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Post by dem bones on Feb 28, 2008 19:15:59 GMT
Mike Ashley - Fantasy Readers Guide, (Cosmos Literary Agency, 1979.) "I never once knew them to refuse a manuscript no matter how bad it was. Indeed, I remember there was a junior clerk in my office who produced appalling rubbish, and - on my advice - sent it to Spencer's. They accepted it, much to my surprise" - Lan Wright. "A Complete Index & Annotated Commentary To The John Spencer Fantasy Publications (1950-1966)", in other words, all the Badger publications - Supernatural Stories, Futuristic Science Stories, Tales Of Tomorrow, Wonders Of The Spaceways, Worlds Of Fantasy and Out Of This World. The bulk of the stories and stand alone novels were written by Lionel Fanthorpe and John Glasby under a variety of pseudonyms and occasional contributors included E. C. Tubb, Sydney J. Bounds and R. Chetwynd-Hayes (his first novel, The Man From The Bomb, of which he was thoroughly embarrassed!). Mike Ashley's informative four-page history of the Badger books, The Spencer Publications is a ready-made Paperback Fanatic reprint in waiting if I'm any judge, and this excellent publication, which plays out with revivals of stories by 'Charles (E. C. Tubb) Grey' and 'Max (John Glasby) Chartair,' is testimony to how invaluable the small presses can be at their best.
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shanea
Crab On The Rampage
All things GNS
Posts: 44
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Post by shanea on Jun 27, 2015 14:34:33 GMT
Has this ever been reproduced or scanned ? I am trying to get a list of these spencer books to see how poor my collection is and what I need to collect
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Post by dem bones on Jun 28, 2015 7:23:15 GMT
Has this ever been reproduced or scanned ? I am trying to get a list of these spencer books to see how poor my collection is and what I need to collect Not that I'm aware of, but there's a lovely Badger cover gallery plus many Fanthorpe-related marvels at Pel Torro.com.
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shanea
Crab On The Rampage
All things GNS
Posts: 44
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Post by shanea on Jun 28, 2015 11:03:39 GMT
Thanks Dem
I was aware of this site and have used it for my fanthorpe stuff but was looking for a complete list of spencer and Co material across all authors and thought this might be a shortcut. Looks like I will have to carry on trawling wiki and sf databases to build up the list. Not that I don't enjoy doing this but the wife seems to think my time could be better spent doing diy, garden,chores etc :-)
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Post by dem bones on Jun 28, 2015 16:13:20 GMT
If you've not already seen a copy, Debbie Cross's wildly entertaining Down The Badger Hole lists all Rev. Fanthorpe's contributions to the Spencers, and he was most of the authors, although John Glasby was also quite prolific!
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Post by pulphack on Jun 29, 2015 8:28:25 GMT
Given their almost subterranean presence even in the murky world of early paperback publishers, it's unlikely that piecing together a full Badger bibliography will be possible. Shady business dealings, lack of any real high-profile authors early in their careers apart from Tubb or the alt lit legend that is the Rev, and no real best-sellers to mark them out or inspire reprintings or catalogue acquisition have made them... all the more fascinating actually, but how you can track down all their titles is beyond me. Still, I'd help if it'd get me out of decorating the spare bedroom...
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shanea
Crab On The Rampage
All things GNS
Posts: 44
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Post by shanea on Feb 19, 2019 20:43:08 GMT
Given their almost subterranean presence even in the murky world of early paperback publishers, it's unlikely that piecing together a full Badger bibliography will be possible. Shady business dealings, lack of any real high-profile authors early in their careers apart from Tubb or the alt lit legend that is the Rev, and no real best-sellers to mark them out or inspire reprintings or catalogue acquisition have made them... all the more fascinating actually, but how you can track down all their titles is beyond me. Still, I'd help if it'd get me out of decorating the spare bedroom... Well never one to be put off by the impossible my current project is an illustrated Bibliography of John Spencer & Co publications. I have pieced together 835ish titles across all genres and indeed collected about 560 of them. Further scans are in place taking it to 740 images and around 1460 stories listed (novels and shorts). I am still missing just short of 100 scans to complete. i would appreciate any scans from their gangster non series by the likes of Earl Ellison, Rick Madison, Rex Marlowe and Brett Diamond (46 items remaining). Also missing 17 Foreign Legion Series, 3 Bengal Lancer series and a smattering of Lariat and Blazing Western series. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by dem bones on Feb 20, 2019 19:29:24 GMT
Well never one to be put off by the impossible my current project is an illustrated Bibliography of John Spencer & Co publications. I have pieced together 835ish titles across all genres and indeed collected about 560 of them. Further scans are in place taking it to 740 images and around 1460 stories listed (novels and shorts). I am still missing just short of 100 scans to complete. i would appreciate any scans from their gangster non series by the likes of Earl Ellison, Rick Madison, Rex Marlowe and Brett Diamond (46 items remaining). Also missing 17 Foreign Legion Series, 3 Bengal Lancer series and a smattering of Lariat and Blazing Western series. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Wish you well with this super project, Shane. Time was when the Badgers were as much a fixture of car boot sales & Co. as Dennis Wheatley paperbacks. Then charity shops took to pulping slightly soiled pre-loved stock/ along came bloody Abebooks, eBay & Co. Was tempted to nab a few select Supernatural Stories numbers at most recent Pulp Fair, but not at those asking prices.
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shanea
Crab On The Rampage
All things GNS
Posts: 44
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Post by shanea on Feb 20, 2019 21:39:17 GMT
Yeh Dem .Pricing is a bit weird with badger/spencer books. I picked up a Zamba of the Jungle in fine condition for a tenner on ebay a few years back. Then recently some high numbered westerns in fair condition are listed on Abe for nearly £50!
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shanea
Crab On The Rampage
All things GNS
Posts: 44
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Post by shanea on Apr 24, 2020 20:52:42 GMT
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Post by jamesdoig on Apr 24, 2020 21:28:18 GMT
Looks like another must have.
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Post by cromagnonman on Apr 24, 2020 23:26:22 GMT
I'll second that James.
Congratulations Mr A.
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Post by ropardoe on Apr 25, 2020 8:30:29 GMT
I'm so tempted by this. With libraries being closed (looks like I'm going to end up with the latest Rivers of London book indefinitely - I'd borrowed it just before the Chester library closed), I'm buying more books than usual, and I think this will go to the top of my list.
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Post by dem bones on Apr 25, 2020 16:20:31 GMT
Delighted to hear this Shane. Well done, and am much looking forward to seeing the results.
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Post by dem bones on May 1, 2020 12:09:13 GMT
Arrived midday .... Shane Agnew - John Spencer & Co. (Badger Books) Illustrated Bibliography: Vol 1: Comics, Science fiction & the Supernatural (Shane P. D. Agnew, 2020) Introduction
John Spencer & Co. - A Brief History
Fiction 01. Comic 02. Science Fiction: Futuristic Science Series Science Fiction Series Science Fiction Non-Series Tales of Tomorrow Wonders of the Spaceways Worlds of Fantasy Series 03. Supernatural Stories Misc. Series Unverified
Non-fiction 02. Science Series
Checklist 1; Story Title (Alphabetical) Checklist 2; Story Title by Author Blurb: This book covers the comics, science fiction and supernatural genres from the John Spencer & Co publishing house created by Samuel Assael in the late 1940s. The volume includes the early 1950s digest; and the later Badger/ Cobra books, which ran through the 1950s,60s and 70s; Each book and comic entry is accompanied by a cover picture, along with details of the content, publication dates, cover artist and editor's notes. It is intended for collectors and fans of the genrefrom this golden era of paperback pulp. Sized 8.5 X 11", full colour throughout and containing over 330 cover pictures.
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