Rage Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 So, let us create a list of the archtypes featured within the Pulp genre (and its sub genres) so as to help us (and by us I actually mean me, I'm thinking of running a pulp game.) So, let us go: Costumed/gimmick Detectives, e.g the spider, the Spirit, Grey Shirt, The Sandman Costumed Adventurers: e.g The Phantom, The Terror Adventurers: e.g Indiana Jones, the gang from The Mummy. More than mere men: e.g Doc Savage Dames, Damsels, Love interests: e.g The woman in Red Jungle Kings: Tarzan, The Phantom, Jill of the Jungle Ethnic stereotype characters: e.g Fu Man Chu, almost every minority. Better than average guys: Doc Savage's league, the gang from the mummy. I've got to be missing some archtypes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald Mask Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Two fisted tough guy Two gunned avenger Mad Scientist- evil Forgetful , goofy scientist - good Damsel in distress Femme Fatale earnest youg side kick- cannon fodder Hulking , impervious to pain enforcer sleazy informant Nosy rewporter Ace pilot intrepid explorer Suave, charming cat burglar - jewel thief These just of the top of my head - and what they were doing balanced ther I do not know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Only two I can think of off the top of my head are... The Great White Hunter & The Noble Savage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted May 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. hey, it all adds up guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. How about the Old "codger" who lived through the bad old days and is still tough as nails Big Jake, a couple characters in Louis LAmour stories... The unusual background as an explanation Former sailor who learned martial arts in the Orient, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamrok Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. How about the Old "codger" who lived through the bad old days and is still tough as nails I think it is cool that in pulp stories, the really old codgers are Civil War vets. Butch Cassidy might be an old codger in a pulp game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. I think it is cool that in pulp stories, the really old codgers are Civil War vets. Butch Cassidy might be an old codger in a pulp game. In one of the Louis LAmour stories, the bad guys made the BIG mistake of killing the old Trapper/prospector's mule when it wandered too close to their hideout. The body of the one who did was found near the old corpse when all the shooting was done a couple weeks later. In the 80s I shot at Camp Perry with a guy who was a marine in the Pacific in WWII. He had fun talking about surprising the British troops who were practicing throwing their commando knives. He went back to his tent and brought back a hatchet. Much more effective. The longest distance Kill by a thrown knife seems to have happened in WWII. A Ranger (iirc) who had performed knife and lasso tricks during the Depression took out a sentry who walked out the back of the bunker at the wrong time. The bowie(iirc) knife was thrown down hill, but still!!! 70 yards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. I have always liked the "Occult Detective" (think of "Carnacki the Ghost Finder" or a "Call of Cthulu" character) myself. Someone who investigates "things man was not meant to know about" ! Another character type that could work is the "Stage magician/Escapologist". Harry Houdini made at least one movie serial after all. Or what about a stuntman from Hollywood with all those riding, acting, breakfall and fighting skills ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Then again there is the "tough as nails" Private Detective (like Sam Spade) and the "Great White Hunter" (Lord John Roxton, Alan Quartermain). Another that could be considered is the "Ex-Pro Fighter " (or wrestler) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. oops ! Sorry "Amadan Na Bionna" I see that you had already mentioned "Great White Hunters". The "Dashing Aviator/Aviatrix" (think Charles Lindbergh or Amy Johnson) works well in a pulp setting too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZootSoot Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. I don't know if this qualifies as an archetype but I have used him in a few games: The Fraudulent Psychic/Spiritualist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. I have always liked the "Occult Detective" (think of "Carnacki the Ghost Finder" or a "Call of Cthulu" character) myself. Someone who investigates "things man was not meant to know about" ! Another character type that could work is the "Stage magician/Escapologist". Harry Houdini made at least one movie serial after all. Or what about a stuntman from Hollywood with all those riding' date=' acting, breakfall and fighting skills ![/quote'] Imagine what WIll Rogers could have done with a lariat? My wife and I both miss "Kolchak, the night stalker." now with modern fx and decent writers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. To "ZootSoot" Do you mean as a heroic P C or as someone that the PC's are involved with ? A character who is a fraud/con man might be fun to play (not sure that I could do it justice myself however !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monster Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Mad scientists aren't just evil - though good scientists aren't usually rederred to as "mad!" Two types of pulp-hero brains: Dr. Zarkov(sp?) from Flash Gordon Evie(?) from The Mummy (I just love her line "I...am a Librarian!") In other words, techies and walking reference books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Mad scientists aren't just evil - though good scientists aren't usually rederred to as "mad!" Two types of pulp-hero brains: Dr. Zarkov(sp?) from Flash Gordon Evie(?) from The Mummy (I just love her line "I...am a Librarian!") In other words, techies and walking reference books. This is the Archtype I like to call The Eccentric Genius (EDIT): Also... I noticed that there was no specific mention of the Professional Solider Archtype, a subcategory of the Strong Jawed Hero. Examples off the top of my head include Brendan Fraizer's character from the Mummy (whose name I can't recall) and John Carter, gentleman of Virginia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThothAmon Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Honourable Oriental good guy - samurai equivalent for the Pulp era Honourable ethnic bad guy - motivated by patriotism to oppose the heroes Clever, quirky ethnic minority detective - Charle Chan, Hercule Poirot Hard man criminal - trying to go straight but weaving back and forth across the line Con man / grifter - an expert in urban survival Pulp serial author - doing a little research for his next tale Archaeologist / anthropologist - getting out amongst the natives to bring back the goods Sports star hero - good looks imperative, shoelace tying skills optional e.g. USA football (Flash Gordon / Buck Rogers), boxing (the stories of Robert E Howard) Bored war hero - often with a dark secret or two (Bulldog Drummond, Lord Peter Wimsey, Biggles) Last of the cowboys - free spirited, two fisted and ready to dish out Western justice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZootSoot Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. To "ZootSoot" Do you mean as a heroic P C or as someone that the PC's are involved with ? A character who is a fraud/con man might be fun to play (not sure that I could do it justice myself however !) As a heroic PC, actually. The way it works is my guy claims vast expertise in the supernatural (but is a complete skeptic in reality) and sets out to use that "expertise" to bilk some victim (and probably bamboozle the other characters). Then if the campaign doesn't involve the real supernatural he/she becomes a resource for spotting frauds and becomes the teams resident debunker, occasionally conning an opponent as well. If the campaign involves the actual supernatural the character gets in far over his/her head and most cooperate with the other PCs to deal with the problem. The most fun I ever had with this character was when he was hired to perform an exorcism against a real monster in CoC game. That got hairy fast . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. too cool, thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. To "Zoot Suit" Sounds like a fun character. As I said before I doubt that I could do it justice in a game, but with the right player it'd be fun ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. To "The Monster" Evie's name is Carnahan (at least until she marries the hero). In the Pulp novel that I attempt to write from time to time I have a character who is a specialist Occult Librarian ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldorn Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. Anthony "Buck" Rogers as best my memory can recall was never a refered to as a sports star. In the original "Armagedon 2419" by Philip Francis Nowland, and published by Hugo Gernsback, Tony was a WW I vet and working for an company that checked for radioactivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. My favourite pulp character was one played by my friend (who in other genres was a confirmed mad slasher). The character was a society gal who was looking for thrills (an archetype I don't think has been mentioned yet). Catherine DuPont was a stunner and highly intelligent (so made a great investigative type, specially when there was high society stuff going on) armed with only a derringer in the stocking top and who had a physical limitation that the first action in any combat situation was to stand and scream... Class character. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. The incredibly smart PI who never leaves his house; he just sits and thinks through to the solution. Of course, he needs... The wise-cracking leg-man, who goes out and gets all the info (and the gal, usually), brings it back, and the genius figures everything out. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin is the pre-eminent example; less well known is The Dead Man and Garrett (from Glen Cook's excellent Garrett Files series---pulp fantasy done right!) Of course, the first "immobile genius" is Mycroft Holmes; the whole Foreign Office is his "leg-man". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. In one of the Supernatural Detective series Manley Wade Wellman wrote, the detective had a con artist medium as a reluctant contact. She had actual powers, but preferred not to use them because they were creepy, and conning the customers was more profitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Re: Pulp archtypes. "The Men In Room 19" would fit a similar archetype to Nero Wolfe. I gues that Wolfe, or Mycroft would be most useful as "contacts" for the P Cs rather than having someone play that type of character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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