Doc Con Events Pulpcon PulpFest Windy City

It’s April, do you know where your pulp shows are?

2012 is well under way, so the pulp convention season is starting up again.

If you haven’t noticed, we keep an updated listing of upcoming Pulp Events on the front page of ThePulp.Net. It covers conventions, sales shows, exhibits and other pulp gatherings.

The 33rd Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Collectors Show in Mission Hills, Calif., was March 25. It was my first time to attend. (We were in town for a family event, but I managed to zip over for about an hour Sunday morning.) As Laurie Powers noted, there were few pulps for sale this year. I didn’t find anything on my wants-list, but I did pick up the second volume of The History of the Science Fiction Magazine, by Mike Ashley, (I’ve had the first volume since the late ’70s) and a 1918 issue of The Popular Magazine.

The Orange Pulp exhibit in New York wraps up next week. Online accounts say the number of paintings on display is limited, but still worth seeing if you are in the neighborhood.

For fans of New Pulp, the second annual Pulp Ark gathering in Batesville, Ark., is April 20-22.

Then the next two weekends bring back-to-back pulp gatherings: the 12th Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention near Chicago, and the 16th Fantastic Pulps Show & Sale near Toronto.

While the Toronto show is mostly sales, the Chicago gathering includes a full schedule of panel discussions and pulp-related films, in addition to the dealers room.

June brings the annual Howard Days, celebrating pulp fictioneer Robert E. Howard in his hometown of Cross Plains, Texas.

PulpFest, the successor to the granddaddy of pulp gatherings Pulpcon, returns in early August in Columbus, Ohio. Like the Windy City convention, PulpFest features a full slate of programming, socializing and a dealers room.

Then wrapping up the pulp convention season, Doc Con returns for its 15th year on Oct. 19-20. We’re hoping to take the con to the next level for this anniversary celebration. We’ve move it from a host’s home to a convention room and a suite at a local hotel. We’re in the planning stages now. And there’s still time to reserve your room. Watch the con’s Facebook page for updates.

A lot of the fun of collecting pulps is meeting other pulp fans. I’m sure if you’ve attended a pulp gathering you’ll again be thinking about it this year. If you haven’t, don’t make the mistake of missing out. There’s bound to be one near you. If not, make plans to travel to one. You’ll enjoy it.

3 Comments

  • Hi William,

    Man, I wish I could make it to all these events, but I am lucky enought to have the Fantastic Pulps Show & Sale happening in my home town. I just wanted to clarify one thing: the show isn’t happening near Toronto, it’s happening smack-dab in the middle of downtown Toronto. When I first read your article I had to check to make sure it hadn’t moved from its usual venue at the public library out to the suburbs somewhere.

    Not sure if you’ve ever been, but it’s a fun event that’s worth checking out. I’ve never been to any other pulp conventions, though, so I can’t really say how it measures up to others of its kind. It’s just a nice way to spend a few hours on a weekend.

    Anyway, take care and keep up the good work.

    Ryan L.

  • I have the same wish as you, Ryan. It would be great to make the rounds to all of the shows. It’s a shame I didn’t win the MegaMillions jackpot. 😉

    Thanks for pointing out that the Fantastic Pulps Show is in Toronto. It’s listed as Mississauga, but I guess that’s all part of the same metropolitan area. (On the map, it looked a bit west of Toronto — hence my description.)

    Hope you and everyone else have a great time at the show!

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