On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. A week later, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that cases of coronavirus disease were being reported in many states, with some areas experiencing community spread of the virus.
Several US popular culture conventions — including the Windy City Pulp & Paper Convention 20 and this year’s Robert E. Howard Days — have either been postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Currently, the PulpFest organizing committee is monitoring the situation and consulting with our host hotel. At the same time, we are continuing to work toward mounting PulpFest 2020 from August 6 – 9 in Mars, Pennsylvania at the DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh — Cranberry.
PulpFest will continue to assess developments. We will advise you about any changes to our plans through our website and social media pages. So please stay tuned to pulpfest.com.
In the meantime, stay safe and be aware of the needs of others. We hope to see all of you August 6 – 9 for PulpFest 2020.
Jack Cullers, PulpFest Chairperson
(The first and only issue of MEDICAL HORRORS was published in late 1931 with a cover date of January 1932. Published by Harold Hersey’s Green Band Publishing Corp. it ran for a single issue. A mix of fiction and non-fiction, it featured such articles and stories as “The Million Dollar Baby Farm,” “Chloroformed” and “Doctor A. W. Waite: Satan’s Personal Representative.”
It has never been quite understood what gave Hersey the idea that a magazine entitled MEDICAL HORRORS could be successful in a field that partially relied on drugstores for distribution. He was, however, a publisher who often thought outside the box.
Although COVID-19 can certainly be described as a medical horror, remember all of the heroic doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel tirelessly serving us and helping the world get through these difficult times. They are the first responders now putting their own well-being at risk. Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers.)
