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. 962

1895 · Free to read

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 2 of 16 — 2 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 3 of 16 — 3 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 4 of 16 — 4 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 5 of 16 — 5 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 6 of 16 — 6 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 7 of 16 — 7 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 8 of 16 — 8 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 9 of 16 — 9 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 10 of 16 — 10 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 11 of 16 — 11 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 12 of 16 — 12 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 13 of 16 — 13 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 14 of 16 — 14 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 15 of 16 — 15 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 16 of 16 — 16 / 16

About this issue

This issue of Beadle and Adams' weekly contains the opening of "At Hard Pans; Or, The Stroller Showman's Shake-Up" by W. M. Eyster, a serialized adventure tale. The protagonist, a nimble street performer known as "Little Limberleg" or "Fairy Fred," encounters the mysterious Azariah Amariah Holdfast and his daughter Fanny in a ravine. Fred performs acrobatic feats to impress them, demonstrating his "flip-flops" and wheels. Holdfast proves to be a showman of mysterious talents. Fred agrees to join their camp, where he discovers they keep a trained bear named Dandy. That evening, Fred eavesdrops on Holdfast's conversation with visitor Nestor Northrup, who threatens him over some unspecified past affair, identifying Holdfast as the cowardly "Cyrus Dawling." Holdfast refuses to be intimidated and claims ignorance of the accusations. The narrative emphasizes Fred's quick wits, acrobatic skills, and growing entanglement in a mystery involving the enigmatic Holdfast family.

Browse this issue page by page

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