What is a 'pulp magazine' or 'pulp fiction'?

What is a 'pulp magazine' or 'pulp fiction'?

Mark Zaid (Owner of Esquire Comics) gives expert video advice on: What is a 'graphic novel'?; What is a 'pulp magazine' or 'pulp fiction'?; What is 'manga'? and more...

Pulp magazines were very popular in the 1930s, particularly dealing with detectives, The Shadow, and different types of spy thrillers. It was a different format when the original days of the comic book publishers were playing with different styles and formats as to what was to be popular. And these were usually more wordy; they were stories rather than graphic depictions, although there was a combination. But these pulp magazines were the thrillers of the day. If anybody remembers the 'Our Gang' television shows, when you see the kids walking around in their back pockets, not only with comic books but with adventure, spy thrillers in different types of formats. Pulp fiction didn't last for very long, and it usually refers to that specific time period.