Adventure House Unearths a Great Aviation Series from the Pulp Era

By Mark Rhodes

The pulps of the 30s and 40s are a rich (though somewhat forgotten) treasure trove of American storytelling not necessarily at its best, but maybe at its most memorable and original. Memorable and even immortal characters sprang from the pages of these publications such as Tarzan (100 years old this year) as well as Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow. 

Less well known, but equally memorable was the series G-8 and His Battle Aces.  This series was penned by Robert Hogan and had an impressive 110-issue run from 1933 to 1944.  G-8 does not have the name recognition other pulp stalwarts like The Shadow might have even today; but he was a unique character in his own right.  Other popular pulp characters such as Doc Savage and The Avenger were “Renaissance Men on Steroids” having multiple world-class talents like Physician, Scientist, Inventors, Athletes and so on. G-8 was a supernaturally talented aviator and spy but he did not have the extraneous talents or limitless bank accounts of the playboy/vigilantes like The Shadow. Interestingly enough, author Hogan was a fairly accomplished aviator having been an air cadet in the First World War and also having worked as a demonstration pilot for Curtis Wright.  The Depression saw Hogan lose his job and helped pave the way for his career as an author. 

Again, G-8 was a more realistic figure than some of the supermen of the pulps. Talented as he was, G-8 was cut much in the cloth of some of the great early American military airmen like Eddie Rickenbacker – a figure of immense ability but still a recognizable human being.  G-8 was supported by two aviator associates (his “Flying Aces”): the rather short Nippy Weston who flew an aircraft numbered “13” and the taller, powerfully build “Bull” Martin whose superstitious nature dictated that he place a lucky “7” on his aircraft.  

Despite the somewhat realistic set up of the characters in the G-8 series, the plots were way over the top with the concept that their German adversaries utilized science fiction oriented devices (an invisible plane, a giant magnet that pulled aircraft to their doom) as well as supernatural creatures (a squadron of dead German aces, a giant aircraft devouring spider) to plague G-8 and his crew. 

The characters in G-8 likely influenced the comic aviation super team The Blackhawks (who were independent operatives much like G-8 and his team).  However, the character and his narratives didn’t have the impact on comics that his pulp stablemates had.  Indeed, G-8 seemed more influenced by classic and pulp horror literature like Edgar Allen Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. His “real” persona is never named and his numeric designation foreshadowed later abstract operatives like Ian Fleming’s 007.   

The great publishing house, Adventure House has released (and are continuing to release) a number of G-8s adventures in an attractive format that reproduces the great, lurid covers in crisp, striking color (to say nothing of the beautiful black and white interior art which exhibits The square jawed aviation superhero G-8. (Adventure House)exceptional draftsmanship).  Interestingly enough, the stories hold up fairly well; (a real feat since these pulps were churned out with great regularity) the horror aspects are particularly effective in these narratives (the writing can be a bit stilted; i.e. “I know what you were going to say Excellence,” he cackled.)  

In any event, G-8 is a character who might be ripe for re-discovery, and if this happens Adventure House will deserve the lion’s share of the credit.  It might be a great movie or cable property as well; who might play the stalwart G-8?  Might I suggest the young, magnetic Ryan Gosling?  An actor with old-fashioned looks and a great physical presence. 

For more on Adventure House’s work visit www.adventurehouse.com.