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The masked outlaw Zorro, the famed Fighting Hidalgo, battles all enemies of justice and protects the innocent in Spanish California. From 1919 through 1959, the Zorro adventures from Mr. Johnston McCulley would deliver excitement and adventure to millions of fans and create one of the most internationally famous heroes of all time. The first story, The Curse of Capistrano, appeared in All-Story Weekly. Zorro then appeared regularly first in Argosy Magazine and then in West Magazine. Complete Zorro Pulp Bibliography here.

High Adventure #87 brings us a reprint of the January 1950 issue of Captain Zero. A crime fighter with the power to become invisible only during the hours of midnight to dawn. This short lived pulp lasted only 3 issues and was penned by suspense writer G.T. Fleming-Roberts. Here's our new section featuring Captain Zero and all three pulp covers and now two magazine reprints.

The Shadow

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows... " (Listen here: mp3, flash audio)

In 1930, successful pulp fiction magazine publisher Street and Smith wanted to get into the emerging radio market. Adapting stories from their pulp magazine, Detective Stories, they created the radio series initially called The Detective Story Hour for CBS. The narrator, played by James La Curto and then Frank Readick, was referred to only as "The Shadow".

Response for the mysterious voice was overwhelming, and Street and Smith with writer Walter B. Gibson quickly launched a pulp fiction magazine defining this new super crime fighter. The Shadow would become one of the most enduring pulp heroes, lasting for 325 novels, 285 penned by Mr. Gibson himself, and over 17 years, marking one of the most successful pulp publishing successes.

On the radio, The Shadow continued to play only the role of narrator until 1937 when the Shadow commanded the lead in fighting crime over the airwaves. A young, 22 year-old actor named Orson Welles, won the audition to become the voice of the Shadow in the new expanded format. Although the famous Shadow laugh continued from the earlier Frank Readick era, Welles' enthusiasm and talent helped propel the radio series to become the highest rated dramatic program. With Bill Johnstone and Bret Morison picking up the cape over time, the broadcast run lasted an astonishing 25 years with as many as 15 million weekly listeners enjoying the mysteries and learning the lesson that "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit... crime does not pay! "

Hollywood assisted The Shadow, his radio alter ego Lamont Cranston, and radio sidekick Margo Lane in making the jump to the silver screen with four movies in total: The Shadow Strikes (1937), International Crime (1938), Invisible Avenger (1958) and the "highly stylized" remake The Shadow (1994) starring Alec Baldwin. Pulp fans recall that The Shadow's true identity from the magazines was Kent Allard. The Shadow pulp novels reappeared in the 1970s, with paperback reprints from publishers Pyramid, Jove and a few others for a handful of stories. And, throughout the years, the Shadow continued to be a main topic of fanzine articles and pulp history pieces culminating with numerous fan websites on the Internet today.

Some readers here may only recall Alec Baldwin's Shadow from eleven(!) years ago. But as you can see, the man who had "the hypnotic power to cloud men's minds so they cannot see him" started about 75 years ago and crisscrossed through every major storytelling format from the 20th Century.

For more from the Shadow and other pulp fiction and old time radio heroes, visit the Vintage Library.

Tag: pulp fiction
Tag: old time radio

Jack Dempsey became one of the first American Boxing superstars with his reign during the early 1920s as Heavyweight Champ. From 1911 through 1919, Dempsey worked his way through Colorado mining camp and bar room boxing matches to make a living. Becoming one of the most ferocious boxers of the time, his specialty was in the devastingly quick knockout.

In 1919, Dempsey took the boxing world by storm with his victory over Jess Willard, earning the Heavyweight title and becoming a hero to adoring fans. Over the next 6 years, Dempsey ruled the ring.

He eventually lost his title in the legendary battle and subsequent rematch with Gene Tunney in 1926 and 1927 but his fame and popularity continued for years.

Dempsey officially retired in 1940 with a record of 60 wins, 7 losses and 8 ties with 50 wins via knockout.

During the peak of the pulp fiction magazine craze, sports oriented pulps had quite a following. In 1934, Jack Dempsey's Fight Magazine debuted but only lasted for three issues.

This extremely rare pulp magazine featured stories and articles from various authors and an editorial from Jack Dempsey. The first issue pictured here contains a short story from Robert E. Howard, well known creator of Conan the Barbarian.

Through the wonders of small press publishing, the inaugural issue of the ultra rare pulp Jack Dempsey's Fight Magazine is available again as a full size pulp reprint in facsimile edition.

Jack Dempsey's Fight Magazine, May 1934 Volume 1 Number 1

Visit the Vintage Library for more Pulp Fiction, Old Time Radio and Cliffhanger Serial classics.


Tag: pulp fiction