Do pulp titles need to be set in the present?

[the-wolf]

My thoughts are, to truly achieve success, they do.

It's been done successfully with the Spider. Green Hornet too, though not well. The Phantom SHOULD be easy to update for modern times.

I think that a shared pulp universe with GH, the Shadow, the Spider, the Phantom, Doc Savage, etc. would be awesome. But for that to work, it has to be updated to modern times.

I love the Shadow, but the truth is, how many stories about Nazis, Imperial Japanese and Al Capone-style gangster story lines can you write? They've been written a thousand times already. Period pieces can be great, but nostalgia only carries you so far. Pulp characters are awesome, but to reach the widest audience possible, a book has to be relevant and relevant means stories set in the present. Stories dealing with current events and the world around us, not the world as it was 70 years ago.

DC's First Wave made the mistake of being set in a 'non-time' period. Which almost made it more sci-fi. Not past or present, technology and old stuff mixed together. It didn't work.

But staying in the past has a definite expiration date on it. Why did the Unknown Soldier (admittedly, non-pulp character) go away? Hundreds of issues, but eventually the source material became stale. Too bad they wasted the opportunity with Ennis' mini series. That story should've ended with a new Soldier.

The mood of the pulps is the hardest thing to duplicate, but the use of fictional cities ala DC would make world building that much easier.

And yes, back then the world seemed so much bigger and mysterious, with everything a grand adventure, but there has to be a way to bring that back in the modern world, no?

I just can't help but think that doing proper updates of these characters so that they are relevant with the 'times' and set in a shared universe would be what's needed to truly reinvigorate them, rather than just a temporary wave of nostalgia.

Agree or disagree?

[FanboyStranger]

But staying in the past has a definite expiration date on it. Why did the Unknown Soldier (admittedly, non-pulp character) go away? Hundreds of issues, but eventually the source material became stale. Too bad they wasted the opportunity with Ennis' mini series. That story should've ended with a new Soldier.

I take it you didn't read Josh Dysart's Unknown Soldier? One of the best series of the past decade. It updated the concept into modern day Africa. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[StephenBurger]

I think I'm on the fence with this one. I love period stuff like 'Boardwalk Empire' in a way that modern true-crime doesnt seem to compare (I know I'm talking about Tv here...). In comics, I feel it can be difficult to make period piece believable. For a production like Boardwalk, they probably had 20 or 30 people making sure everything was historically accurate. This just isnt the case in a comic book (for a movie it would be). The tough part about bringing it to the present is you have to deal with the present! I dont know about you, but I can barely handle the world I live in as is! hahah

Stephen
Check out the book I'm self-publishing --> http://www.indiegogo.com/talk

[Moriarty]

pulp heroes don't need to be set in the present. i'm always interested in any updating of a classic character. Green Hornet has been updated several times and has a legacy that can be passed on. others like The Shadow...i'm more interested in tales of him in the 30s to be honest. IMO it just feels right for him to be fighting gangsters or the Axis than 80s drug cartels. its easier to update the Green Hornet, not so much with The Shadow.

[The Animal Man]

Miss fury involves time travel but I kinda agree we need some actually set in the present not all just some. Enough to show that they don't need to be fighting gangsters and nazi soldiers all the time

[MajorHoy]

As you already mentioned, some of these titles ARE already set in modern times.

As for those that are set in the past, rather than letting them stand out by being different, you want to change them into another of a zillion mediocre-to-miserable titles I already have no interest in buying?

No wonder I feel like the modern comic book industry no longer wants my money.

[shadow knight]

They don't need to be in a limited series, but overall IMO anything lasting more than 4 issues should be set in modern setting for today's audience to keep buying it.

[regnak]

No they don't need to be set in the present. The Shadow comic is doing fine set in the past.

[thwhtGuardian]

I like the Spider but I think sales say otherwise in terms of period piece pulp stories vs modern pulp stories:

September:
Period Piece
Shadow 5 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 17,284
Rocketeer Cargo of Doom 2 $3.99 IDW 11,087
Lobster Johnson Caput Mortuum 1 $3.50 Dark Horse 10,578

Modern
The Spider 5 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 6,985
Green Hornet 28 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 5,939

October:
Shadow 6 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 16,362
Rocketeer Cargo of Doom 3 $3.99 IDW 10,857

Green Hornet 29 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 5,812
The Spider 6 $3.99 Dynamic Forces 6,283

And it doesn't change.

That isn't to say moder takes couldn't do well, it's just that I don't think they're necessary for success.

[regnak]

I think the Spider would sell better as a period piece.

[Manga4life]

I like them either which way, sales aside I enjoy both classic settings as well as modern settings for these classic heroes and I'm always up for a good story regardless of what time period it's told.

[dupersuper]

They need to be well written.

[The Animal Man]

Pulp Titles just don't set the sales charts on fire

[Moriarty]

Pulp Titles just don't set the sales charts on fire

these days, what does?

[thwhtGuardian]

these days, what does?

The same stuff that always has; well known characters with top tier creative teams.