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FORTIER TAKES ON ‘CRUSADERS OF THE SALTIER’!

  • News
  • June 15, 2011
CRUSADERS OF SALTIER
By William Speir
Strategic Book Group
230 pages
Release date – 14 April 2011
ISBN 10 – 1612041973
ISBN 13 – 978-1-61204-197-1
Last year William Speir introduced the world to a super secret organization known as the Knights of the Saltier; a group of patriotic men and women dedicated to helping the legal authorities of the world maintain law and order.  Into this highly complex organization he set his protagonist, Tom Anderson, a former military officer looking to find meaning in his life beyond the normal goals of career and monetary success.  By the end of that first volume, Anderson had joined the Knights and discovered his own father was one of the Grand Masters.
At the time I reviewed KNIGHTS OF THE SALTIER, I made a point of applauding it’s originality in giving pulp fans something new and fresh.  Whereas with this second entry in the saga, Speir has inadvertently gone down a very popular plot path considered to be one of the most remembered in the history of the genre.  In 1934 Popular Publications launched OPERATOR 5, the adventures of a Secret Service agent named Jimmy Christopher. The stories were penned by veteran pulp scribes Frederick C. Davis and Paul Tepperman.  Tepperman was responsible for the 13 interconnected novels that make up The Purple Invasion, a series in which the Purple Empire (an unnamed European power) conquers the United States after conquering the rest of the world.  Jimmy then led the insurgency against them.  The saga is often referred to as the War and Peace of pulps.
In CRUSADERS OF SALTIER, Speir has America conquered but not from an outside force.  Rather it is seized from within by a corrupt Washington Administration led by a megalomaniac President set on a course of tyranny and using his power to illegally circumvent the Constitution.  When dissenting Americans begin mysteriously disappearing without due process, the Knights of Saltier must confront their greatest challenge ever, how to battle corrupt government agencies and restore the country to the rightful rule of the people.
This is an intense thriller with a fascinating, and very chilling plot line, extremely well realized.  Speir balances the action sequences with the more mundane occurrences in Anderson’s life, ala his meeting a lovely young woman and falling in love all the while caught up in the Knights’ struggles to save the government.  His skills as a storyteller are growing exponentially with each new book. Once again I heartily recommend this to pulp fans looking for a new twist on action-adventure prose. CRUSADERS OF THE SALTIER is a terrific chapter in a truly excellent series.

Win a Copy of Rocko’s Modern Life

  • News
  • June 15, 2011

One of the earliest hits on Nickelodeon was Rocko’s Modern Life and Shout! Factory is bringing out the first season on DVD next week. To celebrate, we have three copies to give away to ComicMix fans.

Flash back to one of the most beloved animated Nickelodeon series from the 1990s when Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One 2-DVD set arrives in stores nationwide for the first time on June 21, 2011, from Shout! Factory. Featuring all 26 wacky adventures of an Australian wallaby and his pals in 13 original episodes (two segments per episode), this DVD release has long been anticipated by fans but has not been available in stores until now. The collectible Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One DVD is priced to own with a suggested retail price of $19.93.

Created by award-winning animator Joe Murray for Nickelodeon, Rocko’s Modern Life is one of the most enduring Nick animated classics. The hit series boasts an all-star voice cast – Carlos Alazraqui (CatDog, Reno 911), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants, Transformers animated series), Charlie Adler (The Super Hero Squad Show, Transformers), and Doug Lawrence (SpongeBob SquarePants,  Camp Lazlo).

To win, all you have to do is post your favorite Rocko memory by 11:59 p.m., Monday, June 20. The judgment of ComicMix will be final. If you never saw the show, feel free to share your favorite Nickelodeon memory as a substitute.

A favorite with viewers and critics alike, Rocko’s Modern Life debuted in 1993. Over the course of its four-season run on Nickelodeon, the series garnered a Daytime Emmy® Award and an Environmental Media Award. Brimming with anthropomorphic social satire and offbeat humor, Rocko’s Modern Life follows the misadventures of Australian wallaby named Rocko, who encounters various dilemmas and situations regarding otherwise mundane aspects of life. His best friend, Heffer, is a fat and enthusiastic cow, while his other friend, Filburt, is an easily upset turtle who often feels uncomfortable or disturbed.  Ed Bighead lives next door to Rocko and detests him. These folks live in a bizarre district known as O-Town, and most of the episodes revolve around Rocko trying to cope with the absurdities and dilemmas he encounters in life.

Review: ‘The Man from Atlantis’

man-from-atlantis-1269311In the 1970s, NBC was the network you could turn to when seeking high concepts series that never lived up to the expectations of its audience. A perfect example was Man from Atlantis, a short-lived concept about a man who could live under the sea.

One of the interesting conventions of the time was that concepts would be allowed to grow and develop through telefilms before a show went to series. In this case, there were four such films produced for the 1976-1977 season before the strong ratings convinced the Peacock Network to let this go to a weekly series. When it arrived in fall 1977, the demands of producing 22 episodes proved too much and the show was weakened, the ratings fell and the series became a footnote; another wreck during the network’s decline (Supertrain anyone?).

Warner Archive has recently released the pilot film on DVD and it’s interesting to see what could have been. Patrick Duffy, in his pre-Dallas days, played amnesiac Mark Harris who displayed the ability to breathe underwater and withstand the crushing deep sea water pressure. The producers extrapolated that he would need webbed hands and feet and the deep sea environment would mean he would have super-human strength out of the water. Found by the government, Harris is asked to work for the Foundation for Oceanic Research, a front for top secret activity. He is accompanied by a team of humans (co-stars Belinda J. Montgomery and Alan Fudge) aboard the high-tech sub called the Cetacean.

The real delight in the show is Victor Buono, the rotund character actor ComicMix fans recall as King Tut, but was a mainstay on prime time for years. His Mr. Schubert, the series’ antagonist, was a charismatic villain. (About the only episode I ever liked was the one that displayed Schubert flat broke after all his previous schemes failed; I had never seen a villain displayed in this way before.)

The pilot’s pacing is slow and everything has to be spelled out for the audience, a common downfall to debut episodes. The 96 minute running time should have allowed more interesting character development but such was not the expectation of science fiction shows of that decade. Duffy was fine as Harris, a bit dull for a hero, but he swam really well.

Marvel did far more interesting stories in their short-lived comic adaptation and the series remains popular with some fans so if you’re curious, this is a fine way to sample the show for yourself.

ComicMix Quick Picks: June 15, 2011

Boy, migrate one server, and a lot of links can pile up while waiting for your computers to reboot. Here’s some of the stuff we have to do before we get to the stuff we didn’t get around to covering yet…

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

Two New Cars 2 Clips

  • News
  • June 14, 2011

While everyone is charging their power ring for this weekend’s premiere of Green Lantern, Pixar is revving up the anticipation engine for the following weekend’s release of Cars 2. They’ve just sent us two video clips to whet your appetites.

The movie from directors John Lasseter and Brad Lewis features the vocal talents of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shaloub, Cheech Marin, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Thomas Kretschmann, Guido Quaroni, Lloyd Sherr, Paul Dooley, John Ratzenberger, Jenifer Lewis, Michael Wallis, Katherine Helmond, John Turturro, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard, Bruce Campbell, Michel Michelis, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, Lewis Hamilton, and David Hobbs.

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car.  But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.  Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer).  Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

Tonight’s Premieres: ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ and ‘The Nine Lives Of Chloe King’

  • News
  • June 14, 2011

Just a few quick reminders:

[[[The Nine Lives Of Chloe King]]], based on the book series by Liz Braswell a.k.a. Celia Thomson, premieres tonight on ABC Family at 9 PM EDT and is being rerun at 10 PM. It stars Skyler Samuels (“The Gates”) as Chloe King; Amy Pietz (“The Office,” “Caroline in the City”) as Meredith King; Grey Damon (“True Blood,” “Friday Night Lights”) as Brian; newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone (“10 Things I Hate About You”) as Alek; Alyssa Diaz (“Southland”) as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) as Paul. Here’s a preview:

And tonight, after many many months of previews and years of development, [[[Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark]]] has its official opening tonight, less than a half hour from now. Yes, there’s been a lot of bashing about it, much of which happened on Sunday’s Tony Awards broadcast. Take a look at what Neil Patrick Harris had to say, and then the rebuttal from Bono and The Edge:

Review: ‘The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones’

  • Uncategorized
  • June 14, 2011

On the one hand, you have to wonder what took so long for Hanna-Barbera to get around to having their two most famous franchises meet. On the other, maybe they should have waited for inspiration. Today, Warner Archive is releasing The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones and the 96 minutes went by at a glacial pace.

This 1987 television production features just about every significant character from both shows with the possible exception of the Great Gazoo. The simple premise has Elroy building a time machine for a class project and the hilarity begins when the entire Jetson family is accidentally transported to the past.

By the time the story ends, both families have had a chance to experience how the other half lives with parallel issues of both bread-winners having their jobs on the line. In the future, Spacely Sprockets has been on a losing streak with Mr., Spacely believing George Jetson was responsible for industrial espionage. Meantime, Mr. Slate is fighting to keep from losing his company to arch rival Turk Tarpit.

Writers Don Nelson and Arthur Alsberg should have spent some time watching reruns of It’s About Time, the 1960s sitcom about astronauts accidentally catapulted back to the days of the caveman. The “fish out of water” motif would have been more interesting to watch than the ease with which the two families adjusted to their alien surroundings. Instead, they pad out the script with an odd subplot showing George earning fabulous wealth thanks to a flying demonstration. He and Jane then essentially buy up Bedrock and the plot goes nowhere and ends with a thud.

Everyone has a moment to shine or be the butt of the joke, with Mr. Spacely particularly stupid as he sees Fred in the Jetson apartment and somehow concludes its his employee in disguise. Jane, Wilma, and Betty prove to be the sensible ones while the men folk remain idealistic fools. The one character to experience some real drama is Judy, who falls for rock star Iggy Sandstone (whose band plays an original song clearly patterned after “Monster Mash”), and is conflicted about whether to stay with him or return home. Even Dino and Astro get their moments as the two animals see one another more as rivals than friends.

I’m not sure what message is being sent by having Rosie, the beloved robot servant, repeatedly wind up saving the day.

I do miss Alan Reed as Fred’s voice but Henry Corden does a fine job and it’s nice to have George O’Hearn, Jean Vader Pyl, Mel Blanc, Daws, Butler, and Don Messick back in their familiar places. The only voice that sounds off is Julie McWhirter’s Betty.

The video transfer is more than acceptable and this is for H-B afficianados.

 

 

On the one hand, you have to wonder what took so long for Hanna-Barbera to get around to having their two most famous franchises meet. On the other, maybe they should have waited for inspiration. Today, Warner Archive is releasing The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones and the 96 minutes went by at a glacial pace.

This 1987 television production features just about every significant character from both shows with the possible exception of the Great Gazoo. The simple premise has Elroy building a time machine for a class project and the hilarity begins when the entire Jetson family is accidentally transported to the past.

By the time the story ends, both families have had a chance to experience how the other half lives with parallel issues of both bread-winners having their jobs on the line. In the future, Spacely Sprockets has been on a losing streak with Mr., Spacely believing George Jetson was responsible for industrial espionage. Meantime, Mr. Slate is fighting to keep from losing his company to arch rival Turk Tarpit.

Writers Don Nelson and Arthur Alsberg should have spent some time watching reruns of It’s About Time, the 1960s sitcom about astronauts accidentally catapulted back to the days of the caveman. The “fish out of water” motif would have been more interesting to watch than the ease with which the two families adjusted to their alien surroundings. Instead, they pad out the script with an odd subplot showing George earning fabulous wealth thanks to a flying demonstration. He and Jane then essentially buy up Bedrock and the plot goes nowhere and ends with a thud.

Everyone has a moment to shine or be the butt of the joke, with Mr. Spacely particularly stupid as he sees Fred in the Jetson apartment and somehow concludes its his employee in disguise. Jane, Wilma, and Betty prove to be the sensible ones while the men folk remain idealistic fools. The one character to experience some real drama is Judy, who falls for rock star Iggy Sandstone (whose band plays an original song clearly patterned after “Monster Mash”), and is conflicted about whether to stay with him or return home. Even Dino and Astro get their moments as the two animals see one another more as rivals than friends.

 

I’m not sure what message is being sent by having Rosie, the beloved robot servant, repeatedly wind up saving the day.

 

I do miss Alan Reed as Fred’s voice but Henry Corden does a fine job and it’s nice to have George O’Hearn, Jean Vader Pyl, Mel Blanc, Daws, Butler, and Don Messick back in their familiar places. The only voice that sounds off is Julie McWhirter’s Betty.

 

The video transfer is more than acceptable and this is for H-B afficianados.

DOC, DOLLAR, AND THE SHADOW! UNEXPECTED PULPY GOODNESS FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • June 14, 2011

Doc Savage Audiobook Debuts at RadioArchives.com!

* Now Available: “Python Isle”
* The Treasure Chest Deals Keep Coming
* New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 48 and The Shadow Volume 49
* Also New in Old Time Radio: The Unexpected, Volume 2

Now Available: “Python Isle” For over eighty years, the name Doc Savage has meant thrills and excitement to millions of readers worldwide. Now, for the very first time, the Man of Bronze comes to vivid life in “Python Isle”, the first audiobook adventure from RadioArchives.com!

In “Python Isle”, a long-lost pioneer flyer returns to civilization accompanied by an exotic woman who speaks in a lost tongue. From his towering skyscraper headquarters in New York, through a dangerous Zeppelin journey to Cape Town, climaxing on a serpent-haunted island in the forbidden reaches of the Indian Ocean, Doc Savage and his iron comrades race to untangle a weird puzzle so deep that the only clues can be found in the Bible!

Written by Will Murray and produced and directed by Roger Rittner – the same team that brought you “The Adventures of Doc Savage” radio series – “Python Isle” features dramatic narration by Michael McConnohie, cover art by Joe DeVito, and two exclusive interviews with Will Murray on the history of Doc Savage and the discovery of author Lester Dent’s long lost manuscripts.

“Python Isle”, the first in a new series of unabridged audiobooks from RadioArchives.com, is available now as an eight audio CD set, priced at just $25.98, or as a digital download for just $17.98. In the weeks to come, be sure to visit RadioArchives.com often for more exciting audiobook adventures featuring the top heroes of pulp fiction, including The Spider, Secret Agent X, and many, many more.

If you’re looking for adventure, excitement, and suspense, you’ll find it on “Python Isle”, available now from RadioArchives.com!

The Treasure Chest Deals Keep Coming
Here at RadioArchives.com, we love to add something extra to every order we receive – and that’s why, every day of the week, we offer our customers a special Treasure Chest Bonus offer. Sometimes it’s one of our classic radio show collections, other times a double-novel pulp fiction reprint or bargain priced DVD set, but you’ll always find it waiting for you on our homepage.

Here are the deals you can look forward to seeing this week:* Today through Monday June 13th, you can get our newest CD set – “The Lux Radio Theatre, Volume 2”, a $17.98 value – for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.

* On Tuesday June 14th, pulp fiction’s legendary Knight of Darkness returns in “The Shadow Volume 7”, featuring two classic stories by Walter Gibson: “The Cobra” and “The Third Shadow”. This beautifully reformatted double-novel reprint is normally priced at $12.95 – but you can enjoy these two exciting adventures for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
* On Wednesday June 15th, “America’s Favorite Free-Lance Insurance Investigator” is featured in “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Volume 1”, a ten-CD collection featuring ten high-flying five-part detective adventures. Starring Bob Bailey in the title role, this set has long been a favorite with Radio Archives customers – and its now been updated with a specially commissioned cover painting by artist Douglas Klauba. This thrill-packed compact disc collection normally sells for $29.98 – but, for one day only, it can be yours for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.

* On Thursday June 16th, sing along with a show business icon in “Bing Crosby: The Screen Legends Collection”, a 3-DVD set offering five of the crooner’s classic movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Normally priced at $26.98, you’ll be able to get this beautifully packaged collection of fully restored films for Just $3.99 when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
Make it a habit to visit RadioArchives.com often and see what’s waiting for you in the Treasure Chest. You’ll find a deal we know you won’t want to miss!
New in Pulp Fiction: Doc Savage Volume 48 and The Shadow Volume 49If you just can’t get enough of the page-turning adventures of the great pulp heroes, stop by RadioArchives.com today for two new double novel pulp reprints:In “Doc Savage Volume 48”, priced at just $14.95, you’ll thrill to the classic adventures of the Man of Bronze in two original novels by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. First, what is the bizarre connection between the appearance of “Red Snow” and the disappearance of a United States senator? Our national security may depend on Doc Savage’s discovery of the sinister secret! Then, in “Death Had Yellow Eyes”, Monk Mayfair is abducted while the Man of Bronze is framed for bank robbery and murder. This classic pulp reprint is available in two editions: one features the original color pulp covers by Walter M. Baumhofer and Modest Stein, while the alternate edition features an impressive painting by Bantam artist James Bama. Both feature Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by historian Will Murray.

Next, the radio origins of the Knight of Darkness are showcased in “The Shadow Volume 49”, priced at just $14.95 and featuring two classic pulp novels by Walter Gibson, writing as Maxwell Grant. First, the Dark Avenger teams with Secret Service agent Vic Marquette to investigate a far-reaching counterfeiting ring in “The Shadow Laughs!”, the landmark novel that introduced the real Lamont Cranston. Then, how can The Shadow prove that an innocent man is not a murderer when several witnesses have identified the young man as the “Voice of Death”? This instant collector’s item features the original color pulp covers by Jerome Rozen and Graves Gladney, classic interior illustrations by Tom Lovell and Edd Cartier, and commentary by popular-culture historians Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.

There’s nothing like the action and excitement you’ll get from a great pulp fiction adventure story. Visit RadioArchives.com and browse our extensive array of pulp classics right away.Also New in Old Time Radio: The Unexpected, Volume 2 If you’re a fan of suspenseful mysteries – and particularly if you love surprise endings – you’ll enjoy “The Unexpected, Volume 2”, a new classic radio collection from RadioArchives.com. Featuring such talented performers as Lurene Tuttle, Lyle Talbot, Barry Sullivan, and Virginia Gregg, this series of fascinating and suspenseful tales offer the kind of twist endings that you’ll never see coming.
Transferred directly from original transcription recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity, “The Unexpected, Volume 2” is now available in two formats: a five-CD set priced at just $14.98 or a digital download, available for just $9.98. If you love a mystery, you’ll love “The Unexpected” from RadioArchives.com.
Listen to this Newsletter!

The releases we’ve described in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you’ll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it’s pulp fiction classics, colorful and exciting books from Moonstone, timeless movies and television shows on DVD, or the over 150 compact disc collections containing thousands of sparkling and fully restored classic radio shows, we hope you’ll make RadioArchives.com your source for the best in entertainment.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this newsletter as an Audio Podcast! Click anywhere in the colorful banner at the top and you’ll automatically hear the Radio Archives Newsletter, enhanced with narration, music, and clips from our latest compact disc collections! This audio version of our regular newsletter is a pleasant and convenient way to hear all about our latest CD sets, as well as the newest pulp fiction reprints, special offers, and much, much more!

PULPS!-Second Column from Mark Halegua!

  • News
  • June 14, 2011
PULPS!- A Column by Mark Halegua
Continuing from the previous column-
During the next six years from 1917 through 1923 there was a further explosion in titles and publishers.
The titles ranged from short runs like Thrill Book, to long running weekly titles like Western Story, both by Street and Smith.  Western Story was the first all western title, renamed from a nickel paper, New Buffalo Bill Weekly.  For most of 20 years it was published weekly.  Street and Smith also published Love Story (another weekly) and Sport Story (twice a month for a long period).

1923-08-25-2764065

 
 

Other important and long running titles in this period include Ace High (which later become Ace High Western), Action Stories, Black Mask, and Weird Tales.
The latter two were never best selling titles.  Weird Tales in fact, by many accounts, was hanging on by the skin of its teeth with bankruptcy never far from the door.
But, they were important far beyond their sales for what they published.  They were important for their impact on the pulps and later popular literature, for the authors and artists they introduced and the style of writing.
Initially Black Mask was created to help pay for another magazine with poor sales figures, The Smart Set – which was supposed to compete with the New Yorker.  It wasn’t making money, but it was a prestigious title and so H. L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan decided to try publishing a pulp to help pay the bills.  This wasn’t their first, having published Parisienne and Saucy Stories. 
From the beginning Black Mask was a general fiction title.  One of many in the period.  It advertised on its covers Detective, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, and Occult stories.  Early issues also published westerns.  The quality of these early issues wasn’t high but they sold the title for a huge profit from their initial investment.
Still, it took the new publishers a couple of years before an editor took over who changed the face of the magazine and crime fiction forever.  Joseph “Cap” Shaw took over the reins in 1926 and decided that crime fiction should fit the times, gritty, direct, and powerful.  He was also in favor of justice and depicting criminals as cowardly and no account.
Even at this stage of the pulps, entering their third decade, crime fiction was still somewhat laid back.  No longer the drawing room mysteries of years earlier, but relatively soft.  Yes, you had gun battles, Private Investigators, police, criminals, but it was still didn’t have the hard edge,  the punch it would have under the new editorship.
Under Cap Shaw that punch was delivered.  The stories started at a 60 miles per hour pace and just revved up, non-stop.  Shaw also realized Black Mask couldn’t compete as a general fiction magazine against such titles as Argosy, Adventure, Blue Book, and Short Stories, among others.  Black Mask had to concentrate on detective stories.  It took awhile, but eventually detective was all it published.
In 1923 Carroll John Daly wrote his first story for Black Mask, titled “Three Gun Terry,” about private investigator Terry Mack.  He would write later stories about Race Williams.  Williams wasn’t the first detective, but he was an uneducated, rough talking, rough acting individual, and always with something to say.  He was a street fighter and used his gun without compunction or remorse.  If he thought you deserved a bullet in the brain, you got it.
A year before Daly introduced Race Williams one-time Pinkerton agent, Dashiel Hammett, wrote about the Continental Op.  You never knew his name.  This first story, “The Road Home” appeared in the December 1922 issue of Black Mask under the name Peter Collinson.  In December 1923 Earle Stanley Gardner’s first story appeared, “The Shrieking Skeleton,” under the pen name of Charles M. Green.  Gardner would later leave the Black Mask stable as he chaffed under the constant editorial hand of Shaw trying to shape all of his writers after Hammett.   In 1933 Raymond Chandler joined the pulp.
And so, with these and other authors, was born the hard boiled detective!
For 10 years Cap Shaw helmed Black Mask, and circulation grew.  Never a best selling title but one with great respect accorded to it.  How could it not with stories like the Maltese Falcon?
In 1923 Weird Tales entered the picture.  This was the first all fantasy and horror title.  Over its 30 year history it would change physical formats from pulp to bedsheet back to pulp and, finally, near the end in the 50s digest.

During those 30 years Harry Houdini, H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Seabury Quinn, Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Robert Bloch, and many others, including Tennessee Williams first story (“The  Vengeance of Nitocris”) would grace the pages with characters from Cthulu, Conan, King Kull, Jules De Grandin, Dr. Satan, and more.
Covers were done by J. Allen St. John, Margaret Brundage, Virgil Finlay,  Hannes Bok, and others, these being the most notable.  Brundage’s covers included whipping nude or semi-nude nubile young women.  Rumor has it she used her daughter as a model, and many decried the covers which, of course, brought more attention and more sales.
Never a best selling title, always on the verge of bankruptcy, its impact resonated beyond the pulp world.  One story, by C. M. Eddy, Jr., included necrophilia and forced the magazine’s removal from some newsstands.  But, it also drew interest and sold well enough to stave off the bank.
There have been several attempts to revive Weird Tales after its original run ended in 1954 and there is one now been out for a couple of years.  If you’re interested in this number of current writers (Stephen King for one) have written for it.  Go to: http://weirdtalesmagazine.com
Otto Penzler has edited a huge (over 1,100 pages) compendium of Black Mask stories in the Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask.
This book includes the original Maltese Falcon story, the first time seeing publication since its original Black Mask publication, it having been modified since that original printing.
Authors include Carroll John Daly and his Race Williams (against the KKK no less), Earle Stanley Gardner, Richard Sale, Raoul Whitfield, Dashiel Hammet (as Peter Collinson), Fredric Brown, and more.  All the stories come with the original illustrations.
You can find this book at most bookstores and on Amazon.
All of the images are from my Pulp Image Library version 7 disk, on sale at pulps1st.com.

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