My Look at the Pulps. . .

Argosy December 1923

Roughly 100 years ago (i.e. December 1923), a magazine called Argosy was in publication. It was an excellent e , producing some rather impressive fiction in many different genres. Moreover, it was a weekly which must have made it quite a chore to get out on time.

Anyway, it began with the first part of a serial called "The Black Jarl" by someone named Johnston McCulley. I normally skip the serial stories, but this one I don't have to because it the other two issues in which it is continued are available, and I am very happy about that because I just started it and it is a vivid tale set in Medieval Scandinavia about the conflict between Christians and Norse pagans. It's got quite a bit of violence and Romance.

The issue also contained several more stories including "Red for a Million" a modern day (well modern day in 1923) bank robbery caper story. It's an interesting read if a little dated. It hearkens back to days before banks were federally insured and people worried about "runs" on the bank. Also, it contains an odd detail about where the female member of the gang dyes her hair red. The narrator spends a paragraph pointing out that it's much easier for a woman to alter her appearance than a man because she has the option of dying her hair, among other things. Since when are men not allowed to dye their hair. I guess they didn't in 1923.

For those that prefer sports, the issue had a boxing story called "The Glass Jaw". On a more down to earth level, there is a story called "Alicia Learns to Drive" which starts out as a humorous story about a woman who wants her husband to teach her to drive. It becomes more of an adventure story when Alicia has to drive in order to save her husband's life. Speaking of women and cars, another story "Daughter of Midas" is actually a romance about an unbelievably spoiled girl, (who has her own sports car) that begins to understand what is important in a relationship.

The last story, "One Word", is also a romance of a more serious nature about a man in India trying to reconnect with a girlfriend in New York.

I could say lots more about these stories but I can't wait to read the December 8, 1923 issue and find out what happens to the Blacl Jarl.