The Great Pulp Heroes [Paperback]

Don Hutchison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

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 Supewrman, 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Highly Recommended! The best book about the pulps that we have seen in years. Don Hutchison pours love for the old magazines into this fascinating work. This should be on every pulp enthusiasts book shelf."

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Mosaic Press; 1st edition (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889625859
• ISBN-13: 978-0889625853
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,959,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A History of the Best Known Pulp Fiction Characters, June 10, 1998

By 

Kenneth Chisholm ([e-mail]) (London, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Pulp Heroes (Paperback)

From about the mid 1920's to the mid-1950's, one of the most popular entertainments available that were serious competition to radio and the movies was the pulp magazine. Printed on the cheapest kind of paper and with the most lurid covers, these magazines provided some of the most vivid action and suspence in print in the 20th century. While the medium is largely dead now and replaced by TV, comics and the paperback novel, the most famous heroes still created descendents of some of our most popular current fictional adventure characters. They include Batman(inspired by the pulp character, The Shadow), Superman(Doc Savage) and James Bond (Operator #5). In this book, Don Hutchison talks about this influential medium focusing on the major characters and the writers who spun these wild yarns. With detailed knowledge, the reader can learn about these characters, their development and the source of their appeal with wonderful vividness. The only shortcoming I see is that I would have preferred to have some more detailed thoughts on their latter day influence. However, if you want learn about what popular literature was like before TV was developed and the comic book hit its full stride, then this is a book for you.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book on the pulp heros in print., October 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Pulp Heroes (Paperback)

The coverage of the characters, content, authors, and even some of the artists of the pulp hero era of American popular literature within this volume are excellent and help you really understand the blood, sweat and tears that went into the development of the pulps. A Must-read on the subject!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDEFUL OVERVIEW OF HERO PULPS, August 31, 2006

By 

Ron Fortier "Air Chief" (Fort Collins, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Pulp Heroes (Paperback)

Don Hutchinson not only knows his subject matter, he loves it as well. There is a wondrous enthusiam that plays itself out in these pages and gives the reader the briefest glimpse on what the pulp era was truly all about. A great book, both for its fun and its information. Should be in the library of any pulp fan worth his or her salt.