's the media that is the most like RPGs, with all the action being spoken dialog.

I have all the The Shadow & Doc Savage in PDF, don't remember where I found them. Thanks for the other recomendations.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2021, 12:30:10 PM »
Was recently reading an old pulp from the 40s and one of the stories had this little but that we here in the far flung future will recognize.
The story had a machine that could scan a person and then print in plastic an exact replica of their skeleton for medical examination.

Something that has already been tried for medical studies with modern 3d printing.

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2021, 01:36:10 PM »
As for pulps worth a read. I have mentioned some in other threads on pulp heroes. Heres a few I know of from either the books, movie adaptions, or other sources.

The Spider (over 100 issues) This one I first saw via the serial. A fairly popular hero too and the writing seems pretty solid.
G-8 and his Fighting Aces (over 100 issues) Probably some of the most fantastical adventures of any pulp hero.
The Avenger (over 20 issues) Always thought this was an interesting premise. A man who could reshape his face to disguise himself after the shock of the death of his family. Mostly a hero that relied on an array of gadgets and notable for one of the rare few to ever be cured of his deformity. Some pretty good writing too.
El Coyote (nearly 200 issues) A Spanish pulp featuring a Zorro style hero.
Phantom Detective (over 150 issues) Heard of but never seen. Apparently one of the longer running pulps alongside the Shadow and Doc Savage. And probably the inspiration for the Bat Signal.
Operator Number 5 (over 20 issues) This I was familliar with from their brief reprint in the 60s. Apparently later issues features an ongoing story arc where the US actually loses the war with a Germany-like foe and the action follows a resistance movement. This one was actually still in print fairly recently it seems.
Raffles/Lord Lister/The Great Unknown (LOTS!!!) Not quite a pulp as his origins are from around 1910. But a really popular character from Germany thats popped up all over and even had at least one crossover with another pulp hero. Was adapted by various countries and continued sometimes decades after the original ended. Some picked up in the 30s and later.
Doctor Death (not many) A short lived villain centric pulp with a villain who employed alot of supernatural powers. Unusual in that this is a villain bent on restoring the world to a more primitive state. Possibly the inspiration for Rash Al Ghoul from DC. Apparently well written and was reprinted in the late 00s by the same publisher as reprinted some of the Operator Number 5 books.
Moon Man (nearly 40 issues) Fascinating in that this is one of the earliest costumed heroes and spanning from 1902 to the 70s.

Plenty more. But those are a few I am familliar with in one form or another.

Lurkndog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 823
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2021, 09:39:43 AM »

Pulp isn't a genre my dude, there were S&W, Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Mistery, Adventure, Horror, Western and Lewd Pulps.


Not really, early on (1800s-1930s) all of those genres might be represented in the same magazine, and written by the same authors. Weird Tales would be a well-known example.

Robert E. Howard wrote in most of those genres.

I'm not sure when the pulps began to separate themselves out by genre and specialize. I know dedicated sci fi magazines were around by the 1940s.

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2021, 12:59:57 AM »

Pulp isn't a genre my dude, there were S&W, Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Mistery, Adventure, Horror, Western and Lewd Pulps.


Not really, early on (1800s-1930s) all of those genres might be represented in the same magazine, and written by the same authors. Weird Tales would be a well-known example.

Robert E. Howard wrote in most of those genres.

I'm not sure when the pulps began to separate themselves out by genre and specialize. I know dedicated sci fi magazines were around by the 1940s.

Pulps themself are not a genre. They were a venue and the term now refers to the venue of that era. Mostly. Some were part of anthologies. Anthologies are not a genre either.

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Public Domain Pulp sell me some.
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2021, 02:52:46 AM »
Forgot to note in the earlier post that have no idea if any of those have hit public domain yet.

And another one that know of by indirect means is the 1940s space fantasy science hero series Captain Future in his own pulp and later an anthology. Notable too for having the covers done by none other than Earle K. Bergey. This ran for at least 20 issues on its own and then apparently moved to another magazine for a span. Edmond Hamilton penned most of the stories but Manly Wade Wellman who write the Lovecraftian Silver John stories penned at least one Captain Future issue.

In the late 70s when it was adapted into a 58 episode anime series which saw limited release in the US. But has a wider release in other countries. Check out the German soundtrack for example. Surprisingly good. The anime adapts several of the original stories.

And an odd one was pointed at. Captain Ultra, part of the Ultra series in Japan of which Ultraman is part of. Pretty much a live action adaption of the characters with the names changed.

Things take an interesting turn in the 90s when another author penned some new Captain Future stories, one of which apparently won a Hugo??? And later with permission of Hamiltons estate, penned a more true to form series of stories. At least one of which appeared in TSR's Amazing Stories magazine. Which I hopefully still have. Seems this author is still occasionally writing more.

Quite amazing odyssey.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2021, 02:52:20 AM by Omega »