Wordsmith

by Dave Darrigo (Writer), R. G. Taylor (Artist)

Set in the 1930's and early '40's, this graphic novel, a compilation of the comic book "Wordsmtih" #7-12, originally published by Renegade Press in the 1980's, tells the tale of penny-a-word pulp writer Clay Washburn. It gives us a glimpse what it was like for a freelance writer trying to make it in New York City in the 1930's, while also showing us examples of the stories he wrote for crime, jungle, sports, and other kinds of pulp magazines. Written by Dave (Green Hornet) Darrigo and drawn by R. G. (Richard or Rick) (Sandman Mystery Theatre) Taylor.

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read this as individual issues over 30 years ago in the wrong order, because at the time I was in high school and college and couldn't afford everything, so I watched for discount copies later. Here we are decades later, and now, thanks to this collection from 1990, I'm finally reading the second half of this series in the right order, which likely helps me think it's better than it was before. I was already a bit of a pulp fan at the time, but over the years as a pulp collector and learning more about that time and those writers, I now much more appreciate the tale of Clay Washburn, a 1930's penny-a-word pulp-writer. From what I've learned talking to those who know, this really is a pretty accurate depiction of a pulp writer making his way in the Great Depression and the build-up to World War II and makes for a compelling story. We also get glimpses into Clay's tales a high adventure. The words are all artfully brought to life by R. G. (Rick) Taylor (probably best known for his work on Sandman Mystery Theatre), who does a great job fleshing out the story. Highly recommended! I hope some smart publisher collects the whole series into a new printing.