Thrilling Publications, aka
Beacon Magazines (1936–37),
Better Publications (1937–43) and
Standard Magazines (1943–55), was a
pulp magazinePulp magazines were inexpensive fiction magazines. They were widely published from 1896 through the 1950s. The term pulp fiction can also refer to mass market paperbacks since the 1950s....
publisher run by
Ned PinesNed L. Pines was a New York publisher. He died in Paris, and lived in Paris, Manhattan and East Hampton NY.He was president and owner of Pines Publications, which he established in 1928 and remained as president until 1961. Pines published pulp magazines and others under a variety of company...
, publishing such titles as
Startling StoriesStartling Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine which included science fantasy. A companion magazine to Thrilling Wonder Stories and Captain Future magazine, it published 99 issues from 1939 to 1955. It was edited by Sam Merwin, Jr. from 1945 to 1951.It featured a novel in each...
and
Thrilling Wonder Stories.
A native of Malden, Massachusetts, Pines became the president of Pines Publications in 1928.
Leo MarguliesLeo Margulies was an American editor and publisher of science fiction and fantasy pulp magazines.- Career :...
, a long-time editor with Pines, was the highest-paid pulp editor for many years. Pines folded most of his magazines in 1955 but continued to lead the company until 1961.
Comic books
Pines also ran a Thrilling Publications
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
line, which most collectors refer to as
Nedor ComicsNedor Comics was the comic book line of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics. In business from 1939 to 1956, Nedor was a prolific American publisher during the Golden Age of comic books. Its best-known character...
.
Paperbacks
Pines started
Popular LibraryPopular Library was a New York paperback book company established in 1942 by Leo Margulies and Ned Pines, who at the time was a major pulp magazine publisher...
in 1942, a paperback publishing house, and devoted himself to that company after closing his other ventures. Popular reprinted materials from the pulps. Pines was the president of Popular Library from 1942 to 1966 and its chairman from 1966 to 1968. Retiring in 1971, he continued to work as a consultant.
A complete history of the Thrilling chain is available in the anthology,
Thrilling Pulp Heroes (Adventure House, 2006).
Characters
- The Black Bat
The Black Bat was the name of two unrelated characters featured in different pulp magazine series in the 1930s.-The first Black Bat:He appeared in Black Bat Detective Mysteries, a short-lived pulp which saw six issues, all written by Murray Leinster , between 1933 and 1934...
- Captain Danger
- Captain Future
Captain Future is both a science fiction magazine and a fictional character.-Origins:Although sometimes mistakenly attributed to science fiction writer Edmond Hamilton, who indeed authored most of Captain Future stories, the character was created by Better Publications editor Mort Weisinger during...
(a separate comic book character also existed)
- Crimson Mask
- Green Ghost
Green Ghost is a board game published in 1965 by the Transogram Company for up to 4 players. The board is of the 3D genre in that it features standing scenery and is designed to appear as a spooky town. The luminous plastic board is elevated on six stilts and underneath are three boxes, covered by...
(also appeared in comics)
- Masked Detective
- The Phantom Detective
The Phantom Detective was the second pulp hero character published after The Shadow. The first issue was dated February 1933, a month before Doc Savage - March 1933. The title continued till 1953, 170 issues. For the character pulps, this is the third most issues after the Shadow and Doc Savage...
Titles
- Air War
- Black Book Detective
- Captain Future
Captain Future is both a science fiction magazine and a fictional character.-Origins:Although sometimes mistakenly attributed to science fiction writer Edmond Hamilton, who indeed authored most of Captain Future stories, the character was created by Better Publications editor Mort Weisinger during...
- Detective Novels
- G-Men
- The Lone Eagle
- Masked Detective
- Popular Detective
- Popular Love
- Sky Fighters
- Startling Stories
Startling Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine which included science fantasy. A companion magazine to Thrilling Wonder Stories and Captain Future magazine, it published 99 issues from 1939 to 1955. It was edited by Sam Merwin, Jr. from 1945 to 1951.It featured a novel in each...
- Strange Stories
- Thrilling Adventure
- Thrilling Detective (1931–53, 213 issues)
- Thrilling Love
- Thrilling Mystery
- Thrilling Ranch
- Thrilling Sports
- Thrilling Western
- Thrilling Wonder Stories
Wonder Stories was an early science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, when his media company Experimenter Publishing went bankrupt...
(1936–55, 112 issues)
External links