PULP COVER FRIDAY PRESENTS MORE AERIAL-DYNAMICS

Robert Hogan proved to be a fairly elusive fellow. I didn’t devote thesis-quality research to this, but tooling around the internet didn’t reveal a whole lot of info on him. My God, he’s not even in wikipedia!

A few salient facts as they relate to G-8, though. Hogan enlisted in the Air Service in January 1918, but a bout with influenza during the Spanish Flu epidemic kept him out of combat. He maintained his interest in aviation, and while working in Syracuse, NY, in the late 1920s as an airplane salesman met Harold Nevin, who was nicknamed “Bull” because of his gridiron prowess while at Syracuse University. (Sounding a little familiar?) Nevin, who spoke French fluently, had done intelligence work during WW I. He frequently regaled Hogan with stories of the adventures he and his pal “Nippy” Westover had in France.

The Depression put Hogan out of work, and he decided to become a pulp writer after perusing early air story zines. He ended up a prolific author in the aviation, sport, and western genres, and was also the (only?) writer for the character pulps THE MYSTERIOUS WU FANG and THE SECRET 6. He got the G-8 assignment (“G-8″ was the name of a ranch he’d worked at in Colorado before enlisting in the Air Service) and he created super-spy G-8 and his comrades Bull Martin and Nippy Weston, which he modeled on his old friend Nevin and his pal Westover.

On to the covers!

I’ve got to say, I’m loving these covers.  I’ve only gotten through early 1937, so there’s plenty more to choose from though I don’t want to over-do it.  What do you guys say?  Had enough?  Another week’s worth?  Maybe a break with something else, then another installment of G-8?  Let me know.

Also, time for another book giveaway.  I have a multiply-signed copy of Wild Cards SUICIDE KINGS to give away to the first person who can revert back to high school (or, if you’re not in high school, yet, grow into the role) and remember this sort of thing from the SATs:  Raymond Burr is to Godzilla as Brian Dunleavy is to, what?  Your answer must be filled in completely with a Number Two pencil, or it will not count toward your final score.