A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1895 — all 16 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.

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A complete issue · 16 pages · 1895

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 944

1895 · Free to read

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About this issue

This serial by J.C. Cowdrick features "Willing William, the Warbler from Whistleville," a well-dressed stranger who arrives at the Sawdust Saloon in the frontier camp of Bower. When the local bully, Horsehide Harker (Hank Harker), attempts to intimidate him by shooting glasses from his hand three times, William demonstrates remarkable coolness and marksmanship, nicking Harker's ears with two precision shots. The confrontation escalates when Harker demands unarmed combat. After both deposit their weapons with the bartender, William defeats the larger man repeatedly in hand-to-hand fighting, throwing him under tables and landing effective punches despite Harker's superior size and strength. The crowd, previously intimidated by Harker's tyranny, enthusiastically supports the stranger. The story blends Western gunplay with boxing action.

Browse this issue page by page

Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.