Thrilling Publications

{{Short description|Pulp magazine publisher}} {{One source | date = August 2021 }} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = Thrilling Publications | logo = | logo_caption = | image = | image_caption = | trading_name =  | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | romanized_name = | former_name = | former type = | type = | traded_as = | industry = Magazine publication | genre =  | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 1928 | founder = [[Ned Pines]] | defunct = 1961 | location_city = | location_country = [[United States]] | locations =  | area_served = | key_people = | products = [[Magazine]]s, [[pulp magazine]]s | brands = | production = | services = [[Publishing]] | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum =  | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = [[Standard Comics]] | divisions = | subsid = | homepage =  | footnotes = | intl = | bodystyle = }}

'''Thrilling Publications''', also known as '''Beacon Magazines'''{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} (1936–37), '''Better Publications''' (1937–43) and '''Standard Magazines''' (1943–55), was a [[pulp magazine]] publisher run by [[Ned Pines]], publishing such titles as ''[[Startling Stories]]'' and ''[[Thrilling Wonder Stories]]''.

Pines became the president of [[Pines Publications]] in 1928. Pines folded most of his magazines in 1955 but continued to lead the company until 1961.

==Cover artists== Pines' cover artists included [[Earle K. Bergey]], [[John Parker (illustrator)|John Parker]], [[George Rozen]], and [[Rudolph Belarski]].

==Paperbacks== In 1942 Pines started [[Popular Library]], a paperback publishing house, and devoted himself to that company after closing his other ventures. Popular reprinted materials from the pulps.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

==Characters== {{unreferenced section|date=February 2014}} * Bill Dawe (The Sky Devil) (by [[Harold F. Cruickshank]]) * [[The Black Bat]] * Captain Danger * [[Captain Future]] (a separate comic book character, unrelated to the pulp character, also existed) * Crimson Mask * [[Ghost (Nedor Comics)|Green Ghost]] (also appeared in comics) * Masked Detective * Masked Rider (purchased from Martin Goodman's Ranger Publications after the first three issues; Better Publications' numbering started with v01n01) * Olak, the White Phantom (by Harold F. Cruickshank) * [[The Phantom Detective]] * The Purple Scar * The Rio Kid

==Titles== * ''Air War'' * ''Army Navy Flying Stories'' * ''Black Book Detective'' * ''[[Captain Future]]'' (1940–1944; 17 issues)(the series was continued with several novels and short stories in ''[[Startling Stories]]'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/captain_future.html|title=Captain Future|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/startling_stories.html|title=Startling Stories|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''Detective Book Magazine'' * ''Detective Novels'' * ''Everyday Astrology'' * ''Exciting Detective'' * ''Exciting Love'' * ''Exciting Football'' * ''Exciting Western'' * ''[[Fantastic Story Quarterly]] / Fantastic Story Magazine'' (1950-1955, 23 issues) * ''G-Men'' * ''The Lone Eagle'' * ''Masked Detective'' (1940–1943, 12 issues)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/masked_detective.html|title=The Masked Detective|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''Masked Rider Western'' (1934–1953; 100 issues)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/masked_rider_western.html|title=Masked Rider Western Magazine|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''Mobsters'' * ''The Phantom Detective'' * ''Popular Detective'' * ''Popular Love'' * ''Popular Sports Magazine'' * ''Popular Western'' * ''RAF Aces'' * ''Range Riders Western'' (1938–1953; 72 issues)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/range_riders_western.html|title=Range Riders (Western)|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''Rio Kid Western'' * ''Rodeo Romances'' * ''Sky Fighters'' * ''[[Space Stories]]'' (1952-1953, 5 issues) * ''[[Startling Stories]]'' (1939–1955; 99 issues)(Following the cancellation of ''[[Captain Future]]'' in 1944 due to wartime paper restrictions, several CF novels appeared in this magazine immediately, and several short stories in the early 50s)<ref name="auto"/> * ''[[Strange Stories (magazine)|Strange Stories]]'' (1939-1941, 13 issues) * ''The Rio Kid Western'' (1939–1953; 76 issues)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/rio_kid_western.html|title=The Rio Kid Western|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''Texas Rangers'' * ''[[Thrilling Adventures]]'' (1931–1943) * ''Thrilling Baseball'' * ''Thrilling Detective'' (1931–53; 213 issues) * ''Thrilling Football'' * ''Thrilling Love'' * ''Thrilling Mystery'' * ''Thrilling Ranch'' * ''Thrilling Sports'' * ''Thrilling Western'' * ''West'' * ''[[Wonder Stories|Thrilling Wonder Stories]]'' (1936–55, 112 issues)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philsp.com/mags/wonderstories.html|title=Checklist of Wonder Stories and Related Magazines|website=www.philsp.com}}</ref> * ''[[Wonder Story Annual]]'' (1950-1953, 4 issues)

==See also== *[[Standard Comics]] - Pines' comic book company, also used the Better Publications name for some titles *[[Popular Library]] - Pines' paperback book company

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * Wooley, John and Locke, John. "A History of the Thrilling Pulps." ''Thrilling Detective Heroes''. Adventure House, 2007.

==External links== {{Commons category}} *[https://www.booksareeverything.com/books/popularlibrarysearch.html Popular Library titles]

[[Category:Pulp magazine publishing companies of the United States]] [[Category:Defunct magazines published in the United States]] [[Category:Pulp fiction]] [[Category:Fantasy fiction magazines]] [[Category:Magazines established in 1928]] [[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1961]]