Thrilling Publications, also known as Beacon Magazines (1936–37), Better Publications (1937–43) and Standard Magazines (1943–55), was a

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazin ...

publisher run by

Ned Pines Ned L. Pines (December 10, 1905 – May 14, 1990) was an American publisher of pulp magazines, comic books, and paperback books, active from at least 1928 to 1971. His Standard Comics imprint was the parent company of the comic-book lines Nedor ...

, publishing such titles as ''

Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of '' Thrilling Wonder Stories'', ...

'' and ''

Thrilling Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...

''. Pines became the president of Pines Publications in 1928. Pines folded most of his magazines in 1955 but continued to lead the company until 1961.

Cover artists

Pines' cover artists included Earle K. Bergey, John Parker,

George Rozen George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Pres ...

, and

Rudolph Belarski Rudolph Belarski (May 27, 1900 – December 24, 1983) was an American graphic artist known for his cover art depicting aerial combat for magazines such as ''Wings'', ''Dare Devil Aces'', and ''War Birds''. He also drew science fiction covers for ...

Paperbacks

In 1942 Pines started

Popular Library Popular Library was a New York paperback book company established in 1942 by Leo Margulies and Ned Pines, who at the time were major pulp magazine and newspaper publishers. The company's logo of a pine tree was a tribute to Pines, and another ...

, a paperback publishing house, and devoted himself to that company after closing his other ventures. Popular reprinted materials from the pulps.

Characters

The Black Bat The Black Bat was the name of two unrelated pulp heroes featured in different pulp magazine series in the 1930s, most well known because of their similarity to DC Comics hero, Batman. There is, also, a Black Bat character, that is seen in toys a ...

* Captain Danger *

Captain Future Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero — a space-traveling scientist and adventurer —originally published in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The ma ...

(a separate comic book character, unrelated to the pulp character, also existed) * Crimson Mask *

Green Ghost ''Green Ghost'' is a board game for up to 4 players, first published in 1965 by Transogram. Green Ghost is the first board game designed to be played in the dark. History Transogram mass-produced the game in 1965, then sold its toy interests t ...

(also appeared in comics) * Masked Detective * Masked Rider (purchased from Martin Goodman's Ranger Publications after the first three issues; Better Publications' numbering started with v01n01) *

The Phantom Detective ''The Phantom Detective'' was the second pulp hero magazine published, after ''The Shadow''. The first issue was released in February 1933, a month before ''Doc Savage'', which was released in March 1933. The title continued to be released unt ...

* The Purple Scar * The Rio Kid

Titles

* ''Air War'' * ''Army Navy Flying Stories'' * ''Black Book Detective'' * ''

'' (1940–1944; 17 issues)(the series was continued with several novels and short stories in ''

'') * ''Detective Book Magazine'' * ''Detective Novels'' * ''Everyday Astrology'' * ''Exciting Detective'' * ''Exciting Love'' * ''Exciting Football'' * ''Exciting Western'' * '' Fantastic Story Quarterly / Fantastic Story Magazine'' (1950-1955, 23 issues) * ''G-Men'' * ''The Lone Eagle'' * ''Masked Detective'' (1940–1943, 12 issues) * ''Masked Rider Western'' (1934–1953; 100 issues) * ''Mobsters'' * ''The Phantom Detective'' * ''Popular Detective'' * ''Popular Love'' * ''Popular Sports Magazine'' * ''Popular Western'' * ''RAF Aces'' * ''Range Riders Western'' (1938–1953; 72 issues) * ''Rio Kid Western'' * ''Rodeo Romances'' * ''Sky Fighters'' * '' Space Stories'' (1952-1953, 5 issues) * ''

'' (1939–1955; 99 issues)(Following the cancellation of ''

'' in 1944 due to wartime paper restrictions, several CF novels appeared in this magazine immediately, and several short stories in the early 50s) * ''

Strange Stories ''Strange Stories'' was a pulp magazine which ran for thirteen issues from 1939 to 1941. It was edited by Mort Weisinger, who was not credited. Contributors included Robert Bloch, Eric Frank Russell, C. L. Moore, August Derleth, and He ...

'' (1939-1941, 13 issues) * ''The Rio Kid Western'' (1939–1953; 76 issues) * ''Texas Rangers'' * ''

Thrilling Adventures ''Thrilling Adventures'' was a monthly American pulp magazine published from 1931 to 1943.Doug Ellis, John Locke, John Gunnison, ''The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps''. Adventure House, 2000, (p. 270). History ''Thrilling Adventures'' was ...

'' (1931–1943) * ''Thrilling Baseball'' * ''Thrilling Detective'' (1931–53; 213 issues) * ''Thrilling Football'' * ''Thrilling Love'' * ''Thrilling Mystery'' * ''Thrilling Ranch'' * ''Thrilling Sports'' * ''Thrilling Western'' * ''West'' * ''

'' (1936–55, 112 issues) * ''

Wonder Story Annual ''Wonder Story Annual'' was a science fiction pulp magazine which was launched in 1950 by Standard Magazines. It was created as a vehicle to reprint stories from early issues of ''Wonder Stories'', ''Startling Stories,'' and ''Wonder Stories Qua ...

'' (1950-1953, 4 issues)

References

Sources

* Wooley, John and Locke, John. "A History of the Thrilling Pulps." ''Thrilling Detective Heroes'' dventure House, 2007