New Pulp And New Pulp Fiction

New Pulp And New Pulp Heroes

Clancy O’Hara’s PULP #7

The hero pulp magazines ended in the summer of 1953, while genre pulp magazines continued through the late fifties, and even into the 1960’s. One had the gall to hang on until about 1972. But the end had arrived. Men’s adventure paperbacks were taking the place of those old magazines on the racks, and digest magazines replaced the SF, Mystery, Western & Romance pulps.

The pulp magazines had kept to a strict moral code watched over by publishers and editors, though some of the covers might have given a different impression of what was inside. By 1953, however, the hero pulps were not immune to the changing time, and the morals were beginning to evaporate. The final issues of The Phantom Detective, Dan Fowler (G-Men Detective), and The Black Bat (Black Book Detective) contained strong hints of sex and rougher language. But by then their time was dying, and the paperbacks had taken over for good.

Jerry Page’s The Armadillo

Let’s concentrate on the pulp hero, or I might use the term NEW PULP HERO at this phase. When did it start? That’s easy. The first we absolutely know of for sure, was Jerry Page’s The Armadillo, a masked hero that appeared in print just a few years after the hero pulp magazines ceased in the mid 1950s. By the 1960s there were new stories of The Shadow, to prove that OLD PULP HEROES were not dead. And others were writing clones of Doc Savage and Tarzan, like Phil Farmer and Lin Carter, among others. I don’t have a good track on all the new pulp heroes that were strangely appearing in paperback, but I could name some, if pressed. Even major comic book houses like Marvel and DC were bringing their characters out in prose paperback editions.

Tom Johnson’s The Black Ghost

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a concerted effort to maintain this new pulp/new pulp hero tradition until 1995. In January of that year – dated Winter - it all changed. The culprit was Clancy O’Hara’s PULP FICTION MAGAZINE - changed to PULP, A FICTION MAGAZINE with the third issue and just plain PULP with the seventh issue. And the first new pulp characters to arrive in Clancy’s magazine were Aaron B. Larson’s Haakon Jones, and Tom Johnson’s The Black Ghost, both appearing in early issues. In June 1995, Tom & Ginger Johnson’s FADING SHADOWS magazines kicked off with CLASSIC PULP FICTION STORIES and ran through December 2004, and the new pulp/new pulp heroes were claiming their place as “new pulp fiction”. Clancy may have been the first to call it NEW PULP, but we at FADING SHADOWS called it NEW STORIES IN THE PULP TRADITION. I’m not really sure when the NEW PULP banner started, but I imagine someone at Pro Se could fill us in.

As the reader can see, NEW PULP is really quite old. I still prefer NEW STORIES IN THE PULP TRADITION, however. Doesn’t that make sense? But whatever we call it, since 1995 NEW PULP FICTION has been going strong, and we’ve definitely seen some interesting characters show up on radar. In January 2015, the modern day pulp fiction will be twenty years old. Haakon Jones and The Black Ghost will also share that honor.

Tom's Short Story Collection

Short Story Collections

These Short Story collections are in the tradition of the classic fiction stories that appeared in the heyday of the pulp magazines; new stories of original characters, as well as new characters in contemporary and historical settings. Although I do take a few liberties with the original characters, I try to keep them true to their origins. For the fan of those great action heroes, as well as the new fan, these stories will give the reader a sampling of the old style while not lacking in action and excitement. As a long time fan and collector, I have complete runs of the major character magazines, and have read them all, so I am truly familiar with the characters I write. I am not just a fan of Doc Savage, and not just a fan of The Shadow, but I am a fan of them all. And I hope that comes through to the reader as s/he reads the following short story collections.

PULP DETECTIVES by Tom Johnson. For the first time, nine all-new stories starring the classic pulp heroes of the 1930s, featuring characters such as The Phantom Detective, The Black Bat, The Lone Eagle, The Masked Detective, Secret Agent X and Nightwind. Written by pulp scholar Tom Johnson, it’s nearly 350 pages of excitement! $24.95 from Amazon and Altus Press www.altuspress.com/

PULP ECHOES by Tom Johnson. The Bat returns in "Blind As A Bat", The Crimson Clown returns in "The Crimson Clown – Killer", Nibs Holloway battles Dr. Death in "Till Death Do Us Part", The Black Ghost is back in "Carnival of Death", Captain Anthony Adventure in "Terror In The North Country", The Black Cat in "A Cat Among Dogs", and Senora Scorpion in "Senora Scorpion". The cover features Senora Scorpion! 238 pages. $14.50 from Amazon and NTD www.bloodredshadow.com/

EXCITING PULP TALES by Tom Johnson. The exciting sequel to PULP DETECTIVES, this collection brings you ten more all-new stories featuring classic pulp heroes such as The Angel, The Green Ghost, The Cobra, The Crimson Mask, Gentle Jones, The Purple Scar, Funny Face, Mr. Death,  The Jungle Queen, and Ki-Gor. $24.95 from Amazon and Altus Press www.altuspress.com/

NEW CLASSIC PULP FICTION STORIES by Tom Johnson. Featuring the Moon Man in “Hunter’s Moon”, Secret Agent X in “The Death Tower”, The Man In Purple in “Seven Men of Greed”, Dorus Noel in “The Black Shadow”, and Colonel Jeremiah Custer in “The Silence of Death” (originally written as a Dr. Harker story). 200 pages. $12.00 from the author at fadingshadows40@gmail.com

Collections Of New Pulp Stories

I have a number of copies on hand for book signings, and thought I would offer these to the Group while they last. Ginger started these volumes in 2005 after we closed down our FADING SHADOWS magazines due to Tom’s health. These four issues contain stories of new pulp characters, as well as new stories of original pulp characters. For a good sampling of both worlds, this is where you want to look. FADING SHADOWS really began the trend of new pulp heroes in 1995 with our genre magazines, though the interest has been there since the 1950s. We carried them into the new century where they are now taking a strong stand with a new generation of readers and fans. Postage will be going up at the end of this month, and this is likely the last you will see of $3.99 for these heavy volumes. So get your copies now before postage jumps a dollar.

TALES OF MASKS AND MAYHEM #1

MONARCH OF THE FLAME-MADNESS by Steve Mitchell (Featuring The Tarantula); CRIMSON HARVEST by Therese Drippe & Tom Johnson  (featuring The Black Bat); THE GREY MONK’S JUSTICE by John L French  (featuring The Grey Monk); THE LUNAR LEAGUE by Lance Curry (featuring The Moon Man and Secret Agent X); GORILLA KILLER by Michael A. Black  (featuring Doc Atlas); HUNTER’S MOON by Debra DeLorme & Tom Johnson (featuring The Black Ghost and The Scarecrow); THE NIGHT HAWK by Will Murray (featuring The Night Hawk) $15.00, plus $3.99 postage (US).

TALES OF MASKS AND MAYHEM #2

FIRST FLIGHT by K.G. McAbee & Tom Johnson (featuring  Shadowhawke); WOLF'S CLOTHING by John L. French  (featuring Grey Monk); ARCTIC TERROR by Michael A. Black  (featuring Doc Atlas); MIDNIGHT MOON by Terry Nudds  (featuring Moon Man); FOR THE LIFE OF A CHILD by Debra Delorme (featuring Scarecrow); THE BEGINNING by  Ginger Johnson (featuring Mr. Minus); THE LADY OF  DEATH by Steve Mitchell (featuring Black Bat);  THE CHINESE CONNECTION by Alanna Morgan (featuring The Fox) $24.00, plus $3.99 postage (US). TALES OF MASKS AND MAYHEM #3

THE CULT OF THE FACELESS FIEND by Thomas V. Powers (featuring Crimson Bat); THE FACE OF CHU-JUNG by Eric Turowski (featuring Chu-Jung); SIDEWINDER by Debra Delorme (featuring Scarecrow); DEATH AND THE BLACK GHOST by Tom Johnson (featuring The Black Ghost); A TASTE FOR MURDER by J. Michael Major (featuring Black Bat); SOULS ON FIRE by John L. French (featuring Grey Monk); THE DUST OF DEATH by Joel Jenkins (featuring Eel & Adder); SATAN PLAGUE by Michael A. Black (featuring Doc Atlas); THE VACATION by Ginger Johnson (featuring Mr. Minus); CATCH A FALLING STAR by Dale J. Roberts (featuring Dr. Mystery) $24.00, plus $3.99 postage (US).

TALES OF MASKS AND MAYHEM #4

THE HOODED HUNTER by Steve Mitchell, "Prophet of Peril" by Eric Turowski (featuring The Masked Avenger); THE CRIMSON MASK’S JUSTICE by Tom Johnson & Charles Greene (featuring The Crimson Mask); HIS MASTER’S VOICE by Michael A. Black and Ray Lovato (featuring Doc Atlas), PARTNER’S IN CRIME by Tom Johnson (featuring The Black Cat) $14,00, plus $3.99 postage (US).

The Celluloid Burglar

In issue #58, Fall 2001, of BEHIND THE MASK, we published a story by G.T. Fleming-Roberts titled, “Death From Damascus”, sent to us by Monte Herridge. The story originally appeared in the April 1938 issue of DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE, a magazine from Ned Pines’ Standard line, ruled over by head editor, Leo Margulies. At the time I never thought much about the story.  But as you will see, I think this story may have a similar connection to this magazine group as “Funny Face”, by Norman Daniels, and “Murder On Parade” by George Green.

Before Daniels and Green started writing The Phantom Detective novels, they had to show Leo they could handle the hero/masked character. “Funny Face” and “Murder On Parade” were their initiation, so to speak. After their stories were turned in, and Leo liked them, the authors started churning out Phantom Detective yarns. So where am I going with this? Well, 1939 was just ahead. And 1939 was going to be the beginning of several new pulp characters under Leo’s guiding hand. Leo was looking for authors to spearhead those new series.

Norman Daniels, who had been away from the Phantom Detective series for a while, suddenly appeared writing a new Phantom yarn. I imagine there were some other authors that we haven’t paid enough attention to yet, but one name does stick out, and that’s G.T. Fleming-Roberts, who had been spearheading the Secret Agent X series for a few years. The April 1938 issue of DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINES suddenly has a masked hero appear under the Fleming-Roberts byline.  A coincidence? It is possible, but highly doubtful.

Dated January 1940, but likely released November 1939, was a new series from Ned Pines called The Ghost Detective by G.T. Fleming-Roberts. Normally, stories had a “wait” period of about six months, so Fleming-Roberts was probably writing the series early in 1939. Was “Death From Damascus” his “try out” for spearheading a masked hero for Leo? My guess is, yes.

            The story features The Celluloid Burglar who is something of a Robin Hood, robbing from crooks to give to the poor, or something like that. Here is how we meet him:

A figure appeared from the shadows. He wore a black mask that glittered like polished ebony, hiding the man’s features. Two menacing eyes bored at them through the slanting eye slits of the mask. A hand held a small .25 trained on the three men.

He leaves a thin piece of black celluloid the size of a calling card at the scene to identify his work; the card is blank, except for a shiny black dot of ink – the dot is a piece of gleaming celluloid, shaped like a face – two tiny slanting eyes, and a slit of a mouth in the tiny black mask.

He carries pens in his coat pocket that contain an assortment of things: tear gas, tiny flashlight, and fake blood, among other items. He also wears a bulletproof vest.

Crooks sometimes call him a comic opera burglar. The case involves the theft of The Prince of Damascus dagger, a jeweled dagger that once belonged to the Middle Eastern conqueror, Melek-ed-Dhaher-Bihras. It is purported to be worth thousands of dollars.

The Celluloid Burglar is actually Detective-sergeant Harrison Hasty, better known as “Pretty Damn Hasty” because he solves crimes so fast. About the only description we have of him, is his wavy brown hair.

Lucky McGee is his assistant, and drives him everywhere, even on duty. McGee is an ex-con (his nickname come from his prison #1313). Hasty had found him when he was just a kid, starving in the gutter. When the boy was older he went to prison for something we are never told what, but when he was released and couldn’t find a job, Hasty had fed and clothed him. Lucky became his friend and companion, and aided him during his outings as The Celluloid Burglar.

We are told that Hasty had a good friend, P.I. Dick Connell, who was murdered, thus giving rise to The Celluloid Burglar.

There are two city officials, Police Commissioner Brady, and District Attorney Snathe.

G.T. Fleming-Roberts was a prolific writer, but I really doubt there were sequels to this story. I still feel that this was his “show” story to Leo, proving that he could handle the hero characters. If so, then we are aware of at least three such “show me” stories, and I bet there are others we haven’t discovered yet.