[[quoteright:255:[[Magazine/{{Adventure}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/adventure-magazine-1_6873.jpg]]]]

Pulp magazines were a widespread source of affordable popular fiction in the first half of the 20th century. They were essentially regular periodicals printed on paper obtained from cheap wood pulp (hence "pulp") featuring original text stories, in contrast to the slick magazines printed on higher-grade paper (often called "glossies" or "slicks").

Inside these mags were stories of almost every genre possible depending on a particular magazine's focus. While the ActionAdventure series in the spirit of ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' or ''Literature/{{Pellucidar}}'' and ProtoSuperhero (like ''Literature/TheShadow'' or ''Literature/DocSavage'') are the best remembered today, there were a vast variety -- crime & detective (such as ''Black Mask''), horror (Creator/HPLovecraft's stories), romance, fantasy (Such as ''Magazine/WeirdTales'' which introduced Literature/ConanTheBarbarian) and many others. Notably, the ScienceFiction pulps (such as ''Magazine/AmazingStories''[[note]]which wasn't technically in pulp format when it first appeared but "went pulp" for some years from 1933 on[[/note]]) are both credited with establishing Science Fiction as a distinct genre [[note]]the term "science fiction" was coined by ''Amazing Stories'' editor Hugo Gernsback[[/note]] ''and'' blamed for establishing the idea that all science fiction is pulpy ScienceFiction and mostly SpaceOpera, leaving the new genre stuck in the ScifiGhetto to the chagrin of hard sci-fi devotees and others. This argument has mostly faded into history these days, but the underlying issues aren't dead yet.

Pulp fiction was often low-quality, cliché-stormed, and short (the magazines had about 128 pages). That's why only the very few people involved in their crafting thought the fiction created for the pulps had real value the way, say, novels often try to. Which included the writers who often were paid a penny a word. However, they weren't entirely wrong -- as exemplified by Lovecraft's works, pulp fiction could indeed be of great quality and had the potential of becoming classics. Yet, the pulps were at their best in the wild scenes of furious action, melodramatic romance, and sensational/exploitative plots.

Pulp magazines reflected that in their covers -- pinup-style MsFanservice in all her curvy glory, [[https://www.criminalelement.com/more-than-just-pretty-pictures-tag-lines-in-classic-pulp-novels-eric-beetner/cheesy taglines]], {{Badass}} guys brandishing weapons, menacing villains or wild animals, dramatic scenes of peril, bright colors, and lurid or intriguing scenarios.

The pulps strongly influence their descendant media even today. This can be attributed to the fact many {{Dead Horse Trope}}s were [[OnceOriginalNowCommon new and original]] back then. For instance, the SuperHero and Spy Hero stories like ''Franchise/JamesBond'' owe a lot to the medium's influence.

If you want to look for it, you can read the comic book, ''Wordsmith'', which is about the life and work of a pulp magazine writer in the 1930s with excerpts of the stories he writes. See also [[http://www.thepulp.net/PulpWiki/WikiHome The Pulp Wiki.]]

Eventually, the pulps were killed off by competition from movies, comic books, television, and the paperback novel, newer forms of affordable entertainment. Nowadays, the art of crafting pulp fiction is regarded as a technique to spark creativity and made the act of writing finally happen for those stuck in writer's block. It's said it reminds people how much fun writing stories can be. Especially when one doesn't worry about planning plot threads and complex characters.


SpaceOpera, PlanetaryRomance, and SwordAndSorcery became distinct genres in the pulps.

Compare with DimeNovel which along with the British Penny Dreadfuls were the immediate predecessors of pulp magazines. In turn, {{Airport Novel}}s are the closest [[SpiritualSuccessor modern equivalent]], although ExtrudedBookProduct plumbs some of the same depths as the worst of the pulp serials. A point can be made about {{Creepypasta}} and {{Fanfiction}} fulfilling the role pulp magazines left much better in the sense of being more widespread thanks to the internet and that their authors are amateur writers and, therefore, the stories aren't curated by professional editors.

See also TwoFistedTales for works directly inspired by the pulps.

Not to be confused with the band called [[Music/{{Pulp}} PULP]]. The movie ''Film/PulpFiction'' derives its title and some of its style from stories in pulp magazines of the crime genre. The movie ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' is also a homage to stories from pulp magazines, of the science fiction genre.

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!!Sexy Taglines, Drug-induced Covers, and… Examples!
[[folder: Serialized Pulp Characters]]
* ''Literature/TheAvenger'' (1939): Richard Henry Benson has traveled the world seeking the treasures (rubber, emeralds, amethysts, gold) hidden in its little-explored corners and otherwise getting loaded by offering his services (leading native armies, drawing aerial maps). He’s the wealthy pulp hero archetype in all its glory. When he finally settles down, his family is killed by some criminals. The terror leaves his hair and skin white and paralyzes his face in a morbid expression. He sets to avenge his family and everyone who has suffered due to the rampaging crime. Aided by his riches, of course.
* The Literature/BlackBat from the ''Black Book Detective'' series. The first Black Bat (1933) was [[ShortRunner cut short]] -- it was only his second, unrelated incarnation (1939) who sprang the character to fame. District Attorney Anthony Quinn gets disfigured and blinded by acid while trying to save key evidence for a case. He decides to delve into vigilantism after that, sticking paper bats on his [[AssholeVictim victims]] so innocent people won’t be blamed for his actions and to instill fear in other law-breaking people.
* ''Literature/CaptainFuture''
* ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian''
* ''Literature/ElCoyote'' (1943): He first appeared as a side character in a Western Pulp, but his popularity promoted him to the main role of the eponymous, wildly popular Spanish series. César de Echagüe is a wealthy Californian nobleman, owner of a large ranch, in the middle of the Mexican-American War. As his secret alter ego, El Coyote, César put on a mask and a traditional Mexican charro costume to protect the native Indians and Hispanics from the invading Anglo Saxons and wrongdoers in general. He's very similar to Zorro, right down to being named after a small dog relative ("Zorro" means "fox" in Spanish).
* The ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos''
* ''Literature/DanTurnerHollywoodDetective'':
* ''Literature/DocSavage'': He influenced Franchise/{{Superman}}.
* ''Literature/DoctorDeath'':
* ''Literature/DominoLady'' (1936): Ellen Patrick, a college-educated socialite, has her [[DeathByOriginStory father murdered]], prompting her to become the masked heroine Domino Lady and fight corruption to avenge her father. Which she does armed with a 45-caliber pistol, syringes of knockout serum, and her [[DistractedByTheSexy beauty]]. After disposing of her targets, she steals their riches which she donates to charity, leaving her signature "Compliments of the Domino Lady".
* ''Literature/DrYenSin'': Yen is the poster child of YellowPeril.
* G-8 from Literature/G8AndHisBattleAces
* ''Literature/HopalongCassidy'':
* ''Literature/KaZar'':
* Lord Lister from ''Literature/LordListerCalledRafflesTheMasterThief'': German.
* ''Literature/NickCarter'': The character originated in American, Western DimeNovels.
* ''Literature/OperatorNumberFive'': As the storm clouds gathered over Europe and the Far East, pulp hero ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operator_No._5 Secret Service Operator #5]]'' (1934 - 1939) fought attempts by various foreign armies from South America, [[ThoseWackyNazis Europe]] and the [[YellowPeril Orient]] to [[DayOfTheJackboot conquer the United States]]. The events are completely over-the-top as benefits the pulp genre, except for the time the Japs destroy an entire city (Philadelphia) with their evil atomic bomb. [[HarsherInHindsight Only Orientals would do such a dastardly deed...]]
** Sadly, due to the cancellation of the magazine, the "Yellow Vulture" epic was left permanently unfinished at a CliffHanger.
* ''Literature/ThePhantomDetective'':
* ''Literature/SecretAgentX'':
* ''Literature/TheShadow'': Serialized in both pulp magazines and radio programs.
* ''Literature/TheSpider'': a more bloodthirsty, violent, and (in later installments) more Catholic version of Batman. According to Stan Lee, one of the indirect influences on ComicBook/SpiderMan.
* Literature/TarzanOfTheApes by Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs. It later spanned its own [[Franchise/{{Tarzan}} franchise]].
* ''Literature/{{Zorro}}'':
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Pulp Genres]]
* ActionAdventure Pulps
* Crime and Detective Pulps: It included the Série Noire Pulps and {{Giallo}}.
* [[SwordAndSorcery Fantasy Pulps]]
* Gay Pulps
* [[ProtoSuperhero Hero Pulps]]
* Humor Pulps
* Horror Pulps: It was here that the CosmicHorrorStory was first developed, but there was also plenty of conventional GothicHorror material here too.
* JungleOpera Pulps
* Lesbian Pulps
* Miscellaneous Pulps
* Romance Pulps
* ScienceFiction Pulps
* Spicy Pulps: Also known as soft porn.
* Sports Pulps
* Western Pulps
* War Pulps
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Pulp Magazines and Authors]]
* ''Magazine/AmazingStories'' published Creator/RichardSharpeShaver’s stories and conspiracy theories.
* Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine has been active since the 1940s.
* Magazine/SuperScienceFiction released issues every two months from December 1956 until October 1959.
* Magazine/{{Unknown}} owned by Creator/JohnWCampbell demanded from its writers to provide some measure of [[MagicAIsMagicA logic]] to the fantastical, horror elements introduced in the pulps. Sprinkles of humor were welcomed as well. As a result, the magazine gladly printed pulps of the likes of Literature/SinisterBarrier and Literature/TroubleWithWater.
* ''Magazine/WeirdTales'' was a hugely influential magazine with fantastic, horror-themed stories. Authors who had their stories published in the magazine include Creator/RobertEHoward, Creator/HPLovecraft, Creator/HenryKuttner, Creator/CLMoore, Creator/ClarkAshtonSmith, and many, many others.
* ''The Witch’s Tales'': “Weird dramatic and supernatural stories”.
* ''Magazine/WonderStories'' (1929–1954): ScienceFiction pulp magazine with a convoluted history of bankruptcy, splitting into three independent magazines, merging, and renaming.
* Young’s Magazine.
[[/folder]]
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