1 November 2004

Before reality TV, trashy magazines, computer games or Quentin Tarantino movies, many Australians in the 1940s and 50s received their popular culture fix from a different type of “pulp fiction”.

Pulp fiction books were original fictions that blended the graphics of comics with the layout of magazines.

They had bold sexy covers, were cheap and took a few hours to read.

Some stories were racy enough to be banned in Queensland but the genre has largely been ignored until now.

UQ Contemporary Studies lecturer Dr Toni Johnson-Woods has written a 140-page-book on Australian pulp fiction called, Pulp: A Collector's Book of Australian Pulp Fiction Covers.

Pulp reveals the stories behind its authors, artists, and publishers–and includes 80 colour-plates of They Paid in Blood, Celluloid Suicide and Texan Tornado.

Dr Johnson-Woods spent two years researching the book at the National Library of Australia, also her publisher, and said it was the first book to delve into Australian pulp fiction.

She said pulp fiction was appealing because of its sensational, but undeserved, reputation.

“It was one of the richest periods in Australian publishing history. Each month thousands of copies of dozens of titles were printed. They were the armchair entertainment of pre-TV days. And all for sixpence,” Dr Johnson-Woods said.

“Preachers, politicians and teachers warned parents about the dangers lurking between the covers. Several were banned in Queensland, but to the contemporary reader, the moral panic about these stories was laughable.

“Though they were everywhere fifty years ago, today, few survive. My book celebrates a neglected cultural artefact which still lingers in our cultural memories.”

Pulp fiction star author Carter Brown, who wrote 297 books and sold 80 million copies, remains Australia’s most popular but possibly least-known author.

Australian crime fiction author Peter Corris launches Pulp on November 9 at the UQ Ipswich Library from 12.15pm.

Pulp is available through the National Library for $24.95.

Media: contact Dr Johnson-Woods (3381 1565, email: t.johnsonwoods@uq.edu.au) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: 3365 2619, email: m.holland@uq.edu.au