Pulp magazines have influenced writers, artists, film directors, software developers, and countless others over the years. Our “PulpFest Historical” articles focus on the rough-paper writers, editors, publishers, and artists who have inspired and continue to inspire the creators of the world’s popular culture.
Ask pulp magazine historians about the most prolific creators to emerge from the industry. Invariably, they will mention historical fiction writer H. Bedford-Jones, Western great Max Brand, mystery scribe Erle Stanley Gardner, and Shadow creator Walter B. Gibson. Although he produced nearly a million words a year for over a decade — enough to be asked for endorsements by several typewriter manufacturers — Arthur Leo Zagat is largely forgotten.
Born 125 years ago in New York City on February 15, 1896, Zagat grew up in the Bronx, where his father owned a drugstore. After fighting in the First World War, Zagat attended L’Université de Bordeaux in France. Following his return to the United States, he studied at Fordham University, graduating with a law degree in 1929. With the Great Depression stifling demand for new lawyers, Zagat found himself looking for work. At the urging of his wife, he borrowed a typewriter and set out to make his mark as a fiction writer.
Arthur Leo Zagat’s initial efforts were collaborations with Nathan Schachner, another young lawyer. Their stories — largely science fiction — were published in 1930 – 31 by AMAZING STORIES, ASTOUNDING STORIES, ORIENTAL STORIES, WEIRD TALES, WONDER STORIES, and WONDER STORIES QUARTERLY. After a couple of his solo efforts were accepted by ASTOUNDING, Zagat set off on his own and never looked back.
Zagat’s forte was the novella, or as the hyperbolic pulp editors called them, “the feature-length novel.” These so-called novels generally ranged from 12,000 to 25,000 words in length. In any definition save that of the pulp magazines, these were novelettes. Writing works of this length not only guaranteed a mention on a magazine’s cover but usually qualified the author for a slightly higher word-rate, often an extra half-cent a word.
In addition to lead “novels,” Zagat was also a dependable writer of shorter fiction, including the popular Doc Turner stories in THE SPIDER and the Red Finger series that ran in OPERATOR #5. His output was prodigious — about 500 mystery, science fiction, and other story categories — rivaling that of Arthur J. Burks. From shortly after his debut until the early 1940s, Arthur Leo Zagat was writing at least one “feature-length novel” and four or five short stories almost every month.
Popular Publications took a bold step in the fall of 1933 by changing the format of the staid DIME MYSTERY BOOK MAGAZINE to the weird menace genre. Modeled after the horror entertainments featured at the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, the genre took off following the publication of “Dance of the Skeletons” by Norvell Page. Taking to the genre like a fish to water, Arthur Leo Zagat climbed on board with a short story in the January 1934 DIME MYSTERY.
When Popular added another shudder pulp in 1934 with the introduction of TERROR TALES, editor Rogers Terrill turned to Zagat to write the lead story. He responded with “House of Living Death.” It should be no great surprise that when the line expanded yet again with HORROR STORIES, Arthur Leo Zagat was on hand with “Mistress of the Beast.”
Terrill needed dependable wordsmiths for his pulps, particularly authors who could turn out “feature novels” on a regular basis. Zagat filled the bill with gusto with nearly sixty weird menaces novelettes for Popular Publications as well as another dozen or so for their competitors. At the height of the weird menace years, Zagat suffered a near-fatal attack of pneumonia. One of his editors felt it necessary to alert fans as to the impending lack of Zagat stories. Amusingly enough, there were already so many Zagat stories in inventory that readers were unlikely to have noticed any difference at all.
Zagat’s weird menace fiction was rife with the tropes of the Gothics: decaying mansions, dark family secrets, bizarre cults, and scheming madmen. What sets Zagat’s work apart from many of his contemporaries is the poet’s touch. In fact, fellow author Roger Howard Norton dubbed him “Magister Trismegistus of the Macabre.” Had this monicker been applied to anyone other than Zagat or his contemporary John H. Knox, it would have been ludicrous. Bestowed on Zagat — even with tongue slightly in cheek — it’s perfectly appropriate.
In addition to colorful descriptions such as “lambent gloom” and “choking fetor,” Arthur Leo Zagat’s tales feature a good deal of introspection from his characters, leading the reader to feel a growing sense of dread. Zagat usually sustained this feeling of unease for a story’s entirety — a very difficult feat. What is truly remarkable about Zagat is not only the markedly high quality of his work but also his ability to adapt his style to the changing demands of the ever-evolving pulp market.
By the time the weird menace genre began to fade in 1941, Zagat had become one of the highest-paid authors in the pulps. Throughout the 1940s, he continued churning out detective, mystery, and science fiction stories. However, the over-the-top chaos that made his weird menace fiction so memorable is lacking from his later work. Having to eschew the gothic touches that brought his stories to life, Zagat produced highly readable tales for a range of markets. While his later stories were at least competent, commercial-grade fiction, the “wow” factor is simply missing.
Despite paper shortages and changing public tastes, Zagat was seemingly appearing everywhere during the Second World War. As one of the highest-paid pulpsters, he prospered during the war. He also served as an executive in the Office of War Information in New York City.
As to how Arthur Leo Zagat would have handled the death of the pulps and birth of the digest magazines and paperback originals, we’ll never know. On April 3, 1949, he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away in his home in the Bronx. He was only fifty-three. Who knows what he might have accomplished had he lived another decade or two?
Until recent times, Arthur Leo Zagat has been largely remembered for a single novel — SEVEN OUT OF TIME — published by Fantasy Press in 1949. Originally serialized by ARGOSY, it may well be the best of Zagat’s science fiction novels, but it is hardly his best work.
Thanks to three volumes of his weird menace fiction, published by Ramble House; a collection culled from SPICY MYSTERY STORIES, published by Black Dog Books; plus several titles from Steeger Books and an appearance in Otto Penzler’s ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! anthology, we have a better picture of this unjustly forgotten writer. Today, on the 125th anniversary of his birth, we raise a glass to Arthur Leo Zagat, “Magister Trismegistus of the Macabre.”
The first of Arthur Leo Zagat’s weird menace novelettes, “The Swamp Terror,” ran in the February 1934 number of DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE. With the October 1934 issue — featuring front cover art by Walter M. Baumhofer — Zagat’s novella, “Satan’s Handmaiden,” would garner the top cover spot. He would likewise lead the inaugural issue of TERROR TALES with his tale, “House of Living Death.” The magazine was dated September 1934 and featured cover art by Rudolph W. Zirm.
In later years, Zagat was in demand by many pulp magazines, including DETECTIVE STORY MAGAZINE. He wrote eleven stories for the Street & Smith pulp, including five “Tiger Carlin” novelettes. “The Black Triangle” — appearing in the November 1940 number and featuring front cover art by Modest Stein — was the fourth story in the series.
For Munsey’s ARGOSY, Zagat wrote a number of science fiction novels, including “Drink We Deep,” the “Tomorrow” future war series, and “Seven Out of Time,” serialized in six parts beginning with the March 11, 1939 issue and featuring cover art by Rudolph Belarski. In 1949, it was published in hardcover by Fantasy Press.
The late John Pelan was an author, editor, and publisher in the small press science fiction, weird, and horror fiction genres. He won the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award and had been a nominee for the World Fantasy Award.
In 1986, John founded Axolotl Press, publishing work by authors such as James P. Blaylock, Charles de Lint, Tim Powers, and Michael Shea. Following this, he founded Darkside Press and Silver Salamander Press and co-founded Midnight House. Darkside Press printed classics of science fiction, Midnight House published classic horror fiction, and Silver Salamander Press was devoted to new works of modern horror. All three imprints were closed in 2007 when John retired from publishing, moving with his wife of over 35 years, Kathy, and their eight cats to Gallup, New Mexico.
John’s had been retired for one week old when longtime friend Jerad Walters essentially made him “Hand of the King” at Centipede Press. Since then, he had assisted Jerad on numerous projects, as well as creating Centipede’s lines of “Masters of Science Fiction” — featuring authors such as Jack Dann, James Patrick Kelly, Fritz Leiber, Kate Wilhelm, and others — and “Modern Masters of the Weird Tale,” which will soon be launching with a massive collection from Lisa Tuttle.
Pelan edited over one hundred single-author collections and novels by such writers as Wyatt Blassingame, Uel Key, Russell Kirk, John H. Knox, Fritz Leiber, and Arthur Leo Zagat for various publishers. He also edited several “new fiction” anthologies, including THE CHILDREN OF CTHULHU, SHADOWS OVER BAKER STREET, and the Bram Stoker Award-winning THE DARKER SIDE: GENERATIONS OF HORROR for Penguin Books.
In addition to several collaborative works with Edward Lee, Pelan’s solo short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. His first novella, the Lovecraftian work “The Colour Out of Darkness,” was published by Cemetery Dance Publications. His first major collection is available from Fedogan & Bremer or your favorite bookseller.
Sadly, John Pelan died April 12, 2021, in Albuquerque NM of an apparent heart attack.
Michael Chomko, the winner of the 2010 Munsey Award, is the marketing and programming director for PulpFest. A registered nurse, Mike sells books on a part-time basis, operating as Mike Chomko, Books. His specialty is pulp-related material. Married for over forty years, he is the father of two adult children, as well as a recent grandfather.
