For many years people speculated whether the authors of the Masked Rider novels, or the publishers, heard the radio program and decided to publish their own rendition to capitalize on the radio program, but no direct connection has been found. In addition, the radio program was primarily a regional Michigan radio broadcast at the time and not a national phenomenon that it would become in 1938. Historians truly insist the pulp magazine was a coincidence applying a similar premise and with few western plots available and a variation-on-a-theme more than likely, I personally insist The Masked Rider magazine was a coincidence.
That, however, did not prevent me from buying the first three volumes from Altus Press, publishing the first nine novels in chronological order. Bold Venture Press has also been publishing the novels as double features. As of the time I type this, they have seven volumes available for sale. Both publishing companies incorporate the original illustrations.
Among the talented authors who contributed to the series were Johnston McCulley (creator of Zorro), Gunnison Steele, Norman A. Daniels (creator of The Black Bat, writing as Jud Tally) and Walker A. Tompkins. The issues were published hap-hazardly, sometimes monthly, sometimes bi-monthly, from 1934 to 1953.
It was my initial intention to read the novels with The Lone Ranger in mind, to enjoy what could have been (through my eyes) additional adventures of the masked man and his faithful Indian companion, but I quickly discovered the mannerisms of Wayne Morgan were different from that of The Lone Ranger. Every summer I spend a week at the beach and every summer I take along one of these volumes to read. Give or take there are about 100 novels in the series so it may take me a few decades to read them all… that is, if reprints continue to be published from both Altus and Bold Venture.
