I remember Rob being an active member of the alt.fan.doc-savage newsgroup back in the ’90s, and learning from him about the start of the Arizona Doc Con in 1998. Rob was one of the founders of the annual Doc Savage gathering.
In 2004, I was fortunate to meet and become friends with him — as well as the other Arizona fans of bronze — when we moved to the Phoenix area. I miss seeing him and the rest of the gang at the periodic “Doc Day” lunches, and sharing the camaraderie of fellow fans of Doc Savage and the pulps.
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3 Pulp Questions
3 Pulp Questions is an opportunity for you to get to know fellow pulp collectors a bit better and, maybe, introduce you to pulps, authors, stories or characters that you haven’t explored.[/box]
Rob always said the Arizona Doc Con wasn’t supposed to be the only one, but rather an example that similar gatherings could be organized by anyone anywhere. A con doesn’t have to be a big production; it is just a chance for fans to get together to celebrate the heroes of the pulp era. He envisioned Doc Cons being held all around the country (if not beyond).
It would be great if Rob’s vision could become reality.
In the meantime, let’s hear from Rob:
1. How were you introduced to the pulps?
In 1971 when I was in the seventh grade, I was turned on to the Doc Savage paperbacks by a classmate. My introduction to the pulps came via those paperbacks.
After seeing from the publication history in the front of the paperbacks that the stories were originally published in the 1930s, I probably asked around about the pulps. I had never heard of the pulps and of course had never seen one. I wondered what they might look like, but with no resources to find out they remained a mystery.
I don’t remember if I happened on it while anxiously prowling the bookstore for the next Doc Savage paperback, or if I was directed to it by a bookstore employee, but I came upon “The Pulps” by Tony Goodstone sometime in late 1972. When I opened this big, hardbound volume and saw the pulp covers I was thrilled and truly excited to lay my eyes on a Doc Savage pulp! It was the cover of “The Roar Devil.” As it turned out, I had to wait another six years until Bantam issued that story in paperback in 1977, and by that time I was in my first year of college!
But those kinds of teasers just added to the mystery and excitement of the Doc Savage paperback series.
Anyway, my parents gave me a copy of Goodstone’s book for Christmas 1972. I know that because I had my Dad inscribe: “To Rob, from Mother and Daddy, Christmas 1972” on the inside cover. I still have this personal treasure.
Shortly thereafter I found Ron Goulart’s paperback “Cheap Thrills: An Informal History of the Pulp Magazines.” Although this book was much smaller in size and the pulp covers were in black & white, I got to see more pulp covers including the pulp cover for the Doc Savage pulp with “The Sea Magician,” which I am certain I already had in paperback as it was published by Bantam in January 1970.
All of this was exciting stuff, and it certainly ignited my interest in pulps and spurred my zeal for Doc Savage. At this time I was 14 years old.
2. What is your most prized pulp possession?
Without a doubt my most prized pulp possession is the first issue of Doc Savage Magazine, “The Man of Bronze.” How I got it was a bit magical. I was contacted by an email from a woman who has seen my Doc Savage website.
She said her father had passed away a few years earlier, and she was selling off some of his possessions and had a very nice copy of “The Man of Bronze,” and she wanted it to go to a good home. I negotiated a price and was able to obtain it. Ah, the magic of the Internet!
And yes, it is a very nice copy. She said her father had other Doc Savage pulp issues which he had sold off but he kept “TMOB” because he cherished it. I am thrilled to be its next steward and give it a good home, and now I cherish it.
3. What overlooked (pulp magazine, story, author, character, or series) would you recommend to pulp fans and why?
My pulp interests are very, very narrow. I’ve read The Shadow and The Avenger (in paperback) which I found interesting, but not fascinating but that’s about it.
I suppose if I had gotten into the detective pulps I would have liked them as I am a big fan of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, but I always gravitated to the hero pulps.
One hero pulp series that I did find fascinating (other than Doc Savage, of course) is G-8 and His Battle Aces. I like the G-8 pulps because they are so “over the top” (a good WWI term!), and the villains and menaces are so outlandish. Yes, they are very formulaic stories and Nippy, Bull and Battle get on your nerves, but G-8 is so brave, and his dealings with the General (Pershing?) are so bombastic. His adventures as a spy are so lurid and physically violent to the point of morbidity. But probably what I really like about G-8 is the flying aspect as I am an aviator myself, and the personal bravery and danger.
The other hero pulp I have enjoyed is Captain Future — Wizard of Science. Some have referred to Captain Future (Curtis Newton) as Doc Savage in a space helmet. I suppose there are some similarities, but the writing style is completely different. I am a science and space buff so a science-wizard pulp hero in space would naturally attract me.
The adventures with civilizations on the other planets in our solar system are wild fantasy and the battles with evil planetary emperors get a little winded, but you can see some roots here for the concepts later used in the “Star Wars” stories and also in the android man Data on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as Captain Future had both a robot (Grag) and an android (Otho) sidekicks, plus a sidekick advisor Simon Wright who was a disembodied brain in a box — and that’s just weird!
For both G-8 and Captain Future you have to just check-out and let the 14-year-old boy in you to come out. Only then can you truly enjoy these stories… and perhaps that goes for the Doc Savage stories as well.
I’ve seen a few issues of the first DOC SAVAGE for sale. The last time was about 10 or so years ago when Bob Weinberg brought the first issue to Pulpcon. I believe he got over $5,000 for it. Now the first issue, if in nice condition, would be worth well over $5,000.
Concerning pulp conventions, Rusty Hevelin, who ran Pulpcon for many years, also hoped that other areas of the country would organize their own pulp shows. In addition to the Doc conventions, Ray Walsh has a one day show each year in Michigan; Rich Harvey runs the Bordentown, NJ convention every November; and the Toronto event happens every year in Canada thanks to Girasol. The only multi-day events are Windy City and Pulpfest. Pulpfest will be coming up soon, Aug 7-10.
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I don’t remember if I happened on it while anxiously prowling the bookstore for the next Doc Savage paperback, or if I was directed to it by a bookstore employee, but I came upon “The Pulps” by Tony Goodstone sometime in late 1972. When I opened this big, hardbound volume and saw the pulp covers I was thrilled and truly excited to lay my eyes on a Doc Savage pulp! It was the cover of “The Roar Devil.” As it turned out, I had to wait another six years until Bantam issued that story in paperback in 1977, and by that time I was in my first year of college!
Without a doubt my most prized pulp possession is the first issue of Doc Savage Magazine, “The Man of Bronze.” How I got it was a bit magical. I was contacted by an email from a woman who has seen my Doc Savage website.
One hero pulp series that I did find fascinating (other than Doc Savage, of course) is G-8 and His Battle Aces. I like the G-8 pulps because they are so “over the top” (a good WWI term!), and the villains and menaces are so outlandish. Yes, they are very formulaic stories and Nippy, Bull and Battle get on your nerves, but G-8 is so brave, and his dealings with the General (Pershing?) are so bombastic. His adventures as a spy are so lurid and physically violent to the point of morbidity. But probably what I really like about G-8 is the flying aspect as I am an aviator myself, and the personal bravery and danger.
I’ve seen a few issues of the first DOC SAVAGE for sale. The last time was about 10 or so years ago when Bob Weinberg brought the first issue to Pulpcon. I believe he got over $5,000 for it. Now the first issue, if in nice condition, would be worth well over $5,000.
Concerning pulp conventions, Rusty Hevelin, who ran Pulpcon for many years, also hoped that other areas of the country would organize their own pulp shows. In addition to the Doc conventions, Ray Walsh has a one day show each year in Michigan; Rich Harvey runs the Bordentown, NJ convention every November; and the Toronto event happens every year in Canada thanks to Girasol. The only multi-day events are Windy City and Pulpfest. Pulpfest will be coming up soon, Aug 7-10.