Today the United States is celebrating Memorial Day. According to PBS:
Originally called Decoration Day — from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags — Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers . . . In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday.
After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and was then more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States.
Since 2020, we’ve passed through some very difficult times and lost some very dear friends. In the spirit of Memorial Day, please remember that we’re all in this together.
Although we can’t force anyone, we hope that everyone who plans to attend PulpFest 2025 will be vaccinated against COVID-19. There are many older individuals who attend PulpFest. Please keep them in mind. Remember — United We Stand!
If you are exhibiting any symptoms associated with COVID-19, please stay at home. You should not attend PulpFest. Isolate and avoid contact with others, rest, and drink fluids. Call your healthcare provider if your symptoms worsen.
PulpFest 2025 begins on August 7 and runs through August 10 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania. We’ll be celebrating the “Masters of Blood and Thunder,” the “Great Pulp Villains,” Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, and more at this year’s convention.
You can join PulpFest by clicking the register button at the top of this page. And don’t forget to book a room at the DoubleTree. They’re going fast!
Remember, in addition to your membership in PulpFest 2025, you’ll also be a member of Doc Con XXI, ERBFest 2025, and Farmercon XX. That’s four conventions for one price! You can’t beat that deal.
And don’t forget, we’re accepting early auction consignments through Sunday, June 29, 2025. Any lots submitted after 11:59 pm on the 29th will not be added to our online catalog.
During July and August 1942, just months after the United States entered World War II, magazines nationwide featured the American flag on their covers. Adopting the slogan “United We Stand,” some five hundred publications waved the stars and stripes to promote national unity, rally support for the war, and celebrate Independence Day.
Freelance artist Charles DeFeo contributed the cover art for Street & Smith’s “United We Stand” campaign. DeFeo’s artwork appeared across the publisher’s line of pulp magazines. Our featured image is from the July 1942 issue of Astounding Science-Fiction.
Our lead image, possibly painted by W. H. James, is from The Popular Magazine for May 20, 1919, also published by Street & Smith. Featured in the issue is the final segment of Edgar Wallace’s six-part series, “The Companions of the Ace High.” The series was originally published in late 1918 in Glasgow’s The Post Sunday Special. We’ll be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Wallace’s birth at this year’s PulpFest.
For more on Edgar Wallace and his work, please visit our YouTube Channel.
And while you’re there, be sure to subscribe.
A fan of horror and fantasy fiction, Jeanne Harding attended her first PulpFest in 2023, helping to celebrate the centennial of Weird Tales. You can read more of Jeanne’s contributions to pulpfest.com — including her look at the shudder pulps — by clicking here.
