ALL PULP REVIEWS- by Ron Fortier
G-8 And His BATTLE ACES
THE BAT STAFFEL
By Robert J. Hogan
A Berkley Medallion Book
Cover by Jim Steranko
Dated 1969
142 pages
As most pulp fans know, back in the late 1960s and early
70s, many paperback publishers began reprinting the old classic pulp magazines. The most popular of these reprint
series were the Doc Savage books with the stylized James Bama covers and the
Conan adventures as defined by master artist, Frank Frazetta. Of course many other pulp heroes also
received the paperback treatment as the fad caught on for several years
introducing a whole new generation of readers to these classic figures. Among some of the other heroes to find
new life in the small softcover market were the Avenger, the Shadow, Operator 5
and the man known as the Flying Master Spy, G-8 And His Battle Aces.
Put out by Popular Publications, G-8 was one of many
aviation heroes of the time to include Bill Barnes and Dusty Ayres amongst
others. Yet his magazine was the
one with the longest run. Debuting
in October of 1933 it went to produce a whopping 110 issues; all of them
written by Robert J. Hogan.
Another uniqueness with this title was the fact that Popular allowed
Hogan’s name to be used. The habit of the pulps was to create a bogus
house-name for a monthly series so that they could employ multiple writers, as
most of them did, without the fans being any the wiser. Not so with Hogan, who at the height of
his career was writing three monthly books and numerous short stories to
compile a staggering average of 200,000 words a month; a feat no other American
writer has ever equaled.
Robert Jasper Hogan was the son of a Dutch Reformer minister
born in 1897 and raised in Buskirk, NY.
A graduate of St. Lawrence University, before turning to writing full
time, he was a cowboy, a boxer, piano player, pilot and airplane salesman. Thus his realistic descriptions of
G-8’s aerial combats have a ring of authenticity to them. Hogan became friends with many veteran
airmen who had fought in World War One and he based a great deal of his
adventures on them and their exploits while at the same adding a heavy dose of
the macabre. Each of his G-8
adventures were an efficient blend of spy thriller, aviation adventure and
horror fantasy.
Although aware of the character, I’d never read a G-8 story
before and decided to correct that while attending this year’s Pulp Fest in
Columbus, Ohio. Luckily, with the
help of pulp fan David Walker, I managed to find three of those Berkley
paperback reprints including the very first G-8 novel, THE BAT STAFFEL. It is a solid, rousing debut of the
series introducing us not only to the mysterious G-8, whose true identity we
are never to learn, but his colorful supporting cast to include his British valet,
Battle and his soon to be arch nemesis, Herr Doktor Krueger, the Kairser’s
number one mad scientist. Krueger
has developed a deadly poison gas that, when inhaled, turns its victims into
piles of ashes. The German air
corps has built half a dozen flying machines resembling giant bats and fitted them
with tanks to carry the deadly fumes.
No sooner does G-8 discover this plot then the Bat Staffel
attacks a small French town and completely decimates it. Infuriated by this merciless savagery,
G-8 flies off to combat these bat-planes single handedly and is almost done
in. Fortunately he is saved by two
American pilots who come to his aid.
The first is the small, happy-go-lucky Nippy Weston who has a penchant for
magic tricks and practical jokes and then there is the former college All
American Half Back, Bull Martin is a giant of fellow with a granite-like jaw
and the heart of a kitten.
Loyal to a fault, Nippy and Weston, upon discovering they
have just saved the famous spy, G-8, enthusiastically sign on to be his wingmen
in his campaign to foil the Bat Staffel.
From that point on the three of them escape one dangerous death-trap
after another, each using his flying skills and other abilities to stay alive
and defeat their enemies. THE BAT
STAFFEL is a fast paced, truly imaginative glimpse back into the heyday of the
pulps and a fantastic introduction to one of pulpdom’s all time greatest
heroes. Next time you’re at a pulp
convention, follow my lead and hunt up copies of G-8 And His Battle Aces.
You won’t be disappointed.
