Running from 1925 to 1951, Lariat was one of the many western magazines of the pulp era. At the time, it published stories and novellas about the men and the women who conquered the old west. Today, issues are sought by collectors who appreciate the magazine’s tough, colorful, and often violent covers. Some of the best artists of the pulp era did covers for Lariat.
Below is just a sampling of the covers of Lariat. Where known, the artists have been credited:
by Edmund Emshwiller
Science Fiction Quarterly began it’s initial run in 1940 and, with the world distracted by war in the present, it ceased publication in 1943. However, once the war was over and people were once again looking to the future, Science Fiction Quarterly was revived in 1951 and ran until 1958. Over the course of its run, it published many of the current and future “big names” in science fiction. Isaac Asimon, Arthur C. Clarke, James Blish, and Donald Wolheim were among the writers whose work appeared in the pages of Science Fiction Quarterly. When Science Fiction Quarterly ceased publication in 1958, it was the last of the science fiction pulp magazines. When there were no more issues of Science Fiction Quarterly, it was the end of the era but, considering the future success of the magazine’s writers, it would also be the beginning of a new age.
With 2020 soon coming to a close, now seems like a good time to look to the future with the covers of Science Fiction Quarterly.
by A. Leslie Ross
by Alex Schomburg
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Edmund Emshwiller
by Edmund Emswhiller
by Frank Kelly Freas
by Frank Kelly Freas
by Frank R. Paul
by Jack Binder
by Leo Morey
by Milton Luros
by Milton Luros
by Milton Luros
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Delos Palmer
Spicy Mystery Stories was published from 1934 to 1943 and was one of the many “Spicy” magazines of the pulp era. The Spicy line featured the same stories as the other pulps, just with a lot more sex and violence. It was a popular magazine but it was also so controversial with the moral guardians of the era that it was eventually forced to tone things down and change its name to Speed Mystery.
Below are some of the controversial covers of Spicy Mystery Stories! As always, the artist has been credited when known:
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
Artist Unknown
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Allen Gutav Anderson
Artist Unknown
Action Stories was published from 1921 to 1950. It specialized in action-packed stories about men doing manly things and women who knew how to handle a rifle. Despite the dinosaur featured in the cover above, Action Stories was known for usually turning down horror and fantasy-themed stories and instead specializing in westerns, war stories, and sports fiction. Among the writers that were published by Action Stories: Robert E. Howard, Walt Coburn, Morgan Robertson, Horace McCoy, Theodore Roscoe, Greye La Spina, Anthony M. Rud, Thomas Thursday and Les Savage, Jr.
Below are a sampling of adventurous covers from Action Stories!
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Emery Clarke
by H.C. Murphy
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Norman Saunders
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
Private Detective Stories ran from 1937 to 1950 and, over the course of 134 issues, it shared stories of betrayal, murder, and detectives. The content was no different than what could be found in countless other pulp magazines of the era but, as you can tell by looking below, the covers were surprisingly violent even by the standards of the pulps.
Here’s just a covers from Private Detective Stories. As always, the artist has been credited when known.
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Allen Gustav Anderson
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Harry Lemon Parkhurst
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
by Hugh Joseph Ward
Unknown Artist
by Allen Gustav Anderson
