The Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention returns to the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center on Friday, April 21, beginning with early-bird shopping at 9:30 AM. The dealers’ room will open to all at 11 AM. Additionally, the Windy City con suite will be open on Thursday night, April 20, from 8 PM to midnight. You can pick up your registration materials during this time. The convention runs through Sunday afternoon, April 23, with its dealers’ room closing at 4 PM.
This year’s Windy will be celebrating the 90th anniversary of the gangster pulps as well as Martin Goodman’s Red Circle pulps, the forerunner to Marvel Comics. As part of this celebration, Windy City has invited legendary comic artist Jim Steranko to be its Guest of Honor.
The Windy is noted for its substantial auctions; its art exhibition, sponsored by Illustration Magazine; and its extensive film program, organized by Ed Hulse of Murania Press. Once again, there will be “new pulp” panels and readings on Sunday, running from 10 AM until 3 PM.
Click on the link that starts our post to learn more about the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention or visit the convention’s Facebook page. PulpFest chairman Jack Cullers, volunteer coordinator Sally Cullers, technology director Chuck Welch, and marketing and programming director Mike Chomko will all be attending Windy City. Stop by Mike’s table right next to the Adventure House booth and pick up a registration form for PulpFest 2017. Jack, Sally, Chuck, and Mike will be more than happy to answer your questions about this summer’s pulp con, beginning on Thursday evening, July 27, and running through Sunday afternoon, July 30, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry, just nineteen miles north of the exciting city of Pittsburgh. Start making your plans to join us at the “pop culture center of the universe” for PulpFest 2017. You can book your room directly through the PulpFest website. Just click the “Book a Room for 2017” link on our home page or call 1-800-222-8733. Be sure to mention PulpFest in order to receive the convention rate. And we do hope to see you at Windy City!
(As pulp historian John Locke has written elsewhere, “In 1929, a new kind of magazine appeared on newsstands: the gang pulps! And nothing that came before gave the pulps a worse reputation. Month after month, the stories luridly recounted the exploits of the most sadistic killers, the most craven squealers, the most coldblooded gun molls, the most corrupt cops, the most ruthless gang bosses, the most brutal mob wars, that ever escaped the realm of the imagination — a genre of extremes. There had been outlaw heroes in crime fiction before, but none like this new breed, who toasted with bootleg liquor while their bloody victims lay dying on the floor. Almost immediately, the gang pulps came under attack from the censors. America’s morals lay dying on the pulpwood pages, they claimed.
Centered in the crosshairs was famed pulp editor Harold Hersey, creator of GANGSTER STORIES, RACKETEER STORIES, SPEAKEASY STORIES and a raft of other gang magazines.” Another Hersey title was GANGLAND STORIES — its January – February 1932 issue pictured here — which often featured cover art by Walter Baumhofer.)
