Just how long do you wait for that Doc Savage title to be reprinted by Bantam?
For the sake of argument pretend you were born around 1920.
Now jump forward to when you turned 13. (Let’s say May 17, 1933.)
You’ve been buying each issue of the new Doc Savage Magazine as soon as it hits the newsstand. (Where are you getting the money? You sell Grit.)
You become successful. From Grit you graduate to the New York Times. Pretty soon you’re in college, but you never stop buying Doc Savage Magazine. They’re taking up room in the attic, but Mom loves to have something of yours at home.
You’re kinda sad when you buy the last issue just before your 29th birthday. You hoped to have a son and introduce him to the Fabulous Five.
Flash forward to 1964. You’re 44 and you do have a son. He’s 13 and he finds the Bantam copy of The Man of Bronze at Parrino’s Drugstore. He’s hooked!
After a few months you’re disappointed to find they’re not in the order you remember. You’d get out the old issues for the boy, but you threw them away when your wife convinced you to build her a sewing room in the attic.
You had the pool room downstairs. What could you say?
The years go by. Bantam re-releases Docs in something that looks like random order. Sometimes one a month…sometimes months between reissues. It’s OK. Your son doesn’t care what order as long as Bantam publishes them all. he’s a collector.
It’s October 1990. You’re 70. You’re on the porch with your grandson. He’s 13. (Amazing how that works.) He brings you a book he found at Hawley-Cooke. He remembered you and his Dad talking about the Man of Bronze. He’s found a copy of Doc Savage Omnibus #13.
You look over Up From Earth’s Center and get that feeling again. You tell your grandson it’s been over 40 years since you saw that story and you still remember it.
“Fourty-one years and three months, grandpa.” You’re happy the kid inherited his mother’s smarts. You think aloud, “I wonder what the longest it was between when a novel came out and when Bantam reprinted it?”
The next day your grandson gives you a printout. It’s a list of all the novels and the length of time between pulp publication and Bantam reprint publication.
“I figured it out for you Grandpa. You had to wait an average of 37 years and 8 months between the time a novel was first published and the time Bantam reprinted it.”
You give your grandson a funny look. Gas, but he misinterprets it.
He shows you the list. “See here Grandpa? The Green Eagle came out in July 1941 and Bantam reprinted it in May 1968. That’s 26 years and 10 months.”
“That would have been the shortest wait. The longest was Bequest of Evil. It was first printed in February 1941, but Bantam didn’t reprint it until June 1990.”
You look up, “That’s, uh, almost 50 years.”
“49 years and 5 months, grandpa. I put them all on that printout I gave you.”
You smile at the boy and think, “He’ll give up all this foolishness as soon as he discovers girls.”
Bantam # | Magazine # | Wait # | Bantam Title | Years | Months |
24 | 101 | 1 | The Green Eagle | 26 | 10 |
25 | 95 | 2 | The Devil’s Playground | 27 | 5 |
29 | 83 | 3 | The Other World | 28 | 9 |
30 | 76 | 4 | The Flaming Falcons | 29 | 5 |
23 | 68 | 5 | Fortress of Solitude | 29 | 6 |
37 | 81 | 6 | Hex | 29 | 7 |
40 | 82 | 7 | The Dagger in the Sky | 29 | 9 |
2 | 17 | 8 | The Thousand-Headed Man | 30 | 3 |
41 | 77 | 9 | Merchants of Disaster | 30 | 3 |
39 | 74 | 10 | World’s Fair Goblin | 30 | 4 |
42 | 75 | 11 | The Gold Ogre | 30 | 6 |
3 | 13 | 12 | Meteor Menace | 30 | 7 |
9 | 23 | 13 | The Mystic Mullah | 30 | 10 |
14 | 34 | 14 | The Fantastic lsland | 30 | 11 |
28 | 56 | 15 | The Deadly Dwarf | 30 | 11 |
12 | 29 | 16 | Quest of Qui | 31 | 0 |
7 | 14 | 17 | The Monsters | 31 | 2 |
15 | 33 | 18 | Murder Melody | 31 | 2 |
5 | 11 | 19 | Brand of the Werewolf | 31 | 3 |
21 | 43 | 20 | Cold Death | 31 | 4 |
57 | 79 | 21 | Poison Island | 31 | 5 |
13 | 25 | 22 | Land of Always-Night | 31 | 6 |
1 | 1 | 23 | The Man of Bronze | 31 | 7 |
6 | 7 | 24 | The Lost Oasis | 31 | 7 |
11 | 19 | 25 | Fear Cay | 31 | 8 |
4 | 4 | 26 | The Polar Treasure | 31 | 10 |
33 | 50 | 27 | The Terror in the Navy | 31 | 10 |
34 | 51 | 28 | Mad Eyes | 31 | 10 |
16 | 26 | 29 | The Spook Legion | 31 | 11 |
59 | 72 | 30 | The Yellow Cloud | 32 | 2 |
10 | 10 | 31 | The Phantom City | 32 | 3 |
8 | 2 | 32 | The Land of Terror | 32 | 4 |
50 | 61 | 33 | Devil on the Moon | 32 | 4 |
20 | 27 | 34 | The Secret in the Sky | 32 | 6 |
27 | 36 | 35 | Mystery Under the Sea | 32 | 6 |
36 | 45 | 36 | Resurrection Day | 32 | 6 |
56 | 65 | 37 | The Giggling Ghosts | 32 | 6 |
49 | 57 | 38 | The Sea Angel | 32 | 7 |
58 | 66 | 39 | The Munitions Master | 32 | 7 |
48 | 55 | 40 | The Feathered Octopus | 32 | 8 |
55 | 58 | 41 | The Golden Peril | 33 | 0 |
65 | 69 | 42 | The Green Death | 33 | 0 |
66 | 71 | 43 | Mad Mesa | 33 | 0 |
67 | 73 | 44 | The Freckled Shark | 33 | 0 |
63 | 64 | 45 | The Submarine Mystery | 33 | 2 |
32 | 32 | 46 | Dust of Death | 33 | 3 |
47 | 47 | 47 | Land of Long Juju | 33 | 3 |
62 | 62 | 48 | The Pirate’s Ghost | 33 | 3 |
54 | 53 | 49 | He Could Stop the World | 33 | 4 |
64 | 63 | 50 | The Motion Menace | 33 | 4 |
61 | 59 | 51 | The Living Fire Menace | 33 | 5 |
46 | 42 | 52 | The Midas Man | 33 | 7 |
53 | 49 | 53 | The Mental Wizard | 33 | 7 |
17 | 6 | 54 | The Red Skull | 33 | 9 |
18 | 8 | 55 | The Sargasso Ogre | 33 | 9 |
26 | 20 | 56 | Death in Silver | 33 | 9 |
52 | 46 | 57 | The Vanisher | 33 | 9 |
45 | 38 | 58 | The Men Who Smiled No More | 33 | 10 |
31 | 22 | 59 | The Annihilist | 34 | 0 |
19 | 5 | 60 | Pirate of the Pacific | 34 | 2 |
51 | 40 | 61 | Haunted Ocean | 34 | 2 |
22 | 9 | 62 | The Czar of Fear | 34 | 4 |
38 | 24 | 63 | Red Snow | 34 | 5 |
94 | 143 | 64 | The Hate Genius | 34 | 5 |
35 | 18 | 65 | The Squeaking Goblin | 34 | 8 |
44 | 21 | 66 | The Sea Magician | 35 | 2 |
78 | 78 | 67 | The Crimson Serpent | 35 | 2 |
98 | 146 | 68 | Cargo Unknown | 35 | 3 |
106 | 154 | 69 | The Screaming Man | 35 | 7 |
60 | 31 | 70 | The Majii | 35 | 8 |
97 | 141 | 71 | Satan Black | 35 | 8 |
43 | 12 | 72 | The Man Who Shook the Earth | 35 | 10 |
100 | 142 | 73 | The Lost Giant | 35 | 10 |
79 | 70 | 74 | The Devil Genghis | 35 | 11 |
82 | 86 | 75 | The Evil Gnome | 36 | 1 |
96 | 125 | 76 | Mystery on Happy Bones | 36 | 3 |
74 | 48 | 77 | The Derrick Devil | 36 | 5 |
75 | 52 | 78 | The Land of Fear | 36 | 5 |
81 | 80 | 79 | The Stone Man | 36 | 5 |
85 | 87 | 80 | The Boss of Terror | 36 | 6 |
101 | 136 | 81 | The Pharaoh’s Ghost | 36 | 7 |
104 | 137 | 82 | The Man Who Was Scared | 36 | 9 |
71 | 35 | 83 | Murder Mirage | 36 | 10 |
72 | 37 | 84 | The Metal Master | 36 | 10 |
73 | 39 | 85 | The Seven Agate Devils | 36 | 10 |
86 | 84 | 86 | The Angry Ghost | 36 | 11 |
87 | 85 | 87 | The Spotted Men | 37 | 0 |
103 | 134 | 88 | The Whisker of Hercules | 37 | 0 |
107 | 140 | 89 | Jin San | 37 | 0 |
70 | 30 | 90 | Spook Hole | 37 | 1 |
99 | 127 | 91 | Hell Below | 37 | 1 |
90 | 89 | 92 | The Flying Goblin | 37 | 2 |
77 | 44 | 93 | The South Pole Terror | 37 | 4 |
109 | 138 | 94 | The Shape of Terror | 37 | 5 |
76 | 41 | 95 | The Black Spot | 37 | 9 |
114 | 145 | 96 | The Ten-Ton Snakes | 37 | 9 |
83 | 67 | 97 | The Red Terrors | 37 | 10 |
91 | 91 | 98 | The Purple Dragon | 37 | 10 |
110 | 132 | 99 | Death Had Yellow Eyes | 37 | 11 |
130 | 178 | 100 | The Swooning Lady | 37 | 11 |
102 | 119 | 101 | The Time Terror | 38 | 0 |
129 | 177 | 102 | The Angry Canary | 38 | 1 |
69 | 15 | 103 | The Mystery on the Snow | 38 | 2 |
92 | 88 | 104 | The Awful Egg | 38 | 4 |
111 | 131 | 105 | One-Eyed Mystic | 38 | 5 |
93 | 90 | 106 | Tunnel Terror | 38 | 6 |
84 | 60 | 107 | The Mountain Monster | 38 | 7 |
108 | 121 | 108 | The Black, Black Witch | 38 | 7 |
105 | 117 | 109 | They Died Twice | 38 | 8 |
68 | 3 | 110 | Quest of the Spider | 39 | 0 |
113 | 123 | 111 | The Talking Devil | 39 | 7 |
142 | 175 | 112 | The Pure Evil | 39 | 7 |
89 | 54 | 113 | The Magic Island | 39 | 10 |
112 | 113 | 114 | The Man Who Fell Up | 39 | 11 |
147 | 174 | 115 | I Died Yesterday | 40 | 1 |
146 | 173 | 116 | Once Over Lightly | 40 | 3 |
145 | 172 | 117 | Let’s Kill Ames | 40 | 5 |
144 | 171 | 118 | The Monkey Suit | 40 | 7 |
80 | 16 | 119 | The King Maker | 40 | 8 |
143 | 170 | 120 | No Light to Die By | 40 | 9 |
116 | 112 | 121 | The Speaking Stone | 41 | 0 |
115 | 111 | 122 | Pirate Isle | 41 | 1 |
120 | 122 | 123 | The King of Terror | 41 | 2 |
134 | 152 | 124 | The Thing That Pursued | 41 | 3 |
182 | 181 | 125 | Up From Earth’s Center | 41 | 3 |
126 | 129 | 126 | The Secret of the Su | 41 | 4 |
125 | 128 | 127 | The Goblins | 41 | 5 |
136 | 155 | 128 | Measures for a Coffin | 41 | 5 |
133 | 149 | 129 | King Joe Cay | 41 | 6 |
181 | 180 | 130 | Return From Cormoral | 41 | 6 |
119 | 116 | 131 | The Laugh of Death | 41 | 8 |
151 | 166 | 132 | The Disappearing Lady | 41 | 8 |
155 | 169 | 133 | Danger Lies East | 41 | 8 |
180 | 179 | 134 | The Green Master | 41 | 9 |
88 | 28 | 135 | The Roar Devil | 41 | 11 |
122 | 115 | 136 | The Fiery Menace | 42 | 1 |
150 | 161 | 137 | Fire and Ice | 42 | 1 |
118 | 106 | 138 | Peril in the North | 42 | 2 |
121 | 114 | 139 | The Three Wild Men | 42 | 2 |
138 | 144 | 140 | Strange Fish | 42 | 4 |
141 | 147 | 141 | Rock Sinister | 42 | 5 |
179 | 176 | 142 | Terror Wears No Shoes | 42 | 5 |
154 | 158 | 143 | Five Fathoms Dead | 42 | 7 |
117 | 98 | 144 | The Golden Man | 42 | 10 |
137 | 135 | 145 | The Three Devils | 43 | 1 |
128 | 124 | 146 | The Running Skeletons | 43 | 2 |
172 | 165 | 147 | The Devil Is Jones | 43 | 3 |
159 | 153 | 148 | Trouble on Parade | 43 | 4 |
176 | 168 | 149 | The Death Lady | 43 | 4 |
153 | 148 | 150 | The Terrible Stork | 43 | 5 |
175 | 167 | 151 | Target for Death | 43 | 5 |
124 | 100 | 152 | The Headless Men | 43 | 6 |
135 | 130 | 153 | The Spook of Grandpa Eben | 43 | 6 |
170 | 162 | 154 | Three Times a Corpse | 43 | 6 |
167 | 157 | 155 | Terror and the Lonely Widow | 43 | 8 |
169 | 160 | 156 | Colors for Murder | 43 | 8 |
174 | 164 | 157 | Death in Little Houses | 43 | 8 |
171 | 159 | 158 | Death is a Round Black Spot | 43 | 9 |
177 | 163 | 159 | The Exploding Lake | 43 | 9 |
163 | 151 | 160 | Terror Takes 7 | 43 | 10 |
162 | 150 | 161 | The Wee Ones | 43 | 11 |
168 | 156 | 162 | Se-Pah-Poo | 44 | 0 |
123 | 92 | 163 | Devils of the Deep | 44 | 2 |
158 | 139 | 164 | Weird Valley | 44 | 6 |
132 | 107 | 165 | The Rustling Death | 45 | 0 |
131 | 103 | 166 | The Mindless Monsters | 45 | 4 |
127 | 97 | 167 | The All-White Elf | 45 | 5 |
156 | 126 | 168 | The Mental Monster | 45 | 7 |
140 | 108 | 169 | Men of Fear | 45 | 8 |
139 | 102 | 170 | Mystery Island | 46 | 2 |
149 | 110 | 171 | The Magic Forest | 46 | 4 |
178 | 133 | 172 | The Derelict of Skull Shoal | 46 | 7 |
165 | 120 | 173 | Waves of Death | 46 | 9 |
164 | 118 | 174 | The Devil’s Black Rock | 46 | 11 |
160 | 105 | 175 | The Invisible-Box Murders | 47 | 8 |
166 | 109 | 176 | The Too-Wise Owl | 47 | 8 |
148 | 93 | 177 | The Awful Dynasty | 47 | 9 |
161 | 104 | 178 | Birds of Death | 47 | 9 |
157 | 99 | 179 | The Pink Lady | 47 | 10 |
152 | 94 | 180 | The Men Vanished | 47 | 11 |
173 | 96 | 181 | Bequest of Evil | 49 | 4 |
Originally published on DocSavage.Info and one of the many early incarnations of the Hidalgo Trading Company
I was about 12 years old when I got the Flaming Falcons. Most of my life was defined by the need to get all the Bantam reprints. Doc Savage affected me more deeply than any other book or comic I had read. And real life never distracted me enough to stop me. It was a high when I first managed to fill in my gaps. And the day I bought the last reprint was ectasy.
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.
My first Doc novel was Worlds Fair Goblin. I bought it at a bookstand at the airport while waiting to go overseas. I would buy them as I could find them and it was a thrilling moment to see the movie with Ron Eley. My best friend and I each have the complete Bantam collection.Unless they decide to finish and print the last manuscripts. That would be impressive!!
I guess “my” kid will need to add a new column for reprints. For example: the reprint of The Fortress of Solitude was published 68 years and 0 months after the original pulp!
Loved this.