PULP COVER FRIDAY PRESENTS:  MORE STRANGE PULP COVERS

This one’s for Scott, by request. I’m not entirely sure what this is illustrating. Well, actually, I am. It’s those two red dots that have me slightly perturbed. Giant measles, maybe?

This started out as ALL DETECTIVE magazine (Nov. 1932 to January 1935), then changed to DOCTOR DEATH and lasted for only three more issues. They’ve got some pretty interesting covers, probably enough to carry an entire issue of Pulp Cover Friday.

Just another “spicy” magazine, with the generic title of SPICY STORIES. Some nice covers, though. Lasted from December 1928 to July 1938 (maybe; authorities are uncertain).  What’s in that pipe she’s holding?

This is from STARTLING MYSTERY. To ensure the sterling quality of their prose, they paid only half the going rate to their writers (meaning, probably ½ a word; maybe less, if a lesser sum can be imagined). As you can see from the cover, though, they still got quality submissions, the theme of “women frozen in giant ice cube” always being a favorite of the reading public. Possibly their generosity towards their writers had something to do with the fact that the mag lasted only two issues. (February and April, 1940).

Here’s another zine with a series of very bizarre covers. Perhaps someone can explain to me exactly what’s going on here. STAR DETECTIVE was a “weird menace” pulp that published 11 issues from May 1935 to November 1938 —

— and then changed its name to UNCANNY TALES for five more (April/May 1939 to May 1940). Looks like business as usual.