G-8 | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Popular Publications |
First appearance | G-8 and His Battle Aces #1 |
Created by | Robert J. Hogan |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Unknown |
Supporting character of | Battle Nippy Weston Bull Martin |
G-8 was a heroic aviator and spy during World War I in pulp fiction. He starred in his own title G-8 and His Battle Aces, published by Popular Publications. All stories were written by Robert J. Hogan, under his own name. The title lasted 110 issues, from October 1933 to June 1944. Many of the novels have been reprinted by a wide range of publishers including comic books.
While not as dramatic a pulp character as Doc Savage or the Shadow, his stories were often outlandish, with many supernatural or science fiction elements. G-8's true identity was never revealed. He had a girlfriend, a nurse who aided his group, and her name as well was never revealed. His English manservant was named Battle. His wing-men were the short Nippy Weston, who flew an aircraft numbered 13, and the tall and muscular but superstitious Bull Martin, whose aircraft was numbered 7. Both of them were Americans. His adventures entailed fighting against the lethal super technology that was constantly created by the Kaiser's mad scientists. Reoccurring villains included Herr Doktor Krueger, the Steel Mask, and Grun.
A character based on G-8 made two appearances in the comic book Planetary alongside many other pulp analogues as part of a society for the betterment of humankind.
List of G-8 and His Battle Aces titles
- The Bat Staffel
- Purple Aces
- Ace of the White Death
- The Midnight Eagle
- The Vampire Staffel
- The Skeleton Patrol
- Squadron of Corpses
- The Invisible Staffel
- The Dynamite Squadron
- The Dragon Patrol
- The Hurricane Patrol
- The Panther Squadron
- The Spider Staffel
- The Mad Dog Squadron
- The Blizzard Staffel
- The X-Ray Eye
- Squadron of the Scorpion
- The Death Monsters
- The Cave Man Patrol
- The Gorilla Staffel
- The Sword Staffel
- Wings of the Juggernaut
- The Headless Staffel
- Staffel of Beasts
- Claws of the Sky Monster
- Staffel of Invisible Men
- Staffel of the Floating Heads
- The Blood Bat Staffel
- Skeletons of the Black Cross
- The Patrol of the Dead
- Scourge of the Sky Beast
- The Wings of Satan
- Patrol of the Cloud Crusher
- Curse of the Sky Wolves
- Vultures of the Purple Death
- Wings of Invisible Doom
- Skies of Yellow Death
- Death Rides the Ceiling
- Patrol of the Mad
- Scourge of the Steel Mask
- Patrol of the Murder Masters
- Fangs of the Sky Leopard
- Vultures of the White Death
- Flight of the Dragon
- Flight from the Grave
- Patrol of the Purple Clan
- Vengeance of the Vikings
- Flight of the Green Assassin
- The Hand of Steel
- The Flight of the Hell Hawks
- The Drome of the Damned
- Satan Paints the Sky
- Wings for the Dead
- Patrol of the Phantom
- The Black Aces of Doom
- The Flames of Hell
- Patrol of the Iron Hand
- Fangs of the Serpent
- Aces of the Damned
- Patrol of the Sky Vulture
- The Condor Rides with Death
- Flying Coffins of the Damned
- The Bloody Wings of the Vampire
- Raiders of the Silent Death
- The Sky Serpent Flies Again
- The Black Wings of the Raven
- Death Rides the Last Patrol
- Three Fly with Satan
- Flight of the Death Battalion
- Wings of the Black Terror
- Patrol of the Iron Scourge
- Wings of the White Death
- The Black Buzzard Flies to Hell
- Red Fangs of the Sky Emperor
- The Falcon Flies with the Damned
- Sky-Guns for the Murder Master
- White Wings for the Dead
- Sky Coffins for Satan
- Wings of the Dragon Lord
- The Green Scourge of the Sky Raiders
- Red Wings for the Death Patrol
- The Damned Will Fly Again
- Death Rides the Midnight Patrol
- Bloody Wings for a Sky Hawk
- Red Skies for the Squadron of Satan
- Here Flies the Hawk of Hell
- Squadron of the Damned
- Death To the Hawks of War
- Hordes of the Wingless Death
- Raiders of the Red Death
- Wings of the Doomed
- Fangs of the Winged Cobra
- Death is My Destiny
- Squadron of the Flying Dead
- Horde of the Black Eagle
- The Death Divers
- Raiders of the Death Patrol
- The Mark of the Vulture
- The Death Master's Last Patrol
- Wings of the Gray Phantom
- The Squadron of Death Flies High
- The Patrol to the End of the World
- Wings of the Hawks of Death
- Scourge of the Sky Monster
- Winged Beasts of Death
- Bombs from the Murder Wolves
- Wings of the Iron Claw
- The Devil's Sky Trap
- Wings of the Death Monster
- Wings of the Death Tiger
Reprints
During the craze for hero pulp reprints in the 1970s started by the success of Doc Savage reprints, Berkley Books reprinted 8 G-8 novels. The first 3 had covers by Jim Steranko and a logo inspired by Doc Savage's. After that, the covers reprinted the original pulp covers.
In more recent years, some G-8 novels were reprinted by small presses like Adventure House. Adventure House recently started a reprint series of G-8 in similar size to the original pulps, including covers and interior artwork. So far, they have reprinted over 40 issues.
References
- Robinson, Frank M.; Robinson, Frank Melvin; Davidson, Lawrence; Davidson, L. (1998). Pulp Culture: The Art of Fiction Magazines. Collectors Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-888054-12-5.
- "Planetary Issue 1". Home.earthlink.net. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "Planetary Issue 5". Home.earthlink.net. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
External links
- G-8's page at International Superheroes Catalog
- Planetary volume one issue one
- Planetary volume one issue five