PEP STORIES (1926-31) V1 #1 Pulp
CGC VG/F: 5.0
(Stock Image)
Upcoming Auction Dates TBD
$1
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DESCRIPTION
December 1926 (1st issue!); Eileen Culishaw nude cover; early "girlie" pulp
ow pages; incredibly rare! Only copy is CGG census!
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION"New, Snappy, Spicy Stotries and Art"
Launched in December 1926, Pep! represented a significant innovation in magazine publishing, combining multiple formats to create a new hybrid approach that defined Frank Armer's editorial direction for years to come. The publication deliberately avoided artistic pretensions, instead presenting nude photography alongside humorous content similar to popular comedy periodicals of the era. Risqué yet aesthetically sophisticated, following the precedent established by pioneering adult-oriented pulps such as Snappy Stories. Pep! distinguished itself through its fiction offerings, featuring romantic screwball comedies characterized by swift narrative development, contemporary vernacular, and a distinctive approach to romance where relationships remained perpetually unconsummated. These stories, typically brief in length, consistently subverted genre expectations while portraying an ongoing, comedic gender rivalry.
Notable artists such as Jack Woodford and Robert Leslie Bellem established their reputations through these publications, while many writers operated under pseudonyms or publisher-assigned house names. The remarkable commercial success of Pep! magazine, combined with Armer's recognition that readers particularly valued the fiction content, prompted a strategic repositioning. By May 1927, the publication was renamed Pep Stories, discontinued its nude photography, and transitioned from a saddle-stitched, slick format to standard pulp production methods. Pep Stories demonstrated remarkable longevity, continuing publication for more than ten years and producing approximately 150 issues, establishing it as the most enduring publication within this specific category of girlie pulps.
Volume 1, Issue 1 - December, 1926. 6.5" x 9.5", 64 pages, B&W. -MATURE READERS- Cover price $0.25.
ow pages; incredibly rare! Only copy is CGG census!
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION"New, Snappy, Spicy Stotries and Art"
Launched in December 1926, Pep! represented a significant innovation in magazine publishing, combining multiple formats to create a new hybrid approach that defined Frank Armer's editorial direction for years to come. The publication deliberately avoided artistic pretensions, instead presenting nude photography alongside humorous content similar to popular comedy periodicals of the era. Risqué yet aesthetically sophisticated, following the precedent established by pioneering adult-oriented pulps such as Snappy Stories. Pep! distinguished itself through its fiction offerings, featuring romantic screwball comedies characterized by swift narrative development, contemporary vernacular, and a distinctive approach to romance where relationships remained perpetually unconsummated. These stories, typically brief in length, consistently subverted genre expectations while portraying an ongoing, comedic gender rivalry.
Notable artists such as Jack Woodford and Robert Leslie Bellem established their reputations through these publications, while many writers operated under pseudonyms or publisher-assigned house names. The remarkable commercial success of Pep! magazine, combined with Armer's recognition that readers particularly valued the fiction content, prompted a strategic repositioning. By May 1927, the publication was renamed Pep Stories, discontinued its nude photography, and transitioned from a saddle-stitched, slick format to standard pulp production methods. Pep Stories demonstrated remarkable longevity, continuing publication for more than ten years and producing approximately 150 issues, establishing it as the most enduring publication within this specific category of girlie pulps.
Volume 1, Issue 1 - December, 1926. 6.5" x 9.5", 64 pages, B&W. -MATURE READERS- Cover price $0.25.
ow pages; incredibly rare! Only copy is CGG census!
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION