What's your definition of pulp?

[edbonny]

So this word "pulp" is being tossed around quite a lot lately. In gaming terms, what does it mean to you? (and I ain't talking about Tropicana Grovestand vs. Pure Premium orange juice)

In general, I see "pulp" as the mood created when a character with strong personal ties to a particular field of interest and something bad/wrong/evil intrudes... and that the character must deal with it. It is the archaelogist at an ancient site when a thief steals an artifact; it is the old war veteran responding to a combat buddy's mysterious call for help; it is . That's how I see it anyway. It's also how I have pretty much ran my games for the past 10 years although I never called it pulp - more like "James Bond" meets "Days of Our Lives." Of course this includes the equally fascinating villains in all their complicated glory. Interesting heroes need interesting villains.

Also... If you had to pick one movie, what one absolutely defines the pulp genre for you (and why)? If I had to pick one that defined my style of pulp fiction in gaming, it would be Kill Bill vol. 1 & 2. Multiple strong motivations for the hero that catapult her from fast moving adventure to fast moving adventure.

- Ed

 

[Henry]

My definition is close to yours, but not quite. Here's my response to the same question from over on Eberron Boards at Wizards.com:

"Pulp" is the term used for the high-flying tales of adventures that used to come out in cheaply constructed Pulp magazines of the 1920's and 1930's.

Examples of Pulp Adventure heroes include

Doc Savage, the man of Bronze
The Shadow
The Lone Ranger
The Green Hornet

Lesser known heroes like The Whisperer, Grace Culver, the Avenger, the Spider, etc. also fill the genre.

The stories were categrized by gritty action, world-hoppig adventure, and people who possessed few super-powers but were "men (and women) of extraordinary caliber."

They might have advantages of "occult mystic powers" (voodoo, mesmerism, or indian Fakir-type stuff), or they might just be "perfect" specimens of humanity. OR, they might just be normal but exceptionally brave.

I would recommend looking up references to some of the above heroes, and you may well find some of their stories e-booked online for free (a lot of these have entered public domain due to age), and there is NOTHING that can give you the true feel of pulp quite like reading a chapter or two of these stories. You may even pick up a new genre of fiction to like!

...

I just found one of the neatest sites!

http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/pulpsintro.html

Gives you a rundown and 1-paragraph description of THOUSANDS of pulp heroes from 1902 to 1939, and if nothing else can be used to get ideas for NPC's for Eberron!

(Think I'll make an NPC adversary based on Dr. Alcazar...)

 

[Oni]

Pulp to me is about interesting and clear cut villians, high flying adventure, and heroics. A lot of action and little moral ambiguity, yet still a little gritty.

The movie that really expresses the pulp genre for me is Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[reanjr]

So this word "pulp" is being tossed around quite a lot lately. In gaming terms, what does it mean to you? (and I ain't talking about Tropicana Grovestand vs. Pure Premium orange juice)

In general, I see "pulp" as the mood created when a character with strong personal ties to a particular field of interest and something bad/wrong/evil intrudes... and that the character must deal with it. It is the archaelogist at an ancient site when a thief steals an artifact; it is the old war veteran responding to a combat buddy's mysterious call for help; it is . That's how I see it anyway. It's also how I have pretty much ran my games for the past 10 years although I never called it pulp - more like "James Bond" meets "Days of Our Lives." Of course this includes the equally fascinating villains in all their complicated glory. Interesting heroes need interesting villains.

Also... If you had to pick one movie, what one absolutely defines the pulp genre for you (and why)? If I had to pick one that defined my style of pulp fiction in gaming, it would be Kill Bill vol. 1 & 2. Multiple strong motivations for the hero that catapult her from fast moving adventure to fast moving adventure.

- Ed

Pulp contains shocking, horrid, or sensational subject matter. It also tends to be used only when referring to a work of low production quality.

As I know the pulp references are initiated by Eberron, I must add that Eberron fits neither of these meanings. Eberron is not pulp, and I don't know how anyone came to that conclusion, except as a marketing tool.

Eberron has some stylistic similarities to certain ACTUAL pulp fiction published earlier this century. But the pulp of yesteryear is the daily grind of today.

I would say Pulp Fiction, as the title states is the epitomy of pulp. One other movie that immediately springs to mind is Heavy Metal.

I do not believe Tarentino's Kill Bill series is pulp by the traditional definition, though maybe.

 

[madelf]

Kill Bill is not pulp.
The Pulp Fiction movie is not pulp.
Heavy Metal is not pulp.

Indiana Jones is pulp.
The Mummy is pulp.
The Rocketeer is pulp

The upcoming Sky Captain movie really looks like pulp.

From what I can tell Eberron is about as far from pulp as you can get while still using the English alphabet.

 

[JPL]

"Pulp" means different things depending on the context.

In an RPG context, it's usually shorthand for 1920s-1940s hero/adventure pulp [Doc, Shadow, etc.], cliffhanger serials of the same era, and modern-day homages/adaptations of the same [Indy, Sky Captain, etc.]

Reanjr offers another equally valid usage for "pulp," but "shocking, horrid, or sensational subject a la Tarentino's Pulp Fiction" is clearly not what Eberron sets out to model...especially given the list of inspirational films cited in the setting book.

Eberron mixes things up by introducing some "pulp noir" elements...unlike the Indy school of pulp, this style is all about moral ambiguity and flawed heroes. Since this genre is also simply called "pulp," it gets a bit confusing.

 

[buzz]

As I know the pulp references are initiated by Eberron, I must add that Eberron fits neither of these meanings. Eberron is not pulp, and I don't know how anyone came to that conclusion, except as a marketing tool.

Hmm...

It is a game with elements of pulp and noir, but look back at the movies referenced as inspiration, and you'll see Name of the Rose, Henry V, The Three Musketeers, and Brotherhood of the Wolf alongside Indy. Because it captures the mood of Indiana Jones or The Maltese Falcon does not mean that it is a parody of these movies -- the detective with pointy ears. Again, look to the artwork that's been released, and notice the lack of trenchcoats and fedoras. "Pulp and noir" is easier to say than "swashbuckling adventure and intrigue" -- but in this case, both mean the same thing.

 

[madelf]

Eberron is also not noir.
Not anywhere near.

 

[madelf]

"Pulp and noir" is easier to say than "swashbuckling adventure and intrigue" -- but in this case, both mean the same thing.

Uh huh.
Sure they do.

 

[JPL]

Eberron is also not noir.
Not anywhere near.

It depends on how rigidly you define "pulp" and "noir."

Eberron is, first and foremost, D&D [which is really a fantasy subgenre unto itself]. The pulp and noir are seasonings, not the main course.