On Saturday, October 10, fans of Doc Savage are invited to gather in La Plata, Missouri, Lester Dent’s hometown.
Born on October 12, 1904, Lester Dent was the lead author for Doc Savage Magazine, penning most of the character’s adventures for the Street & Smith hero pulp magazine. The La Plata Historical Museum — featuring many items related to Dent and his creation — will be open for fans to visit during the gathering. Other activities include visits to Lester Dent Memorial Bridge, the “Doc Savage Country” sign, and more. Fans are urged to book a room at the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata.
This fall’s Monster Bash returns from October 16 – 18 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North, 100 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, just a few miles from the PulpFest host hotel. To book a room for the convention, call 724-772-3700 and be sure to ask for the special Monster Bash rate. You can also book a room here.
Monster Bash celebrates the classic horror and science fiction films of the silent era through the 1980s. It’s a film festival; a place to meet the people in the movies, behind the movies, and fellow fans of the movies; and a monster memorabilia shopping gala.
Featuring over 100 vendor tables of collectibles, monster magazines, original movie posters, Blu-Rays, DVDs, VHS, model kits, action figures, comic books, vintage toys, and more, there will also be an extensive film festival, guest talks and interviews, a live musical performance, game shows, taco night, monster-sized sheet cakes, drive-in movie night, and other events.
Visit the Monster Bash website or call 724-238-4317 for further information. To purchase a membership pass to the three-day convention, click here.
From November 20 – 22, join the 90th anniversary of the world’s first and longest-running conference on science fiction, fantasy, and horror! Philcon 2026 will take place at the Doubletree by Hilton, 2349 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill, NJ. This year’s guests include author Charlie Jane Anders and artist Donato Giancola. The convention will also host Eric Flint’s 1632 Minicon.
At this time, there is no Pulp Adventurecon planned for the fall. The next one will be on February 27 at the Coronado Civic Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Click here to learn more.
Events like the La Plata gathering and Monster Bash may keep you satisfied until the next PulpFest. To keep informed about the pulp convention scene, bookmark pulpfest.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe to our e-letter and the PulpFest YouTube Channel. It’s home to countless films about pulps and PulpFest, most of them produced by award-winning author and journalist Craig McDonald.
PulpFest 2027 will take place at the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania from August 5 to 8. We’ll be saluting the 90th anniversary of The Shadow radio drama’s debut — featuring a young Orson Welles as the title character — the 130th anniversary of the birth of pulp writer and UFO researcher Donald E. Keyhoe, and more at our 2027 summertime convention.
Our featured image is excerpted from Roger Reynolds’ poster art for next February’s Pulp Adventurecon, take place in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. That’s H. P. Lovecraft, accompanied by a couple of friends that he met during a stroll on the beach. During his life, Lovecraft visited the Sunshine State three times.
Our lead image is the first issue of Doc Savage Magazine. Dated March 1933, it features cover art by Walter M. Baumhofer. The Monster Bash poster is adapted from a movie poster for House of Frankenstein, a 1944 film starring Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr. that was produced by Universal Pictures.
