Being raised on the Bantam Paperback version of Doc Savage, I never really gave the old pulps much consideration... and after seeing how expensive they are (for any in decent condition) I was even less interested. But I have been downloading some Pdf copies and printing them out...so I basically end up with a home-made pulp, complete with the original artwork. For anyone who hasn't checked out the pulp versions of their favorite Doc stories, I recommend it. Some of the old illustrations are a hoot, and the magazine format has a much different feel to it.
I thought my 1960's blond haired Doc with the torn shirts and bad haircut was the only Doc for me. But now, after reading some of the pulps, I find I am actually favoring the old image of Doc. And don't most of the books say that Doc's hair is a shade darker than his bronze skin? So why did it become blond in the 60's. Bama's art is fantastic, and I will always love that version of Doc, but the old Doc pulps have a lot to offer, a lot that was lost on the Bantam Paperbacks.