George Bruce Marquis - Author, College bursar

George Bruce Marquis - Western Author

George Bruce Marquis, not to be confused with the George Bruce of aviation pulp fame, wrote more than a hundred stories in a forty year career in the pulps, starting in 1912 in the Cavalier, and ending in Short Stories in 1951. Most of his stories were westerns, many featuring a series character called Bat Jennison – a wandering cowboy knight errant. I got interested in him after reading a couple of stories in West, and decided to look him up. This article is the result, mostly based on the accounts in the Whitman College Archives Newsletter.

Gayle Hoskins - prints from "A Cowboy's Day" series of covers

[On the occasion of the artist's birthday]

The artist Gayle Hoskins did many covers for Western Story Magazine, starting in 1929. One of the few positive things to emerge from the Great Depression was that many excellent cover artists were forced to do illustrations for pulp magazines as their incomes dropped. This led to improved quality in covers overall during the early 1930s, and provided good mentors like Emmett Watson to up and coming artists like Rudolph Belarski.

Hoskins did a series of 27 thematically related covers titled "A cowboy's day" starting with the January 3, 1931 issue and ending with the July 4th issue. Of these covers, 20 were collected as a set of prints offered for sale by Street and Smith, the publisher of Western Story. I don't know why some of the covers were omitted, i included them here (taken from the FictionMags Index of Western Story Magazine).

I got  hold of a nearly complete set, missing only a single print. Thought you might want to see it. Tell me your favorites in the comments. Mine are 4, 14 and 20 in the printed set, and "Snake and his rustler band" from the unreprinted ones.

The Jan 3, 1931 issue introducing the series of covers titled "A Cowboy's Day"  by Gayle Hoskins

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #1 Dawn

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #2 Saddling Up

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #3 Trail Talk

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #4 The morning buck

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - A message for Slim

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #5 Sound Again 

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #6 Outlaws' Smoke

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - Slim spots rustlers

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - Snake and his rustler band

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #7 Rustler's Brand

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #8 The Rustler Shoots

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #9 Pursued

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #10 Water

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #11 Bad News

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #12 "Chuck"

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #13 A Hot Trail

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #14 Reading Sign

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #15 Kidnaped

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #16 Posse

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - Slim's Girl in Snake's Power

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #17 Picking 'em off

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #18 Devil's Due

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - To safety with Slim

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #19 Round-Up

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day - Slim and Rita's romance trail

Gayle Hoskins - A Cowboy's Day #20 Happy end of a cowboy's day

Index to the fanzine Xenophile - part 1

Had the good luck recently to acquire a complete run of the fanzine Xenophile. Have been reading a few issues, shocked by the low prices and high dudgeon evinced by subscribers at price increases of pulps to as much as $3 for a late 1930s Black Mask issue. Didn't find it indexed, so this is my take on the index, which i plan to submit to FictionMags once it's done. Will post a few articles from it once I'm done indexing.

Suggestions for articles to post welcome, leave a comment.

If you find a mistake, leave a comment and I'll fix it.

Part 1 covers the first 22 issues.

Xenophile [Vol 1 #1, March 1974] (24pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

2 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

9 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

12 · Vincent Starrett 1886-1974   · ar

15 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

24 · To Vincent Starrett · Arch Alfred McKillen · pm

Xenophile [Vol 1 #2, April 1974] (32pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

2 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

8 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

26 · Pulp Collecting -- For Fun or Fortune · Rusty Hevelin · ar

28 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

Xenophile [Vol 1 #3, May 1974] (28pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

4 · The Diavolo Quartet · Francis M. Nevins Jr. · ar

6 · The Devil you say · Nick Carr · ar

 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 1 #4, June 1974] (44pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

7 · Just a little matter of Doom · Bob Sampson · ar

37 · Remembering John Creasey · Francis M. Nevins Jr. · ar

39 · [Untitled poem] · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

Xenophile [Vol 1 #5, July 1974] (44pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

4 · The two faces of Herr Matzu · Nick Carr · ar

6 · Oak Park revisited · Michael Murphy · ss

39 · Tarzan and the Mayas. · John F. Sullivan · ar

Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 1 #6, August-September 1974] (32pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · The realm of In-Between · Walter Shedlofsky · ss

8 · The legless runner · Michael Avallone · ar

4 · Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore' · Nick Carr · ar

Xenophile [Vol 1 #7, August-September 1974] (80pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

Illustrations by Frank Hamilton and Bruce Walker

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · Sexton Blake: The Office Boy's Sherlock Holmes? · Fr. Francis Hertzberg · ar; illustrated by Frank Hamilton

7 · The Chronicle of Christoper Syn [Part 1 of 3] · Nick Carr · ar
9 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

10 · Home workshop Dept: Hand of Glory · Douglas Graves  · ar

12 · A Bibliography of Manly Wade Wellman · Karl E. Wagner & Edwin Murray · ar

65 · Trinapulation of the Albitron · Walter Shedlofsky · ss

66 · Star Magazine: A Summary Checklist · Nils Hardin · ar

68 · Apostil Apostle · Helan Halbach ·

68 · When Pulp was Gold · Michael Avallone · ar

69 · An Index to Fantastic Novels · Gary Shaheen · ar

72 · Some Thoughts about Robert Bloch · Bruce Walker · ar

Xenophile [Vol 1 #8, November 1974] (40pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

4 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

Xenophile [Vol 1 #9, December 1974] (56 pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

1 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · The Chronicle of Christoper Syn [Part 2 of 3] · Nick Carr · ar

7 · Doc Savage on the air · George Hocutt · ar

9 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

10 · The Shadow Codes · Walter Shedlofsky · ar

11 · Index to Avon Fantasy and Science Fiction Readers [Part 1 of 2] · Brian Perry · bi

16 · Mini books of Basil Wells · Basil Wells · ar

37 · The little dread Schoolhouse · Michael Avallone · ar

Xenophile [Vol 1 #10, January 1975] (44pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

1 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

2 · The other Shadow · Will Murray · ar

4 · The Strand · Father Francis Hertzberg · ar

5 · Index to Avon Fantasy and Science Fiction Readers [Part 2 of 2] · Brian Perry · bi

8 · The Chronicle of Christoper Syn [Part 3 of 3] · Nick Carr · ar

10 · The pulp reincarnation · Nick Carr · ar

11 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

12 · Dreams' Tokens · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

Xenophile [Vol 1 #10.5, February 1975] (28pp, 5.5 x 8.5 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

Xenophile [Vol 1 #11, March 1975] (132pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

7 · Lonely are the great (Cornell Woolrich) · Michael Avallone · ar

8 · The smell of pulps · Jon Inouye · ar

9 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

9 · Ishmael Reed's neo-Hoodooism · Dave Buck · ar

11 · G-8, Flying spy of the pulps · Sidney H. Bradd · ar

17 · The Saint's Boston caper · John A. Dinan · ar

111 · Dinosaur! (Doc Savage) · Bob Sampson · ar

115 · Nippy Weston: Girl Flyer · John Sullivan · ar

118 · HPL: The book that nearly was · Kenneth Faig Jr. · ar

123 · Adieu to the Avenger · Nick Carr · ar

123 · The weirdest tale of all · Emil Petaja · ar

128 · Who Fears the Devil · Karl Edward Wagner · mr

131 · The versatile Vincent · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 1, #13, May 1975] (68pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

6 · Emily Dickinson, Where Are You? Herman Melville Called Your Name Last Night in His Sleep! · Ray Bradbury · pm

9 · Ray Bradbury An Index [Part 1 of 3] · Donn Albright · bi

58 · Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 2, #14, June 1975] (68pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

1 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

2 · A Queen Quandary Quickly Quavered in Quixotic Quondam Quotation (A Note on Notations Re: Queen) · Michael Murphy · ar

4 · Editor at work: Ellery Queen and EQMM · Francis M. Nevins Jr. · ar

6 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

8 · Mystery League: A summary · Nils Hardin · ar

14· Quest for Nirvana · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

14 · Fungi from Yuggoth · Walter Shedlofsky · br

54 · Royal Bloodline: Ellery Queen, Author and Detective · Marvin Lachman · br

55 · From…….. tcqb (The Queen Canon Bibliofile) · Nils Hardin · ar

62 · Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 3, #15, July 1975] (56pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · Will F. Jenkins · James Ellis · ar

6 · An Interview with Murray Leinster · Will F. Jenkins · ar (originally appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Sep 1934)

10 · Biblio-File  ·  · cl

13 · Letters · lc

45 · Memories of Ngai · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

46 · Pulpcon 4 · Nils Hardin · ar

48 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 4, #16, August 1975] (48pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

4 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

5 · Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 5, #17, September 1975] (64pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · Walter Gibson · Frank Gruber · bg (originally appeared in The Armchair Detective, Jan 1970)

6 · ForeShadowings [Part 1 of 3] · Bill Blackbeard · ar

8 · Grace Note (Grace Culver, Shadow magazine) · Bob Sampson · ar

55 · The Occult detector by J.U. Giesy and Junius B. Smith · William J. Clark · bi

56 · Cole Wilson: A portrait · Nick Carr · ar

58 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

60 · A clergyman's irregular crime file (assorted book reviews) · Robert E. Washer · ar

61 · Letters · lc

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 6, #18, October 1975] (140pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

2 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

3 · Inside the outsider · Robert Bloch · bg

7 · The Lovecraft family in America · R. Alain Everts · bg

8 · Young man Lovecraft · L. Sprague de Camp · bg

9 · H.P. Lovecraft · Vincent Starrett · pm

10 · Lovecraft's Ladies · Ben P. Indick · ar

13 · H.P. Lovecraft: Rabid Racist - or Compassionate Gentleman? · Dirk W. Mosig · ar

16 · The call of Lovecraft · Willis Conover · ar

17 · Innsmouth revisited · Frank Belknap Long · pm

18 · The Ghost of Ec'h-Pi-El ·  · ar

20 · Ronald Clyne: A portrait ·  · bg

22 · Starrett vs. Machen · Michael Murphy · ar

25 · Groon · Ray Bradbury · pm

28 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

33 · Letter · E. Hoffman Price · lt

33 · Jules de Grandin returns · Bob Weinberg · ar

34 · The Shadow and the Hieroglyph · Walter Shedlofsky · pm

35 · The work of Clark Ashton Smith · E.P. Berglund · bi

42 · An unborn first edition · Glenn Lord · ar

47 · Contributors · Nils Hardin · ed

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 7, #19, December 1975] (40pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

38 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 7 (should be 8), #20, January 1976] (48pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

3 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

5 · Why I collect Science Fiction · Victor Dricks; Forest J. Ackerman; Gerry de la Ree; Steven Leventhal; Robert Madle; Robert Weinberg · ar

9 · The end of the world and the day after · Robert L. Brown · ar

37 · A remembrance of Fantastic Novels · James Ellis · ar

39 · Pierre Versin's Encyvlopedie · Bruce Robbins · br

40 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

41 · The long history of Short Stories · William J. Clark · ar

42 · An index to Planet Stories [Part 1 of 4] · Robert O'Malley · bi

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 8(should be 9), #21, March 1976] (60pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

1 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

3 · The Marquis of unremembered Manhunters [Marquis of Broadway] · Francis M. Nevins Jr. · ar

5 · Hammett in Hollywood · William F. Nolan · ar

7 · Spenser: Hardboiled roots · Bernard Drew · ar

8 · Rex Stout · Michael Bourne · ar

9 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

10 · For mystery critics only: Hard-boiled detective division · Michael Avallone · ar

47 · Vincent Starrett on the hard-boiled school · Michael Murphy · ar

49 · Robert Leslie Bellem: The great unknown · Stephen Mertz · bg

51 · Dan Turner · Nick Carr · ar

52 · Raymond Chandler, novelist · James W. Thomson · bg

54 · A clergyman's irregular crime file (assorted book reviews) · Robert E. Washer · ar

55 · An index to Planet Stories [Part 2 of 4] · Robert O'Malley · bi

Xenophile [Vol 2 No 9(should be 10), #22, March-April 1976] (140pp, 8.5 x 11 in)

1 · Editorial · Nils Hardin · ed

2 · How Fred Gray found happiness with a pulp price guide · Nils Hardin · ss

8 · Fourteen Issues (Scotland Yard magazine) · Bob Sampson · ar

12 · Jimmie Dale: pulp archetype · Don Hutchison · ar

15 · The pulp career of Nicholas Carter · J. Randolph Cox · ar

20 · The Shadow: The Fallen Mighty · Dean A. Grennell · ar

24 · Mistress of violence (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle) · Nick Carr · ar

26 · Fading shadows, fighting men extraordinary · Tom Johnson · ar

30 · ForeShadowings [Part 2 of 3] · Bill Blackbeard · ar

34 · Donald E. Keyhoe and the Brain Devil of G-2 · Sidney H. Bradd · ar

36 · How I got into aviation writing · Arch Whitehouse · bg

38 · Heroes of the flying pulps [Part 1 of 2] · Herm Schreider · ar

40 · An index to Bill Barnes novels · Will Murray · bi

42 · H. Bedford-Jones in Blue Book · William J. Clark · bi

46 · Pulp Information Center· Nils Hardin · cl

47 · Index to New Mystery Adventures/Mystery Adventure Magazine/Mystery Adventures Magazine [Part 1 of 2] · Fred Cook and Gordon Huber · bi

48 · An index to Planet Stories [Part 3 of 4] · Robert O'Malley · bi

49 · Letters · lc

55 · Pulp · Robert Sampson · ar

Encoded messages in the pulps - Adventure and Detective Story Magazine

Came across this, and thought you might find it interesting.

Encrypted messages exchanged in Detective Story Magazine, solution was found and is in the comments on the blog.

An unsolved encrypted message from a missed person

http://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2018/03/19/an-unsolved-encrypted-message-from-a-missed-person/

Around 1920, a US pulp magazine published an encrypted message exchange in its “missed persons” column. The cleartexts might refer to a familiy drama. Even two of the world’s greatest codebreakers apparently could not make sense of these cryptograms.

Another encrypted message here, this time in Adventure, July 1934

Encoded message in Adventure, July 1934, Ask Adventure column

http://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/2018/04/22/revisited-an-unsolved-message-from-a-pulp-magazine/

Revisited: An unsolved message from a pulp magazine

In 1934, a US magazine published an encrypted message a reader had found in an old document. The solution is not known to me.

Happy Independence Day to my US readers

The Popular Magazine, July 1906 cover commemorating the 130th Anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence

Street and Smith always did a good job with seasonal and event themes on magazine covers, putting out New Year, Thanksgiving and Christmas themed covers for a long time from the 1900s to 1920s. This is one of them, a photographic cover.

Strangely enough, in 1926, the year of the 150th anniversary, no special covers on the Popular. I wonder why.