The Spider: pulp hero overview and reprint options

#thespider #pulpfiction #booktube
I made a brief video overview on the legendary pulp hero, The Spider. I discuss the character and publication history along with the supporting cast and general bonkers intensity of the main stories written by Norvell Page that made the Master of Men easily the pulpiest and bloodiest of all pulp heroes.
I also discuss some of the many reprints and currently available options for those curious to check out their first Spider story….but be warned you won’t be able to stop!
I was alerted to the Radio Archives ebook program which has completed all 118 novels that are available here if you prefer ebooks: www.radioarchi...
Steeger Books reprint series: steegerbooks.c...
Steeger omnibuses: steegerbooks.c...
Steeger reprints on Amazon: amzn.to/48hT33t
The Spider vs the Empire State trilogy: amzn.to/3SZhT3A
Bold Venture Press: www.boldventur...
Robot Titans of Gotham paperback: amzn.to/3OKeGSZ
Sanctum Spider reprints: www.mycomicsho...

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Check out pulpcovers.com Reprint options: I was alerted to the Radio Archives ebook program which has completed all 118 novels that are available here if you prefer ebooks: www.radioarchives.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=193 Steeger Books reprint series: steegerbooks.com/product-tag/the-spider/ Steeger omnibuses: steegerbooks.com/shop/the-spider-the-complete-series-volume-1-deluxe-edition/ Steeger reprints on Amazon: amzn.to/48hT33t The Spider vs the Empire State trilogy: amzn.to/3SZhT3A Bold Venture Press: www.boldventurepress.com/search.php?search_query=Spider Robot Titans of Gotham paperback: amzn.to/3OKeGSZ Sanctum Spider reprints: www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=24222279

[@spookylemon4947]

Coincidentally I read The Spider for the first time last month with The Spider Strikes. Can’t wait to try more, this’ll be a good help

[@JamesELFERS]

From issue 15 "The Red Death Rain." Man does this one rock! Richard Wenteorth, AKA the Spider takes on a poisoner who is killing thousands. Along the way he meets a skeletonal man, a Sax Rohmer inspired Fu Mancu character, the Mandarin and his incredibly beautiful and sexy daughter and a hypnotized police commissioner. In this one, Nita is kidnapped in the first chapter. Here is her reintroduction to the narrative in the penultimate chapter. They don't write them like this anymore. “Look Spider” Slowly Wentworth’s head came up again, heavily swung to the parted curtains. A shudder swept over him. Beyond that curtain were two small alcoves whose fronts were steel bars. Soft Yellow light flooded those cells. In one, a huge furry animal squatted like a man on the floor. It lifted its head and evil red eyes gleamed, lips snarled back from yellow fangs. The beast straightened, rising to its feet so that it stood with hunched formidable shoulders. Arboreal hands clutched the bars, and the fearful strength of the ting made them shake. “An orangutan, the Mandarin explained softly. “He is easily as powerful as the gorilla and much more human. For instance, they have been known to carry off native women. The women die ultimately, of course, but in the meantime…” Wentworth’s dull eyes had opened wide with incredulous staring. In the other cell was - Good God! It was Nita! Nita was standing, gripping the bars also. Her lovely body was nearly nude, clad in the filmy garments of a woman of the seraglio. Upon her body, a little jacket that was open its full length barely covers her exquisite breasts. Low on her hips was girdle with a jeweled clasp from it depended a silken skirt of such extraordinary weave that it scarcely seemed to exist. It enhanced the subtle curve of her hips, glorified the shapely white columns of her limbs. The glorious chestnut hair hung to her shoulders, and the yellow lights made fiery gleams among its curls. But on her face was such a mingling of joy and pain as would tear the heart. Her red lips were tremulous. She reached supplicant hands between the bars, her warm round arms petitioning.

[@Davlavi]

Great video thanks.

[@ronaldclermont4888]

Not counting regular paperbacks, the publishers who have reprinted THE SPIDER in the larger trade paperback format are: 3 - Dimedia (1980) - not the 1985 paperbacks 85 - Pulp Adventures (1998-2000) 1 - Action Ink (2001) 119 - Bold Venture Press (1998-2005) - the 9 issues I have are the ONLY ones I've ever seen for sale anywhere, so this "entire series" listing may be false. 2 - Wildside Press (2005) ?? - Girasol replicas (2005-11 ?) 25 - Girasol doubles (2006-12) 10 - Sanctum doubles (2013-16) Obviously, there could be more issues than I have tracked down.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thank you for this list! That mostly fits with what o had been able to piece together. I knew there were 25 Girasol doubles and have seen it said that they did about 40 or so of the pulp replicas.

[@jeffconn]

If you want over-the-top, I can't recommend Operator #5 enough. A year long storyline with the World at war! Of course, Operator #5 is our only hope! Very difficult to find unfortunately.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I’ve been wanting to read those! Steeger books is reprinting the series in the same format as their Spider reprints.

[@gleamingtv3946]

Can you Review the new Conan 4ks. I’d love to hear your in depth analysis. And I heard the corrected the mono audio from previous home video releases

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I was actually in the process of reviewing that set when my UHD player decided to die on me. I’m doing a bunch of other Conan related research, so I hope to have that review done soon, but I have to figure out how to afford a new UHD player.

[@madlynx1818]

At what number does Norvell Page take over and would you say they start getting really good? From looking at the Steeger list it’s hard to tell which ones were written by him. I just purchased the Spider vs the Empire State book which collects #’s 60,61&62. Great video thanks I look forward to getting into the Spider.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

He took over at book #3 and wrote the majority up to the end. They still had the house name and a few other authors do certain volumes but after the first two books it’s mostly Page. I would suggest starting with one of the more famous stories or anything that Page wrote in the ‘30s. That will give you all of the classic elements and the sort of frenzied pace the series is known for. I’ve read a couple of the later books from the 40s towards the end and there’s definitely a sense of slowing down a little bit and also it was then war time so the focus shifted a little. I’d say try one of the two I started with which are among the most famous: Death Reign of the Vampire King or Satan‘s Murder Machines. I read those in the Baen paperback collection that I showed which you can get used for usually less than $10. I’ve read about 10 spider novels so far from different points going by the reprints I have. Now I’d really like to start at the very beginning and go chronologically, but I can say you start to see the elements coming into place when Page takes over and book 6 I think is the one that starts to cement a lot of things. That’s where The Spider starts using specific disguises, and where he develops the seal that he leaves on his criminal victims for example.

[@madlynx1818]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader awesome thanks so much

[@JJBolli1]

I'm with you, brother. I've been hooked on the Spider for a couple of years now. Two Spider novels I've read recently and can easily recommend are The Spider and the Slaves of Hell and The Spider and His Hobo Army. Thank you for the reprint recommendations.

[@ronaldclermont4888]

Steeger Books has published their reprints as: Altus (2018-19), Steeger (2020-21) & Popular (2021-present). They've so far reprinted 41 of the 48 OPERATOR #5 pulp stories, and 75 of the 118 SPIDER pulps (although there are two short stories starring THE SPIDER in the original pulp run, so there are actually 120 SPIDER pulp tales). And then if you include the SPIDER story originally intended for the 119th (Feb 1944) issue, which has since been printed by Moonstone, that makes 121 SPIDER stories written back during the pulp era. Whew.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Fantastic video! The Spider 🕷️ is awesome. The Altus Press editions do not reproduce the original double columns but they do have the illustrations. I have a bunch of those.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks! This is me kind of testing the waters in video form because I’d love to do a bunch of pulp hero videos. I’ve really been wanting to get the new Spider reprints because I like the idea of reading them in order. I had just wondered if they included the illustrations so that’s good to know. It’s funny at first I found it really weird reading the dual column pulp recreation style but now it’s hard for me to read them without that.😂

[@ghostwarrior3878]

Question for you, the spider book on your right I recognize the cover but can't remember the title, which one is that?? I've read a few of the spider pulps thanks to the steeger book, the first 10 and I've really enjoyed them so far.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

The paperback on the right is the Baen paperback Robot Titans of Gotham with the Steranko art and two Spider stories.