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Off-Trail Publications
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2036 Elkhorn Rd. Castroville, CA 95012 PayPal:
offtrail@redshift.com
Off-Trail Publications are also available from Adventure House, Amazon.com, and Mike Chomko |
| AMAZON STORIES: Volume 1: PEDRO &
LOURENÇO by Arthur O. Friel Adventure on the Danger Trails of the Amazon Jungle
Arthur
O. Friel debuted in ADVENTURE in 1919. With his engrossing tales of
the unexplored Amazon jungle, he quickly became one of the pulp’s most
popular authors, a position he held for many years. Here, reprinted for
the first time, are Friel’s first ten stories for ADVENTURE.
They follow the experiences of two rubber industry workers, Pedro and
Lourenço. Their journeys into the jungle, one of the wildest and
most inhospitable places on Earth, lead to fantastic, suspenseful--and
often violent--adventures, and encounters with bizarre and fascinating
people. These stories are some of Friel’s most entertaining work, and some
of the best fiction to be found in the adventure pulps.The contents include:
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| AMAZON STORIES: Volume 2: PEDRO &
LOURENÇO by Arthur O. Friel Introduction by John Locke Strange Encounters in the Unexplored Jungle Pedro and Lourenço, Arthur O. Friel's two freewheeling explorers of the Amazon basin, return in ten more unforgettable tales originally published during 1920-21 in the great pulp Adventure. The pair travel by canoe as the seasonal floods open up new channels through the perilous jungle. Along the way, their encounters range from mysterious strangers to hostile natives. Whether in battle with vicious headhunters, or turned into sex slaves by a tribe of wild women, the atmosphere is steamy and the suspense unrelenting. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 286 pages 10 stories, $20.00 Shipping: free media mail; $4.50 priority |
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| THE CITY OF
BAAL by Charles
Beadle Mysterious Africa... At the turn of the 20th Century, Charles Beadle served the British Empire in the colonies of southern Africa; saw duty in the Boer War. Afterwards, he worked his way north through perilous territory as an oddjobber, trader and explorer. When his travels ended, he tapped his storytelling gifts and turned the Africa of experience into enthralling fiction, becoming a stalwart of the great adventure pulps. Included in this collection of seven short stories and novelettes--originally published in ADVENTURE and THE FRONTIER --are strange tales of daring quests, wildlife in riot, treacherous characters, inscrutable witchdoctors, bizarre tribes, gruesome fates--all the mystery, discovery, danger . . . and dread, of unknown lands. From small-scale stories of isolated outposts under stress, to epic sagas of lost races in the depths of the jungle--from the macabre to the breathtaking--here is adventure at its best. Also included is a detailed discussion of the historical context of Beadle’s stories, and a look at his fascinating life and career. 6x9-inch perfect bound, 240 pages, 7 stories, $20.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| CULT OF THE CORPSES by Maxwell Hawkins Introduction by John Locke Two weird detective novelettes from Detective-Dragnet Magazine. "Cult of the Corpses" (January 1931) puts a detective on the trail of a murderous voodoo cult operating out of a Manhattan nightclub. "Dealers in Death" (July 1931) pits a detective against the machinations of the insidious Mr. Letherius, a contract killer who specializes in bizarre and undetectable forms of murder. These are early (and entertaining) examples of the early '30s trend toward weird detective stories. Included is a detailed discussion of the trend; and a profile of author Maxwell Hawkins. Stories complete with original illustrations. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 150 pages, $13.95 postpaid or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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DOCTOR COFFIN: THE LIVING DEAD MAN by Perley
Poore Sheehan Introduction by John Wooley Doctor Coffin must rank as one of pulpdom's strangest denizens. He'd been the famous actor, Del Manning, before faking his own death. He returned as the mysterious Doctor Coffin, proprietor of a chain of Hollywood mortuaries by day, crimefighter by night. From 1932-33, Thrilling Detective featured him in a series of novelettes by Perley Poore Sheehan, veteran fictioneer and Hollywood screenwriter. Collected here are eight of Doctor Coffin's exploits, including the first six. 175 pages, 6x9, perfect-bound, $16 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| FROM
GHOULS TO GANGSTERS: THE CAREER OF ARTHUR B. REEVE Edited by John Locke VOLUMES 1 & 2; 7x10" perfect bound; $20 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail When journalist Arthur B. Reeve (1880-1936) turned his talents to fiction, he couldn’t have foreseen the results. His "scientific detective," Craig Kennedy, took the world by storm in 1911. Kennedy was labeled "the American Sherlock Holmes" while Reeve quickly became the most popular American detective-story author. For the next quarter-century, Reeve worked tirelessly at the writing game. His stories were published in a variety of magazines, slick and pulp, then turned into bestselling books. His newspaper serials were read in homes across the country. He wrote hit movies; reported on the notorious crimes of the day; hosted a national radio program. He was friend to police chiefs and presidents. Kennedy appeared in print, on stage, in films, comic strips and, eventually, television. By the time of his death, Reeve--and his famous detective--were American institutions. But the astonishing breadth of his career has never been fully explored--until this two-volume set, a major advance in what has previously been known about Reeve and his works. Volume 1 collects stories from all phases of Reeve’s career. Included are tales of Craig Kennedy, and Reeve’s lesser-known detectives. The early stories that made Reeve famous are here, as well as stories written for specialized markets, and obscure works written for pulps and newspapers; all taken from their original appearances. Since Reeve’s early stories were rewritten for book publication, and his later stories were never reprinted, the stories here are freely available for the first time. 255 pages. Volume 2 consists of nonfiction material by and about Reeve. Included is a 40-page narrative describing Reeve’s fascinating career; articles by Reeve on crime solution, detective fiction, and his career; a 75-page guide to Reeve’s work, covering his magazine and newspaper appearances, film credits, stage, radio, books, comic strips, and more; an extensive Art Gallery featuring cover reproductions, interior illustrations, cartoons, ads, and ephemera; and complete bibliography and index. 251 pages. |
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| GANG PULP Introduction by John Locke In 1929, a new kind of magazine appeared on newsstands, the gang pulps! And nothing that came before gave the pulps a worse reputation. Month after month, the stories luridly recounted the exploits of the most sadistic killers, the most craven squealers, the most coldblooded gun molls, the most corrupt cops, the most ruthless gang bosses, the most brutal mob wars, that ever escaped the realm of the imagination--a genre of extremes. There had been outlaw heroes in crime fiction before, but none like this new breed, who toasted with bootleg liquor while their bloody victims lay dying on the floor. Almost immediately, the gang pulps came under attack from the censors. America’s morals lay dying on the pulpwood pages, they claimed. Centered in the crosshairs was famed pulp editorHarold Hersey, creator of Gangster Stories, Racketeer Stories, Speakeasy Stories, and a raft of other gang magazines. He was threatened with prosecution. Clean up--or else! But the story of this clash has never before been told; nor have many of the stories been available since their original publication during the dying years of Prohibition. Included in GANG PULP are nineteen rare tales, selected from both the pre- and post-censorship periods. Did Hersey buckle under? Judge for yourself in violent and profane pulp classics like "One Hour Before Dawn," "Rough on Rats," and "City of Bullets." In "Glorifying the American Goon," an in-depth introduction based on all-new research, the world of the gang pulps is explored: what the stories were about, what happened during the attack on Hersey, how he responded, how the stories changed. Stories complete with original illustrations. 294 pages, 6x9-inch perfect bound, $24.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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THE GANGLAND SAGAS OF BIG NOSE SERRANO
Volume 1: DAMES, DICE AND THE DEVIL By Anatole Feldman Introduction by Will Murray Featuring the first four Big Nose Serrano novels from Gangster Stories, 1930-31. Serrano started off as a gangland version of Cyrano de Bergerac, a guy with a large nose who supplies romantic poetry to a better- looking friend. But Big Nose evolved into his own force of nature, a Tommy gun toting berserker who rhymed as he slew. From the pen of top gang pulp author, Anatole Feldman, who wrote down-and-dirty gang fiction like he was born to the cause. Big Nose is reprinted for the first time since original publication. Unique, unforgettable. Stories complete with original illustrations. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 266 pages, $20.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE GANGLAND SAGAS OF BIG NOSE SERRANO Volume 2: DAMES, DICE AND THE DEVIL By Anatole Feldman Introduction by Will Murray Volume 2 (of 3) features the next four novels of Chicago's most notorious fictional gangster. These stories, from 1931-32, find Big Nose involved with horse racing; fighting a mysterious underworld villain named the Spider. The middle two novels of the set, "Hell-Bent for Election" and "The Crime Crusade" follow Big Nose's entry into politics. He fights big city corruption with the same zeal he applied to mob warfare. Unique in pulp fiction. Stories complete with original illustrations. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 266 pages, $20.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE GANGLAND SAGAS OF
BIG NOSE SERRANO Volume 3: HELL'S GANGSTER By Anatole Feldman Introduction by Will Murray Volume 3 completes the run of 12 Big Nose Serrano sagas. This volume includes the three short novels from Greater Gangster Stories, and a novelette from The Gang Magazine. In these four stories, Big Nose continues to confront the social ills of the Depression with the gangster's arsenal of violence, kidnapping and murder. A unique, and no longer forgotten, series from the gang pulps. Stories complete with original illustrations. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 224 pages, $18.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE GOLDEN ANACONDA: And Other Strange
Tales of Adventure By Elmer Brown Mason Introduction by John Locke "The name of Elmer Brown Mason is a talisman that never fails to open the door to weird adventures in weird places with weird animals and men." -- All-Story Weekly Officially, Elmer Brown Mason was an entomologist for the United States Government, his beat, the swampy backwaters of the South. Privately, he journeyed to the dangerous corners of the world in search of adventure. For a brief but intense period, his experiences inspired thrilling stories of exploration and wonder. The ten fascinating--and fantastic--stories collected here are set in the Everglades, the Louisiana bayous, the Amazon jungle, Borneo, and other dangerous places known to few people of his era. Included are the five Wandering Smith stories from The Popular Magazine, featuring the South American epic, "The Golden Anaconda." Also included are five tales from All-Story Weekly, topped by the horror-laden two-part saga, "Black Butterflies" and "Red Tree-Frogs." All ten stories were published from 1915 to '16, when the world was much younger than today. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 260 pages, $20.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| GROTTOS OF CHINATOWN: The Dorus Noel
Stories By Arthur J. Burks Introduction by John Locke Dorus Noel spent many years in the Far East, and had the torture scars to prove it. Now he was back in New York, working undercover in Manhattan's Chinatown, confronting the most insidious crimes and criminals imaginable, cases beyond the ability of the police. Burks' Chinatown is a society of strange alliances, a place of dark menace and mystery, an urban nightmare of secret passageways riddling the district like rabbit warrens, a world under the shadow of China's past. Collected here for the first time are all 11 Dorus Noel stories from All Detective Magazine (1933-34). Also included is extensive new information on All Detective and the fascinating career of the Speed-King of the Pulps, Arthur J. Burks. Stories complete with original illustrations. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 192 pages, $16.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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The Ocean: 100th
Anniversary Collection
Edited by John Locke THE OCEAN is one of the great forgotten pulp magazines. Started by Frank Munsey in 1907, it lasted a mere eleven issues before folding in 1908. It was also one of the first specialized pulps—a sea-story magazine—with contributions from an amazing variety of authors: some, the best sea-story writers of the day; others, destined for anonymity; and still others who achieved fame in surprising ways. This 100th Anniversary Collection presents twenty of the best stories published in THE OCEAN, representing the wide scope of the magazine’s contents. Over 30 pages of nonfiction material included: a history of THE OCEAN; profiles of editor, Bob Davis, and the motley crew of authors who found their way into THE OCEAN’S pages—and ours. Some of the featured stories:
6x9” perfect bound, 20 stories, 234 pages, $18 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| PULPWOOD
DAYS, Volume 1: Editors You Want To Know
Edited by John Locke Behind the flashy covers of the pulp magazines, below the famous names of the authors, toiled the hardworking, and usually anonymous, architects of the medium—the editors. Included in this collection from the writers’ magazines of the Pulp Era are their stories, articles by and about the editors, the lives they led, the difference they made. Ample biographical material accompanies the articles, illuminating dim, forgotten corners of pulp magazine history. Illustrated; fully indexed. Among the many editors covered: Frank E. Blackwell (Detective Story, Western Story), Ray Palmer (Amazing Stories, Fantastic Adventures), Robert A.W. Lowndes (Columbia Publications), Edwin Baird (Weird Tales, Detective Tales), Freeman H. Hubbard (Railroad Stories), Harry Maule (Short Stories, West), Carson Mowre (Dell Publishing), Arthur E. Scott (Top-Notch), Daisy Bacon (Love Story), Harold Hersey, Anthony Rud. 180 pages, 6x9, perfect-bound, $16 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| SUPER-DETECTIVE FLIP BOOK: TWO COMPLETE
NOVELS From the SUPER-DETECTIVE pulp: "Legion of Robots" (November 1940), Intro by John McMahan "Murder’s Migrants" (March 1943), Intro by John Wooley In the late-1930s, Culture Publications added a new imprint, Trojan Publications, and gave comic-book fansa reason to stay with the pulps. The reason was Super-Detective, introduced in 1940, a pulp featuring the novel-length adventures of Jim Anthony, detective extraordinaire. But Anthony was no mere sleuth. He possessed phenomenal physical and mental abilities. Patterned after Doc Savage, he battled super-villains bent on the destruction of the United States. After ten amazing adventures, Super-Detective transformed the Jim Anthony novels to a hard-boiled detective-story mode. The criminals were less ambitious, and more susceptible to guns and fists. Here, in this SUPER-DETECTIVE FLIP BOOK, a joint presentation of Off-Trail Publications and Reverse Karma Press, are two Jim Anthony novels, one from each phase of Anthony’s career. Flip the book and read the second novel. Also included are two introductions that explore the dual worlds of Jim Anthony, and the authors who brought him to life. 174 pages, 6x9, perfect-bound, $18 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE
WEIRD DETECTIVE ADVENTURES
OF WADE HAMMOND Volume 1
by Paul Chadwick Reporter by day, detective by night, adventurer by blood. Meet Wade Hammond, tough and smart, the man who tackles cases the police can’t handle, battling some of the most diabolical killers known to pulp fiction. It takes brains as well as brawn to outsmart these insidious madmen, geniuses at twisting science into terrifying tools of murder, and Wade never shrinks from the challenge. For the first time, ten of the most spine-chilling Wade Hammond stories have been collected from the pages of classic 1930’s pulps: DETECTIVE-DRAGNET and TEN DETECTIVE ACES. In these vivid, atmospheric tales from the pen of Paul Chadwick, author of Secret Agent X and Captain Hazzard, the mood is mysterious, the situation perilous, and the suspense unrelenting. Lock the doors, pull down the blinds, and enter the weird and wonderful world of Wade Hammond. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 180 pages, 10 stories, $18.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE WEIRD
DETECTIVE ADVENTURES OF WADE HAMMOND
Volume 2 by Paul Chadwick Wade Hammond takes on another round of uncanny cases! From the vivid imagination of legendary fictioneer, Paul Chadwick, from the pages of the great 1930's pulps, DETECTIVE-DRAGNET and TEN DETECTIVE ACES, are collected another ten of Wade Hammond's unforgettable adventures, the majority reprinted here for the first time since their original publication! Here in Volume 2, Wade Hammond, globe trotting adventurer, accomplished newsman, and courageous amateur sleuth, pits his abilities against a frightening series of diabolical villains: The Sloth, The Man with the Grin, The Reaper, The Fiend, and many more! 6x9-inch perfect bound; 169 pages, 10 stories, $18.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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THE
WEIRD DETECTIVE ADVENTURES OF WADE HAMMOND
Volume 3 by Paul Chadwick Wade Hammond returns to battle the forces of strangeness! The two-fisted, courageous amateur sleuth pits his abilities against diabolical villains, crazed killers, mad scientists, rampaging apes, a killer octopus, and more. Here in Volume 3 are ten more chilling tales from the pen of Paul Chadwick, from the great 1930’s pulps, Detective-Dragnet and Ten Detective Aces. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 202 pages, 10 stories, $18.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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| THE WEIRD
DETECTIVE ADVENTURES OF WADE HAMMOND Volume
4 by Paul Chadwick The biggest Wade Hammond collection yet contains the remaining nine stories from Ten Detective Aces. With Volume 4, all 39 Wade Hammond adventures are now available. Here, the indomitable amateur investigator faces off against some of his weirdest enemies, The Spinner, The Purple Hand, the sadistic Flandrin, and many others. Also included is Chadwick's only known article on pulp writing. An in-depth introduction updates Chadwick's career with newly unearthed information. 6x9-inch perfect bound; 232 pages, 9 stories, $18.00 postpaid (media mail) or add $4.50 for priority mail |
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