An end of an era. The beginning of a new one.
When I got into the pulp fandom in the 1990s, there were several fanzines out: Pulp Adventures, Pulp Collector, Pulp Vault, Golden Perils, Echoes, and a few others. Over the years, they all stopped. The only one that kept plugging along was Howard Wright‘s The Bronze Gazette, devoted to Doc Savage. A newer one that came along is Blood ‘n’ Thunder, and it’s going through changes; and Pulp Adventures is back, but mainly as a fiction zine.
Published since 1990, Bronze Gazette is sadly ending with issue #75 after 25 years! As subscriptions have been for particular issues, the final subscriptions were for the last two issues: #74 and 75.
• #74 (July 2015) This issue mainly has one big article by John Vellutini, his third. This one looks at an interesting idea about the “origin” of Doc Savage, looking at a possible extraterrestrial origin. He also ties in ideas from H.P. Lovecraft and the Shaver Mystery. While you don’t have to accept that idea, he does have some interesting ideas. Also included is another Doc Savage comic reprint, from The Shadow Comics (Vol 4, No. 12). It gives a different “origin” for Ham joining Doc and Monk.
• #75 (January 2016) The “final issue” goes out with a bang!
Howard Wright gives a great history and overview of the zine in his editorial. Will Murray, long-time pulp historian and the new Kenneth Robeson, gives info on “Lester Dent’s Last Doc Savage Story,” which was a scant outline of what might have been script for a Doc TV series. Julian Puga looks at the setting of the Mystic Mullah, in particular a yacht club that appears. John Vellutini has another article looking at the parallels between The Man of Bronze and The Savage Gentleman by Philip Wylie. Howard Wright provides an article which looks at the proposed Doc Savage TV movie, The Mind Assassins (covered in Big Book of Bronze #4), and tries to cast it. This one has some nice illustrations by Ron Wilber.
All in all, it’s a great final issue.
However!
All is not lost! At the recent Doc Con, it was announced that the Bronze Gazette will continue under other hands. The next issue, #76, will come out in 2016. They even have a cover already! PULPlications, run by Terry Allen of Fantom Press and Keith Wilson of Doc Savage Fantasy Covers will be the publisher, while Chuck Welch of Flearun will be the editor. Apparently there will be group of regular contributors, but additional articles are welcome. I wonder if they will continue reprinting classic Doc Savage comic stories?
PULPlication’s website is taking subscriptions for #76 and 77. Plan is to do 2 issues in 2016, then go to 3 in 2017. I’ve already signed up and encourage others to do the same. We should see the first new issue in about three months. I look forward to it.
Is it too late to get The Bronze Gazette 74 and 75? Also are there any other issues that are available for purchase?
That’s something you’ll have to reach out to Howard Wright about. Post on the Flearun group on FB about this.