Under the Moons of Mars
Some time during the winter of 1912, readers of the Munsey pulp, The All-Story, picked up the February issue of the magazine. It sported a cover featuring a sombreroed Mexican framed in a window. Little did they realize that they were being introduced to an author who would quickly become one of the leading practitioners of American popular fiction.
The All-Story for February 1912 featured a complete novel, ten short stories, and six serials, with "Under the Moons of Mars" listed above them all. The author of this "Romance of a soul astray," was listed as Norman Bean, a pen name for Edgar Rice Burroughs. Hiding behind a pseudonym in his initial effort as a professional writer, Burroughs would soon become one of the best paid authors to labor for the pulp market. Later in 1912, the new author made an indelible mark on American pop culture with the appearance of "Tarzan of the Apes," published complete in the October issue of The All-Story.
2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Under the Moons of Mars," better known by its book title A Princess of Mars and soon to be a major motion picture from Disney. In August, PulpFest will celebrate this momentous occasion by offering a panel entitled Pulp Visions of Mars. Additionally, author and artist David Saunders, who has written extensively on the subject of illustration, will discuss J. Allen St. John, perhaps the artist most associated with the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Other events are still being planned.
Here’s wishing everyone the happiest of holiday seasons. Hopefully, this "
