Tue 14 Aug 2012
CON REPORT: PulpFest 2012, by Walker Martin.
Posted by Steve under Collecting , Conventions , Pulp Fiction[36] Comments
by Walker Martin
As I think back on the many pulp conventions that I have attended, I am reminded of the many friends that I have made and the bookish traditions that we started over the years. For instance, when I was a newly wed collector, my wife and I attended the first four Pulpcons, 1972-1975.
But then children were born and she had to stay home plus let’s face it, non-collectors eventually get tired of the dealers room and the constant discussion about books and pulps.
Then I started driving out and sharing a room and expenses with the greatest book and pulp collector that I ever encountered: Harry F. Noble. He was so modest that most collectors really never knew anything about him. But we both lived in NJ and visited each other hundreds of times during our almost 40 year friendship. Since Harry’s death, I’ve been driving out with NYC art dealer, Steve Kennedy.
That is how this convention started with Steve arriving at my house on Wednesday in order to sleep over so we could leave early on Thursday morning. Another tradition of a few years standing. We started off the festivities with a dinner at the Metro Grill in Trenton and five days later we ended it with another visit to the Grill and I had the same salad, pizza, and beer both times. Guess I’m set in my ways.
But the greatest tradition in my life is Pulpcon, now known as PulpFest. I do not see a difference in the two conventions. PulpFest is not a different, separate event. It is the natural continuation of Pulpcon. The present committee had the foresight to see that Pulpcon was dying and they broke away and formed a stronger and better convention with a new name and a more enthusiastic approach to collecting. But I still see it as the natural evolvement of the Pulpcon started all those years ago in 1972 by Ed Kessel and continued by Rusty Hevelin.
We left early Thursday morning at 7:15. We rented a van as usual because a car won’t hold all the pulps and books that will be bought. Ed Hulse was the driver; I was riding shotgun; Steve Kennedy was the official talker, and Digges La Touche, otherwise know as The Major, was laying down in the back row reading. He is not called The Reading Machine for nothing.
Our attitude was drive hell for leather, PulpFest or Bust, and get to Columbus, Ohio in record time. Ed was willing to do this but the State Trooper on the Pennsy Turnpike took a dim view of our policy.
Two hundred dollars poorer, we continued our mad rush to financial doom. But my attitude has always been that book collecting is the very best addiction. It won’t ruin your health like smoking, drinking or drugs. It won’t break you like fooling around with women or gambling. In fact, you might even make some money when you sell some of your collection. So I always say to hell with bills and family responsibilities; collect books and pulps instead.
To give you an example of my madness, just a few days before the convention, my central air conditioner bit the dust after 23 years of loyal service. The repairman said not only did I need a new unit but I needed a new furnace also. I went for top of the line, high efficiency, which cost $12,000.
Many collectors would say at this point, forget PulpFest, I don’t have the money. But serious collectors who are truly addicted will say full steam ahead, I’m not going to miss PulpFest! To top it off, I had to move dozens of boxes and hundreds of books to make room for the workers to install the furnace.
Since I am no longer the young collector that I once was, needless to say I injured my shoulder and suffered all through the convention with a twisted and wrenched arm. This didn’t stop me either though it was not fun to try and sleep through the pain. Book collectors must have the attitude that the show must go on.
I have a theory that collecting books and old magazines keeps you young and interested in life. I wake up each day, eager to read books or pulps from my collection. I’ve been retired many years since quitting my job at age 57 and these years have been the happiest of my life.
Believe me work is a waste of time if you are a book collector. If you can swing it, sell some of your collection and retire, you won’t regret it.
Let me give you another example of how book collecting keeps you young. The Major, is 70 years old, yet he had no problem with the cramped quarters in the back of the van. If fact, every time we stopped for gas or food, he leaped out of the van, hopping like the energizer bunny.
Nine hours later, we arrived at the hotel which looked quite new and not at all like the dump we were in last year. There was an enormous complex of meeting rooms in the Convention Center, along with many stores and a big food court. Many restaurants were in walking distance. The Hyatt was worth the extra money and I gleefully paid the con rate of only $109 per night.
At first I was stunned to discover that there was no hospitality room. Another tradition I have is after a long, hard day of buying books and pulps, I like to unwind with a nice dinner and have a couple drinks talking to other collectors in the con suite.
I heard that the hotel wanted too high a price for the room plus they wanted to supply a bartender and the liquor. Whether or not this is all true, I found that the big bar on the second floor was a good substitute. The only problem was the annoying presence of many non-collectors boozing and talking at the top of their voices. I thought about telling them to shut up so we could talk about books, but they were quite younger than me and might injure my other shoulder.
Speaking of drunks, several people asked me the question, “What is Pulpfest?” I not only wore my con ID badge but I also had my usual pulp t-shirt on. I noticed the Thrilling Mystery cover showing cretins menacing a young girl was especially objectionable to many non-collectors.
Why, I have no idea. I always responded the same way, that PulpFest was a convention of people who collecting old books and magazines. This always resulted in a puzzled stare at my shirt or plain disbelief. I mean what can you expect from non-collectors.
But I realized I may have made a serious mistake when I got on the elevator and two drunks who were younger and bigger than me stared at my shirt with angry expressions. Holding the elevator door open to prevent the elevator from moving they asked me in a very confrontational manner, “What the hell is PulpFest?” Only they used a stronger word than “hell.”
I gave my usual answer about old books, etc. They both cursed at the same time and I figured I better take the stairs. They let me go but were not happy about it. This reminded me once again of that old saying, “the non-collector will never be able to understand the collector.” Most non-collectors may look at your collection with a straight face but they really think you are crazy or a hoarder.
To avoid mean drunks and non-collectors, I hung out in the dealer’s room just about all the time. Attendance was similar to last year and the room was enormous with 115 dealers. The tables were full of pulps, digests, vintage paperbacks, books, dvds, pulp reprints, and artwork. For a collector, it was as if you had died and gone to heaven. It did appear to be too dark in the room, so hopefully this can be corrected next year.
One collector I was very glad to see was Gordon Huber. He has been to every single pulp convention either under the name Pulpcon or PulpFest. Since Gordon is in his 80’s, I am always glad to see him walking around. It give me hope that I may survive so long.
Jim and Walter Albert were there as usual and if you had told me that they would be bringing two long comic boxes filled with Adventure pulps, I would have said no way. But they did, and their table may have been the best one with the hundred issues going back to the teens.
Also of note were the several tables of SF digests, all priced very low. Forty years ago I did not buy many issues of Fantastic and Amazing but I filled up two large boxes with back issues of these two titles.
Also present were long runs of the digest Analog, F&SF, Galaxy, etc. And then Art Hackathorn had a 50% off sale on several tables of pulps. These bargains all proved once again that it is worth attending PulpFest even with the extra expense of traveling and room rates.
The auction consisted of over 300 lots. It began at 9:30 pm and lasted past 1:00 am. In the beginning hours there were many bidders but as the night went on less and less collectors were present.
I managed to last until about the half way point and then Scott Hartshorn and I went to the Big Bar on 2 for beer. I understand by the end of the auction items were going for very low prices.
However there were some big items in the early lots. For instance there were four gigantic boxes of PEAPS mailings spread throughout the auction. Each big box contained 25 mailings. PEAPS 1-25 went for around $600; PEAPS 26-50 went for $500. I believe the two later boxes also received high bids. Lot 50 of Leonard Robbins Pulp Magazine Index (6 volumes), went for $600.
The rest of the auction was mainly items from Al Tonik’s collection, a few pulps and many reference books. His DeSoto cover painting recreation of a Phantom cover went for $900.
The Guest of Honor was SF author Mike Resnick and following his speech were panels such as “Barsoom and Beyond,” “J. Allen St. John,” and “Tarzan on Mars.” Saturday night we had panels on Robert Howard and “The Illustrated Conan.” Artists Jim and Ruth Keegan and Mark Schultz discussed this last topic.
There was so much going on that I couldn’t take it all in. One discussion I had to miss was the talk that John Locke gave on pulp magazines. Even Thursday night had interesting panels such as Ed Hulse and Garyn Roberts discussing John Campbell and Astounding, Rick Lai on how French literature may have influenced writers, Henry Franke on “Tarzan: A Hero for the Ages,” and Ed Hulse again, on Burroughs as a movie producer.
Like last year FARMERCON and the New Pulp movement were present. FarmerCon of course refers to Philip Jose’ Farmer and the New Pulp movement is about new stories and novels dealing with pulp series, etc.
I mentioned that I bought a couple hundred digests above. But I also obtained many pulp reprints, especially those from Altus Press. I found a few pulps I needed and bought some pulp artwork from Beyond Fantasy Fiction.
I had my usual dealer’s table and sold some dvds and a near complete set of The MYSTERY FANcier. But my biggest sales continued to be the cancelled checks showing the payment to pulp writers and artists. Talbot Mundy and Walt Colburn checks sold as well as an interesting $2.00 check to an unknown woman for “A Black Mask idea”.
By the way, after 21 issues Tony Davis will be leaving as editor of The Pulpster. We will all miss him. I do want to correct one thing. Don Ramlow wrote some notes about the final years of Pulpcon, titled “Pulpcon’s Final Chapter.” The subtitle is “The End of the Little Convention That Could.” Pulpcon is not dead; it did not die. It lives on in PulpFest and continues to this day.
PulpFest gives a nice award each year and this time there were two winners. Matt Moring of Altus Press received the Munsey Award for his line of pulp reprint books. Jack and Sally Cullers received the Rusty Hevelin Service Award for their many years of hard work at the conventions.
And finally to close out this report I would like to thank the PulpFest Committee for another great convention. Without Mike Chomko, Jack Cullers, Barry Traylor, and Ed Hulse, there would be no pulp convention in the summer.
I’ve been going almost each summer for 40 years, so I need my fix for my book addiction. These four collectors have put on another excellent event. I hope to attend again next year and hopefully so will everyone reading this report.
August 14th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Excelllent report Walker. I am always envious of what a good job you with these reports, wish I could do half as well.
August 14th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
From the word I’ve heard, it sounds as though everyone had a good time. I really wish I could have been there. This makes two in a row. I hope it’s the last one I have to miss. Second-hand reports are a poor substitute for actually attending, but Walker, I enjoyed every word of this one.
August 14th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Yes, Barry and Steve, as a collector of books and old magazines, I love the pulp conventions. I could talk all night about the fun I had at this PulpFest.
In fact, Sunday night after the convention was over, several of us were having dinner at a restaurant, and The Major noticed I was obviously so depressed that he even asked what was wrong and why the sad face? I told him I was just so sorry and unhappy that the convention was over. The gloom just descended on me at the thought of not having a gigantic dealer’s room to roam around.
But I felt better when I got home and found myself in the familar surroundings of thousands of books and magazines.
August 15th, 2012 at 12:48 am
I’ve never gone to a Pulpcon or PulpFest with as much money to spend as I would have liked. I am usually out of ready money after the first couple of hours after the dealers’ room opens. On at least one occasion I bought 90% of what I ended up spending BEFORE the dealers’ room opened.
I don’t go for the pulps, the magazines, the books, the DVDs and everything else you can buy there, though I have to admit that they’re a great bonus.
But as many books and magazines you may have at home, what you miss the most by not going is meeting your friends, some you’ve known for 40 years, and meeting new friends, ones who share the same interests, collecting books and magazines, and who like to talk about them.
Next year, for sure, if I can.
A question: It sounds to me as though there was a lot more programming than usual. This was probably because FarmerCon was held at the same time, and because of the tie-in with Edgar Rice Burroughs. This brings more people in than usual, I imagine, but I hope it doesn’t strain the time, energy and finances of the small crew of guys running the show.
My hats off to them, by the way. Even though I wasn’t there, everyone I’ve spoken to says it was one heck of a show.
August 15th, 2012 at 1:45 am
A fascinating report. If I was some years younger I would travel from Germany to the next PulpFest and buy a lot of pulp magazines and books.
August 15th, 2012 at 5:41 am
Walker,
This was a great report.It was almost as if I was there!!!I didn’t know that your shoulder was that bad.You only mentioned it once at the Con.Like a true Pulp collector you suffered in silence.Seriously, you covered everything that went on and made this your best report yet.
The Major
August 15th, 2012 at 6:25 am
Josef: I wish you could have attended the convention also. I still remember my amazment when I went to my first Pulpcon in 1972 and saw thousands of pulps that Nils Hardin had at his tables. And that was one dealer! He had them in stacks not only on the tables but all over the floor taking up a good section of the dealer’s room. At that point I was hooked for life.
Thanks for the kind words Digges. Despite both of us being out of control book collectors, somehow we have stayed good friends for 40 years. At many a pulp convention we bumped heads while digging through a box under the table but we haven’t come to blows. At least not yet!
August 15th, 2012 at 6:50 am
In Comment #4 Steve brings up a subject I would like to address. I have the feeling that if PulpFest lost money one year that it might be in serious trouble and the committee might not continue it. After all the four men are not in this to lose money. They all have families and other responsibilites.
So, I would think that it is important to establish a fund of emergency money just in case the convention runs into a rough spot for a couple years.
Yet this year PulpFest had 4 guests and I wonder just how many attendees actually come because of the guests. To invite a guest usually means paying for traveling expenses, their meals and rooms. This could come to $500-$1,000 per guest.
And we are not talking about inviting the old time pulp writers, artists, and editors. They are almost just about all gone. The few remaining cannot really travel because of health reasons. So the guests are now writers and artists that have only a very thin connection to the pulps.
The Windy City Pulp Convention has shown that attendees do not attend because of the guests. The last couple shows in Chicago still have drawn over 400 and been successful without any guests at all.
I don’t attend PulpFest because of the guests; I come because I am a book and magazine collector. All of my friends that attend feel the same way. Frankly I don’t know of anyone who comes because of guests.
Money spent on guests could be deposited in the emergency fund for use in later years. By the way, I’m not talking about the evening panels which I enjoy and consist of convention members. I wish Doug Ellis, one of the main organizers of the Windy City Convention, could tell us his feelings on this subject.
August 15th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Walker,
Good article on the PulpFest 2012. I always learn a lot about the pulps from our group, Ed Hulse, Diggs & you. In a metaphor analogy I would describe the pulp era as an ocean of writing 20,000 feet deep.
Steve
August 15th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
In response to Walker’s request, we haven’t had guests at the last two Windy City Pulp and Paper Conventions, and it certainly didn’t hurt attendance. Both those shows were our best attended at around 475 attendees each year. If we could find folks that were actually involved in the pulps and bring them to the show, we’d love to, and that would be worth the expense I think, but the fact is that there are very few of those people left, and most of them who are still with us won’t travel anymore. We don’t have as much programming as Pulpfest, since we have a film festival and two auctions instead, but our programming the last several years has been panel discussions made up of various attendees (not guests). As Walker says, guests are a significant expense (much closer to the $1000 figure that Walker mentioned, and sometimes higher, particularly if they have a spouse or need someone else to travel with them), and there’s only so much budget that conventions the size of Windy City and Pulpfest have to spend.
August 15th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Thank you Steve. I’m glad you realize the depth of pulp literature. You have certainly had to listen to alot of pulp discussion from me for the last 25 years!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Thank you for your comments about Windy City Doug. I really don’t believe PulpFest needs to have guests and spend $1000 or so per person. It would be different if some of the greats were still alive. I remember the years that Pulpcon had Walter Baumhofer, Rafael Desoto, Norman Saunders, and others. But like you said these artists and writers are no longer with us.
August 15th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
I was there for the first Pulpcon and remember driving north from St. Louis with a car full of magazines, 35 cents in my pocket and a gas credit card to spend getting home. There was a lot to see at the 2012 PulpFest and if I spent less than in past years it was mostly because what I saw I already had or it was beyond my budget. I can usually count on finding some items for which I have searched for years, but that didn’t happen this time. I came in quest of something this year that just wasn’t there. I remember the year that Gordon Huber was the Guest of Honor and was asked whether he came for the books or the people and he said it was definitely for the books. He may have been kidding because those of you who know Gordon know he’s one of the nicest guys around. There’s a core of people I look forward to seeing every year and I managed to see most of them this year. Outside of PulpFest itself I enjoyed some fabulous meals elsewhere in Columbus and found something I had passed up when I saw it decades ago because I couldn’t afford it at the time. I decided not to make that mistake this time. I was barely able to find room for it in my suitcase.
August 15th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
The first Pulpcon in 1972 was one of the greatest events in my life. I too drove home from St. Louis with no money to speak of. I had the car full of pulps and two Baumhofer cover paintings. Nil Hardin had to mail me 10 boxes because I couldn’t fit them into the car. If I could have figured out how to leave my wife behind and use her seat for boxes, I might have done that!
August 15th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
I go to pulp conventions for the dealers room and auctions to find material, and meeting up with fellow collectors. Guests and panels are of secondary importance. I will attend a panel with S. T. Joshi on it though. I am uninterested in “new pulp”, because I am not finished with the original pulps. I go to Windy City annually because of the location and it is the first big con of the year. I have never heard of the kind of hostile encounters Walker spoke of happening at the Westin Lombard Yorktown.
August 15th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Walker,
Another great Con report! The ONLY negative I can give it would be the lighting in the dealers room. It was big enough to play a regulation football game in but in some spots the lighting was dull/dark at best. In fact at the opposite end of the entrance there was a paperback dealer with a huge display set up that without a flashlight there was no way to see his stock. Otherwise it was a terrific new venue as far as the hotel and easy access to restaurants and other food sources.In comment #13 Randy mentions buying an item that he passed on years ago. Randy, What was it?
August 15th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
Although PulpFest 2012 had four guests, three of them came on there own–Jim and Ruth Keegan and Mark Schultz. When I asked them if they’d be interested in attending, in exchange for a free membership and a table, they said, “Sure.”
So we truly owe the Keegans and Mark a depth of gratitude as they came on their own, just because they like pulps. And, I might add, their talk was fascinating, one of the best presentations that we’ve put on in our four years of PulpFests.
We’ve had this discussion about guests in our committee for a number of years. Personally, I feel that guests are what attract new people to PulpFest. And with most of us getting grayer and grayer, we need to inject some new blood into the pulp collecting hobby.
And that is what our guests are all about–trying to attract new people to the hobby. The same goes for the “New Pulp” readings. They’re not for everyone, but they do tend to attract new folks who enjoy those stories. We’ve even been approached by a couple of Columbus groups who would be interested in hosting pulp-themed game rooms. Again, we’d use such a think as another way to attract new people to the dealers’ room (I’ve told them that if we did such a thing, it would have to be in the evening, an activity for people who would prefer such a thing to our programming activities).
All of our efforts–our various websites, the thousands of post cards at conventions, book fairs, comic shops, and the like, “New Pulp” readings, convention guests, and so on, are all done with one thing in mind: getting more people to Columbus.
Mike Chomko
August 15th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Paul, It was actually outside the pulp field and not at the Hyatt Regency. In 1981 the Pierpont Morgan Library had an exhibit to celebrate the centennial of the birth of P. G. Wodehouse. In connection with this they issued a large format 200 page collection of essays and illustrations related to Wodehouse. I think it cost $50 in 1981, but it may have been more. Now, I had never seen a copy, but as soon as I saw it in the Acorn Bookshop I knew what it was.
August 15th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Alfred Jan: That about sums up my feelings on New Pulp also. There are thousands of old magazines that I have and I’m busy reading them. I’ve no time for recent recreations of the pulp heroes, etc.
Since the pulp writers and artists are just about gone, I have very little interest in SF or mystery genre guests, most who have very little to do with the pulps.
I agree about the Westin Lombard hotel in Chicago. I’ve never had a problem with drunks. I think the problem is with the hangout on the second floor at the Hyatt in Columbus called, “The Big Bar on 2”. The couple of times I went there for a beer with other convention members, I noticed many young drinkers who were very loud and probably had too much to drink. The two guys on the elevator who were unhappy with book collectors probably came from there.
August 15th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Paul: I noticed the darkness in the dealer’s room also. In fact John Gunnison had to get a couple bright lamps at his table. I saw the paperback dealer that you refer to and I had to skip his table because I can’t see well in dimly lit places.
August 15th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Mike Chomko: Thanks Mike for the update on the Keegans and Mark Schultz as guests. I didn’t realize they were paying their own way. I understand you want more people to attend in Columbus but I am concerned about the possibility that PulpFest might turn into what the SF conventions have become. I don’t know about “pulp themed game rooms”; it sounds too much like what happens in SF with the costume balls and the dealer’s rooms with trinkets and statues instead of books.
You know me; I’m just for pulps, books, pulp art, and old movies. I get nervous when I pass too many tables with non book material. We have not reached that point yet with PulpFest but it is something to be concerned about. Nothing makes me happier that the smell of pulp and old books.
August 17th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Great report Walker. Wish Ginger and I could have been there. but we can’t travel any more due to health. I would love to have gone through those boxes of SF digest magazines looking for the ones I don’t have (sigh).
August 17th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Tom, I remember when you and Ginger attended Pulpcon. I guess it was when you both received the Lamont Award. Seem like yesterday…
August 17th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
1991. 21 years ago now. Earl Kussman, Bob Sampson, Fred Cook, Jack & Helen Deveny, so many great folks were there that year!
August 17th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Yes, all the collectors that you mention were a very large part of my life. They are all gone now unfortunately.
For instance Bob Sampson and I corresponded with long letters about his pulp research from 1969 to his death in the early 1990’s. That’s about 25 years of letters, probably one a month which even at only 12 a year(and there were more than 12), comes to almost 300 letters. Plus I’d see him at Pulpcon.
Then death comes along and suddenly there is complete silence. Losing friends is something you never get over.
August 18th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Bob Sampson and I talked about several things during the 1991 PulpCon, one subject (believe it or not) was the proper way to saddle a horse (lol). My dad was a cowboy, and I grew up on farms and ranches and had to saddle horses in my youth. Also, if you remember the back door at the convention center that year, where everyone unloaded and loaded their boxes, the door automatically locked when it closed. It must have been a mile around to the front of the building – or seemed like it. Well, I helped Bob carry his boxes and things out to his car when he was getting ready to leave, and we opened the back door and I handed the stuff to Bob on the outside. He told me, “Don’t let the door close.” Well, I saw a door block and stuck it in the door frame and walked outside with the last box, and let the door close. Bob’s face turned sickly pale as he saw the door shutting. He didn’t know about the door block (lol). We, too, used to love getting letters from Bob. I could tell many funny stories about Bob Sampson.
August 18th, 2012 at 10:39 am
It took me a week after returning from Pulpfest to get back to the blog but Walker’s report brought back the highlights of the weekend in all their splendor, only slightly dimmed by the memory of the insufficient lighting.
I must say that, like Walker, I would never have expected that my brother and I would come to Pulpfest with a batch of “Adventure” pulps either but I guess it’s a reminder that miracles do still happen. Along with the small miracle that was my purchase of a jacketed copy of a Grosset edition of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” published in 1940 to coincide with the release of “Fantasia.” I probably was as excited by this discovery as Randy was by his Wodehouse treasure.
August 18th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Enjoyed Walker’s report and all the comments. Would have liked to see many photos.
August 18th, 2012 at 5:25 pm
I’d have liked to have included photos, too, but Walker didn’t send me any. I don’t think he took any. I don’t think he wants to waste time at pulp conventions taking photos.
But anyone want to provide links to other blogs that do have photos, please feel free!
August 18th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Speaking of Randy Cox, when I arrived home from PulpFest, the latest issue of the DIME NOVEL ROUND UP had been delivered. I received a shock reading the editorial and discovering that Randy Cox would be retiring as editor after 18 years. Needless to say he will be missed.
August 18th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
It came as a surprise to me, too, but while I haven’t talked to Randy Cox about his plans, maybe we’ll see even more of him, in the comments here or even (I hope. maybe) some of those reviews and articles he’s semi-promised me over the years.
August 18th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Hi Jack–people keep asking me about you. The latest was Tommy Land wondering what happened to you. I heard Tommy stopped coming to Pulpcon back around 1979 because he was allergic to the pulp paper and had to sell hs collection.
August 18th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Here’s another con report, this one with photos, including one shot of Walker Martin himself. This is on Ed Hulse’s new blog, which I’ve been meaning to give a plug to anyway, chock full as it is of articles and photos in the pulp collecting hobby, old movies and the like:
http://muraniapress.com/conventions/pulpfest-2012-report/
Ed is the editor of Blood & Thunder magazine as well as a member of the PulpFest committee. Worth your looking at for another perspective, I’d say!
August 19th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
I started home from Pulpfest Sunday afternoon. 40 miles north of Columbus on Hwy71, my right rear tire started to make a noise. I pulled off at a service station, and the tie was smoking — it turned out to be the axle — too many potholes, too many books. I got back on the road Wednesday. In the interim I had the opportunity to sort through the many notes, and new contacts at the show. Walker’s report is excellent, and brought back many pleasant memories, especially the breakfasts and dinners. Randy’s Wodehouse book was a bargain, and it is the forerunner of Heineman’s Wodehouse Bibliography which was published circa 1990. This show and Windy City are NOT to be missed in the years to come.
August 19th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
George is so right when he says that PulpFest and Windy City are NOT to be missed in the years to come.
I always treat these pulp conventions as a big party and picnic, so I tend to overeat and drink too much while celebrating my love of books and pulps. Since George is a physician I figure if I collapse in a drunken stupor or suffer from severe indigestion, he will know what to do.
Of course since he is retired, there is a good chance he will laugh and say “sorry Walker, I’m retired”.
August 22nd, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Thanks for a fine report, Walker! I enjoyed dinner very much with several of you folks on Thursday night. I’m sorry you injured you shoulder; I had no idea since you didn’t mention it. Even though I had to leave the Chicago comic show late Thursday night, then dodge two official tornado warnings in Indiana, and then get up early Friday morning to drive three more hours to PulpFest, it was all worth it. I drove 5,200 miles round-trip from my home in Bellingham, Washington, to PulpFest, just as I have for 11 years in a row now. I’ve been attending comic and pulp shows since 1969, and none have been more entertaining than the pulp shows. There’s just nothing like walking into a room filled with pulps and related items! You always capture that feeling so well!
I loved the new venue and thought the committee did an outstanding job. I would like to see panels limited to about 45 minutes so the auctions could start earlier, but other than that, I was fine with everything. My primary purpose over the years in attending more than 200 major shows is to enjoy friendships and collect pulps, books and comics.
Over the years, I can’t ever recall meeting mean people at the sites of conventions, but then I don’t go into the bars unescorted. However, I have occasionally encountered some unsavory types in areas around conventions, so I especially appreciate covered parking adjacent to the hotel, which we thankfully had at the new Hyatt venue in Columbus.
All in all, a great PulpFest! At the two shows combined, I acquired 128 vintage items (or reprints of vintage items) including an even 50 pulps.
Hope to see you all next year. PulpFest forever!