ALL PULP NEWSSTAND BULLDOG EDITION 5/6/11
* New in Old Time Radio: The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Volume 2
* New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider, Volume 19, The Shadow Volume 48, and Doc Savage Volume 47
* Bargain Deals in the Radio Archives Treasure Chest
* Coming Soon: Pulp Audiobooks from Radio Archives
The late nineteenth century marked the true beginnings of the pulp era, thanks to the introduction of “dime novels” – an inexpensive mix of newspaper and magazine that specialized in attention grabbing stories that always left readers wanting more. Aimed directly at American youth, many of the stories emphasized that, with a combination of pluck, dedication, and clean living, any American boy or girl could rise to any height that they chose – and indeed, become a hero themselves.
In the winter of 1895, a writer named Gilbert Patten created such a character for a new magazine called “Tip Top Library”. His publisher, Street and Smith, had instructed him to give his new hero admirable attributes like good looks, intelligence, good sportsmanship, ethics, and an outgoing personality – and so, based on these standards of excellence, Frank Merriwell was born.
The first Merriwell story appeared the following spring and was an instant success with readers. Thanks to Patten’s exciting, fast-paced writing style, the characters of Frank Merriwell and his friends Bart Hodge and Inza Burridge quickly became an institution; Street and Smith published their adventures for nearly two decades and an enduring literary legend was born.
After World War II, when the stories were largely a nostalgic part of the past, many of Merriwell’s readers retained a lingering fondness for this role model of their youth. Recognizing this, the National Broadcasting Company decided to reintroduce him to a contemporary audience. And so, in the fall of 1946, “The Adventures of Frank Merriwell”returned in a half-hour series of weekly radio adventures. Broadcast from New York, the new series starred Lawson Zerbe as Frank, with Hal Studer as his pal Bart Hodge and Elaine Rost as his girlfriend, Inza Burridge. NBC chose to make the series a period piece and, like many of the original stories, the programs were written as mini-mysteries – fast-paced tales in which Frank, Bart, and Inza investigated mysterious happenings, robberies, and underhanded deeds. True to its origins, each program subtly emphasized that success and popularity were best obtained through good sportsmanship, academic study, and athletic achievement. Thus, Merriwell and his cohorts continued to be the sort of positive role models they had been for half a century.
Heard today, “The Adventures of Frank Merriwell” may well remind you of the mystery stories of your own youth, reminiscent of characters like the Hardy Boys, the Three Adventurers, or Encyclopedia Brown. Priced at just $20.98, “The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Volume 2” is a seven-hour CD set from RadioArchives.com that features fourteen exciting and original stories. It’s a collection you’ll want to add to your personal library right away – and be sure to share these wholesome and inspiring tales with your children and grandchildren too!
New in Pulp Fiction: The Spider Volume 19, The Shadow Volume 48, and Doc Savage Volume 47
Pulp fiction’s legendary Master of Men returns in “The Spider Volume 19”, featuring two classic novels written by Norvell Page under the pseudonym of Grant Stockbridge. First, in “Slaves of the Dragon”, white slavery is stripping America of its wives, sisters and sweethearts. Richard Wentworth, valiant champion of human rights, knows that an Oriental master criminal is captaining the slavery syndicate and has guessed the unspeakable purpose behind these wholesale abductions. Can the Spider outwit his most formidable foe and save America’s doomed womanhood? Then, in “The Spider and his Hobo Army”, murder and destruction has stupefied the nation. The zero hour has come and the vast and insidious Order of the Double Cross is ready to blast America from the face of the earth. Can The Spider crush the minions of the Double Cross, with only a handful of ragged hobos to aid him? This beautifully reformatted double-novel version of these two pulp classics, priced at just $14.95, features the original cover art and interior illustrations that accompany each story.
Finally, in “Doc Savage Volume 47”, pulp fiction’s legendary Man of Bronze returns in three action-packed thrillers by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. First, when a man claiming to have found the secret of eternal life is murdered, Doc Savage journeys to Mexico searching for an answer in the remote “Weird Valley”. Then, only the Man of Bronze can provide a beautiful con artist with an antidote for murder in “Let’s Kill Ames”. Finally, a lost city of Incas battles over the strange power of “The Green Master”. This classic pulp reprint, priced at just $14.95, features the original color pulp covers by George Rozen, Modest Stein, and Walter Swenson, plus Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray.
If you’ve been collecting these beautifully reformatted issues as they are released, you’ll want to place your order for these new books right away. And if you’ve never read a pulp novel – well, you’re in for a real treat! Be sure to stop by RadioArchives.com today and check out our pulp fiction section, where you’ll find more of the exciting and engrossing tales of Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider, the Whisperer, and The Avenger.
Bargain Deals in the Radio Archives Treasure Chest
Check out the Treasure Chest bargains coming your way this week at RadioArchives.com – including our just released Frank Merriwell collection!
* Today through Monday May 9th, you can get our newest CD set – “The Adventures of Frank Merriwell, Volume 2”, a $20.98 value – for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
* On Wednesday May 11th, the legendary mastermind of evil returns in “The Shadow of Fu Manchu”, an action-packed ten-CD set featuring 45 rare and fully restored broadcasts from 1939 and starring such familiar radio performers as Gale Gordon, Hanley Stafford, Paula Winslowe, Edmond O’Brien, and Frank Nelson. This collection of exciting entertainment normally sells for $29.98 – but it can be yours for Just 99 Cents when you submit an order of $35.00 or more.
* On Thursday May 12th, when you submit an order of $35.00 or more, you can get “John Wayne: The Screen Legends Collection”, a 3-DVD set featuring five of the Duke’s best films, including “Reap the Wild Wind” with Ray Milland, “The Spoilers” with Marlene Dietrich, “The War Wagon” with Kirk Douglas, “Hellfighters” with Vera Miles, and “Rooster Cogburn” with Katherine Hepburn. This impressive collection normally sells for $26.98 – but, thanks to the Treasure Chest at RadioArchives.com, it can be yours for Just $3.99 – that’s only seventy nine cents for each movie!
We’re sorry but, at these low prices, multiple orders cannot be combined into single shipments. Each separate order must be placed on the days on which the specials are offered and no early or late orders will be accepted.
Make it a habit to stop by RadioArchives.com often and see what’s waiting for you in the Treasure Chest. It’s a great way to save money and bring some delightful entertainment into your home. And don’t forget that the Treasure Chest deals at RadioArchives.com make great gifts to give to your friends and family – and we promise to never tell them how little you paid for them!
This June, RadioArchives.com will introduce a brand new series of audiobooks featuring Doc Savage, The Spider, and the other classic heroes of pulp fiction. By special arrangement with the authors, owners, and publishers of these thrill-packed adventures, these full length and unabridged audiobook adaptations will soon be available in compact disc collections, produced in digital stereo and featuring narration by many of the top names in the audiobook field.
The first series of audiobooks will be the Doc Savage novels written by renowned writer Will Murray – starting with his classic adventure story, “Python Isle”. These new audio productions are being produced and directed by Roger Rittner, who created the “Adventures of Doc Savage” full-cast radio series, now available from RadioArchives.com. All of these exciting and collectable audio editions will feature cover art by Joe DeVito, as well as a wide variety of special features.
For more information on these exciting new releases, click here: Audiobooks from RadioArchives.com
Be watching for updates on our website and also special features in our weekly newsletters as we begin the “Countdown to Adventure” with pulp audiobooks, coming to you soon from RadioArchives.com!
