H.C. Murphy | Through the Shattered Lens

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!