Here's the eighth issue in Justin Marriott's essential magazine devoted to vintage paperbacks!
His survey of New English Library's 1970s horror output left me with mixed feelings, mostly because his mini-reviews sounded dismal notes about quite a few books in my to-read piles. I'll still read them eventually, but this definitely lowers their priority for me.
He offers an excellent overview of Jim Steranko's paperback cover art.
The most eye-opening article is a feature on Malko, France's cross between James Bond and the Executioner. Andy Decker contributes a piece on Malko in Germany, which, like everything Andy writes, is colorful, context-rich, and informative. Anyone interested in men's action/adventure series should definitely check this out.
Justin interviews Terry Harknett, aka George G. Gilman (among other pseudonyms), a Brit who wrote westerns in the Italian "spaghetti" style popular at the time.
Rounding things out is an article on Edgar Rice Burroughs paperbacks in the UK in the 1960s-70s.
Even the letters page is a must-read, as Justin enjoys the kind of smart, knowledgable readership I'm fortunate to have for Groovy Age.
Get it here!
7 comments:
I have both that Shadow and Malko books same covers.
Thanks for your kind words Curt!
I feel a bit of a party-pooper for dissing some of the NEL horrors, but I still love those ratty-tatty yellowing pulp numbers for all of their flaws.
The Malko piece has raised quite a few eyebrows with so few of us aware of the pulp industries in Germany and France that ran for so long after their English-language counter-parts fizzled out.
Stay Groovy!
Justin the Fanatic.
Curt, I was wondering if this might be of interest to yourself or other Groovy Agers - a torrent of four Clyde Allison/William Knoles 'Agent 0008' novels, with an offer to physically mail coverless books or photocopies of the rest of Knoles' work to anyone prepared to scan and share them.
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4511839/4_Clyde_Allison_Bond_Parodies_Rare_Pulp_Fiction
I don't know if Knoles would fall within the 'Groovy' remit, but a good bio of the man can be found in an article here...
http://efanzines.com/EK/eI7/index.htm
My apologies if this note is out of place here, but it seemed like an opportune post.
Very cool, Bruce!
Justin, I actually appreciate the warning. I'm sure I'll find something to love in those NELs! As for Malko, I hope you continue to expand in that direction.
Gravy, that's not at all off-topic. The only reason I haven't reviewed some 0008 paperbacks by now is, I can't afford 'em! Interesting about the coverless copies, since the Bonfils covers are most of what make them so expensive. I'll look into this--thanks for the heads up!
P.S.--I'm a huge fan of Earl Kemp, and he's even contributed here at Groovy Age before.
Thanks for the kind words, Curt.
PF is a must buy; Justin is doing great work here, for collectors and for readers both.
Not sure if I missed your announcement for PF #9, but when I read the new mag the other day I was pleasantly surprised to see your article in there. Fantastic work!!!
Hello Mr. Curt,
I may be the guy who put the scans of the Clyde Allison 0008 books on The Pirate Bay. If anyone has some legal issue with these books being shared, then I didn't do it. It wasn't me, I had no part of it! If anyone wants to read them and generally chat about them, then maybe I did.
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