Pulp Friends

They sat on the floor of our room neatly stacked. Familiar friends on a rainy Saturday or a cold snowy day in the winter. I bought them at the newsstand in Woodbury and at the Luncheonette in Woodbury Heights. Uncle Pat brought them to me by the dozens, and there were those with the covers torn in half that we got at the Berlin Farmer's Market.
Their smell was unmistakable. Pulp paper and ink, the perfume of my youth. Heroes and villains, cartoons and satire, and I hoarded them like Midas' gold.
Superman - Batman - Justice League of America. Lost Worlds - Turok, Son of Stone. Fightin' Army, Fightin' Navy, Fightin' Marines. Our Army at War, The Haunted Tank, and Sergeant Fury and His Howling Commandos.
Superheroes and super villains all sat in the corner of my room. I read them over and over and over again. They were a welcome comfort when you were home with the flu, and one of the best unexpected presents just for being good.
Ant-Man, Giant Man. Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle. The Fantastic Four and Spider Man and the unpredictable Hulk.
Alter-egos and secret hideouts. Fortresses of solitude and underground caverns beneath storied mansions. Capes and tights and Pow! Bam! Boom!
Kid Colt, Outlaw. Two Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid. Cowboys and Indians and army and navy and the marines.
Classics Illustrated could make you feel like you'd read all the best books in the world without having to.
Little Dot. Little Audrey. Little Lotta. Richie Rich. Wendy the Good Little Witch.
Casper and Spooky. Archie and Jughead and Betty and Veronica.
Thor and Tales of Asgard. Dr. Strange the mystic. BlackHawk and his fighter planes.
Tales to Astonish. Tales of anything.
Mad magazine and Cracked.
Kirby and Ditko. Kubert and Kane. Severin and Ayres. Artists and inkers.
The smell of pulp paper and ink. Lurid covers that were often more exciting than what was inside.
Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge.
The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and the Metal Men.
Sub-Mariner, Daredevil,Iron Man and the X-men.
The Silver Surfer and Galactus.
Who was better, Marvel or DC or Charlton? Who was the greatest super hero, and would you trade me the first Spider Man for the first five Fantastic Fours?
Spider Man or Superman? Batman or the Flash?
The funny ones the war ones or the serious ones?
They were all my friends, stacked in the corners of my room.