Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention May 1, 2009

PULP FICTION CONVENTION CELEBRATING THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPICY PULP AND GOOD GIRL ART
VAMPS INTO CHICAGO IN MAY!

Ninth Annual Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention Smolders into the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center from May 1-3, 2009

Lombard, IL/ - TOUGH GUYS & BAD GIRLS. MASKED HEROES & SPACE VIXENS. MEN OF BRONZE & SCARLET WOMEN will descend on Chicagoland along with their creators, collectors, and fans for the Ninth annual Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention from May 1-3, 2009.

The three-day event will celebrate the uniquely American form of popular literature. Attendees will hear from pulp fiction historians, see vintage pulp cover art, watch films inspired by the great pulp writers and find rare issues of such seminal publications as The Shadow, Spicy Detective, Amazing Stories, Black Mask, Weird Tales and thousands more.

The medium, which thrived from the roaring twenties through WWII, vied with radio and the movies as the era's most popular form of entertainment. The 10-cent magazines printed on coarse pulpwood paper and boasting eye grabbing (and often lurid) four-color cover paintings introduced such immortals as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard, H.P. Lovecraft and Robert Heinlein to the American public. The pulps are widely recognized as the inspiration for such current pop culture mainstays as Star Trek, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and virtually every comic book hero from Batman to Spider-Man.

Highlight of this year's convention is a celebration of the once infamous, now highly regarded (and considered relatively innocent) Spicy pulps. In their heyday, such titles as Saucy Movie Tales, Spicy Mystery and Private Detective set depression-era men's blood pumping with risque covers featuring scantily clad damsels in distress (oft “dressed” in high heels and sheer negligees) and deliciously illustrated snappy stories explaining the devilish details.

The first Spicys hit the newsstands in 1934 from the ironically named Culture Publications whose owners soon gained far more renown and respect as the publishers of the clean cut Superman comics.

The 25 cent Spicy of the 1930s – usually sold under the counter to avoid corrupting innocent youth and incurring the censor's ire – is now a coveted collectors item, bringing hundreds for a single issue and thousands for an original painting.

The salute to the Spicys will include an exhibit of rare pulp cover art (including many by the King of the Spicy covers, HJ Ward), rarely seen feature films inspired by the Spicy pulps and special exhibitions and panel discussions about the unique genre.

Other attractions include:

*100+ table dealer showroom boasting one of the largest assemblies of vintage pulp, paperback, old time-radio, movie memorabilia and related material in the world. Affordable reprints, hard-to-find books, fanzines and original artwork will also be offered for sale on FRIDAY-SATURDAY-SUNDAY.

*Pulp Film Festival, screening pulp era shorts and features saluting the genre’s greatest heroes and creators, including two films spotlighting the Spicy's most famous creation, Detective Dan Turner. The fast-talking, slang-spewing hawkshaw who called cigarettes “gaspers” and guns “roscoes” will be portrayed by William Marshall in the rarely seen 1947 Republic feature BLACKMAIL. Marc Singer essays the role of the Vat 69 imbibing dick in the 1990 TV movie DAN TURNER, HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE, written by Turner historian John Wooley who will be in attendance. Other films include the original 1920 version of THE MARK OF ZORRO, a seldom screened adaptation of Cornell Wollrich's I WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR SHOES (1948) and RETURN OF WILD BILL, a B-western from 1940 adapted from a Walt Coburn story by famed director Joseph H. Lewis. FRIDAY-SATURDAY.

*Pulp Art Show displaying an unparalleled collection of rare and highly sought after original pulp and paperback art. This year's show will offer a landmark exhibition of art by Hubert Rogers, famed science fiction cover artist noted for his other worldly work on the landmark pulp Astounding. Mr. Rogers family will be in attendance throughout the show. FRIDAY-SUNDAY

*Friday and Saturday Night auction of rare and sought after pulp magazines, pulp art and memorabilia from the archives of Munsey Publications (the company which introduced the pulp concept) and the collection of award winning pulp artist Frank Hamilton.

ADMISSION is $35.00 for all three days; $25.00 on Friday; $25.00 on Saturday; $15.00 on Sunday. Ages 13 and under free with parent. Fee includes access to all convention events and program book containing pulp articles and reprints.

SHOW HOURS: FRIDAY 5/1: Noon-Midnight; SATURDAY 5/2 9am-Midnight; SUNDAY 5/3 9am-4pm.

LOCATION: Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard Il 60148 888-627-9031.

For more information about SPICY PULPS, Vintage Library offers an excellent overview of the genre. It can be read at this link: http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pulpfiction/genres/spicy.php

For artwork, additional questions, presss, and media credentials contact: Mark Trost, Media Relations - 516-330-7487; email:[email protected]

For general information visit the Windy City Pulp site: www.windycitypulpandpaper.com or Doug Ellis at 847-217-4241; email: [email protected]

-30-

Official Website: http://www.windycitypulpandpaper.com