Adventure (magazine)

Adventure was first published in November 1910 [ Robinson, Frank M. & Davidson, Lawrence "Pulp Culture - The Art of Fiction Magazines" Collectors Press Inc 2007] as a monthly pulp magazine. In 1915 it attempted to broaden its horizon to women readers by retitling itself "Stories of Life, Love, and ADVENTURE", but went back to its male readership and original title in 1917. [ [http://www.magazineart.org/magazines/a/adventure.html ADVENTURE Magazine Profile ] ] The magazine had 881 issues.

In 1912, the magazine's editor from 1911-1927 Arthur Sullivant Hoffman (1876-1966) and his assistant Sinclair Lewis created a popular identity card for its readers with a serial number. If the bearer was killed, someone finding the card would notify the magazine who would in turn notify the next of kin of the hapless adventurer. The popularity of the card amongst travelers led to the formation of the Adventurers Club of New York. [ Robinson, Frank M. & Davidson, Lawrence "Pulp Culture - The Art of Fiction Magazines" Collectors Press Inc 2007] The original New York Adventurers Club led to similar clubs in Chicago (1913), Los Angeles (1921), Copenhagen (1937), and Honolulu (1955). [ [http://www.comebackalive.com/df/advclubs.htm Fielding's DangerFinder - Adventure Clubs ] ]

Hoffman also was secretary of an organization named the Legion that had Theodore Roosevelt as one of its vice presidents. Membership cards of the organization included member's skills and specialties that were forwarded to the War Department when the United States entered World War I [ibid] Roosevelt's son Theodore Roosevelt Jr was instrumental in forming the American Legion after the war.

Some of the writers the magazine published included Rider Haggard, Talbot Mundy,
Harold Lamb, T.S. Stribling and Arthur O. Friel.

"Adventure" featured a column called "Ask Adventure" that called on the resources of up to 98 experts to answer various questions including the status of slavery in Ethiopia, whether Gila monster bites are fatal, and the respective fighting merits of lions and gorillas. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,755214,00.html No. 1 Pulp - TIME ] ]

In April 1953, the pulp changed its format to that of a men's adventure magazine that lasted until the magazine folded in 1971. [ [http://www.magazineart.org/magazines/a/adventure.html ADVENTURE Magazine Profile ] ]

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