Tom Curry (writer)

Tom Curry
Born Thomas Albert Curry
(1900-11-04)November 4, 1900
Hartford, Connecticut
Died October 7, 1976(1976-10-07) (aged 75)
Norwalk, Connecticut
Occupation Writer
Years active 1923–1974

Thomas Albert Curry (1900–1976[1]) was an American pulp fiction writer who began writing crime and detective stories but went on to become one of the more prolific western writers in the genre.[2]

Early life

Curry was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on November 4, 1900. Thomas attended Columbia College in 1920. In 1923 he worked as a crime reporter for William Randolph Hearst's newspaper the New York American.[3] Some of his early crime stories were taken from this experience.[4]

Tom Curry's brother-in-law was fellow pulp fiction author F.R. Buckley.[3]

Writing career

His was paid $25.00 for his first story to be published, "Diamond in the Rough", which appeared ion the March 1921 edition of pulp magazine People's Favorite[5]

Curry's stories have appeared in over 400 pulp magazines including Argosy, Black Mask, The Blue Book Magazine, Short Stories and several Thrilling Publications including Texas Rangers,[6] Thrilling Adventures, Thrilling Ranch Stories and Thrilling Western[7][8]

The Rio Kid

In 1939 he created his most well known character, The Rio Kid, bringing an element of historical fiction to the genre with his lead character interacting with actual historical events and people. This series had its own magazine devoted to it from 1939 through 1953[7]

As was not uncommon in the genre, Curry would also write under pseudonyms including Jackson Cole, Bradford Scott and John Benton.[5]

He was a prominent member of Western Writers of America for 50 years.[3]

Selected works

  • The Bandits Of Boise
  • The Buffalo Hunters - A Rio Kid Western
  • Blood on the Plains - A Captain Mesquite Novel
  • Captain Mesquite
  • Colorado Gold
  • The Comstock Load
  • Drifter
  • Gunfighters Way
  • Gunfighters Holiday
  • Guns Of Dodge City
  • Hate Along The Rio
  • Leadville Avengers
  • Marshal Of Wichita
  • The Mormon Trail
  • On To Cheyenne
  • Outlaws Brand
  • Range Of Doom
  • Riding For Custer
  • Round Up Guns
  • The Trail Blazers
  • Wagons To California

References

  1. ↑ "Thomas A. Curry, Writer Of Western Novels, Dies". New York Times. October 8, 1976.
  2. ↑ "Western Pulp Writers". CowboyJamboreeMagazine.com. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Tom Curry - Author, Engineer, Sportsman PulpFlakes
  4. ↑ "Existentialism, Film Noir, and Hard-Boiled Fiction". Cambria Press. Retrieved March 21, 2017 – via Google Books.
  5. 1 2 G. M. Farley, Tom Curry - A Biography, 1975, The Zane Grey Collector
  6. ↑ Nick Carr, The Western Pulp Hero: An Investigation Into the Psyche of an American Legend, 1989, Starmont House, Inc.
  7. 1 2 John Dinan, Sports in the Pulp Magazines, 1998, McFarland & Company, Inc.
  8. ↑ Tom Curry Fiction Mag Index
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